3D CAD programs are complicated because technology moves forward at such a pace. These virtual tools are of growing importance in all parts of engineering and, as the world becomes increasingly complex and connected, software developers have to innovate to stay relevant.
Nowhere was this more apparent than at the annual global Solidworks user conference in Dallas, Texas last month. Solidworks’ parent company, Dassault Systèmes, flexed its muscle by showing off not just the new features of its 3D CAD software, but its developments with the internet of things and its initiatives to inspire the next generation of engineers.
The group has a 36% share of the global CAD market in terms of client companies and 25% in terms of the number of seats. This year Solidworks is reorganising its software portfolio and wants its users to see its products as split into three distinct groups: desktop, connected objects and online.
“We want to give users the flexibility and choice to run their business in the way they think is best,” says chief executive Gian Paolo Bassi. “The perpetual licence plus maintenance subscription is here to stay. People like the security it offers. But we also take the concept of subscription seriously and want to offer choice.”
The way people can buy Solidworks is also changing. For the first time engineers will be able to buy termed licences for desktop versions. Bassi says termed licences offer a lower upfront cost, and are flexible and scaleable. The company is also offering online trials, which it says will enable the use of CAD on any device through an internet browser.
Termed subscriptions are aimed at companies that need to increase the number of Solidworks’ seats temporarily for large projects. Dassault Systèmes hopes this will provide a funnel to perpetual licences and open up new sectors, such as architecture, engineering and construction (AEC).
According to Bassi, Solidworks already has a strong user base in AEC, a market that is dominated by its competitor Autodesk. Around 20% of Solidworks’ users are designing the things that go into buildings: appliances, mechanical systems, doors, furniture. Just not the structural elements such as walls, slabs and columns. “The last important piece for us is construction and engineering,” says Bassi. “My dream is to go into architecture. We don’t have a solid plan yet. But, it is a space we understand.”
The strategy will be to enter the AEC market at the tip of the construction ‘pyramid’ with architects, where Dassault Systèmes already has relationships through its Catia software. Well-known firms such as Frank Gehry Partners and Zaha Hadid Architects use Catia, says Bassi. It can then filter down to help with the “big problems in construction”, such as scheduling, modelling, and organising complicated architectural visions.
“Construction is too fragmented,” says Bassi. “It is not like automotive or aerospace, where we’ve been able to work with the manufacturers to integrate and optimise the development process. This has not happened in construction – there is no standardisation, there is very little fabrication. There is a big opportunity to reduce the cost of construction.”
Nevertheless, Solidworks’ core markets remain industrial equipment, consumer products, and inside the engineering departments of contractors and consultants. Here the company is still focused on finessing the design process into a full “3D experience”.
Bassi says that it’s not just consumers who are demanding beautiful products, and he describes a recent visit to a crane company to illustrate his point: “They were really proud of these beautiful control panels they had designed and produced. They had fantastic materials and paid a lot of attention to the light and reflections. I asked them if crane operators really cared about how the controls looked and they scolded me. Attractive design is a competitive advantage. Even cranes and forklifts need to look like sports cars.”
He adds that safety, time to market, precision and accuracy are still important, although in some situations, such as chemical processing plants, beauty is not an essential attribute. However, he insists that aesthetics is of growing importance in industrial design.
“Creating beautiful things is something more and more engineers want to do,” he says. “Traditionally there was a split between industrial design and mechanical engineers. But today mechanical engineers, especially in small firms, want to create beautiful things. They have aspirations and want the tools to do this.”
An example of this is lighting simulation. Optis software integrates with Solidworks to accurately recreate different light sources and how they are viewed on a 3D CAD model. This year Optis’ business grew 40%. “LEDs are everywhere today,” says Bassi. “Engineers need to know that they show under different intensities of light and show up to the users. It’s not just advanced lighting in luxury cars.”
Another major technical trend that Solidworks is keen to encompass in its software is the internet of things (IoT). Other CAD software firms are backing the trend wholeheartedly to connect products and equipment to the internet completely. Dassault Systèmes already offers the Netvibes software, a data analytics dashboard for connected devices, which has more than 11 million users.
However, Bassi says the firm is taking a pragmatic approach to IoT, by improving the way electronics are designed and integrated into mechanical models. “All consumer products, from door knobs to drones, will be connected,” he says. “So we are putting a lot of attention on electronics and connectivity, and antennas and embedded software that connect to wi-fi and Bluetooth. We now have the partnership with Altium. We have partners that specialise in embedded software. But we are focusing on design. We are not chasing the market for IoT infrastructure.”
Two products will be available through a partnership with electronics software company Altium – Solidworks PCB and Solidworks PCB Connector for Altium. The new software uses a collaborative server with Altium’s software so that it updates in real time – there is no file transfer. The software also links in real time to component supplier databases so that more informed decisions can be made when selecting components. The software uses the native Solidworks modules, meaning the electronics design IDF format is not used.
Louis Feinstein, head of IoT, PCB, electrical, mechatronics and plastronics products for Solidworks, says that bringing ECAD and MCAD together is a highly significant move for the company. “Our users say ECAD and MCAD integration is their biggest problem today,” he says. “This is a complete, seamless design package that combines Solidworks and Altium to simplify the development workflow. We see it as a key bridge for mechatronics design and a vital link for any company pursuing an IoT strategy.”
The levels of integration between software for mechanical and electrical design mirror the demand for products that combine the two elements in the real world. The improvements to these tools give engineers the ability to create products and equipment to satisfy this demand. Meanwhile, 3D CAD also continues to evolve in terms of features and aesthetics, entering new markets, as the power of computers increases.
Opening up online design and file sharing
One of Solidworks’ biggest announcements at its user conference in Dallas was the upcoming release of an online version of its software. Expected in May, Xdesign is a full 3D CAD program accessed via a web browser, and will be available to all current Solidworks users. Xdesign is usable with touch interfaces, so it can be used on smartphones and tablets. A major feature is the extra layer of “design guidance” which will aid the user through the design process.
Solidworks chief executive Gian Paolo Bassi says: “You don’t have to know the exact forces. The part is made out of thin air. You as the engineer then get to decide how much material to take out. It’s like Lego blocks. It also has 3D printer technology integrated. Xdesign is made for Solidworks users – there are a lot of familiar features.”
Alongside Xdesign, the company is releasing an Xdrive web storage application to enable collaborative file-sharing and working online. Kishore Boyalakuntla, senior director of product portfolio management at Solidworks, says: “It’s a drive or space where you can always access your design with synching to desktop. It links into Dropbox or any other drives you have and puts it all into one place – Xdrive. The computer can then help you find a component to fit your design very quickly, and it enables fast and sim-ple collaboration via links with other people.”
In focus: Solidworks for kids
In an attempt to encourage young people to study Stem subjects, Dassault Systèmes is developing a version of its software for ages four and up. The software, which is still under development, is split into four to recreate the design process. The “ideation” capture app will take photos and do sketches. This will feed into “creation” apps such as “shape it” and “mech it”. Users will then be able to improve these designs, adding colours and stickers in another “style it” app, before using a “print it” app to output the design to a 3D printer. Chinloo Lama, senior user experience design engineer at Solidworks, says: “As they play they will be honing design skills useful for their future. This is something we all wished we had when we were growing up.” A beta test version of the software can be obtained at www.solidworks.com/appsforkids.