mobile app

Learning to Share with AutoCAD WS

Feb 06

One of the things we were most proud of when we launched AutoCAD WS was that the functionality we had included in the app might herald a new era of collaboration and sharing among CAD users. Until the arrival of AutoCAD WS, if you wanted to show your work to others, you had a number of options:

You could send the original file to people and then try to manage the different versions you got back with different markups.
You could save your drawing to another format, like PDF, and email that.
You could print out your drawing and deliver it via bicycle messenger.
Or, for a truly read-only experience, you could invite people to come and look at your computer screen!

AutoCAD WS is a great leap forward enabling you to share your work with anyone with an email address and a web browser.

But for many people, sharing is as much a matter of temperament as it is functionality. One customer of ours who works in construction told me that he loves the share functionality, but that no architect has ever let him see a soft copy of the plans. Not everyone wants to share.

For those of you having difficulty letting go, here is a recap of the permission types that are available in both the web and the mobile versions of AutoCAD WS.

Permissions

There are two types of permissions:

Edit
Download

This means there are four different combinations of permissions:

Edit and Download – Users can edit the drawing using AutoCAD WS and download it to work on it offline.
Edit but not Download – Users can edit the drawing online using AutoCAD WS but they cannot download the file from within the app.
Download but not Edit – Users cannot edit existing objects with AutoCAD WS. They can only add to and mark up the drawing. In addition, the drawing may be downloaded (including additions and markups) and edited offline.
Not Edit and not Download – Users cannot edit existing objects with AutoCAD WS. They can only add to and mark up the drawing. Users cannot download the drawing

Sharing

I hope this will give you the confidence you need to start sharing your work with others. It’s a great way to mark design milestones with clients and colleagues and it will help you collect feedback and achieve consensus.

Tell us about the last project you shared with AutoCAD WS either in the comments or on our Facebook page.

5 Ways AutoCAD WS Helps Improve Your Productivity

Jan 31

Let us never forget that AutoCAD WS is more than just a web and mobile app version of your favorite CAD software package. AutoCAD WS is also a key weapon in the battle for optimum personal productivity. So just to remind you here are five great ways that AutoCAD WS can save you time as you go about your every day work.

1. No more transporting files via disk on key

Once you upload your files to AutoCAD WS you can access them from any web browser anywhere in the world. If you have synched them on your smartphone or tablet, you can even view them in places where there is no internet connection.

2. No more transporting bulky printouts when you’re in the field

We have already heard from many users how AutoCAD WS has revolutionized their business trips. They are happier visiting a site with an iPad or Android tablet rather than trying to weigh down a set of paper plans with a couple of rocks.

3. No more version management headaches

With The AutoCAD WS Timeline you can revisit previous versions of your design and keep track of when comments were made and suggestions were implemented.

4. Reduce conference call nightmares

Next time you’re having a meeting with a remote office, share the designs in question with them first. Then during the call, you can see each other’s cursors as you navigate through the drawing and highlight the discussion points. You can also make AutoCAD WS the center of your presentation and we wrote about setting that up here.

5. Prevent work duplication when you come back from a site visit

Before AutoCAD WS, any notes that you took when you were out in the field would have to be painstakingly added to your design back in the office. Now when you make notes using AutoCAD WS, they are automatically synched with the original file so that you only have to do the work once.

I’m sure there are a whole set of additional advantages that you can come with to explain why AutoCAD WS works for you. Tell us about them in the comments here or on the Facebook page.

AutoCAD WS Celebrates the New Year and 4,000,000 Downloads!

Jan 01

New Year, New Milestone. We are currently celebrating 4,000,000 downloads of AutoCAD WS for iOS, Android and Mac.

We wanted to thank YOU, for being the best customers ever – Your suggestions, questions and other feedback had a huge contribution to the success of AutoCAD WS.

2011 was a busy year, both product and development wise – It started with adding support for 10 different languages and then the release of our version for Android devices which was a huge hit!. AutoCAD WS was also integrated into AutoCAD 2012 ribbon with the "Online Tab" and of course, we didn't forget our Mac users and provided them with a Mac version of AutoCAD WS. We joined to the Amazon family, added lots of editing and viewing features, reached to more than 80,000 fans on Facebook and made sure to have some fun on the way as well.

So… what can you expect for in 2012? The simple answer is – A lot! It's been a little over a year since AutoCAD WS was released and we grew up rapidly. We listened to your feedback and tried to make AutoCAD WS a smarter, more innovative, faster and useful tool for you.

We can promise you that 2012 will be even more interesting with more amazing features that will blow your mind

Thank you all again and a Happy New Year!

The AutoCAD WS Team.

Tip of the Week: Creating a Superb presentation with AutoCAD WS!

Dec 28

We all know the importance of a good presentation, whether it's a presentation for your clients, colleagues, or even for your boss. Moreover, the way you present things is critical to your presentation success.

This is where AutoCAD WS comes into the picture – more than just impressing your audience, it's an essential tool for a presentation.

No more bringing your drawing prints to the meeting, all you need is your mobile device and AutoCAD WS installed – That's it, you're done. From this point, everything is up to your designs.

With AutoCAD WS you don't need to worry if you forgot a specific plot, every drawing you need is right there in your AutoCAD WS account. Your audience has some comments or feedback on your design? No problem. While you're presenting your drawing, you can easily use the markup tools, add cloud revision or text, measure distance and areas and more.

With AutoCAD WS, presenting your drawings was never easier. Why wouldn't you try it yourself? If you have an iOS or Android device, you're half way there already.

What do you need?

iPhone or iPad:

iPhone 4, iPhone 4S, iPod 4th generation or iPad 2
Apple VGA Adapter - Click here to view
Projector or a TV with a VGA output (with a VGA Cable)

Android:

Android device with a micro-HDMI output: Motorola Xoom Tablet , Atrix 4G MB860 , Droid X MB810 , Droid X2 , Droid Bionic XT865 , Targa; LG Optimus 2X P990, Optimus Black , Optimus 3D P920 , LG Revolution , LG Thrill ; HTC EVO 4G , Desire HD2; Sony Experia Arc , Experia Neo (This is a partial list, we're sure there are more Android devices with micro-HDMI output and there will be more to come in the future)
Micro-HDMI to HDMI Cable – Click here to view
Projector or a TV with a HDMI output

What Now?

iPad / iPhone / iPod – After you connected the cable to your iOS device and set the TV or the Projector to work on VGA mode, you should see it working perfectly.
Android devices – Make sure that the HDMI output (under "Settings") is turned on and set up your TV or projector to "HDMI" mode.

That's it, enjoy your presentation.

Do you know other ways to present your designs in a meeting? Share your presentation stories with us.