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 Volume # 12

 Toward total integration

2003 is a very important year for Interstudio! We are working hard to provide multi-platform support for all the programs we produce and distribute.

By multi-platform, we mean support for a variety of operating systems and hardware platforms, especially for Macintosh computers with Mac Os 9 and Mac Os X operating systems and PC’s compatible with Windows 98/NT/2000/XP. In future, there will be less support for older operating systems like Mac Os 7 and 8 and Windows 95, as for old Macintosh computers with 680x0 processors. This will be a gradual, but inevitable process.

Some of our Macintosh customers are concerned that more support for Windows will mean less attention to the Macintosh platform. Not so! The vast majority of our customers are Macintosh users and this platform is essential for graphics and CAD.

By distributing our products to Windows users as well, we widen our client base and thus have access to a wealth of experience and customer feedback, which will be reinvested in continuing improvements to our programs – to the advantage of everyone!

 Stop-press

CADWAVES is the new exclusive distributor of Interstudio products on the important USA market. CADWAVES is an important distributor in the mechanical CAD field and has now decided to expand its range to include the fields of architecture and civil engineering. Interstudio has been developing and distributing architectural, engineering, topography, geotechnic and photogrammetry software since 1983.

It was the ideal marriage! Together we can take on the whole market!

CADWAVES provides a wealth of services ranging from training, to CAD design, to industrial design and engineering services. They are located in Miami Lakes, between Miami and Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

14100 Palmetto Frontage road suite # 114
Miami Lakes, FL 33016

e-mail: info@cadwaves.com

Tel: (305) 820-4490
Fax: (305) 820-1753

 Stop-press

DEMACO Consultant is the new exclusive distributor of Interstudio products on the important South East Asia market of Singapore and Malaysia. DEMACO has a main task to promote the use of IT and Software Solutions to practicing  Engineers and Architects to achieve quality in planning, design and attain efficiency in the entire work process within the building and construction industry. It has emerged as a result of diversification effort by DEMACO Consultants to become an authorized distributor and professional consultant of a wide range of quality Civil, Structural, and Environmental Engineering analysis, design, detailing, as well as Architectural modeling software products from prestigious Computer Aided Engineering (CAE) Experts around the world. Interstudio has been developing and distributing architectural, engineering, topography, geotechnic and photogrammetry software since 1983 and it is the ideal partner to support DEMACO.

DEMACO provides onsite software presentation and consultation as well as continuous training and upgrading of software for customers.

DEMACO Consultants
4 Leng Kee Road, #04-09, SiS Building, - Singapore 159088
Tel : +65 67627578
fax : +65 67621091
email : lhong@ldemaco.com
website : www.ldemaco.com/international.htm

 Stop-press

The Mac Os X operating system runs on Unix and therefore has extremely flexible systems management. It is possible to have a number of users, each identified by his own name and key word. Each user can access a part of the system. But a regular user cannot, for example, modify anything inside the System folder, which contains the operating system.

Only one user – especially ‘chosen’ – can do anything he wants – he is called the ‘root’!

When Mac Os X is installed, by default the first user is considered to be the Administrator – he can do almost everything, but is not the ‘root’.

For everyday use, a ‘root’ man is not normally needed; but sometimes he is essential, for example to insert an extension (for Mac Os X, a Framework) in the Systems folder.

This possibility is disabled by default in Mac Os X. So how do you become a ‘root’? Here is the procedure for you below: *

• open Applications
  
• open Utilities
  
• run Net Info Manager
  
• from the Security menu, select Authenticate
  
• key in your user name and password
  
• again, from Security main menu, select Enable Root User
  
• choose a password for the ‘root’ user
  
• confirm password
  
• exit Net Info Manager
  
• Logout from Apple menu
  
• Login again, using ‘root’ user name and password.
  

Now you can make all the modifications you want! However, it is good practice to operate in ‘root’ mode only on special occasions. Once done, Logout and Login again using your Administrator’s name and password.

 Stop-press

DigiCad 3D 7.1 for Windows International version is in the final phase of public betatesting. DigiCad 3D is and incredible poweful program for architectural photogrammetry,

Interstudio is interested in the widest possible betatesting. Now it is possible to freely download the beta version of DigiCad 3D for Windows 98, NT, 2000, and XP. Any feedback is welcome!

Register as betatester and download DigiCad 3D for Windows!

 Crazy parameters

80% of architectural work in Europe is done on old buildings. This is undoubtedly also the case in any country with an architectural heritage of buildings made of stone or other durable material, of equal or greater importance than any new construction work .

This means working with an incredible variety of non-standard construction elements. Some architectural CAD programs attempt to solve this by increasing the number of parameters, but it is a hopeless struggle, because the number of construction elements is infinite and it is near impossible to cover all eventualities. So the parameter problem becomes a real obstacle to the architect.

