SoftSource Issues Upgraded Internet Plug-Ins

October 16, 1996

BELLINGHAM, Washington -- Internet standard AutoCAD in-line viewing plug-ins created by SoftSource have been upgraded to include more advanced cut and paste features, and compatibility with Internet Explorer as well as Netscape. The DWG/DXF and SVF (Simple Vector Format) plug-ins also have a new name: Vdraft Internet Tools.

Vdraft Internet Tools for Non-Profits Is Free

Vdraft Internet Tools comes in two versions. One is an updated version of the plug-ins currently used by thousands of users. It is available free of charge for education, government and non-profit applications, and can be downloaded from the SoftSource Web site: http://www.softsource.com.

More Features In $50 Commercial Version

The second version, a commercial release of Vdraft internet Tools, is available for $50 per workstation, with volume pricing available. This version includes a new cut and paste feature which enables Web users to access entire libraries of CAD drawings and details. Now, a drawing that is part of an in-line document or drawing library may be selected and downloaded.

Compatibility Specs

Previously sold separately, both the DWG/DXF and SVF plug-ins are now available in a single commercial Vdraft Internet Tools bundle. The package runs under Windows 95 and Windows NT, and is compatible with Microsoft's Internet Explorer 3.0 and Netscape's Navigator 2.0 or newer.

To Get the Commercial Package

The commercial version of the software can be downloaded from the Vdraft Web site at www.vdraft.com. Call to receive a download password from SoftSource at softsales@softsource.com; phone 800-877-1875; FAX 360-671-1131 or write to SoftSource at 301 W. Holly St., Bellingham WA 98225.

VIBRANT GRAPHICS AND SOFTSOURCE AGREE TO TECHNOLOGY EXCHANGE

June 17, 1996

BELLINGHAM, Washington -- Vibrant Graphics Ltd. and SoftSource have agreed to exchange CAD technologies for use in future releases of products from both firms. As a result, Vibrant's award winning AutoCAD drawing display list products will gain SoftSource's Internet-wide viewing capabilities for AutoCAD drawings. SoftSource will add Vibrant's fast display drivers to its Internet products as well as its soon-to-ship Vdraft CAD system.

"This is a win-win deal for CAD users, no matter what their field or discipline," stated Gary Rohrabaugh, president of SoftSource. "The agreement will give AutoCAD users Vibrant products with solid Internet support, and our new CAD system, Vdraft, gains a great boost in speed and productivity."

SoftSource can be reached at 301 W. Holly St., Bellingham WA 98225; phone 360-676-0999; FAX 360-671-1131; Email: gary@softsource.com; and Internet: http://www.softsource.com. SoftSource has developed and marketed software tools for CAD users since 1982. Products include the award winning AutoCAD add-ons, DRAWING Librarian and BLOCK Librarian. In 1990 SoftSource built DXE, the industry-standard AutoCAD read-write API, now used by the world s largest CAD companies. DXE is the foundation for Vdraft, a full-featured CAD system just introduced at the A/E/C/ SYSTEMS show.



New CAD System Works With AutoCAD Drawings Without Translation

June 17, 1996

Bellingham, Washington -- Virtual Drafter (Vdraft), a new AutoCAD-drawing- based CAD system, was unveiled today at the A/E/C SYSTEMS Show in Anaheim, Calif., by its developer, SoftSource. Vdraft works with AutoCAD drawings without translation.

Latest Windows Environment Scheduled to ship in the third quarter of 1996, Vdraft will sell for $495 and runs under Windows 95 and Windows NT. With Vdraft, users can view and work with multiple AutoCAD and DXF drawings at one time. In addition, no special language is need to customize or program Vdraft. Users can work with their favorite OLE automation tools, such as Visual BasicTM, C++ or DelphiTM.

Bundled with Vdraft Internet Tools Bundled with Vdraft is a set of Internet tools that offer dynamic viewing of CAD drawings and other complex graphics on-line. The DWG/DXF PlugIn tool supports the AutoCAD drawing (DWG) and DXF formats. The SVF PlugIn works with drawing files in SVF (Simple Vector Format), a graphics file format jointly developed by SoftSource and the NCSA. The DWG/DXF and SVF plug-ins feature scalable vector graphics and single- download navigational capabilities, including zoom, pan, and hide/display layers. The SVF Plug-In supports additional capabilities such as HTML hyperlinks in drawings (including 1D and 2D hyperlinks, text-annotated links, notifications and other URL link tools). Both plug-ins work with popular Web browsers such as Netscape Navigator.

Delivers Wish-List Features Now Many typical AutoCAD functions are streamlined in Vdraft for a leaner, more full- powered package. For instance, a single Vdraft Properties command is the equivalent of at least four cryptic properties commands in AutoCAD. A detailed Properties box is available for every drawing object so that properties can be modified in one straightforward dialog.

Frequently used features (colors, layers, linetypes, blocks, and more) can be accessed in just one step from the program's toolbars. The same toolbars automatically update according to the properties of selected objects. A single right-click will display context-sensitive pop-up menus with options for dynamically drawing and manipulating objects.

