I have talked a lot about keeping up to date. However, before you can keep up, you have to catch up. In this posting I will talk about my picks as the best features in AutoCAD to implement for immediate results.
Here are my top 5 picks:
5. Dynamic Blocks
Introduced in AutoCAD 2006 these little gems allow the user to change and modify an existing block without altering all of the other block instances in the drawing. Imagine being able to move or change one feature of a block without having to explode it, or being able to change the appearance of a block entirely. I have put together a list of sites that offer great tutorials so I will not go into how they work. Just let me say this. Check it out! Open up the ToolPallette and go to the Dynamic blocks tab to see a sample of pre-made blocks that can be played with and experimented with. Between the Lines, Autodesk, Ellen Finkelstein
4. Fields
Fields arrive on the scene in AutoCAD 2005. Widely unknown or misunderstood fields have gone unused in most production environments. These are great for adding into text that you would normally fill with data derived from the drawing. (i.e. Point Elevation, Area of a closed polyline, Drawing plot date, etc.)
Just to give a quick example. While working on MEP (Mechanical Electrical Plumbing) coordination project for a hospital I had to put in elevation tags all over the model. I wanted it to be standard and adjustable so I created a dynamic block that would allow me to flip, rotate and stretch the block as needed. This was great. It worked like a leader and looked the way I wanted it. The only problem was that to fill the attribute value I had to copy and paste the Z coordinate from the properties dialog. Quick enough, but when placing hundreds in a model and then revising the model it became a time consuming task to manage it all.
By placing a field that displayed the Z coordinate for the block insertion I no longer had to mange the tags beyond making sure that it was in the right place.
Better yet, I could now use a block that was a management issue, as a modeling tool by placing it in the right place and then drafting to it. It became a construction item that was actually part of the finished product and an instant QC (Quality Control) tool.
Check out these links for more information on AutoCAD fields: Ellen Finkelstein, cadalyst, CAD Forum
3. Publish
Publish came out in the AutoCAD 2004 release and what a difference it can make. If you plot sets of drawings by opening and printing one at a time then you need to start using this tool. Be warned now. Publish is an infectious and productivity enhancing tool. You will, without a doubt, experience praise from your boss and an increased expectation to perform. Here is how it works.
From the command line enter PUBLISH. This will open the publish dialog box. You should see the layouts in your current drawings listed in the dialog box. From here you can select the whole list and and assign any named Page Setup to the entire list. By clicking the Add Drawings button it is possible to add the layouts from other drawings into the publish list and then assign a named Page Setup.
If you happen to work for a company where you can simply open a drawing, type plot, and hit enter to send the plot without making any additional changes then you will not need to change the setup from default. You can just add the file to the Publish list and then run the batch.
Check out these links for more information on AutoCAD Publish: Ellen Finkelstein, cadalyst, CAD Forum
2. eTransmit
This is a "classic" feature with a new look and more capabilities. For those of us that have been around for a while we will recognize the main functionality to be the same as Pack'n Go (It has been a long time and I can't remember if that was the way to spell it or not. If you know what it is then its no problem. If you don't know what it is, don't bother)
Here is the way that I use eTransmit to make my life easier. After all, is that not what CAD is for? To make MY life easier. When I get a call from a client asking me to send the 100 page construction set from the architects office to the contractor so they can do take-off's or whatever I have a few options.
Option 1. I can browse the project folders and grab all of the DWG, tiff, jpg, ctb, and miscellaneous font files that I used in the project. (Boy isn't that fun.) Then copy them all to one directory so that all of my external references path correctly (As an added bonus. They will never figure out my super secret project folder structure!) Then put it on a CD, FTP site, or engage in torturing the contractor with a monstrous email attachment that will be so HUGE it will take the better part of the afternoon for them to down load it. If it goes through at all. In fact it will will probably be so big that I might CC the client on the email. Just so they know the task was accomplished and to thank them for eating up several hours of my day of course.
Option 2. I can copy the entire working folder structure of my project and transmit it using one of the above mentioned options. Of course if I do this I will get all of the backup files and other digital detritus that a large project produces, probably double my transmittal size and give away my super secret project folder structure. I know that they will become VERY familiar with my structure for the simple reason that none of the xref files will be found unless I have meticulously maintained all of the relative pathing. Oh and don't forget to go round up the font files from the AutoCAD fonts directory for any necessary SHX files and the Windows fonts directory for the TTF fonts.
Option 3. Open one of my project files. Any file in the project will serve my purposes but I generally choose whatever sheet is first in the set. Save the file. Etransmit will not collect a file that has not been saved immediately preceding the eTransmit command. Then from the menu's pick File-->eTransmit...
The "Create Transmittal" dialog window will open and you should see a file tree with the current file and any associated xref's, fonts, etc. There are various options for configuration and control. This can be used to grab everything needed to open, display and plot one file or one hundred files and the steps are pretty much the same.
All in all this process takes about 10 minutes with a large project and it will even make sure all of your xrefs are pathed properly. Pretty cool, and what a time saver!
I have attached a link here (Ellen Finkelstein) to an excellent tutorial, and will not go through every step. I do encourage you to read through and try it a couple times. You will never look back.
1. Will be in the next posting!!!
I know it is a little early on to be writing cliffhangers but I just couldn't resist.
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