Tips & Tools Weekly (Vol. 11, No. 38)
22 Oct, 2006Where Do You Look for Training? New Cadalyst Column Offers Training Tips Visualization Software Round-Up Cadalyst Daily Update
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. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Resources CIMdata Releases Two New Reports CIMdata is also offering a free white paper titled Service-Oriented Architecture for PLM -- An Overview of UGS' SOA Approach. The paper provides a description of service-oriented architecture (SOA) and its benefits, discusses how it is used to enable product lifecycle management (PLM) and examines how UGS is adopting SOA throughout its product suite. Because of SOA's benefits, providers of business solutions and applications are incorporating it into their product suites, CIMdata states. CAD Publisher Launches TeamDWFThe online news journal AECnews.com announced the launch of TeamDWF, a Web-based publication that covers the use of Autodesk's DWF publishing technology for collaboration. The site's publisher, Randall S. Newton, said, "End users, third-party developers and a variety of vendors are interested in this technology. The online publishing marketplace is ready for a DWF-specific Web site." |
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 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. Busted Browser: IE 7 and DWF at OddsCadalyst has discovered that Microsoft’s just-released Internet Explorer 7 is causing problems with Autodesk’s DWF format. Autodesk blogger Steve Shepard reports that DWF Viewer, Design Review and TrueView are not compatible with Microsoft Internet Explorer 7. Uninstalling Internet Explorer 7 and reverting to Internet Explorer 6 does not restore Autodesk functionality, because the supporting libraries from Internet Explorer 7 are left in place. Microsoft does offer a Blocker Toolkit so system administrators can disable automatic delivery of IE 7. Purging RegApps: A Correction and a Question Reader Bob Seigworth wonders why this is the first time he's heard of purging RegApps. We simply don't know. We searched Autodesk's Web site and found just one reference to purging RegApps. Perhaps it's just not something that's universally used. Perhaps an Autodesk source or another reader will write to give us some perspective. Follow-Up to Redir Command Follow-Up to Viewport Lock
"Mind you, the four keystrokes don't save you much time, but it further uses the right-click menu that Autodesk has developed over the last few releases." Three other readers sent in additional code solutions. Note that these routines have not been checked by our intrepid Tip Patrollers. Justin Manson reports that he has determined why the Vpal and Vpau commands don't work in the original routine we published. Regarding the following line of code, he says, "There should be two closed parentheses above this line and not one, which therefore requires one closed parenthesis below it and not two." The code should look like this:
You'll also want to make the same update to the "lock on" line:
And, these lines should read
Debra Denton offers up her own variation on the theme. "Here's a LISP routine that works on all viewports on all layouts. LOCKVP and UNLOCKVP are the C: functions defined in the routine." Download LOCKVP.LSP with this week's code. Alan Butler shares these LSP files as possible options. Download VIEWPORTLOCKUNLOCK.LSP. Follow-Up to Length-y LISP Extreme Trims Another command that he uses a lot is Chspace, which brings any objects from model space to paper space and from paper space to model space without having to cut and paste and scale. Just type Chspace at the Command line, click on the object you want to change into the other space and press Enter twice. Voila! NOTES FROM CADALYST TIP PATROL: Also known as Extended or Cookie Cutter Trim, Extrim was formerly an Express Tool from Release 2000, but it's now included as a standard AutoCAD command. Autodesk offers more information about the Extrim command on its Web site. One of our Patrollers uses Chspace quite often, he reports, especially for the proper rotation of north arrows for civil engineering construction plans. However, another Patroller says that because AutoCAD is loaded through a CAD Launcher, his computer crashes if he tries to use Chspace. Rectangle that Expands Around Text NOTES FROM CADALYST TIP PATROL: Even with the drawing background color set the same as the table fill color, it still doesn't produce the same see-through effect as textmask. Pasting a color over itself darkens that color. Plotting may be somewhat different. Users will have to feel their way through when printing with such differences. Imperial to Metric and Back Again For example, if you have blocks in Imperial units and need to insert them into a drawing created using metric units, set INSUNITS to 4. NOTES FROM CADALYST TIP PATROL: To develop a better understanding of the system variable INSUNITS, try inserting a block of one drawing unit into a drawing of another unit, such as a block constructed in inches into a drawing constructed in millimeters (1 inch = 25.4 millimeters). Another option is to go to www.joshmadison.com and download a program called CONVERT.EXE. Registration is free. Note that there are a lot more than four settings to INSUNITS. Go to Help and type in Insunits for the full rundown. MicroStation Tip -- Editing Library Cells is Easy 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. |
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Deals & Freebies Free Tool Download for Saving 3D Content GS Offers MSC.Patran Replacement |
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Opportunities & Honors BE Conference 2007 Call for PapersBentley Systems issued a call for presentations for its 2007 BE Conferences. For the first time, BE users from around the world are invited to submit an application to present a best practices session at either of the 2007 BE Conferences. Conference fees will be waived for presenters. Presentations are sought on architectural, engineering and construction and GIS/geospatial topics. The deadline for submissions is November 30, 2006. The 2007 BE Conference will be held April 29-May 3 at the Los Angeles Convention Center in California. BE Conference Europe will be held at the Hilton London Metropole in the United Kingdom, June 10-14. |
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Books & Training Dimension Offers Free 3D Printing Curriculum |
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The Week's New CAD and Related Products Hardware: LCD Monitors Hardware: Océ DNA General Software: KitoX Tools BC for BricsCad General Software: ScanOS Version 3.1.4 AEC: VersaCAD 2006 MCAD: KeyCreator and REALyze Upgrades AM: DeskProto |
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mark Your Calendar Cadalyst'scomplete list of upcoming industry events is always available on our Web site. The Power of Adobe Acrobat 8 Seminar Webinar: OneSpace 2007: CoCreate Sneak Peek Webinar: Enterprise Product Data Management Design Productivity Seminar Autodesk 2007 Manufacturing Solutions Premiere Webinar: Autodesk Map 3D 2007 for Landscape Architects MIT Manufacturing Conference Convergence 2007 |