How Artem Brings Special Effects To Life: Thinkstation E32 P44

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ThinkStation E32 P44 Magics 18 P40 Lagoa.com P35
TECHNOLOGY FOR THE PRODUCT LIFECYCLE
FEBRUARY 2014 | 6 | 7 | $10 | DEVELOP3D.COM
How Artem brings
special eects to life
MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS HELPING FUTURE ENGINEERS MANAGING COLOUR
p01_D3D_FEB14_cover.indd 1 20/1/14 22:37:11
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EN-A4-tradeshows-ohne-Messe-Logo.indd 1 11.12.13 13:58
DEVELOP3D.COM FEBRUARY 2014 3
W
e are 20 days into 2014 and its all gone a bit weird
already. Weve seen Hershey attempt to get into
the 3D printer game with its chocolate. I use
quote marks because frankly, thats not chocolate.
Hell, thats not even a tribute to chocolate. Weve
also seen musician Will.i.Am link up with the 3D
printer world (Im using quote marks again for the
same reason). One thing is for sure, the 3D print
bandwagon is rolling on and on and I cant even
put the telly on without escaping it. Ho hum. But what else is on the horizon? Next
week, we should see Dassault unveil its next generation platform for the rst time
at the annual shindig that is SolidWorks World stay tuned to the blog for more
details as they emerge.
Elsewhere, it looks like the Delcam/Autodesk deal is going to be nalised shortly,
with shareholders at the Small Heath headquartered company voting for the deal to
the tune of 98%. Theres no word yet on whether theyll get to keep the tea trolley.
2014 will also be the year that the cloud starts to truly inltrate the professional
design tool world. Autodesk has its Fusion 360 product on a serious ramp up in
terms of development (the latest beta includes history with drawings to come
soon) and CAM 360 is underway at the beta stage.
The ex-SolidWorks team is growing at Belmont Technologies. Now come out of the
stealth-mode-worst-kept-secret as OnShape. No-one knows exactly what the team
is up to, but Id put a few quid on us seeing something later this year. Other vendors
are also starting to spring up. Founded last year, Lagoa is doing interesting things
with rendering in the cloud (turn to page 35 for the review) and a few more will pop
up over the coming months, Im sure.
One thing you can be sure about, is 2014 is going to see things change and new
things emerge at a rate that seems to be accelerating quicker than ever before.
You ready? Cos I am. Bring it on.

WELCOME

EDITORIAL
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p03_D3D_FEB14_Editor.indd 3 20/1/14 22:47:35
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Nvidia Ad.indd 1 07/11/2013 08:49
NEWS
3D print rivals go head to head at CES 2014, Citrix
targets 115 million new users, a Dame for president
and V-Ray v2.0 for Rhino ships
COMMENt
Tanya Weaver ponders whether we really need some
of the recent gizmos and gadgets being offered up
YOUR DEVELOP3D
Tell us what you think. This month: Your views on design
fakes and the toys you played with as kids
FEAtURES
Visual design guide: Jaguar F-Type Coup R
Product design showcase: Musical instruments
COVER StORY How Artem creates special effects
How to manage colour
The React foundation is making a difference to education
How VISI software is helping Rutland Plastics
REVIEWS
Lagoa.com
Materialise Magics 18
Lenovo ThinkStation E32 SFF
DEVELOP3D JOBS
tHE LASt WORD
Al Dean takes a look at a growing trend in the 3D world
that is segregating the consumer from the professional
DEVELOP3D SERVICES
FEBRUARY 2014 ISSUE No. 55
8
12
14
16
18
22
28
30
32
35
40
44
46
50
51
The wood used to produce this magazine
comes from Forest Stewardship Council
certifed well-managed forests, controlled
sources and/or recycled material

CONtENtS

p07_D3D_FEB14_contents.indd 7 21/1/14 11:04:55

NEWS

8 FEBRUARY 2014 DEVELOP3D.COM
H
eld in Las Vegas every
January, CES is where the
tech industry goes to show
o its latest developments
and give a glimpse of
where technology is heading. While
it's always of interest to see what the
future might hold (apart from a lot
of landll), the event in recent years
has seen more 3D printing action than
ever before. As the consumer market
is increasingly targeted by some 3D
printer manufacturers, CES, rather than
an industrial trade show, has become
the place to launch new products.
2014's event saw two of the industry's
biggest rivals face o against one another
and try to assert themselves on the market
as a whole.
MakerBot, now comfortable as part of
the Stratasys group, was there in force and
its CEO Bre Pettis was on hand to show
three new products coming in the next
few months. From a rearchitecting of its
Replicator device (to include a build camera,
more connectivity options and a bigger build
space) to two new products.
The rst is the new Replicator Mini same
product, but smaller and cheaper ($1,175) to
the Replicator Z18, bringing a substantially
larger build envelope (300 x 300 x 450mm)
than ever before at a decent price of $6,499.
Then there were the announcements by
3D Systems which are always curious to
watch. The company announced a slew of
new products that ranged from an update
of its Cube "consumer" machines, through
ceramic printing with the CeraJet and sugar
printing with the ChefJet. It also took the
chance to announce its newest "employee".
It turns out that Will.i.Am, Black Eyed
Pea, judge on BBC's hideous The Voice
and general all-round-entertainer, has
signed on as 3D Systems' Chief Creative
Ocer. Cue the mainstream media going
nuts clamouring to get a photo of Will.i.Am
holding a plate full of sugary treats straight
out of a printer.
HORSE LEADING THE CART?
Part of the 3D printing industry is
desperate to go mainstream. I mean proper
mainstream. In the oce, in the kitchen,
everywhere. And I can't blame them. It's
a fascinating technology and has been for
the last three decades. But ultimately, will
the hiring of mediocre hip-hop stars and
link ups with Martha Stewart mean people
will want to print their own parts, their own
food even? Somehow I doubt it. And while
all this goes on, what of the professional?
Those that stand to gain the most from the
adoption of these ever more reasonable
priced devices?
Some vendors (Makerbot) seem to have
realised this and while I'm sure they want
them everywhere, it seems to acknowledge
that there has to be an actual need for these
things before folks buy them. The lines of
demarcation between consumer and pro
devices are blurring but some vendors don't
want to see that and are missing a trick.
makerbot.com | 3Dsystems.com
NEWS

PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT TECHNOLOGY NEWS
CES is always a hot-bed of new announcements and this year saw two rivals,
3D Systems and MakerBot, go head to head and pull out the big guns. Al Dean
looks at the announcements pondering where consumer ends and professional begins
CES 2014: 3D PRINT RIVALS GO TOE-TO-TOE
& WHAT IT MEANS FOR THE PROFESSIONAL
Top: MakerBot's
new product range.
Something for most
budgets
Above: 3D Systems'
CEO Avi Reichental
and Will.i.Am . "3D
printing is dope", or
something
p08_D3D_FEB14_news.indd 8 20/1/14 22:38:07
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NT Cadcam Ad.indd 1 19/01/2014 09:08
HP adds touch
H
P has added Windows 8 touch
capabilities to its second-
generation all-in-one workstation
the HP Z1 G2 which features a
27-inch IPS (2,560 x 1,440) display.
With the boardroom being one of its
intended homes, The Z1's touchscreen
makes a lot of sense,
making it easier for
everyone to participate
in design / review.
New features include
Intel Thunderbolt 2 as
well as CPU and GPU
upgrades.
hp.com
C
itrix reckons there are
15 million CAD users and
another 100 million users
that require access to
design data, representing a
signicant new target user base for its
desktop and app virtualisation solutions.
The companys new XenDesktop with HDX
3D Pro technology can deliver high-end 3D
CAD apps to globally dispersed designers,
engineers and workers. These users dont
need a powerful desktop workstation, just a
device capable of running a Citrix client.
According to Citrix, it is already
seeing rapid customer adoption led by
organisations in heavy manufacturing,
global engineering and energy sectors.
350 engineers at Swedish engineering
consulting rm Knightec are now able to
work and collaborate from 'anywhere'
using Citrix technologies. Prior to deploying
XenDesktop, design data residing on local
workstations was shared between engineers
via email and USB drives. According to Citrix,
traditional remote access tools performed
poorly with design apps so simple design
edits had to be made in the ofce.
We needed to provide our engineers
with access to powerful workstations with
CAD abilities from anywhere in the world,
without having to install and support
CAD applications over our network, said
Jrgen Norman, head of IT at Knightec.
XenDesktop with HDX 3D Pro was selected
because of its better performance with our
design and simulation applications and
shared GPU roadmap with Nvidia.
Now engineers in any location can use their
virtual desktops to access CAD applications
and collaborate around project les.
Germanys Wiha Premium Tools has
more than 850 employees that produce
over 4,000 styles of precision tools. The
company has manufacturing facilities in
Germany, Switzerland, Poland and Vietnam
Prior to using XenDesktop with HDX 3D
Pro, CAD users were provided with high-
performance workstations running Siemens
Solid Edge and other developer tools.
Citrix technology opens many new options
for us, explained Siegried Disch, Wiha IT
Manager. For example, we can recruit
CAD construction specialists who live in a
different city or who want to work from their
home ofce. Freelancers and development
sites abroad can also be connected simply
and securely. Wherever our users work, our
invaluable know-how always remains secure
within our datacenter.
citrix.com
CITRIX TARGETS 115M USERS
WHO NEED CAD DATA ACCESS
Citrix XenDesktop
with HDX 3D Pro
is one of the key
technologies
used with the Dell
Precision R7610
and other rack
workstations
Measuring up
with blue light
H
exagon Metrology has released
WLS qFLASH, a white light solution
(WLS) that utilises blue light
technology, for industrial measurement
applications on the shop oor.
This portable measurement solution
creates reports and digitises acquired
data on the spot for analysis or direct CAD
comparison. Handheld or used on a mobile
pedestal, the overall optical head design
is said to be small and light enough to use
in limited or conned industrial spaces for
the measurement of aerospace components
through to metal castings.
hexagonmetrology.co.uk
The third annual DEVELOP3D LIVE,
taking place on 15 April 2014 at Warwick
Arts Centre, is going to be an unmissable
conference and exhibition for all those
working in the product development
industry.
DEVELOP3D LIVE is the one place where
designers, software and hardware
developers come to give their view
on the design market. We have had
great speakers such as Brad Peebler of
Luxology, Hardi Meybaum of GrabCAD,
Chris Sherwin of seymourpowel,
Mark Sanders of MAS, Phil Reeves of
DON'T MISS DEVELOP3D LIVE 2014 ON 15 APRIL 2014
Econolyst, Chris Randles of SpaceClaim,
Gian Paolo Bassi of SolidWorks and Carl
Bass of Autodesk. All the presentations
can be found on DEVELOP3Ds Vimeo
channel (vimeo.com/develop3d/videos/).
We will have some familiar faces
this year, together with a raft of new
designers covering all elds from
consumer products to automotive, robot
manufacture to futuristic engineering
designs for Hollywood lms.
Register now to keep up to date on all
developments and plans for the day.
DEVELOP3DLIVE.com
p10_11_D3D_FEB14_news.indd 10 20/1/14 22:38:30

