How Compatible Is Compatible? : Part 1

By: Alan James Wooldridge

URL: http://www.cadalot.co.uk/icad/notes/compat1.htm

One of the most Frequently Asked Questions by people looking at, or considering IntelliCAD is “How Compatible is it with AutoCAD”. One normally has to dig a little deeper to find out exactly what they mean by compatibility.

Are we talking about:-

How compatible is a dwg file created with AutoCAD with IntelliCAD and visa-versa ?

or

How compatible is it to fly or drive IntelliCAD if I know AutoCAD and visa-versa ?.

The former question is covered quite extensively in the Technical Manual, a copy which can be downloaded in Adobe pdf format from the Cadopia web site.

The latter question usually has three un asked questions loitering below it.

· How compatible are the Toolbars?

· How compatible is the Command Structure?

· How compatible is the Menu?

This is because everyone who uses AutoCAD, drives the beast in different ways. Many who were introduced to AutoCAD around version 9 – 12 Dos prefer the Toolbars because they are nearer to the digitising tablet that was all the rage with the DOS versions.

Some people learn the menu system by heart, and know exactly where each command lives. Others use the Command Line and know the Commands, Command Variables & Aliases.

There is no right or wrong way to drive a CAD package; there are however slower and more efficient methods of driving the package. If one learns the main Commands and Command Aliases then no matter what the desktop and toolbars looks like, one will always be able to fly AutoCAD.

I tend to use a mixture of all the different method we are given, and try and keep both hands active whilst drawing.

In my experience the Toolbar Icons are near enough for an AutoCAD user to identify them.

IntelliCAD Supports hundred of AutoCAD Release 14 Commands, Command Aliases and Command Variables. So far I’ve had little problems driving IntelliCAD from the Command Line / Bar / Prompt Area / Line Interface / Window, or whatever one wants to call the area where you enter commands into.

The IntelliCAD manual has an IntelliCAD – AutoCAD List of Terms section in the Appendix, however even official Autodesk manuals, and Courseware have differing terms for the same thing as illustrated above.

I will be covering the Menus in a later lesson.

In this lesson we are going to consider the general layout of the Desktop and the Toolbars.

AutoCAD LT 98

AutoCAD LT 2002

IntelliCAD 2001 Standard Edition
The first thing we need to do is identify the various areas of the screen.
	A – Menu B –Toolbars C – Command Bar D – Drawing Window E – User Coordinate System Icon (UCS) F – Status bar G –Toolbars can be moved and docked to any location on the screen.
The screen shots above show the various versions of AutoCAD and IntelliCAD more or less as they are installed onto the PC using the “factory settings” for the locations of all the component parts of the CAD desktop.

Looking at the screen shots of the various CAD desktops the following observations can be made.

The factory setting for AutoCAD are the Standard and Object Properties Toolbars docked horizontally below the Menu. The Draw 2D and Modify Toolbars are docked to the left of the screen. The Status Bar is docked to the bottom of the screen, with the Command Bar docked above it.

Having researched users preferences for locations for toolbars I have found that there is no hard and fast set up for the amount of Toolbars or their locations on the desktop. Each setup can be as individual as each user. However the common trend is to dock the Command Bar at the bottom of the screen (possibly a throwback to the DOS days)

Within the Consultancy where I support some 45 users we tend to leave the desktop as the factory settings and add a couple of custom toolbars to give buttons from various other toolbars that are regularly used. This also has the benefit of keeping the drawing area as large as possible.

Toolbars are either docked or floating. A floating toolbar has a title bar and a Close box, it can be located anywhere on the screen, and can be resized. A docked toolbar does not display a title or Close box, cannot be resized, and is attached along one of the edges of the drawing window or another toolbar attached to the drawing window

· To dock a toolbar, drag it to the perimeter of your drawing; to undock it, drag it away from the perimeter.

· To position a toolbar in a docked area without docking it, press Ctrl while you drag it.

· To move a toolbar, drag it to a new location.

· To resize a toolbar, move your cursor to the edge until it changes to a resize arrow, and then drag.

Here is IntelliCAD 2001 Standard Edition with the Command Bar & Toolbars moved to mimic the AutoCAD Factory settings.