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Architosh Staff ([email protected])
22 July 2001

 

MWNY: Ashlar announces new product line

One of the biggest highlights of this year's show was the unexpected announcements from Ashlar, the good folks who recently moved down to Texas (Austin) and the makers of the venerable Vellum line of software.

A Whole New Lineup - Five New Products!

The folks at Ashlar have been secretly hard at work on five new products for the Macintosh platform (and Windows too). It was such a great surprise to see this new announcement at the show. We had a chance to talk about these new products, why they made them and their future. In this report we'll summarize the new products and in a future report cover some other notes including their Mac OS X plans.

Graphite

All of their new software is based on the venerable Vellum line, a product suite of apps designed for the technical CAD and 3D solids-modeling markets. These products take advantage of powerful NURBS, ACIS solids modeling, CAD symbols technology, the Lightworks rendering engine and topnotch Macintosh/Windows Interoperability.

Graphite is their new technical 2D/3D CAD product. Claiming the fastest and easiest CAD drafting, Graphite leverages the revolutionary Vellum Drafting Assistant (intelligent cursor technology that started at Ashlar). We were given a brief demonstration of this software running under OS 9 and were impressed with its easy 2D/3D drafting abilities and its ultra clean and uncluttered interface (UI). The new Graphite cost $995 US.

Argon

Argon is a new 3D modeling tool offering powerful and easy to use freeform Wireframe, Surfacing and solids modeling tools. Claiming to be capable of making virtually any shape Argon may challenge a number of advanced modelers in the market with its breakthrough price. At just $995US the new software offers a lot of modeling power for under a grand.

Neon

Perhaps one of the more exciting products to come forward from Ashlar is Neon, a new tool completely designed to address the emerging Web 3D publishing market. Neon allows you to publish your work with the new Macromedia Shockwave 3D format, in addition to the established web 3D formats QuickTime, QuickTimeVR, VRML and Metastream Viewpoint.

With Neon you can import 3D models into the program from an extensive list of other formats and tools. Then use Neon to prepare and publish Web 3D. You can prepare 3D models complete with dimensions and output the view to PDF and HTML. Neon supports QuickTime-based flyby animations and both object and panoramic QuickTime movies. And again, Ashlar has reached new values with this product, introducing it at $495US. An educational single-user license is just $205US.

Xenon

Based on Vellum Solids technology Xenon is designed for industrial designers and engineers. The product combines associative dimensioning and history-based modeling. More powerful than Argon, Xenon provides class-A NURBS surfacing. The product will cost $2795US.

Cobalt

Cobalt is a full product design and development application for industrial and mechanical design. Going beyond Xenon, everything in Cobalt is fully history driven and features advanced associativity and powerful 2D equation-driven parametrics. Cobalt, we were told, is one of the largest upgrades to the already impressive and award-winning Vellum Solids. This product represents the ultimate in the Ashlar line of advanced CAD/3D software and will cost $3995US.

All of the new products by Ashlar feature the use of QuickTime technologies for rendering animated flybys and both object and panoramic movies. They also, we were told, export out to the Shockwave 3D format, in addition to numerous other formats. The products are highly useful to both engineering and industrial design and could even be used by architecture and related environmental fields requiring powerful 3D drafting and form making abilities.

We were extremely impressed with this direction Ashlar has taken with its core CAD and modeling technologies and excited to hear about their commitment to the Mac platform. They were demonstrating their products on Apple Power Mac G4's with Apple Studio Displays and we thought their apps looked really nice.

More on their OS X plans in a future report.

 

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Special Report: Financial Software for Architects

Macworld Expo News and Features

MWNY: Keynote and Expo Summary Notes - [jul 22] New!

MWNY: Ashlar announces new product line - [jul 22] New!

MWNY: Alias/Wavefront makes splash at Macworld! - [jul 22] New!

MWNY: VectorWorks demonstrated on Mac OS X - [jul 22] New!

MWNY: Shockwave takes on 3D, new partners sign on - [jul 22] New!

Keynote Predictions: Crystal Ball 2001 New York - [jul 18] Hot!

Architosh Firm Profile: Interview with Luminetik, 3D Macintosh Studio - [jul 17] Hot!

Architosh to Cover Macworld Expo - Notes - [jul 17] New!

Pre-New York Meditations on the Possible - [jul 17] New!

Architosh Feature Interview: Microspot Ltd talks Technical CAD on the Mac - [jul 12] New!


MacCAD news: Nemetschek initiates 2001-2002 Learning Tour - [jul 12]

ArchiCAD used for design of tallest residential skyscraper - [jul 12]

Mac3DNY.org renames and sponsors Teapot Awards - [jul 9]

Mac3D: Mac Cinema4D user creates masterful short film - [jul 9]

MacCAD: Free SPOTLIGHT Training by Nemetschek - [jul 9]

Quesa Group has QuickDraw 3D API on Mac OS X - [jul 6]

OpenDWG Alliance has Mac OS X code libraries available - [jul 6]

Microspot Sponsors Architosh Forum Prize Contest! - [jun 29]

MacCAD news: VectorWorks for Mac OS X news - [jun 29]

Tomorrow last day to get Electric Image (3D Toolkit) for $99 - [jun 29]

Architosh.com - What's Coming Up in the Near Future - [jun 29]

Architosh - Status Reports: Autocad, G4's and Other Info - [jun 29]

