iPad as a laptop replacement

[Luftkopf]

Alas, the current iPadOS version of AutoCAD requires OS 16 minimum. My iPad Air 2 is stuck at 15, and the older version of the app doesn't appear to allow the addition of fonts, colour tables, and such things that I need to do my job. I guess I'll have to wait until the end of the year when I can upgrade my iPad to find out.

 

[Kal Madda]

Alas, the current iPadOS version of AutoCAD requires OS 16 minimum. My iPad Air 2 is stuck at 15, and the older version of the app doesn't appear to allow the addition of fonts, colour tables, and such things that I need to do my job. I guess I'll have to wait until the end of the year when I can upgrade my iPad to find out.

If you can tell me what features you’re needing on it, maybe I can test it out and see if they’re available. 👍🏻. I take it that color tables and the addition of fonts would be a couple of them?

 

[Ctrlos]

Alas, the current iPadOS version of AutoCAD requires OS 16 minimum. My iPad Air 2 is stuck at 15, and the older version of the app doesn't appear to allow the addition of fonts, colour tables, and such things that I need to do my job. I guess I'll have to wait until the end of the year when I can upgrade my iPad to find out.

Have you not tried Shapr3D? I use it for 2D draughting, Laser dxf drawing and slicing background noise from LiDAR STLs all the time. It works incredibly well with the Pencil. If you can add the free app to your purchase list somehow you should be able to access the older version on your Air 2. It runs pretty well even on low spec hardware if you're just doing 2D work.

The full version isn't cheap but you can create 2 files at a time for free. If you're happy with saving the DXF and deleting it you can get around the payment option.

 

[Kal Madda]

Have you not tried Shapr3D? I use it for 2D draughting, Laser dxf drawing and slicing background noise from LiDAR STLs all the time. It works incredibly well with the Pencil. If you can add the free app to your purchase list somehow you should be able to access the older version on your Air 2. It runs pretty well even on low spec hardware if you're just doing 2D work.

The full version isn't cheap but you can create 2 files at a time for free. If you're happy with saving the DXF and deleting it you can get around the payment option.

That’s interesting. I’ve tried Shapr3D for 3D purposes, but I ended up dropping it because the free version was too limited on the export options for me (for the 3D stuff), and there isn’t a pricing tier for hobbyists/small businesses. I just couldn’t afford over $300 a year for it. Now I use Valence 3D instead. While not a CAD software, I can use it to create precise 3D parts and do everything I used Shapr3D for. Shapr3D was great, but it’s just hard because there isn’t any kind of middle-ground pricing tier. And for my purposes, now that I’ve discovered Valence 3D, I probably wouldn’t go back to Shapr3D, even thought Shapr3D is a good app. 👍🏻. Interesting to hear that it works well for 2D though, never thought of using it for that. 👍🏻

 

[Luftkopf]

If you can tell me what features you’re needing on it, maybe I can test it out and see if they’re available. 👍🏻. I take it that color tables and the addition of fonts would be a couple of them?

Those two features, which are available in the browser based version, and the ability to plot, so I can create PDFs of the set of building plans.

If the iPad app can do that, I could very well save $520 a year on my AutoCAD license!

Have you not tried Shapr3D? I use it for 2D draughting, Laser dxf drawing and slicing background noise from LiDAR STLs all the time. It works incredibly well with the Pencil. If you can add the free app to your purchase list somehow you should be able to access the older version on your Air 2. It runs pretty well even on low spec hardware if you're just doing 2D work.

The full version isn't cheap but you can create 2 files at a time for free. If you're happy with saving the DXF and deleting it you can get around the payment option.

Unfortunately as I am a draughtsman for other building designers, I need to use AutoCAD to work with their systems and set ups.

It’s something to keep in mind though if I end up doing less drawing for designers, and more energy efficiency assessing, as I will only need floor plans for internal purposes then.

 

[Kal Madda]

Those two features, which are available in the browser based version, and the ability to plot, so I can create PDFs of the set of building plans.

If the iPad app can do that, I could very well save $520 a year on my AutoCAD license!

