So what else drives the direction of these annual product releases? Stover tells us that AutoCAD's innovations come out of an important network of communications from AUGI (the International user's group), events like Autodesk University and travelling road shows, tech support feedback, and customer surveys... we are assured that the company is listening. the product direction is serious business and the success of the team is a function of the following:

• rapid response to requests
• following industry standards and hardware/software advances
• adherence to an open software architecture
• product stability and ease of migration
• an evolution rather than a revolution philosiphy

The following are some of the key advances the company has made with the 2006 product release and we go on to pin point what we feel are some of the coolest new features. Keeping the GIS & Mapping professional in mind, particular attention has been paid to advances in DWF and Map 3D. We also provide some snippets of information about training available for users migrating to 2006 and point out a few related 3rd party product updates.

So What's With 2006?

AutoCAD® 2006 gives you out-of-the-box productivity. Migration and deployment are easy, and intuitive new features shorten the learning curve. New drafting and annotation tools, such as dynamic blocks and enhanced hatching, minimize the need for time-consuming workarounds. AutoCAD 2006 is designed to run side by side with AutoCAD 2000i/2002/2004/2005 software.  Autodesk products are interoperable with AutoCAD 2006. These products include 3ds max®, Autodesk® VIZ, Autodesk® DWF™ Composer, Autodesk® DWF™ Viewer, Autodesk® Raster Design, and the industry-specific products built on AutoCAD, including Autodesk Map® 3D, AutoCAD® Mechanical, AutoCAD® Electrical, Autodesk® Building Systems, Autodesk® Mechanical Desktop®, Autodesk® Architectural Desktop, Autodesk® Land Desktop, Autodesk® Civil 3D™, and Autodesk® Civil Design.

DWF... Recall that DWF Composer has been recently updated. Why is this important? Well, for starters all of the Autocad 2006 products publish 3D DWF format files which are supported by this latest release of DWFcomposer and the popular (and free) DWF Viewer. The stand-alone Autodesk the DWG Viewer allows for DWG file viewing, printing, and publishing to DWF format. User interface enhancements improve ease of use for those unfamiliar with AutoCAD software. The DWG Viewer also supports viewing, plotting, and publishing of the DXF™ file format.

Autodesk DWF Composer provides full 3D and 2D markup, measure, viewing and revision capabilities. DWF Composer now offers users the following:

- Supports measure and markup of 3D DWF files published by most premier design applications, including Autodesk Inventor(R), Autodesk(R) Revit(R) and Autodesk (R) Civil 3D(TM) software

- Supports MapBooks published by Autodesk Map(R) 3D 2006

- Supports DXF(TM) functionality and all major raster images including multisheet TIFF, CALS and JPG.

- Includes latest DWG file support and viewing of Autodesk Inventor files

- Offers new custom symbols within the DWF Composer markup library, providing new ways for customers to annotate

- Provides a powerful, new snapshot tool that enables users to capture any onscreen information and bring it into the DWF file, creating a single file that contains all project-related information.

- Extends markup integration beyond the AutoCAD family of products to also include Autodesk(R) Revit(R) Building 8 and Autodesk(R) Revit(R) Structure.

About MapBooks... New MapBooks automate the production of map books for use in the office and field that can be published in a variety of ways, including Autodesk® DWF™ file formats, which can be viewed by anyone using the free* DWF viewer. This is a popular new feature available to users of Map 3D

The 5 coolest new features of Autocad 2006

Dynamic Blocks
Dynamic blocks enable you to reduce the size of your block libraries while giving you more block options that are easier to access, manipulate, and place. In AutoCAD® 2006 multiple variations of similar blocks can be contained in a single block, so you can select the proper version on the fly as you see the block displayed in the drawing. With dynamic blocks, you can easily cycle through multiple variations on a single block.

Improved Annotation
Mtext command in AutoCAD® 2006 software gives the text you create the exact appearance in the editor as when placed in the drawing. Table capabilities include sums, averages, and counts across rows and columns, and standard arithmetic expressions based on cell values. Table calculations are automatically updated as your designs and documentation progress. The improved hatch feature in AutoCAD 2006 allows easy hatching of multiple areas with a single hatch command. these are but some of the enhancements to annotation which is a time consuming and error-prone part of many digital design drawing projects.

UI
Heads up design means no constant staring at the command line. For example, dimensions are dynamically displayed on geometry as you create or edit it. You no longer need to shift your focus back and forth between the command line and the graphics cursor. The new graphical user interface in AutoCAD 2006 allows access to a powerful in-product calculator.

Graphic Calculator
AutoCAD 2006 provides a new GUI for the existing CAL command, and allows access to a powerful in-product calculator through both menu and toolbar selection. The calculator is available within individual commands and within other areas of the product. It provides standard mathematical expressions, units’ conversion, shortcut functions and acquisition of points and intersections. It saves and restores constants for future calculations and has a memory function.

The new graphic calculator

Migration
A new, automated method of reading in existing customized menus and toolbars ensures their transfer into AutoCAD 2006. moving to future releases of AutoCAD will be entirely automated, minimizing the need to “hand edit” files. AutoCAD 2006 maintains the same DWG file format as AutoCAD® 2005 and AutoCAD® 2004. Custom and third-party applications that run on top of AutoCAD 2004 or 2005 work just fine with AutoCAD 2006.

