Overview

Professional 2.5D Drafting and Detailing

TurboCAD LTE Pro is the advanced version of TurboCAD LTE. More than an AutoCAD LT® work-alike, it’s a professional 2.5D application that provides all the features you look for in AutoCAD LT, plus many more power features CAD professionals want. Plus great .DWG and .SKP compatibility make TurboCAD LTE Pro the perfect stand-alone solution, replacement product, or companion seat to AutoCAD and SketchUp with a seamless and integrated workflow.

And much, much more!
With so many new, innovative features, TurboCAD LTE Pro is more like the AutoCAD LT upgrade you've been looking for:

Better drafting with a Powerful Drafting Palette

• Better detailing (create associative, 2D views or hatched sections, even from xrefs; cross sections of cross sections; etc)
• Hyper-Accelerated Graphic Performance with GPU-based graphic cards
• Range of intelligent, ACA/ADT compatible architectural objects, including self-healing walls (straight and curved), doors, windows, muntins, roofs, rails, slabs, and stairs
• Self-aligning blocks
• House Wizard
• Style Manager
• Parametric Parts Manager
• Geometric and Dimensional Constraints with updated D-Cubed v57 DCM engine
  Drawing Compare
• Hatch Pattern Creator
• Transparent fills
• Support for Xrefs
• PDF Underlay
• Draw order by layer PLUS
• Ruby Scripting
• Superior workflow with Google™ SketchUp and SketchUp Pro
• Open & save .DWG, .DXF, and .DWF formats from AutoCAD R14 to 2011
• Software Development Kit with samples and .NET support
• Premium Support

... and much, much more!

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Low Learning Curve

TurboCAD LTE Pro is designed to minimize switching costs for AutoCAD LT users, and protect your intellectual property in existing drawings. Menus, menu items, tools, and icons are easily recognizable. Familiar keystrokes, command line, palette interfaces and even an intelligent cursor have been incorporated for an intuitive, comfortable feel right out of the box. Plus, exceptional .DWG compatibility allows you to continue to profit from your existing drawings. So you’ll be up to speed in no time, immediately benefitting from the advances in productivity TurboCAD LTE Pro has to offer.

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Affordable Innovations Enhance Productivity

TurboCAD LTE Pro goes beyond AutoCAD LT to provide more advanced drafting and detailing capabilities. It understands and can import 3D files to create 2D planar construction views to complete your working drawing documentation. TurboCAD LTE Pro supports external references, or "Xrefs," making editing more efficient, and helping to keep drawings in synch. And support for customization through Ruby scripting and the Software Developers’ Kit allows for all sorts of routines, features, or full-fledged vertical applications to be developed and added right to the user interface.

TurboCAD LTE Pro also excels at parametric design with features such as parametric constraints, scripted parametric parts, architectural tools, and parametric AEC objects. Architectural users will appreciate the House Builder Wizard, architectural style manager, and intelligent self-healing walls that are ADT compatible. Plus, all users will benefit from lightning fast zoom and pan navigation performance thanks to graphic acceleration that can handle even the largest drawings.

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UI & Performance

Familiar User Interface

No need to re-learn what you already know. Install, start, and get up and running immediately without looking back. TurboCAD LTE’s familiar UI lets you concentrate on creating design and not how to use the software.

• Toolbars - Standard toolbar and icons function the same way as AutoCAD LT. Simply click and let the drawing begin.
• Dynamic Input - Familiar heads up display with dynamic input at cursor. 
• Command line - Need the command line? No worries, we have it. Common keyboard aliases and quick keys are already included too and fully customizable. Even the ESC key works as expected.
• Palettes - Tool palettes provide a fast way to access common and customizable tools with a familiar look and feel.
• Menus - Pull down a menu and find the exact command you want with no surprises. Call it CAD intuition.

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Hyper-Accelerated Graphic Performance

Increase zoom and pan performance so you don’t have to wait during a moment of inspiration. The powerful drawing engine takes advantage of GPU-based graphics cards for lightning fast wireframe displays. (See system requirements for more details.)

The Redway Redsdk drawing engine in TurboCAD LTE Pro goes beyond available features in our basic TurboCAD LTE software with:

• The ability to customize the auto regeneration mode for arcs, brush styles, construction lines, curves, line styles, and any other black or white colored objects
• Support of the visual settings for the selection highlight in Redsdk mode.
• Support of Hidden Line, Draft Render, and Wireframe modes.

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Support for Xrefs

All of the file formats that may be opened and imported, with the exception of bitmap images, may be used as an external reference (Xref). The designer may continue to work in AutoCAD or SketchUp, for example, while the drafting continues in TurboCAD LTE. This helps to minimize duplication of geometry, thereby making editing more efficient and helping to keep drawings in synch. Xrefs also help keep file sizes down when you use the same large components in multiple drawings, and allow concurrent sharing of data.

PDF Underlay

Boost productivity with the new ability to import a vector PDF drawing and use it as a tracing layer with snaps.

