Add intelligent properties to blocks and entities and your objects will know how to behave upon insertion

This is the dawning of the Age of Objects, and times they are a-changin'. It's good because new graphic insertions can now have intelligence about them. It's bad because who knows what's going to happen to the existing "dumb" symbols and blocks that you've created and used over the years?

As you move toward object orientation (or even if you don't right now) CadPLUS ObjectEngine gives you the advantages of smart insertions on new drawings, and uniquely, helps maintains your investment in existing work.

Here is where you will appreciate the thought that went into building ObjectEngine as a practical, realistic tool: Seems like everyone else has approached the Object Age as new and gee-whiz, and totally neglected any drawings, any symbols, any data you've worked on before.

Sad to say but in many CAD systems or third-party applications for AutoCAD especially, unless the graphic image was created fresh as an intelligent object in that package's own format, you may not be able to insert it or exchange it with a sub. Even if you've been using an earlier version of an add-on package, if the new version has gone for objects (like a wall style), it may not recognize your old wall. Just toss all those years of work right out the window, they must be thinking.

Now, notice how ObjectEngine kindly works with both new and old graphics:

Any graphical entity you want to insert -- new or existing, yours or someone else's -- can be "sent to school" to become re-educated as an object with smart properties. In fact, the graphic itself will become one of the properties, along with other behaviors:

• Which layer it should go to

• What color to be

• What the elevation is

• What its CSI® type specification code is

• Whether there is a database link to further information or instructions

• Which 3D image to swap for its 2D image, etc.

With all these smarts, your objects will now know what to do upon insertion, and you will do less head-scratching. You will save time and improve accuracy among workgroups because everyone will be working from the same information base when they pick an object to insert.

ObjectEngine will make your life easier, even if you use only one function in this powerful package.