Articles and Press Releases

Headed to the Basque Tech Summit in Donostia, Spain October 25-26? While you're there collaborating on all things BIM, make sure to see ACCA presenting on openBIM, geospatial digital twins, and smart cities.

• Get summit details >>
• Learn more about BIM products from ACCA >>

ACCA delivers software designed for architectural design, structural engineering, analyzing and calculating, energy performance analysis, quantitative studies, site health and safety, and maintenance and management of BIM processes.

ACCA is a member of the IntelliCAD Technology Consortium and delivers several BIM and technical products based on the IntelliCAD engine. To learn more about IntelliCAD's BIM technology, go here.

Congratulations to the team at ZWSOFT! ZWCAD, their flagship 2D CAD software, was awarded G2's Best Usability badge and ranked as the #1 easiest to use general-purpose CAD software. 

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• Try ZWCAD 2025 >>

ZWCAD is developed by ZWSOFT and is a .dwg-compatible CAD solution with a familiar CAD interface and easy-to-use commands. ZWSOFT has been an ITC member since 2002, and its products are used by over 900,000 users from more than 90 countries and districts. 

In case you missed it, Carlson Software released its Carlson 2025 product line this summer. Enhancements are found throughout Carlson Civil, Survey, Hydrology, GIS, Construction, GeoTech, CADnet, Trench, Field, Point Cloud, Mining, and Natural Regrade. Just one highlight is in Carlson Point Cloud which now uses machine learning to automate feature extraction from aerial data sets. And there's so much more!

To find out about Carlson Software's latest tools and CAD software for the land surveying, civil engineering, GIS, construction, and mining industries:

• Learn about Carlson 2025 new features >>
• Try a demo >>

IntelliCAD is the default CAD engine built-in with Carlson Software products. To find out how Carlson Software and the ITC work together, see the success story. To find out more about IntelliCAD's .dwg technology, go here.

Check out FRAMECAD at an upcoming tradeshow this fall to learn how they use IntelliCAD in their steel frame design and build systems.

• Big 5 Construct Nigeria
  September 24-26, 2024
  Lagos, Nigeria
• Jeddah Construct
  September 29 - October 1, 2024
  Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
• Expo CIHAC
  October 9-11, 2024
  Mexico City, Mexico
• LATAM Steel Frame Congress
  October 24-25, 2024
  São Paulo, Brazil
• Metalcon
  October 31 - November 1, 2024
  Atlanta, Georgia

For more details and to book a meeting for a show, go to framecad.com/events.

FRAMECAD uses IntelliCAD in its end-to-end steel frame design and manufacturing system for rapid construction of buildings. To learn how FRAMECAD benefits from ITC membership, read the success story. To find out more about IntelliCAD's BIM technology, go here.

CMS IntelliCAD 13.0 includes performance improvements, an all-new Options dialog, multiple built-in calculators, lookup tables for advanced blocks, and data extraction for more entities. LISP is completely refactored to improve performance and increase compatibility with other CAD applications. Other new features include Flatshot, Solid Profile, Make Shape, Compile to SHX, Make Linetype, and more.
For CMS IntelliCAD 13.0 PE PLUS licenses that include Spatial® Technology ACIS® modeler, use the following commands to work with surfaces: Network, Offset, Fillet, Extend, and Trim.

All CMS IntelliCAD versions support working with BIM files and include these new features: extract data from BIM files, validate IFC files, convert RVT to IFC, draw corner windows, dimension AEC entities, manage layers for IFC underlays, and attach railings to stair segments. You can also define styles for new elements such as roof slabs, dimensions, structural members, and more.

• Get the news from CMS >>
• Learn more about CMS IntelliCAD >>

CMS IntelliCAD versions can be purchased with a perpetual or subscription license and can include a USB dongle for portable licensing. New users can try a free trial at https://us.intellicadms.com.

CMS IntelliCAD 13.0 is based on the IntelliCAD 13.0 engine. For details about IntelliCAD's native .dwg support and development platform, go here. For details about how CMS and the ITC work together, see the success story.

Just released: ActCAD 2025 Premium, Standard, and Map Drafter. Included are a wide range of new features: create 2D representations of 3D entities; generate profiles of 3D solids; make shape and linetype definition files; create network surfaces; offset, fillet, extend, and trim surfaces; use more advanced block features, get enhanced 3Dconnexion mouse connectivity, create area-based text annotations, convert polylines to more types, cut with a base point, and so much more.ActCAD 2025 Premium also includes new BIM features such as validating IFC files, converting RVT/RFA files to IFC files, dimensioning AEC entities, defining more AEC styles, managing layers of IFC underlays, and drawing corner windows.

• Learn more about ActCAD 2025 >>
• Get the news >>

With products from the ActCAD suite, you can natively create and edit .dwg files for 2D drafting, 3D modeling, BIM (Building Information Modeling), and map digitization projects. ActCAD includes global perpetual licenses and has several licensing options.

ActCAD 2025 is based on the IntelliCAD 13 engine. The ActCAD release includes custom changes to IntelliCAD source code to match its requirements, which is not possible with any other OEM CAD engine. To learn more about OEM options using the IntelliCAD engine, go here. To learn about how ActCAD benefits from membership in the IntelliCAD Technology Consortium, see the success story.

