DataCAD Versions Comparison Chart
  DataCAD DataCAD LT
DataCAD 11 DataCAD 12 DataCAD X3 DataCAD LT 11 DataCAD LT 12 DataCAD LT X3
11 12 X3 LT 11 LT 12 LT X3
    $1,295     $295
    Buy Online     Buy Online
Shading
Real-time walk-through      New!      
7 user-definable light sources (variable color) Check Check Better! Check Check Check
1 sunlight source Check Check Better! Check Check Check
Sun shadow casting (variable color) Check Check Better! Check Check Check
Superimpose scene over background photo Check Check Check Check Check Check
Custom edge color, width, and overshoot Check Check Check Check Check Check
Anti-aliased shading   Check Check   Check Check
Texture mapping      New!      
Material definitions by color      New!      
Material definitions by layer      New!      
Material definitions by entity      New!      
Rendering
Real-time walk-through Check Check Check Check Check Check
3 fixed ambient light sources Check Check Check Check Check Check
1 sunlight source Check Check Check Check Check Check
User-definable light sources (variable intensity) Check Check Check Check Check Check
User-definable light sources (variable color)     New!     New!
Raytraced shadow casting Check Check Check Check Check Check
Superimpose scene over background photo Check Check Check Check Check Check
Anti-aliased rendering Check Check Check Check Check Check
Raytracing Check Check Check Check Check Check
Dynamic 3D material preview Check Check Check Check Check Check
Transparency Check Check Check Check Check Check
Reflection Check Check Check Check Check Check
Smoothing Check Check Check Check Check Check
Self-illumination Check Check Check Check Check Check
Texture mapping Check Check Check Check Check Check
Texture masking Check Check Check Check Check Check
Texture origin Check Check Check Check Check Check
Material definitions by color Check Check Check Check Check Check
Material definitions by layer Check Check Check Check Check Check
Material definitions by entity   Check Check   Check Check
Embedded Material Definitions   Check Check   Check Check
Included Seamless Textures   250 250   40 40
Included Material Definitions 400 600+ 600+ 400 400+ 400+
Included Backgrounds   Check Check   Check Check
Import materials and textures from o2c objects Check Check Check      
Import materials and textures from SketchUp files   Check Check   Check Check
Drafting
'Smart' parametric walls   Check Check   Check Check
'Smart' parametric doors and windows   Check Check   Check Check
'Smart' parametric arrows     New!     New!
'Smart' view-dependent symbols      New!      
Automatic wall intersection cleanup   Check Check Check Check Check
Complex user-defined line types Check Check Check Check Check Check
Pen Styles   Check Check   Check Check
Complex user-defined associative hatch patterns Check Check Check Check Check Check
Associative dimensions (DIN and AS1100) Check Check Check Check Check Check
Polyline and related editing tools Check Check Better!      
Object snap on-the-fly Check Check Check Check Check Check
Virtual object snapping Check Check Check Check Check Check
GetSnap smart snapping Check Check Check Check Check Check
3D object snapping Check Check Better! Check Check Better!
Dynamic Snap Indicator   Check Check   Check Check
Direct distance input method Check Check Check Check Check Check
Direction / Distance input mode Check Check Check Check Check Check
Relative and absolute Cartesian input mode Check Check Check Check Check Check
Relative and absolute polar input mode Check Check Check Check Check Check
XREFs (External Reference Files) Check Check Better!      
Self-XREFs (Internal Reference File)   Check Check      
SketchUp XREFs   Check Check      
Bind XREFs to Symbols   Check Check      
XClips (Reference File Clip Cubes) Check Check Check      
SClips (Symbol Clip Cubes)   Check Check      
Fence Clips   Check Check      
Merge Clipping Boundaries      New!      
HyperView linking Check Check Check      
Hyperlink to external file Check Check Check      
Hyperlink to Internet URL Check Check Check      
Command line alias Check Check Check      
Spell checker with international-language dictionaries Check Check Check      
Architectural text styles (Vector-based fonts) Check Check Check Check Check Check
Support for TrueType fonts Check Check Check Check Check Check
DataCAD TrueType Font   Check Check   Check Check
Automatic boundary detection for hatching (Contour search) Check Check Check      
Solid color fills Check Check Check Check Check Check
Pattern fills Check Check Check Check Check Check
Bitmap fills Check Check Check Check Check Check
Layer manager with support for long layer names Check Check Check Check Check Check
Persistent (a.k.a. Modeless) Layer Manager      New!      
Multi-line Text (a.k.a. MText)   Check Check   Check Check
Scale-independent Text      New!      
