CAD International today announced its commitment to the globalisation of its core CAD engine and has begun translation of the software interface into several key languages including Chinese, French, and Spanish which will then be followed by German and Japanese.

The translation process of any technical software requires specialised expertise as the terminology of the product is often beyond normal day to day language used by lay people.

It is expected that the Chinese version of the core software will be available in June followed closely by the other languages. Manuals and tutorials will also then be developed.

For a long time, StrucPLUS, the market leader in structural detailing software, has piggy-backed onto existing AutoCAD platforms including, with a Lisp Enabler, AutoCAD LT. Other AutoCAD ‘clone’ software such as IntelliCAD has also been supported but due to limitations in the API support of IntelliCAD the full power of StrucPLUS could not always be realised.

Bricsys, developers of Bricscad, have worked hard to address this problem in a bid to capture hundreds, if not thousands of existing application developers who traditionally could only work with AutoCAD. StrucPLUS is one of the first applications to partner with the Bricscad engine to provide what is essentially a complete stand alone option for its clients at a fraction of the cost of AutoCAD. After a few teething problems it would appear to be a great marriage.

Autodesk have launched the new look AutoCAD 2009, and to many existing users the new look and feel has them scared. Luckily you can wind back the clock and reset the software to look and feel like earlier verisons of the product. The new interface is in line with Microsofts Vista look and feel and groups the tool sets in a way that should attract new users. Existing users should be able to adapt to the new interface over time. Find out more about Autocad’s new features

The new update addresses several support issues and introduces some more functionality to hold this product as the global leader in its class.

Improvements include

1. Scroll bar added to user hatch pattern selection to make locating the desired hatch pattern easier.
2. Dimensioning in the ‘bottom’ view now orients the dimension correctly.
3. When using a dual screen computer system the Layer Window will appear on the correct screen.
4. New ‘XYZ’ Position/Location function has been introduced to really easily allow locating a desired position in 3D space that relates to three other posible locations that already exist in the 3D model.
5. Common dimensioning is now allowed from either the left or right in the same drawing.
6. Style Selection Window now allows any letter to be used from the keyboard to quickly access the desired style name… temporarily disabling the normal macro function for that letter.
7. Plot scale now has 1:200 entry in the drop down menu list.
8. Gradient fill colour check box now checked correctly when button is used to select the colour.
9. Leader text font is now OK when verified
10. New GetCurrentCommandId added to API to allow call back functions to control behaviour based on current command. (for advanced users who write their own applications)
11. Dotted lines now copy as seen on screen when pasted into a Word document – the lines dot spaceing is now adjusted to match the screen scale and looks correct in other Window’s applications.
12. Untick change check box on change dialogs is now OK
13. User Defined Hatch Patterns created without the correct defining corner points no longer hangs or slows the system when the hatch is used in a drawing.
14. the insertion of lines using Insert Multi linesno longer inserts tiny short lines unless truely appropriate.
15. Selection Diamond is now enabled when using plane insert points.
16. The Trim to Length command has been added to right mouse button context menu to allow lines to be trimmed to or by a given length without selecting the command from the icons.
17. Bug in Layer Groups fixed
18. RealCAD’s unique Locate an Offset Point command now allows the selection of curves as well as lines, arcs and circles.
19. Using the mouse’s scroll wheel in the Style Set combo box is now allowed.
20. Some minor issues with RealCAD’s unique Magic Eraser fixed
21. Copying a Plane (created using corner points) using Edit Copy (Ctrl+C) now pastes correctly with no outline showing.
22. New Align function to align a plane with a selected line or two points has been introduced.
23. Some Outlined text was drawn upside down in certain conditions and should now be OK.
24. New ‘Plane Remove Hole’ function allows a hole to be removed/deleted from a plane. The plane then automatically self-heals and covers the hole.
25. End dimension lines can be turned off on linear and angular dimensions
26. New ‘Rename Composed Drawing’ function allows an existing composed drawing view to be renamed, rather than be deleted and recreated.

Updated files for your RealCAD v5.x program are now available. Follow the instruction below to update.
Warning: Only download these updates if your current software is version 5.x, You can obtain this information from the Help>About menu.

1. Close your CAD software.
2. Click each link in turn to get the updates.
3. Select Save (not ‘Run’) and then choose your ‘RealCAD-v5.x’ folder
4. Select ‘Yes‘ to overwrite your existing files:

Main CAD Program File
DWG File converter update
OpenGL Renderer Update