Solid Modeling Solutions: Difference between revisions

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NURBS ([[Non-uniform rational B-spline]]), 3D geometry, and [[Solid modeling]] technology emerged in the 1980's and 1990's into a robust commercial implementation known as SMLib (for solid modeling library). This article will provide the background and history of this implementation into a commercial product line from [http://www.smlib.com Solid Modeling Solutions]™ (SMS). SMS is an independent supplier of source code for a powerful suite of 3D geometry kernels. SMS provides advanced NURBS-based geometry libraries, SMLib™, TSNLib™, GSNLib™, NLib™, SDLib™, VSLib™, and PolyMLib™, that encompass extensive definition and manipulation of NURBS curves and surfaces with the latest fully functional non-manifold topology.

VSLib™ provides deformable modeling as part of a library using the constrained optimization techniques of the calculus of variations. The library supports several very different geometric operations.

PolyMLib™ is an object-oriented software toolkit that provides a set of objects and corresponding methods to repair, optimize, review and edit triangle mesh models. It can be used to analyze surface properties, such as smoothness and curvature distribution, as well as to repair and optimize surface meshes.<ref>"Polygonal Mesh Library for Postprocessing 3D Scan Data", Desktop Engineering, Nov 2008</ref>

== History ==

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== Philosophy ==

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SMS is committed to providingprovides source code to customers in order to enhance and enable their understanding of the underlying technology, provide opportunities for collaboration, improve time to repair, and protect their investment. Web-based delivery of product delivery, maintenance, and communication has enabled SMS to be extremely responsive, amongto the best in thecustomer industryneeds. SMS has no underlying debt, no hidden partners, and is totally employee owned. SMS is independent of any proprietary influences and totally committed to an open and responsive relationship with its customer base. SMS has established a very unique model of technical organization and an adaptive open-source approach. The pricing philosophy provides a stable base of technical expertise, and it is very cost-effective for its customers when viewed from the perspective of total cost of ownership of complex software. A license for an SMS product represents a fraction of what it would cost to develop and maintain the same capability in-house.<ref>"Kernel Wars - Episode 1", Joe Greco, CADENCE magazine, November 1999</ref>

For reviews of geometry kernels shortly after the first release of SMLib, see Joe Greco's article "Kernel Wars - Episode 1"<ref>"Kernel Wars - Episode 1", Joe Greco, CADENCE magazine, November 1999</ref> and Don LaCourse's article on Geometric Modeling Kernels Revisited".<ref>"Geometric Modeling Kernels Revisited", Don LaCourse, Cadalyst magazine, April 2001</ref> Also, see a recent review of PolyMLib in Desktop Engineering, Nov 2008. <ref>"Polygonal Mesh Library for Postprocessing 3D Scan Data", Desktop Engineering, Nov 2008</ref>

Recent customer comments include: "SMLib looks to be very interesting. I'm especially attracted by the fact that it is distributed in source code form. I hate opaque black boxes! Also the licensing terms seem to fit our needs."; "Gotta love source code, and the VC++ debugger! This problem only slowed me down for 5 minutes, whereas if this was an object library it would have been a week in the very best circumstances."; With respect to SMLib selection as one of the "Top 10 Software for 1998" by IEEE Computer & Graphics Applications, one of our customers said: "Congratulations! It's certainly one of my personal top 10."; "In my opinion, the quality of the code is excellent - world class..."; "...the support is nothing less than phenomenal. "; and from a major software developer regarding geometry kernel independence: "The destiny of software developers that stick with ACIS or Parasolid will be inextricably linked to Dassault or Unigraphics. Any competitor posing risk to either company could put itself in jeopardy of delays in receiving updates, bug fixes, and contract renewals."<ref>"Geometric Modeling Kernels Revisited", Don LaCourse, Cadalyst magazine, April 2001</ref>