CADalyst articles from August 2001

CADalyst archives from August 2001

A/E/C SYSTEMS revisited.(A/E/C SYSTEMS 2001 trade show)
August 1, 2001... In the early 1990s, the A/E/C SYSTEMS trade show was the BIG event of the year for the entire AEC CAD community--users and vendors alike. Life was simple back then: If you wanted to see, or be seen, you went to A/E/C SYSTEMS. Fast forward to...

HARDWARE : C-size color printer.(Xerox Phaser 2135)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
August 1, 2001... The Phaser 2135 color printer ($5,999) from Xerox Corp. offers 1200dpi resolution. With LED technology, it prints full-color images in a single pass at a rate of 21ppm (26ppm for black and white), according to the company. The Phaser 2135...

HARDWARE : 1.7GHz workstation.(HP workstation x2000)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
August 1, 2001... Hewlett-Packard Company introduced the HP workstation x2000 (prices start at $2,071) that features Intel's new 1.7GHz Pentium 4 processor with up to 2GB RDRAM and a 400MHz front-side bus. Other features include HP Toptools for system management...

HARDWARE : Flat-faced monitor.(Hitachi America's CM821F ErgoFlat Invar shadow-mask monitors)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
August 1, 2001... Hitachi America, Ltd., announced the CM821F ($929) ErgoFlat Invar shadow-mask monitors. The 210 viewable model matches the onboard video cards bundled with most PCs and offers a maximum horizontal synchronization rate of 107KHz. The CM821F...

HARDWARE : Inkjet plotter.(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
August 1, 2001... The EPSON Stylus Pro 10000 ($9,995), an E-size inkjet plotter from EPSON, prints images 440 wide at up to 14403720dpi resolution. The printer features a variable droplet micro piezo DX3 printhead (as small as five picoliters) with photo...

HARDWARE : SLA imaging system.(3D Systems' Viper si2 solid imaging system)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
August 1, 2001... 3D Systems Corp. introduced the Viper si2 ($179,000) solid imaging system that offers standard and high-resolution modes to build parts as large as 10 inches cubed. It runs on Windows NT with Buildstation software. The Viper si2 system features...

MCAD & AEC SOFTWARE : 2D and 3D design.(VectorWorks ARCHITECT 9)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
August 1, 2001... VectorWorks ARCHITECT 9 ($1,295) from Nemetschek North America features a new MEP (mechanical, electrical, plumbing) module and Framing Suite. The MEP module integrates new tools to let you design and document HVAC, piping, plumbing, and...

MCAD & AEC SOFTWARE : Architectural design.(Graphisoft's ArchiCAD 7)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
August 1, 2001... ArchiCAD 7 from Graphisoft handles workplace management, design development, and construction documentation and is compatible with Windows 95/98/ME/NT and MacOS X. The software's new ProjectXchange toolset lets you control and manage workflow...

MCAD & AEC SOFTWARE : Library management.(Code Zebra's LivingLegend 4.3 for AutoCAD Release 14 and 2000)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
August 1, 2001... Code Zebra, Inc., introduced LivingLegend 4.3 for AutoCAD Release 14 and 2000 ($189) to share standard parts with your workgroup and create associative BOMs, schedules, and legends. LivingLegend functions are available from a seven-icon toolbar...

MCAD & AEC SOFTWARE : 3D modeling.(IEZ's speedikon 5)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
August 1, 2001... German-based company IEZ AG introduced speedikon 5 (call for pricing) 3D architectural modeling software for use on its own or with AutoCAD and MicroStation. The new version is available in English and features an updated interface and improved...

MCAD & AEC SOFTWARE : Parametric modeling.(Bentley Systems' Architecture for MicroStation TriForma)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
August 1, 2001... Bentley Systems, Inc., released Architecture for MicroStation TriForma (non-SELECT license: $1,995; competitive upgrade from other architectural applications: 50% discount) that automates the architectural design and production process from...

MCAD & AEC SOFTWARE : Fillet tool.(Alias/Wavefront's StudioTools 9.7)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
August 1, 2001... Alias/Wavefront, an SGI company, introduced StudioTools 9.7 (starting at $7,500), which includes a new filleting tool that speeds the process of connecting surfaces and rounding edges for 3D models. The software's construction history feature...

