Between the Lines

AutoCAD’s OVERKILL Command Reduces Object Duplications in the Drawing File

In the course of creating drawings you are bound to create a few objects on top of each other and this can be even more common when exchanging files with others. The AutoCAD Express Tool command OVERKILL will help you remove all the unwanted duplicate geometry. Back in the plotter days having redundant lines could cause the plotter to waste ink plotting one abject on top of another but the same could be true today with devices or perhaps even CNC cutting.

Note: You must have installed the AutoCAD Express Tools when you installed your AutoCAD. OVERKILL is an Express Tool.

From the AutoCAD Commandline: OVERKILL
From the AutoCAD Toolbar and ribbon: Located on the Express pull down or ribbon panel under Modify “delete duplicate objects”.

You are presented with some options for OVERKILL. Before using any command that removes, exploded objects you should test it on a drawing as well as make sure you understand the option which are detailed in the AutoCAD Express Tools Help.

The results of OVERKILL on my drawing:

2 duplicate(s) deleted.
2 object(s) deleted.

Cheers,
Shaan

AutoCAD Free Bonus Tool Drawing Tabs "MDITabs"

I am re-releasing the Drawing Tabs Bonus Tool. We have fixed some bugs identified in CER reports and recompiled the much beloved free Drawing Tabs MDITabs.ARX application for both 32bit and 64bit versions of AutoCAD 2010, AutoCAD 2009, and AutoCAD 2007/2008/2009. Yes AutoCAD 2009 and 2008 64bit version due to customer request.  MDITabs allows you to see and quickly navigate open drawings in a series of tabs along the top of the drawing window.For those that installed the AutoCAD 2010 versions posted March 29 2009 this is the same released build no need to replace.

Your wish is our command!

AutoCAD 2010 2007/2008/2009 versions in one Zip archive file 
Download AutoCAD MDITabs ARX

To install you simply place the appropriate ARX for your version of AutoCAD 2010 such as 32-bit or 64-bit in your support path. Now use the AutoCAD command APPLOAD to load it, and then add it to your start up suite so it loads each time you start AutoCAD 2010. Huge kudos to the many AutoCAD Team members that helped get this accomplished such as Kurt Chase, Mike Dickason, Misha Belilovskiy, Debashis Dhar, Elishba Joseph, Suresh Kumar, Ravi Pothineni, Eileen Sinnott, Kathy O'Connell, Karen Mason, Gagandeep Singh, and Pam Brenner that fit this into their schedules and a special thank you to software developer Alagappan Annamalai. Please note this tool is unsupported and provided as-is.

Is this something we should consider adding to the base AutoCAD in the future, let me know in the comments to this post.

Cheers,
Shaan

AutoCAD 2010 Free Bonus Tool Drawing Tabs

We have recompiled the much beloved Drawing Tabs MDITabs.ARX application for both 32bit and 64bit versions of AutoCAD 2010. MDITabs allows you to see and quickly navigate open drawings in a series of tabs along the top of the drawing window.

AutoCAD 2010 version Download AutoCAD 2010 MDITabs ARX
AutoCAD 2007/2008/2009 version Download Here

To install you simply place the appropriate ARX for your version of AutoCAD 2010 such as 32-bit or 64-bit in your support path. Now use the AutoCAD command APPLOAD to load it, and then add it to your start up suite so it loads each time you start AutoCAD 2010.

Please note this tool is unsupported and provided as-is.

Cheers,
Shaan

Download the Subscription PDF Bonus Pack for AutoCAD Civil 3D 2009

The AutoCAD 2009 Subscription Bonus Pack for PDF enhancements and PDF Underlay is now available to AutoCAD Civil 3D Subscription members to install on AutoCAD Civil 3D 2009. This nice enhanced PDF functionality as well as the other AutoCAD Subscription Bonus Packs are built into the AutoCAD 2010 products.

You can download this Bonus Pack on the Subscription Center.