NEWS

STAR-SpaceClaim is a
new module developed by
CD-adapco that supports
native transfer
of SpaceClaim CAD
models to STAR-CCM+ for
engineering simulation.
Together with streamlined
workows, users can
now capture important
simulation data
cd-adapco.com
Adobe has added 3D
printing support to
Adobe Photoshop CC.
The new capabilities aim
to help creatives to
design in 3D from
scratch or rene an
existing 3D model and
produce print-ready 3D
models using familiar
Photoshop tools
adobe.com
The Plastics Design and
Moulding (PDM) exhibition
and conference returns to
the Telford International
Centre on 18 to 19 June
2014. Make new contacts,
see product launches
and network with fellow
industry professionals.
PDM will be co-located with
the Plastics Recycling Expo
pdmevent.com
A former member of the
Obama administration is
to join 3D Systems. Neal
Orringer, who previously
helped lead task forces
focused on advanced
manufacturing and US
economic development
policy, will take on the
role of VP of alliances and
partnerships
3DSystems.com
3D PRINT, a B2B exhibition
devoted to additive
manufacturing, will be held
from 17 to 20 June 2014
at Lyon Eurexpo, France.
All areas of additive
manufacturing will be
covered from 3D design
software and materials
through to equipment and
Fab labs
3dprint-exhibition.com
ROUND
UP
Top female
engineer for
president
C
hair of the UK Aerodynamics
Council Professor Dame Ann
Dowling is set to become the
rst female president of The
Royal Academy of Engineering
(RAE) later this year.
Dame Ann is a world authority on
combustion and acoustics with a CV
that boasts many accomplishments and
accolades. She is head of the Department of
Engineering at the University of Cambridge
and chairman of the University Gas Turbine
Partnership with Rolls-Royce. She has a CBE
for services to Mechanical Engineering, a
DBE for services to science and has a UK
Resource Centre award for her Inspiration
and Leadership in Academia and Research.
I am honoured to be nominated for
election as President of the UKs national
academy of engineering at a crucial time
when it is generally acknowledged that
many more engineers will be required
to help the country benet from the
knowledge economy of the future, says
Dame Ann.
Craneld-based UK Aerodynamics Centre,
a joint venture between Government and
industry to develop the UKs strategy for
aerodynamic technology research, also
announced news about the new National
Wind Tunnel Facility (NWTF) project it is co-
funding with The Engineering and Physical
Sciences Research Council (EPSRC).
The hope is that the project, which will
include seven wind tunnels spread across
universities throughout the UK, will keep
the UK at the forefront of aerodynamic and
uid mechanics research.
I welcome this investment by EPSRC and
the UK Aerodynamics Centre in a National
Wind Tunnel Facility. It will give researchers
and industry access to the world-class
facilities and instrumentation vital for the
development of future quiet, ultra-efcient
aircraft, says Dame Ann.
ukaerodynamics.co.uk | raeng.org.uk
Top: UK
Aerodynamics
works on
many projects
with aircraft
manufacturers
including Airbus
Above: Dame Ann
Dowling led the
Cambridge MIT
Silent Aircraft
project, which
published its
radical concept
SAX-40 in 2006
Chaos Group ships V-Ray v2.0 for Rhino
C
haos group, a provider of
rendering solutions for the
media, entertainment, and
design industries, has released
the newest update to its
high-performance rendering engine for
designers V-Ray v2.0 for Rhino.
The latest version includes V-Ray RT GPU
support, which the company claims is up to
30 times faster, and is available directly in
the Rhino viewport. New features include
V-Ray Express tools, HDR Light Studio
integration with Light Paint support.
Rhino users in all elds, from engineering
and product design to 3D animation, use
V-Ray and the Chaos Groups development
team partners with this community of V-Ray
users when working on new releases.
We are very excited that, for the very rst
time, HDR Light Studio can be accessed from
within an actual 3D design environment
through the new V-Ray for Rhino live
connection, said Mark Segasby, co-founder
and CEO of Lightmap Ltd. Everything you
need to bring your vision to life is all in one
Rhino scene le now from your 3D forms
to material/nishes to the lighting. It just
makes sense.
chaosgroup.com
Popular renderer
for Rhino gets
major overhaul
across the
board; speed,
workow, lighting,
and material
improvements
SpaceClaim beta for 3D collaboration
S
paceClaim, a provider of
direct modelling software,
recently revealed details
about its cloud-enabled live 3D
collaboration product.
Code named Connect, this tool extends
the model creation and editing capabilities
of SpaceClaim by allowing more than one
user to join and contribute to a shared
modelling session. All that is needed is a
current WebGL-enabled browser running on
an internet-connected device.
Spaceclaim is welcoming participants to
try the beta. The new product will be made
available to customers early this year.
spaceclaim.com
I
M
A
G
E

C
O
U
R
T
E
S
Y

O
F

A
I
R
B
U
S

S
.
A
.
S
.
p10_11_D3D_FEB14_news.indd 11 20/1/14 22:38:31

COMMENT

is the dishwasher. Jospehine Cochrane of
Ashtabula County, Ohio, was a rich lady who
didnt actually do the dishes herself, she had
servants for that, but having hosted frequent
dinner parties she wanted the dishes washed
quicker without any chips. She frustratingly
proclaimed,If nobody else is going to invent
a dishwashing machine, Ill do it myself!
And so she did. The Cochrane Dishwasher
was shown at the 1893 Worlds Columbian
Exposition in Chicago and won the prize for
best mechanical construction, durability and
adaptation to its line of work. She started
the Garis-Cochran Manufacturing Company,
which became KitchenAid and later Whirlpool.
Of course a major invention in the early
20th Century that has had a huge impact,
not only on how it altered the dynamic of the
home but how it has forged the way for other
associated technologies, was the television.
What did families do with their evenings
before read, listen to the radio, talk?
Then of course there are some inventions
and technologies that have been and gone
like the typewriter, VHS, Betamax, CRT
monitor, analog telephone, cassette, oppy
disc and the CD player (a few households
probably still have this last one but its
destined for the product graveyard).
These inventions heralded new technologies
that did indeed make a dierence to our lives
but I cant help thinking that some of todays
inventions all these gadgets and gizmos
are just merely an act in using technology for
technologys sake.
One place where youll nd all these, quite
frankly ridiculous gadgets, under one roof
is at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES),
which takes place annually in Las Vegas
during January. Remember the Hapifork
from last years show a smart fork that
promised to help users lose weight by
vibrating when they were eating too quickly
and too much. Um shouldnt the fact that
youre feeling full be trigger enough?
This ridiculousness has been supplanted
by this years smart toothbrush. Kolibrees
Bluetooth-enabled toothbrush encourages
better habits by analysing your brushing
action and then displaying your progress on a
U
nbelievably a friend
has just made her
rst foray into
smartphones. I say
unbelievably because
doesnt everyone own
a smartphone these
days? Her argument
was why? I only need a phone for calling
and texting. Her decision to take the
plunge may have been prompted during
a recent pub visit when she produced her
previous fossil and we all laughed as
she proceeded to type a message using
that archaic multi-tap method.
Ive been monitoring her behaviour over
the past few weeks and her Facebook activity
has increased by 80%, she responds to
emails whilst on the move, has set up an
Instagram account with murmurings of a
Twitter one next. She has installed all manner
of apps from Skyscanner and Mapmyrun to
Goodreads and Candy Crush. She, like the
vast majority of us, has become attached to
her phone so much so that during a recent
30 minute run she had it tucked into her bra
while her armband case was on order.
It is true that our smartphones have
become an extended part of ourselves,
almost like an extra limb. This handheld,
portable powerhouse that, according to Paul
Otellini, president chief executive of Intel, has
more computing than existed in all of Nasa
in 1969 when the moon landings took place.
Isnt that a crazy thought?
It also made me think that we often dont
know what weve been missing out on until
we have it. Remember that oft-quoted phrase
from Henry Ford, the man who in 1908
brought us the rst inexpensive automobile
the Model T, If I had asked people what they
wanted, they would have said faster horses.
If he hadnt instigated the mass
manufacture of aordable cars, someone
else would have as we wouldnt still be riding
around in horse drawn carriages, even if the
horses were faster.
There are all manner of inventions that
have changed our lives. One that stands out,
particularly as it was invented by a woman,
New inventions and technologies
have certainly made their mark
throughout time but Tanya Weaver
ponders whether we really need
some of the recent gizmos and
gadgets being oered up
Tanya Weaver is the special projects editor
at Develop3D. Beehaus update the big bee
move has taken place and Tanya now has a
beehive at the bottom of her new garden
tanya@x3dmedia.com
What did
families do
before the
invention
of the
television
read,
listen to
the radio,
talk?
smartphone app. The aim is to get an A grade

every time.
Then a rather creepy device is the
reinvention of a mother in gadget form. This
small, doll-like matriarch is connected to a
number of sensors throughout the home,
which detects things like temperature and
motion. This information is transmitted to
the gadget Mother who reports to the human
Mother via a smartphone app. According to
its manufacturer Sen.se, the aim is to bring
the Internet of Things into everyday life,
helping users track their eating, tness and
hygiene habits and even home security.
But the big gadget news at this years CES
were tness trackers. All shapes, sizes and
variations to add to the pile of health gadgets
already saturating the market. LG unveiled
the Lifeband Touch wristband, nothing new
there but its accompanying Heart Rate
earphones will measure your heart rate via
your inner ear. Garmins new Vivot watch
boasts to have the longest life of any tness
tracker lasting for a year on a single charge.
Good news for exercise junkies who can now
sweat it out for a full 365 days non-stop.
Gaming specialist Razer is even getting in on
the tness gadget action through the launch
of the Razer Nabu wristband whilst Spree has
done something rather radical and launched
a smart headband with the added bonus of
keeping sweat out of your eyes.
Im a runner and have to admit to never
owning a tness gadget. The closest Ive
come is a Casio watch with stopwatch and
timer function. Most times I just want to get
out the door gadget free (yes, that means
my smartphone too) and run for the sake of
running because I love it.
But like my friend, now smartphone
convert, perhaps I dont know what Im
missing out on. I may yet buy a tness gadget
and never look back as I track every heart
beat, step I take and calorie I burn. Think Ill
wait a bit longer though.
p12_D3D_FEB14_tanya.indd 12 20/1/14 22:38:50
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D3D 297 x 210_new_Layout 1 14/01/2014 14:28 Page 1
Your DEVELOP3D
TANYA WEAVER COMMENT
DEC / JAN 2014
I confess that some times, even being an
industrial designer, I have been attracted to
fake products due to the lower (and perhaps
more honest) price. I totally agree with the
non purchasing of fakes and because of
that I buy less things. But then historically
we know that the spreading of knowledge
increases the chances of continued
improvement so buying less will keep this
only in a few hands. My 'consumer side'
would feel lost. But how to be authentic,
dont copy and follow (in a shorter time) all
the previous steps for innovation, from the
competitors? Really challenging.
F Hilario
IN RESPONSE TO OUR TWEET:
WHAT TOYS DID YOU LIKE
PLAYING WITH AS KIDS THAT
MAY HAVE INSPIRED YOUR
CAREER CHOICE?
Lego mainly and writing computer games
on amstrad cpc464 starting with the help of
Your views on design fakes and the toys that you used to play with as kids
"type ins"! Also liked building airfx kits
@drogersuk
I had some knock off Lego that didn't attach
to Lego, early frustration with standards and
copyright infringement
@MarkDurbin104
I suppose Lego and Meccano are too obvious
never happier than when soldering wires
into mad marble runs though!
@MikeatAmalgam
I imagine I won't be the frst. Lego and
Meccano. Although I made stuff from
scratch more often using good old wood!
@bime_keir
Anything you could take apart/build
or 'modify' Bikes, Toy cars, Models,
Scalextric etc
@talktonickgray
Model trains. Never liked running the train
much, but loved putting the track together,
taking apart, build a new layout.
@ScottWertel
Scalextric, with the John Player Special
Lotus 77 (Boys had better toys!)
@CadFileRefner
Lego all the way!
@piez
Playing with 'real tools' early on was
probably questionable from parenting angle
but prob helped inspire career choice.
@Radiuscreatives
I disassembled everything electronic from
the age of 6 Technic Lego, Transformers
and lots of early 80s computer games :)
@RichRap3D
When I was 4 at nursery the teacher took
my parents aside to tell them I wanted
Sellotape and cardboard boxes!
@AndyMurrayDes
Plasticine, Lego, Meccano, Any of my dad's
tools and my brother's toys to take apart to
see how they worked
@philchamp_
Pens, Pencils, Paper, Lego and junk.
@CadSetterOut
Screwdriver from age 2 meant I never had
toys in 1 piece for more than a few hours. An
electrical set & my dad's lathe at age 4
@buffdesign
When I was a wee lad I created sci f
instrument control panels out of plasticine
...?? (3D printing without the mechanics!)
@StruthersDesign
On tWitteR
Do you know what subscribers do with their
read copies of @develop3d? Could they pass
a pile onto their local schools?
@stevebedder
Learnt from Jan @develop3d edition. Teams
in red more successful than other teams.
Explains my pro teams lack of success over
the years :-(
@uk_dave
@tanya_weaver @alistardean Clocks always
shown as 10:10 because it makes a 'happy'
shape. Try setting them to 8.20 and see
what you think.
@eBwatches
We're looking for companies who are thinking
of investing in an in-house 3D printer we
want to follow your story. If you've recently
invested in CNC equipment for the rst time
let us know too. Email tanya@x3dmedia.com

