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issue #564 : : june 17, 2008 |
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In this issue: Readers
Respond: Wildcat, Open Source CAD 'Project:Draw'
Uses Google Gears Book Review: 3D Manufacturing Innovation
Out of the Inbox, and the other regular columns.
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Readers Respond "Having not been a CAD guy or user of any CAD software in the last 15 years, I cannot relate to the apparent frustration of users not having the 'perfect' tool that fits both their design needs and their budget. However, having been on the sales side of said CAD software business, I see a LOT of time, money and effort wasted on ways to get around paying Autodesk, PTC, Dassault, or whoever for their product. "The reality is that there is no perfect application. Get over it, pick a platform that best suits your needs and find a partner or reseller that is committed to you or your company and forge a relationship based on value and trust and not saving $5 figuring out how to recreate the wheel. "I see so many customers that would be light years ahead of where they are if they went back to work being architects, engineers, manufacturers, or designers and stopped trying to be software developers and trainers. "I'm sure I'm stepping on some toes by making this statement: at the end of the day it comes down to time and money -- neither of which ever seem to be in abundant supply these days. I value my time a lot and if I spend $40 to have my oil changed in 10 minutes, why would I take 2 hours I'll never get back, to do it myself and save a few bucks and end up covered in oil? "I educate my customers on the true cost of ownership for their CAD solutions. It's not the software or the subscription (things I label as 'hard costs'), but the soft costs like lack of formal training, enforced CAD standards, conversions, old LISP routines, old block libraries, etc. That's where billable hours are flushed down the drain every day to the tune of many thousands of dollars. "Does anyone really think open source CAD is going to change the fundamental problem? I think it will only exacerbate the issue of everyone trying to tweak features and functions, and forgetting that being on the same page with everyone else you work with is the real battle. "We could all go back to the drawing board or an Etch-a-Sketch
and get more done, than spending so much time worrying about the
big bad CAD vendors and how to eliminate them."
"I really wish Graham Hemingway the best of luck and good fortune. The retail vendors have drowned in their own Kool Aid and let the prices go insane. "Maybe the open source philosophy can put some pressure
on the big players, like it has with operating systems and some
big name apps. It's a long shot but anything that smells like competition
is good."
"Limping along in parallel with open source CAD development
is a sorely needed open GIS software. Any thoughts? I look forward
to seeing Wildcat progress." 'Project:Draw' Uses Google Gears Flex/AIR? No. Silverlight? No. Gears? Yes. Project:Draw is Autodesk's browser-based vector drawing program -- though it has more in common with Visio (or Actrix?) than AutoCAD. Programmers at Autodesk considered all the APIs for Web browsers -- AJAX, Flash, Silverscreen, etc -- and decided to do their own. So that Draw would work with any browser, the programmers created an abstraction layer. When the browser is FireFox, Opera, or Safari, the graphics are generated by SVF; if Internet Explorer, VML. To solve the "getting on the plane" problem, they decided on Google Gears, which gave them 90% of the code they needed. Project:Draw determines if it is offline by sending a ping to a server every so often. When offline, some menu choices become unavailable. You can drawn, edit, and save off-line; the main function unavailable is rasterization, needed to export drawings in raster formats, such as JPEG. The next releases will handle off-line storage more elegantly. For example, Project:Draw will read changes (deltas) to the file, instead of the entire file. It will distinguish between multiple storage locations. And it will implement Gears' "Worker Pools," where a browser can do two things at once by running JavaScript in the background. Links:
Haptip: Greg Robinson 3D
Manufacturing Innovation:
