tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1614085688283486572024-03-20T14:03:28.241-04:00CAD-a-BlogAutoCAD Tips and Tricks. CAD News.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08271671745973808745noreply@blogger.comBlogger539125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-161408568828348657.post-25401919727024022662015-03-19T12:00:00.000-04:002015-03-19T12:00:03.781-04:00Here 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.<br />
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User Interface Enhancements</h4>
AutoCAD 2016 has added new functionality to many user interface elements. There are some name changes, new system variables, and additional options to already existing tools. There are also new controls for older commands. <br />
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The New Tab file tab has been renamed to Start. The system variables that control it have also been updated. The NEWTABMODE system variable is now STARTMODE but it essentially works the same way. When it is set to 0 the Start tab will not be displayed. Set to 1 and it will be displayed. There are controls in the 2016 deployment creation tools that will allow this variable to be set to either on or off.<br />
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Figure 1: The Start Tab will remain when creating or opening files.<br />
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Pressing CTRL+Home or using the new command GOTOSTART will switch the user to the Start tab. The new command CLOSEALLOTHER will close all open files except the one that is current.<br />
The Layout tabs (paper space tabs) have been updated so that users can drag and drop them to different positions similar to Microsoft Excel tabs. The Status Bar will now automatically wrap into two rows when there are more icons than screen space on your display. The model tab and at least on layout tab will always be visible on the screen regardless of space available. The Status bar has been updated to include the Isolate Objects and Lock UI switches. They can be found in the customization menu.<br />
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Figure 2: Access the Status bar icons through the Customization icon on the far right of the Status bar.<br />
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The Lock User Interface tool allows users to toggle a lock on specific interface elements instead of having to use the old flyout option. Click the Lock UI button in the Status bar and a menu opens granting instant access to four different types of interface elements. Click the element you want to lock placing a check mark next to it. <br />
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Figure 3: When you get your UI set the way you want lock it to avoid accidental changes.<br />
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The Ribbon has a new system variable, GALLERYVIEW, that provides controls to display, or not to display, gallery views in Ribbon panels. Setting it to 1 will provide thumbnail previews of blocks and styles in the Ribbon. Setting it to 0 will turn off this functionality. The traditional Insert Menu (for blocks) or a detailed styles list (for Dimensions, Text, MLeaders, etc.) will be displayed instead.<br />
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Help now has a single sign-on functionality that will allow users to “like” a topic and save it to your A360 account making it easier to revisit those documents in the future. The Help Find link will now point to commands or tolls that are in the status bar. If the appropriate icon is not available the arrow will point to the Customize icon instead.<br />
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Annotation Updates and new functionality</h4>
Revision clouds have been given a major rework and are much more than a polyline. There are there methods of revision cloud creation: Rectangular, Polygonal, and Freehand. The last method used will be the defaulted method the next time the command is used. It can also be set using the REVCLOUDCREATEMODE system variable. The biggest change to revision clouds is their new ease of editing. There are now multiple grips available that work similarly to editing polylines. These grips are based on the shape of the cloud as well as the method used to generate them. If a circle was used there will be a center grip. There is a new Modify option that allows users to create a new revision cloud segment and add it to the existing cloud. This was the number four item on the AUGI Wish list request sent to Autodesk.<br />
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Figure 4: The Revision Cloud command is found on the Annotate ribbon panel or type on the Command line REVCLOUD.<br />
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Creating Dimensions has been updated. The DIM command has combined all dimensions creation controls into one command. Simply type DIM on the command line and right-click.<br />
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Figure 5: Users no longer have to find or remember the commands for the individual dimension types.<br />
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The DIM command also allows users to select an object to automatically dimension it regardless of the type of dimension needed. Type DIM on the command line, select an arc and the Arc Dimension will be generated. Select a line and a linear dimension will be created. And so on. Hovering over an object while in the DIM command will display a preview of the dimension to be created and provide multiple options in the command line. When creating a Baseline dimension or using the Continue option, the interface automatically prompts users to select the first extension line of origin. The DIM command will remain active until the command is exited.<br />
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Autodesk has answered another AUGI wish list item (No. 8) with the ability to wrap text with a sizing control similar to the text editor.<br />
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When dimensions are created AutoCAD 2016 will automatically create a layer for them called Dimensions. Use the DIMLAYER system variable to control this layer. It can be set to “Use Current” which is the default setting. <br />
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Autodesk addressed AUGI wish list item No. 5 by adding a Text Frame option to Mtext objects that will draw a frame around the text.<br />
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Editing Tool Enhancements</h4>
AutoCAD 2016 has added a new osnap addressing another AUGI wish list item (No. 2). Users can now snap to the geometric center of a closed polygon/polyline. The tooltip pop up will display Geometric Center when hover the snap location.<br />
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Figure 6: The osnap glyph for Geometric Center is a circle with an X in it.<br />
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Several tools have had performance upgrades. The move, copy, command preview, and property preview commands/features will now perform better during operations. Users can now move their cursors freely on the property pallet to see the changes being made. The command Preview feature now includes the Blend, Erase, Stretch, Rotate and Scale commands. The AutoCAD 2016 selection effect color can be customized but only with hardware acceleration turned on.<br />
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Reference controls and Output options</h4>
AutoCAD 2016 has seen several small new options and enhancements to many tools we use every day. Xref files are easier to work with and there are more options when creating PDFs. There are aslo new BIM referencing tools available.<br />
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Working with xref files has seen a significant improvement with a new system variable XREFOVERRIDE. This new sysvar will make all layers from a referenced file BYLAYER even if they are not. This might be my single most favorite new item in AutoCAD 2016. Set XREFOVERRIDE to 1 to set all referenced objects to BYLAYER. Set to 0 and they will behave as drawn. This one feature has the potential to save companies a lot of money in wasted time “fixing” the bad CAD practices of third party vendors. Also note that xref layers will no longer be listed in the properties pallet and will be shown in grey text in Ribbon layers lists.<br />
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PDF support has been given a lot of love in AutoCAD 2016. PDF output files can now search for text that includes Truetype fonts, Polygonized test, SHX text, and Unicode characters. The Output ribbon tab now displays two different boxes for exporting to DWF and PDF. PDF options now include quality, font handling, hyperlinks and bookmarks. The hyperlink controls allow users to include links in the PDF to sheets, named views, external websites and other files and can come from text, images, blocks, geometry, attributes and fields. The bookmark feature will allow users to export links to sheets and named views and display them as bookmarks while viewing the PDF. Users can also create preset Plot to PDF controls. There are similar presets available when exporting to PDF and the Sheet Set manager will also have these options.<br />
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Figure 7: Print to PDF provides additional PDF creation options.<br />
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AutoCAD 2016 has added support for attaching coordination files from Navisworks in either an NWD or NWC file type. Use the External Reference manager or the Attach tool to do so. You can also use the new command CMATTACH to attach Navisworks files. Users can also attache single or merged models from BIM 360 Glue via the updated BIM 360 Add-in tool.<br />
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3D Design Tools</h4>
3D Design tools in AutoCAD 2016 didn’t see many changes except for an overhaul of the rendering engine. Mental Ray is out and new, easier to use render engine is in.<br />
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The Section Plane tool can now work on point clouds and has a new Slice type option. The Slice type creates a section that is cut on two sides like slicing a piece of cake. The other Slice types cut only one portion away from the 3D object. The Slice type creates a thin cut through the model that will always be parallel on its front and back and cannot be made with jogs. The contextual Section panel has been changed to a contextual ribbon tab and includes command for toggling Live Section on/off and other Section object controls.<br />
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Now that Section Objects can generate sections for Point Clouds there is a new dropdown panel button in the ribbon. This new Section Plane tool will help to create section objects of your point cloud for different orthogonal planes (front, back, top, bottom, left, right). Users can also use the new Extract Section Lines tool on point clouds. Cut a section and tell AutoCAD to generate linework from the points in the point clouds.<br />
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There are also new point cloud controls available. Users can change the new transparency setting for the points. This makes seeing behind the points easier. Point Clouds now also support Dynamic UCS features. Also added are Point Cloud Object Snaps. They include Intersection, Edge, Corner, Perpendicular to Edge, and Centerline. These new osnaps will make working with Point Clouds easier.<br />
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Figure 8: The new Point Cloud osnaps can be accessed in the drafting settings window.<br />
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Working with large Point Could files is a bit easier because of the new Point Cloud cropping tools. They work similarly to cropping an image and users can save them as a point cloud state. This will allow for quick navigation from certain views, angles, and point states. The Point Cloud Manager can control which sets of points are displayed. If there are several different sets of scans or regions they can be turned on/off similarly to turning on/off specific layers.<br />
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Perhaps the biggest change to using 3D in AutoCAD in the last several releases is the replacement of Mental Ray for 3D rendering. This new method uses a physically based path tracing rendering engine that is much simpler to control. The new rendering UI has fewer options to choose from and is straight forward. The updated Visualize ribbon tab has the render engine controls and includes several preset drop down rendering options. The controls now have settings for the number of levels to render or the amount of time to render. There are controls for low quality to high quality rendering but the new time based rendering options will give you the best rendering possible in a set amount of time. You can render as much as you can for a quick five minute coffee break, for a full 60 minutes during lunch, or for twelve hours when you leave for the day. There are also drop down controls for the size of the render and for file type. The changes to a simplified interface allow for a significantly easier rendering experience in AutoCAD.<br />
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Installation, Configuration and other Improvements</h4>
AutoCAD 2016 has improved graphics performance for displaying lineweights. If users are running DirectX11 and have hardware acceleration turned on circles and arcs will be displayed perfectly in the 2D Wireframe visual style and will be smooth at any zoom level. Also users will not have to perform a manual Regen when zooming or panning as far as possible.<br />
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A new system variable, CURSORBADGE, will control the display of the badges near the cursor. Many users found this feature to be distracting and wanted it gone. Now it can be turned off when set to 2. A value of 1 keeps it on.<br />
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Remember how AutoCAD often resets the FILEDIA sysvar to off when it crashes? The new System Variable Manager tool will let you know when listed system variables are different from your defined setting. Create your list, define the setting for each one and let it run. If something changes the user will be made aware via bubble up. Use SYSVARMONITOR to open the control window and use SYSMON to turn the monitoring feature on/off.<br />
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Figure 9: Click the Edit List option to change which system variables will be monitored.<br />
