{"id":174,"date":"2007-01-10T10:38:36","date_gmt":"2007-01-10T18:38:36","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.formtek.com\/blog\/?p=174"},"modified":"2007-01-10T10:38:36","modified_gmt":"2007-01-10T18:38:36","slug":"cad-digital-natives-to-drive-next-generation-visualization-and-design-tools","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/formtek.com\/blog\/cad-digital-natives-to-drive-next-generation-visualization-and-design-tools\/","title":{"rendered":"CAD: Digital Natives to drive next-generation Visualization and Design Tools?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Consumer technologies are driving what is happening in enterprise IT.\u00a0 Gartner analysts have identified a trend<\/a> where ‘digital natives’, workers with high levels of exposure to sophisticated consumer technologies,\u00a0demand and expect comparable technologies to be available from\u00a0their workplace\u00a0IT.\u00a0 These high-tech users\u00a0expect technologies like blogging, podcasting, VoIP and video on demand.<\/p>\n

Consumer technology is making available very low-cost software and hardware to the masses, and this\u00a0has\u00a0lowered the barrier of entry\u00a0for many activities.\u00a0 This trend has created\u00a0huge numbers of hobbyists dabbling in many areas like high-quality video and photography.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Another area being affected is high-end modeling and visualization.\u00a0 Creating and modeling virtual worlds has generated incredible interest.\u00a0 A good example of what is happending is Linden Lab’s Second Life<\/a>, the on-line 3D virtual world now with 2.5 million users.\u00a0\u00a0Second Life’s\u00a0‘metaverse’<\/a> allows users\/residents to create realistic virtual worlds in which people can interact to do business and communicate.<\/p>\n

\"Second<\/p>\n

3D visualization had long been the domain of high-end CAD sytems and graphic modeling systems like those developed at Pixar<\/a>.\u00a0 High quality software modeling and rendering software is becoming more readily available and at much lower cost.<\/p>\n

For example, yesterday Google announced an updated version of their SketchUp<\/a> product, 3D modeling software that allows designers and planners to create complex realistic 3D models from photographs.\u00a0 Unlike most of Google’s software, SketchUp needs to be run on either a Windows or Mac, and it comes as a free or for-fee Pro version.<\/p>\n

\"Google<\/p>\n

For being able to produce high-quality virtual visualizations SketchUp has built a strong following, especially in the AEC market.\u00a0 Can it replace CAD?\u00a0 No, not yet.\u00a0 AutoCAD is still king and in fact some feel that AutoDesk borrowed some of SketchUp’s look and feel in their recent\u00a0AutoCAD 2007\u00a0release.\u00a0 SketchUp lacks the precision of the model data available in a true CAD product.\u00a0 But SketchUp is moving closer to CAD.\u00a0 For example, Bentley<\/a> and Google have teamed<\/a> up in the latest release of the Microstation V8 product.<\/p>\n

But products like SketchUp are sure to transform the CAD market by simplifying the interface, improving the rendering and visualization capabilities,\u00a0and driving down prices.<\/p>\n

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Consumer technologies are driving what is happening in enterprise IT.\u00a0 Gartner analysts have identified a trend where ‘digital natives’, workers with high levels of exposure to sophisticated consumer technologies,\u00a0demand and expect comparable technologies to be available from\u00a0their workplace\u00a0IT.\u00a0 These high-tech…<\/span><\/p>\n

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