Faster, More Compelling Models, Renderings, and Animations of Point Clouds

(Heerbrugg/ Switzerland, 23 June 2010)- Leica Geosystems announces Leica CloudWorx-VR for 3ds Max, 3ds Max design, and Maya. These plug-ins provide a convenient way for professionals to efficiently create more photorealistic and compelling models, renderings, and animations based on rich, High-Definition Survey™ data of sites & structures as collected by 3D laser scanners.

Easier, More Efficient Processing of Point Clouds for Multi-media Applications
The use of visually rich, High-Definition Survey data for multi-media applications such as marketing proposals, client education, and project communications has been steadily growing. However, traditional methods of processing as-built and topographic point cloud data and merging it with models and photography for multi-media applications have been time consuming. In addition, the quality of deliverables has been constrained by limitations in stand-alone point cloud software otherwise used for this. Now, Leica CloudWorx-VR-plus Autodesk 3ds Max or Maya overcome these limitations, making it easy to create even more compelling multi-media deliverables based on laser scan data.

Leica CloudWorx-VR offers 3ds Max and Maya users the same, familiar user interface they already know from using these multi-media tools. CloudWorx-VR lets users apply 3ds Max and Maya tools directly to large point cloud data sets. Users can efficiently load a dense, colored point cloud as a 3D background, merge point cloud data with other model elements, cast shadows on the cloud, and even process point clouds into smooth surface models – all within the 3ds Max or Maya interface. CloudWorx-VR supports data from Leica HDS and 3rd party laser scanners, enabling any laser scanner user to more easily expand service offerings to include exciting multi-media deliverables based on point clouds.

Global Access plus Local Support from Leica Geosystems
Users can purchase Leica CloudWorx-VR and receive local support directly from Leica Geosystems, the world leader in laser scanning hardware and software, and authorized representatives. The powerful, new plug-in was developed by Alice Labs (Netherlands), a start-up company comprised of experienced Leica HDS users plus talented academic staff. Alice Labs and Leica Geosystems have signed an exclusive agreement for Leica Geosystems to sell and support the plug-in product as Leica CloudWorx-VR, the newest member of the Leica CloudWorx family of convenient point cloud plug-in software.

What they’re saying
Dr.-Ing. Christian Hesse of Dr. Hesse und Partner Ingenieure, Germany reports, “We were impressed by point cloud animations of an historic ship that we saw at the 2009 Leica Geosystems HDS Worldwide User Conference in San Ramon, CA, and discussed the point cloud plug-in for 3ds approach with the presenter. We’ve since changed over from another vendor’s software to deploy this technology and we have been very pleased to quickly expand our business into this exciting area with excellent results. Our customer’s response was outstanding.” An example of this work done by Dr. Hesse und Partner Ingenieure is on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PQ4_biRWHvM
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Pricing & Availability
Leica CloudWorx-VR is immediately available. Ordering information is available from authorized Leica Geosystems representatives.
Leica Geosystems – when it has to be right
With close to 200 years of pioneering solutions to measure the world, Leica Geosystems products and services are trusted by professionals worldwide to help them capture, analyze, and present spatial information. Leica Geosystems is best known for its broad array of products that capture accurately, model quickly, analyze easily, and visualize and present spatial information.

Those who use Leica Geosystems products every day trust them for their dependability, the value they deliver, and the superior customer support. Based in Heerbrugg, Switzerland, Leica Geosystems is a global company with tens of thousands of customers supported by more than 2,400 employees in 22 countries and hundreds of partners located in more than 120 countries around the world. Leica Geosystems is part of the Hexagon Group, Sweden.

Autodesk Floats Design Tools in the Cloud

Company releases new details on Project Butterfly collaboration tool and outlines plans for cloud computing offerings around MoldFlow and Inventor

Beth Stackpole, contributing editor, software/hardware — Design News, May 17, 2010

Autodesk filled in some pieces of its vision for putting design tools in the cloud, releasing new details on its Project Butterfly collaboration tool and announcing two new Software-as-a-Service initiatives surrounding Inventor and its MoldFlow offering.

