We’re excited for you to get to know AutoCAD 2018 for Mac and AutoCAD LT 2018 for Mac. Read on to find out about updates to existing functionality and all-new features.
Migrate Custom Settings
We know that re-customizing AutoCAD every time you get a new version can be a frustrating and time-consuming process. That’s why we’re happy to announce that with AutoCAD 2018 for Mac, you can seamlessly migrate your custom files and settings from AutoCAD 2017 for Mac. The migration utility will automatically start the first time you launch the new release after upgrading.
Choose which settings you want to migrate (if you don’t want all of them) by clicking the Details button. In just a few minutes, your settings will be migrated, which means you can start designing again instantly!
Tabbed Palettes and Auto-Hide Docked Palettes
If you’re like a lot of people, you’re probably using two monitors at the office but only one at home. That’s why we’ve updated the User Interface in AutoCAD 2018 for Mac to support both scenarios, and to give you the flexibility to position the drawing and palettes in a way that works for you.
Now, when working with two screens, you can drag the floating palettes to the second screen, optimizing the drawing real estate on the first screen. When using only one screen, you can dock and arrange the active palettes on the right-hand side to optimize screen space and access. These tabbed palettes are contextual and can be activated by command prompt — or just by clicking on them.
As an added benefit, when working with just one monitor, you can ‘hide’ these palettes to the extreme right. To access these palettes, just hover over the palette name for it to ‘show.’
Command Alias Editor
Are you one of the many, many AutoCAD customers who was trained to use AutoCAD with Commands? Get ready to have your world ROCKED. New in AutoCAD 2018 for Mac is the Command Alias Editor, a feature that allows you to build shortcuts for your frequently used commands. Build your own names, and enter them at the command prompt to minimize keystrokes and avoid having to memorize long, complicated names.
Object Selection
In AutoCAD 2018 for Mac, you can begin a selection window in one part of your drawing and then pan and zoom to another part while maintaining selection of the off-screen objects!
PDF Import Enhancements
AutoCAD 2018 for Mac offers new tools to support importing SHX text from PDF files. The PDF format stores text using TrueType fonts. But since PDF does not support text that uses AutoCAD SHX fonts, text objects that use SHX fonts are instead stored in PDF as geometric objects to maintain visual fidelity.
Combine Text
Additionally, with AutoCAD for Mac 2018, you can use the SHX text recognition tool to quickly convert imported PDF geometry to text and Mtext objects. You’ll find that the enhanced Text to Mtext tool enables you to convert a combination of single- and multi- line text objects to one multi-line text object, automatically inferring formatting.
Plot and Page Setup
Anyone who’s worked in AutoCAD knows that Plot is one of the most important workflows when you’re converting a drawing into a PDF (to share or print). With that in mind, we’ve enhanced Plot and Page Setup to give you easy access to the settings you need to correctly plot a drawing.
Get access to settings including Paper Size, Scale, Offset, Plot Stamp, and more with just one click. You can even switch, save, or import a page setup and apply it to an active layout! Select custom paper sizes — or inherit that information from your drawing by selecting ‘none’.
Flatten*
In AutoCAD 2018 for Mac, you can convert 3D drawings to 2D using the new FLATTEN command. FLATTEN creates a 2D representation of selected objects and projects them onto the current viewing plane.
FLATTEN results in 2D objects that retain their original layers, linetypes, colors, and object types where possible. Use FLATTEN to create a 2D drawing from a 3D model, or you can use it to force the thickness and elevations of selected objects to 0.
*Not available in AutoCAD LT 2018 for Mac
Improved Xref Path Management
We heard you! With AutoCAD 2018 for Mac’s improved Xref path management, you can set Xrefs to a relative path to prevent broken and missing paths. This path can even be applied to other missing Xrefs, too. Now, when you save a host drawing in a new location, you’ll be prompted to update the relative paths of the associated drawings.
Touch Bar Support
We actually introduced Touch Bar support in AutoCAD for Mac 2017.1, but we love it so much we didn’t want you to forget about it! If you have a MacBook Pro with a Touch Bar, you have even easier access to some of the top key function shortcuts. There are 10 default functions, but you can also customize the Touch Bar by adding from the list available.
Download AutoCAD 2018 for Mac and AutoCAD LT 2018 for Mac Now!
What are you waiting for? We know you’ll love these new features and enhancements, so if you’re on a Subscription or Maintenance plan, head over to your Autodesk Account and download it today. Just curious? Download a 30-day free trial of AutoCAD 2018 for Mac or AutoCAD LT 2018 for Mac and explore.
