Overcoming CAD Compatibility Issues Across Platforms with a CAD Viewer
Collaboration is the cornerstone of any successful engineering and manufacturing team, and the ability to effectively share design data is critical. Whether it is multiple teams in the same organization or different companies altogether, a CAD viewer can offer a solution to CAD combability issues across the industry.
Despite its importance, there are obstacles to effectively sharing CAD data. Different parts of the supply chain often use different CAD systems, which may not be compatible with each other. Using a CAD viewer can be one way of bridging the gap when trying to visualize models created in other CAD systems.
A CAD viewer allows you to visualize a model created in almost any CAD system, without needing you to use the native CAD software. This has the advantage of enabling you to view models from multiple CAD systems, which is useful if you are receiving data from several sources. A CAD Viewer also allows users to view models without needing CAD experience, opening up new opportunities for departments like sales, marketing, and more.
But how does this compare to other methods of working with partners and suppliers using other CAD systems?
Using Mandated Formats
When working in a supply chain with multiple CAD systems involved, you can mandate a specific format for others to follow or adopt a format required by a supplier. This is a seemingly simple solution, but it’s often challenging to implement. Changing to a different CAD format involves purchasing new software and investing in training, which can be both costly and time consuming.
Alternatively, a CAD viewer offers a more cost-effective solution if your primary need is purely viewing models. CAD viewers like SpinFire Insight are user-friendly, making it easier to train employees and get them up and running quicker.
Using CAD Translators
CAD data translators are another option that allows CAD data to be shared among people using different software. These convert CAD data from one format into another, making it a great option if you need data in your own format (or if you are sending it to someone else who needs it in theirs). These translators can bring though lots of important information from the original CAD file including PMI/GD&T, product structure and metadata, which is often needed for manufacturing.
But this method still requires its users to have a good understanding of CAD to work with the new data effectively. By using a CAD viewer, departments throughout the business can see and interact with what you make without requiring training on CAD tools they won’t need to use most of the time. With this additional context people throughout the company can get a better understanding of a project, and it’s much more intuitive than a simple screenshot!
Using Interactive Documentation
Sharing data with 3D PDFs is another option. These PDF documents contain interactive CAD models that can be easily shared. Like with a CAD viewer, standard 3D PDFs make CAD data accessible to wider areas of a business, helping enhance processes in a wide range of areas in an organization. But the true power of 3D PDF lies in the ability to create templates for specific uses (like a request for quotation, work instructions, sales documents and more), these documents can be set up to be created automatically; pulling the necessary information from the native CAD system. Plus, additional documents can be attached to the 3D PDF for additional context.
However, if that level of tailoring isn’t required then a CAD viewer can be an effective way of making CAD data widely available. Plus, they have a variety of tools that enable you to investigate and evaluate the model, offering more advanced options for analyzing the data than can typically be found with a 3D PDF. So, if you’re looking for a way to analyze models once they’ve been shared, a CAD viewer could be the perfect solution.
Why Use a CAD Viewer
There are many options for visualizing CAD data depending on what you need. A CAD viewer is a particularly versatile tool, giving access to CAD models to people throughout the organization without the need for specific knowledge of CAD software. This means that not only can it be used for viewing CAD data in a format you don’t typically use, but models can be shared with departments who don’t use CAD at all.
Interested in learning more about how you could use a CAD viewer? Speak to our team today.