FEEDBACK

Got an opinion on
anything that has
(or has not) appeared
in the magazine or
online? Let us know
what you think
Greg Corke
greg@x3dmedia.com
Facebook
/develop3d
twitter
@develop3d
Web
develop3d.com
Linked in
DeVeLOP3D group
Letters may be edited
Why did you become a designer?
A born tinkerer and lacking any
meaningful academic abilities, I
had already steered myself towards
creative and technical studies while
at school. I was very fortunate to
have an inspiring and enlightened
Design and Technology teacher
who expected excellence and
encouraged me to take up a life of
design.
Which designer or company do
you most admire and why?
Apple is the obvious choice
because they create what is nearly
impossible for the rest of the
industry. I think only designers
and engineers understand and
appreciate how amazing their
achievements really are. But Apple
aside, I have always had a soft spot
for Achille Castiglioni who created
some of my favourite things.
What product couldnt you live
without?
Bose noise cancellation headphones
for long haul fights. They look awful
but work like a dream.
What design would you have
loved to have designed and why?
Castiglionis Spirale ashtray.
Elegant, timeless, clever and
whimsical.
Play-Doh, Meccano or Lego?
I was always a Lego man. Love
the bright plastic colours and
Danish discipline of this classic
construction toy. I also like the way
they have reinvented themselves
to stay relevant to a new and more
demanding generation.
What are your weapons of choice?
A Lamy fountain pen for sketching,
a monster PC for CAD and coffee
machine for fuel.
What is missing from your
toolset?
We dont have in-house 3D printing
yet. This is something I would like to
make time to get in to.
What would make your design
and development process run
smoother?
Being less anal and quality minded
would greatly speed things up
for us.

What would you say is the biggest
challenge facing designers?
Commoditisation of design is
making it increasingly diffcult to
have enough time and resources to
do really great work.
Can you predict any future
trends?
Further pressure to do more in less
time, contrasted with the need to
slow down, refect and relax.
if you were hosting a dinner party
who would you invite and why?
Close friends and family, because
they are smart, funny, and willing to
put up with me.
Roland Bird co-founded strategic product
design consultancy GRO design in 1999.
Prior to this he was a senior design
consultant at Philips Design; working on
products for production, ground breaking
visionary projects and co-founding
Philips frst Strategic Design group. He
has been curator for Dutch Design Week,
an external examiner for the Design
Academy Eindhoven and has won many
international design awards.
if you want to take part please
contact tanya@x3dmedia.com
60 SeCOnD
inteRVieW
ROLAnD BiRD
p14_D3D_FEB14_letters.indd 14 20/1/14 22:39:17
16 DECEMBER / JANUARY 2014 DEVELOP3D.COM
Making its recent global motor show debuts in both Los Angeles
and Tokyo, the Jaguar F-Type Coup R headlines the F-Type model
line-up. This British automotive brand claims it is the most dynamically
capable, performance-focused sports car it has ever produced
VISUAL DESIGN GUIDE
JAGUAR F-TYPE COUP R
engine
The 550PS/680Nm 5.0 litre
V8 supercharged engine
enables acceleration from
0-60mph in 4.0-seconds,
and a top speed of 186mph
SUSPenSiOn
Sports suspension with
Adaptive Dynamics
damping enhances the
sports cars immediacy of
response for what Jaguar
describes as an exhilarating
driving experience
inTeRiOR
The driver-focused cabin features
a central 8-inch touchscreen,
confgurable interior lighting, fve
different seat options and a wide
choice of colours and textures
deSign
The F-TYPE Coup embodies
the design vision of the Jaquar
C-X16 concept sports coup
that debuted at the 2011
Frankfurt Motor Show with its
long bonnet, low roofine and
tapering cabin
gReen
CRedenTiALS
Up to half the content of the
body comes from recycled metal.
Jaguar claims that the manufacturing
process of riveting and bonding the
structure emits up to 80% less CO
2

compared to welding
BRAKeS
Jaguars Super Performance
braking system features
380mm front and 376mm
rear discs with red or black
painted calipers
ALUMiniUM
BOdY
The all-aluminium Coup body
structure delivers torsional
rigidity of 33,000 Nm/degree
STeeRing
The three-spoke, fat-
bottomed steering wheel is
wrapped in leather with the
R logo
p16_17_D3D_FEB14_viz design guide.indd 16 20/1/14 22:39:39
BACK TO
BASICS:
STEM
AMBASSADORS
Ive heard a lot recently about the
decline in engineers and how there
arent enough young people wanting to
follow engineering as a career. Im an
engineer. How can I help?
Well, that is a brilliant rst step being
willing to help. Well done. The next is to
become a STEM ambassador.
That sounds quite daunting. What
exactly does it mean?
Run by STEMNET (the Science,
Technology, Engineering and
Mathematics Network) a STEM
Ambassador essentially means being a
role model to young people.
Ok. But I dont have that much spare
time on my hands.
Thats alright theyll be grateful
for whatever time you have. There
are a huge number of ways in which
Ambassadors can get involved: judging
competitions; providing e-mentor
careers support; giving day-in-the-
life-of talks; explaining research
techniques; advising on CV writing,
interview technique or work skills;
supporting STEM Clubs etc.
One sticking point I have no
experience of working in schools. Can I
still take part?
Absolutely. A large number of new
Ambassadors have not worked with
young people before joining the
programme. The induction session
aims to make you feel condent about
visiting a school for the rst time, and
includes some classroom-based scenario
activities and role-play exercises.
Im up for it. What do I do now?
The rst step is to complete an online
application by visiting stemnet.org.uk/
ambassadors/ You will then receive
an email from your local STEM
Ambassadors Management Contract
Holder oering a range of induction
dates. Good luck inspiring future
engineers!
eXHAUST
The exhaust system
with quad, outboard-
mounted tailpipes
gives a powerful voice
to the 550PS engine
BOOT
There is up to 407
litres of boot space
enough room for two
sets of golf clubs
PRiCe TAg
Yours from a cool 85,000
jaguar.co.uk
HAndLing
The Electronic Active Differential
system intelligently controls the
amount of driveline torque fed to
each wheel
A wORd fROM
THe deSigneR
Creating a sports Coup is the
purest of design tasks, and also
the most challenging; get it right
and aesthetically the result will be
as dynamic as the car should be
rewarding to drive. In F-TYPE Coup,
I believe weve got it right, says Ian
Callum, Jaguars director of design
ROOf
The roof panel is available
in either aluminium or
panoramic glass panes
p16_17_D3D_FEB14_viz design guide.indd 17 20/1/14 22:39:43
THE NEW

BLACK
M
usical instrument makers are based
predominantly in the Far East
making a British designed clarinet
something of a rarity.
West Yorkshire-based Hanson stands out
further for its sustainable design credentials
becoming the worlds rst FSC Certied
maker of woodwind instruments in 2011.
Alastair Hanson founded his musical
instrument making business in 1989 with
support from charitable foundation The
Princes Trust.
The company now produces a selection of
woodwind and brass instruments from its
base in Marsden.
All parts of the clarinet begin life in CAD,
with the design built into a 3D model in
SolidWorks.
Hanson manufactures its own products
in its semi-automated facility using a wide
range of CNC machinery.
The CAD model is prepared for
manufacture by taking the model into
Delcam PowerShape and then dening the
CNC processes by using PowerMill.
When beginning work on the body of the
clarinet the centre hole or pilot bore is cut
rst; the best way to do this is by a process
called gun-drilling.
The digital design and manufacturing
process enables Hanson to cut a superbly
smooth and accurate bore important, as
the bore is critical to the sound, tone and
response of the clarinet.
Next the outside prole, tone holes, key
post xings and tone hole undercuts are
made using computer controlled CNC
high precision cutters accurate up to seven
microns.
A Next Engine 3D scanner is used to
verify the parts, and also to aid any reverse
engineering that might be needed.
Hanson continues to seek out new and
improved design elements for musicians in
their instruments.
Currently its R&D department is
experimenting with composite materials
to replace traditional cork seals, and even
opposing magnets instead of springs.
hansonclarinets.com
p18_19_20_D3D_FEB14_PDG_musical instruments.indd 18 20/1/14 22:40:02
DEVELOP3D MONTH 200X 19

PROFILE

PRODUCT
DESIGN
SHOWCASE
MUSICAL
INSTRUMENTS
Hanson Clarinets are the worlds
rst FSC certied clarinets with
wood coming from forests in
Tanzania to the Hanson factory
in Yorkshire. This means that
each instrument features distinct
graining individual to that piece
This month we get our groove on as
Stephen Holmes prepares to make sweet
music with modern manufactured marvels
20 MONTH 200X DEVELOP3D
STEAMPUNK

PUNK ROCKER
F
rom Buddy Hollys monochrome Fender
Stratocaster, to Princes exuberant purple
squiggle, theres a guitar design for all tastes and
seasons; but now designs can be built as wild as your
imagination.
Long-standing design engineer and professor
of mechatronics at Massey University, Auckland,
New Zealand, Olaf Diegel has created previously
impossible guitar designs using 3D printing.
With 15 years of 3D printing knowhow, Diegel now
runs ODD Guitars.
Despite oering various wild designs inuenced
by everything from spiders to steampunk machinery
all the creations can be individually customised to
the customers most minute demands.
The designs are completed in SolidWorks from
Diegels base in New Zealand, before the body is
printed in the US using 3D Systems SLS 3D printers.
The chosen matching colour neck attaches to a
wooden core contained within the body.
The hardware, such as the pickups, bridges and
necks, are all o-the-shelf hardware so customers can
match these to their personal design.
Diegels designs have expanded from simply guitars
to encompass the entire band, including 3D printed
keyboard casings and even a drum set.
Prices start at $3,000 for a small body guitar, so we
recommend you get practising rst.
odd.org.nz
T
aking up the challenge of a friend to
design an electric violin 20 years ago,
Lincoln-based engineer Tim Brewer
has produced eye-catching, contemporary
instruments for some of the best violin
players around the world.
Skeletal in its appearance, the violin is
balanced to suit the musician who might
have it perched on their shoulder for long
periods.
The clear body can be tted with LED
lights and touch-sensitive controls but,
most importantly for an electric violin, the
sound can be customised and amplied,
lling an entire arena if needs be.
The original design was hand shaped
from balsa wood and car body ller, using
hand drawings for guidance.
From this a further prototype was hand
carved from a block of acrylic, before being
sent to China for the initial tooling to be
undertaken for polycarbonate injection
moulding.
Since then the violin bodies have been
moulded in the UK, and Brewer has
continued to advance the design and
technology used.
Producing a limited run of around
25 violins each year he has invested in
technology for small-scale manufacturing.
The 3D CAD work has been outsourced,
but an in-house CNC laser cutter now
produces the clear acrylic ngerboards and
a new 3D printer will be used to produce
some interior components.
tedbrewerviolins.com
TURNING IT UP TO FORTISSIMO
The philosophy of Ted Brewer
Violins is to make the very best
of evolving technology and its
expertise, whilst staying true
to the beauty and character of
traditional violins
Design lightweight in, instead of engineering mass out.
Inspire is easy to use structural optimization that works
with all major CAD tools.
Better Structural Designs
An Company

Learn more at solidThinking.com/Inspire
Assign Materials
and Loads
Create the
Design Space
Sketch or
Import a Design
See the
Ideal Part
Export the
Design Proposal
Control
the Result

