Like a forgotten child, Autodesk Design Review (ADR) has been ignored since it was updated to the 2013 version (so really 2012). It was so forgotten the installer offered by Autodesk until today came complete with a security flaw that required an immediate additional ‘hotfix’ upon first use of the application!
The corporate response from Autodesk is ADR is obsolete, surpassed by the impressive A360 cloud services. In many ways this is correct as cloud hosting made file sharing much easier and integrated viewing eliminated the need/pain/hurdle of a local viewer install (albeit introducing browser compatibility hurdles for users who can’t choose their platform).
The problem is A360 (based on the BIM 360 Team I use), some four or five years later, is still lacking much of ADR’s review and publish capability such as:
- No 2D area or angle measure in browser (only some A360 apps)
- No 3D model measure in browser (3D DWF or IFC for example)
- No compare sheets (to highlight changes between issues)
- Very crude cloud, callout and text mark-up tools (compared to ADR)
- No mark-up status (review, question, done) to track action on review comments.
- No way to feed mark-up back to the file authoring tool (ADR markups import into AutoCAD and Revit platform) for review in context.
- No way to export a mark-up summary (for use in reports) (ADR exports to CSV)
- No way to merge or edit existing DWF files. Need to add a sheet to a print set, have to publish the whole lot again or publish single files per sheet (yuk). (ADR can convert other files to DWF on open, add and delete sheets to integrate or update drawing sets)
- Horribly poor print quality, 360 is effectively grabbing and printing screen pixels irrespective of the source data quality. Good luck trying to print an A1 sheet to A1…
Given that it was a total, and nice, surprise to see a new version of ADR released today. It is just an update to make it compatible with Windows 10 (and install without need for an immediate hotfix) but that is OK. Until A360 catches up with 2012 it will do fine.
http://www.autodesk.com/products/design-review/overview
New Autodesk Design Review Available - labs.blogs.com
This update of Design Review includes:
- Proper support for Windows 10
- The Design Review toolbar now includes shortcuts to A360, BIM 360, and AutoCAD 360.
- Design Review now includes InfoCenter, which is a tool that enables you to access product-related information sources.
- Design Review no longer supports HP Instant Printing
