Topic Title

Can a new version of DataCAD carry over the previous spell checking dictionary, when you install it? That would be helpful.

If the Orphaned XRef dialog had a way to show which layer the orphaned XRef is on (like the RFM can), that would be a good thing.

If the Orphaned XRef dialog had a way to show which layer the orphaned XRef is on (like the RFM can), that would be a good thing.

Agreed!

If the Orphaned XRef dialog had a way to show which layer the orphaned XRef is on (like the RFM can), that would be a good thing.

Done for the next update. If you highlight an Orphan in the dialog, its layer will be displayed as a Hint (tooltip).

Dave

Thank you Dave!

Works for orphaned Bitmaps as well.

Dave

DataCAD's smart entities have a lot of potential but need to go that extra distance to provide more flexibility and functionality. Some wishlist items to be added:

WALLS

1. Add the ability to set the display of the end caps where walls are mitred/2-line trim with options: a) default = match end cap, b) user defined color, c) not displayed. This allows more control on how drawings look particularly for documentation which has more set standards compared to presentation drawings,

2. Improve the cleanups (auto cleanup) so that dissimilar smart walls do not auto-clean as more time is spent editing the end caps, turning off clean and 1-line trimming walls that have extended to cleanup with other walls. In the real world a 190mm block work wall wouldn't mitre itself to a 100mm stud wall or 450mm concrete column etc. which is not the case at present where any smart walls automatically performs a cleanup with any other wall. This extra re-editing wastes a lot of time,

3. Add more wall faces/control lines. Currently the maximum is 4, but DataCAD has the ability to use the smart walls for modular construction which has wall panels made up of 5, 6 or more wall materials,

4. Add a toggle that allows the display of a wall type to switch between one mode and another, ie. with presentation drawings, smart walls may be set to black infill. Once a project goes to documentation drawings each wall type needs to be accurately defined so block work will show cross hatching, concrete a conc. hatching etc. Presently, all walls need to be replaced with another wall type that shows a hatch pattern instead of a color fill. DataCAD can do this but it takes time to replace all the walls with the construction wall type. What would be better and more efficient is to retain the original wall types but add a toggle - whether global (SWOTHLUDFBK) or within the smart wall manager on a wall by wall type basis?

5. Add the option of including additional 'skins' or wall faces to a smart wall. This may already be addressed in #3 above though a further option is to define the z-b and z-h for the outside material/skin so that a custom smart wall could include two or more materials on the same plane of a wall. Adding other features such as a skirting, dado, cornice would be nice too

6. Add the option of customizing the end caps, ie. add a nominated chamfer so that walls can match a pre-cast concrete panel which includes 25mm chamferred corners as the panels are poured.

7. Add the ability to step a single wall so that a wall can span two or more varying RL's/heights. Presently, each step in height/level needs a separate wall,

8. Improve the cleanups so the control point of the end caps of a wall don't extend through to the opposite face of a wall it has trimmed to. This leaves vertical lines in Sunshader and often leaves gaps especially where a very thin smart walls (say 16mm joinery panel) has snapped to a 150 concrete wall. In O2C there are sometimes gaps visible on the outside wall. Having a smart wall trim to the face that has been selected to trim to would work best,

9. Add a trim-to feature allowing smart walls to trim up/down to a selected 3D line, polygon etc.

10. Add the ability to assign customizable tags that are used to reference a particular wall type for the builder and would form part of a smart wall family, ie. wall material and thickness, acoustic properties, FRL's etc.

11. Improve the dimensioning so that if a door/window is added/deleted/moved the dimensions automatically readjust,

DOORS/WINDOWS

1. Add the ability to display door handles in 2D (as per DataCAD Plus).

2. Add the ability to display custom door/window frames in 2D (jambs),

3. Allow 1.5 door leafs (one standard, one narrow) as used in hotels, hospitals etc.

4. Improve the flexibility in customizing commercial aluminium door and window sets (ie. multiple sliders, frameless sliders etc.),

5. Add components for curtain walling (glass, concrete, modular....)

Improve the conversion to 2D entities. Presently, a smart wall that has other walls trimmed to it will convert into a multiple lines that have a break at the point where another smart wall trimmed to it. In reality, the wall is supposed to be one wall not segments of a wall.

