Many AutoCAD Civil 3D users are aware that upgrading to a 64-bit operating system, preferably Windows 7 and Windows Vista (in that order), will give the biggest return on investment when looking at improving performance. Other opportunities to improve performance also exist.

Topics: Workstations, Hardware, Multi-Threading, Hard Drive, Processors, Operating Systems, Operating System, 64-Bit, Windows, Civil 3D, CAD

So we established that you need an online backup system for your CAD data, then we gave you some suggestions for solutions if you are a freelancer or small business owner. But what if you work for (or own) a company that is a large CAD service provider?

Topics: Workstations, Hardware, Hard Drive, Connectivity, Backup System, CAD

So we established that you need an online backup system for your CAD data. So, where do you begin?

Topics: Workstations, Hardware, Hard Drive, Connectivity, Backup System, CAD

Fire. Hurricane. Theft. Tornado. Grape juice. Electrical surge. Really when you get down to it there is no end to the list of disastrous events that can beginning of the end of your workstation’s hard drive. That may seem pretty obvious, but what may not be as obvious is that there is no end to the dangers that your data must face also! Whether you are a corporate giant or a freelancing CAD professional, the danger is really the same. Any day could be the day that you lose your valuable data!

Topics: Workstations, Hardware, Hard Drive, Connectivity, Backup System, CAD

With over 2 million downloads in less than a year — AutoCAD WS has become quite the mobile sensation. Thanks to Cloud technology, you can now upload your drawings to AutoCAD WS — and access them from any iOS (iPod touch, iPAD, iPhone) or Google Android device.

Topics: Workstations, Autodesk, Hardware, AutoCAD, WiFi, Mobile Workstations, Connectivity, Laptops, Dell Workstations, Windows, CAD

With any design program, no matter how novice or experienced you may be, you’re probably prone to making the occasional error. Start off the right way by checking the basic system recommendations before installing Vectorworks CAD software. System requirements can be found on the Nemetschek Vectorworks website. Also spend some time learning how you can optimize your desktop or workstation and get the most out of your Vectorworks experience.

Topics: Workstations, Accessories, Hardware, Windows, Vectorworks, CAD

Previously in this series, we've talked about using Eyefinity with older displays and how to find the right adapter for non-DisplayPort monitors.

Topics: Workstations, Hardware, Displays, Graphics Card, Graphics Cards, Eyefinity, Video Cards, Dell Workstations, Display, CAD

Okay, we've established that you want Eyefinity for multi-display CAD operations, and the display manufacturers and graphic card manufacturers aren't necessarily making it easy for you.

Topics: Workstations, Hardware, Displays, Graphics Card, Graphics Cards, Eyefinity, Video Cards, Dell Workstations, Display, CAD

Eyefinity drives 3 or more displays simultaneously.

Eyefinity lets you drive 3 or more independent displays simultaneously from a single low-power FirePro graphics card. This technology is great for CAD users because it enables you to multi-task different workflow applications on each display or span a single CAD application across multiple displays as one desktop workspace. Check out this video showing using a three-display configuration driven by a single laptop and then tell me you don’t want it.

DisplayPort for Graphics Cards and Display Manufacturers

Whether you are talking AMD FirePro or Nvidia Quadro, DisplayPort has become the standard output port for both consumer and professional graphics cards. Yes, there are legacy DVI ports on some cards and there are even cards specifically designed to address the legacy market (e.g., FirePro V5800 DVI). But largely the debate about standards is over, and DisplayPort is here to stay. (I have written about the advantages of DisplayPort previously.)

But while the graphics card manufacturers embraced DisplayPort early on, the display manufacturers (Apple aside) have only recently made the switch. Beginning in 2010, Asus, Dell, HP LaCie, Lenovo, and NEC released more than 80 displays supporting DisplayPort. But there are still a lot more displays released with only the less expensive DVI or VGA input connectors.

So What Do I Do with My Older Monitors? Can I Still Use Eyefinity?

So what do you do if you have a display/monitor released before 2010 that only has single-link or dual-link DVI inputs? Or perhaps more interestingly, what if you want to set up a 3- or 4-display visual workspace for your CAD workflow using Eyefinity, but some or all of the displays you plan to use only have DVI/HDMI/VGA inputs?

Next, I'll talk about DisplayPort adapters that can help you do just that.

Author: Tony DeYoung

Topics: Workstations, Hardware, Displays, Graphics Card, Graphics Cards, Eyefinity, Video Cards, Dell Workstations, Display, CAD

Many users may not realize that Revit has two graphic systems supporting model display.

Topics: Workstations, Autodesk, Graphics Card, Revit, GPU, Graphics Cards, Video Cards, CAD