Aids for precision drawing include cursor tips for precise, dynamic readouts of measurements as they are drawn, plus a full suite of object snaps. A Coordinate Entry toolbar can be used for drawing by coordinates, angles or measurements, with access through right-click pop-up menus.

Additional Specs The Vdraft on-line help system is extensive, offering context-sensitive guidance in exacting detail. In addition, the new program is fully network- and Internet- compatible. Vdraft reads and writes AutoCAD drawings from Release 2.5 through Release 12.

Third -Party Developers (Vdraft Partners) Software firms interested in developing AutoCAD drawing and DXF based applications are encouraged to participate in the SoftSource Vdraft Partners program. Through the program, SoftSource provides free software development tools and free product listings on the Internet. Developers can market their applications bundled with Vdraft for a single source solution in the CAD marketplace.

Contact Information. For more details or to order Vdraft, contact SoftSource at 301 W. Holly St., Bellingham WA 98225; phone 800-877-1875; FAX 360-671-1131; Email: softsales@softsource.com; and Internet: http://www.softsource.com.

SoftSource Credentials. SoftSource has developed and marketed software tools for CAD users since 1982. Products include the award-winning AutoCAD add-ons, DRAWING LibrarianTM and BLOCK LibrarianTM. In 1990, SoftSource built DXE, the industry- standard AutoCAD read-write API, now used by the world s largest CAD companies and the foundation of Vdraft.



SoftSource Vector MIME Types Adopted By Internet

April 29, 1996

Three new Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions (MIME) types developed by SoftSource of Bellingham, WA, have been accepted by the IANA (Internet Assigned Numbers Authority) as official image types for use on the Internet. These are the first vector formats to be registered as a standard by the Internet. Two of the mime types are based on the AutoCAD DWG and DXF file formats. The third is a universal 2D vector format, SVF or Simple Vector Format, jointly developed by SoftSource and the NCSA.

CAD Drawings on the Internet. The new mime types now make it possible to embed full-fledged CAD drawings in HTML documents over the Internet/World Wide Web. When used with a plug-in utility/viewer hooked to a Web browser such as Netscape Navigator, the mime types allow a typical Web user to access CAD drawings, view, pan, zoom in and out, and display and hide layers, all without the need for a full CAD system for viewing.

SoftSource expects this new development to significantly expand use of the Internet as a distribution vehicle for 3D and 2D CAD drawings by all types of organizations, including engineering and architectural companies, government agencies and universities. Typical documents accessible on-line can include always-current technical drawings, maps, manufacturers' technical specifications, maintenance updates, engineering revisions and facility management documents.

The new mime types are also a component of a new CAD system coming out in June from SoftSource called VdraftTM. In addition SoftSource has just released a set of its own Netscape plug-ins based on the three mime types called the Vdraft Internet CAD Tools. In less than two months such organizations as UCLA, NASA, and the U.S. Corps of Engineers have adopted the plug-ins for distribution of their CAD drawings via the Internet. To date as many as 10,000 companies, universities and individuals have downloaded the Vdraft Internet CAD Tools.

SoftSource and the World Wide Web. SoftSource is one of the first CAD companies to take an active interest in the Internet, debuting its own Home Page in June of 1994. At the second World Wide Web Conference in October of that same year, SoftSource agreed to jointly develop the first vector file format for the Internet, the SVF (Simple Vector Format) mime type, in conjunction with the NCSA. SVF was made available as part of Mosaic in March of 1995. For more information about the Vdraft Internet CAD Tools or other SoftSource products, contact Gary Rohrabaugh, SoftSource, 301 W. Holly St., Bellingham WA 98225; phone 360-676-0999; FAX 360-671-1131; Email gary@softsource.com. To get a set of the Vdraft Tools visit the SoftSource home page at http://www.softsource.com.

SoftSource Credentials. SoftSource has developed and marketed software tools for CAD users since 1982. Products include the award winning AutoCAD add-ons, DRAWING Librarian and BLOCK Librarian. In 1990 SoftSource built DXE, the industry-standard AutoCAD read-write API, now used by the world s largest CAD companies. DXE is the basis for the company's newest product, the Vdraft Internet CAD Tools, as well as for Vdraft, a full-featured CAD system now under development.



SoftSource Plug-ins
Bring New CAD Viewing Power to the Internet

March 4, 1996

BELLINGHAM, WA World-Wide Web users can now access the full power of millions of architectural, engineering, construction and other technical drawings through Netscape with two new utilities from SoftSource. The just-released DWG/DXF plug-in supports dynamic viewing of AutoCAD drawing (DWG) and DXF files. SoftSource's new SVF plug-in supports dynamic viewing of CAD and general purpose graphics, using the Simple Vector Format (SVF) which was developed jointly by SoftSource and NCSA, the original developer of Mosaic. Each plug-in is available for download free of charge for non-commercial use, and at a $50 license fee per station for commercial purposes.

The SVF plug-in also features navigation via HTML hyperlinks, adding a host of elegant, new options for any application or context that requires detailed, structured information and the power of graphics. Both plug-ins allow the user to print drawings along with the online text. The implications of this additional power for the Internet are far-reaching: always-current and accessible-from-anywhere technical drawings, online maps, manufacturers' technical specifications, maintenance updates, engineering revisions, and facility management documents.

