Frequently asked questions
What is Tornado DWG Scanner?
A batch auditor and reporter for AutoCAD drawings. Point it at folders of DWG files and it produces a spreadsheet-style report across the whole set: standards checks, layer and block problems, xref health, purge candidates, title-block data, and more. See the full feature list.
How is it different from Hurricane?
Hurricane makes changes to drawings in batch. Tornado reports on them in batch. They are sister tools: audit with Tornado, fix with Hurricane, then re-audit to confirm. Lists hand off both ways automatically.
Which AutoCAD versions are supported?
Full AutoCAD 2018 or newer. Tornado drives your installed AutoCAD to read each drawing, so a compatible AutoCAD must be installed. AutoCAD LT support is under evaluation.
Do my drawings get uploaded anywhere?
No. Tornado runs entirely on your PC and reads your drawings locally. Nothing about your drawings leaves your machine.
How do we check drawings against our CAD standard?
Set your standard up in Tornado as a recipe: the checks your office cares about and the value each one should have. Tornado then flags every drawing that does not match, and you run the same recipe on every project. Tornado does not read .dws files.
Can I see what changed since the last issue?
Yes. Add Drawing compare and point it at the folder holding the earlier set. Each drawing is compared with its same-named copy there: object counts, geometry, layers, blocks, attribute values and text. It works on AutoCAD 2018 and later.
Can I get one row per layer, or per item?
Yes. Switch the row selector to per layer or per xref, or explode a list check such as layers, blocks, attributes or viewports so each item gets its own row.
What does the free trial include?
Every feature, with no time limit. The trial scans up to 10 files per run. Activate a license to remove that limit.
How is it licensed, and how do I activate?
A one-time license, no annual fee. Your key is emailed when you buy. To activate, open Tornado, click "Trial - activate" in the title bar, paste the key, and click Activate. Your name appears in the title bar.
Does the license work on more than one machine?
Your key activates on any machine you use. It is an offline, honor-system license named to you, so the name on the key is shown in the app. Please buy a seat per user.
Can I buy several seats?
Yes, with volume discounts (5% off 3+, 7% off 5+, 10% off 10+). After payment we email you a link to name each seat, then send a key per seat. Need a site license or an invoice? Contact us.
What if I lose my key?
Reply to your key email, or email support@74mph.com from the address you bought with, and we will send it again.
How much does it cost?
A one-time purchase per seat, with volume discounts (5% off 3+, 7% off 5+, 10% off 10+). See current pricing on the order page, or try it free first.