Tips & Tools Weekly (Vol. 11, No. 20)
4 Jun, 2006What's New at Cadalyst.com
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from each issue of Cadalyst magazine can also be found
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Cadalyst Daily Update
For all the latest news and new products, subscribe
to Cadalyst Daily e-newsletter. Plus,
every issue includes a feature you won’t find
anywhere else – hardware and CAD software reviews,
success stories, AutoCAD tips and much more! Here’s
a sample of what you missed in the past week:
Designing the Big Boom: Helicopter pilot calls on mechanical engineering background to create safer approach to producing controlled avalanches
First Look Review: XL2CAD: Highly recommended tool from DotSoft saves time by automatically converting Excel data into AutoCAD entities
Cadalyst's New Job Search Now Live!
Our new search tool offers a state-by-state list
of CAD-related job openings, or you can customize a search
to find your own list of U.S. job openings based on the
keywords and locations you specify. Use the Job Search
button on Cadalyst's Management, Manufacturing,
AEC or GIS Web site or click
here for a direct link.
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Resources
Autodesk Launches Sustainability Web Site
In
addition to sponsoring "design: e2 (The Economics
of Being Environmentally Conscious)," the PBS television
series scheduled to air this month, Autodesk has unveiled
its Sustainability
Center Web site. The new site will serve as a resource
on the role of technology in sustainable design and will
profile industry leaders who are putting sustainable design
into practice. The 2005 Autodesk Green Index indicated
that the use of sustainable design principles has grown
50% since 2000 and estimates that it will increase 100%
by 2010.
Report: Solid Growth in Additive Fabrication
Wohlers Associates published its recent findings on the
state of the rapid prototyping and manufacturing industry. Wohlers
Report 2006 ($475 U.S.; $495 elsewhere) estimates
that the market for additive fabrication (also known as
rapid prototyping) grew 14.6% to an estimated $808.5 million
in 2005, up from $705.2 million generated in 2004. Growth
was 33.3% and 9.2% in 2004 and 2003, respectively. These
totals include all products and services for additive fabrication
worldwide.
Kellysearch.com Expands Supplier Network
Kellysearch.com,
an online buyers' guide and business-to-business vertical
search engine, announced that users now have access to
all product, service and company information from EDN,
Purchasing's Metal Supplier Search, IAN Magazine and many
of the publications within the Reed Construction Data group.
Users can now begin procurement cycles within these markets
on Kellysearch.com.
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This Week's Software Tips
Follow-Up: See and Control Layout Position and
Size While in Model Space
Chris Noble and Brian James Lottis wrote
to Tips & Tools Weekly regarding the tip from
Jean Cosyn in the May
22 edition, which is designed to help align multiple
drawings and multiple layouts. Another approach to this,
they say, is to use AutoCAD's Change Space express tool.
Run the Chspace command (or select Change Space from the
Layout submenu in Express Tools), and it automatically
moves the polyline to the correct location in model space
and scales it correctly.
Lottis also reminds readers about the Hot Tip Harry routine submitted by Murray Clack in February 2001: VPLIM.LSP automates this process, but only for rectangular viewports.
Shortcut to Windows Explorer from AutoCAD
Shawn
Samaniego sends
EXPLORE.LSP, a routine that opens Windows
Explorer through AutoCAD and automatically routes you to
your drawings file path. "I don’t know what's
better — changing the alias to WE (for Windows Explorer)
or changing the LISP to read WE rather than assigning an
alias. In this case, I have the LISP respond to WE."
(defun c:we () (startapp "explorer" (strcat "/n,/e," (getvar "dwgprefix"))) (princ) )
Continuous Middle Button Osnap
Isak
Mishaeli writes, "I
often need a middle button osnap more than once in a
single command, and using Shift + middle button is a
bit difficult. Instead, I use a tool button that works
much like a radio button, changing the MBUTTONPAN system
variable value from 1 to 0 continuously. The button macro
is:
[_Button("Mid button control", "mbutton.bmp", "ICON_16_BLANK")](progn(setvar "mbuttonpan" $m=$(if,$(=,$(getvar,mbuttonpan),1),0,1))(princ))
Click here to download Mishaeli's MBUTTON.BMP icon.
