Here is AutoCAD 2016; the last perpetual license you will ever get!

Introducing AutoCAD 2016! The latest! The greatest! The last perpetual license of AutoCAD you or anyone else will ever purchase! If there were ever a time to upgrade your AutoCAD license it is now! So what's new? Well there really isn't any one new thing but instead there are a lot of updates to many existing commands. One thing that isn't new is the DWG file type. Yep AutoCAD 2016 will still run on AutoCAD 2013 DWG. Autodesk has also removed the ability to password protect DWG files. It can open and use password protected files but it will not be able to create them. This update brings performance improvements, new ways to create dimensions, a few UI tweaks, a new osnap, additional point cloud tools, updated referencing options, a brand new 3D rendering engine, and a handy system variable monitoring tool.

The Autodesk Uninstall Tool

Uninstalling AutoCAD, or any Autodesk product, is cumbersome. There are multiple files, folders, applications, and packages that have to be removed to fully uninstall it. It is easy to miss something. Sometimes you even have to mess with the Windows registry to get everything.

Here is a video I created for Autodesk that covers a full uninstall of AutoCAD.
This video covers removing peripherals, material libraries & products. It also looks at repairing products. The video is just under five minutes long.

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?

Don't Ignore Unreconciled Layers - They are there to Help You

Unreconciled Layers, you know, that pesky notification bubble that you close as soon as you open a DWG file, are very important and can save you a lot of time, effort, and work. Many AutoCAD users simply ignore the notification and move on. I suggest that you stop this practice and start using the notifications to help you out.

My Day as a CAD Dork

The past few days have changed for this CAD Dork (CAD Geek or CAD Nerd are also acceptable terms). This past Friday I lost my job. It happens. It’s very annoying but it does. I’ll be fine so don’t worry.

The past two business days have been a bit different but also much of the same. I wake up at 5:15 a.m. (not my choice) to make sure my oldest child gets out of the house and doesn’t miss the bus. If this happens somebody has to provide a ride. I take this time to get myself ready for the day; shower, shave, put on some clothes and gather my things for the day. At 6 I wake my other child to get ready for school. If I have time I take a quick nap because 5:15 a.m. is a crazy time to get up. By 6:50 I’m dressed, walking the dog, getting breakfast, packing my lunch and am (or was) out the door by 7:30.
At work as a Senior Engineering CAD Tech for a civil engineering firm I was responsible for site design, potable water layout, waste water design, drainage design, site layout, as-builts, and any other drafting work. I was also the IT Manager there so if any tech broke I had to make sure it was fixed right away. Lucky for me we had an IT Consultant firm to do the heavy lifting. Once that happened if I couldn’t fix it in a few minutes I was able to delegate the problem. It made me much more billable.
Monday mornings and Fridays were often the most hectic. Monday was a day to do all of the things you put off last week. Friday meant there was a deadline to meet that the project manager promised to the client before consulting anyone else; at least it felt like that the majority of the time.

Learn how to use AutoCAD Sheet Sets

AutoCAD Sheet Sets is an out-of-the-box project management tool that will enable your users to work together more efficiently and help to manage project data. The Sheet Sets tool is available in AutoCAD, AutoCAD LT, and AutoCAD for Mac. It is also available to AutoCAD verticals (like Map, Civil3D, Architecture, etc.) It may look slightly different across these different platforms, but it is there and is very powerful.

Sheet Sets can provide the following:

• File Management
• Batch Printing Tools
• File Archiving
• Project Data Management
• File Creation
• Standardization
• View Management
• Project Collaboration
• Recurring Information
• Automation

Autodesk Upgrade Pricing Ends January 31

Autodesk officially ends its upgrade pricing plans this month. After January 31, 2015, Autodesk customers will no longer be able to upgrade their licenses of Autodesk products to a newer version. This has been the practice of many Autodesk clients for decades. Company’s would purchase a license from Autodesk and sit on it for several years. When the need arose they would update to the latest version at a discounted price. This price was substantially cheaper than purchasing a brand new license and they only had to spend the money when they absolutely had to. The only other reason spend money was when a company needed an additional license.