Some programs, for example, offer a list of frames automatically linked to door and window openings, but more often than not, the very frame you want is not there and you end up using frames which do not correspond to reality. A little experience of such programs - and you soon come to recognise them by the drawings of the frames used – always the same old ones!
Other programs (but not Domus.Cad) have come up with a totally different programming language to define the new parameters. Domus.Cad could do this too, because it can be programmed in C and C++, but this is a solution developed for programmers - not for architects.

Break out of your parametric limits!

The parametric elements of Domus.Cad are powerful, fast and creative design tools, but we do not believe that simply adding more parameters is the correct solution to architects’ difficulties. We believe that, at any given moment, you should be able to break out of parametric limits, in order to create freely and introduce a variety of elements into any one project.

 DigiCad 3D 7.1

Interstudio has released version 7 of their popular DigiCad 3D software application for architects, engineers, surveyors and photogrammetry professionals. DigiCAD 3D is used to transform a perspective, distorted photo image in a front measurable image of the building and to digitize architectural drawings or photos. The user imports a photo image—for example, of a building facade—and transforms it or traces over.

DigiCad 3D can also be used for mapping, to snap together pieces of a site map at the correct scale or to digitize aerial photos. This makes it useful to architects, engineers, or anyone involved in building surveys or site analysis. Version 7 has new interesting and specialized functions.

New Features in Version 7.1

Here are some of the new features:

• Now for Windows and Mac Os X
• Version for Mac OS X and Windows
• Reference points with Contextual Menus
• Reference points on selected elements
• Improved transparence control
• Help Tags
• Renewed graphic interface.

 Computers

One of computing’s best-kept secrets is the use of double monitors! Windows users may be excused their ignorance, as their operating system has only supported double monitors since Windows 98, but shame on you Macintosh users – since 1987, you have had the possibility of using 6 monitors at a time!

Why two monitors?

One program which makes excellent use of two monitors is Domus.Cad, Interstudio’s architectural CAD program. One monitor contains the drawing and the other one, the 3D model, so changes made in one immediately update the other. With only one monitor, you had two choices – either to open two windows, one behind the other, but you were unable to work simultaneously on both; or to squash both windows on the same screen, which was limiting and hard to read.

Domus.Cad was specifically designed to make use of two monitors, but the concept is useful on many occasions, because it gives you a larger, more rational work area – a rectangular one. It’s even better than using one large monitor (Apple‘s Cinema Display, for example) – because the proportions of any size of monitor are never conducive to condensing two windows onto the screen.
Ever seen a square drawing table? They are strictly rectangular!
And strangely enough, two regular 17” monitors cost less than one 19” one…

All the pros:

• Larger work surface
• Cheaper than one big monitor
• Contemporary viewing of two different documents, or two different views of same document
• Enlargement of one window onto two screens
• Two different programs can be opened at same time
• Re-use your old 15” as the second monitor
• Palette and work instruments can be kept on second monitor – more room to work!
  

You work with the two monitors just as if they were joined together and the mouse moves easily from one to the other, functions like drag-and-drop working as if the monitor were one.

Double monitor with Macintosh

New G4 cames with a double graphic card, but, for the older model, couldn’t be easier adding a second monitor to Macintosh – just buy a graphic card, insert it and install the second monitor (which could be recycled from your old Mac or PC).
Rarely are there compatibility problems. Only iMac and iBook owners are unable to insert graphic cards, while lucky PowerBook and Titanium users just connect up directly to the external video portal (their graphic cards are already geared to run double monitors)
Those of you with old Macintosh computers (NUBUS cards) might have some problems in finding graphic cards for your hardware.

Double monitor with Windows

Since Windows has only recently offered the possibility of two monitors, look out for possible compatibility problems. The safest solution is to buy graphic cards which already support double monitors – available at reasonable prices.

Problem is that not many Windows programs are designed to make full use of two screens, because they often run inside a rectangle (think of it as a large ‘window’, containing many smaller windows and it is not possible to take the smaller frames outside of the big one). You can, of course, move the palette and instrument panel to the second monitor, thereby gaining some space.

The beauty of Domus.Cad is that, unlike other programs, it allows you to move the frames independently , so you can make best possible use of your two monitors.
However, you can always open two programs, one on each monitor – or the same program twice, with two work sessions open (e.g. two contemporary Internet searches).

 Magazine review

Domus.Cad was paid a whole lot of compliments by one of Italy’s CAD experts, Mario Barbati, when he recently tested our program for Macintosh monthly “Applicando”, of which he is editor.

His overall rating for Domus.Cad was 4.5, out of a maximum five points – way over the average ratings received by other architectural software. Specialised architectural software originated for the Macintosh system, back in the 1980’s, before Windows even existed. So Macintosh users – and Mr Barbati himself – have a long experience of our kind of program and are merciless judges of any shortcomings!

