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Explode Diagrams. The Next Cool Thing In 3D CAD

by Josh on August 21, 2008 · View Comments

You all are gonna flip, or rather, explode, when you see this. I’ve been looking for 3D CAD news out of Siggraph08 that happened last week, but have not found much beyond some announcements about rendering models.

Fortunately, Mark Treadwell from Premier Rides came across some info and filled me in. A team from Berkeley has developed an automated system for viewing interactive 3D exploded views of models. Check out the video after the break.


Not only does it automate the production of exploded views from a systematic algorithm, it also creates diagrams of the parts in a way that you can interact with them to visualize assemblies and sub-assemblies as they are naturally assembled and dis-assembled. It’s the way this 3D jazz should have always worked. The video shows it all.


Interactive 3D Exploded View Diagrams from Solidsmack on Vimeo.

{ 12 comments }

Al Whatmough August 21, 2008 at 12:28 pm

WOW, that is Awsome… Great work digging this one up!!

Daniel August 21, 2008 at 1:10 pm

Good find! That would be a great tool for end users and me! I wonder if anyone at Solidworks has seen this yet?

aldean August 21, 2008 at 1:50 pm

This is pretty slick – I dunno if you've played with COmposer yet, but there's basic elements like this in the linear explode tool – no where near as intelligent, but its a start.. slick

Josh M August 21, 2008 at 5:57 pm

I hope they've seen it. I know there had to be some SolidWorks reps out
there. I believe some 3DVia guys were there too, so I'm sure they would
really be attracted to this technology.

Bruce Buck August 22, 2008 at 8:25 pm

Sweet. Speedy. Looks like huge time saver. Wonder how well it handles different complex assemblies. Also wonder if you'll have any control as to specific positioning of components.

Josh M August 23, 2008 at 9:32 pm

I wonder this too Bruce. It always looks cool in the demo. I'm hoping some
of the developers pick up on this technology and see how it can be useful
during modeling and not just for documentation or tech pubs.

die guy August 25, 2008 at 3:53 pm

composer is just like a illustrator clone no?

Josh M August 25, 2008 at 4:31 pm

I haven't used composer, but I do know it's got different features than
illustrator. Illustrator is a graphics program to create vector graphics.

aldean August 25, 2008 at 6:04 pm

its not really – it lets you take your 3D data and repurpose it for tech pubs, service manuals and stuff – its pretty intelligent and can do a lot of the hardwork for you – illustrator is pretty much, as josh says, a vector drawing tool.. composer is much more.. task specific?

die guy August 25, 2008 at 8:53 pm

composer is just like a illustrator clone no?

Josh M August 25, 2008 at 9:31 pm

I haven't used composer, but I do know it's got different features than
illustrator. Illustrator is a graphics program to create vector graphics.

aldean August 25, 2008 at 11:04 pm

its not really – it lets you take your 3D data and repurpose it for tech pubs, service manuals and stuff – its pretty intelligent and can do a lot of the hardwork for you – illustrator is pretty much, as josh says, a vector drawing tool.. composer is much more.. task specific?

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