AutoCAD 2006 is the 20th release, and builds on a tradition of innovation and out-of-the-box productivity. Migration is easy, deployment is simple and new features make learning a snap. Building on the enhancements in AutoCAD 2005, many new drafting and annotation tools eliminate the need for time-consuming workarounds. AutoCAD 2006 works the way you’ve always wanted and brings a new level of efficiency and effectiveness to everyday tasks.

For full details on all the new features, read the AutoCAD 2006 Preview (1MB PDF file). To download it, right click on the link and pick "Save As...". The major new features are briefly outlined below:

Dynamic Blocks
Powerful new Dynamic Blocks make working with blocks faster and more efficient. Now you can modify a block's appearance without editing the block definition, and get rid of bloated block libraries with many similar variations. With the new Block Editor, create and edit block definitions without exploding or reference-editing a block. Block Authoring Tools let you apply parameters to turn existing block definitions into flexible dynamic blocks. Apply custom properties to various parts of the block definition to define how the block reference can be manipulated.

Dynamic Input
The heads-up design of Dynamic Input provides a simplified command interface at the cursor to help maintain focus on the design. Pointer Input lets you enter command names, view the coordinate values of the crosshairs and input coordinate values at the cursor location. With Dimension Input you can view and edit distance and angle values directly on the geometry. Dynamic Prompts allow you to view prompts and select options at the cursor location.

Customize User Interface
The new Customize User Interface lets you easily create and modify user interface components such as menus, toolbars, and mouse buttons with a graphical interface, not a text editor. Convert your existing menu (MNU) files to the XML-based format of the new customize user interface (CUI), and drag user interface components to transfer them from one CUI file to another. The interface displays a hierarchical tree to easily view and edit the components of your AutoCAD custom interface. The new Workspace files let you save various configurations as named workspaces. In addition, upgrading to a future release of AutoCAD will be an entirely automated process, with no need to hand edit files.

Enhanced Tables
AutoCAD 2006 tables now support sums, averages and counts across rows and columns, and arithmetic expressions based on cell values. The supported expressions are: addition, subtraction, division, multiplication, exponents and equals. Automatically update table calculations as your design progresses, cutting time and errors.

Improved Hatching
AutoCAD 2006 has improved hatching, allowing multiple hatches with a single hatch command. The command now permits adding and removing hatch boundaries, and adjusting the origin of a hatch pattern. You can now easily calculate the area of single or multiple hatches and display the value as a field on the drawing.

Better Mtext
The new Mext command in AutoCAD 2006 insures that text in the Mtext editor has exactly the same appearance when it is placed on the drawing. Graphical rulers allow you to align text, create numbered or bulleted notes or quickly format from the toolbar.

Graphical Calculator
At last there is a new graphical interface for the CAL command, allowing access to this powerful calculator via menu and toolbar. The calculator is available within commands and in areas such as the properties palette. It provides standard math expressions, units conversion, shortcut functions and acquisition of points and intersections. It saves and restores variables for future calculations and has a memory function. Commonly used commands can be streamlined. For example, a calculated expression can be dropped into the properties palette to change the properties of an object.

Dimensioning Enhancements
New dimensioning enhancements include dimension linetype control, arc length, long radius dimensions, flipping dimension arrows, fixed-length extension lines and an initial length symbol.

Other New Features
Many new productivity features include: customizable scale list, rollover highlighting, semi-transparent selection window, smooth view transitions, table extraction of attributes, new join command, temporary override keys and many other command improvements.

Compatibility and Migration
AutoCAD 2006 will smoothly integrate with your current work practices and customizations. AutoCAD 2006 keeps the same DWG file format as AutoCAD 2005 and AutoCAD 2004. New entities like Dynamic Blocks look the same when opened in 2004 or 2005, and if they are not edited in an older version, maintain all their capabilities when reopened in 2006. Applications for AutoCAD 2004 or 2005 work unchanged with AutoCAD 2006. AutoCAD 2006 will easily bring across customized menus and toolbars from older versions to AutoCAD 2006.


This is only a brief list of what's new in AutoCAD 2006. Contact us to find out how it will help your organization work better and faster.