Accessing and Reviewing CAD Data from Anywhere

If you’re like me, you probably have multiple computers at home or work and depending on where you are, might log onto one or the other to get some productive work done. If you’re like me again, in the past you would typically have to make sure to load whatever files you needed onto a flash drive or send them to yourself in an email to swap between computers. This workflow usually works out well but when it doesn’t, then all work grinds to a halt. It becomes a scramble to find the files, move the files, and then work on the files. If only there was a better way.

The 3DExperience Platform has a ton of great tools from communication to design and validation depending on the work you need to get done. However, at its core is a powerful cloud-based file storage system. What this means is not only do you get access to data management, being able to lock or unlock files and maintain revision histories, but also have the ability to access the data from anywhere you have an internet connection. By being able to access your CAD data from anywhere you’ll be able to model, review designs, and create markups (to name a few) from your office, home, or somewhere on a beach!

A typical workflow with the 3DExperience Platform might look something like this. First, save the SOLIDWORKS part, assembly, or drawing into your collaborative space using the Collaborative Designer for SOLIDWORKS role. Once we have a file saved on the Platform, the real benefits begin to show. At this point, you can move computers or move locations entirely to somewhere remote and can always be connected to the cloud-based file storage system (with an internet connection). On the browser of another computer or even your phone, you can log into the 3DExperience Platform, find the model in the 3D Space App, and get a full 3D Preview without having to download or install anything. From here, measurements can be taken, and markups can be created to call attention to certain aspects of the design. Finally, if you wanted to share this with other team members the markups can be posted directly to one of your communities for other members to see.

If you were trying to do this with a more traditional on-premise data management system, you would have to make sure you had a direct connection to the company network through a VPN or similar system. The 3DExperience Platform allows for users to stay connected, stay engaged, and stay on top of their workload regardless of if they are sitting at their desk in the office or on a work trip to a remote location. Couple that with all of the other great cloud-connected apps, the 3DExperience Platform can fit perfectly into your day-to-day workflows.