This month, we list the seven workstation- and graphics-card combinations that most recently received the best scores for the new medMCAD-01 subset of the SPECviewperf 6.1.2 benchmark. The medMCAD-01 viewset is designed to model the graphics performance of a range of MCAD applications such as Pro/ Engineer from PTC and SolidWorks from SolidWorks Corp. The viewset consists of 12 tests, each of which represents a different mode of operation. Four of the tests use a wireframe model; the rest use a shaded model.
The mean scores represent the combined, weighted results of the 12 tests, measured in the number of frames per second the machines were able to execute. The larger the numbers, the better the performance.
To see how the same systems fared in other benchmark tests, or to review results from additional workstations, visit www.spec.org/gpc.
Product development software vendor
Unigraphics (St. Louis, MO) has announced that it will acquire
Engineering Animation Inc. (EAI; Ames, IA), a developer of visualization, collaboration, and analysis tools. The cash tender offer is expected to be about $205 million, and the agreement calls for EAI shareholders to receive $13.75 in cash per share....The PlanetCAD division of
Spatial Technologies (Boulder, CO), which is dedicated to Web-based engineering services, has acquired
Prescient Technologies (Boston), a maker of quality assurance tools for engineering processes....Web technology developer
Macromedia (San Francisco) has announced that its venture capital division, Macromedia Ventures, will make an undisclosed cash investment in
ePod (New York), a platform for advertising and commerce on the Web....Virtual set vendor
RT-Set (New York) has announced that it will merge with
Peak Broadcast Systems (Bergen, Norway), a supplier of on-air broadcast graphics. The name of the new company will be
RTpeak....Orad Hi-Tec Systems (Kfar Saba, Israel), which develops and manufactures video and real-time image-processing technologies, will acquire
Getris S.A. (Meylan, France), a maker of PC-based high-performance graphics technology for the broadcast market....Digital media provider
Avid Technology (Tewksbury, MA) has acquired the assets of
Pluto Technologies International (Boulder, CO), a provider of video storage and networking for the broadcast news and post-production markets.
News is written and compiled by Jenny Donelan.