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Issue #525 : : July 3, 2007 |
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In this issue: Protecting CAD IP: Anark's Approach
Would Multitouch Make 3D CAD Work?
Out of the Inbox, plus the other regular columns. |
Make the editor smile. Write him. Through Paypal, consider donating $25 in support of upFront.eZine. Or else. We're trendy. We have a Weblog. WorldCAD Access. |
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Protecting
CAD IP: Anark is a company we've never heard of, because they've been working "in the trenches" with their customers, Boeing being the name that crops up most often. Begun in Denver in 1994, the company got its start in game development for Sega and others. That got their programmers solving problems dealing with very large 3D datasets, and by decade's end they began adapting their software for other kinds of 3D data -- entertainment, manufacturing, training, and so on. Next week the 13-year-old company releases its first commercial software specific to the problem of sending CAD drawings to suppliers whose costs (and reputation) might be cheap. The rather badly named "Anark Core Workstation" software reduces the IP [intellectual property] of CAD drawings. (Ignore the "workstation" part of the name, it software only, and it runs on any CAD-capable computer). Here's how it works: 1. Import drawings from:
The drawings are imported as b-rep [boundary representation] solid models with 11 decimal places of accuracy. CEO Stephen Collins took pain to emphasis that his software does not work only with lightweight representations, but actual solid models. 2. Reduce IP through any the following methods
The 3D model's features are physically removed, although backups retain all data. In the case of parts and holes, you can specify a range of sizes to eliminate or hide; as well, you can protect specific parts and holes from elimination. 3. Save your actions as a "recipe." Once you've manually applied changes to drawings, you employ the software's other half, Scheduler, to automatically de-IP drawings on a regular basis (say, every night) following the stored recipes: import, strip, export, and distribute. 4. Export the result as:
This sums up Anark's approach to protecting the ideas in 3D CAD models from suppliers who might want to reuse the designs for their own purposes. Senior vp of product development Scott Collins feels their software is unique in that it works with solid models, not lightweight representations. But it's not cheap: US$5,000 and up for the "workstation" software; $25,000 and up for the optional server-based software. Software can be purchased or time-leased. Requires XP Pro. Shipping date is week of July 9. www.anark.com
Would Multitouch Make 3D CAD Work? Autodesk and Microsoft have shown huge displays featuring multitouch input for manipulating graphics. But now CrunchGear reports that new Macintosh notebook computers might be the first to have multitouch in a practical size. "...the iPhone’s multi-touch technology is theoretically supposed to roll out with all the new laptops ... will be built into the touchpads. Just having it for flipping though your iTunes Library, and for zooming in on photos or docs or sites would be great." Would multitouch help solve the problems of navigating in 3D CAD? Some of the multitouch gestures include two fingers together and apart = zoom in and out; circular motions could rotate the model in the three axes. For Windows computers, perhaps a USB multitouch pad could be placed beside the keyboard, complementing the actions of the mouse. Link: crunchgear.com/2007/06/29/multi-touch-on-macbooks-in-october/
CAD & Company's DWG iFilter 2007 lets you add AutoCAD DWG files to desktop search results; it can be used with any popular desktop tool. www.dwgifilter.com has a free trial, after registration. View22 integrates its Immersiv 3D web software with Autodesk's Inventor and Intent software. According to the co-marketing agreement, Autodesk recommends View22 for Web-based thin-client 3D sales automation solutions. www.view22.com Punch Software releases ViaCAD 2D/3D design software for Windows and Mac OS X. The US$99 package does associative NURBS-based modeling with skins, covers, and nets; history-based solid modeling; automatically generate 2D drawings from 3D; 1GB of training videos; and free telephone support. www.punchcad.com After reading the above item, IMSI/Design selling TurboCAD Deluxe 14 for US$150 seems--. Anyhow, the new release has LightWorks Photorealistic rendering, parametric doors, improved region, and timed renderings for paperspace viewports. www.TurboCAD.com ARTVPS unveils RenderPipe AV6 software with Quicktime object movie output and a preview of hardware-accelerated Global illumination. www.artvps.com PROSTEP is developing SOA [service oriented architecture] connectors to link Dassault Systemes' ENOVIA with Teamcenter, Windchill, Agil, and SAP PLM. www.prostep.com Seemage software is now available in Japanese. www.seemage.com BlueCielo ECM Solutions announces their InnoCielo Asset Management Module, which reads data from facilities management software, such as MRO Maximo, SAP Plant Maintenance, FAMIS, Datastream, and Ultimo. www.bluecieloecm.com/products/icamm Dassault Systemes goes against the current everybodies-aligning-with-Google trend and supports Microsoft's Virtual Earth. As well, it announced 3DVIA: "anyone with access to a computer and the Internet to use innovative, fun-to-use 3D services online." [When I tried www.3dvia.com with my Opera Web browser, it didn't work.] - - - 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 PLM Road Map 2007 is Sept 19-20 in Plymouth MI USA. www.cpd-associates.com/pdfs/PLMRM07-3.html BIM Fundamentals Seminar is Oct 9 in San Francisco CA USA. www.zweigwhite.com Ecobuild Fall & AEC-ST Fall is Dec 10-13 in Washington DC USA. www.ecobuildfall.com/fallhome.html . They report that "nearly" 2,000 attended their event in Anaheim in May. UGS Connection Americas 2008 is Jun 2-6, 2008 in Orlando FL USA. www.ugs.com/ugsconnection Magazine/eZine/Weblog Updates 3Dcad+.com is a new news site for users of CAD, CAM, CAE, and PLM systems. When I tried to access it, the site got stuck after 26% loaded.
