nTop is making a significant acquisition.
nTop produces advanced 3D design software that specifically addresses the problem of handling extremely complex 3D models. Traditional software can bog down when faced with today’s increasingly complex 3D models, many of which are now generated. In some cases, the problem renders it impossible to process files or, at the very least, dramatically slows down the development process while engineers await job completion.
nTop’s software addresses this problem by storing the 3D representation in a different way that is far more amenable to processing, particularly at large scales. The far more rapid turnaround allows engineers to iterate quickly, turning out better parts faster.
Now it seems that nTop has taken a step outside their usual field by examining the workflows of engineers, and they’ve come up with a unique solution.
The iterations that take place during development have been sped up by nTop, but why are the iterations taking place? It’s because the engineers are typically testing the resulting 3D models with simulation tools.
The idea is to come up with a design, then test it with simulation software. Tweak the design, then test again. Repeat until the desired results are obtained.
In that sequence, you can see how nTop would speed up part of the workflow. However, what about the other part of the workflow, the simulations?
That’s where nTop’s acquisition comes in. Today, they’ve announced the acquisition of CloudFluid, a German company that produces advanced software to perform flow simulations. Flow simulations analyze the flow of fluids, water, air, etc., through a complex 3D model. It’s the kind of tool that an nTop engineer might consider using for simulations if their project involves fluid dynamics.
Here’s the interesting thing: nTop intends on bolting CloudFluid together with nTop and providing automation. They explain:
“With the acquisition of CloudFluid, nTop enables engineers to seamlessly converge on a valid design using high-speed CFD. Engineers can run thousands of CFD simulations overnight by integrating nTop’s powerful geometry engine with CloudFluid’s Lattice-Boltzmann fluid solver. This is crucial for training AI models that further accelerate design decisions. The CloudFluid acquisition brings nTop one step closer to real-time, automatic requirements-to-design workflows, allowing engineers to iterate at the speed of compute.”
In other words, the engineer would set up the scenario, and nTop with CloudFluid would automatically iterate through design variations until results are achieved. As in, “find the answer in the morning”.
The addition of AI is also intriguing, because that iteration process would be guided by AI tools, making it even more effective.
I don’t think nTop is kidding when they say this is a step closer to automatic part design.
If this approach succeeds, we may see nTop acquire a few more simulation tools to integrate into their software. CloudFluid simulates flows, but there are other simulations possible.
Via nTop