PROFILE

UNMASKING
SFX
From giant puppets to small lm props, special
eects (SFX) company Artem melds cutting-edge
design and engineering with traditional sculptural
techniques to bring its amazing projects to life.
Tanya Weaver reports
p22_23_24_25_26_D3D_FEB14_artem cover story.indd 22 20/1/14 22:40:29
For the London 2012
Olympics opening
ceremony Artem
created 20 seperate
pieces including
Captain Hooks head
A
s far as factory visits go, a
trip to Artems West London
headquarters has to be one of the
most surreal. In one area of its
20,000sq foot workshop, prosthetic
wounds are being hand sculpted
and life-like dead bodies moulded
before being hung on a rail. In
another, a robot arm is carving
standing stones whilst a CNC machine is churning out
oversized foam hammers. And just outside the workshop
doors, potatoes are exploding whilst being lmed.
Artem is in the business of physical special eects (SFX).
Its 28 employees, who consist of a mix of artists, designers,
engineers and technicians, realise the visions of a raft of
clients in the creative industries producing everything from
animatronic robotic puppets and atmospherics through to
pyrotechnics and sculpture.
Just in the past year Artem has created, amongst other
projects, prosthetics and pyrotechnics for the action lm
Welcome to the Punch, a talking toilet for a Water Aid
television advert, a life-like beating heart for the Casio
G-Shock watch campaign, a giant oating sculpture of a
swimmer to launch the 2013 PruHealth World Triathlon
Grand Final, various props for the London theatre
production of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and an
animatronic hand puppet of a Gremlin, from the 1984 lm
Gremlins, for a Snickers advert.
Considering its only the second day back at work of
2014, this is shaping up to be a busy year for Artem too.
The workshop is a buzz of activity with work underway for
a forthcoming Shakespearean lm adaptation (hence the
wounds, bodies and standing stones) and various props for
the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics in Russia (thats the foam
hammer).
All these props go against the supposition that CGI and
digital SFX would kill o physical SFX. Real objects are
still very much in demand but what has altered is the way in
which they are brought to life. Our business has changed
over the last 10 to 15 years. Before then we worked in the
traditional method of hand nishing and hand building,
explains Mike Kelt, Artem CEO and SFX supervisor, who
co-founded the company 26 years ago after a nine year stint
in the BBCs special eects department.
From our point of view, the writing was on the wall
about ten years ago and we recognised that we had to move
into the 3D world. Whereas before something may have
been sculpted in clay or wax or fabricated in timber, for
instance, now well draw it up in the computer usually and
then output it to a machine whether thats a CNC machine,
router, robot arm or 3D printer.
Working in this way has speeded up the design process

PROFILE

1 The animatronic
nodding Churchill
Insurance dog
1

From
our point
of view,
the writing
was on the
wall about
ten years
ago and we
recognised
that we had
to move
into the 3D
world
2 The Octobus, which was created for

the opening ceremony of the London
2012 Olympic Games, had a psychedelic
design wrapped around it and
indentations to hold dancers
3 The Kuka robot arm carving out the

giant swimmer used for launch of the
2013 PruHealth World TRiathlon grand
Final
4 A wind machine that Artem

developed in-house and now sells
is superseding the traditional skills of a sculptor? To some
extent we have cut out this skill but there are projects where
they are still very much utilised, says Kelt.
For instance, Artem recently created a lifelike 56 foot
whale for a forthcoming lm. The project began in the
sculpture department where a one metre scale model or
maquette was crafted by hand. Following client approval it
was then scanned using a hand scanner and output to the
computer where the 3D model was manipulated before les
were sent to the robot arm, which carved the huge structure
out in sections.
Traditional craft skills are still paramount as a trained
sculptor really understands physical 3D space. A 3D person
doing it on the computer doesnt always have that sculpture
skill they dont really entirely understand what it is they are
dealing with because at any one moment the model is only
ever a 2D image. So, sometimes it is better to have a model
sculpted physically rst, comments Kelt.
SELECTING THE RIGHT PROCESS
Really what this all amounts to is that there is no set path
that all Artems projects follow and the project itself will
determine how the team go about doing it. It is very much
about trying to look at the problem and then guring what
the best way to go about it is, conrms Kelt.
Halo 4 is just one example of the range of processes used
in any one project. It kicked o with Microsoft brieng
Artem to take the Master Chief from inside its Halo 4 video
game (on this months front cover) and bring it to life in
a full size suit that an actor could wear. Four suits were
needed for the various Halo 4 launch events taking place
throughout Europe.
Two years previously Artem had created two suits for the
Halo Reach game but the main dierence now is that they
had longer to deliver the project six weeks as opposed to
just ten days!
Although these Halo Reach suits looked great, they
were heavy and quite inexible having been made with
a combination of breglass and thick rubber. This time
round, the Artem team wanted to demonstrate what could
be achieved with a little more time. The aim was for the
actor to be able to get into the suit quickly and for it to be
comfortable, highly exible and deceptively lightweight.
Microsoft sent the 3D les over from America, which
then had to be initially manipulated in Autodesk Maya.
Basically, with characters in a video game the lines just
dont join up and consequently they are full of holes. This
had to be sorted out in Maya and then the model chopped
up into bits before being exported to SolidWorks where they
were further worked on before being sent to the machine,
explains Kelt.
In terms of the machines, dierent ones were used
depending on what was required. For instance, the head was
split up into four pieces and output to the Dimension 3D
not least because dierent aspects of a project can be worked
on concurrently.
Taking the iconic nodding Churchill Insurance dog as
an example, Artem created the original puppet of the dog
years ago. The client then opted for a digital Churchill but
recently returned to Artem for a new version of the physical
animatronic puppet.
TOOLS FOR THE JOB
With new tools in its arsenal, the Artem team could improve
on its previous process of creating the Churchill dog, which
was all done by hand. Before we couldnt really work on
the internal mechanical skeleton until the outer shell was
complete, comments Kelt. Whereas, now, if you draw it on
the computer you know exactly what the dimensions of all
parts are going to be so, while one process makes the outer
skin, another can construct the inside knowing that itll all
t at the end of the day.
Modelling an object on the computer rst also ensures
that when it comes out of the machine at the other end, it
will be exactly like that digital model and, if needed, dozens
of replicas can be machined. For instance, the Kuka robot
arm is currently carving out identical standing stones
from chemiwood for the Shakespeare lm. Previously,
these would have been sculpted by hand resulting in slight
variations to each stone.
But does this mean that technology and new machinery
2
3
4

We have
everything
from the
digital
stu, 3D
printers
and
machines
through to
the hand
skills,
precision
engineering
and high
nish spray
capabilities
5 A 3D printed scale model or

maquette of the Halo 4 fgure
6 A CAD drawing revealing all the

mechanisms inside Churchill, the
dogs head
7 An animatronic hand puppet of a

Gremlin that Artem recently developed
for a Snickers advert
Working closely with the artistic director Danny Boyle,
the Artem team brought his vision to life by producing
20 separate pieces including a 60 foot Voldemort puppet,
enormous trampoline beds, the Child Catchers carriage,
re bikes, giant industrial chimneys and a full-size
lightweight house. Not to mention all the weather, smoke
pyrotechnics and molten metal eects.
The most demanding piece was the Octobus, an electric
bus based on the design of the Beatles Magical Mystery
Tour with a giant transparent Octopus inating out of it
with PVC tentacles reaching 22m long and 1.7m diameter.
Amongst all this, Artem also designed and manufactured
its own petrol-driven wind machines that were used at
various points during the ceremonies to create an eect and
also to blow up the props, including the giant Paralympic
inatable symbol. This product has since been launched by
Artem and is now available for sale to the global market.
A visit to Artem leaves one feeling rather overwhelmed
that a 28 strong company is capable of creating such creative
and staggering work. But Kelt is in no doubt that under its
roof are all the resources needed to deal with whatever a
client may throw at them. There is nothing that couldnt
be done here. We have everything from the digital stu, 3D
printers and machines through to the hand skills, precision
engineering and high nish spray capabilities. Its all here
and just waiting for projects to drop in.
artem.com
printer. Putting it in the 3D printer was quite a good way of
doing that section as it was small enough and the machine
could do the inside and outside shape at the same time,
adds Kelt.
Other hard parts of the suit, including the chest and
arm pieces, were carved on the CNC router as this process
provided the best nish. These parts were then assembled,
hand nished and moulded to produce a full set of silicone
jacket moulds from which light weight breglass or rubber
parts were produced.
The suit itself was clay sculpted over a body cast of a 66
person. This was moulded in sections from which Artem
was able to produce a black reinforced foam latex under-suit.
The various hard parts were then xed to this suit. The look
was complete with a gun, helmet (which included two fans
inside to enable the actor to breathe), gloves and shoes.
So although the suit is made up of lots of dierent parts,
when it comes to putting it on there are only four or ve
items, comments Kelt.
The rst Halo 4 suit left the production line four weeks
after it was started, with the remaining three following in
one week intervals. All four were then boxed and shipped
to the dierent launch events. One has since returned and
makes a formidable presence at Artems front door.
CHALLENGING JOB
As Kelt explains, another major challenge in any project is
the clients budget. Over the years budgets have generally
become tighter so you have to gure out what can be
achieved for the amount of money youve got and the time
youve got to do it in. Theres no doubt that new technology
the 3D printer and the robotic arm etc. can make a
dierence.
At the same time, another big part of the job is all down
to experience. It doesnt matter what machines youve got
littering the workshops, if you dont have the knowledge and
experience to kick the ball in the right direction in the rst
place, youre never going to get it into the goal. Thats crucial
and the budget is probably the biggest bit of that.
So, although physical SFX comes across as an incredibly
varied and fun industry to work in, theres no doubt that its
extremely demanding and challenging. Its an adrenaline
rush and all about solving problems. Its exciting and hugely
varied but the tight deadlines and fast turnaround make it
an unsuitable occupation for the easily stressed, admits
Kelt.
In fact, when asked to name one of Artems most
challenging projects, Kelt laughs saying Where do I start?
However, he admits that the work that was carried out for
the opening and closing ceremonies of the London Olympic
and Paralympic Games were challenging for the sheer scale
of what had to be achieved. The entire workshop, both in its
London and Glasgow division, had to be given over in the
lead up to July 2012.
5
6 7

PROFILE

w
w
w
.
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l
a
n
.
c
o
.
u
k
Tel:+44 (0)1709-704 100 | info@eplan.co.uk
EPLAN can!
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27 D3D Ads.indd 1 19/01/2014 12:52

TECHNOLOGY

MANAGING COLOUR
Following on from last months look at
how colour inuences design, Al Dean
reports on how it can be managed to
ensure the design decisions we make in
software are accurately represented
L
ets talk colour. Its perhaps one of the
least discussed subjects in the world
of 3D-based design and development
systems. Were all used to building
3D models, rendering and visualising
them, but how many of us take the
time to ensure that the colours that are
represented on screen are accurate? The
fact is if youre working with digital tools,
for the most part, youre likely to use the default materials
and textures in your 3D design systems settings unless
theres nothing there that matches your needs. Then its
a case of punching in a new colour value, typically, from a
preset list, and moving on.
When it comes to the visualisation process, Id imagine
that, unless youre generating images for pre-marketing
materials, the same applies. Default materials, tweaked to
represent the colour of the nal products material nishes
will again be order of the day.
But how do you ensure that the colours you see on screen
are as close to the intended reality of your product in work?
What techniques and technologies exist to make the process
more ecient?
This is where colour calibration plays a large part. The
concept is as follows. Digital monitors (less so than with
CRT monitors of old) arent particularly well calibrated at
the factory settings. Most have some form of calibration
built into the drivers or on-board settings, but these are
often rudimentary at best.
These, combined with your monitors physical location
and the lighting conditions, means that colours represented
on screen can vary, in some cases dramatically, from the
values that youve dened in your software.
There are also issues that pertain to the age of your
monitor while the LCD or LED monitors arent as bad as
they used to be, the backlight in most of them will degrade
and most certainly change with time.
So, how might we go about ensuring that the colours
displayed on our screens match our design intent?
HARDWARE CALIBRATION
To assist with the calibration, there are a number of
dierent ways to ensure that colour representation is
accurate. The most accurate method is to use a calibration
device. These are available in a range of models and from
a handful of vendors. Perhaps the best known are X-Rite
(x-rite.com) and Datacolor (datacolor.com).
Both vendors manufacture devices that measure the
colour on screen (using supplied software and a hardware
device) and adjust the monitors colour display to ensure
accurate replication.
Whichever device you use, the workow is pretty much
the same. The device and software are installed, the device
hung in the centre of the screen (as shown in gure 1) and
the software works through a series of calibration routines.
Once its done, the monitor is then ready to use. While
the entry level products (such as X-rites ColourMunki
1
p28_29_D3D_FEB14_colour calib.indd 28 20/1/14 22:41:07
products) rip through the process, the more expensive
systems provide tools for tracking colour shifts, for
ensuring that multiple monitor set-ups match and the like.
Using one of Datacolours Spyder products Ive been
tracking how my iiyama display has changed (calibration is
a monthly routine for me) and how the values shift with the
lighting conditions outside of my oce (ambient light can
play a large part in the whole process). Its become clear that
things change over the course of a year.
BUILT IN CALIBRATION
Some monitors (such as the Eizo ColourEdge and
Samsungs Series 9 models) have calibration devices built
directly into the bezel. While these are costly models, they
work in the same way as standalone devices except its
much more automated.
THE ICC PROFILE
The end result of almost every process is an ICC le. This
is an internationally standardised way of communicating a
devices colour correction requirements whether in terms
of input (for scanners and spectrometers for measuring
colour) or output devices (for a printer or a display, or
anything in between).
Because of the standardised nature of the ICC prole
these can be interchanged between hardware and software
so everything should work on the same basis.
For example, an ICC prole from a display can then be
reused in applications such as Photoshop to ensure that the
two bits of kit work together and display colours correctly.
The same is true between a scanner and a display.
Whats also interesting is that theres a movement
to integrate the same methodology into 3D software
applications.
SYSTEMS-BASED CONTROL
Of course, accurate colour representation also depends
a great deal on the lighting conditions you dene in your
visualisation system. The use of HDR image-based lighting
in not only specialised applications (such as KeyShot), but
also in workhorse CAD-integrated renderers, means that
MANAGING COLOUR
2 While the Sypder4

is a professional
solution, X-Rites
ColorMunki is around
50 quid
this is less of an issue but there are issues none the less.
Again, the ICC prole is able to help here in some
instances. In their most recent releases, for example, both
Luxions KeyShot and Chaos Groups VRAY both gained
ICC prole support.
IN CONCLUSION
This level of detail in colour representation isnt going to be
for everyone. For some, the rendering process doesnt need
to be that accurate and often, these things can be adjusted by
eye-balling it.
That said, if youre creating pre-manufacture marketing
materials, doing high resolution display or visualisation for
your clients (particularly if theyre picky), then adding that
extra layer of accuracy can only benet.
Of course, the investment in a measurement device is an
additional cost, but when you consider that the ColorMunki
is available for 60 quid or so, with the professional options
for DataColors Spyder products starting at around the 100
pound mark, its not a massive investment especially as
these devices can be used across all of your oces displays.
As we get into an era where the general public are more
used to viewing and interacting with 3D rendered geometry,
they will naturally become more discerning and less
tolerant of inaccuracy in colour representation.
Forewarned is forearmed, folks.
2
1 Run through the calibration process with your chosen

device. This will output an ICC profle which is typically
loaded into your monitor driver, but can be reused
2 In KeyShot, enter the preferences dialog, fnd Color

Management and Enable Color Management, pointing to the
ICC profle you just output

3 Now, when you both preview materials as well as

render out full images, the colours will adhere to the colour
correction profle from your calibration device
WoRkfloW: Setting up ColouR ManageMent in luXion keyShot 4.0
p28_29_D3D_FEB14_colour calib.indd 29 20/1/14 22:41:07
32 MONTH 200X DEVELOP3D

EDUCATION

W
hile cuts to education
and careers funding
take their toll it is clear
that something needs
to be done fast to meet
Britains 50 per cent
rise in demand for engineers.
Where public money has dried up, it has
left the private sector little option but to
step in. A lot of this work is being done on
a local level, with some smaller businesses
persevering to help young people take up
engineering.
React Engineering is one such company.
Setting up its React Foundation ten years
ago it had the simple aim of oering
small bursaries to talented local school
leavers heading o to study engineering at
university.
HEADING NORTH
Based in Cleator Moor, Cumbria, the town
is part of a rust belt of old manufacturing
towns, mining villages and jobs built on
Britains engineering prowess 300 years ago.
Now the area is regenerating itself as the
British Energy Coast.
React, like several other companies in the
area, works on projects as varied as new
energy and decommissioning the legacy of
nuclear power stations.
It also works as a facilitator to bring as
many Science, Technology, Engineering and
Maths (STEM) projects for schools to the
area as possible.
Recent years have seen its foundation
partner with Londons Science Museum
outreach group and arrange funding with
help from local businesses to put on a free,
two week show annually for all the 9-13 year
old school children in West Cumbria 7,000
in total.
The events use a range of fun interactive
curriculum-linked shows and workshops to
increase the interest in STEM topics, which
are resoundingly popular with the students.
Last year Reacts Space Challenge set
two teams of school children from nearby
Cockermouth the task of designing and
engineering a balloon and capsule to go
up into the Earths atmosphere and take
pictures.
The nature of the task meant students
that previously had no direct interest in
engineering or sciences were then dragged
into the team.
While one of the capsules successfully
captured the curvature of the earth from
high altitude, the second capsule crashed
landed 300 miles away.
Regardless of the outcomes, all the schools
were gripped by the challenge.
ADVISE AND INSPIRE
The project was so successful that this year
other local schools have asked to join in,
while Reacts STEM ambassadors are on
hand to oer advice.
As React has found, funding is a small
part of the overall issue. Having the right
people to inspire and guide student interest
in modern design and engineering is also
dicult to achieve.
Teaching sta are not always aware as
to what is needed to gain engineering
HELPING ENGINEERING TAKE OFF
To increase the number of future engineers private sector foundations are taking matters into their own hands.
Stephen Holmes nds the work of one small northern company benetting an entire county
1
p30_31_D3D_FEB14_education.indd 32 20/1/14 22:41:25
DEVELOP3D MONTH 200X 33
qualications, leaving potential engineers
unable to get on the right university courses.
Being able to speak rst hand with qualied
engineers from a variety of backgrounds
oers guidance and reassurance to young
people.
STEM AMBASSADORS
Over two-thirds of Reacts 36-person
workforce are STEM ambassadors who
volunteer to help out with the Foundations
projects, which continue through to giving
advice to students throughout university.
The team visits second year students at
Manchester and Newcastle universities,
setting up mock interviews for their
mechanical engineering students.
Its here that we can see where the
endeavours of React begin to pay-o as they
have rst-hand ability to spot talent.
React is able to oer a lucky few paid work
on condition of working for the company for
two years following their graduation.
This oer of work immediately after
completing university suits the students, but
such contracts also helps ease the problem
of talent drain from the area.
Weve got the business edge behind that,
explains Reacts recruitment and marketing
coordinator Irene McMillan.
I tend to keep in touch with a lot of them
and we hope that at some point in the
future, even though theyve decided to go
o to a city, we nd that locals, when theyre
ready to start a family want to come back
here.
React is quite rightly proud of its
foundation and the results it yields:
Thanks to its eorts a large swathe of
young people are being exposed to not just
the skills of STEM subjects, but also the
possibility of further education and the
rewarding careers it can bring.
As government funding comes and goes,
this is still here, concludes McMillan.
reactfoundation.org.uk
In the March issue we will be featuring another education
intiative that is hoping to inspire young designers and
engineers to study engineering at university
HELPING ENGINEERING TAKE OFF
To increase the number of future engineers private sector foundations are taking matters into their own hands.
Stephen Holmes nds the work of one small northern company benetting an entire county
1 Pupils from
Cockermouth School
launch their Space
Challenge craft
2 The Science Museum

events team entertaining
9 to 13 year olds

3 The curvature of
the earths atmosphere
captured by the Space
Challenge team
2
3
p30_31_D3D_FEB14_education.indd 33 20/1/14 22:41:26
the moulded part isnt correct. The 3D printed part worked
perfectly, so we then moved forward with building the
injection mould tool in VISI, says Martin.
As the part had already been designed in VISI, it was a
seamless CAD through CAM process to manufacture the
mould in P20 hardened tool steel. VISI Moulds essential
model preparation tools inspect the model data for
moulding feasibility, while draft analysis interrogates the
model to easily identify any potential design issues.
We used the split line and plane creation function for the
two cavities, and then built up the ancillaries around that
to design the tool as a whole. It meant we could be sure of
the accuracy of each individual aspect namely the cavity
plates, the backing plate, the ejector system, the risers and
the clamping plates, adds Martin.
GO WITH THE FLOW
Another important aspect was how VISI Flows injection
simulation showed optimum moulding conditions and
locating the ideal gate positions. It was vital for us to verify
where the part needed to be gated, which areas may be
dicult to ll, and where venting needed to be placed into
the tool. VISI Flow showed us how the tool would perform
P
lastic injection moulders, Rutland
Plastics, uses its in-house Objet
3D printer for designing and
manufacturing a range of items
from small jigs through to complete
multi-impression mould tools.
For instance, the company
recently produced a pipe coupling
for the drainage industry by rstly
creating a 3D printed prototype of the coupling, the mould
tool for production, and then a unique jig to automate a
manual part of the operation.
During this process VISI, a CAD CAM software solution
from Vero Software, was used. According to Rutlands
technical manager Carl Martin, the mesh functionality
within VISI was a useful tool when preparing the model
geometry for printing on the Objet Connex 350.
This mesh feature set provides tools to clean-up
problematic vertices, simplify, ll holes and analyse the
mesh topology. Printing a t-for-purpose prototype meant
the customer could t a prototype physical model to the
pipes, ensuring it functioned as expected, before having
the mould tool built. Its expensive to change tooling if
MORE THAN MEETS THE EYE
At UK injection moulding specialist Rutland Plastics, VISI software
is used for much more than merely designing mould tools
1
3
2
4
p32_33_D3D_FEB14_VISI case study.indd 32 20/1/14 22:41:48

PROFILE

With around 90 per cent of moulded products requiring
textured nishes, we often use spark erosion. If a customer
requires a certain VDI spark nish we design an electrode
in VISI, bring our back-end Erowa block into the system
and get it to the point at which it needs to be placed on
the machine. Its then manufactured on either the lathes
or mills, and the form sparked in to give us the specied
nish, comments Martin.
With electrode production being time consuming and
complex, this VISI module easily creates and manages
electrodes and their holders for detailed and hard-to-
machine features.
VISI PEPS-Wire is used where small, intricate inserts
need to be wired into the mould tool. It provides automatic
recognition of wire features from solid geometry, creating
reliable wire EDM toolpaths and proven NC code.
Once the tools are built, Rutland Plastics use its range
of Engel and Krauss Maei injection moulding machines
to produce a variety of components for the gas, water and
petrochemical industries, agricultural products, electrical
enclosures, the construction industry and automotive.
rutlandplastics.co.uk | visicadcam.com
on the moulding machine, he comments.
The High Density Polyethylene (HDPE) component links
two pieces of pipe by electrofusion, using special ttings
that have built-in electric heating elements which are
used to weld the joint together. In order to be successfully
welded in the eld, brass continuity pins have to be inserted
before the part is shipped out of the factory. Originally,
one operator managed the turning and wire laying, whilst
a second person manually inserted the pins that hold
the wire in place. Automating this pinning process was
essential for Rutland Plastics to remain competitive.
We used VISI to design the jig to handle this job, from
the ground up. VISI created the components and animated
all movements showing how it would function on the shop
oor, says Martin.
TOOLS FOR THE JOB
Rutland also uses VISI PEPS-Wire, VISI Electrode and
VISI Machining 3D, which also play an important role
in the production process, programming two Bridgeport
VMC mills, a Fanuc Robocut 1ia wire eroder and an
AgieCharmilles Roboform 30 spark eroder.
MORE THAN MEETS THE EYE
Its expensive to change tooling if the moulded part isnt correct. The 3D printed
part worked perfectly, so we then built the injection mould tool in VISI
Carl Martin, Rutland Plastics technical manager
1 3D milling of
tool insert using
the Bridgeport
Mouldmaster VMC
3 The assembly
jig designed using
VISI
4 Automating the
pinning process and
reducing manpower
was essential for
Rutland Plastics to
remain competitive
5 Plastic
moulding, designed,
manufactured and
moulded by Rutland
Plastics