But, even more than our high grade, what we most appreciated were Mario Barbati’s comments :

“Domus.cad is a program for construction and 3D architectural design. Basically, it is a simple and intuitive way of producing all technical drawings necessary for a project. Domus.Cad has many affinities with other existing programs, like (see note*) but also, as we will discover, a character all of its own.”

“On the subject of inserting walls, we come to a very special aspect of Domus.Cad which distinguishes it from the crowd. When a wall is drawn, Domus.Cad automatically traces two parallel lines and, where it meets another wall, the program makes a join - much like (see note*), but with a significant difference: Domus.Cad’s walls remain totally independent and if you move them to a new position, they will automatically join up to existing walls. So your drawing is made up of ‘intelligent’ and easily-modifiable elements, for each of which you can establish the radius within which it will ‘hunt’ for other walls to join up to.”

”Domus.Cad is an exceptional program, not only for its unique option of joining up walls, but also for its interface with users: it seems made to measure for architects who are first-time users, maybe still tied to their old drawing machine and have never seen a CAD program before . Does this mean the program is dated? – not at all! It’s simply that old familiar terms make beginners feel very much at home.”

Note*: Competitor’s program’s names omitted

 Users

The Patrizio Batistini Studio

If you would like to see what a Tuscan architect did with Domus.Cad and Strata 3D (rendering program), take a look at Mr Batistini’s little ‘picture gallery’, as he calls it, on

http://www.interstudio.net/Batistini/galleria.html

Fine architecture, set in the countryside around Siena and Arezzo. Better still, come and see for yourself!

The Bernardi & Bernardini Studio

In Italian, but not to worry – it’s very easy to find your way around this mainly visual website. Lots of images of domestic and industrial architecture achieved with Interstudio software. No problem guessing how the Quicktime VR movie works or how to enlarge the images by clicking on them….

http://www.interstudio.net/bernardi/index.html

 Interstudio Web Wide

• http://www.interstudio.net/DomusSupport.html - Domus.Cad support page – lots of FAQ’s
• http://www.interstudio.net/DigiCad3DSupport.html - DigiCad 3D support page – lots of answers to your questions here, too!
  
• http://www.interstudio.net/CompareCAD.html - Some Useful Advice for Experienced CAD Users
  

 World Wide Web

Reference/academic sites:

• Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s list of graphic links
  http://graphics.lcs.mit.edu/~maxchen/bkmark.html
• BUBL’s shortcut (5:15 – minimum 5 resources, maximum 15 sites) to architectural sites. Well run by Glasgow (Scotland) universities.
  http://bubl.ac.uk/link/a/architecturelinks.htm
• Virtual Library: Architecture, from Toronto University - links to CAD/rendering software providers
  http://www.clr.toronto.edu:1080/VIRTUALLIB/ARCH/soft.html
• Plymouth Public Schools list of CAD/CAM links
  http://plymouthschools.com/Links/Vocational_Education/CAD.html
• The Education section of Apple’s website talking about what Macintosh (and Interstudio) can contribute to Architecture!
  http://www.apple.com/education/hed/academia/architecture/
• Frankfurt University (Germany) – a list of geological MAC links
  http://servermac.geologie.uni-frankfurt.de/Rainerssoftlist.html
  

Associations:

• Death by Architecture* - U.S. specialist site – links and other useful information on CAD programs
  http://www.deathbyarch.com/html
• The OpenDWG Alliance – we are on their list of members!
  http://www.opendwg.org/membership/sustain.htm
  

Other:

• MacNews – Interstudio featured on their global newsletter
  http://maccentral.macworld.com/news/9908/17.gis.shtml
• Tenlinks – the professionals’ web – Interstudio gets several mentions!
  http://www.tenlinks.com/Cad/products/MAC/cad.HTM
• from Canadian Yahoo, directory of CAD CAM software and hardware suppliers. Also available in French (naturally).
  http://ca.dir.yahoo.com/Business_and_Economy/Business_to Business/Computers/Software/CAD_CAM/
• Multiframe (country) industrial, engineering and naval software
  http://www.formsys.com/Multiframe
• Infomine – a geologist and mining site. Here’s a list of software – and we’re on it!
  http://www.rapid1.com/links_bookstores_software.htm
• Arcon (California) residential planning and design – we are on their Computer Software links page
  http://www.infomine.com/technology/rockmine/analytical.asp
  
• Private sites:
• Roy Gringerich’s personal links for the U.S. building trade !
  http://my.net-link.net/~rgginger/builder.htm
  

 Only a click away

DigiCad 3D was born in 1987 on Macintosh and now it's finally available for Windows.

Partecipate freely in the Betatest phase of DigiCad 3D Windows and be entitled to a 30% discount on the final version