Autodesk software isn’t cheap. A single license for one of their products could cost anywhere from $1000 to $7000 easy (US Dollars).  A single perpetual license of AutoCAD could cost around $4000 (estimated pricing) with the upgrade at half the price, depending on when you update and how old your version was. These upgrade prices changed throughout the years with the price slowly increasing as time went on.

AutoCAD for Mac Shortcuts & Commands

Autodesk has created a keyboard shortcut guide for AutoCAD for Mac 2015. AutoCAD for Mac users will find this guide very useful especially if you often use keyboard commands in your workflow. The guide is free and available at this Autodesk website.

My AutoCAD 2015 and AutoCAD LT 2015 Training Videos Now Available

Just released our my newest set of training videos covering AutoCAD 2015 and AutoCAD LT 2015.  Each video is 10.25 hours long and covers the basics of each program.

Learning Autodesk AutoCAD 2015 Training Video
A Practical AutoCAD Training Course That Teaches Real World Skills

In this project-based Learning Autodesk AutoCAD 2015 video tutorial series, you'll quickly have relevant skills for real-world applications.

Follow along with our expert instructor in this training course to get:

• Concise, informative and broadcast-quality Learning Autodesk AutoCAD 2015 training videos delivered to your desktop
• The ability to learn at your own pace with our intuitive, easy-to-use interface
• A quick grasp of even the most complex Learning Autodesk AutoCAD 2015 subjects because they're broken into simple, easy to follow tutorial videos
• Practical working files further enhance the learning process and provide a degree of retention that is unmatched by any other form of Learning Autodesk AutoCAD 2015 tutorial, online or offline... so you'll know the exact steps for your own projects.

Learning Autodesk AutoCAD LT 2015 Training Video
A Practical AutoCAD LT Training Course That Teaches Real World Skills

In this project-based Learning Autodesk AutoCAD LT 2015 video tutorial series, you'll quickly have relevant skills for real-world applications.

Follow along with our expert instructor in this training course to get:

• Concise, informative and broadcast-quality Learning Autodesk AutoCAD LT 2015 training videos delivered to your desktop
• The ability to learn at your own pace with our intuitive, easy-to-use interface
• A quick grasp of even the most complex Learning Autodesk AutoCAD LT 2015 subjects because they're broken into simple, easy to follow tutorial videos
• Practical working files further enhance the learning process and provide a degree of retention that is unmatched by any other form of Learning Autodesk AutoCAD LT 2015 tutorial, online or offline... so you'll know the exact steps for your own projects.

Each Training video comes with working CAD files.  I introduce the user interface to you and show you have to navigate within your drawing files. At the end of most sections is a “Chapter Project” that focuses on the skills you just learned.  Several of those projects build on top of the other culminating in a final project where you will create drawings for a small movie house.

Check out the individual websites for more information and pricing.

AutoCAD 2015
AutoCAD LT 2015

Autodesk AutoCAD Shortcut Guide

Autodesk has put together a robust guide of shortcuts for AutoCAD users. This guide is an eleven page PDF listing function keys, keyboard shortcuts, command aliases, and toggles, hot-keys, and a page of printable keyboard stickers.

An Overview of the Features, Tools, and Changes in AutoCAD 2015

Autodesk has released their latest version of AutoCAD as AutoCAD 2015. I have been beta testing it for several months now and am very happy to start talking to you about it. I would like to start off by saying that there really isn't anything new in this release. Autodesk did not add any real new tools to their flagship product. At first first I was disappointed; a knee jerk reaction I believe. After using it for a while now (but not in a production environment of course) I have come to find that what they did change makes AutoCAD 2015 one of the my favorite "updates" to the AutoCAD line in a very long time. Don't get me wrong; I love new tools as much as the next person. But do you know what I love even more than new tools? Increased efficiency! Improved workflow! A smoother working user interface. Tools that actually provide something useful.

