The CAD killed the engineer star

With the great excitement about the intellectual wealth that the Internet era brings, there is a room to wonder about our nature when contemporary amazing knowledge and wisdom generate mainly  a superficial dull content. It was supposed to be wonderful beyond imagination. Almost all the accumulated knowledge and wisdom of humanity is in the hand of each with amazing accessibility requires only clicking the big G icon on the smart phone. It was supposed to be wonderful beyond imagination. Almost all the accumulated knowledge and wisdom of humanity is in the hand of each with amazing accessibility requires only clicking the big G icon on the smart phone. When each of us, in the modern age, can be author, journalist, photographer, critic, publisher or distributor of is words of wisdom, I would expect to find intellectuals everywhere, and People who value knowledge and can ask questions and seek answers. Unfortunately, the opposite is true. Enough to see the newly elected officials for our government (Israel)  to understand how knowledge , critical thinking and questioning are now disadvantage and a social disorder.

Perhaps, the problem is in the form of contemporary media. When It is so easy to communicate and publish at a variety methods from e-mail, social networks, blogs, SMS, talkback to a word processor or just a Wikipedia entry the lack of knowledge and education can distribute like spam . So, we are drowning in written words, printed or broadcast, such a quantity that hides the quality.At my professional world, we once had respected magazines and writers that did products evaluation, tested and made comparisons and benchmarks. The CAD world domain greatly increased in recent years, added millions of users, the amount of money that the industry turnover is huge but the real audit, independent that can save thousands dollars to the average user, almost completely disappeared and remained in the hands of a few blogs covering the subject from time to time.

In the 80's, The Buggles, sings "video killed the radio star".  Did blogs and talkbacks did the same to magazines?

Like in the worlds of written content, it has never been easier to design and create a 3D model. We have easy to use modelling software, 3D scanning, the new 3D direct editing solid modeller or funny tools like sketch-up ThinkerCad and so. All this wealth is demonstrated to a great shallow quality that you can find at GrabCad web site or the like. Lots of beautiful and impressive models that refer to engineering and design as this post is refer to classical literature.

In my opinion, there's something at the classics mechanical design Solid software, the  traditional method  that involving sketches, dimensions and 3D geometries, that requires engineering thinking and a deeper understanding the parts, the connections between them and the mode of production. I do like direct editing software such as 123D, Spaceclaim, Solid Edge ST or Inventor Fusion. They are fun to play with, to produce geometries quickly and change them easily. It is impressive, easy and quick to use as long as things remain simple. But, Would the new CAD software generation, which becomes more handy, allows editing without conditions, require less learning and training, will overwhelm us in a flood of poorly planned models that will become a bad product some day ?

I'd love to hear your opinions,

Gal Raz

Mechanical concept from the Past

Working Model 2D

In 1996, magazines and journals were common. So, I found myself at the beginning of that year, reading a color issue of a CAD magazine. The cover story focused at the new revolutionary MCAD software that just presented to the public and offered a 3D Solid technology running on top of Microsoft Windows 95. My next step after reading the article was obviously searching the web for the new software. I didn't find SolidWorks online but I did run into simple and exciting software for conceptual mechanical design that allow modeling, adding physical properties and simulation. The software was Working Model and it allows anyone to download for free and experience building a two-dimensional geometric forms, mechanisms, springs, etc. while adding connections and physical properties such as forces, friction, weight and more. You can still find it here

SolidWorks conceptual mechanical

Solidworks conceptual mechanical

Almost twenty years after my experience with Working Model, SolidWorks announced their new software. The software that everyone wait for since 2010.  And for those of you who didn't followed the previous chapters (a solid U-turn, Solidworks's dilemma) - here a short summary: At the beginning of 2010, SolidWorks CEO announced the new upcoming software, code name SolidWorks V6, developed around CATIA geometric kernel and uses cloud and direct editing technology. SolidWorks declared the new software will completely replace the existing software. Announcement caused great uproar among customers. Companies demonstrated their concern for future investment given that it was not clear whether SolidWorks V6 will keep the information was done in the previous version or will run the same applications or provide the full capabilities. Since SolidWorks replaced the CEO, the Director of Research and Development and separated from the founders.

