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When investing in CAD, the ROI is tangible: faster modeling, better drawings. But for Product Data Management (PDM), the value is often misunderstood. PDM isn't a digital filing cabinet. It's the central nervous system of your product development. Here’s how a robust PDM system delivers measurable value: 1. Centralized Intelligence, Not Just Storage Stop wasting time on duplicate files, local folders, and broken links. A proper PDM maintains all file relationships automatically. Find any document and instantly see connected test reports, change histories, and assembly usage. It turns part properties into a searchable database, enabling reuse and preventing costly change oversights. 2. Controlled Revision & Process Eliminate the chaos of uncontrolled updates and revision sprawl. A PDM provides clear workflows, visual BOM states (Working vs. Released), and structured change requests. It creates a definitive audit trail: who changed what, when, why, and who approved it. When configured well, it automates review and release—without adding overhead. 3. Automated Workflows = Designer Time Reclaimed This is pure ROI. Automate repetitive tasks like generating DXF, PDF, or Parasolid files for manufacturing or contractors. Set up a rule or button-press to handle documentation, freeing your team to focus on design, not administrative tasks. 4. Company-Wide Visibility, Securely Break down silos. A PDM allows non-design teams (like PM, QA, or Manufacturing) to see project status and released data on their own—without interrupting designers. Smart permissions ensure they see only what they need, turning product data into a true strategic asset. The Bottom-Line Impact: ➡ Shortened Cycle Times: Slash non-value-added time spent searching and managing data. ➡ Risk Mitigation: Avoid costly rework from version errors and ensure compliance with a complete audit trail. ➡ Informed Decisions: Gain real-time insight into project health, resources, and bottlenecks. The right PDM strategy transforms data from a liability into one of your most powerful assets. ➡ Ready to move beyond theory? Let's discuss how a tailored PDM approach can drive efficiency, reduce risk, and accelerate innovation in your organization. #PDM #ProductDataManagement #Engineering #CAD #DigitalTransformation #Manufacturing #ProductDevelopment #ROI #EngineeringExcellence

In today’s fast-paced and competitive business world, managing product data effectively is vital for success. Product Data Management (PDM) systems provide a structured way to organize and handle product-related information. However, like any system, there are advantages and disadvantages to consider. This post will explore both sides of PDM, offering insights to help you make informed decisions about implementing such a system in your organisation. What is Product Data Management? Product Data Management involves the systematic handling of product-related data throughout its lifecycle. This includes design documents, specifications, compliance records, and supplier information. PDM systems act as centralised repositories, enhancing collaboration among teams while ensuring that up-to-date information is accessible to everyone. With products growing increasingly complex and a demand for improved efficiency in product development, PDM systems aim to standardise data management practices. This standardisation helps streamline workflows and promotes innovation. The Good Points of PDM Enhanced Data Organization One of the biggest benefits of PDM is better data organization. By centralizing product data in a single system, stakeholders can easily access all relevant information. For instance, companies that implement PDM systems report a 30% reduction in data retrieval times. This organisation minimizes the chances of data loss and confusion, especially in businesses where multiple teams work on the same products. When data is well-organized, it becomes easier to generate reports and perform analytics. Teams can derive actionable insights, enhancing their decision-making processes. Improved Collaboration PDM systems significantly enhance collaboration among teams. A shared platform for product data enables team members to share information, track changes, and resolve discrepancies efficiently. Companies using PDM report up to a 25% increase in team collaboration efficiency. This collaborative spirit encourages innovation and helps keep projects on schedule. Faster communication also speeds up product development cycles. For example, businesses that leverage PDM can reduce their product time-to-market by 20% , gaining a competitive edge. Streamlined Regulatory Compliance For industries with strict regulatory requirements, PDM systems simplify compliance by ensuring all necessary documentation is readily available. In a manufacturing environment, for example, companies can automate compliance processes, reducing administrative workload. When regulations change, PDM systems facilitate quick updates to documentation, minimising the risk of compliance breaches. Statistics show that companies using PDM for compliance can reduce time spent on paperwork by 30% , allowing teams to focus more on product innovation. Increased Efficiency and Productivity Implementing a PDM system often leads to heightened efficiency and productivity. Automating routine tasks reduces delays, helping teams focus on strategic initiatives rather than repetitive administrative chores. Companies using PDM systems report up to a 40% improvement in workflow management, leading to higher productivity overall. Streamlined processes result in shorter lead times. This means faster project completion and the ability to allocate resources more effectively. The Bad Points of PDM High Initial Investment Despite its advantages, the initial cost of PDM systems can be high. Businesses often face significant expenses for software, implementation, and training. For smaller companies, these costs can be prohibitive. Data indicates that the initial investment can range from $20,000 to over $200,000 , depending on the size of the organization and system complexity. Furthermore, the return on investment (ROI) may take time to materialize. This uncertainty can lead to hesitation in adopting a PDM solution. Complexity of Implementation The implementation of a PDM system can be complicated. Organisations typically need to invest time in planning, customization, and team training to ensure the system meets their specific needs. Change management can also be challenging, as teams may be resistant to new workflows. If the implementation process is not handled correctly, the system may not deliver the expected benefits. This can lead to frustration among team members and a loss of trust in the new system. Resistance to Change Finally, change often invites resistance. Employees who are accustomed to existing processes may be reluctant to adopt a PDM system, fearing it will complicate their tasks. This resistance can hinder successful implementation and diminish its long-term effectiveness. To overcome this challenge, leaders must cultivate a culture of change. Providing clear communication about the benefits of the new system and offering adequate support can help ease the transition. PDM Studio could be the answer! PDM Studio is a PDM system that provides the pros of PDM and addresses a lot of the cons listed above. The initial investment for PDM Studio is less than most other PDM systems, but the main cost savings are made when looking at the complexity of implementation, which is where a lot of implementations fail. Typically, for most PDM implementations, you will need to add at least one dedicated member of staff to the task of preparing all of the files for importing into the PDM system, ensuring all of the properties are correct and links between CAD files are correct. Not so with PDM Studio, which enables users to load projects themselves on the fly when they need to, rather than relying on an expensive consultant to do the job for you. Most system will require you to scope out what file properties you want to load and the consultants will then need to map out where these will be stored. If they are not configured correctly, then this involves more work to get this all sorted. PDM Studio does not require this amount of planning as any property not already configured is automatically configured for its storage. Furthermore, after some initial training, it is an easy system to use that has its own windows style interface, plus integrations for most of the major CAD programs that has its own toolbar within the CAD. There are also tools for creating workflows that can be created by the users, which again gets away from the high costs involved with getting consultants to do this work for you. Final Thoughts When considering a Product Data Management system, understanding its benefits and challenges is crucial. Enhanced data organisation, improved collaboration, streamlined compliance, and increased efficiency offer clear advantages for organisations aiming to thrive in today’s competitive landscape. Navigating the balance of benefits and challenges can empower companies to fully harness the potential of PDM with PDM Studio, leading to greater innovation and market leadership.