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AutoCAD 2016 Security controls on the Systems tab in the Options dialog box were renamed from Executable file Settings to Security Options. There are now slider controls to adjust the security level as well as more control options to define what is trusted. Users can open this dialog box with the command SECURITYOPTIONS.<br />
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When using an AutoCAD 2016 vertical users will no longer have to wait for AutoCAD updates. They will be able to install a Single Service Pack for the AutoCAD component of their vertical product. <br />
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Conclusion</h4>
All in all I like this version of AutoCAD. No it doesn't have a new tool or feature but much of it is new. It's better than before, the tools are more consistent and they do more. I would recommend everyone get this version of AutoCAD.<br />
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AutoCAD 2016 is a very important release. Its biggest surprise might be that it is using the 2013 DWG file type and didn’t introduce a new one as has been Autodesk’s pattern since 2004. It lacks the inclusion of a new major tool but instead focuses on updating several existing commands. The enhancements are great and will be very useful. It is also very nice to see so many AUGI Wish List items addressed in one release. But AutoCAD 2016 is very important because of Autodesk’s announcement of the end of the ability to purchase perpetual license in February of 2016. This end means that AutoCAD 2016 will be the last stand alone perpetual license of AutoCAD that anyone will be able to purchase after that date. New versions of AutoCAD will be available, but none of them will be perpetual. Consider that fact when you think about updating to AutoCAD 2016.<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08271671745973808745noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-161408568828348657.post-25889999755055381122015-03-14T09:26:00.000-04:002015-03-14T09:26:00.662-04:00I celebrated Pi Day before Pi Day was cool!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;">I live for Pi Day. I don't know why it has always fascinated me, but it does. I am absolutely in love with Pi Day. I think it's my inner nerd coming out and my love for sweet treats and pizza. I also love the beauty of math. It's a perfect marriage of fun, food, and figures. Best of all<span style="text-align: center;"> </span><span style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;">it's an opportunity to totally geek out!</span></span><br />
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This year is being dubbed "Pi Day of the Century" because of the year fitting in rather nicely with the number Pi. Today's date is March 14th, 2015, or put another way 3/14/15. Pi to four digits is 3.1415. Amazing isn't it?</div>
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Many people, like myself, are even taking today into the next level. I will make sure to mark the time today to take Pi to the next level, errr, I mean digits! I will also make sure to mark the time and 9:26:53. That's 9:26 (am or pm or both) and 53 seconds because, well, Pi.</div>
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Pi=3.141592653</div>
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Mrs. CADaBlog and I have noticed that Pi Day is starting to go mainstream. Local restaurants are starting to post signs for Pi Day, Pi Day specials, and the like. Online stores of Geeky nature have had Pi Day sales and events in the past, but you would expect that sort of thing from that demographic. <a href="http://newegg.com/">Newegg.com</a> is having a <a href="http://click.email.newegg.com/?qs=fa04783cc1f5d2a5ab7d1851b078db54e9e52e96e193b1c358ba6587beb3e8e22e68dc7639831548" target="_blank">Dealicious Pi Day Sale</a>. And <a href="http://thinkgeek.com/">ThinkGeek.com</a> always has a <a href="http://www.thinkgeek.com/pi-day/" target="_blank">Pi Day</a> selection. They have a great selection of Pi Day paraphernalia. </div>
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The LA Times has an article covering a few <a href="http://www.latimes.com/travel/california/la-trb-pi-day-deals-20150310-story.html" target="_blank">Pi Day deals</a> across the nation. If hotels are getting into the Pi Day spirit then it must be nearing, if not reaching, mainstream status. <a href="http://www.nbcnews.com/science/weird-science/pi-day-hits-milestone-comes-only-once-century-3-14-n323131" target="_blank">National news outlets</a> are even covering Pi Day and Pi Day events. </div>
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I've been blogging about Pi Day for a few years now </div>
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<ul>
<li><a href="http://cadablog.blogspot.com/2012/03/math-does-not-lie-and-i-love-pi-day.html" target="_blank">Math Does. Not. Lie!! (and I love Pi Day)</a></li>
<li><a href="http://cadablog.blogspot.com/2013/03/the-state-of-indiana-almost-changed.html" target="_blank">The State of Indiana Almost Changed the Value of Pi to 3.2!</a></li>
<li><a href="http://cadablog.blogspot.com/2014/03/pi-day-2014.html" target="_blank">Pi Day 2014</a></li>
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but Pi Day has been celebrated for almost 30 years! According to Wikipedia the first official celebration of Pi Day was in 1988 by physicist Larry Shaw at the San Francisco Exploratorium and its staff. MIT sends out its acceptance letters on Pi day. It's an important day.</div>
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We will be celebrating this year by eating pies which has become a tradition in our house. How will you celebrate?</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08271671745973808745noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-161408568828348657.post-53648850684897118832015-02-16T09:00:00.000-05:002015-02-16T09:00:06.481-05:0014 Questions to ask when interviewing for a CAD position.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNPZ1ap2SCUq-AFL8D8CiNxXoNPw_CK2DIY-elNioEGrPO8OZZEWxccOffVw-u0y0yeJNPMAczoOsOblKKoEIlG_ExaPHnGJqz-cAC2UsBiWR2GWbFojj4VhvxyNYf_vs9KJdDSK73cWI/s1600/highpayjobindrafting.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNPZ1ap2SCUq-AFL8D8CiNxXoNPw_CK2DIY-elNioEGrPO8OZZEWxccOffVw-u0y0yeJNPMAczoOsOblKKoEIlG_ExaPHnGJqz-cAC2UsBiWR2GWbFojj4VhvxyNYf_vs9KJdDSK73cWI/s1600/highpayjobindrafting.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a></div>
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Everyone that uses CAD needs a job but how do you know if a potential employer is right for you? It's very difficult to hire the right person and it is equally challenging to find the right employer. As a worker, you are putting your faith and trust in your employer to create work for you, to keep the business running, to create an environment you can work in, and for the sake of your job. If your employer fails you are out of a job. It can be difficult to trust somebody else with your future. Make sure this job is right for you. Here are a few things you can do to help you vet out potential employers during the interview process.</div>
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There are several typical job interview questions you should probably ask when seeking any job.</div>
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<li>What skills and experiences would make an ideal candidate? This question will tell you exactly what they are looking for. It also gives you the opportunity to sell yourself efficiently in that you won’t give them information they don’t need. Too much information may lead them to believe you are overqualified or don’t have the right set of skills. They may also mention something you didn’t realize they needed but can do.</li>
<li>Do you have any concerns about my qualifications? This is a tuff question to ask. It may expose your shortcomings out loud and that can be difficult to handle. However, it will tell you the issues you need to address in order to get the job. It creates an opportunity for you to demonstrate why you are the person for the job and removes fears they may have of hiring you. Don’t get offended by anything they list. They may be correct in their comments.</li>
<li>Who will I be working with? What group? What department? What role will I be filling? This question will help to eliminate some assumptions you have made about the position that may be incorrect. It will also give you an idea of the corporate structure of the company. Even small companies have corporate structures. Will you answer to one person specifically? Will you work in a group or independently?</li>
<li>Is this a new position or am I replacing somebody? This is important to know. You may be replacing a person that was fired for poor performance. Maybe somebody retired, or moved on to a different company. Perhaps the person before you was promoted. Maybe the company has new projects and needs additional workers. This will help you to fit in better when you start. It also lets you know what the current work is. Hopefully they can continue with the current workload and keep you employed. If a new position, or additional position, is be created for you make sure to ask about the current and future expected workload. Does the company have a reputation of hiring for a project then releasing you when work runs out? If you are replacing a person that was promoted then that means there is a good chance of advancement for you at this company. You can learn a lot from this one question.</li>
<li>What have past employees done to succeed in this position? If you are interviewing for a position that the company is creating, meaning it has never had a person perform these duties before, you may want to rephrase the question. This will give you an idea of what the company expects of you and what has worked for them. It can also create a dialog of how the company solves their issues and allow you to provide feedback on how might approach things.</li>
<li>What are the benefits? This may seem obvious but don’t forget to ask. Get specific with the details. How much will insurance cost? When will it be available? How is vacation time determined? Is any of this negotiable? Yes negotiate with them. You don’t have to accept their offer at face value. Wheel and deal! They might not budge but they definitely won’t if you don’t ask.</li>
<li>Will there be training? You don’t want your skill set to stagnate. You want to get better so that you will be worth more. A good employer also knows that they want employees that know what they are doing. Who wants to hire unskilled people? If they don’t offer training see if you can get them to add that as a benefit. </li>
<li>Why should I work here and not somewhere else? This is a chance for them to sell themselves. If they can’t why would you want to work there? </li>
<li>What will my salary be? This is where the dancing begins. Both sides are afraid to commit to a number for fear of giving away too much or not getting enough. The employer wants to pay as little as possible and you want to get paid as much as possible. This is obvious. Before you walk in to the interview determine what you want to make. There is no max so determine what you want and determine your minimum. Don’t start with the minimum because it is very rare that the employer will give you more than what you ask for. It does happen from time to time but if they feel they can get you for less they will try. Don’t ask for what you were making at your last job; go higher, at least a little bit. Make sure you feel that the pay fits the role and responsibilities. Never work for free.</li>
<li>What is the next step in the process? Save this for last. This is the essential last question and one you should definitely ask. It shows that you’re interested in moving along in the process and invites the interviewer to tell you how many people are in the running for the position.</li>
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There are more questions to ask when looking for a CAD related job. Some of those questions might be:</div>
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<li>What CAD software will I be using? This may be an obvious question but it is vital to know what tool you will be using. If you can’t use that tool you may have a very difficult time in this new job. Also ask what programs are used in the office. If you can use multiple CAD programs that the company uses then you are a very valuable candidate for a position.</li>
<li>What version (of the CAD software) are you on? What are your update plans? Versioning in CAD is very important. Stay current and be familiar with the latest versions of your CAD software. If the company doesn’t update often then you may fall behind in your skill sets. Ask why they haven’t updated recently. If they are up to date, ask when they updated and how often.</li>
<li>Is there company training for CAD? Does the company train its CAD users? If not ask why? Have they ever trained? Why did they stop? If they don’t train and won’t train you need to wonder why a company will hire and retain untrained workers. Why don’t they want efficiency to improve? Why don’t they value quality skills?</li>
<li>What type of hardware will you be using? Will you be doing CAD work on a toaster? How often are workstations updated?</li>
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There are many more questions that you can and probably should ask when interviewing for a CAD position. Think it through and prepare. Create a list before you go into your interview. Ask questions. It’s the only way for you to learn about this company before you decide to commit the bulk of your daily waking hours to them.</div>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08271671745973808745noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-161408568828348657.post-84258174850680541262015-02-13T08:00:00.000-05:002015-02-13T10:33:49.571-05:00The Autodesk Uninstall ToolUninstalling 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.<br />
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Here is a video I created for Autodesk that covers a full uninstall of AutoCAD.<br />
<script height="270px" src="http://player.ooyala.com/iframe.js#pbid=6055f5a2061d4016b11ebf1fa8a7751e&ec=9jNDFqazrFjtOo6bgaQkEOJNlasCdI9P" width="480px"></script> This video covers removing peripherals, material libraries & products. It also looks at repairing products. The video is just under five minutes long.<br />
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As you can see that is a lot of work. Autodesk has created the Uninstall Tool for Autodesk products since their 2012 releases. AutoCAD 2014 and later automatically come with it. If you don't have it go to autodesk.com and find it for your product release. If you have it, it should be found in the Windows Start Menu. If you can't find it perform a search for UNINSTALL TOOL and it will show up.<br />
