Well, this new drafting system is now a reality. Last year, PTC launched the “Pegasus” project whose mission was “to provide quality 2D geometry creation and editing within the Pro/ENGINEER environment.” The developers selected MEDUSA™ as the kernel for the new system for its proven quality, performance, and depth of 2D application. But when PTC decided to concentrate fully on Pro/ENGINEER and Windchill®, the company sold the worldwide rights for both MEDUSA and Project “Pegasus” to its sales and service partner CAD Schroer late last year.

Since we could focus much more closely on development than PTC, we are now bringing the new 2D drafting system—known as STHENO/PRO™—to market. For those of you unfamiliar with Greek mythology, Stheno (pronounced thee-no) is one of three gorgon sisters—Stheno, Medusa, and Euryales. In other words, we think of this as a sister product to MEDUSA.

STHENO/PRO lets you add 2D content to a Pro/DETAIL drawing (click to enlarge).

Q. What’s so new about STHENO/PRO?

A. STHENO/PRO is designed specifically for Pro/ENGINEER users. The interface was built with the same GUI toolkit as that for Pro/ENGINEER Wildfire, giving it a familiar look and feel. We also did a complete overhaul of the MEDUSA 2D kernel, and added a package of new 2D productivity tools that integrate as a module of Pro/DETAIL™.

Q. Who needs 2D drafting anymore?

A. There are many areas where you can still use 2D solutions effectively and efficiently. In fact, the arguments for using 2D become even more compelling as production run volumes decrease. Here are just a few instances.

Legacy 2D data maintenance. Many companies maintain multiple 2D systems just in case they have to make modifications of their many thousands of drawings. STHENO/PRO is designed to replace those legacy systems, many of which are no longer commercially available.

2D annotation. Even for businesses or departments where the bulk of the information comes from Pro/ENGINEER, a lot of peripheral 2D information is still required to complete the drawing. Some examples are customer specials, tendering, simple tools and fixtures, packaging, site plans and factory layouts. The scope is endless.

2D conceptual input for the sketcher. Many companies begin their basic design process in 2D, often deciding which elements are required before any true component design begins. STHENO/PRO is perfect for this, enabling designers to easily select geometry at the end of the process and send it to the Pro/ENGINEER sketcher.

Q. What were your design criteria for STHENO/PRO?

A. From what users were telling us and from our long experience in the 2D-only market, we considered the following criteria most important:

2D-specific architecture. Most 2D systems are currently implemented within existing 3D CAD systems, which always forces a compromise between 2D requirements and all of the extra data that 3D systems need. Just try editing a large 2D drawing in the 2D package of any 3D system to see what we mean.

Ease of use for Pro/ENGINEER users. While many designers are only part-time 2D CAD users, existing products often require regular usage and a relatively high level of expertise. STHENO/PRO has been optimized for the Pro/ENGINEER user and can be used in a very straightforward manner by the occasional user.

Flexibility. The ability to customize and configure 2D tools is vital. With STHENO/PRO, users can do a lot to build their own specific toolsets for particular tasks. They can do even more in the powerful customization environment

Good data exchange. Transferring information accurately between CAD systems is also essential. While this requirement primarily relates to 2D DXF and DWG, it also refers to the many variants of the AutoDesk de facto standard.

Q. So is STHENO/PRO a replacement for, or alternative to, Pro/DETAIL?

A. Neither, it’s a complement to it. You still use Pro/DETAIL to lay out your views and detail them from the 3D model. STHENO/PRO then greatly speeds completion of the drawing. You can switch back and forth between Pro/DETAIL and STHENO/PRO simply by using the applications menu. Anything you add to the drawing in STHENO/PRO is automatically inserted into the Pro/DETAIL drawing.

STHENO/PRO can operate as either a 2D drafting module of Pro/ENGINEER or, given its FLEXlm floating licensing, as a standalone product.

Q. How about integration with other PTC products?

A. STHENO/PRO will have access to the Pro/INTRALINK local workspace to extract and replace files. All local to common space operations are easily achievable with the standard Pro/INTRALINK client.

An optional STHENO/PRO product will soon be available to provide Windchill Workgroup Manager functionality. Also in the works is STHENO/IMAGE, which will provide raster image backdrop capability. This will allow users to include a scanned drawing in the STHENO/PRO session, erase areas of it, and add vector information to produce a composite drawing.

Q. What platforms are available?

A. The first release of STHENO/PRO is for Microsoft Windows NT, 2000 and XP. Sun Solaris and Hewlett Packard HP-UX will be available soon. Other Unix platforms will be added as demand requires.

Q. How can I find out more?

A. If you have any questions about STHENO/PRO, please visit our website at www.cad-schroer.com or e-mail stheno@CAD-Schroer.com.

Mark Simpson is product line manager for STHENO/PRO at CAD Schroer GmbH, an engineering company headquartered in Moers, Germany. He can be reached by email at msimpson@cad-schroer.de.