QCAD Bugtracker

Yesterday I set up a Windows 64 bit install of QCAD Pro which shows the same bug I have been seeing for a while in the Community linux git repo.

Create a new drawing and then go to “Print preview”. Enable “Move paper postion”, the cursor changes to the hand icon, but the paper position is unable to be moved. Only by saving the drawing, exiting the program, restarting and reopening the drawing, will the “Move paper postion” function correctly.

Affected versions tested:

Windows 64bit installer download, as of yesterday.
Linux 64bit build from git, about 20minutes ago.

For what it’s worth, this bug is not present in this previous git checkout:

Version:
3.21.1.0 (3.21.1)
Internet:
QCAD.org
Build Date:
Jul 2 2018
Revision:

Qt Version:
5.7.0
Architecture:
x86_64
Compiler:
gcc 6.3.1

Thanks for a great product.

Dear Andrew, just in case you should ever run out of ideas for enhancements; As an advisor I sometimes get PDF files and recently, some CAD drawings contained layers, which is kind of nifty to reduce the clutter.

Sadly though, qprinter/qpainter seem to be unaware of OCG (Optional Content Groups, the PDF jargon for layers) at the moment, so my plea is for the back burner now. Probably in SVG though it can be done? Yet that is of a little less use, maybe…

Win7pro 32bit Qcad 3.23.0

Andrew,
The Arc segments of Polylines with Global or any Local Width render faulty where Global Z or any of the arc’s local Z is not zero.

In the attached drawing setting the Global Z of the inner poly to 5,10,...

The setting of Z to not zero affects the radius of the projected arc and not the bulging of the poly.
It also affects the projected widths of the line inversely, but not by changing the widths properties.

Pritty rare combination! True.
Qcad is 2D native! True.

Flatten will resolve this.

It is not a purely visual rendering fault, the poly will explode as such.

Maybe similar flaw as with uneven scaling blocks with arcs.
https://qcad.org/rsforum/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=5566#p20703

Regards

It would be nice to have the possibility to control the automatic Text orientation in Block attributes.
Something what would work like the DIM restriction: I can read the text horizontal and/or from the right side of the drawing sheet.

Right now I have the feeling that the Text orientation is dependent on the tool what I even use.
Different tools = different outcomes.

When exporting to SVG it would be helpful if there was a selection of layers to export.
E.g. when selecting only layer A in the SVG export dialog, only the objects located/displayed on layer A would be exported to SVG.

As an alternative or additional export feature, there could be an option to export each (non-empty) layer to a separate SVG in one step.
The layer names could be used as (part of the) default file names during the export.
E.g. Layer A of file XYZ would be exported to “XYZ_A.SVG” while layer B would be exported to “XYZ_B.SVG” etc.

implement

See:
https://www.qcad.org/rsforum/viewtopic.php?t=6650

See also:
http://www.qcad.org/rsforum/viewtopic.php?f=31&t=3846

Add preference to use a single, configurable color for all locked layers.

See also:
https://www.qcad.org/rsforum/viewtopic.php?f=89&t=4879#p17953

See also:
https://www.qcad.org/rsforum/viewtopic.php?f=89&t=6447

Add support for custom dimension labels created in 3rd party applications. Such labels may contain text that is stripped by QCAD.

See:
http://www.qcad.org/rsforum/posting.php?mode=reply&f=30&t=2677

Git head as well as 3.4.5 (trial), both with dxflib 3.3.4.0.

Start up QCAD, (with existing or new configuration, doesn’t seem to matter), “Save as” the completely empty drawing, choose “R15 (dxflib)” on Pro (only this one is available on community), save drawing.

Fire up AutoCAD 2000, try to load the empty drawing just saved.

Result:

DXF read error
Error in APPID Table
DXF read error on line 941.
Invalid or incomplete DXF input -- drawing discarded.

Problem not present when a completely empty drawing saved using Teigha in R15 format is opened (ie. it just results in an empty drawing in AutoCAD 2000). Problem is also not present when saving an existing drawing with Pro (trial) with Teigha and opening it in AutoCAD 2000. Problem does present when trying to open a dxflib-saved drawing in AutoCAD 2000.

Empty drawings created with both dxflib 3.3.4.0 in QCAD Pro 3.4.5 trial and Teigha whatever in QCAD Pro trial 3.4.5 are attached. (Community Git 135fd0 is identical to Pro - same dxflib version.)

Implement a command line switch to only show a list of given layers for dwg2* command line tools.

Add support to specify multiple blocks (layouts) to output (one per page).

We currently have a paper-space using two viewports with different layers from the model-space frozen. Unfortunately in the pdf output the layers which are frozen show up.
dwg2pdf should obey the specific frozen layer for each viewport

Hallo Andrew

It would be more than conveniant, defining the drilling locations of the drill toolpath, by selecting a circle’s center point.

