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Some of my blog friends were having a conversation offline about a post at PR, Marketing and the business of CAD that covered the Mechanical Media Summit where Autodesk revealed their new “forward-thinking solution” to do away with PLM. Digital Prototyping.
“It is presented as a way to prove a new product, prototype it digitally, fully simulate it digitally and manufacture it digitally, prior to committing to the production line.”
Hmm. Now, ponder that for a moment.
Prototyping something digitally (modeling) that allows manufacturing an opportunity to critique is hardly a new concept, maybe newish, or new from a 2D pencil and pad, 1983, fax it on over, completely oblivious and unorganized, third world point-of-view. But let’s pretend to get excited for a moment. It’s hard, I know. Put yourself in a Content Editor’s shoes and think of all the ads you could sell, buzz you could generate, and the friends you could make. Or better yet, in a manufacturer’s shoes, since this is what it’s aimed at. If this, for one moment, seemed like it could be beneficial, how likely would you be to try it out?
We try out things again, because they’ve been repackaged in a shiny wrapper or new name. Digital Prototyping is what you as a designer/engineer do each day. There are probably things that will make this easier for you, but it’s not going to be a word, or really even software. Software and hardware are tools that can help, but if you really want a word for something that will help with product lifecycle, how about DISCIPLINE.
If anything needs help it’s how companies organize and allow others to access their information. Not a top heavy PDM system. I can get it modeled. Give me something to seamlessly and effectively kill the inefficiency in between engineering start and manufacturing finish. A web-based, slick-as-snot, data collector/compiler/sender/notifier of a system to communicate back-and forth between customer(manf) and vendor(eng). Two points, the cycle is gone and I’m getting things done.
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I originally titled this “How SolidWorks Viral Marketing Ideas Could be Funnier”, but from a marketing standpoint, being funny is only part of the mix. To truly be effective you need to convince me of something.
Dassault Systemes released their 2nd quarter earnings today. Overall they’re doing well. Although the increases seem small, Dessault continues to grow thier research in technology, in particulalrly web-based technology with 3DVIA product.
After being with SolidWorks since 1996 and leading since 2001, John McEleney has stepped down as CEO. Dassault Systèmes has named Jeff Ray as his replacement.
Since their launch in March of 2007, SpaceClaim, out of Concord, Mass. has been making some waves with their new solid modeler. I’m even starting to hear more talk about it amongst the casual uninterested CAD users. Their assertions to a “highly flexible design environment” make some wonder if this is a fresh approach to solid modeling.
Getting SolidWorks into India isn’t anything new, but it seems a push is being made, at least with headlines. A load of articles came out June 12th about SolidWorks in India.
