Technical Pact Unites 3D, 2D Illustration Tools

Working together under a technology and distribution agreement, Seemage Inc. and Auto-trol Technology Corp. have begun offering the technical illustration marketplace an open, secure, and enduring solution to provide both 2D illustration and interactive production of rich deliverables created from 3D design data. Seamless integration of the respective companies’ products, Seemage and Tech Illustrator, allows users to switch effortlessly from 3D to 2D without having to adopt closed, proprietary file formats. In addition, these technologies can be quickly and easily deployed without the cost and delays associated with product lifecycle management enterprise infrastructures.

Based on open XML standards, Seemage software imports a complete digital product definition into the tool’s easy-to-use content-creation and management applications. Using Seemage, end users across the enterprise can reuse original 3D design information combined with critical data (like bills-of-material from enterprise resource planning systems) to create a broad range of product deliverables. Rich deliverables can include animations, technical illustrations, marketing materials, as well as service and support documentation. The open XML technology provides seamless integration into existing customer processes and enterprise applications. Seemage can be easily incorporated into standard desktop environments to enhance end-user productivity.

Tech Illustrator, Auto-trol's electronic publishing product, enables compliance with important 2D commercial and governmental standards like S1000D, ATA iSPEC 2200, and WebCGM 2.0. It provides access to a wide variety of import methods from legacy hardcopy and electronic archives, and it also combines powerful drawing, editing, and annotation tools. A comprehensive command and macro language along with API development tools offer the flexibility to automate and integrate existing customer processes.