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Issue #651 | June 29, 2010 | English Edition
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In This Issue
2. Update on Siemens' Handling of Solid Edge
- The New Marketing Push
- PLM World
Geomagic Studio
Kevin Scofield is product manager for Geomagic Studio, the software most associated with the company. It creates surfaces and solids from raw point cloud data, "a way to convert raw data into something useful," he tells me.
The company's other software includes Qualify (inspection software that checks how well a manufactured product matches the design by comparing scans to 3D models) and Piano, a development platform for dental CAD/CAM.
Three-D data is generated by laser scanners, X-ray and CT scanners, and whitelight scanners. These digitize objects using millions and billions of points -- simply lots of x,y,z coordinates. I was not familiar with whitelight scanners, so I asked Mr Scofield to describe them to me. A projector projects a pattern of dots or stripes on objects, and then cameras watch how the pattern shifts across the object. From this they are able to digitize the objects in 3D.
Even small parts may take a dozen or more individual scans, and so in its first phase, Studio imports the point cloud data, and then stitches the scans together. (See figure 1.) This is like making a panoramic photo by stitching several photos, but this is done in 3D with no seams showing: you pick some common points to merge scans, and then the software figures out how to mate them. Studio can work with as few as one point on each scan.
Figure 1: Geomagic Sudio stiches together multiple point clouds to create a single model.
(Click image for high-resolution version.)
The global registration method pulls all scan segments together by minimizing deviation and error, and then creates a single point cloud out of them all. The points are converted to polygon meshes, in which the points become the vertices of the triangle meshes. This phase approximates the 3D shape, and allows the model to be shaded.
In the second phase, a quick smooth procedure smoothes the flat triangles.
Sometimes, 3D scanners miss sections. This can be due to line of sight problems, or the presence of text, or areas of highly complex geometry, or because of shiny surfaces. The software fills smaller holes through curvature-based interpolations. For larger open areas, fixes are applied in chunks, or else the operator can add bridges to define the fill area. "Complex holes need to be handled in a manual manner," Mr Scofield noted. A command called MeshDoctor works like automatic noise reduction. It looks for typical mesh problems, and then allows you to approve fixes for them.
The meshes are then converted to surfaces with the AutoSurface command, which "shrinkwraps" surfaces onto the polygon meshes. The software makes assumptions based on the style of surfacing you select: (1) mechanical, which applies holes, corners, and so on; or (b) organic, which emphasizes free flowing and sharp points on shapes. You can also manually convert meshes to surfaces by (1) identifying features, such as extrusions, planes, lofts, sketch curves, and so on; and then (2) applying them.
The surface models can be exported as 3D PDF, IGES, or STEP files. As of Studio version 11, the Parametric Exchange command sends data to mechanical CAD packages as editable parametric entities, including SolidWorks, Inventor, Catia, and Pro/E. You select entities, and then click Send. I asked how this works: it turns out that Studio communicates directly to the MCAD software via an add-in in the CAD package that allows it to send the sketches and construction geometry, as well as any trimming or Boolean information, to automatically rebuild native solids or surfaces.
As of version 12 (the current one), you can select everything as a solid or a surface, along with the appropriate operations, such as cut, subtract, and join. (Freeform NURBS surfaces are sent as IGES files.) The Deviation Analysis command reads back the CAD model and compares it to the scan inside Studio to ensure everything was sent correctly.
Mr Scofield said that his company is continually working on making the process more automatic -- from scan to CAD model without manual intervention. The goal is still some years away, but he figures that Geomagic will be first to figure it out.
Geomagic's primary competitors are Innovmetric of Canada (who primarily import scan data and create polymeshes) and Rapidform of Korea (a similar package with some basic CAD tools). I asked about AutoCAD 2011's ability to handle point clouds. He said that it just loads and views point clouds, but cannot fit geometry. You can only use the point cloud as a reference for drawing new entities.
