Aras Introduces Dynamic Product Navigation for 3D Interaction with the Digital Thread

Aras makes available Dynamic Product Navigation (DPN) as a platform service. DPN will be available across the breadth of the Aras Innovator application suite as well as custom applications, enabling users to browse, search and drill down on 3D assembly data within the context of the overall product structure. This extends the capability to query, identify and interact with related PLM business items from product development to the broader enterprise for digital thread interaction.

Aras’ Dynamic Product Navigation capability marks a shift from the typical static representation of CAD-based geometry to an interactive ability where users can tailor their 3D view according to business needs using business-related information. Selectively viewing 3D data based on PLM attributes—rather than strictly CAD attributes—is a capability for all types of users enabling the ability to interact with 3D data early and in context. For example, manufacturing personnel can assign production routing steps based on manufacturing sequence, quality can visualize items that have identified defects or corrective & preventative action reports (CAPA), and maintenance can easily isolate and view parts with service bulletins.

With this new capability, users across the organization can create queries on 3D data to reflect interactive structure representations based on ad-hoc criteria. An individual can view the product in the right context to answer a specific question quickly. Dynamic interrogation enables people to visually see complex combinations of data such as highlighting parts with change orders pending, visually identifying items that have failed simulation criteria, or showing components from a specific vendor or country of origin.

DPN reportedly eliminates the need for specialized CAD knowledge, CAD licenses and manual conversion activities. The browser-based visualization in DPN is intuitive and easy for non-CAD users. Highly accurate, lightweight views convert automatically from the native CAD files of all the major tools including CATIA, NX, Creo, SolidWorks and more.

“Traditional digital mockup tools overlook a critical use case for 3D visualization, which is simply finding business information using the product’s physical design,” says John Sperling, SVP Product Management at Aras. “Rather than searching by part number or other abstract characteristics, DPN provides easy-to-use 3D viewing so you can navigate through your product visually and find related business information. With Aras’ best-in-class ability to manage the entire Digital Thread, anything about your product can be found starting with a visual search using Dynamic Product Navigation.”

Aras subscribers get Dynamic Product Navigation for no additional cost and the capability is available immediately.

Additional Resources

Demo Series: Interrogate Products using DPN

DPN: Flexible Data Views and Visual Searching

Sources: Press materials received from the company and additional information gleaned from the company’s website.