"45 minutes lost, a critical meeting postponed, and a client starting to lose patience." This is how the engineering manager of a German industrial equipment manufacturer summed up his day during a technical seminar in 2023. The culprit? A CAD assembly of 200,000 components that the standard visualization solution stubbornly refused to load during a crucial demonstration. This situation, familiar to many CIM Database users, perfectly illustrates the dilemma faced by modern industrial companies.
Like a smartphone slowing down under the weight of too many open apps, traditional visualization tools struggle with the growing complexity of CAD models. The 3D Connect solution from Contact Software, although perfectly integrated into the PLM environment, reveals its limits when assemblies reach a certain size-turning what should be a smooth experience into a patience test for technical teams. The question is no longer whether a higher-performance alternative is needed, but rather how to seamlessly integrate it into existing processes.
This practical guide examines how the 3DViewStation WebViewer solution integrates with the Contact Software ecosystem to deliver outstanding performance (100,000 components loaded in 1 second!), while ensuring accessibility, rich functionality, and optimal protection of your intellectual property.
Table of Contents
- Current Challenges of CAD Visualization in PLM Environments
- Limitations of Standard Visualization Solutions for CIM Database
- 3DViewStation WebViewer: High-Performance Solution for Contact Software
- Technical and Operational Benefits of Advanced Integration
- Integration Architecture and Bidirectional Data Flow
- Industry Use Cases and Feedback
- Implementation Strategy and Performance Optimization
- Future Outlook and Conclusion
Current Challenges of CAD Visualization in PLM Environments
Visualizing CAD data is a fundamental element of the modern product development process. It enables different team members to work on the same 3D models, modify, evaluate, and share them without requiring expensive CAD licenses.
In the context of PLM systems like Contact Software's CIM Database, several challenges arise regarding the effective integration of CAD visualization:
- The increasing complexity of CAD assemblies, sometimes reaching several hundred thousand components
- Loading performance that degrades proportionally with this complexity
- The necessary accessibility for different technical and non-technical user profiles
- The need for both online and offline access to design data
- The protection of know-how and intellectual property
These challenges are particularly acute in sectors such as automotive, industrial engineering, and electronics, where product complexity continues to rise, making standard visualization solutions insufficient.
Limitations of Standard Visualization Solutions for CIM Database
Contact Software natively offers a visualization solution called 3D Connect, integrated into its CIM Database PLM platform. This solution meets basic visualization needs but presents significant limitations as assemblies reach a certain complexity:
| Aspect | Limitations of 3D Connect (standard solution) |
|---|---|
| Performance | Significant slowdowns with complex assemblies |
| Supported formats | Limited support for native CAD formats |
| Analytical features | Limited capabilities for in-depth technical analysis |
| Accessibility | Dependence on local installations |
These limitations become problematic in several usage contexts:
- When technical teams need to analyze complex assemblies
- When remote or mobile collaborators need access to data without local installation
- For multidisciplinary teams that need to share and collaborate on 3D models
- In situations where performance becomes critical to maintain process efficiency
It is precisely in these contexts that an advanced visualization solution like 3DViewStation WebViewer becomes relevant to complement the Contact Software environment.
3DViewStation WebViewer: High-Performance Solution for Contact Software
The WebViewer version of 3DViewStation represents a significant evolution in the approach to integrated CAD visualization within PLM systems. This solution stands out for several key features that make it an ideal complement to the Contact Software environment:
Main Features of the WebViewer
- Exceptional performance even with limited bandwidth
- No geometry stored on the client device, enhancing security
- Extensive support for 3D and 2D formats
- Over 180 interactive features as rich as the Desktop version
- Effective protection of know-how and intellectual property
- Zero installation, zero client-side administration
3DViewStation WebViewer is particularly well suited to the needs of occasional users, mobile teams, and external partners who only require access to inventory data without complex installation.
Comparison with the Standard Solution
| Feature | 3D Connect (standard) | 3DViewStation WebViewer |
|---|---|---|
| Performance with complex assemblies | Limited | Excellent (ultra-fast loading) |
| Required installation | Yes | No (browser-based) |
| Analytical functions | Basic | Advanced (>180 features) |
| Native format support | Limited | Extensive |
| Data security | Standard | Enhanced (no local geometry) |
This browser-based approach offers the considerable advantage of making CAD data accessible anywhere, while maintaining a high level of performance thanks to intelligent data management and the ultra-lightweight 3DVS format.
Technical and Operational Benefits of Advanced Integration
Integrating 3DViewStation WebViewer into the Contact Software environment generates tangible benefits at several levels:
Benefits for Technical Users
- Online and offline visualization as needed
- Ultra-fast loading of complex assemblies in 3DVS format
- Numerous interactive features without extensive training
- Advanced analysis features (wall thickness, version comparison)
- Use of the Activity Stream to directly share snapshots
Benefits for Decision Makers and the Organization
- Optimal solution for native and complex CAD data
- High-performance alternative to standard visualization
- Significantly improved work efficiency
- Increased user satisfaction
- Cost control via concurrent licensing models
- Optimized protection of intellectual capital
This integration specifically meets the needs of professional users with specific requirements, such as advanced technical analysis, while offering usage flexibility that adapts to modern working conditions.
