This MacNews Category Review looks at Mac software for environmental engineers. Products covered include Cosmic Debris, DigiCad 3D, Fachwörterbuch Englisch Umwelttechnik, MacDraft Professional, Nonio, Pythagoras and VectorWorks Landmark.

Cosmic Debris

Cosmic Debris (http://www.jschilling.net/software.php) is an Aurora Borealis (the Northern Lights) monitor menu item. It monitors two Internet data sources for the probability of an Aurora event. The menu icon then displays the likelihood of an event using a color scheme: green for low probability, yellow for medium probability, red for high probability (and active for PCAF), and gray for unknown. Options include having a popup window, email or sound alert you of upgrades to the probability levels, auto updating and more.

DigiCad 3D

DigiCad 3D (http://www.interstudio.net/) is a tool for dealing with images, drawings, photographs of building facades and maps. It operates either directly on raster images or by digitization. It is used in photogrammetry, cartography and in architectural photogrammetry.

Fachwörterbuch Englisch Umwelttechnik

Fachwörterbuch Englisch Umwelttechnik (http://www.langenscheidt.de/) is a special terms dictionary for the field of environmental technology. It offers English to German and German to English translation.

Microspot MacDraft Professional

Microspot MacDraft Professional (http://www.microspot.com/) is designed for CAD users of all levels. It comes with a complement of basic and advanced drawing tools, plus both ANSI and international standard dimensioning capabilities. Its multi-layered, scaled drawing environment supports feet/inches and metric dimensions. Microspot MacDraft offers an integrated database for assigning information to objects, performing find/replace operations and creating custom reports.

Nonio

Nonio (http://www.interstudio.net/) is a 3D program for modeling terrain surfaces. It supports QuickDraw #D for walkthroughs or "flyovers" in real time, plug-in renderers, and drag and drop technology. Data is entered manually or from a digitizer. Models using a method of triangulation. Nonio exports with copy and paste, XYZ ASCII, DigiCad 3D, Domus.Cad, GDL, DXF 3D Polygon and Facet, QD3D MetaFile, and QuickTime VR Object formats for elaboration of photorealistic results using other applications and creation of QuickTime VR films. It supports QD3D models and plug-in renderers.

Pythagoras

Pythagoras (http://www.pythagoras.net/) is a 3D CAD program for surveyors and civil engineers and civil draftsmen. It combines an interactive drafting program with surveying computations. Typical survey calculations such as intersections, resections, traverses and transformations are built into the software.

VectorWorks Landmark

Vectorworks Landmark (http://www.nemetschek.net/landmark/index.php) is a design application tailored for landscape architects. It offers automated plant lists, a plant database, automated grading, site detail libraries, a hardscape tool and hand-drawn rendering capabilities.

-- Dennis Sellers