AutoVue SolidModel Professional v17 for Windows

1 Jun, 2003 By: Ron LaFon

Cimmetry Systems

5 stars out of 5
Highly Recommended

Cimmetry Systems’ AutoVue SolidModel Professional v17 for Windows is one of three applications to receive a five-star rating in this roundup. Not only does AutoVue SolidModel Professional offer extensive file viewing options, its markup and collaboration capabilities—and the depth to which they are implemented—are excellent. The excellence of its features is as much the product of good software design as of listening carefully to users.

The Measure menu in Cimmetry’s AutoVue SolidModel Professional v17 for Windows lets you measure all dimensions, including angles, arcs, circles, surface area, distance, and cumulative distance.

All products are available as thin-client, server-based solutions that allow viewing and markup of 2D and 3D CAD, EDA (electronic design automation), and Microsoft Office documents over the Web. In an online demo, I saw a beta copy of the Java version that reads AutoCAD 2004 files. Cimmetry says that version is shipping as we go to press. Even in its early tests, it looks quite good.

New and unique in AutoVue v17 are real-time collaboration capabilities that let you schedule online meetings and simultaneously view, mark up, and chat on all document types over an intranet or the Internet. These features are implemented in the Java-based version of the thin client. The number of participants is unlimited, though operations slow with a large number of users. The meeting host transfers control from user to user, so that a number of users can work concurrently on the same model. Users can make annotations, authorized users can approve changes, and AutoVue writes an audit trail of the entire session. I set up an online demo of this feature, and found it fast even on large drawings—and very well implemented.

Other noteworthy features include extensive 2D and 3D markup functionality and print capabilities. There is much here to recommend this product. Highly Recommended.

About the Author: Ron LaFon

AutoCAD Tips!

Lynn Allen

Autodesk Technical Evangelist Lynn Allen guides you through a different AutoCAD feature in every edition of her popular "Circles and Lines" tutorial series. For even more AutoCAD how-to, check out Lynn's quick tips in the Cadalyst Video Gallery. Subscribe to Cadalyst's Tips & Tricks Tuesdays free e-newsletter and we'll notify you every time a new video tip is available. All exclusively from Cadalyst!
Follow Lynn on Twitter

Latest News from Cadalyst Partners

Feed
Place your DWG File on a Diet 18 Jun, 2013

I received an email from blog reader Steve Roberts with a suggested tip topic on how to reduce the size and clean up DWG drawing files using four...More>>Read all Between the Lines blog posts>>

Feed
Tech Toys 360: Pro-Form Le Tour de France Bike 18 Jun, 2013

The greatest bike race in the world is held June 19 to July 21 this year. Celebrating its 100th year, the Tour de France sends riders through more...More>>Read more PTC Creo blog posts>>

Feed
Update 3 now available for Revit 2013 Products - Revit Clinic 18 Jun, 2013

Feed
Nice Design—What Does It Feel Like? 17 Jun, 2013

Feed
LiveMap: The Augmented Reality Motorcycle Helmet of the Future? 18 Jun, 2013

Philippe Starck once famously said that there should be no cars on the road—-only motorcycles. While some soccer moms may disagree, his theory...More>>Read more SolidSmack blog posts>>

Poll

How many years' experience do you have using CAD software?

	Less than two years
	2–5 years
	6–10 years
	11–20 years
	21+ years

FREE Resources for CAD, BIM, and PLM Users