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Database Tools

Attach data to any object and extract data from any object. Organize, compile output to tables, spreadsheets or databases. You can even extract attributes, including blocks and xrefs, and show visible properties only.

ePack File Packaging

TurboCAD LTE Pro can collect and assemble all external resources and entities attached to a drawing into a common folder with the drawing for easy distribution, similar to AutoCAD's eTransmit feature.

Purge tool

TurboCAD LTE Pro makes it easy to remove unused objects from Model Space and Paper Space with this simple yet powerful new tool.

Draw Order by Layer PLUS

Layers can be assigned a draw order numerically. The setting, "Apply general property changes to all tool presets" allows you to Draw By Layer and more. When changes are made to the properties of a selected tool, those changes are made to all tools. The result is a more AutoCAD® like workflow.

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Drafting & Detailing

Fast Drafting & Detailing

TurboCAD LTE Pro is rich in fundamental drawing tools and drawing aids that speed design.  A variety of visual styles are also available so that materials, fills, even transparent fills and gradients can to be used to add effects and visual clarity. Lines and custom line styles allow for color or width by layer. Polyline segments may have differing starting and ending line widths.

Other speedy features include the quick and easy creation of views and viewports of any size and shape, and access to extensive paper space and printing capabilities, marker and schedule tools, leaders, multi-leaders, dimension tools, and symbols content.

Extraordinary Drafting Palette

The Drafting Palette is one of the most powerful features for advanced drafting and detailing in TurboCAD LTE Pro. It works with solid or surface models, turning 3D designs into associative 2D views and detailed sections in a single click, even when working on an Xref. This means your sectional views and elevations in layout (paper space) will update automatically as the model changes.

These object views can also be dimensioned and annotated rapidly.

For added productivity, Drafting Palette items may be locked, essentially caching them until unlocked. This allows modeling to continue at speed – particularly important with larger models that have numerous sections, elevations, and views. Each section may be regenerated individually or all simultaneously.

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Powerful Parametric Constraints

The D-cubed constraint engine in TurboCAD LTE Pro gives you greater control and productivity, empowering your creativity.  By setting up geometric and dimensional constraints, you can enforce design intent, making it easier to very quickly modify a design.  Use them to get more done, create part families faster, incorporate red-line changes more quickly, and have the flexibility to evaluate different designs with ease.

Geometric constraints determine the relationship of two pieces of geometry with each other.  Geometric constraints supported by TurboCAD LTE Pro include:

• point to point coincident
• point to line coincident
• parallel
• perpendicular
• tangential
• concentric
• symmetrical
• horizontal
• vertical
• mid-point constraint

Dimensional constraints determine the size of geometric entities. Dimensional constraints supported by TurboCAD LTE Pro include:

• equal radius
• equal length
• equal distance
• distance
• length
• angle

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Parametric Parts Manager

Create and consume parts that remain parametrically controlled even after insertion into your drawing.  There is also a method to draw variably constrained parts and convert them to parametric parts using a wizard.  Because the parts can be saved individually, like a symbol, libraries of .PPM objects can be created, shared, and reused from project to project.

Easy Design Director

This palette streamlines work and enhances productivity with advanced controls for Layers, Layer Filters, creating Layer Sets, setting and saving Work Planes, controlling Named Views, and more.

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Architectural

.Self-Healing Walls (ACA/ADT Compatible)

Self-healing walls (straight and curved; ends and intersections) accelerate floorplan design. With self-healing walls, there is no longer a need to re-edit the wall after inserting a window or door, as the wall will automatically heal to incorporate these architectural objects. Healing also works when these objects are removed from a wall. Tops of walls will even modify automatically when the roof slope is changed.

Intelligent (Parametric), Attribute-Rich Architectural Objects:

TurboCAD LTE Pro offers Architectural Objects that are all fully parametric, meaning that all geometric (i.e. height, width, depth) and style (shape, type, material) attributes can be easily adjusted when the object is selected. Doors and windows (self-aligning), stairs, and rails can be further customized with application of materials to the different parts of each object.

• Component Walls
• Bottom wall modifier
• Doors
• Windows
• Door and Window Muntins
• Roofs
• Slabs
• Stairs
• Rails
• Insert a window into a wall and adjust in seconds
• Change a single door into a double door and adjust in seconds

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Dimensions

Dynamic dimensions are displayed when doors/windows are inserted (showing distance from door/window to wall ends) for easier placement. Plus, corresponding fields are added to the Inspector Bar.

Self-Trimming and Aligning Blocks

Create any custom block such as a revolving door or column block and place it into a wall object. The block will automatically clean-up (trim or heal) when placed, moved, or removed from the wall. Blocks also correctly aligned when inserted into TurboCAD LTE Pro ADT-compatible walls. Doors and Windows also offer the ability to attach a block(s) via the style manager to a selected door or window style.

A "Sync block attributes" button in the Block Palette lets you select any block(s) and press the Sync button to reset attributes in all block(s) instances. The attribute's value will be stored if the attribute definition with its corresponding tag exists in the block and all attribute properties will be reset from the block attribute definition.

