SolidWorks Plastics
Mr. McGuire: “I want to say one word to you. Just one word.” Benjamin: “Yes, sir.” Mr. McGuire: “Are you listening?” Benjamin: “Yes, I am.” Mr. McGuire: “Plastics.” - The Graduate, 1967 Dassault Systemes SolidWorks Corp this week announced a new product: SolidWork Plastics. Actually, it’s not strictly new, and it’s not just one product. SolidWorks... 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
Autodesk Inventor ETO gets webified
Autodesk has just introduced a new release of Autodesk Inventor Engineer-to-order (ETO) software that can be deployed over the web. The new browser-based access is powered by the Autodesk Inventor Engineer-to-Order Server, which includes the ETO (Intent) Rules Engine and the Inventor Server (for model and drawing generation), as well as web services and server farm management software.... 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
SolidWorks V6 is not SolidWorks
Two years ago, at SolidWorks World (the show) SolidWorks (the company) showed what appeared to be the next generation of SolidWorks (the software): SolidWorks V6 (also software.) SolidWorks (the company) got major flak from bloggers concerned that SolidWorks V6 (the software) would replace SolidWorks (the software.) This year, at SolidWorks World (the show), Dassault Systèmes SolidWorks (as... Read More
The SolidWorks World Communities
This week, over 5,500 people converged on San Diego for the largest MCAD conference in the world: SolidWorks World. With around 1.7 million people using SolidWorks, it would be surprising if SolidWorks World wasn’t a large conference. Yet, the secret to its success is not just mere user count. It’s community building. SolidWorks, the company, has for many years focused... 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
Should you buy your CAD software—or rent?
CAD software isn’t cheap. A mainstream 3D CAD program will set you back thousands of dollars upfront, and a bunch more in annual maintenance charges. The cost can be daunting. But what if there was a way to spread it out, and pay as you go? Rental: An idea that’s been tried. A dozen years or so ago, a relatively new CAD vendor, Think3, started offering their CAD software... Read More
