Chapter # User Interface

Getting Started

This section covers what you should know before and during TurboCAD installation, and fundamental concepts of using files, including import / export and page setup.

System Requirements

+++---Requirements---++++++---System+requirements---+++Minimum System Requirements:

Pentium® IV Processor; Microsoft ® Windows® XP with 512 MB RAM; Windows Vista or Windows 7 with 1024 MB RAM; 300 MB of free hard disk space; 64+ MB of swap space; Super VGA (1024 x 768) display; High Color (16 bit) graphics support; 4X DVD-ROM drive.

Recommended:

Your experience with TurboCAD will be greatly enhanced with a newer generation, higher speed CPU, 2-4 GB RAM, and larger display resolution. An optional GPU-accelerated wireframe render mode requires a supported graphic accelerator. The latest video drivers are typically required. Newer boards with more power and VRAM generally provide greater performance. The following are recommended: NVIDIA® Quadro FX 1000 & up • NVIDIA® GeForce FX & up • NVIDIA® GeForce 6, 7, 8 & up • AMD-ATI Radeon 9500 & up • AMD-ATI Radeon X, HD 2000, 3000, 4000 • AMD-ATI FireGL X • AMD-ATI FireGL V 3000 & up • INTEL® Integrated graphics series: GMA 3000 & GMA X3000.

Installing TurboCAD

+++---Uninstalling---++++++---Installing---+++To install TurboCAD, insert the CD into your CD-ROM. If the installation process does not start automatically, select Start / Run from the Windows taskbar and type D:\setup.exe (where D is the drive letter of the CD-ROM).

After you have installed TurboCAD, the Setup program creates a program folder. If you choose the default settings, TurboCAD is installed in the C:\Program Files\IMSI Design\TCWP17 folder (or TCW17 for Deluxe). This folder contains several subfolders that contain TurboCAD program files and related files such as templates, sample drawings, and symbols.

The Setup program also creates a program group containing the TurboCAD application icon, as well as shortcuts to the Help and the Readme file.

The program group is accessed through the Start menu.

Before you start the program, please read the Readme file, which contains the latest information on TurboCAD.

To remove TurboCAD from your computer:

In Windows, select Start / Settings / Control Panel.
Double-click Add/Remove Programs.
Select TurboCAD from the list.
Click Add/Remove and follow the instructions on the screen.

Registration

+++---Registering---+++If you do not have Internet access, please call 800-833-8082 to register. Becoming a TurboCAD registered user has many advantages, including technical support, access to extensive online support databases, and program updates.

Importing and Exporting Files

+++---Converting+files---++++++---Exporting+Files---++++++---Importing+Files---+++22You can import and export data from other TurboCAD formats, as well as formats of other CAD systems.

To import from another file type:

Select File / Open or Ctrl+O.

Under Files of type, select the format you want to import.
If you want to specify conversion parameters, click Setup.
Browse to the file, and double-click it or click Open.

To export to another file type:

Select File / Save As.

Under Save as type, select the format to which you want to export.
If you want to specify conversion parameters, click Setup.
Browse to the folder and assign a file name.

To import or export only certain components of a file, use File / Extract From or Extract To. For example, you can choose to import a drawing’s layers and blocks, or export only print styles.

To insert the contents of another file as a block, create an external reference (xref). See .

Batch Conversion

+++---SDK+File+converter---++++++---File+convertor---++++++---Converting+files+Batch---++++++---Batch+converting+files---++++++---Exporting+files+Batch+conversion---++++++---Importing+files+Batch+conversion---+++Available in TurboCAD Pro only

Menu: AddOns / SDK Samples / Tools / File Converter

Note: Display the SDK Samples toolbar by right-clicking in any toolbar area and selecting SDK Samples.

Opens the TurboCAD File Convertor window, in which you can select a source and destination folder for batch conversion. Use the Files of type field to select the conversion format. Click Run to convert all files in the selected folder, and place the converted files in the target folder.

TurboCAD Formats

+++---TurboCAD+Formats---++++++---TurboCAD+Formats---+++There are three TurboCAD file formats, TCW, TCT, and TCX, that you can use for saving vector graphics from within TurboCAD.

TC+++---TCW+files---+++W: (TurboCAD for Windows) - a file format for saving vector graphics from within TurboCAD.

TC+++---TCT+Files---+++T: (TurboCAD Template) - a file format for saving TurboCAD drawings as templates. TurboCAD uses a template for starting a new drawing. You can save any drawing as a template, and this drawing can have specific tool properties or styles defined in it. The template file should be placed in the “Template” folder of the TurboCAD root directory. Then when you want to open the template, use File / New, and select New from Template.

