Autodesk Leverages Search Engines
December 19, 2007
Autodesk Inc., www.autodesk.com, San Rafael, Calif., announced leading search engines such as Microsoft Live Search and Google now offer the ability to search, index, and retrieve hundreds of thousands of drawings, maps, 3D models, and other CAD (computer-aided design) documents and information.
Wider access to these files, says Autodesk, enables designers, their project teams, and the general public to save time searching for relevant information they can reference and re-use for better design decisions and related tasks.
The technology provider explains when engineers and architects using AutoCAD, Autodesk Inventor, or Revit software products to create drawings and models, the complexity and file size can make it difficult to share them with those outside of the engineering department. Many engineers and architects therefore choose to make drawings and models more accessible by publishing compact DWF versions of their designs and sharing them online.
Because DWF files can now be indexed and returned by leading search engines, designers can be confident that others can access and experience data-rich information online, improving collaboration and communication.
Autodesk says users can search by file type and find pages that are CAD documents posted online. To locate a drawing, map, or model, users construct a search including the phrase “Filetype:dwf” and terms regarding the type of file sought.