July 2005
previous articles

Generate a Series of Alphanumeric Text Strings -  AutoLISP program creates text strings where letters or numbers can change incrementally, Tony Hotchkiss, Cadalyst Manufacturing, July 15, 2005 (more AutoCAD LISP programming tutorials)

Parametric Design Using Inventor Part Files - get a parametrically driven assembly using an Inventor part file instead of Excel, John R. Hackney, Cadalyst Manufacturing, July 15, 2005 (more Autodesk Inventor tutorials)

Shared Parameters - Part 3 - creating a parameter for Undercut, a feature which changes the family panel geometry and reports a value in a project's door schedule, Steve Stafford, Revit OpEd, July 24, 2005 (more Autodesk Revit tutorials)

Located Problem with the Drawing Recovery Manager - AutoCAD takes time to start when there are many files listed, but a new system variable RECOVERYMODE can control drawing recovery information (more AutoCAD tips)

Shift Key Not Working? - uncheck the toggle Shift+Left Click Image Select option in AutoCAD to resume working of Shift key, R.K. McSwain, CAD Panacea, July 21, 2005 (more AutoCAD tips)

Putting Global Product Development to Work - PLM might be the final piece in the productivity puzzle, as it is allowing global companies to efficiently manage their production information and processes, Bill Boswell of UGS, Machine Design, July 2005 (more PLM features)

CADopia - Using Prompt Boxes - choosing appropriate options using prompt box, also setting prompt box display, CADopia, July 25, 2005 (more IntelliCAD tutorials)

CADopia - Using the Status Bar - status bar displays information about current settings, if you are not using command bar, CADopia, July 25, 2005 (more IntelliCAD tutorials)

CADopia - Using the Command Bar - this bar is a dockable window where you can view prompts and other program messages, CADopia, July 25, 2005 (more IntelliCAD tutorials)

ProgeSOFT IntelliCAD - Modifying Text Styles - change the existing text style with assigned default values to the required text style, Learning IntelliCAD, July 25, 2005 (more IntelliCAD tutorials)

Software Adds Bends, Helix, and Wrappings to CAD - GW3Dfeatures is an an add-in for SolidWorks' 3D CAD system having useful wrapping capabilities and helping user to create complex curves and surfaces, Mark Holzapfel, Machine Design, July 2005 (more GW3Dfeatures reviews)

Machining Outside the Shop - CAD/CAM software and 3D scanning technologies are pairing up with machine tools to reach a variety of non-traditional locations, Derek Korn, MMS Online, July 2005 (more CAM features)

The Changing Face of CNC Programming - CAM software advancements are helping to maximize the productivity of CNC programmers, giving the manufacturer an advantage in flexibility and optimization, Mark Albert, MMS Online, July 2005 (more CAM features)

It’s Time to Get on Board with DWF - DWF and PDF have similar file formats, but there are some major differences as highlighted by Autodesk, Tad Whitchurch, Hagerman & Company Inc., July 2005 (more AutoCAD features)

Dynamic Lisp Code - get the lisp code selection set to make more uses of dynamic blocks, Mark Douglas, In the Dynamic Interface, July 25, 2005 (more AutoCAD programming tutorials)

CADopia - Displaying and Hiding Toolbars - among the multiple toolbars, choose the toolbars to be displayed, note docked or floating toolbars, CADopia, July 25, 2005 (more IntelliCAD tutorials)

CADopia - Displaying Commands on a Shortcut Menu - press and hold down the Shift key to display a shortcut menu for modifying entities, CADopia, July 25, 2005 (more IntelliCAD tutorials)

ProgeSOFT IntelliCAD - Creating and Naming Text Styles - to select fonts use *.shx font files in ProgeSOFT IntelliCAD/Fonts directory and create new text styles, Learning IntelliCAD, July 25, 2005 (more IntelliCAD tutorials)

Safe as Houses - Autodesk has succeeded in having nearly all architecture firms in China adopt AutoCAD, You Nuo, China Daily, July 25, 2005 (more Autodesk articles)

Copy/Paste with Accuracy - AutoCAD has some keyboard command to copy and paste the DWG file, Tracy Lincoln, TL Consulting, July 25, 2005 (more AutoCAD tips and tricks)

Change the Lens Angle of the Perspective Camera - to get the more dramatic perspective effects and more or less of your model in the view, lens angle can be varied, Forrest Judd, Hagerman & Company Inc., July 2005 (more Inventor tutorials)

Tackling Text in AutoCAD 2006 - additions of new MText and DText options to MText command make drawings more easier, Lynn Allen, Cadalyst AEC, July 15, 2005 (more AutoCAD text tutorials)

