AutoCAD LT 2002

Compatibility is one of the key advantages of LT 2002. It is 100 percent DWG-compatible with AutoCAD 2000-, 2000i-, and 2002-based products, allowing you to open, edit, and exchange drawing files. The software features backward-compatibility as well, letting you save files for use with AutoCAD LT 98 and 97 and AutoCAD 13 and 14. This comes in extremely handy for people sharing files with others who haven't upgraded recently. The DWF file format--basically a PDF file for drawings introduced in the 2000 version--is improved, too, with support for more raster image formats and higher resolutions.

Several Web publishing tools are included, which means users receive more collaboration options. eTransmit, for example, puts drawings you currently have open--with all associated files and x-refs--into a single set so that users can edit the file on another machine. This ensures that every necessary component of a file is present without the user having to individually select all related files. Users can then post the transmitted set on the Internet or send it as an attachment via e-mail. Additional Web publishing enhancements, such as templates and themes, have been improved, giving users the ability to create Web sites using LT drawing files with no Web development knowledge.

One feature that did find its way into LT from the full 2002 version is associative dimensioning. If you modify a geometric object in a drawing, associative dimensioning automatically adjusts all dimensions associated with that object. This eliminates the need to manually update or re-create dimensions for changes in geometry. All in all, this is a very useful feature. However, it does make it more difficult for users who have grown accustomed to manually forcing dimensions of objects in their drawings.

AutoCAD LT 2002 is a solid choice if you're looking for a lower-cost option and have limited CAD needs. 100 percent compatibility and plenty of valuable features make it a worthwhile purchase. It does offer considerably less than the full-featured version, missing all 3-D drawing capabilities and no provisions for network licensing or license management features. But if you can live without these options, LT 2002 is certainly the way to go. --Joshua Goldman

Amazon.com Product Description
AutoCAD LT 2002 is design and drawing software featuring new timesaving drawing tools. Minimize the number of steps you need to take, freeing you and your team to explore more design options. Save time with true associative dimensioning. When you change the geometry of any drawing, the dimensions immediately change. Work smarter and faster with new layer, text, and attribute tools, such as text scaling, the enhanced attribute editor, block attribute manager, layer translator, and an extended spell checker. Robust standards-management tools make checking and adhering to drafting standards easy, whether you work from corporate or ANSI, ISO, DIN, or JIS standards.

Take your designs further by sharing and accessing design data for a more productive team. Get your design information where it's needed--quickly, easily, and accurately. With AutoCAD LT 2002, you'll enjoy 100 percent drawing file compatibility. The AutoCAD DWG format remains unchanged from AutoCAD 2000 and AutoCAD 2000i, protecting your investment in AutoCAD 2000/2000i files already in production. You can even translate your DWG files into lightweight, read-only DWF files for maximum intranet or Internet viewing and newly updated high-fidelity plotting.

Save time and money with eTransmit, which bundles all your drawing files and delivers them at Net speed. Now eTransmit even builds the appropriate design standards right in. You don't need to be a Web expert to post your content on an intranet or any dedicated central location. Advanced Publish to Web makes it even easier to build pages and follow your corporate look and feel. Store your files online with My Files at Autodesk Point A--Autodesk's portal for design professionals--or on any FTP or HTTP server. Plus, with simple i-drop publishing, it's easy to use and reuse design content--from archived libraries to specs from a manufacturer's site, and more.

At the risk of offending the newer generation out there, I've found that in my experience 2-D fits the actual needs of the vast majority of users in the real manufacturing world. In fact I've seen company after company, especially small ones, that have been talked into solid modelling ( and expensive new work stations) they never needed, only to end up using the system exclusively for 2-D work. I've also seen several companies suffice perfectly well with a couple of seats of AutoCad LT on their old office PC's, combined with AutoCAD Viewer for the salesmen (which is a much, much, more economical way to go.)

Oh yes, don't even think about loading this software on multiple machines with only a single license. Autodesk WILL come down on you like a 600 pound gorilla....


AutoCAD LT 2002   July 16, 2002
James P. McCormick (Sandy, Utah United States)
30 out of 31 found this review helpful

AutoCAD LT 2002 is an excellent product. It does everything I had expected it to do but the licensing policy is unfairly restrictive. I was required to purchase a new license because no upgrade path exists for the AutoCAD LT 95 product that I owned previously. Prospective customers should also be aware that, unlike software licenses purchased from many other vendors, AutoDesk does not allow the license to be resold to another user.