Can customized configurations be saved in TurboCAD v19 ?

[Roger HeadParticipant @rogerhead16992]

I am about to embark on learning TurboCAD. I have access to a friend's PC with v19 PRO (Platinum, I think) while he is overseas for a few months. He's a trusting soul, isn't he .
I almost always customize programs on my own PC, sometimes quite extensively, but I naturally don't want to screw up his configuration. I think I have seen something like 'Restore to original layout' mentioned somewhere, which is all well and good if you don't mind starting over all the time, but is it possible to save/restore customized configurations? Is it possible for configurations to be associated with different user log-ons? Etc, etc, …

Thanks, Roger

[Roger HeadParticipant @rogerhead16992]

[David JuppParticipant @davidjupp51506]

I don't know specifically about TC, many programs save customisation settings per user – so if you set up a user account for yourself on the PC, I'd have thought it will not upset your friend's settings. If the licensing is very strictly named user only, a different user account might not be able to run the program (I think that is unlikely).

There may be a 'profile' saved somewhere that holds display customisation etc. – taking a backup of your friend's file before you start changing things would be a good idea as a 'belt and braces' approach.

The TuboCAD user forum might be best place to ask.

[MuzzerParticipant @muzzer]

Perhaps if you are going to log in to Windows(?) with a different profile – and TC is installed "for all users", you may be able to use it without it affecting his settings at all.

Working in a different profile is a good approach generally, as it also means you won't be able to upset his existing desktop, other applications, see his private directories etc. Don't know the specifics but I think any NT version ie Vista, 7 or 8 (or 10) will allow this.Not sure I'd want a complete newbie "learning" in amongst all my carefully set up stuff!

Murray

[Roger HeadParticipant @rogerhead16992]

Hi David and Murray. I've been hunting around the system (32-bit XP), and this is what I've found:
Under the 'Tools' menu there is a Customize command which opens a multi-tabbed
dialogue box, with the front tab seemingly associated with what I am after. There is a
'Workspace' section with 'Load From' and Save In' drop-down selection boxes each
with an identical set of file names (initially opening as '1024x768pro' ) for both
boxes. There is also a Browse button which defaults to opening a folder at
D:Documents and Settings(friend's name)My DocumentsTurboCAD Professional 19Config
where I see those files.
That all looks fairly encouraging as it seems an individual user can have several different configurations. As you suggest, I am going to create another username for myself, try making one simple tool change that can be easily undone, and see what happens.

Roger

Edited By Roger Head on 16/12/2015 09:25:17

[MuzzerParticipant @muzzer]

I see that a copy of TC Pro (assuming you want 3D) is $1500. The problem is that if you commit to learning and using TC, at some point you are going to have to either cough up over £1000 for your own license or abandon it and start over again with something else. Or have to continue to share your friend's machine. The more time you invest in it, the more disruption and cost you will incur later surely?

I'd suggest you try a few different 3D CAD options before you make such a commitment. There are many alternatives that are free (as discussed elsewhere) or an order of magnitude less (eg Cubify Design) and very well featured.

Murray

[Gary WoodingParticipant @garywooding25363]

Older Pro versions (V16, for example, which I consider to be one of the very best versions) do just about everything you will need and will be much cheaper than £1500. It works fine under Win10.

[IanTParticipant @iant]

I'm using Turbo CAD v15 Deluxe and (whilst I cannot recall exactly) I think I paid about £19 for it (on Amazon) and it came in a nice box with a printed manual. The 'current' TC/DL version at that time was v18.

My v15 DL most certainly does haves 3D capability (which I have been exploring recently) and although there are some functions that are unavailable in the DL version (that are present in Pro) they have not been things that I've particularly missed. In fact I'm probably not using all of the features/functionality that my TC/DL version does have – and I've been using it for a while now….

So you certainly can use TC Deluxe to draw in 3D – and you do not have to spend the huge amounts mentioned to do it either.

Regards,

IanT

[Anonymous]

Don't know what the current version of TC Deluxe is but Maplin have currently got version 20 2D/3D Deluxe at £9.99

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

Posted by Muzzer on 16/12/2015 12:05:29:

I see that a copy of TC Pro (assuming you want 3D) is $1500. The problem is that if you commit to learning and using TC, at some point you are going to have to either cough up over £1000 for your own license or abandon it and start over again with something else. Or have to continue to share your friend's machine. The more time you invest in it, the more disruption and cost you will incur later surely?

I'd suggest you try a few different 3D CAD options before you make such a commitment. There are many alternatives that are free (as discussed elsewhere) or an order of magnitude less (eg Cubify Design) and very well featured.

Murray

Turbocad Delux has 3D and is £80 for the latest version (see Paul The Cad advert at right)

[MuzzerParticipant @muzzer]

Yes – and v20 deluxe is £10 at Maplin. That seems pretty reasonable, certainly a lot better than a grand.

I see that the Pro Platinum is still £920 – or £500 for previous release. Without having gone into it in great detail, what does the Pro version offer that is worth an order of magnitude more dosh? Both claim to be full 3D and share the ACIS 3D kernel with Autocad, Spaceclaim and Solidworks.

[Roger HeadParticipant @rogerhead16992]

Getting back to my original question, the answer is that if the 'All Users' option was taken during installation, then folder structures for another user's config files (and a bunch of other things) will be created, but not until that user logs on and runs TC for the first time. So it all seems good. But backups never go astray.

Roger

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