Physna launches Thangs geometric search engine & 3D model creation community
This article was originally published on TCT Magazine
Physna has launched a geometric search engine and online community for 3D model creation to support product designers, engineers and enthusiasts.
Thangs provides users with more than one million indexed 3D models at launch, as well as a host of search, collaboration and machine learning-powered tools to help users source and develop 3D models. Physna believes it is harnessing the concepts of Google and GitHub to make the process of finding 3D files easier and less time-consuming, while also enabling automated version control and collaboration on team projects.
While Physna promises to grow the capabilities of the platform per user feedback, engineers and product designers already have access to a geometric search engine that allows users to find models via a range of search terms based on physical properties, measurements and features, as well find compatible parts and suppliers. Thangs helps to identify similarities and differences between 3D models, recognises how parts can fit within complex assemblies and make accurate predictions regarding function, cost, materials, performance and compliance. By finding compatible parts and suppliers, users should also be able to move through design and build phases quicker.
Other capabilities include shared folders, which facilitate automated version control, and ‘like’ and ‘comment’ functions to provide feedback and advice or save models to their profile and receive updates when other users interact with their own designs. Thangs can also act as a resume for users, with the ability to create smart portfolios of their work and also enables connections to be made between professionals and enthusiasts.
The Thangs platform has been developed from Physna’s geometric deep-learning engine, with the company working to make it the world’s largest 3D database within 12 months.
“Thangs is Physna’s first open product, but it uses some of the same powerful technology at the core of our enterprise offerings,” commented Paul Powers, CEO of Physna. “Our enterprise product is widely recognised as the technological leader in 3D search and analysis and we’re democratising some of its capabilities through Thangs. This product is built to be powerful enough for a leading aerospace CAD engineer, yet simple enough for literally anyone to use. Reality is three-dimensional, and it’s time for the digital age to be as well. Thangs gives everyone not only access to 3D data, but utility from it as well using some of the most cutting-edge technology available today.”
Originally published at https://www.tctmagazine.com on August 25, 2020.
