DesignCad 3DMax V 17

by IMSI

Product Details

• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S. and to APO/FPO addresses. For APO/FPO shipments, please check with the manufacturer regarding warranty and support issues.
• ASIN: B000HLT5IU
• Item model number: 00D3MX17CC
• Date first available at Amazon.com: August 15, 2006
• Average Customer Review: 2.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,884 in Software (See Top 100 in Software)
  • #24 in Software > Graphics > 3-D

Product Description

The versatile CAD system anyone can use!Product InformationDesign CAD 3D Max Version 17 combines powerful 3D modeling with easy-to-use 2Ddrafting. Your creativity and knowledge are the only limits!  From the NASAspace station to a simple doghouse DesignCAD 3D Max is the versatile CAD systemthat is made easy for anyone to use.  DesignCAD 3D Max includes the mostadvanced CAD features such as solid modeling realistic texture mapping andcustom 3D animation. With the extensive online help that's available you'll beup and running in no time.    DesignCAD 3D Max is the ultimate beginner tool for creating precise professional-quality drafting modeling and animation. 2D drafting and 3D modeling have never been easier. Create professional-quality drafting modeling and animation with ease and speed. With no previous CAD experience needed. Perfect for: Furniture Decks Floorplans and architectural drawings Engineering Layouts Electronic schematics Plats maps and elevations Toys hobbies and 3D modelsNew FeaturesEnhanced AutoCAD® Compatibility DesignCAD 3D Max v17 has been improved to now include compatibility with AutoCAD layouts and PaperSpace. In addition there is expanded support of AutoCAD Layers LineStyles Views Viewports and Blocks in both DXF and DWG file formats.Improved Rendering and LightingA new intuitive Light Source menu allows you to easily define the lighting scheme of your drawing. Choose from multiple types of light sources and add up to 8 different lights to your drawing. Your renderings have never looked more stunning! Improved OpenGL lighting Choose light source type: Spot Point & Directional Intensity: Ambient Diffuse & Specular Direction: Horizontal and Vertical AngleRaster-to-Vector Conversion ToolThis integrated converter can scan in your paper drawings and convert them to editable CAD files saving you hours in design time.More New & Improved Feature

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Edgar in Virginia, June 23, 2007

By 

Edgar S. Young "Edgar in Virginia" (Richmond, Virginia) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: DesignCad 3DMax V 17 (CD-ROM)

I have been with DesignCAD for many, many years starting with them when they were the American Small Business Company out of Austin, Texas. Over that span of time, I have produced more drawings using DesignCAD than I can count. I started with them when they were DOS based, where I first learned 2D and 3D before the mouse - the commands were keyboard "shortcuts" and arrow keys alone. Try 3D in DOS sometime if you want bewildering frustration. Since the advent of Windows and that nice little mouse, I draw almost exclusively in 3D. DesignCAD is compatible with AutoCAD and SketchUp (tryout SketchUp's free express version at [...].- you'll like it, but it can be a bit difficult to grasp for a beginner). I owned and used AutoCAD in the past, but I would always return to DesignCAD to start the drawing in 3D and then export it to AutoCAD for the purpose of using AutoCAD's enhancements. My 3D drawings always start in DesignCAD. In short, I am very familiar with this program, and, in my way of thinking, it is the perhaps the finest 2D/3D CAD program in existence - a full five stars.

Unfortunately, version 17 is two stars because it has a few too many continuing issues that need fixing.

With DesignCAD, you can just sit down in front of your screen and start drawing. If you are new to CAD, you may want to have DesignCAD setup each drawing for you. When you press <File>/<New>, the New File Wizard should appear. If not, press "Q" (without the quotation marks) and then click on the tab entitled "View". Scroll down and check "Show New File Wizard". Now, every time you start a new drawing, the wizard appears and steps you through the setup one . . . two . . . three. Piece of cake. Then, for example, (1) Press "V" to start a line. Then left-click the mouse to set a point anywhere on the screen. (2) press ":" and you're given a small screen so you can enter how long you want the line in American Standard (inches, feet, etc.) or Metric units (mm, cm) depending on your settings - go to <Options>/<Units of Measurement>. (3) Then enter the direction in degrees the line is to go - X (right or left), Y (up or down), or Z (3D depth). (4) Hit <Enter> and there's your line accurately drawn to length in the plane of your choice. (5) Select zoom (Fit to Windows) to bring the line to full screen, and you're off and running. Use the right mouse button to snap instantly to the end of a line, or press "K" to snap anywhere "on" a line. From there, you have a full list of commands including circles, arcs, arrays, planes and solids with a full set of dimensioning tools and layers together with a host of editing tools. They make it easy for you, if you start by using one simple basic command at a time. As a result, you can begin drawing a 2D or 3D product fast and accurately.

At the time of this writing, because of the lingering issues with version 17, you might consider a more reliable version - perhaps version 16. Unfortunately, I have had to remove this version from my computer and put an older version back on. Version 17 is simply unreliable. It's too bad, because prior versions of DesignCAD have really been quite good.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Don't Purchase, November 5, 2007

By 

Vincent L. Young (St. Petersburg, Fl.) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: DesignCad 3DMax V 17 (CD-ROM)

I took Edgar Young's advice and specifically ordered version 16. Instead the shipper sent me v. 17...never replied to any of my E-Mails
..In short this was the worst experience with Amazon that I've had.

I've used design CAD v. 13 for years. After two weeks of frustration with v.17, I too had to go back to v.13...v.17's response to inputs is
highly unpredictable and unreliable!!!! e.g. many times you are completely locked out of the Z-Axis, unable to correctly position your part in 3-D space....parts show up deformed and placed seemingly randomly miles from where they should be....and on and on.

I'm quite sure the vendor is pawning off v.17 to people that request v.16 just to unload a useless product!!!!!!!!!!

Advice...Demand in writing that you want v. 16 or earlier!!!

Vince Young
St. Petersburg, Fl.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars "Easy-to-use" is easy to say....., October 22, 2007

By 

JavaBen "JavaBen" - See all my reviews

My opinion!

They market this product as 'Easy-to-use'. That's easy to say.

If it was easy-to-use, I would expect it would come with a tutorial, or a getting-started, or something like that. Instead, it's like trying to learn to write a book from using a dictionary.

If it's easy-to-use, why would the training disk, sold separately on a CD, cost almost as much as the actual software? That must be a lot of training! Hah!