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iIssue #549 : : march 4, 2008 |
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In this issue: Update: Mike Riddle's New Software - SmartNotes Interview: Rob Glasier of AVEVA Americas - The AVEVA Flowchart Readers Respond: Waddington Dogs Autodesk's EULA Out of the Inbox and the other regular columns. |
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Update:
[Mike Riddle is the original programmer of what is now called AutoCAD, and of the assembler-based FastCAD. He describes his latest CAD software products to upFront.eZine.] I'm making two initial products with the framework toolkit I've developed over the last seven years. They have a user interface that's based on drag and drop, and intelligent objects. The idea is to minimize the visible interface, and make everything happen at the cursor.
SmartNotes The first program is intended for non-technical people. SmartNotes is sort of a super clipboard, much like the desktop: you drag and drop links, pictures, etc. from a browser, the file explorer, and so on. The items are placed on a graphical work surface that you can also draw on. It is easy to take notes, such as when you take a phone call or have a conversation. The notes can be visually organized as you think about them. The software draws shapes and makes connections, so it can be used to make charts. The difference is that the shapes link to other documents and perform tasks. Any object can be assigned actions: what to do on left and right clicks, double clicks, when dropped on something, or when something is dropped on. There are open containers: you drag something over them, and they belong to it, much like objects on a tray. Drag them off to make them independent. There are also closed containers: you double click to open them up and work with their contents. This is all very fluid and fast. I use the software for organizing project files. No more file dialog boxes and keeping track of where emails, Word docs, spreadsheets, and CAD docs are. It acts as a visual gathering of all the docs. The difference is that content knows where it came from -- a picture copied from a Web page automatically links back to that page. I use it to keep my bug list, and my design intent documents on the program development. I also use the software in place of PowerPoint for presentations. As the audience responds to me, I make notes, rearrange things, show the questions asked, and have it all available for later reference. I can easily show other documents with a quick link, rather than fumbling around. I expect to put FastNote into public beta in about two weeks, and then release it on April 10, in time to give copies to COFES attendees.
FastCAD8 The second project is a 2D CAD program. FastCAD8 takes its name from my current CAD program, but is essentially a recasting of computer-aided design. It does all that SmartNotes does, plus the usual CAD stuff with as much visual function as possible:
FastCAD8 loads, modifies, and saves DWG files in DWG format, so there are no translation losses. I plan to add support for other formats, such as DGN and PDF, and each of these can be edited just like a CAD program. The 2D CAD program should ship in August or September. I plan a 3D version of FastCAD8 for early next year, after I gain user experience.
Thinker Thinker is like FastNote, but with ties to databases. I picture developers using it to make business frontends. For example, I have a new order processing program that was built visually with Thinker. I drag the new order email to a data grid on the document, which parses it for information. After I verify it visually, I click a button, and new serial numbers are assigned, the info is posted to a database, an email is sent to the client giving them their authorization code, and optionally, I can print a letter for snail mail. All of this is done with drag and drop (including the parsing rules), except that I tie into a small piece of code that generates a unique authorization code form the data-grid information. As another example, think of a floor plan to track inventory in hospitals and other complex facilities. Click inside a room, and a data-grid of its equipment is taken from a database. The data is displayed for editing, drag and drop to different rooms, and so on. All three programs inter-operate and can share data. It will be awhile until Thinker is ready, as I still consider it experimental. I think this will have a lot of possibilities. Interview:
AVEVA is a software company you are unlikely to come across in your daily work. Their software is used to design really big projects, like ships and oil refineries. Headquartered in Cambridge England, the company operates four nearly autonomous regional offices, as the head of AVEVA Americas Rob Glasier explained to me in a telephone interview last week. It is one of the pioneers of 3D CAD. Its flagship PDMS [plant design management system] software was first introduced 30 years ago, and today is still is backwards-compatible with version 1. In 2001, the company changed its name from CADCentre to AVEVA. Today, the company sells more than just CAD software. The company focuses on two primary areas: (1) AVEVA Plant for plant design; and (2) AVEVA Marine for ship and offshore design. It also provides AVEVA NET for accessing and managing data, collaboration, workflow, and change management. A ship is more than just a floating airplane; Mr Glasier boasts that designing the world's most complex airplane is simple compared to designing a ship or offshore oil platform. Typical MCAD software is not up to the task, because it lacks the necessary electrical, piping, structural, and hull design components. While AVEVA can handle any size project, other solutions such as from Bentley Systems and Autodesk, can do the job at a cheaper price for smaller projects. "There is plenty of room at the lower end of the market for other software companies to thrive," Mr Glasier explained. Intergraph is considered the only worthy competitor.