5
p32_33_D3D_FEB14_VISI case study.indd 33 20/1/14 22:41:49
driveworkslive.com
DriveWorks
Design Automation & Sales Congurator
Develop3D Advert 05-2013_Light.indd 1 18/04/2013 14:25:12
34 D3D Ads.indd 1 19/01/2014 12:55
looking to solve with its recently released
platform for rendering. And the best
way to talk through how it works is to
step through a scene set-up and render
process. Before we do however, it is worth
taking note of a few things.
The frst is that this is a browser based
application and as long as your browser
supports WebGL, it should work (Ive been
using Chrome on Mac OSX effectively).
Theres very little demand in terms of
local computation power Ive run it
effectively on a crappy, six year old white
MacBook and an ancient ThinkPad.
Whats key is a vaguely reliable internet
connection. The reason is that Lagoa
keeps everything on the cloud-server and
youre essentially operating the system
through browser. But once registered and
signed in, you can begin.
EVERYTHING ON THE CLOUD
If youre experienced in any other
rendering application, then the core
principles of Lagoa will be familiar.
Yes, the ins and outs of set-up, editing,
texturing and lighting differ, but youve
got the basics.
The one thing to remember is that Lagoa
is a cloud-platform. That means that
everything used (in terms of geometry,
material textures, HDR images etc.) needs
Lagoa.com
Rendering may have started out in industrial design but now encompasses a
much larger portion of the CAD using community than ever before. Al Dean takes a
look at a solution that uses the cloud to solve a few of the ever-present bottlenecks
Product: Lagoa.com
Supplier: Lagoa
Price: Free to $50 per
month
www.lagoa.com
T
he process of rendering
a photorealistic image or
animation of a current product
iteration is something, most of
us are familiar with. Depending on your
experience, you either fnd it to be a
pain in the arse, or it helps you achieve
a zen-like state of happiness seeing the
fruits of your work rendering as they
would appear in the real-world (Im
defnitely in the latter camp).
Depending on the system or add-
in being used, the workfow can vary
greatly from twiddling dialog boxes
and dialling in numbers to simple drag
and drop. Whatever favour you prefer,
there is always the ever present need for
computation.
The shift towards progressive renderers
has meant that we can now get a decent
preview of a scene before the CPU goes
into overdrive and the workstation fans
start spinning. However, to get that crisp,
fnal image, compute always needs to
be done. And sometimes it can take an
absolute age, no matter how hardcore
your compute power might be.
With the cloud offering seemingly
endless computation is there room to
improve the workfow and speed things
up a touch?
Its this that new startup, Lagoa, is
to be uploaded to its servers so you and
your whole team can use it helping
centralisation and standardising of assets.
Once you have your head around this, its
plain sailing from thereon in.
Lets start with geometry import. The
system comes with a tonne of format
support. From the likes of STEP and IGES,
through native formats (SolidWorks, Catia,
Rhino, NX, Inventor) as well as Parasolid
and ACIS. If youre already working with
a render focussed system, then it also
supports the likes of OBJ.
Interestingly, the system can handle
complex, multiple part assemblies from
your CAD system and retains product
structure.
If theres an issue with this stage, its
the lack of support for units. Everything
the system imports assumes centimetres.
If your CAD system allows you to specify
export units, thats not an issue, but
many dont. Then its a case of import and
scaling appropriately.
PROJECTS
Lagoa works on a project basis (for
reasons which will become apparent). To
start a new one, log-in and set up a new
Project. Its into this that youll upload all
assets a bit of planning ahead here is
essential.
1 The web UI for

Lagoa and the
inherent interactions
can make the learning
process a little longer
than normal compared
to local client
software. But once
its clicked, its pretty
straightforward
1
REVIEWS

SOFTWARE REVIEW

p35_36_38_D3D_FEB14_Lagoa.indd 35 20/1/14 22:42:25
While this might take time for some
heavy CAD geometry, theres a few tools
to make it more effcient.
You can queue uploads as well as zip up
large fles which will then be automatically
extracted on completion.
SCENE SET-UP
Once the basic assets are in place, you
can start to construct the scene. This
can either be done by opening the base
geometry or creating a new scene and
importing multiple geometry fles.
The import concept is key to getting
your head around the workfow. While you
might have all your assets uploaded and
ready, you still need to import into the
scene.
Hit the icon from the horizontal toolbar
and youre presented with a flterable
and searchable list of all your assets.
Select the ones you need and then theyre
available, where appropriate in your
scene.
THE IMPORTANCE OF IMPORT
Importing geometry obviously places it
in the geometry window for positioning
and such.
However, importing a HDR image for use
as a lighting source doesnt automatically
apply it to your scene to do that, you
need to select the dome light and switch
the HDR image thats used as the source.
If youve imported it, its there to be
selected.
QUICK PREVIEW
When you frst add geometry to a scene,
its presented in the familiar fat shading
youll recognise (see fgure 3 in the
workfow as an example). This gives
you quick performance, but the real
magic happens when you switch on the
rendering.
The scene is rendered on the cloud
and the images are passed back to the
browser. You wont hear the fan on
your machine start screaming, instead
it streams into the browser window. A
preview image shows how the materials,
lighting and such infuence the look of the
scene.
As you start to add in details and fesh
out the model, youll see this preview
update in real time just as you would with
any progressive renderer but without
the compute requirements, even on the
crappiest of hardware.
MATERIALS & LIGHTING
The next step is to start to defne the
materials, textures and lighting for the
scene. Lagoa makes much of its physically
measured materials and while the number
of presets is limited at
present, it does cover
most of the basics.
What holds things
back at the moment
is the need to knife
and fork most
materials to get the
visual properties
you want.
Colour mixing
is done using RGB
values but not
using the familiar
measurement scales
rather a seemingly
arbitrary value for each
colour between 0 and 1.
What does impress is the
physically measured nature of the
materials. Rather than abstract values,
2 Using the
translucent material
can be used to create a
wide range of effects,
such as tyre rubber
which provides a
much more realistic
representation
3 Lagoas materials
give you quick effects
for typically complex
materials. Here, light
is emitted from an
accurate model of a
bulb, bounced off a
mirror and through
coloured glass
most material types are presented using
real world inputs glass is controlled
by IOR (index of refraction), refection,
absorbance etc. Car paint is split down by
coating, fake, undercoat etc.
Labels work in the expected manner,
using an image to project onto the surface
of a model. That said, it also has a few
extra tricks up its sleeve.
Each label can have its own material
property, offering you more control,
wheras other systems often inherit the
materials from the underlying texture.
Alongside the usual array of metals,
plastics, paints and such, Lagoa includes
presets for more advanced materials
whether thats fur or hair materials or
even skin.
For the majority in the design industry,
these might occasionally be useful, but
3

SOFTWARE REVIEW

2
InterPro Ad.indd 1 07/11/2013 09:20
1 Cloud means that everything needs to be uploaded and

organised. Once logged in, projects can be created and
team members added
2 One of the key aspects to understand is that all assets

need to be uploaded to the project fle. This means everything
is centralised, shareable and accessible to all that need it
3 Scenes are built by importing data from the project.

Here a STEP fle is imported and added to the scene.
Geometry can be moved, rotated, scaled and prepared
workflow: Collaborative Photoreal rendering using the Cloud
4 Materials, textures, labels can now be applied and fne

tuned. If materials are required from previous projects,
these need to be imported into the Lagoa platform
5 One of the benefts of Lagoas cloud-based platform is that

near real time previews are available without a computation
overhead. This makes fne tuning materials and lighting a snap
6 When the materials and lighting conditions are ready, its

time to set up the view and fne tune the camera options.
These follow photography terminology and use case
7 With Lagoa, collaboration comes for free. Those not

requiring direct access can view data in a WebGL compliant
browser data can also be embedded in web pages
8 Collaboration can be synchronised, with all participants

seeing the model update to assist with discussion and
refnement on a variety of devices
9 Final render time. The image is rendered out to the

required resolution and computes on the cloud. Lagoa
rendered out this scene to 4K resolution in 16 minutes
they will come into their own with, perhaps, more
obscure tasks.
One excellent example is tyre rubber. You can
get close to a realistic material using a plain old
diffuse material in the correct colour, but using
the translucent volume materials (with a few
tweaks to colours), you can get it almost bang on.
LIGHTING WITH HDRI & CAMERAS
When materials are in place, its time to add in the
lighting conditions. As youve probably guessed,
Lagoa uses HDR images to provide the lighting.
Once uploaded (typically done using the standard
EXR or HDR formats), your images are available to
be applied.
You have control over how intense the light is
and the positioning (in terms of rotation around
all three axes) of the environment maps.
Combined with the real time preview, this
is pretty easy to dial in and gauge the best
orientation for your model and the required
highlights/shadows
Alongside materials and lighting, one of the
most effective ways to add extra realism to any
render is to use Depth of Field.
Just as a physical camera can focus on specifc
objects while blurring those in the distance, so
can many renderers these days. Lagoas camera
controls give you real-world values with which to
play with settings to achieve the look, focus and
style youre looking for.
COLLABORATION TOOLS
Now, collaboration is something that should be
an inherent part of any cloud-based service.
Data is online, so you should be able to share and
work on it with others. Lagoa doesnt disappoint
in this regard. In the frst instance, two Lagoa
users can connect to the same scene fle, views
are synchronised and discussed over the phone,
with each seeing the live stream. That in itself, is
incredibly useful.
Its also possible to share a scene with non
technical users, which allows them to view the
scene, rotate, pan, zoom and such. These can even
be embedded in a web-page, whether publicly
or in internal systems. Both work well and while
there are no commenting or markup tools as yet,
Id expect these to be on their way soon.
FINAL OUTPUT
The fnal render can now take place. Again, the
power of the cloud comes into play. Select to
render in the background, choose the quality
(which comes with a time estimate for each level)
and send it going. It can calculate multiple images
concurrently, so while you might not get massive
speed improvements on a single image, you can
have multiples computing at once.
When its done, the image is available for
download. Strangely, the time estimates for the
fne quality is always shown as 16 minutes no
matter the resolution or complexity of the scene.
CONCLUSION
Lagoa only launched last April and its clearly
early days. That said and with the caveat that
the workfow needs to be fne-tuned and thought
through a little further, it looks promising.
A cloud-based solution isnt for everyone, some
people just arent comfortable with having their
data on the cloud. For those that are or those
interested in exploring an alternative to local
compute heavy rendering systems, then its an
interesting offering.
Its clear that the team is hammering away at
the service as we speak and are adding in all
those little details that a professional audience is
looking for.
The collaborative aspects are particularly
interesting considering the dispersed nature of
those involved in the development of a product,
whether the tech savvy engaged in rendering, or
those required for input.
An account is free and its worth spending a
little while to learn how the system works and
what you can get out of it.
Documentation is being feshed out, so working
through that should get you up and running much
more quickly than me. The results are solidly
impressive once a scene is dialled in and the
requirements (in terms of hardware) to get to
them arent taxing at all.
Give it a whirl folks and keep an eye on how its
developing.

SOFTWARE REVIEW

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39 D3D Ads.indd 1 19/01/2014 14:21
Materialise, its become the de facto
standard for those at the business end of
3D printing.
Not only does it include a huge range
of data fxing and manipulation tools to
ensure you get the best part geometry, but
increasingly supports the build process for
those with industrial level requirements
in terms of multiple machines, multiple
materials and a heavy throughput.
GETTING THE BASICS RIGHT
The STL fle format is the lingua franca
of 3D printing its not ideal, its a tricky
little bugger at times, but it works. The
problems often pertain to how theyre
generated, rather than the formats
themselves.
With any tessellated format and
particularly with complex, organic shapes,
triangles can be fipped, can intersect or
just be plain missing. Any of these can play
havoc with your 3D print process.
Magics includes tools that allow you
to take in STL data and fx it. No matter
the problem, no matter how bad it is, the
chances are that Magics will fx it either
with automated tools or allowing you to
dive in and do it manually.
If youre bulk loading data, itll allow
you to work through each component at a
Materialise Magics 18
If youve never got to the business end of 3D printing you may think its simply a case
of output STL, print, done. The reality is theres a whole lot more to model preparation
and Al Dean explores one system specically designed for 3D printing specialists
Product: Magics 16
Supplier:
Materialise
Price: On Application
www.materialise.com
I
f you were to believe the hype, the
act of 3D printing a component or
set of components is as simple as
loading the data fle, switching
on your machine and away you go.
The fact is, as anyone whos done this
frst hand knows, this is complete and
utter nonsense. For those that have
been actively building their own parts
using the diverse range of technologies
available, youll be aware that each
machine and process type has its own
requirements, limitations, tweaks and
best practice.
There are also a number of common
place tasks that arent immediately
obvious, whether its the need to split
larger parts into chunks that ft into your
machine, the need to compensate for z
level contraction of parts after building or
just fxing bad STL data.
While many of these quickly become
apparent when you dive into 3D printing
for the frst time, many will emerge with
time. And not everything can be solved
with the included software or the CAD
tools we use to initially create the 3D
geometry in the frst place.
This is where Magics steps into the fray.
Developed over the last 17 releases by
Belgian wizards of all things 3D printing,
time. Itll allow you to split up those STLs
that are output in a single lump.
For those that are building scale models,
particularly those in perhaps the oil and
gas industry or the architectural design
world, theres also a set of tools to assist
with the effect of scaling large models.
This centres on the fact that if you scale
down a model of a housing complex, for
example, that action also scales down wall
thicknesses to such a degree that would
be typically unprintable. The tools allow
you to add thickness as well as to bring
together the whole model into a single
entity (rather than separate geometry sets
for walls, doors, roofs etc).
WORKING WITH LARGE PARTS
Another key issue that Magics provides
tools to overcome is working with parts
that exceed your build volume. While
machines are getting bigger in their
capacity, its often the case that youll
have a couple of components that simply
dont ft. Of course, one option is to dive
into your CAD system, split them and add
in fxtures (think: dowels and such), but
Magics does the job more effciently.
Figure 2 shows an instrument panel that
needs to be split into three components to
get it into a single build. Magics allows you
1 Magics 3D nesting
application can
optimise stackable
build chamber layouts.
Here the z height has
been reduced from
over 100mm to just
over 50mm saving a
lot of processing time
1
p40_41_42_D3D_FEB14_Magics.indd 40 20/1/14 22:43:11

SOFTWARE REVIEW

to simply sketch in a polyline which is then
used as the basis for the split process.
An offset can be added into account for
adhesive and the ends capped off. Then
its a simple case of joining them once
theyre out of the machine.
OPTIMISING THE BUILDS
Once your data is ready, its time to
explore the master of Magics when it
comes to making the most effective use of
your 3D printing hardware. Most systems
are supplied with a suite of set-up and pre-
processing tools.
The problem arises in that, particularly
at the lower end of the spectrum, these
arent too intelligent.
Most users would want to be able to
build multiple parts in one go and ensure
that the parts are not only built correctly
(in terms of aligned to build layers) but
that materials used and time to fnish the
build is as optimal as possible. Obviously
this is massively dependent on your
hardware, so lets break it down into two
different camps. The machines that allow
you to stack a build chamber and those
that dont.
NON-STACKABLE MACHINES
Most 3D printing systems work on
the basis of arranging your parts on a
platform in just two dimensions parts
cant be stacked vertically. Reasons are
that these types of machines (from SLA
to Objet to MakerBot) all require support
structures of some kind.
Magics includes a number of tools to
help optimise a two dimensional build
platform and it works as follows.
Load in all of the parts needed to build,
orient them as you or its purpose needs,
then use the automatic placement option
to optimise the build platform based on a
machines capability. Whats interesting
is that, if you have multiple machines, its
a snap to change the machine in use and
relay out the parts.
To do this, you begin with a model view
with all of your parts and then work
through the fxing and repair process.
These are then loaded into a scene. This
scene takes machine parameters from a
built-in library, which contains information
on build platform, z-compensation and
many other things, and uses this to build a
virtual build chamber.
A number of tools can then be used to
have the system automatically arrange
the parts on the platform to get the most
out of your build. We used the example
of a bicycle pedal on a MakerBot in our
workfow below.
The automated nesting tools work in
one of two ways using a boundary box
2 Magics includes
all manner of tools to
assist with cutting,
splitting and adapting
large components to
ft within a specifc
build envelope
or the more compute heavy geometry
to calculate the best positioning. Each
machine will have different requirements
in terms of gaps between each part and
the machine library contains all of this
information, but it can be fne tuned to
your needs.
Once its done, you can then export an
STL of the whole thing (if you need to run
it through a machines software) or use
Magics to actually control the machines
themselves. Its this latter process that is
partly the reason that those at the very
bleeding edge of 3D printing have long
been using the software.
STACKABLE BUILD CHAMBERS
Now, if youre using a powder-based
system such as sintering machine or a Z
corp etc., these typically allow you to stack
out a build chamber in three dimensions,
rather than just two. However, this
2
1 A dataset is required to be prototyped. The STL export

function is used to create an individual fle for each part
required
2 Imported into Magics, the individual STLs are held in their

original position. At the moment, small parts or those that
arent needed (fasteners, springs etc) are hard to remove
3 Using the automatic placement command, Magics does

a quick 2D nest and lays out each part. Small parts can be
removed automatically or others manually
wOrkFlOw #1: lAyIng OuT A PrInT PlATFOrM FOr A MAkerbOT
4 Each can be repaired if theres a fault. Magics works

through each part and automates many common issues
found, whether thats small holes, fipped triangles etc.
5 When the parts are in position, they can be nested on the

build platform of your machine. While Magics can talk to many
of the leading machines, for MakerBot you export new STLs
6 These STLs are then loaded into the MakerWare app.

Using the keep position option means that the placement
is retained and can be simply moved into position
3 Magics also has a

growing set of tools
to assist with working
with metal 3D printing
processes, from
scaling to complete
control over those all
important support
structures
1 Let's start with the frst build job, same from the frst
workfow. These parts are imported and fxed
2 The Sub Nester then allows you to nest these into a

compact form then use the SinterBox wizard to construct a
mesh-like structure around it to keep the parts together
3 Theres a tonne of controls and options for the SinterBox,

but one of the most useful is to be able to add a label that
enables you to add in a reference to know whats inside
wOrkFlOw #2: OPTIMISIng A buIlD cHAMber FOr lASer SInTerIng
4 Once the Sinterbox is complete, these can be duplicated

quickly by simply specifying a number of copies required.
These are then retained for subsequent nesting processes
5 With two SinterBoxes in place, additional parts can be

added. Again, the STLs import in their CAD-based position. This
isn't ideal for building
6 The automatic placement option, combined with

duplication tools, lets you add in four more copies of the
camera parts, which would be a nightmare to nest manually
3
presents quite an interesting challenge
when youre looking to optimise a build.
Handily, Magics also includes a set of tools
to help with this too and they spread
across a number of different tools.
The frst relates to the nesting of parts
in three dimensions. Again, Magics has a
number of tools, led either by a bounding
box around each part or using specifc
geometry. It has controls over how the
system can translate or rotate each
part (again, helpful for maintaining an
orientation).
It also includes tools for handling small
and large parts in the same build. Larger
or more dense parts tend to retain heat
more than smaller parts, so you typically
need to have more distance around
these components to avoid warping and
deformation.
One aspect thats also worth covering is
that of a Sinterbox. This relates to when
you have a set of parts in a large build
chamber that you want to retain together
in a group.
While Magics enables you to group
parts, when youre breaking 300 parts out
of a cake of powder, its diffcult to track
which parts are where. Sinterboxes get
around this by giving you tools to create
a mesh-like box that surrounds those
parts that need to be kept together. The
workfow at the bottom of the page shows
this in action. Magics enables you to nest a
specifc set of components, build a mesh-
like box that surround those parts, so
theyre kept together when you break out
the parts and post process them.
METAL COMPONENTS
Its worth mentioning the tools available
for working with metal components.
This has been around for a while, but
will become more key for many as more
machines become available.
Metals have very different requirements
in terms of pre-processing and Magics
supports them. Much of this relates
to controlling where and how support
structures work to work around some
of the thermal issues involved that simply
dont exist when working with plastic
materials.
IN CONCLUSION
Magics is targeted at the professional
3D printing user and rightly so. If youre
running a machine that cost a couple of
grand, it would be hard to justify more
than that on the software alone. But if
youre pushing the boundaries of what can
be achieved with a variety of 3D printing
devices and materials, its worth knowing
that it exists and has tools to help when
the time comes.
While there are other systems out there
that might cover specifc portions of what
Magics does, theres nothing else on the
market that has such a complete mastery
of the whole process.
It runs from STL fxing, editing and
adaptation, through build preparation and
into complete control of the process, with
a set of tools that can only come from the
companys experience in all facets of the
process.
7 Using the standard options for 3D nesting will give you a

basic nest that while it contains all of the parts, isnt optimal.
At present, this build has a z height of 270mm
8 Taking this and using the optimisation of how those parts

are stacked will take longer in terms of computation, but can
decrease that z level to 160mm, saving build time
9 Nesting this quantity of components would be near

impossible using manual methods. Once its ready, Magics
supports the whole process to produce parts effciently

SOFTWARE REVIEW

UK-halfpage-2013.indd 1 3/18/2013 7:31:39 AM
Tel: 01420 88645
www.projet3d.co.uk
3 D P R I N T E R S
ProJet 3500
16 to 33 micron layers
Office friendly & easy to use
Functional acrylic plastic parts
Highest part quality & super fine detail
Wax patterns for investment casting
Productivity
Ease-of-Use
Precision
ProJet 3500 SD & HD for
acrylic & plastic parts
ProJet 3500 CP & CPX for
wax casting patterns
43 D3D Ads.indd 1 19/01/2014 14:24
Lenovo ThinkStation E32 SFF
S
mall Form Factor (SFF)
workstations mark a refreshing
change from the imposing
towers that inhabit most design
ofces. These often-slender
siblings of entry-level desktops are typied
by Lenovos ThinkStation E32,
which is available in both
tower and SFF models.
Sitting pretty on the
desk is one thing and
Lenovos new ThinkStation
E32 SFF is a peach but
cramming workstation
class components into a
tiny chassis does have its
drawbacks. The E32 SFF is
specically for entry-level
CAD so designers and
engineers looking for high-
end storage, memory and
3D graphics should look at
Lenovos ThinkStation C, S
or D series instead.
While the E32 SFF is a
perfect partner for 2D
CAD (in the US Lenovo
bundles the machine
with a 60-day free trial
of AutoCAD LT), one
shouldnt assume this is
not a serious 3D CAD machine. Its Nvidia
Quadro K600 graphics card might not have
the grunt of its bigger brother, the Quadro
K2000, but it still offers plenty for small
to medium sized assembly modelling. The
respective scores of 3.07 and 3.27 in our
SolidWorks and Creo SPECapc benchmarks
certainly bear this out.
The machines compact chassis means it
can only accommodate a low prole Quadro
K600, but the CPU options are identical
to the standard E32 tower. And there are
plenty of them from fourth gen Intel
Core i3, i5 and i7 to third gen Intel Xeon E3-
1200v3, theres a massive choice to cater to
all levels of entry-level CAD.
Our test machines Intel Xeon E3-1240 v3
is a good all rounder: a solid base speed
of 3.4GHz, which is essential for CAD,
backed up with 4 cores and 8 threads
to accelerate ray trace rendering.
The CPU is partnered with 8GB
1,600MHz RAM, a good amount
for small assembly modelling.
But with two of the four
memory banks lled
with 4GB DIMMs any
future upgrades to the
maximum 32GB will
require DIMMs to be
swapped out.
Storage in our test
machine is certainly
entry-level, courtesy
of a single 3.5-inch
7,200RPM 1TB Hard
Disk Drive (HDD). This
is ne for relatively
simple workows,
but once you load
up multiple apps and
datasets youll soon
notice the limitations of
this standard platter drive.
The good news is the HDD can be
augmented with one or two fast 2.5-inch
drives (128GB to 256GB SSDs or 150GB to
600GB 10K HDDs). Fully loaded it all adds
up to a substantial amount of storage for
a SFF workstation, signicantly more than
can be accommodated in Dells Precision
T1700 SFF.
Unfortunately, the E32 SFF doesnt come
primed for future drive upgrades. The
additional 2.5-inch bays (which sit under the
3.5-inch drive and optional slim optical disk
drive) both need to be added by Lenovo at
time of build, so take this into account if you
want the machine to grow with your needs.
Compact workstations are all the rage and this little beauty from Lenovo
stands out for its serviceability and storage potential. Greg Corke reports

