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« May 2004 | Main | July 2004 »
Autodesk will be closed Thursday July 1st through Monday July 5th for the July 4th Holiday. I will be volunteering for my sons Boy Scout troop 39 selling taco salads at the Marin County Fair.
Cheers,
-Shaan
I was looking through all of the referring URLs to this blog, and noticed a new CAD related blog from Christchurch Polytechnic Institute of Technology and School of Engineering. I hope the blog for CPIT takes off. The students will gain a great deal of exposure to how others use CAD around the world and some great tips and tricks.
Blogs are a great resource and can point many to other resources around the web with a more personal or customized way than a search engine.
Who said CAD was not fun? It certainly was not me, as it has been a blast for me the forever-recovering mechanical designer.
I am a huge supporter for students in engineering and CAD. I always welcome questions from students on CAD and engineering subjects as well as welcome their emailed feedback on CAD and what they think. I actually had some of the coolest ideas recently from a high school student who was competing with a student team in robot design and build competition. It is remarkable how the students have such fresh ideas and a unique perspective as they learn CAD. For example, a student called me on the phone to discuss his take on 3D assemblies. He suggested that currently you can now program constraints for movement within the 3D model assembly, but why not link or rig those constraints to electrical motors. The electrical system could control the movements based on the settings of specified hardware and take into account the wiring and much more. Imagine a fully automated (Inverse Kinematics) robot in Autodesk Inventor. Test a design more completely before committing the design to fabrication. Digital trial and error with movement as well as other functional constraints to simulate performance, mechanics, and even operating environments. This could sprout the mechanical equivalent of the architectural industry buzzword BIM (Building Information Modeling). Perhaps MAIM for Mechanical Assembly Information Modeling. 
I also donate leftover products in my department to students at the end of the year.
Well here goes the CPIT traffic of web hits.
Check out the new CPIT Blog with Andrew Robertson and hopefully
soon the faculty and students.
http://cadatcpit.blogspot.com
http://cadatcpit.blogspot.com/2004/06/blogs-from-within-autodesk.html
Is it just me, or are the New Zealanders one of the most active regions for pro-active CAD discussions? In any case, I do hope to attend one of the CAD conferences down there sometime. I almost attended last year at a CAD conference with Hugh Bathurst, but the notice for the event did not offer enough planning time for me.
Cheers,
-Shaan
I have started receiving post cards from around the world from Between the Lines readers for the "Go Postal" Contest. The winner of the first entries actually came from Mike Burke in New Zealand. Mike sent three post cards shown at the left.
This is all for fun and I will throw out some free prizes at the end.
Spread the Word!
Send the post cards to:
Shaan Hurley "Go Postal"
c/o Autodesk Inc.
111 McInnis Parkway
San Rafael California 94903
Make sure to list your name, location, email, and about yourself on the post cards. Those vacationing can submit multiple cards from the various locations if you want.
Cheers,
-Shaan
Come one come all and get your Autodesk questions answered. In addition to meeting the fine members of MAUG, you will be witnessing my warped humor and relaxed geek presentation style. Please do not come expecting too much, and you will leave very satisfied
When: July 8th 2004
Time: 6 to 8 pm 111 McInness Parkway, San Rafael California
Who: Shaan Hurley, Autodesk Beta Mgr & Tech. Marketing Mgr.
What: Shaan will discuss System Variables, Commands, and ways to provide direct feedback to Autodesk on the future of the products.
Bring your Autodesk and AutoCAD questions.
I am giving away a copy of the new DWF Composer.
I may also be appearing at a Napa CAD Users Group, which meets the first Tuesday of the Month. I wonder if they drink Napa wines at the meeting.
If you have an Autodesk or AutoCAD user’s group meeting, let me know. If I can get there, I would to love to attend a meeting. If you would like answer your questions and discuss the many ways Autodesk listens to its customers or perhaps I can arrange another Autodesk person to speak to a specific topic you have.
