To Top

HOOPS 2021 Service Pack 1

What’s New in HOOPS 2021 SP1

HOOPS EXCHANGE

Format Updates

Our first priority is to deliver quick formats updates for both native CAD and standard formats a timely manner so that the applications our partners are developing can access to latest versions of these formats. During the last quarter, we have released 6 updated formats:

  • HE 2021 U1: released the Fed. 2nd

    • REVIT 2021

    • Solid Edge 2021

  • HE 2021 U2: released the Mar. 3rd

    • NX - Unigraphics 1953

    • Parasolid 33

  • HE 2021 SP1: Released the Apr. 13th

    • JT 10.5

    • Rhino 7

Support for glTF/GLB Writer

We have introduced the support of the glTF format in Hoops Exchange 2021 SP1.

  • The glTF format (Graphics Language Transmission Format) developed by the Kronos Group is meant to deliver 3D assets with a support of 3D models with appearances including PBR materials.

  • A .gltf file may be self-contained or may reference external binary and texture resources, while a .glb file is entirely self-contained

  • The GLB file format is a binary form of glTF that includes textures instead of referencing them as external images

  • On March 3, 2017, Microsoft announced that they will be using glTF 2.0 as the 3D asset format across their product line, including Paint 3D, 3D Viewer, Remix 3D, Babylon.js, and Microsoft Office

  • It enables applications to share their data to high-end rendering solutions or consume them in AR/VR.

Mates (assembly constraints)

The Mates or assembly constraints are information that describe how parts have been assembled and fit together. Accessing to the mates from the native CAD files helps optimizing workflows for applications in Manufacturing simulation, Robotic, Kinematics Analysis and more, by enabling them to generate a kinematics model of the assembly. The support of Mates was introduced in HOOPS Exchange 2021 as a Beta and is now officially available for CATIA V5 format. It provides access to all the existing mates.

HOOPS VISUALIZE

Animation Manager

We’ve added new animation capabilities to HOOPS Visualize, including a new animation manager. This animation system is designed to meet various engineering animation needs, ranging from BIM 5D simulations, through Digital Factory animations, and Work Instruction authoring.

The manager uses a keyframe system, and includes constant (on-off), linear, and spline interpolation. Animatable attributes include translation, rotation, scaling, visibility, transparency, and color. Animation information can be saved out and loaded as part of a HSF file.

Hardware accelerated text

As part of performance improvements through the year, we have begun adding hardware acceleration for text (when available on GPU). This should result in improved frame rates for partners with high amounts of text, notably in the PP&M and Shipbuilding industries. Further work will continue in SP2.

PBR on Mobile

Physically Based Rendering (previously on desktop platforms) is now available in Visualize for mobile platforms. PBR has been added to provide higher quality rendering of models. Please note that glTF is not currently supported on mobile platforms so partners must either use HSF files with PBR materials included or use the HPS API to set PBR material properties.

Sketchup 2021 support

Support for Sketchup 2021 has been added to HPS.

HOOPS COMMUNICATOR

Animation Manager

As with HOOPS Visualize, we’ve also added new animation capabilities to HOOPS Communicator, including a new animation manager. The manager uses a keyframe system, and includes constant (on-off), linear, and spline interpolation. Animatable attributes include translation, rotation, scaling, visibility, transparency, and color. This animation system is designed to meet various engineering animation needs, ranging from BIM 5D simulations, through Digital Factory animations, and Work Instruction authoring.

Physically Based Rendering

Physically Based Rendering (PBR) has been added to HOOPS Communicator to provide higher quality rendering. This can be used in three ways:

  1. Communicator supports glTF files (which contain PBR materials), when loaded through converter (or libconverter).

  2. The authoring libraries have added support for PBR materials, so users can add PBR information to their models.

  3. The Web Viewer now allows you to set PBR materials through the API for any model. This includes loading a standard CAD model (without PBR material) and applying PBR materials to easily produce a higher quality rendering.

Improved error reporting in Converter

HOOPS Communicator’s simple to use Converter now includes improved error reporting. Previously Converter only returned a basic pass fail, which was sufficient for single output conversions. However, for partners performing multiple operations in one call to converter this was insufficient to know which action (if any) had problems. Converter now includes a more verbose error reporting mechanism to alert partners which stage encountered problems.

Sketchup 2021 support

Support for Sketchup 2021 has been added to HOOPS Communicator.