SolidWorks:Heard! - Episode 277 - SolidWorks Collaboration Tools

SolidWorks Collaboration Tools:

This podcast covers collaborative tools and options within the core SolidWorks environment. Although these tools are mostly uni-directional, they still offer users ways to communicate their design data more efficiently.  Topics covered:

- Multi-user environment option

- Multi-user binded to Workgroup PDM

- Removal of the old 3D Meeting addin

- eDrawings and markups

- 3D Instant Website and hosted collaboration

- Other file formats (3DXML, 3D PDF, XPS,MTS)

- Presentation Studio & Theme Editor (Download Progressive Die Example PDF)

- Promise of SolidWorks PDS & "SolidWorks V6

Many of us forget the options that we have right inside of SolidWorks for collaborating even though many of them are what I call "half duplex" collaboration, just like email.  The creator sends the content in some form to another party for them to review and make notes and send back.  This is collaboration but only one party can respond at a time.

As engineers we tend to use a flurry of solutions to allow us to collaborate, not only in the design, but also in aspects of manufacturing, documentation as well as other parties internal and external to our companies.  In an effort to move further into "full duplex" collaboration , SolidWorks announced/previewed at SolidWorks World 2010, that development has begun on a tools built on top of Dassault's Enovia platform.  Tools like 3D Live that are built on top of Microsoft's OCS collaboration show the meld of video conferencing, screen sharing and collaborative markup, all within the design environment.  I think Olig Shilovitsky did a great summary of "How To Redefine Collaboration in PLM?", showing exactly where collaboration is heading. ~Lou

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