System Requirements:To use the SoftSource plug-ins, users need Windows 95 or Windows NT and Netscape Navigator version 2.0. For instructions on downloading the plug-ins through the Internet, visit the SoftSource home page at http://www.softsource.com/softsource For more information on the Netscape plug-ins or other SoftSource products, contact Gary Rohrabaugh, SoftSource, 301 W. Holly St., Bellingham WA 98225; phone 360-676-0999; FAX 360-671-1131; or Email gary@softsource.com

SoftSource Credentials: SoftSource has developed and marketed software tools for CAD users since 1982. Products include the highly rated AutoCAD add-ons, DRAWING Librarian and BLOCK Librarian. In 1990 SoftSource built DXE, the industry-standard AutoCAD read-write application programming interface, now used by the world s largest CAD companies. DXE is the basis for the company's newest product under development, a full-featured CAD system designed to read and write AutoCAD and DXF file formats without translation. It is slated for release in the second quarter of 1996.





Programmer Toolkit Now Available on Dec Alpha NT

November 9, 1995

KENT, WA -- DXE, an application programming interface for reading , writing and displaying AutoCAD DWG and DXF files, is now available on the DEC Alpha NT platform. DXE is developed by SoftSource of Bellingham, WA and marketed by Tailor Made Software of Kent, WA. DXE allows DEC Alpha NT developers to add access to AutoCAD drawings for all types of applications including word processing, desktop publishing and technical illustration systems. It is also ideal for AutoCAD third party developers and makers of CAD systems other than AutoCAD. DXE also runs on DOS, MS-Windows , Windows 95, Windows NT and other UNIX platforms. A standard DXE license gives software developers the tools for building their own input and output translators. Because DXE treats DWG and DXF files the same, a single translator can handle either format.

The DXE API is a modular design, divided into five sections: DWG read, DWG write, DXF read, DXF write and drawing display. By breaking down the structure in this way, developers can easily single out only the functions desired for a particular application. Before its recent marketing agreement with Tailor Made Software, SoftSource was the sole licenser of DXE for the past six years. More than 250,000 people are using a facet of DXE technology in such programs as:

Included in each DXE license are 20 hours of consulting services per year plus all software updates, free of charge. Royalties are determined by individual agreement. The annual developer support fee is $5000. Additional consulting services include training, customization, customer-specified enhancements, program design services and programming support. For more information, contact Tailor Made Software, Ltd., 423 Pinebluff Dr., Loveland OH 45140; 8007322585; FAX 5135760423; Email 75017.1764 @compuserve.com



Hewlett-Packard Licenses SoftSource CAD Toolkit

September 11, 1995

BELLINGHAM WA -- The Mechanical Design Division of Hewlett-Packard has recently licensed SoftSource's DXE, an application programming interface for reading, writing and displaying AutoCAD DWG and DXF files. Hewlett-Packard will use DXE as a bridge between AutoCAD and H-P's commercially marketed CAD system. SoftSource has given Hewlett-Packard rights to use DXE in a long-term, 5 year+ contract. This contract is the latest in a series of DXE licensing agreements which enable CAD system developers to incorporate AutoCAD drawings.

For instance,

Please direct DXE license inquiries to Gary Rohrabaugh, SoftSource, 301 W. Holly, Bellingham, WA 98225; voice 360-676-0999; FAX 360-671-1131, or E- mail gary@softsource.com..



Tailor Made Software
Licenses Programmers' Toolkit to 3D/Eye

September 11, 1995

KENT, WA -- 3D/EYE of Ithaca, NY, has licensed DXE (Drawing eXchange Engine), an AutoCAD application programming interface, from Tailor Made Software, Ltd., of Kent, Wash. 3D/EYE will use DXE to add AutoCAD read and write capability to its latest product, TriSpectives, a 3D modeling, rendering, and animating package. DXE makes it possible to export a TriSpectives file to AutoCAD and vice versa. TriSpectives is one of just a few 3D applications developed specifically for Windows 95 and Windows NT.

DXE works with any DOS, MS- Windows, Windows 95, Windows NT or UNIX applications that can benefit from access to AutoCAD drawings, including word processing, desktop publishing and technical illustration systems. It is also ideal for AutoCAD third party developers and makers of CAD systems other than AutoCAD. A standard DXE license gives software developers the tools for building their own input and output translators. Because DXE treats DWG and DXF files the same, a single translator can handle either format. For companies which want AutoCAD access but lack developer resources, Tailor Made Software will also prepare custom translators for an additional fee.

The DXE API is a modular design, divided into five sections: DWG read, DWG write, DXF read, DXF write and drawing display. By breaking down the structure in this way, developers can easily single out only the functions desired for a particular application. Companies interested in licensing DXE for their own applications should contact the Sales Office of Tailor Made Software at 423 Pinebluff Dr., Loveland OH 45140; 800-732-2585; FAX 513-576-0423; E-mail 75017.1764 @compuserve.com



Related pages. . .

* SoftSource Home Page

softsales@softsource.com