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Questions and Answers

1. General Product Information

1.1. Who will benefit from the Design Publishing Extension?
Anyone who wants to share drawing sets with multiple sheets will benefit from the Design Publishing Extension. Even design partners who don’t have AutoCAD® software can view and plot the drawing sets using Autodesk® DWF? Viewer, the new lightweight viewer.

1.2. What does the Design Publishing Extension do?
The Design Publishing Extension enables you to create complete drawing sets in DWF? (Design Web Format?) or by batch plotting drawings to paper.

1.3. Which AutoCAD-based industry-specific products can use this extension?
The Design Publishing Extension is available to members of the Autodesk® Subscription Program for the following products:

AutoCAD® 2002
Autodesk Map? 5
Autodesk® Land Desktop 3
Autodesk® Architectural Desktop 3.3
AutoCAD® Mechanical 6
Autodesk® Mechanical Desktop® 6

1.4. Are subscribers to Autodesk Building Electrical and Autodesk Building Mechanical eligible for this extension?
Autodesk® Building Electrical and Autodesk® Building Mechanical subscription members are eligible for the Design Publishing Extension if they also subscribe to Autodesk Architectural Desktop 3.3.

1.5. Does this extension work with AutoCAD LT?
No. The Design Publishing Extension does not work with AutoCAD LT® software.

1.6. Does this extension require a service pack?
No. The Design Publishing Extension does not require a service pack.

2. Drawing Sets

2.1. Can I include layouts from different drawings in a single drawing set?
Yes. The new Publish dialog box enables you to add multiple layouts from multiple drawings to the drawing set.

2.2. How does a drawing set for plotting differ from a drawing set for publishing to DWF?
The tools and process for creating a drawing set are the same whether you plan to create hard copy or electronic output.

2.3. Can I control the order in which drawings are published/plotted?
Yes. Move buttons are provided in the Publish dialog box, enabling you to rearrange the order of individual sheets.

2.4. Can I review the status of drawing sheets that I published/plotted?
Yes. You can easily save a log file that lists the sheet name, layout name, full drawing file path and status for each sheet in the drawing set.

2.5. Can I republish/replot the same drawing set again later?
Yes. The new Publish dialog box enables you to export and import drawing set descriptions for future use.

3. Plotting

3.1. How is the Design Publishing Extension’s plotting functionality different from the Batch Plot Utility already available with AutoCAD 2002?
The Design Publishing Extension allows you to create and organize the list of drawings to be published much more quickly and easily. When you drag and drop a selection of DWG files into the Design Publishing Extension all the associated layouts in the list will automatically be included. You can select, reorder, and rename sheets, as well as assign page setups, right in the main publishing interface.

3.2. Will my AutoCAD 2002 batch plot lists work with the new Publish feature?
No. Batch Plot lists are not compatible with the Design Publishing Extension.

3.3. Will the new publish feature honor my page setup configurations such as device and plot styles?
Yes. With the new Publish feature, you can use the default page setup (including plot styles and other settings) for drawing layouts or you can assign a different page setup from any other drawing or template file.

4. Viewing

4.1. How can I view multi-sheet DWF files created from the AutoCAD program?
Multi-sheet DWF files can be easily viewed or printed with Autodesk’s free DWF viewer, Autodesk DWF? Viewer.

4.2. Where do I find Autodesk DWF Viewer?
Autodesk DWF Viewer is automatically installed as part of the Design Publishing Extension, or it can be downloaded for free from www.autodesk.com/dwfviewer.

4.3. How large is the download for Autodesk DWF Viewer?
The download size for both the ActiveX control and the stand-alone application is less than 3MB.

4.4. Can I email copies of Autodesk DWF Viewer to my design partners or post it on our project websites?
Yes. Autodesk DWF Viewer is freely distributable and, because it’s less than 3 MB, it is easy to email and post.

4.5. If I install Autodesk DWF Viewer, will I be able to view older DWF files?
Yes, Autodesk DWF Viewer supports the new DWF 6 format as well as all previous DWF formats.

4.6. What is the difference between Autodesk DWF Viewer and Volo® View Express or the Whip!® viewer?
Autodesk DWF Viewer enables viewing and to-scale printing of only DWF files. Volo View Express enables viewing and very limited markup of native file formats (such as DWG) and DWF. Autodesk DWF Viewer is more of a replacement of Whip!, which was a DWF-only viewer but didn’t have the capability to print to scale.

4.7. What is the difference between Autodesk DWF Viewer and Volo® View?
Autodesk DWF Viewer enables viewing and printing of only DWF files, while Volo View enables redline, markup, measure, and plot of both native (DWG, IPT, IAM, IDW) file formats and DWF.

5. Availability

5.1. How do I get the Design Publishing Extension?
The Design Publishing Extension is available only through the Autodesk® Subscription Program. Subscription Program members can download the extension here.

5.2. What is the Autodesk Subscription Program?
The Autodesk Subscription Program is an easy way to minimize upgrade disruptions and get instant access to the latest Autodesk design software. With an up-front annual subscription fee, you can maximize your budget resources while the incremental software delivery smoothes the learning curve. Plus, the Autodesk Subscription Program comes with helpful support documents, e-Course training modules, and optional Direct Online Support.

5.3. How do I join the Autodesk Subscription Program?
Contact your Autodesk Authorized Reseller or visit www.autodesk.com/subscription for more information.

5.4. Is training available for the Design Publishing Extension?
Yes, an e-Course training module is available for the Design Publishing Extension. Autodesk e-Courses are self-paced courses that may combine animation, graphics, text, and drawing files. e-Courses are short, typically 15–30 minutes, and are designed to help you quickly master a key concept or feature of Autodesk software. They may include an overview, key concept, or feature explanation(s), and one or more step-by-step exercises. The Design Publishing Extension e-Course is a benefit of your subscription membership and is available for download from the Autodesk Subscription Center.

5.5. Will the Design Publishing Extension be available in other languages?
Yes. This extension will be available in other languages. For more information, contact your local Autodesk representative. To locate one visit www.autodesk.com/reseller.