Design and shape the world around you with AutoCAD® software, one of the world’s leading CAD programs. Explore ideas more intuitively in 3D, speed documentation, share ideas seamlessly, and customize AutoCAD for your specific needs. With new and updated tools for 3D conceptual design, model documentation, and reality capture, AutoCAD 2012 helps design professionals maximize productivity.
Model Documentation Tools:
Save time by automatically generating intelligent documentation for AutoCAD, Autodesk® Inventor® software, and other models. Import a wide variety of other formats including SolidWorks®, Pro/ENGINEER®, CATIA®, Rhino, and NX®. Drawing views, edge display, and location are instantly updated when an engineering change is made.
3D Free-Form Design Tools:
You now have the power to design ideas in almost any form you can imagine. Simply push/pull faces, edges, and vertices to model complex shapes, add smooth surfaces, and much more. With tools for surface, solid, and mesh modeling, AutoCAD provides the utmost flexibility and control when designing in 3D.
Autodesk Inventor Fusion:
Adds to the 3D conceptual design capabilities of AutoCAD and sets a new standard for professional 3D modeling ease of use. It enables you to flexibly edit and validate models from almost any source, helping you further experience the benefits of easy-to-use 3D in the native DWG format.
Parametric Drawing:
Dramatically slash your design revision time with parametric drawing. By defining persistent relationships between objects, parallel lines remain parallel and concentric circles remain centered, all automatically. And now, you can infer geometric constraints in real time—as you draw—eliminating the need to manually define all of your object relationships.
Point Cloud Support
Bring your 3D scans to life, streamlining time-consuming renovation and restoration projects. With support for up to 2 billion points, you can quickly visualize and snap to the surface of your scanned objects directly within your modeling workspace.
Associative Array Functionality:
Save valuable rework time by establishing and maintaining a set of relationships between arrayed objects, such as windows on a building or trusses on a bridge. Plus, you can now array objects along a specified path (rather than just rectangular or polar options), saving even more time when creating conceptual designs or finished documentation.
PDF Support:
Sharing and reusing designs has never been easier thanks to robust PDF support within AutoCAD. With TrueType font support, import and underlay capabilities, and powerful publishing capabilities, AutoCAD helps facilitate clear communication when using PDF.
Multi-Function Grips:
The power of multi-function grips has been extended to more AutoCAD objects including lines, arcs, elliptical arcs, dimensions, and mleaders as well as 3D faces, edges, and vertices.
Hatch & Gradient Enhancements:
Save time with hatch preview, gain more control with expanded object grip functionality, and choose from more options for appearance of hatches with the addition of background color. Easily send all hatches to the back of the drawing with a single click.
Object & Layer Transparency:
Display drawing geometry with more flexibility by applying transparency to layers, blocks, or objects.