AutoCADder

Pretty short after the Service Pack 1 ("Update 1") for AutoCAD 2009, Autodesk has released a new SP - Service Pack 2.

SP2 ("Update 2" as Autodesk now calls it) contains all fixes from SP1 and adds new in the areas of speed (fixes slow open of some DWGs), render (out-of-memory), dynamic blocks and others.

What's confusing is the naming scheme - not only there is a mix of "Service Pack" and "Update" names in the patch and its documentation. When you display the patch level in the ABOUT command, AutoCAD reports "AutoCAD 2009 - Version 3" (for the SP2 applied). Clear like mud.

SP2 also seems to break the Subscription Bonus Pack functionality added after SP1. There will be probably a new version of the Bonus Pack for AutoCAD 2009.

Labels: AutoCAD 2009, SP2, Update 2

The first Service Pack for AutoCAD 2009 and AutoCAD LT 2009 is now available on www.autodesk.com/autocad-updates

There are no really critical bug fixes in it - at least for me. The most important fix seems to be the potential drawing corruption problem on PURGE.

What is not clear is whether all the hotfixes which were published before this SP1 are already included in it. And the main confusion point is the name of this SP1 - Autodesk calls it "Update 1". Maybe this is a new naming scheme for Service Packs but all other references to this SP1, the file name of the SP1 and user experience is about "Service Packs", not "Updates".

Labels: AutoCAD 2009, Service Pack, SP1

Now, after a 3 month experience, I can express my feelings about the enhanced user interface in AutoCAD 2009 - the Ribbon. Almost all users I manage have similar experience (although there are some fans of the Ribbon in our office).

Simply I do not like it. It is not hatred but I still have not learned to live with it. I must admit it is much better than the Ribbon in Microsoft Office 2007. It is customizable, it can take up much less space it first of all it can be switched off. But I still cannot find commands that I was able to locate before with closed eyes, I miss the status information (colors, layers...) when I switch to another ribbon panel, the layer selectbox is squeezed too much, many commands need more clicks than before, etc. etc. I feel dumb and ape-ish. In short - with the Ribbon I am slower in using AutoCAD.

The only combination I can live with is the Ribbon with the old menubar (MENUBAR=1) but it makes little sense. Now I have noticed that also Inventor got the Ribbon interface. Well, this may be somewhat helpful for new users but I am sure it will hurt productivity of many existing users. The user interface is nicer, yes, and Autodesk marketing succeeded to "sell" this new feature as the main bait in AutoCAD 2009 - but all the other enhancements which are more useful for us users are somewhat hidden.

Autodesk may have different results of Ribbon usage derived from the CER data and other automatic reports of AutoCAD usage among customers. But there is IMHO a systematic error hidden in such statistics. The starting point is not the same. With the Ribbon as the default user interface, many users just keep the default setting and just do not bother or do not know that they can switch back to the classic menus.

Labels: AutoCAD 2009, ribbon

Labels: AutoCAD 2009, AutoCAD versions, commands

It is March again. So there must be a new AutoCAD version again... It is amazing how well Autodesk keeps the promised yearly release cycle - with all the delays we can see e.g. at Microsoft. The subscription-paying customers are probably worth keeping the promise. And with the 2009 versions, it seems that these customers under subscription will get more for their money (the Impression software, more extensions, UI updates...).

Autodesk has just released the new AutoCAD 2009 - the version which will be probably known as the "Ribbon version". Not that there are no other enhancements in A2009 but the ribbon is definitely the most visible new feature.

Immediately with the new release, Autodesk has also released the downloadable trial versions of AutoCAD 2009 and AutoCAD LT 2009. Unfortunately these downloads are not available here in Europe. Europe is for Autodesk the fastest-growing market but it is either not growing enough or maybe growing too fast -- in any case some benefits are not available for customers outside USA and Canada.

Labels: AutoCAD 2009

It seems that in the new 2009-version products Autodesk will get rid of some limitations which were restraining users with the hope of selling higher products.

E.g. the free DWG viewer Autodesk DWG TrueView 2009 now adds the measure tool allowing to measure distances and areas in DWG drawings. This capability was previously limited to the DWF viewer (Design Review) only - so you had to convert your DWG to DWF first. The last Autodesk DWG viewer allowing to measure was Volo View (remember when Autodesk tried to sell the viewer for AutoCAD drawings?).

Another limit falls - AutoCAD LT 2009 will allow to attach raster images (!) and create dynamic text fields - just like the full AutoCAD version. There should also by a 64-bit version of AutoCAD LT.

I am sure that these are results of the pressure of us users - let's get more.

Labels: AutoCAD 2009, DWG, LT 2009, TrueView 2009

Autodesk has announced the new version of its flagship product - AutoCAD 2009. It is clear that Autodesk's main focus is on the development of its 3D applications like Inventor, Revit or Civil 3D. AutoCAD 2009 seems to be one of the minor upgrades although the visible changes are major.

AutoCAD 2009 is the version where the long and well known pull-down menus are no longer the primary user interface. The main UI component is now the Ribbon - the new Microsoft standard introduced in Office 2007. In AutoCAD terms, the Ribbon is generally a Dashboard in horizontal layout - but much more flexible (I like the dynamic extensible tooltips) and easily customizable through CUI. Good news for conservative users - it is possible to switch to the old pull-down menu system.

There are several new functions but most of the new functionality are polished functions from the older versions. The "bubble" functionality mentioned earlier is called "Quick properties". It can be a real time saver. The status bar now uses icons (instead of short texts) which makes more place for status bar tools. Another powerful new function is the "Action recorder" - a macro recorder for simple repetitive tasks. The Layer Manager dialog is now modeless - can stay displayed. There is new functionality for navigating drawings, layouts and views. Especially the visual drawing navigation seems to be very user-friendly.

The DGN file format support now comprises DGN V7 (older DGN format). The new XPS-based DWFx format is now on the same level as the old DWF format - so you can use it for publishing, markup underlay, etc. Remember that you need no viewer for DWFx files - they are supported natively in Windows Vista and Windows XP with .NET Framwork 3.5.

All new AutoCAD applications will use common navigation tools - the SteeringWheel (2D tool for interactive zoom/pan) and ViewCube (3D tool for orbiting and view setting).

On the system level, AutoCAD 2009 is now Vista-certified and there will be localized native 64-bit versions. The IPV6 LAN protocoll is now supported. Windows 2000 is no longer supported. DWG file format remains the same (DWG2007).

More information about AutoCAD 2009 on the Between the Lines blog.

Labels: AutoCAD 2009, ribbon

I have seen a short demo of AutoCAD 2009. All the new functions in version 2009 are probably still secret but there is one detail I will like for sure - as a user of the Bubble utility for AutoCAD.
Similar to Bubble, if you hoover your cursor above an entity, a small bubble (tooltip) is displayed with the relevant data about this entity. So you can see at a glance what type of entity it is, what layer it is on, its geometry data, what is the block name, etc. You have control what information is displayed about the individual types of drawing objects.

Labels: AutoCAD 2009, Bubble

In February (AutoCAD speaks Microstationish) I have complained about the limited support of the DGN file format in AutoCAD 2008 (V8 only). Autodesk has probably heared that also from other users. Both DGN V8 and the older DGN V7 Microstation formats will be probably supported in the new AutoCAD 2009.
It is good that the file format compatibility problems are being solved by CAD software vendors.

Labels: AutoCAD 2009, DGN

The current issue of Ralph Grabowski's upFront.eZine informs about the Autodesk's Grand Unification Plan aiming to go into deeper unification of the user interfaces and file formats in Autodesk software applications.

So maybe the new versions (2009?) of AutoCAD, Inventor or 3ds max will share a similar user interface (which may or may be not good) and it probably will be easier to share their data (which is definitely good). I suppose the new UI will go the way Microsoft goes - i.e. expect ribbons and adaptive user interfaces. So prepare large monitors and graphics resolutions...

But it is not only AutoCAD, Inventor and 3ds max. Autodesk has now 76 different products and with the latest acquisitions there will be probably even more of them. So data sharing and a grand unification plan is more and more important.

Labels: 3ds max, AutoCAD 2009, Inventor 2009, UI