This Week's Software Tips

Build a Custom Cursor Menu
This tip from Joey Price explains how to customize your cursor menu to keep your most-used blocks at your fingertips. "To make copying and migrating your custom menu easier in the future, build a custom cursor menu as a separate CUI file." View the complete tip and post your feedback.

Civil 3D Tip: UCS and View Rotation Tips
R.T. Rinehart offers a few tips to make rotated views and coordinate systems a little easier in AutoCAD Civil 3D. "This one is sure to stir up some debate, because there are certainly two kinds of view rotation people out there. There are pros and cons to each method." View the complete tip and post your feedback.

Inventor Tip: Place an Aligned Dimension
Have you ever wanted to align a dimension to an object in Autodesk Inventor that is not horizontal or vertical? David Gaskill shares an easy way to add an aligned dimension that may save you some time. View the complete tip and post your feedback.

Review Cadalyst's Tip Submission Guidelines, then Submit Your Tip for your favorite CAD software. Be sure to tell us which software version you use. If we publish your original, previously unpublished tip, you can earn a gift card (learn more about prizes here). Please submit only tips or code that are your original work. By submitting code, you grant Cadalyst the right to print and distribute your tip in print, digitally, and by other means. Cadalyst and individual authors retain all rights to submitted tips.

By submitting code, you agree that your code can be reused as-is or modified by other users in conjunction with AutoCAD or other software programs to gain efficiencies in that software for professional or personal use, and that your code can be shared freely among users. Users do not have the right to republish code in any manner or format (such as on a blog web site or in a printed document) for personal or commercial gain without written permission from Cadalyst and the original author.

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 in the latest version of AutoCAD by Contributing Editor R.K. McSwain. Use all tips at your own discretion, please. We're sorry, but Cadalyst staff cannot provide assistance with technical problems. Please refer to Cadalyst's LinkedIn and Facebook communities for assistance with AutoLISP and other AutoCAD customization questions.

Back to Top

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Resources

Global Market Report Forecasts 10.63% Growth in AEC
Online market research firm Research and Markets has published the results of an AEC market analysis of the Americas and the EMEA and APAC regions. "Global Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (AEC) Market 2015–2019" ($2,500, PDF, single user) predicts the global AEC market will grow at 10.63% during that period. The report also discusses major AEC design software vendors, including Autodesk, Bentley Systems, and Nemetschek.

Report Analyzes Global Engineering Software Market Trends
Research and Markets also published "Engineering Software (CAD, CAM, CAE, AEC, and EDA) Market — Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast, 2014–2022" ($4,795, PDF, single user), which provides strategic analysis of the global engineering software market along with the market growth forecast for the period from 2015 to 2022. The report discusses market drivers, restraints, opportunities, and industry trends.

Back to Top

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Deals & Freebies

Strata Offers 3D Printing Discount for Design 3D CX Users
Strata, a developer of 3D modeling solutions, is offering a discount of 7.5% on 3D print jobs produced by i.materialise. Users of Strata's Design 3D CX 8 for Mac can go to the software's Publish 3D dialog box to get a quote and upload files to the i.materialise site. The discount will be applied automatically.

LightWave 3D Group Offers Discounted Pricing for LightWave 2015
The LightWave 3D Group, a division of NewTek, is offering a full license of LightWave 2015 3D software for $695 — a $300 savings. Additionally, registered owners of earlier versions of LightWave 3D software can upgrade to LightWave 2015 for $395 (a $100 savings). The offer ends July 31, 2015.

Back to Top

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

New Products

AEC: Autodesk Building Ops
Autodesk's Building Ops app is a mobile solution designed to transfer the operations data collected during the building information modeling (BIM)-based design and construction phases of a project to the team maintaining the building. Autodesk Building Ops is available in English, and can be downloaded from the Apple App Store.

AEC: Dependent View Copy and Adjust Pipe Utilities for Revit
IMAGINiT Technologies has introduced two Utilities for Revit: Dependent View Copy and Adjust Pipe. Dependent View Copy automates the creation of dependent views, such as different levels or floors in a building. Adjust Pipe was designed to solve issues involved in joining segments of piping when they are out of alignment.

Back to Top

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Mark Your Calendar

As-Built BIM and Urban Renewal: Case Studies in Mixed-Use Redevelopment
July 22, 2015
1 p.m. ET
This Workflow 4.0 webinar will highlight two recent mixed-used redevelopment projects to show practical tips and workflow tools to implement on as-built building information modeling (BIM) projects. Read more

How to Ensure Fast and Reliable Data Acquisition
July 22, 2015
11 a.m. ET
This Siemens PLM Software webinar will discuss important criteria for the selection of data acquisition hardware and what configurations will meet your needs. Read more

Create Photorealistic Renderings without Leaving Evolve
July 22, 2015
2 p.m. ET
This 20-minute tip from solidThinking will discuss how to create photorealistic images of models with Evolve software. Read more

Refine Inspire Results in Evolve
July 22, 2015
9 a.m. ET
This solidThinking webinar will discuss the use of Evolve industrial design software and how its PolyNURBS tools can be used to convert Inspire results into manufacturable solid geometries. Read more

e-SPECS for Revit
July 29, 2015
11 a.m. PT
This InterSpec webinar discusses the company's e-SPECS for Revit for automated and coordinated specifications with Autodesk Revit. 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.

Back to Top

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

What’s New at Cadalyst.com

Video: Embed an Image File in AutoCAD
Join Autodesk Technical Evangelist Lynn Allen as she shows you how to embed an image file so it becomes part of the drawing. Watch the video

First Look Review: HP Z440 Workstation
Desktop model offers excellent price-to-performance ratio for CAD users. Read more

First Look Review: Maingear Quantum F131
Deskside tower brings a unique form factor and high performance to the table. Read more

First Look Review: Dell Precision 5810
This solid performer offers high-quality engineering and excellent rendering performance. Read more

Back to Top