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upFront.eZine Publishing

Issue #522   :  :   June 12, 2007

In this issue:

Formula-Driven Design

Unbantu For a Few Days

Out of the Inbox, plus the other regular columns.
Make the editor smile. Write him.

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Formula-driven Design

In her AEC Weekly newsletter, Susan Smith last week reported on Bentley's BE user conference. In her report, this paragraph stuck me: "GenerativeComponents (GC ) is getting ready for commercial release and may be announced at the BE Conference in London. It has been in 'release candidate mode' for awhile, which means the software has been completed, the features are done, but the final testing processes are not finished yet."

Two phrases stuck out at me:

  • "For a while," indeed! I recall first reporting on it years ago at the BE 2002 conference. The five-year delay is substantial, and reminds me of the never-shipped Objective MicroStation.
  • "Not finished yet" reminded me of viewing a similar facility in Robert Mcneel's Rhino software two weeks ago. The difference is that the Rhino version is shipping.

It is called "script animations" and the 3D shapes are generated using VisualBasic-based RhinoScript. I have two pictures for you from the Rhino press event:

The programming interface uses customizable modules that are linked to each other,
and then the output drives the 3D model in Rhino.

 

Some of the resulting 3D models from using script animations.

You can see 3D models that are much more dramatic at the TheVeryMany blog.

Marius Watz of Generator.x comments on RhinoScript: "As with much computational architecture, the results are visually very compelling. The techno-organic tower structures recall fashions in blobby architecture, while simultaneously reminding one of 70s sci-fi book covers." Sivam points out this limitation: "Though a lot of interesting early-stage design work is done in Rhino, it is not a parametrically-driven software. So it is difficult to control the limits of the variations."

 

Links:

AEC Weekly - "BE Conference 2007 – The Building Group": www10.aeccafe.com/nbc/articles/view_weekly.php?articleid=395231&page_no=1

Bentley Systems GenerativeComponents: www.bentley.com/en-US/Markets/Building/GenerativeComponents.htm

Design And Research via Rhinoscripting: www.theverymany.net/

Ubuntu for a Few Days

I've been trying out Linux for nearly a decade; every so often I download a distro and give it a spin. I still have the big blue Corel Linux v1 box in my bookshelf (copyright date: 1999), and my computer's Linux download folder has 9GB worth of Linspire, SuSe, Xandros, Madrake, and others.

Ubuntu is getting good press, then v7.04 came out last month to good reviews, and so I tried it out. Having been burned sufficiently by other Linux installs, I knew enough to install Ubuntu on something other than my prime work machine. Here's what I did:

    1. Downloaded the ISO file from www.ubuntu.com/getubuntu/download . (ISO files are the complete content of a CD in a single file).

    2. Burned to a blank CD disc. If your CD burning software does not have an explicit option for ISO files, try selecting the ISO file, and the burner software might automatically recognize it for what it is.

 

The Ubuntu CD performs two kinds of installs of interest to us Windows users:

  • No install: Ubuntu places a few files on your computer's hard drive, but otherwise runs from the CD. Excellent way to test drive the operating system, with the sole problem that you cannot use the CD drive for anything else.
  • Dual-boot install: Ubuntu installs itself onto part of your computer's largest hard drive, along with dual-boot. When the computer reboots, you have the choice of starting Windows or Linux.

 

I installed it on my two-year-old Compaq notebook computer, and every hardware component was recognized, with one exception: screen blanking just makes the screen go black, not actually turn it off. Overall Ubuntu is enchanting, especially after having spent several hours with my dad's new 17"-inch Toshiba notebook computer running the truly dreadful Windows ME Second Edition (err, Windows Vista).

But then I discovered a fatal flaw. My daughter borrowed my notebook computer, and I explained the dual-boot feature. She returned it, with the screen displaying this error msg: "Grub error 22." I had to fix the problem fast, because I was due to take this notebook on a business trip in a few days.

After some research, I determined the problem. Earlier in this article, I noted that Ubuntu installed itself on the largest hard drive. In this case, it was a 250GB external hard drive attached to the computer via USB2; the drive is not recognized until _after_ the computer loads the USB driver. Ergo, the computer could never finish booting.

The fix is simple: insert the Windows 2000 setup disc, go into Recover mode, and then run the FixMBR (master boot record) utility. This restores the computer to single-boot Windows-only mode. Goodbye, Ubuntu. Perhaps another time.

