WorldCAD Access

New Employment Termsfor Carol and Carl

Being a public company, Autodesk has to post financial information about the top five officers of the company. It recently reported changes to compensation received by its top two employees. Carl Bass now gets a base salary of US$700,000 plus a minimum of 100% in bonuses, making it $1.4 million per year. Plus the company promises to nominate him to the board of directors, which would provide additional income. Plus he is eligible for stock grants and other benefit plans (health, etc). Carol Bartz new base salary is US$500,000, but unlike Mr Bass working full-time, Ms Bartz receives it working... Read more →

Autodesk Message Board Disappears

Reader "G.A." points out that all messages have disappeared from Yahoo's board for ADSK. G.A. tells me, "It as been blown away along the with the Microsoft one!" The message boards for other CAD vendors, such as PMTC and DASTY still exist. To see for yourself, go to messages.finance.yahoo.com/mb/ADSK. All I see is the lonely message, There is no data available for ADSK. My guess is that Yahoo is experiencing a data center problem. The lack of messages is of no concern to me, because they tend to be repetitive, which means they contain no new information. There are three... Read more →

AutoCAD 2008 FeaturesLeaked by Microsoft

Microsoft reports that the following features will be found in AutoCAD 2008: * Completely developed using VS.NET. * Uses the Search, Thumbnail, and properties features of Vista. * Integrates completely with Office 2007. * Embraces the new Direct3D *koff* standard. Only some basic Vista features are supported by AutoCAD 2008: The new AutoCAD 2008 was built to benefit from some basic but important features of Windows Vista. A footnote further limits functionality: Some product features are only available in certain editions of Windows Vista and may require advanced or additional hardware. (Why "leaked"? These features were described at Autodesk University... Read more →

Wow!Vista Runs CAD80% Slower

In comment on a related post, "Ballenger Motorsports" links to Web sites at SolidWorks and Tom's Hardware, which show Vista running CAD applications much slower than XP. How much slower? Pro/Engineer runs some 85% slower. UGS NX runs 98% slower. Maybe that's why PTC wasn't whooping up Vista at the media event earlier this month. As can be expected elsewhere, SolidWorks also notes that some features stop working with Vista, such as MoldflowXpress and MDT translator. This dismal performance explains why Microsoft's half-billion-dollar marketing campaign consists of feel-good expressions -- instead of facts -- like the Gatesian comment at yesterday's... Read more →

New Blogfrom QuadriSpace

One of the founders of QuadriSpace, Brian Roberts, has a new corporate blog at www.the3dpub.com. He's calling it The 3D Pub: Ideas and Opinions on 3D Publishing --- reusing 3D to create graphics, animations and documents. Read more →

BE at $0.4B

Near the end of a press release, Bentley Systems reveals they exceeded US$400 million in revenue last year. I think the reason has to do with the company's strategy of buy, grow; buy, grow... Their stated reason? Our Enterprise License Subscriptions were at record numbers last year, increasing by 30 to reach the milestone of 100 ELS subscriber organizations, further testifying to the fact that this innovative commercial package is ideal for globally distributed enterprises. The translation of that statement I leave as an exercise to the reader. Read more →

AutoCAD 2008 to be Announced mid-Feb

The next major release of AutoCAD, version-named 2008, will be officially announced on Monday, 12 February. It is expected to ship before the end of March. Read more →

Open 'Er Up, SolidWorks

An argument for documenting the format of a CAD file is when the owner declares it a standard. I caught such a quote in the wild, made by an spokesman from SolidWorks: "SolidWorks is the standard for 3D CAD software," says Efrat Ravid, solution partner program manager, SolidWorks. He repeats it here. Alright SolidWorks! Open up .sldprt (for parts), .sldasm (for assemblies), etc. Read more →

Adesk Apps Require Vista Patches

All about Microsoft's Mary Jo Foley reports that AutoCAD and other Autodesk software requires patching to work with Vista. In Vista: Where are the killer apps?, she writes: Autodesk officials say their current core CAD applications are working with Vista after applying downloadable patches. She confirms that DWF is not native to Vista: The next version of Autodesk's core products "will put DWF data in an XPS wrapper," [Autodesk Senior Director Kevin] Wandryk said. (XPS is Microsoft's alternative to Adobe's PDF technology.) Read more →

