In a recent video I did with my esteemed colleague Paul Heney of Design World, I got the chance try out a BenQ PD2710QC computer monitor designed specifically for designers working in CAD, illustration, and animation.

Most useful to design engineers is a CAD/CAM mode that renders better contrast on lines and shapes on technical illustrations to bring even the smallest details to view. For more information, visit designworldonline.com/category/technologies/3d-cad. The monitor currently runs $599.

The PD2710QC monitor from BenQ America has a USB-C Docking Station housing audio, video, network, and USB ports for MacBook and PC users. So it can charge devices, transfer data, transmit audio and video, and connect to the internet — all through one 5-Gbps USB-C cable. In fact, the monitor delivers up to 61 watts of power to connected devices.

The 27-inch IPS LED display is 2560 x 1440 and has an edge-to-edge slim bezel design with space-grey metal finishing.

We loaded a design in Blender destined for Shapeways 3D printing to demonstrate the monitor. Creo, Autodesk, and Solidworks free and consumer CAD offerings are useful for geometric designs that are dimensionally driven, but Blender along with MAX and Rhino and similar CAD offerings work better for organic and fractal-driven shapes.

The monitor has features to prevent eye strain and protect vision health when working on such detailed designs, even for long hours at the computer. These include an anti-glare screen and what BenQ calls eye-care technology — which is basically zero-flicker operation and low blue light — the bandwidth that causes the most eye fatigue and irritation. The display is also Technicolor Color-Certified, meeting strict color-accuracy standards used in Hollywood and even non-entertainment industries. For these in these industries, the monitor features Rec.709 color accuracy and wide-angle viewing.

Using the monitor’s DisplayPort output and built-in multi-stream transport technology, users can use the BenQ to improve multiple-monitor workstations. Plus the monitor’s Display Pilot Software lets users customize viewing by splitting the screen into multiple windows.

Other features include a darkroom mode that supports work in darker post-processing environments by adjusting brightness and image contrast for better detail clarity and sharpness. A unique CAD/CAM mode renders better contrast on lines and shapes on technical illustrations to bring even the smallest details to view. Another mode for animation mode lets designers control and perfect scenes with lightening for easier visualization of details in shadow. For more information, visit www.BenQ.us.

---

Filed Under: 3D CAD, ALL INDUSTRY NEWS • PROFILES • COMMENTARIES, TECHNOLOGIES + PRODUCTS, Industry trends, FEA software

 

---