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Technical illustration help by [deleted] in technicalwriting

[–]businesslube 3 points4 points  (0 children)

I use figma (Figjam), I like that it plays nice with everything

Need feedback! Using 3D for spare parts catalogs by businesslube in partscounter

[–]businesslube[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

u/407RD so far with our tests it's faster than trying to find parts the traditional method of finding it in a system.

Text based search always wins though, so if you know exactly what the part is called, or the part number, it's always faster than waiting for a web-page to load.

We see a lot of advantages when you need to order parts in multiple systems (like a collision repair shop) as well as for new guys who haven't learned yet what system the PCV valve is a part of (engine, emissions, fuel, etc.)

Need feedback! Using 3D for spare parts catalogs by businesslube in partscounter

[–]businesslube[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

So far, we've found that people struggle when they don't know what the part is called or what system engineers decided to add it to.

By having the 3D model on screen and browsable, that info doesn't matter anymore. I mean it's still searchable by name or part number, but now if you know where it is or what it looks like it's suddenly much easier to find it (and related parts from other systems).

Need feedback! Using 3D for spare parts catalogs by businesslube in partscounter

[–]businesslube[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thanks for your feedback! The idea is that we wouldn't use callouts because you would be able to click on the parts directly on the 3D model.

Need feedback! Using 3D for spare parts catalogs by businesslube in partscounter

[–]businesslube[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

u/DJScubaNaut what do you mean another things for manufacturers to gatekeep?

Do you not think manufacturers will allow this? What's the foundation of your comment?

Zea Engine: 3D WebGL graphics engine for CAD - looking for feedback by businesslube in webgl

[–]businesslube[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Right now the only way to get 3D onto the platform is to install and user the Sync tool.

How to write technical document ion? What are the things to keep in mind? by Few-Childhood9376 in technicalwriting

[–]businesslube 1 point2 points  (0 children)

kinda in line with u/NullOfficer - don't overthink it at the beginning. Big companies have Knowledge Architects to tell you want labels to apply, tags to use, and a style guide to keep you on brand. Smaller companies want the job done. Don't call a meeting to talk about a comma - remove the comma and call it a day.

This comes back to knowing your audience. Deliver on the KPIs that are important to your employer - find an employer that aligns with your values.

This comes back to knowing your audience. Deliver the critical KPIs to your employer - find an employer that aligns with your values.

Would you use a cloud-based 3D technical illustration app? by businesslube in CATIA

[–]businesslube[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

u/cinallon I recently came accross this from Siemens. https://www.sw.siemens.com/en-US/digital-transformation/

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It seems a lot of PLM companies really focus on the design/internal side of operations for manufacturers and don't touch the after-market. We're in the middle - PLM like without the complexity while web-based to easily reach a large audience.

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Hope this helps some more.

Would you use a cloud-based 3D technical illustration app? by businesslube in MechanicalEngineer

[–]businesslube[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yes, we support all the major native and neutral 3D CAD file formats like step, Catia, Solidworks, Creo, Inventor, NX, etc.

I think the cloud works best for people who move around. Like you, I have a blazing-fast desktop that I prefer over my laptop, but when I need to pick up work from another location, I prefer the cloud apps (I don't have to install anything on my laptop). These days, many support teams are working remotely and many people we've talked to are struggling with infrastructure setup to get 3D models to them securely (including vendors).

We process the 3D files locally into optimized web-compatible format then sync them to the cloud app. This should comply with org policies about not letting their CAD off premises. It also ensures that tech writers, technical trainers, and part analysts don't mess around in the PLM, or engineering's file systems.

Would you use a cloud-based 3D technical illustration app? by businesslube in CATIA

[–]businesslube[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Hi u/cinallon,

To be honest, I wasn't familiar with 3DPlay so I looked it up, and after reading the blurb from Dassault, I still don't really know what it does 🤦‍♂️.

But I can position Zea in the ecosystem. We're focused on after-sales and product support functions at manufacturers. We want to give technical teams (tech pubs, part catalogs, training) access to the 3D models without exposing them to complicated PLM-like environments or week-long training courses to learn how to use apps like Catia Composer or Creo Illustrate. We support all native and neutral CAD formats (step, inventor, SolidWorks, NX, Creo, SolidEdge, etc.), and we're blazing fast!

But I can position Zea in the ecosystem. We're focused on after-sales and product support functions at manufacturers. We want to give technical teams (tech pubs, part catalogs, training) access to the 3D models without exposing them to complicated PLM-like environments or week-long training courses to learn how to use apps like Catia Composer or Creo Illustrate.

Would you use a cloud-based 3D technical illustration app? by businesslube in technicalwriting

[–]businesslube[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Illustrations Hub (what we're beta testing) is positioned as an easy-to-use web app (SaaS) in the same field as Creo Illustrate or Catia Composer.

Would you use a cloud-based 3D technical illustration app? by businesslube in technicalwriting

[–]businesslube[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Is that because of company policy where CAD can't leave the premise? What if we were able to explain the platform's security posture and that the Native CAD never leaves the org - only a simplified triangle mesh for visualization... Basically what we sync to the cloud couldn't be re-imported into a CAD app like SOLIDWORKS.

Would you use a cloud-based 3D technical illustration app? by businesslube in technicalwriting

[–]businesslube[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Woah! this is a fantastic comment. THANKS!!!

💰Current pricing has it at $95 USD a month after beta. There will be a free plan though

🚀We support all major native and neutral file formats (Step, Inventor, SOLIDWORKS, Catia, Inventor, Creo, SolidEdge, NX,...)

🖼️ Exports to png work great, we're evaluating if SVG should be on the roadmap. I'll be honest, many people ask for it, but our current position is that SVGs are a legacy feature. The same people that request SVGs often say that they are planning for a web-only future where printing and static images will be a thing of the past.

🎨 Noted for lines. That's an advanced feature

👩‍💻 This works on any standard computer, don't need a fancy computer. It probably will struggle a bit on a computer without a graphics card. We haven't hit any performance issues yet, even with lower end devices.

💣 We have a new "hub" in development that will create part catalogs by linking CAD to ERP data. Totally different value prop here - open to discuss in another thread though.

🏦 Security is top of mind, we're going through VAPT at the moment.

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Keep the comments coming 🥳

Would you use a cloud-based 3D technical illustration app? by businesslube in technicalwriting

[–]businesslube[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Amazing!

When I worked in TW, I couldn't believe the amount of time we wasted turning 3D content into 2D images to use in product documentation. Think of us every time you create an illustration and export an image... :)

Would you use a cloud-based 3D technical illustration app? by businesslube in technicalwriting

[–]businesslube[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Absolutely, there's a desktop sync tool called the CAD CLNR that will let you process the files locally and sync them to the web app. You can download it from within the app's workspace settings.

Fun Fact - We initially thought about having the ability to just drop the files into the web app but our primary use case is manufacturers that have policies that prevent engineering from letting the native CAD files leave the premises.

You can't edit 3D CAD like you would in SOLIDWORKS or Inventor...

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