When SolidWorks announced last year that at the beginning of 2013 it will present a new software, we expected conceptual design software with direct editing capabilities based on Catia technology. Last month the company introduced the new software with a short presentation in front of adherent audience. Contrary to expectations and early declarations, the new software, SolidWorks Conceptual Mechanical, is nothing more than SolidWorks interpretation to the old Working Model software and not a direct editing solution like Autodesk Fusion, Solid Edge ST or SpaceClaim

Solidworks conceptual mechanical Vs Catia model

The new software, to be released at the end of the year, will be sold as a separate product, SolidWorks Conceptual Mechanical is able to transfer files to SolidWorks, but not from and, it combines cloud technology and collaborative tools. According to the sites covering the announcement, SolidWorks refused to give further details such as price, or whether the new software is based on the Catia kernel, the GSM. If it is GSM based software, it will reflect in the ability to transfer files between old SolidWorks and the new software. Pictures of new software screen shut, clearly show that it is not based on Siemens Parasolid. The GSM kernel defines a circuit as two overlapping arches so you can see two suture lines at a cylinder. The attached show the deferments between SolidWorks model and the new software model.

SolidWorks inability to innovate and bring new real new capabilities shouldn’t  come from a lack of resources. The company announced they sold over two million licenses. Assuming that at least a quarter of these licenses are commercial licenses, that is 500,000 users who pay at least $ 1,500 annual maintenance fee. Assuming that the company keeps half, it leaves them a fantastic $ 375,000,000 each year only from the annual fee. When customer purchases software, the purchase price is compensation for the investment at development that done so far but, the annual fee should be used for new developments for the benefit of the customer. Luckily I don't have to pay the SolidWorks fee. Otherwise, if that is all they have after 6 years of development, I was very disappointed

An important question left unanswered is why to develop new software for design concept and NOT add these capabilities to good old SolidWorks? Especially given that you can find most of the SolidWorks Conceptual Mechanical capabilities at the competitor's software with no additional charge as part of the base software.

My impression is that  Dassault / SolidWorks stopped using SolidWorks as a development platform. Look at the other next sensation at SolidWorks world last week. eDrawings future planning to release Apple version. When competitors have the ForceEffect / ForceMotion,  a similar to the SW Conceptual Mechanical that run on Android and Iphone for free, it is hard to get exited form the obvious eDarwings iOS version.  

Losing the way?

 ForceEffect

SolidWorks approach reminds me of Autodesk at the early nineties, The Company has invested resources in the Mechanical Desktop software build on top of the Autocad, instant of developing modern new software. For Autodesk, it took several years to recover and return to the scene with the Inventor. Then they put massive investment in acquisitions and buying the control for the geometry kernel before the Inventor has become a legitimate contestant for best CAD software. Autodesk's Mistakes created the space into which SolidWorks grew, but, in recent years, SolidWorks going the same way Autodesk did at the 90s. The basic code is old; the kernel belongs to a competitor, they lack basic capacities in surfaces, direct editing and performance is poor. Customers complain about quality issues, stability and the high prices for add-ons. Compared to Autodesk 15 years ago, SolidWorks is not in a good position. It relay on one segment of the CAD market, and it is limited by the wishes of the parent company, the  French Dassault Systemes, which prefers to invest in the new  "Design Experience"   lie and keep SolidWorks as a simple solution for simple needs. But today, when direct editing capabilities can make migration from one CAD to another a less painful process, SolidWorks may find that user's loyalty is not so solid.

Yours,

Gal Raz

From V6 to 360 - 2012 MCAD

Year 2012 started with a hope to see the raise of a a new cad - SolidWorks V6, the replacement of SolidWorks V1 . SolidWorks are playing the  "yes or no" version of V6 for several years now  postponed the launch at 2013 and reduced expectations about the capabilities of the new CAD software. The V6 Scheduled to SolidWorks World next January, is now aimed for concept design. Do you have any idea what that means? And, If V6 is for concept design what is V1 good for?

Siemens new 3D Sync look old  

My unwritten rule for CAD says that from year 2013, CAD programs can not be considered modern if they don't Include the next two technologies: cloud computing and direct editing capabilities. Cloud computing does not require a "ghost program" like Google Docs.  Cloud computing can refer to software that transfers some processing work and document managing to the cloud  such as Google Earth.
Direct editing is the ability to edit three-dimensional Solid files regardless feature history or the software that created them.

