Figure 2. You can insert predefined templates into Paper Space layouts.

DesignCAD Express 3000
By Bill Burchard



DesignCAD Express includes a Paper Space mode that lets you create multiple views of the same drawing in a single Paper Space layout. Paper Space mode includes options such as view settings and zoom control, and you can control layer visibility independently in each view.

You can create as many View Frames in a Paper Space layout as needed, and you can create rectangular or irregularly shaped views. You can create multiple Paper Space layouts, and you can insert predefined drawing templates such as title blocks and sheet borders, as shown in figure 2.

DesignCAD Express plots to any Windows system printer, and includes a batch print command, which allows you to print several specified drawing files by executing a single command. When creating plots, you can plot the objects in your drawing space, or from a Paper Space layout.

Figure 3. The Materials List tool automatically extracts and quantifies attributes inserted in your drawing.

DesignCAD Express has several very useful tools, including a Calculator tool, a Materials List tool, and a Macro tool. The Calculator tool allows you to perform complex calculations. Once the calculation is made, you can copy the result and paste it into a drawing.

The Material List command brings up a list of all the attributes inserted in the drawing and determines their quantities, as shown in figure 3. The materials list can be printed or saved to a file.

The Macro tool lets you record actions during your editing session, and replay them later. For example, if you need to draw the same set of objects multiple times, you can use the Macro Record feature to record the actions when you draw the objects the first time. Then, you repeat the commands by running the Macro Execute feature, thereby automatically duplicating your original drawing efforts.

You can create and save as many macros as you need. Macros are stored independent of the drawing, and can therefore be executed in other drawings.

DesignCAD Express allows you to insert symbols into your drawing. When you insert a symbol, you are actually referencing another drawing. If you make changes to the referenced drawing, the changes are automatically updated in the current drawing.

DesignCAD Express also allows you to insert graphic images into your drawing, and supports several graphic image file formats including JPEG, BMP, and TIFF.

DesignCAD Express can import and export several file formats, including DWG, DXF, HPGL, and IGES. I had good success importing and exporting DWG files. However, while DesignCAD Express notes that you can create an HPGL plot (PLT) file using AutoCAD and then open the plot file in DesignCAD Express, I had little success with this feature, even though I tried both HPGL and HPGL-2 formats.

System Requirements are Microsoft Windows 9x, or NT (version 4.0 or later), 486DX processor, 16MB of RAM, SuperVGA graphics card capable of 256 or more colors, and a SuperVGA monitor capable of at least 800 x 600 resolution.

DesignCAD Express is a very useful 2D CAD application. It's fairly straightforward, and requires a relatively short learning curve compared to other CAD applications, such as AutoCAD or MicroStation. If you want to create 2D drawings and don't want to spend a lot of time learning complex CAD software, DesignCAD Express is a good choice.