paraCAD+ - Full Details
paraCAD+ is a powerful 2D Computer Aided Design system, simple to use but having
the major benefits of interactive parametrics, tailorability, high-level programming
language and functionality found only in CAD software costing far more.
Familiar User Interface
Developed for Windows 95, 98, ME, NT and 2000, paraCAD+ uses the standard user interface
associated with the Windows environment, making it intuitive to use and easy to
learn. As you would expect from Windows based software, paraCAD+ allows the user
to edit multiple drawings simultaneously and to cut and paste between them. Therefore,
within paraCAD+, several drawings can be opened at the same time allowing information
to be obtained from one drawing and used in another.
A Working Environment Designed For Productivity
Built into paraCAD+ is an intelligence not available in other systems. paraCAD+
understands drawing units, sheet sizes and drawing scale, and allows you to modify
these at any time during the design process automatically updating the drawing.
This intelligence also offers the designer many benefits and time saving features,
such as : being able to toggle between units when entering values for distances
and angles; symbols drawn in one type of drawing units (e.g. inches) are automatically
scaled correctly when inserted into drawings set to other units (e.g. mm); dimensioning
on a drawing can be automatically converted between drawing units simply with the
selection of one menu item.
Another unique feature in paraCAD+ is the ability to create text styles with a height
defined in paper units. By using this feature you are setting the height of the
text when the drawing is printed and, regardless of how the sheet size or scale
are changed, the printed text height will remain the same. This, along with the
ability to globally update the features of text on a drawing simply by modifying
the style, gives you complete control over the printed output.
Drawing Tools To Ease The Design Process
paraCAD+ contains an unparalleled number of circular and linear construction and
projection routines allowing easy construction of complex geometry. Construction
entities can be forced to a separate construction layer if required and this layer,
like any of the unlimited number of layers in paraCAD+, can not only be made visible
or not, but can be set as not plottable. This allows you to include information
or geometry on the drawing that will be displayed on the screen, but will never
appear when the drawing is plotted.
The efficiency with which paraCAD+ can produce accurate geometry is further enhanced
by the
numerous snaps and snap toggles. The snaps, which are contained on a dockable
toolbar, cover all combinations of possible geometric points you would need to snap
to. These can be used in combination with the snap toggles to allow you to draw
relative or at a bearing from a snapable point, making it very easy to draw with
reference to existing geometry. When prompting for values, paraCAD+ will allow you
to enter a calculation, the result of which is used by the command, thus making
it even quicker to produce the required geometry.
Editing Made Simple
The advanced editing tools in paraCAD+ provide quick methods of modifying drawings.
Again the tools provided by paraCAD+ are designed to make the software efficient
and easy to use. For example, trimming and extending of entities has been combined
into one command, and the colour, linestyle and layer of entities can be changed
to match those of another entity on the drawing simply by picking the entities.
Various options for filleting, chamfering and breaking of lines are included within
the editing features.
Entity selection is made easy by allowing entities to be added and removed from
the selection using any combination of single entity selection, window and crossing
box, and these selection sets can be manipulated, deleted, copied, etc. As a final
safeguard, the Undo / Redo commands within the system allow unwanted changes to
be quickly reversed.
Text and Dimensions To Cater For All Your Needs
The dimensioning in paraCAD+ is both flexible and comprehensive. Various types of
dimensions are available for normal, toleranced, limits and fits, dual units, etc.
simply by selecting the required option in the dimension text dialogue box. At this
point additional features for diameter symbol, true position box, scaling, etc.
can be included with the dimension simply by checking the appropriate box on the
dialogue. If, at a later date, you require to change the dimension paraCAD+ will
return you to the same dialogue box where all the features of the dimension can
be modified.
As well as the True Type fonts and multi-line text insertion and editing included
in paraCAD+, a separate Notes View is selectable on the menu which will open a Notes
Window attached to the current drawing. This Notes View is a text page stored within
the drawing file and text can be cut and pasted between it and other Windows applications,
or the text insertion dialogue. The Notes View has obvious uses for the storage
of issue notes and information relating to the drawing that you do not want to appear
on the drawing itself.
