October
20, 2004
Issue
403
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October
20, 2004 < Previous Issue Next >
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- - - C
O N T E N T S New
Software Releases from Alias Is
3D Without Hope? Below
the Radar Write - - - Donate
$25 - - - Look for additional,
nearly-daily CAD commentary at our Weblog: --- Visit our new digital photography Weblog at The Canon S1iS Fan (ADVERTISMENT) Updated and Expanded for AutoCAD 2005! Tailoring AutoCAD 2005 is the new e-book for AutoCAD 2005. Download as a 260-page e-book in PDF format (US$26.95) or on CD ($31.95). Covers all areas of customization, from changing the user interface to writing toolbar macros and LISP routines. Click here to sample preview pages and place your order.
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New Software Releases from Alias Paul Dyck of Alias called to emphasize "one of the largest single design suite announcements in the history of our company." StudioTools 12 (US$7,500 and up), ImageStudio 2 ($1,499 and up), and PortfolioWall 2 ($3,000 and up) will ship in November. The StudioTools collection consists of DesignStudio, Studio, AutoStudio, and SurfaceStudio. The set of software handles all the aspects of design from 2D sketching to production modeling. ImageStudio is rendering software for 3D models from StudioTools or CAD software. Release 2 adds STEP format, and enhances IGES support. When I looked at sample automobile images at www.alias.com/eng/community/galleries , I realized that some of those "photographs" in car magazines might actually be computerized renderings by Alias -- they are that good. PortfolioWall sounds like pretty interesting software meant for viewing, annotating, and generating approvals on 2D and 3D designs. - - - The conversation was notable for its problems. Last week we installed a VoIP [voice over Internet protocol] phone connection, which consists of a D-Link VoIP gateway that connects between our DSL Internet router and a regular telephone. (VoIP uses the Internet to carry telephone conversations; you use the phone no differently.) The idea is to by-pass the standard phone system and pay less. That may be the idea, but it didn't work for us. It took two days to get the gateway operating, after Primus (the VoIP provider) tech support forgot to tell us about some numbers we needed to enter. Next problem was the phone number: Primus doesn't have any for our local calling area, and so assigned one from the next major city. That meant every local call is a long distance call. The nail in the coffin came when we held a pair of telephone interviews last week. For one, the sound broke up every few words. In the other call, with Alias, the connection suddenly broke. Problem was, Mr Dyck didn't know -- there was no signal sound, no indication, and he kept right on chatting. Some minutes after reconnecting, the connection broke again. We switched over to our regular telephone for the remainder of the interview. Primus now wants 30 days notice before taking back their faulty equipment :< Is 3D Without Hope? Excuse me while I climb up on my soap box. Ahem. Various recent articles in upFront.eZine that have, in my view, had a negative slant toward 3D design. The company I work for predominately makes plants for the timber processing industry. Most of our work is 2D in AutoCAD for legacy reasons. We have many standard designs we re-use. But we are gradually doing more work in 3D, particularly with new products. Again using AutoCAD. When I move from a 3D project back to a 2D one, I despair at the time I waste drawing each part two or three times to get the different views. Not to mention the hours working on assembly drawings, making sure I have shown the hidden detail correctly, and trimming lines where one part crosses another. When working on a new design, I find it is much quicker to rough out each piece part as a 3D model, reference them together in sub-assemblies and assemblies, then edit them in place to get fit, hole centres, etc, exactly right. When the design is near-complete, I go back through the drawings, starting with the piece parts, adding dimensions, annotations, BOMs [bills of material] etc. I usually show the piece parts in orthographic views, and the assemblies as a pictorial, using as many different views and sections as are needed to fully describe them. The drafting is a cakewalk, leaving me to focus on developing a good design. How did I learn AutoCAD 3D? I've used AutoCAD 2D for several years. After completing a SolidWorks night course, I landed an excellent job with an AutoCAD company. It can't be that much different, I thought. So I worked it out by the guess'n go method, with assistance from the help menu and the Autodesk discussion forums. Let's look at L.A.'s situation. A company with experienced and competent 2D AutoCAD drafties [drafters] is asked to produce 3D drawings with a package that is foreign to them. Did they consider bringing in a contractor experienced in the package concerned?
Did they consider the hardware requirements of the package they were to use, given the size of the project? Remember "minimum" requirements stated by the vendor are appropriate for a minimum sized project. In particular, I wonder if the graphics cards were suitable, and how many GGB of RAM they were running. I also wonder why server load was such an issue. Surely this only applies to opening and saving. Do they/could they use a dedicated machine for storing drawings? Now the company decides offer a 3D service to its customers. Given the difficulties with the previous 3D project, why on earth would they decide to take on a completely foreign 3D package? Especially when they already had AutoCAD, which is 3D-capable, and adequate for most applications. Perhaps it would be a better idea (and much cheaper) for them to encourage their drafties to work in 3D using the package they already have, starting with smaller projects. This would develop their competence working in 3D, as it does require a different mind set, which some people cope with better than others. Then in six months or so, pick someone who is showing particular competence in 3D work, and buy or demand a free evaluation copy of the package they wish to move to. And give it to the person to evaluate. If it requires more than a week's training to get started, reject it in favour of some other package. As the evaluator gets to know the software, he should be able to work out the more advanced techniques for himself. Perhaps with a little help from whatever form of user support the vendor offers for the "Can it do this?" type of questions. Software often comes with all kinds of exciting sounding features that are not necessary for the way the company works; there is no need to learn how to use them. If the package can't do what you ask of it, or is difficult for new or newly promoted staff to learn, then it is not the right software for you. Remember CAD is just a tool. In the same way a carpenter who is competent with a hand saw may need to learn to use a skill saw, mitre saw, or compound table saw, a drafter should expect to learn new tools over his career. OK, putting away my soap box now.
