Still looking for a good drafting companion for Sketchup...

linea

drfabinex

I'd be interested to see an example of one of the files that you have worked with as I have had some pretty big projects in Doublecad and have experienced very few problems. The only annoying thing for me is the jerky realtime pan, a real pain when your dealing with a big file. Since leaving an AutoCAD based job 3 years ago, I think I've experimented with just about every free CAD program out there. ProgeCAD Smart (for non commercial use - I now work for a charity so not a problem for me) and DoubleCAD are the best that I've found. I have to say I'm surprised that people have recommended Solid Edge as although I liked the interface, I found it to be quite unstable.

I think Doublecad is the only free cad app out there that can open skp.

tfdesign

@xrok1 said:

for solidworks? did you check my link?

Yes, I did check your link.

edit, and I wholeheartedly agree with Gaieus too. eDrawings really isn't a draughting application- unfortunately.

sketch3d.de

@tfdesign said:

I've picked MacDraft up once more (after also scouting around for a decent 2D draughting application) and it's working really well with SketchUp too.

• SU import?
• 3D/OpenGL?
• section cuts for creating shop drawings?
• common 3D CAD data exchange formats?
• speed of high poly DXF/DWG files?
• U$ ~300.-

huh
Norb.

tfdesign

@sketch3d.de said:

• SU import?
• 3D/OpenGL?
• section cuts for creating shop drawings?
• common 3D CAD data exchange formats?
• speed of high poly DXF/DWG files?
• U$ ~300.-

huh
Norb.

Look Norbski, you know, if you want a decent package, you pays your money, and you buy Revit, Vectorworks, Solidworks or whatever. If you are on a serious budget, there is very little out there that will do all these things, and cost you nothing. The problem you have dude, is that you've obviously been bitten too hard by that damn Shark

MacDraft will do me fine, until I can afford PowerCADD 8 that is. And, if you want to release any more passive aggression, moan at Tim for once- after all, you do sell his big stinking fish collection.

sketch3d.de

@tfdesign said:

And, if you want to release any more passive aggression, moan at Tim for once- after all, you do sell his big stinking fish collection.

your inappropriate speech speeks for yourself... additionally

Norb.

tfdesign

First of all, sorry SCF for the OT.

What do you mean by "inappropriate"? If I buy something that promises to do something on the box, then, I expect it to work, or at least live up to what it promises, otherwise, it is fraud! Correct?

So, if you bought a stereo from a hi-fi dealer, and only one channel was working, you would return it to the dealer, wouldn't you? If the dealer refused to reimburse you, but promised that the part that was on order was going to fix it, you would wait a couple of months before you blew the whistle, after you had received (or not received as in the case with Tim) and reported the company to trading standards (and the police- probably).

So why is software any different? Especially when it costs way over £1000?? At the moment it seems that there is no way that if a product says its going to do something, and it doesn't, then that is dishonest behaviour. Shark is still riddled with silly little 'barnacles' (if you like?), and although these are (or so I am told) being slowly eradicated, but no one tells you that until you've bought the product. But despite this, new functions, which are bringing newer bugs are being added- which, in my mind, is a crazy (and dare I say it, dishonest) business model. Fine (perhaps?), if you are a big corporate company with lots of money to burn, but as a sole trader with a very limited and tight budget, I cannot even consider buying this package. This is a great shame, because the box says this....and that.....and this.....

Norbert, you can continue to bury your head in the sand, but that won't stop the problem from coming back, and back even still, to haunt you.

ken

I use TurboCAD 16. I now see that the upgrade to TurboCAD 17 has some new features. One of which is the following:

"IMPROVED .SKP (Google SketchUp) Filter – Import filter now brings in circles and arcs as those entity types."

Which in my case will be of great help. The new version is to be out by March 31.

Ken

wmanning

Ken, the new TurboCAD 17 (out today) does have .skp file improvements and much better COLLADA export (including instances), but the circles and arcs still aren't where they should be and that language shouldn't have been in the released marketing info. Sorry about that. (Could you send me a PM to let me know where you saw that info and I'll see if I can get rid of it!)

