February 2005
previous articles

CAD Should Enable Design Creativity - CAD should be as easy as using a paper napkin, interview with Robert Bean, COO of Kubotek, Designs January 10, 2005 (more CADKEY features)

The Costly Indifference of Autodesk - a Conversation with Tony Flynn - Bentley's chief marketing officer offers his opinion on inadequate software interoperability, BE Magazine, March 2005 (see page 15) (more CAD Translation articles)

Prefabrication of Timber Buildings based on Digital Models: A Perspective from Norway - designing with wood, wood being the preferred construction material in Norway as forests cover 37% of Norway, Lachmi Khemlani, AECbytes.com, February 28, 2005 (more AEC features)

Another Super Speedy Means of Counting your Blocks - quick AutoCAD tip, Lynn Allen, Lynn Allen's Blog, February 28, 2005 (more AutoCAD tips)

Bridging the Gap - despite progress, a fully wired factory floor is still a dream, Peter Fretty, Advanced Manufacturing, January 5, 2005 (more CAM features)

Will Technology Lead a Revival? - report from IMTS 2004 show, by Jeffrey Rowe, Advanced Manufacturing, January 5, 2005 (more CAM features)

Back to School for CAD Users - brief report from Autodesk University, Advanced Manufacturing, January 5, 2005 (more AutoCAD features)

Quick Tip - Another Super Speedy Means of Counting Your Blocks! - AutoCAD tip, Lynn Allen, Lynn Allen's Blog, February 25, 2005

Performance Tips When Using Sheet Set Manager - tips to avoid performance problems when using SSM in AutoCAD 2005 or Project Navigator in Architectural Desktop 2005, Jimmy Bergmark, JTB World, February 25, 2005

NCS v3.1: No, Not Many Care - CAD users find any number of reasons not to employ the National CAD Standard in their offices, Michael Dakan, Cadalyst AEC Techs #138, February 17, 2005

Uncertainties of the CAD Manager - addresses economic uncertainty and the changing face of CAD management, Robert Green, Cadalyst CAD Manager'ssletter #123, February 24, 2005

How to Stop SScloud Writing to User Configuration Files - MicroStation tip, Marc Thomas, February 11, 2005

ProgeSOFT IntelliCAD Setting the Drawing Limits - IntelliCAD tips, Learning IntelliCAD, February 25, 2005

Looking for Autodesk University Topics - send your ideas for Architectural Desktop presentations for the next AU, Matt Dillon, Breaking Down the Walls, February 24, 2005

To Simulate, or Not? - virtual technologies are having a growing influence on manufacturing, Jeffrey Rowe, Cadalyst MCAD Techs #139 February 17, 2005

Autodesk Hits $1 Billion Sales Milestone - a blockbuster acquisition might be in Autodesk's near future, Randall S.ton, AECnews.com, February 23, 2005

Autodesk Is Engineering Growth - the company is getting a nice pocket of growth from its massive upgrade, and also showing significant growth in users, Tom Taulli, Motley Fool, February 23, 2005

The Quiet Crisis in Engineering Talent - does the diminishing number of engineers and technically skilled workers in the U.S. represent an opportunity or an imminent crisis?, Rachel Dalton-Taggart, Inventor Connections, February 19, 2005 (requires free registration)

Quick Tip - Top Secret Options in Trim and Extend - AutoCAD tip, Lynn Allen, Lynn Allen's Blog, February 24, 2005

Bentley Tip: Making TriForma Cut Plane Saved Views Available When Referencing an Extraction Model - MicroStation tip, Steve Cocchi, BEsletter, February 17, 2005

Profiles to the Rescue! - AutoCAD tips on creating and using profiles, Beth Powell, Beth's Blog, February 24, 2005

To BIM or Not to BIM? - at the first-ever Technology for Construction Executive Forum, end users agreed building information modeling is inevitable, but disagreed about how long mainstream adoption will take, Sara Ferris, Cadalyst, February 2005

BLOCKS v1.0 - AutoLISP program will count blocks containing attributes inside an AutoCAD drawing and also allow you to filter the blocks by the block name, attribute tag or attribute value, Jeffery Sanders, JefferyPSanders.com, February 23, 2005

V8 - VBA to Change Dimensions - provides an application that makes changing dimensions in MicroStation a bit easier, Mike Francisco, Ask Inga, February 18, 2005 (requires free registration)

