I COMMAND you…

The New AutoCAD 2013 Command Line is no exception to those interface changes that happens every so often that make some of you cringe, but I think one you get used to it you’re going to like it better!

So let talk about what’s new with it… The first thing is by default it is floating and has only one line in it. But that does not mean that you cannot dock it, or see the prior input. It’s just different… so before you get all crazy… The good thing is it’s not a drastic change and you should see some familiar characteristics, like the Auto-complete and so on… but it now has some nice display and interactive features.

AutoCAD 2013 Command Line Options and Settings

Transparency

Auto Complete and Options are still the same, but they have added some new features. One of the first things you will notice is that the prior info is kind of a heads up display to the command line; The Lines of Prompt History, controls the number of lines displayed.

Another slight change is, like the prior versions you can press the F2 function key (or the up arrow at the far right of the command line) to display multiple lines above the command line; but you can display the classic window version by press Ctrl+F2.

Text Screen Displays

When a command is running, the command name is always displayed on the command line. What I really like is the “Clickable options”, displayed in blue, offer easy access to options within the active command.

Clickable Options

Additional enhancements to the command line interface in AutoCAD 2013 provide more consistent behavior for line breaking when responding to different types of input: Enter, space bar, and pick point. The command line window (including the F2 window) now supports only monospaced fonts. You can set the command line font from the Display tab of the Options dialog box.

Display Setting

New interface elements provide more flexibility and control over the color of the command line. You can access them using the Colors tool on the Display tab of the Options dialog box. Like all things, it takes a little bit to get used to, but once you do, I think you’ll like the change.

Cloud 9… or is it Cloud 360

There has been a lot of buzz going around about “Autodesk 360”, (or “Cloud Computing”) but I have found that not everyone knows what it is or what it is used for. So in this blog I just want to give out some information so you can decide if putting your head in the Cloud works better for you.

I figure the best way to explain this is a brief description and some links to some of my favorite sites that can add more information in detail. (No since clogging up the internet with duplicate information… LOL!)

First of all a “Cloud” is nothing more than a bank of computers (usually many “High End”, or even “Super Computers”) that allow you to access them for different things. Some of the more common actions are… offsite file storage, a workspace for collaborate with other clients and colleagues, or even used as a separate computing work-horse for you to send work too, so your computer does not have to do all the work. You especially know this pain if you do things like time consuming renderings! Now you can just send it to Autodesk 360 and free up your computer… not to mention having the rendering done in a just a fraction of the time it would normally take you. So as you can see some of the possibilities of using a Cloud Service start to make since.  In fact, there are even some companies that use a cloud to rent access to use their (or third party) software rather buying it, you rent it. And you can also see this cloud concept of allowing access to all of your files, software, and services… anytime, anywhere, is only going to get bigger.

In fact Heidi Hewitt wrote a great blog about using the Cloud to do a Customization Sync in AutoCAD 2013 that was well worth reading…

http://heidihewett.blogs.com/my_weblog/2012/04/customization-sync-in-autocad-2013.html

And Even a follow up blog for one of the question that followed… http://heidihewett.blogs.com/my_weblog/2012/04/more-on-customization-sync.html

There are several examples out there on the internet of what other ideas people are using clouds for but before I leave you in that Google frenzy I wanted to make sure you have the link to the Autodesk site that covers the Top questions and answers about Autodesk 360…

http://usa.autodesk.com/adsk/servlet/ps/dl/item?siteID=123112&id=17889433&linkID=16831209

This site will cover most all of your questions about Autodesk 360, if not let me know and I will find out for you. (Just Email me…  Isaac.harper@cadsoft-consult.com)

Have fun exploring the wave of the future, and even though the services offered from Autodesk 360 are not called “Cloud 9” you could pretend… “If you take advantage of its capabilities”, or just add up the totals of 3, 6, and 0? =)

