Cadalyst - October 2008 - (Page 22)

cadalystlabsreview Deep Exploration lets you publish and view both 2D and animated 3D graphic content in Microsoft Office and Adobe FrameMaker documents and view those files within HTML pages. Using the included PDF publishing module, Deep Exploration can publish interactive 3D PDF documents that can be used for training or demonstrations, and it can import and export JT/PMI data, great for manufacturing uses, via the included JT/PMI module. The authoring features of Deep Exploration include the ability to generate photorealistic 3D images with materials and Realight tools that simulate global illumination. You can author 3D animations with advanced keyframing, position, rotation, material, texture UV and camera animations of 3D objects, and you can output high-quality line art illustrations in industry-standard file formats to control edge threshold, line weight, color, and shading parameters. Among its other numerous features are the ability to view and mark up graphics with interactive object manipulation, cross-sectioning, and annotations. Deep Exploration 5.5 converted the Cadalyst test files without difficulty. The 70.3-MB SolidWorks SeaScooter Assembly produced a 1.34-MB RH file in about 25 seconds. Next, I opened and converted two AutoCAD drawings — the 601-KB 2D WILHOME.DWG, which produced an 886-KB RH file in 80 seconds, and the 1.02-MB 3D ENGINE.DWG, which produced a 134-KB RH file in just less than 30 seconds. The starting price range for Deep Exploration 5.5 CAD Edition is $1,995–$6,739. You can find a list of supported file formats and versions at the company’s Web site, as well as trial versions of Deep Exploration and other products. 3DVIA Composer allows non-CAD users to create associative 2D and 3D product documentation directly from SolidWorks and other 3D CAD data. 3DVIA Composer V6R2009 3DVIA from SolidWorks is a small family of products based on open XML architecture that allows non-CAD users to create associative 2D and 3D product information for use in documentation, marketing, training, support, and manufacturing applications. When you modify a product design, 3DVIA automatically regenerates documentation contents. The central product in the 3DVIA family is 3DVIA Composer, a desktop application that lets non-CAD users create product documentation directly from 3D design data. The interface is clean and straightforward, similar to the new ribbon in Microsoft Office 2007 applications. If you feel at home in any of the new Office applications, you’ll find 3DVIA Composer very easy to use. With 3DVIA Composer, you can create exploded views easily and annotate them according to your company’s Dassault Systemes 800.693.9000 www.3dviacomposer.com Price: Contact company Read More at Cadalyst.com More information about the reviewed software’s features www.cadalyst.com/1008-3D-table Cadalyst Labs collaboration software reviews www.cadalyst.com/collaboratereviews standards. You can create and apply styles to your content to ensure consistency. 3DVIA’s technical illustration capabilities simplify 2D line drawings, which can be output in a number of popular file formats such as JPEG, SVG, and CGM in high resolution. A 3DVIA Sync tool lets you automatically update your documentation when changes are made to metadata, geometry, or basic product structure. An add-on utility called 3DVIA Safe lets users control and manage access to their company’s intellectual property in content that’s produced with 3DVIA Composer. A patented technology called Secure 3D Brush prevents copying or theft. 3DVIA Safe also lets you manage access control when playing content with the 3DVIA Player, a free add-on that lets others view and interact with the documents created by 3DVIA Composer. 3DVIA Player can be embedded in Microsoft Office applications, HTML, and PDF files. Another add-on, 3DVIA Check, lets users validate that the procedures documentation can actually be performed by checking dynamic and static clash detection. This lets users quickly qualify service and assembly procedures by providing access to components within an assembly. 3DVIA can work with SolidWorks files two ways: The 3DVIA SolidWorks add-on can be installed in SolidWorks and export SLDASM and SLDPRT files into the SMG file format that can be opened directly in 3DVIA Composer. Or you can install SolidWorks on the same system as 3DVIA Composer and open both SLDASM and SLDPRT files directly inside 3DVIA Composer. I typically test 3D publishing software on a system without major design applications installed on it, so I was unable to test 3DVIA Composer directly with our SolidWorks test files. 3DVIA Composer does not support AutoCAD files directly. Installation was speedy and straightforward, although 3DVIA Composer uses FlexLM licensing, which is unusual for this type of application. This licensing scheme is complex and can be difficult to troubleshoot, thus it is used only for extremely high-end software. Regarding pricing, SolidWorks does not disclose this information except to prospective customers who contact the company directly. www.cadalyst.com cadalyst October 2008 22 http://www.3dviacomposer.com http://www.Cadalyst.com http://www.cadalyst.com/1008-3D-table http://www.cadalyst.com/collaboratereviews http://www.cadalyst.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Cadalyst - October 2008

Cadalyst - October 2008 Contents Editor’s Window Cad Central SimCity for Real Designs Spring to Life — 3D Publishing Tools Make File Sharing as Easy as Opening a Book Xi MTower 2P64X — Dual Quad-Core Workstation ArchiCAD 12 — BIM Software Dell Precision M6300 — High-End Mobile Workstation Cad Manager Mcad Modeling Aec Insight Cad Cartoon Issue Indexes Hot Tip Harry

Cadalyst - October 2008

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