10 Reasons to Not Buy Vista

Mike Elgan of Computerworld gives you six reasons to not buy Vista: Wait! Don't Buy Microsoft Windows Vista. 1 Thru 6 His six reasons for not buying Vista are as follows: #1. Vista Is Incomplete -- it doesn't include all drivers needed for your computer. #2. Vista Is Expensive -- at US$399; higher elsewhere. #3. Vista Wants a New PC -- your current computer's hardware is insufficient. #4. Vista Is Time-Consuming -- in installing and upgrading software and hardware. #5. Windows XP Isn't Obsolete -- Vista doesn't solve any existing problems. For example, to run Autodesk software on Vista, you... Read more →

33K of free SE 2D

UGS reports 33,000 downloads of its free Solid Edge 2D software in just under four months. The software went free in early September, and in October the company said there had been 10,000 downloads in the first month. Read more →

Autodesk Duz Plants

Look out Intergraph; heads up Aveva; look around Bentley... here comes Autodesk with P&ID 2007 -- just the first, it says, in a group of software for plant design. No, not rose bushes and tulips. Oil refineries and other environmentally-controversial plants. Read more →

Open File Formats

Adobe opens up its PDF file format. The company joins Bentley Systems, Intergraph, and McNeel (Rhino) in documenting primary file formats publicly. Read more →

Changes in the Wind

Rumors are flitting about of significant personnel changes at Autodesk. Last week, former ceo Carol Bartz reduced her workload as member of Autodesk's board to half-time. Other changes may be announced Feb 1 or later. Read more →

TIPSAutoCAD Keyboard Modifiers

Even as Autodesk works to make AutoCAD more interactive, the company is also adding more keyboard modifiers. Trolling the Web, I came across two that I didn't know about: Ctrl+Shift Credit Autodesk's Heidi Hewitt for this shortcut that acts like AutoCAD 2007's PressPull command: 1. Draw a closed 2D object, like a circle, and then change to a 3D viewpoint. 2. Move the cursor inside the circle. 3. Hold down Ctrl+Shift. (Notice that AutoCAD highlights the circle; on the command line, it reports "1 loop extracted. 1 Region created.") 4. Move the cursor. (Notice that the circle turns into a... Read more →

Sold!!!UGS Goes to Germany's Siemens

Siemens AG of Germany agrees to buy UGS Corp. for US$3.5 billion. To afford the purchase, Siemens is selling shares in VDO, a automotive engineering firm. The purchase may have to be approved by regulators, and there is no timetable for completing the purchase. The three private equity firms who took UGS private have profited handsomely -- 70% in under two years. They had bought UGS from EDS in March 2004 for $2.05 billion. UGS acted as if it planned to go public with an IPO later this year. I guess the equity firm owners saw more profit in reselling... Read more →

IBM-DS RelationshipContinues to Change

Dassault Systemes announces that IBM and Dassault Systemes Expand Strategic Partnership: IBM to Sell Additional DS Solutions, but closer reading of the press release indicates something else. IBM will sell a broader portfolio of DS solutions to include ENOVIA MatrixOne and DELMIA, in addition to CATIA, ENOVIA VPLM and ENOVIA SmarTeam. True, IBM is carrying more of DS's software products, but that's part of IBM's strategy of becoming the PLM Department Store. They're also now stocking the shelves with PLM software from DS competitors UGS and PTC, as well as from pure PLM operations, such as Agile. DS will increase... Read more →

Google Promotes 3D CADat Universities

The Official Google Blog today announces the its Show us your university campus in 3D contest. The contest is what you might expect: 1. Model a school's set of campus buildings using SketchUp. 2. Stick 'em into Google Earth. 3. Submit the effort to the competition website. (US and Canada above-highschool only). Deadline is 1 June. Judges include a couple of architects. Up to 50 winners get an all-expenses-paid 3-day trip to visit Google. All entries are used to fill up Google's Warehouse. Read more →

Dritte Teil:Fix Those Press Releases!

