AutoCAD® software lets you design, visualize, and document your ideas clearly and efficiently. Initially released in late 1982, AutoCAD was one of the first CAD programs to run on personal computers, and notably the IBM PC.
AutoCAD has been recognized as the industry-leading architecture and engineering documentation platform for thirty years now. The thing is, the last several years have seen the AutoCAD platform extend beyond simple 2D design documentation. AutoCAD 2010, 2011, and even 2012…
Although there’s no shortage of ways to customize AutoCAD, nearly every one requires some familiarity with programming. Given the barriers of learning a programming language, I find so many of the AutoCAD users I come across simply survive with the…
The long list of inquiry tools within AutoCAD provide many ways to approach the task of performing quantity takeoffs on your drawings. Yet as powerful as these tools are, one limitation that has long challenged me is way 1 doesn’t…
Having just wrapped up a series of 2012 Autodesk Product Launch events, it’s hard for me to even start thinking about next year’s release. Of course, for Autodesk to meet their annual release cycle, you better believe they’ve already started…
Although imperial measurements remain the prevalent standard in the U.S., a growing number of projects are indeed utilizing metric measurements. This combination of both imperial and metric measurements creates a unique challenge for many architects and engineers. After all we’re…
Starting a new job, writing papers for the classes I’m presenting at AU, coupled with creating some exciting content as this year’s AU Virtual host has left very little time for blogging (in case you hadn’t noticed). Despite my rather…
Layers are great, but we’ve all encountered those drawings that are absolutely inundated with layers (sometimes by necessity, other times by ignorance). Whatever the reason, it doesn’t make locating that ONE layer any less arduous. Ironic as it may be,…
In July I provided a first look at Project Photofly, an uber-cool technology from Autodesk that lets you build 3D models from photographs. Now I’ll admit it’s difficult to exceed the cool-factor of something like Project Photofly. Still that doesn’t…
BIG NEWS – after an 18-year absence, AutoCAD is returning to the Mac! Of course, much to Autodesk’s dismay, this hasn’t exactly been a secret to nearly anyone following who follows the CAD industry. Now for the part I hadn’t…
As I make presentations about AutoCAD throughout the year, some of the most common questions that come up have to deal with optimizing AutoCAD; the software is slow to start, the software is very sluggish when I try to draw,…
Over the last several months you’ve probably heard me talk about (sometimes a little too much) my “upcoming” book, AutoCAD 2011 and AutoCAD LT 2011: No Experience Required. It’s with great excitement that I finally get to announce AutoCAD No…
Yesterday Autodesk released a very impressive new technology they call Project Photofly. With Project Photofly you can quickly and easily generate 3D models using nothing more than photographs taken with your digital camera. Although Photofly will certainly work with fancy SLR…