kmcvay@oneb.UUCP (Ken McVay) (05/02/90)
I would like to hear from some folks using AutoCAD in their professions.
In particular, I would like to determine exactly how important speed is in
the system...i.e. how great a difference is there (in reality) between running
A'CAD on a 386SX at 16MHz, a 25MHz 386, and a 25MHz 386 with cached RAM (assuming all have the appropriate co-processor)?
Assuming that AutoCAD only requires 640K of RAM, can it make effective use of
additional RAM for ramdisks, print spoolers, disk caching, etc.?
I would also like to learn more about plotters - in particular the advantages
or disadvantages to using a 'drum' plotter as opposed to a flat sheet model...
Are there any specific things I need to know about VGA cards? I'd like to use
a Zenith Flat Tension monitor, and would appreciate hearing from folks using
them for design work...
I'd also like to learn about the low end of the digitizer market - who makes
the good ones, the bad ones, and the ugly ones?
Last <finally!> I'd like to know if the extra module for architectural
drawing would be of real benefit (considering its $Cdn1600 price) on top of
the standard system (V10.0?) for home design....
Thanks for your time :-)
--
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Ken McVay ~ 1B Systems Management Limited ~ uunet!van-bc!oneb!kmcvay
--------------------------------------------------------------------andyross@ddsw1.MCS.COM (Andrew Rossmann) (05/07/90)
>Item: 11040 by kmcvay at oneb.UUCP (0 responses) >Author: [Ken McVay] > Subj: AutoCAD system info wanted > Date: Sun May 06 1990 01:37 > >I would like to hear from some folks using AutoCAD in their professions. >In particular, I would like to determine exactly how important speed is in >the system...i.e. how great a difference is there (in reality) between running >A'CAD on a 386SX at 16MHz, a 25MHz 386, and a 25MHz 386 with cached RAM >(assuming all have the appropriate co-processor)? The speed you want is sort of dependent on the type of drawing you do. At work most drawings are relatively simple machine drawings, and working on a 6Mhz AT is not too bad. For more complicated drawings, we move up to a 20Mhz 386. Release 9 and 10 REQUIRE a math coprocessor. Older versions didn't need one. There are also versions that use the Weitek coprocessors. If you want to do lots of full-house architectural drawings, you should try to go for the fastest computer you can afford. Lots of memory and a fast disk are also big plusses (and can help offset the disadvantage of a slower computer.) >Assuming that AutoCAD only requires 640K of RAM, can it make effective use of >additional RAM for ramdisks, print spoolers, disk caching, etc.? Autocad uses EMS memory (it'll grab all it can!) if it finds it. You can also configure it to put it's temporary files in a RAMDISK (our 6MHz AT has a 1M Ramdisk, and 1M EMS, in addition to using a Disk CACHE.) It also uses the ramdisk for holding drawing area when regular memory (first conventional, then EMS, then RAMDISK, then real disk) runs out. There is a special 386 version of Autocad that runs in protected mode (compatible with VCPI drivers such as QEMM), although I've never seen it. It's supposed to faster than the regular version when running on the same computer. >I would also like to learn more about plotters - in particular the advantages >or disadvantages to using a 'drum' plotter as opposed to a flat sheet model... The plotter we have at work is a Houston Instrument DMP-56. It is a 'roller'(?) plotter. The plotter stays put, and the paper moves forward and backward, and the pen moves from side to side. That particular model supports C (17x22) and D(22x34) paper. It is several years old, and has probably been superceeded by newer versions. The primary advantage of this type of plotter is that it is relatively small, and takes up little space. (It's noisy, though, since a fan runs to provide suction to help hold the paper flat on the drawing area.) Flat-bed plotter are typically limited to A or B size paper (unless you are real rich.) > >Are there any specific things I need to know about VGA cards? I'd like to use >a Zenith Flat Tension monitor, and would appreciate hearing from folks using >them for design work... Most cards that support resolutions above VGA's 640x480x16 usually come with drivers to support the higher resolutions. Unfortunately, although it's a great looking monitor, the Zenith can only work with standard VGA frequencies. Most MultiSyncs can support the 800x600x16 mode that mose VGA cards have. 1024x768 is becomming popular, but you might want to move up to a 16" or larger monitor to do that, because 800x600 is about the limit for my eye-strain on my MultiSync 3D. Also note that these higher-resolution drivers tend to be slower than Autocad's standard VGA driver. >I'd also like to learn about the low end of the digitizer market - who makes >the good ones, the bad ones, and the ugly ones? I've never used a digitizer, just a mouse. (If you get a mouse, go for a 3-button. The middle button pops up the SNAP overrides immediately. Reduces the amount of movement needed.) >Last <finally!> I'd like to know if the extra module for architectural >drawing would be of real benefit (considering its $Cdn1600 price) on top of >the standard system (V10.0?) for home design.... Never used anything but the 'normal' version (ADE 3(?) I think.) > >Thanks for your time :-) No problem. >-- > -------------------------------------------------------------------- > Ken McVay ~ 1B Systems Management Limited ~ uunet!van-bc!oneb!kmcvay > -------------------------------------------------------------------- Andrew Rossmann andyross@ddsw1.MCS.COM
bakke@plains.UUCP (Jeffrey P. Bakke) (05/07/90)
In article <2644a5dd-2b20.1comp.ibmpc-1@ddsw1.MCS.COM> andyross@ddsw1.MCS.COM (Andrew Rossmann) writes: >>Item: 11040 by kmcvay at oneb.UUCP (0 responses) >>Author: [Ken McVay] >> Subj: AutoCAD system info wanted >> Date: Sun May 06 1990 01:37 >> >>I would like to hear from some folks using AutoCAD in their professions. >>In particular, I would like to determine exactly how important speed is in >>the system...i.e. how great a difference is there (in reality) between running >>A'CAD on a 386SX at 16MHz, a 25MHz 386, and a 25MHz 386 with cached RAM >>(assuming all have the appropriate co-processor)? > > The speed you want is sort of dependent on the type of drawing you do. At >work most drawings are relatively simple machine drawings, and working on a >6Mhz AT is not too bad. For more complicated drawings, we move up to a >20Mhz 386. Release 9 and 10 REQUIRE a math coprocessor. Older versions >didn't need one. There are also versions that use the Weitek coprocessors. etc.. Although ACAD v9 and 10 require a math coprocessor, there is a public domain 8087 Emulator for 80286/386 machines that functions correctly with autocad. I have successfully used autocad rel 9 on a ps/2 55sx without a math coprocessor using this program. It is available on simtel20.arpa and many other msdos archive sites. Name is EM87 I believe. Note, this program only emulates the 8087 instruction set and it only works on 286/386 (I suppose 486 also). Most fp coprocessor programs won't use the extended 287/387 instructions anyway, autocad certainly doesn't. Jeffrey P. Bakke | Internet: bakke@plains.NoDak.edu | "Life, don't talk 2550 15th Str S #23B | UUCP : ...!plains!bakke | to me about life..." Fargo, ND 58105 | BITNET : bakke@plains | - Marvin