CARLSBAD, CA - Altium has introduced a software upgrade for the Altium Designer product that allows electronics designers to fit boards into enclosures in 3D, eliminating trial-and-error iterations.

Building on Altium’s 3D PCB visualization software, the company uses the STEP 3D file format as a mechanism to link to external STEP models from within Altium Designer to bring a casing model into the PCB design environment.

The upgrade allows designers to create a board shape from the case model, do mechanical fit and clearance checking, and update board design or component choice placement for fit and conformance to physical design constraints. If the mechanical designer changes the case design, the new design can be updated within Altium program. The board design can also be used by the program as a STEP model for use by the mechanical designer.

Nick Martin, CEO of Altium, said, “Electronics design companies are looking for new ways to innovate and sustain differentiation, and companies are recognizing the benefits of a unified design solution. The new ECAD-MCAD collaboration capabilities of Altium Designer demonstrate…a unified approach to product development.”