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How to increase productivity using 3D ContentCentral

Have you ever been working on a design and wanted to use a standard part from a manufacturer? Some manufacturers offer 3D and 2D models using DWGGateway of their components, but they can be difficut to find and the supplier does not always have 3D components for download or they may not be in a useful format.

3D ContentCentral is an online resource powered by 3D PartStream.NET®, offering direct access to time-saving CAD models from leading suppliers and individual SolidWorks® users worldwide. 3D ContentCentral offers these components in a number of different formats from a wide variety of suppliers.

The purpose is twofold: to help customers find the components they are looking for in a vendor-certified format and to provide engineering component manufacturers a vehicle to deliver information and data about their products.

An example of the verified supplier interface is shown in Figure 1. The major elements of the interface are shown and labeled.

Figure 1 – 3D Content Central user interface

Getting started

To get started, you must create an account. This account will allow for the download of supplier-certified models and uploading of models to share with others.

There are two types of libraries within 3D ContentCentral: supplier-certified and user library. There is an important difference between the two; the supplier certified library is just that, certified by the vendor to be accurate. These are checked for accuracy by the supplier and often have links to obtain a quote on the component at the same time.

If the content your organization needs is not available within the supplier-certified area, there is a survey "I want 3D" that is available on the main page. Check the suppliers you use most often and SolidWorks Corporation will contact the supplier and inquire if they would like to provide 3D content to thier customers.

Figure 4– Supplier content survey

Would you like to share a standard modeled part with other users in the community? 3D Content Central also has a "Share a Model" feature. This allows for a component you created to be posted within 3D Content Central for others to access. Your name will also appear on the download page.

Using the content

Once the component has been found, it can be configured, downloaded, and a quote can be requested. Figure 5 shows a configured Acme screw assembly. The selections made are based on the component selected. Once the component is configured, the Generate button will produce a preview on the right side.

Once the component has been configured, 3D ContentCentral allows for the component to be viewed in 3D and 2D. The last step is to download the model and add it to your assembly.

Figure 5– Component configuration and download

Conclusion

3D ContentCentral is a service that can be used to find standard components, share components with others in the community, and list your companies components and data for customers to use within SolidWorks.

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