Guest blog post by Peter Salzmann, co-founder, Virtual Shape Research GmbH

Virtual Shape joined the Rhino plug-in developer community more than one year ago and realised very quickly, that one of the most present players here is T-Splines.

We are software developers dealing with free form shape modeling for quite a while at ICEM, PTC and Dassault. So we have a lot of experience with CAD in industries like Automotive and Aerospace, especially with Bezier/Nurbs geometry.

Looking at the T-Splines approach for mathematical surface representation we feel that this is really a technology breakthrough that combines nicely the advantages of subdivision modeling with "Classical Surfacing" using Nurbs.

Especially in the beginning of the design process where shapes need to be explored quickly we believe T-Splines is the unbeatable solution.

So we are extremely happy to cooperate with T-Splines now. While we at Virtual Shape are a T-Splines reseller, T-Splines also now sells our products.

Currently we have the following 3 products available:

VSR Realtime Renderer


With our VSR Realtime Renderer, which is fully embedded in Rhino, you can just change the display mode during the modeling at any time and your current Rhino viewport is switched into "Realtime Rendering" mode. It works great together with T-Splines - Matt from T-Splines created an impressive video showing modeling a car bumper while being in Rendering mode. The Realtime Renderer allows to create different visual variants for presentation like different material assignments and allows very quickly to create high resolution screenshots.

VSR Shape Analysis


Analysis functions which expand Rhinos capabilities, for example a Matching Analysis between curves and surfaces showing numerically the transitions up to G3 (we call it "Flow"). This is extremely important when delivering parts, as often the receiver expects that all surface transisitons are under a certain tolerance for position, tangency and curvature. In addition sections with curvature plots on top are available. And, very important if a user wants to create curves or surfaces on meshes, a deviation graph. All analyses are fully associative and follow the the shape of the geometry when it is modeled. Because of Rhinos great architecture this is of course also true when modeling T-Spline surfaces! The product is called VSR Shape Analysis.

VSR Shape Modeling


A Modeling plug-in called VSR Shape Modeling containing Curve and Surface creation functions on top of polygonal meshes, Blend and Matching up to G3 ("Flow") and a lot more. All created geometry is very light compared to shapes typically created by Rhino functionality, meaning it is Bezier (or so called Single-Span Nurbs) geometry. Light geometry does not only allow easier modifications, it also reduces the compexity of all shapes created on top like flanges, fillets and blends.

These functions typically come to place, when a Styling model (for example created in T-Splines) has to be tuned and tweaked to meet several criteria of feasibility and manufacturability. The Analysis functions mentioned above are fully included in this plug-in. In addition several geometry functions have directly embedded analysis functionality to ensure a very efficient workflow.

We believe that the combination of Rhino, T-Splines and our Virtual Shape products is delivering together a significant coverage of the digital design process chain.

Webinar: Modeling a water gun - unscripted demo of T-Splines for Rhino
Date: Thursday, September 29, 2011
Time: 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM EDT
Presenter: Kyle Houchens, T-Splines trainer
Register now


Organic modeling for manufacturing is among most difficult tasks in all of CAD. T-Splines greatly simplifies organic modeling in Rhino and SolidWorks. However, if you’re used to modeling with NURBS in Rhino or other CAD programs, it can take a different way of thinking to take full advantage of T-Splines, and learning a new way to do things can be daunting.

In that vein, we introduce the UNSCRIPTED DEMO webinar. In this webinar, T-Splines authorized trainer Kyle Houchens will model an entire water gun in T-Splines, starting from a sketch. In approximately 60 minutes, he will go from a blank CAD file to producing multiple design concepts, without following a script and without having ever even modeled this design before.

Since Kyle will not have modeled this before, he will make some mistakes during the webinar. Where much of the value will come during this webinar is seeing him talk through his strategy, including fixing his mistakes.

The problem with watching demos is that they always work. With this webinar, we are simulating the experience of looking over the shoulder of a designer at work. We hope that by observing Kyle’s real experience in modeling with T-Splines, you will learn how to overcome hurdles in your own T-Splines projects, all of which are unscripted, too.

