SURFACE Version 3.6
for Windows95/98/2000/XP
SURFACE which has been developed over the last eleven years and used successfully on many different structures during that time, has been completely rewritten to run in Windows95/98/2000. Version 3.0 of the program, which has been used on quite a number of different structures, incorporated several new and powerful features. Version 3.6 is even more powerful incorporating mouse inserted geodesics seams, radial and rectangular grids and exporting of panel shapes and perspective 3D views via the ClipBoard into any suitable Windows software such as Word. In particular, the relaxing process has been speeded up so that shapes can be modified and tested almost straightaway
SURFACE has been developed for several years in a commercial environment and used on a large number of real structures. Manufacturers and designers can now design themselves the exciting to look at and structurally strong forms, which have been used on a large number of permanent canopies. The work can be done simply and quickly on an ordinary office PC making it attractive for almost any application large or small. Regular and irregular conical canopies, boat awnings, garden canopies, camping tents, screens, fabric hoppers and chutes, permanent roofs and covers can all be designed and patterned.
The ability to rapidly and easily demonstrate to potential clients exactly what the proposed structure will look like, or show them what the effect of modifications will be, is a powerful sales aid. Equally the ability to easily tailor your canopy to precisely fit a customers particular site, however irregular, first time, can save a lot of trouble and expensive modifications and site visits.
SURFACE allows the operator to lay an imaginary net of almost any size over any arrangement of hoops, poles, and ridge cables, edges and fixed points or floating points connected by links of any length to fixed points. The membrane then relaxes (shrinks) to form a smooth double curved shape. The program allows the designer to view the resulting form in perspective from any angle and quickly and easily modify the shape until it meets the design requirements. The shape can be modified not only by altering the positions of the fixings and lengths of the links, but also by altering tensions in the membrane and the supporting cables.
When the desired shape has been achieved the designer selects the arrangement of seams that he wishes to use and the program calculates and displays the shape of the flat panels that must be cut and joined to achieve the chosen form. Again there are many easy to use options available. In particular geodesic seam lines can be driven across the surface to give minimum panel edge curvature or radial seam or geodesic lines utilised for any conical based form. True three dimensional soft conical forms can be developed and then panel shapes developed which need not have radial seams and are easier to fabricate and more economic that radial panels.
Where unstable fabrics are to be used, compensation for differential stretch may be incorporated into the output. Panels may be precisely aligned to suit the direction of the warp threads and seam overlaps defined.
Output from SURFACE is in the form of ASCII text files defining both the three dimensional form of the canopy and the two dimensional form of the cutting patterns. These may either be loaded and edited in a word processor or printed direct from a text editor. The two dimensional panel text files are in a form suitable for direct issue to the shop floor for hand marking out. In addition, the two dimensional panel output is provided in a form for direct reading into a CAD program where the files can be edited, the shapes nested and then plotted full size direct onto the material using a computer controlled plotting table. The three dimensional shape may be saved in CAD format as a 3D mesh surface to be read direct into a 3D CAD program for rendering and shading and incorporation into the other drawings of the overall structure.
Printed output from 3D CAD with all the advantages of shading, colour and surface texture can prove an easy and effective sales tool for showing clients what they are going to get. The CAD output is in the form of DXF surface files which can be read into most modern CAD systems including AutoCAD in particular. However, we have found that the program DesignCAD3000 is particularly suitable for fabric work and is inexpensive and easy to learn and use. SURFACE also therefore outputs files in a form for direct reading into this program and we can provide general technical support on its use. Fabricators often find this a useful route into using CAD for many other tasks.
UNWRAPPING. An important utility in SURFACE allows the operator to take any three dimensional form developed by a 3D CAD program such as DesignCAD or AutoCAD and convert this to the format read by SURFACE. The file produced can then be used in SURFACE to define seams and calculate cutting patterns. Where required, geodesic lines can be driven across the surface, to produce optimal low curvature seams. This is a powerful utility, which makes SURFACE into a general tool for all types of fabric or even sheet metal work. Effectively it enables the user to unwrap the surface of any 3D CAD image. In particular the powerful systems within DesignCAD or AutoCAD can be used to design complicated inflatable shapes, which can be unwrapped in SURFACE for patterning.
SURFACE has been carefully thought out so that the operator works in an easy to use conventional Windows format, menu and mouse driven graphical environment. Commands can generally be entered in several ways and, if desired, most of the operations may be carried out using a mouse. In use the design process follows a logical sequence with easy modification at any stage. Windows handling features allow loading or saving of designs at every stage in the process and numerical shape data may be examined from within SURFACE as you work.
System requirements are an IBM compatible 486, or higher, computer with VGA graphics, Windows95 (Windows95 is required for DesignCAD3000 and SURFACE 3.6) and a serial mouse. A word processor or text editor and printer are desirable but not essential.
Surface Software is a partnership set up to develop easy to use practical software for Tent designers, sail makers, tent manufacturers and general canvas fabricators. It is the aim of the partnership to provide software that genuinely solves the problems most frequently encountered in the canvas and tent fabricating trade. SURFACE has been used successfully in the design of a large number of successful canopies and is in use in many countries overseas.
The price of SURFACE Version 3.6 is £1085, including 6 months telephone/fax/E-mail technical support (UK or New Zealand). Existing users of version 3.0 or lower may upgrade for £200. For further information please get in touch with Dan Fish, Surface Software, Woodcutters, St Johns Road, New Milton, Hampshire BH25 5SD U.K. Int.Tel/Fax No. 44 (0)1425 610332 Mobile 0370 432786 e-mail danfishsurface@onetel.net.uk
