Between the Lines

AutoCAD 2007 Documentation

 
You will receive a card in the box which will let you obtain a hard copy free of charge. I understand this will be for customers of AutoCAD 2007 worldwide. The AutoCAD User Guide is now over 1200 pages, the AutoCAD Command Reference that explains the commands is 1701 pages, and the AutoCAD Customization Guide is 296 pages.

The card in your product box for AutoCAD 2007 will direct you to www.autodeskbookrequest.com to place your order. Last year the free books took 3 days to get to me and they were not shipped across town to me.

There is also a book in the box called "Building Your World" which offers examples and tutorials on the new features.

All documentation is in the Help in the product as well as on the CD in PDF format on the CD at \Bin\acadFeui\docs\.

Behind the Scenes Video: Who Was Shipped the First AutoCAD 2007?

A Canadian.
The customer is located in Ontario Canada and was the first customer to be shipped AutoCAD 2007.

Below is a link to a video showing the first AutoCAD 2007 and the assembly and the shipping of many more from Northern California.

AutoCAD 2007 Shipping - Behind the Scenes Video (56Mb) This .wmv file requires the free Windows Media Player 9 or 10 .

Some skeptics last year thought that the video from AutoCAD LT 2006 was some sort of marketing gimmick and not real. Well this is no gimmick. We do hand pack and ship all our products as seen in the video. I just asked a person in our operations group to please record the first shipments again this year to show people a behind the scenes.

Cheers,
Shaan

CAD Cartoonist Roger Penwill

Roger Penwill created a cartoon characture of me for me. Roger is the famous and super funny CAD cartoonist seen in Cadalyst Magazine as well as other places. This image definitly captures the no sleep geek environment I live in and can you tell I like fishing?

Roger's Website
www.penwill.com

I wish there was a ...

I wish there was a PURGE command like there is in AutoCAD but for my brain. I have so many twisted, warped, and weird images stuck in the brain that I need to get rid of. ;-)

Planning to head down under...

I am in the final planning states of this 23,100 mile expedition. I will start a survey next week to keep track of who I can visit and chat with while down there on vacation. I feel it is only fair since many of my Kiwi and Aussie friends have come to the US to attend Autodesk University and some of them did it on their own dime. Some of my top beta customer beta sites come from NZ and Australia and are very active and great to chat with. I finally get to wear my New Zealand All Blacks shirt in New Zealand.

Schedule UPDATED 4/19/06I will be in the Southern Hemisphere visiting New Zealand and Australia in May 2006. While I am there I would like to meet with some customers and discuss various topics or meet with a local user group. If this sounds like something that interests you please complete the below survey.

Here is my schedule:
So the cities I will be from May 3rd through the 23rd 2006

•  Auckland NZ May Arrive and stay 4th-8th
•  Wellington NZ May Arrive and stay 8th-9th
•  Auckland NZ May Arrive and stay 9th
•  Queenstown NZ May 10th-14th
•  Sydney AUS May 14th-17th
•  Perth AUS May 17th-23th
•  Auckaland NZ May 23th 5:30AM to 9:54PM then back to the states.

I will be headed over to Perth to meet Steve Johnson after years of emailing and reading his Cadalyst columns.I think we might have a good  and educational time after all these years of emails.Kiwis: I wont tell anyone if you show me a real hobbit or let me keep one. I even got my hobbit name "Mungo Chubb of Deephollow" thanks to http://www.chriswetherell.com/hobbit/

Aussies: G'day mates, throw another shrimp on the barbie
<ducking>

So anyone have a spare couch after pub crawling?

NZ Windows desktop wallpaper: http://www.microsoft.com/nz/windowsxp/downloads/nzbliss.mspx

Architectural Desktop 2007 Object Enablers

AutoCAD Knowledge Base article TS1056027
Note: AutoCAD 2007 has the current Architectural Desktop 2007 object enablers built into the product. By opening a file in the 2007 product the objects are upgraded to the latest version of AEC objects and your older version products Will need the new enablers. For example you are using AutoCAD 2006 which has the ADT 2006 enablers and you send your drawing to Joe which is using a 2007 product and saves the file back 2004 DWG for you. You will need the updated enablers to read this files AEC objects.

ARX_ERROR when opening a drawing in AutoCAD®

Published date: 2006-03-22
ID: TS1056027

Applies to:
AutoCAD® 2004
AutoCAD® 2005
AutoCAD® 2006

Issue

When you opened a drawing in AutoCAD®, you received one of the following error messages:

• ARX_ERROR: eNotThatKindOfClass
• ARX ERROR: eDuplicateKey

Solution

The error occurs because the drawings contain objects from the latest version of Architectural Desktop that could not be interpreted with the previous version of the Object Enabler.

