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Issue #4632 : : February 28, 2006 |
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C o n t e n t s Pain vs Logic: Readers Respond
Inventor Is/Is-Not High End CAD
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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Pain vs. Logic: Readers Respond When I wrote on the pain it takes to move to 3D, I forgot that 2D makes perfect sense for numerous applications. My readers, however, did not forget:
"Regarding your section on 'Pain vs. Logic,' (moving from 2d to 3d): "I cringe each time I hear that logic given. It is narrow-minded to assume that 3D fits all situations. There are still many areas where 2D is not only more convenient, but optimal. "If you can sketch something sufficiently to depict the intent and detail, then 2D is enough. Maybe we don't need to run FEA or do renderings. For those who need that, fine; I sometimes do. But rarely. "Most of the design work I'm handed would be stupid and dangerous to suggest doing in 3D. I'd be fired for using up time (and added software cost) with no payback on the other end. "For those that do nothing but 3D this will make them roll
their eyes. Oh well. Life is full of variations and we have to adapt
or die. If anyone really needs examples to demonstrate where 2D
works let me know. I can list plenty."
"I am sure you will be overwhelmed by the 2D crowd, but it always surprises me that the official opinion seems to be that 2D is obsolete. I think it has really hindered development over the years. "It took forever to get basic 2D tools from Autodesk, like block managers, block editors, built-in viewers, file management, BOM editors -- wait, we still don't have it. Autodesk announced around 1990 they were going 'to move all their users to 3D'. "I think those who push 3D CAD as better than 2D in all cases (and 2D holdouts as being stubborn and emotional changeophobics) are themselves refusing to learn. It's an industry push by those with the most to gain: the developers and salesmen. "The dividing line between 3D and 2D has always been between
mass production and one-off engineering. 2D drafting is graphic
shorthand; it does not have to be visually accurate; it's an instruction
on how to build. I just don't see many 3D drawings coming in for
engineers to order structures, and I don't think it's because everybody
wants to do it the hard way."
"Most of us 2D users have found we can generate reliable drawings for manufacture or construction in a timely and cost effective manner with our 2D programs. We do not need FEA or rendering. Some people may find BOM options useful, but they do not help with my floor plans, because I need to make my equipment lists first to determine what I am putting on the drawing. "Companies that make 3D software do not want to see this logic. They are enamored with the bells and whistles they add to 3D packages. They prefer to sell $3,000-to-$5,000 3D packages, rather than $200-to-$800 2D packages. "The marketplace is determining where 3D makes sense.
Those of us that see the benefits of 2D have made a logical, not
emotional choice."
Inventor Is/Is-Not High-End CAD On WorldCAD Access, I wondered if Autodesk might release a high-end MCAD package in March. (See worldcadaccess.typepad.com/blog/2006/02/will_autodesk_s.html .) The reason? The company has no software to go against DS Catia, UGS NX, and PTC Pro/E. ("High-end" is defined as extensive in capabilities and expensive.) In upFront.eZine #461, Andrew Anagnost of Autodesk responded: "It's Inventor -- period. Inventor already delivers what users need to do their jobs today, and the so-called 'gap' with the high-end is more a ploy for justifying the prices of products that grew up on UNIX (while apologizing for the shortcomings of their user interfaces and workflows)." "Both UGS and DS have confused CAD strategies that will eventually force their users to choose one application over the other (CATIA over SWX or NX over SolidEdge). "In this respect we agree with PTC: A single CAD application is better. We just disagree on which one is right for the market today AND tomorrow. Our view is that Inventor is clearly the best choice." - - - And then some readers replied: "Who's confused? Autodesk has brought seven modelers to
market and made it very difficult and costly for many of us users
that had 3D needs." The editor notes: "Here's the ones I can think of:
"I look at CATIA and SolidWorks as something like Lexus and Toyota: they cater to different markets with some overlap. CATIA has tools that are very specialized for the industries they cater to, while Solidworks just concentrates on the core mechanical CAD component. They can exist side-by-side while sometimes competing, but, hey, would any company balk at having the number 1 and number 2 product in a particular market? I think not. "I think Dassault allowing Solidworks to keep its corporate identity allows it to flourish. You don't feel like you are just buying one of Dassault's products; you are buying SolidWorks from SolidWorks. "UGS's way of selling Solid Edge shows the opposite. They are stifling a great product due to their sales force wanting customers to buy NX instead, because it means more $$$. Hopefully they have realized this [with the new Velocity Series] and let Solid Edge be itself. Time will tell. "Anagnost's comment that Inventor is the next generation, while other venders just built Pro/Engineer knockoffs with a Windows GUI, is more marketing spin. Pro/E pioneered the parametric modeling method that now predominates in SolidWorks, Solid Edge, and, yes, Inventor. Fact is, Autodesk was caught with their pants down while the creators of SolidWorks and Solid Edge saw a market opportunity. Does anyone remember Autodesk's failed attempt to enter this market with Mechanical Desktop? Then along come Inventor written from scratch. "The large pool of loyal AutoCAD users and cheap upgrades is the only reason Inventor has made it this far. I'm sure it's a good product, but so are many others that there are struggling in this crowded market. "The best thing Autodesk brings to the table is competition
that keeps giving us users more and more features and tools for
little to no additional cost."