Amidst the vast ocean of PDM tools available, finding the perfect fit for small companies can be a daunting task. Many require dedicated IT staff and hours of resources just to get data ready to import, not to mention the time to install and configure it. However, there's one tool that is making waves and proving to be a game-changer for small businesses – PDM Studio. Let's explore how PDM Studio is empowering small companies to unleash their creativity and streamline their design process like never before. The Power of PDM Studio for Small Companies PDM Studio isn't just another run-of-the-mill PDM; it's a powerhouse that caters specifically to the needs of small companies. From intuitive features to a user-friendly interface, PDM Studio is designed to provide small businesses with the tools they need to compete in today's competitive market. Let's dive into some of the key reasons why PDM Studio is a game-changer for small companies. Many designers are getting to the point that they can no longer keep track of the amount of data they are creating, but also can’t find a simple solution to their problems! These are the main data management issues that users are facing today. Are you? 1. File Duplication This is a common issue on a file managed system, as users copy files around, maybe because they want their own version to try some design changes on, for another project or for any number of reasons. This makes it really hard to know which version of a file is the one that should be used? 2. Revision control with accountability Many users don’t worry about version control and can cause the file duplication described above. Maybe you just take a copy and edit the new file and the latest “release” is the newest file, but this can become complicated if someone opens an earlier version and saves it. If you are good, then you will maintain the file properties for revision and it is then clear which is the latest version. Does this go far enough though? Is there any record of why a file was changed and by who? This may be good knowledge to have a few years down the line when the person who made the changes has left the company! 3. Linking files This is a continuation of the point on recording changes on revisions. The reason behind a change may be more complex than just a one-line explanation. There may be reports (field data, FEA, markups) that cover the reason for the change, but how do you ensure that this information is linked to the design so that it is obvious when you look at the file, you see that there is other information associated with it? Also, inherent with all CAD design, there will be links between part, assemblies and draft files that need to be maintained. 4. Data conversion Many companies will often create pdf’s, dxf’s or Parasolid files at the completion of a project. This is usually a manual process and at the start, this is easy, if not time-consuming. It does get a little more complicated when a quick change is asked for and a file is updated and the user forgets to update the pdf, etc and can lead to costly mistakes. 5. Searching for files Finding files that you need can be a very hit/miss and time-consuming task. Typically, this will be done on the file name. If you have your files indexed by windows, you can also search some of the other properties. This can take a while if you have a lot of files as it will need to inspect every file and may also raise issues with file duplication, misspelling, etc. The Solution If you are finding that you are experiencing any of these types of issues, then a PDM solution may be worth a look. CAD Central are now offering PDM Studio as a solution, which fits well with smaller companies. Getting Started Unlike the bigger PDM/PLM solutions, the set up of PDM Studio is relatively easy and you do not need to spend weeks or months ensuring your data is perfect before it gets imported, which is often a reason a PDM implementation fails. Storing information PDM Studio has the added advantage that if you have the occasional file that has a custom property that has not been configured for in PDM studio, it creates a place for it on the fly. All property data is stored in a database and a user can search for part or all of a string in one or more of the property fields. Ease of use PDM Studio has a good interface that can be easily configured/layed out by any user. A PDM Studio tab will also be added to your CAD system to streamline a lot of the work. Standard user interface video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r-PzFOxJa8Q 1. File duplication PDM Studio has the ability to configure the display so that you can set up projects and folders, similar to what you have in windows, so it will feel quite similar to what you are used to. You can copy any file into a PDM Studio folder, but what you copy is a link to the one and only copy, thus avoiding the issue of file duplication. Creating projects and folders – https://youtu.be/nogbIDWb07A 2. Revisions PDM Studio documents all past document states. Earlier versions can be accessed at any time, including their life cycle phase and any existing comments. For example, it is possible to quickly and conveniently determine the condition in which a component was installed at a particular point in time. The mapping of comprehensible and consistent revision history is particularly important for professional quality management. PDM Studio provides wizards for this purpose and enables selective revision even within complex structures. When a document (part and draft) is released, the 2D file can still be edited by keeping the revision the same but creating a new version, thus allowing the draft file to be updated by adding new dimensions, section views or any other extra detail that needs to be added. This way, the part and draft revision stays the same! See more here - https://youtu.be/WB3lyLsRIrQ 3. Linking files Each CAD document may include additional information such as supplier specifications, manuals, images or emails. PDM Studio allows you to link all related documents together. All relevant information can be viewed at a glance. Furthermore, 2D drawings are linked to the part part/assembly for easy management. Saving files from Solid Edge into PDM Studio - https://youtu.be/XaJ8xZ3al64 Batch uploading files into PDM Studio - https://youtu.be/-iZRtVrG-zc 4. Data conversion/Automation PDM studio has a very simple interface for setting up automation of data conversion file creation with a plug and play toolset to easily set up your own customisations. Once set, you can then forget about having to do this manually as the process will kick off in the background when you release a file, or you can manually kick off the process at a point in time of your own choosing. This can also be configured to link the pdf, etc back to the creating document and it is also output to a defined windows location (with an option to delete previous copies) to easily send off to outside sources. View here - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EtE5EndSSZ0 5. Searching for files The PDM Studio search feature is a powerful tool that ensures that components are found easily. User-friendly filter functions, including preview for visualisation, allows users to perform a quick search, finding parts using metadata, categories and classification. View here - https://youtu.be/yUY6BWRxrrc 6. Assembly flexibility Different users of a PDM will need to view different