3Dconnexion 3D Mice now support Vectorworks 2011

It seems that I cannot have too many technical articles on SolidWorks Legion without also having straightforward product announcements in the mix.  I’ll have a couple of articles later this week that cover a topic I found to be interesting regarding glass standards by Paul Bieber.  For now, here is a product announcement from 3Dconnexion.

3Dconnexion announcements

Vectorworks3Dconnexion has announced that their full line of 3D mice now support 2D/3D AEC CAD design software.  By full line, I assume they are talking about currently supported 3D mice, such as the SpaceNavigator and SpacePilot.  Anyway, 3Dconnexion claims the following.

3D mice further enable professionals to draft any shape, on any plane, and in any view in an intuitive manner that augments the simplified and unified design experience offered in Vectorworks 2011.

When working in the true 3D modeling environment in Vectorworks 2011, 3Dconnexion 3D mice provide a level of design interaction that is unattainable with a traditional mouse and keyboard.

My own experience with 3Dconnexion

It should be noted, as a matter of disclosure, that 3Dconnexion did give me a SpacePilot PRO back in 2008.  They did so with no strings attached.  I can say whatever I want about the device (and I have).  In general, I have found the device indispensable.  It took time to become that valuable.  However, I must admit, when I find myself reaching for a 3D mice at someone else’s workstation and its not there, I know just how valuable the SpacePilot PRO is to me.

In other 3Dconnexion news

One more item for the day.  3Dconnexion has a design challenge.  The purpose of this challenge is allow users to show off their 3D skills.  This challenge is also promoting the fact that 3Dconnexion has a Facebook page.  For more information, check out their website.

3Dx Facebook Contest

3DVIA goes 3D

3DVIA Studio Stereoscopic immersionLast week, Dassault Systemes announced that the free download of the new 3DVIA Studio development environment now includes drag and drop stereoscopic 3D.  They state that this allows any user of the 3DVIA Studio to quickly create a “3D experience”, not only for 3D monitors and TVs, but also for non-stereoscopic screens using the traditional red-blue glasses.

They claim the new functionality in their free 3DVIA Studio application will help developers and “average customers”.  3DVIA Studio comes with tutorials that can get users started with this functionality within minutes.

I’ve personally not dabbled with the stereoscopic toys in 3DVIA Studio yet.  I did try out 3DVIA Studio recently, and I’m looking forward to playing around with it more.  For now, here’s a quick introductory video about the new fucntionality.

Draftsight for Mac now available: Free 2D CAD

DraftSight for Mac (a new CAD .dwg editor) is now available for download!  It is a beta release, so there is still room for improvement (not that I know what needs improving on the Mac version).  If you are a Mac user who’s interested in DraftSight, please join the DraftSight.com community to get ideas or provide your suggestions.

News of the day

Dassault Systèmes Forming Americas Campus in Greater Boston Area

World leader in 3D and PLM solutions leases to 320,000 square feet in Hobbs Brook Office Park Waltham marking largest lease in Greater Boston this year

BOSTON–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Dassault Systèmes, a world leader in 3D and Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) solutions, has signed a long term lease for 320,000 square feet of new first class office, technology lab and data center space in 175 Wyman Street and 185 Wyman Street, Waltham, MA. This is the largest lease transaction in Greater Boston in 2010. Dassault Systèmes will move here to create its new Americas corporate campus. Jones Lang LaSalle Executive Vice President and National Director Brendan Callahan, and Managing Director Alex Dauria represented Dassault Systèmes. Charles “Chip” Batchelder, Managing Director of Wyman St. Advisors represented the owner/developer Hobbs Brook Management. Jones Lang LaSalle was also named project manager for the development.

Dassault Systèmes, whose software brands include CATIA, DELMIA, ENOVIA, SIMULA, SOLIDWORKS, 3DVIA and EXALEAD, has outgrown existing facilities in Concord and Lowell, MA and will be expanding into this showcase campus for its combined workforce. They are scheduled to move into all of 175 Wyman Street totaling 211,741 square feet in mid-2011, and may grow into 185 Wyman Street thereafter. The Waltham location will initially accommodate 800 employees. Dassault Systèmes’ current real estate portfolio consists of its global corporate headquarters in Velizy, France, approximately 40 locations throughout North and South Americas, and numerous other offices across the globe.

“We are excited to announce a very important milestone in the evolution and visibility of Dassault Systèmes in North America. This outstanding new campus will enable us to consolidate our businesses and employees into a single, world-class state of the art Americas headquarters that truly reflects the vision of our company while allowing DS to optimize our operational effectiveness and efficiency as we execute our growth plans. The Boston area has been the birthplace of many of the world’s most brilliant high tech companies and we are pleased to announce DS’s commitment to this dynamic area for the long term,” said Al Bunshaft, Managing Director of Dassault Systèmes Americas.

