MacDraft is an easy-to-use 2D computer-aided design (CAD) app software. This app allows users to design floor plans and makes architectural drawing and illustration easy. MacDraft comes complete with precise vector tools, smart units and fully-featured scaled environment. The program is designed for the OS X operating system for Macintosh computers and was first released in 1984 by Innovative Data design which was later acquired by Microspot, an English software company.

Vector Tools

MacDraft features numerous, easy-to-use vector tools that help speed up the design process for its users and new features like Single Key Shortcuts and Star Tool. Single Key Shortcuts lets the main tools commonly used to be used from a single key to make the design process faster. Select & Rotate, Lines, Curves, Shapes, Arcs, Parallel Lines and Star Tool allows the designer to draw, move, rotate and create freely. The Text vector tool allows paragraphs and captions to be added to designs with changeable font type, size, style and color.

Similar Palettes

Another creative aspect of MacDraft are the palettes that allow designers to create and customize their designs down to every detail. A few palettes that will be highlighted on are Tool, Attribute, Alignment, and Library. The Tool palette includes over 50 vector drawing tools to aide in design. Attribute is the palette behind generating vibrant projects by using gradients and colors as well as altering the thickness and style of lines. The Alignment palette is self-explanatory, but basically allows the designer to align one object with any other object and the Library truly allows for customization by letting the designer to draw custom symbols and store them in the Library for repeated use saving valuable time.

Convenient File Format/Drag & Draw Feedback

MacDraft allows images to be imported or dragged into the designers document and exported to share finished work quickly. MacDraft also supports transparencies, such as PNG files without color. PDF capability is very important for vector design applications because it allows designers to export in PDF format an open in other apps for editing.

When working on large scaled projects and designs, it is crucial and timesaving to know what is being drawn while drawing and where something is being dragged to while dragging. MacDraft has a new feedback feature for drawing and dragging that shows ghost lines and outlines of whatever is being drawn/dragged in order to get a good feel of what will be drawn or where it will be moved to before it is done.

MacDraft continues to add features and streamline the designing process. When it comes to designing speed and efficiency is key and MacDraft addresses these issues with new features like Single Key Shortcuts for commonly used vector drawing tools and the Library Palette to store and save custom drawn symbols. The convenient PDF format capabilities of MacDraft make it a charm to work between applications. MacDraft continues to be at the forefront of personal 2D CAD software.