In the ongoing negotiation between professional tools and the people who need them, Autodesk's AutoCAD — long the standard-bearer for architects and engineers — has briefly lowered its threshold, offering a full year of access for A$573 against its usual A$3,009 price. The 81% reduction is a rare opening for independent studios and freelancers who have weighed the software's power against its cost. Like most such moments, it is time-limited, a window rather than a door left permanently ajar.