What's new in 4MCAD23

General

• Redeveloped on top of the latest ICAD10.1a engine
• Significant advantages by using the new ODA libraries (SDKs v.2021.11)
• 64bit power engine with best performances on any level
• Option for cloud-based multi-licensing

User interface

• Enhanced interface with new features concerning the dialog boxes, the status bar, the drawing window and others
• New contextual menu enhancements for arrays, tables, multiline text and others.

Improved performance

• Significantly faster while selecting entities (up to 7 times)
• Two times faster while handling grips & snaps, regenerating large drawings and switching layouts.
• Completely re-engineered OpenGL graphics engine for even higher performance.

Enriched Interoperability

• New options for Importing a) map files  (.shp, .sdf, sqlite), b) pdf files with multiple options, and c) point data from .csv & .txt files.
• Placement of an Excel® file as a table in the drawing.
• Compatibility with Revit® 2021 files

New features and capabilities

• New features regarding the insertion of dynamic blocks
• Support of 3Dconnexion input devices
• Enhanced layer management (i.e. “Layer Previous” command to reverse changes made to layer settings, restore a layer state, apply more options to layer filters etc)
• New options while selecting and/or modifying entities (i.e. for moving selected entities, specifying additional grips for blocks, use of new Rectangular Array, Polar Array, Path Array and Edit Array commands)
• New commands for group entities (i.e. Quick Group, Group Edit and Ungroup).
• New options for Tables (data, formulas and fields in table cells, linked data from an .xls file, assignment of table styles and others)
• New capabilities regarding Text (i.e. tabs for multiline text
• Enhanced printing and publishing commands
• Digital Signature for dwg files

4MCAD23: Summary of Features

DWG format full compatibility

• Native .dwg file support
• Read/Write to Autocad format 

Interoperability – working with files

• Import IFC files (4MCAD PRO)
• PDF to CAD conversion -DWG file (4MCAD PRO)
• Import Revit files (RFA and RVT format files) (4MCAD PRO)
• Import/Export IGES format files (4MCAD PRO)
• Import/Export STEP format files (4MCAD PRO)
• Import/Export ACIS 3D Solids *.sat
• Working with point clouds – attaching point cloud .rcp/.rcs files
• Import 3D Collada *.dae
• 3D PDF  Export
• Export - 2D/3D *.pdf, *.svg, *,dwf, *.bmp, *.emf, *.wmf, *.dwf & *.stl file extensions
• Open/Save - *.dwg, *.dxf, *,dwf, *.dxb & *.dwt file extensions

BIM entities/objects (4MCAD PRO)

• ADT Objects (architectural desktop objects): Creates ADT walls, openings (windows, doors), curtain walls, stairs, ramps, roofs, rails, studs, joists etc
• Conversion of entities to walls and slabs.
• Steel Elements: creates steelwork elements: profiles, plates, bolts, studs, joists etc.
• Wood Elements: creates woodwork elements.
• Creation of elevation lines and section lines.

3D Solid Modelling (4MCAD PRO)

• Conversion of entities to three-dimensional meshes or surfaces using the Convert to Mesh and Convert to Surface commands.
• Facet Modeler to draw these 3D entity types: box (FMBOX), cone (FMCONE), cylinder (FMCYLINDER), pyramid (FMPYRAMID), sphere (FMSPHERE), and torus (FMTORUS).
• Draw construction lines using the new Construction Line command.
• FM3DCONVERT and FMEXTRUDE commands to convert more types of three-dimensional entities to other types of three-dimensional entities.
• Editing of the 3D entities of the new Facet Modeler: 3D convert (FM3DCONVERT), extrude (FMEXTRUDE), intersect (FMINTERSECT), revolve (FMREVOLVE), subtract (FMSUBTRACT), and union (FMUNION)

Interface

• Tool Palette (acad-like Tool Palette)
• Ribbon menus & menu bar interface, both together at the same time.
• Α number of facilities and auxiliary tools such as Quick CUI command, Right-click a drawing tab to see options for the tab, Cursor Types (regular, gunsightand XOR when overlapping a same color area), “Save Workspace” command for saving a workspace and its settings, “Close All Others” command to close all drawing windows except the current one and many others.

