what software does Jonathan Ive use for product design?

[mancho]

Hi, I was just wondering what software (CAD) Apple design team (Jonathan Ive) use to design their products such as iPhone, MacBook… ?

I guess they use a Mac Platform CAD software!! I don`t think they will be happy using solidworks on a Windows PC. so, do you know the name of the software?
Thank you!

[madhero]

i believe apple runs unigraphics

[PD_GB]

I had heard this but I believe it may not be for the very front end ID work.

I’ve previously seen an Apple job posting for a product design development job which asked for experience in Unigraphics.

Would be good to have this confirmed by someone who knows first hand.

[NURB]

I would see him using a sharpie and sheets of tabloid laser printer stock.

Then his minions would use any and all software known to man develop CAD drawings.

[mancho]

This is the first time I hear about Unigraphics NX, I searched for it on google and what I found was the SIEMENS software webpages, so I guess Unigraphics is developed by SIEMENS… but I didnt find anywhere where they say this software will run on a MAC… does it run on a MAC? Or the apple design team have like a special version of UGS NX for their macs??

[ML1]

@mancho

This is the first time I hear about Unigraphics NX, I searched for it on google and what I found was the SIEMENS software webpages, so I guess Unigraphics is developed by SIEMENS… but I didnt find anywhere where they say this software will run on a MAC… does it run on a MAC? Or the apple design team have like a special version of UGS NX for their macs??

I think the assumption has the flaw of thinking that they are solely running MACs. I would…they know were they shine and were they don’t…CAD is one of the later only due to software compatability. I would be willing to guess they have unigraphics on a Sun or SGI workstation.

[PD_GB]

I’ve used Unigraphics since 1998 but have never heard of the Seimens connection (checked on the web and your right), perhaps they recently brought them (previous owners were EDS)??

I suspect (but cannot confirm) Apple is running NX on a non-mac computer system!!! With dual-core things may have recently changed.

[PD_GB]

Unigraphics is popular in the world of major corporations but rarely finds it’s way down to small companies due to the high costs involved.

[cg1]

Why do you want to know?

It seems to me that the current design language is so minimal that it could be described using any CAD software, including Adobe Illustrator. I don’t see too much need for NURBS.

I’d be more interested in knowing what BMW or Frank Gehry uses (ie. highly form-intensive.)

[mancho]

@cg

Why do you want to know?

Well, to tell you the truth I was watching the video of the WWDC07 and Steve Jobs were talking about the new LEOPARD and everything, and when he was talking about the new networking feature on the LEOPARD there were 4 computers on the network:

1. Kid´s iMac
2. Family iMac
3. MacBook Pro and
4. Windows PC (in the attic)…

I know is silly but I just got courious about many things. Also I think is interesting to know if they do use their MACs for CAD/CAM (solidworks, etc…) and for 3D Concepts Modelings (rhino. etc…).

[jGray]

@cg

Why do you want to know?

It seems to me that the current design language is so minimal that it could be described using any CAD software, including Adobe Illustrator. I don’t see too much need for NURBS.

I’d be more interested in knowing what BMW or Frank Gehry uses (ie. highly form-intensive.)

frank gehry’s people use catia (for the most part)…

[No.2]

@cg

Why do you want to know?

It seems to me that the current design language is so minimal that it could be described using any CAD software, including Adobe Illustrator. I don’t see too much need for NURBS.

I’d be more interested in knowing what BMW or Frank Gehry uses (ie. highly form-intensive.)

probably CATIA

[No.2]

@mancho

@cg

Why do you want to know?

I know is silly but I just got courious about many things. Also I think is interesting to know if they do use their MACs for CAD/CAM (solidworks, etc…) and for 3D Concepts Modelings (rhino. etc…).

I know you can’t use SolidWorks on a MAC…not sure about Rhino…I heard rumor that you can.

[NURB]

I know you can’t use SolidWorks on a MAC…not sure about Rhino…I heard rumor that you can.

Pretty sure you can… with Intel Mac and Windows installed on it. But, I’m guessing they wouldn’t do that at Apple.

[No.2]

Intel Macs and CAD

Did you give it a shot? I would appreciate insights from those of you with Intel Macs, who tried to runs CAD apps like Solidworks and Alias StudioTool on Windows XP, through Boot Camp. WinXP/Boot Camp/Intel Mac is a new platform, definitely intriguing, but absolutely not a possibility that is implementable in a firm due to its early adopter status. That means, the unknown… stability risk. I like the idea of not having two boxes, just a Mac that can boot both. To boot XP when I need to work on …

Another topic post…similar subject…

ID LAPTOP

Hello There, Probably a question constantly being asked but since the options on the market are getting bigger and better all the time… I need a laptop which can run Solid Works, Photoshop, Freehand and Illustrator (Footwear design). Can anyone recommend on a laptop which can deal with them all (and maybe with some more in the future…). Thanks in advance, Tamara

and another.

[cg1]

At the D5 conference Bill Gates commented that Microsoft made one of the single biggest Mac orders for the XBOX team to use for development.

I doubt Apple designers would limit themselves to using Mac’s. Just because you make Ferrari’s doesn’t mean you drive one.

[mancho]

@cg

At the D5 conference Bill Gates commented that Microsoft made one of the single biggest Mac orders for the XBOX team to use for development.

I doubt Apple designers would limit themselves to using Mac’s. Just because you make Ferrari’s doesn’t mean you drive one.

mmh yes, I guess you have a good point…

[Mr-914]

Apple designers just need a 3D program with an “extrude” function, don’t they?

[madhero]

don’t forget the fillet! vary important…

[_bounce]

I spoke in depth with an apple engineer recently, they work mostly in UG (unigraphics) and the ID guys are in Alias, plenty of Adobe around as well I assume. Very interesting to hear the details of the pecking order over there. IDers rule the place even more than you might imagine (under the all seeing I of Jobs, of course)