Their are some "new" things but in reality, most of them are just the same things we had before but in a different way or look. I also like it when Autodesk removes tools that I never used. In some cases Autodesk has removed some of the bloat and replaced it with a tool that I can actually use and will use. I speaking of Quick View Drawings and Layouts. they were slow, awkward, and I never ever used them. they are gone! In AutoCAD 2014 Autodesk added Bing Maps for project location.  Great idea but we couldn't do anything with those maps. Now we can! We can actually embed and print the maps now! Why was that so hard? the user interface got an overhaul. Nothing major, just some simple changes that actually make a huge difference. One thing many of you might not like is the removal of the Classic Custom Interface. Many of us used it as a very quick way to turn our toolbars back on. It's gone. You can still access all of the toolbars and menubar; those items did not go away. Linesmoothing is one of those "little" things that actually make a big difference.  Between that and the new darker color scheme I found it easier to stare at my screen all day. The Welcome screen is replaced with the New Tab, text bullets are now automatic, there is a new lasso selection tool, we now have cross-hair badges, and ribbon Galleries.  You can now collaborate with Design Feed within your company without uploading to Autodesk 360 exclusively and model space viewports are extremely easy to work with. Let's take a closer look shall we?

UI and Visual Changes

The First Thing You Might Not Notice is What’s Missing.

One of the first things that has been changed is something that is no longer there.  The Welcome screen is no longer available!  You know, that screen that pops up the first time you start AutoCAD and promptly set to never turn on again.  In its place is the NEW TAB.  The New Tab displays when you launch AutoCAD, have no files open or start a new tab.  The New Tab is made up of two content areas; Learn and Create.  Each content area provides access to different tools.

New Tab: Create

The Create page has three main columns; Get Started, Recent Documents, and Get Connected.  These categories are fairly obvious as to what they do or contain.  When a New Tab is created you will be brought to the Create Page by default.  The Get Started column provides tools for starting a new file, open an existing file, access your templates, and can take you to sample files.  The Recent Documents lists your most recently opened files and the Get Connected column provides a place to log onto your Autodesk 360 account or to create a new account if you don’t have one.

New Tab: Learn

The Learn page of the New Tab provides users access to the “What’s New” videos, the “Getting Started” videos, tips and Online Resources.

UI Color Changes

AutoCAD 2015 has a new color theme.  It is said to be a “modern dark-theme”.  These color changes include the ribbon, status bar, and pallets.  It does minimalize the contrast between the drawing space and the tools around the workspace.  This color change hopes to lessen the strain on a user’s eyes.  You can change this color scheme in the Display tab in the Options dialog.

The Workspace Dropdown is turned off by default in the Quick Access Toolbar.  It is still there and can be turned back on.  Also note that the “Classic” workspace has been removed.  If you want a more “classic” look to your user interface you will have to manually set it up.

The ribbon tab VIEW has been altered to include tools that control the visibility of several User Interface elements.  There you can find controls for the UCS Icon, ViewCube, Navigation Bar, and Layout Tabs.  There is also a new BIM 360 Ribbon Tab that provides quick and easy access to your BIM 360 Glue account.

Layout tabs now have a Plus sign (+) button to aide in the creation of new paper space tabs.  You can always right-click the tabs to gain access to several new layout tabs creation tools.  If you have so many tabs that they can’t be shown there is a new overflow menu that will list the remaining tabs in a column.  There are new color controls for layout tabs in the Display tab of the Options Dialog.

Improved Graphics During and After Object Creation

There is a variable called LINESMOOTHING that allows users to toggle on/off anti-aliasing in viewports when the 2D wireframe visual style is active.  This does not affect printing only on the screen visual display of 2D objects such as lines, arcs, circles and drawing aids (like grid lines).  These controls are found in the Graphics Performance dialog box.

