IntelliCAD 7 Release Announced by ITC at Athens Conference

October 29, 2008 Athens, Greece - Today the IntelliCAD Technology Consortium (ITC) announced the release of IntelliCAD 7 to its members in Athens, Greece. The IntelliCAD 7 code base has been rewritten from the ground up to include objectARX-DRX compatibility, faster graphics and better maintenance. Apparently the goal is to start having end-user releases shipped to the public by June or July 2009.

The rewrite of the original IntelliCAD code base has been long in coming. Stability and speed issues have plagued some of the vendor releases. Additional support for ODA DRX will also mean more vertical applications for architecture, electrical, HVAC, land survey and engineering. An additional tool for porting legacy SDS applications to DRX was announced by the ODA just prior to the ITC conference.

For a while now the new IntelliCAD 7 code base will still need to run through an end-user testing cycle before it can be considered by many to be robust for commercial use.

Users can download and trial a current tested end-user release of IntelliCAD here.

CADDIT is a professional CAD and CAM software consulting company based in Sydney Australia. The full version of this article can be found here.

The Green Race is Almost Here!

Thinking About Gorilla

I went out last weekend and shot a bunch of video of folks talking, paddling, scouting, being nervous, and firing it up on the Green in anticipation of the 13th annual Green Race. It was a hilarious day because you could feel the energy in the air. Folks were ready to talk.

  

Pink Helmet he must be a slalom boater.

This years race seems like it will be exciting for several reasons. One reason being the water levels this year are lower than we have ever seen for the race. Gorilla is pretty exciting and folks are trying to decide if they are going to nut up and run it or not. There have been many exciting runs including folks venturing out on the veil for rain shower rides. This Green Race also has many different folks looking fast. There are rumours about several behind the scenes paddlers ripping fast lines, and as always the well knowns are pushing the limit on how fast you can make it down the course.

 Not the desired race line.

 

Flying into Go Left

 

  

Freestyle Speedtrap

 

  

 First Timer Firing it Up, Yeah Suzana!

Tonight we have Greenoween at the Brew n' View. I think the costume contest is going to be tightly contested. I have heard about a lot of good costumes and many folks doing the same costumes. How many Colonel Dicks, Rock Stars, Birthdays, Frankenstiens, and Brides will there be? You better bring it if you want to win the boat. Should be a fun night hopefully I can get some good shots of the outfits.

Depends on How Cold It Is

Well anyway enjoy the video and there are a few strong words used in this video so if you are at work turn down the volume.
later
Shane



Getting Ready for the 2008 Green Race from Shaneslogic on Vimeo.

IL20 Tasks: Thumbnail Images and Expression of the Particular

IL20 Tasks: Thumbnail Images and Expression of the Particular

M P Ranjan

Image 1: Cover and a sample page from IL 20 Tasks by Prof. Frei Otto and his team.

I have long admired the vision and the power of visualization that is represented in the series of publications that came out of the Institute for Lightweight Structures in Stuttgart under the leadership of Prof Frei Otto. Of these great publications numbered from 1 to 41, one stands out for its audacity and brilliance, and this is the IL20 simply titled “Tasks”, (Aufgaben – in German) and it was produced in 1979 as the 20th in a series of outstanding books that captured the research agenda of the school and the founder, Prof. Frei Otto himself. The origins of this comprehensive research agenda date back to the early 60’s with the publication of two books “Tensile Structures” and in the Newsletters of the Development Centre for Lightweight Construction in Berlin where Frei Otto had already made numerous sketches and suggestions for lightweight structures long before they appeared in practice and in the field. These visualizations were the forerunners of things to come and by their very presence they managed to mobilize support from a wide variety of partners and research enthusiasts who would otherwise have not been able to appreciate the finer aspects of the proposals contained in the Frei Otto thesis. The sketches make the proposals comprehensible and credible and is I believe far more effective than long texts of arguments in favour of or in a descriptive mode about the proposed area of lightweight structures.

Image 2: Expressive thumbnail diagrams that appear in the books by Frei Otto in the IL series from 1 to 41.

