WorldCAD Access

From France, it's iPocketDraw, now with DXF editing

It's not just the Big Boys who are CAD viewings and editors for portable Android and iOS devices. Eric Pousse has been writing CAD programs for handheld devices for years now, and just last week he emailed me that a new version of iPocket Draw for iOS devices is available at Apple's AppStore.

"It is not only a viewer," he reminds us. Due to the memory limitations of the iOS operating system and Apple hardware, many CAD products are only file viewers. "iPocket Draw is a full 2D CAD app for iPhone and iPad."

DXF Support and Limitations 

"New with version 1.90, iPocket Draw reads DXF files -- and edits them, of course," he adds. The size of DXF files that can be opened, however, is limited to about 20MB, and the software does not handle some complex objects, like splines and hatches. Because iPocket Draw works with a specified scale factor, you need to specify the scale and units upon opening the DXF file.

Speed Differences Between iOS Hardware

He ran some benchmarks, and came up with large differences between different models of iPhone and iPad.  In general, iPad 2 is twice as fast as iPhone 4.

• 8.6MB file with 103 layers and 44,494 objects 
  iPad 1: 33 secs -- iPhone 4: 40 secs --  iPad 2: 20 secs 
  
  
• 15.7MB file with 54 layers and 32,107 objects 
  iPad 1: 35 secs --  iPhone 4: 44 secs --  iPad 2: 21 secs 
  
  
• 20.3MB file with 32 layers and 79,533 objects 
  iPad 1: 53 secs -- iPhone 4: 66 secs -- iPad 2: 35 secs 

He found that on the iPad 1 and 2, the 20.53MB opened only after he closed all other applications and restart the iPads.

adx-online.com/prog/ipocketdraw/ipocketdraw.html

 

In upFront.eZine this week: about that new CAD webzine launching this week

In upFront.eZine this week, we have for your reading pleasure... 

1. New Webzine Launched

2. KeyCreator Compare 
- Q&A

3. Out of the Inbox, and other regular columns.

You can read all about the business of CAD at upfrontezine.com/2012/upf-719

 

foto of the sunday: learning to fall

My daughter's working through the diamond level for ice dance, the highest level in Canadian figure skating. She's been skating for 15 years now (see photo below), continuing on after graduation from high school -- the point at which most other figure skaters stop.

 

When figure skaters first start, they fall a lot. Over the next decade and two, they keep right on falling. Falling means they are pushing their limits, and pushing themselves means they get to excel. So, figure skaters learn how to fall, safely.

(Photography by Ralph Grabowski)

Infoworld: 3 big screw-ups you can expect from cloud providers in 2012

As just one or two CAD vendors roar full throttle into cloud services in 2012, Infoworld writer David Linthicum reminds us that there are three issues that he sees being/becoming the problem:

Blunder No. 1: Security "specifically, the need for identity-based security down to the fine-grained service layers. Most cloud computing providers aren't yet smart about this."

Blunder No. 2: Cost of Migration "is that adopters who underestimate the costs will end up with project overruns that in turn cascade into failures as the cloud migration projects get larger and larger."

Blunder No. 3: Performance as "the providers need to increase their numbers of subscribers, thus providing more for less, as competition gets heated."

You can read his full rationale at m.infoworld.com/d/cloud-computing/3-big-screw-ups-you-can-expect-cloud-providers-in-2012-183253

 

Extending Bricscad through user-written .net commands

From the Universitätsbauamt Heidelberg in Germany, Konstantin Sakellaris writes to tell me about three commands that he programmed using the C# .NET API of Bricscad. As much as V12 is an advance over earlier releases of Bricscad, it lacks commands like Sweep, Loft, and Slice (cut a 3D solid using a surface. And so he wrote them for Bricscad V12:

• SWEEPX and LOFTX sweep and loft solids and surfaces as swept and lofted ACIS surfaces.
• SSBS is short for "slice solid by surface" and it slices solids.

