Thursday, January 29, 2015

How to Send Your AutoCAD Project Files to Anybody, Anywhere, Anytime

Working with AutoCAD and AutoCAD Verticals (Civil3D, Map Mechanical, etc.) has become much more complex than it was when I first started over 20 years ago. We didn’t use reference files and we didn’t have source files like we do in Civil3D. We had one file, in model space (there was no paper space back then) to send. We put it on a 3.5” floppy disk and sent it on its way.  Much has changed since then.

Sending project files these days is a bit more complicated. We have multiple drawing files, xref files, point files, PDF files, data sheets, word documents, spreadsheets, DWF files, fonts, CTB files, Sheet Set data files, and more. How do you get the right files to the right people right now?


If you have one small file just attach it to an email and off you go to the next fire. But when a client wants a CAD file of site plan 3, well, you can’t just send them that drawing. In this case people forget that we don’t work with single sheet drawings anymore. What we actually do is create a database that consists of linework, geometric shapes, point data, text, project metadata, and images (amongst other things). There are many files and sources of information that work together to create that one sheet of paper we still call a DRAWING. If I had a dollar for every time I was told “just send them that one sheet”.

One of the best tools to ever come to AutoCAD and its Verticals (and the LT series) is eTransmit. The eTransmit command will package all files needed in order to recreate any specific file or group of files. The AutoCAD user starts the eTransmit command through the Sheet Set Manager or from inside an open file. AutoCAD then looks at the selected files (or the open file) and traces back to all other files needed to recreate that drawing. It puts them in a list and readies them for you to gather. Click OK and AutoCAD will gather your files together and organize them however you instructed it to.  It can simply copy the files to a folder or place them in a ZIP file; either way, the setup is the same and you will get everything you need. Once gathered send your files via FTP or a cloud-based file sharing service. Typically this group of files will be too large for email.

Quick Tip: Save before using AutoCAD eTransmit
eTransmit can do a lot of things for you that will make your life easier. It can bind xrefs, purge files, set printers to none, find all used fonts, ctb files, stb files, images, pdf files, rendering image files, remove Design Feed information, sheet set information, templates, photometric web files, and even unreferenced data files. Wow that’s a lot. It can also save the DWG files into older versions, you know, for those people that refuse to update! You can have AutoCAD create a single folder to place all of the files in, or it can recreate the folder structure you are already using. It can also save these files, in either folder structure, into a ZIP file. This is my preference because it makes it very easy to send.

eTransmit will fully process your files to any format you will need, several file formats, and in easy to use folder structures. When you need to send files eTransmit is the way to go. It gets your files ready to send to anyone in any way you want.

No comments:

Post a Comment

Categories

AutoDesk (110) autocad (109) AutoCAD 2009 (40) augi (40) efficient (38) news (37) drafting (33) training (33) articles (30) CADaBlog (29) AutoCAD WS (23) Update (23) quick tip (22) video (21) mobile (19) review (19) cad (16) 3D Mouse (15) 3Dconnexion (15) Impression (15) Android (14) AutoCAD 2013 (14) cadalyst (14) me (14) AutoCAD 2010 (13) text (13) off topic (12) survey (12) Apps (11) hotfix (11) tips (11) 3D (10) AU (10) AutoCAD 2011 (10) service pack (10) workstation (10) Autodesk Labs (9) CAD Manager (9) annotation (9) blocks (9) cloud (9) fun (9) inventor (9) HP (8) Review-Product (8) autocad lt (8) videos (8) AutoCAD 2014 (7) Autodesk 360 (7) CUI (7) Windows 8 (7) iOS (7) new (7) IMSI Design (6) cad standards (6) files (6) google (6) infinite skills (6) printers (6) reference (6) ribbon (6) support (6) updates (6) workaround (6) RSS (5) TurboViewer (5) Upgrade (5) data (5) email (5) fields (5) guest post (5) keyboard (5) layers (5) paper space (5) pi (5) pi day (5) quotes (5) rant (5) selection (5) standards (5) styles (5) subscription (5) tech (5) 2D (4) AutoCAD Exchange (4) AutoCAD for Mac (4) Mac (4) Mastering AutoCAD (4) SketchBook (4) TurboCAD (4) UI (4) action recorder (4) dimension (4) driver (4) fills (4) large format printing (4) leaders (4) math (4) mobile workstation (4) salary (4) sheet sets (4) Amazon (3) Apple (3) AutoCAD 2012 (3) AutoCAD 2015 (3) AutoCAD 360 (3) AutoCAD Fundamentals (3) Civil 3D (3) DVD (3) DWF (3) Fusion (3) GIS (3) Kindle Fire (3) Lenovo (3) Microsoft (3) Review-Software (3) Wiley (3) Windows Phone 8 (3) Windows RT (3) annimation (3) announcements (3) autodesk plm (3) book (3) command alias (3) contest (3) filters (3) find (3) hardware (3) history (3) iPad (3) license (3) license software (3) lisp (3) menu browser (3) properties (3) purge (3) quick view (3) saas (3) tables (3) toolbars (3) weekend rant (3) what not to CAD (3) what not to do (3) #CADaBlogDVD2013 (2) 3D Modeling (2) 3ds Max (2) AutoCAD LT 2013 (2) AutoCAD LT for Mac (2) AutoCAD MAC (2) Autodesk. (2) BIM (2) CAD Services (2) CADSpeed (2) DWG (2) DXF (2) Designjet (2) Error (2) FAIL (2) Facecast (2) Freestyle (2) Fusion for Mac (2) George Omura (2) Mac OS (2) Mountain Lion (2) Novedge (2) Recomend (2) Review-Book (2) Revit LT (2) SpaceMouse Pro (2) Sybex (2) Tablet (2) Thinkstation (2) TurboReview (2) TurboViewer X (2) What Not To Do In AutoCAD (2) What's New (2) Windows (2) array (2) as-builts (2) beta (2) blog (2) circles (2) civil (2) civil design (2) collaboration (2) color (2) command line (2) commands (2) computer (2) copy (2) design (2) design review (2) dim style (2) download (2) eBook (2) eTransmit (2) file naming (2) free (2) geek stuff (2) grid (2) hotnews (2) interview (2) jobs (2) knowledge base (2) limits (2) look back (2) mouse (2) pallets (2) pgp (2) plotting (2) posts (2) press release (2) pricing (2) purchase (2) redlines (2) reference files (2) rental plans (2) shortcuts (2) sketchup (2) status bar (2) technology preview (2) tool pallet (2) tooltips (2) tv (2) units (2) video editing (2) viewer (2) webinar (2) 123D (1) 123D Catch (1) 123D Create (1) 123D Make (1) 2014 (1) 2015 (1) 3d Printing (1) ACAD/Medre.A (1) ADR (1) AEC (1) AUGI World (1) Account (1) Adobe (1) Apps Tab (1) AutoCAD 2016 (1) AutoCAD Error (1) AutoCAD LT 2012 (1) AutoCAD LT 2014 (1) AutoCAD LT 2015 (1) AutoCAD Mechanical (1) AutoCAD Revit Suite (1) Autodesk Account (1) Autodesk BIM 360 (1) Autodesk Instant (1) Autodesk PLM 360 (1) Autodesk ReCap (1) Award (1) CADDork (1) CADO (1) CTB (1) CadMouse (1) Camtasia (1) Communication Center (1) Corel (1) DWFx (1) Dassault Systemes (1) Death Star (1) Dell (1) Design Feed (1) Design Suites (1) DesignCAD (1) DoubleCAD (1) Duratec (1) E32 (1) ESET (1) ESRI (1) EliteBook (1) Epson (1) Evernote (1) Exchange Apps (1) FTP (1) ForceEffect (1) Free Form (1) Fusion 360 (1) GIS Day (1) GeoViewer (1) Geographic Information Systems (1) Geographic Location (1) Google Chromebook Pixel (1) Google Earth (1) Google Earth Pro (1) HP Designjet T2300 eMFP (1) HP EliteBook (1) HP EliteBook 8570w (1) HP Z1 (1) Help (1) Homestyler (1) IT (1) Infocenter (1) Inforbix (1) InfraWorks (1) InfraWorks 360 Pro (1) Infrastructure Modeler (1) Instant (1) Inventor 2013 (1) Inventor 2013 SP1 (1) Inventor LT (1) JPEG 2000 (1) Kickstarter (1) Kindle (1) Language packs (1) Lawsuit (1) Lenovo Thinkstation E32 (1) LizardTech (1) MS Exchange (1) Map 3D (1) Maya (1) MrSID (1) OS (1) OS X (1) Office Suite (1) Orange Juice Studios (1) P-Series (1) PLM (1) Photoshop (1) Pixel (1) Pixlr (1) Pixlr Express (1) Pixlr-o-matic (1) Plant (1) PogoPlug (1) Point Cloud (1) Previous (1) Project Artoo (1) Project Geppetto (1) Project Snap (1) R&D (1) Red Dot Award (1) Review-Service (1) Revit (1) Revit LT 2013 (1) Rhino (1) SDK (1) SMS (1) Secureload (1) Socialcam (1) Softimage (1) Solid Edge (1) SolidWorks (1) SpaceMouse Wireless (1) SpaceNavigator (1) Star Wars (1) SureColor (1) T-Series (1) TechSmith (1) The Future (1) Thinkstation E32 (1) Touch Screen (1) Trimble (1) TurboSite (1) TurboSite Reader (1) TurboViewer Pro (1) Unreconciled Layers (1) VBA (1) VOIP (1) Vault (1) Vault 2012 (1) Vela Systems (1) Visualization (1) WebOS (1) Welcome Screen (1) Windows Vista (1) Windows XP (1) Z1 (1) acad.doc (1) acad.lsp (1) acaddoc.lsp (1) acquisition (1) advice (1) aerial (1) all-in-one (1) angles (1) archive (1) arcs (1) author (1) autocad 2012. autocad lt 2012 (1) autocad. autocad for mac (1) autodesk logo (1) background (1) break (1) burrito (1) business (1) celebrate (1) check (1) checklist (1) chrome (1) chrome os (1) chromebook (1) climate (1) coming soon (1) communicate (1) constraints (1) construction (1) copier (1) crowd funding (1) customize (1) deadlines (1) design process (1) designer (1) desktop subscription (1) different language (1) draftsight (1) eMFP (1) ePrint (1) employee (1) employer (1) engineer (1) environment (1) event (1) feeds (1) file sharing (1) filepath (1) fix it (1) folders (1) font (1) government fail (1) groups (1) guide (1) hatching (1) imagery (1) initial setup (1) input (1) install (1) intel (1) internet (1) investment (1) isometrics (1) labels (1) layer manager (1) linetype (1) livestream (1) logo (1) macro (1) malware (1) message (1) mice (1) model space (1) modeling (1) multi leaders (1) navigation (1) newsletter (1) notifications (1) offset (1) opinion (1) options (1) overrides status bar (1) parametrics (1) patches (1) pay-as-you-go (1) perpetual license (1) podcast (1) poll (1) polyline (1) prank (1) printer failure (1) printers color (1) project draw (1) project files (1) project workflow (1) questions (1) recommend (1) release (1) remove (1) rent (1) repair (1) resume (1) reverse line direction (1) right click (1) save (1) scale (1) scanner (1) screen capture (1) sea turtles (1) send files (1) settings (1) snap (1) software (1) solutions (1) sony (1) student (1) subscription center (1) sustainability (1) system variables (1) tabs (1) tech snob (1) transparency (1) trial (1) undo (1) uninstall (1) viewports (1) virus (1) webcast (1) wiki (1) workplace (1)