Built for shipbuilding ยท marine engineering ยท plant design โ cross-platform ยท high-performance ยท production-proven
Supported formats: ย REV ย ยทย RVM ย ยทย STEP ย ยทย 3D Gaussian Splatting
๐ Language: ย English ย ยทย ็ฎไฝไธญๆ
๐ฌ Overview โข ๐ผ๏ธ Gallery โข ๐ Measurement โข ๐ถ๏ธ XR / VR โข โฆ 3DGS โข ๐๏ธ Workspace โข ๐ Extractors โข ๐ Manual โข ๐ฌ Contact
All binaries โ the viewer, the AM extractor, the Tribon M3 extractor, and the operation manual โ are available on the GitHub Releases page.
Grab the .7z archives below and you're ready to go:
| ๐ฆ Archive | ๐ Contents |
|---|---|
๐จ PPEngineV1.8.5.7z |
PPEngine viewer + operation manual |
๐งฒ PPAMExtractor.7z |
AM extraction plugin |
๐ณ๏ธ PPM3Exporter.7z |
Tribon M3 extraction plugin |
PPEngine is actually two things shipped together:
| Product | What it is | |
|---|---|---|
| ๐ข | PPEngine โ Professional Model Review Tool | A free, focused desktop + web application for lightweight conversion, viewing, digital delivery, and design review of large-scale industrial models. Currently ingests REV ยท RVM ยท STEP ยท 3D Gaussian Splatting. Purpose-built for shipbuilding, marine engineering, and plant design. |
| ๐ง | PP3D Core โ Graphics Kernel | The self-developed cross-platform graphics kernel underneath PPEngine. A licensable engine/SDK layer you can embed and extend โ comprehensive APIs, customizable on demand. |
In short: PPEngine is the product you use today. PP3D Core is the engine you can build on tomorrow.
๐ ๏ธ Built from the graphics layer up โ no black boxes. PP3D Core is re-implemented from scratch at the graphics-API level โ every render pass, every buffer layout, every GPU dispatch is our own code. No third-party game engine, no retrofitted CAD kernel. This is why we can squeeze performance that off-the-shelf viewers simply can't reach, and why we can customize any pipeline stage on demand.
๐ True cross-platform โ one engine, every device. Native PC (Windows) ยท Linux ยท Android ยท iOS ยท Web โ the same engine, the same scene, the same feature set. ๐ฎ Modern graphics APIs everywhere: native platforms run on DX12 / Vulkan; the Web build runs on WebGPU; and OpenXR rendering is supported first-class for immersive VR / AR design review โ no legacy code paths, no lowest-common-denominator compromises. (WebGL fallback available on request โ contact us.) The Web build is particularly wild: we bypass the browser's V8 memory ceiling with an engine-level memory architecture, so a full-ship 10 GB-class model loads and renders in the browser โ something conventional WebGL viewers hit a wall on long before they get close.
๐ฆ Open SDK โ ๐ง in active development. A public SDK for PP3D Core is on the way โ embed the engine in your own apps, extend pipelines, script business logic, and ship custom viewers on any supported platform. Get in touch if you'd like early access or want to shape the API surface.
PPEngine is commonly used to extract model and attribute information from Tribon / AM / SPD / CATIA, and to generate lightweight models in real-time via a dedicated conversion server. Users can quickly view, annotate, and record on-site.
| Metric | Result |
|---|---|
| ๐ฆ Source model size | ~10 GB REV / RVM |
| โฑ๏ธ Lightweight load time | ~5 seconds (mid-range PC) |
| ๐๏ธ Display frame rate | ~60 fps |
| ๐ Platforms | Windows ยท Linux ยท Web ยท Android ยท VR/AR |
๐ก Tip โ Contact us to get the free Tribon / AM server extractor so your team can explore lightweight models in real time without paying conversion overhead.
