Between the Lines

Welcome NavisWorks to the Autodesk Family!

Autodesk announced today we have acquired NavisWorks. Read more →

Windows Live Betas

There is a new beta version of the free tool I use to manage and post articles to this blog with Live Writer "Wave Writer". There has been some new features such as inline spell checking, offline post management, link glossary, tighter blogging platform integration as well as new User Interface "UI" enhancements. Windows Live Writer Beta http://writer.live.com/ There is also Microsoft Instant Messenger 8.5 Beta and Live Mail versions available as beta. Microsoft Instant Messenger 8.5 Beta Windows Live... Read more →

AUGI Brazil Launches in Portuguese "Bem-vindo ao site da comunidade do AUGIbr!"

Hoje, durante o evento de produtos Autodesk em São Paulo, foi anunciado que o site AUGI Brasil já está disponível: http://augibr.augi.com Também estão disponíveis os forums de discussão AUGI (Autodesk Users Group International - Grupo Internacional de usuários Autodesk) em Português. Associação à AUGI é sempre gratuita e contém mais de 50.000 usuários de produtos Autodesk Conheça a Diretoria do AUGI Brasil Conheça os moderadores dos forums do AUGI em português Autodesk Inventor PodCast Brasil Procure por um evento de... Read more →

More on the Updated Export AutoCAD to Google Earth .kml Extension from Autodesk Labs

Some more details of the changes in the updated version for AutoCAD 2008 Google Earth Extension posted to Autodesk Labs May 24th,2007 for both AutoCAD 2007 and AutoCAD 2008. The AutoCAD 2008 version was just updated today to address two issue reported over the weekend. http://labs.autodesk.com/utilities/google_earth_extension_beta/ 1) It now supports materials attached to AutoCAD entities. Yes the nice better quality ones of Google Earth 4 via Collada. 2) Imports terrain data as 32x32 grid AutoCAD mesh (with material automatically attached)... Read more →

Schlitterbahn Waterpark and my Ramblings on Design

Saw this today on the travel channel while just relaxing and got hooked. They showed the South Padre Island Texas water park Schlitterbahn Beach Waterpark (36 acres) and the water rides as well as behind the scenes. They also showed AutoCAD being used by the the company NBGS (Jeff and Gary Henry). The cable television program was 1 hour long and really was interesting not like a advertisement it was all about the rides, the design and stats. The Schlitterbahn... Read more →

I will Be There -> Experience the Possibilities Autodesk Event in Chicago June 5th, 2007

Just got the call yesterday that the AutoCAD 2008 session at the upcoming Autodesk event "Experience the Possibilities" in Chicago is so popular that they have to add another room. So both Heidi Hewett and myself will be taking a room each for the afternoon AutoCAD 2008 session. I will arrive Monday evening June 4th and present at 1:30 pm Tuesday. I have a flight to San Francisco at 10 pm that night. I will be around the event so... Read more →

Autodesk Freewheel and Autodesk Freewheel... :-)

I said Autodesk Freewheel twice for a reason as there are now two locations and versions for viewing DWF files with no install of viewer software. There is a released version and an Autodesk Labs Technology Preview version and both are FREE. What is Autodesk Freewheel? In developer speak: "Autodesk Freewheel is an Ajax (Asynchronous JavaScript and XML) based web service/application built to provide CAD model viewing, printing and collaboration, through the dynamic rendering of DWF file data and graphics... Read more →

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... Read more →

More AutoCAD 2008 Books Coming Out

Four new books from well respected and known authors are now coming out and Lee Ambrosius goes into greater detail in his blog post AutoCAD Books Coming Soon to a Store (or Web Site) Near You. AutoCAD 2008 3D Modeling Workbook For Dummies Author: Lee Ambrosius AutoCAD 2008 For Dummies Author: David Byrnes AutoCAD 2008 and AutoCAD LT 2008 Bible Author: Ellen Finkelstein AutoCAD 2008 Instructor Author: James Leach Cheers, Shaan Read more →

