Bentley Systems and McNeel and Associates both recently announced new modelling tools which are primarily designed for architects. This wouldn’t normally be of interest to DEVELOP3D, but there’s increasing trend of cross pollination between the product development and architectural sectors.

While major architectural firms are looking to product development technology to help generate complex models, generative parametric systems which are used for architectural form generation and dynamic conceptual modelling, are also being sought out by product designers.

With generative technology, the user scripts a framework or description of a complex shape, and the computer then generates it. Using variables and sliders, it’s also possible to drive the underlying framework to create the form.

Bentley Systems has led the field with Generative Components, which is built on top of MicroStation. However, the company has just released a Discovery Subscription that allows access to the current shipping version at a very low cost of $250.

Meanwhile Robert McNeel and Associates has also launched Grasshopper, a highly innovative visual-programming system for generating parametric, dynamic geometry which runs in its popular Rhino modelling too. Grasshopper is free to Rhino users.

Bentley recently lost its Chief Scientist and father of Generative Components to Autodesk, so expect another Generative product at some point in the future.

http://grasshopper.rhino3d.com. www.generativecomponents.com

It seems that Autodesk is looking to acquire Flomerics and its range of CFD-based simulation technologies. According to a statement released by Flomerics, this comes after Mentor Graphics tried to acquire the company early this quarter.

According to the statement:

Autodesk, Inc. (‘Autodesk’) and the Board of Directors of Flomerics Group PLC (‘Flomerics’ or the ‘Company’) are pleased to confirm that Autodesk is in continuing discussions with Flomerics and its advisers in respect of a possible offer for the Company.

These discussions are progressing and further announcements will be made in due course. At this stage, however, there can be no certainty that an offer from Autodesk will be forthcoming, nor as to the terms on which any offer might be made.

Unfortunately, I have no idea how these things work, but this is interesting for many reasons. If you take the MCAD market as a whole, there are a couple of missing gaps in several vendor’s offerings and they relate to simulation. Namely, PTC and Autodesk don’t have a decent Fluid Flow and Heat Transfer analysis offering.

In the world of CAD integrated CFD, PTC has always had a very strong relationship with Blue Ridge Numerics. Meanwhile Flomerics had been the outsider, until it acquired Nika last year. Nika develop the CFD code that’s the underlying base technology for SolidWorks’ FloWorks as well as its other EFD products.

What’s intriguing is that Flomerics has a very wide range of interests. From the EFD tools for CAD integrated CFD, through more specialist electronics-related simulation with the FloTherm products and into the AEC market with the HVAC-biased product, FloVent. Now, who in the CAD world covers mechanical and architectural design? Yup. Autodesk.

It appears to be early days, but this move makes a hell of a lot of sense. What will happen to FloWorks? Will SolidWorks have to go elsewhere for that technology? Would PTC buy out Blue Ridge as a result? who knows? its all speculation. But purely in terms of Product Development Technology, this is interesting. If Autodesk can bring CFD in house (it already has FEA from the PlassoTech aquisition), it is acquiring Moldflow, the company looks be building a very interesting technology base for its Digital Prototyping concept that might finally see it delivered.

I got a release through from UK SolidWorks VAR, New Technology CADCAM about it adding SimpoeWorks to its product portfolio. I recently talked, following the Autodesk/Moldflow acquisition, about how there were limited options for those looking to perform injection moulding simulation, citing the only other code I was aware of being Vero’s VISI-Flow. It seems I was wrong and SimpoeWorks is “fully featured general purpose plastic injection simulation software for plastic injection analysis.” It’s a SolidWorks Gold Partner Product offering “complete filling, packing, cooling and part warpage simulation”

They say computers stifle creative talent, but in Erik Nordenankar’s crazy little Swedish mind the computer - in this instance a GPS in a briefcase - is the driving force for design.

For his graduation project in Advertising and Graphic design Erik sent his briefcase around the world in order to create the Biggest Drawing in the World.

Erik gave DHL highly detailed instructions of where to send his briefcase and over the next 55 days tracked its journey via GPS. The information was downloaded to his computer and produced a wonderful self portrait of the man himself - his ear in Paris, hand in Papua New Guinea and student bed head tuft of hair smack bang in the middle of Iceland.

The amazing results can be seen on YouTube and Erik’s own little website. He’s not a bad looking chap. www.biggestdrawingintheworld.com

Why use a mouse for CAD when you can use a briefcase

OK, i’ll fess up. He didn’t actually send his briefcase round the world - he is a poor student after all - but what a great concept. 700,000 viewers on YouTube to date certainly seem to think so. I wonder what kick back he got from DHL. Probably not nearly enough. You can’t pay for marketing this good.