CNC Software, developer of Mastercam CAD/CAM software, recently announced that its Mastercam X4 CAD/CAM software has been certified for Autodesk Inventor 2011 3-D mechanical design software by the Autodesk Inventor Certified Applications Program. To be certified, the product must meet certain guidelines and demonstrate a high level of quality as well as compatibility with Autodesk Inventor software. Certification is given only after the product has been tested and approved.

"We are very happy to be certified for Autodesk Inventor 2011. Many Mastercam customers receive Inventor files, so both communities can be assured of the seamless integration between our two products," says Gary Hargreaves, director of business development for CNC Software. "The flow from design to manufacture becomes easier for both Inventor and Mastercam customers, where the designer can be assured that the part designed in Inventor is precisely the part that is machined with Mastercam. Both companies are working together to provide customers with the best in CAD and CAM software. The Mastercam and Autodesk Inventor integration offers users a way to easily work between the two products and stay ahead of their competition."

Mastercam X4 has a direct add-in for Autodesk Inventor, a great way to boost productivity. Autodesk Inventor mechanical design software takes engineers beyond 3-D to digital prototyping by enabling them to design, visualize, and simulate products before they are ever built. Free to the Mastercam and Autodesk communities, Mastercam Direct enables users to open a model in Mastercam while in an Inventor session, and then update toolpaths to reflect changes to the model. Mastercam X4 is able to read in native Inventor files (.IPT and .IAM) for design purposes and toolpath generation.

"Autodesk Inventor software users can import part files and manufacture them quickly using Mastercam X4" says Tim Gray, director of inventor product management at Autodesk. "Having partners, such as Mastercam in the Autodesk Certified Application Program assures users that the same standards of product quality we want for Autodesk Inventor are being extended to the Mastercam suite of solutions."