Brian Solis's entire point in writing Enough Already: Getting the Social Media Release All Wrong is to dicuss social marketing. As best as I can follow the concept, this is where companies have "conversations" with we in the media. You know, the principal of FutureWorks PR is trying to get a conversation going. Social press releases try to have the vendor engage me in conversation. Wait a minute! Who said you could be my friend? Conversation tends to be inefficient. Give me hard data now. We can have a conversation when you slot me 30 minutes at the next trade... Read more →

The CommSec iPod index Is Wrong

The CommSec iPod index compares the cost of buying a 2GB iPod Nano in numerous countries. The index finds that the most expensive iPods are in Brazil, costing 2.1x more than in the iPod's home country of USA. The cheapest, claims the index, is in Canada: US$144.20. Which made me blink my eyes. Canada? Shurley not! The base price, in Canadian dollars, is $169.95. The Canada-US exchange rate has been roughly 1.14 this month. Thus: Canadian price in US dollars = $149.08. But that price is only part of the equation. Taxes play a factor. In Canada, the sales tax... Read more →

More Translatorsfor Acrobat 3D -- Free!

Adobe quietly announced more CAD translators for free. Acrobat 3D now imports these heavy-duty 3D formats: * Dassault Systemes CATIA * PTC Pro/ENGINEER * SolidWorks * UGS NX * UGS I-deas Adobe got these translators when they bought French translation company TTF last year. But this is not Acrobat 3D 8, which is still to ship sometime this year. However, if you bought Acrobat 3D (the first version, aka v7) after Sept 18, you'll get a free update to v8 whenever it ships. Get the 8MB download from adobe.com. Read more →

TIPAutoCAD Dynamic Viewing

I had read that AutoCAD 2007 has real-time 3D view movement, but I could never get it to work using this procedure: 1. Hold down the Shift key. 2. Hold down the middle mouse button (typically the scroll wheel on today's mice). 3. And then move the mouse. This is a shortcut to the 3dOrbit command. You can use it during commands, or between commands, to shift around the 3D viewpoint. While others were happily telling us to do the Shift-Middle mouse button to change the view, it never worked for me. All I got was AutoCAD trying to select... Read more →

PMTC: Up 15%

Parametric Technology this morning reports its Q1 revenues are up 15% from a year ago: US$221.7 million. For Q2, PTC expects revenues to be between $225 million and $230 million. For FY07, PTC expects revenues to be $950 million, and $1.5 billion by 2010. Read more →

Par Deux:Fix Those Press Releases!

In a follow-up article Enough Already: Getting the Social Media Release All Wrong, Brian Solis of FutureWorks PR describes reader reactions. Some ask, why is a traditional press release even necessary? Others demand that all press releases now consist of video clips that demonstrate the product or interview the product manager. [Pardon me. A very large yawn just overcame me.] Such a willful lack of understanding! We editors receive information from a variety of sources: - vendor demos, either onsite or through WebEx. - demo software and hardware sent to us. - conference calls. - blogs and Web sites. -... Read more →

Lost by Google

With my daughter competing in a regional figure skating competition, I wanted to make sure I know the route to the ice arena, one I had been to just once before. I found Google remarkably clueless. Attempt 1: My first try was with Google Maps, to show me the route. When I entered my home address and "Twin Rinks, Chilliwack, BC", Google Maps claimed it didn't know what I meant by "Twin Rinks": We could not understand the location "Twin Rinks, Chilliwack, BC" Attempt 2: Get the street address, I thought. I copy and pasted "Twin Rinks, Chilliwack, BC" into... Read more →

Fix Those Press Releases!

From time to time, I complain about how badly some press releases are written. It's part of my job to read them, some ten thousand in the last six years alone. The problem is clear: if I can't figure out in the first paragraph what the press release is about, then the company forfeits the opportunity to get itself mentioned in upFront.eZine. But the simple approach continues to mystify the marketing departments of some vendors. So I was glad to read a marketing professional telling his peers to smarten up: Go ahead and write traditional press releases, but do so... Read more →

DS Improves Press Release Language

I don't want to take credit, but Dassault Systemes's pr firm, Beaupre, greatly improved the language in its recent press release. Take a look at how clearly it is written: Headline: Dassault Systemes Announces Enhancements to DELMIA V5 The headline is clear. Good! Subhead: New Version Improves Programming Productivity and Accuracy The subhead is nicely concise, although I would have added the word "Robot": New Version Improves Robot Programming Productivity and Accuracy All-important First Paragraph: Auburn Hills, MI, USA, Januray 9, 2007 – Dassault Systemes (Nasdaq: DASTY; Euronext Paris: #13065, DSY.PA), a world leader in 3D and Product Lifecycle Management... Read more →

