What's New in Aspire V12.0

Interface

Improved UI

Version 12 brings a brand new look and feel to the software.

The modernised interface includes improved support for DPI scaling, resulting in software that looks brighter and crisper particular on newer higher-resolution screens. This release includes a number of UI changes to help reduce friction when you're working within the software.

We've combined the vector and component tools into a single panel so you no longer have to switch between the two when working on the job. Often working with 3D models requires you to switch back and forth between 3D tools and drawing tools, but you no longer need to switch tabs in order to do this.

New Theme

Version 12 comes with a new more modern look and feel. This includes much improved support for DPI scaling, resulting in software that looks brighter and crisper particular on newer higher-resolution screens.

Components Dropdown

You can now switch between active levels using the Dropdown menu on the document toolbar. It is also possible to adjust the visibility and combine modes of levels, as well as add new levels directly from this menu. You no longer need to go to the component tree for most modelling tree operations.

Orthographic View Mode

We now have a new viewing mode in the 3D view. Usually the 3D view is in perspective mode, which allows objects to look 3D. The Orthographic view removes the perspective on the 3D view.

This is useful for when you want to see two-dimensional objects over the top of the 3D view, for example if you want to see how the parts of a toolpath look when lined up alongside the 3D view.

View Control

The software now has a brand new 3D view control. The view control allows you to quickly manipulate your 3D view. You can click on any of the faces to give you a view of the face you are clicking, or drag the control itself to control exactly how you want it to be orientated within your view.

View Toolbar

The new View Toolbar allows you to quickly turn on and off items from your views. You can hide vector, bitmaps, toolpaths, keep-out zones, and components, allowing you to focus on only the important parts of your job.

Sheet Dropdown

It is now possible to quickly switch between sheets using the dropdown on the document toolbar. You can also quickly add a new sheet using the dropdown so you no longer need to go to a new tab if you are already in the middle of another task.

Unified import

You no longer have to choose between different buttons when importing different file types for 2D Content. There is just a single import button to allow you to quickly import any of the supported file types for 2D Files.

Toolpaths

Sketch Carving

Sketch Carving takes a photo, or a 3D model and creates a V-Carved toolpath which picks out the key parts of your source imagery. The resulting toolpaths are quicker to machine that a 3D toolpath, and produce impressive stylistic results without much extra work required from the user.

VCarve Inlay Toolpath

VCarve Inlays are a popular way to make inlays on a CNC machine. They use a V-shaped tool to produce crisp inlays, without the rounded edges you find an a regular inlay.

The VCarve Inlay Tool is a new tool to make the process of creating VCarve Inlays simpler, and less error prone. It create both the plug and pocket toolpaths, mirrors your geometry, and even puts the toolpaths on the right sheets.

Keep-out Zones

Keep-Out Zones allow you to designate areas of your workbed the machine should avoid during rapid moves. This might be places where clamps, jigs, and fixtures could interfere with the safe running of the machine.

3D Design Tools

Four New 3D Shape Tools

Our previous 3D shape creator has been replaced with 4 new tools. Each tool is designed to make shapes of a given type: round, flat, smooth, custom. The tools all feature interactive handles which allow you to dynamically adjust the properties of the shape in place, giving you rapid feedback on your design changes. The created shapes remember the properties used to create them so you can come back later to tweak the shape to suit your design

Create Angled Shape

We've added a new tool to allow you to make simple angular shapes. This tool is much simpler to use than our previous create shape tool. With the tool open, you can interactively drag handles in the 3D view to adjust the shape angle, height, and limit planes providing you with rapid visual feedback.

The angled shapes retain all the information about how they were created, so you can return to that shape later and adjust its properties easily.

Create Rounded Shape

The new round shape tool can be used to created rounded shapes from a vector boundary. The created shapes can be interacted with directly in the 3D view to dynamically adjust their roundness, base height, and overall scaling.

These properties are remembered by the shape so you can adjust them later to suit your design.

Create Smooth Shape

We've added a new modelling tool which can be used to create new types of smooth shapes. By adjusting different handles we can interactively tweak the profile of your created 3D shapes, adjusting the start and end angle to create a wide range components.

The shape retains its properties, so if you want to just tweak the shape you can go back in to the form and edit.

Create Flat Plane

The new Create Flat shape tool allows you to easily create flat modelling planes. These planes can either cover the whole view, for example in the case of a zero-plane, or use the selected vectors.

The shape height, tilt and fade can all be adjusted interactively in the 3D view for more repaid feedback.

Design

3D Cross-Section Tool

Using the 3D cross-section tool, you can quickly create vectors from any part of your 3D model. Click between two points and the vector representing the cross section between these points is made and added to your drawing.

Drawing in the 3D View

The software's drawing tools are now available in the 3D view. This allows you to use the 3D view lots of operations.

It is useful for those occasions where you want to be able to stay within the 3D view rather than having to switch back and forth between the different views for different operations.

Vectors in the 3D View

It is now possible to toggle the drawing of vectors in the 3D view. This is useful if you ever want to see how your geometry lines up with parts of your model, or machined parts of your simulation. Useful for debugging toolpaths.