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Issue #458 : : January 24, 2006 |
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C o n t e n t s - Acrobat
3D More Reader Responses: Outsourcing Below
the Radar, and other
regular columns. |
Write the Editor. Donate to upFront.eZine through Paypal. Access nearly-daily CAD commentary at our blog: WorldCAD Access. |
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Adobe today ships their upgraded 3D software, which editor Martyn Day had been predicting and I had been poo-pooing. The new product (US$995) is targeted at 3D AEC and mechanical CAD users, and consists of two parts: Acrobat 3D and 3D Toolkit. Last year's Acrobat 7.0 could display 3D CAD drawings, but needed a translator to import them -- unless you use the latest service update of MicroStation 8. So the primary new feature is the elimination of third-party translators needed to import 3D CAD drawings into PDF files. Acrobat 3D The Acrobat 3D software looks like Acrobat Reader 7, but adds more commands for handling 3D images. Many of the features that you might expect are included:
See a screen grab at www.upfrontezine.com/figs/3dacrobat.jpg (104KB). Adobe provides two ways to bring CAD drawings into Acrobat 3D. The easiest is to press the PrtScr button, which grabs the 3D image; and then paste it into Acrobat 3D. The resulting image is not 2D, but 3D! Adobe does this by using OpenGL screen-grab technology it acquired awhile back. The advantage and drawback are the same: the model's non-graphical data goes missing. (For applications like AutoCAD, OpenGL must be selected as the render mode, and it must be displaying a 3D drawing in that mode.) The second way is through file translation. This retains much of the model's non-graphical data, including assemblies. Adobe includes translators for CATIA V4 and V5, NX and I-DEAS, Solid Edge, JT Open, Inventor, Pro/Engineer, SolidWorks, and STEP. In the AEC world, Acrobat 3D supports ArchiCAD, Revit, AutoCAD-based apps like Architectural Desktop, and others that use OpenGL. Non-OpenGL applications can output to OBJ and DXF, which Acrobat 3D can translate. Internally, Adobe continues to use Intel's U3D file format for 3D in PDF files. PDFs containing 3D models can be inserted into Microsoft Office documents using OCX. PDF files can be served up with restrictions, such as view-for-two-weeks-only or print-but-not-copy.
3DToolkit The bonus is the 3D Toolkit application, which allows you to dress up plain-looking CAD models. You apply textures and lighting, explode views, add animations, and so on. The result is saved also as a 3D object or as 2D vector or raster images. See www.upfrontezine.com/figs/3dtoolkit.jpg (154KB) for a screen grab.
Reader 7.0.7 Acrobat Reader 7 will be updated by mid-February to handle the new 3D viewing and markup features; look for the version that's numbered 7.0.7. Settings in Acrobat 3D determine how many of features are enabled when Reader displays the PDF file. Adobe counts Bentley Systems, PTC, UGS, and SolidWorks as partners. But doesn't Acrobat 3D compete with eDrawings and OpenJT? Adobe claims not, saying that SolidWorks and UGS see their own view-n-share software as engineer-to-engineer, while Acrobat 3D is better for engineer-to-generalist. Adobe claims distribution superiority over unnamed competitors, with 1.25 billion copies of its Reader software (against, say, 0.01 billion for Autodesk's DWF Viewer). But take those numbers with grains of salt. The 1.25b-number includes all copies since the beginning of Reader, and no doubt includes copies included on many CD-ROMs, such as for reading device driver documentation. Adobe is confident of Acrobat Reader's ubiquity to make Acrobat 3D a raging success. The new 3D software is priced like eDrawings Professional, yet apparently supports many more formats. http://www.adobe.com/acrobat3d Readers Respond Some More: Outsourcing "Has anyone bothered to mention that the Open Design Alliance itself uses outsourcing to Russia to have its Open DXF, DWG, and DGN filters developed and updated? It seems to me that it would be a little disingenuous that (at least) any Open Design Alliance members would be 'unhappy' about outsourcing. "My sense is that is easier to criticize than it is to come
out and support a topic which may have some political sensitivities
to it."
"The Open Design Alliance outsources. We use an off-shore
development group in St. Petersburg, Russia for DWG library development.
Does that mean that we don't care about our product? Hardly. Our
libraries are used by almost all of the big CAD vendors -- and these
folks are picky customers. "Our CTO is based in the USA and is in charge of development.
Our team is very stable, and includes a number of very senior software
engineers. Truth is, you couldn't do the kind of software we do
without having very skilled people. "I will say that it would be a big mistake on our part to
outsource our CTO's job. He is the one that maintains the conceptual
integrity of our work. And, if we lost many of our team members,
it would hurt. "I know some significant CAD companies that do offshore development. Since we provide technical support to their developers, I can say with some authority that, in the realm of CAD development, domestic versus offshore is not an issue when it comes to the competence of developers. This is because CAD development is so technically demanding that, no matter where it's done, it can only be done well by the best people. "Bottom line for me: the problem isn't outsourcing. It's
bad management."
"There should be a warning label on every piece of Software,
if outsourced -- truth in lending, sort of: 'WARNING: THIS SOFTWARE
WAS OUTSOURCED OUT of the USA.' We don't have to buy it, then."
"Unfortunately, we let the evil businessmen/women take over via intrigue, so now they connive, cheat, and deceive for the sake of serving their god: 'making the deal'. Let's see where that kind of irresponsibility gets us. "Meanwhile, the intelligent and hard working among us don't care enough about anything but pursuing our own selfish happiness. In the grand scheme of things, how are the working stiffs any better than the evil business leeches? Ans: They aren't, because both are pursuing their own agenda without any regard for the greater good. "Any sociologist would recognize that as the bane of western
civilization (vs. eastern): me instead of society. A lone ranger
like me can't change anything on a social level, because it takes
a concerted effort. I'd better stop before this turns into a lecture."
"There is a certain Dilbertian logic in the rise of out-sourcing. Once the production of software becomes well enough understood to the executive office in terms of accounting, they needed to do to it what they had done to other business areas. ('Understanding' means dollars spent on code = dollars earned in sales). The first to boldly try outsourcing and, by accident, succeed on one project set the vernacular for a generation of executives. "What the execs don't understand is that you have to revamp your entire organization for outsourcing to work -- and the largest change is at the executive level. The execs now have to treat the people in the offices two floors below as if they were overseas. "Execs like that model for compensation, but not for containment of intellectual property, collaboration with outside sources, meeting hours or hours of work. But the executives have to understand that they are no longer leaders, they are organizers. The customers are the leaders, by asking for features and pointing out failures. "Executives become a communication link between the talent (programmers, assemblers, designers,...) and the customers. They will fight it, because who wants to be paid at the secretary level and be called 'V.P.'? "If you want a more formalized approach to this new model,-
check out www.funkybusiness.com/holder.asp?load=sida.asp%3Frubrik%3D26
."
"I do have a problem with people from Sweden: including
VAT[sales tax] and income tax I have a marginal tax rate of 75%
(it starts out at 60%), making it hard to compete with just about
anyone. If I weren't petrified by the US patent system, I'd moved
there already." The editor replies: "The marginal tax rate in Canada starts at 38% (income + sales tax) and maxes out at 58%. Socialism can be run more cheaply." A summary of CAD industry news you may not have read elsewhere, or that I found interesting: - - - DotSoft's new approach to placing Office documents into designs is Office2DWG, a self-contained server for workgroups. It scans designated folders to maintain updated DWG representations of all changed .doc and .xls files. http://www.dotsoft.com/office2dwg.htm Kubotek USA's REALyze software helps designers understand and edit "dumb" geometry imported from other CAD packages. It contains translators; automated and manual repairs and verification; and covering (n-sided fill) techniques -- without recreating the file's entire history tree. http://www.kubotekusa.com SRAC announces its redesigned COSMOSDesignSTAR for 2006. The standalone FEA [finite element analysis] system offers new