See also: "Ubuntu Linux Vs. Windows Visa" by Serdar Yegulalp -- www.informationweek.com/shared/printableArticle.jhtml?articleID=199201179

Out of the Inbox

DotSoft updates its spreadsheet import tool, XL2CAD to support Vista, AutoCAD 2008, and the new formats found in Excel 2007. www.dotsoft.com/xl2cad.htm

Kubotek USA announces KeyCreator 6.5 mechanical design and manufacturing software. New features include:

  • Direct dimension-driven editing now supports ordinate, coordinate, and chamfer dimensions, and hole feature labels.
  • Automated exporting and referencing of duplicate solids found in a single file; the new Discover Assembly walks through the solids looking for identical bodies.
  • Automating the modeling of parting surfaces.
  • Export as Adobe 3D PDF/U3D and optionally CATIA V5. www.kubotekusa.com  

Adobe updates Acrobat 8 to support Vista and Office 2007. Download free from www.adobe.com/support/downloads

Seemage updates its namesake software to v4.2 with automatic regeneration of downstream deliverables, ProductGrabber, quick search, BOM, and integration with Auto-trol Tech Illustrator. More info from www.3dmojo.com/webinar

LMS introduces Virtual.Lab Fast Trim for modeling the acoustic behavior of multi-layer acoustic trim panels. www.lmsintl.com/virtuallab  

Nemetschek round-trips data between Allplan Civil Engineering and structural analysis world performed by SCIA.ESA PT. www.nemetschek.com

CIMdata names the following #1s in the CAM software market: Dassault Systemes for vendor revenues, although UGS was a very close second; Planit Holdings for industrial seats and most rapidly-growing vendor. www.CIMdata.com

VariCAD releases VariCAD 2007 2.01 with new tools for 3D shells, 3D pipelines, and 3D wires, and more. Free 30-day trial version at www.varicad.com

- - -

These news items were posted during the last week at the WorldCAD Access blog <worldcadaccess.typepad.com>:

  • PTC Pods
  • Unhappy with Navisworks Acquisition: Architectural Record
  • I Want Rhino To Run On:
  • Airbus A380 = Green
  • When 3D Doesn't Mean Three Dimensions
  • Official SketchUp Blog
  • McNeel's Rhino Conference - Day 3, Part II
  • McNeel's Rhino Conference - Day 3
  • McNeel's Rhino Conference - Day 1
  • Green Roof Ditched in Cost Overrun

And at the Gizmos Grabowski <worldcadaccess.typepad.com/gizmos/> Weblog:

  • Portable Drives
  • Blanketing Cities with Free WiFi is Stupid
  • Apple TV is Cheap

 

Seminars & Conferences

UGS Connection Americas 2008 Users Conference is June 2-6, 2008 in Orlando, FL USA. www.plmworld.net

 

Magazine/eZine/Weblog Updates

MindSites Group purchases the assets of online communities GeoCommunity and Wireless Developer Network from Qlinks America. MindSites Group was formed by Jaime Bozza, a former employee of Qlinks Media Group.

People/Companies on the Move

Cyon Research adds Jack Ring as senior analyst. Mr Ring has fifty years experience in aerospace, industrial, commercial and public sectors.

Sescoi celebrates its 20th anniversary, being founded in Macon, France by Bruno Marko.

PTC and Adobe Systems agree to integrate Adobe's LiveCycle Rights Management ES software with PTC's Pro/ENGINEER CAD software.

Market News

BlueCielo ECM Solutions acquires DataCore Technology for its electronic data management systems.

Autodesk is working on acquiring NavisWorks for its 3D coordination and collaboration software. Price tag is US$25 million.

        Autodesk reports that back-dating of stock options had cost the company US$34.8 million more than previously reported. It examined stock options given to employees between Jan '88 and Aug '06. Several law suits are pending.

WorthWhile Web

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/05/23/AR2007052301296.html
"How the Pentagon Got Its Shape"
By Steve Vogel

 

http://www.betanews.com/article/TechEd_2007_Muglia_Saves_Humanity_From_Horrible_Alternate_Future/1180981178
"Muglia Saves Humanity From Horrible Alternate Future"
By Scott Fulton

Letters to the Editor

Re: McNeel Press Event

        "You teasing us?? Talking about dropped calls!
        - Doug Wietbrock

        "Is that intentional to build suspense and keep us guessing? "
        - Anna O'Neil
        AR-Edelman

The editor responds: "The sentence in question was cut off, as follows:

        'I asked, does this standard happen at the OS level?
        Kernel level? Or the UI level? -- no, at the'

"I was tired when editing that, and hadn't recorded Bob McNeel's response.  I asked him, and he replied:

        'At the level that works for the users.
        That can be at any level.'"

