AutoCAD is a software application for 2D and 3D computer-aided design (CAD) and drafting — available since 1982 as a desktop application and since 2010 as a mobile web- and cloud-based app, currently marketed as AutoCAD 360.
Developed and marketed by Autodesk, Inc.,[2] AutoCAD was first released in December 1982 — having been purchased a year prior in its original form by Autodesk founder John Walker. The software is currently marketed in its eighteenth generation.
As Autodesk's flagship product, by March 1986 AutoCAD had become the most ubiquitous microcomputer design program worldwide, with functions such as "polylines" and "curve fitting".[3] Prior to the introduction of AutoCAD, most other CAD programs ran on mainframe computers or minicomputers, with each CAD operator (user) working at a graphical terminal or workstation.[citation needed]
AutoCAD is used across a range of industries, including architects, project managers and engineers, among other professions, with 750 training centers established worldwide as of 1994.
File formats and versions
The native file format of AutoCAD is .dwg. This and, to a lesser extent, its interchange file format DXF, have become de facto, if proprietary, standards for CAD datainteroperability.[citation needed] AutoCAD has included support for .dwg, a format developed and promoted by Autodesk, for publishing CAD data.
| Official Name | Version | Release | Date of release | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AutoCAD Version 1.0 | 1.0 | 1 | 1982, December | DWG R1.0 file format introduced. |
| AutoCAD Version 1.2 | 1.2 | 2 | 1983, April | DWG R1.2 file format introduced. |
| AutoCAD Version 1.3 | 1.3 | 3 | 1983, August | DWG R1.3 file format introduced. |
| AutoCAD Version 1.4 | 1.4 | 4 | 1983, October | DWG R1.4 file format introduced. |
| AutoCAD Version 2.0 | 2.0 | 5 | 1984, October | DWG R2.05 file format introduced. |
| AutoCAD Version 2.1 | 2.1 | 6 | 1985, May | DWG R2.1 file format introduced. |
| AutoCAD Version 2.5 | 2.5 | 7 | 1986, June | DWG R2.5 file format introduced. |
| AutoCAD Version 2.6 | 2.6 | 8 | 1987, April | DWG R2.6 file format introduced. Last version to run without a math co-processor. |
| AutoCAD Release 9 | 9.0 | 9 | 1987, September | DWG R9 file format introduced. |
| AutoCAD Release 10 | 10.0 | 10 | 1988, October | DWG R10 file format introduced. |
| AutoCAD Release 11 | 11.0 | 11 | 1990, October | DWG R11 file format introduced. |
| AutoCAD Release 12 | 12.0 | 12 | 1992, June | DWG R11/R12 file format introduced. Last release for Apple Macintosh til 2010. |
| AutoCAD Release 13 | 13.0 | 13 | 1994, November | DWG R13 file format introduced. Last release for Unix, MS-DOS and Windows 3.11. |
| AutoCAD Release 14 | 14.0 | 14 | 1997, February | DWG R14 file format introduced. |
| AutoCAD 2000 | 15.0 | 15 | 1999, March | DWG 2000 file format introduced. |
| AutoCAD 2000i | 15.1 | 16 | 2000, July | |
| AutoCAD 2002 | 15.6 | 17 | 2001, June | |
| AutoCAD 2004 | 16.0 | 18 | 2003, March | DWG 2004 file format introduced. |
| AutoCAD 2005 | 16.1 | 19 | 2004, March | |
| AutoCAD 2006 | 16.2 | 20 | 2005, March | Dynamic Block introduced. |
| AutoCAD 2007 | 17.0 | 21 | 2006, March | DWG 2007 file format introduced. |
| AutoCAD 2008 | 17.1 | 22 | 2007, March | Annotative Objects introduced. AutoCAD 2008 and higher (including AutoCAD LT) can directly import and underlay DGNV8 files. |
| AutoCAD 2009 | 17.2 | 23 | 2008, March | Revisions to the user interface including the option of a Microsoft Office 2007-like tabbed ribbon. |
| AutoCAD 2010 | 18.0 | 24 | 2009, March 24 | DWG 2010 file format introduced. Parametrics introduced. Mesh 3D solid modeling introduced. Both 32-bit and 64-bit versions of AutoCAD 2010 and AutoCAD LT 2010 are compatible with and supported under Microsoft Windows 7. |
| AutoCAD 2011 | 18.1 | 25 | 2010, March 25 | Surface Modeling, Surface Analysis and Object Transparency introduced. October 15, 2010[7] AutoCAD 2011 for Mac was released. Are compatible with and supported under Microsoft Windows 7 |
| AutoCAD 2012 | 18.2 | 26 | 2011, March 22 | Associative Array, Model Documentation. Support for complex linetypes in DGN files is improved in AutoCAD 2012. DGN editing. |
| AutoCAD 2013 | 19.0 | 27 | 2012, March 27 | DWG 2013 file format introduced. |
| AutoCAD 2014 | 19.1 | 28 | 2013, March 26 | File Tabs, Design Feed, Reality Capture, Autodesk Live Maps |
Compatibility with other software]
ESRI ArcMap 10 permits export as AutoCAD drawing files. Civil 3D permits export as AutoCAD objects and as LandXML. Third-party file converters exist for specific formats such as Bentley MX GENIO Extension, PISTE Extension (France), ISYBAU (Germany), OKSTRA and Microdrainage (UK).[8]
Languages
AutoCAD 2014 and AutoCAD LT 2014 are available for English, German, French, Italian, Spanish, Japanese, Korean, Chinese Simplified, Chinese Traditional and Brazilian Portuguese.[9][10] Russian, Czech, Polish, Hungarian will be available later on. The extent of localization varies from full translation of the product to documentation only. The AutoCAD command set is localized as a part of the software localization.