Cheers,
Shaan

AutoCAD 2009 Bonus Pack 2 - PDF Output Quality Improvements and File Size Reductions

In addition to the ability to now use a PDF underlay in AutoCAD 2009 so that you can reference and snap to vector geometry there were other PDF enhancements. One of the big enhancements was PDF output quality and file size reductions.

File Size of PDFs Reduced:

Tests using the AutoCAD Sample DWG Willhome.dwg
AutoCAD 2009 PDF = 2.697 MB
AutoCAD 2009 with Bonus Pack 2 PDF = 249 KB 
90.8% reduction in size

Test using a gradient test drawing:
AutoCAD 2009 PDF = 31.697 MB
AutoCAD 2009 with Bonus Pack 2 PDF =867 KB
97.3% reduction in size

We were even smaller than the PDF solution AcroPlot and Adobe Acrobat Pro 9 without compromising quality! With the smaller file sizes you get much faster opening of the PDF files.

Some of the other enhancements:

• Exporting layers into PDF so they can be turned on or off in a PDF viewer.
• Embedding some fonts into the PDF so that you can search for text strings in a PDF viewer.
• Better quality and visual fidelity.
• Support line merging.

While PDF is still not as well suited for electronic vector based design documents as the DWF format is, PDF export in the AutoCAD Bonus Pack 2 has been substantially improved for those that must use the PDF format.

The Bonus Packs are planned to be incorporated into future releases of AutoCAD, but for the current time they are available and use by AutoCAD Subscription customers from the Autodesk Subscription website.

Cheers,
Shaan

AutoCAD 2009 Subscription Bonus Pack 1 Released

Autodesk Subscription customers today can download the new Autodesk Subscription Bonus Pack 1 for AutoCAD 2009. This Bonus Pack can be downloaded via the Subscription Center. This Subscription Bonus Pack is currently available in English for the 32-bit and 64bit AutoCAD 2009. The download is about 80MB.

AutoCAD 2009 Subscription Bonus Pack – Customer Wishlist Enhancements
Extend the capability of AutoCAD® 2009 with this bonus pack that offers some highly requested AUGI wishlist items before the next AutoCAD release.

The AutoCAD 2009 Subscription Bonus Pack provides many useful AUGI (Autodesk User Group International) functionality requests, including:

• New measurement capabilities You can measure the distance, radius, angle, area, and volume of selected objects or a sequence of points.

• SPLINE to PLINE

• Reverse PLINE edit

• Rotating viewport and have the view rotate with the viewport

• Erase unreferenced unnamed objects including PURGE 0-length objects like blank spaces in text etc.

The following commands and system variables have been added or updated for AutoCAD 2009 Subscription Bonus Pack 1:

Commands

• MEASUREGEOM
• PEDIT
• PURGE
• -PURGE
• REVERSE
• SPLINEDIT

System Variables

• DELOBJ
• PLINECONVERTMODE
• VPROTATEASSOC

Notes:

• AutoCAD 2009 Subscription Bonus Pack 1 can only be applied to AutoCAD 2009, AutoCAD Revit^® Architecture Suite 2009, and AutoCAD Revit Structure Suite 2009. It cannot be applied to other products.
• AutoCAD 2009 Update 1 is required in order to run AutoCAD 2009 Subscription Bonus Pack 1. It will be installed with AutoCAD 2009 Subscription Bonus Pack 1 if it has not already been installed.
• In AutoCAD 2009 Subscription Bonus Pack 1, new and updated functionality (commands, system variables, options, and warning messages) displays in English only. If you install this bonus pack on a non-English product, all new and updated functionality displays in English.

