Why do engineers in Russia need 3D solutions

When an engineer hears 3D, he usually immediately thinks not about a new shooter, but about designing complex objects like nuclear power plants. I already wrote about the fact that we are recruiting future specialists in 3D design - and today I want to show you our first 3D center in Russia.

Inside, there are the usual three-dimensional projections on screens, holographic projections on glass, a virtual reality room, “glasses-free” 3D displays and other multimedia devices. Only 10 subsystems based on equipment partner EON Reality. All this is compatible with such systems as: Autocad, Inventor, 3Ds Max, Solidworks, NX, Catia, Kompas-3D, Creo.

We constantly conduct tours for representatives of large companies. The oil and gas sector is traditionally interested in 3D - for them it is an opportunity to work out a plan of action on the ground without climbing underground and without clicking on the real “red buttons”. Rostec was also interested in military equipment salons. Of the good solutions we know, 3D is used by Boeing, Suzuki, Lexus, BP, Saudi Aramco, Rasgas, and various institutes (medicine, architecture, design).

3D Solution Center

The 3D solutions center consists of a school, a demo center, and a content development lab. Plus, we do service support for 3D solutions and sometimes export them to various events for rent. So far, mainly at exhibitions.



The school of 3D design is taught by the coolest engineers from the West. A stream of 25 people is studying: partly our engineers, partly those whose companies desperately need specials with such skills and a few more places are free, for the students we recruited just from Habr.

The school is now the only one in Russia that teaches not only to create 3D models, not only to program, but to comprehensively approach the solution of a customer’s problem, to solve problems from a model, programming, optimizing export in the system to directly configuring and selecting the system itself. We learn to work with specific display systems and optimize content for them, parallelize tasks and work as a team, interact with “internal customers”. The demand for education in Russia is now very large (for the first year there were more than 100 applications for 15 places), therefore we plan to expand the school.


One of the rooms of our center (in the foreground is the EON Ibench mobile system, you can use it, for example, to work out the process of collecting / disassembling complex structures, parts of the parts can be “pulled out” from the screen, viewed from different sides)



Evacuation from the oil platform in 3D cube.

Why EON Reality?

Because it is a convenient interface, good coverage around the world, many ready-made modules for creating content (ready-made libraries, including interactive ones). A huge number of templates for various 3D-systems, for the most part - with ready-made detailed code. Export from all major CAD systems, import into all known virtual reality systems.

Submission of information

Why do you need 3D engineering in principle?After all, without it, they used to work on paper before. Actually, they used to work without computers, but now they are needed. The fact is that there are a number of crucial tasks. For example, exploration of deposits - there the error is very expensive; or design of NPP subsystems - there the error is measured not at all in money. And on these tasks there is a problem with the fact that you need to process a lot of incoming information. For example, if you receive several hundred letters a day, you will not be able to carefully read each and communicate with each person - there is a chance that you will miss something valuable. We live in a world very rich in information, and these sources of information are becoming more and more. They just surround us and begin to put pressure on us. There are more of them, and they are becoming more saturated. At the same time, the speed of awareness of information should also increase - but, as you might imagine, this is not very progress. There are automated systems that help capture the most important - for example, cars can store valid signs in the corner of the windshield so you can see them.

In the field of emergency information, infographics were a real breakthrough at the time. One of the first working infographics appeared several centuries ago and was a map of the city affected by the epidemic. It was necessary to sort the sources and understand where the disease came from. That is, she was solving critical tasks already then.

In parallel, the natural flow of information developed. When we look at the three projections of an object, we need to make an effort to build its image in consciousness. If the product is complex, then various minor errors are possible. On the other hand, you can submit information as it is. If you are talking about the architecture of the new city quarter, you need to show it. No need to draw the layout of the premises and no need to write high-flown texts about how many trees and bushes will be planted there, how the problem with traffic jams will be solved, and so on. If you tell students about the anatomy of the human eye, for example, the same eye through which they receive this information, you need to show the eye as it is, without any infographic or unnecessary interpretation of this information. If you are showing a complex technical object, such as an airplane turbine, an aircraft engine, or something else, to understand their principle of operation becomes very simple. And if you put your head directly into a working turbine, you can study the object from the inside and in dynamics. For this, there is a 3D cube.

As a result, students are passionate about the process and remember the process faster and better. Customers of our customers make their purchase decisions faster due to virtual immersion and Wow-effect, etc. Reduces training costs, improperly assembled products, emergency situations, etc.


Eye model for a medical university


In our center we show such a model using a large holographic 3D system.

