IntelliCAD Overview

The development of IntelliCAD is overseen by the IntelliCAD Technology Consortium, “an organization of CAD software developers, who develop applications for IntelliCAD, a Computer-aided design engine. The IntelliCAD engine, which is based on the .dwg direct library from the Open Design Alliance reads and writes the ‘.dwg’ data format – a widely used file format for storing both graphic and textual information of CAD-related software applications.” The primary goals of the IntelliCAD Technology Consortium are to “research and develop CAD technology, the IntelliCAD platform, and to deliver CAD solutions to customers worldwide.” In other words, to provide the personal and commercial CAD markets with a cost-effective solution that is capable of reading and writing the common drawing (.dwg) file. The ITC is a non-profit, independent organization of commercial software developers (members). The ITC has an elected, volunteer, member based Board of Directors which guide its strategic vision. An independent (non-member) President manages the tactical business operations. Members pay annual dues that fund the ITC. Today the ITC has nearly 50 members who support 13 languages and ship product in more than 35 countries.
“Where did the name come from? The name of the software ‘IntelliCAD’ comes from a programming company that was formed in the early 1990s in San Diego, CA, USA. Their main claim to fame was ADE (AutoCAD Data Extension), which they sold to Autodesk, and which eventually became part of Autodesk Map.” “IntelliCAD the software has a complex and fascinating history that winds its way through Softdesk, Autodesk, Boomerang, Visio, just missing Microsoft, then onto the IntelliCAD Technology Consortium, and now [includes] a variety of brand names, such as CADopia, Bricscad, and DWGEditor.”

  • 1994, August: “IntelliCAD is purchased by Softdesk of Henniker, NH.”
  • 1996, December: “Autodesk acquires Softdesk… Softdesk apparently did not tell Autodesk about its AutoCAD clone.”
  • 1997, March: “Autodesk investigated by the FTC (Federal Trade Commission) over the alleged monopoly status of AutoCAD… The FTC allowed Autodesk to purchase Softdesk after Autodesk agreed to: (1) spin off IntelliCAD; (2) not attempt re-acquire the technology; (3) not attempt to acquire any company that owns or controls IntelliCAD; and (4) not interfere with employees who leave Autodesk to work with IntelliCAD… IntelliCAD was spun off as Boomerang Technology in San Jose, CA.”
  • 1997, March: “Visio bought Boomerang.”
  • 1998, March: “IntelliCAD 98 ships. The price was originally pegged at US$495; upon release, the price dropped to $349 as a ‘special introductory price’; the price drops further to $149 at computer superstores, such as CompUSA. Through to the end of June, the first three months of sales for IntelliCAD were nearly 12,000 licenses, producing $3 million in gross revenue — an average of $250 per license.”
  • 1998, May: “IntelliCAD is suddenly incompatible with AutoCAD! Autodesk releases a maintenance release for AutoCAD R14.01 that makes a change to the .dwg format, and preventing IntelliCAD from reading drawing files… Visio updated IntelliCAD 98 to work with 14.01 files.”
  • 1999, July 27: “Visio cuts IntelliCAD loose by granting the IntelliCAD Technology Consortium a royalty-free, perpetual license for the source code of the IntelliCAD 2000 technology. The ITC was set up by Visio, but run by an independent board of directors.
  • 1999, September: “IntelliCAD Technical Consortium opens its Web site at http://www.intellicad.org.”

Subsequent releases of IntelliCAD through the ITC occur every year since its initial release (for more about IntelliCAD history link visit the Press section of the IntelliCAD Technology Consortium web site).

IntelliCAD – Release History

IntelliCAD 7.2 June 27, 2012
IntelliCAD 7.1 November 11, 2011
IntelliCAD 7.0 June 10, 2011
IntelliCAD 6.6 October 19, 2009
IntelliCAD 6.5 November 4, 2007
IntelliCAD 6.4 July 27, 2007
IntelliCAD 6.3 February 28, 2007
IntelliCAD 6.2 May 27, 2006
IntelliCAD 6.1 September 5, 2005
IntelliCAD 6.0 May 3, 2005
IntelliCAD 5.1 January 12, 2005
IntelliCAD 5.0 October 24, 2004
IntelliCAD 4.0 March 14, 2003
IntelliCAD 2001 version 3.3 July 19, 2002
IntelliCAD 2001 May 22, 2001
IntelliCAD 2000 March 6, 2000
IntelliCAD 98 May 1, 1998
IntelliCAD has a very similar user interface as AutoCAD, supports the core AutoCAD commands and uses the DWG drawing formats 2012 to R12. For some Carlson commands, creating entities in AutoCAD is twice as fast as IntelliCAD, which makes a significant difference in routines that create lots of entities. IntelliCAD 7.x and later are built on Teigha from the Open Design Alliance and add a “Teigha Extension (TX) SDK” similar to ObjectARX with AutoCAD. Using TX should greatly improve the speed of entity creation within IntelliCAD. While most of the AutoCAD commands Carlson clients use in AutoCAD can also be found in IntelliCAD, there are many features in AutoCAD that are not in IntelliCAD. Among these features are ones for architectural and mechanical applications that don’t apply to Carlson customers. As a quick summary, here are AutoCAD commands that Carlson customers might miss:

