Open-source AutoCAD-compatible product gets a big update.

The IntelliCAD Technology Consortium (ITC) has released the next major version of its flagship product, IntelliCAD 11.0.

“On the surface, IntelliCAD 11 is a software release with many enhancements, which include a focus on making viewing and visualizing models easier and more effective,” said David Lorenzo, ITC president. “While new features are exciting for users, there is even more going on under the hood for IntelliCAD developers.”

IntelliCAD 11.0 focuses on updated view and visualization features. An OpenGL graphics card is required for many of these new features.

Selected objects now glow, making it easier to identify selected objects. Use the preferences to set the effect’s color.

The view cube makes its first appearance.

IntelliCAD 11.0 includes the first implementation of the view cube. Use this navigation tool to switch between standard views. Mimicking the ViewCube in AutoCAD, this feature is positioned in the corner of the drawing window. Selecting one of its faces, edges or corners will switch the view to one of the standard orthographic or isometric views. Use the view cube settings to manage this feature’s appearance and position.

Each viewport conveniently presents the Drawing Area View menu, which allows you to quickly switch between predefined views and different visual styles that you can select.

With the new tools, you can simulate walking or flying through a 3D model. While walking, you travel along the XY plane. Because you are not bound to a plane when flying, it provides the effect of flying over an area. Use the settings to set the step size (speed), perspective and walk elevation.

The new Section Plane creates a cutting plane through any 3D object. Define the section by picking points or selecting an orthographic plane. As you move and adjust the section plane, the view dynamically updates.

With the 3D Positioner tool, you can rotate and move objects based on a selected center point. Using the on-screen gizmo, you can manipulate the object while constrained to the X, Y, Z planes and axes. To move the object, select an axis that restricts movement to along the axis’ direction. By selecting a circular handle, you can rotate the object about on the selected axis.

What Else is New?

Use Startup Suites to load application files at startup.

Introduced in the 10.1a release, the data link feature in IntelliCAD has extended functionality. From the Data Link Manager, you can create new data links and edit, rename or delete existing links. Use the new option to link to a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet. The linked spreadsheet will be inserted into the drawing as a table. Save changes to the table using the Data Link Update command.

With Table Cells, you can use the new options to adjust cell styles. These styles manage the appearance of the cell, including its alignment, fill color, text properties and margins. With Match Cell, you can apply the style of one cell to other cells within the table.

The Publish Dialog has gone through a refresh for a cleaner design, including many features that now appear as icons. A new Reverse Sheet Order feature allows you to flip page order. Multiple selections are supported for applying page setups and layer states to multiple sheets at one time. When adding sheets, you specify to add the Model or Layouts. Finally, the new On Load option allows you to select which sheets will load automatically.

The XREF notification feature, which alerts you when external references have changed or are missing, is extended to raster images, PDF underlays, point clouds and data links.

You can add new entity creation commands to Tool Palettes by dragging and dropping objects into the palette.

From the IntelliCAD Explorer, you can save multiple blocks at the same time and work with BIM underlays. The Underlay feature now supports Revit 2022 files.

A new Coordinate System dialog makes it easier to select coordinate systems for geographic locations as well as use the new Map Service command to toggle the visibility of Geo Map Services. You can import maps using the new PostgreSQL, MySQL and WFS connection types.

Regenerating and saving DGN files with scaled linetypes is 10 times faster, erasing entities is four times faster and snapping is 10 times faster. In addition, you should experience faster redrawing, zooming and panning.

Use Audit, DXF Out, DWG Out and the Divide commands in IntelliCAD versions that open, save and edit DGN files in their native format.

Quick hits:

• The new generate boundary command creates nonassociative boundaries to selected hatch objects.
• You can temporarily hide objects to declutter the display with the new Isolate and Hide commands.
• You can reverse the direction of polylines, helixes and splines.
• Break at Point splits an object into two at a selected point.
• You can use Trim, Extend and Offset with Wall objects.

API changes provide enhancements for LISP, .NET, IRS/TX and SDS. New to the API is IntelliCAD IcAPI, which allows developers to port AutoCAD ARX applications to IntelliCAD and build applications with a single code base.

The IntelliCAD 10.1 release included significant speed and performance enhancements and IntelliCAD 11.0 continues this with further performance improvements.

IntelliCAD 11.0 is supported on the 64-bit versions of Microsoft Windows 7, 8, 10 and 11. The Mobile Viewer is available for the Windows desktop, the Apple MacOS Android-based devices and iOS.

Who Is ITC?

Founded in 1999, ITC is a nonprofit organization whose members fund and steer the research and development of the IntelliCAD platform. ITC licenses the technology and its members then sell and promote the IntelliCAD application. Dozens of applications are based on the IntelliCAD engine and as such they will soon (or already) include the updates from IntelliCAD 11.0.

The ITC is a founding member of the Open Design Alliance (ODA) and actively contributes to interoperability within the engineering industry.