Mac3D market needs new Wildcat II graphics card - [jun 28]

MacCAD: Nemetschek NA finalizes VectorWorks 9.0.1 update - [Jun 28]

AEC Newsletter CAD/3D platform poll, go show Mac support! - [jun 26]

OS X news: Autodesk seems to have taken a fancy to dock... - [jun 22]

Mac3D news: Japanese 3D tool, HexaSuper 2 for Mac - [jun 22]

VersaCAD 2001 Mac shown at AEC Systems - [jun 22]

Apple not at AEC Show, inexplicable or not? - [jun 20]

MacCAD news: VectorWorks LANDMARK is now officially shipping - [Jun 20]

MacCAD news: ArchiCAD to implement National CAD Standards - [Jun 20]

Mac3D news: 3D Nature intros Z-Buffer Compositor for LightWave 6.5 - [jun 19]

MacCAD news: Cigraph ships two new ArchiCAD plugins - [jun 19]

Graphisoft intros ArchiFM 7 WebServer in Europe - [Jun 19]

ArchiFM WebServer to be announced by Graphisoft - [jun 15]

Online Design Tools site counting Mac visitors - [Jun 15]

MacCAD news: EON to work with ArchiCAD/GDL - [Jun 15]

MacCAD news: new interactive 3D technology headed for OS X - [Jun 15]

Mac3D news: Get ElectricImage 2.9 for just $198 now - [jun 13]

Mac3D news: Hot new tools from Japan need US attention - [Jun 13]

Mac3D news: TGS/Eovia offer Amapi 3D v4.15 for free - [Jun 13]

Mac3D news: dvGarage intros new 3D Training Kit - [Jun 13]

Dr. Bott's DVIator for ADC-displays now shipping - [Jun 13]

Mac3D news: POV-Ray for Mac OS and OS X - [jun 12]

Macs ousted for CAD Lab at Sacramento High School - [jun 8]

Revit attacks Autocad market, actually good for Mac users? - [jun 8]

Q: Need for Macintosh CNC Milling Software - [jun 8]

MacCAD news: Interstudio announces DigiCAD 3D 6.0 - [jun 6]

Macintosh Facilities Management software options - [jun 6]

MacCAD news: Apple seminar on new ArchiCAD 7.0 - [jun 5]

Map Resources updates site with new map finding facilities - [Jun 1]

Microspot ships new MacDraft 5.0 CAD program - [Jun 1]

Q: Need for Mac Facility Management software - [Jun 1]

Mac3D: LightWave 6.5 presentation, Apple Market Center New York - [may 30]

Home automation software for Mac, useful to architects/builders - [may 30]

280+ Architecture Firms show support of Macintosh - [may 29]

Architosh's AIWUG updated: 300+ member firms and growing - [may 29]

Mac3D news: MCnurbs Creator 2, updated for VectorWorks 9 - [may 25]

Mac3D news: Cinema4D XL 7 offers new radiosity engine - [may 25]

Mac3D news: Strata ships new 'Strata 3DPlus' - [may 22]

Mac3D news: Strata updates Strata 3DPro to v.3.5 - [may 22]

Cool news coming out of WWDC-2001 - [may 22]

Summary of Apple Store Opening Action, Links - [may 19]

Mac3D News: Looks like Blender is coming soon! - [may 18]

Mac3D News: Running Radiance on OS X, instructions - [may 18]

Mac3D News: VRML on the Macintosh - [may 16]

Learning more about Mac OS X - [may 16]

Mac Aircraft design software - part 2 - [may 16]

Architosh is TenLinks.com 'Site of the Week' - [may 15]

Hot Door introduces 'Perspective' for Illustrator 8 & 9 - [may 15]

Mac3D: Aircraft design software and Object-Maker - [may 15]

StudioDESK: Is Autodesk looking at the Mac again? - [may 11]

Q&A: Any Mac software for designing aircraft? - [may 11]

Mac Architect: Apple to host free BOA CAD seminar - [may 10]

MacCAD News: VectorWorks and PowerBooks, map ancient cities - [may 9]

VectorWorks helps student win International competition - [may 9]

A Mac version of MECcheck in the works - [may 9]

MacCAD News: Autocad sales down, Mac CAD up? - [may 9]

Architosh Forums: Multi-Prize Giveaway - [may 9]

New Architosh Highlights:

Firm Profile: Of the Place Itself, A vernacular Modernism in Austin - [may 2] New!

Introducing our Architosh Digital Practice Guide - [may 2] New!

DPG: Finding Macintosh CAD/3D and AEC software - [may 2] New!

DPG: Our Macintosh Hardware Guide - [may 2] New!

DPG: Searching our DPG FAQ Guides - [may 2] New!

DPG - FAQ: What 3D Mac apps are there for industrial designers? - [may 2] New!

DPG - FAQ: What apps are available for managing building projects? - [may 2] New!

New Architosh Site Area Content!

New Digital Practice Guide - [may 2] New!

New Revised CAD/3D Forums - [may 2] New!

New Edutainment Site Area - [Jan 9] Architosh

New Feature: Communication, Design and the Internet - [Jan 9]

Mac OS X Page: Comparative Table - Win2000/Linux - [Jan 9]

Building a Macintosh CAD Workstation - [Jan 9]

Building an Apple Server Solution - [Jan 9]

New Find Facilities and Sherlock Tips - [Jan 9]


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