Small mfg company considering upgrade '00 to '05.

[gixxerjim]

Currently have four full time engineers and one part time draftsman/CNC programmer. Using AutoCad 2000 to draw sheetmetal parts, weldments and assemblies for manufacturing.

All of our staff is currently adept at 2000, but we don't have any gurus by any stretch of the imagination. I think it may be time to upgrade to stay current in industry and not fall into a position where when we do get around to upgrading our staff will be lost in the upgrade, if that makes sense.

Can anyone out there make any recomendations on this with specific advantages and details on 2005 improvements from 2000. All of our guys are using AutoCad2000 full time, it is a key component in our processes.

[Methuselah]

Here's a good article that compares AutoCAD 2005 to both 2004 and 2000, showing its main differences/strengths over the previous two versions. This article was written last year before AutoCAD 2005 had been released.

http://www.dotsoft.com/acad2005.htm

[Lazer]

Hi, first of all autocad is in version 2006 now so there has been quite alot of new features added along the way since 2000, all making the program better and easyer to use

Having an upgrade would help but dont expect to much from upgrading, your team will still draft the same way, just new features like
dynamic blocks, dynamic input(i dont like it) , undo/redo was is far better. To may to type ere.

Have a chat with the local college the tutor will spend time with you telling all of the great things this package has come to be...

Your team would have to go to college for an update, you dont need to send everyone(droping cost) just 1/2 would be fine then they can share what they have learned.

Recards Kev

[Lazer]

Here's a good article that compares AutoCAD 2005 to both 2004 and 2000, showing its main differences/strengths over the previous two versions. This article was written last year before AutoCAD 2005 had been released.

http://www.dotsoft.com/acad2005.htm

Hi i use that site it very good. like this 1, im not a member of the forum, this 1 keeps be buzy :D Its great for Inventor tuts aswell
:oops: opps got that wrong i thought it as sdotsons site...take it bak :oops: :lol:

[Methuselah]

Hi, first of all autocad is in version 2006 now so there has been quite alot of new features added along the way since 2000, all making the program better and easyer to use

Having an upgrade would help but dont expect to much from upgrading, your team will still draft the same way, just new features like
dynamic blocks, dynamic input(i dont like it) , undo/redo was is far better. To may to type ere.

Have a chat with the local college the tutor will spend time with you telling all of the great things this package has come to be...

Your team would have to go to college for an update, you dont need to send everyone(droping cost) just 1/2 would be fine then they can share what they have learned.

Recards Kev

I agree, but I don't think they'd have to go to college to learn the new features. That's why Autodesk built in the "New Features Workshop" into newer versions of AutoCAD.

Yeah, I'm not a big fan of dynamic input, either. I will say that one of the major improvements that increased my productivity is making the copy command automatically set to "multiple", so you don't have to specify that when copying. With it set to multiple, you can just type copy and and paste away as many times as you like... :D

[Lazer]

O yea Methuselah wrote "copy and and paste away as many times as you like"
I played away that for ages, just because i could...was ace.