At what stage of the project do we come to 3D?In general, virtual reality technologies can be used at all stages of a project, from protecting a business idea to dismantling a complex mechanism. For example, we have a business idea, we need to demonstrate it beautifully in order to confirm the budget or the start of the project, we create a layout or visualize the process and thereby clearly demonstrate this to the customer or manager. Next, we carry out design and create a 3D model of the designed object, again visualize and give designers the opportunity to see the compatibility of all systems, if you need to make changes to the project or, again, demonstrate the virtual object to the customer or manager. Then we can make a virtual instruction for assemblers with step-by-step assembly and visualize all the nuances. By the way in parallel with the assembly, we can already start selling the object according to its virtual model, which, incidentally, is already being done by many companies (for example, real estate agencies sell apartments, and car dealers sell cars). We can make virtual interior or exterior configurators, complex product configurators, etc. According to the same 3D model, we make instructions for use, maintenance or training in emergency situations. And finally, we can make instructions for the dismantling and disposal of complex and dangerous components. service or emergency training. And finally, we can make instructions for the dismantling and disposal of complex and dangerous components. service or emergency training. And finally, we can make instructions for the dismantling and disposal of complex and dangerous components.

How was this solved before?

For example, 1: 1 models were created for pilots. They are very difficult to assemble (at a cost like a half-plane), difficult to transport, the training center cannot be scaled quickly. The staff breaks down the simulators, the cost of working out emergency situations is very high, there is no way to quickly refine or detail something.



But, of course, the ability to feel is very important in training pilots. Therefore, the optimal scheme is this: dial the required hours on the simulator, and then, when the control is worked out to automatic, practice extraordinary situations in virtual reality.

Why did CROC do this

Because we are 10 years on the first edge of IT in Russia. We accumulate a lot of information, including engineering, which needs to be analyzed and used. We can work with information - we have large powerful data centers, good channels and good software. But we do not know how to take it quickly in the general case, the same problem is with our customers. And here we need 3D solutions, similar to those in our 3D center.
You can say that you have already worked with this: 3D TVs and even 3D displays are not uncommon. But this is a very crude semblance of true advanced systems. Firstly, the quality is different. In the phrases “virtual reality” and “augmented reality” the main word will be precisely “reality”. Secondly, on this reality you can move freely.

How 3D helps enterprises in high-risk locations

One of the main tasks here is to increase the speed of decision-making in emergency situations. And increasing the safety of the facility as a whole. For example, for power engineers this is a huge saving: to reduce the proportion of incorrect actions in an emergency situation. And on the basis of 3D models, we can prepare instructions for any complex object, tool or unit sold. Clear and quick to learn. This is often important in commerce, in particular, when presenting complex devices to ordinary customers.

Proofs:
1) www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-15115059 - 86% of students in the 3D audience have improved test results, the level of attention has doubled (92% versus 46%).
2) www.dlp.com/downloads/DLP-CaseStudy-Classroom3.pdf- The number of points scored in the tests increased by 35%.

Using the capabilities of virtual reality, you can visualize some kind of service case, an emergency, show what and how will happen with different actions in the interactive mode. In world practice, this saves hundreds of thousands of dollars. If a company employs thousands of people, then such a presentation of information can save millions of dollars a year - simply on a significant reduction in the training course.


Director of Technology, BP: “Studies have shown that training in the virtual space is acquired 80% better than training conducted in traditional ways.”



Nbaa(National Business Aviation Association) in the design of the Bombardier 550 aircraft reduced the cost of creating layouts and allowed customers to configure the interior at the design stage.


TETRA PAK plans its production in a virtual environment

An example of a situation. We have a nuclear power plant model. We select "Activate something in the control room." Further, as part of the simulation, we call the dispatchers in our control room on the radio. The model shows the processes from a technical point of view, can show the movement of personnel and so on. If we are in training, the teacher can approach, for example, one of the devices and close the pressure gauge with his palm and ask what should be there.

At home, we work with data centers.In the models, you can easily conduct training, work out any emergency situations and show the infrastructure to the customer.


The founder of EON Reality created the company in 1998 , and before that, he worked for many years in the North Sea as a design engineer. That is why the basic templates always have an interactive oil platform, thought out from the point of view of the needs of engineers.

So what are we doing.We do not just sell 3D solutions and make 3D content, we give customers the opportunity to make decisions faster, increase the added value of their products, get qualified personnel faster and cheaper, and avoid unnecessary costs due to improper assembly or operation errors. If someone has any questions - ask in the comments, write in a personal email or e-mail - PPochtennov@croc.ru. There you can throw applications for "come see what the center is like ."