VP-Sculpt Computer Aided Sculpting Software

Computer Aided Sculpting Software (VP-Sculpt)

(brain stem transformed with VP-Sculpt)

VP-Sculpt is a unique and powerful software package for editing and reshaping 3D polygonal mesh surface models. These surfaces can be imported from 3D digitizing systems, medical imaging surfacing software, or surface modeling CAD systems. Editing and sculpting can be applied to individual vertices or facets, to user-defined areas, or to an entire model. Operations include selective smoothing, roughening, stretching, decimation, and refinement. VP-Sculpt also offers many utilities for repairing a digitized surface (filling holes, eliminating bad topology), and utilities for preparing a surface for Rapid Prototyping. VP-Sculpt runs on PCs under any versions of Windows.

To download a free PC Windows demo copy (version 3.08/3.09):
Download the self-extracting archive: demo_zip.exe (right-click and "Save Link/Target As")
Then view and follow the instructions in: README

To find out what features have been added to the latest version of VP-Sculpt, see the on-line release notes.

An overview article is also available on-line.

The complete user/reference manual is also available on-line.

Pricing:

$195 per seat (20% educational discount for universities or students: $156)
upgrade from previous version (3.07 or earlier): $65

To purchase a copy or upgrade of VP-Sculpt, or for more information, contact:
VP-Sculpt inquiry

To install the latest version (3.09) of VPSculpt, download this file:
VPSculpt.exe (right-click and "Save Link/Target As")
and follow these instructions: VP-Sculpt Installation Instructions.pdf

Applications

Visualize, verify, repair, and perform calculations on 3D polygonal mesh models.
Perform working-with-clay type artistic sculpting.
Perform pre-operative plastic surgery planning.
Design biomedical implants and prosthetic devices.
Generate caricatures of scanned faces.
Prepare and communicate data between 3D digitization and rapid prototyping (RP) systems.
Reverse engineer digitized physical parts or models.
Customize digitized objects and characters for animation.
Create, search, and visualize databases of 3D scanned faces.
Make measurements for forensic studies.
Visualize and modify 3D CAD surface models.
Design industrial (aesthetic) shapes.

Features

I/O:

Compatible with data formats supported by digitizing systems, CAD/CAM systems, and rapid prototyping systems (DXF, IGES, Inventor, GVA, OBJ and STL).
Accepts anything from disconnected bounded surfaces with holes to completely closed surfaces representing solid objects.
Practically unlimited number of vertices and polygons supported.
More than one model may be loaded and manipulated independently.

Viewing:

6 preset orthographic views.
Multiple windows each with independent view control.
Interactive 3D rotations, zooming, and panning with mouse or keyboard.
User-controllable perspective and clipping planes.
User-controllable model color properties and the light source.

Rendering:

Point cloud, wireframe, bounding box.
Flat-faceted or smooth Gouraud shading.
Hidden line removal, backface removal.
Adjustable quick-rendering mode.
Color contour display of stretch thicknesses.

Surface Sculpting and Editing:

Select areas directly on the 3D surface with various tools.
Selectively stretch the surface with an indicated stretch profile and direction.
Selectively smooth and roughen.
Selectively delete and trim.
Selectively decimate and refine.
Snap areas to flats plane.
Snap edges to straight lines.
Offset or scale the surface.
Add or delete individual vertices or facets.
Automatically fill holes.
Automatically perform mirror image sculpting and editing of symmetric surfaces.

Metrology:

Distance between the sculpted surface and the original surface at any point.
Distance between selected points (straight-line or along surface).
Surface area of a selected area.
Surface area of the entire model.
Volume of a closed model.
Radius of a 3D arc or circle.
Anatomical features and planes on a scanned face.

Rapid Prototyping Tools:

Import digitized data.
Edit and repair the surface (see "Surface Sculpting and Editing" above and "Mesh Repair" below).
Create a closed volume from an open surface by offsetting to a wall thickness or by extruding (with a draft angle) to a flat bottom.
Decimate the model to reduce the file size.
Export to an ASCII or binary STL file.

Mesh Repair:

Automatically fill holes in the surface.
Add or delete individual vertices or facets.
Reorient and align normal vectors.
Delete stranded vertices.
Delete null facets or improper facets.
Replace low aspect ratio facets.

Other:

Animation (morphing) between the original and sculpted model.
Surface marking (point identification) tool.
Multiple model pasting, merging, and trimming.
Vertex, facet, normal, and model information display.
Labeling and coloring of surface regions.
Unit conversion.
Scanned face database capabilities.
ETC!!!