Cheers,
Shaan

(note: I am wondering why the blackout of any recent coverage or crediting of my blog postings and news by some in the online CAD “press”, pundits, or CAD news aggregators…Perhaps they are censoring me for some obscure reason or perhaps less insidiously they just don’t have the updated RSS feed)

25 July 2008 New Feature Releases Now Available Exclusively for Autodesk Subscription Customers

Effective today July 25, 2008, Autodesk Subscription members, as part of their benefits, can download the following new feature releases:

• AutoCAD^® 2009
  • AutoCAD^® 2009 Subscription Bonus Pack 
    (detailed overview of this Bonus Pack planned to be posted today on this blog)
• AutoCAD^® Civil 3D^® 2008
  • PISTE Import Extension for AutoCAD^® Civil 3D^® 2008
• AutoCAD^® Civil 3D^® 2009
  • PISTE Import Extension for AutoCAD^® Civil 3D^® 2009
  • Data Management e-Learning
  • Site Design – Pipes e-Learning
  • Transportation – Alignments e-Learning
  • Transportation - Assemblies and Corridors e-Learning
• AutoCAD LT^® 2009
  • Transitioning from AutoCAD LT^® 2008 e-Learning
• AutoCAD^® Map 3D 2009
  • Merging Parcels Skill Builder
  • Working with Raster Images Online Tutorial Help Files
  • Create, Execute, and Save Complex Drawing Queries Online Tutorial Help Files
  • Cleanup and Publish a Map Online Tutorial Help Files
• AutoCAD^® MEP 2009
  • AutoCAD^® MEP DACH 2009
• AutoCAD^® Revit^® Architecture Suite 2009
  • Revit^® Extensions for Revit^® Architecture 2009
  • Revit^® 2009 Performance Technical Note (white paper)
• AutoCAD^® Revit^® MEP Suite 2009
  • Revit^® Extensions for Revit^® MEP 2009
  • Revit^® 2009 Performance Technical Note (white paper)
• AutoCAD^® Revit^® Structure Suite 2009
  • Subscription Structural Library for Revit^® Structure 2009
  • Revit^® Extensions for Revit^® Structure 2009 (second release)
  • Revit^® 2009 Performance Technical Note (white paper)
• Autodesk^® 3ds Max^® 2008
  • Automotive Visualization Tips and Tricks Downloadable DVD
  • Architectural and Industrial Visualization with mental ray and 3ds Max Downloadable DVD
• Autodesk^® 3ds Max^® 2009
  • Biped Features Version Readiness Training
• Autodesk^® Inventor ^® 2009
  • Transitioning from Autodesk Inventor 2008 Parts 1 & 2 e-Learning in Spanish, Russian, Simplified Chinese, Japanese
• Autodesk^® Maya^® 2008
  • Particle Color Inheritance II Video Podcast
  • Model & Sculpt a Hand II Video Podcast
• Autodesk^® NavisWorks^® 2009
  • Object Enablers Technical Note (white paper)
• Autodesk^® Productstream^® 2009
  • Autodesk^® Productstream^® Professional Webserver 2009
    Autodesk^® Data Exchange 2009
• Autodesk MapGuide^® 2009
  • Autodesk MapGuide^® Enterprise Server and Studio 2009 e-Learning
• Revit^® Architecture 2009
  • Revit^® Extensions for Revit^® Architecture 2009
  • Revit^® 2009 Performance Technical Note (white paper)
• Revit^® Structure 2009
  • Subscription Structural Library for Revit^® Structure 2009
  • Revit^® Extensions for Revit^® Structure 2009 (second release)
  • Revit^® 2009 Performance Technical Note (white paper)

You can download these releases via the Subscription Center.

Cheers,
Shaan

New Feature Releases Now Available for Autodesk Subscription Customers July 11th

Subscription customers can download these releases including a cornucopia of e-Learning content via the Subscription Center.

