software exchange

Mind Mapping

Capability: SmartDraw now includes project management features with which users can create project charts, Gantt charts, bar graphs, and pie charts as well as schedules and forms. No drawing is necessary to create charts. Users begin with a template designed to create a type of illustration. They type in task, date, or duration, and the application creates a graphical depiction of the chart. The scale of the project can be changed from weeks to months, quarters, or years. Projects can be started as a visual outline or a mind map. Once the project is mapped, users toggle between the mind map and project chart view. Changes made in one view will be reflected in another.

Hardware: PC running Windows XP or NT.

Developer SmartDraw, 909 Mira Mesa Blvd., Suite 300, San Diego, CA 92131; (858) 225-3300; (fax) 858-225-3390; www.smartdraw.com.

Cost: $297 individual license, to start; $2,995 companywide subscription, to start.

www.me.ims.ca/7433-70 or circle 70

Depicting Flow

Capability: The updated Tecplot 360 2008 graphically simulates computational fluid dynamics and numerical simulation problems. One new feature, Python scripting, was added for engineers who require additional analysissuch as splines and statistical functions-and scripting flexibility. Python is an open-source, object-oriented programming language that can be integrated with other languages and standards libraries. Thus, Tecplot users can now take advantage of open-source libraries. Other features include support for native, arbitrary polyhedral elements. The application loads polyhedral meshes from sources such as Ansys Fluent, Star-CCM+, and Tecplot's own format. Results can be shared in the X3D open-source standard.

Hardware: PC running Windows XP or Vista, Macintosh OS X, Linux, or Unix.

Developer: Tecplot Inc., 3535 Factoria Blvd. SE, Suite 550, Bellevue, WA 98006; (425) 653-1200; fax (425) 653-9200; www.tecplot.com.

Cost: $3,000 to start.

www.me.ims.ca/7433-71 or circle 71

Animate CAD

Capability: Power Translators is now available for Maya from Autodesk. Maya is used to create digital images and animation. With the newly specialized Power Translators Maya software, users can import their NURBS CAD data into Maya and then render images. They control mesh quality. Tolerance and sewing tools automatically sew together surfaces that may not have been exported properly. Large CAD models and assemblies can be imported and rendered.

Hardware: PC running Windows NT or XP.

Developer: nPower Software, 13064 Trail Dust Ave., San Diego, CA 92129; (858) 592-8866; fax (858) 538-3800; www.npowersoftware.com

Cost: $495.

www.me.ims.ca/7433-72 or circle 72

Reusing Engineering Info

Capability: Lattice3D Outliner creates 2-D technical illustrations directly from 3-D data. It's a stand-alone application based on the vendor's XVL Studio platform and offers the capability to create and publish technical illustrations with exploded views, callouts, and user-controlled line weights. When used with the developer's XVL Studio platform, engineers can reuse 3-D engineering data-whether interactive or not-for downstream needs such as digital assembly, digital mock-up, training, assembly instructions, user manuals, maintenance and repair instructions, and marketing.

Hardware: PC running Windows XP or NT.

Developer Lattice Technology Inc., 582 Market St., Suite 1215, San Francisco, CA 94104; (415) 274-1670; fax (415) 274-1671; www.lattice3d.com.

Cost: $1,995.

www.me.ims.ca/7433-73 or circle 73

Share Files

Capability: Microspot DWG Viewer 1.6.6 is a universal version of the developer's 2-D AutoCAD file viewer. Apart from being Intel native, it also has updated support for the AutoCAD 2007 file format. Users can open layouts and models with the viewer. They can show, hide, or grey the individual layers and zoom in and pan around the document. Mark-up tools are available to draw red ellipses around points of interest and add textual annotation. The resulting document can be printed and saved as a PDF file so it can be sent to co-workers.

Hardware: PC running Macintosh OS X 10.3.9 or higher.

Developer Microspot Ltd., Concorde House, 10-12 London Rd., Maidstone, Kent, ME16 8QA, England; (44-1622) 687771; fax (44-1622) 690801; www.microspot.co.uk.

Cost: $55. Existing users can update free.

www.me.ims.ca/7433-74 or circle 74

Copyright American Society of Mechanical Engineers Mar 2008
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