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This page provides you with some insights about the HOOPS Visualize roadmap. If you are interested in providing input or collaborating on any of the projects below, please contact HOOPS Visualize's Product Manager or Tech Soft 3D support.
Release Plan
HOOPS Visualize release schedule consists in a major release and two service packs per year.
Minor updates might be released in between according to needs:
Fix regressions or high priority issues
Deliver updated formats to reduce availability delays
Release Schedule
See the HOOPS Target General Availability Dates.
Format Updates Plan
Provisional plan – Subject to change
Format | Version |
|---|---|
Sketchup 2021 | HPS 2021 SP1 |
Short-term projects
Projects planned to be delivered in next release (next 4 months)
Adding custom shader support to HOOPS Visualize
Currently, Visualize does not support custom shaders. This project would aim to expose the ability to insert your own shaders into Visualize's web viewer.
Improved rendering quality
Several improvements are planned for PBR in Visualize. This should include better support for environment mapping, image based lighting, and rendering which is similar to the rendering in HOOPS Communicator. Finally we will add a mechanism to allow non-PBR models (such as CAD models) to be displayed in a PBR mode, providing higher quality renderings without having to re-author all data in a PBR application.
Visualize will improve our PBR rendering support, including clearcoat and specular materials. This is required to render many glTF models as expected.
IFC Improvements (through Exchange Sprocket)
Support of additional classes and information that will help model analysis and querying. This will include both the semantic information and being able to display the relationships graphically.
Spatial relationships: Project, Site, Building, Story, Spaces, Walls.
New classes: Openings.
Optimizations for Pipes and Beams
Mid-term projects
Planned or on-going projects that might be delivered mid-term (in one or two releases) – After 4 months / before 12 months
Rendering of liquid and gas volumes
HOOPS Visualize will add support for rendering of liquid and gas volumes. This is to better support our partners in the CAE market.
Out Of Core Point Cloud Improvements
OOC will be ported to all Visualize supported platforms, including mobile platforms.
Point clouds will be insertable via API into OOC, instead of having to supply a file for preprocessing..
Long-term projects
Longer term projects we are considering
Parasolid Sprocket for Android
As Siemens has now released Parasolid for Android, Visualize will port the existing Parasolid sprocket to Android.
Improved performance for large models
This project will focus on improving frames per second performance when working with large models, or data sets comprised of many files. Examples include BIM federation workflows and Digital Factory simulations
Support and display of Mates (through Exchange Sprocket)
This project will focus on delivering support of the CATIA V5 mates to help applications in Manufacturing simulation, Robotic, Kinematics Analysis and more generate a kinematics model of the assembly.
Mates will be supported both semantically and graphically.
Note that the support of Mates for other formats might be considered in future release cycles
PBR output through Exchange sprocket
The Exchange Sprocket will be updated to offer the ability to take a HOOPS Visualize model and export it to GLTF through HOOPS Exchange.
Client-side Collision Detection
While HOOPS Exchange licensees can use an integration between Visualize and Exchange to check for collisions, this is not designed for interactivity. This project would aim to have collision detection performed on the client-side without reliance on Exchange.
Add support for implicit modeling
The generative design market is pushing the boundaries of what can be manufactured. However since they do not typically use standard BRep / single body mesh forms HOOPS Visualize cannot display these models efficiently. This project will be to investigate what changes would be required to make it easier for generative design applications to use HOOPS Visualize.
Vulkan or DX12 drivers
Adding support for new generation graphics APIs will enable Visualize to add new functionality and to also begin refactoring the 3DF GS to take advantage of modern GPU architecture.