  • Express Tools
  • Tool Palettes
  • Annotative Text
  • Sheet Set Manager
  • User-interface for menu customization (no CUI, old MNU method)
  • Dialog user interface for Purge command
  • Dialog user interface for Filter command
  • Mudst hatch pattern

If you identify any other AutoCAD feature that you miss when running Carlson with IntelliCAD, please communicate this information to the Carlson Technical Support Staff (support@carlsonsw.com) and we will add to this list which helps guide future developments.

Here are some commands that are different in IntelliCAD:

  • Orbit command: While the ORBIT keyboard command is not available (use 3DORBIT in its place), an implied Orbit-type motion can be initiated via a Ctrl+”Left Mouse Press” and/or Ctrl+”Right Mouse Press” (and only while in Model Space).
  • COPYBASE is now supported. Clipboard commands for copybase and paste to original: By selecting objects first (so that entity grips are lit up), press Ctrl+C which initiates the _CopyClip command. Move to the target drawing/space and press Ctrl+V which initiates the _PasteClip command. When prompted for the insertion point, keying in a value of 0,0 is like paste to original.

As a thank-you for choosing Carlson-IntelliCAD as your survey and engineering data collection, analysis, and design software solution, Carlson has teamed with Esri to offer a GIS starter kit. Esri is the world leader in geographic information system (GIS) technology.To take advantage of this offer, U.S. residents call 800-GIS-XPRT (800-447-9778) and request the Carlson-IntelliCAD GIS Starter Kit. Please have your Carlson Serial Number available. International customers have been asked to Email ESRI so they can discuss the best options with you.The Carlson-IntelliCAD GIS Starter Kit for Surveyors and Engineers is a bundle that provides GIS software and tools with which you can create, maintain, visualize, and share CAD, survey, engineering, and other geographic data throughout your organization or with your customers. The Carlson-IntelliCAD GIS Starter Kit for Surveyors and Engineers includes:

  • ArcGIS® ArcView® desktop software
  • A copy of the book A to Z GIS: An Illustrated Dictionary of Geographic Information Systems
  • A copy of GIS Tutorial: Workbook for ArcView9, Third Edition

Only one Carlson-IntelliCAD GIS Started Kit for Surveyors and Engineers will be provided per company. Supporting items subject to change without advance notice.

For more information on ESRI’s GIS software and solutions for survey and engineering, visit www.esri.com/engineering.
Check out these Carlson-related success stories:

The current version of Carlson comes with IntelliCAD 7.2 built-in. When you choose IntelliCAD as the CAD platform during installation, the IntelliCAD engine is installed along with the Carlson program files. Carlson only works with this built-in version of IntelliCAD and not on any other version of IntelliCAD or other IntelliCAD-based products. For computer specifications, check out the IntelliCAD System Requirements.

Running Carlson on IntelliCAD is largely the same as running on AutoCAD. IntelliCAD supports a development environment with a similar interface as AutoCAD, which allows Carlson Software to use the same code base on both CAD platforms. Of the more than 1700 Carlson commands across the Carlson products, there are 11 commands that are not supported with IntelliCAD for the current Carlson release. These are:
  • Editor Reactors (i.e. Link Points To Coordinate File)
  • Point Object Snap (node snap does work)
  • Text Explode To Polylines
  • Edit Centerline On-Screen
  • Extract Centroid Data
  • Label Object Data Areas
  • Drape Image On Surface
  • Retaining Wall Placement
  • Pillar Cut
  • Calculate Variogram
  • Production By Block Model

To Order IntelliCAD Manual

To download the IntelliCAD Manual or to order a printed and bound manual for IntelliCAD, visit the Using IntelliCAD manuals at www.lulu.com and follow the instructions.

“IntelliCAD Technology Consortium – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia” Available at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IntelliCAD_Technology_Consortium. 09 April 2008.
“IntelliCAD® Technology Consortium: The intelligent alternative for CAD developers.” Available at: http://www.intellicad.org/join/index.php. 09 April 2008.
“Natural monopoly – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.” Available at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natural_monopoly#Regulation. 09 April 2008
“An Outside Look in at IntelliCAD.” Available at: http://www.intellicad.org/WorldMeeting2004/presentations/OutsideLookAtIntelliCAD.pdf. 09 April 2008Information in this document is subject to change without notice and does not represent a commitment on the part of the vendor.
IntelliCAD® is a registered trademark of the IntelliCAD Technology Consortium, Inc. and is used under permission.
AutoCAD® is a registered trademark of Autodesk, Inc.
Windows® and Visio® are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation.
All other registered or unregistered trademarks are the property of their respective holders.
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