BCiTool - David's Snaffled TurboCAD FAQ

These FAQs have been snaffled from TurboCADigest and other sources, and re-indexed in a way that suits me. Many are based on forum threads, but some are also tutorials contributed by various people. It is not supposed to be an exhaustive resource, rather it is meant to be the 20% of information that will answer 80% of most peoples questions.

!!! Due to recent changes at the IMSI website, some of these links may be out of date!!!

If you find any please let me know. DB.

FAQ Index

  • Snaffle Key

There are three levels of information sources indexed in this FAQ. Read the highest level sources first.

  1. Articles & Tutorials
    from our stable of esteemed authors! All definitely worth a read.
  2. CT - Clean Threads
    Forum Thread(s) with extraneous and off-topic bits removed. In some cases renamed to something closer to where the thread conversation ends up. Most of these have been stolen from TurboCADigest.
  3. ST - Snaffle Threads
    Direct links to a forum thread on the subject.
    These have been chosen because they may have some useful information in them, but you will have to filter it yourself.
    They are variable in quality.

    Actually it's worse than that! All I've done is index them on their titles. No checking, no nothing. I will try to read them over the next few weeks and parr it down a bit.

    Please Note. You can contribute to these threads, but first check to see when the last post was made to the thread. If the thread is more or less inactive it's probably better to start a new one.
  • Snaffle FAQ Topics

FAQ Topics

About this FAQ

Using this FAQ

Well it's not really very different from any other FAQ. Topics have been indexed in what I think is a logical order. In each topic there are some Articles & Tutorials, and some discussion Threads lifted from the TurboCAD forums. As a general rule you should read the Articles & Tutorials first. They are are of high quality, and will give you a firm footing before diving into the forum discussions (dang another mixed metaphor).

Singing in praise of this FAQ

OK I admit it. I'm a plagiarist.

If you are new to TurboCAD it wont take you long to discover that one of it's great strengths is a community always willing to give assistance to new and experienced users.

As the title implies, practically everything in this FAQ has been contributed by somebody other than myself. I just organise the links to keep it all in one place, and hopefully easy to find. I do my best to update as often as possible, but like most other contributors - this is not my real job! ... but I am willing to take all the praise if no-one else owns up :-)

Contributing to this FAQ

Going through the links below, you will see many tutorial topics without threads or articles. These are tutorials that I wish I had, but don't. In the longer term I think it would be good to convert the forum threads into little tutorials, and I will try to do so as time permits. But it wont be tomorrow as I only have limited time to put into this site.

Sooo ... if you are willing to contribute on these or other subjects you think are important, please email me at davidjdbell@hotmail.com. Please let me know before you start in case somebody else is already working on it. Also feel free to send me links to any info, suggestions etc that I haven't found yet.

Finally please email me if you do not want your material included here, this is a very low maintenance site, so permission has not been sought, SIA - sorry in advance :-) However if I need to make minor edits to make articles fit better (unlikely) I will run these by the authors in advance - you can only take a debonnaire attitude to copyright so far!

Enough of that - let's get to work.

David Bell, 2001

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FAQ - Getting Started

  1. Installing, Upgrading & Hardware
    1. Installing
    2. Upgrading - Latest (7.1 Pro)
    3. Upgrading - General
    4. Server & IMSI
    5. Hardware recomendations & issues
    6. Errors & Bugs
      ...see Other Topics section
  1. Getting Started
  2. Interface, Click & Drag
  3. Inspector Bar, Snaps, Grid & Rulers
  4. Layers
  5. Snaps
  6. Workplanes
  7. SEKEs
  8. Customising
    ... See     Other Topics section

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FAQ - 2D Drawing Tools & Techniques

Special Note. This 2D section assumes you will be drawing only on the World Workplane.
If this is not the case read about workplanes in 3D section.

  1. Fundamental Concepts
    1. Modelspace vs Paperspace
      • Under Construction
    2. Layers
  2. Creating 2D objects using 2D tools (box example)
  3. Manipulating & Modifying 2D objects
    1. 2D selector
    2. 2D properties
    3. 2D modify tools.
    4. Copy commands
  4. 2D Construction Tips & Techniques

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FAQ - 3D Drawing Tools & Techniques

  1. Fundamental Concepts
    1. Modelspace vs Paperspace
      • Under Construction (same as 2D)
    2. Layers
    3. Understanding Workplanes
    4. Understanding Co-ordinate Systems
  2. Creating 3D objects using 3D tools
  3. Creating 3D objects from 2D profiles
  4. Manipulating & Modifying 3D objects -
    1. Using the 3D selector
    2. 3D properties
    3. 3D modify tools.
    4. 3D Boolean Operations
  5. Creating 2D sections/projections of 3D objects
  6. 3D Construction Tips & Techniques

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FAQ - Text, Dimensions, Symbols & Blocks

  1. Where to put text, and what units to use
  2. 3D Text tips
  3. Dimension tips
  4. Using Symbols, Blocks, Groups & XRefs

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FAQ - Rendering Photorealistic Images

Photorealisitic rendered images from 3D models are the result of interaction between ...
The Model, The Materials, The Lighting, The View, and The Rendering Mode

  1. Materials
    1. Materials Editor
    2. Simple Materials
    3. Wood Model
    4. Bitmap and Bumpmap Wrapped materials
  2. Lighting and Cameras
  3. Rendering Modes
  4. Rendering Tips

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FAQ - Printing & Viewports

  1. Draw in Modelspace. Print in Paperspace.
  2. Problems with Viewports
  3. Using Multiple Paperspaces & Creating Templates
  4. Printing to PDF for printshops
  5. Other

