Openness is in the DNA. Or not.
The big news in the world of interoperability is the Codex of PLM Openness (CPO). From AutomotiveIT: ProSTEP started the initiative for a CPO in 2011 and developed version 1.0 together with BMW, Daimler, Dassault Systèmes, IBM, Oracle, PTC, SAP, Siemens PLM, T-Systems and Volkswagen. The aim was to develop a common basic understanding on the subject of openness of IT-systems in... Read More
Modo learns to speak NURBS
NURBS may be the standard surface representation for CAD, but that doesn’t mean they’re ideal for all design jobs. For conceptual design of organic shapes (for example, a motorcycle tank), there are certainly better choices. One surface type that’s become popular for this is the Sub-D, or subdivision surface. #gallery-1 { margin: auto; } #gallery-1... Read More
What is saving 90% in engineering time worth?
Engineer-to-order (ETO) software has been around for a long time, with roots reaching back to knowledge management systems developed in the 1980s. The biggest reason more companies don’t use engineer-to-order software is that the front-end configuration, to set up an ETO system, has often been too much work, requiring lots of training and expensive consultants. Tacton makes... Read More
In the future, will Autodesk products all be used online?
TechCrunch just posted this video, where Andrew Keen interviews Autodesk CEO Carl Bass. The interview is about 12 minutes long. About 2 minutes in, Bass makes possibly the most interesting comment in the interview: “I’d say two to three years from now, every one of our products will be used online. The only way to use them will be online.” If that happens, it will... Read More
Autodesk provides real-time DFM for plastic part design
There’s a lot of benefit to be had by doing manufacturability analysis (DFM, Design for Manufacturing) early in the design process, rather than waiting until later, when design changes are far more expensive. A couple of years ago, Autodesk Labs previewed a product, Project Krypton, which ran inside of 3D CAD programs (including Autodesk Inventor, DS SolidWorks, and PTC... Read More
Creo 2.0 is near
PTC will soon be releasing Creo 2.0, and, in anticipation of this, invited me (along with three other blogger/editors) to their corporate headquarters for a preview. Unlike a formal release presentation, which would be heavily scripted, our experience was much more extemporaneous. We got to see a good chunk of what’s new, hear about PTC’s underlying goals, and even talk... Read More
Experience FirePro! Sweepstakes
AMD believes their new line of FirePro cards and drivers are more stable and more reliable than any other graphics solution out there. But they want to hear unbiased reality from end users – from the single designer using PhotoShop CS5 to the multi-person CAD shop using a range of DCC and CAD/CAE apps.Here are two ways to enter: a) Post a message on Twitter that describes... Read More
PTC shipping mobile apps with 10.1 release of Windchill
It’s a foregone conclusion that mobile computing is changing the way people work. If CAD and PLM vendors want to be relevant in the future, they need to address the mobile market. PTC has been working on mobile apps for some time now, and is set to deliver its first generation with the 10.1 release of Windchill, in March. In a phone call today, David Blair, VP of Product Management... Read More
10th anniversary of Maple T.A.
Maplesoft released Maple T.A. 8.0 with adaptive questions to help with student comprehension. These questions give extra guidance to students who give an incorrect response to a question, increasing their understanding of the concepts and techniques involved. Knowing the student is having problems, the questions can be adapted to walk the student through the problem step by step,... Read More
CAD and PLM help develop innovative products
Swiss-based isotec uses Siemen PLM Software’s NX CAD software and Teamcenter software for product data management. The company is collaborating with scientists on the ETurn spine implant, a replacement for damaged spinal discs.After creating the first designs in NX and preparing static-mechanical calculations with the ANSYS Workbench platform using STL file format data, icotec... Read More
