An Interview with Autdesk developer Fenton Webb on how he made it easier for applications developers to develop for Autodesk

1. Global Services ADN AppStore for AutoCAD 2012
ADN Contact
Fenton Webb
Senior Developer Consultant
Taking a good thing—and making it great.
In June, the Autodesk Developer Network (ADN) launched an AppStore for the Windows version of AutoCAD
2012. Senior Developer Evangelist Fenton Webb recognized that the AppStore represented a key milestone, offering
tremendous potential for Autodesk, our developers and customers.
Fenton also considered that AutoCAD's current model for deploying apps, which was cumbersome, complex and
slow to implement, could keep the AppStore from achieving its full potential. He believed Autodesk had to offer a
better solution. So he created it—and gave the AppStore one of the key factors in its success. We asked Fenton to
tell us about his work on this project.
You weren't asked to develop a new tool—what was your original role?
I was to be the liaison between my own group and the AutoCAD for Mac (SledgeHammer) senior development
team. My job was to keep my team informed about the product, and also ensure that third-party developers' needs
were met as features were developed.
What made you start thinking about creating a new app tool?
Working with the SledgeHammer team, it became apparent to me that AutoCAD's existing mechanisms for
deploying apps just weren't going to work; the existing Windows-style
plug-in architecture was going to present a lot of issues on the Mac.
Also, I'd been concerned for a long time that the deployment mechanism we offered our developers on the Windows
platform really wasn't providing a good experience—it was way too difficult to use and very messy.
I had come up with some ideas for a new mechanism a few years ago, and talked with Kean Walmsley (Senior
Manager, worldwide DevTech) about it. At that point, the timing wasn't right, but I knew that sooner or later we
would have to offer a better solution for deploying our apps.
Then, about two years later, out of the blue, Jim Quanci (Director, Autodesk Developer Network) mentioned that a
new AutoCAD AppStore was being talked about. That was when I knew it was time to start thinking again about my
original idea. The success of the Apple iPhone and widespread adoption of smartphone technology means that

2. customers now expect to install and deploy apps quickly and easily. I wanted to give users that kind of experience
with apps installed into AutoCAD.
I knew that our AppStore had enormous potential. But I was seriously concerned that, unless we offered an easier
way to install and deploy AutoCAD apps, developers wouldn't adopt it.
How did you get the go-ahead to develop a new tool?
Kean mentioned to Jim Quanci that our current installation design for apps was much too complicated and that I had
a proposal he thought Autodesk should pursue. Jim and Kean asked me to present a clearer idea of what I had in
mind, and I quickly produced a prototype. They liked it, and Jim gave me the go ahead.
What were the biggest challenges in the project?
One of my first and biggest challenges was how to create an app deployment mechanism that would not only work
for Mac, but for Windows, too. I also needed to figure out how to make that same mechanism work across all
Autodesk products, regardless of language. And I had to keep it simple so that that our developer community would
want to use it.
In addition to the cross-platform, cross-product, multi-language deployment challenges, I was focused on the
experience of AppStore users. What I created had to be 100% effective and super simple—or it just wouldn't
succeed.
One feature that was a big challenge was the "On Appearance" loading of apps, which is key to keeping the
AppStore user experience clean and simple. Basically, if a user visits the AppStore, purchases a product, and installs
it while AutoCAD is running, the app automatically loads and initializes it, while also displaying "help" information,
right in front of the user's eyes. That's a bit like having a sunroof installed in your car as you're driving down the
freeway—and it's a serious advantage for AutoCAD users. A lot of people thought it would be nice to have, but
wasn't worth the effort required. But I'm glad I pursued it because it's made a huge difference to the AppStore user
experience.
Once the overall design was in place, I had to find a way to automate the creation of the apps, and create a tool to do
it. Here again, the challenge was to give the developer an easy way to create the installation deployment—while also
making it easy for the end user. It took a lot of work to create the tool that would automate the entire process.
What were your main considerations when designing the tool?
Building a mechanism that would be elegantly simple was always my goal. I'd been gathering up all the different
ways that third party developers had used to deploy apps, comparing them with what the average user wants and
needs from the product, so I could use them as a basis for my design.
I was really strict about following my own rules. The minute any kind of complexity started creeping into the
design, I knew it was the wrong way to go, and went back to the drawing board. My focus was on finding a simpler
way to achieve the same thing, even if it meant much more work on the implementation side.
What programs does it work with?
I designed it from the start to work for all Autodesk products, not just AutoCAD. The Inventor, Vault and Revit
teams will soon launch their own free apps using this same technology. AutoCAD verticals already have support for
this technology.
What difference has the new tool made?

3. With this new automated tool, users can install an app in a few seconds. They don't even have to know which
platform they're using because it works with Windows 32-bit and Windows 64-bit. We removed a headache for the
user by ensuring that the same installation files for a single app can be used on Mac, Windows 32, and Windows 64.
Also, because we are using a standard installation user interface, users are much more familiar with what's going
on—and that helps keep Product Support happy.
I've received positive feedback from the app developers. For years, the process they had for deploying apps for
Autodesk was very annoying, slow, and difficult. It took a week—or three. Now, all of a sudden, they can create
their installer deployment in about 10 minutes, so they're really excited.
Bear in mind that we have more than 3,000 companies around the world who are members of our Autodesk
Developer Network and each has, on average, three to five developers. And there are also CAD managers, and
developers who aren't registered with us. So this has made a lot of people happy because they can get their apps to
market faster—which, of course, means more money for Autodesk.
Any final words?
The fact that ADN is so experienced with apps means that we were able to contribute significantly to implementing
the AppStore feature in AutoCAD 2012. It's great to do something that makes such a big improvement to our users'
experience.
Last Updated: 11/22/2011
Page Owner: Jim Veilleux
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