If you are already using CAD4U V22 you can use this to update your installation, or if you are using an earlier version, why not try an unlimited CAD4U V22 with our free 20 day trial?

CAD4U Version 22 - Release 22.00.17  (Updated 03.05.2012)
File Contents:
- setup_CAD4U_32Bit_220017_english.exe
- setup_CAD4U_64Bit_220017_english.exe
- History.rtf
- 64-Bit or 32-Bit.rtf
- How to install CAD4U(-XS).rtf
- How to update CAD4U(-XS) up to V.10.rtf
- How to update CAD4U(-XS) V.11.rtf
- How to update CAD4U(-XS) V.22.rtf

If you are already using CAD4U V22 you can use this to update your installation, or if you are using an earlier version, why not try an unlimited CAD4U V22 with our free 20 day trial?

CAD4U Version 22 - Release 22.00.16  (Updated 15.03.2012)
File Contents:
- setup_CAD4U_32Bit_220016_english.exe
- setup_CAD4U_64Bit_220016_english.exe
- History.rtf
- 64-Bit or 32-Bit.rtf
- How to install CAD4U(-XS).rtf
- How to update CAD4U(-XS) up to V.10.rtf
- How to update CAD4U(-XS) V.11.rtf
- How to update CAD4U(-XS) V.22.rtf

If you are already using CAD4U V22 you can use this to update your installation, or if you are using an earlier version, why not try an unlimited CAD4U V22 with our free 20 day trial?

CAD4U Version 22 - Release 22.00.14  (Updated 23.01.2012)
File Contents:
- setup_CAD4U_32Bit_220014_english.exe
- setup_CAD4U_64Bit_220014_english.exe
- History.rtf
- 64-Bit or 32-Bit.rtf
- How to install CAD4U(-XS).rtf
- How to update CAD4U(-XS) up to V.10.rtf
- How to update CAD4U(-XS) V.11.rtf
- How to update CAD4U(-XS) V.22.rtf

C-Technik Software, the CAD4U developer, has stated that:

“The main target of the development work for V.22 was making the DXF/DWG drawing data exchange better and supporting 64-Bit operating environment.”

So the first thing to note is that the download now has both 32 and 64 bit versions.

If you have a 64 bit Windows operating system, then we would recommend the 64 bit version as being faster, especially when using graphical functions such as dynamic panning and images.  Otherwise you must install the 32 bit version.

As previously indicated, there has been a complete revamp of drawing translation for both import and export of drawings.  Most notable is the inclusion of DWG import and export … something that the author thought we would never see!  Also, the process has been improved with the introduction of a dialogue window for all settings and mappings for the translation … making the process easier to set-up and more robust:

If you are using an earlier version, why not try an unlimited CAD4U V22 with our free 20 day trial?

We will be posting further details of this release over the next few days.

I say ‘not surprisingly’ because with a Graphical User Interface (GUI) written for MSDOS, which pre-dates Windows 3.11 by a staggering  five years, RoboCAD has always been at the pinnacle of  WIMPS GUI’s. So much so, that when the first RoboCAD users migrated to CAD4U for Windows they were concerned by the ‘clunky’ look and feel bestowed by the Windows graphics, compared to what they were used to using!  Thankfully, since those dark days in and around 1997, Windows performance has improved immeasurably, partly due to Microsoft and partly due to a phenomenal increase in hardware performance.

Now is the time to act and benefit from the advances in Windows and CAD4U.

Why not trial CAD4U now by following the link indicated by our waving hand to your right?

“Autodesk does not support 2009 and older versions of AutoCAD and AutoCAD LT on Windows 7″
Source:
Autocad 2011 & Windows 7 White Paper – Autodesk inc.

Anyway, why am I banging on about AutoCAD? It’s quite simple.  As I am told that it is the ‘industry standard‘ then is is fair to equate our offering to that of Autodesk inc.

Not supporting out-of-date versions is quite understandable as no software developer is going to track back to provide patches for old releases … it just isn’t commercially viable or reasonable to expect them to do this. I remember once, when I was working for Robocom on RoboCAD support in the 1980′s,  an irate punter equated us updating his old software to getting his Ford Grenada serviced at the local dealership  … I had to point out that it was more akin to his local council introducing a width restriction in his road and expecting Ford to rebuild his Grenada somewhat smaller to cope with the new road layout!