Awesome! I just installed AutoCAD, and I can set up a 30-day free trial. 👍🏻 This will be interesting, but I enjoy testing new apps, so it will be fun as well. Hopefully I can figure those things out for you. 👍🏻

 

[Kal Madda]

Those two features, which are available in the browser based version, and the ability to plot, so I can create PDFs of the set of building plans.

If the iPad app can do that, I could very well save $520 a year on my AutoCAD license!

A few quick questions. By color tables, do you mean changing the background color of a table? Or is that some other feature? And by addition of fonts do you mean adding fonts into the app like for missing fonts? I was already able to confirm that it does in fact support plotting to PDF, and I’m pretty sure that it supports the other two, as long as I’m understanding correctly, but I want to make sure I’m understanding what you’re talking about correctly. 👍🏻. I can get together some screenshots to show the features and how they work. 👍🏻

 

[Luftkopf]

A few quick questions. By color tables, do you mean changing the background color of a table? Or is that some other feature? And by addition of fonts do you mean adding fonts into the app like for missing fonts? I was already able to confirm that it does in fact support plotting to PDF, and I’m pretty sure that it supports the other two, as long as I’m understanding correctly, but I want to make sure I’m understanding what you’re talking about correctly. 👍🏻. I can get together some screenshots to show the features and how they work. 👍🏻

You’re right about fonts, I need to install the font my designers use.

A colour table is a file that specifies a line weight to a colour, so drawing a cyan line prints a thick line and a magenta line is thin. Looking them up, they’re called Plot Styles, though they’re *.ctb files.

Thank you so much for checking this all out for me!

 

[Kal Madda]

You’re right about fonts, I need to install the font my designers use.

A colour table is a file that specifies a line weight to a colour, so drawing a cyan line prints a thick line and a magenta line is thin. Looking them up, they’re called Plot Styles, though they’re *.ctb files.

Thank you so much for checking this all out for me!

Ok, that makes sense! 👍🏻. Yeah, I was just looking up tutorials for color tables in AutoCAD and realized you were probably talking about Plot Styles, which I think some called color style tables as well. 👍🏻. Do you know of a good source for SHX fonts I can try adding? For my graphic design, I don’t think I have a single SHX font. I can try looking some up to download and test. But I did read an official support tutorial from AutoDesk describing how to import SHX fonts into AutoCAD on the iPad, so it should work. I got a screenshot of the the “Plot to PDF” button as well as the “Plot Styles” interface that pops up for it. 👍🏻.

Also, I believe you can import .ctb files the same way you can import fonts, I just don’t have any .ctb files to try.

PS It added the screenshots in the reverse order of the way it works.

 

[Luftkopf]

Ok, that makes sense! 👍🏻. Yeah, I was just looking up tutorials for color tables in AutoCAD and realized you were probably talking about Plot Styles, which I think some called color style tables as well. 👍🏻. Do you know of a good source for SHX fonts I can try adding? For my graphic design, I don’t think I have a single SHX font. I can try looking some up to download and test. But I did read an official support tutorial from AutoDesk describing how to import SHX fonts into AutoCAD on the iPad, so it should work. I got a screenshot of the the “Plot to PDF” button as well as the “Plot Styles” interface that pops up for it. 👍🏻.

Also, I believe you can import .ctb files the same way you can import fonts, I just don’t have any .ctb files to try.

PS It added the screenshots in the reverse order of the way it works.

This is excellent! It’s looking like the iPad might now be a viable platform for my CAD work!

I would actually need to add a TrueType font. SHX fonts feel rather old school, and we don’t tend to use them. If you can load a TrueType font in, then I can move my work flow to an iPad!

 

[Kal Madda]

This is excellent! It’s looking like the iPad might now be a viable platform for my CAD work!

I would actually need to add a TrueType font. SHX fonts feel rather old school, and we don’t tend to use them. If you can load a TrueType font in, then I can move my work flow to an iPad!