We’re a little unsure of his timing on this, so if Kyle goes over 60 minutes before he gets to his first concept, we’ll give all live attendees a coupon for $25 off a copy of T-Splines for Rhino. If he goes over 75 minutes before his first concept, we’ll give out a $50-off coupon. If Kyle fails and doesn’t have a full concept in 90 minutes, he will buy super soakers for 10 teenage boys in Oakdale, CA, let them blast him at point-blank range, and put the whole event up on YouTube.

Why you should attend:

• See how T-Splines can save you significant modeling time and help you create superior models.


• Learn more about the thought process of working with T-Splines.


• See an experienced T-Splines user work through unplanned-for difficulties—just like you will need to yourself!


• Get immediate answers to your questions from our T-Splines staff during the demo in the webinar chat box.

Register now for this webinar on Sept 29 at 12 PM noon Eastern Time.

T-Splines user Chris Botha has released a new line of jewelry.

Chris says, "No two of these can ever be exactly the same and the manufacturing requirements mean they cannot be mass produced either so your ring is your only, forever.

"We make these to order in silver, nine carat and eighteen carat gold; we can also cater for platinum. Prices range from $390 to $5000. Each order is a new design, done by myself and is unique to you. The same as the very fabric you are made from is unique to you."

Love it! Excellent use of T-Splines.

T-Splines reseller Filou will be hosting two T-Splines events during the month of September.

22 September 16:00
Free T-Splines webinar. Register now.

29 September 16:00
Live T-Splines training event. Register now.

One neat thing about being a Rhino plugin developer is that Rhino seems to attract a number of cutting-edge, high technology partners. Perhaps this is because Rhino has aggressive pricing for academic users. Or, perhaps it's because McNeel will let anyone join their partner program and offers plenty of free support to help you get your product up and running.

I just realized that our first T-Splines for Rhino plugin was released four years ago. It's easy for me to remember because we released it just three days after I returned from my honeymoon. In the subsequent years it's been fun to see the number of unique Rhino plugins grow.

One of my personal favorite Rhino plugins is EvoluteTools for Rhino, an architectural plugin that helps you break down your surfaces into panels that can be manufactured. This plugin was released last year, and I'm pleased to announce that we are now reselling it.

One reason that I like EvoluteTools is that, similar to T-Splines, it's based on patented technology from an internationally respected computer scientist. This comes out of the research group of Dr. Helmut Pottman in Vienna, Austria. The Evolute company has long been a respected consulting group, whose technology was used to lay out aesthetically beautiful panel arrangements on many notable building across the world. Only recently did they decide to make their technology available to the public, as a plugin to Rhino. When I saw this plugin first introduced at the Advanced in Architectural Geometry conference in Vienna last year, there was considerable buzz and it was viewed as a real game changer.

EvoluteTools and T-Splines for Rhino work together extremely well. Here is a video from Evolute showing how to use T-Splines to represent the base architectural form, then Evolute to lay out panels.

You can purchase EvoluteTools for Rhino from our website.

Going to the 48th Bangkok Gems & Jewelry Fair?

NURBS FACTOR CO., LTD will be demoing T-Splines for Rhino at booth YY43-45.

More details:

Show Hours
Sept 14 - 17, 2011 10.00 - 18.00 hrs.
Sept 18, 2011 10.00 - 17.00 hrs.

Venue: CHALLENGER Hall 3
Impact Exhibition & Convention Center
Nonthaburi, Thailand

Thanks to all who participated in the T-Splines 2011 design contest, Make the World a Better Place.

This was an fun contest for us to put on. Over 250 designers registered to get access to special free trials of top Rhino plugins during the contest. A big part of the contest for us was to show that T-Splines models are ideal for manufacturing, and 3D printing companies Z Corp, envisionTEC, and 3D Systems gave away quality 3D prints of the top models. Other great prizes were provided by 3Dconnexion, Chaos Group, DS SolidWorks, Evolute, Luxion, and McNeel, for over $15,000 total in prizes.

In the end we received over 80 quality entries in our five categories: consumer products, jewelry, architecture, transit, and miscellaneous.