versions of an assembly, whereby a designed will need to view the parts that are still in development and a salesman or production engineer need only see the latest released files. Assemblies can be opened with a number of rules: 1. With original links 2. With latest released links 3. With latest revisions This gives a lot of flexibility in showing the assembly in different stages of design. Muli-CAD capabilities PDM studio has a plug-in for the main CAD programs, Solid Edge, NX, Solidworks and Inventor. See here - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=27poY0jS8E0 The Power of Collaboration with PDM Studio Collaboration is key to any successful design project, and PDM Studio excels in this aspect. With real-time collaboration features, team members can work together on projects and this level of flexibility and efficiency allows small companies to streamline their design workflow and bring projects to completion faster than ever before. One of the standout features of PDM Studio is its user-friendly interface. Unlike complex PDM tools that can be overwhelming for beginners, PDM Studio offers a simple and intuitive platform that makes designing a breeze, especially with the integrated toolbars that are loaded into your design tools. Budget constraints often pose a challenge for small companies looking to invest in design tools. PDM Studio addresses this issue by offering a cost-effective solution that delivers high-quality results. Small businesses can access a wide range of PDM features and functionalities without breaking the bank, making PDM Studio an attractive choice for companies looking to maximize their resources. As small companies grow and evolve, their design needs also change. PDM Studio recognizes this and offers scalability and customization options to accommodate varying requirements. Whether a company is just starting out or expanding its design capabilities, PDM Studio can adapt to meet the changing needs of small businesses, ensuring flexibility and long-term usability. Elevate Your Design Process with PDM Studio In conclusion, PDM Studio is a game-changer for small companies looking to elevate their design process and unleash their creativity. With its seamless collaboration features, user-friendly interface, cost-effective solution, and scalability options, PDM Studio empowers small businesses to compete in today's design-centric market. Say goodbye to design limitations and hello to endless possibilities with PDM Studio by your side. So, if you're a small company ready to revolutionize your design process and unlock your creative potential, look no further than PDM Studio. Embrace the power of innovation and take your design endeavors to new heights with this cutting-edge tool. For example, PDM Studio was implemented at an NX customer in Canada in less than 3 weeks, which included: - Installing the software - Customizing PDM Studio - Training of the users All of this was done remotely! You can download a brochure from here – https://www.cadcentral.co.nz/_files/ugd/f6e5ad_8d5a63a08d144bdf91513b874a0bf841.pdf Or visit our webpage - https://www.cadcentral.co.nz/pdmstudio

Product Data Management (PDM) has been around for a long time, but it has always been considered a big boys tool. This is because traditional PDM systems were always built from the ground up, so the planning and implementation phases could take many months or even over a year (which would include a costly consultant fee and time for employees to share their input), so for a small firm, this was not an option. However, just because you are a small company, maybe with only 2 or more designers, this doesn't mean that you don't need PDM! Even a small design office can generate a lot of files that still need to be managed, especially if you have been using CAD for 5 or more years. Managing Files CAD is a complex tool with many files linked to each other, such as parts in an assembly, drawings of parts, etc. Managing files in a standard windows file/folder system becomes complex and may only make sense to the person that created it. You may choose to have one folder per project and depending on the size of the design, that may be broken down into sub-folders. Do you keep the draft in the same folder as the part or are all the draft files kept in a folder on their own? Do you have sub-folders for sub-assemblies and then what happens when a part is in more than one sub-assembly? Managing this becomes a lot easier in a PDM system where all files are stored in a vault and their metadata (file properties) are stored in a database, which makes finding files much quicker. Linking Files Each part will be stored as an item and linked to that item will be its corresponding draft file for easy visibility. Often, you will have other data that is related to the part, which could take the form of a field report, an analysis or just a mark-up from the machine shop. A PDM system still allows these additional items to be linked to the part (item) so that when you go looking for that item, you will clearly see all of the relevant data for it. One version of the truth In a windows file system it is so easy to copy a file from one folder to another, but this makes it very hard to know which is the right one to use. In a PDM system, it is possible to create folder or project like containers and build a collection of files together for easy reference. However, the items copied here are just links, pointing back to the one version of the truth. As the files are referenced from a database, it also makes it easier to perform where used queries to ensure that the file you are about to edit is not going to affect anything else. When is a BOM not a BOM? In a file based system, a bill of materials (BOM) is whatever parts are stored in the assembly. This becomes troublesome when making edits to an assembly as the sales team will only be interested in the latest released version, but the designer may have been looking at changes to parts, which puts the assembly out of sync. In a PDM system, there are at least 2 types of BOM available. For the designer, it will most likely be the current working version and then it is also possible to open the same assembly file with the last released version. Keeping track of changes Design changes are inevitable for most engineering design offices, but keeping track of who made them and why is not so well tracked. This can cause problems a year or more down the track when you need to know why something was done. With a PDM system, this information is tracked using information stored in the database using compulsory workflows or via tracked engineering changes requests. Automation In my experience, it is quite common that when a project is completed, files are converted to share with other departments or outside parties in the form of PDF, parasolid or step files. The creation of these files is often a manual process and, as such, can lead to the files not getting created or updated. A PDM system can be set up so that these files are created automatically on the release of a part or drawing, meaning that the information is consistent and current. If you are struggling with any of these, or similar issues, and want to learn more about getting your engineering data under control, then contact Alan Pope to discuss how this is possible for even the small design offices. Our solutions work with most CAD applications and can be simple to set up and get started.

