Bill’s CAD connector & design workflow
Connect your CAD.
Place in GO3D.
Detail in SolidWorks.
Your experience and design intent set the direction. GO3D handles geometric calculations and review tools so you can compare placements, develop local surfaces and carry your decisions into SolidWorks.
From an online CAD tool
Export the component you choose as STEP/STP or STL. In Bill-Builder, open Design with library → Library and import that file. The browser reads its review geometry; your source CAD document stays in its original tool.
Choose the part’s units and verify a known dimension. A neutral file does not carry the source feature tree or guarantee native mates.
Open CAD part importOpens a separate builder tab. Save complete project in your current tab to carry loaded components between tabs.
Connect the SolidWorks computer
The optional GO3D SolidWorks companion links the paired local viewer to the SolidWorks session on that same Windows computer. It supports selected-file previews and reviewed native design actions after you grant the relevant permissions.
Start with the small-part setup test. Bill’s installed SolidWorks 2021 acceptance is still pending.
GO3D’s guided placement
Pick the location. Let the geometry guide the placement.
Select a loaded component
Choose its card and open Choose fit & preview. Use a scan datum, pick a point on the actual surface, or attach to an existing component.
Align and offset
Surface placement calculates the local triangle normal and aligns the chosen component axis. Inside placement moves the component inward along that normal by your chosen depth. The component’s dimensions stay unchanged.
Inspect before committing
Review the preview from several angles. Adjust the axis, offset and orientation, then commit the placement when it matches your intent. Undo and checkpoints keep a way back.
Review the assembly
Parts & connections → Layout review flags nearby component bounding envelopes for inspection. This is a screening aid; it does not prove mesh clearance, fit to the character, motion or strength.
Develop a surface without losing the reference
Surface & color → Automatic scan → NURBS fits a local patch to the region you choose and reports sampled normal deviations. Inspect the result against the original scan before exporting the STEP sheet. A patch is an open surface, not a finished watertight character.
The design aim is to improve the internal layout and selected engineering surfaces while preserving the character’s original exterior. GO3D’s calculations support your choices; Bill decides which result is useful and acceptable.
Finish the engineering in SolidWorks
Save the complete GO3D project. Export the supported review mesh or STEP result you need and check units, scale, orientation and the intended cut in SolidWorks. Neutral review files do not provide a native feature tree.
With the separately paired companion, use the reviewed Build & return path for supported native operations on a new design copy. Bill then completes the feature detail, mates, drawings and engineering checks in SolidWorks. Save there to refresh the paired local preview.
Choose the next connection and optimization tools
Direct online CAD account synchronization and a constrained whole-envelope optimizer are future development items. The current beta uses exported files and the optional local companion. It does not automatically connect an Onshape or xDesign account or guarantee a globally optimal layout.
Tell GO3D which CAD service, placement rule or comparison would save you the most work. Set its priority in the existing QA log. Your judgment remains at the wheel.
Each button opens a request for you to review and prioritize. It does not connect an account or submit automatically.
Organize parts and prepare review drawings
Use named CAD layers, retain import source information, and add part numbers, materials and revisions. In Export, open Prepare shop drawing for a scaled sheet and full-size millimetre DXF views.