IntelliCAD ~ an in-depth look
Compatibility with AutoCAD - File format
Since IntelliCAD uses tools from the 'OpenDWG' foundation, IntelliCAD can write (save) in AutoCAD® format. The native file format in IntelliCAD is the AutoCAD dwg format although you can also save files in DXF format. This makes IntelliCAD an ideal, low-cost tool, for those who have a need to create, edit, (and exchange) AutoCAD® drawings.
As Autodesk release each new version of AutoCAD, they change the format of the drawing file structure. Since IntelliCAD uses the OpenDWG standard, it (IntelliCAD) will sometimes lag slightly behind AutoCAD in its ability to open the very latest version of AutoCAD files. Experience has shown us that the OpenDWG consortium is able to provide IntelliCAD with tools to read/write to the current AutoCAD version files quite soon after the release of the new AutoCAD version.What does IntelliCAD offer?
IntelliCAD supports hundreds of AutoCAD commands. Select AutoCAD commands from the pull-down menus and toolbar icons, or type AutoCAD command syntax at the optional command line prompt - whichever best fits your work style. The mechanism whereby this ocurrs is discussed later in this 'white paper'.
IntelliCAD lets you view and export WMF, EMF (Enhanced Metafile), and SLD (slide) files. It also displays any BMP, GIF, JPG, TIF, PCX, and CALS Type 1 images that are embedded in DWG files. Raster technology licensed from Adeko is used to do this.
Some samples of IntelliCAD in action in different disciplines:
An electrical instrumentation drawing.
A Process and Instrumentation (PID/ELD) drawing.
A small scale mechanical engineering drawing.
Large scale mechanical drawing - a trailer assembly for B-Double trailer.
A layout drawing for a simple building - note that IntelliCAD uses AutoCAD dimension styles.
A more complex building. Here the design is presented in layout [paper] space.
An architectural drawing - floor layout for apartments.
Portion of a landscape architectural drawing
IntelliCAD can dispaly 3-D information - here a wireframe model of an air horn.
IntelliCAD can render 3-D wire frame models - here a model showing wheelchair access to a building.
More on IntelliCAD - Command compatibility with AutoCAD
To make life very easy for AutoCAD users, IntelliCAD contains an 'alias' file which works to ensure that if you type an AutoCAD command, it (the command) gets converted into its IntelliCAD equivalent - there is certainly no need to learn these native IntelliCAD commands; IntelliCAD mimics AutoCAD commands to a very high level indeed. For example, most efficient CAD users type commands at the keyboard with one hand and use the mouse in the other. In IntelliCAD, if you type (say) the OFFSET command (or the O shortcut) in the command area, the instruction is executed in exactly the same way as it would be in the AutoCAD environment, even down to the individual prompts within the command. This happens even though the underling IntelliCAD command equivalent to OFFSET is 'COPY PARALLEL'. The alias file seamlessly performs the conversion from OFFSET to COPY PARALLEL. Thus IntelliCAD obtains its compatibility with AutoCAD by using an alias file which matches the native IntelliCAD command to the corresponding AutoCAD equivalent.
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The IntelliCAD alias system
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The IntelliCAD vs. AutoCAD environment
Anyone coming from an AutoCAD environment will feel right at home, you never need to learn the IntelliCAD commands, just stay with the ones that you know; there is nothing new to learn! This has important implications where companies have to hire CAD drafters and bring them up to speed quickly. If drafters know AutoCAD, they can begin work immediately.
Incidentally, the command area is just like AutoCAD's, Command and a colon (:) is still the prompt.
The figure below shows the IntelliCAD interface with the draw primitives (line, arc etc.) drop down menu showing. Custom menus (mnu and mnx) to create new drop down menu items can be loaded into the IntelliCAD environment, just like AutoCAD
The rendering engine is now incorportated into the IntelliCAD environment. The figure below shows a wireframe 3-D model of a gaming room. Note that perspective view has been tuned on using the DVIEW command prior to rendering.
