What features would you like to see added to a future version of DataCAD?
#70760 by Mark Bell
Fri Feb 03, 2017 6:27 am
I have to admit, I really love what DataCAD has done with smart symbols and how they can be swapped back and forth as an xref with HLR applied. There's so much potential here.

Wishlist 1 - Add Auto Hide to the Symbol Tools/ Update Hide and Unhide so that the selected Symbol will automatically update the HLR as the view is changed. There might need to be an additional toggle added to allow the user to lock the auto hide to specific views, ie. if the original Symbol HLR was an elevation view than the auto hide includes all elevation views but not isometric, plan or perspective views to prevent getting an auto hide of an isometric HLR in an isometric view! This allows a symbol or symbol-xref to be copied a number of times and each automatically updates its HLR as the view is changed or updated compared to having to ctrl-right click and manually Update Hide to each symbol.

Wishlist 2 - Add knockout to either or both the Symbol Tools and Xref so that it will obscure any items behind when shown in a 3D view or plan view. The potential is to create an active 2D/3D model using the typical smart parametric entities, then populate the internals using xrefs and symbols/symbol-xref with auto-hide so that a section cut through the model of the building will show the internals already in a finished HLR view. The beauty about this feature is changing any one of the symbols/symbol-xrefs will automatically update the backgrounds and auto-hides. The only drawback at present is the HLR's only act on the symbol or xref of the information within in and ignore what's around it, ie. a HLR of an office layout with desks and chairs and partitions has each FFE item create it's own 2D HLR but doesn't hide what's behind it.
... this is a really great feature :D
#70768 by joshhuggins
Fri Feb 03, 2017 4:44 pm
Both really good and future leaning ideas Mark!
#70769 by Mark Bell
Fri Feb 03, 2017 4:54 pm
Yes, I think this is one of those overlooked features that can really streamline how an office works and is a great time saver.

Another thought is having the Auto-hide added to the smart doors/windows Manager for items like 3D door handles. Any time a symbol is ticked (checked) to be used in lieu of the standard parametric door handle (cylinder), and then viewed in a section/elevation view, the door handle automatically has the HLR applied. This would speed up section cuts and reduce cleanup time as the auto-HLR of just the door handle is much cleaner than doing a full HLR through a model.
....I'm liking this little gem more and more....

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