CorelCAD for Mac OS X

CorelCAD works with native DWG™ files and comes with industry standard CAD features such as customizable 2D and 3D design tools. CorelCAD supports DWG and DXF up to AutoCAD version 2010 (the same file format that works with AutoCAD 2012).

CorelCAD has a command line bar like AutoCAD. It has properties palettes and dockable tool bars, and right-click shortcut menus. For 3D work CorelCAD supports tiled viewports so you can view your 3D objects from different views (top, bottom, right, left, back, front, iso, etc). You can also choose different rendered view options for each viewport.

Modeling operations include sweeps, extrudes, lofts, revolves and follow along path. Boolean operations are supported. The modeling engine is Spatial’s ACIS, same as ARES.

You can collaborate with others using DXF or DWG  as well as PDF, SVG and DWF formats. You can also open up .SAT files (ACIS) and repurpose data for later work with advanced visualizations in Corel DESIGNER Technical Suite Add-On Right Hemisphere Deep Exploration™ CCE.

Further integration with other Corel software products like CorelDRAW is a major attraction to CorelCAD.

Final Notes

CorelCAD is built on top of Graebert GmbH, of Germany’s ARES platform. It supports robust OpenGL support on both platforms. The price for CorelCAD is 699.USD.

One final note. With CorelCAD, you can access the Graepert Market for CorelCAD Plugin Store for add-ons for this product. This includes plugins, standard drawing parts and libraries.

To learn more visit them online here.

What We Think

It is remarkable how many mid-level 2D/3D CAD programs there now are on the Mac platform, with CorelCAD now being yet another entry making the point. One can ask the question, does the Mac market need another mid entry level CAD app? And why CorelCAD?

Competition is always good and this program is built on top of ARES by German-based Graebert GmbH. It is also priced just under AREA Commander Edition for Mac. This program makes sense for those who are working with other Corel-based software products and want or need a better dovetail between graphics and CAD.

It seems many have or are attempting to compete with Google’s phenomenally popular SketchUp modeling program. Autodesk’s new free modeling application Autodesk 123D is out in beta but there is no Mac version yet.

Is this going to be a huge error on Autodesk’s part?

Not likely. But the request for a Mac version is fairly strong. Thomas Heerman, the product manager for Autodesk’s 123D wrote on their support forum, “The Mac OS X platform is very pervasive among the makers, we are definitely looking into having 123D available on this platform.”

Forum users have jotted down some interesting comments too. They note that Rhino is on the Mac and “makers” using Rhino–on the Mac! A user also notes, interestingly, that creatives often use Macs at home but Windows at work because of the absence of certain software–like Inventor or AutoCAD LT. A user posted, “Would love to use this alongside Autodesk Alias on Mac; maybe even port Inventor to Mac while you are at it.”

Boy, they make it sound so easy, don’t they? That’s what I hear the Autodesk folks saying.

One final comment from a poster named Shaun. “Designers have Macs and designers have children who will more than likely become designers….”

OpenCL in CAD Article

Over at the blog CAD Speed, Tony DeYoung wrote an article (a series actually) on the potential of OpenCL in the CAD market.

OpenCL was invented by Apple and open-sourced. It is now managed by the Khronos Group, of which Apple is a member. We have done some writing on OpenCL here at Architosh a bit. DeYoung brings up some interesting aspects of OpenCL as it relates to CAD. We look forward to hearing more as the article series is completed. Read on to learn more.

25th Anniversary Sale on C4D Ends Soon

Maxon’s CINEMA 4D 25th anniversary sales ends 30 June 2011. The current sale offer gives you 25 percent off the retail price on this award-winning visualization software package that works hand-in-hand with sister BIM applications ArchiCAD and Vectorworks.

File transfer is easy with Vectorworks’ new Send to CINEMA 4D command, which converts the model structure, lights, and materials directly to CINEMA 4D format. You can also later merge model changes directly into the model in C4D.

To receive a price quote call or email at: sales@vectorworks.net or 888-646-4223.

Shade 12 also features powerful new rendering and a new support for network rendering via ShadeGrid.

