Project Freewheel 1.0.8 Now Available

For Project Freewheel 1.0.7, the big change was the integration of the Autodesk consolidated login. Now you can use your one Autodesk login for all things Autodesk - including uploading designs to Project Freewheel and participating in electronic review meetings. So far CAD software users for AutoCAD, Inventor, and Revit are happy with the change to our collaboration solution via software as a service.

On the heels of 1.0.7, we just released 1.0.8. This release has a few noteworthy features.

1. DIV-based mashup
   
   
   Historically embedding a design in your web page or application has looked like:
   
   <iframe scrolling="no" width="800" height="600"
   src="http://freewheel.labs.autodesk.com/dwf.aspx?path=http://www.acme.com/my.dwf">
   </iframe>
   
   With this release, the iFrame is no longer required. This makes Project Freewheel more mashable - much like potatoes. :-)

2. Expansive Application Program Interface (API)
   We have always had our developer page as in:
   
   http://freewheel.labs.autodesk.com/webdevelopers.aspx
   
   Now with this release we also have:
   
   http://freewheel.labs.autodesk.com/custom/jsapi_help.aspx
   
   We are thrilled to expand our JavaScript API based on the feedback you provided from the blog article Attention Programmers: What would you like to see in the Project Freewheel API. Project Freewheel Software Engineer, Yuanfei Xu, has some unpolished sample code available at:
   
   http://freewheel.labs.autodesk.com/custom/jsapi.aspx
   
   and
   
   http://freewheel.labs.autodesk.com/custom/JSAPIwithIFrame.aspx

3. Upload Dialog
   Starting with the previous release (Project Freewheel 1.0.7), managing files is done using your Autodesk login. So if you have not logged in and used the Remember Me capability, when you attempt to upload a design to Project Freewheel, you are prompted for your user name and password:
   
   
   
   After successfully logging in, you can upload one of your designs, as a DWF, via its URL (if already on the web) or browse to a file (if on your local drive or a network-shared drive):
   
   
   
   We hope the fact that these two available options are clear now that the upload dialog calls them out separately.

4. Watermark
   We've all seen watermarks in software as a service applications. Take MapQuest as an example which I have highlighted with red polygons:
   
   
   
   We're very proud of Project Freewheel and want people to know they are using it when they are using it. So we're not above a little shameless self promotion (also highlighted with red polygons):
   
   

5. Better Performance
   
   
   
   We modified some Project Freewheel server settings to provide images of your designs to you in less time. Let us know at labs.freewheel@autodesk.com about how much faster it is for you.

6. Internet Explorer 8 Beta 2 Defect Corrections
   
   
   
   As always, based on your exploratory use of Project Freewheel with Internet Explorer 8 Beta and your willingness to spend time to report related problems, this release includes the following defect corrections for IE 8:

   • IE8 beta in IFRAME: you cannot move the by moving the area without text
   • IE8 beta in IFRAME: the navigation wheel cannot be selected
   • IE8 beta in IFRAME: cannot trigger some actions by clicking the icons
   • IE8 beta 2: markups do not render the first time when joining a session

   Thanks to all you IE8 testers!

7. Defect Corrections
   
   
   
   In addition to defect corrections for IE8, the following generic improvements have been included in this release:

   • Joining in session from email ticket does not work
   • Cannot join session by email ticket if the session name has non-ASCII characters
   • Focus is not on the "input box" after one email message has been sent
   • Inconsistent zoom effect for 2D section with Navigation Wheel
   • Dialog for My Designs/Sessions rolls up to the top when you delete one Session/Design
   • Background color of the DWF image carries over to other sessions
   • JavaScript error "_oSectionCollection is null or not object"
   • JavaScript error: "this.presentation.renderpane is null or not object"
   • URI of the *.link file references the dwf file with absolute path

Evolving the ability to view and review design data using just a browser is alive in the lab.