AutoCAD for Mac – why you should wait to switch

Nov 15th – Architecture

18 years after the last version of a native Mac version of AutoCAD was released, Autodesk have finally come back to the app world of Apple with AutoCAD 2011 for Mac. If you’re a regular AutoCAD user and a Mac owner, it might be tempting to jump straight in and purchase this version. After all, that’ll mean no more having to look at that awful PC (thank god) or having to run Windows through Bootcamp (the shame) on the Mac, but prudence might be best observed in this instance.

AutoCAD for Mac retails at a staggering £4100.75 (VAT included) -with one years Autodesk subscription (same as for the PC). The price, though steep isn’t the issue as it matches it’s PC counterpart, but when the price is the same and it’s missing 80 features (yes EIGHTY), it’s starts to look less appealing.

Here is the official statement from Autodesk regarding the missing features:

“Although AutoCAD 2011 for Mac is based on AutoCAD 2011, it was written to be a native Mac application. As such, it is a new and separate product and not simply a port from the Windows version. In the first release of this new product, there are some features and functionality that exist in AutoCAD 2011 that are not yet available in AutoCAD 2011 for Mac”

OK, fair enough. I don’t know the first thing about porting an application from one OS to another but charging a user the same for a program with missing features is just not right.

If you a PC user dying to make the switch, there are a good selection of native and cross platform CAD programs that have been on the MAC for some time, that can cater to all your CAD needs. May I recommend [Vectorworks]. My favourite Mac CAD suite.

Head down for a full list of missing features:

3DWalk, 3DFly, and animation support
Action Recorder and playback of Action Macros
Autopublish
Batch Standards Checker and the ability to use cad standards [STANDARDS, CHECKSTANDARDS]
CAD Manager Tools
‘Classic’ dialogs for image, xref, and layers
Custom dictionaries
Data Extraction Wizard [EATTEXT] (Attribute extraction can still be done using –ATTEXT)
dBConnect and Datalink support
DesignCenter
DGN support
Digitally signing drawings or notification when opening digital signed drawings
Digitizer support
Drawing Recovery Manager
DWF support
Dynamic block authoring
Editable drawing properties [DWGPROPS]
eTransmit and Archive
Express Tools
Extended tooltips
FBX import/export
Filter and Quick Select
Geographic location support
Hyperlink
In-place editing of blocks or xrefs [REFEDIT]
Layer filters
Layer notification
Layer State Manager (fundamental layer state operations can still be performed using the stAte option in the -LAYER command or using the (layerstate-xxx) AutoLISP functions)
Layer Translator
Layer Walk
Some Layer Tools [LAYCUR, LAYDEL, LAYON, LAYTHW, LAYMCH, LAYMRG, LAYVPI]
Layout wizard
Markup Set Manager
Navigation bar and SteeringWheels
OLE objects
Password protecting a drawing or opening password protected drawings
PDF underlay
Plot style configuration
Plotting to file
Point Clouds
Purge dialog (all purge options are still available from the command line)
Quick Properties palette
Reference Manager (the external reference repathing utility)
Share with Autodesk Seek
Sheet Set Manager
ShowMotion
Slide creation or viewing
Table style setup
Tool palettes
User Profiles
VBA (Visual Basic for Applications)
Visual LISP editor
WMF import/export
Xref notification
Other Functionality
Most AutoLISP will work unless it includes Windows calls (using .NET) or uses DCL dialogs
Most ARX applications will work unless it includes MFC or .NET calls
No import or export of CUI customization
There is only one workspace
Visual styles must be created at the command line
Sun Properties palette and Visual Styles managers are merged with the Properties Inspector
Camera objects cannot be created
Materials cannot be edited or created and you can not adjust the way a material maps on an object [MATERIALMAP]
Tessellation for new 3D mesh objects must be set via the command line (MESHOPTIONS and MESHPRIMITIVEOPTIONS are not available)
Rendering options are limited (no Advanced Render Settings palette or Rendercrop)
Limited editing and style support for Multilines
PC3 plot files may work but will depend on whether or not it uses proprietary drivers
Page sizes are referenced differently between AutoCAD 2011 and AutoCAD for Mac 2011
CUI editor may include commands that are not actually available
Command auto-completion may offer commands that are not actually available
System variables for missing features may still exist and be editable but will have no affect if the accompanying feature is not included. They have been kept to help preserve scripting compatibility.

Posted by at Nov 15th 2010

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  • Bob-H

    Thanks for the 80 item list. This should be enough material to keep Autodesk’s online Wish List for AutoCad / Mac busy … for the 18 years they wasted over not releasing this. I agree that for the money, Vectorworks is the better choice, and can take a big chunk out of the 80 missing items list.

    • http://habitables.co.uk habitables

      It is quite extensive, and for the money that it costs, far too long.

      In many ways Vectorworks is a far superior CAD tool for the Mac (and the money as it’s *only* £1699).

      Thanks for your comment

  • http://twitter.com/CAD4MAC Matthew Jackson 

    It is a shame that the list is so long but we sit in hope that this list will soon disappear and yes at this time Vectorworks is far superior in many ways.

    http://bit.ly/CAD4MAC

    • http://www.robheggen.com Rob Heggen

      Good call Matthew, I did miss Vectorworks and its Renderworks/Cinema 4D plugin. I have requested a student license and look forward to taking it for a spin.
      I see on your blog that you’re working on a review for VW at the moment. I look forward to reading that also. How did you learn VW? Do you have any opinions on their online learning resources or other online resources?

      I’m definitely wanting to present this series from a students point of view and while I’ll be writing about the software and it’s features I’ll mostly be commenting on my experiences while learning the specific titles and offering advice and insight to others who may be learning the software too.

      Perhaps Nick would be interested in sharing your thoughts on VectorWorks as someone who has studied architecture and also been in the construction industry? 

      I would also be very interested in hearing your opinion on whether there are enough Mac only applications (not run through VM or Bootcamp) available for an Architect to succeed. Feel free to contact me directly through Twitter (@rmjh) if you’d like!

    • http://www.robheggen.com Rob Heggen

      Good call Matthew, I did miss Vectorworks and its Renderworks/Cinema 4D plugin. I have requested a student license and look forward to taking it for a spin.
      I see on your blog that you’re working on a review for VW at the moment. I look forward to reading that also. How did you learn VW? Do you have any opinions on their online learning resources or other online resources?

      I’m definitely wanting to present this series from a students point of view and while I’ll be writing about the software and it’s features I’ll mostly be commenting on my experiences while learning the specific titles and offering advice and insight to others who may be learning the software too.

      Perhaps Nick would be interested in sharing your thoughts on VectorWorks as someone who has studied architecture and also been in the construction industry? 

      I would also be very interested in hearing your opinion on whether there are enough Mac only applications (not run through VM or Bootcamp) available for an Architect to succeed. Feel free to contact me directly through Twitter (@rmjh) if you’d like!