Monday, August 27, 2007
CAD Tip of the Week: Drawing Tabs
Topic: If your workstation does not display individual tabs for each open AutoCAD drawing, follow this procedure to install the AcadXtabs add-on.
Does the top of your AutoCAD drawing window, when multiple drawings are open, show tabs for each drawing and look something like this:
If not, type 'ARX' then 'L' (for load) at the command line. In the dialog box...
...scroll to the bottom of the list and select 'AcadXTabs16.arx'. Click the 'Open' button, and you will be returned to the command prompt. Now open another drawing, and you should see the tabs.
Does the top of your AutoCAD drawing window, when multiple drawings are open, show tabs for each drawing and look something like this:
If not, type 'ARX' then 'L' (for load) at the command line. In the dialog box...
...scroll to the bottom of the list and select 'AcadXTabs16.arx'. Click the 'Open' button, and you will be returned to the command prompt. Now open another drawing, and you should see the tabs.
Monday, August 20, 2007
CAD Tip of the Week: Where to Find Help
Topic: For help or questions related to our internal AutoCAD customizations and office-specific procedures, please refer to the following resources.
1. HEI AutoCAD Help
For a printable quick-reference card of HEI AutoCAD customization macros and hotkeys, do either of the following:
2. Contact CAD Support
Contact the CAD Support team via e-mail preferably or by telephone if the issue is critical. If e-mail is a workable solution, type 'CAD Support' in the 'To' field for general requests, or e-mail the appropriate person directly for discipline-specific issues.
3. Check AutoCAD Discussion Resources
If you're having an issue with the Autodesk core application, it's more than likely someone else in the world has previously had the same issue. So be sure to do two or three relevant keyword searches in the proper AutoCAD discussion board to check for obvious solutions.
4. Contact the Guru
The Guru's been getting swamped lately with help requests, so please try CAD Support first. If unresolvable by CAD Support, then CAD Support will conference-in the Guru.
Note that RealVNC Server can accommodate two concurrent remote clients, so there is no need for anyone to disconnect.
If the issue is critical and no one from CAD Support is available, then call the Guru at x400. Be prepared to affirmatively answer the question 'Have you tried contacting CAD Support?'.
5. Autodesk Support Center
Use the following resource for escalating AutoCAD software issues which cannot be resolved by the previous steps.
1. HEI AutoCAD Help
For a printable quick-reference card of HEI AutoCAD customization macros and hotkeys, do either of the following:
- Click the browser shortcut located on the task bar which displays the 'AutoCAD HEI Help Files' tooltip:
- Or cut-and-paste the path C:\ABS2006\Help\hei_acadhelp.html to a Windows Explorer 'Address' bar.
2. Contact CAD Support
Contact the CAD Support team via e-mail preferably or by telephone if the issue is critical. If e-mail is a workable solution, type 'CAD Support' in the 'To' field for general requests, or e-mail the appropriate person directly for discipline-specific issues.
- Melinda Herrin (Education Group, Mechanical) x378
- Jared Robillard (Hospital Group, Mechanical) x383
- Trevor Welch (Electrical Group) x423
- Justin Albrecht (Telecom Group) x492
3. Check AutoCAD Discussion Resources
If you're having an issue with the Autodesk core application, it's more than likely someone else in the world has previously had the same issue. So be sure to do two or three relevant keyword searches in the proper AutoCAD discussion board to check for obvious solutions.
4. Contact the Guru
The Guru's been getting swamped lately with help requests, so please try CAD Support first. If unresolvable by CAD Support, then CAD Support will conference-in the Guru.
Note that RealVNC Server can accommodate two concurrent remote clients, so there is no need for anyone to disconnect.
If the issue is critical and no one from CAD Support is available, then call the Guru at x400. Be prepared to affirmatively answer the question 'Have you tried contacting CAD Support?'.
5. Autodesk Support Center
Use the following resource for escalating AutoCAD software issues which cannot be resolved by the previous steps.
- The CAD Support team members have access to the online Autodesk Support Center, and can submit requests for assistance that will be resolved by Autodesk Technical Specialists, usually within 48 hours.
- Please note that Autodesk cannot write, provide assistance in writing, troubleshoot, or answer any questions about writing or troubleshooting any of our 'custom solutions', where custom solutions include menus, scripts, and macro code.
- In addition to the CAD Support team members, users with special requirements (e.g. Revit MEP) may access the Autodesk Support Center for online tutorials. If you require access to the online training materials, contact CAD Support to create your account.
Labels: CAD Tips
Monday, August 13, 2007
CAD Tip of the Week: Drawing Audits
Topic: Auditing a drawing can fix a range of enigmatic problems.
AUDIT
Is your drawing:
Command: AUDIT
Fix any errors detected? [Yes/No]: Y
Type 'AUDIT' at the command line, answer 'Y' to the prompt, and if there are any
errors in the drawing a report such as the following example will be generated:
Auditing Header
DXF Name Current Value Validation Default
Invalid anonymous block "*E103" found in Block symbol table.
Changed to normal block "AUDIT_I_070813104108-0".
Non XREF-dependent record "M2.1.6ROMANS" contains vertical bar.
Changed to "AUDIT_I_070813104108-1".
Non XREF-dependent record "M2.1.6.add-1ROMANS" contains vertical bar.
Changed to "AUDIT_I_070813104108-2".
