Re: Life after/beyond PowerCadd?
Posted: Wed May 12, 2021 9:15 pm
Hi Everyone
Like a lot of other users here I am in the 30+ year range of PowerCadd usage. I remember eagerly unwrapping the PowerDraw 4 Boxed Upgrade when it came into the office and was drafting on a tiny mac screen as a summer student.
Trying hard not to be too negative with this long delayed PCadd update ...
I love to draw & I love drawing with Powercadd.
For different reasons, I also love modelling in 3d with Sketchup (as an aside, I seldom use any of the PCadds 3d / Isometric tools any longer).
For other reasons again, I am looking at more powerful CAD packages
The hitch is that I also love getting a new computer and keeping its system secure & up to date (along with all the other software I own) I have a very powerful 27” imac (stalled out at High Sierra just to be able to run Powercadd) and a new m1 mac mini that does run SU Pro 2021(unable to run Powercadd at all)
Things I can’t stand:
I can’t stand software that is not mac-like intuitive.
I really can't stand Trimble’s Layout ( a 2-d cad sheet setup application that ships with SU Pro) While It is less buggy than it used to be, but still not what I would consider a professional level piece of cad software (may be fine for ‘hobby’ level enthusiast) It is painfully slow and has only very rudimentary drafting tools.
For a couple of years now, I have trying to get up to speed with Chief Architect for more efficiently producing residential work construction documents - and still stumped on a lot of the techniques required to get up and over the steep learning curve. I would not call this software package ‘intuitive’ - however it seems contain a lot of powerful programming set up specifically for residential projects and can produce some impressive looking sets for users that understand all its quirks and workaround techniques.
The advantages of deriving 2d drawings from a detailed 3d model are obviously significant.
CA is similar to Sketchup+Layout but CA instead uses parametric-based ‘smart’ objects. The Chief Architect sheet layout mode (also confusingly called Layout) is set up to integrate linked elevations, sections, perspectives etc into a construction set format with automatic numbering, labelling, schedules (all that stuff that is mind-numbing to set up and revise manually). There are hundreds of video tutorials to explain all the various tips, tools, defaults and other settings. Make a change in the model and the drawing set is automatically updated throughout.
I see that others are making an even bigger jump up to Vectorworks - that looks like better software but then again about 2 or 3x the cost of CA. Curious if others have tried the two to be able to offer any comparisons.
I feel that I am not always in need of a full blown BIM program but that seems to be the way of the future now that personal computers are now able to handle that level of complexity. It is quite impressive to be able to generate detailed material take-offs or a produce a wall framing layout in a split second (for example). The key for me is keeping the modelling & detailing process simple, logical and efficient. I could see drawing 2d details in PCadd to import onto CA sheets working well.
To answer your question, Alfred we probably don’t need it to be much more powerful than it already is - at a minimum we just simply want an update for PowerCadd+WT to run ‘as-is’ on current the mac os (including apple silicon machines) so we can all finally upgrade our operating systems, other software and still access our years of project files (& not just rely on an old mac mini sitting in the corner as a repository). We’re tempted to abandon the program for the sole reason that it will not currently work alongside the other software we use daily on our work computers.
I have been using Trimble’s Sketchup Pro more and more (for 20+ years easily) but still hitting serious performance roadblocks with Trimble’s accompanying ‘Pro’ Layout as I mentioned earlier.
I have tried and vowed never again to attempt to complete a full set of drawings using the lame-*ss Trimble Layout with Sketchup (hence the investment in CA). I’ve successfully used LO for a few very small projects but many more times I have abandoned the process and finished off the drawing sets using Powercadd for annotations and dimensioning.
People on the SU Forums have for years been crying out for big time improvements to the 2d cad drafting tools in Layout. If that eventually happens then great - or if PowerCadd can grow to accomplish this more easily, then that would also be great - a lot of us are desperate waiting for some sort of a performance breakthrough one way or another.
So like others in the Forum, I have completed several projects using imported Sketchup files onto PowerCadd sheets and layering dimensions and notes into the final PCadd set. It is possible to do this by placing the imported images as references and updating them as required - still not ideal however and I don’t want to continue using this workaround solution. The Powercadd reference placing method seems pretty ‘old school’ and could perhaps benefit from a ‘rethink’ (?) The multi-step sequence requires exporting an image file from the SU 3d model (updates replacing any previous version), referencing the file onto a Powercadd sheet and rescaling if required, adjusting the SU Model and then re-exporting the image(s) and then updating the reference file in Powercadd … repeating the process as necessary for all linked reference files. A lot of clunky steps but it works.
Alfred, I think you’d mentioned looking into the possibility of bridging Sketchup with PCadd using copy/paste between the programs. Perhaps we could convince you to look into developing a more streamlined process to import SU 3d-model saved views into PCadd (similar to how Layout does with its viewports to control scale and rendering style but directly into the Powercadd drawing instead) that would certainly help breathe some new life into the PCadd/WT software.
I suppose in a perfect world, Trimble would offer to partner up, buy out or licence the PCadd + WT drafting tool approach to fully integrate its 2d and 3d programs within the Sketchup platform umbrella.
In an ‘almost perfect world’, PowerCadd could help fill this void. Simplifying this old fashioned clunky indirect reference technique with live SU viewports instead would really be a big move forward for many of us and might even bring in a lot of new users to Powercadd also fed up with the poor performance of SU’s Layout.