Studio costs $20,000, but you can buy subsets, like Wrap for $8,000 (for converting points to polygons). Qualify is $12,000. The software is sold directly through Geomagic and its partners and OEM'ed by 3D scanner makers. http://www.geomagic.com
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Or call 800-807-2200
[650/1]
Update on Siemens' Handling of Solid Edge
Guest Editorial by David Ault
I think your publishing of some of the things I had to say has helped to change the direction Siemens is taking with Solid Edge. It is hard to imagine that for change to happen things had to come to this point, but it looks as though change is really, finally here. I believe that user anger was nearing the point that Siemens had reached sink or swim time with Solid Edge, and they have chosen to swim. I was about two months from leaving Solid Edge, and had already started looking into other programs.
The New Marketing Push
Karsten Newbury has taken over this effort and here are some of the results:
- Many of the individuals responsible for the wretched ad campaign of the past are gone. Solid Edge will actually be mentioned by name in upcoming ads -- can you imagine that?
- One of Solid Edge's problems is that a very good product fell short of great, because of tight budgets imposed for whatever reason, and the rough edges this creates. When I was in Huntsville AL [headquarters for Solid Edge] I verified that the promise of more resources is real.
- I was told of new hires increasing staff sizes.
- Just announced last week are seventeen regional user conferences in the USA between July 27 and September 10. For Solid Edge, this is unprecedented.
- I have been told that regional meetings are the long term realignment for how Solid Edge is to be developed, marketed, and interacted with users.
One of my chief complaints with Solid Edge has been that there is poor marketability of the skills you learn. Siemens will be pursuing a bigger market share with better products and greater visibility, as well as interaction with users; it is looking like it will become what it should always have been.
I have been an outspoken critic of the way things were, and a cynic (with experience to back up my cynicism) where promises were concerned. As far as I can tell at this time, all the promises Solid Edge users are hearing are being implemented.
SolidWorks' masters in France are seemingly dead set on the cloud, and so this is a good time for Solid Edge to change its structure to acquire marketshare; the anonymity of the past is turning into something that will be growing soon in both visibility and user count -- and I expect by a lot.
PLM World
As of today [last Thursday], Siemens' PLM World has not one volunteer to run sessions for Solid Edge, according to the Excel sheet I saw; there are fewer than 70 Solid Edge users showing up. It looks as though the new effort to build the Solid Edge community will stand on its own, and not be embraced by the pseudopods of PLM World, basically a waste of time for all involved. The 17 scheduled regional meetings were picked to be at the centers of the user populations, so that about 75% of the USA customers and a good chunk of Canadians will be within 2-3 hours driving time, their only expense. This is entirely seperate from the PLM World, which costs an arm and a leg.
I sure hope two years from now I am not eating these words, but as of today this all looks very good.
And In Other News
Dassault Systems is in an acquisitions binge, last week snapping up Geensoft of France for its embedded systems software, at e5.5 million; to be integrated into CATIA Oh, and DS slipped out the R2011 of V6 with 874 features scattered amongst CATIA, DELMIA, SIMULIA, 3DVIA, ENOVIA, and PLM Express.
Well, this is an unsuitably vaguely-worded headline: "CIMdata projects Geometric as a rapidly growing CAM software vendor in 2010."
Jimmy Bergmark tells me that his Sheet Set Manager Properties Editor lets you edit AutoCAD's sheet set properties and Architecture's project navigator data. More info from http://www.jtbworld.com/SSMPropEditor.htm
CAD vendors are expanding their sales forces:
- IronCAD into Australia and South Africa
- Nemetschek North America into China
- SolidThinking into Japan
- ZWSOFT into UAE
Autodek is upping its revenue estimates for Q2, well, at the lower end anyhow. Expected revenue hops from $435-$460 million up to $445-$460 million. In other news, Autodesk's Topobase 2011 and MapGuide Enterprise 2011 are now shipping.
CAD gets really ignored by the general public; in social settings, I kill any discussion of my job by uttering "computer-aided design." Tekla knows that too: "Few of the 46,000 present or the millions watching the game on television know that the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium providing the setting for the superstars' showdown was an extremely challenging structure that could not have been built without the help of Tekla software." Details at http://www.tekla.com/international/about-us/news/pages/tekla-software-plays-a-role-in-the-construction-of-fifa-world-cup-stadiums.aspx
9 cents an hour is what Active Sensing will charge you to use the read-only client version its PDXpert PLM 2010 Edition software with four years of support and upgrades -- when purchased in volume. "Cheap like borscht," as they say around these parts. http://www.BuyPLM.com
CIMdata names Peter Bilello president, filling the hole left by the unfortunate death of Ed Miller; Mr. Bilello is the company's former vp. Zuken appoints Steve Chidester as head of product marketing for Europe and America; Mr Chidester worked 17 years for Cadence Design Systems.
I'll let think3 speak for themselves: "think3, Inc a leading software solution provider with existence in Europe, Asia and USA announces its WW (Worldwide) Software Partner Program for Software editors and developers Worldwide. The program is announced globally and is open to all who are interested in doing business with think3 and its Customer base." http://www.think3.com/en
Last week we learned about "3D everywhere for everyone" CAD vendor Dassault Systemes getting into the free 2D DWG editor business. This week, rumour is that a 2D CAD vendor has been hard at work writing a new 3D CAD system from scratch. I have no word on when it will be announced.
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These were some of the news items that were posted during the last week at our WorldCAD Access blog <worldcadaccess.typepad.com>:
- Fujitsu says they've got the world's fastest 3D CAD engine, and it's 200x faster than your's
- Putting the "Pro/E" into CAD
- CAD vendors are vowing to stir up the industry; if only
Letters to the Editor
I am an old user of AutoCAD 2000, the last version I owned. Now I am semi-retired andmust conserve. Now I use IntelliCAD ver.6, and get along well in 2D, but 3D not so good. A long time friend runs a semi-trailer rebuild factory, and he wants me to draft assemblies and parts. He needs 3D parts to put together for those assemblies. But the IntelliCAD manual is not a tutorial, and I think the tutorial would be what I need. Can you advise me in this direction.
- Lindell L. Oller
The editor replies: IntelliCAD cannot do this type of CAD work (3D parts and assembly modeling); it is meant primarily for 2D drafting, with some limited 3D modeling. If you are looking for a 3D modeler that can assemble parts, then I suggest the free Alibre Design Xpress. You get the free version by downloading a demo version of Alibre Design (www.alibre.com) and then after 30 days, the Design version reverts tot he Xpress version. Xpress has some limitations, but still allows you to model 3D and assemble parts.
Re: Project Butterfly
I guarantee you that "Butterfly" is another attempt by Autodesk to conquer the market (i.e., monopolize) by centralizing everything under their commerce umbrella. It won’t work, especially in the smaller shops where multiple people process sets of drawings from conception to delivery of product, because they won’t be able to afford it in terms of $ and QC (at the very least). It’s stupid to think that centralizing anything is good.
- Cadman 777
Re: Notable Quotable
I see you didn’t also offer up this quote from the same article: "The consensus on the street is that the U.S. should prepare to be pulverized by England in Saturday's opener."
- R Kent Elrod
The editor replies: "And the consensus was that Germany or England would win against each other during an overtime shootout."
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I’ve been reading your eZine for years, and often find the articles interesting and thought provoking.
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Spin Doctor of the Moment
"As a politician I don't have a lot of time. I use my car."
- Cheri DiNovo, NDP member of the Ontario legislature, on promoting extra-wide bicycle clearances
http://network.nationalpost.com/NP/blogs/fullcomment/archive/2010/05/20/new-bicycling-law.aspx
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Entire contents copyright ©2010 by upFront.eZine Publishing, Ltd. All rights reserved worldwide. Letters sent to the editor are subject to publication. Article reprint fee: $250 and up. All trademarks belong to their respective holders. "upFront.eZine," "The Business of CAD," and "On your desktop every Tuesday morning" are trademarks of upFront.eZine Publishing, Ltd. Letters to the editor may be edited for clarity and brevity. Translations and opinions expressed are not necessarily shared by upFront.eZine Publishing, Ltd.
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