Analyze CAD Models
Simple, fast, without a CAD system
Analyze and verify 3D models
From virtual assemblies and model comparison to wall thickness, tooling and collision analysis: With 3D-Tool, you can measure, inspect and assess CAD models quickly and intuitively without an expensive CAD workstation.
How does CAD analysis support product development?
3D-Tool helps inspect parts and assemblies before production and assembly. Model comparison reveals differences between design versions. Wall thickness, tooling and collision analysis help locate critical areas such as thin walls, undercuts or intersecting parts.
For production planning and costing, 3D-Tool provides dimensions, surface areas and volumes, as well as weight and center of mass through its material database. This information supports estimates of material requirements and manufacturing costs. Multiple models can also be combined into virtual assemblies to check fit and space requirements.
Virtual product development
Digital Mock-up
It is difficult to imagine modern development and engineering without 3D CAD software. Even before prototype construction, assembly and production, virtual product development (VPE) enables:
- Feasibility studies and early error detection
- Verification of ergonomics, design and completeness
- Evaluation of space requirements and serviceability
Models published with 3D-Tool are available to the entire company. The 3D-Tool Free Viewer also provides professional measurement and analysis functions, enabling Digital Mock-up (DMU) for team members without their own 3D-Tool license.
Component assembly and exploded views
For fit checks and feasibility studies, several models can be merged into virtual assemblies in a 3D-Tool scene.
Use the placement tool to align models with each other and with the coordinate system. To do this, select surfaces, edges, or points, or freely move and rotate the model.
Analysis features
Model Information
Anyone planning material and space requirements for production, transport and assembly needs key information in addition to the quantity and designation of parts.
3D-Tool "Model Info" provides dimensions, surface area and volume of parts and assemblies, as well as weight and center of mass through the 3D-Tool material database.
Convert this information into common units and copy it to the clipboard. When needed, 3D-Tool creates comprehensive PDF, RTF or HTML reports with all relevant model data.
Model Comparison
In quality assurance, you often compare measurement data, 3D scans or other model versions with current CAD data. To do this, load multiple versions of a model and superimpose them.
The 3D-Tool "Model Comparison" makes even small differences between two models visible in color.
Wall Thickness Analysis
Maintaining wall thicknesses and their associated tolerances is important for injection-molded and cast parts, especially lightweight and structural components.
The 3D-Tool "Wall Thickness Analysis" displays a model's wall thicknesses as heatmaps. It calculates them using either the single-ray or spherical method (fitted ball).
Different colors mark wall thicknesses outside defined tolerances. Alternatively, a color spectrum shows all wall thicknesses directly on the model.
Tooling Analysis
In mold making and toolmaking, use 3D-Tool to inspect parts and estimate manufacturing costs.
- The "Tooling Analysis" shows draft angles as angles or cavity mapping and identifies areas that cannot be demolded (undercuts), helping you identify possible slide units.
- The "Projected Area" supports the calculation of clamping forces and thus the selection of a suitable injection molding machine.
Explore model comparison, wall thickness analysis, and tooling analysis
Material Requirements and Manufacturing Costs
To estimate material costs, manufacturing costs and production times, 3D-Tool provides additional measurement functions alongside measurements of distance, edge length and diameter:
- The "Minimal Box" function calculates the smallest possible bounding box of parts and assemblies, for example to determine the raw material.
- The "Surface Area Note" calculates the area of individual surface segments, for example to estimate the machining effort.
- The "Contour Note" calculates the length of curves and edges, for example to estimate laser-cutting time.
Collision Analysis
The Collision Analysis supports installation tests and feasibility studies:
- Collision mode shows in red all locations where parts touch or penetrate each other.
- Distance mode displays as a heatmap all distances between parts that are below a specified value.
