20+ Years of Design, Technology & More
20+ Years of Design, Technology & More
Jon Peddie Research puts the 2D CAD market at about 5.4 billion dollars in 2025 and calls it structurally strong. I am not in the 2D camp or the 3D camp. Both have real jobs, and the interesting problem is the handoff between them.
AUGI CON26 is just under a week away. There’s still time to register. Go here for the Main Stage and Lounge links:
Most CAD managers underestimate the significance of Autodesk crash data found in Customer Error Reports (CERs). Regularly analyzing these files reveals underlying issues affecting user environments, often overlooked by support tickets. Cer data can identify patterns leading to crashes and help implement fixes, thereby reducing user frustration and improving productivity.
Updated 9/6/2026: The PowerShell scripts in this post have been rewritten and tested end to end. The original versions captured the decoder with 2>&1, which fails silently in any PowerShell script that sets $ErrorActionPreference = ‘Stop’: the decoder’s stderr output…
One of the simplest and most effective things you can do to maintain a stable, high-performing CAD workstation is to reboot regularly and keep your machine current with IT and hardware updates. AutoCAD, Civil 3D and other CAD applications accumulate…
The post discusses the role of lighthearted pranks in design offices to relieve stress. It shares various harmless AutoCAD pranks that can confuse users without causing damage. Suggestions include altering settings or commands, creating misleading appearances, and adding unexpected functionalities. The author encourages sharing new prank ideas while ensuring reversibility.
The importance of precision in CAD software like AutoCAD is highlighted, illustrating how floating point limits affect geometry at large scales. While multi-core processing exists, certain tasks must remain single-threaded to ensure accuracy and reliability. AutoCAD balances threading where beneficial, continually addressing tradeoffs between precision and performance for user stability and productivity.
As design tools evolve, CAD standards must also adapt to ensure consistency, accuracy, and efficiency in projects. Regular reviews, conducted quarterly or yearly, will capture lessons learned, incorporate new efficiencies, and standardize updates. This proactive approach fosters collaboration and maintains quality, ensuring standards align with current workflows and technology.
Before a product name is locked in, it usually starts life with a codename. It’s how teams keep projects straight and conversations private while development is still underway. The tradition goes way back at Autodesk, back to the 1980s when…
CAD standards must remain current to ensure consistency and efficiency. Outdated standards lead to disengagement and inconsistency in design practices. Regular reviews, user involvement, clear documentation, effective communication, and ease of use are essential for maintaining effective standards. Continuously evolving standards align teams and promote smooth project execution.