Graphite™ 2D/3D CAD
Feature List

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Computer-aided drafting the way it should be.™

Power, precision and ease of use…the combination in Graphite is unbeatable for a 2D/3D CAD system, especially since it supports both Mac and Windows. Ashlar-Vellum’s unique Organic Workflow™, featuring the patented Drafting Assistant™, makes computer-aided design fast, easy and a pure pleasure to use. This is software that works the way you think.

Unique Working Environment featuring Organic Workflow™
Effortless and Fast Precision Drafting
Easier to Learn and Faster to Use
Accurate 2D and 3D Drafting to 16 Digits
Intuitive Vellum® Interface
Revolutionary Vellum Drafting Assistant for Intelligent Snaps and Automatic Alignments in X, Y, and Z
Unique Hybrid Mac/Windows, Office/Home Licensing
Advanced 2D and 3D Equation-driven Parametrics
Intelligent, Parametric Symbols from any Geometry
Multiple Sheet/Model Drawings
Over 10,000 Architectural and Mechanical Symbols with Preview Panel
GD&T Standards
Multiple Dynamic Views
Precision Import/Export Translators Including IGES and DXF
Bill of Materials
2D Analysis: Area, CG, Moments
Dynamic Detail Views
Spellcheck

Intuitive and Visual

Luc Heiligenstein designed this sports watch using both Ashlar-Vellum drafting and 3D modeling software.

“Graphite has an intuitive way for visual people to create something without going through a ton of calculations to achieve a tangible result.”

General Features

Direct Multi-sheet PDF Creation
16 Place Floating Point Accuracy
Hybrid Mac/Windows Office/Home Licensing
Infinite Pan and Zoom
256 Layers with Grouping Control
234 Colors, 170 User-definable from a Palette of 16.7 Million
Unlimited Drawing Size
Unlimited Number of Objects
Multiple Sheet Views

2D Analysis

Perimeter
Area
Weight
Standard and User Definable Tolerances and Settings (ANSI, DIN, ISO, JIS, Dual, Architecture, and Stacked Fraction)
Centroid
Moments of Inertia

Fluid Even in the Details

Designer John Bicht, Versalab

“I quickly learned how to be more fluid in Graphite. I was able to make a complicated machine layout and derive detail drawings faster and easier than I could ever have done on a drawing board.”

User Interface

Updated, Intuitive Vellum Interface
Drafting Assistant™ for Automatic Snaps and Alignments
Smart Cursor Changes Shape Indicating Active Tool and Operations
Tear-off Tool Palettes
Strokes and Short Cuts Provide Instant Access to Commands
Status Line to Specify Object Parameters
Message Line Provides Tool Feedback, Instructions, and Options
Edit Objects Dialog Box
World and User-defined Coordinate Systems
All Data Entry Fields can Perform Numeric Calculations
Object Grouping and Locking
TrackBall for View Selection and Dynamic or Cube Rotation
Scroll Wheel Zoom and Spacebar Panning
Axis Locking
Orbit Tool
Nudge Tool Moves Selected Items a User-definable Distance
Selection Mask for Easier Selection of Specific Entity Types
Grid (User-definable)
Layer Manager
Macros to Assign Keys or Strokes to Repetitive Tasks
Ten Localized Languages

Drawing Tools

Wireframe Creation Tools:
- Point
- Line
- Connected Line
- Mid-point Line
- Arc
- Circle
- Ellipse
- Rectangle
- Polygon
- Through-point Spline
- Vector Spline
- Extrude
- Revolve
- Smart Walls
Wireframe Editing Tools:
- Fillet
- Chamfer
- Trim
- Relimit
- Break
- Offset
Add Spline Points
Modify Spline Slope
Intersect Two Curves
Construction Lines
Offset, Divide
Insertion of Architectural Symbols in Smart Walls with Auto Healing
Auto Healing of Intersections in Smart Walls

3D Precision CAD

Curt Warfield of TechniRep, Inc. designed this electrical cable assembly for custom machinery using Graphite CAD software.

Selection Tools

Fence
Crossing/Intersecting Line
Enclosed Polygon
Automatic Boundary Detection

2D Drawing Creation

Customizable Layouts
Smart Dimension Tool Automatically Creates the Appropriate Dimensions
Dimensions:
- Linear
- Angular
- Diametric
- Radial
- Baseline Method
- Chain Method
- Ordinate (Datum Method)
- Circle Center Marking
Standard and User Definable Tolerances and Settings (ANSI, DIN, ISO, JIS, Dual, Architecture, and Stacked Fraction)
Hatch and Fill Patterns
Line Weights, Colors, and Styles
Geometric Dimensioning & Tolerancing (GD&T)
Unlimited Number of Objects
Dynamic or Static Dimensioning

Parametric Constraints

2D/3D
Equation-driven
Creates Smart Formula-driven Symbols

Views

Multiple
3D
Detail
Dynamically Linked

Additional Drafting Tools

Automated Bill of Materials
Symbols Panel
Multiple Sheets per Document
Spell Check Includes User Dictionary and Many Foreign Languages
Navigator Palette
Plotter Font
Models
Movie (Mac only)
Pen Style Palette

Text Tools

Text:
- Multi Line or Paragraphs
Autotext Forms
Normal
At an Angle
Set Font, Size, Color

General Transform Tools

Move
Linear Duplicate
Rotate
Polar Duplicate
Scale (Uniform)
Mirror

Architectural Design & More

Walter Arnold of Arnold CAD GmbH in Unterschächen, Switzerland designed this Alpine house, including this elevation and floor plan in Graphite.
See more of Walter’s work in the Drafting section of our Gallery.

Symbol Libraries

Mechanical
CAD
ANSI
DIN
Reference of Instances Offers Updates Upon Reentry
Thousands Included
Panel Provides Click-through Viewing of All Directories Prior to Loading

Import/Export

DWG/DXF (Up to 2007)
PDF (Export Only)
IGES
EPS
Spline (Import Only)
ASCII Text
Claris CAD (Import Only)
BMP (Windows only)
WMF (Windows only)
PICT (Mac Only)
Attributes

PDF Integration

Direct (Generates Non-tessellated Arcs)
Multi-sheet
Imbedded Exports Optional

Batch File Conversions

Via Convert Command
Per Directory

Localized User Interface

English (US)
English (UK)
French
German
Italian
Japanese
Portuguese
Spanish
Swedish
Russian (Windows only)

Available Accessories

Graphite ShareTM for Viewing, Printing and Exporting at Client or Manufacturing Site (Free)
Apple Mac OS X Tiger Spotlight Plug-in (Free)
Graphite Tips & Tricks Book
Tutorials (Free)

System Requirements

Windows / Macintosh
Windows XP, Vista, 7 (x32 or x64)
Mac OS X 10.4 (Tiger, PPC), 10.5 (Leopard, PPC or Intel), 10.6 (Snow Leopard, Intel only)
256 MB RAM
250 MB Free Hard DriveSpace / 1 GB Allocated Virtual Memory
DVD Drive or High Speed Internet Connection

Buy Graphite v8 2D/3D CAD software. Special use pricing, upgrades and e-only versions available.