|
upFront.eZine |
|
|
a publication from |
|
|
Issue #492 : : October 24, 2006 |
|
|
C o n t e n t s
Where IntelliCAD is Headed think3 Responds: think3
thinks2
Readers Respond: My Dinner
with Buzz Below the Radar, and the other regular columns. |
Write the editor. Through Paypal donate $25 to upFront.eZine. Access nearly-daily CAD commentary at our Weblog: WorldCAD Access. |
|
|
|
|
It began as an insurance policy: AutoCAD's largest third-party developer wanted backup in the event Autodesk decided to pull support from Softdesk, as it had with Cyco, another prominent third-party developer. IntelliCADD (two Ds) was the secret AutoCAD clone that became a hot potato after Autodesk acquired Softdesk. Eventually, Visio got IntelliCAD (one D), and it also got the FCC to prevent Autodesk from interfering with the nascent software for ten years. Once Visio discovered the difficulty of building CAD software, however, they spun it off to the non-profit IntelliCAD Technology Consortium they created in 1999 to shepherd its future development. That's how our industry comes to have the curious arrangement of 50 CAD companies on four continents competing with each other by using the same software. Or, as ITC president Arnold van der Weide put it: cooperating with each other within the consortium, competing with each other outside. I suppose this is not so different from multiple developers of similar add-on products targeting the same CAD system. The IntelliCAD World Conference lets ITC speak to its constituents as well as the media, and, through them, to competitors and possible new members. The message of year's conference was the transition of IntelliCAD from AutoCAD wanna-be to being "it's own man." The ITC has finally understood that creating a clone of AutoCAD isn't possible -- a $1 million-a-year entity doesn't have the resources of one that makes 1,800x as much. Just mimicking AutoCAD 2007's 60+ new system variables is full-time work for one programmer. And there are commands added to AutoCAD ten years ago that still aren't in IntelliCAD, such as multilines. The solution devised by the ITC is two-fold: (1) split the task; and then (2) abandon the task.
Split the Task The first solution is splitting the task. Because it's difficult to clone AutoCAD, then divide the work among organizations. The ITC has more closely joined forces with the Open Design Alliance. The ODA specializes in decoding AutoCAD's DWG files and, more recently, cloning AutoCAD's ObjectARx programming interface with DRX. With some of the work "outsourced," the ITC can concentrate on IntelliCAD's user interface and command set. This sharing of tasks comes as no surprise once you realize that both organizations have the same origin: the Visio that created ITC had previously created the Open DWG Alliance (since renamed to Open Design Alliance) -- with the same goal: Stick It to Autodesk. (Indeed, the day the ITC conference began, word leaked that the ITC's president was now also the acting president of the ODA following the ouster of Evan Yares < aecnews.com/news/2006/10/11/2049.aspx >) The task of decoding DWG files is becoming more difficult. For 2007, the ODA had to get past forms of encryption, while future versions of DWG will integrate data from Inventor and possibly other Autodesk programs. Meanwhile, the ODA plans to add support for Diesel and LISP, faster clipping, and support for other apps, such as Civil 3D and Land Desktop.
Abandon the Task The second solution to the problem of AutoCAD compatibility is abandoning the task. Since it's not possible to fully clone AutoCAD, then don't. ITC's development director, Dave Lorenzo, sees a time when IntelliCAD no longer follows AutoCAD, but strikes out in its own direction, adding commands that its members need to satisfy their customers. For now, however, AutoCAD provides a useful template of the kinds of commands and user interface aids that a CAD package should contain. For example, IntelliCAD v7 (due out in a year's time) will add gradient fills, transparency, multilines, custom objects, object enablers, support for Autodesk-generated custom objects and proxies, XML-based customizable user interfaces, higher-level grips editing, and support for multiple display standards, such as OpenGL, HOOPS, and DirectX. At the conference, progeSoft announced progeCAD 2006 Professional, which supports drawings created by Architectural Desktop and Mechanical Desktop. < www.progesoft.com >
For More Information During the ITC conference, I blogged live several speakers on WorldCAD Access:
Also, consider reading the 72-page whitepaper, "IntelliCAD: The Un-AutoCAD," available for purchase from www.upfrontezine.com/research Links: [Disclosure: The ITC provided hotel accomodation and meals.] Over on WorldCAD Access, I reported on the latest entry to free CAD: free2Design from think3 <worldcadaccess.typepad.com/blog/2006/10/think3_thinks2.html>. Eugenio Vacca responded to my observations:
"free2Design is essentially a non-profit initiative. We want to create an independent community of users (initially backed strongly by us in terms of end-user support, of course), and promote free2Design as a platform to develop community driven verticalizations (as we make available API access for free, too). "That's why we set up a .org web site, but we clearly state it's a think3 initiative, as there's also our corporate logo on the home page."
"I suggest that you not block log file uploads, as they're a means, for us, to understand which are the most-used commands, and lets our development team focus on improving those areas; of course users can block this upload and the software will continue to work without any restriction."
"The software has been developed with emerging markets in mind, but the registration is available in most of the countries in the so-called 'developed' world, too."