AutoCAD Commands in C# - using C#, recreating the "Hello World" example by putting the text into AutoCAD's command line and into an MText object, Mike Tuersley, Cadalyst AEC, July 15, 2005 (more AutoCAD programming tutorials)

Surface Control Variables in Architectural Desktop 2005 - appropriate values of surface control variables can control the precision of a model's 3D representation, Hagerman & Company Inc. (Autodesk reseller), July 2005 (more ADT tutorials)

Five Features of the New Pipes Module in Civil 3D 2006 - learning to customize pipe styles, label styles, and pipe rules in Autodesk Civil 3D 2006, Jeff Old, Hagerman & Company Inc. (Autodesk reseller), July 2005 (more Autodesk Civil 3D tutorials)

I Live in a Google World but I Work in a Pre-Google One - BIM technology, which is better at connecting construction data, is hoped to provide a predictable incremental change, Tom Sweeney, AEC Bytes, July 21, 2005 (more AEC features)

AutoCAD Tips from Our Readers - a hot tip for AutoCAD 2006 customization, tips for multi-line text, drawing rebar, reactor-based text fill, callouts with incremental numbering, Bill Kramer, Cadalyst AEC, July 15, 2005 (more AutoCAD programming tutorials)

ProgeSOFT IntelliCAD - Working with Text Fonts and Styles - displaying the IntelliCAD Explorer Text Styles element and exploring text styles tool, Learning IntelliCAD, July 22, 2005 (more IntelliCAD tutorials)

MText-Follow Up - check the zoom wheel behavior in AutoCAD 2005 and 2006, Richard Binning, beside the cursor, July 21, 2005 (more AutoCAD tips)

More Helpful AutoCAD System Variables - some more system variables in AutoCAD, Lynn Allen, Lynn Allen's Blog, July 22, 2005 (more AutoCAD tips)

Going... Going... Xref Filter - select filter from layer dialog to hide the x-ref layers in AutoCAD 2006, Melanie Stone, Mistress of Dorkness, July 21, 2005 (more AutoCAD tips)

SolidWorks Gets a Major Upgrade - new feature of SolidWorks 2005 is "Task Pane" which contains major functions needed to get started, including tutorials to help if you're new to design, and a whole list of other resources, Mike Hudspeth, Machine Design, July 2005 (more SolidWorks reviews)

A Closer Look at Motion Analysis - FEA and motion-analysis software are best used together as add-ins to CAD, Paul Kurowski of Design Generator Inc., Machine Design, July 2005 (more analysis articles)

Clever Grip Tricks - knowing the little-known grip facts can make AutoCAD's grips act as object snaps, Bill Fane, Cadalyst AEC, July 15, 2005 (more AutoCAD basics tutorials)

Enhancing Your Rhino with MeshWorks - MeshWorks for Rhino is a plug-in for Rhino 3.0 that adds a variety of mesh manipulation commands, NOVEDGE, June 2005 (more Rhino tutorials)

PLM Umbrella - Dassault's ENOVIA will be used on all-digital projects like the Boeing 787 and the Falcon 7X business jet, Arnie Williams, Cadalyst Manufacturing, July 1, 2005 (more PLM features)

Heat Transfer 201: COOLING WITHOUT FANS - FEA used to estimate the time needed for the tape pack to return to room temperature, Paul Dvorak, Machine Design, July 2005 (more FEA features)

Making Designs More Consistent with Design Checker - SolidWorks Design Checker helps you define CAD standards based on your needs within your organization, Greg Jankowski, Cadalyst Manufacturing, July 15, 2005 (more SolidWorks tutorials)

ProgeSOFT IntelliCAD - Editing Linetypes - you can change a linetype name and definition, but renaming the CONTINUOUS, BYBLOCK, or BYLAYER linetypes is not possible, Learning IntelliCAD, July 21, 2005 (more IntelliCAD tutorials)

New A2006 Dimensioning Features, Fields & Backgrounds - learning about fields and arc dimensions in AutoCAD 2005 and 2006, comparing Mtext feature and Express tool for background mask, Michael Beall, michael's corner, July 2005 (more AutoCAD dimensioning tutorials)

AutoCAD to Bryce - importing a model, built in AutoCAD, into Bryce to render the results much better as well as having much better control over materials, CADTutor.net, July 2005 (more AutoCAD rendering tutorials)

Cut Costs with Rotational Symmetry -  recognize parts with rotational symmetry in your design to cut down the cost on manufacturing, protomold, June 2005 (more rapid prototyping articles)

The Expanding Role of Simulation - NC program simulation information can be used to automatically produce process documentation and robust in-process inspection documentation, Bryan Jacobs, Manufacturing Center, July 2005 (more CAM features)

