DoubleCAD™ XT Pro includes an integrated suite of architectural tools that accelerate productivity in 2D design and drafting, or in the documentation of existing compatible 3D architectural models. The DoubleCAD AEC objects are AutoCAD® Architecture (ACA) compatible so that .DWG models with ACA extensions may be read, modified, and documented as needed.

Using self-healing walls is dramatically faster than designing with standard double line tools. The DoubleCAD XT Pro wall tool includes compound wall definitions to generate multiple-component walls with separate design parameters such as width, offset, and even hatches to represent each material within the wall. Because AutoCAD includes object enablers for AEC wall objects, a 2D design from DoubleCAD XT Pro will keep its self-healing properties even when modified in the basic AutoCAD, or AutoCAD LT®, neither of which includes the tools necessary to create the architectural objects.

The integration of the tools facilitates productivity: create a roof automatically by selecting the walls; add a railing to stairs with a click; drop in a schedule and see all the elements generated on the fly.

And with v2 all the architectural objects have full 3D capabilities so that elevations, floorplans, and ISO views are easier to document. There are many other improvements to the tools, including many more door and window types and shapes, terrain capabilities, and more.

Using the wall, stair, and other tools can be an effective way to kick off a project to be designed in a 3D application. For example, after creating the floorplan, slabs, stairs, roofs, and adding doors and windows, select all and make the model a block. Then export the model using our improved COLLADA filter (.DAE) and select the new Setup Option to include blocks. When you bring it into SketchUp™ (v7.1 or later required), each architectural object will have been converted into a SketchUp component. Keep the architectural objects on separate layers and later the model can be re-integrated with the original in DoubleCAD for documenting, and you can use the original walls and other AEC objects so that they remain parametric for easier final round changes, and to take advantage of the Door and Window Schedule tools.