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FAQ - Files, Import/Export, Compatability with other CAD programs

  1. Floorplan Compatability
  2. Solid Modeller Compatability
  1. AutoCAD compatability
  2. Interface differences with other CAD programs (Incl Help for ACAD veterans)
  3. Other formats

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FAQ - Other

  1. Customising
  2. Measurement
  3. Database
  4. Macros
  5. CurveLab
  6. AnimationLab
  7. Errors and Bugs
  8. Other

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FAQ - Resources (Links)

  1. Documentation FAQs
  2. Links and Resources

    SF Spatial's 1st Annual Image Competition

    SF UpFront.eZine Article

    SF References about TurboCad V7

    SF Turbochat

    SF TurboCAD 7 reviewed

    TurboCAD Support Page FAQ's, Tips and tricks, etc

     NEW  TurboCAD v.7 to v7.1 Update  NEW

    TurboCADigest - more FAQ's tips tricks 5 TurboCAD Palettes from SoftDevSPb
    Patches for TurboCAD and  HOTFIX  for v4, v5, TurboSketch Beam Tool Trial from SoftDevSPb
    Winston Mitchell Articles, Tutorials, etc Animation Lab v2.0 from SoftDevSPb
    TurboCAD Online Training Course Scripts pack 1.02 FREE from SoftDevSPb
    International TurboCAD User Group ITUG DOWNLOAD TurboCAD documentation
    TurboCADables a must see TurboCAD resource Courseware books for TurboCAD v7
    Dakatec Patent Drafting Services See what TurboCAD can do! Screen cams Movie tutorials for TurboCAD
     Review  CADINFO.NET TurboCAD v7 Pro Review TurboCADToday.com Newsletter
     Review  Another TurboCAD v7 Pro  review - AEC Vision TurboCAD v7 user gallery   UPDATED 6-25-01

    Now, where have I seen that before :-)

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FAQ List by Date

More re-indexing
Indexed 300 most recent forum threads

Completed reindexing
Added some links to Winstons page

Re-Indexed TurboCADigest (below)

  1. NEW Wall tool tricks
  2. NEW Scale cube or a rectangle (s)
  3. NEW Must uninstall 15 day trial first...
  4. NEW Text Scale Spreadsheet
  5. 2 dimensions in the same dimension?
  6. 3D 90 deg elbow for piping
  7. 3D fillet
  8. 3D text
  9. Adding new line widths
  10. Adding VRML to a web page
  11. How to adjust pen thickness
  12. Arbitrary Plane Wrapping of an Image
  13. AutoDesk DWG file tips
  14. "Biggest thing to learn in 3D"
  15. Change ruler scale
  16. Creating a clean loft
  17. Conductor reflectance
  18. Can I count Entities?
  19. Create a text logo with TurboCAD
  20. Defining more than one cutting edge
  21. Device vs. World line ends
  22. How to create a diagonal 3D box
  23. Dimension tool, "why do I get a delay when using"
  24. Divide by segments snap, where is it?
  25. DWF files in v7
  26. Edit dimensions of a 3D entity
  27. Engineering Properties after Boolean Operation
  28. "entity CS is not in the current CS"
  29. Extrude along path with an arc and EXTRUDING tips
  30. Fan Belt, how to draw?
  31. File Converter, where is it?
  32. Files to save when reinstalling TurboCAD
  33. Fly out toolbars, how to create...
  34. Format, Place on Workplane FPOWP
  35. Geometric parameters tool is in the SDK menu...
  36. Grid changes when zooming in or out
  37. Grid disappears
  38. Headlight and Radiosity
  39. Hidden lines to appear as dashed in a viewport
  40. Create new symbols
  41. IGES file format?
  42. IGES to ACAD Using V7
  43. Incremental Dimensioning
  44. Individual brightness of any object
  45. Installing TurboCAD non English OS Windows 2000
  46. Keyboard, rotate a view with the keyboard
  47. Lighting Tips
  48. Lofting improvements
  49. Lost or corrupted drawings, how to get them back...
  50. Materials with a metallic luster, how to create...
  51. measure in the Z direction
  52. Moving an objects axes
  53. Moving Objects
  54. Moving objects in 3D space
  55. Moving relative coordinates origin
  56. Need for better 3D visualization
  57. Error in-ordinal 6907
  58. Ortho and nearest on graphic
  59. Paper space rendering tips
  60. Patterns from bitmaps
  61. PCB printing
  62. PCB Symbols, where are they?
  63. Positioning directional light
  64. Positioning objects in model space
  65. Preserve materials
  66. propin.dat file
  67. Publishing to Html tips
  68. Regions
  69. Rendering Information you should know...
  70. Save As DWG DXF problem with attributes
  71. Saving CUSTOM options
  72. Activating the select tool with the spacebar
  73. Save settings with a template
  74. Selecting of entities and grid shifting
  75. Shelled shell
  76. Soft shadows
  77. Solids or surface
  78. Stretching in 3D
  79. Stop a render
  80. Text in on 3D Drawings
  81. Text on a cone
  82. Text on a curve
  83. Tip for adding a wood material pattern
  84. Topographic map tips
  85. TurboCAD Pro 7 and "save as JPG" file problem
  86. TurboCAD to make bump maps
  87. Undo or edit a Boolean
  88. Uniform views in paperspace
  89. "Wood" by Winston Mitchell
  90. v7 file converter, where is it?
  91. Viewport dimension problem
  92. Wall Associative Dimensioning
  93. Where is Z position in Inspector Bar
  94. Windows 2000 installer keeps starting
  95. Wrapped brick, how to...

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