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Last night at 11 PM CST Microsoft let loose the fetters of Live Mesh, a new platform technology to synchronize and interact with data across any device and access it from anywhere from any computer or browser.
Oh, but it’s so much more and it could, and I think will, affect how you work with CAD in ways you may not realize.
Please Explain
Ok, Mesh is not just a web app or program. It’s an entire operating environment. If you think of it like a GoToMyPC + FolderShare + Plaxo Pulse you start to get the picture and a little more excited, but there’s still more.
Additionally, Mesh can run items offline, uses standard protocols like ATOM, RSS, JSON, and HTTP, plus has a software developer’s kit (SDK) to extend syncing and allow add-ins. It’s all the goodness of Web2.0 that can help CAD get there too.
How it Could (Will) Affect CAD
Five ways I see this affecting CAD and really how you work in general is having the ability to:
- Run CAD and related programs on any device
- Sync CAD data across multiple devices and locations
- Access data anywhere
- Work online or offline in a sychronous environment
- Replicated vaults/directories
For example, SolidWorks could very well be tied into Mesh that syncs your data to other secured computers where people are working in the same projects while live information and communication about the design process is happening right before your eyes.
It’s in development beta right now and will probably be in full-force early fall 08. It all seems promising, but for it to hold any ground it’s going to have to gain adoption fast and adopting new tech tends to happens pretty slow in most companies using CAD.
What do you think?
More here:
10 Things to know about Live Mesh
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Hi Josh,
Nice post. I think this or things like it will be huge in the near future. As I have mentioned before I am using Foldershare to sync files between my home PC and a company across the country. It has worked great so far and has really opened a door to an opportunity much easier and more efficiently than it could have been before this (gather up files and FTP, email, certain enterprise PDM packages, etc…). Foldershare looks like it will be included as maybe one cog in the wheel of Live Mesh. Very exciting. In your ultimate PDM asassin post I mentioned that the web and OS’s are doing more of the daily PDM stuff and although its not really CAD centric yet - it definitely is heading in that direction. Live Mesh looks like it will open the doors further for 3rd party vendors (SolidWorks) to use the hooks to make Live Mesh function more “CAD central”. We are living in interesting times…
I should mention that with Foldershare I have synced close to 9,000 files - which translates into GigaBytes of data. It quickly keeps up with changes as well.
Hey, Pete, thanks, I’m glad you commented. What you’re doing is a perfect example of how this could change and help how you work. If the CAD vendors/developers latch onto this i have no doubt it will help people with what they design.
More info about the technical aspects and possibilities of Live Mesh, and why it’s not that new for some
http://www.clariusconsulting.net/blogs/kzu/archive/2008/04/24/61728.aspx
Hey Daniel, looks like you guys are doing some really great stuff.
“it can be applied to really free the data once and for all, regardless of platform, application, format, language, etc.”
That’s going to be huge for sure. Open-source is even better and I’m looking forward to what handlers and add-ins you all cooks up. Thanks for the comment!
>Run CAD and related programs on any device.
I think not. I can’t see how an iPhone will ever run SolidWorks — with or without becoming en-Mesh’ed with Microsoft.
Hey Ralph, I agree, but a CAD program on a portable device (iPhone, EeePC, Nokia810) is definitely feasible at some point. High-end photo editors are transitioning to web-based formats, and video production is making headway with HD coming online (latest at Smugmug.com) - so I have no doubt that 3D visual and quick geometry creation will begin to show up online, in fact I know of one in the works that looks promising.