Six years ago, two former CEOs of Solidworks launched a new stealth software company. They landed $9 million in initial funding on the strength of their experience with the MCAD market; the funding grew to $168 million. The ex-CEOs and other co-founders spent the next three years thinking about how to operate a modern CAD system.
The result was Onshape, an MCAD program that runs on the Internet. It has customers, but the company won't say how many. At some point, the investors want their $168 million back, with significant growth. To learn where Onshape is at, I spoke last fall with CEO Jon Hirschtick. (See figure 1.)
Figure 1: Jon Hirschtick is a co-founder and the CEO of Onshape (image source: Onshape)
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Ralph Grabowski: The email accompanying a recent press release described Onshape as "a full data management platform with CAD built in." Was data management the goal right from the beginning?
Jon Hirschtick: Yes, the original beta already had version control, and we quickly added data management. Data management is the core of our system. We implemented it even before we wrote commands for lofts or drawing generation.
Data is a key aspect of the performance you experience when running Onshape in a Web browser. We store the 3D models in a database, not in files. When you edit the model, the edits are recorded as transactions to the database.
Figure 2: All "files" are stored as records in a central database maintained by Onshape
Grabowski: For the end user, how does working with a database differ from working with files?
Hirschtick: The database provides users with many advantages: there is no need to lock out files, or even lock out a portion of the drawing that you want to work on. There is no need to copy files to local computers before working on them. As far as I know, Onshape is the only system that has a history log of every edit (transaction) made, in addition to maintaining a version log.
Relationships between assemblies and parts are just relationships in the database -- there is no need to hunt down a C:\filename to locate missing parts, because parts can’t go missing. You and everyone else just work on the model, no matter where you're located.
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Using a database is not unique to Onshape; Dassault Systemes already built a similar system for its V6-series of software running on an Enovia database. Autodesk has expressed a desire to go the database route, and Microsoft at one time dreamed of moving Windows files to a database.
Using a database instead of files has, however, disadvantages. As discrete files do not exist, third-parties cannot easily translate models to formats used by competitors or even by customers; they must rely on Onshape and Dassault to provide access to export facilities.
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Grabowski: Onshape is known for its frequent updates, but some design firms want stable CAD environments for long-term projects. How does Onshape enable this?
Hirschtick: [We don't.] Everyone is on the same version, and that makes tech support easy. We upgrade so often that the changes are small and barely noticeable, like Google Maps being updated incrementally.
Everyone in the world is updated at the same time. We have a high-quality upgrade process, unlike the legacy [CAD] guys. We know when people have problems, because we run the servers. Our support people are able to view the problem model with the customer, edit the history, and can even fix the model using a [revision] branch.
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Some design firms need CAD software to stay unchanged for months or years to avoid boondoggles, such as the one that occurred when Airbus used Catia V4 and V5 in different departments while designing the A380 aircraft.
Siemens PLM Software now provides a no-update service in NX, where updates can be held back until the CAD department determines the time is right.
How Onshape is Different
An MCAD system running in a browser needs three things. A server computer suitable to perform CAD calculations for many users at the same time. Fast-enough and close-enough Internet pipes to deliver data without much delay (latency). And a Web browser with sufficient programming chops to handle real-time 3D shaded displays and interactions by users. (See figure 3.)
Figure 3: Onshape displaying a shaded 3D model a Web browser
As you edit a model in the Web browser, the code sends instructions back to the server, which performs modeling tasks, such as adding a fillet to an edge. The results of the calculation are returned to the Web browser and displayed as an updated model.
The breakthrough of Onshape is that these actions occur almost as fast as if the software were running on your desktop -- and not thousands of miles away. Onshape programmers employ tricks to give the illusion of reasonable response times, although some actions, like the initial loading of models is as slow as with desktop computers.
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Grabowski: What are the optimizations you perform to make it seem Onshape is working in real-time in the Web browser? I am guessing caching of common elements is one.
Hirschtick: That is one way.
But more importantly, we thought a lot before we wrote any code. We knew we wanted a real-time CAD program that ran on phones, on tablets, and in browsers; there was to be no installed version, no desktop version. So we were able to concentrate only on cloud. Here I have to credit our chief technical officer, Michael Lauer, because he is really smart in figuring this stuff out.
