Lynn Allen's Blog

Autodesk University Online!

Autodesk University is off and running...and Online! (well it will be soon)  The week has started off with a bang - the energy is amazing and it looks like it's going to be one of our best years yet.

For those of you on the Autodesk Subscription program you'll be able to get a glimpse of Autodesk University Online.  This year we plan on recording nearly 100 classes for the attendees and our subscription customers.  So if you aren't able to make it here, you can still gleam some of the benefits from your desktop.  The classes aren't posted yet but you can find out more information at AU Online  (so stay tuned).

This week is super, super busy for me so my blog will probably be neglected (this is my way of apologizing in advance).  Tonight I will be MCing the annual AUGI meeting and today I'm teaching an AutoCAD course so I have to run!

wish me luck...(oh yeah - and Go Colts!)

Speedy Block Counting

Gobble...Gobble...had a fabulous Thanksgiving with my family...spent most of the day in the kitchen cooking - and dinner was followed by our traditional watching of Harry Potter together.  I must say this last Harry Potter movie is much darker than the last - but enjoyable nonetheless (I wouldn't take small children).  Tomorrow morning I have to get up at 3:30am to catch my flight to Orlando for Autodesk University.

I'd better add in a Hip Tip tonight before I call it a night.  Besides - how good oof tip do you think you'd get at 3:30 in the morning?

Hip Tip to Count your Blocks:

Ever wanted to count up all (or some) of your blocks in a drawing really quickly?  The Express Tool BCOUNT is great for this.  This top secret Express Tool isn't in the Express menu, it's only available at the command line.

Command:  BCOUNT
Press Enter to select all or...
Select objects:

Block....................Count
------------------------------
LTG - Track..............1
LTG - Strip..............5
Title Block..............1
Drawing Block Title......1

It couldn't be easier!  I'm off to sleep now...

Happy Thanksgiving!

I truly hope that very few of you will read this Thanksgiving wish (unless you are outside the U.S.).  I am hoping you are with your friends and family enjoying a great holiday together...and not logging onto my blog...

For those of you outside the U.S.A., this is a big holiday for us as we give thanks for our many blessings, we remember the Pilgrims and enjoy a fabulous Turkey dinner...(or Tofurkey for the vegetarians who log on). 

I am thankful for so many things...my family first...along with my friends and furry companions.  And I am thankful for a great job where I get to connect with so many of you on the software products we use every day.  And I am thankful to all of you out there who take the time to read my blog-thoughts and tips...and who send me great emails of support. 

So I'm taking the day off to think about all these great blessings...if that's alright with you...

Walking Through Your Layers

Last night I saw the movie "Walk the Line"...Great movie, great acting and singing, and I can't believe that Joaquin Phoenix did all his own vocals!  If you closed your eyes he sounded exactly like Johnny Cash...I was quite impressed.  I strongly recommend it (although it's a little long so be prepared).

And while we're on the theme of "Walking"  one of my all time favorite Express Tools is Layer Walk (LAYWALK).  It's the perfect tool to use to see what's on each individual layer in a drawing.  It comes in especially handy if you are working on someone else's drawing - someone who just didn't get that whole "Standards" deal.  Simply select the layers in the list one at a time and AutoCAD will display only the objects on that layer.  If you have filters in the drawing you'll find you can also list by filters.  This nify tool also allows you to Purge layers as you go (if the layer is empty and non-referenced).  It's down-right Fabulous!

Give this tool a try and you're sure to save valuable time while you are designing.

Now for something completely different...It has come to my attention that yesterday I accidentally said "The Colts are not 10-0" -that should have been the word "NOW"...one little letter changed everything.  Next week the Colts are playing on Monday Night Football during AU - hmmm...how can I sneak away and watch the game?  That is the question...

One Week and Counting...

before Autodesk University...will I be prepared?  I have 7 different presentations of one type or another I'm doing for AU...yikes! Remember to introduce yourself to me at AU if you run into me (which might be hard to do with over 5000 people there).  And if you think I'm doing a good job - be sure to let me know.  In fact, even if I'm not doing a good job, lie to me... (I'm very fragile)
: )

So here's your Hip Tip to start off the week:

Multiple Insertion Points for a Block:

Have you ever wished you could have multiple insertion points for a block?  How many of you out there in blogland have actually created multiple blocks with different insertion points? (admit it, nearly all of us have done it).  AutoCAD 2006 snuck in a great feature (that had a very poor PR agent) that allows us to change the insertion point on the fly. No one bothered to mention this new feature to me!  Entering the INSERT command you'll find there's a new option of Basepoint that's been added.  Let's take a look:

Command: INSERT
Specify insertion point or [Basepoint/Scale/Rotate/PScale/PRotate]: B
Specify base point:

This allows you to pick anywhere in the drawing as your new insertion point - Fabulous!  And it couldn't be easier.

