Lambda Research Corporation, creator of optic and illumination design software, needed a geometry engine that could handle the modeling of millions of light rays. The job was beyond the means of any off-shelf graphic engines or modeling engines from Tech Soft 3D (HOOPS), Dassault Systèmes (ACIS) or Siemens (Parasolid). But Lambda learned of Kubotek at a conference which led to Lamba’s development of a specialized engine specifically for predicting the paths of millions of light rays.
We created a multi-threaded modeling kernel, says John McCullough, general manager of Kubotek Kosmos, who (along with COO and CTO Ram Eswaran) connected with engineering.com to provide an update on Kubotek Kosmos’ efforts.
Big CAD companies aren’t usually so accommodating or willing to customize their solutions, even for major end users. This any-color-you-want-as-long-as-it’s-black mentality extends to the kernels the software companies own and license as well as specialized modeling and simulation applications such as Lambda.
It makes sense. With so many end users and peers to please, CAD software vendors can’t accommodate every special requests, or else they would be flooded. So, vendors boil down all the requests into what they can manage into periodic releases with general improvements for many but targeted solutions for none.
Instead, Kubotek saw Lambda’s need as an opportunity. After all, helping one specialty vendor might ultimately support others with similar applications. Cultivating customization agility might also spur the creation of kernels and engines for other types of design, manufacturing and simulation software. To this end, Kubotek developed 3D Framework, a multithreaded geometry kernel with interoperability tools. So bullish is the company on 3D Framework, it’s practically reinvented itself as a developer of CAD tools for developers — even placing 3D Framework on the top shelf, so to speak, over KeyCreator CAD on the company website.
A brief history of Kubotek
Kubotek is known among CAD insiders and historians as the last owner of CADKEY, a 3D-modeling program launched in 1985. By the late 1980s, CADKEY had become the third-most popular CAD program after AutoCAD and VersaCAD, selling for as much as $3,500 — about the same as AutoCAD. In what was an attempt to gain market share, CADKEY tried lowering its price, and once solid for as little as $495. It may have backfired with would-be users associating high prices with robust CAD for professionals.
The company went through multiple changes of ownership. In 1996, sidelined by history-based parametric MCAD programs (notably Pro/ENGINEER and SolidWorks) the founders sold the company to their own distributor, Baystate Technologies. The company was practically sued out of existence in 2003; needing to pay a $5.27M settlement, it sought bankruptcy. It was acquired for a fire sale price of $3.6M by Kubotek — not to be confused with Kubota, the tractor company also headquartered in Osaka, Japan — and was later spun off as Kubotek USA.
Altered states for Kubotek
The company’s story is a long one spanning several reincarnations. Throughout all them has been John McCullough, who joined Baystates Technologies as an intern in 1991, duping and shipping CADKEY programs on floppy disks.
The company’s most recent incarnation has it acting as a developer of APIs and SDKs — CAD tools for other software developers. It also offers CAD utilities and standalone tools such as translators that can be used without a CAD program … as well as the venerable KeyCreator CAD program.
It’s too early to call 3D Framework a full-fledged geometry kernel with the capability of ACIS or other mature and robust kernels, but for specialty needs like the one Lambda had, Kubotek may be able to supply routines.
One note: KeyCreator will continue to use the ACIS kernel. So, is that a vote of no-confidence in the company’s own kernel? Not at all, says McCullough. The company will keep ACIS in KeyCreator so users aren’t disrupted.
He has a point. If SolidWorks forced a switch from Parasolid (licensed from Siemens) to their own computer graphics metafile (CGM) from Dassault Systèmes, users would riot.
Kubotek’s customizations for CAD and CAE companies is opportunistic and perhaps strategic as well. Kubotek almost drifted out of sight after failing to compete with big MCAD companies. Between the big kernel makers and the developers that make custom solutions for users, there could be gap in which Kubotek could grow and prosper. With CAD vendors offering a set menu with only seasonal changes inspired by their own chefs, here comes Kubotek willing to cook up whatever the customer asks for.
What’s next for Kubotek Kosmos? We expect a more robust geometry kernel and more/better translators in 3D Framework. After that, perhaps a point-cloud processing engine or the addition of AI-driven capabilities?
CORRECTION April 15, 2024: Tractor company is Kubota, not Kubotek.