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The new rollover tooltips in AutoCAD 2009 gives you the ability to see common object properties as you rollover an object on screen. You can also disable them if you don't want them but give them a chance, AutoCAD system variable "ROLLOVERTIPS set to 0. These rollover tooltips are customizable in the Customize User Interface "CUI". So I changed what would display when I rollover a Hatch object to show the cumulative area. Couple more nuggets: Robert Green published an... Read more →
Contributed by AutoCAD Team member Randall Young Creating user tags can make finding commands easier in the menu browser. By default no tags are assigned to commands, but when they are they will also be displayed in tooltips. Figure 1 – This is the line command tooltip with the tag “Tag” assigned. Step 1 – Adding a user tag in the CUI (Customize User Interface Dialog) A. Launch AutoCAD 2009 B. Type CUI in to the command line and hit... Read more →
The DWFx format has been added to AutoCAD 2009. DWFx is based on the XML Paper Specification (XPS) format from Microsoft. You can view and print DWFx files using Internet Explorer 7 on Windows Vista and Windows XP (with latest updates for .NET). In AutoCAD 2009 You can plot or publish to DWFx, attach DWFx files as Underlays, and read DWFx files using Markup Set Manager. You can still and will continue to be able to plot the older DWF... Read more →
For those with inquiring minds here are the hardware and software requirements for AutoCAD 2009. Read more →
A handy new navigation feature in the soon to be shipping AutoCAD 2009 is the ability to visually see the preview of Layouts and open drawings in your session. These two features can be accessed from the icons in the status bar or the commands QVDRAWING and QVLAYOUT. Quick View Layouts When you select the Quick View Layouts icon you will see the Layouts with thumbnails. You can hold the Ctrl key and then use your mouse wheel to dynamically... Read more →
Today and tomorrow I was supposed to be in Seattle but a family emergency needed my attention and I had to cancel the travel. Luckily for the PSAUG meeting tonight Alex Lepeska will be able to stand in and I sent some materials and offered to participate by phone and take the hecklers well deserved insults for not being there as well as answer 2009 product line questions. Wicked Cool Matt Murphy will also be there so they are in... Read more →
Erhan Toker posted an 18 page detailed AutoCAD Rendering e-Book “Creating Render Materials in AutoCAD" from A to Z, for free on his Daily AutoCAD Blog. e-Book: Creating render materials in AutoCAD Kudos and many thanks to both Erhan and Orhan for their excellent team in Turkey and all the knowledge they spread! The Daily AutoCAD blog is definitely a must subscribe RSS feed. Read more →
Get your wishes granted without requiring a magical lamp. Instead of just waiting to see something magically appear in an Autodesk product, get involved and vote for this cycles AUGI member submitted wish list items. Read more →
I made it back from San Francisco for the Autodesk World Press Days but took 4 hours longer due to an engine not starting on the plane (commercial airline), then after an hour and a half of them working on it we took off headed for Salt Lake city only to circle for over an hour over the Western Utah desert while the Salt Lake City airport was closed due to heavy snow. While checking ion for the flight I... Read more →
The news, highlights, and opinions are now starting to flow on the web. Once the... Read more →
I am in San Francisco attending the Autodesk World Press Days and posted some photos from yesterday. The lighting was dim during the presentations and I did not want to be popping flashes in the presenters eyes, so I just took a bunch of photos and looked for the best and crossed my fingers the presenters would not move during the longer exposure needed. I need to fully annotate my photos but wont have the time until after my flight... Read more →
Today the announcement of the next release of AutoCAD 2009 code named "Raptor" (like a hawk) as well as many other products have been announced from Autodesk World Press Day. The products will start shipping later but are not currently. I will begin to post on the features in more depth as well as link to those doing the same as there is a huge CAD blogging community now. Read more →
I am staying on Nob Hill. I feel a wee bit out of place as the hotels up here are top notch class. The only complaint is my room is next to the convergence of several cable car lines so I am hearing the constant cable whir and then the cable cars coming up and down the hill "ding ding". Luckily they don't run all night especially with the group that went by not too long ago as that seemed... Read more →
I have a super busy day today culminating with a flight to San Francisco for an event tomorrow. I spent yesterday hiking in the local canyons and seen moose, deer, elk, and rocky mountain sheep. I spent an hour watching some local paragliders soaring in the cold air around Lehi Utah. Cheers, Shaan Read more →
For all those involved in piping here is a fun specification to add to your drawing to see if the shop foreman is really reading your notes. I don't remember the origin of this creative piping humor but I used it back in my piping and vessel design days. 1. All pipe is to be made of a long hole, surrounded by metal centered around the hole. 2. All pipe is to be hollow throughout the entire length. 3. All... Read more →
When chasing/researching a problem with AutoCAD, you want to rule everything else out to make sure it is AutoCAD especially with all the customization methods and file types that can cloud the real source of the issue. You accomplish this state of AutoCAD being "naked" by making sure that you have no network connected if possible even the client, no profiles, no customization, no 3rd party AutoCAD applications, clean drawing file from scratch with no blocks or Xrefs, and nothing... Read more →
AutoCAD Trivia : In my recent posting For AutoCAD Geeks - Command and System Variables Map and Trivia I mentioned AutoCAD R14.01 was code named Pinetop, and asked what was this reference to, and why? Read more →
Have you ever wanted to read about a system variables current settings without going to the online Help or how to save and restore system variables on your or another machine? In this quick article I will explain the Express Tool System Variable Editor just to show you what it does. You must have the AutoCAD Express Tools installed to use this tool. The System Variable Editor allows you to view, edit and save system variable settings. Express menu: Tools... Read more →