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House Wizard

Automate the preliminary room-by-room design of an entire house and generates a floor plan. Drop in closets, a garage, entry and passageways, even decking!

Style Manager

Use the style manager for complete design control of the style of each of the components of your architectural drawing; including dimensions, text, and all architectural object types. The Style Manager includes pre-defined, fully parametric styles for doors, windows, walls, dimensions, schedules, tables and text. These pre-defined styles can be customized to your preferences and new styles can be easily added.

Architectural Sections/Elevations (3D-to-2D Documentation)

TurboCAD LTE Pro saves time when converting in 3D-to-2D. Architectural objects are ADT compatible. They include a full set of 3D properties that can be fully exposed and utilized for creating 2D elevations and sectional views.

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Architectural Markers (Self Incrementing)

Insert markers to number objects such as rooms, doors or windows in your architectural plans. Great for creating legends, call outs, or simply mapping points and adding notes to your drawings. Four different marker styles are included.

Schedule Tool and Wizard

Create a schedule displaying the number of Doors and Windows used in your drawing. The wizard allows you to create and fill the schedule table with drawing information faster and easier. Adding a window or door into a drawing dynamically updates the schedule. You even have complete control over how the text will appear.

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Compatible & Programmable

Excellent Workflow

Need to share CAD files with others?. Open and save .DWG, .DXF, and .DWF formats from AutoCAD R14 to 2011.

Open and Save As .DWG (AutoCAD® Release 14 to 2011)

Save ACA/ADT-compatible objects and parameters for intelligent use in AutoCAD and AutoCAD LT. (TurboCAD LTE’s .DWG files with ACA/ADT compatible objects can be brought into AutoCAD products and retain their self-healing properties. For example, bring a TurboCAD LTE .DWG file with walls and blocks into AutoCAD LT and walls continue to self-heal within AutoCAD LT as those blocks are moved. TurboCAD LTE is a great way to head-start your project.)

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Open .SKP (Google™ SketchUp™)

Enjoy superior workflow with Google™ SketchUp and SketchUp Pro .SKP files up to version 8. TurboCAD LTE imports all visible geometry, layers, and components. It also converts all components to TurboCAD LTE blocks to optimize drawing performance. You can even create 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. Develop construction documents quickly from SketchUp 6, 7 and 8 models.

Support for many more CAD & Graphic file formats

TurboCAD LTE supports over 30 of the latest industry file formats. In addition to .DWG and .SKP, you can open and Edit .DXF and .DWF files. You can also open and/or save As .IGES, .3DM (Rhino®), .3DS (3ds Max®), .STL, .SAT, .STEP, .OBJ, & .DAE (Collada), so mechanical drawings can be brought in for advanced detailing projects or translations from almost any MCAD application. This means that beyond AutoCAD & Google SketchUp, TurboCAD LTE Pro is an excellent companion to SolidWorks, SolidEdge, Pro/E, and other CAD programs.

File Conversion Tool for Batch File Conversion

With the Batch File Converter utility you may select files of one type and convert them to any of the file formats supported for saving. This includes converting a dozen .DWG files to .png, or converting .2CD to .DXF 2003 format files – all in one step.

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Ruby Scripting

Ruby is a programming language that anyone can use to write plug-ins (scripts) for TurboCAD LTE Pro. This scripting language is also compatible with SketchUp Ruby Scripts. Ruby Scripts can add tools, simplify multi-step operations, and otherwise improve the way you work with TurboCAD LTE. Use the Ruby Scripting Console for writing program scripts suitable for both mechanical and architectural design.

Software Development Kit

The Software Development Kit (SDK) supports the development of new tools, functions, and behaviors for use in TurboCAD LTE Pro. Specialized tools for vertical applications can be created and added. Even commercial plug-in applications may be developed and sold. Documentation, samples and .NET support is included.

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System Requirements

Minimum System Requirements

• Pentium IV Processor.
• Microsoft® Windows XP - 512 MB RAM, Microsoft® Vista 1 GB RAM, Microsoft® Windows 7
• 1 GB RAM
• 300 MB of free hard disk space depending on accessory applications installed
• 64+ MB of swap space
• Super VGA (1024 x768) display
• High Color (16 bit) graphics card
• 4X DVD-ROM drive with 32 bit drivers

Your experience will be greatly enhanced with newer generation, higher speed CPU, 2-4 GB RAM, and larger display resolution.

Optional GPU-accelerated wireframe render mode requires a supported graphic accelerator. The latest video drivers are typically required. Newer boards with more VRAM generally provide greater performance. Most cards in the NVIDIA® Quadro FX 1000 series, GeForce FX series, GeForce 6, 7, and 8 series, plus AMD ATI Radeon family, ATI FireGL X family, and FireGL V family of cards are supported; as well as INTEL® Integrated graphics series GMA 3000 and GMA X3000.

Flash™ Player 8 required to view tutorials.

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TurboCAD LTE vs AutoCAD pdf