Expert Training

Overview

In This Chapter

• Understanding AutoCAD Internet features

• Exchanging drawing files via e-mail and FTP

• Using the Reference Manager to view and fix file dependencies

• Using the Drawing Web Format and ePlot

• Making multiple Web and paper plots with PUBLISH

• Viewing and plotting drawings without AutoCAD

• Protecting drawings with passwords and digital signatures

Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the past five years, you know that the Internet is causing major changes in the way that people work. (And even if you have been living under a rock, someone probably is offering broadband service to it by now!) Because of the Net, most of us communicate differently, exchange files more rapidly, and fill out express delivery forms less frequently.

AutoCAD users were among the online pioneers, well before the Internet burst onto the public scene. Despite this early adoption, the CAD world has been relatively slow to take the full-immersion Internet plunge. Exchanging drawings via e-mail and using the World Wide Web for CAD software research and support are pretty common nowadays. But it’s still uncommon to find drawings incorporated into Web pages or Web-centric CAD applications. That’s partly because CAD drafters have traditionally been somewhat insulated from the general computing community — they spend most of their time cranking out drawings and leave all that new-fangled Web design stuff to people who don’t have real work to get done, thank you very much! Even the more forward-thinking CAD users tend to display a healthy, and reasonable, skepticism about whether any particular innovation will help with the pressing job of getting drawings finished on deadline.

New for 2004 In the past couple of versions — especially AutoCAD 2002 and 2000i (the i stood of Internet), Autodesk focused a large share of its development work on Internet features, many of which didn’t exactly ace the “will this help me get drawings finished faster and better?” test. AutoCAD 2004 takes a wiser, more moderate tack, with lots of useful production drafting improvements and a few well-conceived Internet-related enhancements. Some of the Internet-related improvements even can help with traditional parts of the CAD process. For example, the new PUBLISH command automates the creation of DWF (Drawing Web Format) files, which few people use at this point, but it also automates the creation of plot files and ordinary paper plots, which everyone uses.

This chapter shows you how — and when — to use AutoCAD’s Internet features. I also cover how the Internet features can connect with traditional CAD tasks, such as plotting. The emphasis of this chapter is on useful, no-nonsense ways of taking advantage of the Internet in your CAD work.

Tip Your ticket to most of the features described in this chapter is an account with an Internet service provider (ISP). You probably already have Internet access through work or a private ISP account — or both; but if not, now is the time to get connected. Other CAD users will expect to be able to send drawings to you and receive them from you via e-mail. Software companies, including Autodesk, expect you to have Web access in order to download software updates and support information. Dial-up modem access to the Internet is acceptable, but if you’re doing much drawing exchange or want to be able to download software updates without waiting all day, consider springing for broadband access, such as DSL (Digital Subscriber Line) or cable modem.