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Start it and a window will appear listing all of your Autodesk products and their respective components. It should look something like this:<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Oi7_2a8HMkU/VN1LDRi56DI/AAAAAAAAP78/lnMHqW64lqM/s1600/Autodesk%2BUninstall%2BTool.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Oi7_2a8HMkU/VN1LDRi56DI/AAAAAAAAP78/lnMHqW64lqM/s1600/Autodesk%2BUninstall%2BTool.png" height="320" width="271" /></a></div>
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To uninstall a product select the box next to its name. In this example select the box next to Autodesk AutoCAD 2015.You can uninstall specific components by selecting the box next to their names instead. Once selected, click the UNINSTALL button at the bottom of the window. There will be an animation next to each component as it is being uninstalled. The animations will stop once everything is removed. Click the EXIT button when finished. Open the Uninstall Tool again to make sure everything was removed. It will only display what is left. </div>
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This method is much easier than the one in the video!</div>
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Keep in mind though that the Uninstall tool does not uninstall everything if you have installed a Design Suite. It will help you out whn uninstalling your products.</div>
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Here are some links to some of the older Uninstall Tools and methods.</div>
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<a href="http://knowledge.autodesk.com/support/autocad/troubleshooting/caas/sfdcarticles/sfdcarticles/How-to-perform-an-automated-uninstallation-of-AutoCAD-2012-and-Autodesk-Design-Suite-2012-Family-Products-s.html" target="_blank">Autodesk 2012 Products</a></div>
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<a href="http://knowledge.autodesk.com/customer-service/installation-activation-licensing/get-ready/remove-products/remove-windows-products" target="_blank">Removing All Products from a Windows System</a></div>
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<a href="http://knowledge.autodesk.com/customer-service/installation-activation-licensing/get-ready/remove-products" target="_blank">Uninstalling and Autodesk Product</a></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08271671745973808745noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-161408568828348657.post-25769062730535392492015-02-11T09:04:00.000-05:002015-02-11T09:25:03.249-05:00I use P to get what I want, when I want it, and you can too!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-w7GbOvGOETg/VNtgJUh2s9I/AAAAAAAAP7s/K73Ufjg_OiA/s1600/previous.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-w7GbOvGOETg/VNtgJUh2s9I/AAAAAAAAP7s/K73Ufjg_OiA/s1600/previous.jpg" /></a></div>
There are many times in AutoCAD when you need to select certain objects, but there just isn't a good way to do it while you are in a command. That is where the power of P can empower you and your selection sets.<br />
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If a command requires an object or objects to be selected then you can use the P option to select all objects that were previously selected. P stands for Previous. You can also use the SELECT command to, well, select objects. Once a set of objects has been selected it is saved in AutoCAD's memory until the next set of objects are selected. Here is a use case.<br />
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In an architectural drawing, say I start the move command and select the chairs in Conference Room A and move them to another Conference Room B. After I closed the move command I realized they need to go into room C. I start the Move command again and when prompted to select objects I type P on the command line and press enter. This will automatically select my previous selection set. In this case the chairs. I can now move them to the proper place.<br />
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The P (or previous) selection option is great when you need to continue working with the same objects in different ways. Keep in mind that you will lose your selection set once you pick different objects in a set. AutoCAD only retains one set of PREVIOUS objects.<br />
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The Previous selection option allows you to work with the same objects over and over again without having to pick them over and over again., It can save time or at least save you the aggravation have having to pick the objects. It's only one keystroke (two if you count the enter key) as opposed to the multiple clicks needed to make the secetions.<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08271671745973808745noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-161408568828348657.post-35273931943884910682015-02-09T08:00:00.000-05:002015-02-09T08:00:07.478-05:00Four Steps to creating flawless drawings<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBuK5IsToBNUIaDnd4YFwtrWof6fTjcP5HKUnvhkfOWYxvbMge_nISG2VDzj241gOTAPx-9nxbGvwSM25GMPZpczEMBgUQUhZaR2ur9O8zUmEC377sOhkDmSDk57bwEd9GlW-Xm2zUdZw/s1600/1677719_s.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBuK5IsToBNUIaDnd4YFwtrWof6fTjcP5HKUnvhkfOWYxvbMge_nISG2VDzj241gOTAPx-9nxbGvwSM25GMPZpczEMBgUQUhZaR2ur9O8zUmEC377sOhkDmSDk57bwEd9GlW-Xm2zUdZw/s1600/1677719_s.jpg" height="200" width="133" /></a></div>
There is more to making design documents (a fancy word for drawings) than just using CAD. CAD is the tool we use today to make our drawings, but it isn't the only part of drawing creation. That other part is the human doing the work. CAD helps of course, but the human tells CAD what to do. The problem with that is that humans make errors all of the time. CAD helps to reduce errors, or at least it can unless the human makes an error.<br />
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Here is a method you can use to help reduce the errors (not completely remove, that can't be done) you create in your drawings.<br />
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<b><u>Step 1-Create a checklist.</u></b><br />
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A checklist will help you make sure you have included everything you need on your drawings. This really helps when you annotate your drawings and it should be able to be applied to every project.<br />
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A great way to create you drawing checklist is to print out about three different projects. Get at least two drawing sets minimum but three will be better. Go through each type of drawing and create a list of everything on that sheet.<br />
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Here is a way you can go about creating your checklist. Grab the cover sheet from each set, a pen, a highlighter and a pad of paper. Go through each drawing writing down the first thing you see and highlighting them on each sheet. Highlight it so that you know you have included it on your checklist. Do this until everything on each sheet is highlighted. Now arrange the items on your list into an order that makes sense. The order isn't absolutely important. The important part is making sure you have what you need on that list. Do this for each type of drawing you have. This will create a very thorough list of what you need on each type of drawing. You can also create general checklists like how to fill out your title block, basic annotations for each sheet, notes, details, anything that is not really specific but something that should be on each (or the majority of) sheet.<br />
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<b><u>Step 2-Print out your drawings.</u></b><br />
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Once you feel your drawings are ready print them out. Grab your highlighter and red pen as well as your checklist. Go through your list highlighting the items you have and indicating that they are correct. Anything that is wrong mark it in red. Anything that is missing write it in, sketch it in, draw it, whatever it needs to make sure those items get on your drawing. Go through the entire set.<br />
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<u><b>Step 3-Revise your drawings.</b></u><br />
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After your check make all of the changes you found. Print the set again, give it a quick once over making sure you did get everything. If there are small items just mark them up in red. If it is a major mistake redo that part. The goal is to be thorough, but you don;t want to waste time or paper. Hand it in to whoever is reviewing it next. You will see a significant reduction in errors and redlines. There will be errors and redlines. That is inevitable because again, as stated above, we are humans and humans make mistakes.<br />
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<u><b>Step 4-Update your checklist.</b></u><br />
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Your checklist is your guide. You are only as good as the data in your list. You will need to constantly revise and update your lists. On each project look at the red lines you received and compare those to your lists. See if something was project specific or if it's something you missed when you created your list. Also note anything that needs to be removed from your list. If a third party reviews your drawings, like a local municipality, code agency, utility department, code inspector, local planning agency, or anyone, make sure you have included their requirements too.<br />
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Creating a checklist is not full proof; however it will greatly enhance your efficiency in that you will present drawings that have fewer mistakes. Those pesky "little things" that can plague a review set should all but disappear. You might also want to consider making a project checklist before you start drawing making sure your design gets everything it needs.<br />
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What other tricks do you use to make sure you create a good set of drawings?Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08271671745973808745noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-161408568828348657.post-85339693419928418692015-02-06T10:00:00.000-05:002015-02-06T10:00:02.438-05:00Adobe, Autodesk, and Corel team up in copyright infringement lawsuit <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGv1BMk87mcZNzfB-AkcGhiYOpQjAc_x62rm2yqpNyE5ECm8O927sL7hxcEBlIrVeTtKXox0LtfYgt_nwpw_b4dhIid019h2H8vGzwZC9drLuJkJPTTPrLc-kqZLC9YDbKa89zeRiSiUU/s1600/New-ADSK-Logo.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGv1BMk87mcZNzfB-AkcGhiYOpQjAc_x62rm2yqpNyE5ECm8O927sL7hxcEBlIrVeTtKXox0LtfYgt_nwpw_b4dhIid019h2H8vGzwZC9drLuJkJPTTPrLc-kqZLC9YDbKa89zeRiSiUU/s1600/New-ADSK-Logo.png" height="158" width="320" /></a></div>
<a href="http://www.adobe.com/" target="_blank">Adobe</a>, <a href="http://www.autodesk.com/" target="_blank">Autodesk</a> and <a href="http://www.corel.com/" target="_blank">Corel</a> have joined forces in a copyright infringement lawsuit against the clothing retailer <a href="http://www.forever21.com/" target="_blank">Forever 21</a>. According to the <a href="https://cdn3.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/3357050/adobevsforever21.0.pdf" target="_blank">complaint document </a>that was filed, these three companies assert that Forever 21 used several products from these companies in a way that broke copyright law. The document also asserts that Forever 21 took steps to circumvent<br />
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The document says Forever 21 "(a) copied and reproduced certain of the Adobe Products, Autodesk Products, and Corel Products; and (b) circumvented technological measures that effectively control access to the Adobe Products, Autodesk Products, and Corel Products (collectively, the 'Access Control Technology').”<br />
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The document also states that Forever 21 also allegedly continued to use the software even after being contacted by Adobe. The software corporations are suing for damages due to the piracy of the software, profits derived by Forever 21's alleged use of the software, other damages, and for lawyer fees.<br />
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Forever 21 is a huge retailer that reported around $3.7 billion (USD) in sales in 2013. Forever 21 is also ranked as the 122nd largest private company in the US by Forbes. Is this a case of these three companies going after deep pockets? Why would Adobe, Autodesk and Corel need to do that? It is more of a precedent and for an explanation as to why they need to go to a subscription only licensing model. That type of model makes copyright infringement more difficult to do.<br />
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How many of you have ever worked at a company, regardless of size, where software (like AutoCAD, Photoshop, WinZip-all of which are listed in the document) was used illegally? The thought at the time might have been that it doesn't really hurt anyone. Adobe, Autodesk, and Corel would disagree. I would disagree too.<br />
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For me there are three really amazing points in this case.<br />
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<li>The list of programs used. It goes on for multiple pages. One of which is WinZip. Really? there are so many other options for this and Windows has built in tools that can do what WinZip does. It is not 1995.</li>
<li>Adobe asked Forever 21 to stop but they didn't. For whatever reason Forever 21 must not have thought Adobe and Autodesk wouldn't file a lawsuit. I guess they were wrong.</li>
<li>The lawsuit includes compensation for the loss of revenue from the lack of sales in software but also for Forever 21's profits made by using these products. Remember in 2013 they had over $3 billion in sales! That could be a lot of money.</li>
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These three companies make a several products that many industries use every day. It is easy to forget how digital licensing works. When you purchase a license you aren't purchasing the software. You are actually purchasing the right to use the tool under specific circumstances. Just because you have a copy of the software on a CD, thumb drive, or your server doesn;t mean you physically own anything.<br />
