MCAD Tech News #181

Documentary investigates the untimely death of the electric car

Although it may be true that Video Killed the Radio Star (the first music video by the Buggles broadcast on MTV in the 1980s), what is responsible for killing the electric car? That’s the question raised in a movie I recently saw, titled Who Killed the Electric Car? It's a documentary that investigates the birth and death of the electric car, specifically, General Motors' EV1 (electric vehicle), as well as the role of renewable energy and sustainable living in the future. Being shown at select theaters around the country, it's a thought-provoking film, but not without fault. I found the documentary very timely considering my last column discussed the MIT Vehicle Summit and its intent to use myriad innovative power sources and drivetrains to develop high-efficiency automobiles.

The Movie

Who Killed the Electric Car is a controversial movie that attempts to introduce the good aspects of electrical vehicles and it does make some good points, but it often trips over itself and relies on conspiracy theory, unfounded allegations and a few conspicuous errors. Faults aside, the film addresses some compelling issues that should concern us all. Read more>>

by Mike Hudspeth

The only constant is change. It's not an original concept, but how many things in our jobs stay the same year in and year out? Statistics show we will change what we do as many as six times in our lives. With all that change, how can we expect our design data to stay in the same format forever? But there's no need to lose out when we transition to a newer technology. We can still get plenty of use out of our legacy data. We just need to know what to do. Read more >>

Mark Your Calendar: MCAD Events

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

Autodesk 2007 Manufacturing Solutions Premiere
July 20, 2006
Santa Clara, California
Hagerman & Company invites manufacturing professionals in the Bay Area to a free event to see Autodesk’s latest developments in manufacturing design and gain insights on how to integrate them into their company's existing design cycle. Read more

Agile Leadership Summit
July 26, 2006
Minneapolis, Minnesota
The Agile Leadership Summit is designed to help attendees of the Agile 2006 Conference discover how their organizations can adopt and scale Agile development practices. Read more

Autodesk Inventor v11 Workshops
August 11, 2006
Charlotte, North Carolina; Greensboro, North Carolina; Cedar Rapids, Iowa; Lexington, Kentucky
August 18, 2006
Richmond, Virginia
Avatech Solutions invites mechanical design professionals to participate in these free workshops to learn about moving 2D geometry-based objects over to 3D models using the latest Autodesk Inventor software. Read more

Southern California CAD Summit
August 24, 2006
Long Beach, California
This event includes more than 25 CAD-related educational sessions geared toward professionals in the civil, mechanical and architectural design, building, engineering and geospatial industries. Read more

DELMIA 2006 Worldwide User Conferences
October 11-12, 2006
Dearborn, Michigan 
October 18-19, 2006
Fellbach, Germany
October 31-November 1, 2006
Yokohama, Japan
Dassault Systemes announced its 2006 DELMIA digital manufacturing Worldwide User Conferences for representatives of various industries to exchange ideas and information about the impact of digital manufacturing in product creation. Read more

what's new at cadalyst.com

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

PLM Strategies – Before You Tee Off or Suit Up: PLM advice from consumer goods manufacturers.

Check Out Cadalyst's Job Search! If you're in the market for a new job -- or if you just want to see what's out there -- Cadalyst.com offers a new online Job Search that will help. Powered by Indeed, this new search tool offers a state-by-state list of CAD-related job openings, or you can customize a search to find your own list of U.S. job openings based on the keywords and locations you specify. Check it out today! Use the Job Search button on Cadalyst's Manufacturing Web site or click here for a direct link.

Cadalyst Daily Update
For all the latest news and new products, subscribe to Cadalyst Daily e-newsletter. Plus, every issue includes a feature you won’t find anywhere else -- hardware and CAD software reviews, success stories, AutoCAD tips and much more! Here’s a sample of what you missed in the past week:

• 3D All Around Case Study: Machinery maker KVAL discovers companywide benefits using Lattice 3D file-compression technology to share large SolidWorks files.

• Dialog Box July 2006: The readers have their say.

About the Author
Jeffrey Rowe is the principal of Cairowest Group, an independent industrial design, mechanical engineering and technical communication consulting firm with offices in Colorado and Michigan. You can reach him at jrowe@cairowest.com or 719.539.8549.

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