Autodesk University - Part II - examines Autodesk's latest developments to enhance the company's mission to "create, share and manage," Martyn Day, CADserver, February 24, 2005

ADT 2005 - VIZ Render Tutorials - the Architectural Desktop 2005 CD contains helpful VIZ tutorials - just make sure you install them, Mark W. Kiker, CADDManager.com Blog, February 23, 2005

Catch a Coordinate - Autodesk Civil 3D tip on the Coordinate Tracker, Angel Espinoza, Angel's Civil 3D 2005 Thoughts, February 23, 2005

1-2-3 Revit: Not All BIM Is Parametric - what is parametric building modeling, and how do you determine if it's the foundation of a BIM solution?, Rick Rundell, Cadalyst, February 15, 2005

Class 3B - Minimum Application Using ARXWizard - ObjectARX tutorial, Fernando Malard, ObjectARX for Dummies, February 23, 2005

COE Session Preview: Intel's Tom Gibbs on the Convergence of Computing and Communications Technologies - preview of the upcoming COE session on the convergence of computing and communications and its impact on product design and manufacturing, CATIA Community, February 22, 2005 (requires free registration)

Bentley Tip: Labeling 2D Stations and 3D Stations on Profile Windows Using InRoads - MicroStation tip, David Lee Fagerman, BEsletter, February 17, 2005

V8 - Working Units and Survey Feet - explores the relationship between MicroStation V8's working units and setting your file up in survey feet, Dan Ahern, Ask Inga, February 23, 2005 (requires free registration)

Q&A: JT & DWF - Five Minutes with Autodesk - Autodesk's Carl Bass and Buzz Kross explain that they've been working with UGS for months on the JT/DWF collaboration, Ralph Grabowski, upFront.eZine, February 23, 2005

Will Autodesk Buy UGS? - Autodesk's recent agreement to cooperate over certain file formats with UGS fuels speculation that the publicly held Autodesk might acquire the privately held UGS, Ralph Grabowski, WorldCAD Access, February 22, 2005

A Walk Through the Fields - AutoCAD tips on how to update your old title block to reduce redundant data, Todd Shackelford, Cadalyst, February 15, 2005

Inventor: Multiple Viewports - streaming tech tip illustrates how to create multiple windows or viewports of the same part or assembly, allowing you to view the same assembly from simultaneous camera position, Jerry Berns, Avatech Solutions, February 23, 2005

AutoCAD: Automate the Fillet/Chamfer Commands Multiple Option - Part 2 of 3 - streaming tech tip shows how to create a Fillet and Chamfer toolbar with preset values, Jerry Berns, Avatech Solutions, February 23, 2005

Fillet and Chamfer with a Crossing Window - AutoCAD tip explores the Multiple option, which allows the user to continuously fillet objects without exiting the command, Michael Rotolo, The Mad Cadder, February 22, 2005

PLM Solution - IBM and Dassault Systemes have released Aerospace Supplier Collaboration (ASC), a product lifecycle management product for the aerospace industry, Demir Barlas, Line56, February 23, 2005

Generative Components - Bentley’s long-term development of parametric modeling tools has finally reached the real world as its Smart Geometry group continues to promote Bentley’s unique approach to form design, Martyn Day, CADserver, February 23, 2005

Revit: Adding Shadows with the Advanced Modeling Graphics Feature - streaming tech tip demonstrates how to use the Advanced Modeling Graphics feature to cast shadows and add a sense of texture to your building information model, Tod Stephens, Avatech Solutions, February 23, 2005

ProgeSOFT IntelliCAD Understanding Scale Factors - IntelliCAD tips, Learning IntelliCAD, February 23, 2005

Solview, Soldraw, Massprop AutoCAD Tutorial - how to get mass properties from a solid and create a basic print of a 3D solid model that can be used to manufacture a part, Learn CAD Fast, February 22, 2005 (requires free registration)

Using the Ortho Mode of the Pan Command - AutoCAD tip, PostalCAD, February 14, 2005

Pick an Object, Any Object - how to use AutoCAD's selection sets, Bill Fane, Cadalyst, February 15, 2005

CAD to CAM: Where it Started and Where It's Going - a brief history of the design drawing and how integrated translators and a standard will carry it into the future, John Wedrychowski, Desktop Engineering, February 2005

