Autodesk AutoCAD for Mac “Facecast” Event
Yesterday Autodesk hosted a live event on Facebook focused on AutoCAD for the Mac. Using a streaming video Facebook application called “Livestream” participants on Facebook could post questions to the presenters on the Facebook wall for the event and the video showed live feedback from Autodesk staff. While several hundred people had signed up on Facebook as attending, during the event only about 50 people were present. That of course is no small number.
Autodesk Looking at the Future
It was clear from the other Facebook members present that the popularity of the idea of AutoCAD on the Mac is firmly oriented within the next generation of professionals. Autodesk knows clearly that Apple commands the IT zeitgeist for Gen-X and Gen-Y. Regardless, older generation users who are diehard fans of either the Mac or AutoCAD seemed to be tuned in as well.
Some questions answered during the event included news that Autodesk will be working to bring integration with AutoCAD WS up a notch or two going forward. Users asked about bi-directional flow of information. Autodesk said AutoCAD WS (its online web-based and mobile platform) has been a surprise hit for the company and they are working on deeper integration between WS and both OS platforms of AutoCAD.
02 - The new AutoCAD for Mac features the well-regarded mental ray rendering engine. Stunning renderings, like the one in this image, can be easily created from within AutoCAD for Mac.
We posed a question about third-party developer support for the Mac version of AutoCAD and the response was that the company continues to encourage developers to produce versions for the Mac. It was noted that Autodesk ObjectARX–the company’s programming environment–provides object-oriented APIs (application programming interfaces) for third party developers to use. They can program in various versions of C-languages and VB.net. There is also now a version of ObjectARX for AutoCAD for Mac 2011, though not all APIs are available on the Mac version.
The company spoke quite a bit about the customization capabilities within AutoCAD for the Mac. LISP is fully supported and advanced users can customize the app in LISP or in a C language if they are capable. For more typical users the interface itself is fully customizable.
Next page: Future stuff >
Future Versions Future Stuff
One interesting question was about the Mac App store and if the company will sell AutoCAD for the Mac on it. The response was “it depends if people want to buy it that way.” Autodesk complimented the Mac App store by saying it had “one slick installation process” but the company questions if a $4 thousand application is appropriate on that store. Also, the Mac App store works with iTunes accounts linked to credit cards. Is an app that expensive going to want to be purchased that way?
Another question was about supporting Adobe Illustrator import/export functionality. It may be that because of the Mac market that Adobe Illustrator support is uniquely required by AutoCAD for Mac users? The short answer was that “if we go after Illustrator support we would do it across platforms.”
Earlier in the session someone posted a question about Revit for the Mac. However, we joined the talk a bit later so we may have either missed that answer or the company ignored that question. We gather that it was ignored, as there were more questions thrown at them than they had possible time to address.
Finally, the company did respond to questions about future versions and Autodesk noted it is fully committed to refining, extending and developing future versions of AutoCAD for the Mac. They are particularly interested in capturing unique Mac-only features on the platform and bringing them to shine within AutoCAD for Mac. Yet, the big point of this event seems to be that the company is reaching out to get feedback. Feedback that will help them orient development work in the most favorable direction for the success of the product.
To learn more about AutoCAD for Mac go here.
You can engage with AutoCAD on Facebook and Architosh on Facebook at the links provided.