Following our general overview webinar, discover an in-depth technical analysis with screenshots and detailed use cases of the major innovations in this Service Pack 2 version.
CADfix DX: The Professional CAD Interoperability Solution
CADfix DX automates complex geometric repair by processing over 30 native CAD formats, ensuring model integrity for your CAE analyses and critical simulations.
Developed for demanding multi-CAD environments in aerospace, automotive, energy, and manufacturing industries, CADfix DX eliminates barriers to 3D model reuse between heterogeneous systems.
Supported formats:
- CATIA V4/V5/3DEXPERIENCE, NX, Creo, SolidWorks
- Neutral standards: STEP, IGES, JT, Parasolid
- Specialized CAE and simulation formats
Key applications:
- Automatic healing and geometric repair
- Model preparation for simulation (CFD/FEA)
- Intelligent simplification (defeaturing)
Measurable Impact
90%
Conversion time reductionConversion success rate
Manual work reduction
ROI measured in weeks for intensive multi-CAD environments
CADfix DX 13 SP2: The Major Evolution
This Service Pack 2 version marks a technological revolution with native BIM format integration, advanced geometric morphing tools, and a complete overhaul of hexahedral meshing algorithms.
8 major innovation domains
Revolutionary BIM Integration
Navisworks NWD/NWC Import
CADfix DX 13 SP2 natively integrates Navisworks formats with complete management of facets, assemblies, and metadata. The user interface displays a detailed hierarchy enabling navigation through complex projects.
- 1695 parts, 2 assemblies
- 79570 facets processed
- Metadata preservation
Bidirectional Revit Support
RVT/RFA support now offers BREP and facet import/export. The racbasicsampleproject example demonstrates management of 282 parts and 73 assemblies with architectural data preservation.
- BREP Import/Export
- 7.85 Mb data preserved
- Level 1, Level 2, Foundation elements
IFC Format with BREP Geometry
Major innovation: BREP import for IFC files (facets already supported). Optimized management of complex BIM projects with 896 parts and 7 assemblies.
- BREP import added
- BREP and facet export
- Construction applications
Optimized STL Meshing and Export
STL Maximum Length Control
The STL configuration interface integrates precise maximum length control to optimize minimal meshes. New parameters allow fine tuning between triangulation quality and optimized file size.
Format options:
- Configurable ASCII/Binary
- Pre-export validation
- Model position restoration
- Unit measurement control
Quality controls:
- Facet sag: 0.757
- Facet turn: 30.0°
- Max length: 50mm configured
- Improved chord measurement
Benefits:
- Optimized minimal meshes
- Real-time preview
- Triangulation density control
- High-performance export
Impact: The visual comparison shows the significant difference between export with maximum length limitation (optimized mesh) versus unconstrained export (over-tessellation), enabling precise quality/performance ratio control.
Quadratic Meshes
Mesh recipes now support quadratic elements with Isotropic tets configuration optimized for ABAQUS solvers and other advanced CAE codes.
Advanced parameters:
- TE 10 Delaunay - 10-node tetrahedra
- TR6 Curvature-sensitive - Curvature triangles
- Maximum length: 0.303
- Mesh density: Adaptive controlled
Redesigned Fillet Removal
Major Overhaul: Complex Network Detection
Network Detection
Fillet chains automatically identified
Intersecting Fillets
Intersecting fillet removal
Conjoined Fillets
Overlapping conjoined region processing
Faster Removal
Significantly optimized performance
Multi-Radius Junction Management
- Different radii automatically detected
- Concave vs convex junctions
- Non-smooth junctions processed
High-Precision Geometric Morphing
Revolutionary Improvements
Performance:
- Improved accuracy - Geometric precision
- Larger deformations - Extreme deformations
- Faster morphing - Optimized speeds
- Higher quality surfaces - Smooth surfaces
Innovations:
- New ripple-suppression - Anti-ripple
- GUI improvements - Redesigned interface
- Batch improvements - Batch processing
- Robust export CAD - Reliable native export
Use Case: Manufacturing Compensation
Integrated process:
1. Predictive deformation simulation
2. Morphing compensation application
3. CATIA V5 morphed geometry export
4. Derived part reuse
Example of 10 morphed parts imported and reusable in CATIA V5
Dynamic Cutting and Visualization Tools
Smart Cutting Planes
New dynamic cutting planes offer real-time preview with intelligent positioning perpendicular to selected lines.
Features:
- Smart snapping line ends/mid-point
- Dynamic preview cutting plane
- Perpendicular to selected line
6-Axis Clipping Planes
Precise control of 6 clipping planes with dynamic preview and model selection placement.
Improvements:
- Toggle axes front/back
- Keyboard shortcuts
- Pick location from model
Intelligent Hexahedral Meshing
"Explain" Diagnostic Tool
Major innovation: the Explain tool indicates why a body cannot be hex meshed.
"Body is sweepable, template contains non-quads"
"Body is too complex to be hex meshed"
Body Merging and Quality
Merge bodies tool to join connected bodies with new mesh style for 2-sided faces.
- Improved stacked/cyclic bodies ordering
- 3 different stacked layers templates
- Complete cyclic bodies sets
Quality Improvement SP1 → SP2
SP1: Over-refined mesh, limited sizing
SP2: Correctly sized mesh, optimized sparse density control
Advanced CWI Automation and Scripting
CQL Language Extensions
The CADfix Query Language is enriched with user-defined functions and new attributes for complex selections.
face[label = "wing" && attr:area < 10] Selects faces labeled "wing" with area < 10 units
New attributes:
EMBG, EMBO, SPNT, EPNT, LTYP, BBMD, ABMD, OBMD, GNUS
New CWI Commands
- cwi:model:merge - Geometry merging
- cwi:model_cleanup - Temporary entity cleanup
- cwi:display / cwi:display:wipe - Script display
- cwi:set:add_cql - Add entities via CQL queries
- cwi:ask:cql - Value calculation
Advanced Scan-to-CAD and 3D Comparison
High-Precision Difference Detection
The 3D Compare tool filters minor changes to reveal only significant differences with color mapping of deviations.
Detection capabilities:
- Missing/modified components
- Filter minor changes
- Graphical hot-spots highlighting
Comparison types:
- CAD-to-CAD two-way merge
- Mesh-to-CAD
- Scan-to-CAD
Aircraft Hinge Example:
- Max. distance: 100.31
- Detections: Pipe bend missing
- Analysis: Motor feet missing from CAD
Outlook: CADfix Server Q4 2025
The future of CADfix is being democratized with CADfix Server, an enterprise web platform providing access to 8 CADfix services via browser.
Conversion Services
- Exchange - A-to-B conversion
- Clean-up - Repair and healing
- Simplify - Complexity reduction
- Visualise - Digital twin support
Meshing Services
- Mesh - Advanced CAE meshing
- STL - High quality generation
- Morph - Geometry optimization
- Diff - Compare CAD/Mesh/Scan
Enterprise Features
- Automatic job queue management
- Dashboard users & admins
- Customizable workflows
- Usage logs and statistics
Key Advantages
Democratized access
without installation
Parallel processing
high performance
Enterprise security
protected data
Complete monitoring
usage and performance
Discover CADfix DX 13 SP2