AEC News
New SketchUp 7 Debuts with Large Feature List Including Dynamic Components; LayOut Now Out of Beta
Google today released SketchUp Version 7, a significant upgrade to the popular 3D design software. Google SketchUp Product Manager John Bacus says the emphasis in the new release is on collaboration, including the release from beta of SketchUp LayOut, a companion presentation tool. There are also major changes to core usability throughout the program.
SketchUp 7 continues to be available in both free and Pro versions, for both Windows and Mac OS X. The Pro version price remains unchanged at $495. The Upgrade price is $95, and is currently only available in English.
In previous versions of SketchUp, if two lines were to cross in a single plane, they would overlay and not interact. “A missed opportunity in the modeler,” notes Bacus. In SketchUp 7 the two lines merge and break. “It is a minor change to the user, but it is not a minor change in the object model,” notes Bacus. “We really think this will make it easier to draw things like a building facade. [Lines] will break and be ready for pushing and pulling right away without a lot of cleanup.” Bacus says the change to overlapping lines is representative of “a lot of small tweaky changes throughout the modeler.”
SketchUp 7 introduces Dynamic Components, a collection of behaviors that add significant power to SketchUp. Users can now apply constraints to geometry, bringing a sense of feature awareness to a component. For example, a component of a bookshelf could be constrained so that if stretched for height, new shelves would be drawn automatically. In the same say, a picket fence component would add new pickets when stretched or contracted. A window object could be set to manufacturer specifications, but allow the user to change frame color, mullion patters, or other features. Another Dynamic Components feature is the ability to create simple animations, such as a door that opens or closes.
Data can now be assigned to specific objects in the model, making it possible to pull reports together from model data for export to spreadsheets or other software.
Free vs. Pro
After Google bought SketchUp in 2006, there was considerable speculation that it would discontinue the Pro version and concentrate on the free product. “We have a healthy Pro business going and we want to preserve that,” notes Bacus. Many of the new features are only in the Pro version. “There are differences in what the professional users want and what the free users want. We don't want to add unnecessary complexity and irrelevant stuff to the free tool.” For example, Pro users can create and modify Dynamic Components; users of the free version can only use Dynamic Components created by a Pro user.
Controlling Models in 3D Warehouse
When Google opened the doors to 3D Warehouse, usage of SketchUp exploded. Now Pro users can control how models they submit to the Warehouse are used. A creator can restrict access to a list of collaborators, can make the model view-only, and can “sign” the model to claim authorship, a feature known as attribution credit. If a signed model is editable, the original signature stays with the model along with the signature of the person who updated it. “Its like credits in a movie,” says Bacus. “We have noticed that a lot of people don't want to lose control of their models.” A product manufacturer can put an official brand name into the model, allowing potential users to know when it came from. “If Whirlpool puts up a washer and Joe the Plumber changes it, you can tell.”
SketchUp LayOut Leaves Beta
Originally code-named Grizzly, LayOut is a presentation tool designed specifically for SketchUp models. Now that it is now longer considered to be in beta testing, it is renamed LayOut 2 and distributed with SketchUp Pro at no extra charge. Among its many change are three new rendering capabilities, a raster version, a vector-based version, and a hybrid approach; only the raster rendering option was in the previous release. Vector rendering allows the user to high-quality line work, including making touch-ups to the model. The changes do not affect the original SketchUp model. Bacus said the rendering options, in the spirit of SketchUp as a conceptual tool, are not state-of-art images. The idea is to offer the capability to render often and create a quick model for review. Google did not license one of the many rendering products on the market, but wrote their own.
LayOut 2 also offers the ability to create a PDF from a LayOut page, but Google decided to not support 3D PDF in this version, which Bacus says is “surprisingly complicated to support.” There are also a variety of line tools in LayOut, to annotate or add to a model. LayOut also supports output to a projector, so there is no need to export to PowerPoint or other presentation software.
