AutoCAD 2027

AutoCAD 2027 this year offers numerous new features and capabilities, plus enhancements across a deep range of existing features. AutoCAD’s built-in AI systems have been improved and now include a preview technology that leverages one of the AI industry’s hottest technology standards—Model Context Protocol, otherwise known as MCP. The technology was established by Anthropic and we have written about MCP before, most notably last fall with regard to Bluebeam.

A big part of AutoCAD 2027 involves new functionalities connected to the rebranded and updated AEC industry cloud, Forma. Forma Data Management is the new name for Autodesk Docs and version 2027 has streamlined and improved integration with the cloud-based common data environment (CDE).

Autodesk AutoCAD 2027 with this image showing the new Checkout features, which are a big change in the world’s most popular CAD program.

Perhaps the biggest and most impactful new feature in AutoCAD 2027 is the new Checkout features. Now multiple parties can work on the same AutoCAD drawing at the same time by reserving specific objects or regions of the drawing. These big features complement a collection of more medium and smaller sized new capabilities that users will undoubtedly enjoy.

For AutoCAD for Mac 2027, including the LT version, the biggest change is that OpenGL has been fully replaced and is no longer supported. Apple Metal is now the sole graphics engine for the Mac version of AutoCAD and AutoCAD LT. This has led to enhanced graphics performance, especially in faster 3D navigation through the cross-platform 3D graphics system. This is part of the broader, unified Graphics System Framework (GSF), not to be confused with major graphics updates to Autodesk Revit. Revit’s new graphics engine is built on Hydra, a high-performance imaging framework originally developed by Pixar. (see further notes in our Analysis section below).

AutoCAD 2027’s GSF-based graphics improvements leverage OS-specific primary graphics APIs. This means Apple Metal for the Mac and DirectX 12 for the Windows version. GSF is not new in version 2027, but rather new in the sense that on the Mac version AutoCAD 3D navigation offloads the scene geometry to Apple Silicon via the Metal API. Metal is superior than OpenGL for 3D CAD performance because it is a lower-level API and reduces processing code complexity associated with the abstraction layers of OpenGL.

Aside from these graphics-related updates to the Mac version of AutoCAD 2027, the version shares most of the major new features of AutoCAD 2027 on Windows including the new geometry cleanup features, Smart Blocks-Detect and Convert, the AI-based Autodesk Assistant, and other features.

For AutoCAD 2027 the big new features are those listed below.

New Features

• New AI-powered workflows — reduce friction and surface the right guidance at the correct time
• New Autodesk Assistant (Tech Preview) — AutoCAD 2027 now leverages Anthropic’s Model Context Protocol (MCP) AI standard to better understand your context, what you are working on, and what you are trying to accomplish. This improves the AI’s responses to you, making them more situational and relevant.
• Forma Data Management Essentials — this is now included with standalone AutoCAD subscriptions and enables collaboration in shared project environments. Teams can view and markup 2D and 3D models, track issues, apply folder-level permissions, and share files with controlled access and clear version visibility. Forma Data Management Essentials is a trimmed down version of Forma Data Management (the new name of Autodesk Docs) and this is where one’s DWG files are stored and where version history and access control for sharing and collaboration is managed.
• Introducing Checkout — Checkout introduces a new way for teams to collaborate on AutoCAD files and to jointly make controlled edits to the same DWG file at the same time when stored in Forma Data Management. This means instead of locking entire drawing files so that one can edit them without the fear of a colleague also editing them at the same time, the new Checkout functionality lets you isolate parts of the AutoCAD file that you control and work on safely in a separate editing environment. When you complete you edits you can submit them as a Trace for review.
• Connected References — the Xref system is more tightly integrated into the cloud environment (now Forma Data Management). When referenced files are moved or renamed, AutoCAD detects this change and suggest automatic repairs directly from the Xref palette.
• Connected Support Files — new centralized control over cloud-managed support files, including tool palettes and CUI customizations. With project-aware tool palettes and CUI, the right resources for projects load automatically with each drawing. This aids consistency and scalability across teams.
• Geometry Clean Up — this technology is essentially project or file health checks features that identify geometry issues such as gaps, overshoots, undershoots, and misaligned angles. The feature after finding these issues then targets solutions to resolving them.
• Forma Data Management Issues Integration — this allows AutoCAD 2027 users to view, create, and resolve issues directly within the drawing, keeping feedback visible and actionable.

AutoCAD 2027 also boasts improved 3D visualization with extended support for the Graphics System Framework (GSF). This boosts performance in AutoCAD 3D workflows and supports realistic visual styles, materials, and lighting.

There is also improvements with plotting, saving plots directly to the cloud, previewing PDFs and other improvements, along with Sheet Set Manager improvements, connecting support files.

Forma Board Integration

Finally, Autodesk Forma Board integration is included as part of general Forma integration. This means AutoCAD on the Web now integrates with Forma Board, connecting detailed CAD drafting with collaboration in early design phase workflows.

The features of Forma Board can be leveraged, enabling teams to view and edit DWG files within a shared canvas environment.

To learn more visit here.

Architosh Analysis and Commentary

Autodesk 2027 is delivering a powerful new feature in its Checkout capabilities, enabling teammates to work on the same DWG files at the same time. This is accomplished at the cloud level and bypasses the simple OS-level file locking. When a user “checks out” parts of a file, they are reserving specific objects or areas. The cloud-based data management layer in the Forma cloud keeps track of these reservations. This is a significant new capability and competitive punch to Autodesk’s native DWG competitors, one of which, we know for sure does not have a matching capability. 

Interestingly, the changes that are done using Checkout capabilities to the Trace Layer next for review and cannot be committed directly to the master file in the cloud by the person making the changes. The person who has permission to commit Trace Layer changes is the primary read-write owner. This is the person who has the master AutoCAD file open from the cloud with full read-write access. A collaborator (unlike the owner) is the one who checks out specific geometry or areas to work on. 

A big difference with Autodesk’s competitive posture with AutoCAD over its DWG rivals is that the company can build bridges and integrations from Autodesk ecosystem products to other products—especially those in the cloud. This is passing through the Forma AEC industry cloud now but with our coverage of version 2026, we noted industry toolkits were more tightly integrated into other Autodesk solutions like Fusion 360. 

Another big update in version 2027 is the MCP integration, a standard developed by AI company Anthropic. Some companies are using MCP to control the application via text prompt instructions but it appears that is not exactly what AutoCAD 2027 is doing yet, instead using AI to understand your drawing context and help with workflows. Finally, the new full Metal integration is a big and great new change for Mac AutoCAD users. 

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Architects, interior designers, and landscape design professionals are encouraged to connect with peers, explore emerging trends, and get a first-hand look at the latest features in Vectorworks 2026, launching in September 2025.