Three Object Enabler Hotfixes have been released to prevent these errors.

For AutoCAD® 2004 or 2004 based products:
http://usa.autodesk.com/getdoc/id=DL7047389

For AutoCAD® 2005 or 2005 based products:
http://usa.autodesk.com/getdoc/id=DL7047376

For AutoCAD® 2006 or 2006 based products:
http://usa.autodesk.com/getdoc/id=DL7047371

Hardware Requirements for AutoCAD 2007

The hardware requirements for AutoCAD 2007 are listed as 2D users and recommended hardware for 3D.  2D customers can use the same hardware they are using for their current version of AutoCAD.  For customers that want to start using the new 3D design tools, we are providing a second level of system recommendations.

As many may know, AutoCAD has had the ability to use OpenGL based graphics hardware since AutoCAD 2000. With AutoCAD 2004 we added the ability to display textures, materials and lights on 3D models in real-time.  All of these features depended on the speed and ability of both your graphics card and driver for better performance. Most customers don’t know this because we have always left OpenGL hardware acceleration off by default and left it up to customers to discover it. With AutoCAD 2007’s focus on Conceptual Design and visualization we felt it was imperative that we test AutoCAD on a variety of graphics hardware and drivers so we could recommend to customers what graphics configurations best support the features of AutoCAD and provided the best good stability.

We have tested ~80 graphics cards from ATI, nVidia, Matrox, 3D Labs, NEC and Intel to see which ones best support AutoCAD 2007. With this analysis, AutoCAD 2007’s Performance Tuner can determine if OpenGL hardware acceleration can be reliably enabled by default the first time customers start up.  We can also let customers know if their card or driver does not support some of the new features; they can still turn on hardware acceleration if they wish.

The key features that need more graphics power for AutoCAD 2007 are the real-time shadows and Gooch shading.  Cards that support these features and are supported by the hardware vendor for CAD use are certified for use with AutoCAD 2007. There are cards in our certification list; both old and new, for as little as $250. Cards that support the features but are not supported by the vendor for CAD use will still be supported by Autodesk but hardware acceleration will be turned off by default. You can enable hardware acceleration using the “3Dconfig” command.

Customers can continue to use any graphics hardware they wish for 2D as those requirements have not changed but now AutoCAD can take better advantage of 3D hardware if they have it.

Check and see what the status of your hardware is. Keep in mind that new cards are being tested all the time. www.autodesk.com\autocad-graphicscard Check out the FAQ as well.

Read a article I wrote back in 2004  on the importance of selecting a good card for CAD Link

AutoCAD 2007 Visual Styles

Just wanted to share this nice example of a beta customer’s comment and use of the new Visual Styles in the upcoming AutoCAD 2007. Ged Trias posted this to the AutoCAD 2007 "Postrio" private beta image gallery and I asked to share this on the blog.

“Visual styles saves the day. It took less time to produce than a regular rendering. It gave me more depth & character than a standard wireframe or shaded view.” – Ged Trias

Here is an image of the 4 main Visual Styles from the product documentation.

Although the AutoCAD 2007 beta is now completed and many of the 2007 product betas are starting to wind down make sure to get involved and help shape the future releases and provide your feedback. Sign up for Autodesk Beta Testing at http://myfeedback.autodesk.com

I wish I was 23 again like AutoCAD 2007

21st release in 23 years.

AutoCAD History Site

Mark Kiker found the AutoCAD 2007 New Features Workshop

Mark's blog post: AutoCAD 2007 New Features Workshop

Thank you for the heads up Mark and thank you for your great blog http://caddmanager.com/blog/

And the New Features Workshop is on Autodesk.com at
http://www.autodesk.com/us/interactiveoverviews/demo/autocad2007_nfw/index.html

Lee Updates his Command Map for AutoCAD 2007

Lee Ambrosius has updated his AutoCAD commands page to show AutoCAD 2007 commands as well as commands back to R12. This is an excellent resource or even AutoCAD command trivia resource. I remember creating the first command map from R12 to AutoCAD 2000 and it took a few months of research but has been well worth it in popularity and assistance to AutoCAD users. For the past few years Lee has now became the proud owner of the command map and has taken it further as well as automated the back end to a SQL database.

http://www.hyperpics.com/commands/index.asp

You can access the command map table or get even more information and system variables as a member although Lee provides membership for free.

Heidi Posts 12 Great AutoCAD 2007 Videos

My coworker and fellow blogger Heidi Hewett has posted some AutoCAD 2007 videos in honor of AutoCAD 2007 shipping today. These videos are great to get some ideos on how to use the new features or just see some of the new features demonstrated.

