05-13-2005, 05:00 PM
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Pupil
Join Date: Aug 2002
Posts: 33
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CAD on the Hoof? PowerCAD CE Frees Me From My Drafting Table
Product Category: Computer Aided Design (no, seriously...)
Manufacturer: GiveMePower
Where to Buy: Available from the GiveMePower website.
Price: PowerCAD SiteMaster CE US $995; PowerCAD CE Pro US $495; PowerCAD CE Classic US $249; PowerCAD CE Viewer US $99
System Requirements: Windows Mobile 2003. 9932.7k for all components. It can be installed to a memory card.
Pros:- Opens Industry Standard CAD files;
- Tons of powerful commands;
- Great annotation capabilities.
Cons:- Oh come on; My screen is only 3.5";
- Really expensive (until you look at it as a business expense).
Many of us use Pocket PCs because we are looking for a certain degree of mobility. Much of the software that people use in their daily work now has counterparts on the Pocket PC. But I spend most of my day using CAD software. Now with PowerCAD, I can take even this software on the move with me.
Read on for the full review!
Why CAD on a Pocket PC?
I am an Architect. Not a software architect, a real architect who designs brick and mortar structures.
In this era, this means that I spend alot of time drawing on a computer using CAD (Computer Aided Design) to document and investigate my designs. I also have to spend time on construction sites, referring to these same designs.
In the dark old days of the 20th century, I would have to refer to printed drawings on the site. Often during construction, things in the design will change, and I would have to mark these changes on the drawing, and then make the changes to the CAD file when I got back home.
But thanks to the Pocket PC and PowerCAD CE, I can now take my CAD file into the field and view or change it on the fly. Better yet I can have a consultant or a vendor send me one of their drawings via email, and open it directly on my Pocket PC Phone.
There are many ways that the software can be used, and to suit the user's needs, Power CAD comes in multiple configurations.
PowerCAD CE Viewer (US $99) lets you, er, view CAD files. But you can also add comments to a drawing. So, if you are on a jobsite or in the factory, you can be referencing a design, and commenting on things that may need to change. All versions contain these markup functions, and when on the go, these will really be the most used functions. The software lets you draw freehand lines and comments, or use more formal callouts (leaders connecting to a comment box). Since this product is aimed at mobile uses, the third markup option is to use the PowerCAD VoiceNOTES. Typing the command "VN" in the command line prompts you to choose a location. When you click on the where you want to comment, you are taken to a screen where you can start a recording. When you are done recording, you are taken back to the plan view, and there is a new icon on the plan. Clicking on this icon plays back your comment. This is great when on the move, because you don't have worry about writing or typing, or really even looking at the screen. Just walk and talk! As I will discuss below, this was my personal favorite.
PowerCAD CE Classic (US $249) gives all of the functions above, plus adds about 300 2D drafting functions and some basic 3D functions. Because there are so many different functions almost all of them are accessed via Keyboard short cuts. More about this later. This version gives the ability to make redlines in the Added, but beyond this you can also actually change the drawings. You can also start a drawing with one of the tools available in the Classic version.
PowerCAD CE Pro (US $495) gives everything above, and adds the ability to incorporate LISP and C++ programming. This means that you have the ability to program in some functions to automate your work, like automatically design a staircase or automatically number rooms, etc.
PowerCAD SiteMaster CE (US $995) includes everything listed in the packages above, and also has the ability to interface with a couple models of laser distance measurers. This is really an amazing combination of abilities that would allow me to make CAD drawings of existing conditions in the field. I can go into a building, measure all of the elements of that space with the laser measure, and this information is fed into PowerCAD CE Sitemaster, where it is automatically drawn. I just need to add some symbols for doors, etc and voila! I have an accurate CAD drawing. No more making sketches in the field and then using the CAD when I get back to the office. It saves me time, and time is... well, you know...
These four different configurations provide tons of function and lots of options for my wallet.
Use in the Field
When I use CAD on my desktop, it is being displayed on a 21" LCD monitor so that I can see large expanses of my work and minimize eyestrain. The screen of my Pocket PC is smaller than the eraser shields I used when I hand drafted. And if you can remember manual drafting and eraser shields, than you are old enough that eyestrain is an issue.
This was my primary concern when I started to use the program; would there be enough screen to be able to actually do anything useful? The answer is both yes and no.
The easiest way to use the program on the go is to use the redlines and vnotes functions to make notes in the field. This method needs only the stylus, and is easy to do while walking.
