1. File Open and File Save

Save time accessing drawings, whether they are stored locally or on a network drive. Open drawings 30 percent faster and save drawings 66 percent faster than in AutoCAD® 2002 when AutoCAD® 2004 DWG data is located on a network drive*.

*Measurement is a preliminary indicator based on automation testing over a controlled network. Results are approximate and are subject to error and change. Product information and specifications are subject to change without notice. Autodesk, Inc., provides this information “as is,” without warranty of any kind, either express or implied.

2. Tabs and Indents

Multiline text (mtext) editing now includes tabs and indents. You can easily create paragraphs with text indented relative to the bounding box of the text element.

3. External Reference Notification

Multiple users can work on the same drawing set with the confidence that they are using the most current drawings. You receive real-time notification and an icon alert in the status bar when an external reference has been changed or saved to the current drawing.

4. Multisheet DWF

You can publish all drawings from a drawing set to a single DWF file using the new DWF™ 6 (Design Web Format™) file format. Minimize the number of files transmitted and avoid confusion regarding file order for viewing and printing. Multipage files can be easily viewed and printed in order with Autodesk’s free DWF viewer, Autodesk® Express Viewer.

5. Autodesk Express Viewer

Autodesk Express Viewer* is a small, fast, free viewer with easy-to-use tools for anyone who needs to view and print to-scale DWF files. Creators and consumers of design information can readily access design drawings for review electronically or in print, without requiring AutoCAD software.

*This product is subject to the terms and conditions of the end-user license agreement that accompanies the download of the software.

6. True Color

With more than 16 million colors to choose from, you can apply exactly the color you want to your AutoCAD objects. Specify color settings using true colors (24-bit color) with either the Hue, Saturation, and Luminance (HSL) color model or the Red, Green, and Blue (RGB) color model.

Color system libraries include PANTONE®, RAL DESIGN, and RAL CLASSIC*.

*RAL DESIGN © RAL, Sankt Augustin, 2002; RAL CLASSIC © RAL, Sankt Augustin, 2002.

Representation of the RAL Colors is done with the approval of RAL Deutsches Institut für Gütesicherung und Kennzeichnung e.V. (RAL – German Institute for Quality Assurance and Certification, reg. Assoc.), D-53757 Sankt Augustin.

Please note that the representation of colors on monitors can only approximate the actual color shades as they are registered as lacquered samples.  Neither the quality of the present software nor the hardware used is responsible for it.

7. Gradient Fills

With the new Gradient Fill feature, you can create presentation drawings directly in the AutoCAD application without the need for additional software. Specify a fill that uses a smooth transition between two colors or between darker shades and lighter tints of one color.

8. DesignCenter Online

You can access content on a local drive, a network drive, or autodesk.com from a single location with the new tab in the AutoCAD® DesignCenter™ feature. The tab contains direct links to millions of symbols libraries and manufacturers’ content on autodesk.com—all in i-drop® format.

9. Password Protection

View Larger Image

Ensure that drawings cannot be opened or viewed by unauthorized personnel by applying passwords to drawing files.

10. License Borrowing

The Autodesk® Network License Manager (NLM) enables users to borrow a network license for a limited amount of time and return it to the server when they reconnect to the network. NLM users can temporarily work without access to the Network License Manager using the client-installed version of AutoCAD software.