ProE Users E-Book Drppng2D for 3D-V011a

7/31/2019 ProE Users E-Book Drppng2D for 3D-V011a

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Dropping 2Dfor 3D: Why

It DoesntAlways Make

Sense


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Dropping 2D for 3D: Why It Doesnt Always Make Sense

3Subscribe or Follow Underwritten in part by PTC, all concepts and ideas

developed independently, 2011 LC-Insights LLC

What Do Most Organizations Do?There's little doubt that 3D is widespread. Some 52% ofthe respondents from the 2D and 3D CAD Trends in

Product Designstudy use 3D only. But did you knowthat roughly 4 in 10 actually stated that they use 2Dand 3D together? So going 3D isn't just aboutreplacing 2D. It can also be about adding 3D to a 2Denvironment. Whats the difference between the two?Lets take a look.

Switching Directly to 3D

Transitioning directly from 2D to 3D only can be a highrisk and high reward proposition. Learning newconcepts such as parametrics and features can behard, oftentimes leading to a short-term productivityloss as well as cultural pushback. But the organizationwill start to realize the benefits, such as catchinginterferences early, performing simulations and quickiterative changes, across the board quickly. Generally,new projects are starting in 3D while ongoing projectsare finished in 2D. But the change can be abrupt andsometimes painful.

Adding 2D to 3D

In contrast, the transition from 2D only to using both2D and 3D is far less disruptive. That might meansome users that are ready can transition while more

hesitant users can maintain their productivity. In thisscenario, productivity is rarely threatened. It alsomeans more complex designs can be done in 3D whilesimpler ones can be completed in 2D. That way, 3D isused where it is needed most.

Its not all positive though. This final operating statemeans that the advantages of 3D wont be realized inevery aspect of engineering projects. Youll still seemultiple rounds of prototyping and change orders. Butat least in a mixed environment, youll see less of it.

Nearly 4 in 10 use 2D and 3D together


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The Good and Bad About 2DOf all the findings from the study, the one that is mostsurprising is this: nearly half of all organizations use

2D in some form. So despite the stigma associatedwith 2D, it must provide some serious businessadvantages to still be used so widely.

Myth Busting: There Are Advantages to 2D

So what exactly are the advantages of 2D?

If an organization has been using 2D for sometime, then they most likely have an abundance oflegacy designs in 2D drawings. Obviously there isan advantage in using 2D technology in that regard.

Another consideration is retraining engineeringstaff. Keeping 2D technology around enables theorganization to avoid a big disruption toproductivity.

While some organizations have completely switchedto using 3D only, few have moved away from 2Dengineering drawings as the official deliverable tomanufacturing or suppliers.

The main common benefit associated with 2D is the

avoidance of a disruption, whether that is with acollection of legacy designs, the productivity of youremployees or working with partners and suppliers.

There are legitimate advantages to using 2D


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Accepting Reality: 2D Has Challenges as Well

Weve seen some of the positives of 2D. But all of thenegative press around 2D isnt without merit. Thereare disadvantages that affect the effectiveness of an

engineering organization.

No matter how gifted a user may be in visualizing adesign from a spatial perspective, its almostimpossible to see every single possible clash orinterference on a 2D drawing. Inevitably, suchmissed issues that get downstream turn intochange orders, unnecessary scrap and delays.

Another deficiency of 2D lies in its limited ability toallow users to virtually test the form, fit and

function of the design. Instead, users turn to paperand spreadsheet calculations that dont keep upwith design changes. As a result, users wait untilthe end or reproduce the calculations manually.

Reading an engineering drawing can be difficult,especially for those that arent in the engineeringorganization. Todays manufacturers areincreasingly moving towards enterprise designwhere manufacturing, service, procurement andother considerations influence design decisions.

Whats the common theme here? An engineering 2Ddrawing isnt the best representation for manyactivities in product development.

2D has longstanding flaws as well


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Augmenting 2D with 3DSo far, weve highlighted the fact that manyorganizations are adding 3D to an existing 2D

environment. But what does that picture look like?Findings from the study offer some perspectives.

The Reasons and Non-Reasons for Moving to 3D

To start, it makes sense to ask why organizations areeven moving to 3D at all. Some recent talk has hintedthat some of the motivation might be cultural. Morespecifically that employees and customers wouldrather work in 3D and furthermore, that competitorswere using 3D. Findings from the study found that feworganizations felt that sort of pressure to move to 3D.Instead, the prime motivation is old school. Its allabout technical capabilities and the advantages theyprovide to the organization.

