Glossary of Terms and Definitions

The following glossary has been assembled to help define a common language around DSSP. Please send additions and suggestions to Geomagic Marketing.

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2D twist

cross-sectional analysis of the angle of a turbine blade

3-2-1 alignment

an alignment method where 6 points are used. First, 3 points are used to define a plane, then 2 points are used to define a line. Finally, this leaves 1 more point to alignment.

3D compare

3D comparison between an as-built physical object and a reference (design) model

3D digitizer

a device that captures the digital shape of physical objects; examples of 3D digitizers include laser scanners and CMMs

3D modeling

the general process of creating and shaping three-dimensional representations of the object

3D printer

a device capable of constructing (printing) three-dimensional computer models

3D scanner

a device that uses active lighting or radiation, such as laser, to capture the digital shape of physical objects in the form of point clouds

6 Sigma

a quality management program to achieve "six sigma" levels of quality. Six Sigma aims to have the total number of failures in quality, or customer satisfaction, occur beyond the sixth sigma of likelihood in a normal distribution of customers. Here sigma stands for a step of one standard deviation; designing processes with tolerances of at least six standard deviations will, on reasonable assumptions, yield fewer than 3.4 defects in one million.

accuracy

the amount by which a measured value adheres to a standard

adaptive fitting

the process of iteratively fitting a surface to satisfy a user-specified allowable error "tolerance"

alignment

the process of aligning two objects in a common coordinate system. Commonly refers to aligning scan data to reference objects in inspection applications.

angularity

used in GD&T, angularity refers to the condition of a surface, axis, or plane, which is specified at an angle from a datum plane or axis

as-built part

an actual, manufactured part - as opposed to the as-design part which refers to CAD representation of a part

ASCII

acronym for American Standard Code for Information Interchange. This typically refers to a representation of text files, as opposed to binary files.

binaural sculpting

the process that allows a user to simultaneously sculpt both the left and right sides of a hearing aid shell

blade

a single vane component of a turbine, compressor, etc.

blow-molding

a method of fabrication in which a warm plastic parison (hollow tube) is placed between the two halves of a mold (cavity) and forced to assume the shape of that mold cavity by the use of air pressure. Commonly used to manufacture hollow plastic parts such as bottles.

bore

the diameter of a cylinder, pipe or drilled hole

boss

a projection or extrusion extending from the main body of a part

CAD

Computer-Aided Design

CAI

Computer-Aided Inspection

CAM

Computer-Aided Manufacturing

camber

curvature of an airfoil or wing as viewed from the side

Capture

Geomagic Capture is a DSSP software that processes and converts point clouds from 3D digitizers to polygonal models

CFD

Computational Fluid Dynamics

chord

a line segment that connects two points on a curve

CMM

Coordinate Measuring Machine

CNC machine

Computer Numerical Controlled machine

computer aided inspection

a computerized process for directly comparing as-built parts with their 3D CAD definition, typically involving dense 3D scan data

coordinate measurement machine (CMM)

mechanical systems designed to move a measuring probe to determine coordinates of points on a work piece surface. CMMs are comprised of four main components: the machine itself, the measuring probe, the control or computing system, and the measuring software. Machines are available in a wide range of sizes and designs with a variety of different probe technologies.

cross section

the intersection of a body in 3-dimensional space with a plane, or of a body in 2-dimensional space with a line

CSV

Comma-Separated Values. Usually refers to an ASCII text file format that represents data values in rows, with each value separated by a comma or another specified delimiter.

CT

Computed Tomography

CT scanner

a device that uses x-rays to obtain a series of cross-section images of an object or body, resulting in a complete 3D representation

curvature-based

selection process based on a specific value of the surface curvature, used as a threshold

cutting error

the deviation that occurs on a piece of sheet metal parallel to its surface along a boundary

cylindricity

used in GD&T, cylindricity refers to the condition of a surface of revolution in which all points of the surface are equidistant from a common axis

datum

a point, line, plane, cylinder, axis, etc., from which the location or geometric relationship of other part features may be established or related

decimation

process of reducing the number of triangles or points without compromising surface detail or color, useful when the object contains an excessive number of points

dental cad cam

the use of computer-aided design (CAD) and computer-aided manufacturing (CAM) in the dental field to produce and fabricate dental prostheses with robots or computers

destructive scanning

destructive scanning involves a technique that alternately machines a thin layer from the part and then digitizes each layer using an optical scanner. This method captures the internal geometry of a part. However, the part is destroyed in the process.