Check out the blog post with video links:
http://heidihewett.blogs.com/my_weblog/2006/03/autocad_2007_ha.html

New Free AutoCAD 2007 DWG Conversion and Viewer Released

You can download the new version of DWG TrueConvert™ and DWG TrueView™ will be available within a few days.

DWG TrueConvert™ - Translate any AutoCAD or AutoCAD-based drawing file for compatibility with AutoCAD Release 14, AutoCAD 2000, 2000i, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2006 and 2007 versions. The DWG TrueConvert software allows conversion of pen widths to lineweights and the addition of page setups.
http://www.autodesk.com/dwgtrueconvert

DWG TrueView™ - View, plot, print, and publish with  software.
http://www.autodesk.com/dwgtrueview

Other free Migration Tools can be downloaded from http://www.autodesk.com/migrationtools

Download AutoCAD 2007

What: You can now download a free 30 day AutoCAD 2007 trial version from the web.

Where: http://www.autodesk.com/autocad and select the link on the right side of the page.

Why: Test drive and evaluate the new release AutoCAD 2007 for yourself.

AutoCAD 2007 Now Shipping!

As of today March 23rd, 2006 AutoCAD 2007 and AutoCAD LT 2007 will be shipping in English, German and Japanese on March 23, 2006. Additional languages are planned to be released in the future.

Press Releases:
* Autodesk Launches the Latest Release of Industry-Leading Software, AutoCAD 2007, AutoCAD LT 2007
* Autodesk Delivers Comprehensive Product Portfolio Spanning Multiple Industries

The AutoCAD web site was updated with AutoCAD 2007 information this morning at http://www.autodesk.com/autocad

AutoCAD 2007 Presentation in Denver April 5, 2006

PAUG Brings You AutoCAD 2007
Presented by Heidi Hewett, Autodesk Technical Marketing Manager
& Nate Bartley, Autodesk Beta Coordinator

Mark your calendars! Denver's Local User Group, PAUG, is proud to present Heidi Hewett, Autodesk Technical Marketing Manager and Nate Bartley, Autodesk Beta Coordinator. You are invited to see a FREE presentation AutoCAD 2007.

Don't miss this great opportunity to see the features of AutoCAD 2007. This event will give you the heads up you need and allow you to network with other Autodesk Enthusiasts in the Denver Metro Area.

For more information on the location visit: www.paug.org/westwood.htm

Pizza and refreshments will be provided, so bring your appetite for food and knowledge!

Westwood College of Technology
7350 Broadway
Denver, Colorado
Wednesday, April 5, 2006 6:30 pm

AutoCAD 2007 Public Discussion Group is now live!

The discussion group for AutoCAD 2007 is live in both a NNTP news reader discussion group and HTTP web browser version view.

Web Browser Version http://discussion.autodesk.com/forum.jspa?forumID=186

News Reader Version news://discussion.autodesk.com/autodesk.autocad.2007

Thanks to Bill for reminding me in the comments about the RSS feed of the AutoCAD 2007 discussion forum. http://discussion.autodesk.com/rss/rssmessages.jspa?forumID=186

Cheers,
Shaan

Why are undocumented AutoCAD sysvars undocumend?

Why Not:

Because they were not intended for customer use and were developed for in house testing of AutoCAD. In some cases they are nice to know for a customer but they were not tested or designed for use outside or even supported so we leave them undocumented. Since these limited number of undocumented system variables of system variables were not designed for customer usage or tested and can be removed in a future release or API change it would be irresponsible to document them. I suppose some might say it would be easy to document them and test but in reality it is not takes localization, testing and some have dependencies or could have 3rd party conflicts causing someone to pull their hair out. So some outside of Autodesk might choose to document them with a disclaimer but you wont find Autodesk documenting them.

Fake or Foto?

How many can you get right out of 10?

http://www.autodesk.com/eng/etc/fakeorfoto/

One of my tips when rendering is to build in some visual flaws errors or imperfections in a rendering to fool the eye. Far too often people render a perfect scene which is a big clue it is computer generated "CG".

AutoCAD History Website Updated

I have updated my unofficial AutoCAD history site to show the upcoming AutoCAD 2007.
Unofficial AutoCAD History Site

Cheers,
Shaan

AutoCAD LT 2007 Details

Just a few of the features of the upcoming AutoCAD LT 2007:

• Layer related Express Tools included
• Block Editor and Dynamic Blocks authoring
• Tool Palettes
• Plot to PDF or DWF
• Reference Palette
• DWF Attach DWF Underlay
• OTRACK / AutoTrack
• Reads DWG files from AutoCAD 2.x to 2007
• Some AutoCAD 2006 features
• and more

Weekend in the OC

I was in the Southern California Orange County “OC” area this weekend. I picked a bad weekend to go down there. As I have warned previously do not take the same flights as me as something is bound to occur and this time it was canceled flights coming and going so another boring 12 hours removed from my life.