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The way the software licensing was distributed and controlled has been shown time and time again to not be user-friendly and difficult to understand. A few years ago Adobe made the move to a subscription only licensing model. <a href="http://cadablog.blogspot.com/2015/02/autodesk-goes-desktop-subscription-only.html" target="_blank">Autodesk announced their plans to go subscription</a> only earlier this week. Microsoft tried that with Office 2013 but soon made a perpetual license model also available after a lot of outcry from users. Adobe had a similar outcry from their clients but they stood firm. Autodesk is taking a different approach in that they are easing into it. Their transformation will actually take two years until they are fully on subscription only licensing. The first year will incorporate standalone products with year two including design suites.<br />
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Software piracy and copyright infringement are two major issues for these three companies that is why they are making the switch to subscription-based licensing. Don't forget too that these companies should see a more consistent stream of cash flow as well. So yes it is about the bottom line for them. But that is what they are all really in the business of, making money. They make software to make money and they have to make as much money as they can to keep their stockholders happy. These types of gigantic lawsuits help to keep other companies from pirating their products. If Adobe, Autodesk, or Corel never filed suit against these types of activities then everyone would steal their software because nobody would fear getting caught. Adobe told Forever 21 they that caught them but Forever 21 continued with their illegal (alleged) use.<br />
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So what does this mean for the average CAD user or reader of this blog? Don't use software illegally even if your boss tells you to.<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08271671745973808745noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-161408568828348657.post-83653111218733396482015-02-05T14:19:00.001-05:002015-02-10T16:37:40.949-05:00Introducing the CadMouse by 3Dconnexion<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUotR71bZvdiYJ8d7cuAHKTSIJYO5RfGw0hcBaSDUYRK6gfdFnHbM_MdGJ5BUsDYyolTAJXcI22o6N09K0qmgstHMYcUBf34gM2A_8K8tvXAlL6BZirjCkZ9gFDVGP5lsNVznNbcQ5PBE/s1600/CadMouse_ISO_Right_Front_RGB.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUotR71bZvdiYJ8d7cuAHKTSIJYO5RfGw0hcBaSDUYRK6gfdFnHbM_MdGJ5BUsDYyolTAJXcI22o6N09K0qmgstHMYcUBf34gM2A_8K8tvXAlL6BZirjCkZ9gFDVGP5lsNVznNbcQ5PBE/s1600/CadMouse_ISO_Right_Front_RGB.png" height="200" width="200" /></a></div>
3D Mouse maker 3Dconnexion has just introduced their newest product. It's not another 3D mouse. It's a "regular" mouse they are calling the <a href="http://www.3dconnexion.com/products/cadmouse" target="_blank">CadMouse</a>.<br />
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3Dconnexion says that this is the worlds first mouse designed specifically for CAD professionals.</div>
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“We developed the 3Dconnexion CadMouse because CAD users asked us to.” says Antonio Pascucci, VP of products at 3Dconnexion. “We took the time to understand what they needed before developing a combination of smart hardware and software features.” </div>
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“With the introduction of the 3Dconnexion CadMouse, we are excited to be meeting the demands of CAD professionals across a broad range of industries and professions,” Pascucci says. “The icing on the cake is that CadMouse enables a new level of Two-Handed Power for our current customers. In other words, using a CadMouse together with a 3Dconnexion 3D mouse like the SpaceMouse Pro or SpaceNavigator makes it possible to interact with digital content in a way that wasn’t possible before.”</div>
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<u><b>The CadMouse’s features:</b></u></div>
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<li><b>Dedicated, Full-Size Middle Mouse Button</b> — Every CAD user knows how much they rely on the middle mouse button, but ordinary mice bury it under the scroll wheel. The CadMouse has a dedicated, full-size middle mouse button, so it’s no longer necessary to click the uncomfortable scroll wheel thousands of times per day.</li>
<li><b>QuickZoom </b>– Effortlessly zoom in and out of your models or drawings with a single click of a thumb button. Combine this feature with the 6-degrees-of-freedom navigation enabled by a 3Dconnexion 3D mouse for previously unseen levels of Two-Handed Power.</li>
<li><b>Smart Scroll Wheel1</b> – Automatic scroll wheel performance depending on the active application. Precise “click-to-click” zooming in CAD applications or speedy scrolling in browsers and documents. It’s a seamless experience that ordinary mice just can’t provide.</li>
<li><b>Advanced Laser Sensor</b>— With 8200dpi and a poll rate of up to 1000Hz (responsiveness of 1 millisecond) you’ll click exactly where you need to, when you need to. The CadMouse has the level of precision CAD professionals demand—and deserve.</li>
<li><b>Gesture / Radial Menu Button </b>– The CadMouse’s gesture button opens a context sensitive on-screen radial menu. Simply move the cursor left, right, up or down to activate the command.</li>
<li><b>Optimally Shaped PTFE feet</b> – Because 3Dconnexion specializes in CAD, we pay acute attention to details like how materials and geometry affect friction. It’s especially important when you consider that serious CAD users can be moving their mouse up to 1km per week. CadMouse has optimally shaped feet made from PTFE, a material with one of the lowest coefficients of friction against any solid, resulting in a near-perfect equilibrium. The result? CadMouse moves exactly how you mean it to—every time.</li>
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<b><u>Compatibility, pricing and availability</u></b></div>
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The 3Dconnexion CadMouse will be available at the end of February at a suggested retail price of $99 (USD). At the time of launch, its full range of features are supported by the Microsoft® Windows 8, 7 and Vista operating system. </div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RzpxqRiuMfM/VNO81QqWs2I/AAAAAAAAP20/m7fYae5L5Ww/s1600/CadMouse_Front_Up_RGB.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RzpxqRiuMfM/VNO81QqWs2I/AAAAAAAAP20/m7fYae5L5Ww/s1600/CadMouse_Front_Up_RGB.png" height="200" width="200" /></a></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08271671745973808745noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-161408568828348657.post-51086067106093688322015-02-04T08:33:00.001-05:002015-02-04T12:38:59.573-05:00Autodesk Goes Desktop Subscription Only in 2016!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Autodesk just announced that in 2016 they are making a move to Desktop Subscription. This change takes effect on February 1, 2016.<br />
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What does this mean? Next year if you purchase a new license of an Autodesk product you can only get it as a <a href="http://www.autodesk.com/subscription/desktop" target="_blank">Desktop Subscription</a>. This type of license is a pay-as-you-go model. Essentially you pay each month, each quarter, or once a year. Once you stop paying you no longer have the license. Stop paying and you can't use the software.<br />
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What happens to your current licenses? Nothing. they will continue to work just as they always have. All perpetual licenses are still perpetual meaning you can continue to use it as you always have. If you have a Maintenance Subscription License you will still receive your benefits accordingly as long as the subscription remains current. That means you will still be able to pay your yearly subscription fee to continue on as you have been. Nothing will change for you. You just can't get a new Maintenance Subscription after February 1, 2016 because you can't get a perpetual license.<br />
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This is a list of products that will be affected by this change:<br />
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<ul>
<li>3ds Max®</li>
<li>AutoCAD®</li>
<li>AutoCAD LT®</li>
<li>AutoCAD for Mac</li>
<li>AutoCAD LT for Mac</li>
<li>AutoCAD® Architecture</li>
<li>AutoCAD® Electrical</li>
<li>AutoCAD® Mechanical</li>
<li>InfraWorks®</li>
<li>Inventor ®</li>
<li>Inventor® Professional</li>
<li>Inventor LT®</li>
<li>Maya®</li>
<li>Maya LT™</li>
<li>MotionBuilder®</li>
<li>Mudbox®</li>
<li>Navisworks® Simulate</li>
<li>Navisworks® Manage</li>
<li>Revit® Architecture</li>
<li>Revit® MEP</li>
<li>Revit® Structure</li>
<li>Revit LT™</li>
</ul>
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What about Design Suites? From Autodesk's website "New perpetual licenses for Autodesk Design & Creation Suites and other suite offerings will continue to be offered beyond February 1, 2016. Any transition to a subscription-only based offering for Suites after that time will be communicated well in advance."<br />
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Ok so there will be some perpetual licenses still available you just have to get the bundled suites to get them. Autodesk told me that they are on a 2-year plan. The first year starts now and goes until February 1, 2016 when standalone perpetual licenses will end. Design suite perpetual licenses will be available after that date for one more year. By 2017, it seems, that all products, standalone and suite alike, will all be on subscription only for any new licenses.<br />
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How do you feel about this? How will it affect your companies software purchases? Your budget?<br />
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Here are a few links to Autodesk's announcement and discussions about this change:<br />
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<a href="http://news.autodesk.com/press-release/archived/autodesk-details-subscription-transition-new-software-licenses" target="_blank">Press Release</a><br />
<a href="http://www.autodesk.com/products/perpetuallicenses" target="_blank">PERPETUAL LICENSING CHANGES</a><br />
<a href="http://www.autodesk.com/subscription/desktop" target="_blank">Desktop Subscription</a><br />
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Here is the full press release:<br />
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<i>Wednesday, February 4, 2015 8:00 am EST</i><br />
<i>Dateline:</i><br />
<i>SAN RAFAEL, Calif.</i><br />
<i>EmailPDFPrintRSS</i><br />
<i>Public Company Information:</i><br />
<i>NASDAQ:ADSK</i><br />
<i><br /></i> <i>"With today’s announcement, we are giving our customers a full year to plan for these changes, and will continue to be transparent about our plans"</i><br />
<i>SAN RAFAEL, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Today Autodesk, Inc. (Nasdaq:ADSK) announced that new commercial seats of most standalone desktop software products will be available only by Desktop Subscription beginning February 1, 2016. Through these changes, Autodesk is continuing its transition to subscription-based offerings for its products, which provide customers a simplified product management and deployment experience, and makes it easier to introduce new tools and technology into the workflow with lower upfront cost and the ability to pay as you go.</i><br />
<i><br /></i> <i>"How the world is designed and made is changing, and how software is delivered is changing as well. The companies that embrace these changes will lead their industries toward a more nimble, connected and richer future,” said Andrew Anagnost, Autodesk senior vice president of Industry Strategy & Marketing. "Our customers have long asked for greater flexibility and more value from their software investments. The shift to subscription allows Autodesk to deliver both, as well as an improved user experience and easier access to a broader portfolio of technology.”</i><br />
<i><br /></i> <i>Autodesk Desktop Subscription offers a simplified installation, management and upgrade experience, flexible payment terms, and broader access rights across multiple devices. Autodesk plans to continually innovate and improve Desktop Subscription products to more tightly integrate them with Autodesk cloud services and reduce file compatibility issues.</i><br />
<i><br /></i> <i>Autodesk customers who have purchased perpetual licenses prior to February 1, 2016 will be able to continue to use those licenses, and customers on Maintenance Subscription will continue to receive corresponding benefits for as long as their subscription remains active. Autodesk will also continue to offer Cloud Services Subscriptions.</i><br />
<i><br /></i> <i>“With today’s announcement, we are giving our customers a full year to plan for these changes, and will continue to be transparent about our plans,” continued Anagnost. “Autodesk will be working closely with our customers and partners to ease the impact of these changes, and we are committed to making the transition as smooth as possible.”</i><br />
<i><br /></i> <i>For full details on today’s announcement and subscription options, please visit http://www.autodesk.com/perpetuallicenses</i><br />
<i><br /></i> <i>Safe Harbor Statement</i><br />
<i><br /></i> <i>This press release contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties, including statements regarding our products, product availability, product capabilities, and other statements regarding our strategies, market and products positions, performance, and results. There are a significant number of factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from statements made in this press release, including: general market, political, economic and business conditions; failure to successfully manage transitions to new business models and markets, including the introduction of additional ratable revenue streams and our continuing efforts to attract customers to our cloud-based offerings and expenses related to the transition of our business model; slowing momentum in subscription billings or revenues; difficulty in predicting revenue from new businesses and the potential impact on our financial results from changes in our business models; failure to achieve sufficient sell-through in our channels for new or existing products; pricing pressure; the timing and degree of expected investments in growth and efficiency opportunities; and changes in the timing of product releases and retirements.</i><br />
<i><br /></i> <i>Further information on potential factors that could affect the financial results of Autodesk are included in Autodesk's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended January 31, 2014 and Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q for the quarters ended April 30, July 31, 2014 and October 31, 2014, which are on file with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Autodesk does not assume any obligation to update the forward-looking statements provided to reflect events that occur or circumstances that exist after the date on which they were made.</i><br />