The New Shade 12

The new Shade 12 features a completely redesigned user interface that intelligently groups tool set and allows users to immediately switch between established workspaces, such as modeling, animation and rendering, or setup custom workspaces. New preview options include GLSL Phong rendering (with OpenGL 2.0 support), fast preview rendering and preview stereoscopic 3D.

Other key new features include:

• SketchModeler and PhotoModeler – turn 2D illustrations and photos into 3D
• New Modeling Options – new powerful mirror tool allows you to mirror geometry, new magnet tool creates deforming geometry options, and new non-destructive cage modeling and deformation for altering geometry, especially for animation
• 3D Rendering Options – Advanced stereoscopic export for new Blu-Ray and 3D TVs and monitors and the Nvidia 3D VISION platform.
• Volumetric Lighting
• New Materials Options — support for volumetric materials, etc.
• Displacement, Normal Mapping
• Subsurface Scattering — depict surfaces that allow penetration of light. Create complicated hues and shadows such as those associated with jade, marble, plastics and human skin
• COLLADA import/export — Import COLLADA animation (Shade Pro only), export COLLADA format

Shade Basic is 99.USD, Shade Standard Edition is 349.USD and Shade Pro is 749.USD. Owners of Shade 10 can upgrade at a discount. Shade 8 users have a very limited time to upgrade to Shade 12. Shade 12 can be downloaded immediately and there is a trial version here: www.shadetrial.com

Shade is originally developed in Japanese by the E Frontier Corporation of Japan. Mirye Software publishes Shade 3D and also provides the Mori Shade 3D Collections and Meshbox 3D model libraries.

For more info go to: www.miryestore.com

LightWave 10 is NewTek’s most artistic-friendly version of the 3D software since its inception and features a new Viewport Preview Renderer. NewTek LightWave 10 features new technologies developed in LightWave CORE and was developed through continued collaboration with 3D artists members in the LightWave HardCORE Community and key Hollywood studios.

01- The new NewTek LightWave 10 features a brand new Viewport Preview Renderer (VPR).

Key features in LightWave 10 include:

• Viewport Preview Renderer — real-time render feedback in limit-sized render region
• New Anaglyph Stereoscopic Preview — real-time interocular “red-blue” anaglphic separation
• Virtual Studio Tools support InterSense Virtual Camera Tracking System (VCam) and 3Dconnexion 3D mouse, allowing interaction with models and scenes in real time
• New Linear Color Space Workflow — better lighting and compositing flexibility
• New Data Interchange Tools — support for Autodesk FBX, COLLADA, Autodesk Geometry Cache and MDD, among others
• New UI (User Interface) Chanel sliders and numerous workflow improvements

One of the most important improvements in LightWave 10 is the new Viewport Preview Renderer (VPR). The ability to get real-time instant results with realistic scenes and interactive lights, complete with nodal shading and scene set up. Real-time OpenGL view of Ambient Occlusion, Bloom and Anaglyph Stereoscopic and HDRI background images round out the benefits of the interactive display and rendering tools.

02 - Anaglyph stereoscopic preview rendering in LightWave 10.

LightWave 10 also has improved ZBrush Interchange with easy transfer and manipulation of UV maps and improved OBJ UV support.

With LightWave 10 you get enhanced Modeler and Layout which incorporate LightWave CORE technologies and you also get preview builds of LightWave CORE itself. LightWave 10 with CORE will be delivered free of charge to all owners of LightWave 10 when it ships in 2011.

LightWave 10 is available for a limited time for 895.USD and upgrades begin at 495.USD. When LightWave 10 with CORE ships later in 2011 it will retail for 1,495.USD. System requirements for Mac users are: Intel processor based Mac, available USB port and Snow Leopard (10.6 or better) and Nvidia GeForce 8400 or ATI X1600.