But TurboCAD Pro 17 does include a new drawing engine that we've seen provides up to 60x faster wireframe and 2D screen draws (and beyond in some cases).

Another thing that slipped into the release is a bit of beta functionality for reading and converting .skp Dynamic Components. Not all DCs are supported, only certain types and functions, but those that do remain parametric in TurboCAD.

This shouls also make it into a future version of DoubleCAD, but Linea, you mentioned jerky redraws, and if you go into the DoubleCAD's options and select Flicker Free redraw you'll find it smoother and in most cases faster (I don't know why it isn't the default).

-- William

watkins

Came across this

Attention Required! | Cloudflare

(www.stefisko.com)

Regards,
Bob

Edson

I have seen TurboCad has a mac version. it is a pity there are no videos to inform potential users of what it can do.

tfdesign

I've heard TC for Mac is rubbish.

Shark FX, despite a few hiccups is quite a bargain at the moment.

Edson

@tfdesign said:

I've heard TC for Mac is rubbish.

Shark FX, despite a few hiccups is quite a bargain at the moment.

tom,

I wouldn't say $1700+ is a bargain. it does seem to be quite full of features but many of them would be redundant for someone who models with Sketchup and renders with a plugin.

what I am looking for – and I am sure many others are too – is a CAD program that would be able to extract 2D drawings from a Sketchup model on top of a reasonable set of 2D drafting features. LayOut seems to be on the way to being that but its drafting capabilities are still lame.

dtrarch

dr

Take a look at Turbocad 17 deluxe.
($129.00 US)
Imports SU and in/out dxf-dwg to V 2011
You can get a demo at:
http://www.turbocad.com/TurboCAD/TurboCADWindows/TurboCADDeluxe17/tabid/1599/Default.aspx

Very complete and easy to use.
This version has the "Design Director" which includes a very good layer manager too.

dtr

tfdesign

@edson said:

I wouldn't say $1700+ is a bargain.

Edson, you probably got another link, but Shark FX has been on offer for the last 3 months at $395 for the complete package.

Tom

Edson

@wmanning said:

Ken, the new TurboCAD 17 (out today) does have .skp file improvements and much better COLLADA export (including instances), but the circles and arcs still aren't where they should be and that language shouldn't have been in the released marketing info. Sorry about that. (Could you send me a PM to let me know where you saw that info and I'll see if I can get rid of it!)

But TurboCAD Pro 17 does include a new drawing engine that we've seen provides up to 60x faster wireframe and 2D screen draws (and beyond in some cases).

Another thing that slipped into the release is a bit of beta functionality for reading and converting .skp Dynamic Components. Not all DCs are supported, only certain types and functions, but those that do remain parametric in TurboCAD.

This shouls also make it into a future version of DoubleCAD, but Linea, you mentioned jerky redraws, and if you go into the DoubleCAD's options and select Flicker Free redraw you'll find it smoother and in most cases faster (I don't know why it isn't the default).

-- William

hi william,

I have just watched the video on the integration between DoubleCad XT and Sketchup and was very much impressed, not to say amazed at how far you guys have gone in that respect. I have never seen such integration with Sketchup; not even LayOut goes so far. as far as I could discern, DoubleCad not only imports the SU model geometry but also its layers, scenes and components. and more, the pro version allows one to set the SU model as an external reference. very impressive indeed!

VectorWorks (the cad app I still use - not for long, I am sure) boasts integration with Sketchup but they advise you to keep the model very simple; in fact, they urge you to model no more than a shell with no thickness. this is a joke for people like myself who use Sketchup as a design tool and model all the elements the actual construction will have. their so-called integration is close to useless.