DWF Security - addresses some frequently asked questions regarding DWF and security, Brian Mathews and Scott Sheppard, Between the Lines, February 18, 2005

UGS and Autodesk Form Interoperability Alliance - this alliance, said to ensure interoperability between Autodesk's DWF and UGS' JT file formats and associated viewers, raises questions about the degree to which each company will integrate and interact with the other's data format and viewer, Jeffrey Rowe, MCAD Weekly, February 21, 2005

Sheet Set (0 dst) Hot Fix - link to a fix for the Sheet Set (0 dst) issue that applies to Architectural Desktop 2005 and Autodesk Building Systems 2005, Beau Turner, Will Render for Food, February 21, 2005

Quick Tip - Pushing Objects from One Space to Another - AutoCAD tip, Lynn Allen, Lynn Allen's Blog, February 21, 2005

Dimension and Accuracy Checking via AutoLISP - provides a macro to toggle between Architectural Units and Decimal Units, Richard Binning, Beside the Cursor, February 18, 2005

Hot Tip Harry: Tips from our Readers - February 2005 - tips include shortcuts to annotating MCAD drawings and hiding toolbars, Bill Kramer, Cadalyst, February 15, 2005

Revit - 2D or 3D? - to get the best out of Revit with the least amount of effort, model as simply as you can get away with and then detail as much as you need, Justin Taylor, CADserver, February 21, 2005

Timber Design Using ADT and max for Timber Framed Sustainable Design - a project provides a good example of an Architectural Desktop model and 3ds max for rendering, Chris Yanchar, Between the Walls, February 20, 2005

Label Scaling Simplified - Autodesk Civil 3D tip, Angel Espinoza, Angel's Civil 3D 2005 Thoughts, February 18, 2005

User Tip on License Borrowing - Architectural Desktop/Building Systems tip, Beth Powell, Beth's Blog, February 18, 2005

Quick Tip - Super Quick Extrusion of Text (And Other Objects) - AutoCAD tip, Lynn Allen, Lynn Allen's Blog, February 22, 2005

Class 3A - Minimum Application - how to implement the minimum ObjectARX application without using the ARXWizard, Fernando Malard, ObjectARX for Dummies, February 17, 2005

Land Desktop: Site Volumes By Sections - streaming tech tip explores the method used to create site volumes by sections without a profile, Randy Browning, Avatech Solutions, February 16, 2005

What Drive is the Boot Drive? VBA Function - AutoCAD tip, Richard Binning, Beside the Cursor, February 20, 2005

Appendix A - Debug Versus Release - ObjectARX and ObjectBDX tips on how to recognize the differences between the two types of compilation: debug and release, Fernando Malard, ObjectARX for Dummies, February 15, 2005

Solid Model from User-Defined Profile - AutoCAD tutorial shows how to create a custom profile (2D drawing) and then extrude that into a 3D object, Learn CAD Fast, February 22, 2005 (requires free registration)

ProgeSOFT IntelliCAD Setting Drawing Units - IntelliCAD tips, Learning IntelliCAD, February 22, 2005

Helsinki Architects Push BIM Agenda on Macs - a Finnish architect discusses the many aspects of building information modeling, the value of 3D models in practice and why his firm has chosen to practice on the Macintosh platform for over 15 years, Anthony Frausto-Robledo, Architosh, February 18, 2005

Reducing the Rattle - a dynamic and vibroacoustic prediction method uses a detailed CAE gearbox model to nix the noise at its source, Jerry Fireman, Desktop Engineering, February 2005

Refan to the Rescue! - a little known utility inside AutoCAD makes managing Xrefs a breeze, Shaan Hurley, Between the Lines, February 17, 2005

Quick Tip - Controlling your Toolbars - AutoCAD tip, by Lynn Allen, Lynn Allen's Blog, February 18, 2004

An Example of MindManager Architectural Desktop (ADT) Project Icons In Use - RobiNZ Blog, February 18, 2005

Success by Design - interview with Paul Laycock, managing director of Karel*CAD, makers of Plant-4D plant design software, ferret.com.au, February 18, 2004

Bug Watch February 2005: Ancient Egyptians Managed It, So Why Can't AutoCAD? - bugs and workarounds explore unwanted round corners in 3D extrusions and line spacing in leaders, Steve Johnson, Cadalyst, February 15, 2005