He recommends that you look to the Bricscad Support Forum thread for documentation, comments, screenshots, and newer versions: https://www.bricsys.com/common/support/forumthread.jsp?id=17053

1. Use the NETLOAD command to load the SweepX-LoftX-bc12.1.12.dll file

2. Then use the commands -- SWEEPX, LOFTX, or SSBS 

Note: this .dll works only with the latest sub-release of V12, 12.1.12. 

 

In the figure below, I used LOFTX; the properties bar shows the resutl is a LOFTEDSURFACE object. 

Why CAD Will Wither on Apple

A serious flaw in iPad is that it is not engineering-oriented; well, the problem lies with Apple, who doesn't understand the special demands of our industry.

Some of what we need are listed below, and none of which is offered by iPad:

• lots and lots of RAM
• full OpenGL implementation
• intimate access to the graphics chip
• speedy development
• direct access to between customers and CAD vendors 

To their credit, generic computer suppliers like Microsoft, Intel, HP, nVidia, and AMD/ATI made the effort to understand our market, and then populated their products with features we require. Early examples include the math chip for slow CPUs that allowed vector CAD software to operate 5x-10x faster, and expanded/extended memory so that CAD programs could access more than 640KB of RAM. Newer examples include an open API so that any external device can be hooked up to the computer, and 64-bit computing for "unlimited" RAM. 

Perhaps the new ceo of Apple will understand the problem; if not, then this gives hardware vendors who work with Android OS the opportunity to become the preferred mobile platform for CAD.

In upFront.eZine this week: CAD vendors target iOS with new APIs and SDKs

In upFront.eZine this week, we have for your reading pleasure... 

1. Exclusive! sgCore from Geometros

2. TurboViewer SDK for iOS
    - Q&A

3. Out of the Inbox, and other regular columns.

You can read all about the business of CAD at upfrontezine.com/2012/upf-718

 

Exclusive: First native CAD engine planned for iOS -- and Android, too -- this summer

No, it doesn't depend on the cloud for performing its calculations. Geometros (of Russia, naturally) is porting their sgCore C++/C# solid geometry library for CAD development to iOS mobile devices, and then to Android. Since 2006, the library has been available for OS X and Windows. (Why not Linux? "No demand," they tell me. "But it can be compiled for any platform.")

A stripped-down CAD system, right, like AutoCAD WS? "It will not have any limitations compared to Windows or Mac versions," Geometros tells me this morning in an exclusive interview.

But, they admit, sgCore itself is already stripped down: "It provides a minimal sufficient set of mathematical functions and classes for developing a full-fledged geometric modeling system. sgCore is pure mathematics without object rendering, data entry or any other UI tools. Just math."

They also have a CAD program, Solidgraph, and a ray tracing program, rtEngine.

www.geometros.com

 

You can read the full interview in today's upFront.eZine. Subscribe at no charge by sending an email with 'subscribe upfront' to editor@upfrontezine.com.

 

 

Solidgraph is your open-source CAD system for OS X and Windows -- and soon iOS

Mike Whusberg over at Geometros alerted me to their C++/C# solid geometry library for CAD development. They have versions for Mac and Windows, with iOS coming soon.

If your CAD system does not support the kinds of entities you need to work with, then Geometros suggesets that you write your own -- for free. Its SgCore library is free indeed, although the registered version ($500 and up) loads SHX font files, creates text and dimensions, loads and saves objects in user-defined formats, and handles DXF. They're working on adding ray-tracing.

 

Geometros offers four products:

• sgCore C++/C# Geometry Library for OS X or Windows
• Solidgraph OpenSource CAD System
• rtEngine Ray Tracing Engine
• sgCore Extensions (coming soon): sgCore WebGL, sgCore manufacturing, and sgCore 3DS import

Check out their Web page at http://www.geometros.com/sgcore/review.htm for a description of all their library does.

