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Tips & Tools Weekly (Vol. 14, No. 20)

31 May, 2009


This Week's Software Tips

AutoCAD Text Tips, Part 3
This week's edition of Tips & Tools Weekly wraps up our series on text tips. Thank you again to all who submitted text tips -- the response was overwhelming! We hope all readers enjoyed this bounty of text tips. (Read Part 1 and Part 2.)

How to Select Unselectable Text
Designer Robert Zipprich sent a method to deal with text that you can't see or even select. "The Burst command from the Express Tools family (Explode Attributes to Text) has a bug that I wanted to make your readers aware of." View the complete tip and post your feedback.

Text Routines: Append, Realign, Change Case, and More
Robert Zipprich also shared his collection of LISP routines for manipulating drawing text in a variety of ways. View the complete tip and post your feedback.

Rotate Text
Shawn Samaniego sent us a routine that will rotate your text to match the angle of an object. "Enter the command alias TR. Rotate text to line alignment." View the complete tip and post your feedback.

Rotate and Oblique Text
Piping designer Ian Whistler submitted these tips to rotate and oblique single-line text. An image illustrates the effect of the process. View the complete tip and post your feedback.

Determining Text Height
Mike Shilton shared his method for determining the proper height for his text. "When using multiline text in AutoCAD, how frustrating is it to get the text height correct on first insertion?" View the complete tip and post your feedback.

And More Tips!
Here are this week's reminders, tidbits, and miscellaneous updates from the Cadalyst Tip Patrol.

Following up on reminder tips in the past two editions (Text Case Shortcut and Dtext Clarification), the Cadalyst Tip Patrol suggests that the Express Tool Tcase is probably more helpful when converting text to uppercase, or some other case. It works for single-line text and mtext and you can select multiple entities. In addition to uppercase, it also gives option for sentence case, lowercase, title case, and even the rarely used toggle case. (Toggle case makes the text case opposite of what is there.)

 

Last Call for AutoCAD Ribbon Tips!
Send us your favorite tip for using the ribbon in AutoCAD 2009-2010 and we'll publish a collection of our favorites in an upcoming edition. How do you use it? How do you customize it? Let us know!

Pro/ENGINEER Tip: Transitioning from AutoCAD to Pro/E
Design draftsman Joel Sanders sent us this tip for AutoCAD users transitioning to Pro/ENGINEER. "From dealing with an instability issue in Pro/ENGINEER Wildfire v4, I needed to rely on my trusty AutoCAD 2004 to import AutoCAD geometry into Pro/E." View the complete tip and post your feedback.

 

Submit Your Tip

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 remember:

  • Submit only code and other tips that are your original work (or provide the original source so we can include proper credit).
  • 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.

 

Got Feedback? To share feedback about one of today's tips, navigate to the tip using the link provided above, then click Comment. The Comment tool is available to registered users of Cadalyst'sCAD Tips site.

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. 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 for assistance with AutoLISP and other AutoCAD customization questions.

Sincere thanks to our volunteer Tip Patrol members: Brian Benton, Don Boyer,
Mitchell Hirschklau, R.K. McSwain, Kevin Sawyer, and Billy Wooten.

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Expert CAD Manager book by Robert Green

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Resources

New Whitepaper: 3D Printer Buyer's Guide
Know which questions to ask before you purchase a 3D printer! A new whitepaper from Z Corporation, "3D Printer Buyer's Guide," outlines the benefits of owning a 3D printer and offers step-by-step advice for evaluating the long-term costs of various models and how to ensure you select the model that best suits your needs.

CIMdata Releases Latest PLM Market Analysis
Actuals through 2007, Forecasts through 2012 presents CIMdata's analysis of the 2007 PLM (product lifecycle management) market. It identifies and analyzes 2007 market trends and reviews investments in PLM-related software and services for the PLM market.

NextComputing Whitepaper Covers Mobile Computing Costs
NextComputing is offering a free whitepaper titled "How to Reduce Cost for New Technology Solutions," which includes information on eliminating costs associated with introductions of new mobile computing products.

MSC.Software Shares Technical Presentations
MSC.Software is offering technical presentations from the educational track of its Virtual Product Development User Conference, an event for users of its simulation and analysis products. This year's event theme was "Accelerating productivity in a slowing economy."

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Deals & Freebies

Contex Introduces New Warranty and Support Program in U.S.
Contex has launched a new warranty and support program for all current Contex and Vidar products. The program converts the standard factory 24-month "spare parts" warranty to a 24-month, on-site warranty and is included in the price of the scanner. Up to three additional years can be added to the two year warranty.

LizardTech Releases Free GeoViewer V3
LizardTech released GeoViewer v3, now offered as a free, standalone application for viewing geospatial imagery and vector overlays. Version 3.0 enables users to view and export layers from varied sources, such as local repositories, Express Server catalogs, and WMS and JPIP servers.