All indications shows that SolidWorks V6 will meet my "Modern software" rolls. With the V6, SolidWorks  finally can offer direct editing and, at least according to preliminary reports, it will have cloud capabilities. For those wondering about the name V6, the new software is based on a browse technology from the parent company Dassault Systemes. Dassault's flagship software, Catia is now at version 6 or V6.

Cloud Computing

Autodesk WS

While Siemens and PTC completely ignored my predictions for 2012 (Probably because I wrote them only in Hebrew), Autodesk has demonstrated attentiveness, and all its software that are not tied are flying to the cloud.  For 2012 Autodesk released a new  PLM solution that  is entirely in the cloud . The PLM 360 is the first in a series of applications that have the surname 360 which, by Autodesk terms, is Cloud.  Autodesk began to offer cloud capabilities  for all of it's product line being the first major CAD player to do so. Customers who bought Autocad or Inventor for example, got a huge cloud storage space of 25 GB and more (Bye bye DropBox) with cloud units (CU), a new concept allowing to acquire cloud processing services such as render, simulation and so.

Autodesk released last year a huge number of applications and new technologies to cloud and mobile computing, Android and iOS. Two years ago, from the entertainment area at the old port of Tel Aviv,    Autocad WS rise from an Israeli company which was acquired by Autodesk, The WS is a DWG drafting software that is cloud, mobile and free. Also there is the 123D family of software. The free cloud, Mobile / PC / Mac  tools aimed to hobbies and  children got a  boost in 2012 and, added three-dimensional CAD capabilities to the browser. Now, you can plan in 3D from your internet  Browser and not only plan, additional software help to manufacture or 3D print the results.
Autodesk also  released the first cloud technology Finite Element simulation software  with an innovative business model of "pay per use" and, 3D scanning software that uses the smart phone camera and performs the calculation and construction of surface at the cloud to stitch a 3D model.

Mobile
2012 was the year that the industries start to noticed the potential of the mobile devises and smart phones . The popular eDrawing viewer software found its way to Apple devices and, like PTC Creo viewing software, ignores users with Android devises.  Even Siemens's forgotten software, Solid Edge, revived a Viewer app  for Android and iOS.
Autodesk, that continues to lead the pack with a variety of drawing, sketching, viewers,  and Simulation apps for mobile (17 different applications !) Added recently the FormIt,  a modelling software for the Ipad,  similar the popular SketchUp software.

Vertical Solutions
Smart software solutions that focuses on specific areas such as molding, construction or production lines design were previously reserved mainly to the expensive high end software . with 2012 we see the mainstream software provider putting more focus at different vertical markets. Autodesk with the  Suites, bundle the cure software like Autocad, Inventor and Revit with new items like Autocad electrical to  cover rage of capabilities for various design segments  such as  the Factory design suite  for factory and assembly line planing and design.
SolidWorks too entered this year into the vertical solutions market with Solidworks Electrical  and SolidWorks plastic, both from a third party partner.

The 3 trends reviewed here will likely continue to lead the CAD world in 2013.
At least two completely new CAD software will be announced in 2013 from SolidWorks and Autodesk.  See also earlier post on "The Battle to the cloud"

Finally, I would like to thank the thousands of readers who bothered to read my thoughts this year. Thanks to dozens of responders here, LinkedIn and directly to me.Very special thanks to few who bothered to click on the ads on the page !
The most popular post I published in 2012 is:

Solidworks's dilemma - how to kill a successful product?

Have a Successful Year!

Gal Raz

The Battle to the cloud

Fusion 360 - a new CAD era ? 

Almost everyone who follows the CAD field in the last 20 years can tell you the biggest mistake of Autodesk which, in the mid-nineties, allowed a small start-up company from Concord Massachusetts to precede it with a new software who took the lead at the SMB MCAD market. Those involved in the industry, also heard the story of how and why Autodesk missed the purchase of SolidWorks. The version I heard, suggest the  two sides set to close this acquisition when a director at Autodesk told SolidWorks  they will have to delay the  plans to launch the new software until they change it to Autodesk own DWG format. SolidWorks blew up the meeting and set out an independent (and later acquired by Dassault Systemes). Autodesk then develop the Autodesk Inventor, a new Windows native solid modeler but lost 3 important years battling SolidWorks with an old looking solution based on AutoCAD. 

