TurboCAD features that I miss...

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RogerRamjet
Newbie Member
Posts: 6
Joined: Tue Jun 15, 2021 4:49 pm

TurboCAD features that I miss...

Post by RogerRamjet » Wed Jun 16, 2021 5:50 pm

I've been using TurboCAD for years and it has some features that I really like but cannot find in QCAD:

1. The ability to easily re-size objects like rectangles. TC treats rectangles as objects (as opposed to just 4 lines) without creating a block and you can re-size by dragging a corner or entering new dimensions.

2. The ability to easily align the tops, sides, bottoms of objects. In TC, you simply lasso the target group of objects and select align/top.

3. The ability to easily evenly distribute objects in a given space. Works similar to #2 above.


I'm sure that some of these things are do-able in QC but I'm such a newb that I don't know how. However, I did dig into #1 above and this feature is not in QC.

Is there way that QCAD can be made to replicate some of these behaviors? Maybe add-ins, scripts, macros, or whatever QCAD calls them?

TIA

CVH
Premier Member
Posts: 3364
Joined: Wed Sep 27, 2017 4:17 pm

Re: TurboCAD features that I miss...

Post by CVH » Wed Jun 16, 2021 7:16 pm

RogerRamjet wrote:
Wed Jun 16, 2021 5:50 pm
1. The ability to easily re-size objects like rectangles. TC treats rectangles as objects (as opposed to just 4 lines) without creating a block and you can re-size by dragging a corner or entering new dimensions.
There are two ways to 'group' such entities:
- Closed contours -> Polylines
- Anything -> Blocks

All Menu .. Draw .. Shapes methods cast single entities OR can cast polylines. :wink:
(See Option Toolbar when the method/action is started). :wink:
QCAD recognizes shapes like triangles, quadrilaterals. 8)
Changes can be made by altering properties in the property Editor.

Contours to Polylines has several/many solutions.
- Double click on one of the entities ->; Menu .. Draw .. Polyline .. Polyline from Selection (OC)
- Menu .. Select .. (De-) Select Contour (TC) ->; Polyline from Selection (OC)
- Any selection ->; Polyline from Selection (OC)
- Menu .. Draw .. Polyline .. Polyline from Segments (OG)
...
..
RogerRamjet wrote:
Wed Jun 16, 2021 5:50 pm
2. The ability to easily align the tops, sides, bottoms of objects.
Plenty ways to select or 'lasso select' entities.
By Menu .. Select, by mouse actions (hold the L-button down, use the shift key to add, ...), ... endless. :wink:
To align see Menu .. Modify .. Align (MA)
Or use other Modify methods ...
RogerRamjet wrote:
Wed Jun 16, 2021 5:50 pm
3. The ability to easily evenly distribute objects in a given space.
Is filed as Feature Request (See: https://qcad.org/bugtracker/) :|

All the mentioned methods and action can be initiated by:
- The menu bar
- Buttons on Toolbars, CAD Toolbar (left side), Tool Matrix, .... 8)
- By keying keyboard schortcuts (between brackets)

Happy drafting.
Regards,
CVH

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Husky
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Posts: 4931
Joined: Wed May 11, 2011 9:25 am
Location: USA

Re: TurboCAD features that I miss...

Post by Husky » Wed Jun 16, 2021 9:09 pm

RogerRamjet wrote:
Wed Jun 16, 2021 5:50 pm
I've been using TurboCAD for years and it has some features that I really like but cannot find in QCAD:
To stay fair ... you are trying to compare a paid version of TurboCad with the free edition of QCAD. Well, I don't think that is fair ... :wink:
First to your points:
1. The Community Edition of QCAD offers already to drag and drop the sides of shapes. The QCAD Professional Edition gives you additional the option to change the size of a rectangle directly per side.
2. Alignment is a feature of the Pro version - not part of the Community Edition.
3. Currently not implemented in Pro or Community.

To compare the Pro and Community features please have a look at https://www.qcad.org/en/documentation/features

Long story short: I'm just asking you to be more fair when you compare software. Just compare TurboCad with the QCAD Pro version which btw cost a very smal fraction of the TurboCad software ... :wink:
Work smart, not hard: QCad Pro
Win10/64, QcadPro, QcadCam version: Current.
If a thread is considered as "solved" please change the title of the first post to "[solved] Title..."

RogerRamjet
Newbie Member
Posts: 6
Joined: Tue Jun 15, 2021 4:49 pm

Re: TurboCAD features that I miss...

Post by RogerRamjet » Thu Jun 17, 2021 6:41 am

Well, 2 out of 3 ain't bad. I just bought the Pro version and the object re-size, while not intuitive, seems to work well; and the align feature works as expected. Best $39 I've spent this month.

Thanks to Husky and CVH for taking the time to bring me up to speed.

More newbie questions to follow...

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