Update of PowerCADD for MacOS Catalina

archi56 · Post by **archi56** » Thu Jun 06, 2019 4:29 pm

HI,
For years I use Powercadd, I'm satisfied, unfortunately with the Catalina system the software is erased. It's been months since you knew it would happen, what do you expect to update the program?
thank's

Post by **[email protected]** » Thu Jun 06, 2019 5:19 pm

archi56,

Unfortunately converting PowerCADD to 64-bit isn't that simple of a matter of a few months of effort. Apple first publicly said in Oct 2018 that 10.14 would be the last OS to support 32-bit applications. Apple also promised that Carbon, which PowerCADD relies heavily upon, would be ported to 64-bit and remain a first-class citizen in the OS. That didn't happen, leaving all Carbon developers in a bind. That's Apple from a developer POV - frustrating to say the least.

Though several months sounds like a long time for a user, that is a drop in the bucket compared to the amount of development effort it takes developers to remove an OS-obsoleted API.

We have been working on the 64-bit version of PowerCADD for quite a long time and expect its release mid 2021. Until the release of PowerCADD 11, the 64-bit version, in order to continue to use PowerCADD, you will need to hold off on updating to Catalina or Big Sur and stay with Mojave.

Todd Stanley

EduardoJB · Post by **EduardoJB** » Tue Jun 18, 2019 3:57 pm

I think it might be important to notify PowerCADD users to not allow their computers to install OS updates automatically, which is a feature of the Software Update preferences under the Systems Preferences. If their computers update Catalina automatically, they will unexpectedly find that PowerCADD doesn't work anymore.

DavidScottOrkney · Post by **DavidScottOrkney** » Thu Jun 20, 2019 11:16 am

EduardoJB wrote: ↑
Tue Jun 18, 2019 3:57 pm
I think it might be important to notify PowerCADD users to not allow their computers to install OS updates automatically, which is a feature of the Software Update preferences under the Systems Preferences. If their computers update Catalina automatically, they will unexpectedly find that PowerCADD doesn't work anymore.

I don't think MacOS will automatically update your Mac to a new OS. We have a machine running Yosemite with automatic updates but Mojave doesn't get installed. You have to click on the Mojave page in the App Store.

Apple seems to regard a new OS as an 'Upgrade' rather than an 'Update'.
https://www.apple.com/uk/macos/how-to-upgrade/

David

EduardoJB · Post by **EduardoJB** » Wed Jul 03, 2019 6:47 pm

OK, thank you. Just in case, I will "disconnect" that option anyway. Even updates sometimes can cause problems. BTW, not long ago I installed an utility app with which one could customize the touch bar, "Better Touch Tool". It made PowerCADD work very slowly and erratic. Dragging was, well... a drag.

doncolangelo · Post by **doncolangelo** » Thu Jul 11, 2019 10:51 pm

I posted this back in July of last year... (edited by me for brevity)

"I’d like your opinions on an anticipated dilemma many of us will face. There are numerous desirable/security features of Catalina. ....

Thank you Todd & Alfred. You both deserve our appreciation and financial support. (Don’t know how many other people are working on this software... besides you 2). Would gladly pre-pay to reserve a copy of the 64-bit version (of PC & WT) if capital would be helpful to the cause.

I love using PC, along with SketchUp, it’s my mission critical CAD solution. All the best, Don Colangelo"

I wonder how many other PC users out there are holding off on upgrading hardware & software as we nervously anticipate this update as much as I am. Is there anything we can do to assist?

Alfred Scott · Post by **Alfred Scott** » Wed Jul 17, 2019 1:04 pm

Don,

AFAIK, PowerCADD runs at an acceptable speed on literally any machine of the last decade. I’m on a 2011 iMac27 with a second Thunderbolt 27 monitor. By far the biggest improvement in performance has been going to an OWC SSD. I had one installed by OWC when I first purchased the machine, and I’ve recently gone to a 1 terabyte SSD in an external enclosure.

I would stick with your existing machine. New features of an OS version are not worth the hassle of dealing with two computers.

We are making steady progress on updating PC/WT. Recently Todd replaced the CloneItem routine with a new PDObject::Copy() routine, and I spent an entire week making the changeover of that one routine. That’s how enormous the programming base in WildTools is.

Just yesterday I discovered the source of a problem I’ve had to deal with for the past several years where some of my programming text files would crash if you tried to type in them. So I will spend 4-5 days just changing a carriage return character to a line feed character. It’s really shocking that a difference in a white space character would cause Apple’s Xcode program to crash, but that’s what I’m dealing with now.

Alfred

JeffSnyder · Post by **JeffSnyder** » Thu Jul 18, 2019 6:47 pm

We had to purchase new workstations lately. I have found that the sweet spot for us and PowerCADD is OS 10.12 Sierra. Mojave is a bit problematic, especially with our file server (Windows). We purchased-two late model refurbished iMacs from Apple which could be downgraded to 10.12, and the Apple Store downgraded them for free while we waited at the Genius Bar.

Not an ideal solution but it was time to replace the Macs from 2010! I'm looking forward to a PC update. Good luck Todd and Alfred.

And greetings to Don Colangelo!

Jeff Snyder

Alfred Scott · Post by **Alfred Scott** » Thu Jul 18, 2019 9:29 pm

Jeff,

Just for the benefit of anyone else who might want to do this, can you tell all of us the exact model number iMacs you bought?

I have never had a machine that ran smoother than on Sierra however to keep up with the requirements for the Xcode development system, I had to upgrade to High Sierra. This was something I dreaded and fought bravely against because I had reports from everyone that High Sierra would not run Adobe CS6, and I had no desire to get into the Adobe subscriptions of $50-60 a month for the same programs. However, my friend Jack Amos has the exact same 2011 iMac 27 with Thunderbolt 27-inch second monitor, and he said it ran CS6 on High Sierra and that he had to “download something” but didn’t remember the details.

I was resigned to running a dual boot machine but by mistake I hit Dreamweaver CS6 with a web page, and it said it needed JavaForMacOS from Apple and did I want to download it. I did and then found Dreamweaver CS6, Photoshop CS6 and InDesign CS6 all now run smoothly on High Sierra. I have a number of books assembled in InDesign (including documentation for WildTools and PowerCADD) and there is nothing to equal it for handling table of contents and indexes, plus navigation buttons and links on the bottom of each page for table of contents, previous page, next page and index.

If you want to see this for yourself plus the latest stuff in WildTools, from the Help menu in PowerCADD go to the WildTools web page, then go to the bottom to find the Documentation page where you can download the documentation and see all this stuff.

Alfred

JeffSnyder · Post by **JeffSnyder** » Fri Jul 19, 2019 6:37 pm

Alfred,

The models were Refurbished 2017 27" iMacs
3.4ghz i5 processors.
iTB drives
8 GB RAM
Downgraded to run 10.12 Sierra.

about $1400 from Apple. One year warranty.

We've been up and running for only a couple of days, so I'll report back if there are any glitches.

Jeff

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