The Power of 3D Modeling and Digital Twins in Engineering Simulation and Design

At ConneXion 2024, Prevu3D hosted a dynamic panel discussion featuring industry experts to explore the integration of cutting-edge technologies like AI, IoT, AR/VR, and plugins that are changing how we leverage reality capture data, reshaping the engineering and design landscape.

Digital Twins: From Concept to Real-World Applications

Alex Doukas, Senior Account Manager at Kinetic Vision, opened the conversation by sharing his company’s pioneering efforts in the digital twin space. “We like to think that we made digital twins cool before it was a thing,” Doukas quipped. His statement reflects the company’s early adoption of digital twin technology to simulate and improve product performance.

Doukas highlighted how Kinetic Vision uses tools like Prevu3D and NVIDIA Omniverse to integrate reality capture and simulation seamlessly. By digitizing assets and running real-time physics simulations, Kinetic Vision helps clients proactively address manufacturing challenges such as bottlenecks and product defects.

NVIDIA Omniverse: A Platform for Accelerated Innovation

Don Johnson, Developer Relations Manager at NVIDIA, elaborated on the role of NVIDIA Omniverse as a game-changing platform for simulation and collaboration. Omniverse is a developer platform designed to build applications using a suite of APIs, services, and SDKs. It enables companies like Kinetic Vision and Prevu3D to create and integrate their solutions seamlessly. The platform brings together diverse tools to enable true photorealistic visualization of factories or other environments. Rather than standardizing, Omniverse provides a flexible foundation for developing virtual functions, allowing Kinetic Vision to leverage their expertise to create innovative digital twins and Prevu3D to incorporate reality meshes into the system. It’s a versatile platform built for customization and collaboration.

Johnson emphasized the importance of integrating reality capture data to create true digital twins, stating, “You can’t do a true digital twin without reality capture.”

Streamlining Simulations with Prevu3D and Omniverse

Prevu3D is driving innovation in environment and layout simulation by supporting OpenUSD, the native file format for Omniverse. Building on our success with integrations like Revit, we’re collaborating with Kinetic Vision to develop a connector for Omniverse. This new tool is designed to streamline data migration, enabling users to define assets in Prevu3D and seamlessly import them into Omniverse as fully integrated, as-built components.

Prevu3D is the connector—the enabler—that makes it possible for us to bring scan data into the Omniverse environment. Using tools like the segmentation feature, whether it’s the box cropping tool or the magic wand, we can define assets and seamlessly port them into Omniverse to interact directly with the product or asset.

Alex Doukas

Senior Account Manager at Kinetic Vision

Empowering Collaboration and Decision-Making

Digital twin technology empowers teams across all organizational levels, from engineers to senior executives, by transforming complex data into visual, interactive formats. This approach bridges knowledge gaps and enables faster, more informed decision-making.

Doukas highlighted the impact of these tools, stating, “It really enables your ability to take reality capture and make use of it, empowering everyone from boots on the ground to senior VPs.”

Working with Prevu3D, we’ve seen a new wave of engineers who need more than just CAD designs—they need highly visual tools. By integrating real capture into platforms like Omniverse, we’re enabling engineers, users, and developers to fully engage with their work, making it accessible and impactful for a broader audience.

Don Johnson

Developer Relations Manager at NVIDIA

See how Prevu3D’s engineering tools are accelerating design and project collaboration.

Looking Ahead: The Future of Digital Twins

The digital twin landscape continues to evolve with groundbreaking advancements in artificial intelligence, machine learning, bi-directional platform connectors, and robotics integration. These innovations are driving predictive capabilities, streamlining workflows, and enhancing simulations across industries.

Alex Doukas highlighted this dynamic shift, stating, “The world of digital twins is constantly evolving. Every year, there’s a different mix or flair to the definition of it.” Don Johnson emphasized the untapped potential, adding, “We’re just scratching the surface of 3D simulation. There’s so much more to explore.”

With innovations from companies like Kinetic Vision, NVIDIA, and Prevu3D, the future of digital twins is brimming with possibilities for transforming industries through 3D modeling and simulation.

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