Case Study: University of Applied Sciences Hannover achieves industry-ready reverse-engineering and parametric CAD skills with 3D Systems' Geomagic Design X

Motorcycle Seat Reverse Engineered in Geomagic Design X

The University of Applied Sciences Hannover’s Media, Information and Design Department (FHH) — an international leader in industrial and mechanical design education — needed a way to teach reverse engineering that preserved design intent while letting students quickly edit real parts. For a class project they chose the Ducati Hypermotard motorcycle seat, tasking students with improving passenger comfort and aesthetics and with learning how to convert 3D scan data into usable CAD models without losing feature relationships.

They adopted Geomagic Design X to perform third‑generation (3G) modeling: creating complete parametric CAD models from scans that retain the modeling history and transfer cleanly to mainstream CAD systems (SolidWorks, Creo, NX, etc.). The tool shortened the learning curve, enabled robust redesigns of the seat, and left students with industry-ready skills and editable, intent-driven models — outcomes superior to traditional shape-only (2G) reverse engineering.

The University of Applied Sciences Hannover

Falk Höhn

Professor