deviation

difference between 3D coordinate of two points, generally between as-designed vs. as-built

deviation map

a color map based on deviation values

digital convergence

traditionally refers to the confluence of technologies in computers, communications, and consumer electronics. In DSSP, it extends this definition to include the application of digital methods to traditional physical processes

digital dentistry

the use of DSSP in the dental field to digitally capture teeth, jaw and bite structures and automatically create accurate 3D models. Digital dentistry enables treatment visualization, custom devices that fit exactly to patients' teeth and mouth, the use of superior materials in dental prostheses and dramatically speeds production of dental prostheses.

digital duplication

process of digitally duplicating a physical part

digitizer

a device that converts the position of a point on a surface into digital coordinate data

dimensioning

process of creating 2D or 3D dimension, measuring the distance between two parts or two faces of the part

discrete mathematics

discrete mathematics, also known finite mathematics, is the study of mathematical structures that are fundamentally discrete, in the sense of not supporting or requiring the notion of continuity. It refers in particular to the process of using digital points to approximate continuos reality.

DSSP

Digital Shape Sampling and Processing. DSSP is a category name that encompasses multiple technology advances. It describes the ability to use scanning hardware and processing software to digitally capture physical objects and automatically create accurate 3D models with associated structural properties for design, engineering, inspection and custom manufacturing. What digital signal processing (DSP) is to audio, DSSP is to 3D geometry.

faired

joined so that surfaces blend smoothly

FEA

Finite Element Analysis

feature

a geometrical characteristic of a part, such as a hole or a plane. It can be used to design a part or to manufacture it or to inspect it.

fillet

surface of connection between two or more main surfaces. Usually its cross-section is represented as an arc.

first-article inspection

inspection process which verifies the first manufactured part or prototype against its original design specification, thereby validating the manufacturing process. It is typically an exhaustive inspection as opposed to a sampling of particular criteria.

flatness

used in GD&T, the flatness of a plane is the degree to which it approximates a mathematical perfect plane

flush

it represents the distance between two surfaces along their normal

focal plane array scanner

the focal plane arrayscanner functions like an optical stopwatch as it tracks the travel time of the light pulse from the laser to the target and back to the focal plane array. The calculated range information from the focal plane array enables rendering the 3-D shape of an object.

freeform shape

a 3D surface that has different curvatures in different directions

functional decomposition

process of classify geometry of a part based on the functional characteristics of each element, such as plane or fillet

gage

see "Gauge"

Gap

it represents the distance between two surfaces along their tangent

gap & flush

in inspection applications, gap refers to the width of the gap between two adjacent metal panels and flush refers to the surface alignment of the two panels. Gap & flush applies typically to the inspection of automotive parts.

gauge

in engineering, a gauge is used to make measurements such as diameter of hole, distance between two surfaces and others

GD&T

Geometric Dimensioning and Tolerancing (GD&T) is an international engineering language that is used on engineering drawings to describe product in three dimensions. GD&T uses a series of standard symbols to showing the dimensioning and tolerancing on a drawing while considering the functions or relationships of part features.

Geometric Dimensioning and Tolerancing (GD&T)

a method for explicitly describing a geometry and the allowable variation in the size and position of its features. It is often referred to by the abbreviation, GD&T. There are many standards available world-wide that describe the symbols and define the rules used in GD&T, including ASME Y14.5M-1994.

