CAD Trends From the Global Product Data Interoperability Summit

One of the most interesting annual conferences that CAD pros should track is the Global Product Data Interoperability Summit event put on by Northrop/Grumman that is focused on the aerospace and transportation industry, and all the attendant suppliers and partners as well. This event is interesting in that it provides a good sense of what some of the key CAD trends are going to be in coming years in this important sector. Read full article »

Outlook for 3D Printing

The impact of 3D printing on the CAD professional has been incredibly profound. The ability to actually create a physical manifestation of a design at very low cost, relatively quickly, and with strong quality is shortening the design cycle and giving designers a level of feedback that was never before possible. As we look into 2013, there are some very interesting trends starting to emerge. Read full article »

2012 CAD/CAM Performance Market Report

Are your peers approaching CAD/CAM the same way you are? How often are they updating their hardware and software? What are the key trends impacting CAD today?

A few months ago, these were the questions we sought to answer with our CAD/CAM Trends survey. We had over 600 respondents and the results are in!

Download the CAD/CAM Performance Market Report.

3D Scanning & CAD – Changes Are Coming

In this blog we’ve talked about the importance of the new 3D printers in changing the game for CAD designers and professionals.  A complimentary product is the 3D scanner.  And much like 3D printers, there is a lot of “new news” in this space.  This blog will look at some of the key trends for 2013.

There are lots of different aspects of the market that are changing, and most of them are common in markets that are reaching their “growth” phase.  The big changes that are coming resolve a number of the critical usage issues that simplify the use of 3D scanners in everyday CAD work. Read full article »

Does Leasing Your CAD Hardware Make Sense?

Leasing IT equipment has been common for more than 50 years. The benefits of leasing include reducing the capital needs of IT, reducing the expense line, the ability to include maintenance contracts in the monthly fee, and a few others. However, it’s been far less common to lease CAD workstations, even as more vendors offer the option.

The leasing option needs more consideration, especially as the demands for new capabilities and improved performance continue their relentless march forward. Yet, it’s not a slam dunk decision and you should consider some of the key criteria in your decision process before you decide on one acquisition method or the other. Here are a few of the key issues that will impact your decision.

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