Selecting and filtering in 3D CAD assemblies: Faster overview and less effort

In the manufacturing industry, 3D models are becoming increasingly complex. Assemblies with many thousands of components, different versions, and diverse attributes are widespread. This also increases the demands on software solutions that are designed to assist with daily work in the various processes.

With the new 3DViewStation, KISTERS offers a powerful tool that provides users with efficient selection and filter functions even for large 3D CAD assemblies. They are fast, intuitive, and independent of the CAD system.

These functions are an important element in enabling faster and more reliable decision-making in all phases of the product life cycle, from development and manufacturing to after-sales service.

Challenges in practice

Many companies today process assemblies that are several gigabytes in size and consist of thousands of individual parts. Finding a specific component can then become a time-consuming search. It becomes even more difficult when specific component properties—such as materials, colors, metadata, or manufacturing statuses—need to be taken into account.

This is where Kisters 3DViewStation comes in: It offers intelligent selection and filter functions that allow users to identify specific components that are relevant to a task.

“Selection and filtering are not convenience features—they are essential for making large amounts of data manageable. 3DViewStation provides a tool that makes technical complexity manageable,” explains a spokesperson for KISTERS.

Intelligent selection options for every application

3DViewStation offers a wide range of options for selecting, isolating, or grouping components:

• Visual selection by clicking directly in the 3D view with immediate highlighting
• Interactive multiple selection like Windows Explorer
• Multiple selection by drawing a rectangle
• Neighborhood search and selection using a cuboid, sphere, or linear distance (e.g., objects near pipes or cables)
• Users can move along the assembly structure and select individual components
• Reverse selection for easy handling of complex scenarios

The new 3DViewStation significantly expands the options for highlighting selections. In addition to using a freely selectable selection color, a white outline can now be drawn around the component, which is always rendered over all objects. In addition, the selected objects, with or without contours, can be rendered over the rest of the assembly. These options are particularly valuable when selected components are located inside the assembly and are therefore not visible or only partially visible. This also makes it much easier to locate smaller components in the context of an assembly.

Powerful filter functions – search and find at the touch of a button

In addition to selection, 3DViewStation offers extensive search and filter options that allow users to reduce assemblies according to various criteria:

• Filter by attributes: Components can be selected based on properties such as name, material, color, status, item number, or any metadata, and then selected.
• Filter by manufacturing information (PMI)
• Filter by change date or version
• Filter by object type
• Rule engine for executing complex searches, including support for Boolean expressions

In combination with the selection functions, this results in a highly interactive analysis process that gives the user full control over the display of their models. The results can be organized very efficiently in views for later reuse.

“During the quotation phase, design reviews, work preparation, and validation processes, fast filtering and selection saves an enormous amount of time. Even in larger assemblies, users never lose track of the big picture and can find the objects that are relevant to them in seconds,” the spokesperson continues.

Benefits for users: Productivity, overview, and security

The advantages of these functionalities are immediately noticeable in practice:

• Time savings: Relevant components are quickly found, isolated, and analyzed.
• Error reduction: Clear visual feedback and structured filtering reduce the risk of confusion.
• Better communication: Teams can show precisely which components or areas are being discussed.
• Data control: Even with huge models, work remains fluid and clear.
• System independence: All functions are available for over 60 CAD formats – from CATIA, NX, Creo, and SolidWorks to STEP and JT.

No matter what the process, whether design review, change management, production planning, or digital mockup (DMU), Kisters 3DViewStation enables fast and targeted navigation through even the largest assemblies.

Future-oriented visualization for the model-based enterprise

With support for PMIs and PMI views in combination with advanced selection and filtering options, 3DViewStation also makes an important contribution to the model-based enterprise (MBE) strategy of many companies. Easy access to information directly in the 3D model strengthens the CAD model as a central source of information across departmental boundaries. What used to be tedious search work in CAD systems is now an intuitive filtering process in the viewer with just a few clicks.

About 3DViewStation

KISTERS 3DViewStation is continuously enhanced in response to customer needs and requirements. It is available as a Desktop, HTML5 WebViewer and VR Edition product versions plus the online collaboration tool VisShare. All product offerings can be integrated with a PLM, ERP or other leading management system as well as service and spare part applications. KISTERS 3DViewStation provides all necessary APIs for your development team. For cloud, portal and web solutions, there is a HTML5-based WebViewer solution available, which does not require client installation. All file formats can be used in combination with the intelligent navigation and hyperlinking features to address the needs of complex integration scenarios.