Issue #92: 27 January, 1998

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    The year 1997 was notable for the number of acquisitions made by computer and CAD companies.

    With yesterday's announcement that Compaq plans to purchase DEC for US$9.6 billion, 1998 seems to continue the trend. Here are acquisitions that occurred in the last week or two:
     

    Visio Buys Marcomp

    Visio has acquired Marcomp, known for its APIs that access AutoCAD DWG and DXF file formats. Visio is paying an undisclosed number of shares of unregistered Visio common stock. Both Marcomp employees will join Visio. Visio had been a licensee Marcomp's AutoDirect toolkit in Visio Technical and IntelliCAD 98 software. Visio will honor all existing licenses entered into by Marcomp, including those with other CAD and graphics software vendors.
     This is not the first acquisition of a DWG API vendor.

    A couple of years ago, Autodesk purchased Sirlin, renaming their API "DWG Unplugged." Now, we are wondering who is going to buy the other API vendors, such as SoftSource (DXE) and CSWL (Dr. DWG). Some CAD vendors that have been mentioned as being interested include PTC, Dessault, and EDS. Comments one Visio competitor and Marcomp licensee: "IMHO, Visio's purchase of MarComp is brilliant. There are other companies out there that provide AutoCAD filters but none is as good as Marcomp's. I wonder how our company CEO feels paying Visio [royalties]."

    In related news, Visio announced it hopes to soon complete the purchase of most assets of InfoModelers, a privately held supplier of database and data warehouse, visual design, access, and query tools located in Bellevue WA USA.

    Bentley Acquires Jacobus

    Formerly a "strategic affiliate," Bentley Systems has now fully acquired Jacobus Technology. In 1997, Jacobus grew by 200%. More info from http://www.jacobus.com

    Mechanical Dynamics Acquires DTI

    Mechanical Dynamics (maker of the ADAMS mechanical system simulation software) paid the equivalent of US$1.3 million to acquire DTI Asia Pte, a provider of mechanical design simulation software embedded in AutoCAD and The Mechanical Desktop. Alan Wegienka, one of DTI's co-founders, said, "We plan to merge the user interface from the Dynamic Designer products with the well-established ADAMS simulation solver technology to provide an outstanding design tool for AutoCAD and Mechanical Desktop users." Autodesk vp Dominic Galello said, "We're excited by the opportunities created for our customers through the combination of DTI and Mechanical Dynamics." More info from http://www.adams.com

    Intergraph Acquires Full Rights to Plant Design System

    Intergraph Corporation announced it settled legal action against Zydex, Inc. According to the settlement, the former business arrangement between Zydex and Intergraph has been terminated for an undisclosed payment to Eduardo Zorrilla. The settlement confirms Intergraph's sole ownership of the Plant Design System  software, a product originally developed in a joint venture between Intergraph and Zydex. Intergraph says that PDS is the largest-selling 3D process plant design software with a market share of 54% percent (based on 1997 revenue, according to Daratech).

    IMSI Courts VARs for Solids Modeling

    IMSI, the developer of TurboCAD, is launching a VAR (value added reseller) program for TurboCAD Solid Modeler v2.0, which will begin shipping in first quarter '98 for "under" US$2,000. The software is a featured-based, 3D parametric design tool for mechanical and industrial engineers and designers acquired from Corel last year. IMSI says that is move demonstrates they are committed to the professional CAD market.

     Says IMSI president and CEO, Martin Sacks, "We're seeking experienced industry VARs with an intimate knowledge of the mechanical CAD market that have the ability to provide in-depth support to users." To qualify for the TurboCAD VAR Program, VARs must have mechanical CAD industry experience with an engineer on staff, a record of selling to engineering professionals, and support of technical software. VARs that join IMSI's program will receive product and product updates, second-level technical support, training, co-op advertising, support for regional seminars, generous margins and sales leads.

    Replacement for WorkCenter Due Soon

    With Autodesk's sale of Workcenter to Motiva, Autodesk will be soon announcing a new product that is more friendly to smaller offices. The new drawing server will be better suited to the five-man architectural office than was the WorkCenter product.

     However, Autodesk will not be going the route of Bentley, whose ModelServer has record-level locking. Autodesk told us that it sees too many problems with locking individual records in a drawing. They cited one problem: an object with relationships. For example, a door object is inserted in wall object. If the door object is locked, then the wall object must to locked, as well as all other objects related to the wall. Autodesk feels document-level locking is better suited to the real-world working environment.

    ActiveX Interface for LT 97

    LT_Basic 97, the ActiveX Automation interface for programming AutoCAD LT 97 is now available from Stefan Dorsch. The demo version can be downloaded from http://www.dorsch-soft.com (limited to 50 function calls). More info from <Stefan_Dorsch@compuserve.com>.

