Cambridge, UK and Pittsford, NY – 27 April 2020: i4 VIRTUAL REVIEW has already been on the market for over a year, and since its release it has enjoyed increasing popularity with companies and educational institutions. This is because the VR viewer makes it possible to view large CAD models in virtual reality. The intuitive handling of the viewer also makes it very popular with new users.
Creation of Industrial VR
With the new version of i4 VIRTUAL REVIEW, German based software developer CAD Schroer has added new features to the VR viewer, making it even more attractive for industrial applications. “From the outset, our primary focus was industrial VR,” says Thomas Klug, Technical Director at CAD Schroer. “Our goal has always been to provide companies with the latest technologies and software solutions to support them with their daily challenges, and VR offers enormous potential in this respect”.
Teamwork in Virtual Reality
The VR Viewer now enables users to save the current VR scene. A VR scene can be created using multiple CAD models, and the individual models can then each be moved, rotated and scaled to the required size and position. Individual model components can also be hidden or moved. The ability to save and subsequently restore the VR Scene means that users can work on individual projects over an extended period of time, and also exchange projects with different teams. This facilitates creative and productive teamwork between all participants.
Live overview of large VR scenes
One of the key challenges with large VR scenes is navigation. The user needs a clear understanding of the VR scene and their location within it, especially with new projects, and with large models of process plants or factories. To cater for this, i4 VIRTUAL REVIEW version 2.0 provides an overview map which can be enabled as and when required. The map presents the user with a live plan view of the entire VR scene, and also shows the user’s current position. If the user wishes to move to another location, they can simply teleport to it with just one click on the map. With this new functionality the user always knows their position, even in the largest projects.
More tools for more transparency
One of the most important tasks of Industrial VR is the review process, i.e. the critical visual inspection of components and machinery. The CAD design is realistically reviewed in VR and assessed for further design optimisation. To support this task the VR viewer already provides transformation and mark-up tools, but with version 2.0, cutting planes are added which can be freely placed in the scene, including through a 3D model. Similar to a sectional view in a 2D drawing, a cutting plane serves to provide an unobstructed view of hidden detail in VR, and thus provides the user with a clear view of the inner workings of a model.
Extensive design data in Virtual Reality
CAD Schroer offers a variety of import interfaces with i4 VIRTUAL REVIEW, so that even large and complex models can be used effectively in virtual reality. For example, you can automatically import and compress very large STEP files for use in virtual reality without sacrificing performance. The user no longer has to spend time converting each model individually, and is instead provided with a solution where all steps are processed simultaneously and completely automatically.
Free trial of i4 VIRTUAL REVIEW
CAD Schroer is currently offering a free trial of i4 VIRTUAL REVIEW. To use the software, VR glasses with controllers are of course required, such as the HTC Vive® or Microsoft® Mixed Reality glasses, together with a Windows 10 VR-ready PC. Interested parties can request their free trial at CAD Schroer’s website. Because the new version (2.0) of the i4 VIRTUAL REVIEW VR Viewer represents a huge leap forward in new technology for industrial applications.
Free trial of i4 VIRTUAL REVIEW >>