CADalyst articles from August 2003

CADalyst archives from August 2003

Redefining productivity.(Editor's window: opinions, comments, and predictions)
August 1, 2003... At a recent SolidWorks press event, one customer commented that a major benefit of that company's software is the fact that its license lets you use it at home. "His designers were staying until 8 or 9 at night because they were too busy during...

It's a job.(Dialog box: readers talk to us)(Letter to the Editor)
August 1, 2003... This was an outstanding article! I'm posting July's guest editorial by Gregory Robson (p. 6) in our common kitchen area to share with my peers. I totally agree with him and am trying to get my peers to see this point of view. There are...

It's a job II.(Dialog box: readers talk to us)(Letter to the Editor)
August 1, 2003... Gregory Robson deserves a hearty congratulations and a big hug for his wonderful editorial about what is truly important in life. I also wish to congratulate the powers that be who decided to put his opinion up front. --Jodi Nelson, via...

It's a job III.(Dialog box: readers talk to us)(Letter to the Editor)
August 1, 2003... Excellent article! I couldn't have said it better myself. Gregory Robson hit the nail on the head. Our lives need to be balanced. Too many hours spent at our jobs has a negative impact on the more important aspects of our lives. It especially...

Out the door.(Dialog box: readers talk to us)(Letter to the Editor)
August 1, 2003... I've been an AutoCAD drafter for more than 17 years and am concerned that CAD drafters are being pushed out the door. A growing number of architects and engineers hire interns instead of drafters. As CAD software becomes more sophisticated, it...

Staying put.(Dialog box: readers talk to us)(Letter to the Editor)
August 1, 2003... A statement in Bill Fane's Inventor review is incorrect (January 2003, p. 36) and is why we're not moving from Mechanical Desktop to Inventor. You can't link Mechanical Desktop assemblies to an Inventor assembly as an xref. You can link...

Time out for tool school.(Dialog box: readers talk to us)(Letter to the Editor)
August 1, 2003... I take exception to Cara Erickson's comment that her students, although they are not engineers, learn so much that "there's not much more you can do without being called an engineer" (May 2003, p. 10). I've met only one CAD designer in 12 years...

Correction.(Correction Notice)
August 1, 2003... Hot Tip Harry Tip #1887, July 2003, p. 50, was incorrectly worded. If you highlight a filter in the Named Filters list in the Layer Filters dialog and click on Delete in the dialog, the filter is deleted. Then hold down to remove the remaining...

Large-format printer/copier/scanner.(hardware)
August 1, 2003... Hewlett-Packard released a new large-format multifunction printing system, the HP DJ 815mfp ($20,995) with the optional DJ Scanner 4200 ($17,995). The 815mfp printer is designed to digitize thousands of large-format maps, plans, designs, and...

Graphic cards.(hardware)
August 1, 2003... Matrox Graphics announced the Millennium P-Series graphics boards to round out its family of CAD products. The P650 ($169) and the P750 ($235) are designed as entry-level graphics cards that can replace older Matrox Millennium cards. The...

Unix notebook.(hardware)
August 1, 2003... Tadpole Computer announced an entry-level 64-bit SPARCLE notebook line ($2,995-$5,995, depending on options). SPARCLE notebooks offer processor speeds up to 650MHz, 2GB of RAM, and 80GB hard drives. They weigh less than 7lb. The system offers a...

Laser inspection.(hardware)
August 1, 2003... ROMER unveiled a portable laser scanning inspection system (pricing varies). This system uses a ROMER 3000i portable, noncontact laser probe. Inspection software offers point-cloud functionality so you can scan and inspect the part in real...

190 LCD monitor.(hardware)
August 1, 2003... Samsung's SyncMaster 192T is a dual-input analog and digital 190 LCD monitor ($959) with a 10 panel profile. The SyncMaster 192T tilts 908. You can fold its stand back and use a wall-mount bracket without removing the base, for a total depth of...

