Bridging the Gap: The Challenge of Providing AI Models with the 3D Data

Concrete AI use cases are now emerging where companies train their own models tailored to domain-specific engineering challenges. Mechanical engineering teams are moving beyond pure research into early applications, with growing opportunities to leverage 3D CAD data for specialized training. To make these models effective, however, reliable access to high-quality 3D data is crucial — the better the training data, the better the model. At the same time, 3D data remains difficult to access on a larger scale.

Introducing "Context-Selective 3D Data Access for AI Model Training”

We’re exploring an approach we call Context-Selective 3D Data Access for AI Model Training.

With instant3Dhub, users can curate and provide only the most relevant 3D data elements for each use case, rather than entire data sets. This targeted selection enables more efficient and effective AI training.

Instead of supplying full CAD assemblies—like handing over an entire textbook when only one chapter is needed—we extract and deliver only what’s required, such as:

• Product structure
• Geometry definitions
• Metadata
• PMI and model views
• Other context-relevant 3D data entities

This isn’t about reducing data quality; it’s about intentional, context-aware training that drives better results.

Purpose-Built Infrastructure: Making 3D Data Accessible for AI

instant3Dhub is designed to support domain-specific AI training at scale by connecting directly to existing data backends, such as PLM systems, and preparing 3D data for real-time, on-demand streaming through a unique caching mechanism.

All relevant data - structure, geometries, metadata, etc. - is accessible via 3D Spaces: digital work rooms where information is coherently structured and accessible.

Developers and AI engineers interact with these 3D Spaces via APIs, enabling:

• Intelligent curation: Extract only the contextually relevant 3D data for each training scenario.
• Precise access: Deliver targeted data slices—product structure, geometry, metadata, PMI, and model views—tailored to the training task.

This architecture ensures that training data remains purposeful, scalable, and preserves essential engineering context.

instant3Dhub as enabler between AI Agents and 3D

For targeted training scenarios, this selective streaming architecture shows early promise:

• Less noise in AI training data leading to better model results
• Stronger traceability from source data to AI model outcomes leading to
• Tighter feedback loops between engineering expertise and model learning leading to faster results and higher quality

Looking ahead, instant3Dhub is set to play a key role connecting AI and 3D engineering data. With structured, real-time access through APIs, instant3Dhub can become the essential infrastructure that makes 3D data truly usable for AI. This idea will be explored more in future articles, but it already guides how we make data accessible and ready for AI agents.

This is Just the Beginning

We are early in our journey. Some features, like on-demand extraction in an AI Training scenario, are possible but still experimental. Moving these into scalable product offerings will need more validation and collaboration. Early use cases however show strong potential for AI integration in engineering.

We are also exploring deep integration with knowledge graphs to improve connections between data entities and unlock richer context for 3D engineering data.

If you’re facing similar challenges with making CAD data usable for AI, write me via LinkedIn or our usual channels.

‍We built the first prototype - and it’s ready now

At the start of 2025, we developed a working prototype that proves how 3D engineering data can travel through Catena-X aspect models and open instantly in the browser. The demo is available today and shows what’s possible: traceable, governed, and shareable 3D across company lines.

Shaping the standard with industry leaders

Because no 3D standard exists yet in Catena-X, we are actively shaping it together with Mercedes-Benz, Schaeffler, ZF, Bosch, and others in the Catena-X Engineering Working Group. Our shared goal: deliver the first version of a 3D exchange standard by the end of 2025. That milestone will set the foundation for scalable, real-world use cases across the ecosystem.

Future use cases the standard will unlock

Once the 3D standard is in place, industries will be able to enable high-value scenarios across the Catena-X network—especially elevating supplier-OEM collaboration through seamless, standardized data exchange:

• DMU analysis: check collisions, measurements, and fit without file transfers.
• Packaging & Space analysis: review packaging constraints in shared live sessions.
• Design reviews: align stakeholders in-browser and capture decisions in context.
• Supplier handover: deliver the right geometry at the right fidelity, fully traceable.

instant3Dhub: the building block for 3D in Catena-X

instant3Dhub is positioned as the infrastructure layer that will support the emerging Catena-X 3D standard. It connects directly to backend systems, aligns with aspect models, and streams 3D to any browser in real time. With instant3Dhub and its product extensions like webvisApplication, it provides everything companies need to implement and get started with productive company collaboration use cases—enabling seamless, collaborative 3D workflows right out of the box.This makes it the natural solution building block for future Catena-X use cases.