The Designers Full Circle… from sketch to CAD and back to sketch… ?=\

I always have a slight chuckle under my breath when I have to talk about this feature, because when I started in drafting as a Designer, one of the skills I had to learn is how to sketch. Then I had to Learn CAD. Then I had to learn how to make CAD look like I sketched it. Yea, I’m sure you come from the same era are shaking your head with a grin on your face as well. But it’s not like we went back in time we just found a better, faster, more consistent way to create and edit your drawings, but still have that “soft-artistic-roughed-out-not-quite-set-in-stone-look” to your design ideas. And if you have ever manually created a rendering or sketch and had to change it, you know what I mean by what it took to change it!!! … Most of the time, you had to splice out that part of the drawing or start all over from scratch. So CAD has made this much easier to change, and allow the Artistic Designer (or everyone else in the office) to be more consistent in the style of the sketch through the Visual styles.

Now the Sketchy capability has been around for almost 5 years (AutoCAD 2007), but it has gotten more convenient to use especially with the new “Sketchy” inside the “Visual Style Controls” (3^rd category) in the “In Canvas Tools, located on the upper-right corner of the Graphics Screen (Drawing area) in AutoCAD 2012.

You can change the appearance by adjusting the setting and options, or create your own multiple styles inside the Visual Style Manager.  And the best part is whether you are designing in 2D or 3D, every view has the capability of becoming a designers sketch or a working drawing with a click of a button.

Unraveling the mystery of Blocks & Layer Zero…

I still from time to time get questions (or Opinions) from people about what is the proper way to Create and Insert Blocks when it comes to Layer Zero (0). Some say create all your blocks on layer Zero, some say Don’t! The short answer is either way you like it… Just understand what is happening in each scenario.

So here is what is happening:  AutoCAD Entities, (or as commonly refer to as objects) reference BOTH the LAYER(S) they are created on (By that I mean that is the layer the object is on when you Block it) as well as the layer they are INSERTED on when brought back into the drawing (inserted or their current residing layer).

Now some simple rules of displaying: The layer they were created on takes a higher priority than the inserted layer; what I mean by that is if I turn off or freeze a layer that an object was created on, then the display of that object will disappear… But if I turn off the layer the object is inserted on it will not; the layer has to be frozen in order for the block to disappear.

So is layer zero different than other layers? Yes, Layer Zero does have a unique ability that other user created layers don’t have. If you create an object on layer Zero then it will NOT reference that layer (0) when inserted on a different layer. So freezing Layer Zero (0) will NOT remove the display of the block. So now only the layer the object is inserted on will remove the display of the Block when the layer is Frozen; simply turning off the layer will not turn off the display of the block.

Click on the thumbnails and study the settings and display(s) of each of the 4 sample blocks. [Note: Blk is the referenced layer and Ins is the inserted current layer.] Also, colors & other properties work the same way; the layer they are referenced to takes priority over the layer they are inserted on the property will only change if the reference layer property changes, unless the object was created on layer Zero (0), then the inserted layer takes control.

I hope this will solve some of the mysteries about blocks and their behavior, and allow you to make the choice on how you would like your blocks to respond, since the two sides may never agree.

In-Canvas Viewport Control…

At first I was worried that Autodesk was just duplicating locations for commands again like when they introduced the Workspaces button on the Quick Access Toolbar… when it was already on the Status Bar? But I am happy to announce I see some true advantages here. So what are the In-Canvas Tools anyways?  The New In-Canvas Viewport Controls is a new menu area (sort of speak) with commands that have been around for a while that enable you to change viewport settings, views, and visual styles…  But it happens directly on the viewport canvas in Model space or within a Model Viewport in Layout. The thing I like the most is having access all the time without having to click through several Ribbon Tabs or have to Change Workspaces to access some commands.

Viewport Controls

As you can see what just the [+] (“plus sign” is if you have more than 1 Viewport OR a [-] Minus if only single Viewport) covers in a single character that can always be accessible no matter what menu you are in. And the other two Options next to it View Controls and Visual Style Controls offer same type of easy access to their related commands and options.

