LITE DESIGN DESIGN PRO CNC EXPORT IMPORT/SCAN COMPARE

SHAPE3D X

Shape3d X is a 3D Design software dedicated to shapers. It is the best solution to design Surfboard, Windsurf, Stand Up Paddle, Windfoil, Hydrofoil, Fin...
Several options are available for amateurs to pro shapers or factories:
  • Choose the Free LITE version if you're an amateur shaper, or if you want to keep it simple, or just if you don't want to pay!
  • Choose the DESIGN version if you want more functionalities (Ghost board/image, Fin plugs positioning, File protection...) for a very affordable price.
  • Choose the DESIGN PRO version to get all the most advanced design and 3D functionalities available, plus the 2D export functions. That's the version you need to design swallow tails, recessed decks, fin and hydrofoil design, or for Hollow wood constructions.
  • Add the CNC option if you have a CNC machine.
  • Add the 3D EXPORT option if you use another CAM sorftware for production and need to export your designs as meshes or spline surfaces in standard 3D formats like STL, DXF, OBJ or IGES.
  • Add the IMPORT/SCAN option if you have a scanner and want import your scans in Shape3d.

For a more detailed comparison of the functionalities available with each option, go to Compare options features
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Technical requirements

SHAPE3D X LITE

Shape3d LITE is FREE and will allow you to create your own surfboard, sailboard, paddle, kite..., and send the file to the nearest factory to have it cut exactly like you designed.

Shape3d LITE features:

  • Design of outline, stringer and as many slices as you want
  • Save in the Shape3d X format (.s3dx).
  • Open .s3dx, .s3d, .brd, .srf, .kms and .pbd files.
  • Display curves curvature, curvature radius and acceleration curvature radius (SurfCAD)
  • Plan print sheet
  • 3D View with realistic redering.
  • Get your designs cut in more than 400 Cutting Centers
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SHAPE3D X DESIGN

The Design license contains all the design functionalities of the Lite version, plus some key features, including Ghost board/image, Thickness control, Fin Plugs positioning, File protection, 3D view with Reflexions and Artworks.

Design Features

  • Full scale printing
  • File protection
  • Fin plugs positioning, standard fin systems (FCS, Futures, US box...), leash, SUP handles...
  • Ghost board (boards comparison of outline, profile, and slices at any position)
  • Image superposition
  • Volume repartition and cross sections surface in Design mode to compare with ghost boards
  • Thickness control: keep the thickness curve unchanged when the bottom stringer is modified
  • Guidelines and measurement bars at any position
  • Extend, reverse, level board...
  • Symmetrical shapes only. For fins or hydrofoils design go for the DESIGN PRO
  • Design 3D wire view

Full 3D View

  • 3D View with Stringer, Plugs, and Artwork Mapping
  • Reflexions of the world map of your choice (from a list that includes a shaping room, skies with clouds, gardens with trees...)
  • The boards can be displayed as wires or solid rendering
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SHAPE3D X DESIGN PRO

The Design Pro license has the most advanced design functionalities, including the 3D Layers, the Multi-curves Edition and the 2D exports. That's the version you need to design swallow tails, recessed decks, fin and hydrofoil design, or for Hollow wood constructions.

Pro Features

  • Multi-curves Edition.
One of the most important new feature of Shape3d X is that each curve can be Edited or not in the Top and/or the Side view.
For exemple, editing Rail curve and Stringer curves in the side view allows controlling exactly the depth of the concave or V of your board.
  • Asymmetric designs.
Asymmetric shape means asymmetric surfboards but also hydrofoil or fin design!
  • 3D Layers.
The other most important feature of Shape3d X is the possibility to add or subtract shapes to a board. These shapes are called 3D Layers. The 3D layers allow to design swallow tails, channels, beak noses, or recessed decks. You can also use it to remove the thickness of a patch of harder foam for sandwich construction.
  • Import guidelines from file.
  • Automatic fitting of the curves on guidelines.
  • Create bottom and top Mold for any design.
  • NACA profile generator for hydrofoils and fins.
  • Buoyancy line of the boards, with immersed volume distribution.
  • Load ghost board in the STL format (2D / 3D)
  • 2D Export of the outline, stringer, profile, deck and bottom surfaces, and slices one by one in the Text, DXF, IGES and PDF formats.
  • Export of Hollow Wooden board plan in the DXF, IGES and PDF formats.
  • 3D Curvature mode that shows the curvature variations with color changes. It is a very usefull tool to see the evolution of a concave or V on the bottom of a board.
  • 3D Level lines mode the shows stripes with fixed height steps. This other tool is very usefull to see the evolution of the depth of a concave or a V.
  • CNC toolpath preview (no export, need the CNC option for that)
  • Blank Selector to find the blank that fits the best for your board
  • Hot wire G-Code export to cut EPS blanks
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Compare options features

CNC OPTION

The CNC option enable exporting toolpaths in the G-Code format to cut your designs with almost any CNC machine!

