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Section: Partnerships and Cooperations
European Initiatives
FP7 Projects
GoodShape
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Title: Numerical Geometric Abstractions: from bits to equations
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Abstract: GoodShape involves several fundamental aspects of 3D modeling and computer graphics. GoodShape is taking a new approach to the classic, essential problem of sampling, or the digital representation of objects in a computer. This new approach proposes to simultaneously consider the problem of approximating the solution of a partial differential equation and the optimal sampling problem. The proposed approach, based on the theory of numerical optimization, is likely to lead to new algorithms, more efficient than existing methods. Possible applications are envisioned in inverse engineering and oil exploration.
ShapeForge
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Abstract: Despite the advances in fabrication technologies such as 3D printing, we still lack the software allowing for anyone to easily manipulate and create useful objects. Not many people possess the required skills and time to create elegant designs that conform to precise technical specifications. 'By–example' shape synthesis methods are promising to address this problem: New shapes are automatically synthesized by assembling parts cutout of examples. The underlying assumption is that if parts are stitched along similar areas, the result will be similar in terms of its low–level representation: Any small spatial neighbourhood in the output matches a neighbourhood in the input. However, these approaches offer little control over the global organization of the synthesized shapes, which is randomized. The ShapeForge challenge is to automatically produce new objects visually similar to a set of examples, while ensuring that the generated objects can enforce a specific purpose, such as supporting weight distributed in space, affording for seating space or allowing for light to go through. This properties are crucial for someone designing furniture, lamps, containers, stairs and many of the common objects surrounding us. The originality of our approach is to cast a new view on the problem of 'by–example' shape synthesis, formulating it as the joint optimization of 'by–example' objectives, semantic descriptions of the content, as well as structural and fabrication objectives. Throughout the project, we will consider the full creation pipeline, from modeling to the actual fabrication of objects on a 3D printer. We will test our results on printed parts, verifying that they can be fabricated and exhibit the requested structural properties in terms of stability and resistance.
VORPALINE
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Abstract: The VORPALINE "Proof-of-Concept" project, funded by the European Research Council, aims at transforming the scientific results stemming from the GoodShape project into a technological component directly transferable to the industry. The funding allowed us to hire an experimented software architect, Thierry Valentin, who created the industrial software architecture and development tools (continuous integration platform, non-regression tests, software quality tools ...). The result of the project is the Vorpaline software (see section 5.1 ).