CIMdata PLM Industry Summary Online Archive
3 May 2011
Product News
SolidWorks 3DVIA Composer Breaks Down Communication Barriers
As product development grows more global and decentralized, 3DVIA Composer technical communication software from Dassault Systèmes SolidWorks Corp., enables design teams to overcome language and knowledge barriers while reducing costs and production time.
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 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.
“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 newest version of 3DVIA Composer, V6R2011x, transforms 3D CAD data into high quality image or animated visual assets for use in product communication deliverables. New features enable users to create lifelike images with precise detailing. Companies in industries as diverse as industrial equipment, marine engineering, and consumer retail, use 3DVIA Composer to cut up to 80 percent from production time for documents such as user manuals, assembly instructions, and marketing materials. Among the benefits users gain from 3DVIA Composer are:
Lifelike detail through new features such as alpha channel support, ambient occlusion, per-pixel lighting and depth-of-field functionality.
Cardiovascular Systems Inc., a developer of treatment systems for vascular disease, can show how parts relate to assembly fixtures and how to use a range of custom-designed tools. 3DVIA Composer also contributed to a 25 percent cut in assembly training time at the St. Paul, Minn.-based company.
Faster turnaround time by creating images in parallel with product design. Allmand Brothers Inc., a Nebraska-based company that designs and manufactures light towers and stands, compact loader backhoes and industrial heaters, cut the time required to produce a manual for a complex assembly from a month to a week.
Higher productivity and efficiency from streamlined document production processes.
Sweden’s Produktställ AB used 3DVIA Composer to improve documentation production efficiency by 70-80 percent, freeing resources to support the company’s sales presentation needs.
“With 3DVIA Composer, users can overcome barriers to communicating design information to stakeholders in the design process – other members of the design team, customers, partners, or vendors,” said Kishore Boyalakuntla, director, product management at DS SolidWorks. “3DVIA Composer enables users to create visual assets that communicate exactly what they need to see, and with the software’s latest enhancements, they don’t have to worry about errors in documentation.”
Availability and pricing
3DVIA Composer V6R2011x is available worldwide through SolidWorks VARs. Contact a local SolidWorks VAR for pricing. To locate one in your region, visit http://www.solidworks.com/locateVAR/.
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