Patterning Work Features Along a 2D or 3D Sketch Path - Autodesk Inventor tips, Andrew de Leon, Envision Solutions, February 4, 2005

The Basics of Programming with the DWF Express Viewer Control - how to program with Autodesk's DWF Express Viewer control, Mike Tuersley, Cadalyst, February 15, 2005

Using Construction Geometry in Sketches - Autodesk Inventor tips, Andrew de Leon, Envision Solutions, February 4, 2005

Installing Additional Standards - AutoCAD Electrical 2005 tips, Andrew de Leon, Envision Solutions, February 4, 2005

Power Company Flips the 3-D Switch - a Canadian company that designs power plants made the challenging but ultimately rewarding switch from AutoCAD to CATIA and SmarTeam product lifecycle management tools, Poonam Khanna, Computing Canada, February 11, 2005

Silent Installation of Autodesk DWG Viewer - AutoCAD tip, Jimmy Bergmark, JTB World, February 16, 2005

MicroStation's 3D Capabilities, Part 2 - more tips for creating, editing and viewing 3D models, James Dyer, Cadalyst, February 15, 2005 (Part 2 of 2)

Forcing a Join - SolidWorks tip explores the join command, Jon Gifford, SolidWorks Community, February 16, 2005 (requires free registration)

Use ArchiCAD to Conduct a Sun Study - ArchiCAD's sun study tool helps you view how light and shadow will play on a design, Kurt Ameringer, Cadalyst, February 15, 2005

Are Your Drawings Getting Bloated? Put Them on a Diet! - provides a macro to keep drawings free of unnecessary clutter, Richard Binning, Beside the Cursor, February 16, 2005

PLM Is A Multibillion-Dollar Business - the product lifecycle management market is rapidly growing, and vendors' sales are booming, Elena Malykhina, InformationWeek, February 15, 2005

ADT MindManager Images & Icons - MindManager resources for Architectural Desktop Project Components, Robin Capper, RobiNZ Blog, February 17, 2005

LandXML Part II - Autodesk Civil 3D tip, Angel Espinoza, Angel's Civil 3D 2005 Thoughts, February 14, 2005

Study Model Rendering for the Masses - MicroStation tip, John V. Finkell, MicroStationTips.com, February 15, 2005

Meet the Pirates - to reduce software piracy, what’s needed is a serious look by the industry into what’s being protected, what isn’t and a strong lobbying effort to close up the loopholes, Ed Sperling, ferret.com.au, February 16, 2005

Turning Off Level Symbology - MicroStation tip, MicroStationTips.com, February 15, 2005

JT Open Merging with DWF - UGS and Autodesk are swapping technology to gang up on 3D XML from Dassault Systemes, Ralph Grabowski, upFront.eZine, February 15, 2005

Keep All Your Project's Eggs in One Basket - an introduction to AutoCAD 2005 sheet sets, Lynn Allen, Cadalyst, February 15, 2005

End the Paper Pushing - some engineers are much too involved with order processing, Gary Kuba, Designs, February 7, 2005

Going Clean, Going Green - how Pro/ENGINEER users can prepare to make parts and assemblies compliant with the, more stringent environmental regulations that will take effect in 2006, Jim Buchanan, PTC Express, February 2005

V8 - The Unabridged Keyin List - a reference guide to MicroStation V8 2004 Edition keyins, Joe Allen and Sam Hudson, Ask Inga, February 14, 2005 (requires free registration)

CAD Data Increasing in Value - more and more manufacturers are utilizing CAD data further up, and down, the IT chain, Alan Johnson, ferret.com.au, February 15, 2005

Bring Text and Dimensions to the Front! - AutoCAD tip,Michael Rotolo, The Mad Cadder, February 15, 2005

ProgeSOFT IntelliCAD Setting the Current Linetype - IntelliCAD tips, Learning IntelliCAD, February 14, 2005

Plot Orientation on Roll-fed Plotters - MicroStation guidelines for correct plot output orientation, to help eliminate wasted paper in the output, Bill Dougherty, MSM Online, February 14, 2005 (requires free registration)

Quick Tip - Close All Open Drawings Quickly! - AutoCAD tip, Lynn Allen, Lynn Allen's Blog, February 14, 2005

LandXML - Autodesk Civil 3D tip, Angel Espinoza, Angel's Civil 3D 2005 Thoughts, February 14, 2005