Fresh Batch of Tips for AutoCAD 2007
Justin
Werner sends a couple of tips
he hopes will help users who have recently upgraded to
AutoCAD 2007:
Set the OSOPTIONS variable to 0 to be able to pick the objects inside a hatch, as was possible in previous releases. "I believe the [2007] default is set to 1 and doesn't let you select them."
Set the IMAGEFRAME variable to 2. "This is great! Now you can grab/edit an image you've brought into AutoCAD and the border won't plot. Previously, your only option was to toggle between 0 and 1, and this was a pain."
Frequent tipster Leonid Nemirovsky (visit his AutoCAD Web site) sends this quick tip for 2007 as well:
- To create complicated 3D solids with different plane faces — for example, transition from Pipe to Square Box, first use 3D Faces, but make them triangle-shaped. After that, convert them to surfaces by using the Convert to Surface button on the 3D Dashboard. Then use the Thicken command, select all and give them some thickness, such as 3/16". Control direction of thickening using -3/16 or 3/16.
This Week's SolidWorks Tips
SolidWorks training developer SolidProfessor sends
the following tips this week for Tips & Tools Weekly readers:
Foreshortening: Learn how to foreshorten diameter and radial dimensions that are too large to fit on the drawing sheet.
Lofts: Learn the difference between the loft and sweep features.
Send us your tip or shortcut for your favorite CAD software. If we publish it, we'll send you a “Cadalyst: CAD the Way You Want It” t-shirt.
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Deals & Freebies
Take a Survey, Get a Free PLC Report
Participants who take part in the Product
Lifecycle Collaboration Benchmark study will not only
learn where they stand relative to others, they will receive
a free copy of the completed results. The survey, conducted
by technology research firm Aberdeen Group and software
provider Right Hemisphere, will attempt to determine whether
product lifecycle collaboration is delivering on its promise.
Questions include: What approaches to product design collaboration,
value chain collaboration, and leveraging design data in
downstream processes are companies successfully using? The
sponsors promise individual responses will be kept strictly
confidential.
Free Rendering Software
The creators of Indigo
Renderer have made the application available free to
anyone who finds it useful or interesting, they say. The
unbiased ray tracer's many features include Monte-Carlo
path tracing or Monte-Carlo Metropolis Light Transfer for
unbiased light transfer, Reinhard tone mapping or linear
tone mapping, progressive rendering and per-object kd-tree
spatial partitioning for fast ray tracing. Users are encouraged
to post renderings on the Indigo forum.
Free Access to Oce Client Tools
Oce is offering free Client Tools downloadable software that
creates high-quality, print-ready files from AutoCAD DWG,
DWF and other file formats. The company reports that the
use of Client Tools eliminates the need to create plot files
and saves time through batch processing DWF and DWG files.
Free Textures and Viewer
Software developer Spiral Graphics has released a royalty-free
collection of 127 seamless floor and wall textures in
standard JPEG previews and in the specialized Genetica procedural
texture format, which includes embedded effect maps for use
with bump and specular channels, among others. Genetica
Viewer, a texture rendering application, is also now
free to allow artists to make use of these and other textures
saved in Genetica's texture format.
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Opportunities & Honors
Bentley Names Awards of Excellence Winners
Bentley Systems, a provider of infrastructure lifecycle
software, has bestowed its 2006 BE Awards of Excellence,
which honor the work of Bentley users in improving the world's
infrastructure. Winners were announced May 22 at BE Conference
2006 in Charlotte, North Carolina; click
here to view the full list. An independent panel of jurors
selected the winning projects from more than 260 nominations. Cadalyst Editor-in-Chief
Sara Ferris was a judge of civil engineering entrants. The
annual BE Conference offers professional training to Bentley
users.