Extensions
AutoCAD supports a number of APIs for customization and automation. These include AutoLISP, Visual LISP, VBA, .NET and ObjectARX. ObjectARX is a C++ class library, which was also the base for: (a) products extending AutoCAD functionality to specific fields; (b) creating products such as AutoCAD Architecture, AutoCAD Electrical, AutoCAD Civil 3D; or (c) third-party AutoCAD-based application. There is a large number of AutoCAD plugins (add-on applications) available on the application store Autodesk Exchange Apps .[11]
Vertical integration
Autodesk has also developed a few vertical programs (AutoCAD Architecture, AutoCAD Civil 3D, AutoCAD Electrical, AutoCAD ecscad, AutoCAD Map 3D, AutoCAD Mechanical, AutoCAD MEP, AutoCAD Structural Detailing, AutoCAD Utility Design, AutoCAD P&ID and AutoCAD Plant 3D) for discipline-specific enhancements. For example, AutoCAD Architecture (formerly Architectural Desktop) permits architectural designers to draw 3D objects, such as walls, doors and windows, with more intelligent data associated with them rather than simple objects, such as lines and circles. The data can be programmed to represent specific architectural products sold in the construction industry, or extracted into a data file for pricing, materials estimation, and other values related to the objects represented. Additional tools generate standard 2D drawings, such as elevations and sections, from a 3D architectural model. Similarly, Civil Design, Civil Design 3D, and Civil Design Professional support data-specific objects, facilitating easy standard civil engineering calculations and representations. Civil 3D was originally developed as an AutoCAD add-on by a company in New Hampshire called Softdesk (originally DCA). Softdesk was acquired by Autodesk, and Civil 3D was further evolved.
Variants
AutoCAD LT
AutoCAD LT is the lower cost version of AutoCAD, with reduced capabilities, first released in November 1993. Autodesk developed AutoCAD LT to have an entry-level CAD package to compete in the lower price level. AutoCAD LT, priced at $495, became the first AutoCAD product priced below $1000. It is sold directly by Autodesk and can also be purchased at computer stores (unlike the full version of AutoCAD, which must be purchased from official Autodesk dealers).
As of the 2011 release the AutoCAD LT MSRP has risen to $1200. While there are hundreds of small differences between the full AutoCAD package and AutoCAD LT, currently there are a few recognized major differences[12] in the software's features:
- 3D Capabilities: AutoCAD LT lacks the ability to create, visualize and render 3D models as well as 3D printing.
- Network Licensing: AutoCAD LT cannot be used on multiple machines over a network.
- Customization: AutoCAD LT does not support customization with LISP, ARX, and VBA.
- Management and automation capabilities with Sheet Set Manager and Action Recorder.
- CAD standards management tools.
AutoCAD 360
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Formerly marketed as AutoCAD WS, AutoCAD 360 is an account-based mobile and web application enabling registered users to view, edit, and share AutoCAD files via mobile device and web[13] using a limited AutoCAD feature set — and using cloud-stored drawing files. The program, which is an evolution and combination of previous products, uses a freemium business model with a free plan and two paid levels — marketed as Pro ($4.99 monthly or $49.99 yearly) and Pro Plus ($99.99 yearly) — including various amounts of storage, tools, and online access to drawings. 360 includes new features such as a "Smart Pen" mode and linking to third-party cloud-based storage such as Dropbox. Having evolved from Flash-based software, AutoCAD 360 uses HTML5 browser technology available in newer browsers including Firefox and Google Chrome.
AutoCAD WS began with a Flash-based version for the iPhone and subsequently expanded to include version for the iPod Touch, iPad, Android phones, and Android tablets.[14] Autodesk released the iOS version in September 2010,[15] following with the Android version on April 20, 2011.[16] The program is available via download at no cost from the App Store (iOS), Google Play (Android) and Amazon Appstore (Android).
In its initial iOS version, AutoCAD WS supported drawing of lines, circles, and other shapes; creation of text and comment boxes; and management of color, layer, and measurements — in both landscape and portrait modes. Version 1.3, released August 17, 2011, added support of unit typing, layer visibility, area measurement and file management.[13] The Android variant includes the iOS feature set along with such unique features as the ability to insert text or captions by voice command as well as manually.[16] Both Android and iOS versions allow the user to save files on-line — or off-line in the absence of an Internet connection.[16]
In 2011, Autodesk announced plans to migrate the majority of its software to "the cloud", starting with the AutoCAD WS mobile application.[17]
According to a 2013 interview with Ilai Rotbaein, an AutoCAD WS Product Manager for Autodesk, the name AutoCAD WS had no definitive meaning, and was interpreted variously asAutodesk Web Service, White Sheet or Work Space.[18]
Student versions
AutoCAD is licensed at a significant discount over commercial retail pricing to qualifying students and teachers, with a 36-month license available. The student version of AutoCAD is functionally identical to the full commercial version, with one exception: DWG files created or edited by a student version have an internal bit-flag set (the "educational flag"). When such a DWG file is printed by any version of AutoCAD (commercial or student), the output includes a plot stamp / banner on all four sides. Objects created in the Student Version cannot be used for commercial use. Student Version objects "infect" a commercial version DWG file if it is imported.[19]
The Autodesk Education Community provides registered students and faculty with free access to different Autodesk applications.
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