Lock Text Angle      New!      
Support for SHX fonts   Check Check   Check Check
Entity Properties Editor   Check Better!      
Modeling
3D geometric primitives modeler Check Check Check Check Check Check
3D Polylines      New!     New!
Vector-based hidden line removal Check Check Better! Check Check Check
Raster-based hidden line removal Check Check Check Check Check Check
Digital Terrain Modeling (Drop Mesh) Check Check Check Check Check Check
TIN (Triangular Irregular Network) Surface Modeler Check Check Check      
Ruled Surface Modeler Check Check Check Check Check Check
3D Knife Check Check Check      
3D Sectioning Tool Check Check Check      
o2c-based Object Viewer Check Check Better! Check Check Check
Sun Shadow Shader    

New!

      
Convert TrueType fonts to 3D Check Check Check Check Check Check
3D Boolean Operations   Check Check      
3D Edit Planes   Check Check      
B-Spline and Bézier curves with extrusion     New!     New!
Polygon Normal Options      New!     New!
Printing
Support for any Windows-compatible printer Check Check Check Check Check Check
WYSIWYG Print Preview Check Check Check Check Check Check
Multi-scale Printing Layout Check Check Better!      
Convert Multi-scale Layout to DWG   Check Check      
Batch printing direct and to .PRN and .PDF Check Check Check      
Print to PDF with layers Check Check Check      
Date, Time, and File Stamps Check Check Check Check Check Check
Map 15 colors to 15 pens       Check Check Check
Map 255 colors to 15 pens Check Check Check      
Windows Compatibility
Windows 7  Check Check Check Check Check Check
Windows Vista Check Check Check Check Check Check
Windows 2000/XP Check Check Check Check Check Check
Windows NT            
Windows 95/98/Me            
Network Awareness Check Check Check Check Check Check
Interface supports Windows XP themes Check Check Check Check Check Check
MDI (Multiple Document Interface) Check Check Check Check Check Check
Multi-view windows Check Check Better! Check Check Better!
Standard toolbar Check Check Check Check Check Check
User-definable icon toolbars Check Check Check Check Check Check
View-sensitive icon toolbars Check Check Check Check Check Check
User-definable context-sensitive icon toolbars Check Check Check Check Check Check
Global, unlimited undo/redo Check Check Check Check Check Check
Cut, Copy, and Paste to/from Windows applications Check Check Better! Check Check Better!
Dynamic Zoom with Mouse Wheel Check Check Check Check Check Check
Dynamic Panning with Mouse Check Check Check Check Check Check
"Select All" via [Ctrl] + [A]   Check Check      
Estimating and Take-offs
Automated 3D framing with take-offs Check Check Check Check Check Check
File Compatibility (Open, Import, or Paste)
.DWG AutoCAD R2007 - R2009 drawing file   Check Check   Check Check
.DWG AutoCAD R12 - R2006 drawing file Check Check Check Check Check Check
.DXF Data Exchange Format file Check Check Check Check Check Check
.AEC DataCAD drawing file (double-precision) Check Check Check Check Check Check
.DC5 DataCAD drawing file Check Check Check Check Check Check
.DLF DataCAD layer file (double-precision) Check Check Check Check Check Check
.LYR DataCAD layer file Check Check Check Check Check Check
.DSF DataCAD symbol file (double-precision w/layers) Check Check Check Check Check Check
.SM3 DataCAD symbol file Check Check Check Check Check Check
.DC+ DataCAD Plus drawing file Check Check Check Check Check Check
.LY+ DataCAD Plus layer file Check Check Check Check Check Check
.SM+ DataCAD Plus symbol file Check Check Check Check Check Check
.TXT ASCII text file Check Check Check Check Check Check
.WMF Windows Metafile Check Check Check Check Check Check
.EMF Enhanced Windows Metafile Check Check Check Check Check Check
.O2C Objects to See file Check Check Check      
.ACO ArCon file Check Check Check      
.3DS 3D Studio Check Check Check      
.STL Stereo Lithography Check Check Check      
.BMP Windows bitmap Check Check Check Check Check Check
.JPG Joint Photographic Experts Group (JPEG) file Check Check Check Check Check Check
.GIF Graphic Interchange Format Check Check Check Check Check Check
.TIF Tagged Image Format File Check Check Check Check Check Check
.TGA Truevision Targa Graphic Check Check Check Check Check Check
.PNG Portable (Public) Network Graphic Check Check Check Check Check Check
.PCX PC Paintbrush Bitmap Graphic Check Check Check Check Check Check
.PCD Kodak Photo-CD Image Check Check Check Check Check Check
.SKP SketchUp 6   Check Check   Check Check
.SKP  SketchUp 7     New!      New!
