Tips & Tools Weekly (Vol. 13, No. 22)

This Week's Software Tips

$100 Drawing Winner
Congratulations to Keith McQueen, who won the May drawing for the $100 gift card. Keith's 3D pipe routine was published in the May 12 edition of Tips & Tools Weekly. Keith was selected in a random drawing of all authors whose original tips were published in the newsletter last month. Send us your original tip now for a chance to win.

Get the Code!
Cadalyst's June code from Hot Tip Harry is available for download. Mosad H. Elewa sent in this month's Top Tip, Make More of the Same. This really neat drafting tool allows you to select an object in a drawing and make more objects of the same type and properties.

Architectural Desktop Weld Leader
Matthew J. Hill sent in this tip about changing the weld leader for Architectural Desktop from a polyline to an actual leader. He wrote, "I contacted Autodesk and asked if there was an option to change the weld leader that comes in with the weld in Architectural Desktop, and they told me it was impossible. I took it upon myself to rewrite the LISP to change the weld leader to an actual leader. I have provided two snippets of Welddraw code. One is what I deleted from the WELDDRAW.LSP that comes with Architectural Desktop. The other is what I added to the WELDDRAW.LSP for the ability to use a normal leader. I have added my company's settings into this LISP. I also made it so there is only one point to choose for the leader."

NOTES FROM CADALYST TIP PATROL: Good job, MJH! Even when using Architectural Desktop 2006 with a slightly different setup, we achieved the results that you stated. Using a leader line instead of a polyline allows more flexibility with placement and sizing of the weld symbols. Autodesk should include this in its next release of Architectural Desktop as well as other releases of AutoCAD and its verticals.

Disappearing Express Tools Menu
Supertipster Leonid Nemirovsky recently posted how to find Express Toolbars on Cadalyst's CAD Questions discussion forum regarding how to troubleshoot a problem when you do not see the Express Tools menu or toolbars, but you know it is installed.

Custom Hatch Pattern for Associative Rail Pickets
Alex Borodulin sent in this link to his custom hatch pattern for adding associative rail pickets. Thanks, Alex!

Note: These follow-up tips have not been tested by the Cadalyst Tip Patrol.

Follow-Up: Move Objects Using Grips
Steve Knopf wrote to follow up on the follow-ups from our June 9 issue about moving objects with grips. Steve says, "If you grip, copy, then hold the Shift key, you get an array on the angle of the first copy just as if you had set the Snapang and turned on the snap toggle."

Follow-Up: Windows Temp Directory Clean-up
Edward Renfrow responded to our June 9 issue with a note that Windows stores more files in the Documents and Settings directory for each computer user at C:\Documents and Settings\Default User\Local Settings\Temp. Also the temporary Internet files directory that collects even more junk for each user is located at C:\Documents and Settings\Default User\Local Settings\Temporary Internet Files. Plus AutoCAD wants to default to other directories to store its temp files.

Here is Edward's method for dealing with these: "I have always created a Temp Directory on each of my hard drives. I keep AutoCAD on my D: drive and tell it in the Options / Files to put temp files there. I change the Windows environment to default to C:\Temp so I don't have to search all over my hard drive for the temp directories used by Windows, and I change the default directory for Internet Explorer to be directly off the C:\ root directory. This way I can see how much junk is being collected and destroy it at will. I also open the Internet Properties dialog box and delete all the temp files immediately after I leave the Internet."

MicroStation Tip: MultiSnap and Setting Priority
MultiSnap is an extension of AccuSnap, allowing the use of more than one snap at a time. For example, keypoint, nearest, and intersection snap can run simultaneously. The order of how multisnaps are processed can be changed from the MultiSnap Settings dialog box. Read more

Today's MicroStation tip courtesy of The Envision Group.

Submit Your Tip for your favorite CAD software. If we publish your tip, we'll send you a Cadalyst T-shirt, and each month Cadalyst editors will randomly select one published tip and send a $100 gift card to its author. Please submit only code and other tips that are your original work (or provide the original source so we can include proper credit) and tell us which software version you use. By submitting code, you grant Cadalyst the right to print and distribute your code in print, digitally, and by other means. Cadalyst and individual authors retain all rights to the code; published code is not to be used for commercial purposes.

Tips & Tools Weekly software tips for AutoCAD are reviewed by Cadalyst staff and the Tip Patrol before publication. Use all tips at your own discretion, please, and watch later editions of this newsletter for updates and corrections. We're sorry, but editors and Tip Patrol members cannot provide assistance with technical problems; please refer to Cadalyst's Hot Tip Harry-Help discussion forum.

