20 Years VGSTUDIO MAX

VGSTUDIO MAX 1.1 introduced the Porosity/Inclusion Analysis Module, which was a unique tool for detecting and analyzing internal defects in CT data. The module made VGSTUDIO MAX the tool of choice for quality assurance in, e.g., castings, the production of plastic parts, and BGAs.

The Wall Thickness Analysis Module was the first time users were able to automatically localize areas with insufficient or excessive wall thickness or gap width directly within a CT data set without any conversion of CT into STL data.

The first 64-bit version of VGSTUDIO MAX allowed the interactive processing of data sets larger than 20 GB in size on a state-of-the-art PC. 

In 2004, we offered our first metrology tool that worked directly on CT data. Its development was supported by research projects together with the National Metrology Institute (PTB) of Germany in Braunschweig. The new add-on module turned an industrial CT scanner into a coordinate measurement system and allowed users to perform geometric dimensioning and tolerancing (GD&T) tasks directly on voxel data sets.

Before we introduced the Fiber Composite Material Analysis Module in Version 2.2, we provided customers in the aerospace industry with a custom version of VGSTUDIO MAX that offered the unique capability to analyze fiber orientations. 

Version 2.0 of VGSTUDIO MAX brought with it the Nominal/Actual Comparison Module. Now it was possible to automatically calculate deviation of surfaces of a voxel and a polygon data set or two voxel data sets with the highest precision and speed because no conversion into point or polygon data was needed.

VGSTUDIO MAX 2.0 introduced high performance, high quality CPU- or GPU-based cone beam reconstruction.

Version 2.0 added a feature that is still the basis for accurate analysis in VGSTUDIO MAX today: For the first time, the Coordinate Measurement Module offered local adaptive surface determination for subvoxel-accurate surfaces. 

The module also offered several alignment methods for CT data sets, such as 3-2-1 registration, best-fit against another voxel or polygon object, and RPS registration. 

An improved rendering engine in VGSTUDIO MAX 2.0 offered faster, more convenient rendering. The introduction of the isosurface renderer made it possible to visualize objects even with semi-transparency, e.g., for showing the distribution of defects within an object.

With VGSTUDIO MAX 2.0, we introduced the “Region of Interest (ROI)” concept. It allowed users to save time by limiting analyses to certain regions and to analysis parameters that were adjusted to local requirements.

The release of VGSTUDIO MAX 2.1 expanded the Coordinate Measurement Module to include geometric dimensioning and tolerancing (GD&T) features. With this feature, VGSTUDIO MAX turned a CT scanner into a complete coordinate measuring system.

Version 2.1 of VGSTUDIO MAX introduced first functions to automate analysis tasks. With the generation of macros and batch processing, users where now able to automate the analysis of multiple data sets.

In version 2.2, an integrated CAD kernel allowed users to import the vendor-neutral CAD file formats STEP (.stp) and IGES (.igs) for the first time. These formats are supported by nearly all CAD software and even most other engineering software. Along with support for vendor-neutral CAD formats, the CAD Import Module for version 2.2 was also compatible with CAD models in formats such as CATIA V5, Creo, and Pro/ENGINEER. It also enabled the automatic translation and intelligent evaluation of so-called PMI data (e.g., dimensioning, GD&T, layers, annotations, captions, etc.).

* CAD Translation Technology supplied by Tech Soft 3D

VGSTUDIO MAX 2.2 made a fiber orientation analysis tool for composite materials available with the introduction of the Fiber Composite Material Analysis Module. From now on, it was possible to calculate fiber orientations and other relevant parameters in composite materials.

In version 2.2, we implemented the industry standard P 201/VW 50097 that defines the analysis procedures for metal castings. VGSTUDIO MAX now allowed subvoxel-precise, 2D micrograph image analysis.

VGSTUDIO MAX 3.0 introduced the Foam Structure Analysis Module, enabling customers to determine cell structures in porous foams and filter materials.