A full list of features in SketchUp Version 7 (the list is long) is available at: http://sketchup.google.com/product/newin7.html
--RSN
SketchUp 7 continues to be available in both free and Pro versions, for both Windows and Mac OS X. The Pro version price remains unchanged at $495. The Upgrade price is $95, and is currently only available in English.
In previous versions of SketchUp, if two lines were to cross in a single plane, they would overlay and not interact. “A missed opportunity in the modeler,” notes Bacus. In SketchUp 7 the two lines merge and break. “It is a minor change to the user, but it is not a minor change in the object model,” notes Bacus. “We really think this will make it easier to draw things like a building facade. [Lines] will break and be ready for pushing and pulling right away without a lot of cleanup.” Bacus says the change to overlapping lines is representative of “a lot of small tweaky changes throughout the modeler.”
SketchUp 7 introduces Dynamic Components, a collection of behaviors that add significant power to SketchUp. Users can now apply constraints to geometry, bringing a sense of feature awareness to a component. For example, a component of a bookshelf could be constrained so that if stretched for height, new shelves would be drawn automatically. In the same say, a picket fence component would add new pickets when stretched or contracted. A window object could be set to manufacturer specifications, but allow the user to change frame color, mullion patters, or other features. Another Dynamic Components feature is the ability to create simple animations, such as a door that opens or closes.
Data can now be assigned to specific objects in the model, making it possible to pull reports together from model data for export to spreadsheets or other software.
Free vs. Pro
After Google bought SketchUp in 2006, there was considerable speculation that it would discontinue the Pro version and concentrate on the free product. “We have a healthy Pro business going and we want to preserve that,” notes Bacus. Many of the new features are only in the Pro version. “There are differences in what the professional users want and what the free users want. We don't want to add unnecessary complexity and irrelevant stuff to the free tool.” For example, Pro users can create and modify Dynamic Components; users of the free version can only use Dynamic Components created by a Pro user.
Controlling Models in 3D Warehouse
When Google opened the doors to 3D Warehouse, usage of SketchUp exploded. Now Pro users can control how models they submit to the Warehouse are used. A creator can restrict access to a list of collaborators, can make the model view-only, and can “sign” the model to claim authorship, a feature known as attribution credit. If a signed model is editable, the original signature stays with the model along with the signature of the person who updated it. “Its like credits in a movie,” says Bacus. “We have noticed that a lot of people don't want to lose control of their models.” A product manufacturer can put an official brand name into the model, allowing potential users to know when it came from. “If Whirlpool puts up a washer and Joe the Plumber changes it, you can tell.”
SketchUp LayOut Leaves Beta
Originally code-named Grizzly, LayOut is a presentation tool designed specifically for SketchUp models. Now that it is now longer considered to be in beta testing, it is renamed LayOut 2 and distributed with SketchUp Pro at no extra charge. Among its many change are three new rendering capabilities, a raster version, a vector-based version, and a hybrid approach; only the raster rendering option was in the previous release. Vector rendering allows the user to high-quality line work, including making touch-ups to the model. The changes do not affect the original SketchUp model. Bacus said the rendering options, in the spirit of SketchUp as a conceptual tool, are not state-of-art images. The idea is to offer the capability to render often and create a quick model for review. Google did not license one of the many rendering products on the market, but wrote their own.
LayOut 2 also offers the ability to create a PDF from a LayOut page, but Google decided to not support 3D PDF in this version, which Bacus says is “surprisingly complicated to support.” There are also a variety of line tools in LayOut, to annotate or add to a model. LayOut also supports output to a projector, so there is no need to export to PowerPoint or other presentation software.
A full list of features in SketchUp Version 7 (the list is long) is available at: http://sketchup.google.com/product/newin7.html
--RSN
Open Design Alliance Announces Legacy Application Recovery
The Open Design Alliance (ODA) announces new services for CAD developers and end-users to implement DRX support for obsolete or legacy ARX custom object applications developed with the Autodesk ObjectARX programming environment.
