Russian Flashback: T-FLEX V7

I'm editing my interview with TOP Systems from Moscow, Russia, and came across the part where executive officer Sergey Bikulov is telling me about his company's involvement with North American distributor Martin Sales International. 

I recalled that name, and checked my press release archive. Sure enough, from 4 July 2000, here is what they had to say:

We've changed our 3D kernel from ACIS to Parasolid, and the attached releases (long and short versions) have that and other information about our new Version 7 of T-FLEX Parametric Pro.

Although we are not extremely well known in North America (we've been selling here since 1992), our product is very successful in Russia and China. One of the reasons that we can sell the product in those countries for hard currency (where end users can easily obtain current pirated versions of the well-known products for free) is that our parametric engine is much more powerful than the engine licensed by our competition. In addition, we have feature-based modeling for both 2D and 3D solid models, not just for solid models. 

Complex parametric designs are more popular in Russia than in the west. I can't give you a definitive answer why, but the mentality of a great parametric designer is similar to the mentality of a great chess player, planning many moves ahead. Chess is more revered in Russia than in the west, and many grand masters have come from Russia. It is also interesting that the ProE parametric engine is also of Russian extraction. 

It would take another nine years for me to meet Sergey Bikulov and his team of talented programmers. (The article on TOP Systems is scheduled to appear in the October 6 issue of upFront.eZine.)

Comments

[Scott Wertel]

Has it really been that long since I've heard of T-Flex. As a matter of fact, I think it has. Now I feel old. If I remember correctly I first heard of T-Flex Parametric Pro around 1998. An amazingly powerful software far exceeding any parametric tool available from US companies.

Even back then, it had multi-part models, part/assembly parameter links, easy transition between part modeling and assembly modeling - including modeling as a single part and then breaking into an assembly, powerful drafting with bi-directional dimensions.

Their marketing was also honest and straight forward. Parametric design won't save you time in your up-front process, but it will save you time in change orders and revisions. A decade later and that is still true. We are finally getting to the point in technology where concepting in CAD may be as quick as a napkin sketch or clay model, and it's taking a detour away from parametric (defined as history based features) CAD in order to do it.