Heidi Hewett's Blog

Help select classes for Autodesk University 2008

You can influence which classes are taught at Autodesk University! Here's more info from the AU organizers:

We're doing something new this year—we would like you to help us select the best 500-plus sessions.
We have uploaded all of the sessions (that were submitted by the deadline) to AU 2008 Session site and we need your input. Topics are organized under 19 tracks, which are either an industry or a product.  If you are considering attending AU, please take a few minutes to vote for sessions that you absolutely want to see.

Over the next few weeks, we will review all those submissions and whittle them down to the number we can actually physically accommodate in the Venetian Conference Center in Las Vegas.
Registration for AU will start on August 15th, and one week earlier for AU members.  Class schedules will be available for review by August 1st.

Thank you in advance for helping us select the most interesting classes. The deadline for voting is Saturday, May 3, 2008.

Scenes from Hong Kong

Last Thursday I had the pleasure of presenting AutoCAD 2009 in Hong Kong during an AutoCAD and 3ds Max 2009 launch party. The Autodesk customers, partners, and staff were knowledgeable and enthusiastic!

I didn’t get to see much of Hong Kong and hope to make it back another time. For now, after flying 22,409 miles in 14 days (but who’s counting?), I’m happy to have my feet on the ground!

Scale List Clean-up

The Scale List Clean-up utility has been updated from the one I posted last week. If you downloaded it from that location prior to this morning, please replace it with the current version.

AutoCAD 2009 Webcast... Coming soon!

Join me on May 8th for a tour of AutoCAD 2009. Learn about the new and enhanced functionality that enables you to increase productivity and maximize your investment in AutoCAD software.

Register online for this free Webcast!

Scenes from Manila

On Monday and Tuesday I had the opportunity to participate in AutoCAD 2009 training for Autodesk partners in Manila. It was an interactive class in which I learned as much about the local environment at the attendees did about AutoCAD.

I found one of the most unique and interesting characteristics of Manila to be the popular form of public transportation called jeepneys. They originated as US military jeeps left in the Philippines after World War II. Locals modified them to hold more passengers and they’ve continued to fix and replace parts throughout the decades. Jeepneys are an affordable mode of transportation for locals at a fare of about 15 cents (US) and they're everywhere! They are brightly colored, artistically expressive, and no two are alike.

 

Good Question: Scale List Cleanup Utility

We’ve received many inquiries regarding a problem that was introduced in AutoCAD 2008, which causes excess scales in the drawing scale list. The problem was fixed in the AutoCAD 2008 service pack, but it did not fix drawings that were previously affected. Fortunately, the AutoCAD development team has released a utility to help you clean up the affected drawings.

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Description of Problem
When a file contains excess scales, performance may be negatively affected. Eventually, the file may become unusable. To use the file, some scales must be removed. This utility repairs affected files by removing excess scales.

NOTE: Nested external references (xrefs) may produce excess scales. To correct this problem, install AutoCAD 2008 Service Pack 1 or corresponding service packs for AutoCAD-based products. The Scale List Cleanup Utility repairs files affected before the necessary service pack was installed.

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Affected Products
AutoCAD® 2008-based products, including DWG TrueView™ 2008
AutoCAD 2009-based products, including DWG TrueView 2009

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Installation Instructions
To install the Scale List Cleanup Utility
You must have administrative privileges on your Microsoft® Windows® operating system to complete installation.

1. Based on your operating system (32-bit or 64-bit), download the appropriate self-extracting executable file.

2. Select a folder.

3. Extract files to the selected folder.

4. Navigate to the folder and copy CleanupScales.exe, CleanupScalesRes.dll, and CleanupScales.html to the installation directory of your AutoCAD-based product.

NOTE: To run this utility you must launch CleanupScales.exe from the installation directory of your AutoCAD-based product.

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Repair Affected Files
To repair affected files

1. Close all affected files. Open affected files will not be repaired.

2. Launch the Scale List Cleanup Utility from the installation folder of your AutoCAD-based product.

3. Under Files to Clean, select affected files.

4. If desired, select Maintain Visual Fidelity for Annotative Objects.

   NOTE: This option allows you to maintain visual fidelity for annotative objects when they are viewed in AutoCAD 2007 or earlier releases and corresponds to the SAVEFIDELITY system variable. Annotative objects may have multiple scale representations. When you select this option, annotative objects are decomposed and scale representations are saved (in an anonymous block) to separate layers, which are named based on their original layer and appended with a number.

