AEC Tech News #185
3 Jan, 2007 By: Scott MacKenzieMake Mine a DWG, Part 2: 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 NAFEMS World Congress 2007 For Cadalyst's full calendar of events, click here>> New! Hot Tip Harry Newsletter from Cadalyst New Year, New Job? Cadalyst Daily Update |