2005 Custom Keyboard Dialog Box - AutoCAD tip, Tracy Lincoln, TLConsulting, February 15, 2005

Using the Unwrap UVW Modifier - 3ds max tutorial, Jacquelin Vanderwood, DesignerToday.com, February 2005

Assembly Features: Strategies for Optimizing Memory Use and Performance - Pro/ENGINEER tips, PTC Express, February 2005

Text Nodes - Visual Basic Application for MicroStation - MicroStation tip, Mike Francisco, Ask Inga, February 14, 2005 (requires free registration)

Using the Search Tool in Pro/ENGINEER Wildfire 2.0 - how to search through a part or assembly for a specific feature or component, PTC Express, February 2005

Copy Linestyles Between RSC Files - MicroStation tip, MicroStationTips.com,  February 15, 2005

Direct Dimensions Breaks Digital Imaging Ground - explores the current state of laser scanning and reverse engineering and the role of 3D imaging service providers, Lynda Rutledge, Inventor Connections, February 14, 2005 (requires free registration)

Dell to Offer Intel Dual-Core Technology - Dell's announcement could mean major opportunities to the engineering software market, especially those computationally intensive applications such as advanced simulation and analysis, Jeffrey Rowe, MCAD Weekly, February 14, 2005

How High Can Autodesk Push Pricing? - examines how Autodesk is spin doctoring to explain price increases of up to 47 percent in England, Ralph Grabowski, WorldCAD Access, February 14, 2005

Quick Tip - Where Are My Plotters? - AutoCAD tip, Richard Binning, Beside the Cursor, February 10, 2005

ADT Standards Out of the Box for U.S. Users - Architectural Desktop customers would do well to adopt the widely accepted National CAD Standard that is built into ADT, Matt Dillon, Breaking Down the Walls, February 12, 2005

Autodesk University Report - as this year's annual gathering underscored, Autodesk development has undergone a bit of a renaissance of late, with all the products starting to look great, across a massive range of vertical markets, Martyn Day, CADserver, February 2005

V8 - Macro to Populate File > Properties - MicroStation tip, Rudi Wells, Ask Inga, February 11, 2005 (requires free registration)

Hitched! JT Open Marries DWF - Autodesk will become a member of the UGS JT Open Program, while UGS will become an Autodesk DWF Developer partner, Ralph Grabowski, WorldCAD Access, February 14, 2005

CAD Friendly - to make CAD easily integrated and better able to respond to industry demand, many software vendors are choosing to partner up, Start, February 14, 2005 (requires free registration)

Back Online - February 2005 - 3ds max / Autodesk VIZ tips, Ted Boardman, CGarchitect, February 2005

ProgeSOFT IntelliCAD: Setting up a Drawing - IntelliCAD tips, Learning IntelliCAD, February 13, 2005

ADT Book Recommendations - Paul Aubin's books on Architectural Desktop are highly recommended for ADT users who want to expand their knowledge, Matt Dillon, Breaking Down the Walls, February 12, 2005

Apple's 'Xstation' - Market, Uses, Technology and Details - in the CAD and 3D multimedia fields, the Mac OS X platform has been booming in specific sectors, namely architecture and 3D modeling and rendering, Anthony Frausto-Robledo, Architosh, February 11, 2005

Autodesk Price Increases - beginning this month, many Autodesk products, upgrades and subscriptions rise in price; this article explores the reasons for the increase, its potential impact, and includes comments from the head of Autodesk Europe, Martyn Day, CADserver, February 11, 2005

Inserting Point Data into AutoCAD - AutoCAD routine for bringing in 2D data, Jim Dowthwaite, Area 31, February 10, 2005

Things that Happen When Dimensioning in DWG Mode - MicroStation tip, Marc Thomas, bentleyuser.org, February 10, 2005

CAD Management Action Plan, Part 2 - more advice on instilling a fresh, proactive approach to CAD management for the year, Robert Green, Cadalyst CAD Manager'ssletter #122, February 10, 2005

Rolling Ball - AutoLISP program helps to find the mid-boundary between two polylines, Jeffery Sanders, JefferyPSanders.com, February 8, 2005

Class 3 - Application Overview - ObjectARX tutorial, Fernando Malard, ObjectARX for Dummies, February 10, 2005

How to Set Up the UOmniFlect Space Warp Deflector - 3ds max tutorial, Jacquelin Vanderwood, DesignerToday.com, February 2005