"If anything, I see Autodesk pushing SolidWorks into the high-end as well, since they are neck and neck, and at each other's throats. "The next acquisition for Autodesk is most likely going to be manufacturing (CAM) related. This means pushing SolidWorks to do the same. Or perhaps SolidWorks may jump the gun and purchase someone before Autodesk does -- CAMWorks anyone? "CosmosMotion will be added to SolidWorks Premium at no additional cost. Why? Cause Autodesk bought a product to add to Inventor Pro that does motion. "Question is cost and packaging: Autodesk upset their customers by adding the Pro version after telling them that Inventor would be all they would ever need. CAM programs aren't cheap; can they afford to just add it to Pro? Do these CAM people even really need the rest of what's in the package? "If anything, the mid-range systems are becoming more high-end,
and they are including stuff for a lower price. Look at SolidWorks
Premium now: for $8,000 (+$2,000 maint) you get all SolidWorks add-ins,
plus PDM, routing, FEA, and now motion analysis. The same set of
tools in CATIA or NX would cost 4x that."
"Inventor Pro is as high as it gets. If Autodesk gets a
high-end system, they won't wait to build one up over the years;
they buy something and then Autodesk-ize it. Has anyone checked
the classifieds to see what's available?" - - - See also www.evanyares.com/the-cad-industry/2006/2/21/is-cam-part-of-high-end-cad.html for Evan Yares' definition of high-end CAD. A summary of CAD industry news you may not have read elsewhere, or that I found interesting: Moldflow's Communicator is an injection molding simulation viewer -- and not a static 3D viewer. It helps you understand the assumptions behind sets of analysis results. Moldflow will unveil it on Wednesday. CAD Schroer GmbH releases version 2003_350 of MEDEA for electrical power and control systems. www.cad-schroer.com DRCAUTO Software completes work on LT Toolkit Max (US$450), which allows AutoCAD LT to run Fast-Load AutoLISP (.fas), Visual LISP (.vlx), AutoLISP files (.lsp), ObjectARX files (.arx), and ObjectDBX files (.dbx) files. estore.drcauto.com/lttoolkitmax.htm - - - These news items were posted during the last week at the WorldCAD Access blog <worldcadaccess.typepad.com>:
Hardware News Matrox Graphics syas their Extio F1400 is the world's first remote graphics unit. The keyboard, mouse, monitor(s), audio peripherals, and graphics hardware are separated from the rest of the computer by up to 250 meters (820 feet) of fiber-optic cable. www.matrox.com/graphics/extio Digital Tigers has put together a 3x2 array of 24-inch LCD displays, giving an effective resolution of 5760x2400 -- the equivalent of a 13.8-megapixel display, if you don't mind the black bars. See a picture at www.engadget.com/2006/02/27/new-zenview-offers-six-24-inch-displays-as-one/ Seminars & Conferences Design/Simulation Integration Workshop is Mar 15 at The Georgia Tech Hotel & Conference Center. cpd-associates.com/pdfs/agenda/include_AtlantaAgenda_0306.cfm Redo After I complained that Archibus's press release didn't include a link to their Web portal, Robert Visser of Visser Software Services provided this one: www.vissersw.com:8080/archibus WorthWhile Web http://www.oldversion.com/
Letters to the Editor Re: There's More to Life Than CAD "This is an issue I've been grappling with for over 10 years now, ever since I started my own business. Like yourself, I've worn several hats, in my case: civil engineer, writer/author, and CAD programmer. I've constantly been searching for that perfect combination of work and personal life. I can't say that I've yet found it, but I think the key word for me is 'balance.' Work too hard and family life suffers; lighten up too much and professional life suffers; cut back on sleep and health suffers. "For now, I just keep reminding myself of my priorities:
faith, family, and work -- in that order -- and things seem to work
out. I now have a teenager and realize how short the time is with
my kids. In a few years, maybe I'll be able to adjust my schedule
accordingly, but for now life is a balancing act, and I try to count
my blessings for it." The editor responds: "My wife and I have an understanding: for several months each year, I get to work 14-16 hours a day, 6-7 days a week, in exchange for working normal hours the rest of the year."
