upFront.eZine NEWS #592

upFront.eZine t h e b u s i n e s s o f c a d , e n l i g h t e n e d
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Issue #592 : : February 17, 2009
In this issue: SolidWorks World 2009 (Part 1) - Day 2 General Session - Wish #1: Touch/Motion UI - Wish #2. Online Applications - Wish #3: Video Game Technology - Wish #4: 3D Printing - SolidWorks 2010 Release 4 of SpaceClaim, the Creator - SpaceClaim 2009 Out of the Inbox, and our other regular columns.	Write the editor. Make him smile! Through Paypal, consider donating $25 in support of upFront.eZine. Or else... We're trendy. We have a Weblog. WorldCAD Access. Previous Issue < > Next Issue

SolidWorks World 2009 (Part 1) For additional coverage of show happenings, read the semi-live blog coverage: DesignStuff (Matt Lombard) -- dezignstuff.com/blog/ SWW09: summary report and commentary WorldCAD Access (Ralph Grabowski) -- worldcadaccess.typepad.com SolidWorks World 2009: Day 0 SolidWorks World 2009: Day 1 SolidWorks World 2009: Day 1.25 SolidWorks World 2009: Day 2 Day 2 General Session John Hirschtick, banned from the casinos of Las Vegas and original CEO of SolidWorks, came onstage for the second morning of SolidWorks World 2008 -- to the relief of us techies. "Today is still the beginning," he starts, meaning that most of the work is still in front of the programmers of SolidWorks. I wonder if this in with the relatively low ratings current ceo Jeff Ray gave to his company during the previous day's keynote: Customer Service: B- Performance: C+ User Experience: B Figure: SolidWorks ceo Jeff Ray grades his company. Why the ratcheting down of self-aggrandizement, all too common among CAD vendors at user events? Dunno. Maybe it's to claim dramatic improvements in succeeding years. "I have more claim to the past than anyone here in this room. Move SolidWorks forward, change how things occur," he proclaims. This is a lead-in to his wishlist of future tech trends, with the disclaimer that none of this might ever show up in SolidWorks; rather, this is the list of trends he's pushing within the company's offices. [SWW Moment: I loved the videos the now-beardless Mr Hirschtick showed of his visit to New Balance (running shoes) and Sony Ericsson (cell phones). Both companies use SolidWorks, naturally, and both have 3D printers running around the clock. I did feel bad for the edgy Swedish designers, because our local cell phone store tells us Sony Ericsson is the brand most brought back by customers for repair, including 5x by my daughter.] Wish #1: Touch/Motion UI User interfaces using hands, "the way they were meant to be, not using the keyboard." He lists the iPhone touch screen and motion sensors, the Wii motion controller, and GPS screens. Closer to CAD, there are Wacom screen tablets, and 3Dconnexion's line of 3D mice. He shows a movie clip in which fingers draw and edit lines, arcs, circles, and splines on a surface-touch table. The company has already ported their eDrawings [file viewer] software to the table, with features like dragging the UI to any angle. "I believe CAD is going to become a hardware business again; I'm not talking about computers. I think more and more you will use hardware meant for CAD, touch and motion, or something else that helps with the interface," Mr Hirschtick concluded. [My comment: Sorry, but touch isn't going to be popular; the TabletPC has already settled the argument. Touch works on PalmPilots and GPSs, because they are intimate devices used occasionally. (By intimate I mean small devices used close to the body.) Contrast that with the 12-hour-a-day CAD user with a 23" screen located 23" inches away. In any case, CAD users don't enjoy the look of finger grease-marked screens. Being able to drag the UI to any angle points to the Scrabble problem: users on three of the table's four sides won't see drawings rightside up.] Wish #2. Online Applications The best-known examples of online aps are Web-hosted email, online banking, and word processing. What about online CAD? Some CAD vendors have rudimentary 2D drawing apps running in Web browsers; SolidWorks has Blueprint Now. The benefits are compelling, Mr Hirschtick insists: No installation time [but there is installation of the underlaying display mechanism, such as Flash or Air]. No license codes to enter [but usernames and passwords are required]. No upgrades and no backups [because upgrades are automatic, but possibly unwanted]. No operating systems to limit distribution [not