http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SCXc6eJXDUM

Today’s diverse workforce’s presents unique challenges when creating assembly and service procedures. Not everyone speaks or understands the native language. This challenge is also true for global sales and marketing content – how do you efficiently create compelling content in multiple languages?    3DVIA Composer’s powerful linking and intelligent views capabilities provide an easy solution.  Enjoy!  

Tod

Another challenge is to be able to hold that information in a way that can be accessible and understandable at any time, now and in the future – maybe even 100+ years from now if you are an aircraft manufacturer under regulatory requirements. Imagine what words or phrases we know of today that will be meaningless in 100 years. Do your kids know what it really means to “dial a phone”, “play a record”, “white that out”, “roll the windows down” or “pass the clicker?”
In the world of manufacturing, as technology moves from drilling, milling and turning to additive manufacturing, will the terms we use today to describe manufacturing operations and processes be understandable or useful in the future?

Well, I am not going to pretend to have the answers. However, as we know, one way to improve communication, understanding and the longevity of information is to rely more on visual communication, rather than written communication. Regardless of changes in language, culture differences or manufacturing technology, an interactive 3D animation with links to supplemental data for, say, assembling a laptop computer, will be well understood for a long time to come. The laptop, however, due to new technologies and inevitable obsolescence, may not.

So, can you think of other obsolete phrases that we still use but confound our kids?

Howie

Yaris had several challenges on their shop floor before:

1. Need to accurately and instantly pick and install 60 to 80 part groups out 700 groups for customized orders
2. Construction machinery assembly steps are intensely complex to explain and understand
3. Customer’s cab projects require the installation guide, repair instructions, and spare part catalogs delivered all together.

In 2009, Yaris started implementing 3DVIA Composer and has witnessed tremendous progress in the past three years as shown in this Yaris shop floor video.

• They assigned each assembly procedure with an assembly station number and a bar code on the routing sheet.
• Say I’m an assembly line worker at station 4 and I just need to scan the bar code for my station. Then my job specification is clearly populated and explained on the touch screen with detailed graphical steps.
• With multi-touch gestures, I can interrogate the model easily while with traditional assembly instructions embedded with photos, there was no way to explore a different perspective.I can switch to the exploded views with a part list. I can also refer to the 3D models.
• Yaris even integrated the tightening torque specification required for all fixtures and the tools needed for each job.
• The best part is all the information is digital and up to date.

Now Yaris is able to cut technical documentation time by 13%, improve the quality of our technical communication, and provide assembly line workers instant access to 3,000 parts in 700 groups.

Dr. Kayhan Çali?kan, Project Manager at Yaris shared his experience: “While initially deployed to improve the quality of our complicated installation and repair manuals, 3DVIA Composer has also enabled us to improve the proficiency and efficiency of our assembly line workers.”

Let me remind you that this is not just talking. Yaris shop floor video shows the world that Digital Manufacturing is now the reality. Release the power of the 3D CAD data treasure, 3DVIA Composer along with several hundred dollars for a touch screen and a bar code scanner makes a digital shop floor commercially viable.

If Yaris can do it, why don’t you do it?

Sammy

While I carried on setting up my camera in preparation for the recording, a small group of service technicians began to congregate around me, bringing me into their conversation. At this point, I told them about my role and how 3DVIA Composer provides “pretty amazing” service instructions. Their conversation continued without me, however, and to my amazement, the entire conversation changed the moment I pulled the Windows 8 tablet running 3DVIA Composer out of my bag. I gave the group a quick demo and showed them how easy it was to step through various service instructions. What really blew them away was that I could manipulate the model and view it at any angle or zoom to a scale of my choosing. Plus, they loved the fact that once I was done looking at a particular part I could quickly access any step of the service instruction. Then I passed the tablet around and each began clicking through the service instructions that I had on the device. Almost immediately, the technicians began asking when it would be available for them to use!!! Then the technicians started telling me how this could help them so much in their everyday work. When I explained that the instruction could be easily updated if a part needed to be replaced or something else changes, they were looking in the pockets for cash to pay for it. I was also interested to hear as some of them started telling me how this could help raise the quality of their service and help them better understand new or complex maintenance procedures.