Cheers,
-Shaan
There is a very nice tutorial on space sketches in Architectural Desktop on the blog RobiNZ by Robin Capper of New Zealand.
Check Out RobiNZ Space Sketches in Architectural Desktop Tutorial 
Cheers,
-Shaan
I was inspired by a web page " LA to Oregon at Mach 9"which recorded a trip from Los Angeles to Oregon and then sped up the video.
Update 6/22/04: I again video taped my commute just yesterday the 21st of June 2004, and posted the resulting video after processing. It was a much lighter commute than normal for some odd reason.
The Windows Media video (.wmv) is 320 X 240 and is 7 minutes long. In 7 minutes, you travel from Petaluma California down highway 101 to my office (Autodesk Inc.) in San Rafael and then back for the home commute. The actual distance traveled was about 43 miles and took 40 minutes. The commute after my editing looks like it would if you had a jet engine strapped to the back of the vehicle. It took a fair but of video processing to achieve this but it was fun.
Steps in the process of making this little video, all for fun and diversion.:
So enjoy the commute at hyper-speed!
Download The Commute Video - 11Mb
The Route
Cheers,
-Shaan
There is a nice article in the Engineering News-Record issue on June 12, 2004. It lists AutoCAD by Autodesk as number two in the list of the ten technologies to change the construction industry in the past 20 years.
10 Electronic Technologies That Changed Construction (source enr.construction.com)
Computer Aided Design - CAD Pioneers Gave Desktop PCs A Full Range of Electronic Drafting
"AutoCAD was created to bring CAD capabilities to the newly introduced desktop IBM PC and allow "serious computer-aided design" to be done on desktop machines, rather than very expensive, dedicated workstations."
For those into historical AutoCAD information, have a look at my AutoCAD History site.
Click Here
Cheers,
-Shaan
Yes, consider the following:
In addition:
For more information please see:
http://www.autodesk.com/dwf
http://www.autodesk.com/dwfit
DWF v6.0 Toolkit
The DWF™ 6.0 Toolkit allows you to develop applications that read or write multi-sheet drawings in DWF™ (Design Web Format™) format.
Autodesk DWF Viewer
With Autodesk DWF Viewer, a small, free, downloadable application, anyone on your team can view and print DWF files.
Autodesk DWF Composer
Autodesk DWF Composer supports complete digital round-tripping of markups, annotations, and other changes back into the AutoCAD® 2005 family of software products.
Cheers,
-Shaan
Need some great tips on presentations, organizational communications, and the proper use of PowerPoint?
The use of PowerPoint in presentations is not a natural or easy thing. It seems to me that you get 40% of presentations show to little, 40% show too much and end up reading the slides to you, and about 10% really do a great job of balancing the highlights and keeping the audiences attention and making the subject memorable. I have seen and done my share of abuse of PowerPoint. There is nothing like an animated arrow bullet with sound effect in a PowerPoint presentation to get the crowd running for the door. Then again, my son created a whole cartoon in PowerPoint and it was amazing.
More food for thought.
Know your subject and know it well. Understand who the intended audience is, and adjust accordingly.
I am definitely no master of the delicate balance or at presentations and usually fall in the over kill on slides. I keep working on my skills, and have a "PowerPoint Master" for a boss.
Check out the blog by Cliff Atkinson: "Beyond Bullets"
http://sociablemedia.typepad.com/beyond_bullets/
A few articles of interest:
The author also has a web site full of articles http://www.sociablemedia.com/articles_list.htm
I love a quote from one of Cliff's articles on Bullet Points:
"Guns don't kill communication.
Bullet points kill communication.
And when you use bullet points in a PowerPoint, you're shooting yourself in the foot."
Cheers,
-Shaan
During lunch I took a 3D part (.ipt) from Autodesk Inventor 9 and created a quick 2D drawing (.idw). I then created 2 DWF files, one is a 2D DWF and the other a 3D DWF. Both are viewed in the Autodesk DWF Viewer 5 beta.
This is a screen capture of the 2D .idw drawing in Autodesk Inventor 9 Beta.
