UGS, a leading global provider of product lifecycle management (PLM) software and services, today announced ABAQUS, Inc. has selected 2D Dimensional Constraint Manager (2D DCM) component software from UGS' D-Cubed subsidiary for use in ABAQUS/CAE, the modeling and visualization environment for its ABAQUS suite of finite element analysis (FEA) software. D-Cubed's 2D DCM component "sketcher" software - the leading choice of the world's major computer-aided design, manufacturing and engineering analysis (CAD/CAM/CAE) applications -- will be integrated into ABAQUS/CAE to provide a constraint-based sketching environment, significantly enhancing its usability and parametric modeling capabilities. "ABAQUS recognizes the demand for enhanced design tools within the pre-processor environment, and implementing a 2D DCM-based sketcher is a major part of addressing that requirement," said Ken Short, vice president of marketing at ABAQUS, Inc. "We were attracted to UGS by its reputation for having an open, level playing field business model and we have been very impressed with the capabilities of its 2D DCM solution. The incorporation of this world-class sketcher functionality into ABAQUS/CAE is consistent with our mission to continually increase the value we deliver to our customers." The 2D DCM uses geometric dimensions and constraints to provide the parametric sketching capabilities that have become fundamental in design engineering. The robust, industry-tested solution is a compelling economic alternative to resource-intensive in-house development. By choosing to implement the 2D DCM in their product development applications, software vendors such as ABAQUS can rapidly deliver the industry's best sketching capabilities and free their resources for development tasks which focus on their own areas of expertise. "We are delighted to help ABAQUS meet its customers' needs through our open technology solutions," said Bruce Feldt, vice president of Open Tools for UGS. "The ability for 2D DCM to work just as seamlessly in CAE applications as it does in more traditional CAD applications is a testament to the flexibility afforded by UGS' open architecture and business model. That business model enables UGS to help the entire PLM industry realize the benefits of openness and standardization and has established us as the world's leading supplier of component software."