Introducing IntelliCAD 98 A Viable Alternative to Autodesk AutoCAD Introduction hen one product dominates a into the world of Windows-based software, it W software category for too long, the continues to lag in key areas, such as support- consumer inevitably pays the price. Competi- ing multiple open documents (MDI). tion inspires feature innovations, improved The introduction of IntelliCAD® 98 by Visio service, and better pricing. A choice of in March 1998 promises to transform the CAD software solutions is often as big a benefit as landscape, giving you exciting new options for any other feature. No category better illus- equipping your CAD workstations. IntelliCAD trates this point than the PC-based com- 98 offers unprecedented compatibility with puter-aided drafting (CAD) category. Autodesk AutoCAD, preserving your investment For the past 15 years, CAD has been in this de facto CAD standard while allowing synonymous with one solution: Autodesk your experienced CAD users to move from one AutoCAD. Industry experts have proposed program to the other without a hitch. many theories for the preeminence of this In addition, IntelliCAD 98 offers numerous software, but they’ve all eventually focused productivity features, such as its innovative on one basic factor—the huge investment Drawing Explorer™ and its easy support for CAD users have made in learning AutoCAD, multiple open documents, which can help new customizing its work environment, and and longtime CAD users alike work more creating drawings in its DWG format. The efficiently. IntelliCAD 98 also delivers seamless numerous software companies who’ve integration with the Windows 95 and Windows emerged to challenge Autodesk have all failed NT 4.0 desktops. to confront this core investment in DWG, seeking instead to establish rival standards Another compelling aspect of IntelliCAD 98 with little success. is its price. At an estimated street price of only $349, IntelliCAD 98 is ushering the DWG In the past decade, retail software prices standard into an era of modern Windows have plummeted, giving people access to pricing. Now you can afford to put a fully more powerful programs for a fraction of the featured, DWG-based CAD program on the prices once required—except in the CAD desktop of anyone who needs it—whether that arena, where AutoCAD customers continue user works full-time to create architectural, to pay as much as $3,000 a seat. As a result, engineering, GIS, and other CAD-related many companies make do with multiple documents or part-time to review, annotate, employees sharing access to CAD worksta- and occasionally edit CAD drawings. With its tions. In addition, while AutoCAD has moved 1 strong compatibility with AutoCAD, IntelliCAD you open an AutoCAD file in another CAD 98 also fits smoothly into AutoCAD-based program, that program may discard or workgroups. misinterpret data. If you round-trip that file— in other words, move it from AutoCAD to The final benefit IntelliCAD 98 offers you is another CAD program and back again—the Visio Corporation itself, which has consider- data loss can cause significant problems. able expertise in designing and marketing successful, affordable Windows-based graphics IntelliCAD 98 solves this problem by using software. More than 2 million people world- DWG as its native file format. It opens, edits, wide use Visio® products, including 250,000 and saves DWG files (version 2.5-Release 14) who use Visio Technical to create technical without conversion. In fact, you can save your schematics. files in DWG or DXF format (ASCII or binary) in any version of AutoCAD from version 2.5 to This document offers an in-depth tour of Release 14—a capability that makes IntelliCAD IntelliCAD 98 and demonstrates how this cost- 98 compatible with more versions of AutoCAD effective, powerful program can transform than AutoCAD Release 14 is. IntelliCAD 98 can your CAD work. even display previews of older DWG files, while AutoCAD can display previews only of Release Unprecedented Compatibility with 13 and Release 14 files. Autodesk AutoCAD In addition, if IntelliCAD 98 encounters In 1997, Autodesk claimed the existence of information it cannot work with, it preserves more than 2 billion DWG-format files that data unharmed. For details, see “Data worldwide—an enormous industry invest- preserved in round trips with AutoCAD” later ment that underscores why Visio has designed in this document. IntelliCAD 98 to deliver unprecedented compatibility with the DWG standard. AutoCAD commands IntelliCAD 98 lets you read, write, and display If you’re typical of many AutoCAD users, DWG files without conversion. It also provides you’ve spent years mastering the commands extensive support for AutoCAD commands, that help you accomplish the bulk of your AutoCAD syntax, Autodesk AutoLISP and CAD work. Furthermore, you’re comfortable ADS progams, and other legacy AutoCAD and efficient working with the AutoCAD tools. If you’re an experienced AutoCAD user, command line. That’s why IntelliCAD 