I am tired of hearing about the issues that a group of people have, as in my view a 3D CAD tool is not a drafting package -- even though they can produce 2D drawings. My goals, as far as drawing go, are pretty limited: unambiguous conveyance of intent). 3D modeling isn't drafting, and the sooner people figure that out the better. Maybe they will then get on with it. No 3D package is going to be as versatile or as forgiving as an electronic drafting board like AutoCAD, but then again you don't get the precision that you get in a decent 3D modeler. That's the whole game right there: to get 3D to work for complex tasks (and I don t care if it's a building or an oil rig or a helicopter) you need to manage the precision (or content if you like) for the purposes at hand. If you are showing the general arrangement of a helicopter do you need to see the bearings and gears inside the gear box? No. But they are pretty key when you tell somebody how to build the gear box, so you turn them on for that bit. MCAD systems are gaining the content management tools to make this happen without spending ridiculous amounts of time getting it done. That Ghery guy seems to have it figured out, though I am not a big fan of his choice of CAD tool. I would rather spend my time reading stories
about people who are actually getting it done, and not listening
to people whine and complain about how difficult it is, and why
we should never go there."
I make half my living these days because many won't move to 3D -- I do an increasing number of "work-out-the-bugs-to-other-people's-projects" projects. Building computer models of structures has paid dividends for me for years: BOMs, interference checking, accurate but easy sections, 3D views, etc. I've modeled all the buildings I've designed and reviewed since 1992. Been thru many packages. Early on I often resorted to dual input (or worse) to get the model parts I needed, because no one package was strong across the board. Remember Archillustrator and Facade? Two good shell modelers from about 10 years ago. How about Ketiv's ArchT (still alive at www.intellicad.org/archt_default.asp)? Very capable; had to do roofs by hand, but handled most else fluidly. Granted, boatloads of work, but the only good way to work out the increasingly complex geometry within which one must knit a structure. I currently use ArchiCAD. Flak jacket on, but it's totally silly with tools like this available not to model and extract the construction drawings. No possible way it can be done faster in 2D. I should shut up. If everyone modeled
and thus properly illustrate, I'd lose a profitable addition to
my services. Below the Radar A summary of CAD industry news you may not have read elsewhere, or that we found interesting: - - - Paul Bowers <pbowers @ pipingdesign.com> writes, "Our readership at PipingDesign (a Yahoo groups discussion forum with 1,000 members) would probably get a good boost if you mentioned us. The list can be a bit technical with piping engineering stuff. I started the site five years ago because I could see the forthcoming problems regarding CAD integration into the piping design world." pipingdesign.com/ IRISCO announces Elmo BoM 2005, the latest release of its product data exchange software for Inventor, AutoCAD, Mechanical Desktop, and Mechanical. en.irisco.com/mailing_list/ih040930-Communique-Elmo-BoM.html The editor of a European CAD magazine wonders, "I had the bosses from [two American CAD vendors] over here, including their resellers. They all came on the same day. I wonder what they where doing over here, while a billion-dollar market is waiting in China? They really waste there time here, because our [European] CAD market is full as it is." CoCreate Software now has annual subscription licensing, with OneSpace.net starting at US$438/year and OneSpace Designer at $2,780. www.cocreate.com COSMOS is offering a free 3Dconnexion SpaceTraveler motion controller (US$599 value) with every multi-discipline seat of COSMOSDesignSTAR 4.5 -- until the end of the year. COSMOSDesignSTAR is used in 2,000 companies. www.cosmosm.com New release of Walkinside from VRcontext, the real-time virtual reality software targeted towards energy, homeland security, defense, and aerospace markets. www.vrcontext.com Actify is making available SpinFire Professional 2004 Version 2 (US$499), which adds 2D CAD visualization without needing CAD systems. Free trial from www.actify.com Metrolosys 9 (US$26,995) from Shadow Automation transforms any CNC machine tool into a Coordinate Measuring Machine (CMM). www.metrolosys.com New versions of the Pliable Display Technology software development kits are released by IDELIX Software recently. Three US patents have been granted for Pliable Display Technology in the past six months with 24 others pending. www.idelix.com Applied Production has sheet metal unfolding software for KeyCreator 3.0 from Kubotek USA [nee CadKey]. ProFold is available as ProFold Solids, ProFold Wireframe, and ProFold Lite. www.AppliedProduction.com Geometric Software Solutions launches eDrawings for Unigraphics 17, 18 & NX (US$1,295), CATIA V5($1,295), and Autodesk Inventor Series ($795-$995). The software is available in two versions: Professional for Unigraphics 17, 18 & NX and CATIA V5; and Free Version for AutoCAD, Inventor, Pro/ENGINEER, Pro/EN Wildfire, and SolidWorks. www.geometricsoftware.com Recent posts at our WorldCAD Access weblog <worldcadaccess.typepad.com >:
Seminars & Conferences daratechPLANT2005 is January 24-26 in Houston TX USA. www.daratech.com/plant2005 18th Annual Worldwide ABAQUS Users Conference is May 18-20 in Stockholm, Sweden. www.abaqus.com/AUC2005 AEC-Science and Technology (AEC-ST) is June 20-23 in Orlando FL USA. Brought to you by the founders of AEC Systems. www.aecst.com
People/Companies on the Move Jim Milton joins UGS as executive vp for Global Sales Operations. Mr Milton is the former senior vp and managing director for the Americas of Hewlett-Packard's Customer Solutions Group. Cyon Research adds Jon Peddie to its board of directors. Reese Gautschi joined BOXX as director of marketing. Reese is the former vp of marketing and sales for Sector 7 USA. Privately-held Corel Software acquires privately-held JASC, best known for its PaintShop Pro software.