• Direct backend integration: stream from where data lives—no exports.
• Standards-ready: built to align with Catena-X aspect models.
• Real-time collaboration: share large models live via one link.
• Enterprise scale: handle assemblies and access rules at speed.

The path ahead

The prototype is here today. The first 3D standard for Catena-X is targeted for the end of 2025. And with instant3Dhub, companies will have the foundation to adopt once, then scale 3D collaboration across programs, suppliers, and tools.

Ready to shape the future of 3D collaboration?

The best way to get involved is to start now:

• 👉 Explore the demo here and see how 3D flows through Catena-X in the browser.
• 👉 Contact our team directly to discuss how you can participate.
• 👉 Or reach out to me personally on LinkedIn to continue the conversation.

Let’s build the Catena-X 3D standard once—together—and unlock collaboration at scale.

Hannes Krug is a Product Manager at Threedy, working to improve instant3Dhub and Threedy's product offerings. He operates at the intersection of engineering and developer users, with a particular focus on enhancing CAD and 3D data workflows within instant3Dhub.

Introducing 3DSpaces

3DSpaces are the spatial workspace and whiteboard for enterprise 3D CAD workflows and applications. It is where teams come together to prepare, structure, and manage the context around complex data, ensuring that projects can move forward with consistency and clarity. From design reviews and ramp-up alignment to training programs, from sales to service documentation, the 3DSpace provides a durable foundation that supports both daily tasks and long-term initiatives.

With instant3Dhub 3.12, we are introducing initial 3DSpace Management to establish the 3DSpace as a persisted, reusable workspace. You can now configure and persist 3DSpaces as part of your workflows.

We’ve created an example as part of the release and are looking forward to your experiments and experiences with the 3DSpace. If you want to learn more, if we’ve gotten your neurons firing - lets talk!

3DSpace Members, Actions and Roles

As enterprises scale up their use of instant3Dhub, collaboration in the 3DSpace will become dynamic and take different forms, depending on your teams. Teams run global design reviews, remote training, and cross-department workshops. With instant3Dhub 3.12, we are introducing three foundational capabilities to give you the freedom and creativity to manage this collaboration: Members, Member Roles and Member Action. These capabilities bring clarity, structure and efficiency to enterprise 3D CAD collaboration.

Every 3DSpace participant is defined as a Member, represented with default and customizable metadata. This improves transparency during collaboration and makes it easy to understand who is present and how they can contribute.

For developers, the new MemberAPI provides programmatic access to member lists and metadata, enabling tailored workflows and dashboards. Developers can now build role-aware interfaces and adaptive UIs.

Accidental changes or miscommunication can lead to confusion in meetings or projects. To give you a head start in mapping your workflow to the 3DSpace, we are also introducing Member Roles. In this release, they do not differ in behavior but only serve as labels that you can use for dynamic UIs. In the future, we will expand this to define levels of responsibility and permissions. The 3 initial roles are Owners, Editors and Viewers.

Roles are available as part of the MemberAPI and will both streamline existing workflows and power new Use Cases. We’ve designed the system for extensibility so more roles could be introduced in future updates. We’re interested to learn what other roles you might need or if you would prefer the ability to configure custom roles and permissions.

Synchronously Collaborate by Following or Guiding other Members

Being present together in the same 3DSpace is valuable, but alignment matters even more. The new Follow/Unfollow Member Action allows participants to see exactly what another member is looking at. You can use it to e.g. build a “present to all” feature in your application.

For developers, the MemberAPI exposes follow/unfollow functions and events, so custom UIs can show who is following whom. We’re already working on a specialized jump_to_view function that can be used for momentarily jumping to the camera view of a member.