A few years later, when Revit for architecture released and proposed a smart 3D architectural design, Autodesk was quick to acquire the company and make the software a market leader next to the common AutoCAD.

Since then, it seems Autodesk look closely at the market and checks carefully any trend or new beginning.

It turns out that SolidWorks announcement two years ago, that they are moving to a next-generation cloud based solution as a replacement to the current successful CAD software, did not leave Autodesk indifferent.  While SolidWorks delay the launch of the new product to 2013 and changed its position, Autodesk, determined not to be left behind this time, released this week the opening shot in what is going to be the race to the cloud. The Autodesk Fusion 360 is a brand new 3D solid modeler. The software uses cloud technology to perform some tasks. Similar to the Fusion software and the 123D free modeler the software performs operations and geometry changes directly on the three-dimensional topology regardless of the model's history. Approach called "direct edit".

SolidWorks V6 

Soon we will see SolidWorks giving more details about the mysterious V6 version. The software should be exposed at the SolidWorks world in late January 2013. Autodesk not yet released the beta version of the new software, Autodesk Fusion 360 but, opened the registration to download the beta. The two new programs will be available in 2013 and both will be sold aside the flagship programs of each company, Autodesk Inventor and SolidWorks. It looks like Autodesk's new infant has a better starting point.  Autodesk has gained extensive practical experience in the last two years with direct editing software. Inventor Fusion beta has long been available for free download and more than a million users took advantage of this opportunity. Fusion 360 will use the same geometry kernel as Inventor (and AutoCAD) and therefore will allow a seamless file transition with the flagship software. SolidWorks on the other side, will use at new software for the first time the Catia GSM geometric engine (kernel). Major differences between the CGM and SolidWorks V1 Parasolid, are expected to create significant problems when sharing files between programs.

After 17 years of evolving technology in the CAD software. 2013 is expected to introduce a new generation of modern software.

Gal Raz

http://www.linkedin.com/pub/gal-raz/3/b46/21

Is it the next thing?

Jon layout from 94, later to become SolidWorks Feature Tree

We love innovations, especially when an intriguing story is behind the development. Apple sells a story like this once year, and the Facebook story became a successful movie. However, in the technological world of CAD software we are lacking new drama, while Cinderella's story in the field of computer vector design occurs rarely. At the last thirty years we saw only three such stories that grew to become huge success and are still with us. The first was Autodesk that retired out drawing board in favour the PC; the other is PTC, who taught the world that a three-dimensional CAD is realistic and efficient. The third and last was SolidWorks who delivered rebuts 3D CAD for every one.

Two weeks ago we learned from some  blogs that Jon Hirschtick, founder of SolidWorks, along with some of the senior staff who accompanied him for many years at SW, formed a new company and announced he is recruiting talented programmers. What they are developing or the direction is kept under strict media blackout.

The people behind the new organization, all with an impressive proven record at the CAD industry, produced a high level of expectation and curiosity to find out what is being cooked at the garage. The limited information given, suggests that they have not decided yet what they are developing. But, Jon Hirschtick always disliked the release of information to the public before having a product ready in hand. When he was SolidWorks CEO, the company gave zero information regarding new version or product before they are ready to release to the market.  Not quite the policy today when the CEO shows V6 snapshots 2.5 years ago and no product yet.

Perhaps the people and their history can possibly teach a little bit about what is expected of the new company, named Belmont Technology, Inc.

Jon Hirschtick, a man with vision and charisma, recognized worldwide as the creator of SolidWorks served as the first CEO.  Jon use to say that his mission is to design a CAD software that is easy to use and as fast as the simple light switch in the room. I met Jon recently at Orlando in 2010, shortly after Jeff Ray made his unnecessary and very early announcement of the next generation of SolidWorks.  Jon sounded reluctant about the early exposure and told me that it was contrary to his opinion. We talked about his interest in new projects combining innovative hardware with CAD software. Few steps from there, I met Scott Harris, who also is a member of the new company from Belmont. Scott's stand at the InfiniteZ booth, demoing a device for a virtual CAD models 3D manipulating. Scott is one of SolidWorks founders and dealt in a number of unique technological projects at DS/SW.  The 3D Teamworks, was released in 2002, and was a project that allowed for remote teams with different CAD systems to share information.  Later, Scott was responsible for the Cosmic Blobs, free-hand 3D modeler software for kids.

