MCAD Tech News #190
18 Oct, 2006 By: Jeffrey RoweECAD Marches in Step with MCAD Electronic computer-aided design becomes an integral part of mechanical design About a year ago, two companies -- PTC and UGS -- made important announcements. Although they shared a common thread, I dismissed it at the time. However, in the past year, the potential impact and implications of the announcements have brought this thread front and center -- namely, the continued merging of ECAD (electronic computer-aided design) and MCAD (mechanical computer-aided design), and how the combination is influencing both design and manufacturing. Windchill Takes On ECAD Last year, PTC announced new Windchill capabilities designed to optimize the development of products that mix mechanical, electrical and software components. The extension of PLM to include software development was what I found compelling about the announcement, because they are so different and complex. Many companies that develop mechanical or electronic products with embedded software struggle to ensure that the correct source code is delivered with the right version of the finished product. Windchill 8.0 introduced a process to handle this by interfacing with SCM (Software Configuration Management) systems that manage software source code and related software artifacts. The Windchill Integration for Rational ClearCase integrated IBM Rational ClearCase, an SCM system, with Windchill. This module enables the synchronization of data generated by software developers with the appropriate versions of the corresponding mechanical and electrical designs, all within a single system. Read more>> By Mike Hudspeth, IDSA 3D modeling provides many ways to get things done. All methods and tools at your disposal have their advantages and disadvantages. It's up to the 3D designer to know the tools and select which to use in a given situation. To be a master modeler, you can't lock yourself into one way of doing things. It takes more work, to be sure, but the benefits down the road will pay off. Mark Your Calendar: MCAD Events For Cadalyst's full calendar of events, click here >> The Power of Adobe Acrobat 8 Seminar UK Rhino User Meeting Second International Conference on Rapid Manufacturing Online Archives:Click here to view an online version of this newsletter and past issues of MCAD Tech News. MCAD Modeling Methods -- State of the MCAD Industry: Look at products and users, as well as companies’ financial strength. On the Edge -- Explode, Render and Animate in Solid Edge: Use your Solid Edge 3D models to generate animations and motion simulations. 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 an online Job Search that will help. Powered by Indeed, this 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
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