3DVIA Composer: so easy, even a plastics guy can do it!

By

OK, I admit it – I’m a recovering plastics engineer.  I was out with my daughter last weekend looking at new cars and…

I said: This car smells funny.

She said: That’s just the “new car smell.”

I said: You know, that new car smell is actually caused by a combination of volatile organic compounds that come from the materials, adhesives, lubricants, cleaning fluids, etc. that are used in new car construction.  And since plastics are widely used in automotive interiors, they tend to be some of the main culprits.

She said: Uh-huh.

I said: Of course, there are lots of benefits to using plastics in automotive applications – to make a vehicle lighter so it gets better gas mileage, provide a safe environment for occupants, weather resistance, and so on.

She said: Whatevs Dad (which I think means she was really impressed by my knowledge of plastics).

In any case, I graduated from UMASS Lowell with degrees in plastics engineering and spent the better part of 15 years at Moldflow and Autodesk in roles that ranged from technical marketing to product marketing/management and marketing communications.  I’m excited to be at SolidWorks now as a product marketing manager focused on 3DVIA Composer technical communication software.

This blog will focus on 3DVIA Composer and the features that make it unbelievably easy to create content for deliverables such as manufacturing assembly instructions, product manuals, training materials and marketing collateral.  So easy in fact that a plastics/marketing guy like me can install the product and create valuable content inside of a few hours.  I’m also happy to report that in just a few short months of using Composer, I passed the certification exam and am now a 3DVIA Composer Certified Professional.  And I’m telling you, if I can do it, anyone can!

For example, check out this video I created showing how to assemble some components of a Nook Industries ½-ton jack.  This is a fully interactive animation put together in a matter of minutes using 3DVIA Composer.

Thanks for reading…now clear your mind, focus and get that project done!

Peter Rucinski

Peter Rucinski

My technical background is based on BS and MS degrees in plastics engineering from UMASS Lowell and a career focused on all things injection molding – simulation, plastics materials, part design, mold design, mold making and injection molding process troubleshooting & optimization. And I have been extremely fortunate to have developed business acumen that comes from being intimately involved in growing a small engineering software company ~7X in revenues while tripling headcount, successfully executing an IPO and multiple acquisitions, coaching product teams and developing the go-to-market strategy for numerous successful product launches.