Delcam CRISPIN has launched the 2015 release of its ShoeMaker Pro CAD software for the design of all types of footwear. The new version incorporates improvements to the last import wizard, the introduction of style-line templates to speed up the creation of classic shoe designs, more flexibility in the modelling of heels, and the ability to create tuned flattening-parameter files based on existing lasts and production flattenings.

ShoeMaker Pro is the only CAD program for the footwear industry that integrates fully 3D designs of lasts, uppers and soles, so allowing the complete CAD model of the shoe to be developed and visualised in a single system. This integrated approach benefits all footwear designers, but is particularly advantageous for companies making sports shoes and other designs that include complex soles.

In ShoeMaker Pro 2015, the last import wizard has been improved to give more efficient import of last designs.  Once the design has been imported, key points on the last can be identified, such as the heel-top point, the heel-bottom point and the toe point. Nodes on the top curve, feather curve, centre curve and heel curve can be edited, if required.

For companies using lasts from their existing ranges, the last filter makes it quicker and easier to select the required last from the last library. Upper and lower values required for different properties can be added into a filter dialog to find lasts that meet the desired criteria. 

Another new tool in the 2015 release allows ShoeMaker Pro to analyse flattenings that have been created outside the software and then use the findings to create a flattening parameter file. To create the file, a series of lasts and patterns need to be imported into ShoeMaker Pro, with each linked set given the same name.  A degree of difference can be specified to control how close to the existing flattening the results from the new flattening parameter file need to be. Once created, the new file can be used for any future flattening operations.

The addition of style-line templates to ShoeMaker Pro will speed up the generation of classic designs.  Style lines from templates representing six different popular styles can be added to either or both the inside or outside of the last.  Once added, the lines can be edited to create a new design or used directly to produce panels.

In a related development, three new options have been added for the creation of style lines based on standard geometric shapes.  Circles, rectangles and polygons can be placed directly onto the 3D surface of the last, making it easier to create panels from these shapes.

Designs in ShoeMaker Pro can be made more realistic with the new ability to add ‘bump mapping’ effects to materials. A range of alternative textures are supplied with the software that can be dragged and dropped onto the material. 

In another enhancement, a new option for padding called flat-top padding has been added.  Two improvements have been made to the punching ability in ShoeMaker Pro. Firstly, it is now possible to fill an area with a grid of punches using the new pattern-of-punches tool. 

Secondly, a series of punches of varying sizes can be created along a line by specifying scale increments. A series of accessories of different sizes can be produced along a line in a similar way. In addition, it has been made easier to create custom accessories and add them to the library that is supplied with the software.

Finally, heel design has been made more flexible with a new option allowing one of various top-piece shapes to be chosen.  Once the basic shape has been selected it can be edited using either a series of sliding bars or by inputting exact dimensions to give the required heel shape.

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