<i><br /></i> <i>About Autodesk</i><br />
<i><br /></i> <i>Autodesk helps people imagine, design and create a better world. Everyone—from design professionals, engineers and architects to digital artists, students and hobbyists—uses Autodesk software to unlock their creativity and solve important challenges. For more information visit autodesk.com or follow @autodesk.</i><br />
<i><br /></i> <i>Autodesk is a registered trademarks or trademarks of Autodesk, Inc., and/or its subsidiaries and/or affiliates in the USA and/or other countries. All other brand names, product names or trademarks belong to their respective holders. Autodesk reserves the right to alter product and services offerings, and specifications and pricing at any time without notice, and is not responsible for typographical or graphical errors that may appear in this document.</i><br />
<i><br /></i> <i>© 2015 Autodesk, Inc. All rights reserved.</i><br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08271671745973808745noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-161408568828348657.post-5160446646538516562015-02-03T10:00:00.000-05:002015-02-10T16:40:01.378-05:00Born for CAD - Coming Soon - What is 3Dconnexion up to?3Dconnexion released a YouTube video titled "Born for CAD - coming soon" recently and it has me wondering if they are (finally) releasing a mouse meant for CAD work. I know what you are saying, <a href="http://www.3dconnexion.com/" target="_blank">3Dconnexion</a> has released several CAD mice already. Yes they have but those mice are supplemental 3D based mice. Users still need a "regular" mouse to work with.<br />
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Let's take a look at the video:<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://ytimg.googleusercontent.com/vi/l4hsFdSrsd4/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/l4hsFdSrsd4?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div>
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Well I'm hyped!<br />
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I love 3Dconnexion's line of products (I've had/used several) and I am very excited at the idea of them making a "normal" mouse that is designed for CAD use. Right now I use a gaming mouse (<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Logitech-G700s-910-003584-Rechargeable-Gaming/dp/B00BFOEY3Y/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1422909269&sr=8-1&keywords=Logitech+G700s&pebp=1422909270532&peasin=B00BFOEY3Y" target="_blank">Logitech G700s</a>) for my CAD work and I love it. 3Dconnexion was a subsidiary of Logitech at one time. That was probably why they couldn't produce a CAD mouse before. Now that they are a fully independent company they can produce this type of hardware. I am very excited to see what they can do.<br />
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Why do I think it's a mouse? Great question. Well here are some clues that I gleaned from the video:<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-FflhwV9Sqdk/VM_g4lGUa0I/AAAAAAAAP0w/mISl2gKgboo/s1600/a%2Bnew%2Bventure.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-FflhwV9Sqdk/VM_g4lGUa0I/AAAAAAAAP0w/mISl2gKgboo/s1600/a%2Bnew%2Bventure.png" height="177" width="320" /></a></div>
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The video starts off with this text: A NEW VENTURE</div>
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This tells me that 3Dconnexion will be presenting something they haven't done before. They have only done 3D mice so it's obviously not a new one of those.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0Fm3LDm7h_siwZto7v2OMTpEep-bIX_n9KIU1s54qTl7Y9IXHfGTC_D0lLuy8t8Qh6Tg5menga5nI-0kk32Kb1Y4S8auxJ5JIL6-BSWO3kr2NDN5OzVDb1VG5hkS1RZrCsWlPGgVgdLs/s1600/ergonomic+design.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0Fm3LDm7h_siwZto7v2OMTpEep-bIX_n9KIU1s54qTl7Y9IXHfGTC_D0lLuy8t8Qh6Tg5menga5nI-0kk32Kb1Y4S8auxJ5JIL6-BSWO3kr2NDN5OzVDb1VG5hkS1RZrCsWlPGgVgdLs/s1600/ergonomic+design.png" height="178" width="320" /></a></div>
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This text says: INTELLIGENT ERGONOMIC DESIGN. What type of input device is always billed as being "ergonomic"? Mice are. Keyboards too but you can clearly see this is not a keyboard. Note (hint: look at the red arrows that I added) the button looking thing with an arrow head. that clearly looks like a side button on a mouse. Also note the ridges (again, look at the red arrow). That looks like a thumb rest are on an "ergonomic mouse". Or am I wrong? I've been wrong many times before and I might be wrong here. But this image screams MOUSE to me.</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Emy_Svx5hv8/VM_it88DhrI/AAAAAAAAP1E/aF6BUQaJlyk/s1600/smarter.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Emy_Svx5hv8/VM_it88DhrI/AAAAAAAAP1E/aF6BUQaJlyk/s1600/smarter.png" height="177" width="320" /></a></div>
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This text is: SMARTER THAN AVERAGE. So whatever this is (it's a mouse ok?), it will be smart. Smart means programmable. Programmable means mouse. If you look at this image I think we are seeing a scroll wheel or an extra programmable button along with a left and right standard mouse button. It could be a side view of an extra programmable mouse button.</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-njfjC1fmBEs/VM_jjI5mUnI/AAAAAAAAP1M/8fGy7C4y6rM/s1600/born%2Bfor%2Bcad.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-njfjC1fmBEs/VM_jjI5mUnI/AAAAAAAAP1M/8fGy7C4y6rM/s1600/born%2Bfor%2Bcad.png" height="176" width="320" /></a></div>
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This last image says: BORN FOR CAD. that's exciting because there really isn't a mouse made specifically for the needs of CAD; except for 3D mice. And in this image you can clearly see mouse button edges (I've pointed to them.) (You see them too right?)</div>
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I may be totally wrong about this but I strongly feel it is a mouse that was designed for CAD users. this mouse is stylish, ergonomic (because CAD people use mice all day long), smart (programmable), and importantly it is coming to us soon.</div>
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How soon is soon? Hopefully it is just weeks and not months. If I hear anything I will let you know.</div>
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<a href="http://www.3dconnexion.com/" target="_blank">3Dconnexion</a><br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08271671745973808745noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-161408568828348657.post-31604339695413798802015-02-02T10:00:00.000-05:002015-02-02T10:00:09.850-05:00Google Earth Pro is Now Free - So What do We Get?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi3W_lu7FLNIfHa00RBZsvjkafB5pGrnyZEAi9Ejtwlp6OMCuHuxXTuJHIIHqf1_-aTuCF_T9I33Q9rFwK7IFx4GkRSngib6cdYm9Qa592ow3hfCcGYOw8rajT9Q53g09t08_NUDLNW_M/s1600/googleearthpro.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi3W_lu7FLNIfHa00RBZsvjkafB5pGrnyZEAi9Ejtwlp6OMCuHuxXTuJHIIHqf1_-aTuCF_T9I33Q9rFwK7IFx4GkRSngib6cdYm9Qa592ow3hfCcGYOw8rajT9Q53g09t08_NUDLNW_M/s1600/googleearthpro.png" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
If you have ever used <a href="https://www.google.com/work/mapsearth/products/earthpro.html">Google Earth</a> Images in your presentation, map, site plan, or in any way without using the Pro version you were breaking the law. That data is copyrighted and licensed only to pro users. In the past one Google Earth Pro license would cost you $400 (USD). Google just announced that they will let everyone use <a href="http://google-latlong.blogspot.ca/2015/01/google-earth-pro-is-now-free.html">Google Earth Pro for free</a>. <a href="http://www.google.com/earth/download/gep/agree.html">Download</a> the program, get a Pro key, install and use.<br />
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Now that you can legally use this data for free what does the Pro version give you?<br />
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<a name='more'></a>Google Earth Pro Additional Features<br />
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<li>High-Resolution Images</li>
<li>Regionate large datasets</li>
<li>Batch Geocode addresses<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></li>
<li>Import GIS data</li>
<li>Imported GIS images are Automatically Geo-located</li>
<li>Import large image files<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>More than max texture size (Super Image Overlays)</li>
<li>Access demographic, parcel & traffic data layers</li>
<li>Create premium movies</li>
<li>Measure area of a polygon or circles</li>
<li>Map multiple points at once</li>
<li>Viewshed tool</li>
<li>Mapmaking tool</li>
</ul>
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For engineering firms using Google Earth this means you get high-resolution images, geo-referenced data, measurement tools, and the ability to load GIS data. Just don;t sell the data and make sure to include all required copyright notifications. Visit Google's <a href="https://www.google.com/intl/en/permissions/geoguidelines.html">Geo Permissions Guidelines</a> for more details. You may also want to review the <a href="https://earth.google.com/intl/en/licensepro.html">Google Earth Licensing Agreement</a> for specific licensing information.</div>
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If you want to know more about Google Earth Pro here is Google's <a href="https://www.google.com/work/mapsearth/products/earthpro.html?utm_campaign=freemium&utm_medium=et&utm_source=earth-en-home">FAQ</a>.</div>
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Using Google Earth Pro will make things much easier for many people. I don't know why Google decided to make this service free. Perhaps they figured that many people were using their images and data incorrectly already so they decided to make it easier for the users to use legitimately. Will GEP remain free forever? Or is this just for a limited time? Is Google making this free only to get us addicted so that later when they change their minds and start charging again they might get more subscribers? I doubt that.<br />
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For now, get it. Use it. It's a great tool that you will find many uses for.</div>
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<a href="http://www.google.com/earth/download/gep/agree.html">Download Google Earth Pro</a></div>
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<a href="https://geoauth.google.com/gev0/free_trial.html">Get a Key</a></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08271671745973808745noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-161408568828348657.post-63932625036952825562015-01-29T10:00:00.000-05:002015-01-29T10:00:01.038-05:00How to Send Your AutoCAD Project Files to Anybody, Anywhere, Anytime<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-tZUVtPl5hJI/T_HuNmfHjJI/AAAAAAAAC64/W13oC7DfQKw/s1600/ID-10025107.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-tZUVtPl5hJI/T_HuNmfHjJI/AAAAAAAAC64/W13oC7DfQKw/s1600/ID-10025107.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
Working with <a href="http://cadablog.blogspot.com/search/label/autocad">AutoCAD</a> 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.<br />
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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?<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Nm2zMCNtBrg/VMmnQFwAEUI/AAAAAAAAPyg/SLwvVvJi5lI/s1600/eTransmit-01.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Nm2zMCNtBrg/VMmnQFwAEUI/AAAAAAAAPyg/SLwvVvJi5lI/s1600/eTransmit-01.png" height="282" width="320" /></a></div>
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”.<br />
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One of the best tools to ever come to <a href="http://cadablog.blogspot.com/search/label/autocad">AutoCAD</a> and its Verticals (and the LT series) is <a href="http://cadablog.blogspot.com/search/label/eTransmit">eTransmit</a>. The <a href="http://cadablog.blogspot.com/search/label/eTransmit">eTransmit</a> 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.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6I9GTfREsIk/VMmnP4YyoGI/AAAAAAAAPyc/HWM8LgDZpPY/s1600/eTransmit-02.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6I9GTfREsIk/VMmnP4YyoGI/AAAAAAAAPyc/HWM8LgDZpPY/s1600/eTransmit-02.png" height="301" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Quick Tip: <a href="http://cadablog.blogspot.com/2012/10/quick-tip-save-before-using-autocad.html">Save before using AutoCAD eTransmit</a></td></tr>
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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.<br />
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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.<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08271671745973808745noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-161408568828348657.post-3669386547054232392015-01-28T11:00:00.000-05:002015-01-28T11:00:02.692-05:00Don't Ignore Unreconciled Layers - They are there to Help You<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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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.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhor8kEz3PflHVRXcqBoxwIPv9m-oYHbc9WD-y4bNsfTwPvWj0mvSANVN-E3v-1a7VIJ-Z3C5-NJgiiGye5BPyR1MWJDm4_7sJgyFCuHwOG5O_f9h-KxYDcW798zxYbHWGDjN1qaQ0eEZY/s1600/unreconcyledlayerspopupwhenprinting.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhor8kEz3PflHVRXcqBoxwIPv9m-oYHbc9WD-y4bNsfTwPvWj0mvSANVN-E3v-1a7VIJ-Z3C5-NJgiiGye5BPyR1MWJDm4_7sJgyFCuHwOG5O_f9h-KxYDcW798zxYbHWGDjN1qaQ0eEZY/s1600/unreconcyledlayerspopupwhenprinting.PNG" height="165" width="320" /></a>Unreconciled Layers are layers that have been added to a file you have referenced in your current file. AutoCAD will alert you when this happens to give you the opportunity to deal with the new data. New layers could be added at any time in the life of a project for many reasons. Most likely something new has been added or some linework has been moved to a new layer. Moving objects to a new layer are done in order to give users more control of what their drawings look like. Perhaps an old sidewalk will now have to be demolished to make way for something new. The CAD Tech created a sidewalk-demo layer in the base file and moved the area of sidewalk to be removed to the new demo layer.Now that that was done, when the site plan drawing is opened you (or anyone else) will be notified that there is a new layer to deal with. Open the layer manager, filter by unreconciled layers, and turn off, freeze, or change the color/linetype of that layer in the appropriate viewports. You don;t have to hunt, search or find the right layers. AutoCAD automatically shows you the new stuff.</div>
