AutoCAD 2019 Comes with Seven New Toolsets

Autodesk’s AutoCAD 2019 just added seven new specialized toolsets to its subscriber program. These toolsets include specialized features and libraries for mechanical design, architecture, 3D mapping, and more; plus, greater mobility with the new web and mobile apps; and take advantage of new features and performance enhancements, included with new subscriptions to AutoCAD 2019 available March 22, 2018.

According to company materials, the seven new toolsets give subscribers more than 750,000 intelligent objects, styles, parts, features, and symbols to choose from when drawing. Designers can automate floorplans; quickly draw piping, plant equipment, or electrical panel layouts; incorporate GIS data into the planning process; edit scanned drawings and convert raster images into DWG objects, all while working in a familiar AutoCAD interface.

When you subscribe to AutoCAD 2019, you get access to the following toolsets:

• Architecture Toolset: Use specialized building design features and 8,000+ intelligent architectural objects and styles to speed architectural drawing and documentation.
• Mechanical Toolset: Use specialized mechanical design features and 700,000+ intelligent manufacturing parts, features and symbols to speed product design.
• Electrical Toolset: Use specialized electrical design features and 65,000+ intelligent electrical symbols to boost productivity for creating, modifying, and documenting electrical controls systems.
• MEP Toolset: Use specialized MEP engineering features and 10,500+ intelligent mechanical, electrical, and plumbing objects to draft, design, and document building systems.
• Plant 3D Toolset: Use the specialized plant design and engineering toolset to efficiently produce P&IDs and then integrate them into a 3D plant design model.
• Map 3D Toolset: Use specialized mapping features to incorporate GIS and CAD data to support planning, design, and data management. Access spatial data stored in files, databases and web services, and aggregate it with your AutoCAD design data.
• Raster Design Toolset: Use raster to vector tools to help you edit scanned drawings and convert raster images into DWG objects.

 Users are able to download AutoCAD and the Architecture, Mechanical, Electrical, Map 3D, MEP, Raster Design, and Plant 3D toolsets from the Autodesk Account portal, or from the Autodesk Desktop App.

Marcus O’Brien, Head of Product Management, AutoCAD at Autodesk spoke about the new AutoCAD 2019 toolsets in a conversation with AECCafe Voice:

1. Were other versions of these toolsets available separately before they became part of the AutoCAD 2019 subscription offering?

Yes. Previously, the following toolsets were all offered separately: Architecture, Mechanical, Electrical, Map 3D, MEP, Raster Design and Plant 3D.

2. Who do you feel benefits the most from this offering?

Cutting edge architects, engineers and designers all benefit from AutoCAD 2019 including specialized toolsets. Previously, subscribers had to choose which AutoCAD-based products best matched their needs, and often times, more than one type was useful to them. AutoCAD 2019 subscribers now gain access to the capabilities of multiple AutoCAD toolsets custom-built for specific industries. We are removing the pain points associated with selecting which version of the product is right for our users.

3. How much of a time saver is it to have the toolsets available this way?

Time saved can be measured in terms of number of clicks or number of actions it takes to complete a task. Take adding parts lists and balloons as a basic example of how using a specialized toolset can make someone work faster and more productively. With AutoCAD, it takes twelve commands to complete this task, but because there are specialized features for this in the Mechanical toolset, it can be done in five commands. With time saved on this rudimentary task, customers will see significant upticks in efficiency. Now imagine those efficiency gains across the entire portfolio of specialized toolsets!

4. What are the most sought-after features?

Beyond access to the specialized toolsets, other sought-after features include the new AutoCAD web and mobile apps, which allow customers to work anywhere, anytime. For example, if you are on a construction site and need to make an adjustment to a drawing in AutoCAD, you can easily do so with the AutoCAD mobile app. If you don’t have access to AutoCAD on the desktop, the all-new AutoCAD web app enables you to continue working in AutoCAD from a web browser. Additionally, the DWG Compare feature provides a powerful way for customers to track changes and compare differences between DWG revisions.

5. Can you give me a sample workflow with one of the toolsets?

An architect can now draw a wall in three steps instead of five. In previous versions of AutoCAD, he or she would have to draw a few different points to create one, but now there is a wall function. For every wall or door drawn with the AutoCAD Architecture toolset, architects can save steps and be more efficient in their design.

6. Do you feel users will expand their use of the other toolsets outside their general daily usage just by virtue of having them all available?

Absolutely – with access to all seven specialized toolsets, subscribers gain more than 750,000 different features and functionalities. The possibilities are endless, and we are excited to see what our customers create with these new features.

7. Was there anything comparable before the new AutoCAD web app?

The AutoCAD mobile app previously allowed users to work while on the go, but the new AutoCAD web app stands out as it allows users to access AutoCAD from any device directly in a web browser via web.autocad.com nothing to download or install.

Tags: AEC, architects, architecture, AutoCAD, Autodesk, Autodesk Subscription, CAD, collaboration, design, engineering, engineers, infrastructure, mobile

Categories: 2D, 3D, AEC, AEC training, AECCafe, architecture, AutoCAD, Autodesk, Cloud, collaboration, construction, engineering, field, field solutions, file sharing, infrastructure, integrated project delivery, managed services, MEP, mobile, plant design, point clouds, project management, site planning, sustainable design, terrain

This entry was posted on Friday, April 13th, 2018 at 10:50 am. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.