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Tips & Tools Weekly (Vol. 14, No. 25)

6 Jul, 2009 By: various

This Week's Software Tips

Quickly Resize Text
Frequent tipster Len Nemirovsky sent us a routine he wrote to simply change AutoCAD text to the proper scale. "This small routine, TXS, scales text according to your current DIMSCALE settings, very similarly to standard AutoCAD functions for updating dimensions." View the complete tip and post your feedback.

cHANGE tEXT cASE
Skip Millett sent us a tip demonstrating a command that will alter the case of text in many different ways. "The Express tool Tcase is probably more helpful when converting text to uppercase or some other case. It works for single-line text and mtext, and you can select multiple entities." View the complete tip and post your feedback.

Plotting When Plot Styles are Missing
Kevin Mukbel sent us a quick method he uses to better plot files he receives from outside sources that do not include a plot style file. "Have you ever received a drawing file from a consultant and tried to plot it and you then found out that it is an STB file and you could not use any of your plot style pen (CTB) settings?" View the complete tip and post your feedback.

Open Drawings In The Application Of Your Choice
Al Thibault shares a tip that works with AutoCAD files or any other files you access via Windows Explorer. "Opening a drawing with the desired [software] product can make a CAD user's day much more enjoyable." View the complete tip and post your feedback.

Submit Your Tip for your favorite CAD software. If we publish your tip, we'll send you a Cadalyst T-shirt, and each month Cadalyst editors will randomly select one published tip and send a $100 gift card to its author. Please remember:

Submit only code and other tips that are your original work (or provide the original source so we can include proper credit).
Tell us which software version you use.

By submitting code, you grant Cadalyst the right to print and distribute your code in print, digitally, and by other means. Cadalyst and individual authors retain all rights to the code; published code is not to be used for commercial purposes.

Got Feedback? To share feedback about one of today's tips, navigate to the tip using the link provided above, then click Comment. The Comment tool is available to registered users of Cadalyst's CAD Tips site.

Tips & Tools Weekly software tips for AutoCAD are reviewed by Cadalyst staff and the Tip Patrol before publication. Use all tips at your own discretion, please. We're sorry, but editors and Tip Patrol members cannot provide assistance with technical problems; please refer to Cadalyst's Hot Tip Harry-Help discussion forum for assistance with AutoLISP and other AutoCAD customization questions.

Sincere thanks to our volunteer Tip Patrol members: Brian Benton, Don Boyer,
Mitchell Hirschklau, R.K. McSwain, Kevin Sawyer, and Billy Wooten.

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Resources

First Trace Releases AutoCAD LT Optimization Whitepaper
Is your firm using AutoCAD LT for design? Document management provider First Trace released a new whitepaper titled, How to Optimize AutoCAD LT: The Missing Piece of the Puzzle. The paper teaches readers how to make AutoCAD LT into a complete CAD solution with interoperable file management.

COMSOL Launches Community Site
Multiphysics modeling software provider COMSOL announced its new networking site, COMSOL Community, which includes a suite of services to facilitate interaction among users and the exchange of models and application expertise. The discussion forum is a bulletin-board style newsgroup open to the discussion of any topic related to modeling and simulation.

2009 Geospatial Technology Report Now Available
GITA, a nonprofit educational association for the GIS community, announced the publication of its 2009 Geospatial Technology Report. This 144-page report contains information on the complexity, direction, and status of geographic information system projects being implemented at 515 organizations.

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Deals & Freebies

Autodesk Unveils Free Inventor Fusion Technology Preview
Autodesk is offering a free download of its Inventor Fusion Technology preview on the Autodesk Labs web site. Autodesk Inventor Fusion is new digital prototyping technology that unites parametric, history-based modeling with direct, history-free modeling, enabling users to choose the modeling approach that is right for the task at hand.

ASCENT Releases AutoCAD Civil 3D 2010 Fundamentals Training Guide
RAND Worldwide announced that its courseware division, ASCENT Center for Technical Knowledge, released the updated AutoCAD Civil 3D 2010 Fundamentals training guide. The updated guide is designed for civil engineers and surveyors who want to take advantage of the interactive, dynamic design functionality of AutoCAD Civil 3D.

MyCADsite.com Releases AutoCAD 2010 Tutorials
MyCADsite.com is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year. Keeping with its tradition of providing free AutoCAD training materials, myCADsite.com has updated all AutoCAD 2010 tutorials. Offering a total of 50 tutorials, the site has something for all levels of AutoCAD users.

OrthoGraph Survey V1.1 Available with Discount
OrthoGraph, provider of PDA-based building survey and inventory systems, is offering v1.1 of its CAD-compatible floor plan survey tools for Windows Mobile at a discounted price. Architect and Survey versions are available. Through September 2009, the professional Survey version is available at a discount that offers the software plus a Windows Mobile device at a price that's less than the original software price, the company reports.

Mastering Revit 2009 book by Paul F. Aubin

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Opportunities & Honors

PTC Ranked Top Performer in Aberdeen PLM AXIS Report
PLM software provider PTC announced that it has been ranked top performer within the PLM industry in the recent Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) Solutions AXIS for Hardgoods Manufacturers, Q2, 2009 report by Aberdeen Group. PTC achieved the highest overall score on market readiness and value delivered to customers.

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Books & Training

CIMdata Introduces PLM Certificate Program
CIMdata, a PLM consulting and research firm, announced the start of its new PLM Certificate Program. The five-day, assessment-based program includes individual and team-based exercises, individual evaluations of achievement, and access to CIMdata staff. The next CIMdata PLM Certificate Program is scheduled for late September 2009.

EIGS Publishes Guide About Benefits of Geospatial Technology
The University of Mississippi's Enterprise for Innovative Geospatial Solutions (EIGS) announced the release of its magazine-style publication about geospatial technology. Mississippi's Guide to Geospatial Technology (PDF) provides information about how geospatial technology offers solutions for business areas including, homeland security, real estate, agriculture, utilities, natural resource management, recreation, transportation, and public health among others.

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Mark Your Calendar

Webinar: Everything You Need for Large-Format Scanning

July 7-21, 2009
11 a.m. ET
During this webinar from Contex Americas, learn about the newest Contex scanning technology and scanning software, as well as the best ways to manage and access your scanned drawings. Read more

Webinar: AVEVA Schematic 3D Integrator 12

July 8, 2009
11:30 a.m. CT
During this webinar from AVEVA, attendees will learn about how Schematic 3D Integrator v12 allows users to build 3D models directly from schematic data. Read more

Webinar: Working with Large-Format Scanned Drawings

July 9-23, 2009
4 p.m. ET
Once you scan your large-format drawings, what solutions and processes make it easy to edit, manage, and collaborate? See a sampling of products in this webinar from Contex Americas. Read more

Revit User Group: Curtain Wall Forum

July 15-16, 2009
Various Cities
Ideate is hosting a discussion about Revit's Curtain Wall tool and how it meets (or doesn't meet) reality. Read more

For a complete list of CAD meetings, conferences, training sessions, and more, check out our calendar of events on Cadalyst.com.

About the Author: various

AutoCAD Tips!

Lynn Allen

Autodesk Technical Evangelist Lynn Allen guides you through a different AutoCAD feature in every edition of her popular "Circles and Lines" tutorial series. For even more AutoCAD how-to, check out Lynn's quick tips in the Cadalyst Video Gallery. Subscribe to Cadalyst's Tips & Tricks Tuesdays free e-newsletter and we'll notify you every time a new video tip is available. All exclusively from Cadalyst!
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