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This process has saved me a lot of time on many projects. But in order for it to work you have to make sure all of your layers have been reconciled beforehand; otherwise you will get the notification every time you open the DWG and you will not get any type of benefit from it at all.</div>
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I suggest that you either use it or disable it. Here are some system variables that will help you control how the Unreconciled Layer notification behaves.</div>
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<li>LAYERNOTIFY - Specifies when an alert displays when unreconciled new layers are found.</li>
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<li>LAYEREVAL - Specifies whether the layer list is evaluated for new layers when added to the drawing or to attached xrefs.</li>
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<li>LAYEREVALCTL - Controls the overall Unreconciled New Layer filter list in Layer Properties Manager which is evaluated for new layers.</li>
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This little bubble can be very helpful to you or it can just get in your way. I suggest you use it. But if you aren't going to use it then turn it off completely. That way you won't have to close the bubble every time you see it.</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08271671745973808745noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-161408568828348657.post-42561519992477425872015-01-27T16:28:00.001-05:002015-01-27T16:28:35.187-05:00My Day as a CAD Dork<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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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.<br />
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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.<br />
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.<br />
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.<br />
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Now that I am “unemployed” I am still very busy. A few years ago I made it a goal of mine to not be so dependent on my employer for my income. That was a good call as my side projects have bailed me out many times. I call it Income Diversification. Is that a real thing because it sounds like it should be if it isn’t.<br />
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On the side I write for Sybex Publishing so I have that project to work on right now. Having 40+ more hours in the week now means I will be able to get ahead of schedule. I also create training videos for Infinite Skills and am in the beginning stages of a new project for them. I’m be able to get this done early too.<br />
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The past two days I have spent a lot of time working on my new resume. I don’t find this to be any fun. At first I produced a three page resume. I should it to Mrs. CAD-a-Blog and she said I need to make a few changes. I took her excellent advice and was able to shorten it considerably. Oh yeah the printer jammed ad wasn’t working properly. I was able to play IT Support again at home. I actually love doing this though so it was a good time.<br />
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I ran some errands today with my wife which was fun. I don’t get to do that while I’m at work.<br />
I did manage to set up a job interview already so I have to prepare for that over the next few days.<br />
For the rest of the day I worked on this article which is very different from what I typically write. I have found it to be a bit refreshing and a lot of fun. Several other CAD Bloggers are participating so do a search for #CADDork around your favorite social media sites. I am also going to work on some blog articles, notes for future articles, and research for future articles.<br />
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I love being a CADDork and a CAD Blogger. The greatest reward I receive for doing this (besides getting paid occasionally) is when people from around the world come to me with questions. I do what I can to help them out or to at least be able to point them in a general direction.<br />
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#CADdork<br />
#AutoCAD<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08271671745973808745noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-161408568828348657.post-18159782978798935132015-01-27T14:00:00.000-05:002015-01-27T14:00:02.453-05:00Some Thoughts to Employers About Training Your EmployeesTrain them or loose them. <br />
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Train them or your production will suffer. <br />
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Train them or you will loose even more money. <br />
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Train them or your competition will surpass you. <br />
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Train them or they will train themselves and leave you. <br />
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Stop fussing over training costs. Train your employees. It is the best investment in your company that you will ever make.</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08271671745973808745noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-161408568828348657.post-11576729616223885292015-01-27T10:00:00.000-05:002015-01-27T10:00:02.939-05:00Learn how to use AutoCAD Sheet Sets<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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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.<br />
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Sheet Sets can provide the following:<br />
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<li>File Management</li>
<li>Batch Printing Tools</li>
<li>File Archiving</li>
<li>Project Data Management</li>
<li>File Creation</li>
<li>Standardization</li>
<li>View Management</li>
<li>Project Collaboration</li>
<li>Recurring Information</li>
<li>Automation</li>
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If you aren't using Sheet Sets it is something you really should take a look at. If you haven't been using it because you don't know how it works then I can help. I have created an instructional video on using <a href="http://www.infiniteskills.com/training/learning-to-use-autocad-sheet-sets.html">Sheet Sets</a>. </div>
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Before you purchase the training video you can read this article I wrote for <a href="http://www.augi.com/library/tipniques-why-you-should-be-using-sheet-sets">AUGI that discusses the aspects of Sheet Sets titled "Why You Should Be Using Sheet Sets"</a>.</div>
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you can also watch a webinar that I hosted from <a href="http://www.novedge.com/webinar/67">Novedge</a> that reviews the highlights of my training video. I also provide som etips and tricks and show you some basic features and fundamentals on using Sheet Sets. The webinar video will give you an idea on what the Sheet set Manager looks like and will give you a good idea on what to expect.</div>
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If you have any questions about Sheet Sets let me know. I will be glad to try to help out.</div>
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<a href="http://www.infiniteskills.com/training/learning-to-use-autocad-sheet-sets.html">Learning To Use AutoCAD Sheet Sets Training Video</a></div>
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<a href="http://www.novedge.com/webinar/67">AutoCAD Sheet Sets for Project Management</a></div>
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<iframe width="320" height="266" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://ytimg.googleusercontent.com/vi/sLyxkV4qjHE/0.jpg" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/sLyxkV4qjHE?feature=player_embedded" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>
<h1 class="yt" id="watch-headline-title" style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-weight: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10px; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; text-align: center;">
<span class="watch-title " dir="ltr" id="eow-title" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" title="AutoCAD LT and the Sheet Set Manager: Introduction"><span style="font-size: x-small;">AutoCAD LT and the Sheet Set Manager: Introduction from Autodesk</span></span></h1>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08271671745973808745noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-161408568828348657.post-39011427616333632312015-01-26T11:26:00.000-05:002015-01-26T11:28:18.658-05:00Autodesk to close Subscription CenterAutodesk has announced their plan to close <a href="http://subscription.autodesk.com/">Subscription Center</a>. Subscription Center is a web portal where users can go to manage their Autodesk product licenses, subscriptions and services. This site provides access to download files, tech support, and other services. Autodesk is closing that service on March 13th, 2015.<br />
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Fortunately they are replacing it with a new website called Autodesk Account.<br />
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<a href="http://www.autodesk.com/account">http://www.autodesk.com/account</a><br />
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Autodesk Account will be a one-stop place where users can track and manage their licenses, subscriptions, products, services, and benefits. Maintenance subscription customers will be affected most by this change but all Autodesk customers will be directed here and will be able to use this service.<br />
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Autodesk says the interface and tools in Account will be simple to navigate and use. I found it much easier to navigate than Subscription Center.<br />
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Autodesk product users will not have to wait until March to start using Autodesk Account. It is available now and is fully functional.<br />
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Autodesk has supplied a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KkXkr7zEo78&feature=em-uploademail">video </a>describing this change and the services available through Autodesk Account.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08271671745973808745noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-161408568828348657.post-89133848915454940172015-01-22T19:35:00.000-05:002015-01-22T19:35:04.922-05:00Autodesk Upgrade Pricing Ends January 31<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="http://www.autodesk.com/campaigns/global-promotion">Autodesk officially ends its upgrade pricing plans this month. After January 31, 2015</a>, 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.<br />
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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.<br />
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In late <a href="http://gfxspeak.com/2013/10/02/autodesk-sales-strategy-includes-discontinuing-upgrade-purchases/">2013 Autodesk announced</a> that on January 31, 2015, would be the end of this pricing program. This means that if your company purchased a perpetual license of an Autodesk product you will have to pay full price for a newer version when it is available. What happened in the update program was that your original license was changed, for a smaller fee, to apply to the latest version of that product. Now you will not be able to do this. You will still own your original license to the older software you will have to purchase a second license for the newer version. The majority of the time users don’t need this second license, they just want the updated version of the software.<br />
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This practice is ending. Instead, companies will now have to pay up or pay for a maintenance contract known to most as subscription. A company will pay for a license then pay the maintenance fee that lasts for one year. Each year that maintenance contract can be renewed. That fee is substantially cheaper than a full license. The contract provides some tech support, access to other services but most importantly it grants the license holder access to any updates to newer versions that may become available during the maintenance contract. Many companies have been taking part in this payment method for a long time. It works just fine and most companies won’t even notice the update policy is changing, except for the inundation of emails we have all been receiving concerning this change.<br />
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Last year Autodesk also announced a “pay as you go” plan for many of their products.<br />
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<a href="http://cadablog.blogspot.com/2013/08/autodesk-introduces-rental-plans-for.html">Autodesk Introduces Rental Plans for Design Suites</a></div>
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There is no upfront license fee to pay so the initial cost is much cheaper. This program is ideal to fill the needs of a short term project or to supply temporary employees with the software tools they need. You only pay for what you need for as long as you need it. Long term though it the pricing plans mean you will pay more for this program than if you purchase a license out right.<br />
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So <a href="http://www.studiodaily.com/2014/08/with-the-end-of-upgrades-in-view-autodesks-model-evolves-slowly/">what does this mean for your company</a>? If you are already on a maintenance subscription plan it means nothing. If you were of the group that only updated every few years then you might be in for a surprise. If you want to update and are not on subscription you need to make your update now before time runs out in a few days.<br />
<br />
For more information about Autodesk's upgrade policy chack out this <a href="http://knowledge.autodesk.com/support/autocad/troubleshooting/caas/sfdcarticles/sfdcarticles/Frequently-Asked-Questions-about-the-Autodesk-Upgrade-Policy.html">page on Autodesk's website</a>.<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08271671745973808745noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-161408568828348657.post-35589037572761243642015-01-15T19:01:00.002-05:002015-01-15T19:01:52.018-05:00AutoCAD for Mac Shortcuts & Commands<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dnwuL3CASpk/VLhSuo2xC3I/AAAAAAAAPss/iYOx8qPldPw/s1600/autocadformacshortcuts.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dnwuL3CASpk/VLhSuo2xC3I/AAAAAAAAPss/iYOx8qPldPw/s1600/autocadformacshortcuts.png" height="66" width="320" /></a></div>
