NASA's Future Flight Design Challenge, developed at NASA Ames Research Center, located in California's Silicon Valley, is designed to engage students in developing solutions for tomorrow's overcrowded airports. To help students develop their designs, NASA experts will provide feedback via the Internet throughout the challenge. To strengthen the challenge's appeal, NASA's Airspace Systems Program will use Airspace Concept Evaluation System (ACES) software under development by NASA aeronautics experts to simulate the winning designs.

"Adding the use of the ACES software to this project will add a new and exciting dimension to the already successful NASA Quest challenge," said Mark Leon, education director at NASA Ames. "For the first time, students will be able to access the tools of a state-of-the-art software system, currently unavailable to the public," he added.

ACES is a modeling and simulation tool under development by the Virtual Airspace Simulation Technology element of the Virtual Airspace Modeling and Simulation Project at NASA Ames. The tool is being developed in order to evaluate the cost and benefits of new ideas in air traffic management across the entire National Airspace System.

"Inspiring students is part of NASA's mission; therefore, we are striving to involve young people in developing solutions for tomorrow's National Airspace System," said Lisa Bjarke, a manager in the Virtual Airspace Simulation Technologies element. "The ACES software will help us provide that inspiration by bringing their ideas to life.

Students can now register for the challenge, which begins on March 7 and ends with a Webcast on May 4, 2005. Last year, 26 teams representing more than 800 students from 10 U.S. states, India, Sri Lanka, Australia, England and Oman, participated in the design challenge.

My husband was the Mission Leader and Chief Designer for the ACES software. He has already received several awards and a Presidential Commendation for the software,which is considered ground-breaking in nature.

It works very similarly to AutoCAD...it even comes with an extensive block library. Although some of the blocks are pretty ridiculous. I mean I don't know how much need there would be for a unicorn block.

There are some limitations to the FREE version...it can't handle solids and there is no sheet set manager. It has problems with multiple xrefs and large files. But if you are doing basic 2D layouts or if you just need a software for those office users who do light editing and printing, this would fill the bill quite nicely.

The software is still in BETA, but I am told that users can download away with fairly strong level of product confidence. I came across a couple of dialog boxes in Italian (the software is being developed in Italy), but I was able to figure out what to do anyway. (when all else fails, press OK and see what happens.)

A big advantage to this software is that it will work with any version of AutoCAD drawing and it saves back to DWG format. I was able to open and save in this software and then re-open the same file in AutoCAD 2005 with no problems. I took the same file back and forth between the two packages a couple of times with absolutely no glitches.

John emails that PDF is definitely in the forecast for this product. If that is true (and I have no reason to doubt John's word), then I suggest you download the software now, get familiar with the tools, and then bookmark the page and/or register the product. That way you will be one of the first to get the FREE PDF capability. You definitely don't want to be the last one on your block with a free PDF writer tool. Especially when that tool is being supported by a quality outfit, like SolidWorks.

I spoke with a fellow at SolidWorks about some of the problems I have been having with the software and we are meeting at NDES to go over ways to workaround some of the issues. One thing that concerns me is that the software modifies one of AutoCAD's key files. I don't like any software that does that. I consider that viral. So, before you install this software -BEWARE! Like I said, I am meeting with the fellow and explain to him how to install their software without touching any of AutoCAD's key files and still have something that works well. Hopefully, SolidWorks will come up with a version that solves users' problems without creating another set.

The good news is that AutoCAD 2006 will have the tool that Mark wants. (Yet, one more reason to be on subscription...call your reseller today!) The bad news is that since he is working in LT, he can't avail himself of any lisp routines that might do what he wants. His other alternative would be to switch over to IntelliCAD, an Autodesk knock-off that reads and writes in DWG format, costs the same as LT, and runs LISP routines.
I will do web-based training for customers, but I haven't done any open webcasts for the general public. I am intrigued by the idea...I am planning on setting up some Friday Lunch and Learns at the San Jose office where I am working starting in July...maybe I can set it up so if anyone out there in cyberspace would like to join us and pick up some tips and tricks, you can. Email me if you would like to be able to join my Friday Lunch and Learns in San Jose. If there is enough interest, I'll try to make it work. I am working up a schedule of what I will be covering each Friday, so you could decide which sessions you would want to attend. Another option is AUGI's ATP program which is FREE...check out www.augi.com for more info.