CAE software : Data model reconstruction.
August 1, 2001... PAM-FLOW 2000 (pricing starts at $24,000) from ESI Group is CFD (computational fluid dynamics) software with an aero-acoustics simulation capability to identify and quantify flow-induced noise sources. It features advanced data model...

CAE software : Seal engineering tool.(EASi-SEAL)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
August 1, 2001... EASi, Inc., announced EASi-SEAL software (call for pricing) for assessing multiple seal-design concepts. The software lets you import the seal geometry and define the materials for the seal and body. The program performs a nonlinear finite...

CAE software : Upfront simulation.(ANSYS' DesignSpace 6.0)(Product Announcement)
August 1, 2001... ANSYS, Inc., released DesignSpace v6 to confirm design assumptions and predict product performance early in the design process. Version 6 adds surface-model simulation, advanced nonlinear contact, fatigue analysis, and new manual meshing...

CAE software : Mechanical simulation.(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
August 1, 2001... ESI Group announced SYSTUS 2000 (pricing starts at $10,000) multiphysics simulation software. SYSTUS 2000 simulates all aspects of mechanical processes involved in a product lifecycle, from the early design of the product to its behavior over...

CAE software : Design and analysis solution.
August 1, 2001... SolidWorks Corp., Linius Technologies, NIKA, and Zeal Solutions released ElectronixWorks ($12,995 introductory price), a software suite to design and analyze the electronic outer shells and internal component fittings of electronic products....

CAE software : Fluid power simulation.(Imagine's AMERun)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
August 1, 2001... IMAGINE announced AMERun (call for pricing), the run-only version of the company's AMESim software for fluid dynamic simulation. AMERun lets you access the full simulation results of models developed using AMESim and provides security for...

GENERAL SOFTWARE : Archiving planner.(Open Archive Systems' free echive Planner)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
August 1, 2001... Open Archive Systems, Inc., announced the echive Planner (free) to help you make informed electronic archiving decisions for building large online databases. Multiple calculators provide customized results. You input information about your...

On the Job: Software aids Russian sub recovery.(Autodesk's Autodesk Inventor and Discreet Logic-s 3D Studio MAX)
August 1, 2001... When plans to raise the wreckage of the Russian submarine Kursk in summer 2001 were announced, the salvage crew selected Autodesk (www.autodesk.com) visualization and modeling tools to help coordinate the complex recovery mission. During an...

GENERAL SOFTWARE : Document management.(Oce-USA's Oce Engineering Exec 3.0)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
August 1, 2001... Oce-USA, Inc., introduced Oce Engineering Exec 3 (prices start at $10,000) for technical document management. The suite includes five products to archive, control, manage, and distribute small- and wide-format documents. Version 3 provides...

GENERAL SOFTWARE : Dialog box system.(3rd Day Software's ObjectDCL ObjectARX program)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
August 1, 2001... ObjectDCL (starting at $19.95) from 3rd Day Software is an ObjectARX program that lets you create modal, modeless, and dockable dialog boxes and add custom tabs into the AutoCAD's configuration dialog box. It works with AutoCAD Release 14,...

GENERAL SOFTWARE : Optimizer.(MechSoft.com's MechSoft Behavioral Optimizer add-on)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
August 1, 2001... The Behavioral Optimizer add-on ($500) from MechSoft.com lets you optimize any of the more than 50 mechanical calculations within the MechSoft.com Calculation Library or any custom-defined calculations. The software's module works with a group...

GENERAL SOFTWARE : Photorealistic rendering.(ABVENT North America's Art*lantis 4.0)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
August 1, 2001... ABVENT North America announced Art*lantis 4 ($495) with new ray-tracing optimization technology. A new global illumination lighting feature integrates the multiple effects of rebounding light from objects that you control in real time....

GENERAL SOFTWARE : Electronic signature drawings.(Silanis Technology's ApproveIt CAD desktop software)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
August 1, 2001... Silanis Technology, Inc., announced ApproveIt CAD desktop software ($299), an electronic signature and approval management solution for AutoCAD 2000i drawings, and for documents created in other industry-standard software. The software...

GENERAL SOFTWARE : Plot data automation.(IT Base's NORMICA Batch 2.0)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
August 1, 2001... NORMICA Batch 2 (call for pricing) from IT BASE is an application that helps you automatically print, plot, edit, and export bit-maps and plot data in NORMICA V2000. You can edit HPGL/2 data in file structures and carry out work processes in...