First thing we did was to use distributing computing; we don't run Onshape on a single computer. Onshape code is broken up into services that run on different servers, each one optimized for the type of service.
We examine the actions users are most sensitive to [such as waiting for something to happen]. With five million hours of usage, we have a pretty good idea of what is important, and so some operations occur immediately, while others are delayed by an acceptable amount; a few spare milliseconds makes a difference to code running behind the scenes.
We don't load the entire CAD model, just enough to see what you need to see. Operations that happen the most in real time, such as rotate, occur in real time with no delay. We send more data to the browser at the right time, such as more details as you zoom in.
Dragging a sketch is done with our secret sauce, something that our competitors tell us they wish they knew how we do it. It is really hard to do smoothly!
We designed in [processor] scaling, so that Onshape can be used by many people at the same time. So far, we have had zero scheduled downtime, as our system does not need to stop to be updated or maintained.
We take advantage of the capabilities of client devices [the hardware on which you run Onshape], whether a MacBook, a Chromebook, smartphones, or tablets. The client is no longer dumb, as in the old days when clients were seen like TVs.
These days, the action is on tablets and phones, because they are always with us and the hardware is being developed much faster than for laptops and PCs. [Onshape has apps specific to Android and iOS, although it can run in the Web browser on these mobile devices.]
The Onshape Influence
Just like upstart SpaceClaim a decade earlier forced traditional MCAD vendors to take direct editing seriously, Onshape had an immediate impact. Onshape started out with a low price, forcing Autodesk to drop the price of its Fusion dramatically. Earlier last year Onshape raised prices, and Autodesk followed suit.
Some CAD vendors (like Solidworks) gave up on the dream of browser-based CAD after seeing how difficult it would be to implement it well. Others have browser-based CAD with limited abilities (like AutoCAD 360) or ones that run primarily on the desktop (like Fusion), but then boosted their functions to better compete with Onshape. Graebert of Germany had been working on a browser-based CAD system (Kudo) but managed to get inside Onshape to provide drafting functions, which then accelerated development of Kudo. (See figure 4.)
Figure 4: Drawing generation in Onshape, as developed by Graebert
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Grabowski: Tell me about your work with the Graebert Gmbh and the Open Design Alliance.
Hirschtick: Graebert is a significant partner, as we license technology from them and do joint development. The "in" was our familiarity with them on their work on DraftSight from the Solidworks days. We also work with the Open Design Alliance [such as on revision control].
Leonid Raiz recently started with us, and he knows a lot about geometry and CAD. [Mr Raiz developed the original Pro/Engineer at PTC, and the first versions of Revit before it was bought by Autodesk.]
Onshape Customers
One question that gauges the success of a new CAD system is, 'How many paying customers?' I had asked Mr Hirschtick the question when I met with him a year earlier, and received a vague response. This year I asked the question differently.
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Grabowski: Who are some of your notable large customers?
Hirschtick: We have many 1-seat customers, but we recently landed our first large customer who made a $1-million commitment. There are a handful of customers with hundreds of seats, and an educational customer with a thousand seats for their online class.
Some of our customers don't want to be named, but among our big customers, there is Kichler Lighting. GreenSight Agronomics designs drones to report on grass conditions at golf courses. Silverside Connectors detect radioactivity in rooms and vehicles with their neutron detectors.
Grabowski: Why would a customer not want to be named?
Hirschtick: Well, in some cases because they don't want Onshape working with their competitors! Or they might want secrecy around new product introductions.
We take privacy seriously, and so no emails addresses are made visible to us; even I can't see them. We use Slack for internal communications, and a Slack script removes customer email addresses -- the non-Onshape.com ones. We see customer numbers only.
The Latest Onshape Release
Onshape regularly posts what's-new videos showing the latest functions in action at www.onshape.com/cad-blog/topic/whats-new. Those added in September include the following:
- The shapes of grips hint at their purpose. Closed circles move the entity, hollow circles rotate them, squares resize them, and diamonds flip them (mirror).
- When a body is imported into Onshape from the documents page, a version is now created automatically, meaning the import is date- and time-stamped. The Onshape app for iOS supports sheet metal tools.
- FeatureScript now imports CSV [comma-separated values] data to build curves. FeatureScript is the programming language in which Onshape is written, and is the API for third-party developers.
