What is Digg?73 Comments
- pennyfan87, on 10/12/2007, -6/+28Hmm...seems to me that they're a bit late to the scene. BitTorrent has been offering the same product for free for years now...
- danglerman, on 10/12/2007, -0/+15Wow,
I can't begin to tell you how much people get turned away from these design tools because of the financial obigation required to learn the profession. Great move AutoDesk, now we just need some other companies to start doing this.
(did you hear that adobe?) - shinynew, on 10/12/2007, -2/+11for drafting work at school?
- ssdolphin, on 10/12/2007, -0/+6Great site and easy to use! Love the free software for students!
- inactive, on 10/12/2007, -1/+6Is it available for Linux yet?
- fatdog789, on 10/12/2007, -1/+6It's LEGAL now to do it, and morally acceptable.
- Brasky, on 10/12/2007, -4/+9No, sketchup is ***** clown shoes...
- djepik, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4MY engineering professors graded on how awesome you were.
You're prize for awesomeness is at the door. - trghpy, on 10/12/2007, -1/+5This is great, hopefully this will bring more people to the occupation.
- mrtme, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4Don't know why they didn't include AutoCAD in this offer? Also beware, these are student versions and are watermarked when you go to print. This is dangerous - in a firm I used to work at we had to throw away a whole drawing set and start again because someone pasted or imported from a student watermarked drawing. The watermark was brought into our drawing set that was drawn using a full version of AutoCAD - It's impossible to get rid of the watermark once infested. So if you are using any of this software beware, any printing will include a large water mark that makes it useless for presentation purposes.
It's a nice gesture but Autodesk and Adobe is fully aware that we are all using pirated versions of these programs already. uh, well not me but people I know... We use them in school and then fork out when it becomes a bit riskier in the workplace. It's a good system, seems to be working alright so far for both parties... - augustwest30, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4I wouldn't hire you as an architect. Sketchup is for pretty presentations, not for producing construction documents.
- skyhighrockets, on 10/12/2007, -1/+4Ugh, when you said students, I didn't think you meant University-only students.
High School students are not allowed. - pygmalion, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3Maya had a free learning edition not so long ago, in the Alias|Wavefront days. What happened to that ?
- Hardcase, on 10/12/2007, -1/+3You should have paid more attention in your English class. Even though "could've" sounds a lot like "could of", it doesn't mean the same thing. My engineering professors graded on spelling and grammar.
- tatertot444, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2the Student version is just that a student version. Watermarking is there to promote buying it, and show it is the educational version. You don't need the waterproof removed, because the software is used to teach future architect's how to use the system.
- pixelmixer, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2Revit and Inventor are pretty cool programs... even I like messing around with Revit and I'm more of a Maya aficionado.
- mabhatter, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2This should be the next Free Software target if you ask me... AutoDesk licensing is outrageous for companies and they've started pushing versions yearly... they've taken the worst pages from Microsoft if you ask me. My company has bought their proper licensed versions nearly every year for the last 3 at thousands of dollars a copy...for upgrades! The version churn is worse than Office for suppliers sending you the "latest" copy and forcing you to update... it's really bad. Much like MS office the tools are so much over kill for small business it's awful to watch.. and the "starter" versions are feature crippled in awkward ways so you have to keep the main version across your whole office for files to open properly.
Manufacturing will take Open Source seriously when there are good CAD/CAM tools out there. You figure 90% of those apps are build from community input sweat & tears, drawing templates, industry standards, etc... stuff you learn in engineering school...stuff that should really be available for free.
I find the "reduced price" versions to be a trap...it's obvious schools can't even afford the software at those outrageous rates, so like drug dealers they'll "give" it away so the schools keep teaching it.. otherwise some collage student and their buddies might whip up a REAL AutoCad clone. It's the kids in school that hold all the cards in that arena... they've got the textbooks and math skills at their peak. They've got the masters and phd students and work available for cutting edge stuff. They've got access to a vast array of manufacturing machines and documentation you'd never get in a small shop where you really need the stuff. Most importantly, they've got TIME. In short it's the same recipe that Linus had years ago... maybe it will happen again. - Crass22, on 10/12/2007, -1/+3But will it blend?
- Hardcase, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2Not worth it? Dude - it's free.
- inactive, on 10/12/2007, -2/+4I'm gonna tell my school to use it. =]
- jeffgoke, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1I guess it depends on your area of study :). AliasStudio is available for free download and 3DS Max and Maya, while not available for free download, are available at discounted pricing on the site ...
- lordkenthegreat, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2Darn! I can't use AutoCAD at home! They should really open this up to high school students. Imagine if they opened this up to high school students.
- Warptera, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Wow, I wonder if my teacher knows about this!
- ziadoz, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1At least your wallet isn't crying from the tuition fees, the English pay that for you. ;)
- DoubtfulSalmon, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1@mrtme: Uh... which part of "DXF export" and "text editor" were you having trouble with exactly?
- frem001, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2graphisoft have had this going on with their BIM CAD program for a year (archicad, mac/win) with bundled tutorials.
- dnthomps, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Yeah.. there is a watermark on each edge of the student version as far as I remember from using it a couple years ago. If you print to PDF you can edit the watermarks out with Adobe Pro.
- JAKN, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1no, I have 2 .edu addresses, one form a full-fledged engineering school, but I get the same error:
"Your registration was incomplete and could not be processed. Please fill out all required fields."
Could they just be dugg-to-death, and are not accepting more accounts? - tatertot444, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1this is a great move, for Autodesk. This will take off a good $3000-$6000 off your total collage costs. it will also give students a chance to try it out with making a commitment to the Autodesk empire.
However Maya has had a student version for years, you don't even need a student id. - spiralspirit, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1My university has a .ca ending (umanitoba.ca) and it accepted me. I think they check your email to a list of "accepted" schools, rather than checking for an .edu address.
- sparc, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2Autodesk has always been a leader in helping out schools of all kinds. Today's AutoCAD is much different than it was in release 13/14 and earlier. In fact they have made HUGE steps in automating the various diciplines. Revit for Architects (when learned) will dramatically increase the productivity of any architect. Their Civil product is suddently a real engineering tool rather than an electronic drafting board.
Allowing students better access to these tools will certainly continue the growth of their market share.
Autodesk already is very supportive at the High School level. They have donated lots of software to schools through programs like FIRST robotics, etc.
Learn Revit and you are very marketable right now. - nfulton, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Autodesk VIZ has 95% of the same tools as MAX. If you can use VIZ, you'll find MAX easy to master. Its great for creating photorealistic images.
- roshanindika, on 11/18/2007, -0/+1amma
- vhold, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2This is pretty much a necessity, but really it goes back further. Kids are the ones who have the time to play with anything and grow up to use your products in professional environments where they are very likely to buy them.
Progressively stricter copy protections, subpoenas and litigation to squash all piracy are all basically just limiting your future mindshare. Imagine how totally irrelevant flash would be if they had gone the draconian copy protection route. - longmire, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Free is free. Plus there is a ton of links and info. I don't see Solidworks giving away anything. Not even a trial download. Way to go Autodesk!!!
- toodamfast, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1I just paid $60 this fall for a 6 month license for the student version of auto-cad... I'm glad to see it will be free from now on.
- dragoneye, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1My high school has been looking for something like this for awhile. Then they go and make it for Universities only. Don't these companies realize that if they made this software accessible to high school students the students might go into the field that utilizes that companies software. And they will buy that companies software suite because that is what they are familiar with. Instead those of us who want to utilize the software have to pirate it.
- arg553, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1for mechanical engineering autocad is really only useful for teaching drafting basic principles. The vast majority of graduates will end up working for corporations (or smaller firms that do business with corporations) and will therefore be using a much more powerful 3D modeling software like Pro/E, UniGraphics, Catia, or Solidworks.
The unfortunate part about most people learning autocad first is that most people get easily frustrated when trying to learn a new package that uses a different interface than they're used to. Then they spend hours bitching about how pro/e is different than autocad before they actually become proficient and realize the power of Pro/E. - triggerfinger, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1and apparently the Autodesk Design Review has just teamed up with ThomasNet to Offer Project Teams Direct Access to ThomasNet's Content of Industrial Products and Services
- tikal26, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1ok as long as it is on the edge not somewhere where it takes away from your work then its good. I hate it when they offer you free stuff and the watermark is so random that somtimes right smaked down the middle of your design.
- arg553, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Any engineering school is going to have licenses to at least one drafting/modeling package. This will only make it more convenient for students who can't get home licences from their school to use at home so they don't have to go to the computer labs.
Not many people buy the software when it's free on campus. This just opens up a bigger market for AutoDesk. - powderedsnow, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1I personally find Solidworks to be better for 3D Mechanical Design, It would be nice if they had a free student version too. If more people could learn Solidworks in school it would make hiring new people an easier task...
- ziadoz, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Many universities don't accept the files from the 'free' versions. My university in particular wants them all in the purchased version of Maya (which also saves in a different file type) otherwise your work does not get graded.
- lysdexia, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1My daughter is an architecture student in Glasgow - and right now my wallet is crying with the joy of release from the tyranny of parental software purchase obligations!
Yo mo...eh, no. In Scotland we say: 'that's quite good, then...' - goetzUM, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1If your school is not listed, apply for guest registration. You should be able to get into the site and your school and domain (sfu.ca) will be registered.
- robszol, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1dammit. soemthing@sfu.ca doesn't work. What is this !?
- heathenx, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1@skyshock21
"Is it available for Linux yet?"
i second that. just as soon as the linux version is released, you'll be seeing me on youtube punting my windows workstation out the door...with my employer's permission of course. - bluephoenix, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Sketchup is pretty well respected in the field, I know a few architects that prefer it over autoCAD, and they both work in CA at big firms and make a ***** of money.
- antithesis, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1You can also download millions of free cad drawings from cadregister.com . They have some pretty cool stuff.
- Celeron, on 10/12/2007, -2/+2They couldn't do this earlier?! I could of used this for my mechanical engineering course last semester.
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