in this issue
Apple Hosts Webcast on DWGs on the MAC
Every once in a while, you hear MAC users talk wistfully
about using AutoCAD on their Apple PC. Apple will be
hosting a webcast to teach users about some of the
options available to them...none of them Autodesk-
related.
DWG files are industry-standard, and software tools on
the Mac can help you manage and manipulate them
easier and more powerfully than ever. See how
ArchiCAD, eDrawings and VectorWorks allow you to
view, edit and manipulate DWG files on the Mac.
I believe it has been more than ten years since
AutoCAD had a version of AutoCAD that ran on the
MAC and I don't think MAC users should hold their
breath waiting for an updated version. If you are a
MAC user, it may be worth your time to register for this
webinar and see what's available for you.
Learn more...
Quick Links...
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Greetings!
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eDrawings....eek!
A fellow emailed me because he had purchased
eDrawings from a firm called Geometric Software. He
had failed to read the fine print which was that the
purchase price was really an annual subscription of
$295. He was surprised to learn that his license to use
the software would expire if he failed to renew.
I asked John McEleney, the CEO for SolidWorks, to
clarify the software terms for SolidWorks users who are
using the eDrawings viewer. He tells me that the
viewer, which basically allows you to open and view
dwg files, is free and continues to be free. If you are a
SolidWorks subscriber, you get three free seats of
DWGEditor, which is a version of IntelliCAD. However,
you do have to keep your SolidWorks subscription up to
date.
Now, you can also get ProgeCAD LT for FREE, which
allows you to open, edit, print, etc. AutoCAD drawings
and that license will not expire and does not need to be
renewed. However, I have found the ProgeCAD is not
as stable as CADopia's IntelliCAD. A seat of IntelliCAD
runs about $250...the same as eDrawings from
Geometric Software. The catch is that you don't have
to pay a yearly fee for the CADopia software....pay
$250 once and you are good until you want to upgrade.
So, as always, it is caveat emptor - let the buyer
beware. Before you buy, consider what you are buying
and why you are buying it. If you aren't sure, ask the
vendor.
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AutoCAD 2007's Slower Performance
I recall when AutoCAD 2005 was released...Lynn Allen
timed how long it took to open a drawing in 2004 and
how long it took to open a drawing n 2005. 2005 won
hands-down thanks to the new compressed file format
introduced in 2005.
This was in response to a common user complaint...how
long it took just to get started to work in AutoCAD.
So, users who work primarily in 2D are going to have
fits when they try to work in 2007. The new 3D
capabilities mean that AutoCAD has a lot more baggage
it has to carry. Switching from model space to a
layout took me more than 2 minutes....and this was in
a new drawing with nothing in it.
To combat the slowness, Autodesk introduces a
Performance Tuner. This is a small icon in the lower
right corner of the screen (also available from the
Options dialog). Users will want to get warm and fuzzy
with this tool immediately after they launch AutoCAD. I
disabled everything...when I want to model in 3D, I use
my favorite 3D software - Inventor.
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Autodesk's SolidWorks Survey
If you are a Ralph Grabowski fan (and who isn't?), you
probably are a regular visitor to his WorldCAD Access
forum. There my name has been invoked while
discussing Autodesk's SolidWorks survey. Autodesk
asks SolidWorks users to beef about what they hate
most about their CAD software.
Several years ago (and yet it lives on in the memories
of 'deskers and SolidWorks aficianados), I hosted a
shoot-out between SolidWorks and Inventor. Inventor
won. Joe Dunne, a SolidWorks honcho, complains that
the shoot-out did not really put SolidWorks through it's
paces.
As I explained to Joe when we were discussing
SolidWork's participation, we had a limited amount of
time. If we had gone through everything on his list, it
would not have been a shoot-out. It would have been
a marathon. Heck, I only booked the room for a few
hours. Secondly, most users at that time were just
getting familiar with 3D modelling. If the demonstration
was overly complex, they would not have been able to
follow what was going on. I wanted to keep it simple,
basic, and clean, so the audience could follow what
was happening.
As it was, SolidWorks came really close. It fell apart
when it came time to take a simple 2D AutoCAD
drawing and bring it into SolidWorks. This remains a
problem for SolidWorks software. For users who have a
lot of AutoCAD legacy, this can be a sticky point. As
far as I know, the shoot-out that SVAPU hosted is the
only time a panel of independent judges (we selected
judges who worked in industry but had no knowledge of
Inventor OR SolidWorks) were able to observe the two
software products side by side doing exactly identical
jobs and see how long it took and what the results
were. Every attendee I spoke with declared it to be
a "fair fight", including the SolidWorks users who came,
and there were many.
Believe me I was nervous going into the shoot-out
because I had no idea what would happen and I took a
lot of heat from both sides for doing it. Would I do it
again? Sure...because I do think users have the right
to see for themselves what is the best product.
As for Autodesk's survey...I have no idea how many
SolidWorks users have actually participated. For all I
know, the participants are all Inventor users with a
grudge against SolidWorks. Most SolidWorks users I
speak with really like the software. However, even
they admit that they are at a disadvantage when they
have to work outside of SolidWorks and interact with
AutoCAD users.
Autodesk's SolidWorks Survey »
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