Icona updates Aesthetica software

Icona Solutions has introduced version 3.1 of Aesthetica, the perceived-quality simulation and visualisation software.

Unlike other visualisation software products, Aesthetica applies manufacturing tolerances and deformation information directly to a 3D CAD model to enable real time, 'what you see is what you get' perceived-quality studies using realistic imagery, early in product development.

It is used by automotive industry OEMs and manufacturers of consumer electronic devices and domestic electrical appliances to improve perceived quality while reducing development time-scales and costs.

Among the new features and functions introduced with v3.1 are the ability to: import and re-use measured or pre-analysed data on the variation of locator features on existing products or vehicle platforms; to import tolerance specification sheets and make assumptions based on the current manufacturing capability; and to import measured or simulated form variation for individual components.

A direct interface to Autodesk Showcase and improvements to the existing Bunkspeed Hypershot interface capability for truly photo-realistic visualisation of Aesthetica deformed models have also been introduced, as have new geometry tools that save time in data preparation.

Tim Illingworth, chief executive of Icona Solutions, said: 'In its spring 2009 Perceived Quality Study (PQS) survey results, ALG (Automotive Lease Guide) points out that not only does a high PQS rating help to explain overall brand strength but that there is a strong correlation between the perception of quality and vehicle residual values.

'Our customers recognise this and the new features and functions introduced in Aesthetica v3.1 are the result of feed-back and requests from automotive manufacturers such as Bentley Motors in the UK, GM Europe/Opel in Germany and other companies, both in the automotive and other manufacturing sectors in Europe and the US.

Three new modules for importing and then re-using existing variation data and tolerance stack-up models within Aesthetica are the Feature Tolerance Importer, the Tolerance Specification Importer and the Part Variation Importer.

The Feature Tolerance Importer is used to visualise how a new concept design will look when assembled using an existing vehicle platform or product.

It enables actual and simulated measurement data on the locator scheme of the existing vehicle platform or product to be imported into Aesthetica from third-party software products such as Vis VSA, QMC/CM4D and 3DCS.

The effects of the measured variation can then be visualised in real time on new 3D models imported into Aesthetica from CAD software products such as Autodesk Alias, ICEM Surf, Catia, Siemens' NX and Solidworks.

The Tolerance Specification Importer enables information on real manufacturing capability from reporting systems such as CM4D and QDAS to be imported into Aesthetica.

This will then automatically apply dimensions and tolerances to the 3D models based on actual manufacturing capability and will visualise the impact of real-world manufacturing variation, including offset means and skewed or non-symmetric distributions.

Finally, the Part Variation Importer enables quality control reports on measured components collected from inspection devices on the shop-floor to be imported into Aesthetica.

This allows users to visualise real form variation directly on digital parts or assemblies.

The improved export capability to Bunkspeed's Hypershot photo-realistic visualisation software introduced with Aesthetica v3.1 includes more accurate material mapping from Aesthetica to Hypershot; improved textures handling, including support for custom texture path and texture orientation; and smaller files with better overall performance.

New time-saving geometry tools include: the ability to create copies of entire components; the ability to mirror components around the x, y or z axis; the ability to split a component in two based on a set of selected surfaces; and the ability to change a component's nominal position.

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