Cosmic Blobs    

Other members at Belmont Technology are Tommy Li, who in 2002 met with SolidWorks users in Israel and lectured on the direction of the software and Dave Corcoran that along with Tommy Li, left SolidWorks in 2007 to establish a CAD technology company, later sold to Autodesk. Dave led the development momentum at SolidWorks best years memorable mainly because of customer complaints that the software progresses too quickly...

Scott Harris may argue that they still didn't wrote a single line of code, but with John McEleney as a CEO, I believe that the direction is already known and the product is on the way. McEleney, the second CEO at SolidWorks, is one of the nicest people you can meet in CAD industry. As CEO, John led SolidWorks from a small start – up company to a serious player in the MCAD market. His openness and honesty made him extremely popular among the vendors and the users. I can't forget that during the difficult period we had with suicide bombing in Tel Aviv, when foreign executives refused to fly to Tel Aviv, John showed commitment and solidarity, and came to Israel without hesitations.

So what they are developing there? Is this another cloud software technology with direct editing? Or, perhaps it is a new way to revolutionary design that combines a new hardware with unique software that will enables us to design in 3D quickly and easily as ... switch on/off electric bulb.

Good luck!

Gal Raz

What leads Autodesk to the CAM market ?

Autodesk, the company that sold more computer aided design software (CAD) then all competitors combined, acquired a small Danish CAM software company. Why now? Why HSMWorks? And what can we conclude about the future of CAD/CAM?

CAM in short

CAM software play different rule then the CAD software. While the CAD refers to computer-aided design, CAM stands for Computer Aided Machining and relate to manufacturing. The CAD software make the model manipulation that creates a machine language commands (G-CODE) translated into a set of manufacturing machine operations that create a physical part by subtracting material. While CAD software is sold ready to use straight out of the box, the CAM software requires the adjustment to the tools and production machine in the factory.

All major CAD vendors also develop CAM solution. Autodesk was the only exception. Customers using Autodesk software needed "third party" add-in CAM solutions such as InventorCam or independent software such as MasterCam or Cimatron that can get information from any 3D CAD software.

Autodesk enter the game

Over the last 30 years, in the Autodesk list of products, the CAM was conspicuously absent. Autodesk's strategy in recent years is heading to a complete solution for all CAD needs, design, simulation, sharing and management. This year we saw the launch of the innovative new PLM (product lifecycle management). Enter into CAM fit with Autodesk's agenda but, rather purchase a small Danish company, HSMWorks, received with great surprise.

Autodesk is a big company with huge resources. HSMWorks is a relatively young and meaningless at the CAM market. It has few customers and one product that work with SolidWorks software only. Their slogan is "the CAM Solution for SolidWorks"

In the past, when looking for solutions to complement its solutions, Autodesk spent the money in purchasing the best in class. For mechanical simulations they acquired Algor, for flow simulations CFDesign and never the less than the MoldFlow for plastic simulation. So, why Autodesk chose to enter the CAM market an acquisition of an unknown player?

The advantage of HSMWorks

At first glance, other than upsetting Dassault / SolidWorks, it is not clear what prompted Autodesk to purchase the small Danish company that sells mostly to SolidWorks customers. Although SolidWorks showed nervousness and pulled the product from the list of solutions partners, Autodesk may actually see the product fit with their future planes.  Autodesk recently taken significant steps toward cloud technologies. While many bring doubt if CAD is ready for the cloud, Autodesk is moving towards using cloud resources for storage and to run multiple processors simultaneously allowing better use for local hardware and accelerate solving complex problems. Autodesk already offers its customers cloud technology for render, simulation and optimization. Possibility to transfer the calculations to the cloud, give the user more computing power and allow solving several problems at the same time.  .

Cloud technology,  the future of CAM ?

