1 The challenge is that these users do not have the ability to make modifications to the model because they do not have access to or familiarity with the authoring CAD system. While they need to work and communicate in 3D, the existing tools are too costly to justify or too cumbersome to learn for an occasional user. Some companies have provided Pro/E to those who need to work with the model, such as engineering managers, stress and manufacturing engineers, and even suppliers and design partners. This allows the user to open a Pro/E file, make changes to the design, and then, if required, send it back to the originator of the design. However, these companies have found a number of challenges implementing this approach. First is that the downstream user must be trained and skilled at using Pro/E. The Aberdeen Group study states that 57% of the respondents cited “model modification requires expert CAD knowledge” as a challenge. This requires users to make a commitment to training and to use the software often enough to maintain their skills. Second is that the user must take the time to understand how the model was created in order to make the change. In fact, in the same study 40% of the respondents answered: “only original designer can change models successfully.” Lastly, most Pro/E users do not want someone else making changes to their design because the integrity of the design model can be lost and results of future changes can be unpredictable. Additionally the integrity of the controls built into the process is compromised. While providing Pro/E to others offloads the designer and extends the use of 3D, it isn’t always cost effective and efficient, and the improvements in individual and organizational productivity fall short. Because of these issues, downstream users are often given view-only and markup capabilities. Some of the specialized applications, such as finite-element analysis, provide basic geometry editing capabilities but are cumbersome to use. It is “easier” for the engineer to ask the CAD designer to make the change. The communication method is often, “over the shoulder design.” Apparently simple changes require time consuming work from the CAD designer because of the inherent constraints within the model. Consequently, the process efficiency and individual productivity gains of sending Pro/E models to the extended development team are not fully realized. What is needed is a tool designed specifically for non-Pro/E users that directly imports native Pro/E models and allows professionals to work with the geometry to easily explore their design contributions without constraints. This tool must also provide a way to clearly communicate their validated and recommended changes back to the Pro/E team. SpaceClaim: A Complementary Tool, for the Right People SpaceClaim offers a revolutionary, new 3D tool for professionals working in the product development process who need to work and communicate in 3D. SpaceClaim is complementary to Pro/Engineer and allows companies to drive more value and productivity from their Pro/E environment. SpaceClaim better enables those professionals hired to bring a product to market to more effectively contribute, evaluate, optimize, and share mechanical designs. SpaceClaim is also designed for those responsible for downstream functions from manufacturing to field engineering, as well as upstream functions
1 The Transition from 2D Drafting to 3D Modeling Benchmark Report , Aberdeen Group, 2006. p.

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applications is also of great value. In fact, a recent Aberdeen Group study found 51% of the top performing manufacturers leverage design models in downstream applications, including 46% who transfer CAD models to pre-processor applications for analysis.