Articles and Press Releases

Creating BIM applications on top of IntelliCAD

The concept of BIM technology has been around since the 1960s. Over the past 20 years 3-D modeling has been actively used in the automotive and aviation industries to model cars, ships and airplanes. However it has been only relatively recently that the AEC building industry has been "revolutionized" by information modeling technology.

Previously, architects and engineers used CAD as an electronic drafting board to create their plans, but these drawings were essentially "non-intelligent" containing only the geometry of lines, arcs and text. Over the past several years there have been many new software offerings that have attempted to change the fundamental methodology of how architectural drawings are created by trying to build intelligence into a model which is then used to generate construction documents. Some of this software is intriguing but actually many architects and engineers still need, and often prefer, the traditional 2D lines and arcs to complete certain custom areas of the drawing.

CAD Projekt is a leading Interior Design company based in Poland that delivers a joint solution in their IntelliCAD offering. Their users experience the best of both worlds in that they can use all of the traditional 2D and 3D CAD tools but still benefit from integrated BIM technology that can be imported via the IFC file format.

CAD Projekt chose IntelliCAD over other CAD platforms its open source, reliability, familiar user-friendly interface and its full compatibility with the .dwg file format. As a Commercial member of the ITC, CAD Projekt has unlimited distribution rights for an extremely low royalty rate, allowing them to supply their worldwide customer base with the full IntelliCAD program alongside their own software at no additional charge. Furthermore, access to the IntelliCAD source code accelerates development and allows them to tightly integrate their own software to ensure better performance and reliability.

CAD Projekt says their success would have been impossible to achieve without their partnership with the ITC. They say the knowledge and experience of the ITC’s international development team ensures the highest quality solutions and allows them to direct all their efforts towards their own vertical applications.

“Becoming a part of ITC was not only a great economical and programming solution, but also an important turn in our understanding of globalization. We feel that together we can create much better solutions to serve our customers,” says Mr. Adam Sterczala, Economical Director and co-founder of CAD Projekt K&A.

If you are interested in using IntelliCAD as your CAD development platform then please contact me via Skype at Robert.Berry.ITC and I will do my best to work with you to establish if IntelliCAD does in fact meet your development requirements.

This movie gives a presentation specifically about the CAD Decor Pro product...

Topics: IntelliCAD DWG BIM Architecture

ITC Member 4M announces new 4MCAD version based on IntelliCAD

4M, member of the IntelliCAD Technology Consortium, released 4MCAD 12.2 based on IntelliCAD. The new version of 4MCAD supports 2013 .dwg files, a unique conversion from .ifc files to .dwg files for importing and editing of BIM projects, and many other new features.

Powered by IntelliCAD, 4MCAD is part of 4M CAD & BIM software, which also contains IDEA Architecture (Architectural Design) and the Fine MEP range of BIM software for calculation and design of building services systems.

For more information, please visit http://www.4MSA.com.

Topics: IntelliCAD BIM Members

4M releases IDEA Architectural v.10 on IntelliCAD v6.6

4M Logo

September 01, 2009 - Auburn, Maine - 4M's new major release IDEA Architectural v.10 has just been launched in the US market and redefines the IntelliCAD software based BIM industry standards.

Jason Costa, Sales Manager of the 4M BIM Suite in the USA market commented: "IDEA is a powerful BIM Architectural application that combines the most popular icad-like interface and functionalities with a sophisticated BIM technology on top of IntelliCAD. There is no question, IDEA 10 is a must for every Architect because it is an inexpensive solution with almost negligible costs regarding training, support and maintenance".

Some new features of IDEA10 include:

  • Advanced BIM structure to continuously update the project drawings (sections, views, perspectives, etc) while keeping anyinterventions made by the user (insertion of library items, text, annotation, etc).
  • Project drawings smart explorer (tree-view browser of the drawings).
  • Faster rendering performances based on OpenGL, as well as real time virtual walk through of the rendered model.
  • Enhanced roof modeler with unlimited options to design any type of roof structure and add components such as attics, lofts, skylights, inclined openings and many others.
  • Intelligent design to create even more building entities (i.e. chimneys, pergolas and others).
  • Significant improvements regarding architectural design refinements (i.e. smart automatic unions between building objects only if necessary, optional hiding of the wall/slab lines on the views or sections, object definition through polylines in every dialog, etc), as well as the topographical design (fully automatic creation of triangles to create the ground model).
  • Unrivaled performance due to the brand new high speed IntelliCAD v.6.6 engine.
  • Other new enhancements include: new interface, properties panel, polar tracking, and many others.

IDEA belongs to the 4M CAD building design Suite, which also contains FINE MEP (Mechanical, Electrical and Plumbing) and STRAD (Structural Design) BIM applications, integrated on top of IntelliCAD. For more information please see:

www.intellicad.org/BIM-Case-Study---4M/

www.generalcom-usa.com/IDEA_SPEC.php

http://www.4msa.com/.

Topics: IntelliCAD BIM Architecture Members CAD/CAM