TurboCAD v17
The new TurboCAD version 17 is now out.
It has not been ‘launched’ yet, so you will not find it on any of the main sites, but upgrades are available to existing customers and I can personally sell to new customers. I have seen a demonstration of the new features and it all looks very promising although I’ve not had time to drive it around the block myself. That should be next week. The review below is my translation of the official release sheet, where I’ve tried to make the language rather more understandable.
There will be a chart showing the new features on this site soon, but you are welcome to call me for a chat about the developments.
01962 835 081 (1)
NEW TURBOCAD PRO 17
With over sixty Performance Gains
TurboCAD Pro 17 and Pro Platinum 17 also contain dozens of new features and productivity improvements. The seven most noticeable developments are:
- View wireframes up to 60 times faster. A new drawing engine takes advantage of GPU-based graphics cards so speed increases dramatically in wireframe and 2D mode. Larger files will pan, orbit, and zoom in and out smoothly.
- Work with the latest AutoCAD® files. Added support for .DWG 2010.
- Better Google™ SketchUp™ workflow. A significantly improved COLLADA (.DAE) export feature includes instances so that blocks and architectural objects will be read by SketchUp as components.
- More powerful Xrefs. We’ve added Xref clipping for dozens of file formats and allow binding of Xrefs, which can then be exploded and edited. Xref layers are easier to manage, even with layer filters.
- New possibilities are available with 3D patterns. Rapidly design mechanical parts with repetitive structures. Apply patterns to spheres and cylinders, radial patterns, 3D arrays, or patterns along a curve for shapes that couldn’t easily be drawn before. Arrayed patterns such as ventilation holes, keypad designs, and more can also be designed and merged with other objects. (Platinum Edition.)
- An improved Wall tool now allows for definition of intelligent relationships between walls to link or not link, clean or remain separate, in any combination.
- Create any style of door or window easily. ACA compatible Door and Window Muntins expand options for parametrically creating the exact object types for your design. (Platinum Edition.)
And for a limited period we are giving away a very useful plug in called Drawing Compare. This tool detects differences in edited or updated drawings. Simply impose your original drawing over the edited version and the changes are immediately highlighted.
Availability and Pricing
TurboCAD Pro 17 is now available for £895.
TurboCAD Pro Platinum 17 is now available for £995. (For a limited time, receive Drawing Compare plug-in with Pro Platinum 17 purchase, a £83 value.
Please see a review here and on the table below.
|
Feature
|
Description
|
New,
|
Pro
|
Pro
|
||
|
Improved
|
Basic
|
Platinum
|
Deluxe
|
Design
|
||
|
Drafting/Detailing:
|
||||||
| Blocks and Groups | In-place editing of blocks and groups. Now can edit and customize individual blocks |
Improved
|
a
|
a
|
a
|
a
|
| CTB Print Style Support | Color Table (CTB) support added to existing support of Style Table (STD) print styles |
New
|
a
|
a
|
a
|
a
|
| Drafting Palette | Ability to lock/unlock all or part of enity being drafted (sectioned); new caching algorithm greatly improves the speed of redrawing the sectioned view. |
Improved
|
a
|
a
|
||
| Index Colour Support | Index Colours added to support of True Colours. Includes proper round-tripping of DWG files and the Colour Dialog’s Index colours match AutoCAD LT colours 1:1. |
New
|
a
|
a
|
a
|
a
|
| Layer Filters | Layer filters help organise layers by a defined set of parameters. All layers which meet the parameters define by the filter will be grouped in the lower panel of the Design Director |
New
|
a
|
a
|
a
|
a
|
| Layer Management | Addition of Line Style, Pen Width and Print Stlye parameters to Design Director and Drawing Setup |
Improved
|
a
|
a
|
a
|
|
| Line Width Scaling | New Value "Device Width" for TC pen property "Line Width Scale System" was added |
New
|
a
|
a
|
a
|
a
|
| Meet 2 Lines tool | Bezier and NURBs curves are now supported |
Improved
|
a
|
a
|
a
|
a
|
| Multilanguage support | It is now possible to input, edit and visualise objections name (Layers, blocks, styles etc) indepedant of the current local OS system settings |
New
|
a
|
a
|
a
|
