Publishing and Viewing DWFx Files to the Internet Using AutoCAD 2014

[fh4170]

Autodesk Community,

I have been trying to install the Autodesk Design Review Add-on for browsers but have not been able to open a DWFx file in Internet Explorer 11, Firefox V32 or Chrome V37.  In all three browsers I can see the installed add-on and will be prompted to activate the add-on when trying to open a drawing file but only end up with a blank screen.  On advise from other forums I have tried downloading three different files but yet to get it working.

Here are the files I've tried :

1) SetupDesignReview2013.msi - (Work for the desktop application but did not install the add-on for browsers)

2) ADRBrowserAddon.msi (Version 1.2 - This did install the add-on in all of the browsers but will not open a DWFx file.)

3)AutodeskDesignRevSetup.exe (would not complete the installation, even after downloading and install the VB Runtime.)

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Best regards, Frank Harper (new user)

[ukdxb012]

If you can't get this to work, have a look at A360 Tech Preview or A360 Team to view DWFx files in a Project Collaboration space, you can also then send a public link via email to view the files externally as an alternative method.

Unfortunately Design Review is no longer being developed so support will always be an issue for you and compatibility I'm afraid.

[martinTstewart_Adsk]

If you were to try with an older version browser, you might have better success. The browsers you’ve listed are all recent releases, so that could be the main issue. However, I agree with the previous poster. Check out A360 for an updated tool to share files: Try A360

[fh4170]

Martin,

Thanks to you and Duncan for the response and for your suggestions. Unfortunately, I don't believe that this solves my issue. Please bear with me while I restate what I am trying to accomplish in a bit more detail.

The AutoCAD DWG drawings that I am creating are but a single element of a multi-media deliverable package of information (reports, tables, photos, CAD drawings, video) and such. My clients will access this information, relating to their building/property/facility, via a dedicated website (a custom website for each client). My CAD floor plan drawings are one resource that will be accessed via the website browser. The floor plans are a visual index of sorts with hyperlinks built into them so that the client can simply click on an icon, on the drawing, and up will pop the appropriate report, table, photo, video, etc. that contains indepth information about a particular area or physical feature shown on the drawing.

To accomplish this, once the 2D DWG floor plan is completed, I export the drawing to a DWFx and save it as a DWFx. The browser (tested with IE, FireFox and Chrome) automatically opens and prompts the following: "Autodesk Design Review Browser Add-on v1.2 needs your permission to run" (see attached screen capture jpg). So I right click and choose “Run this plug-in" - voila the drawing opens. The browser displays the drawing nicely in black model space background, great colors, hyperlinks operational, even a neat little toolbar "Home", "Measure & Markup", "Tools", various zooming options, etc. just what I need my clients to have - access to the floor plans via a simple browser-based plugin that provides a great image of the interactive drawing and a few basic tools. These folks are not design and engineering colleagues they are simply clients so I don't think that A360 would be a viable solution for my website structure or for my clients. Just need a simple one-click link to the drawing from the browser window.

From all I have read this looks like the exact way DWFx files are intended to work. Problem being the Autodesk Design Review Browser Add-on v1.2 does not work consistently on all machines. In testing on several different computers with different operating systems (Vista, Windows 7, Windows 😎 I get mixed results with really no consistent reason why some run the Add-on and open the drawing while others appear to try to run the Add-on but don’t open the drawing yielding simply a white screen display.

I am running the latest version of Windows 7 on my new laptop and desktop and my DWFx drawings open fine in the browser window. In trying to resolve the issue and narrow down the possible causes/solutions when I disable my XPS Viewer I get a white browser screen too. Re-enabling the XPS Viewer (Control Panel > Programs and Features > Turn Windows Features on or off) the DWFx again opens fine. This is not the case on other machines. Again, no apparent rhyme or reason.

I am hoping that the solution is something as simple as a configuration setting checkbox or two that needs to be enabled or disabled. I don't know what if any associations the DWFx has with the XPS Viewer or some other setting or association running in the background. 

I hope that this helps clarifies my issue.

I look forward to your response.

Best regards, Frank Harper

928-554-1290

[pendean]

Autodesk is no longer developing the tools you want to use. Dead and gone for now.

You don't have a say in matter with Autodesk except with their new offerings.

There is no need to keep asking the same question or comment: these are all dead tools.

Good luck.