CADalyst articles from January 2000

CADalyst archives from January 2000

Anonymous.
January 1, 2000... When I delete a dimension in AutoCAD Release 14, it creates a block named *Dxxx. How can I purge all of these blocks at once when * is interpreted as a wildcard? - David Gingerich Wooster, Ohio AutoCAD purges unused, unnamed...

Eclectic Design.(Ethan Allen's Buddy Harrell, CAD engineer)(Company Business and Marketing)
January 1, 2000... From the moment our ancestors dragged rocks into caves so they wouldn't have to sit in the dirt, human beings have made furniture. Since that ancient time, the goal has been to combine beauty and comfort. No one knows this better than Ethan...

Upgrade to AutoCAD 2000?(Editorial)
January 1, 2000... How long have you been debating whether to upgrade to AutoCAD 2000? That's a tough question that Mark Middlebrook tackles in this month's CAD Manager column on p. 50. Don't miss it. But before you go there, we want to share some results on...

Create tangent arcs in AutoCAD.(Product Support)
January 1, 2000... This month, Larry Schroeders requests a routine that draws an arc tangent to an arc or circle and also tangent to a line and/or a polyline. The solution for the tangent arc routine is tan-arcs.lsp. It asks you to indicate the two tangent...

CADKEY 99 provides CAD interoperability : Veteran program is a helpful alternative.(Software Review)(Evaluation)
January 1, 2000... CADKEY is a venerable 2D/3D CAD package that has earned a strong reputation for flexible geometry creation and modification. It works equally well with imported geometry such as 3D wire frames, solids, and surfaces. Its import and export...

The A2K problem: AutoCAD upgrade reluctance.(AutoDesk's AutoCAD 2000)(Product Information)
January 1, 2000... By now, it's no secret that AutoCAD 2000 hasn't sold as well as Autodesk had hoped. For a variety of reasons, many unrelated to AutoCAD 2000's positive or negative qualities, companies just haven't upgraded in large numbers. According to AUGI...

Pushing the performance bar.(Compaq's Pentium III-based AP550)(Product Announcement)
January 1, 2000... Compaq recently introduced a new line of computers that leverages the latest technology from Intel. Built around a 733MHz next-generation Pentium III processor and the i840 chipset, the AP550 professional workstation pushes performance to new...

Dialog Box : Thoughts from our readers.(Letter to the Editor)
January 1, 2000... Respect Thank you for the article on CAD burnout. I agree that when a CAD drafter isn't challenged, not only the drafter suffers, but the company, too. Unfortunately, many professional engineers and architects today look down on drafters...

Corrections.
January 1, 2000... The pictures of the Sydney, Australia, Mult-Use Arena for the 2000 Summer Olympics (On the Job, December, p. 26) were courtesy of Devine deFlon Yaeger Architects and COX Richardson Architects and Planners, the architectural firms that designed...

MGC-997SN : 190 monitor at a bargain price.(19-in color monitor from MGC Technologies)(Hardware Review)(Evaluation)
January 1, 2000... You don't often come across a 190 monitor with an estimated street price less than $400. It's even rarer to find one in that price range that tests well above average, has extensive configuration controls, and offers such niceties as USB. ...

MeMate HVAC : HVAC design and drafting software.(Software Review)(Evaluation)
January 1, 2000... MeMate HVAC, an AutoCAD third-party application from EMSC, automates the process of developing plans for HVAC projects. The application is very sophisticated and develops CAD drawings automatically with MeMate's AutoCAD ObjectARX tools. With...

Autodesk Symbols 2000 : Lots of blocks for AutoCAD 2000 and LT 2000.(Software Review)(Evaluation)
January 1, 2000... Got blocks? If you answered no or not enough, then investigate Autodesk Symbols 2000, a compilation of more than 12,000 architectural, electronic, and mechanical symbols fully compatible with AutoCAD 2000 and AutoCAD LT 2000. Symbols 2000...