"One of the blessings I've had in life, besides the obvious fact that I married way over my head, is that I married later in life. I was 35 when I met my wife (a widow) and 36 when we married. "I'm still not convinced, after four years, that she's not going to find someone better than I and drop me like a hot potato. My insecurity shows sometimes, I'm sure. I'm still trying to connect with her children, now 17 and almost 19, but it's not easy being the new man in her life. "My life before them, was work, friends, house, golf -- not necessarily in that order -- but I was free to work as many hours as I could or wanted to. That has been a huge adjustment for me. I work in the architecture field as a job captain, I've been doing this for over 20 years, and as anyone in architecture can tell you, all project owners want their projects done yesterday. I could easily work 60+ hours/ week and still not get caught up. The trick is to not let that happen, too often anyway. "I think in our four years of marriage, we've found a nice balance. Not necessarily with the children; as they get older, they aren't as interested in getting to know me, so I'm just waiting in the shadows and helping out when I can. If they want my advice, I'll share it with them. My wife and I make it a point to take a long weekend every 6-8 weeks, just to get in the car and drive somewhere and spend the weekend talking, holding hands, and just enjoying each others company. "It took a couple of years to figure that out but maybe
we're ahead of the curve. I'm sure it hasn't hurt our relationship
that she was married to her late husband for over 17 years so she
has a much better understanding of what works and what doesn't." The editor replies: "That had been my grandfather's advice: marry a rich widow <g>. As for teenagers, recognize that they tend to be self-obsessed: the main thing that matters to them is their friends (or lack thereof); parents are useful only when helping out the teenager. At some point, they will finally notice you, especially when you treat their mother well."
"Although I am no longer in the CAD industry, I continue to read your eZine. I can't tell you how much it meant for me to read your article about 'There's more to life than CAD.' BRAVO!!! My husband and I have been married for 20 years and we have a teenager, a 10-year-old, and an 8-year-old. I can't agree with you more when you give advice about keeping up the communication. It is the foundation which holds the structure of marriage and those teenage years together. "I often tell my friends that this communication allows the teenager to at least feel a constant love and security with the relationship with their parents at a time when the security of friendships may vary from day to day. "I also appreciate your encouraging words for more men to
seek friendships with other men. Thank you for taking the time to
include such wisdom in eZine."
"Traveling and long hours are an important part of the type of career we follow. I feel it's important to note that it's not restricted to executives though. There are many regular joes -- CAD Managers, engineers, architects -- out there who feel pressured into the same type of self-destructive work-cycle. "I've been researching this as part of a CAD survey I'm doing at the moment and it's interesting to see the same concerns at all levels. Running a business is a different commitment, sure, but it's no more or less important that delivering a project, getting drawings out the door or being available for a client presentation. "There are those of us who can't take their families on business trips for various reasons (wife's job, kids' ages, out for a few hours then back again, etc). I've found the key is to maintain a balance (working from home sure helps!) and try to find quality time to dedicate to the family. It's never enough but whatever you can do helps, don't you think? "And if you're going on holiday, go on holiday and leave the laptop at home! The world won't stop turning if you're not contactable for a week." - Nigel Davies
"I am reminded of working for a guy who owned a finishing carpentry business. Somehow a conversation started, with me asking why he worked so hard. He told me that he was doing it to give his young children the security and things that he didn't have as a kid. "The problem was that he was up and out of the house before they woke up, and they were already in bed sleeping by the time he got home. Basically they never saw him. Financial benefit to losing time with your kids? Don't think so. "For anyone who is thinking of setting up their own business,
don't fall into a belief that you are your own boss. In actuality
you have three bosses: the client who wants everything for less,
but won't want to pay on time; the bank who _does_ want you to pay
on time; and the government who could not care whether the client
paid or you paid the bank -- they want their cut NOW and they have
the power over the first two!" Spin Doctor of the Moment "It is undeniable that music software and services are moving
increasingly off the hard drive and onto the Web."
Notable Quotable "It's obvious why Google would want to mine your personal
data and take it on their own servers without paying you (and charge
you a toll to use it). It's not obvious how this helps a user."
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,"
"Talking About CAD," and "On your desktop every Tuesday morning"
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