People/Companies on the Move AVEVA promotes Rob Glasier to executive vp of The Americas. Mr Galsier is the company's former head of its Americas’ Marine business for the shipbuilding and offshore industry. ALGOR opens new office in Beijing, China. Vero International acquires the assets of Camtek North America. Last year, Vero acquired Camtek Ltd. in the UK.
Market News SpaceClaim gets another US$13.5 million in funding, again from North Bridge Venture Partners, Kodiak Venture Partners, and others. The new CAD vendor received $7.5 million in funding the first time around. Actify get additional funding from new and existing investors. Amount was not specified. Moldflow sell its Manufacturing Solutions division to Husky Injection Molding Systems of Canada, for US$7 million.
Letters to the Editor Re: Old Engineering Books, Great 2D Drawings "John Kreutzberger's point goes to the very core of what I believe is the problem with our vendors' blind commitment and push for 3D. I all but got thrown out of a meeting held at a Sydney university where an engineering lecturer made the statement, 'Draughtsman think in 2D, and engineers think in 3D. Only engineers would work successfully with 3D.' "I questioned him using a similar statement to John's ["I always worked in 3D. It was just that the 3D was in my head and merely represented on a flat drawing"], and it created a huge argument. Needless to say the room was full of CAD vendor reps, engineers, and wanna-be's. They got it wrong then, and the industry continues to get it wrong. "2D and 3D belong together with equal standing. To allow
young drafties and designers to develop without the skills the John
Kreutzbergers of the world have is a going to be a very costly and
an unnecessary lesson for many companies." - - - Re: "I don't get Macs. I don't understand iTunes software. I don't like the QuickTime viewer." "Ralph, stop being so grumpy. That said, you're having a
hard time with Ubantu, but that doesn't stop you from trying. (FYI,
I don't have a Mac either.)" The editor replies: "Same difference. I try the Macs
in the computer stores and the Apple software on PCs, but Linux
makes more sense to me than does OS X. Must be my DOS upbringing.
To this day, I still use this command from time to time:
"Do you get Windows? With Windows Media Player? I never
did since the last 10 years of trying. Took me about a week with
my Mac at home."
"I think they write this kind of [iTunes] software to be
easy to use for non-computer types, but the lack of a folder structure
makes it difficult to figure out how it works. Not intuitive at
all (at least for me)." The editor replies: "Nor my daughter, who uses iTunes for her Nano. Mac apologists say that the purpose of iTunes, Safari, and QuickTime is to get Windows users familiar with the Mac way doing things, but so far they've all been turn-offs for me!" - - - Re: SolidWorks and Ireland "You misread (or at least misinterpreted) the press release regarding the Ireland Dept of Education's purchase of SolidWorks software. The US$53 million figure quoted in the press release is for the entire program -- NOT just SolidWorks software and computers. "Even a ten-user network license of SolidWorks Education
Edition software costs less than US$100 per seat -- and that is
for a permanent license, not just an annual lease. I'm certain that
the Ireland Dept of Education paid far less than that on 25,000
seats." The editor notes: "The press release is here: www.solidworks.com/pages/news/pressreleases/viewrelease.html?prid=437 " - - - Re: Happy Father's Day "I extend my sentiments with a degree of sympathy and hopefully
understanding. 'Gee Dad, aren't you forever dumb.' Well, my four
range from 37 to 44, and I'm still dumb. But there is a better understanding
as to why 'I'm forever dumb.' It is nice to be appreciated." - - - Re: Adobe Integrates With-- Everyone! (Nearly) "My kids play this game with the other kids in the neighborhood
called 'monkey in the middle'. The kids form a circle and work with
each other to keep the ball away from the kid in the middle. With
respect to PDF, Autodesk is the monkey in the middle -- strangely
absent from all that's going on here." - - - "What's new about Revit?" The editor replies: "Since Autodesk has synchronized releases (all its software is released in March-April every year), there is nothing new for Revit, other than bug patches and reports of sales numbers."
Spin Doctor of the Moment "iWhatever."
Notable Quotable "AT&T store, Montague St. Brooklyn, 6:02PM EDT: They're
letting the first person in right now!"
Thank You to Our Subscribers & Donators
Copyright 2007 by upFront.eZine Publishing, Ltd. All rights reserved worldwide Article reprint fee US$250.0 and up.
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