How to: Modernize Collaboration When Using AutoCAD

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[MUSIC PLAYING]

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Hello, and welcome to this accelerated presentation

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where I will discuss the latest collaboration

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features and enhancements in AutoCAD

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to modernize collaboration with your team members

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and stakeholders.

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So let's begin.

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This is the Safe Harbor Statement,

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and it is just a reminder that the Autodesk software changes

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regularly to continually improve the software

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and make it a better experience for you.

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If I happen to make any forward-looking statements

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in this presentation, please do not make any buying decisions

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based on it.

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Let me introduce myself.

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My name is Renu Muthoo, and I am a Learning Content Developer

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with ASCENT.

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I have over 23 years of experience in various Autodesk

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products, such as AutoCAD and other AutoCAD verticals,

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and I'm also experienced in the AutoCAD visualization software

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products that include Autodesk

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I create the courseware and training materials

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for the Autodesk products, and I also

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provide support for these products.

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In addition, I have also co-authored a few books

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on both AutoCAD and 3ds Max.

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The purpose of this accelerator is

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to teach you about the latest collaboration features that

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have been added to AutoCAD to better collaborate

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with both internal and external stakeholders.

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So let's start with the learning objectives.

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You will learn to share a copy of the current drawing

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on the cloud.

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I'll show you how to open, review, markup, and edit

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a shared drawing in the AutoCAD web app.

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I will discuss how to share views in the cloud

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and then to analyze and mark them up in the Autodesk viewer.

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I will show you the various cloud collaboration

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enhancements, such as sharing and managing

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your files on Autodesk drive as well as AutoCAD's connectivity

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with Autodesk drive and other cloud storage providers.

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I will provide you with a brief understanding of the Autodesk

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Docs feature.

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And finally, I will show you how to upload drawing layouts

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from multiple drawings to an Autodesk for Docs

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project as PDFs.

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The following presentation details

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features which were introduced to AutoCAD across versions 2016

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to 2022.

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For clarity, each slide details in which version

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the feature or the enhancement was introduced

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and you can see that at the bottom right

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corner of each slide.

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Now, let's begin by learning about the SHAREVIEW feature

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in AutoCAD.

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Introduced in AutoCAD

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enables you to create a visual representation

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of the current drawing views in your AutoCAD drawing window.

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Creating shared views are a great alternative

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to printing PDF and DWF files for sharing

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your designs with stakeholders.

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Shared views are stored in the cloud

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and can be viewed and commented upon using

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any web-enabled desktop or tablet or mobile device.

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You can create a SHAREVIEW using the SHAREVIEW Tool located

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in the application menu.

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While creating the shared view, the AutoCAD software

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extracts the information from the current drawing

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and generates a link that can be shared with others.

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The links created for sharing views

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expire after 30 days by default although they can be extended

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or terminated at any time.

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Starting the SHAREVIEW command opens the SHAREVIEW dialog box

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where you can control what you want to share.

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You can select share current view only,

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which shares either the model view or the layout, whichever

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is currently displayed.

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Or you can select share model view and all layout views,

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which will share the model view along

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with all the created layouts.

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You can also share a view for 2D objects only

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and can include the object properties

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to better communicate the object information.

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Once you click the Share button in the SHAREVIEW dialog box,

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the software asks for your permission

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and then starts processing.

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The processing is indicated by an animated SHAREVIEW icon

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in the status bar.

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When the process is complete, a bubble

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displays in the status bar indicating completion

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and includes a link for viewing.

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You'll also receive an email from Autodesk with a link

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to the file.

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You can view the file by clicking View in Browser

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in the bubble, or you can forward the email

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to the stakeholder you want to share the design with.

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They can click View File to view the shared

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views in the Autodesk viewer.

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In the AutoCAD software, you can keep

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track of all the shared views for the current drawing

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in the Shared View palette.

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Open the Shared Views palette by clicking Shared Views

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in the Collaborate tab.

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This palette keeps a history of all the shared views.

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The ellipsis button opens a list of options,

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such as View in Browser, which, again, enables

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you to view the drawing view along

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with the available markups, which, again, enables

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you to view the drawing view along

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with the available markups.

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In the palette, you can copy the link

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and send it to other collaborators,

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extend the expiration date, and delete the shared view.

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In the comments area, you have the options

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for starting a new common thread or you can reply to a comment

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and resolve the comments.

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Anybody with a link to shared view

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can open it in the Autodesk viewer, which is a free viewing

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program provided by Autodesk.