Product data management (PDM) is a system that allows a company to manage its design data and engineering process in one central location. Many engineering teams use a data management system to organize information about a product. By using a central location, the engineering team can save time, collaborate more easily, and avoid mistakes. A product management system serves as a clustered database for all product-related data, including manufacturing instructions, information on production procedures, revised product data, and designs. This data system stores and organizes product data so different stakeholders can update and use this database. Access to this data depends on the permission each department receives from the administrator. Basic History of PDM PDM has largely been the domain of the large companies, due to the cost of the software, high implementation costs and intensive training. Most of the early users needed to spend months or years just planning the system, employing experts to discuss requirements with all prospective users before the implementation could even begin and, as such, this ruled out PDM to most Small to Medium sized Businesses (SMB's). Besides, why would SMB's require a PDM system? Does a SMB company even need PDM? Any company that has been using CAD for 20+, 15 or even 10 years (which is probably most) will have acquired a lot of CAD data and product knowledge, even if there are only one or two designers. Storing that amount of data becomes unmanageable after a while and often files and copies of files will be stored in many different locations - so who knows which is the most recent and whether a near duplicate copy is for production or just evaluation of a design concept? And if managing the CAD data is not enough, how do you make sure that you keep track of why design changes were made? You also need to keep records of reports or an analysis and any number of other related documents that are linked to a design. Are these kept in the same folders as the design and how do you know where and how to look for them as CAD systems only manage the CAD data? Gone are the days when people stayed in a job for a long period of time and when people move on, a lot of the knowledge they had about designs and all its related data is lost. You can also add the problems involved with the work-from-home trend that has come about since COVID, which means it is not so easy to just pop along the corridor and ask the designer about your concerns and also ignores the impact these type of interactions would have on getting the design work done. Other stakeholders (manufacturing, sales, management) also need to be able to get hold of the information faster too. It is therefore more important than ever that PDM is made accessible to SMB's, Why are PDM systems important to businesses? Data management systems help companies improve the development and management of their products. Here are some additional reasons these data management systems matter to the growth of a company: Better design workflow With a data management system for products, you can manage multiple tasks without losing track of progress. PDM allows you to search for data faster, quickly replace and reuse files, direct computer-aided design (CAD) interaction, and simultaneously access data across departments. This software also makes it possible for the team to collaborate without having to overwrite files or create clashing copies, saving time and resources. Efficient collaboration With a data management system, team members can easily share views of their products with other departments within and outside the organization's firewall. By distributing 2D or 3D views of the team's work, management can provide feedback and comments on the project. This system allows the team to change automated engineering orders and synchronize the data across the board for easy tracking. Streamlined product development A management system can help the product team control the entire engineering process without using many resources. This system allows the team to automate the engineering change order, revisit control access, and manage bills of materials. By focusing on important tasks, the product team can build new products and features in line with the department's schedule. Accessible knowledge bank With a data management system, the product team can leverage existing design data to access, configure, replace, reuse, copy, or incorporate design elements into new products. A management system often serves as a data bank that provides traceability and accountability for every design project a company undertakes. With an accurate history of design data, engineers always have access to this reference. This reduces the chance of losing data, duplicating files, or creating conflicting copies. Why does PDM often fail for SMB's? A lot of the systems in the market are still expensive and require a lot of time and IT expertise to get it up and running. They will also generally require someone full time to administrate the system, at least in the first year. Many SMB's don't have the IT resource to start on this and having one person dedicated to it. If you get past this initial phase, most PDM systems require you to get your files PDM ready! Depending on how stringent your old systems were, this can be an extremely time consuming task and I have seen many implementations fail at this stage. You will normally need to ensure that all CAD files have no missing links and map out what properties are to be stored in which database fields, so a lot of switching data from one property to another can take time - does you designer(s) have the time to implement this? The implementation phase then becomes the next road-block. A test system will have been set up and a sample data set will be loaded and someone will again need to spend their time to do some testing to make sure it has been set up correctly. Finally comes the data loading process. All design work will need to be put on hold while the data is loaded and then again, so preliminary testing will be required before the design work can get back under way. Depending on the amount of data to be loaded, this step can take days. In conclusion, most companies will benefit from PDM, but for SMB's it is important that the system implemented isn't hugely expensive and, most importantly, isn't going to require more staff to run it. If you want to find out about a PDM solution that can work across multiple CAD programs, isn't going to require a high end IT team, is easy to use and have the data loaded simply by your usual designers, then contact Alan Pope for more information. Alan Pope, +64 369 179, alan@cadcentral.co.nz

Computer Aided Design tools have been around for many decades and all are likely to be able to do most, if not all of what you need from it, so how do you choose which is the best one to buy if you are just starting out, or if you are thinking of changing? There will also be some questions you will need to ask before you hone down on your choice of CAD. Some typical questions will be: Which CAD supplier has the best future planning? Do you want the CAD to be installed and run on your computer or in the cloud? How should it be licenced? Locked to a user/computer Cloud managed Any user on a network How can you pay for the licence? Subscription (only access while paying an on-going fee) Perpetual (yours to run as long as computer lasts) Let’s be honest, most of us prefer the first CAD system we learnt first, either what we were taught at school or University, or on our first job, but does this mean that it is the best or most efficient solution? The first point I will make, is that the strength of any design comes from the designer, not the tool, so good and bad designs are created using all CAD tools. What you are really looking for in a CAD tool is the one that is going to give you the most flexibility, the best ease of use, the best stability and has the best vision for the future. You also need to make sure that you choose one that will stay with you as your needs grow. The need for re-training and migrating all of your legacy data are often given as excuses for not changing your CAD tool, but are these valid? Yes, re-training will take a little time, but you are only likely to be slower for a small period of time and if you choose a more efficient and flexible CAD tool, then you will re-coup that short learning curve and reap the rewards of getting more work done and more quickly in no time! Legacy data is a more complex issue and is the reason why users are less keen to change. CAD tools have two tiers, the kernel and the interface by which the geometry is created. The underlying layer is the kernel, which you can think of as the geometry engine. The program feeds the kernel instructions, and the kernel produces geometry. There are many geometry kernels in existence, but only a handful are in broad commercial use. The big players are Solid Edge, NX (Siemens), Solidworks and OnShape, who all use the Parasolid kernel (owned by Siemens), CATIA and 3DEXPERIENCE (Dassault Systèmes) with the CGM kernel, Inventor and Fusion 360 (Autodesk) using Shape Manager, with Creo (PTC) using their own Granite kernel. Dassault Systèmes also owns the ACIS kernel, which Autodesk used as the basis for their ShapeManager kernel. The other part of the CAD file is proprietary and defines how the geometry is built. You can think of this as the intelligence in the CAD file and it is not shared and is not transmitted in a data translation. There is no common language between programs to share this kind of information—even between programs that use the same kernel. Programs cannot, by default, use each other’s proprietary formats and most importantly, cannot share the parametric details of the feature tree. The most you can share is the stripped-down data from the geometry kernel. This is the basic conflict engineers must resolve when attempting to use CAD data created in different tools. The tools are not meant to talk to one another, and you can only get them to share the geometry, not the intelligence that went into creating the geometry. Therefore, you need a tool that is going to handle converted/imported geometry so that you don’t have to re-build designs from scratch. Furthermore, you also need to look