• AutoCAD^® 2009
  An Introduction to Programming in AutoCAD Video Tutorial
• AutoCAD^® Architecture 2009
  UK Content Tools
• AutoCAD® Civil 3D® 2009
  Land Desktop Companion
  Site Design - Parcels e-Learning
  Site Design - Profiles e-Learning
  Site Design - Grading and Quantities e-Learning
  Site Design – Alignments e-Learning
  Site Design - Assemblies and Corridors e-Learning
  Creating an Intersection: Peer Roads e-Learning
  An Introduction to Programming in Civil 3D Video Tutorial
• AutoCAD^® Map 3D
  Survey Tools
  Industry Kits for Water and Wastewater
  Linking and Managing Drawing-Based Attribute Data e-Learning
  Working with Geospatial Features e-Learning
• AutoCAD^® MEP 2009
  HVAC Load Calculation Extension
  UK Content Tools
• AutoCAD^® P&ID 2009
  Introduction to AutoCAD Process and Power e-Learning
• AutoCAD® Revit® Architecture Suite 2009
  An Introduction to Programming in Revit Video Tutorial
• AutoCAD^® Revit® MEP Suite 2009
  HVAC Load Calculation Extension
  An Introduction to Programming in Revit Video Tutorial
  UK Content Tools
• AutoCAD^® Revit Structure Suite 2009
  Reinforcement Content for AutoCAD Structural Detailing 2009
  An Introduction to Programming in Revit Video Tutorial
  MIDAS/Gen Link
• Autodesk^® 3ds Max^®  2008
  HDRI in an Autodesk 3ds Max Pipeline Downloadable DVD
  Film Visual Effects in 3ds Max Downloadable DVD
  Anaglyph Stereoscopic Techniques Downloadable DVD
• Autodesk^® 3ds Max^®  2009
  Lighting Analysis Version Readiness Training
  Backburner Version Readiness Training
  FBX Interoperability Version Readiness Training
  New mental rayTM Features Version Readiness Training
  Various New Features Version Readiness Training
  Modeling & Texturing Features Version Readiness Training
• Autodesk^® Impression 
  Working with Impression e-Learning
  Working with Styles e-Learning
  Working with Blocks e-Learning
  Creating Impression Objects e-Learning
• Autodesk^® Inventor ^®2009
  What’s New in Inventor 2009 Part 1 Webcast (Polish Only)
  What’s New in Inventor 2009 Part 2 Webcast (Polish Only)
  An Introduction to Programming in Inventor Video Tutorial
• Autodesk^® Maya^® 2008
  Quadruped Animation Friendly Rigging Part III Downloadable DVD
  Hand Sculpting Video Podcast
  Arm Rigging Part I Video Podcast
  Coloring Particles Part I Video Podcast
• Autodesk® Productstream® Professional 2009
  Access Control Manager
• Revit^® Architecture 2009
  An Introduction to Programming in Revit Video Tutorial
• Revit^® Structure 2009
  An Introduction to Programming in Revit Video Tutorial

Localized Releases

• Autodesk® Vault 2009 – Brazilian Portuguese
• Drawing Compare Extensions – Traditional Chinese & Hungarian
• Migration Assistant: Import/Export 2009 - Hungarian

More details in this PDF

Download subscription_new_feature_releases_catalogue_july_11.pdf

AutoCAD Drawing Cleanup Utility "DCU" on Autodesk Labs

We just posted a new preview of a utility named the Drawing Cleanup Utility "DCU" to the Autodesk Labs. This Drawing Cleanup Utility will assist you in cleaning up a drawing to meet your specification or standards by organizing, re-mapping, or manipulate entities to a target standard. You can move layers, blocks, geometry, linetypes, color, explode blocks and attributes all while selecting in a visual selection method. It can also record and play macros to automate tasks. It is for AutoCAD 2007 and AutoCAD 2008 and based vertical products like AutoCAD for Architecture 2008.

Check DCU out HERE

From the documentation:

What is the DCU?
The Drawing Cleanup Center (DCU) is a productivity tool that provides users the ability to
quickly clean-up and structure DWG files to meet a specific standard. DCU can be used
with all Autodesk products that run on AutoCAD 2007 or 2008 – e.g. Map 3D, ADT, Civil
3D, etc.
It is a user interactive tool that provides visual feedback of user actions and assists users
in selecting the right tools with visual cues such as tool tips. It is designed for individuals
who are familiar with CAD but who aren’t CAD experts.

