HOOPS Communicator enables web developers to add 3D CAD viewing and interaction to web apps and services. Now, it’s creator, Tech Soft 3D, has released a powerful second version. Additional interactive viewing features, server-side rendering and a very useful new API to connect 3D CAD data with business intelligence information are all yours, with a claim that advanced 3D CAD translation, viewing and interrogation can be added to a web solution in just a day.
Several leading cloud providers are currently shipping commercial solutions based on HOOPS Communicator technology, including GrabCAD, TeamPlatform (by 3D Systems), Kenesto, ARAS, Directworks and Solair, with many more in active development.
According to Gavin Bridgeman, Tech Soft 3D VP of Products: “HOOPS Communicator has already helped many of today’s leading cloud solutions easily add advanced 3D, powering a new wave of solutions for engineering software developers. With this new version, we’re continuing to make it easy for web developers with little or no 3D experience to add world-class visualisation – with a startling minimal effort required.”
As an example, I was toying with TeamPlatform a few weeks back and had a brief look at the web app again today. This kind of interface is indeed a powerful enabler for the whole business. It feels fairly intuitive, if not matching the simplicity of interface of less complex equivalents, but more than matching that deficit with apt considerations of the aimed market. TeamPlatform, running via Google Chrome browser on my old XP PC* with average specs and trimmed down background processes struggled with the moderate-to-large file at prosumer scale: the .stl for a full 3D printer – the innovative Gada Prize silver medal winner the RepRap Simpson, Thingiverse thing 104117. Indeed, whilst I was deliberately pushing the HOOPS communicator powered interface, I gave up after 5 minutes of loading time.
I’m a harsh judge here. For an image of HOOPS performing at it’s best, here she is on the iPad via a promotional image:
Your experiences of HOOPS in dev form, on other platforms and operating systems are most welcome in the comments section below, or email us here at 3D Printing Industry.
By the way, if you are looking for a collection of free 3D printer designs to peruse or print, feel free to check out my collection of most of the 3D printers on Thingiverse
here.
Key features in HOOPS Communicator v2.0 include:
- Comprehensive CAD Translation: Convert, interrogate and share data from over 20 popular CAD formats to access model intelligence, including assemblies, parts, model structure, PMI and meta-data. All formats have been updated to the most current CAD versions.
- Intelligent Data Linking: HOOPS Communicator’s new APIs allow developers to link external information of any type to the 3D model and enable this data to drive the 3D view and interaction. This turns the 3D model into an intuitive window into all related business and product intelligence.
- Rich, Multi-Environment Visualization: HOOPS Communicator provides a series of feature-rich view/mark-up applications including a zero-client browser application and native apps for iOS and Android. With web applications that support a server-side rendering mode, CAD data can be intelligently viewed from virtually anywhere, on virtually any device.
- Customisation: Developers can customize the viewing experience by adding and modifying HTML elements in a browser, smoothly integrating powerful HOOPS Communicator functionality to fit an application’s unique branding and overall look-and-feel.
HOOPS Communicator v2.0 will be available for a free 60-day evaluation. It is supported on Windows, Linux and OSX platforms.
