Although support could switch to VARS if it’s released with SolidWorks. The support is being handled directly and not thru the VAR channel.” – Now that is interesting. Update 2: Via a SolidWorks VAR: “It will be free, but customers can also purchase a customer service contract for technical support. The commercial license costs $250/year (ARES Standard costs $495) and allows access to the API and technical support along with FlexLM licensing for multiple users. Update 1: There is a commercial license actually, or more specifically an option for businesses (and developers). For SolidWorks users though, especially the ones on subscription, it’s no doubt this will be free and replacing the SolidWorks 2D editor. So, you may see a commercial version in the future. You are granted a personal, nonexclusive, nontransferable, royalty-free and temporary license to use the Non-Commercial Release Version of the DraftSight software (the “Product”) during the period from initial delivery of the Non-Commercial Release Version of the Product to you until the release of the next phase version or the availability of a commercial release version of the Product… Here’s the complete list of DraftSight features. One thing that does stand out above the others is the mouse gestures menu. You can even use the LISP API commands and Xrefs. What else can I say, it’s a freakin’ 2D program, so you can draw lines, offset, trim and repeat. The interface is simple, much like the 2D drafting clones or circa-2007 AutoCAD, but actually a bit cleaner and wonderfully responsive with all the familiarity you may have picked up using 2D editors. So ultimately, this could not only impact the number of AutoCAD seats out there, but also the others trying to take a stab at AutoCAD alternatives. And, Bricsys, just so happens to be assisting the ODA in the development of DWGDirect, which is used for ARES….

The IntelliCAD Technology Consortium ( ITC) and Bricsys are the other two independent entities which use DWGDirect to build their own 2D platforms. What it also doesn’t tell you is that the program is based on Graebert’s ARES platform, which uses the Open Design Alliance (ODA) DWGdirect SDK. dwg package, which I’ll get to in a moment. There’s also a need for SolidWorks to imporve their own 2D. A transformation that makes some want a better alternative, any alternative. The AutoCAD product has seen a big transformation over the past couple years. What the press release doesn’t tell you is this… It couldn’t be a better time for Dassault to launch an all-out attack against Autodesk.

Dassault draftsight