Cadalyst - October 2007 - (Page 30)

cadlabsreview TurboCAD Pro 14 Combining power, affordability, and ease of use for 3D modeling adventures. By Mike Hudspeth, IDSA I realize I’m going to date myself here, but I remember watching the original Battlestar Galactica when it was on. When they launched those cool Colonial Viper fighters, they’d grab the joystick and hit their turbo buttons. All kinds of fast-paced adventures ensued. Now, some may argue that 3D modeling isn’t quite as much fun as zipping around the galaxy in a hopped-up space fighter, but I like it. I’m always on the lookout for tools that will soup up my 3D modeling adventure. If that’s you, too, then you might want to look at TurboCAD Pro 14 from IMSI (formerly International Microcomputer Software, Inc. The company name is IMSI/Design now, so the IMSI doesn’t really stand for anything, according to Bob Mayer, chief operating officer). TurboCAD Pro 14 has new parametric stairs. You can specify things such as dimensions (length, width, and height); shape (straight, spiral, and multilanding); materials (wood, metal, and concrete); and even whether they have rails. Rail functions are available with the separate Architectural Tool Set ($99.95). And the rails also are parametric, so you can control rail types (from a list of hundreds), location, position, and extension. You can control several different types of objects with the Style Manager — stairs, rails, text, and even schedules. You can easily edit and update the door and window parameters from within the Selection Info palette to control Architectural Abilities IMSI has put a lot of attention into TurboCAD Pro 14’s interface. The newly improved Selection Info palette (figure 1) puts all the information pertaining to whatever you’ve selected in one place. Think of it as you might a property bar. The new Part Tree lets you suppress operations (for when you want to explore other alternatives) and delay updates (for when you’ve done a bunch of different things but you don’t want it updating constantly, just when you’re done). It is tightly integrated with the Selection palette, so you have everything you need at your fingertips. TurboCAD Pro 14 A– 3D Modeling Software Pros: Lots of bang for the buck. Cons: You have to buy training materials. Price: $1,295 IMSI/Design 800.833.8082 www.turbocad.com This version: . . . . . . . . . . . A– Ease of use: . . . . . . . . . . . A Feature: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A Installation: . . . . . . . . . . . A Customization: . . . . . . . . . A Interoperability: . . . . . . . A Third-party add-ons: . . . . B Help: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . C Innovation: . . . . . . . . . . . . B Value: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A Figure 1. The Selection Info palette is a one-stop shop for whatever you’ve selected. You can query and then change any value that defines the object. 30 October 2007 | cadalyst | www.cadalyst.com http://www.turbocad.com http://www.cadalyst.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Cadalyst - October 2007

Contents Editor's Window Cad Central Tech Trends: First-Hand Architecture in Second Life Rev It Up — Graphics Cards Pack Power for Today’s Hottest Designs TurboCAD Pro 14 — 3D Modeling Software SimEnterprise R2 — Design Simulation Software CADopia 6.2 SP3 Professional Edition — 2D and 3D Modeling Software Cad Manager: Programming Resources for CAD Managers MCAD Modeling: Customer Service Horror Stories PLM Strategies: Manufacturing Across Time Zones AEC in Focus: Digital-Asset Management in AEC/O Cad Cartoon Issue Indexes Cadfidential

Cadalyst - October 2007

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