Slap me sideways and constrain me to X/Y coordinates. SolidWorks Labs has released a new web app, called BluePrint Now, that allows you to create/edit/save DWG files online. That… is just wild people. Whatcha think the AutoDesk folks think about this. hmmm?
Honestly, when I first tried to use it, I felt like we have a loooong way till we get to 3D CAD online. It’s a step in the right direction though – different tech I imagine. So, before you uninstall AutoCAD and swarm toward the Lab, here are some things you?ll want to know.
- You?re limited to DWG files under 1MB
- The tools? are limited ? no offset, trim, mirror, measure
- Possible conflict with object in template. (I had to delete border/title block)
- Some degradation on zooming in.
- You can’t edit text of imported drawings.
- No windows select for the tools
Now that I?ve torn into it, here are some cool things.
- You can upload/access your tiny dwgs online.
- You can export as a PDF
- The dialogue boxes are quick and simple
- The snaps work well
I would say it’s better right now to throw a quick sketch together and download to make more changes. It?s a neat experiment and I certainly respect the development gang that put the research and time into because aspects of this will be needs in future online CAD Apps.
