CADalyst articles from June 2001

CADalyst archives from June 2001

CAD with an ocean view.(Chief Architect)(Product Information)
June 1, 2001... On the rugged Northern California coast stands a unique, decades-old development called Sea Ranch. Houses there have always been designed according to strict guidelines that keep development clustered and rooflines compatible with the...

Toolbar troubles.(AutoCAD 2000)(Product Support)
June 1, 2001... We use AutoCAD 2000 and have three problems we can't seem to solve. First, some people in our office have custom toolbars with custom buttons that show smiley faces. Even when we manually set the buttons back to what they are supposed to be,...

AEC LAYER DEBATE--AIA Sets the Standard : AEC layer standards and practices update.(Industry Trend or Event)
June 1, 2001... Mention CAD standards and the first thing that springs to most people's minds is layer standards: how to name them, what properties to assign to them, and which objects belong on them. There is some truth to this association. Although CAD...

Architectural Graphic Standards CD-ROM.(Product Information)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2001... Architectural Graphic Standards CD-ROM Reviewed 01.01, p. 50 www.wiley.com/ags This indispensible CD-ROM collection from John Wiley & Sons, Inc., contains the entire tenth edition of Architectural Graphic Standards, more than 10,000...

Autodesk Inventor 4.(Product Information)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
June 1, 2001... Autodesk Inventor 4 Reviewed 04.01, p. 44 www.autodesk.com Eighteen months after its initial release, Autodesk Inventor 4 has become a serious contender in the parametric solid modeling space. It easily handles assemblies with...

Diamond FireGL 2.(Product Information)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2001... Diamond FireGL 2 Reviewed 02.01, p. 36 www.firegl.com SONICblue's FireGL 2 is single-handedly redefining 3D performance on the PC--it's among the fastest graphics card we've tested in any price range. The FireGL 2 has an IBM RC1000...

SolidWorks 2001.(Product Information)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2001... SolidWorks 2001 Reviewed 06.01, p. 44 www.solidworks.com A combination of big features and subtle nuances makes SolidWorks Corp.'s latest release stand out from the pack. A strong complement of third-party products adds to the appeal....

AEC CADDIES 2001.(Industry Trend or Event)
June 1, 2001... Every year, CADALYST Image Awards, traditionally known as the CADDIES, honor the best in CAD-based design visualization. This year, we split the CADDIES into two sections: AEC and mechanical/manufacturing. Because of the volume of AEC...

Dialog Box : Thoughts from our readers.(Letter to the Editor)
June 1, 2001... High quality I enjoy the tips and constructive ideas CADALYST presents. But I'm worried about Mark Middlebrook's comment to Keith (April Dialog Box, p. 8) that "while there may be a lot of people who can draw house plans, in my experience...

Corrections.(Correction Notice)
June 1, 2001... We misprinted several specifications in last month's First Look review of Hitachi's CM823F monitor (p. 50). The autosynchronization ranges from 31-121KHz, preset resolutions are available up to 204831536, and the correct e-mail address is...

And the winner is. . .(AutoCAD 2002)(Product Announcement)
June 1, 2001... In my February 1998 editorial, I suggested that Autodesk make future versions of AutoCAD "no-hassle" upgrades. The reason was simple: No-hassle upgrades benefit both users and third-party developers. Users want to upgrade on their own...

EasySite 2 : Site modeling.(Software Review)(Evaluation)
June 1, 2001... All modeling should be so fast, easy, and fun. EasySite 2 from CAD Easy Corp. is a must-have tool for anyone who needs to rapidly conceptualize, model, and render an architectural site in AutoCAD. Because EasySite works with a true 3D...

PipeDesigner 3D : Piping software for AutoCAD.(Software Review)(Evaluation)
June 1, 2001... QuickPen International created a piping package that thinks like a pipe fitter. PipeDesigner 3D relies on the AutoCAD drawing engine for input-and-output operations. It also includes QuickPen's VSME (Virtual Solid Modeling Engine). VSME is...

Tips from our readers.(News Briefs)
June 1, 2001... $50 BONUS WINNER Adjust width Tip #1711 [PWIDTH.LSP] Although I originally developed it for Release 10, over the years I've updated pwidth.lsp to provide a wide range of options for globally changing the width and linetype...

Internet tools for AEC project collaboration.(Project Center and Projectmates)(Software Review)(Evaluation)
June 1, 2001... Internet-based companies commonly offer services to store AEC project files. Through these services you can store documents in a single location that is accessible to all project team members. In addition, many such vendors offer tools that...

Visual collaboration software.(e-Vis 3.0)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
June 1, 2001... e-Vis Version 3 (call for pricing) from UGS is Internet-enabled visual collaboration software for extended manufacturing enterprises. e-Vis supports visual collaboration on mechanical and electronic CAD data. E-Vis also features an online CAD...