To learn more visit this special page at NewTek’s website: http://www.newtek.com/lightwave/lw10.php

OpenGL 4.1 brings the latest graphics functionality to the most advanced and widely adopted cross-platform 2D and 3D graphics API (application programming interface). OpenGL 4.1 is the sixth update to the OpenGL specification in two years. This version continues to maintain full backwards compatibility to enable developers to begin using new features whenever they choose, while portably accessing state-of-the-art GPU functionality across diverse operating systems and platforms.

New core functionality in OpenGL 4.1 includes:

• Full compatibility with OpenGL ES 2.0 APIs
• The ability to query and load a binary for shader program objects to save recompilation time
• The capability to bind programs individually to programmable stages for programming flexibility
• 64-bit floating point component vertex shader inputs for higher geometric precision
• Multiple viewports for a rendering surface for increased rendering flexibility
• New ARB extensions like: OpenGL sync objects to OpenCL event objects
• New ARB extension like: ability to set stencil values in a fragment shader
• Improved robustness  when running WebGL applications

The Khronos Group has also released a set of ARB extensions to enable as much OpenGL 4.1 core functionality as possible on previous generation GPUs.

“Khronos is methodologically building their vision for pervasive developer access to cross-platform graphics, media and compute acceleration. The continued rapid-fire OpenGL evolution feeds high-end graphics innovation into that strategy,” stated Dr. Jon Peddie founder and principle of Jon Peddie Research. “Just as significant as OpenGL 4.1’s new 3D functionality are the ever closer links with OpenCL and OpenGL ES 2.0–another significant step in strengthening the Khronos API ecosystem.”

SIGGRAPH attendees can learn about OpenGL 4.1 at SIGGRAPH on Wednesday, July 28, 5:15 pm – 7:15 pm, Wilshire Grand – Los Angeles Room. To learn more click here.

The Khronos Group will be at booth #1201.

Earlier we covered the news about the brand new version of ArchiOffice, version 2010. This product looks impressive and readers interested in catching a view of this office and project management suite for architects can reserve a spot for an August 17, 2010 free live webinar.

Presented by Steven Burns, FAIA, the free webinar will review ArchiCAD 2010’s top features, out of more than 150 product improvements. Tops on this list are the new “Anytime, Anywhere” functionality where you can access critical information about your projects from anywhere you have an Internet connection. Also impressive is the “Zero Deployment” technology built in using JavaStart technology. With ArchiOffice 2010 there is no software to install on your workstations. Finally the webinar will cover the new Document Management technologies. The webinar starts at 12pm EST and is one hour long.

You can sign up here or call: 310-602-4010.

Pre-SIGGRAPH News

SIGGRAPH starts in a few days (July 27-29) and already companies are sharing some upcoming show news. Nvidia for example will be showing off a host of new Quadro solutions, including new developments with raytracing technology. There will also be an amazing display solution from Barco. Nvidia is in booth #725.

Khronos will be featuring some prize sessions at SIGGRAPH, including the OpenGL BOF with a special introduction by Jon Peddie titled: “Open Standards Bringing 3D Everywhere.” You can click here to learn more.

e-on software will have a brand new application at SIGGRAPH to announce. That application will work inside major DCC applications. They will also be showcasing the upcoming Vue 9 line of products. Lastly, e-on software has another brand new application for the architectural visualization market, new for them! This product should be very interesting to see.

This is shaping up to be a good show and Architosh looks forward to covering it.

OpenGL 4.0 and OpenCL

Apple-invented open industry standard OpenCL is now more closely aligned and interoperable with OpenGL via OpenGL 4.0. New new features in OpenGL 4.0 include:

• Core and Compatibility OpenGL 3.2 profiles retain backwards compatibility;
• two new shader stages that enable the GPU to offload geometry tessellation from the CPU;
• per-sample fragment shaders and programmable fragment shaders,
• drawing of data generated by OpenGL or external APIs such as OpenCL without main CPU intervention;
• shader subroutines for better programming flexibility;
• new object type called “sampler objects” provide separation of texture state and texture data;
• 64-bit double precision floating point shader operations and quality;
• performance improvements, included instanced geometry, instanced shaders, instanced arrays and a new timer query.

The Khronos Group has also released an OpenGL 3.3 specification, together with the set of ARB extensions, to enable some OpenGL 4.0 functionality in previous generation GPU hardware.