by Hiroshi Toriya Book Review It's rare to find a book written to covers the big picture of CAD, as attempted by the CEO of Lattice Technology. Unfortunately, the content of Hiroshi Toriya's recent book falls short of the promises made by the title and subtitle. The 155 pages can be summed up by me in two sentences: There is a problem exchanging and viewing very large 3D drawings within manufacturing industries. The solution is Lattice's XVL file format. (XVL is a neutral 3D file format that can be used for transmitting, viewing, and translating 3D file. It can be tweaked to handle different kinds of models. XVL is short for "eXtensible Virtual world description Language". It is the basis of Dassault Systemes' 3DXML format.) Those with experience in MCAD know that the book's thesis is half-true. XVL is but one of several solutions. A neophyte would not learn that from reading this book, although perhaps the rare mention of competing formats might made one begin to wonder. Mr Toriya never explains why VXL is better than competitors; it just exists. Nor does he discuss competing technologies, such as sending deltas (only the data that has changed) of 3D CAD files between offices, thus avoiding XVL's need to translate. "3D Manufacturing Innovation" is in two parts: four chapters introducing and partly explaining XVL, and then nine chapters of case histories on large firms using XVL. I found the material repeating itself, and so gave up reading a third of the way through. The content just was not meaty enough for me. Of somewhat greater interest, however, was Appendix A and its description of the development of XVL. In early 2000, the company set out to create a file format with the following features:
The book was originally written in Japanese (translated into English by Yukie Ito), and contains the occasional statement that surprised me: -- "With the dwindling birthrate and aging population, there is a lack of trained labor [in Japan]... People in design and manufacturing are starting to grow tired." (p.1). -- "3D CAD data, which forms the core of digital manufacturing, has not benefited much from networked technologies. 3D CAD is characterized by huge data volume and complicated structures, and is also difficult to integrate with other associated data on the network." (p.11). -- "...data volume is said to be 20GB for cars, and 5TB for airplanes. ... XVL allows CAD data exceeding 10GB to be displayed." (p.14). A revolutionary change has take place in manufacturing worldwide due to digital data; XVL is one part of the revolution. If you are interested in this book, be forewarned that the list price is $119, although Amazon.com sometimes sells it at a lower price through this link:
Graphisoft plans to launch ArchiCAD 12 on Windows and Macintosh in mid-July with:
Right Hemisphere has pre-announced, announced, launched, and now finally ships Deep Exploration v5.5 CAD Edition ($1,995) and Standard Edition ($595), and Deep View v5.5, their no-charge viewer of 2D and 3D graphics viewer. Download trial software from www.righthemisphere.com/support/downloads/download.php Not to be left out, market pioneer BlueCielo ECM Solutions releases InnoCielo Meridian Enterprise b and InnoCielo TeamWork 2008 for managing CAD projects. www.bluecieloecm.com FrameCAD Solutions is using Envisioneer's design platform for their FrameCAD Architect software for cold-formed steel designs. www.framecad.com 3Dconnexion's 3D mice now work with the VectorWorks 2008 line of design software. www.3dconnexion.com/solutions/cad/all_sup_app.php Right out of Apple's hometown, Altima Software launches its Everest 2009 Team Edition data management software for sharing AutoCAD files on networks -- without needing to upload files to proprietary central servers. http://www.altimasoftware.com Request a complimentary copy of COMSOL's new 'Introduction to Structural Mechanics Simulations' CD at www.comsol.com/activity/us_dw_june08/1.php SolidWorks ships its software for the education market in a hybrid release: SolidWorks Education Edition 2008-2009 -- a combo of SolidWorks 2008 Office Premium plus new analysis software and curriculum. www.solidworks.com/education - - - These news items were posted during the last week at the WorldCAD Access blog < worldcadaccess.typepad.com>:
Magazine/eZine/Weblog Updates The German-language 'AutoCAD Magazin' celebrates its 20th anniversary. The June/July issue features a parallel history of world and CAD events since 1988. Cover price is e14.80 (US$24). Also celebrating is 'CADalyst'[ for its 25th Anniversary. When I joined as Technical Editor in the fall of 1985, we staff wondered if the chronically-late magazine would survive past Christmas. It did survive, it become on-time, and then it out-lasted its competitors. Hard to for me to believe that it's been 23 years since I began writing about CAD. Questex Media (formerly Advanstar Communications) appoints Nancy Johnson as editor-in-chief of 'CADalyst' magazine, and Kenneth Wong as its executive editor.
Market News IGE+XAO reports quarterly revenues of e5.4 million, up 5% over a year ago.