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 <a href="http://www.autodesk.com/store/autocad-for-mac/autocad-for-mac-shortcuts">Autodesk website</a>.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_G_8yZWOSLoMJk6zqwrcGzfa9M8phxEtCyEkmlGpFaUHsKSrjOVY8670qAy5EBYw_ntfiYnGc88ln5dB32sgQyctJ9sIataehekMwxA0wcS_pSpwVs08qRcLqnjjqAQqKC340Q4Qx1Eo/s1600/MAC_AutoCAD_Keyboard-Graphic-Large.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_G_8yZWOSLoMJk6zqwrcGzfa9M8phxEtCyEkmlGpFaUHsKSrjOVY8670qAy5EBYw_ntfiYnGc88ln5dB32sgQyctJ9sIataehekMwxA0wcS_pSpwVs08qRcLqnjjqAQqKC340Q4Qx1Eo/s1600/MAC_AutoCAD_Keyboard-Graphic-Large.jpg" height="150" width="200" /></a>The guide also has a <a href="http://www.autodesk.com/content/dam/estore/customer-service/MAC_AutoCAD_Shortcuts_11x8.5_MECH.pdf">printable image file</a> (in a PDF format) that you can post in your office, hand out to coworkers, or even create keyboard stickers with. It has a visual layout guide that looks like your Mac's keyboard and indicates what each button does.<br />
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If you are new to AutoCAD for Mac or are making the move from Windows this guide will be invaluable to you. Some of the buttons on a Mac keyboard a little different than a PC keyboard so from time to time you may become lost or at least a little bit confused. This guide will help.<br />
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This list is rather extensive and looks all inclusive meaning that it also includes all of the command aliases from the PGP file. The PGP file contains all of the shortcuts that we can type on the command line that are shortened versions of each command.<br />
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If you use AutoCAD for Windows you can go here for information on Autodesk’s keyboard shortcut guide <a href="http://cadablog.blogspot.com/2014/05/autodesk-autocad-shortcut-guide.html">here</a>.<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08271671745973808745noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-161408568828348657.post-48865006083197053102015-01-09T10:41:00.000-05:002015-01-13T14:51:32.860-05:00As a Standard, never use the word standard for your standard style names<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBuK5IsToBNUIaDnd4YFwtrWof6fTjcP5HKUnvhkfOWYxvbMge_nISG2VDzj241gOTAPx-9nxbGvwSM25GMPZpczEMBgUQUhZaR2ur9O8zUmEC377sOhkDmSDk57bwEd9GlW-Xm2zUdZw/s1600/1677719_s.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBuK5IsToBNUIaDnd4YFwtrWof6fTjcP5HKUnvhkfOWYxvbMge_nISG2VDzj241gOTAPx-9nxbGvwSM25GMPZpczEMBgUQUhZaR2ur9O8zUmEC377sOhkDmSDk57bwEd9GlW-Xm2zUdZw/s1600/1677719_s.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a></div>
AutoCAD has many styles. If you use Civil3D (and AutoCAD vertical) you have a plethora of styles. I have come across many instances where companies create a style, be it text, dimension, point label, etc., where they have named it “STANDARD”. It makes sense. You want a standard style to be used by everyone. Which text style should I use? Oh yeah, the one marked STANDARD. It is clear, concise, and easily understood by CAD users of all levels.<br />
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There is an issue though. If the naming convention of STANDARD is so simple to use, then many companies will be using it. The problem comes when your files intermingle with theirs. What if you need to insert or reference a third party’s files into yours. Or worse, what if a third party is referencing your files? Assume both companies are using STANDARD for their main text style. Your company uses ROMANS for your standard font. They use SCRIPT. They insert your file into theirs. AutoCAD then recognizes your text style of STANDARD but applies company B’s style settings and all of your text is now script.<br />
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Why does this happen? Well, AutoCAD reads a style and uses the style that is already in the file. If two different styles have the same name, it goes with the style it already knows in the open file.<br />
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Another instance where this is likely to mess up your drawings is in custom linetypes that use text. Assume you created a custom linetype that uses text with your STANDARD text style. Your linework is inserted into a third party file. Their STANDARD text style is set to a specific height, width, and/or different font. Your fancy pants custom linetype is now all wrong!<br />
<br />
You will see the same or similar behavior with dimension styles.<br />
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The best way to work around this is to use some sort of unique identifier in your style name. Assume your company’s initials are XYZ. Start all of your style names with XYZ. You can have an XYZ-STANDARD for your text, dimensions, tables, etc. Perhaps your initials are too generic, so try using your company name. for me it might be CADABLOG-STANDARD. That is very unique. My style settings will remain no matter where my data does.<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08271671745973808745noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-161408568828348657.post-36982533106146147402015-01-07T14:49:00.001-05:002015-01-07T14:50:41.377-05:00Two universal events that guarantee printer failure.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-49ogRz-WD9g/UIl2NQesb0I/AAAAAAAAD5o/Ay7btGm_Mds/s1600/epson-image001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-49ogRz-WD9g/UIl2NQesb0I/AAAAAAAAD5o/Ay7btGm_Mds/s1600/epson-image001.jpg" height="194" width="320" /></a></div>
Any design firm (engineering, architectural, etc.) will tell you that there are two events that, when they occur, will guarantee your printer will fail. These events are:<br />
<br />
1.<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>A hard deadline.<br />
2.<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>The repair tech visited the day before.<br />
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You have all experienced these things. It never fails. You could use the printer all week and nothing happens. But when it comes time to print your drawing set for a submittal and there is a hard deadline it will jam, run out of toner, run out of paper, shred your paper, or catch fire. It always happens. Always.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-KZ0GkymzWM8/VK2MB7MADpI/AAAAAAAAPjE/Wt89qrc2Dmo/s1600/small__3227963549.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-KZ0GkymzWM8/VK2MB7MADpI/AAAAAAAAPjE/Wt89qrc2Dmo/s1600/small__3227963549.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">photo credit: <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/jtyerse/3227963549/">jtyerse</a> via <a href="http://photopin.com/">photopin</a> <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.0/">cc</a> </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Many veterans have learned to dread the unsolicited visit of the printer repair tech; not because they smell of old toner, but because of the waft of destruction that typically comes in their wake. You know the drill; they show up to clean out the toner tray, perform a routine cleaning, or to get a counter read. The next day the printer seemingly dies. No reason given; no warning; it simply refuses to work properly. My personal favorite is when the tech comes to repair a broken printer, runs 50 gazillion prints (or your paper) and signs off as if everything was actually ok. Within minutes of them leaving the darn thing is now hiccupping where it was sneezing before.<br />
<br />
In all fairness to the repair techs we work the snot out of these devices. We run them super hot and run print after print after print. Nobody would work in a consistent manner under these extreme circumstances. Not without breaking down. But at least now we don’t have to endure the wretched smell of ammonia these days! Oh the memories.<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08271671745973808745noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-161408568828348657.post-19755693470601567772014-08-12T12:51:00.002-04:002014-08-12T12:51:31.956-04:00Lenovo announces the Thinkstation P-Series<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-VPhA5ez4pJY/U-pDwpRWkYI/AAAAAAAAMsg/usz2oKH4NTo/s1600/P-series%2BAngle.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-VPhA5ez4pJY/U-pDwpRWkYI/AAAAAAAAMsg/usz2oKH4NTo/s1600/P-series%2BAngle.jpg" height="320" width="235" /></a></div>
<a href="http://cadablog.blogspot.com/search/label/Lenovo">Lenovo</a> has <a href="http://news.lenovo.com/news+releases/lenovo-redefines-workstations-with-thinkstation-p-series.htm">announced</a> the reworking of its <a href="https://www.thinkworkstations.com/">P-Series line of workstations</a>. The design has been reworked from the ground up. Lenovo says they have focused on Ease of Use, Thermal Management, Flexibility, and Performance when updating the P Series. In May of 2014 Lenovo announced the entry-level P300 workstation. Today they add the P500, P700 and P900 to that model. The P-Series workstation is designed for professionals in engineering, architecture, media & entertainment, oil & gas, medical & science, finance and other industries that need a powerful computer on a daily basis.<br />
<br />
The Lenovo P-Series has been completely redesigned with a focus on performance through temperature control and ease of use. The chassis is completely tool-less and can be completely broken down in a matter of minutes (Lenovo makes this claim on their website and videos). That’s a big deal when maintenance is required especially when your IT department has multiple workstations to maintain.<br />
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The internals now have three sections to better manage heat in an effort to reduce thermal damage to its internal components. The airflow is directed to major components and is baffled so that the heated air does not interact with other components but is directed out the rear of the chassis.<br />
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<br />
The new chassis and components incorporate “Flex Bay” systems. This design provides tool-less maintenance and several options for a wide array of internal hardware components.<br />
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Of course performance is enhanced due to adding the latest hardware components.<br />
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<object width="320" height="266" class="BLOGGER-youtube-video" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0" data-thumbnail-src="https://ytimg.googleusercontent.com/vi/z_IIzB4TYyQ/0.jpg"><param name="movie" value="https://youtube.googleapis.com/v/z_IIzB4TYyQ&source=uds" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF" /><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><embed width="320" height="266" src="https://youtube.googleapis.com/v/z_IIzB4TYyQ&source=uds" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object></div>
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<br />
I have been a fan of Lenovo workstations for a long time now and look forward to seeing this new design for the P-Series. I hope to have a review unit in the next few months and will let you know what I think. But the concepts seem solid and I’m sure I will love the tool-less concept.<br />
<br />
Here are the key points (<a href="http://news.lenovo.com/news+releases/lenovo-redefines-workstations-with-thinkstation-p-series.htm">from the Lenovo press release</a>) of the updated P-Series Workstation:<br />
<br />
<b><u>Ease of Use</u></b><br />
<br />
The Lenovo ThinkStation P Series features a clean, modular design, making it easier to access components for uncomplicated upgrades.<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Tool-less Upgrades: Access critical components – even the motherboard – without the need for a single tool. </li>
<li>Red Touch Points: Intuitive red touch points guide users’ hands to quick and easy component changes. </li>
<li>Integrated Handles: Makes lifting and carrying easy – and allows the system to fit conveniently into any
workspace. The integrated handles also allow for easy rack mounting. </li>
<li>QR Codes: Have support questions about your components? Scan the QR code, and you will be directed
to our website with detailed information on system architecture and component technical specifications. </li>
<li>Diagnostic Port: Plug your Android-based tablet or smartphone into the USB port for system analysis
using the ThinkStation app, or use any USB mass storage device to transfer diagnostic information directly to the dedicated ThinkStation diagnostics web page. </li>
</ul>
<br />
<b><u>Thermal Management</u></b><br />
<br />
Keeping components cool is the key to reliability. Lenovo ThinkStation workstations have historically been the coolest in the industry, and the P Series is the coolest system yet.<br />
<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Tri Channel Cooling: ThinkStation P Series utilizes a patented tri-channel architecture resulting in superior cooling of key components. </li>
<li>Air Baffle: Through a one-of-a-kind, fan-less, multi-channel air baffle, the redesigned system draws in maximum airflow, directing cool air straight to critical system components. Warm air is forced out the back without ever touching other components along the way.
</li>
</ul>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6tFynA8P6U8/U-pF6kmL4AI/AAAAAAAAMss/AwMY1oCNxEM/s1600/P500%2BInternal.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6tFynA8P6U8/U-pF6kmL4AI/AAAAAAAAMss/AwMY1oCNxEM/s1600/P500%2BInternal.jpg" height="306" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<b><u>Flexibility</u></b><br />
<br />
Lenovo has brought the idea of expansion to an entirely new level. From memory and storage capacity to power supply and I/O slots, the P Series offers unique configurations that let users customize the right components no matter what their profession requires for a fully loaded experience.<br />
<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>FLEX Bay: The FLEX Bay has been designed to support an optical drive or the FLEX Module, which can be used to support an ultraslim optical drive, a media card reader, or Firewire (IEEE 1394). </li>
<li>FLEX Tray: Newly designed HDD trays support both 2.5” and 3.5” hard drives. And with one tray supporting up to two 2.5” hard drives, users can add as many as 14 drives (P900 model only). </li>
<li>FLEX Connector: Professionals can increase functionality without sacrificing rear PCIe slots using a mezzanine card that connects to the motherboard – allowing for support for SATA/SAS/PCIe storage and advanced RAID solutions. </li>
<li>Power Supply: Easily remove the tool-less power supply without worrying about cables. For the P700 and P500 models, this means users can match the size of the power supply to their systems’ unique configuration, allowing them to pay for the performance they truly need.
