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The new capability embeds manufacturing information directly into live 3D models to help support traceability, change control, and digital product lifecycle continuity.
PTC has released a cloud-native Model-Based Definition (MBD) capability built directly into its Onshape computer-aided design (CAD) and product data management (PDM) platform. This new capability helps enable engineering teams to embed manufacturing information within the 3D model earlier in the design process, supporting clearer design intent and more efficient workflows across engineering, documentation, manufacturing, and quality functions.
Onshape cloud-native MBD interface with embedded 3D annotations and PMI in the live model
In traditional file-based CAD and PDM environments, manufacturing data is often distributed across drawings, exports, and disconnected files, which can make product definition harder to maintain and validate. By embedding product manufacturing information directly into a single, continuously updated 3D model, the Onshape platform is designed to help improve data consistency, accessibility, and reliability across the product lifecycle.
Built on a cloud-native architecture, the platform helps to enable teams to collaborate on a shared, up-to-date product definition, helping to reduce errors, minimize rework, and accelerate design-to-production workflows. This approach better aligns with broader industry shifts toward digital continuity and model-centric engineering practices.
Core Cloud-Native MBD Capabilities
Key Model-Based Definition capabilities within Onshape include:
Integrated 3D Annotations, allowing GD&T, weld symbols, and datums to be embedded directly in the 3D model.
Smart Inspection Panel, automatically organizing product manufacturing information into structured, filterable lists with cross-highlighting.
Shareable MBD Views, enabling browser-based access to annotation-rich models through more secure URLs without exports or plugins.
Feature Tree Awareness, maintaining intelligent links between annotations and evolving geometry.
Downstream-Ready Data, supporting STEP AP242 export and integration with inspection and compliance workflows.
Supporting a Digital and Intelligent Product Lifecycle
The cloud-native MBD capability supports a model-centric approach to product development by maintaining a single source of truth for design and manufacturing data. By keeping specifications connected to the live model, organizations can improve change control, traceability, and cross-functional collaboration while addressing growing product complexity and regulatory requirements.
This release also aligns with PTC’s broader Intelligent Product Lifecycle vision, where product data created in engineering is extended across enterprise systems to support digital transformation, compliance, and faster time to market. The integration of MBD directly within the CAD and PDM environment is intended to help strengthen the product data foundation and enable more scalable, cloud-based engineering workflows.
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