Unlike other CAM solutions that are based on an ancient code, HSMWorks is a fairly new software design for 64-bit and multi-processor. The company has developed its own kernel with special regard to multicore architecture, subject missing today in must CAD solutions.

HSMWorks technology appealing to Autodesk because a multicore software is suitable for conversion to cloud technologies and to extract the benefits of this technology. So, I don't expect Autodesk soon to turn the existing software to HSM-Inventor as a CAM solution for the popular Inventor CAD software. Because CAM capabilities can appeal to a number of Autodesk software, it would be better to invest in the development of innovative cloud CAM system, like they did recently with simulation. This will provide unparalleled performance for CAM software. As with the simulation, the production of g-code for manufacturing machine is best suited for cloud technology. CAM and simulation are very performance sensitive and in both areas information released to the network are less sensitive than the one stored in the CAD system.

The future of solution partners

Autocad software success is often credited with being an open platform and easy for application development. Similar for today IPhone, from the beginning, Autocad has introduced a wealth of complementary applications which expand the basic capabilities and appeal to more customers. SolidWorks has built a similar model of successful reliance on third-party applications as solutions to extend the capabilities and improve competitiveness especially against the more mature rival such as Pro / e. The last event, where Autodesk acquired software based on SolidWorks raises questions about the future of this model. HSMWorks was SolidWorks Gold Partner and CAM Partner. These partners are promoting by SolidWorks and usually sold by the SolidWorks distribution channel. Immediately after the announcement of the purchase, SolidWorks remove any reference or link to HSMWorks which is not a partner anymore. The customers left wondering what will happen to their large investment in the software.

Tom Mortensen, owner of HSMWorks, notes that the lack of certainty of the future of SolidWorks and the inability to get an answer from the company for the next generation V6 software were among the major reasons that led them to conclude that their future with SolidWorks not sure.

Looks like CAD market matures, the amount of developers who are willing to base their future as a fifth wheel in another company's CAD decreases. Customers prefer to have one provider that can provide a comprehensive solution for design, validate manufacturing and management and ensure the investment for the long-term.

Gal Raz

a Solid U-turn

SolidWorks announces a new version and backed the ambitious plans for 2013.

Four days before the declaration of the new IPhone, a new version of SolidWorks introduce , SolidWorks 2013. Interestingly , is actually what is missing.  If you've been following publications and statements by SolidWorks during the last two years, SolidWorks 2013 was to be the last version of the software and appears alongside, bright and radiant, was supposed to pop up a completely new software, revolutionary, different, cloud-based The V6.

what new SolidWorks V6 was supposed to release the company  from dependence on the competitor "Siemens". SolidWorks software is built from the first day on two major component. The geometric kernel Parasolid and the constrain manager D-cube, both belong to a group that include  NX Unigraphics and Solid Edge within Siemens. These two components are significant and necessary to any  modern CAD software.

 
Reliance on the major competitor causes dissatisfaction at SW parent company, Dassault Systemes that holds SolidWorks as well as the High end CAD software we considered 

to be the most comprehensive (and most complicated) - Catia.

In a controversial move that has lasted over three years, during which the CEO and the VP for R&D replaced and the founder and first CEO left,  an entirely new software 

was supposed to roll-out this month after intensive development under strict media blackout

for the last five years.

SolidWorks V6 was supposed to close the technological gaps opened by competitors and bring technological advantage to produce a cloud solution that runs on any platform including direct editing and relay on  Catia strong kernel, the GSM.

Currently, the reality is that V6 absent. Instead, SolidWorks announced that there will be SW 2014, 2015 and so on in the same old pattern. During 2013, additional software for conceptual 'design' will be release but not as a substitute for the Good old Solidworks.

the intent of the new Conceptual design software remains a mystery but I can guess it is just another   direct editing tool regardless of history, previous constraints or sketches, such as the Inventor Fusion , Siemens Synchronous or SpaceClaim that are at the market for several years now.

While the Fusion and the Synchronous are based on the corporate kernel and therefore allows the designer sharing and updating interact with the other CAD software the brend offer such as Inventor or Autocad, the new 

SolidWorks conceptual tool will necessarily be based on the GSM  Geometric kernel, which will put a serious problem in use the two programs simultaneously.