Go/NO-GO

process of determining if a part or a measurement is within or outside a specified range of tolerance

go/no go analysis

type of analysis that determines if the part is within or outside a specified tolerance range

gold master

a physical or geometrical part that is considered as reference for the analysis process

GUI

Graphical User Interface

hard probe

sensing device used by CMM type of machine to CMMs to measure work piece dimensions. It can come in two types: touch trigger or analog scanning.

hard tooling

also known as gauge or measurement jig/fixture, it is used to measure some critical dimensional characteristic of a part

hotkey

typically a keyboard key associated to some action

HTML

Hypertext Markup Language

impeller

an impeller is a rotor inside a turbomachine used to increase the pressure and flow of a fluid. Simlar to propeller with smaller blades.

inspection

the process to ensure that a product is produced to meet or exceed design intent. Inspection can be carried in different ways, including manual, CMM-based, or non-contact.

interference check

process to verify that two or more surfaces do not intersect among each other

laser

a LASER (Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation) is an optical source that emits photons in a coherent beam. It is used in various applications, including inspection and digital shape reconstruction.

laser line scanner

3D digital devices that work by projecting laser light line onto surfaces, while cameras continuously triangulate the changing distance and profile of the laser as it sweeps along, enabling the object to be digitized in 3D

laser scanner

3D digital devices that work by projecting laser light onto surfaces, while cameras triangulate the the profile of the laser as it sweeps along, enabling the object to be digitized in 3D

laser tracker

portable coordinate measurement machines that use a projected laser beam refracted by a sensor (typically a ball) to recreate a 3D position

leading/trailing edge

leading/trailing edge is a curve connecting the forward/backward-most points of airfoil section

legacy part

a part that is already created or existent in the customer environment

Line scan

see "laser line scanner "

macro

a macro is an abstraction that automates a frequently-used sequence of steps or operations into a single command or operation to simplify repetitive tasks

magnetic targets

small, magnetic physical objects (spheres, etc.) used in scanning and inspection applications, typically to aid in precision registration of multiple scans or alignment of objects to a known coordinate system

manifold

in mathematics and specifically 3D triangulations, a manifold object is a polygon object where each triangle edge is connected to one and only one other triangle or are boundary edges (no connection)

mass customization

the manufacturing one-of-a-kind products with the same efficiency and cost-effectiveness as mass production

mesh

a wire frame model that is a visual presentation of an electronic representation of a three dimensional, or physical object used in 3D computer graphics. It is created by specifying each edge of the physical object where two mathematically continuous smooth surfaces meet, or by connecting an objects constituent vertices using straight lines or curves. The object is projected on the computer screen by drawing lines at the location of each edge.

Morse theory

in differential topology, Morse theory gives a very direct way of analyzing the topology of a manifold by studying differentiable functions on that manifold

MRI

Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) is a method of creating images of the inside opaque organs in living organisms. It is used to demonstrate pathological or physiological alterations of living tissues and is a commonly used form of medical imaging.

multi-threaded

a thread is a sequence of instructions, and multiple threads can be executed in parallel on many computers. Multithreading can be performed by time-slicing on a single processor, or shared across processors on multi-processor computer systems. An application that is multi-threaded is coded to take advantage of multiple processors to execute two or more instructions in parallel.

noise

in a point cloud or other data set, noise is the existence of erroneous recorded data when there is nothing there. It can be caused by an object obstructing the sensor, or ambient light reflections into the sensor during the data recording process.

non-contact inspection

inspection carried out using devices or tools that do not touch the part. Typical scanning methods include laser, structured light, CT, and MRI.

normal

a three dimensional vector that is perpendicular to a surface at the point where it intersects with a plane tangent to the surface

NURBS

an acronym for "Non Uniform Rational B-Spline", it is a mathematical model commonly used for generating and representing curves and surfaces

ordered light

see "structured light"

ordered points

a set of points arranged topologically or structurally to increase the ability to manage and process them when performing modeling and other processing tasks

outlier

a single point of data offset from the primary body of the data set making it suspect. Appropriate sampling removes or discounts outliers from processing to ensure accuracy and precision.

parallelism

used in GD&T, parallelism refers to the condition of a surface, line, or axis, which is equidistant at all points from a datum plane or axis

patch

a four-sided NURBS surface, typically used in multiple patch layouts to represent a complete 3D object

perpendicularity

used in GD&T, perpendiculatiry refers to the condition of a surface, line, or axis, which is orthogonal to a datum plane or axis

phase-shift scanner

a laser-based scanner that emits a constant-phase light and electronically measures distance to an object from the light source based on the shift in the light's phase when reflected back off the object

photogrammetry

a method of measuring based on stereo photography and the extraction of x,y coordinates and distance measurement in a plane perpendicular to the line of sight, and extracting z values

plug-in

a module for software that adds functionality to a platform, often to interact with a specific hardware component, or enable unique capability for the software platform

point cloud

a set or collection of 3D points, often in the form of a list, or database, which when viewed, may appear as a "cloud". When collected using laser-based measurement they may include other measured characteristics including intensity and color. Point clouds are used as input to modeling, design or measurement systems.

