TCW

Revision as of 20:40, 12 May 2009

Title(s): TCW, TurboCAD for Windows

Version ID: 16.0 (Windows), 4.0 (Mac)

Date released: 2009

Date: 1993

Creator(s): Stephen "Yogi" Russell

Contributor(s): IMSI/Design, LLC

Relationships:

• Previous Version(s): TCX - stores drawing information in ASCII.

• Contains: None

• Syntax Format(s): None

• Family Format(s): Part of the TurboCAD family of formats, which consists of TCW, TCT, and TCX.

Description: TCW is the standard drawing file format for TurboCAD. TCW stands for TurboCAD for Windows

History: TurboCAD was created by Stephen "Yogi" Russell in South Africa in 1986 under the name InterCAD. It was created to be a low-cost alternative to AutoCAD. In late 1986, the software was released in the United Kingdom with the TurboCAD name. Milan Systems of America also began selling TurboCAD in the United States in late 1986. To increase interest in the product, Milan Systems began selling TurboCAD bundled with mice from IMSI (International Microcomputer Software, Inc). IMSI licensed the source code from the original developers and released its own improved version in 1990. In 1993, versions of TurboCAD for Mac and Windows were released. Starting with version 4 in 1995, TurboCAD began introducing 3D support, which helped to make the software very successful. Over the next versions, the 3D abilities were greatly increased. In June 2006, IMSI, which had changed its name to Broadcaster, Inc., sold TurboCAD to IMSI/Design, LLC.

Example(s): Example Template - Information and example models of the engineering format.

Identifier: - A URL or other identifier that refers to the engineering format.

Documentation: Documentation Template - Information in general about the engineering format.

File Extensions: tcw

Applications:

• Native application(s): TurboCAD
• Interoperable applications:

Magic numbers: - Unique identifying characters at the beginning of files for this engineering format.

Format(s): application/x-ole-storage

Rights: Proprietary License

Sustainability Factors:

• Standardization: - Information regarding standardization attempts with this format.

• Adoption: - Information about how this format has been adopted by other organizations.

• • Licensing and patent claims: - Any licenses or patent claims that the engineering format makes.

• Self-documentation: - Any self-documentation capabilities of the format.

• External dependencies: - Anything that the format depends on outside of its control to function.

• Technical protection considerations: - Any considerations that are necessary when it comes to technical protection.

Typical use: CAD, Architectural, Mechanical

File classification: - Specific properties that pertain to this engineering format.