"The number of members you find on the home page is not directly tied to the number of users/licenses, as you can register multiple computers with the same username/password."
"Thanks for your comments about the improvements on DXF/DWF translation. I forwarded them to our R&D team. Please, to help the community, post any advice or suggestion you have on community forums at www.free2design.org/ " [Eugenio Vacca is senior PLM product manager at think3.]
Readers
Respond: "With all due respect to Autodesk's Mr White, I don't think he's asking the right questions if he doesn't see demand for geometric searches. The average end user, while talented, is emersed in their day to day work. They typically are not visionaries when it comes to software development and how it can apply to their day to day activities. "On the flip side, most software developers don't understand the needs and world designers live in, and is why software often falls short. As I see it that's where people like Mr. Anagnost come in, a visionary who can help bridge that gap. "It could be argued that if Mr Anagnost is successful with Autodesk's implementation of functional design, than there would be no demand, as Mr. White suggests, for 'searching' for parts based on geometric shape or size. That's because a functional design wizard would make creating those parts virtually instant. After all, the basis for searching by shape or size while designing is largely an exercise in efficiency. A designer doesn't want to re-invent the wheel. This will work well for a lot of things, such as the conveyor example you were shown. "However, there's a lot of us that are designing things that are truly unique each and every time. Things that 'functional design' will never address because the function is unique. "The reality is, however, that there are similarities in the design and geometric shape despite the function being unique. It's in these cases where geometric searches would be extremely beneficial and I suspect Mr. White isn't seeing the full extent of that need. "Working for a company that custom fabricates over 1.5 million pieces of cut-stone a year, you better believe we've made similar pieces of just about everything in the past at some point. And this doesn't even begin to explore how the underlying technology used by geometry searching, shape, and feature recognition could apply in other areas -- such as functional design. "Imagine a functional design wizard that's smart enough
to recycle your previously designed parts. Theoretically, such a
wizard could allow someone to create a new design, using the maximum
number of already existing parts, helping reduce inventories, manufacturing
costs, etc."
"In regard to The Elimination of CAD: Challenge! I think this is dreaming at the most extreme level. "The parametric falls apart when for some reason, one needs to use a different part just because another is available and the one in the spec is not. Yes, some specific items can be reduced to parametrics and, in many cases, they save a lot of time. My product's macro language is famous for this sort of thing. "I believe that people who think that every construction process can be boiled down to a simple formula and automated by a CAD program are reaching for an unattainable utopia. If you follow the parallel, this is like the goal of getting speech recognition to be perfect. "There will always be the need for knowledgeable human elements and a quick easy way for them to edit whatever the parametric produces. If the computer could 'think' of all possible changes, options, variations, etc. and make a decision on the fly when needed, then you and I and many others would be out of a job. "Eliminate CAD? It's a tool, and a very good one. Why not
try to eliminate the spoon or knife or screwdriver?"
"You crack me up! No one else writes about riding around
in the vp's Corvette! If you ever come to Minneapolis, I'll give
you a ride in my Geo :-) "
"Like me, Richard Jones is British. Like, me, he does not
have an accent. It's everyone else who has the accent." The editor replies: "I thought it was us Canadians without the accent. Another cherished belief shattered."
"They bought you off. The second can of pop was the clue."
A summary of CAD industry news you may not have read elsewhere, or that I found interesting: - - - Sescoi's WorkNC v18 has dedicated 5-axis cycles for impeller, tube, and blade machining with 5-axis routines for rolling, trimming, and planar machining. It also automatically converts 3-axis toolpaths to 5-axis. www.sescoi.com ASCON launches a new motion simulation application, Animation Library for KOMPAS-3D. www.ascon.ru/english/?news=217 Dassault Systemes announces SmarTeam Design Express for Multi-CAD and smaller businesses. It automates product data and business processes, and works with SolidWorks, Inventor, Solid Edge, and Pro/ENGINEER. The company notes this is just their first step in a series of modular PLM components. www.3ds.com CAD Schroer Group releases MEDUSA4 Design Automation Suite v2.2 with a revamped P&ID module, full color raster support, DWG 2007 support, and more. www.cad-schroer.com ARCHIBUS updates ARCHIBUS/FM v16.2 with tighter AutoCAD integration, and is available in French, Spanish, and German. www.archibus.com Autodesk ships 3ds Max 9. Download 30-day trial from usa.autodesk.com/adsk/servlet/index?siteID=123112&id=5972446 Open CASCADE releases Open CASCADE Technology v6.1.1 with multithread safety in the kernel, surface modification and surface curvature analysis, and more. Download from www.opencascade.org/getocc/download/ COADE integrates its CADWorx Plant Professional plant design software with fieldPipe from Leica fieldPro. It lets you use Leica's fieldPipe laser capabilities to produce AutoCAD-based plant models. www.coade.com Archway Systems ships VersaCAD 2006 (US$795) for Macintosh computers with universal binary that runs on Intel or PowerPC Macs. www.versacad.com UGS and TechSoft3D integrated TS3D's HOOPS 3D Application Framework with the software development toolkit for UGS' JT data format. www.jtopen.com and www.techsoft3d.com - - - These news items were posted during the last week at the WorldCAD Access blog <worldcadaccess.typepad.com>:
Hardware News Graphtec GB cuts the price of their large-format 42" 600-dpi CAD scanner by up to 29% in Great Britain. www.scanners4cad.com
Seminars & Conferences Geomagic's Convergence 2007 conference is Feb 20-22 in Durham NC USA. www.geomagic.com 2nd annual 3DQuickPress International User Conference is Mar 22-23 in Chicago IL USA. www.3dquickpress.com Congress on the Future of Engineering Software is Apr 12-15 in Scottsdale AZ USA. apply.cofes.com Bentley's BE Conference 2007 for MicroStation users is Apr 29-May 3 in Los Angeles CA USA. BE Conference Europe is June 10-14 in London, England. www.be.org/beconference LMS Conference US is Mar 20-21 in Detroit MI USA. LMS Conference Europe is Apr 17-18 in Stuttgart Germany. LMS Conference Japan is Sep 12-13 in Tokyo. www.lmsintl.com
Magazine/eZine/Weblog Updates Randall Newton and Martyn Day launch their "TeamDWF" Web site at www.teamdwf.com. The site's founding sponsor is Autodesk.
