CU1803

SOFTWARE review
AutoCAD reborn
Autodesk has gone back to its roots with AutoCAD 2019 and now has a CAD package to meet
everybody's needs, writes David Chadwick
It's funny how CAD applications such as
AutoCAD develop. They typically begin
with a general purpose application - not
too sophisticated, but getting the job
done -and then features are added which
directly address some of the industry
groups using the software, until it reaches
the point where the number of new
features added become a bit too
cumbersome for the devices they are
running on, and the decision is made to
parcel up sets of tools and launch
industry focused versions.
Hence the introduction of AutoCAD's
Architectural Desktop and Mechanical
Desktop. Then along comes a parametric
modeller - Autodesk Inventor - with its
own unique format, followed by the
acquisition of Revit, introducing another
unique set of tools - both of which have
somewhat overshadowed the continuing
development of AutoCAD itself, which I
imagine is still the world's biggest selling
CAD application.
Prompted perhaps by the capabilities of
today's workstations, and the fact that
other software developers are producing
multi-technology applications, Autodesk
has gone back to square one and
bundled everything in a single application.
Whether you are an architect, a
mechanical designer, or any of another
five trades, you only need to load one
version of AutoCAD 2019 to get the tools
that you need for your job - plus some
new web and mobile apps to share your
efforts and improve productivity.
The different toolsets are supported by
over 750,000 intelligent objects, styles,
parts, features and symbols. Not only
does this guarantee compatibility across
the different technologies, but it allows
them to be accessed and incorporated
into designs more efficiently. Creating a
wall in the architectural toolset, for
instance, can be achieved with fewer
steps than was previously required in
earlier versions of AutoCAD.
I'm tempted to say the focus is oriented
towards the construction industry, despite
being a multi-technology application.
Most of the toolsets have an architectural
or construction slant, and even the
mechanical toolset, like Inventor, has
features that could be used to design
specific building components.
So, what do we have? Besides the
Architectural Toolset, and the Mechanical
Toolset, we have Electrical and MEP
Toolsets, both aimed at designing the
electrical systems that are becoming
increasingly important for the
construction industry as we move
towards smart buildings, and for
incorporating efficient plumbing, HVAC
and lighting into building designs.
The Plant 3D Toolset; speaks for itself, a
specialised design and engineering
toolset for creating P&IDs, and
incorporating them into 3DE plant
designs. The same rationale is behind the
Map 3D Toolset, which uses specialised
mapping features, adding GIS and CAD
data to support planning, design, and
data management, using spatial data
stored in files, databases, and web
services. The seventh toolset, Raster
Design, enables users to scan drawings
and to edit or convert the raster images
into DWG objects.
TOOLSETS
The toolset that probably interests us
most here is the Architecture Toolset. That
comes with its own set of building design
features, and more than 8000 intelligent
architectural objects and styles,
conforming to BS1192 DIN 276, ISYBAU
Long and Short Formats and STLB layer
standards. It's not Revit, but you can use it
to create floor plans, elevations and other
building design drawings with a full set of
specialised tools, as well as walls, doors
and windows, produce documentation
and schedules, and automate frequently
used drafting tasks.
The Mechanical Toolset comes, as you
would expect, with the biggest selection
of parts - over 700,000 intelligent
manufacturing parts, features, and
symbols to speed up product design -
and then there are another 65,000
intelligent electrical symbols in the
Electrical Toolset for creating, modifying
18
March/April 2018