The Hong Kong Education Department has chosen Intergraph product SmartSketch (formerly sold as Imagineer Technical and Imagination Engineer) as one of the CAD tools to be installed in 46 local secondary schools' Information Technology Learning Centres. Hong Kong education officials said the user-friendly interface, ability to directly access the Internet, compatibility with other CAD applications, integration with Microsoft Excel and Mathsoft Mathcad and affordable price, made SmartSketch a logical choice.

SmartSketch 3.0 is the all-in-one, 2D precision design, production draughting and diagramming solution for the engineering and technical enterprise. Along with a new name, the latest version of Smart-Sketch 3.0 offers significantly enhanced draughting, schematic and business diagramming functionality through its WorkSmart Technology, 46 Industry Solutions templates and more than 7500 industry-standard symbols.

SmartSketch is compatible with AutoCAD and MicroStation. Integrated with Microsoft Office 95 and 97, SmartSketch runs on the Microsoft Windows NT 4.0, 95 and 98 operating systems. To keep pace with advances in computer education, the Hong Kong Education Department began reviewing its basic education platform in January 1996. The Education Department's findings were published in the 'Review of Prevocational & Secondary Technical Education' which recommended introducing high-tech elements to provide basic education to students. The education department hopes SmartSketch will help create and sustain significant interest in computer draughting and help create an effective learning environment. Its use in the classroom will not be limited to computer draughting but will also help familiarise students with the web and other software applications.

Even students that have not used CAD software before can quickly create a drawing. Much easier to use than traditional, complex CAD programs, SmartSketch enables students to focus on their designs rather than the mechanics of learning and using the software.

SmartSketch WorkSmart Technology includes end-of-cursor alignment and relationship indicators, along with SmartSymbols that snap to, align and display definable behavior on placement, allowing students to convert a sketch into accurate CAD geometry. Smart-Sketch uses visual indicators that appear next to the cursor to show alignment indicators, centre points and more. SmartLabels display dynamic attribution updates on objects and symbols while Smart-Connectors provide intelligent routing to maintain connections between objects and symbols. Smart-Dimensions display geometry that reflects dimensional changes that can help students edit graphic dimensions accurately and precisely.

Smart-Sketch has a built-in Symbol Explorer, web-based symbol access and easy web publishing that allows users global access, review and publishing of documents from the World Wide Web. Students can download information from the Web or exchange designs. The Hong Kong Education Department believes this encourages the flow of ideas and reinforces learning.

Intertech Systems

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