Software Update Enables Point-Cloud Manipulation

Delcam has launched the 2013 R2 version of its PowerShape CAD software family, featuring new tools and enhancements for solid modeling and manipulating point clouds. PowerShape combines solid, surface, wireframe and direct modeling in a single CAD program, along with point-cloud and triangle modeling. The software includes tools for real-time acquisition, repair and editing of point-cloud data from laser scanners. According to Delcam, this set of technologies reduces the need to transfer data between multiple programs and streamlines the product development process. The software is said to be well-suited for re-engineering existing products with improved designs or for creating personalized items, such as medical devices for individual patients or sports equipment for a particular athlete.

 

The new release includes the capability to rewind the solid history tree of a model into any position using a graphical slider. Edits can be made by applying the Solid Doctor to repair problematic data or by using the direct modeling tools in PowerShape. Once edits have been completed, the rewind point can be moved or deleted, and the complete solid history is automatically re-built. 

 

Other enhancements include a new dialog for the solid-split command, a more flexible replace-face option that enables faces of one solid to be replaced with faces from a separate solid, and new hole types for faster creation of holes for standard metric and imperial cap-head screws and bolts. The Solid Doctor also is designed to be more flexible, with the ability to relax or tighten linking tolerance on specific edges. A new set of modeling tools enables users to extract selected points from within a cloud of point data to create a new one, or two combine separate clouds into a single set of data. In addition, separate clouds or areas within a cloud can be given different colors for easier identification.