Tips & Tools Weekly (Vol. 14, No. 29)

2 Aug, 2009 By: various

This Week's Software Tips

Customize the AutoCAD Ribbon
CAD manager Marc Boyer wanted his CAD users to take advantage of the ribbon but also wanted to reduce the learning curve as much as possible. "What I did to ease the transition was create my own panels that mimicked what our users were used to seeing with toolbars." View the complete tip and post your feedback.

Set Up the Ribbon in Your Workspace
Cadalyst contributing editor Bill Fane shares a few ways to untie the ribbon from the default position. "Right-click in the tab bar at the top of the ribbon and then click on Close in the context menu that appears." View the complete tip and post your feedback.

Hide the Ribbon
Kevin "the Ribbon Master" Mukbel needs more drawing room on his screen when he uses AutoCAD. If the ribbon is eating up your screen space, you can type Ribbonclose on the Command line and the ribbons will hide themselves. To get them back, just type Ribbon. View the complete tip and post your feedback.

Restore the Menu Bar
Kevin “the CADiator” Mukbel sends another tip on dealing with the interface changes the ribbon brings in AutoCAD. "Hello CAD users, in AutoCAD 2009 (and AutoCAD 2010) and several vertical products, by default there are no pull-down menus." Here's how you can change that. View the complete tip and post your feedback.

Ribbon Reminder
This week's tiny tip(s) from the Tip Patrol relates to Changing the Workspace: If you are having difficulty working with the ribbon, you can change your workspace to AutoCAD Classic. This will turn off the ribbon, turn on the menu bar, and open the toolbars. You can always switch to a workspace that uses the ribbon later.

Redirect Xrefs
And when you've had enough of the ribbon, try out this tip from Josh Jones of the Lazy Drafter, about redirecting xrefs. "It's happened to all of us. You receive a zipped up set of CAD files from someone, you open a layout drawing that contains xrefs, and all the xref paths are broken. Well, never fear, there is a lazy way to redirect all the xref paths in a drawing. Here is how I make it happen." View the complete tip on Josh's web site.

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, and Billy Wooten.

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Resources

Intergraph Assists Transitioning Design Professionals
Intergraph, provider of engineering and geospatial software, is offering complementary Smart 3D design software training for transitioning design professionals. As part of the Smart Career Program, this training is being offered to help unemployed professionals increase and upgrade their knowledge and skills as they look to increase workforce productivity and quality.

Engineered Efficiency Launches Civil 3D Community
The training and engineering consulting firm Engineered Efficiency launched civil3Dpedia, an interactive online community and knowledge-sharing portal. The free site includes a traditional blog with articles and tutorials from experts on Autodesk Civil 3D. Users can sign in with an existing Google, AOL, Yahoo, OpenID, or NetLog account.

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Deals & Freebies

New PIPE-FLO Video Available Online
Engineered Software, creator of the PIPE-FLO Professional design software, announced its first online video, available free to anyone interested in learning how to use the software. The video gives an overview of the main features of the PIPE-FLO Professional program and walks viewers through the creation of a piping system in the PIPE-FLO program.

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Opportunities & Honors

Graphics Community Tapped to Help Katrina Victims
SIGGRAPH Graphics Pioneers are asking the creative community to help survivors of Hurricane Katrina with monetary donations to the Make it Right Foundation. The SIGGRAPH Graphics Pioneers, an organization formed by scientists, engineers, artists, and industry professionals, have adopted a house being built by the Make It Right Foundation. No minimum amount is required.

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Books & Training

New Book Covers Hand Sketching for Modern Architects
LHB architects Daniel Stine and Steve McNeill have authored the textbook Chapters in Architectural Drawing: Hand Sketching in a Digital World. The book demonstrates the importance of hand sketching and digital visualization tools by showing how they are used in a modern architectural practice. It is available from Amazon.com and a variety of other textbook resellers.

New Workbook: 3D Modeling in Vectorworks
Nemetschek North America, producer of CAD and building information modeling software, announced that Jonathan Pickup's latest training guide, 3D Modeling in Vectorworks, is now available for purchase. The tutorial is a workbook for anyone seeking to learn how to free-form model with Vectorworks. It shows users how to create 3D forms through the use of extrudes, sweeps, solids, NURBS, loft surfaces, and 3D primitives.

CAD4All Premieres ZWCAD Training Centers in South Africa
CAD4ALL Software, licensed distributor for ZWCAD software for the African continent, launched ZWCAD Training Centers in conjunction with its CAD4All Training Academies in South Africa. The new training centers are established in Cape Town, Johannesburg, and Durban.

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Mark Your Calendar

Webinars: Autodesk Architecture and Design Visualization
August 5-19, 2009
Various times
Autodesk is hosting Architecture and Design Visualization webinars, a series of free educational sessions designed to help improve productivity and deliver innovative design ideas. Read more

BIM for Executives
August 7, 2009
12 p.m. ET
This webinar, part of Vico's BIM Master Series for General Contractors and Owners, helps executives better understand the cost and time outlay to acquire building information modeling skills. Read more

Test Drive: Transportation with Autodesk Civil 3D
August 11, 2009
Portland, Oregon
Join Ideate's civil engineering team as the company walks attendees through a hands-on exercise where attendees will design a road that has been completed using the corridor model in Civil 3D. Read more

For a complete list of CAD meetings, conferences, training sessions, and more, check out our calendar of events on Cadalyst.com. Are you hosting an event that you would like to include in our calendar? Submit details at least two weeks in advance to news@cadalyst.com.

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What's New at Cadalyst.com

Cadalyst Lauches Redesigned Web Site
Cadalyst today introduces a revamped web site boasting a new, cleaner design and improved navigation and functionality for visitors.Read more

As Software Subscriptions Lapse in Down Economy, Autodesk Clarifies Policies
The good news is, you have options — but now is the time to take stock of your software and plan for the transition back to a higher seat count. Read more

Bentley's Be Connected Draws 9,000 Registrants — and Counting
New online seminar series offers live and on-demand events for building and infrastructure professionals. Read more

Social Networking and Product Development
Web 2.0 technologies bring advantages, disadvantages, and applicability to the product engineering processes. Read more

Tips & Tools Weekly (Vol. 14, No. 29)

About the Author: various