Between the Lines

Realize Your Ideas Tour

I will be attending tomorrows Realize Your Ideas Tour in San Francisco California. This is a free event for customers. The customer feedback from the tour so far has been great. There is a blog and podcasts covering the tour at http://ideasblog.adskhost.com/.

Look me up at the event as I will be all over and carrying my camera.

The Realize Your Ideas Tour will be in Anaheim California on Thursday June 2nd and then more locations such as Chicago in June 8th. I am going to try and beg and plead with my boss to be able to attend the possible San Juan tour location. :-)

Cheers,
Shaan

AutoCAD 2006 localized versions

I thought it might be a nice idea to start announcing when new language or localized versions of AutoCAD are released and shipping.

Many are already shipping to customers:
* Spanish
* French
* Italian
* German
* Japanese
* Korean
* Traditional Chinese
and now the Nordic/Dutch version is shipping.

More are soon to be released and shipping like the Polish, Russian, Hungarian, and Czech versions.

Cheers,
Shaan

Peter Quinn joins Autodesk for Process and Power focus

Peter Quinn comes to Autodesk and the Platform Technologies Group with a strong Process and Power background.  Peter was a recent product manager for Bentley Systems. Having Peter come on deck shows evidence that Autodesk is getting more serious about the P&P industry with the aim to better serve the Plant customers who run AutoCAD.

Cheers,
Shaan

Blog archiving in a book

I was searching for a nice printed archive of this blog and found one source www.blogbinders.com. It was really quite easy. The service downloaded all of the posts for a given time period minus the images. I am sure the images are not included because including the colors in the printing job would drastically increase the printing costs. In any case I had this blog from August 2003 to May 2005 archived into a 8.5 X 11 bound book. It is 433 pages and cost me less than $30 US.

Wow 433 pages of text without pictures encompassing over 600 posts....

ObjectARX Application Competition

Fellow CADBlogger and ObjectARX guru Fernando Malard of Brazil has started a competition with prizes for those that write the most innovative ObjectARX application for AutoCAD using AutoCAD 2006 features.

I have donated 2 full AutoCAD 2006 (not for resale) versions as prizes. Winners can also donate their AutoCAD 2006 prize to anyone but I would suggest a local student or school. I may also serve as one of the judges for Fernando.

Link

AutoCAD Service Packs?

I have received a few emails on how to find the downloads for the AutoCAD Service Packs. The AutoCAD Service Packs going back to AutoCAD Release 12 are located on the Autodesk website.

You can get to the AutoCAD or other Autodesk product support by selecting support from the main Autodesk web page www.autodesk.com or going to support.autodesk.com.
Now select the product.
The service packs and updates are located in the section titled "Updates & Service Packs".

Direct Link to AutoCAD Service Pack Page

Cheers,
Shaan

DUH.... Dilbert Does DWF

Back on January 1st 2005 "New Years Day", fellow CADBlogger Robin Capper alerted me to the Dilbert's Ultimate House "DUH" project. Dilbert is the comic strip geek legend of mythical head proportions by Scott Adams.

http://www.dilbert.com/comics/dilbert/house_news.html

Robin suspected that Autodesk products had been used by the firm Heartwood Studios that did the design and 3D visualization work. It did look like a slam dunk especially since some of the images showed Dilbert in front of a computer with Autodesk 3ds Max on the screen. Both Robin and I contacted Heartwood Studios who confirmed AutoCAD and 3ds Max had indeed been used in the production of the project construction documents and renderings.

Now the 2D plans of Dilbert's Ultimate House "DUH" are available in the Autodesk DWF format. I only wish we had the 3D DWF files posted as those were absolutely amazing.

   

Link to the "DUH" DWF page
You can even download the free trial of DWF Composer to markup the DWF files at http://www.autodesk.com/dwfcomposer

The nice thing is that the Autodesk DWF Viewer is a free download, lightweight, DWF can be viewed and zoomed on a web page, visual fidelity like a plot of the original AutoCAD drawing, and the DWF files do not weigh10Mb per square foot of contract document. There have been over 7 million Autodesk DWF Viewer downloads thus far.

The credits go to Heartwood Studios,  Robin Capper, Scott Adams, United Feature Syndicate, and the Autodesk DWF Team especially Brian Mathews and former Adobe PDF guru Jonathan Knowles.

Cheers,
Shaan
(now back to my vacation and some camping this weekend)

Californians can now get daily earthquake forecast

I found this interesting. Now in addition to my weather and traffic forecast I can check the realtime earthquake forecast for the day.

http://pasadena.wr.usgs.gov/step/

New Autodesk Buzzsaw 6.2

On Saturday, May 14, 2005 a new Autodesk Buzzsaw client software was made available to customers.

