Articles and Press Releases

IntelliCAD has always — since its first release twenty years ago — been based on technology that is now governed and advanced by the Open Design Alliance (ODA). In the beginning the focus was on .dwg, but over the years, both technologies have seemed to outgrow their initial aim on replicating the .dwg file format (ODA) and replicating its end-user capabilities (ITC).

This point was not necessarily highlighted in Prague, but the link between ITC and ODA technology was mentioned throughout the conference with the nonchalant transparency that is commonplace among the IntelliCAD community.

• IntelliCAD — Uses the latest ODA libraries.
• BIM — Attach Autodesk® Revit® files as underlays, based on the ODA BIM component. 
• Mobile — Based on ODA libraries. 
• Walls, windows, doors, slabs — Draw and edit architectural entities (new in IntelliCAD 9), based on the ODA Architecture component. 
• Smart meshes — Draw and edit lightweight 3D meshes (new in IntelliCAD 9), based on the ODA Facet Modeler. 
• Custom objects — Work with custom architecture, civil, and mechanical objects, based on ODA Architecture, Civil, and Mechanical components.

The ITC employs many components of ODA technology (including ODA source code), then customizes that technology according to the needs of their members. And that's exactly what ITC members do: they employ many components of ITC technology (including ITC source code), then customize that technology according to the needs of their end-users. It's a consistent business model from start to finish.

One big change in the last twenty years since IntelliCAD was first released is use of Building Information Modeling (BIM) drawings, which usually contain 3D models of buildings that can be used for visualization, design, analysis, and to generate building construction documents.

At IntelliCAD World 2018 we learned which BIM files IntelliCAD works with and what you can do with them:

• RVT/RFA format — Drawing and family files from Autodesk® Revit®. Attach these files as underlays in IntelliCAD, then control visibility of floors and categories, snap to entities, and explode the underlay into primitives and meshes.
• IFC format — Drawing files in the IFC (Industry Foundation Classes) format. Attach these files as underlays too, or import them in IntelliCAD to retain entities and convert construction and architectural entities to AEC entities.

There was a lot of talk about BIM at the conference. Some ITC members are attaching BIM underlays, exploding them, then retracing primitives to get walls and other building elements as data for their custom applications. More members are interested in the BIM Special Interest Group, and with more collaboration, development will advance at a faster pace. Members want access to BIM files, and like all things IntelliCAD, members drive the development direction.

For more details about the ITC and BIM:

• Website >>
• Highlight video >>

Interested in green building and design? Take a look at AECbytes Magazine for a case study of using 4M FINEGreen. 

FINEGreen combines BIM power with the user friendliness of a 3D building interface and the reliability and accuracy of the EnergyPlus calculation engine. 

4M, a member of the ITC, develops FINEGreen. More details >>

IntelliCAD has turned up again — this time interfacing with Australia's benchmark software for house energy ratings.

4M is a member of the ITC and develops, among other products, Fine4Rate. Fine4Rate is a BIM graphical interface to energy rating engines and is based on the IntelliCAD engine.

4M Australia customized Fine4Rate to interface with the NatHERS thermal comfort modeling environment to support energy assessors who are users of the AccuRate Sustainability Software. Training announced at Education in Building. 

Want to learn more?

• Check out 4M Fine4Rate for more product details.
• Check out the success story for details about how 4M benefits from and uses the IntelliCAD engine in their BIM technologies.

Entrepreneurial solutions from entrepreneurs. It was the morning of the last day at IntelliCAD World when four ITC members presented their IntelliCAD solutions and highlights of why they were members of the consortium. 

David Carlson, Carlson Software

Carlson Software has been in the CAD business since the 80s and delivers products in the civil, mining, GIS, construction, survey, data collection, and machine control markets. In Auckland, we saw a demo of working with 3D contours: overburden, elevations, fence diagrams, ground, strata.

When Carlson joined the ITC in 2007, in under a year they released their same software that ran with Autodesk® AutoCAD® to run with IntelliCAD too. Now Carlson's products come with IntelliCAD built-in at no extra cost, and users decide whether to purchase a seat of AutoCAD. The ability to choose matters.

We also learned that Carlson is a big contributor to LandXML, where they contributed a free 3D LandXML viewer and upgrade tools. LandXML is an open data standard used within the land development industry. Open standards also matter.

Go Carlson Software >>

Bill Wright, Wrightsoft

Wrightsoft has also been in the CAD business since the 80s when it started out with no venture capital. Seeing a need back then for better heating, ventilation, and air conditioning design, they continue to deliver HVAC planning, design, sales, and installation software for the desktop and now for tablet and mobile.

Wrightsoft has solutions based on their own CAD editor and another line that's based on IntelliCAD, which we saw in action: load meters, diameters and sizes, data extraction, and automatic calculations on-the-go when you change anything in a room or building.

And then there's BIM. With Wrightsoft and IntelliCAD, you can auto-trace a BIM .rvt file to automatically generate smart objects and make calculations. It's a great example of what members are doing with the beta version libraries for reading and writing BIM .rvt files.