The new system variable COMPLEXLTPREVIEW provides controls for more visual feedback when creating and editing objects.  For example; the move command will display the selected objects in their original position but with a faded deletion effect.  Also, complex line types are displayed as you draw them, move, copy or rotate them.  AutoCAD 2015 will also display the color, linetype, and lineweight of lines and polylines as you draw them.

AutoCAD 2015 provides visual feedback when you preselect and select objects in a few ways.  When your cursor hovers over an object the geometry will appear thicker and either darker or lighter depending on the color of your background.  If you have hardware acceleration turned on and you select an object, that object will remain highlighted (thicker and darker/lighter) and its color will change to make identifying it visually easier.  The Trim, Extend, Lengthen, Match Properties, and Break tools now all have command preview functionality.

AutoCAD 2015 has a new selection tool called Lasso Selection.  To start a Lasso Selection click your cursor in a blank area of the drawing area and drag the cursor around an object/objects.  The “old fashion” window and crossing window selections are still available, simply click in a blank area and release the mouse button.  Click and Hold the mouse button to start a lasso selection.  This selection tool’s availability can be turned on or off in the Selection Tab of the Options dialog.

Crosshair Badges

The AutoCAD 2015 cursor has had a few changes to it.  The crosshairs have been removed from within the pick-box area to help you see what you are selecting.   Autodesk has added Badges to the crosshairs.  These new badges will appear on your crosshairs relevant to specific commands.  Most of them look similar to the command icon they represent.  There are badges for making a Selection, Copy, Move, Scale, Zoom, Erase/Delete, Rotate and several “inspection” tools such as Distance, Radius, Angle, Area, Volume, List and ID.  The inspection badge looks like a question mark.  The Rotation badge looks like the rotate icon and also indicates the angle of rotation (this will be a nice visual queue).

Ribbon Galleries

There is a new tool to help when inserting blocks that are already in the current file.  When you use the INSERT command from the Ribbon and there are already blocks in the file, a panel window pops up below providing a visual representation of the blocks that are available.  There are also galleries for styles including dimensions, multi-leaders, text, tables, and table cells.

Model Space Viewport Controls

Model Space Viewports are now much easier to control.  Create a few model space viewports as you normally would (use the command viewports).  The active viewport has a very visible blue border around it.  Click and drag the edges of any viewport to move its border.  This allows for very quick changes to the size of the viewport.  Along the viewport borders you will see a Plus (+) sign as shown in the figure below.  Click and drag this icon to split a view port creating a new viewport.  Drag the cursor left/right or up/down will split the viewport horizontally or vertically.  You can also press and hold the CTRL key while dragging the cursor on the viewport border to split it.  Drag a border to one side to collapse it, joining the two viewports together.

The status bar now has a new tool that allows for Isometric environmental controls.  It provides one-click access to turn on an isometric drafting state and to change isoplane settings.  Click on the iso options and a flyout will appear providing a new menu where you can choose between Isoplane Left, Isoplane Top, or Isoplane Right.  Click the icon to toggle the setting on or off,  Click the arrow to access the flyout controls.

Multi-line Text Enhancements

AutoCAD 2015 has several small enhancements to the way multi-line text works.  Some of these enhancements are new while others make existing functionality a little bit better.  If you have hardware acceleration turned on then the mtext editor will be see-through.

Text Editor Enhancements

Meaning that if there is geometry behind the editor you will be able to see it.  This is nice if you are annotating your linework and want to be able to see how your text will look around the linework.  Columns now have a corner resizer allowing you to resize their width and height more easily.  Pass the cursor over the bottom or right edge of the editor then you can change either just the height or just the width accordingly.  Autostacking now produces a clickable icon that gives you instant controls of how your stacked text will be displayed.  Paragraph tabs in the editor now have tooltips making controlling and setting them much easier than before.  The text editor has a match properties button so that you can match properties inside a text object.  The new TEXTALIGN command will enable quick alignment of text objects.  Start the command, select the text objects you want to align (single line, multi line, or attributed text), then select the text object you want to align them with.  You can also select two pints creating a line to align with.  There are also spacing controls available.

