Pantora visualizes materials' effects on part appearance

Pantora Drawing from a library of characteristics provided by material suppliers, this X-Rite software helps users visualize what parts might look like, depending on what materials they are made from. It connects to X-Rite’s MA-T12 multi-angle hand-held spectrophotometer and the Ci7000 series of benchtop sphere spectrophotometers, and can be integrated with output destinations such as third-party 3D rendering software and Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) Systems. Taking account of appearance attributes such as color, gloss and texture, it can quickly create virtual samples for nearly any material type.  

What’s new? SVBRDF — also known as Spatially Varying Bidirectional Reflectance Distribution Function — capabilities that broaden the range of materials and visual effects that can be simulated using Pantora, making it useful for designing parts from molded plastics, as well as other materials, such as fabrics. It also has been updated to better depict how light will affect the appearance of parts, with the ability to factor in characteristics such as reflectiveness, gloss, translucency and irregular geometries. 

Benefits Better communication between processors and their customers. With the software, processors can communicate with customers in real time about product appearance, without the need to shut down production and provide samples. This can help processors avoid scrap and downtime. 

X-Rite, Grand Rapids, Mich., 800-248-9748, www.xrite.com/pantora-software