5. Under New Scale List, in the drop-down list, select a scale list template.

   NOTE: Each scale list template contains a different scale list. When you run this utility, unused scales are deleted from files and the scale list from the selected template is applied.

6. If desired, change the scale list threshold.

   NOTE: The scale list threshold determines the minimum number of scales a file must contain in order to be repaired. The default scale list threshold is 50. Files that contain fewer scales than the scale list threshold will not be repaired. To change the scale list threshold, on the New scale list panel, enter a number in the Scale List Threshold field.

7. Click OK. Repaired files are saved in the same format last saved in.

Scenes from Australia

This week has been a whirlwind as we traveled from Sydney to Brisbane, back to Sydney and finally to Melbourne presenting AutoCAD 2009 tips and tricks. Four cities (if you count Sydney twice) in four days! At last I get to stay four nights in the same Melbourne hotel room!

We've had a fantastic audience in every city… and so tolerant of my American accent! While the main focus of the presentation was AutoCAD 2009, we also covered functionality from previous releases. I discovered that, like in the US, many people aren’t using AutoCAD to its full potential. AutoCAD has so many tools to make you more productive, but if you don't learn how to use them or don't even know they exist, you're not maximizing your investment in the software.

I’ve posted our presentation as requested by some of the attendees. If you didn’t have the opportunity to attend one of these sessions, the presentation alone may be tough to follow. I’ll try to elaborate on each of the slides in future posts. In the meantime you might want to refer to some of the documents, webcasts, and demo videos listed in the left column of my blog.

There wasn’t much time for sight-seeing but Robert (my co-presenter) and I managed to sneak a peek at the Sydney Opera house. It was a bit windy, but worth the trip!

Oh yeah... I also ate my first vegemite sandwich. Actually, I ate one bite of my first vegemite sandwich.  I think I’ll stick with peanut butter and Nutella for now!

AU 2008: Last call for great presenters

Time is running out to submit course proposals for Autodesk University 2008!

If you’re considering joining our outstanding slate of speakers at Autodesk University 2008, you’ll have to act by April 27, 2008.

Please submit your presentation proposal(s) online, as soon as possible, at the Call for Papers website.

Whenever we stop to analyze why Autodesk University has become so hugely successful, one thing is clear: the excellent presentations from experts  are a big, big factor.

The time for us to assemble the AU 2008 faculty, who are without a doubt the most critical component of the overall AU experience, is nearly over. So if you:

• Have the communication skills, technical expertise, and relevant experience….
• Want to share your knowledge of a favorite topic—from tips and tricks and sales techniques to new business opportunities such as sustainable design….
• Are motivated to bring success to design professionals and their organizations….
• Want to demonstrate your expertise to several thousand Autodesk customers, partners, and employees, thereby promoting your business success….

… Then we want to hear from you—now!

A speaker honorarium is also provided.

AUGI Portugal is Online!

Congratulations to AUGI Portugal. Their localized Web site is now live!

www.augipt.com

AutoCAD 2009… A closer look at layer management

AutoCAD 2009 includes many enhancements to help you work more efficiently with layers.

The Layer Properties Manger has been converted to a palette enabling you to keep it displayed while using other commands. Like other palettes, you can dock or anchor the Layer Properties Manager as well as enable auto-hide and transparency. The changes you make within the Layer Properties Manager are instantly applied to the drawing without the need for you to press an Apply button.

You can freeze columns so that key information, such as the layer name, remains visible while you scroll to the opposite side of the palette.  Right-click menu options have been updated for clarity and to provide additional functionality. To gain real estate in the Layer Properties Manager, you can collapse the Filters pane.

The Layer Settings dialog box, which is accessible from the upper right corner of the Layer Properties Manager, includes new controls for Layer Isolation.

Many of the controls in the Layer Properties Manager are also available, at your fingertips, in the Layer panel of the new Ribbon.

 

A new option on the User Preferences tab of the Options dialog box provides you more control over layer property changes. You can now combine layer property changes for Undo and Redo operations similar to how you can combine them for zoom and pan operations.

View Demo

G’day Mates!

"You better run, you better take cover” because I’m going to the land down under...  It’s not just the men at work in Australia... Next week I’ll be working there as well!

If you’re in the Sydney, Brisbane, or Melbourne areas, I hope you’ll join us for some special software launch events!