More AutoCAD Tool Palette Resources

Michael Beall wrote me in response to my unofficial Tool Palette themed posts this week on the blog and provided more resources for AutoCAD Tool Palettes. Lee ( AutoCAD Master and Black Belt) Ambrosius has a Tool Palettes eBook available at http://www.hyperpics.com/eBooks/. Lee also has a blog Beyond the UI http://hyperpics.blogs.com/beyond_the_ui/ which mentioned yesterday that new AutoCAD books from, several great authors are coming out. AutoCAD Books Coming Soon to a Store (or Web Site) Near You. In browsing Michael... Read more →

AutoCAD Tool Palette Rollup and Rollout Speed

A huge Thank You to John Beltran of the AutoCAD Software Development Team for this excellent explanation of how to change the speed of the Tool Palette Rollout and Rollup. I have been asked this question several times as some want a slower speed and some want a faster almost instant click rollup and roll out. Please use caution when editing your profiles and be sure to back them up first before experimenting with them. "The timer settings for rollup,... Read more →

Tool Palettes Rock!

For those who are now using or thinking of using the AutoCAD Tool Palettes there is even more reasons to use them. I am not being a cheerleader here just spreader a tip that can help you realize more productivity with very little time investment. You can place blocks, dimension Styles, LISP and customization, material settings, text styles, tables, and more on Tool Palettes making them organized content pages. One excellent use is you can set the object default properties... Read more →

Specify Current Tool Palette or Group - New in AutoCAD 2008 TPNAVIGATE

In AutoCAD 2008 we added the ability to switch Tool Palettes and Groups at the AutoCAD command line with the command TPNAVIGATE. This means you can now use this in a LISP or in your menu to change the current Tool Palette. From the AutoCAD 2008 Help Command entry: TPNAVIGATE Specify tool palette to display or [palette Group]: Enter a tool palette name, or enter g Tool Palette Name Displays the specified tool palette. Specifying a tool palette that is... Read more →

Ringing in the Ears? It Might Not Be Inside Your Head, this time.

The Cicada insects are now emerging in some parts of the United States after 17 years of hibernation underground. They are harmless but very annoying with their courtship noise drowning out most everything else and also creeping out some people seeing millions of large beetle like insects crawling all over. The sound reminds me of ringing ears after a loud concert or a herd of overly hyper rattlesnakes rattling tails in unison. Fun fact: Cicadas have green blood. More info:... Read more →

Last Week in Tasmania

Just a few highlights and lowlights of last weeks trip to give some presentations in far away but beautiful Hobart Tasmania. It was also the 20th anniversary of Autodesk incorporation in Australia. I spent most of the time working while there but snuck out occasionally to take in the local scenery and food. Highlights People! Tasmania had some of the nicest people I have ever met in all of my travels. If you ever needed directions, tips on what to... Read more →

Get your Popcorn and Perhaps Watch the Design Review Video

Autodesker Brian Pene created a video about the free Autodesk Design Review 2008 and even used the collaboration word. Brian posted it on Google as well Volker mentioned it in the Beyond the Paper DWF Blog in a post Autodesk Design Review Video . "See how Autodesk Design Review goes beyond 2D markup and measure, allowing full connectivity and access to even the most complex 3D CAD models and designs. Collaboration and communication around CAD designs and data has never... Read more →

New Autodesk P&ID Product Beta

If you design P&ID drawings and you would like to participate in testing the pre-release beta and will provide feedback please sign up at http://myfeedback.autodesk.com to sign up. Use the beta code HarpBeta in the sign up form. For those who already have a beta user login, modify your profile to add Harp to the Beta code. See Ursula's post in her "In the Pipes" blog Announcing P&ID Beta Cheers, Shaan (in Tasmania currently) Technorati tags: Autodesk, P&ID, AutoCAD, Beta Read more →

