Virtual Factory: Saving Time for On-Site Facility Maintenance with VRED and Inventor

DAIN SEO: Hi. Thank you for joining today's session. This session about "Virtual Factory-- Saving Time for On-Site Facility with Inventor & VRED." I'll introduce how to effectively managing remote factory, and implementing virtual environment using Autodesk software.

Before we get started, mention safe harbor statement. This is general slide for the presentation.

First, let's briefly overview today's session. The session introduction. This session, we will explore the concept of factory facility maintenance as a step toward creating virtual factory. Our focus will be on uncover the power of effectively visualization workflow equipment modeling between Inventor and VRED, and explorer collaborate between long-distance employer at virtual environments, and learning how to operate the equipment within virtual environments without on-staff presence to perform the task.

So this method is useful for facility manager owner, especially when physical presence in fields not possible for a certain reason.

During the decision, we aim to cover the following three learning objectives. Firstly, I will show you visualization workflow for equipment modeling between Inventor and VRED. Secondly, let's take a look at the create variant action for machine operation. And this is a brief introduction to how to learn the VRED API. Lastly, we are venture into the [INAUDIBLE] of remote facility management and the benefit of virtual learning and collaboration. This presentation that handled the fully learning about the VRED API, but mostly focus on how to operate the configure or the implementation.

Before I start today's session, introduce myself. I am Dian Seo from Seoul, Korea. I am currently working as an implementation consultant at Autodesk. I started the architect in my university, but my professional journey over the past eight years has mainly focused on manufacturing industry.

I have been with Autodesk for nearly almost two years now. During this time, I had consult on various tools, including mainly Inventor, Factory Design Utility, Vault, Navisworks, and now some element of ACC.

I have encountered many customer facing challenge with maintaining their factory facilities, which inspire me to conceptualizing some today workflow. While I'm not primarily skilled in the VRED, but [INAUDIBLE] more related to engineer. Today, I will. Be presenting for an engineer's perspective. So who's someone already well known about VRED is not useful, but more useful if engineer who want to create the realistic VR environments. So let's proceed to the next slide.

Challenge. In this chapter, are we going to look at the problem we have the currently industry, and while we can solve the effectively.

82%. What does the percentage stand for? Our research has shown that 82% of the company have experienced unplanned downtime incidents, at least one in the past three years. We mostly experienced in more than twice. The number is just based on the [INAUDIBLE]. There might be even more downtime in the real world that we haven't researched.

Can you imagine the factory stopped here because of broken equipment? So how much money do you think factory will lose a year because of the downtime? $50. Recent studies also show that unplanned downtime is closing industry manufacturing an estimated $50 billion each year. Unplanned downtime is manufacturing is one of the largest cause of lost productivity, causing delay, unhappy customer, and lost revenue. In fact, the problem cost industrial.

I will show you a simple example. Here is the imaginary company that has office in Korea, and it operates a factory in Texas in the United States. One day, while the factory running well, the main facility suddenly stopped. Often larger factory or critical equipment may not have the knowledge for maintenance by all engineer depending on the there is complexity. So the factory we call the office, operation with certain stop, suppressed that today due to the problem with the main equipment in the factory. Please send me expert to operate the equipment for the maintenance.

And then the officer we answer right away and send someone to replace the part of maintenance, the equipment, as soon as possible. I am sure it will be airplane like this, isn't it?

And question-- what are the possible risks here? You all know Korea and United States is not close the distance. So first problem is the distance. And then it's take at least 13 hours by plane, and more than two days to get each airplane. But even then there is no direct flight every day. So here's the second answer, is time.

And how much does the cost to send out engineer? Anyone can expect it to cost a lot of money to send one person from Korea to US.

Finally, technical experts may not always be available. Then, have you considered situation whether the expert can't go right away due to other schedule? The company has to consider all the situation beforehand.

And way of working comes with various challenges. Just a few years ago, due to the global pandemic, travel was limited, making on-site visit call quite challenging. And besides the pandemic, we always having potential risk from various national disaster or consider.

Other issue is, again, workforce. Our recent research showed the estimated one quarter of the US manufacturing workforce was age 55 or older. When they retired, it important that have plenty training of their knowledge to the young generation. So need to commit material or resource for training them.

Additionally is the cost of the transportation and labor rates. Nowadays, having factory in distance place isn't of beneficial as it was away. There is [INAUDIBLE] single way to be efficient and save money, even if their factory location are less than ideal. In order to prepare such a situation, they need to think about different way of the collaboration.

