In the Application Service Provider (ASP) model, customers no longer need to purchase expensive software, but rather lease software over the Internet, paying only when they use it. Imagecom has adopted this industry trend to better service CAD customers who prefer to perform CAD conversions on an "as needed-pay per use" basis.

Advantages of the ASP model over traditional software licensing models are the following: · No upfront software product costs · No upgrade and maintenance costs · No training required · Pay only when you use the service · Latest software always available to the user.

Imagecom has phased out the FlexiDesign product in favor of the ASP model through their new ASPire3D.com portal. Customers now have access to the same powerful software on an "as needed" basis at much more economic rates than licensing the software.

You register and log into www.aspire3d.com. You can then select the input 2D format and required output 3D format and upload the drawing(s) that you want converted. Each conversion job starts an instance of FlexiDesign on ASPire3D's server farm performing the automated conversion to 3D. When the conversion is complete, you receive an e-mail notification. You can then login to the My Conversions page to view the 3D model in VRML format. If you are satisfied with the quality of the output, you can pay for the conversion using a credit card or purchase order. You can then download the final editable 3D model.

ASPire3D.com currently supports Internet Explorer 5, 6, Mozilla Firefox 1.0.X and Netscape 4. In addition, the Self Serve option will only work with Internet Explorer. The browsers need to be Java enabled and also have plug-ins for Macromedia Flash.

You do not need any software other than a browser to use the ASP. However, you will need a copy of Mechanical Desktop or AutoCAD to open the final 3D model that you receive.

No, ASPire3D.com is not a "thin client" application. Therefore, you do not have direct access to the CAD software on our server farm.

All you need is a 28.8 kbps modem to use our ASP. We have optimized our back-end process for low bandwidths on the client's side and we are also equipped with high speed Internet connections on our end to handle large number of simultaneous hits.

Yes, you can reach our customer support personnel at any time by e-mailing administrator@aspire3d.com. Our support department will endeavor to respond to your e-mail as soon as possible. You can also call us at 817.272.1046.

Click on the "Forgot my password" link just below the Login screen. You will be prompted to enter your e-mail address and after verification, your password will be e-mailed to you.

ASPire3D.com currently accepts 2D CAD drawings in DXF or DWG formats. Versions of DXF and DWG starting from AutoCAD R12 have been successfully tested.

ASPire3D.com currently converts 2D drawings to the following 3D CAD formats-

• Mechanical Desktop 6.0
• SolidWorks 2001Plus, 2003, 2004 and 2005
• Inventor 7.0 and 8.0
• ProEngineer Wildfire 2.0
• AutoCAD 2002 and 2004
• STEP AP 203
• IGES - Solids and Surfaces
• SAT
• STL

14. What kinds of parts can you handle?

15. Will the ASP work for AEC drawings?

16. How feature-rich are the 3D models?

17. Are any other CAD output formats planned for the future?

18. How does the ASP handle design intent?

19. Can ASPire3D.com convert 3D explicit solid models to parametric 3D models?

20. Can you do assemblies?

Generally, you will only pay about one-fifth to one-fourth of the costs of a direct manual conversion. The conversions are priced between $15 to $90/part with an average of about $50 per piece part. We also offer special discounts for bulk conversions.

We currently accept Mastercard and Visa credit cards. We also have a Purchase Order option that you can qualify directly over the internet. We also have a subscription plan available to large companies that would like to share their pre-paid conversion dollars with all their employees.

When the conversion is complete, you will be given an opportunity to closely examine a VRML version of the 3D model. You can zoom in/out and rotate the model to view it. At this time, you have two options. You decide you like it and purchase the model. Thereafter, you cannot "return" the model. However, if you are not satisfied with the VRML model, then you owe us nothing and your models will be deleted from our servers. You always have an option to contact our technical support to clarify any discrepancies in the output.

ASPire3D.com uses strong 128-bit SSL encryption (provided by Verisign) to protect your input 2D and output 3D data during the file transfer process. Our server farm is also protected by a Linux firewall to protect our servers from Internet security threats and viruses. Please see our legal Security Disclaimer on our home page.

Our credit card transactions are verified by Verisign - a leader in providing secure and encrypted credit card verification. Please click here to verify our Security Certificate with Verisign. Your credit card numbers are not stored on our server and therefore cannot be hacked into.

Your technical data will not be distributed or sold to any person or company outside Imagecom. Please see our detailed Privacy Statement on our home page.

Imagecom will not disclose your user registration data to any persons outside the company.

ASPire3D.com basically has two conversion options. They are- · Full Service - If you prefer not to preprocess the drawings yourself, we can handle the actual submissions to the ASP and perform the automated conversions. You will be notified when the conversions are ready. · Self Serve - This option requires minimal preprocessing work on the user's part to bring the drawings into a standard form that ASPire3D.com can handle. Because you do some of the work, the conversion rates with this option are lower than the full service option. With either option, conversions are performed automatically using Imagecom's powerful FlexiDesign software.

ASPire3D.com will endeavor to produce excellent quality outputs, however we do not guarantee 100% accuracy of the output. Please see the detailed Warranty Statement on our home page.

Depending on the traffic, complexity of the drawing and the number of conversion jobs in the queue, your conversion job can take a few minutes to a few hours. We will send you an e-mail with the estimated turnaround time. If you require an express conversion, please select the Express Conversion option when you submit your drawings. There is a 20% surcharge for drawings submitted with the Express option.

Your converted 3D models will be stored on your My Conversions page for 30 days after the successful conversion. Your 3D models will be automatically deleted from our server after 30 days. During this time, you will need to purchase and download the model or reject it.

Yes, if you have lots of drawings and would prefer not to use our ASP, please contact our customer support personnel and we can set up an FTP site for you. Also, if you have any other special requirements, for example, different input and output formats, please contact our support department and they will arrange a custom conversion.