Ugggh. And, of course, that’s the one thing AutoDesk doesn’t support yet on the AutoCAD iPad app… 🙁. The only current supported font format is SHX, I tried loading in my TTF files and those didn’t work. And AutoDesk’s official support page says that TTF isn’t supported on the mobile app yet. I wonder if it would work in the browser web version though? I guess I think the Android version doesn’t even have the ability to import SHX fonts, so the iPad version is at least better in that regard. I can see if the web version supports TTF, but the native iPad version doesn’t appear to unfortunately. 🙁

 

[Luftkopf]

Ugggh. And, of course, that’s the one thing AutoDesk doesn’t support yet on the AutoCAD iPad app… 🙁. The only current supported font format is SHX, I tried loading in my TTF files and those didn’t work. And AutoDesk’s official support page says that TTF isn’t supported on the mobile app yet. I wonder if it would work in the browser web version though? I guess I think the Android version doesn’t even have the ability to import SHX fonts, so the iPad version is at least better in that regard. I can see if the web version supports TTF, but the native iPad version doesn’t appear to unfortunately. 🙁

Haha, there had to be just one thing. Still, it’s come a long way and it’s still pretty useful, I just need to keep the desktop version until they add that.

Thank you so much for checking it out for me!

 

[Beefbowl]

Font support on the iPad is weird. Like it seems obvious to me that there SHOULD be a way to add a font at the system level and just have it available in all applications, and yet it seems there's no such option.

 

[Kal Madda]

Haha, there had to be just one thing. Still, it’s come a long way and it’s still pretty useful, I just need to keep the desktop version until they add that.

Thank you so much for checking it out for me!

You’re welcome, no problem! It stinks that they haven’t added that yet, but hopefully they will eventually. 👍🏻

 

[Kal Madda]

Font support on the iPad is weird. Like it seems obvious to me that there SHOULD be a way to add a font at the system level and just have it available in all applications, and yet it seems there's no such option.

There are actually two different ways to add fonts at the system level. And fonts installed these ways appear in most apps, just some apps like AutoCAD do not use the system-level font system. One of the ways is font apps from the App Store, and the other is another way that I’ve documented on my SubStack:

Installing and Managing Fonts on iPadOS

Is this the closest you can get to Font Book on iPadOS?

kalebcadle.substack.com

 

[rletras]

One moth later, and I've made the decision to buy a cheap Mac mini 2012, for around 80€. The idea is to complement my ipad, since there are some things it needs improvement.
For example, office apps. I've found some things that Word and Excel won't do in the ipad. Using the apple apps isn't an option, since I need them to remain in office format (I know I can export them in the correct format, but its time wasted and double the files).

Also, I was happy with my sync and backup solution. But always wanted a NAS, and this Mini will work as one.

 

[Ctrlos]

Font support on the iPad is weird. Like it seems obvious to me that there SHOULD be a way to add a font at the system level and just have it available in all applications, and yet it seems there's no such option.

Even Font management apps install them all as if they were network profiles. An Apple Fonts manager app would be most welcome and surely quite easy to implement? They could even open a built-in store for letting developers sell them.

 

[Kal Madda]

One moth later, and I've made the decision to buy a cheap Mac mini 2012, for around 80€. The idea is to complement my ipad, since there are some things it needs improvement.
For example, office apps. I've found some things that Word and Excel won't do in the ipad. Using the apple apps isn't an option, since I need them to remain in office format (I know I can export them in the correct format, but its time wasted and double the files).

Also, I was happy with my sync and backup solution. But always wanted a NAS, and this Mini will work as one.

Nice, I think of all the Mac models to use as a companion device alongside the iPad, the Mac Mini is probably the best. I have a Mac Mini at my desk that I use for exactly the same thing you’re talking about doing: as a sort of NAS storage solution. 👍🏻. It works out pretty well for accessing storage remotely, though I want to tweak my software setup a bit, because currently I’m using a VNC app to access the drives, where I would like to set it up to directly access the storage drives more streamlined. As I’ve mentioned before, my Mac Mini is mostly used for remote storage access and trying out softwares and features to compare with the iPad for the pieces I write for my SubStack. But I think the Mac Mini is a good choice for what you’re looking for.

I don’t use Microsoft Office software anymore, I just export my documents from Pages in Word format for my business documents since I work with other people who use Office. That’s worked well for me, and I’m happier with Pages than I was with Word. I totally understand though why you would want to stick with Office, it can be hard to have to learn a new app, and take some extra time to export, so I’m glad you found a solution that works well for you with the Mac Mini. 👍🏻

 

[Kal Madda]

Even Font management apps install them all as if they were network profiles. An Apple Fonts manager app would be most welcome and surely quite easy to implement? They could even open a built-in store for letting developers sell them.