Auto Bulleting

AutoCAD mtext now has auto bullets and numbering.  If you have to create numbered lists or notes on a regular basis this will be a nice feature.  Of course this feature can be turned off or on.  Open the mtext editor (edit some text to do this) go to the Bullets and Numbering panel on the Mtext Editor contextual ribbon that appears and click the arrow.  Click to turn off the “Allow Auto Bullets and Numbering” option.  It will have a check next to it if it is on.  To use this feature type a number or letter that you will use for your bullet.  You can also use a symbol.  Then follow it with one of these characters:

• .
• )
• >
• }
• ,
• ]

Follow those characters with either a space or a tab and the auto bullets will begin.  If the auto bullet feature is activated a symbol icon will appear.  That icon is clickable and will provide further controls for the bullets.

Caps Lock

AutoCAD mtext has had an all caps or all lower caps setting for a while now.  Now there is also an Autocorrect cAPS Lock feature.  It is on by default but you can turn it off by right-clicking within the text editor and clicking the option.  This new feature works when you press the SHIFT key to type the first letter of a word and then release the SHIFT key for the remainder of the text that you type in.  AutoCAD will autocorrect the capitalization by capitalizing the first letter and changing the remaining letters to lower case and then turn off the caps lock.  This feature will work wherever there is text as in tables, leaders and dimensions.

Geographic Location and Maps

AutoCAD 2015 has greatly improved on the Geographic Location tools and maps.  Setting your file location has been streamlined.  Don’t forget, to use the maps you must be logged in to your Autodesk 360 account.  Otherwise you can only set your location via latitude and longitude coordinates.  When you have set your location and coordinate system you can display an aerial map.  The resolution of the map changes as you zoom in and out trying to balance image quality and computer performance.  Now you can actually use the map shown in your drawing.  Before all you could do with the map was see it while you were working in AutoCAD.  Now you can capture the map for printing.  The map is then embedded into the drawing, increasing the file size of course but this means the map goes with your file.  The map image is grip editable so you can move it, resize it, and rotate it just like any other image.  Also note that there are three versions of the map; road, aerial, or hybrid.  Even if you embed a map image you can always change the map type later on.  Slidebars on the Map Image ribbon tab let you change the brightness, contrast, and fading of the map image.  The map image is only updated if you choose to reload the image, otherwise it stays as it was inserted.

Autodesk ReCap and Reality Capture

How AutoCAD uses point clouds is a bit different now.  All of the hard work is done in Autodesk ReCap.  AutoCAD no longer supports PCG and ISD files nor can it create them.  Now AutoCAD uses ReCap point cloud files or RCP and RCS files.  ReCap can handle PCG and ISD files as well as a long list of other point cloud file types.  Process the data in ReCap (which comes free with AutoCAD), create an RCP or RCS file and use that in AutoCAD.  Once you have attached a ReCap file to AutoCAD you have many more visual controls available than before, even geographic location.  You can control point size, level of detail, maximum number of points per file, colorization, color mapping, lighting tools, and you can crop the points to display a specific area.  There is also a new Point Cloud manager that allows for multiple point cloud files to be attached to your file.  There is now also a Point Cloud Object Snap control that allows you to “snap” to point cloud data.  The 3D Orbit command now allows you to snap to a Cloud Point and use it as the focus of your orbit.

Changes to Design Feed

Design Feed is a collaboration tool built into AutoCAD.  This release of AutoCAD streamlines the way Design Feed works.  One of the complaints of Design Feed was that the file had to be uploaded to an Autodesk 360 account to able to use the tool.  Now users can save the file only to their company’s server and still use Design Feed.  Note that only users that have access to the company server can access the design feed data.  This should be fine if you are only collaborating with coworkers.  To share Design Feed data without third parties you will still have to upload the file to Autodesk 360.  Now when you etransmit files with Design Feed data you can opt to have that information removed when creating the etransmit files.

