Interesting development here, Beth. You take a very complex system and you make it easier for the user. Easier to use, easier to share. This seems to be a significant trend -- to bury the complexity in the system and make it easy for the user. That's happening to a great degree in automation and control systems.
Absolutely Rob. As people (even engineers) get used to more streamlined user interfaces in the technology they use so ubiquitously in their private lives, they are now expecting much of that simplicity to carry over to their professional tools--even those that were traditionally more complex in the past. By doing so, it definitely makes it easier to collaborate and share design data.
I think that one of the keys to what you're saying, Beth, is that the technology we use at work is beginning to resemble the technology we use at home. We're adopting complex technology in home products. In a sense, that's probably training us for using complex systems at work. Experience with video games may be particularly pertinent for new engineers.
I spent some time and money on Simulink to try and model a complex system and found the software very difficult to use. I paid for three days of consulting and training and found using it a week later painful. Other projects keep me away from the software for several more weeks and it was even more difficult to move forward with adding more detail so the project was put on hold until I had a block of time to work with it. After a year I tried to use the software and quickly became frustrated and paid for more consulting. Since I was not next to the consulting engineer the consulting turned out a waste of effort.
Ease of use it the single most important feature of software if you want to get new customers. Ease of use will allow smaller companies to do more advance simulations because you can quickly setup and run a model.
Thanks for your perspective, Ed. I agree that as powerful a tool as it is, putting Simulink to use is not as straightforward as you'd think given the relative simplicity of the paradigm of lines and block diagrams to model a system--especially when those systems become more complex and interconnected. Hopefully these new advances address some of those limitations and make it more straightforward to dive into modeling the design. Seems like you might want to take the upgrade for a test drive. If you do, let's us know what you think.
The 3D printing revolution seems to have a knack for quickly moving technology ahead by way of collaborative effort and even a little friendly competition -- all of course in the name of scientific advancement.
Laura Sapiens' Ego! Smartmouse offers users a unique interactive experience by providing 2D and 3D connectivity, hardware identity authentication, data storage, and more.
From Dell / Intel® New Paradigms in Design Work Scott Hamilton, vertical market strategist for Dell Precision workstations, 5/2/2013 5
Early in my career, I worked as a draftsman and remember the days of drawing on vellum with numbered pencils and Mylar with plastic lead. This was a fun experience in the sense that I ...
I've been using workstations for more than 10 years and love finding ways to get more performance from my system. With demanding professional applications that require more power each ...
A lasting memory from my first job as an engineer in an auto assembly plant is standing on hard concrete at six in the morning, vending-machine coffee clutched in hand, listening to ...
A quick look into the merger of two powerhouse 3D printing OEMs and the new leader in rapid prototyping solutions, Stratasys. The industrial revolution is now led by 3D printing and engineers are given the opportunity to fully maximize their design capabilities, reduce their time-to-market and functionally test prototypes cheaper, faster and easier. Bruce Bradshaw, Director of Marketing in North America, will explore the large product offering and variety of materials that will help CAD designers articulate their product design with actual, physical prototypes. This broadcast will dive deep into technical information including application specific stories from real world customers and their experiences with 3D printing. 3D Printing is
To save this item to your list of favorite Design News content so you can find it later in your Profile page, click the "Save It" button next to the item.
If you found this interesting or useful, please use the links to the services below to share it with other readers. You will need a free account with each service to share an item via that service.
Tweet This
0 
