FAQ: General Spherene Questions

About Spherene and ADMS

What is ADMS?

ADMS (Adaptive Density Minimal Surfaces) is the geometry technology behind Spherene. It generates a continuous minimal surface inside any 3D envelope, with zero mean curvature and two separate internal labyrinth channels. Unlike lattices and Gyroids, ADMS adapts its cell density and wall thickness locally across the entire volume, conforms to any complex geometry, and is self-supporting in all major additive manufacturing processes.

How is ADMS different from a Gyroid or other TPMS structures?

Both are minimal surfaces with two labyrinth channels. The difference is adaptability. A Gyroid is a periodic structure built from repeating unit cells. At boundaries and curved surfaces, cells must be cut and trimmed, leaving incomplete geometry. ADMS has no repeating unit cell. The surface adapts continuously to the envelope shape, density field, and thickness field, filling every region without clipping. The result is true surface conformality and smooth density gradients not achievable with periodic TPMS.

Is ADMS geometry fully isotropic?

ADMS is near-isotropic by default, meaning it behaves similarly under load from all directions. It is not perfectly isotropic. The Scatter Vector feature explicitly introduces controlled anisotropy, confirming the base structure can be tuned directionally. Near-isotropic is the correct and precise claim.

What materials can I use with Spherene?

ADMS is compatible with all additive manufacturing processes and materials. Validated materials include AlSi10Mg and Ti-6Al-4V (metal AM via LPBF and SLM), polymers including PA11 (SLS), resins, ceramics, and composites.

 

What license tiers are available for the plugins?

Plugin tiers include Trial (10-day free evaluation for Rhino/Grasshopper/nTop, 21-day for Fusion), Student (free with academic email), Faculty/EDU, Core, PRO/Professional, HEX, and Infinity. Contact info@spherene.io for current pricing.

How do I activate my plugin license?

For Rhino, Grasshopper, and Fusion: on your first computation, a browser login prompt opens automatically. Log in to your Spherene account and activate the license in the portal License Management section. For nTop: paste your API key when the connector prompts you on first use.

How long does a plugin license activation last?

The local license file is valid for two months. When it expires, the same activation prompt reappears. Reactivate via the portal (Rhino/Grasshopper/Fusion) or paste a fresh API key (nTop).

Can I use the plugin on more than one machine?

Refer to your license tier terms in the portal for seat limits. Each activation ties the license to a specific machine. Deactivate the current machine in the portal before activating on a new one.

 

What is the maximum computation time for plugins?

Cloud computation via any plugin is capped at 45 minutes. Jobs exceeding this are automatically halted. If you regularly hit this limit, increase your DRT value and switch to Single Surface output for iteration.

My plugin computation returned an empty result. What went wrong?

Most common causes: density set below 2 or above 32, envelope mesh not watertight, or DRT too low for available cloud memory. Check your density field values, repair the envelope mesh, and increase DRT.

Is the density value I set the exact density I get?

Not precisely. Effective volume fraction is based on an estimate with a precision of approximately +/- 10% when using a constant density field. This is a known algorithm characteristic, not an error.

Can I export plugin ADMS geometry for FEA or CFD?

Yes. The Single Surface output is suitable for shell-based FEA. The Solid Surface works for solid mesh FEA. The Labyrinths output gives you the two internal channel volumes as separate mesh bodies for CFD preprocessing.

 

What is sphereneNXT?

sphereneNXT is the browser-based platform from Spherene. It lets you import any CAD or mesh file, apply ADMS and TPMS infill structures, compute, and export or send directly to a print partner, with no installation required. It is separate from the CAD plugins and works alongside any CAD tool.

Do I need a plugin to use sphereneNXT?

No. sphereneNXT is completely independent of the Rhino, Grasshopper, Fusion, and nTop plugins. You access it directly at spherene.io from any modern browser, on any operating system.

What tiers are available in sphereneNXT?

sphereneNXT has five tiers: Trial (10 days, 30 credits, no credit card required), Student (free, academic email required), Faculty, Maker (free to start, pay as you go), Professional, and Enterprise. Each tier has different credit allocations, seat limits, and features. Visit the SphereneNXT plans page for full details.

Can I try sphereneNXT before buying?

Yes. sphereneNXT has a 10-day free trial. You receive 50 credits on activation, enough for approximately 3 to 4 standard compute workflows and 1 simulation. No credit card required. Sign up at spherene.io to activate your trial immediately.

Is my data stored securely?

Yes. All data is stored in Europe. For organisations with strict data sovereignty requirements, SphereneNXT offers an On-Premise add-on (available on Enterprise tiers) that runs the full platform within your own private infrastructure, with no data leaving your environment.

 

What are credits in sphereneNXT?

Credits are the unit of compute consumption. Importing, visualising, and configuring your design is always free. Credits are consumed when you run a computation, simulation, export a file, or send to a print partner. Each action has a defined credit cost in credits that is the same across all tiers.

How does the credit rollover work?

It depends on your tier. Student included credits reset monthly with no rollover. Faculty included credits reset monthly; purchased packs roll over for three months. Maker purchased credits never expire. Professional included credits reset monthly; purchased packs roll over for twelve months. Enterprise included credits are valid for the full subscription year; purchased top-up credits never expire.

Learn more about the plans here 

What is HPC compute?

HPC (High Performance Compute) is a higher-powered compute tier available on Professional and Enterprise plans. It processes jobs faster than standard compute. Each HPC compute slot costs more credits than a standard compute slot.

Can I send my design directly to a 3D printer from sphereneNXT? (Feature to come)

The plan is to have sphereneNXT have a direct Send to Print Partner feature that connects your finished design to certified AM service bureaus. The send action costs a defined number of credits. You pay the print service separately for the physical part. This is a feature that is coming soon.

 

Is there a free trial for sphereneNXT?

Yes. sphereneNXT has a dedicated 10-day free trial. No credit card is required to register. You receive 30 credits immediately on activation, enough for approximately 3 to 4 standard compute workflows and 1 simulation.

What features are available during the trial?

All structure types (ADMS and TPMS) are available, along with standard compute. Two features are locked during the trial: Export CAD File and Send to Print Partner. These unlock when you upgrade to any plan. Reports are not available to export during the trial.

What happens when my trial expires?

At the end of day 10, your account moves to an expired state. You can still log in and view your projects, but no compute operations can be run. Your project files and data are retained for 30 days after expiry. If you upgrade during that period, all trial data carries over to your new account. If no upgrade is made within 30 days of expiry, project data is permanently deleted.

What happens if I use all 30 credits before day 10?

Compute and simulation become inactive for the remainder of the trial. You can still browse your existing projects and view any reports already generated. The 10-day clock continues to run. No additional free credits are issued. You can upgrade to a paid plan immediately to continue working.

Can I upgrade from the trial to any plan?

Yes. You can upgrade to Maker, Faculty, Student, Professional, or Enterprise at any point during the active trial. All trial project data carries over to your new account immediately on upgrade.

 

Still have a question?

• Email: support@spherene.io