BabyCAD is a web-based basic CAD program that has the potential to simplify and streamline the process of designing a virtual mockup to demonstrate your exhibition design for clients. With BabyCAD you can make pop up displays, add display graphics and use pre-loaded modules to customize and streamline the design process.
BabyCAD runs in a webpage and allows your CAD team to design a quick demo presentation for a prospective client. The 3D model can then be exported to a static PDF file or a hyperlink to a webpage featuring the design that can be rotated and viewed in 3D without the editing features available. This means companies could very quickly draft a design to show a client and then have them view it in 3D anywhere in the world with nothing more than an internet connection. The potential for quickly creating an exhibit design that can ‘wow’ a client and win their business makes this tool very powerful.
The BabyCAD program runs in a JAVA applet and uses the popular 3D-Standards software that is used by many display design companies. With a simplified and streamlined interface, BabyCAD can help to free up the time that your CAD team spends on creating models for prospective clients and also provides a ‘Pro’ version that allows companies to embed the software on their own webpage and use their own branding as well as the ability to publish 3D demonstations.
The software comes with a variety of displays, stands and other models pre-installed. You can import your own display graphics as textures (or ‘skins’) and use them to customize your models, but you can’t currently import your own custom pop up displays or other pieces directly, although these custom models can potentially be added by submitting them through the 3D-Standards website. Because of its simplified interface, BabyCAD probably isn’t the best bet to design custom displays, but it could be useful for displaying simpler exhibit set ups like pop up displays, with integrated display graphics and branding.
While the basic version is free (and you can play around with it http://babycad.3d-standards.com/application/) you will need to shell out $40/month in order to take advantage of the advanced features which include the 3D-snapshot feature for saving a demonstration model for prospective clients.
If you haven’t tried it, it may be worth a go just to play around with and see if there is potential for demonstrations or quick CAD design. BabyCAD’s accessibility and simplicity are what has the potential to make it useful for exhibition design.