Turbo CAD is a CAD software application for 2D and 3D design and drafting running on the Macintosh and Microsoft Windows operating systems. Turbo CAD is designed by IMSI/Design, LLC, a private company headquartered in Novato, California. IMSI/Design products include the award-winning Turbo CAD, TurboFLOORPLAN, TurboSketch, and DesignCAD families of precision design applications.
Turbo CAD Pro Basic and Platinum editions contain general drafting tools, as well as tools for 3D architectural and mechanical design. Both editions will create ACIS Solids or TC Surface objects. The Basic editions contain limited set architectural and mechanical tools, whereas Platinum contains all the tools (600+).
For less demanding users, a less expensive Turbo CAD Deluxe 2D / 3D version is available. Its 3D tools are TC Surface tools and have a limited amount of Architectural and mechanical tools.
For users needing only 2D functionality, there is the much less expensive TurboCAD Designer. With the exception of Turbo CAD Designer, the other Turbo CAD releases support both 2D drafting and 3D modeling tools.
Turbo CAD Pro 18 is IMSI's powerful, professional 2D and 3D design CAD package for all design professionals - architects, surveyors, joiners, fitters, mechanical engineers and conceptual designers. Turbo CAD delivers an outstanding combination of tools; more often associated with costly, high-support-dependant CAD solutions.
Users want to be able to seamlessly import files from other CAD sources so they can carry on with their design project - not spend hours on the phone to technical support trying to resolve problems.
Salient Features of Turbo CAD
1) Advanced Drawing tools include over 40 line, arc, curve, and spline tools plus over 50 modification tools. They aren’t organized exactly like Auto CAD, but they are still easy to find.2) What if analysis is provided to streamline your design process. Being able to plan ahead and see if your ideas would work out without spending a lot of time designing them.
3) Select, copy, and editing tools allow you to edit more than one component at a time and can save you time by copying similar objects and editing them to create a new object.
4) Parametric design allows you to create objects and components that you can reuse throughout your project. For those of you who are experts there is also a scripting function to design your parts.
5) The Light works rendering engine has been updated to allow illumination to be added anywhere in your design. This is a nice wow feature for when you’re doing “the sell” presentation.
6) You can connect to any ODBC database and define bill of materials, field reports, and part lists.
7) With the Arch and Platinum edition you can add sheetrock, wiring, etc. Also a nice wow feature, but also a good way to keep building costs in mind.
8 ) Doors and windows parametrically designed can be dragged and dropped into place and yes they’re self healing.
9) Stairs, railings, and slabs have all been improved and there are tons of options.
Turbo CAD is very similar to Auto CAD, both having different options and similar options. It’s hard to say one is better than the other. Some people are raving about the improved ability to import and export from Google sketch, and being able to connect to an offsite or network database are two extremely helpful improvements. Because Turbo CAD isn’t a market leader they are offering more options than Auto CAD who is the market leader; although the programs are similar.