Design Days 2025

“Design Days are about fostering a global community where designers can exchange bold ideas, explore cutting-edge tools, and shape the future of design,” said Vectorworks Senior Product Marketing Director Rubina Siddiqui, Assoc. AIA. “This year, we look forward to highlighting powerful updates and features that help architects, interior designers, and landscape professionals design more sustainably and creatively.”

Vectorworks Design Days 2025 is coming this fall and next year to North America, the United Kingdom, Japan, and Australia.

Attendees will have the opportunity to network with other Vectorworks peers, hear success stories from accomplished colleagues, and gain insights from Vectorworks senior leadership on the future of design and technology, including highlights from the Public Roadmap.

Vectorworks Design Days 2025 is scheduled for multiple days and locations around the globe, including:

• Design Day London — 14 October 2025
• Design Day Vancouver — 30 October 2025
• Design Day Tokyo — 5 December 2025 (Architecture only)
• Design Day Sydney — May 2026

Registration is free for each Design Day event. Prospective attendees can secure their spot through the registration page.

MORE: ToshTalks 25-01: Vectorworks Futures with Ruby Siddiqui

Press interested in attending can contact the Vectorworks Public Relations team at pr@vectorworks.net for more information or to schedule interviews with senior leadership or industry experts.

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As proof of that fact, Autodesk’s AutoCAD is far from alone in owning the market for 2D CAD. In fact, it has more competitors than ever and is especially locked in a brutal innovation fight with Germany’s Graebert and its rival DWG CAD system ARES.

From this context, let’s look at what Autodesk has introduced this year and why it matters.

AutoCAD 2026

Performance Matters

Performance always matters and always counts in CAD workflows, even if we are talking about “fractions of an hour” savings on a daily basis. Studies and reports by workstation makers and research Architosh has undertaken ourselves show that CAD and BIM users wait on their computer for commands to complete on average from 25-45 minutes per day, adding up to hours of wait time per week. Will the value of an engineer or architect’s time typically billed out to clients at over USD 125 per hour, the total wait time (known in computer science as “system response time”) of a CAD system running on a computer can equate to USD 21,600 per year per employee. The amount of time recaptured (see Recapturing Wait Time Value in the article link below) from slow CAD system performance is highly opportunistic (conservatively estimated at 30 percent of system response time) and worth up to USD 6,480 per year per employee. (see: Architosh, “BIM Manager: The Economic Value of Workstation Performance,” Xpresso newsletter No 44)

The new AutoCAD 2026 boasts new performance gains and new AI and other streamlining features.

So, learning that AutoCAD 2026 has up to 11x faster file opening and up to 4x faster startup is hardly trivial as these activities—startup and more key file openings—are done not just daily but multiple times per day. The 11x faster file opening is the one metric here that can offer a significant boost in productivity for users.

New Features

For CAD managers, AutoCAD 2026 features the new ability to centralize the control and sharing of support files via Autodesk Docs. This saves a team of users from each individual needing to set up things like fonts and other settings.

MORE: ARES Kudo adds BIM to Drawings Automation and AI — Challenges AutoCAD

On the collaboration front, new import markup support means users can bring in “marked-up” PDF, JPEG, and other image files and the user can select how individual elements (like clouds) will display in ACAD 2026. They essentially become active elements in the design file. This means a Bluebeam markup cloud can become essentially an active cloud element in AutoCAD 2026. Additionally, markups created in Autodesk Docs can also be brought in to AutoCAD with automatic conversion and placed on the Trace Layer. And there is even deeper integration between Docs and AutoCAD via the Trace Layer.

Enhanced Features

Autodesk AI introduced the ability to recognize repeating objects and convert them into blocks. Now in version 2026 this technology is more mature. Autodesk AI scans a file—say a DWG file from another application source—and finds opportunities for block creation and will either suggest an existing block to implement for those repeating elements or will suggest the creation of a new block. This kind of feature is definitely a useful one. And there are other more advanced block detection features that the reader should take a look at in the video here.

AI driven block features are not new in AutoCAD 2026 but they have gained key enhancements.

Finally, the enhanced Insights features now give the user to see what is new since a user has last worked on a file assuming others have worked on it also. The What’s Changed features show details and summaries of what is different between the file a user is looking at now versus when that user last looked at the file.

And lastly, the new early access Multi-User Markup for AutoCAD benefits multi-user workflows via the utilization of Autodesk Docs with multi-user markups. Using Docs markup tools—which are newly available in early access preview on AutoCAD for the Web—multiple users can create markup and links to provide simultaneous access to designs without duplication or locking of files. This capability essentially leverages Trace Layers to enable the markup and collaboration of this markup via Docs.

This is what is essentially new and different in version 2026. Architosh will look at updates to mobile and web and LT in a future news summary. To learn more go here.

Architosh Analysis and Commentary

The benefit of recognizing objects that make useful and suitable block has wide applicability. The typical example Autodesk shows is doors in a building floor plan. Clearly if these doors are all the same size then converting mass instances of them into a single block is super smart. Some of the newer AI technologies with reference to blocks are also quite interesting. 

This latest version introduces enhancements to AutoCAD that enable it to work better in team situations where more than one person works with a file often. The Trace Layer feature—which is one feature that is unique to AutoCAD versus its chief competitors—is gaining more teeth and robustness in how it plays a role with multi-user markup with the web version of AutoCAD and via Docs. 

2D DWG CAD is still highly relevant in BIM-based AEC projects and Docs is Autodesk’s cloud-based common data environment (CDE) for AEC, or one of them, depending on how you define a CDE. 

The post What’s new in AutoCAD 2026 appeared first on Architosh.

The all-virtual Open House is available for customers worldwide and provides them a chance to interact directly with the company and its development teams on features, technology, and product directions.

Open House

Brand new this year, with the virtual Open House, there will be a keynote session from the Vectorworks leadership team offering a firsthand look at upcoming innovations from the Vectorworks Public Roadmap. This will be followed by the ability of attendees to join various interactive Open Forum rooms where they can engage with Vectorworks engineers and specialists about what they saw in the keynote or any other matters regarding the product. These forums enable Vectorworks customers to have high-quality contact with the teams that develop the products they rely on for their businesses.

Vectorworks Open House is a virtual event for customers worldwide to engage with the engineering and product leadership teams about the future of Vectorworks products for design and BIM industries.

“We are thrilled to bring back the Vectorworks Open House with a renewed focus on accessibility and engagement,” said Darick DeHart, Vectorworks’ chief product officer and Open House keynote speaker. “This event is a fantastic opportunity for our customers to gain insights into what’s ahead, connect with our experts, and share their feedback directly with our team.”

The Open Forums also give users the ability to learn about how to improve their workflows, discover new tools and capabilities in the tools, and engage with leadership about how Vectorworks is continuing to support the architecture, interior, landscape, and entertainment design industries.

To register

Visit the Vectorworks Open House home page for more information and to register. Press interested in attending should contact the Vectorworks PR team at pr@vectorworks.net.