View Controls

Visual Style Controls

Controlling the display for the  in-canvas viewport controls can be done inside the 3D Modeling tab of the Options dialog box, this includes controls for display and you can specify the color of the viewport control in the Drawing Window Colors dialog box, which is accessible from the Display tab of the Options dialog.

So is it “Just another location to an existing command?” Well… It kind of is… but with these duplications they are always available unlike before and they did a great job keeping the screen space used to a minimum. 

To Group or not to Group… Blocks Vs Groups

Both Blocks and Groups are a collection of AutoCAD objects treated as a single object, so how do I determine when to use one over the other? The first thing you have to ask yourself is how you plan on using the objects. The main things to consider are; If you are going to need the set of objects to be (1) Used in multiple drawing (2) Include Attributes (3) Store it on a Tool Palette or Menu (4) Or be able to Search for the content, (like Content Explore… ). Then you want to use a BLOCK… If the set of objects are (1) Just for temporary use (2) Or if you need to have different variations on the set of objects (like similar design layouts…). Then you want to use a GROUP!

So what’s new with Object Groups…

Well Groups have been around since… well, AutoCADosaurus days; but the Groups were kind of underrated and hid deep in the menus like dust under the rug. But in AutoCAD 2012 Group functionality has been streamlined making it easier to use… and is now starring in the HOME Ribbon Tab on its comeback tour…

The Group tool replaces the traditional Object Grouping dialog box with a simple prompt to select objects. You have the option of providing a group name and description. The Ungroup tool ungroups the objects like Explode does for Blocks. You can use the Edit Group tool to add and remove objects or to rename the group. These tools are also available from the right-click menu when a group is selected.

A Group Selection toggle allows you to control whether objects are selected individually or as a group.

Tip: Shortcut Shift+Ctrl+A

Expanding the Group panel provides access to Group Manager dialog box as well as the Group Bound Box, which controls how groups are displayed. When enabled, AutoCAD displays a single grip and a bounding box around the group.

The Purge tool has been updated to support the purging of groups that contain no objects.

So what is the difference? Lots of things… The way they are Created, Stored and Used. But knowing this with help you decide on which is the best one to use and when!

New Marketing Tool to showcase your firm’s capabilities

If you haven’t noticed with decline in the economy, only the strongest Companies have been able to thrive in what little construction is going on. How would you define what is a strong company?

It’s simple; it’s the ones that are winning all the work! Yes, I believe the economy will recover in time, as it always has in the past, but can your business survive until the economy has recovered? I wanted to give you some insight into how the firms that are winning the projects are using innovative visualization and presentation tools to win the work. AND the best thing about it is… if you have purchased  the Building Design Suite 2012 or Autodesk Design Suite 2012, you already have it sitting on your shelf behind you…It’s called Autodesk® Showcase®.

So, what is Showcase? Autodesk® Showcase® is a real-time 3D presentation and rendering software offers Industry Professionals the ability to quickly and easily create compelling imagery, movies, and real-time presentations from their CAD or BIM models allowing the presenter to show high-value, interactive design reviews, stunning marketing materials, and convincing sales pitches is as simple as a few clicks during the presentation. I encourage you to take a few minutes to just take a look at the video of this amazingly easy presentation tool to help you win more projects and showcase all of you firm’s design talents.

Video Demo

http://youtu.be/ioP0CVRJvUI

Brochure

http://images.autodesk.com/adsk/files/autodesk_showcase_2012_brochure_en.pdf

Got Service Pack 1?

Earlier this year, I was shocked to learn that Autodesk had removed the Classic Array Command completely in their initial 2012 release of AutoCAD. I thought they knew their AutoCAD customers better than that…? But, I am happy to report that they listened to your feedback and brought back the Classic Array functionality called ARRAYCLASSIC with the Service Pack 1 Release. So for those of you that spoke up, pat yourselves on the back, (perhaps you could show the Wall Street protesters how to get things done faster?) =)

But was it too late down the road? I was surprised that some customers told me that they went back to the prior release because of their workflow (for whatever reason… custom routines not working in the newer version.) Also, they never heard that the older version of the array command was back in 2012. And of course they wouldn’t have got the notification in AutoCAD if they are using an older version. Hint, it’s good to do some research or follow sites that cover your “tool of the trade” just to be on top of things and maybe pick up a few new things along the way.

