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Issue #581 : : November 18, 2008 |
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In this issue: Interview: Edit SolidWorks with Alibre Xpress
Guest Editorial: A Few Comments to BIM Developers
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Edit SolidWorks with Alibre Xpress Alibre last week made an aggressive move in the marketplace by adding a free SolidWorks file translator to their free Design Xpress v11 MCAD software. It directly read SolidWorks files, modifies them, creates 2D drawings, and exports them to other STEP, IGES, DWG/DXF, and other formats. - - - upFront.eZine: It costs money to license translators. So how can you offer a translator free? Paul Grayson: It was developed by DataKit, a French software developer that offers an extensive line of CAD translators. We used to charge separately for it. We pay an annual fixed price for the translator (not sure if this is DataKit's standard practice or whether it is confidential) and decided to include it in all versions of the software.
upFront.eZine: And so what's the rationale in offering it free in free software? Paul Grayson: Xpress generates a lot of leads for us, both from word-of-mouth and via search engine advertising, where we pay to place ads for "Free 3D CAD" and other adwords. Folks download a free trial of Alibre Design Professional (the commercial version), which reverts to the free Xpress version after 30 days. So basically, Xpress is a lead generation mechanism where the hook is that you get a fully functioning, robust 3D modeler for free, albeit with limitations.
upFront.eZine: What are its limitations to this SolidWorks xlator? Paul Grayson: The file reader is included in the install process and is integrated into Alibre. Xpress reads native SolidWorks parts (*.slprt) and assemblies (*.sldasm) files. It does NOT require a license of SolidWorks. Parts and assemblies are imported into Alibre as precise geometry; design features, history, and constraints are not imported. The geometry is treated like any other solid geometry, as you would see with imported STEP and IGES files. Using Xpress, you can add features, add and remove material from the imported parts, and create constraints and assemblies with the imported SolidWorks models. Xpress includes limits in the number of unique parts that can be in assemblies (currently 10); it has reduced drawing views, and other feature limits. Nevertheless, Xpress is very popular with hobbyists and is often used by them as a source of machining geometry for CNC operations.
upFront.eZine: Is your tactic similar to SolidWorks including their DWGeditor for reading and editing drawings from AutoCAD? Paul Grayson: I wouldn't say that our rational is the same. SolidWorks' motives appear to be more about keeping Autodesk customers from upgrading to new versions of AutoCAD by enabling them to "maintain and share DWG files without the expense of upgrading to the latest version of AutoCAD." In other words, it's so that SolidWorks can hurt Autodesk by keeping their customers from buying upgrades. Our strategy is about bringing new customers into the market, and so increasing the size of the market -- rather than playing a zero-sum game. So, the bottom line is that we believe by including the SolidWorks reader in our free version we'll get more people to try Xpress, and a higher percentage of those customers (given that they must be serious 3D CAD consumers or they wouldn't have SolidWorks files in the first place) will decide that the extra features in our commercial version are worth paying for and will decide to upgrade. We find this sometimes happens quickly, and sometimes happens months or years later. [Paul Grayson is the founder and re-CEO of Alibre.] A Few Comments to BIM Developers Architects resent marketing junkies, not BIM [building information modeling]. We love the idea of BIM, yet it unfortunately never equals (much less exceeds) the expectations of marketing machines.
If If software were capable of utilizing today's hardware -- and not two or three generations from now -- and if we understood that all software problems weren't going to be blown away in the next version coming out "soon," then we would be intrigued. If the software actually enhanced the architect's process, instead of adding layers of complexity to an already complex process, then we would be interested. If we thought our clients had qualified staff on board to utilize the full building model with its "downstream benefits" for the future, AND that our files were not going to become useless in 3-6 years because of new, better formats, then we would consider getting involved. (A few clients do use the full building model, but end up translating the data into other formats for their purposes.)
The Troubling BIM Concept Architects don't need to be saved; they need software developers to listen to what they do, and understand how to make that process easier. We understand that all CAD software companies at the moment think that their idea is the best solution, but it really is NOT without fundamental changes in the reality of the world in which architects live. Does anyone ask why? No. They think architects are lazy, and are slow and cheap to change. The two latter thoughts may be true, but architects are anything but lazy. They are very good at constructive criticism, if anyone would listen. There is an inherently troubling issue with the whole BIM concept. Architects have for generations made drawings that are shorthand for the whole building. These are called "construction drawings" or CDs. BIM is asking us to draw the whole building just to cut out our shorthand drawings. Will the CD process change any time soon for estimating by contractors or getting approval from the variety of planning and building departments across the country? It is doubtful and unlikely, but not inconceivable. After all, we never thought we would see the economic crisis we are in. If BIM is complex for architects, we certainly can't see contractors or building departments jumping on, saying "Sure! With this BIM model (instead of CDs on paper), we can estimate your project and give you a permit!" We are being asked to provide extra data for no apparent reason, which adds time and complexity to our world, with no financial gain. Does this seem like good business? What other profession provides an extra no-cost-to-them service as is being suggested? Hmmm: I think not many.
Follow the SketchUp Approach If the complexity of a 3D building model was somehow made easier and quicker to work with compared to typical 2D electronic drafting, then architects would invest quickly and adapt overnight. Please don't suggest more training. I have been working in 3D since 1987; I know how to make building models, but none of the current products are inherently intuitive to the casual observer. SketchUp is an example of a slightly (could still be better by leaps and bounds) more intuitive interface for working in 3D. Yet, it understood its place in the world, and didn't try to be an everything all-in-one Swiss Army knife. There is not an architect alive that doesn't at least know about it. Those who spend at least an hour with it readily understand its potential. SketchUp isn't the answer to everything, but it helps sell ideas quickly, gets clients on board, and moves further down the winding road of the process called "design." Products that understand how to work with other products like SketchUp go a long way towards making us feel like someone is watching and listening. Architects will always use a host of programs; there is no one product that will be the end-all answer. These BIM products can be enhanced to help with the most trivial issues (like sheet numbering and organization) to more complex issues, like energy calculations, water retention on a site, and daylighting studies. (See ecotect as an example [now owned by Autodesk].) Helping architects early in the process of design with sustainable issues is one of many paths for development, not the current "marketing junkie" approach.
Demeaning Marketing These major selling points with every vendor are old and tired concepts. Collisions. Having models find collisions in building designs before construction suggests architects and engineers have been unable to figure these things out in the past; it is demeaning marketing, at best. We figure these things out in 2D or 3D because it is the business we are in daily. Many times, unsuspected problems on the site create collisions, such as drawings being misread. To resolve them, we come up with solutions as needed. I don't believe BIM models are going to change people misreading models and drawings, unless there are major advancements in the ease of use among the current products. Cost Estimating. The process of cost estimating has become a very delicate issue. Many times these days, it is left to consultants, because of the liability involved on large projects -- thanks to our legal system. This marketing sales point is always less than valuable, because no one has developed a rock solid relationship with a reputable estimating company, like RS Means, who updates regional prices for materials and labor on a quarterly basis. Without this information, no architect has the time, or trust in their junior-level help, to input data in any trusting/valuable way. Because of the liability issue, no CAD company develops this end of the product, other than to say, "It will do it" -- if you, as the architect, put a lot of time and energy into tracking which objects are connected to what pricing. Would we like this to work easily? And be set up so that we can get very accurate cost estimating from the model? YES! We would embrace that overnight, if we thought it was ironclad accurate. Otherwise, it is simply another of the marketing ploys that marketing junkies put out there about a product that just really doesn't do anything other than double our efforts in getting projects completed.
The Real Tipping Point Currently, I am hearing remarks that sound like a different kind of Tipping Point. Owners who originally required BIM are now realizing that billings by architects go up (not down) to implement BIM. And so owners are moving back to CDs being drawn electronically. I hear of architecture firms who bit on the BIM marketing concept, and are now cutting the BIM apron string to finish projects on schedule; they are bringing 2D drawings back in to play. - - - In closing, I reiterate: Architects resent marketing junkies, not BIM.
[Mark Chaney is the creative managing director of mark chaney architects, an interdisciplinary firm that integrate digital media with full-service architectural design. http://www.mcarch.net ] A study by Longview Advisors finds that data translation continues to be inefficient. Engineers average three-10 hours a week fixing CAD data; a third use data translation tools. The 2008 Collaboration & Interoperability Market Report is available free from www.longviewadvisors.com [PDF].
