in Half the Time

Prototypes in Half the Time

"Our designers learned OneSpace Designer Modeling in one-fourth the time it would have taken them for a parametric system."

Peter Farnung, CAD Systems Manager, Leica Camera AG

• We were looking for an inexpensive, high-performance, user-friendly 2D solution to replace the Medusa setup we had.
• We wanted to design an innovative camera and were looking for a 3D solution that would enable us to quickly and effectively achieve our goals. It would have to allow for easy combination of freeform faces and true geometry. This project could not be done with 2D.

The solution should come from one source, be compatible and expandable

• 50 licenses OneSpace Drafting.
• 60 licenses CoCreate Data Management.
• 30 licenses OneSpace Modeling.

Modules: OneSpace Surfacing, -Sheet Metal, - Assembly, and –Parametrics

• Secure data through error minimization thanks to OneSpace Modeling; e.g., we can run collision checks on components, do simulation tests, etc.
• Can get data to production much faster (prototype).
• Prototypes can be made at least 50% faster than with 2D.
• Productivity and innovation increase, faster time-to-market.

Employees were productive within only 3-4 weeks; with a parametric system it would have taken 2-4 times longer.

The Leica Camera AG, headquartered in Solms, Germany, is one of the world's leading manufacturers of cameras, lenses, and binoculars.

With 1,400 employees worldwide, the enterprise achieved a turnover of ca. $1.3 million in 2001.

Leica products enjoy a cult status; they are well thought out, precision engineered, and are produced with an optical precision that is unmatched.

Two terms define Leica today: innovation and tradition. Numerous forward-looking innovations have emerged in the foreground of a 75-year tradition in the design and construction of 35 mm cameras and lenses. Among them are a number of technological breakthroughs. These innovations have resulted in remarkable high-end products that continue to redefine the boundaries of technological possibility.

"We wanted to replace our Medusa licenses with a less expensive, higher performance, and user-friendlier CAD solution. The choice fell naturally to CoCreate," says Peter Farnung, CAD System Manager at Leica Camera AG, of their situation. "We could solve our problems with CoCreate's OneSpace Drafting, based on ME10, so the number of ME10 licenses we wanted grew quickly," says Farnung happily.

But Leica was faced with the limitations of the 2D solution when they decided to develop an innovative camera with designer surfaces. "Freeform surfaces can be better and more precisely designed with 3D," says Farnung. He continues, "Therefore, we looked for a 3D solution with which we could quickly and effectively achieve our goals. Freeform surfaces and true geometry would have to be combinable."

Leica did a benchmark with the objective of designing the front casing of a camera — a complex part for which free-form surfaces and true geometry have to be created. The engineers designed the front casing with help from SDRC's Master Series, PTC's Pro/E and CoCreate's OneSpace Modeling.

"We determined that the functionality is very similar; the difference between the systems lies in the operability," remembers Farnung. "OneSpace Modeling can be learned very quickly and it is simple to use — intuitive," recalls Farnung. "We need designers who develop innovative products and not computer scientists who program the development process," he continues. "There are other systems on the market today that are better known for free-form surface design. They did not come into consideration for us because they were too expensive and offered an incredible number of functions that we would never use," explains Farnung. "OneSpace Modeling, when used with OneSpace Surfacing, completely covers our needs. All our designers use this solution," says Farnung happily.

Leica sees little chance for the use of a parametric system in its situation because so many alterations are necessary when developing a product. Parametric systems are unsuitable for the very important task of creating variations on an existing design. "We have to be in the position — often within a single day — to quickly and easily integrate changes, ideas, and feedback. This is considerably more difficult to do with a parametric system than with CoCreate's solution because with the parametric system the designer has to concentrate on the history of the design. CoCreate's solution allows for the quick and easy integration of changes, feedback, and ideas, which gives our designers more time for innovation," Farnung explains.

Leica uses other modules from CoCreate for specific applications and the Work Manager technology for data management, which allows for parts to be located ca. 70% faster than before.

"Thanks to CoCreate's solutions, we now have better data because we can minimize errors in a number of ways. For example, we can run collision tests on components and do simulations. We can get the data to production (prototype) more quickly as well. Thanks to 3D, prototypes can be produced at least 50% faster than with 2D. A further success was that our employees were fully productive within only 3-4 weeks. With a parametric system it would have taken 2-4 times as long. All in all, we are profiting from an increase in productivity and innovation as well as faster time-to-market," summarizes Farnung.

