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(continued...) Other material includes access to on-line CAD related information sites, industry resources such as patents and unit converters, and catalogues of standard mechanical components.
i-drop technology is being implemented by component manufacturers to enable DWG components to be dragged into drawings directly from web sites.
The Project Centre provides a link to a joint Autodesk and buzzsaw.com site where a secure project site can be created.
The project team can be automatically emailed with the URL and password for access to uploaded files and can be notified of any design changes.
Demos portray an AEC slant to this service but it is still worth checking out for geographically dispersed mechanical project teams.
Along with many of the current mid-range, design centric modellers AutoCAD 2000i uses Microsoft's Net Meeting technology to provide LAN or internet collaborative working.
AutoCAD 2000i takes a basic level of integration with a Meetnow command and integrated toolbar to control the session but no specific additional facilities for contacting participants directly.
There are definitely some valuable enhancements in the i update.
Many of the connectivity tools will give non-engineers access to design data and improve design team communication.
AutoCAD is a huge and certainly capable package although aside from the Internet tools many functional enhancements are tweaks or overdue features rather than true innovations.
This notwithstanding the productivity enhancements achievable will be an attractive upgrade for AutoCAD users.
Mechanical Desktop Release 5 is said to be targeted at consumer products, electromechanical, industrial machinery, mould and die, and tooling and fixtures market segments.
Its appeal will always be primarily to existing AutoCAD user sites as it is the sheer weight of commands and legacy AutoCAD workflow that will make it less effective for non AutoCAD users who are likely to prefer dedicated 3D tools such as Autodesk's own Inventor.
Mechanical Desktop does have the benefit of integrated surface modelling, but streamlined surfacing tools are being developed in many of the competing design centric modellers.
The Autodesk policy is to 'enhance Mechanical Desktop for several releases beyond Release 5' which poses the question as to whether in the same time frame Inventor will be offering the same range of capabilities.
In the meantime Mechanical Desktop offers dedicated AutoCAD users a wealth of capabilities.