Winners were selected by our panel of outside judges. They reviewed all submissions blindly, with the identity of the designer obscured. There were many worthy entries, so I was glad that I was not the one crowning the winners. Many of the models had gorgeous aesthetics, and it was tempting to make a long list of honorable mentions so we could showcase these as T-Splines models. Instead, we'll be sharing some of these in the near future on our blog.

Here are the winning entries. Click on the name of the designer to read more information about their submission.

Consumer products
1st place: Felix Lorsignol, Montreal, Canada


Jewelry
1st place: Matthias Pfoetscher, Tirol, Austria


Transit
1st place: Joseph Culbert, Orange Beach, USA


Architecture
1st place: Cesare Monti, Torino, Italy


Miscellaneous
1st place: Fernando Montalvo, Córdoba, Argentina

Updated T-Splines car webinar series schedule

New date! Part 1: Sept. 7. Roughing out the shape of the body. Register.
Part 2: Sept. 8. Adding wheel wells and bumpers, getting an accurate model. Register.
Part 3: Sept. 13. Final details, spoilers, mirrors, vents, etc. Register.

--------------------------

Yesterday's webinar on using T-Splines for car design, part one of our three-part series, was a hit.

This was our first webinar from the insulated recording room in our new offices in Provo, UT and the sound was better than ever. Demo jock Kyle Houchens was firing on all cylinders, making a pretty car body from scratch in under an hour, broadcasting from his home office in Oakdale, CA. There was a nice back-channel discussion going on with the audience over chat. We even remembered to hit the important "Record Webinar" button at the start of the broadcast.

But then, when it was time to process the video, we discovered that only the top left corner of the screen had been recorded during the broadcast!

What a strange bug, really the only hiccup we've had in using GoToWebinar over a few years. After hours on the line with their customer support, they couldn't diagnose what went wrong, nor miraculously make the rest of the recording appear. We were out of luck. No usable recording of the webinar.

The silver lining out of all of this is that if you missed part one of our three part webinar series about how to model a car with T-Splines, you can register to attend a live reenactment of the webinar on Wednesday, September 7. Part two will be broadcast the next day on September 8.

Does life get better than two free T-Splines webinars in two days? I think not.

Kyle Houchens modeling a car in 90 minutes at the T-Splines user group meeting

The first ever T-Splines user group meeting was a great success. Hosted by 3D Technics in Vancouver, CA, on August 11, over 15 T-Splines users met for a full day of advanced instruction, networking, and presentations.

The facility was possibly the coolest classroom setup I've ever seen. Geordon Marchack from 3D Technics built the entire thing from scratch. The tables were constructed from pine 2x4s and 2x6s. Geordon assembled all the computers from components. The tables have a special smooth covering that serves as a nice mousepad.

Geordon Marchack (left) and Joe Rigby at the 3D Technics training room

You'll notice that each table is jam-packed with monitors. Each student has two monitors - one for their own computer, and one displaying the instructor's screen. This eliminates the need for a projector, and is especially nice for those with poor eyesight - instead of having to refocus on your up-close monitor and a far-away projector screen, you just look at the two monitors in front of you.

This was Geordon's maiden voyage for his new classroom - he pulled a couple of all-nighters to get it ready in time, and it proved to be a great facility. Geordon envisions this as the home of a new Rhino users group in Vancouver.

Matt Sederberg giving direction during the training

Level II Training
In the morning we held our first ever T-Splines Level II training. We'd never done one before since it's hard to establish a clear baseline for where your competency level should be at. With Level I you start at the very beginning, but what about Level II? To make sure everyone had at least a general foundation, we started out by working through a couple of the basic exercises from the T-Splines Level I training manual. Quickly though we moved on to more advanced training, led by Kyle Houchens and Sky Greenawalt. Sky's tutorial on using the T-Splines Match command to create airplane wheel pants that nailed the required tolerance (which came from a real project he did!) was a highlight of the morning.



User Group Meeting
After a break for some pizza (including real Canadian bacon!) we reconvened with a few other faces, including Bob McNeel, for the T-Splines user group meeting in the afternoon. I started off giving an overview of our company and what we're trying to accomplish. Today we're focused on improving organic modeling in Rhino and SolidWorks, but we see T-Splines as the best candidate to become a unifying industry standard across all disciplines of computer graphics, including animation, industrial design, CAD, and analysis.

