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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
recently: - Transcending
Typical Design: Interior designer calls on 3D CAD to create
an innovative retail environment -- much of which appears to float.
GIS News and Information Cadalyst 's sister Web site Geospatial-Solutions.com is
a complete online resource for all things GIS, including GIS and mapping,
civil engineering, surveying, GIS news and more. |
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . This Week's Software Tips Do you have a favorite tip or shortcut
that you use every day in your CAD software? One that saves you
time? Makes life easier? Share
it with other readers and, if we publish it, we'll send you
a “Cadalyst:
CAD the Way You Want It” t-shirt. Follow-Up to Excel and AutoCAD
The October
2 newsletter's tip concerning linking AutoCAD and Excel brought in
numerous comments and suggestions: - Michael Jarosz agrees with the Cadalyst Tip
Patroller's thoughts about making sure that changes in Excel are
physically noted in the drawing. He says, "Although AutoCAD
and Excel can be linked, I question the wisdom of using this feature,
at least where contract documents are concerned. Once drawings are
released for bid and/or construction, it's essential that any changes
be graphically noted on the drawings and officially reissued. This
usually requires 'bubbling' the drawing and the issue of a bulletin
or other official notification. Changes that happen automatically
in Excel may easily go unnoticed in the actual drawing."
- Lloyd Beachy suggests embedding
an Excel file instead of linking it. An embedded object is only accessible
through the AutoCAD drawing and eliminates any problems with revision
control. You can embed a spreadsheet by simply selecting Paste instead
of Paste Special, he says. To make changes, double-click on the spreadsheet
to open Excel.
- Reader Chris Lease agrees with
Brian Benton that cutting and pasting into AutoCAD from Excel works
great, but finds that it does have limitations. When using his office
HP DesignJet plotter, for some reason it defaults to plotting the drawing
upside down. If he's plotting a 22" x 34" drawing on 36" wide
paper, the leading edge gets the extra paper, which must be trimmed.
To avoid this, he usually plots upside down and the extra paper goes
to the binding edge. However, OLE objects (such as cut and paste Excel
spreadsheets) don't rotate, and come in upside down. In addition, he
finds there is a size limitation per pasting, and he must do multiple
cut-and-pastes with OLE objects to get all the data in if he has a
large spreadsheet. He's taken to using the Paste Special option on
the Edit pull-down menu, and importing the spreadsheet as AutoCAD entities,
which brings it in as a table. From there, it's fairly simple formatting
to get the desired result, there's no size limit and he can plot them
upside down.
Follow-Up to Viewport Lock
In reference to the tip about globally locking and unlocking viewports
in the October
2 newsletter, reader Michael Gilroy adds that
at his office, users typically lock all viewports once the sheet's
composed and most of the viewports arranged. Rather than shutting off
the viewports layer, he says, they set their viewports to color 250,
which is a dark gray. This ghosts in the viewport, and they can still
resize it as needed. Importantly, the visibility of the viewport is
subtle and doesn't visually interfere with assessing the sheets composition.
Because they typically have all the viewports frozen early on in the
drawing, they've added a toolbar button and keyboard alias to do a
point-and-shoot toggle to lock and unlock a viewport for zoom xp editing. Carey Casey has a different way to
work in model space through a viewport. Casey says, "I create a
layout tab for each sheet in my hard-copy set. This tab stays in paper
space. Following each sheet tab are tabs for each viewport on that sheet.
These tabs stay in model space, which is where I work. This way, I can
pan and zoom without affecting my sheet layout." Follow-Up to Avoid Keystrokes
Regarding the joys of using a five-button mouse when working in AutoCAD,
a tip introduced in the October
2 newsletter, we received quite a few comments. - Jack Foster writes that instead
of setting a mouse button to function as an Escape key, he prefers
to set one to Enter. Doing this, he can easily interrupt any AutoCAD
command he's using as well as use that button in other programs.
- Keith King had the same problem
with the Intellipoint 4 driver that our Tips Patroller mentioned. To
get around the problem, he set the keystroke CTRL[ (Control + left
bracket) for use with one of the buttons and he can now use the button
for ESC.
- Frederick T. Wawra says that one
of the best purchases he's made is a mouse with has two thumb buttons
on the left. He says, "For those of us who make good use of our
PGP file and don't mind using the keyboard, hitting the ESC key is
no big deal. I've programmed my primary thumb button on the mouse for
ortho mode (F8) and the secondary one for osnap mode (F3). This saves
a lot of hunting and pecking on the keyboard for things that I do a
lot in the course of a drawing."
- Louis Lipnos has
been using his thumb button as the Escape key for years, he tells us.
