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CADopia 6.2 SP3 Professional Edition (First Look Review)

Supporting many file formats, this software fits easily into mixed design environments.

CADopia is a member of the IntelliCAD Consortium, which shares a code base among members with each one adding features and refinements.

CADopia comes in three different editions: standard, premium, and professional. The Standard Edition has an array of drafting and design tools that are suitable for users who don't need the features found in the Premium or Professional editions. Premium Edition adds such niceties as enhanced raster image support, VBA (Visual Basic for Applications), xref clipping, floating network licenses, and boundary and associative hatching. The Professional Edition, which I evaluated, includes the combined features of CADopia Standard and Premium editions and is well suited to solid modeling applications.

CADopia 6.2 SP3 Professional Edition

CADopia Professional Edition presents a clean and easy-to-use interface that provides easy access to its controls. The interface can be customized to suit user needs, and the program functions can be customized by such tools as VBA, ActiveX, and AutoLISP. ACIS solid modeling is supported in this version, and you can easily export Adobe PDF files from your drawings. This version supports Express tools, including revision clouds, and an integrated FlexLM flexible license-management tool with optional support for floating network licenses eases extensive installations.

File-format support is provided for AutoCAD 2.5 through 2006 DWG, and you can import and export DWF files or export in the SVG format. In addition, you can view MicroStation DGN and ESRI SHP files as raster images. This file-format flexibility allows CADopia Professional to fit easily into mixed design environments.

Other new features in this release include an updated Columbus Document manager, an xref manager, template files, and enhanced raster-image support. Improvements have also been made to both draw order and solid modeling. There is much here to like and a lot of depth, both in the application and individual features.

CADopia Professional Edition, based on IntelliCAD Technology, is well suited for solid modeling applications.

System requirements for CADopia are fairly modest, including a system based on an Intel Pentium processor (minimum) or greater (recommended) with at least 256 MB of RAM and 150 MB of free hard disk space available for installation. CADopia runs under Microsoft Windows 2000 or Windows XP. You'll need a high-speed Internet connection for product downloads and technical support. Installation is fast and straightforward.

Pricing for the CADopia Professional Edition is $449 whether you purchase it as an electronic download, CD only, or as a package that includes the CD ROM and — a rarity these days — a large and extensive printed manual. License packs with five copies of CADopia Professional Edition are available for $1,995. CADopia offers training courseware, symbol libraries, and software bundles.

CADopia Professional Edition is a well-designed and capable application that is moderately priced and offers a lot of value for the money. With its feature set, compatibility with industry-standard file formats, and attractive price, CADopia Professional Edition is a good choice for those who need a capable design tool and for CAD firms that need to add a CAD seat without straining their budget.