The configuration profile option is one of two options. Apple actually does have a font manager built-in in the Settings app. There are tons of font apps available in the App Store that are exactly what you’re talking about. It’s a very easy system, it’s a little more complicated to install fonts from internet sources, but it still works with the aforementioned configuration profile method.

 

[xxFoxtail]

I finally found something I thought I could do on the iPad, but apparently can’t. With QuickBooks Online, I went to go print out some paychecks - normally we just do direct deposit, but there was some kind of problem with that this week. There's a button that says print paychecks, which does nothing on Safari on the iPad. I went to make sure my Adblock was disabled, and pop ups are allowed, still nothing.

Fortunately, I have a Windows PC at work, and everything worked just fine with that. This is the first time I’ve had to print paychecks, so it's not a huge deal. Just thought I’d throw another drop in the bucket of some iPad web browser limitations.

 

[bondr006]

I finally found something I thought I could do on the iPad, but apparently can’t. With QuickBooks Online, I went to go print out some paychecks - normally we just do direct deposit, but there was some kind of problem with that this week. There's a button that says print paychecks, which does nothing on Safari on the iPad. I went to make sure my Adblock was disabled, and pop ups are allowed, still nothing.

Fortunately, I have a Windows PC at work, and everything worked just fine with that. This is the first time I’ve had to print paychecks, so it's not a huge deal. Just thought I’d throw another drop in the bucket of some iPad web browser limitations.

Interesting. I just went to Amazon.com with Safari on my M1 iPad Pro 11 to open one of my orders. I opened the invoice, hit the print button and found my printer (HP OfficeJet 8020), and it printed the invoice with no problem.

 

[Kal Madda]

Interesting. I just went to Amazon.com with Safari on my M1 iPad Pro 11 to open one of my orders. I opened the invoice, hit the print button and found my printer (HP OfficeJet 8020), and it printed the invoice with no problem.View attachment 2481064

View attachment 2481066

Yeah, that’s been my experience with every other website as well. I’ve never had any problems with printing things from websites. Maybe it’s something wrong with QuickBook’s website?

 

[elmoss]

Interesting. I just went to Amazon.com with Safari on my M1 iPad Pro 11 to open one of my orders. I opened the invoice, hit the print button and found my printer (HP OfficeJet 8020), and it printed the invoice with no problem.View attachment 2481064

View attachment 2481066

Nice one Robert Bond 🙂

 

[sparksd]

Interesting. I just went to Amazon.com with Safari on my M1 iPad Pro 11 to open one of my orders. I opened the invoice, hit the print button and found my printer (HP OfficeJet 8020), and it printed the invoice with no problem.View attachment 2481064

View attachment 2481066

You might want to yank that pic - it's blurry but does have your name & address. You want a bunch of forum goombahs showing up at your house?

 

[xxFoxtail]

Yeah, that’s been my experience with every other website as well. I’ve never had any problems with printing things from websites. Maybe it’s something wrong with QuickBook’s website?

Interesting. I just went to Amazon.com with Safari on my M1 iPad Pro 11 to open one of my orders. I opened the invoice, hit the print button and found my printer (HP OfficeJet 8020), and it printed the invoice with no problem.View attachment 2481064

It's specifically Quickbooks Online website. On the Windows PC, it opened a pop-up window with the PDF to print. I couldn't get that pop-up window to open on the iPad (clicking the button did nothing). I have no issues printing anything else from the iPad in Safari, Mail or any other app (I print probably 20-30 pages a day from it at work).

I went back to Quickbooks just now as I’m posting this comment to try to get a screen recording of what I was trying to explain. Of course now that I try it again this morning, I'm getting a message saying "This site is attempting to open a pop-up window." Tapping Allow opens up the paycheck PDF file I had issues with yesterday. I was on a slightly different page inside Quickbooks yesterday, maybe it was just an issue on the specific website page.

I guess problem solved! 😅