New Features and Benefits of Autodesk Buzzsaw 6.2

New Buzzsaw Viewing Components
The new Buzzsaw Viewing Components represent the latest technology to view, print, measure, markup and annotate both 2D and 3D drawing files. These viewers are now the recommended view and markup tools for Buzzsaw and provide users with the following advanced capabilities:

* New “View in Window” button available from the document View tab
* Auto-publishing of .DWG files to .DWF for markups
* Enhanced markup version control• Measure & markup of 3D DWF Files
* New custom markup symbols
* Markup integration with Autodesk® Revit® files
* New Snapshot tool that enables users to capture onscreen images and information

Usability Enhancements
You spoke, we listened! We have addressed several usability issues reported by you and your users, including:

* Pre-population of Form data. Key fields are now automatically populated.
* Clicking on a Buzzsaw URL no longer launches a separate Buzzsaw instance.
* The settings you change when viewing form logs (all open, open & closed, etc.) are maintained from session to session.
* The download dialogs have been consolidated and made to look like the Windows dialogs you’re used to in other applications.
* And many more…

Performance Improvements
We have made great strides in improving performance throughout the system, most notably login time and file upload and download.

More information available from http://www.buzzsaw.com

For those watching and wagering to see if I could actually stay offline for a week for vacation, you were right. I just could not stay offline but at least I have slowed from my normal work mode.

Shaan

Vacation

I will be working around the house most of this week trying to take a week off. I have to take the time off as I have reached the maximum vacation day accrual so I am actually losing vacation time benefits for each month that passes.

I have a hard time taking vacations or days off for that matter. A few years back I was on vacation in Germany for a friends wedding.  My well intentioned manager hoping for once to force me to forget about work for awhile turned off my email account access. His plan backfired as I spent over $100 in foreign phone charges and many hours trying to troubleshoot the email access problem. Even in the Amazon jungle last year I was able to get an Internet connection through a cell phone in the middle of nowhere.  I hope someday to learn to wind down and relax.

Shaan

The AutoCAD 2006 New Features Workshop is now live on autodesk.com

The New Features Workshop shows tutorials and informational overviews on the new features of AutoCAD 2006. You can specify what release you are coming from to tailor the new feature overviews and tutorials.

Here is the link to get the online AutoCAD 2006 New Features Workshop: Link

Shaan

AutoCAD 2006 and AutoComplete at the Commandline

AutoCAD 2006 has a new feature named AutoComplete. You can begin typing at the AutoCAD command line a few letters of a command, system variable, or command aliases and then hit the TAB key to cycle through the returned results.

Autodesk discussion groups now have RSS feeds

Kudos to Robin Capper for writing a detailed blog post instructing people on how to use the RSS feeds for the public Autodesk discussion groups.  Now you don't need to read the discussion groups with an HTML browser or NNTP reader.

Working with Autodesk Discussion Groups RSS feeds

AutoCAD 2006 Tutorial Videos

Shawn Gilmour of Autodesk recorded a few quick AutoCAD 2006 video tutorials with audio. These videos were recorded in the Microsoft wmv format and can be played in the Windows Media Player.

Introduction to the AutoCAD 2006 CUI Editor Link
Introduction to the AutoCAD 2006 Workspaces  Link
Creating a Toolbar with the AutoCAD 2006 CUI Editor  Link
Creating a Flyout Toolbar with the AutoCAD 2006 CUI Editor  Link
Introduction to the AutoCAD 2006 Enterprise CUI files Link

Updated System Variable Dialog Express Tool for AutoCAD 2006

The System Variable Editor is a tool included in the AutoCAD Express Tools which are an option when Installing AutoCAD 2006.  Lee Ambrosius has graciously updated the data file for the AutoCAD 2006 system variables because we had for some reason missed updating it when we released AutoCAD 2006. I have wrote previously on the System Variable Editor and its nice features. Link

Download sysvdlg.dat

Place the sysvdlg.dat file in the  \Express directory such as the location for my install of AutoCAD 2006: C:\Program Files\AutoCAD 2006\Express\

   
Express menu: Tools  System Variable Editor
Command line: SYSVDLG

Thank you Lee!

Capture 3D DWF files from almost any application!

While Autodesk design applications (AutoCAD, Inventor, etc.) support the creation of 2D and 3D DWF files, how do you capture data from non-Autodesk applications? For 2D there has always been the free Autodesk DWF Writer (www.autodesk.com/dwfwriter) which enables users to publish DWF files from applications that do not offer built-in DWF publishing.

But what about 3D? Autodesk is previewing a utility for capturing 3D graphics from almost any OpenGL based application (such as Bentley® MicroStation® or Dassault’s Solidworks® software).  The utility stores the captured scene to a 3D DWF file which can be shared with anyone.

