IntelliCAD Milestones and Roadmap

IntelliCAD Milestones

IntelliCAD milestones and development roadmap is explained in detail in this article. We have compiled this information from various sources like IntelliCAD website,Wikipedia etc.

IntelliCAD Technology Consortium ITC) formed in 1999 as an independent, member-driven, non-profit professional Organization for collaborated CAD software development.

A new IntelliCAD 2000 source code branch, however, continued independent development under the new ITC after the acquisition of Visio by Microsoft.

IntelliCAD 3 (IntelliCAD 2001):

Introduced complex line types, XREF clipping and IntelliCADs first display and printing of ACIS 3D solids on May 22, 2001.

In 2002:

ITC releases a development guide with information on accessing the IntelliCAD source code. It tells how to submit code for review, and development guidelines detailing proper coding structure.

In 2003:

The ITC announces IntelliCAD 4 (US$249) with multiple layouts. It also announces a new display engine for faster display performance, ACIS solid modeling, and better memory management.

In October 2004:

The ITC announced IntelliCAD 5, which added tabbed workspaces and dwf file support. The ITC also announced a new partnership with Solidworks.

On October 29, 2008:

The first test release of the new IntelliCAD version 7 announced at the annual ITC meeting held in Athens, Greece.

The IntelliCAD 7 architecture uses the Open Design Alliance (ODA) platform, previously known as DWG direct. For companies building custom applications, IntelliCAD 7 also offers the powerful DRX object-oriented application programming language. This is developed by the Open Design Alliance (ODA) with custom IRX extensions specific to the IntelliCAD platform.

The major enhancements in IntelliCAD 7 are:
Offers many new end-user and development platform features:

Integrated command compatibility and support for AutoCAD® DWG™ 2010 format.

New support for custom objects, including AutoCAD® Architecture objects. It uses the ODA platform to display and edit architectural entities such as walls, doors, windows, etc.

Full support for DRX with extended IRX methods; support for VSTA; new online developer help, including integration with Microsoft® Visual Studio®.

Expanded internationalization tools simplify localization in addition to the ten languages are already available.

As of 2009, about 50 ITC members globally shared in IntelliCAD development.

In 2011:

The IntelliCAD Technology Consortium (ITC) announced the release of IntelliCAD 7.0b. IntelliCAD 7.0b is a maintenance release that contains numerous improvements.

In December 2012:

The IntelliCAD Technology Consortium (ITC) announced the release of IntelliCAD 7.2a. IntelliCAD 7.2a is a maintenance release that contains more than 700 improvements.

In addition to conversion support for 2013 .dwg files, IntelliCAD Version 7.2a includes general performance enhancements and improvements to printing, entity editing, dimensions, entity snapping, and many other areas.

On 2nd October 2015:

The IntelliCAD Technology Consortium (ITC) announced the release of IntelliCAD 8.1b.

IntelliCAD 8.1b is a maintenance release that contains over 140 improvements and fixes since the IntelliCAD 8.1a maintenance release in September 2015.

Improvements in IntelliCAD 8.1b include fixes covering the areas of selection, user interface, lofting and sweeping, and much more.

On 1st July 2016:

The IntelliCAD Technology Consortium (ITC) today announced the release of IntelliCAD 8.2.

IntelliCAD 8.2 is a major release that includes new support for exporting 3D .pdf files; more options added to existing features that export 2D, .pdf files, export .bmp files.

IntelliCAD 8.2 also includes improved performance when working with complex blocks, panning and zooming, exporting to .pdf files, and more. Optionally available with the ability to open, save, create, and edit .dgn files in the native DGN format.

IntelliCAD 8.2 now includes ribbon panel expanders, ribbon versioning support, and the ability to customize the ribbon using the CUSTOMIZE command.

IntelliCAD 8.2 supported on Microsoft® Windows® 10, Windows 8, Windows 7, and Windows Vista®, including 32-bit and 64-bit versions.

On August 31, 2016:

The IntelliCAD Technology Consortium (ITC) today announced the release of IntelliCAD 8.2a. IntelliCAD 8.2a is a maintenance release. It contains over 125 improvements and fixes since the IntelliCAD 8.2 release on July 1, 2016.

Improvements in IntelliCAD 8.2a include various fixes for working .dgn files, external references, the user interface, and much more.

Here we need to discuss why IntelliCAD is not so popular compared to AutoCAD.

Below are a few important points:

The late entry of IntelliCAD in 1999, given enough time for Autodesk to add equivalent features like MDI, Design Center, and customizable UCS icon.

In the beginning, IntelliCAD shipped incomplete, with clear gaps in regular features compared to AutoCAD like boundary hatch, shapes, etc.

Not enough branding and advertisements as it is not a commercial establishment.