The boutique CAD vendor is taking the high ground; surely others will quickly follow.
Drawing on its market-leading experience with the iPad, IMSI/Design has released the first Android app capable of viewing 3D DWG drawings. The free app, TurboViewer v1 for Android, is now available from the Android Marketplace.
The iPad version of this app was recently named one of the Top 5 apps in the iOS world by Macworld/iWorld. Features of TurboViewer for Android include:
- Fast native 2D and 3D .DWG (Autodesk AutoCAD and AutoCAD LT) and .DXF viewing
- Able to navigate full-screen preview during file load
- Cancel errant file load
- Smooth Multi-Touch navigation while panning, zooming, and orbiting
- Restore saved AutoCAD views to quickly display preferred views
- Supports AutoCAD line types to maintain visual fidelity
- The app autosenses 2D or 3D drawings to automatically set appropriate gesture navigation
- No Internet connection required for remote field work.
What we see
IMSI/Design is working as fast as it can to take the high ground in mobile CAD. Its mobile viewers read 3D DWG when Autodesk’s do not. It has the only software development kit for others to build custom apps on top of their mobile CAD engine, and it has the ability to move fast in a fast-paced market. Other small rivals, let alone Autodesk, are not sitting still but for now IMSI/Design is in the catbird seat. 2012 in mobile CAD will be interesting, to say the least.
