Layouts are very similar in look and feel to those in AutoCAD 2012. All of this will be familiar to those who use AutoCAD 3D modeling in the last several releases.įigure 1: Editing 3D models Drafting and Annotation Models are editable by Boolean operations and by altering faces in various manners (see figure 1). Solid and surface modeling are available. (Once you have them memorized, I think they will increase your drawing productivity.) 3D Modeling The experience is enhanced further by gesture commands, which I’ll described later in this article. Right from the start, drawing in 2D model space will be a very familiar experience to AutoCAD users. These tool palettes also include command sets, such as a “Draw” and a “Modify” palette, thus providing an alternate to the menu interface. ProductivityĪ populated set of tool palettes is provided and active by default. I found I was able to start drawing in 2D immediately, with a few minor differences that are easily overcome.
Overviewįor the AutoCAD user, ZWCAD+2012 will be a very familiar environment.
ZWCAD ZW3D 2015 INSTALL
A firm may install ZWCAD on all of their computers, but only the licensed number may be active simultaneously.
ZWCAD ZW3D 2015 SOFTWARE
Networked versions of the software offer an electronic floating license that appears similar to other licensing schemas.
ZWCAD+2012 comes in three flavors, Standard (reviewed here), Professional, and Academic Network (not reviewed here). Because ZWSOFT claims to be an AutoCAD alternative, I think that it is fair to report what it will – and will not – do, so that design firms using the more advanced features of AutoCAD can make an informed decision over whether to adopt ZWCAD+. The current release supports the DWG 2010-12 file format and older.īecause of the similarities, I found it difficult to present something what’s new and exciting about ZWCAD+ 2012 – at least for anyone using AutoCAD 2010 or newer. This includes, but is not limited to, the ribbon and tool palette UI, associative dimensioning, block attribute manager, field objects, and object cycling. Many of the user interface features and commands listed as new in this release have been in AutoCAD for several releases. One should take note that the performance improvement claims on the web site are based against the similarly-name ZWCAD 2012 release (which used an older engine), not the current version of AutoCAD
ZWCAD ZW3D 2015 UPGRADE
ZWCAD+2012 is marketed as a significant performance upgrade compared to the previous version. There are several listed for Germany and Spain, and one each for France and Italy. Their website lists one exclusive US distributor of ZWCAD at, and 6 US VARs for ZW3D.
ZWSOFT claims 320,000 users of their products worldwide, which includes a companion CAD/CAM product named ZW3D. It appears that the primary market differentiation for ZWCAD is its price, claiming to be 25% that of AutoCAD. China, openly states this using these terms in their promotional material. The manufacturer, ZWSOFT of Guangzhou, P. ZWCAD+2012, released in July of 2012, is an AutoCAD alternative.