Kristen Larsen
SensAble Technologies
15 Constitution Way
Woburn, MA 01801
T: 781-939-7495
F: 781-937-8325
media@sensable.com
Woburn, MA, August 14, 2001 - UK-based PDD, one of Europe's leading product innovation consultancies, has adopted the FreeForm™ modeling system for their product design studios. The FreeForm system has been quickly adopted by modelers and sculptors since its premier in 1999, but it is the recently released version 4.0 that has begun to make waves in product design communities.
PDD's design process integrates leading edge tools and techniques that support natural, creative freedom while also enabling clients and supplier partners to experience and validate designs at the earliest opportunity.
Graham Lacy, head of technical design at PDD, stated, "For ten years, PDD has pioneered the use of digital media within product design, yet we have always needed to combine form creation with defined constraints. With FreeForm V4, we finally have a system that pursues both efficiently."
FreeForm modeling offers designers what no other application does: the combination of a touch-based system and modeling techniques that optimize form with function. Together these elements provide users with an unparalleled ability to streamline designs and capture design intent in a natural, direct and intuitive manner.
The version 4.0 release includes over 60 new features, enhancements and improvements that provide greater control over models, allowing users to comply with design criteria. Among them are the addition of 3D curves to allow creation and precise control over sophisticated shapes, enhanced sketching, deformation tools and offset functionality to "shell" models.
About FreeForm Modeling
SensAble's FreeForm modeling system provides an analog interface to a digital tool, a revolutionary combination for product design. FreeForm tools use familiar physical metaphors such as sculpting, wire cutting, shaping and deforming. These work in a direct and obvious manner to deliver the flexibility and expressiveness of physical media like the clay and blue foam designers have loved for years. Controlling these tools through touch gives users an unprecedented connection to their model. The flow of design intent-no longer choked off at the user/computer interface-allows users to faithfully capture any nuances and difficult to describe subtleties in digital form. Sophisticated modeling techniques help designers to hold design criteria and optimize form with function, while direct model interaction and familiar methods help eliminate the months-long learning curve typically needed to master traditional 3-D modeling software.
About SensAble Technologies
SensAble Technologies is transforming the way people use computers in the 21st century. Our groundbreaking technology allows you to fully interact with your computer via your sense of touch. Two dimensions-sight and sound-become three, sight, sound and now touch. And that gives you the freedom to work in a more natural, intuitive way. SensAble and its products have won more than a dozen awards and have been featured in publications worldwide, including The Wall Street Journal, Business Week and Fortune. FreeForm modeling, SensAble's first end-user application, was given the first ever Grand Innovation Award from Computer Graphics World. The company has over 500 customers in 30 countries, including adidas-Salomon, Boeing, Disney, Ford, General Electric, Honda, Hasbro, Motorola and leading universities worldwide. For more information, visit www.sensable.com.
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SensAble, PHANTOM and FreeForm are trademarks or registered trademarks of SensAble Technologies, Inc. All other companies and products referenced herein have trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders.
SensAble Technologies, Inc., 15 Constitution Way, Woburn, MA 01801. Tel: 781-937-8315, Fax: 781-937-8325, Web: www.sensable.com, Email: info@sensable.com.