From Thomas E. Irvin:
Ms. Moss: Your comments defending users (like Paul) hit a nerve with me and points to a certain level of what seems to be corporate arrogance on the part of Autodesk.
Having captured the majority of the market for cadd software, they see no need respond to glitches discovered by a few intuitive users as long as they can market their software to the "lock step" users by claiming that you don't need to think to use Autodesk products. This "...just open the can and serve..." philisophy will eventually lead to virtually all drawings looking the same as older users (like myself) and other users (like Paul) drop out of the scene from disgust or retirement.
The finger of blame can also be directed towards training schools who only teach the software commands and omit those fussy little side issues like how building components should be arranged to ensure that the project won't collapse from incompetence.

From Richard Talbot, in Quebec:
I always look forward to Friday mornings for 2 reasons:
1. TGIF!
2. I know the first thing I will do when I connect to the Net is open your CADzette, usually with much delight. It's refreshing, free from any commercial "plugs" (besides your own, which are perfectly legitimate - after all, Moss Designs is not a philanthropic organization), and written so well that even poor souls like myself, who were raised in a non- English language, can understand what it's about.
And while we're at it, here's my own "plug": we have developed a web-based search engine software that addresses the specific needs of CAD users, since it can index AutoCAD, Inventor, Office, PDF and many other document types.

I have checked out Richard's search engine and it looks pretty good. It basically allows you to set up your own Internal Google for your engineering documentation. I haven't spent a lot of time using it, but I will certainly be playing with it. My only complaint is the background on Richard's company website is so dark, it makes it difficult to read all the copy.

JTB World - AutoCAD Tips, Tricks and VB

Lee Ambrosius has created an ICON Switch PDF. Icon switches are used on your desktop icons to control how AutoCAD launches, including whether you use a specific template, specify a layout, etc.

Autodesk, no doubt, stuck their finger into the wind...predicted the low crowds and wisely decided not to show...instead they made their presence felt by advertising on just about every bus stop poster I could see between the convention center and Chicago's downtown....declaring Inventor the #1 3D CAD software in the world...if it's in print, it must be so. Buzz Kross was scheduled to make an appearance Thursday morning, but I checked out of my hotel on Wednesday, so I have no idea if he actually showed up in person or merely through the benefit of video. If he was smart, he would have done it through video as the attendance definitely did not warrant a special trip by anybody of note.

I finally got to meet - live and in person - Evan Yares, of the Open DWG Alliance, who observed that I am a lot shorter than he imagined. At a demure 5 feet, I get that reaction alot more than you would think. My husband tells me that it is a good thing I am not taller, because the world could not tolerate much more of me. Thankfully, this is said with a smile and a small chuckle.

I also met a wonderful gentleman from SolidWorks and we spent a great deal of time going over what is necessary to make DWGGateway a winner. I walked Aaron through the wonderful world of profiles, menus, toolbars, and how to create an install file that will work with AutoCAD and not mess up the user. Aaron listened closely to what I said and tells me that the PDF version of DWGGateway should be released next month. With luck that version will include some of my suggestions and make it easier and BETTER for users.

My husband signed me up for a design competition in Pro/E's booth. Basically, we had to create a very simple design in less than a minute. I created the revolve and shell in under 30 seconds, but completely muffed the sketch portion of the design. WildFire's user interface did not have any of the right click short-cuts that I have become accustomed to in Inventor or SolidWorks.

They made the mistake of putting the mike to me to ask me what went wrong since I had had such a strong start. I blurted out that WildFire's GUI sucks big time and Inventor Rocks. The Pro/E employees covered their ears, but the truth was out and there was a smattering of applause from the audience. They were good enough sports that they gave me a T-shirt anyway...which I quickly passed to my husband.