NOVATO, Calif., June 3, 2008 – IMSI/Design™, the global leader in retail CAD, is now shipping the first variational sketching plug-in for AutoCAD®. IDX™ Variable Constraint System provides designers and engineers unprecedented control over designs and operates seamlessly in AutoCAD.

“What used to take hours now takes seconds,” said Bob Mayer, Chief Operating Officer of IMSI/Design. “For the first time, AutoCAD users can perform rapid rework and 'What If' analysis without having to manually redraw each geometric or dimension change. We think this is one of the most compelling plug-ins we've seen for AutoCAD."

The Variable Constraint System provides variational sketching functionality within AutoCAD. It enables geometric or dimensional constraints to be applied that control relationships between drawn objects. Those relationships may be parametrically driven and include values, variables, or mathematical formulas in relation to other variables.

IDX Variable Constraint System incorporates the D-Cubed™ 2D Dimensional Constraint Manager from Siemens PLM Software. This is the same core engine typically available in much more expensive parametric modeling programs including Autodesk® Inventor®; CATIA and SolidWorks® by Dassault Systems; or Solid Edge by Siemens PLM Software.

The IDX Variable Constraint System enables:

• Sketching and drafting productivity — quickly draw an object, automatically apply constraints, and then adjust the constraints to force dimensions and geometries.
• Variational sketching, revision productivity — rapidly modify constrained objects, maintaining all design rules for proportionality, centering, etc.
• Capturing design intent, creating intelligent behavior — consistently enforce design rules by embedding intelligence in the drawing, e.g., easily control how a linkage moves.
• Drawing profiles for 3D extrusions — fully adjust 2D drawings used as a basis for building 3D models.
• Developing entire part families — automatically have parts drawn in different sizes and configurations by changing parameters.

The IDX Variable Constraint System is currently available for AutoCAD 2007 and AutoCAD 2008 base editions. It is priced at US $499, and is available, along with a trial version at www.IDX-design.com.

About IMSI/Design

IMSI/Design is the global leader in retail CAD (Computer Aided Design). IMSI/Design products include the award-winning TurboCAD®, DesignCAD™, and TurboFLOORPLAN™ families of precision design applications. Please visit www.IMSIdesign.com or www.IDX-design.com for more information.

CONTACT:
IMSI/Design
Pam Volpe
415.483.8025
pr(at)imsidesign.com