GENERAL SOFTWARE : Plastic simulation software.(Moldflow Plastics Xpert 3.0)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
August 1, 2001... Moldflow Plastics Xpert 3 (call for pricing) from Moldflow Corp. automates injection molding machine setup, optimization, and control. New features include plastic optimization based on user input of material and screw characteristics and a...

GENERAL SOFTWARE : Digital document storage.(Imaging Group's ImageSuite Document Appliance)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2001... ImageSuite Document Appliance (call for pricing) from The Imaging Group lets you access CAD files, image files, and digital documents via an intranet or the Internet without native application software. Once you load documents onto the server,...

[0] GENERAL SOFTWARE : Document management.(Kruse Software introduced Kruse Control 4.0)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
August 1, 2001... Kruse Software introduced Kruse Control 4 ($399 per user) document management software that lets you access and mark up documents. It offers built-in view and print support for more than 280 file types, including CAD formats, office documents,...

CAM SOFTWARE : Cycle-time optimization.(DP Technology's ESPRIT 2002)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
August 1, 2001... The ESPRIT 2002 CAM System (call for pricing) from DP Technology optimizes cycle times for CNC lathes, mills, and wire-EDM machines. A solid simulation and verification tool for multifunction mill and turn machines and Swiss-style lathes lets...

MARK YOUR CALENDAR.(Calendar of Events)
August 1, 2001... REI STAAD Users Conference July 26-28 Monte Carlo Hotel Las Vegas, NV www.reiworld.com SIGGRAPH 2001 August 14-16 Los Angeles Convention Center Los Angeles, CA http://helios.siggraph.org/s2001/ AIAG AUTO-TECH 2001...

A/E/C SYSTEMS 2001.
August 1, 2001... The A/E/C SYSTEMS show drew vendors and CAD users to Chicago from June 18-21, 2001. From among the many hardware, software, and online offerings on display, CADALYST selected nine Best of Show products for CAD/CAM/CAE users. These products, we...

CNC Machining -- Move your Model to Metal : How one company successfully integrates CNC technology.(Computer numerical control)
August 1, 2001... Is CNC (computer numerical control) right for everyone? The first and most obvious answer to this question is, "How could it not be?" Given the choice between sending MIPS (millions of instructions per second) or manually dialing adjustments on...

CNC Creates a New Process : The CNC Multitask Grinder redresses carbide rings in a new way.
August 1, 2001... The CNC Multitask Grinder (figure 1) illustrates how implementing CNC can create new processes. The Multitask Grinder employs a patented method of redressing carbide rings used in producing steel bars and shapes. The machine, currently under...

DUAL PROCESSORS DELIVER : When are two CPUs better?(Evaluation)
August 1, 2001... Our main goal for this review is to reexamine and quantify the value of a second CPU in today's CAD world. It's been two years since we last focused on dual-processor workstations (August 1999 to be exact), and many things have changed,...

Evo Workstation W6000 : Compaq.(Evaluation)
August 1, 2001... Evo Workstation W6000 Compaq 4.5 stars out of 5 The Compaq Evo Workstation W6000 was announced and available in mid-June of this year. Based on dual Intel Xeon 1.7GHz processors and using the Intel i860 chipset, the W6000 was equipped...

Precision Workstation 530 : Dell Computer Corp.(Evaluation)
August 1, 2001... Precision Workstation 530 Dell Computer Corp. 5 stars out of 5 The Precision Workstation 530 is one of Dell's new line of workstations designed to take advantage of Intel's next-generation Xeon processor. Several features set the...

Xi 2400 MTower MP : Xi Computer Corp.(Evaluation)
August 1, 2001... Xi 2400 MTower MP Xi Computer Corp. 5 stars out of 5 The Xi 2400 MTower MP is housed in an attractive dark gray case with a swing-away door that covers the drive bays and control buttons. This new case from Xi is not only attractive...

SketchUp : Preliminary 3D design software.(Evaluation)
August 1, 2001... In CADALYST's April issue, one of my fellow contributing editors opined that "3D architectural modeling falls short of promise." This is understandable--most 3D software simply doesn't function at a level of abstraction that is appropriate for...

Merlin 3D and NAV3D Bundle : 3D rendering and modeling tools.(Evaluation)
August 1, 2001... This review covers two products that Digital Immersion Software Corp. currently offers as a bundle: Merlin 3D software and the NAV3D 3D input device. Merlin 3D is a 3D rendering, modeling, and animation tool. It uses an integrated...

AutoVue for Java : Java-based viewing and markup.(Evaluation)
August 1, 2001... Cimmetry Systems' AutoVue for Java, known as jVue, is a Java-based viewing and markup tool designed to make reviewing documents over the Internet easy. The product uses thin-client architecture to let you view a wide variety of documents...

Visual DCL : Create DCL code files.(Tutorial)
August 1, 2001... Developing an AutoLISP-driven dialog box in AutoCAD is a two-step process. You use Visual LISP or AutoLISP to write the code that performs AutoCAD functions and actions that are represented as graphic elements of a dialog box. Certain AutoLISP...

A Store for Modern Art.
August 1, 2001... There's no question that large architectural projects require sophisticated CAD systems for their execution. But sometimes small projects do, too. As recently demonstrated in the new San Francisco Museum of Modern Art store at the San Francisco...

Time on your hands? Take this time to organize.
August 1, 2001... With an economic downturn in sight, many design firms will go through a slowdown in work. CAD managers may have some time to catch their breath and catch up with projects that have been put on the back burner. In the past few years, most design...

Have you extended your object data recently?
August 1, 2001... After a day of skiing at Whistler/Blackcomb, Captain LearnCurve uploaded the data from his pocket-sized GPS satellite positioning receiver and ran it through the analysis program. Any day that produces 39,750 vertical feet and 51.9 linear miles...

Document management: A key to collaboration.
August 1, 2001... In today's networked business environment, many companies are exploring Internet collaboration as a way to access human resources located in remote offices. No longer do project team members need to be just down the hall. Through Internet...

SDRC launches new tool : Enterprise bridges I-DEAS and Metaphase.(Product Announcement)
August 1, 2001... In March, SDRC (www.sdrc.com) launched I-DEAS Enterprise, a design data management solution to link geographically dispersed design teams that embrace various disciplines. The product integrates SDRC's I-DEAS mechanical design software and its...

Automated drawing creation.(Product Announcement)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2001... OfficeCAD.com ($1,495) from OfficeCAD Inc. lets AutoCAD users create and test-drive parametric drawings online. You download a file from OfficeCAD to create a master or template drawing within AutoCAD. You then e-mail the drawing back to...

Source and track projects.(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
August 1, 2001... Autodesk spinoff RedSpark, Inc., announced RAPIDteam (call for pricing), a common platform for project managers, engineers, and purchasing professionals to work together with direct material suppliers. RAPIDteam offers collaboration, process...

Online model repair.(Brief Article)
August 1, 2001... DEXCenter.com (price is based on model size) from International TechneGroup Inc. is an online service for CAD model repair, healing, and translation. DEXCenter.com provides translation between systems and formats such as I-DEAS, Unigraphics,...

Manufacturing tools.(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
August 1, 2001... Tecnomatix Technologies Ltd. announced a suite of eMPower Web-based tools (call for pricing). EMPower is a collaborative environment for manufacturing process planning that captures processes in the form of eBOPs (electronic bills of...

Online product development.(Bom.com)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2001... Bom.com introduced bom.com ($100 per month), a Web-native application that provides design and manufacturing organizations with a centralized workspace to store, manage, access, and share data. Bom.com's relational database manages...

Drawing conversion.(ZoomON Vizit file format conversion software)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
August 1, 2001... ZoomON Vizit (pricing starts at $3,995) from ZoomON is an online solution that converts drawings from native to viewer-ready format for a variety of input and output file formats such as DWG, DXF, HPGL, PDF, and DGN. The ZoomON product family,...

Collaborative design.(Collaborative Design Solutions 3.0 from Alventive)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
August 1, 2001... Alventive, Inc., released Collaborative Design Solutions 3, which features a Project Navigator, real time collaboration capabilities, PDX Connector, and enhanced document viewing functionality. Project Navigator lets you collect and consolidate...

Production and distribution.(eQuorum's ImageSite Online)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
August 1, 2001... ImageSite Online (free for up to 10MB of storage) is a document repository from eQuorum that offers integration with its plot.com print provider network. The solution combines collaborative development with production, approval, and Web...

Business management.(Thoroughbred Software International's Solution-IV)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
August 1, 2001... The Solution-IV e-commerce customer service model (call for pricing) from Thoroughbred Software International, Inc., lets customers place orders, check on the status of orders, transfer files, and get job estimates. You can also check financial...

AutoLISP routine manages external references.(AutoCAD tutorial)(Product Announcement)
August 1, 2001... Steve Teske requested a routine to search drawing directories and make a list of drawing files that contain user-selected xrefs. When Steve does a background change, he wants to track the xrefs to find all affected drawings. The solution,...

AutoCAD offers a wealth of 3D programming options.(AutoCAD 14.0)
August 1, 2001... Creating parametric 3D objects in AutoCAD is not as difficult as you may think, and you have a number of AutoLISP options to choose from, depending on the end results you want. Personally, I like the direct approach that uses AutoCAD commands...

Nuts and bolts.(AutoCAD 2000)(Product Announcement)
August 1, 2001... I draft with AutoCAD 2000 solids and want to accurately represent the threads in machine parts and the positive ones on bolts. I haven't found a good method to do this. I've tried extruding along a 3D spiral, but the horizontal angle of the...

Tips from our readers.(Editorial)
August 1, 2001... $50 BONUS WINNER 3D chain Tip #1727 [CHAIN.LSP] and [LINK.DWG] This routine creates a "logger" type chain--in 3D. It uses the Measure command and the points created by it to insert multiple copies of a block (link.dwg) along the...

Dialog Box : Thoughts from our readers.(Letter to the Editor)
August 1, 2001... Feeling LED down When I opened my May 2001 edition of CADALYST, I was pleased to see a column on high-volume plotters ("AEC Tools," p. 68). I noticed that you failed to mention KIP (www.kip america.com/home.html). As a manufacturer of...

Corrections.(Correction Notice)
August 1, 2001... In July's "AEC Project Management Online," the toll-free number for Systemates should be 888.751.0501.

Processor progress: AMD increases top speed, Intel ships 64-bit chip AMD.(AMD releases its 1.4GHz Athlon processor; Intel introduces 64-bit Itanium processor)(Product Announcement)
August 1, 2001... AMD released its 1.4GHz Athlon processor in May. AMD says that when combined with DDR (double data rate) memory, 1.4GHz Athlon systems outperform Intel 1.7GHz processor-based systems by as much as 40%. The 1.4GHz Athlon chips are available...

Government vetoes RP merger.(3D Systems' planned acquisition of DTM Corp denied by U.S. Department of Justice's Antitrust Division)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2001... The U.S. Department of Justice's Antitrust Division put the brakes on 3D Systems' planned acquisition of DTM Corp. Both companies manufacture rapid prototyping equipment. The companies plan to contest the civil action filed in opposition to the...

UGS, SDRC commit to continuing I-DEAS.(SDRC recently shipped I-DEAS 8m3 CAE software, plans merger with UGS)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
August 1, 2001... Current CEOs of soon-to-be-merged CAD vendors UGS and SDRC reassured SDRC customers of their commitment to develop I-DEAS 9 and 10. SDRC recently shipped I-DEAS 8m3 with a Windows-based interface. I-DEAS 9 is scheduled for release later this...

Research firms expect upturn in CAD sales.(Daratech and Jon Peddie Associates issue market projections)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2001... Research firm Daratech (www. daratech.com), in its CAD/CAM, CAE: Survey, Review and Buyers' Guide, predicts that user spending on mechanical design software and services will reach $6.7 billion in 2001, an increase of 11.4% from 2000. The...

Products.(Brief Article)
August 1, 2001... As promised, Autodesk shipped a slew of products in June, including AutoCAD 2002, AutoCAD LT 2002, CAD Overlay 2002, Autodesk Architectural Desktop 3.3, AutoCAD Mechanical 6, Autodesk Mechanical Desktop 6, and Autodesk OnSite 2. | ...

Business.(Brief Article)
August 1, 2001... Graphics component technology developer Tech Soft America announced the HOOPS3D.edu program, which offers the full HOOPS 3D product suite for free to nonprofit research and educational institutions. | Intergraph Mapping and GIS Solutions...

Rapid releases round out Revit's capabilities : Revit Release 3.1 delivers solid architectural modeling tools and support for multiple users.(from Revit Technology Corp)(Evaluation)
August 1, 2001... Revit debuted as an exciting and promising new product for AEC CAD, with the usual complement of first-release shortcomings and less-than-complete functionality, as we found in our review of v1.1 in the October 2000 issue of CADALYST. Since...