I tried to send an email to your company but the address provided in your website did not work so I am going to ask you a few questions, ok?

will there be a mac version of DoubleCad XT? it was funny to hear the guy presenting the webinar confess it was using DoubleCad on a mac through virtualization. even your guy wants a mac version.
do you have special prices for educational licenses?
what are the correct email addresses for your sales and support departments?
could you explain the difference between TurboCad and DoubleCad? why would a company produce two completely different cad programs?

best regards.

dedmin

@edson said:

@wmanning said:

Ken, the new TurboCAD 17 (out today) does have .skp file improvements and much better COLLADA export (including instances), but the circles and arcs still aren't where they should be and that language shouldn't have been in the released marketing info. Sorry about that. (Could you send me a PM to let me know where you saw that info and I'll see if I can get rid of it!)

But TurboCAD Pro 17 does include a new drawing engine that we've seen provides up to 60x faster wireframe and 2D screen draws (and beyond in some cases).

Another thing that slipped into the release is a bit of beta functionality for reading and converting .skp Dynamic Components. Not all DCs are supported, only certain types and functions, but those that do remain parametric in TurboCAD.

This shouls also make it into a future version of DoubleCAD, but Linea, you mentioned jerky redraws, and if you go into the DoubleCAD's options and select Flicker Free redraw you'll find it smoother and in most cases faster (I don't know why it isn't the default).

-- William

hi william,

I have just watched the video on the integration between DoubleCad XT and Sketchup and was very much impressed, not to say amazed at how far you guys have gone in that respect. I have never seen such integrationão with Sketchup; not even LayOut goes so far. as far as I could discern, DoubleCad not only imports the SU model geometry but also its layers, scenes and components. and more, the pro version allows one to set the SU model as an external reference. very impressive indeed!

VectorWorks (the cad app I still use - not for long, I am sure) boasts integration with Sketchup but they advise you to keep the model very simple; in fact, they urge you to model no more than a shell with no thickness. this is a joke for people like myself who use Sketchup as a design tool and model all the elements the actual construction will have. their so-called integration is close to useless.

I tried to send an email to your company but the address provided in your website did not work so I am going to ask you a few questions, ok?

will there be a mac version of DoubleCad XT? it was funny to hear the guy presenting the webinar confess it was using DoubleCad on a mac through virtualization. even your guy wants a mac version.

do you have special prices for educational licenses?

what are the correct email addresses for your sales and support departments?

best regards.

And they just released a new version:
http://www.doublecad.com/Products/DoubleCADXTPRO/NewinVersion3/tabid/1532/Default.aspx

honoluludesktop

Edson, William is no longer with IMSI. He has moved on to a "greener pasture". I don't know if he reads this forum much.

Edson

@honoluludesktop said:

Edson, William is no longer with IMSI. He has moved on to a "greener pasture". I don't know if he reads this forum much.

I am sorry to hear that and hope it does not mean the company is in trouble as DoubleCad seems promising. my emails to them keep returning...

Bep

Now Doublecad V3pro wit ruby progamming is out
see http://www.doublecad.com/Products/DoubleCADXTPro/tabid/1099/Default.aspx?CID=6063965309
Bep

wmanning

Even though I've had an offline conversation with Edson I thought I should respond here too.

I actually do still read things here because even though I may not work in CAD s/w any more I do enjoy using it... SU in particular.

I left IMSI because of a great new offer, not because of anything at IMSI -- they are still making progress as was seen with their DoubleCAD v3 launch.

Their forums, http://forums.doublecad.com, are a great spot to get quick responses -- they monitor them carefully, and take customer feedback very seriously so speak up over there if you have requests and opinions.

Mac has been an ongoing internal debate, I don't know their plans now.
IMSI/design does have very good educational pricing for the Pro (and XT is already free).
I believe the general email is CustomerSupport@ imsidesign.com (or CustomerService@ -- I don't remember which).
TurboCAD and DoubleCAD are both built from the same code base, but diverge in UI and feature sets with different intended audiences. But for the best answer to that question I would refer you to IMSI at their forums.

Give v3 a try and provide them with a lot of feedback (good, bad, etc) on their forums!

William