Miscellaneous Changes

Changes to Help

AutoCAD’s Help has a new feature called Find.  This new feature will help you find the command in the Ribbon.  While Help is open and if the command is presently visible in the current Ribbon nothing will be displayed.  If the command is not visible then a link that says FIND will be visible next to the command listing in the help window.  Click this link and an animated arrow (see the figure below) will appear pointing you to the tool.  If the tool is not accessible from your current workspace or is in a hidden or contextual ribbon tab or panel, a tooltip will appear providing instructions on where to find the command.
Figure 11: Help can “help” you find your commands.

The Little Things

It is now possible to filet arc segments that are polylines.  When creating a polyline arc you can press the CTRL key to draw the arc in the opposite direction.
When creating dimensions, AutoCAD 2015 will now ignore existing dimension extensions lines to keep you from accidently snapping to them instead of the object you want to dimension.  You can turn this on or off in the Drafting Tab of the Options dialog.  Also when you create a continuous baseline dimension (with the DIMCONTINUEMODE system variable set to 1) your new dimension will inherit the style of the dimensions you are continuing from.

AutoCAD now uses Autodesk’s new ATF (Autodesk Translation Framework) to import model data from other file formats.  It supports importing meshes, curves, object colors and layers.  Now you can also purge orphaned DGN data.  Thank you Autodesk for that.

The Autodesk BIM 360 Add-in is now included as an option to install with AutoCAD.
You can configure AutoCAD for either hardware or software display rendering modeling to take advantage of the new Performance and Visual tuner tools.

PNG (Portable Network Graphics) files are now supported for button image use.
The Application Manager is integrated into AutoCAD 2015.  From it you can access and manage your installed Autodesk Applications.

AutoCAD 2015 provides new tools to help you analyze and troubleshoot performance problems with your hardware.

BRACE YOURSELVES - AUTODESK 2015 PRODUCTS ARE COMING!!

That means so are the "What's New" posts and articles.

Stay tuned!

How to Re-size a Pipe Cross-section on an Exaggerated Scale Without Thinking

The Scale Command's Tool Tip

I had a profile view with an 18” diameter pipe drawn in cross-section that actually needed to be 24” in diameter.  I know you are thinking, just draw a new circle with a 24” diameter.  Sure, that’s what I would usually do.  In this case though our cross-section was a roadway profile and we draw those with an exaggerated Y-axis scale.  In this case the x-axis scale was at 1:40 and the y-axis was drawn at 1:4.  We do this to help visualize the changes in elevations along the y-axis.  It’s a common practice in civil engineering plan and profile roadway designs.  These types of cross-sectioned pipes are typically drawn with an ellipse.  I could have taken the time to do the math and determine who wide and tall to draw my ellipse.  I also had a pipe drawn in at 18” that was properly scaled in across both axis.  I copied it and used the scale command.  What scale did I use?  24/18.   That’s not a scale.  Sure it is and it enabled me to get this job done in seconds.  Let me explain.

I had a pipe drawn at 18” in diameter.  It was already an ellipse so it was scaled properly in both the x and y axis.  I just needed it to be a 24” diameter pipe.  In order to show an 18” diameter pipe in a 40 scale drawing at a scale factor of 4 we have to draw a 15’ diameter pipe about the y-axis that is also 18” wide across the x-axis.  This makes for a tall and skinny ellipse.  A 24” pipe would be drawn at 20’ tall.  That is because we scale the y-axis “up” to put it at a different scale in the drawing view.  This math can make your head hurt so do the easy thing.

Access the Last Point Used in AutoCAD With One Keystroke

There are many instances when we draw in AutoCAD where we might want to draw to the last coordinate point we used.  This is how it works.  Draw a line from point A to point B and end the command.  Start the circle command.  For the center point type @ on the command line.  This will draw the circle’s center point at the last point we drew at which is point B on our line.  See the video clip below.

