AEC Tech News #177

What's New in Acrobat 8 Professional

Upcoming version of Adobe's PDF software offers improved security, performance with CAD files

On Monday, Adobe revealed plans for the next versions of Acrobat and the newly renamed Acrobat Connect, scheduled to ship in November.

When you open Adobe Acrobat 8 Professional, you’ll be greeted with the first UI (user interface) change you’ll encounter in this version. Instead of the blank Acrobat workspace with menus and a few toolbars, you’ll see a new control panel Start Up screen that will guide you to the logical starting place to accomplish most of the tasks you would want to do with Adobe Acrobat: Create a new PDF, edit or mark up an existing PDF, combine multiple files into one PDF and so forth.

This is just one of many UI changes and improvements you will find throughout the new version of Acrobat. The UI has been significantly improved to make the program more streamlined. Many functions have been assigned to new buttons that you can access with a single click, instead of having to make a selection from a menu and perhaps make several additional clicks to do what you want. Toolbars are customizable to suit your needs and preferences. Individually, many of these changes may seem relatively minor, but collectively they make the program much easier to learn and use, especially for new users. Read more>>

First Look: REALVIZ Stitcher Unlimited v5.5

By Ron LaFon

In July, REALVIZ introduced three versions of its panorama creation software, including Stitcher Express 2 for digital photography hobbyists, Stitcher Pro 5.5 for professional photographers and graphic artists, and Stitcher Unlimited 5.5 for professional panorama creators. Cadalyst reviewed Stitcher Unlimited, which installs quickly and easily, getting you to the simple interface fast so you can begin to combine images. Read more>>

Mark Your Calendar: AEC Events

COFES India Summit
November 17-18, 2006
New Delhi, India
This invitation-only event will concentrate on engineering software issues and the economic and political opportunities currently facing India. Read more 

2006 Structural Engineers Building Conference and Expo
November 29-30, 2006
Washington, DC
This conference will explore the changing roles of structural engineers. Conference attendees can choose from sessions including project management and business strategy, virtual building tools and market opportunity. Read more

For Cadalyst's full calendar of events, click here >>

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• Dialog Box -- Readers Have Their Say: Hot off the press for September, Cadalyst readers and Web site visitors pick our brains and tell us what's on their minds.

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AEC from the Ground Up (Column) -- Digital Project Management: Construction and architecture leaders manage projects with integrated software systems.