April 2010
AutoCAD Action Recorder - 2 years later
Submitted by rkmcswain on Thu, 04/29/2010 - 12:40
The Action Recorder was introduced in AutoCAD 2009, under the guise of fulfilling the long standing wish (and former #1 on the Augi wish list) of having a VBA Macro Recorder, similar to the ones available in MS Word, Excel, etc.Initially, there was some excitement when this was released, but that quickly turned to bewilderment when people started to figure out that the code which this tool created was a new proprietary, binary, un-editable, and undocumented format, also for which there was no API. On top of that, a recorded action itself was virtually uneditable.
I believe there were some enhancements to the Action Recorder in the 2010 release, but did this fix the issues users were complaining about? I really don't know. Were there any further enhancements in the 2011 release? I don't recall seeing any.
Which brings me to my questions.
- Are you using the Action Recorder?
- Have you tried and gave up? If so, why?
- Have you just not tried because of feedback from others?
- How much better is the 2011 version than the 2009 version?
- Can this be a useful tool?
AutoCAD Wish list Voting
Submitted by rkmcswain on Wed, 04/28/2010 - 07:56
The voting for the Augi AutoCAD wish list is open now through May 15. Although there are flaws with this system, it is still one of the best way for users to communicate to Autodesk what you want to see in future versions of AutoCAD -- and it DOES NOT WORK AT ALL if you do not vote.
If you are reading this, I'm sure you are an Augi member, so click over there and take a few minutes to browse the list. You don't even have to make 10 choices if you don't want. Vote for your top 3 if that is all you have time for.
The Revit Architecture wish list ballot is also open. Read more »
Autodesk wants your feedback
Submitted by rkmcswain on Mon, 04/26/2010 - 20:24The AutoCAD Product Design & Usability Group is looking for your feedback on CAD-related internet usage. This is open to users of all kinds, from beginners to experts, from CAD managers to AutoCAD instructors. Here is a portion of the announcement.
Dear AutoCAD User!Please provide us with your opinions on the use of the internet when accomplishing CAD work. We need your expertise on what content you find valuable and useful to make sure that future releases support your work effectively.
To participate, go to http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/AutoCAD_Internet
Personally, I don't want my CAD application doing too much on the Internet, just like I don't ask Acrobat to check my mail, or Outlook to do CAD work. Let them know your thoughts, and/or drop a comment here. Read more »
MapExport to SHP creates empty file in Civil 3D
Submitted by rkmcswain on Mon, 04/26/2010 - 20:10If you are a Civil 3D user and you are trying to create a SHP file using the MapExport command, it may fail depending on the entity types you are trying to export. As I found over at the Paving the Way blog, this is a bug in Civil 3D.
To fix this, you need to download a new [.ini] file as instructed in this Autodesk KB article (TS1108047)
Read more »Get your name in lights
Submitted by rkmcswain on Thu, 04/22/2010 - 12:37Ok, not exactly in lights, but in print! Seriously, do you have a time saving tip, technique, or code that you would like to share? Submit it to Cadalyst and have it published in Tips and Tools Weekly (subscribe here), or maybe in the monthly Hot Tip Harry feature.
Don't be shy, there are tips from reminders about commands to complex autolisp routines, and everything in between (yes, there is even some VBA code). If you are looking for a routine, you can also find almost 10 years of previously published code at http://cadtips.cadalyst.com. What if you are having problems with some existing code? Drop into the one of the many forums out there, including Augi, CadTutor, and of course the Hot Tip Harry forum at Cadalyst, and ask some of the pros.
Here is the Hot Tip Harry code for 2010: April 2010 | March 2010 | February 2010 | January 2010
Use the Bold link above to submit your tip/code or you can send it directly to harry@cadalyst.com Read more »
Afralisp 2.0
Submitted by rkmcswain on Fri, 04/16/2010 - 07:16If you have been around AutoCAD for a while and have done any Autolisp or VBA programming, you have probably run across a great Autolisp and VBA site with tutorials and code examples named AfraLisp. About 4 years ago, the Afralisp website, created by and formerly maintained by Kenny Ramage was taken over by David Watson, who also runs http://www.CadTutor.net.
David has just completed Afralisp v2.0, a total rework of the website. Everything has been reorganized, and the whole site has a fresh look. Stop by and take a look, and leave some feedback. Read more »36 Months of LT Unlimited
Submitted by rkmcswain on Tue, 04/13/2010 - 21:14Do you use AutoCAD LT, or know someone that does? Kate Morrical just celebrated the third year of authoring the LT UNLIMITED blog, where she does a great job of keeping LT users informed of the latest tips and tricks and news on AutoCAD LT.
With all of the AutoCAD blogs and other information out there, I'm sure it's easy for some users to get confused over whether a particular feature or tool works in "LT", however if you find something on LT UNLIMITED, you can be sure it applies to AutoCAD LT.
If you have not already, head over and take a look. Read more »
Lynn Allen's Tips and Tricks Booklet for AutoCAD 2011
Submitted by rkmcswain on Tue, 04/13/2010 - 20:51
Lynn Allen's Tips and Tricks Booklet for AutoCAD 2011 is out. I have a collection of these and still refer to them when I need to know in what release a particular feature was introduced. But getting to know the new features is what these are all about. I believe the 2011 edition is the sixth in the series.POLL: Do you like the Ribbon or Toolbars & Pull Downs menus....?
Submitted by rkmcswain on Tue, 04/06/2010 - 18:21Autodesk is taking a public survey regarding your UI preferences. Do you like the Ribbon or do you like toolbars and pull-down menus? It sounds like they are considering removing pull-downs and toolbars from AutoCAD.
I can not figure out what purpose this would possibly serve. The screen menu has been dead for a decade or more and it's still available if you want to use it...
Let Autodesk know your thoughts by taking this survey.
ANNOUNCEMENT
Dear AutoCAD User!Please provide us with your opinion - the destiny of Toolbars is in your hands!
Who Should Participate?
Any AutoCAD userHow To Participate?
Please submit your opinion via the Toolbars and Menus Survey:
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/ToolbarsThanks for your help!-
--AutoCAD Product Design & Usability GroupSaving Trees in 2011
Submitted by rkmcswain on Mon, 04/05/2010 - 20:53Ever since AutoCAD quit shipping with physical manuals, I have still ordered my fair share at http://www.autodeskdocandmedia.com/. I understand the reasons for digital help files and such, but there are times when I just like the feel of a real book in my hands.
I guess those days are over as far as AutoCAD manuals from Autodesk are concerned. I ran across this KB article (TS14913682) published a few days ago which says pretty plainly... "Printed manuals are not available for 2011 products."
What do you think? Are you OK with digital only? Read more »
Which AutoCAD command did you last use?
TRACE14% (7 votes)MLINE22% (11 votes)RAY10% (5 votes)XLINE40% (20 votes)LOAD (not the lisp function)14% (7 votes)Total votes: 50AutoCAD 2011 Object Selection and Creation
Submitted by rkmcswain on Thu, 04/01/2010 - 23:06Here is some more detail on the changes in object selection and creation for AutoCAD 2011. I have included some animated images in the main story.
- The first three features were all released in an Advantage Pack for AutoCAD 2010. Follow the link for more details.
- Tools for controlling object visibility, independent of layer control.
- A new command named "Select Similar" - see link above.
- A new command named "Add Selected" - see link above.
- The first three features were all released in an Advantage Pack for AutoCAD 2010. Follow the link for more details.
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