University Uses CAD to Develop Cars for Blind Drivers

by Laura Carrabine, Senior Editor For many, driving is one of life’s pleasures. Tooling the nation’s roadways takes us to work, vacation spots, business and personal appointments. We’d be lost without our vehicles. For the blind, however, driving is one of life’s missed conveniences. Blind drivers have been trying out a prototype... [Read more]

Siemens PLM Software Used In 90% Of Vehicles On Display At NA International Auto Show

In 2008, there were 68+ million cars produced globally by the top 50 Organization of Motor Vehicle Manufacturers and of those vehicles, Siemens PLM Software’s technology was used in 64+ million. Industry analysts project that 2009 totals are even greater than 2008. “Of the 16 OEMs producing more than one million vehicles annually, 15 use Siemens... [Read more]

Alibre 3D CAD Software "84% Off" Sale from CADDIT Australia

Alibre has granted authorization to CADDIT Australia to offer the latest version of Alibre Design version 12 with at least AUD$1200 saving (84%) for these last few weeks of 2009. Why are we posting this to our blog? 1.This is not an Alibre 11 sale. This sale applies to the newly released Alibre Design version 12, including the features discussed earlier... [Read more]

Dassault Can’t Import Catia into SolidWorks; Sycode Can

SYCODE releases its Catia V4 and V5 importer plug-ins for Dassault's SolidWorks using 3D InterOp tech from Spatial — also owned by Dassault. CATIA V4 Import for SolidWorks reads .model, .exp and .session files from CATIA version 4.1.9 to 4.2.4. CATIA V5 Import for SolidWorks read .CATPart, .CATProduct and .cgr files from CATIA V5 R2 to... [Read more]

SMS’s plans for 2010

Solid Modeling Solutions plans in 2010 to add subdivision surfaces to its SMLib kernel (at no extra cost) for modeling complex shapes with hierarchical Catmull-Clark surfaces. The company also plans 2-3 releases in the year that improve performance, reliability, and robustness. www.smlib.com Go to Source SHARETHIS.addEntry({ title: "SMS’s... [Read more]

Touchpad for Touch-less Monitors

I don't think this concept is new, but for Wacom it is: a multi-touch digitizing tablet, as we call it in the CAD world. Wacom's marketing people prefer the name "Bamboo Pen & Touch" ($99) — a bit odd, since I see no bamboo in the product. As digitizing tablets go, it is small, but it works with the included stylus as well... [Read more]

Video of AutoCAD in 1987

Leif Steinert resurrects the good ol' days with 45 seconds of video from 1987. The video shows AutoCAD Release 9 running on an 6MHz NEC 286 AT clone and MS-DOS. He enters the plot command, and we briefly see his HP DraftPro plotter at work — which he calls "the money machine." http://www.youtube.com/user/AutoCad9in1987 Go to... [Read more]

Touch screen monitors to be obsolete soonish

MIT is showing its advances in 3D gestural computing with a bi-directional monitor: it senses your hand movements, and then directs the computer to move the 3D model. (Optical sensors are embedded behind the LCD screen.) …gestural interfaces, which would, for example, allow computer users to drag windows around a screen simply by pointing at them... [Read more]

SEC Probes Ansys Acquisition

The Wall Street Journal this morning is reporting that the Securities Exchange Commission in the USA is investigating the circumstances surrounding Ansys's takeover of Ansoft — as well as a dozen other deals involving drug makers, consumer stores, and so on. It's not Ansys itself who is being investigated, but deal advisers and traders... [Read more]

Adobe goes negative with Q4 "profits"

Adobe reports a Q4 loss of $32 million, w-a-a-y down from last year's $246 million profit. Q4 revenues were $757.3 million, down 17% from a year ago. We'll be listening in to their quarterly conference call and'll note anything of interest. Source. Go to Source SHARETHIS.addEntry({ title: "Adobe goes negative with Q4 "profits"",... [Read more]