AutoCAD 2011

One of the new features in 2011 is the ability to preview the hatch while moving the cursor over objects in your drawing. I think many people have already figured this one out, but if you are working in anything other than a simple drawing, this can degrade performance significantly.

One way to fix this is to revert to the pre-2011 method of hatching by restoring the Hatch dialog box instead of using the Ribbon. You can do this be setting HPDLGMODE to 1. If you would prefer to keep using the Ribbon, then you can turn off the hatch preview by setting HPQUICKPREVIEW to 0 or OFF.

If you follow the link in my previous post for AutoCAD 2011 and AutoCAD LT 2011 Update 1, you will see that the update download has been removed due to problems discovered soon after its release.

If you have installed this update, there is a HotFix available to resolve the problems that the Update introduced at some point. According to the Update 1 page, there will be a revised Update 1 released. Not sure if it will be named Update 1, Update 1A, or Update 2....

Update 1 for AutoCAD 2011 and AutoCAD LT 2011 has been released today. Are you wondering what problems were addressed? Check out the README file that comes with every update.

In fact, don't just download the .EXE and start clicking away - take a couple of minutes and read the README file. It will tell you exactly which file to download, what files you might want to backup before application of the update, and how to extract the MSP file, among other things....

There is a link to the README file on each of the download pages, listed below.

AutoCAD 2011 Update 1

AutoCAD LT 2011 Update 1

Steve Johnson over at blog nauseam is reporting that Raster Design 2011 appears to be set to ship on July 20, 2010, some four months after AutoCAD 2011 started shipping. The Raster Design 2011 Object Enabler was released about a month ago.

Click here to view Steve's post for more information, including a link to a PDF with even more data on ARD2011.

Is this affecting you? Have you needed Raster Design and/or the Object Enabler? Has this prevented you from upgrading your AutoCAD, AutoCAD Map, or Civil 3D?

The Raster Design Object Enabler for the 2011 versions of AutoCAD, AutoCAD Map, Civil 3D, and other AutoCAD based applications is now available. Click the link below.

Raster Design 2011 Object Enabler | Readme File

Be sure and grab the correct version for your O/S (32-bit vs. 64-bit).

Of course if you are stating your own company, they are not going to give you software for free, but if you are a student, unemployed, or just want to give it a test drive, there are ways to get AutoCAD 2011 and other Autodesk software for free.

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?

Ever 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?

Here 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.

Here is some more detail on the changes in the user interface for AutoCAD 2011.

• Below is a screenshot of the default UI as you open the program. Notice the dark scheme, and the grid of lines. (Click on the thumbnail image for a full sized version)
  
  

  Some of the other new features pointed out on the full size image include:

• New Navigation Bar.
• The Viewcube displayed in 2D mode.
• New button/icon for Infer Constraints.
• New button/icon for 3D object snap.
• New button/icon for Show/Hide Transparency.
• New button/icon for Selection Cycling.
• The workspace selector drop down has moved again.

Below is the new Visual Styles panel (torn off from the main ribbon), showing the main drop down, and the five new visual styles.