I went to Orange County to see a quarter horse race in honor of my late grandfather Ivan Ashment who was a well respected horse owner and was involved with many quarter horse racing associations and owned the Quarter Horse Journal Magazine for awhile. He passed away many years ago but it was hard to enter the Los Alamitos racetrack without him, as I attended many races with him there. There we also many pictures and trophy's upstairs of my grandfather. I did get to see where my grandfather's world famous quarter horse “Town Policy” was buried in the main track field of Los Alamitos Racetrack. The horse Town Policy won almost a million dollars in races in the 1970’s but ended up in a international incident as allegedly the Mexican Government had the horse kidnapped and the US Government and FBI were on the case. It took quite a while to get the horse back. When Town Policy was found, he was in poor health and had to be put to sleep. There was a book written about the horse and the events that took place. It was pretty difficult to be at the track for the first time without my grandfather who passed away many years ago but I still miss him greatly especially when around horses or horse tracks. I spent about 15 minutes standing outside the entrance before daring to enter the racetrack. The staff were gracious and gave me a real tour and let me go out to the grave site of our horse Town Policy.

On Friday night I went to the Improv comedy club and then later partying with Comedy Network's Dave Attell “The Insomniac”.

On Saturday I was in Laguna Beach headed to San Diego when the weather went crazy and caused many downed trees on the freeways, crashes and believe or not some hail/snow mix. It is Southern California…it is supposed to be warm weather and sun.

Sunday I had a 12 noon flight back home and then my flight was canceled due to weather elsewhere and the re-booked me on another airlines flight at 5PM. 5PM came and gone as that flight was delayed until 7PM. The only excitement in the John Wayne Airport was seeing a Southwest Airlines plane painted like Shamu the Killer Whale following a Alaskan Airlines plane painted like a Chinook Salmon the food source of killer whales.

I did get some time to learn Alias Maya 7.01 from being a 3ds Max users perspective but now Autodesk owns both products. You can see Max at top and Maya below.