Every rendering stage of PP3D Core is built GPU-first โ the CPU only schedules work; the GPU does the heavy lifting. That's how we push 10 GB-class models at 60 fps on mid-range hardware.
| ๐ฅ Feature | ๐ฌ What it buys you |
|---|---|
| ๐ฏ GPU Picking | Pixel-perfect object selection fully on the GPU โ zero CPU raycasts, constant-time regardless of scene complexity |
| โ๏ธ GPU Frustum Culling | Per-instance visibility computed on the GPU every frame โ invisible geometry never touches the rasterizer |
| ๐ซฅ GPU Occlusion Culling | Hierarchical depth-buffer occlusion queries on-GPU โ parts hidden behind the hull, bulkheads, or dense equipment are skipped entirely, even when inside the frustum |
| ๐ฆ GPU-Driven Indirect Draw | Draw calls are authored on the GPU itself, collapsing millions of parts into a handful of DrawIndirect dispatches |
| ๐ฐ๏ธ Ultra-Low-Latency Remote Streaming | Cloud-gaming-style pixel streaming โ run the engine headless on a beefy server and stream rendered frames to any thin client (laptop ยท tablet ยท phone ยท browser). Delivers multi-client 1080p @ 60 fps concurrently with latency so low the experience is virtually indistinguishable from running locally. The 10 GB model lives on the server; the client only receives pixels + sends input |
| ๐ Automatic LOD & Streaming | Per-batch LOD switching + queued async loading โ near parts stay crisp, far parts stay cheap, nothing blocks the frame |
| ๐งฎ GPU-side Transform Sync | Object transforms live on the GPU; hierarchy updates avoid the CPUโGPU round-trip entirely |
| ๐ก Screen-Space Ambient Occlusion | High-quality SSAO baked into the pipeline for free depth cues in complex piping / machinery views |
| ๐ฅ๏ธ Adaptive Resolution Scaling | Dynamic internal-resolution scaling โ keeps interactivity smooth while panning / orbiting huge models |
| โฆ 3D Gaussian Splatting | Native support for photo-real captured scenes alongside traditional meshes |
| ๐ Precision Clipping & Measurement (BRep mode ๐ง WIP) | GPU-accelerated clipping boxes + high-precision measurement overlays, stable at extreme camera ranges. Upcoming: resolving measurements directly against the original BRep data (not the display mesh) โ not fully rolled out in this release, currently under active development |
โ๏ธ The payoff โ a single engineer's laptop can review an entire vessel that used to require a workstation. No pre-baking, no scene simplification, no "please wait" dialogs.
A cross-platform high-performance display library with comprehensive APIs and customizable development on demand:
- ๐๏ธ MBSE integration for ship construction processes
- ๐ง Equipment & parts information management
- ๐ Production information visualization
- โ๏ธ 3D drawing applications
- ๐ฅ Collision / clash check
- ๐ฏ Model filtering for specific business scenarios
- โ๏ธ Weld line recognition
- ๐จ Paint area recognition
- โ On-site quality inspection
- ๐ถ๏ธ XR application development
Full-vessel lightweight rendering โ tens of millions of triangles, loaded in seconds.
Interactive tools for distance ยท angle ยท clearance ยท dimensional review, accurate down to the millimetre.
First-class OpenXR rendering โ step inside your model, walk the decks, inspect machinery 1:1, and run immersive design reviews with collaborators on headsets.
โจ What you get in XR:
- ๐ฅฝ Native OpenXR โ works with any compliant headset (Quest, Vive, Pico, Varjo, Index, โฆ)
- ๐ถ 1:1 walk-through of full-ship / full-plant models at production scale
- ๐ค Collaborative review โ multiple reviewers sharing the same scene
- ๐ Measurement & markup in-headset โ annotate exactly where you stand
- ๐ฏ Same engine, same scene โ no separate "VR build" to maintain
Native support for 3D Gaussian Splatting โ drop photo-scanned real-world scenes right next to traditional CAD meshes in the same viewport. Perfect for as-built vs. as-designed comparisons, site digital twins, and mixing reality capture with engineering models.