IntelliCAD runs AutoLISP programs
The really significant thing about IntelliCAD apart from its compatibility with AutoCAD, is that the program includes the AutoLISP and VBA programming languages. Programs written in AutoLISP or VBA can turn IntelliCAD into a very powerful tool indeed.
Many AutoLISP programs written for early versions of AutoCAD will run without any modification in the IntelliCAD environment. Note that the cheaper version of AutoCAD (AutoCAD LT) will not run AutoLISP programs, nor will it enable the creation of 'proper' 3-D wire frame models. You must purchase the full $AUD 6,500 version of AutoCAD if you want to do that.
The figure below shows the 'load LISP' menu option in IntelliCAD being activated. Note also the presentation of this model is in paper space and that perspective mode has been turned on.
The figure below shows part of the IntelliCAD interface. We have downloaded an AutoCAD .DWG file of a universal beam from a site which contains AutoCAD drawings of BHP steel sections - 200X30mm UB. The drawing loaded in IntelliCAD without any conversion whatsoever and we were able to extrude the secetion to create a 3-D wireframe model.
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IntelliCAD has drop down menus just like AutoCAD and a set of toolbars containing commonly used drawing tools. The toolbar icons are of course different to those in AutoCAD.
Operating systems
The operating system here is Microsoft Vista. IntelliCAD runs well in Windows XP, Vista and Windows 7 -32 bit versions. 64 bit operating systems are also supported, but if you are contemplating running in a 64 bit environment, we want you to test our 15 day trial version of IntelliCAD in your own operating system environment before ordering a copy of IntelliCAD Pro.
Attaching raster images to drawings
It is often useful to attach raster (bit mapped) images to CAD drawings. IntelliCAD can manage this process with aplomb, accepting a wide variety of raster file formats. The figure below shows some raster images in a CAD file.
Wire mesh images
A number of diffrent types of 3D images can be produced using IntelliCAD Pro. The figure below shows a plan view of a wire mesh image describing a surface which represents the rate (velocity) of air passing through a perforated plate used in the pharmaceutical industry for coating a slow release formulation of an antibiotic. The coloured lines represent contours of air speed and were generated by writing an AutoLISP program (one of IntelliCAD's programming languages) which interpolated the values from the 3 dimensional mesh describing the values of air speed.
We measured velocity of air on the distal side of a dispersion plate. X, Y values came from the position of the measuring device and the Z value was taken as the velocity reading. An IntelliCAD drawing of a surface mesh was created. Contours of air velocity through many holes in a perforated base plate were automatically drawn after running an AutoLISP program. The chemical engineers in charge of this process had specified that holes be drilled in the plate which were meant to disperse air evenly though the plate. The contours clearly show the uneven nature of the passage of air. This is also shown in the figure below. There should not be any bumps and lumps.
The figure above shows an Isometric view of the wire mesh image describing the air velocity. On the basis of this evidence, we re-designed the plate to achieve a more even distribution of air. All this was completed using IntelliCAD Pro.
The IntelliCAD Consortium (ITC)
The source code (master information) for IntelliCAD is held by a not-for-profit organization called the IntelliCAD consortium (ITC). Many companies across the world license the use of the IntelliCAD source code held by the consortium and add their own special 'bits' to it. This may take the form of additional toolbars or block libraries and explains the many different 'flavours' of IntelliCAD which are available. Examples of different brand names (and flavours) of IntelliCAD are ZWCAD, CMS, BRICSCAD, CADopia, CADian, ProgeCAD, etc. Note that the core IntelliCAD program is the same in each of these.
Comment
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Click here for discussion on a typical AutoLISP program. This ability to run AutoLISP, puts IntelliCAD in the league of the 'full' AutoCAD at 1/15th the price.
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Since AutoCAD creates files with the .DWG suffix and IntelliCAD can create and read these very same files, drawings created with IntelliCAD can be exchanged with AutoCAD users (and vice versa) without the need for conversion.
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Many CAD software competing with AutoCAD uses what are called DXF file translators to move drawings from one CAD software program to another. DXF file translation is notoriously difficult to achieve without error. Since IntelliCAD reads .DWG files, moving data from IntelliCAD to AutoCAD and back again, does not require this type of data conversion.