Who needs DCU?
DCU is valuable tool for CAD drafters and designers in several important, and often time
consuming, business scenarios that require modifying drawings to conform to a standard
as follows:

• Cleanup CAD Drawings to a standard driven format which makes it easier to migrate to any AutoCAD application.
• Automating the migration of drawings into a database-based system (e.g. migrating maps into a GIS, migrating floor plans into a facilities management system, etc.)
• Ensuring that drawings from subcontractors conform to a company standard
• Decluttering (removing data) drawings to make them more usable for different business users (e.g., taking architectural floor plan drawings and simplifying them to fit the needs of first responders, etc.)
  

What are the high-level DCU features and functions?

Several key features that DCU provides are:

• Increasing productivity over standard AutoCAD-based tools (e.g. Map 3D, ACA, Civil 3D, etc.)
• Simplifying AutoCAD for non expert AutoCAD users
• Graphic interaction (select by example)
• Immediate graphic feedback
• Managing and distributing the DCU CAD standards throughout an organization
• Automating work through macros which record and playback repeatable
  operations

Publish to Google Earth from AutoCAD 2008

New Version for AutoCAD 2008 posted!

 

Google Earth Extension Technology Preview

This AutoCAD 2008 add-on  is useful in publishing and viewing your DWG-based data and 3D models within Google Earth™.

Applicable Products
• AutoCAD 2008
• AutoCAD Architecture 2008
• AutoCAD Civil 3D 2008
• AutoCAD Map 3D 2008

Install details

Extract the downloaded file proper for your version of AutoCAD and then run the setup.exe. All files will be placed in the C:|\Program Files\AutoCAD 2008\ folder.

• AeccDWGToGE.arx - the main AutoCAD run-time extension add-on module
• AeccDWGToGEEnu.dll - the Windows DLL module containing all localizable text strings and dialog boxes used by AeccPublishKml40.arx
• AeccDWGToGE.chm - a help file describing in detail how to use the Publish DWG to Google Earth application
• GoogleEarth.cui - a partial AutoCAD customization file containing a four-button toolbar allowing easy access to the four commands available with this add-on.
• Readme_PublishDwgToGE.rtf - The readme file

I would load the GoogleEarth.cui as a partial CUI as that is what I did and it made things easy and loaded the ARX files.

Command Name & Description

• IMPORTGEIMAGE   Brings current Google Earth view into AutoCAD as raster image. Use this command to georeference your DWG model data to correct position on earth’s surface.
• IMPORTGEMESH Brings elevation data in current Google Earth view into AutoCAD as a mesh.
• GETIME Attaches time span information to AutoCAD entities which will be honored by the time tool available in Google Earth.
• PUBLISHKML Exports your 3D DWG model space entities to an external file for use within Google Earth.

There is also the download option for the 2007 based products available as well from Autodesk Labs. The first Publish to Google from AutoCAD 2007 was the very first tool posted last June 2007 when Eric Stover and myself started the Autodesk Labs.

The credit for this excellent extension is Autodesk software developer Thomas Inzinga who has done much of the work and support for this extension in the late hours of the night.

The lawyers make us say the following:
(Disclaimer: Remember that this is beta software; really cool technology, but it’s unsupported, use at your own risk, etc. In other words, don’t use these tools on mission critical projects! Lastly, we make no guarantee that these products/features will ever be commercially available.)

Cheers,
Shaan

Technorati tags: Autodesk, AutoCAD, AutoCAD 2007, AutoCAD 2008, Google Earth, KML, Autodesk Labs

AutoCAD Export Layout to Model Space Tool Alpha レイアウトーモデル変換ツール アルファ版

This new pre-release alpha tool provides the capability to take a snap shot of a drawing layout to create a ready to use Modelspace drawing. With the capability to export Layout objects to model space, customers who have limited their use of Layouts to exchange drawings with other CAD systems will be realize the full benefits of AutoCAD 2008 annotation scaling feature. This feature was a top request from many of our customers and is the #1 request on the AUGI Japan wish list.

