CIMdata PLM Industry Summary Online Archive
2 December 2008
Product News
AutoCAD 2009 Enhances PDF Capabilities and Adds On-demand 3D Printing
Autodesk, Inc.. announced the availability of two new bonus packs for AutoCAD software. The new functionality included in the bonus packs, available exclusively to customers on Autodesk Subscription, will feature enhanced PDF support and on-demand 3D printing capabilities for AutoCAD.
"After more than 25 years of development, Autodesk continues to improve AutoCAD by responding to customer needs and incorporating innovative technologies," said Guri Stark, vice president, AutoCAD and Platform Products. "We are dedicated to increasing the value we provide to our subscription customers and the enhanced PDF and 3D printing capabilities are part of this commitment."
Earlier this year, Autodesk introduced and adopted a flexible software delivery model for AutoCAD in order to increase customer satisfaction and subscription value by providing AutoCAD customers with earlier access to new features and greater control over their software upgrades. The new subscription bonus packs are now available for download from the Autodesk Subscription Center.
Enhanced PDF Capabilities
For several years, a top AUGI (Autodesk User Group International) wish list item has been more robust capabilities with the PDF file format in AutoCAD. In response to that feedback, Autodesk is now offering AutoCAD Subscription customers with enhanced ability to use PDF to communicate with suppliers, clients and partners with PDF Import and Underlay and enhanced PDF publishing features. The PDF Import and Underlay feature allows users to import PDF files as an underlay, providing access to a variety of tools, like the ability to snap to lines and objects, control the display of layers, as well as move, scale, rotate, and clip the PDF underlay. The enhanced PDF publishing capabilities provide key improvements for publishing PDF files from AutoCAD - reducing file sizes to ease file sharing needs, as well as support for TrueType font, which provides users with precise control over how fonts are displayed.
On-demand 3D Printing
The third subscription bonus packs brings on-demand 3D printing capabilities to AutoCAD 2009, allowing users to produce physical 3D models and prototypes more accurately and powerfully than ever before. With Bonus Pack 3 installed, users can now connect to 3D printing service providers directly from within AutoCAD, or print to their own 3D printer.
Autodesk has entered into agreements with RedEye, a business unit of Stratasys, and Z Corporation, two leading 3D printing manufacturers, to make 3D printing available to AutoCAD 2009 users. Connecting online with the selected service provider, AutoCAD users can now have 3D printed models shipped directly to them.
"Having 3D printing capabilities at our fingertips in AutoCAD has provided our business with the effortless accessibility to print a model that our design team and customers can touch and manipulate," said Matt Little, CAD Manager and Engineer, Water FX. "In turn, we actually bought a 3D printer to seek maximum ROI with the 3D printing capabilities."
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