See It, Feel It, Hear It - virtual reality is increasingly being used for product development in conjunction with CAD/PLM-based visualization solutions, Louise Elliott, Desktop Engineering, February 2005

Quick Tip - Polygonal Windows - AutoCAD tip, Lynn Allen, Lynn Allen's Blog, February 11, 2005

Delete/Purge Levels that Contain Elements - MicroStation tip, Marc Thomas, bentleyuser.org, February 4, 2005

AutoCAD Tip - Cycle Through Tabs - AutoCAD tip, Tracy Lincoln, TLConsulting, February 10, 2005

Bill Gates' Architect: AutoCAD Makes My Employees Stupid - architect James Cutler says in a recent Architectural Record interview that he finds CAD, and specifically, AutoCAD, a less than ideal tool for his trade, Randallton, AECnews.com, February 8, 2005

Quick Tip - Quick Access to Open Drawings - AutoCAD tip, Lynn Allen, Lynn Allen's Blog, February 10, 2005

Towards a Materials-Based Building Information Model - Lloyd J. James, assistant professor at Morgan State University, suggests that the inability of currently available BIM solutions to fully capture detailed and real-world material properties of building components is one of the critical factors impeding a more widespread implementation of BIM, AECbytessletter, February 10, 2005

PLM Players Log a Healthy 2004 - UGS and Dassault Systems financial results reflect product lifecycle management's growth beyond the U.S. and Europe, Beth Stackpole, Managing Automation, February 9, 2005

ALDAC: Solution for Replacement Parts - the navy is using state-of-the-art equipment, aircraft and weapons system parts that can be scanned, analyzed, modeled and authenticated against OEM components and imported into CAD/CAM to be ready for manufacture, Sarah Ehman and Bob Polanowski, dcmilitary.com, February 10, 2005

FEA Improves Engineering Education and Promotes Technological Growth in Central America - educators at an El Salvador university are working to improve and update how they teach engineering students as well as promote technological growth in the local community by integrating ALGOR FEA software into their curriculum, Algor.com, February 10, 2005

SAE Launches Automotive CAD Certification - the Society of Automotive Engineers has created the auto industry's first CAD Certification program, intended to provide a standard for developing and measuring automotive CAD skills, Machine Design, February 3, 2005

The Perils of Trying to Overcome the 2GB Memory Limit - Part 3 - tips on turning on the 3GB switch to boost power without causing glitches, Wayne Tiffany, SolidWorks Community, February 8, 2005 (Part 3 of 3) (requires free registration)

Tip on Placing CAD Drawings in Word or PowerPoint - tip on using the Copy Link command, Beth Powell, Beth's CAD Blog, February 9, 2005

CADlantic's Web Site - CADlantic (formerly CADvantage) offers utilities, training and support for Land Desktop users, Tracy Lincoln, TLConsulting, February 8, 2005

Milestones in thes 1995 to 2004 - CAD companies and CAD-related technology are included in this roundup of technology milestones of last decade, RedNova.com, February 8, 2005

Claude Gagnon: The All-Terrain Engineer - Canadian company uses CAD to improve the design of all-terrain vehicles, IEEE Spectrum Online, February 2005

ProgeSOFT IntelliCAD and Commands (2) - IntelliCAD tips, Learning IntelliCAD, February 8, 2005

UVW Mapping with Power Solids - 3ds max/Power Solids video tip, nPower Software, February 8, 2005 (downloadable wmv file)

Find the Load, then Size the Bolts - solving a bolt problem by hand and by using the MSC/Nastran FEA program, Machine Design, February 3, 2005

Technology Students Devour Sweet Treats, But Then Have to Draw Them on Computers - Michigan high school students first had to examine the composition of a Polish pastry, then draw it using CAD software, Teresa Taylor Williams, Muskegon Chronicle, February 9, 2005

Taking Advantage of the Power - an array of AutoCAD tips including using the Refedit command to edit blocks and creating a rectangular array, Michael Beall, CADTutor, February 2005

Creating a Custom Template and Folder in Inventor - Autodesk Inventor tip, Dennis Jeffrey, Inventor Connections, February 8, 2005 (requires free registration)

Create Drawing AutoCAD Tutorial - demonstrates how to use the AutoCAD Create Drawing dialog box to create an empty drawing, Learn CAD Fast, February 8 2005 (requires free registration)