It is unclear at this time when operating systems vendors will support the new OpenGL 4.0 standard. For more information visit this link.

In Brief. Autodesk has acquired software assets from UK-based 3AM Solutions, a privately held company that develops visualization software for civil infrastructure. Dynamite VSP and Dynamite SIM technology will help Autodesk the process of creating visualization for projects made with Autodesk Civil 3D software. Dynamite VSP offers simple and efficient ways to bring Autodesk Civil 3D software data into Autodesk 3ds Max design software. The full press release is here.

AIA Report says BIM Use Increased Substantially

According to the newest report by the American Institute of Architects (AIA), architects using Building Information Modeling (BIM) software increased from 34 percent in 2005 to 69 percent in 2008.

Graphisoft ArchiCAD 13 Events Upcoming

Graphisoft has a number of ArchiCAD 13 events coming up this month starting this week. Here is a brief breakdown:

• Jan 6 – ArchiCAD User Group, Oakland, CA
• Jan 7 – IIT College of Architecture – BIM Training Workshop, Chicago, IL
• Jan 11 – 2D Drawing Coordination with Consultants – Exporting DWG, PDF and JPG Files – Online Training
• Jan 13 – So What’s In A Template, Anyway? Calgary, AB
• Jan 13 – ArchiCAD User Group, Seattle, WA

Mac 3D News

OpenCL conformance tests are now available with new conformant products now shipping. Additionally, the OpenCL Working Group membership has expanded to 33 members in the areas of high-performance computing, gaming, middleware, system and silicon vendors. Participating at SC09, an international conference for high-performance computing, Khronos Group members will be highlighting the power and scalability of OpenCL.

OpenCL Products – Trademark Use and Conformance

Before a product can use the OpenCL trademark it must pass a conformance test suite by Khronos for OpenCL 1.0. This suite was released in May 2009 and a number of shipping products have successfully passed including products from AMD, Apple and Nvidia.

In the case of Apple its latest operating system, Snow Leopard, utilizes OpenCL. Apple created OpenCL and opened it up as an industry standard giving control of the standard to the Khronos Group.

“By enabling cross-platform development for heterogeneous architectures, OpenCL is helping to bring GPU compute capability to mainstream applications,” said Patricia Harrell, director of stream computing at AMD.

“Nvidia cares deeply about ensuring that OpenCL developers have the tools they need to easily develop and deploy mainstream applications on more than 150 million Nvidia OpenCL 1.0-capable GPUs,” said Sanford Russell, general manager, GPU Computing software at Nvidia.

The latest list of conforming products for OpenCL 1.0 support can be found here at this web page. So far most products are operating systems and GPUs.

OpenCL Expands Significantly But No Microsoft

With 33 key industry members OpenCL is well on its way to becoming an industry standard as significant as OpenGL–a graphics technology standardized across an array of industry segments and device platforms.

In the gaming industry key members include Activision Blizzard, Electronic Arts and Nvidia and Apple. In terms of silicon systems makers they all the major vendors such as: AMD, ARM, Broadcom, Freescale, IBM, Intel, Nvidia, Samsung, STMicroelectronics, and Texas Instruments.

Key mobile phone makers are also behind OpenCL including: Ericsson, Motorola and Nokia (not to mention Apple). And the US government’s Los Alamos National Laboratory is also a key member.

IBM has released its own OpenCL Development Kit for Linux on Power on AlphaWorks. The company’s Power Architecture processors are used in workstations, servers, mainframe computers and supercomputers. Additionally, IBM is a partner with Sony in Cell processors and is exploring OpenCL on Cell and BE processors as well.

For more information about the Khronos Group’s efforts with OpenCL visit them here.

HyperShot 10 was recently demoed to enthusiastic crowds of designers at the Industrial Design Society of America (IDSA) International Conference held in Miami. 

