Is Design Review discontinued?

[FT398]

So all the 2014 products are out now but Design Review 2014 is conspicuous in its absence. It isn't available for download (still only 2013 available) and it hasn't been included in any of the other product installers where it always has been in the past.

Have I missed something or is this the end of the road?

[bbeilke]

Yes, you can use Design Review to save a PDF as a DWF, but for me that is a last resort.  For example, I just did a quick test using an AutoCAD drawing that I had previously saved as both a PDF (1,109 KB) and DWF (650 KB) directly out of AutoCAD.  I opened the PDF version of the drawing in Design Review and saved it as a DWF without making any changes or additions to the original PDF file.  The resulting DWF file is 5,765 KB (or almost 9x larger than the DWF saved directly out of AutoCAD).  That is not exactly a cloud-friendly conversion especially if you're dealing with 100 drawings as opposed to 1.

On a related note, you can also just drag and drop PDF files into the Thumbnails section of a multipage DWF file.  However, that process also results in the same bloated file sizes.

For the record, I do not mean for this post to sound critical of Autodesk (or Adobe for that matter).  I understand the differences between the two file formats and the significant challenges involved in creating a DWF from a PDF versus from a DWG file.  I simply wanted to point out what I see as a severe consequence of using Design Review to convert a PDF to DWF if you have other, more direct options for creating the DWF.

[Tim.West]

Scott,

The default behaviour of Design Review is to open pdf's as a bitmap. This makes dwf(x) output bulky and unsightly. Options allow the setting of the resolution of pdf import, which can blow file size out and performance.

There is a registry hack to open pdf as vector in Design Review http://whatrevitwants.blogspot.co.nz/2013/01/force-design-review-to-open-pdf-files.html

This makes nice small dwf files from pdf, though can destroy performance if the original files are hatch heavy.

It would be really nice if the 'pdf import' options had a check box to 'Import as vector' rather than having to edit the registry...

[WM_Ron_Allen]

@scott.sheppard Please share if autodesk is working on a DWF<->PDF converter - for Vector-to-vector, markup-to-markup with zero slippage/lost data?

Did they fix the goofy error with the areas/measurements drawn over viewports reporting variable values (If I draw a 2-1/2" square over a 1/4" scaled viewport it shoudl report 100SF, but the numbers - particularly after the decimal floated. At coarser scales they added up quickly.)

This is the same issue over and over beating DWFs to death. The world runs on PDF and will for some time. PDFs are universal, DWFs are not. DWS are relatively small, more in tune with XML/IFC data- PDFs don't exactly do that but could through an interface.

If PDF was used in lieu of DWF, or there was a direct conversion, or say Autodesk Bought nemetschek to acquire solibri and Bluebeam... : )  build in the code to track a markup in PDF to the position in the model for reference (e.g. hyperlink). and means to track back the other way GUIDS and or hyperlinks. for auto markups and tracking. Seems easy right ; )

[scott.sheppard]

To my knowledge, we are not working on a DWF to PDF converter. As you know, WFs and PDFs are both artifacts as the original data really resides in one of the date formats, e.g. DWG, RVT, IPT. So we don't have any plans to convert one artifact into another artifact. Content publishers should use the originals. I recognize that this is a problem for recipients who wanted a PDF but got a DWF instead.

I agree that PDF is popular. Our long-term focus is more on what can be done with native design data rather than creating artifacts that go out of date. For the short term, you can see that AutoCAD 2018 has lots of PDF improvements as an example.

[WM_Ron_Allen]

@scott.sheppard

Well put Scott! Puts a smile on my face : )

"Our long-term focus is more on what can be done with native design data rather than creating artifacts that go out of date."

May I direct-quote you on that for use in PXPs and literature ?

[scott.sheppard]

ron.allen

Not only can you quote me, but at this point, I should probably have that tattooed on my chest.

[david_keene]

Hi @scott.sheppard

I am in the process of packaging ready for Windows 10 and wondered if you could please share the link to download the new "Design Review" I have read somewhere that it can be extracted from the inventor 2018 installer so assume its now ready for release.

Regards

Dave

[parc]

I'm looking for the samething. I have packaged all my Autodesk 2017 product and now I'm on the viewers. This mean DWG TrueView, Design Review and Inventor Viewer.

Thank you

[DarrenP]

---

@david_keene wrote:

Hi @scott.sheppard

I am in the process of packaging ready for Windows 10 and wondered if you could please share the link to download the new "Design Review" I have read somewhere that it can be extracted from the inventor 2018 installer so assume its now ready for release.

Regards

Dave

---

Here is the link: http://www.autodesk.com/products/design-review/download

make sure to read the read me 1st there are a lot of known issues with it

[parc]

Nice, thank you. Is it compatible with DWG TrueView 2017 or I must find DWG TrueView 2018?

Thank you

[robincapperw]

Scott, that's quite a long sentence to get tattooed. Nice to see a reprieve for ADR and Windows 10 capability. I see your direction regarding making native data available but think there is still a need for a high fidelity compact snapshot as an archive tool if nothing else.

For example I have linked both 2D & 3D 360 hosted DWFs to our intranet, would not want people accessing the live design projects. 

[bbeilke]

That's exactly right, Robin.  As another example, we use DWF drawings for bid packages that we send out to contractors.  After we award a contract, those drawings become a static contractual baseline upon which any change orders required during the project are based.  Furthermore, similar to your example, we would never give contractors access to our live design data.  

To me this scheme sounds like just another way to try to push everything into their cloud offerings (i.e. another revenue stream).  IMO, it's all fine and well to offer those services to customers who want or need them.  Just don't take away the tools the rest of us are using in the process.

[robincapperw]

If you are unfortunate enough to still use Windows 7 stay away from the new '2017" viewer. It will not open 3D DWFs that the 2013 viewer (and BIM 360 LMV) open just fine. Reinstalling 2013 was ok, the files open in it.

[jweiss1313]

Hello everyone,

I just downloaded the new Design Review.  The System requirements and FAQ's on the Autodesk website say ADR 3013.  Can anyone tell me if the new Design Review is compatible with AutoCAD, Inventor and Vault 2017 or must I wait to roll out the upgrade with the 2018 Autodesk products?

[dvsmiller9]

I installed it yesterday over top of Design review 2013. Fired up Vault 2017 Pro and it just worked, both 2D and 3D DWFs. So far, no issues on Windows 7 or 10.

[Tim.West]

Robin,

Like dmiller I have installer ADR 2018 on Windows 7 (Enterprise) and can open 3D.dwf without issue?

You may want to look at reinstalling.

Cheers,

Tim

[robincapperw]

Have duplicated on several Windows 7 Enterprise 64bit machines here, with DWF created by AutoCAD Architecture and MEP. The app loads, file load (outer blue rectangle) completes, starts decompression (inner blue rectangle) and throws error. Uninstall the new one, put 2013 back and all good again

[david_keene]

Hi All

Whilst we are on the subject of issues with Design Review 2017 I have an issue when opening up *.CAL files. It seems that the default is now to open on a black background with white foreground. Traditionally it was white background and black foreground. I cannot find a way to change this behaviour  and it makes viewing impossible.

I have looked at all settings in the options editor to no avail.

Regard

Dave

[bdecamp]

For those finding this question after years of mis-information by sales people pushing the cloud models, the answer is: Design Review is still alive and well. Design Review 2018 has more features than ever, and supports windows 10.

Recent design review releases:

Design Review 2013

Design Review 2017

Design Review 2018

Download the latest Design Review from here: https://www.autodesk.com/products/design-review/overview

[mbaker]

Hi bdecamp,

Excellent, thanks for the update. To tell you the truth, since every time I updated system and it continued to install Design Review, I sort of ignored the going away conversations... At some point one just needs to keep going on down the road.

Thanks again for the reminder it forced me to revisit the discussion, and review...

mbaker...