- Email: [email protected]
CADCAM in West Europe
A utoCA D from Stage 1
Micro drafting
design
AutoCAD is a 2D design and drafting package which runs on microcomputers. Developed jointly by Autodesk in the USA and Stage 1 in the UK, it is aimed at engineering architectural and electrical design users. AutoCAD (described as 'a word processor for drawings') is menu-driven and allows for multiple specialized menus to be created by the user. Simple userdefined shapes may be stored in a shapes library in main memory; more complex parts may be stored in a disc-
GINO on micros GINO is now available on a wider range of 8-bit microcomputers, including the Superbrain II and Compustar. GINO is a general purpose graphics package developed by the CAD Centre and is widely used throughout industry. GST Computer Systems have been appointed agents for the Superbrain II implementation. The price of the new implementation ranges from £100 for a basic drawing subset of GINO, to £425 for full 3D version. (Computer Aided Design
Centre, Madingley Road, Cambridge Ca30HB, UK. Tel: (0223) 314848. Tx: 81420)
The drawing office graphics system DOGS is now available on the ICL PE RQ graphics workstation. DOGS provides a rang~ of graphics facilities including part.s{ists, NC interfaces, parametric d r ~ i n g and survey mapping. Options include 3D wireframe modelling and solids modelling. It is currently used in mechanical, structural and electrical engineering and in
190
based library of parts. Other facilities include zoom and pan. Lines can be forced to be run only diagonally or ~Tertically and horizontally. Up to 127 layers may be used. Any section of the current drawing may be designated as a 'block' and manipulated like a separate drawing called from disc. AutoCAD is currently available as a turnkey system on Sirius computers and Computerpower and the IBM Personal Computer, and also as a separate software module. Plotters from Hewlett-Packard and Houston Instrument are currently supported: digitizers supported include the Summagraphics and Houston Instrument ranges. The software module alone costs £750. Prices for a turnkey system including A3 plotter start at £6 000.
(Stage I, 47 The Cut, London SEI 8LL, UK. Tel: 01-261 1735. Autodesk Incorporated, 16 St Jude Road, Mill Valley, CA 94941, USA) architectural applications. Several PERQs can be linked together to share peripherals. (International Com-
puters Limited, ICL House, Putney, London SWl5 ISW, UK. Tel: 01-788 7272. Alper System Limited, 35 Impington Lane, Histon, Cambridge CB4 4L T, UK)
Peol
on the move
Jim Duncan has been appointed General Manager for Computervision UK. Marion Wolstencroft is Financial and Administration Manager. McDonnel Douglas Automation has appointed Eugene Horn as VicePresident Government Services. Robert Anderson is to be Gen Rad's Vice-President, Corporate Marketing. Graphics Technology Corporation has appointed David Foster as Managing Director of European Operations. Trevor Kitson is now a Director of ECS Graftek Limited, formed to handle sales and service of the Graftek CADCAM system. Managing Director of University Computing Company (Great Britain) Limited is Roger Pierpoint. He is also responsible for the Dutch company UCC Nederland BV.
The market for CADCAM in Western Europe will reach $I 600 by 1987, according to a recently published report from Creative Strategies International. This represents a compound annual growth rate of 38 per cent. The report predicts that the market will become specialist, as manufacturers, especially the smaller firms, aim at more specific markets. The domination of the market by the US turnkey suppliers will be affected by the increasing competition from mainframe and minicomputer manufacturers. These are now offering combinations of their hardware together with software packages to compete more directly with the traditional turnkey firms. Major company acquisitions and reorganizations are taking place in the turnkey field, reflecting the competitive nature of the market and its attractiveness. As growth rates in the USA slow down, vendors are looking to Europe. The UK, France, West Germany, Scandinavia and the Benelux countries are the major markets in Europe. Scandinavia is developing rapidly and currently represents about 15 per cent of the European market. The report predicts that West German growth will increase from its current slow rate to be the largest single market by 1987, with 32 per cent of all sales. Some of the most advanced software in CADCAM is currently being produced in Europe, according to the report. Less software is being developed by users, as more highquality packages become available. Even major users are turning to buying software rather than developing it inhouse. The report, entitled 'The Western European market for CAD/CAM' provides forecasts up to 1987 and examines developments in industry and technological advances. The price of the report is $1 450. (Creative
Strategies International, 4340 Stevens Creek Boulevard, Suit 275, San Jose, CA 95129. Tel (408) 249-7550. C51/London, Banda House, Cambridge Grove, London W60LN, UK. Tel: 01-741 4767)