New, Changed, Removed Commands and System Variables in AutoCAD 2007

New Commands

Command	Description
3DALIGN	Aligns objects with other objects in 2D and 3D.
-3DCONFIG	Provides a command line interface to the 3D graphics system's configuration settings.
3DDWF	Displays the Export 3D DWF dialog box.
3DFLY	Activates fly-through mode and enables you to navigate in any direction, including off the XY plane.
3DFORBIT	Controls the interactive viewing of objects in 3D, using an unconstrained orbit.
3DMOVE	Displays the move grip tool in a 3D view and moves objects a specified distance in a specified direction.
3DROTATE	Displays the rotate grip tool in a 3D view and revolves objects around a base point.
3DWALK	Interactively changes the view of a 3D drawing so that you appear to be walking through the model.
AECTOACAD	Creates a new DWG file with all AEC objects exploded.
ANIPATH	Saves an animation along a path in a 3D model.
BREP	Removes the history from 3D solid primitives and composite solids.
CHSPACE	Moves objects from model space to paper space, or vice versa. (integrated Express Tool)
CONVERTOLDLIGHTS	Converts lights created in previous releases to lights in AutoCAD 2007 format.
CONVERTOLDMATERIALS	Converts materials created in previous releases to materials in AutoCAD 2007 format.
CONVTOSOLID	Converts polylines and circles with thickness to 3D solids.
CONVTOSURFACE	Converts objects to surfaces.
COPYTOLAYER	Copies one or more objects to another layer. (integrated Express Tool)
-COPYTOLAYER	Copies one or more objects to another layer. (command line version)
DASHBOARD	Opens the Dashboard window.
DASHBOARDCLOSE	Closes the Dashboard window.
DISTANTLIGHT	Creates a distant light.
DWFADJUST	Allows adjustment of a DWF underlay from the command line.
DWFATTACH	Attaches a DWF underlay to the current drawing.
DWFCLIP	Uses clipping boundaries to define a subregion of a DWF underlay.
EXTERNALREFERENCES	Displays the External References palette.
EXTERNALREFERENCESCLOSE	Closes the External References palette.
FLATSHOT	Creates a 2D representation of all 3D objects in the current view.
GEOGRAPHICLOCATION	Specifies the latitude and longitude of a location.
HELIX	Creates a 2D or 3D spiral.
IMPRINT	Imprints an edge on a 3D solid.
-INTERFERE	Highlights 3D solids that overlap. (command line version)
JOGSECTION	Adds a jogged segment to a section object.
LAYCUR	Changes the layer of selected objects to the current layer. (integrated Express Tool)
LAYDEL	Deletes the layer of a selected object and all objects on the layer, and purges the layer from the drawing. (integrated Express Tool)
-LAYDEL	Deletes the layer of a selected object and all objects on the layer, and purges the layer from the drawing. (command line version)
LAYFRZ	Freezes the layer of selected objects. (integrated Express Tool)
LAYISO	Isolates the layer of selected objects so that all other layers are turned off. (integrated Express Tool)
LAYLCK	Locks the layer of selected objects. (integrated Express Tool)
LAYMCH	Changes the layer of a selected object to match the destination layer. (integrated Express Tool)
-LAYMCH	Changes the layer of a selected object to match the destination layer. (command line version)
LAYMCUR	Makes the layer of a selected object current. (renamed AI_MOLC)
LAYMRG	Merges selected layers onto a destination layer. (integrated Express Tool)
-LAYMRG	Merges selected layers onto a destination layer. (command line version)
LAYOFF	Turns off the layer of the selected object. (integrated Express Tool)
LAYON	Turns on all layers. (integrated Express Tool)
LAYTHW	Thaws all layers. (integrated Express Tool)
LAYULK	Unlocks the layer of a selected object. (integrated Express Tool)
LAYUNISO	Turns on layers that were turned off with the last LAYISO command. (integrated Express Tool)
LAYVPI	Isolates an object's layer to the current viewport. (integrated Express Tool)
LAYWALK	Dynamically displays layers in a drawing. (integrated Express Tool)
LIGHTLIST	Opens the Lights in Model window to add and modify lights.
LIGHTLISTCLOSE	Closes the Lights in Model window.
LIVESECTION	Turns on live sectioning for a selected section object.
LOFT	Creates a 3D solid or surface by lofting through a set of two or more curves.
MATERIALATTACH	Attaches materials to objects by layer.
MATERIALMAP	Displays a material mapper grip tool to adjust the mapping on a face or an object.
MATERIALS	Manages, applies, and modifies materials.
MATERIALSCLOSE	Closes the Materials window.
PLANESURF	Creates a planar surface.
POINTLIGHT	Creates a point light.
POLYSOLID	Creates a 3D polysolid.
PRESSPULL	Presses or pulls bounded areas.
PYRAMID	Creates a 3D solid pyramid.
RENDERCROP	Selects a specific region (crop window) in an image for rendering.
RENDERENVIRONMENT	Provides visual cues for the apparent distance of objects.
RENDERPRESETS	Specifies render presets, reusable rendering parameters, for rendering an image.
RENDERWIN	Displays the Render Window without invoking a render task.
RPREFCLOSE	Closes the Advanced Render Settings palette, if it is displayed.
SECTIONPLANE	Creates a section object that acts as a cutting plane through a 3D object.
SPOTLIGHT	Creates a spotlight.
SUNPROPERTIES	Opens the Sun palette and sets the properties of the sun.
SUNPROPERTIESCLOSE	Closes the Sun Properties window.
SWEEP	Creates a 3D solid or surface by sweeping a 2D curve along a path.
THICKEN	Creates a 3D solid by thickening a surface.
VISUALSTYLES	Creates and modifies visual styles and applies a visual style to a viewport.
-VISUALSTYLES	Creates and modifies visual styles and applies a visual style to a viewport. (command line version)
VISUALSTYLESCLOSE	Closes the Visual Styles Manager.
VSCURRENT	Sets the visual style in the current viewport.
VSSAVE	Saves a visual style.
WALKFLYSETTINGS	Specifies walk and fly settings.
XEDGES	Creates wireframe geometry by extracting edges from a 3D solid or surface.