 

point normal

a normal vector intersecting a surface at a specific x,y,z point

powertrain

the mechanical components of a system that transmits power from its source to perform work

probe

the part of a measurement system which is maneuvered to contact a part to be measured, and records a measurement point based on the contact point of the spherical end of the probe

proof-of-concept

the result of a process to prove that a concept is valid

propeller

a propeller is a device which provides thrust for propulsion of a vehicle such as an airplane, ship, or submarine through a fluid such as water or air, by rotating two or more twisted blades about a central shaft, in a manner analogous to rotating a screw though a solid

QA

Quality Assurance

QC

Quality Control

Qualify

Geomagic Qualify is a digital inspection solution for manufacturing organizations that must meet quality standards and improve their process. Leveraging Digital Shape Sampling Processing (DSSP) Geomagic Qualify offers a certified way to compare as-built versus as-designed with automatic reporting to make inspection analysis simple, fast and cost effective.

quality

the characteristic or properties of and object that indicates performance to specification under load and wear over time. In manufacturing, quality means within specified tolerances with minimum variation.

quality assurance

the activity of analyzing process and activities before, during and after designing, developing, engineering, or manufacturing an object; it examines the entire set of lifecycle processes

quality control

the process of developing and applying systems to ensure products or services are designed and produced to meet or exceed customer requirements and expectations

QuickStart

a Geomagic CD-ROM that provides video demonstrations and other materials to provide an introduction to new product releases

rapid prototyping

solid freeform fabrication is the automatic construction of physical objects with 3D printers, stereolithography machines or selective laser sintering systems. It is a type of computer-aided manufacturing enabling prototypes and products to be rapidly produced.

Reference model

a design model, typically digital or the original CAD model, but may be a first or modified first article used to compare subsequent manufactured parts against and assess deviation from standard

registration

the process of aligning two data sets together based on known coordinates in each. Registration enables the integration of 2 or more point cloud data sets to define larger models that must be captured in multiple scans.

repeatability

the potential of the same results to be repeated over time. Repeatability is one measure to determine accuracy of measurement.

reverse engineering

the process by which mechanical components can be modeled and reproduced by measuring their mechanical and performance characteristics and completely and accurately sampling and measuring their physical dimension and shape properties

ribbon

a graphical display strip that indicates attributes of an object; typically used to display deviation along a boundary

RP

Rapid Prototyping

RPS

Reference Point System

sampling

the process of converting analog data into digital data by taking a series of samples or readings. Can also refer to the reduction of data by retaining only a portion of the original input set.

scanner arm

a physically anchored reticulating mechanism for mounting a hand-held scanner and through up to 7 degrees of freedom can position and record the scanner location to return accurate measured point coordinates on an object being scanned

section

a very thin slice of an object under examination, or to create a slice or cut through an object

segmentation

the process of dividing an object into logical pieces

sensor

a device that responds to a stimulus, such as heat, light, or pressure, and generates a signal that can be measured or interpreted

service bureau

a business that makes its facilities available to others for a fee. In DSSP applications these businesses typically provide 3D scanning and data processing services.

shading

applying color variations to points or triangle vertices based on normal vectors to properly display the appearance of a three-dimensional object with lighting

Shape

module of Geomagic Studio which accurately transforms polygonal objects into NURBS surfaces

shape sampling

the process of digitally capturing points measured from physical objects for the purpose of creating 3D models for design, engineering, inspection and custom manufacturing

sheet metal

metal that has been rolled into a sheet having a thickness between foil and plate

shell

to create an offset surface from an original surface, thus creating thickness from a two-dimensional manifold

software

a program or set of instructions that controls the operation of a computer. Distinguished from the actual hardware of the computer.