โจ Why it matters:
- ๐ท Reality capture โ load
.plyGaussian Splat scans directly, no conversion pipeline needed - ๐ Mixed scenes โ photo-real splats and parametric CAD geometry live in the same workspace
- ๐ฏ As-built verification โ overlay site scans against design models to spot deviations
- ๐ Runs everywhere โ yes, including the browser. Desktop (DX12 / Vulkan) ยท Web (WebGPU) ยท in-headset (OpenXR). Splat scenes render fully in-browser with no plugins, no downloads, just a URL.
PPEngine persists an entire review session into a single
.ppwsworkspace file โ so your review work is reproducible, portable, and easy to share.
| Section | Contents |
|---|---|
๐ฌ scene |
Loaded models (relative paths), camera viewpoint, background |
๐ measurements |
All measurement entries (distance, angle, clearance, ...) |
๐ markers |
Annotation markers placed on the model |
๐๏ธ view_state |
Clipping planes, explode state, component filters, render settings |
๐ท๏ธ meta |
Name, description, created / modified timestamps, version |
Models are referenced by relative paths, so a workspace folder (or packed .ppz) can be moved between machines without breaking links.
| ๐๏ธ Action | ๐ Description |
|---|---|
| ๐ New | Clear the scene and start a blank Untitled workspace |
| ๐ Open... | Load an existing .ppws workspace |
| ๐พ Save / Save As... | Persist the current session; title bar shows * when unsaved |
| ๐ค Export to Folder... | Export the workspace with all referenced model files into a folder |
| ๐ฆ Export as .ppz... | Pack workspace + all models into a single .ppz โ perfect for sharing |
| ๐ Recent Workspace | Quick access to recently-opened workspaces |
- ๐ด Dirty tracking โ unsaved edits are tracked automatically; window title is flagged with
* - ๐พ Autosave โ background autosave protects against unexpected shutdown; recovery dialog appears on next launch
โ ๏ธ Unsaved-changes dialog โ closing or switching workspaces with pending edits triggers a confirmation- ๐ Staged restore โ on load, models are fetched first (
LoadingModels), then measurements / markers / view-state are re-applied (RestoringAnnotations) โ ensuring clipping planes survive auto-fit
PPEngine consumes lightweight data produced by dedicated extractors. Two plugins ship out of the box:
๐ Prerequisites: AM must be installed on the machine running the extractor.
๐ Steps:
โถ๏ธ LaunchPPAMExtractor.exe- ๐ Enter Username, Password, and MDB connection
- ๐ฌ Click Start to extract
๐ Steps:
- ๐ฏ In Tribon M3, use Project Selection to pick your project
โถ๏ธ LaunchPPM3Exporter.exeand choose the task type โ Block ยท Module ยท Pipe- ๐ฌ Click Start Export
- โก Tune the Workers count โ more workers = faster export
The full operation manual ships inside the release archive โ extract
PPEngineV1.8.5.7zand open the included manual for detailed usage, hotkeys, and troubleshooting.
| ๐ Archive | ๐ Contents |
|---|---|
๐จ PPEngineV1.8.5.7z |
PPEngine viewer + operation manual |
๐งฒ PPAMExtractor.7z |
AM extraction plugin |
๐ณ๏ธ PPM3Exporter.7z |
Tribon M3 extraction plugin |
| ๐ฏ Purpose | ๐ง Contact |
|---|---|
| ๐ Free model conversion server software | devin@pathplus.cn |
| ๐ผ Customized development & business inquiries | shanghai@pathplus.cn |
Shanghai PathPlus Technology Co., Ltd.
๐ Website ย ยทย www.pathplus.cn
ยฉ Shanghai PathPlus Technology Co., Ltd. ย ยทย Made with ๐ ๏ธ for the shipbuilding & plant-design industry