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Issue #599 : : April 7, 2009 |
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In this issue: AutoCAD for the Mac Overview of Energy Analysis Software in England
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Last week's online survey from Autodesk indicated that the world's largest CAD software company is looking for new markets into which to expand its sales of CAD software. This will be its second attempt to port AutoCAD to the Macintosh successfully. (Link to survey: myfeedback.autodesk.com/surveynet/TakeSurvey.aspx?SurveyID=l21M672 )
The First Time Autodesk's first attempt was in the late 1980s. During that decade, Autodesk had pledged to support every viable engineering platform, and so at one point AutoCAD ran on DOS, several varieties of Unix, OS/2, Windows, and Macintosh. With the encouragement of Apple, Autodesk's first intention was to produce a new but AutoSketch-like program native to the Mac user interface. Then-ceo John Walker was skeptical, however, that the programming effort would be worth cost for a tiny market estimated at just 10%. So, he did his own thing: "...I started to investigate whether it would be possible, by various means, to port AutoCAD to the Macintosh II. By February 15th, 1988 I had demonstrated AutoCAD Release 10 running on the Macintosh II in 5 megabytes of memory. Immediately this was demonstrated, the previously-committed project to develop a new CAD system for the Macintosh evaporated..." (Link to Mr Walker's history: www.fourmilab.ch/autofile/www/subsectionstar2_68_0_2.html )
The product went on to fail for a number of reasons, of which I recall these -- but I could be wrong:
But it wasn't just Macs. Autodesk eventually abandoned all previously-supported operating systems, with the exception of Windows. At the time, it was the correct decision; Windows was ascendant and then Microsoft became a monopoly.
The Second Time Twenty years later, the market is different. Macintosh is ascendant, and Autodesk has numerous Macintosh programmers on staff due to its many acquisitions. AutoCAD on the Mac is finally a viable proposition. The survey put out by Autodesk asks which CAD features are of interest to Mac users, and theyby indicates that the initial release might not be full-featured AutoCAD 2010. Features like paper space, the command line, 3D modeling and editing, and APIs might be missing. Paralleling the plans from 1988, an option Autodesk seems to be considering is an AutoCAD LT-like product for the Mac. Autodesk allowed Microsoft to deeply inject its programming environment into AutoCAD, however, and so porting the full AutoCAD software to Macintosh is a tough job -- though easier than two decades ago, when the Mac ran on Motorola CPUs instead of its current Intel CPUs. Autodesk now has Mac programmers in-house producing Toxik, Mudbox, ImageModeler, Maya, and Stitcher. (Heck, the company even has programmers that write some software for Linux. As well, the company's Labs site boasts non-OS-specific graphics software that runs in supported Web browsers.) Just as in 1988, Autodesk faces exactly the same dilemma: make the CAD program like AutoCAD, or like the Mac? I figure that these are its options: 1. Port AutoCAD to the Mac OS X operating system (as initially attempted in 1988). 2. Write the code from scratch, or mix code from MudBox and Maya, or adopt another CAD system that's already written for the Mac (IMSI/design does this for their TurboCAD Mac software). 3. Officially support AutoCAD running in Boot Camp, Parallels Desktop, or VMware Fusion. (These attain Windows compatibility through the user buying and installing Windows Vista on the Mac, and then running AutoCAD for Windows.) Users already doing this.
Or, Autodesk could do both: Launch a lower-end CAD program specific to the Mac AND officially support AutoCAD on Parallels.
User Reaction A commenter on WorldCAD Access wondered if this "might allow easier porting to Linux." Another asked, "How fast do you wanna bet SolidWorks has Mac version now?" At press time, the Architosh Web site had made no comment. Odd, since the site had for many years pressed for a Mac version through a petition launched in early 2000. < architosh.com/news/2002-07/2002a1-0711-axad-ox1.phtml >
Product Positioning Assuming Autodesk releases an LT-style CAD program for Macintosh this year, what kind of user would be interested in it? My guess is that Autodesk marketing will push its DWG-compatibility, perhaps emphasizing that it is a super DWG viewer with convenience-style editing functions. Overview of Energy Analysis Software in England Britain is actually quite slow in terms of energy efficiency. Its energy certificate methodology is quite crude. How good can they be if they can be simulated in an hour for about $100? Look to Germany and the Nordic countries for better efficiency and new ideas -- though Germany's mandatory requirement for PV [photovoltaic] panels on roofs has led to fewer being available for sub-Saharan Africa, where it's of more use! There are actually four major non-domestic (commercial) energy simulation tools in the UK: iSBEM, IES VE, TAS, and Hevacomp.
iSBEM / SAP Simplified Building Energy Model is the new, free, government-driven entrant to the market. This tool must be used for all new buildings to show that their carbon emissions are below mandatory minimums. However, it has no 3D graphic visualisation and it is purely a compliance tool, and so useless for design loads.
IES VE Integrated Environmental Solutions Virtual Environment is the software my company uses and is the best, in my opinion. It does full building analysis very well. However, it only bolted on the building regulations compliance. Its analysis tools have been neglected, too.
TAS Thermal Analysis System software is in the same league as IES VE, but the relationship with it is a bit like Word vs. Wordperfect. (Both word processors do the same thing, but more people seem to use Word.) It has only recently been integrated with Bentley's software, so I expect some interface issues. We chose IES because it had an integrated modeler.
