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Who uses itĪutoCAD has only increased in popularity since 1982-and for good reason! Autodesk didn’t just rest on its laurels all these years it pushed AutoCAD to evolve. Luckily, despite being a proprietary file format, a number of different CAD packages now allow you view DWG files without AutoCAD.
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If you aren’t willing to invest in the software (or can’t get AutoCAD for free), you may worry that you won’t be able to view these files. Since its beginning, AutoCAD has extended the use of DWG to other software-allowing for wider use across industries. To put its popularity into perspective, try this figure: it was estimated that, by 1998, there were over 2 billion DWG files in existence. It doesn’t matter if you’ve never used AutoCAD directly if you’re working with CAD, you’ll have worked with DWG files before. It’s not possible to discuss AutoCAD without delving into its popular, native file format: DWG.
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The most recent release of the software, AutoCAD 2019, made industry-specific toolsets available to all, launched the AutoCAD web app and introduced DWG Compare. Meanwhile, industry-specific versions of AutoCAD have also been released, including AutoCAD Architecture, AutoCAD Electrical and AutoCAD Civil 3D. AutoCAD LT, for example, is a ‘lite’ version, including more basic functionality for a lower cost. From a simple 2D software, it has since evolved to include 3D capabilities, immense customization functions and the creation of extended vertical products.Īutodesk have also developed a number of spin-off programs of AutoCAD over the years. Since its first release, there have been no fewer than 33 versions of AutoCAD! It has continued to impress over the years-taking into consideration the needs of both individual users and big industries. The innovative nature of AutoCAD made it a smash hit across the world. It consequently set the pace for the development of CAD competitors in the late 80s. As one of the first CAD packages to be developed to run on PCs, it became accessible to a new realm of CAD users. It would be an understatement to say that AutoCAD’s release revolutionized the world of CAD.
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You’d be hard-pressed trying to look anywhere in the CAD market without hearing the name AutoCAD-and for good reason! Developed by Mike Riddle and later acquired by Autodesk, AutoCAD was first released in 1982. Its release was one of the biggest milestones in the evolution of CAD. While we’d like to think that almost everyone in the CAD industry knows AutoCAD’s history as well as we do, we’ll give you a quick run-through nonetheless.
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We’ll look at their histories and software features, plus the major differences between the two. In this guide we’ll be visiting major CAD package AutoCAD, comparing it this time to Dassault Systèmes’ freemium product, DraftSight. It’s why we’ve compiled guides in the past to popular CAD software, including AutoCAD vs SolidWorks and CATIA vs SolidWorks. For those just starting out, however, it can be a confusing process trying to make heads or tails of software descriptions. Programs that look similar on the surface can differ immensely once you delve further, in ways ranging from specialized add-ons to software-specific functions.ĬAD drafters and engineers who’ve been in the industry long enough know most major CAD packages like the back of their hand-learning which ones are best suited to their workflow and job.
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With hundreds of CAD programs being so readily available on the market, Scan2CAD knows full well how difficult it can be for newcomers to figure out which is best suited to them.
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