SPC

Statistical Process Control

springback

the deviation that occurs on a piece of sheet metal normal to its surface along a boundary when it is released from its fixture or tooling

sticker targets

reflective adhesive stickers used in scanning applications, typically to aid in precision alignment of multiple scans

structured light

any technique projecting a light pattern at a known angle to a scene. Typically used in 3D scanning devices which project multiple light patterns onto a part and capture the resulting image using digital cameras.

Studio

Geomagic Studio is the software platform for Digital Shape Sampling & Processing (DSSP) that enables engineering and design professionals to create accurate digital models from any physical part. Providing unparalleled automation and simplicity without compromise, Geomagic Studio allows everyone to bring reality into the digital world for design, manufacturing, analysis, and visualization.

surface

the boundary of a three-dimensional shape, measured in area. Can also be used as a verb, to indicate the process of defining or creating the three-dimensional representation of an object.

surface profile

used in GD&T, surface profile refers to the condition permitting a uniform amount of profile variation, either unilaterally or bilaterally, on a surface

surfaces

multiple boundary areas that comprise a part

surfacing

the process of defining or creating a surface. Typically refers to converting a polygonal representation of an object to a NURBS or other parametric representation.

symmetry

the correspondence in size, shape and relative position of parts on opposite sides of a dividing line or median plane

symmetry plane

a plane that can be described as an imaginary mirror in which an object can be reflected while appearing unchanged

test model

an object under investigation. In inspection applications, it refers to the as-built part, as opposed to the reference design.

texture mapping

the process of placing a bitmap image, or texture, on a surface during rendering

thickness

the dimension through an object as opposed to its length or width

throughput

the rate of production of a defined process over a stated period of time. Typically, this is the number of units completed through a process per unit time.

time of flight

the time for a signal (typically light) to travel from an emitter to a receiver

tolerance

the total amount a specific dimension is permitted to vary. The tolerance is the difference between the maximum and minimum limits.

tolerancing

the process of defining tolerances for a specific dimension, part, or design

toolbar

a set of buttons, usually with an icon, that are used to activate a software program's functions

tooling ball

metal spheres that are used to align multiple scans or parts to a fixture. Typical tooling balls are steel and precision-made for accuracy.

transformation

a change in the size, location or orientation of an object

transformation matrix

a mathematically shorthand way of describing the positioning, rotating, and sizing of an object. When a transformation matrix is applied to an object it will often be in a different place, orientation, and size afterwards. The inverse of a transformation matrix will restore the object to its original place, orientation, and size.

triangulation

the process of connecting a set of points into a mesh of triangles

turbine

a rotary engine in which the kinetic energy of a moving fluid is converted into mechanical energy by causing a bladed rotor to rotate

turbine blade

a rotor component of a turbine, typically arrayed about the circumference of a wheel or cylinder

unordered points

a set of points that lacks topology or organization

UV grid

a coordinate system defined on the surface of a model by the coordinates U and V. Typically used to specify the location of a texture on a surface, or to create an organized grid within a quadrilateral patch prior to NURBS surfacing.

Visual Basic

a Microsoft programming language. Can be used to customize Geomagic software through COM interfaces.

volumetric polygonal model

a polygon model constructed from a point cloud in which the points represent not just the surface points of the object, but also points within the solid density of the object

VRML

Virtual Reality Modeling Language

watertight model

a closed surface model that has all gaps and holes filed to clearly define an inside and an outside

whisker plot

a type of plot often used in demonstrating inspection metrics results

white light

similar to structured light, a technique of projecting a light pattern at a known angle to a scene. See "structured light"

white light scanner

a digital shape sampling sensor that projects light in a pattern of lines on an object and through triangulation measures deviation of the original pattern based on the distortion of the surface of the object and calculates the surface representation data

Wrap

Geomagic Studio's Wrap module efficiently automates the process of converting point clouds to polygons that can be edited to create watertight digital models for digitial manufacturing, rapid prototyping and visualization