Anyway - sorry for the long rant but you did ask what else we wanted (!)
Dave F
Like a lot of other users here I am in the 30+ year range of PowerCadd usage. I remember eagerly unwrapping the PowerDraw 4 Boxed Upgrade when it came into the office and was drafting on a tiny mac screen as a summer student.
Trying hard not to be too negative with this long delayed PCadd update ...
I love to draw & I love drawing with Powercadd.
For different reasons, I also love modelling in 3d with Sketchup (as an aside, I seldom use any of the PCadds 3d / Isometric tools any longer).
For other reasons again, I am looking at more powerful CAD packages
The hitch is that I also love getting a new computer and keeping its system secure & up to date (along with all the other software I own) I have a very powerful 27” imac (stalled out at High Sierra just to be able to run Powercadd) and a new m1 mac mini that does run SU Pro 2021(unable to run Powercadd at all)
Things I can’t stand:
I can’t stand software that is not mac-like intuitive.
I really can't stand Trimble’s Layout ( a 2-d cad sheet setup application that ships with SU Pro) While It is less buggy than it used to be, but still not what I would consider a professional level piece of cad software (may be fine for ‘hobby’ level enthusiast) It is painfully slow and has only very rudimentary drafting tools.
For a couple of years now, I have trying to get up to speed with Chief Architect for more efficiently producing residential work construction documents - and still stumped on a lot of the techniques required to get up and over the steep learning curve. I would not call this software package ‘intuitive’ - however it seems contain a lot of powerful programming set up specifically for residential projects and can produce some impressive looking sets for users that understand all its quirks and workaround techniques.
The advantages of deriving 2d drawings from a detailed 3d model are obviously significant.
CA is similar to Sketchup+Layout but CA instead uses parametric-based ‘smart’ objects. The Chief Architect sheet layout mode (also confusingly called Layout) is set up to integrate linked elevations, sections, perspectives etc into a construction set format with automatic numbering, labelling, schedules (all that stuff that is mind-numbing to set up and revise manually). There are hundreds of video tutorials to explain all the various tips, tools, defaults and other settings. Make a change in the model and the drawing set is automatically updated throughout.
I see that others are making an even bigger jump up to Vectorworks - that looks like better software but then again about 2 or 3x the cost of CA. Curious if others have tried the two to be able to offer any comparisons.
I feel that I am not always in need of a full blown BIM program but that seems to be the way of the future now that personal computers are now able to handle that level of complexity. It is quite impressive to be able to generate detailed material take-offs or a produce a wall framing layout in a split second (for example). The key for me is keeping the modelling & detailing process simple, logical and efficient. I could see drawing 2d details in PCadd to import onto CA sheets working well.
To answer your question, Alfred we probably don’t need it to be much more powerful than it already is - at a minimum we just simply want an update for PowerCadd+WT to run ‘as-is’ on current the mac os (including apple silicon machines) so we can all finally upgrade our operating systems, other software and still access our years of project files (& not just rely on an old mac mini sitting in the corner as a repository). We’re tempted to abandon the program for the sole reason that it will not currently work alongside the other software we use daily on our work computers.
I have been using Trimble’s Sketchup Pro more and more (for 20+ years easily) but still hitting serious performance roadblocks with Trimble’s accompanying ‘Pro’ Layout as I mentioned earlier.
I have tried and vowed never again to attempt to complete a full set of drawings using the lame-*ss Trimble Layout with Sketchup (hence the investment in CA). I’ve successfully used LO for a few very small projects but many more times I have abandoned the process and finished off the drawing sets using Powercadd for annotations and dimensioning.
People on the SU Forums have for years been crying out for big time improvements to the 2d cad drafting tools in Layout. If that eventually happens then great - or if PowerCadd can grow to accomplish this more easily, then that would also be great - a lot of us are desperate waiting for some sort of a performance breakthrough one way or another.
So like others in the Forum, I have completed several projects using imported Sketchup files onto PowerCadd sheets and layering dimensions and notes into the final PCadd set. It is possible to do this by placing the imported images as references and updating them as required - still not ideal however and I don’t want to continue using this workaround solution. The Powercadd reference placing method seems pretty ‘old school’ and could perhaps benefit from a ‘rethink’ (?) The multi-step sequence requires exporting an image file from the SU 3d model (updates replacing any previous version), referencing the file onto a Powercadd sheet and rescaling if required, adjusting the SU Model and then re-exporting the image(s) and then updating the reference file in Powercadd … repeating the process as necessary for all linked reference files. A lot of clunky steps but it works.
Alfred, I think you’d mentioned looking into the possibility of bridging Sketchup with PCadd using copy/paste between the programs. Perhaps we could convince you to look into developing a more streamlined process to import SU 3d-model saved views into PCadd (similar to how Layout does with its viewports to control scale and rendering style but directly into the Powercadd drawing instead) that would certainly help breathe some new life into the PCadd/WT software.
I suppose in a perfect world, Trimble would offer to partner up, buy out or licence the PCadd + WT drafting tool approach to fully integrate its 2d and 3d programs within the Sketchup platform umbrella.
In an ‘almost perfect world’, PowerCadd could help fill this void. Simplifying this old fashioned clunky indirect reference technique with live SU viewports instead would really be a big move forward for many of us and might even bring in a lot of new users to Powercadd also fed up with the poor performance of SU’s Layout.
Anyway - sorry for the long rant but you did ask what else we wanted (!)
Dave F