Q-Legal 4.0 : Write legal descriptions instantly.(Software Review)(Evaluation)
January 1, 2000... Q-Legal is an application that automatically defines legal descriptions by interpreting AutoCAD objects. Once you generate the Lot Closure output file, you can launch Q-Legal from within AutoCAD. It opens Microsoft Word and uses the output...

Tips from our readers.
January 1, 2000... $50 BONUS WINNER 4-Point Wedge Solids Tip #1582 [4PTSOLID.LSP] I needed to make unusual 3D objects from known points and profiles. Once I created the base solid, I could make sections to see the actual profile at any given...

Massing elements can benefit from some outside help.(Architectural Desktop CAD software)(Product Information)
January 1, 2000... Many people who use regular AutoCAD or AutoCAD LT wonder what advantage Architectural Desktop offers over other programs that claim to aid architects and designers. I'm not here to criticize other programs--I prefer to illustrate the points of...

2D giveaway leads to 3D use.(IMSI's TurboCAD)(Company Operations)
January 1, 2000... IMSI (www.turbocad.com) is headquartered in Novato, California, and has development and sales offices spread around the globe. IMSI produces TurboCAD, Visual CADD, and FloorPlan. According to the research firm PC Data, IMSI is second only to...

Avoid parametric pitfalls with these smart modeling tips.(Technology Tutorial)
January 1, 2000... A bit of forethought makes all the difference between a merely adequate parametric part model and a truly elegant one. The real power of parametric models comes from the fact that they are parametric and hence can easily be changed. However, if...

Customize AutoCAD crosshatch patterns.(Product Support)
January 1, 2000... Once upon a time, in a CADALYST column not far away (November 1999), Captain LearnCurve described how to create custom linetype patterns. This stirred up enough interest that he felt it was worth looking at customizing AutoCAD crosshatch...

Layer translation routine sets your CAD standards.
January 1, 2000... We will likely never have a single, simple, all-encompassing layer system that is acceptable to all disciplines. Those offices that work with other companies must deal with differing layer names on a daily basis. Layer translation can be...

CARDBOARD TO COMPUTER:.(3D Studio VIZ image processing software)(Product Information)
January 1, 2000... Use 3D Studio VIZ to create model presentations 3D Studio VIZ features complex tools to simulate materials, lights, and atmosphere. Mastering these can take as much time as the actual modeling process, especially if you need a highly...

Chip thrills--AMD cranks clock speed.(750MHz version of Athlon processor)(Product Information)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2000... In late November, AMD released a 750MHz version of its Athlon processor. This is the first processor built using AMD's aluminum 0.18-micron manufacturing process, which shrinks the die size to allow faster processor speeds and lower power...

Bricsnet puts together Web portal.(Company Business and Marketing)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2000... Bricsnet launched its building industry portal, www.bricsnet.com, which unites the various companies it has acquired in the past year. These include Evolv project collaboration developers, the AECInfo site, and various European building sites....

Inventor users can keep old software.(AutoDesk's Mechanical Desktop 4.0)(Product Information)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2000... In response to concerns about drawing transfer, Autodesk announced that Mechanical Desktop Release 4 and Mechanical Desktop Release 4 Power Pack customers who upgrade to Autodesk Inventor Release 1 may continue to use their existing license of...

Matra opens source code for CAS.CADE modeling libraries.(Company Business and Marketing)(Product Information)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2000... French developer Matra Datavision will post an open source version of its proprietary CAS.CADE geometric modeling libraries. Open CASCADE source code is written in C++ and comes with documentation, examples, and demonstrations. CAS.CADE...

Alliances.
January 1, 2000... Autodesk and Oracle have developed mobile "point-of-work" solutions for enterprise asset management. Field technicians can access data using handheld devices that use the Palm Computing and Windows CE platforms. No word on when the product will...

