CADalyst articles from July 2002

CADalyst archives from July 2002

Gobbling up jobs, a second look. (editor's window).(Editorial)
July 1, 2002... My May editorial about CAD technology replacing engineers motivated lots of readers to write in. See p. 12 for a sampling of the responses. Most of the letters were thoughtful. Even those who disagreed with me (~80%) took the time to share...

Dialog box: Readers talk to us.(Letter to the Editor)
July 1, 2002... Gobbling up jobs Here are excerpts from a sampling of the letters we received in response to our May editorial: "CAD... gobbling up jobs one at a time." For the record, 80% of the respondents disagreed with the editor's prediction. ...

Correction.(Correction Notice)
July 1, 2002... The winning image in the CADDIES Professional Stills--Exterior category (Cadalyst, May 2002, p. 24), was designed by Dar El-Handassah and illustrated by Ihab Kalash of Art Associates.

Monochrome scanner with color capability. (Hardware).(VIDAR Systems VIDAR VS 600)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
July 1, 2002... VIDAR's new mono-chrome scanner with color capabilities, the VS 600 ($14,200), comes with Easy Scan and CopySystems Express software. The software settings are similar to those of an office color copier and provide wide-format scanning and...

Mobile scanner. (Hardware).(Pentax Technologies DSmobile USB)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
July 1, 2002... Pentax's Pentax DSmobile USB portable color scanner ($99) combines a compact length (110) with a lightweight (less than 12 ounces) to offer scanning to the mobile computing market. The scanner includes a TWAIN driver, application scanning...

Wide-format scanner. (Hardware).(Contex Scanning Technology Crystal Tx)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
July 1, 2002... The Crystal Tx, a new scanner offered by Contex Scanning Technology, Inc. ($13,900 for base version, $15,900 for Plus version), is a high-performance 400 monochrome scanner with color capability. It features variable line resolution and...

Solvent printer. (Hardware).(Roland DGA 540 SOLJET SJ-500)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
July 1, 2002... Roland DGA Corporation announced its 540 SOLJET SJ-500 ($19,995) solvent printer. Because the SOLJET uses a low-volatile solvent ink, ventilation equipment is not required. The printer creates a variety of indoor and outdoor graphics that are...

SGI flat-panel display. (Hardware).(Silicon Graphics F220)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
July 1, 2002... The Silicon Graphics F220 flat-panel display ($3,999) supports both digital and analog input and is compatible with Silicon Graphics workstations. The 220 display offers a 160031024 wide-aspect ratio and a built-in scaler from 6403480 to...

Flat-panel monitor. (Hardware).(NEC-Mitsubishi's NEC MultiSync LCD 1880SX)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
July 1, 2002... NEC-Mitsubishi's 180 flat-panel NEC MultiSync LCD 1880SX ($1,299) lets you remotely diagnose and control monitors through a network. The monitor accepts digital or analog inputs and provides a viewing angle of 170[degrees] horizontally and...

Infrasoft's civil collaboration product helps engineers bypass trouble on bypass project. (on the job).(Arenium used in Holland)
July 1, 2002... On any given day, drivers on the N348 road between Zutphen and Deventer in eastern Holland hit a traffic bottleneck in the small town of Eefde. ARCADIS (www.arcadis.nl) engineers are addressing this problem with an initial design for a bypass...

3D mechanical design. (Software: MCAD).(Alibre Design 4.0)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
July 1, 2002... Alibre Design 4.0 ($1,000) is a 3D mechanical design, real-time collaboration, and peer-to-peer data sharing application from Alibre Inc. A subscription to Alibre Design includes upgrades that are available about every six months. You can...

Solid modeling. (Software: MCAD).(Applied 3D Science's ParaLogix 2.1)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
July 1, 2002... A3DS introduced ParaLogix v2.1 ($1,295) parametric solid modeling software that contains more than fifty new enhancements for improved large model and assembly performance. Dimensioning support includes advanced section views and dimensioning...

3D model viewing. (Software: MCAD/CAE).(Spicer's Imagenation 7.0)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
July 1, 2002... Imagenation 7 3D1 model viewing solution (3D1 starts at $595 list price) from Spicer Corp. includes markup and measurement capabilities for CATIA, Pro/ENGINEER, SAT, STEP, and VDA-FS formats. Imagenation 7 also offers new large-format scanner...

Design, data management. (MCAD/CAE).(IronCAD Innovation Suite 2002)(Abstract)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2002... Innovation Suite 2002 from IronCAD, LLC, includes TeamVault ($4,500 for 5-user base), a Web-based EDM (engineering data management) system; Inovate ($1,295), which lets you create, modify, and communicate 3D designs; and IronCAD ($3,495), a...