Digital graphics.(Software: general/mcad/cam)
August 1, 2003... ReaSoft.com released ReaConverter Pro v3 for Windows (personal license $39.95, business license $99, site license $250), which simplifies recurring image editing and file conversions. ReaConverter Pro v3 now reads 340 image file formats and...

Extract attributes.(Software: general/mcad/cam)
August 1, 2003... Attribute Ripper ($150) from Tinker-Soft extracts attribute information from AutoCAD drawing files using a sample drawing as a template. The program exports attributes you select to a Microsoft Access database file or Excel file. Attribute...

Create PDF files.(Software: general/mcad/cam)
August 1, 2003... Bluebeam Pushbutton PDF ($249) now comes with PDF Printer so you can create PDFs from any CAD or Windows application. Enhanced features let you embed files and transfer hyperlinks and file properties from your CAD program. You can also add...

CAD publishing.(Software: general/mcad/cam)
August 1, 2003... Informative Graphics released Net-It Central 6.0 (call for pricing) automated document and CAD publishing software for intranets and extranets that use Informative Graphics' embedded Brava 4 technology for document annotation and optional CAD...

Solid modeling add-ons.(Software: general/mcad/cam)
August 1, 2003... nPower Software released Power Solids ($295) and Power Booleans ($195). Power Solids adds solid modeling functionality such as filleting, shelling, and a Boolean tree tool to 3ds max and Rhino. Based on a kernel developed by IntegrityWare...

Solid modeling.(Software: general/mcad/cam)
August 1, 2003... Surfware announced SURFCAM 2003 (call for pricing) CAM software. SURFCAM's associativity extends throughout the system, even to its advanced hole processing technology. When you move hole geometry after it's created, SURFCAM lets you regenerate...

Mobile CAD solution.(Software: aec)
August 1, 2003... GiveMePower Corp. added laser measurement support to its PowerCAD CE Pro ($495) mobile CAD system. This lets you create real-time, as-built floor plans directly in the field using a Leica Geosystems AG DISTO Pro or Hilti AG PD 25 portable laser...

Hand-drawn look.(Software: aec)
August 1, 2003... Panzercad released Doodle! 10 for VectorWorks 10.1 ($129, upgrade $49). New in Doodle! 10 are paper textures, a double-stroke endpoint effect, marker attribute support, new gradient and image attribute support, improved marker overlap effect...

Electrical design.(Software: aec)
August 1, 2003... ACERI announced ELECTRICAL Designer 2004 (pricing varies) for electrical engineering. ELECTRICAL Designer Pro is compatible with AutoCAD 2000-2004. It uses Autodesk's ObjectARX engine to provide a transparent interface with AutoCAD. You can...

Enhanced particle system.(Software: general/aec/gis)
August 1, 2003... Digimation shipped Particle Tools ($195), a new plug-in bundle designed to enhance particle systems in 3ds max. Particle Tools combines the functionality of three particle utilities--Atomizer, Glider, and Spray Master--into a single package....

Residential requirements.(Software: general/aec/gis)
August 1, 2003... Cadsoft Affinity for Residential (call for pricing) incorporates Trelligence's AffinityT project requirement and space planning engine. You can dynamically capture project requirements, including everything from ACC reviews and code issues to...

GIS Web tool.(Software: general/aec/gis)
August 1, 2003... Taylor Technologies announced that Rapid Integration Toolkit v3.1 (starts at $7,500) is now available for Autodesk MapGuide GIS Web sites through Taylor Technologies' government solutions partner, DLT (for government pricing, call 703.708.9686...

Road Design.(Software: general/aec/gis)
August 1, 2003... Steltman Software announced Road Design Tools ($400) for road construction projects. Routines for designing roads include section edits to profile, road widening, alternate alignment to profile and sections, and average end area volume...

