MCAD Tech News (#233)
13 Feb, 2008SolidWorks: A Look Back, a Look Ahead
Company applies lessons learned from v2008 to improve
next release. Here's a sneak peek.
By Jeffrey Rowe
Last month I attended SolidWorks World 2008 in San Diego, California. I came away impressed that some new faces in the executive ranks will carry on the good work that has been a trademark of the company since its inception almost 15 years ago.
As is tradition at SolidWorks World, on the final day of the conference the company unveiled the next release of its core product. SolidWorks 2009 was laid out in general terms.
Before I jump into discussing SolidWorks 2009, I'll to do a recap of SolidWorks 2008 to give some context for the most recent upgrade.
SolidWorks 2008: Where We've Been
Most releases of mechanical CAD (MCAD) software have a general theme. SolidWorks 2008 actually had three themes:
- focus on design, not CAD
- reuse existing designs
- improve designs
Although these themes aren't entirely new or unique in the MCAD world, they do provide a basis for discussing some of the highlights of v2008. Read more »
PTC Gets Explicit at Pro/E Wildfire 4.0 Launch
By Kenneth Wong
Last [month] in Boston, Massachusetts, when Jim Heppelmann, PTC's executive vice-president of software solutions and chief product officer, faced the international press assembled for the launch of Pro/ENGINEER Wildfire 4.0, he knew he needed to say a few words about CoCreate before he could introduce the star of the show.
Late last year, PTC snatched up CoCreate, a 3D CAD company headquartered in Germany, for approximately $250 million. The question Heppelmann anticipated was, "Now that you have two CAD systems, what are you going to do with them?"Read more»
Mark Your Calendar: MCAD Events
Eliminating Model Rework through Automated CAD Repair
Various dates through March 26
2 p.m. PT
ITI TranscenData, the Product Data Interoperability division of International TechneGroup Incorporated (ITI), is hosting a series of one-hour technical Webinars on the tools and techniques used to combat the labor waste associated with CAD model rework. ITI TranscenData will waive the Webinar fee for the February 19 and 26 events. Read more »
AUGI CAD Camp
February 21, 2008
Seattle, Washington
Presented by the Autodesk User Group International (AUGI), AUGI CAD Camp is a regional one-day training and networking event for Autodesk users. AUGI CAD Camp format includes both classroom instruction and peer-to-peer networking opportunities. Read more »
For a complete list of CAD meetings, conferences, training sessions, and more, check out our calendar of events on Cadalyst.com.
