MCAD Tech News #191
1 Nov, 2006 By: Jeffrey RoweAutodesk’s philosophy supports design by function The technical software world always seems to have some controversy or point of contention swirling around. I’ve witnessed this time after time during the years I’ve covered and participated in the mechanical/manufacturing CAD industry. Recently, though, I’d be hard-pressed to come up with a software feature, capability, claim — whatever you want to call it — that’s stirred up more attention than functional design in Autodesk Inventor has. I’ve gotten more inquiries about functional design from users, competitors and even other editors -- what it is, what it isn’t, is it really unique and so on -- than just about any other topic in recent memory. Functional design has materialized in Inventor 11 and is not just a command or tool set, but rather a method or philosophy. This is an evolving Inventor usability issue and a different approach to 3D design. I know that I’ll get arguments from competitors, but with functional design, form doesn’t necessarily follow function; instead, function can drive form. Although still relatively young with a lot of room to grow, functional design is a knowledge content toolset that represents a movement from geometric descriptions to rudimentary knowledge capture. Functional design isn’t just a set of functions for creating 3D representations, it supports design by function.Read more>> By Ron LaFon Along with the extraordinary development of 3D design software has come the ability to turn drawings into visualizations that mimic reality. Whether it's to troubleshoot the design, convince a nervous client or sell a design firm's capabilities, the visualization of design data has completely changed the way many of us work. Modern products and structures can be complex and hard to picture from the underlying CAD drawings alone. Visualization is one of the impressive capabilities brought by modern computer systems and the associated software development. Getting a realistic idea of what a new building will look like in its proposed setting is a remarkable achievement, and many of the visualization applications described in this article can produce photorealistic results. Read more>> Mark Your Calendar: MCAD Events The Power of Adobe Acrobat 8 Seminar CAD Technology for Manufacturing and Interoperability Expo Autodesk 2007 Manufacturing Solutions PremiereNovember 8, 2006 MIT Manufacturing Conference December 6-7, 2006 10th Annual Applied Ergonomics Conference 2007 LMS Conference 2nd Annual 3DQuickPress International User Conference For Cadalyst's full calendar of events, click here >> Online Archives:Click here to view an online version of this newsletter and past issues of MCAD Tech News. CAD Manager -- Online Approaches to Archiving: Options proliferate for CAD project archives, including Internet-based storage. Avatech Tricks – Drawing for Dough, Part 1:Useful tips for getting the correct views in Autodesk Inventor. 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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