By David Prawel and Wolfgang Geist

In Part 1 of this article, we looked at how the vision of PLM suffersfrom a critical lack of effective communication and collaborationfunctionality throughout the complete enterprise and extendedenterprise, including suppliers and customers. The root cause of theproblem is that PLM and PDM evolved out of 3D product data and it issimply too expensive and too impractical to deploy CAD systems on thedesktop of every user within an enterprise and throughout the supplychain. In this second part of the article, we turn our attention tofour lightweight 3D data collaboration and communication solutions thatbring 3D data to users within and without an enterprise.
Adobe and Intel with U3D

Adobe and Intel have a strong position in this area. Adobe recentlyannounced Acrobat 3D, which enables 3D CAD models to be integrated intoits widely used Acrobat products. Adobe plans to capitalize on itssuccess with the PDF format in the broader marketplace (who can arguewith tens of millions of users  or Adobe’s knowledge of how tocreate a de facto standard?). They and Intel are key sponsors anddriving forces behind the 3DIF Consortium, which appears to havesettled on U3D (Universal 3D) as an industrial standard.

› ›Adobe Acrobat 3D image showing simple annotation on 3D CAD model.

Adobe leverages the U3D format in Acrobat 3D, using 3D authoringtechnology from Right Hemisphere. Users of the free Adobe Reader 7.0are able to view 3D PDF files. Licensing Acrobat 3D (less than $900)will enable PDF users to mark up, annotate, and animate 3D models inPDFs, along with embedding them in editable PDF forms. Toolkits areavailable from companies like Right Hemisphere that help third-partydevelopers create and embed 3D PDF capabilities into existingapplications. Right Hemisphere also provides plug-ins for end usersthat automate the process of publishing interactive 3D PDF fileswithout programming. In April, Adobe acquired TTF, a French producer ofCAD data translation and modeling software, ensuring better CAD dataimport capabilities for Acrobat 3D, and highlighting Adobe’sseriousness about this market.

UGS is likewise serious about its collaborative format, JT. JT has beenin the market for many years, and has been repositioned as an openstandard for CAD data exchange. It has gained momentum, even among CADusers who don’t use software from UGS. UGS is the main sponsor of theJT format, and initiated the JT Open Consortium to help proliferate theformat in the market.

‹ ‹ This 3D image illustrates the level of detail that can be communicated using the JT format.

JT is very flexible and scalable, enabling it to suit a broad range ofapplications. It can handle geometry with different tessellationlevels, manage large assemblies and meta-data such as textures, PMIdata like GDandT, and 3D comments. JT2Go, a free JT viewer, providesfunctionality similar to other 3D CAD viewers. And toolkits areavailable to help third-party developers embed JT into existingapplications. JT is a very good choice for a broad range ofapplications, but as it increases in scope, it also grows in footprint.It may not be long before it ceases to serve the needs of the"lightweight, ease to share” viewing market demand.

In November 2004 Microsoft and Dassault Systemes signed astrategiccooperation agreement setting the stage for another lightweight andcommon 3D data format called 3DXML, which is supported in CATIA V5R15.This joint effort shows that both software companies assume XML willbecome the future standard for 3D product data exchange.

These views of an unexploded motor (left) and an exploded motor (right) were produced with Lattice 3D.

In summer 2004, Dassault Systemes selected XVL from Lattice Technologyas the 3D geometry representation within 3Dwithin 3DXML. XVL providesvery highly compressed 3D modeling capabilities, support of many CADformats, and compatibility with XML and XML Schemas. 3DXML is intendedfor non-CAD users in downstream functions, such as purchasing,maintenance, training, and documentation, but currently enjoys onlylimited third-party support.

Autodesk enjoys the largest installed base in the CAD market. Itreleased DWF (Design Web Format) several years ago, enabling Autodeskand competitive CAD users to translate 3D data with free DWF writersand visualize the data with free DWF viewers, which have been availablefor many years. DWF has primarily supported CAD users collaboratingwith CAD users. But this may be about to change. In late May, Autodeskreleased Autodesk Design Review, a new design review workflow tool thatpurports to make it easier for non-CAD users of DWF or DWG toparticipate in round-trip collaborative processes and projects (clickhere for a review of Design Review 2007). Also of note, UGS andAutodesk recently announced cooperation aimed at mutual support oftheir JT Direct and DWF formats. It remains to be seen what will comeof this partnership.
McKinsey and Co. recently completed a global survey in whichexecutives identified innovation and the free flow of information to bethe primary forces behind the rapid pace of change in global business.Executives cited innovation in product, services, and business modelsas the single factor that most influenced the rate of change. Thesecond most common response was greater ease in obtaining informationand developing knowledge.

There are many issues limiting our ability to collaborate better andmake the PLM vision more of a reality. And there are many existing andemerging solutions. But one thing appears clear and consistent—globalmanufacturers have to get it right, before their competitors do.

David Prawel is the founder and president of Longview Advisors Inc., aconsulting firm serving manufacturers. His career spans 25 years inhigh-tech businesses and he has published many articles covering 3DMCAD, product design, and related subjects. Wolfgang Geist is general manager of Conweb GmbH, a European providerof products, solutions, and services aimed at the reuse and downstreamapplication of heterogeneous 3D product data. Send your comments about this article through e-mail . Pleasereference “Lightweight Data, Part Two” August 2006” in your message.

Other 3D Formats

In addition to the well-known 3D-CAD formats there is a variety ofadditional 3D data formats in use in manufacturing. Here are just a fewexamples:

Mesh-formats for the preparation of virtual reality applications and CAE-simulations, e.g. HyperMesh from Altair Engineering

STL-data for rapid prototyping and for reverse engineering and quality control applications

DWG as proprietary 3D-format widely used in the Autodesk user community

OpenGL Inventor, OpenGL Performer, or OpenGL Flight in virtual reality-applications

JPG, BMP, AVI, PNG, TIFF in multimedia and for document processing

JT, XVL, U3D, 3D—DP andWG

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Company Information

3DIF Consortium

Actify, Inc.
San Francisco, CA

Adobe Systems, Inc.
San Jose, CA

Altair Engineering, Inc.
Troy, MI

Autodesk
San Rafael, CA

Daratech Inc.
Cambridge, MA

Dassault Systemes
Paris, France

Delphi Corp.
Troy, MI

Informative Graphics Corp.
Phoenix, AZ

Intel Corp.
Santa Clara, CA

JT Open Consortium

Lattice Technology, Inc.
San Francisco, CA

McKinsey and Co.
New York, NY

Microsoft Corp.
Redmond, WA

Right Hemisphere
Fremont, CA

Spatial Corp.
Westminster, CO

UGS Corp.
Plano, TX