So after month's of having to "put up with", "get used to" and re-learn where my commands were hiding in Microsoft Office 2007, the dreaded "Ribbon" interface has been added to AutoCAD. This is likely to be the initial response of many users when presented with the new AutoCAD 2009 Interface, but wait a minute... there's more, unlike Microsoft's change to the Office products, Autodesk have provided the users with the choice of using your standard interface. Not only that, you have a combination of the Ribbon interface and your well known pull down menu system.
When I looked at the first beta's of the latest version of AutoCAD, I have to say my initial reaction was... "Oh no, not the ribbon, anything but the ribbon!". Unfortunately I was going through the painful transition from Microsoft Office 2003 to 2007 at the same time, and not having much fun!
Initial reactions are important, and I believe a lot of people will have similar reactions when faced with the new AutoCAD 2009 UI, but give it a chance...
I have to say, and I know I'm probably opening myself up to some criticism... but in my opinion I believe Autodesk have done a good job here. After a relatively short time spent looking at the options Autodesk have given us in the 2009 UI, in particular, access to our familiar pull down menu structure, increased drawing area real estate, command tooltips/help system, I like it.
What's New...
- Application Window
- Ribbon Interface
- Tooltips
- Menu Browser
- Quick Properties
- Quick View Layouts
- Quick View Drawings
- 3D Navigation...
Steering Wheel
and ViewCube
- Action Recorder
- ShowMotion
Other Improvements...
- File Navigation
- Task Dialogs
- Interactive Array Preview
- Modeless Layer Management
- Find and Replace
- XREF Clipping - with grip editing of the clip frame
- Lighting
- Working with DGN files
- InfoCenter
Here are some further links to good sources of AutoCAD 2009 information...
- Shaan Hurley, Between the Lines...
Provides a comprehensive list of the new features as well as links to download the preview guides...
http://autodesk.blogs.com/between_the_lines/2008/02/the-2009-produc.html - Lynn Allen's Blog...
http://lynn.blogs.com/lynn_allens_blog/ - R.K. McSwain...
http://rkmcswain.blogspot.com/2008/02/autocad-2009-in-2-minutes.html - Heidi Hewett, AutoCAD Insider...
http://heidihewett.blogs.com/my_weblog/2008/02/the-word-is-out.html - Enhancements to Autodesk Geospatial applications...
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/080212/aqtu079.html?.v=38
Same old AutoCAD, great new look. Really, Autodesk, limit your new releases to every two years and make them worth it! It will take a couple of months just to get used to the new look but with seemingly few "real" functional upgrades and new features. I'm sure the UI changes are good, but this release will just be another example of why they should update every two years.
Posted by: DD | February 20, 2008 at 07:04 AM