3D Shape Search Based on Object Geometry
Glitchy sends along a link to an interesting technology I hadn’t heard of before: 3D shape search. Apparently, a company called UGS Corp. has just bought a 3D shape search technology from German IT services firm software design & managment. UGS’s new Geolus Search product (formerly geolus SHAPE) “allows manufacturers to quickly locate 3D models of digitally defined parts from large heterogeneous data sources on the basis of geometric similarity,” according to a press release.
The technology, which seems to have current application in the manufacture of machine and automobile parts, could serve to enhance content creation through existing 3D model markets like Google’s SketchUp Warehouse, the third-party SketchUp models marketplace, and things like TurboSquid — open markets for 3D models of various kinds. It’s hard to envision the situations in which people will actually need to search for something based on its 3D geometry rather than some metadata, but I’m sure those situations will emerge. Interesting, in any case, to see the emergence of a new 3pointD technology like shape search.
Feeds
Insanely cool. The biggest use case is probably where you submit an object and say “find something like this”.
UGS is focused on the mechanical computer aided design space. They don’t have a track record of doing very much outside that space. What they will do is probably work on some kind of integration of this technology with their existing file management/product lifecycle management application TeamCenter so that customers (design and manufacturing companies) can query their vault of CAD files to find similar parts.
They can charge their customers thousands of dollars per user for this type of functionality so don’t expect them to open it up any time soon.
There are some other folks working on this type of technology but we’re at least 5 years before the average engineer will have access to this kind of functionality unless someone makes a big breakthru who doesn’t work for a big CAD company.
http://shape.cs.princeton.edu/search.html
Mark, Heres the first one of these I ever saw, its been online for years and has access to lots of free vrml and other format models all over the web. works ok for a tech demo.
larryr
cube3
Actually, UGS has started to implement some elements of virtual worlds into their PLM software. Their competitor, PTC, has also long been interested in virtual technology.
The PLM developers are, from my point of view, the equivalent of yesteryear’s Evans & Sutherland (the former videocard heavyweights). Eventually apps like Second Life and Croquet will start to move up the chain into their territory. History repeats (I’ve written about that particular comparison previously over on the SLFuture Salon blog).
As to what they’ll do with this, UGS seems to be pretty forward-thinking. I bet they’ve got something pretty interesting in mind. UGS = Universal Googling Shape engine? haha
Thanks, Larry, I definitely have to check that out. And yes, Pete, I love that use case: “Find me something like this, but not exactly.” Immediate applications everywhere.
This kind of technology has been developed first for the
web by imaginestics…
Geometric has launched free search engine based on shape …. it is available on http://www.3DSearchIT.com
We have lauched a new website with a similar search engine. You can submit your own parts. We currently process CATIA and STEP files
You can check it at this address:
p3dm.lipps.etsmtl.ca