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The Autodesk viewer opens the temporary view link

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in a browser on your desktop or tablet or other mobile devices.

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This enables you to share the view with stakeholders

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who do not have AutoCAD software without having

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to email files back and forth or install other viewing software.

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Using an internet browser, anyone with the review link

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can review and markup the design in the Autodesk viewer.

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You are required to be signed into your Autodesk account

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to be able to markup, comment, and share the drawing view.

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The Autodesk viewer interface contains the active view

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window, which displays the model or sheet shared

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from the AutoCAD software.

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The viewer has multiple palettes and various toolbars

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that help the collaborator to analyze and then

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mark up the drawing view.

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In the Autodesk viewer, multiple palettes

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are provided to help navigate, share, and analyze the model.

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Palettes include views, properties, settings, comments,

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print, screenshot, and share.

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Additionally, the measure tool are also

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provided for measuring shared view objects, such as distance,

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angle, and area.

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You can also calibrate distances by placing a distance

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measurement and defining the distance you measured.

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The markup tool contains various tools for red lining

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and marking up the shared views and include text, arrows,

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revision clouds, et cetera, et cetera.

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You are also provided with tools to change

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the properties such as the change of color and weight

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of the markup tools.

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Now, let's talk about the sharing

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drawings as opposed to just sharing views.

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In AutoCAD 2022, the sharing drawing tool

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was introduced to collaborate with others

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by sharing with them a virtual link

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to a copy of the currently-open drawing file.

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The shared drawing tool functions very similarly

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to the ETRANSMIT command in AutoCAD,

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and it's available in the Quick Access toolbar

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as well as in the Collaborate tab shared panel.

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With the Share Drawing tool, you can share drawings along

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with all the relevant referenced files, such as xrefs, images,

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and font file types.

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The copy of the drawing being shared is stored on the cloud

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and can be accessed anytime and from anywhere.

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The link to the drawing file can be shared with others,

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and then they can review, markup, and edit the drawing

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in the AutoCAD web app.

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Recipients can make changes to the copy of the drawing file

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with no access to the original drawing file that

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is owned by the sharer.

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As a safety feature, the shared link

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automatically expires after seven days

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from when it was created.

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The main drawing file and/or each individual reference

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drawing file must be less than 50 MBs in size.

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The complete project files including all documents

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must be less than

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When you start the Share Drawing command,

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a link to the copy of the drawing

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is created and is displayed in the Share

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a link to this drawing dialog box.

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There are two levels of permission

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that can be set for the recipients of the shared

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drawing.

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The first one is the View only where

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anyone with the access to this link

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can view the drawing including all xrefs.

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Recipients cannot make changes to the drawing and cannot save

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or download a copy.

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Edit and save a copy is the option

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where anyone with access to this link can edit the drawing

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and save the drawing and all its xrefs as a copy.

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In the dialog box, you can either

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Preview the drawing file in the AutoCAD web app

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and/or use the Copy link option to send it

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to others with whom you want to collaborate on the drawing.

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Clicking on the link opens the shared copy of the drawing

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in the AutoCAD web app.

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Anyone with a link to the copy of the drawing

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can open it in the AutoCAD web app.

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The AutoCAD web app is an online version of AutoCAD

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that allows you to work on your drawings

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while you are on the go and do not

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have access to your computer with the AutoCAD desktop

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software.

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As the web app runs in a web browser,

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you just need to have a live internet connection.

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The web app also enables you to share the drawing

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with stakeholders who do not have AutoCAD software

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without having to email files back and forth

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or install other viewing software.

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Once you open the AutoCAD web app,

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you are required to be signed into your free Autodesk

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account.

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In the web app, you can open a drawing file

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that has been saved on the cloud in either your Autodesk

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drive or any other supported cloud storage provider.

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In the web app, the drawing file opens in a drawing window

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that has a similar look and feel as the AutoCAD desktop drawing

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window.

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The web app uses the AutoCAD core technology

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and comes equipped with the AutoCAD basic drawing

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and editing tools along with basic annotation and markup

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tools that enable you to review, markup, draft,

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and edit the drawings anytime and from anywhere.

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You are also provided with the drawing aids, such as Osnaps

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and Polar Tracking, to work in the drawing with precision

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and accuracy.

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Additionally, various palettes are

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provided for managing properties and layers

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and adding markups using traces.

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Once you open the AutoCAD web app,

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you can then open any drawing file that you

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have saved on the cloud.