A Smile for Samsung

2.5 years ago, I bought a Samsung 17" LCD monitor for the now outrageous price of $599. Last week, it stopped working. It appears that the backlighting broke down, since I can see the image on the screen only faintly on one side. I found the warranty: 3 years long. That meant it was still covered! I dug through my filing cabinet, and found the original receipt. Warranty coverage began by calling Samsung Canada's tollfree number. I only had to press three buttons: 1 (English), 3 (Computer-related parts), and 1 (Monitors). I barely had time to even think of drumming... Read more →

SolidWorks Does Oopsies

The DwgGateway Web site, sponsored by SolidWorks, has a couple of oopsies that need to be cleaned up: * The free download -- the site spells it "Downlod". * of GeniusMechaniCS -- was good only until 24 December. I've sent an email to the site's contact address (info @ solidworks . com), alerting them of the problems. I'll be interested in the reaction time; last time I sent an inquiry email to this address, it took nearly a month before I received a response (albeit the Christmas break added a week or two to the delay.) Update Skawking publicly works... Read more →

Autodesk Software Recast Computervision-likeby Microsoft

An article in eWeek makes Autodesk sound like a Computervision of the 1980s. That was when a CAD station cost $100,000 - $150,000 -- each, for combined hardware and software. Back then, Autodesk was the winner in bringing CAD to desktop computers. In The Man Behind Microsoft's Expression, eWeek's Darryl K. Taft quotes Microsoft's Forest Key on Autodesk software: At the time there was a product called Flame by Discreet Logic, now Autodesk, that cost $500,000. The complete system we used was $1 million, because before desktops were powerful enough we had to do everything on SGI machines.... With version... Read more →

PTC SMB Travelogue, Going Home

To finish off the travelogue: On the shuttle bus back to Boston's Logan airport, a young financial analyst engages me in conversation. New to the industry, he subscribes to my upFront.eZine. He asks me how long I've been writing about CAD. Since 1985, I reply. "I was three years old then," he gasps. The gray-haired shuttle bus driver nods: "I graduated from high school that year." I am booked for the 5pm flight to Chicago, and arrive early enough for a 3:30 flight. But I am puzzled by the HUGE number of standbys; the gate agent reads name after name.... Read more →

PTC SMB Travelogue, Day 3

Wed 18 Jan 9:00am: Even if you’re not at the PTC SMB MAD (media and analyst day), interesting stuff is happening online. Randall Newton of AECnews.com is here, but online he exposes his barring from Darateck. Roopinder Tara of Tenlinks.com is here, but online he calls Pro/Engineer Wildfire “Wildflower.” (When I told him there was a spelling mistake in the first line of his blog entry, he spent a long time staring at the screen before the error popped out at him.) We journalists are never wrong, of course, so he figured he could sell the name to PTC. I... Read more →

Press Preferentials

Randall Newton explains why he won't be at the Daratech Plant conference: show organizers won't give him a press pass. Randall's puzzled, because he is the editor of several CAD publications and only loosely associated with Cyon Research, yet Daratech says they consider him a competitor. I figure that Daratech has the right to determine who can attend their show, although their reasoning makes little sense to me. Would they not want as much free publicity they can get? (It costs them nothing, because Randall pays his own way.) Daratech is letting in representatives from eight publications. In contrast, the... Read more →

PTC SMB Travelogue, Day 2

Wed 17 Jan 3:00pm: It did snow in Vancouver, but that didn't affect my flight. It did affect me when I, walking through Concourse B of Chicago airport, suddenly wondered where my notebook computer might be. Racing back to Concourse C, I was so relieved that the United staff had found it on the airplane. Arriving at Boston’s Logan airport, it was bitterly cold. The 21F (-8C) cold with 25 mph wind nearly froze my hand dragging my suitcase fruitlessly among the three long lines of waiting limos. Bizarrely enough, limo drivers have to stay with their vehicles. After several... Read more →

