3D Creator updates & enhancements in 2023

An integral part of the 3D Creator role, xDesign is another one of the 3DEXPERIENCE XAPPS, providing new parametric modelling in any browser, on any device.

Our designer has finished his work in 3DSculptor and SOLIDWORKS and now needs to complete the Sea Scooter assembly. Usually, he would use SOLIDWORKS for parametric modelling, but he’s out of the office, so using one of the browser applications give him more flexibility. When in the browser applications, he can seamlessly switch between them to access the features he needs.

His next task is to design the battery enclosure. Beginning with a sketch – a workflow we are all familiar with.

Commands are easily accessible from context menus or shortcut rings.

• For many features, we can simply gesture across the screen. For the same experience when using traditional or touch screen devices.
• Switching between extrude, revolve, and sweep all from one command is easy due to super features. No longer do we have to delete features and risk the child features in our tree.
• User parameters can drive both sketch and feature geometry, so design changes update predictably.
• Intelligent Shortcut rings adapt to the working environment to keep the most relevant commands close at hand.
• Command parking adds sketches or reference geometry on the fly without leaving the feature.

Design assistance anticipates the next step, so sketching is less repetitive, and selections are faster.

Here, we skip the sketch and extrude from any existing face and create complex blends by dragging our fillet points. Once complete, we drag and drop the part to insert it into the assembly open in another xDesign window. All of this is active in our browser.

Assembling components is easy with suggested mates based on geometry type, and we can create a new component from an existing feature, right in the context of the assembly.

Just because our modelling environment is in our browser, it doesn’t mean we’re cut off from using our other CAD tools.

• We can Import PCBs and other native files in traditional formats.
• Snap to fit mating tools speed up repetitive assembly tasks.
• And artificial intelligence helps predict the placement of similar components.

Copy with mates replicates components where patterns don’t apply and advanced mates allow designers to visualise motion in our assemblies.

Built in collaboration tools connect teams from within the design environment.

• It’s easy to create and review markups and quickly start to action them.
• Component patterns can be driven by pattern features from existing geometry for more associative modelling.

To add this logo, we are reusing sketches from other components. This saves time and ensures standardisation across our product range.

This part requires a thread. As usual, we can create cosmetic or production-ready physical threads for most standard thread types.

Choosing a physical thread means we can 3D print this model on one of our 3D printers.

The Integrated 3D Printing tool in XDesign places our components in a virtual print bed, configurable to the settings of most 3D printers.

The auto arrange tool intelligently lays out parts to avoid merging, and support analysis determines what areas in the design will need support during printing.

We can begin physical prototyping in no time, by connecting to supported cloud printers or exporting in most common 3D formats.

All from within our familiar and flexible design environment.