New commands for LT.(Software: general/aec/gis)
August 1, 2003... Drcauto Software released !SlingShot Max 2004 ($40), companion software for AutoCAD LT 2004. !SlingShot Max 2004 works seamlessly with AutoCAD LT 2004, with access through toolbars and pull-down menus, and offers a variety of commands...

AEC projects online.(Software: general/aec/gis)
August 1, 2003... Autodesk announced the latest version of Buzzsaw Professional (starts at $10,000 per year and goes up depending on levels of storage, consulting, and other needs). The Buzzsaw Professional service facilitates more effective communication and...

A design worthy of the fallen.(on the job)(memorial at the Pentagon)
August 1, 2003... Among the cataclysmic events of September 11, 2001, was an attack on the U.S. Pentagon that took the lives of 184 people. When Congress voted to remember those who died with a memorial on the Pentagon grounds, the Army Corps of Engineers...

AEC trends: BIM and beyond.(building information modeling)
August 1, 2003... This month we survey the trends and directions of software development for the AEC industries. The AEC business climate, like most other segments of the economy, is in a bit of a slump, and development of new technologies related to building...

Share your vision cad visualization tools.(cadalyst labs feature review)
August 1, 2003... Helping you take an image from your mind's eye and expressing it for others to see is one of the most powerful achievements of modern computer systems and visualization software. Visualization was once the domain of high-end graphics studios,...

Artlantis 4.5.3 $495.(cadalyst labs feature review)(from Abvent North America)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... Artlantis 4.5.3 $495 ABVENT NORTH AMERICA WWW.ABVENT.COM The first thing you notice about Abvent's Artlantis is the elegant and simple interface. Logically arranged, it provides access to a wealth of powerful rendering tools....

Form*Z RadioZity 4.0 $1,495-$2,390.(cadalyst labs feature review)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... FORM*Z RADIOZITY 4.0 $1,495-$2,390 AUTO*DES*SYS WWW.FORMZ.COM Auto*des*sys took its time getting v4 of its flagship form*Z modeling and rendering application to market. form*Z 4 just shipped in gamma version, about a year...

3DS max 6 $3,495.(cadalyst labs feature review)
August 1, 2003... 3DS MAX 6 $3,495 DISCREET (AUTODESK) WWW.DISCREET.COM Autodesk's visualization product lineup came into clearer focus with the announcement of 3ds max 6 at SIGGRAPH 2003 at the end of July. As foreshadowed by the release of a...

LightWave 3D 7.5b $1,595.(cadalyst labs feature review)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... LightWave 3D 7.5b $1,595 NewTek www.newtek.com There is no way I can do justice to the remarkable feature set found in NewTek's LightWave 3D, even if I had the room to write a full article on just this product. LightWave 3D...

NuGraf Rendering System 4 $495.(cadalyst labs feature review)(from Okino Computer Graphics)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... NUGRAF RENDERING SYSTEM 4 $495 OKINO COMPUTER GRAPHICS WWW.OKINO.COM Essentially Okino Computer Graphics develops one product--the NuGraf Rendering System--which represents the full-featured version. PolyTrans is a...

AccuRender 3.1 $495.(cadalyst labs feature review)(from Robert McNeel)
August 1, 2003... ACCURENDER 3.1 $495 WWW.ACCURENDER.COM RHINO 3.0/FLAMINGO 1.1 $1,195 WWW.RHINO3D.COM WWW.FLAMINGO3D.COM ROBERT MCNEEL & ASSOCIATES It seems as if Robert McNeel's AccuRender has been around forever,...

LightWorks Rendering Engine.(Other rendering options)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... LIGHTWORKS RENDERING ENGINE LIGHTWORK DESIGN LTD. 144 0114 2668404 WWW.LIGHTWORK.COM Perhaps the most-used graphics applications is one that most people aren't aware that they're using. The LightWorks Rendering Engine is the...