Entries Sought in Global 3D Design Contest
Dimension 3D Printing Group has launched its third annual Extreme
Redesign: The Ultimate 3D Printing Challenge. The design
and 3D printing contest will award $2,500 or $1,000 scholarships
to high school and college student winners based on design
creativity, usefulness, part integrity and aesthetics.
CAD students worldwide are encouraged to enter. Notebook
computers will go to teachers of first-place winners and
to the teacher with the most student entries overall. Dimension
is a manufacturer of 3D printers and a business unit of
Stratasys.
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Books & Training
Upcoming Pro/ENGINEER Wildfire Book Release
Textbook publisher CADCIM Technologies announced the June
12 release of Pro/ENGINEER
Wildfire 3.0 for Designers(800 pages), by Sham
Tickoo, Purdue University Calumet, and CADCIM Technologies.
Written for both novice and advanced users, the book first
introduces Pro/ENGINEER Wildfire 3.0 concepts and definitions,
then progresses to cover features such as sketching, editing,
dimensioning and transforming the features. The textbook
explains concepts such as bidirectional associatively, geometric
constraints and assembly constraints and explains in depth
the application's new sketcher palette.
MicroStation VBA Instruction for Designers
Bentley Institute Press has published Learning MicroStation
VBA (930 pages, $90). The combination textbook and
workbook explains the VBA basics, including the editing
environment, modules, visual interface and MicroStation
Object Model, through advanced topics such as Windows API
and interacting with other applications. An accompanying
CD includes all source code referenced in the book, procedures,
addenda, a comprehensive object model listing and other
example files. To purchase the book, call (toll-free, United
States and Canada) 800.225.2613 or (elsewhere) 203.805.2613.
New NX4 Book
Basic
and Intermediate NX4 Modeling, Drafting and Assemblies ($99
U.S., $127 elsewhere), just released by Design Visionaries,
is a newly revised version of the publishers' previous
book Practical Unigraphics NX3 Modeling, Drafting
and Assemblies. The methods outlined in this book
reportedly are tricks of the trade that come from thousands
of hours of actual use of the software to design some
of the most difficult products in the world. Topics include
fundamental and intermediate curves; design, detail and
surface features; direct and master modeling; and "how
to make NX4 run great." Design Visionaries provides
engineering-related products and services.
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The Week's New CAD and Related Products
Hardware: GEI 4636
GEI Wide Format Solutions
introduces a large-format printer with optional wireless
scanning. Read
more
Hardware: PLT-20 KANTANA
Kira introduces
a paper laminating system for creating 3D design prototypes. Read
more
Hardware: MicroScribe 3D Laser Systems
GHOST 3D releases laser scanner systems that can digitize
28,000 points per second in real time. Read
more
Hardware: Washable Wireless Keyboards
Unotron introduces wireless computer keyboards that withstand
submersion in water and repeated disinfectant use. Read
more
Hardware: 3DBOXX 8300 Series Workstation
BOXX Technologies introduces personal workstation with
eight dual-core Intel Xeon processors. Read
more
General Software: ViewCafe v4
Spicer adds live document conferencing to its collaboration
toolkit. Read
more
General Software: CADVault v4.1
CADLock's digital rights management software now supports
AutoCAD 2007. Read
more
General Software: CAD Import.NET Library
Soft Gold releases library for AutoCAD users and software
developers programming in .NET environment. Read
more
Visualization: VTour v1.0.1
REALVIZ releases a software patch update that improves
the creation of Web-compatible products and includes an
updated Spi-V3d viewer. Read
more
Visualization: Power Translators Pro
Translators from nPower Software will import large CAD
models and assemblies into Autodesk 3ds Max and VIZ. Read
more
Visualization: modo 201
Luxology introduces 3D modeling, painting and rendering