You can use the “@” symbol in any case that requires a coordinate input.  If you want to draw concentric circles draw the first circle.  Draw the second but use the “@” symbol for the center point.  It will select the center of the first circle drawn.

In my post, “How to Break a Line Like a Pro” I showed you how to use the “F” or first option in the break command to break an object at a specific point.  In Tip Number 2, I have you select the exact same point to break an object in one place.   Alexandre Serdakowski, a reader of this site and a Head Draftsman, reminded me of the last point feature of the “@” symbol and that the break command would be a great use case.  Start the break command, select the object, type F, pick your point, then for the second point type in @.  It’s much easier than selecting the same point again.
Also keep in mind that if there is no last point in a drawing yet then using the @ symbol will draw your object point at the origin (0,0).

How to Install AutoCAD With a Different Language

If you want to use AutoCAD in a different language it is rather simple to do.  Open AutoCAD, go to the top of the screen to the information center, and click on the expansion arrow.  That will bring up a window where you need to click on the Language Packs button.  See the figure below.

Clicking the Download Language Packs button will open your web browser and bring you to the Autodesk Knowledge base website where you can download the language pack you want.  Scroll down until you find the language you want to install and click the hyperlink to download the file.

There will be several languages to download and the list of available languages will vary depending on your specific region.  Here is a partial list from my selection options and a glimpse as to what the website will look like.

Click on the hyperlink of the language you want to download.  Make sure to pick the system type that you need.  There are 32 bit and 64 bit versions.  Match your computer’s system type.  This downloads a self-extracting .exe file that will install the language pack similarly to how AutoCAD is installed.

Once the .exe file is downloaded run the file.  This will extract the needed files to a folder on your computer and should start the install program.  If it doesn't, browse to where the files were extracted to and run the setup.exe file in the folder.
Once the installer has started click the INSTALL button on the bottom right of the screen.  The installer instructions will be in the language of the language pack, but otherwise it will exactly the same.

Click the install button, select the language pack, and click install.  Make sure all instances of AutoCAD are closed before you install the language pack.  Once the install is finished you will have a new AutoCAD launch icon available.  Now I can run AutoCAD in English or in French.

AutoCAD – How to Break a Line Like a Pro

AutoCAD’s Break command allows you to “break” a line, splitting it into two segments. The Break command “normal” steps are as follows:

1. Start the Break command (type break or br on the command line)
2. Select the object to break which also selects the start of the break area (the area that will be removed from the selected line.)
3. Pick the Second Break point.  This will break the line (arc, circle, polyline, etc.) and remove the segment from the object.

Now for the Tip.  It’s an extra step but it gives you control of where the line is being broken.

1. Start the Break command.  
2. Type F on the command line.  Select exactly where you want the first break point to located.
3. Pick your second break location.

This method makes it easier to control exactly where your line is going to be “broken”.

Tip Number Two.

1. Start the break command and select your object to break.  
2. Type F on the command line and pick the exact place you want to break your line.  
3. For your second point pick the exact same place.  

This tip allows you to break an object in one place leaving the entire object visually intact, but split into two segments.  It will look as if it is still one object until you select it.

You’re welcome.

What not to do in AutoCAD – Labels in a Base File

Today’s look into “You’re doing it wrong” is about labels in base files and drawing files.

Here is a screenshot of a residential plan where a new Force Main was being tied in to an existing manhole.  I have circled the manhole label because that is what I want to discuss today.  This drawing file has two “base” files referenced into it.  One is an existing conditions file that contains the existing residential area, the existing roads, the existing water main, the existing sewer system.  The other reference drawing is the new, or proposed, line work that contains the new force main.  That’s the good part.  It’s always good to separate the new and the old in separate database.  It makes things easier to manage, revise, and to work with.