HyperShot 10 – First Digital Camera for your 3D Data

HyperShot 10 is being billed at the “first digital camera for your 3D data.” The emphasis with HyperShot is in simplicity of image creation from previously generated 3D data. To get your data into HyperShot there are plugins available for Google SketchUp, Rhinoceros (aka: Rhino), Pro/Engineer, SpaceClaim, SolidWorks and KeyCreator. 

01 - HyperShot 10 continues to push the envelope with fast photo-realistic renders that are very easy to setup.

HyperShot 10 features an all new rendering engine to create even faster renders in just minutes.  It is for anyone who needs to see more than standard OpenGL type rendering on screen in minutes, not hours. Because of its extreme speed HyperShot is being highly touted by industrial designers, automobile style centers and visualization professionals. 

To learn more visit them here: http://www.bunkspeed.com/

And new in version 7.1 include the support of Google’s Street View imagery to add real-world photo textures to your geo-located SketchUp models. You can now use the Component Browser to search the 3D Warehouse for buildings located near the one you’re working on, then download the ones you want directly into your model. This will save you immense amounts of time rather than hunting for what you need. 

01 - This image shows the ability to use Street View imagery as the basis of a photo texture applied to a model. On the left you can see the SketchUp model with the applied photo texture. On the right you can see Google's Street View and map technology within its own window. Pins locate key points defining the image and then you hit the Grab button to extract it for use.

New Sharing and Collaboration

Version 7.1 improves sharing and collaboration. You can now upload individual components to the 3D Warehouse without first having to save them out to separate files. Split up large city models into buildings, preserve Dynamic Component functionality and more. 

You can now import and export COLLADA files, which enables you to move your data around between multiple programs. Google Earth KMZ is the standard file format for packaging 3D models together with information about their geographic locations. SketchUp 7.1 gives you access to a world of geo-located 3D models. Additionally, you can exchange model data in other CAD formats like DXF, DWG, 3DS, OBJ, XSI, EPS, PDF and more. 

LayOut 2.1

Google has also updated LayOut to version 2.1. New features include dimensioning improvements, new Snap to SketchUp models in Layout, improved freehand drawing tool and the ability to produce lists in bulleted or numbered format. 

There is also improvements to the grids. You can now see your grid as dots instead of lines, in front of or behind your drawing. And finally there is an improvement to Copy/Paste. 

To learn more visit the SketchUp webpage: www.sketchup.com

What is WebGL

WebGL is defined as a Javascript binding to OpenGL ES 2.0 to enable rich 3D graphics within any standards-based browser, on any OS platform that supports OpenGL and OpenGL ES graphics standards. The group is working on specifications to provide content portability across diverse browsers and platforms. 

The first public release of WebGL is scheduled for the first half of 2010. 

WebGL will leverage recent developments in HTML 5.0 specification, including the use of the Canvas element. Accelerated OpenGL ES functionality that is directly accessible from JavaScript is expected to encourage a wide variety of 3D-enhanced Web applications, including those with rich user interfaces.

“Google is committed to open web standards and is very excited to be part of the WebGL initiative,” said Matt Papakipos, engineering director at Google. “We believe that WebGL is an important step toward making high-performance 3D possible in the browser.”

OpenGL and Canvas

“The Web has already seen the wide proliferation of compelling 2D graphical applications, and we think 3D is the next step for Firefox. We look forward to a new class of 3D-enriched Web applications within Canvas, and for creative synergy between OpenGL developers and Web developers,” said Arun Ranganathan of Mozilla and chair of the WebGL working group.

OpenGL 3.2

OpenGL 3.2 is the third major update in twelve months to the most widely adopted 2D and 3D graphics API (application programming interface). This new release continues the rapid evolution of the OpenGL standard to enable graphics developers to portably access cutting-edge GPU functionality across diverse operating systems and platforms. 

