CAD Manager's Newsletter (#167)
27 Feb, 2007 By: Robert GreenAutoCAD 2008: What's in it for You? Some updates and refinements in the 2008 AutoCAD products can save you time and trouble. Over the past few weeks I've had the opportunity to work with some of Autodesk's new 2008 series products (AutoCAD and the new P&ID application) and would like to give you a quick overview of some things I think will matter most to CAD managers who will be implementing this new software in the coming months. I realize that not everyone uses AutoCAD or Autodesk products, but the overwhelming market dominance of AutoCAD compels me to at least mention it when a new version is on the horizon. Here goes. Release Dates The new AutoCAD and AutoCAD-related applications are slated for a late March release, and non-DWG based products (Revit and Inventor) will come roughly a month later. As usual, these dates could move a little, but at least you now know when to expect your new subscription CDs to start showing up. Plan your research time accordingly. Installation Tools and Vista Compliance The installation wizard tool that is used to install AutoCAD has undergone a few modifications that will make network-version users happy, namely the ability to control which network license support tools to install and the ability to configure AutoCAD prior to creating a network deployment. Now it is possible to set up AutoCAD-based tools with correct profiles and write the settings to the network deployment rather than installing generic AutoCAD and then having to configure later or map to a startup profile. If you use standalone AutoCAD you won't notice much difference, but network users will enjoy the changes. Read more>> We're rolling out 3D software in my company now and users are coming around to the new way of design. What kinds of items should I be concerned about now and how can I avoid making post-implementation errors in this new 3D world? Robert Green replies: I started the answer to this question in the February 14 edition of CAD Manager's Newsletter. I'll continue my answer now with some ways to handle the user aspects of implementing 3D. When you implement 3D software you can see a big shift in user attitudes. Some users will welcome the challenge while others may feel threatened by such profound change. Handling the positives and negatives properly can really help keep your implementation on track. Here are the ways I deal with both ends of the user spectrum:Read more>> Submit your questions to Robert Green atrgreen@greenconsulting.com. AutoCAD and CAD Management Training Materials Cadalyst'scomplete list of upcoming industry events is always available on our Web site. Webcast: Civil 3D Quickstart Class Application-Oriented CFD for the Aerospace and Defense Industry Plastic Parts Innovations Conference and New Product Design Competition Developing a Design/Simulation Framework 23rd Annual CMSC (Coordinate Metrology Systems Conference) Bug Watch (AutoCAD Tutorial) Cadalyst Labs Review: Sharing 2D Designs Is Easy with Today's Publishing Options New Way to Navigate Cadalyst.com Cadalyst Daily Update
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