However, in the past several months, if he exits out of AutoCAD, he
has to reprogram the button, although all the other buttons retain
their function. He's hoping fellow Tips & Tools Weekly readers
might have some advice.
Length-y LISP
This AutoCAD Release 11-era AutoLISP routine from Steve Lewis and Steve
Knopf keeps on ticking. It returns the total length of multiple
lines and arcs. They wrote the routine because the city had "dumb" maps
showing water, sewer, storm drains and the like, and they needed to retrieve
the lengths of different sizes of pipes for their finance department.
By layering in order (by pipe size) and filters, this routine made the
job a snap. Knopf still uses it for many take-offs other unusual requests.
Download LENGTH.LSP from
this week's code file. NOTES FROM CADALYST TIP PATROL: This
code works as advertised, although one of the Patrollers offered a few
suggestions to update it. Download LENGTH-REVISED.LSP for
these changes: - The variable name "type" was replaced
because "type" is an AutoLISP function.
- The list of local variables was updated to include
all the variables.
- An "if" statement was added to
trap an empty selection set.
Download LENGTH2.LSP to
see how this LISP can be consolidated. Our Tip Patroller created a duplicate
function using about a quarter of the code of the original.
Automatic Pan Danny Comsa writes in with this tip. When using
the Pan command and starting it with either P or the mouse button,
you must keep resetting the pan pick point when it gets to the edge
of the screen so you can see what is off the screen. Comsa suggests
pressing the CTRL key with the Pan command. This forces the Pan to
move automatically in the direction you move the mouse -- there are
eight indicators to help you see the directions picked, he says.
The faster you initially move the mouse, the faster the auto-pan
works. NOTES FROM CADALYST TIP PATROL: Patrollers
agree that this is a good tip. In addition, one adds that you can get
the same result by holding down CTRL and holding down the middle wheel
mouse button. Of course, if you want the classic Pan command, type –P
and press Enter. You are prompted to specify a base point of displacement
followed by specifying a second point. With Ortho on or off, you can
type in the distance as you would with the Copy or Move command. Go Ahead, Ask Inga! For those of you who use MicroStation, AskInga.com is
another great site to keep in mind for questions and furthering your
general MicroStation knowledge. Inga, a self-proclaimed MicroStation
Therapist, offers myriad topics that you can easily search by category,
date and title. Sign-up is quick, easy and free. Tips & Tools Weekly software
tips for AutoCAD are reviewed by Cadalyst staff and the Cadalyst
Tip Patrol before publication. Use tips at your own discretion, please,
and watch later editions of this newsletter for updates and corrections.
Many thanks to our volunteer Cadalyst Tip Patrol members: Don Boyer,
Mitchell Hirschklau, R.K. McSwain, Don Reichle, Kevin Sawyer, Ivanhoe
Tejeda, Billy Wooten and Ben Young. |
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Opportunites & Honors Bentley
Sponsors Scholarship Competition
The BE (Bentley Empowered)
Conference will be held April 29-May 3, 2007, in Los Angeles, California.
During the conference, the student competition winners of four $1,000
scholarships will be announced. Bentley is accepting contest entries
in the categories of Architecture; Engineering (Civil, Structural or
Geospatial); Hydro-Engineering; and High School/Middle School PowerDraft.
The submission deadline is March 7, 2007. Winners will be selected by
a panel of jurors made up of professional engineers and university professors.
Each winner's school will also receive a computer loaded with Bentley
Systems software. SIGGRAPH
2007: Call for Papers and Volunteers
SIGGRAPH 2007, the 34th International Conference and Exhibition on Computer
Graphics and Interactive Techniques, to be held August 5-9 in San Diego,
California, is looking for contributors and volunteers for programs.
For details, requirements and approaching deadlines for participation,
visit www.siggraph.org/s2007. Geomagic
Wins Tibbetts Award Geomagic,
a software and services company, has won a 2006 Tibbetts Award from
the Small Business
Technology Council, a nonpartisan, nonprofit industry association
of companies dedicated to promoting the creation and growth of research-intensive,
technology-based U.S. small business. Tibbetts Awards are given annually
to companies, projects, organizations and individuals judged to exemplify
the best in SBIR (Small Business Innovative Research) Program achievement.
Geomagic has been awarded several SBIR grants for its technology
leadership in digital shape sampling and processing over the years,
the company reports. |
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Books & Training New Book: Sheet-Metal
Unfolding for SolidWorks Sheet Metal
Guy released the third book in its sheet-metal series, which
focuses on sheet-metal unfolding. The book provides step-by-step
instructions on how to use SolidWorks 2007 sheet-metal features.
