www.touchcad.com

Hi,
someone put me onto this site, I dont know anything more about the software than what is published on their web site, looks interesting though.

http://www.touchcad.com/

Cheers
Splint

 

2 years back, I compared all the "marine design" software free and expensive that would work on a Macintosh. SDN had potential but it is not stable. The others had a pathetic way of controling NURBS.

TouchCad did what I needed it to do. And at that time I used a 300 MHz 603 ibook to run it. Since then the program has been developed to a stable, capable modeler.

If you look at the tutorials and understand the basics. The program is excellent for creating anything with curved, fair surfaces. It has a quick render mode that helps to see what you are doing also.

After a model is made I export it to VectorWorks for detailing the plans. High end renderings will require another program.

I like it a lot. The tech support is excellent and fast.

 

It should perhaps be pointed out that TouchCAD is cross platform and a license can be used on both Mac and Windows.

Also not mentioned is the very powerful integrated unfolding features, which are dynamically and parametrically linked to the 3D model. Any changes in 3D can instantly be seen in the Unfold view. You can move the unfolded parts around, rotate them and so on to generate a nested and optimized cut layout and still not loose the link to the 3D model. The unfolding allows you to change unfolding direction, resolution, add seam allowances / overlaps individual for each panel and side, add cut coordinates, panel and point numbers, and do stretch unfold calculations including showing where tensions occur and the degree of tensions. TouchCAD also supports very high resolution image unfolding.

TouchCAD comes with built in drivers for exporting ready to cut files to many cutting machines, but for sheet materials as well as for fabric based materials. It exports unfolded ready to cut parts as DXF, DXF-AAMA, HPGL, Adobe Illustrator and compatibles, VectorWorks, in-scale unfolded images in most commonly used image formats, and Sails Science Sailmaker.

When it comes to sails, it direct imports Sails Science Sailmaker and Prosail, so TouchCAD is actually fairly commonly only used among sail makers as well.

New in the 3.5 is also the ability to import high resolution in-scale background images, separate fro the Front, Top and Side views, that follow the 3D model when you zoom and pan. The import features allows accurate rotation, skewing scaling and even basic photogrammetry to flatten perspective effects. All very useful when recreating 3D models based on 2D drawings, and photos.

All these features are included in a single package without any expensive add-ons.