‘cad world drama’

kraftwurx-3d-printing

Digital Reality Plans To Shake Up the 3D Printing
Scene… Again.

14 Oct, 2011 by in FAB, NEWS

It’s been just over four years since Digital Reality, Inc. made a rumbling about, what was at that time, the first web-based 3D customization to appear. Of course since then, countless online customization sites for every sort or 3D digital design has been established. Now, Digital Reality is back, with a new plan and a new name for their new online customization portal, KraftWurx. They are currently signing up service bureaus with plans to bring on designers in two to three weeks. However, there is something strange and a backstory to all of this that is sure to add a little drama to the 3D printing scene.

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Direct vs. Parametric… What Do the Users Have to Say?

24 Feb, 2011 by in NEWS

Sometimes when the sun is shining and there’s a light, misty acid in that air… you run screaming, jump into a barrel with your friends and push yourselves down a hill to escape the skin melt. Inevitably, the conversation in the barrel turns to the edgy discussion of Direct vs. Parametric modeling. For good reason too. It’s just the topic to get your mind off acid burn.

Such a discussion occurred today. Picture if you will, a webcast where the best and brightest of the CAD World gather together to discuss the age-old topic of Direct vs. Parametric modeling. In attendance, one 3D modeling software user and five 3D modeling software vendors. Certainly a lack of users. So now, it’s your turn. Direct or Parametric?

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Tyco Chooses SpaceClaim or… The Straw That Broke the PTC Back *Updated*

17 Jan, 2011 by in NEWS

How does Tyco Electronics spell direct modeling power? SpaceClaim, that’s how. Over a year ago, Tyco decided their Pro/E users needed some direct modeling capability. Some simple designs were just taking too long in Pro/E. Could direct modeling be the answer?

Well, after an in-depth productivity analysis, an equally in-depth feature comparison and ROI study of SpaceClaim against competing products, they decided on SpaceClaim over Pro/E’s sister product Co-create, Keycreator and the like. While the seat count isn’t being revealed at this time, the deployment has gone out to more that 3500 people on a floating license set-up. How did it prompt PTC to shake things up with Creo? Here’s my take.

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Get Your Fresh, Hot ‘Death of SolidWorks’ Wallpaper Right Here.

10 Jan, 2011 by in NEWS, ROCKIN'

We’re just not going to let that “Kill SolidWorks” thing die… ahem. One comment from former SolidWorks CEO, Jeff Ray is all it takes for a firestorm to start whipping our sanity. What most people do not realize is that the is about creating a better product and providing some more options, not about violently poking a product with the sharp end of C++ stick while watching it bleed out.

Times are changing, and Develop3D has published a pivotal piece of industry insight that settles exactly that. It’s titled, The Death of SolidWorks? Yes, a question. A question that brings up other questions, but an article that puts a lot of the hype to rest, nails down the context and reveals what we should really be thinking about – the death of something much, MUCH bigger…

Now, that’s all well and good, but way too deep and serious for the likes of us. What we need are wallpapers. Dang big ones to put on our dang big screens that will make passer-by say, “DaaaaaaaaaaaaaAAAANG!” Here they are.

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Autodesk Beat to the Punch. DraftSight for Mac Now Available… Free

20 Sep, 2010 by in NEWS

With all the software release news as of late, your 2D CAD on a Mac dreams are either a repeating nightmare or a pleasure feast of .dmg delight. First with the announcement of ARES on the Mac then with Autodesk publicly announcing they would soon release AutoCAD on the Mac… along with it’s little brother, AutoCAD WS, on the iPhone and iPad.

You could try Graebert’s ARES, but you’ll eventually have to pay the $995. You could wait for AutoCAD and dish out $4000. Or, you could hop over to DraftSight.com and feel the unfettered freedom of FREE. Whatcha gonna do?

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Jim Heppelmann. Dassault Arrogant Competition. Siemens Invisible.

08 Jun, 2010 by in NEWS

I love the product development industry drama. It’s so RAW beneath it’s cordial, feature-rich exterior. Hard to imagine what would happen if you put all the execs together in a room full of garlic water balloons and large sticks… but not really.

In a user conference room away from each other, it’s a little tamer. But oh, the words. They are plentiful. In a playful, little, jabby type of way Jim Heppelmann, next CEO of PTC, made a few comments about their competition. It received some laughs and added just the right dose of drama.

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SolidWorks Subscription Service. Much to Be Desired…

20 Apr, 2010 by in CAD

So, the post about SolidWorks enforcing their long-standing policy of only granting service packs to the entitled on Subscription Service got some mild interest, boosted antacid sales and Devon’s Blog even interviewed the VP of Customer Services at SolidWorks, Rich Welch, about the matter.

I could pick apart the interview notes Devon took, but I’d bore myself to spasms. I could point at commercial seats sold and revenue numbers, lick my finger, point it and a raised eyebrow to the easterly winds of Concord and say confidently, if SolidWorks offered free service packs, we would sup at the dinner table and eat bon-bons off each others knuckles.

Instead, I’ll take a deep and serious look at the words Rich stated and reveal the gooey center of underlying truths deep within. He responded to a question about separating bug fixes, service packs, and enhancements. Here’s what he wanted to say, or at the very least should have said…

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Bunkspeed Gets the Boot. Hypershot Heads to Luxion à la Wann Jensen *Updated*

08 Jan, 2010 by in NEWS

This just outta the Develop3D crew. Oh, and you may want to grab hold of your spastic colon. If you’ve bought the ever so easy-to-use HyperShot rendering program from Bunkspeed in the past, as of this January 1st, the program (as it were) will no longer exist.

I’m not even going to repeat all the drama… it’s… just…too much to… take. However, here are some tidbits you can take away that put it all in perspective and answer the obvious question. Is HyperShot still going to be available??

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