true]. No device drivers [Web browser requires device drivers]. PDM [product data management] is automatic, because the data is always in a vault [except when the Internet or the vault provider go down]. Collaboration is trivial [true]. And a server farm of a 100,000 CPUs available for the heavy lifting. I later overheard a journalist asking current ceo Jeff Ray for more details. He said there is nothing for sure, so he has no idea when browser-based CAD might become available. He is impressed at the success of Salesforce.com, and SolidWorks is examining all the different types of technology used to access the Internet. So, CAD users of the future have access to a hundred-thousand CPU farm to perform FEA, part searches, and more at Google-like speeds. But how will the results be displayed by the Web browser? It'll need significant help from local graphics engines. Online CAD is not going to happen anytime soon, Mr Hirschtick concluded, but you can try the rudimentary version of BLueprint Now at blueprintnow.labs.solidworks.com (requires a user name, password, and the installation of Silverlight). [Additional comment: Salesforce deals primarily with digits and letters. But, I would counter, what is a CAD file like DXF, but an ordered collection of numbers and words that represent 3D drawings in their entirety? But, I would remind readers, DXF describes neither solid models (that's kept encrypted as ACIS data) nor animated renderings -- that's generated primarily by the graphics board's GPU.] Wish #3: Video Game Technology It used to be CAD had the best graphics, but today the distinctions belongs to games. Games don't deal with static images, but realtime rendered graphics with physical simulation. SolidWorks Animator already uses PhysX, and at some point it might use video game hardware, which provide parallel computing engines that SolidWorks could tap. In the future, it'll be Internet bandwidth and gaming hardware that will be the main specs, he predicts, replacing CPU speed, memory capacity, and hard disk capacity. [My comment: The GPU will have to be tapped to generate those wonderful renderings in Web browser-based CAD programs. The flaw is the high cost of replacing CAD-capable graphics boards with high-end gaming units (as much as $2,000 each) throughout the CAD department.] Wish #4: 3D Printing 3D printing will become as realistic as today's 3D renderings, Mr Hirschtick predicts. "It will become a key part of our everyday CAD experience." Like 2D paper printing today, we will "print it out, mark it up, and throw it away." [Oops, that's not very green-sensitive.] He ends with a movie clip from 'Ironman,' where the hero uses a 3D CAD-like interface to design his suit: "Maybe that's the next release of our surface table," he jokes. [My comment: We can only hope that 3D printing doesn't become the voice recognition of the 2000s, that always just-about ready-for-everyone technology.] SolidWorks 2010 SolidWorks 2010 will be shown on a media tour this summer, and then released in September. Some of its features were shown on day 3 of SolidWorks World. For the new features list, see Ricky Jordon's blog at www.rickyjordan.com/2009/02/solidworks-2010-the-quick-list.html - - - SolidWorks has picked locations of future user events through to 2012, apparently. They are said to all be in "warm locations"; I trust that Hawaii is one of them. Next year, it's at Anaheim, California, between Jan 31 and Feb 3, 2010. - - - Next week : Part 2 of my report on SolidWorks World 2009 [Disclosure: SolidWorks paid for my airfare, hotel, meals, and gave me a copy of Richard Branson's book, "Business Stripped Bare". And a t-shirt.] Release 4 of SpaceClaim, the Creator When "direct modeling" becomes a new talking point for the four major CAD vendors, it's time for the earlier purveyors to speak up. Such as SpaceClaim ceo Chris Randles, who feels his company is one-three years ahead of the competition. He told me that his company is still focused on expanding the 3D market, not on replacing existing MCAD. He sees 2D growing faster than 3D, giving the inevitable example that's the embarrassment of Autodesk: the runaway popularity of 2D-only AutoCAD LT. The reason? He thinks because parametrics are unsuitable for much of 3D work, yet it is the dominent solution presented by the largest CAD vendors. What's direct modeling good for? How about modeling the human liver, so that it can interact with a parametrically-designed cancer fighting tool. The example of the liver