a
|
| Multi-Leader Dimension | New dimension type that allows for multiple arrows that point to lines of text |
New
|
a
|
a
|
||
| Multi-Text, Text | Much easier to now get into edit mode as editing is turned on when either the MultiText or Text tools are enabled. Able to enter larger text strings without degradation of performance |
Improved
|
a
|
a
|
a
|
a
|
| Paper Space Templates | Ability insert and extract specific Paper Spaces from other TurboCAD templates, TCW and DDWG files. Ability to define different printers and printer settings for each Paper Space in a drawing |
Improved
|
a
|
a
|
a
|
a
|
| Pick-Point Hatching | Redesigned tool that streamlines the pick point hatch process |
Improved
|
a
|
a
|
a
|
a
|
| Section Detail tool | Enables closed sD entitles (circles, polygons, polylines) to act as a cutting contour with other intersecting 2D objects |
New
|
a
|
a
|
a
|
|
| Shrink/Extended tool | Bezier and NURBs cruves are now supported |
Improved
|
a
|
a
|
a
|
a
|
| Templates | Improved Architectural and Metric templates |
Improved
|
a
|
a
|
a
|
a
|
| Viewport Explode | Viewports may be exploded to create flat 2D geometry, including hidden line views. Ability to ad, delete or hatch elements. |
Improved
|
a
|
a
|
a
|
a
|
| XCLIP | Added xClip functionality which is comparable to AutoCAD xClip command |
New
|
a
|
|||
| Xref Binding | External drawing can be bound to the main drawing. Bound Xrefs may be exploded. Xref layer properties can be changed in the main drawing. |
Improved
|
a
|
a
|
a
|
|
|
3D Modeling:
|
||||||
| ACIS v20 | Updated Solid Modeling engine |
Improved
|
a
|
a
|
||
| Rail Sweep | Option to use Compound path has been added. Also, new option of "Vertical Profile Orientation", which controls the profile orientation relative to the path. |
Improved
|
a
|
a
|
||
| Revolve Tool | Option to use Compund Profile that contains holes, has been added |
Improved
|
a
|
a
|
||
| Surface Measurement | New option to perform measurements of XX of 3D surfaces |
New
|
a
|
a
|
||
|
Architectural:
|
||||||
| 1st Pricing Plug-in | Improved, BIM-oriented plug-in for pricing Windows, Doors |
a
|
a
|
|||
| Door and Window Muntins | New tool that allows for definition of type and style of window pane holder/separator in doors and windows |
New
|
a
|
|||
| Railings | Materals added to each elemetn of the Rail object. Separate materials can be defined for each elemetn |
Improved
|
a
|
|||
| Walls | New Link Wall Segments option added; new property, autocleanup added |
Improved
|
a
|
a
|
a
|
|
| Walls | New Bottom wall modifier tool added to Wall menu. Previously TC only had the ability to modify the top of a wall. |
New
|
a
|
|||
|
Interoperability, Programmability:
|
||||||
| Collada (DAE) Filter | Updated and impoved file export capabilities |
Improved
|
a
|
a
|
||
| DWG/DXF Filters | Ability to so define line weight for file import; define how arc elements convert during export. Ability to reader Multi-Leader objects and styles. Now possible to control Xrefs through Xref layers |
Improved
|
a
|
a
|
a
|
a
|
| EPS Filter | Updated and improved file import capabilities |
Improved
|
a
|
a
|
a
|
|
| Macro Recorder |
Improved
|
a
|
a
|
|||
| Parametric Part Scripting Language | Additional mathematical commands now supported. Ability to import Dynamic Components from SketchUp drawings. |
Improved
|
a
|
a
|
||
| Proxy Object Support | Save rpoxy object option allows for faster file opening; TC Deluxe and Designer will be able to display (Pro Specific) proxy objects |
New
|
a
|
a
|
||
| SDK Filter | New exmaple code, additional function and object definitions |
Improved
|
a
|
a
|
||
| SKP (Google SketchUp) Filter | Import filter now brings in circles and arcs as those entity types |
Improved
|
a
|
a
|
a
|
|
|
Mechanical:
|
||||||
| Geometric Tolerance | New tool for mechanical designers that allows them to tell a machine shop/manufacturere how to a machine a part |
New
|
a
|
|||
| Pattern Tools | 5 pattern copy tools which allow the user to very simply apply repeating geometeries on ACIS objects. Patterns are parametric can interact with entities through Boolean operations. |
New
|
a
|
|||
|
UI/Performance:
|
||||||
| Drawing Performance | Huge speed improvement in panning, zooming and rotating large objects with addition of Redway engine. |
New
|
a
|
a
|
For more information or to upgrade contact Paul Tracey, 01962 835 081, ptracey@processflows.co.uk.