Give this new option a try and you'll find it much easier to place your blocks exactly where you want them.

I'm off to work on those presentations!  and did I mention that the Colts are not 10-0!!! 

Scaling those Pesky Linetypes in Paperspace

Tomorrow is going to be an exciting day - I get to find out about the new features in the next release of AutoCAD!  The AutoCAD product team is giving some of the Autodesk employees a sneak preview...I can hardly wait!  Rumor has it it's going to be really good...

A Hip Tip to Control Linetype Scale Factors in Paper Space:

I receive about one email a week with this particular issue...you get all your linework set up properly in model space, all the linetypes are scaled properly and then you switch over to paper space.  You insert your first viewport, assign a viewport scale factor and then poof - your linetypes aren't displaying properly anymore.  Why not?  Because they are still based on your model space units...What to do?  The PSLTSCALE system variable to the rescue.

Setting PSLTSCALE to 1 will cause the linetype display to translate over to paper space drawing units.  So even if you have different viewports, with different magnifications - the linetypes will display the same.  AutoCAD does the math for you, it takes the value of the vport scale factor, and scales the linetypes according to the LTSCALE and CELTSCALE settings.

When you change the PSLTSCALE or zoom within a viewport the objects are not automatically regenerated.    You'll need to use the REGEN or REGENALL command to update the linetypes in each viewport.  So if you think it hasn't worked...be sure to do a regen.

So there's your Hip Tip!

Keeping Track of Time

Everything is crazy and busy getting ready for Autodesk University next week...I can't believe it's right around the corner!  Here's a quick tip that will help you keep track of time in your drawings.

Hip Tip to Keep Track of Drawing Time:

We often have to charge back our design/drawing time to our client - and we often approximate/guestimate to come up with the final numbers.  Or perhaps you are a CAD Manager that's wondering how much time one of your CAD operators is really spending on his work (and not surfing the internet).  Would you like to know EXACTLY how much time has been spent in a drawing?  Try the good old TIME command (which doesn't live in any of the menus).  This top secret command can really come in handy for time estimating.

Command: time
Current time:             November 15, 2005  8:04:33:071 AM
Times for this drawing:
  Created:                  October 18, 2000  5:51:46:510 AM
  Last updated:           February 03, 2005  9:16:17:691 AM
  Total editing time:     10 days 23:23:29:903
  Elapsed timer (on):     10 days 23:23:29:903
  Next automatic save in: <no modifications yet>

Enter option [Display/ON/OFF/Reset]:

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Reset is used to reset the elapsed timer (should you care to time something separate from the total editing time)...perhaps how long it takes you to run a mile? 

And if you truly want this to be accurate you would need to turn the timer OFF whenever you were not working on the drawing (lunch, breaks) and turn it back ON when you return.

So there's your Hip Tip - I'm off to work on my AU presentations!

Super Speedy Command to Modify an Object's Properties

What a beautiful weekend in Northern California...even though winter is right around the corner and we've already had a few showers I am in complete denial (why can't summer last all year round?).  I'm home for nearly two weeks until Autodesk University.  Unfortunately I have to cut my holiday short and fly to Orlando the day after Thanksgiving to get ready for this fabulous conference (can you hear the violin playing in the background?) If you are a blog reader who is attending AU be sure to introduce yourself to me there!

So here's your Hip Tip to start the week off with...

Super Speedy Method to Modify an Object's Properties (especially useful for you AutoCAD 3D users!)

OK - so we can all use the Properties dialog box to modify an object's properties such as elevation and thickness, but I'm just not patient enough to deal with all the steps.  For those of you who are command line speedsters, you can appreciate the powerful good old CHANGE command.  This top secret command no longer lives in any of the AutoCAD menus, but true AutoCAD gurus still use it to get the job done quickly.  So let's dust it off and take a look.

Command: CHANGE
Select objects:  3 found
Select objects:
Specify change point or [Properties]: p
Enter property to change [Color/Elev/LAyer/LType/ltScale/LWeight/Thickness]:

You'll see that you can change many different properties with the CHANGE command, but I think you'll find the biggest value in Elevation, Linetype scale, Lineweight and Thickness.  You 3D users absolutely must try this command.

If you do not intend to change the elevation of an object - you can go straight to the CHPROP command which cuts out one step, but is missing the elevation option.

Command: CHPROP
Select objects: 3 found
Select objects:
Enter property to change [Color/LAyer/LType/ltScale/LWeight/Thickness]:

Add these two commands to your repertoire and you might just find yourself zipping along!  Warning:  Do not use if you get paid by the hour!  : )

-------------------------

My Colts won again today, hence it is a beautiful weekend...

Getting the Most out of Your AutoCAD Command Line

Had a fabulous CAD Camp on Tuesday (thank you Paramus!).  A good time was definitely had by all and it's our last CAD Camp for the year (insert tear here).  Yesterday was a day of presentations in Albany for Imaginit Technologies.  Len Kalmer, one of their VPs was kind enough to drive me the 3.5 hours it takes to get from Paramus to NJ, even though we arrived around midnight - it was definitely appreciated (anything to avoid another flight!).   What a trooper!

So here is a quick tip for your Thursday before I hop on a plane to return to San Francisco:

Three Hip Tips for Getting the Most out of your Command Line:

If you are a command line addict like myself, it's nice to know a few tricks to maximize your effectiveness with it.

Tab Key
System variables are often keyed in at the command line.  Do you ever forget how to spell a system variable or a command?  With AutoCAD 2006 you can simply key in the characters you know and hit the Tab key as AutoCAD cycles through the various commands and system variables that start with those characters.

For example:  You key in SP at the command line.  As you hit the Tab key, AutoCAD will display all of the commands/setvars that start with SP.  Incidentally, this is a great way to be an extra lazy AutoCAD user which I wholly support.  But seriously, this feature can actually save you quite alot of time (if you remember to use it!).

Up and Down Arrow Keys
Hopefully you've also discovered that you can page up and down through past commands by using the arrow keys.  This works on just about any AutoCAD release.  So if you key in a system variable and you spell it wrong simply hit the Up arrow key to bring it back and correct the spelling rather than keying it in all over again.  This is also great for recalling a line of AutoLISP code that you've made an error in.

Cycling through past values
You can also use the Up and Down Arrow keys to scroll through past values (AutoCAD 2006).  For example, let's say you've drawn three circles.  First Circle has a radius of 1.5, second Circle has a radius of 2.5 and the last Circle has a radius of 3.5.  You need to draw another circle with a radius of 1.5.  When prompted for the radius, just use the Up arrow key to recall the past values until 1.5 displays at the prompt. 

Try these three tips and you might want yourself zooming along a little faster than usual!

A great big thanks to Clough Harbour yesterday (especially Brian and Eileen) for their hospitality (and cheesecake!).  I can't remember the last time I'd had such a great lunch (both food and company).  And I almost got to see the Albany Egg and Nipper in person...maybe next time...That was a great way to end my travels...and a special hello to my new stalker Matt.  : )

Blogs, Blogs, Blogs (and other good places to find info)

So of course I'm not the only CAD Blog in town...there are many more out there to choose from...a million thanks to those of you who have linked to my site - it's definitely appreciated.  It's all about creating a CAD community (in the humble words of Shaan Hurley) and helping make your everyday drawing life just a little bit better.

So if you feel so inclined - why not take a look at some other outstanding blogs and/or websites to feast your need for AutoCAD information.

First off - there are many official Autodesk blogs.  These can be found at: Autodesk Blogs.  Be sure to pay a visit to Shaan Hurley's site where he's always providing up to the date info on all things Autodesk.  Or perhaps you'd like to tour Heidi Hewett's new site where she dives deeper into specific topics on AutoCAD.  Heidi is the Sheet Set and Fields Queen!

CAD Digest does a great job of compiling all kinds of AutoCAD tips together in one easy-to-find place.  You're sure to find some great techniques to help you out there.

CAD Panacea is pretty interesting as well...I love his tagline..."OK so there isn't a cure for CAD but all the other Cheesy CAD Blog names are taken"...hysterical!

And of course I would be remiss if I didn't mention the new AUGI Blog called BLAUGI...have a look at what our good friends are up to.

There are many more great sites - this is just a few for a Tuesday to have a look at.  Remember we're all in this together!

And on a completely different topic - were the Colts fabulous last night or what?  I can't believe Peyton finally managed to beat the Patriots...I am thrilled...and that means you get to see a complimentary picture of my dog  Alex...lying on Peyton's Jersey...here's to the undefeated Indianapolis Colts! (for those of you outside the U.S. - please bear with me here).