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The new online platform fully replaces Pickups previous website and introduces a community-driven approach to learning Vectorworks.

Vectorworks Training Skool

“This is more than just a new website—it’s a new way of learning. The community aspect allows users to engage, ask questions, and grow together. I’ve dedicated my full-time efforts to making this the best place for Vectorworks professionals to level up their skills,” says Pickup.

Vectorworks Training Skool is a new online platform for learning and mastering Vectorworks.

The fun name attached to Pickup’s new online platform comes from the technology provider Skool that underlies the new Vectorworks learning site, a platform that helps develop communities and educational resources online and where, in this case, users of the Vectorworks Training Skool can form a community and engage with each other as well as with Jonathan himself.

VLS offers all of the following:

• 530 training videos spanning five years of expert content
• Live online learning classes with hands-on instruction
• A private community for discussion, support, and even collaboration
• Updated learning manuals and new courses in development

Vectorworks Training Skool is designed for architects, designers, landscape architects and garden designers and other CAD professionals using Vectorworks in the AEC industries who want to master Vectorworks and thereby increase productivity.

Unlike more open social media platforms, this Skool-based platform will keep discussions private and focused on the topics at hand without the potential distractions of social media.

Availability and Cost

The Vectorworks Training Skool is brand new and now open to new members. Membership is 67 USD per month and there is a free 7-day trial. You can learn more here: https://www.skool.com/jonathan-pickup

Architosh Commentary and Analysis

Jonathan Pickup is one of the best CAD trainers in the global CAD industry and a household name among longtime Vectorworks users. It is somewhat remarkable that Vectorworks itself hasn’t scooped him up, as many digital directors in large firms often complain that the best, most advanced users often get hired away from firms and end up working for the software company itself. Pickup’s ability to maintain his independence is admirable. He has been a frequent speaker-trainer at Vectorworks user conferences. 

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A Word About PowerCADD

PowerCADD is a Mac-only 2D CAD system going back to the early days of computer-aided drafting and design (CADD). At one time the system stole the hearts of many architects who were looking for a system that was both easy to use and resembled the ways of working by drawing by hand, insofar as that is possible with a computer system. From the beginning until now it lacked a 3D space to create true three-dimensional imagery, but a talented and enterprising engineer named Alfred Scott came along and created a way to cheat the system and enable users to create compelling three-dimensional images like perspective renderings. WildTools also added other nifty features to PowerCADD over the years and continue to do so.

We last wrote about PowerCADD stuck at version 9 last October when it was announced that formZ developer AutoDesSys, Inc. would be teaming up with PowerCADD developer Engineering Software to develop a next-generation PowerCADD. We are currently working to generate a story on that development but understanding the suggestion that formZ and PowerCADD may work together somehow because they have “joined forces” is likely incorrect. We understand from Alfred Scott that AutoDesSys is more likely to provide software engineering expertise to take PowerCADD to the next level and into the future (likely as a cross-platform application just like formZ is).

Here’s the update on WildTools.

WildTools 10.6

WildTools 10.6 plugin for PowerCADD boasts over 200 powerful tools. These have a common and easily understood interface and are accessible from within PowerCADD.

Wavy Line dialog: one of many tools in WildTools 10.6 plugin for PowerCADD

Developer Alfred Scott tells us:-

Improvements and bug-fixes include

• Canadian square tube error is fixed.
• Depictions of flat and oval head 3D screws are fixed.
• Drawing of 3D threads has been changed from polygons to Beziers.
• Thicken Tool from WildTools and 3D Thicken Tool in WildTools 3D have been improved.
• Perspective Thicken Tool in PerspectiveTools now produces Beziers from circles, arcs, rotated ellipses, etc.
• The tendency for the Plan Title Tool in Doors & Windows to crash has been fixed.
• The Magic Wand tool is now working as it should and showing which objects will be selected.
• Users can now use the Edit Window repeatedly with a tool.
• The Door tool dialog now draws the wall end lines correctly.
• Gradients are now working properly in Doors & Windows, so the objects placed now look right, and the Tree Gradient tool works as intended.
• The Door tool will operate in metric or imperial sizes. When one selects the Door tool, there is a single button on the button dock, but when your mouse is over the button, it turns into a simple metric or imperial selector.

Removed

A number of obsolete tools have been removed from WildTools 10.6 plugin for PowerCADD. These include WildTool’s classic text tool, which is used to place obsolete text objects in the drawing. DerekTools, MattTools, and SimpleTools have also been removed from this version.

How to upgrade

To get your copy of WildTools 10.6, open PowerCADD, and select ‘WildTools Updates’ from the Help menu. This will take you to a web page for WildTools 10.6. Then click the ‘Download WildTools Development Version’ link.

Alternatively, click here for more information about WildTools.

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AutoCAD on M1 Mac

AutoCAD is native on the Mac but only for Intel X86 at the moment. That will likely change in the near future but we have no timeline.  Autodesk stated in its online forums that the company was working on it. That was back in November of 2020—a year ago! So what is new on this issue?

MORE: Is ARES the neXt AutoCAD?

The system requirements page for AutoCAD 2021 on Mac states that M series chips are supported through translation via the Rosetta 2 mode. That is not the same as native M1 chip support which means Rosetta 2 will deliver some degree of a performance hit. And that is not the only issue at play now.

Apple’s new MacBook Pro comes in 14-in. and 16-in. models, and are powered by either the M1 Pro or M1 Max SoC (chip), offering industry-leading performance per watt across both CPU, GPU and machine learning functions.

A recent post here on the latest page on their forums shows that AutoCAD 2021 is not yet supported on macOS Monterrey, the very latest macOS operating system shipping on Apple’s latest computers—especially its brand new MacBook Pros.

next page: we discuss native modeling kernels and why Autodesk may be taking long to get an M1 ready AutoCAD out the door

The post Can you run AutoCAD on M1 Mac? — Answers appeared first on Architosh.

Joining Forces

Alfred P. Scott—who recently penned an article on Architosh about the passing of influential Boston-area architect, educator, mentor, and longtime PowerCADD user, Phil Loheed, AIA, NCARB—wrote in to share the news of AutoDesSys joining forces with Engineered Software. He has shared the entire email, which we will quote below:

Todd Stanley of Engineered Software writes:

In June I delivered sad news that development was ending with PowerCADD. Today, I have some exciting news about PowerCADD’s future. Engineered Software and AutoDesSys, Inc, (the maker of the form•Z 3D design modeler) are joining forces to develop the next generation of PowerCADD. 

This partnership brings additional development, technical support resources and expertise, and a 3D connection to the PowerCADD product line and will add powerful 2D drawing capabilities to the form•Z product line. We share a vision of a drawing tool with classic PowerCADD capabilities using a modern approach that will take it well into the future. 

