Latest News

April 9, 2008

LucidShape Usermeeting in Nuremberg

On April 9, 2008, the first LucidShape user meeting proceeded in Nuremberg, Germany at the Georg-Simon-Ohm University. Lead managed by Prof. von Hoffman of efi (Fakultät Elektrotechnik, Feinwerktechnik, Informationstechnik), the event was a big success for all participants. All german suppliers and users of LucidShape's lighting technologies were invited to discuss current LucidShape topics. New features of the upcoming version 1.7 were introduced, new ideas for further LucidShape development were discussed, and new customers were welcomed. Because of the huge number of interested people and the many positive reactions we received, the user meeting is very likely to proceed on a regular basis in the future years. A sincere "Thank You!" is given to all participants and all those who made the event possible.

 

March 7, 2008

Release of LucidShape 1.6.2 and LucidDrive 1.1.2

User Interface
- "save selected as" no longer changes the current document's name to the new name
- "save as" for an lue file with a script setup no longer changes the current document's name to the new name
- "select medium library file" under options behaves like "select material before"
CAD
- new dialogs for "Catia Transfer" and "Rhino Transfer"
- on IGES and STEP import: generate an ObjectVector for each layer and BREP object
Script language
- a new function exit() terminates the execution of the script
- new function type void; No need anymore for "pseudo double" function without a return value.
- script function getCurrentView()
Dialog
- migration of internal C++ dialogs into script functions. When changing the focus from view to view,
  the current model "follows" the dialog, and the dialog is automatically updated to the new model.
  the 2 dialogs:
      Navigation UVData
      UVData properties
  have been changed. Other dialogs will follow shortly.
- the BSDF wizard dialog is also added to the material dialogs
- new dialogs for selecting Lumen or Watt in emitter materials
- "Add file" dialog code now in script code and improved
- menu item texts now identical to corresponding dialog box caption texts
- new feature "select by color" via selection of an object and use of the object's color
- point light source for LED now with axis system
- "assign material" now only for "unused surfaces" instead of "all surfaces"
- new suffix type .luc for configuration files
UV Data / LucidLite
- new bird's eye view which allows the setting of the aiming position of up to 2 headlamps
- similar to bird's eye view, a driver view diagram with viewing parameter and aiming position of up to 2 headlamps
- several applications are improvments and migration into .do scripts
      +street illumination
      +simple room illumination
      +static automotive road illumination
      +LID editor
      +interpolate LID
- colors in text output for LID test tables. Critical entries now displayed in red.
Simulation
- new 3D Volume sensor, enables measurement of absorbed light flux in user defined box shaped volumes
- improvements in "inside" test for trimmed surfaces
- some LED emitters with spectral curves (provided by LED manufacturer OSRAM)
- Spooling (for details, please ask for further documentation)
       - Simulation Jobs can be put into a queue that is being processed by a spooling process to be started from LucidShape
       - Jobs can be processed locally, using multiprocessing on one computer or using several computers like LucidRemote
- LucidRemote
       - is still included but the spooling process will completely replace it in the near future
Geometrical Modelling
- new function: surface from up to 4 border curves; no longer as application
- new function: reduce degree of curves and surfaces
Poly Curve Systems
- variable weight factors along the curve direction; instead of just one double factor now a control curve may be applied
- surface connection of the VaroSurface now also "elliptical" of degree 2 instead of degree 3
MacroFocal Systems
- new improved dialog for gap settings
- 3 new gap types "step back no gap ...": works like the "no gap ..." cases but with step back onto the surface.
  Usefull for lenses, where an explicit gap/step is not wanted and a slight reduction in light quality can be accepted.
  Works also with reflectors.
- A "To Catia" button supports the direct transfer of the reflector/lens surface to catia.
  Works the same like the "Catia Transfer" dialog.
- automatic stop of the the reflector surface calculation when the slope becomes too steep.
- new MF application for dual source system like H13, HB7, H4 ...
- besides the major source, a secondary source can be defined and used for simulations.