Automatically Export Cells From a MicroStation Cell Library to AutoCAD Block Files - MicroStation tip, MicroStationTips.com, February 8, 2005

Making Revolutions - 3ds max/Power Solids video tip, nPower Software, February 8, 2005 (downloadable wmv file)

ProgeSOFT IntelliCAD and Commands (1) - IntelliCAD tips, Learning IntelliCAD, February 7, 2005

Agile Takes Part In PLM Acquisition Movement - Agile Software last week acquired collaborative visualization specialist Cimmetry for $41.5 million in cash to add to its product lifecycle management offerings and also to add 9,500 customers, Computer Business Review Online, February 7, 2005

Units of Measurement AutoCAD Tutorial - how to use the AutoCAD Drawing Units dialog box to set up length and angle units for your drawing, Learn CAD Fast, February 8 2005 (requires free registration)

Quick Select AutoCAD Tutorial - how to select AutoCAD objects by type, layer and color in groups so you don't have to select each one individually, Learn CAD Fast, February 8 2005 (requires free registration)

Making Sweeps - 3ds max/Power Solids video tip, nPower Software, February 8, 2005 (downloadable wmv file)

Display Settings and Tessellation - 3ds max/Power Solids video tip, nPower Software, February 8, 205 (downloadable wmv file)

The CATIA Star VAR Interview - CATIA reseller discusses what a purchaser of CATIA should expect of a reseller and what it takes to be an outstanding VAR, Lynda Rutledge, CATIA Solutions, February 8, 2005 (requires free registration)

But Is It Art? - Nemetschek has published 200-page coffee-table style book celebrating CAD as an art form through 2D drawings, wireframes, renderings and photographs of finished projects, Ralph Grabowski, WorldCAD Access, February 8, 2005

Cause and Effect - Autodesk Civil 3D tip, Angel Espinoza, Angel's Civil 3D 2005 Thoughts, February 7, 2005

Change the 'abc' String in MTEXT - AutoCAD joke tip, Michael Rotolo, The Mad Cadder, February 7, 2005

Mac CAD and 3Ds Around the Web - Macintosh CADs, Architosh, February 4, 2005

Overcoming Barriers to CAD Standardization - an analysis of the costly losses in efficiency due to diversity in CAD standards and an introduction to a free standard of best practices for AutoCAD management to overcome the problems, Barrie Mathews, CADdigest.com, February 7, 2005

Manufacturers CAD Data Links - resources for CAD parts and data, Tracy Lincoln, TLConsulting, February 6, 2005

Class 2 - AutoCAD's Database - more advice on using ObjectARX and AutoCAD, ObjectARX, Fernando Malard, ObjectARX for Dummies, February 5, 2005

Managing MicroStation Backup Directories - explores the importance of backing up MicroStation project data and offers a script to help simplify the backup process, Juan Auces, Ask Inga, January 28, 2005 (requires free registration)

Take Back the Old Functionality - Pro/Engineer tip, Synthesis Engineering Services, February 2005

Removing Unsightly Bottom Frames at Doors - Autodesk Architectural Desktop tips, David Koch, The Architect's Desktop, February 4, 2005

Using the Slot Dimension Options in Alibre - tutorial illustrates how to use the Slot Dimension Options Dialog with Alibre Design Professional, NOVEDGE, February 2005

Pareto Analysis - offers a technique to solve CAD management problems, Mark W. Kiker, CADD Manager Journal, February 2005

Most Valuable CAD Company in the World - Autodesk is currently worth $7.2 billion; see who else is in the billion- and multi-million-dollar club, Ralph Grabowski, WorldCAD Access, February 7, 2005

Working in ProgeSOFT IntelliCAD (1) - IntelliCAD tips, Learning IntelliCAD, January 28, 2005

Working in ProgeSOFT IntelliCAD (2) - IntelliCAD tips, Learning IntelliCAD, January 31, 2005

Working in ProgeSOFT IntelliCAD (3) - IntelliCAD tips, Learning IntelliCAD, February 1, 2005

ETransmit - Part Three - more AutoCAD tips on using the built-in command to share files, Mark W. Kiker, CADD Manager Journal, February 2005

Drafting Standards - unless you're going to get a substantial monetary benefit from the existence of industry standards, you won’t be one of the people who value standards, Arnold Rowntree, CADtrainer.biz, February 5, 2005 

