Switzerland’s progeSOFT, a low-cost CAD leader, has announced the release of its 2017 version and, with it, a host of new features.
Headlining progeCAD 2017 is the platform’s upgrade to offer native 64-bit computer architectures and multicore support. With this switch, progeCAD will operate more efficiently when opening and handling large drawings and when regenerating line work. In addition, progeCAD will have enhanced performance when zooming into drawings, thanks to better memory management and multicore processing.
In addition to its architectural upgrade, progeCAD has also made a big change to its user interface. Now, progeCAD users will have a ribbon-style user interface option. For those users who are more comfortable with the drop-down menu style of progeCAD’s past, that option will remain as well.
“We are taking progeCAD to the next level, making it native 64-bit and giving it a fresh ribbon look, not forgetting improved performance with multicore computer support,” said Damiano Croco, COO at progeSOFT SA. “Our main focus is to provide good value for money, and progeCAD 2017 Professional is a shining example of that.”
The final addition to progeCAD’s newest offering is a handful of new and improved tools that will make drafting much easier. At the top of the list is the new POINTCLOUD tool. With POINTCLOUD, users can import 3D scanned data and have editing access to every point that populates a cloud.
Other improved functions in progeCAD include a revamped AUTOCOMPLETE function, dynamic block handling, activation dialogues and overlay support. When it comes to everyday tools, progeCAD 2017’s engineers have dramatically improved the performance of the software’s LOFT, PURGE and QSELECT commands and also added better support of DWF exports and DWF-to-DWG conversions.
All told, progeCAD appears to be carving out a space in a niche part of the CAD market where users require a tool that’s inexpensive yet effective. How long this niche will last is anyone’s guess. Today, CAD packages are becoming much cheaper due to the adoption of subscription models by the industry’s biggest players. With those behemoths driving costs down, one has to wonder if progeCAD will be able to innovate fast enough to keep up.