Topic: BRICSCAD ...

[craigr]

I just checked the price and the Pro is $742ish vs $1000ish for LT.

This sounds pretty good, but then I noticed that it doesn't edit / create tables - wouldn't work for us.

I started to be VERY interested in it until I saw the lack of Tables. Hopefully they will add this in future versions.

http://www.bricscad.com/en_INTL/bricscad/info/comparison.jsp
craigr

[MP]

Not that it really matters, but it appears that they have thrown in the towel when it comes to Linux development? 

Nope. I've heard from a very reliable source that Linux development is very active and ongoing.

"WE ARE COMMITTED - WORKING ON IT - AND WILL DELIVER".

I just checked the price and the Pro is $742ish vs $1000ish for LT.

This sounds pretty good, but then I noticed that it doesn't edit / create tables - wouldn't work for us.

I started to be VERY interested in it until I saw the lack of Tables. Hopefully they will add this in future versions.

craigr

I'd guess that tables are a forthcoming feature.

As for the "Pro is $742ish vs $1000ish for LT" comparison, that's laughable, as BricsCAD supports LISP (including the ActiveX stuff), DCL, VBA and the ODA variant of ObjectARX dubbed DRX. Try that in LT.

[craigr]

Don't get me wrong, it sounds like a wonderful product and was willing to give it a try, until I saw the lack of Tables.

It is something that I plan to keep an eye on.

craigr

[Mark]

I used it once. I did a simply parking lot design, even got paid for it! Nothing in Briscad turned me off, that I can remember. If I did more drawing from home I would most likely purchased a copy. Having it run on a non-Windows OS would be a pleasure, a BSD would be great. fingers crossed

[MP]

Outstanding Developer Docs.

I may have had too much kool-aid.

[MP]

I used it once. I did a simply parking lot design, even got paid for it! Nothing in Briscad turned me off, that I can remember. If I did more drawing from home I would most likely purchased a copy. Having it run on a non-Windows OS would be a pleasure, a BSD would be great. fingers crossed

Cool + I believe (could be wrong) the current Linux BricsCAD is limited to Fedora.

[MP]

Don't get me wrong, it sounds like a wonderful product and was willing to give it a try, until I saw the lack of Tables.

It is something that I plan to keep an eye on.

craigr

Gotcha. <thumbsup>

[Mark]

I used it once. I did a simply parking lot design, even got paid for it! Nothing in Briscad turned me off, that I can remember. If I did more drawing from home I would most likely purchased a copy. Having it run on a non-Windows OS would be a pleasure, a BSD would be great. fingers crossed

Cool + I believe (could be wrong) the current Linux BricsCAD is limited to Fedora.

That wouldn't surprise me. I can imagine how hard it would be to write the software to support multiple OS's.

[Bob Wahr]

Which leaves the original question of has anybody used it and how was it?

[It's Alive!]

I started to be VERY interested in it until I saw the lack of Tables. Hopefully they will add this in future versions.

I’m sure they will as table are already exposed via code

[gskelly]

I use Bricscad pretty much every day. (v7 & v9 Pro) The v7 is needed to support a third party app yet to update. I can provide a bit of info for the interested.

Some details about our usage: Drawings are cadastral surveying, site plans and residential development, typically local roads and generally < 20 lots with occasional larger multi-phase longer running projects. We generate 2D drawings with most jobs on a single sheet. The engineering drawing sets are generally max 5 sheets with the infrequent 20+ sheet project. I use a digitizing table sometimes and some raster backgrounds. My drawing files are typically in the 5MB range.  My customization is primarily Lisp, scripts and button macros.  (I hope to fall into the deep abyss of ARX soon).

My user experience is generally good. My Lisp code runs great and supported VLisp is pretty extensive and still improving. There are some functions I wish were there but I think most of what I have bumped into will be addressed once a release with the new geometry library comes.

I was around Autocad quite a bit up to 2000i but not much since then so I cannot provide a feature comparison (and likely do not know what I may be missing). I find Bricscad generally stable. There was steady improvement done during through the v8 cycle as the re-write progressed. The transition to v9 was a little bumpy initially but stabilized fairly quickly.

I find the support quite remarkable. My user related problems (I am not an expert CAD user) yield useful advice and recommendations. Bug reports are generally acknowledged within days and the reply often includes a time estimate for a fix. A release to fix reported bugs has been made within a week or less on more than one occasion.  The user forums and support request system give me a positive feeling Bricsys place a lot of importance on user input. There have been issues and I have cursed while using the software but when it has happened I was listened to and someone was focussed on my problem. Generally I am not a fan of the web-based-support-ticket style support but it has been working well and has won me over.

My knowledge of the Linux version is limited. The current Linux version is based on Wine and I believe it to be problematic for recent distros. Bricsys has utilized wxWidgets in Bricscad (starting with v8) and are now nearly MFC free. The next Linux release will be native (not Wine based). You are all likely aware of all this anyway. Time estimates are by no means firm but they have stated their current planning is for a beta of the native Linux version by the fourth quarter.

Everyone should try things for themselves in their work scenario. I and not trying to "convert" anyone, I only sell survey services but I can say I am happy with the choice to purchase Bricscad and have felt no regret.

Greg

[gskelly]

I started to be VERY interested in it until I saw the lack of Tables. Hopefully they will add this in future versions.

I’m sure they will as table are already exposed via code

That's looking pretty cool Daniel! I've heard there is a free tool from Sofoco for editing tables also but I've not tried it... Ah, yes, here it is:
http://www.sofoco.com.au/SofocoTools.html

[Dinosaur]

I'm not sure if my opinion counts for much since I am not really "using" Bricscad, but since I am not using any other cad at the moment here are some observations from someone who has put in some quality "playtime" with it including some on V9 Bricscad.

I honestly think Bricscad may be the bargain of all the cad options out there right now.  It really is still r2002 with a coat of polish to make it work with up to r2009 files.  The programming is there to support all of the post 2002 features but there is not yet a way to create or edit them in files created in newer AutoCAD, but as Daniel mentioned they are actively working on providing full support of these features.  The one stumbling point I know of is the competition between the various Intellicad clones.  MicroSurvey is a civil vertical that uses CMS Intellicad, but the latest offering I know of was still stuck using the 2005 vintage.  Progecad has a flavor that works with vertical suites for at least civil and architectural applications.  These are competent applications that compare roughly to the equivalent 2000 / 2002 vintages of ADT and Land Desktop but would not work with the other clones.  Bricscad was actually shipped as an optional cad engine for EaglePoint land software a few years back but the last version I know of was compatible with r2006 Autodesk offerings but again this was the only Intellicad that worked with the vertical.  I would prefer seeing a single Intellicad offering as opposed to multiple varieties that are not fully compatible among themselves.

If you are doing strictly vanilla cad work and and you are used to working in 2007 or older AutoCAD, there is very little difference in the interface and should be a very easy transition, but if you have been on the bleeding edge of upgrades and used to r2009 you likely won't be as impressed with V9 Bricscad because those new features and even the eye candy can be quite addictive.  It is good but not THAT good . . . yet.

[MickD]

The only thing stopping me from using it is it doesn't yet carry the hlr engine that acad uses for solprof etc, otherwise I'd be doing most if not all of my dev work for Bricscad.

[Bob Wahr]

gskelly, DinΨ, and MickyD, thanks for the input.