 

 

Kinect enters the CAD world through Geomagic

Now this is all at the speculation stage, folks, or maybe a step or two later. You might recall my interview in upFront.eZine #713 with Geomagic, in which senior product manager Kevin Scofield  said his company was interested in going down-market:

The company is thinking of getting into the consumer market, but is waiting to see which technology pulls ahead. "We're all carrying scanners around in our pocket, and now we need software to stitch it together," said Mr Scofield.

In the context, it sounded to me that the camera of an Android or other phone would create images that were then somehow turned into a 3D model. This week, we learn 'tis not.

Instead, it's images from the Xbox 360's Kinect that are being stitched together. The Kinect is a cheap 3D scanner used for interactive video games. It sprays an array of infrared dots, and then collect the locations of 3D points in space; computer games act on the movement of the dots relative to each other. Ever since Microsoft prohibited hacking of Kinect, geeks have been hacking it to create all kinds of interesting effects. (Microsoft since lifted its ban.)

Geomagic is adapting its Studio software to read the 3D point data generated by Kinect. I write in the present tense, because the software is "at an early stage of development." The idea is that the data generated by Kinect is tesselated sufficiently for 3D printers to output whatever was scanned. Well, within limitations. Kinect can scan room-sized objects, but 3D printers output only breadloaf-size ones.

A two-minute video at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0RsIUI0XVy0 manages to leave out nearly all technical information, but does show that the process: (a) scan with Kinect near instantly, (b) convert scan data to surfaces with Geomagic in about 18 seconds, and then (c) print a 3"-tall monochrome model in an hour.

The company says it'll post updates at http://geomagic.com/en/community/blog

 

Today: Intergraph Launches CADWorx DraftPro for AutoCAD Users -- Free

In exclusive coverage in today's upFront.eZine, Intergraph reveals its plan to give away a free 2D piping design add-on for AutoCAD 2009-2012.

"We estimate that no more than 100,000 are using AutoCAD for intelligent 3D plant design; the rest could benefit from something that can make 2D easier and more accurate," explains vp of marketing for Intergraph CADWorx & Analysis Solutions, Vornel Walker.

To subscribe to the free weekly upFront.eZine newsletter, email "subscribe upfront" to editor@upfrontezine.com.

First! IMSI/Design annonces the first SDK for iOS-based DWG viewers

• What? IMSI/Design was the first with a 3D DWG viewer for iOS, and now are the first with an SDK, software development kit. 

• Who? The idea is that IMSI/Design provides the DWG view/markup engine, on which other programmers can write custom apps for their own needs.
  
  
• How much? Free (for now)
  
  
• When? Next month (probably)
  
  
• How? You also need to be a member of Apple Developer Network. 
  
  
• Why? "We want to be focused on being that company that people turn to for mobile CAD," IMSI/Design CEO ceo Royal Farros told me.  

 

You can read the full interview in next week's upFront.eZine. To subscribe to the weekly newsletter, email "subscribe upfront" to editor@upfrontezine.com.

Exclusive: upFront.eZine reveals PTC's plans for mobile computing

We welcome back our readers to the new year with our exclusive interview in today's upFront.eZine, in which PTC reveals its plans for mobile computing in 2012 and 2013

PTC's vice president of product management David Blair briefs us about the iOS versions of Arbortext 3D, Windchill Mobile, Creo View, Creo Sketch -- and Creo for Mac.

To subscribe to the free weekly upFront.eZine newsletter, email "subscribe upfront" to editor@upfrontezine.com.

 

Last week was too late; Intergraph phasing out cheap CADWorx upgrades

Your chance to upgrade to CADWorx Plant Professional 2012 and pay only 30% to died with the birth of the new year. Officially known as the "Intergraph CADWorx Reinstatement Program Phase III," the upgrade price jumped to 50% on January 1 + the cost of one year of maintenance fees.

April 1, the discount disappears, no joke: by then, CADWorx licenses before release 2008 can no longer be upgraded on the cheap.

Details on being reinstated available from hour local dealer; see http://www.coade.com/dealer.shtml.

