Beyond the Paper Categories: How can I use them?

At this point in time, this blog has almost 600 posts. It's too big to read from day one (February 14, 2006) to now. So if you are looking for a particular item on this blog, you can always use the search capability:

On the other hand, suppose you just want information on a general topic. For this, you can use the categories on this blog:

The categories on Beyond the Paper are as follows:

• DWF Publishing - It all starts with the publishing. This category covers information regarding design applications that publish DWF files. This includes AutoCAD, Revit, Inventor, etc. as well as Autodesk DWG TrueView, Autodesk Vault, and the Autodesk DWF Writer. This category includes many tips on how to publish DWF files that are viewable, measurable, printable, and rich in metadata.

• DWF Format Info - Sometimes people are curious about what's inside a DWF. For example, what's all this DWFx fuss about? This category has answers to questions pertaining to DWF as a file format which solves various customer workflows.

• DWF Viewing - This category used to cover the Autodesk DWF Viewer. Now that Autodesk Design Review is free, it serves as our free viewer. In addition to Autodesk Design Review, this category includes Project Freewheel (the Autodesk Labs version), Autodesk Freewheel (the free production version of the service), AutoCAD (using DWF underlay to see a DWF inside AutoCAD), and Autodesk Impression (stylizing design data in a DWF). This can also include viewing DWF files in Autodesk Buzzsaw.

• When it comes to printing, DWF is generally handled into two ways: printed locally via Autodesk Design Review, Project Freewheel, or Autodesk Freewheel (covered via the DWF Printing category) or through a service provider such as a commercial reprographic print shop (covered via the DWF Reprographics category).

With these basic capabilities being covered in those categories, some of the special capabilities are highlighted:

• DWF Markup & Measurement - Autodesk Design Review provides the ability to markup and measure DWF files. The markups and measurements captured in the DWF file can be viewed against the original design data in the design authoring application. For example, DWF files can be loaded into AutoCAD using the Markup Manager and the markups are viewed against the original DWG that was used to publish the DWF. We refer to this process as round tripping.

• DWF Compare - Autodesk Design Review provides the ability to compare 2D sheets and identify what has been added and what has been deleted.

• DWF Text Search - This category covers ways to locate items in a DWF file. This can be done locally using desktop search solutions or over the web using search engines like Google.

• DWF Takeoff / Facilities Management / GPS - In addition to Autodesk Design Review, Autodesk is taking DWF to other areas. For example, a quantity takeoff application is in the works. Autodesk FM Desktop has released several versions that have leveraged the ability of DWF to address facilities management workflows. Autodesk Design Review 2008 added the ability to leverage Global Positioning System (GPS) data inside of a DWF file. This category contains information about special purposes uses of DWF that distinguish it from other formats.

In addition to supplying information for users, Beyond the Paper also provides information to programmers:

• DWF Programming - This category includes items of interest to C++ programmers who wish to use the DWF Toolkit or Visual Basic programmers who wish to use the API of Autodesk Design Review. A popular topic in this category is how to embed a DWF file in another file such as an HTML page.

The last categories is sort of a catch-all:

• Weblogs - This category includes humorous items, announcements regarding other blogs, or items related to this blog itself.

Thanks to all of the Autodesk customers, partners, and employees who continue to read and post comments to this blog. Without you, it would be a monologue.

--Scott