CAD package needed for Mac and WinNT
Tim Pedone
I'm with a company that is currently working with a large aerospace
corporation. The project involves automating some of their processes via
some custom applications and integration of some shrink wrap software.
One of these packages is a CAD package. We are looking at purchasing
approx. 200 seats when we find the right package. Our requirements are as
follows:
1) Does it run on WinNT and Mac?
2) Can it depict and manipulate custom entities?
3) Can it create drawings from a script file that is passed to the program
upon launch time?
4) Once the drawing is automatically created, can the drawing be changed
manually? If so, can you communicate this to an external application and
regenerate the matching script file?
5) Can the package export in .dxf, .bmp or PICT file formats?
6) Does it support hierarchies? If I select an entity, can I double click
the entity and have a more detailed diagram shown? Can it show a
properties list?
7) Can links be created between entities (much like a flow charting
program)? If so, will they be bound so that moving one entity will update
the link between it and the entity that it is linked to?
8) Does it support a C/C++ API for automation of drawings?
9) Does it support interapplication communication (Apple Events on Mac
and/or DDE on WinNT)?
If you know of a package that can meet these requirements, please contact me.
Thanks,
Tim Pedone
tpe...@cts.com
Host
In article <tpedone-1601...@tpedone.cts.com>, Tim Pedone
<tpe...@cts.com> writes
. . . [SNIP]. . .
I just thought I'd chip in before the Bentley team does . . .
Try Bentley Powerdraft and MicroStation (although I'm sure they are
already near the top of your list). Do make sure, though, that you get
the support of a KNOWLEGABLE vendor who really does know the products
and how to get the best of them (they all SAY they do). The Bentley CSP
(Customer Support Program) offers a comforting backup if your vendor
does not live up to expectations. The answer to your questions below is
largely 'yes', but I'll leave it to more knowledgable guys at Bentley to
give more specific replies (no doubt they are tapping the keys
already!).
I believe that MicroStation offers a forward-looking product which
allows a great deal of flexibility.
. . . [SNIP]. . .
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Host Postmaster Alasdair Tennant
John Seifert Architects Also to be found at
2-20 Capper Street a...@alten.demon.co.uk
London WC1E 6JA Amersham
Ph. (44) 171 242 1644 UK
Fax (44) 171 379 0099
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Mike McCreavy [Bentley]
Tim Pedone <tpe...@cts.com> wrote in article
<tpedone-1601...@tpedone.cts.com>...
> I'm with a company that is currently working with a large aerospace
> corporation. The project involves automating some of their processes via
> some custom applications and integration of some shrink wrap software.
> One of these packages is a CAD package. We are looking at purchasing
> approx. 200 seats when we find the right package. Our requirements are
as
> follows:
>
> 1) Does it run on WinNT and Mac?
MicroStation95 runs on both these platforms.
I can answer your Mac specific questions. I would answer "yes" to
all your automation and scripting questions - MicroStation supports
both BASIC and C (via MDL), so you have a lot of options when it
comes to scripting.
> 3) Can it create drawings from a script file that is passed to the
program
> upon launch time?
MicroStation supports BASIC - you can generate drawings in BASIC.
It is possible to use an initapp (an application that runs inside of
MicroStation at startup) to start a BasicScript. There may be easier ways
to do this as well.
> 4) Once the drawing is automatically created, can the drawing be changed
> manually? If so, can you communicate this to an external application and
> regenerate the matching script file?
You can record your modifications as a BASIC script and then save the
script file.
> 5) Can the package export in .dxf, .bmp or PICT file formats?
MicroStation for the Macintosh can export these formats.
> 8) Does it support a C/C++ API for automation of drawings?
MicroStation for the Macintosh supports native DLMs using CodeWarrior
tools. Their compiler can do C++ (for specific C++ implementation
questions,
I would look around http://www.metrowerks.com). All drawing generation
can be done through MDL (which is C), but the DLM itself may be implemented
in C++.
> 9) Does it support interapplication communication (Apple Events on Mac
> and/or DDE on WinNT)?
Using MDL and a DLM you may register your own Apple Event handlers.
When MicroStation receives an AppleEvent, it makes a call to
AEProcessAppleEvent() -
if you've installed an AppleEvent handler, it will be called at that time.
You also have
the option of overriding AppleEvents that MicroStation handles by default.
>
> If you know of a package that can meet these requirements, please contact
me.
>
if you have any more MicroStation Mac questions, please ask: