![\"pages3d_example_p4.png\"](\"http:\/\/blogs.sw.siemens.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2019\/09\/pages3d_example_p4-2.png\" "\\"pages3d_example_p4.png\\"")
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Long after designers release a product design for manufacturing, the 3D CAD models that define the product are used as references by many downstream operations. For example manufacturing, suppliers, and business partners often utilize the 3D models when putting together assembly instructions, parts catalogs, installation and maintenance manuals and many other types of technical documents.<\/SPAN><\/P><\/p>\n However, utilizing your 3D CAD models in technical documents and publications has often been a painstaking process. It can require the CAD models to be converted to different 2D or 3D formats for use by technical documentation software, and then further work to manually create the callouts and exploded views that are often required for the final documents. And managing changes to the original CAD files and the associated converted files can take significant time too. This tedious work saps valuable time from your design team. An earlier blog post “Move towards digital maunfacturing – use your 3D CAD models to create excellent technical document<\/A>s” looked at some of the challenges around communicating your designs to downstream users and the positive impact that using 3D digital models can have in this area.<\/SPAN><\/P> <\/SPAN>Knowing the business benefits that manufacturers could achieve if their designers could focus on their primary task of creating innovative, high performance products, Solid Edge has teamed with QuadriSpace<\/A> to cut through the hassle and slash the time spent creating and updating technical documentation. <\/SPAN><\/P> The Pages3D<\/A> solution from QuadriSpace automatically consumes 3D Solid Edge models so they can be used within printed or interactive technical documents that are published as paper, PDF, or HTML files. Publisher3D,<\/A> a technical illustration program from QuadriSpace, easily creates exploded views, step-by-step assembly instructions, parts lists, raster-and-vector illustrations, and other documentation based on the original Solid Edge part and assembly models.<\/SPAN><\/P><\/p>\n \u201cWith Pages3D, our customers create complete multi-page documents with interactive 3D content,\u201d says Brian Roberts, QuadriSpace president and founder. \u201cCreating illustrated parts lists, online or PDF catalogs, and step-by-step instructions are common uses of the software. \u201c<\/SPAN><\/P><\/p>\n \u201cCustomers open a 3D model directly in a technical document format that can then be printed in manuals, and published with embedded 3D content to interactive documents. For instance, clicking on a 3D picture can bring up an explanation or other useful content,\u201d Roberts continues. \u201cSo you can click on a part in a parts list and the 3D model for this part will be displayed, and this can include text bubbles or exploded views.\u201d<\/SPAN><\/P> \u201cThose interactive illustrations and exploded views are created with Publisher3D or Pages3D, through which engineers import their Solid Edge 3D CAD models, orient the models, take snapshots, set up the viewpoints, and add tables when required\u201d, Roberts adds.<\/SPAN><\/P> A wizard, included with the unique smart template technology, automatically generates a step-by-step process from an exploded view.<\/SPAN>\u201cThe wizard helps create a package of 3D instructions for assembling products \u2014first align this part, then bolt on this one\u2014and each of these steps can be illustrated with a 3D animation and descriptive text as desired,\u201d Roberts says.<\/SPAN><\/P> \u201cThe software automatically pulls features from the 3D CAD information so you don\u2019t have to manually recreate that data,\u201d he says, \u201cfor example, the Solid Edge exporter includes support for the hierarchical assembly and sub-assembly structure, metadata, exploded views, assembly configurations and more\u201d. <\/SPAN><\/P> When an engineer changes the original Solid Edge CAD file and imports the new version into Pages3D, changes are automatically updated while maintaining the original markups, call outs, and other illustrations. This is a huge time saver and ensures that design changes are correctly incorporated into technical documentation.<\/SPAN><\/P><\/p>\n
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\n![\"pages3d_example_p3.png\"](\"http:\/\/blogs.sw.siemens.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2019\/09\/pages3d_example_p3-1.png\" "\\"pages3d_example_p3.png\\"")
Pages3D enables 3D models to be used in the creation of parts catalogs and work instruction packets<\/span><\/span><\/P>
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![\"share3d_montage.png\"](\"http:\/\/blogs.sw.siemens.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2019\/09\/share3d_montage-1.png\" "\\"share3d_montage.png\\"")