Through the Interface

AutoCAD 2011 is now shipping

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As you're by now probably aware, the 2011 family of our products is now shipping. I'll have lots to say on AutoCAD 2011's new API features over the coming weeks/months, but for now here's a quick post on the items from the most recent API Wishlist Survey that we delivered in this release (the items we've addressed in some way are in bold below):

  1. .NET API for Property Palette
  2. Parametric Drawing .NET API
  3. Enhanced Dynamic Block API
  4. Runtime Ribbon API enhancements
  5. Enhanced Dynamic .NET language support
  6. Improved .NET<->LISP Interop
  7. Object transparency API
  8. Enhance Visual LISP IDE
  9. Boundary tracing API
  10. Solid History editing API
  11. Enhanced surfacing API
  12. Enhanced materials API

One of the features I'm most excited about – and one that isn't on the above list – is our support for point clouds. While the API to this feature is still quite new, there are still some really interesting possibilities: I'm just finishing up a really cool sample that lets you to import point clouds from Photosynth, for instance. More on this when we've ironed out the last few remaining bugs…

10 responses to “AutoCAD 2011 is now shipping”

  1. Tilo Avatar
    Tilo

    Exciting! I am really looking forward to seeing the point cloud sample. Will it be in .NET?

    Reply
  2. Kean Walmsley Avatar
    Kean Walmsley

    Absolutely - all in C# (although I've used a couple of external, freely available components/utilities to make it work).

    Kean

    Reply
  3. Stephan Bartl Avatar
    Stephan Bartl

    Hi Kean!
    Do you know what "enhancements" were made for the Visual LISP IDE (point 8)? That surprised me to read that after so many years of no changes.
    Regards, Stephan

    Reply
  4. Kean Walmsley Avatar
    Kean Walmsley

    Hi Stephan,

    Sorry to disappoint you: the list is what people voted on during the API Wishlist Survey. The items in bold are the ones we addressed in the 2011 release.

    Regards,

    Kean

    Reply
  5. Stephan Bartl Avatar
    Stephan Bartl

    Ok, thank you. The words "that we delivered in this release" threw me off. These words actually only refer to the wishlist as a whole, of which again only a few points could be addressed. Sorry for my misunderstanding and thanks for clearing it up.
    Regards, Stephan

    Reply
  6. Tony Tanzillo Avatar
    Tony Tanzillo

    Don't feel bad. I also didn't realize they only delievered on the items with bold-faced type (someone posted the list on the Autodesk discussion groups, *without* the bold-face type, or at least, I didn't see it in my newsreader).

    Reply
  7. Juergen.Becker@CAD-Becker.de Avatar
    Juergen.Becker@CAD-Becker.de

    Hi Kean,

    where can I find information about the parametric API?

    Which DLL must I reference?

    Regards Jürgen

    Reply
  8. Kean Walmsley Avatar
    Kean Walmsley

    Hi Jürgen,

    I haven't done anything much with this, myself, but you should be able to find a sample in the DevDays material on the ADN site (or in the DevDays Online material on the API webcast archive - found under autodesk.com/apitraining, for any non-ADN members interested in this).

    Regards,

    Kean

    Reply
  9. Dave Avatar
    Dave

    I hate to sound picky, but why bother sorting a priority of wishlist survey responses if Autodesk isn't going to pay any attention to the priority? Why not just bulletize them instead of numbering them?

    Reply
  10. Kean Walmsley Avatar
    Kean Walmsley

    Autodesk does pay attention to the relative position on the list: the list is used to influence the long-term (as well as short-term) priorities for the product - some items are easier to address than others, as I'm sure you realise.

    Working many of these priorities into an already-busy annual development cycle would be next to impossible. Inevitably some of the items are looked at with a longer-term perspective, and (unfortunately) others are not aligned with the current direction of the product and are unlikely to be addressed.

    Kean

    Reply

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