The Industry Standard for AutoCAD drawing (DWG) and DXF Compatibility

Direct DWG and DXF Read-and-Write

As the developer of the milestone-setting Drawing Librarian and Block Librarian add-ons for AutoCAD, SoftSource has amassed years of expertise in documenting in detail and working with the DWG and DXF (Drawing eXchange Format) file formats from the inside out. In addition, SoftSource is the creator of DXE (Drawing eXchange Engine), the industry standard AutoCAD read-write API, used by the world's largest CAD companies. This extensive knowledge forms the basis of SoftSource Vdraft's distinct advantage of direct read-and-write for both DWG/DXF file compatibility.

Vdraft reads and writes AutoCAD Release 12 and earlier files, directly and entirely without translation. AutoCAD data/format integrity is guaranteed. Vdraft's compatibility quotient for both file formats remains unique to the industry--not even AutoCAD/AutoCAD LT can directly edit DXF files.

Note: Users wishing to edit AutoCAD Release 13 drawings in Vdraft can save a Release 13 file with the SaveR12DWG command on AutoCAD's File menu. This guarantees the same degree of file compatibility as AutoCAD Release 12 or AutoCAD LT when the file is edited in Vdraft.

Compatibility Plus: Superior Multiple-Document Handling

In addition to benchmark file format compatibility with AutoCAD, Vdraft offers other significant advantages in handling files over and above AutoCAD's present implementation: the ability to work with multiple DWG and DXF drawings open in the same drawing space while just one instance of Vdraft is running.

For example, the following screen shot shows five complex DWG files being edited simultaneously:

Vdraft is designed around the Microsoft Windows MDI (Multiple Document Interface), which supports multiple documents open under one instance of the application. This represents a significant performance enhancement and savings on system resources and overhead.

By contrast, even the recently released Windows 95 version of AutoCAD-Release 13 will continue to require running multiple instances of AutoCAD to edit more than one drawing simultaneously--still a considerable drain on system resources. Vdraft clearly takes the more advantageous approach.

• More extensive backward-compatibility. Current industry readings indicate that Release 12-or-earlier compatibility (per Vdraft) is still in sync with the preferences of the vast majority of AutoCAD users.

• Superior block viewing and management. Vdraft capitalizes on SoftSource's design expertise with products such as its award-winning Block Librarian, an add-on that has brought easy block viewing and management capabilities to several releases of AutoCAD. When compared to AutoCAD's block capabilities, Vdraft's implementation is a clear winner for overall stronger UI for block viewing (for example, via clear preview boxes), block insertion (direct, dynamic manipulation), and block management.

• Optimized for CAD and graphics on the World Wide Web and the Internet. Vdraft is seamlessly integrated with SoftSource's two brand-new NetScape plug-ins: a DWG/DXF plug-in for viewing AutoCAD and DXF drawings and an SVF plug-in (SVF is an acronym for Simple Vector Format). Both plug-ins greatly enhance publication of and access to CAD drawings and other complex graphics, making it practical to transmit them across the Web and the Internet. The plug-ins include single-download navigational capabilities (for example, zoom, pan, and layer visibility control) and scaleable vector graphics. The SVF plug-in also features navigation via HTML hyperlinks, offering a host of elegant, new options for any application or context that requires detailed, structured information and the power of graphics. Vdraft reads and writes all file formats applicable to these plug-ins.

Product Overview

DWG and DXF Compatibility

Windows Compatibility

Tools and User Interface

Customizing Vdraft

Product Fact Sheet

Become a 'Vdraft Partner'

Vdraft Third Party Applications

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