Operations & Maintenance

 
HxGN SDx2 Visualization: A Groundbreaking Innovation in the Industry 

When we talk about innovation in 2D/3D visualization, it’s always a challenge because – as noted – it’s been evolving since the last century. Now, numerous solutions in the market make visualization a commodity. In recognition of this, several years ago, Hexagon’s visualization team embarked on a mission to push boundaries further and create a next-generation solution, which today is a reality.

Enter HxGN SDx2. This is Hexagon’s next-level, cloud-native, SaaS solution for excellence in engineering, operations and maintenance. It encompasses a suite of new and enriched capabilities, including asset lifecycle data and information management, asset modeling and visualization, engineering change, work packaging document management/document control, and design review and issue management.   

Read on as I explain the innovation behind it all and how it can help you achieve your business goals and objectives. 

 
The Challenge: Creating a Completely Cloud-native Visualization Solution 

Current cloud-based visualization solutions rely on files generated from authoring applications. These files are often large, and changes, modifications and new versions must be repeatedly uploaded. While this approach may work for smaller projects, transferring terabytes of data from desktop applications to the cloud becomes unmanageable and scales poorly when dealing with large industrial plants and vast amounts of data. 

Managing crucial engineering data, such as documents, throughout the entire industry lifecycle is imperative but presents significant challenges. Ensuring this data is integrated and managed cohesively adds considerable administrative burdens and costs to organizations. The cost of change also becomes substantial because issues are prolonged and can’t be addressed until the data is available to identify them. These inefficiencies have caused many organizations to struggle with outdated 2D/3D data. 
 

Solution: Streamlining Visualization from Data Creation 

Hexagon addresses this challenge with unprecedented engineering tools that share data to the cloud in HxGN SDx2; not as traditional files, but as objects or granular data. This approach eliminates the need for extensive data administration. As soon as data is created, it’s shared and can be visualized by any department or discipline with proper permissions.

This helps identify issues early in any process, optimizes collaboration and is highly scalable. By managing information at the granular and object level – where every piece of your facility is an individual object containing data and graphics – HxGN SDx2 ensures efficient performance and offers an entirely native cloud experience.

This innovative approach helps organizations save significant money by ensuring their data is always current. Collaboration can occur at the object level, removing the barriers of traditional project management methods. Whether constructing new facilities, operating existing ones, or ensuring their safety, HxGN SDx2 transforms the process, replacing outdated document management systems, emails and other legacy tools. 

With No Barriers, What Comes Next? 

At a technical level, the data is now native to the cloud. Organizations can slice and dice data and graphics at any level, enabling seamless sharing and collaboration with always up-to-date information. This innovative graphics cloud-native solution facilitates highly efficient visualization of 2D and 3D models. 

The technology also paves the way for incredibly fast visualization of extensive facilities, with future capabilities promising render times of less than one second. This unmatched speed and efficiency will revolutionize how massive projects and operations are managed, offering instant insights and fostering unparalleled collaboration.

Because we’ve removed these barriers, the future holds even more exciting possibilities with AI integration. Soon, you’ll be able to interact with this data in ways never possible. Generative AI will enable users to extract data graphically just by asking a question and create immersive environments using simple commands. 
 
This will transform how we interact with our data, making it – more than ever – intuitive, accessible and powerful. With no barriers, the possibilities for innovation and efficiency are boundless. By leveraging HxGN SDx2’s cutting-edge capabilities, organizations can transform their approach to projects and operations. Here are a few other of the many possibilities: