How GPC-Based Accelerator Technology and Multi-Threading Support Can Improve TurboCAD and DoubleCAD Performance

7 04 2011

GPU-Based Accelerator Technology
We started by taking advantage of new, GPU-based accelerator technology that is found on newer graphics boards from manufacturers such as AMD/ATI and Nvidia. In order to do this, we integrated a relatively new graphics middleware, Redsdk, dedicated to display visualization and rendering available from the company, Redway3D.

With Redsdk now integrated into TurboCAD and DoubleCAD, we have seen overall speed enhancement over previous versions of these products of up to 60X in both 2D and 3D models. These speed gains in wireframe, hidden line, and shaded, draft rendering modes, let the user concentrate on their design without the disruption caused by slow zooms, refreshes and regenerations. The performance enhancement is particularly evident when working with larger sized models.

Multi-Threading Support
More recently, we’ve added multi-threading support to both editing of solid models and to draft and photorealistic rendering to our TurboCAD Pro product. Multi-threading takes advantage of multi core processors, so the turnaround time on calculations is much faster.

While TurboCAD has long supported multi-core processing, the ability to do multi-threaded processing across multiple CPU cores means that mathematically intensive processes such as photorealistic rendering and Boolean operations now take significantly less time. This improves the quality of CAD projects by quickly being able to view many different design iterations/schemes in less amount of time.

Performance is always an issue for CAD users. Your hardware’s ability to render complex designs on a display requires iterating through the pixels and calculating values for each of them. Large blocks of memory also are required to load images, perform filter operations and other high-end features. Additionally, when using these complex shapes, patterns, and images in a 3D application, it’s more difficult to achieve fast and reliable rendering. As hardware technology continues to improve, the CAD user can benefit in terms of speed, performance and advanced features.

Author: Bob Mayer, Chief Operating Officer, IMSI/Design





TurboCAD Pro v18 New Features

21 03 2011




TurboCAD 17 cant print?

15 12 2010

Some users have reported not being able to print their drawings using TurboCAD 17. Fortunately in all cases we have come across updating the print driver to the latest version has solved the problem. So if you are having Trouble printing in TurboCAD 17 update your printers driver.





CAM videos on You Tube

2 12 2010

We ran across some cool videos on youtube that use TurboCAD and the CAM plug-in.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2O3warokp-M





NEW TURBOCAD PRO 17 GETS SPEEDY UPGRADE

24 03 2010

Up to 60x Performance Gains;
Focus on Performance and Productivity

NOVATO, Calif., March 24, 2010 – IMSI®/Design, the developer of the #1 best-selling CAD in retail, announced today that it has significantly increased the performance of its flagship products, TurboCAD® Pro 17 and TurboCAD Pro Platinum 17.

“TurboCAD is now turbocharged,” stated Bob Mayer, COO of IMSI/Design. “TurboCAD Pro 17 and Pro Platinum 17 now take advantage of GPU-based graphics cards and are lightning-fast when it comes to wireframe and 2D display. We’re seeing performance increase up to 60x — it’s phenomenal.”

TurboCAD Pro 17 and Pro Platinum 17 also contain dozens of new features and productivity improvements, including:

Improved Speed and Productivity

• View wireframes up to 60 times faster. A new drawing engine takes advantage of GPU-based graphics cards so speed increases dramatically in wireframe and 2D mode. Larger files will pan, orbit, and zoom in and out smoothly.

• Easier, more powerful layer management. Design Director simplifies layer management, and new layer filter support (.DWG compatible) lets you manage large, complex drawings with ease.

• Fewer clicks. Double-click on text or M-text to enter edit mode. Edit blocks and groups in place.

• Less setup. New and improved templates set tool default values to more commonly used settings. Paper spaces can be copied with all settings from one drawing to another.

• Easily create 2D vector drawings from 3D models. Viewports can be exploded creating flat 2D views.

• New possibilities are available with 3D patterns. Rapidly design mechanical parts with repetitive structures. Apply patterns to spheres and cylinders, radial patterns, 3D arrays, or patterns along a curve for shapes that couldn’t easily be drawn before. Arrayed patterns such as ventilation holes, keypad designs, and more can also be designed and merged with other objects. (Platinum Edition.)

Robust Architectural Design

• Floor plan design is faster than ever. An improved Wall tool now allows for definition of intelligent relationships between walls to link or not link, clean or remain separate, in any combination.

• Create any style of door or window easily. ACA compatible Door and Window Muntins expand options for parametrically creating the exact object types for your design. (Platinum Edition.)

• Create precise shapes for walls. A new bottom wall modifier gives you even greater control over the look and design of your structure’s walls. (Platinum Edition.)

Add Specificity

• Geometric Tolerances enable precision in communication. The completely rewritten tolerances tool provides specific instructions on production tolerances and is .DWG compatible.

• Parametric Parts can be easily created. Drawn parts can be made into reusable parametric parts with a more robust part wizard. Parts may also be scripted using even more commands and mathematical functions than before.

• Better communication with multi-leaders. One callout for multiple parts.

Greater Interoperability

• Work with the latest AutoCAD® files. Added support for .DWG 2010.

• Better Google™ SketchUp™ workflow. A significantly improved COLLADA (.DAE) export feature includes instances so that blocks and architectural objects will be read by SketchUp as components.

• More powerful Xrefs. We’ve added Xref clipping for dozens of file formats and allow binding of Xrefs, which can then be exploded and edited. Xref layers are easier to manage, even with layer filters.

Availability and Pricing

TurboCAD Pro 17 is now available for $1,295.

TurboCAD Pro Platinum 17 is now available for $1,495. (For a limited time, receive Drawing Compare plug-in with Pro Platinum 17 purchase, a $125 value. Use it to compare a design and an ‘as built’ drawing to see where changes have been implemented. Innovative and invaluable.)

For more information or to upgrade online, please visit http://www.TurboCAD.com or call IMSI/Design at 1.800.833.8082 (+1.415.483.8000).

About IMSI/Design

IMSI/Design is the global leader in retail CAD (Computer Aided Design). With over 15 million products sold since 1988, IMSI/Design products include the award-winning TurboCAD®, DoubleCAD™, DesignCAD™, TurboFLOORPLAN™, and IDX® Renditioner families of precision design applications. Please visit http://www.IMSIdesign.com for more information.

CONTACT:
IMSI/Design
Pam Volpe
415.483.8025
pr (at) imsidesign.com
###

© 2010 IMSI/Design, LLC. All rights reserved. TurboCAD and IMSI/Design are registered trademarks and/or trademarks of IMSI/Design, LLC. All other identifiable marks are the property of their respective owners.





1158?

10 03 2010

During installation if you get something that looks like an error message with only the numbers 1158 you will need to bypass setup.exe and run the msi file. If this happens from disk browse to the bin folder then run the .msi file. The msi file will have the same name as the product you are installing. If this is from download run the installer it will first ask you where you would like to unpack the install files. Choose a location that will be easy for you to navigate to. After the 1158 message comes up go to the location that you unpacked the files and run the .msi file.





TurboCAD Pro For Rent

27 01 2010

IMSI/Design has joined forces with iRent™ to offer users a unique proposition: TurboCAD Pro Software as a Service (SaaS). The software resides on you local PC, so there’s no need for a permanent tethering to the Internet. So now you can get all of the power, precision, and performance of TurboCAD Pro 16 without the full price investment. For details visit http://eStore.irent.cc





Inserting Drafting Objects Into Paperspace

10 11 2009

Vodpod videos no longer available.





TurboCAD Profesional 16.2

20 10 2009

TurboCAD Pro 16.2 is now available. 16 users can download the patch from the v16 support page. If you have an older version of TurboCAD you may be eligible for upgrade pricing.

http://www.turbocad.com





2009, September 30 – IMSI/Design goes RED

30 09 2009

Paris, France, September 30, 2009

Redway3D announced today that IMSI/Design LLC has licensed the RED technology to enhance the 2D/3D graphics of its TurboCAD, DoubleCAD and other software applications.

“We are very proud IMSI/Design chose Redsdk as their visualization middleware for TurboCAD and DoubleCAD, applications used by millions of customers. IMSI/Design and Redway3d started to discuss possible agreement during the ODA world conference in April 2009 in Leiden, The Netherlands. At that time Redway3d disclosed its first release of its ODA graphics device, which is the only native Redsdk visualization for the DWGdirect and DGNdirect libraries. The bridge has significantly shortened the Redsdk integration time for ODA members which can now integrate the Redsdk in their software in a few weeks as IMSI did.” commented Lionel SCHMITT, CEO of Redway3d.

“IMSI/Design is always striving to provide productivity enhancements to our customers. By integrating the Redsdk technology into our CAD applications, we are giving our users significantly better graphics performance, from the 2D display to the 3D visualization and even the photo-realistic rendering,” said Robert Mayer COO of IMSI/Design.

Original Post
http://www.redway3d.com/news/news300909.php