In this partnership I will be focusing on development, returning to a role I have cherished since the early days of PowerCADD. Work on this exciting new PowerCADD is already underway. Please bear with us through this process. We look forward to sharing details along the way and we  hope to launch the new PowerCADD by the end of next summer.

We will be announcing more details on the partnership in the coming weeks and operational details regarding sales and technical support. 

An interesting note above is the comment that “work on this exciting development is underway.”  This will certainly be a welcome sigh of relief for countless PowerCADD users who heard this news not too long ago.

It is with heavy hearts and much sadness that Engineered Software’s announcement of PowerCADD’s future must be made.

Those were Todd Stanley’s opening words back in June on the PowerCADD forums at Engineered Software. It appeared that Apple’s operating system changes had gotten the best of them and the required efforts to catch up were simply no longer feasible.

With AutoDesSys Inc. now coming to the rescue this latest announcement reverses the course for the future of PowerCADD.

Architosh Analysis and Commentary

We have been tardy in announcing the original storyline about PowerCADD but it is turning out that we can get a chance to write a happy story. That story still needs a deeper journalistic look-see to get at the what-about and goings-on of what is really involved. Certainly, PowerCADD and AutoDesSys will likely make a more detailed announcement in the near future as Todd Stanley notes in his message above. 

Given what we know from what everyone could read here, AutoDesSys must be taking some stake in ownership in Engineered Software. It is just a guess at this moment. If the total rewrite of PowerCADD and the challenges that come with that were the big issues, AutoDesSys will surely be the source of technical knowledge, know-how, and maybe manpower to get PowerCADD’s source code to where it needs to be. And where is that? 

Apple wants its Mac developers on its development IDE, Xcode working in Swift, and SwiftUI. But that is only part of the challenge in creating a modern platform for PowerCADD. Going off of OpenGL and moving to Apple Metal is also a critical affair. And as far as formZ is concerned, it too is making its migration—as most Mac 3D/CAD applications are—over to Apple’s modern code requirements. Such a process is big work and it can come with critical dependencies. 

Back to a more positive light, the idea of future PowerCADD and future formZ applications having connectivity and integrations sounds interesting. PowerCADD is famous for several reasons, including being quite popular over the years despite being only developed for the Mac platform. Back in the days of Barry Isakson’s “Day in the Life of an Architect” seminar series at Apple locations around the United States, Isakson gave high praise to PowerCADD’s overall capabilities, citing its graphics orientation and in particular its speed. 

Over at FormZ’s forums, they enthusiastically offer a warm hand to PowerCADD users. The implications are fairly clear. FormZ technology will benefit from PowerCADD’s robust 2D CAD drawing code base, and PowerCADD users will gain a bigger and true 3D sibling. The moderator at FormZ says, “Work has already begun on a new modern PowerCADD. We look forward to sharing details along the way and expect to introduce these exciting new 2D capabilities by the end of next summer.” 

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Phil’s Contribution to PowerCADD

This is indeed sad news.

When I was developing WildTools 3D, I ended up on the phone with Phil who said that we needed some tools for drawing in perspective and we ended up having many discussions.  At first, Phil was talking to me about a ‘magic cube’ and how it all might work.  I didn’t understand what he was talking about but we ended up with a Perspective Cube window which was similar to the WildTools 3D Cube that let you choose one-, two- or three-point perspective modes.  Best I could understand, we would then have the ability to create some perspective points.  “Oh no,” said Phil, “we’ve barely gotten started.”  What in the world could he be thinking about?

Still hopelessly confused, I finally asked Phil if he could come up with a series of drawings that would explain all this. He sent me drawings that showed the relationship of vanishing points in each mode and how angles were done to precision while lengths were not and not distorted relative to the vanishing points. (see below).

Phil Loheed’s drawings explaining his concepts for 3D perspective tools in PowerCADD which would ultimately help shape WildTools development. (image courtesy of Alfred P. Scott, developer of WildTools)

Phil had learned about perspective drawings from Carlos Diniz, a legendary architectural illustrator, and Phil was keeping Carlos updated on what we were working on.

Carlos worked at a firm in California and he hired an architect Frank Goodman, who found it was difficult to get clients with a Jewish name, so he changed it to Gehry. Phil and Carlos were working with an old friend of mine, Lehr Jackson, a developer in Baltimore. They were working on major projects: the South Street Seaport in New York, Grand Central Station Terminal, Faneuil Marketplace in Boston.

A rendering by architectural illustrator, Carlos Diniz. (image courtesy of Alfred P. Scott)

One day in 2001 Phil called and was terribly upset. He had just learned that Carlos had passed away. In the end, we ended up with PerspectiveTools and it was far beyond what Phil had in mind when he stated in the beginning that we were just getting started.

Phil Loheed and PowerCADD

Phil Loheed, AIA, NCARB, established Loheed Design Partnership in 1990. The office was located in Somerville, Massachusetts, on Broadway Street. Many younger architects will remember Phil, he was an engaged mentor in the community and a memorable instructor at The Boston Architectural College (BAC).

Phil Loheed, AIA, NCARB.

The story of Loheed Design Partnership’s graphics systems evolution is told here on Engineered Software’s website. You can also find some stunning images from Phil’s practice on this page.

For those in the architectural or PowerCADD community who would like to send a note to Pat Loheed and their family, please use Phil’s email Phil.Loheed@dp-plus.us

Or mail to Pat Loheed, 1310 Broadway, Suite 103, Somerville, MA 02144

About Alfred P. Scott

Alfred P. Scott was the president of Sequoia Aircraft Corporation and is the author of the WildTools add-on for PowerCADD.

The post Honoring Architect Phil Loheed — His Contributions to PowerCADD appeared first on Architosh.

What connectCAD Offers

Since 2009, connectCAD has been offered as a plugin for Vectorworks software, turning the popular CAD/BIM software package into a full-fledged CAD system aimed at helping broadcast, AV, lighting, IT (information technology), and any other type of connected system professional develop sophisticated networking, layouts, and cable lists that match the completed cabling architecture.

Focused primarily on AV professionals needing complex and coordinated documentation, connectCAD is popular in industry segments serving exhibitions, casinos, conferences, churches, staging events, theme parks, IT and telecom infrastructure, as well as broadcast systems. Additionally, anyone involved in design, installation, and connection of electrical and electronic systems can benefit from the powerful combination of connectCAD and Vectorworks.

connectCAD is currently a powerful plugin for AV professionals on the Vectorworks platform. Once the acquisition is complete it will become a C++ add-on module with greater performance.

“connectCAD has been a great partner product for Vectorworks over the years and has gradually built a product for Vectorworks that creates a powerful, yet intuitive interface for generating audiovisual system designs and reports,” said Vectorworks CEO Dr. Biplab Sarkar. “In response to the growing audio needs for our customers, connectCAD was an obvious choice because it’s a high-quality product that naturally extends our AV capabilities for our users.”

