Interview with Novedge

Check out this recent interview with Franco over at Novedge. They are a great online reseller and you can find all kinds of 3D products there, including QuadriSpace products.

http://blog.novedge.com/

Here is a quote from Franco, taken from the introduction:

"When I saw QuadriSpace Pages3D for the first time something resonated with my experience. Finally, a CAD visualization tool that is easy to use (even by non CAD users) and that addresses real problems, not abstract idealizations of the design and manufacturing world."

Free Personal Edition

QuadriSpace just made available a free Personal Edition. This is a complete 3D Communication Suite that you can download for free. With this easy to use product, you can import your 3D, quickly capture illustrations (memorized views), add markups and then email the information to a buddy. There is also a complete page layout capability include with Pages3D Personal that let's you add text boxes, tables and set up the exact document layout.

You can download it here: http://www.quadrispace.com/downloads/index.htm

We are also making the 3D PDF module a low-cost upgrade for only $95. With this you can use your Personal Edition to share via 3D PDF. You do not need to purchase Acrobat to use this feature, it is all self-contained.

We will be posting some examples online soon.

First Look V2008

Some information on the QuadriSpace V2008 product line is now available! We are very excited about this release and our early feedback is tremendous. Check it out!

We will be providing more details as the release date nears.

Here is the link: http://www.quadrispace.com/products/2008_preview.htm

Tampa Bay --- PTC/User Conference

QuadriSpace will be exhibiting our Product Communication and Documentaiton Solutions at this year's PTC/Conference. The show floor opens at 6:00 PM on Sunday June 3rd in the Tampa Bay Convention Center. This year we will be hosting a drawing for a new iPod Nano, so come on by booth #307 and learn about 3D Publishing. I'll try to post some updates throughout the show.

I think 3D, therefore I am 3D

One of the most striking arguments for using 3D is visualization. Visualization is great for communication and document creation. 3D is a great way to get a head start creating pictures of products, today you can even include an interactive 3D in a document. But the real power of 3D is not only the 3D but the ability to do much more.

"A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words"
I think everyone understands this concept but let's start with the idea of a simple picture versus a written description.

- Is it easier to follow a map or "turn right at the third lamppost behind Arby's"?

- Is it easier to understand a weather radar image or "it's raining somewhat hard north of highway 380"?

- Is it easier to identify a specific motor from a photo or "it's the one with the green top"?

Of course many of the answers depend on the quality of the map, image or photo. But assuming the picture is of decent quality most people prefer the weather map, a detailed road map or a photo of the product. Clearly, simple pictures make it easier to identify specific objects and places. For product communication visual identification is key to error reduction and time savings. Pictures can also help cross language barriers, present complex concepts, and increase interest in a topic, among others.

I think 3D, therefore I am 3D
A picture is worth a thousand words but a 3D model may be worth a million. We all live in a 3D world, surrounded by 3D stuff.

For products designed with 3D, the visualization benefits of using these existing models is extremely significant. Using 3D models means that interactivity can be added to your communications or used as a tool when creating your documents. 3D models let you rotate, pan and zoom the objects to get the most informative view.

With a map or a weather radar you will find almost all online tools of this type provide interactivity using a 2D image that you can pan and zoom. This morning we used an interactive weather radar to watch some nasty thunderstorms move across Texas. The weather radar starts out focused on Dallas but using the interactive features I was quickly able to zoom in on Allen, TX to see information relevant to my area. Using a 2D image is suitable and the right choice for viewing weather or maps.

Manufactured products require 3D, but the same concepts apply. With an interactive 3D object you can easily rotate around to the area of interest, zoom in and get relevant information. Product communication can leverage interactive viewing to allow individual users to select a custom view.

Time after time
Step-by-step instructions make it easy to follow directions by providing ordered procedures that can be executed one step at a time, provide a current status, and other information such as where you came from and where you are headed.

When you use www.mapquest.com to get directions from one address to another the results are presented as a visual map and a set of driving instructions. This will (hopefully) get you from point A to B. Breaking a complex set of instructions down into individual steps makes it much easier to accomplish the task without mistakes and as quickly as possible.

Product communication is often accomplished step-by-step. Internal and external customers who purchase a manufactured product will need instructions regarding use, maintenance, service, installation, and more. Instructions require a concept of time or ordered procedures to communicate. To offer instructions you need to be able to tell someone this procedure is accomplished before this one and so on. For complex products visually animating or illustrating the changes to the product during a procedure can be key to a clear understanding.

The Written Word
Ironically, one of the the truly revolutionary aspects of shared 3D CAD files is not just the "pretty picture" but a whole other layer of information that is stored as metadata. For products this metadata or textual information can describe the materials used, the part numbers, the price, or individual parts. With QuadriSpace you can even set up step-by-step procedures in this way.

