Autodesk Labs released their latest ‘CAD in the cloud’ experiment today, with a new on-line viewer for DWF files.
First came Project Freewheel, then Autodesk Freewheel, and then Project Nitrous. Autodesk have always been at the cutting edge of sharing drawings over the web.
Project Quickshare takes the HTML 5 DWF Viewer from Project Nitrous and allows you to upload your DWF’s without downloading any software having to have an account.
[Edit 23.08.2012] Project Quickshare has no Project Freewheel and has been rolled into Autodesk360
How do I upload files?
The emphasis here is quick. Just navigate to the Project Freewheel and hit ‘Upload‘. Your DWF will be uploaded to the Project Quickshare site in double quick time. You can either view your DWF file directly on the Qucikshare site, or copy the embed code to share it via your own site.
Note: The share links are stored as cookies in your browser, so you may not see your uploaded files if you navigate to Quickshare from another computer.
Autodesk have given no guarantees on how long your content will be available for after you have uploaded it. Your DWF’s could be deleted at any time. If you are looking for something more permanent, look into Project Nitrous.
Embedded Quickshare DWF Experiment
Quickshare uses the latest in Internet technology, so you will need one of the following Browsers to view DWF’s on the Quickshare site, or in the Embedded file below:
- Firefox 4.0 and Higher
- Google Chrome
- Internet Explorer 9 and Higher
- Safari 5 and Higher
[Edit 23.08.2012] The embedded project Quickshare file has been removed. Project Freewheel to find out why.
The Project Quickshare Viewer is responsive and easy to use.
The quality of the 3D DWF files is far higher than the old Freewheel DWF viewer and it is a pleasure to navigate.
There is access to some of the DWF’s properties, such as layers and saved views, but no ability to add mark-ups yet.
What’s next?
Autodesk will soon be releasing the API for Project Quickshare, so keep your eyes peeled for the iPhone App!
If you want to find out more about Project Quickshare, or you would like to offer some feed back to the Labs team you can get in touch via the Project Quickshare Forum.