Sharing drawing files with clients, Engineers, Surveyors and Landscape Architects has been some what of a challenge until recently.  A typical way of sharing drawing information would be to create PDF files and email them around to all individuals involved in a project. If changes are made to the project files, new PDF Files would have to be generated and sent to everyone involved in the project.

Autodesk has come up with a simpler way of collaborating on drawings and projects that is a cross platform solution including support for mobile devices such as the Apple iPad, iPhone and Android devices.

Autodesk introduced AutoCAD® WS which is a new, FREE, online drawing document sharing and viewing application that can be used on any desktop PC, Mac as well as the iPad, iPhone and Android Devices.

Lets take a look at how AutoCAD WS works.

When I am working in a drawing using AutoCAD Civil 3D or the basic version of AutoCAD 2012, I open up the Online Toolbar and login to my account www.autocadws.com.  As an example, I want to share this drawing of this existing site plan.

In the upper right hand corner I have the Online Toolbar, by clicking on the upload icon I am able to upload and synchronize my drawing files to my account.

Once the drawing file is uploaded, I can then open it on any web browser on any computer anywhere including mobile devices such as the iPhone or iPad.  Autodesk is publishing these applications for free.  If you use a Mac, Autodesk has published AutoCAD WS for the Mac, a desktop application you can download for FREE from the App Store. You can check it out HERE.

Lets take a look at AutoCAD WS on the Mac.

The AutoCAD WS application on the mac can be downloaded from the Apple App store for free. The application provides you with basic drawing tools such as pan, zoom and markup tools. Once you download and install AutoCAD WS, you need to provide your login information. The drawing file view screen is simple and easy to browse files.

Once you download the application you can sign in to open drawings.

Here is an example of an Existing Survey plan displayed on the Mac with the AutoCAD WS for Mac application.

Lets take a look at AutoCAD WS on a mobile device such as an iPad.

Once a drawing is uploaded to AutoCAD WS, it is viewable on all devices. The image to the right shows an existing survey plan being viewed on the iPad. 

You can zoom, pan and make notations from your iPad, iPhone or Android device. You can also get rough area calculations by manually drawing a box around the area of interest.

Since changes to the drawing file are happening on the AutoCAD WS server, changes can be viewed by everyone looking at the drawing instantly.

Below you can see a screen capture of the iPad screen showing a drawing using AutoCAD WS and a second shot of the same drawing being viewed in a web browser. For this example I drew a revision cloud around a detention basin. Seconds later, the revision cloud shows up on the live iPad version.  If the color is changed form white to green, anyone viewing the drawing on any device sees the same changes.

Overall, AutoCAD WS is a great collaboration tool for engineers working with clients or other project engineers.

It is available on the PC, Mac and mobile devices. I would recommend AutoCAD WS as a great drawing tool.