Magic Links: One - Click, Role-Aware Onboarding

Onboarding dozens of stakeholders into a 3DSpace doesn’t have to be time-consuming or complex. With 3DSpace Magic Links, Developers can now generate links that automatically assign the correct role when someone joins. This allows large groups to enter effortlessly with the right role and context instantly.

Early Customer Feedback

“Working together in the 3DSpace is making a lot of preperation and after-work redundant. Everyone gets access to the data in advance and our meetings now flow more efficiently. Follow mode has made our design reviews much smoother. Instead of spending minutes aligning everyone’s view and opinion, we just guide them directly.”

Product Owner, Engineering Intelligence for a large Automotive OEM

Introducing Points of Interest: Smarter 3D Collaboration and Orientation

We're introducing POIs so your mechanical & quality engineers can now mark additional information or features like screws, bolts or brackets. If you want to get creative, the same pattern can be applied in service, sales or manufacturing workflows - you choose the setting. POIs are customizable - choose the position, style, color and icon as you seem fit. POIs can be loaded on demand from any source or can be added dynamically in the 3DSpace. Use POI events like "hover" or "click" to build interactions. We’ve created an example as part of the release and are excited to see how you add POIs to your app!

Smarter 3D Collaboration and Orientation: Points of Interest in instant3Dhub 3.12

Introducing USD Support

With the latest 3.12 release, instant3Dhub introduces support for Pixar’s Universal Scene Description (USD) format - making it possible to open and explore .usd, .usda, .usdc, and .usdz files right next to CAD or BIM data in one shared 3DSpace.

Until now, USD and CAD content often lived in different tools and environments. With instant3Dhub, you can now explore both formats side by side - interactively, collaboratively, and even in VR.

Bring USD and CAD together in one 3DSpace or workflow: instant3Dhub 3.12 introduces USD support

Now with CATIA Body Node support

With the 3.12 release of instant3Dhub, engineers and product teams can finally explore CATIA Body Leaf Nodes in full detail. Previously, you could only visualize parts at the top level. But now, with Body Node resolution, you can dive into individual solid bodies within a part, explore optional construction/invisible geometry and maintain CATIA metadata and model hierarchy with even higher fidelity.

This update unlocks true structural transparency for CATIA workflows in automotive, manufacturing and more with instant3Dhub.

See inside CATIA Parts (V4, V5 & V6): Body Node Support in instant3Dhub 3.12

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Other Improvements

• Introduced support for retrieval of adjacency relations of topological elements
• Added support for storing XRImage backgrounds along Snapshots
• Added new MeasurementAPI function measureNormal
• Added ability to attribute system usage to specific user groups, through the USAGE_GROUP setting or derived from JWT claims
• Improved loading performance of large structures
• Improved performance of most MeasurementAPI functions
• Added support for ghosting and three-colour comparison in remote culling scenarios
• Added support for dashed and dotted line style Polylines

Updates to our documentation continue

In parallel with 3.12, we’re introducing major updates to our documentation - designed to make it more focused, accessible, and relevant for App Developers and Integrators.

New Landing Page and Navigation

When visiting the documentation, you’ll now be greeted by a new landing page, designed as the central entry point for exploring instant3Dhub’s capabilities.

To make navigation easier, the menu has been adapted to reflect the new structure. From there, you can start navigating through our updated sections:

• For App Developers - access the comprehensive webvisAPI reference or tutorials.
• For Integrators - learn about system architecture or instant3Dhub installation.
• Our Concepts - explore the core principles and architectural pillars that define instant3Dhub.

Announcing AI - Powered Search

Alongside this new structure, we’re announcing an upcoming AI-powered search feature. It will allow you to ask questions like:

• “Which formats does instant3Dhub support?”
• “What are 3DSpaces?”

and receive concise, context-aware answers - generated by our large language model.

Getting Started with 3.12

As always, head to our release channel to get the latest images or to our documentation for the full changelog.

We’re excited to see how you will use instant3Dhub 3.12 in your apps. Happy innovating! 🙌

Repository Documentation Support

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