New Books/eBooks CADLearning by 4D Technologies releases its 177-lesson, 20-hour AutoCAD 2009 Video Tutorial Series available online or on DVD. This beginner's tutorial covers the basics of AutoCAD through 3D and AutoCAD 2009-compatible plotting. www.cadlearning.com/lms/course/view.php?id=274
WorthWhile Web http://lessig.org/blog/2008/06/the_kozinski_mess.html
http://www.techcrunch.com/2008/06/13/google-drives-towards-microsoft-and-adobe-with-gears/
Letters to the Editor "I currently use VX cadcam as my CAD and CAM package. I look around and see no one I can hire to work with VX, however. This leads me to, What to do?. "VX is pretty good and great value for the money, but really lacks in some serious MCAD functions -- primarily sheet metal and parts libraries. The CAM is good, but limited to milling only. "So my quandary is what to look into buying that will allow me to hire trained people when and if the day comes. And could provide me with a job if I decide to quit working for myself. "Any thoughts on future directions of CAD companies? I like what I see in Solid Edge's new synchronous stuff, but wonder about marketshare. I was at a demo for SolidWorks recently and watched them struggle with my test parts; I never did see a CAM plan, so big question marks there. Have no feel for Inventor. "So if you were in my shoes what would you advise keeping
in mind a limited cad budget." The editor replies: "One solution is to check out the help wanted ads for your area, such as CADtalent.com . That can be one indication for the demand for specific CAD users. When I searched your area, I found:
- - - Re: Notable Quotable "Mr. Ballmer may be all 'hot and wet' with his anticipation [of no more print publications in ten years] but I'd like to point out a few facts: 1. You can't take the computer into the tub with you. Well, you can try, but I'd not recommend it. 1a. The same goes for the beach, the lake, the top of a mountain, etc. 2. A computer is too heavy to have in bed with you. And is definitely not a 'light read'. 3. A .txt file in Arial is not a lovely thing to read. 4. You can't stick your fingers between pages when flipping back and forth to see how the hero got 'here' from 'there'. 5. Bookplates don't work. They clutter the screen. 6. You only rent the electronic copy; you can't own the copy. 7. You can't add a dedication to a friend on the front page as a gift. 8. There is no allowance for slipping in, between the pages, a love note to your wife (...or whoever). "Yes, there is a lot of wastage of valuable wood fiber when it comes to newspapers and magazines (unless you are like me, a hoarder), but we can change our ways of thinking, our ways of recycling, our sources for fiber. It takes an effort, though, and a willingness to change. Knowledge - Volition - Action. Knowledge we have;, Volition we are getting; Action is still to come. "Oh, and: 9. English-style fish and chippies can't be packaged using
a computer." The editor replies: ' No wonder Microsoft is in trouble these days when its CEO doesn't understand human nature, or -- by his own admission -- what Google is up to."
"I assume [Mr Ballmer]'s implying that poverty will be eliminated
by then. Everyone will have an electronic device to read the news,
even in places that LOVE Western culture like Waziristan and Sudan." The editor replies: "Microsoft CEOs rack up impressive lists of failed predictions. The paper of record for Microsoft's hometown was unimpressed by the announcement of its impending doom. 'What is there in Microsoft's track record that would suggest it is capable of the same longevity, adaptability, and resilience [as print media]?', asked Bill Virgin of the Seattle Post-Intelligencer. < seattlepi.nwsource.com/virgin/366347_virgin10.html > - - - Re: Patent Watch IPIX "Interesting story on the IPIX saga. One question: Who's
paying for this mismanagement? 'IPIX filed for bankruptcy in 2006;
by then, its losses totaled nearly $500 million'." The editor replies: "Suppliers, who were never paid." - - - "I happen to own the domain name co-create.com, which I
am selling. I wonder if you have any thoughts about an interested
buyer? The value is between 63,000 and 98,000 Pounds Sterling (x2
for US dollars -- maybe x3 in six months time)."
Notable Quotable "There's no business value in us continuing to chase that
[software] upgrade cycle."
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