ICEM Surf 4.6 Released

By DE Editors

The latest version of the surface design and modeling software suite, ICEM Surf, will be available next month from ICEM (Southampton, UK). ICEM Surf 4.6 has enhanced photorealistic real-time design visualization capabilities, enhancements to the user interface, and additional functionality in the surface design and modeling environment.

ICEM Surf 4.6 introduces G3 surface matching to achieve higher levels of smoothness and surface matching. It also has a new 'digital taping' capability, which provides a virtual version of the traditional manual process, enabling stylists and design managers to mark up designs in real time on the desktop in either full photorealistic visualization or wire-frame model mode.
 
New live design review capabilities in the Reference Manager environment allow review session participants to switch between design variants and combinations of variants, while enhancements to the highlights analysis environment enable 'real-world' and visual simulation analysis processes to be combined. In addition, a new projection tool enables users to switch between static and dynamic highlights as they navigate around the virtual model.

For photorealistic design visualization, there are new HDRI (high dynamic range imaging) lighting capabilities available with ICEM Surf 4.6. Together with new real-time bump mapping facilities and spherical and 360 degree environments, the software can deliver an increased level of realism to photorealistic images and renderings of digital models.
 
As a result of increased demand for ICEM software in the Japanese automotive industry, ICEM Surf 4.6 also introduces the option of a Kanji user interface.
 
ICEM Surf 4.6 is scheduled to begin shipping to customers in November 2006. For more information, click here.

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