Instead of the ribbon interface, which has been a defining feature since AutoCAD 2009, AutoCAD for the Mac puts its tools where Mac users expect them, in the Apple menu bar.
It’s a native Macintosh version of Autodesk’s flagship CAD software and its interface is true Macintosh through and through.Īs a long-time AutoCAD user, the first thing you notice after starting AutoCAD for the Mac is the interface. But AutoCAD 2011 for the Mac is different. Ever since Apple switched from Motorola to Intel processors, lots of Mac users have been happily running versions of AutoCAD using virtual machine software such as Parallels or VMware, or rebooting to Windows using Boot Camp. That’s not to say that plenty of people haven’t been running AutoCAD on their Macs for years. That was back in an age when AutoCAD still ran on IBM-compatible PCs under the DOS operating system.ĪutoCAD 2011 for the Mac is a native OS X application, making full use of the Apple menu and palettes docked to the left, right, and bottom of the canvas, including a Command Line and Status Bar palette that also contains tools for switching between layouts.īoth the Macintosh and UNIX versions of AutoCAD were discontinued when Autodesk focused its development efforts on Windows. In 1989, 15 versions ago, Autodesk released AutoCAD R10 on the Macintosh II and followed that up with native Macintosh versions of R11 and R12.