Protocase Designer Documentation - User contributions [en]

Release Notes

2026-03-02T16:17:42Z

Cduffney:

'''Protocase Designer 7.2.39 - March 02, 2026'''

Features and Improvements in the latest version of Designer:

<ul id="releaseNotes">
<li>New built-in bug reporting tool with drag and drop screenshot support makes it easier to report issues</li>
<li>Significantly improved drawing performance in path sketch mode for smoother editing experience</li>
<li>Fixed arc drawing issues in sketch mode for more accurate arc creation</li>
<li>Enhanced save protection prevents data loss if save operation is interrupted</li>
<li>Improved file format support for better handling of legacy design files</li>
<li>Various bug fixes and stability improvements</li>
</ul>

For more information on desiging CNC Machined Parts with Protocase Designer, click [[https://www.protocasedesigner.com/wiki/index.php?title=CNC_Machined_Parts'''here''']]

Note: We recommend you update your version of Protocase Designer to the latest version, to ensure the smoothest experience possible. If you order using a version of Protocase Designer that's older than Protocase Designer 5.0, you will be charged a $70 setup fee, instead of the typical $40 setup fee.

 
[[Knowledgebase_-_Known_Issues|'''View Known Issues''']]
 

=====Archival Release Notes=====
*[[Protocase Designer Version 7.2.36 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 7.2.36 Release Notes-Jan 28 2026''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 7.2.35 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 7.2.35 Release Notes-Jan 21 2026''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 7.2.29 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 7.2.29 Release Notes-Jan 06 2026''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 7.2.13 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 7.2.13 Release Notes-October 27, 2025''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 7.2.8 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 7.2.8 Release Notes-October 08, 2025''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 7.2.7 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 7.2.7 Release Notes-October 06, 2025''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 7.1.2 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 7.1.2 Release Notes-July 02, 2025''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 7.0.44 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 7.0.44 Release Notes-May 29, 2025''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 7.0.36 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 7.0.36 Release Notes-March 31, 2025''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 7.0.31 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 7.0.31 Release Notes-March 03, 2025''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 7.0.29 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 7.0.29 Release Notes-February 05, 2025''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 7.0.20 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 7.0.20 Release Notes-December 03, 2024''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 7.0.16 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 7.0.16 Release Notes-November 18, 2024''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 7.0.14 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 7.0.14 Release Notes-November 07, 2024''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 7.0.11 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 7.0.11 Release Notes-October 21, 2024''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 7.0.8 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 7.0.8 Release Notes-September 25, 2024''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 7.0.0 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 7.0.0 Release Notes-August 27, 2024''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 6.1.47.1 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 6.1.47.1 Release Notes-June 27, 2024''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 6.1.47 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 6.1.47 Release Notes-April 30, 2024''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 6.1.38 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 6.1.38 Release Notes-March 20, 2024''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 6.1.35 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 6.1.35 Release Notes-January 29, 2024''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 6.1.33 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 6.1.33 Release Notes-January 09, 2024''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 6.1.31 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 6.1.31 Release Notes-December 14, 2023''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 6.1.26 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 6.1.26 Release Notes-Nov 13, 2023''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 6.1.18 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 6.1.18 Release Notes-Oct 12, 2023''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 6.1.15 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 6.1.15 Release Notes-Sep 26, 2023''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 6.1.6 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 6.1.6 Release Notes-Aug 21, 2023''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 6.1.04 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 6.1.04 Release Notes-Aug 4, 2023''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 6.0.67 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 6.0.67 Release Notes-May 23, 2023''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 6.0.66 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 6.0.66 Release Notes-May 10, 2023''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 6.0.64 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 6.0.64 Release Notes-May 01, 2023''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 6.0.59 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 6.0.59 Release Notes-April 5, 2023''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 6.0.54 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 6.0.54 Release Notes-March 16, 2023''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 6.0.52 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 6.0.52 Release Notes-March 09, 2023''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 6.0.51 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 6.0.51 Release Notes-February 21, 2023''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 6.0.48 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 6.0.48 Release Notes-January 31, 2023''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 6.0.41 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 6.0.41 Release Notes-December 14, 2022''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 6.0.38 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 6.0.38 Release Notes-November 22, 2022''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 6.0.36 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 6.0.36 Release Notes-November 14, 22''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 6.0.27.1 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 6.0.27.1 Release Notes-November 03, 22''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 6.0.27 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 6.0.27 Release Notes-September 16, 22''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 6.0.22 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 6.0.22 Release Notes-August 4,22''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 6.0.19 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 6.0.19 Release Notes-July 20,22''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 6.0.13 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 6.0.13 Release Notes-June 15,22''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 6.0.6 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 6.0.6 Release Notes-May 09,22''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 5.8.0.4 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 5.8.0.4 Release Notes-Nov 12,21''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 5.8.0.3 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 5.8.0.3 Release Notes-Nov 10,21''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 5.8.0.2 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 5.8.0.2 Release Notes-Oct 7,21''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 5.7.0 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 5.7.0 Release Notes-Sept 16,21''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 5.6.6 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 5.6.6 Release Notes-July 07,21''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 5.4.8 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 5.4.8 Release Notes-February 12,21''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 5.3.38 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 5.3.28 Release Notes-December 06,20''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 5.3.21 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 5.3.21 Release Notes-November 04,20''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 5.3.12 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 5.3.12 Release Notes-October 13,20''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 5.2.5 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 5.2.5 Release Notes-August 11,20''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 5.1.0 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 5.1.0 Release Notes-June 23,20''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 5.0.6 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 5.0.6 Release Notes-May 25,20''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 4.9.7.2 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 4.9.7.2 Release Notes-January 02,20''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 4.8.11 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 4.8.11 Release Notes-January 02,20''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 4.8.9 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 4.8.9 Release Notes-December 12,19''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 4.8.8 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 4.8.8 Release Notes-November 14,19''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 4.8.7 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 4.8.7 Release Notes-September 22,19''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 4.8.6 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 4.8.6 Release Notes-July 30,19''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 4.8.5 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 4.8.5 Release Notes-May 29,19''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 4.7 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 4.7 Release Notes-Aug 30,17''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 4.6.8 Release Notes-Aug 30,17|'''Protocase Designer Version 4.6.8 Release Notes-Aug 30,17''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 4.5 Release Notes|'''Protocase Designer Version 4.5 Release Notes''' (February 2016)]] 
*[[Release Notes for BETA Version 4.5.3-Feb13_17|'''Release Notes for BETA Version 4.5.3-Feb13,17''']]
*[[Release Notes for BETA Version 4.5.3-Jan30_17|'''Release Notes for BETA Version 4.5.3-Jan30,17''']]
*[[Release Notes for BETA Version 4.5.3-Oct04|'''Release Notes for BETA Version 4.5.3-Oct04,16''']]
*[[Release Notes for BETA Version 4.5.3-Jun09|'''Release Notes for BETA Version 4.5.3-Jun09,16''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 4.3.3 Release Notes|Protocase Designer Release Notes for Versions 4.4.3 & 4.4.8]]

Protocase Designer Version 7.2.36 Release Notes-

2026-03-02T16:16:45Z

Cduffney: Created page with "'''Protocase Designer 7.2.36 - January 28, 2026''' Features and Improvements in the latest version of Designer: <ul id="release..."

Release Notes

2026-03-02T16:16:38Z

Cduffney:

'''Protocase Designer 7.2.36 - January 28, 2026'''

Features and Improvements in the latest version of Designer:

<ul id="releaseNotes">
<li>Fixed issue causing PKIX Path Building error when logging in or instant quoting.</li>
<li>Fixed some issues with the backup system.</li>
<li>New Backup Health Check system to verify the backup folder is working and is writable.</li>
<li>Fixed bug with multi-select drag that was moving items if they were locked.</li>
<li>Fixed bug with"CNC Approved Cutout" warning</li>
<li>Fixed issue with library manager sometimes not opening from 3D view.</li>
</ul>

For more information on desiging CNC Machined Parts with Protocase Designer, click [[https://www.protocasedesigner.com/wiki/index.php?title=CNC_Machined_Parts'''here''']]

Note: We recommend you update your version of Protocase Designer to the latest version, to ensure the smoothest experience possible. If you order using a version of Protocase Designer that's older than Protocase Designer 5.0, you will be charged a $70 setup fee, instead of the typical $40 setup fee.

 
[[Knowledgebase_-_Known_Issues|'''View Known Issues''']]
 

=====Archival Release Notes=====
*[[Protocase Designer Version 7.2.36 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 7.2.36 Release Notes-Jan 28 2026''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 7.2.35 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 7.2.35 Release Notes-Jan 21 2026''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 7.2.29 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 7.2.29 Release Notes-Jan 06 2026''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 7.2.13 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 7.2.13 Release Notes-October 27, 2025''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 7.2.8 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 7.2.8 Release Notes-October 08, 2025''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 7.2.7 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 7.2.7 Release Notes-October 06, 2025''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 7.1.2 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 7.1.2 Release Notes-July 02, 2025''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 7.0.44 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 7.0.44 Release Notes-May 29, 2025''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 7.0.36 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 7.0.36 Release Notes-March 31, 2025''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 7.0.31 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 7.0.31 Release Notes-March 03, 2025''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 7.0.29 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 7.0.29 Release Notes-February 05, 2025''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 7.0.20 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 7.0.20 Release Notes-December 03, 2024''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 7.0.16 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 7.0.16 Release Notes-November 18, 2024''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 7.0.14 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 7.0.14 Release Notes-November 07, 2024''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 7.0.11 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 7.0.11 Release Notes-October 21, 2024''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 7.0.8 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 7.0.8 Release Notes-September 25, 2024''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 7.0.0 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 7.0.0 Release Notes-August 27, 2024''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 6.1.47.1 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 6.1.47.1 Release Notes-June 27, 2024''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 6.1.47 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 6.1.47 Release Notes-April 30, 2024''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 6.1.38 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 6.1.38 Release Notes-March 20, 2024''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 6.1.35 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 6.1.35 Release Notes-January 29, 2024''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 6.1.33 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 6.1.33 Release Notes-January 09, 2024''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 6.1.31 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 6.1.31 Release Notes-December 14, 2023''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 6.1.26 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 6.1.26 Release Notes-Nov 13, 2023''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 6.1.18 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 6.1.18 Release Notes-Oct 12, 2023''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 6.1.15 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 6.1.15 Release Notes-Sep 26, 2023''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 6.1.6 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 6.1.6 Release Notes-Aug 21, 2023''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 6.1.04 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 6.1.04 Release Notes-Aug 4, 2023''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 6.0.67 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 6.0.67 Release Notes-May 23, 2023''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 6.0.66 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 6.0.66 Release Notes-May 10, 2023''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 6.0.64 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 6.0.64 Release Notes-May 01, 2023''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 6.0.59 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 6.0.59 Release Notes-April 5, 2023''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 6.0.54 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 6.0.54 Release Notes-March 16, 2023''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 6.0.52 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 6.0.52 Release Notes-March 09, 2023''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 6.0.51 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 6.0.51 Release Notes-February 21, 2023''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 6.0.48 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 6.0.48 Release Notes-January 31, 2023''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 6.0.41 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 6.0.41 Release Notes-December 14, 2022''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 6.0.38 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 6.0.38 Release Notes-November 22, 2022''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 6.0.36 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 6.0.36 Release Notes-November 14, 22''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 6.0.27.1 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 6.0.27.1 Release Notes-November 03, 22''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 6.0.27 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 6.0.27 Release Notes-September 16, 22''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 6.0.22 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 6.0.22 Release Notes-August 4,22''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 6.0.19 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 6.0.19 Release Notes-July 20,22''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 6.0.13 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 6.0.13 Release Notes-June 15,22''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 6.0.6 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 6.0.6 Release Notes-May 09,22''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 5.8.0.4 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 5.8.0.4 Release Notes-Nov 12,21''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 5.8.0.3 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 5.8.0.3 Release Notes-Nov 10,21''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 5.8.0.2 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 5.8.0.2 Release Notes-Oct 7,21''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 5.7.0 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 5.7.0 Release Notes-Sept 16,21''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 5.6.6 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 5.6.6 Release Notes-July 07,21''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 5.4.8 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 5.4.8 Release Notes-February 12,21''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 5.3.38 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 5.3.28 Release Notes-December 06,20''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 5.3.21 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 5.3.21 Release Notes-November 04,20''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 5.3.12 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 5.3.12 Release Notes-October 13,20''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 5.2.5 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 5.2.5 Release Notes-August 11,20''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 5.1.0 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 5.1.0 Release Notes-June 23,20''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 5.0.6 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 5.0.6 Release Notes-May 25,20''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 4.9.7.2 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 4.9.7.2 Release Notes-January 02,20''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 4.8.11 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 4.8.11 Release Notes-January 02,20''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 4.8.9 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 4.8.9 Release Notes-December 12,19''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 4.8.8 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 4.8.8 Release Notes-November 14,19''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 4.8.7 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 4.8.7 Release Notes-September 22,19''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 4.8.6 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 4.8.6 Release Notes-July 30,19''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 4.8.5 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 4.8.5 Release Notes-May 29,19''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 4.7 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 4.7 Release Notes-Aug 30,17''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 4.6.8 Release Notes-Aug 30,17|'''Protocase Designer Version 4.6.8 Release Notes-Aug 30,17''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 4.5 Release Notes|'''Protocase Designer Version 4.5 Release Notes''' (February 2016)]] 
*[[Release Notes for BETA Version 4.5.3-Feb13_17|'''Release Notes for BETA Version 4.5.3-Feb13,17''']]
*[[Release Notes for BETA Version 4.5.3-Jan30_17|'''Release Notes for BETA Version 4.5.3-Jan30,17''']]
*[[Release Notes for BETA Version 4.5.3-Oct04|'''Release Notes for BETA Version 4.5.3-Oct04,16''']]
*[[Release Notes for BETA Version 4.5.3-Jun09|'''Release Notes for BETA Version 4.5.3-Jun09,16''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 4.3.3 Release Notes|Protocase Designer Release Notes for Versions 4.4.3 & 4.4.8]]

Bug Reporting

2026-02-25T18:07:09Z

Cduffney: /* Common Questions */

This guide explains how to use Protocase Designer's built-in bug reporting feature to quickly and effectively report issues to our development team. You'll learn how to fill out the bug report form, attach screenshots using drag-and-drop or file browsing, and write descriptions that help us fix problems faster. The tool automatically includes your design file and diagnostic information to help our developers reproduce and resolve issues.

