VISI-Series Software for the Toolmaker

Over 40 modules make up the series - Follow these module links ...

VISI-Modeling	VISI-Progress	VISI-Mold
VISI-Machining 2D	VISI-Strip	VISI-Analysis
VISI-Machining 3D	VISI-Blank	VISI-Electrode
STRATEGIST	VISI-Wire	VISI-Flow
	VISI-Reverse

Cloud-of-Point Data

Merged Triangulated Data

Surface Data processed to a Watertight Solid Model

All too often toolmakers find themselves in a position where they have to create new tooling or repair existing tooling where original CAD data either never existed or has long since been lost. The VISI-Reverse module (together with its two supporting modules of VISI-Points and VISI-Merge) is all about the creation of this CAD data when all the designer has is either point-cloud or STL data.

A typical application for VISI-Reverse would be to create CAD data for the re-manufacture of a broken sheetmetal die section. Typically, the "as-designed" surface of the die section was altered by a die-maker during die try-out rendering an "as-manufactured" surface (due to spring-back for example). To avoid going through the costly die try-out process a second time, a better approach would be to reverse engineer the broken section using VISI-Reverse.

VISI-Points

VISI-Points is a toolkit of editing functions for the clean-up of point cloud data generated by 3D scanners. It's primary purpose is to "clean" and "filter" the data removing noise and redundancy and "smoothing" it for interpretation. Once done, the point-cloud data can be processed into STL meshes. Further processing can be performed for manifold healing, smoothing, hole filling, and other refinements.

VISI-Merge

Used in conjunction with VISI-Points, VISI-Merge is used to "join" multiple sets of point-cloud and/or STL data into a common non-redundant entity for processing by VISI-Reverse. An example of its use might be to merge scan data for the external surface of a plastic part with internal scan data for the part which typically require separate scanning operations.

VISI-Reverse

Flowing a surface through the "mean" of the cleaned and merged data is what VISI-Reverse is all about. Once done, the generated surface data can be edited and/or modified by any CAD system - for example to account for die wear - for example to reduce a full-scale design into a scaled "toy" design - for example to begin the process of re-designing or re-building a new part or tool.