</li>
</ul>
<br />
<br />
<b><u>Performance</u></b><br />
<br />
Boosting productivity starts with incomparable computing and graphics performance. With the Lenovo ThinkStation P Series, users can run their mission-critical applications to their limits – from advanced rendering and simulation to analysis of vast data sets.<br />
<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Cutting-Edge Processing: The latest Intel® Xeon® processors provide critical computing horsepower. </li>
<li>Unparalleled Graphical Capabilities: The latest NVIDIA® Quadro® graphics cards provide unmatched
visualization performance. </li>
<li>Memory: The P Series supports a high capacity of DDR4 memory to handle any complex computational
task with RAM to spare. </li>
<li>ISV-Certified Software: The P Series is certified to work on all key ISV applications. In fact, there’s a good
chance that many of the world’s largest ISVs developed their software using ThinkStation workstations. </li>
<li>Pushing the Limits of Expandability: The ThinkStation P900 supports up to three NVIDIA® Quadro®
K6000 graphic cards and up to 14 storage devices. </li>
</ul>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><u>ThinkStation P500</u></b><br />
<br />
The ThinkStation P500 blends performance and flexibility. The P500 offers more I/O slots and the highest storage capacity in the industry for 1P workstations. The P500 can be configured from a mainstream to a compact high performance workstation and is targeted for the CAD/CAM, 3D, architecture and product design fields.<br />
<br />
Specifications<br />
<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>490W/650W/850W PSU options </li>
<li>Next generation Intel Xeon processor </li>
<li>Up to 256GB DDR4 (512GB with 64GB
DIMMs, special bid only)</li>
<li>Eight memory DIMMs </li>
<li>Up to 11 storage devices (8 internal + 2 external + 1 M.2)</li>
<li>Up to two GPUs featuring the latest NVIDIA graphics</li>
<li>Support for 12Gbps SAS and up to
32Gbps PCIe</li>
<li>Seven expansion slots, Firewire*, serial
port*, 4x USB 3.0</li>
<li>9:1 integrated card reader; 29:1 card
reader* </li>
<li>RAID 0,1,5,10 support </li>
<li>Gigabit Ethernet </li>
<li>440 x 470 x 175 (HxDxW) </li>
</ul>
<br />
<br />
<b><u>ThinkStation P700</u></b><br />
<br />
The ThinkStation P700 gives versatility and power with the highest storage capacity in the industry. The P700 also has the most x16 slots in the industry for compact 2P workstations. The P700 bridges the gap between a compact and high performance workstation; designed for animation, finance, A/V editing, medical imaging and special effects fields.<br />
<br />
Specifications<br />
<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>490W/650W/850W PSU options</li>
<li>Next generation Intel Xeon processors</li>
<li>Supporting dual-CPUs</li>
<li>Up to 384GB DDR4 (768GB with 6GB DIMMs special bid only)</li>
<li>12 memory DIMMS (balanced)</li>
<li>Up to 12 storage devices (8 internal + 2 external + 2 M.2)</li>
<li>Up to 3 GPUs featuring the latest NVIDIA graphics</li>
<li>Support for 12Gbps SAS and up to 32Gbps PCIe</li>
<li>7 expansion slots, Firewire, serial port, 4x USB 3.0</li>
<li>9:1 integrated card reader; 29:1 card reader</li>
<li>RAID 0,1,5,10 support</li>
<li>Gigabit Ethernet (2 ports)
</li>
<li>440 x 470 x 175 (HxDxW)</li>
</ul>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><u>ThinkStation P900</u></b><br />
<br />
The ThinkStation P900 is the largest of the series and provides extreme performance. With the most I/O in the industry and the first to offer 1TB memory in a workstation. The P900 goes beyond where ThinkStation has before, moving between high and ultra high performance. Industries that might use the P900 include oil and gas, pharma R&D, CAE/FEA/CFD, and visualization and rendering.<br />
<br />
Specifications<br />
<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>1300W PSU</li>
<li>New generation Intel Xeon processors</li>
<li>Supporting dual-CPUs</li>
<li>Up to 512GB DDR4 (1024GB with 64GB DIMMs special bid only)</li>
<li>16 memory DIMMs</li>
<li>Up to 14 storage devices (8 internal + 2 external + 4 M.2)</li>
<li>Up to 4 GPUs featuring the latest</li>
<li>NVIDIA graphics</li>
<li>Support for 12Gbps SAS and up to 32Gbps</li>
<li>PCIe</li>
<li>10 expansion slots, Firewire, serial port, 4x USB 3.0</li>
<li>9:1 integrated card reader; 29:1 card reader</li>
<li>RAID 0,1,5,10 support</li>
<li>Gigabit Ethernet (2 ports)</li>
<li>440 x 620 x 200 (HxDxW)</li>
</ul>
<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08271671745973808745noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-161408568828348657.post-48133766436277668842014-06-16T13:48:00.001-04:002014-06-16T13:49:07.546-04:00My AutoCAD 2015 and AutoCAD LT 2015 Training Videos Now AvailableJust released our my newest set of training videos covering <a href="http://www.infiniteskills.com/training/learning-autodesk-autocad-2015.html">AutoCAD 2015</a> and <a href="http://www.infiniteskills.com/training/learning-autodesk-autocad-lt-2015.html">AutoCAD LT 2015</a>. Each video is 10.25 hours long and covers the basics of each program.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.infiniteskills.com/training/learning-autodesk-autocad-2015.html">Learning Autodesk AutoCAD 2015 Training Video</a><br />
A Practical AutoCAD Training Course That Teaches Real World Skills<br />
<br />
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OkKqk8E9CtI/U58tn8Mz7tI/AAAAAAAAK-g/5uxM-AHu9_c/s1600/01941.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OkKqk8E9CtI/U58tn8Mz7tI/AAAAAAAAK-g/5uxM-AHu9_c/s1600/01941.png" height="200" width="123" /></a>In this project-based Learning Autodesk AutoCAD 2015 video tutorial series, you'll quickly have relevant skills for real-world applications.<br />
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Follow along with our expert instructor in this training course to get:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Concise, informative and broadcast-quality Learning Autodesk AutoCAD 2015 training videos delivered to your desktop</li>
<li>The ability to learn at your own pace with our intuitive, easy-to-use interface</li>
<li>A quick grasp of even the most complex Learning Autodesk AutoCAD 2015 subjects because they're broken into simple, easy to follow tutorial videos</li>
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A Practical AutoCAD LT Training Course That Teaches Real World Skills<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-838GWxmstIw/U58tvJKrlGI/AAAAAAAAK-o/lKz1WCBF52Q/s1600/01942.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-838GWxmstIw/U58tvJKrlGI/AAAAAAAAK-o/lKz1WCBF52Q/s1600/01942.png" height="200" width="123" /></a></div>
In this project-based Learning Autodesk AutoCAD LT 2015 video tutorial series, you'll quickly have relevant skills for real-world applications.<br />
<br />
Follow along with our expert instructor in this training course to get:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Concise, informative and broadcast-quality Learning Autodesk AutoCAD LT 2015 training videos delivered to your desktop</li>
<li>The ability to learn at your own pace with our intuitive, easy-to-use interface</li>
<li>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</li>
<li>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.</li>
</ul>
<br />
<br />
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.<br />
<br />
Check out the individual websites for more information and pricing.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.infiniteskills.com/training/learning-autodesk-autocad-2015.html">AutoCAD 2015</a><br />
<a href="http://www.infiniteskills.com/training/learning-autodesk-autocad-lt-2015.html">AutoCAD LT 2015</a><br />
<div>
<br /></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08271671745973808745noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-161408568828348657.post-72791012438600300842014-05-27T12:00:00.000-04:002014-05-27T12:00:06.485-04:00Autodesk AutoCAD Shortcut Guide<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-BkuwzaCR_CU/U4PwBPvmmfI/AAAAAAAAKZI/BdLppe1wlf4/s1600/shortcuts.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-BkuwzaCR_CU/U4PwBPvmmfI/AAAAAAAAKZI/BdLppe1wlf4/s1600/shortcuts.png" height="226" width="320" /></a></div>
<a href="http://cadablog.blogspot.com/search/label/AutoDesk">Autodesk</a> has put together a robust guide of shortcuts for <a href="http://cadablog.blogspot.com/search/label/autocad">AutoCAD</a> 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.<br />
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<a name='more'></a><br /><br />
Long time AutoCAD users will likely know many of these shortcuts, but it is also likely that they don’t them all. Newer users though are likely to find this guide extremely useful if not invaluable.<br />
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I feel that many users are not aware of the CTRL toggles. Make sure to take the time to review them. They may become a great time saver for you.<br />
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Here is the <a href="http://www.autodesk.com/store/autocad/autocad-shortcuts">link</a> to the website where Autodesk discusses and lists these shortcuts and tips.<br />
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Here is the link to the <a href="http://static.autodesk.net/content/dam/estore/customer-service/AutoCAD_Shortcuts_11x8.5_MECH-REV.pdf">PDF</a> that contains the same shortcuts and the keyboard sticker template. You’ll have to print them out yourself.<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08271671745973808745noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-161408568828348657.post-79980182734945784672014-03-28T14:10:00.001-04:002014-03-31T22:13:39.232-04:00An Overview of the Features, Tools, and Changes in AutoCAD 2015<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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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.<br />
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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?<br />
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<h2>
UI and Visual Changes</h2>
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<h4>
The First Thing You Might Not Notice is What’s Missing.</h4>
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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.<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-D_58OWDyfjs/UzW45JKfAyI/AAAAAAAAIVg/IayMjtgOye8/s1600/New+Tab.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-D_58OWDyfjs/UzW45JKfAyI/AAAAAAAAIVg/IayMjtgOye8/s1600/New+Tab.jpg" height="143" width="320" /></a></div>
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<h4>
New Tab: Create</h4>
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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. <br />
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<h4>
New Tab: Learn</h4>
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The Learn page of the New Tab provides users access to the “What’s New” videos, the “Getting Started” videos, tips and Online Resources.<br />
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<h4>
UI Color Changes</h4>
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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.<br />
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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. <br />
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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.<br />
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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.<br />
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<h4>
Improved Graphics During and After Object Creation</h4>
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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. <br />
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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.<br />
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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. <br />
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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.<br />
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<h4>
Crosshair Badges</h4>
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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).<br />
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<h4>
Ribbon Galleries</h4>
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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.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rieAWGdTrD8/UzW5lIIyX4I/AAAAAAAAIWs/_sei7gnbHWE/s1600/Ribbon+Gallery.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rieAWGdTrD8/UzW5lIIyX4I/AAAAAAAAIWs/_sei7gnbHWE/s1600/Ribbon+Gallery.jpg" height="320" width="236" /></a></div>
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<h4>
Model Space Viewport Controls</h4>
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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.<br />
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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.<br />
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<h4>
Multi-line Text Enhancements</h4>
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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. <br />
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<h4>
Text Editor Enhancements</h4>
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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.<br />
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<h4>
Auto Bulleting</h4>
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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:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>.</li>
<li>)</li>
<li>></li>
<li>}</li>
<li>,</li>
<li>]</li>
</ul>
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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.<br />
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<h4>
Caps Lock</h4>
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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.<br />
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<h4>
Geographic Location and Maps</h4>
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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.<br />
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<h4>
Autodesk ReCap and Reality Capture</h4>
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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. <br />
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<h4>
Changes to Design Feed</h4>
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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.<br />
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<h2>
Miscellaneous Changes</h2>
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<h4>
Changes to Help</h4>
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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.<br />
Figure 11: Help can “help” you find your commands.<br />
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<h4>
The Little Things</h4>
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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.<br />
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.<br />
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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.<br />
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The Autodesk BIM 360 Add-in is now included as an option to install with AutoCAD.<br />
You can configure AutoCAD for either hardware or software display rendering modeling to take advantage of the new Performance and Visual tuner tools.<br />
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PNG (Portable Network Graphics) files are now supported for button image use.<br />
The Application Manager is integrated into AutoCAD 2015. From it you can access and manage your installed Autodesk Applications. <br />
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AutoCAD 2015 provides new tools to help you analyze and troubleshoot performance problems with your hardware. <br />
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