<div style="background-color: #e7f3ff; border-left: 4px solid #0070a5; padding: 10px; margin: 10px 0;">
'''Tip:''' Found a bug? Use the '''Help > Bug Report''' button in Protocase Designer to send us a detailed report with all the information we need to fix it!
</div>

= How to Report a Bug =
Thank you for helping us improve Protocase Designer! When you encounter a problem or unexpected behavior, submitting a bug report helps our development team quickly identify and fix issues.

== Accessing the Bug Report Dialog ==

To report a bug:

# Open Protocase Designer
# Go to the '''Help''' menu
# Select '''Report a Bug'''

The Bug Report dialog will open, ready for you to provide information about the issue.

== Filling Out the Bug Report ==

=== Required Information ===

The following fields are required to submit a bug report:

; First Name
: Your first name (automatically filled if you're logged into MyAccount)

; Last Name
: Your last name (automatically filled if you're logged into MyAccount)

; Email
: Your email address so we can follow up with you about the issue

; Describe the issue and steps to reproduce
: A detailed description of the problem and how to recreate it

=== Optional Information ===

; Company
: Your company name (helpful for enterprise support)

; Screenshots
: Visual evidence of the problem (highly recommended!)

== Writing a Good Bug Description ==

A well-written bug description helps us fix the issue faster. Include:

=== What happened ===
Describe what you observed when the bug occurred.

<code>Example: "When I tried to add a cutout to my panel, the application froze and became unresponsive."</code>

=== What you expected ===
Explain what you thought should happen instead.

<code>Example: "I expected the cutout to be added to the panel and the 3D view to update."</code>

=== Steps to reproduce ===
List the exact steps someone else could follow to see the same problem.

<code>
Example:

1. Create a new 16-gauge aluminum panel (12" x 8")

2. Draw a rectangular cutout 2" x 1" at position (3", 4")

3. Click the "Save" button

4. Application freezes

</code>

== Adding Screenshots ==

Screenshots are incredibly helpful for diagnosing visual issues. You can add screenshots in two ways:

=== Method 1: Drag and Drop ===

# Take screenshots of the issue (use Windows Snipping Tool, Print Screen, or any screenshot tool)
# Save the screenshot files to your computer
# In the Bug Report dialog, locate the '''Screenshots (Optional)''' section
# '''Drag and drop''' your image files directly into the gray area that says "Drag and drop images here or use the button above"
# You'll see a blue dashed border appear when dragging - release to add the files

=== Method 2: Browse for Files ===

# Click the '''Add Screenshot''' button
# Browse to your screenshot files
# Select one or more image files (you can select multiple files at once)
# Click '''Open'''

=== Supported Image Formats ===

* PNG (.png) - Recommended for screenshots
* JPEG (.jpg, .jpeg)
* GIF (.gif)
* BMP (.bmp)

=== Managing Screenshots ===

* You can add multiple screenshots to show different aspects of the problem
* Each screenshot appears in a card showing the filename and file size
* To remove a screenshot, click the '''✕''' button next to it
* If you add many screenshots, the list will scroll automatically

== What Gets Sent Automatically ==

To help us diagnose the issue, the following information is automatically included with your bug report:

* '''Your current design file''' (if you have one open)
* '''Debug log file''' - Technical information about what the application was doing
* '''Operating system''' - Which version of Windows, macOS, or Linux you're using
* '''Protocase Designer version''' - Which version of the software you're running
* '''Build date and commit hash''' - Specific build information for our developers

<div style="background-color: #fffbea; border-left: 4px solid #f5a623; padding: 10px; margin: 10px 0;">
'''Note:''' Your design file is only included if you have a file open. This helps us recreate issues that are specific to certain designs.
</div>

== Tips for Effective Bug Reports ==

{| class="wikitable"
! Tip
! Why It Helps
|-
| '''Be specific'''
| "The cutout tool doesn't work" is harder to fix than "When I add a rectangular cutout to a 16-gauge panel, the 3D view doesn't update"
|-
| '''Include screenshots'''
| A picture is worth a thousand words - we can see exactly what you're seeing
|-
| '''List exact steps'''
| If we can reproduce the problem, we can fix it much faster
|-
| '''Describe your environment'''
| Some issues only occur on specific operating systems or configurations
|-
| '''One bug per report'''
| If you have multiple issues, submit separate reports so we can track them individually
|}

== Privacy and Data ==

=== What we collect ===

* Your contact information (name and email)
* Your bug description
* Screenshots you choose to attach
* Your current design file (only the .pda file you're working on)
* Debug logs (technical application data)
* System information (OS, software version)

=== How we use it ===

* To investigate and fix the reported issue
* To contact you for clarification or to let you know when it's fixed
* To improve Protocase Designer for all users

=== Your privacy ===

* We only use your information for bug investigation and support
* We do not share your design files with third parties
* Your email is only used for communication about the bug you reported

== After Submitting ==

=== What happens next ===

# You'll see a confirmation message when your report is successfully sent
# Our development team receives your bug report
# We investigate the issue using the information and files you provided
# We may contact you via email if we need more information
# You'll receive an email when the issue is resolved (in most cases)

=== If submission fails ===

If you see an error message:

* Check your internet connection
* Make sure you're not behind a restrictive firewall
* Try again in a few minutes
* If the problem persists, contact support directly at [mailto:support@protocase.com support@protocase.com]

== Common Questions ==

; How long does it take to fix a bug?
: It depends on the severity and complexity. Critical bugs that prevent work are prioritized. You'll typically hear back within 1-2 business days.

; Can I attach my design file separately?
: No need! If you have a design file open when reporting the bug, it's automatically included.

; What if I can't reproduce the bug consistently?
: Report it anyway! Include as much detail as possible about when it happens. Intermittent bugs are still important.

; Can I report feature requests?
: The bug report tool is specifically for problems and issues. For feature requests, use the '''Ask a Question''' feature in the Help menu or contact your sales representative.

; I made a mistake in my bug report. Can I edit it?
: Once submitted, you cannot edit the report. If you need to add information, you can submit a new report referencing the original issue, or reply to any email correspondence from our team.

; I don't see the Bug Report button in Protocase Designer.
: The built-in Bug Reporting feature was released to Protocase Designer in version 7.2.39, if you are running an older version you won't have this button but you can still send us your issue at designersupport@protocase.com

== Examples of Good Bug Reports ==

=== Example 1: Clear and Detailed ===

<pre>
First Name: John
Last Name: Smith
Email: john.smith@example.com
Company: Example Manufacturing

Description:
When I try to export my design as a STEP file, I get an error message
"Export failed: Invalid geometry". This happens every time I try to
export this specific design.

Steps to reproduce:
1. Open the attached design file (panel-with-cutouts.pda)
2. Go to File > Export > STEP
3. Choose a save location
4. Click Export
5. Error message appears

Expected: STEP file should be created
Actual: Error message appears and no file is created

Screenshots: (3 screenshots showing the design, export dialog, and error message)
</pre>

=== Example 2: Simple but Effective ===

<pre>
First Name: Sarah
Last Name: Johnson
Email: sjohnson@company.com

Description:
The application crashes when I click the "Mirror Horizontal" button
with multiple shapes selected.

Steps to reproduce:
1. Select 2 or more shapes in the 2D view
2. Click Edit > Mirror Horizontal
3. Application crashes immediately

This happens every time I try it.

Screenshots: (1 screenshot showing the shapes before clicking mirror)
</pre>

== Need More Help? ==

If you have questions about reporting bugs or need assistance:

* Email: [mailto:designersupport@protocase.com designersupport@protocase.com]
* Phone: 1-866-849-3911
* Online chat: Available through the Protocase website

Thank you for helping us improve Protocase Designer!

2025-12-17T13:08:29Z

Cduffney:

__NOTOC__
The following issues might be encountered in the latest release.

===Network Requests Fail with Certificate Error (PKIX Path Building Failed)===
Some customers may encounter the following error when using features in ProtocaseDesigner that make outgoing network requests:

<code>PKIX path building failed: sun.security.provider.certpath.SunCertPathBuilderException</code>

This error occurs when Java is unable to validate the SSL certificate presented by the server you're connecting to.
ProtocaseDesigner is packaged with its own embedded Java runtime (JRE). This JRE included a bundled certificate store (cacerts) that does not automatically include custom or system-installed certificates.

If your organization uses a custom internal certificate authority (CA) OR intercepts HTTPS traffic (e.g., via a proxy or firewall with SSL inspection), the Java runtime may reject the certificate because it doesn't recognize it as trusted.

Please see [https://www.protocasedesigner.com/wiki/index.php?title=PKIX_Path_Building_Failure here] for instructions on a work-around to the problem.

===Anti Virus Software Flagged Designer As Suspicious===
We can assure you that Protocase Designer is properly signed, verified, and does not contain any malicious code. However, some antivirus programs, such as McAfee, may flag lesser-known applications or recently updated software as suspicious due to heuristic analysis or false positives.

If you encounter this issue, we recommend the following steps:
* Ensure your antivirus applications are up to date, as false positives are sometimes resolved in newer updates.
* If possible, try scanning the file with another reputable antivirus or using VirusTotal (https://www.virustotal.com/) to check for any concerns.
* You may need to whitelist Protocase Designer within your antivirus software.

If you continue experiencing issues, you may also report this false positive to your antivirus provider so they can review and correct it.

===Windows Protected Your PC===
This issue was due to a code signing certificate error and has been fixed as of v7.0.16 released on November 18, 2024. If you still encounter this issue after this version, please contact us.

===New Library Item Origin===
There is currently a bug when creating a new library item via the Library Manager and assigning a new origin location, that it will always default to the lower-left corner regardless of what is chosen. This will be fixed in a future release of Protocase Designer.

===Welding Jig Visible===
As of version 6.0.6 welding jigs became visible for all users. These welding jigs are intended to only display for Protocase users and are not to be edited. Please update to the latest version ASAP to resolve this. If you had already edited a welding jig in your design, you can use the Transfer feature to transfer the features of the welding jig to the intended parts that should be edited.

===Failure To Instant Quote===
If you are receiving an error upon instant quoting, please check to see if your company uses a network configured such that your computer accesses the internet through a proxy server, if a proxy is used you can configure Designer to use the proxy settings. See instructions on how to do this below:

[https://www.protocasedesigner.com/wiki/index.php?title=Quick_Start#Installing_Protocase_Designer Configure Proxy Settings In Designer]

===Cutouts may shift when exported to DXF===
There was an issue in limited cases where cutouts shifted when exported to DXF. This has been corrected as of Aug 2nd, 2019, but a small number of orders may have been affected.
If you experience this issue, please contact your account manager.

===Computer enclosure welding===
In the ATX and Mini-ITX templates, both the '''Has Seam Welds''' and '''Has Tack Welds''' options can be selected. If both are selected, Protocase will perform only the seam welds.

'''See Also:'''
* [[Knowledgebase_-_Archived_KnownIssues | Archived Known Issues]]
* [[Knowledgebase_-_Planned_Enhancements | Planned Enhancements]]
*[[Knowledgebase_-_Software_Fixes_Released | Software Fixes Released]]

Release Notes

2025-10-27T14:17:14Z

Cduffney:

'''Protocase Designer 7.2.13 - October 27, 2025'''

Features and Improvements in the latest version of Designer:

<ul id="releaseNotes">
<li>NEW Dimensioned Drawings with GD&T</li>
<li>Improved rendering of operations preview shape.</li>
<li>Improved lighting in 3D editor for MacOS</li>
<li>Fixed issue with Pelican enclosures failing to load and/or quote.</li>
</ul>

For more information on desiging CNC Machined Parts with Protocase Designer, click [[https://www.protocasedesigner.com/wiki/index.php?title=CNC_Machined_Parts'''here''']]

Note: We recommend you update your version of Protocase Designer to the latest version, to ensure the smoothest experience possible. If you order using a version of Protocase Designer that's older than Protocase Designer 5.0, you will be charged a $70 setup fee, instead of the typical $40 setup fee.

 
[[Knowledgebase_-_Known_Issues|'''View Known Issues''']]
 