Click the image to see a larger view.
This is a screen capture of the 3D .ipt part in Autodesk Inventor 9 Beta.
Click the image to see a larger view.
This is a screen capture of a 2D DWF created from Autodesk Inventor and viewed in the new beta of Autodesk DWF Viewer 5. The DWF file is only 119Kb and fast!
Click the image to see a larger view.
This is a screen capture of a 3D DWF created from Autodesk Inventor and viewed in the new beta of Autodesk DWF Viewer 5. The DWF file is only 49Kb and is fast!
Click the image to see a larger view.
Enroll for the Autodesk Inventor 9 as well as the Autodesk DWF Viewer 5 Beta at:
http://betaprograms.autodesk.com/betaweb.htm
Read more about Autodesk Inventor products from the Autodesk Inventor Team's blog:
http://autodesk.blogs.com/in_the_machine/
Cheers,
-Shaan
3D & DWF!
You can enroll for the opportunity to beta test the new Autodesk DWF Viewer 5 Beta (free version) and preview 3D DWF!
This Beta release of Autodesk DWF Viewer includes:
3D DWF - View, navigate and print 3D DWF files. You can also pan, zoom, Orbit, show and hide components, select wireframe and shaded views, navigate to standard views, navigate assembly structure, isolate components, and view component and mass properties.Markup Browser - View and navigate markups created with Autodesk DWF Composer, and see markup details including Author, Creation and Modification dates, Status, History and Notes.
Object Property Categories - View and sort object properties with categories.
Save As... - In embedded mode, right-click to save a DWF file on your local machine.
Performance Optimizations - Viewing and printing optimizations for raster and text-based DWFs.
API Enhancements - Easier APIs for controlling the visibility of layers in a DWF and camera APIs for controlling the 3D View
And how do you produce a 3D DWF? Well, you can participate in the Autodesk Inventor 9 beta programs. Other products will have the 3D DWF abilities later.
A Sneak Peek for you with more coming later:
Cheers,
-Shaan
The AutoCAD White Papers web page link click here
AutoCAD 2005
AutoCAD 2004
Emanuele Cinelli of Italy took a great deal of time and effort to write a document on the History of AutoCAD in Italian.
La storia di AutoCAD in italiano da Emanuele Cinelli
Download AutoCAD History Document
Cheers,
-Shaan
Since AutoCAD 2002 the AutoCAD R14 DWG has not been a built in option. You can still convert your drawings to the R14 format for free.
Can only be used with AutoCAD 2004-based products, AutoCAD 2005-based products, AutoCAD LT 2004, or AutoCAD LT 2005.
Converter converts any AutoCAD® drawing file to AutoCAD® Release 14, AutoCAD® 2000, AutoCAD® 2000i, AutoCAD® 2002, AutoCAD® 2004, and AutoCAD® 2005 file formats. Batch Drawing Converter allows conversion of pen widths to lineweights and the addition of page setups.
Supported Products
AutoCAD® 2004 and later
AutoCAD LT® 2004 and later
Autodesk Map™ 2004 and later
Autodesk® Mechanical Desktop® 2004 and later
Autodesk® Architectural Desktop 2004 and later
AutoCAD® Mechanical 2004 and later
Autodesk® Building Systems 2004 later
Autodesk® Land Desktop 2004 later
Shaan, I just wanted to give thanks to you for the excellent job that you've been doing on the B.T.L. Blog. I check it everyday, I can honestly say that it's the best place for quick info on AutoCAD. The content that you give is excellent, easy to read, and very timely.
I know there are lots of places to get info on AutoCAD but the B.T.L. Blog is among the best.
Keep up the great work!
Bill Goetz
Peter Basso Associates, Inc
Thank you Bill.
Sincerlely,
Shaan Hurley
I want to start a fun project which will when completed result in prizes and a web page showing the submissions in a image gallery as well as possibly at Autodesk University 2004. So all you need to do is send a post card from where you are. There will be judging based on first received, most sent, most unique, most remote, most exotic location, funniest, and so on. I will also be placing all the post cards on my office walls.
