Spatial’s Release 2018 1.0 is scheduled to come out in July, but rather than wait to share details on the release, we are providing a sneak peek into what’s new. The release features a number of significant enhancements.

CGM Core Modeler

The release extends advanced modeling capabilities, including feature recognition. Also included in this release are new product integrations to enable further innovative applications:

• Hybrid modeling with CGM Polyhedra
• Defeaturing for automated model simplification
• 3D Precise Mesh for CAE – surface and volume meshing with advanced capabilities

3D ACIS Modeler

Through advanced testing methods, Spatial continues to invest in stability and reliability with this release. We have also made improvements in modeling robustness:

• New Boolean approach improves more than 200 cases
• Advanced Remove Faces algorithms solve several new classes of geometry arrangements

CGM Polyhedra

This release adds innovative hybrid modeling capabilities:

• Integration with CGM Core Modeler is now available. CGM users can easily incorporate Polyhedra capabilities into their applications
• Integration with 3D ACIS Modeler enhanced – more 3D ACIS Modeler operations support hybrid bodies:
  • Hybrid Stitch allows users to directly combine precise and polygonal faces into one body
  • Hybrid Move allows users to manipulate precise faces in a hybrid body
• Decimation operator enhanced with new options for user-friendly operation

3D InterOp

This release also brings a number of enhancements to 3D InterOp:

• New file formats will be added: Bentley MicroStation DGN reader, 3MF write, plus SolidWorks and CATIA 2D drawing reader
• Updates to support for the formats Creo 4.0, JT 10, AutoCAD 2017, Inventor 2018, and Solid Edge ST10
• Improved persistent names (PNAMEs) support:
  • Usage extended to UConnect interface
  • Added support for SolidWorks PNAMEs – All major CAD formats are now supported

HOOPS Visualize

HOOPS Visualize users will also see a number of performance, quality, and reliability improvements, along with visual enhancements, and better integration with CGM Core Modeler and 3D ACIS Modeler.

Early test packages for this release are available for download if required.

At the beginning of July, we announced the availability of the Spatial’s 3D web viewer, which provides browser-based view access to any 3D InterOp supported file. By utilizing WebGL for rendering 3D graphics, the Spatial web viewer provides access to any device that supports modern web browsers,— even on mobile devices. User have the ability to toggle wires, faces, and product manufacturing information (PMI) viewing on or off, allowing them to customize the view to identify and unhide key model or data elements.

This viewer demonstrates the true power of web-based 3D modeling: enabling anytime, anywhere workflows on any web-enabled device.

Available today via registration: http://info.spatial.com/spatial-3d-web-viewer.

Photron Ltd

In addition to their substantial imaging business, Photron develops and markets 2D/3D CAD software solutions, specialized in application fields such as machinery design, architecture, and civil engineering. The company’s current focus is to target CAD solutions to part suppliers of the automobile and aircraft industries.

Photron unveiled a beta version of its Zunou CAD3D at the 28^th Design and Manufacturing Solutions Exhibition and the Technology Exhibition for People and Vehicles at Nagoya 2017 in June.

The introduction of Zunou CAD3D represents a sea of change for the company. The previous Photron CAD tool, Zunou Rapid 3D, was based on the Designbase modeling kernel which is nearing end of life. In searching for a replacement kernel, one offering stood out: CGM Core Modeler from Spatial. This shift brought another significant advantage. Due to the widespread usage of CATIA in Photron’s marketspace, using the same modeling kernel allows their users to directly edit models without any loss of accuracy or quality due to translation. 

Below are some selected highlights from our blog posts this past quarter.

The Complexities of Additive Manufacturing in the Real World

While 3D printing has moved into mission-critical areas, such as medical implants and aviation, these efforts have come after significant investments in research & development (R&D) by large original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) to fully qualify the manufacturing process.

For the rest of the world, there is a growing awareness that how a part is printed can have a significant impact on its performance in the real world. But coming across relevant public information is a challenge. This blog post explores this issue and discusses the emergence of consortiums to address the issues.

Leveraging 3D Software Development Toolkits as Buildings Move into the Digital Age

Traditionally, the construction industry has relied on 2D drawings; however, building information modeling (BIM) uses 3D physical models to describe the building components, and allows for expanding the concept to 4D (time) and 5D (cost). These physical models not only assist during the construction phase, but greatly facilitate later maintenance and renovation.

This blog post covers BIM and how Lubansoft used Spatial toolkits to address this market.

Free eBook: Healing as an Essential Function

Preserving Design Intent in 3D Models

In this 10 page eBook, written by industry experts with more than 20 years of experience, you will learn:

• Why healing of 3D models is required
• What actions does 3D InterOp perform prior to healing
• Details of the healing process

Sharing 3D models between different applications in open engineering processes means that the geometry is now the specification for many complex systems; therefore, accurate translation from one system to another becomes essential. But even if a model is accurately read, the output model has to conform to the rules of the target system. Key to obtaining such a conforming model is healing. High-quality geometry output is essential to preserve the data’s robustness and quality for use in modeling operations. 

Spatial provides a robust set of API functions that can heal the incoming model data so that it conforms to the rules of the target system, while adhering to the intent of the source.