Times are changing for computer-aided design. In the meantime, why not make a game out of it?
Welcome to Engineering Paper, a weekly column covering the latest news in design and simulation software. And if it's not fresh, we pour so much sauce over it that you won't even notice.
A little spice for our first article.
I recently covered the unexpected genre of CAD esports in “The Fastest 3D CAD Modelers in the World.” This story is about TooTallToby.com, where a dedicated community of 3D modelers from many countries and software platforms compete in CAD speed competitions. (belated congratulations to RamBros, an Autodesk Fusion user from India, on winning the 2024 World Cup.)
CAD speedrunning is now being expanded to the next generation. TooTallToby.com has created a tournament for CAD design students at Le Grand High School in Le Grand, California that will run through January (click here for the kickoff livestream on Friday, January 10).
I doubt any of my readers are eligible to participate, but I bring this up to share two thoughts.
First, I think these students are going to destroy it. The top seed for last year's top speed competition was a high school student who made it to the semifinals. Even though none of the Le Grand students are currently CAD masters, I can't think of a better way to motivate them to improve their game (see my original article for more on the educational value of CAD speed modeling).
Now the spice: I wonder how long it will continue to matter.
When will CAD skills as we know them today become obsolete?
I don't want to sound cynical. As I said, I'm sure these students are passionate about CAD and are well on their way to mastering it. But it reminds me of my elementary school lessons in cursive writing—a skill that seemed to be losing importance even though we spent hours perfecting it.
CAD isn't fading, but it's ripe for disruption. CAD software – almost everywhere – has an outdated, unfriendly user interface that does practically nothing Help Designers. CAD has hit a wall, and instead of climbing it, developers are moving sideways, changing the way the software is licensed and packaged rather than how it works.
At some point AI will change that. I'm not just talking about generative AI that creates 3D models from text prompts, although developers are eagerly seeking that grail. Even a small, well-implemented AI could change the nature of CAD, making the software less of a digital drawing board and more of a virtual design assistant.
When will that happen? What will it look like? These are questions for Nostradamus (and for you! Send me your predictions to malba@wtwhmedia.com). In the meantime, it's nice to see the next generation of CAD users enjoying it.
A brilliant start for Siemens for startups
Siemens has launched a new program for engineering and manufacturing startups, appropriately called “Siemens for Startups” (I have to imagine “Xcubator” was on the table at some point*). Companies accepted into the program receive discounted Siemens software and the opportunity to work with Siemens on development, marketing and more.
This is not a cynical view. My main reaction is surprise that this didn't exist yet – many engineering software vendors offer startup programs with similar benefits. (Okay, here's the cynical take: tying them up while they're young is good business.)
A special feature of Siemens for Startups is the link to AWS Startup, the Amazon Web Service startup program. This means that eligible companies also gain access to the AWS cloud infrastructure.
Interested? The application process is now open.
*In other Siemens news, Zel X has been renamed NX X Essentials. Exciting!
Stay gold, Nvidia
It seems I can't go a week without mentioning Nvidia. The latest news from the chipmaker is that it is launching a “personal AI supercomputer” called Project DIGITS.
Due out in May, Project DIGITS is a $3,000+ PC (or should that be PAISC?) with Nvidia's GB10 Grace Blackwell superchip, which combines the Arm-based Grace CPU with a Blackwell GPU. The system will have 128GB of RAM and up to 4TB of storage on board. It runs on Nvidia's Linux-based DGX operating system and comes pre-configured with the company's AI software stack.
According to Nvidia, this means users can run large language models with up to 200 billion parameters. In true Nvidia fashion, you can also connect two Project DIGITSes to increase that number to 405 billion (I don't know where the additional 5 billion parameters come from).
Find out more about the latest BIM trends with me
Building. Information. Model. These are not just ordered excerpts from Merriam Webster. Together they describe the software tools behind modern design, engineering and construction processes: BIM.
Like CAD, BIM is also in the midst of major changes. I want to know more about them, and if you do too, I know just the right place.
Register for Engineering.com's upcoming Design: Trends in BIM webinar on Tuesday, January 21st at 12:00 pm EST. I'll be there interviewing BIM expert Jennifer Schmitz of Short Elliott Hendrickson Inc. (SEH) about the developments of BIM alongside AI, digital twins, sustainability requirements and much more. You also have the opportunity to ask her any questions that I don't want to answer.
See you there!
One last link
Last week I left you a link to 37 things that confuse me about 3DEXPERIENCE, written by Peter Brinkhuis of CAD Booster.
I think I'm not the only one who liked this blog post – Manish Kumar, CEO of Solidworks, confirmed this in a recent LinkedIn post. An excerpt:
“Every day we are happy about the more than 7.5 million users around the world who use and love our products and solutions. We are especially grateful that we have real friends like Peter Brinkhuis who challenge us to be even simpler. We humbly accept feedback like yours and will continue to simplify our solutions. Your feedback is greatly appreciated and we will address it with the utmost urgency.”
Do you have any news, tips, comments or complaints? Send them to me: malba@wtwhmedia.com.