AutoCAD Compatibility Improves with progeCAD 9.0.28.10 Product Release from CADDIT.net

Sydney, Australia - CADDIT announced today the Australia / New Zealand international release of progeCAD Professional 2009 9.0.28. This important upgrade offers several requested performance, reliability and DWG-compatibility enhancements. Over two months in development and testing has been invested in the release of 9.0.28. This upgrade is free to all progeCAD Professional 2009 stand-alone, network, USB and office license customers.

progeCAD is CAD design software offering many features found in Autodesk AutoCAD and AutoCAD LT, at much lower cost. This includes AutoCAD DWG™ / DXF™ / DWF™ 2009 editing, 3D Google Earth Export, Spell Checker, Quick Dimension, Polar Tracking, eSnap (like oSnap™), PDF import / export, ACIS 3D solid modeling, raster to vector conversion and advanced hatching using a similar interface to AutoCAD. progeCAD has become very popular in Australia as one of the most reliable alternatives to AutoCAD for small to medium business - especially in the Australian architectural design and large mining industries.

CADDIT offers IT professionals optional direct access to local installation and technical support for their design CAD software from their Liverpool-Sydney offices in New South Wales. The latest free update for current progeCAD users was over two months in development, and includes many enhancements requested locally in Australia, including:

• Improved SAVE performances
• Fixed Text Style combo
• Fixed Layout print settings recording
• TRIM options selection fixed
• Fixed CopyClip and PasteClip between progeCAD<->AutoCAD
• Fixed block insertion point set in the BLOCK dialog
• Disabled BLOCK command during REFEDIT mode
• Fixed UNDO option in TRIM and EXTEND command, used after FENCE and CROSSING option

progeCAD 2009 users who have direct internet access and the progeSOFT autoupdate feature enabled should be notified of the upgrade automatically. progeCAD users with limited or no direct internet access to their progeCAD workstation can download the new version and install it directly over their existing 2009 installation.

Previous version IntelliCAD and AutoCAD LT users are also encouraged to try the latest progeCAD 9.0.28 release free for 30 days in full-function trial mode. German progeCAD users can visit progeCAD Deutschland for information about the latest version.

International users may download progeCAD directly from CADDIT.net and many other sites.

AutoCAD LT versus progeCAD 2009 CAD Software

AutoCAD LT (AutoCAD "lite" version) is still used by many companies who require compatible AutoCAD DWG design software, but have no desire to pay several thousand dollars for a single license of the worlds most expensive mainly-2D design platform. progeCAD is design software not sold by Autodesk but distributed through other companies like CADDIT. progeCAD offers native DWG editing and most commands found in the full version of AutoCAD, including their own AutoLISP interpreter, VBA and C++ (SDS/ADS) frameworks. How do these two products compare regarding features and cost?

Feature comparison: progeCAD actually offers many features missing in AutoCAD LT. Most of these are features which Autodesk deliberately removed from AutoCAD LT to redirect users back to buying AutoCAD. These features include full ACIS 3D modelling and rendering, user profile support and the aforementioned LISP, VBA and C++ interfaces. However, AutoCAD C++ add-ons will need to be edited and re-compiled by the supplier before they will run in progeCAD. progeCAD also supports AutoLISP protected by AutoLISP encryption security. progeCAD also offers extra features like Google Earth KML, SVG and PDF file export.

Performance comparison: AutoCAD LT can run a bit faster than progeCAD, although that differs form drawing to drawing, depending on elements, layout, size and complexity. progeCAD, however, can have a somewhat smaller resource footprint on RAM and disk space requirements. As of progeCAD 2009, both programs offer paper size visualization in layout mode, right-mouse button context menus, a spelling checker and quick dimensioning.

Cost comparison: This depends on local markets, exchange rates and promotions, but generally speaking AutoCAD LT costs three to four times more than does the Professional edition of progeCAD.

Both systems offer a download version for users to try for themselves. progeCAD can be downloaded HERE, from CADDIT directly, or from many other sites. AutoCAD LT is available from the Autodesk website.

Why Buy AutoCAD LT?

Economic slowdown, credit crunch, sustainability - these once academic buzz words have become household language in the last several months. But the falling prices of oil and stocks hasn't affected the high price of AutoCAD and its limited feature version, AutoCAD LT. Professional engineering staff, including architects, civil, structural and industrial designers in various disciplines are affected. The American Institute of Architects reports, "The AIA’s Architecture Billings Index (ABI) recorded its ninth straight monthly decline in October. However, the October drop to 36.2 was the steepest decline in its history, surpassing the weakness reported last February and March as the broader economy was just beginning to decelerate".

Autodesk CEO Carl Bass admits, "We realize that there is no quick or easy response to the current economic environment." For years Autodesk enjoyed good profits from its popular brands in a lucrative industry. However, Autodesk has offered no significant initiatives at this point to ease the financial burden felt by many of their customers. Retail price for Autodesk's latest AutoCAD LT 2009 ("lite" version) CAD software still averages well above $1000.00 USD.

Seeking an affordable alternative that they can trust, CAD engineers are choosing to use progeCAD instead. progeCAD sales have increased a dramatic 400% over the past year in some areas. This may be partially due to the increasing reliability of the overall progeCAD program to read and write AutoCAD files, as well as to offer a user interface and commands very similar to those used in AutoCAD. But it may also have to do with the fact that a company can buy almost three licenses of progeCAD for the same price they would pay for one of AutoCAD LT.

The full version 30-day demo of progeCAD (save and printing are not disabled) can be downloaded from CADDIT. Try it yourself!

IntelliCAD 7 Release Announced by ITC at Athens Conference

October 29, 2008 Athens, Greece - Today the IntelliCAD Technology Consortium (ITC) announced the release of IntelliCAD 7 to its members in Athens, Greece. The IntelliCAD 7 code base has been rewritten from the ground up to include objectARX-DRX compatibility, faster graphics and better maintenance. Apparently the goal is to start having end-user releases shipped to the public by June or July 2009.

The rewrite of the original IntelliCAD code base has been long in coming. Stability and speed issues have plagued some of the vendor releases. Additional support for ODA DRX will also mean more vertical applications for architecture, electrical, HVAC, land survey and engineering. An additional tool for porting legacy SDS applications to DRX was announced by the ODA just prior to the ITC conference.

For a while now the new IntelliCAD 7 code base will still need to run through an end-user testing cycle before it can be considered by many to be robust for commercial use.

Users can download and trial a current tested end-user release of IntelliCAD here.

CADDIT is a professional CAD and CAM software consulting company based in Sydney Australia. The full version of this article can be found here.

progeCAD CAD Free CD Give Away Offer

CADDIT Software is offering a free CD to those requesting one within Australia and New Zealand. The complimentary CD provides the same trial version of our most popular CAD products. The CDs are for those who have problems to download the applications for one reason or another. There are free trail CDs available for:

progeCAD Professional 2008
T-FLEX CAD CAM Software

Users can request the free CAD Software CD trials on the CADDIT website HERE.

You should specify:
Name
Shipping Address
Which CD
Why download is not working for you

This is a limited offer to Australia and New Zealand customers only.

Autodesk denied Summary Judgement in USA Court Ruling

Autodesk was defeated in the first round of this battle in Seattle US District Court, May 21 2008:

Read Vernor versus Autodesk Judgement Announcement

Interestingly, Autodesk is also resorting to more and more desperate measures to attack the Open Design Alliance:

http://www.adskvoda.com/Docket/tabid/55/Default.aspx

The issues around this ruling are complex and a final district ruling is not due until June. But it could serve as an important benchmark for similarly licensed software sold by other companies. Such decisions can ultimately challenge the legal position that software EULA take, restricting the customer's use of software they have paid for. That being said, many modern software programs like AutoCAD still require an activation from the vendor for each new installation. I offer one guess as to whether Autodesk would nicely re-activate a used serial of AutoCAD 2006 that someone buys "arguably legally", but second-hand.

Update March 23 2009:
A federal district judge in Washington State handed down an important decision this week on shrink-wrap license agreements and the First Sale Doctrine. Read more HERE.

Update April 2009:
As reported on CADnauseam, new facts in this case are emerging. Apparently "Vernor was selling software that effectively didn’t exist. He was selling used copies of Release 14, when those copies had already been upgraded to AutoCAD 2000". If true, then certainly we will definitely have to look for better examples to rally around. CADDIT in NO WAY condones the sale by another of software already upgraded by the original buyer for that first party's own ongoing use unless expressly permitted by the copyright holder.

progeCAD 8.0.18 Free IntelliCAD Upgrade for Current progeCAD 2008 Customers

progeCAD 2008 8.0.18 IntelliCAD has been released. This is a free upgrade for all current progeCAD 2008 customers. progeCAD Professional users can upgrade online simply by clicking "Help -> Check Update" from the progeCAD menu bar. progeCAD Standard and progeCAD Smart! will also be upgraded soon.

New features and fixes in 8.0.18
General features and fixes
TEXT: Dwgcodepage will be automatically set to syscodepage in new drawings in order to handle different charsets (cyrillic, greek, chinese, etc)
TEXT: "Open this dialog when the drawing and system code differs" option has been fixed in the CODEPAGE dialog
TEXT: Fixed text alignement in right to left languages
TEXT: Fixed MTEXT dialog issue with very small text size
DIMENSION: Fixed prefix/suffix direct change in dimensions
DIMENSION: Fixed text direction after a dimension mirroring
DIMENSION: Fixed crash on angular dimension mirroring command
DRAW: Fixed Proxy AEC support in drawings
DRAW: Fixed opening problem with some files having anonymous blocks in them
DRAW: No more progeCAD crashes with close zoom in viewports inside the paper space with hidden lines
DRAW: Fixed opening by double clicking dwg files (problem related to just a few systems)
DRAW: Fixed NONE temporary snap issue
DRAW: Rotate now works even with ANGBASE and ANGDIR different from default
COMMANDS: Added -block command from command line
COMMANDS: Fixed crash with some "Multiple copy" command options
COMMANDS: Fixed ATTDEF command options
IMAGES: Incremented the available memory for images insertion, avoiding so some progeCAD 2008 crash
IMAGES: Added the georeference automatic management for ECW images
DISPLAY: Fixed real time Zoom and Pan commands in paper space
DISPLAY: Fixed viewport diplay problem with hidden lines and ucs that differs from the global one
DISPLAY: Fixed a display problem with some drawings having viewports in paper space
PERFORMANCES: Improved saving performances of dwg files
PERFORMANCES: Improvement in selection/deselection in blocks with attributes
PERFORMANCES: Fixed the Esnap selection problem in drawings having Xref or Blocks with a lot of entities (the mouse slowed down)
PERFORMANCES: Memory improvement in saving operations
PERFORMANCES: Little SNAP steps cause no more problems
PERFORMANCES: Fixed opening issue in a few situations with files having Proxy entities
PERFORMANCES: Speeded up work on drawings with not available inserted images. No more persisent error messages at command line.
MENU: Fixed Draw->Surfaces->3D Face menu item
MENU: The maximum number of menu items now is 8000 (before it was 3000)
ALE : "Back to ALE after insert" option now works correctly
INSTALLATION: No more error message while installing with the NOPDF option if the user privileges are low
REGISTRATION: Fixed USB key registration

A complete trial verion for progeCAD can be downloaded from CADDIT or purchased online.