FAQs
The answers to these FAQs are, in some cases, just my opinion so treat with caution.
What is CAD?
CAD stands for Computer Aided Draughting although it is often used for Computer Aided Design. Most CAD programmes (and AutoCAD is no exception) are used for creating two dimensional technical drawings of a design, although 3D is becoming more prevalent. Most are not particularly intuitive (despite claims to the contrary) and are thus not necessarily the best tools for the creative part of the design process
And what is Visualisation?
Visualisation is the method of creating photo - realistic images using CAD or other software. This entails building 3D models, applying realistic materials to the objects, then adding lighting. Finally the drawing is rendered and the resultant image is the visualisation
What is CAD?
CAD stands for Computer Aided Draughting although it is often used for Computer Aided Design. Most CAD programmes (and AutoCAD is no exception) are used for creating two dimensional technical drawings of a design, although 3D is becoming more prevalent. Most are not particularly intuitive (despite claims to the contrary) and are thus not necessarily the best tools for the creative part of the design process
And what is Visualisation?
Visualisation is the method of creating photo - realistic images using CAD or other software. This entails building 3D models, applying realistic materials to the objects, then adding lighting. Finally the drawing is rendered and the resultant image is the visualisation
What can I use CAD for?
Or conversely what can’t I use CAD for? The strength of CAD programs is their accuracy, however they are still prone to Rubbish In, Rubbish Out. As such
they are great for creating the technical drawings required to create something. They are not necessarily as good as intuitive, creative tools, because of their
requirement for numbers to be used to create objects
So, in short they can be used for anything you want or need to draw
Are CAD programmes easy to learn?
All CAD programmes’ creators or their users claim that the latest version is more ’intuitive’ than the last or their rivals. Well they have all started off from a
pretty low base for this claim. All CAD programs are complex in their own ways - have you seen the size of the Help?
To make things worse none of them seem to work the same way - or talk to each other easily. Although some of us can learn these things from the manual or
by just playing, the rest of us mere mortals need a helping hand and undertaking formal training is strongly advised - wherever you get it from.
Do I need a really high end computer?
Most CAD programmes basic needs are quite modest - plenty of RAM and a good video card certainly help but it’s difficult to buy a computer today that
doesn’t have these basic requirements.
However, if you are looking for a laptop to install a CAD programme on then the graphics side may cause you problems, particularly in 3D work.
Many laptops use an ‘Integrated’ Graphics processor, meaning they allocate a part of the main processor to graphics tasks, compromising both in complex
drawings.
If you are planning to do a lot of 3D work then you need more oomph in both processor and video departments. The requirements change with each release
so check out the Autodesk website for the current versions specifications.
Also a mouse is essential as it hold many and varied functions that are difficult, if not impossible on a trackpad. A standard 3 button PC mouse is best, even if
you are a Mac user.
How does licensing work for AutoCAD?
Autodesk have moved away from what they call a ‘perpetual licence‘ model, where you pay for the software once and buy it outright. In that case you
wouldn’t have access to any extras, plug ins and so on. In effect you are stuck with the version you have bought and would need to pay to upgrade to the
latest version.
To tempt people, they now run a subscription service, where you pay for access to the updates and service packs and annually (usually in March/April for the
Windows version) you can upgrade to the newest version.
You no longer own the software outright but are paying for a licence. This at least removes the annual upgrade angst and also there is the opportunity to rent
AutoCAD for short periods for a specific project.
More information is here about the various options in the commercial world
How do the Educational/Student versions work?
Educational versions of AutoCAD are only supplied to recognised educational institutions. They are networked versions of a minimum of 10 seats. They use
a floating licence system meaning that AutoCAD can be installed on any number of machines but only 10 people can access it at any one time.
To qualify for a Student version you must be a member of staff or a student of a recognised educational institution. You can obtain the programmes free from
the Autodesk Education Community - so long as you qualify!
The Student version is identical to the commercial version in its functionality and the licence lasts 1 year but cannot be upgraded to a commercial licence.
Additionally an electronic and plot watermark is applied stating that the file was created in Educational software.
So when opening a drawing created in an Educational or Student version you are warned by a dialogue box of its origin. This happens even if opening it in a
full commercial version. In this case the stamp will pollute any drawings the non commercial file is used in. Blocks for instance created in a Student edition
will cause the electronic watermark to appear if used in a commercial version - very annoying!
Is AutoCAD the best program to use?
Although there are other CAD programs out there AutoCAD is always worth considering for these reasons amongst others
It uses the native .dwg file format guaranteeing ease of file exchange. This is not always true of other programs
It has the largest support community. With over 13 million users worldwide help is always at hand
It is the standard against which all other CAD programs are measured
Is there a Demo version of AutoCAD available?
30 Day demo versions are available from the Autodesk website. They only work once on any machine, so if you like it, you’ll have to buy it! Go to the
Subscription page linked above and pick Free Trial, where you can choose which version you want to try.
Make sure you pick the right version using the radio button before downloading. All the downloads are quite large (over 2Gb)
Alternatives to AutoCAD: ‘The Clones’
There are several programmes which are, shall we say, very similar in approach to AutoCAD. They look very similar and have the same command syntax and use of the Command Line as in AutoCAD. This is very handy as they are much cheaper (or free if you don’t mind old versions) but you can still use the same commands and shortcuts. Some of them use the Ribbon in their interface but others are still using drop down menus and toolbars so it’s really as much about what you are used to.
One that appears very close to AutoCAD is ProgeCAD by ProgeSoft. ProgeCAD Professional costs around £200 per annum.
DraftSight Premium adds more functionality such as a DesignCenter and 3D tools for about £500 pa. It features the Ribbon (although you can have menus and toolbars, still) and accepts your AutoCAD keyboard commands
Opening a dwg file created by any non Autodesk programme means a warning pop up when you open it, which can generally be ignored
There are several programmes which are, shall we say, very similar in approach to AutoCAD. They look very similar and have the same command syntax and use of the Command Line as in AutoCAD. This is very handy as they are much cheaper (or free if you don’t mind old versions) but you can still use the same commands and shortcuts. Some of them use the Ribbon in their interface but others are still using drop down menus and toolbars so it’s really as much about what you are used to.
One that appears very close to AutoCAD is ProgeCAD by ProgeSoft. ProgeCAD Professional costs around £200 per annum.
DraftSight Premium adds more functionality such as a DesignCenter and 3D tools for about £500 pa. It features the Ribbon (although you can have menus and toolbars, still) and accepts your AutoCAD keyboard commands
Opening a dwg file created by any non Autodesk programme means a warning pop up when you open it, which can generally be ignored
