GTCO CalComp, Inc., a world leader in the design and manufacture of large-format digitizers, desktop graphics tablets and wide-format scanners, today announced the introduction of CADPro, a powerful new desktop productivity tool.  CADPro incorporates the latest pointing technologies from GTCO CalComp to provide technical professionals with precision control of their on-screen pointer and an ability to create and utilize menus with frequently used commands, providing significant productivity improvement for the Computer Aided Design (CAD) professional.

CADPro fits neatly on the desktop and requires no power supply, eliminating desktop clutter.  Far superior to a mouse, CADPro incorporates an electromagnetic, no-trackball design, eliminating cleaning, skipping and loud clicking.   CADPro also provides ultra-high performance with resolution of 4,000 lines per inch, accuracy of up to 0.008" and an ability to digitize through materials up to 0.5" thick.  Users can easily control the creation of elaborate drawings, sketches and architectural plans using the ergonomic wireless 16-button cursor or optional wireless pointing devices such as a pressure pen or 5 button digital mouse.  CADPro offers native support of both USB and RS-232 serial interfaces for simple set-up and configuration.  Supported platforms include Microsoft Windows 95, 98, NT and 2000 and Apple Macintosh OS 9.x.

Each CADPro also ships with TemplateWorks™, a productivity enhancement tool for Autodesk AutoCAD^® Release 14 and 2000.   When used with the 16-button cursor, CAD professionals can strategically program the 16 buttons with commonly executed commands.  Functions like zoom, select, copy, rotate, move, erase, regenerate, and view can be instantly selected with the touch of a finger, without relocating the pointing device to find the appropriate icon or pull-down command.  Users work faster and more efficiently without having to search for icons or dig through layers of pull-down menus.  Since the user programs the buttons, the commands on the cursor are the ones they use most frequently, assuring efficiency tailored for the individual user.

One layer of programmed commands is available by pressing the cursor buttons as usual.  By using the keyboard shift key, the control key, or both together, an additional three layers of 15 commands each are available.  The advantage of opening menus is that embedded menus can appear where the user specifies, thus creating more working and viewable space on the monitor.

According to Jennifer O'Sullivan, marketing manager of GTCO CalComp, "The productivity gains are significant using this approach.  Multiple selections for command execution, which can be slow and tedious using a mouse, are consolidated into a single fingertip selection.  Instead of moving their eyes between the drawing and the screen icons and menus, CAD professionals stay focused on their work, their fingers unconsciously selecting and executing commands.  As the user becomes proficient using the preprogrammed buttons, productivity gains are significant."

TemplateWorks also offers a template creation program for those users who prefer tablet menus.  The user can assign commands to a tablet template, define a mouse selection area, then print the template and slide it under the overlay.  TemplateWorks template creation program lets the user assign easily recognizable icons to the commands.  Users can decide on the placement of the commands on the menu as well as the location of pointing area for a truly personalized menu.  Most users will assign between 20 and 30 commands to the tablet, in addition to the mouse pointing area.

With the Visual Template™ component of TemplateWorks, users are provided with true heads-up control and never have to look down at their tablet to judge their position or locate the next command.  The user can view a miniature version of the template grid or just the active command, right on their monitor.

"Time-to-market is critical to business success.   With CADPro, design professionals can work more effectively and efficiently," commented Eric Timmons, general manager, "An investment in productivity tools such as CADPro can quickly pay for itself many times over."

The standard system ships with the CADPro 6x9 active area tablet, 16-button cordless cursor, TabletWorks driver software, and TemplateWorks productivity software.


Founded in 1975, GTCO was awarded a patent for the invention of the world's first absolute-position electromagnetic digitizing technology. Since then, GTCO CalComp has produced and now supports over one million input systems in fifty countries around the world, sold under some of the most recognized brand names in the peripherals industry. With offices in Columbia MD, Scottsdale AZ and Vienna Austria, GTCO CalComp continues to focus on developing input peripherals that dramatically improve individual and group productivity worldwide.