- - -

"I did not attend the Rhino event, but this was a great synopsis -- thanks!

"I did have the occasion of attending COFES this spring and met Bob McNeel -- very nice guy. I sat with him at an open discussion on the future of CAD, where one guy described a coming world where CAD would be highly functional with 80-90% of the functions of today's big 'tradCAD' (as you've coined) AND be very low cost or entirely free.  

"Of course, we then summarized that this would come from Google! (Real CAD, not the Sketch-up kind.) I then noted that I believe we were already there -- and pointed to Bob and said, "It's called Rhino! 80-90% of all the tradCAD functions and its practically free." I then deduced that Bob would be a good acquisition target for Google.  

"I enjoyed it even more later at COFES overhearing someone say that they heard Google was buying Rhino! This is how rumors start. Gotta love it. Bob loved this line of thinking too. I saw him again at the RAPID show in Detroit and asked if he'd gotten the call yet!"
        - Michael Raphael, president
        Direct Dimensions

The editor responds: "Rhino would be a good acquisition from our CAD-centric point-of-view, but not from Google's. Recall that they got SketchUp to populate Earth with pretty houses in 3D -- and to get other people to do the populating for them."

Mr Raphael replies: "Actually, we contemplated that Google would take a different perspective on the financial side -- that they'd change the model to make money somehow else. An example could be hosting the data: they could make money by securely hosting CAD models. Or perhaps it'd be an advertising play, like most other internet models. Either way, it's Google; they can pretty much do anything they want and often its initially hard to figure out what they're doing."

- - -

"Regarding 'Use proven technology, instead of new technology. (While he admitted that new tech is more interesting, it's flaw is that it is too disruptive).' Yea, that's what they told Henry Ford."
        - Charles A. Graham, Jr.

- - -

"Regarding the comment on Alibre, I'd actually characterize us as equal parts 'Innovator's Solution' and 'Long Tail', with a liberal sprinkling of 80-20 thrown in for good measure. Also, Bob's comment that they are focused on 'Profitable growth, instead of fast growth' could be taken straight from the 'Innovator's Solution': '...impatient for profit, patient for growth.'
        - Greg Milliken, ceo
        Alibre, Inc.

The editor responds: "Maybe Mr McNeel's read it, and forgot to mention it. The meeting was 8 hours long, and could have covered more."

Mr Milliken replies: "My comment was a little tongue in cheek. Personally, when one looks at the entire market I feel Rhino and Alibre are most closely positioned with powerful technology at a $1,000 price point. Ultimately these models will change the market, we do just need to be patient. I really think -- although I may be too bold in saying it -- that Alibre and our Xpress initiative was a key factor in driving Autodesk to announce Inventor LT.

"I think they are doing it out of a misguided reactive impulse that 'we better do something if these guys are right', rather than a true belief that this is something that could be good for their customers and the market."

The editor rejoins: "Same for AutoCAD LT: born out of the need to protect the lower flank, but ironically became the company's best seller -- even with its severe lack of customization abilities, which must say something about users' lack of need for customization."

- - -

"Enjoyed reading your analysis of Rhino. And thanks for bringing to us 'The thoughts of Robert McNeel'. Interesting stuff."
        - Brian
        Australia

 

"You mention in your first paragraph of the McNeel article 'DIMe' and eight other similar events happening around the world. Who/what are they and do they have a web site? The McNeel article was very insightful."
        - Lamar Henderson

The editor replies: "They used to, but lately it's been inaccessible. Here is the URL, in case it works for you: www2.mcneel.com/tradeshows/tradeshows.asp "

Notable Quotable

"We've got a Basic Version [of OS X Leopard] that will cost $129, we've got a Premium Version which will cost $129. We've got a Business Version! $129. Ultimate Version! We're throwing everything into it, it's $129. We think everyone's going to buy the Ultimate Version."
        - Steve Jobs, ceo Apple, announces price of Leopard upgrade to OS X.
        www.engadget.com/2007/06/11/steve-jobs-live-from-wwdc-2007/

 

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Copyright 2007 by upFront.eZine Publishing, Ltd. All rights reserved worldwide

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