Custom object applications are often designed for specialized CAD drawings, such as mechanical, electrical, architecture, or civil engineering, allowing end-users to create custom entities quickly and accurately and use custom commands that increase productivity. If the source code of these custom object applications is lost or not maintained over time, end-users become restricted to using legacy CAD applications that do not work with, or take advantage of, the latest features found in more recent DWG file formats.
The ODA says its new service will allow users to convert obsolete ARX applications into current DRX applications, which are usable within any DWGdirect host application. DRX source code will be provided, making additional development on such applications possible. This opens a wide range of possibilities for CAD developers and end-users to work with more recent DWG file formats and to further develop and enhance their custom object implementations.
ODA president Arnold van der Weide comments, “The inability to update an ARX application to work with the most recent versions of DWG forces a CAD user to prematurely retire a productive application and lose the ability to correctly display legacy CAD drawings. ODA’s Legacy Application Recovery services allow users to continue working with their older CAD drawings and applications productively and efficiently, which is exactly what the custom object applications were designed to do originally.”
The ODA says its Legacy Application Recovery services are available to all CAD developers and users, regardless of membership with the ODA. More details about these new services can be found at http://www.opendesign.com.
-- Edited from a press release
Custom object applications are often designed for specialized CAD drawings, such as mechanical, electrical, architecture, or civil engineering, allowing end-users to create custom entities quickly and accurately and use custom commands that increase productivity. If the source code of these custom object applications is lost or not maintained over time, end-users become restricted to using legacy CAD applications that do not work with, or take advantage of, the latest features found in more recent DWG file formats.
The ODA says its new service will allow users to convert obsolete ARX applications into current DRX applications, which are usable within any DWGdirect host application. DRX source code will be provided, making additional development on such applications possible. This opens a wide range of possibilities for CAD developers and end-users to work with more recent DWG file formats and to further develop and enhance their custom object implementations.
ODA president Arnold van der Weide comments, “The inability to update an ARX application to work with the most recent versions of DWG forces a CAD user to prematurely retire a productive application and lose the ability to correctly display legacy CAD drawings. ODA’s Legacy Application Recovery services allow users to continue working with their older CAD drawings and applications productively and efficiently, which is exactly what the custom object applications were designed to do originally.”
The ODA says its Legacy Application Recovery services are available to all CAD developers and users, regardless of membership with the ODA. More details about these new services can be found at http://www.opendesign.com.
-- Edited from a press release
FMI Sees 2009 as "Benchmark Low Year" for US Construction
Construction banking consultant FMI says 2009 will be a “benchmark low-water year” for US residential construction, due to a continuing “contraction unprecedented in its depth.”
According to FMI President and Managing Director, Hank Harris, “This has been a year of opportunity for some and disappointment for many. Sustained by poor lending practices well beyond the demand curve, the single family residential wave finally broke – big time. As goes residential, so (eventually) goes much of construction.”
In 2005, residential construction swelled to nearly $618 billion, accounting for 56% of all U.S. construction. In 2008, that number has dwindled to $397 billion, now accounting for just 37% of U.S. construction.
FMI has published the U.S. Markets Construction Overview annually since 1985. The Overview includes a comprehensive report on vital construction trends and forecasts the growth or decline in 19 market segments and nine geographic regions, noting both short-term and long-term considerations.
FMI outlines 10 significant drivers that will affect the future of the construction industry. For each driver, there are five implications and five actions to aid thinking around these issues. The top 10 futures drivers include:
• Energy Burns
• Capital Supply Suffers
• Talent Losses Likely
• Climate Changes Count
• Cost of Construction Climbs
• The Old Guard Changes
• Change Comes Faster
• Green Keeps Growing
• Customers Increase Construction Knowledge
• Global Acts Impact Local Markets
More information: www.fminet.com
--From a press release
According to FMI President and Managing Director, Hank Harris, “This has been a year of opportunity for some and disappointment for many. Sustained by poor lending practices well beyond the demand curve, the single family residential wave finally broke – big time. As goes residential, so (eventually) goes much of construction.”
