Community Edition vs Pro Edition...

Do you have a question you want to ask an existing QCAD user about QCAD and what you can do with it? Do you want to know if a particular feature exists? This is the place to ask.

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rlhorn
Newbie Member
Posts: 6
Joined: Wed May 30, 2007 12:55 am
Location: Utah, USA

Community Edition vs Pro Edition...

Post by rlhorn » Wed May 30, 2007 1:07 am

Could you please explain the differences between the two versions?

Thank you.

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andrew
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Post by andrew » Wed May 30, 2007 2:21 pm

Please refer to the FAQ at:
http://www.ribbonsoft.com/qcad_doc_faq.html#41

[Edit: Please refer to the feature list, features in italic are available in QCAD Pro only:
http://www.qcad.org/en/qcad-documentation/qcad-features]

rlhorn
Newbie Member
Posts: 6
Joined: Wed May 30, 2007 12:55 am
Location: Utah, USA

Thank you...

Post by rlhorn » Thu May 31, 2007 11:43 pm

Thank you Andrew. I missed that in the FAQ.

I have downloaded the demo, and now understand that the community edition is NOT the demo version, just a stripped down version of QCad. I am convinced now that QCad is the way to go. I have been looking for a CAD program that fits my needs for Interior and Trade show booth design. QCad and Linux now does this while I dump M$ and AutoCAD.

Its nice to know that there is a CAD program that people can use 100% of its potential, instead of paying thousands of dollars for a program that you only use 20% and the rest is just wasted HD space.

Thank you again.

Gooserider
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Joined: Wed May 30, 2007 3:57 am
Location: MA, USA, North America, Earth, etc.

Post by Gooserider » Sat Jan 17, 2009 7:34 am

IMHO the FAQ page is somewhat misleading in that it minimizes the differences between the commercial and community editions :cry: To the extent that this page is intended to help promote sales of the commercial edition, it seems to me that it hurts the effort by not mentioning ALL the differences and functions that are in the current commercial edition, but not in the community edition.

I know that based on the FAQ page, I just purchased the QCAD book by itself, since I didn't think that the drawing requirements that I have needed scripting or extensive poly-line support, which the FAQ mentions as the primary difference. (In retrospect I should have purchased the combo package of book plus commercial license, and I've just sent an e-mail to the "contact us" page asking if I can upgrade by paying the difference...)

In fact, I'm finding it a challenge to get through the exercises in the the book using the community edition as MANY of the features described are missing, or don't work as described...

Just getting to page 90 in the book, I've found the following significant differences:

(I'm using ver 2.0.5.0, Dec 12, 2008, compiled from Gentoo Linux sources)

1. Neutral Arrow - not there, but do get a left pointing arrow at the top of tools that will back you out with multiple clicks (p37)

2. Mouse cursor is NOT a yellow circle - instead you get a blue dashed cross-hair where the snap point is at, and a white cross for the mouse cursor. This can get confusing as the blue cross hairs can hide the blue "sample" line in some cases. (p39)

3. Window zoom - area to be zoomed is shown as a solid blue rectangle, not a dashed red one (p51)

4. Tool tip for extending a line in edit mode says "TRIM by amount" - not a big deal but confusing! (p64)

5. Autosnap function is missing in community edition - BIG annoyance! (p74, and lots of additional places!)

6. NO buttons to specify snap points by cartesian or polar coordinates (but this can be done on the command line) (p90)

7. Looking at the pictures, it appears the community edition also lacks the "snap to reference points" function.

(page references are to the QCAD book (english paper edition) where I found mention of the feature)

These differences are the ones that I found significant enough to make note of in the book, I'm sure there are probably others that I haven't gotten to yet. So far I've been able to work around the differences, but it has been a challenge in some cases to figure out how to do so.

My bottom line opinion is that the community edition is useable, but if the book accurately describes the functions missing from the community edition, but present in the commercial one, it would be worth the extra expense to get the commercial edition, especially if trying to learn QCAD by working through the book.

I am glad I purchased the book, so far it has been well written with good explanations and examples, and I'm finding it MUCH more useful as a learning tool than the reference manual.

Gooserider
beginner

Toma277
Registered Member
Posts: 2
Joined: Fri Jun 12, 2009 6:21 am

some info needed

Post by Toma277 » Fri Jun 12, 2009 6:36 am

Hello :)

I interested in QCAD, but want to know about pro version some things. In community version there are 18 command to use in command line. It is a good idea, to work both mouse and keyboard, and it is efficient, but I think, more powerful if the command line is support entire program and its features, so I can do as many as possible things in command line, like autocad. And the end for now, I want to know can I modify (for example) a line with its coordinates. In community edition i cannot find it, just align with the grid, after set it up to the needed coordinates. I think useful and easier to type in the modified x or y coordinates.

Thank you for the help, and waiting for the reply

Have a nice day,
Toma

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andrew
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Post by andrew » Fri Jun 12, 2009 7:15 am

QCAD cannot execute all commands from the command line.

However, you can use "key codes" for all commands in QCAD Pro. We believe that you will very quickly be more efficient with key codes than with a command line.

E.g. to start drawing a line:
- make sure the command line does NOT have the keyboard focus
- type the key "L" followed by the key "I"
- The line command is started

Available key codes are shown in menus and in tooltips.

To edit the start / end point of a line, please use the property editor (View - Toolbars - Property Editor).

Please do try our free QCAD Demo version, to check out these things for yourself:
http://www.ribbonsoft.com/qcad_downloads.html

Toma277
Registered Member
Posts: 2
Joined: Fri Jun 12, 2009 6:21 am

Interesting

Post by Toma277 » Fri Jun 12, 2009 11:45 am

It sounds very interesting :)
I must accept that the key commands efficient too.
Tried the demo, looks good, before buying, I would like to try the scripts, what is it, how to, I will read the forum about this.

Thank you the quick reply.
I`ll be back :) :arrow:
Toma

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