Zea Blog | Organizing equipment information

Zea Launches Cloud-Platform in Beta

Written by Michael Smith | Thu, Mar 9, '23

Montreal, Canada, March 6 , 2023 - Zea (zea.live), the company behind Zea Engine, announced the beta launch of its cloud-based 3D experience platform enabling manufacturers to work efficiently with distributed after-sales teams who need secure access to 3D models to create their deliverables.

We developed this new platform with the vision to democratize 3D for equipment documentation," said Michael Smith, CEO at Zea. "The process to create, publish, and maintain technical content hasn't changed much in the 20 years since I first entered the technical field and is one of the most inefficient I've encountered in my career. We're on a mission to change that.

With Zea, new manufacturers can streamline and differentiate their technical content. In contrast, established ones extend industry 4.0 investments to benefit teams outside of engineering, like after-sales.  

Zea's Illustrations Hub is a groundbreaking tool that empowers content creators to design interactive 3D technical illustrations with ease. The Hub is the first of several hubs in development, which will enable teams to access 3D models securely and efficiently for a range of applications. The cloud-based platform is ideal for teams outside of engineering, such as technical publications, spare part catalogs, and technical training teams, who require access to 3D models to create their deliverables.

With Illustrations Hub, content creators can author technical illustrations on the web, streamlining the creation, publication, and maintenance of technical content. The Hub provides a range of features and tools that make it easy to create high-quality product documentation and enhance the after-sale experience for equipment manufacturers. The single-source 3D models across all technical illustrations ensure that content is consistent and up-to-date, while the illustration version history provides a clear record of changes over time.

Zea's cloud platform is designed to democratize 3D for equipment documentation, enabling manufacturers to streamline and differentiate their technical content. The platform supports over 20 3D CAD file formats, including SolidWorks, Inventor, Creo, NX, Catia, and SolidEdge, ensuring that teams can access the files they need to create their deliverables. With unlimited users, organizations, workspaces, and projects, the platform is scalable and flexible, making it easy for teams to collaborate with remote colleagues and partners.

In summary, Illustrations Hub is a next-generation tool that enables content creators to author interactive 3D technical illustrations on the web. With Zea's cloud platform, teams outside of engineering can streamline their technical content creation process, providing high-quality product documentation and an enhanced after-sale experience that is a clear differentiator for equipment manufacturers. The response to the beta version of the platform has been overwhelmingly positive, and we're excited to make the platform Generally Available this spring.

Primary features of the beta app include:

  • Unlimited users, organizations, workspaces, and projects.
  • Collaborate with remote teams.
  • Support over 20 3D CAD file formats, including SolidWorks, Inventor, Creo, NX, Catia, and SolidEdge.
  • Illustration version history.
  • Single-source 3D models across all technical illustrations.
  • 3D CAD stays within the organization; never have to email a 3D CAD file to a service provider.

Content creators looking to test this new tool can click here to sign up for Zea for free.