In 2005, residential construction swelled to nearly $618 billion, accounting for 56% of all U.S. construction. In 2008, that number has dwindled to $397 billion, now accounting for just 37% of U.S. construction.
FMI has published the U.S. Markets Construction Overview annually since 1985. The Overview includes a comprehensive report on vital construction trends and forecasts the growth or decline in 19 market segments and nine geographic regions, noting both short-term and long-term considerations.
FMI outlines 10 significant drivers that will affect the future of the construction industry. For each driver, there are five implications and five actions to aid thinking around these issues. The top 10 futures drivers include:
• Energy Burns
• Capital Supply Suffers
• Talent Losses Likely
• Climate Changes Count
• Cost of Construction Climbs
• The Old Guard Changes
• Change Comes Faster
• Green Keeps Growing
• Customers Increase Construction Knowledge
• Global Acts Impact Local Markets
More information: www.fminet.com
--From a press release
AEC-GIS-Plant Stocks Down 35.84% So Far in 2008
Our sister publication CADCAMNet reports today on the dramatic price slide that has hit stock prices for engineering IT in 2008. The AEC-GIS-Plant sector is down 35.84%.
The set of public companies in engineering software are down an average 38.87% since the first of the year. The individual average change ranges from up 10% (CAM software vendor Delcam) to down 74.33% (ECAD vendor Magma Designs). Of the 47 engineering software companies in this report, only two are up for the year; 14 are down 50% or more.
The CADCAMNet report shows the results by category and by company, and compares these stocks with a selected basket of IT hardware and software companies with relevance to the engineering IT industry. In addition to AEC/GIS/Plant, the categories are MCAD/CAE, CAM/RP, Channel/Services/cPDM, and ECAD. (October 9, 2008)
Follow this link at CADCAMNet to the article.
-- RSN
The set of public companies in engineering software are down an average 38.87% since the first of the year. The individual average change ranges from up 10% (CAM software vendor Delcam) to down 74.33% (ECAD vendor Magma Designs). Of the 47 engineering software companies in this report, only two are up for the year; 14 are down 50% or more.
The CADCAMNet report shows the results by category and by company, and compares these stocks with a selected basket of IT hardware and software companies with relevance to the engineering IT industry. In addition to AEC/GIS/Plant, the categories are MCAD/CAE, CAM/RP, Channel/Services/cPDM, and ECAD. (October 9, 2008)
Follow this link at CADCAMNet to the article.
-- RSN
Oracle to Acquire Leading AEC Project and Portfolio Management Software Vendor Primavera
Oracle has announced plans to purchase leading project and project portfolio management (PPM) software vendor Primavera, the top AEC vendor in this category. Financial details have not been made public.
In a letter to Primavera customers, Oracle President Charles Phillips says the plan is to make Primavera into a “global business unit” with current CEO Joel Koppelmann as senior vice president and general manager of the unit.
Venture firm Francisco Partners took a stake in Primavera a couple of years ago, making this week’s acquisition a natural outcome. Established technology firms like Primavera don’t sell a piece of themselves unless they are looking for a exit strategy.
Primavera has done the hard work of creating an enterprise offering in project portfolio management and professional services automation for Oracle in the last few years, by buying several smaller vendors.
This deal brings Oracle more deeply into AEC, more so than with the JD Edwards acquisition a few years ago. But Primavera is more than an AEC PPM company; its clients are in a wide variety of fields where big projects are the norm, such as Boeing and NASA, as well as every branch of the US military.
There will be a conference call with Oracle and Primavera executive next week to provide more details.
--RSN
In a letter to Primavera customers, Oracle President Charles Phillips says the plan is to make Primavera into a “global business unit” with current CEO Joel Koppelmann as senior vice president and general manager of the unit.
Venture firm Francisco Partners took a stake in Primavera a couple of years ago, making this week’s acquisition a natural outcome. Established technology firms like Primavera don’t sell a piece of themselves unless they are looking for a exit strategy.
