CADnection Enhances File Handling

CADnection distributed-file-sharing and AutoCAD integration technology now includes functionality for managing extended reference files.

The new capabilities combine SharePoint's content-management platform with the XREF data structure, reportedly ensuring the integrity of AutoCAD drawings and reference-file relationships and providing users with a means to visualize these relationships both in and out of the AutoCAD application.

"Making changes to reference files has been an age-old problem, since it may produce unforeseen consequences in other project files," said Richard Bourke, principal consultant of Bourke Consulting Associates. "CADnection leverages the power of SharePoint and allows users to quickly understand where a file is used as well as what a file is composed of at multiple indented levels. This becomes a huge time saver and productivity tool."

As users check drawings into SharePoint, CADnection automatically establishes or updates drawing and reference-file relationships accordingly. The integration feature also shows the "where-used" and "composed-of" relationships for any given drawing through multiple levels.

"Companies have been telling us that managing reference files are one of their primary concerns," said David Wolfe, CMO of CADnection. "As users work on drawings day in and day out, invariably someone returns a drawing to the wrong folder, misspells or renames a file that ultimately breaks links. With CADnection, organizations are able to extend their SharePoint environment to AutoCAD and ensure the integrity of drawings and relationships with reference files."

A demonstration of the new file-management capabilities is available at CADnection's Web site.