AutoCAD LT 2012 for Mac and AutoCAD 2012 for Mac

as well as AutoCAD WS for Mac is announced today. AutoCAD 2012 for Mac will be sold through Autodesk’s regular reseller channels, and Autodesk store. It will also be available on Amazon.com as part of a subscription bundle. AutoCAD LT for Mac ($899) and AutoCAD WS for Mac (free) will be available only on the Mac App Store. Apple’s OS X Lion operating system is supported. Network licensing is available for AutoCAD 2012 for Mac and can also be mixed with for example AutoCAD 2012.

Autodesk is splitting revenue with Apple. “They are acting an agent for us,” says Amar Hanspal, Autodesk’s senior vice president for platform solutions and emerging business. “They are commercially rewarded for doing that.”

AutoCAD 2012 for Mac software differs from AutoCAD LT 2012 for Mac in three
primary ways:

• 3D Modeling: AutoCAD LT for Mac does not contain any tools for 3D
  modeling or conceptual design.
• Customization: AutoCAD LT for Mac cannot be extended or customized
  to the extent that AutoCAD for Mac can.
• Network License: AutoCAD for Mac can be run via a network license.
  This option is not available for AutoCAD LT for Mac.

Try out AutoCAD 2012 for Mac software by downloading a trial version at www.autodesk.com/autocadmactrial. This fully functioning version of AutoCAD 2012 for Mac is available as a 30-day trial.

From the press release.

Autodesk Debuts AutoCAD for Mac 2012 Products Built for Mac OS X Lion

New Products AutoCAD LT for Mac and AutoCAD WS for Mac Available Exclusively in Mac App Store

SAN RAFAEL, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Autodesk, Inc. (NASDAQ:ADSK), a leader in 3D design, engineering and entertainment software, debuted a range of new AutoCAD products built for Mac OS X Lion: AutoCAD 2012 for Mac, AutoCAD LT 2012 for Mac and AutoCAD WS for Mac software. This marks the first time Autodesk has offered AutoCAD LT and AutoCAD WS for the Mac.

The new portfolio of AutoCAD products for Mac expands options for millions of users of the popular design, documentation and collaboration software. AutoCAD 2012 for Mac was built specifically for OS X Lion and helps users create stunning designs on their platform of choice. AutoCAD LT for Mac enables users to document designs, optimize workflow and collaborate with colleagues and clients. AutoCAD WS for Mac enables users to view and collaborate on DWG files through the Mac interface. In addition, AutoCAD WS users can plot DWG files to PDF or DWF formats and sync with their cloud-based AutoCAD WS account, making files accessible from their AutoCAD WS mobile app. AutoCAD LT 2012 for Mac and AutoCAD WS for Mac are available exclusively in the Mac App Store.

“Since the release of AutoCAD for Mac last year, customer feedback has been overwhelmingly positive, further validating the need for professional design and engineering software on the Mac platform,” said Amar Hanspal, senior vice president, Autodesk Platform Solutions and Emerging Business. “Bringing AutoCAD LT and AutoCAD WS to the Mac shows our continued commitment to making design more accessible for an ever-greater number of people to shape the world around them.”

AutoCAD for Mac 2012 software includes familiar AutoCAD capabilities, such as 2D and 3D design tools, and includes 3D free-form modeling capabilities; 3D visualization and rendering; network licensing; advanced customization of the menus; support for LISP and ObjectARX and ObjectDBX applications; and more. AutoCAD LT for Mac follows common native Mac application user interface guidelines, with a familiar Apple menu bar together with a number of workflow-based palettes. AutoCAD LT for Mac also supports native Mac OS X behavior, including Cover Flow navigation and Multi-Touch gestures.

AutoCAD LT for Mac is perfectly suited for designers, architects and engineers who prefer to work in a native Mac environment and need to create, edit or review designs, technical drawings and documentation.

Like the popular AutoCAD WS mobile app Autodesk released last September, AutoCAD WS for Mac is a simple, free* app providing basic, intuitive tools for viewing, editing and sharing designs. Through its synchronous coediting feature, users may also collaborate on designs across multiple platforms — desktop, mobile and web.

AutoCAD LT for Mac Brings Professional Apps to Mac App Store

By delivering professional design and documentation software native for Mac OS X via the Mac App Store, Autodesk is helping professionals find design software for all their needs.

"Autodesk has done an incredible job bringing their apps to the Mac," said Ron Okamoto, Apple’s vice president of Worldwide Developer Relations. “AutoCAD for Mac has been a huge hit with Mac users and we’re thrilled to see Autodesk offer AutoCAD LT and AutoCAD WS as Mac App Store exclusives.”

With support for creating and editing files right within the DWG file format, AutoCAD for Mac and AutoCAD LT for Mac provide easier collaboration with suppliers, customers, clients and partners, regardless of platform. Files created in previous versions of AutoCAD or AutoCAD LT are easily opened in Mac versions of the products, boosting design productivity by reducing time-consuming file translation or cleanup of converted data.

AutoCAD for Mac 2012 is offered free* to students and educators through the Autodesk Education Community, where more than 25 Autodesk software products are already available for download to inspire learning and prepare students for successful careers. Autodesk appreciates the popularity of the Mac platform among students and is providing AutoCAD for Mac so they can build skills through access to the same software that design professionals use every day.

Availability

AutoCAD for Mac 2012 and AutoCAD WS for Mac will be available worldwide on August 19, 2011.

AutoCAD LT for Mac will only be available in the U.S. and Canada on August 16, 2011.