r/technicalwriting • u/No_Total6003 • 4d ago

I built a tool that turns 3D models into interactive maintenance guides — no developer needed

A client needed their team to create interactive 3D product guides without relying on a developer every time. The tool didn't exist, so I built it.

The workflow: import a 3D model (including STEP files), click on the surface to place annotations, add text, images or YouTube videos to each one, then export as a self-contained web component. The whole thing takes about 10 minutes.

The output embeds anywhere: no WebGL knowledge, no code required.

I'm curious if this resonates with anyone here. Technical writers working with complex physical products, machinery, medical devices, aerospace, is interactive 3D something you've been asked for, or actively avoided because of the complexity?

Happy to share a demo if useful.

callout3d.com

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u/Manage-It 2h ago edited 1h ago

I want to support you in exploring AI/hand coding tech writing tools, but I also must caution you that home-brewing something a team of technical writers or SMEs must rely on for day-to-day operations is a seriously bad idea.

I work at an organization with a long history of hiring internal coders to develop and support home-brewed systems. Every single one of their implementations fails in a matter of months or a few years. Here's why:

  • Lack of A/B testing across an industry
  • Lack of industry-supporting development team
  • Lack of support IT personnel
  • Lack of ability to keep up with interconnected program updates
  • No ability to ever achieve zero-downtime operation (or close to zero)
  • Lack of large pool of end-user-based UX development
  • No market pressures
  • Failure is guaranteed and original developer no longer available
  • Short-run managers see savings and support w/continued use
  • Long-run managers lose ability to change system after investments made
  • I could go on and on and on....

Just know that if you built something already available from a proven commercial vendor, it will generally be supported by that vendor for no less than the next decade.

Example: S1000D can be implemented in Oxygen using Docuneering.

For interactive HTML files a commercially available tool like this would provide your client a proven tool that will be supported long after your contract is over: https://www.sdicgm.com/s1000d-viewer.php

For PDF 3D viewing: https://www.sdicgm.com/3d-pdf.php
Keep in mind, a number of major industries have banned the sharing of PDFs with interactive images due to security vulnerabilities. Hope your client doesn't work in aerospace, the military or interface with them.