AutoCAD 2006 for CAD Managers, Part 4 - introduction to AutoCAD 2006 dynamic blocks, Robert Green, Cadalyst Management, July 14, 2005 (more AutoCAD block tutorials)

New 2006 Sysvars - new system variables available in AutoCAD 2006, CAD Panacea, July 19, 2005 (more AutoCAD tips)

Are You Using DWF? - sending your designs as DWF files to users that do not have AutoCAD is the smartest and simplest way, Lynn Allen, Lynn Allen's Blog, July 19, 2005 (more AutoCAD tips)

Hardware Requirements - a realistic list of minimum hardware requirements for AutoCAD users, Beth Powell, Beth's CAD Blog, July 19, 2005 (more AutoCAD management articles)

Mostly Detailing - answering the queries of KEYCREATOR software users, Wesley Krol, Creation Engineering News (by Kubotek), July 2005 (more KeyCreator articles)

Plastic Prototyping: How Methods Measure Up - how to choose between rapid prototyping, rapid tooling and rapid injection molding, Bradley Cleveland of Protomold, Industrial Control Design Line, June 13, 2005 (more rapid prototyping articles)

Autodesk DWF Composer 2 - Drawing Publishing and Collaboration via the DWF Format - it features an improved user interface and a new snapshot tool, relatively low priced for a new license and upgrades available from the previous release, Ron LaFon, Cadalyst Manufacturing, July 1, 2005 (more DWF Composer reviews)

Bug Watch July - an accounting of bugs uncovered by Cadalyst and fixed by Autodesk -- or not, Steve Johnson, Cadalyst AEC, July 15, 2005 (more AutoCAD bugs)

Cool AutoCAD System Variables - of the dozens available, a few system variables of note, Lynn Allen, Lynn Allen's Blog, July 11, 2005 (more AutoCAD tips)

The One-Click System and VBA - a tutorial exploring Visual Basic functions that duplicate existing functions contained in acad.lsp and acaddoc.lsp routines, Richard Binning, AUGI, July 2005 (may require free registration) (more AutoCAD programming tutorials)

Block Editor Background Color - change the background color inside the block editor using command OPTIONS, Mark Douglas, In The Dynamic Interface, July 14, 2005 (more AutoCAD tips)

WxH Formula for Windows - creating a width X height formula property for windows using Property Set Definition, David Koch, The Architect's Desktop, July 16, 2005 (more Architectural Desktop tutorials)

Defining Upfront CFD - understanding the needs of CFD customers to help them achieve their goals with upfront analysis, Ed Williams, Blue Ridge Numerics, Desktop Engineering, June 2005 (more CFD articles)

Meaning of Term "Heartbeat" - AutoCAD communicates with a license server every minute, hence the term "heartbeat," Autodesk Knowledge Base, July 12, 2005 (more AutoCAD management articles)

Coping with Complex Acoustic Impedance - use of SURF153/154 allows users to model complex specific acoustic impedance at any boundary, Design News, July 18, 2005 (more FEA articles)

VisionREZ 3.0 - a BIM application customized for residential design available as a plug-in for ADT or as a stand alone product, Lachmi Khemlani, AECbytes, July 15, 2005 (more VisionREZ reviews)

Maple Gets an Extreme Makeover- significant enhancements in new version, Maple 10, like the new interface, will make the users to give a close look, Barry Simon, Desktop Engineering, June 2005 (more Maple reviews) 

Life, Meet Engineering - life sciences and engineering are merging into a hybrid bioengineering as CAD and other engineering technologies are creeping into medical world, Jean Thilmany, Mechanical Engineering, July 2005 (more engineering features)

A Changing Landscape - an overview of the CUI (customize user interface) found in AutoCAD 2006, Lee Ambrosius, AUGI, July 2005 (may require free registration) (more AutoCAD customization tutorials)

TIPniques: Xref, Part 2 - handling nested xrefs with two reference types - attach and overlay, Chris Lindner, AUGI, July 2005 (may require free registration) (more AutoCAD block tutorials)

Autodesk Banks on Asia-Pac Construction Boom for Growth - Autodesk is earning a good share of revenues from Asia-Pacific region because of fast-growing infrastructure there, Roland Lim, Business Times, July 11, 2005 (more Autodesk articles)

Use AutoCAD 2006 to Flatten ADT Drawings - the ExportToAutoCAD command has a Flatten option to make 3D models into 2D, Shaan Hurley, Between the Lines, July 13, 2005 (more AutoCAD tips)

