Complex models can cause a poor user experience because the minimum rendering speed of 50 frames per second cannot be met.

• Model simplification is the simplest way to improve performance. HOOPS Exchange can be used to tessellate CAD files that contain BREP (see list here) at a lower level of detail. This results in a less detailed but higher performance XR experience.
  
  
• Other SDKs such as Parasolid from Siemens and Polygonica from MachineWorks, both resold exclusively by Tech Soft 3D, can be used to simplify your models further. Contact us for more information and to discuss your specific performance needs.
  
  
• Both high visual quality and performance can be achieved using powerful graphics engines, such as HOOPS Visualize, that use advanced rendering techniques such as data reorganization to avoid context switching, culling and generation of vertex buffer objects (VBOs) to further improve performance.
  
  

Few CAD formats include native support for textures and materials. When present within the file, HOOPS Exchange will extract textures from SolidWorks, AutoCAD DWG/DXF, OBJ, glTF, U3D, PRC and Revit. This information is directly accessible within your application through HOOPS Exchange API or it can be written out into an interoperable format such as FBX or OBJ.

Many users will want to enhance a model with textures and materials by applying them manually. The HOOPS Exchange API can be used to apply textures and materials. Developing a user interface for applying textures can become quite complicated. Standalone applications such as 3ds Max or Maya can be used to apply textures to a model manually. The enhanced model can then be written as an FBX, OBJ or DXF and imported into your application.

HOOPS Visualize runs on:

• VR – HTC Vive and Oculus Rift
  
  
• AR – Microsoft HoloLens and Meta 2
  
  
• Mobile – iOS and Android
  
  

HOOPS Visualize is an engineering-centric graphics engine. It can visualize extremely large models using a variety of advanced rendering techniques such as data reorganization to avoid context switching, culling and generation of vertex buffer objects (VBOs). It contains a variety of readymade tools for interrogating engineering like fast object select, cutting planes, measurement and redlining. Also, HOOPS Visualize is integrated with other engineering SDKs like HOOPS Exchange for importing rich CAD data and Siemens Parasolid for solid modeling. The HOOPS Exchange integration allows access to native CAD assembly trees, product manufacturing information (PMI), view and configuration management and additional metadata.

Yes, HOOPS Visualize works with OpenVR for the HTC Vive and Oculus Rift, ARKit for iOS and ARCore for Android. Other SDKs can be easily integrated using HOOPS Visualize using unique IDs and callbacks provided within the API.

Software – SteamVR is currently the preferred way to support VR applications. Steam and SteamVR must be installed, configured and running on the user’s computer before using HOOPS Visualize in VR mode.

Hardware – We recommend deploying on systems that are “VR Ready”. These systems contain high- powered, dedicated graphics cards that can render two views simultaneously at 50 frames per second or more. We recommend a GeForce 1060 graphics card equivalent or better.

HOOPS Visualize supports both universal windows applications and holographic remoting applications. Universal windows applications are deployed and run locally on a HoloLens. The limited onboard memory and GPU limit the size of models that can be loaded in and interactively rendered. Holographic remoting applications pair a HoloLens to a secondary desktop or laptop computer. Large scenes are rendered on the paired computer and streamed to the HoloLens headset via a Wi-Fi network.