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AEC Tech News #185

3 Jan, 2007 By: Scott MacKenzie


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Make Mine a DWG, Part 2:
Check Your Work

Tips to help you clean up AutoCAD drawings

In the last edition of AEC Tech News, I introduced a series about how to create DWG files from other CAD formats. Part 1 detailed how to translate your ArchiCAD files into AutoCAD files. In today’s edition, I’ll offer some tips to help you clean up those new DWG files once you create them.

If you use AutoCAD, you've probably received DWG files from consultants and other outside sources to use on a project. If these files are from someone who doesn't use AutoCAD, they're most likely a mess when you get them -- everything in the drawing is white, and/or the dashed linetypes are solid. If you've had to clean up these files, you've probably used a few four-letter words to describe your feelings. And if you've printed them, you have surely cursed the sender of these files, because you had to spend 20 minutes fixing the lineweights and linetypes in each drawing just to get it to print correctly.

The problem is, your consultants and clients who create DWG files from non-AutoCAD programs don't check their work. Why? Well, either they don't care, or they don't have software to check their work. There is no excuse for either. Anyone can download Autodesk TrueView for free. (True View is AutoCAD without any drawing or editing tools; it's great for viewing and printing DWG files.)Read more>>


Event Report: AEC-Science & Technology Federal

By H. Edward Goldberg, AIA

Last week I took part in the AEC-Science & Technology Federal conference and exhibition at the Washington (D.C.) Convention Center. For the first time, AEC-ST was held in conjunction with Ecobuild Federal, and AUGI CAD Camp also ran simultaneously. Ecobuild Federal/AEC-ST is billed as the premier event for green building, sustainable design, environmental planning, construction technology and information management. It's held in cooperation with the Green Building Initiative and endorsed by the American Institute of Architects/Los Angeles Chapter.

This year, more than 2,000 attendees had the opportunity to hear about the latest developments of the National BIM (building information modeling) Standard, participate in meetings such as the Facility Information Council and attend sessions and panels on subjects as diverse as sustainable buildings and BIM technology. AEC-ST and Ecobuild are the brainchildren of George Borkovich, who created the AEC Systems conventions that were so popular in the '90s. Read more>>


Mark Your Calendar: AEC Events

COFES 2007
April 12, 2007 - April 15, 2007
Scottsdale, Arizona
COFES 2007 brings together executives from technology, engineering, design, development and architectural companies to explore new engineering technology and discuss its effects on the future of business. Read more

NAFEMS World Congress 2007
May 22, 2007 - May 25, 2007
Vancouver, Canada
This conference will bring together industrial practitioners, consultancies, academic researchers and software developers with a common interest in engineering analysis. Read more

For Cadalyst's full calendar of events, click here>>


what's new at cadalyst.com

New! Hot Tip Harry Newsletter from Cadalyst
Cadalyst announces the latest addition to its lineup of e-mail newsletters, designed for AutoCAD power users and beginning programmers alike. Debuting January 16, 2007, Harry's Code Class: Tips for Programmers will offer insight and how-to for LISP, VBA and ObjectARX programming for AutoCAD. Best of all, Harry's Code Class is led by Harry himself (a.k.a. Contributing Editor Bill Kramer, author of Cadalyst's popular "Hot Tip Harry" column). Don't miss a single issue -- sign up for Harry's Code Class: Tips for Programmers today!

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