Autodesk releases native AutoCAD 2011 for Mac
Autodesk has officially introduced AutoCAD 2011 for Mac OS X, bringing its freeform 3D design and drafting tools back to the Mac after an 18 year hiatus.
Word of a secret AutoCAD for Mac beta program first surfaced this spring, and was only confirmed by Autodesk in August.
At the time, the company targeted a release date in October, which it has now met with the new release. The high end product uses an interface familiar to existing Windows AutoCAD users, while adding support for a variety of Mac OS X features including CoverFlow for browsing through design files graphically, support for multitouch trackpad gestures for pan and zoom, and native help.
Andrew Handley, the CAD development manager for the UK-based Styles&Wood, commented that as a beta tester, "we have been waiting a long time for AutoCAD to come back to the Mac. Our experience has been that AutoCAD for Mac is similar enough to the PC version that the transition is easy. We?ve found it to be a very powerful and reliable product that has all the functionality we need.?
The program is designed to seamlessly migrate AutoCAD DWG documents between Mac and Windows PC users, enabling companies to deploy the software without regard to the hardware and operating system their users have.
The company notes that "you can create custom scripts, linetypes, hatch patterns, and command aliases, as well as AutoLISP® and ObjectARX applications, in AutoCAD 2011 for Mac; however, there is no support for DCL in AutoLISP, nor is there access to some of the custom AutoCAD user interface controls in ObjectARX. Technologies specific to Windows®, such as Visual Basic for Applications, OLE objects, and Windows Media® Audio, are not supported in AutoCAD 2011 for Mac."
It also notes that "the most commonly used functionality of AutoCAD is included in AutoCAD for Mac. However, there are a few commands that are not included in this first release, including layer filters, layer groups, and layer states; Sheet Set Manager; and DGN, PDF, and DWF? underlay support."
AutoCAD for Mac is available for a free 30 day trial, and is also available to students and educators for free for personal use, or at a significant discount for classroom and lab use. The product can also be purchased directly through the Autodesk Store.
AutoCAD 2011 for Mac requires a relatively new Intel Mac with a 64-bit CPU, 3GB of RAM, and a 1280x800 display. Autodesk specifies a minimum hardware baseline of the "iMac 8,1" from early 2008, the late 2008 "MacBook 5,1" or early 2009 "Mac Mini 3,1" but recommends using the "iMac 11,1" from late 2009, or the mid 2010 "MacBook 7,1" and the brand new "Mac mini 4,1" which was released in June.
Autodesk has also released a free iOS app called AutoCAD WS for the iPhone, iPod touch and iPad that enables users to view, share, and make minor modifications to their designs DWG format. There is also a web based tool for online document review and editing.
Word of a secret AutoCAD for Mac beta program first surfaced this spring, and was only confirmed by Autodesk in August.
At the time, the company targeted a release date in October, which it has now met with the new release. The high end product uses an interface familiar to existing Windows AutoCAD users, while adding support for a variety of Mac OS X features including CoverFlow for browsing through design files graphically, support for multitouch trackpad gestures for pan and zoom, and native help.
Andrew Handley, the CAD development manager for the UK-based Styles&Wood, commented that as a beta tester, "we have been waiting a long time for AutoCAD to come back to the Mac. Our experience has been that AutoCAD for Mac is similar enough to the PC version that the transition is easy. We?ve found it to be a very powerful and reliable product that has all the functionality we need.?
The program is designed to seamlessly migrate AutoCAD DWG documents between Mac and Windows PC users, enabling companies to deploy the software without regard to the hardware and operating system their users have.
The company notes that "you can create custom scripts, linetypes, hatch patterns, and command aliases, as well as AutoLISP® and ObjectARX applications, in AutoCAD 2011 for Mac; however, there is no support for DCL in AutoLISP, nor is there access to some of the custom AutoCAD user interface controls in ObjectARX. Technologies specific to Windows®, such as Visual Basic for Applications, OLE objects, and Windows Media® Audio, are not supported in AutoCAD 2011 for Mac."
