Any ex PowerCADD users here?

[BaughbLabs]

New to the forum and to HD
Just starting the transition, would good to converse with others who have.

Thanks

[Andrew]

Hi, there are a number of PowerCADD users that have switched to HighDesign in the last year, especially in the last two months after the announcement of PowerCADD's retirement. I guess they're not on the forum yet.

Speaking of PowerCADD, it might interest you that we have almost completed the conversion module to import the PowerCADD .plist files. Earlier in July, the lead developer at EngSW posted news about the development of a translator that would convert PC9 files to .plist files. I think that the translator app for PowerCADD is not ready yet, but when it is HighDesign should be able to import PowerCADD files.

[BaughbLabs]

Andrew

Thanks for replying. Andrea from ILEXSOFT posted that news up to the PC forum.
For me, the ability to import my PC files into High Design with all of the formatting intact is HUGE.

[Riccasoli]

Hi, there are a number of PowerCADD users that have switched to HighDesign in the last year, especially in the last two months after the announcement of PowerCADD's retirement. I guess they're not on the forum yet.

Speaking of PowerCADD, it might interest you that we have almost completed the conversion module to import the PowerCADD .plist files. Earlier in July, the lead developer at EngSW posted news about the development of a translator that would convert PC9 files to .plist files. I think that the translator app for PowerCADD is not ready yet, but when it is HighDesign should be able to import PowerCADD files.

Ciao. Andrea e Stefano
Could it be possible to test the conversion module to import the PowerCADD files?
For me also, as PowerCADD user since over 20 years, would be a fundamental function to be able to open and edit with HigDesign the drawings made with Powercadd. Thank you for any effort you would spend for this ability.
Riccardo

[Andrew]

Could it be possible to test the conversion module to import the PowerCADD files?
For me also, as PowerCADD user since over 20 years, would be a fundamental function to be able to open and edit with HigDesign the drawings made with Powercadd. Thank you for any effort you would spend for this ability.
Riccardo

Ciao Riccardo! Todd, lo sviluppatore di PowerCADD, ha detto chiaramente che per motivi tecnici è impossibile per un altro programma importare direttamente il formato nativo .pc9. Lo scorso luglio quindi ha annunciato lo sviluppo di un modulo che consente di esportare un progetto PowerCADD in formato XML e ha pubblicato alcune istruzioni preliminari e esempi di disegni nel nuovo formato XML, che noi abbiamo implementato dentro HighDesign come funzione del menu Importa. Ora, sul sito e sul forum di engsw non è ancora stato annunciato nulla riguardo a quel convertitore, quindi dobbiamo supporre che sia ancora in fase di sviluppo. Quando quel convertitore sarà disponibile, potremo fare test più approfonditi con un numero maggiore di disegni e migliorare così l'importazione in HighDesign.

English:
Todd, the developer of PowerCADD, made it clear that for technical reasons it is impossible for another program to directly import the native .pc9 format. Last July he therefore announced the development of a module that allows to export a PowerCADD project in XML format and published some preliminary instructions and examples of drawings in the new XML format, which we have implemented inside HighDesign as a function of the Import menu. Now, nothing about that converter has been announced on the engsw website and forum yet, so we have to assume that it is still under development. When that converter is available, we will be able to test it more thoroughly with a larger number of designs and thus improve the import into HighDesign.

[JaiCheswick]

Hi, Just arrived from Powercadd in Melbourne, Australia.
HighDesign seems fairly comparable.
Less gizmos, less smooth and Ive yet to work out how to engage and drop tools easily.
Other than that will do the job and I like that theres no subscription. Gee, I really don't like subscriptions.

All the best Jai

[Claude]

Yes, PowerCadd user for 24 years. Montreal Canada (so french native language!!)
Desperatly waiting for the update for new MacOS system. Seems it will never happen.
Just bought HD last week, and got 20 minutes of practice. It reminds me a bit of VectorWorks with composite walls and insertable doors and windows. Hopefully I wish that the learning curve will be fast.
After 24 years, PowerCadd is now part of my brain. Not speaking of 24 years of drawing and details in my library.
Now I've got to learn a new software and rebuild all my details. And I'm at the end of my career.
cheers

[skybound13]

I switched from Vectorworks back in 2008 AD, I did not think the transition to HighDesign was difficult at all, I’ve been using HighDesign exclusively ever since and have never regretted it. I’ve never used PowerCADD to offer any advice on how to switch from that application to HighDesign.

Regarding rebuilding the details from your PowerCADD library, have you tried exporting DWGs from PowerCAD and importing them into HighDesign, maybe that can save you some time.