The contest will end on November 1st 2004.
Sound fun?
Let the project begin and spread the word far and wide!
Send the post cards to:
Shaan Hurley "Go Postal"
c/o Autodesk Inc.
111 McInnis Parkway
San Rafael California 94903
Make sure to list your name, location, email, and about yourself on the post cards. Those vacationing can submit multiple cards from the various locations if you want.
Cheers,
-Shaan
AutoCAD 2005 and AutoCAD LT 2005 Bible
Ellen Finkelstein
ISBN: 0-7645-6989-9
What can I say about Ellen. She has been a great person the years that I have known her and she takes a real nice approach to teaching a product and features in her books and her website http://www.ellenfinkelstein.com/AutoCAD_tips.html. Ellen also started the tradition of people sending me cookies and others have followed such as Darren Young who sent me about 40 pounds of cookies.
Wiley::AutoCAD 2005 and AutoCAD LT 2005 Bible
Now revised and updated for the latest program versions, this bestseller is a comprehensive reference and tutorial for architects, engineers, drafters, and others using the leading computer-assisted design software, AutoCAD, or its "lite" version, AutoCAD LT
Pre order the book at the publishers web site: http://www.wiley.com/WileyCDA/WileyTitle/productCd-0764569899.html
Mastering™ AutoCAD® 2005 and AutoCAD LT® 2005
By George Omura
Released June 2004
ISBN: 0-7821-4340-7 | EAN: 9 780782 143409 | UPC: 0252-11-443408
From the publishers website:
The Definitive CAD Resource Updated for 2005 Mastering AutoCAD 2005 and AutoCAD LT 2005 is a fully updated edition of Omura's enduring masterpiece. Once again, he delivers the most comprehensive and comprehensible coverage for AutoCAD and AutoCAD LT users including information on the Sheet Set Manager, field command, table tool and the software's other productivity enhancers. If you've never used AutoCAD, the tutorial approach and step-by-step instruction will help you get started right away. If you're an AutoCAD veteran, in-depth explanations of AutoCAD's newest and most advanced features will help you become an AutoCAD expert. Whatever your experience, however you use AutoCAD, you’ll refer to this indispensable resource again and again.Coverage includes:
Finding your way around the AutoCAD interface
Creating and developing an AutoCAD drawing
Keeping track of your projects with the new sheet set manager
Importing spreadsheets and editing tables with the new Table tool
Updating text automatically with the new field command
Controlling your drawings' printed output
Discovering hidden features
Mastering the 3D modeling and rendering process
Customizing AutoCAD
Linking drawings to databases and spreadsheets
Managing custom symbols
Securing and authenticating your files
Aligning and coordinating Layout views
Using Publish to share files with non-AutoCAD users
You can pre-order the book now at many online bookstores like Amazon.com Click Here
Another book was released in May
AutoCAD® 2005 and AutoCAD LT® 2005: No Experience Required®
By David Frey
Released May 2004
ISBN: 0-7821-4341-5 | EAN: 9 780782 143416 | UPC: 0252-11-443415
From the publishers website:
The First Choice for AutoCAD and AutoCAD LT Novices – from the Leading AutoCAD Publisher!
AutoCAD 2005 and AutoCAD LT 2005: No Experience Required is your step-by-step introduction to the latest versions of AutoCAD and AutoCAD LT, the world's leading customizable CAD software. Inside this perfectly paced guide are the clear-cut explanations and practical tutorials that you need to complete even the most elaborate AutoCAD projects.Discover AutoCAD 2005's newest features as you plan and develop a complete project. Follow the tutorials sequentially or begin at any chapter by downloading the drawing files from the Sybex website. Either way, you’ll develop a solid grounding in the essentials and learn how to use AutoCAD's productivity tools to get your work done efficiently.