Not surprisingly, the 2013 version that was supposed to be the last in the raw, does not offer any innovations and help minor improvements. SolidWorks users will have to decide whether to continue paying thousands of dollars each year for minor upgrades or stay with what they have. With no innovations, SolidWorkss will find it difficult to continue to maintain a relatively high price in a market where software prices targeting down and the Battle of capabilities, is worsening.

 

Joe Brouwer at Linked In cad /cam group , writes about the SolidWorks technological

backwardness, according to John, the following topics are not covered well  (the links show how this is done in other programs):

• Work with  primitive
• surfacing tools
• And  CAM integration

 And I cad add  four issues that should be reflected in the new V6 software as SolidWorks promised back at Anaheim in 2010 but now it all look like Autodesk roadmap :

• Direct editing 
• Functional design  
• Cloud technology
• OSX  
• New business model

 Is SolidWorks paying the price for focusing on the Ghost version -

V6 ?

Shana Tuva,

Gal Raz

SolidWorks, How about some DIY ?

MoldFlow Express, Used to be inside SolidWorks

...And I thought that the next time we heard from SolidWorks will be with the new V6. But,  perhaps the company may want to milk the old tech.  a little longer before the end of the year?
 

SolidWorks, the popular CAD software maker, recently announced two new product lines that concern  users. The two new product lines, SolidWorks Plastic for plastic flow analysis and SolidWorks Electrical for planning electrical power and control, should enrich the software users in new technology and new capabilities that the competition already have. But, the way it done by SolidWorks, raises questions about the ability of the company, which once enjoyed independence, to continue to develop or acquire new technologies now that  Dassault Systemes  sets the tone.
SolidWorks, which announced a transition to new technology in 2013 based on  Dassault Catia V6, chose to take two existing products from  two 3th party partners , and pack them again under the SolidWorks name. Simpoe and Elecworks, the names behind the two new products, offer complementary products for SolidWorks as well as other software for years now. The SolidWorks announcement is particularly disturbing given the fact that next year they will have a new CAD software based on Catia CGM kernel.
Ppoints to consider :  

•  - Simpoe and Elecworks software are integrated within SolidWorks but, are not suitable for Catia and therefore will not be able to run under the V6, the two programs are not particularly cheap and it's unclear how customers are supposed to maintain the investment with a software that probably will not run with the new SolidWorks V6.

•      While Siemens, Autodesk or PTC have the knowledge to develop complementary software alone or the budget to purchase successful technology and to implement it, Dassault SolidWorks shown it does not have the tools and resources to develop or acquire new technology.  In the past, been given more independence, SolidWorks purchase partners and integrate technologies.  ToolBox  (Simlogic acquisition) , PdmWorks and the Epdm (Conisio acquisition in 2004) and the simulation software SRAC Cosmos are few examples . Seems that SolidWorks didn't learned a lesson from those times when the choice to rely on external technology caused damage. The old Routing environment based on a company that later on acquired by Autodesk, left SolidWorks with out a solution so they rushes to develop an alternative product that never reached the level of the old one. When Autodesk acquired MoldFlow, the MoldFlow Express software that was part of SW, disappeared. Flow analysis is based on a software from NIKA, a company that later acquired by Mentor Graphics, that lacked the interest in continuing to develop it for SolidWorks.

•     What happens if tomorrow Siemens or PTC will decide to purchase Simpoe  ?

if the new SolidWorks direction is to becoming Catia Light, what about those thousands of SolidWorks users who need SolidWorks Strong and cannot be satisfied with an under powered CAD software even when the base is Catia?

Gal

It's time for CAD Apps Store

It's time for CAD Apps Store

The "next generation" whatever, is connected to the cloud.  And while new start-up companies such as Sunglass promising to change the CAD world, Autodesk has already begun to sell various types of cloud services and  has launched a free mechanical simulations (until the end of the year) service and Solidworks is working on new  cloud-based technology system.

