With each new version of AutoCAD there is typically a mass public release of blog posts, web updates and press releases with what the newest version does compared to the last or previous versions. This is helpful for those that are considering making the move, but many skip multiple releases before taking the plunge.
I know of multiple companies that I work with locally that are moving to the recent version from as far back as 2004, 2006 and 2008, and a lot has changed between then and now. When considering the big jump, looking at the most recent new features may be enough to convince them to move to the current release, but they and others that choose not to may be missing out on many other changes and additions that were added in previous releases.
Many companies, all over the world that take the plunge are very often modifying the new versions of AutoCAD through the menu systems, toolbar changes and shortcut commands to get back as close to the old way of doing things as they can get, because “they cannot afford to be inefficient while learning the new software”. It would be unfortunate for these companies to be using the latest version of AutoCAD in their old way, not realizing that some of the most efficient new features are buried just below the surface. If these users learned more than just the tools that they typically use, they could be even more productive.
To educate some of these users as to a lot of the features that they may not even know exists, I have put together an AutoCAD Features by Version list and saved it here as a downloadable and printable PDF.
What is it:
A list of AutoCAD features by version since 2004.
Why:
To address users that may not be aware of some of the powerful features now in AutoCAD because they are still using older versions or using the new version just like their previous one.
How was it assembled:
Compiled from AutoCAD’s Release Matrices and various blog and website posts.
This list is not 100% accurate, but is hopefully pretty close to the actual new features introduced for each release of AutoCAD. This list was composed from various Autodesk’s release comparison matrices, blog posts and websites that discussed each release as they came out. The Autodesk matrices were not consistent as to how the products were indicated as new and improved and each Matrix release had an inconsistent set of categories, so the mergers of features may be off.
Although I started out showing which features were improved with each version, that become very cumbersome so I removed it. AutoCAD gets improvements on a regular basis, so the most exciting thing is when a completely new feature gets implemented.
This is meant to be a living document that will be updated as new versions come out and corrections brought to light. If you are aware of any discrepancies or are aware of an Autodesk version or other source that has created a more comprehensive version of this list, I would love to hear about it.
Download AutoCAD Features by Version PDF
Send any comments or questions to: walt@functionsense.com
WES