It took just a week for DotSoft to release all DotSoft CAD add-on products to include support for the new IntelliCAD 13.0 release:

• ToolPac: CAD Productivity Tools
• XL2CAD: Excel to CAD Connectivity, eliminating OLE problems
• WD2CAD: Word to CAD Connectivity, eliminating OLE problems
• MapWorks: Civil/Survey, Mapping & GIS Tools

Existing DotSoft users should contact DotSoft directly to obtain discounted upgrades to their existing versions.

DotSoft is a member of the IntelliCAD Technology Consortium. For details about the IntelliCAD platform, go here.

The ITC celebrates all CAD creators on August 2nd, National CAD Day!

CAD is everywhere, shaping the world around us in countless ways. In the hands of talented designers and engineers, it brings life to innovative automotive designs, cutting-edge medical devices, and the latest consumer electronics. From the infrastructure delivering our water to the bridges we cross and the smartphones in our pockets, CAD users are at the heart of modern innovation, transforming ideas into reality and driving progress across industries. At ITC, we love seeing how our CAD technologies are used in all these amazing projects, fueling creativity, and enabling our users to push the boundaries of what’s possible.

On this National CAD Day, we also extend our deepest gratitude to all IntelliCAD members, international partners, and our amazing core team. Your innovative solutions and steadfast partnership have been pivotal in building a powerful CAD platform that challenges the industry monopoly and promotes interoperability in the engineering sector. Thanks to our collective efforts, millions of end users in over 130 countries are now working and drawing in products based on IntelliCAD. Your contributions ensure that engineers and designers worldwide have access to diverse, high-quality, low-cost CAD tools. Thank you for your dedication and collaboration in advancing the CAD industry and empowering professionals around the globe. Here's to continued success and innovation!

Check out our member success stories >>

Browse our member products >>

The IntelliCAD Technology Consortium (ITC) today announced the release of IntelliCAD 13.0.

IntelliCAD 13.0 is a major release that includes performance improvements and new features, including a new Options dialog which is highly compatible with other CAD applications, calculators for evaluating expressions and converting units of measurement, lookup tables and the ability to reset advanced blocks, and digital signatures for .dwfx files. When creating reports, extract data from external references, advanced blocks, attributes, and AEC entities; extract from .dgn, .ifc, .rvt, and .rfa files if supported; and filter data to meet conditions.

LISP is completely refactored to improve performance and increase compatibility with other CAD applications. Other new features include Flatshot, Solid Profile, Make Shape, Compile to SHX, and Make Linetype, and more.

For program versions that include Spatial® Technology ACIS® modeler, use the following commands to work with surfaces: Network, Offset, Fillet, Extend, and Trim.

For IntelliCAD versions that support working with BIM files: use the IFC Validate, RVT to IFC, and Corner Window commands; dimension AEC entities; manage layers for .ifc underlays; define styles for new elements such as roof slabs, dimensions, structural members, and more; and attach railings to stair segments.

For IntelliCAD versions that support editing and creation of .dgn files in their native format: use the BMP Out, Undelete, and Copy Nested Entities commands; use the Parallel entity snap; highlight entities; and use the Explorer command with views, external references, blocks, and layer filters.

For technical users, IntelliCAD 13.0 uses ODA SDKs version 2024.12. IntelliCAD IcARX continues to be a pre-release version for members and is highly compatible with AutoCAD® Object ARX, allowing ITC members to build applications with a single code base that runs on both platforms.

David Lorenzo, ITC President, stated “IntelliCAD 13.0 brings significant performance improvements and new features that our members have been eagerly anticipating. We are especially excited about its enhanced compatibility with other CAD applications in two key areas. The new Options dialog simplifies the user experience for those familiar with other CAD software, and the refactored LISP API provides a foundation for improved compatibility moving forward, greatly reducing LISP development time when working with multiple CAD platforms.”

IntelliCAD 13.0 is supported on Microsoft® Windows® 11, Windows 10, and Windows 8 64-bit versions. IntelliCAD Mobile Viewer versions are available for Windows desktop, Google® Android™, Apple® macOS® and iOS.

Interested IntelliCAD users can contact ITC members to receive details about availability of IntelliCAD software.

Companies interested in more details about IntelliCAD and membership in the ITC should contact the ITC directly. For more information about IntelliCAD and the ITC, including case studies, please visit http://www.intellicad.org/.

About the IntelliCAD Technology Consortium

The IntelliCAD Technology Consortium is an independent, non-profit organization funded and directed by its members specifically for the development of the IntelliCAD technology. The IntelliCAD Technology Consortium licenses the IntelliCAD technology to its commercial members, who in turn market and sell applications based on IntelliCAD to their end users. Commercial members have access to the IntelliCAD source code, documentation, developer support, and more. The ITC is also a founding member of the Open Design Alliance, thereby contributing to interoperability in the engineering industry.

For additional ITC news and information, visit the company website (http://www.intellicad.org) or call 1-503-293-7655.

CAD-Manufacturing Solutions (CMS) recently released a free course for entry-level CAD users. Learn about coordinates and input, drawing and modifying entities, snapping, selection sets, and more. The free course has 13 lessons with just under 2 hours of recorded content. CMS also has additional advanced courses with over 6 hours of lessons, free for users of CMS IntelliCAD 12.1.

New to CMS? Just sign up for a free account, and then get the course in the Download area of their website.

• Watch a sample >>
• Learn about CMS IntelliCAD >>

CMS IntelliCAD is based on the IntelliCAD engine. To learn how you can use IntelliCAD as your native .dwg platform, go here. To see the CMS and IntelliCAD success story, go here.