260 Blocks audited
Pass 1 5531 objects audited
Pass 2 5531 objects audited
Pass 3 3700 objects audited
Auditing Entities Pass 3
DXF Name Current Value Validation Default
AcDbEllipse(5438) XData Handle Unknown Null
AcDbEllipse(5439) XData Handle Unknown Null
AcDbEllipse(543A) XData Handle Unknown Null
AcDbEllipse(543B) XData Handle Unknown Null
AcDbEllipse(543C) XData Handle Unknown Null
AcDbEllipse(543D) XData Handle Unknown Null
AcDbEllipse(543E) XData Handle Unknown Null
AcDbEllipse(543F) XData Handle Unknown Null
Pass 3 31500 objects audited
Total errors found 11 fixed 11
Drawings can contain errors that don't obviously impact normal editing and plotting, until say a new layer or layout is created. If for any reason your drawing seems to be misbehaving, running an audit is easy to do and good standard drawing maintenance practice.
Somewhat more difficult to diagnose is when an xref contains errors, but the xref loads and displays properly. In the obvious case when an xref contains errors and will not load, it needs to be opened and audited, or recovered if it cannot be opened.
However if you continue to experience erratic drawing behavior after running the audit on the working drawing after receiving a 'Total errors found 0 fixed 0' report, then consider running the audit on all loaded xrefs attached to the drawing.
AUDIT
Is your drawing:
- Crashing frequently or has it crashed recently?
- Failing to display entities properly?
- Failing to plot properly?
- Not allowing objects to be selected?
- Not allowing new layouts be created?
- Displaying error messages other than ARX-related on startup?
- Displaying 'ghost' entities?
Command: AUDIT
Fix any errors detected? [Yes/No]
Type 'AUDIT' at the command line, answer 'Y' to the prompt, and if there are any
errors in the drawing a report such as the following example will be generated:
Auditing Header
DXF Name Current Value Validation Default
Invalid anonymous block "*E103" found in Block symbol table.
Changed to normal block "AUDIT_I_070813104108-0".
Non XREF-dependent record "M2.1.6ROMANS" contains vertical bar.
Changed to "AUDIT_I_070813104108-1".
Non XREF-dependent record "M2.1.6.add-1ROMANS" contains vertical bar.
Changed to "AUDIT_I_070813104108-2".
260 Blocks audited
Pass 1 5531 objects audited
Pass 2 5531 objects audited
Pass 3 3700 objects audited
Auditing Entities Pass 3
DXF Name Current Value Validation Default
AcDbEllipse(5438) XData Handle Unknown Null
AcDbEllipse(5439) XData Handle Unknown Null
AcDbEllipse(543A) XData Handle Unknown Null
AcDbEllipse(543B) XData Handle Unknown Null
AcDbEllipse(543C) XData Handle Unknown Null
AcDbEllipse(543D) XData Handle Unknown Null
AcDbEllipse(543E) XData Handle Unknown Null
AcDbEllipse(543F) XData Handle Unknown Null
Pass 3 31500 objects audited
Total errors found 11 fixed 11
Drawings can contain errors that don't obviously impact normal editing and plotting, until say a new layer or layout is created. If for any reason your drawing seems to be misbehaving, running an audit is easy to do and good standard drawing maintenance practice.
Somewhat more difficult to diagnose is when an xref contains errors, but the xref loads and displays properly. In the obvious case when an xref contains errors and will not load, it needs to be opened and audited, or recovered if it cannot be opened.
However if you continue to experience erratic drawing behavior after running the audit on the working drawing after receiving a 'Total errors found 0 fixed 0' report, then consider running the audit on all loaded xrefs attached to the drawing.
- Open the xref manager by typing 'XF' (or 'XREF') at the command-line,
- Click on the first loaded drawing in the list, then
- Click the 'Open' button
- Once the drawing is opened, run AUDIT and fix errors, then
- Save and close
- Repeat for each loaded xref in the xref manager file listing.
Labels: CAD Tips
Monday, August 06, 2007
CAD Tip of the Week: Revision Clouds & Tags
Topic: Quickly draw both freehand and polyline-defined revision clouds, and insert complementary numbered tags
REVISION CLOUDS & TAGS
Each discipline has a general toolbar (mechanical shown for example) containing revision cloud and revision tag selections on 'fly-outs'. Each of the revision clouds and tags 1 through 6 are placed on a different layer, for ease of future removal.
Keyboard macros are also available to both draw the revision clouds and insert the revision tags, as follows:
See this video for a brief tutorial showing how to make revision clouds from polyline rectangles and irregularly-shaped closed polylines.
Note: The above link(s) are only valid within the HEI intranet. Firefox users install the "IE Tab Plug-in", then right-click the link and select "Open in IE Tab" from the context menu.
REVISION CLOUDS & TAGS
Each discipline has a general toolbar (mechanical shown for example) containing revision cloud and revision tag selections on 'fly-outs'. Each of the revision clouds and tags 1 through 6 are placed on a different layer, for ease of future removal.
Keyboard macros are also available to both draw the revision clouds and insert the revision tags, as follows:- RC1 through RC6 draw revision clouds
- RT1 through RT6 insert revision tags
See this video for a brief tutorial showing how to make revision clouds from polyline rectangles and irregularly-shaped closed polylines.
Note: The above link(s) are only valid within the HEI intranet. Firefox users install the "IE Tab Plug-in", then right-click the link and select "Open in IE Tab" from the context menu.
Labels: CAD Tips