Hardware Goodies

Engaget is reporting on some new hardware bits that may be of interest to CAD users: * Rival robots prepping to automate home building: Enormous robots lay down layers of concrete to create two-story homes. * Chimei gets into iZ3D game with 22-inch LCD: a large-screen monitor that produces a 3D display. * Sharp's 4k x 2k 64-inch ultra high res monitor: not a first, but super-duper high-resolutions monitors are becoming, shall we say, commoner. * Globalsat kicks out GH-615 GPS watch / receiver: GPS built into watch, also connects to computer through USB cable. Read more →

PTC SMB Travelogue

Mon 15 Jan 10:00am: I'm to be flying Tuesday to Boston to take in PTC's SMB MAD. (So many acronyms, so much tiredness from explaining them: PTC = Parametric Technology Corp; SMB = small and medium business; MAD = media & analyst's day -- this last one I made up.) But I'm starting to feel MAD about going, especially after my last business trip to the East Coast was such a disaster -- primarily due to United flight crews needing their sleep, thus leaving their customers sleepless in Seattle, Vancouver, Bethleham PA, and elsewhere. Perhaps this is United Airlines' way... Read more →

Mike Riddle Blogs

Mike Riddle began blogging at the beginning of this year at michaelriddle.com. He writes about the design of software. His FastCAD software was fast because it was written in assembler. Probably, you can thank Mike for your ability to make a living at CAD, for his Interact CAD software "was the prototype for the first version of AutoCAD." And AutoCAD blew open the doors to third parties profiting from the CAD ecosystem through add-ons, whether coded or written (like magazines and blogs). Read more →

Adsk vs ODA: Abhijit Oak Speaks

Autodesk lawyers have submitted a statement by Abhijit Oak on the reliability of DWG files (thanks to Owen Wengerd for posting it.) Mr Oak is Autodesk's senior director of enterprise application development, but used to be in the Q&A department analyzing error reports. Comments on the Oak declaration: 5. Autodesk calls DWG file format "proprietary," yet the former CEO (and current chairman of the board) has called DWG the standard of the CAD world. Perhaps she can be excused for exaggerating; after all, she has on numerous occasions claimed that Autodesk software has designed everything in the world not designed... Read more →

Adsk vs ODA: Law Suit Runs Out of Purpose

Autodesk objects to how the Open Design Alliance implemented TrustedDWG. ODA removes code. ODA objects to how Autodesk handles and describes TrustedDWG. Autodesk changes description*. With AutoCAD 2008 due to ship in two months, its handling of TrustedDWG code may well be changed. Are we running out of reasons to have a law suit? (*) Autodesk's wording is partly misleading**: "The TrustedDWG notification may be easily disabled by checking the box identified for that purpose." That's true for just one of three notifications. "Checking the box" only turns off the dialog box; the warning statement at the command line and... Read more →

Misc News

From Kitchen and Bath Business: KitchenAid has announced it will provide 3-D appliance models --including indoor and outdoor kitchen suites -- for Google’s SketchUp 3D Warehouse website. From Wallstreet Online Tip: 3Dconnexion has beta software for its SpaceNavigator input device to work with Mac OS X; final version due to ship in March. From San Francisco Chronicle: Bay Area companies that fell off the Fortune 100 list of best workplaces were chipmaker Intel, business softwaremaker Autodesk and the law firm Morrison & Foerster. Read more →

In the Persuit of Change

A friend writes me: I'm writing this with Windows Live Mail Beta. I'm trying to figure out how this is better than the old Hotmail interface, and how Microsoft is going to reconquer the Web with their Live initiatives. I think I'll be wondering for quite a while. There's nothing here that is new, innovative, or even better. And some parts just plain don't work right (like the address list). Yes, it's beta, but so is Google Mail, and GMail is a dream compared to Windows Live Mail. And he's a techie. My wife uses Hotmail, and occasional gets email... Read more →

DHL Sucks

An advertiser pays me by cheque, sent by DHL courier. It doesn't arrive. The advertiser passes on to me this log from DHL: 1/4/2007 3:48 pm Delivery Attempted. Please Call 1-888-273-8876. Axxxxxx, Canada Odd. There was no delivery attempt notice left at the door. In any case, someone was here all day. I call 888-273-8876. The automated message assures me that delivery is DHL's top priority, and then asks me to enter my 5-digit ZIP code. Here in Canada, we have 6-character postal codes. I press 0 to get an operator. No response. I enter my postal code on the... Read more →