Add-In Versioning in Autodesk Inventor - set the FirstTime flag to True by changing the value of the "Version" entry in your Add-In's registry, Jim Dowthwaite, Area 31, July 13, 2005 (more Autodesk Inventor tutorials)

ProgeSOFT IntelliCAD - To Create a New Complex Linetype - complex lines are dynamically drawn as the user specifies vertices, check the syntax for a complex linetype, Learning IntelliCAD, July 12, 2005 (more IntelliCAD tutorials)

First Take: COSMOSWorks 2006 - new version makes the meshing process transparent, a new wizard Analysis Advisor guides the user nicely, drop test and fatigue analysis are also improved, Louise Elliott, Desktop Engineering, June 2005 (more COSMOS reviews)

Migration Madness, Part 3 - there are areas that need to be thought through before migrating to a new release, Mark W. Kiker, AUGI, July 2005 (may require free registration) (more CAD management features)

Autodesk Vault Tips & Tricks - setting up a single-project file configuration for managing design data with Autodesk Vault to avoid hunting for files, Kevin Schneider, AUGI, July 2005 (may require free registration) (more Autodesk Inventor tutorials)

Take the CFD Plunge - various factors related to purchase of CFD software, Pamela J. Waterman, Desktop Engineering, June 2005 (more CFD features)

Dynamic Block Standards - 1  - a few tips to keep things organized as you begin working with dynamic blocks, Mark W. Kiker, CADD Manager Journal, July 2005 (more AutoCAD block tutorials)

Dynamic Block Standards - 2 - while creating dynamic blocks pay attention to file naming and file location, Mark W. Kiker, CADD Manager Journal, July 2005 (more AutoCAD block tutorials)

Drawing Log Part 2 - get the code (and place it in your ACADDOC.lsp) to keep track of users actions, Mark Douglas, In The Dynamic Interface, July 12, 2005 (more AutoCAD programming tutorials)

Change Linetype Spacing in Three Ways - drawing a line with a noncontinuous linetype may produce undesired spaces, three tips to solve this problem, Ellen Finklestein, Ellen Finklestein.com, July 2005 (more AutoCAD customization tutorials)

Using Split to Create Multiple Fillet Welds - controlling the placement of welds in case of multiple fillet welds, Autodesk Inventor Series, June 27, 2005 (more Autodesk Inventor tutorials)

ProgeSOFT IntelliCAD - Creating and Naming Linetypes - create and save new linetypes to a linetype library file for use in other drawings, Learning IntelliCAD, July 12, 2005 (more IntelliCAD tutorials)

Reverse Engineering a Lost Culture - little is left of the ancient Samnite culture after the Romans wiped them out but reverse engineering is helping us learn more, Harry Hutchinson, Mechanical Engineering, July 2005 (more reverse engineering articles)

Ideal Software - California's Five Axis used Alias software to design wild concepts for the Scion, including a mobile home theater and DJ stand, American Machinist, July 2005 (more Alias StudioTools reviews)

Mini Tablet Targets Wider Market - Motion Computing's lightweight miniature Tablet PC has the computing power to handle CAD programs so it can be used by engineers to sketch solutions or as a reference tool for looking up design schematics, Daniel Robinson, Computing, July 11, 2005 (more tablet PC reviews) 

Dynamic Block Tooltips - use DONUT command at dynamic block grips to avoid confusion about dynamic block properties, Mark Douglas, In the Dynamic Interface, June 27, 2005 (more AutoCAD blocks tutorials)

Automatic Layer Filter Delete - with the system variable LAYERFILTERALERT, control your layer filters, The Mad Cadder, June 29, 2005 (more AutoCAD tips and tricks)

Using Radiosity Adaptive Subdivision - Autodesk Viz 2006 and 3ds Max 7 use adaptive subdivision for creation of radiosity solutions, Joy Voltenburg, Hagerman & Company Inc. (Autodesk reseller), June 2005 (more AutoCAD rendering tutorials)

Bentley Boosts BIM - the award winning projects from Bentley used BIM, which can provide ground for changes in AEC industry in future, Architecture Week, June 2005 (more MicroStation features)

ProgeSOFT IntelliCAD - Controlling Layer Visibility - by turning a layer on or off, you can put the same drawing to multiple uses, also turn on XRef layer visibility and freeze or thaw layers, Learning IntelliCAD, June 30, 2005 (more IntelliCAD tutorials)

Installation Options for New Content Center Libraries Inside Autodesk Inventor - prior to installing Content Center determine the best one for your company for that will decide how the content center libraries are installed and configured on the local machine, Terry Awalt, Hagerman Company & Inc. (Autodesk reseller), June 2005 (more Autodesk Inventor tutorials)

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