Gain the Imperative AutoCAD Skills
Find your way around AutoCAD and LT
Understand the basic commands and how to set up a drawing
Apply AutoCAD's coordinate systems
Master drawing strategies
Employ Polar and Object Snap Tracking
Set up and manage layers, colors, and linetypes
Use blocks and Wblocks
Drag AutoCAD objects from one drawing to another
Generate elevations and orthographic views
Work with hatches and fills
Control text in a drawing
Manage external references
Set up layouts and print an AutoCAD drawing
Use AutoCAD's enhanced tool palettes
Create and render a 3D model
I am providing a download of a nice quick reference document for Autodesk Subscription customers. I believe all subscription customers will be receiving one of these as well as other stuff by mail in the near future.
Autodesk Subscription is the easiest way to keep your design tools and learning up-to-date. For an annual fee you get the latest versions of your licensed Autodesk software, web support direct from Autodesk, self-paced training options, and a broad range of other technology and business benefits. For more information, contact your local resellers or visit www.autodesk.com/subscription.
Download AutodeskSubCustomerQuickReference.pdf
Some of my blog posts on subscription benefits:
Cheers,
-Shaan
The Tampa Bay Lightning NHL hockey team just won the Stanley Cup! What a series.
Tampa Bay Lightning: 2
Calgary Flames: 1
-Shaan
The AutoCAD team is interested in improving the 3D and presentation graphics/rendering part of the product. Would you be interested in a personal visit with members of the AutoCAD team and discussing your use of 3D (whether in AutoCAD or any other CAD or design product?)
Email Eric Stover by June 14th 2004 at eric.stover@autodesk.com.
Cheers,
-Shaan
I simply could not work as productively without SnagIt from techsmith.com. I use SnagIt daily for various tasks and image captures for various outputs like tutorials, articles, documentation and much much more.
I can even perform quick image editing tricks using just their built in Image Edit instead of firing up Fireworks or Photoshop.
And it is all for under $40 US. They are also a great bunch of people.
From their press release this morning:
"What's New? Increase your productivity with SnagIt 7.1! With the newest version of SnagIt, you can send your screen captures to more places, embellish your images with better effects, and greatly improve your work flow with SnagIt's many enhancements. Work quicker, work smarter - with SnagIt's essential new features. To list just a few . . .
Thank you Techsmith for keeping on producing and innovating SnagIt and Camtasia!
Cheers,
-Shaan
Lee Ambrosius of hyperpics.com and his blog "Beyond the UI" posted a good aticle on using the new AutoCAD 2005 layer dialog.
Cheers,
-Shaan
Robin Capper has a great blog going on CAD, Design, and other great stuff. Robin is located in New Zealand and is a CAD Manager for a retail company.
RobiNZ Blog: http://rcd.typepad.com
Example Articles:
Cheers,
-Shaan
I had to discontinue the article commenting due to spam commenting. Although I recieved some really great comments and feedback from visitors here, some web based advertisers have started to exploit blog commenting as another spam method.
I will check into what can be done to allow commenting while keeping those low life web spammers out.
Sincerely,
Shaan Hurley
Great article on Tool Palettes Lee Ambrosius of HyperPics.com.
"With AutoCAD 2005, Autodesk incorporated the Tool Palette Extension for those that were not on subscription and added support for Tables, along with additional improvements like Auxiliary Scale. I will talk about each of these individual tools in this and subsequent articles. "
See the "In the Machine" Autodesk Inventor blog or the Autodesk Beta Programs website for more details.
In the Machine Autodesk Inventor Professional 9 Beta Announcement
Welcome, Revit Users What happens when two dynamic user groups meet? Power and productivity. AUGI welcomes members of the Revit User Group International (RUGI) and participants in the Revit Forums at ZoogDesign.com to its first product community.
Autodesk Map 3D, a Q&A with David Salzberg David Salzberg, Customer Solution Manager, Communications & Utilities for Autodesk's Infrastructure Solutions Division answers questions about trends in the GIS/Mapping industry.
The NEW AUGI Forums Are Open New and enhanced features await AUGI members at the new Forums. Check 'em out!