Changed Commands

Command	Description
3DCONFIG	Provides 3D graphics system configuration settings.
3DORBIT	Controls the interactive viewing of objects in 3D.
3DPAN	Starts the interactive 3D view and enables you to drag the view horizontally and vertically in a perspective view.
3DSWIVEL	Changes the target of the view in the direction that you drag.
3DZOOM	Zooms in and out in a perspective view.
ALIGN	Aligns objects with other objects in 2D and 3D.
BOX	Creates a 3D solid box.
CAMERA	Sets a camera and target location to create and save a 3D perspective view of objects.
CHANGE	Changes the properties of existing objects.
CHPROP	Changes the properties of an object.
CONE	Creates a 3D solid with a circular or elliptical base tapering symmetrically to a point or a circular or elliptical planar face.
CUI	Manages customized user interface elements such as workspaces, toolbars, menus, shortcut menus and keyboard shortcuts.
CYLINDER	Creates a three-sided 3D solid with a circular or elliptical base and top.
DSETTINGS	Sets grid and snap, polar and object snap tracking, object snap modes, and Dynamic Input.
DVIEW	Defines parallel projection or perspective views by using a camera and target.
ETRANSMIT	Packages a set of files for Internet transmission.
-ETRANSMIT	Packages a set of files for Internet transmission. (command line version)
EXPLODE	Breaks a compound object into its component objects.
EXTRUDE	Creates a 3D solid or surface by extruding an object or planar face a specified distance and direction.
FIELD	Creates a multiline text object with a field that can be updated automatically as the field value changes.
GRID	Displays a grid in the current viewport that is not plotted.
HIDE	Regenerates a three-dimensional wireframe model with hidden lines suppressed.
HLSETTINGS	Changes the display properties of lines in 2D wireframes.
IMAGE	Starts the EXTERNALREFERENCES command allowing for image management.
-IMAGE	Allows access to image options from the command line.
IMAGEADJUST	Controls the image display of the brightness, contrast, and fade values of images.
-IMAGEADJUST	Controls the image display of the brightness, contrast, and fade values of images. (command line version)
IMAGEATTACH	Attaches a new image to the current drawing.
IMAGECLIP	Uses clipping boundaries to define a subregion of an image object.
IMAGEQUALITY	Controls the display quality of images.
INTERFERE	Highlights 3D solids that overlap.
JOIN	Joins objects to form a single, unbroken object.
LIGHT	Creates a light.
LIST	Displays database information for selected objects.
MATCHPROP	Applies the properties of a selected object to other objects.
MVIEW	Creates and controls layout viewports.
OPTIONS	Customizes the program settings.
PAGESETUP	Controls the page layout, plotting device, paper size, and other settings for each new layout.
PLOT	Plots a drawing to a plotter, printer, or file.
PUBLISH	Publishes drawings to DWF files or plotters.
PURGE	Removes unused named items, such as block definitions and layers, from the drawing.
-PURGE	Removes unused named items, such as block definitions and layers, from the drawing. (command line version)
QSELECT	Creates a selection set based on filtering criteria.
RECTANG	Draws a rectangular polyline.
REFCLOSE	Saves back or discards changes made during in-place editing of a reference (an xref or a block).
REFEDIT	Selects an external reference or block reference for editing.
RENDER	Creates a photorealistic or realistically shaded image of a three-dimensional wireframe or solid model.
REVOLVE	Creates a 3D solid or surface by revolving 2D objects about an axis.
RPREF	Displays the Advanced Render Settings palette for access to advanced rendering settings.
SAVEIMG	Saves a rendered image to a file.
SELECT	Places selected objects in the Previous selection set.
SHADEMODE	Starts the VSCURRENT command.
SHEETSET	Opens the Sheet Set Manager.
SLICE	Slices a solid with a plane or surface.
SNAP	Restricts cursor movement to specified intervals.
SOLIDEDIT	Edits faces and edges of 3D solid objects.
SPHERE	Creates a 3D solid sphere.
TORUS	Creates a 3D donut-shaped solid.
UCS	Manages user coordinate systems.
VIEW	Saves and restores named views, camera views, layout views, and preset views.
-VPORTS	Creates multiple viewports in model space or paper space. (command line version)
WBLOCK	Writes objects or a block to a new drawing file.
-WBLOCK	Writes objects or a block to a new drawing file. (command line version)
WEDGE	Creates a five-sided 3D solid with a sloped face tapering along the X axis.
XREF	Starts the EXTERNALREFERENCES command.

Removed or Obsolete Commands

Command	Description
3DDWFPUBLISH	Creates 3D DWF files of three-dimensional models. (replaced by 3DDWF)
3DSOUT	Exports to a 3D Studio (3DS) file. (no replacement)
BACKGROUND	Sets up the background for your scene. (merged with VIEW)
FOG	Provides visual cues for the apparent distance of objects. (replaced by RENDERENVIRONMENT)
LSEDIT	Edits a landscape object. (no replacement)
LSLIB	Maintains libraries of landscape objects. (no replacement)
LSNEW	Adds realistic landscape items, such as trees and bushes, to your drawings. (no replacement)
MATLIB	Imports and exports materials to and from a library of materials. (replaced by MATERIALS)
RENDSCR	Has no effect except to preserve the integrity of scripts. (no replacement)
REPLAY	Displays a BMP, TGA, or TIFF image. (no replacement)
RMAT	Manages rendering materials. (replaced by MATERIALS)
SCENE	Manages scenes in model space. (no replacement)
SETUV	Maps materials onto objects. (replaced by MATERIALMAP)
SHOWMAT	Lists the material type and attachment method for a selected object. (replaced by LIST)
STATS	Displays rendering statistics. (merged with RENDERWIN)