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Grabowski: Along with adding CAD capabilities, you are adding enterprise-friendly functions.
Hirschtick: Oh, yes. And that's one way we land new customers. They know we are always improving the program.
Our enterprise version has even higher levels of control and analytics for corporations. It has functions like approval and pending processes, such as a change needing the approval of three people. But these processes do not stop any editing; even while an approval is pending, users can keep editing the model. We call this non-stop release management.
You can set goals and roles in projects. Permission levels can be set, such as 'Cannot share with anyone or with specific people'. Analytics report which projects worldwide are being edited, which data is being accessed the most: 'Show me by project by person'.
We might look the same as other MCAD systems, but our insides are as different from traditional CAD as a cell phone is different from an old rotary phone. Both operate similarly, but are completely different inside.
What Ralph Grabowski Thinks
Onshape acts like a company that is successful. It recently raised its prices, which is either a sign of confidence or shows the need for more revenue. It earlier removed the allowance for free users to hold five models privately; they all must be public now, meaning anyone can reuse them. I see this change as another push towards revenues.
A good sign is that Onshape regularly punches out updates, because stalled development would be a warning. But then the company has taken on double the work: to catch up as a CAD system and to develop a data control system. Being a newish company, Onshape has to move fast to catch up with the capabilities of 20- and 30-year old systems like Solidworks and Pro/Engineer. http://www.onshape.com
[This interview is an extended version of an article that first appeared in Design Engineering magazine.] |
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Here are some of the most recent posts made to the WorldCAD Access blog:
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ANSYS is working on acquiring Helic for its electromagnetic crosstalk software for SoCs [systems on chips]. https://www.helic.com/
On an acquisitions spree, ANSYS plans also on acquiring Granta Design for its expertise in the realm of materials. I wrote about Granta here -> upfrontezine.com/2016/02/granta-does-materials.html.
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Hexagon's PPM division acquired j5 International for its operations management software via electronic logbooks. https://www.j5int.com/
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Open Design Alliance is on a release binge, last week shipping its new BimNv SDK [software development kit] to its members. This would be the first independent toolkit for working with Autodesk's Navisworks files. The kit combines files from AutoCAD DWG, Microstation DGN, Revit RVT, IFC to create a single model, with clash detection.
ODA also releases Visualize SDK 2019.2 with:
- Clash detection in 3D models
- Partial-view indexing of large data sets
- New interface for creating navigation and markup tools
- Export any supported file format to DWG
- Subentity selection
www.opendesign.com |
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I'm in the process of retiring from a 45-year career in the power industry and want to keep up on what is happening regarding all things CAD. Thank you again for your work over the years of keeping all of us informed. Looking forward to reading your reports and insight as I enter this next phase of life. - Paul Fiore
Re: Printing from Generic CADD v6.1
Regarding the Generic CADD 6.1 user who can't print to his HP, he may need to export a version of the drawing to a neutral format. GC6 includes support for Encapsulated PostScript, the predecessor to PDF. Many programs and conversion utilities still understand EPS. - Randall S. Newton https://steemit.com/@randallnewton
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The HP3050 printer has Postscript Level 3 emulation. One possible solution might be to get an old copy of CutePDF printer that runs on Windows XP X32 and see if Generic CADD can print to it. Then it is only a matter of sending that file to the printer (Acrobat Reader).
So where would one find this archaic software? Have your reader contact me. I just might have some archived copies that are no longer in use. - Lewis Balentine
Re: Readers Respond: 'Will Computers Revolt?'
Have you considered interviewing Robert Sawyer? He has covered many technology concepts in his books (as most scifi authors do), including an entire trilogy on AI -- with a rather different take than most. -Joe Tilman
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You wrote, "I think the question might be, Do we want to have an AI we cannot control? " Whether we want it or not, this is an arms race for the first general AI. Whoever gets ahead in that game has a huge advantage in all fields of research over anyone else -- including AI research.
When we have a general AI that can design the next generation of general AI, the race is on. When one computer can spend a weekend doing the analysis equivalent of 100 researchers for a year, things really heat up. And rogue states don't even have to develop it themselves. They can potentially steal it and put it at the front of their arms research. Just saying! - Duncan Lithgow |
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