=====Archival Release Notes=====
*[[Protocase Designer Version 7.2.8 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 7.2.8 Release Notes-October 08, 2025''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 7.2.7 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 7.2.7 Release Notes-October 06, 2025''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 7.1.2 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 7.1.2 Release Notes-July 02, 2025''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 7.0.44 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 7.0.44 Release Notes-May 29, 2025''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 7.0.36 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 7.0.36 Release Notes-March 31, 2025''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 7.0.31 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 7.0.31 Release Notes-March 03, 2025''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 7.0.29 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 7.0.29 Release Notes-February 05, 2025''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 7.0.20 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 7.0.20 Release Notes-December 03, 2024''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 7.0.16 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 7.0.16 Release Notes-November 18, 2024''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 7.0.14 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 7.0.14 Release Notes-November 07, 2024''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 7.0.11 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 7.0.11 Release Notes-October 21, 2024''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 7.0.8 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 7.0.8 Release Notes-September 25, 2024''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 7.0.0 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 7.0.0 Release Notes-August 27, 2024''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 6.1.47.1 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 6.1.47.1 Release Notes-June 27, 2024''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 6.1.47 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 6.1.47 Release Notes-April 30, 2024''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 6.1.38 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 6.1.38 Release Notes-March 20, 2024''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 6.1.35 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 6.1.35 Release Notes-January 29, 2024''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 6.1.33 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 6.1.33 Release Notes-January 09, 2024''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 6.1.31 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 6.1.31 Release Notes-December 14, 2023''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 6.1.26 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 6.1.26 Release Notes-Nov 13, 2023''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 6.1.18 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 6.1.18 Release Notes-Oct 12, 2023''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 6.1.15 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 6.1.15 Release Notes-Sep 26, 2023''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 6.1.6 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 6.1.6 Release Notes-Aug 21, 2023''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 6.1.04 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 6.1.04 Release Notes-Aug 4, 2023''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 6.0.67 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 6.0.67 Release Notes-May 23, 2023''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 6.0.66 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 6.0.66 Release Notes-May 10, 2023''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 6.0.64 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 6.0.64 Release Notes-May 01, 2023''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 6.0.59 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 6.0.59 Release Notes-April 5, 2023''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 6.0.54 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 6.0.54 Release Notes-March 16, 2023''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 6.0.52 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 6.0.52 Release Notes-March 09, 2023''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 6.0.51 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 6.0.51 Release Notes-February 21, 2023''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 6.0.48 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 6.0.48 Release Notes-January 31, 2023''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 6.0.41 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 6.0.41 Release Notes-December 14, 2022''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 6.0.38 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 6.0.38 Release Notes-November 22, 2022''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 6.0.36 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 6.0.36 Release Notes-November 14, 22''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 6.0.27.1 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 6.0.27.1 Release Notes-November 03, 22''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 6.0.27 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 6.0.27 Release Notes-September 16, 22''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 6.0.22 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 6.0.22 Release Notes-August 4,22''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 6.0.19 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 6.0.19 Release Notes-July 20,22''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 6.0.13 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 6.0.13 Release Notes-June 15,22''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 6.0.6 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 6.0.6 Release Notes-May 09,22''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 5.8.0.4 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 5.8.0.4 Release Notes-Nov 12,21''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 5.8.0.3 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 5.8.0.3 Release Notes-Nov 10,21''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 5.8.0.2 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 5.8.0.2 Release Notes-Oct 7,21''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 5.7.0 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 5.7.0 Release Notes-Sept 16,21''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 5.6.6 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 5.6.6 Release Notes-July 07,21''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 5.4.8 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 5.4.8 Release Notes-February 12,21''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 5.3.38 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 5.3.28 Release Notes-December 06,20''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 5.3.21 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 5.3.21 Release Notes-November 04,20''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 5.3.12 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 5.3.12 Release Notes-October 13,20''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 5.2.5 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 5.2.5 Release Notes-August 11,20''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 5.1.0 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 5.1.0 Release Notes-June 23,20''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 5.0.6 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 5.0.6 Release Notes-May 25,20''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 4.9.7.2 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 4.9.7.2 Release Notes-January 02,20''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 4.8.11 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 4.8.11 Release Notes-January 02,20''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 4.8.9 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 4.8.9 Release Notes-December 12,19''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 4.8.8 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 4.8.8 Release Notes-November 14,19''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 4.8.7 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 4.8.7 Release Notes-September 22,19''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 4.8.6 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 4.8.6 Release Notes-July 30,19''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 4.8.5 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 4.8.5 Release Notes-May 29,19''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 4.7 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 4.7 Release Notes-Aug 30,17''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 4.6.8 Release Notes-Aug 30,17|'''Protocase Designer Version 4.6.8 Release Notes-Aug 30,17''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 4.5 Release Notes|'''Protocase Designer Version 4.5 Release Notes''' (February 2016)]] 
*[[Release Notes for BETA Version 4.5.3-Feb13_17|'''Release Notes for BETA Version 4.5.3-Feb13,17''']]
*[[Release Notes for BETA Version 4.5.3-Jan30_17|'''Release Notes for BETA Version 4.5.3-Jan30,17''']]
*[[Release Notes for BETA Version 4.5.3-Oct04|'''Release Notes for BETA Version 4.5.3-Oct04,16''']]
*[[Release Notes for BETA Version 4.5.3-Jun09|'''Release Notes for BETA Version 4.5.3-Jun09,16''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 4.3.3 Release Notes|Protocase Designer Release Notes for Versions 4.4.3 & 4.4.8]]

Protocase Designer Version 7.2.8 Release Notes-

2025-10-27T14:14:36Z

Cduffney: Created page with "'''Protocase Designer 7.2.8 - October 08, 2025''' Features and Improvements in the latest version of Designer: <ul id="releaseN..."

Release Notes

2025-10-27T14:11:41Z

Cduffney:

'''Protocase Designer 7.2.8 - October 08, 2025'''

Features and Improvements in the latest version of Designer:

<ul id="releaseNotes">
<li>NEW Dimensioned Drawings with GD&T</li>
<li>Improved rendering of operations preview shape.</li>
<li>Improved lighting in 3D editor for some MacOS versions.</li>
<li>Bug fix for rounding errors in template dialog text fields</li>
<li>Fixed an issue where silkscreen & digital print warning was triggering with only one graphics type present.</li>
<li>Fixed an issue where some users could not launch after installing</li>
</ul>

For more information on desiging CNC Machined Parts with Protocase Designer, click [[https://www.protocasedesigner.com/wiki/index.php?title=CNC_Machined_Parts'''here''']]

Note: We recommend you update your version of Protocase Designer to the latest version, to ensure the smoothest experience possible. If you order using a version of Protocase Designer that's older than Protocase Designer 5.0, you will be charged a $70 setup fee, instead of the typical $40 setup fee.

 
[[Knowledgebase_-_Known_Issues|'''View Known Issues''']]
 

=====Archival Release Notes=====
*[[Protocase Designer Version 7.2.8 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 7.2.8 Release Notes-October 08, 2025''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 7.2.7 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 7.2.7 Release Notes-October 06, 2025''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 7.1.2 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 7.1.2 Release Notes-July 02, 2025''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 7.0.44 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 7.0.44 Release Notes-May 29, 2025''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 7.0.36 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 7.0.36 Release Notes-March 31, 2025''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 7.0.31 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 7.0.31 Release Notes-March 03, 2025''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 7.0.29 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 7.0.29 Release Notes-February 05, 2025''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 7.0.20 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 7.0.20 Release Notes-December 03, 2024''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 7.0.16 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 7.0.16 Release Notes-November 18, 2024''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 7.0.14 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 7.0.14 Release Notes-November 07, 2024''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 7.0.11 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 7.0.11 Release Notes-October 21, 2024''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 7.0.8 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 7.0.8 Release Notes-September 25, 2024''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 7.0.0 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 7.0.0 Release Notes-August 27, 2024''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 6.1.47.1 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 6.1.47.1 Release Notes-June 27, 2024''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 6.1.47 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 6.1.47 Release Notes-April 30, 2024''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 6.1.38 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 6.1.38 Release Notes-March 20, 2024''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 6.1.35 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 6.1.35 Release Notes-January 29, 2024''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 6.1.33 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 6.1.33 Release Notes-January 09, 2024''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 6.1.31 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 6.1.31 Release Notes-December 14, 2023''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 6.1.26 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 6.1.26 Release Notes-Nov 13, 2023''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 6.1.18 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 6.1.18 Release Notes-Oct 12, 2023''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 6.1.15 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 6.1.15 Release Notes-Sep 26, 2023''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 6.1.6 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 6.1.6 Release Notes-Aug 21, 2023''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 6.1.04 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 6.1.04 Release Notes-Aug 4, 2023''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 6.0.67 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 6.0.67 Release Notes-May 23, 2023''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 6.0.66 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 6.0.66 Release Notes-May 10, 2023''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 6.0.64 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 6.0.64 Release Notes-May 01, 2023''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 6.0.59 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 6.0.59 Release Notes-April 5, 2023''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 6.0.54 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 6.0.54 Release Notes-March 16, 2023''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 6.0.52 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 6.0.52 Release Notes-March 09, 2023''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 6.0.51 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 6.0.51 Release Notes-February 21, 2023''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 6.0.48 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 6.0.48 Release Notes-January 31, 2023''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 6.0.41 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 6.0.41 Release Notes-December 14, 2022''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 6.0.38 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 6.0.38 Release Notes-November 22, 2022''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 6.0.36 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 6.0.36 Release Notes-November 14, 22''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 6.0.27.1 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 6.0.27.1 Release Notes-November 03, 22''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 6.0.27 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 6.0.27 Release Notes-September 16, 22''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 6.0.22 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 6.0.22 Release Notes-August 4,22''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 6.0.19 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 6.0.19 Release Notes-July 20,22''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 6.0.13 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 6.0.13 Release Notes-June 15,22''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 6.0.6 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 6.0.6 Release Notes-May 09,22''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 5.8.0.4 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 5.8.0.4 Release Notes-Nov 12,21''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 5.8.0.3 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 5.8.0.3 Release Notes-Nov 10,21''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 5.8.0.2 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 5.8.0.2 Release Notes-Oct 7,21''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 5.7.0 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 5.7.0 Release Notes-Sept 16,21''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 5.6.6 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 5.6.6 Release Notes-July 07,21''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 5.4.8 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 5.4.8 Release Notes-February 12,21''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 5.3.38 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 5.3.28 Release Notes-December 06,20''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 5.3.21 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 5.3.21 Release Notes-November 04,20''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 5.3.12 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 5.3.12 Release Notes-October 13,20''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 5.2.5 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 5.2.5 Release Notes-August 11,20''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 5.1.0 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 5.1.0 Release Notes-June 23,20''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 5.0.6 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 5.0.6 Release Notes-May 25,20''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 4.9.7.2 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 4.9.7.2 Release Notes-January 02,20''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 4.8.11 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 4.8.11 Release Notes-January 02,20''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 4.8.9 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 4.8.9 Release Notes-December 12,19''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 4.8.8 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 4.8.8 Release Notes-November 14,19''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 4.8.7 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 4.8.7 Release Notes-September 22,19''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 4.8.6 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 4.8.6 Release Notes-July 30,19''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 4.8.5 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 4.8.5 Release Notes-May 29,19''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 4.7 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 4.7 Release Notes-Aug 30,17''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 4.6.8 Release Notes-Aug 30,17|'''Protocase Designer Version 4.6.8 Release Notes-Aug 30,17''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 4.5 Release Notes|'''Protocase Designer Version 4.5 Release Notes''' (February 2016)]] 
*[[Release Notes for BETA Version 4.5.3-Feb13_17|'''Release Notes for BETA Version 4.5.3-Feb13,17''']]
*[[Release Notes for BETA Version 4.5.3-Jan30_17|'''Release Notes for BETA Version 4.5.3-Jan30,17''']]
*[[Release Notes for BETA Version 4.5.3-Oct04|'''Release Notes for BETA Version 4.5.3-Oct04,16''']]
*[[Release Notes for BETA Version 4.5.3-Jun09|'''Release Notes for BETA Version 4.5.3-Jun09,16''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 4.3.3 Release Notes|Protocase Designer Release Notes for Versions 4.4.3 & 4.4.8]]

Knowledgebase - Archived KnownIssues

2025-10-23T12:11:50Z

Cduffney:

__NOTOC__
The following issues have been fixed in our latest release.

If you still encounter anything listed below, please send us an email at designersupport@protocase.com

=== MacOS 3D Lighting & Shadows ===
This issue has been fixed as of version 7.2.8

We've gotten reports from customers of an issue on MacOS running M2/M3 Sonoma versions that's causing the lightning in the 3D editor to cast a very dark shadow over the entire enclosure, appearing black. This is an unfortunate change on the operating system side, not Protocase Designer. These recent MacOS versions changed the way it interacts with the JavaFX rendering engine we use to visualize things in Designer. As this issue was not caused by a change in Protocase Designer, the only work around at this time is to downgrade your MacOS version.

We're aware of the issue and have a plan to fix it, so this issue will be solved in a future Protocase Designer release.

===Has SilkScreen and Digital Print Warning===
This issue has been fixed as of version 7.2.8

As of version 7.2.1, users may see a warning for "Has SilkScreen and Digital Print" even though they only have one graphics type on their design. This is a bug with the software and you can safely ignore it for the time being. We have a fix ready to deploy in the next update.

===Windows protected your PC===
Windows users may encounter a warning from Microsoft Defender Smartscreen indicating that Protocase Designer is "unrecognized" and may be a risk to your PC. We can confirm that it is safe to press "More Options -> Run Anyway" in this situation. This is an unfortunate feature of Microsoft, that happens when we release new versions on windows for PD. Microsoft requires all applications to go through a verification process, which requires either the software be downloaded X amount of times over the internet for their systems to deem it as safe, which restarts each time we release a new version of Protocase Designer.

We submit our build files to Microsoft each time we do a new release, however this can take up to a few days to complete, in which case you may download the software in that time and receive this warning.

===MacOS 15 Sequoia - PD can't be opened===
Due to a recent change in MacOS 15, ProtocaseDesigner cannot open the normal way by double clicking the .app file. At this time we're unsure what change in MacOS caused this to happen but it is under investigation. For the time being there is a workaround which is to right click the ProtocaseDesigner.app and 'Show Package Contents', from here - navigate to /Contents/MacOS and double click the 'universalJavaApplicationStub' and this will execute the launch script for ProtocaseDesigner and it should start as normal. There will be a new version of ProtocaseDesigner released as soon as we discover the issue causing this.

===Backups not being stored on Mac===
We're aware of an issue causing PDA files to fail being backed up on Mac. This issue was fixed in version 6.1.15 for both Windows & Linux. This will be fixed in a later version for Mac users.

===Full Enclosure Subassemblies===
There is currently a bug where it will prevent you from creating a subassembly from a full enclosure. If you encounter this and require the sub-assembly please contact your account manager or our sales department and we can assist.

===Won't launch on linux - Designer 4.9 sometimes wont launch on certain linux configurations===
We have tested relatively vanilla builds of Ubuntu 18.04 and confirmed is working. Something about the user configuration causes unknown crashes however.

===Default Ubuntu 18.04 Driver issue===
There is an issue in JOGL that prevents the loading of Designer 4.7 on Ubuntu 18.04 with the default Nouveau graphics drivers. You may need to use the drivers supplied by your graphics card manufacturer to use Designer.

===Issue when changing your home directory===
In the latest version of Designer, there is an issue when changing your home directory to a root directory. (d:\, for example). This may cause Designer to freeze. Creating a directory off of the root and setting that to your home directory is the current workaround for that.

===Running Designer on Linux with MESA===
While running Designer on a Linux virtual machine with the latest version of MESA, we encountered a glXCreatePbuffer error.
This is due to an issue in the graphics library used in Designer. Until this is resolved, we do not recommend running Designer with this combination of software.

===Windows 10===
There was an issue in Windows 10 Tablet Mode that would cause the Protocase Designer Menu Bar to be hidden. This has been resolved in the latest Windows 10 automatic update.

===Image Load Error for .JPG files===
Some .JPG files do not import with the Java tools used for Protocase Designer. If you receive an error message ("Unable to load image...") when attempting to place a .JPG file on a face, we recommend that you convert the .JPG to a bitmap format, such as .PNG. If for any reason you cannot save the .JPG as a bitmap, one program that works very well for converting images is [http://www.imagemagick.org '''ImageMagick'''], which is free and runs with Unix, Mac OS X, iOS, and Windows.

===Computer enclosure templates===
The computer enclosure templates allow you to specify dimensions that are below the minimum sizes required to accommodate the cutouts or PEM layouts.

===5-sided enclosure welding===
Designs using the 5-sided enclosure template do not include plug welding in the quote.

===Changes did not take affect===
When placing a cutout or anything else, and the change just disappears, please check to see if your ERROR RESPONSE is set to ASK.
This can be found under Edit->Preferences->Editor Settings.
With this set to ASK, see if the change comes up with an error response.

===MAC===
If Protocase Designer does not launch make sure the App is inside the Applications folder.

===Quoting Non-Stock Material===
While quoting non-stock material like 316 Stainless Steel, the pricing is not accurate.
A warning will come up and let you know if a material is non-stock.
Please contact our sale team at ams@protocase.com for accurate pricing.