Bringing it all together
The power of combining visual identification, interactive features, ordered procedures and textual information is extraordinary.

One of the most clear examples of this is the use of a GPS in a car. The GPS provides up-to-date information on where you are, the current driving instruction is displayed as waymark's are reached, a map provides visual feedback and interactive features allow you to dial in the destination or zoom the map as needed.

Using this powerful combination for product communication and documentation can have a significant impact. For example, assembly instructions can be very complex procedures that are expected to be executed with minimal training, with minimal errors and meeting a typically aggressive schedule. This is already a tough problem, and the trend toward offshore manufacturing and worldwide use requires assembly plans to consider language barriers as well.

This assembly problem is solved in a rather dramatic way when the concepts outlined in this entry are applied. You should try it!

Vista and 3D Performance

So the bad grades for Vista's 3D performance are starting to roll in...

Vista Runs CAD Slower
Cad on Vista Performs Much Worse than on XP

On Tom's Hardware you see a major difference between Vista's 3D performance for CAD applications to it's performance for Games. Games run much better... why?

Tom's Hardware --- CAD Applications
Tom's Hardware --- Games

From Cave Art to 3D

Technical Illustration could be thought of as art with a purpose. A good illustrator focuses on the overall communication benefits that the graphics provide and the techniques required to create the graphics. In other words, what are the communication benefits of any new media and how easy it is to use.

28,000 BC - 3000 BC: Chalk, Charcoal and Minerals
Thirty-thousand years ago the urge to draw inspired our ancestors to discover new media. Chalk, charcoal and minerals were used to provide a way to communicate with imagery.

* Benefit - First communications with graphics
* Technique - Rub a stone on a cave wall - pretty tough to create good graphics

3000 BC-1982 AD: Pen and Paper
Historic records show that papyrus (an early form of paper) was being used as early as 3000 BC. This was a significant step forward and provided a way to communicate outside of the cave.

* Benefit - Share graphics across the world
* Technique - Use a pencil, protractor and T-square to hand-draw illustrations

This technique has been used for centuries but even the most stubborn illustrators are unable to deny the benefits of newer approaches any longer. I picked up an old text book titled "Technical Drawing" at Half-Price books (Ever tried to sell books here? Trust me... you're better off donating your books and writing them off for $0.50 each). The book was published in 1991 and out of 1000 pages of pen and paper instructions only a single chapter (35 pages) discussed computers.

1982-2004: Digital Graphics
Finally, with the invention of the internet and 2D graphic software, old pen and paper techniques started to become obsolete.

* Benefit - Share graphics with a global audience
* Technique - Use precise software tools to draw 2D illustrations

We have great book laying around the office that we use as a reference. "The Complete Technical Illustrator" by Jon Duff and Greg Maxson explores topics relevant to technical illustration and does a great job. It is a very practical, hands-on book and you can find the book on Amazon here. The first sentence in the "Introduction" describes the brave new world of technical illustration, according to the author:

"The increased availability of digital graphics tools has inexorably changed the way technical illustrations are made."

The focus of the book is really on how to use 2D based tools, such as Adobe Illustrator or Autocad, to create "3D looking" illustrations. This book does a great job describing some tedious strategies and obscure techniques that can be used to get from A to B, and by following these techniques you can end up with some pretty impressive illustrations. But, how long does it take to create a good illustration this way? Well, it's certainly easier than drawing on a cave wall but it does take a lot of time. Also, what happens when you products change? How do you update the illustrations? Let's just say "it's not going to happen".

Fortunately for you 3D Publishing Software can eliminate these multiple-step requirements and update deficiencies by letting you use the 3D model directly. Read on...

2004-Future: 3D Graphics
3D Publishing is the most beneficial new tool for technical writers and illustrators since the pen and paper. Am I exaggerating? For some, maybe. For many others, probably not.

* Benefit - Share 3D graphics globally
* Bonus Benefit - Update graphics automatically when designs change
* Technique - Reuse the 3D model directly to automatically create illustrations

When 3D publishing software is used, the 3D model can be imported directly. QuadriSpace's products provide a wide range of professional tools that you can use to get the precise viewpoint you desire, the graphical style that your illustration needs, the callouts and text to describe the product, and special tools for creating exploded views easily. The overall effect is that you can import a 3D model and in many cases you can create a whole library of detailed illustrations in a few minutes!

Oh, about updates to your illustrations... for many this is the best part. Since you are using the 3D model as the basis for your illustrations you can easily update entire documents or libraries of illustrations when designs change. It's very simple, just import the latest 3D model and everything is updated automatically.