Blocks and External references

• Insertion of Dynamic blocks
• Convert Block to XRef to convert each occurrence of a selected block to an external reference.
• Find and replace blocks (4MCAD Standard & 4MCAD PRO)
• Block Library with up to 1000 blocks (4MCAD PRO)
• Block Library Manager (4MCAD PRO)

Selecting and modifying entities

• Selection Filter command to display the Selection Filter pane (allowing to filter and select entities by layer, color, entity type, and linetype).
• Selection Cycling tab to specify how to select when selecting entities that overlap.
• Overkill command to delete or combine duplicate or overlapping entities.
• View and select a range of actions on the Undo/Redo toolbar
• Thicken command to convert surfaces and meshes into three-dimensional solids with a specified thickness (4MCAD PRO).
• Additional grips and properties to polygons, rectangles and break lines, for smart editing.

Viewing

• Advanced Photo-realistic 3D Rendering (4MCAD Standard & 4MCAD PRO)
• Raster Image Support (4MCAD Standard & 4MCAD PRO)
• Graphical Block Preview
• CAMERA command to create and modify view settings for a drawing

Text

• Work with multiline text using right-to-left fonts.
• Create additional types of lists for multiline text.
• Resize text using the Scale Text command.
• Draw a circle, rectangle, or dashed line around text using the Enclose Text with Shape command.
• Position text within a defined space using the Text Fit command.

Print

• Export Layout to Model (.dwg)
• Publish drawings to DWF and DWFx.
• 3D Printing files
• Auto Publish command to automatically create electronic files (.dwf/.pdf) from the current drawing.

APIs

• Microsoft .NET 4.5 API - .NET wrappers for architectural objects.
• Load IRX applications automatically in IntelliCAD via the registry.
• Autodesk® Development System (ADS) support
• Microsoft Visual Basic for Applications - VBA 7.1 (4MCAD PRO)
• LISP support (including DCL)

Enhanced Performance

• High performance when snapping to .pdf files, blocks with many nested entities and point clouds.
• Zoom and Pan, extremely fast for clipped external references.
• Opening external reference files much faster.
• Enhanced performance when selecting by window.
• Incremental saving of .dwg files is supported, providing much faster saving of large .dwg files that contain only a few changes.

4MCAD is available in four versions:

4MCAD Viewer: CAD Viewing & Printing plus adding texts & dimensions

4MCAD Classic: 2D/3D CAD Complete Design (lowest price/highest value for the 2D designers)

4MCAD Standard: 4MCAD Classic + Raster Image + Rendering

4MCAD PRO (Professional): 4MCAD Standard + Files (BIM/IFC, STEP, IGES, Revit-RFA/RVT, +PDF2DWG) + ADT Objects (Conventional/Steel/Wood) + 3D Solids + VBA support + Library Manager

4MCAD PRO and 4MCAD Standard are also available in HK (hardlock key) and CK (cloud key) licenses.

More specifically here are all the three different types of licenses:

1. Software Key License

• A unique serial number will be provided for Software activation over internet
• License can be transferred to some other computer using "Deactivate" button in Startup Wizzard
• There is no limit on number of License Transfers
• Internet connection needed during activation and deactivation
• One license will work only in computer at a given point of time
• Need to connect user computer to Internet after 30 days offline

2. Cloud Key License

• A unique serial number will be provided for Software use
• License is controlled by 4M Cloud License Server
• One License will work in any one computer over internet at a given point of time
• No need of activation or deactivation
• Install software in any computer, give the Serial Number, and use it
• Once you exit 4MCAD, license will be transferred back to cloud server automatically
• License can be used in any global location
• This method is ideal for changing work locations
• Internet connection is needed always in client computer for License Communication

3. Hardlock Key License

• USB Dongle and a serial number will be sent physically to client
• Install software in any Windows based computer, connect USB dongle, give the Serial Number and use the software
• Dongle can be shifted to any computer and no need to uninstall/reinstall the software
• No need to contact us even if the computer is formatted or crashed
• No need of internet or LAN connection
• If USB dongle is damaged, a new USB dongle can be purchased. But if dongle is lost, client needs to buy new license