Another useful feature would be the ability to pre-set display scales against the level of detail shown for a smart wall/door/window, ie. a larger scales, say 1:100, 1:200 etc. the current/default linework is adequate, as the plot scale zooms in, 1:50, 1:20, then more detail including basic door handles, frames/jambs etc. can be shown, then at close details, 1:10, 1:5 etc. allow an actual manufacturer profile to be used. This scenario allows anywhere in the building to be clipcubed and used for plan/section details where DataCAD would automatically display the appropriate level of detail suitable for the plot scale. Users would simply setup relevant manufacturer profiles for the door/window types used with the preset scales being the trigger to display more or less detail.

Excellent, Mark!
That would be a great addition!

Some other ideas:

1. Allow the ability to stretch a wall up/down in an elevational view. Presently, all editing has to be ctrl-right click to open the wall manager then change the z-b/z-h accordingly. In a lot of instances we just need to stretch from snap point 'A' to snap point 'B' in a particular view without having to first identify the relevant z-b/z-h then do the maths and work out what the new z-b/z-h is going to be,

2. Similarly, allowing covered polylines to be stretched in a elevational view rather than having to edit the z-b/z-h,

3. Walls shooting off into space still occurs and this has been happening when two different wall types have their end points/caps that coincide and usually after a mirror/mirror and copy where the entities mirrored land on top of an existing wall and auto cleanup with one of the walls shooting off into space. This 'bug' has been there since the start,

4. Fix the other 'bug' where doors/windows no longer sit inside walls with the wall fill/hatch then extending through the doors/windows. The Reassociate works most of the time but not all the time and ideally the nature of inserting a door/window into a wall should have them permanently fixed inside a wall until deleted. This is essential for the reliability in using smart entities for presentation and documentation drawings to prevent confusion,

5. Add door and window smart tags which reference to a door/window schedule,

6. Improve the covered polylines and add a Slab RL tag so when a the slab z-h is changed, the tag RL automatically updates to show the new RL of the slab. This would need a Setout RL tag to be defined at site level (or default to zero). This should also link to the stairs,

7. Add smart grids where a grid reference (or offset from a grid reference line) can be picked to generate a sectional cut through the model and assign section tags,

.....this should keep some busy.....



...and...'smart' Stairs would also be handy even if the first release focuses on the basics of a concrete in-situ formed stair run. Handrails etc. can come later.

Oh, has anyone requested that we urgently need the ability to directly reference in DWG files without having to convert them to AEC first.
Walter

I think this has been requested (maybe by you Walter?) - and I second the motion! This would be an incredible time-saver and KILLER upgrade if Dave could pull it off!

(after all, he's not doing anything special today, is he? v

Cross posting this, with more detail:

I have been hoping for Smart Floors and Roofs - we need a complete "package" of Smart entities. This will make it possible to use Smart entities on more/many/most/all our drawings.

I am not wanting a "full" BIM - what I do think will help is a 3D coordination and control of the whole building envelope. Linking the plan to the sections and elevations and vise versa is the single most important thing that CAD can do.

The spatial relationships of the major building components is what we need from Smart components - and we need Smart Floors and Smart Roofs (and then Smart Stairs) with compound walls to complete the building envelope. Then we draft over the bones of these major components to flesh out the details like we do now.

Smart Floors in particular would be very useful, even for "just" 2D drafting: we really could use room areas (like Blocker) that can be used to provide data about the building. Lots of buildings need to have subtotals of given room types, for many different purposes.

...agree with Neil, DataCAD needs to enhance the development of smart entities from fixes to new features and retain DataCAD's hybrid BIM approach which is more flexible than full BIM.
....also consider commercial applications and not just domestic too

Add the ability to pass the crosshair/mouse over the clipcube icons and have a text flyout showing the current z-base and z-height settings for the clipcube. This avoids the need to toggle the clipcube off/on to see what the settings are....which can take a while with a large drawing.

Add the ability to lock the z-base/z-height values on a per layer basis to prevent entities unknowingly being altered or flattened to zero through a change z-b/z-h EGAFS command.