Cloud technology goes well with all the smart mobile devices surrounding us today. One of the biggest advantages of mobile smart devices is the collection of various applications and the contents concentrated under application stores such as the Apple Apps store and the Google Play. Complementary applications are not foreign or new to the CAD world. In  some of the programs, the weight of complement applications is particularly strong and has a tremendous competitive advantage. Absolute control of the Autocad software in the areas of architecture and construction in the last two decades is not as many tend to believe, because it was easy copy it in the past. Autocad was the first to give developers a convenient and open development environment and therefore complementary applications offered to hundreds of different organizations and companies who have chosen to host  CAD software with a custom environment and applications were having problems later on move or look over to another program.

 

When SolidWorks came out to the market in 96, influenced by the success of Autodesk with the developers community, it encouraged companies to develop applications to the software environment while providing a powerful API environment and support for developers. SolidWorks prefer the idea  of "one window solution" , when the application  run from the CAD system and act as an integral part of the software without having to leave the program window. The combination of Cosmos software for analysis (Nowadays called simulations) in SolidWorks was brilliant and gave access to more users to the capabilities of finite elements analysis. With modern computing, the model of one software, single window is perceived as outdated and not particularly useful for simulation or any other application that requires a long runtime. With the existing system at SolidWorks today, when the user performs a simple simulation or a render, he loses the ability to use the computer duration of the simulation that take sometimes hours or even a day. The modern hardware environment that allows running multiple applications simultaneously on number of cores, cannot be expressed in the form of "one software, single window. "

Computer technology that exists today is adequate to access a collection of` small applications designed to improve existing tasks running from a single software and autonomous software that require larger computer resources while maintaining the association link between the programs.

Distribution mechanism of complementary applications today (there are hundreds of such to each leading programs), is problematic and as a result they are not accessible to most users. Appliances developers find it difficult to reach customers and lack of convenient distribution platform for applications such as apps store leaves the developer two options, to distribute alone or use one of the major CAD providers dealer network. 

There are distributors or resellers to most of CAD software in every country and region. Distributors are committed to the goals determined by the software companies. Distributor's sales persons are people with the best recognition of the market, the customers, their needs and problems. But, those sales persons are obliged to meet the target requirements of the software vendor. In order to sell a complement product, the salesperson has to spare time to sell software that is not "counted" by the main CAD supplier goals and the amount of resources required for the complement product transaction is often much greater than required to sell the familiar and common CAD software a that the complement should ride on them .

 SolidWorks Corporation, recognizing the benefit they can get by complementary applications, established years ago a partner program that gave rating to application based on the integration to the SolidWorks CAD software. In addition, the company has established and maintained a search platform for applications from its website but, as more companies and applications to join the site it had become less effective. The users cannot download or buy from the website neither can experience and explore those applications. They have to browse the developer  website to understand the essence of the application or what the company has to offer. When the developing company does not have a quick and easy mechanism to reach potential customers and when it must rely on sub-distributors who take over half the proceeds from any sale as commission, prices of the applications are kept very high and in the same time customers also lack a convenient environment for upgrading and recommendations application as is common in Android or iOS.

Model of Android apps stores and Apple's mobile environment is much better. CAD vendors were exposed to the above model when they started to deliver applications to the mobile environment. Dassault was the first one came out four years ago with 3DVIA viewing software of the Iphone environment. Dassault, who chose to ignore the Android environment, try to create a similar Apps store environment to the CAD market but, failed to bring it to the many applications that it distributes.

Business environment based on smart phones cloud solutions and tablets, is developing rapidly and the availability of applications that are cheap and easy to manage is enormous. Apple was the first to learn how to generate revenue from providing the platform for app makers. Cellular companies, like RIM and Nokia how failed to offer good enough Apps Store, are becoming irrelevant very quickly.

Autodesk Company, with the Apps Store Exchange, is the first CAD provider to bring a modern Apps store environment that integrates the mobile application environment with distribution platform for CAD applications in one brilliant site with direct access from the CAD software, ready to the new era of CAD software in the cloud.  With the Apps Store Exchange you select the application and it easily installed.. As happens with mobile applications, convenient interface invites you to explore the existing applications and look for interesting products and capabilities. Autodesk, that claim to over 10,000,0000 users around world, can expect that the Apps Store Exchange catch quickly and will be a role model for the other CAD vendors. This is good news to all CAD users. More accessible to more applications will ensure better solutions, and just like what happened with Apple and Android market, a more sane prices for the applications.

Gal Raz