Project Butterfly, as described by Tal Weiss, lead software development manager at Autodesk, allows AutoCAD users to view, edit and collaborate in real time on DWG files online. With this cloud computing technology, anyone with a Web browser can log onto a site and access the same version of a file as opposed to the current way many engineering teams collaborate, simply by e-mailing files around.

“Our intent is to enable AutoCAD users to take any AutoCAD file and upload it to the cloud using this application, and share it with anyone at a remote site without the need for the software,” says Weiss, who came to Autodesk last November when his company, VisualTao, was acquired as the foundation technology for Project Butterfly. “The only thing they need is a browser — there is nothing installed on the disk and they can pan and zoom, annotate and edit files.”

Dave McGee, lead CAD technician at Lacy and Ebeling Engineering Inc., a structural and industrial engineering firm, has experimented with the Project Butterfly technology preview. Most recently, he and a client at a remote site conducted a co-editing session on a 2-D AutoCAD drawing showcasing a load-out facility for a truck. “Rather than the time-consuming task of having to send him a PDF, then calling him and having him tell me he wanted something in the northwest corner, we didn’t have to do any of that,” McGee says. “He was looking at his 2-D drawing, I was looking at mine, and I just followed his pointer and it was pretty obvious what he wanted.”

Weiss wouldn’t say when Project Butterfly would be commercially available. Users can download the technology preview at Project Butterfly.

In related news, Autodesk announced a couple of other SaaS efforts: Project Cumulus, which leverages the cloud computing model to deliver more computational horsepower for MoldFlow plastic design simulations; and Project Centaur, which lets Inventor users offload simulation tasks to the cloud. Both technology pilots, currently available to select Autodesk customers, leverage the cloud to lets users perform simulations they traditionally wouldn’t be able to do on the desktop.

“We’re letting users leverage the untapped potential compute power of the cloud to bring optimization into the equation,” says Jeff Wymer, Autodesk senior product line manager, digital simulation. “We’re allowing the MoldFlow designer to optimize their design and get the best results with unrivaled performance and capacity compared to the desktop.”

The new technology will run as a lightweight desktop, allowing MoldFlow users to set up their geometries and input locally. Once they hit “solve,” the lightweight application will transmit the data to the cloud for computation and will return the results back to the desktop when finished. The amount of processing time will vary depending on the complexity of the design, however, the technology works asynchronously so it allows users to conduct normal computing during the simulation.

Project Centaur, aimed at mechanical engineers, is focused on the pervasive problem of design optimization, helping users reduce material weight while achieving quality targets. Similar to Project Cumulus, Project Centaur will run as a small plug-in on the desktop, allowing users to retain the user of their computer while the simulation is in progress on the cloud. Project Centaur is also aiming to push the envelope in terms of usability, delivering simulation capabilities in such manner that they can be utilized by the broad spectrum of mechanical engineers, not just simulation experts, Wymer says.

There is no official availability date for either Project Centaur or Project Cumulus.

Eagle Point Software Corporation to Offer Compatible Solutions to AutoCAD Civil 3D 2011 Software

DUBUQUE, Iowa – Eagle Point Software Corporation today announced it will offer compatible solutions to Autodesk’s AutoCAD Civil 3D 2011 software for the building design, infrastructure, and construction industries.

“We are excited to be able to quickly support the AutoCAD Civil 3D 2011 release in our portfolio of add-on products that include Pinnacle Series, Data Reduction, and Surveyors’ Companion,” explains Steve Biver, Civil Product Line Manager at Eagle Point. “These products take advantage of the new features of AutoCAD Civil 3D 2011, such as 64-bit support. Our add-on products help ensure successful implementations and better use of Autodesk’s software, while giving our clients a competitive advantage.”

The Eagle Point Pinnacle Series^™ add-on technology dramatically improves an organization’s ability to implement AutoCAD Civil 3D and adopt new Building Information Modeling (BIM) workflows. Using links to execute the right commands, the surveying, grading, roadway design, pipe layout, and plan set preparation workflows guide users to complete work faster while consistently following the organization’s standards and best practices.

Data Reduction^™ utilizes direct links with several supported data collectors and data collector formats to download raw instrument and coordinate data. Whether the user is downloading directly from a collector or importing a file from a PC, Data Reduction places AutoCAD Civil 3D COGO points and automated linework into the drawing.

