ProCAD+ Version 1.09

A new version of ProCAD+ has been released.

You can now purchase an upgrade on-line. 

Version 1.09:

Released in late January 2017. Click here  for details.

Version 1.08:

In April 2014 a major upgrade was released. Details of all the new additions can be found here .

Version 1.07:

With the introduction of PDF output , the new version has been released as version 1.07.

Version 1.06:

Since the release of versions 1.03, 1.04 and 1.05, little improvements have been made here and there, usually in response to a user's request, so that neither the version 1.03 manual nor the addendum tell the whole story. This is why version 1.06 has been released. Some features that had been in a trial state have been 'firmed up' and incorporated, while other less successful features have been dropped. The result is a robust piece of software with a new version 1.06 196 page manual that lists all the functions and parameters currently in use, along with a new preference setting and a redesigned Text tool dialogue box. (The 32 bit version is 1.06b)

 (Registered UK users will be notified by post for option to upgrade manual.)

Version 1.05:

Version 1.05 has been released mainly to cover bug fixes, perhaps the most important of which is the scaling of !Draw line styles in symbols.

New with version 1.04:

• Can now import Ordnance Survey MasterMap files with area filling.
• DXF importer improved to include new commands.
• ProCAD+ can now import AutoCAD DWG format files.
• New %%M CSV commands added.
• Can now import and export GIF files, including animated GIFs.
• New internal barcode font added.
• Date text now automatically updates at midnight.
• Select>Extend now works on circular arcs.
• Can now load alien files with modifications to the !ProCAD+ !Boot file.
• Text 'mail-merge' at points on the drawing.
• Text enumerate at points on the drawing.
• New function numbers added.
• Compatible with Aemulor, running under RISC OS 5 on the new Iyonix machines. Version 1.04b is fully 32 bit compatible.
• USB port now supported by Plotter+.

New with version 1.03:

One of the main reasons why many schools had not used ProCAD+ was because it was not available for PC's. Well now it is. wProCAD+ for Windows has just been released and the upgrade of the RISC OS version is largely to improve the sharing of drawings between the two systems. For instance, ProCAD+ version 1.03 can now import and render bitmaps (.BMP files) without using ChangeFSI and the Windows version, wProCAD+ can even render sprites!

Special features in both versions help resolve the translation of fonts.

All you have to do to send a RISC OS CAD file to a PC is to add a '.cad' extension. There is even a utility provided to do this for you; not only for CAD files but other types as well.

Importing a PC file has always been easy as the DOSMap command takes care of it.
DOSMap CAD C33 will sort out CAD files.

Below is a brief list of features added since the release of Version 1.02:

• New User Function Box with up to 768 programmable keys
• New sprites and long file name support for RISC OS 4.
• New Stretch feature with optional aspect ratio lock.
• New Bounding box entry in Select menu.
• New Compass °N angle mode for angles measured from 90° clockwise.
• New Sym button added to the Text tool dialogue box for text alignment to symbols.
• Bitmap support plus two new options to show/hide sprites and bitmaps.
• JPEG support plus new option to show/hide JPEGs. (Needs RISC OS 3.5 or higher.)
• Snaps now work on visible rather than selectable items.
• Construction line intersections with objects now snap with Intercept snap.
• Layer names are now preserved during DrawPlus file import.
• New preference switch to use mm rather than scaled values for setting line widths.
• More information reported in Item Info. including lengths and areas of multiple selections and within groups.
• Euro symbols added to ProCAD+ & Plotter+ (ASCII 128)
• PC TrueType font name interpreter added to ProCAD+ and Plotter+.
• New Angle± box in Geometric tool for use with Normal to offset lines.
• New View layers option in Zoom menu to disable layers on a per-view basis.
• New transformation functions with values changeable through parameters.
• Dozens of new numbered functions. (Full list in new manual.)
• New up-to-date 186 page colour manual.

This simple list does not tell the whole story. It would take up too much room to explain all the features fully, but I will give one example that may give some idea of what lies behind each bullet item:

JPEG support: This means that you can now drop a JPEG file onto a drawing as you could for a sprite and zoom in and pan over it. The rendering uses the routines available in RISC OS 3.5 and above. If it can't be rendered it will appear as a rectangle with the diagonals drawn in. You can select a JPEG on a drawing and save it as a file, as for a sprite. You can now import and export Draw files containing JPEGs and they will be dealt with correctly. The printing of JPEGs depends on the abilities of your printer driver.