What is more important than a technical result of ASCON + Bricsys + LEDAS => KOMPAS-3D VDM ?

Even from a technical perspective, implementation of the direct modeling module for a mass Russian MCAD KOMPAS-3D is a non-routine event. If you are a skeptic not responsible for the success of your business, you may doubt the benefits and prospects of direct modeling as much as you like. If, however, your interests and responsibilities include enhancing competitive ability of your solutions on the global market, you cannot be behind synchronous technology, Fusion approach, Creo Direct, etc.  To stay ahead will be even better.

At the end of my message, I give links to learn about technological, historic and organizational aspects of developing variational direct modeling technology (VDM), conceived by LEDAS. However, it is more important for me to emphasize something different rather than technical aspects of our achievements. It was effectually expressed in private communications by a very reputable figure on the Russian market of engineering software: “I am not apt to underestimate the breakthrough nature of the event. It’s a real hassle to make arrangements with a single actor, but the three hardcore competitors for CAD, kernels and solvers worked it out very well. The world is changing, and this high-profile matter deserves to be communicated to the people…”.

The story has its own heroes. On the part of ASCON – this is, first of all, Vladimir Panchenko, one of the leading ASCON production engineers and analysts, who has studied capabilities of VDM technology from all sides. He made the key contribution to architecture of its efficient integration into KOMPAS. Vladimir is the KOMPAS-VDM project leader on behalf of ASCON; combining in-depth competence, insistence on high standards and enthusiasm. He continuously supported the project and will support its advancement. 

On the part of LEDAS - the project leader, Alexei Istomin, a capable young mathematician and software engineer, who has become an effective, up-and-coming manager in course of the project progress.

On the part of Bricsys – this is, first of all, an outstanding founder and CEO of the company, Erik de Keyser, for who the long-term strategic interests are much more important than any superficial considerations about localized benefits and tactical competition, related to possessing VDM technology, LGS geometric solver used in VDM, and implementing VDM into the company’s own CAD - Bricscad. By the way, I recommend you to follow the work of the next Bricsys conference in Amsterdam where Eric is going to announce new developments - likely not less important than a year ago.    

I would like to specifically emphasize the role of Kolomna, a small town in Moscow area which is a key place of ASCON’s software development projects. Apart from Vladimir Panchenko, this unique town is the work place of, for instance, one of the principal ASCON founders, as they say - "the KOMPAS Mum", the Head of the KOMPAS-3D development unit in Kolomna, and just a charming woman – Tatyana Yankina (see "ASCON Faces"); as well as Nikolai Golovanov, the author of KOMPAS-3D geometric kernel, who published several fundamental books on software engineering, an industry classic. 

It is impossible not to mention the not-yet-fully-exposed role of the phenomenal Kolomna pastille in the success of ASCON technology (see the picture of it at the end of the story). Even in mid of XIX century, the most famous Russian composer Peter  Tchaikovsky used to come to Kolomna to taste this pastille and probably to be inspired for his Swan Lake ballet. Today, the town has an excellent museum of pastille which always attracts a lot of tourists. Who knows maybe specific ingredients of the local pastille nourish the developers of KOMPAS:). 

Kolomna is certainly very special, but the decision about the ASCON project was obviously made in St Petersburg at the ASCON HQ; and we must emphasize the innovative courage of the company top executives, which has been robustly unfolding lately. As you can see, the project is transcontinental (A - Novosibirsk, LEDAS, B - Kolomna, ASCON-KOMPAS, C - St Petersburg, D - Gent, Belgium, Bricsys): 

You can learn about variational direct modeling and its implementation as well as about transition of VDM to Bricsys and its life there from

• Variational Direct Modeling: How to Keep Design Intent in History-Free CAD 
• Direct Modeling - Who and Why Needs It? A Review of Competitive Technologies   
• Adding Intelligence to Direct Modeling   
• How to Express Design Intent in Rhino 3D   
• MenhirsNV Acquires Intellectual Property Rights from LEDAS   
• HowDirect Modeling Transforms Cinderella into the Princess .  

One of the dozens of types of the Kolomna pastille (a nice side-effect of the ASCON-LEDAS contract): 

In October, Dassault Systemes will throw a VIP-bomb at Russia

Since 2004, initially together with its Key Distributor – IBM, Dassault holds its PLM Forum in Moscow. In one form or another, isicad was lucky to take part in these events, here are our richly illustrated reports: PLM Forum 2004, PLM Forum 2005, PLM Forum 2006, PLM Forum 2007, PLM Forum 2008, PLM Forum 2009 , PLM Forum 2010,  PLM Forum 2011.  Note that isicad is a part of the Ledasgroup whose software development branch has for a long time been a close outsourcing partner of DS. 