Piranesi 3 $750.(Other rendering options)(from Infomatix Software International)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... PIRANESI 3 $750 INFORMATIX SOFTWARE INTERNATIONAL 144 01223 363014 WWW.INFORMATIX.CO.UK Piranesi 3.0, reviewed in the September 2002 issue of Cadalyst, p. 47, works with simple models and renderings from supported applications...

Studio Tools 10 starts at $10,500.(Other rendering options)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... STUDIO TOOLS 10 STARTS AT $10,500 ALIAS|WAVEFRONT 800.447.2542 WWW.ALIASWAVEFRONT.COM Alias|Wavefront is known for its sophisticated and powerful graphics applications, which include Alias Sketchbook Pro, Maya, and...

Processing power: rendering online, in-house hardware and software options.(cadalyst labs feature review)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... When we cover rendering and visualization software, a general assumption is that you can render the final image or animation on your equipment. This is the most common scenario, but high-end animation studios such as Pixar can't produce their...

RenderCity $0 and up.(cadalyst labs feature review)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... RENDERCITY $0 AND UP ARTIFICE 541.345.7421 WWW.RENDERCITY.COM RenderCity accepts models in Radiance format, built in DesignWorkshop from Artifice (www.artifice.com) or other Radiance-supporting software. On your desktop...

ResPower prices vary.(cadalyst labs feature review)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... RESPOWER PRICES VARY RESPOWER 866.737.7697 WWW.RESPOWER.COM Another online render farm is ResPower, which offers rendering services from a broad range of applications. It supports Lightwave 7.5, 3ds max 5, and Maya 4.0/4.5,...

RenderDrive RD5000/RD3500 prices vary.(cadalyst labs feature review)(Hardware Review)(Product/Service Evaluation)
August 1, 2003... RENDERDRIVE RD5000/RD3500 PRICES VARY ART VPS 144 1223 424 466 WWW.ARTVPS.COM If self-service render farms on the Internet don't fill your needs, perhaps it's time for your own in-house render farm. RenderDrive is a networked...

Unigraphics NX 2--hard to beat: EDS delivers flexible and scalable tools in its flagship CAD application.(cadalyst labs review)(Software Review)(Product/Service Evaluation)
August 1, 2003... At one end of the CAD spectrum is code that seems like it was written in someone's garage, then turned loose on the masses, who in turn act as beta testers as long as they can endure it. At the other end are companies that have led the industry...

Designjet 100: large-format color printer for the desktop.(First look reviews: brief hands-on product reviews)(HP Designjet 100)(Hardware Review)(Product/Service Evaluation)
August 1, 2003... The HP Designjet 100 is one of the newest entries in the popular Designjet line of large-format inkjet printers. Combining the versatility and speed of a large-format printer with the size and convenience of a color desktop printer, the...

Simulation speeds product design: full-body analysis of assemblies promises a competitive edge.(3D solid modeling fundamentals)
August 1, 2003... In today's global economy, manufacturers are under tremendous pressure to reduce costs, incr1ease quality, and deliver new products faster than their competition. Companies are focusing on the early design and development cycle, where engineers...

Upgrade dilemma: are you ready for the march to AutoCAD 2004?(CAD management strategies)
August 1, 2003... It's AutoCAD upgrade time again, and whether you're laboring at Autodesk or at a company that uses AutoCAD, never have the prospects, potential, and pitfalls been more difficult to discern. Companies don't want to spend money on technology, but...

Too many title tags: learn to decipher attributes with duplicate tag names.(Autocad clinic: AutoCAD Helpline answers your support questions)
August 1, 2003... How can I extract attribute information from title blocks that have seven duplicate tag names? I can fix the block definition tags because I can see the prompt and tag name at that state. If I synchronize the inserts after the fix, I lose the...

Tips from our readers.(hot tip Harry)
August 1, 2003... $50 BONUS WINNER XREFS TO COLOR 9 Tip #1888 [XREFTO9.LSP] XREFTO9.LSP temporarily changes the color of all of a drawing's xrefs to color 9--light gray--to clearly distinguish them from current drawing objects. This is handy when...