[KLUG Members] A Windows Alternative? (For CAD)

[Bill Katsma]

On Tue, 2002-10-08 at 10:12, Bruce Smith wrote:
> > >>http://www.cadenceweb.com/newsletter/mcad/0902_2.html
> > >>Although there is no miraculous information in this
> > >>article concerning Linux and CAD, it does show that it
> > >>is out there and it is just around the corner.
> > >In my previous occupation as an engineer I used Autocad 3-6 hours per day. 
> > >Availability of cad applications (free or otherwise) has been a thorn in my side
> > >for some time.  Autocad has a chokehold on much of the industry similar to our
> > >friend.
> > >Problem 1)  There are no strong open source cad projects.
> > 
> > Not 3d ones anyway,  I think it may just be too monumentous of a task.
> 
> Agree.  I think we need more commercial CAD packages ported to Linux.

I agree also.  But I think it could be just around the corner.  With PTC
going Linux I hope that is just the push that it needs.  

Currently there is three main packages being used in the automotive
industry today.  With CATIA being the biggest and being used in the the
aerospace and ship industry.  Dassault has already internally ported
CATIA to Linux.  They are just waiting for the market.  Another big plus
is IBM is the sole distributor of CATIA hopefully that can help.  The
down fall is that there latest version (V5) has been completely been
re-wrtten with NT in mind.  I-deas is another big on because of Fords
use.  I do not think there is any future I-DEAS.  As eds just recently
swallowed up I-deas and Unigraphics (UG).  UG on other hand is may have
hope.  UG runs on Unigraphics solutions Parasolid kernel which has also
been ported to Linux.

As awsome as it is to see PTC port PRO-E to linux I am not yet convinced
that is going to make to much of a difference.  But one can only hope
that it might but a spark under some of these other companies that are
so close.  I just whish I new what they are waiting for.  The CAD market
seems to be quickly replacing the high end and high cost unix
workstations with high end but cheaper Intel boxes running NT.  It just
seems to make since to me if it would be easier for these companies to
port there already Unix code to Linux and throw NT by the wayside.


> 
> On the bright side, one of the _MAJOR_ CAD packages (Pro/Engineer) has
> recently announced plans to support Linux:
> 
> http://www.ptc.com/company/news/press/releases/20020610linux.htm
> 

Lets keep our fingers crossed and hope that this is a start of a good
thing.




Bill