What features would you like to see added to a future version of DataCAD?
#13539 by Nick Pyner
Mon Sep 04, 2006 7:41 pm
The consistent lack of interest over the years reflects the pointlessness of this wish. We had one once, it was called DCViewer. Its natural death was not lamented. Not even boolean hides could save it. DataCad 11 opens on a couple of seconds these days, so why would you bother to use anything else?

If you want the client to look at stuff, Acrobat Reader and/or the o2c plug-in should suffice and both are already free. Anything else is an unecessary imposition on the client and, as an architect, making life easy for your client is your first priority.
#13542 by Steve Baldwin
Tue Sep 05, 2006 10:39 am
Nick Pyner wrote:If you want the client to look at stuff, Acrobat Reader and/or the o2c plug-in should suffice and both are already free. Anything else is an unecessary imposition on the client and, as an architect, making life easy for your client is your first priority.

I hope the developers of .dwgs viewers for AutoCad files don't start thinking this way.

I would also like to see some sort of free .aec viewer, for those who need/want to view our cad files, as we often do .dwg files.
#13546 by Miguel Palaoro
Tue Sep 05, 2006 2:45 pm
Hello,

My understanding is that an .AEC Viewer could have also a redlining feature ability, to increase a lot the design feedback value.

Taking into account that it could be able to open .AEC as well as .DC5 files, from Full or LT licenses, I can remember also another two reasons for making it available:

1) The many independent reprographics companies that today requires .DWG format files for making external plotting services;

2) DataCAD customers that needs to deliver drawings to remote locations, where there is no skilled knowledge. It would allow simple features like turning on/off layers, redline changes, may be a soft handling for 3D models, etc.

May be DATACAD LLC could grant it to an external developer which could trade it in some way, splitting into both free & charged versions.

Thanks,
Miguel
#13552 by Steve Baldwin
Tue Sep 05, 2006 3:21 pm
Miguel Palaoro wrote:My understanding is that an .AEC Viewer could have also a redlining feature ability, to increase a lot the design feedback value.

I'd like to see the redlining feature too!
#13559 by Nick Pyner
Wed Sep 06, 2006 7:31 am
Steve Baldwin wrote:
Nick Pyner wrote:If you want the client to look at stuff, Acrobat Reader and/or the o2c plug-in should suffice and both are already free.

I hope the developers of .dwgs viewers for AutoCad files don't start thinking this way.

I would also like to see some sort of free .aec viewer, for those who need/want to view our cad files, as we often do .dwg files.


Funny you should say that. If you really want to send a client a DWG, then they can use Volo Express, or whatever is the current flavour is at Autocrap. This too is a free download, all 25Mb of it, as I recall. It has cloud and text facility. Ironically, the only Volo users I actually know of are all DataCad users, and it has certainly saved the day for me. I believe AutoDesk has some sort of DWF viewer too. DCad exports DWF, but I have never used it.

Personally, I would never insult the client by inflicting CAD files on them. It presupposes they know how DataCad works. Usually, a PDF is all they need, so a PDF is all they get. What PDF doesn't deliver, o2c does.

I have no compunction about sending CAD files to consultants, of course, but they don't need a free viewer, they have AutoCad, or in one case, DCad.
#13566 by joshhuggins
Wed Sep 06, 2006 10:34 am
Nick Pyner wrote:I have no compunction about sending CAD files to consultants, of course, but they don't need a free viewer, they have AutoCad, or in one case, DCad.
Not all consultants have a CAD application and a free viewer would suite them just fine.
#13571 by joshhuggins
Wed Sep 06, 2006 1:31 pm
It would be nice not having to export to PDF. AEC's smaller size than sending multiple PDFs, to get them a complete plan (right now mine are getting up to 50+ MBs which can't be emailed to most). Could maybe allow for individual O2C selection for viewing. Maybe some of measure tools could be used so they can measure to scale? Being able to view a model in 3D space, especially with Datacad's future plans. Maybe allow for different pen tables to be loaded? GTV/MSP support. I'm sure only the basics would be included, as to not compete with LT, but that could be left up to whoever programmed it :wink:
#13579 by Nick Pyner
Wed Sep 06, 2006 8:13 pm
joshhuggins wrote:It would be nice not having to export to PDF. AEC's smaller size than sending multiple PDFs, to get them a complete plan (right now mine are getting up to 50+ MBs which can't be emailed to most). Could maybe allow for individual O2C selection for viewing. Maybe some of measure tools could be used so they can measure to scale? Being able to view a model in 3D space, especially with Datacad's future plans. Maybe allow for different pen tables to be loaded? GTV/MSP support.


Measuring? GTVs? MSPs? Pen tables?
Sounds suspiciously like a CAD programme to me, and if the recpient hasn't already got one, I assume there is good reason and they aren't going to welcome the likes of this. BTW you forgot the comprehensive training manual. Don't think they won't need one. There are enuff people on this very forum who have strife in these areas, and they're architects who have already got DataCad.

I don't know how you are going to handle the 50Mb+ files. Being a bit more selective about what you send might help but if they really need all your stuff then the project is so big that they should be happy, able, and able to afford, to receive it.
#13582 by Steve Baldwin
Thu Sep 07, 2006 8:24 am
Nick Pyner wrote:Personally, I would never insult the client by inflicting CAD files on them. It presupposes they know how DataCad works.

Good Point.

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