Guest ebedding Posted September 29, 2004 Share Posted September 29, 2004 I noticed that Windows XP Professional x64 Edition is now available as a free trail download for people with the new AMD 64 processor. What is the plan going forward for Ironcad? Linux is already capable of utilizing 64bit power, any plans to port IronCad to Linux? What benifits would an IronCad end user gain using a 64 bit processor? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steven Velez Posted September 29, 2004 Share Posted September 29, 2004 There are currently no plans of natively supporting 64-bit processors with IronCAD (though I think it should still run in 32-bit mode... I don't know the official stance on this). If we were one day to have a 64-bit IronCAD version, I believe that the biggest benefit would be the larger available memory address space.... in 32-bit windows addressable memory is limited to 3GB, whereas I have heard 64-bit windows bumps up the limit to 8GB... more memory means bigger models. Depending on how pervasive our port to 64-bit windows is, it may even allow higher precision on models... but that will be a much more dangerous/time-consuming change... and would most-likely make files non-interoperable between the two versions. It's also remotely possible that having access to 64-bit data types may marginally increase performance. Though I do not personally think it is likely. All the information presented here is off-the-cuff, and does not represent or imply any plans by IronCAD. Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Lohman Posted September 29, 2004 Share Posted September 29, 2004 The "official" plan is the same as linux right now. We have not decided officially to port to the 64 bit OS; but we are always paying attention to emerging technologies and considering ways that they can improve your experience with IronCAD. We have discussed the merits of both 64-bit Windows and Linux and that is a discussion that we rehash frequently. It is very important to us, to be able to provide you with the best tools that we possibly can. Of course you have to weigh the potential benefit with the volume of people that would actually take advantage of it. Moving to linux would be an enormous task. Supporting 64 bit could potentially be a sizeable task. We only have so many developers and we already work them to exhaustion; so even if 64-bit or Linux might be obviously superior, if only 1% of the user base would jump on it then it doesn't make sense for us to move to it. Now, the fact that we don't change our code to specifically take advantage if the 64-bit processor doesn't mean you can't move to it. The AMD architecture was built by -extending- the 32bit x86 so it still has all of the legacy 32 bit stuff in it. One could argue that IronCAD may potentially run faster on a 64 bit processor with clock speeds that are identical to a 32 bit merely because the 64bit opteron processors have eliminated the front side bus and have instead just integrated the memory controller. The opteron's also use the new "HyperTransport" technology for improving chip to chip communications: Which all result in a much more efficient CPU. Microsoft's 64 bit OS has taken measures to insure that your 32 bit apps will run on the opteron chips. They built their '"WOW64" subsystem into the OS which handshakes the 32 bit calls that the app makes into the new 64bit architecture. At this time however; we have neither tested IronCAD on a 64-bit chip, nor has anyone reported anything about it to us. As of now, the theory is that with the new Microsoft 64 and an Opteron chip, IronCAD should at least run as well as it does now on a 32 bit chip. Time will tell if this proves to be true. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Per-Arne Almeflo Posted September 30, 2004 Share Posted September 30, 2004 This is what Microsoft says regarding the Windows XP 64-Bit Edition: "64-bit native applications can deliver more data per clock cycle, making them run faster and more efficiently." and: "Windows XP 64-Bit Edition will currently support up to 16 GB of RAM and 16 TB of virtual memory, enabling applications to run faster when working with large data sets. Applications can preload substantially more data into virtual memory, allowing rapid access by the 64-bit processor." The AMD 64 is not very expensive and Windows XP 64 is compatible with standard office software and what have you, nothing to hesitate about really. There should be a big GO for the 64 bit IronCad. Large assemblies need every performance advantage you can get and then some! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Lohman Posted September 30, 2004 Share Posted September 30, 2004 Ok ok, Windows bashing isn't very productive on these forums and takes the thread off topic. Per-Arne, yeah the potential benefits sound great. We'll take note and add your name to the list of people that would be willing to purchase new hardware, a new OS, and a new version of IronCAD, to take advantage of the new 64 bit stuff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest cdeveaux Posted September 30, 2004 Share Posted September 30, 2004 (edited) Not productive maybe, but definitely fun! P.S. C'mon Chris, you had to know there was no way I'd let that pass without some kind of comment! (Responding to Chris L.'s Post) Edited September 30, 2004 by cdeveaux Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Per-Arne Almeflo Posted September 30, 2004 Share Posted September 30, 2004 Ok ok, Windows bashing isn't very productive on these forums and takes the thread off topic. 7789[/snapback] Sorry you must have printed your message at the same time as I did. We'll take note and add your name to the list of people that would be willing to purchase new hardware, a new OS, and a new version of IronCAD, to take advantage of the new 64 bit stuff. 7789[/snapback] I would expect an IronCad 64 bit upgrade offer though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Per-Arne Almeflo Posted October 1, 2004 Share Posted October 1, 2004 This is the ptc faq on 64 bits: http://www.ptc.com/products/proe/64bit_faq.htm Some of the info may be applicable generally. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest ebedding Posted October 4, 2004 Share Posted October 4, 2004 Thanks for all the feedback, very helpful. Add my name to the list in favor of porting to 64 bit windows sooner rather than later. If there are significant performance gains with very large assemblies, I would be very interested. We lose a significant amount time each day working with large assemblies. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Per-Arne Almeflo Posted October 4, 2004 Share Posted October 4, 2004 (edited) At least earlier, A-desk Inventor had a size limitation for how many parts it could handle in an assembly. Pro/e states they have no such limitation, only the memory handling capability sets the limit. How about IronCad, are there any limitations here, apart from what limits 32 bits have? I have seen no big performance leaps in the 64 bits in tests conducted by computer magazines yet, which seems very strange. You haven't forgot when you replaced your 16 bit 386 computers with the 32 bit 486 machines now have you? Maybe no one has got the hands on real 64 bit software yet. We'll see. Also, there seems to be a problem to find a motherboard for the AMD 64 at this time, that can take more than 4 Gb memory and has an AGP graphics port. Edited October 4, 2004 by Per-Arne Almeflo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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