Visual CADD™ v6 Features

	Visual CADD™ v6 Overview - Read about the features which make Visual CADD™ so easy to learn and powerful to use.
	Visual CADD™ Screenshot - See the Visual CADD™ application window and user interface.

The list below describes new features in Visual CADD™ v6.  Click on the thumbnail at right to open a larger image that will give you a better idea of what v6 looks like.  It shows several of the features that are described on this page, including the new Image command, Skew command, enhancements to Reference Frames, new Layer commands and improvements to the Layer Manager dialog and Layer Group Interface.

What's New in v6

• AutoPan command with the middle mouse button.  The AutoPan option lets you hold down the scroll wheel button and drag the drawing around on the screen (it is also a native command with the keyboard shortcut AA, repeatable by pressing the spacebar).
• DWG/DXF import/export now supports newer formats.  You can import files up to DWG 2012 in Visual CADD™ v6.  And export to 6 different DWG versions including 2012.
• All files not in the Visual CADD™ (vcd) format are now opened and saved via Import/Export menus.  To save a file in one of the different CADD formats supported by Visual CADD™ such as AutoCAD or Generic CADD, use the File>Export>CADD Files menu item.  To import a file, use the File>Import>CADD Files menu item.  Note that both are a new v6 feature.  In previous versions, AutoCAD and Generic CADD files were opened and saved from the FileOpen and FileSave menu item.
• Insert Graphic images into Visual CADD™ v6.  GIF, BMP, JPEG, TIFF, and other raster files can be added to Visual CADD™ via the IMAGE command on the Draw menu.  They can be moved, scaled, copied etc after they are placed in the drawing.  Images can be either embedded or linked to the drawing.
• XML Files are an important new feature in Visual CADD™ v6.  You can now import and export XML data files.  They offer powerful new options for manipulating data in v6.  XML files are also now the default file type for Customizing VCADD files.
• There are new Features for commands on the Print menu.  The Print dialog has been revised to make it easier to select a different printer or page size.  And you can now add a Watermark to a print (as well as a PDF), and in both cases select the density of the watermark to make it darker or lighter under the objects in your drawing.  A new Save All (FL) command lets you save all open drawings.
• Reference Frames have improved features.  Reference frames can now be self referencing.  You can create a reference frame in a drawing file and include parts of the same drawing inside the reference frame.  Reference Frames can now have an ellipse rather than rectangular border.
• The Settings dialog has a new look that better defines which settings are global and which are drawing specific.  Some Visual CADD™ settings apply to all drawings open in the program (the cursor size is one example), while others are saved with each drawing and are specific to that file.  The new dialog better defines the difference between Global and Drawing specific settings.
• New Settings dialogs for Leader Text, Symbols and Font Manager.  The additional dialogs make it easier to manage these settings.  Leader Text shows new text alignment options.  Symbol dialog organizes symbol and attribute settings in one place.  And the new Font Manager allows you to list only certain combinations of fonts, and has features for font substitution.
• Enhanced Assign Script dialog with new features.  The dialog now has separate tabs for Scripts, Custom Shortcuts and Custom Commands.  You can change keyboard shortcuts for Native commands in the interface, without having to edit a separate file.  And you can now add bitmap location for Custom Commands without having to edit a separate file.
• Bearing Tools removed (they will still be available in our toolkit addon).  Visual CADD™ now supports these former tools internally but with more useful options.  Polar input is simplified.  All the old Bearings settings commands are available on the Numeric dialog.  The new Multiple Dimension command replaces the Bearing Label command.  The next few entries below will expand on this.

More New Features

• Enhanced polar coordinate entry now recognizes polar input without needing to use a comma, and also surveyor input without the less-than symbol.  Inputs of "1,<45", "1<45", "1,<N45W", "1,N45W" and "1<N45W" all now work for polar input.
• On the Angular Options dropdown on the Numeric dialog you now have several new choices including Surveyor.  Coupled with the ability to set base angle as described below and new input features mentioned above, it opens up new options for quickly creating site and plot plans and other types of drawings.
• New Base Angle setting on Numeric tab is saved with each drawing.  The default setting of 0 degrees at 3 o'clock can be changed to any angle, and the coordinates in the status bar will reflect this.  Replaces and enhances the old Bearing Settings dialog.
• Multiple Dimension (MM) command added to quickly add linear dimensions to selected objects.  Replaces the old Bearing Labels command.
• PDF Export command now supports an option to save individual Layers when creating the PDF.  Many PDF Reader will support individual layers.
• SaveAll command on File menu saves all open drawings.
• MultiLine is a new entity type in v6.  This means that rather than a series of single lines, multiline is placed as a single object.  Editing a multiline affects all line segments.  If you prefer the older placement of a series of single lines this is still an option.
• Added .gif file format to the existing Image Export command.
• New Skew (KW) command to modify objects.  Very useful with rectangles and polygons to quickly change their shape.  Located on the Modify menu.
• Select Modified (SU) command selects new objects created by the copy commands.
• File Compression option to reduce the size of the Visual CADD™ file (Files using this option are not backward compatible).
• File Encryption option for password protection of a Visual CADD™ file (Files using this option are not backward compatible).
• New Run Macro command to support the Macro language, which has much more power and flexibility than the current scripting feature.  There are several examples in the Macros folder.
• Customizable files (menus, toolbars etc) are now in the XML format.  This provides a structured file with tags that will make it easier to understand each line in the file.  The older TXT files showed a value but with no reference to what it was.
• Version 6 has a new Configuration Editor to create or edit customizable XML files.  If you have an alternate editor you wish to use, there is also a new command to set a different configuration editor.
• Hatches now have individual properties.  Previously you could set a color while placing a hatch, and change the layer and/or color when editing a hatch.  Now you can control layer, color, linetype and linewidth both when placing or editing a hatch.
• Leader parts now feature individual properties.  For example, you can set different color, linetype or width for arrows, lines and text.
• Text now has individual properties.  Previously you could set a text layer and a color.  Now you can also specify a linetype and lineweight.
• Tab stops for text and also for leaders.
• Leader shoulders and text can now be set to any angle.
• Leader text now has several options for a border around it.
• New setting for Radial Dimensions for alternate arrow location on far side of object.
• New options for the display of dimension text strings containing both distance and angle.
• Added $PI(), $ACS() (acos) and $ASN() (asin) math functions to the input parsing.