3D CAD NEWS

Want to see what this Digital Prototyping thing that Autodesk has been pushing is all about? CCNtv has a 13 minute (or so) video of the company's demonstration during their recent press event in Paris.




It is at

http://www.cadcamnet.tv/asseen.html

This week's main CADCAMNETtv broadcast is up and running at www.cadcamnet.tv



Kevin Schneider - Manufacturing Solutions Evangelist takes the stage at Autodesk's Manufacturing Media Summit.

3D CAD News has learned Siemens PLM Software, the former UGS, has decided to postpone the release of NX 5 for the Macintosh OS X environment. Instead, Siemens will next release NX for OS X  as part of the NX 6 release in 2006.

The original plan called for the release of NX 5 for the Mac after the release of the Leopard update, now scheduled for October 26. But a source inside Siemens says doing so would have meant releasing a beta version of both NX 5 and NX 6 for the Mac to early adopters for testing at almost the same time. "We are releasing [NX for the Mac] with NX 6," said the source, who did not want to be identified. "This gives us time to incorporate some additional functionality based on customer feedback from our early adopters."

Our sister publication CADCAMNet gave NX 5 an enthusiastic review earlier this year. As reviewer Al Dean noted, NX 5 sports a new user interface, Active Mockup, Requirement-Driven Design Validation, and many more features. Beyond the specific new features, Dean said NX 5 "removes ambiguity, maximizes knowledge retention, and reduces the time invested in learning." We can only imagine at this point in time what goodies await the (rarely) patient Mac users who want the power of NX in OS X, now that they must wait for NX 6.

NX 5 as it appears in Windows. 

Two announcements landed in my inbox this morning. They came from two different vendors, but they carried the same underlying message: Despite the catcalls from many in the CAD media, and despite the mocking from Autodesk, product lifecycle management (PLM) software isn’t shuffling off into the sunset anytime soon. So, 3D CAD News finds it necessary to announce that the reports of PLM’s demise are greatly exaggerated. But we do believe the industry could use a little help with its collective image.

First, the reports from the inbox. PTC (a company that could use a little good news) says Samsung SDI, a division of the global electronics conglomerate, has deployed Windchill as its enterprise-wide PLM system. Siemens PLM Software, (nee UGS), announces that Burgmann Industries GmbH, a leading manufacturer of seals, is standardizing on Solid Edge CAD and Teamcenter PLM.

These two announcement, from manufacturers with two very different product lines, and many like them, are a regular reminder to us that manufacturers—particularly firms with more than 100 engineering seats—really do want the “single source for all product and process knowledge,” that PLM offers. The newer solutions, like PTC’s Windchill and the latest version of Teamcenter, use modern technologies and are much simpler to install and maintain than previous generations of PLM. The smaller PLM vendors are starting to sell Software-as-a-Service (SaaS), web-based PLM, and the big guys are hot on their heels. Why is PLM viable? Why is it a multi-billion dollar industry with good growth prospects? Consider is quote from the Siemens press release. “To convert development from 2D to 3D, we considered and tested solutions from several providers,” said Daniel Ketterer, project manager for Global Technology Management at Burgmann Industries. “During the testing phase, we were sold on the simple derivation option from 3D to 2D constructions offered by Solid Edge. We develop our seals in 3D, but most customers want to see the constructions in 2D. With the automatic 2D derivation, we are able to tighten our cycle times and optimise delivery times and costs in order to carry out our development processes more efficiently.”

The boom in mechatronics—the combination of mechanical and electronic design—opens up a particularly vein of opportunity for PLM vendors to mine in the coming years.  The Samsung deal is one such example.

Perhaps PLM suffers from an image problem. After all, it is hard to get warm and fuzzy with a database that offers to give a manufacturing enterprise a single source of truth. So, in the spirit of what we do best here at 3D CAD Blog, we offer a few modest suggestions.

A global firm like Siemens PLM needs an image recognized all over the planet to sell their software as “a single source of truth.” Perhaps Siemens could commission themselves a PLM theme song such as “No PLM No Cry” and license the tune from the Bob Marley estate.  

“In me rasta heart I say, PLM de only true way.”

PTC needs a particularly American image, one that stands for speaking truth to power (a real makeover), such as former slave and abolitionist Sojourner Truth. We doubt her fund-raising motto of “I sell the shadow to support the substance” will go over well as a way to promote Windchill. Consider this one a work in progress.

“Am I not a fellow engineer? Do I not also deserve the efficiencies of PLM as my birthright?”

Only a few miles separate the Venus de Milo from the front door of Dassault Systèmes, which makes this long-standing symbol of one artistic source of truth a possible marketing image for the French PLM vendor.

“The missing parts of our vision of PLM beauty will be along shortly.”

Just like going to the doctor for an injection, a quick watch of CCNtv seems to create a binary response—either enjoyment or acute cringing tinged with anger. Either way, the sensation doesn’t last long and you never know, you might be all the better for the experience! Some viewers don’t think so though…

One vendor sent an email today that had the response that implied that the quick shot in the arm was a bruising experience. (Identities deleted to protect the guilty)

“[Our Company] was mentioned 3 times - each time in a negative light. Less-than-flattering press over the years about [Our Company] means that I am pretty thick-skinned so negative stories do not bother me so much, but the selective, unbalanced reporting of these negative stories, interspersed with sarcastic comments, is lame tabloid fodder and lacks balance and credibility.”


By contrast, another vendor/viewer sent a more positive email earlier today saying that his “entire development team watches CCNtv religiously on every report.” In fact, a lot of people have been incredibly complimentary and encouraging, so we, also, are encouraged. CCNtv is ramping up nicely. But it doesn’t stop there!

We do pay attention to what people think, and have for some weeks been working on software reviews for the broadcast. To do these properly on video takes more than just an enthusiast, a laptop and a camera. But we are optimistic that the time spent getting this right is worth the effort!

And another thing to note is that in its purest form, CAD, 3D and engineering can be incredibly dry (dare I say boring without getting howls of complaint?) and we are working hard at CCNtv to not just present the current news, and highlights in the industry but to do it in a way that is interesting! It seems that a few viewers don't appreciate the more humorous and human sides that we present, and believe that CCNtv should be, well, boring. We disagree. What do you think?

Along those lines, we would like to announce our upcoming ideas for CCNtv subjects, and hope that a few viewers would like to make suggestions. Please do add comments on what you would like to see in the future on CCNtv!

• Software Reviews (new)
• Tips’n tricks (new)
• More news
• More user site-visits

Do viewers want to see executive interviews? Do we need more corporate reporting? Or we keep focusing on the items our editors believe are newsworthy?

Comment now, so we can find out what you think!

In today's article at CADCAMNet about SharePoint as a PLM trojan horse (paid subscription or free trial required to view article), CCN editors comment that proprietary PLM vendors could be soon regarded as dinosaurs.

"...at a conservative estimate of 85 million users, with a proven application that enables standardized file sharing, collaboration, revision control, and workflow process control, SharePoint has become a product of choice for millions of companies worldwide wanting to centralize their data—and then share it out. Manufacturers are no different. Chances are good that their globally distributed teams are using SharePoint for some part of their operations. It makes sense to have their PLM operations on SharePoint, too." writes publisher, Rachael Dalton-Taggart.

While this statement may infuriate traditional (big iron) PLM vendors, many of them have already created PLM applications that support SharePoint operations. Same goes for the AEC/BIM vendors too.

Microsoft, however, is very keen to emphasize its strategy - that of providing the key technology backbones on which developers can create specific applications.

Comments Simon Floyd, Worldwide Industry Strategist for PLM at Microsoft, “Our partners are very important to the success of SharePoint. Where we provide the common platform for document management, search, workflow, etc., they provide their deep domain expertise to deliver industry relevancy. This not only provides businesses with PLM-specific functionality and the ability to share that data across departments and roles, it also enables their IT organization to achieve economies of scale and benefit from the convenience of a common system.”

How many readers use SharePoint already, even for other, more mundane business functions? In my mind, if I could work PLM on top of an existing SharePoint installation, I would do it in a micro-second. But there must be barriers. What are they?

Comments welcome.

In the first day of its Mechanical Media Summit in Paris, Autodesk gave a confident and good-humored effort to its main message of the year: PLM is hogwash. All rise to Digital Prototyping.

Autodesk has never been a company to follow the footsteps of others, and is always happy to provide cud for the press herd to chew on. The subject of PLM versus, well, non-PLM, is a subject that often causes emotive arguments among the more vocal editors, and today has been no exception. Today’s presentations set tongues wagging, and a lot of conversation, but no one, except one editor I spoke to, was denying the attractiveness of Autodesk’s message.

So what is it? Digital Prototyping is Autodesk’s forward-thinking solution to the needs of manufacturers. Essentially, they are saying that PLM is not what customers are looking for. What they need is a way to experience and prove products prior to manufacture in the most efficient manner possible.

The apparent problem is the L in PLM. Lifecycle. But at the same time, Autodesk Mechanical keeps bringing up the issue, sans solutions at this point, about sustainable design practices. Sustainable as a word implies the whole issue of RoHS (Restrictions on Hazardous Substances). We may find out tomorrow that there is some life in the L word yet.

Rach

Dassault Systemes today announced today the acquisition of Seemage, a small firm that has specialized in the creation of XML-based tools for distributing engineering visual data. "This transaction will enable DS to provide innovative solutions addressing the growing demand of its customers in the diversified area of product documentation," said the Dassault press release.

All too often when there is a marriage in the technology industry, there is someone in the wings suffering from unrequited love. In this case it is Lattice 3D, which also makes XML-based tools for sending CAD data out into the larger enterprise. And which thought it had a nice exclusive deal going with Dassault.

 

Speaking on behalf of Dassault Systemes, former US presidential advisor Karl Rove explains the company's new policy toward Lattice 3D.

Purchase terms were not disclosed, which means there was a combination of unmarked bills and a few stock notes changing hands.

More later. Things are getting interesting here in Paris. It seems the Autodesk Manufacturing Media Summit is sharing the hotel with part of Fashion Week, and the lobby is crawling with models in robes waiting their turn on the runway that didn't exist yesterday in the hotel's Grand Salon. I don't think I'll tell Josh what's going on downstairs.

 

Autodesk has gathered members of the CAD media from throughout the known world, assembling them in Paris for the Autodesk Manufacturing Media Summit, which starts today.

Our home for these three days is the Grand Hotel Intercontinental, next door to the Paris Opera house. Classy joint for a bunch of lowlife CAD media hacks (present company included).

Our neighboorhood for the Summit. The hotel is the triangular building lower left; the opera house has the green dome. (Image courtesy Google Earth).

I am still on US Left Coast time, so I was wide awake at 4am. At 7am I went on the streets of Paris, smelling remarkably fresh after a good rain last night. (I've been here before, I know it won't last.) I am fond of strong protein at breakfast, but the French do not agree. So I had a bready thing with raisins in it, and of course that wonderful European coffee that Americans can only dream about. I am a tea person at home, but here the coffee is worth drinking. 

I cashed in miles to bring two of my teens with me; any excuse to fill a free hotel room. They have been asleep for 15 of the last 20 hours. I wonder if they will get to see much of Paris at this rate.

Josh and Brianna (Dad in middle) were awake long enough to pose in front of the fresh-cut flowers in the Hotel Grand Intercontinental. Neither are allowed to date or even speak to members of the opposite sex, so just move long, nothing here to see.

More to come, often, from both Rach and I.