After a robust beta program and the launch of an API toolkit, Sunglass has officially launched its cloud-based collaboration platform. The startup, which we profiled in June, has incorporated some additional capabilities designed to help organizations manage design projects across CAD systems.
Drawing parallels between itself and GitHub, a Web-based version control system tuned for the collaborative development of software, Sunglass is looking to help dispersed engineering teams, particularly small and midsized shops, coordinate and manage development and design projects built around 3D CAD models. The idea is to replace traditional workflows that rely heavily on email and other manual forms of communication.
Sunglass incorporates a rich media annotation feature that lets users pin images, PDFs, videos, and hyperlinks as notes on 3D models. (Source: Sunglass)
Though Sunglass is not a replacement for CAD, it does take on some of the work often handled by product data management (PDM) systems. Instead of PDM's traditional architecture, which relies on a single repository accessed by desktop workstations using checkin and checkout policies, Sunglass designed a secure, cloud-based platform, where engineers can tap into and collaborate on 3D designs from anywhere, including mobile devices.
Kaustuv DeBiswas, co-founder of Sunglass, told us it learned two things from its beta program. First, "communication is still a big pain point in the entire design cycle today, and the changing landscape demands better solutions that tightly integrate with all kinds of systems and mobile -- something that truly belongs to this generation." Second, no company is going to swap out CAD for a new design paradigm, so Sunglass needs to create a strong pipeline between current user workflows and the cloud.
With that in mind, Sunglass has added a couple of things in the final production release. The platform now includes deeply integrated plug-ins that let users edit and sync 3D files in real-time with full integrity between the desktop and the cloud. Plug-ins for SolidWorks, Autodesk Inventor, SketchUp with CATIA, and Rhino are first on tap, officials said. Users will be able to push and pull models from those CAD programs into Sunglass seamlessly as they make changes, and edits will be streamed in real-time while engineers carry on live discussions with clients and collaborators using the browser interface. The new functionality also lets users work on assemblies simultaneously and share projects on a part-by-part basis -- a feature that should help address concerns around the protection of design IP.
There are also back-end architecture enhancements to ensure Sunglass stays in sync with the workflows of enterprise-grade design tools most organizations already use. The architecture supports loss-less data (solids, breps, NURBs, tessellated), assembly-part mapping, and version history, so nothing is lost in translation between the CAD program and the cloud. This gives designers and engineers more robust capabilities for tracking changes, DeBiswas said.
Though he would not say whether Sunglass has won any large accounts, he did say there was a lot of interest in the beta program, which drew more than 1,000 participants.
Beth, I have noticed many "innovations" in the design engineering space that follow developments in the software engineering field from many years ago. That makes sense for a couple of reasons. Software, since it has no real "manufacturing" process is a bit different. Second, software is appearing in the products, and even for physical objects, in the design flow of the products. This use of a Git like distributed repository is a natural, and good, evolution.
This is a nice evolution. I'd welcome any opportunity to work with it. I'd like to see the other big problem in the design process addressed. I call it go-back-itis. I can spend hours on a change (or two) only to have the decision makers want to "go-back" to the original.
Of course, I save every version. And, I'm always friendly with IT to make sure I have the amount of space I need in order to keep saving every version, just in case.
@NadineJ: The pain point I think you're describing is change management around engineering changes--a common and tricky thorn in the side of all engineering teams, now and in the past. Product Data Management (PDM) and PLM systems were born, originally, out of the need to maintain a central repository of engineering data (and keep track of changes), but they are admittedly often complex, big, and expensive systems--well beyond reach of many shops. Excel spreadsheets have been another stable for managing the changes, but clearly not able to do so in any kind of automated and centralized fashion.
Products like Sunglass and other Web-generation-based collaboration platforms are taking on this problem again and attempting to solve it in a much more streamlined and simpler fashion. Perhaps it's time to get your IT group or your engineering management to revisit the problem now that the technology is bit less onerous.
@Beth: Maybe my comment wasn't clear to you. It's not about "keeping track of changes". As a designer, I have to create CADs (or 3D sketches). When management asks to see a tweak or change, it ranges from a few minutes to a several hours of work. If I save over the latest version and management wants to "go back", I've created more work for myself. If I save duplicates, I'm using a lot of space on the server (that's where IT comes in).
I used excel as a tracking tool before PLM. It worked well. I've helped develop custom PLM systems for companies over the years and still work as a UX Design consultant for up and coming companies. PLM systems are great for production but only marginally helpful for creatives.
My point is that having a system that can store, maybe, up to 3 versions, without crashing the serving or weighing down the cloud, would be great. Designers would appreciate it.
I guess I'm still confused. Wouldn't those changes to the 3D sketches or models be maintained in a PDM or PLM system using the inherent verison control capabilities to ensure everyone is using the latest version? Or are you talking about more conceptual designs prior to actually having a formal 3D CAD model?
@Beth: Throughout the design process things constantly change. Sometimes, even after production has begun. Typically, until the client or a VP says it's perfect, things are in flux.
PLM does not allow for going back to a previous version. You're replacing the last version with the newest one in the system. When management wants to go back to a previous version, it's no longer there. You have to hope that the designer kept a copy in their files and can reload it.
The 3D printing revolution seems to have a knack for quickly moving technology ahead by way of collaborative effort and even a little friendly competition -- all of course in the name of scientific advancement.
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