The bad part is the existing manhole label.  This information is needed of course but it is in the base file.  Labels don’t belong in the base file.  They belong in the drawing file.  Now there is nothing wrong with putting the manhole data in the file in some way; in fact, that would be a great thing to do.  Put that info as attributed info in the manhole block or put it on a non-printing layer.  Better yet, use Civil3D or some other information modeling program like Civil3D to manage the data.  What makes it worse is that the creator of the drawing file took a shortcut and used the data labels as labels for the drawing file.  It might have sounded great at the time but now somebody else has to deal with them.  It turns out that the Force main was installed but not as designed.  Field conditions weren't as indicated on the record drawings.  Oops!!  It happens.  Now we have to update the drawings to reflect the changes made.

We have new labels to add, new information to integrate into the drawings but because the labels are in the base file it is making things difficult to work with.  The work that was avoided at the beginning still has to be done now.  We will copy the labels data into the drawing file, position it so that our new labels can be seen, and freeze the labels in the drawing file.   Unfortunately another no-no happened and when the labels are frozen, so are the lot numbers, and all other labels in the base file because they are all on the same layer.
 
I hate it when a file has a billion layers, but it is a great idea to use more than one layer for your text.  Put lot numbers on their own layer and put street names on their own layer.  You get the idea.  Also keep in mind that the shortcut you use to avoid work now will likely mean you will have to do the work later on, when there is even less time and less budget.

What Not To Do In AutoCAD – text over a table cell

This is the first in a new series of posts titled “What Not To Do In AutoCAD” where we look at practices that should never (usually never) happen in AutoCAD because, well, you’re doing it wrong!

Here is a screenshot of a legend in a drawing.

At first glance it appears that the AutoCAD user has created a legend for their drawing using an AutoCAD Table.  Great idea.  The columns and rows are set to a standard size and will ensure that each drawing’s legend will have a uniform look.  It also ensures that the text will be lined up every time with no additional effort.  Fantastic.

Now select the text in the legend to edit it.  This is what we found:

Each text instance is not a field in the table but an individual multiline text object.  The user created text objects then aligned them perfectly on the table cells.  The left most column are center justified while the second column text objects are left justified.  The text objects would have been fine if the table wasn't

already there.  The purpose of using a table in this case is so that you don’t have to line up or size the text.  The table does that for you.

The Fate of Autodesk Design Review Revealed

When Autodesk released AutoCAD 2014 it did not come with Design Review.  None of the 2014 line of products came with Design Review in it did in the past.  That left many of us asking why?  Then when we found out that Autodesk was not updating Design Review 2013 we became fearful that this was the last version we would ever see.  Autodesk 360 was getting pushed hard and many of us that use Design Review feared the worst.  Then one day in a user asked the Autodesk Discussion groups if Design Review was dead.  Here is the link to the discussion that is now nine pages long.

Many users discussed it, the evidence (as mentioned above) and speculated on what might be happening to this great tool.  Then somewhere on page four an Autodesk Program Manager made this statement, “Thank you for the question. I am not here to delude anyone. If you want an electronic review process, given the current state of Autodesk 360, Autodesk Design Review is still the way to go. But the original question was is Design Review being discontinued, and the answer is yes, it will eventually be replaced by Autodesk 360. Until that time, the 2013 version is available for download from the Autodesk site and works with the 2014 product line since the DWF format did not change.”

Needless to say many of us responded in an excited manner and the discussion continued.

Autodesk AutoCAD 2014 Service Pack 1 Released

Autodesk has released Service Pack 1 for AutoCAD 2014.  This service pack can be applied to all supported operating systems and languages.  Note that this does not apply to AutoCAD 2014 for Mac since this version does not exist.  As always before any update, hotfix or service pack please please please read the README file first.  Also make sure you install the proper update.  There are two versions; one for 32-bit and one for 64 bit.  This service pack can be applied to standalone licenses of AutoCAD 2014 or to design suites that contain AutoCAD 2014.