In every operation, when we were dealing with challenges, or trying to communicate from the distance, we have several go-to methods. Typically, we might draft deadline, a detailed manual, or guidance to provide. But if that doesn't work, we turn to the phone call and email. And when all else fails, we try to direct to visit on site.

But there are sometimes problems. This traditional method can often lead to miscommunication. Sometimes there's a message that is unclear or it's misunderstood. Moreover, their process can be time-intensive, causing delays that we can't afford.

Can we better reduce this risk and handle this situation more effectively? Once the most innovation solution is transformation of our current practice into virtual factory setup. Moving to virtual reality environment isn't just about using new technology. It's about preparing for the future, make sure we can work well, save the money, and face any problem that comes our way.

So what are benefits of configurating this virtual factory environment? First, realistic visualization effects. Virtual factory environment of a true-to-life visual experience. They closely resemble actual factories, aiding in visualization and planning manufacturing processes more effectively.

Second, remote assistance and collaboration. This environment enables seamless collaboration and remote support. Team members can work together regardless of their physical location, and experts can provide assistance when and where it's needed.

Third, digital twin-based maintenance. Virtual model allows real-time monitoring and predicts maintenance of physical equipment. This proactive approach helps prevent equipment breakdown and enhance overall maintenance strategy.

And forth, knowledge sharing and documentation. Information and knowledge can be easily stored and shared within virtual environments. So promote [INAUDIBLE] knowledge sharing among team members, and provides a platform for documenting essential workflow.

And then last, reduce downtime and cost. Virtual environment server is testing group for equipment, reducing downtime in actual production. This translates into cost saving and increase operational efficiency.

So now we will take a look at the workflow for VR virtual factory and see how to implement it. So this including demonstrated workflow between Inventor and VRED.

Then we can ask the question now, how can we start? Many people have a lot of possibility and curiosity about their virtual factory, but they often don't know how to start, because they're not familiar, the word, with everyone, and how to start, and what software to use. And also they have a lot of tools for it. But what if we could implement it using most familiar tools we have? So let's explore the possibility together.

How are we going to explain? There are two solutions I'm going to introduce to you today. The first is Inventor Professional. Many of you might already be familiar with it as a renowned 3D design software. It is a capsule trailer for 3D mechanical design and simulation.

And next is VRED, is showcasing your design in very realistic way. Even without production them, you can see how to your design would look, plus it has real feature to experience your design more vividly.

This is a simple way to make outcome for virtual environments. First, we will renew the modeling, create the Inventor. And next, we plan to visualize the model more realistic in VRED. Lastly, I will introduce how to implement the visualized model in a virtual environment and show [INAUDIBLE] the collaboration.

Currently, there is existing a lot of good rendering tools, but there aren't many tools that engineers can easily choose from visualization to rendering to [INAUDIBLE]. In particular, there are not many software that can collaborate with VR as well. And it won't be easily find in any other company that has great designs of [INAUDIBLE] and single workflow extend to rendering [INAUDIBLE].

But Autodesk is available. It doesn't matter if you're using Autodesk Inventor right now or not. Anyone just needing to know that you can easily produce the result you want through away. This is not a new technology. This is about demonstrating how to rethink and effectively utilize your technology already at your fingertips.

We will work through the end-to-end process using both Inventor and VRED. First, we begin with create [INAUDIBLE] 3D modeling in Inventor. After that, we import the data at VRED. If there are any changes to the data, we can easily update using source reference. Then we will optimize the data and apply the create the material and environment to make the visualizers a little more realistic.

After model looks well, we will use VRED animation tool for creating operating motion. And lastly, I will demonstrate how we can collaborate using the finishing model data-using VR device in a web. It is the [INAUDIBLE] end-to-end process from the start to 3D modeling to the VR collaboration.

First, let's take a look how we can import and update the Inventor data in VRED. So we will look into the some method in VRED. They have a function for direct import from various 3D modeling data, and that access with the same assembly structure. So that can automatically change if some data being modified. So let's take a closer look at the demo video.

First, the import data. This Inventor environment, our input Inventor modeling data to VRED. So Inventor modeling was have several assembling parts in the modeling. And if you click the Inventor VRED, you can see that you can import execution for various files other than the Inventor. So click the Import File option. The file type is set to the Inventor, the import's option set.

You can click the Inventor data, and the file type is that the Inventor and the import options that the currently only the model and visualizes Inventor file. You can also adjust the quality of the model, but today's [INAUDIBLE].

The most important part today is the Import Group Material. So group materials import to mapping the Inventor material to the VRED material. In additional, Import Data Source Reference used to the Inventor. Click the Inventor Source Reference.

If you specify the same material as the Inventor material in the Asset Manager in [INAUDIBLE], you can easily specify the existing material through the Inventor material. So select Apply Material from Asset Manager and bring Asset Manager, which will explain, I will detail the next demo. And click the import. And you can see the model like same as Inventor.

Now I'm going to explain for the material. And then we're going to change the position part of the Inventor step in the modifier. This is the automatical [INAUDIBLE]. We can see a reference on the data in the VRED.

So we will change the model in the Inventor, and then save, and go to the VRED. And the reference data will change it [INAUDIBLE] to reference update available, see reference to the data.

So we go to the [INAUDIBLE] and Reference Editor. And we can find the yellow link that's already out of the data. So we can change the import source from [INAUDIBLE] data or select it.

So click the [INAUDIBLE] data, [INAUDIBLE] data from the imported source. And check the import file. And we can bring the material from previous from the scenes. And so we can [INAUDIBLE] all the material that we want modified. And if you have some of the animation or transformation or a touch sensor, you can click to leave and import.

Now you then can check in the VRED the same method Inventor that changed it. So it is a good way to communicate with other Inventor and VRED.

And next, I need to import the data optimized for the more realistic representation. We will optimize import modeling. I will show how to optimize VRED modeling and explain why we need unshared. And also learn about effectively a way using apply material with between Inventor and VRED. And lastly, explain how to apply environmental in a model.

Now I'm going to explain how to set the material for the modeling input from the Inventor. Reminder, when I click the Apply Material from Asset Manager while importing the model. The reason I clicked, this one I just set material value use the Inventor to the material group value set the [INAUDIBLE] in the VRED. For currently imported material, the value is the same matched with the Inventor data and VRED material. You can check the same name of the material between them.

For currently imported material, the value of the [INAUDIBLE] tile given with material value with a different color depending on the color, giving the Inventor. But there is a specific method they're using, find the group material. This [INAUDIBLE] looks like from the Asset Manager.

So select the loader. And there's our [INAUDIBLE]. So if you click the material, the same as the blue one. So if you-- you can click the oldest group material one by one, but it's not easy. So we were going to using optimize.

There is a habit of sharing the fullest material group nodes. So you can click the option and the optimize. The appearance of the material group already showed. But some material groups not appeared, like the Asset Manager. The reason why, some of the [INAUDIBLE] model or duplicate model should be unshared. So let's do it unshared model.

So go to the top of the node and click Edit, the Unshared. So there's the unshared or duplicate or [INAUDIBLE] model. And if you finish the unshared, go to the optimize again and optimize plus material group nodes again. And then now you can see all the same material in a model and apply this other material as well.

And then we can adjust some of the material in Material Editor, and we can merge it on some of the material [INAUDIBLE] used, or we can create or adjust the modeling if you need some of the change, change the color and change the contrast. And you can save the material as well.

And now you can adjust or change the [INAUDIBLE], the material, like that. And if you want to change the color or material plastic to metal, and you can easily convert to the preference and change the color as well. And let's change the type to iron and change the name. And if you want to use every single other model, you can save the material [INAUDIBLE].

And you can reroute the file in the Asset Manager. And then you can using this material in the other model as well.

Or you can create the model-- you can create the material and change the name. Or you can change the color and reflective. And if you want to adjust this modeling and just try to drag and drop, it's very easy way to adjust the model, apply the model in a model.

And you finished create the modify material. Now see how to apply the environment. You can also finish the environmental resource that provided from artist Asset Manager. And you can see the environment, a lot of things that already provide Autodesk and click the apply the scenes, and easily check to the adjust apply the environment in a model.

So you're just switching the environment as well. And drag and drop the [INAUDIBLE] factory. But sometimes there's a scale that's a good fit with the model. If that, you can change or translate the scale in the environment. So change the scale. Make a origin. And the [INAUDIBLE] translation were bigger than before. It looks better.

So if you finish the scale, you can go to the material. The environmental material can adjust like shadow, or material brightness, or contrast the appearance for all the environments that we have. So it's more warmer and cooler, and contrast the brightest. You can adjust the whole thing, the environment setting.

