| IntelliCAD is a landmark product for
the technical design and drawing community. For
the first time, a very capable CAD package has hit the streets for less than US$500,
undercutting its main competitor by a vast margin!
I sometimes wonder how developers summon the energy to create and market products in
the face of the seemingly overwhelming domination of the market by AutoCAD. Yet there are
a number of quite powerful CAD products available.
Some carve out a niche with a vertical market such as architecture, home building,
mechanical engineering or GIS. Some serve regional markets. Each is an island in a sea of
technology, with its own user and programming interface, and its own file format. Many
claim read/write compatibility with common file formats like Autodesk's DWG and Bentley's
DGN. Success varies and comes with limitations. In the sub-$1000 range there seems little
room for inspired innovation.
IntelliCAD comes to market from an entirely different direction to most CAD packages.
It is aimed squarely at the AutoCAD user rather than providing incidental AutoCAD support
in some areas. Visio acquired the IntelliCAD technology with its remarkable level of
AutoCAD compatibility and a swag of innovation to boot. It is now cranking the successful
Visio high volume/low price point marketing model into gear with the very powerful
IntelliCAD package.
No single factor in the IntelliCAD formula is earth-shattering. But the combination and
timing gives IntelliCAD a unique quality and makes it worthy of landmark status.
AutoCAD Compatibility
There’s no secret in the fact that
IntelliCAD plays the AutoCAD tune loud and long. It’s a major plank in the
promotional platform that will attract users in droves.
- Native support for DWG format (that’s version 2.5 through Release 14!)
- AutoLISP support
- AutoCAD Development System support
- MNU, SCR, PGP, DCL support
- Command line and command set
I’ve toyed with both preview beta versions and nothing else comes this close to
working with AutoCAD. There are some problems in the betas - as you would expect - the
final cut is the one that really matters. The betas do give a taste of what to look
forward to however. Some of IntelliCAD's unique features of like on-the-fly alias
customization and multiple document interface stack up very favorably indeed.
AutoCAD-trained users will be able to move between AutoCAD and IntelliCAD without
missing a beat. Conversely IntelliCAD trained users will be able to drive AutoCAD,
although they may miss some of IntelliCAD’s innovations. Staff training is a major
investment for any business deploying high tech systems. Retaining the value of past
training will be a huge benefit to many companies that license IntelliCAD or decide to run an AutoCAD/IntelliCAD shop.
Innovation
In spite of IntelliCAD’s AutoCAD
compatibility, the "AutoCAD clone" tag is a little shortsighted. IntelliCAD has
adopted the features of AutoCAD that will it to fit into existing work systems and used
efficiently by AutoCAD-capable staff. It also brings a number of significant innovations
to the party.
The most significant innovation is probably the multiple drawing interface (MDI) that
allows multiple drawings to be opened in a single instance of IntelliCAD. Users can cut
and paste geometry between drawings. The MDI and Drawing Explorer also work well together.
Being able to copy layers and styles between drawings is just a click-and-drag exercise
On-the-fly customization of menus, aliases and keystrokes is also a facility that you
use more often than you might suppose.
Being able to examine drawing data with the Drawing Explorer is a brilliant innovation
and exposes complex information in a way that is strangely familiar to Windows users.
The low overhead that IntelliCAD demands of hardware means that folks should be able to
stretch a bit more life out of an aging system. Before you get too excited, don't grab
that 386 back off the kids just yet. Visio claims a minimum requirement of 486/66
with 16Mb of RAM and 50 Mb of free hard disk. A CD-ROM drive is required for installation.
Haven’t seen a machine like that for awhile, but I’m sure there are still some
around. It probably will run IntelliCAD too, but let's not tempt fate with the base
configuration. Ever the skeptic, I’ll double Visio's minimum configuration. Let's say
a Pentium 133MHz with 32Mb of RAM and 100Mb of free hard disk. An obsolete spec, but there
are probably a few of these still delivering good service. A machine like this will run
IntelliCAD very well, multiple drawings open, the works.
Distribution channel
Unlike the high cost CAD packages,
IntelliCAD is distributed through regular retail channels, like most other commodity
software. Traditionally the CAD distribution channel is a primary provider of hardware,
systems support, consumables and training. Few retail channels can provide the level of
value-added service that CAD customers used to get in the "olden days". There
are many highly professional and experienced consultants around who will be able to assist
users with support and advice. You will soon be able to find such professionals listed in
the Design Drawing "Professional Services Directory".
What do we want?
Is there rooms for improvement in IntelliCAD?