Primavera has done the hard work of creating an enterprise offering in project portfolio management and professional services automation for Oracle in the last few years, by buying several smaller vendors.
This deal brings Oracle more deeply into AEC, more so than with the JD Edwards acquisition a few years ago. But Primavera is more than an AEC PPM company; its clients are in a wide variety of fields where big projects are the norm, such as Boeing and NASA, as well as every branch of the US military.
There will be a conference call with Oracle and Primavera executive next week to provide more details.
--RSN
Could VectorWorks Be Switching to Parasolid?
I'm doing a little research before flying to Baltimore later this week for a press event with Nemetschek North America (NNA), developers of the VectorWorks product line. And I've decided it is quite likely the big news to come will be more than just a new version of VectorWorks, but that NNA has decided to switch its 3D modeling kernel from Solids++ to Siemens PLM's Parasolid.
The signs are subtle, but I've seen these kinds of things before. For a few minutes last week, the web-based agenda for the press event listed two Siemens PLM employees, whom I know represent Parasolid. Somebody at NNA must have realized they let something slip, because that information is no longer listed. Also, Siemens PLM in June released a version of Parasolid for the 64-bit Mac "Leopard" environment, a must-have for NNA, which sells VectorWorks in both Windows and Macintosh versions. A 64-bit Parasolid-based version of VectorWorks Architect on the Mac would arguably be the most powerful BIM creation tool on the market. I have other reasons to think this is happening, but I need to keep those sources of information close to the chest.
3D CAD modelers in AEC are anemic compared to their MCAD-specific cousins such as the mid-range SolidWorks and Autodesk Inventor, or the high-end NX or CATIA. The world's largest architecture firms are always looking at MCAD products, seeking a competitive edge. Quite a few architects use Rhino on a regular basis, and a few firms have incorporated the AEC version of CATIA, Digital Project from Gehry Technologies. A Parasolid-powered VectorWorks would raise the stakes in the BIM marketing wars, something Nemetschek North America is obviously doing by holding their first-ever press event and paying for a variety of writers (including myself) to come to Baltimore for meetings. Right now among AEC-specific 3D CAD tools, only Bentley's MicroStation uses Parasolid as its 3D kernel.
The meetings are Thursday; I'll let you know then if I'm right.
--RSN
The signs are subtle, but I've seen these kinds of things before. For a few minutes last week, the web-based agenda for the press event listed two Siemens PLM employees, whom I know represent Parasolid. Somebody at NNA must have realized they let something slip, because that information is no longer listed. Also, Siemens PLM in June released a version of Parasolid for the 64-bit Mac "Leopard" environment, a must-have for NNA, which sells VectorWorks in both Windows and Macintosh versions. A 64-bit Parasolid-based version of VectorWorks Architect on the Mac would arguably be the most powerful BIM creation tool on the market. I have other reasons to think this is happening, but I need to keep those sources of information close to the chest.
3D CAD modelers in AEC are anemic compared to their MCAD-specific cousins such as the mid-range SolidWorks and Autodesk Inventor, or the high-end NX or CATIA. The world's largest architecture firms are always looking at MCAD products, seeking a competitive edge. Quite a few architects use Rhino on a regular basis, and a few firms have incorporated the AEC version of CATIA, Digital Project from Gehry Technologies. A Parasolid-powered VectorWorks would raise the stakes in the BIM marketing wars, something Nemetschek North America is obviously doing by holding their first-ever press event and paying for a variety of writers (including myself) to come to Baltimore for meetings. Right now among AEC-specific 3D CAD tools, only Bentley's MicroStation uses Parasolid as its 3D kernel.
The meetings are Thursday; I'll let you know then if I'm right.
--RSN
CCNtv Contest Offers New HP xw4600 Workstation
CCNtv is running a contest with one -- and only one -- prize. A new HP xw4600 Workstation, including monitor, will go to the best entry submitted on "If I had a new HP workstation I would ..."