Business.
January 1, 2000... Process plant design software developer Cadcentre acquired SCOPE project management software from the engineering and construction division of Kvaerner ASA. | PTC (Parametric Technology Corp.) launched its ESP (Enterprise Software...

Help for AutoCAD plotting woes.(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
January 1, 2000... In November, Autodesk released a plotter driver update for AutoCAD 2000 and its various flavors: AutoCAD Mechanical 2000, Mechanical Desktop 4, Architectural Desktop R2, AutoCAD Map 2000, and AutoCAD LT 2000. The update fixes various problems...

CAD cabal offers insights.(Summit on the Future of Engineering Software)(Industry Trend or Event)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2000... The Summit on the Future of Engineering Software, held in Chicago in early November, assembed 64 industry leaders to discuss trends for the future. Organizer Joel Orr noted that while attendees could extrapolate from existing trends, they found...

Call for papers.
January 1, 2000... The CAD Research Center at the California Polytechnic State University seeks papers for two symposiums: Collaborative Decision-Support Systems and World Wide Web as Framework for Collaboration. The symposiums are part of InterSymp-2000,...

SGI drops NT workstations.(Product Information)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2000... SGI is stopping production of its 320 and 540 workstations, which incorporated graphics hardware, nicknamed Cobalt, derived from its high-end UNIX workstations. The company will continue to offer Intel-based workstations, but the next batch,...

aecXML site offers mailing lists.
January 1, 2000... The aecXML Working Group has started several mailing lists to further discussion of its proposed XML specifications for the AEC industry. You can sign up at www.aecxml.org.

HARDWARE : 733MHz workstation.(IBM's IntelliStation M Pro)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
January 1, 2000... IBM announced the IntelliStation M Pro (prices start at $2,775) with Intel Pentium III processors running at speeds up to 733MHz with a 133MHz front side bus. It features dual 1.6GB memory channels, a 43 AGP Pro 50 slot, and Intel's i840...

HARDWARE : Motion controller.(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
January 1, 2000... Labtec released its Spaceball 4000 FLX 3D motion controller that features twelve hardware buttons, 10-bit electronics, and ergonomic design to minimize wrist and arm stress. You can adjust and save four sensitivity parameters, create and assign...

HARDWARE : Serial cable connection.(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
January 1, 2000... The Road Warrior Kit from Smart Cable Company combines one of four Smart Cables (817, 845, and 880 kits are $99.95; 8211 kit is $199.95) with a wide variety of port adapters in a zippered case. You can use the Smart Cable 817 with any model of...

HARDWARE : Wide-format printer.(Oce Wide Format Printing Systems' Oce 9600)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
January 1, 2000... Oce Wide Format Printing Systems released the Oce 9600 wide-format printer (call for pricing). The basic unit comes with a two-roll configuration. You can get as many as seven media sources on-line--four rolls and three cut-sheet cassettes or...

HARDWARE : Programmable key tablet.(Electrone Modular Input Device)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
January 1, 2000... Electrone announced the Modular Input Device series of keyboards for CAD/CAM users. The 128-key keyboards let you program approximately 60 keystrokes per key and support 96-, 64-, and 32-key additional bolt-on modules. A keyboard port or serial...

HARDWARE : 210 monitors.(SyncMaster 1100pPlus, SyncMaster 1100p from Samsung)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
January 1, 2000... Samsung introduced two new 210 (200 viewable) monitors, the SyncMaster 1100pPlus ($1,024) and SyncMaster 1100p ($899). The 1100pPlus uses a flat square CRT tube with 0.25mm dot pitch and Invar shadow mask. It supports a maximum resolution of...

HARDWARE : 190 monitor.(ViewSonic Corp's PF790 190)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
January 1, 2000... ViewSonic Corp. released its PF790 190 (180 viewable) monitor ($599). It offers a 0.25-0.27mm variable aperture-grille pitch, recommended resolution of 128031024 at 90Hz, and maximum resolution of 160031200. Features include PerfectFlat screen...

