CADnection Announces Integrated Support for Autodesk DWF files In SharePoint

News Release from: CADnection
08/05/2008

CADnection® today announced the availability of extended support for Autodesk®'s DWFTM file format. The CADnection software combines the functionality of Autodesk's AutoCAD® -- the most widely used engineering and architectural drafting program -- and Microsoft SharePoint -- a suite of server-based capabilities for content management, collaboration and enterprise search to create a flexible, distributed, and cost effective project data management system.

DWF is Autodesk's new Design Web Format, which creates a compressed rendition of an associated AutoCAD drawing (DWG). The web format allows users without CAD software to view product drawings and plans. Now CADnection provides full support of DWF data, which is managed and controlled along with the original AutoCAD drawing. As a result, SharePoint users can quickly search, select, and view a drawing, even without AutoCAD software or CAD skills. More importantly, the system allows unlimited drawing access without the risks of inadvertently sharing intellectual property or accidently editing the contents of a drawing.

To support the viewing of DWF files, CADnection provides the necessary linkages to Autodesk Design Review® -- another Autodesk product designed specifically for viewing DWF files. Design Review is available free from Autodesk (dwfcommunity.autodesk.com), and can operate as a standalone application or as an integrated part of the CADnection solution.

CADnection software updates DWF files as their counterpart DWG drawings are modified through the normal check-in and retrieval process.

In SharePoint, CADnection greatly expands the access to drawing file visuals. By right-clicking on an AutoCAD file, the user is presented with the option to View Drawing. Selecting this option launches the DWF image inside the designated viewing application.

Similarly, CADnection gives the AutoCAD user the option to publish or export the active session drawing to a DWF format prior to checking in a drawing. When the drawing is checked back into SharePoint, CADnection automatically updates the changes to the DWF file as well. If a previous DWF rendition exists in the SharePoint database, CADnection overwrites the file to reflect the most current version.

“CADnection’s support for DWF files extends the value of AutoCAD data to all SharePoint users,” says Brian Griset, Sales Manager of CADnection. “We are excited about the downstream benefits that our clients now have available. Engineering data can be immediately shared with anyone, including personnel who are unfamiliar with AutoCAD.”