model signals SpacClaim's change from a companion-to-design program, to a design program on its own. He is skeptical of Siemens and Autodesk adding direct editing to their parametric software. "Putting both into the same tool is unrealistic and self-serving," he told me. We wondered together just how well Fusion would determine the history of a bizarrely edited model; the history tree would be miles long, Mr Randles predicted. (There was an advantage to being described negatively by Autodesk during its Fusion Webcast. Saying that SpaceClaim needs to add parametrics or else hit a deadend, Autodesk is signaling that it worries over SpaceClaim.) Even within the direct editing genre of MCAD, Mr Randles divides it into two segments: Constrained, which limits how the model can be changed, as in synchronous technology from Siemens. Unconstrained, where any aspect of the model can be edited, as in SpaceClaim. His solution is to have different tools with different abilities, with a clean data interface. SpaceClaim 2009 For 2009, SpaceClaim the company is renaming the software: 1. SpaceClaim Engineer is the full-featured one, and starts at $1,995; price goes up with optional translators and other add-ons. 2. SpaceClaim Style replaces the LT and LTX versions, and is priced at $895 (up from $695 for LT; equal to LTX's $895). No API. I don't have room to describe all the new features, so here are some that caught my eye: SpaceClaim wants to move analysis from the far end of the CAD design phase forward into the conceptual phase. Mr Randles admits its a chicken-egg problem: how do you analyse the egg when the chicken hasn't laid it yet? However, the idea is to get feedback on styling, mechanical and electrical specs, and supply chain issues in the conceptual analysis stage. One way to do more analysis up front is through the new draft angle feature in SpaceClaim 2009. Users can define tapers for molded parts early, as part of the industrial design. Another way is to link up with Ansys. SpaceClaim 2009 is the first product to edit 3D PDF files. This is possible through a new API that works only with the most expensive version of Acrobat 9, and is limited to editing visualizations of 3D models. With the many translators available for SpaceClaim Engineer, the software becomes useful for some customers just for cleaning up imported 3D models. The new thread-safe API means that multiple processes can interact with SpaceClaim without impacting the API. In addition, different versions of add-ons can operate with different versions of SpaceClaim; you are no longer a victim of the parallel-upgrade conundrum, where you don't get the CAD upgrade because the third-party hasn't upgraded its software yet. "I probably would have kept it under wraps longer," Mr Randles told me, had he been around for the launch of the original SpaceClaim. He figures 2008 was the first good release. The 2009 software becomes available today for download from http://www.spaceclaim.com - - - PS: I experienced a reversal of browsers for this interview. Normally, I launch Internet Explorer for WebEx-style meetings to ensure the real-time event runs smoothly. This time, IE would not load the GoToMeeting Web page; I switched to FireFox, and all was well. Out of the Inbox MFG.com surveyed 570 North American contract manufacturers to find that, reassuringly, 45% project growth in 2009, and a further 28% project steady business. www.MFG.com Ashlar-Vellum offers no-charge 3-month Cobalt license with proof of unemployment, recent graduation, or recent establishment of a new business. After that, submit two drawings to the Ashlar-Vellum Gallery Website for half-price monthly rentals for up to a year. www.ashlar.com Siemens PLM Software ships v4.1 of Teamcenter Express with new administration and new smart customization tools. www.siemens.com/plm/teamcenterexpress BluelueCielo ECM Solutions releases InnoCielo ImandrA v3 with improved user interface and improved performance. www.bluecieloecm.com Autodesk announces its 2010 line of MCAD software this week, Wednesday. www.autodesk.com/pr-3ddesigntechnologies Last week, the company announced that Revit Architecture 2010, Revit Structure 2010, Revit MEP 2010, AutoCAD Civil 3D 2010, and Navisworks 2010 software are due to ship in late March or April. www.autodesk.com/purchaseoptions MecSoft has a no-cost add-in that exports SpaceClaim part file geometry to VisualCAM; it runs inside of SpaceClaim 2008 and 2009. www.mecsoft.com Okino Computer Graphics