December 20, 2007

Release of LucidShape 1.6.1 and LucidDrive 1.1.1

*****   Special new feature in 1.6.1: STEP AND IGES IMPORT AND EXPORT   ******
In 1.6.1, you may read/write STEP and IGES files direct instead of reading via Rhino3D.  The path via Rhino3D is well proven and therfore still used by default. If you want to use the direct read of IGES/STEP, just go to Options -> Global Settings -> CAD Transfer Options  and check the IGES and STEP boxes.

 

Improvements in 1.6.1 and LucidDrive 1.1.1:

 LucidShape:

 PCS applications:

PS applications:

 MF applications:

 LucidDrive:

 LucidDriveSC : (Server/Client)

 Road Editor: 

 

September 25, 2007 Brandenburg GmbH at the

The ISAL 2007 in Darmstadt was a great success for all participants. Among the main topics of the conference were new LED driven headlamps, Adaptive Frontlighting Systems (AFS) and innovative computational methods to handle related problems (for example heating). We were proud to show that our software tools are highly capable of creating, testing and simulating these technologies.

Most interest was attended to our latest Night Driving Simulator as a special highlight at the ISAL. The build-up consisted of a network of three LucidDrive computers.




In fact, our simulation software LucidDrive seemed to hit the community's nerve and achieved much acclaim. One interested party even stated that it was "the best night driving simulation ever seen".

We would like to thank all visitors and customers for their interest in our products, and we hope to welcome you again on the next ISAL 2009.

ISAL: http://www.lichttechnik.tu-darmstadt.de/ISAL.662.0.html

May 9, 2007

Release of LucidShape 1.6 and LucidDrive 1.1 with new features:

LucidShape 1.6

Data transfer

LucidRemote

Raytrace

Material

Applications

General

LucidDrive 1.1

April 24, 2007

LucidShape and LucidDrive under VISTA

LucidShape and LucidDrive are both running under VISTA. But we do not recommend to install it at the moment under VISTA for different reasons:

1) We have encountered an error in the default (generic) OpenGL driver for VISTA. We made adjustments to overcome these problems, but we cannot rule out any other errors. We recommend to download the latest graphics card drivers from the vendor of your graphics card. If it is essential to install LucidShape under VISTA, one should always use the hardware graphic accelerator (OPTIONS/HARDWARE GRAPHIC ACCELERATOR).

2) The normal VISTA user cannot write into the "Program Files" directory. If the system administrator installs programs and these programs have to write data to this directory, VISTA creates an additional folder instead. This folder is called "Compatibility Files". The normal user can also write data to this folder. The better option is of course if the system administrator allows the user to write data to the folder "Program Files/LucidShape".

3) We do have principle problems with COM interface and DDE.

 

March 9, 2007

Release of new LucidDrive movies.

LucidDrive movies are real-time videos of LucidDrive. They are stored as wmv (lower resolution with description) or avi files (higher resolution without description).

The lower resolution movies are 720 x 576 pixel in size, the higher resolution movies are 1024 x 768 pixel in size.

If problems encounter to watch them, please make sure that the latest version of the Media Player is installed!

You can download the movies here

November 29, 2006

Release of LucidShape 1.5.2 and LucidDrive 1.0.1 with new features:

LucidShape 1.5.2

CATIA data transfer

Rhino data transfer

General data exchange

Applications

PS Systems

PCS Systems

MF Systems

Lens

UV Data

Simulation

Material

General

Documentation

LucidDrive 1.0.1

July 13, 2006

Release of LucidDrive 1.0.0, a stand-alone night drive simulator with enhanced graphics.

Release of LucidShape 1.5.1, with new features:

May 9, 2006

Release of LucidShape 1.5, with new features:

February 20, 2006

Release of LucidShape 1.4.4, with new features:

February 10, 2006

  December 2005

Release of LucidShape 1.4.3, with new features:

 September 2005

Release of LucidShape 1.4.2, with new features:

May 2005

Release of LucidShape 1.4.1, with new features: