Enhanced system graphics from Vero
CAD/CAM/CAE specialist, Vero Software, has released what is described as its flagship product, the VISI 17.
The system graphics have been enhanced following a collaboration with both AMD and Nvidia. The use of vertex buffer objects (VBOs) on the ATI FirePro and Nvidia GeForce graphics boards are said to have returned exceptional software gains. In benchmark testing, results showed the frame per second (FPS) rate jump from 5.5 to 146.2 for a 70MB dataset and 9.9 to 238.1 for a 118MB dataset.
CAD enhancements include model thickness analysis which allows the user to identify the thickest and thinnest areas of the model and validate the model integrity, highlighting any potential areas that may cause internal voids, surface sink marks, unpredictable shrink rates and ultimately, longer cycle times.
Further developments include intelligent body/face mating, improved annotation, updated printing and improvements to the management of drawing files. There is also the ability to import pages from other work files and rebuild the link between the solid geometry. This allows multiple users to share the same 3D design with each designer creating their own drawing pages - adding views, sections, annotations, balloons etc on separate workstations. When the pages have been completed, they can be loaded back into the master file and all links to the original 3D data are reconnected.
CAM developments include enhancements to geometry feature recognition with the ability to recognise complex and simple holes on both solid & surface models. The feature recognition has also been extended to recognise features from a predefined direction and find features within a localised user defined region.
According to Vero, the separation of passes linking will dramatically increase productivity and reduce calculation time. The user will be able to inspect the toolpath quality before building the HSM linking movements. Vero says that continued development on the CAM engine has produced time saving results of over 80% reduction in calculation time for combined waterline, 30% reduction for rest machining and over 15% reduction for raster clearance.
