When Autodesk announced their release of AutoCAD 2010, there were many speculations about the different features that may or may not have been included in this version. Upon examining the features, there are several which are a drastic and marked improvement, while there are several features which still rankle a few.
One of the good features in the release of AutoCAD 2010 are the introduction of parametric drawing based on geometric constraints. So now you can draw objects based on specific and persistent relationships with each other. For example, you can have lines which remain parallel and / or equal to each other throughout.
Another feature is ‘Dynamic Blocks’ which supports these geometric and dimensional constraints while driving block geometry based on the values in a block property table without exiting the block editor. The display of the action objects in Dynamic Blocks has also improved a lot.
‘Smooth Mesh’ - a new feature included in AutoCAD 2010 also allows you to create free form and flowing 3D models. Add to this the different 3D Gizmos which you can easily rotate, move and scale to size.
Another add-on is the the enhanced PDF support and ability to import PDF documents within your drawing - which will only add to the documentation process.
Another good feature of AutoCAD 2010 is the ability to rotate a viewport and have the view of the objects rotate simultaneously. This also works very well when combined with parametric drawing based on geometric and dimensional constraints.
And, you can even send your AutoCAD model to a 3D printer. The Autodesk website also has links to different service providers.
The ribbon feature also has a much more added functionality - but depending on whether you like or dislike the ribbon, you can let it remain or turn it off completely to increase your design area.
Also, the Menu Browser has been removed. Again, you may or may not find that as a big plus.
Overall, my thoughts are that with every new release, there are always bound to be some pros and cons. In this case, however, there are many advances in the new release of AutoCAD 2010 which will obviously prove to be advantageous for designers and draftsmen the world over.
The power of innovation backed by the improvements in technology brings the latest in design and graphics to your doorstep - via AutoCAD 2010.
Tom Kelly
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