• Type {Binary, Text}: - The type of file, choices are binary and text.
• Raster data: - Section describes whether or not the engineering format supports raster data.
  • Raster data 2D: - Can the format support 2D raster data? Example: A format that can contain 2D pixelated data supports 2D raster data.
    • Is Supported: - Is the feature supported in the engineering format?
    • Description: - This field is used to describe the support or lack of support of the feature.
  • Raster data 3D: - Can the format support 3D raster data? Example: A format that can contain 2D pixelated data of a 3D model supports 3D raster data.
    • Is Supported: - Is the feature supported in the engineering format?
    • Description: - This field is used to describe the support or lack of support of the feature.
• Geometric representation: - Section describes whether or not the engineering format supports geometric representations.
  • Implicit representation: - Section describes whether or not the engineering format supports implicit representations.
    • Implicit surfaces: - Can the format support implicit surfaces? Example: A format that can contain surfaces that are generated with mathematical equations that contain the independent variables x, y, and z, like x^2 + y^2 + z^2 * R^2 = 0, supports implicit surfaces.
      • Is Supported: - Is the feature supported in the engineering format?
      • Description: - This field is used to describe the support or lack of support of the feature.
    • Implicit curves: - Can the format support implicit curves? Example: A format that can contain curves that are generated with mathematical equations that contain the independent variables x, y, and z, supports implicit curves.
      • Is Supported: - Is the feature supported in the engineering format?
      • Description: - This field is used to describe the support or lack of support of the feature.
    • Point set: - Can the format support point sets? Example: A format that supports surfaces and lines that are generated by points that form triangles supports point sets.
      • Is Supported: - Is the feature supported in the engineering format?
      • Description: - This field is used to describe the support or lack of support of the feature.
  • Mesh: - Section describes whether or not the engineering format supports mesh.
    • Manifold surface meshes: - Can the format support manifold surface meshes? Example: A format that supports surfaces that are mathematical spaces in which every point has a neighborhood which resembles Euclidean space
      • Is Supported: - Is the feature supported in the engineering format?
      • Description: - This field is used to describe the support or lack of support of the feature.
    • Manifold volume meshes: - Can the format support manifold volume meshes? Example: A format that supports volumes that are mathematical spaces in which every point has a neighborhood which resembles Euclidean space
      • Is Supported: - Is the feature supported in the engineering format?
      • Description: - This field is used to describe the support or lack of support of the feature.
    • Non-manifold meshes: - Can the format support non-manifold meshes? Example: A format that supports meshes that are not manifolds
      • Is Supported: - Is the feature supported in the engineering format?
      • Description: - This field is used to describe the support or lack of support of the feature.
  • Parametric representation: - Section describes whether or not the engineering format supports parametric representations.
    • Parametric surfaces: - Can the format support parametric surfaces? Example: A format that can contain surfaces that are generated with parametric equations supports parametric surfaces.
      • Is Supported: - Is the feature supported in the engineering format?
      • Description: - This field is used to describe the support or lack of support of the feature.
    • Parametric curves: - Can the format support parametric curves? Example: A format that can contain curves that are generated with parametric equations supports parametric curves.
      • Is Supported: - Is the feature supported in the engineering format?
      • Description: - This field is used to describe the support or lack of support of the feature.
  • Contour sets: - Can the format support contour sets?
    • Is Supported: - Is the feature supported in the engineering format?
    • Description: - This field is used to describe the support or lack of support of the feature.
  • NURBS: - Can the format support Non Uniform Rational Basis Splines? Examples: The engineering formats IGES, STEP, ACIS, and PHIGS
    • Is Supported: - Is the feature supported in the engineering format?
    • Description: - This field is used to describe the support or lack of support of the feature.
• Multi-resolution models: - Can the format support models with multiple resolutions? Examples: A format that supports a highly detailed and lowly detailed model simultaneously supports multi-resolution models.
  • Is Supported: - Is the feature supported in the engineering format?
  • Description: - This field is used to describe the support or lack of support of the feature.
• Dynamics: - Section describes whether or not the engineering format supports dynamics.
  • Kinematics: - Can the format support kinematics? Example: Does the format allow model parts to rotate?
    • Is Supported: - Is the feature supported in the engineering format?
    • Description: - This field is used to describe the support or lack of support of the feature.
  • Assembly: - Can the format support assembly? Example: Does the format allow the assembly instructions to be explicitly specified with a model?
    • Is Supported: - Is the feature supported in the engineering format?
    • Description: - This field is used to describe the support or lack of support of the feature.
  • Force(s): - Can the format support forces? Example: Does the format support acceleration forces?
    • Is Supported: - Is the feature supported in the engineering format?
    • Description: - This field is used to describe the support or lack of support of the feature.
• Boundary representation - Can the format support models with boundary representations?
  • Manifold surface boundary representations: - Can the format support manifold surface boundary representations? Example: The engineering format STEP
    • Is Supported: - Is the feature supported in the engineering format?
    • Description: - This field is used to describe the support or lack of support of the feature.
  • Manifold volume boundary representations: - Can the format support manifold volume boundary representations? Example: The engineering format STEP
    • Is Supported: - Is the feature supported in the engineering format?
    • Description: - This field is used to describe the support or lack of support of the feature.
  • Non-manifold boundary representations: - Can the format support non-manifold boundary representations? Example: The engineering format STEP
    • Is Supported: - Is the feature supported in the engineering format?
    • Description: - This field is used to describe the support or lack of support of the feature.
• Material transparency: - Can the format support transparency? Example: Does the format allow models to have a clear window in a car?
  • Is Supported: - Is the feature supported in the engineering format?
  • Description: - This field is used to describe the support or lack of support of the feature.

References: - A list of references regarding any aspects of this engineering format; any reading material supplemental to this page.