Note: If you need to save a drawing that is to be opened by an earlier version of TurboCAD, you can use Save As and save to one version back i.e. In TurboCAD 15 You can save as TurboCAD 14.

TCW, TCT Import Setup

+++---TCT---++++++---TCW---+++

Re+++---Restore+render+view---+++store render view: Opens the drawing in render mode. The file must have been saved in render mode.

TCW, TCT Export Setup

Compr+++---Compression---+++ession: Saves the file in the TCT compressed format. If the speed of operation is more important than the file size, leave this option disabled.

Fu+++---Full+precision---+++ll Precision: TurboCAD stores your objects with the maximum possible accuracy. Full Precision enables the maximum depth of mathematical calculations performed to generate and save entities. When disabled, entities will be calculated and saved using only to four decimal points of precision. This results in faster execution and smaller files, but may compromise accuracy.

Note: Less than full accuracy can affect the ability of the program to correctly display and edit objects at extremely small scales. Unless you are using a slow machine, and know you do not need extreme accuracy, you should leave Full Precision on.

Save proxy objects: saves ACIS solid and a number of other TurboCAD Pro object with proxies so that TurboCAD Deluxe or Designer can open the file and see representations of objects that are not supported by those applications. Proxies increase the size of the file, but do allow file to open more quickly.

Other CAD Formats

23The following formats can be read by TurboCAD, either for import, export, or both. Some formats have a Setup in which you can set certain parameters for conversion. If you do not specify conversion parameters, the defaults will be used. (If no Setup is indicated, the conversion requires no additional input.)

Note: Some of these formats are available in TurboCAD Pro only.

3D+++---3DS+files---++++++---AutoDesk+3D+Studio+files---+++S: AutoDesk 3D Studio format. See or .

3+++---3DV+files---++++++---VRML+Worlds+files---+++DV: VRML Worlds (import only)

+++---ASAT+file---+++ASAT: ACIS solid modeling file format for storing graphics as ASCII files. See or .

BM+++---BMP+files---+++P: Bitmap format, TurboCAD for Windows (export only). A bitmap is a representation of a graphic image consisting of rows and columns of dots. See .

C+++---CGM+files---+++GM: Computer Graphics Metafile. See .

+++---DAE+file---++++++---Collada+file---+++DAE: Collada files (export only). See .

D+++---DC+files---++++++---DCD+files---++++++---DesignCAD+files---+++C, DCD: DesignCAD (import only)

DG+++---DGN+files---++++++---Intergraph+files---+++N: Intergraph Standard file format. See or .

D+++---DWF+files---++++++---Drawing+Web+format---+++WF: Drawing Web format. See . Import is automatic.

D+++---DWG+files---++++++---AutoCAD+files---+++WG: AutoCAD native format for vector graphics. See or .

DX+++---DXF+files---++++++---Drawing+exchange+files---+++F: Drawing eXchange format, used by AutoCAD to interact with other applications.

E+++---EPS+files---++++++---Post+Script+files---+++PS: Encapsulated Post Script format. See or

F+++---FCD+files---++++++---FastCAD+files---+++CD: FastCAD DOS format (import only)

FC+++---FCW+files---+++W: FastCAD Windows format (import only). See .

GIF: Raster graphic format (export only). See .

G+++---GEO+files---+++EO: VRML Worlds (import only)

I+++---IGS+files---+++GS: IGES format. See .

Note: IGS is a file format for a public domain called IGES which is actually a neutral file format intended as an international standard for the exchange of data between different CAD/CAM systems. IGES is an ANSI standard maintained by the IGES/PDES Organization (IPO), under the direction of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). The National Computer Graphics Association (NCGA) acts as the administrator of the standard.

J+++---JPG+files---+++PG: JPEG image compression standard, full 24-color. TurboCAD for Windows (export only). See .

JPG: JPEG format, SDK sample filter (export only)

M+++---MTX+files---++++++---MetaStream+files---+++TX: MetaStream format. This format enables the creation, delivery, and viewing of scalable 3D graphics. It enables you to view images with Web browsers equipped with 3D plug-in software, and to interact with 3D Web graphics in real time by zooming, panning, or rotating objects within a Web browser. It also scales objects in real time to match the performance of your system. MetaStream compresses 3D geometry and texture information, so that files can be delivered quickly to your machine.

PDF: Portable document format (export only). See .

+++---OBJ+file---+++OBJ: Geometry definition format. See .

P+++---PLT+files---++++++---HPGL+files---++++++---Hewlett-Packard+Graphics+Language+files---+++LT: Hewlett-Packard Graphics Language. See or .

PNG: Raster graphic format (export only). See .

SA+++---SAT+files---++++++---ACIS+files---+++T: ACIS solid modeling file format for storing graphics as ASCII (SAT - Save As Text) files. See or .