More on Sheetsets

A popular addition to AutoCAD at 2005 was the Sheet set manager. Sheet sets are still fully supported and at 2006 there's even more support for managing sheet sets. Some of these tools are as follows:
- One-click plotting
- Automated sheet indexes
- More efficient eTransmit, archiving, and publishing to Autodesk® DWF file format
- Dynamic input, which gives customers the power of the command line at the graphics cursor, allowing them to focus on the design. Dynamic input displays dimensional information during geometry creation and
makes it easy to edit.
- Dynamic blocks, which allow access to multiple variations on a single block. Dynamic blocks dramatically reduce cumbersome block libraries and make it easy to modify block geometry during and after insertion
for faster design changes.
- Data Extraction Wizard, which automatically creates tables such as
schedules, bills of material and price estimates. Users can sort and
filter block information quickly and easily and combine it with their
company's standard table styles, for accurate tables of data.
- Annotation enhancements, which include easier text placement, improved hatching and enhanced table functions that perform common math expressions in and across cells, rows and columns.
- One-click migration of customized files from earlier releases of the
software to AutoCAD 2006.

A look at the new Sheetset Manager

Training

To introduce users and would-be users of AutoCASD's 2006 product lineup, the company has announced the Realize Your Ideas Tour.. a travelling roadshow designed to give attendees a closer look at the latest products and their features. The tour kicks off May 3 in Orlando, FL and wraps up in Edmonton, AB June 30, 2005.

Dates are as follows:
May 3 - Orlando
May 5 - Houston
May 10 - Montreal
May 11 - Toronto
June 1 - San Francisco
June 2 - Anaheim
June 8/9 - Chicago
June 10 - Cleveland
June 14 - Boston
June 15 - NY
June 22 - Winnipeg
June 28 - Vancouver
June 29 - Calgary
June 30 - Edmonton

Who Should attend? According to Autodesk, people filling the following job descriptions will find the events useful -  CIO · VP/Director of Engineering · Architects · Building Electrical, Mechanical,
and Plumbing Engineers · Mechanical Designers · Electrical Engineers · Control Engineers · Instrument Engineers · Mapping and GIS Professionals · Civil Engineers · IT Managers · CAD Managers · Government, Public Works, Military · Educators.

The event lasts one day and includes industry sessions, product workshops, and practice sessions. For all you Lynn Allen groupies (OK.. I admit... I'm a big fan!), Lynn will be presenting her session "How to Get More Out of Your AutoCAD® Software"... keep an eye open for the bunnies!

For more info abou the road show and to register Click Here

More AutoCAD 2006 Training

Another roadshow of interest is the Avatech Solutions 2006 Road Show. Avatech is showcasing the AutoCAD 2006 family of products in a discipline-specific series of seminars, targeted to architects and building designers, civil and infrastructure professionals, and manufacturing industry designers. These half-day intensive learning sessions will highlight AutoCAD 2006's most important features, and will get users up and running quickly with their new releases. The information-packed sessions are offered in various cities nationally during April 26 to May 18, 2005. For more info see http://www.gisuser.com/content/view/5199/2/ or jump directly to http://www.avat.com/web/2006

What's Inside? AutoCAD 2006

upFront.eZine Publishing, Ltd. announces What's Inside? AutoCAD 2006
The What's Inside? AutoCAD 2006 e-book is available now as an Adobe Acrobat file for delivery via email, ftp, or Web browser. The e-book is also available on CD.

The 96-page e-book features:
60+ illustrations in full color.
Formatted for printing on standard 8.5x11 paper.
Margin designed for three-hole punching or other methods of binding.
Immediate availability.
Price is $14.10; additional charge for delivery on CD. Prices in US funds. Payment can be made instantly through PayPal, the international Internet payment system, in multiple currencies. If customers prefer, payment can be made by check in three currencies. Also available: corporate and library pricing. More information from www.upfrontezine.com/ebooks

Some related 3rd party apps and add-ons for AutoCAD 2006

SurvCADD 2006 - Carlson SurvCADD 2006 consists of modules for surveying, civil engineering, construction and mining, and runs inside AutoCAD 2006, the world's leading customizable and extendable CAD software for 2D drafting.
Carlson Software
www.carlsonsw.com

Sepialine for Autocad 2006
Sepialine's award-winning cost recovery platform helps corporate and service professionals capture, analyze and report office expenses -- such as print, copy, scan, fax and more -- across the enterprise. Sepialine cost recovery solutions are used by thousands of customers worldwide, including top architecture, engineering and reprographic professionals.
www.sepialine.com

S-MAN 7 Upgrade for Deploying Autocad 2006
With the release of Autodesk's Autocad 2006 based product family earlier this month, Autocad user's need to be aware of many new system variables and xml based menus in Autocad 2006. S-MAN 7 serves the needs of Cad Manager's and users by providing the details and new tools for accommodating the latest technology within your cad management procedures. For example, you can tailor the S-MAN Cad Manual documents for your industry application and convert them to PDF. Then you can either replace or add the PDF to the S-MAN Cad Management menu so it is accessible to all of your cad users over your network.
1.888.811.9994 or visit http://www.softcosys.com.

CADWorx
CADWorx offers intelligent drawing-to-database connectivity, advanced levels of automation and easy-to-use design techniques
http://www.codecad.com/CADWorx.htm

HydraCAD
HydraCAD Provides Customization Ability to Fire Protection Industry
http://www.hydracad.com/products.htm

ARCHIBUS/FM Automates Management of Enterprise Real Estate, Space, Assets, Facilities, and the Workplace
www.archibus.com.

Other Useful Docs & Links:

• Download DWF Viewer
• Autodesk DWF Composer
• AutoCAD Release Comparison Matrix
• AutoCAD 2006 Features and Benefits
• AutoCAD 2006 Getting Started Guide
• Autodesk Map 3D 2006 Getting Started Guide

Note: Images and product feature descriptions have been obtained from AutoCAD technical documents. Source: autocad.com

Do you have comments about AutoCAD 2006, Map 3D, DWF, AU, or anything else related to this topic? Contact us or post a thread in our discussion Forum.