In the end, and after I finished recording my video clip, I left the dealership really excited that I got to see first-hand how the products we create gets people so excited when they see the potential. Plus, I knew it doesn’t hurt to be friendly with the service guys who will be working on my car!

Pol Eko Aparatura is a producer of laboratory equipment, such as thermostatic cabinets, laboratory freezers, incubators, drying overs and climatic chambers. The company is also the first Polish manufacturer of waste water receipt stations.

The company had difficulties to show its products to its customers. They needed an effective tool that can showcase their product as the customer want it and in a short period of time.

3DVIA Composer allowed Pol Eko to show case laboratory equipment and laboratory rooms to its customer in high quality illustrations.

Here are some examples:

Other than improving its communication toward its customer thanks to high quality 3D illustrations, they also used 3DVIA Composer to create high quality assembly instructions in paper format and also in animation.

Here is an example of their video:

As you can see, 3DVIA Composer helped Pol Eko Aparatura to improve its communication toward its customer, allowing the company to win a big deal thanks to high quality 3D illustrations done in a short period of time. 3DVIA Composer also improve its assembly instruction process, reducing the time spent for creating an assembly instruction while improving its quality.

What about your company ? Do you have multiple use for 3DVIA Composer ?

Sammy

SANY Group is the sixth largest construction machinery producer in the world, with a diverse product line of concrete machinery, excavators, crawler cranes, truck cranes, pile driving machinery, road construction machinery, port machinery, and wind turbine solutions.

Sany is using 3DVIA Composer in 3 Steps :

Step 1

Process engineers import product 3D models into the application, design and create the assembly animation, adding necessary collaborators and annotation.

Step 2

In the operation standard editor, process engineers embed the animation in the correct position, matching the text outline. The results are then previewed.

Step 3

The whole 3D operation standard, consisting of text, 2D images and 3D animation are then released and uploaded to MES machine, which is placed beside the assembly line. Workers can watch and interact with just a finger touching the PC screen.

When they touch the picture it goes full screen :

Here is a picture showing how 3DVIA Composer and a touch screen can help the workers in the shop floor.

Sany has also provided to its workers an intuitive way of training with 3D illustrations and animations that are easy to understand.

Here is a picture showing the workers in a training session :

Here is a video explaining how to assemble one of Sany’s product. This videos shows a great use of 3DVIA Composer :

Finally, Sany is using 3DVIA Composer to improve its workers knowledge and productivity through high quality animations available on a touch screen. They’re also using our software to train their workers and make them understand how to assemble the different products.

What about your company ? How is 3DVIA Composer helping you ?

Sammy

The contest has started on April, 8th and they will accept submissions until June, 30. The winner will be chosen by the jury on July, 31st.

The winning entry, chosen by a jury including Tom Dixon, will receive an iPad, his concept 3D printed and assembled and featured at the Maison & Object trade show in Paris.

Learn more on www.mostdisruptingdesign.com !

Good luck!

Sammy

They had an issue that was on the assembly end. Basically, how do you deliver quality, intuitive instructions that have many applications (how do you install one speaker model in several different cars or boats) and still meet the customers’ high standards?

To solve this issue, JL Audio uses SolidWorks Composer to convert their 3D CAD speaker models into images and animations for assembly instructions and product manuals. It takes less time than taking photos and  the Composer images look a lot better than the digital photos JL Audio had used previously.  Check out these before/after pictures to get a better idea :

Before :

After :

Video :

Instead of using a block of wood to resemble a $100,000 boat that you are attaching the speakers to, JL was able to represent the overhead bar of the boat with an actual cylinder with the help of Composer.  The images are much more professional, but the best part of using the software is that the “after” instructions took less time to create.

JL Audio uses SolidWorks Composer  to create their 3D communication. As a result, it has cut down cost, production time, and many errors.

Please find attached JL Audio case study if you need more information.

JL Audio pdf

Thanks for your attention

Sammy

Previously I showed some flow techniques that relied on exploding geometry and animation techniques Recently a customer asked if there were simple ways to show flow, show Pressure Change and show Gas tanks filling up without having to rely on modifying the geometry even if it was all one piece or not even having geometry and, not using Key frame animation. Here are a couple of simple techniques that just might do the trick.

