What types of technical documentation can you create with Cortona3D?

Updated

Cortona3D is built around a single authoring source — typically 3D models and engineering data — that you publish into several documentation types and formats. According to the site, RapidAuthor is used to create parts catalogs, technical manuals, work instructions, and training materials, and the same source can be published as interactive HTML5 documentation with animated 3D illustrations, traditional PDF publications with 2D illustrations, or content for Augmented Reality. If your team already works from CAD or PLM data and needs more than one output format from it, that combination is the core fit.

Documentation types

The four categories named on the site map to different audiences and lifecycle stages:

Type Typical use
Parts catalogs Identifying and ordering components, often with illustrated parts data
Technical manuals Maintenance and service procedures for field or depot use
Work instructions Manufacturing and assembly steps on the shop floor
Training materials Step-by-step animated guides for operators or service staff

These are not separate tools — they are outputs of the same authoring environment, which is what makes reuse practical when a product changes.

Output formats from one source

The site describes an "author once — publish in different formats" model. From a single source you can produce:

  • Interactive HTML5 documentation with animated 3D illustrations
  • Traditional PDF publications with 2D illustrations
  • Augmented Reality content

This matters if you serve both a desktop/web audience and a printed or offline audience, or if you want AR overlays for on-site work without maintaining a second authoring pipeline.

What the content is generated from

Two mechanisms drive the content itself:

  • Automatic generation from 3D models and actions. The site states that 2D illustrations, DPL tables, and relevant text are generated automatically based on 3D models and actions in a single application, with claims of three times faster authoring and up to 60% cost savings.
  • Import and merge of native CAD and PLM data. Technical documentation stays synchronized with product design; when engineering or PLM data changes, 3D geometry, metadata, generated 2D graphics, and procedures update automatically.

There is also a Teamcenter integration (Siemens DISW portfolio) for PLM-driven automation, and APIs for embedding content in your own web or mobile applications or connecting to PLM, CMS, and CSDB systems.

Standards and structured content

If your documentation must follow a specification, the site lists pre-configured templates compliant with S1000D, ATA 2200, and DITA. You can attach an existing SGML/XML document that complies with S1000D, DITA, or ATA standards and generate a corresponding structure of the procedure — useful when you are migrating existing structured content rather than starting from scratch.

When this is a good fit — and when it isn't

Consider Cortona3D if:

  • Your source material is CAD/PLM data and you want documentation derived from it rather than redrawn manually.
  • You need the same procedure delivered as interactive 3D, PDF, and/or AR.
  • You must comply with S1000D, ATA 2200, or DITA.
  • You want to integrate publishing into an existing PLM, CMS, or CSDB environment via API.

Look elsewhere if your documentation has no 3D or engineering-data component, or if you only ever produce a single static format — the value here comes from reuse across formats and synchronization with design data.

Seeing it before deciding

The site offers a live demo request and lists webinars (for example, "What is new in RapidAuthor 2606 for Teamcenter"). A free trial and a Subscribe page are referenced in the site's pricing signals, but the available material does not state trial length, subscription terms, or cost — confirm those directly with Cortona3D before planning a rollout.