Web-based application for managing AutoCad projects

[Anonymous]

I am a software engineer and I did not use Auto Cad before. Currently we start working on a system that uses AutoCad. The customer is an engineering firm, and they ask us for creating a new web-based system that allows civil engineers, mechanical engineers to work on the same AutoCAD drawing at the same time. For example to allow engineers to check-in certain drawing updating it using their browsers and then check-out and publish their drawing.

So my questions are:-

1. Does AutoCad provide a web-based application , which allow users to access and manage autoCad drawing using their web browsers.
2. If the above answer is yes. Then does this web-based application provides functions to check-in and check-out the drawing to allow multiple employees to work on the same drawing .

Thanks in advance for any help.

Regards

[Anonymous]

I am a software engineer and I did not use Auto Cad before. Currently we start working on a system that uses AutoCad. The customer is an engineering firm, and they ask us for creating a new web-based system that allows civil engineers, mechanical engineers to work on the same AutoCAD drawing at the same time. For example to allow engineers to check-in certain drawing updating it using their browsers and then check-out and publish their drawing.

So my questions are:-

1. Does AutoCad provide a web-based application , which allow users to access and manage autoCad drawing using their web browsers.
2. If the above answer is yes. Then does this web-based application provides functions to check-in and check-out the drawing to allow multiple employees to work on the same drawing .

Thanks in advance for any help.

Regards

[dgorsman]

There are a few online tools, such as AutoCAD 360 and AutoDesk 360 (basically, look for AutoDesk product names with "360" added).  The DWG structure isn't designed for multiple users to simultaneously work on the same file, so the process would be be check out (lock) -> do work -> check in (unlock).  If you want a more dedicated document management system, investigate Vault.

[jggerth]

To put it in other terms, you are looking for a Web-capable EDMS that can correctly handle AutoCAD DWG files ( w/ Xref's etc)

Look into Autodesk 360, but  IMO the web interface is pretty limited for document management,  I'm not aware if Vault actually has much (if any?) of a browser interface, but also worth looking into.  It does have robust check-in/check-out document management abilities.

Beyound that -- Projectwise from Bentley Systems and Adept from Synergis are both well known EDMS applications (Engineering Document Management Systems) that are capable of handling AutoCAD drawings with Xrefs etc.  If collaboration across the Internet is more of what you are requiring, you might look into Documentum eRoom - while not targeted at DWG files in particular, it has an excellent setup for team collaboration, and can be either hosted remotely or internally.

[jggerth]

Come to think of it, there's also Buzzsaw -- a web based  hosted solution from Autodesk.  that might be a good fit for you also. Worth exploring.... www.buzzsaw.com

(Adesk doesn't seem to be pushing this much anymore or even talking much -- guess it's missing a buzzword or something)