Tough challenges in managing a collaboration environment start to arise when administrators take into consideration the type of files that their clients process. Aside from the availability of the documents, the right applications that render these documents must also be present. Like other well known applications added to the collaboration environment, AutoDesk AutoCAD can now work hand-in-hand with Microsoft SharePoint. With support from third party applications, users can now open, save and retrieve AutoCAD drawings while keeping a connection to a SharePoint environment.
Normally, AutoCAD DWG Drawings are only accessible when the application itself is installed on the system, thus making the document available, but not applicable to those who may need it for other purposes apart from editing. Many SharePoint administrators have resorted to popular AutoCAD add-ons such as Cadac Organice and CADnection for their needs. Though developed to open similar file types, these programs have differing features that address the needs of AutoCAD users.
Cadac Organice is currently among the leading software used for AutoCAD integration in SharePoint. Aside from its ability to render DWG and XREFS files, Cadac Organice can render various drawing documents, allowing users to open, examine and produce hard copies of such files. Cadac Organice is designed to reside in AutoCAD extending users the advantage of accessing DWG and XREF files in SharePoint, and providing grounds for editing AutoCAD files. For machines where AutoCAD is not applicable, users can still open DWG files through the viewer that goes with Cadac Organice.
CADnection on the other hand, works very similar to Cadac Organice. Once installed, a CADnection menu is added to AutoCAD’s own menu bar. Within the CADnection menu, AutoCAD users can connect to SharePoint following a login process. And once logged in, users can search, edit, check-in, check-out and share DWG files deposited in SharePoint.
AutoCAD documents accessed from SharePoint through these add-ons can be locked and unlocked for editing, enhancing the support of a collaboration network. Moreover, users can either store newly created files along with their attributes directly to SharePoint or save the file locally for later use.