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.
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.
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.
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.
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 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.
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.
In addtion to the mechanical symbols paraCAD+ also contains a comprehensive selection of Electrical, Hydraulic, Pneumatic and Process symbols.