Since a video site is running the contest, video entries of three minutes or less are preferred. But if, like me, you couldn't produce a decent video to save your life, let alone win a workstation, you can also submit a written response. (I know, how archaic.)
Head over to http://www.cadcamnet.tv/hpcontest.html to enter.
--RSN
Since a video site is running the contest, video entries of three minutes or less are preferred. But if, like me, you couldn't produce a decent video to save your life, let alone win a workstation, you can also submit a written response. (I know, how archaic.)
Head over to http://www.cadcamnet.tv/hpcontest.html to enter.
--RSN
Autodesk Releases New Version of NavisWorks Product Line
Support for DGN V8 tops the list of new features in the latest release of Autodesk NavisWorks, the model review software that many large construction firms swear by.
NavisWorks 2009.1 also features
· Support for Revit assembly codes for "symbol" element types
· Properties support for new style DWF files (as exported from Revit)
· Asta Powerproject V10 support
· AutoCAD Mechanical 2008 64-bit support
· 64-bit exporters now included in the main installer
· Vico Constructor 2008 support
· Enhancements to application programming interface
There was some concern in AEC circles that Autodesk would do NavisWorks more harm than good when it was acquired. But that seems not to be the case. Updates were made to the full Autodesk NavisWorks product line, which enables seamless visualization of all types of models, precise replication of designs, and accurate simulation of 4D construction schedules. Modules are:
· Autodesk NavisWorks Review -- for standard, real-time review and model aggregation
· Autodesk NavisWorks Simulate -- includes Autodesk NavisWorks Review and adds timeline and 4D (construction sequencing visualization) capabilities
· Autodesk NavisWorks Manage -- adds clash detection and interference management functionality
· Autodesk NavisWorks Freedom -- a free viewer for files in Autodesk NavisWorks NWD and 3D DWF formats.
Autodesk NavisWorks 2009.1 products are now available worldwide in English, French, German, Japanese, Russian and Simplified Chinese. Additionally, Autodesk NavisWorks Freedom is now available as a free add-on product with Autodesk NavisWorks Manage, Autodesk NavisWorks Simulate and Autodesk NavisWorks Review installs.
More information can be found at www.autodesk.com/navisworks.
--RSN
NavisWorks 2009.1 also features
· Support for Revit assembly codes for "symbol" element types
· Properties support for new style DWF files (as exported from Revit)
· Asta Powerproject V10 support
· AutoCAD Mechanical 2008 64-bit support
· 64-bit exporters now included in the main installer
· Vico Constructor 2008 support
· Enhancements to application programming interface
There was some concern in AEC circles that Autodesk would do NavisWorks more harm than good when it was acquired. But that seems not to be the case. Updates were made to the full Autodesk NavisWorks product line, which enables seamless visualization of all types of models, precise replication of designs, and accurate simulation of 4D construction schedules. Modules are:
· Autodesk NavisWorks Review -- for standard, real-time review and model aggregation
· Autodesk NavisWorks Simulate -- includes Autodesk NavisWorks Review and adds timeline and 4D (construction sequencing visualization) capabilities
· Autodesk NavisWorks Manage -- adds clash detection and interference management functionality
· Autodesk NavisWorks Freedom -- a free viewer for files in Autodesk NavisWorks NWD and 3D DWF formats.
Autodesk NavisWorks 2009.1 products are now available worldwide in English, French, German, Japanese, Russian and Simplified Chinese. Additionally, Autodesk NavisWorks Freedom is now available as a free add-on product with Autodesk NavisWorks Manage, Autodesk NavisWorks Simulate and Autodesk NavisWorks Review installs.
More information can be found at www.autodesk.com/navisworks.
