Now that I have a one-week breather between trips, I wanted to share with you an elevator-pitch story line for each conference I attended in Europe.
Open Design Alliance
2015 Teigha Developer Conference, Prague
The Open Design Alliance is plugging along quietly, doing their thing with DWG, DGN, and PDF APIs -- plus some new ones. I find it impressive that they have 1,280 members continuously supporting the independent documentation of significant file formats.
This was the first Teigha conference to which the media were invited; there are plans to possibly expand the conference next year. Autodesk mischievously planned their own DWG event the SAME week in the SAME city (Prague), and then attempted to attract the ODA-hosted media. (We didn't go.) Remember: if it wasn't for the ODA, Autodesk would never have released its RealDWG API. http://www.opendesign.com
Additional coverage:
Graebert
Graebert Annual Meeting 2015, Berlin
Graebert lives the bifurcated life. On the negative side, they are in the unenviable position of having to stick largely to 2D due to their significant relationship with Dassault Systemes: the capabilities of DraftSight cannot compete with Solidworks too strongly. On the positive side, they are doing some of the most significant work in the CAD world with their server-based 2D drafting engine (a first!) already deployed in current CAD darling Onshape, as well as being the only one with a nearly-full CAD system on Android and iOS tablets. Both their browserCAD and mobileCAD apps are complete with APIs. (See figure 1.) Nobody else is doing this.
Figure 1Graebert assigning APIs to cloud, mobile, and desktop systems(Image credit: Graebert GmbH)
At this year's conference in Berlin Graebert gave a bit more detail on seat numbers -- albeit rounded to the nearest million. They have one million paid users, three million registered users, and eight million downloads. This is for combined house brands and OEM software. https://www.graebert.com
(See additional conference coverage below.)
Bricsys
Bricsys International Conference 2015, Munich
Martyn Day of Develop3D is fond of insisting Bricsys is "just 2D," but he hasn't seen the remarkable 3D MCAD strides they've made in just four years. Buying part of Ledas (now Bricsys Russia) was the best thing they ever did, because the tougher the challenge the harder Russian programmers work to master it. As a result, their advances in 3D of just the last year are jaw-dropping.
Their BIM initiative, however, lags, but from what I hear about behind the scene efforts, I predict we could see a significant boost this time next year. They are edging up their pricing, and so their most expensive package of BricsCAD Platinum + Communicator + Sheet Metal is around $2,200.
I estimated 350-400 in attendance, meaning their conference is closing in numbers-wise on events like Solid Edge University. (See figure 2.) Bricsys for the first time hinted at seat numbers: "hundreds of thousands." Curiously, it wasn't until the following day's Spatialconference that the Bricsys CEO became more explicit: 250 thousand paying customers -- he emphasized the word "paying" -- a number bigger than I had been guestimating.http://www.bricsys.com
Figure 2Inside the BMW Welt conference hall
Spatial
3D Insiders' European Forum 2015, Munich
Spatial is "the other ODA," best known for their ACIS modeling kernel and 3D InterOp translator, but also the official distributor of technology from parent company Dassault Systemes to CAD vendors wanting to license it. At this conference, there was lots to discuss about their new Polyhedra extension to ACIS and CGM: it lets the two kernels model non-precise shapes, and is based on code borrowed from 3DExperience.
The quiet announcement was ceo Jean-Marc Guillard stepping down after four years, and returning to France to be with his family. Taking over as ceo is former vp of marketing and business development Linda Lokay. I was surprised to find myself the only journalist at this, their only user event of the year, but then Spatial is a B2B [business to business] company.
TechSoft 3D and Autodesk Germany also held conferences overlapping the same week in Munich and Darmstadt, respectively, which I did not attend. http://www.spatial.com
Siemens PLM Software
Solid Edge University 2105, Cincinnati
Back on the road again, I am now at Solid Edge University, this year being held later (in October) and back in Cincinnati (Ohio). Look for live blogging on WorldCAD Access. http://www.solidedge.com
[Disclosure: The companies hosting these conferences provided me with hotel accommodation and meals, and in some cases air and train fares.]
Graebert Annual Meeting 2015, Berlin
What's a CAD vendor to do when it can't push too strongly into 3D? (I suspect an agreement with Dassault means Graebert GmbH cannot compete 3D-wise with Solidworks.) With pretty much all CAD vendors pushing 3D, being off the bandwagon can feel wrong. But there is a benefit in not chasing what the crowd chases: Graebert sees opportunities in 2D that 3D-focused vendors are missing. Plus, 3D is 6x harder to implement than 2D.
Here're all the ways that Graebert is spreading itself amongst multiple 2D initiatives:
ARES Map
- Marries their ARES desktop CAD software with Ersi's mapping service for $99 a month.
- Opportunity: Graebert tells me Esri made the agreement after feeling abandoned by other CAD vendors.
- Availability: Soon through https://www.graebert.com/en/aresmap
ARES Mechanical 2105
- Overlays CAD with an abridged interface to hide complexity, such as applying constraints automatically
- Opportunity: Graebert says factories in Germany are looking for simplified 2D software for managing renovations
- Availability: In beta through http://www.graebert.in/getstarted/aresmechanical2015
ARES Touch
- Draws, edits, and programs 2D CAD on tablets, with 3D viewing
- Opportunity: Places Graebert ahead of all other CAD vendors in putting full 2D CAD and associated customization on a mobile device
- Availability: In beta for Android and in alpha for iPad fromhttps://www.graebert.com/en/arestouch
ARES Kudo
- Draws, edits, and programs 2D CAD in Web browsers through servers, such as from Onshape
- Opportunity: Makes Graebert one of the few with a full 2D CAD system that runs on "any" device in a Web browser
- Availability: In beta from gCADlabs at http://gcadlabs.com
ARES Commander and OEM
All this with just under 100 employees. Not that they ignore 3D completely; it's just that the market for 2D is so huge. For example, their SiteMaster software does 3D, but in the kitchen and surveying markets that don't compete with Solidworks.
