Backflip AI has launched an AI Drawing to CAD tool to automatically turn engineering drawings into parametric 3D models that can be edited directly in Autodesk Fusion.
The product introduction was announced at Autodesk University, with Backflip noting that it is aiming to give engineers the tools to ‘unlock the knowledge trapped within legacy 2D drawing archives.’ In tandem, the company launched a multi-shot Photo to CAD tool, enabling CAD generation from photographs captured on mobile phones.
Backflip is working to address ongoing challenges around the manufacture of replacement parts from legacy drawings and designs by automating the reconstruction process. Per the company, Drawing to CAD interprets the part geometry described by the views and dimensions in an engineering drawing, then builds a parametric model with a feature tree. Engineers can inspect the design history in Fusion, and then edit it as required.
The company estimates that a reconstruction that might typically take 2-3 days and cost $1,500 can now be completed within 30 minutes for $10 or less, depending on part complexity.
“Our mission is to digitise the world,” said Greg Mark, founder and CEO of Backflip. “Many factories have 3D CAD for less than 1% of their equipment. When a part breaks – which happens often – they don’t have a 3D model immediately available, and it’s a huge scramble to prevent a production line from going down. Imagine how much more efficient the world would be if every factory had a complete 3D catalogue of their parts ready to manufacture at a moment’s notice. This is the power of our new AI tools.”
Backflip says it now accepts three kinds of source data to reconstruct editable CAD – drawings, photos, and scans. It also came to market with a 'text-to-CAD' offering last year.
