March 13th, 2010 in
Web 2.0 |
View Comments Solidworks’ recent tech preview of a future, possible, cloud-based 3D design solution sparked a wave of controversy within the CAD ranks. I was surprised at the sharply negative response from many bloggers, twits, and commentors. My cloud guru, Derek Cooper, points out that most of these people are using cloud based solutions already and just don’t realize it. Anyone using Gmail or Yahoo Mail, for example?
Years ago, I had a hand in helping to move a sales organization from an old-school CRM tool, Goldmine, to a cloud-based beauty, Salesforce.com. Not everyone wanted to make the move. There were knee-jerk reactions like:
“Yeah, but what if I need my data in an airplane?!?”
“Yeah, but what if the internet goes out?!?”
“Yeah, but what if someone else screws up the data for my account?!?”
“Yeah, but you’re letting some other company control your data?!?”
“Yeah, didn’t Nostradamus predict this to be an end-of-days harbinger?!?”
I don’t think such a move would be so shocking these days. The proliferation of cloud-based applications in use have made the idea comfortable for most folks. So, again, I’m surprised at the outpouring of negativity towards the idea of cloud-based 3D applications.
Maybe if folks explored the many cloud-based tools out there, they’d start to reach the comfort level I have. I guess I’ve gotten to the point where I don’t really care if it’s cloud based or not. I just want it to work quickly and efficiently. If it has some of the advantages inherent with cloud-based technology, even better. Here are some of my favorites:
CRM
Spreadsheets, Wordprocessing, etc
Presentations
Mindmapping
Image Editing
Audio Editing
I’m pretty well convinced that any terra-firma-based application you use today has (or will shortly have) a cloud-based alternative. The Aviary and Myna tools above showcase how even processor-intensive, multimedia apps are moving into the cloud.
What are your favorite cloud-based tools out there?
Please comment below on apps for any use or from any category.
I’m thrilled to report that I’ve been selected to present at the NAFEMS UK 2010 event on June 8-9. NAFEMS is the largest (only?) not-for-profit association focused on CAE awareness, training, and education.
February 21st, 2010 in
Podcasts |
View Comments MatWeb is a great online resource for all engineers. With searchable properties for over 76,000 materials, you are sure to find the right material for your application.
I recently interviewed one of MatWeb’s founders, Dr. Dale Kipp, to learn more about the service.
Here’s a simple technique I use to maximize the value of even the most boring and useless of meetings.
A little friday engineering humor. Well, 2 out of 3 ain’t bad.
Just discovered a killer (and mostly unpublicized) enhancement in the latest release of SpaceClaim. This one helps you remove problematic rounds and fillets to make your FEA and CFD meshing life easier.
Don’t get the world of Facepukes and Twitterheads? Here are a few tips to help you sanely give social media a shot.
A quick video tip on using “mouse gestures” in SpaceClaim or Firefox.
There’s a lot of talk about Direct or Explicit Modeling being the next big thing. I disagree. The “Citizen Designer” is far more compelling.
An invitation for all you smart CAE people to put on your thinking caps and predict the next big thing.
Check out this job posting from the CFdesign team. They are looking for a Product Marketing Manager to manage what looks like a fun, modern set of responsibilities.
A little rant about misleading findings (my opinion) in a recent Aberdeen Group report on “Product Design Made Easy.”
A review of Chris Anderson’s book, The Long Tail; and a prediction for an unprecedented explosion in 3D data.
SpaceClaim is legendary for its ability to automatically make unwanted rounds disappear so you can create better FEA & CFD meshes. These videos demonstrate 3 techniques for dealing with the tougher rounds requiring a bit more attention.
My friends at CFdesign sent me a preview copy of their latest release, 2010. My first thought was, “Wow, the teenager has grown up.” There are too many cool new features and improvements for me to do this release justice. So, I decided to focus on just the new workflow in this video review.
The coolest explanation of lost wax investment casting I’ve ever seen. The engineering talk starts at about 2:02 and includes some shots of our technology partner, Rhino3D.
While traditional CAD is focused on reducing costs, it rarely plays a significant role in the sales (revenue) trenches. 3D Direct Modeling, however, is a perfect fit.
Jim Brown writes an excellent (and accurate) article about SpaceClaim’s intent to shake up the industry in order to help customers find more profit. Also, a timely new “dots presentation” about disruptive technologies. Hmm…
Wicked cool video showing Windows 7 multitouch in action on a beta version of SpaceClaim 2009. Astounding.
A cool video from my new favorite Aussie demonstrating his voice control hack for SpaceClaim.