Joe Rigby shared the first peek at the entries to the T-Splines 2011 modeling contest (winners were just announced!). Kyle Houchens modeled an entire car body in about 90 minutes starting from scratch, entirely in T-Splines. This was an amazing presentation, and Kyle is packaging this into a three-part webinar series. Finally, Sky Greenawalt shared his experiences using T-Splines for demanding, low-tolerance aircraft applications.

Sky Greenawalt talking T-Splines and airplanes

In general, it was a neat event. We were impressed with the caliber of users that showed up - some designers, engineers, jewelers, shoe designers, an architect. A nice cross section of the industries that T-Splines touches today. Plans are in the works for the next user group meeting - hopefully near you?!

Thanks to all who participated in the 2011 T-Splines design contest. Over 250 people registered to receive the free software available for use during the contest, and we received 81 actual submissions.

So, who won? We'll be breaking the news throughout the day tomorrow (Tuesday Aug 30) on our Facebook page and our Twitter account. Follow us to be the first to know who won.

In the month of September, we will be hosting a series of three free webinars, showing how T-Splines for Rhino can be used to model and design a car body.

Part 1: Sept. 1. Roughing out the shape of the body, building the A and C pillars.
Part 2: Sept. 8. Adding wheel wells and bumpers, getting an accurate model.
Part 3: Sept. 13. Final details, spoilers, mirrors, vents, preparing the model for data transfer.

The presenter for this series, Kyle Houchens from The Outside Digital Art & Design, graduated from the prestigious College for Creative Studies. However, with the uncertain automotive job market at the time, he went to work in toy design, and has since modeled over a thousand vehicles for the toy and entertainment industries.

From his experience working for Fortune 500 companies and running his own consultancy, Kyle has learned how using the right design tool for the job can make a huge difference. Register for these webinars to see how using T-Splines can make a significant impact on your model quality and your profitability as a company.

This has been a long time coming.

It's now here.

A 5-step guide for learning T-Splines for Rhino.

Earlier this year, we started placing outbound, "T-Splines Evaluation Support" calls. These go out to as many people trying the T-Splines free trial as we can get a hold of. The purpose of these calls is to help designers quickly understand if T-Splines is the right tool for their situation.

Hundreds of these conversations helped us understand the need to have an easier resource for learning T-Splines from the ground up. T-Splines is a powerful, simple concept, but it is foreign to many designers who have used NURBS their whole career. We needed to have a single place on our website that we could point new users to, and tell them that by following specific instructions, they could become proficient in T-Splines.

We now have this resource. A 5-step guide for learning T-Splines for Rhino, with free models, tutorials, videos, and more.

Please check it out and let us know what you think!

So contestants can get a better idea of who will be judging the 2011 T-Spline Design Contest, we are featuring a weekly blog article on the judges from each entry category.

This week’s category is miscellaneous.

Miscellaneous Category.

Bathsheba Grossman is a specialist in digital sculpting; her designs are made into geometrical sculpture by machining, casting, carving, hand modeling, laser etching, and 3D printing. Her style explores the region between art and mathematics, as she infuses the two with technology to make symmetrical designs.

Bathsheba’s work has been featured in numerous publications, including the New York Times, the London Times, Der Spiegel, Wired, Discover, and Make magazines. In addition, one of her lamps was in TIME Magazine's 100 most influential designs of 2007. She is also owner of bathsheba.com.

Janne Kyttanen specializes in interior, product, and lighting design projects for clients in the banking, public transport, aviation, consumer electronics and cosmetics industries. He began his studies at the Escola De Disseny, Elisave in Barcelona and then graduated from The Gerrit Rietveld Academy in Amsterdam.

Janne has been the recipient of many prestigious awards including Red Dot Design Award 2005, Interior Innovation Award Cologne 2006, and Young Designer of the Year by the Design Forum Finland 2007. His work has been exhibited in numerous collections around the world, including the MOMA, FIT, MAD and Vitra Design Museum. Janne is also founder of Freedom of Creation.

Juan Santocono is head of technical support at T-Splines, Inc. He is a co-author of the T-Splines user manual and T-Splines training guide, and has modeled many of the models on our website.

