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Issue #518 : : May 15, 2007 |
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In this issue: Solid
Edge V20 from UGS Update
on Graphisoft Out of the Inbox, and other regular columns. |
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A few weeks ago UGS called to describe NX 5, its high-end CAD system, a product the company is finally marketing again. With a price that dips into Solid Edge territory at the low-end, I asked why customers would prefer one over the other. NX is more for connected workplaces, Solid Edge for stand-alone stations, the NX people told me. NX or SE? Impertinently asking the same question of the Solid Edge people, I got a similar answer. They see the market in three categories:
...depending on how the client's processes are set up. If the site is Windows-only and wants a process dictated to them, then Solid Edge is the answer. If the site is more flexible OS-wise and already has its own processes, then NX is the solution. How much technology do the NX and Solid Edge teams exchange with each other? Some. For instance, Solid Edge uses NX's sheet metal design, while NX borrows from Solid Edge's wire harness knowledge. Velocity In any case, UGS doesn't like refering to Solid Edge. They'd rather you concentrate on Velocity, the collection of software that includes Solid Edge for 3D CAD designs, Teamcenter Express for mid-market PLM, FeMap for finite element analysis, and NX CAM Express for computer-aided manufacturing. Nevertheless, this particular Web conference call was about Solid Edge V20 and its 170+ enhancements... ...which I cannot cover all here, so I'll provide some highlights. Component groups collect parts and sub-assemblies into groups and sub-groups. An engine block head with 8 bolts can group the 8 together, reducing clutter in the history tree. UGS says the 64-bit version of Solid Edge can now open 100,000-part assemblies UGS showed me a method of establishing relationships between objects that reminded me of connectors in the now-abandoned Actix software. The connectors more easily design conveyor systems for factory floors, for instance. Teamcenter is more efficient for remote operations. That's where you have all CAD models on a remote server, which is accessed by numerous offices scattered about the globe. For faster performance, TeamCenter loads real or virtual parts -- virtual parts being graphical representations. The new Structure Editor lets you reuse assemblies, and save them in modified form. Also related to faster opening is Drawing Review, which displays 2D drawings quickly, without any need for the 3D model. That's because Solid Edge generates 2D drawings at the same time that you are constructing the 3D model. Unique Features A feature unique to V20, according to UGS, is "zones" -- 3D envelopes that isolate parts and assemblies. Loading a zone is faster than loading the entire model. Turning on a zone loads its parts into memory; zones can be instantly toggled on and off. Also unique is AutoConstrain, which adds parametric constraints to any imported drawing. This is a semi-automatic process: you select the parts, define constraints, and SE applies them en masse. The software ships in June, with Vista, OpenGL, and DirectX support. The price remains the same, but a new Catia 5 translator is extra-cost.www.solidedge.com
Patrick Mays is the new vp of Graphisoft's North American operations, been in the job for just six months. A registered architect, he is a former principal and chief information officer at architectural firm NBBJ. Last week he called to tell me about the current goings-on at Graphisoft and its ArchiCAD software. Nemetschek and Graphisoft Nemetschek of Germany recently bought most of Graphisoft, which is headquartered in Hungary. Mr Mays explained that Nemetschek is actually a financial holding company with 27 subsidiaries, of which Graphisoft is an independent subsidiary. Independent enough that some 25% of its shares are still traded on the stock exchange. In North America, Nemetschek plans to keep selling VectorWorks as the 3D surface modeler and ArchiCAD as the 3D parametric modeler. Allplan stays out of the market here, after failing to make a foothold back in 1999. Following the acquisition, the primary change to Graphisoft was spinning off its construction software as Vico Software. With Mark Sawyer of SketchUp fame as its ceo, the 65-person company markets Constructor, Estimator, 5D Presenter, and other software to the construction industry. It primarily sells services, but Nemetschek prefers to sell products. www.vicosoftware.com/products/ ArchiCAD 11 The point of fame for ArchiCAD is in being the first parametric modeler for architecture, a building information modeler before the BIM acronym was invented. The software's original emphasis has been 3D, and so Release 11 goes "backwards" by releasing a host of 2D features. There is the new Virtual Trace feature, a method of overlaying files in a manner similar to tracing paper. To compare versions, you overlay imported files (such as DWG and PDF), sections, and elevations. Visual Compare sounds similar, but uses a unique wiper tool to color-compare additions, deletions, and changes between two files. Mr Mays pointed out that this is actually Vico's Change Manager integrated into ArchiCAD. Interior Elevations is also new. Offset the interiors of rooms to generate interior