TurboCAD vs DesignCAD

We are often asked why it is we sell two different CAD lines – TurboCAD and DesignCAD. While DesignCAD was not originally developed here at IMSI/Design, its acquision back in 2003, has presented us with synergistic products to the TurboCAD line. In general, DesignCAD has a much simpler and straight-forward user interface, owing to the fact that its feature set was never intended to be as robust as that of TurboCAD. So getting up to speed in DesignCAD, parrticularly for novice users, has generall been a quick and straight-forward experience. The testament to DesignCAD’s ease-of-use has really been in the lack of training materials we’ve needed to sell along side of it. DesignCAD includes all of the basic functionality you’d expect to see in either a dedicated 2D or 2D/3D product for first-time CAD users. 

When one compares TurboCAD Designer to DesignCAD, or TurboCAD Deluxe to DesignCAD 3D Max, a number of significant difference stand-out with the TurboCAD product enjoying more in these areas functionality:

• 2D and 3D Modification tools – including Assembly, Alignment, 3D Chamfering and Offset tools
• Intelligent Architecture Tools – Wall, Door, Window, Openings and Schedules in TurboCAD
• Interoperability – much broader support of CAD and Grahics formats in TurboCAD
• Xrefs and Blocks – not supported in DesignCAD
• 3rd-Party Plug-ins – TurboCAD includes a much wider range of plug-ins, including everything from Beam Analyis to Furniture Design. That said, Animation is a part of DesignCAD, whereas it is an additional plug—in TurboCAD

TurboCAD also includes a DesignCAD file import feature, so for DesignCAD owners looking for a little more CAD functionality, particularly in the 3D Max produyct, there’s a natural upgrade path to go from 3D Max to TurboCAD Deluxe.