As part of the pending acquisition, connectCAD Founder, Managing Director and Programmer for the tools, Conrad Preen will be committing to a minimum of two years with Vectorworks to continue the development of connectCAD.

“Part of the Vectorworks family, connectCAD is poised to enter a new era and will be able to realize its true potential,” said Preen. “We’re looking forward to introducing many new features in the coming years with the expertise of Vectorworks engineers fine-tuning our existing features. As in human enterprise, teamwork is the key to great results, and I can think of no better team than Vectorworks.”

Moving from Vectorscript to C++

connectCAD has been developed using Vectorscript and the first order of business will be to convert all Vectorscript tools and commands to C++ using the Vectorworks SDK, thus enhancing the performance of the connectCAD plugin.

This task will turn the plugin into a C++ based add-on module for Vectorworks Spotlight or Designer (the total complete Vectorworks package), first in English and German. Completion of the first phase will be during the Vectorworks 2020 version cycle.

On Display at InfoComm 2019

Beginning June 12 through June 14, connectCAD will be on display in Orlando, FL at InfoComm 2019, which is deemed the audiovisual and integrated experience event. To learn more about the pending acquisition and technology, visit the Vectorworks booth #7672.

To purchase or learn more about connectCAD, visit connectcad.com.

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“A driving force for creating the GDTF was to fix a glaring problem of disconnected workflows for professionals within the entertainment community,” said Dr. Biplab Sarkar, CEO at Vectorworks, a global design and BIM software solutions provider. “With this latest version of GDTF, it marks a monumental step of this initiative with GDTF and MVR in our products.”

GDTF 1.0 — Updates

Most recently, revisions to the new file format include improvements to the following:

• DMX mode
• Geometry type
• Physical descriptions of emitters, filters and color space
• Date and user stamp on all uploaded GDTF files

Further, official documentation now lives online and offers GDTF and MVR file descriptions, GDTF tutorials, an MVR portable library and more.

Further, official documentation now lives online and offers GDTF and MVR file descriptions, GDTF tutorials, an MVR portable library and more.

01 – MVR support in Vision is now standard since SP3 which was just released. Vectorworks has been a driving force in the entertainment CAD industry so pushing this new standard out is unsurprising.

Previously in private beta, the web-based fixture builder, which allows manufacturers to create GDTF files for their fixtures, is updated in GDTF version 1.0 and available at https://gdtf-share.com/. The fixture builder also allows manufacturers and end users to create GDTF files for lighting fixtures. Manufacturers interested in moving forward with creating GDTF files for their fixtures can receive access to the fixture builder and a private beta of grandMA3 onPC xPort Node and grandMA3 onPC software to import GDTF and MVR files for testing their build process with real output.

“We’ve covered a lot of ground quickly since the GDTF was announced at last year’s Prolight + Sound to support the needs of the entertainment industry,” said Gerhard Krude, managing director of MA Lighting Technology. “We’ve also made substantial progress with implementing GDTF and MVR and are excited to share that we have working versions of GDTF 1.0 and MVR implemented with our grandMA3 console line. Moreover, we have decided to also develop and provide a converter to take advantage of the GDTF database also for our renowned and commonly used grandMA2 series. We look forward to sharing the groundbreaking advancements during demonstrations at the upcoming Prolight + Sound show.”

This announcement comes a week after Vectorworks 2019 Service Pack 3 was released with significant advancements to the MVR connection between Vectorworks’ products. Now, you can import and export MVR in Spotlight and import MVR into Vision, providing a more efficient workflow to designers.

“As a moving lights manufacturer, the intense collaborative development of the General Device Type Format in the past year has been crucial for achieving the goal of having a unified, technically sound, comprehensive specification for lighting fixtures, as well as sharing all of the intricate details of our devices with our customers, planners, designers and operators,” said Josef Valchar, CEO of Robe lighting. “The fixture builder has been yet another important milestone in the whole process, and it provides an accessible way of creating the GDTF files. Besides the fresh 1.0 version, the news about MA Lighting planning to provide a converter from GDTF to grandMA2 series is the most exciting news I’ve heard since we started developing GDTF itself.”

GDTF 1.0 and MVR will be on display during the Prolight + Sound show in Frankfurt, Germany at Hall 12.0, C51 (Vectorworks), Hall 12.0, C69 (MA Lighting) and Hall 12.1, D10 (Robe lighting). Media interested in learning more should contact Vectorworks Senior Media Relations Manager Lauren Meyer at lmeyer@vectorworks.net to book a press interview.

Currently, twenty manufacturers have signed on to support the GDTF. Other manufacturers interested in participating should email info@gdtf-share.com or post in the GDTF forum.

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The new integration means Dropbox and Autodesk users can access DWG files anytime, anywhere directly from within Dropbox.

How the AutoCAD – Dropbox Integration Works

Basically, when you see your DWG files in your Dropbox directory, you can open them directly into the AutoCAD web app—no download or install required.

“By integrating more closely with Dropbox we’re giving users and teams even more power to create, design and make amazing things,” said Rob Maguire, vice president, AutoCAD Family Products. “We’re committed to delivering a seamless experience to creative professionals, architects, and engineers through this integration.”

An AutoCAD Dropbox Extension enables you to set this integration up quickly; users will have the ability to have Dropbox be their central file location. When you are working in the AutoCAD web app and save, it saves it to Dropbox, so you will consistently have up-to-date files.

01 – A view of Dropbox with the new AutoCAD integration. This is how you can launch AutoCAD web app directly from within Dropbox online in your browser.

Now when you hover your cursor over a DWG file in Dropbox, an “Open with” drop-down menu shows AutoCAD (web app) as an open option. Upon clicking the AutoCAD web app launches in a new browser window where the user can view and edit the drawing.

AutoCAD Fun Facts

Not only did AutoCAD for Mac 2019 and AutoCAD LT for Mac 2019 just get announced, but Apple showcased AutoCAD Mobile at its recent New York City hardware event where they introduced the new iPad Pros.

At the event, we heard “For the first time, Autodesk will be bringing the desktop engine of AutoCAD to the iPad. This will allow customers to view and edit files that contain hundreds of thousands of objects, with performance as fast as the fastest PCs.”

02 – The latest version of AutoCAD Mobile running on Apple’s brand new iPad Pro with A12X Bionic processor. This version runs the same exact AutoCAD desktop engine and the iPad Pro 2 offers more processing power than 90 + percent of all shipping conventional laptop computers shipping today. (image: screenshot from Apple event)

During Apple’s October hardware event, both Autodesk and Adobe announced that AutoCAD and Photoshop’s actual desktop engines were, respectively, running natively and with great speed on the iPad Pro.