Computer News Summaries Google last week released its computer search software, for now limited to files compatible with Outlook, Outlook Express, Word, AOL Instant Messenger, Excel, Internet Explorer, PowerPoint, and in plain text. Google intends to add support for PDFs, MP3s, and other formats. www.desktop.google.com/about.html Microsoft Watch reports,
"Microsoft
has been hinting since 2003 that it is strongly considering adding
a server version of its Visio
charting/diagramming product to its family of Office System products."
And "such a move might be accompanied by a formal repositioning
of Visio, in an attempt to officially rechristen the product as
more of a 'corporate intelligence' tool, than a traditional charting/diagramming
one.... Microsoft is expected to play up the benefits of running
Visio on both the client and server, emphasizing the new collaboration
possibilities such 'smart client' scenarios would create."
Expect Visio "12" in 2006. Paradigm shift: iPods now make up the largest individual portion of Apple's product revenue, reports CBS MarketWatch. The company shipped [not sold, mind you] two million iPods in the last quarter, up from 336,000 units a year earlier. By comparison, 836,000 Macs shipped (up from 787,000 a year ago).
Letters to the Editor Re: AutoCAD 2005 for $40 "I think it's interesting that these emails are few, and lead nowhere. Perhaps these [illegal software] sites are being disabled and interfered with by software manufacturers with large cash reserves to spend on countermeasures. Their motive would be strong, and purely financial. "Meanwhile, the thousands of junk mail
messages you mention continue. If that flood were a financial threat
to companies with deep pockets, we wouldn't be getting spam."
"It was just recently I saw a broadcast
of 'Now with Bill Moyer' about bootleg products in Asia. This is
not just a software problem, but an across the board problem with
just about every product that you can think of. It is going to take
a major act of Congress to stop the copyright infringement that
is going on across the globe."
"Here's the deal with 30-day trial software: I've demo'ed more 3D and 2D CAD software programs than I can remember. The caveats for me are as follows: 1. expensive; 2. disappointment; 3. wasted time; and 4. burnout. "I have discovered that it is impossible to learn software, let alone demo it properly, in thirty days. Even 90 days is too short, considering the load of work that I have. "So, the typical 15-30 day trial period is a joke, plain and simple. Plus, the program is usually full of bugs, not to mention the lack of any available training and/or books. "Although I don't pirate software, I
wonder who is worse: the software marketers, or the end user who
obtains pirated software for demo purposes only? Consider my losses
associated with learning, demo'ing, and possibly even replacing
existing software (+ training etc), only to discover that it isn't
all that it's cracked up to be (= marketing hype).
Re: Slow Acrobat 6 "Adobe Reader 6.0 takes forever to load,
as we all know. PC Magazine,
10-19-2004 issue, User to User section, has a mention that a great
speed up in performance can be had if you eliminate all but three
API files in the plug-in folder. I tried this out and it loads in
about 1 second!"
"I don't support using PDF files for
CAD, but they are not going away, so follow the steps at this link
to dramatically reduce the time it takes to open PDF files. www.pcmag.com/article2/0,1759,1659348,00.asp
" - - - "Geez! We've been in this business a
long time. That's when I first met you -- back when you and David
Cohn were working for 'CADalyst'.
You've written a LOT of words since then -- congratulations!" "Congrats on your 400th newsletter!" "Nice job on all your information. I've
read for a while, and you do better than the high priced people."
Spin Doctor of the Moment "Is the 4.0GHz change an exclamation
point? Yes."
Notable Quotable "The French philosopher [Jacques Derrida]
was so closely associated with nihilism and metaphysical absence
that it's perhaps worth wondering whether he ever lived at all." |
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