at how collaboration will work. Migration tools are all well and good when you wish to move your own data to a new system, but what happens when you outsource parts of your own design to specialised contractors who may be using a different CAD system? Therefore, the CAD system you choose should be one that enables you to easily encompass their designs without having to convert their CAD data into your own systems’ proprietary format, because when updates are done, there is no easy way to update and replace the new design. One other thing to consider is where will our investment takes us as the company grows? You may only need CAD to start out with, but if you need to get CAM, electrical, plant design, PDM, etc, are there ways of expanding your tools with the same supplier and do they have a plan for the future? Personally, and I am obviously biased, I can’t see a better solution that what Siemens are offering, so let’s look at some of the reasoning behind this statement. Future-proofing Both of the CAD tools from Siemens, Solid Edge and NX, are built on the same kernel, so the basic concepts, tools and workflow are similar, even more so with the latest release of Solid Edge. Furthermore, as Siemens own Parasolid and the geometry solver (DCubed), they are in total control of all development. There is a tight integration between both, enabling files from one to be inserted into the assembly of the other. Like most companies in the industry, Siemens have been known to buy out other software to extend into areas that they have not yet got a full solution. The strength of how Siemens do this is that they then integrate it into the ecosystem of their product offerings and ensure that there is proper collaboration to ensure that efficiency is paramount. Now compare this to the other main players in the market. Dassault own Solidworks, which is built on a kernel owned by a competitor, so they have developed 3DExperience, which is built on their own kernel, CGM, to replace it. Dassault seem to have been pushing for users to switch from Solidworks to 3DExperience for several years (as they have renamed their annual conference Solidworks World with 3DExperience World), but the traditional Solidworks users don’t seem to be buying it. The main reasons for this may be due to the fact that 3DExperience is subscription only, while many of their users prefer the maintenance (perpetual) model? Autodesk have a habit of releasing many products (either developed in-house or purchased), but often don’t integrate their offerings. What is the integration between Inventor, Fusion 360 and even AutoCAD? They also have a history of dropping products too, so is there a market for both Inventor and Fusion? Part of the future-proofing involves the product offerings that are surrounding the mechanical CAD tools, so when your needs grow, you know that there are good integrated tools that allow you to branch into differing disciplines, such as electrical, FEA, CAM or data management. As shown by this graphic, Solid Edge (and even more so with NX), has many tools that are fully integrated to help get designs done faster, including bi-directional updates between applications. Solid Edge has built-in FEA tools and also strong links with Femap for higher end analysis. The CAM tools also have a tight integration, whereby the tools are separate (as CAD and CAM users are usually different people), but there is a direct link from the CAM to the CAD model, ensuring that updates to the models can flow directly into the CAM without having to rebuild the tooling operations. As you grow, data management will become a higher priority to ensure that designs are managed properly. Solid Edge has some basic built in data management tools to handle the early phases and Teamcenter is there as your needs grow, offering a PDM that not only works with NX and Solid Edge, but most other CAD formats and is also embedded into Microsoft application so storing data from there is an easy click away. Solidworks has a good suite of tools available, but on further investigation, there may be some concerns. Solidworks CAM seems to be a solution that is tied to a partner (HCL Technologies) rather than being owned by Dassault. SolidWorks PDM is their 3rd time attempt at PDM, with little or no upgrade path from their earlier attempts. SolidWorks PDM manages files not containers, thus references need to be created manually which is a time consuming and error-prone process. With the drive to push users into 3DExperience, there will also be a push to move users over to Enovia, which appears to be a start-over affair. Many of the new tools seem to be added to 3DExperience, so beware if you are not keen on the subscription model. Autodesk have a good range of complimentary products, although their CAM offering is embedded into the CAD, which ties up a CAD seat when CAM is being used. Autodesk Vault is their PDM option, but is not as fully featured as Teamcenter, which has integration for a lot more products and more advanced tools for managing the lifecycle of products. Electronics with Inventor seems to be weak, while fusion has ECAD functionality, and is again built into the CAD, whereas in most cases the electrical and mechanical engineers would be working collaboratively, but separately. PTC is a high end system, similar to NX from Siemens, and so has a good array of add-on products, but is considered much harder to learn and use, compared to the mainstream CAD tools, such as Solid Edge and Solidworks. Migration You need to make sure that if you are switching from one CAD tool to another that there are adequate tools to help with a full migration. The migration tools should be able to read in 2D and 3D geometry and also transfer the links between parts, assemblies AND drawings. As stated earlier, even if you can migrate your old data to your new CAD tool, you will still need to be able to edit the designs and so you will need to make sure that the new software has a good means of making edits above the simplistic move and delete faces options. Solid Edge provides bulk migration tools for parts, assemblies and drawings from popular CAD systems (such as Solidworks, Creo and Inventor), reading in 2D and 3D geometry, which also transfer the links between parts, assemblies and drawings. Solid Edge comes with a range of tools to facilitate a smooth migration. Designers and engineers can directly open models, drawings and other deliverables created in other CAD formats using native Solid Edge. This allows designers to avoid data translation by using neutral formats. As a result, they no longer have to spend hours painstakingly fixing broken geometries, resulting in massive time savings. In addition to opening individual files, these capabilities provide an accelerated and more straightforward path to transitioning to Solid Edge, enabling designers to make a strong business case to switch to Solid Edge from most CAD applications in the market. Like most other CAD tools, Solid Edge cannot bring in the feature tree, but due to the direct edit (synchronous technology) tools available, edits can be made with a lot more efficiently and capably that just moving faces. Solidworks seems to assume that migration isn’t too important and offers very limited tools for bringing in legacy data. The options include leaving the geometry as is and just placing in an assembly if needed for reference, using feature recognition, which is fine on simple parts, but not so easy on complex parts and also very time consuming. The last option is to use direct edit (or move face), which is very limited if trying to make detailed changes. There is no mention of linking drawings to models, so that would require more re-work if you can manage to make changes. Inventor appears to have the same set of tools to solidworks in terms of dealing with imported files – reference model (have the file as an un-editable reference in an assembly) or convert model, which creates no features and can only be edited by adding new features (Cuts/protrusions) or moving faces. There does not appear to be any way of converting and linking 2D data. Fusion 360 is no different. Creo has a number of tools for editing imported models, similar to synchronous technology in Solid Edge and NX, although tools such as the design intent (which allows you to turn off or on the geometry recognition) and selection manager (which allows you to recognise series of face as features, etc) seems to be lacking. There also seems to be a lack of migration tools that will keep assemblies and drafts linked to the model. Deployment An important decision for your CAD choice is what is your preferred deployment model. This chart shows clearly whether your chosen CAD tool will be run and stored in the cloud or on your own desktop. Modelling There are two styles of modelling cultures, one is parametric modelling (developed by PTC with Pro/E) to manage designs feature by feature, where you can roll back a design to that feature, edit it and the whole design will then rebuild back to the end. The other is direct edit, where features are created in a similar way, but once the feature is created, intelligence is lost and it reverts back to basic geometry that is edited by pushing, pulling and rotating. Synchronous technology from NX and Solid Edge extended direct edit tools to make it parametric and controllable through automatic geometric constraint recognition, geometric constraints and controlling dimensions. It does not stop there either, as you can combine both styles of modelling in the same file ensuring that you have the best of both worlds. This graphic shows where the strengths and weaknesses of both exist and how Synchronous Technology takes the best of both worlds. Most other CAD products claim to possess direct edit tools, but are still another feature in the feature tree. This table shows what style each of the main CAD tools use. Licencing This is another area that has polarised many uses and there are two areas that it covers – how you purchase and how the licences are allocated. A few years back, Autodesk took the step to make all new licences subscription, ie paid annually, so when you stop paying your subscription/rental, you lose access to the software, and this is now a very common practice in the IT industry. The older style is