Simulation tools.(MSC.SuperForge)(Company Business and Marketing)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2001... MSC.Software Corp. announced the launch of MSC.SuperForge on its SimulationCenter (call for pricing), an online environment that offers simulation, analysis, and CAD software applications. MSC.SuperForge helps forging engineers analyze...

CAD drawing resource.(CADRegis-ter.com)(Internet/Web/Online Service Information)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2001... Thomas Register announced CADRegis-ter.com, a resource for CAD drawings in 2D and 3D. CADRegister's extensive library connects you to a database of millions of predrawn components from manufacturers. You incorporate the components directly into...

Online project collaboration.(Company Business and Marketing)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2001... UGS announced the Solid Edge Exchange design collaboration portal (call for pricing). The portal uses UGS technology to give manufacturers a secure way to extend their MCAD data across the extended enterprise. Solid Edge Exchange provides a...

Retrieve nongraphic data groups in AutoCAD.(AutoCAD 14.0)(Product Announcement)
June 1, 2001... In our last installment (April 2001, p. 64), we discussed how to use ActiveX functions to store nongraphic data with AutoCAD objects, then group this data with objects via extended entity data. This month, we look at how to retrieve this...

Training options for MCAD users.(Industry Trend or Event)
June 1, 2001... Solid modeling vendors today continue the software documentation trend started in the 1990s--less printed training material and more electronic media. Note that some companies still ship free printed tutorials (table 1). Fortunately, this trend...

Eight Great MONITORS : CADALYST Labs reviews new 190 monitors.(Buyers Guide)
June 1, 2001... These days, 190 monitors are becoming a desktop standard. They fit in essentially the same space and cost the same as the 170 monitors they replace. For many users, the desktop real estate required by a 210 or larger monitor is simply not...

P910 : Compaq Computer Corp.(Hardware Review)(Evaluation)
June 1, 2001... P910 Compaq Computer Corp. 4 stars out of 5 The Compaq P910 monitor in the Compaq Professional Series is based on Mitsubishi display technology and features the Diamondtron NF (Natural Flat) tube. This monitor and the Mitsubishi...

FlexScan T761 : EIZO/Nanao Tech.(Hardware Review)(Evaluation)
June 1, 2001... FlexScan T761 EIZO/Nanao Tech. 4 stars out of 5 The FlexScan T761 monitor, from the EIZO Professional Display Monitors series, is the heaviest and the most expensive 190 display that we tested for this roundup. It weighs 60.7lb...

P920 : Hewlett-Packard.(Hardware Review)(Evaluation)
June 1, 2001... P920 Hewlett-Packard 5 stars out of 5 Although most of us think of Hewlett-Packard in relation to its computers, calculators, and printers, the company also offers an array of excellent monitors, including the Hewlett-Packard P920, a...

Monitor : diagnostics.(Product Information)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2001... Since 1995, CADALYST Labs has relied on DisplayMate, a software diagnostics program from DisplayMate Technologies, to fine-tune and evaluate the image quality of monitors. There are six versions of the program, ranging from the classic...

CM772 : Hitachi.(Hardware Review)(Evaluation)
June 1, 2001... CM772 Hitachi 5 stars out of 5 The Hitachi CM772 monitor is based on a flat-screen (Hitachi ErgoFlat) Invar shadow-mask design with a black matrix. It produces a remarkably pleasing display, as do other Hitachi monitors based on this...

VisionMaster Pro 451 : iiyama Corp.(Hardware Review)(Evaluation)
June 1, 2001... VisionMaster Pro 451 iiyama Corp. 5 stars out of 5 Long noted for high-quality displays, iiyama bases its VisionMaster Pro 451 190 monitor (180 viewing area) on the Diamondtron NF TrueFlat CRT. The screen is flat and dark, producing...

DiamondPro 920 : Mitsubishi.(Hardware Review)(Evaluation)
June 1, 2001... DiamondPro 920 Mitsubishi 4.5 stars out of 5 The NEC-Mitsubishi Electronics Display Company was created last year through a joint venture. The DiamondPro 920 is a 190 monitor (180 viewing area) marketed under the Mitsubishi name....

MultiSync FP955 : NEC.(Hardware Review)(Evaluation)
June 1, 2001... MultiSync FP955 NEC 4.5 stars out of 5 The MultiSync FP955 is marketed under the NEC name. It is a 190 monitor (180 viewable area) with a moderate 0.24mm dot pitch. Resolutions as high as 192031440 with a 73Hz refresh rate are...

