A TC Mac customer recently sent me the email below. I hope this of some interest/help to Mac users –

I was using v12 TC Deluxe and I had not appreciated that v14 TC2D has different file extensions.  v14 reads and allows some operations of TCDs but it is better to convert the files immediately to TC2s and then work on them.  It’s this ‘jumping the gun’ scenario that caused then scale issues.

With v14, TC2 files can be accessed/opened directly from File Manager if required but not TCDs./  Another reason to convert quickly;y in my opinion.

v14 is now working well with OS Ventura.

IMSI Design Releases TurboCAD 2022

The TurboCAD 2022 release is highlighted by the inclusion of a new Physical-Based Rendering (PBR) engine, TurboLux™, included in all of the 2D/3D versions of the product line.   includes over twenty new and improved features.  “The release of TurboCAD 2022 has a strong focus on Visualization, 3D Modeling and Architectural enhancements, as well as integration with our new in-app Content Server that contains 100,000’s of parts to speed-up design,” stated Bob Mayer, President of IMSI Design.“

“We are excited to announce the release of TurboLux, a first of its kind Physical-Based Rendering engine now available in TurboCAD Deluxe, Professional and Platinum versions. The TuboLux rendering engine addition has taken TurboCAD’s visualization capabilities to a whole new level of photo realism.  Both CPU and GPU rendering are incredibly fast, there’s hundred of additional materials, and when coupled with the other 2D drawing, 3D modeling and interoperability enhancements, we know all of of TurboCAD users will find 2022 a grat new release,”  added Mayer.

Key New and Improved features include: Usability & Interface

• New Search option in Drawing and Program Setup – when launching TurboCAD, the new start-up screen displays recently created files and the ability to open/create new files via its Create tab. In addition, from the Start-up you can learn about TurboCAD basics, including the viewing of new feature videos, via the Learn tab, and get access to the latest information about TurboCAD, via the News tab.
• Selector, new Keep Size Option – A new option “Keep size” has been added to the 2D and 3D Selector’s Local Menu. This option is intended to scale the distances between the selected objects, without scaling the objects themselves, that is not changing their size.
• New Content Server and Palette – The TurboCAD Content Server (TCS) is an online repository of CAD content. Currently, TCS contains more than 700,000 mechanical parametric parts which can easily be dragged and dropped into your drawing.  These symbols fully support international standards such as DIN, KR, ISO, ANSI, and ASME.

2D Drafting and Editing

• Smart Dimension Tool Enhancement – The Smart dimensioning tool is now fully associative between Model and Paper spaces.  Changes made to a Smart Dimension in Model Spaces will automatically be updated inside of any Viewport in Paper space which includes that Smart Dimension.
• Ability to interrupt wireframe GDI draw – TurboCAD now has the ability to interrupt native GDI draw by pressing the Esc key. This is very helpful while editing a large drawing. Previously, without this ability to interrupt, the user would have to wait finish a GDI draw after each action.   A Progress Indicator has also been added.

3D Drawing, Modeling, and Editing

• Associative Intersection – A new local menu option “Associative Intersections” has been added to the Intersection tool. If this option is enabled, the intersection curves created get associated with the 3D objects. That is, with the movement of the intersecting objects, the intersecting curves get updated accordingly.
• Surface on Face – A new local menu option “Offset” has been added to the Surface on Face tool. This defines the offset of the surface from the object. When the surface is being created, user has this option to create it with a positive or negative offset from the source object.
• Associative Sections – Two new local menu options “2D section by closed polyline” and “Associative Section” were added to the Section tool. If the option “Associative Section” is enabled, then the section created will be associated with the section polyline and the 3D object. This is, with the changes made in the associated Polyline or the 3D object, the section created will also be updated.
• Updated ACIS^® Solid Modeling Engine – TurboCAD 2022 updates the underlying modeling engine providing improvements in the following areas:

• Multithreading
• Booleans
• Constant and Variable Radius Blends
• Direct Face Operations
• Shelling

Architectural Improvements

• Radial Grid – A new AEC Grid “Radial Grid” has been added to the Architecture menu. This Radial grid is a new tool that makes it easy to align other radial architectural objects in the drawing, such as curved walls and columns.
• Slab Edge Styles support – A new category Slab Edge Styles has been added to the Style Manager. Now user can edit the slab edge styles via a new edit mode. Using edge styles, you can specify dimensions, such as the overhang length, and the orientation and angle of the edges. User can also specify a fascia and soffit for the edge style. With this new feature, it is now possible to edit slab edge style by activating “Edge Style” option in the edit mode.
• AEC Grid improvement – A new property ‘’Keep label value” has been added to the AEC Grids. The new option adds the ability to save the axis name without changing it, regardless of the order of the axes in the grid. With this option enabled, the user can automatically move the axis to any position without having to have to re-name it.
• Wall/Window/Door tools improvement – A new local menu option “Anchor to AEC Grid” has been added to the walls, windows, and doors. When this option is enabled, the ends of the architectural object anchor to the AEC grid. The end position of the object changes in accordance with edits made to the AEC grid.
• Roof Improvement – A new local menu option “Overhang” has been added to the Roof tools. User can now edit overhangs for each side of the roof.

Photorealistic Rendering and Visualization

IMSI has again taken the very reliable and straight forward to use LightWorks rendering component out of 2022 and replaced it this time with something called TurboLux. This does not work, ‘straight out of the box’, is not straightforward to use and needs a lot of setting up. So, if you are not technically minded, comfortable with terms such as OCL, GPU, Open CL then the rendering is going to give you problems.

• TurboLux™ Physical-Based Render – TurboLux is a state-of-the-art rendering technology which exploits Physically Based Rendering (PBR) techniques. PBR models light and materials based on the laws of physics, accurately simulating the flow of light, resulting in eye-popping images of photographic quality.  TurboLux includes over 800 fully-editable materials, support of both CPU and GPU-based rendering, and advanced rendering features such as tone mapping, HDRI, caustics and a denoiser.
• Visualize – The Visualize renderer and drawing engine has further enhanced, with support of a Dynamic Cut Plane tool, extended Camara parameters, including Edge and Face mode/color related settings, and the addition of Visual Styles to Named Views

File Support / Interoperability

• Professional Mechanical CAD File Translator Improvements – New and Updated version support includes:

• IGES, STEP (updates)
• SAT/SAB (updates)
• CREO 8 (new version support)
• SolidWorks 2022 (new version support)
• Parasolid 34 (new version support)
• NX 1980 Series (new version support)
• CATIA v5-5 2022 (new version support)
• SolidEdge 2022 (new version support)