The webinar objective is to communicate our current and future 3D graphics strategy. We will demonstrate a new software solution, and present our 3D product roadmap. Do not miss this event, it will be the official launch of the new Larson Technology 3D solution.
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Larson 3D Product Strategy 2020
1. 3D Product Strategy 2020
September 3rd 2020
11am Eastern Time, USA
Presenters:
Don Larson, CEO
David Manock, VP Sales & Marketing
Welcome to the Webinar
We will begin shortly
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Agenda
• Housekeeping
• Company Profile
• Introduction
• 3D CAD and technical illustration
• New Product Demo
• The Larson 3D product strategy
• Summary
• Q & A
STEP - File:
is a widely used data exchange form of STEP. ISO 10303 can
represent 3D objects in Computer-aided design (CAD) and
related information. Due to its ASCII structure, a STEP-file is
easy to read, with typically one instance per line.
CGM: Computer Graphics Metafile
an ISO (International Organization for
Standardization) standard for vector
and composite vector/raster picture
definition since 1987.
X3D
an ISO-ratified, royalty-free open
standards XML file format and run-time
architecture communicating 3D scenes
and objects.
IGES: Initial Graphics Exchange Specification
is a vendor-neutral file format that allows
the digital exchange of information
among computer-aided design systems.
3. Webinar: Housekeeping
• If you’re experienced problems when joining the webinar,
please use the questions function to communicate
• All attendees will be muted for the duration of the Webinar
• Computer Audio is the recommended option
• Associated materials are available in the Handouts section,
drag and drop to download to your computer, at anytime
• Post your questions during the webinar using the panel
• Questions will be answered following the main presentation
or by email
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Larson Software Technology
• Based in Houston, Texas, USA – New Location
• Founded in 1984, graphic technology experts for 30 years
• We develop powerful, innovative graphics software and toolkits,
based on open standards
• Promoted CGM usage, by providing a free CGM & TIFF viewer,
replaced by a subscription version available online
• The Larson online store is now open, the address:
• www.cgmlarson.com/store
• Developer of the first HTML5 CGM viewer, no plug in!
• Member of the CGM Open Foundation
• Larson technology simplifies the graphics workflow for Technical
Publications Professionals, Engineers, Geologists, and Geophysicists
• www.cgmlarson.com www.svglarson.com
5. Introduction
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• 3D data enables the creation and delivery of visual information
• CAD software is usually capable of processing data and exporting into applicable
technical illustration file formats
• However, Technical Illustration has some very specific requirements not usually
present in CAD systems
• The manipulation of the model should be fast and intuitive
• The ability to easily manipulate the model and optimize the exported data
• Export quality data in standard open 2D formats
• In todays webinar, we will discuss the current use of 3D data in technical illustration
• We will also discuss the future of technical installation creation, display and delivery
6. Webinar Objectives
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• Discuss the points of interests when processing, authoring and
displaying 3D data
• Demonstrate Larson’s new 3D data conversion solution
• Describe how the new software solution will easily integrate with your
workflow
• Present the Larson 3D Product Roadmap, what's next?
• Q&A session to discuss the strategy and the new product
8. 2D or 3D, that is the question?
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• The overriding driver in technical publications/illustration will be
cost
• In the near term 2D illustrations will continue to dominate
• Why? The amount of 2D legacy data
• 2D also has the support of trusted open data formats, CGM, SVG,
PDF
• The use of 3D data is a more complex topic:
• There is now greater access to 3D data
• Do we convert the data to 2D with hidden lines removed?
• Or display the 3D information in a usable form and file format?
• There are many 3D formats available, both proprietary and open
standards
• What 3D formats do we use for the best results
9. Technical Illustration – Today
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• We are still in a 2D creation and delivery paradigm
• There is a huge archive of 2D illustrations
• It is unlikely legacy 2D illustrations will be converted to 3D
• 3D CAD data can be converted 2D information
• 3D graphics are predominately being used in spare parts catalogs
• There is a definite benefit, however, the creation cost is a factor
• The delivery and display of the 3D data is more problematic
• Currently there is no specified 3D file format for the S1000D and ATA
specifications
• In Aerospace and Defense the 2D CGM format still dominates
• SVG is also being used mainly as a display format
10. Technical Illustration – Future
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• So what does the future of technical illustration look like?
• Is it going to continue predominantly 2D?
• Or a combination of the 2D and 3D?
• 3D, what are the benefits, dependencies, pitfalls and cost to deliver 3D
data?
• The benefits of 3D:
• Visually, easier to identify parts, view from any angle
• Animate parts in 3D, ideal for removal, repair and maintenance procedures
• Easily reuse 3D CAD data, and update as the model changes
• The dependencies include:
• Does the 3D data exist and is it accessible?
• Is the software available to easily repurpose the CAD data?
11. Technical Illustration – Future (2)
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• 3D considerations:
• What will be the quality when converting 3D to 2D
• Will 3D information display on the target devices?
• Does the customer still require hard copy information?
• 3D cost:
• Will it take more time to author the data?
• Do I have the correct the software to create the data, if not what is the cost?
• 2D, do we continue down the path of creating and delivering 2D data?