Enjoy,

Tod

What started out as demonstration of AMD’s FirePro graphics card performance with 3DVIA Composer turned into a full-blown partner demo with Dell and AMD.

Here is the story. Antoine Reymond (AMD) was interested in showcasing the power of their FirePro graphics card at an upcoming tradeshow. The demo was built using large 3D CAD data sets and a 3DVIA Composer experience performing simultaneously on three separate monitors with AMD Eyefinity. When Antoine saw the 3DVIA Composer capabilities to present information in a cool way that people could understand, it sparked an idea to promote his product using 3DVIA Composer. Antoine quoted, “3DVIA Composer immediately clicked to me as the best way to showcase and create an interactive and animated storyboard. I knew my customers and prospects would immediately see the benefits of my product. 3DVIA Composer was really the perfect tool.”

The idea to partner with Dell for the platform was a natural one since the new Dell T7600 is a very powerful and feature packed workstation. Michael Crum (Dell) recognized the power of using 3DVIA Composer in his marketing and was instrumental in helping to organize the content. He saw the benefit of putting the 3DVIA Composer demo in the Dell Solution Centers to help customers learn about the powerful and elegant features of the new T7600, including AMD’s powerful FirePro technology. Plus, the demo provided a simple tool for the regional sales teams to demonstrate the inter-workings of the new chassis.

Overall it was an extremely enjoyable project working with both the Dell and AMD team to produce an engaging user experience that helps show the capabilities of all our products in one tidy demo. Please enjoy this short video clip demonstrating the power and flexibility of 3DVIA Composer in presenting the unique and powerful features of the Dell/AMD solution.

Enjoy

Tod

Filters are your friends for time saving searches and isolating the actors you need.
These filter tips and tricks should help make you more productive and life just a bit easier leaving more time to enjoy your real friends. Filters are terrible at conversation anyway.

Tod

It should also be noted that the previous certification exam was especially difficult and did have very low pass rate.  Using the feedback that was given the 3DVIA team improved the entire exam and formatted the questions to be much more concise.  Additionally, throughout the whole test more emphasis was also placed on how 3DVIA is used in “everyday” practice and much less on specific functions often not used.  If you are interested in taking this new certification exam please visit http://www.3ds.com/education  to find out more information.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aDi0ezBdG4Q

If you’ve ever wanted to make a ghosted line illustration, here is a quick and easy way to do it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FkWgVltz-ZE

Using scenarios can be a powerful tool in multi user environments. In addition, it can also be a way to simplifiy subassembly and assembly animations. Here are a few basic tips to help you get started.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ks1l3p-2rOo

Have you ever wanted to nest your sub assemblies in numbered groups based on their parent assembly?

Here are a few tips and tricks to help you do just that.

This podcast replaces the original podcast by Marcus which is no longer available

Tod

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OXTOIFyc26k

Have you ever wanted to create High Resolution Images in Silhouette mode but still have control over your line weights?  Here is a quick and easy tip to do just that.
Enjoy

Recently I was interviewed by Beth Stackpole of Design News. The topic was about 3D Visualization and I did my best to explain why that term is no longer adequate, and that we are are doing in 3DVIA (and in Dassault Systemes) is all about 3DEXPERIENCE.

Take a look at this link to the article, let me know if it makes sense!

You can’t do deformations in 3DVIA Composer… or can you?
True you can’t physically deform objects other than scaling but you can get by with quite a bit by faking it.
Recently a customer wanted to simulate a variable belt drive power system in 3DVIA Composer. This episode will give you some tips and tricks to help you do just that. You may even pick up a few other animation techniques and tips while you’re at it.