perpetual, whereby you pay for the software and then pay an annual maintenance that entitles you to support and upgrades, but when you stop paying the annual maintenance, you can continue to use the software at the last available version. The licence allocation is achieved by issuing the licence in one of three ways. With a floating licence, the licences are purchased (at a slightly higher cost) and are served out from a server such that users can check out licences until all have been allocated. With this method, the software can be installed on any computer in the network and provided the licence is free, then the user can open the software. Node locked licences, often called named user, are locked to an individual user or computer. The cloud licence is one that works like the floating licence, but instead of allocating the licence from the server, the user logs in over the cloud to obtain the licence, but the software is still installed locally. Training This is becoming less of an issue these days as there are so many tutorials on youtube that can help you get started. Most programs will have an in-built tutorials and resellers will have their own courses which they can offer. A good reseller will be able to customise a course specifically for your company too. As explained above, once you have an understanding of how to build models in CAD, then skills should be quick to transition to a new CAD program, remembering that the real skill is in the designer. In Summary, I believe that Siemens, who are synonymous with engineering across the board, offer the best choices. Solid Edge and NX have two modes of working with feature based and direct edit, meaning that you can choose what works best for you for each design. The tools that they offer are intuitive and easy to use, which includes a tool to help you find the commands you are used to from other applications. The suite of complimentary tools available cover most areas of the engineering industry and are also well integrated to ensure that you are working in the most efficient manner possible. The licencing options on offer provide a great choice (which includes free licences for students, schools and hobbyists and a minimal cost to tertiary). With products that are established in the market, such as Teamcenter, Femap and NX/SE CAM, to name a few, there is always a way to have your software options expand if and when you do. If you need to switch from a different CAD program, then Solid Edge and NX give you so much more in terms of migration by offering not only translation from the old system, but a set of linked files, from parts that can be easily modified using synchronous technology, to assemblies that have relationship converted rather than grounded parts and the additional advantage, that seems lacking in most others, a linked 2D drawing. Disclaimer – while I have done my best to research competitive products, there is a chance that I have missed details. For full details on competitive products, please consult a reseller. If you want to learn more, then contact me on alan@cadcentral.co.nz

I have now been supporting Solid Edge since 1996 and thought I had seen most uses of the software and then I find a use that is quite different from all the rest. I found these kinetic rings so fascinating and wanted to share something quite different! Tony Horstman of Oryx Mechanical started using Solid Edge in 2000 working on injection-moulded medical device designs, which included creating presentations, patent and shop drawings. The moulds, jigs, prototypes and equipment get built in his small workshop using a combination of 3D printing, casting and machining using a 6 axis cyberman replicator, manual lathe and mill. The work involves working with metals like titanium and working to fine tolerances. About 6 years ago, Tony decided to put his skills, knowledge and equipment to use and decided to start building wearable kinetic art, but mostly rings. The rings are all designed in Solid Edge and custom made, in what he describes as his miniature mechanical toyshop, to the customers specification and presented in its own gift box. Tony says that “He finds Solid Edge is stable and consistent, providing the familiarity that allows fantastic speed of brain-to-CAD, which is important in the design process.” Tony is obviously going above and beyond in providing a service with customer comments like this! Form and function come together with precision to satisfy the senses. This tiny piece of mechanical art is visually appealing and tactically satisfying!!! The box is cool and unique. Maintenance instructions are also precious! Believe me it’s even better than you think!!!! You can find out more about Tony and his works of art at Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/oryxmechanical Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100054532865969&sk=about You can also buy the jewellery from - https://www.etsy.com/nz/shop/OryxMechanical?ref=sim_anchor

This is a question posed often on different subjects: is Holden better than Ford, are Apple Mac’s better than PC’s, is Solid works better than Solid Edge, or even, is feature based modelling better than direct edit? In reality, the answer given is not usually which is best, but which is most familiar! We all find reasons to justify what we know as being the best solution and because we are familiar with what we know, trying something new always feels harder or less intuitive, because it does things differently to what we are used to. This quite often applies to upgrades too. You will pay for the latest releases under product maintenance, but then not look (or say you do not have time to look at) what is new and what could possibly make you more productive! Many people see software upgrades as purely a way of software companies making sure you keep making your annual payments, but I have seen many enhancement requests implemented in newer versions – certainly things that make you work more efficiently. So why not spend a little bit of time in the short term to save you more time in the future? So how do you decide which style of modelling is better? Back in 2013, Engineering.com wrote an article “Is feature-based modelling now obsolete?” They looked at three different aspects of design, clean sheet design, design re-use and working with imported geometry and the consensus was that direct edit gives you more scope to design freely and make edits more quickly, thus speeding up the design process. I have also found a quote from a group discussion asking “Which is best, direct or history”? I keep hearing people say that the timeline is so powerful because you can go back and edit a sketch or feature and have everything downstream auto update. I'm sorry, but that whole line is a load of crap. 9 times out of 10, changes made to upstream sketches and features breaks most of the model going downstream, unless you spend 20x more time prefiguring everything out. You’re playing the what-if game when designing. So, you spend a ton of time solving all the what-ifs to have a solid stable model. In my view, the real answer is that both will have their own strengths and weaknesses and you will need to decide what is important to your specific needs. The most basic rule of thumb says that if you need to build complex shapes (ie lofts, sweeps or surfaces) then you are best to use history modelling, whereas for most other parts, direct edit will enable you to get the design done faster and make edits quicker. The above quote also talks about one of the biggest drawbacks with history-based modelling - failed features after edits. Once you start modifying features high in the feature tree, you have no idea what effects it will have once the model starts to regenerate and this may leave you with a big task to fix up what has broken. Often, minor failures are left as the design changes need to be completed quickly and will add to the frustrations at a later date, especially when you have no idea what was done to cause it in the first place. How many have been there and done that? When Synchronous Technology was first released, Siemens used a diagram to display the strengths and weaknesses of both history and direct edit modelling, and this has not changed a great deal in recent years. What it does also show is that Synchronous Technology (ST) utilises a lot of the best functionality of both design styles. Despite ST now being over ten years old, it is interesting that none of its competitors have come up with anything closely matching its capabilities. Here is a video I have put together looking at some of the differences of both types of systems and when you learn when to use each, you can certainly become a lot more productive. Matt Lombard published an eBook that gives a good history of the CAD industry and what brought about the feature based modelling revolution and is an interesting read. In summary, what is best and is it possible to decide whether Solid Edge is better than Solidworks or Inventor? A lot comes down to what you base your decision making on (and this can also be skewed by what you know or favour), as all mainstream CAD programs can achieve most of whatever design work you need. Personally, I think that it should mostly come down to whether it can do the job and is it the most efficient design tool, because, let's be honest, timeframes to complete your work are not getting longer? Ultimately, in my view, Solid Edge has to come out on top, as it offers the most flexible solution – either permanent or floating licencing, a large set of integrated tools, such as electrical, plant design, CAM, rendering and simulationbut, the biggest advantage of all, is that you are effectively getting two cad systems for the one price - feature based AND direct edit parametric modelling, meaning that you can use the best system for the job, whatever that may be and therefore get the job done faster! Also, remember that time spent learning new skills, while costing you time in the short term, can save you a lot more time in the long term! For example, would you recommend a tyre mechanic in a Formula 1 pit-stop to use a traditional spanner, as you know it works and that is how it was done in the past or would you use pneumatic tools? Solid Edge - Design Better. All the features you want. All the value you need.

I recently saw a post in the user community asking " Is there a comparison chart between 'Data Management' & 'TeamCenter'? I would like to know the pros and cons of each piece of software." and I could not find any comparisons, so thought I would try and address the question here. I think it is unlikely that you would be able to find a comparison chart on this topic, as it is not as simple as comparing features (like you commonly find in CAD comparisons). This is much harder to clarify as you are not only talking about working procedures, but let me try! Some of the reasons for looking at data management/PDM are: Broken links Duplicate files Can't find files Revisions difficult to manage Difficult to efficiently reuse parts Difficult to collaborate internally and externally Reporting on project/file status Visibility of project status So let's take a look at some of the features of the two products: Solid Edge Data Management No database to configure - The Solid Edge Data Management uses standard Windows indexing technology to store information about your Solid Edge files, so there is no database software to install or maintain, so there is no need for IT support. Searching - The index stores both filenames and solid edge file properties, so searches are quick and can include more meaningful searches on key words in titles, comments or keywords. The index also improves the speed and ability of the where used functionality. Unique document numbers - By setting the automatic assignment of the filename based on its generated document number and revision, you can ensure that all new file names are unique. Unique filenames - because of the indexing, it is not possible to have document names in the vault that are the same. Basic lifecycle control (released, in work, in review) - There are tools in Solid Edge and Design Manager that allow you to register a file as in-work, released, obsolete, etc and this can force files to be locked once released, ensuring new revisions are created when edits are required. Basic workflow approval - The data management tools allow for a simple means of email notification process that approval is required. Teancenter Rapid Start (TcRS) / PDM Installation - The installation of is more complex with server set-up, database installation and various other components required. A good level of IT knowledge is required. This would either be done by a Siemens representative (reseller/Siemens staff) IT department or an IT provider. Pre-configured - TcRS comes with many pre-configured items, such as user roles, workflows, numbering systems, etc, so that the planning the structure of the PDM is minimal. File storage - TcRS uses a secure vault where files can only be accessed through the interfaces, which stops anyone from accidentally moving out or deleting files. File Types - TcRS is able to store most CAD file types (Solid Edge, NX, CATIA, solidworks, etc), as well as other data that may be related to a project - ie reports, spreadsheets, PDF's, DXF's, etc. Searching - Searching in TcRS is more robust and slightly quicker than data management. TcRS now also has access to a shape search that can find files that are a similar shape to the one you draw. Project based - TcRS is geared towards working with data related to whole projects, not just an individual CAD file. Filenames are not used in a PDM as it uses a combination of document number and revision to maintain uniqueness. Each part is recorded as an Item and stored within the item is each of the revisions and associated 2D documents. Related documents, such as text documents, calculations, spreadsheets, etc, can also be stored within the item so that the information is easily found when looking at the item. Lifecycle - A PDM does more than just manage the revisions and workflow state of a file - it is also used to store why the changes were made, by whom, what other parts were changed in the same process, etc. Workflows - These are used to control how your lifecycle is to work. A change control specifies the steps that need to be followed to complete a product change or a part approval could trigger a PDF or DXF to be automatically created. Visibility - TcRS enables other members of the organisation to view CAD files (without having a CAD application on their desktop), its related files and change history, based on the level of access they are granted. Bill of Materials - This can be structured to whoever needs it and can be listed as the latest working (files that are released/in work) - useful for designers - or just the latest released - useful for shop floor, purchasing,etc. The real question here is to ask "What is it you want to achieve?", which should lead you to be able to make the choice of data management or PDM? If all you want to do is just manage files, at next to no cost (cost being someone's time to set it up), then data management is the way to go, but if you want to manage projects (including non-CAD related data), keep a track record of who is doing what and why, then PDM is your solution. This is by no means an in-depth look at the two options, but just a high level overview to start you thinking about what you want to achieve and how much money you have to spend, although the flip side to this is how much money and frustration you could save!

When designers first started using CAD, managing files was relatively easy. If you were good, you would store them in a nice folder structure, the filenames reflected the part (via numbers or names) and it would be an easy job to find the file you are after. As the number of designers increase, or are replaced, it becomes a much harder task to maintain the knowledge of where to find what you are after! The same applies to CAD metadata. When you are flat out trying to get a design finished, the first thing to give is the completion of the file properties (metadata). Everyone knows that there is never enough time to come back and complete it later, as there is always another job just as important! Many designers are now getting to the point of not knowing what they have done before and end up wasting valuable time re-designing parts that already exist or wasting just as much time trying to find the needle in a hay stack. Data management tools have been around for many years, so why have designers not taken up the easier life and implemented it? Whether you adopt a simple data management solution such as the Solid Edge data management tools, which require very little set-up, or a bigger, more complete system, such as Teamcenter Rapid Start, that will not only manage your files and revisions, but also your change history, the same roadblock is still there - incomplete metadata! How to Start? To get the best out of any data management system, you need to have a good set of property data (metadata) to search on. Once this is set up, finding files becomes a much easier proposition. The biggest problem, as stated earlier, is that there is never enough time to go through each individual file and manually update the required properties. If you are lucky, the file name stores part of what we need and the folder name gives a bit more of the information, and the rest can come from looking at the file, but this will take a lot of time to complete, so the final conclusion is that we know we need to, but it is just too hard, so in just keeps getting put off until tomorrow (which never comes)! CAD Central have developed a tool that will help ease the pain and speed up this task of building a good set of metadata. Once the application is run, the list of files from a folder (and sub-folders, if selected) will be loaded into the form, along with any properties that have already been loaded into the CAD files. Files are then selected by file type, blank values in defined fields or by matching values. Once the selection has been made, you can: Add a default revision value Extract the Document Number from the filename using a format string Extract the Revision from the filename using a format string Copy/switch values from one field to another Split and copy values from one field to another Copy folder names into a field (ie keywords) as comma separated values Replace a text string contained in a value with a different value Add a default value into a selected field Copy properties from a parent part/assembly into the draft file fields Manually add/edit values for any file. Any changes that are made to the grid are colour coded to identify how the value was created. During this initial stage, values are only updated in the grid and not in the file, so you can revert back to the existing values at any time. Once you are happy with the re-structured properties, the "process changes" button will update all of the file properties ready for use in Solid Edge data management indexes or completes most of the data preparation needed for importing files to Teamcenter Rapid Start. Contact Alan (alan@cadcentral.co.nz) for more information.