People/Companies on the Move Gartner Dataquest closes its CAD market analysis group. Former Autodesk executive Jack Gao is appointed News Corp's vice president and chief executive officer of Star's China operations. Delcam appoints Sandy Moffat as FeatureCAM business development manager for Asia, promotes David You Bo to FeatureCAM business development manager for Greater China, Chai Kok Hoe for South-East Asia, and Belen de la Pena as FeatureCAM channel support engineer for Asia.
Computer News Summaries Autodesk warns customers to not install Microsoft's Internet Explorer v7, because the updated Web browser does not work with its DWF software: DWF Viewer and Design Review. See rcd.typepad.com/rcd/2006/10/another_reason_.html . [I always thought Autodesk and Microsoft worked together closely.]
Letters to the Editor Re: Redesigning the A380 "Carol Matlock at 'Business Week' clearly had her tongue firmly in her cheek when she wrote that Airbus 'will have to go back to the drawing board and redesign the wiring system.' "Perhaps if Airbus had been designing the plane on drawing
boards in the first place they would have spotted the error, or
would they merely have blamed the T-square!"
"'In this case, it's not the software that's at fault, but the project's managers and their decisions.' Tell me something I don't already know. Tell me something that isn't the NORM. "Has anybody figured in the HUMAN ERROR factor to all their
unrealistic hyped-up marketing schemes?"
Re: Engineering's a Yawner "One comment I've yet to see on the lack of engineering
graduates is the cost and length of time to get the degrees. Most
engineering programs in the mid-west are approaching 6six years
to finish and cost upwards of $40,000."
Re: Under the Radar "I noticed your comment on Alibre: 'Month after month, Alibre keeps advertising discounts on its CAD software -- this month, it's $500 off Alibre Design.' Forever the skeptic: should I read anything between the lines? "We like to keep the competition guessing, but I can tell you we are at 100% growth (OK, 97%) year over year, leads are through the roof, business outside of North America is growing even faster with us approaching 70 resellers worldwide, and the product shipping in 15 languages and the 16th coming. "These promotions work very well for us; it's a new business
model, a pull model. I would also venture to say that even with
a discount our operating margins are significantly better than most
established CAD companies."
Re: Tackling AutoCAD "Man, I'm curious about this. Who would fly to Bellingham Int'l Airport and not drive up from Seattle or drive to Sumas from Vancouver to meet you. "Only someone flying Delta would think it was convenient to fly into Bellingham. Who would fly Delta which flies to Bellingham from SLC? No one on the West Coast since United and Alaska dominate. So I narrow my cities to SLC, Dallas and Atlanta, all Delta hubs. "What CAD companies that are not a startup, exists around
SLC, Dallas and Atlanta. The only one that comes to mind that would
be crazy enough to want to take on Autodesk would be Alibre. Close?" The editor responds: "Alibre has been the most-guessed company, but you're not even close."
"No hint on the new (2D?) cad on the block?"
"Please tell your mysterious CAD vendor that the best way to beat AutoCAD, besides for 100% compatibility with .dwg, is 'interface, interface, interface.' It's like the 'location...' mantra for real estate. And the closer the interface is to Alfred Scott's Wildtools <www.seqair.com/CADArticles/CAD.html> for PowerCadd www.engsw.com> the better. "If I can get an architectural intern up and running in
two hours on PowerCadd, instead of two months on AutoCAD, I can
run a successful firm. However, nowadays 100% compatibility with
.dwg is an absolute requirement."
"Ah, blessed is AutoCAD. 2D, working in ACAD 2006, save
as ACAD 2000 then we can all use the same file. Oh d*mn, I'm working
in Inventor 11, save as IV11, or a different format!" - - - "Out of many newsletters and even more blogs yours is one
and only I keep reading since really lo-o-ng years. Keep going,
great job, wide radar screen." Notable Quotable
"My prrrrecious market share."
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. |
|
|
|
|