FAQ

Flyingshapes is a line-based 3D ideation tool designed for automotive and industrial designers. It enables designers to sketch their ideas directly in 3D using curves. Based on these 3D curves, Flyingshapes automatically generates surfaces, allowing users to explore and communicate form, volume, and proportion in real time.

Rather than focusing on the technical perfection of a final surface model, Flyingshapes focuses on the character of the design—helping designers discover the right concept before investing time in perfecting it.

In short: Flyingshapes helps you build the right idea before you build it right.

Flyingshapes is built around a simple, intuitive workflow:

1. Sketch curves in 3D using your hands and spatial intuition.
2. Let Flyingshapes generate surfaces automatically from those curves.
3. Interactively refine the curves, proportions, and overall form.
4. Visualize and communicate the idea in an immersive 3D environment.

The software automates the complex steps between a designer’s sketch and a readable 3D form, while keeping the designer in control of the creative decisions.

Flyingshapes is designed to fit into existing design workflows, bridging the gap between early creative ideation and more detailed modeling, visualization, and physical prototyping.

A typical workflow looks like this:

1. Ideate in 3D: Sketch your design using 3D curves. Flyingshapes automatically generates surfaces from your curves, allowing you to explore form, volume, and proportion immediately.
2. Refine interactively: Adjust your curves and develop the design while maintaining a continuous creative flow. The generated surfaces update in real-time.
3. Evaluate and communicate: Visualize the concept in 3D, share it through immersive experiences or a browser-based interactive application, and collaborate with colleagues, clients, and stakeholders.
4. Prototype physically: The automatically generated surfaces are ready for 3D printing and clay milling, with no additional data processing necessary.
5. Develop further when needed: For detailed surface refinement or production-oriented modeling, the concept can be transferred into existing software such as Alias and other CAD or modeling environments.

Flyingshapes therefore supports the entire journey from 3D sketch to interactive concept to physical prototype, while allowing established tools to remain part of the workflow.

Explore the right design first. Perfect it later.

Many VR design tools focus on sculpting, modeling, or manipulating geometry in a virtual environment. Flyingshapes is purpose-built for fast, line-based 3D ideation.

Its core distinction is that designers sketch 3D curves, and surfaces are generated automatically from those curves. This creates a direct connection between the designer’s gesture, the underlying lines, and the resulting form.

Flyingshapes prioritizes:

• Design flow over software complexity
• Curves and design intent over manual surface construction
• Fast exploration of multiple concepts
• Clear reading of volume and proportion
• Immersive communication and collaborative refinement

The goal is not to replace every other VR modeling approach, but to provide a focused environment for the earliest and most creative stages of design.

Traditional CAD applications are primarily designed for creating, controlling, and refining precise, production-oriented geometry. They are essential for engineering, detailed modeling, and manufacturing—but they can be complex and time-consuming when the goal is simply to explore an idea.

Flyingshapes approaches the problem from the designer’s perspective. It is a 3D ideation tool, not a conventional CAD replacement.

Flyingshapes helps answer an important question before detailed CAD work begins:

Are we building the right design?

Once the right concept has been selected, traditional CAD and surface-modeling tools can be used to develop it to the required level of precision.

Yes. Flyingshapes supports import and export of 3D models in industry-grade file formats, including STEP, STL and IGES. Files can be seamlessly exported from Flyingshapes into CAD applications and 3D printers.

Flyingshapes is especially relevant for:

• Automotive designers
• Industrial designers
• Transportation designers
• Design studios and creative teams
• Design managers involved in early concept selection
• Organizations seeking faster 3D ideation and collaboration

It is designed for people who want to explore and communicate the character of a product before committing to detailed modeling.

‍Recommended Minimum:

More Details in this technical document

No. VR/XR is optional. Flyingshapes can also be used on a desktop computer, with a graphics tablet or simply a mouse.

That said, VR/XR is highly recommended because it allows you to experience and evaluate your design spatially. You can build an entire car in XR and position every curve precisely in 3D space, making it easier to understand proportions, volume, and the overall character of your design.

The immersive environment helps you experience the design as a whole—not just as an image on a screen—and can provide a deeper understanding of how the form works in space.

Desktop gives you flexibility. XR gives you the full spatial design experience.

Flyingshapes currently supports most PC-based VR headsets with 6DOF Controllers that can connect to a PC workstation.

Best in class experience with the Apple Vision Pro via CloudXR streaming from a PC Workstation using PSVR2 controllers for interaction.

We offer customized licenses with free trial periods. To inquire the best solution for your individual needs please reach out to us.

Yes, we encourage students to learn our software. Students can apply for a free license here. ‍Also teachers can contact us for more information.