Lynn Allen's Blog

Autodesk and Sustainability

While in Copenhagen I delivered a keynote which included a section on Sustainability within Design.  I was also interviewed on the same topic - I thought you might enjoy watching the finished video:

Autodesk is becoming more and more involved in creating products that make it easier for designers to test for sustainability.  Visit http://usa.autodesk.com/company/sustainable-design for more information and insight into Autodesk's ventures into all things green!

An AutoCAD Video Tip on Linking Excel with AutoCAD Tables.

I am really enjoying the summer here in Northern California - I'm hoping you are having great weather as well wherever you are in the world.  The weather has been so great I spent last weekend looking for some goats to put in my very grassy sidelot.  Let me just say - it isn't easy finding two young small goats around here!   Who knew? 

But you probably don't really care about goats - let's talk some AutoCAD shop!  Cadalyst just posted my latest video on linking AutoCAD tables to Excel and vice versa.

It's easier than you think to bring in an Excel spreadsheet as an AutoCAD table and maintain links so that as you update the Excel spreadsheet, the AutoCAD table updates as well!  The tricks to doing so lie in "Paste Special" and making sure sure you select Paste Link and AutoCAD Entities as seen below:

After inserting the table - you'll want to use the Datalink Manager to make sure you've enabled the ability to write to source file if you want the ability to modify the AutoCAD table and have it write out to the Excel spread sheet (if in fact that is what you want).

Take a look at the video - it's so much easier to understand when you can actually watch someone going through the steps!  But be sure to give it a try because it is much easier than most people think!

I"m off to continue the hunt for small goats!  We're looking for Nigerian Dwarfs now - wish me luck!

  
 
 

 

The AutoCAD 2011 Screencast

I am thrilled to be home for a few weeks (and I mean thrilled!) and finally having some time to devote to blogging.  The weather is nice, and my dog finally remembers who I am after having been on the road for so long!

Rumor has it they finally posted the screencast I recorded months ago for AutoCAD 2011.  It does break the new features down into easily digestible pieces so you can watch it one small chunk at a time if you like. 

Check it out!

  (yes - I realize that I do look a little funny in the video - but that isn't the point!).

I was such a bad blogger while I had the mad ASEAN travel schedule - but I did want to include a picture of one of the highlights of my trip - a Starbucks in Cebu, Philippines!  I'm pictured with Jerry Tan who traveled with me throughout the entire tour (and somehow managed not to strangle me). Jerry has the patience of Job and was a delight to travel with!  Julie, who is also pictured, is a local education reseller for Autodesk in Cebu. Julie was kind enough to spend the day taking us around on a local tour of Cebu (which was greatly appreciated by Jerry and me).

And let me just say - that was the best iced latte in the entire world!