この新ツールのアルファ版では、レイアウト図面のスナップショットを取得して、モデル空間で使えるDWG図面を新規に作成する機能を提供しています。レイアウト空間にあるオブジェクトをモデル空間に書き出せるこの機能は、他のCADと図面のやり取りをする必要がある場合でも、AutoCAD 2008の異尺度対応機能とレイアウト空間をフルに活用できるようにすることを目的としています。この機能は、日本オートデスクユーザ会のウィッシュ・リストでもトップに上げられていたもので、また、各国のユーザ様からのリクエストでもありました。

Export a Layout (Paperspace)

To a Modelspace DWG file.

AutoCAD® Export Layout to Model Space Tool Alpha Web Page
http://myfeedback.autodesk.com/exlayout/

Applicable to the following :
対象となる製品:

• AutoCAD 2008
• AutoCAD LT 2008
• AutoCAD Architecture 2008
• AutoCAD MEP 2008 (日本未発売)
• AutoCAD Electrical 2008
• AutoCAD Mechanical 2008
• AutoCAD Map 3D 2008
• AutoCAD Civil 3D 2008
• AutoCAD Land Desktop 2008 (日本未発売)
• AutoCAD P&ID 2008 (日本未発売)

Update: This functionality is now built into AutoCAD and AutoCAD based products 2008 and newer.

Technorati tags: AutoCAD, AutoCAD Layout, AUGI, AUGI-JP, AutoCAD 2008, AutoCAD LT 2008, AutoCAD Architecture 2008, AutoCAD MEP 2008, AutoCAD Electrical 2008, AutoCAD Mechanical 2008, AutoCAD Map 3D 2008, AutoCAD Civil 3D 2008, AutoCAD Land Desktop 2008, AutoCAD P&ID 2008

Download New ScriptPro Standalone for AutoCAD 2007 and AutoCAD 2008

http://www.autodesk.com/migrationtools

Link to Standalone ScriptPro for AutoCAD 2007 and AutoCAD 2008 (2.8MB)

 

The new version was just posted to the web for download today. ScriptPro takes AutoCAD scripting to a new level with an easy-to-use interface, logging, reusable project files, enhanced scripting with new keywords and utilities, and robust error recovery. Using ScriptPro, you can apply a set of commands to multiple drawings by simply specifying a script file and the list of drawings that you would like to apply the script to.

Supported Operating Systems

Before you install ScriptPro, make sure that you've got a supported operating system.

Operating Systems

Microsoft^® Windows^® XP Professional, Service Pack 2

Microsoft Windows XP Home, Service Pack 2

Microsoft Windows 2000, Service Pack 4

Microsoft Windows Vista^™ Enterprise

Microsoft Windows Vista Business

Microsoft Windows Vista Ultimate

Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium

Microsoft Windows Vista Home Basic

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Supported Products

Product Versions

AutoCAD 2007 or later

Autodesk^® Architectural Desktop 2007 or later

Autodesk Map^® 2007 and later

Autodesk^® Land Desktop 2007 and later

Autodesk^® Mechanical Desktop^® 2007 and later

AutoCAD^® Mechanical 2007 and later

Note: This product is not intended to operate with any version of AutoCAD LT^®.

 

 

del.icio.us tags: AutoCAD, AutoCAD Architecture, AutoCAD Land Desktop, ScriptPro, AutoCAD Map, AutoCAD 2007, AutoCAD 2008, Free

Technorati tags: AutoCAD, AutoCAD Architecture, AutoCAD Land Desktop, ScriptPro, AutoCAD Map, AutoCAD 2007, AutoCAD 2008, Free