A major problem for vintage CAD4U users is the parallel port Hardlock (or Dongle).  Developed before the now ubiquitous USB port, the parallel port (and before that the serial port) was the only way to talk to the hardlock and thus provide software piracy protection.  Unfortunately PC manufacturers no longer are interested in supplying machines with a parallel port.  One solution for desktop PC purchasers is to add a PCI parallel port, although to my cost, I did find that even this doesn’t always work … but that, as they say, is another story entirely! USB hardlocks have been available for some ten years now, and so a solution is to exchange the old parallel hardlock for a USB version.  There is though, a significant cost associated with doing this, and if the truth be known, the CAD4U developer isn’t particularly keen either, as the user sees no benefit but expects on-going support for their old software.  The other day I had a CAD4U user ‘effing and blinding’ because I was reluctant to supply him an exchange USB hardlock as I knew full well that the developer certainly wasn’t keen to ship any more. Additionally he would have been better served by upgrading his CAD4U V6 to the current V11, not only benefiting from the improved features of V11 but also he could have had access to full CAD4U on both his desktop and laptop PC’s, rather than CAD4U on one and CAD4U-XS on the other.

To be frank, I’m getting too long in the tooth to even bother arguing the toss, so from now on my recommendation will always be … retire that vintage CAD4U with an upgrade to V11 … be warned!

The Problem

The image below shows a fairly typical AutoCAD ‘Modelspace’ setup … i.e. containing all the individual elements of the drawings set … e.g. existing & proposed plans, elevations etc. Think of the Modelspace as an ‘infinitely’ large drawing area where your designs are drawn at 1:1. The drawings in the Modelspace are then ‘windowed’ into multiple AutoCAD ‘Paperspace’ drawings by taking parts of the Modelspace data and inserting into Paperspace as a scaled view.  The Paperspace drawing is therefore akin to the way we work in CAD4U although it does have one distinct advantage … a Paperspace drawing can use multiple scales on the same sheet.

The following is one of the Paperspace drawings taken from the Modelspace above …

Typically the Paperspace drawing will include additional information such as a title block and other annotations such as dimensions and notes. Apart from the obvious requirement for a DXF, the CAD4U user’s major problem is to preserve the individual drawings’ design intent (including the Paperspace additions) when bringing the data into CAD4U.

The Solution

By contacting the RDF4U Drawing Translation Service it was possible to have complete drawing set of CAD4U RDF’s by return.  These drawings included paper sizing, scaling and an individual layer tables to assist further editing in CAD4U.

Postscript

This  Modelspace – Paperspace methodology was created by Autodesk as their users, before Paperspace,  only had Modelspace. This meant that getting their drawings on paper was, at best, a hit or miss affair!  The arrival of Paperspace (or Layout Space) meant that at last AutoCAD users could have WYSIWYG … something which CAD4U/RoboCAD users had from the start, some six years earlier!

Apparently .. “ Many beginners to Autocad get confused about paper space …” a quick search revealed at http://www.autocadcentral.com/Tutorials/Lesson%2010/lesson10.htm it carries on to say “… so we’ll try and make it as painless as possible! The concept is in fact very simple!”

Enough said!

Managing Director, Ian Temple comments:

Not a week goes by without a user contacting us about drawing translation. Usually this will be a DXF or DWG.  Quite often the drawing data to be translated will contain a drawing ‘set’ on multiple ‘Paperspace’ tabs.

Our RDF4U Drawing Translation Service can not only ‘unlock’ these multiple drawing sets but add value to the translation process, where possible, by providing additional data such as a CAD4U Layer Table and drawing edit to provide CAD4U lineweights and linestyles.

The RDF4U Drawing Translation Service offers:

• Translation of most CADD formats with return file in .RDF.
  
• CADD formats supported include DXF; DWG; DGN; HPGL; Vector PDF etc.
  
• Breakout into individual drawings for DXF/DWG files with multiple ‘Paperspace’ drawings as found in any DXF/DWG after Release 12.  It is also possible to ‘scale’ Paperspace annotations with a Release 12 DXF/DWG thus giving a true translation of the ‘whole’ drawing.
  
• DWG layer name support within CAD4U Layer Table.
  
• Mapping of DWG colours to CAD4U lineweights.

To find out more please use our contact page enquiry form

A new V11 point release is now available on the cad4u.co.uk website … click the link on the top right to access the download page and this new version.

If you are already using CAD4U V11 you can use this to update your installation, or if you are using an earlier version, why not try an unlimited CAD4U V11 with our free 20 day trial?