Cadvance for Windows has a simple user interface which allows anyone to draw using the product with little formal instruction. All versions of Cadvance have the same basic user interface. The screen shot below shows what you would see after loading a drawing into Cadvance. The interface consists of the MENU on top, the drawing Window in the middle and the STATUS bar on the bottom. If you've used another CAD system the basic concepts are the same.

If you already know how to use Windows loading the drawing is an easy task. Cadvance supports the multiple document interface so loading multiple drawings is not a problem. Viewing different parts of the same drawing in different windows is also possible.

When beginning to draw, you don't need to set your page parameters before drawing like in other systems. It is like having a blank piece of paper, the difference is you set your scale when you print.

To draw basic shapes, select the DRAW menu command to list the type of entity you want to draw. If you need to change any parameters for the current command you can click on any of the boxes on the status bar on the bottom of the window. A variety of settings can be changed during an active command without escaping the function. You could also set these parameters by using the keyboard. Whatever method you use you can continue drawing without escaping from a drawing command.

To edit an entity in the drawing escape from the currently active command by pressing the escape key on your keyboard or mouse, then click on the item to edit and pick the EDIT menu command. Windowing a bunch of objects for selection is done by clicking on the start of the area to window and holding down the mouse button until you have surrounded all the objects you want to edit.

If you want to delete an entity that has been selected all you need to do is hit the delete key on your keyboard. If you wish to copy, scale, rotate or move the entity all you need to do is pick those functions from the EDIT menu without reselecting the entity.

If you don't like what you've done just use the UNDO command. There is also a REDO if you've gone too far in your undo's.

This is only a taste of the CAD environment you will experience while using Cadvance.