VR and new user experience are fascinating these days. Companies are looking for new ways to interact. Mobile devices made a big difference in the last decade by bringing a completely new way of interaction.
Just few days ago, I was writing about experiments to develop applications for VR sets. If you missed that, check this link for Is VR a new “mobile CAD”? VR set introduced an interesting opportunity. I’ve got few interesting comments speaking about challenges to work with non-traditional desktop less user interface.
Road to VR blog article Magic Leap Reveals 16 AR Experiences From Wacom, SketchUp, Wingnut AR, and More brings few interesting examples and one of them is design with Onshape.
Onshape 3D CAD uses the power of Magic Leap One for professional product design. Users can see and interact with live 3D models during active design sessions. Multiple Onshape users can simultaneously participate using Magic Leap One, web browsers, phones, and tablets. The power of mixed reality CAD offers incredible promise to improve the way products are designed. Onshape is the first and only pure-cloud 3D CAD platform. Professional engineer at thousands of companies rely on Onshape to design all kinds of new products: Formula 1 racing cars, drones, medical robots, quantum computers—just about anything manufactured you see in our world.
Here is Onsahpe press release speaking about this development. Onshape called it new type of user interface – Onshape, a leading cloud-CAD platform together with Magic Leap is announcing new “Spacial computing CAD app”.
Here is an interesting passage from press release:
“We’re excited to bring the many benefits of modern CAD to engineers in the Magicverse,” says Onshape CEO Jon Hirschtick. “For more than a half-century, CAD users were confined to working on a flat screen. The Magic Leap One will push product design into a whole new stratosphere.”
“Imagine your engineering team is reviewing the latest design for a race car. With the ML One, they will be able to put that car right on the conference table, go under the hood and examine the engine block. They can then levitate the car above their heads and check out the exhaust system,” he says.
It is still unclear how application will work. Jon Hirschtick will be presenting new application at L.E.A.P. Conference in Los Angeles. Magic Leap is streaming its keynote addresses live, beginning at 9 a.m. PDT – navigate here.
Few screenshots from Jon Hirschtick presentation. According to Jon, engineers are able to collaborate in real time and mixed reality environment.
The opportunity to escape “flat screen” sounds fascinating by itself and I’m very curious how it will work. it will be interesting to see what unique capability of Onshape as a completely web (browser) based application will be leveraged to create Magic Leap app. In other words, what are chances of traditional desktop CAD systems to support it?
What is my conclusion? Platform and Screen. These two things are introducing a new way for CAD and other geometric applications to perform. Platforms (mobile device) and screens (touch screen) transformed the way we use many apps today. Are we going to see with devices such Magic Leap? Will Onshape become a new app uniquely available on Magic Leap device is still unclear, but I’m looking for more information to learn how to use Onshape on new devices. Just my thoughts…
Best, Oleg
Disclaimer: I’m co-founder and CEO of OpenBOM developing cloud based bill of materials and inventory management tool for manufacturing companies, hardware startups and supply chain. My opinion can be unintentionally biased
Picture credit Philip Thomas of Onshape (Facebook)