Hi, I get anoyed everytime saving a drawing;

 File Format not recommended.......          [Yes]   ; I know. it's suppose to be in that format!
 Saving to file......                        [OK]    ; I already told you
 Black entities ......bla bla                [OK]    ; I already told you
 Custom colors ...... bla bla                [OK]    ; I already told you

Therefore, Drawing Preferences should start with the file format choice field;

 File Format: R.......

Drawing should be opened and saved in that format without any question. Please.

First post, so please excuse if I missed some forum rules etc...

I insert bit maps and trace over them to create DXF files for laser cutting burnout templates. If the edge of the bit map is coincident with a line I have drawn, it is not possible to select the line for offsetting, trimming etc. This is regardless of the draw order or handle number. It seems to happen most if the edge of the image and line are coincident with the X or Y origin. I also use fairly fat lines to make it easy to see. My default line width is 1mm. Not sure if that affects selection or not, but fatter lines don’t help the issue at hand.

Steps to reproduce...
insert bitmap at 0,0
draw horizontal and vertical lines starting at 0,0. (my lines are usually longer than the edges of the bitmap.
try to select one of the lines for offsetting. (Select the line in the area of the bitmap. There is no problem selecting the line where it extends past the edge of the bitmap.)

It does not matter if I insert the bitmap first and then draw lines, or draw lines first, insert bitmap and then change the draw order so the lines are on top. It is also not consistent on which axis is affected. It is usually both X & Y, but sometimes just one or the other.

Workaround is select the bitmap, then move it by 0.001 in any direction. Now the edges are no longer coincident and you can select your lines. The alternate workaround is to insert the image on another layer and then turn that layer off when you need to select a line on the edge of the bitmap.

Add intersection, union, difference, XOR operations for closed polylines.

Add option to define length (end point) using mouse pointer.

If reference point is “Middle”, extend line from middle in both directions to mouse cursor (?).

See also:
https://www.qcad.org/rsforum/viewtopic.php?f=89&t=5205

https://qcad.org/rsforum/viewtopic.php?f=33&t=7254

It seems to be an accuracy problem.
The original hatch boundaries are defined from 732 single entities.
These interconnect with an accuracy better then 1e-10 except for a gap of 0.000814 in two places.

Creating a Hatch of these entities with TA-HA is rather slow but succesfull.
After Save-Close-Open the Hatch may look different or may even be missing (=Null).

Suspected is that:
The recreation off the Hatch on load uses some other accuracy setting.
The outer boundary is not found and only some inner ones are considered as outer.

But that explains not why it looks fine after initial creation.
Nor that the outcome of a retry may vary.

Regards,
CVH

XP/32

... doesn’t works proper at circles and ellipses.

Circles: the scale works only proportional even though I have the options for x and y.
Ellipses: The same but if I play around with the x, y fields it will freeze the scale possibility.

Support disproportional scaling also for arcs, ellipses, other entities, not only lines and polylines with only line segments.

Approximation value for dimensioning, i.e. for example:
approximate to .5
measured valure 11.3456 > displayed value 11.5

Dimensioning - add option to split dimensions.

To have an option to split the extension lines if they run over other entities.

Dimensioning - add option to insert text in the middle of dimension.

To have an option to have text aligned in the middle of the dimension line, rather than above it.

Dimensioning - add option for horizontal text alignment.

Basically an option in drawing preferences to align text horizontally instead of vertically.

Support custom dimension text styles for imported DXF / DWG files.

It would be nice to have the option for a “Short” Extension Line.
This is often used in Architectural drawings.
Yes, I know that I can explode a dimension and change it to that what I’m asking for - but that is really a Sisyphus task and destructs the function of a dynamic Dimension in QCAD.

Leader Arrow size and the Architectural tick size are controlled by one and the same value.

It would be nice to get the possibility to adjust them independently from each other ...

Diametric text is always placed above a horizontal measurement.

I often want to indicate both the inside and outside diameter of an object e.g. a wheel using diametric text. The text is overlaid and illegible.

To avoid text overlapping, I use Horizontal Aligned because I can control the position of the text to avoid illegible text.

A better method would be to alternate the placement of diametric text (alternatively) above and below a measurement so that in the majority of cases an overlap would be avoided.

Similarly for a vertical measurement, the text is overlaid and illegible.

When the angle is almost vertical, the angle controls the side the text appears however it also reverses the direction of the text (which is logical but not attractive).

Kind regards
Simon

So far, layer status has only been implemented very rudimentarily.
I wish something like a dialog box in which you can choose for each layer status, which layers belong to it and which not.

It would be so useful to have an option to be able to detect duplicates within a given selection.