Refresher on The Technical Advantages of 3D

What exact advantages does 3D provide when addedalongside 2D? Dont worry. Findings from the studyshow that 73% of the respondents have already

considered 3D. So no exhaustive explanation extollingthe virtues of 3D is coming next. But it is a worthwhileexercise to list them as a refresher.

Quick and easy iterative design exploration Associative engineering drawings, illustrations and

other deliverables

Analyses to catch interferences and clashes Model ready for calculations and simulations Unambiguous definition that can be used for

feedback by many non-engineering organizations

Percent (%) of respondents citing the followingreasons to move to 3D:

Wanted technology not available in 2D 39%

Employees wanted to use 3D 16%

Clients wanted us to work in 3D 14%

Competitors use 3D 12%


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Subscribe or Follow Underwritten in part by PTC, all concepts and ideasdeveloped independently, 2011 LC-Insights LLC

Widespread Realized Business Benefits of 3D

While there may be minimal need to review thetechnical advantages that 3D provides, it is importantto understand the impact it can have on the operations

of an engineering organization.

Need fewer physical prototypes:This traditionalvalue proposition is simple: test your designsvirtually so you can reduce the number of rounds ofphysical prototyping. The idea is you learn thingsvirtually, where they are relatively inexpensive,instead of physically.

Need fewer engineering change orders:Theconcept here is similar to that of needing fewer

physical prototypes. Only in this case you usevirtual testing to catch issues that would haveeventually become change orders.

More people / roles can participate in designreview:While this advantage isnt as longstandingas the first two, its still of great value. 3D modelsrequire little interpretation compared to 2Dengineering drawings. As a result, more people inengineering and non-engineering organizationscan review and provide feedback on the design.

Need fewer review meetings:Engineering projectmanagement meetings traditionally have been usedto identify and resolve issues related to the design.Part of necessity of that effort was because of theambiguity of 2D engineering drawings.Unambiguous 3D models make design flaws andissues evident far before people ever enter a projectmanagement meeting.

In summary, what you see in these findings is a punchlist of the business benefits an organization can realizeby adding 3D to 2D. Its about avoiding non-value addtime sink activities like multiple rounds of physicalprototypes, change orders and review meetings. Butits also about saving budgetary dollars as well. Ittakes money to build physical prototypes and studieshave shown there is a cost associated with executingeach change order. Ultimately, the gains positivelyaffect the development schedule and the engineeringbudget.

Capabilities of 3D translate into business benefits


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Summary and ConclusionOver a couple decades, the incessant chant in theindustry has been simple: drop 2D for 3D. As it turns

out, per findings from the 2D and 3D CAD Trends inProduct Designstudy, not everyone is following thatmantra. In fact, over 4 in 10 organizations are using2D and 3D togetherin their engineering operations.And for engineering leaders that are risk adverse whenit comes to organizational productivity, its a veryviable and attractive alternative.

There Are Advantages and Disadvantages to 2D

Ever since 3D technology was introduced, a negativestigma has slowly but surely been built around 2D over

the years. But despite the negative press, findings fromthe study show that 2D delivers real business value bymitigating potential disruptions to the organizationsproductivity. It lets teams work with collections of legacy2D designs, avoid steep learning curves for longstanding2D users and provide continuity in terms of working withpartners and suppliers.

The negative press, however, is not completely withoutmerit. It is not easy to visualize interferences andclashes on engineering 2D drawings. They limit an

organizations ability to virtually test a designs form,fit and function through simulations. And it is difficultfor non-engineers to interpret engineering drawingsfor their own purposes or to provide feedback on thedesign.

Add 3D to Fill the Gaps of 2D

According to the study, the reasons organizations areadding 3D is clear: its all about the technical advantagesof the technology and not about the cultural pressure

from employees or business pressures from customers orcompetitors. The technical advantages include quickerdesign exploration, associative deliverables, modelsready for analyses, calculations and simulations as wellas definitions that can be used by non-engineeringorganizations. Furthermore, there are benefits you canrealize by adding 3D to a 2D environment including:reduced rounds of prototyping, fewer change orders,more participation in design reviews and fewer reviewmeetings overall.

Final ThoughtsTraditionally, replacing 2D with 3D has been a high riskand high reward proposition. But the study shows thatmany organizations have achieved a more favorableoutcome by simply adding 3D to their existing 2Denvironment. Some of the benefits of 3D can be realizedwithout disrupting the entire organizations productivityand maintaining coexistence with your current 2Denvironment.

For more information on the 2D and 3D CAD Trendsin Product Design study and other tools, visithttp://www.ptc.com/go/2d-3d.

ProE Users E-Book Drppng2D for 3D-V011a

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