Aloha all, yep, I am logging in from paradise.
Quite surprised at the news of Fingerworks shutting down production of the TouchStream and other related products, find it hard to believe nobody would want to keep this technology alive and active. Then again, its not cheap and the marketing effort was minimal, at best. Hopefully someone with the appropriate vision and resources will obtain the rights and begin production again.
But I am very pleased to find there is an active user's group looking to maintain the community. Hopefully we can keep the technology alive until our white knight appears. Wish I had the resources to do it myself.
Anyway, a bit about me, I am an architect working entirely in 3D through the use of solid models in AutoCAD, now 2006. I've worked out protocols using vanilla Acad to allow me to work in 3D through the design and documentation processes, including production of construction documents. The advantages are primarily results of working with a single database throughout. No misaligned columns, no unrealizedninterference between elements. The downside is the process puts the weight of the work upfront, it the creation of the models, that's offset by a significant reduction of work at the back end, ie - once the model is complete, so are the elevations, sections, and all those little details, at least the graphics are done. Still have to notate all the various views, but those generally use similar language so its possible to rely heavily on templates already created. Each one is new, but can be saved and reused, editted and reused again.
I use the modeling procedures in many other fields as well, just about any category benefits from working in 3D.
Good luck to us all. Anybody know if there are any spare parts, boards, casings, etc. available? Will anybody be working on improving the software? I am ready and willing to help, though I am not much of a coder.