MachineWorks to Unveil Polygonica v2.1 3D Software at RAPID + TCT

From May 8 to 11, 3DPrint.com will be in Pittsburgh for the RAPID + TCT conference, and there’s a lot to look forward to as the massive trade show approaches: new software, new 3D printer models, discussions about metal 3D printing and medicine, and a lot more. We’re only a couple of weeks away, and the announcements about what we can expect to see are rolling out on a daily basis.

Today brings us more news on the software front as MachineWorks has announced that they will be introducing the latest version of their Polygonica mesh processing software. We got to take a look at the software development toolkit at formnext 2016 in November, and at RAPID MachineWorks plans to unveil Polygonica v2.1, which offers several new features.

Polygonica was developed to help manufacturers solve complicated geometrical problems related to additive manufacturing. Its main functions include mesh healing, mesh offsetting, mesh analysis, mesh simplification, remeshing, Boolean operations and point-cloud manipulation. New features in v2.1 include:

• Support for lattice generation. Polygonica now offers a fast, efficient means of defining lattices, as well as a fast method of intersecting lattices with solids
• Solid creation by sweeping feature. Users can now create a 3D shape by moving a 2D profile or 3D solid along an arbitrary 3D path – ideal for creating tubes, pipes or moldings
• Solid convexification. A new algorithm automatically decomposes a concave solid into convex shells, which is useful for optimizing collision detection functionality and in motion planning or shape approximation applications
• Imprinting, embossing and engraving curves and profiles. With a new imprinting function, users can generate curves on the surface of a solid and use them to trim surfaces and extract regions bounded by the curves. An embossing and engraving feature allows users to wrap 2D profiles onto 3D surfaces, and enables enclosed regions to be offset outwards or inwards. These functions are valuable for a variety of industries, from jewelry to nanotechnology
• Fairing and smoothing algorithm. Smoothing removes “noise” from a mesh – an important function for both additive manufacturing and reverse engineering. Fairing, frequently used for solid modeling, allows a region of a solid to be made as smooth as possible while maintaining continuity at its boundary

“We are delighted to be showcasing Polygonica’s latest software release at RAPID+TCT 2017, that give us the opportunity to present the technology face-to-face and offer customers a real-time experience,” said Richard Baxter, Sales Manager for Polygonica at MachineWorks.

If you’re going to be at RAPID + TCT, you can stop by and check out the new functions of Polygonica at MachineWorks’ booth, #1351. If you’d like to arrange a one-on-one meeting with the MachineWorks team, send an email to cristina.sesma@machineworks.com. Keep an eye out for the 3DPrint.com team, too, as we’ll be spending a lot of time out on the conference floor. We’re looking forward to bringing you the latest news from the 3D printing world – so if you can’t make it to RAPID, we’ll do our best to make you feel as if you’re actually there in person. Discuss in the Polygonica forum at 3DPB.com.