You bet there is! The users will have plenty to say about that and I think it’s safe
to say that Visio will be listening hard. There’s a bundle of technology that I'd like to see woven into IntelliCAD as soon as possible. Whispers are that a further host of innovative features and more AutoCAD
compatibility additions will probably appear in
the next release, if not before.
How Will CAD Users React?
Licensed AutoCAD users will continue to
use AutoCAD. There is no compelling reason to change. Those involved in AutoCAD
customization and in-house development are likely to grab IntelliCAD for the ease of
development of menus scripts and prototype drawings. It is definitely a winner in that
regard.
The cost of IntelliCAD is far less than the cost of an AutoCAD upgrade, but if
you’ve already forked out several thousand dollars for software it’s unlikely
that you will want to quietly stash it in the closet, just because something else has
arrived. Unless the new product is vastly superior of course. IntelliCAD does have some
superior features that could easily translate into higher efficiency, but not enough to
jettison AutoCAD quite yet.
Unlicensed AutoCAD users will definitely move to IntelliCAD, if the cost of AutoCAD is
the true reason they use unlicensed software. IntelliCAD is an opportunity to get legal
software at the right price without the pain of changing file formats, relearning the
interface and retaining the customization investment made over the years. In a corporate
situation the cost of using unlicensed software far exceeds the short-term savings illegal
software use might provide.
Offices that need more CAD seats, but which are restrained by budget from purchasing
additional AutoCAD licenses should buy IntelliCAD now. They will retain file format
compatibility and maintain office CAD standards using the same prototypes, menus and
AutoLISP routines. They will be able to add additional capacity at lower cost and satisfy
the engineering, finance and IT departments in a single bound. No mean feat.
The bane of using CAD in an engineering consultancy is that while most of your clients
use AutoCAD, they seem to insist on using a range of versions between them. This requires
you to maintain several operational versions in the office. In many offices this is in
contravention of the licensing agreement which requires you to cease using an old version
when it is upgraded. IntelliCAD on the other hand supports all versions of DWG format from
that created with AutoCAD v2.6 through to Release 14. Read in a DWG in any format and
write it out to any other format. (Ed. Be aware that backtracking DWG files may result
in loss or undesirable changes to data)
New recruits to computer aided design will find IntelliCAD a good choice. Not only will
they create documents in widely acceptable format (DWG), the learning effort invested in
IntelliCAD will enable them to move easily between IntelliCAD and AutoCAD where-ever they
happen to be working. The Windows interface makes learning CAD easier than it used to be.
The ACAD/ICAD CAD interface is still a trying one to come to terms with. It requires
training and practice to master. Those who succeed in mastering either of these products
will have done so to their credit through much personal dedication. If you are starting
out with CAD, be sure to budget some face-to-face, hands-on training with an experienced
trainer. It is worth every cent and is a true investment in your business and your career.
We can expect Autodesk and Visio to match each other for features between releases for
awhile. The first release of any software must have bugs that only become apparent with
hard use. IntelliCAD will be no exception. When the first wave of bugs has been ironed
out, the real differences between IntelliCAD and AutoCAD will come down to:
- add-on or front-end application support for IntelliCAD or AutoCAD (no-one really wants
to use either of these products straight out of the box)
- price
- how you like the person who sells you the software (is this person providing me a
solution or making a commission?)
- your satisfaction with after-sales support (can you get the answers you need for this
product at a price that gives you good value?)
CAD has reached a level of commodity status that allows the market to be
customer-driven rather than vendor-driven. You, the customer, call the shots and the
winner is the provider who hears the call and delivers the goods.
Crystal Ball Department
The launch of IntelliCAD into the CAD
market should not cause a dilemma for users or managers. If you need a Windows CAD tool
with DWG file format, AutoCAD compatibility and a reasonable price, then IntelliCAD has to
be a smart choice in your office. If it is AutoCAD you must have, then justify the price
and buy the licenses.
Visio’s recent loss of most of the programming team that developed IntelliCAD
raised more than a few eyebrows and brought the doom and gloom merchants out of their
hidey holes. Without doubt this loss will set back the development schedule while a new
team takes over the project. However it will not kill IntelliCAD. There is too much
momentum behind this product.
Autodesk will not take the introduction of IntelliCAD lightly and has the capacity to
make counter moves in the market that could shake IntelliCAD’s foundations. For
example, it has long been rumored that Autodesk could easily enable AutoCAD LT with
AutoLISP. The question is: can Autodesk do something like that and still retain the
goodwill of its existing user base? Only time will tell.
Tony Zilles
[Editor's comment: Since this article was
written, Visio has released five Service Releases or updates to IntelliCAD. Autodesk has
released a new version of AutoCAD LT (which did not include LISP programming ability) and AutoCAD 2000, which is a major
upgrade to AutoCAD.] |
