AU - AutoCAD WS

. With the start of AU 2011 in Las Vegas this week, we are thrilled to be able to announce some of the features we are planning to include in the next release. As usual we have been paying close attention to the requests we receive every day from our users. You are the people that continue to shape AutoCAD WS and determine the directions the app takes. It's still too early to tell you the date of release, but here are some of the features you can expect to be hearing more about in the coming weeks:

3D Support

Now you can view and share the 3-dimensional objects in your DWGs using AutoCAD WS. I have been following the development of the 3D viewing function for some time and the touch control in the mobile version is wonderfully intuitive and responsive. This has been one of our most demanded features and it's going to have a big impact.

GPS Integration

Now you can use the in-built GPS functionality of your mobile device to position yourself physically inside your design when you are out visiting a site. This is another much-requested feature that makes AutoCAD WS an even more vital tool for engineers and architects who need to get out into the field and take their designs with them.

Plot to Print from Mobile

In conjunction with registering for HP ePrint & Share, a free online service, you can send your designs to any compatible HP ePrint printer. Now you can use your smartphone or tablet to plot from wherever you are. Additionally you can plot your design directly as a PDF and send it to your email.

With the flurry of interest that ‘s been generated by AU 2010 in Las Vegas, we thought it would be nice to give you a sneak peak at the new functionality that is coming with AutoCAD WS 1.1.

Here’s the quote from the full press release:

“AutoCAD WS has been overwhelmingly embraced by users,” said Amar Hanspal, senior vice president, Autodesk Platform Solutions and Emerging Business. “In just eight weeks, over 410,000 users have registered, 430,000 drawings have been uploaded and the mobile application has been downloaded from Apple’s App Store over 560,000 times. With the update to AutoCAD WS, we are directly responding to user feedback. We have added requested features, including the ability to access designs while offline. This will encourage even more designers to start using this free and groundbreaking product.”

Without question, the largest number of requests we have had since launching AutoCAD WS less than two months ago, has been for users to work with their drawings even when they are not connected to the internet. we are happy to announce that AutoCAD WS 1.1 will allow users to download their online drawings and save them locally to their iPad or iPhone for viewing and editing offline.

AutoCAD WS 1.1 will be available in the App Store very soon.

Check out the video we made showing off the new Offline function: