Hi everyone!
For those of you who haven't been able to catch one of my live presentations - I want you to know I'm doing my first AutoCAD 2013 virtual presentation(s) this week for Imaginit. You have three days to catch my AutoCAD 2013 presentation - be sure to join me!
I'll be covering all my favorite new features in AutoCAD 2013. So sit back, log on and enjoy!
Today was a great event in New York City with Microsol Resources (so many great questions!). Tomorrow I move on to Philly (Wednesday, April 18) and then to Fort Lauderdale (Thursday, April 19) for Digital Drafting. Next Monday, April 23, I present near my home town at the Autodesk office in San Francisco with CADMASTERS. If you live in any of these neighborhoods - please be sure to come out and learn all about the new features in AutoCAD 2013! I'd love to see you there (sign up first so they are expecting you!) See below:
Hey guys - it is finally here! Download my latest AutoCAD 2013 Tips and Tricks booklet and read all about the great features in AutoCAD 2013!
Download AutoCAD 2013 Tips and Tricks
I hope you enjoy it!
Ah yes - it's that time of the year again for announcements and unveilings! You won't want to miss out on Autodesk's Lead the Way virtual event coming to a computer near you!
Register now for the Autodesk Virtual Event to learn about the latest and greatest Autodesk software, Autodesk Suites and more. Special guests include Autodesk Executives and Yours Truly. View special presentations from our industry experts on known industry challenges and how Autodesk solutions can help solve them.
I know that I'll be there - and I'm hoping to (virtually) see you there as well!
It's always so exciting when the next release of AutoCAD arrives - I feel like a kid at Christmas as I unwrap all the new shiny features. I thought I'd share a general overview of some of the new features you'll be seeing in AutoCAD 2013. More to come of course!
Command Line:
You Command Line fans will love the new modern enhancements to the UI. Now you can control the color and transparency of the command line. Float the undocked command line (which defaults to a single row) above the AutoCAD drawing window. You'll notice that the semi-transparent prompt history (displays up to 50 lines) doesn’t affect the drawing area.
Array Enhancements:
AutoCAD 2012 really knocked it out of the park with the new Associative Arrays. AutoCAD 2013 will take them a bit further by showing objects in a pattern faster, and with more handy grips.
Hatching:
The Hatch Editor ribbon tab now allows you to select more than one hatch object at a time.
In-Canvas Property Preview
Dynamical check out object properties as you select them (including transparency)! Get the right property value every time!
Point Clouds
Point Clouds can now be easily attached and managed from the External Reference Manager. The Attach Point Cloud dialog box now provides a preview and more detailed information.
A new bounding box appears when you select a point cloud (making it easier to visualize its position in 3D space). The new Point Cloud ribbon tab also appears with all the necessary Point Cloud tools.
If intensity data is included, you can use the analysis tools to view point intensity with different color schemes.
(And now you can clip a point cloud!)
PressPull
Now you can press/pull multiple objects at one time! You can also select 2D and 3D curves (not just inside a bounded area).
Surface Curve Extraction
Use the new Extract Isolines tool (Surface ribbon tab) to quickly extract isoline curves from an existing surface or face of a solid.
You can change the direction of the isolines, select a chain or draw a spline on the curved surface.
Import Inventor Files
In AutoCAD 2013 you can import Inventor models (hoorah!)
Model Documentation
Be far, my favorite feature in AutoCAD 2012 was the new Model Documentation tools. Thankfully, AutoCAD 2013 adds in Detail Views and Section Views!
You can also select the objects you want to include in your model documentation (no longer limited to ALL the objects).
Associative Annotations
Now the dimensions added to the drawing views (with the model documentation tools) are associative and smart! If you change the design - these annotations do a much better job of updating (love this!).
Strike-through Text
Now available for Mtext, Mleaders, Dimensions and Tables!
Bring Leaders to the Front
Leaders are now included with the TextToFront tool
Wipeouts display but don't Plot
With the new WIPEOUTFRAME system variable.
Reverse Polyline Widths
Use the new PLINEREVERSEWIDTHS setvar when using the REVERSE tool to ensure the results you want.
Offset Preview
Hooray for a Preview of your offset results!
It seems like last summer I was complaining that we didn't really get much of a summer - and now that it's winter I'm wondering where all the storms are (but not complaining!). Our weather here in Northern California seems to be completely confused.
Last week Cadalyst released another of my video tips on how to print out your layer list (something that is not inherently obvious in AutoCAD). Watch this video to see how you can export your layer list to Excel from within the Layer Properties Manager or to Word from the command line interface of the Layer command
(-Layer).
Essentially - you simply highlight the layers you wish to export from the Layer Properties Manager, and then Ctrl+C to copy them to the clipboard (no Copy option in the right click menu). Then paste your layers into an empty Excel file. Voila!
A reader, Dan Murphy, also sent me an email reminding me about an AutoLISP routine that is also quite useful for printing layers (Thank you Dan!). LAYERHTM.LSP can be found at DOTSOFT. It's free of charge (unless you choose to make a small donation). There are two LISP routines posted - one for AutoCAD 2007 onward, and one for those on releases before that. You can find quite a few free AutoCAD tools on DotSoft - be sure to check them out!
2012 is off and running and so is Autodesk! So many exciting things going on - I think 2012 is going to be a great year.
I thought I'd kick off the weekend with a handy AutoCAD tip!
We often use the BREAK command to karate chop an object (break it in the same spot twice). The AutoCAD ribbon takes an extra step to do this (and we hate extra steps - don't we?). Check out my video that shows you the super speedy means of doing this as well as how to add this handy tool to the ribbon!
Note: If you have your OSNAPS on - you could get a gap. Be sure to turn your OSNAPS off to get this to work properly! (should have mentioned this in the video)
This tool allows you to select the object to break at the exact location you also want to break it at - saving you an extra step (and those extra steps all add up - don't they?).
So go ahead and try it - and kill two birds with one stone. (come to think of it - that is really a terrible phrase! Poor birds!).
Enjoy your weekend...
The temperature has been in the 60's here in Northern California and my roses don't know whether they should be blooming or going to sleep. Our goats just love the rosebuds (caviar for a goat!) so I'm not complaining...and incidentally - either are the goats!
Nearly all designs need dimensions in their final drawings - so I have a top secret dimensioning command to share with you. It's no longer on the ribbon - so you just might not know about it!
How would you get the dimension shown below?
Dimaligned? If you used Dimaligned you'd probably end up with part of the second extension line lying on top of the far right edge of the part. Then you'd have to edit that extension line...
You just want to dimension the length of this part that happens to lie at an angle - that's where DIMROTATED can really help you out. DIMROTATED let's you select the angle for the dimension line first - and then you cna choose where the two extension lines should go - it's a fabulous command! Check out the video below and I'll show you exactly how it works.
Why it fell out of favor with the AutoCAD Ribbon gods - I'll never know! Check it out - it might just save you some time the next time you're faced with the dreaded task of dimensioning!
My work days in 2012, so far, have been filled with recording various technical videos. When you spend so much time making videos - you become either friends or enemies with your recording software! Though the relationship was a bit tumultuous at first - we've fast become good friends (inseparable actually). Sure there are the occasional fights (with the software usually winning while I cower in defeat). But all in all - I stand by my recording software - Camtasia by Techsmith.
No I don't get anything for promoting Camtasia...I just thought I'd offer up a shout out to my good software buddy of four years now - especially after all we've been through! I am constantly asked what software I use to create my videos - so now you know.
Why should YOU record technical videos?
I record videos to share technical tips with the world (primarily on AutoCAD). Why would you want to record videos? Have you ever been asked the same technical question multiple times? Do you find yourself showing the same techniques to your coworkers over and over again? I believe that if you find yourself demoing the same technical process more than 3 times- it's time to put it in a video! Record it once - share it forever. That is MUCH better than spending your time demoing the same technique over and over. Besides - you have much better things to do!
If you're a CAD manager - I think video recordings are a must (if for no other reason than to maintain sanity!). Are you rolling out a new standard or new process? Maybe you've loaded the latest release of a software product and want to offer up some helpful hints. Maybe you find your users have some bad habits you want to try to correct - or maybe you just want to make your coworker's life a little easier by sharing some helpful hints. All the above are a reason to create technical videos.
Besides - if you start creating technical videos for your team - you'll look like a star! You might just discover you have amazing technical insight to share. Maybe you'll become a Technical Evangelist too!
Now I won't lie to you - you'll need to be patient as you learn to fully use the recording software. The key to software like Camtasia is in the editing - not just the recording. I can actually edit out the ums and mistakes where needed. I can goof and pick right back up where I left off (and believe me - there is plenty of goofing that occurs). I can edit out the barking from my white, fluffy, dog - or the occasional curse word that occurs when the software misbehaves. Oh if you only knew what went on behind those videos!
So what are you waiting for? Go ahead and give it a try! You can download Camtasia for free for 30 days (that's what I did at first). So what have you got to lose? This might just launch you up the ladder at work - now wouldn't that be nice?
Subscribe