Breakthrough in automatic surfacing technologies proven in commercial use by major auto manufacturer
RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C., May 25, 2005- Geomagic has implemented major new advances in Geomagic Studio 8 that significantly speed patch layout and improve surface quality for complex CAD models.
The latest version of Geomagic’s reverse-engineering software has proven to reduce NURBS surfacing time for complex objects such as engine and transmission housings by as much as 80 percent. Geomagic Studio is used by manufacturers worldwide for automated reconstruction of CAD models from scanned physical parts, mass production of individualized medical devices, and build-to-order manufacturing.
“The new technologies in Geomagic Studio 8 should enable us to create high-quality NURBS surfaces for complex parts in about one third the time it currently takes,” says Joe Casale, co-owner of Perfect Fit Plastics and a reverse-engineering consultant. “It is fantastic at automatically setting up boundaries, which is currently a time-consuming and tedious manual process.”
Surfacing advances in Geomagic Studio 8 were developed in conjunction with a major automotive manufacturer that has used the technologies in commercial production for more than a year. The latest version of Geomagic Studio 8 offers the following advantages over other commercial software:
- An intuitive workflow for generating functional NURBS surfaces containing fillets and primary surfaces with tight tolerances and smoothness; with minimal training, even novices can begin producing results similar to the experts.
- Powerful feature detection and segmentation that saves time and enables companies to reduce labor costs and increase throughput.
- Patch optimization that helps users create accurate surface models for downstream CAD/CAM operations, engineering analysis, product prototyping, and NC machining.
- New adaptive surface fitting that requires less memory and speeds processing time without sacrificing quality.
Automatic contour detection & extension
New techniques automatically detect contours and regions to preserve critical fillets and transitions.
Geomagic Studio 8 provides a fully automated method for detecting contours that partition the mesh and indicate where highly curved feature surfaces – such as fillets or free-form steps – are located. Sensitivity of the detection can be adjusted, and the regions can be refined interactively by the user.
The system automatically extends contour lines to create a patch structure in which the transitional surfaces are clearly separated from the larger, relatively flat regions. This aligns the layout in an optimized manner, which is necessary for high-quality NURBS surface fitting. Patch layout is computed automatically, and can be changed according to user preferences.
High-quality, adaptive surface fitting
New adaptive surface fitting procedure optimizes the number of control points.
Using the patch layout oriented by contours, a new adaptive surface fitting procedure in Geomagic Studio 8 gives users the ability to specify a tolerance level and the software assigns the smallest number of necessary NURBS control points. The new procedure optimizes the number of control points, shortens processing time, and creates much lighter models. Surface quality is also significantly improved due to the separation of large regions and highly curved areas, and special fitting procedures.
“Geomagic Studio 8 represents the first critical step in providing an automated process for generating CAD structures and high-quality surfaces from point clouds,” says Ping Fu, Geomagic’s president and CEO. “We will build on these advances to make an increasingly greater impact on companies looking to achieve major productivity improvements.”
Other new features
Other new features in Geomagic Studio 8 include constrained global registration using photogrammetry targets, improved noise reduction without degrading features, new decimation techniques that improve performance and triangle quality, user interface improvements, and other general enhancements across all modules.
Available worldwide in native languages
Geomagic Studio 8 will be available early this summer in multiple languages through Geomagic and its worldwide distribution channel. The software includes extensive visual documentation, including videos that guide users through processes. It is supported both online and by native-language speakers in most regions of the world.
About Geomagic
Geomagic (www.geomagic.com) is a global company dedicated to advancing and applying 3D technology for the benefit of humanity. Geomagic’s scanning and design software solutions are used to capture and model 3D content from physical objects, organically sculpt complex shapes, and prepare products for manufacturing. In addition, the company produces powerful 3D metrology and inspection software that verifies dimensional quality by comparing as-built products to master designs. Geomagic’s Sensable Phantom haptic devices simulate the sense of touch in a digital environment.
Geomagic’s software and hardware are utilized by world-class customers in a variety of industries, including aerospace, automotive, medical, consumer products, toys, collectibles, coindesign, jewelry, fine art, heritage restoration, research, education, mold making, entertainment, training and surgical simulation. In fact, some of the world’s leading companies and research organizationsuse Geomagic software, including Ford, BMW,Boeing, Harley Davidson, Timberland, Mattel/Fisher Price, Lego, Pratt & Whitney, NASA, Schneider Electronic, 3M, Danaher and Invisalign. Geomagic is based in Research Triangle Park, N.C., USA, with an office in Boston, subsidiaries in Europe and Asia, and channel partners worldwide.
###
Geomagic, Geomagic Studio, Geomagic Qualify, Geomagic Qualify Probe, Geomagic Spark, Wrap, Geomagic Wrap, Phantom, OpenHaptics, Omni, Freeform, Claytools, Sensable and Sensable Technologies, Inc. are trademarks or registered trademarks of Geomagic Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
Media Contact:
Rachael Taggart
Geomagic, Inc.
+(1) 919-474-0135
Contact Rachael