--RSN
Nemetschek Discovers Timber-Based Construction
Nemetschek Allplan this week announced an agreement with a smaller German software vendor to jointly develop design software for the timber-based construction industry. To the American sensibility, this announcement seems slightly odd. But, as the announcement notes:
“... every sixth private home in Germany is built using timber construction. The [Association of German Prefabricated Building Manufacturers]estimates that the proportion of timber construction projects will continue to increase. The expertise of architects and designers in using and building with this material will have an important influence on future developments.”
Allplan has been a top seller in AEC for a generation because it is more suited to European building materials and methods. It takes what I've always called a slab-based approach to design, more in keeping with the stone-based construction methods predominate in most European markets.
The deal calls for Nemetschek Allplan and Weto, both based in Bavaria, to jointly develop and market design software for the carpentry and timber construction industries. The firms note that European builders are turning toward an increased use of timber “due to its lower ecological impact. The new solution will guarantee users a consistent data flow from design to production, allowing them to design buildings in a sustainable manner.”
“For economic and ecological reasons, wood is one of the building materials of the future. We want to give our customers a tool that allows them to design timber construction products efficiently in terms of energy and resources. With its expertise in timber construction, Weto is the ideal partner for us,” says Peter Mehlstäubler, General Manager of Nemetschek Allplan GmbH.
Allplan says modern-day high-tech timber houses “combine increasing industrial prefabrication and modern building services so that decisions can be made during the design phase.”
“We cannot do without a design tool that covers everything from the draft to the working design, cost management, production and final acceptance all within a single data system,” continues Thomas Krenn, Member of the Managing Board of Weto AG. “The cooperation between Allplan and Weto creates a unique solution for the construction sector, optimized within a single program,” adds Otto Toso, CEO of Weto AG.
The two companies envision creating an integrated timber construction solution that will:
“... help users to design their projects to meet environmental criteria, cost efficiency and high quality. Consistent data flow from design to manufacture makes it possible to combine solid construction and timber construction in a single application, as well as specialist timber head profiles, dormer constructions and much more. User-friendly wizards make the application easy to learn and use. For architects and designers this means improved performance with less workload.”
The first joint customer solutions are planned for early 2009.
--RSN
“... every sixth private home in Germany is built using timber construction. The [Association of German Prefabricated Building Manufacturers]estimates that the proportion of timber construction projects will continue to increase. The expertise of architects and designers in using and building with this material will have an important influence on future developments.”
Allplan has been a top seller in AEC for a generation because it is more suited to European building materials and methods. It takes what I've always called a slab-based approach to design, more in keeping with the stone-based construction methods predominate in most European markets.
The deal calls for Nemetschek Allplan and Weto, both based in Bavaria, to jointly develop and market design software for the carpentry and timber construction industries. The firms note that European builders are turning toward an increased use of timber “due to its lower ecological impact. The new solution will guarantee users a consistent data flow from design to production, allowing them to design buildings in a sustainable manner.”
“For economic and ecological reasons, wood is one of the building materials of the future. We want to give our customers a tool that allows them to design timber construction products efficiently in terms of energy and resources. With its expertise in timber construction, Weto is the ideal partner for us,” says Peter Mehlstäubler, General Manager of Nemetschek Allplan GmbH.
Allplan says modern-day high-tech timber houses “combine increasing industrial prefabrication and modern building services so that decisions can be made during the design phase.”
“We cannot do without a design tool that covers everything from the draft to the working design, cost management, production and final acceptance all within a single data system,” continues Thomas Krenn, Member of the Managing Board of Weto AG. “The cooperation between Allplan and Weto creates a unique solution for the construction sector, optimized within a single program,” adds Otto Toso, CEO of Weto AG.
The two companies envision creating an integrated timber construction solution that will:
“... help users to design their projects to meet environmental criteria, cost efficiency and high quality. Consistent data flow from design to manufacture makes it possible to combine solid construction and timber construction in a single application, as well as specialist timber head profiles, dormer constructions and much more. User-friendly wizards make the application easy to learn and use. For architects and designers this means improved performance with less workload.”
The first joint customer solutions are planned for early 2009.
--RSN