Leica will soon evaluate Personal Collaboration with the intention of further increasing efficiency. "Some of our production is done in Portugal and we are working with Asian partners on the development of digital cameras. If we could look at designs online and in real time, discuss them and even solve problems, we would have further potential for enormous savings," concludes Farnung.

Title: Leica plans new digital back
Feature: news
Date: 2 July 2003

Leica has revealed detailed plans of a digital back it is developing in association with Kodak and Imacon.
The Digital-Modul-R, which is expected to be launched at Photokina in September 2004, is designed to fit Leica's regular production R8 and R9 35mm SLR cameras, heralding the first of a new breed of hybrid digital-film models. The R8 and R9 are already designed to function with digital solutions, and so the Modul will be able to directly communicate with the camera's controls.
'Progress in sensor technology and image processing now makes it possible for us to offer a perfected digital solution at the level of quality that we demand,' claims Leica's Stefan Daniel. 'In keeping with a long-established Leica tradition, we are offering a solution that does not depart from the system, but one that also constitutes a harmonious expansion for existing clients.'
Leica plans to use a 10 million pixel resolution sensor, manufactured specially by Kodak's Image Sensor Solutions division. Integration of the CCD sensor into the cameras requires it be positioned at the film gate, thus the 17.6x26.4mm chip will be smaller than the frame size of 35mm film. The Solms-based camera manufacturer also revealed the sensor will boast a sensitivity range equivalent to ISO100 to at least ISO800.
The software and control of the digital back will be developed and produced by Danish manufacturer Imacon.
The Modul will feature a colour display for reviewing images, menus and histogram displays, however a setting dial will allow users to control all major functions without having to enter the menu system. The device will be powered by a single lithium-ion battery and is expected to be sized similar to an R8 or R9 accompanied by a Motor-Drive R attachment (approximately 158x140x89mm). Leica says it hopes to launch the Modul for around 4500 Euros.
Details and updates can be found at www.leica-camera.com.

First published in BJP 02.07.03

© Incisive Media Plc. 2003

Leica Digilux I, Continued

Shooting with the Digilux I is a pleasure--if you use the bright and clear optical viewfinder. The camera is fast and responsive. A rapid-fire mode lets you take up to four frames in one second, at which point the camera must write the image data to the memory card. This feature is impressive, but would be more useful if the camera could store 16 or 20 frames before it had to write the data. A small LCD panel on top of the camera keeps you on top of camera settings, battery condition, and memory status.

click on image for full view

When we first saw the specs for the Digilux I, we were impressed with the large 2.5" screen. Unfortunately, the screen is so dim that it is almost useless outdoors. Leica includes a folding screen hood with the camera; the hood attaches to the camera's tripod socket and flips open to provide a shaded view of the screen. This might work if the screen had a non-reflective coating, but the screen's surface is as shiny as a mirror. Shooting outdoors in bright light, all you see in the screen is your own reflection. In fact, the hood is more of a hindrance than a help. It blocks the camera's battery compartment, so you have to remove the hood to change batteries. The camera doesn't know if the hood is open or closed, so it's possible to leave the LCD screen on with the hood closed--a major waste of battery power.

We could put up with the poor LCD visibility if the Digilux produced outstanding pictures - which is what we expected from a Leica. To our surprise, the Digilux I produced images of below-average quality. Color accuracy and image detail were just average, and most of the pictures we took were slightly underexposed. We noticed an excessive amount of noise in our test images. The noise was especially noticeable in large areas of a single color. We've come to expect a certain amount of noise in 4mp cameras in low light or at high ISO settings, but the Digilux I's images were noisy even at ISO 100 in our sunny-day test shots in the Utah mountains.

When you add it all up--the use of SD memory, the invisible LCD screen, and the disappointing picture quality--it's impossible to justify the Digilux I's $900 price tag, especially when there are superior cameras that cost half as much. It's possible that Leica and Panasonic may be able to salvage an otherwise excellent design with a quieter image sensor and a brighter LCD, but we can't recommend the Digilux I at this time.

 

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