The most recent TheoremXR release brings a range of exciting new features for our Extended Reality (XR) apps, alongside small updates and bug fixes.
Up first, when working with E57 scan data you will now be able to render your point cloud scans in color – making it easier to understand and improving data quality. In Augmented Reality (AR), the new product structure viewer makes models easier to navigate. Plus, PDF documents can now be linked to parts, allowing you to view relevant information when exploring models without leaving the AR app. Finally, in Mixed Reality (MR), HoloLens 2 users can now utilize multiple QR codes as anchor points resulting in higher accuracy when walking around models.
The E57 file format is popular for scan data, thanks to being a standard and neutral format. Scans are an amazingly efficient way of creating a model of large equipment or even the entire environment e.g. a factory space. With TheoremXR these scans can be visualized in XR, allowing you to see these large models at full scale.
This new release brings updates to how these models are rendered. E57 scan data is made up of many points, and previously these points may appear spread apart depending on how close you are to the model. This results in spaces between the points, which reduces the quality of the model. This new release improves how scans are rendered, ensuring that points will no longer spread apart, and models are model detailed.
The product structure viewer, previously only available in MR and VR, is now also in AR. This makes models easier to navigate – allowing specific parts to be selected or hidden/shown. You can also see how many instances of a part there are, which can be particularly useful when working on a bill of materials. For CAD users who are used to working with an assembly structure this functionality will be intuitive, allowing them to work in AR in the same way they work in their CAD systems.
Alongside this addition, you can now link PDF documents to parts in the new product structure viewer, which allows you to view relevant information while reviewing models – without needing to leave the AR app. Being able to read technical documentation without having to reference outside sources can make the process much more efficient.
AR can be an incredibly useful tool for giving customer demos, allowing them to see and interact with models. By linking documentation to parts, you can provide easily accessible and relevant information to customers during these demos, helping them make better informed decisions.
Coming soon, there are also updates to model alignment in the HoloLens 2 for MR. With the HoloLens 2 you can use QR codes to align models in a specific position, but previously the points may drift if you walked too far from the anchor point.
With this update, multiple QR codes can be used as anchor points. When you get too far away from one anchor the model will automatically align with another anchor point, ensuring it stays in the same place. If you need a high degree of accuracy when aligning models this update will provide it.
This new release focuses on offering greater accuracy and better efficiency. Now, with improved model rendering for E57 files you can visualize your point cloud scan data in more detail, providing a higher degree of accuracy when working on large models. In AR, the addition of the product structure viewer offers an easy method of navigating models in AR. Plus, you can now link PDF documents to parts in the product structure viewer, putting important information directly at your fingertips. Finally, this release also offers more accurate model placement in MR with the HoloLens 2, using multiple QR codes as anchors.
For more detailed technical information for this release, check out the documentation page. Or if you’re not yet a user and you’re interested in exploring how XR could enhance your processes, be sure to speak with our team today.