So if you want to have some of the picture panorama HRD, you can create your own environment as well. So you just bring to the environment portal, and you can easily adjust the new environment that you have. It is a very simple way to create the environments and apply in a model for the realistic.

So finish optimize and apply all the material environments. Now we need to create the action for the verification or check the operation using function of the animation.

So a way how to create the animation for each action. Always show the step of the animation creation with Timeline, Curve Editor, Clip Maker. And create a Touch Sensor to trigger an animation using geometry in a model. And I'm going to explain variance that is very important part. This is a procedure in use for implementing various attributes, such as a, script, viewpoint, and geometry, and for executing action.

I'm going to make an animation for the machine to operate. For convenient creation, it is the [INAUDIBLE] of the isolate object that are not needed. First, open Timeline to create the animation, and modify the keyframe for the animation creation. And then we are going to start [INAUDIBLE] point [INAUDIBLE] frame on the timeline. Adjust the portion value to the selected object and press the key again.

Then you can see the object moved when the moving value up to the 25 frame [INAUDIBLE]. And you can see the keyframe value like this, same channel key in the Curve Editor. You can modify more detail movement in the Curve Editor, like value and frame.

First, of all, it's just the translation x value specified to the frame seems to be fast. So change the frame. There is no moving value exception in the translation action x. So I will delete all of them for convenience.

It's time I'm going to add the key moving value, which operate opposite to the 100 frame. So Curve can also be modified to make the movement to look smoother using flat tangent. So Curve can also be modified to make the movement to look smoother using flat tangent. If I do this, we can see the beginning and the end of the movement a little slowly.

In the same way, we were going to create the order assembly in the lower part to have vertical translation. What's the important thing is that we have to go into the model the subgroup that we moved before. In the same way, I create the animation in Curve Editor. Finally, we can see, glance how the motion works.

Next, I will going to explain how this animated can be executed as object modeling through the touch sensor. So when we are creating the animation block elements, the library of the Curve Editor, this block element can be copied to the Clip Maker clip. Use drag and drop.

Clip Maker can manage various animation by creating sequence. You can managing various animation by creating sequence. You can modify starting points and duration of the block. You can put the writing and correcting the sequence of the clip to proceed the desired animation in a Clip Maker.

And then, finally, I am going to explain how this animator can be executed as objective modeling through touch sensor. First, our variants is there required to use touch sensor. Turn on the variant stats, and create the use stat in the variant stats. There is the various type the variants, including geometry, material, script, and so on.

But we are going to do action on animation now. So we're going to enter the Animation tab, then copy the clip into the drag and drop. And so we can see the clip you specify when you click on the variance that is scripted. Then you can, this transformation, when you click the green button on the panel.

So first select the object to the green button on the panel and drag and drop the touch sensor to create the nodes. All you have to do in the drop in the transformation is make the transform [INAUDIBLE] into the nodes. Now, finally, you can click the green button. The animator will be executed. This is a simple way to start creating the interaction animation in the VRED using touch sensor and animation.

And if you operate the machine like this, you will need to stop, start, and again, and go back to beginning in the emergency situation. Let's use the Script tab on the variants that [INAUDIBLE] in the action. First, create the variances that pause, resume, restart in a variant set. And we finish it. Let's go move to the Script tab in our animation.

And you can check the [INAUDIBLE] API document when you go to the VRED Help. And here I'm going to use API for animation execution. If you look here, you can see how the API call the place the animation, which you copy to variants, and write the name of the clip that you want to work with. So you can see the clip animation works when you run the variant set.

So [INAUDIBLE] pause, resume, and restart. We will also, we use API to add a value. Then, if you press Start, the action will run, stop on the position, and pause in the press. And if you press the resume, the execution and restart button return the machine to the starting point.

Then we can collect all the material and geometric to the touch sensor, and then make a same way to drag and drop the touch sensor. And now you can execute it, all the button, in a model. The action will execute you through each button. This action help you imagine more the aperture environment as you create education material at.

And finally, let's look how to set up the viewpoint using the variant sets. I've already set up the viewpoint in advance. Setting the viewpoint previous immediately access to the required location in a VR environment, which is used for remote communicate. I will show you the next demo.

First, set the variant set for each view in the before, and insert the camera view point into the drag and drop. And then we point to run according to behavior of the variant.

And I will add more things so that you can only see the necessary assembly in the particular view. First, on the Geometric tab, drag and drop all the group. If you then change the required group to Enable, and the reset to Disable. You will only see required node when you particular view in the run.