Hevacomp Hevacomp is the cheap and cheerful tool that all HVAC engineers (called "building services" engineers in the UK) use in Britain. For many years it was largely unloved by its owners and so let more expensive tools like IES take over in terms of use. Now owned by Bentley. - - - Then there is the dark horse, Autodesk. IES VE has been integrated into Revit, and so it may become the de facto simulation tool. But Autodesk has also bought Green Building Studio and Ecotect. Both are more mid-range simulation tools for architects; they do snazzier graphics, but less in depth analysis. Lastly, the US government has a great program for energy efficiency named Energyplus. It is old and venerable! I think the future of CAD tools for AEC lie in how well they integrate into the reality of buildings. Look at the effect of SketchUp on how people relate to buildings. I am hoping the next SketchUp-like software program will be a simple energy simulation tool for SketchUp; the present ones are hard to use. [Alex Melichar is a mechanical engineer working in the United Kingdom.]
Links: LightWork Design celebrates its 20th anniversary with LightWorks 8:
www.lightworkdesign.com/features/lightworks_80
Cadsoft specializes in software for residential home designs, and last week launched Envisioneer 5 for builders, contractors, and remodelers. Features:
Available in three levels: Envisioneer Essentials, Envisioneer Professional, and Envisioneer Construction Suite. Compare them at www.cadsoft.com/compare
VariCAD announces VariCAD 2009 3D/2D mechanical CAD software with:
Runs on Linux and Windows; 30-day trial from www.varicad.com - - - ASVIC Engineering & Software releases Mech-Q v3.25.001 for AutoCAD 2010. Modules include Mech-Q Piping, Mech-Q HVAC, Mech-Q Mechanical, and Mech-Q Structural. Buy one, get the second one at no-charge. Also works with ZWCAD 2008I/2009, CADian 2008, Bricscad V8/V9, and AutoCAD LT 2000. www.asvic.com.au ZWSOFT says its IntelliCAD-based ZWCAD 2009 is now available in eight languages, with more to come. Korean will be released next week. 30-day demo from www.zwcad.org/cad-software-download.html Integrated Industrial Information has figured out how to integrate Solid Edge v19/20 data with PTC's Windchill 8 software. You can capture, track, and control part and manufacturing data without leaving the Solid Edge user interface. www.i-cubed.com Schott Systeme keeps their e9,800 (US$13,000) price unchanged this year, as it has for the last ten. Their CAD/CAM integrated software is Pictures by PC. www.schott-systeme.com And finally... "Undertaking CAD, GIS, Photogrammetric & Remote Sensing Project works simultaneously supplying manpower to overseas on the same criteria. I seeking to get projects for production in our company presenting a proposal. At present we are continuing with staff of 200 operators working on CAD & GIS Projects in the areas of DRAFTING, DESIGNING & DIGITIZING. Apart to this we possess office space of 12000sft which can accommodate 500 members." - - - These were some of the news items that were posted during the last week at the WorldCAD Access blog < worldcadaccess.typepad.com >:
Hardware News HP's new Designjet 4020/4520 Printer series features Double Swath technology for generating up to 100 A1/D prints an hour. Also includes in-printer processing, 160GB hard drive, and up to 1GB RAM. [Same specs as my netbook.] www.hp.com And HP's new Z computers use Intel's Xeon 5500 CPU, and feature modular internals, high-definition audio, and an option for solid-state drives. Prices start at $1,999 for the HP Z800 Workstation. www.hp.com/personalagain
Seminars & Conferences First ODA World Conference by The Open Design Alliance is Apr 27–29 in Leiden, The Netherlands. www.opendesign.com/conference (I'll be at this conference.) Full agenda now posted. 10th RTT (Realtime Technology) Conference is May 7-8 in Munchen, Germany. [Their pr firm, waterworks public relations, left out the Web link to the event.] The 20th PTC User event continues to be on (Jun 7-10 in Orlando FL US), even though PTC is surveying its customers about whether to go virtual. The www.ptcuser.org/2009/ site has a new item, however, labeled "Justify Your Attendance."
Magazine/eZine/Weblog Updates Autodesk launches AutoCAD Exchange online community at the easily remembered URL of autocad.autodesk.com
Market News Corel reports Q1 revenues of $56.2 million, down 14% from a year ago. Net loss was $1.5 million. Oce reports Q1 revenues of e658 million (approx. US$868 million), down 6.3% from a year ago. Net profit was e15.3 million. The company notes that its Wide Format division was impacted by a strong decline in the construction industry. The company plans to lay off 1,253 employees this year. ASCON reports fiscal year 2008 revenues of $30.6 million, up 14%. The company says it has 4,500 commercial customers. IGE+XAO Group reports that revenues for the first half of its 2008/2009 fiscal year were e10.9 million, up 4.8% from a year ago. The company has no debt and e13 million in the bank. More job cuts at Autodesk. In addition to the $130 million already cut, Autodesk wants to reduces expenses by another $100-$150 million through (1) reductions in discretionary spending, (2) facilities consolidation, and (3) more layoffs. SpaceClaim gets another $7 million in funding from its investors. Money will be spent on R&D and marketing.
Notable Quotable "It's easier to make noise about something where no one has to come up with any solutions. You can just be angry."
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