So I have to conclude that “both sides” are at fault. Technology is growing exponentially, and has the capabilities of spiraling out of control faster than most of us can absorb it, and because of that, I also believe it is slightly being held back because of the human side of things. Anyhow, regardless of who is driving what, the last thing I hate to see is people going backwards. So, I am glad there is a fine line between, and they keep each other in check while moving forward… well at least until they get that EASY BUTTON working!!!

Here’s a link to the Service Packs.

AutoCAD 2012 SP1 http://bit.ly/qYEa3k

AutoCAD LT 2012 SP1 http://bit.ly/otx1KO

Get a “Better” Grip… Multifunctional Grips

Today, I am going to point out how great the New Multifunctional Grips are… imagine a world where all you have to do to edit something is to hover your curser over it and it lists all of the relevant options that are available to you in accordance with “that grip”.  You then simply pick from that list! I know… It’s like A la Carte of CAD! And in AutoCAD 2012, the power of multifunctional grips has been extended to more AutoCAD objects, including lines, plines, arcs, elliptical arcs, dimensions, and mleaders, as well as 3D faces, edges, and vertices. Here is a look at some of the relevant options that appear depending on what grip you hover over…

GRIP OPTIONS AND DISPLAYS IN AUTOCAD 2012

Using multifunctional grips with dynamic input turned on allows you to edit the object through the dimensional values. For example, when you choose the Lengthen option for a selected line, dynamic input dimensions for the total length and the incremental length are displayed. Use the Tab key to switch between all of the dynamic values. Similarly, elliptical arcs have been also been updated to support dynamic input at the quadrants and dynamically displays the distances from the center to the quadrants along the major and minor axes. When you click on the grip, you can edit the values. The arrow grips (grips that are displayed as triangular arrows) have also been added to some additional entities as well for quick editing beyond any prior release of AutoCAD or AutoCAD Vertical based Software. So when someone tells you to get a grip in AutoCAD 2012, you will gladly accept!!!

AutoCAD LT 2012 now gives a Sheet…

I wanted to make sure I post something (once in a while) to include all of our customers, so this one goes out to our LT users… For a long time now “Full Version AutoCAD Users” have had the luxury of taking advantage of the Sheet Set Manager. The Sheet Set Manager organizes, displays, and manages sheet sets, a named collection of drawing sheets. Each sheet in a sheet set is a layout in a drawing (DWG) file and has made it a lot easier to manage your projects when it comes to knowing what files belong to what projects and the structure of the folders with its handy Sheet Set Manager palette inside of AutoCAD LT. You can use sheet sets in a team that can involve network access, Internet collaboration, and email transmittal. The team can also include people who use software that does not include Sheet Set Manager, but there are some limitations. Remember when working as a team, each member should have network access to the sheet set data (DST) file and the drawing template (DWT) files associated with the sheet set. The SSM (Sheet Set Manager) also displays specific icons to indicate the status of the DST file and the individual Sheets themselves; to let the user know if the file is Available, Locked, or even Missing (or Found in an unexpected folder location). [See the Help file for the different displays and limitations.] But one of the biggest time savers that anybody could take advantage of is when it comes to plotting out the entire project. In the Sheet Set Manager, you can easily publish an entire sheet set, a subset of a sheet set, or a single sheet. And it is quicker to publish a sheet set in the Sheet Set Manager, rather than using the Publish dialog box. Yey! I hate plotting.

SSM Palette

So I guess if you are not ready to make the jump to full version of AutoCAD or its industry specific verticals? You should at least consider moving to the latest 2012 release… because AutoCAD LT 2012 is getting upgrades closer to AutoCAD… but it still has fewer calories.