It also notes that "the most commonly used functionality of AutoCAD is included in AutoCAD for Mac. However, there are a few commands that are not included in this first release, including layer filters, layer groups, and layer states; Sheet Set Manager; and DGN, PDF, and DWF? underlay support."
AutoCAD for Mac is available for a free 30 day trial, and is also available to students and educators for free for personal use, or at a significant discount for classroom and lab use. The product can also be purchased directly through the Autodesk Store.
AutoCAD 2011 for Mac requires a relatively new Intel Mac with a 64-bit CPU, 3GB of RAM, and a 1280x800 display. Autodesk specifies a minimum hardware baseline of the "iMac 8,1" from early 2008, the late 2008 "MacBook 5,1" or early 2009 "Mac Mini 3,1" but recommends using the "iMac 11,1" from late 2009, or the mid 2010 "MacBook 7,1" and the brand new "Mac mini 4,1" which was released in June.
Autodesk has also released a free iOS app called AutoCAD WS for the iPhone, iPod touch and iPad that enables users to view, share, and make minor modifications to their designs DWG format. There is also a web based tool for online document review and editing.
Comments
Large market for those applications for Civil Engineers/Architects.
Autodesk let the Mac user hang to dry for 18 years with no native AutoCad. Now that the Mac is back in vogue, they want to jump in the bandwagon.
Ah, yes, the benefits of marketshare.
The free student edition is nice; time to go work on some marketable skills, perhaps.
is there any direct link!
i try to download free trial!
Autodesk has officially introduced AutoCAD 2011 for Mac OS X, bringing its freeform 3D design and drafting tools back to the Mac after an 18 year hiatus
This is a rebirth of the Mac as a viable platform for third party developers to create new software and sell it to professionals for a profit. It was the absence of profit expectation which kept many Windows developers from creating a Mac version of their successful Windows applications.
Hopefully, the example of AutoCAD will be followed by other developers.
P.S.: I couldn't use AutoCAD if my life depended on it, but I rejoice every time developers find that my platform of choice is important enough for them to spend time, money and countless hours to develop software for it.
[i'm a graphic designer in an architecture firm, and have an architecture background]
i hope Revit isn't far behind, since AutoCAD is basically obsolete now. everything is done in BIM software. [Revit and AutoCAD are both AutoDesk products.]
Autodesk let the Mac user hang to dry for 18 years with no native AutoCad. Now that the Mac is back in vogue, they want to jump in the bandwagon. Anyway, this solution both for the PC and Mac is overpriced... and then one has to pay for a lot of add-ons. Better off with programs like VectorCad for the Mac... or even PC. Meets most requirements and does 3D from the ground up.
Let's see, 18 years ago was 1992, when Windows 3.1 was just released, three years before Windows 95. They dropped Mac OS 7 for Windows 3.1? And how powerful where CAD applications in 1992?
EDIT: I checked, and the first commercial 3D-CAD software came out in 1980 and it was Unigraphics.
(My first contact with CAD was in 1997, 3D-Unigraphics running on SGI machines, boy they were really fast machines for their time.)
Now if we can just get the price down to $99... I'm in!
Try DraftSight from SolidWorks.It is a true industrial strength 2D CAD package that SolidWorks released for free. Their goal is to get as many AutoCAD users to switch to SolidWorks 3D as possible, and they seem to be willing to give away a strong 2D package to get them to do it.
http://www.3ds.com/products/draftsight/
Ya' know...
AutoDesk is just doing this so they can get at the iPad market...
MSFT, could learn from this!
.
Psst! Don't tell Monkey-boy. He will really go bananas!
Rats and sinking ships come to mind here ...
This is a rebirth of the Mac as a viable platform for third party developers to create new software and sell it to professionals for a profit. It was the absence of profit expectation which kept many Windows developers from creating a Mac version of their successful Windows applications.
Hopefully, the example of AutoCAD will be followed by other developers.
P.S.: I couldn't use AutoCAD if my life depended on it, but I rejoice every time developers find that my platform of choice is important enough for them to spend time, money and countless hours to develop software for it.
Many of the applications actually started on the Mac remember.
Now if we can just get the price down to $99... I'm in!
AutoCad......... @ best that program might be worth about $1500 for a single user license.