Ouch! Yes engineers, accept my heartfelt apology. I consider RP to be one of the
greatest gifts you could have given to the artist community. And yes, engineers are
creative in their own way. And when I spoke of the creative community, I was
referring to form without function.
But that is the fun of free designing, having no guidelines. An engineer uses his
creative spirit to solve problems. An artist uses his creative spirit just because
he feels like it.
Xerox built serious copy machines to enable business. Hewlett Packard builds $300
color printers so people can make their own $1 greeting cards. Both are
appropriate. I have no idea where I am going with this, but again engineers, thanks
for RP!
Steve
lblasch@opw-fc.com wrote:
> Steve,
>
> First, I have to say that I agree with your basic premise, that the RP
> manufacturers have listened to the service bureau requests over the
> private use companies with 1 or 2 machines. You must remember though,
> in doing so, they were responding to their big customers just like
> every other business would.
>
> But you said:
>
> " CAD is hard. It is made for engineers. Slowly, CAD is evolving to
> where the creative people can use it."
>
> What a myopic view of creativity that statement represents.
>
> Just what do you consider to be evidence of creativity?
>
> Form without function?
>
> Design without constraints?
>
> Production without consumers?
>
> As one of your creativity deprived engineers, I am fed up with people
> depicting engineers as unimaginative and lacking creativity.
>
> In every profession there are people who cannot see outside the box.
>
> The creative mind is the one that can do that.
>
> It is the creative engineers who turn the inspiration into functional
> products and goods.
>
> Engineers are often considered to be lacking creativity because
> they are forced to work within the constraints of practicality.
>
> The "designers" that you speak of, exist only where practical
> people are creative enough to generate the wealth necessary to
> support them.
>
> It would be great to have inexpensive tools to play with, but in
> the real world, tools cost money to produce. Good tools don't
> happen overnight, they evolve.
>
> Flame the engineers and they don't usually reciprocate, they just
> design an extinguisher.
>
> Larry Blasch
> Peeker outside the box.
>
> OPW Fueling Components
> P.O. Box 405003
> Cincinnati, OH 45240-5003 USA
>
> Voice: (513) 870-3356
> Fax: (513) 870-3338
> **********************************************************************
> Disclaimer...The views expressed are personal opinion and not those of
> OPW Fueling Components.
> **********************************************************************
>
> ______________________________ Reply Separator
> _________________________________ Subject: Confused
> Author: Steven <themissinglink@eznetinc.com> at internet Date: 4/23/99 2:04
> PM
>
> As an outsider to the RP world, I am a little puzzled by all the hand wringing
> and worry about the state of the industry. My gut feeling is that many of you
> are defining the industry as the Service Bureau.
>
> When defined as such, then I can see how you could go back and forth being
> positive and negative. The Service Bureau, however, is just one business model,
> and does not represent the only one. If these machines were to be sold, in
> force, directly into industry, then wouldn't that be considered success?
>
> So what is constraining this from happening? CAD. CAD is hard. It is made for
> engineers. Slowly, CAD is evolving to where the creative people can use it.
> FormZ seems to be taking the lead in this by promoting its use in design school
> instruction. As long as CAD/CAM is dominated by engineers and programs like
> CATIA and Pro/E, then it will remain in the realm of large organization R&D
> departments.
>
> When more people understand CAD, then the creative forces will find a way to
> obtain RP equipment. For this reason I feel that the focus of RP manufacturers
> on build size over speed and price only reinforces this limited scope of market
> potential. Build size is desired by manufacturers. The early adopters of this
> technology are big manufacturers of industrial equipment. Their voices are the
> only ones being listened to by the RP manufacturers because they are the only
> current customers. The growth, however, is with the people whose voices are not
> being heard. People who are not even aware of RP now.
>
> That is the challenge for the RP manufacturers. To hear the voices which are
> not yet speaking.
>
> Steve Pollack
>
>
> For more information about the rp-ml, see http://ltk.hut.fi/rp-ml/
For more information about the rp-ml, see http://ltk.hut.fi/rp-ml/
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