SH+++---SHX+files---++++++---Shape+library+files---+++X: Format that saves selected entities as a single shape, that can be used in a line style (export only). This is not the same as *.shx font format. See .

SKP: +++---SketchUp+files---++++++---Google+SketchUp+files---+++Google SketchUp format. See , and see

ST+++---STL+files---++++++---Stereo+Lithography+files---+++L: Stereo Lithograpy format. See .

ST+++---STP+files---+++P, STEP: Step format.

SVG: Web graphic format (export only).

W+++---WMF+files---++++++---Windows+MetaFile---+++MF: Windows MetaFile format, saves graphics as a series of records that correspond to graphics function calls, such as drawing straight lines, curves, filled areas, and text. or

W+++---WRL+files---+++RL: Format for saving graphics as a Virtual Reality Model Language (VRML) description. See .

W+++---WRZ+files---+++RZ: VRML Worlds

XLS: Spreadsheet format (export only)

SKP File Import Setup

+++---SKP---++++++---SKP+File+Import+Setup---+++24

Use “ByLayer” color for entities without material: Assign the SketchUp layer color to any entity that does not have an assigned material.

Import dynamic components: Dynamic block are imported as PPM objects.

SKP File Export Setup

+++---SKP+File+Export+Setup---+++24

SketchUp Version: Specify the version of SketchUp SKP to be used in the file format: 5, 6 or 7.

3DS File Import Setup

+++---3DS---+++25

Load Keyframe Information: Accepts or ignores the keyframe 3DS file data.

3DS File Export Setup

Preserve loaded 3DS materials: Saves unique materials from a 3DS file. If not checked, saves TurboCAD materials.

Save Keyframe: Saves the hierarchical structure of entities in a file. Do not check this option for 3DS files that you want to use as 3DS symbols in TurboCAD.

BMP Export Setup

Output Range: Creates an export file either out of the entire drawing (All) or only the part that is currently in view (View).

Use Render: Available only when Render or Hidden Line mode is active. If checked, the exported image will show the render displayed on the screen.

Size of Rectangle: Sets up the resolution for the exported graphics. By default, these values are 400 x 400 but you can customize the height and width

Maximum resolution: The drawing will be defined by a rectangular matrix of 2000 x 2000 logical pixels. If there is at least one image object, this is set to 1000 x 1000.

Keep View Rectangle Aspect Ratio: Keeps the same ratio of length to width.

Note: You can determine an object’s type by using the Selection Info Palette. See .

CGM Import Setup

+++---CGM---+++25

Choose to open the file either in Model Space or Paper Space.

DAE Export Setup

+++---DAE---+++25

Don’t save materials: Objects colors will remain the same.

Save materials: For objects that have textures, the imported objects will refer to texture graphics in the TurboCAD folders.

Save materials and copy textures: Creates a local copy of texture files into the folder where the exported file is saved.

Disable camera by view: Specifies whether a camera is added to the model (the camera is based on the current view).

Save Blocks: Block are saved as instances within the Collada file.

Save Layers:: Layers are saved in the Collada file.

DGN Import Setup

+++---DGN---+++26

View Number: By default, the view number is 1.

Line Widths: You customize a set of drawing line widths identified by the indexes (0, 1, 2, etc.). To do this, use the two-column Line Width control ,where the Index column provides a reference to a particular line width, and the Width column is a data entry field. You can scale the line width values, using the Width Scale data entry field.

Fonts: As with the drawing line widths, the import file's fonts are indexed. For every index in the Index column, you can select a font from the corresponding drop-down list in the Font column. In addition to the options of the Fonts control, there is the Default Font entry field whose drop-down list lets you select a common font for the ones you haven't changed.

Set Defaults: Instead of customizing the imported file options, you can apply the default settings for the DGN file import. To do this, click Set Defaults.

DGN Export Setup

Version: Choose between Versions 7 and 8.

Default font index to export: The DGN format requires the export file's fonts to be indexed. For every listed font, you can select an index. In addition to the options of the Fonts control, there is the Default Index entry field whose drop-down list lets you select a common index for the fonts you have not changed.

DWF Export Setup

+++---DWF---+++26

Output Format: If Readable is selected, you can later open the exported file to view and/or edit via a text editor.

Skip Invisible Layers: Invisible layers will not be included in the export file. See .

DWF 3D: DWF files of 6.01 format will be created. Files will contain all elements from Model Space, including 3D.

Note: TurboCAD does not support importing from this format. DWF files created with this option can be viewed either in Autodesk DWF Viewer (v6.01 and up), or in other applications that support this format.

DXF (DWG) Import Setup

+++---DWG---++++++---DXF---+++27