Future of CAD

Hey,

Just wondered what you think the future of CAD could look like…

Cloud solution for CAD, even secret data that is still in development available everywhere and on the go? Outsourcing to save money needed for hardware?

Or do we stick to intranet/offline-workstations?

Will the use of GPGPU become more popular?

How do you think the interoperability problems between different vendors could be solved?

Will new input methods, such as touchscreen / 3D displays be successful? Or do we stick to oldschool “mouse and keyboard”

Will the use of CAD increase and become even more fundamental?

Can´t wait for your ideas!

If you have any other future-visions I did not mention yet, I´d be glad to hear them

... Robots!

maybe like the software tony stark has in ironman. the interactive 3d software.

maybe like the software tony stark has in ironman. the interactive 3d software.

I actually think this is where this will end up with in the next 25 years.

The Cloud? You have to be kidding. Hackers in China have already penetrated some of our most highly classified sites and you think the Cloud will be immune to their efforts?

I think workstations as we know them might change. They will become life-form based as opposed to hardware based.

The interoperability between vendors will be such that there will only be two left and they will jealously guard against intrusion by the other.

Mouse and keyboard will die a slow death. Even touchscreens will disappear. Every input will be like bowling on a Wii but the controller will fit on a fingernail.

CAD, as we know it, will become obsolete. MindCAD 4D will be developed and deployed.

Machines will rule the world! Mark my words. Machines will rule and men will drool.

Mouse and keyboard will die a slow death. Even touchscreens will disappear. Every input will be like bowling on a Wii but the controller will fit on a fingernail.

 

CAD, as we know it, will become obsolete. MindCAD 4D will be developed and deployed.

and thus the birth of the matrix ......

The Cloud? You have to be kidding. Hackers in China have already penetrated some of our most highly classified sites and you think the Cloud will be immune to their efforts?

 

I think workstations as we know them might change. They will become life-form based as opposed to hardware based.

 

The interoperability between vendors will be such that there will only be two left and they will jealously guard against intrusion by the other.

 

Mouse and keyboard will die a slow death. Even touchscreens will disappear. Every input will be like bowling on a Wii but the controller will fit on a fingernail.

 

CAD, as we know it, will become obsolete. MindCAD 4D will be developed and deployed.

 

Machines will rule the world! Mark my words. Machines will rule and men will drool.

I been looking for a good name for my company. How does "Cyberdyne Systems" sound?

may be a stupid question but what is 4D?

A reference to the spacetime continuum. The time dimension is treated differently than the spatial dimension.

maybe like the software tony stark has in ironman. the interactive 3d software.

That'd be cool. I need a HC complient Cape Cod. Now decrease the roof pitch a bit. Good, now put a couple gable windows in front......

Interesting topic.

I think right now we are still in the shift from 2D to 3D modeling. We are becoming 3D modelers as much as drafters. I'm using AutoCAD Architecture 2011, which is great, but it seems to have some disconnect between doing a great 3D model and using that model to put out great 2D construction documents. It sounds like Revit has addressed a lot of these issues, but I don't know personally.

As far as the input/interface goes, I think what history has shown us is that CAD software will probably have to use the standard work station interface, which right now is the mouse and keyboard. CAD drafting could probably be more efficient if we used custom peripherals for the interface, but most people don't seem to want to do that - remember the tablet style input? We probably will eventually have something resembling the input shown in "Minority Report" where waves of the hand and flicks of the fingers will replace clicks of the mouse and key strokes...maybe. There's something to be said for the tactile feel and I'm not sure if people will want an interface that leaves out one of the 5 senses that has always been a part of the process.

Then of course there are voice commands, but how annoying would that office be to work in?? I don't like to hear most of the normal talking that goes on in an office now!

Whatever the future of CAD I think the biggest thing is that whatever the input, method, the software needs to be as easy and intuitive to use as possible and that it can handle all the weird configurations that happen in real life without producing something that looks really weird and requires some dumb work-around to make it look right. It sounds like Revit has addressed a lot of the issues of handling weird configurations etc., but everyone says the learning curve is very steep, and that it's not super intuitive.

Cad Monkey is right - we're still transitioning from 2D to 3D.

Personally, I think a few things are obvious.... for one, I believe that lifelike realistic rendering will be available as you are modeling, instead of modeling then outputting a render. Also, I see the use of "instant 3D imagery". They already have really cool holographic imagery for 3D models, but to see it come alive right on your desk next to you as you are modeling a building, or a part, would be totally awesome. Another thing, three dimensional as-builts for completed construction projects instead of paper plans. Think of having an iPad and walking around a food processing plant as a facilities manager, and as you're walking holding up the iPad, the building is being populated in 3D in an augmented-type reality on your screen. You can already key in a particular piece of mechanical equipment, or filter that needs replacing, or valve that needs inspecting on the model in your office, then walk in the building and it guides you directly there. Possible? I think so. Makes sense anyways.

My $0.02 is all.

After Dec 2012 - hammer, chisel, flat stone...

Holey moses, your predictions are so foreboding. I agree (tongue firmly affixed in cheek) with you.

The Cloud? You have to be kidding. Hackers in China have already penetrated some of our most highly classified sites and you think the Cloud will be immune to their efforts?

I think workstations as we know them might change. They will become life-form based as opposed to hardware based.

The interoperability between vendors will be such that there will only be two left and they will jealously guard against intrusion by the other.

Mouse and keyboard will die a slow death. Even touchscreens will disappear. Every input will be like bowling on a Wii but the controller will fit on a fingernail.

CAD, as we know it, will become obsolete. MindCAD 4D will be developed and deployed.

Machines will rule the world! Mark my words. Machines will rule and men will drool.

Cad Monkey is right - we're still transitioning from 2D to 3D.

 

Personally, I think a few things are obvious.... for one, I believe that lifelike realistic rendering will be available as you are modeling, instead of modeling then outputting a render. Also, I see the use of "instant 3D imagery". They already have really cool holographic imagery for 3D models, but to see it come alive right on your desk next to you as you are modeling a building, or a part, would be totally awesome. Another thing, three dimensional as-builts for completed construction projects instead of paper plans. Think of having an iPad and walking around a food processing plant as a facilities manager, and as you're walking holding up the iPad, the building is being populated in 3D in an augmented-type reality on your screen. You can already key in a particular piece of mechanical equipment, or filter that needs replacing, or valve that needs inspecting on the model in your office, then walk in the building and it guides you directly there. Possible? I think so. Makes sense anyways.

 

My $0.02 is all.

They have had machines in surveying for a while now, that will take a 3D laser picked image of a surounding area and lay out all the topo by itself. Sort of, kinda...

I would love to have something similar to the Microsoft Surface touch table, with a wireless stylus instead of a mouse and voice response for commands and direct distance entry. Any distance entered would have the option to be "pinned" for lack of a better word, for use later. Be able to tilt the top just like a drafting board. Some sort of keypad to toggle things like ortho on and off, and a "spaceball" style knob to pan, zoom and fly around. Press a key on the pad, and you can instantly orient a custom ucs using the knob and a couple of touches with the stylus. This of course would be in conjunction with a set of standard options that you could either accept or customize to suit yourself. Changing to a preloaded or previously used ucs would be as easy as touching a button to display the available options and clicking on the one you want on the screen with the stylus.

Features of your drawing could be smart, in that if you put a 3/8-16 tapped hole in something, the software knows this, keeps track of how many times you use it. Same for counter bores or countersinks, or any other commonly used feature. When it's time to produce shop drawings, each view would already have these things labeled in whatever style you choose, along with any pinned dimensions. Others can be added as needed. An option to pinning the dimension would be "b.o.m."; any dim with this ticked would then be used by the software to output the size of the material for that piece. By applying materials, you not only get a good looking render, but the software could access a database containing information about the materials chosen, and give you an approximate weight for each piece and a total for the project.

I would love to have something similar to the Microsoft Surface touch table' date=' with a wireless stylus instead of a mouse and voice response for commands and direct distance entry. Any distance entered would have the option to be "pinned" for lack of a better word, for use later. Be able to tilt the top just like a drafting board. Some sort of keypad to toggle things like ortho on and off, and a "spaceball" style knob to pan, zoom and fly around. Press a key on the pad, and you can instantly orient a custom ucs using the knob and a couple of touches with the stylus. This of course would be in conjunction with a set of standard options that you could either accept or customize to suit yourself. Changing to a preloaded or previously used ucs would be as easy as touching a button to display the available options and clicking on the one you want on the screen with the stylus.

 

Features of your drawing could be smart, in that if you put a 3/8-16 tapped hole in something, the software knows this, keeps track of how many times you use it. Same for counter bores or countersinks, or any other commonly used feature. When it's time to produce shop drawings, each view would already have these things labeled in whatever style you choose, along with any pinned dimensions. Others can be added as needed. An option to pinning the dimension would be "b.o.m."; any dim with this ticked would then be used by the software to output the size of the material for that piece. By applying materials, you not only get a good looking render, but the software could access a database containing information about the materials chosen, and give you an approximate weight for each piece and a total for the project.[/quote']

 

And have it generate a list of hardware and materials vendors from a preloaded database, complete with updated prices.

Yeah, a big touch screen tilted "drafting board" sounds way cool.

I'm seeing a virtual parallel bar

Just don't try to use your old school compass, the warranty probably wouldn't cover that.

we will be replaced by machines, they already have computers capable of deriving there own engineering with nothing more that what result is need as input. "we need a gadget!" It engineers a gadget ......

Can I say Holodeck now, so's to slow down the hyperbolic thinkin' a bit. This is fun but Nostrodamus and Captian Picard, I ain't.

In truth though, if not for science fiction dreamers we would not even have cell phones. I believe the main developer of the cell phone got his inspiration from Star Trek. Maybe we should just shoot for another galaxy at that. (Wait, fire up the time machine, find that cell phone guy and shoot him.)