    Shareware 2D CAD System

    DESI-III v3.1 is a powerful 2D CAD system with a very user friendly interface which runs well in DOS and WIN95. DESI- III supports all "normal" CAD functions, as well as full transparent windows and viewports on a drawing. Other features include: The shareware version can be downloaded from http://www.kagi.com/h.marien/  Registered version is US$49.00. More info from h.marien@tornado.be

    SGI Gives Up on OpenGL

    Silicon Graphics has been embraced by Microsoft. The two companies are working on a new 3D API (code-named "Fahrenheit") that will become the future of Microsoft's DirectX for Windows and SGI's dialect of Unix (called IRIX). Fahrenheit combines: ... to create three components:
    1. A low-level API for consumer and professional applications on Windows, based on Direct3D, DirectDraw, and OpenGL.
    2. Fahrenheit Scene Graph API for developers creating apps on Windows SGI IRIX, based on Scene Graph.
    3. Fahrenheit Large Model Visualization Extensions for interactive manipulation, based on OpenGL Optimizer API and DirectModel API.
    Despite our headline, don't throw out your OpenGL apps, yet: these APIs are expected to take two or more years to deliver. More info from http://www.sgi.com/fahrenheit/
     

    Stone Hatch Patterns

    The Stone Fill Library -- for ArchiCAD -- applies vectors fills that resemble rubble, cut stone, and random rock in 3D animation, perspectives, and elevations. Check out the images created with ArchiCAD and the Stone Fill Library at http://www.comv.com/stones
     

    US$500 for a Windows NT Computer?

    Cyrix's MediaGX processor reference design can be used to create a desktop PC capable of running Windows NT v5.0 for US$500. The design combines the 180MHz - 233MHz MediaGX CPU, a BIOS with remote-boot capability, and 10/100Mbps ethernet. More info from http://www.cyrix.com
     

    CAD and Internet News Headlines

    Adobe
    BugNet announced Adobe is the winner of the fourth annual BugNet Customer First Award for exceptional software quality. In 1997, Adobe posted a 97% success rate fixing bugs. Intuit came in second at 92%. "Every software maker employs flacks in expensive suits to talk about how much they care about software quality," says BugNet publisher Bruce Brown, "but BugNet's figures paint a different picture. There is a real, measurable difference in the quality of competing software products." More info from http://www.bugnet.com

    Autodesk
    David Arnold announced his resignation from Autodesk. [No surprise there. He's probably wealthy enough from the sale of his company, Softdesk, to not have to work any more -- Ed.]

     Autodesk is continuing to improve The Mechanical Desktop with the help of some of the people who worked on the ill-fated ComputerVision Pelorus product.

    Engineered Design Solutions
    Ignite is a stand alone app that find and view drawings before you start AutoCAD. The product features enlarged and jumbo bitmap preview; last 20 drawings opened; default directory settings for drawings, inserts, xrefs; AutoCAD start-up options; file list printing; and more. More info from http://www.inwave.com/~duhvinci/Ignite!.htm [Check out the screen shot -- it's cool! -- Ed.].

    Jacobus Technology
    Jacobus intends to support STEP AP227 in the MicroStation/JSpace-based PlantSpace family of object- oriented software for plant engineering and design. More info on STEP from http://www.nist.gov/sc4/www/stepdocs.htm and info on PlantSTEP at http://cic.nist.gov/plantstep

    North American CAD
    Real Architect v3.0 is an architectural add-on for AutoCAD LT. For more info: http://www.nacad.com

    Netscape
    Navigator is finally free, when downloaded from the Netscape Web site -- even though you may never have paid for it. In addition, Netscape will put the source code for Navigator v.5 on the Web for free use and modification. The beta code will become available by the end of March, with the final version shipping end of June, 1998.

    WorkPlace System Solutions
    ProjectWise Intranet Solutions is a rapidly deployable project intranet solutions that enable project management and collaboration among global project team members.  In related news, Carleton Jones, an executive at Bechtel Corporation in San Francisco for eight years, is joining WorkPlace as vp, demonstrating how ProjectWise solutions can help project owners, and architecture, engineering and construction firms. More info from http://www.workplacesystems.com

    Market News

    Visio reported 1Q98 revenues of US$37.0 million, a 95% increase over 1Q97, with net income of US$8.0 million (US$4.4 million in 1Q97).

    Letters to the Editor

    "[Based on comments in an earlier issue of upFront.eZine] I would like to point out that we consider the MPP format as an open format, not proprietary. Yes, the MPP format was specified by Kozo in 1985 but it has always been available free of charge to the A/E/C industry. It is the standard CAD file format in Japan. Please check the specs: http://www.kozo.com/mpp/uk-mpp.htm and http://www.kozo.com/mpp/uk-mpp00.htm "
         -- Per Ranch

    The editor replies: "I use Scott Taylor's definition for deciding if a file format is proprietary or open. In order to be called 'open,' it must meet two criteria: (1) the file format is freely available; and (2) the file format is defined by a group not tied to one particular vendor. While MPP is openly published (as is, say, DXF and DWF), these file formats are maintained by one firm." -- rhg

    "Let me say 'Thank You' for publishing your newsletter. As many others have indicated, upFront.eZine NEWS presents CAD technology in a well-balanced and unsuperfluous manner. upFront.eZine NEWS is one of the -few- 'zines I make a point to read completely when received."
         --JT Pedersen

    "Keep up the good stuff. I proudly hang my Certificate of Appreciation on the wall in my office."
         -- Kayla Fisher

    Notable Quotable

    "It's in the fine Microsoft tradition to copy everyone else, [but] it's one surprising step beyond that to even copy the name."
         -- Donna Dubinsky, Palm Computing president. quoted in Wall Street Journal 7 Jan'98, commenting on the PalmPC name Microsoft copied from the PalmPilot.

    Contact!

    All contents copyright XYZ Publishing, Ltd. Inc., 1998 and all rights are reserved. No material may be reproduced electronically or in print without written permission from XYZ Publishing, PO Box 3053, Sumas WA, 98295-3053, unless otherwise noted.