MCAD Tech News (#231)

A Tale Of Two Events

Being shut out of one event and welcomed at another made for an interesting beginning of the new year.

By Jeffrey Rowe

As I have for the past several years, I was hoping to cover and report this week on some of the highlights of the 2008 North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) in Detroit, Michigan. However, that plan was foiled late last month when I was denied credentials to get into the show, even though I qualified based on the requirements and my past coverage, for example, issues #198 and #200 of MCAD Tech News that discussed GM's hybrid vehicle, the Volt.

When I received the email notifying me I had been denied admission as a press member, I immediately called the press office and asked why I had been denied a credential. I also implored that I was especially interested in this year's show because I understood that a number of sustainable automotive technologies would be introduced and showcased, as well as providing an opportunity to speak directly with some of the designers and engineers who created the vehicles. I was put on hold while the person on the other end looked for my application and associated story files to support the application. With more than 6,000 media attendees accepted, I was upset and curious as to why I did not make the cut.

When the representative returned to the phone, she told me the reason for my denial was because the articles I had written in the past for Cadalyst were too "technical" in nature and focused on design technologies and not necessarily design as an end. She reminded me that the Detroit Auto Dealers Association (DADA) literally runs the show and determines which press members get in and which do not. From a press perspective, she said that the organization considers the glamour and the glitz to be more important than technologies, because in the opinion of the organization, it is the former that sells cars, and after all, that's why they're in business -- to push more metal. When asked why I had received all of the mailings and emails regarding press coverage of the show all throughout 2007 and to this day, and still denied admittance, she couldn't come up with an answer.Read more »

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Cadalyst contributing editor 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 by e-mail at jrowe@cairowest.com or by phone at 719.539.8549.

Low- or No-Cost CAD (MCAD Modeling Column)

By Mike Hudspeth, IDSA

When I was a kid, I built models all the time, and being a huge science fiction nut most of them were spaceships. After a while, I started to build my own designs, but I was always somewhat limited by the parts I could get or what I could make.

When I got a little older, my company jumped onto the 3D solid modeling bandwagon. I was hooked! I had access to a tool that would allow me to make my models any way I wanted, without physical limitations. The only problem was I only had so much time on the computer, and -- go figure -- the company wanted me to concentrate on work-related activities. I needed something of my own. Read more»

Mark Your Calendar: MCAD Events

SolidWorks World 2008
January 20-23, 2008
San Diego, California
The SolidWorks World 2008 International User Conference & Exposition promises general sessions, more than 150 in-depth training sessions, 200 new products in the 9,000 sq. ft. Product Design Showcase, and more than 100 innovative solutions in the most expansive Partner Pavilion yet. Read more

3D Scanning 2008
May 20-22, 2008
Lake Buena Vista, Florida
Presented by the Society of Manufacturing Engineers (SME), 3D Scanning: Reverse Engineering, Analysis, and Inspection Conference will be co-located with RAPID 2008 Conference & Exposition. The conference will give participants practical knowledge to support effective technology selection and use. Read more

BE Conference 2008
May 28-30, 2008
Baltimore, Maryland
This year the BE Conference will take place as one global event, with the welcome reception scheduled for the previous day. You can register to receive information on training options, registration, travel and accommodations, BE Awards of Excellence, and other related BE Conference items. Read more