elevations, which can then be dragged onto sheets. The new Worksheet tool automatically adds more sheets as additional elevations are generated. Earlier ArchiCADs used hotlinks to propagate changes within floors; Release 11 now makes the changes vertically, between floors. Complex elements geometry allows you to dynamically manipulate curved and cantered walls; in addition, doors and windows understand the new curves and tapers by adjusting themselves accordingly. ArchiCAD 11 gets released 17 May and becomes available in North America on 1 June. This fall, you can expect announcements of further add-ons to ArchiCAD, including some in the area of analysis from third-party developers. http://www.graphisoft.com/products/archicad/ac11/ The Google Link to BIM Not included with ArchiCAD 11 is the new bi-directional link with Google Earth Warehouse/SketchUp. I asked Mr Mays what benefit this has for ArchiCAD users, particularly in light of the company's own GDL system of object definitions. He quotes a study by the AIA indicating that only 10% of architectural firms use BIM in any form for billable work. This leads Mr Mays to believe that BIM is just not as widespread as its visibility implies. He thinks that just 2-3% of architects have the skill to use 3D parametric modeling; one could be lead to believe that most architects continue to use 2D drafting. Thus, the strong emphasis on 2D in ArchiCAD 11 and the link to Google Warehouse, which lets architects access pre-drawn 3D models. They don't need to make everything themselves. Does GDL have a future, I wondered? To answer, Mr Mays pointed to a statement by Nemetschek earlier in the year committing itself to open standards and interoperability. Last week it had a press release on IFCs; and another on PDF. Mr Mays sees the parametric ArchiCAD, the surface modeling VectorWorks, and the solids-based Allplan somehow linking with Acrobat 8's 3D capabilities. www.graphisoft.com/products/archicad/solutions/google_earth_connection.html [Announcements of new and updated products.] - - - Fill out a 16-question survey on your perception of BIM's impact on the construction phase of facilities management: www.zoomerang.com/survey.zgi?p=WEB226DY9574LN . The survey is conducted by the University of Florida's School of Building Construction and the National Institute of Building Sciences' Facility Information Council. The IntelliCAD Technical Consortium plans to ship IntelliCAD v6.4 in two weeks, featuring round-trip compatibility with AutoCAD 2008 DWG. The alpha of IntelliCAD 7 becomes available this summer, featuring a new API to make it easier to write third-party applications. www.intellicad.org Due to ship by the end of the summer, VX v15 features a new mechanical simulation module, new filleting engine, dynamic object slicing, and Smoothflow for minimized CAM tool wear. www.vx.com Document Systems releases the no-charge OpenPCL document viewer that displays PCL files, which are generated by HP laser printer drivers. Download from www.docmagic.com AllwaySync'n'Go software can be installed on "any" removable device: USB flash drives, digital cameras, MP3 players, and more. It synchronizes multiple files and folders stored in one or multiple computers. Freeware from allwaysync.com/download.html Pinion Software launches ShareSafe Desktop-Engineering Edition for protecting native CAD and viewing formats, engineering data, and popular business files. www.pinionsoftware.com Creaform's CAA-based software lets CATIA read surfaces scanned by the Handyscan 3D in realtime. www.creaform3d.com InterCAD releases AxisVM v8.3 for import/export files from other CAD software in IFC, DXF, CIS/2 or DWG formats, and connect from within the model to outside programs or documents. Autodesk previews translators for Inventor 2008 at http://labs.autodesk.com : ParaSolid versions 9 - 18, UG-NX v3 - 4, Pro/E Wildfire v1- 3, and PTC Granite v1 - 4. Dassault Systemes integrates ENOVIA MatrixOne with Adobe's Illustrator, to ship sometime in June. http://www.3ds.com FreeDesign gets US patent 7196702 for its unique n-sided surface generation technology. http://www.freedesign-inc.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:
Seminars & Conferences DIME Rhino 4.0 is June 1-2 in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. (I'll be attending this event.) www2.mcneel.com/tradeshows/tradeshows.asp
People/Companies on the Move Avatech Solutions names George Davis as its president and ceo. Mr Davis is the company's former executive vice chairman, and replaces the retiring Scotty Walsh. Both continue to serve on the company's board of directors. Engineered Software celebrates the 25th anniversary of its founding by Carolyn Popp and Ray Hardee. The company writes software for simulating fluid piping systems. The first computer the fluid piping software ran on was the Osborne OS-1: $1,995 in 1982 dollars for an 8-bit 2MHz Z-80 CP with 64Kbytes of memory, two 5.25" floppy drives, and built-in monitor. [As I recall, the monitor displayed just 56 characters wide, when most software expected 80 characters, resulting in a lot of scrolling back and forth.] www.pump-flo.com Market News Rand A Technology Corp reports Q1 revenues increased to CDN$33.1 million, up 20.6% from a year earlier. The lion's share of revenue is from its IMAGINiT Technologies division, which were up 27.3% to $27.8 million. Net earnings were $0.4 million, down from $1.1 million a year ago.
