To further accelerate digital transformation the adoption of AI digital transformation software development, Next Design—our next-generation design tool—has received a major update. This major update incorporates technology and expertise cultivated in the automotive industry, features AI integration to support design activities, and includes numerous functional improvements based on feedback from users. As a result, it enables high productivity right from the start.

Table of Contents

• New Features and Improvements
  • Quick Start with a Package for Embedded Software Development
  • AI-Assisted Design for Efficient, High-Quality Embedded Software Development
  • Improving practicality by incorporating feedback from the field
  • Other Improvements
• Fixed Issues and Constraints
• Important Notes Regarding the V5.0 Update
• How to Update

New Features and Improvements

Quick Start with a Package for Embedded Software Development

To help anyone get started smoothly with embedded software design, we have introduced a new suite of packages that are immediately ready for use in the field. This reduces the time and cost required for setup when implementing Next Design, allowing you to see the benefits of the system sooner.

Makes it easier to deploy process assets to the field

• Development Processes Cultivated in the Automotive Industry: Automotive-SPICE ^(*1) as a reference, we provide a base package that incorporates our expertise.
• The base package includes a metamodel that defines the structure of design information and view definitions that define representation methods, allowing you to start designing immediately without any further setup.
• Starting with the base package, you can tailor it to your company’s processes and target domain to support your organizational operations.

(*1): Automotive-SPICE is a registered trademark of the German Association of the Automotive Industry (Verband der Automobilindustrie e.V.: VDA). While the provided package uses Automotive-SPICE as a reference, it does not claim compliance with Automotive-SPICE.

Ready-to-use standard design methods

• In addition to UML and SysML, as well as timing charts, you can use design methods such as flowcharts, DFDs, FMEA, FTA, and USDM.
• From requirements analysis to detailed design and failure analysis, you can centrally manage design information by combining the most appropriate methods for each phase.
• By adding the necessary methods to the base package or existing profiles, you can quickly begin operations tailored to your specific environment.

Automating Routine Tasks with Extensions

• The base package includes automation extensions such as batch model generation, automatic ID numbering, scope analysis, and test result aggregation.
• The included extensions are provided in script format and can be used as reference examples or as a basis for your own custom extensions.
• In addition to C#, Python is now supported as an extension development language, enabling a wide range of engineers to work on on-site improvements.

AI-Assisted Design for Efficient, High-Quality Embedded Software Development

"DC Agentiqs," the AI agent platform developed by our company ^(*2) , we support design studies, reviews, and profile definitions that leverage on-site expertise. This approach accelerates design activities while improving quality, thereby reducing the workload associated with tasks that often rely on skilled personnel.

(*2): DC Agentiqs is an AI agent platform designed to enable the practical use of AI in development environments. Its field-specific agents integrate with development tools to assist in the creation of deliverables based on domain-specific knowledge and past work. ( For more details, visit the product website.)

Seamless AI Integration Through UI Integration

• Integrate the DC Agentiqs chat window into the Next Design UI so you can leverage AI without switching tools while designing.
• The AI integration feature automatically recognizes the model you are currently editing as context, allowing you to receive assistance tailored to your design context.
• You can add the models you want to reference via drag-and-drop, enabling more precise assistance.

Enhanced Support for Design and Review Activities

• We assist in creating models—such as use cases, scenarios, and test cases—based on existing design documents and requirements specifications.
• We perform cross-functional checks of design data based on review criteria and mandatory requirements to help identify omissions and inconsistencies at an early stage.

Leveraging AI in profile definition

• AI helps review metamodel items and incorporate them into view definitions, making it easier to define profiles.
• You can more efficiently maintain and improve profiles tailored to specific domains.

Improving practicality by incorporating feedback from the field

Based on feedback from users in the field, we have enhanced usability and practicality for everyday operations. We have improved work efficiency and user comfort, with a focus on frequently used functions and integration with external tools.

Makes it easier to import customer requirements from ReqIF

• You can import customer requests in ReqIF format in bulk, reducing the need for manual data entry and minimizing input errors.
• By verifying differences when requirements change and managing the traceability between imported requirements and design models, you can quickly identify the scope of impact.
• Since you can import the target type definitions into existing profiles, it has become easier to support a wide variety of ReqIF formats.

Quickly restore the display state using bookmarks

• You can bookmark frequently used models and view configurations to restore the display state of the main and sub-editors with a single click.
• You can manage settings freely for each user, and the system also supports team sharing via export and import.

Improving the usability of sequence diagrams

• We have made it easier to edit complex sequence diagrams by adding support for editing while preserving the length of execution specifications and for moving elements within composite fragments as a group.
• It supports the sequential addition of similar messages, allowing for natural editing that follows the flow of the conversation.

Enhanced document output capabilities

• Support has been added for exporting tabular views, such as tree grids and state transition tables, to documents.
• The Markdown editor's preview mode also supports document output, allowing you to take full advantage of its flexible formatting capabilities.
• You can configure which views to include in the output, allowing you to efficiently generate documents tailored to your specific needs.

NDGit's Submodule Support

• You can view a list of multiple submodule repositories and perform Git operations from a single screen.
• It now supports bulk pulls to multiple repositories, improving operability in large-scale environments.

Other Improvements

.NET 10 Support

• We have updated the application framework to .NET 10 to support the latest runtime environment.

Performance Improvements

• We have revised the extension loading mechanism at startup and the initial rendering process for the tree grid to reduce the wait time before work can begin.

Includes NDCLI

• We have included the Windows version of NDCLI in the Next Design installer, so you can now use it alongside the desktop app without the hassle of a separate installation.

Fixed Issues and Constraints

We have corrected problems and limitations in this version to provide more stable quality of the application. Please refer to the following page for details of the fixed issues and limitations.

• Resolved Issues and Limitations (Next Design V5.0)

Important Notes Regarding the V5.0 Update

Here are some important points to note regarding the update from V4.0 to V5.0. Even if you do not update to V5.0 and continue developing extensions for V4.0, you may still need to take certain actions. Please review the information below.

a) For those updating to V5.0

THERE ARE UPDATES TO EXTENDED CONTENT, CHANGES TO THE USE OF ON-PREMISE FLOATING LICENSES, AND CHANGES TO THE BEHAVIOR OF SOME APIS. PLEASE SEE THE NEXT PAGE FOR DETAILS.

• Important Notes When Updating from Next Design V4.0 to V5.0

b) Those who will continue using V4.0

If you plan to continue developing extensions for V4.0 without updating to V5.0, you may need to modify the settings of your extension development project. Please refer to the following page for details.

• Points to Note When Continuing Extension Development for Next Design V4.0

The update can be performed at any time at the customer's discretion.

How to Update

DOWNLOAD AND INSTALL THE INSTALLER FROM THE FOLLOWING LINK. WHEN ACCESSING THE SITE, PLEASE ENTER YOUR DENSO CREATE ACCOUNT STARTING WITH "A" AND ITS PASSWORD, WHICH IS PROVIDED TO REGISTERED USERS.

• Download

(Because the required components have changed in this update, the update cannot be performed from the Next Design menu.)

That is all.