Simulation software. (MCAD/CAE).(ANSYS' DesignXplorer)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
July 1, 2002... ANSYS Inc.'s DesignXplorer (call for pricing) simulation and analysis software uses advanced parametric control that provides instantaneous feedback on all proposed design modifications in the CAE process. DesignXplorer incorporates traditional...

Electronic Field Modeling. (MCAD/CAE).(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
July 1, 2002... 3D CAE Electronic Field Analysis v6 software (call for pricing) from Integrated Engineering Software is designed for electromagnetic design and simulation. A 2D geometric modeler integrates with 3D software and replaces the constant x,y,z modes...

CAD Geometry analysis. (MCAD/CAE).(RAND Worldwide's 3DCaliper)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
July 1, 2002... 3DCaliper (standard, $3,500; advanced, $8,000; professional, $20,000) design quality assurance software from RAND Worldwide checks wall thickness, minimum clearances, and other critical measurements on metal and plastic parts. The...

Behavior modeling for solidworks. (MCAD/CAE).(GEOMATE's GrafiCalc 3.0)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
July 1, 2002... GEOMATE Corp. announced GrafiCalc 3 ($995), a behavior modeling extension for SolidWorks that lets you explore multiple design options and backsolve exact geometry. GrafiCalc 3 addresses critical aspects of analysis and design validation early...

Architects slowly enter rapid prototyping game. (AEC industry update).
July 1, 2002... Though many architects still specify some buildings to be constructed by placing one stone on top of another, early adopters are making great strides in using rapid prototyping and manufacturing techniques. The Santa Monica-based...

Conceptual design. (Software: AEC).(@Last Software's SketchUp 2.0)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
July 1, 2002... @Last Software announced SketchUp 2.0 ($495) design software that lets you view, modify, and communicate 3D designs from the initial concept through detailing and documentation. SketchUp 2.0's 2D hidden-line vector output exports 3D SketchUp...

Online details for AEC. (Software: AEC).(Brief Article)
July 1, 2002... Easy-D's Details to Build On Web-based library is designed to help architects, designers, and drafters create a construction-quality detail sheet. Using Easy-D's navigation and search engine, you can find and download standardized graphics for...

Design and collaboration. (Software: AEC).(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
July 1, 2002... Autodesk introduced Architectural Studio 2 ($1,100; includes first-year subscription) for conceptual design, sketching, modeling, and presentations. The standalone tool includes multimedia workspaces that let you integrate freehand sketches and...

2002 Bentley International User Conference. (show report).
July 1, 2002... Held in Atlantic City May 19-23, the Bentley International User Conference attracted 2,000 people from around the world. The exhibit hall boasted 46 vendors, including 3Dlabs, Eagle Point, Ramsey Systems (developers of www.cadgurus.com, a Web...

Drawing publishing. (software: general).(CAD Publisher Easy and Professional)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
July 1, 2002... John Walker Graphics Pty. Ltd. released the latest version of CAD Publisher Easy ($95) and Professional ($495) that convert CAD DXF files into high-quality output files such as PostScript, Adobe Illustrator, Acrobat PDF, EPS, TIFF, PNG, BMP,...

Time collaboration. (software: general).(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
July 1, 2002... Web4, a division of netGuru, Inc., launched eReview 3.6 Enterprise Edition (starts at $5,000) Web-based real-time collaboration software for document review and markup. Multiple users can access, retrieve, update, and redline single and...

AIA Convention and Expo 2002. (show report).
July 1, 2002... This year's AIA Convention and Expo, held in Charlotte, North Carolina from May 9-11, attracted more than 15,000 attendees. The show featured 141 workshops, an exhibition floor with 580 vendors, and numerous tours of local architectural points...

Photogrammetry. (software: general).(FotoG 5.2)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
July 1, 2002... Vexcel Corp.'s FotoG 5.2 (call for pricing) close-range photogrammetry software makes measurements and creates 3D CAD models of real-world structures and objects from digital photos. Enhancements include improved model image overlay, automatic...

Spell checker. (software: general).(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
July 1, 2002... Axiom released SpellCheckerPlus for v8 (call for pricing), a utility for MicroStation v8. The software spell checks text cells, text not displayed, and text in reference files. It also identifies misspelled words, provides optional changes to...

Digital imaging plug-ins. (software: general).(2D Vector Pak )(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
July 1, 2002... ACD Systems International Inc.'s 2D Vector Pak ($29.95) includes a set of plug-ins that integrate with ACDSee ($49.95), the company's digital imaging software. The plug-in lets you view, browse, and manage DWF, HPGL, and CGM vector graphics. 2D...

Calendar.
July 1, 2002... STAAD.PRO Users Conference July 8-10 Monte Carlo Resort and Casino, Las Vegas, NV www.reiworld.com/ ESRI Int'l User Conference July 8-12 San Diego Convention Center, San Diego, CA www.esri.com/events/uc/index.html ...