• In the short term it is still likely the majority of data will be 2D illustrations
• However, new illustrations will be originated from 3D data
12. Technical Illustration – Legacy
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• Legacy 2D illustrations:
• It is very unlikely the 2D legacy illustrations will be updated to 3D
• There are a vast amount of existing 2D illustrations, there will be a significant
cost to convert and validate
• Also the current delivery mechanism will need to be accounted for, either
electronic or hard copy
• There will need to be a compelling business case for a 3D conversion on this
scale to take place
• The future, probably a combination of the two, with the use 3D
becoming more common
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3D – Source Data
• The ability to reuse 3D data is increasing
• 3D data is readily available from CAD systems:
• CATIA
• CREO
• Solidworks
• Inventor
• Etc.
• The main challenge is choosing the most suitable file format for
repurposing the data for an end-user
• Repurpose could mean convert to 2D, or use the 3D data to
provide useful graphical information
15. 2D target formats
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• CGM – A 2D graphics format with a long history of publishing quality graphics in
different environments
• The WebCGM profile was developed to deliver Vector Graphics on the Web
• Visit CGM Open for more information www.cgmopen.org
• SVG - Objective to deliver high quality vector graphics for the Web
• The development of SVG was influenced by other submissions to the W3C (World Wide Web
Consortium)
• VML - Vector Markup Language (Microsoft)
• PGML - Precision Graphics Markup Language (Postscript)
• The final decision was to base SVG on XML
• More information on the origins:
• Secret Origin of SVG
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2D target formats (2)
• In the specifications driven environment CGM is the primary
format
• SVG has grown into another significant 2D file format
• CAD systems do not tend to support the export of CGM and SVG
• If they do the quality of the data can be questionable
• The quality of the graphics can cause issues downstream
• The impact could be the editing or the display of the graphic
• In conclusion a specifically designed conversion
software will be the best solution
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3D – Data Exchange File Formats
• The major two open CAD data exchange formats are STEP and
IGES
• STEP and IGES are data rich CAD formats and can provide the
best results especially when converting the 3D data to 2D
• The other option for data exchange are the CAD native formats
• Support of native formats can provide the optimum data exchange
scenario
• However, the formats have to be published for 3rd parties to use
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3D Open - Publishing Formats
• There are many 3D formats, however the proprietary ones
should be excluded when publishing information
• What formats are available:
• X3D
• X3D is a royalty-free ISO/IEC standard for declaratively representing
3D computer graphics using XML
• PRC
• PRC is a 3D file format that can be used to embed 3D data in a PDF
file. This highly compressed format facilitates the storage of
different representations of a 3D model.
• U3D
• Universal 3D is a compressed file format standard for 3D computer
graphics data.
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3D - S1000D Authoring
• The Chapter provides basic guidelines for the use of 3D
interactive graphics
• The production of 3D content must be produced from
verified and authoritative engineering information
• 3D information usage is recommended where procedures are
complex, and users will benefit from the visualization
• The 3D graphics must contain appropriate warning's and
cautions when parts are removed
• 3.9.2.5 – Interactive 3D Content
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2D – Editing and Conversion - VizEx Edit
• VizEx Edit, native CGM editing
• Import and Export of SVG files, TECH SVG compliant
• Uses the TECH SVG profile for the export SVG files
• CGM, fully complying to international specifications, S1000D, ATA.
• Add hotspot’s manually or automatically
• Hotspots created in VizEx Edit preserved in the SVG
• View the interactive graphic in VizEx View HTML5
• http://www.cgmlarson.com/demos/jsViewer/table_cgm_example/index.html
• Or, view as SVG in a popular web browser
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3D – Conversion
• VizEx Edit 3D, imports STEP and IGES open file formats
• It can convert to the CGM format directly and save as SVG
• The 3D model can quickly and easily be manipulated to the required
viewpoint
• The 3D model can be exploded, parts moved and removed appropriately
• When the required viewpoint is achieved the user can perform a hidden
line removal
• The result, a quality 2D CGM illustration
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VizEx Edit 3D - Benefits
• Easy reuse of CAD 3D data, independent of the engineering department
• Support of common open CAD formats STEP and IGES
• Intuitive tools enable the manipulation of the model to the required view
• Isolate assemblies or parts and work dependently of the main model
• Explode the model automatically, or manually to create spare part illustrations
• Convert to industry standard 2D format CGM, for standards compliance
• Quality 2D output enables the completion of the illustration in VizEx Edit
• Annotations
• Hotspots
• ETC.
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New 3D Technology – Product Development
• 3D Spare Part Illustration solution
• New functionality for VizEx Edit 3D – Version 2
• X3D export to X3D and VRML conversion software
• Import VRML Files
• X3D Viewing Capability
• As with CGM we want create an easy way to implement a 3D
viewing environment
• Supporting the X3D format
• Develop X3D Profile
• Develop specific technical illustration X3D Schema
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Summary
• Larson continues to make significant progress in supporting 3D file
formats
• Conversion, Compatibility and Compliance are the keywords
• Larson will continue develop standards compliant technology
• The Larson product roadmap continues to mature, 2D and 3D
graphics is a significant part of the strategy
• We will be pleased to work with companies or organizations
interested in implementing 2D and 3D graphics solutions