More and more government agencies are using Autodesk software to improve communication and collaboration between agencies, gain cost effectiveness and improve the productivity of design and manufacturing projects. Here’s our lowdown of the top five ways AutoCAD is being or can be deployed by agencies to improve workflow processes and reduce cost without sacrificing the quality of work.

Virginia’s Governor, Bob McDonnell, made efforts to push “Shovel Ready” projects into high gear recently by stating: "Without an adequate transportation system, almost every aspect of our daily lives and government are negatively impacted…Therefore, we must get serious and start treating transportation like a core function of government."

The CAD world is buzzing about the introduction of AutoCAD WS app for the Kindle Fire – now Kindle Fire users can view, edit and share drawings on the go! Released this past December, the app has been the topic of discussion ever since (You can download the app from Amazon). In fact, since its launch in 2011, there have been over four million downloads of the AutoCAD WS app which is also available for the iPhone, iPad and Android. Wow! I’m guessing this would be considered a hot commodity.

Bumper-to-bumper traffic is incredibly frustrating when you have no idea as to the cause of it. That’s the way it goes in the Washington, DC metro area! And, while I know there is construction and repair to the transportation arteries in and around the DC metro area, seemingly, I must have the world’s worst short term memory, because every day I get frustrated in my effort to get home. Until the other day… Speaking recently in Kansas, President Obama said, “I believe that this country succeeds when everyone gets a fair shot”. Hearing the President talk about the US facing “a make or break moment for the middle class”: I recalled from high school history class that middle class growth was at its greatest starting in the 50’s and throughout the 70’s. So, I got on the “Google Machine” and started searching for any information that would satisfy my curiosity about middle class growth during that 30 year period and its contributors. One of the biggest contributors to job growth and the rise of the US middle class was Infrastructure expansion. Two years ago the President signed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act into law giving $46 billion for transportation projects, including $27 billion for highway and bridge construction and repair and $11.5 billion for mass transit and rail projects. Wow, I thought, this ought to create jobs and alleviate the congestion that causes me so much aggravation; that was 2 years ago!! What happened?

Autodesk Cloud Brings a Wealth of Features and Benefits for Subscription Customers By Caron Beesley If you are an Autodesk Subscription customer you can now extend your desktop and many of your CAD-based tools into the cloud thanks to the newly launched Autodesk Cloud. Launched in September, 2011, Autodesk Cloud strengthens and extends many of the collaboration tools that Autodesk has launched in the last decade including Buzzsaw and AutoCAD WS (which allows users to perform CAD design with a browser or with a mobile iOS or Android device). So what does Autodesk Cloud have to offer and who can take advantage of it?

We all know the nation’s infrastructure is desperately in need of investment and overhaul (our own Tiffany Diehl sheds light on some of the worrying facts in her article Are Bridges in the U.S. Making the Grade? State Rankings Reveal a Grim Reality.) But when the infrastructure in question resides on one of the most seismically active metropolitan areas in the country, state transportation departments have an imperative to up the ante. Such is the case with one of the biggest engineering projects in California history, the replacement of the current south access road to the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco. Known as Doyle Drive or Route 101, the route is structurally and seismically deficient and, built in 1936, it’s also come to the end of its useful life.

The mobile market is expanding at the speed of light and Autodesk isn’t going to be left in the dark. They’ve recently expanded their mobile portfolio to include their software-as-a-service platform, Buzzsaw, making it available for your iPad or iPhone. By combining the power of AutoCAD WS (Autodesk’s mobile version of AutoCAD) with Buzzsaw mobile, AEC designers are now able to view their files from the field AND submit changes and alterations to the master file via a secure online collaborative website.

Good day [acronym]! I’m excited to be posting live from the Autodesk Make Your Most Amazing Ideas Happen Virtual Event – from my desk in Herndon, VA. Our good friend, Autodesk Technical Evangelist, Lynn Allen, recently posted about her presentation on AutoCAD 2012. Right now, I’m exploring all virtual aspects of the event including the exhibit hall, auditorium and industry specific resources. Here is a shot of the main exhibit hall where you can find an Architecture, Engineering, Construction, Plant & Government booth in the upper left hand corner.

Who doesn’t love AutoCAD? But if you are looking for a tool that lets you more easily communicate your visual ideas without a steep learning curve and huge investment then Autodesk Design Suite Premium might be for you. Developed for designers and architects, Autodesk Design Suite Premium combines the benefits of AutoCAD software with enhanced sketching, concept design and best-in-class 3D visualization – in the familiar AutoCAD workflow. The good thing about the “Suite” concept is that Autodesk is making it these “add-ons” available at a price 44% less than you would expect to pay for the the individual products that make up the suite (AutoCAD 2011, Autodesk 3ds Max Design, Showcase and Alias Sketch).

Have you heard the latest news about AutoCAD? In the ever so popular world of mobile technology, Autodesk is now offering its flagship product, AutoCAD, for the iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch. Using the new AutoCAD WS, users can now access their design files over the internet - which means that you aren’t confined to your office to do your work. To access your design files, simply log in to your AutoCAD WS online account; it’s free and available for anyone to use. After you log in, you can begin working on totally new designs and/or upload your current drawings to work on projects that have already been started. Essentially, it’s like using AutoCAD in the cloud because your files are stored in your online workspace. Previous versions of your files are automatically saved, so you don’t need to worry about file backups. Best of all, you can invite your colleagues to meet and share files online, in real time. Collaboration has never been so easy.