SyncMaster 900NF : Samsung Electronics America.(Hardware Review)(Evaluation)
June 1, 2001... SyncMaster 900NF Samsung Electronics America 5 stars out of 5 Last, but certainly not least, is the SyncMaster 900NF from Samsung Electronics America. An attractively styled monitor in a case with subdued colors, the SyncMaster...

Intel rolls out new processors--Dell first to announce support.(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
June 1, 2001... In late April, Intel shipped a 1.7GHz Pentium 4 processor. In May, Intel introduced a Pentium 4 chip that supports multiple processors. The chip, known simply as the Xeon processor, debuted with a 1.4GHz clock speed. It uses Intel's i860...

Entrada software acqires Motiva lines.(Company Business and Marketing)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2001... Entrada Software, Inc. (www.entradasoftware.com), has acquired all Motiva products, including eChange Solutions and DesignGroup. Former Motiva customers can migrate to Entrada's Kinnosa, an enterprise-level application that manages information...

Flat-panel vendors cut prices.(Product Information)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2001... Prices for flat-panel monitors are drifting downward as several vendors announced price cuts on 150 and 180 models. NEC-Mitsubishi cut the price on its NEC Multisync LCD1830 and LCD1800 180 models from $1,899 to $1,149. The price for its...

XML standards proliferate.(Company Business and Marketing)
June 1, 2001... SmarTeam announced the iXF format for exchanging product, plant, and project information throughout discrete and process manufacturing operations (www.ixfstd.org). OGC (Open GIS Consortium; www.opengis.org) released version 2 of GML (Geometry...

Autodesk sponsors online internships.(Company Business and Marketing)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2001... Autodesk launched a Virtual Internship Program, through which students can work via the Internet to complete specified projects for employers in architectural design, land development, manufacturing, and other fields (www.autodesk....

Mergers.(Company Business and Marketing)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2001... Dassault Systemes plans to acquire SRAC, a Los Angeles-based developer of engineering analysis software, in a stock transaction valued at $22 million. SRAC will become a wholly owned Dassault subsidiary and continue to offer its COSMOS/ line of...

Business.(News Briefs)
June 1, 2001... Autodesk relaunched its e-learning site after partner Headlight.com closed its doors. www.autodesk.com/e-Learning | PlanetCAD announced a restructuring that will reduce its workforce by 15%. In past months, PlanetCAD has shifted from its...

Products.(Company Business and Marketing)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2001... Autodesk's Partner Products Store (www.autodesk.com/partnerproducts) features add-on products from third-party developers. | In June, Xerox (www.xes.com) will introduce the ColorgrafX X2 Tech four-color printer, which comes in 360 and 540...

Autodesk previews AutoCAD 2002 and its next generation of software.(Product Announcement)
June 1, 2001... Autodesk announced plans to release two new products, as well as fourteen product upgrades, during 2001. Although it's obvious that Autodesk is no longer a single-product company, financial data show just how diversified it has become: While...

HARDWARE : Desktop graphics.(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
June 1, 2001... SGI announced its Octane2 workstation with V12 graphics. The system draws more than 18 million 1-pixel-lit, depth-buffered, Gouraud-shaded triangles per second and maintains an advanced pixel fill rate of 448 megapixels per second. The...

HARDWARE : 170 TFT monitor.(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
June 1, 2001... Samsung released its SyncMaster 770TFT ($1,014) that measures 2.50 thick with an 80 base. The flat-panel achieves a maximum resolution of 128031024 at 75Hz and a maximum pixel rate of 80MHz. It offers a 31-80KHz horizontal and 56-85Hz vertical...

HARDWARE : 3D scanners.(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
June 1, 2001... Riegl USA announced its LPM-Series (laser profile measuring system; call for pricing) scanners. Options include hemispheric scanning, automated and manual operation, reflectorless ranges to 2,500 meters, accuracy in millimeters, and a...

HARDWARE : Wide-format printer.(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
June 1, 2001... EPSON introduced a 130 wide-format inkjet printer, the EPSON Stylus Pro 5500 ($4,395). The Stylus Pro 5500 offers 28803 720dpi resolution, variable-sized three-picoliter droplets, and photographic quality output. A six-color, six-cartridge...

HARDWARE : Film scanner.(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
June 1, 2001... Microtek released the ArtixScan 4500t multiformat color film scanner ($5,495) with 42-bit color depth and 10,000-element CCD (charged couple device). It offers a maximum resolution of 2,571dpi and a 3.9Dmax (maximum density range) to create...

MCAD SOFTWARE : Product design data.(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
June 1, 2001... DesignSource Technology, Inc., released PDM/Works Standalone ($495) and PDM/ Works Portal ($2,495) for SolidWorks. PDM/Works manages design data generated in SolidWorks. PDM/Works Standalone lets all design team members access and manage...

