HOOPS 2022 Toolkits Enhance Workflows

Tech Soft 3D, provider of engineering software development toolkits (SDKs), releases the HOOPS 2022 SDKs. HOOPS technology powers engineering applications across the globe and multiple industries. Enhancements to the 2022 toolkits focus on providing animation, data access and exchange, simulation and rendering capabilities to enable Tech Soft 3D partners to remain competitive in their industries by developing applications with proven 3D technologies.

With HOOPS SDKs, developers can reduce product development costs and bring desktop, web, mobile and augmented reality/virtual reality applications to market faster.

Key feature enhancements include:

• Support for Apple Silicon: Apple's shift from Intel-based chips to the new ARM-based architecture requires partners to port applications to provide the best experience for users. Tech Soft 3D now has an official build of its HOOPS toolkits to enable this process.
• Animation Manager: New animation capabilities, including an animation manager, are designed to meet animation needs, from BIM 5D simulations, through Digital Factory animations, and Work Instruction authoring.
• Physically based rendering (PBR): PBR has been added to HOOPS Communicator to provide rendering for web applications and is now available in HOOPS Visualize for mobile platforms.
• Spatial Relationships: Support for "Spatial Relationships" that are part of the Industry Foundation Class (IFC) model definition enables the ability to navigate in the model, query the model in the context of Quantity Takeoff (QTO) and more.

Enhancements to SDKs include:

HOOPS Exchange

• Native CAD and standard format support for Inventor 2022, ACIS 2021 1.0 and Parasolid 34.0
• Accessing mates for CATIA V5 files to help optimize workflows for applications in manufacturing simulation, robotic, kinematics analysis and more.

HOOPS Visualize

• New culling mechanism where front faces can be culled, allowing the user to see inside objects easier, and more easily show the results of analysis.
• Android AR Sandbox application refresh, which includes updating the ARCore SDK, using ARCore to match the 3D lighting to the environmental lighting (as seen by the camera), and adding a broader range of models. HOOPS Communicator
• Supports assembly level features across different shattered workflows, allows users to view all the parts or a building or mechanical assembly at once and easily switch versions/revisions of individual parts or sub-assemblies without having to reconvert or process the entire set of 3D objects.
• Supports generating multiple output SC files for each body which is affected by an assembly level feature resulting in correct assembly conversion.
• New rendering modes (sketched mode and conceptual mode) based on standard AEC application interactions, enables users to replicate the environment they are used to in AEC workflows.

HOOPS Publish

• Improvements to HTML export regarding quality and fidelity with 3D PDFs.

HOOPS toolkits are available through the HOOPS Native and HOOPS Web Platforms. HOOPS Platforms combine 3D technologies for CAD data exchange, visualization and data publishing, along with connections to popular modeling kernels. With a single licensing fee, these offerings help leverage the full spectrum of HOOPS functionality for existing applications and future development projects.

Developers interested in evaluating HOOPS SDKs can sign up for a free 60-day evaluation. Users can now interact with demos, videos, download a free evaluation, walk through tutorials, read partner success stories and browse the updated documentation. Learn more by clicking on the links below. The company is also offering a free trial.

• HOOPS Exchange (CAD Data Import)
• HOOPS Visualize (Graphics Engine for Desktop, Mobile & AR/VR)
• HOOPS Communicator (Graphics Engine for Web)
• HOOPS Publish (Export 3D PDFs, HTML and Standard CAD)

Sources: Press materials received from the company and additional information gleaned from the company’s website.