Get Plugged In – The AutoCAD WS Plugin
Since its launch, tens of thousands of you are already using the AutoCAD WS site (www.autocadws.com) to upload files and make them available via the web or your mobile device. In addition, many thousands more have already taken the opportunity to download and install the app for the iPhone and iPad directly from the iTunes store. The number of files that is being uploaded on a daily basis through the website has exceeded all our projections and we have been working round the clock to maintain our ability to meet this huge demand.
But there is one more way to upload your drawings and make them accessible from your iPhone or iPad that we have yet to explore fully and I want to tell you about it now. If you already have a copy of AutoCAD 2011 or AutoCAD LT 2011, you can download a free AutoCAD WS plugin that turns your existing software into a web-uploading monster! Simply navigate over to www.autocadws.com/downloads and select the plugin version you need to install it.
Once you have the plugin installed you will notice one major difference to the AutoCAD interface. Added to the existing tabs is a new Online tab which looks like this:
From here you can access everything you need to get all your files up on the net.
At the far left you have the Upload button. When you’re ready to make your work accessible on the web, just click upload. If you haven’t already created your AutoCAD WS account, this is the perfect time to do so. As you finish opening the account, your drawing will have finished uploading. Once you upload a file to the web it gets automatically updated with any changes you make to the original file on your computer. This Auto-Sync feature is triggered as soon as you upload a file, but it can be easily disabled by unclicking the Upload button whenever you have the drawing open.
Benefits:
- The Auto-sync function means you never have to worry about working on the most up-to-date version (and the Timeline feature means you can always revisit earlier iterations).
Manage Uploads will let you look at all the files you have uploaded and check their status, while Upload More Files is the simplest way to bulk upload the files you want to make available. There is no limit to the amount of files you can upload in this way and we guarantee that any files you upload will be accessible for free in perpetuity.
Benefits:
- One place to view the status of all your uploads
- Toggle the auto-upload of all your files from here
- Bulk upload multiple files
- In addition to DWG and DXF files, you can use AutoCAD to upload and store PDF files and any Microsoft Office files for download somewhere else.
Once your drawings have been uploaded, you can choose exactly with whom you want to share them. The Share Drawing button lets you identify friends and colleagues by their email address and give them the chance to collaborate with you on the same file. You can establish different permissions per user from read-only to download to full editing capability. Every time you are working on the file after that, you will be able to see clearly which of your collaborators is online and working on the same file.
Benefits:
- Don’t clog up your email sending and receiving files
- Easily manage Sharing permissions
Finally, the Get Link button gives you the ability to make any of your files available publicly . You can generate a link which can be published to sent to any number of recipients. Anyone clicking on the link will be able to interact with the file based on the permissions you selected. This is a perfect way to share your designs with the world and watch as they take on a life of their own in the hands of others.
Benefits:
- Instantly generate a link for use in a blog or distribution via social media
- Control permissions for anyone clicking on the link
We have been overwhelmed by the response to last week's launch of the AutoCAD WS mobile app for the iPhone and the iPad. You can get the app now by going to the 
First up, the Product Manager of AutoCAD WS, Iris Shoor. Iris was the originator of Project Butterfly which evolved into AutoCAD WS. She was the first with the vision to take a great product like AutoCAD and make it work on the web and on mobile devices. Iris is the key decision maker when it comes to determining which features will make it into the next version AutoCAD WS. So, Android-lovers, if you're serious about bringing AutoCAD WS to your platform, Iris is the one you need to be nice to! You can appeal to her directly here: 
Niv Steingarten has been working on AutoCAD WS longer than any other developer. Niv is a veteran of late nights and early starts and he understands as much as anybody the huge effort that has gone into getting this release ready. As the project evolved and it became clear that the initial target for release was to be the iPhone and iPad, Niv was the one responsible for porting the project onto Apple's iOS. If you have any questions about the development of AutoCAD WS, why not write to Niv directly at 
Shani is our queen of QA. While we're sure that AutoCAD WS had no more than its fair share of development hiccups, it was Shani that made sure that we identified as many issues as possible and eliminated each one prior to launch. As we strive to improve the product with each future release, Shani's experience will continue to be extremely valuable to the project. You can write to Shani here: 