“We are thrilled that global technology leader Dassault Systèmes chose to locate its new Americas corporate campus here in Massachusetts,” said Governor Deval Patrick. “This decision speaks to the economic opportunity, world class talent, and innovation that are unique to the Commonwealth, and we look forward to a long partnership with Dassault Systèmes moving forward.”

According to City of Waltham Mayor Jeannette A. McCarthy: “Dassault Systèmes is a wonderful addition to our city. They will be growing within a state-of-the-art office environment. Thank you to Dassault Systèmes, Hobbs Brook Management, and Jones Lang LaSalle for choosing Waltham.”

Hobbs Brook Management’s devotion to sustainability is evident through the sustainable aspects of this project, which include an integrated green cleaning program, mature landscaping, high-reflection roofing, preferred parking for hybrid-vehicles, and shower facilities for bicycle commuters.

The campus setting has visibility on Route 128 with views of the Cambridge Reservoir. The project features large floor plates and outdoor spaces that foster employee collaboration. The buildings have been certified LEED Gold by the United States Green Building Council (USGBC). Buildings’ amenities include underground parking and a state of the art cafeteria with outdoor terrace.

“The Dassault Systèmes site selection process was rigorous to include over 20 locations stretching from Boston to Route 495,” said Jones Lang LaSalle’s Callahan. “They selected 175 and 185 Wyman Street to maximize the efficiency and value of their real estate at this pivotal time of exponential growth.” Jones Lang LaSalle provides Dassault Systèmes with integrated real estate services including transaction management, portfolio management, strategic consulting, lease administration and project development. Mr. Callahan heads the account team. Elkus Manfredi will provide tenant architectural and design services. The building architect is Margulies Perruzzi Architects.

“We strive to offer the highest level of tenant satisfaction possible in every building that we own and operate, and we are particularly excited about leasing this space to Dassault Systèmes because of all of the ways the building contributes to sustainability,” said Thomas Dusel, CPA, CPM, president and chief operating officer of Hobbs Brook Management. “As a property owner and manager for nearly 60 years, it’s incredibly important to keep up with current building standards and we are proud to be able to feature such an aesthetically pleasing property that contributes health and environmental benefits not only to the tenants who work there, but also to the surrounding community.”

About Hobbs Brook Management LLC

As both owner and operator, Hobbs Brook Management LLC is committed to providing its tenants and their employees with a reliable and fully functional business environment. For leasing information, please visit www.hobbsbrook.com.

About Jones Lang LaSalle

Jones Lang LaSalle (NYSE:JLL) is a financial and professional services firm specializing in real estate. The firm offers integrated services delivered by expert teams worldwide to clients seeking increased value by owning, occupying or investing in real estate. With 2009 global revenue of $2.5 billion, Jones Lang LaSalle serves clients in 60 countries from 750 locations worldwide, including 180 corporate offices. The firm is an industry leader in property and corporate facility management services, with a portfolio of approximately 1.6 billion square feet worldwide. LaSalle Investment Management, the company’s investment management business, is one of the worlds largest and most diverse in real estate with approximately $38 billion of assets under management. For further information, please visit our Web site, www.joneslanglasalle.com.

SolidWorks 2011: Auto Arrange Dimensions tool

There is a a set of new drawing functions in SolidWorks 2011 that’s catching a lot of attention.  These are the Auto Arrange Dimensions tools which are built into the Dimension Palette. Using a thumb wheel and available options, the user may automatically space dimensions from smallest to largest, aligned and centered (where possible), spaced with the pre-set offset distances, adjusted to avoid overlapping, and staggered (where necessary).  In short, these tools automatically space and align selected dimensions with very little effort.

Currently, SolidWorks 2010 does have auto spacing for dimensions, but this can sometimes be more of a hassle than a benefit.  There’s a lot of potential with these new Auto Arrange Dimension tools.  They may allow the user to save time while giving them direct control over dimension placement.

Thumb wheel dimension spacing

Auto Arrange Dimensions is reportedly so easy to use, if dimensions of an entire drawing are selected, they can be spaced and aligned at once using this tool.

Alignment Tools on drawing, Align Stagger

If these tools work as well as promised, they can potentially save a lot of time when inserting or adding dimensions to drawings.  I guess the only addition I’d ask for is an option to automatically select every dimension on the drawing with the click of the mouse button to allow an entire drawing to be aligned and spaced in one quick action.