For a limited time, advance orders will receive more than 20% off
of the list price. New Book: Geometrical
Dimensioning for Design and Manufacturing
Butterworth-Heinemann, a division of Elsevier,
has released Geometrical Dimensioning and Tolerancing for Design,
Manufacturing and Inspection by Georg Henzold, former deputy director
of Seimens. The book presents the state-of-the-art of geometrical tolerancing
and serves as a reference and guide for all professional engineers, designers,
CAD users, quality managers and anyone else involved in the creation
or interpretation of CAD plans or engineering designs and specifications.
It also covers the latest ISO and ANSI/ASME standards. AutoCAD 2007 Courseware ProSoft has
released a pair of new AutoCAD 2007 titles that go hand-in-hand.
The first, AutoCAD 2007 Fundamentals Reference Manual, provides
detailed introduction for the tools, concepts and workflows a new
user must master to become proficient with AutoCAD 2007. This book
is intended to be a companion volume to the AutoCAD 2007 Fundamentals
Exercise Workbook that offers step-by-step, hands-on exercises.
Topics include working with drawing files, the AutoCAD drawing environment,
viewing and zooming tools, object snapping, basic and precision drawing
tools, layers, annotating and dimensioning drawings, external reference
files, plotting and many others. |
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The Week's New CAD and Related Products Hardware: NVIDIA Quadro
Plex 1000
Dedicated visual computing system is designed to interface with standard
workstations, servers for demanding graphics applications. Read
more >> AEC: Bentley Building Electrical
Systems V8 XM Edition
Modeling software release adds an enhanced 3D symbol libraries and an
enhanced graphical user interface to the design and document production
features of the 2004 edition. Read
more >> AEC: WinEst 2006, Version
9
WinEstimator has updated its cost estimating software with optional modules,
integration options and new features. Read
more >> AEC: GuidSIGN 4.4
New version of Transoft's solution for designing highway signs is compatible
with AutoCAD 2007 and MicroStation XM. Read
more >> AEC/GIS: CivilCAD 2006
Sivan Design's upgrade designed for surveying, road planning and design,
water engineering, real-time 3D simulation and more. Read
more >> General Software: Pinion
Receiver 4.0
Updates to Pinion Software's security solution include native support
for PTC Pro/ENGINEER files and new CAD Viewer applications. Read
more >> MCAD: EDS Product Lifecycle
Management
EDS offers combinations of its systems and application integration capabilities
with UGS' PLM software and services. Read
more >> MCAD: ICEM Surf 4.6
Version 4.6 of surface design suite to be released in November. Read
more >> MCAD: Solid Edge Version
19 Update
UGS improves motion simulation and animation capabilities in its Velocity
Series CAD component. Read
more >> MCAD: 3DQuickForm Version
2
SolidWorks solution codeveloped by 3D QuickTools and ESI Group for the
metal stamping industry. Read
more >> CAE: Metalforming
Solutions Suite for CATIA R17 Forming Technologies releases CAA-based applications designed
to reduce downstream changes in sheet metal components. Read
more >> |
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mark Your Calendar Cadalyst'scomplete
list of upcoming industry events is always available on our Web
site. SMARTEAM User Forum
October 12, 2006
Coventry, UK SMARTEAM users will meet at this user forum to
learn how to maximize the effectiveness of their SMARTEAM PLM investment.
Industry speakers will include representatives from Avery WeighTronix and
Magellan Aerospace; both companies will share how SMARTEAM has helped them
to manage business critical information and disseminate it throughout the
enterprise. Read
moreIBM Information on Demand
2006
October 15-20, 2006
Anaheim, California
This information management event is designed for business and IT executives,
managers, professionals, DBAs and developers. Both a 2.5-day business
leadership track (with 180 sessions) and a 4.5-day technical track
(with 650 sessions) are available. Read
more Webinar: Autodesk Inventor
October 17, 2006
Attendees to this complimentary one-hour Webcast will learn how Inventor
can boost performance. The webinar will also include a demonstration
of Inventor in action and tips for users. Read
more Adobe Acrobat PDF Central
Conference
November 6-9, 2006
Council Bluffs, Iowa
This conference comprises both a main conference -- including more than
24 sessions presented by Adobe representatives and other industry experts – and
a "mini-conference" for those new to PDF or still investigating
PDF possibilities. Read
more GIS in Financial and Electronic
Crimes Training
November 8, 2006
Washington, D.C. At the GIS in Financial and Electronic Crimes breakfast,
attendees will learn how GIS is uniquely positioned to model the patterns
and trends in white collar crime, and how financial and electronic crimes
data must be captured, stored and exploited to provide utility to the law
enforcement and intelligence communities. Read
more |