The AVEVA Flowchart AVEVA sees itself as providing the engineering backbone of large plant and marine projects. The company has its own line of software, but is happy to plug-in data generated by competitors. That's due to the demands of AVEVA's customers. For example, the company's latest release, PDMS 12, features P&ID Integrator. It provides dynamic links with P&ID data from any source. (PDMS is short for "plant design management system" and P&ID for "piping and instrumentation diagram.") In designing plants, designers typically follow these steps:
1. Process Flow Design -- conceptual plans of the processes, such as how many gallons will be processed each day. 2. P&ID -- 2D logical representation of the components within an operating unit, such as equipment, instrumentation, valves, pipes, and so on. 3. 3D Model -- logical, spatial representation of all of hardware components making up the industrial facility. It also checks for interferences. 4a. 2D Drawings -- for equipment suppliers and steel fabricators. 4b. 3D Visualization -- for impressing the owner and as a sales tool; reviewing the design with the construction crews; and training staff before the facility is complete. 5. As-built documentation for operations, maintenance, and decomissioning. Mr Glasier noted, the only legally required plans are accurate P&IDs. But, in the aftermath of hurricanes Rita and Katrina, owners of on- and off-shore plants see the benefits to 3D. When those plants cost a million dollars a day, you don't want to be spending much time hunting down plans for making repairs.
ISO 15926 Which lead Mr Glasier to one of his favorite topics, "15926." This is the international standard for defining plant objects in XML, such as pipes and valves. AVEVA has enthusiastically embraced it, because 15926 (1) solves the problems of interoperability and (2) means that the company didn't have to come up with its own file format. He noted that Bentley is also beginning to add 15926 to their plant software. He admitted that the process industry is behind the MCAD world in interoperability, but is now more advanced when it comes to using a single data standard. In contrast, AEC is way behind. The ISO standard is not theory; he notes that 75 projects are already using 15926.
That Relationship with Autodesk So how are things going with Autodesk? I asked, because the two had announced they were working together, but last year Autodesk released its own P&ID software and has plans to release 3D modeling software for plant design. Mr Glasier figures that 95% of shop drawings are created or edited with AutoCAD, so it made sense to work with Autodesk. As for the new AutoCAD P&ID software, AVEVA helped Autodesk design it. Later, AVEVA's pr rep sent me this official position statement from Derek Middlemas, AVEVA's vp of business strategy and liaison with Autodesk: "AVEVA plans to continue to develop, market and support our own VPE [vantage plant engineering] P&ID, and at the same time open up our schematic database to leading third party P&ID applications which include Autodesk, Bentley and Intergraph, using the ISO15926 compatible exchange formats. "We are actively working with both Autodesk and Bentley to achieve this. This gives our customers true choice and divorces the P&ID editing tool from the underlying schematic model, which is a long overdue and refreshing approach to the intelligent P&ID issue." So at this point there are four P&ID packages supported by AVEVA:
AVEVA is excited about the possibilities of "PIM," plant information modeling, and how it will allow data from all vendors co-exist in enormous projects. Links: www.aveva.com/
Readers
Respond: "Your response to R. Paul Waddington is right on the mark all the way around. "I raised Mr. Waddington's ire earlier when I replied that until some big organization (read that "somebody with lots of money to spend on lawyers") files suit against Microsoft, Intuit, Autodesk, Adobe, et al and pushes it through years of litigation/appeals that nothing will change. "The CAD managers I work with have no choice but to work with the software that their firms have licensed. Ttruth be told, most could really care less about software licensing, other than being in seat-count compliance. Since the only option consumers have is to buy software from another company that has essentially the same restrictive EULA, they might as well stay with the software they've already licensed to minimize training and implementation costs. "Some day in the future, after years of litigation, EULAs may change. But if they do, it'll be after new technology renders current EULA terminology irrelevant anyway. In the end, customers will notice little to no difference and only the lawyers will have profited from the ordeal. "And so it goes."