HARDWARE : Graphics board.(3dfx intros Voodoo3 3000 PCI graphics board)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
January 1, 2000... 3dfx unveiled its Voodoo3 3000 PCI graphics board ($149.99). The 166MHz board generates seven million triangles and 333 megatexels per second at resolutions of up to 204631536, according to the company. It features single-pass, single-cycle,...

On the Job: Menacing hardware.(Product Information)
January 1, 2000... Last spring audiences watched human actors interact seamlessly with four primary digital characters from Star Wars: Episode 1 "The Phantom Menace": Jar Jar Binks, Watto, Boss Nass, and Sebulba. These synthetic principals had all the elements of...

MARK YOUR CALENDAR.
January 1, 2000... SOUTH-TEC Charlotte 2000 Advanced Productivity Expo February 29-March 2 Charlotte Convention Center Charlotte, NC 800.733.4763 www.sme.org WESTEC 2000 Advanced Productivity Expo March 20-23 Los Angeles Convention...

GENERAL SOFTWARE : Scans to 3D models.(Cyra Technologies Xyrax CPG 2.1 Modeler CAD software)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
January 1, 2000... Cyra Technologies, Inc., released its Cyrax CGP 2.1 Modeler (call for pricing) to capture and model large, complex structures and sites. The software lets you drive the Cyrax 2400 scanner, select and capture data in the form of point clouds,...

GENERAL SOFTWARE : Pipe routing.(Design Power Auto Router 2.0)
January 1, 2000... Design Power, Inc., unveiled AutoRouter v2.0 (call for modular pricing) pipe routing and layout optimization software. AutoRouter finds the most efficient routes to connect piping to plant equipment, places nozzles based on previously...

GENERAL SOFTWARE : Document Management.(Primavera Systems P3 3.0 and P3e)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
January 1, 2000... Primavera Systems, Inc., announced two project management products, P3 v3.0 and P3e (both products are $4,000 per single user). P3 v3.0 manages complex and large-scale projects in a decentralized environment and smaller network environments;...

GENERAL SOFTWARE : Excel data in AutoCAD.(Advantage Computing's CellBlockl 2.0)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
January 1, 2000... CellBlock 2.0 ($89.95 per license; quantity, site, and corporate licenses are available) from Advantage Computing lets AutoCAD users place Excel data into AutoCAD as native AutoCAD entities. CellBlock lets you insert cell values as attributes,...

GENERAL SOFTWARE : Document management.(Kruse's kWise)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
January 1, 2000... Kruse, Inc., shipped kWise document management software (less than $1,000 per seat for typical configurations) with view and print support for more than 200 document formats, including AutoCAD and MicroStation drawings, graphics, spreadsheets,...

GENERAL SOFTWARE : Raster/vector editor.(from Intergraph)(Company Business and Marketing)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2000... Intergraph Corp. announced its hybrid raster-to-vector-editor, I/RAS B 6.0 ($2,000). The software supports MicroStation-based editing for bi-level and CRL raster formats with a complete set of tools for revising large-format scanned engineering...

GENERAL SOFTWARE : Isometric design.
January 1, 2000... Bentley Systems, Inc., announced LOGOS B.V.'s L/ISO isometric design and drafting software for MicroStation (call for pricing). L/ISO facilitates the creation of 3D isometric pipelines, ensures correct material and component selection, and...

On the Job: Autodesk ahoy!(Autodesk's AutoCAD2000 CAD software used to design AmericaOne)(Product Information)
January 1, 2000... San Francisco-based AmericaOne designed two International America's Cup Class 759 boats with the help of more than 30 naval architects, fluid dynamists, research scientists, structural analysts--and AutoCAD 2000. "The design work we do [before...

