I'm interested in the PowerSurfacing add-on. I've had a chance to play with it, but I haven't gone that deep. I know a few of you here have spent more quality time with it.
Does it completely depend on SolidWorks for the interface, or can it be run alone as a separate application?
Does it work with other CAD programs as well?
I notice they have a range of products. Do users tend to need more than one module?
PowerSurfacing
Re: PowerSurfacing
Matt: Have been a long time users of the Power Surfacing features, mainly to help with bringing in high polygon count meshes to then convert to BREP. In this arena there really isn't a better workflow for Solidworks. The plug-in really has it's own set of features/tools that are not really reliant on Solidworks at all. In many ways the sketching tools in Solidworks just wouldn't be suffice when working with SubD modeling so it was vital to give users features/tools necessary to work with mesh data better.
It does run fully inside of Solidworks BUT there is a stand alone application that is pretty much all of the functionality that is in Power Surfacing which is called Cyborg3D.
I believe that there is a version that resides within OnShape but not sure how far along that it.
One thing I will add is that they have a separate plug in called Power Shell....OH MAN!!! As I'm sure you know there are just times when you don't want to have to do all of the fancy workarounds when it comes to the Shell Feature and this is one that just works on a lot of models that the native Shell feature would just fall apart.
I can say that the team there, Gary and David, are some really great people so if you ever need to get in contact with them can help to facilitate that.
It does run fully inside of Solidworks BUT there is a stand alone application that is pretty much all of the functionality that is in Power Surfacing which is called Cyborg3D.
I believe that there is a version that resides within OnShape but not sure how far along that it.
One thing I will add is that they have a separate plug in called Power Shell....OH MAN!!! As I'm sure you know there are just times when you don't want to have to do all of the fancy workarounds when it comes to the Shell Feature and this is one that just works on a lot of models that the native Shell feature would just fall apart.
I can say that the team there, Gary and David, are some really great people so if you ever need to get in contact with them can help to facilitate that.
Re: PowerSurfacing
Thanks for that, @Arthur NY I'm going to have to run through that stuff again. I might take you up on that introduction offer.
Blog: http://dezignstuff.com
Re: PowerSurfacing
Big topic. I’ve used it since it came out. I won’t repeat above but if you want a sub d feature tree editable feature, Power Surfacing is the only current option. I don’t even this 3D Sculptor enables this.
But here’s the thing. It has some good features, but it has a lot of frustrations. Specifically:
1. It is quite slow (comparing to Creo, Rhino, Fusion, inspire Studio)
2. Edge creasing is an all or nothing option (like TSplines)-unlike Inspire or Creo where you interactively adjust the sharpness
3. Conversion the nurbs sometimes fails or generates odd patches...unlike Creo/Rhino/Inpire where the subd mesh matches the patch layouts
Aside from this, earlier versions were crash prone and buggy. I’m not a fan of the interface, but that’s a preference. The whole brown surface thing looks dated.
It is very useful for opening good quality quad meshes and auto converting mesh to subd.
The Shell tool works like any sub d thicken function-it offset the mesh so it very rarely ever fails....most mesh tools shell or thicken commands work like this..same in TSplines for example.
Symmetry and fall off commands are pretty nice.
Like I said, if you have to have native feature level sub d in Solidworks it is the only option.
Would I buy it again? Probably not. Altair Inspire Studio is native parasolid and has fantastic subd and surfacing tools for a fraction of the cost. I’d get that and move data around via parasolid. But I get some need to keep it native.
But here’s the thing. It has some good features, but it has a lot of frustrations. Specifically:
1. It is quite slow (comparing to Creo, Rhino, Fusion, inspire Studio)
2. Edge creasing is an all or nothing option (like TSplines)-unlike Inspire or Creo where you interactively adjust the sharpness
3. Conversion the nurbs sometimes fails or generates odd patches...unlike Creo/Rhino/Inpire where the subd mesh matches the patch layouts
Aside from this, earlier versions were crash prone and buggy. I’m not a fan of the interface, but that’s a preference. The whole brown surface thing looks dated.
