The last version of Autodesk Design Review released was 2013. Autodesk hasn’t released the new version until now. Autodesk stopped releasing Design Review because they planned to replace it with the cloud solution. According to Brian’s post, it should be Autodesk 360.
However, Autodesk doesn’t seem ready to fully replace Design Review. Because it’s an old software (the last one was released in 2012), Autodesk needs to update it somehow to keep it working. So this year Autodesk release Design Review 2018.
Download Autodesk Design Review 2018 here.
Does it mean Autodesk change their mind? No. They will still terminate Design Review one day. They just released this version so it works well until their cloud platform is ready.
Snipped from Autodesk Labs blog:
Autodesk will continue to offer subscriptions to desktop applications bundled into Collections for years to come; however, eventually, you are going to want to do everything from your mobile phone or tablet device. Yes, we could port our powerful applications to iPhones and the wide variety of flavors of Android devices, attempting to account for the particulars of each one, or we can use our Autodesk Forge platform to make our applications available as services from servers in the cloud with lots of CPU power and memory suited to the job. Rather than port solutions like Autodesk Design Review to the cloud/mobile/social world, we will offer cloud-based services to supplant the functionality. Until that time, customers can download, install, and use this latest Autodesk Design Review.
What’s New?
Are there any new features in this version? Unfortunately no. Except for the support for new Operating Systems, it’s practically the same software as 2013.
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However, this list is listed in the ReadMe file:
- Cloud shortcuts. The Design Review toolbar now includes shortcuts to A360, BIM 360, and AutoCAD 360.
- Autodesk InfoCenter. Design Review now includes InfoCenter, a tool that enables you to access product-related information sources.
- HP Instant Printing is not supported anymore.
Cloud shortcuts are really just shortcuts. They look like icons, but when you click one of them, it will open the link in your internet browser.
If you use Design Review, at least this version will work for a few more years. Until Autodesk decide to terminate it permanently.
Hi,
I think that the real reason for releasing this new version is because after four years, they changed the DWG file format again.
Otherwise, most probably Autodesk would have kept the same old 2013 format for ever, or until the cloud alternative would have been ripe and 100% functional.
Regards,
Constantin Gherasim
New DWG format shouldn’t affect Design Review. The one that it’s affected is TrueView. But you might be right, the latest TrueView maybe needs new version of Design Review.
Well, this what I meant,in my mind, the two products have always worked together, but I just wrote it down the wrong way.
Moreover, most probably, the guys from OpenDWG, LibreDWG, BricsCAD, NanoCAD and other AutoCAD clones, have advanced too much with the deciphering of the DWG file format, so Autodesk decided that it’s time to make them start over again, as in the Sisyphus myth.
It’s not actually called Design Review 2018, it’s just Design Review. Doesn’t say 2018 anywhere. I have no idea why.
I thought I saw 2018 yesterday, but I guess I was wrong.
I think Autodesk decided they will not update the product soon or planned to terminate it. Either way, this is likely the last version.