Caddie (CAD system)
Encyclopedia
Caddie is a mid-range computer-assisted draughting
(CAD) software package for 2D
and 3D
design. It is used primarily by architect
s, but has tools for surveyor
s and mechanical
, civil
and construction
engineers. It was initially designed as a electronic drawing board
, using concepts and tools clearly related to a physical board.
Caddie requires a USB
dongle
. Without the dongle, the program can be used as a viewer and plot station for any DWG
drawings, but it can't save drawings after the 14 day evaluation has expired. Caddie works on Windows XP
, Windows Vista
and Windows 7.
, and was designed for the IBM Personal Computer XT
. Caddie was one of the first CAD tools that utilised microcomputers and did not require a mainframe computer
with workstation
access. Version 1 of Caddie was released in 1986, for MS-DOS
. The first version for Microsoft Windows
(16-bit
) was released in September 1993. The 32-bit
Windows version was released in May 1997.
Version 6 was available by 2000. In the same year, a lite version of Caddie was available, called Caddie Budget, with the non-lite version being called Caddie Professional. Version 7 was available in 2001. Caddy Budget Architectural 7 retailed in the UK for £595 in 2003. Version 9 was released in January 2003. Caddie initially used its own proprietary file format. .DRW (Binary) and an ASCII .CEX (Caddie Exchange format). Caddie could also import and export native AutoCad .DWG and .DXF file formats, but since version 10, Caddie rewrote it's core kernels and now uses as native file format OpenDWG.
Version 10 was released in March 2005. Version 11 was released in January 2007 and was the first version compatible with Windows Vista. Caddie 12 was released in September 2008.
The latest version of Caddie is version 16, released in September 2010. There are four versions of the product, namely Caddie Professional (the full version), Caddie Budget (the lite version), Caddie Vio (for photo-realistic rendering
, based on Lightworks) and Caddie Educational, which is licensed to students even though it has all the functionality of Caddie Professional.
in 1985, and it quickly established a significant presence in its home market. The product's position in South Africa began to erode in the 1990s following the lifting of economic sanctions against South Africa
, as other CAD packages entered that market. A Microsoft Windows version of Caddie was not released until 1993.
In 1998, Caddie was acquired by the South African software development company Billcad Holdings. By this time, Caddie had about 11 000 users. In 1999, Billcad became Planit Technology. In early 2001, Planit Technologies went into liquidation
.
By March 2002, the British company Advanced Computer Solutions (ACS) bought all the rights from the South African holders and also acquired the Caddie operation within South Africa. ACS was previously Caddie's British distributor
. ACS has offices in South Africa and the United Kingdom.
Computer-aided design
Computer-aided design , also known as computer-aided design and drafting , is the use of computer technology for the process of design and design-documentation. Computer Aided Drafting describes the process of drafting with a computer...
(CAD) software package for 2D
2D computer graphics
2D computer graphics is the computer-based generation of digital images—mostly from two-dimensional models and by techniques specific to them...
and 3D
3D computer graphics
3D computer graphics are graphics that use a three-dimensional representation of geometric data that is stored in the computer for the purposes of performing calculations and rendering 2D images...
design. It is used primarily by architect
Architect
An architect is a person trained in the planning, design and oversight of the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to offer or render services in connection with the design and construction of a building, or group of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the...
s, but has tools for surveyor
Surveying
See Also: Public Land Survey SystemSurveying or land surveying is the technique, profession, and science of accurately determining the terrestrial or three-dimensional position of points and the distances and angles between them...
s and mechanical
Mechanical engineering
Mechanical engineering is a discipline of engineering that applies the principles of physics and materials science for analysis, design, manufacturing, and maintenance of mechanical systems. It is the branch of engineering that involves the production and usage of heat and mechanical power for the...
, civil
Civil engineering
Civil engineering is a professional engineering discipline that deals with the design, construction, and maintenance of the physical and naturally built environment, including works like roads, bridges, canals, dams, and buildings...
and construction
Construction engineering
Construction engineering is a professional discipline that deals with the designing, planning, construction, and management of infrastructures such as highways, bridges, airports, railroads, buildings, dams, and utilities. Construction Engineers are unique such that they are a cross between civil...
engineers. It was initially designed as a electronic drawing board
Drawing board
A drawing board is, in its antique form, a kind of multipurpose desk which can be used for any kind of drawing, writing or impromptu sketching on a large sheet of paper or for reading a large format book or other oversized document or for drafting precise technical illustrations...
, using concepts and tools clearly related to a physical board.
Caddie requires a USB
Universal Serial Bus
USB is an industry standard developed in the mid-1990s that defines the cables, connectors and protocols used in a bus for connection, communication and power supply between computers and electronic devices....
dongle
Dongle
A software protection dongle is a small piece of hardware that plugs into an electrical connector on a computer and serves as an electronic "key" for a piece of software; the program will only run when the dongle is plugged in...
. Without the dongle, the program can be used as a viewer and plot station for any DWG
.dwg
DWG is a binary file format used for storing two and three dimensional design data and metadata. It is the native format for several CAD packages including AutoCAD, IntelliCAD and Caddie. In addition, DWG is supported non-natively by many other CAD applications...
drawings, but it can't save drawings after the 14 day evaluation has expired. Caddie works on Windows XP
Windows XP
Windows XP is an operating system produced by Microsoft for use on personal computers, including home and business desktops, laptops and media centers. First released to computer manufacturers on August 24, 2001, it is the second most popular version of Windows, based on installed user base...