It is very useful for opening good quality quad meshes and auto converting mesh to subd.
The Shell tool works like any sub d thicken function-it offset the mesh so it very rarely ever fails....most mesh tools shell or thicken commands work like this..same in TSplines for example.
Symmetry and fall off commands are pretty nice.
Like I said, if you have to have native feature level sub d in Solidworks it is the only option.
Would I buy it again? Probably not. Altair Inspire Studio is native parasolid and has fantastic subd and surfacing tools for a fraction of the cost. I’d get that and move data around via parasolid. But I get some need to keep it native.
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Re: PowerSurfacing
KQuigley wrote: ↑Mon Apr 12, 2021 7:44 pm Big topic. I’ve used it since it came out. I won’t repeat above but if you want a sub d feature tree editable feature, Power Surfacing is the only current option. I don’t even this 3D Sculptor enables this.
But here’s the thing. It has some good features, but it has a lot of frustrations. Specifically:
1. It is quite slow (comparing to Creo, Rhino, Fusion, inspire Studio)
2. Edge creasing is an all or nothing option (like TSplines)-unlike Inspire or Creo where you interactively adjust the sharpness
3. Conversion the nurbs sometimes fails or generates odd patches...unlike Creo/Rhino/Inpire where the subd mesh matches the patch layouts
Aside from this, earlier versions were crash prone and buggy. I’m not a fan of the interface, but that’s a preference. The whole brown surface thing looks dated.
It is very useful for opening good quality quad meshes and auto converting mesh to subd.
The Shell tool works like any sub d thicken function-it offset the mesh so it very rarely ever fails....most mesh tools shell or thicken commands work like this..same in TSplines for example.
Symmetry and fall off commands are pretty nice.
Like I said, if you have to have native feature level sub d in Solidworks it is the only option.
Would I buy it again? Probably not. Altair Inspire Studio is native parasolid and has fantastic subd and surfacing tools for a fraction of the cost. I’d get that and move data around via parasolid. But I get some need to keep it native.
Hello Kevin,.. (regarding Inspire Studio) if you have a chance, can you share "here" a fairly complex subd model, converted to nurbs (parasolid) so we can open/play with? thx
"Democracies aren't overthrown; they're given away." -George Lucas
“We only protect what we love, we only love what we understand, and we only understand what we are taught.” - Jacques Cousteau
“We only protect what we love, we only love what we understand, and we only understand what we are taught.” - Jacques Cousteau
Re: PowerSurfacing
Ahhh sorry Paul, I forgot to do that for you didn't I!!! I'll put it on our Trello board to make sure soemthign gets sorted!!
Re: PowerSurfacing
@Paul: Here's a side by side of everyone favorite kick azz Tree....Groot!!! This was downloaded from an online website as an (.stl), which I then opened in zBrush did some clean up and remeshing a bit, imported into SW with Power Surfacing and as you can see...very little detail loss. Attached is the paraolid file.
Power Surfacing is a great add-in if working with meshes is something that you work with quite a bit but I'll also add that having zBrush in this workflow helps to streamline things 10 fold!!!
Groot - MO.x_t- (48.9 MiB) Downloaded 74 times
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zxys001
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Re: PowerSurfacing
Thanks!... don't know how I missed this?..Arthur NY wrote: ↑Tue Apr 27, 2021 10:40 am @Paul: Here's a side by side of everyone favorite kick azz Tree....Groot!!! This was downloaded from an online website as an (.stl), which I then opened in zBrush did some clean up and remeshing a bit, imported into SW with Power Surfacing and as you can see...very little detail loss. Attached is the paraolid file.
Groot Side By Side.jpg
Groot - MO.x_t
Power Surfacing is a great add-in if working with meshes is something that you work with quite a bit but I'll also add that having zBrush in this workflow helps to streamline things 10 fold!!!
"Democracies aren't overthrown; they're given away." -George Lucas
“We only protect what we love, we only love what we understand, and we only understand what we are taught.” - Jacques Cousteau
“We only protect what we love, we only love what we understand, and we only understand what we are taught.” - Jacques Cousteau