True 3D Input Device

3D input devices, like those from 3dconexxion, run in 2D. They sit on a flat surface as you push, twist, and tug them to simulate 6 axes of motion. Engaget is reporting on a true 3D input device unveiled by Noint at the consumer electronics show running this week in las vegas. Novint Falcon crazay mouse gets a price, release date notes that the price is US$239, it ships in June, and that it operates like this: ...the basic gist is that the Falcon features a floating doohicky attached to a pod doohicky, and the floating part moves about in... Read more →

T|X vs iPhone

A couple of Apple's new iPhone specs caught my eye, because they compare with Palm's T|X: Resolution 480x320 -- same for both products Horizontal and vertical display -- same for both, but auto rotate for iPhone. Screen Size 3.5" (diagonal) for the iPhone. 3.9" (diag) for the T|X. Max RAM 8GB for iPhone 2GB for T|X Read more →

IBM Mimics Microsoft

With yesterday's news that IBM is now also reselling PM software from UGS [are three acronyms in one sentence legal? -Ed.], Dassault's we're-tight-with-IBM [four. -Ed.] story looks weaker. Earlier, PTC was the second initiatee to the love-club. To keep things "fair," there is some compartmentalization. The agreements between IBM and the big CAD vendors [where's Autodesk? -Ed.] are geographic-specific. And don't forget last month's announcement [I haven't. -Ed.] by IBM that they find PLM so utterly fascinating that they've created a programming platform for it. So here we have IBM embracing CAD vendors and their non-CAD software, mimicking Microsoft's oft-declared... Read more →

#2, And I Didn't Even Know It

According to Technorati, WorldCAD Access is the #2 independent CAD blog. (When CAD vendor-sponsored blogs are included, this fine blog drops to #4 according to the Technorati method of measurement, but remains in the #2 position according to the Google PageRank style of measurement.) Tip of the hat to the #1 independent CAD blog, RobiNZ CAD blog. Thank you to Novedge: The Blog for exposing the numbers. Here is how incestuous this gets. Guy Kawasaki writes about how little $$ he makes blogging. I post a comment on what I make. Franco Folini reads it, and writes a post about... Read more →

Animations with AutoCAD

Another new year, another new ebook. The Animations with AutoCAD ebook that I mentioned a few days ago is now available for purchase (US$8.70). To blow my horn a bit, this is the quickest I've ever written a new book -- four days. Plus one more day for editing, assisted by my dad. But then this ebook's only 58 pages. (My other record is for updating an existing book: I redid one of my AutoCAD LT books for WordWare Publishing in one day.) Naturally, you need to contrast that with the months it takes me to update my thousand-page books,... Read more →

Different Decade, Differently-worded Headlines

Today's headlines: * ComputerWorld: Microsoft uses Zune to stab friends in the back * Cybernet News: My Experiences with Windows Vista…and Why I’m Still Using XP * Stowe Boyd: Microsoft Eats Its Young * Barrons: Microsoft Music Partners Get the Shaft * ComputerWorld: Iowa antitrust case: Microsoft exec called software developers 'pawns' These headlines are remarkable, because journalists today feel free to write the truth about Microsoft. The oppressive hand of Microsoft PR no longer casts its black shadow across the happy people of Techville. Ten-15 years ago, the headlines would have read differently: * Microsoft uses Zune to pat... Read more →

Get Your JT Open Documentation

UGS announced publication of JT Open documentation, but forgot to tell you where to get the 300-age document. Go to this page [jtopen.com], and then click on JT Reference, First Edition, version 8.1 (1.9M, PDF). Read more →

Download CoCreate PE Free for 82 Days

To make CoCreate stand out in the noise of the CAD market, you can download Personal Edition for free -- but only until the end of March. This 3D CAD software is limited to 60 unique parts per assembly, but comes with lots of importers. No add-ons can be used. Also, PE has its own file format incompatible with paid-for CoCreate; the PE files can be translated (unlocked) to CoCreate format when you decide to pay up -- by subscription or otherwise. After registering, you can download the 85MB worth software from cocreate.com/free . Runs on XP and Windows 2000.... Read more →