Renault Interview with Designer Densham - the chief designer of the Renault F1 R25 says that CAD is the most important thing to happen in his industry in the last 25 years, motorsport.com, February 4, 2005

One Cool Machine - SGI devised a way to use air cooling to keep their supercomputer from overheating, Paul E. Teague, Designs, February 7, 2005

SolidWorks World 2005 - highlights from the recent show's general sessions, plus a look at what's in store for SolidWorks 2006, Jeffrey Rowe, Cadalyst MCAD Techs #138, February 3, 2005

I Hate CAD Standards. Part 1 - how to add all of of your standards - text styles, dimension styles, layers and units - with a single click of a button, Jim Dowthwaite, Area 31, February 1, 2005 (Part 1 of 2)

I Hate CAD Standards. Part 2 - further instructions on how to quickly standardize your drawings, Jim Dowthwaite, Area 31, February 3, 2005 (Part 2 of 2)

Whither the National CAD Standard? - NCS v3.1 has been released, but there seems little discussion in the industry about standards in light of how important they are to everyone involved in CAD, Michael Dakan, Cadalyst AEC Techs #137, February 3, 2005

Exercise: Create Personal Workspace - tips on creating your own personal space If MicroStation is installed on a single computer shared by multiple users, MicroStationTips.com, February 1, 2005

Non-Autodesk DWG Conversion Tools - SolidWorks recently launched a conversion tool called DWGgateway, but Autodesk also offers the free Batch Drawing Converter, which can be used to convert AutoCAD drawing files to legacy formats like 2000 or R14, Shaan Hurley, Between the Lines, February 3, 2005

VBA Book Project in Progress - Lee Ambrosius outlines his projected book and requests your feedback on what you'd like to see covered in a book on AutoCAD and VBA, Beyond the UI, February 3, 2005

Named Layer Filters - Autodesk Civil 3D tip, Angel Espinoza, Angel's Civil 3D 2005 Thoughts, February 3, 2005

Immunize Your MicroStation Files - MicroStation tip, MicroStationTips.com, February 1, 2005

5 Major Trends in Product Design - CAD software is becoming more user- and collaboration- friendly, Katrina C. Arabe, ThomasNet, February 1, 2005

Opening a CATIA V4 Model File in UGS NX 1 - tips on translating a CATIA V4 model file into NX, or vice versa, Erick Martinez, UGS Community, February 2, 2005 (requires free registration)

Importing a Sketch as Traceable Background with Autodesk VIZ - VIZ tip, Tomislav Zigo, Hagerman Technology Bulletin, January 2005

What's in a Name? - Autodesk Civil 3D tip on accessing line and arc data, Angel Espinoza, Angel's Civil 3D 2005 Thoughts, February 1, 2005

Two Online Stores Boast Macintosh Focus for CAD and 3D Users - a look at two U.S. Apple resellers who offer CAD support, Architosh, February 1, 2005

Quick Tip - Getting Osnaps to Ignore Hatch Patterns - AutoCAD tip, Lynn Allen, Lynn Allen's Blog, February 3, 2005

2006 Features! SW World General Session - a report from today's events at SolidWorks World 2005, with a sneak peak of some of the features included in the next release, Dan Raker, SolidWorks Community, February 2, 2005  (requires free registration)

Blog on Learning ObjectARX - Fernando Malard from Brazil has created a blog with free ObjectARX training, Shaan Hurley, Between the Lines, February 1, 2005

3D PDFs from MicroStation - Bentley has a Web page that features animated 3D scenes created by MicroStation, exported in U3D format and then imported into PDF, Ralph Grabowski, WorldCAD Access, February 1, 2005

Productivity Tools - Architectural Desktop 2005 streaming tech tip explores the Construction Line, Face UCS, Body Modifier, Hidden Line Projection and Napkin Sketch commands, Jarod J. Schultz, CAD-1, February 1, 2005

Automakers Trade 'Mules' for Computers - for more and more car makers, dispensing with conventional prototypes is becoming a great cost- and time-saving solution, Eric Mayne, The Detroits, February 1, 2005

Quick Tip - PowerPoint and AutoCAD Drawings - embedding the DWF viewer allows you to zoom, pan, print and view multiple drawings all within the same PowerPoint slide, Lynn Allen, Lynn Allen's Blog, February 1, 2005