AutoCAD 2008 Easter Egg Steps

I mentioned in a previous post that there is a list of AutoCAD Team names located in a Easter Egg in AutoCAD 2008. Since I have had someone figure out how to get to the Easter Egg the proper way and so I will reveal it to all others. Here are the steps: • On the AutoCAD Command line start the Sun Properties SUNPROPERTIES • Click the magnifying glass in Sky Properties • Change the date to 3/23/2007 (the date... Read more →

After 25 hours of traveling, I made it to Tasmania

I am fighting to stay awake now even though locally the time is only noon but I sleep little on planes and my body is telling me the time is more like 9PM.. I have only been here a few minutes so there is not much to report yet other than my first impression of Tasmania was that it is similar to mainland Australia in appearance and wildlife, however I had a local Tassie tell me that mainland Australia looks... Read more →

Headed Down Under, the Down Under Today..

In about 2 hours I will begin a 9000 mile journey to Hobart Tasmania which is actually Australia and an island just located South a few hours of the large Australian continent. This is also the home to the Tasmanian Devils which in the last ten years have almost been wiped out due to some mysterious facial cancer, and it isn't from smoking. This is a business related trip and I don't have too much time to goof off but... Read more →

Autodesk Impression News

Two nuggets of possible interest for you. The first is a nice overview of Autodesk Impression. The second item is people in other countries can now download the Technical Preview of Autodesk Impression release. You can participate in shaping the Autodesk Impression products future by signing up for Autodesk MyFeedback at http://myfeedback.autodesk.com. From Lisa's Autodesk Impression blog Inside Hues New Product Overview "Having trouble explaining Impression to your boss, co-worker or great Aunt? We just posted a new Flash-based piece... Read more →

AutoCAD 2008 and AutoCAD LT 2008 Tips and Tricks booklets

FREE! AutoCAD 2008 and AutoCAD LT 2008 Tips and Tricks booklets Thanks to Mike and BLAUGI in my RSS feed to alert me about the booklets. Things have been crazy with so many projects and I am also headed for Hobart Tasmania in Australia today and need to still pack... AutoCAD 2008 Tips and Tricks Booklet posted by Lynn Allen Technorati tags: Autodesk, AutoCAD, AUGI, AutoCAD 2008, AutoCAD LT 2008, Lynn Allen Read more →

Everyday Edisons Television Documentary

Autodesk is proud to partner with Everyday Edisons, produced by Bouncing Brain Productions, and set to air in the United States nationwide on PBS. Premiering April 28, 2007, the Everyday EdisonsSM series follows seven aspiring inventors as they realize their dreams with the help of Autodesk® Inventor™ and Autodesk® AliasStudio™ software. See the entire process—from idea to production—unfold on this televised, 14-part documentary. Autodesk Link to Everyday Edisons Article Everyday Edisons. Home | PBS www.everydayedisons.com/ Technorati tags: Autodesk, Everyday Edisons,... Read more →

New Book "Expert CAD Management – The Complete Guide" Released by Robert Green

Congratulations Robert! The new book is tiled “Expert CAD Management – The Complete Guide” and is published by Sybex. Robert is a real expert in the field of CAD Management. Robert presents and writes on the subject in an easy to understand way and also teaches on how to communicate with management that may not understand CAD Management which is a real important topic for management buy-in for CAD Standards etc. I sat in on Robert's CAD Management class last... Read more →

Autodesk Inventor LT Formally Announced

As I mentioned the other day Autodesk Inventor LT is now available as a free technology preview in English for certain countries (darn lawyers). Now the official press release is available. Autodesk Launches Autodesk Inventor LT "Inventor LT eliminates many of the headaches associated with moving files between different CAD systems," said Robert "Buzz" Kross, vice president of Autodesk Manufacturing Solutions. "As a result, customers can realize the benefits of 3D part design and AutoCAD interoperability to get their jobs... Read more →