Open Cascade Features and Usability

What is OPEN CASCADE?

OPEN CASCADE is a well-known and commonly used software development platform. The services offered by OPEN CASCADE are 3D surface and solid modeling, CAD data exchange and visualization. It is available as a C++ library under the GNU Lesser General Public License (LGPL) version 2.1, with additional exceptions.

Here is the list of few key features provided by OPEN CASCADE

• Modelling Data: OPEN CASCADE provides a data structure to represent 2D and 3D geometric models. So model geometry and topology can be checked.

• Modeling algorithms: OCC provides a wide range of topological and geometric algorithms used in geometric modeling. Intersection and projection algorithms are provided by OCC.
• Mesh: Mesh is the tessellated representations of objects. Mesh format translation is supported.
• Geometry Healing: Healing and repairing algorithms for problematic geometries are provided by OCC that can work at different levels of geometry.

• Visualization: Visualization means geometric representations of the model. Visualization for both 2D as well as 3D models are provided by OCC. Selection for the rendered geometry is also supported.

• Data Exchange: The Exchange of data with various CAD formats is supported.

What ProtoTech can provide over OPEN CASCADE

ProtoTech has a very strong background in working with OPEN CASCADE and other CAD SDK’s/libraries. We have recently created an OPEN CASCADE based MFC application for one of our customers with the following features:

1. File Import support for different CAD formats.
2. Model Tree support with Editing
3. Provided User interface to modify different attributes like name, color, transparency, etc.
4. Support functionality to generate and export different views of the model including exploded and Section views.
5. Operators like Zoom, Pan, Rotate, etc provided for better visualization.

Below applications based on OPEN CASCADE toolkit can be developed by ProtoTech according to the clients requirement:  

• Translator SDK: We can translate the CAD files, formats for the user according to his requirement. This SDK can be integrated with other applications to import or export the file formats that are not supported by the host application.

• Modeling SDK: Similar to translator SDK, customized modeling algorithms can be implemented. This SDK can be integrated with the host application of the user to implement required modeling operations.

• CAD Viewer: Desktop and web viewer for the file formats can be developed with the required functionality.

• Geometry Healing: We can develop the healing workflow using OCC API to support the automation of healing/repairing.

Author: Monali T.
Contact us:
info@prototechsolutions.com
ProtoTech Solutions