Lectra Releases New Pattern Design System
French technology company Lectra has released a new version of its Modaris pattern design and grading software.
Among the highlights of Version 5 is a new interactive measurement chart that can reduce design time up to 30 percent, according to Lectra officials. The software also has enhanced compatibility with other CAD systems and is configured to drive HPGL (Hewlett-Packard Graphics Language).
Among those who have tested the product is Juergen Schuette, vice president of technical design and development for New York–based DKNY, who said he was impressed with the measuring additions.
“It is a real functional chart,” Schuette said. “Measurements remain displayed on the pieces and are updated automatically as pieces are modified. The drawings can be displayed in the measurement chart, indicating where the measurement is being taken. Converting styles to and from other CAD systems is very easy and convenient.”
The upgrade also incorporates features that allow designers to standardize measuring methods and communicate with others in the development process to ensure accuracy. The system works with generic export or import file formats, allowing pattern designers to share files and avoid formatting problems.
New job-oriented guided functions automate recurring pattern design tasks. The three Modaris packages now have 47 prerecorded macros, which are divided into four job-dedicated menus: creation, modification, industrialization and grading. Users can also buy a tool called the Modaris Asset Manager, which leverages existing patterns for faster pattern generation. —Robert McAllister
