AutoCAD 2000i (AU$6,856) maintains backward compatibility with the files and scripts of AutoCAD 2000, provides a modest performance boost, and brings the application into closer alignment with a standard Microsoft Windows user interface. But as the "i" in its name suggests, the latest release pins its appeal on Internet functionality.
Bottom line: If you want to handle all your Internet-related drafting needs within the friendly confines of a world-class design tool, look no further than AutoCAD 2000i. The key Internet features include AutoCAD Today (a Web portal for drawing needs) and comprehensive publish-to-Web capabilities. Other Internet elements include Meet Now, a front end to Microsoft NetMeeting, an eTransmit wizard that packages drawings and all associated files for transmittal to others, and i-drop, which provides a framework for publishing design objects on the Web. These objects work like ordinary Web documents when viewed in a browser but can be dragged and dropped onto AutoCAD-associated apps.
The first thing you notice in AutoCAD 2000i is the new, three-pane AutoCAD Today window. A user can edit the Bulletin Board pane to contain any desired information. The My Drawings pane provides flexible, powerfully searchable access to drawings, templates, and design symbols. But the unnamed pane across the bottom is the most interesting. It provides a live Web link to Autodesk Point A on the Web and also behaves as a minibrowser, in which you can access newswire feeds, tips, updates to AutoCAD 2000i, and more.
The Publish-to-Web wizard posts drawings on the Internet or an intranet with provided templates. The wizard generates the HTML page and converts images to DWFs or JPEGs. You can view JPEG images in virtually any browser, though DWF requires a browser plug-in but permits users to drag drawings into apps that support AutoCAD.
AutoCAD 2000i is a worthy choice if you're diving into the CAD waters for the first time. On the other hand, AutoCAD 2000 users probably will want to upgrade only if they value the new Internet features. For it managers who are expanding an installed base of AutoCAD 2000, AutoCAD 2000i is a no-brainer.
Autodesk AutoCAD 2000i
Company: Autodesk
Ph: 1800 032 073; Fax: 02 9844 8044
Price: Full version AU$6,856, Upgrade AU$627.
Rating: 5 Star
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