"Most legislative bodies aren't concerned enough with software licensing terms, because they view the whole industry as peripheral to more important matters, such as security, transportation, energy, and staple commodities. "If you corner an attorney experienced with software licensing matters, they will explain how the legal rope has been gradually tightened to restrict terms and language, as well as specific mechanics of confirmation and compliance here and there. But in no way via comprehensive action overall. "They will also tell you that it is still very much a wide-open
landscape of legal speculation for which little rigidity exists.
The onus is always on customers/users to read the dull content and
comply, willing or not. It sucks, but until someone feels like coughing
up the legal fees to fight it, it will remain this way for a very
long time."
"Concerning Autodesk's unfair EULA: it is what is known
as an 'adhesion contract'. Such a contract is never legal under
any circumstances. Except at the point of a gun (or other coercion)
whether directly or indirectly (re: via agents, aka attorneys &
cops). Let's figure a way to join together to put an end to all
this."
"Permit me please to make an adjustment, clarifying an important point: I have few issues with a physical warrant-supported audit or an approach by the BSA, as these actions would be carried out against a background of supporting or a whistle blower's evidence. "It is the provision in the EULA for electronic access we all need to focus on; this is where the real danger lies, as it is an issue that has much wider ramifications than a physical audit. It currently falls completely outside the control of our existing legal and consumer protection systems. "Autodesk have nothing to fear from we legitimate
users if it demonstrates that their electronic audit provisions
and electronic data collection are transparent and can be independently
validated. Their failure to engage at this level is proof enough
they are hiding their intentions. What I highlight is fact, not
fiction; this is not 'going to happen', it is happening now!"
[I keep telling people that upFront.eZine is NOT specific to MCAD, but then I get a week that reads like this:] SolidWorks updates its 3D ContentCentral online parts site with support for parts/assemblies of almost all CAD packages, 2D blocks, SolidWorks macros, and libraries. No-charge access at www.3Dcontentcentral.com Geometric Technologies releases v6.1 of eDrawings for Pro/ENGINEER with support for Wildfire 4. eDrawings Publishers also available CATIA V5, NX, Inventor, Solid Edge, and SketchUp. Fifteen-day demo versions available at... [I can't tell you the URL, because my ISP thinks it's a bad site. Look it up through Google.] Siemens PLM Software announces new releases of its D-Cubed component software: version 53.0 of 2D Dimensional Constraint Manager and Profile Geometry Manager. www.plm.automation.siemens.com/en_us/products/open/d-cubed/latest_releases/ ITI TranscenData announces CADIQ v5.1, software for checking and comparing multiple simultaneous CAD formats to validate data migration, exchange, product archiving, and remastering of legacy CAD data. www.transcendata.com/news/iti/articles/Feb08_CADIQV51_release.php PTC updates its CADDS 5 15.0 software for shipbuilding -- and other massive, complex assemblies within stringent schedules. [It's true about the stringent schedules: my cousin, who works in the shipping industry out of Hamburg, tells me there is a shortage of ocean-going freighters worldwide.] www.ptc.com/products/cadds I don't normally run user stories, but I thought this one is significant: Volkswagen is implementing 45,000 seats of UGS's [oops, Siemens PLM Software's] Teamcenter product data management software in its vehicle design and manufacturing processes. It'll take several years to implement, with milestones along the way. VW consists of the Audi, Bentley, Bugatti, Lamborghini, SEAT, Skoda, and Volkswagen brands. www.siemens.com/plm Incomprehensible press release headline of the week: "CD-adapco Releases STAR-CCM+ v3.02 for CFD." First thing Monday mornings, that's just too hard to decipher. www.cd-adapco.com/ - - - These news items were posted during the last week at the WorldCAD Access blog < worldcadaccess.typepad.com>:
Hardware News 3Dconnexion's 3D mice are now supported by KOMPAS-3D V9. Says the press release, "...as a result of successful collaboration are pleased to announce a strategic partnership." [Which makes me wonder: which partnerships are not strategic?] www.ascon.net
Seminars & Conferences 9th RTT Conference is April 10-11 in Vienna Austria. www.maisberger.com BlueCielo ECM Frontiers 2008 Americas is June 1-3 in Coral Gables FL USA. www.bluecieloecm.com PTC/USER World Event 2008 is June 1-4 in Long Beach CA USA. www.ptcuser.org/2008
People/Companies on the Move Dan Monaghan leaves VectorWorks [er, Nemetschek North America] after 13 years as marketing director. Terri Nyman is the company's new media relations manager. Aftercad Software expands its board of advisors with the appointment of David W. Blancard. Mr Blancard is the architect of distribution technology for Fairmont Raffles Hotels International. CAD Schroer Group signs up a new reseller, ICC of Spain. http://www.integralcad.es/ VX adds Great Lakes 3D CAD/CAM as their dealer in the mid-eastern region of the USA. In 2007, the year that he left Adobe Systems, former CEO Bruce Chizen received compensation worth $8.3 plus another $29.6 million in stock options. http://biz.yahoo.com/ap/080228/adobe_executive_compensation.html?.v=2
Market News EOS reports an increase of 14% in sales during fiscal year 2006/2007, with annual revenues of e59.7 million ($88 million).