software designed for 3D artists. Read
more
Visualization: Tecplot 360
Product combines
engineering plotting with advanced data visualization for
analyzing, presenting and publishing analysis results. Read
more
Visualization: M-Color v9.1
Motive Systems
ships a compatibility upgrade of its presentation plotting
software for AutoCAD. Read
more
Visualization: Strata 3D CX v5
Strata
upgrades visualization software with more tools for integration
with Adobe applications. Read
more
AEC: ArchiOffice V8
Company updates integrated office- and project-management
application. Read
more
GIS: PinPoint EDM Technology
Leica Geosystems
adds electronic distance measuring technology to its TPS400,
TPS700 and TPS800 total stations. Read
more
GIS: Designer
MWH Soft releases updated software module for designing
water-distribution systems. Read
more
MCAD: rapidformXO Verifier and BentelerLaserGauge
INUS
Technology and Benteler collaborate on shape-based inspection
solution. Read
more
MCAD: OSLO v6.4
Lambda Research's lens design software can place multiple
INT files on any optical model surface. Read
more
CAM: ESPRIT 2007
DP Technology's software
incorporates ESPRIT FX for CAD to CAM feature exchange. Read
more
Service: CityScapes
AMT3D launches service
to create online, interactive 3D models for AEC projects. Read
more
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Mark Your Calendar
Cadalyst'scomplete list of upcoming industry events is always available on our Web site.
Webinar:
Improving Global Design Collaboration for Manufacturing
Excellence
June 7, 2006, 2-3 p.m. ET
Delphi and CAD industry experts will discuss the importance of standardizing
design methodology and demonstrate its impact on global collaboration, efficiency
and time-to-market. Read
more
RoboBusiness
2006
June 20-21, 2006
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Robotics Trends’ RoboBusiness Conference and Exposition
focuses on the business development and technical issues
involved with the commercial application of mobile robotics
and intelligent systems technology. Read
more
Accelerate
Your Ideas 2007 -- Building Solutions
June 27, 2006 (Santa Rosa, California)
June 28, 2006 (Reno, Nevada)
June 29, 2006 (Walnut Creek, California)
Ideate will give a presentation about the benefits of BIM
(building information modeling) and successful project
workflow highlighting the latest from the Autodesk Revit
software family. Read
more
Accelerate
Your Ideas 2007 -- Infrastructure Solution
June 27, 2006 (Santa Rosa, California)
June 28, 2006 (Reno, Nevada)
June 29, 2006 (Walnut Creek, California)
This forum will take a close look at how innovation in
technology and the newest applications from Autodesk can
help government and private organizations. Read
more
Women
in Technology International: Taking the Lead in the
Digital Age
July 9-11, 2006
Las Vegas, Nevada
This conference from Women in Technology International
is designed for professionals who want to connect to others,
update business and technical skills, and expand their
professional network. Read
more
XIII
International FIG Congress
October 8-13, 2006
Munich, Germany
Under the motto “Shaping the Change,” attendees
and experts will discuss the contributions of surveying
in the present and in the challenges of the future. Read
more
INTERGEO
2006
October 10-12, 2006
Munich, Germany
Trade fair and conference for geodesy, geoinformation and
land management. Read
more
SWUG
Conference 2006
October 14-18, 2006
Flagstaff, Arizona
The SWUG (Southwest Users Group) meets annually to exchange
knowledge, discuss new ideas, explore resources and support
the development of diverse GIS interests and education. Read
more
ISEIT
Americas 2006 Technology Conference
October 23-24, 2006
Clear Lake, Texas
ISEIT focuses on the business and technical challenges
of building and maintaining engineering assets. Read
more
2006
ESRI Homeland Security GIS Summit
October 23-26, 2006
Denver, Colorado
The 2006 ESRI Homeland Security GIS Summit is organized
for the professionals who establish priorities and set
directions for their organizations and work to improve
systems for public protection and business continuity. Read
more
