Architectural CADD News by Software
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Architectural CADD News by Software |
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Last Updated : March 18, 2000
VersaCAD
Archway Systems, Inc.
The Mac version of VersaCAD is compiled for the Power Mac architecture:
601, G3, and G4. The revitalized CAD program will support native code and OS up v8.5, more fonts, multiple drawings, and built-in spell checker.
Archway Systems, Inc. recently acquired all of the rights to VersaCAD source and the marketing rights.
They "hope to bring it out of obscurity."
VersaCAD Returns to Founders
Tom Lasear and Mike Lazear founded VersaCAD Corp., one of the very first CAD systems for desktop computers, in the early 80s. [The very first time I read about computer-aided design software was a 'PC World' magazine review of AutoCAD, MegaCAD, and VersaCAD in 1983. -- Ed.] VersaCAD was sold to Pr1me Computer, which was later acquired by ComputerVision, which, in turn, was acquired by Parametric Technology Corp. VersaCAD is still used by 1,000 companies and 500 schools.
The two Lasears then formed Archway Systems in 1990 as a CAD VAR, selling VersaCAD, MicroStation, and other products. Archway also experimented with a pen-based version of VersaCAD [which I recall testing on an NEC pen computer in the early 90s. Pen-based computers went so quickly out of fashion that my review never ran --Ed.].
Now the circle is complete. Archway Systems will be announcing this week that it has assumed all rights to VersaCAD from PTC. Archway is upgrading VersaCAD for PC and Mac users, scheduling the release for the end of this year. As part of the agreement, Archway must write a direct VersaCAD-Pro/E translator, which is due to become available this Fall.
The price of VersaCAD has been reduced from US$2,995 to US$895; academic discounts available. VersaCAD will be on display at the AEC Systems show May 25-27 at the Los Angeles Convention Center. A user group meeting is planned for May 25. More info from mailto:tom@archwaysystems.com
(excerpt from Ralph Grabowski's Upfront ezine May 1999)
1/2000
Update on VersaCAD
Tom Lazear <mailto:Tom@archwaysystems.com> writes: "We are still madly working on a Windows version of VersaCAD. It turned out that the existing, debugged source code would not compile on today's compilers: lots of syntax rules had changed in the six years since VersaCAD was last compiled. That set us back a couple of months, since VersaCAD is on towards 1,000,000 lines of C.
"That is behind us now, and we are actually beginning to see results. We hope to have a beta this month. "Our biggest marketing effort is still to find existing VersaCAD users. We find four or five new ones every day. We have found over 1,000 entities still using VersaCAD. They come from Germany, Switzerland, France, Asia, South America, and all over the USA. Many say they purchased other CAD, but always come back to VersaCAD when the crunch comes to get the drawings out.
"We are still hopeful that we will have enough existing users willing to pay a maintenance fee that we will get enough revenue to pay to keep VersaCAD up to date. We already have 80 companies that have paid "on the come" for the new Windows version, and we have 500 email addresses of others who said they will be interested when we are actually shipping.
The fee for maintenance is US$595 per year for the first seat, and US$100
per year per seat for additional seats. We are looking forward to updating
them to the Windows version. The Mac version is looking good."
