Between the Lines

AutoCAD 2006 CUI Webcast

I am in the webcast by Heidi Hewett right now. It is packed with over 200 attendees but you might be able to still sneak in. Migrating Menus and Customizing the AutoCAD 2006 User Interface Thursday, September 29, 2005 | 10:00 a.m. PDT (1:00 p.m. EDT) See how simple it is to import your AutoCAD MNU files into AutoCAD 2006. You'll also be shown how to easily customize your user interface with the new XML-based menu format. www.autodesk.com/AutoCAD2006SeeIt If you... Read more →

The advantages of sharing DWF files instead of native AutoCAD drawings

Quick article from Scott Sheppard of the Autodesk DWF Team. For many project and product teams, DWF is the format of choice. DWF enables organizations to connect critical design information into product, project, and asset workflows without compromising the accuracy, security, and intent of the original design idea. DWF is: Complete DWF is an as-plotted view of a DWG. There's no need for Object Enablers, x-refs, special fonts, etc. As such, many reprography shops accept DWF files directly like plot... Read more →

Free Autodesk DWG File Viewer

The rumors are true. When we release a new standalone batch DWG conversion tool we will also be releasing a free Autodesk DWG file viewer. The dates are delayed from a mentioned September 21st date. Autodesk is committed to delivering the highest quality products for our customers so please stay tuned for a future announcement about the products’ release. Cheers. Shaan Read more →

New AutoCAD 2006 Book Available

I just noticed a new blog post by Lee on the Beyond the UI blog that the AutoCAD 2006 and AutoCAD LT 2006 Bible is now available for purchase. With over 1200 pages there is surely something in there from beginners to the power AutoCAD users. Congratulations to Ellen and to her great technical editor Lee Ambrosius! Read more →

AutoCAD 2002 to AutoCAD 2006 = 29% Faster

Have you wondered about the gains in productivity you or your office might see when upgrading from AutoCAD 2002 to AutoCAD 2006? We asked an independent organization to test some AutoCAD users using AutoCAD and their productivity results comparing AutoCAD 2002 vs. AutoCAD 2006 on common tasks. An average AutoCAD 2006 was 29% faster at completing the tasks. The detailed results, details of testing, participants comments, and a return on investment "ROI" spreadsheet are available for download from this blog... Read more →

AutoCAD Product Mgr. Discusses Customer Feedback

I recently asked AutoCAD Product Manager Eric Stover to sit down for a few minutes and just speak unscripted on where AutoCAD is going and how this occurs in his own words. I thought it would be a great idea to throw together a few videos. This video was created with no budget or film crew but instead with my home video camera and editing in the evening on my home machine when I had a few minutes. This is... Read more →

AutoCAD Color Books for Benjamin Moore & Co Paint

If you use Benjamin Moore & Co paint for your projects and use AutoCAD 2004 or later, you can now download the free Benjamin Moore Color Book files for AutoCAD. These files were created by Benjamin Moore and define their paint colors. You can match your colors in AutoCAD and key them to a specific Benjamin Moore paint. http://www.benjaminmoore.com/ Select Professional – Architects and Designers then the option > Color Palette Download Available: BM Color Preview Palette BM Classic Colors... Read more →

Upcoming free AutoCAD 2006 webcasts

There will be 4 new AutoCAD 2006 webcasts starting September 27 2005. All are free and are 30 minutes in length. Taking a Tour of AutoCAD 2006 Software Tuesday, September 27, 2005 | 10:00 a.m. PDT (1:00 p.m. EDT) Learn how to use the enhanced functionality of AutoCAD 2006 software to get more done in significantly less time. In just 30 minutes, you'll see all the cool new features of the current release. Migrating Menus and Customizing the AutoCAD 2006... Read more →

Research Projects in San Francisco and Los Angeles

We are looking for customers to participate in research projects taking place in Los Angeles and San Francisco during the week of September 26, 2005. If you can answer yes to the question: “Do people in your company create illustrations based on 2D CAD drawings or 3D CAD Models?” then you may be eligible to participate. Link to Sign Up Read more →

Dell and AutoCAD 2006!

Just a quick AutoCAD 2006 note. Leading PC maker Dell has now started shipping workstations with AutoCAD 2006 available as a software option when purchasing or specifying a computer workstation. Link Read more →

The 2005 CAD Manager Survey

One of the leading CAD Manager gurus and all around knowledgeable and nice person, Robert Green gave me a heads up on his 2005 CAD Manager Survey. The survey covers a wide range of CAD Manager related topics such as compensation, staffing, training, standards, and more. The survey will be live from today until September 24th, 2005. The the results will be printed in the November 2005 issue of Cadalyst magazine. http://cad-manager.com/ Read more →

Autodesk Hurricane Katrina Support Efforts

"Rebuilding Hope" Link Some of the ways Autodesk is providing assistance: * Offering technical resources, including specialized mapping developers, to the US Army Corps of Engineers. * Making available customized versions of our Crisis Command software to the National Search, Reconnaissance and Rescue mission for FEMA's Urban Search and Rescue Teams. * Senior employee is donating several weeks of sabbatical to volunteer for the Red Cross’ relief efforts in Louisiana. * Autodesk is matching all employees’ donations up to $1,000... Read more →

Hurricane Katrina..Donate what you can

I have watched the non stop devastating video on the television for the past 2 days and can’t help but feel for those affected by the hurricane. This is a devastating event to the hundreds of thousands affected in one way or another. This will change the peoples lives forever and they need help. There is limited assistance we can do when we are a great distance from the affected regions, but we can donate or volunteer and that can... Read more →

Print DWF from Windows Explorer & Happy B-Day Lee

Jimmy Bergmark has released a free utility to print DWF files from the Microsoft Windows Explorer. Congratulations to Jimmy for making his tool available for everyone. Jimmy is not only an AutoCAD power user but writes some great utilities and tools. The biggest mystery is when Jimmy actually gets sleep. He is located in Sweden and I can chat with him in email or instant messenger at anytime. Print DWF files from Windows Explorer Happy Birthday to another power AutoCAD... Read more →