SW Native 64 Bit Version

Just an fyi, due to release later this year according to Solidworks
Community News.

 

Link?

 

Was that SW to run in 64 bit mode or 32bit mode inside a 64 bit OS?
There is a big difference. With the former the 3Gb limit goes away and
with the later there is a 2Gb limit, i.e., you have less memory than
when running in 32 bit mode on a 32bit processor.

Aparently SW once ran in 32bit mode on the 64 bit Alphas.

 

http://www.swcommunity.com/feature_full.php?id=33185&cpfeatureid=6696

last paragraph on performance

 

Link
http://www.digitalcad.com/articles/viewarticle.jsp?id=32774


Performance
Users are continuously demanding more from their mechanical design
software, and SolidWorks has again answered the call in SolidWorks 2006
with the most significant release ever in terms of performance. Based
on an analysis of actual customer usage patterns, the company focused
performance enhancements in two areas - overall system architecture
and common operations - with particularly dramatic gains in large
assembly and drawing processing.

On the architecture side, SolidWorks has optimized its Lightweight file
structure to allow for fast processing at all times in a wide range of
commands such as mating, components insertion, interference detection,
and section view. With SolidWorks 2006, users can now continue to work
in drawings without waiting for drawing views or system graphics to be
recalculated, saving valuable design time.

The second set of performance improvements makes the most common
commands in SolidWorks software interactive and instantaneous,
regardless of how big the assembly might become. Now, designers and
engineers can move swiftly from task to task without waiting.

Additionally, SolidWorks 2006 will support the recently released
Windows XP Professional x64 Edition operating system with a
soon-to-be-released service pack. A native 64-bit version of SolidWorks
2006 is expected to ship later this year, promising further performance
gains.

 

Aparently SW once ran in 32bit mode on the 64 bit Alphas.

Yeah, way back. During my initial training of SW back in '96, the VAR was
running an Alpha version on the trainer seat that I was using. Dude! IIRC
this thing would smoke even some of the more high end systems of today. I
realize that it wasn't pushing near the software back then. But, hardware
wasn't near what it is today either. It was very, very impressive. It
would make my semi-high end system back at work look like it was sitting
still. If that is any sign of what the future holds for the upcoming 64 bit
version, I think it will be an incredible change.

 

I remember the Alphas too. And if I remember correctly the whole thing
was buggier than anything today. you think people complain now.......

KM

 

Seth,

I totally agree, the Alpha was a screamer.

Montie

 

I stand corrected. If SW puts in a switch SW will have access to a full
4Gb in 32 bit mode.

 

I didn't take very good notes on this, but I believe that an early SP of
2006 will run in 32 bit mode on 64 bit Windows. (It could be that the first
release will run this way.) Sometime this calendar year an SP will run in 64
bit mode.

Jerry Steiger
Tripod Data Systems
"take the garbage out, dear"

 

Montie,

If I remember correctly, you were the one training me on that rocket ship
down in Raleigh...
Do you remember any of the spec's on that system? I remember it had
something like a 256MB video card which was unheard of back then.

 

Wow, that is digging deep Seth. I think the card had maybe 32 or 64mb
of video memory. The DEC Alpha was incredibly fast, especially for
rending. That was where it really shined.

Montie
Montie Design
www.montie.com