System Variables

New System Variables

System Variable	Description
3DDWFPREC	Controls the precision of 3D DWF publishing.
CAMERADISPLAY	Toggle whether camera objects are displayed in the current drawing.
CAMERAHEIGHT	Stores the default height for newly created camera objects.
CLEANSCREENSTATE	Stores a value that indicates whether the clean screen state is on. (read-only)
CMATERIAL	Sets the material of new objects.
CSHADOW	Sets the shadow display property for a 3D object.
DASHBOARDSTATE	Determines whether the Dashboard window is active or not.
DEFAULTLIGHTING	Turns default lighting on and off.
DEFAULTLIGHTINGTYPE	Specifies the type of default lighting.
DIMARCSYM	Controls display of the arc symbol in an arc length dimension.
DIMFXL	Sets the total length of the extension lines starting from the dimension line toward the dimension origin.
DIMFXLON	Controls whether extension lines are set to a fixed length.
DIMJOGANG	Determines the angle of the transverse segment of the dimension line in a jogged radius dimension.
DIMLTEX1	Sets the linetype of the first extension line.
DIMLTEX2	Sets the linetype of the second extension line.
DIMLTYPE	Sets the linetype of the dimension line.
DIMTFILL	Controls the background of dimension text.
DIMTFILLCLR	Sets the color for the text background in dimensions.
DRAGVS	Sets the visual style while creating 3D objects.
DWFFRAME	Determines whether the DWF frame is visible and if it will plot.
DWFOSNAP	Determines whether object snapping is enabled for DWFs that are attached to a DWG.
ERSTATE	Determines whether the External References window is inactive, active/visible or active/auto-hidden.
GRIDDISPLAY	Controls the display behavior and display limits of the grid.
GRIDMAJOR	Controls the frequency of major grid lines compared to minor grid lines.
GRIDUNIT	Specifies the grid spacing (X and Y) for the current viewport.
GTAUTO	Controls whether or not grip tools display automatically when selecting objects in 3D space.
GTDEFAULT	Controls whether or not the 3DMOVE, 3DROTATE, and 3DSCALE commands start automatically when the MOVE, ROTATE, and SCALE commands (respectively) are started in a 3D view.
GTLOCATION	Sets the default location for grip tools.
IMPLIEDFACE	Controls the detection of implied faces.
INTERFERECOLOR	Sets the color of interference objects.
INTERFEREOBJVS	Sets the visual style for interference objects.
INTERFEREVPVS	Sets the visual style for the current viewport while using the INTERFERENCE command.
LATITUDE	Specifies the latitude of the drawing model.
LEGACYCTRLPICK	Specifies the keys for selection cycling and the behavior for CTRL + left-click.
LIGHTGLYPHDISPLAY	Controls whether light glyphs are displayed.
LIGHTLISTSTATE	Indicates whether the Lights in Model window is open or closed.
LOFTANG1	Sets the draft angle through the first cross section in a loft operation.
LOFTANG2	Sets the draft angle through the last cross section in a loft operation.
LOFTMAG1	Sets the magnitude of draft angle through the first cross section in a loft operation.
LOFTMAG2	Sets the magnitude of draft angle through the last cross section in a loft operation.
LOFTNORMALS	Controls the normals of a lofted object where it passes through cross sections.
LOFTPARAM	Controls the shape of lofted solids and surfaces.
LONGITUDE	Specifies the longitude of the drawing model.
MATSTATE	Indicates whether the Materials window is open or closed.
NORTHDIRECTION	Specifies the angle of the Sun from north.
OSOPTIONS	Automatically suppresses object snaps on hatch objects and when using a dynamic UCS.
PERSPECTIVE	Specifies whether the current viewport displays a perspective working view.
PSOLHEIGHT	Sets the default height for a swept solid object created with the POLYSOLID command.
PSOLWIDTH	Sets the default width for a swept solid object created with the POLYSOLID command.
PUBLISHALLSHEETS	Controls how the Publish dialog list is populated.
RENDERPREFSSTATE	Stores a value that indicates whether the Advanced Render Settings palette is open.
SHADOWPLANELOCATION	Controls the location of an invisible ground plane used to display shadows.
SHOWHIST	Controls the Show History property for solids in a drawing.
SOLIDHIST	Controls the default History property setting for new and existing objects.
STEPSIZE	Specifies the step size in current units when users are in Walk mode.
STEPSPERSEC	Specifies the number of steps taken per second when users are in Walk mode.
SUNPROPERTIESSTATE	Indicates whether the Sun Properties window is open or closed.
SUNSTATUS	Controls whether the Sun is casting light in the viewport.
TIMEZONE	Sets the time zone for a sun study.
UCSDETECT	Controls whether dynamic UCS acquisition is active or not.
VSBACKGROUNDS	Controls whether backgrounds are displayed in the current viewport.
VSCURRENT	Stores the name of the visual style applied to the current viewport.
VSEDGECOLOR	Sets the color of edges.
VSEDGEJITTER	Controls the degree to which lines are made to appear as though sketched with a pencil.
VSEDGEOVERHANG	Makes lines extend beyond their intersection, for a hand-drawn effect.
VSEDGES	Controls the types of edges that are displayed in the viewport.
VSEDGESMOOTH	Specifies the angle at which crease edges are displayed.
VSFACECOLORMODE	Controls how the color of faces is calculated.
VSFACESTYLE	Controls how faces are displayed in the current viewport.
VISUALSTYLES	Displays the Visual Styles Manager palette allowing you to create and modify visual styles, or apply a visual style to a viewport.
VSHALOGAP	Sets the halo gap in the visual style applied to the current viewport.
VSHIDEPRECISION	Controls the accuracy of hides and shades in the visual style applied to the current viewport.
VSINTERSECTIONCOLOR/P>	Specifies the color of intersection polylines in the visual style applied to the current viewport.
VSINTERSECTIONEDGES	Specifies the display of intersection edges in the visual style applied to the current viewport.
VSINTERSECTIONLTYPE	Controls whether obscured lines are displayed in the current viewport and sets their linetype.
VSLIGHTINGQUALITY	Sets the lighting quality in the current viewport.
VSMATERIALMODE	Controls the display of materials in the current viewport.
VSMONOCOLOR	Sets the color for monochrome display of faces.
VSOBSCUREDCOLOR	Specifies the color of obscured lines in the visual style applied to the current viewport.
VSOBSCUREDEDGES	Controls whether obscured (hidden) edges are displayed.
VSOBSCUREDLTYPE	Specifies the linetype of obscured lines in the visual style applied to the current viewport.
VSOPACITY	Controls the transparency of faces in the current viewport.
VSSHADOWS	Controls whether a visual style displays shadows.
VSSILHEDGES	Controls display of silhouette curves of solid objects in the visual style applied to the current viewport.
VSSILHEDGEWIDTH	Specifies the width in pixels for display of silhouette edges in the current viewport.
VSSPECULAR	Controls the display of specular highlights on faces without materials in the current viewport.
VSSTATE	Stores a value that indicates whether the Visual Styles window is open.
ZOOMWHEEL	Allows users to toggle the behavior of mouse wheel zoom operations.