Wrightsoft has also changed the way HVAC gets done. They were an original partner with the Air Conditioning Contractors of America (ACCA) to define HVAC standards that continue to be used today. Market disruption matters. Standards matter. 

Go Wrightsoft >>

Brian Sloman, MicroSurvey 

MicroSurvey has been in business for 30 years. They joined the ITC in 2005 and ported their code base to IntelliCAD 6. They build vertical solutions on top of IntelliCAD for survey design and mapping, mining, and the public safety sector. 

At IntelliCAD World we saw a demo of IMS Map360 that runs with IntelliCAD. It can import data from manual measurements (think tape measures which are still very common), survey equipment, laser scanners, terrestrial (tripods), and cameras mounted on vehicles, drones, and backpacks. Output includes sketches and reports that are often used during court hearings to prove facts. There's heavy use of point clouds (even animated), architectural objects, trajectory rods (cones of uncertainty), and Trimble SketchUp symbols. 

With all of this technology, the design for public safety products has to be simple and easy to use. Their end-users aren't CAD from the CAD world and shouldn't need to be in order to get all the precision of CAD. Good design matters.

Go MicroSurvey >>

Mark Taylor, FRAMECAD

FRAMECAD has been in business since 1987 and joined the ITC in 2011. They develop the FRAMECAD System — software and hardware that designs and builds efficient, strong, and durable steel framed buildings.

A few days before at the start of the conference, we were at the FRAMECAD site to see a live demo of the IntelliCAD-based software at work. And then the machine was at work, taking in steel and outputting braces for a wall, all within a couple of minutes.

Back at the conference, we learned that BIM is really important for FRAMECAD moving forward: reading in drawings that contain all the data they need in a "fast, easy, friendly" way. But it's more than that: BIM has the power to move from planning and drawing in a silo to planning and drawing in collaboration. And collaboration is key from the FRAMECAD perspective to build faster and with fewer mistakes when all the various players show up to the construction site. Collaboration matters. 

Go FRAMECAD >>

IntelliCAD comes with so many APIs that it was a good idea to review them at the 2017 conference in Auckland. 

In addition to the APIs that most ITC members already know about (scripts, LISP, SDS/ADS, .NET, .NET Classic, IRX), there's also:

• DGN API 
• Architecture API 
• Civil API 
• Mechanical API 
• Facet Modeler API 
• RVT/RFA BIM API (BIM special interest group) 
• IFC BIM API (ITC BIM special interest group) 

We saw live demos of IntelliCAD sample apps to see what you can do with some of these APIs. The Architecture API has an interface that allows you to extend IntelliCAD quickly to create windows, walls, stairs, and doors without complex coding. And the Mechanical API, which will be available in IntelliCAD 9, also lets you extend IntelliCAD but to create mechanical objects while instantly providing support for viewing and printing them.

• BIM APIs were discussed here
• DGN API was discussed here

The ITC has been careful to avoid using any APIs to create custom objects so we don’t compete with our member’s vertical solutions." – At the API demo session

It didn't take long to get talking about BIM at IntelliCAD World here in Auckland, New Zealand. First we heard from the lead developer at the ODA about the Teigha BIM libraries. Then we heard from the head of development at the ITC about what you can do now with BIM files in IntelliCAD.

There are two Special Interest Groups at the ITC charged with developing technology for BIM files. One is for .rvt/.rfa files and the other is for .ifc files. 

We saw a live demo of attaching an .ifc BIM file as an underlay to a .dwg file. You can change the visibility of layers in the underlay, and you can even explode it among other things. Coming soon in IntelliCAD 9 is the ability to attach an .rvt/.rfa BIM file as an underlay. 

Then someone in the audience asked, "Wait. Can AutoCAD do that?" A pause. "Have dwg and Revit talk to one another?"

The answer: No. It can't do that. 

When deciding on a BIM tool for your company, you might want to check out a report by Wise Guy Reports that ranks BIM software vendors. ITC member, 4M S.A., and its BIM offerings rank high in the report. 

• Check out the rankings >>
• Learn how 4M benefits from ITC membership >>
• See more about 4M >>

FRAMECAD Structure 8.1.8 includes new features and the latest in design code compatibility: a new wind pressure input option (in addition to the current wind speed option), viewing structure designs in an enhanced 3D mode using VRML export, truss model export now includes an SAP2000 model, and more.

For more release details, see the FRAMECAD Blog and the product page.

Based on IntelliCAD, FRAMECAD Structure is a detailing and design package for computer-aided engineering and BIM.

For more details about how FRAMECAD benefits from ITC membership, see the Case Study.

FineGREEN by 4M is a new energy simulation environment based on the EnergyPlus (e+) engine, the power of BIM, and the IntelliCAD engine. FineGREEN embeds the latest version of EnergyPlus to provide the best energy-efficient building design solutions and embeds the IntelliCAD engine to provide the best in CAD.

For more details about FineGREEN:

• http://4msa.com/FineGreenENG.html
• http://www.buildingenergysoftwaretools.com/softwa…/finegreen

To learn more about how 4M benefits from ITC membership, go to https://www.intellicad.org/4m-case-study.