The AMC Bridge team has created from scratch the first interactive generative design software for Windows in the industry. This application has opened new capabilities for design and engineering and enabled considerable time and cost reduction for parts making. Users do not have to design themselves; they just set parameters, limits, and characteristics of the required object. The rest is done by computer technology that works independently and practically becomes a full partner in development. The first ones who started to use this software were airspace, military, and engineering companies. And now we would like to share the story of our work on that project.

Our client is a company that developed a platform that would improve design and topology. Such a platform enables engineers and designers to forecast parts and constructions’ behavior in predefined conditions and scenarios, not only to outline, create, and try them out. Hence, it is possible to define the material and characteristics of necessary components before their production, which means a considerable price reduction of the process.

To optimize components designing, our client created a cloud application for generative programming based on the compute kernel. However, during the growth of demand for generative design, just a high application performance was not enough. So, the company requested AMC Bridge to create a desktop computational environment and a digital solution for the generative design that would work on the Windows operating system.

Generative design and how it works

The generative design is not only about software. It’s about the design approach when a human delegates a portion of processes to the computer technology and platform. So, basically, AMC Bridge developers have made a full partner and creative process participant since the generative system semi-independently creates and drops out solution options in contrast to the traditional design instruments. Nonetheless, it allows working through several solutions simultaneously choosing the best one.

That technology was used, for instance, for the fuel cost saving in the Airbus planes. Engineers who got the task decided to decrease the fuel consumption rate by reducing a plane’s weight. They lightened a partition wall between the main cabin and cabin crew area. The generative algorithm created the construction option that met all the requirements and, at the same time, looked like a set of random axes. Thereby, the wall weight was reduced by 45%. And the load simulation confirmed: that construction design option proved to be the strongest one.

Such algorithms also created unique designs. For example, they generated the view of the entire planets in the computer space simulation game No Man’s Sky. Then there are 7 million labels of the Nutella promo series that are created in the same way, and every picture is unique.

How does the application work?

The AMC Bridge developers had a task to create an absolutely new product based on the existing compute kernel. The created software combines improved real-time algorithms of topology optimization and modeling that organize the design of high-performance parts and components that are ready for production at the output.

The application created by the AMC Bridge team includes the following main modules:

• A device for 3D scanning that enables measuring
• A data communication module with import and export functions
• A document component that is a data proxy model built on the existing compute kernel
• Access to the compute kernel using Python
• A UI component

Due to the precise engineering combination of generative geometry and surface CAD, it was possible to create an application that has, but is not limited to, the following functions:

• CAD-native files import
• One or several geometries optimization
• Adjustable loadings and limitations
• Real-time finite element analysis (FEA)
• Standard and custom materials library
• Interactive design changes
• Multithreading Windows 64-bit architecture
• Geometry export in the STL format with the custom resolution
• Optional GPU computing using NVIDIA graphics devices

The solution found in two days

“At first, the client insisted on using QML—technology for creating a desktop application UI based on JavaScript. We started to work in that direction but faced the impossibility of implementing some technical elements the client wanted to see in the UI. Our vision was to start using Qt Widgets technology. As a result, we suggested a solution to the customer just in two days. Principally, it was due to deep expertise in using Qt Framework for the UI creation,” mentioned Serhii Sokhromov, the project manager.

Also, the AMC Bridge developers offered to create the Python API, though it was not among the initial requirements. That decision allowed to speed up the application development by enabling automatic testing of the compute kernel and to improve the performance by launching sequential computations that require minimum user involvement.

Why us?

Our clients chose the AMC Bridge company to work on the application as we have deep expertise in creating programs for 3D modeling from scratch and software development experience in CAD, CAM, CAE, PDM, BIM, and PLM.

Our developers work, in particular, on virtual reality applications that automakers use. It allows evaluating the view, spaciousness, and usability of the car interior at the design stage by wearing 3D glasses. One more of our numerous projects is simulation software, with the help of which engineers can test properties of geometric constructions in the virtual wind tunnel.

The collaboration of the client and AMC Bridge company resulted in another successful case: a unique program that opened new horizons of generative design.