WorldCAD Access

Archive: PTC introduces live FEA from Ansys

Creo Simulation Live Last year, ANSYS released Discovery Live, a real-time FEA analysis program. Last fall, PTC announced it would incorporate the software in their Creo CAD program. In February, it was released as an add-on to Creo, called Creo Simulation Live. PTC and ANSYS held a Webcast to describe how it works. Here are my notes from the event: - - - Taking in this morning's Webcast on ANSYS integrating its simulation and analysis software into Creo CAD software from PTC, starting with the real-time Discovery Live. Over 2,000 are listening in on the Webcast. If you thought Dassault... Read more →

Archive: Graitec vs Autodesk

The Insurance Policy Last summer, Graitec Group released AdvanceCAD, an AutoCAD workalike. although I did not hear about it until another editor learned about it during Autodesk University. Here is an announcement from June: Like other large software companies that sell specialized applications for CAD verticals, Graitec depends on AutoCAD to run their software. But over the decades, Autodesk undertook undesirable tactics like cutting dependent vendors from its API program (as happened to Cyco Automation) and switched to subscription-only licensing, which is at odds with developers whose policy is to provide permanent licensing (such as Hexagon). Or maybe the developers... Read more →

This is what it's like using a $30 smartwatch

100 calories an hour After Apple taught manufacturers in China how to design and build smart watches, the market over there became flooded with sub-$100 models. During Black Friday weekend, Umidigi offered their new smartwatch for US$30, instead of US$50 -- with choice of rubber or metal mesh strap. Apple charges $100 for its metal strap alone, so this was a deal! I wanted to see what the very latest in smartwatch could offer me, albeit cheap. This would not be my first, but my fourth. My first was Sony's original one came out in 2012 and barely worked. A... Read more →

Archive: Visualizing Trans-humanism Differently

Mormon Transhumanism While reviewing Charles Simon's book 'Will Computers Revolt' in the December issue of upFront.eZine, I conducted research on the topic of The Singularity. This is that moment when computer are smarter than us, and so it could make sense to transfer the contents of our brain to a computer. When paired with a robot, we could perhaps live forever -- or so goes the theory. For some atheists, The Singularity is an article of faith, because they are not allowed to believe in any kind of afterlife. People who believe religions are valid have no such problem: they... Read more →

Alexander Yampolsky: A Third-generation 2D Editor

Guest editorial by Alexander Yampolsky It is strange, there is much talk about digitalization, but nothing about how does it end? How do big data, virtual reality, generative design finish? As a rule, they result in the decision that a person takes using a model built in his head. Apparently, creating models in a human head is not considered as a big problem, otherwise building universities would have a special course introducing students into the basics of semiotics and linguistics. What will it take? Approximately, learning languages at schools achieves the similar result - elimination of illiteracy. Future constructors will... Read more →