It was with VGSTUDIO MAX 3.0 that customers were first able to simulate fluid, electrical, or thermal flow and diffusion, e.g., on porous or composite materials thanks to the new Transport Phenomena Simulation Module.

In version 3.0, we introduced the option to save metrology projects in compact, easy-to-handle .mvgl files that contained the best possible object surface without any loss in quality. The new file format was introduced alongside VGMETROLOGY, an application tailored to the needs of metrologists. In VGSTUDIO MAX, a new unload/reload data function allowed users to unload gray values to reduce memory usage.

VGSTUDIO MAX 3.0 introduced the support of point cloud data in addition to voxel, CAD, and mesh data. Customers benefited from less measurement uncertainty, since the fitting of geometry elements is optimized for each supported data type (voxel, CAD, mesh, and point cloud data).

With VGSTUDIO MAX 3.1 and its Structural Mechanics Simulation Module, defect detection became defect assessment. For the first time it was possible to simulate mechanical stress directly on CT data, enabling customers to assess the impact of discontinuities on a part’s stability. 

Also with version 3.1, we introduced the Manufacturing Geometry Correction Module. It enabled customers to correct tools for injection molding or casting and 3D printing geometries in a seamless digital workflow with a lower number of iterations—keeping the quality up and the time to market short.

VGSTUDIO MAX 3.1 came with an intelligent geometry element type recognition that automatically recognizes the type of geometry element on CAD models, meshes, and volume objects. 

In version 3.2, we first introduced a so-called “golden” surface which could be created from the mean value of several scans. Using the  “golden” surface function in combination with the Manufacturing Geometry Correction Module made it easy to correct an injection molding tool with multiple identical nests by creating an average surface of the parts coming from the different nests.

Version 3.2 made analyzing repetitive structures such as cylinder heads or Ball Grid Arrays a breeze. Customers were now able to quickly copy one region of interest (ROI) multiple times into a periodic pattern; all analyses within this ROI, e.g., a defect analysis or a nominal/actual comparison, will be copied automatically.

VGSTUDIO MAX 3.2 introduced the support of Digimat, a composite materials modeling software, so that customers could now map microporosity, found in a CT scan, onto a volume mesh by calculating the average porosity level for each cell of the mesh in VGSTUDIO MAX and then exporting it to Digimat.

VGSTUDIO MAX 3.3 introduced the Volume Meshing Module to create accurate and high-quality tetrahedral volume meshes from CT scans which could then be used for mechanical, fluid, thermal, electrical, and other FEM simulations in third party software.

Version 3.3 made it possible to determine the surface of multi-material objects. The new mode of the locally adaptive surface determination made geometric dimensioning and tolerancing of multi-material objects, e.g., the position of metal pins of a connector relative to the plastic housing, a breeze. It also facilitates the segmentation of multi-material objects.

VGSTUDIO MAX 3.3 came with the option to centrally store CT results in quality management or statistical process control software by exporting the detailed results of dimensional measurements, position and form tolerancing, and the global results of analyses (nominal/actual comparison, wall thickness analysis, porosity/inclusion analysis, fiber composite material analysis) utilizing the widely used Q-DAS data exchange format.

VGSTUDIO MAX 3.4 came with a new Reverse Engineering Module that made it easy to convert CT scans into CAD models that customers could then use in their CAD systems. CAD models created with the module can be used to make manually generated design models available digitally for products that don’t have existing 3D representation, to generate CAD models for old parts where no CAD information is available, to update models in which the actual part or tool looks different than its master CAD model, and to enable CAM systems to mill on CAD instead of meshes. All in one software, and without the need for a CAD designer or reverse engineering specialist.

Also with version 3.4, we introduced the Digital Volume Correlation Module. For the first time, customers were able to quantify displacements between an initial and deformed volume in a simple and intuitive way. In material science, this is an excellent tool for quantifying strain and displacements of the visible inner structure of composite materials, foams, or porous components produced by additive manufacturing.