Changed System Variables

System Variable	Description
AUTOSNAP	Controls the display of the AutoSnap marker, tooltip, and magnet.
BACKZ	Stores the back clipping plane offset from the target plane for the current viewport, in drawing units.
DBLCLKEDIT	Controls double-click behavior.
DELOBJ	Controls whether objects used to create other objects are retained or deleted from the drawing database.
DISPSILH	Controls display of silhouette curves of solid objects in Wireframe mode.
FRONTZ	Stores the front clipping plane offset from the target plane for the current viewport.
LENSLENGTH	Stores the length of the lens. (read-only)
PICKADD	Controls whether subsequent selections replace the current selection set or add to it.
POLARMODE	Controls settings for polar and object snap tracking.
PROJECTNAME	Assigns a project name to the current drawing.
SURFU	Sets the surface density for PEDIT Smooth in the M direction.
SURFV	Sets the surface density for PEDIT Smooth in the N direction.
TRACKPATH	Controls the display of polar and object snap tracking alignment paths.

Removed or Obsolete

• None

Make sure to check out Lee's Command and System Variable Database.
http://www.hyperpics.com/commands/index.asp
http://www.hyperpics.com/system_variables/index.asp

Lunch, Dinner, Visit, or Chat in Southern California this Weekend?

I had some personal plans in Orange County California this weekend but they got cancelled at the very last minute. So instead of being penalized for cancelling all my reservations I will still be traveling down there. As a bonus I get to escape the 5” of snow that fell at my home here in the Rockies. So how about it? Any user group meetings this weekend? Anyone want to just drive around, chat, see cool places, and have fun? I will be in Orange County with a car from Friday late afternoon until Sunday late morning. Too bad I missed out by a week on Lynn Allen’s fun weekend in LA last weekend.

If you are interested, please email me at shaan@autodesk.com

AutoCAD 2007 Preview Guide

Please find the Preview Guide for the upcoming release of AutoCAD 2007 below.

Download autocad_2007_preview_guide_btl.pdf
Please do not direct link to this file.