CAD in the Cloud – What’s New Now

The Cloud, and discussion about it, permeates the technology space. As organizations move to their first real, production level use, of Cloud solutions and understand all the ramifications of moving we are starting to get a sense of what the future may hold. This blog will look at some of the latest news around CAD in the Cloud and what hints that might give us about the future.

Going to School on Office 365

One of the trends that are mostly likely to continue and impact how we use CAD solutions is the delivery of Cloud based versions of common applications. When Microsoft launched their cloud version of Office last year, it served as an excellent model for how to move on-premise software to cloud subscriptions, and we are seeing the same in CAD. One of the most notable offerings is the Autodesk 360 offering. While not a complete solution for on-premise software, this offering starts to point the way on pricing, functionality, and the ability to interact with CAD files on multiple devices. It’s pretty clear that pricing is going to have be in the $25-$35 per month per application range to start, but I’d expect that some suppliers will use predatory pricing in the cloud to try and build market share. More importantly, the Cloud solutions will put some real utility on “viewers” or tools that allow for some interaction with CAD files on smaller tablets and smart phones. Read full article »

Autodesk University 2012: Choosing the Right Mobile Technology

I hope everyone enjoyed the holidays! As I was going through the highlights of this past year, I wanted to share another Lenovo session from Autodesk 2012. This session was presented by Preston Taylor and David Harris from Lenovo’s ThinkPad Business Unit. It will take you through:

• What it takes to be more productive away from your desk
• How to better understand your mobile computing options (Hardware & Software)
• What are the key considerations in selecting a mobile computing solution

I previously shared Lenovo’s other session on Maximizing Performance with Autodesk Inventor. You can view both sessions on SlideShare too.

Autodesk University 2012: Maximizing Performance with Autodesk Inventor

I hope that everyone enjoyed Autodesk University 2012.

Lenovo’s Bryan Young presented a training session on “Maximising Performance with Autodesk Inventor”. His session provides the guidance that will help you determine the appropriate hardware and settings to maximize your experience with Autodesk Inventor products. It covers the different user requirements and available hardware that should all be considered when seeking optimal performance.

I have embedded his training session below:

View all of Lenovo’s workstation presentations on SlideShare

Autodesk Acquires HSMWorks – What it Means to You!

The recent acquisition of HSMWorks by Autodesk creates a very interesting scenario for both AutoCAD and SolidWorks users. On the face of it, one might be lead to think that this is a pre-emptive acquisition bent on market domination. It’s also been speculated on some postings that with the new ownership, there is some likelihood that we’ll see less capable or timely integration of future versions of HSMWorks with SolidWorks, to the benefit of AutoCAD. All nefarious competitive plots! And then there’s the whole problem of resellers getting put in the middle of the tangle. That’s a lot to analyze all at once! So let’s devolve the multiple scenarios and look at them individually. Read full article »

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An Overview of Common Performance Issues for SolidWorks

Every SolidWorks user wants to do more, faster, with fewer mistakes. Here’s a quick look at the top performance issues SolidWorks users are facing and some advice on what you can do about them.

Why Autodesk Revit is the Future of Architectural Design

AutoCAD users may be comfortable with their old habits, but more and more AEC-related firms are turning to Autodesk Revit for a new way to model buildings from start to finish. According to the Global Fraternity of Architects (GFA), Revit is the future—especially for projects that demand greater precision and efficiency. Read full article »

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Optimizing AutoCAD Performance: Getting the Most From Your System

Every AutoCAD user wants to do more work faster with fewer mistakes—without breaking the bank. Here’s a look at top performance issues and some advice on what you can do about them.