Property Editor - Geometry - Custom - Add Custom Property

It would be nice to have in “Application preferences” the possibility to predefine a couple Custom Property Names.
Right now I use the Custom Property function to add a DIN and the Material info to every Block. This project has a lot of DIN parts and I have to type again and again the names DIN ... Material ... DIN ... Material ... DIN ... Material ... DIN ... Material ... DIN ... Material ... you got my point

If I have predefined Names - I have just to fill out the value

It may be useful to insert the “image cropping” function both in top / bottom - right / left mode, and with polyline

Hi Andrew,

Still working with and on CAM HPGL for the HP7580 pen plotter.

I have added a penplotter test drawing, that might be used for testing en callibrating plotter and pens. You may add it to the Examples-directory.

QCAD has a lot of trouble creating toolpaths and exports. Much too often it shuts itself down, or gets stalled. Why? I am not sure.

This is how I would implement this:

This would be a modification tool. Parts are selected, a toolpath is generated, and a dialog pops up to allow putting the tool path into an existing layer, a new layer, or replace all drawings in an existing layer.

This is how the toolpath is generated:

We iterate through all elements and explode everything but text into line segments. Then we connect the line segments into chains wherever the line endpoints are less than some tolerance away from each other. The chains can be very chaotic, but at least we have separate entities for now.

For every chain, we need to find the largest complete loop. A good drawing would only contain non-overlapping loops, but we can’t expect that. Everything that is not on this loop can not be defined as a part or as a hole, so we will merely create a tool path segment that is equivalent to the line segment. Every segment that *IS* on a loop is either an outside edge (part outline), or an inside edge (hole outline), (or overlapping, in which case it is neither, and we have an operator problem).

In a perfect world, we need to find exactly which shape is inside which other shape, and then create alternating tool offsets from the outmost loop (part edge) to the second outmost (hole), to the next (part) etc. .

In a simplified world, we can used the bounding box of the loop instead. This works OK for rectangular shapes, but a circle next to an “L” shape could be seen as inside the L’s bounding box, hence inside the L, wrongly accused of being a hole, not a part.

Now all that is left to do is to create a new loop, offset by the tool radius. Oh, and since we have the connections from line segment to line segment in the correct order already, we can use the opportunity to order all cutting loops from inner to outer, or from small to large, and order non-loop edges by travel distance.

The new drawing in the new layer can now be exported without further hassle to create a nice laser cut file.

PS: of course, a user could create multiple layers for marking, cutting, enraging, etc. . Additional Layer attributes for cutting speed and laser power (and a few more) would be needed.

Hi,

It would be less confusing to read messages in the command line protocol if it would use the same coordinate separators like the settings below Application Preferences / General / Coordinate Format.

This example shows the “Absolute Cartesian Coordinate” but of course all corresponding format settings should be used within messages.

Absolute Cartesian Coordinate: Setting = semicolon (;) but the message will use division (/).

Select lines, arcs, ... and convert them to points along the lines, arcs, ... with a fixed distance.

See also forum at:
http://www.ribbonsoft.com/rsforum/viewtopic.php?t=1834

Customer wishes that stacked text used as subscript is rendered differently (i.e. increased text size, lower position for subscript).
This may also apply to superscripts.

See also:
http://www.qcad.org/rsforum/viewtopic.php?f=32&t=2180

A line with linestyle = dots and line weight = 0.00 appears in model space overly spaced, all other lineweights behave as expected.
Suspect other linestyles to behave in a similar fashion.

See attached drawing.

Suggested fix: use the same scaling for lineweight 0.00 as for lineweight 0.05.

In the comnmand line, I can sucessfully enter for example the radius of a circle to draw (Space 100 Enter) but the command line does not accept a value for the distance when drawing parallel lines (l p space 100 enter → error).

command line arguments: allow class name after -exec

In my example I can’t draw a circle with circletangent2 if the defining point is on one of the defining tangents. The tangency is lost when I try to do this.

I attached 4 screenshots: TheExample.png, TryingPoint1.png, TryingPoint2.png and The_Point_Isn’t_On_The_Tangents.png.

An option in the drawing preferences to change the line thicknesses for arch ticks would be a huge plus, at the moment I am having to insert ‘arch tick’ blocks for this.

Hi,

in QCAD3 RC2 points were printed as crosses, in QCAD3 RC4 they are printed as (very little) points. I think this isn’t a bug but a feature.

It would be nice if one could change this behaviour / select the symbol of points.

Best regards - Stefan

This is a double post of http://www.ribbonsoft.com/rsforum/viewtopic.php?p=5870#5870 as suggested there.

Automatic change of icons in the Library Browser from black on white to white on black or vice versa depending on the background (white or black; light or dark) in QCAD main window.
See also https://www.qcad.org/rsforum/viewtopic.php?f=31&p=21970#p21970

Change a quote value modify the drawing + link quotes with entities

In other words, makes quotes editable AND linked to entities.

• Today in the properties, the value is read only. Being able to edit the value would modify the linked entity properties to fit the new quote.

• Changing a property would change the linked quotes accordingly. Today, if I change a circle diameter which is quoted, the quote remain where it was and is no more relevant.