updates its CAD conversion system for SolidWorks 2009, allowing native SolidWorks BREP CAD assemblies, parts, and presentation files to be converted to major animation and authoring packages. www.okino.com/solutions/solidworks.htm And Cadsoft is previewing Envisioneer 5.0 in three levels: Envisioneer Essentials, Envisioneer Professional, and Envisioneer Construction Suite. New features include: Advanced wall framing module. New format for Web-based manufacturer�s content. More design wizards for construction and remodeling. Energy analysis and energy efficient elements. Advanced automatic dimensioning tools. www.cadsoft.com/compare - - - These were some of the news items that were posted during the last week at the WorldCAD Access blog < worldcadaccess.typepad.com >: ODA Conference Schedule CADalyst Buyout Attempt Inventor Gets Logical Bad Decision-Making by Leaders Multi-touch Goes 3D What Recession? Dassault Up 12% In Americas Where Are You? In 3D MicroGDS Has New Owners (Again) And at the Gizmos Grabowski blog < worldcadaccess.typepad.com/gizmos/ >: Where's Vista? Calibrating Battery Gauges Seminars & Conferences First ODA World Conference by The Open Design Alliance is Apr 27�29 in Leiden, The Netherlands. www.opendwg.org/conference (I'll be at this conference.) 2009 Collaboration & Interoperability Conference is May 18-20 in Estes Park CO. http://www.3DCIC.com People/Companies on the Move progeSOFT North America signs up ID3 Solutions as the authorized reseller of progeSOFT software and add-on modules in Canada. progeSOFT North America itself is the North American distributor of progeCAD from Italy. www.id3solutions.ca Now that it has new owners, Informatix Software International is looking for resellers around the world [except Japan?] for its MicroGDS CAD software. www.informatix.co.uk WorthWhile Web http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/15/business/15ping.html?_r=1&partner=rss&emc=rss "How Google Decides to Pull the Plug" by Vindu Goel http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/belief/2009/feb/09/religion-atheism-bus-slogan/print "The great bus-slogan competition: results" by David Shariatmadari http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2009/feb/13/micropayments-zimbabwe-internet "The micropayments argument: do we want to turn the web into Zimbabwe?" by Charles Arthur Letters to the Editor Re: Plotter Restoration "Looking to restore a Graphtec GP 2106 plotter. Any info (manuals, pens, parts, resources, etc. (Graphtec no longer supports them) ) you can recommend would be helpful." - David Anderson US Navy The editor replies: "If you can help out Mr Anderson, let me know." Re: Where's IntelliCAD Headed? "I have to strongly disagree. If 'sharing yet competing' is really a mutant form of 'socialism' (rather than pragmatism), then where does that leave notable non-socialists such as Michael Dell and the rest of the IBM-compatible world? (not to mention Unicode, USB, and a million other standards which show that co-operation and working together delivers significantly more benefit to everyone than being prone to kicking sand in the other kid's eyes - c.f. the Apple of yore). "Not to mention the small fact of the benefits to us (the end users who pay for all of this) when the vendors are compelled to get along nicely." - David Flood City of Dublin, Ireland Re: SolidWorks World 2009 "Regarding your comment on Zuken, I have seen them for years at the Siemens and COE shows. Their presence at SWX looks to be further proof of SWX' steady move towards the high end space." - Jim Merry Adobe Systems Spin Doctor of the Moment "When you see this new [Revit Architecture 2010 conceptual design] feature in just a minute, I think you will understand how it will not only improve the design process, but also make a firm's expenditures for buying and maintaining products like Rhino or SketchUp seem redundant." - Paul Donnoelley, Autodesk senior manager architecture product marketing www-waa-akam.thomson-webcast.net/us/dispatching/?event_id=f214991cb2ccca606bff6b81378b2792&portal_id=e8d6b2435410f82d299c3ce1bae6f1f3 Notable Quotable "Oldmedia has lost control of the discourse." - Rick Falkvinge, Swedish Pirate party leader torrentfreak.com/pirate-party-gets-massive-support-in-sweden-081226/ Copyright 2009 by upFront.eZine Publishing, Ltd. All rights reserved worldwide Article reprint fee US$250.0 and up. All trademarks belong to their respective holders. 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