SiteMaster
- Draws and edits in 2D and 3D, with IFC output for BIM; connects to Bluetooth laser measurement devices
- Opportunity: Graebert gets real world understanding of issues facing builders
- Availability: Now from http://www.graebert-isurvey.com
De-walling the Microsoft Lock-in
"Breaking Down the Wall(s)" was the double-entendre theme of Graebert's annual meeting. It described the company's CAD software running on all viable hardware and operating systems (I remember back in the 1980s when Autodesk at one time boasted that) -- Windows, Linux, OS X, iOS, Android, and Web browsers. The "wall" theme also related to the meeting's location in the former East German presidium building. (See figure 3.)
![](https://gallery.mailchimp.com/07b7371a0bd0d2271ef2aba3f/images/659f9777-6a24-4f5a-942e-b2849e8b3192.jpg) Figure 3Preparing for group dinner in the presidium
Graebert pulls off this no-walls trick because some years ago they rewrote their entire CAD system to be platform independent. I think the figure is that about 5% of code needs to be adapted to the OS or hardware. (See figure 4.)
Figure 4 Graebert splitting its CAD code into dependent and independent sections (Image credit: Graebert GmbH)
Too Soon?
But could Graebert be overreaching by placing full CAD systems on tablets and Web browsers? If no one else is doing it, might this be a clue that there is little or no market for drawing awkwardly on small screens, or in environments that require a steady connection to the Internet.
Graebert licenses ACIS (modeling kernel) and CDS (constraints) from Spatial, and so a significant problem Graebert faces is that Spatial is in no hurry to makes its components native to tablets. As the fomer CEO of Spatial told me, "There is curiosity, but the compelling need is not there yet." The good news is that Spatial in enthusiastic about running its components on servers, which means that calculations are done remotely and the results transmitted via the Internet to tablets and Web browsers. Spatial is examining how their components can be made to run on tablets within a few years.
Graebert can afford to wait for the market to catch up with its Leadership.
Additional coverage: Grabowski's talk at Graebert Annual Meeting, Berlin http://www.worldcadaccess.com/blog/2015/10/grabowskis-talk-at-graebert-annual-meeting-berlin.html
Announcing ARES Map: live announcement from Graebert Annual Meeting http://www.worldcadaccess.com/blog/2015/10/announcing-ares-map-live-announcement-from-graebert-annual-meeting.html
Graebert expands to GIS http://www.worldcadaccess.com/blog/2015/10/graebert-expands-to-gis.html
ARES Kudo: DWG editing in the browser http://www.worldcadaccess.com/blog/2015/10/ares-kudo-dwg-editing-in-the-browser.html
All about the drafting component in OnShape http://www.worldcadaccess.com/blog/2015/10/all-about-the-drafting-component-in-onshape.html
MobileCAD is more than mobile: SiteMaster http://www.worldcadaccess.com/blog/2015/10/mobilecad-is-more-than-mobile-sitemaster.html
Graebert first CAD vendor to cover all viable platforms http://www.worldcadaccess.com/blog/2015/10/graebert-first-cad-vendor-to-cover-all-viable-platforms.html
ARES Touch 2016 on Android http://www.worldcadaccess.com/blog/2015/10/ares-touch-2016-on-android.html
OEMs at Graebert Annual Meeting 2015 http://www.worldcadaccess.com/blog/2015/10/oems-at-graebert-annual-meeting-2015.html
New features in ARES Commander 2016 http://www.worldcadaccess.com/blog/2015/10/new-features-in-ares-commander-2016.html
Graebert theme: Breaking the walls of CAD http://www.worldcadaccess.com/blog/2015/10/graebert-theme-breaking-the-walls-of-cad.html
Live from Graebert Annual Meeting 2015 http://www.worldcadaccess.com/blog/2015/10/live-from-graebert-annual-meeting-2015.html |
|
Maciek Wojtasiewicz approached me at the Graebert event to tell me about his company's BIM viewer, named BIM Vision. It displays the graphics and data from IFC files, highlighting entities being inspected. The ribbon provides commands for slicing, viewing, and measuring models. (See figure 4.) One button takes you to the company's Web site for accessingBIMestiMate, the first Polish 5D system. Download the free software fromhttp://www.bimvision.eu.
![](https://gallery.mailchimp.com/07b7371a0bd0d2271ef2aba3f/images/16665088-1112-418f-a5fd-5efaf9b29bf2.jpg) Figure 4BIM Vision displaying IFC model exported from BricsCAD
|
|
Read the blog at WorldCAD Access as I write more about the CAD industry, and give tips on using hardware and software. You can also keep up with the blog through RSS feeds and email alerts. These are some of the articles that appeared on WorldCAD Access during the last week:
- foto of the sunday: German rail worker
I'm also on Twitter at @upfrontezine throughout the day with late-breaking CAD news and wry commentary, such as....
upFront.eZine (@upFronteZine) Oct 20: "Judging from the lead story on TechMeme this morning, Onshape may have landed the last big round of venture capital money, period." |
|
Thank you to you subscribers who donate towards the operation of upFront.eZine.
- Bricsys Canada (small company donation)
Should you wish to support upFront.eZine through PayPal, then the suggested amounts are like these:
Or you can mail a cheque (US$ or CDN$ only, please) to upFront.eZine Publishing, Ltd., 34486 Donlyn Avenue, Abbotsford BC, V2S 4W7, Canada |
|
|
|
Comments