98 gives you can get to work immediately using the you the option of still working with the AutoCAD commands, tools, and files you use command line. every day. You simply right-click the toolbar to open Native DWG files the optional command line and enter your If you’ve ever used any AutoCAD competitor, AutoCAD commands to get right to work. you know the problem—being somewhat IntelliCAD 98 transparently maps these compatible with DWG files just isn’t good commands to the IntelliCAD 98 equivalents enough. In fact, it typically means data loss. If using aliases. For example, if you enter the AutoCAD Offset command, it calls the 2 IntelliCAD 98 Parallel command instantly. ADS programs Promoting an open DWG standard In February 1998, a group of CAD Furthermore, the program lets you create AutoCAD has adapted to the needs of different industry leaders—including Visio additional aliases with graphical ease (see market niches by providing the Autodesk and 13 other charter members— ™ “Visual customization of the work environ- founded the OpenDWG Alliance , a Development System (ADS), a C-language API nonprofit organization with the sole ment” later in this document for details). that lets in-house and third-party developers mission of promoting an open DWG standard. DWG is clearly the most IntelliCAD 98 offers other command create custom applications for vertical markets. popular format in the world today support that benefits new and longtime CAD You can also use those ADS-based applications for storing and exchanging 2-D and 3-D CAD drawings. However, it is with IntelliCAD 98. If you have an in-house users alike. The program provides menu and also an undocumented, proprietary toolbar access to hundreds of AutoCAD- development team that creates these programs, format that eludes easy read and write access to the data stored compatible commands, and the program you can have it recompile its programs using within it. The alliance is committed intelligently extends certain commands to the libraries provided on the IntelliCAD 98 to documenting this standard and to provide greater functionality. For example, the product CD-ROM. providing the OpenDWG Toolkit— C programming language libraries Circle command in IntelliCAD 98 offers an arc In addition, prominent third-party that provide read and write access option for converting arcs to circles; the to DWG files—free of charge for developers of ADS and C++-based pro- noncommercial use. (Commercial Rectangle command can produce squares or grams—including CadPLUS, Cimlogic, Cyco vendors can obtain a nonexclusive, rotated rectangles; and the Parallel command International, drcauto, Eagle Point Software, perpetual, royalty-free license for this toolkit by joining the alliance as can offset in both directions at once. Framework Technology, Intergraph, Ketiv a dues-paying member.) For more details about the importance of While its AutoCAD command support is Technologies, and Hitachi—have already opening the DWG standard or to extensive, it has certain limits. IntelliCAD 98 recompiled their popular programs to work obtain the OpenDWG toolkit, visit does not yet support certain groups of with IntelliCAD 98. For a full list, download a the alliance Web site (www.opendwg.org). commands, such as ACIS solid modeling .pdf of the catalog of solutions and services at commands, ASE commands (AutoCAD SQL www.visio.com/products/intellicad/partnering. extension), Internet commands, and others. Two working spaces, plus external references For a complete list of these unsupported commands, visit the IntelliCAD 98 section of IntelliCAD 98 offers two working areas (just as the Visio Web site (www.visio.com/intellicad). AutoCAD does): the model space and the paper space. The model space is the area in AutoLISP routines which you create 2-D and 3-D entities using For years now, experienced CAD users have either a World Coordinate System (WCS) or a been developing AutoLISP routines to User Coordinate System (UCS). You can view automate and enhance functionality in different aspects of this model space at the AutoCAD. It’s not surprising, then, that same time in a tiled view, but you work on and literally thousands of these routines exist in print only one view at a time. corporate AutoLISP libraries or in the public The paper space mode represents a paper domain for you to use. IntelliCAD 98 main- version of your drawing. It allows you to tains this long-term investment by running arrange different views of your drawing the most AutoLISP routines directly (occasionally, way you would want them to appear in a you may run into an AutoLISP routine that printed version. It also lets you add annota- requires revision only because it calls a com- tions, borders, and title blocks. mand that the product doesn’t yet support). 3 In addition, IntelliCAD 98 lets you attach support everything. For example, you cannot entire separate drawings to your current work with ACIS solid models or with TrueType drawing using external references.