AEC SOFTWARE : Schematic wiring.(Cimlogic's Toolbox/WD CAD software)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
January 1, 2000... CIMLOGIC, Inc., released Toolbox/WD ($2,495) for schematic controls wiring diagram design and drafting in AutoCAD 2000. Enhancements include new source and destination signals, cross-referencing with spare contacts, a feature that checks wire...

AEC SOFTWARE : Frame analysis.(Eagle Point Software's Frame Analysis and Design)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
January 1, 2000... Eagle Point Software released Frame Analysis & Design ($1,995) with modeling enhancements and steel design capabilities. Steel design features let you check and design elements for deflection criteria and update sections by the design routine....

AEC SOFTWARE : Symbols and routines.(SD Graphics' ArchSymb 2.1)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
January 1, 2000... SD Graphics announced ArchSymb 2.1 ($295), an overlay of symbols and routines for AutoCAD 2000 and IntelliCAD. It offers more than 400 2D plan and elevation symbols and architectural tags divided into 10 categories, including appliance,...

AEC SOFTWARE : CAD standards.(CAD COMM CADD Services ASCAD 2.0)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
January 1, 2000... CADCOM CADD Services, Inc., announced ASCAD 2.0 ($1,995), which automates the implementation of ASCAD (automated standardization for computer-aided design) standards. The ASCAD standard is a set of production rules governing blocks, layers,...

A/E/C SYSTEMS Fall and M/TECH 99.
January 1, 2000... The Internet has already changed everything, judging from the lineup of vendors at A/E/C SYSTEMS Fall and M/TECH trade shows November 8-11 in Chicago. Noticeably absent were CAD vendors Autodesk and Bentley Systems. In their stead rose a slew...

MECHANICAL SOFTWARE : Geometric modeler.(Coretech International's Trans 3D CAD software)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
January 1, 2000... Coretech International released TRANS 3D data exchange software (call for pricing) to help you maintain levels of precision and topologies when you move solid models between CAD systems. It supplies bidirectional conversion between the major...

MECHANICAL SOFTWARE : STEP viewer.(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
January 1, 2000... STEP Tools, Inc., released ST-Viewer (pricing based on quantity; 1-4 copies are $290 each) that communicates with CAD/CAM/CAE and PDM systems, part libraries, and databases as a Web browser plug-in. ST-Viewer displays 3D product data, product...

MECHANICAL SOFTWARE : IronCAD 3.0.(Visionary Design Systems' CAD software)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
January 1, 2000... Visionary Design Systems unveiled IronCAD 3.0 ($4,995) with more than 300 enhancements. Version 3.0 now includes a unified modeling engine that simultaneously incorporates multiple solid modeling kernels. You can set any part in any assembly to...

MECHANICAL SOFTWARE : SolidWorks add-on.(SolidWorks' SolidWorks Animator CAD software)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
January 1, 2000... SolidWorks Corp. unveiled SolidWorks Animator ($495), its animation and visualization tool for SolidWorks 99. You can capture and create animations for existing parts and assemblies and then replay them within SolidWorks for review. You can...

MECHANICAL SOFTWARE : Geometry quality.(Prescient Technologies' Prescient GeometryQA)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
January 1, 2000... Prescient Technologies, Inc., introduced GeometryQA (call for priing), a tool that detects and assesses geometry problems in Pro/ENGINEER models. It helps you eliminate issues such as gaps and slivers that affect manufacturing, smoothes model...

MECHANICAL SOFTWARE : FEA integration.(CSAR's CSAR/Visual for AutoCAD)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
January 1, 2000... CSAR introduced CSA/Visual for AutoCAD (call for pricing), its FEA implementation software for AutoCAD, AutoCAD LT, and Mechanical Desktop. CSA/Visual integrates core FEA features such as beams and rigid elements with AutoCAD to help you...

MECHANICAL SOFTWARE : Surface healing.(Compunix intros IGES/SAT Plus 2.5 IGES-to-ACIS translator)
January 1, 2000... Compunix announced IGES/SAT Plus 2.5 ($1,850, $370 annual maintenance) IGES-to-ACIS translator that provides surface healing capabilities and supports ACIS 5.1's tolerant modeling feature. The software provides a tube-shaped tolerance for the...

