Category Archives: CAD

CAD: 3D computer aided design

3DVIA Composer brings virtual online training to “A Roof in My Country” in Argentina

This announcement was posted a few days ago:

“Un Techo Para Mi Pais,” (UTPMP), recognized by the United Nations as one of the non-governmental organizations best suited for public-private partnerships, gives disadvantaged families a new start by offering the security found in a new home,  along with the social, educational and micro-financing services needed to create a responsive community or “barrio” where they can thrive.

But like many volunteer organizations, UTPMP faces the challenge of how best to train new volunteers while capturing the lessons learned by others leaving the organization.  To do this, UTPMP is creating a real-time and online 3D community for sharing and retaining organizational knowledge.

3DVIA Composer to the rescue! This sort of remote training is ideally suited for strong “Product Explanations” by empowering non-CAD experts with 3DVIA Composer to enrich 3D data — to easily build interactive and animated experiences and deliver them to remote support personnel:

With 3DVIA Composer, UTPMP can efficiently facilitate volunteer training through the use of the latest technical documentation and 3D animation technologies. Leveraging these forms of visual communication enables UTPMP teams to more clearly understand technical content. This also helps UTPMP create online communities that have easy access to project content such as training guides, service and maintenance manuals, and assembly instructions.

You can read the full press release here.

3DVIA Composer Breaks Down Communication Barriers

In case you missed it, here is a press release from our SolidWorks team that mentions how 3DVIA Composer is being used by “Design That Matters” to help their efforts in developing countries:

Design that Matters, a non-profit product design group, used 3DVIA Composer to develop high-quality visuals of a phototherapy device to treat jaundiced infants in developing countries. The images enabled the design team to quickly gather feedback from, and gain acceptance by physicians in Vietnam, where it would initially be produced and used in hospitals that may not be able to afford traditional western machines.

Talk about global collaboration! That’s the power of interactive 3D — overcoming international language and cultural barriers:

“We are dealing with a different language, culture, and financial understanding,” said Will Harris, a product designer with Design that Matters. “The only way to overcome these barriers is visually. A photorealistic rendering is the next best thing to putting the device in their hands, and with 3DVIA Composer, they can see how the device goes together. These visualization tools were critical to the success of the project.”

The full press release can be read here.

3DVIA Composer part of major 3D manufacturing initiative @ Embraer!

Embraer has been working with various DS brands, including 3DVIA, to significantly enhance their manufacturing planning and production operations. See the press release link here.

A quote from Marcelo Lemos, our GM in Latin America:

“Embraer is tapping into advanced technology solutions to help achieve significant savings by integrating key engineering, design and manufacturing operations into a single 3D model. These savings allow Embraer S.A. to re-invest resources in new industry opportunities and initiatives”

3DVIA Composer V6R2011 is released! Plus SOPAL chooses Composer…

Well it is here, V6R2011, and I must admit I’ve been excited to tell you about the cool new features for some time…

Check out the highlight video here. (I’ll get that onto the YouTube channel soon…)

Magnetic lines, drag-and-drop interactivity, and many many more… you’ll have to check the new-and-improved release notes for all the details.

I also want to direct your attention to SOPAL, a Tunisian manufacturer of complex and distinctively styled kitchen and bath fixtures. They have been doing some cool things with 3DVIA Composer and 3DVIA.com (and 3DVIA Mobile). The full PR is here, but to save you time here is the 3DVIA Composer part:

With trends in faucet design changing often, SOPAL felt it had to remain flexible and reactive to market demand.

“Knowing how to detect new trends and delivering products that respond to these changes is of prime importance. Part of bringing the right product to market, while shortening delivery times as much as possible, is being able to see that product first, in a lifelike experience,” said Moez Regayeg, manager, SOPAL.  “We used the lifelike visualization enabled by V6 to create an interactive 3D experience.  We even went one step further with 3DVIA Mobile, and published the actual lifelike models of our products for viewing on customers’ iPhones.”

SOPAL chose 3DVIA Composer to quickly and easily document the assembly process, and deliver it in an interactive 3D experience, complete with animated procedures. SOPAL uses 3D animation to explain to architects, construction companies or the final customer how their products should be installed and how they function. To gain worldwide exposure, SOPAL recently published its product portfolio on the 3DVIA.com website, the DS online solution for searching, uploading & sharing ideas in 3D. “3DVIA will help promote our products worldwide,” said Regayeg.

Want a new faucet and want to impress the wife? Use 3DVIA Mobile on your iPhone to grab one of the SOPAL faucets, and super-impose it onto a photo of your aging sink… then back that up with a real purchase (once you get her approval on the design, of course! :P )

Interview in ETM Magazine

A few weeks ago I was interviewed for an “ask the experts” series on Enterprise Technology Magazine.

Here is the on-line version of the magazine, see page 50 for the transcription of the interview.

The questions I was asked:

  • Can you give our audience a brief overview of 3DVIA and 3D – how does it work?
  • What are the main benefits for businesses that are looking to implement this type of technology?
  • I’d like to touch on the bottom line because I know it’s still a concern for most businesses today. How is 3D a cost saver?
  • Can you give us a case study that highlights how 3DVIA works and what it has achieved so far?
  • Now let’s look to the future. What will you be focussing on this year, and where do you see 3D going in the future?

Only a couple of typos in the transcription… see if you can catch them! :)