WorthWhile Web http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20070504.wleah0505/BNStory/lifeStyle/home
http://www.codinghorror.com/blog/archives/000845.html
Letters to the Editor Re: 'Our Second Life Island is Hip' "Second Life reminds me of a demo at Autodesk years ago of the cyberspace technology they dabbled in in the late 80s. The guy doing the demo was going on about how you could go to all these neat virtual worlds, like under the sea. One guy watching asked if he could see other creatures and interact with them, like a fish or a lobster. The demo jock said, Not only that, you could BE the lobster! "The excitement level increased, and then another guy asked if he could run his Mac in cyberspace. The demo jock said yes, he could! Then some unimaginative fellow asked why you wouldn't just take off the goggles and run your real Mac. The demo jock paused for a moment, fidgeted with the data glove he was wearing, and then started talking about the lobster again. Maybe I am getting jaded. "On another note, I have to comment on 3D Live from Dassault:
3D software on the Internet, with chat no less, is cool! Alibre
has been offering an online peer-to-peer 3D system since 2000. It's
called Alibre Design, and it costs less than [Dassault's price of]
$1,000 a license."
"Second life -- hmmm... perhaps the 'Matrix' exists. Thinking
is easier than doing." - - - Re: Las Vegas Moments "I just
wanted to let you know how much I enjoyed reading your Las Vegas
moments. My favorite part was the tip about reselling jewelry
from pawn shops. Thanks for a good afternoon chuckle." "LOL! I'd expect this [comment on Randall Newon's jacket]
from Southwest, but great to see it on Alaska." The editor replies: "If you haven't seen it yet, there's a photo Randall Newton in the jacket at worldcadaccess.typepad.com/blog/2007/05/at_coeday_2.html (scroll down)." Mr Curran responds: "I think the Tom Wolfe of the CAD industry is in the making. http://tinyurl.com/yd929z ."
"Mr Bunshaft said, 'IBM is willing to entertain acquisitions
that are complimentary.' They may indeed be complimentary but I'll
bet he would prefer those that were complementary." The editor replies, "I guess he just mispronounced it <g>."
- - -
Re: Inventor LT "I tried to download the 'free' Inventor LT. Only for UK
and US, I was told. I contacted the local Autodesk reseller, but
they had never heard of it. I searched the net and now I know it
will cost close to US$1,000 and doesn't have important features
like assemblies. Compare that to Alibre Xpress." The editor responds: "This LT is still in beta stage."
- - -
Re: Bentley User Conferences "Did you attend the BE in Los Angeles? I'm curious how many of the state agencies (departments of transportation, mostly) and other public sector groups attended. Bentley added the significant hurdle by charging separately for the training ($700-900) and for attendance ($500). "In our case, the budget for the trip is set a year in advance,
and the extra cost couldn't be covered. It's not a unrealistic change
-- just curious how well it was received." The editor replies: "No, because I was not invited." Mr Hruby responds: "I didn't know you had to be invited." The editor explains: "You cannot just show up and expect media accreditation. CAD vendors handpick which media get to attend by issuing invitations months in advance. Sometimes the invitation list is very limited, like the attendance of Tenlinks' Roopinder Tara at the Delcam event last week. Other times, CAD vendors wish to make as big a splash as possible, such as SolidWorks having over 100 media and bloggers at their New Orleans event earlier this year. "But it goes both ways. I sometimes receive invitations to CAD events that I regretfully turn down, usually because of schedule conflicts. (I feel bad for a vendor who scheduled a press event in June with just one month's notice; I don't think many media will show up, due to us being quite booked for June.) As well, I limit my travel to one trip a month for family reasons."
- - - Re: 12th Anniversary Issue "Congratulations on 12 years!!"
Spin Doctor of the Moment "Motorola's going to own Seamless Mobility, where today's
hottest technology is converging -- where the Mobile Me lives --
where mobile broadband means everything everywhere and anything
anywhere."
Notable Quotable "Most developers don't give a whit about how much power
their software consumes. After all, the processor is running anyway;
why not use it? The result: most developers are happy to burn processor
cycles to get their jobs done, since they view them as having no
cost."
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