Capable 2D CAD speaks many formats

Computers & Software & Peripherals--User Review, page 24

A better way to draw and swap files between different CAD systems is with a new program called Vdraft. It solves the drawing file compatibility problem and several others by storing drawings in the .DWG format, just as AutoCAD does. And if you know AutoCAD, you already know a lot about Vdraft. For example, the new system reads and writes AutoCAD V2.5 to R12. Compatibility for R13 and 14 will come later. The new system reads and writes .DWG, .DXF, .VBK (Vdraft's backup file), and .BAK (AutoCAD's backup file) without translation and maintains all AutoCAD drawing information in files it receives for the older system. Users can also load backup files without renaming the file extensions to .DWG.

Objects, such as blocks and line types are known by their AutoCAD names. A layer name in the old system is the same in the new. This kind of interchangeability holds true for most features, commands, and modes. ModelSpace and PaperSpace functions, for instance, work the same in both.

Object snap also works as you might expect. Snapping near the center of a circle pulls the cursor to it. Other object snap settings operate similarly and include Endpoint, Midpoint, Nearest, Perpendicular, Intersection, Quadrant, Insertion, and Point. The developer says a Tangent function will be added in a future release. The new system provides a tutorial for AutoCAD users to shorten the learning curve between systems.

While similarities with the older system make it familiar, the differences make it productive. For instance, hit the enter key or the space bar and the last command repeats. [Editor's note: The enter key acts like a left mouse click.]

As users prepare to load a drawing, the "open file" dialog box previews drawings, blocks, and external references. You can drag and drop drawings and external references from Windows Explorer into the new system's editor. Compatibility comes by using a Drawing eXchange Engine (DXE) in the software. Many CAD companies use DXE for compatibility with AutoCAD files.

Users can copy and paste objects from the new system to ActiveX applications (formerly OLE) such as Microsoft Word documents. You can also copy and paste text from OLE-compliant applications into drawings.

Users with extensive AutoCAD block libraries can easily insert and work with them in the new system. Line types come across with perfect accuracy. Even custom line types are drawn perfectly.

Fonts are handled the same as in the older CAD system. And when a drawing references an unfamiliar font file, the software prompts users for a substitute.

In addition to familiar buttons and pulldown menus, the new system user interface includes object-oriented pop-up menus activated by the right mouse button. The feature anticipates which commands users may need next and displays them in the menu.

An undo command features an optional dialogue box that lists commands that users can undo. However, I found it easier to locate the needed command instead of guessing how many steps to undo or redo.

Users who aren't programmers will find scripts the easiest way to write custom routines. Because the system's undo list is easily accessible, users can generate scipts while they work, like this: Execute commands and routines in the sequence you'd like to automate, copy the commands from the undo list that the routine created, paste them into a text editor, name it, and save the script. [Editor's note: Use the 'save.macro' command to save the undo list to a script file.]

Pop-up menus are also programmable with scripts. Users already familiar with Visual Basic, Visual C++, or Delphi will find it easy to utilize the automation interfaces. Printed and electronic documentation includes well-written examples to assist in becoming familiar with the specific programming requirements and interfaces. The Lisp programming language is not available.

It's easy to place drawings on the Web with appropriate browser plug-ins from the developer's Web site. Plug-ins let users view drawings on the Web that are in .DWG, .DXF, or .SVF format. While Web-based graphics are usually displayed in raster format, the system shows them as vectors -- lines and circles rather than the pixels. Users can pan and zoom, selectively display layers, and copy and paste vector graphic images into the system. It's also MAPI compliant which means users can e-mail drawings over the Internet after a simple menu selection.

Web features also let users add hyperlinks and text annotations to objects in drawings. For instance, should a commercial part appear in a design and users want to provide background information on the manufacturer, they can link to the manufacturer's Web site. Or, adding a text annotation to an object lets text appear when the cursor passes over it.

The system easily creates faces and supports wire-frame designs but does not currently include solid modeling. Still, it's easier to work with 3D faces in the new system than in the old because of property dialogue boxes. The software allows controlling individual edge visibility, color, vertex locations, and layer assignment from within a small dialogue bax.

Users can download a trial version from the developer's Web site or request a trial CD from SoftSource. The $495 system runs in Windows 95 and NT and comes from SoftSource, 301 W. Holly St., Bellingham WA, 98225 (800) 877-1875, softsales@softsource.com, www.vdraft.com.

[caption for picture of Vdraft displaying 15 drawing files]

The software uses a so-called Multiple Document Interface that allows loading many drawings into an editor at one time. Documentation says it'll hold up to a hundred drawings concurrently. I loaded 15 on a Pentium 90 with little change in performance. Five more drawings produced no appreciable performance hit. This is a big plus over CAD systems which require launching separate sessions for every drawing to be edited.

[caption for picture of a dialogue box]

A single click brings up all object properties in a dialogue box. When the push-pin in the lower left corner is lying down (as shown) the box disappears when users pick OK. When the pin seems stuck into the box, it will not leave the screen unless it is "unpinned" by supplying proper information.

[caption for picture of pop-up menu]

Menus let users edit without breaking their train of thought.