AutoCAD WS is a program that is available for free and only requires a browser such as Safari, IE, Chrome, or Firefox with Flash installed. It allows users to upload, edit, markup, and share in real-time with DWG files, while also uploading and storing files such as ZIP, Doc, and PDF files. It also gives users control over who can download and views drawings that have been uploaded.

First launched in October 2010, it has another useful feature that many users are unfamiliar with which allows users to overlay their AutoCAD DWG files over existing Google Maps in any of the standard views types: Street, Satellite, Hybrid and Terrain. This tool adds context to your plans and gives a more precise reading of your drawings an designs in existing site conditions in real-time.

More after the break.

It is important to remember that Google Maps satellite, aerial, and map data is not exactly the same 64 bit precision as AutoCAD and that satellite or aerial images will have distortion to them due to their viewing angle/tilt, curvature of the Earth, and vertical topography, but you can match them up quite well.

There is also a mobile version of AutoCAD WS available free from the Apple iTunes Store, but the overlay feature is not available on this version. With AutoCAD WS Mobile, you can use the native iOS based AutoCAD WS Mobile on your IPhone, IPod Touch or IPad to view, markup, and edit DWG files uploaded to your AutoCAD WS account. You can even view your drawing offline with the AutoCAD WS 1.1 mobile 1.1 update.

Here are some images of the Autodesk University 2010 layout in the Mandalay Bay conference center by Shaan Hurley.