HARDWARE REVIEW

Maintenance has always been a strong
point of Lenovo workstations and despite
its diminutive size, the E32 SFF doesnt
disappoint. The chassis is completely
tool-less so you can get inside and replace
or upgrade components without having
to reach for a screwdriver. Everything is
straightforward and nothing is too ddly.
Serviceable points are marked in light blue
the most critical being the release tab that
pivots the drive bay assembly upwards. This
not only provides easy access to the drives,
but to the DIMM slots that lie beneath.
The Lenovo ThinkStation E32 SFF is an
impressive compact entry-level 3D CAD
workstation, which ticks all the boxes in
terms of spec, styling and serviceability. It
also does so at an attractive price point of
just under 900.
If your budget stretches a little further,
adding in an optional 2.5-inch SSD should
be money well spent, helping make the
machine more responsive when data is
called on from multiple sources. Conversely,
if your purse strings are tight, and you dont
use a ray trace renderer so CPU thread count
isnt so important, consider downgrading to
a Core i3 or Core i5.
SMALL
FORM
FACTOR
OPTIONS
The E32 SFF is just one
of a growing number of
Small Form Factor (SFF)
workstations.
Here are some other
options for those that
like their machines to
come in small packages
Intel Xeon E3-1240
v3 CPU (3.4GHz) (four
cores, eight threads)
8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3
(1,600MHz) memory
Nvidia Quadro
K600 (1GB DDR3)
GPU (331.87 driver)
1TB 7,200RPM
6Gb/s SATA HDD
Lenovo (Intel C226
chipset) motherboard
375 x 102 x 338mm
Microsoft Windows 7
Professional 64-bit
3 year onsite
warranty
899
lenovo.co.uk
CPU benchmarks
(secs - smaller is better)
CAM (Delcam PowerMill)
1) 159 2) 242 3) 341
CAE (SolidWorks
Simulation) - 90
Rendering (3ds Max
Design 2011) - 211
Graphics benchmarks
(bigger is better)
CAD (SolidWorks 2013 -
SPECapc graphics
composite) - 3.07
CAD (Creo 2.0 - SPECapc
graphics composite) - 3.27
The ThinkStation E32 SFF (left)
and E32 Tower (right)
Dell Precision T1700 SFF
Dells diminutive
workstation is the
most recent entry to
the small form factor
sector. Its also the
smallest, coming in at a
tiny 290 x 312 x 93mm.
The downside of being
so compact is less
room for storage.
Other than that spec is
similar to the E32SFF.
Read our review at
tinyurl.com/D3DT1700
HP Z230 SFF
This 105 x 339 x
382mm machine is
similar in stature to
Lenovos E32 SFF, but
bigger than Dells
T1700. It supports
up to two HDDs
(3.5-inch or 2.5-inch)
and offers the
AMD FirePro V3900
as well as the Nvidia
Quadro K600 for 3D
CAD graphics.
hp.com/workstations
Scans 3XS GW-MS10
Short and squat rather than slender, this
compact machine offers a much greater choice
of components. The 240 x 207 x 401mm chassis
can take a mid-range GPU (up to the AMD
FirePro W7000) and 3 x 3.5 or 4 x 2.5 drives.
3xs.scan.co.uk
p44_D3D_FEB14_Lenovo.indd 44 20/1/14 22:43:30
Workstation
Specialists
+44 (0) 800 180 4801 sales@wksmail.com www.workstationspecialists.com
(C) Copyright Workstation Specialists Acecad Software Ltd. E & OE - Prices exc. VAT + Delivery and are subject to change without notice. All rights reserved. Logos, images &
company/product names are trademarks of their
Release your True Potential
Remove Limitations and Optimise Your Workfow with Uncompromising Performance
@WSpecialists
46 FEBRUARY 2014 JOBS.DEVELOP3D.COM
Welcome to DEVELOP3Ds jobs section.
Every issue we will bring you the latest product development
jobs to help you kick start your career.
In partnership with CADjobhunter.com we also have a dynamic
jobs website where you can nd your dream job by searching by location,
keyword or CAD/CAM/CAE software.
Alternatively upload your CV to help your future employer nd you.
Register your details at
jobs.develop3d.com
To advertise on the website or
inside the magazine contact
Matt Wells
matt@x3dmedia.com
+44 (0) 1252 414007
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Where next?
Wherever you take us.
Whats next for Dyson? You tell us. Actually, you wont just tell us, youll show us. Because well give you
the freedom to invent, to pursue your ideas and to push technological boundaries.
Great things are happening here. Not only are we working on some incredible new projects, but were
continuing to invest heavily in our UK Research, Design and Development (RDD) centre. Which tells you
two things. Firstly, that were doing fantastically well as a global business. Secondly, just how vitally
important engineers are to us. In many ways, engineers are Dyson. Thats why were looking for more
like minds to join us and create the technology of the future.
So if youre unafraid to take risks and ready to turn conventional thinking on its head, we need to hear
from you. Your background could be mechanical engineering, technology, science.... were open to
ideas. Find out more at www.careers.dyson.com
DESIGN, MECHANICAL AND RESEARCH ENGINEERS
COMPETITIVE | WILTSHIRE, UK
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W
hile watching the
news coming out of
the CES show in Las
Vegas I was struck by
something that had
been niggling away at the back of my
mind for the last few months. And it
relates to whether a tool is targeted at
the consumer or the professional.
Id been considering this ever since a
conversation with a software executive about
how they considered their tool to be for
the consumer and not appropriate for the
professional.
At DEVELOP3D, we pride ourself in
addressing designers and engineers
with language and context suitable for a
professional environment.
Whether were talking about software,
hardware or a combination of the two, the
question we try to ask ourselves is, How
might this tool be used as part of the daily
workow of someone engaged in design or
engineering as part of their professional
work?
Yes, of course, the rise of the term Maker
has meant that the lines between the
amateur in a shed and the professional in an
o ce are blurred. And speaking as someone
writing this article, in a shed, I realise this
duality. So what got me all riled up about this
consumer vs. pro again?
EASY NOW TIGER
It was at CES that 3D Systems launched
a number of consumer products. While I
can understand theres a need to push its
devices into the
mainstream,
the fact that
its actively
discouraging
professional
customers from
looking at these
things concerns
me. Say what
you like about
the organisation,
its recent
development and
announcements
3

THE LAST WORD

have been interesting for those looking
for both 3D print solutions as well as laser
scanning devices. One in particular, the
Sense, is interesting because its a hand-held
laser scanner.
Laser scanning is one of those curious
technologies that is incredibly useful in
experienced hands. Being able to capture a
digital model of a form and integrate it into
the design process is very powerful.
Reference models are common and its
useful to be able to create these without
knife and forking it with a tape measure, a
set of calipers or other measuring tool.
LOW RESOLUTION MEANS LOW
EXPECTATIONS?
The Sense is a low-resolution device. Its
accuracy is quoted at around the 1mm
range. For those used to higher-end devices,
this seems particularly rough around the
edges, but there is certainly room for a
sub-300 quid device in the market for the
professional. Imagine being able to capture
a scan of a large object, manipulate it on-
screen and use it as a reference. Being able
to do this without spending 1,000s of pounds
on hardware and software is very attractive.
Yet the company insists this is for the
consumer to take (excuse me while I swallow
a little bit of bile) 3D seles.
I would disagree and say that amongst
the 100,000s of designers and engineers in
the world, being able to laser scan a rough
model of an object is far more valuable
than a consumer paying for a device theyll
probably use once and leave in a box.
ANOTHER CASE IN POINT
Dont misunderstand me, 3D Systems isnt
alone in this. Another example that cropped
up recently is in Autodesks 123D applications
specically, 123D Make. This is a maker
focussed tool thats given away in a basic
form for those experimenting with laser
cutters and the like to take a 3D model and
build something out of sheet material. Not
much use for the pro, right?
In fact, this software is perfect for the pro
and can be used as follows. Take a digital
model that youre looking to fabricate from
sheet metal. I mean, hand shaping and
Al is thinking about reinforcing the oor in the
shed. You can probably imagine why
al@x3dmedia.com
Who gets to decide who a tool is suitable
for? Al Dean takes a look at a growing trend
in the 3D world that segregates the
consumer from the professional and
wonders if it should be the users or
marketeers deciding which is which
1
welding it such as a motorcycle tank.
If youre familiar with the process, youll be
aware of using a buck just as they used to do
in the automotive industry in years gone by.
The buck serves as the master for the metal
working process and gives guidance for the
shaping process.
Well, it turns out that taking a digital model
of the form you want, running it through
123D Make to build the shape from sheet
plywood, laser cutting it and assembling it,
works perfectly.
AND YOUR POINT IS?
When all is said and done, this, on reection,
doesnt really matter. After all, with vendors
focussing on the consumer, it means that the
professional gets access to a larger number
of interesting tools at a vastly lower cost than
previously would have been the case. What I
just wish would happen is that targeting the
consumer didnt mean that the professional
gets ignored as we have the most to gain.
2 Digital model in
Autodesk Fusion or
other CAD tool. Output
as an STL, import into
Autodesks 123D, make
and generate a laser
cut buck, then cut it,
assemble it, build it
3 3D Systems Sense
3D Scanner. Sub 300.
Bargain
2
p50_D3D_FEB14_Al..indd 50 21/1/14 11:43:28
DEVELOP3DSERVICES
Product
Design
Composites Design
& FE Analysis
Airbus
Boeing CS/FAR 25 Analysis
FIA F1/LMP Structures
R&D
Solutions
World class design
and analysis to the
Composites,
Aerospace and
Automotive
sectors.
www.fluidformdesign.co.uk
+44 (0)1243 840022
To adverTise YoUr services here conTacT sTeve KinG
sTeve@X3dMedia.coM | +44 (0) 20 3355 7314 | +44 (0)7850 507362
Welcome to DEVELOP3Ds professional
services section for product development
professionals.
To see your service advertised here,
please contact Steve King.
steve@x3dmedia.com
+44 (0)20 3355 7314 / +44 (0)7850 507362
p51_D3D_FEB14_Services.indd 51 21/1/14 11:01:30

How Artem Brings Special Effects To Life: Thinkstation E32 P44

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How Artem Brings Special Effects To Life: Thinkstation E32 P44

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Siemens NX 7.

K6000 the superior choice to to bring your largest and most

smartphone app. The aim is to get an A grade

2 The Octobus, which was created for

3 The Kuka robot arm carving out the

4 A wind machine that Artem

5 A 3D printed scale model or

6 A CAD drawing revealing all the

7 An animatronic hand puppet of a

2 While the Sypder4

1 Run through the calibration process with your chosen

2 In KeyShot, enter the preferences dialog, fnd Color

3 Now, when you both preview materials as well as

2 The Science Museum

1 The web UI for

1 Cloud means that everything needs to be uploaded and

2 One of the key aspects to understand is that all assets

3 Scenes are built by importing data from the project.

4 Materials, textures, labels can now be applied and fne

5 One of the benefts of Lagoas cloud-based platform is that

6 When the materials and lighting conditions are ready, its

7 With Lagoa, collaboration comes for free. Those not

8 Collaboration can be synchronised, with all participants

9 Final render time. The image is rendered out to the

1 A dataset is required to be prototyped. The STL export

2 Imported into Magics, the individual STLs are held in their

3 Using the automatic placement command, Magics does

4 Each can be repaired if theres a fault. Magics works

5 When the parts are in position, they can be nested on the

6 These STLs are then loaded into the MakerWare app.

3 Magics also has a

2 The Sub Nester then allows you to nest these into a

3 Theres a tonne of controls and options for the SinterBox,

4 Once the Sinterbox is complete, these can be duplicated

5 With two SinterBoxes in place, additional parts can be

6 The automatic placement option, combined with

7 Using the standard options for 3D nesting will give you a

8 Taking this and using the optimisation of how those parts

9 Nesting this quantity of components would be near

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