SPEC lookin' for workstation performance benchmarks

SPEC's Graphics and Workstation Performance Group is looking for applications, algorithms, and workloads for a proposed workstation performance benchmark. More specifically, they want to measure the performance of workstations running popular applications -- without requiring the full application be installed, and to avoid licensing problems. (Always it's the licensing causing so many problems -- we're looking right at you, CAD software vendors.)

The gorup is looking for applications for the following areas:

• CAE
• Digital media and entertainment
• Finance
• Health sciences and energy. 

They say the tests ought to be scalable, solve large problems, support multiple architectures, and be freely available to the public. Vendors participating in the working group include AMD, Dell, Fujitsu, HP, Intel, and NVIDIA. 

Your benefit for taking part? Feelin' good. "Expected performance improvements from vendor optimizations, widespread marketing and PR exposure, and goodwill from customers."

http://www.spec.org/gwpg/publish/workstation_benchmark_overview.html

What is Cubify? I really can't tell yet; maybe next week.

When press releases cross my desk (er, Inbox), I usually give them two paragraphs to make sense, or else get tossed. Here's one that arrived at 6:26am this morning, and I can't really tell what it does. I thought I'd let you read its second paragraph to see if you can figure this out:

Cubify.com combines coloring book simplicity with cloud gaming

excitement to deliver a vivid 3D create-and-make experience through a

fully integrated, fluid interface. With intuitive 3D apps, rich 3D

printable content libraries of games, puzzles and collections,

Cubify.com turns any mobile device, tablet or Kinect device into a

powerful, digital canvas that unleashes creativity and brings ideas to

life in 3D. Compelling content creation, capture and customization apps

make it simple and fun to personalize creations and print them at home

on a Cube 3D printer or have them printed using our online Cubify

service. Now everyone can unleash their creativity and earn money by

marketing their own 3D creations or by developing new apps for

Cubify.com.

No point going to  cubify.com, it's not live for another five days.

The Internet opens horizons on information; newspapers don't

Peter Preston  of The Observer and Guardian newspapers writes, "If you choose your own news, you'll be less well read." His argument is that all that information on the interwebs allows people to limit their reading to items that confirm their biases. He feels that readers of newspapers, in contrast, gain by coming across articles "by accident" to which they would otherwise not have been exposed.

His argument is made from desperation, as the Internet opens horizons on information kept scarce by newspapers and broadcasters. I grew up in the 1960s and 1970s being information-frustrated in northern Canada, since our primary  source was limited to the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, whose creed still today seems to be, "Everyone A Victim."

Once the Internet became reality for everyday people in the mid-1990s, I could peruse many  information sources, both broad (from many countries) and narrow (my interests in tech and philosophy). Every day now, I read news voraciously for a couple of hours. I no longer watch or listen to the CBC, because I generally know more about any particular story than do their news readers with their faux-authoritative voices.

Contra Mr Preston, the Internet is what causes us to be "less well read" no longer. By their very nature, it is newspapers and news broadcasts that cause subscribers and listeners to be "less well read." Newspapers are limited by the number of pages, which is determined by the amount of advertising pulled in, while radio and tv are limited by time. Even the BBC, the wealthiest of all news organizations, repeats its stories hour after hour, limiting the amount of news it makes available. A caption in Mr Preston's column (available on line, imagine that!) repeats the gentle lie with which newspaper people console each other: "Print newspapers bring you everything."

Mr Preston forgets that every day newspaper editors and broadcaster producers choose which news to report, and so leave out vast swaths of information. We are forced to turn to the digital media to fill in the gaps created by Mr Preston and his fellow workers.

Mr Preston's plea is not new. It has been voiced before. It belongs to the group of elitists who worry that that this new-fangled digital media prevents them from imposing their point of view on the rest of the world. He yearns for a return to yesteryear, when he could choose your news for you. As he complains in his column, "Digital intrinsically insists on choice." To see information choice as negative is evil. 

