AutoCAD for Mac Is Back!

5 Feb, 2011 By: Lynn Allen

Circles and Lines Tutorial: After an 18-year absence, Autodesk reintroduces native AutoCAD for the OS X platform.

Editor's Note: This article was originally published in the Fall 2010 issue of Cadalyst magazine.

I remember 18 years ago when Autodesk made the announcement that it would no longer be developing AutoCAD for the Macintosh platform. I also remember the myriad sad architects and other Mac users that were distraught about this decision. Nothing could thrill me more than to see AutoCAD back on the Mac and that void filled for Mac lovers everywhere.

It isn't as if users haven't been using AutoCAD on their Macs. In fact, plenty of people have been using Bootcamp, Parallels, or VM Ware Fusion to do exactly that. But it just wasn't the same; it wasn't the true Mac experience. They were essentially living in the Windows world on a Mac — definitely not the same. They wanted the Mac experience with a native Mac application, and that is exactly what they can get now. This new version is not a port — it is the real deal running natively on Apple Mac OS X (pronounced "ten," not "X," if you want to maintain Mac coolness).

For starters, Mac users might have a Magic Mouse or Magic Trackpad. They also rely heavily on their keyboard trackpads (for those who use laptops) or Magic Trackpads. The Magic Mouse will completely stump Windows users, because it has no physical right-click button or scroll wheel for zooming and panning. (We shudder at the thought!) The good news is that you can choose to use your favorite Windows mouse with your Mac, so no worries there.

AutoCAD for Mac supports Gestures (no, not those types of gestures!). Gestures are one- or multiple-finger motions made across a trackpad or Magic Mouse. For example, they might use a two-finger swipe across the trackpad to pan or the infamous pinch to zoom. A simple swipe up and down the Magic Mouse does an easy zoom — no wheel needed! And who doesn't love the four-finger swipe (Exposé) on the trackpad to view all your open files; I really wish Windows had that one!

The user interface of AutoCAD for Mac also looks and feels like a native Mac application. You won't find a ribbon here, because that is part of the Windows experience. In AutoCAD for Mac you will find the application menu bar expected in a Mac program (pull-down menus, to the standard AutoCAD user). There are tool set palettes, a Layer palette, and a Properties Inspector, which will be much more familiar to a Mac user than a Properties palette. Of course, it has the Command line (heaven knows, we can't live without the Command line) and the UCS icon, status bar, and coordinate display. You'll even find the Viewcube tool to help you orbit around in 3D.

The AutoCAD for Mac user interface looks and feels like a native Mac application.

The tool set palettes work much the same way as the toolbars in standard AutoCAD, with flyouts and the ability to do some basic customization. Three sets of tool set palettes — drafting, annotation, and modeling — are included.

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About the Author: Lynn Allen

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Comments

Re: AutoCAD for Mac Is Back!
by: Rob W
on: February 14, 2011 - 8:37pm

Personally, I don't see the point in adding to the cost of a Cad Station by using Apple Equipment. Our windows stations cost over 5K and with Apple Equipment costing well over 25% of a windows PC it seems like a waist. What I do like is the absence of the ribbon. This article probably should have not been posted in the AEC, i.e. I have never seen anyone in the industry use Cad on a MAC. As far as the MAC experience being any different from a windows experience, there is none when comes to performance. MACs still lag and they still crash. This might be useful for someone who has a MAC and needs to, on an occasion, use ACAD but certainly not anyone the AEC Industry.

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Re: AutoCAD for Mac Is Back!	by: Rob W on: February 14, 2011 - 8:37pm
Personally, I don't see the point in adding to the cost of a Cad Station by using Apple Equipment. Our windows stations cost over 5K and with Apple Equipment costing well over 25% of a windows PC it seems like a waist. What I do like is the absence of the ribbon. This article probably should have not been posted in the AEC, i.e. I have never seen anyone in the industry use Cad on a MAC. As far as the MAC experience being any different from a windows experience, there is none when comes to performance. MACs still lag and they still crash. This might be useful for someone who has a MAC and needs to, on an occasion, use ACAD but certainly not anyone the AEC Industry.