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You can also open a copy of a drawing in the web app

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by simply clicking on the shared link that

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is created using the Share Drawing

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command in the desktop version of AutoCAD.

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Multiple palettes are available to help analyze and review

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the drawing.

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Now, these palettes include properties palettes

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which lists the properties of the currently-selected object

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in the Active View.

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Properties can include color, layer, line type, material

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length, and much, much more.

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You can modify some properties of the selected objects

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as well.

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There is also the layers palette that

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lists all the layers in the shared drawing.

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You can create new layers for new objects,

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turn them off or on, delete, and rename them.

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The blocks palette lists all blocks in the shared drawing.

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You can also create new blocks and insert

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blocks that are defined with the drawing file.

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Then there's the xref palette that

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lists all xref files in the shared drawing and traces

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palette that allows the reviewer to add

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overlay markups onto the drawing to share with the designer.

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Then there's the Active View.

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The Active View displays the model or sheet

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shared from the AutoCAD software or the drawing files

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opened from the cloud.

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In the upper left corner of the Active View,

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you have access to the undo, redo, zoom, extends,

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and zoom window tools to help you quickly

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navigate to and work with the different areas of the drawing

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view.

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It also displays the layers list where

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you can select a layer to make it current to create

14:03

the markups and feedback on.

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Then there are toolbars.

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There are various tools provided in the AutoCAD web

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app that enable you to make minor modifications

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and add markups to the drawing which

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helps to better communicate your input with others.

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The tools are grouped in three tabs--

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Draw, Annotate, and Modify.

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Now, the Draw tab, it contains tools

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for adding new information to the design.

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It includes typical AutoCAD draw tools such as line, polyline,

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rectangles, circle, arcs, line, and so on and so forth.

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The draw tools can also be used with the trace overlay

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function.

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Then the Annotate tab, it contains tools

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for measuring existing content in the drawing.

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It also contains the REVCLOUD tool

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for adding markups to areas that require change.

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In addition, the tab contains tools

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for adding dimensions, texts, and multileaders to tag

15:03

notations in the drawing.

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Then the Modify tab, it contains tools

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for modifying the drawing.

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The tab contains the basic AutoCAD modification tools

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such as move, copy, erase, rotate, scale,

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chamfer, and so on.

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In the upper right corner of the AutoCAD web app screen,

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many tools are provided to work with.

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There is the Settings tool.

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You can set various drawing settings

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using the Settings tool.

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Clicking the Settings tool opens the Settings dialog box where

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you can set preferences such as setting the light or dark theme

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for the palettes area and selecting the Object

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Snaps to be able to draw with precision and accuracy

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and also setting the units to be used in the drawing.

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Click Done once you have the required settings in place.

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Then there is the Plot icon, which

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can be used to plot the drawing as a PDF.

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You can plot the current model space display

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or, while in paper space, you can

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plot either the current layout or the layouts in the drawing.

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Options for settings, such as plot style, paper size,

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and orientation for the plot, are also provided.

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You can save the drawing back onto the cloud

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in either the Autodesk drive or any other supported cloud

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storage provider.

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You can also save the drawing as a different file name

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so that you do not overwrite the original file.

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Clicking on your Sign In tool opens

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a dropdown list where you can open your Autodesk account

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details and then log out from the AutoCAD web app.

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There is also the shared tool, which

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creates a virtual link to a copy of the currently-open drawing

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file.

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You can share the link with other reviewers

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such that they can also review the drawing

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and offer their feedback in the AutoCAD web app.

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The Open in Desktop button directly opens

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the active drawing in the desktop AutoCAD software

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along with all the feedback and markups.

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You can review the feedback and use the full AutoCAD desktop

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tools and features to make the modifications

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to the drawing as required.

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Now, let's take a look at an in-product demo

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that demonstrates Share Drawing and the AutoCAD web app.

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In the Collaborate tab Share panel,

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you now have the Share Drawing command

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to share your drawings with others.

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In the Share a link to this drawing dialog box,

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select Edit and save a copy.

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Note that a link is created, which you can copy and send

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to the team members and collaborators.

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With the enhancements to AutoCAD using an internet browser,

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this link directly opens a copy of the drawing in the AutoCAD

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web app where you or anyone with the link

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can work on the drawing.

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In the AutoCAD web app, in the palettes panel,

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select the Blocks palette.

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Here, all the blocks defined with the drawing are listed.

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Select DR20, and insert it into the drawing.

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In the Modify toolbar, select Rotate and rotate the block.