Attending many trade shows over the years, a common question that is brought up, is “why is Solid Edge better than what I’m using?”. After a short discussion and a demo or two later, users will quite often see that Solid Edge has a lot of benefits over what they’re using. There are also a fair number of people who say that they are not happy with “this” or “that” in their current software or support. So why do users not switch? One of the main reasons is that all their data is in a different format and it would take too long to re-draw it all. In light of this, I thought it would be interesting to look at what options the main CAD programs (Solid Edge, Inventor and Solidworks) has for dealing with importing from other systems. I will point out that I have only viewed videos and promotional material for Inventor and Solidworks, so may well be missing some key points. Solid Edge The tools available in Solid Edge for data migration are: 1. Inventor/Solidworks Data Migration This option will only work if you have an existing copy of Inventor or Solidworks on your computer, which is needed to open and extract all the necessary information from the old files. You will need to specify a folder that contains the files to be migrated and the wizard will extract the links, assembly relationships, solidworks configurations and draft files (with their links). The whole set of data is then re-built in Solid Edge, with links, so that full assemblies are constrained and able to be manipulated. Draft files are also linked to their respective parts or assemblies and any edits that are made to a model are reflected in the draft. This video shows some of this in operation. 2. Import assembly/parts and use synchronous technology to edit This option will only work on any imported part or assembly and can work equally well on files from Inventor, Solidworks, Parasolid or IGES. Assemblies will be created, with all parts in their correct position (as exported), but will be grounded in place. The assembly relationship assistant can then be used to automatically build relationships back in between parts. All parts created will be loaded into the synchronous mode (if that is your default option) and can be edited directly in the usual manner from either the part or assembly level. Draft files will not be imported or linked. It is possible though if you have a dwg/dxf version of the draft file to link the imported draft to the imported part (see video). Holes can also be recognised so that they can be modified (hole type changed, etc) and used for patterns, etc. 3. Direct edit of ordered parts Direct edit capabilities were introduced prior to Synchronous Technology and utilises the imported file, as an ordered feature (dumb solid). Edits can be made to individual faces or holes and become part of the feature tree. 4. Linked copies The final option allows parts to be used as an insert part copy in an ordered model so that it remains linked. The model from the supplier is linked to a new document and edits can then be made to it using the direct edit command or adding removing features. If the original file is modified and re-supplied, replacing the original, all edits can filter through to the solid edge file, with the feature tree being re-built in the usual ordered manner. Solidworks The tools available in Solidworks for data migration are: 1. 3D interconnect This option allows users to load models designed in other CAD programs into the assembly, just like normal files, but the files stay native to the program they were created in. If the file is updated, it can be refreshed without needing to rebuild the assembly relationships. See a video here. 2. Featureworks This option offers the ability to automatically and/or manually recognise features of an imported part model. There appears to be no option to work from an assembly and so each file will need to be converted individually. 3. Direct edit This option utilises the imported file and edits can be made to individual faces or holes and become part of the feature tree. See a video here. Inventor The tools available in Inventor for data migration are: 1. AnyCAD AnyCAD allows users to load models designed in other CAD programs as reference models, which allows the file to be updated if the original changes or to convert the file so that edits can be made. See a video here. 2. Direct edit This option utilises the imported file and edits can be made to individual faces or holes and become part of the feature tree. See a video here. In light of this, it seems that Solid Edge is the one CAD program that actually lends itself to users who want to switch from one CAD program to another. While the other two offer tools to work with imported/linked files, it is clear that they are not enough to make it easy for users to switch.

For optimal performance Solid Edge recommends the use of a professional graphics card which has been specifically designed for CAD applications.  In the NVidia graphics cards range, both the Quadro and GeForce series of cards are offered.  What are the differences between these two NVidia graphics cards series? The NVidia Quadro series is a professional graphics card, whereas the NVidia GeForce series is a gaming graphics card. Because the Quadro series is a professional graphics card, the Quadro offers the additional features that the GeForce cards do not have. The following are found in Quadro FX GPU’s and are not found in the GeForce GPU’s: 1.) Antialiased Points and Lines also known as “Wireframe” Result: Allows diagonal lines to be displayed smooth rather than jagged. 2.) OpenGL Logic Operations Result: Allows drawings on top of 3D scenes without changing or complicating the existing drawing function or effecting performance. 3.) Clip Regions – Hardware-Accelerated Result: Unlike consumer applications (games) that occupy a full screen, workstation applications create many overlapping pop-up windows which can cause an effect in visual quality and performance. The Quadro GPU manages the transfer of data between a window and framebuffer by clip regions, providing increased graphic performance. 4.) Clip Planes Hardware-Accelerated Result: Clip Planes allow sections of the geometry to be cut away so the user can view the inside of a solid object. Quadro GPU’s support Hardware-Accelerated Clip Planes increasing performance with professional applications. 5.) Quadro Memory Management Optimization Results: Efficiently allocates and shares memory resources between concurrent graphic windows and applications. 6.) Two sided Lighting Results: Creates a realistic image using three dimensional vertices. 7.) Quad-Buffered Stereo Results: Four buffers to the application; front-left, back-left, front-right, back-right. 8.) Stereo DIN port on most Quadro FX desktop products Results: Able to connect the emitter to the card for active stereo. 9.) Workstation Application Support and Optimization Results: Configures card settings for optimized performance on selected workstation applications via pre-built profiles tested by leading application vendors.