Conference hydra::amiga_v1

    
    I requested, and received, a very professional pamphlet describing the
    various features of DynaCADD.  I know I've said this before, but I
    think this will be a full fledged, professional 3D CAD package.  The
    description sounds very much like UniGraphics, our in-house mechanical
    CAD package.
    
    DynaCADD is currently available on MD-Dross and Atari systems, and the
    brochure includes an impartial review of the MS-Dross version. 
    DynaCADD seems to outperform AutoCad release 10 in almost every area.
    
    The planned ship date for the Amiga version is July 15, 1990.  Ports to
    Unix are also planned.
    
    If anyone wants me to send them a copy of the specs, send me email.
    
    Ed.
                                                                         

    Is, there anymore info regarding this CAD software. Has anyone
    bought it yet? I seem to recall a big discount to personnel
    employed by manufactures, does this still apply?
    
    MAG

    I've spent a few hours trying the DynaCadd demo.  It requires a
    68020/68881 as mentioned in the press release.
    
    This is what I know, or believe so far.  I may end up being mistaken,
    if I find that out, I'll let you know.
    
    Summary: not for serious work. Not wrth $1000.  Worth about $100.
    
    Anything you want me to try, let me know.
    
    In the demo, neither drawings nor parts may be saved.  It would be
    valuable in evaluating the package to be able to save and recall parts,
    but I gues this way one might never purchase the product, simply saving
    their drawings as parts. 
    
    Only two drawings, and no parts are included on the demo.  One drawng
    is two dmensional, the other 3D.  
    
    The vernacular used is a bit odd to me, something I've found with most
    of these Amiga packages:  drawings are subordinate to "parts."  A
    drawing is "attached" to a part file.  Still not completely sure how
    this works, or what is intended. 
    
    User defined macros can be saved and recalled in the demo.  The macro
    facility is very weak.  At most it will save a couple of mouse clicks
    per (one of 26) "macro."  That is, they are not really macros as I know
    "macro" to be defined.
    
    There is a short demo doc file included.  I haven't gotten several of
    the things mentioned here to work, like picking up an object with the
    mouse, or aborting a command by pressing ESC.
    
    There is no real-time dragging of entities.
    
    You can't attach entites, or points on entities, together, except by
    grouping entities.  That is, lines construced with an end point on a
    point on another entity won't "rubber band" when the entity is moved,
    the line simply stays where it was.
    
    Groups hierarchy is supported in building groups, but not in taking
    them apart, i.e., an "explode" command blows a group to its atomic
    level.
    
    There is no facility to attach properties or attributes to entities or
    groups of entities.
    
    Data reporting from drawings is severly limited and not extensible.
    Don't think is directable to a file either.
    
    On-line help gacility is excellent, context sensitive.
    
    Function key definitions are not user-defined; only two or three work
    in the demo.
    
    Though there is a command history window (buffer), there is no command
    line input that I can discover.  No scripting.  No Arexx support.  No
    user defined menus.  
    
    No shading.  No interference checking (collision detection).  No hidden
    line removal.
    
    No real time pan or zoom.
    
    Hints: (user interface features I've discovered that aren't in the
    docs):
    
    [TAB] displays the Command buffer window
    
    KP0 allows numerical entry of entity parameters once an entity creation
    command is begun.