Autodesk is interested in testing the viability of this concept through preview-access to the Autodesk DWF Writer 3D technology.  If you’re not already a member of the Autodesk MyFeedback portal, you can register at http://myfeedback.autodesk.com and enter the beta code “3dwriter” to get started. If you are already a member, you can login to the MyFeedback portal and edit your beta code to participate in this technology preview. 

Let us know what you think!

Image below shows the capturing of 3D model from MicroStation V8 and then viewing in the free Autodesk DWF Viewer.

How large of a DPI value should I use when generating a DWF?

Autodesk Product Manager Doug Look works with customers who use DWF Composer for digital measurement. Many of these customers asked how to determine the appropriate DPI to get appropriate levels of precision in their DWF files.  They wanted to ensure a certain number of significant digits in the readouts provided by Autodesk DWF Composer.

As such, Eric Haines, one of our Lead Software Engineers on DWF Composer, devised a formula for determining appropriate DPI settings that AutoCAD or other authors can use to get appropriate dimensions. The variables included: DPI, precision level, virtual paper size inside the DWF, and actual size of print out.  The easiest way to express this formula is in a table of popular values. “Measurement per inch” is listed across the top. “Precision desired” is listed along the left. The table contains the results which are the DPI values that an AutoCAD user would want:

 

So as an example, if you had a drawing where 1 inch equals 10 feet and wanted to use DWF Composer to measure to the nearest 1/8th of an inch, you would generate the DWF file using a DPI value of 1920. You can specify the DPI in AutoCAD by:

1. From the menu, select File->Plot. This brings up the Plot dialog.

2. Ensure that DWF 6 ePlot.pc3 is selected. Click on Properties. This brings up a tree control.

3. Select “Graphics” from the tree and expand it. It contains an entry for “Custom Properties.” Select “Custom Properties” in the tree control. This displays a Custom Properties button. Click the Custom Properties button.

4. Set the “Vector resolution” to the desired value. You can leave the other DPI values (i.e., “Gradient resolution,” “Color and grayscale resolution,” and “Black and white resolution” as they are. Legal values from the menu pull down are between 150 and 4800. A custom value, such as 30270, can be entered using the keyboard.

Incredible high resolution earth image

This is one of the nicest high resolution images I have ever seen of the Earth.  It was released yesterday by the European Space Agency.  It took 1561 orbits of the Envisat satellite over the course of many months in 2004 to get the images composited without clouds and in such fine detail. The 4Mb PNG image is really worth looking at. It took over 20 terabytes of data to construct the image.

Simply amazing...
Link to ESA article and images

Have a great weekend
Shaan

AutoCAD 2006 XREF Bubble Notification Enhancements

XREF Notifications streamlined
No need to open XREF Manager to reload XREFS

Link shows
Xref name
Login of user who made change
Hostname of machine where changed

Click on link in Bubble
Reloads XREF

Right click on Status Bar icon
Launch XREF Manager

AutoCAD 2006 Tables Enhancements

Some of the enhancements:
* You can now add Formulas Sum/Average/Count/Cell as well as combinations.
* Will roundtrip if not edited in previous release
* Cells will work similar to Excel. You could have a column for cost and one for quantity then take the quantity and multiply it by the cost and then sum the total.
* Can share data between tables. This means you can now link data from one table to a cell in another. Perhaps you have a table of lights with voltage and another that totals the amount of voltage in the building based on the quantity and voltage.
* When changes are made to the drawing that affect the data in the table, you will get a notification. 

The new Table enhancements in AutoCAD 2006 reduces the need for maintaining external spreadsheets.

Displaying the Hatch Area with a Field in AutoCAD 2006

A brief example on how to attach a AutoCAD 2006 Field to a Hatch object. This will result in a Field that will update when the Hatch boundary is modified. It is a perfect way to keep track of areas of rooms, brick, pavement, or perhaps the surface area of a heating surface of a heat exchanger.

In this example I show how to attach the Field to the brick hatch for a patio.

Here is a patio with an area cutout for a barbecue pit.

Now Insert a Field.

Now in the Field dialog select Object  and then use the Select option to select the Hatch. After selecting the Hatch set the property to Area and then your desired precision. Now place the Field text where you want it to display the area.


I like to set the Field (which is really just some dynamic Mtext) to have a background mask the same color as the drawing background for a nice clean look.

Now the Field is associated to the Hatch and displays the current area.

When I re-size the barbecue pit and then use the UPDATEFIELD command, the area is updated to reflect the change in hatched area representing the patio brick.

You can use this same technique for attaching fields to other objects such as showing the length of a polyline.