CNC Features

  • Computation of the cutting path.
  • Bullnose router, disk and spherical, cutters supported.
  • Adapted to 3-axis, 4-axis and 5-axis machines.
  • GCode, DXF, Shopbot, ACL/Data format supported. All others on demand.
  • Compatible with most of shaping machine (see CNC Machines).
  • Mold mode to cut a mold directly with Shape3d
  • Blank Selector to find the blank that fits the best for your board
  • Hot wire G-Code export to cut EPS blanks
  • multiple stringers cut or no stringer at all.
  • Cut plugs and 3D layers separately.
  • Blank roughing.
  • Viewer to control the cutting path before sending it to the machine.
  • View of the machine structure and blank.
  • Blank held by vacuum system on two points, or held by clamps at each ends, or lying on a flat table.
  • Acurate position of the board inside the blank.
  • Blank Selector system.
  • Z level change between top and bottom cutting.
  • Cutting speed of the machine defined by user on each special point.
  • 3D solid view of the result of the cut.
For the DSD machine, the CNC DSD option replaces the CNC option. It replaces the Surfcad software and allows cutting any .srf, .s3d, .s3dx, .brd files with a DSD machine without needing any modification!
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Compare options features

3D EXPORT OPTION

The 3D Export option allows exporting your designs as meshes or spline surfaces in standard 3D formats like STL, DXF, OBJ or IGES, to be used in another CAM sorftware.

3D Export Features

  • 2D Exports of outline, profil, and slices as polylines and Bézier curves in the TXT, DXF, IGES, OBJ and PDF formats.
  • 3D Export as meshes in the DXF, IGES, OBJ and STL formats.
  • 3D Export as spline surfaces in the IGES format.
  • Compatible with Rhino ©, Solidworks ©, CATIA ©, and most of the CFAO softwares.
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IMPORT/SCAN OPTION

The Import/Scan option allows importing scan data from a laser or digital probe scanner and extract the outline, stringer and cross sections to recreate the shape in Shape3d.

Import/Scan Features

  • Import of scanned data in DXF, STL, text format as guidelines.
  • Fit a Shape3d model on scanned data "as precisely as possible":
    outline, profile and slices curves will be adjusted to the guidelines.
  • Rotation and translation of data before input and fitting.
  • Already in use by the 3DM, ProCam and KKL machines (see CNC Machines).
Warning! The result of the automatic fitting is not guaranteed. It depends on the quality of the scan data. Hand design to clean up the shape is often needed.

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COMPARE FEATURES

Features Lite Design Design Pro CNC 3D Export Import
Design, measure, resize, save... X X X X X X
Open .s3dx, .s3d, .brd, .brdx, .kms and .pbd files X X X X X X
3D view X X X X X X
Plan print sheet X X X X X X
Full scale printing X X
File protection X X
Plugs (fins, leash, handle...) X X
Ghost board superposition X X
Image superposition X X
Volume distribution X X
Thickness control X X
Guidelines, measurement bars X X
Extend, reverse, level board... X X
Logos / Plugs in 3D view X X
Reflexions in 3D view X X
Wires in 3D view X X
Curvature and Level lines in 3D view X
2D exports (Pdf, DXF…) X
Hollow wood plans X X
Asymmetric designs (fins, hydrofoils...) X
3D Layers (swallow tails, channels, recessed deck…) X
Multi-curves edition (rail, apex curves design) X
Buoyancy line X
Guidelines Import X
Stock Wizard X
Automatic fitting on guidelines X
Mold generator X
NACA Generator X
Ghost STL (2D / 3D) X X X
CNC blank / toolpath preview X X
Blank Selector X X
Hot wire G-Code export X X
CNC G-Code export X
Multi-tools X
3D exports (IGES, DXF, STL, OBJ) X
Scan imports X
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