The Open Design Alliance continues to grow, with three organizations joining as Founding Members. Founding Members didn't actually help found the ODA; rather, the title refers to the highest level of membership. It provides full access to all source code, premium support, and in turn firms can become reps on the ODA's board of directors. The new three who find the ODA valuable enough to spend big bucks every year are: Carlson Software, INFRASOFT, and Nanosoft. - - - OrthoGraph's Survey and Architect software allows you to sketch and measure floor plans using Leica's Disto A6 laser distance meter and PDAs. The Survey version starts at e1,149; the Architect version is for smaller buildings, and starts at e349. Download the 30-day trial version www.orthograph.net/ortho-eng_download.php?cmd=1 JETCAM International of Monaco releases their free Expert CADCAM v16 plugin for directly unfolding and importing 3D files from Solid Edge. www.jetcam.com SmartCAMcnc of USA announces SmartCAM V15.5 with Showpath, ShowCut, and Code options for restricting visual verification and coding to active steps or groups. www.SmartCAMcnc.com Delcam of England’s new PowerMILL v9 release offers offline programming and 3D tool paths based on any curve. releasecentre.powermill.com Elysium releases CADfeature v8.2.1, their feature-based software that captures design intent and remasters data between CAD systems. The new release links 2D drawings that were associated with 3D models. And more. www.elysiuminc.com Okino ships CATIA v4/5 CAD importers for 3ds Max, Maya, XSI, Cinema-4D, Lightwave, AutoCAD, Adobe Director, and other major 3D file formats. www.okino.com Clarizen integrates its online project management software with AutoCAD. www.clarizen.com SYCODE launches six Vizualization Toolkit VTK file import and export plug-ins for Alibre Design, AutoCAD, and Solid Edge. VTK is used for 3D computer graphics, image processing, and visualization but is not supported by CAD apps. e195 each. www.sycode.com/news/10_nov_2008.htm And Nemetschek Allplan and the Nemetschek Foundation establish a degree program for construction at Anhalt University (Dessau, Germany) "in structurally weak regions of the world." [I've read the entire press release, but got no clue as to what 'structurally weak' means.] www.allplan.com - - - These news items were posted during the last week at the WorldCAD Access blog <worldcadaccess.typepad.com>:
And at the Gizmos Grabowski blog < worldcadaccess.typepad.com/gizmos/ >:
Hardware News MCOR Technologies' 3D printer uses paper and glue to construct 3D models. You provide the paper; they sell you the glue and knives. Not yet shipping, but "soon." www.mcortechnologies.com/faq.html nVIDIA Corp. ships world's fastest 3D accelerator, the Quadro Plex 2200 S4 Visual Computing System with four Quadro FX 5800 GPUs, a Quadro Plex 2200 S4, 16GB RAM, CUDA Parallel Computing Processor, and 10 bits per component color. Priced similarly to an entry level automobile: $14,995. www.nvidia.com/quadro 3Dconnexion's 3D mice now work with Nemetschek's Graphisoft's ArchiCAD 12. www.3dconnexion.com/solutions/cad/all_sup_app.php
Seminars & Conferences Environmental Business Journal's Environmental Industry Summit VII is Feb 18-20 in Coronado CA USA. www.ebjsummit.com Siemens PLM Connection Americas 2009 is June 1–4 in Nashville TN USA. event.plmworld.org/index.php
People/Companies on the Move VUEWorks appoints Kenneth “Chip” Spalding as territory sales manager. Mr Spalding is a former Civil 3D customer success engineer at Autodesk.
Letters to the Editor Re: Will the Recession Save BIM? "All the media gush over BIM and how great it is for all participants. However, none (as in not any) of our clients will even talk about BIM. So, where are all these wonderful people? "And provide additional services for free? Let's see, I'm not getting any sales on my new cars. Maybe I should go to the expense of increasing the engine size, adding turbo chargers, tuned exhausts, upgraded suspension, and wide wheels. OK, so now not only am I not making any sales, it is costing me even more not to make any sales." The editor replies: 'The media gushes over what vendors feed us." - - - Re: IntelliCAD World Conference 2008 Report "FWIW, there are already several OSX native CAD and 3D applications. So why are they not being used? Too simple? No marketing? Or people are reluctant to let go of the AutoCAD workflow? "The typical AutoCAD-user might not even be the typical OSX user, so I'm not sure if porting IntelliCAD to OSX would really boost the CAD market for OSX users. It is more that people are afraid to leave the familiar AutoCAD interface, since it was so hard to learn and they are apparently not ready to learn another similarly complex application." The editor replies: "Microsoft was effective in shifting CAD vendors to Windows, and so now CAD users only use Windows. Other kinds of computer users employ Mac or Linux."
Notable Quotable "A durable beast, designed to take on the extreme conditions of military campaigns and shopping malls."
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