MECHANICAL SOFTWARE : CAD/CAM software.(TekSoft, Inc. introduces ProCAM 99 3D CAD/CAM software)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
January 1, 2000... TekSoft, Inc., unveiled ProCAM 99 (call for pricing) 2D and 3D CAD/CAM software with more than 100 enhancements. New finishing strategies for 3D surface machining include radial, spiral, angular, and single, double, and multiple offsets. A...

MECHANICAL SOFTWARE : Jeronimo 2000.(Appian Graphics dual-monitor card)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
January 1, 2000... Dual-monitor card Pros: Multiple monitor solution for Windows NT 4, good performance and utilities. Cons: Somewhat pricey. Price: $749 PCI with 32MB RAM; $799 AGP with 32MB RAM; $999 AGP with 64MB RAM (tested version). ...

TIDAL WAVE OF VIEWERS.(Software Review)(Evaluation)
January 1, 2000... David Pitzer is a contributing editor of CADALYST and an AutoCAD and rendering instructor at Santa Rosa Junior College in Santa Rosa, California. He is also coauthor of Inside AutoCAD Release 14 and the new Inside AutoCAD 2000 from New Riders...

Volo View Express Autodesk, Inc.(Software Review)(Evaluation)
January 1, 2000... Star rating: 4 stars out of 5 Volo View Express is perhaps the best bargain in AutoCAD drawing viewers around. It's available for download free of charge at www.autodesk.com/volo. This work in progress has so far gone through several...

CadmanView AutoMate Corporation.(Software Review)(Evaluation)
January 1, 2000... Star rating: 4.5 stars out of 5 CadmanView is a full-featured CAD file viewer intended for use in large offices or work groups. It supports a built-in, fully configurable data management module that performs some sophisticated document...

SLICK! v6.0 CAD Systems Unlimited.(Software Review)(Evaluation)
January 1, 2000... Star rating: 3.5 stars out of 5 SLICK! has been a player in the AutoCAD viewer arena for a number of years. It touches all bases and justifiably bills itself as a viewing, redlining, raster conversion, database, and file management...

AutoVue Professional Cimmetry Systems Inc.(Software Review)(Evaluation)
January 1, 2000... Star rating: 5 stars out of 5 The last time CADALYST looked at Cimmetry Systems' AutoVue Professional, we called it "the Cadillac of file viewers." That characterization still applies. AutoVue supports some 200 different file formats,...

AutoManager View 3.1 Cyco Software Inc.(Software Review)(Evaluation)
January 1, 2000... Star rating: 4.5 stars out of 5 AutoManager View is another full-featured file viewer with plenty of database and file management muscle. It is designed to serve a large or multioffice environment, although it's also an excellent choice...

Dr. DWG LiteView v5.5 Dr. DWG, Inc.(Software Review)(Evaluation)
January 1, 2000... Star rating: 4 stars out of 5 Dr. DWG LiteView is a straightforward AutoCAD drawing file viewer. Its speed in opening the benchmark drawing fell near the lower-middle of the range, which means that it is plenty fast. Dr. DWG also supports...

FastLook Plus v10.0 Kamel Software, Inc.(Software Review)(Evaluation)
January 1, 2000... Star rating: 5 stars out of 5 CADALYST looked at Kamel's FastLook v7 in its viewer roundup in 1995 and at v9 in September 1998. The basic software package has changed little since then, which is to say that the new v10.0 is an excellent...

CADview v2.1 Softsource.(Software Review)(Evaluation)
January 1, 2000... Star rating: 4 stars out of 5 CADview v2.1 is actually the OEM engine from Vdraft, a stand-alone CAD package. You can use it as a no-frills viewer or use its API (application programming interface) to extend its capabilities--for example,...