smart and knowledge-based abilities, new graphical user interface, and fatigue life analysis. http://www.cosmosm.com Datakit this week launches its Catia-to-SolidWorks feature-based translator. It enables SolidWorks users to import and use all information linked to Catia V5 assembly trees and features. http://www.datakit.com Empresa Solutions unveils its latest release of Kinnosa Workflow for PDMWorks, automated engineering change management to PDMWorks users. http://www.empresasolutions.com Softree Technical Systems West Vancouver, Canada now has an interface to Google Earth from Terrain Tools and RoadEng, their surveying and civil engineering software. http://www.softree.com SolidPartners has a 'Take It, Try It, Profit' campaign for its Activault Advanced File Management software (US$500 and up) that works inside SolidWorks. http://www.solidpartners.com TekSoft releases CAMWorks 2006EX for Multiaxis Machining that takes advantage of 4/5-axis machines. http://www.teksoft.com Visual Components provides 3D simulation and visualisation software for manufacturing industries. http://www.visualcomponents.com SDH Development releases ToolWorks DocumentCreator v4 for updating PDF, DXF, DWG, eDrawings, TIFF, and other documents, making sure they are up-to-date. http://www.toolworks.info ALGOR announces that its ALGOR V19 finite element analysis (FEA) software expands support for 64-bit Windows and 32- and 64-bit Red Hat Linux operating systems for all analysis types. http://www.ALGOR.com Pinion Software allows you to create and share files in eDrawings format while keeping control over how the information is used by recipients. http://www.pinionsoftware.com - - - These news items were posted during the last week at the WorldCAD Access blog <worldcadaccess.typepad.com>:
And at the Gizmos Grabowski <worldcadaccess.typepad.com/gizmos/> Weblog:
Hardware News BOXX Technologies launches APEXX 4 with four dual-core 64-bit AMD processors. It is meant for working in real-time on complex effects and detailed computer-generated objects. www.boxxtech.com/apexx4 Seminars & Conferences SolidWorks World 2006 is Jan 22-25 in Las Vegas NV USA. I'll be there Jan 23-25. www.solidworks.com/pages/swworld/index.html HOOPS 14 Features Webcast is Jan 25 at r.vresp.com/?TechSoftAmerica/2c47e9d952/488767/471ce7b2ad/e790fda SmartGeometry 2006 Winter Conference is Feb 1 in London, England. www.smartgeometry.org/2006conference.htm UGS PLM University (merger of PLM World and the Solid Edge Summit) is May 8-12 in Long Beach CA USA. www.plmworld.org/plmmerger.php CPDA's PLM Road Map 2006 is Sept 27-28 in Dearborn MI USA. www.cpd-associates.com Magazine/eZine/Weblog Updates Latest messages from 20+ of Autodesk's discussion groups are displayed at www.cadxp.info/adeskforums+main.html ; refreshed every 15 minutes. People/Companies on the Move Autodesk promotes Carl Bass to president and CEO, effective May 1, while current CEO Carol Bartz becomes executive chairman of the board. Deirdre Kidd leaves Nemetschek North America after doing PR for them forseven years. She is replaced by Dan Monaghan. JETCAM International celebrates its 20th anniversary in 2006. Originally formed in Australia, the company moved to Europe in 1989, and now has 20,000+ licensees of its CNC CAD/CAM software. XANADU celebrates its 15th anniversary. The Czech company, first known as CAD Studio, returns to its original name after a management buy-back from AAC Solutions. PARTsolutions says it's surpassed one million downloads a month of commercial component CAD models. http://www.partsolutions.com Redo "The link for GlobeXplorer's ImageConnect returns a 404.
This is the link I think you want: www.globexplorer.com/products/imageconnect-suite.shtml
" Market News Metris simultaneously acquires LK of Derby UK, 3D Scanners of London UK, and Arc Second of Virginia, USA at a cost of e35 million. Planit Holdings acquires Pathtrace and its EdgeCAM software. NavisWorks announces record results for 2005 with profits more than doubled that of previous year and revenue up by over 50%. Brand New CAD Books/eBooks "SolidWorks for the Sheet Metal Guy, Course 1: Part
Creation"
"IntelliCAD: The Un-AutoCAD" WorthWhile Web http://catb.org/~esr/jargon/html/index.html
http://www.guden.com/3dcad.asp
Spin Doctor of the Moment "I wouldn't fly in an airplane that was designed from a
PDF." Notable Quotable "Those who do not understand Unix are condemned to reinvent
it, poorly."
Copyright 2006 by upFront.eZine Publishing, Ltd. All rights reserved worldwide Article reprint fee US$250.00.
All trademarks belong to their respective holders. "upFront.eZine,"
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