Integration Architecture and Bidirectional Data Flow
The integration of 3DViewStation WebViewer with CIM Database relies on a robust technical architecture that enables bidirectional data exchange and a seamless user experience.
Technical Integration Principles
3DViewStation WebViewer sources data directly from Contact Elements and the CIM database. This integration allows:
- Direct access to CAD models, parts, variants, and product structures
- Intuitive navigation via the 3D Cockpit, the central tool of the interface
- Sending modifications and additional information back to the data management system
- Loading virtual product structures for in-depth analysis
- Transferring results to document management or communication processes
- Direct sharing of snapshots via Contact's Activity Stream component
This architecture ensures that data flows consistently between the PLM system and the visualization tool, without duplication or loss of information.
Performance Optimization
A crucial aspect of this integration concerns performance optimization, especially for complex assemblies. The solution recommends:
- Converting CAD data to the ultra-lightweight 3DVS format when saving in CIM Database
- Using the KAS batch tool connected to the Contact conversion server
- Near-instant loading of complex assemblies (100,000+ components in 1 second)
This intelligent data management approach directly addresses the growing performance problem of modern CAD models, without requiring disproportionate hardware investments.
Industry Use Cases and Feedback
Several industrial sectors are already benefiting from the integration of 3DViewStation WebViewer with Contact Software, each with specific use cases:
Automotive Industry
In the automotive sector, where assemblies can reach hundreds of thousands of components, the integration enables:
- Collaborative design reviews between international teams
- Rapid analysis of interferences and assembly issues
- Secure sharing of models with suppliers
- Use of digital mockups for early validation
Industrial Engineering
For industrial engineering companies, the advantages include:
- Visualization of complex plant and equipment structures
- Integration of PLM/ERP data into visualization
- Mobile access to installation data for field teams
- Interactive technical documentation with 3D models
Electronics
In the electronics sector, integration facilitates:
- Analysis of complex circuits and PCBs
- Visualization of mechanical-electronic interactions
- Communication between hardware and software teams
- Validation of integration concepts
These concrete examples demonstrate the versatility of the solution and its ability to adapt to the specific needs of each industrial sector while maintaining data integrity within the Contact Software ecosystem.
Implementation Strategy and Performance Optimization
Successfully implementing the integration of 3DViewStation WebViewer with Contact Software requires a methodical approach that maximizes benefits while minimizing disruptions.
Key Implementation Steps
- Needs assessment: Identify business processes requiring advanced visualization
- Infrastructure setup: Deploy the 3DViewStation server and integrate with the existing Contact infrastructure
- Conversion server configuration: Set up automatic conversion to the 3DVS format
- User interface integration: Seamless integration into the CIM Database user experience
- Access rights definition: Configure permissions aligned with the Contact structure
Performance Optimization
To maximize the performance of the integrated system, several strategies are recommended:
- Systematic conversion of CAD data to 3DVS format upon initial save or after modification
- Optimal server cache configuration for frequently accessed data
- Implementation of cleanup policies for temporary data
- Optimization of network parameters for efficient data distribution
These strategies allow for exceptional loading times, such as assemblies of 100,000 components in 1 second, or more complex structures (a ship with 10 million components) in 15 seconds-unmatched performance in the industry.
Future Outlook and Conclusion
The integration of advanced visualization solutions like 3DViewStation WebViewer within the Contact Software ecosystem represents a fundamental trend in the evolution of modern PLM systems.
Future Trends
Several developments are anticipated in this field:
- Increasing integration of augmented and virtual reality technologies
- Development of predictive analytics based on 3D models
- Real-time multi-user collaboration on models
- Continuous performance optimization for ever more complex assemblies
- Extension to business use cases beyond engineering (marketing, sales, support)
Conclusion
The integration of 3DViewStation WebViewer with Contact Software (CIM Database PLM) addresses a fundamental need of modern industrial organizations: making CAD data accessible, high-performing, and secure for all stakeholders in the product lifecycle.
This solution overcomes the limitations of standard visualization tools by offering:
- Exceptional performance even with the most complex assemblies
- Universal accessibility via a browser-based approach
- Functional richness comparable to specialized tools
- Optimal protection of sensitive data
- Smooth bidirectional integration with the existing PLM ecosystem
For companies using Contact Software seeking to optimize their collaborative engineering processes, integrating 3DViewStation WebViewer represents a strategic evolution that combines technical performance, user accessibility, and data security-three essential pillars of industrial digital transformation.