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ARES for Enterprise

ARES for Enterprise addresses the needs of larger organizations facing deployment challenges for larger numbers of CAD users, across both desktop, mobile and cloud. Graebert’s Trinity of CAD solutions offering innovative simplified user licensing, enabling users to easily work across numerous devices and operating systems.

01 – ARES for Enterprise provides new abilities for large customers to host ARES Kudo on private AWS servers or on intranet Windows servers, offering customers security requirements that exceed the public cloud.

Key features of the new enterprise specific offering include:

Higher Control for Administrators

• Cloud Storage Services Admin Control — admins can now control which cloud services are allowed by an organization, selecting from major names in cloud storage, from Google, Box, Dropbox, OneDrive, Onshape, Trimble Connect, and others.
• Mobile Device Management (MDM) — admins now have MDM solutions support
• Control User Capabilities — admins can restrict some features based on the policies of an organization. Examples include not allowing export to PDF, or the ability to share drawings with a link for online viewing.

Deployment Facilitation

• Support for Single Sign-on (SSO) — the enterprise offering allows for authentication via Microsoft Active Directory Federation Services (other SSO providers may follow).
• Count of Monthly Active Users — instead of paying a license for each user, ARES for Enterprise allows organizations to pay only for the users who have been using the product at least once per month. Enterprise customers pay for a capacity o monthly active users and will not pay for inactive users. This allows deploying to a “pool of users” without knowing the exact needs of each of them.

Integration with IT Environment

• ARES Kudo on Private AWS — Earlier in the year Graebert was among first companies to receive the Industrial Software Competency from Amazon Web Services (AWS). ARES for Enterprise customers will be offered the option to run ARES Kudo, the company’s cloud version, on a private AWS environment managed by Graebert for their exclusive needs. Additional costs would apply based on required capacities. This option is therefore only required to meet specific security requirements.
• ARES Kudo on Internal Server — ARES for Enterprise also supports the option to run ARES Kudo on an internal Windows server behind an organization’s firewall. This would allow ARES Kudo to run offline on an intranet (browser-based network not connected to the Internet). Additional costs would apply based on customer requirements.

These new enterprise features will greatly aid large companies looking to deploy DWG-based CAD solutions. The DWG format has been the lingua franca of the CAD industry to produce and share technical drawings for decades. Millions of professionals use such software in a variety of industries, from AEC, manufacturing, engineering, plant and utility, infrastructure, et cetera. This represents billions of DWG files saved over the years.

To learn more about ARES-based CAD solutions go here.

Architosh Analysis and Commentary

Graebert is one of several companies that are challenging Autodesk’s popular AutoCAD directly, with compatible DWG file format software. But their challenges go far beyond just matching features and battling on price and licensing typology. There is a growing demand for viewing and editing DWG files, according to companies like Graebert.

“DWG-editing is entering a new era,” said Cedric Desbordes, Sales and Marketing Executive, Graebert. “For each desktop user currently using CAD software we estimate that there could be easily three to five times more mobile and cloud users. This represents tens of millions of potential new users,” continues Desbordes.

These ideas are not unheard of here at Architosh. Corel, also a Graebert licensee and partner, has described many of its larger enterprise-sized customers in similar terms, where the occasional CAD enters specific segments of workflows touching on mainstay CAD workflows. A good example is technical illustrators for enterprise manufacturing companies, companies like Boeing and John Deere, for example. Such companies need to enable light-weight CAD users to gain access to CAD data and often times that person is on a factory floor or marketing boardroom.

Graebert’s Trinity of CAD solution now covers all device types and scales from the personal to the larger enterprise customer, with flexible and powerful licensing and now powerful enterprise options for deployment and admin control.

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Vancouver Vectorworks Headquarters

The Vectorworks Canadian corporate office will be led by Geoff McBeath, former director of Resolve Software Solutions, who has more than 20 years of experience in Vectorworks support, training, and sales.

“The opening of a Vectorworks office in Canada will allow us to better serve our growing community of users in North America, offering improved resources and a direct connection with our product development team,” said Vectorworks CEO Dr. Biplab Sarkar. “Geoff McBeath has provided significant contributions to the growth of this market over the past two decades, and he and his team will continue to offer training and support to designers in the AEC, landscape and entertainment design industries.”

“I am very pleased to be joining Vectorworks, a company with which we’ve had a close relationship over many years,” said McBeath. “For Canadian customers, I think this is an excellent development — it says that Vectorworks considers Canada an important market that has strong potential for growth, and that it needs to be served by a Canadian team that understands local concerns. With a larger staff and the resources of Vectorworks headquarters behind us, we are poised for strong growth in the coming years.”

The Vectorworks Canada HQ will be located at 207 West Hastings Street, Suite 611, Vancouver, BC V6B 1H7.

Toronto Satellite Office

To further strengthen Vectorworks’ footprint in Canada, the company plans to open a satellite office in the major city of Toronto. Qualified sales candidates in Toronto are invited to explore open positions.

More about Vectorworks can be found at vectorworks.net/ca.

Architosh Analysis and Commentary

Vectorworks’ decision to acquire Resolve Software Solutions is an interesting signal from the company. Resolve has historically been one of its standout resellers in foreign markets. The company was chosen as a reseller of Solibri back in 2017, only a year ago, and prior resold Bluebeam and C4D. At the time of that announcement, Resolve was Solibri’s only Canadian market point of entry.  However, just as Vectorworks in the US has been a reseller for some of its sister companies from Europe (eg: you can buy Cinema 4D from them) perhaps the Canadian office will continue to serve the Solibri, Bluebeam and Cinema 4D customers in Canada too. 

Paxar Technology Corp. is the other reseller in this story. Paxar was started by Teri Young. Paxar employee Neil Barman has joined the Vectorworks Canada team. 

Other Nemetschek Group companies have expanded their corporate footprints through acquisitions of resellers, GRAPHISOFT, in particular, comes to mind. It will be interesting to see if this trend continues, as Vectorworks also acquired its UK-based Design Software Solutions Limited back in 2017 as well.  

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AutoCAD Capturing More Limelight

Fast Company’s Innovation by Design Awards celebrates trailblazing design in the business world. This year there were over 2,800 submissions across 16 categories, ranging from Design Company of the Year to Web, Workplace, User Experience, Apps and Games, and more.

01 – AutoCAD Web App shown here, now a Finalist for user experience (UX) at Fast Company’s Innovation by Design Awards program.

Autodesk’s AutoCAD Web team was a noted finalist in User Experience but also an honorable mention in Design Company of the Year, Web Design and Workplace. On a side note, architecture firm NBBJ won the award for Workplace.

AutoCAD Web

AutoCAD Web App was also featured in Google I/O’s “the web: State of the Union” address:

“AutoCAD is now universally accessible on all devices instantly. So if you’re away from your workstation, you can make edits to your CAD drawings, regardless of device or operating system.” 

And AutoCAD product line manager Marcus O’Brien spoke about AutoCAD’s 35-year journey to the web at the same event. You can see that talk here.

The Command Line Finds the Web App

Autodesk says the Command line has been the most requested feature to be added to the web app. Now it is available, so users working from anywhere how the full power of this time-honored power feature.

To learn more about AutoCAD visit here.

Architosh Analysis and Commentary

Using WebAssembly, a new web standard, and Javascript Autodesk was able to abandon the idea of rewriting their massive C++ legacy AutoCAD code base in Javascript and instead use their C++ code base but compiled with Emscripten.  (Marcus O’Brien notes that AutoCAD in the browser this way is more performant than if their code base was actually rewritten in Javascript alone.) 

02 – WebAssembly is a key new technology that is enabling, along with Javascript and WebGL, very advanced app experiences fully in the browser.

The push for AutoCAD on the web has likely been served by multiple internal needs, including AutoCAD users wanting to access AutoCAD from anywhere on any device. Yet the presence of web-based rival solutions may have also played a factor in the development of AutoCAD the web app. You can see this image and learn more by watching O’Brien’s talk here.

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As a first-of-its-kind intensive training program, SILV offers improved and efficient ways to train students in all areas of live entertainment in an effort to grow the next generation of practitioners in the field. Vectorworks aids in this mission by donating funds to the organization and teaching workshops on cutting-edge entertainment technology.

Increasing Digital Drafting and Pre-Viz

“The partnership that SILV with Vectorworks has dramatically expanded our students’ experience with digital drafting and increased their pre-visualization and console programming capabilities, making the plotting and paperwork process possible,” said Jane Childs, director at SILV. “The accomplishments achieved after two short weeks with our Vectorworks friends is phenomenal.”

For the fourth year in a row, Frank Brault, product marketing manager — entertainment at Vectorworks, will volunteer to teach classes. In addition to the week-long Spotlight class that will cover basic concepts to advanced 2D and 3D techniques, Brault will also run a week-long course about Vision, the pre-visualization software developed by Vectorworks. Students will have the opportunity to learn about Spotlight from June 3 to 8, 2018 and Vision and Lightwright from July 1 to 6, 2018.

“Vectorworks is committed to the academic community and is passionate about supporting the Stagecraft Institute of Las Vegas. Teaching these courses is the perfect opportunity for us,” said Brault. “One of my favorite things about teaching these students is watching the changes in confidence that take place as they become proficient with Vectorworks. At the end of the training, they are excited about taking their experience in the classroom to new roles in the entertainment world and beyond.”

To participate in the SILV program, students must first apply. Submissions are ongoing.

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While progeSOFT SA makes progeCAD and progeCAD Architecture for the Windows environment, the company makes a lesser known version for Apple’s macOS platform known as iCADMac. The latest version was updated in December to version 2018.

progeCAD’s iCADMac 2018

Known as a complete and professional 2D/3D DWG-based CAD system, iCADMac 2018 reads and writes AutoCAD files up to version 2018. For veteran AutoCAD users the company touts it is easy to use due to its familiarity, but without the licensing imposition of subscription licensing.

iCADMac 2018 features native support for Apple’s macOS El Capitan and High Sierra operating systems and the user interface has been optimized to make working easier. Enhanced menus save mouse clicks via a more complete, contextual menus system.

01 – An example of iCADMac 2018’s interface showing FLW’s Fallingwater.

In iCADMac 2018, the user has two user interfaces to choose from. They can choose either the classic “light grey” theme or the new “dark 2018” theme, which is ideal, says the company, for high-resolution 4K displays on Apple’s computers, thanks to the vector-based icons in the macOS menu architecture.

Other New Items in iCADMac 2018

Besides the new features stated above, new tools include, importantly, a new AutoComplete feature to speed up typing commands and system variables. SuperHatch creates an area hatch using an image, a block, an external reference, or a wipeout.

There are new features for handling hatches and gradients. Trimmed hatches remain associative and behave as a single entity. Print dialogs are also much improved with an all-new redesigned dialog box. New Auto-Hide palettes collapse palettes automatically whenever you move the pointer away from the palette. Palettes auto-expand when you move your pointer back towards them.

These are just some of the new features. You can read the complete list here.

Availability and Cost

iCADMac 2018 ships with a perpetual license for $999.USD. Support is additional and a USB-based dongle license adds $200.USD. To learn more visit them here: http://www.progesoft.com/en

Architosh Analysis and Commentary

progeSOFT claims companies like Boeing, Honda, and NASA among its ranks, and being Swiss-based it counts many European companies as customers. We have never written about this company before outside of a mention around the IntelliCAD Technology Consortium (ITC). The ITC itself was founded in 1999, the same year both Architosh and TenLinks happen to have been founded. 

This DWG native CAD tool is different than those powered by the ARES engine by Germany’s Graebert. It uses the IntelliCAD engine, which itself is based on the Teigha libraries from the Open Design Alliance. Those libraries are also at the heart of ARES and BricsCAD, another major DWG alternative CAD solution. In some sense, all these companies share common tech. A few more key observations:

• iCADMac 2018 appears to be centered on a generalist CAD direction on the macOS platform. This is in contrast to the Windows version, progeCAD which comes in two versions, one called progeCAD Architecture. 

• The company does not state it has any distinct macOS features being carried over into this CAD solution, such as support for Apple’s Touch Bar or any specific macOS UI/UX features. This is in contrast to Autodesk which has aggressively embraced unique Mac UX features. 

• Unlike Graebert’s ARES solutions and OEM partners’ solutions, there is no dedicated mobile solution associated with iCADMac 2018. Nor is there a cloud-based solution, such as what Graebert has done with ARES Kudo. Perhaps these items will emerge in the future.

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The CAD tool has sibling applications as well, in the form of a mathematics application named Mac-c and a 3d sketch and animation application called marlin3d. Of these, the mathematics application is of particular note as its a light and fast math script app with an interactive environment for calculations, programming, plotting, and image processing.

Let’s look at the new CAD app.

AutoQ3D for Mac—Details

AutoQ3D is—as the name implies—a full 3D application, not just 2D. Built as a 64-bit application on the Mac the app uses the latest OpenGL API for graphics and has iCloud, Google Drive and Dropbox support for syncing data.

01 – AutoQ3D for Mac is a modern and simple to use macOS native CAD application that works in 2D and 3D.

One can view their models from orthogonal and isometric preset viewpoints. Those include, top, front, right, left, bottom, back, and isometric. It appears you can see four viewports in one window, with tools located strictly at the top of the UI across a single row and a wider palette on the right, no doubt for additional properties.

Modifications tools enable the creation and editing of complex 3D forms using basic operations working with lines, spheres, boxes and more. There is a “snapping tools” technology in this application, both edit tools like move, scale, stretch, rotate, array and mirror. There are also grouping tools for larger projects and models. And misc. tools enable features like distance, area, distance text, angle text and other items.

