Behind every successful 3DEXPERIENCE implementation, integration, data migration and customization project is an in-depth planning process where teams identify their unique needs and potential challenges that will need to be addressed throughout the process. There are a lot of variables to consider and helping companies navigate them is one of the most important things we do here at xLM Solutions.

Our team is always available for a one-on-one chat about your next 3DEXPERIENCE project, but we also use our 3DEXPERIENCE Roundtable events to create a convenient forum where you can ask questions and learn about the topics that matter most to you. We had the opportunity to get together for just such an event on June 8, 2023, and based the conversation on the results of a recent survey. The topics you selected were:

Data migration
Collaboration Best Practices
Widget / Data Model Customization
Discussion of key roles, such as CSV, XEN, PAU, CHG and MFN

We currently host our 3DEXPERIENCE Roundtable discussions twice a year but may move toward a quarterly offering based on your feedback. If you have a topic you’d like to discuss during our next event or are interested in getting together one on one, please let us know.

If you missed our June 8 event and would like to download the recording, click here and share your information for access. We’ll also discuss some key takeaways in this article.

3DEXPERIENCE Data Migration

xLM Solutions works on a lot of projects that involve migrating data into 3DEXPERIENCE from all different systems, but the process varies significantly depending on whether you’re working with an on-premise or cloud-based environment. Each environment uses different tools for data migration and your options are currently more robust for on-premise implementations.

If you’re considering upgrading to the 3DEXPERIENCE platform and are wondering whether an on-premise or cloud-based implementation is right for you, data migration must be part of your evaluation process. We recommend assessing the data that needs to be migrated, your options for mapping data to the platform, the best migration technology for your unique needs and planning ahead to put in place a robust testing and validation plan.

Dassault Systèmes is also preparing to release a new tool that will be geared toward data migrations from SOLIDWORKS PDM to the 3DEXPERIENCE Platform on Cloud. It’s the first tool of its kind and will use integration framework technology to support the migration process, including multiple revisions and data mapping.

I recommend watching the replay of our latest roundtable to learn more about this tool, but will note that we’re fairly certain we will be able to adapt the tool to work with ENVOIA SmarTeam and other migrations beyond SOLIDWORKS PDM. Please let me know if you have questions about it.

3DEXPERIENCE Collaboration Best Practices

One of the best things about the 3DEXPERIENCE platform is that it brings people together for efficient cross-team collaboration in a unified system. That being said, collaboration means different things to different companies. Does your team need to collaborate internally across business units or physical locations, or externally with additional vendors, suppliers, partners, etc.?

There are many types of collaboration and they’re all supported on the 3DEXPERIENCE platform, but our best practices vary greatly depending on the type that’s right for your organization. I discuss this in much greater detail in the roundtable, but let’s use read-only access as one example. In this scenario, you control the data and have options for who can view your data and what they can see. You can give read-only access to external and internal users, but must decide who gets access and whether it should be limited to the latest data, released data or another subset of information.

Joint or co-design and exchange data are two other types of collaboration we see a lot, and both must be approached completely differently from a best practices perspective. Collaboration can be a complicated aspect of the 3DEXPERIENCE platform, but our experts can help you adjust your controls to maximize efficiency and security.

If you’re new to the solution, we recommend starting small with read-only access and growing into more complex collaboration scenarios.

3DEXPERIENCE Widgets and Data Model Customization

Widgets and data model customization can be an extremely technical 3DEXPERIENCE topic. Ilan and I shared some high-level insights during our roundtable discussion, but we welcome the opportunity to discuss more technical aspects of this topic with you. I recommend watching the replay to see if we answer your questions, then getting in touch to schedule a one-on-one chat.

At a basic level, Dassault offers a variety of widgets within the 3DDashboard. You have some options for configuration, but they cannot be customized or changed significantly. If you need your own functionality beyond what’s provided in Dassault’s standard widgets, you can definitely write your own.

Our experts have developed 3DEXPERIENCE widgets for a variety of purposes, including handling certain types of reports like part numbering and even importing data into the platform. The 3DEXPERIENCE platform offers excellent out-of-the-box functionality, but we believe there’s a balance between customization and configuration. If you’re continually repeating something or making mistakes, a custom solution tailored to your site’s unique activities can help. Every company has different ways of doing things and there can be a lot of value in automating those tasks and saving time.

Our experts can help you develop custom widgets and with any other type of customization to the 3DEXPERIENCE platform, whether on-premise or on-cloud. Please send us a note if you’re interested in support with widgets / data model customization. We discuss specific tools for customization in the roundtable, but you may also be interested in our other webinars, blog posts and custom tools.

3DEXPERIENCE Key Roles

Roles within the 3DEXPERIENCE platform are essentially a collection of multiple apps that, depending on which you have access to, govern how you engage the solution and manage your data. Based on the results of our survey, we decided to focus our 3DEXPERIENCE Roundtable discussion on the CSV, XEN, PAU, CHG and MFN roles.

CSV, or Collaborative Industry Innovator, is the default role that all users must have to access 3DEXPERIENCE. With this role, you get access to nearly two dozen apps, including 3D Markup, 3DPlay, Bookmark Editor and 3D Navigate. CSV is a standard 3DEXPERIENCE role but there are others, such as Product Release Engineer (XEN), that are geared toward different individuals on your team.

We examined each of these five roles from a high-level perspective during our roundtable discussion, but it’s also important to note that Dassault has thousands of different roles available for purchase. Before purchasing and implementing the solution, we recommend identifying your different users, what they need to do and then mapping out which roles are required.

To do this effectively, you must have a deep understanding of each role. You may refer to someone as a product engineer within your organization only to find out that the related role in 3DEXPERIENCE offers different functionality than your team needs.

Learn and Grow with xLM Solutions

I’ve summarized some key points from our 3DEXPERIENCE Roundtable, but Ilan and I went into much greater detail during the discussion. If you’re interested in learning more about any of the topics above, I recommend watching the replay and getting in touch for additional support. Our team is here to help.

We look forward to seeing you for our next 3DEXPERIENCE Roundtable event and will be continuing our discussion of the 3DEXPERIENCE platform this summer with the following webinars:

Using the XPDM Tool for Various Import and Export Scenarios, Thursday, June 22, 2023 @ 11:00 AM ET
Migrating Data to 3DEXPERIENCE, Thursday, July 20, 2023 @ 11:00 AM ET
SOLIDWORKS PDM Data Migration Strategies and Overview of PDM Integration With Other Systems, Thursday, August 17, 2023 @ 11:00 AM ET

TAKEAWAYS FROM XLM’S JUNE 3DEXPERIENCE ROUNDTABLE

Dirección