The remain variants enable all the view to be visible. So only one view is can turn off the other model except one to see. By using the variant cell well, you can implement various action and view that we perform. And it can be applied direct in VR environment, enabling more use for experience and virtual environment.

And lastly, finally, we can collaborate all the model to bring into the virtual environment. We can see the model using VR device or in a web. So the demo, we can learn how to restart the VR environment in VRED, and way of the collaboration between different devices so they have two ways of the collaboration. One is the function of collaborate [INAUDIBLE] using VR device, and the other, streaming app, it can collaborate in a web together. So let's see the last demo video.

I create a Part Maintenance Guide using video editor that can generate a HTML script and some of the button linking with variant step is [INAUDIBLE] function or animation. And for show the Mediator, we need to create a material, the including using texture by Mediator. So if I click the button, some action be executed.

Now let's go into the VR environment. You can feel like you're looking at a real facility. You can go to directly the model using controller. And you can, using VR menu that already provided from Autodesk, and flashlight. And you can check these-- some of the detail of the facility, or place so you can see. And you can see-- move to somewhere using the blue point. And the left side, you can move to the left part of the facility.

It is easy to go to directory that's already accepted. So go to the back, and moving to closely the model, and see how it looks like, or something else that will be changed.

Or you can go to the site for this monitor. They already-- I applied to the menu for the guidance. So you can check how-to maintenance guide, and you can read some of the workflow to the maintenance already started.

And we Risk On, we can change the connotation, and Risk Off to turn off the annotation. And if there's a too heavy, you can click the Frame Off, the left, just only to use. And Step On, you can check the step how to maintenance the model, how to assemble or reassemble the model. So it just help that we animated how to operate. And this can be-- see the alarm, how to the next step is.

So click the Move, and you can moving the part using the pointer. And replace the part. You can see the replaced parts that you have. And the last, Reset, there's that's all the model be all reset on a place. It is a very easy way to maintenance guide, but you can make some more realistic, and you can more adding some of the specific weight to fix the model as well.

And now I'm going to talk about how to collaborate to connect remote user at the same time. And the collaboration, are we join one of the session, and are we unload my model to some other who join my session. And let's see. In the collaboration, there's two participates in a model and can share the model each one to present.

Then [INAUDIBLE] demonstrate the product to run in the VR environment, providing more effective and safety management or detail or experience. And the bottom of the right side is the viewpoint of the host. And the menu is the host [INAUDIBLE] joined the session as well.

And you can pass the slide. And you can press the button like we already set the variant step. And we can easily explain how to works and how to be performed in the machine. And sometime we can move to some other place. And you can deliver it using the voice or the hand gesture. So that's easily to understand more than document, phone call, and email.

Finally, I will explain how to share through the streaming app to finish the demo. Streaming app are the simplest and more effective way for the multiple user view same view, and leave the comment, share the option. First, the complete setting for Enable Web Server. It is very important to follow part of the execute streaming app.

Streaming apps can easily access by the IP address of the model shares. On the right side, the streaming app access with the iPad. You can share the same view together who connected the streaming app more than two, three, or four, and can use variant or viewpoint in the VRED. So you can click the viewpoint. You can see Share the View.

And you can also set the presentation mode to control, overweigh, or two-way view sharing. So now I can, moving to from the iPad side, and this model was changed. How do I show? But if you just click, the presentation just only can handle in the PC.

And you can annotate and sharing with your connect. So create the annotation. And most important part, you just positioning and [INAUDIBLE] in iPad as well.

It is a very easy way to communicate what I want to talk some people who living in long distance. And you can execute it, all the variant steps that I made before in a other video as well. So streaming app are the quickest and easiest way to communicate in both directions because they can be accessible only without IP, without the machine.

So this is all that I prepared today's session, is [INAUDIBLE] virtual factory environment in not only position a company at the forefront of the technology innovation, but also for tangible operational benefit. With a virtual factory company can accept, enhance collaboration across the team regarding geographical boundaries and more align response to challenges.

[INAUDIBLE] predictive maintenance ensure [INAUDIBLE] knowledge transfer, and minimize potential downtime. More importantly, it is age where adaptability in a [INAUDIBLE] of virtual factory, it gives vigilance with the realized and flexibly to navigate future challenges, ensure the [INAUDIBLE], growth, and competitive advantage.

I'm very appreciated taking time for joining us. This is all of my session, and very thank you, and I'm-- the finish.