Figure 1: The Draw menu with the markup flyout
The use of the traditional CAD features for editing drawings or making new drawings is a little more dicey. Having the drawing area open with the on-screen menus and having the on-screen keyboard open resulted in a sliver of work space.
Figure 2: The main menus all displayed
Figure 3: Inputting Coordinates
Figure 4: Plan with menus displayed
It was rather like trying to read a set of blueprints thru a straw. This is not a reflection on the developer, but just the reality of a PDA. GiveMePower does a good adapting to the screen, but it is what it is. However, using an external keyboard and a Bluetooth mouse provided a very desktop like experience, and I found it rather easy to use.
Figure 5: Zoomed in close enough to see detail on a plan
Figure 6: One of the menus in use
When I thought about it, this seemed to make sense to me. When I am walking around the job site, it is nice to be able to have multiple files with me to be able to reference and make quick notes. It allows me to replace carrying rolls and rolls of drawings with my Pocket PC. It is also great to be able to edit this information when I can find a place to sit.
Starting from Scratch
It is possible to create a drawing from scratch with the software. There are several wizards which will let you set up a new drawing. It reminds me alot of the ubiquitous AutoCAD.
Figure 7: The new drawing wizard
Figure 8: Setting the angles of measurement
Figure 9: Setting Dimensions
Figure 10: Setting up sheet size
Figure 11: You can even set up a titleblock
As you can see from the screenshots of the wizards above, there are a couple of settings for paperspace.
This was one of by biggest surprises. Paperspace and modelspace on a Pocket PC. While it is a bit hard to see, this means that I won't have to radically change formats to get the drawings into the Pocket PC.
For those who don't use alot of CAD, paperspace and modelspace are different ways of viewing the CAD information, usually taking a CAD model which is drawn at real world sized and drawn scaled down to fit on a plotted drawing.
I was, unfortunately, able to bomb my system. I am using an HP iPAQ 6315 (I know, feel my pain) and when I try to load any files in the 2 megabyte or higher range, my iPAQ basically crashed. This is probably basically just a function of the PDA, but it was rather annoying nonetheless.
Yeah, but how do I get this roll of drawings into this little computer...
The last thing I should discuss is getting drawings from my desktop to the Pocket PC. By default, PowerCAD uses it's own file extension of .FLX. However, almost the entire CAD world uses the ubiquitous AutoCAD .DWG or .DXF file formats. When installed thru the desktop, Activesync is configured to translate .DWG to .FLX. So it is a very easy matter to drag and drop the .dwg files straight into the Pocket PC. But if I am away from my desktop, or want to put the drawings directly onto a memory card, the software can translate the file type on the fly.
Figure 12: A drawing emailed to me by a consultant
Conclusions
CAD on a Pocket PC is an ambitious undertaking, but GiveMePower has done an incredible job with their PowerCad CE series. While this is certainly not for everyone, if you have a need to reverence CAD drawings while on the go, this just might be the software for you.
John Walkosak is an Architect specializing in the design of hospitals and health care facilities throughout the northeast (www.hfpambuske.com)
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05-13-2005, 05:19 PM
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Intellectual
Join Date: Jun 2003
Posts: 185
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Real Architect! I liked your statement.
Well, I'm a "Real Architect" too. I got my degree from Lisbon's Architecture College. Ironically, my work is more like a Software Architect. I never practiced "Real Architecture". While in College I began specializing in Web Design, then Usability and now as a general cosnultant on Human Factors in Applications.
I enjoyed your review and I tested ProCad or what's is name and always felt it as cumbersume to use. I feel that architects would benefit from a view and anotate tool on a PPC but not a real editing one.
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05-13-2005, 05:36 PM
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Pupil
Join Date: Feb 2004
Posts: 14
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I really enjoyed your review, and the paces through which you put the porta-CAD program. Even more than toting large spreadsheets around, the thought of really doing any CAD work on a ppc is daunting. Your 'reading a blueprint through a straw' was great, and totally apt.
Not an architect here, but an engineer who specialized in managing large engineering CAD systems, it was really interesting to see the progression. I (ahem) still remember when we had huge 1MB memory boards for the Vax computers our system ran on. Not quite eraser shields, but quite a while ago, nonetheless.
Great article!
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05-13-2005, 06:33 PM
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Editorial Contributor
Join Date: Jun 2007
Posts: 5,411
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I agree with Bruno. Also not an architect, but do technical drawings in Visio on a daily basis. Would be nice if either Repligo or Adobe on the PPC had an annotation feature where I could just scribble ink notes to be incorporated into the drawing when I got back to a 'real' workstation.
Would be really nice if the annotations would sync back on a layer, but I'm dreaming now.
Nice review BTW. Amazing what can be done on a PPC.
__________________
Sometimes you are the anteater, sometimes you are the ant.
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05-13-2005, 06:33 PM
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Pupil
Join Date: Aug 2002
Posts: 33
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Eraser Shields
Quote:
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Originally Posted by dodette
Not quite eraser shields, but quite a while ago, nonetheless.
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Ouch - you're making me feel old!  Thanks for the comments though. It's nice to know that there are at least 3 of us who are not computer -only guys. :lol:
To address Bruno's comment, I really like this solution to be able to refer to drawings and make the occaisional markup. I have most of the architects in my office on various models of pocket pcs, and I think that we will be looking to getting a couple of seats of this.
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05-13-2005, 07:30 PM
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Intellectual
Join Date: Jun 2003
Posts: 185
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Hey, John. Don't feel old! I'm only 29 and when I got to college we did everything by hand, and although we used AutoCAD 11, there were no easy - or cheap - way to print them. Heck, we waited a good 20min for the plotter to cough up a drawing with hatches. And we had to swithch the pens all the time. Laser CAD printers were a godsend.
But I remember scraping the paper with a razor. Yes, children, we had to erase lines with a razor, and then pass the erasor on top for the paper to re-adquire texture. What a pain on editing.
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05-13-2005, 07:50 PM
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Ponderer
Join Date: Apr 2004
Posts: 50
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Another architect here�
Thanks for the review, please keep us posted how it goes.
I am an intensive PPC user, and obviously have considered it for CAD. I came to the conclusion that a redline-commenting mobile tool would be very effective. The price has been always what made me think it twice. In addition, CAD Drafting is becoming quite complex (Drawing are composed of several External References, linked files, etc), and portability is not that simple.
I had taken PDF files on my PPC into design meetings, but then the screen size and navigation becomes an issue.
I ended up taking a laptop to coordination meetings and site visits. However, photographic reports, meeting minutes and Schedule management are tasks handled pretty well with a PPC. I have even used Messenger to ask for that critical document to be sent, from inside that critical meeting, in front of an unaware client, from his own unprotected WiFi access point, (It worked!!! :mrgreen: ).
You live and learn I guess.
I have a lot of projects in which the information exchange is done on a Web-based service, (like Buzzsaw), and access all the information (including drawings) from my PPC would be very cool.
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05-13-2005, 07:54 PM
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Ponderer
Join Date: Apr 2004
Posts: 50
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by Bruno Figueiredo
But I remember scraping the paper with a razor. Yes, children, we had to erase lines with a razor, and then pass the erasor on top for the paper to re-adquire texture. What a pain on editing.
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And yes, there is still the romantic part of the craft.
I enjoy to sharpen my red pencil before I sit down to make redlines into a set of drawings, and love to take out my fat-lead to draft some ideas into sketch paper.
I have seen clients and consultants to really enjoy when you place a sheet of drafting paper over the CADD-plotted drawings and take out the crayons.
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05-14-2005, 12:00 AM
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Neophyte
Join Date: Jan 2004
Posts: 3
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Why not a Tablet PC?
I'm another former architect that has gone into the computer industry. In fact, I made the transition 11 years ago from CAD end-user to trying to take on the role of a product manager for a CAD software company. I helped to spec a portable CAD software product that was going to be an As-Built drawing input system, storing dimensional and angular constraints to snap everything into place. At any rate, besides other factors, we were a number of years premature with this idea, because what it really would have needed was a decent mobile platform to run on.
I played around with PowerCAD a few years ago, and while it is very capable, I think the workspace limitations of a 3-4" LCD screen would not make for a productive work tool.
In my own opinion, what you should really be considering is a Tablet PC. I think a Tablet PC has just about the right compromise between portability and usability. In addition to that, the tool options are going to be whatever you can run on your desktop or laptop PC.
That being said, I love my Pocket PC, and the form factor of a Tablet PC just doesn't fit my current needs. But if I had to be productive in CAD in a mobile environment, I think I'd have to go that route.
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05-14-2005, 12:15 AM
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Executive Editor, Android Thoughts
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 3,233
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by Sven
Amazing what can be done on a PPC.
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It's that attitude that got me involved in PPCs in the first place. Amazing what the possibilities are, and they are getting better every year.
Excellent Review.
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Dr. Jon Westfall, MCSE, MS-MVP
Executive Editor - Android Thoughts
News Editor - Windows Phone Thoughts
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