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Opportunities & Honors

SME Honors Rapid Prototyping Practitioners and Researchers
The Society of Manufacturing Engineers' Rapid Technologies and Additive Manufacturing Community presented its Industry Achievement and Dick Aubin Distinguished Paper Awards at the RAPID 2009 Conference and Exposition. Andrew Christensen was awarded the RTAM Industry Achievement Award for introducing EBM technology into the building of customized orthopedic implants in Ti-based alloys as well as custom cranial implants. Frank Liou and Mary Kinsella received the Dick Aubin Distinguished Paper Award for their technical paper on applications of a hybrid metal manufacturing system manufacturing.

GibbsCAM Certified by Autodesk for Inventor 2010
GibbsCAM 2009 has been certified for Autodesk Inventor 2010 software under the Autodesk Inventor Certified Applications Program. GibbsCAM is able to directly read native Autodesk Inventor models and assemblies for process planning and toolpath generation.

Dimension Names 3D Printing Extreme Redesign Winners
Dimension 3D Printing announced the winners in its fifth annual Extreme Redesign challenge. Winners are Jordan Berger of New Paltz, New York; Christopher Triska and Alexander Soloviev of Toronto, Ontario; and Michael Schmelzel of Aurora, Illinois. A video featuring the Extreme Redesign winners and their designs is available for viewing.

Geomagic Studio V11 Earns Autodesk Inventor Certification
Geomagic announced that Geomagic Studio v11 has earned full certification for use with Autodesk Inventor 2009 and 2010 software under the Autodesk Inventor Certified Applications program.

Autodesk SIGGRAPH 2009 Show Reel Call for Submissions
SIGGRAPH, the popular computer graphics conference and exhibition, is just around the corner and Autodesk is seeking new work for its Best of the Best Animation Show Reel, which will be showcased during SIGGRAPH 2009 in New Orleans, Louisiana, on August 4-6.

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Books & Training

AutoCAD 2010 Tutorials Released by CADLearning
The AutoCAD 2010 Tutorial Series is now available for subscription or purchase from CADLearning. The 514 lessons, video series provides instructions for new AutoCAD users or those upgrading from an earlier version.

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Mastering Revit 2009 book by Paul F. Aubin

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Mark Your Calendar

Starting the Journey -- Implementing Revit in Your Office
June 4, 2009 
Portland, Oregon
Come to a panel discussion, hosted by Ideate, with fellow Reviteers on the "thrills and spills" of implementing Revit in your office. Read more

Machine Control Grading Workshop
June 9-10, 2009
San Jose, California
Join Ideate and speakers from Autodesk to learn how the use of AutoCAD Civil 3D 2010 and GPS Machine Control Systems are making dirt work more efficient and manageable. Read more

Simulation Methods for Orthopedic Implant Design Using Biomechanics and Structural Analysis
June 16, 2009 
10 a.m. PT
Hear MSC Software and LifeModeler talk about new virtual test methods to better understand the functional performance of knee implants. Read more

Composites Modeling of Wind Turbine Blades
June 30, 2009 
10 a.m. PT
At MSC.Software's webinar, hear how simulation can accelerate the development of composite rotor blades. Read more

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


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What's New at Cadalyst.com

Cadalyst Labs Review: AutoCAD 2010
The times, they are a-changin' — and when it comes to new 2D parametric drawing, change can be very, very good. Read more

First Look Review: HP Officejet 7000 Wide Format Printer
Low-cost, B-size inkjet printer is an excellent choice for small CAD, engineering, and DCC offices. Read more

Lynn Allen's Circles & Lines: AutoCAD 2010 Makes Everyday Drawing Easier
Updates to layer colors, hatching, line conversions, purge, and more will help speed up common tasks. Read more

Lay Down the Law on CAD Standards, Part 1
Standardization costs little and offers great productivity payoffs, so get started now with this straightforward six-step plan. Read more

In-House User Groups (CAD Manager's Toolbox)
Users and staff can help fill the training-budget void. Read more

Solid Edge Tutorial: View Manipulation Shortcuts
Continually manipulate your view while in the middle of a command in Solid Edge. Read more

Event Report: AIA 2009 Convention and Design Exposition
Drag-and-drop modeling objects and energy simulation tools fuel AEC technology pavilion. Read more

Cadalyst Partners with Tenlinks for News Delivery
Agreement brings timely, comprehensive news coverage to Cadalyst.com visitors. Read more

3D Printer Buyer's Guide
This new resource from Z Corp., available now in Cadalyst’s Whitepaper Library, describes how tough economic times make a powerful argument for investing in 3D printing. The paper explains how such investments can yield long-term strategic value -- enhancing design and speeding time to market – and conserve money now by raising throughput and reducing labor needs. This paper covers how 3D printer products differ; terminology; and how to quantify costs. Free to users who register.