The new version incorporates a range of unique new tools to help users produce smooth CAD surfaces from digitised data that can then be used in a wide range of product development applications, including the creation of CAD models from physical models, updating CAD master models to reflect modification to prototypes, the design of new parts based on existing components, and the repair of tooling where no CAD data exists. As a result, a large amount of time-consuming editing is required before surfaces can be produced of the required quality.
Options are available to either add or subtract material.
Another common problem comes when trying to generate surfaces with a high degree of curvature from sparse data. Frequently, the surfaces will be able to be produced within the tolerance required but will be faceted, rather than smoothly curved. The new version of CopyCAD includes an additional option to add intermediate points in such areas and so produce a more even result. Apart from problems with the quality of the results, the other factor discouraging companies from using reverse engineering is the complexity of the software. Recent releases of CopyCAD have seen major improvements in this area, in particular the addition of the Reverse Engineering Wizard that guides the user through the first stages of the process.