The past few years have flipped the workforce on its head. To say that our working style has shifted is an understatement. Are you working in the office, at home, or remotely? How about your co-workers? How about coordinating with customers or contractors? How are you integrating the ever-changing supplier channel? Autodesk has positioned AutoCAD to support this new paradigm.
With AutoCAD Web, it means the flexibility to work on the desktop, from a browser, and on your smart device.
Open drawings from Autodesk Drive or from other supported cloud storage services like OneDrive (and SharePoint), Box, Dropbox and Google Drive. Since the drawings live in the cloud, everyone works from the same source. No e-mailing. No taking a copy when you are out of the office.
Autodesk Drive is a cloud storage platform developed by Autodesk. As with other cloud solutions, it enables individuals and teams of any size to save, examine and collaborate on design and drawing information. It is also the backbone of other Autodesk cloud solutions.
AutoCAD Mobile
The AutoCAD Mobile App connects to cloud storage in real time. As it caches drawings locally, it means accessing the drawings without an internet connection. Changes (like markups and comments) synchronize once an internet connection is established again.
Although you can draw and edit geometry with the app, its purpose is to provide the bridge between the office and the worksite. Use this app to verify measurements and make accurate assessments. Keep the drawings up to date by adding specification updates, comments, and taken photos.
Autodesk intends for CAD and non-CAD professionals to use the AutoCAD mobile app. It is available for iOS, Android and Windows 10 mobile devices. With the free account, you can connect cloud storage and view and measure drawings. The pay-for subscription plan adds the ability to create and edit drawings, share, mark up, annotate and manipulate layers.
AutoCAD Web
With the AutoCAD Web platform, you can use the familiar AutoCAD drafting tools but online in a simplified interface. It even has a command line. Although it does not have all of the desktop version’s functionality, it supplies tools for creating, editing, documenting and sharing DWGs. All you need is a supported web browser and an Internet connection.
For example, you can use AutoCAD Web when working offsite and you do not want to bring your main workstation but need access to the drawings for reference, to markup, or to make quick edits.
Access your drawings by connecting to the supported cloud storage providers. In addition, use the built-in upload option to add drawings from your local system.
The available core commands including 2D drafting tools for lines, arcs, circles and others, but also more advanced geometry tools like polylines (PLINES). Use drafting aids, including Object Snaps (OSNAPS) and polar tracking, to precisely locate the objects. You can make changes with commands such as move, copy, rotate, stretch and with AutoCAD standard Grips. The suite of annotation features allows you to add dimensions, text, leaders and revision clouds. Use the Layer Manager to create, edit and manage layers.
If the block definition exists in the drawing, you can insert additional instances. If external references exist, they will be visible and usable within the application.
In summary, what can you do with the AutoCAD Web app?
- Create and edit drawings using core AutoCAD commands.
- View, edit, share and save drawings.
- Use Trace to safely review and add feedback directly to the drawing without altering the existing drawing.
- Take measurements, add dimensions, markup and annotate your drawings.
Autodesk supports the AutoCAD Web on both Windows and Mac and runs the app on Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, and the Microsoft Edge browser.
AutoCAD and the Web
Among the benefits of moving to the cloud is the ability to quickly (and reliably) access the data and share files of any size with just a browser.
For AutoCAD on the desktop (or about any desktop application), a connected drive is a local folder whose structure is identical to that of the connected cloud data source. You open and add files to the attached drive in the same way that you can view and alter files and folders in Windows Explorer.
To access the cloud storage platform from your desktop, most platforms require the installation of a local service. For example, Autodesk Drive requires an Autodesk Desktop Connector. This connector service acts as a bridge between your local machine and your Autodesk cloud storage.
As the data replicates between the platforms, as a file changes on one system, it synchronizes to the other. So, whether using AutoCAD on the desktop, on the web, or on mobile, you can be ensured to be working on the latest version.
Trace
The most recent versions of AutoCAD (including Web and Mobile) include the Trace feature—a collaborative online markup and annotation tool. Trace is equivalent to sliding a piece of glass between you and the drawing, meaning that you trace over top of it. Create traces to provide feedback, comments, markups and design exploration without affecting the drawing’s content.
As AutoCAD automatically tags it, you can quickly identify who created and who contributed to the trace. All three versions of AutoCAD (Desktop, Web and Mobile) allow for the creation and contribution of traces.
Getting Started
Autodesk initially introduced the Web App Program in 2020 to assist customers in adapting to an evolving work environment. Autodesk has since concluded the Web App Program, replacing it with AutoCAD Web. Purchase AutoCAD Web independently or it is available as part of an AutoCAD or AutoCAD LT subscription. For those who want to try it first, a 30-day trial is available.