Autodesk Inc, Sausolito, California, has introduced version 2.6 of its AutoCAD computer-aided design and drafting software for the IBM Personal family, saying that AutoCAD 2.6 offers significant advancements in several areas, including three-dimensional design; transparent pan, view, and zoom commands and associative dimensioning of objects. The new version of AutoCAD introduces 3D Level 2 for the generation of three dimensional lines and plane sections, making it possible to represent cones, cubes, spheres and other three-dimensional objects anywhere in space. Pan, view and zoom commands have been made transparent in AutoCAD 2.6 to allow their execution from within other commands. The new program features associative dimensioning, which automatically updates drawing dimensions whenever an object is scaled, stretched or rotated. In addition, any dimensional units may be specified, such as fractions, metres, inches or miles. Other new features in AutoCAD 2.6 include an enhanced area command for easier determination of the area of closed two-dimensional objects; read-only access via AutoLisp – which is embedded in AutoCAD – to layer, linetype, text style and other symbol tables and extended memory control. It also supports the Vermont Microsystems 1024 Image Manager display and Hewlett-Packard DraftMaster E-size and DraftPro D-size plotters. AutoCAD 2.6 sells for $2,850, including Advanced Drafting Extension-3. Upgrades for existing users will be $100.
