DoubleCAD XT PRO Launches, Work-Alike to Challenge AutoCAD LT in AutoCAD Installations

NOVATO, CA--(Marketwire - March 3, 2009) - IMSI/Design, maker of the #1 best-selling CAD in retail, announced today the upgrade to free DoubleCAD™ XT, DoubleCAD™ XT PRO, an AutoCAD LT® work-alike that includes features normally found in much more expensive CAD applications.

"DoubleCAD stands for 'Drafting & Detailing'... and with our new PRO version, we really feel we're raising the AutoCAD LT bar," stated Royal Farros, CEO of IMSI/Design.

Based on IMSI/Design's award-winning CAD code with over two million copies sold worldwide, DoubleCAD XT PRO works like AutoCAD LT -- that is, you get high-level AutoCAD (.DWG) compatibility and a familiar menu bar, menu items, drawing tools, modify tools, command line, even a familiar intelligent cursor.

But DoubleCAD XT PRO goes beyond AutoCAD LT with useful features like an innovative Drafting Palette, powerful parametric 2D constraints, and terrific workflow compatibility with other popular applications like Google™ SketchUp™ and Blender... for about half the cost of AutoCAD LT.

"Our goal is to intelligently improve upon AutoCAD LT," added Farros. "We think this is an upgrade AutoCAD LT users will be excited to see."

DoubleCAD XT PRO's Drafting Palette is exceptionally powerful and unique and expedites the drafting-to-detailing process. It creates associative 2D sections based on standard views or sectional planes of 3D surface or ACIS® solid models, including XREFs. You can even create nested, associative sections (i.e., cross-sections of cross-sections). The 2D views may be placed in paperspaces (layouts), hatched, dimensioned, and annotated. Because they are associative, if the model is changed, or the section plane is updated, the 2D profiles, hatches, and fills are also updated automatically.

"The time savings alone of knowing that each view in each paperspace is automatically updated can easily pay for the product in a single design project," said Farros.

Geometric and dimensional constraints are also new to the AutoCAD LT world. Users can perform rapid rework and 'What If' analysis without having to manually redraw each geometric or dimension change.

"What used to take minutes or hours now takes seconds," continued Farros. "Here is a simple example: Parallel lines in a parking lot are usually between 11 and 13 feet. Adjusting this distance to optimize parking spots is as easy as entering a value. Everything adjusts automatically. That doesn't happen in AutoCAD LT -- and is only now being added to AutoCAD 2010."

DoubleCAD XT PRO also contains other powerful, professional CAD capabilities that go beyond AutoCAD LT, such as a range of intelligent (parametric) architectural objects, Parametric Parts Manager, Bill Of Materials (BOM), Design Director, and XREFs from any supported file format, as well as innovative features like self-healing walls, self-aligning blocks, handle-based editing of selected objects, snap prioritization, brush editor, and smart dimensions.

With high-level .DWG support, exchanging drawings with AutoCAD or AutoCAD LT is simple and straightforward. A DoubleCAD .DWG file, containing AEC-compatible objects like walls and windows, can even be brought into AutoCAD or AutoCAD LT and designs retain their self-healing properties. This could save hours of adjustment and iteration if they are ever brought back into AutoCAD or AutoCAD LT, neither of which can create this intelligence on their own.

DoubleCAD XT PRO also has superior compatibility with Google SketchUp, importing all visible geometry, layers, and components, converting all components to DoubleCAD blocks to optimize drawing performance, and creating a paperspace from each SketchUp scene, thereby saving time by automatically creating viewports with the correct layer visibility and 2D or perspective view properties. These paperspace views are also immediately ready for dimensioning and annotation.

DoubleCAD XT PRO has one of the widest varieties of file filters in the CAD industry, including support for .DWG (AutoCAD R14 [1997] to 2009), .SKP, .SAT, .3DS, .OBJ, and .IGS, and more. The product has a fully customizable interface and includes one-year free premium customer support.

"We think DoubleCAD XT PRO will make an impact in the AutoCAD community, especially with those involved in drafting and detailing," added Farros.

About DoubleCAD XT PRO

DoubleCAD XT PRO is an AutoCAD LT work-alike that goes beyond AutoCAD LT in terms of CAD capabilities and drafting detail. DoubleCAD XT PRO is $695. For more information, visit http://www.DoubleCAD.com. Visit user forums at http://forums.DoubleCAD.com.

About DoubleCAD XT (free CAD software application)

DoubleCAD XT is a free AutoCAD LT work-alike that also contains many new, innovative features such as self-healing walls, self-aligning blocks, modern handle-based editing, snap prioritization, brush editor, and smart dimensions. DoubleCAD XT is free for commercial and personal use. For more information, visit http://www.DoubleCAD.com. Visit user forums at http://forums.DoubleCAD.com.

About IMSI/Design

IMSI/Design is the global leader in retail CAD (Computer Aided Design). With over 15 million products sold since 1988, IMSI/Design products include the award-winning TurboCAD®, TurboFLOORPLAN™, DesignCAD™, and IDX® Renditioner families of precision design applications. Please visit www.IMSIdesign.com for more information.

© 2009 IMSI/Design, LLC. All rights reserved. DoubleCAD™ and IMSI/Design® are registered trademarks and/or trademarks of IMSI/Design, LLC. All other identifiable marks are the property of their respective owners.

Contact Information: CONTACT: IMSI/Design Pam Volpe 415.483.8025