PS: Where did I learn of Mr Preston's lament? Not from accidentally running across it in a printed paper, but from this digital source: http://mediagazer.com/120103/h1335

Updated for V12: Customizing Bricscad ebook

This is the only book on the planet that tells you how to customize Bricscad. Customizing Bricscad V12 is the 7th edition, and offers you the following newness:

• New chapter on Fields
• New chapter on customizing mouse buttons
• Updated text and figures for V12
• Now 426 pages long

Covers both Linux and Windows versions of V12. Price is $40 and can be purchased by cheque or PayPal through the ebook's Web page:

www.upfrontezine.com/cb8

 

 

 

What Solid Modeling Solutions Plans for 2012

Solid Modeling Solutions offers a suite of NURBS-based geometry libraries: SDLib, NLib, GSNLib, TSNLib and SMLib

 

For 2012, the company plans to add the following functions:

• AssertValid will continue to be expanded to detect more error conditions and to support graphical displays of reported problems.
• New and more rigorous tolerance modeling.
• Improved Boolean operations.
• Gordon patch improvements.
• Database diagnostics, repair, and healing functions.
• Multithreaded OpenCL implementation.

http://www.smlib.com

 

Using SugarSync with AutoCAD and AutoCAD WS

Autodesk has a cloud infrastructure for its software, and so I wondered if it is possible to use a third-party cloud service, such as SugarSync or DropBox. (I have accounts with both, but use SugarSync since it has the advantage of optionally restricting shared folders as read-only; DropBox doesn't.)

I found that SugarSync works just fine: I could save a drawing in desktop AutoCAD and view it on AutoCAD WS.

Here's how I did it:

0. When you sign up for SugarSync, you designate a SugarSync folder on the desktop. Any file in this folder is uploaded to the cloud any time it changes. (The same applies to Dropbox.) Uploaded files are overwritten, so you would need to save revised drawings by incremental names, manually. (AutoCAD WS keeps track of revisions.)

1. In desktop AutoCAD, I opened a drawing from the SugarSynch folder, and then made some changes. 
2. I saved it. (Performance note: smaller DWG files sync -- upload to the cloud and download to all your registered devices -- faster than big DWG files, naturally!)
   
   
3. I switched to my Android tablet, and started the SugarSync app. 
4. I tapped the icon that represents the SugarSync folder on my desktop computer: My Devices, Acer7, SugarSync.
5. I selected the DWG file. SugarSynch then downloaded it, from its cloud to my Android.
6. Once downloaded, SugarSynch asked me which app should complete the action. I selected AutoCAD WS.
7. The DWG file appeared in WS's list, and I opened it. I noticed a substantial delay before WS opened the file; I figure this was due to WS sending the file to Autodesk's cloud. (Internet uploads are 5x slower than downloads with my ISP.) Subsequent loads were faster.

Android and iOS devices have limited amounts of storage space, and so sync services tend to download files on-demand, rather than update all in the background as on desktop versions.

Here are some of the pros and cons I found betwen using  SugarSync or Autodesk's cloud:

• Autodesk's cloud is integrated into WS, and presumably will be in its desktop software in the future. This means you don't need to switch between WS and an external app, like SugarSync; the synching is done inside WS with Autodesk's cloud servers.
  
  
• Autodesk limits non-subscribers to 1GB of cloud storage. SugarSync starts with 5GB free, and allows you to earn another 3.5GB free through referrals.
  
  
• Autodesk limits paid subscribers to 3GB of cloud storage. SugarSync seems to go up to 500GB for paid customers, and perhaps more for business customers (it was hard for me to figure out).
  
  
• AutoCAD WS on the Web has a cool feature that lets you visually see the history of drawings, as they looked in earlier versions. 
  
  
• Both SugarSync and WS on Android limit the sharing of drawings through an email message; no other options are available. Both let you assign permissions to folders, but WS has more options.
  
  

Historical note: We saw this integration the first time the "cloud" rolled around (a.k.a. the Internet bubble of the late 1990s), when Autodesk added commands that allowed AutoCAD to save to and from URLs and ftp sites. Later, the functions of the URL commands were integrated into the usual SaveAs, Open, and other file-related commands.