PowerCADD Future

[DeeMiller]

Damn! Have just discovered this news. I don't spend much time drafting these days, but when I want to draw something up, PowerCADD is still my first choice. And when I want to model something in Sketchup, PowerCADD is still what I reach for to work things out in plan first.

I've got Graphic and I think it can draw in scale. Maybe I'll have to start using it more. Or maybe I'll cough up the £150 for the emulator...

But if PowerCADD somehow gets upgraded, I will buy the update. It's a program that I would always like to have on hand.

[PeterKona]

I've got Graphic and I think it can draw in scale. Maybe I'll have to start using it more. Or maybe I'll cough up the £150 for the emulator...

I've forgotten about Graphite (Ashlar-Vellum). I kind of liked what I saw years ago. It seems worth checking out. The developers seem active but I haven't seen any online discussion yet. They recently came out with "Lithium 12" but there doesn't seem to be any information on the website on what it offers. There's an overview video and a sales contact, so I'm going to check it out.

[Riccasoli]

Also here, from far (respect to USA) Italy are warried ad appalled for PC destiny! Sorry for my language mistakes. I was a young university geology student in far 1992 when decided to use PowerDraw2 for my sketches, considering that the competitor MiniCAD installed in university Mac LC was not up to the first. So I started my job career with PowerDraw as partner for my drawings. In few years also my colleagues became fond of this pecious tool and we bought a second licence.
I immediately and always more appreciated the simplicity and versatility of PowerCADD and enthusiastically welcomed every improvement trying to suggest new features through our Italian distributor. I also had the opportunity to directly appreciate Alfred's great availability and ability in responding to requests for new tools (such as the SHP import function I requested and tested), as well as Paolo Rossi who contributed to the development of Iparos Tools (Topo and Architect).
For years I have been waiting for the development of a new version that in the end, dramatically, it seems will never arrive !!
In 2008-2009 I had already had an inkling that behind the scenes of ENGSW there were problems in keeping up with the advancement of technology, when we decided in the office to support PowerCADD with a license of the much more complex 3D CADD Vectorworks: after long efforts lasted months to adapt to the new way of drawing which, in addition to being not very user friendly, often Crashed, we went back to using exclusively Powercadd (8) and the following (few) updates and the beloved WildTools!
But now, if PowerCADD wil not be developed what are we left with? Even if we manage to find another CAD that is capable of performing with the same simplicity, but at the same time the multiple and complete functions of PC, how will we be able to use all the heritage of drawings and libraries that we have produced over time?
I believe that one of the strength points of powerCADD was also the ability to communicate with other programs via DXF/DWG and PDFs import/export (and originally also PICT format).
Now I have a subdued but heartfelt request: if you really couldn't make PC survive in any way, thanks to Todd's availability and the numerous suggestions that many users have already expressed, would it be possible at least to make a last effort to develop a file converter from PC9 in SVG format which, as far as I know, allows you to keep many more characteristics of vector elements than DXF! Thank you all. Ric

[Alfred Scott]

Ric,

I do have this on my to-do list at your request.

Another user has made the same request. At this time, he gets the drawing into Adobe Illustrator and then to SVG.

Also, the recent addition of xml to PowerCADD 9 makes it possible to export all details in a PowerCADD drawing to another program.

Alfred

[RTCool]

Alfred,

Actually, Illustrator and or PDF WITH layer support would be extremely useful. I believe there is a feature set for PDF with layers.

It's easy to produce a PDF now, but all layer information is lost in the process.

Rob

[Alfred Scott]

I think PDF creation and export belongs in PowerCADD, not a third-party external.

Alfred

[eugarps]

Todd,

I just got back in the country after doing so site master planning for a mission organization in western Kenya. I was hoping for better news, because I’ve used PC extensively in the past to markup up my interns’ AutoCAD generated PDFs. I found it to be the greatest markup tool I ever used.

That said, I completely understand and will sorely miss PowerCADD. I’ve been a user since the very early years, long before AutoCAD for Mac was even a twinkle in Autodesk’s eye and have loved every minute.

Thanks for all you’ve done for my tiny company.

[[email protected]]

Dear PowerCADD Users,

In June I delivered sad news that development was ending with PowerCADD. Today, I have some exciting news about PowerCADD’s future. Engineered Software and AutoDesSys, Inc, (the maker of the form•Z 3D design modeler) are joining forces to develop the next generation of PowerCADD.

This partnership brings additional development, technical support resources and expertise, and a 3D connection to the PowerCADD product line and will add powerful 2D drawing capabilities to the form•Z product line. We share a vision of a drawing tool with classic PowerCADD capabilities using a modern approach that will take it well into the future.

In this partnership I will be focusing on development, returning to a role I have cherished since the early days of PowerCADD. Work on this exciting new PowerCADD is already underway. Please bear with us through this process. We look forward to sharing details along the way and we hope to launch the new PowerCADD by the end of next summer.

We will be announcing more details on the partnership in the coming weeks and operational details regarding sales and technical support.

Sincerely,

Todd Stanley
Engineered Software

[SteveMouzon]

Fabulous news, Todd!!! So very happy to see this!

[nametabb]

Great news indeed Todd!