cpca@iceman.jcu.oz (C Adams) (10/21/90)
Does anybody have XCAD for the Amiga? How good is it? Can it read/write AutoCAD files? It is in any way compatible with AutoCAD? If not, does anybody know if AutoCAD will be ported to Amiga. (I doubt it, but it would be nice) Alternatively, can you run AutoCAD under AMAX? Thanks in advance, Colin Adams email address - cpca@marlin.jcu.edu.au
allen@ns.network.com (Allen Middleton) (10/23/90)
In article <1091@iceman.jcu.oz> cpca@iceman.jcu.oz (C Adams) writes: > >Does anybody have XCAD for the Amiga? How good is it? >Can it read/write AutoCAD files? It is in any way >compatible with AutoCAD? If not, does anybody know if AutoCAD >will be ported to Amiga. (I doubt it, but it would be nice) > >Alternatively, can you run AutoCAD under AMAX? > >Thanks in advance, > >Colin Adams email address - cpca@marlin.jcu.edu.au Don't know about XCAD, but UltraDesign reads AutoCAD files, and it supports AMAX. (Not that I'm trying to recommend UltraDesign, I purchased it, got the copy from Briwall last weekend, I was very disappointed. I had 0k fastram left on my Amiga 500/1meg, it was dismally slow, was missing simple features like area select for multiple objects [each object to be operated on had to be selected individually, a pain], it guru'ed several times when I probably tried to perform an operation incorrectly. Maybe I'm unfare, I'm used to high end schematic entry programs such as Daisy's ACE, and perhaps I was spoiled some. I'm going to check out Professional Draw, I can live without the dimensioning stuff. I don't want to slander this program, at least the person who wrote the Amazing Computing review thought it was pretty good, though it definitely has a way to go to be as good as it could.)
fhwri%CONNCOLL.BITNET@cunyvm.cuny.edu (10/23/90)
I've used neither, but XCad Designer does import AutoCAD files...
--Rick Wrigley
fhwri@conncoll.bitnetcritical.mass@pro-graphics.cts.com (Peter Altamore) (10/25/90)
On 23 Oct 90 00:06:36 GMT allen@ns.network.com (Allen Middleton): >Don't know about XCAD, but UltraDesign reads AutoCAD files, and it supports >AMAX. (Not that I'm trying to recommend UltraDesign, I purchased it, got >the copy from Briwall last weekend, I was very disappointed. I had 0k >fastram left on my Amiga 500/1meg, it was dismally slow, was missing >simple features like area select for multiple objects [each object to be >operated on had to be selected individually, a pain], it guru'ed several >times when I probably tried to perform an operation incorrectly. Maybe [..deleted..] This has got to take the cake! I do not own, use and have never seen UltraDesign, keep that in mind. UltraDesign is sold as a PROFESSIONAL CAD SYSTEM!! No self-respecting CAD professional would be saddled with a 1meg 500. If the program performed poorly, it's a good bet that the reason it did is because you're running it on the lowest common denominator hardware. CAD is memory and precessor intensive work, a stock 500 simply will not do. Of course I can't comment on missing features, please heed the second sentence in this paraghaph. >thought it was pretty good, though it definitely has a way to go to be >as good as it could.) This is probably doing Progressive Peripherals a great disservice. More likely it's you and your machine that have a way to go to be as good as they could be. Try it with 3 megs minimum. UUCP: crash!pro-graphics!critical.mass | Critical Mass Software ARPA/DDN: pro-graphics!critical.mass@nosc.mil | P.O. Box 23 Internet: critical.mass@pro-graphics.cts.com | Short Hills, NJ 07078
tomb@hplsla.HP.COM (Tom Bruhns) (10/27/90)
allen@ns.network.com (Allen Middleton) writes: >Don't know about XCAD, but UltraDesign reads AutoCAD files, and it supports >AMAX. (Not that I'm trying to recommend UltraDesign, I purchased it, got >the copy from Briwall last weekend, I was very disappointed. I had 0k >fastram left on my Amiga 500/1meg, it was dismally slow, was missing >simple features like area select for multiple objects [each object to be >operated on had to be selected individually, a pain], it guru'ed several >times when I probably tried to perform an operation incorrectly. Maybe >I'm unfare, I'm used to high end schematic entry programs such as Daisy's >ACE, and perhaps I was spoiled some. I'm going to check out Professional >Draw, I can live without the dimensioning stuff. I don't want to slander >this program, at least the person who wrote the Amazing Computing review >thought it was pretty good, though it definitely has a way to go to be >as good as it could.) >---------- I use XCAD regularly (the original version, replaced by XCAD Prof.). I am doing plots for a fellow that is using UltraDesign, so I've had a chance to look at it, too. Though I wouldn't pay to switch, I thought UltraDesign has some good points, and certainly didn't notice it being buggy or crashing the machine. XCAD takes a minimum of 1.5 megs to load, and to do anything significant you better have 2.5 megs (and a hard disk). Except for text rendering, I find its speed to be pretty good on a stock Amiga @ 7 MHz. Summary: each program has its points plus and minus, but I think XCad is overall a little better. However, Ultradesign has much more active support at least on this continent.