PLANO, Texas — Siemens PLM Software announced a new interactive tool that enables users to create their own 3-D Razor Scooter in Second Life. The tool is easy to use like Siemens PLM Software’s Solid Edge® software and meant to expose Second Life residents to the possibilities of CAD software.
Second Life is a 3D virtual world with more than 12 million residents from over 100 countries. Siemens PLM Software was the first pure-play PLM company to establish a presence in Second Life and uses its island to collaborate with customers and partners to test ways virtual worlds could be leveraged for next generation computer-aided design. Virtual worlds give consumer product designers the ability to test designs with end consumers in real-time.
In the real world, Siemens PLM Software hosts “test drive” Solid Edge seminars to illustrate how easy the software is to use. Solid Edge is a powerful hybrid 2D/3D design system and a core component of the Velocity Series™ portfolio. In the virtual world, the new interactive tool provides companies a glimpse into the use of 3-D modeling software in product development. A transparent screen guides Second Life residents to click through a range of selections to create a custom-built scooter in less than a minute.
According to a recent report, “Getting Real Work Done In Virtual Worlds,” Forrester Research, Inc., Jan. 7, 2008, “Virtual worlds like Second Life… are on the brink of becoming valuable work tools…” The report notes that virtual worlds have advantages over other approaches to communication and collaboration. One example is “they allow people to work with and share digital 3-D models of physical or theoretical objects. Many disciplines rely on 3-D models and designs: Surgeons, architects, engineers, and product designers all use CAD models or sophisticated visualization systems to explore and create complex real-world objects…You can release near-final designs to a limited external group of users and solicit feedback before starting fabrication.” The report predicts that within five years, the 3-D Internet will be as important for work as the Web is today.
In the real world, Solid Edge Dare to Compare Test Drive events guide users through key stages of 3D design: part modeling, sheet metal, assembly creation, drafting and documentation, plus analysis and full motion simulation.
To reach the Siemens Innovation Connection on Second Life, visit www.siemens.com/plm/secondlife. To attend a real-world Solid Edge Dare to Compare Test Drive, visit www.siemens.com/plm/daretocompare.
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Filed Under: Software • 3D CAD, ENGINEERING SOFTWARE