What's new in 2022.0

Applies to 2022.0 Update and later

Announcements

Netfabb

  1. Machine workspaces

    • Several polymer powderbed machines have received a function that snaps parts fully into the buildroom when they are moved partly outside the buildroom boundaries.
    • New machines by 3D Mectronic, 3d4mec, Aconity, AlphaLaser, Evobeam, and Spectroplast have joined Netfabb extensive range of machines directly supported with buildfile generation.
    • The machine workspace for Origin One, now Stratasys Origin One, now supports connection to the Origin.io online portal for 3D printing.
    • The generic MPBF workspace now supports cylindrical buildrooms and multilaser setups.
    • The improved EOSPrint integration via SDK now facilitates full buildfile creation including exposure set assignment, beam compensation, and laser assignment directly in Netfabb without needing to touch those settings anymore in EOSPrint.

  2. Supports

    • Generating hybrid support is now possible, and automatable with trailblazing ease: Just by increasing the numerical range for the Volume support parameter Top distance to part from the previous humble 2 mm to a very generous 100 mm, we make the best use of Netfabb's existing powerful capabilities of generating supports in successive steps and stack open supports onto solid ones. Follow the Tutorial: Create hybrid volume support to learn how!

      The stacked support on this propeller generates fully autonomously from only two support actions in mere seconds.

    • When working with bouquets, for example, selecting a group of support elements is helped by selecting all connected elements. To avoid having to switch Edit support > Select support between single and multi-selection all the time, you can now keep it at Single entity permanently and use double-click or Alt+Click to select the clicked element and any connected ones.
    • As an alternative to a simple angled knee, volume and polyline supports can now be smoothly deformed along a spline to avoid hitting other part surfaces on their extent to the build platform.

    • Manually marking surface areas for supporting now has an edge detection threshold that you can adjust as needed.

      The edge threshold makes marking large areas with many small perforations much easier.

    • Upskin projection has been improved, streamlining the concentration of bars and volumes on dedicated surfaces.
    • Deleting supports by script action is now capable of selecting Z ranges for more flexibility.

  3. Working with multiple parts

    • A new command randomizes display colors. This helps with functions that create many parts of the same display color, such as various Lua functions. Access the command through the context menu of selected parts, of part groups, and buildrooms.
    • Rotation to multiple selected parts at once now optionally rotates all parts at once but around their individual axes as opposed to rotating the entire group of selected parts around a common center. Find the switch for that in the Settings.

  4. Clip planes

    • Moving the clip planes in defined increments is now more configurable: The Clip planes view has received a configuration menu. Here, separately or collectively for each axis, you set increments that are used for the clipplane shortcuts Shift+WASDQE (by default). Better yet, you can store, recall, and manage multiple presets of increments so that you don't need to type them in manually for every session of work.

      This convenient dialog, accessible directly from the Clip planes view, replaced the single and unflexible setting buried in the Settings.

    • They also have received improved visibility when looked at directly perpendicularly as well as when otherwise obstructed by part geometry.

      The capability to always show on top helps illustrate cross sections.

  5. Removed functions

    • A360 connectivity has been removed and we strongly recommend to stop using it for Netfabb projects. To access any remaining projects on A360, use Netfabb 2021. Download them and store and manage them as regular FABBPROJECT files.
    • The Mesh to BREP command has been removed. We highly recommend using Fusion 360's new and significantly more powerful mesh capabilities instead.

  6. Misc

    • Netfabb Basic is back! Or rather, its name. Netfabb Basic had continued to always been here but was not explicitly named so for a while. From version 2022 on, any Netfabb installation run without a license is now officially called Netfabb Basic (again) and is both continuing and improving upon the legacy of good old, popular, and free Netfabb Basic.

Simulation Utility

  1. File handling improvements

    • The time required to import large Tivus, STL, and 3MF files has been greatly reduced.

  2. Additional PRM files

    • Four new processing parameter sets have been added for the built-in Renishaw 500Q print settings for AlSi10Mg 30 micron, Inconel 625 30 micron, Inconel 718 60 micron, and Ti6Al4V 60 micron conditions.

  3. Job Manager enhancement

    • A new column has been added to Job Manager, showing the total solve time for each simulation or PRM file job.

  4. Report feature added

    • On the Export menu, users can now export a project report in PDF format, which summarizes key details of project input factors, settings, and simulation results. This option is provided in addition to the options for exporting solver input files, and project files.

  5. Expanded Results tab

    • The Results ribbon has been reorganized, and a new Result Filter Panel is added to control the component displayed for different result types, and the range of values displayed.

Local Simulation

  1. Usability feature