WorthWhile Web "You may want to share this interesting article via your
'Worthwhile Web' section."
http://io9.com/359932/the-pros-and-cons-of-a-google-brain-implant
Letters to the Editor " I read your recent newsletter with interest, including the headline "Pro/Engineer Wildfire 4.0. It's one product, yet it's 42." Sounds good. 42 IS the answer to life, the universe, and everything, after all (if Douglas Adams is to be believed). "Jokes aside, I noticed an important but missing distinction in your article. Pro/ENGINEER's unique value proposition is NOT that they only offer one package to handle medium- to high-end work (which would be too restrictive and likely too expensive). The value prop is that they're the only vendor to supply a single PLATFORM. That means that Pro/E can grow as company requirements and product development expertise grows. "With tools like SolidWorks, Inventor, and Solid Edge, to
name a few, you run the risk of hitting a wall in terms of functionality.
If/when you need to expand your capabilities, you may have no other
choice than to adopt a second platform and kernel (e.g. SolidWorks
-> Catia, Solid Edge -> UG NX). That means learning a completely
new tool, translating data, etc." The editor replies: "Good of you to remind us of the distinction on platform. "As for '42', after the newsletter went out, I noticed the coincidence. Being a hardcore atheist, Adams used 42 to express his philosophy that life, the universe, and everything have no meaning. In my civil engineering classes, we would hollar out '6!' as the answer to any prof's question -- much to their annoyance."
Re: EOS Gets World-wide License For Laser-sintered Dental Prostheses "What's
next? The inkjet printing of teeth in gold: Ex One's Imagen division
uses inkjet printing technology to deposit binder onto thin layers
of gold powder. The "green" parts are then infiltrated
with a second gold alloy to bring them to full density. The gold
parts, called copings, are used to produce dental crowns. You can
see example copings from the process at wohlersassociates.com/imagen.html
" - - - "If you need any parts for your Victor 9000 ("the number
one choice in business computers") let me know. Mine has two
640K floppies, no hard drive. That's why I got it for only $3,500." The editor replies: "I got mine on sale for $4,500 in April 1983, regularly $6,000. But by the time the printer ($750), printer cable ($100), box of diskettes ($60), box of tractor feed paper (??), and 7% tax were added, the price was back to $6,000. I had to borrow money from my parents to afford it. "On the bright side, it helped launch me into this career. Because I learned DOS, programming, and how to take apart and upgrade the Victor, it helped me get the initial job of technical editor at 'CADalyst' magazine in Sept 1985." - - - "I have retired from architectural practice and I am no
longer heavily into using AutoCAD. Thank you for your past articles.
They have been most helpful."
Spin Doctor of the Moment "Mad*Pow, a thought leader in the user experience discipline..."
Notable Quotable "I'm honestly hoping I throw up. I asked the pilot not to
hold anything back."
Copyright 2008 by upFront.eZine Publishing, Ltd. All rights reserved worldwide Article reprint fee US$250.0 and up.
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