Note: this is one of a series of blog articles highlighting sponsors of the T-Splines 2011 Design Contest, which runs through August 9, 2011.

As a sponsor for the T-Splines 2011 Design Contest, Luxion will give the top transit designer a copy of KeyShot 2. KeyShot is extremely easy-to-use rendering software that breaks down the complexity barriers of creating photographic images from 3D models.

KeyShot features the only rendering engine that is certified by the CIE (International Commission on Illumination). Using scientifically accurate materials and real world lighting, the technology delivers the most accurate images in a matter of seconds. KeyShot delivers stunning images of your 3D data in real time.

KeyShot technology has been used in a vast array of industries, including:

•Automotive
•CG Photography
•Entertainment
•Engineering
•Industrial Design
•Jewelry
•Marketing

T-Splines is proud to have KeyShot as a sponsor for the 2011 T-Splines Design Contest. For more information and examples of KeyShot’s technology, please visit http://www.keyshot.com/.

Note: this is one of a series of blog articles highlighting sponsors of the T-Splines 2011 Design Contest, which runs through August 9, 2011.

A main goal of the 2011 T-Splines Design Contest is to give anyone a chance to model an amazing design on the computer, then end up with an accurate 3D print of their model in their hands.

As a sponsor for the T-Splines 2011 Design Contest, envisionTEC is playing a major role in realizing this dream. They will print the top 80 (eighty - that's not a typo) submitted jewelry models in photosilver and ship them to the designers.

We approached envisionTEC for this sponsorship because they do an excellent job printing with the precision and castable materials needed for jewelry. Their prints are so accurate that they are the perfect choice for micro pave or invisible settings.

envisionTEC develops, produces, and sells Computer Aided Modeling Devices (CAMOD), including hardware, software, and materials. They also offer innovative solutions in Solid Freeform Fabrication (SFF) for end users. This includes applications in design, industry, micro-, medical-, dental- and bio-technology. envisionTEC’s Perfactory® system builds 3D objects from liquid resin using a projector rather than a laser. It is flexible, easy-to-use, low cost, and provides excellent detail, accuracy, and surface finish.

Some of envisionTEC’s products include:

Perfactory® Standard comes with ERM fitted with a zoom lens; this model is capable of making the largest parts.
Perfactory® Mini Multi Lens is available with a choice of 3 lenses; this model is ideal for making the finest detailed models.
Perfactory® Desktop is designed to support Rapid Prototyping and Direct Manufacturing with a low cost, high resolution solution.
PerfactoryXede® and PerfactoryXtreme® are 3D Rapid Prototyping and Manufacturing
Systems that allow for the production of exceptionally large 3D parts at fast build speeds without sacrificing surface quality and part accuracy.

T-Splines is proud to have envisionTEC as a sponsor for the 2011 T-Splines Design Contest. For more information and examples of envisionTEC technology, please visit www.envisiontec.com.

Modeling in T-Splines requires a slightly different mindset than modeling in Rhino alone. You have to think differently to get the results you want.

In this webinar on Thursday, July 28, 2011 at 12:00 PM EDT, professional designer Kyle Houchens shares his secrets for thinking like a T-Splines expert.

Register for the free webinar now!

PS Have you attended a live T-Splines webinar yet? Our favorite part of these is the chance it gives us to chat with you, both the running, typed Q&A that our staff carries on with you during the webinar, and the audible Q&A at the end. Since T-Splines users are scattered all across the world, this is one of the only times we get to interact with you and get feedback!

If you haven't been to a webinar yet, consider joining this one and jumping into the conversation.

Note: this is one of a series of blog articles highlighting sponsors of the T-Splines 2011 Design Contest, which runs through August 9, 2011.

As a sponsor for the T-Splines 2011 Design Contest, we're thrilled that Gemvision will give a free copy of Matrix 7 jewelry design software to the winner of the jewelry category. This is an appropriate prize for the contest, since Matrix 7 will include T-Splines capabilities when it is released later this year.