In May 1976 Frei Otto set out the outlines of the book titled “Tasks” and Jurgen Hennicke took up the challenge of articulation and compilation in the end of 1976. With the IL team getting into “Brainstorming mode” in the early 1977 and based on these sustained dialogues Frei Otto developed a “Work Programme” that included a list of 100 subject suggestions that could be the focus of the IL teams well into 1990’s. The “Work Programme” that appears in pages 306 to 317 is richly illustrated with the famous thumbnail images so characteristic of all the IL publications, in pen and ink style, crisp and expressive of the concept and manifesting a particular form that most represented the prototype of the concept that was being discussed, and in this case 100 subject areas. The IL 20 is then an elaboration and extension of these 100 subject areas that Frei Otto intended to research over the next twenty years, all spelt out in great detail to draw in partners from a host of disciplines that would be needed to carry out this complex set of research tasks in any meaningful manner. Unfortunately this section in only in German while the rest of the book is bi-lingual to include English texts with the images.

Image 3: IL 20 Tasks as a source of inspiration for the Design Opportunity mapping assignment in the DCC course conducted by the author at NID.

The very idea that one could draw the future had me rivetted and amazed when I first saw this book in the late 70’s. Since then I have been wondering why we do not use this as an approach to map out the design opportunities that lie all around us in India with its huge set of problems across as many as 230 sectors of our economy. I have since decided to introduce my students to this wonderful pursuit of mapping out all the design opportunities that are a product of their imagination in the form of expressive sketches and then in the form of more detailed scenarios as part of the Design Concepts and Concerns course and each batch we are able to address a particular sector of our economy and make a master list of all that needs to be done and sift out those that can be done with our limited resources, looking at both the possible as well as the viable, to further make a list of priorities that can be taken to the planners if we are given a chance to do so. In this process the students learn to do what we would call design thinking and action at the macro-micro level, that of building the future in the thumbnail sketches that lead on to the scenarios that each one of us holds dear in our imagination and helps build our conviction that stems from this very articulation of the possible and the realisation that something worthwhile is indeed possible in all this complexity around us. These thumbnail expressions help us map the contours of the ideas that are developed into scenarios where the fine tuning can take place through which we also develop our own convictions about its viability and we can identify strategies to make it work. Concepts which start off as being quite general are given a particular form through the medium of sketching and in this way they acquire a very particular manifestation as we explore and compare various alternatives that present themselves to us in the cycles of imagination and articulation that is the design journey.

M P Ranjan

Knot a good situation

On Friday afternoon, while we were paddling, someone broke into our car and stole both of our wallets. We returned to a broken car window and a rash of urgent tasks: cancel the cell phone and credit cards, rekey the house locks, replace the drivers' licenses and a myriad other cards.

Since then, every day yields a new realization of something we no longer have: library cards, ACA instructor cards, insurance cards, a favorite green pen.
Today we realized the thieves also had the cool set of knot cards we bought with our paddling.net paddle perks and the rope we used for practicing clove hitches and bowlines.

Somewhere, some thief is practicing tying beautiful bowlines.

Note to selves: Bring wallets in boats. Keep house key away from IDs with home address. Renew paddling.net membership.

Busting Four Myths of 2D and 3D CAD Software Marketing

"Should my business be using 3D CAD software?"
Maybe the better question is "how exactly would using 3D CAD get my job done better?" Let's explore four myths about using CAD today.


Myth: everyone uses CAD already
42% of builders surveyed in 2006 still don't use any CAD program at all according to one survey. Should they be using CAD? Probably, and many are changing over. But statistics like this sometimes help us see through the "don't get left behind" marketing hype and be more realistic about our requirements.


Myth: CAD software is too hard for me to learn
That's only true if you choose the wrong CAD software for your needs. 3D CAD software might be exactly what you need, or exactly what you don't need. A successful CAD migration involves three steps: 1) identify your business requirements 2) identify CAD systems meeting those requirements 3) identify which vendors offer the support you need for the system you choose. When possible, try to buy a CAD system from a vendor that offers direct support for the system you choose. They should also be able to help you identify your requirements before you buy. Your vendor choice alone can make a big difference in the success of your CAD system. To help new CAD users, CADDIT has published a free CAD e-book.


Myth: 3D is always better
If you are working for a customer who wants a 2D drawing, give them a 2D drawing. According to a recent marketing report by the Aberdeen Group, there are several reasons people use 2D CAD in the first place, including demand for increased quality/reliability, shortened product development schedules, accelerating product commoditization and marketspace competition. The main reason that seems to prevent 2D CAD users from migrating to 3D CAD is "The current process using 2D works, no need to make a change (40% of surveyed)".

progeCAD is an example of robust 2D/limited 3D CAD that is helping thousands of businesses meet their mainly-2D design needs successfully. Many surveyors, builders, electricians and engineers have no real need for 3D CAD at this time.