Render, Interop, Documentation and Pricing Notes

Using OpenGL AutoQ3D for Mac enables wireframe, smooth and hidden line mode for how the 3D models are viewed (rendered).

02 – Another view of the clean interface which has a sparseness and vast canvas area in which to work.

Users can save their files to STL, OBJ, and DXF. And they can print their drawings, and within macOS to PDF as well. Each command line in the app has visible parameters, there is a documentation section on the website, video tutorial library and online forums and email tech support.

To learn more visit them on the web here: http://www.autoq3d.com/mac/

The new CAD app sells for $29.USD and is available for Mac on the App Store. 

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FEA In Use in Stage Design—Demand Up

Braceworks provides design, production and rigging professionals with an easy way to gauge the performance of temporary structures under load to ensure safety and compliance with engineering codes and standards. By adding Braceworks into Spotlight, designers for the first time have a completely integrated entertainment modeling, analysis and documentation process. Braceworks will be available as an add-on to Spotlight with the Vectorworks 2018 release this fall, at which time pricing will be made available.

“With today’s workflows, it’s difficult for entertainment professionals to quickly and accurately assess the safety of their designs,” said Vectorworks CEO Dr. Biplab Sarkar. “Giving them access to structural analysis within their 3D design environment is a massive improvement for their workflows. It not only will save them time and effort, but make it much easier to quickly evaluate how design changes will impact a structure’s performance.”

01 – Braceworx is software from Germany and is an add-on to the popular Vectorworks Spotlight BIM/CAD software used in theater and stage design, among other uses.

Developed in collaboration with DeerSoft GmbH, Braceworks analyzes complete 3D structural systems modeled in Spotlight. It supports point and distributed load types, straight and curved members, and multiple materials. The FEA enables static analysis with results displaying graphically on the model for easy reference. Braceworks also includes support for Eurocodes and upcoming ESTA standards, such as the E1.6. Furthermore, detailed calculation reports are automatically generated, and files can be exported as DTSV to be easily shared with structural engineers.

“Globally, the safety of temporary truss structures has come under scrutiny, so entertainment designers are constantly adjusting to new regulations and standards,” explained Moritz Staffel, managing director of DeerSoft GmbH. “Braceworks makes it easy for professionals to certify the safety of their structures.”

Those attending Prolight + Sound in Frankfurt, Germany from April 4 to April 7 can learn more about Braceworks at ComputerWorks’ booth E60, Hall 3.0. Additionally, designers can find out more by tweeting @Vectorworks.

Media members can secure an interview about Braceworks by emailing Vectorworks Communications Manager Lauren Meyer at lmeyer@vectorworks.net.

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The Pace of Agile—Sheet Metal Design Tools Coming Next

Just recently the Onshape folks announced all new Sheet Metal Design Tools, which will be available to all Onshape users with the next upcoming update. Onshape being an entirely cloud-based system and delivered as software as a service (SaaS) through modern browsers on multiple operating systems (including macOS) as well through their mobile Onshape app, for iOS, means that new features arrive at weekly intervals, not years or months.

01 – Onshape’s new Sheet Metal Design Tools offer industry-leading features.

Onshape is developed on the “agile” development method and the common agile sprint period is two weeks. Features move through the agile framework from backlog status to selected for development to in-progress to testing, to done all in a matter of a few weeks. So the pace of releases is quite frequent and the announcement of new Sheet Metal Design Tools is certainly exciting to Onshape users.

What’s Special About Onshape’s New Sheet Metal Tools

Onshape’s new sheet metal design tools will by the only professional 3D CAD system that will enable designers to work on sheet metal designs simultaneously in flat, folded, and tabular views; Onshape shows all representations in one simultaneous view. When a designer edits in one view the other two are synchronized automatically using Onshape’s full-cloud database architecture.

02 – Another view of Onshape with its new Sheet Metal Design Tools.

The company was scheduled to demo the new features at the Pacific Design & Manufacturing 2017 Conference, which took place 7-9 February at the Anaheim Convention Center, in California. In addition to highlighting the full Onshape ecosystem, including the recently released In-Context Editing, the live demos explored how sheet metal professionals can speed up their design process in the following ways:

• Simultaneous Sheet Metal Views — Unlike traditional desktop-installed CAD systems that force users to work in only one mode (flat, folded or tabular) at a time, Onshape shows all representations in one simultaneous view. When designers edit one view, the other two are synchronized automatically using Onshape’s full-cloud database architecture. Seeing the flat and folded views side-by-side allows you to visualize errors and interferences immediately, consider alternatives and ultimately, reduce scrap and wasted time.
• Editing Sheet Metal From a Bend Table View — The manufacturer can quickly change the parameters of a model in a bend table view – such as the radius or order of individual bends – while preserving the original design intent and seeing the impact immediately on the flat and folded views. No other CAD system offers the ability to edit this information in an easily accessible table view.

“Instead of having to bounce back and forth between separate sheet metal views, Onshape users can deliver faster design iterations and higher quality parts at a glance,” says principal software engineer Lana Saksonov, project leader on Onshape’s Sheet Metal team. “Having the flat view available simultaneously with the folded view lets the designer see the manufacturing impact while he or she is still modeling.”

“So if you pick bends in the wrong place, it will show you why the flat pattern won’t work or why it is not optimal,” she says. “Onshape won’t block geometry creation when causing an incorrect flat view, but will give you an immediate visual warning that there’s something wrong and provide the tools to fix it.”

“Onshape’s Simultaneous Sheet Metal Views allow you to create your model easier with more flexibility,” adds Harris. “Part of the beauty here is that you can start down one path and if things aren’t right, you can just change it around without having to start over again. In fact, you can refactor your model by switching around rips and bends.”

“This is going to prevent a lot of headaches between designers and manufacturers because almost all sheet metal work is done collaboratively. We created the system to allow designers to build in design intent and allow fabricators to adjust the model based on specific tooling, without violating the design intent,” he says.

Availability

The new precision sheet metal features, now concluding early visibility testing, will be made available to all Onshape users in a near-term release.

For more information on Onshape’s soon-to-be-released sheet metal capabilities, watch this video. For a private briefing, images or video embed codes, please contact dhenry@onshape.com.

About Onshape

Onshape is the only company in the world 100% focused on cloud and mobile CAD, offering the first professional 3D CAD system that lets everyone on a design team work together using any web browser, phone, or tablet.

As the leading CAD platform for Agile Product Design, Onshape helps companies design better products and bring them to market faster, offering real-time deployment, real-time data management and real-time analytics and controls. Using full-cloud CAD, engineers, designers, and manufacturers get secure and simultaneous access to a single master version of their designs without the hassles of software licenses or copying files.

Based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, Onshape includes key members of the original SOLIDWORKS team plus elite engineers from the cloud, data security and mobile industries. For more information, visit onshape.com/press-room.

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