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In the Modify toolbar, select Move and move the block

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to the cabinet.

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Use the Stretch tool to stretch the cabinet walls.

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With the enhancements to the AutoCAD web app,

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you can now use the Traces palette to create your markups

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on the trace.

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Select New Trace.

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A trace overlay is placed on top of the drawing

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and the drawing is in Trace mode.

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In the Annotate toolbar, select REVCLOUD and add a cloud

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around the door.

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Use the MTEXT tool to enter your feedback.

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Click on the checkmark to exit the Trace mode.

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A new trace is created, and note that the drawing is not

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altered as the markups are saved separately on the trace.

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Save the drawing back to the cloud,

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and share it with the drawing owner

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or with other team members.

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Let's talk about the web and mobile commands.

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As cloud services continue to improve,

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the ability to communicate the planned changes increases.

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In the AutoCAD 2019 software, you can save the drawing files

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to the cloud using the SAVETOWEBMOBILE command so

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that you can then open those files

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in the field from any internet-connected device,

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such as mobile phones and tablets.

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This enables anyone to review, edit, and markup the drawing

20:05

files from any location.

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When you start the SAVETOWEBMOBILE command,

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a Save to AutoCAD Web & Mobile dialog box displays

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with your AutoCAD web and mobile folder

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displayed in the saving location.

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All the files that are saved to the cloud can be reviewed,

20:23

edited, and marked up in the AutoCAD web app and the AutoCAD

20:28

mobile app.

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The SAVETOWEBMOBILE command was enhanced in AutoCAD 2020

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to additionally save the attached xref files

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along with the drawing file.

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In the Save to AutoCAD Web & Mobile dialog box,

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you have the package referenced files

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with drawing option, which enables

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you to save all the attached xref files along

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with the drawing files.

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The drawing file and the attached reference files

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are saved together in a ZIP file.

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In your AutoCAD desktop software,

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you can use the OPENFROMWEBMOBILE tool

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to open the drawing files that are saved on the cloud.

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The command opens the Open from AutoCAD Web & Mobile

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dialog box, which displays all the drawings that

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were saved into your AutoCAD web and mobile folder.

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Open any of the files as you would open the file

21:23

from your local computer drive.

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Moving on to cloud collaboration tools and techniques,

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prior to AutoCAD 2019, you could save your drawings

21:33

onto the cloud in the A360 drive.

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In the AutoCAD 2019 software, A360 drive

21:40

was retired and was replaced by the Autodesk Drive

21:44

with additional capabilities and security.

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Autodesk Drive provides you with a personal cloud

21:51

drive that can be accessed.

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You are required to be signed into your Autodesk account

21:57

to access it.

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You can store, manage, view, edit, and share your files

22:02

from anywhere.

22:03

Use the Upload menu in the Autodesk drive

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to upload one or more files or folders from your local drive

22:11

onto the cloud.

22:12

Multiple 2D and 3D file types, such as DWG, RVD, DWF, PDF,

22:20

JPEG, DOC, and others are supported

22:24

and can be uploaded and shared.

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This enables you to store all the relevant files of a project

22:31

together at one location on the cloud

22:33

and then easily share them with your team members.

22:37

With the Shared with Me option, you

22:39

can access and view the files and folders

22:42

that others have shared with you, thus making collaboration

22:46

easy and efficient.

22:47

You can organize your design data by creating a new folder

22:52

and then placing all the relevant design

22:54

files into the folder.

22:57

In the Autodesk Drive, various options--

22:60

such as rename, copy, move, and delete--

23:03

have been provided for you to better manage and organize

23:07

your files.

23:08

Use the Get Link option to create a link that you can

23:11

share with other team members.

23:13

You can also download the files onto your desktop

23:17

and work on them as required and then upload another version

23:20

of the file back to the cloud.

23:22

You can view the 2D and 3D models directly

23:25

from Autodesk Drive.

23:27

Double-click on a file to directly open the drawing

23:30

file in the Autodesk viewer where

23:33

you can use the viewing and measuring

23:35

tools to examine the models.

23:37

If you're using a touch-enabled mobile device,

23:40

tap on a file to open the drawing file in the Autodesk

23:44

viewer.

23:45

Continuing with cloud collaboration, in AutoCAD 2020,

23:50

a direct connectivity to various cloud storage providers

23:54

was incorporated.

23:56

In the AutoCAD file selection dialog

23:58

boxes, such as Open and Save Drawing As,

24:01

you can now directly access your cloud storage drives,

24:05

such as Dropbox and OneDrive.

