CAD Manager's Newsletter (#240)

CAD Management in a New Economy, Part 1

CAD managers report that the economic recession has wrought changes in their companies — and their jobs.

I've had the pleasure of traveling a good deal this year, and speaking to many groups of CAD managers throughout the United States. I've taken the opportunity to ask these CAD managers lots of questions about their experiences during the economic recession, and how their jobs have been changing as a result.

In the next two editions of the CAD Manager's Newsletter, I'll be reporting my findings and providing advice for how you can best deal with the changes in the CAD manager's role. Here goes.

Has the Situation Changed?

The first set of questions I've asked CAD management groups are as follows:

• Has the way you work — or the workload in your company — changed since the recession began?
• If so, how?
• What are the resulting impacts on your CAD management duties?
• Do you see the economy improving, staying the same, or getting worse as far as your company is concerned?

My goal in asking these questions was simply to evaluate how many CAD managers are operating in a changed environment as a result of the recession, and to gauge how that change has manifested itself. I purposely left the questions open-ended so as to encourage unbiased responses; I didn't want to influence the participants with any of my opinions at that stage of the conversation.

What follows is the feedback I've received. Read more »

:: CAD Manager's Toolbox: Mastering Windows 7

Do you have questions about fine-tuning and debugging? This super site could be the resource you've been searching for.

I've been using Windows 7 for a while now, and I'm starting to see it much more frequently in the field, particularly on laptops. However, I haven't been able to find many resources for technical tips and debugging — until recently, when I found Windows7start.com. Read more »

Do you have a helpful tip or item for the CAD Manager's Newsletter? Send it to me at rgreen@cad-manager.com. If I use your tip in the newsletter you'll receive a cool Cadalyst prize!

:: Resources

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Updates BIM Guide
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs has released an updated version of its BIM Guide for project delivery. With this update, VA reportedly becomes the first large owner to require that construction product submittals use the COBIE (construction operations building information exchange) standard as the methodology to electronically transfer post-construction building information for facilities management.

CAD Industry Is Experiencing Gradual Recovery, Says JPR Report
Research and consulting firm Jon Peddie Research (JPR) has released the "2010 JPR CAD Report" ($5,000+), which includes information on worldwide CAD software revenues, market share, and the user base, as well as forecasts for the major CAD segments. JPR predicts that the CAD market will increase 5% to $5.4 billion in 2010, and will fully recover by 2013/2014.

MAXON Provides CINEMA 4D Tutorials
MAXON Computer, developer of the 3D modeling, painting, animation, and rendering solution CINEMA 4D, is including a new tutorial series in the free CINEMA 4D documentation package. The series takes users through entire project phases, covering modeling, animation, materials, lighting, and more. The new tutorials are free of charge and can be downloaded via the Online Updater from the MAXON web site.

CIMdata Releases Dassault Systèmes V6 IP Lifecycle Management Report
Product lifecycle management (PLM) consulting and research firm CIMdata has released a free report entitled, "Dassault Systèmes V6 IP Lifecycle Management." This review presents CIMdata's perspectives on the V6 platform's solutions that support the management of intellectual property (IP) throughout the product lifecycle. The report presents the essential features and capabilities of Dassault Systèmes' V6 IP Lifecycle Management solution in the context of its integration into a broad PLM solution for large- to medium-sized businesses.

:: Events

PTC/USER World Event 2010
June 6–9, 2010
Orlando, Florida
The PTC/USER World Event is designed for professionals who use PTC products and services, including Arbortext, CoCreate, Mathcad, Pro/ENGINEER, ProductView, and Windchill. Read more »

Webinar: CGschool Visualization Courses
June 7–11, 2010
Various times
The CGschool will be broadcasting five free, one-hour webinars by industry experts from around the world. Each class consists of an overview of a course currently offered at The CGschool. Read more »

SIGGRAPH 2010
July 25–29, 2010
Los Angeles, California
SIGGRAPH 2010 — the 37th International Conference and Exhibition on Computer Graphics and Interactive Techniques — will comprise technical and creative programs focusing on research, science, art, animation, music, gaming, interactivity, education, and the web. Read more »

For a complete list of CAD meetings, conferences, training sessions, and more, check out our calendar of events on Cadalyst.com. Are you hosting an event that you would like to include in our calendar? Submit details at least two weeks in advance to news@cadalyst.com.

:: What's New at Cadalyst.com

Virtual Facility Simulation Cuts Data Center Cooling Costs
Cisco Systems saves an estimated $120,000 per year by redesigning exhaust circulation using Future Facilities' 3D modeling technology. Read more »

ArchiCAD Insights Tutorial: ArchiCAD's Rotated Views
Use ArchiCAD's Oriented Views feature to work with models at various angles. Read more »

Autodesk Fortifies Digital Prototyping with Ground-Breaking Inventor Features and New Products for 2011
Direct manipulation, as-you-go visualization, and design automation are new for Inventor, and Inventor Publisher and Alias Design for Inventor join the product line. Read more »