At JigSpace, our mission is to let anyone share their knowledge with spatial computing.

When someone asks “How does that work?” The answer should be immediately available in 3D.

We released our free version of Workshop last year, giving anyone the ability to make their own 3D presentations. We designed it to be simple, with no prior experience in 3D modelling required. We made it easy so anyone could use it, from primary school students to engineers.

This need to create and share spatial presentations isn’t limited to students asking, “how does a Jet Engine work?”.

 

 

Soon we had businesses using Jig Workshop to demonstrate manufactured products at trade-shows without having to transport them, training staff on complex 3D objects in an engaging, self-driven way and rapidly prototyping in augmented reality to save on time and costs. It wasn’t perfect, but there was a clear need for what we were trying to solve.

Within weeks, hundreds of businesses contacted us, requesting features such as better integration with their existing 3D files from proprietary software like SolidWorks or Fusion360. 

 

A customer discovery session with a Jig Workshop Pro user learning about materials used in their industry.

 

Others needed to present content when they were in low-internet connectivity areas like trade-shows or remote geography, complete with their company branding and colours. 

We also had to make sure their valuable CAD content was secured behind logins by default, rather than designed for sharing with the world, and easy to administer as such.

In short, businesses asked us, “how can we manage our 3D knowledge with JigSpace?”.

The answer is Jig Workshop Pro. We’re thrilled to announce that it is now available, on an invite-only basis, for early access.

It has taken some time to build out these features, but it’s the same simple, useful, delightful product that you’re used to, with extra tools to make it easy to manage your 3D knowledge content.

If you’re an individual, professional or team that needs to share knowledge in 3D, we made Jig Workshop Pro for you.

 

To apply for early access, or see what Pro features are now available, click here.

How do you train remote communities to operate the latest drone technology, who have never seen an aeroplane up close or flown in one?

A piece of 3D software was the last thing Eric Peck, CEO of airborne logistics company Swoop Aero, thought he needed. But his mind quickly changed after seeing his CAD files get transformed into realistic and immersive presentations. Most importantly though was the ease and effectiveness in scaling this new way of learning out to hundreds of users on the ground.

For some of the most remote communities on Earth, getting access to life-saving vaccines is an ongoing challenge. In Vanuatu, an archipelago of 83 volcanic islands in the South Pacific, many children miss immunisations as their homes are so hard to reach. But with the help of drone technology and Jig Workshop Pro augmented reality (AR) app, that’s beginning to change.

In 2018, Swoop Aero, in conjunction with UNICEF and the Vanuatu Ministry of Health, launched the first medical drone delivery service in Vanuatu. Its first recipients were 13 children and five pregnant women on the remote island of Erromango. And to prepare them for this momentous landing, Swoop enlisted the help of JigSpace.

 

“As soon as Eric saw JigSpace, he asked us to help them solve a problem – how to educate and train people to use their drone technology,” says Zac Duff, co-founder and CEO of JigSpace.

 

The Kookaburra drone, as displayed in the Jig Workshop Pro app.

And that’s how Swoop Aero started their collaboration with JigSpace, converting their drone model from a standard STEP CAD file into a Jig. This Jig (3D model presentation) was to become a core part of the training for inhabitants of Vanuatu, including healthcare staff in the region. The Jig could accurately convey the size of the drone, how it would land and how to offload the cargo – right on the ground in front of them.

Peck says that this training method not only helped everyone involved feel more at ease with the drone, but also sped up the entire vaccine delivery process. 

“It’s allowed us to deliver the most cost-effective heath outcomes we can, and rapidly expand the number of recipients that we were able to train,” he says.

 

In 2019 Swoop Aero commenced delivery of medical supplies to other locations in Malawi and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. And in 2020 they will join forces with UK Aid to transfer TB samples via drones in Mozambique.

“Excitingly for JigSpace, the AR app is at the centre of all the training packages that we’re rolling out, everywhere we operate,” says Peck.

 

 

The AR training content is easily managed and kept up to date too. When engineering modifications are made to new Swoop Aero drone models, the CAD-based engineering content is easily updated from SolidWorks 2019 via the STEP format to Jig Workshop Pro which can be edited and formatted by operations or marketing staff.

The Jigs are instantly updated to healthcare workers in the regions who need to be aware of any changes to the drone instructions. Swoop Aero staff can also monitor the presentation of the Jigs to ensure they are being rolled out to the target communities by each local partner.

 

 

Another key Jig Workshop Pro feature for Swoop Aero was the offline mode, which enables healthcare staff to view or present the Jig content without an internet connection or with low-internet speeds which frequently occur in remote communities.

To find out more about Jig Workshop Pro, and how it can elevate your learning and development or product training, click here.