Cadalyst - December 2007 - (Page 20)

cadlabsreview not force users to change their behaviors to conform to the software. Newforma Project Center relies on an inside-out rather than outside-in approach to sharing information within a project team. Most so-called extranets, project-specific Web site services, and similar project-collaboration networks shift the management of shared information outside any individual firm. Those services centralize a document repository, messaging clearinghouse, and transactional database. This approach would be ideal if only one such system existed or if firms only worked on one project at a time. However, hundreds of these services operated prior to the dot-com implosion in mid-2000, and dozens of contenders — from online plan rooms to full-blown electronic collaboration systems — are still out there. This diversity means that project managers dealing with multiple projects on behalf of any firm likely will face multiple interfaces, each with its own login and file structure and each demanding its own cycle of file uploads and synchronization. NewTek • LightWave v9 • www.newtek.com July 2007. LightWave v9, from NewTek, is an integrated 3D modeling, rendering, and animation program par excellence. With its wide range of tools, users can model just about anything they can imagine — and make it look like the real deal! The workspace defaults to a four-view layout that is very reminiscent of Alias. You have three orthographic views and one perspective view. Reviewer Mike Hudspeth noted that for professional graphics software, LightWave v9 is surprisingly easy on the pocketbook. To get the kind of quality output that LightWave v9 offers without breaking the bank seems to be a win–win scenario. Modeling in LightWave v9 is very freeform. Users just go in and start clicking. They can always adjust things later. Biomorphic shapes are a breeze for LightWave v9. Users can turn symmetry on, and whatever they do to one side happens to the other. The nice thing about this function is that users can build one side of a model and the other side will be done for them automatically. Siemens PLM Software • Solid Edge v20 • www.ugs.com September 2007. Solid Edge v20 is part of the UGS Velocity series, which also includes Teamcenter Express v2 to manage data and processes for design through manufacturing, Femap v9.3 for engineering analysis, and NX CAM Express v2. Solid Edge v20 includes 2D and 3D systems. So Velocity covers PLM, 3D solid modeling, engineering analysis, drafting, and CAM — all in one package! No wonder Solid Edge has seen a 19% annual license growth each year from 2005 to 2007. The Relationship Assistant in Solid Edge v20 helps users assign constraints to their assemblies — no matter where they came from. Reviewer Mike Hudspeth noted that collaboration is a big theme for Solid Edge v20. You can rest assured that whatever you model, someone’s going to want to do something with it, and Solid Edge v20 is up to the task of sharing information. All you need to do is set your server so everyone can access it via the Internet. In a service-oriented architecture (SOA), all of your important data may be controlled by that one server, which is accessible to everyone who has permission. Hardware @Xi Computer • Xi PowerGo 2Duo XT Mobile Workstation • www.xicomputer.com August 2007. @Xi Computer has a reputation for building speedy workstations that are among the fastest CAD and DCC systems to come through Cadalyst Labs, so it was no surprise that the Xi PowerGo 2Duo XT laptop was among the top in the class. The Xi PowerGo 2Duo XT laptop is a mobile workstation for those with decidedly large laps, because it measures 15.6” x 11.5” x The Xi PowerGo 2Duo XT has a wide-aspect2.3” (H x W x D) ratio 17” screen with a crisp, bright display. 20 December 2007 | cadalyst | www.cadalyst.com http://www.newtek.com http://www.xicomputer.com http://www.ugs.com http://www.cadalyst.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Cadalyst - December 2007

Cadalyst - December 2007 Contents Editor's Window Cad Central Autodesk Gets Digital Top Honors - Saluting Outstanding CAD Products NX 5, Part 2 — CAD/CAM/CAE Software Autodesk 3ds Max 2008 —3D Modeling, Animation, and Rendering Software Document Management: Is It Still Valid? Standardizing 3D Modeling Nomenclature Share and Share Alike Cad Cartoon Issue Indexes Cad Fidential

Cadalyst - December 2007

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