Enjoy Faking Geometry Deformations

Tod

Which one is your favorite?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yum3n6KGM4o

I saw a question on the 3DVIA Composer user forum the other day about modifying environment maps.  In Composer an environment map is used more as a reflection map rather than a full imaged based lighting map. Think of it as a virtual sphere that an image is mapped onto and the image is then reflected back in your materials. The reflection will vary depending on many of the attributes in the actual material chosen but by changing the map you can vary your reflections. Since modifying the maps may not be compleatly obvious , I figured that it would make a great idea for a TodCast. With that in mind,  here are a few tips and tricks that might help to get just that reflection you are looking for. ~Tod

3DVIA is constantly innovating so we can continue deliver even more engaging 3DEXPERIENCES to our avid user communities. In V6R2013, we are happy to provide another exciting collection of new features and rich enhancements across our enterprise product portfolio. If you haven’t seen it already on 3ds.com, be sure and check out this video to learn more about what’s available in the latest releases of 3DVIA Composer, 3DVIA Studio Pro, and 3DVIA Store.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FFKM–K52x0

Parts aren’t always designed to be rigid. The challenge is that when you design parts to flex, it can be difficult to show. In his latest “TodCast”, our 3DVIA Composer technical guru Tod Cruikshank offers a few handy tips and tricks for using Merge and Explode commands to animate the appearance of part flexibility.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=anXzYOKPmZI

We’re back this week with the latest TodCast. This time, Tod breaks down the fundamentals adding multiple levels to an assembly in order to easily create complex animation movements in 3DVIA Composer. Who knows, you might even be able to pick up a few new skateboarding tricks as well!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1X3wFk2-hZI

When ever you share 3D data outside your organization, you put your designs at risk of being reverse engineered and stolen. This makes protecting intellectual property a major concern for manufacturers and product designers. In our next TodCast, Tod shows how easy it is to protect your 3D designs using a few simple (and patented!) tools in 3DVIA Composer.

We’re proud to announce that the first ever 3DVIA Composer User Group meeting was an astounding success!

Braving the cold and snow of the Minnesota winter, a broad mix of CAD engineers, engineering managers, and technical writers gathered in Minneapolis to share ideas and become more productive using 3DVIA Composer.

The day’s speaker roster included 3DVIA’s own Tod Cruikshank (the famed creator of the “TodCast”), who presented a collection of tips and tricks for streamlining content creation in 3DVIA Composer. Also speaking were Earl Hasz from SolidWorks and Mat Sauer of MTS Systems Corp.

It’s good to point out that this event was purely focused on sharing information to help make users more productive – and not trying to sell (software, timeshare, used cars, etc). This allowed the attendees to settle in and focus on the most important stuff, namely learning, networking, and sharing experiences.

I’m also happy to report that the good folks over at SolidWorks are helping to expand the 3DVIA Composer User Group network by supporting it inside the SolidWorks User Group Network. This means that if you’re interested in starting up a 3DVIA Composer User Group in your area, you can jump on the SWUGN website and learn how easy it is.  If you’re not a SolidWorks user, rest assured because the user group network is open to ALL users, regardless of what CAD platform you use!

We’ll be sure to keep you informed as the 3DVIA Composer User Groups continue to expand.

Welcome to the first TodCast of 2012! We have been busy making fresh content for your enlightenment and enjoyment. (Please feel free to tell us what you’d like to see!)

In this TodCast, Tod walks us through the new multi-camera capability of Version6 R2012x, and shows us how easy it is to create engaging animations.

Hi everyone, we’ve been busy making some new videos for you the first couple months of the new year. Here is our fresh-off-the-press intro video, please let us know what you think!

And stay tuned on Friday, we will bring to you a brand new TodCast.

It’s here, just in time for the holidays… Santa has visited us early and stuffed our software stockings with another impressive release of 3DVIA Composer, full of breakthrough technology and fun-to-use features. You could shake the box and try to guess what’s inside… or take the easy way and watch the preview for more info.

My personal favorite new feature is Smart Outlines. What’s yours?

Enjoy!

Have you ever wanted to make a technical illustration using non-black silhouette outlines for specific parts? It’s incredibly easy and fast to do, as Tod demonstrates in this latest TodCast.

Hi! Since we are just about to release 3DVIA Composer Version 6 Release 2012x, I thought it would be good to review some of the good stuff that was jam-packed into the previous release 6 months ago, V6R2012.

Enjoy, and stay tuned for more!