F/X CAD 2019

Note: The following catalog of content covered in this webinar is time stamped to allow you to follow along or skip to sections of the video that are relevant to your questions. You can also search for content on this page using the FIND command in your browser (CTRL + F in Windows, Command + F in Mac OS.)

• Intro/TOC
• About F/X CAD 2019
• Pricing
• Who Should Use It?
• Key Differences
• New Features & Installation
• Migrate Settings
• Can It Open Civil? (Yes!)
• Interface Comparison
  • How to Customize
• Key Changes Review

0:00 – 5:39: Intro/TOC

F/X CAD versions supported by Land F/X as of recording time (4:34)

We support the latest 5 versions of F/X CAD and AutoCAD. Users of 2014 have until December 31, 2018, to upgrade.

5:40 – 11:01: About F/X CAD 2019

What is F/X CAD? (5:40)

• Only for Land F/X users (requires an active Land F/X license)
• Powered by CAD technology (command limited)
• Similar to AutoCAD LT
• Sold and supported by us
• Requires us to change the name
• PC only (run on Mac through Parallels or VMware Fusion)

What F/X CAD 2019 can and can’t do (8:22)

F/X CAD 2019 can't:

• Run AutoLISP scripts, Action Recorder, NETLOAD, ARX, DotNet capability
• Live Maps
• Install add-ons (M-Color, Carlson, AutoTURN)
• Rendering, Lighting, 3D
• Autodesk 360, Cloud Seek, Content Service, App Manager, Material Library, Inventor Fusion, Cloud & Mobile services, DWG Compare
• Run without a Land F/X license

F/X CAD 2019 can:

• Open/save any version of DWG, DXF, DGN
• Insert raster images
• Geolocate plans
• Import/export PDF
• View Civil 3D, Architectural and Mechanical proxy objects
• Any AutoCAD command you use regularly
• Command line auto-complete
• Sheet Set Manager
• SketchUp Connection
• Customize interface & shortcuts (+importing, exporting)

11:02 – 15:24: Pricing

• F/X CAD is a perpetual license (optional upgrades).
  • $1,995 purchase
  • F/X CAD upgrade costs
  • 1 year: $500
  • 2 – 4 years: $995 ($50 Legacy activation required on reinstall)
• + Land F/X renewal/support

• Based on purchasing F/X CAD at full retail cost and upgrading each year.
• Upgrades are not required.
• Costs drop if you upgrade between 2 and 4 years.
• You are able to decide between benefits of staying current or cost.
• Requires maintained Land F/X support.

15:25 – 20:33: Who Should Use It?

Who should switch to F/X CAD 2019?

Why upgrade from F/X CAD 2014–2018 to 2019? (17:50):

20:34 – 24:32: Key Differences

Installation process: Only what you need (10 minutes to install F/X CAD, in our experience, vs. an hour or more to install AutoCAD) (20:34)

Fewer items installed on your computer, fewer resources used (23:18)

24:33 – 25:57: New Features & Installation

• ACAD ribbon improvement 3.0
  • More tools still organized more clearly + BONUS Quick Access Toolbar 3.0.
  • Added “secret” Land F/X commands as real buttons: IMPORTCSV, TEXT2ATTRIB, DELETEHATCH, DELETEFONT, CONVERTALLTEXT, REAT, REAL, and more.

• Layer Palette improvements.
  • Xref overrides layer filter.
• 2D graphics performance improvements & HiDPI support.
  • Functions that require a redraw or regen such as draw order, zooming, panning, layer properties, or displaying raster/PDF overlays can run up to two times faster.
  • Icons were improved for 4K monitor performance, the entire CAD interface now works with HiDPI and received a fresh look for high contrast and visibility.
• Pre-made templates with title blocks for inches, feet, millimeters, and meters.

F/X CAD is genuine AutoCAD. It installs just like standard AutoCAD.

25:58 – 29:09: Migrate Settings

How to migrate your settings from a previous release (26:24)

Why we don’t recommend bringing in your settings from previous versions (27:19)

How to bring in your aliases (keyboard shortcuts) from a previous version while also being able to use the new aliases in F/X CAD 2019 (28:14)

29:10 – 30:49: Can It Open Civil? (Yes!)

Opening a Civil drawing using F/X CAD 2019 (29:10)

Enabling the ability to view Civil objects in the Options dialog box, Open and Save tab (29:49)

30:50 – 51:09: Interface Comparison

Land F/X Array and Mirror tools, and AutoCAD Array tools (31:44)

Land F/X Hatch tool (32:45)

Our general goals with the ribbon are to put all tools and flyouts front and center, making it usable and navigable out of the box while eliminating hidden tools. (34:00)

“Secret” Land F/X keyboard commands added to F/X CAD ribbon (36:22)

These include: IMPORTCSV, TEXT2ATTRIB, DELETEHATCH, DELETEFONT, CONVERTALLTEXT, REAT, and REAL.

Updated Manage ribbon (39:15)

Updated Quick Access Toolbar (39:28)

The Quick Access Toolbar now includes tools such as Break at Point, Hatch to Back, Text to Front, Explode, and Xhair Angle.

Keyboard shortcuts (40:50)

How to Customize (41:30)

Customizing ribbon panels using the Customized User Interface (CUI) (41:30)

Streamlining the Properties Panel (42:10)

Xref overrides area in the Layer Properties Manager (42:55)

LAFX templates in the Get Started menu, including title blocks (46:55)

51:10 – end: Key Changes Review

Reminder of the importance of drawing cleanup (these tools are available on the Manage ribbon in F/X CAD 2019) (53:40)