• Three Library Releases in 2009 & Plans for 2010
• Some feedback from customers
• Solid Modeling Solutions Wishes Everyone Happy Holidays

Solid Modeling Solutions released three separate versions this past year of their suite of geometry kernels. In the recent release 8.0 NLib was rewritten converting the cryptic short names to longer and more meaningful names. The release includes a translator tool to change short to long NLib call names within user applications. This change significantly improves application code readability which enhances maintenance and reliability of applications utilizing NLib.

In release 7.8, made in May, extensive improvements were made to the surface/surface and curve/surface intersection and point classification code resulting in enhanced Boolean and Merger operations. There were also improvements with a greatly simplified interface to topological and surface/surface filleting. There were upgrades to support 64-bit Windows computing environments. The Hidden Curve algorithm was made more robust the Hidden Curve display was improved.

In release 7.7, made early this year, surface and curve caching was enhanced to reduce memory usage and improve speed. The Surface/Point solve methods were rewritten for improved robustness and speed. A new method was added to assess current run-time memory needed for multi-thread applications that plan run-time thread launches. Other enhancements were made for calculating bounding box geometry, validating data for consistency at run-time, improving the Offset Curve algorithm, enhancing functions for variable-radius fillets, and adding new more robust and faster running Sew functions.

In 2010, we will be including subdivision surfaces as an embedded part of SMLib at no additional cost to our customers. Subdivision surface capabilities are especially useful in graphical applications. It will give our users the ability to easily model complex shapes with hierarchical Catmull-Clark surfaces.

We will continue to schedule two or three releases per year with enhanced functionality, improved performance, and better overall reliability and robustness of the kernels.

As in the past, we continue to receive excellent feedback from our customers. Some of the quotes from this past year include "We are very pleased with SMS products and support."; "...the relationship with SMS is particularly valuable to us."; "Thank you as always for being our long-time partner."; "Thanks, this sounds like an excellent solution to our problem."

We are always pleased to hear back from our customers, and we strive to be among the best in the industry for customer satisfaction. Currently SMS libraries are enabling components in a growing number of released geometric applications and have been distributed to a number of academic institutions to help those schools educate the next generation of geometric modelers and users.

In a very tough economy this past year, our company has grown. Our products continue to be used as critical components by our customers to enable them to develop and market robust applications in such market segments as CAD/CAM/CAE, optics, orthopedic device modeling, animation, medical imaging, and many other graphical and geometric implementations. We wish all of our customers, users, suppliers, and friends in the industry a very happy holiday season. May this coming year bring us peace in the world.

From the staff of Solid Modeling Solutions

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