, Windows Vista
Windows Vista
Windows Vista is an operating system released in several variations developed by Microsoft for use on personal computers, including home and business desktops, laptops, tablet PCs, and media center PCs...
and Windows 7.
Version history
Caddie started life as student project called Michael Angelo in 1985. The first release version was called Caddie and fit on a single 360 k floppy diskFloppy disk
A floppy disk is a disk storage medium composed of a disk of thin and flexible magnetic storage medium, sealed in a rectangular plastic carrier lined with fabric that removes dust particles...
, and was designed for the IBM Personal Computer XT
IBM Personal Computer XT
The IBM Personal Computer XT, often shortened to the IBM XT, PC XT, or simply XT, was IBM's successor to the original IBM PC. It was released as IBM Machine Type number 5160 on March 8, 1983, and came standard with a hard drive...
. Caddie was one of the first CAD tools that utilised microcomputers and did not require a mainframe computer
Mainframe computer
Mainframes are powerful computers used primarily by corporate and governmental organizations for critical applications, bulk data processing such as census, industry and consumer statistics, enterprise resource planning, and financial transaction processing.The term originally referred to the...
with workstation
Workstation
A workstation is a high-end microcomputer designed for technical or scientific applications. Intended primarily to be used by one person at a time, they are commonly connected to a local area network and run multi-user operating systems...
access. Version 1 of Caddie was released in 1986, for MS-DOS
MS-DOS
MS-DOS is an operating system for x86-based personal computers. It was the most commonly used member of the DOS family of operating systems, and was the main operating system for IBM PC compatible personal computers during the 1980s to the mid 1990s, until it was gradually superseded by operating...
. The first version for Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows is a series of operating systems produced by Microsoft.Microsoft introduced an operating environment named Windows on November 20, 1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces . Microsoft Windows came to dominate the world's personal...
(16-bit
16-bit
-16-bit architecture:The HP BPC, introduced in 1975, was the world's first 16-bit microprocessor. Prominent 16-bit processors include the PDP-11, Intel 8086, Intel 80286 and the WDC 65C816. The Intel 8088 was program-compatible with the Intel 8086, and was 16-bit in that its registers were 16...
) was released in September 1993. The 32-bit
32-bit
The range of integer values that can be stored in 32 bits is 0 through 4,294,967,295. Hence, a processor with 32-bit memory addresses can directly access 4 GB of byte-addressable memory....
Windows version was released in May 1997.
Version 6 was available by 2000. In the same year, a lite version of Caddie was available, called Caddie Budget, with the non-lite version being called Caddie Professional. Version 7 was available in 2001. Caddy Budget Architectural 7 retailed in the UK for £595 in 2003. Version 9 was released in January 2003. Caddie initially used its own proprietary file format. .DRW (Binary) and an ASCII .CEX (Caddie Exchange format). Caddie could also import and export native AutoCad .DWG and .DXF file formats, but since version 10, Caddie rewrote it's core kernels and now uses as native file format OpenDWG.
Version 10 was released in March 2005. Version 11 was released in January 2007 and was the first version compatible with Windows Vista. Caddie 12 was released in September 2008.
The latest version of Caddie is version 16, released in September 2010. There are four versions of the product, namely Caddie Professional (the full version), Caddie Budget (the lite version), Caddie Vio (for photo-realistic rendering
Rendering (computer graphics)
Rendering is the process of generating an image from a model , by means of computer programs. A scene file contains objects in a strictly defined language or data structure; it would contain geometry, viewpoint, texture, lighting, and shading information as a description of the virtual scene...
, based on Lightworks) and Caddie Educational, which is licensed to students even though it has all the functionality of Caddie Professional.
Company history
Caddie was originally developed in South AfricaSouth Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
in 1985, and it quickly established a significant presence in its home market. The product's position in South Africa began to erode in the 1990s following the lifting of economic sanctions against South Africa
Disinvestment from South Africa
Disinvestment from South Africa was first advocated in the 1960s, in protest of South Africa's system of Apartheid, but was not implemented on a significant scale until the mid 1980s...
, as other CAD packages entered that market. A Microsoft Windows version of Caddie was not released until 1993.
In 1998, Caddie was acquired by the South African software development company Billcad Holdings. By this time, Caddie had about 11 000 users. In 1999, Billcad became Planit Technology. In early 2001, Planit Technologies went into liquidation
Liquidation
In law, liquidation is the process by which a company is brought to an end, and the assets and property of the company redistributed. Liquidation is also sometimes referred to as winding-up or dissolution, although dissolution technically refers to the last stage of liquidation...
.
By March 2002, the British company Advanced Computer Solutions (ACS) bought all the rights from the South African holders and also acquired the Caddie operation within South Africa. ACS was previously Caddie's British distributor
Distribution (business)
Product distribution is one of the four elements of the marketing mix. An organization or set of organizations involved in the process of making a product or service available for use or consumption by a consumer or business user.The other three parts of the marketing mix are product, pricing,...
. ACS has offices in South Africa and the United Kingdom.