Design in Virtual Space

This article illustrates features of virtual tools and their increased use in the aerospace industry. According to engineers at Dema Group, a company based in Naples, Italy, there, virtual tools are giving them greater control over the development of composite parts. The company uses a software application called FiberSIM when it designs composite parts. FiberSIM works with computer-aided design (CAD) systems to include non-geometric data in models. Like FiberSIM, ADE software contains more than the geometry of the CAD model. As described by the company in its promotional literature, the software captures all nongeometric information related to parts, assemblies, joints, and fasteners. Software from Vistagy adds manufacturing information to models of composite parts and guides the laying of plies in the Dema Group factory. EON Reality has developed products for use in retail settings for the virtual design of apartment interiors and the customization of Suzuki motorcycles. In a video demonstration, the user’s hands give the commands that configure walls, place machinery, and define traffic flows.