TouchCAD 3.6 Released for 3D Modeling

Purpose of TouchCAD

TouchCAD combines fast and very accurate 3D modeling, using modern push-pull techniques, with integrated unfolding/unwrapping features to quickly convert complex 3D models into production ready drawings or cut files.

TouchCAD does not isolate design and production preparation as two different things. Instead the production preparation is to a very high degree an integrated part of the design process, which of course makes sense if you consider it.

Some examples of use:

Inflatable tent:

1,000 square meters of floor area. 3,987 square meters of surface area, distributed over 924 unfolded panels.
Modeling time: two days from scratch to ready to cut files exported to cutting machines, complete with seam allowances, panel numbers, and checked that each panel fitted into the given material width of 1.6 meters (the imaginary roll was 3.2 kilometers / 2 miles long). The tent was up and running in less than six weeks. Model by AS Montajes Efimeros, Barcelona Spain.

Boat design:

8 meter long workboat, aluminum. Complete design made in TouchCAD by Claes Lundström. Hull fairing, of course using dynamic cross sectioning, which gives a far superior shape control compared to ordinary CAD and modeling programs. Hydrostatics, weight, and center of gravity calculations made with the integrated database spreadsheet unit. Fully nested and optimized for best use of material files sent directly to laser cutter, complete with on-surface markings to speed up the assembly.

Image mapping on an "igloo" tent:

TouchCAD comes with an integrated ability to apply images to complex shapes and convert these shapes to unfolded images. Such images are deformed on a pixel level to generate absolutely seamless images, that matches it's vector based equivalent down to an accuracy of one pixel. At 25 DPI, it roughly equals 1 mm, even on printed images being 50-100 meters long. Images up to 150-200 million pixels (Mega Pixels) can be processed, which is the equivalent of the number of pixels of 10-20 digital cameras. Model by AS Montajes Efimeros, Barcelona Spain.

Other examples of use include art and sculpture, theatre set and exhibition design, sheet metal objects, industrial and architectural design, tents, awnings, hot air balloons, inflatables, kites, boats, sails, upholstery, furniture, inflatable concrete moulds, etc. Essentially any object fabricated by flat but flexible materials such as fabrics, sheet metal or plastics, plywood, cardboard, etc.

New in TouchCAD 3.6

New features include support for shaded surfaces in the 3D editor, text, measurements, many improvements in the tools and menus, improved contextual menus, improved nesting features in the Unfold view, improved database handling, support for after processing of unfolded parts, etc.

A more detailed description of the new features in TouchCAD 3.6 can be found here (pdf).

A 30-minute video equivalent (in Quicktime format) can be found here.

Updated tutorial video library

The already extensive tutorial video library has been updated with over three hours of new videos in Quicktime format. Besides the basic tool and feature presentations, there are lots of object modeling examples. Many of these examples show fairly complex models being generated at a surprising speed. They also illustrate what perhaps is TouchCAD's biggest strength, it's highly accurate free form shaping abilities.

Basics

Menus, tools, what's new in TouchCAD 3.6: click here  

Object modeling

Awning, hypar, cone roof, spider tents, bouncy castle, peanut shaped inflatable, organically shaped tunnel, 3D digitizing boat hoods, sail roof, human and animal shapes, image mapping on balloon, marine design, house and terrain model, modeling based on background images, reverse engineering, car body, kitchen chair, basic sheet metal objects such as knee tubes, t_tubes, cones, rectangle to circle transformations, etc:
click here

System requirements: 

TouchCAD is a cross platform product, available for Mac OSX (10.2 or later, Universal Binary), and Windows (XP/VIsta). It is available in English, French, Italian, Spanish and Swedish.

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See Also

TouchCAD website
CAD - Services and Consultants - list by TenLinks.com

Additional News

Source: Material used in press releases is often supplied by external sources and used as is.