computer-aided design
Micro drafting
design
AutoCAD is a 2D design and drafting package which runs on microcomputers. Developed jointly by Autodesk in the USA and Stage 1 in the UK, it is aimed at engineering architectural and electrical design users. AutoCAD (described as 'a word processor for drawings') is menu-driven and allows for multiple specialized menus to be created by the user. Simple userdefined shapes may be stored in a shapes library in main memory; more complex parts may be stored in a disc-
GINO on micros GINO is now available on a wider range of 8-bit microcomputers, including the Superbrain II and Compustar. GINO is a general purpose graphics package developed by the CAD Centre and is widely used throughout industry. GST Computer Systems have been appointed agents for the Superbrain II implementation. The price of the new implementation ranges from £100 for a basic drawing subset of GINO, to £425 for full 3D version. (Computer Aided Design
Centre, Madingley Road, Cambridge Ca30HB, UK. Tel: (0223) 314848. Tx: 81420)
The drawing office graphics system DOGS is now available on the ICL PE RQ graphics workstation. DOGS provides a rang~ of graphics facilities including part.s{ists, NC interfaces, parametric d r ~ i n g and survey mapping. Options include 3D wireframe modelling and solids modelling. It is currently used in mechanical, structural and electrical engineering and in
190
based library of parts. Other facilities include zoom and pan. Lines can be forced to be run only diagonally or ~Tertically and horizontally. Up to 127 layers may be used. Any section of the current drawing may be designated as a 'block' and manipulated like a separate drawing called from disc. AutoCAD is currently available as a turnkey system on Sirius computers and Computerpower and the IBM Personal Computer, and also as a separate software module. Plotters from Hewlett-Packard and Houston Instrument are currently supported: digitizers supported include the Summagraphics and Houston Instrument ranges. The software module alone costs £750. Prices for a turnkey system including A3 plotter start at £6 000.
(Stage I, 47 The Cut, London SEI 8LL, UK. Tel: 01-261 1735. Autodesk Incorporated, 16 St Jude Road, Mill Valley, CA 94941, USA) architectural applications. Several PERQs can be linked together to share peripherals. (International Com-
puters Limited, ICL House, Putney, London SWl5 ISW, UK. Tel: 01-788 7272. Alper System Limited, 35 Impington Lane, Histon, Cambridge CB4 4L T, UK)
Peol
on the move
Jim Duncan has been appointed General Manager for Computervision UK. Marion Wolstencroft is Financial and Administration Manager. McDonnel Douglas Automation has appointed Eugene Horn as VicePresident Government Services. Robert Anderson is to be Gen Rad's Vice-President, Corporate Marketing. Graphics Technology Corporation has appointed David Foster as Managing Director of European Operations. Trevor Kitson is now a Director of ECS Graftek Limited, formed to handle sales and service of the Graftek CADCAM system. Managing Director of University Computing Company (Great Britain) Limited is Roger Pierpoint. He is also responsible for the Dutch company UCC Nederland BV.
The market for CADCAM in Western Europe will reach $I 600 by 1987, according to a recently published report from Creative Strategies International. This represents a compound annual growth rate of 38 per cent. The report predicts that the market will become specialist, as manufacturers, especially the smaller firms, aim at more specific markets. The domination of the market by the US turnkey suppliers will be affected by the increasing competition from mainframe and minicomputer manufacturers. These are now offering combinations of their hardware together with software packages to compete more directly with the traditional turnkey firms. Major company acquisitions and reorganizations are taking place in the turnkey field, reflecting the competitive nature of the market and its attractiveness. As growth rates in the USA slow down, vendors are looking to Europe. The UK, France, West Germany, Scandinavia and the Benelux countries are the major markets in Europe. Scandinavia is developing rapidly and currently represents about 15 per cent of the European market. The report predicts that West German growth will increase from its current slow rate to be the largest single market by 1987, with 32 per cent of all sales. Some of the most advanced software in CADCAM is currently being produced in Europe, according to the report. Less software is being developed by users, as more highquality packages become available. Even major users are turning to buying software rather than developing it inhouse. The report, entitled 'The Western European market for CAD/CAM' provides forecasts up to 1987 and examines developments in industry and technological advances. The price of the report is $1 450. (Creative
Strategies International, 4340 Stevens Creek Boulevard, Suit 275, San Jose, CA 95129. Tel (408) 249-7550. C51/London, Banda House, Cambridge Grove, London W60LN, UK. Tel: 01-741 4767)
computer-aided design