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Resources

CADBID Links Potential Clients with CAD Freelancers
CADBID launched a new online service that helps CAD freelancers to find clients and clients to find CAD workers in the United Kingdom. The Web site is designed as a resource for freelance CAD workers, CAD bureaus, and any organization that uses CAD resources with no transaction-based fees. Read more

Autodesk Online Student Community
Nearly two years after its creation, Autodesk's online Student Community has reached a membership of more than 300,000 students and faculty from around the world. In addition to free copies of Autodesk software, the Web site also features tutorials, job and internship listings, and interactive forums. Students and educators can sign up for the community at the Autodesk Student Community Web site.

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Deals & Freebies

Free Construction Industry Software
Internet software provider WebSoft Solutions is offering free online software for the construction and concrete industries including content management, forms, marketing, e-store, product catalog, customer log-in portal sites, file library (autocad dwg, pdf, and more), and project showcase. Read more

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Opportunities & Honors

IAEE Awards Nominations Due This Week
Each year, the International Association of Exhibitions and Events (IAEE) recognizes and awards professionals in the exhibitions and events industry for their contributions. Recipients will be recognized during Expo! Expo! IAEE's Annual Meeting & Exhibition 2008 to be held December 9-11 in Miami Beach, Florida. Nominations must be submitted June 20, 2008.

Aras User Wins Manufacturing Award
Aras, a Microsoft enterprise open-source software solution provider, announced that Grote Industries has been named a winner of the 2008 Progressive Manufacturing PM50 Award by Managing Automation for a strategic business improvement initiative supported by Aras Innovator PLM solution on the Microsoft platform. Read more

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The Week's New CAD and Related Products

Hardware: Plustek OpticPro A360
Large-format scanner from Plustek Technology includes seven one-touch scan buttons to automate the most common scanning functions. Read more

General Software: Toolbox LT 2009
GlobalCAD productivity solution adds 3D modeling, image management, and LISP support to AutoCAD LT. Read more

AEC: Camera Match 2008
VectorWorks 2008 plug-in from PanzerCAD allows you to align a 3D view to an existing photograph. Read more

AEC: Avatech Revit Utilities
Five productivity tools for the Autodesk Revit family are free of charge to members of the Revit user community. Read more

AEC: ExpesiteLite
Web-based project management solution will be offered at a price and feature set for small- to medium-sized firms. Read more

GIS: Munsys Service Pack v10.0.1
Release includes support for Oracle 11g Spatial or Locator and enhancements to the Munsys Management Console, MunXport, and more. Read more

MCAD: PZFlex v2.1 3D
Virtual-prototyping software is available in two versions: PZFlex Professional and PZFlex Standard. Read more

MCAD: InnoCielo Meridian Enterprise 2008 and TeamWork 2008
BlueCielo ECM Solutions' new versions include easy user management, Microsoft Outlook integration, the Data Import tool, and more. Read more

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Mark Your Calendar

Autodesk Road and Highway Design Seminar
June 25, 2008
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
DLT Solutions, Autodesk, and IMAGINiT Technologies will demonstrate how to use AutoCAD Civil 3D 2009 in data management, survey, design and analysis, and documentation. Also June 26 in Madison. Read more

Dr. Dobb's Architecture & Design World
July 21-24, 2008
Chicago, Illinois
Architecture & Design World offers more than 70 educational sessions including tutorials, classes, case studies, keynotes and Birds-of-a-Feathers within six focused tracks. Read more

National Collegiate Facilities Management Technology Conference
August 18-22, 2008
Los Angeles, CA
The National Collegiate Facilities Management Technology Conference is an annual event that brings together the professionals who develop, support, manage, and use a wide range of technologies to plan, build, and manage campus facilities. Read more

European Manufacturing Strategies Summit
October 6-9, 2008
Dusseldorf, Germany
The European Manufacturing Strategies Summit begins with two exclusive tours, followed by a three-day summit, with keynote sessions, panel discussions, and vendor-led interactive workshops as well as pre-arranged, private one-to-one meetings. Read more

LMS International Engineering Simulation Conference
October 8-9, 2008
Paris, France
This two-day conference will provide an opportunity for engineering executives, senior managers, and technical experts to share strategies and present application cases that illustrate how real-life simulation have helped them optimize their product development processes. Read more

For a complete list of CAD meetings, conferences, training sessions, and more, check out our calendar of events on Cadalyst.com.