New Geomagic Studio 3.0 Enables Emerging 3D Photography Applications

MORRISVILLE, NC, July 26, 2000- Geomagic announces Geomagic Studio 3.0, the company's latest Digital Duplication solutions that enable 3D photography applications in manufacturing, engineering, design and new media. Geomagic Studio 3.0 makes it possible for users to take output from 3D scanners; capture the color, texture and shape of real-world objects; and transform them into usable models for diverse applications.

"The concept is simple: one model, one process, multiple outputs," says Ping Fu, chief technology officer for Geomagic. "Only Geomagic Studio 3.0 delivers in one package the compatibility, accuracy and ease-of-use to make 3D photography a reality."

Version 3.0 extends the award-winning functionality of Geomagic Studio. Major new features include:

• 3D photography integration - integrates with 3D scanning technologies, including those that capture color data from scanners such as Arius3D and Minolta.
• True template-based work flow - increases productivity by enabling surface patch layouts to be reused, and eliminates the repetitive task of creating patch layouts for similar models. Users simply drag and drop templates from one model onto the next.
• Automatic edge sharpening - automatically reconstructs sharp or creased edges lost during the scanning process. Prismatic models, once difficult and time consuming to create, can now be accurately reproduced for export into CAD/CAM/CAE systems.
• Instant color maps - maps rich, detailed color to both point and polygon models.
• Automatic map generation for streaming 3D content - automatically generates texture, displacement and bump maps for creating rich, streaming 3D content. Models are lightweight, but extremely detailed.
• Curvature-based hole filling - fills holes in point and polygon models while maintaining surface curvature. This allows users to create geometry missed by scanners or to remove large blemishes.
• Primitive identification and segmentation - automatically detects planes and cylinders to be fitted and replaced with rational representations. This allows users to concentrate on free-form shapes while preserving the fit and function of the model.
• New hardware support - offers support for the Sun Solaris environment and NVIDIA graphics processing units (GPUs).

Broadening the Market

New capabilities in Geomagic Studio 3.0 are expected to further broaden markets for the Digital Duplication process that was defined by previous versions of Geomagic's pioneering software. Recent applications of Geomagic Studio demonstrate some of the software's major benefits:

• Digital Duplication of turbine blades for a major aerospace manufacturer reduced estimated design time from at least four weeks to 30 hours.
• Jerry Fain Models (Bedford, Texas), a provider of high-quality prototype and machining services for the automotive industry, is "now able to do in hours or days what previously would have taken weeks," according to Mike Berdan, the company's engineering manager.
• Harley-Davidson is creating a digital inventory of legacy motorcycle parts from the original physical parts, a process that would take thousands of hours using traditional CAD modeling. Digital Duplication in Geomagic Studio ensures that the exact styled geometry is maintained in the digital model.
• Atlantis Components Inc., a custom dental products company, creates permanent replacement teeth using Digital Duplication of actual patients' teeth. With this functionality, Atlantis' products are aesthetically superior, more affordable and delivered faster than ever before.

"Geomagic Studio gives us the ability to take on projects that we couldn't have done in the past, and to expand our business into new areas," says Berdan of Jerry Fain Models. "New features in 3.0 such as curvature-based hole filling and automatic edge sharpening will further increase our speed and the accuracy of our models."

"Geomagic Studio provides repeatability, accuracy and ease of use that's unavailable in any other product," says Bethany Grant, senior development engineer for Atlantis Components. "Template-based work flow in 3.0 is huge for our type of development project - it will allow us to automate further."

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.

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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