Solidworks partners with content management vendor

Manufacturers will now be able to integrate configurable 3D product images into their web catalogues following the partnership of design software vendor Solidworks with content management and e-catalogue provider SAQQARA. The combination of Solidworks’ 3D Partstream.net with SAQQARA’s Commerce suite will allow customers to download CAD models from online catalogues and incorporate them into their own designs. This means buyers can easily evaluate products and ensure an exact fit. Buyers can view product models from all angles, configure these models based on specific design specifications, then download (in a variety of formats) for use in their own design documents, saving time and reducing errors normally associated with buying parts from suppliers. Jim Giebutowski, Solidworks director of content publishing, said: “Manufacturers understand that hunting for parts can be a cumbersome process of tracking down the exact specifications at the right price from the right vendor. [The partnership means] we’re giving them the ability to quickly build a complete web-based product catalogue that allows customers to easily find a product and ensure it meets all of their requirements.”