A set of tools that streamline the survey workflow, Surveyors’ Companion^™ leverages proven surveying technology to enable organizations to comfortably and productively move to AutoCAD Civil 3D software. Surveyors’ Companion interacts with native point, parcel, surface, alignment, and profile data.

“We are glad to have an Autodesk Developer Network partner like Eagle Point Software announce the release of its portfolio of companion products for AutoCAD Civil 3D 2011,” explains Jim Quanci, Director of the Autodesk Developer Network. “Eagle Point’s expertise in the Civil Engineering markets has allowed them to leverage the new functionality in our 2011 version and enhance it with tools that help our clients take advantage of BIM.”

AutoCAD Civil 3D 2011 software, the building information modeling (BIM) solution for civil engineering, helps teams deliver higher-quality transportation, land development, and environmental projects faster. Its model-based approach helps keep project information coordinated while delivering higher-quality documentation and visualizations. AutoCAD Civil 3D helps users gain the competitive advantage of BIM to deliver more innovative project solutions. Key new features include:

• Scalability and performance improvements, as well as an optimized 64-bit version of Civil 3D
• Tools to better manage the creation and editing of corridors
• Enhanced superelevation functionality that provides a dynamic link to the alignment and flexible editing options

Autodesk, AutoCAD, Civil 3D and Revit are registered trademarks or trademarks of Autodesk, Inc., and/or its subsidiaries and/or affiliates in the USA and/or other countries. All other brand names, product names or trademarks belong to their respective holders.

All company names and product names mentioned are the property of their respective owners.

Licensing Schmicensing…

We have all installed software at some point in our lives right?  I would be willing to bet there is a very small number of people who have actually read through the End User License Agreement (EULA) when installing.  All EULAs have the same clause, “Break this contract and we will take all of your assets (present, past and future), we have rights to your first born, your name, etc…  Only install ONCE!”

They can’t do that, can they?  No, they can not take your first born child, and in fact they may not even want your children, but they do want THEIR money.  Software companies are really pushing hard to prevent software piracy, and with U.S. losses in 2008 estimated by the B.S.A. to be around $9.1 billion dollars it is easy to see why.

The typical EULA states that you are granted use of a license of software and are permitted installations for only as many computers as you have licenses, anything outside of that is a breach of the EULA/contract and can put you in a pretty tight spot.

There are some exceptions to this though with programs like Carlson, Autodesk and others offering “laptop” or “home use” installations.  Do not mistake this to mean that you are permitted two installations per license.  The EULAs are very specific on how this second computer install is supposed to work.  From the Autodesk EULA for example:

You may Install and Access, solely within Your Territory, one (1) additional copy of the Software on a second Computer provided that:

(i) such second Computer is owned or leased by You (and not by another person, such as Your employee, if any);

(ii) such second Computer is either a portable Computer or a nonserver Computer away from Your usual work location;

(iii) the additional copy of Software is Accessed solely for the purpose of enabling You (or Your employee, if any) to perform work while away from Your usual work location;

(iv) the original and additional copy of the Software are used only by the same person, and only one (1) of the Software copies is Accessed at any one time; and

(v) both copies of the Software are Installed and Accessed exclusively with the copy protection device (if any) supplied with the Software.

Software companies understand that we are not all confined to an office or a cube 40 hours a week.  Often times we need to work remotely on a computer that is not our normal computer, and they have accommodated for that without forking over more dough.  But should you step over that line and install your single license on a few of your other computers the penalties can be far worse than the cost to be legal to begin with.

As of December 1999, the U.S. copyright law provides for the recovery of damages for civil copyright infringement. Recovery includes payment of up to $150,000 per infringed work, destruction of illegal copies, and payment of attorney fees and costs. The law also allows the government to prosecute copyright infringers and provides for criminal penalties, including fines of up to $250,000 and jail terms of up to five years.

I will never get caught though, right?  The EULA often times states the right of the software company to audit your licensing.  I have heard various stories over the years about disgruntled employees leaving or being let go reporting companies for piracy.  Like cheating the house in Vegas, software piracy is just not worth it.

Read your EULAs to find out about benefits like the “second computer” clauses, and make sure you have the right number of licenses for every one using the programs.  There are many methods to determine compliancy, and I will be happy to assist in any way I can.