PowerCADD plugin developer, Alfred Scott has announced an upgrade to his WildTools 10.6 plugin for PowerCADD. Version 10.6 includes a number of enhancements and bug fixes. Its developer has also removed a number of obsolete features.
A Word About PowerCADD
PowerCADD is a Mac-only 2D CAD system going back to the early days of computer-aided drafting and design (CADD). At one time the system stole the hearts of many architects who were looking for a system that was both easy to use and resembled the ways of working by drawing by hand, insofar as that is possible with a computer system. From the beginning until now it lacked a 3D space to create true three-dimensional imagery, but a talented and enterprising engineer named Alfred Scott came along and created a way to cheat the system and enable users to create compelling three-dimensional images like perspective renderings. WildTools also added other nifty features to PowerCADD over the years and continue to do so.
We last wrote about PowerCADD stuck at version 9 last October when it was announced that formZ developer AutoDesSys, Inc. would be teaming up with PowerCADD developer Engineering Software to develop a next-generation PowerCADD. We are currently working to generate a story on that development but understanding the suggestion that formZ and PowerCADD may work together somehow because they have “joined forces” is likely incorrect. We understand from Alfred Scott that AutoDesSys is more likely to provide software engineering expertise to take PowerCADD to the next level and into the future (likely as a cross-platform application just like formZ is).
Here’s the update on WildTools.
WildTools 10.6
WildTools 10.6 plugin for PowerCADD boasts over 200 powerful tools. These have a common and easily understood interface and are accessible from within PowerCADD.
Wavy Line dialog: one of many tools in WildTools 10.6 plugin for PowerCADD
Developer Alfred Scott tells us:-
“I’m sure you are all aware of the announcement of the collaboration between Engineered Software and PowerCADD and AutoDesSys and FormZ. This is a wonderful development.”
“Ten years ago, working with David Kropp at AutoDesSys we developed the ability to Copy in PowerCADD and Paste in FormZ with the OpenClip format that we worked out, and I’m encouraging and hoping that the ability to Copy in FormZ and Paste in WildTools can be hooked up again. This was working once and the programming is still in PowerCADD and WildTools to handle this, and you can experiment with this capability with the OpenClip Viewer App which you can find at www.openclip.net where all of this is discussed.”
Improvements and bug-fixes include
- Canadian square tube error is fixed.
- Depictions of flat and oval head 3D screws are fixed.
- Drawing of 3D threads has been changed from polygons to Beziers.
- Thicken Tool from WildTools and 3D Thicken Tool in WildTools 3D have been improved.
- Perspective Thicken Tool in PerspectiveTools now produces Beziers from circles, arcs, rotated ellipses, etc.
- The tendency for the Plan Title Tool in Doors & Windows to crash has been fixed.
- The Magic Wand tool is now working as it should and showing which objects will be selected.
- Users can now use the Edit Window repeatedly with a tool.
- The Door tool dialog now draws the wall end lines correctly.
- Gradients are now working properly in Doors & Windows, so the objects placed now look right, and the Tree Gradient tool works as intended.
- The Door tool will operate in metric or imperial sizes. When one selects the Door tool, there is a single button on the button dock, but when your mouse is over the button, it turns into a simple metric or imperial selector.
Removed
A number of obsolete tools have been removed from WildTools 10.6 plugin for PowerCADD. These include WildTool’s classic text tool, which is used to place obsolete text objects in the drawing. DerekTools, MattTools, and SimpleTools have also been removed from this version.
How to upgrade
To get your copy of WildTools 10.6, open PowerCADD, and select ‘WildTools Updates’ from the Help menu. This will take you to a web page for WildTools 10.6. Then click the ‘Download WildTools Development Version’ link.
Alternatively, click here for more information about WildTools.