OpenGL 3.2 adds features for enhanced performance, increased visual quality, accelerated geometry processing and easier portability of Direct3D applications. In addition, the evolution of OpenGL and other standards within the Khronos, including OpenCL for parallel computing, OpenGL ES, and the new WebGL standard for 3D on the Web, are being coordinated to create a powerful graphics and compute ecosystem that spans many applications, markets and devices. The installed base of OpenGL 3.2 compatible GPUs already exceeds 150 million units. New features include:

• increased performance for vertex arrays and fence sync objects to avoid idling while waiting for resource shared by between CPU and GPU, or multiple CPU threads
• Improved pipeline programmability, including geometry shaders in the OpenGL core,
• Boosted cube map visual quality and multisampling rendering flexibility by enabling shaders to directly process texture samples

To learn more you can read this report link at the Khronos Group website.

cadsoft solutions of the United Kingdom has announced that Punch’s Shark CAD product line, including Shark, Shark LT, and Shark FX have been updated with a service pack, release v5.5 build 838. This latest service pack contains over 35 corrections and enhancements and is recommended for all Shark product line users. To learn about Punch products including Shark go here.

OpenGL support added to REALBasic

REAL Software has released its new REALBasic and REAL Studio version 3 products. There are more than 100 improvements and 31 new features including, among other great things, OpenGL support for faster creation of 3D applications compared to traditional C-programming methods. 

The software is used to create programs for Mac, Windows and Linux operating systems, using both BASIC computing languages and visually-designed interfaces. The new OpenGLSurface control does require a knowledge of the OpenGL language. However, there are some open source projects that are implementing a RB3D-compatible API on top of the OpenGL for developers who currently use RB3D. 

REAL Software recently published an Introduction to REALbasic video on YouTube.com. 

VersaCAD update coming soon! Focus on Translators

The latest Archway newsletter mentions an upcoming VersaCAD update that will focus on updating its CAD translators, especially on the Mac. The Windows version will get faster and will now support multiple instances. VersaCAD will now have a different and better database engine behind it, paving the way for innovative future upgrades. To learn about VersaCAD go here: http://www.versacad.com/versacad/

EVGA GTX 285 Mac Edition

GTX 285 Mac Edition is the highest performing graphics card for the Mac platform today, touts both EVGA and Nvidia. Featuring over 1 GB of DDR3 memory and 240 processing cores, this fully CUDA capable GPU card can drive two 30 inch displays at very high resolutions simultaneously.

This slots it in above ATI Radeon HD 4870 and the Nvidia Quadro FX 4800 for Mac. Although the latter has 1.5 GB of total memory and 192 parallel processing cores, the GTX 285 for Mac has 1 GB of memory, 240 processing cores and the widest memory interface (512 bit) we’ve seen on a Mac thus far. 

It outperforms in pure memory bandwidth delivering over 159 GB/ sec compared to 115 GB/ sec for the Radeon HD 4870 and 76.8 GB/ sec for the Quadro 4800. 

More Choices for Mac Pros

Interestingly, Apple does not offer this card yet as a BTO (build-to-order) option on its Apple Store online website. Neither does it offer the Nvidia Quadro 4800 workstation card. 

However it does offer all these cards as accessories to add to your Mac Pro. Listed below are the cards and prices at Apple as of this writing:

• EVGA GeForce GTX 285 — (theoretically the fastest) $449.USD
• ATI Radeon HD 4870 — (theoretically the next fastest) $349.USD
• Nvidia Quadro FX 4800 — (theoretically the next fastest) $1,799.USD
• Nvidia GeForce GT 120 — (default Mac Pro card) $149.USD

The program utilizes OpenGL under Mac OS X and data management takes place through an internal powerful CAD system, directly in a perspective view. LTB Light 8.0 can share information with other CAD systems through a few common formats like DXF and PICT files. 

Light sources are managed inside the main program and it is possible to import, show, modify and use IESNA LM-63 photometric data files (ACSII text files commonly used by North American lighting fixture manufacturers) and EULUDMAT (European standard). 

Calculations controls include levels of illumination, allocated energy amounts, correct positioning of light sources (type, numbers, power…) and direct and reflected colors. 

LTB Light 8.0 for Mac - includes a 3D internal CAD system.

For ever object in the scene it will be possible to also have a planar-projected mapping with values-mapping and/or curves-mapping overlapped. It is also possible to print or export these results as TEXT, RTF, PICT, DXF files or into other formats via copy-paste into various programs. 