24:09

The cloud storage providers that are installed on your computer

24:13

are displayed in the Places list of the File selection

24:16

dialog boxes.

24:17

You can directly open from and save to those locations

24:21

on the cloud.

24:23

In AutoCAD 2022, a direct connectivity to Autodesk drive

24:28

has been added.

24:29

In the AutoCAD File selection dialog

24:31

boxes, such as Open and Save Drawing As,

24:35

you can now directly access your Autodesk drive.

24:38

Autodesk drive is available through the devices and drives

24:42

of your system.

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In your desktop, that is displayed

24:46

in the Places list of the File selection dialog boxes.

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You will find the Autodesk drive in your PC's devices

24:53

and drives.

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Now, let me provide you with a brief introduction

24:58

to the Autodesk Docs.

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Autodesk Docs is a cloud-based document management solution

25:05

that provides a centralized environment

25:08

to store all the common data required for a project.

25:11

It acts as a single source across the project

25:14

lifecycle where all the project members can have access

25:19

to all the information for the project.

25:21

With Autodesk Docs, collaboration and data

25:24

management between team members is streamlined, efficient,

25:28

and up-to-date.

25:30

There is a licensing requirement for Autodesk Docs.

25:33

Instructions on setting up a site on the Autodesk

25:36

Construction Cloud is sent to Autodesk Docs customers.

25:41

Once the site is activated, the Autodesk administrator

25:45

can create projects and invite members to manage

25:48

or collaborate in a project.

25:50

In addition to being invited as a project member,

25:54

a user also needs to have a Docs license assigned to them

25:59

in their Autodesk account.

26:01

AutoCAD includes a direct access to Docs projects on the Start

26:06

window, which enables you to navigate to a project

26:10

and preview and open drawings directly from the project.

26:13

Using the Autodesk Desktop Connector,

26:16

users can save drawings into a Docs project

26:19

and open them directly from AutoCAD.

26:22

In the File selection dialog boxes, such as Save Drawing As,

26:27

you can open the drawings from and save the drawings

26:30

to Autodesk Docs directly from AutoCAD.

26:34

AutoCAD 2022 supports locking and unlocking

26:38

of drawings in Autodesk Docs.

26:40

So when a user opens a drawing in an Autodesk Docs project,

26:45

the drawing is locked automatically

26:48

so that no other users can edit the drawing when it is in use.

26:52

When a drawing is locked, Autodesk Docs

26:55

also displays which user is currently

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working in the drawing.

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Now, let's talk about the PUSHTODOCS feature in AutoCAD.

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AutoCAD 2022 introduced the Push to Autodesk Docs

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feature so the team members could

27:10

view the digital PDFs of drawings

27:12

while they are in the field.

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This feature allows project members

27:17

to upload drawing layouts from multiple drawings

27:19

to an Autodesk Docs project as PDFs.

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This command is accessed from the Collaborate tab Share

27:28

panel in the ribbon or by entering the PUSHTODOCSOPEN

27:32

at the command line.

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This tool opens the Push to the Autodesk Docs palette

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where multiple tools and options have

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been provided to manage the uploading of the drawing

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sheets as PDFs to selected project folders on Autodesk

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Docs.

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In the Push to Autodesk Docs palette,

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the Sheets to Upload area contains

27:55

a list of all the sheets that you

27:57

have added from the drawings.

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Use the tools at the top to select drawings

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to add their available layouts to the list

28:05

or remove selected layouts from the list.

28:08

You can also load a previously-saved list of sheets

28:11

or save the current list for future use.

28:14

Additional options that have been provided

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to manage the uploading of the drawing sheets

28:20

as PDFs to selected project folders on Autodesk Docs.

28:24

By default, the software creates the file name for the PDF.

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As with most other commands, you can click on the file name

28:32

and rename the file.

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Right-click anywhere in the palette

28:36

to display a menu where you have the same options as

28:40

in the toolbar.

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Once you have selected the layouts to be uploaded as PDFs,

28:45

select the Select Folder button.

28:49

Browse to the project and the project folder

28:51

in which to save the PDFs.

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And finally, click OK to upload the selected sheets as PDFs

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and they become ready for use on the cloud

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by you or other team members.

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Thank you for joining me today for this accelerated

29:07

presentation about the latest collaboration

29:11

features and enhancements in AutoCAD,

29:14

and I hope that you found the information useful.