With facilities in the United States, the United Kingdom, and a global network of Authorized Dealers, Gemvision brings jewelers and technology together with innovative products. Gemvision offers complete Computer Aided Design (CAD) and Computer Aided Manufacturing (CAM) solutions to enhance creativity and maximize productivity for jewelers.

Some of Gemvision’s products include:

CounterSketch Studio is powered by innovative and easy-to-use design technology from Gemvision and built on the premiere fulfillment capability of Stuller. CounterSketch Studio simplifies custom design to four easy steps and brings expanded virtual inventory to your store.
Matrix 3D Design Software harnesses the power of CAD, gives it a jeweler-friendly interface, and then lets you design virtual jewelry on-screen while generating a detailed color preview image that can be printed or emailed.
Revo Milling System is designed specifically as a companion to Gemvision's Matrix design software and quickly generates a dimensionally accurate wax model ready for casting.
Gemvision Design Studio enhances communication between jeweler, customer, and craftsman alike. Gemvision Design Studio helps you perform custom designs, create endless inventory, and gain competitive advantage in your market.

T-Splines is proud to have Gemvision as a sponsor for the 2011 T-Splines Design Contest. For more information and examples of Gemvision’s technology, please visit http://www.gemvision.com/.

Note: this is one of a series of blog articles highlighting sponsors of the T-Splines 2011 Design Contest

We're pleased to have 3D Systems as a sponsor of the T-Splines 2011 Design Contest. 3D Systems is a market leader in 3D printing, and they will provide 3D prints of the top models in the consumer products, miscellaneous, and transit categories to the winners of the 2011 T-Splines Design Contest.

As I learned more about 3D Systems, I was surprised that 3D Systems' 3D prints aren't just for prototyping a concept. They can go directly from CAD data to print in materials that can hold up to intense daily use. For example, they pointed me to a recent case study they did with Brammo, Inc. (Brammo is a start-up that makes 100% electric motorbikes.)

Brammo worked with 3Dproparts (a division of 3D Systems) to actually 3D print the body panels that were mounted directly on one of their bikes! Months later the panels continued to perform, withstanding the stress of racing including the abuse from riders and debris on the race track.

That's pretty amazing.

So contestants can get a better idea of who will be judging the 2011 T-Spline Design Contest, we are featuring a weekly blog article on the judges from each entry category.

This week’s judge category is architecture.

Ajmal Aqtash has specialized in morphology and the generation of geometrical forms and shapes for performance driven and sustainable designs. He received his master’s degree from Columbia University in Advanced Architectural Design and his Bachelor of Architecture Degree from Pratt Institute School of Architecture.

Ajmal co-founded form-ula, an award winning multidisciplinary design practice that draws inspiration from the collaboration of design and engineering. Ajmal also co-founded core.form-ula, the research wing of form-ula, which seeks to expose innovation in design, architecture, engineering and art.

Florin Isvoranu specializes in modern architecture and its impact on the environment. He received his Architect Diploma from the Ion Mincu University of Architecture and Urbanism in Bucharest.

In addition to modeling shapes, Florin has pursued yacht design and boat building. He is also a keen environmentalist and a builder of cnc machines; all of which can be seen blended into his architectural designs. Florin currently works at Evolute GmbH.

Jonathan Rabagliati is an artist whose experience and skill spans across architecture, art, and design. He received his bachelor’s degree at Slade School of Fine art, UCL and two master’s degrees; one from Royal College Art and another from the Architectural Association.

As a sculptor working with computation and geometry, Jonathan consistently pursues work that crosses the fault lines of media and disciplines. His art is exhibited in museums in Morocco and Edinburgh. Jonathan is currently an Associate at Foster+Partners and a member of the Specialist Modeling Group.

Register now for the first ever T-Splines for Rhino user group meeting / level II training on Thursday, August 11 in Vancouver.

The agenda features training in the morning and user presentations in the afternoon. The event is designed to send you home with both the inspiration of seeing how to use T-Splines to make better organic models, and the point-and-click skills to actually get it done.

Come get instruction from T-Splines professionals Kyle Houchens, Sky Greenawalt, and T-Splines CEO Matt Sederberg.

The event is sponsored by T-Splines reseller 3DTechnics. Lunch is provided. Seating is extremely limited. Register now.