Saving Designing Efforts with Teamcenter’s Shape Search Engine – Geolus

This blog is created as a response and solution to the above PLM challenge, This is a part of our weekly Wiser Wednesday Challenge on Linkedin – Aimed to add value to the PLM community. 
Check out Quiz #11 on our LinkedIn page.

Saving Designing Efforts with Teamcenter’s Shape Search Engine – Geolus

Solution Blog:

Why do we need a Search based on Shape?

A designer works with customers to understand their design requirements, create 3D models, parts, drawings, and specifications, and collaborates with other departments to ensure accuracy and quality.

For doing their design work they often reuse existing parts. Major use cases are for creating new parts to create new products or modifying existing parts to create new parts that can be used in a variety of applications. 

Most of the PLM applications give the possibility to find existing parts by firing a query on the metadata such as the material, size, shape, and type of part etc. Additionally, manufacturers often have searchable databases that allow designers to quickly find parts that match their specifications. 

But this is very tedious, time-consuming and non-accurate as it requires the right metadata inputs. So, having a tool that can quickly and accurately search for similar parts based on shape can save a significant amount of time in the design process. It eliminates the need to manually search through catalogues, drawings, or 3D models to find the right part. Having a tool that can quickly and accurately identify and locate parts that are close in shape to what is needed can reduce design time and cost.

Geolus Shape Search

Geolus Shape Search is an AI-powered search engine designed to help PLM users/Designers to find shapes in digital models. It enables designers to quickly find parts based on their shape, without knowing their metadata information. Where traditional search takes time or just simply fails. Geolus will return the results in seconds. 

As we know, JT is a popular file format used to exchange 3D data. Geolus Shape Search reads JT, VRML, and STL files, and results are intelligently ordered based on how closely their shapes match your input. Also, you can filter search results based on your attributes, such as material, where used, cost, etc. If the existing part exactly matches your needs, then you can reuse them instead of creating a new one, or this can be starting template for you which you can use and create a new copy out of it and modify as required.

This can save a lot of time for the Designer and improves overall operating efficiency which in the end saves a lot of cost for the company. 

Geolus shape search can be used in a variety of ways i.e. from CAD tools or PLM software (like Teamcenter) or can be used as a standalone application using a browser or can be embedded in other software as well.

Geolus Teamcenter Architecture

Geolus Database
To carry out shape searches in real-time, Geolus analyses and stores the part meta and shape data. It stores this part of data in database tables on a central database server named Geolus Database. Geolus database is used to store the compressed shape data of the part, metadata associated with the CAD and index data for searching the part quickly. 
Geolus supports a wide range of relational databases, including Oracle and Microsoft SQL Server.

Geolus server
The Geolus server is a software component of the Geolus application that connects with the Geolus database and has various set tools/utilities to support the search and indexing functionality. The Geolus server is deployed in a central application server.
The Geolus server is responsible for taking the Geolus search requests and connecting with the Geolus database to respond with matching search results. To respond quickly to user requests it maintains the Shape, Index and other metadata of the parts in memory.

Geolus Teamcenter Indexer
The Gelous Teamcenter Indexer is the module/tool which is responsible to populate the Geolus database. It exports the part shape and metadata from Teamcenter and imports it into the Geolus database. 
The Geolus Teamcenter Indexer can be run in three different modes, 

Run-mode 1:- Produces JT and PLM XML or CSV files from Teamcenter

Run-mode 2:- Produces JT and PLM XML or CSV files as run-mode 1, and then creates Geolus XML files.

Run-mode 3:- Produces Geolus XML files as run-mode 2, then imports into the Geolus database 
Solution blog by Sagar Nagade.