Over the past few weeks we have written about the integration of AutoCAD WS into AutoCAD. The AutoCAD WS plugin is already available for AutoCAD 2011 here and it will soon be available for AutoCAD 2010 and the range of vertical products. We know that many of our users are working with AutoCAD verticals and so this post is aimed at you.

Let’s have a look at the following verticals:

• AutoCAD Architecture
• AutoCAD Mechanical
• AutoCAD Civil 3D
• AutoCAD Map 3D

In each instance, the AutoCAD plugins for 2010 and 2011 can be installed to work with each of these vertical products enabling you to upload DWG and DXF files to AutoCAD WS and share them online and to view them on your mobile device.

What about objects that were created in an Autocad vertical?

Each of the vertical versions of AutoCAD enables users to work with specific objects that have their own rules and properties. Within AutoCAD WS, these objects will appear exactly as if they had been opened within AutoCAD. In most cases AutoCAD WS will not allow you to interact with the objects that have been created in the vertical product. You will still be able to delete such an object, but you may not be able to edit it.

Architecture/Mechanical

Many users are already using the plugin with these verticals. AutoCAD WS for web already fully supports the use of imperial measures (feet and inches).

This is something I’m curious about. Why not let us know in the comments whether you use imperial or metric measures in your work.

Civil 3D

At the moment AutoCAD WS works only with 2D drawings so you need to make some slight adjustments when uploading your work from AutoCAD Civil 3D.

Our colleague Dana Probert, wrote an excellent blog on the subject here: http://bimontherocks.typepad.com/my_weblog/2010/10/can-you-use-autocad-ws-with-civil-3d.html.

One of the key takeaways here for uploading your Civil 3D files to AutoCAD WS is to save your drawings first with PROXYGRAPHICS set to 1, but you should really read the whole article.

Map 3D

If you’re working with AutoCAD Map 3D you should save your drawing as a DWG or DXF file before uploading it to AutoCAD WS if you want to work with it online. You can upload MDB files, but AutoCAD WS will not be able to open them either online or using a mobile device.

One of the coolest features in AutoCAD WS for web is the Google Maps overlay that you can now apply to your drawings. Working with Google Maps allows you to place your designs in context and see exactly how each potential construction fits into the real world. It also looks fantastic!

Your Stories

That’s a few tips from us, but now we’d like to hear from you. Let us know which of the AutoCAD verticals you use and how you plan to work with AutoCAD WS. Leave us a note in the comments or write to us at feedback@autocadws.com. We’ll turn the best stories into a blog post all of their own.