When AutoCAD 2009 arrives, what exactly do you get? Inside the brown cardboard box is a fatter DVD case containing one DVD and a set of cards describing the new features:
I haven’t discovered the rules yet; maybe they are in Help somewhere. Is Menu Browser worth more than ViewCube? Does Action Recorder trump Quick Properties? Is DWFx a wildcard? Inquiring minds want to know.
Autodesk’s DWG viewer history has been one of twists and turns, including name changes, attempts to charge money for it, lost features, bloat, and general confusion. One of the most obvious problems that prevented people using the recent DWG TrueView offerings was the inability to measure objects. As a result, some people who needed a DWG viewer turned to the MicroStation-based offering, Bentley View. It took a while, but that omission has now been remedied and Autodesk now provides a useful tool for non-AutoCAD users who need to check drawings. You can download it here:
http://www.autodesk.com/dwgtrueview
It’s a 194 MB download in 32-bit form, so it’s no lightweight. It is basically a very cut-down AutoCAD 2009 and shares its Ribbon interface, albeit in much simplified form.
Over the next few days I intend updating the WordPress software that is used to run this site. You may see some things such as polls come and go during that process, and maybe a few minutes downtime here and there, but hopefully there should not be too much disruption.