Validate designs with today's CAE options.
July 1, 2002... Mechanical designs today require analysis to investigate and verify scientific theory and prove out technical concepts. Mechanical engineers and designers use MCAD analysis tools to test and analyze virtual prototypes of parts and assemblies....

Big monitors that won't blow your budget: take advantage of bargain prices for 210 displays. (labs feature review).(Evaluation)
July 1, 2002... Not so very long ago, almost all 210 monitors cost around $1,500. In this roundup, only one monitor, the NEC-Mitsubishi MultiSync FP1375X, is priced in this range, and it includes many extra features such as sophisticated color control and...

Compaq P1220. (labs feature review).(Evaluation)
July 1, 2002... Compaq P1220 Compaq Computer Corp. (Now part of Hewlett-Packard) 4.5 stars out of 5 The Compaq P1220 is a stylishly designed silver and carbon-black 220 monitor with a 200 viewable area. Estimated street price on the 66lb monitor is...

P1130. (labs feature review).(Evaluation)
July 1, 2002... P1130 Hewlett-Packard 4.5 stars out of 5 Hewlett-Packard's p1130 monitor is based on the flat 210 FD Trinitron CRT and offers an automatic display power management system that significantly reduces power consumption during use....

CM815 Plus. (labs feature review).(Evaluation)
July 1, 2002... CM815 Plus Hitachi America, Ltd. 5 stars out of 5 The Hitachi CM815 Plus monitor provides the finest dot pitch (0.22mm) of any of the large monitors evaluated in this roundup, but it doesn't offer the flattest screen. The CM815 Plus...

Vision Master Pro 512. (labs feature review).(Evaluation)
July 1, 2002... Vision Master Pro 512 Iiyama Corp. 4.5 stars out of 5 Iiyama's Vision Master Pro 512 carries an estimated street price of $812 and offers a high-quality display that fell short of excellent only because of very slight convergence...

MultiSync FP1375X. (labs feature review).(Evaluation)
July 1, 2002... MultiSync FP1375X NEC-Mitsubishi Electronics Display of America 4.5 stars out of 5 The NEC-Mitsubishi MultiSync FP1375X is the only monitor in this roundup to achieve a perfect score for its display performance characteristics. The...

P225F. (labs feature review).(Evaluation)
July 1, 2002... P225F ViewSonic 5 stars out of 5 The ViewSonic P225F offers a very good display--particularly when you consider the $699 estimated street price, the lowest price in this roundup. The 220 monitor has a viewing area of 200 and a dot...

VectorWorks adds 3D tools: new version performs impressively on Macintosh and Windows systems. (labs review).(Evaluation)
July 1, 2002... VectorWorks ARCHITECT is one of the best tools available for "brick-and-stick" construction design. What's more, it has enough horsepower to tackle bigger projects, even when the work is spread among professionals in many offices, using other...

CrystalEyes 3, Monitor ZScreen: 3D viewing tools from StereoGraphics. (first look reviews: brief hands-on product reviews).(Evaluation)
July 1, 2002... If you spend much time working in 3D, you know the limits on creating and displaying 3D models on 2D hardware. 3D display systems have been around in one form or another for years, though mostly limited to large manufacturing operations. 3D...

AutoManager Meridian 2002. (first look reviews: brief hands-on product reviews).(Evaluation)
July 1, 2002... Finding a specific document, fax, illustration, or drawing from a large and complicated project can be a daunting task, particularly when there are hundreds of drawings of different parts or schematics. Or you may need to make a correction to a...

MCAD help wanted: mechanical designers can use the internet to find jobs fast. (i-collaboration: tools and technologies for collaborative design).(Column)
July 1, 2002... If it's been some time since your last job search, you may be surprised at the changes in the world of job hunting and recruitment brought about by the online tools now available. This month I cover Web sites that can help you find CAD...

File magic: AutoLISP tricks to add and remove lines of text from files. (lessons in programming: how to customize AutoCAD).
July 1, 2002... Because AutoLISP at any given time can only read or write to an external file, how do you remove a line from an existing file? AutoLISP also accesses a file sequentially and can't randomly read or write to an external file, so how do you edit...

Quick cures for plot headaches: how to make scale and linetypes print properly. (autocad clinic: autoCAD helpline answers your support questions).
July 1, 2002... We set up Architectural Desktop 3.3 to plot by default on D-size paper. We created a named page setup to plot the same drawing half-size on 110 3 170 paper. The problem is that the indicated scale is incorrect. Is there some way to insert a...

Tips from our readers. (hot tip Harry).
July 1, 2002... $50 BONUS WINNER QUICK TEMPLATES Tip #1805 [TEMPLATE.LSP] This dialog-based routine quickly generates a custom AutoCAD template or drawing environment. You can also use it to update or correct existing drawings. It sets standards...