Onshape 3D CAD now open for business; use for free; pay for privacy
The takeaway
An all-star team has created a 3D CAD program which will surely force the next wave of industry change. Any company with an extended supply chain or a dispersed design team will benefit immediately by working in Onshape.
The details
Onshape 3D CAD moves into open beta today as the first fully browser-based mechanical design software. It can be used on any WebGL-compatible browser, from any desktop, notebook, tablet, or smartphone. The software uses cloud technology to redefine how files are created, shared, and managed.
Onshape is a game-changer; for the next five years all other 3D CAD companies will be working to re-align their tools to better compete with Onshape, just as happened when SpaceClaim came to market in 2007. The only significant next-generation competition Onshape has today is Autodesk Fusion 360, which is cloud-enabled but relies on thin clients instead of working strictly in the browser.
Onshape uses the unlimited power of cloud computing to simplify the processes of working with parts and assemblies. (Onshape model by Jim Shaw)
There are many compelling features in Onshape, but the immediate benefit is in the ability to share designs worldwide without the friction of current IT practices and technologies. Onshape eliminates the problems related to multiple versions, authorized access, and the possibilities for compromised security inherent in typical file sharing schemes.
Onshape opens to the general public today as a beta release; company representative Joe Dunne says “we will probably never have a big release” but more of a constant rollout of features. Part of the reason is to ease into large scale use. But Dunne is confident the software is ready. “Every bit of Onshape code was written with a million users in mind.”
Onshape’s user experience will be familiar to designers working in today’s leading 3D mechanical CAD products. (Image courtesy Onshape)
The toolset will be immediately familiar to anyone who uses 3D mechanical CAD software today. Geometry is created using both parametrics and direct editing. There is a sketch mode for initial design, and the software recognizes parts and assemblies. Industry standards Parasolid (for 3D geometry) and D-Cubed (2D and 3D geometric constrain solving) from Siemens PLM are at the core.
There are new wrinkles in some of the most basic of 3D mechanical operations, made possible by the infinite computing power available in the cloud. Onshape allows multiple parts to share sketches and features, making it possible to build and edit parts together. There is also a new approach to creating assemblies; Onshape says its higher-level mating “enables users to build assemblies with one-third the mating relationships of traditional CAD.” Onshape says this makes assemblies of any size easier to build, manage, edit, and animate through their complete range of motion.
Onshape runs in any WebGL-compliant browser, on any current desktop or mobile OS. (Image courtesy Onshape)
Onshape is targeting typical existing CAD users today, and has crafted a user experience similar to that found on today’s market leaders. “We found from testing and from users that people don’t need a new modeling paradigm,” says Onshape’s Dunne, “they need a fast way to get more licenses of their existing software. There are never enough licenses.” The goal is secure and simultaneous access to one master version of CAD data without the typical bother of software licenses issues, installation, or file management.
When the time is right, Onshape documents can be exported out using Parasolid, IGES, and other common formats. Documents in an Onshape session can be more than Onshape models (spreadsheets, text documents, etc.) The non-CAD files aren’t saved; instead it creates snapshots that become part of the project timeline. Geometry and other documents form a workspace. If a workspace is branched, each version becomes independent but shares a common history. Onshape stores all variations, making it easy later to merge branches to combine the best ideas. A “follow mode” feature allows users to view each other’s screens while working together in a document.
Onshape says the product delivers “workstation-level performance” on every device, because of the cloud computational power behind it. The typical desktop CAD computer has four or eight cores available; Onshape can use thousands of cores, adding as many as is needed in real time to maintain performance. The ability to scale up is not metered in any fashion; free and professional function the same way.
Document workspaces can be branched so designers can work on separate ideas. Merging then allows the best features from a number of versions to be combined. (Image courtesy Onshape)
There is no Save command; as with programs like Google Docs, saving is constant and automatic. “GitHub inspired us greatly,” says Dunne. “Onshape doesn’t crash, it is inherently safe. There is very little processing on the local computer. The bandwidth requirements are low; GoToMeeting is worse. Only latency is important; the closer the server the less the lag.” Currently Onshape servers are located on both the west and east coast of the US, with one in Ireland and one “somewhere in Asia.”
Teams working on the same project can access documents simultaneously. Two or more can work on the same parts, assemblies, and drawings at the same time. Access is controlled by the owner of the document, and each user sees visual indicators when others are working within the same document.
Its novel business plan—free to use, pay for privacy—is as innovative as its technology. Onshape Free offers 100% of the software’s CAD and data management functionality, but only allows for up to five private and active documents. Other documents are stored as public documents. Free plan users have 5 GB of storage. Onshape Professional ($100/month) has no limits on the number of active private documents as well as unlimited public documents. There are no eval or freemium versions of Onshape. Document use permission is controlled by the creator. A paid user can share with a free user and the document will stay private; a free user can work with unlimited private files shared by others.