DS has always shown great interest in Russia – taking into account the country's huge potential for industry and economic development. One of the proofs was that Francis Bernard, the DS Founder, its first president, and actual inventor of CATIA, in 2005 became the first director of Dassault Systems Russia.  Also, we could see how, from year to year, the Forum was attended by more and more high ranked representatives of the Paris office. 

This year, the event has been rebranded into 3DExperience Forum and is going to set a record that is unlikely to be ever surpassed. Take a look below at the official list of the DS attendees and judge for yourself (in brackets – some comments from isicad). 

1. CEO Bernard Charles (some of the isicad experts will not be surprised if Bernard meets Putin or Medvedev or somebody close to them)

2. EVP Monica Menghini

3. Vice-President Marine and Offshore industry Alain Houard (NB: there is a huge project to build a number of helicopter carriers based on a French license);

4. Vice-President Transportation and Mobility Olivier Sappin (NB: AvtoVAZ is increasingly more oriented to Renault);

5.  Vice-President Energy, Processes and Utility Stephane Declee (nuclear energy is a very attractive sector of the Russian industry where Bentley and Intergraph are already quire successful);

6.  VP Sales Aerospace and Defense Patrick Fardeau (these industries are traditional for DS – also in Russia, however a competition with Siemens needs more and more attention and efforts).

7.  Paris people from 3DVIA, as well as from Academia, Customer Goods, and Retail.

You can take a look at the Moscow 3DExperience Forum web site (in Russian)  . 

Just published at isicad.net: The Power of T-FLEX CAD Parametric Modeling. Part I - with 30 video clips

isicad.net has just published "The Power of T-FLEX CAD Parametric Modeling. Part I"  by CEO and CTO of Top Systems, a leading Russian privately held CAD/PLM company which this summer celebrated its 20^th anniversary. The company is known first of all by its well-developed parametric MCAD system T-FLEX, which is quite popular in Russia and CIS and, probably, when supported by a powerful marketing, could become popular globally. You can find some characteristics of T-FLEX in “T-FLEX Parametric CAD” by Deelip Menezes , “The Russian MCAD Market” by Ralph Grabowski, and in multiple publications of isicad.net – such as for example  “T-FLEX CAD 12 Released”.
  

Experts and developers of Top Systems has accumulated a huge competence and experience in engineering software, and nobody was surprised to learn at the beginning of 2012 that Top Systems became one of the key contractors of the Russian Geometric Kernel project.

Top Systems has step by step built a full scale PLM environment – also integrated with a number of ERP-modules. Some intermediate results of this direction were presented at seminar COFES-Russia/isicad-2010. I hope that attendees of the planned COFES-Russia/isicad-2013 will be able to learn much about the latest PLM-results of Top Systems – called PLM+.

Interesting to mention that couple days ago, I wrote in @levin_david: “Today the isicad.ru article (from May 21) which compares SolidWorks vs Russian T-FLEX received a comment No.1000  http://bit.ly/OvjgOQ“.  I believe that Top Systems has not yet realized its full potential and hopefully this richly illustrated paper will increase global awareness of the company, its solutions, and competence.  

Part II soon to appear. 

Summer memories: Barcelona

Today the summer is over, and now, in Siberia, I reminisce couple days spent in Barcelona with my two (from six) grandchildren. These are some pictures and videos with minimum comments. 

We already know that Barcelona has won 2-1:

At the market Boqueria:

Columbus vs the man of today? :) :

The kids, lunch, and Olympic Games:

Simple Spanish/Catalan guys: 

The Basílica i Temple Expiatori de la Sagrada Família is known by everyone as the Number One attraction of Barcelona and a masterpiece of Gaudi (click to enlarge):

I wonder what could this gentleman tell to a girl to make her so happy (click to enlarge):

This Catalan word sounds for me more expressive than all its translations that I know:

Montjuïc (according to Wikipedia translated as 'Jew Hill' in medieval Catalan, or is perhaps related to the Latin phrase Mons Jovicus ('hill of Jove')) together with its "colored and music" fountain is one of the top 10 city attractions. A view from the hill is really great (make a full screen):

Frankly, I did not understand why thousands of people compete to occupy comfortable places and are waiting 2-3 hours to see how he fountain starts. But they do wait, and they obviously are happy.     

During those waiting hours, some local people are making their business:

However a Russian child with his spontaneous parody overdanced all businessmen:

The Fountain is alive: