TurboViewer update allows markup on 2D/3D PDF and DWG

The CV takeaway

3D PDF and DWG mark-up for free is enough, but IMSI/Design TurboViewer is customizable, reliable, fast, and upgradable to a Pro version for only $19.95.

The details

IMSI/Design TurboViewer connects to cloud storage and social media.

IMSI/Design has updated its free TurboViewer mobile viewer with mark-up capabilities and a new contact manager, further extending its lead in the mobile CAD viewing market.

The update improves speed throughout the product, which by itself is reason enough for a new release. But the real news is support for both 2D and 3D markup, unheard of for a free product not tied to a specific vendor’s product line. The ability to add comments to 3D PDF puts TurboViewer in a class by itself.

In use, TurboViewer makes commenting on drawings and models easy. Drawing rough shapes with a finger automatically refines to accurate geometry, a nice trick originally introduced in IMSI/Design’s TurboSite. Both 2D and 3D elements can be marked using line, circle, rectangle, revision cloud, text, rectangular text box, and leader objects.

The new contact management extends the device’s existing Contacts feature. TurboViewer allows creating custom contact groups for “one tap” sending of shared drawings or documents.

TurboViewer 3.5 adds the ability to comment on 2D/3D PDF and DWG files.

Because file management is so difficult on most tablets, TurboViewer includes its own file management system. Box.net and Dropbox are supported cloud storage, as well as Skype and Apple-specific options in the iOS version.

IMSI/Design builds TurboViewer (and all its DWG products) using the Teigha code library from the Open Design Alliance; it is a proven, stable and completely safe alternative to Autodesk DWG. The 3D PDF support comes from TechSoft 3D, which took over development of 3D PDF technology from Adobe.

Check the feature list on the TurboApps website to see the specific differences between the free and Pro versions.  TurboViewer version 3.5 is now available for iOS; the Android update will release in about two weeks.