LT Unlimited

We're really on the App Store

AutoCAD LT even made the front page!! Too cool.

The product page is pretty snazzy too:

And if you don't have access to the App Store right now, more details are here: www.autodesk.com/autocadltformac

You'll get a real summary tomorrow, promise! But I wanted to share some of the pictures today. :-)

A little AutoCAD humor

It’s not every day that AutoCAD makes me laugh out loud, but reading Architexts makes those days happen more often than they used to.

This was Monday’s entry:

If I still worked in an engineering office, I would totally use this. :-)

My turn to ask a question

Most of the time, I use this blog to share information or tips about AutoCAD LT. Today I want to turn that around, and ask you a question instead.

If you had to go back to an older release of AutoCAD LT, what would you miss from your current version?

I don’t mean all the way back to LT97 or anything, just a few releases back – to whatever you were using before you got what you’re using now.

I’ve got a pretty good list of my own going, but I’m curious…what would you miss?

A New Way to Try AutoCAD LT

Don’t have time or permission to download a trial? Try online instead!

US residents can now use Citrix technology to evaluate AutoCAD LT 2011 on the web – it’s the same fully-functioning version as the download, just online. You can use your own files, saved on your own computer or network, and print to your own printers and plotters.

All you have to do is fill out a short form and install a small Citrix client, then start using AutoCAD LT. A shortcut is placed on the desktop for use in future sessions.

Try it now!

What do you think – are web-based trials the way to go, or will you stick with downloads?

New Additions to the Customer Showcase

Have you checked out the Customer Showcase on the AutoCAD LT site lately? If not, it’s worth another look – we have several new stories featuring our customers and the way they use AutoCAD LT, either by itself or as part of their CAD and BIM software portfolios. Some of them even have videos accompanying the story.

These customers & projects include:

• MDM Engineering: Mine Waste Solutions Plant
• Murman Architects: Restaurant Tusen Project
• Benson Hlavaty Architects: Texas Capital Bank
• TEECOM: UCSF Medical Center at Mission Bay

Would you like to see your company featured in the Showcase? Just e-mail me!

Update 1 for AutoCAD LT 2011 Re-released

Update 1.1 for AutoCAD LT 2011 is now available.

Who should install this Update?

• If you have not installed Update 1 to AutoCAD LT 2011, you should install Update 1.1.
• If you previously installed Update 1 to AutoCAD LT 2011 and you installed the AutoCAD and AutoCAD LT Layer Manager Hotfix, you do not need to install Update 1.1.
• If you previously installed Update 1 to AutoCAD LT 2011 and you have not installed the AutoCAD and AutoCAD LT Layer Manager Hotfix, you only need to install the hotfix.  Alternatively, you can choose to uninstall Update 1 and then install Update 1.1 (refer to the "Uninstall This Update" section of the readme for instructions on uninstalling Update 1).

Read all about it at Without a Net.

Update 1 for AutoCAD LT Temporarily Removed

Yet another announcement this week, but lower on the fun scale than some of the others. I’ll let Tom Stoeckel, Global Technical Lead for AutoCAD Product Support and author of Without a Net, do the talking:

An issue has surfaced with the new posting of Update 1 for AutoCAD 2011 and AutoCAD LT 2011 that has prompted Autodesk to temporarily remove download access to the update. If you visit the Update download pages you will now see product-specific versions of the following statement:

"On August 23, 2010, Autodesk released Update 1 for AutoCAD 2011 and AutoCAD LT 2011. Unfortunately, Update 1 introduced an issue when conducting certain operations that may cause AutoCAD and AutoCAD LT to shut down. This issue affects a small number of users.

We have removed Update 1 and will reintroduce it in the near future when the issue has been resolved. For customers who have already installed Update 1, a hot fix will be posted shortly. Please be assured that Autodesk is wholly committed to the quality of AutoCAD and AutoCAD LT, and regrets this error."

Autodesk is working on a hotfix for those customers who have already applied Update 1 for AutoCAD or AutoCAD LT 2011. In the meantime, if you have not already downloaded and installed Update 1, please wait until the Update has been re-released.

Stay tuned to your favorite AutoCAD blog or Twitter feed for the announcement of the re-posting. Sorry for any inconvenience any of you may have experienced.

Update 1 for AutoCAD LT 2011 Now Available

Man, it’s a busy week for blog posts. Lots of things going on that deserved to get posted right away, instead of waiting for the usual schedule.

The latest item in the news flood is that Update 1 for AutoCAD LT 2011 is now available for download. You can get 32-bit and 64-bit versions here, just make sure to get the one that matches your operating system.

Many of the fixes in the update are direct results of input from the Customer Error Reporting utility (that dialog that shows up when AutoCAD LT crashes) – yes, we do read those! Here’s a partial list of features affected by the update:

• 2D Display
• Annotation Scaling
• Attributes
• Customize User Interface (CUI)
• DGN Support
• External References
• File Navigation
• General UI
• Graphic System
• Hatch
• Inquiry
• Image
• Layer
• Open/Save
• Other
• Parametric Drawing
• Partial Open
• PDF Export
• Ribbon
• Selection
• Selection Highlighting

The full Readme is also available if you want more details. But it’s always a good idea to read it before installing anyway.

New Productivity Study out for AutoCAD LT – Big Improvements!

Today Autodesk released the results of a new productivity study by David Cohn, long-time industry expert, author, and blogger. This study compares AutoCAD LT 2011 to AutoCAD LT 2008, and found up to 44% overall time savings when using the new features.

If you want the summary version, check out the press release, or read the entire study over at the AutoCAD Exchange (click on the box image for the PDF report). Then share your thoughts in the comment – what new or improved features make you more productive?

Who wants to tape some tips?

I’m in San Francisco this week, meeting with team members, checking in on some projects, but the best part will be taping a new tip series for the AutoCAD Exchange. Ordinarily, that would be fun all by itself, but it’ll be even better because this time I’ll be chatting with one of our AutoCAD LT customers from the Bay Area. Watch this space to find out when our clips will be posted, or even better, browse through the Exchange yourself while you wait. There’s plenty of good material up there even before this new series goes up.

Think you have what it takes to tape some tips? We’re always looking for contributors to the Exchange, so drop me a line if you’re interested! It’d be a chance to share your vast AutoCAD LT knowledge with the rest of the Exchange community, and get some free publicity for you and your company at the same time. Who knows, our next AutoCAD LT video tip series could star YOU!