Revit Redefines State of the Art Revit represents a step forward in architectural design tools.
Controlled Growth Creating shortcuts and streamlining AutoCAD.
Columns
President's Letter AUGI Outreach
TIPniques Brother, Can You Paradigm? Part II
Customization Corner Leveraging Tool Palettes
LUG Nuggets Volunteerism in the Volunteer State
An inaccurate discussion group response of a competitor in response to their customers requesting DWF needs some perspective and correction. The person claimed that because AutoCAD cannot publish native PDF, that the DWF vs. PDF comparisons are not correct. Well, you can publish native PDF and in fact Adobe Acrobat Pro provides a native AutoCAD ARX for AutoCAD 2002 and AutoCAD 2004. This is just as native as the competitors PDF offering. In the case of producing a sample PDF and sample DWF using the same settings and sample drawing show the same DWF claims that DWF is smaller and faster.
All default settings for the two:
Adobe Acrobat Pro PDF Creator installed on AutoCAD 2004
Creating the PDF in AutoCAD 2004 using the built in Adobe Acrobat Pro PDFMaker
The PDF being created and optimized by the Adobe PDFMaker
Using the PUBLISH command in AutoCAD to produce a DWF of the same layout
at the same settings.
The Final PDF in Acrobat 6 Pro (also would be the same in the free viewer just the editing and mark up features not in the free product)
The Final DWF in DWF Composer (also would be the same in the free viewer just the editing and mark up features not in the free product)
And now for the good stuff...the results.
The PDF Results:
File Size:1.71 MB (1,797,473 Bytes)
The DWF Results:
File Size: 252 KB (258,048 bytes)
So there you have it the PDF at the same settings is 11 times the size and plots with no discernable difference. The resulting DWF was smaller and is almost always in most cases. There are many other DWF advantages as well such as such as a faster free viewer, much higher precision available with DWF up to 64million DPI, designed specifically for CAD data not text documents, open and freely available API toolkit unlike the PDF format, a free Windows System driver, able to be measured in the designs units not based on the distance in paper, higher visual fidelity such as supports line merge, able to be embedded/viewed/manipulated in a web page, and more.
So it boils down to you have options. Use what you prefer or have to deliver, but you should always be aware of more specialized and open formats designed specifically for the data you are exchanging. There is no one size fits all format and certainly not a 10 year old format designed only for text documents.
More DWF Related Posts
Quick Article on Design Document Communication with DWF
DWF Precision Follow Up
DWF Precision Article by Brian Mathews of the DWF Team
DWF-it!
Helpful Links
http://www.autodesk.com/dwf
http://www.autodesk.com/dwfcomposer
http://www.autodesk.com/dwfviewer
http://www.autodesk.com/autocad
http://www.autodesk.com/gofurther
Cheers,
-Shaan
I attended the Marin AutoCAD Users Group "MAUG" last night. I did not take count but there were over a dozen in attendance. Elise Moss showed some Autodesk Inventor 8 Pro features and there were also some good discussions. There were also some great raffle prizes won and I donated a Autodesk DWF Composer for their next meeting.
I posted a photo in my Daily Grind gallery
I love attending user group meetings.
Cheers,
-Shaan
The excellent Autodesk product and resource for tips and tricks website CAD Forum has divulged details on the AutoCAD 2005 Easter Egg.
Easter eggs are the practice and long-standing tradition of software developers to add a little something special in the program such as listing team members for the project. Just like the Easter tradition of locating a surprise or a hidden egg also known as the Easter egg hunt. The Easter eggs are hidden and take some work to locate the sequence to activate making it also fun for some to locate and we have had informal contests in locating them in the past. In most cases, at least here at Autodesk the Easter egg development of the Easter egg does not take away from regular development work and the Easter eggs are developed usually in a short time and after hours so they do not effect the scheduled software development. For the last few releases, the Easter eggs have even listed top beta site customers as well.
Link to CAD Forums details on the AutoCAD 2005 Easter Egg Click Here
Cheers,
-Shaan
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