Parametrics Have Never Been Easier
The intelligence in paraCAD+ also gives the product full associativity, with hatching
and dimensions updating automatically as the drawing is modified. This associativity
is the basis for the powerful parametric capabilities of paraCAD+, with the same
drawing and construction methods being employed when creating parametric drawings
as are used for normal drawings. Simply by defining the required parameters and
selecting the associativity toggle, parametric drawings can be created using normal
drawing methods.
These parametric drawings can be called into other drawings and you will be prompted
for new values for the parameters, and the symbol will be drawn to the new sizes.
Modifying parametric symbols on a drawing is even easier, simply by changing one
or more of its parameters the symbol will be automatically re-drawn to the updated
sizes. There is no limit to the complexity of a parametric detail, it can be as
simple as a variable size slot or as complex as a fully dimensioned assembly drawing
containing several levels of nested parametric details.
The ability to quickly modify drawings and parametrics means that design options
can be investigated with ease.
Customisation - You're In Complete Control
In addition to its powerful built in features, paraCAD+ has been designed so it
can be easily customised to users' specific requirements. Tailoring of the system,
like the rest of paraCAD+ is designed to be quick and easy. Menu and Dialogue definition
files are simple text files that can be edited using Windows Notepad or similar,
and the icons in the system are part of larger Bitmap files which can be modified
using Paintbrush. You can define your own command abbreviations simply by editing
the menu file, or you can add your own objects or commands to the system using the
CPL programming language.
With the CPL language you have access to the heart of paraCAD+ and the drawing database.
With support for Dynamic Data Exchange (DDE) or OLE Automation, paraCAD+ can link
to other Windows based software such as databases and spread sheets. This gives
paraCAD+ the power to share data with these and other packages written in Visual
Basic or Visual C++. With these features paraCAD+ can be customised to almost any
application area.
Mechanical Symbols
Mechanical Engineering drawings are so much easier using paraCAD+. The system is
packed with powerful parametric symbols for all types of engineering components
and shapes. The bolt assembly function is a good example of this allowing you to
select the nut and bolt assembly of your choice.
Not only do you have control over the key dimensions but a wide variety of bolt
heads, washers and nut types are supported. E.g. Bolt heads: - Carriage, Hex, Square,
Countersunk, Cheesehead, Allen key, Slot, Mushroom & Pan. Washer: - Plain, Spring
& Lock. Nut: - Hex, Slot, Lock, Nylon insert, Hank, Knurled & Castle. The
fastening gap dimension may be set or picked by means of two points on the drawing.
Hole details can be added to drawings in an instant, with an easy to use dialog
box, you just enter the required sizes, then pick the hole type, elevation and linetype.
Additional hole details can be found under the holes tab on the miscellaneous symbol
dialog box.
Drawing Gears couldn't be easier. Enter the gear module, number of teeth and other
dimensional information. The gear detail is then ready to position on your drawing
in seconds. No need for any calculations or laborious geometry construction.
Drawing a Bearing is just as simple. Enter your sizes and pick from the wide range
of bearing types; - Ball, Ball (self aligning), Angular contact, Angular contact
(double inner race), Roller (various), Thrust.
paraCAD+ is packed with a wide variety of parametric symbols and is sure to contain
something to speed up your design process . For example: - Iso-metric Nuts, Slots,
Keyways, Grooves, Threads, 'O' Rings, Pins, and more.
Build up shafts quickly and easily with the paraCAD+ Shaft Designer. The diameter(s)
of each individual section can be entered and the start and end feature selected from the list of chamfers, fillets and undercuts.
Additional Symbols
In addtion to the mechanical symbols paraCAD+ also contains a comprehensive selection
of Electrical, Hydraulic, Pneumatic and Process symbols.