CIMdata PLM Industry Summary Online Archive
1 June 2008
CIMdata News
CIMdata in the News: Lightweight Formats Unlock 3D Design Intent
It is very important to remember that all of the information that we need to develop in the product development process is important to other people in the organization. For instance, the product cannot be shipped if a package that clearly identifies it, protects it, and reduces cost can’t be produced. Much of the packaging information is derived from the product’s design. Yet rarely do package designers have direct access to that valuable, rich, 3D data source. This issue is the focus of the Manufacturing Business Technology article “Lightweight formats unlock 3D design intent” in which the editor, Roberto Michel, draws upon the expertise of Senior Consultant, John MacKrell for insight:
“The ability to publish data out to people is highly simplified through these viewing formats,” says John MacKrell, an analyst with Ann Arbor, Mich.-based CIMdata, which tracks CAD and product life-cycle management (PLM) trends.
There are two key reasons why these technologies help, says MacKrell. First, they allow non-CAD users to access design data without having to license the powerful CAD packages on the market. Second, the formats typically can compress native CAD files by one-tenth to up to one-one hundredth in size. “You reduce the file size to move around rather dramatically without an adverse visual impact on the data,” he says.
But the lightweight format trend carries some complexities. For one thing, there are many formats from different vendors and groups, and not all have the same features, so there can be confusion in picking the right set of technologies.
“There are multiple factors to consider, such as whom you are going to be sharing data with, and how you want to allow people outside or within your organization to use the data,” says MacKrell. “The answers to these types of questions drive you to a format/tool combination.”
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