MCAD SOFTWARE : 3D geometry.(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
June 1, 2001... EnCapta (call for pricing) from VISTAGY, Inc., augments CATIA, Pro/ENGINEER, and Unigraphics software. It captures and communicates specialized nongeometric design data and stores it associatively with the CAD geometry. You use customizable...

MCAD SOFTWARE : FEA.(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
June 1, 2001... Noran Engineering, Inc., introduced NE/ Nastran v8 for finite-element analysis ($1,549-$3,950). NE/Nastran v8 adds a nonlinear transient response module that determines the response of a system with time-varying properties, loading, and...

MCAD SOFTWARE : Preprocessing.(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
June 1, 2001... Stratasys, Inc., introduced Insight preprocessing software to increase FDM rapid-prototyping machine build speed. A remote notification feature alerts you via e-mail or pager when a job is complete or interrupted. The packing function lets you...

On the Job: MCAD's reconnaissance mission.(Product Information)
June 1, 2001... The British RAF (Royal Air Force) uses UGS's (www.ugs.com) Solid Edge to design the avionics systems for its Nimrod reconnaissance aircraft. The RAF Waddington air base designs electronics enclosures, racks, and other support structures for the...

SOFTWARE : Rendering software.(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
June 1, 2001... Digital Immersion Software Corp. announced Merlin 3D software for rendering, animation, and modeling ($595). You can interactively deform your object in real time using animated modifiers such as stretch, scale, uniform scale, bend, taper,...

SOFTWARE : Scan and index.(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
June 1, 2001... ScanDEX 2.5 ($3,995) from IDEAL.com scans and indexes multiple fields. Features include color image support, e-mail image support, multipage capability, and direct printer support. Color image support lets you scan and index color documents and...

SOFTWARE : Diagramming.(Product Information)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2001... Microsoft Corp.'s Visio 2002 Standard edition ($199) includes enhanced project scheduling and organization charts with layout and synchronization behavior. You can now convert individual DWG, DGN, and DXF entities into Visio shapes. Visio 2002...

AEC : Schematics system.(ASPECT P&ID from Cadcentre Group)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
June 1, 2001... Cadcentre Group plc released ASPECT P&ID (contact company for pricing), its intelligent engineering schematics system based on the Microsoft Visio graphics engine. ASPECT P&ID with Microsoft Visio 2000 uses Visio's diagramming features and...

AEC : Electrical design.(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
June 1, 2001... DexterB announced Panels 2001 for AutoCAD 2000 and 2000i (pricing on Web), an electrical design solution that automates the breaker sizing and total calculations in panel schedules. It offers built-in support for numerous load types, including...

Show Report: GITA XXIV.(Industry Trend or Event)
June 1, 2001... More than 3,000 utility and government IT specialists gathered in San Diego March 3-7 to enjoy four days of educational sessions, panels, and cutting-edge GIS technology exhibits at GITA 2001: A Geospatial Odyssey. This...

SOFTWARE : Conferencing tool.(GTCO CalComp's InterWrite MeetingBoard)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
June 1, 2001... InterWrite MeetingBoard (prices start at $1,995) from GTCO CalComp is an electronic whiteboard for collaboration. InterWrite MeetingBoard uses InterWrite software to mark up content on spreadsheets, engineering models, maps, Web sites, and...

SOFTWARE : 3D modeling.(Active Dimensions 2.3 from Micro Instructions)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
June 1, 2001... Micro Instructions released Active Dimensions 2.3 ($56). This CAD and 3D modeling application lets you create 3D models from 31 preset surfaces, or extrude, revolve, and loft 2D profiles to create your own. It features Boolean operations to...

SOFTWARE : Wire harnessing.(CAPITAL H 3.0 engineering software from Mentor Graphics)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
June 1, 2001... Mentor Graphics released CAPITAL H v3 wire harness engineering software (call for pricing). In addition to creating single harness and composite harness designs, CAPITAL H v3 offers modular design capability and customer-specific harness...

MARK YOUR CALENDAR.(Calendar of Events)
June 1, 2001... CALENDAR AIA 2001 Convention & Expo May 17-19 Colorado Convention Center Denver, CO 202.626.7395 www.aiaconvention2001.com GIS in Action May 30-June 1 DoubleTree Lloyd Center Hotel Portland, OR www.orurisa.org ...

SolidWorks 2001: A design odyssey -- Sheet-metal design and surfacing become even easier.(Evaluation)
June 1, 2001... In just six years SolidWorks has come a long way as a product and a company. The company virtually established the so-called midrange modeler as a serious contender in the 3D MCAD marketplace in North America. Now in its ninth major release,...