.XLS Excel Spreadsheet   Check Check      
.PAK DataCAD Pak-N-Go Archive   Check Check      
.DMF DataCAD Material File   Check Check   Check Check
File Compatibility (SaveAs, Export, or Copy)
.DWG AutoCAD R2004 - 2009 drawing file   Check Check      
.DWG AutoCAD R2000 - R2002 drawing file Check Check Check      
.DWG AutoCAD R12, R13, and R14 drawing file Check Check Check Check Check Check
.DXF Data Exchange Format file Check Check Check Check Check Check
.DWF WHIP! (Design Web Format) Check Check Check      
.AEC DataCAD drawing file (double-precision) Check Check Check Check Check Check
.DLF DataCAD layer file (double-precision) Check Check Check Check Check Check
.DSF DataCAD symbol file (double-precision w/layers) Check Check Check Check Check Check
.TXT  ASCII text file Check Check Check Check Check Check
.WMF Windows Metafile Check Check Check Check Check Check
.EMF Enhanced Windows Metafile Check Check Check Check Check Check
.O2C Objects to See file Check Check Check Check Check Check
.ACO ArCon file Check Check Check Check Check Check
.3DS 3D Studio   Check Check   Check Check
.STL Stereo Lithography Check Check Check      
.BMP Windows bitmap Check Check Check Check Check Check
.JPG Joint Photographic Experts Group (JPEG) file Check Check Check Check Check Check
.TIF Tagged Image Format File Check Check Check Check Check Check
.TGA Truevision Targa Graphic Check Check Check Check Check Check
.PNG Portable (Public) Network Graphic Check Check Check Check Check Check
.PCX PC Paintbrush Bitmap Graphic Check Check Check Check Check Check
.EPS Encapsulated PostScript Check Check Check Check Check Check
.PCD Kodak Photo-CD Image Check Check Check Check Check Check
.PRN Windows printer file Check Check Check Check Check Check
.PDF Adobe Acrobat Portable Document file Check Check Check      
.WRL Virtual Reality Markup Language (VRML) file Check Check Check      
.RAY DC Render file Check Check Check      
.SKP SketchUp 6   Check Check   Check Check
.SKP SketchUp 7            
.PAK DataCAD Pak-N-Go Archive   Check Check      
.DMF DataCAD Material File   Check Check   Check Check
Miscellaneous
64-Bit Double-precision database Check Check Check Check Check Check
64-Bit Double-precision Display List   Check Check   Check Check
Maximum drawing file size 1,024MB 1,024MB 1,024MB 15MB 15MB 32MB
Automatic purge of unused data Check Check Check Check Check Check
Drawing file compression Check Check Check      
Drawing Session Backups Check Check Check      
Automatic Drawing Backup and Recovery Check Check Check Check Check Check
Symbol Browser Check Check Better! Check Check Better!
Included 2D/3D Symbol Library 3,000+ 3,200+ 3,200+ 1,700+ 1,900+ 1,900+
Symbol (a.k.a. "Block") Text Attributes Check Check Better! Check Check Check
Maximum number of line types per drawing 256 256 256 256 256 256
Embedded line types Check Check Check Check Check Check
Line type manager Check Check Check   Check Check
Line type creator Check Check Check      
Maximum number of hatch patterns per drawing Unlimited Unlimited Unlimited Unlimited Unlimited Unlimited
Embedded hatch patterns Check Check Check Check Check Check
Hatch pattern manager Check Check Check   Check Check
Maximum number of layers 32,768 32,768 32,768 1,000 1,000 1,000
Maximum number of icons per toolbar Unlimited Unlimited Unlimited Unlimited Unlimited Unlimited
Maximum number of characters per layer name 256 256 256 256 256 256
B-Spline, maximum number of control points 8 8 20 8 8 20
Bézier, maximum number of control points 8 8 20 8 8 20
DCAL (DataCAD Applications Language) Included Check Check Check      
DCAL for Delphi Included Check Check Check      
DCAL for C++ Included   Check Check      
Selection Sets Check Check Check      
Text Scale Check Check Check      
Customizable keyboard macros Check Check Check      
Hard-coded keyboard macros       Check Check Check
Identify, Set All Check Check Check      
User-definable default drawings Check Check Check      
Customizable scales, angles, and distances Check Check Check Check Check Check
Architectural scale fractions 1/64, 1/128, 1/256 Check Check Check      

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