Myth: Everyone is going to use 3D CAD soon
"Most CAD users still work in 2D, while 3D design is rapidly moving to the forefront.." - Business Wire, Nov 14, 1995 article "AccelGraphics announces first entry-level workstation-class 3D graphics accelerator; new board delivers high-performance 3D graphics for price-sensitive MCAD users". More that 10 years later, CAD software marketing is still warning the world about an impending obsolescence of 2D CAD. The reality is that designers have far more freedom of choice than ever before in finding a design package that fits their needs and budget.


The key is knowing the right CAD for the right job at the right price. A certain flexibility to adapt one's self to learning several systems is therefore practical, but we don't need to learn them all. Technology is just a tool that we create to help us get a job done. It should never become a religion that ironically blinds us from seeing a better way of getting that job done. CADDIT has already helped hundreds of companies find the right CAD software. What has surprised many of our customers is that the best system for them is often not the most expensive or complex system we support.

CADDIT is a professional CAD and CAM software consulting company based in Sydney Australia. The full version of this article can be found here.

Not terribly lost in translation

For those of you who read yesterday's post and thought, "That's cool, but I wish I could read about it in French," we have good news!
It was picked up today by "Le Kayak et la mer."
Here's what they wrote:

Fabriquer son bout de remorquage court

Publié le 27 octobre 2008

En principe tous les kayakistes ont déjà un bout de remorquage long, c’est obligatoire en 6eme catégorie.
Mais plus rares sont ceux qui possèdent un bout court pourtant bien utile pour sortir rapidement un kayak d’un endroit difficile, assurer une pagaie ou même servir de leach. Vous trouverez sur le site Have kayaks, will travel une méthode très détaillée pour en fabriquer un de très bonne qualité ainsi qu’une méthode d’utilisation. C’est en anglais mais les nombreuses photos sont très explicites. Je crois bien que je vais m’en construire un sur ce modèle.

---

How to make your own short tow

When I was preparing to go out to Sea Kayak Georgia a few years ago to do some training before my Instructor Development Workshop, I needed a short tow setup. So I went out and bought a good-looking one for about $40.
During the second day of training, Ronnie Kemp and I were working on rescues. I was required to quickly release my tow belt and attached short tow in surf. The brand new short tow slid off the belt and sank.
Ronnie later showed me a type of short tow that can be made for a fraction of the cost of a commercial system. The parts are available at many outdoor sporting goods stores (or online--I've placed links below). The set-up connects to the deck lines in front of the paddler, where it's easy to reach, and uses an ingenious quick-release highwayman’s hitch, which allows it to be disconnected from the boat easily and quickly (essential for any tow system).
This is one of the first pieces of gear Sharon and I have made for ourselves; we find that the more we create and repair our own gear, the better we understand it and can make it suit our needs and the conditions we paddle in.
So here is the short tow system we use and how we put it together. Make sure you have the training to use it appropriately, and let us know what you think or what modifications you make.
--Alec

Materials:
Approximately 5 feet of 6 mm. braided nylon line ($2)
11 cm. Petzl runner ($4)
Petzl spirit straight gate carabiner ($9)
Or Stohlquist paddle biner ($20)
Rope end stopper with 1/4" hole ($4 a pack)

All the materials you'll need to create a short tow set-up.

First, seal the ends of the rope (if you had to cut it) using a flame:


Next tie a figure-of-eight to connect the rope to the runner:

Figure-of-eight follow-through connecting the rope to the runner. For instructions on this knot, click here .

Now connect the runner to the carabiner.

The runner prevents the rope from slipping off the carabiner.

Attach the rope-end stopper to the other end of the line. (Or, if you prefer, use any small ball or a monkey's fist knot.)

Your short tow is complete! Now it's time to attach it to your deck lines. Here is one way to use a highwayman's hitch to connect it. This is, essentially a series of slip knots, but they need to be done correctly in order to work properly.











(You can also check out this site for an excellent video on tying a highwayman's hitch .)

It's really strong. It can hold a lot of weight on the carabiner end:


And it can be released quickly and easily under tension by pulling on the ball end: