Tom and others,
The Sensable Technologies input device you refer to is called the Phantom.
We have been using our "Free Form" system since October and have recently
produced some really great models. The whole process allows us to
circumvent the traditional clay and foam sculptors and do the work
digitally. Once we have the sculpture in our system we have many options.
We can output STL files directly to our machines for fabrication or we can
export IGES data for tool makers to start cutting molds for productions
tooling.
The process is really amazing and it's one of those thing that you truly
have to "feel" to appreciate. We think the system is a great link between
industrial designers and RP.
Regards,
Bruce E. LeMaster
Applied Rapid Technologies Corporation
265 Cambridge Street, Suite 100
Fredericksburg, Virginia 22405
(540)371-1100 / (540)371-4100 fax
http://www.artcorp.com
-----Original Message-----
From: owner-rp-ml@ltk.hut.fi [mailto:owner-rp-ml@ltk.hut.fi]On Behalf Of
Tom Richards
Sent: Friday, January 19, 2001 1:45 PM
To: RP-ML
Subject: Nifty Software
Hello Fabbers,
Be advised there's a nifty new software and design machine combination out
there, which enables one holding a stylus to mold, carve, sand and otherwise
create a 3D CAD file model, much as you would carve a block of wood or mold
a piece of clay. You can work back and forth between this combination and
your 3D CAD program using igs, obj or stl files. The stylus provides "feel"
and has a button to turn on any one of a number of tools such as carvers,
sanders, molders and the like. When the button is not depressed, you can
feel the stylus gliding over but not through the model! Even around the
back!
Obviously one could apply constraints and dimensions in his CAD program
and work freely back and forth with the combination to design industrial
parts. Every university should have one! I want one!
I tried it out yesterday as a guest of interpro-rtc.com at sensable.com.
The program is called FreeForm, but the name of the stylus machine (small
desk topper) escapes me.
Best Regards, Tom Richards, Metallurgist
For more information about the rp-ml, see http://ltk.hut.fi/rp-ml/
This archive was generated by hypermail 2.1.2 : Fri Jan 04 2002 - 09:56:43 EET