AUGIWorld Magazine - November/December 2008 - (Page 4) The CAD Manager Dictums of Design Software Development We are in a time of dynamic innovation. Software design for CAD has made a leap forward. It has changed the way we do business and it is changing the landscape of design. There are now more tools that are not just CAD, but are aligned with disciplines and engineering markets. This does not mean that we have abandoned the AutoCAD® base, but points the way to the software of the future. The market can now handle large niche tools focused on one discipline alone—tools for architects, engineers, manufacturing, and construction. Innovation always precedes standardization. You can see it all over the place, with all kinds of items including iPods, mobile phones, high-def standards for DVD players, and more. The marketplace is filled with innovative tools and devices that are mimicked by others and have proprietary formats and designs. Dictum #1 - The discussion of innovative tools always advances faster than the tool itself. I will first focus on BIM. I work in the architectural side of the house and, in my circles, this is the topic of choice. Depending on your industry, your tool may be Autodesk Inventor® or AutoCAD® Civil 3D® or something else. The same principles most likely apply to your industry. When Revit entered the market, it slowly gained momentum from the conversations that surrounded the tool. The early adopters sang the praises of this “remarkable leap forward in technology.” As more people started using the software, word began to spread. Enter the marketing (and purchasing) power of Autodesk and the conversation expanded. Autodesk acquired the software developers and the tool. They started generating a lot of interest in thinking about where the tool might go. People started dialogs that wandered into daydreaming about the possibilities of the future. Soon these musings took on a life of their own. People were defining and redefining BIM. Developers defined the term to include their software offerings. Firms expanded the term to include the software that they were using. Owners expanded the term so that it appeared that no one had the right tool. It got really crazy for awhile. While this conversation was progressing, the advancement of the tool lagged behind it. Don’t get me wrong, the tools were making remarkable strides forward. Developers jumped on the bandwagon, creating and enhancing their BIM software lines. The industry was reaping the benefits of advancing tools. w w w. A U G I . c o m and 3D rapid prototyping, which is used in manufacturing. Standards lag behind tool innovation But standards provide a platform for innovation Standardizing always lags behind innovation, and for good reason. It is hard to standardize something that is changing at every turn. One cannot expect a high level of standardization in the early years of any tool. But as the tools mature, standards actually spur greater innovation. Shifting back to CAD. In 1963, we had the beginnings of CAD in the development of the SKETCHPAD system by Ivan Sutherland at MIT. Autodesk was founded in 1982 by John Walker. CAD saw innovation from many firms that we all remember (or, perhaps, wish to forget). Today, we find ourselves at the introduction of BIM (Business Information Modeling) As innovation proceeds, there is a need for standards so that innovation can be commoditized and fit for mass consumption. CAD and BIM will struggle with interchangeable efforts (interoperability) until they can be standardized. I now turn to the general observations of developing software. These are observations that I have pondered for a while. I now realize that some general concepts start falling into place. I am now ready to lay out my dictums related to the progression of software development and use. A dictum is an authoritative, often formal pronouncement made by someone in reference to a subject, but may not necessarily influence the subject being discussed. 4 http://www.augi.com
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