Icona Solutions has updated its aesthetica 3D virtualization and simulation software. aesthetica Version 4 addresses applications for the automotive industry, as well as those of manufacturers of white goods, domestic appliances and personal electronic devices. It introduces several new features and functions, including a new 3D visualization system supporting high dynamic range (HDR) environments, lighting and shadows; a new, extended material library; a new, geometry-based measurement system; and a new graphical user interface (GUI) that significantly reduces model preparation time. Version 4 of aesthetica also acts as a precursor to the introduction of aesthetica for Concept Design, the company says. For example, the software's Target Study functions will allow worst-case combinations of proposed variation targets for all gap and flush conditions to quickly be generated, demonstrated visually and confirmed or refined accordingly. "aesthetica users in the automotive industry, in particular, already identify cost savings many times greater than the original software and implementation costs, through fewer late design changes, fewer physical models and more right-first-time tooling," said Tim Illingworth, CEO of Icona Solutions. "The developments in aesthetica Version 4 are a direct result of feedback from our customers about their experiences and the ways in which they would like to further improve their perceived quality target-setting and validation processes." aesthetica Version 4 has been developed to enable design and engineering teams, throughout the entire development process, to accurately visualize the effects that geometric variation caused by manufacturing processes will have on the aesthetics of a new vehicle or product. Among the new features: New 3D visualization system: Supports HDR (high dynamic range) environments, lighting and shadows and a new material library, with accurate car paint materials, including metallic and pearlescent finishes; glass with accurate reflection and refraction; bump-mapped materials with natural and technical grains; automatic depth-sorted object transparency; local and global/environment shadows; and an on-idle rendering mode to progressively improve anti-aliasing and global shadow quality. New geometry-based measurement system: enables gap and flush to be defined relative to the CAD geometry within the section; point and point-to-point measurements; relative difference measurements that can be used to assess taper and parallelism; and closest point, to measure the minimum distance between two geometric objects (edges, surfaces or parts). New user interface: a new, intuitive ribbon and context-sensitive menu system replaces the older-style menus and tool bars in previous versions. All functions for a specific perceived quality process activity are launched from the appropriate tab, and most common functions are now immediately accessible through the context menus. Interacting with the 3D model is also easier and more intuitive, with selection and navigation performed directly on the 3D model without the need to switch interaction modes. For more information, visit Icona Solutions. Sources: Press materials received from the company and additional information gleaned from the company's website.
| 