Rainy day for a Team Outing

I am going with the AutoCAD Team today to an Oakland A's baseball game. The problem is that it is raining pretty hard here currently. Hopefully the area where we are going to be seated is covered and has plenty of refreshments.

Of course I will be posting some photos of the event to my Daily Grind II photo gallery.

Even the blog has been effected by all of the rain. Link.

At least it is not as bad as the time I spilled hot coffee on the blog. Link

I have to thank Bud Schroeder for the link to this fun web diversion site that allows you to apply effects to a web page. http://www.netdisaster.com/

Cheers,
Shaan

Specifying the Hatch Origin in AutoCAD 2006

Just a quick example of the new ability to specify the Hatch origin in AutoCAD 2006.

Lets say you have a brick Hatch pattern. You want to have the brick Hatch to be centered or start at a certain point to be accurate. You would not want the brick Hatch pattern to be splitting bricks.

Select the Hatch and then double-click to get the Hatch dialog. Now select the option to set a new Hatch origin. That's all there is to it. You can also use other options such as center the hatch.

Autodesk 3ds Max 7.5 is now released and shipping

This new 7.5 release is for current 3ds Max subscription customers.

http://www.autodesk.com/3dsmax

From the announcement:

Release 7.5 provides new and enhanced functionality in three key areas:

* Autodesk VIZ - With the very latest technologies from Autodesk VIZ 2006, product designers, architects, inventors and others in the design visualization arena have the advanced modeling, lighting, rendering and animation tools that are exclusive to 3ds Max combined with the unique design-oriented functionality of Autodesk VIZ 2006 - all in a single package.

* mental ray 3.4 - Delivering numerous optimizations, mental ray 3.4 will include faster final gathering performance, double precision computation for ray tracing and fast rasterization for first-generation rays. mental ray 3.4 also adds Satellite Rendering, to allow 3ds Max license oweners to freely use up to eight slave CPUs to render an image using distributed bucket rendering

* Hair and Fur - Based on Joe Alter's highly regarded "Shave and a Haircut" solution, Hair and Fur offers numerous styling and dynamics tools for creating amazingly realistic hair and other strand-derivative effects.

In addition to the added functionality above, subscription members will also receive access to multiple e-learning tools and the previously released Cloth Extension for 3ds Max 7, a sophisticated cloth simulation system that gives artists the creative tools to build realistic, film-quality clothing for characters.

AutoCAD 2006 Hatch enhancements

* Specify Hatch Origin
* Hatch Boundaries enhanced
* Create Separate hatch objects
* Hatch Areas
* Streamlined Hatch and Gradient dialog
* Renamed it from Boundary Hatch and Fill
* Expandable to reveal more options

AutoCAD 2006 Sheet Set Enhancements

Enhancements include:
* Refresh sheet status
* Display status icons for locked, missing, etc.
* Rename associated dwg to match sheet name
* Import sheets from multiple drawings
* Open multiple selected sheets simultaneously
* Open sheets as read-only
* Import transmittal setup from one sheet set to another
* Previous button on the Rename and Renumber Sheet dialog
* Create folder to correspond with new subset
* Preview image of callout and label blocks
* Sort view list by view category or sheet name

New Autodesk Blog for the Ideas Realized Tour

http://ideasblog.adskhost.com/

This blog launched just this morning will be a collection of blog postings from various people blogging and pod-casting from the Autodesk Ideas Realized tour. Two of the notable contributors will be Autodesk's own Lynn Allen as well as business expert Guy Kawasaki. Guy was one of the original people at Apple Computer that established the Macintosh and is now a start up and business consultant. He has written books such as The Art of the Start as well as seven other books on business as well as founded Garage Technology Ventures. As I understand it subscription customers in attendance will receive a copy of his book Art of the Start just for attending. Other Autodesk employees will also be contributing to this blog including myself.

Cheers,
Shaan

American Design Drafting Association 46th Annual Conference

My coworker and top notch presenter Heidi Hewett will be presenting AutoCAD 2006 at the ADDA event. The event will be held in Louisville Kentucky May 10, 2005 through May 12, 2005. The AutoCAD 2006 presentation will be Thursday May 12, 2005 from 3:15pm — 4:30pm Session 6A "Looking into AutoCAD 2006".

For more information about this event see http://www.adda.org/displayconvention.cfm

Compare Your Current AutoCAD with AutoCAD 2006

Wonder what's been added to AutoCAD software since your last upgrade? See the AutoCAD Release Comparison Matrix for a side-by-side comparison. Compare AutoCAD 2000, AutoCAD 2000i, AutoCAD 2002, AutoCAD 2004, and AutoCAD 2005 to the new AutoCAD 2006.

AutoCAD Release Comparison Matrix (pdf - 55 Kb)