|
upFront.eZine |
|
|
a
publication from |
|
|
Issue #467 : : March 28, 2006 |
|
|
C o n t e n t s New Directions for TurboCAD MicroStation
Exports to Google Earth 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. |
|
|
|
|
New Directions for TurboCAD R12 It would seem that new directions are coming to the 20-year-old TurboCAD franchise. There are the strong sales of TurboCAD for Mac, a wholesale rewrite of TurboCAD for Windows, and a possible spin off. IMSI Spinoff Reading between the lines of press releases, it appears that IMSI will soon rename itself Broadcaster.com and latch onto the video-streaming-over-Internet industry. As a result, I suspect that IMSI may well spin off its CAD software division as a separate company. That could be a good move, allowing executives of the new CAD company focus on CAD, instead of letting their attention wander all over the marketplace of software possibilities: - We're a discount CAD company! Focus, people. Please.
TurboCAD 12 The 12th release of TurboCAD on Windows ($895) is a mild one, feature-wise. There is the continued tweaking of 3D surface and solid modeling, constraints, and so on. The hottest new feature is the Bend command, which bends 3D parts at any angle, radius, and location. Holes are parametric, with optional countersinks. Architecturally, doors and windows are now smart. So smart, that you can draw an irregular outline within a parametric window and TurboCAD generates the new window, using the outline to define the glass and frame. Quite remarkable. Under the hood, there's been a massive rewrite. So 2D, for example, is now 3D with an overhead view. There's much better access to the parts tree. The Properties pane has more interactivity, such as the "soft dimensions" that show up in the drawing. For example, change the length of a rectangle in the pane: TurboCAD 12 shows you a temporary dimension in the drawing, so you know which part of the rectangle you're editing. TurboCAD used to be all-in-one CAD software, but IMSI has been gingerly branching into verticals. There's been CAD/CAM and animation add-ons available for a couple of years. With R12, IMSI plans flavors of TurboCAD: mechanical and architectural. They provide discipline-specific commands, ship with the product, cost $70 more, and are activated by entering a different serial number. Some features mentioned above are available only in the flavorized versions.
TurboCAD Mac When Maurice Botha showed up at my door, he was carrying TWO notebook computers in his backpack, PC and Mac. This was my first opportunity to see the Macintosh version of TurboCAD -- which shares only the name with the PC software. The Mac version is written by a team of Texan programmers under the leadership of Tim Olsen of CADSoft Solutions and its Concepts Unlimited CAD software for the Mac. He's better known as the programmer formerly behind Vellum CAD from Ashlar. For the 2D-only version ($99), IMSI see potential in technical diagramming, because it reads 3D STEP, IGES, and CATIA files, and can generate front-side-top-iso views automatically, as well as sliced views. The 2D views can be exported through DXF to other documentation software. The 3D version ($495) handles surfaces and solids. www.imsisoft.com/all_products.asp
MicroStation Exports to Google Earth This is not a new story: CAD vendor writes KML exporter to place its 3D models in Google Earth. Bentley Systems hopes its version becomes the universal CAD and GIS system, because it:
This image < www.upfrontezine.com/figs/mstn-earth.jpg > (256KB) shows a 3D MicroStation drawing on a 2D PDF floorplan in Google Earth @Last Software announced its acquisition by Google the day before Bentley's press conference -- for the same technology: 3D CAD drawings in Google Earth. While Bentley execs claimed the timing was not a problem, the event highlighted more than ever that the Internet is the great leveler.
Q&A During the conference call, members of the CAD and GIS media asked questions of Bentley executives, as paraphrased below: Q: Are there access privileges in the KML data? Q: Is redlining available in Google Earth, and can MicroStation
receive feedback from Earth? Q: Does Google Earth Pro need to be purchased? Q: Does Bentley have a business relationship with Google? Q: How does Earth know coordinates from MicroStation? Q: Are huge CAD files a problem when sent over the Internet
and then placed in Google Earth? - - - The KML exporter is available now as a free download for MicroStation V8 subscribers, and will ship with MicroStation XM in May. The following Web page has a sample KML file of Bentley's head office in Exton PA USA: www.bentley.com/en-US/Products/MicroStation/Google%20Earth%20Tools/Overview.htm [KML = Keyhole Markup Language (Google Earth was developed by Keyhole), and KMZ = compressed version of KML.] A summary of CAD industry news you may not have read elsewhere, or that I found interesting: The press release headlines make it official:
Autodesk raised the price of AutoCAD 2007: US$3,995. The price matches that of SolidWorks. Is Autodesk declaring that its 3D-ized general CAD package is as good as a dedicated 3D mechanical modeler? www.autodesk.com/estore - - - ZiPCAD|Pro adds a punchlist tool for creating punch list reports accurately. www.zipcad.com Right Hemisphere updates Deep Exploration with a CAD Edition that translates CAD models into even smaller formats. Also new: advanced lighting, UV mapping, shadows, and materials palette extensions. www.righthemisphere.com CADLock starts up a public discussion group at www.cadlock.com/support UGS ships Tecnomatix v7.6 digital manufacturing software. New features include robotic process simulation, quoting tool, and technical publications. www.ugs.com/products/tecnomatix Pathtrace's latest release of EdgeCAM v10.5 features 4-and 5-axis simultaneous machining. www.edgecam.com ThinAnywhere has a new Ctrix plug-in (US$299) to improve the performance of 3D OpenGL applications running on Citrix Windows servers. www.thinanywhere.com And Actify announces SpinFire Professional 8.0 with PMI an notation, new user interface, new API, and more. Ships in mid-April for US$495. Demo at www.actify.com - - - These news items were posted during the last week at the WorldCAD Access blog <worldcadaccess.typepad.com>:
Seminars & Conferences 21st International Forum on Design for Manufacture and Assembly is June 20-21 in Providence RI. www.dfma.com/forum
People/Companies on the Move Bentley acquires Logos for its PlantSpace Isometrics software for as-built piping isometrics. /www.logos.nl EVOQE celebrates the 15th anniversary of its solidThinking software.
Market News Delcam increased 2005 sales to £24.0 million [roughly US$48 million], up over the previous year. Before-tax profits nearly doubled to £2.3 million. EVOQE reports revenues increased 60% in 2005 over the previous year. Adobe had record revenues of US$655.5 million in 1Q06, up from $472.9 million a year earlier. Net income fell to $105.1 million from a $151.9 million a year earlier. WorthWhile Web www.the-bc.com www.theregister.co.uk/2006/03/23/britannica_wikipedia_nature_study
Spin Doctor of the Momement "There is no slip in schedule, just a change in delivery
for the benefit of consumers and retailers." Notable Quotable "Microsoft Vista rating system tells you if your PC's useless.
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"
are trademarks of upFront.eZinePublishing, Ltd. |
|
|
|
|