LTB Light 8.0 can be used to determine correct lighting levels within rooms and spaces and includes a “Road Tool” to find the best installation as regards fixtures, pole distances and height. 

02 - The program can fully handle comprehensive data on light sources.

03 - LTB Light utilizes OpenGL for rendered views of lighting scenes.

LTB Light 8.0 works with Mac OS X 10.4 or higher. It’s Universal Binary so it runs on both PowerPC and Intel-based Macs. The program retails for 299.USD. To learn more visit them here. http://www.ltblight.com/

Building on CrossFire

ATI (AMD’s graphics subsidiary) developed CrossFire as an interconnect technology to enable multiple GPUs to work together on single problems. CrossFire accelerates applications by tasking each GPU with a portion of a rendering workload. AMD (ATI) is building on its experience with by releasing the new WGL_AMD_GPU_association. This extension allows applications to make decisions about what portion of the work to task to what GPU (in the case of multiple GPU systems). 

New workstation class applications, like CAD, CAE, DCC (digital content creation), now make use of this extension to determine what types of GPUs are in a given system (computer) and pick which contexts to allocate on each GPU. This allows a workstation application to process multiple images and datasets simultaneously and combine the final image for display. 

GPU Association is currently available in Catalyst 9.1. The extension specification can be found in the OpenGL extension registry. 

To learn more about OpenGL click here.

A couple of quick emails led to a telephone interview and conversation with longtime SketchUp product manager, John Bacus. John does an excellent job of describing the latest addition to what has become a staple in the architectural world for conceptual modeling.

Discussing SketchUp 7 Pro

AFR: John, first I want to congratulate you guys on quite an amazing update. There are some real impressive features in SU 7.

John Bacus (JB): Thanks, we went dark for quite awhile.

AFR: Yeah, I was really beginning to wonder…but now I see what Google has been working on. The Dynamic Components feature is really quite extensive. Where can users go to learn more about Dynamic Components and how to make sophisticated things like stairs?

JB: There are a couple of places…

The best place we would recommend to learn more about Dynamic Components is to look at other Dynamic Components. We have shipped some with SketchUp 7 Pro and there are others you can find on 3D Warehouse. You can also learn more by watching the YouTube videos on the SketchUp Channel.

SketchUp 7 Pro - Dynamic Component: Google Provided Stair

AFR: Are those on 3D Warehouse produced by Google?

JB: Some are Google-produced and some are by others. Some are by manufacturers, like Marvin Windows. With their windows you can size them to the limits in which they can manufacturer them.

AFR: What about learning more as to the mathematical and logical functions that you see under the Functions tab? Where does one learn how to apply those?

OpenCL is software technology that enables developers to tap the vast amounts of un-used power in graphics cards (GPUs) for tasks not related to graphics. The industry in general has taken well to OpenCL and the number of companies behind it include tech giants like Intel, Nvidia, AMD/ATI, Qualcomm, 3DLabs, Electronic Arts, Blizzard and many others. 

As we remarked this report, the one company that is not behind OpenCL — which will be managed independent of Apple and will be a royalty-free industry standard — is Microsoft, which seeks to compete with OpenCL using proprietary Microsoft technology.

“If you go to some other larger standards bodies, it’s quite normal for a standard to take five years or more,” said Neil Trevett, CEO of Khronos. The team pushed the limit in order to meet Apple’s time-frame for consideration in the next release of OS X, Snow Leopard. 

“The fact that if we could hit this impossible deadline [Apple] would support it in Snow Leopard was a huge plus to us,” said Tim Mattson of Intel who has worked on the standard. 

OpenCL, which stands for Open Computing Language enables compute-intensive applications to take advantage of both multi-core CPU’s and today’s very powerful GPU’s (graphics processing units). It is C-based (language) for wide inclusion within the programming market and is fully open and royalty-free. OpenCL is managed by the Khronos Group (like OpenGL is) and is backed by leading tech giants such as Apple, Intel, AMD, ARM, Freescale, Qualcomm, 3DLabs and others.