MCAD Tech News #160

Show Report: Autodesk University 2005

3D is the future, but don't count out 2D yet

I just returned from Autodesk University (AU) 2005, Autodesk's 13th annual user conference, held this year at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida. I was among the 5,000+ in attendance and came away with a good feel as to where the company is heading -- both in general terms and on the mechanical side of things. Although 5,000+ attendees sounds like a lot -- and it is -- keep in mind that these attendees represented many disciplines that use Autodesk's broad product spectrum: mechanical design and manufacturing, mapping, architecture, entertainment, architecture, civil engineering and so on.

The conference itself consisted of more than 400 educational courses, keynote speeches, an exhibit floor with almost 100 exhibitors, and of course, the opportunity for "mega-networking" with a multitude of fellow users and Autodesk employees.

One of the nice things about this AU compared with previous years was the fact that members of the media and industry analysts were not required to sign a nondisclosure agreement before attending. The downside to this is the fact that not a whole lot of specific future product information was discussed -- a disappointment to those of us who attend these events in hopes of obtaining information that will help with future product reviews. Suffice it to say that a load of mechanical design products will be shipped in the spring of 2006, including Inventor, AutoCAD Electrical, AutoCAD Mechanical and Mechanical Desktop. Good news for those of you who use AutoCAD Mechanical and Mechanical Desktop: Autodesk has committed to further development and support for these products because they still have a good customer base. Read more >>

Tech Trends -- Made in China, Part 2: The North American Advantage

by Kenneth Wong

During a recent broadcast of CBS Evening News, a car commercial came on. As the automaker pledged its commitment to the American economy, a chrome-colored vehicle sped through scenes of industrial prowess: busy plant floors with welding sparks flying, engineers in lab coats holding clipboards and assembly lines staffed with proud workers. "We've invested over $1 billion in North America to create a car like you've never seen before," said the earnest voiceover. The automaker touted its new design and research center in California, its state-of-the-art production facilities in Alabama and Michigan and the thousands of new American jobs it had created. It wasn't GM or Ford. It was Hyundai Motor America, a subsidiary of the Hyundai Motor Company. Read more >>

Mark Your Calendar: MCAD Events
Introduction to AutoCAD Electrical
December 16, 2005, 8:30 a.m. PT
Free Autodesk Web presentation will show how AutoCAD Electrical allows you to create and modify electrical control designs that integrate with the AutoCAD design environment.

For Cadalyst's full calendar of events, click here>>

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Online Archives:Click here to view an online version of this newsletter and past issues of MCAD Tech News.

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PLM Strategies-The SMB Serenade: PLM for small and midsize businesses.