===Unable to Edit Face===
We have received several reports of users not able to edit faces after reloading their designs. Currently we do not know why this only effects some. Please upgrade this was an issue before 5.3.28.

===Unable to select snap point for 3D Dimension Line after placing cutout===
After placing a cutout in a face using the 2D editor, if you try to immediately create a 3D dimension line from that newly created cutout - the snap points will not be visible. To work around this, simply toggle the part off & on again using the Show/Hide Part tool on the right side of the editor and the snap points will be visible again.

===Green lines 3D rendering glitch===
Currently we don't know why this is happening but it is only for some customers are having this problem. Please try to upgrade your drivers and if that doesn't work sent your debug log and what graphics card and drivers you are using to us.

===USB Type A Library Cutout Not Selectable===
In any versions earlier than 5.5, after placing a USB Type A cutout from the Designer library in a face, the user will be unable to select or delete the cutout. As a work around you can send your design file to designersupport@protocase.com and we can manually fix the cutouts in your design.

===DB-9 Library Cutout Minimum Thickness Error===
Currently all DB-9 cutouts will display a "Minimum Metal Thickness" error saying cutouts are too close together and leave too little material to cut on our laser. This is a false error and can be ignored. This will be fixed in a future release.

===Mac Version Not Running===
The fix is redownloading and installing Protocase Designer. The build for mac has been fixed since Aug 18, 2021. This issue appears to only effect new users.

===Failure To Quote File with Imported STEP Components===
As of version 5.6.6 there was a bug causing quotes to fail if there were any imported STEP components in the file. To fix this, please upgrade your version of Designer.

===2U Extruded Aluminum- Extruded sides length not updating===
Visual glitch and wont effect your order. Saving and reloading the file or replying depth in the properties dialog should fix it.

===Importing large SVG files===
If importing a large SVG file, Designer may appear to freeze. Please be patient and give Designer time to process the file. We are working to add a status screen to provide better feedback when importing large files.

===Unable to export to STEP or IGES on Ubuntu===
Some customers have experienced issues with exporting to STEP and IGES formats when using Ubuntu. We are working on a solution.

===Imported STEP / IGES files missing features in Designer===
The STEP and IGES export features are currently only suitable for archival purposes. They cannot currently be imported back into Designer and used as fully featured models.
That ability is in development, and planned for the next release of Designer. Until then, if you have a STEP / IGES model that you would like to convert to a PDA, please contact your Account Manager or email info@protocase.com

===Hanging splash screen on linux - Designer 4.7 not compatible with OpenJDK included in Ubuntu 18.04===
Designer will not launch with the current version of OpenJDK. This may cause the splash screen to hang when attempting to load Designer.
We suggest using the Oracle JDK with Designer.

===Maximum Pocket Depth===
In the new version of Designer, we have introduced the ability to add pockets. As a general rule, the maximum depth of a pocket for a given metal thickness is the (metal thickness - 0.06" (0.1524cm)).

===Min Pocket Radius===
There are limitations as to the pocket corner radius we can cut with certain tools. The following table outlines the min corner radius for a given depth of pocket.
{| class="wikitable"
|+Pockets in Steel Enclosures (CNC Milling)
|-
|Depth Of Pocket||Min Corner Radius
|-
|Up to 0.47"||0.016"
|-
|Up to 0.95"||0.063"
|-
|Up to 1.875"||0.125"
|-
|Up to 5.5"||0.5"
|}

{| class="wikitable"
|+Pockets in Non-Steel Enclosures(Router)
|-
|Depth Of Pocket||Min Corner Radius
|-
|Up to 0.13"||0.022"
|-
|Up to 0.188"||0.032"
|-
|Up to 0.26"||0.063"
|-
|Up to 0.5"||0.094"
|-
|Up to 0.626"||0.125"
|-
|Up to 1.0"||0.188"
|}

===Importing graphics templates===
When using the '''Import graphics template''' command, Designer displays silkscreen-related prompts even when the face (or default) is set to Direct Digital printing.

===IGES Export===
We have been seeing an issue where a Protocase Designer file exported as an IGES file is unable to be imported into SolidWorks 2018. 
This has now been resolved in the latest Solidworks update (Service Pack 1). Note, the '''Enable 3D Interconnect''' setting must be enabled. This can be found under ''Tools->Options->Import->General''

===Warning for grained finishes===
When part dimensions are too small for a grained finish, Designer issues a warning that you cannot use grained finish on galvanneal, even when the part is not galvanneal. Ignore the warning, but ensure the minimum dimension for a grained finish is 3” x 5”.

===Copying/pasting text boxes and grouped cutouts===
Copying/pasting a text box does not retain the rotation of the box, and copying/pasting a group of cutouts mirrors the parts.

===Loading times===
On standard machines, complex templates (such as a 3-Piece Rackmount, Recessed Consolet, or Tiered Consolet) could take a little extra time to load, as could complex PDAs when first loaded after installing a Designer upgrade. Each release includes incremental improvements to these loading times.

===Mirror Y===
When you click '''Mirror Y''' for an object (including text), the object does not stay in the exact same place, and you can get a Boundary Warning even if it is nowhere near a boundary. Until this is fixed, simply accept the placement, then move it back where you wanted.

===Placing a PEM===
When placing a PEM, if you click any tool, the items are placed and shown in the 3D View exactly ''as if'' you had clicked the '''Accept & Close''' button, but those items are not accepted, quoted or saved.

===Cover on 5-sided enclosure may appear shifted on reload===
In version 4.6.16, if seam weld is selected on a 5-sided enclosure with a one piece base, the cover may appear shifted from its origin when reloaded. This may cause confusion when trying to align objects on the cover.
This will be corrected in version 4.7.

===L-shape and rackmount enclosures===
L-shape and rackmount enclosure designs created before January 2013, when loaded into the current Designer version, might have offset cutouts. If you encounter this problem, please email the design file to designersupport@protocase.com stating the problem, and we will manually convert the file for you at no charge.

2025-10-08T17:54:00Z

Cduffney:

'''Protocase Designer 7.2.8 - October 08, 2025'''

Features and Improvements in the latest version of Designer:

<ul id="releaseNotes">
<li>NEW Dimensioned Drawings with GD&T</li>
<li>Improved rendering of operations preview shape.</li>
<li>Improved lighting in 3D editor for some MacOS versions.</li>
<li>Bug fix for rounding errors in template dialog text fields</li>
<li>Fixed an issue where silkscreen & digital print warning was triggering with only one graphics type present.</li>
<li>Fixed an issue where some users could not launch PD</li>
</ul>

For more information on desiging CNC Machined Parts with Protocase Designer, click [[https://www.protocasedesigner.com/wiki/index.php?title=CNC_Machined_Parts'''here''']]

Note: We recommend you update your version of Protocase Designer to the latest version, to ensure the smoothest experience possible. If you order using a version of Protocase Designer that's older than Protocase Designer 5.0, you will be charged a $70 setup fee, instead of the typical $40 setup fee.

 
[[Knowledgebase_-_Known_Issues|'''View Known Issues''']]
 

=====Archival Release Notes=====
*[[Protocase Designer Version 7.2.7 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 7.2.7 Release Notes-October 06, 2025''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 7.1.2 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 7.1.2 Release Notes-July 02, 2025''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 7.0.44 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 7.0.44 Release Notes-May 29, 2025''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 7.0.36 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 7.0.36 Release Notes-March 31, 2025''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 7.0.31 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 7.0.31 Release Notes-March 03, 2025''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 7.0.29 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 7.0.29 Release Notes-February 05, 2025''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 7.0.20 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 7.0.20 Release Notes-December 03, 2024''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 7.0.16 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 7.0.16 Release Notes-November 18, 2024''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 7.0.14 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 7.0.14 Release Notes-November 07, 2024''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 7.0.11 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 7.0.11 Release Notes-October 21, 2024''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 7.0.8 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 7.0.8 Release Notes-September 25, 2024''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 7.0.0 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 7.0.0 Release Notes-August 27, 2024''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 6.1.47.1 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 6.1.47.1 Release Notes-June 27, 2024''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 6.1.47 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 6.1.47 Release Notes-April 30, 2024''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 6.1.38 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 6.1.38 Release Notes-March 20, 2024''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 6.1.35 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 6.1.35 Release Notes-January 29, 2024''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 6.1.33 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 6.1.33 Release Notes-January 09, 2024''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 6.1.31 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 6.1.31 Release Notes-December 14, 2023''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 6.1.26 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 6.1.26 Release Notes-Nov 13, 2023''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 6.1.18 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 6.1.18 Release Notes-Oct 12, 2023''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 6.1.15 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 6.1.15 Release Notes-Sep 26, 2023''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 6.1.6 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 6.1.6 Release Notes-Aug 21, 2023''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 6.1.04 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 6.1.04 Release Notes-Aug 4, 2023''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 6.0.67 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 6.0.67 Release Notes-May 23, 2023''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 6.0.66 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 6.0.66 Release Notes-May 10, 2023''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 6.0.64 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 6.0.64 Release Notes-May 01, 2023''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 6.0.59 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 6.0.59 Release Notes-April 5, 2023''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 6.0.54 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 6.0.54 Release Notes-March 16, 2023''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 6.0.52 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 6.0.52 Release Notes-March 09, 2023''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 6.0.51 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 6.0.51 Release Notes-February 21, 2023''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 6.0.48 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 6.0.48 Release Notes-January 31, 2023''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 6.0.41 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 6.0.41 Release Notes-December 14, 2022''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 6.0.38 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 6.0.38 Release Notes-November 22, 2022''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 6.0.36 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 6.0.36 Release Notes-November 14, 22''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 6.0.27.1 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 6.0.27.1 Release Notes-November 03, 22''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 6.0.27 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 6.0.27 Release Notes-September 16, 22''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 6.0.22 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 6.0.22 Release Notes-August 4,22''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 6.0.19 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 6.0.19 Release Notes-July 20,22''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 6.0.13 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 6.0.13 Release Notes-June 15,22''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 6.0.6 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 6.0.6 Release Notes-May 09,22''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 5.8.0.4 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 5.8.0.4 Release Notes-Nov 12,21''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 5.8.0.3 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 5.8.0.3 Release Notes-Nov 10,21''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 5.8.0.2 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 5.8.0.2 Release Notes-Oct 7,21''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 5.7.0 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 5.7.0 Release Notes-Sept 16,21''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 5.6.6 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 5.6.6 Release Notes-July 07,21''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 5.4.8 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 5.4.8 Release Notes-February 12,21''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 5.3.38 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 5.3.28 Release Notes-December 06,20''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 5.3.21 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 5.3.21 Release Notes-November 04,20''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 5.3.12 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 5.3.12 Release Notes-October 13,20''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 5.2.5 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 5.2.5 Release Notes-August 11,20''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 5.1.0 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 5.1.0 Release Notes-June 23,20''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 5.0.6 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 5.0.6 Release Notes-May 25,20''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 4.9.7.2 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 4.9.7.2 Release Notes-January 02,20''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 4.8.11 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 4.8.11 Release Notes-January 02,20''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 4.8.9 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 4.8.9 Release Notes-December 12,19''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 4.8.8 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 4.8.8 Release Notes-November 14,19''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 4.8.7 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 4.8.7 Release Notes-September 22,19''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 4.8.6 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 4.8.6 Release Notes-July 30,19''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 4.8.5 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 4.8.5 Release Notes-May 29,19''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 4.7 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 4.7 Release Notes-Aug 30,17''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 4.6.8 Release Notes-Aug 30,17|'''Protocase Designer Version 4.6.8 Release Notes-Aug 30,17''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 4.5 Release Notes|'''Protocase Designer Version 4.5 Release Notes''' (February 2016)]] 
*[[Release Notes for BETA Version 4.5.3-Feb13_17|'''Release Notes for BETA Version 4.5.3-Feb13,17''']]
*[[Release Notes for BETA Version 4.5.3-Jan30_17|'''Release Notes for BETA Version 4.5.3-Jan30,17''']]
*[[Release Notes for BETA Version 4.5.3-Oct04|'''Release Notes for BETA Version 4.5.3-Oct04,16''']]
*[[Release Notes for BETA Version 4.5.3-Jun09|'''Release Notes for BETA Version 4.5.3-Jun09,16''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 4.3.3 Release Notes|Protocase Designer Release Notes for Versions 4.4.3 & 4.4.8]]

Protocase Designer Version 7.2.7 Release Notes-

2025-10-08T16:43:43Z

Cduffney: Created page with "'''Protocase Designer 7.2.7 - October 06, 2025''' Features and Improvements in the latest version of Designer: <ul id="releaseN..."

Release Notes

2025-10-08T16:43:29Z

Cduffney:

'''Protocase Designer 7.2.7 - October 06, 2025'''

Features and Improvements in the latest version of Designer:

<ul id="releaseNotes">
<li>NEW Dimensioned Drawings with GD&T</li>
<li>Improved rendering of operations preview shape.</li>
<li>Improved lighting in 3D editor for some MacOS versions.</li>
<li>Bug fix for rounding errors in template dialog text fields</li>
<li>Fixed an issue where silkscreen & digital print warning was triggering with only one graphics type present.</li>
</ul>

For more information on desiging CNC Machined Parts with Protocase Designer, click [[https://www.protocasedesigner.com/wiki/index.php?title=CNC_Machined_Parts'''here''']]

Note: We recommend you update your version of Protocase Designer to the latest version, to ensure the smoothest experience possible. If you order using a version of Protocase Designer that's older than Protocase Designer 5.0, you will be charged a $70 setup fee, instead of the typical $40 setup fee.

 
[[Knowledgebase_-_Known_Issues|'''View Known Issues''']]
 

=====Archival Release Notes=====
*[[Protocase Designer Version 7.2.7 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 7.2.7 Release Notes-October 06, 2025''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 7.1.2 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 7.1.2 Release Notes-July 02, 2025''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 7.0.44 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 7.0.44 Release Notes-May 29, 2025''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 7.0.36 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 7.0.36 Release Notes-March 31, 2025''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 7.0.31 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 7.0.31 Release Notes-March 03, 2025''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 7.0.29 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 7.0.29 Release Notes-February 05, 2025''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 7.0.20 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 7.0.20 Release Notes-December 03, 2024''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 7.0.16 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 7.0.16 Release Notes-November 18, 2024''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 7.0.14 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 7.0.14 Release Notes-November 07, 2024''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 7.0.11 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 7.0.11 Release Notes-October 21, 2024''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 7.0.8 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 7.0.8 Release Notes-September 25, 2024''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 7.0.0 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 7.0.0 Release Notes-August 27, 2024''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 6.1.47.1 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 6.1.47.1 Release Notes-June 27, 2024''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 6.1.47 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 6.1.47 Release Notes-April 30, 2024''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 6.1.38 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 6.1.38 Release Notes-March 20, 2024''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 6.1.35 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 6.1.35 Release Notes-January 29, 2024''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 6.1.33 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 6.1.33 Release Notes-January 09, 2024''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 6.1.31 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 6.1.31 Release Notes-December 14, 2023''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 6.1.26 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 6.1.26 Release Notes-Nov 13, 2023''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 6.1.18 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 6.1.18 Release Notes-Oct 12, 2023''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 6.1.15 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 6.1.15 Release Notes-Sep 26, 2023''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 6.1.6 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 6.1.6 Release Notes-Aug 21, 2023''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 6.1.04 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 6.1.04 Release Notes-Aug 4, 2023''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 6.0.67 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 6.0.67 Release Notes-May 23, 2023''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 6.0.66 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 6.0.66 Release Notes-May 10, 2023''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 6.0.64 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 6.0.64 Release Notes-May 01, 2023''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 6.0.59 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 6.0.59 Release Notes-April 5, 2023''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 6.0.54 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 6.0.54 Release Notes-March 16, 2023''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 6.0.52 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 6.0.52 Release Notes-March 09, 2023''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 6.0.51 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 6.0.51 Release Notes-February 21, 2023''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 6.0.48 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 6.0.48 Release Notes-January 31, 2023''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 6.0.41 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 6.0.41 Release Notes-December 14, 2022''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 6.0.38 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 6.0.38 Release Notes-November 22, 2022''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 6.0.36 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 6.0.36 Release Notes-November 14, 22''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 6.0.27.1 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 6.0.27.1 Release Notes-November 03, 22''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 6.0.27 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 6.0.27 Release Notes-September 16, 22''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 6.0.22 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 6.0.22 Release Notes-August 4,22''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 6.0.19 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 6.0.19 Release Notes-July 20,22''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 6.0.13 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 6.0.13 Release Notes-June 15,22''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 6.0.6 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 6.0.6 Release Notes-May 09,22''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 5.8.0.4 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 5.8.0.4 Release Notes-Nov 12,21''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 5.8.0.3 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 5.8.0.3 Release Notes-Nov 10,21''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 5.8.0.2 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 5.8.0.2 Release Notes-Oct 7,21''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 5.7.0 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 5.7.0 Release Notes-Sept 16,21''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 5.6.6 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 5.6.6 Release Notes-July 07,21''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 5.4.8 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 5.4.8 Release Notes-February 12,21''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 5.3.38 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 5.3.28 Release Notes-December 06,20''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 5.3.21 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 5.3.21 Release Notes-November 04,20''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 5.3.12 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 5.3.12 Release Notes-October 13,20''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 5.2.5 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 5.2.5 Release Notes-August 11,20''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 5.1.0 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 5.1.0 Release Notes-June 23,20''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 5.0.6 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 5.0.6 Release Notes-May 25,20''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 4.9.7.2 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 4.9.7.2 Release Notes-January 02,20''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 4.8.11 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 4.8.11 Release Notes-January 02,20''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 4.8.9 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 4.8.9 Release Notes-December 12,19''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 4.8.8 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 4.8.8 Release Notes-November 14,19''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 4.8.7 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 4.8.7 Release Notes-September 22,19''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 4.8.6 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 4.8.6 Release Notes-July 30,19''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 4.8.5 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 4.8.5 Release Notes-May 29,19''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 4.7 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 4.7 Release Notes-Aug 30,17''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 4.6.8 Release Notes-Aug 30,17|'''Protocase Designer Version 4.6.8 Release Notes-Aug 30,17''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 4.5 Release Notes|'''Protocase Designer Version 4.5 Release Notes''' (February 2016)]] 
*[[Release Notes for BETA Version 4.5.3-Feb13_17|'''Release Notes for BETA Version 4.5.3-Feb13,17''']]
*[[Release Notes for BETA Version 4.5.3-Jan30_17|'''Release Notes for BETA Version 4.5.3-Jan30,17''']]
*[[Release Notes for BETA Version 4.5.3-Oct04|'''Release Notes for BETA Version 4.5.3-Oct04,16''']]
*[[Release Notes for BETA Version 4.5.3-Jun09|'''Release Notes for BETA Version 4.5.3-Jun09,16''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 4.3.3 Release Notes|Protocase Designer Release Notes for Versions 4.4.3 & 4.4.8]]

Release Notes

2025-10-08T16:43:10Z

Cduffney:

'''Protocase Designer 7.2.7 - October 06, 2025'''

Features and Improvements in the latest version of Designer:

<ul id="releaseNotes">
<li>NEW Dimensioned Drawings with GD&T</li>
<li>Improved rendering of operations preview shape.</li>
<li>Improved lighting in 3D editor for some MacOS versions.</li>
<li>Bug fix for rounding errors in template dialog text fields</li>
<li>Fixed an issue where silkscreen & digital print warning was triggering with only one graphics type present.</li>
</ul>

For more information on desiging CNC Machined Parts with Protocase Designer, click [[https://www.protocasedesigner.com/wiki/index.php?title=CNC_Machined_Parts'''here''']]

Note: We recommend you update your version of Protocase Designer to the latest version, to ensure the smoothest experience possible. If you order using a version of Protocase Designer that's older than Protocase Designer 5.0, you will be charged a $70 setup fee, instead of the typical $40 setup fee.

 
[[Knowledgebase_-_Known_Issues|'''View Known Issues''']]
 

=====Archival Release Notes=====
*[[Protocase Designer Version 7.2.7 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 7.1.7 Release Notes-October 06, 2025''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 7.1.2 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 7.1.2 Release Notes-July 02, 2025''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 7.0.44 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 7.0.44 Release Notes-May 29, 2025''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 7.0.36 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 7.0.36 Release Notes-March 31, 2025''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 7.0.31 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 7.0.31 Release Notes-March 03, 2025''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 7.0.29 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 7.0.29 Release Notes-February 05, 2025''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 7.0.20 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 7.0.20 Release Notes-December 03, 2024''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 7.0.16 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 7.0.16 Release Notes-November 18, 2024''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 7.0.14 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 7.0.14 Release Notes-November 07, 2024''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 7.0.11 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 7.0.11 Release Notes-October 21, 2024''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 7.0.8 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 7.0.8 Release Notes-September 25, 2024''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 7.0.0 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 7.0.0 Release Notes-August 27, 2024''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 6.1.47.1 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 6.1.47.1 Release Notes-June 27, 2024''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 6.1.47 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 6.1.47 Release Notes-April 30, 2024''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 6.1.38 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 6.1.38 Release Notes-March 20, 2024''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 6.1.35 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 6.1.35 Release Notes-January 29, 2024''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 6.1.33 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 6.1.33 Release Notes-January 09, 2024''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 6.1.31 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 6.1.31 Release Notes-December 14, 2023''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 6.1.26 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 6.1.26 Release Notes-Nov 13, 2023''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 6.1.18 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 6.1.18 Release Notes-Oct 12, 2023''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 6.1.15 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 6.1.15 Release Notes-Sep 26, 2023''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 6.1.6 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 6.1.6 Release Notes-Aug 21, 2023''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 6.1.04 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 6.1.04 Release Notes-Aug 4, 2023''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 6.0.67 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 6.0.67 Release Notes-May 23, 2023''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 6.0.66 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 6.0.66 Release Notes-May 10, 2023''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 6.0.64 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 6.0.64 Release Notes-May 01, 2023''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 6.0.59 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 6.0.59 Release Notes-April 5, 2023''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 6.0.54 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 6.0.54 Release Notes-March 16, 2023''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 6.0.52 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 6.0.52 Release Notes-March 09, 2023''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 6.0.51 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 6.0.51 Release Notes-February 21, 2023''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 6.0.48 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 6.0.48 Release Notes-January 31, 2023''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 6.0.41 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 6.0.41 Release Notes-December 14, 2022''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 6.0.38 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 6.0.38 Release Notes-November 22, 2022''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 6.0.36 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 6.0.36 Release Notes-November 14, 22''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 6.0.27.1 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 6.0.27.1 Release Notes-November 03, 22''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 6.0.27 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 6.0.27 Release Notes-September 16, 22''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 6.0.22 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 6.0.22 Release Notes-August 4,22''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 6.0.19 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 6.0.19 Release Notes-July 20,22''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 6.0.13 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 6.0.13 Release Notes-June 15,22''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 6.0.6 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 6.0.6 Release Notes-May 09,22''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 5.8.0.4 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 5.8.0.4 Release Notes-Nov 12,21''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 5.8.0.3 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 5.8.0.3 Release Notes-Nov 10,21''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 5.8.0.2 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 5.8.0.2 Release Notes-Oct 7,21''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 5.7.0 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 5.7.0 Release Notes-Sept 16,21''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 5.6.6 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 5.6.6 Release Notes-July 07,21''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 5.4.8 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 5.4.8 Release Notes-February 12,21''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 5.3.38 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 5.3.28 Release Notes-December 06,20''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 5.3.21 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 5.3.21 Release Notes-November 04,20''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 5.3.12 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 5.3.12 Release Notes-October 13,20''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 5.2.5 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 5.2.5 Release Notes-August 11,20''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 5.1.0 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 5.1.0 Release Notes-June 23,20''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 5.0.6 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 5.0.6 Release Notes-May 25,20''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 4.9.7.2 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 4.9.7.2 Release Notes-January 02,20''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 4.8.11 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 4.8.11 Release Notes-January 02,20''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 4.8.9 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 4.8.9 Release Notes-December 12,19''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 4.8.8 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 4.8.8 Release Notes-November 14,19''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 4.8.7 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 4.8.7 Release Notes-September 22,19''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 4.8.6 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 4.8.6 Release Notes-July 30,19''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 4.8.5 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 4.8.5 Release Notes-May 29,19''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 4.7 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 4.7 Release Notes-Aug 30,17''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 4.6.8 Release Notes-Aug 30,17|'''Protocase Designer Version 4.6.8 Release Notes-Aug 30,17''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 4.5 Release Notes|'''Protocase Designer Version 4.5 Release Notes''' (February 2016)]] 
*[[Release Notes for BETA Version 4.5.3-Feb13_17|'''Release Notes for BETA Version 4.5.3-Feb13,17''']]
*[[Release Notes for BETA Version 4.5.3-Jan30_17|'''Release Notes for BETA Version 4.5.3-Jan30,17''']]
*[[Release Notes for BETA Version 4.5.3-Oct04|'''Release Notes for BETA Version 4.5.3-Oct04,16''']]
*[[Release Notes for BETA Version 4.5.3-Jun09|'''Release Notes for BETA Version 4.5.3-Jun09,16''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 4.3.3 Release Notes|Protocase Designer Release Notes for Versions 4.4.3 & 4.4.8]]

Protocase Designer Version 7.1.7 Release Notes-

2025-10-08T16:42:43Z

Release Notes

2025-10-08T16:42:39Z

Cduffney:

'''Protocase Designer 7.2.7 - October 06, 2025'''

Features and Improvements in the latest version of Designer:

<ul id="releaseNotes">
<li>NEW Dimensioned Drawings with GD&T</li>
<li>Improved rendering of operations preview shape.</li>
<li>Improved lighting in 3D editor for some MacOS versions.</li>
<li>Bug fix for rounding errors in template dialog text fields</li>
<li>Fixed an issue where silkscreen & digital print warning was triggering with only one graphics type present.</li>
</ul>

For more information on desiging CNC Machined Parts with Protocase Designer, click [[https://www.protocasedesigner.com/wiki/index.php?title=CNC_Machined_Parts'''here''']]

Note: We recommend you update your version of Protocase Designer to the latest version, to ensure the smoothest experience possible. If you order using a version of Protocase Designer that's older than Protocase Designer 5.0, you will be charged a $70 setup fee, instead of the typical $40 setup fee.

 
[[Knowledgebase_-_Known_Issues|'''View Known Issues''']]
 

=====Archival Release Notes=====
*[[Protocase Designer Version 7.1.7 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 7.1.7 Release Notes-October 06, 2025''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 7.1.2 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 7.1.2 Release Notes-July 02, 2025''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 7.0.44 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 7.0.44 Release Notes-May 29, 2025''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 7.0.36 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 7.0.36 Release Notes-March 31, 2025''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 7.0.31 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 7.0.31 Release Notes-March 03, 2025''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 7.0.29 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 7.0.29 Release Notes-February 05, 2025''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 7.0.20 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 7.0.20 Release Notes-December 03, 2024''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 7.0.16 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 7.0.16 Release Notes-November 18, 2024''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 7.0.14 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 7.0.14 Release Notes-November 07, 2024''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 7.0.11 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 7.0.11 Release Notes-October 21, 2024''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 7.0.8 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 7.0.8 Release Notes-September 25, 2024''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 7.0.0 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 7.0.0 Release Notes-August 27, 2024''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 6.1.47.1 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 6.1.47.1 Release Notes-June 27, 2024''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 6.1.47 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 6.1.47 Release Notes-April 30, 2024''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 6.1.38 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 6.1.38 Release Notes-March 20, 2024''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 6.1.35 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 6.1.35 Release Notes-January 29, 2024''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 6.1.33 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 6.1.33 Release Notes-January 09, 2024''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 6.1.31 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 6.1.31 Release Notes-December 14, 2023''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 6.1.26 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 6.1.26 Release Notes-Nov 13, 2023''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 6.1.18 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 6.1.18 Release Notes-Oct 12, 2023''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 6.1.15 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 6.1.15 Release Notes-Sep 26, 2023''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 6.1.6 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 6.1.6 Release Notes-Aug 21, 2023''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 6.1.04 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 6.1.04 Release Notes-Aug 4, 2023''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 6.0.67 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 6.0.67 Release Notes-May 23, 2023''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 6.0.66 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 6.0.66 Release Notes-May 10, 2023''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 6.0.64 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 6.0.64 Release Notes-May 01, 2023''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 6.0.59 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 6.0.59 Release Notes-April 5, 2023''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 6.0.54 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 6.0.54 Release Notes-March 16, 2023''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 6.0.52 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 6.0.52 Release Notes-March 09, 2023''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 6.0.51 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 6.0.51 Release Notes-February 21, 2023''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 6.0.48 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 6.0.48 Release Notes-January 31, 2023''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 6.0.41 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 6.0.41 Release Notes-December 14, 2022''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 6.0.38 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 6.0.38 Release Notes-November 22, 2022''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 6.0.36 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 6.0.36 Release Notes-November 14, 22''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 6.0.27.1 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 6.0.27.1 Release Notes-November 03, 22''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 6.0.27 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 6.0.27 Release Notes-September 16, 22''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 6.0.22 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 6.0.22 Release Notes-August 4,22''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 6.0.19 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 6.0.19 Release Notes-July 20,22''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 6.0.13 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 6.0.13 Release Notes-June 15,22''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 6.0.6 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 6.0.6 Release Notes-May 09,22''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 5.8.0.4 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 5.8.0.4 Release Notes-Nov 12,21''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 5.8.0.3 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 5.8.0.3 Release Notes-Nov 10,21''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 5.8.0.2 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 5.8.0.2 Release Notes-Oct 7,21''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 5.7.0 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 5.7.0 Release Notes-Sept 16,21''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 5.6.6 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 5.6.6 Release Notes-July 07,21''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 5.4.8 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 5.4.8 Release Notes-February 12,21''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 5.3.38 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 5.3.28 Release Notes-December 06,20''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 5.3.21 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 5.3.21 Release Notes-November 04,20''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 5.3.12 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 5.3.12 Release Notes-October 13,20''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 5.2.5 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 5.2.5 Release Notes-August 11,20''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 5.1.0 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 5.1.0 Release Notes-June 23,20''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 5.0.6 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 5.0.6 Release Notes-May 25,20''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 4.9.7.2 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 4.9.7.2 Release Notes-January 02,20''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 4.8.11 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 4.8.11 Release Notes-January 02,20''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 4.8.9 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 4.8.9 Release Notes-December 12,19''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 4.8.8 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 4.8.8 Release Notes-November 14,19''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 4.8.7 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 4.8.7 Release Notes-September 22,19''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 4.8.6 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 4.8.6 Release Notes-July 30,19''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 4.8.5 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 4.8.5 Release Notes-May 29,19''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 4.7 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 4.7 Release Notes-Aug 30,17''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 4.6.8 Release Notes-Aug 30,17|'''Protocase Designer Version 4.6.8 Release Notes-Aug 30,17''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 4.5 Release Notes|'''Protocase Designer Version 4.5 Release Notes''' (February 2016)]] 
*[[Release Notes for BETA Version 4.5.3-Feb13_17|'''Release Notes for BETA Version 4.5.3-Feb13,17''']]
*[[Release Notes for BETA Version 4.5.3-Jan30_17|'''Release Notes for BETA Version 4.5.3-Jan30,17''']]
*[[Release Notes for BETA Version 4.5.3-Oct04|'''Release Notes for BETA Version 4.5.3-Oct04,16''']]
*[[Release Notes for BETA Version 4.5.3-Jun09|'''Release Notes for BETA Version 4.5.3-Jun09,16''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 4.3.3 Release Notes|Protocase Designer Release Notes for Versions 4.4.3 & 4.4.8]]

Dimension Drawings

2025-10-07T11:31:43Z

Cduffney:

As of version 7.2.7, you can now create fully dimensioned drawings of your design, and store them directly within your PDA file or export them to PDF format!

If you encounter any issues, or would like to provide any feedback please send us an email at designersupport@protocase.com

=Getting Started=
To get started with dimension drawings, just open an enclosure and click the Drawing button on the main toolbar, under the File tab.

[[File:dimensionDrawingsButtonToolbar.png|800px]]

=Dimensioned Views Creator Dialog=
Once you click Create Drawing it will take a moment to generate views for your design, and the following dialog will open:

[[File:dimensionViewsCreatorDialog.png|1200px]]

By default, the initial page Designer will generate will be for the full assembly with all view orientations, including isometric.

In addition to the assembly page, it will create a page for each part in your design, with all view orientations.

==Changing Page Size & Scale==
The page size and scale can be changed using the options in the toolbar.

For page sizing, it comes with all of the common page sizes pre-defined, you just need to select the one you want from the drop down menu.

For page scale, just enter your preferred scale into the text box and hit enter. Note, page scale must be a whole number. Decimal values will not work

[[File:pageSize.png]]

==Changing Font Size==
To modify the font size of text in your page, select a size from the drop-down menu located in the toolbar.

[[File:fontSize.png]]

Note: When modifying font size for your page, it will effect all text objects within the page, except for the title block data. This includes:
* Text Notes
* Callouts
* Dimension Lines
* Datum Frames
* Any GD&T features.

==Toolbar Modes==
The toolbar contains toggle buttons for changing the mode of the current page editor. These are used for adding features into your drawing, or moving your views around. They include:
* Move Mode
* Dimension Mode
* Text Mode
* Callout Mode
* GD&T Mode
* Datum Mode

[[File:toolbarModes.png]]

===Move Mode===
This is the default mode of the editors. To move your views or other features around your page, select the "Move" toggle button, and then left click and drag your object within the page. At any point, pressing the Escape key will reset your mode back to Move.

Tip: to move multiple items at once, select all objects you want to move (using window-select or shift + left-click) and hold shift, then left click and drag in the page to move all selected objects at once while keeping their positions relative to one another.

[[File:moveItem.gif | 500px]]

===Dimension Mode===
The Dimension mode lets you display the distance between any two points on your views.

#On the toolbar, select the "Dimension" toggle button.
#Click the first endpoint of the distance you wish to measure, then move the cursor.
#:As you begin to move the cursor, the distance between the endpoint and the cursor position is displayed.
#:When the cursor is near an object, it snaps to the important points of the object (its center, or one of the compass points on its outline), a green circle is drawn around the snap-to point, indicating it is a valid point of selection.
#Click the second endpoint of the distance you wish to measure.
#:A second line parallel to the first line is drawn, and the distance between the lines is displayed.
#Next, move your cursor to position the dimension line to your desired location, and click again to place your lines into the face.
#Finally, move your cursor to position the text within the dimension line, and click again to place your text into the face.
#:At any point you can move your dimension line after it has been placed by selecting it and dragging your mouse while in Move mode.

[[File:dimensionMode.gif | 1200px]]

===Text Mode===
The text mode can be used to add notes to your drawing.
#To enter text mode, select "Add Text" toggle button from the toolbar.
#Left click in the page where you'd like the note to be placed.
#Start typing, and you should start to see your note being drawn in the page.
#Once finished, press Enter to place the note into the page.
#To edit your text after it's been placed, simply double click it while in Move Mode to open the edit dialog.

To add a single note on multiple lines, you can press Shift + Enter while typing to start the new line.

[[File:addingText.gif | 800px]]

===Callout Mode===
A call out is similar to a text note, with the addition of a leader arrow pointing to a feature in your drawing.
#To enter call out mode, select the "Callout" button from the toolbar.
#Select one of the snap points over the feature you're looking to call out by left clicking.
#An arrow leader will now follow your cursor, pointing to the initial snap point.
#Left-click in the page where you want your call out positioned.
#Enter the text for your call out
#Press OK.

To edit the text of your callout, double click on the text while in move mode to open the edit text dialog.

[[File:addingCallouts.gif | 800px]]

===Showing Hidden Lines===
The "Show Hidden Lines" toggle, allows you to toggle the visibility of the hidden lines for the selected views wireframe.

Select a view, or multiple views - and click the Show Hidden Lines checkbox to toggle their visibility.

[[File:showHiddenLines.gif | 600px]]

===Wireframe Toggle===
The wireframe checkbox allows you to toggle between a wireframe or a filled view for your selected view(s).

[[File:wireframeToggle.gif | 600px]]

==Adding New Views==
To add a new view to your page, do the following:
#Click File from the top menu.
#Click New
#Click View from the sub menu.
#Select which view(s) you'd like to add into the page.
#Click OK, and each selected view will be generated and added to your page.

[[File:AddingNewViews.gif|1200px]]

==Adding New Pages==
To add a new page to your drawing, do the following:
#Click File from the top menu.
#Click New
#Click Page from the sub menu.
#Select which part, or full assembly you want to generate views for to add into the page.
#Click OK, and each view orientation will be generated for the chosen part and added to the page.

[[File:AddingNewPage.gif|1200px]]

==Title Blocks==
The title block is the section along the lower right corner of the page which contains key information about your drawing, including:
* Software Version the drawing was created with.
* The authors name
* File name
* Finish of the part
* Part Name & Part Number
* Material of the part
* Page Scale
* Page Number

[[File:titleBlock.png|600px]]

Designer will generate default values for all these sections based on your design when you create your drawing - however they're all easily editable.

To edit the title block data, do the following:
#Click the Edit menu along the top of the dialog
#Select "Edit Title Blocks"
#Update the fields with your desired values.
#Click OK.

[[File:editingTitleBlockData.gif|1000px]]

==Page Zones==
The page zones act as a grid system. dividing your pages into labeled areas. Their purpose is to make it easier to locate and reference specific features, notes, or revisions on the drawing.

These are auto-generated when you create a page, but you can edit them afterwards.

#Click the Edit file menu
#Click Edit Page Zones
#Choose your desired number of horizontal zones.
#Choose your desired number of vertical zones.
#Click Save to update your page zones.

[[File:editPageZones.gif|1000px]]

==Saving Your Drawing==
You can save your drawing directly into your PDA file by doing the following:
#Navigate to the File menu
#Click "Save Views to PDA"

[[File:saveViewsToPda.png]]

Now the next time you open your design, you can re-open your existing drawing by clicking the same "Drawing" button from the toolbar menu in the 3D editor.

Tip: If you've modified your design since last saving your drawings into your PDA file, the next time you open the dimension drawings editor, you'll see the following dialog asking if you'd like to re-generate the views.

If you don't want to re-generate everything from scratch, you can choose No and simply add a new view for specific parts by using the Add Views or Add Page features.

[[File:changesDetected.png]]

==Creating PDF Drawing==
To export your drawing to PDF:
#Navigate to the File menu
#Click Create PDF
#:[[File:createPdf.png]]
#A file browser dialog will open, enter a file name and select a destination to save your file to.
#Once the PDF is created, you'll see a banner along the bottom with an Open button to view your PDF.
#:[[File:generatingPdf.gif | 900px]]

=Geometric Dimensioning & Tolerancing (GD&T)=

In Geometric Dimensioning and Tolerancing (GD&T), a standardized system is used to define and communicate engineering tolerances and part geometry. GD&T uses a symbolic language to precisely describe the size, shape, orientation, and position of features on a part. This allows engineers, machinists, and inspectors to understand how a component should be manufactured and how it will fit or function within an assembly.

Protocase Designer GD&T viewing and editing dialogues are accessible via toggle buttons at the top of drawings page.

==Datums==

A datum is a theoretical reference point, line, or surface on a part that serves as the origin for measurement and manufacturing. It acts as a frame of reference against which other features are defined and inspected, ensuring consistency in how parts fit and function together. Datums are usually selected from important functional surfaces or features, such as a flat face, a hole, or an axis, and are labeled with capital letters (A, B, C, etc.).

===Creating===

Datum mode can be activated by selecting the datum toggle button from the toolbar.

# To enter Datum mode, select "Datum" toggle button from the toolbar, it will be highlighted after selection.
# Moving the mouse to over over key features in your design a small circle with appear known as a snap point.
# Left click in the snap point and this will pace an arrow to the selected postion of the datum label.
# Left click again to place the datum label and start entering text.
#Start typing, and you should start to see your text being drawn in the dialog box.
#Once finished, press Enter to place the text onto the page.

[[File:Creating Datums Dialog.gif | 800px]]

===Moving and Editing ===

# To edit your text after it's been placed, simply double click it while in Move Mode to open the edit dialog.
# When you edit the text in the datum all datum references with that label will be updated on that design page.

# To move label, simply hover over the text label and the cursor will change to demonstrate the ability to move the label.
# Left click on the label and drag to the new preferred location.

You can move multiple datum labels at the same time by selecting them with the shift button held down. With the shift button down drag the mouse to a new location.

===Deleting===

You can delete datums by either selecting the datum label and pressing delete on the keyboard.
Alternatively, you can select the datum label and right-click and select delete from the drop-down box.

[[File:Deleting_Datum.gif | 900px ]]

===Other Operations===

When you right-click on a single selected datum you have other operation options to copy the datum, paste, or rotate the text 90 degrees.
Coping and pasting datums will reference the same feature point with a new label with the same text.

If you right-click a datum after selecting multiple datums operations to positional align or distribute the positions of the labels.

==Feature Control Frames==

=== Getting Start ===

A Feature Control Frame (FCF) is the core communication tool used in Geometric Dimensioning and Tolerancing to define the specific geometric requirements of a feature on a part. It provides a standardized, symbolic way to describe how much variation in form, orientation, location, or profile is acceptable. Feature Control Frame's group together multiple pieces of communication about material, position, and datums.

=== Creating Feature Controls Frames ===

Feature Control Frames have slight differences in the methods they are communicated within design.

In Protocase Designer, feature control frames are grouped as either single rows, multiple rows, or a composite which shares properties between rows.

==== Core Features ====

Each feature control frame is composed of a series of common compartments that specify:

* Tolerance Type are geometric characteristic symbols indicated by common standard symbols (e.g., flatness, position, parallelism).

* The Dimension Type or Geometry Prefix Symbols (eg. (R) - Radius, (SR) - Spherical Radius, (S) - Sphere )

* Tolerance values the numerical values that define the measured tolerance allowed within the design.

* Material condition modifiers (e.g., MMC, LMC).

* The datum references are the current datums created on the diagrams.

See the final section on symbols for a full list of symbols and descriptions.

==== Creating Feature Control Frame ====

Feature Control Frame (FCF) modes can be activated by selecting the GD&T toggle button from the toolbar.

To create a single row FCF Frame:

# To enter FCF mode, select GD&T toggle button from the toolbar, it will be highlighted after selection.
# Similar to interactions with the datum dialog move the mouse over snap points to produce a snap point.
# Left click in the snap point and this will pace an arrow to the selected postion will open a FCF creation dialog.
# Left click again on the screen to starting entering FCF information.
# Enter FCF Information:
## The first row contains the tolerance type.
## The second row constains the drop-downs and textbox for the dimension type, tolerance values, and material conditions.
## The final row constain a maximum of three datum positions that can be selected based on created datum labels.
#Once finished, press Enter to place the FCF onto the page.

Note: You may delete the row by clicking the garbage can in the top right corner of the row.

[[File:Creating Single Row.gif | 800 px]]

=== Multiple Rows ===

Multiple independent FCF rows can be added to the digram by clicking the "Add Row" button in the FCF creation dialog.
A new row will appear at the bottom of the dialog creation and can be filled out similar to a single in the previous step.

When the user accepts all changes, the FCF diagram will be drawnn with multiple rows.

[[File:GDT Multiple rows.gif | 1200px]]

=== Composite Rows ===

A composite row has multiple FCF rows that are related based a group tolerance type, all other FCF feature can be unique. Composite rows can be added by selecting "Add Row" at the bottom left of the Composite Group Section. A new row will appear within the Composite Group Section, information can be added similar to other FCF features except only a single tolerance type is selected.

Note: FCF frames can contain any combination of single rows or composite rows and rows can be reorder by dragging and dropping. 

[[File:GDT_CompositeRow.gif | 1200px]]

==Symbols==

The Standard Geometric Dimensioning and Tolerance symbols used in manufactoring industry are supported.

For further information on GD&T symbols please review [https://docs.techsoft3d.com/hps/2024/prog_guide/appendix_gdt.html]

Release Notes

2025-10-06T16:13:19Z

Cduffney:

'''Protocase Designer 7.2.7 - October 06, 2025'''

Features and Improvements in the latest version of Designer:

<ul id="releaseNotes">
<li>NEW Dimensioned Drawings with GD&T</li>
<li>Improved rendering of operations preview shape.</li>
<li>Improved lighting in 3D editor for some MacOS versions.</li>
<li>Bug fix for rounding errors in template dialog text fields</li>
<li>Fixed an issue where silkscreen & digital print warning was triggering with only one graphics type present.</li>
</ul>

For more information on desiging CNC Machined Parts with Protocase Designer, click [[https://www.protocasedesigner.com/wiki/index.php?title=CNC_Machined_Parts'''here''']]

Note: We recommend you update your version of Protocase Designer to the latest version, to ensure the smoothest experience possible. If you order using a version of Protocase Designer that's older than Protocase Designer 5.0, you will be charged a $70 setup fee, instead of the typical $40 setup fee.

 
[[Knowledgebase_-_Known_Issues|'''View Known Issues''']]
 

=====Archival Release Notes=====
*[[Protocase Designer Version 7.1.2 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 7.1.2 Release Notes-July 02, 2025''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 7.0.44 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 7.0.44 Release Notes-May 29, 2025''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 7.0.36 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 7.0.36 Release Notes-March 31, 2025''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 7.0.31 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 7.0.31 Release Notes-March 03, 2025''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 7.0.29 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 7.0.29 Release Notes-February 05, 2025''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 7.0.20 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 7.0.20 Release Notes-December 03, 2024''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 7.0.16 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 7.0.16 Release Notes-November 18, 2024''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 7.0.14 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 7.0.14 Release Notes-November 07, 2024''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 7.0.11 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 7.0.11 Release Notes-October 21, 2024''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 7.0.8 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 7.0.8 Release Notes-September 25, 2024''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 7.0.0 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 7.0.0 Release Notes-August 27, 2024''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 6.1.47.1 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 6.1.47.1 Release Notes-June 27, 2024''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 6.1.47 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 6.1.47 Release Notes-April 30, 2024''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 6.1.38 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 6.1.38 Release Notes-March 20, 2024''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 6.1.35 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 6.1.35 Release Notes-January 29, 2024''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 6.1.33 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 6.1.33 Release Notes-January 09, 2024''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 6.1.31 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 6.1.31 Release Notes-December 14, 2023''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 6.1.26 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 6.1.26 Release Notes-Nov 13, 2023''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 6.1.18 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 6.1.18 Release Notes-Oct 12, 2023''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 6.1.15 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 6.1.15 Release Notes-Sep 26, 2023''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 6.1.6 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 6.1.6 Release Notes-Aug 21, 2023''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 6.1.04 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 6.1.04 Release Notes-Aug 4, 2023''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 6.0.67 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 6.0.67 Release Notes-May 23, 2023''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 6.0.66 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 6.0.66 Release Notes-May 10, 2023''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 6.0.64 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 6.0.64 Release Notes-May 01, 2023''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 6.0.59 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 6.0.59 Release Notes-April 5, 2023''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 6.0.54 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 6.0.54 Release Notes-March 16, 2023''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 6.0.52 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 6.0.52 Release Notes-March 09, 2023''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 6.0.51 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 6.0.51 Release Notes-February 21, 2023''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 6.0.48 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 6.0.48 Release Notes-January 31, 2023''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 6.0.41 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 6.0.41 Release Notes-December 14, 2022''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 6.0.38 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 6.0.38 Release Notes-November 22, 2022''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 6.0.36 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 6.0.36 Release Notes-November 14, 22''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 6.0.27.1 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 6.0.27.1 Release Notes-November 03, 22''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 6.0.27 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 6.0.27 Release Notes-September 16, 22''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 6.0.22 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 6.0.22 Release Notes-August 4,22''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 6.0.19 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 6.0.19 Release Notes-July 20,22''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 6.0.13 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 6.0.13 Release Notes-June 15,22''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 6.0.6 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 6.0.6 Release Notes-May 09,22''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 5.8.0.4 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 5.8.0.4 Release Notes-Nov 12,21''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 5.8.0.3 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 5.8.0.3 Release Notes-Nov 10,21''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 5.8.0.2 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 5.8.0.2 Release Notes-Oct 7,21''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 5.7.0 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 5.7.0 Release Notes-Sept 16,21''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 5.6.6 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 5.6.6 Release Notes-July 07,21''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 5.4.8 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 5.4.8 Release Notes-February 12,21''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 5.3.38 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 5.3.28 Release Notes-December 06,20''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 5.3.21 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 5.3.21 Release Notes-November 04,20''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 5.3.12 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 5.3.12 Release Notes-October 13,20''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 5.2.5 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 5.2.5 Release Notes-August 11,20''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 5.1.0 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 5.1.0 Release Notes-June 23,20''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 5.0.6 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 5.0.6 Release Notes-May 25,20''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 4.9.7.2 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 4.9.7.2 Release Notes-January 02,20''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 4.8.11 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 4.8.11 Release Notes-January 02,20''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 4.8.9 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 4.8.9 Release Notes-December 12,19''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 4.8.8 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 4.8.8 Release Notes-November 14,19''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 4.8.7 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 4.8.7 Release Notes-September 22,19''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 4.8.6 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 4.8.6 Release Notes-July 30,19''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 4.8.5 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 4.8.5 Release Notes-May 29,19''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 4.7 Release Notes-|'''Protocase Designer Version 4.7 Release Notes-Aug 30,17''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 4.6.8 Release Notes-Aug 30,17|'''Protocase Designer Version 4.6.8 Release Notes-Aug 30,17''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 4.5 Release Notes|'''Protocase Designer Version 4.5 Release Notes''' (February 2016)]] 
*[[Release Notes for BETA Version 4.5.3-Feb13_17|'''Release Notes for BETA Version 4.5.3-Feb13,17''']]
*[[Release Notes for BETA Version 4.5.3-Jan30_17|'''Release Notes for BETA Version 4.5.3-Jan30,17''']]
*[[Release Notes for BETA Version 4.5.3-Oct04|'''Release Notes for BETA Version 4.5.3-Oct04,16''']]
*[[Release Notes for BETA Version 4.5.3-Jun09|'''Release Notes for BETA Version 4.5.3-Jun09,16''']]
*[[Protocase Designer Version 4.3.3 Release Notes|Protocase Designer Release Notes for Versions 4.4.3 & 4.4.8]]

Dimension Drawings

2025-10-06T15:37:57Z

Cduffney:

As of version 7.2.7, you can now create fully dimensioned drawings of your design, and store them directly within your PDA file or export them to PDF format!

If you encounter any issues, or would like to provide any feed please send us an email at designersupport@protocase.com

=Getting Started=
To get started with dimension drawings, just open an enclosure and click the Drawing button on the main toolbar, under the File tab.

[[File:dimensionDrawingsButtonToolbar.png|800px]]

=Dimensioned Views Creator Dialog=
Once you click Create Drawing it will take a moment to generate views for your design, and the following dialog will open:

[[File:dimensionViewsCreatorDialog.png|1200px]]

By default, the initial page Designer will generate will be for the full assembly with all view orientations, including isometric.

In addition to the assembly page, it will create a page for each part in your design, with all view orientations.

==Changing Page Size & Scale==
The page size and scale can be changed using the options in the toolbar.

For page sizing, it comes with all of the common page sizes pre-defined, you just need to select the one you want from the drop down menu.

For page scale, just enter your preferred scale into the text box and hit enter. Note, page scale must be a whole number. Decimal values will not work

[[File:pageSize.png]]

==Changing Font Size==
To modify the font size of text in your page, select a size from the drop-down menu located in the toolbar.

[[File:fontSize.png]]

Note: When modifying font size for your page, it will effect all text objects within the page, except for the title block data. This includes:
* Text Notes
* Callouts
* Dimension Lines
* Datum Frames
* Any GD&T features.

==Toolbar Modes==
The toolbar contains toggle buttons for changing the mode of the current page editor. These are used for adding features into your drawing, or moving your views around. They include:
* Move Mode
* Dimension Mode
* Text Mode
* Callout Mode
* GD&T Mode
* Datum Mode

[[File:toolbarModes.png]]

===Move Mode===
This is the default mode of the editors. To move your views or other features around your page, select the "Move" toggle button, and then left click and drag your object within the page. At any point, pressing the Escape key will reset your mode back to Move.

Tip: to move multiple items at once, select all objects you want to move (using window-select or shift + left-click) and hold shift, then left click and drag in the page to move all selected objects at once while keeping their positions relative to one another.

[[File:moveItem.gif | 500px]]

===Dimension Mode===
The Dimension mode lets you display the distance between any two points on your views.

#On the toolbar, select the "Dimension" toggle button.
#Click the first endpoint of the distance you wish to measure, then move the cursor.
#:As you begin to move the cursor, the distance between the endpoint and the cursor position is displayed.
#:When the cursor is near an object, it snaps to the important points of the object (its center, or one of the compass points on its outline), a green circle is drawn around the snap-to point, indicating it is a valid point of selection.
#Click the second endpoint of the distance you wish to measure.
#:A second line parallel to the first line is drawn, and the distance between the lines is displayed.
#Next, move your cursor to position the dimension line to your desired location, and click again to place your lines into the face.
#Finally, move your cursor to position the text within the dimension line, and click again to place your text into the face.
#:At any point you can move your dimension line after it has been placed by selecting it and dragging your mouse while in Move mode.

[[File:dimensionMode.gif | 1200px]]

===Text Mode===
The text mode can be used to add notes to your drawing.
#To enter text mode, select "Add Text" toggle button from the toolbar.
#Left click in the page where you'd like the note to be placed.
#Start typing, and you should start to see your note being drawn in the page.
#Once finished, press Enter to place the note into the page.
#To edit your text after it's been placed, simply double click it while in Move Mode to open the edit dialog.

To add a single note on multiple lines, you can press Shift + Enter while typing to start the new line.

[[File:addingText.gif | 800px]]

===Callout Mode===
A call out is similar to a text note, with the addition of a leader arrow pointing to a feature in your drawing.
#To enter call out mode, select the "Callout" button from the toolbar.
#Select one of the snap points over the feature you're looking to call out by left clicking.
#An arrow leader will now follow your cursor, pointing to the initial snap point.
#Left-click in the page where you want your call out positioned.
#Enter the text for your call out
#Press OK.

To edit the text of your callout, double click on the text while in move mode to open the edit text dialog.

[[File:addingCallouts.gif | 800px]]

===Showing Hidden Lines===
The "Show Hidden Lines" toggle, allows you to toggle the visibility of the hidden lines for the selected views wireframe.

Select a view, or multiple views - and click the Show Hidden Lines checkbox to toggle their visibility.

[[File:showHiddenLines.gif | 600px]]

===Wireframe Toggle===
The wireframe checkbox allows you to toggle between a wireframe or a filled view for your selected view(s).

[[File:wireframeToggle.gif | 600px]]

==Adding New Views==
To add a new view to your page, do the following:
#Click File from the top menu.
#Click New
#Click View from the sub menu.
#Select which view(s) you'd like to add into the page.
#Click OK, and each selected view will be generated and added to your page.

[[File:AddingNewViews.gif|1200px]]

==Adding New Pages==
To add a new page to your drawing, do the following:
#Click File from the top menu.
#Click New
#Click Page from the sub menu.
#Select which part, or full assembly you want to generate views for to add into the page.
#Click OK, and each view orientation will be generated for the chosen part and added to the page.

[[File:AddingNewPage.gif|1200px]]

==Title Blocks==
The title block is the section along the lower right corner of the page which contains key information about your drawing, including:
* Software Version the drawing was created with.
* The authors name
* File name
* Finish of the part
* Part Name & Part Number
* Material of the part
* Page Scale
* Page Number

[[File:titleBlock.png|600px]]

Designer will generate default values for all these sections based on your design when you create your drawing - however they're all easily editable.

To edit the title block data, do the following:
#Click the Edit menu along the top of the dialog
#Select "Edit Title Blocks"
#Update the fields with your desired values.
#Click OK.

[[File:editingTitleBlockData.gif|1000px]]

==Page Zones==
The page zones act as a grid system. dividing your pages into labeled areas. Their purpose is to make it easier to locate and reference specific features, notes, or revisions on the drawing.

These are auto-generated when you create a page, but you can edit them afterwards.

#Click the Edit file menu
#Click Edit Page Zones
#Choose your desired number of horizontal zones.
#Choose your desired number of vertical zones.
#Click Save to update your page zones.

[[File:editPageZones.gif|1000px]]

==Saving Your Drawing==
You can save your drawing directly into your PDA file by doing the following:
#Navigate to the File menu
#Click "Save Views to PDA"

[[File:saveViewsToPda.png]]

Now the next time you open your design, you can re-open your existing drawing by clicking the same "Drawing" button from the toolbar menu in the 3D editor.

Tip: If you've modified your design since last saving your drawings into your PDA file, the next time you open the dimension drawings editor, you'll see the following dialog asking if you'd like to re-generate the views.

If you don't want to re-generate everything from scratch, you can choose No and simply add a new view for specific parts by using the Add Views or Add Page features.

[[File:changesDetected.png]]

==Creating PDF Drawing==
To export your drawing to PDF:
#Navigate to the File menu
#Click Create PDF
#:[[File:createPdf.png]]
#A file browser dialog will open, enter a file name and select a destination to save your file to.
#Once the PDF is created, you'll see a banner along the bottom with an Open button to view your PDF.
#:[[File:generatingPdf.gif | 900px]]

=Geometric Dimensioning & Tolerancing (GD&T)=

In Geometric Dimensioning and Tolerancing (GD&T), a standardized system is used to define and communicate engineering tolerances and part geometry. GD&T uses a symbolic language to precisely describe the size, shape, orientation, and position of features on a part. This allows engineers, machinists, and inspectors to understand how a component should be manufactured and how it will fit or function within an assembly.

Protocase Designer GD&T viewing and editing dialogues are accessible via toggle buttons at the top of drawings page.

==Datums==

A datum is a theoretical reference point, line, or surface on a part that serves as the origin for measurement and manufacturing. It acts as a frame of reference against which other features are defined and inspected, ensuring consistency in how parts fit and function together. Datums are usually selected from important functional surfaces or features, such as a flat face, a hole, or an axis, and are labeled with capital letters (A, B, C, etc.).

===Creating===

Datum mode can be activated by selecting the datum toggle button from the toolbar.

# To enter Datum mode, select "Datum" toggle button from the toolbar, it will be highlighted after selection.
# Moving the mouse to over over key features in your design a small circle with appear known as a snap point.
# Left click in the snap point and this will pace an arrow to the selected postion of the datum label.
# Left click again to place the datum label and start entering text.
#Start typing, and you should start to see your text being drawn in the dialog box.
#Once finished, press Enter to place the text onto the page.

[[File:Creating Datums Dialog.gif | 900px]]

===Moving and Editing ===

# To edit your text after it's been placed, simply double click it while in Move Mode to open the edit dialog.
# When you edit the text in the datum all datum references with that label will be updated on that design page.

# To move label, simply hover over the text label and the cursor will change to demonstrate the ability to move the label.
# Left click on the label and drag to the new preferred location.

You can move multiple datum labels at the same time by selecting them with the shift button held down. With the shift button down drag the mouse to a new location.

===Deleting===

You can delete datums by either selecting the datum label and pressing delete on the keyboard.
Alternatively, you can select the datum label and right-click and select delete from the drop-down box.

[[File:Deleting_Datum.gif | 900px ]]

===Other Operations===

When you right-click on a single selected datum you have other operation options to copy the datum, paste, or rotate the text 90 degrees.
Coping and pasting datums will reference the same feature point with a new label with the same text.

If you right-click a datum after selecting multiple datums operations to positional align or distribute the positions of the labels.

==Feature Control Frames==

=== Getting Start ===

A Feature Control Frame (FCF) is the core communication tool used in Geometric Dimensioning and Tolerancing to define the specific geometric requirements of a feature on a part. It provides a standardized, symbolic way to describe how much variation in form, orientation, location, or profile is acceptable. Feature Control Frame's group together multiple pieces of communication about material, position, and datums.

=== Creating Feature Controls Frames ===

Feature Control Frames have slight differences in the methods they are communicated within design.

In Protocase Designer, feature control frames are grouped as either single rows, multiple rows, or a composite which shares properties between rows.

==== Core Features ====

Each feature control frame is composed of a series of common compartments that specify:

* Tolerance Type are geometric characteristic symbols indicated by common standard symbols (e.g., flatness, position, parallelism).

* The Dimension Type or Geometry Prefix Symbols (eg. (R) - Radius, (SR) - Spherical Radius, (S) - Sphere )

* Tolerance values the numerical values that define the measured tolerance allowed within the design.

* Material condition modifiers (e.g., MMC, LMC).

[[File:GDT Modifiers.gif | 600px]]

* The datum references are the current datums created on the diagrams.

[[File:GDT Dialog Datums.gif | 600px]]

See the final section on symbols for a full list of symbols and descriptions.

=== Single Rows ===

=== Multi Rows ===

=== Composite Rows ===

==Symbols==

The Standard Geometric Dimensioning and Tolerance symbols used in manufactoring industry are supported.

For further information on GD&T symbols please review [https://docs.techsoft3d.com/hps/2024/prog_guide/appendix_gdt.html]

Dimension Drawings

2025-10-06T15:32:53Z

Cduffney:

As of version 7.2.7, you can now create fully dimensioned drawings of your design, and store them directly within your PDA file or export them to PDF format!

=Getting Started=
To get started with dimension drawings, just open an enclosure and click the Drawing button on the main toolbar, under the File tab.

[[File:dimensionDrawingsButtonToolbar.png|800px]]

=Dimensioned Views Creator Dialog=
Once you click Create Drawing it will take a moment to generate views for your design, and the following dialog will open:

[[File:dimensionViewsCreatorDialog.png|1200px]]

By default, the initial page Designer will generate will be for the full assembly with all view orientations, including isometric.

In addition to the assembly page, it will create a page for each part in your design, with all view orientations.

==Changing Page Size & Scale==
The page size and scale can be changed using the options in the toolbar.

For page sizing, it comes with all of the common page sizes pre-defined, you just need to select the one you want from the drop down menu.

For page scale, just enter your preferred scale into the text box and hit enter. Note, page scale must be a whole number. Decimal values will not work

[[File:pageSize.png]]

==Changing Font Size==
To modify the font size of text in your page, select a size from the drop-down menu located in the toolbar.

[[File:fontSize.png]]

Note: When modifying font size for your page, it will effect all text objects within the page, except for the title block data. This includes:
* Text Notes
* Callouts
* Dimension Lines
* Datum Frames
* Any GD&T features.

==Toolbar Modes==
The toolbar contains toggle buttons for changing the mode of the current page editor. These are used for adding features into your drawing, or moving your views around. They include:
* Move Mode
* Dimension Mode
* Text Mode
* Callout Mode
* GD&T Mode
* Datum Mode

[[File:toolbarModes.png]]

===Move Mode===
This is the default mode of the editors. To move your views or other features around your page, select the "Move" toggle button, and then left click and drag your object within the page. At any point, pressing the Escape key will reset your mode back to Move.

Tip: to move multiple items at once, select all objects you want to move (using window-select or shift + left-click) and hold shift, then left click and drag in the page to move all selected objects at once while keeping their positions relative to one another.

[[File:moveItem.gif | 500px]]

===Dimension Mode===
The Dimension mode lets you display the distance between any two points on your views.

#On the toolbar, select the "Dimension" toggle button.
#Click the first endpoint of the distance you wish to measure, then move the cursor.
#:As you begin to move the cursor, the distance between the endpoint and the cursor position is displayed.
#:When the cursor is near an object, it snaps to the important points of the object (its center, or one of the compass points on its outline), a green circle is drawn around the snap-to point, indicating it is a valid point of selection.
#Click the second endpoint of the distance you wish to measure.
#:A second line parallel to the first line is drawn, and the distance between the lines is displayed.
#Next, move your cursor to position the dimension line to your desired location, and click again to place your lines into the face.
#Finally, move your cursor to position the text within the dimension line, and click again to place your text into the face.
#:At any point you can move your dimension line after it has been placed by selecting it and dragging your mouse while in Move mode.

[[File:dimensionMode.gif | 1200px]]

===Text Mode===
The text mode can be used to add notes to your drawing.
#To enter text mode, select "Add Text" toggle button from the toolbar.
#Left click in the page where you'd like the note to be placed.
#Start typing, and you should start to see your note being drawn in the page.
#Once finished, press Enter to place the note into the page.
#To edit your text after it's been placed, simply double click it while in Move Mode to open the edit dialog.

To add a single note on multiple lines, you can press Shift + Enter while typing to start the new line.

[[File:addingText.gif | 800px]]

===Callout Mode===
A call out is similar to a text note, with the addition of a leader arrow pointing to a feature in your drawing.
#To enter call out mode, select the "Callout" button from the toolbar.
#Select one of the snap points over the feature you're looking to call out by left clicking.
#An arrow leader will now follow your cursor, pointing to the initial snap point.
#Left-click in the page where you want your call out positioned.
#Enter the text for your call out
#Press OK.

To edit the text of your callout, double click on the text while in move mode to open the edit text dialog.

[[File:addingCallouts.gif | 800px]]

===Showing Hidden Lines===
The "Show Hidden Lines" toggle, allows you to toggle the visibility of the hidden lines for the selected views wireframe.

Select a view, or multiple views - and click the Show Hidden Lines checkbox to toggle their visibility.

[[File:showHiddenLines.gif | 600px]]

===Wireframe Toggle===
The wireframe checkbox allows you to toggle between a wireframe or a filled view for your selected view(s).

[[File:wireframeToggle.gif | 600px]]

==Adding New Views==
To add a new view to your page, do the following:
#Click File from the top menu.
#Click New
#Click View from the sub menu.
#Select which view(s) you'd like to add into the page.
#Click OK, and each selected view will be generated and added to your page.

[[File:AddingNewViews.gif|1200px]]

==Adding New Pages==
To add a new page to your drawing, do the following:
#Click File from the top menu.
#Click New
#Click Page from the sub menu.
#Select which part, or full assembly you want to generate views for to add into the page.
#Click OK, and each view orientation will be generated for the chosen part and added to the page.

[[File:AddingNewPage.gif|1200px]]

==Title Blocks==
The title block is the section along the lower right corner of the page which contains key information about your drawing, including:
* Software Version the drawing was created with.
* The authors name
* File name
* Finish of the part
* Part Name & Part Number
* Material of the part
* Page Scale
* Page Number

[[File:titleBlock.png|600px]]

Designer will generate default values for all these sections based on your design when you create your drawing - however they're all easily editable.

To edit the title block data, do the following:
#Click the Edit menu along the top of the dialog
#Select "Edit Title Blocks"
#Update the fields with your desired values.
#Click OK.

[[File:editingTitleBlockData.gif|1000px]]

==Page Zones==
The page zones act as a grid system. dividing your pages into labeled areas. Their purpose is to make it easier to locate and reference specific features, notes, or revisions on the drawing.

These are auto-generated when you create a page, but you can edit them afterwards.

#Click the Edit file menu
#Click Edit Page Zones
#Choose your desired number of horizontal zones.
#Choose your desired number of vertical zones.
#Click Save to update your page zones.

[[File:editPageZones.gif|1000px]]

==Saving Your Drawing==
You can save your drawing directly into your PDA file by doing the following:
#Navigate to the File menu
#Click "Save Views to PDA"

[[File:saveViewsToPda.png]]

Now the next time you open your design, you can re-open your existing drawing by clicking the same "Drawing" button from the toolbar menu in the 3D editor.

Tip: If you've modified your design since last saving your drawings into your PDA file, the next time you open the dimension drawings editor, you'll see the following dialog asking if you'd like to re-generate the views.

If you don't want to re-generate everything from scratch, you can choose No and simply add a new view for specific parts by using the Add Views or Add Page features.

[[File:changesDetected.png]]

==Creating PDF Drawing==
To export your drawing to PDF:
#Navigate to the File menu
#Click Create PDF
#:[[File:createPdf.png]]
#A file browser dialog will open, enter a file name and select a destination to save your file to.
#Once the PDF is created, you'll see a banner along the bottom with an Open button to view your PDF.
#:[[File:generatingPdf.gif | 900px]]

=Geometric Dimensioning & Tolerancing (GD&T)=

In Geometric Dimensioning and Tolerancing (GD&T), a standardized system is used to define and communicate engineering tolerances and part geometry. GD&T uses a symbolic language to precisely describe the size, shape, orientation, and position of features on a part. This allows engineers, machinists, and inspectors to understand how a component should be manufactured and how it will fit or function within an assembly.

Protocase Designer GD&T viewing and editing dialogues are accessible via toggle buttons at the top of drawings page.

==Datums==

A datum is a theoretical reference point, line, or surface on a part that serves as the origin for measurement and manufacturing. It acts as a frame of reference against which other features are defined and inspected, ensuring consistency in how parts fit and function together. Datums are usually selected from important functional surfaces or features, such as a flat face, a hole, or an axis, and are labeled with capital letters (A, B, C, etc.).

===Creating===

Datum mode can be activated by selecting the datum toggle button from the toolbar.

# To enter Datum mode, select "Datum" toggle button from the toolbar, it will be highlighted after selection.
# Moving the mouse to over over key features in your design a small circle with appear known as a snap point.
# Left click in the snap point and this will pace an arrow to the selected postion of the datum label.
# Left click again to place the datum label and start entering text.
#Start typing, and you should start to see your text being drawn in the dialog box.
#Once finished, press Enter to place the text onto the page.

[[File:Creating Datums Dialog.gif | 900px]]

===Moving and Editing ===

# To edit your text after it's been placed, simply double click it while in Move Mode to open the edit dialog.
# When you edit the text in the datum all datum references with that label will be updated on that design page.

# To move label, simply hover over the text label and the cursor will change to demonstrate the ability to move the label.
# Left click on the label and drag to the new preferred location.

You can move multiple datum labels at the same time by selecting them with the shift button held down. With the shift button down drag the mouse to a new location.

===Deleting===

You can delete datums by either selecting the datum label and pressing delete on the keyboard.
Alternatively, you can select the datum label and right-click and select delete from the drop-down box.

[[File:Deleting_Datum.gif | 900px ]]

===Other Operations===

When you right-click on a single selected datum you have other operation options to copy the datum, paste, or rotate the text 90 degrees.
Coping and pasting datums will reference the same feature point with a new label with the same text.

If you right-click a datum after selecting multiple datums operations to positional align or distribute the positions of the labels.

==Feature Control Frames==

=== Getting Start ===

A Feature Control Frame (FCF) is the core communication tool used in Geometric Dimensioning and Tolerancing to define the specific geometric requirements of a feature on a part. It provides a standardized, symbolic way to describe how much variation in form, orientation, location, or profile is acceptable. Feature Control Frame's group together multiple pieces of communication about material, position, and datums.

=== Creating Feature Controls Frames ===

Feature Control Frames have slight differences in the methods they are communicated within design.

In Protocase Designer, feature control frames are grouped as either single rows, multiple rows, or a composite which shares properties between rows.

==== Core Features ====

Each feature control frame is composed of a series of common compartments that specify:

* Tolerance Type are geometric characteristic symbols indicated by common standard symbols (e.g., flatness, position, parallelism).

* The Dimension Type or Geometry Prefix Symbols (eg. (R) - Radius, (SR) - Spherical Radius, (S) - Sphere )

* Tolerance values the numerical values that define the measured tolerance allowed within the design.

* Material condition modifiers (e.g., MMC, LMC).

[[File:GDT Modifiers.gif | 600px]]

* The datum references are the current datums created on the diagrams.

[[File:GDT Dialog Datums.gif | 600px]]

See the final section on symbols for a full list of symbols and descriptions.

=== Single Rows ===

=== Multi Rows ===

=== Composite Rows ===

==Symbols==

The Standard Geometric Dimensioning and Tolerance symbols used in manufactoring industry are supported.

For further information on GD&T symbols please review [https://docs.techsoft3d.com/hps/2024/prog_guide/appendix_gdt.html]