Understand the form
Choose a model or drawing that lets the reviewer identify the component and the area under discussion.
Enterprise product visualization
PTC Product View.Bring design into view.
Put engineering information in front of the people who need to review it—from a mechanical assembly to the electrical detail behind it.
Discuss your viewing workflowMake the engineering definition visibleEnterprise visualization technology
Enterprise visualization technology
in 2D, 3D, and augmented reality
PTC Product View helps teams examine and share engineering information without every participant working in the original authoring application. Its visualization scope spans CAD models, drawings, schematics and PCB data; supported experiences can include desktop review and augmented reality.
Start with a real review question. A supplier may need to understand a part’s shape, an electrical reviewer may need the board context, and a project lead may need to see what changed. Establish which product configuration and revision each person is reviewing before recording a decision.
Explore the Windchill product foundation
Connect the disciplines
Keep mechanical and electrical questions in the same review brief, with an owner for each finding.
Record the next action
Agree where feedback belongs and who evaluates it. Viewing a model does not approve a design change.
Choose for the work, not just the fileThe PTC Product View
The PTC Product View
suite of viewers
Different audiences need different depths of interrogation. Use these four starting points to narrow a discussion, then confirm current formats, platform support, modules and licensing with TriStar.
Mechanical review
PTC Product View MCAD
Explore mechanical models, assemblies, drawings and supporting documents. MCAD supports visual collaboration, comparison and validation workflows, with advanced analysis available according to the selected scope.
Bring an assembly and one question about a change or fit. Identify the geometry to review and the feedback that must be retained; confirm whether optional interference or design-check capabilities are needed.
Start with this question
Discuss this viewer with TriStarWhat must the reviewer inspect beyond simply opening the model?
Electrical review
PTC Product View ECAD
Share and visualize PCB information from major EDA tools alongside drawings and documents. ECAD gives electrical information a place in the wider product discussion.
Use a representative board and a specific review issue. Confirm that the expected data translates correctly, then agree how electrical findings will be discussed with mechanical reviewers.
Start with this question
Discuss this viewer with TriStarWhich board detail and supporting document need to be reviewed together?
The wider team
PTC Product View Lite
Give non-engineering participants access to 3D models, images and documents, with a viewing scope suited to their work.
Start with the person’s task: understand a component, read a drawing or comment on a review package. Keep access, source revision and the destination for feedback explicit.
Start with this question
Discuss this viewer with TriStarWhat does this role need to understand—and what does it need to send back?
A starting point for viewing
PTC Product View Express
The free Express viewer provides a starting point for viewing and interrogating 3D CAD information. A broader requirement may call for a commercial viewer.
Try the actual files and the complete review task. Note the first operation that cannot be completed, rather than assuming that every commercial capability is required.
Start with this question
Discuss this viewer with TriStarWhere does the current viewing task stop being sufficient?
Capabilities depend on the viewer, release, publishing adapters, optional modules and configuration. AR and advanced analysis are not universal across the suite. A viewable is a review representation; its relationship to the controlled source still matters.
Put the capability differences side by sideCompare the
Compare the
PTC Product Viewers
Use this high-level comparison to identify which viewer merits a closer look. The suite guide explains the audience; this table compares four practical capabilities across Express, Lite, MCAD and ECAD.
On smaller screens, scroll the table horizontally to compare all four viewers. The capability column stays in view.
| Capability | PTC Product ViewExpress | PTC Product ViewLite | PTC Product ViewMCAD | PTC Product ViewECAD |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PTC product interoperability | No | Windchill | Windchill | Windchill |
| Create, save or delete markup | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Native importSTL, VRML, DGN, GBF, IGES, JT | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| Save / exportPVS, PVZ, VRML, DXF, IGES, STEP, JT | No | No | Yes | Yes |
This is a selected capability summary, not a complete compatibility or licensing matrix. Confirm the current viewer, release, file formats, publishing adapters, optional modules and Windchill configuration for your environment.
Confirm the right viewer with TriStarMatch the viewer to the next taskExpress and
Express and
Upgrade Options
Watch PTC’s Express recording, then use the comparison above to identify the next capability your team needs. An upgrade should resolve a specific review task—not add a larger toolset without a purpose.
Product View Web has a separate browser-based feature scope. Keep any desktop-dependent review tasks in the evaluation before changing the way people work.
Explore Product View release updatesIndustry applicationSee the product.
See the product.
Focus the review.
The right viewing task depends on the product and the people examining it. Use one of these industry contexts to define a review brief, then explore the wider industry guide.
Assembly review
Aerospace & Defense
Start with a controlled assembly and a specific configuration. Bring the drawing and 3D representation to the program’s reviewers, then record which question needs an engineering response.
Which configuration and revision should everyone review?
Machine and service context
Industrial Machinery
Use a pump or machine assembly to help manufacturing and service colleagues identify the component under discussion. Focus the review on access, assembly sequence or a proposed replacement, with the design owner responsible for the response.
Which component and working context must the reviewer understand?
Mechanical and electrical review
Electronics & High-Tech
Bring a board layout and relevant mechanical context to one review brief. Ask electrical and mechanical specialists to identify the area to investigate and agree where each finding will be recorded.
Which board detail and mechanical relationship need a joint review?
Before you choose a viewerProduct View questions.
Product View questions.
Clear next steps.
Use these answers to narrow the viewing decision, then confirm the proposed scope with a representative review task.
Is Product View a replacement for CAD authoring?+
Product View is a visualization environment for examining engineering information and sharing review context. Use it to understand the design and discuss findings; keep responsibility for editing the source design and approving changes with the appropriate authoring and review process.
Explore the viewing contextCan we start with the free Express viewer?+
Yes. PTC offers Product View Express as a free viewer for 3D CAD information. Test your actual files and review task first; consider a commercial option when the required operation goes beyond that starting scope.
Review Express and upgrade optionsDo occasional reviewers need the same viewer as specialists?+
Not necessarily. PTC positions Lite for non-engineering audiences, while MCAD and ECAD address mechanical and electrical review. Match the choice to the information the person must inspect and the feedback the task requires.
Find the relevant viewerDoes every viewer include AR and advanced analysis?+
No. PTC describes AR, comparison, validation and interference analysis within its MCAD offering; those are not a promise for every edition. Confirm the proposed viewer, release and any required components before planning the review workflow.
Compare the selected capabilitiesA practical visualization discussionBring the model.
Bring the model.
Define the review.
Talk with TriStar about the people, files and review tasks your viewer needs to support.
Talk to TriStar