On April 14th, in Sydney, AEC Systems invites you to AEC Systems National AU 2008. This all-day event showcases the latest products, services and technology available to AEC Systems clients. In the morning, Robert Smith, Autodesk Solutions Engineer, and I will take you on a tour of AutoCAD 2009. In the afternoon you can choose from 4 tracks: Building, Civil, Geospatial and Management. Each will focus on related issues for design, construction, visualization and technology.

On April 15th, you’re invited to Autodesk's AutoCAD & AutoCAD LT 2009 launch event in Brisbane! Robert and I will demonstrate tips, tricks, and features to make your design process faster, easier, and more efficient. We wouldn’t want Brisbane to have an unfair productivity advantage. So, we're back in Sydney on April 16th offering the same 2-hour productivity-boosting session. How about Melbourne? No worries! Join us on April 17th!

We hope to see you there!

Good Question: Block Attributes in Table Cells

Today’s good question comes from Joe. He asked how he can edit the value of a block attribute when the block is inserted in a table cell. For example, when a block is inserted in the drawing (not in a table), you can double-click on the block to access the Enhanced Attribute Editor and change the attribute value.  However, if you double-click on a block that is inserted in a table cell, AutoCAD displays the Edit Block in a Table Cell dialog box. In here, you can change the block name, scale, rotation angle, and cell alignment, but not the attribute values. So… how do you access the attribute values?

With the table cell selected (not the entire table... only the specific table cell), open the Properties window. At the bottom of the Properties window, you’ll see the Attributes section where you can view the attribute tags and edit their values. If the selected table cell includes more than one block, you can select the one you want to edit from the Blocks in Cell list under the Blocks section of the Properties window. If the table cell includes multiple instances of the same block definition, you’ll see that block name listed for each instance.

Thanks to Joe for the good question!

AutoCAD 2009 System Requirements

AutoCAD 2009 is available for both 32-bit and 64-bit operating systems (except in some languages). You can download either version from the Autodesk Website (32-bit or 64-bit) and use it for a 30-day trial period. AutoCAD 2009 is also available on a DVD that contains both the  32-bit and the 64-bit  versions. The DVD automatically installs the appropriate version based on the OS (32-bit or 64-bit). The 32-bit version is also available on a CD in all supported languages.

Before installing AutoCAD 2009, you'll want to ensure your computer meets the system requirements. The requirements vary depending on the  AutoCAD version (32-bit or 64-bit) and the operating system (Vista or XP).

32-bit AutoCAD 2009

Running under Windows XP:

• Microsoft Windows XP SP2 operating system
• Intel® Pentium® 4 processor or AMD Athlon®, 2.2 GHz or greater
  or
  Intel or AMD Dual Core processor, 1.6 GHz or greater
• 1 GB RAM
• 750 MB free hard disk space for installation
• 1024x768 VGA with true color
• Microsoft Internet Explorer 6.0 (SP1 or higher)

If you are using AutoCAD for 3D modeling, you should bump up your system as follows:

• Intel Pentium 4 processor or AMD Athlon, 3.0 GHz or greater
  or
  Intel or AMD Dual Core processor, 2.0 GHz or greater
• 2 GB RAM or greater
• 2 GB of additional free hard disk space
• 1,280 x 1,024 32-bit color video display adapter (true color) 128 MB or greater, OpenGL or Direct3D capable workstation class graphics card.

Running under Windows Vista:

• Microsoft Windows Vista operating system
• Intel Pentium 4 processor or AMD Athlon, 3.0 GHz or greater
  or
  Intel or AMD Dual Core processor, 2.0 GHz or greater
• 2 GB RAM or greater
• 750 MB of free hard disk space for installation
• 2 GB of additional free hard disk space
• 1,280 x 1,024 32-bit color video display adapter (true color) 128 MB or greater, Direct3D capable workstation class graphics card.

64-bit AutoCAD 2009
(The 64-bit AutoCAD cannot be installed on a 32-bit operating system)

• Windows XP Professional x64 Edition operating system
  or
  Windows Vista 64-bit operating system
• AMD 64 processor
  or
  Intel EM64T processor
• 2 GB RAM
• 750 MB free hard disk space for installation

For more information visit www.autodesk.com/autocad.

AutoCAD 2009 is shipping!

Okay… if you’ve been paying attention to Autodesk news, you probably know that AutoCAD 2009 began shipping last week. I apologize for slacking on the big news, but I’ve been on vacation… 11 days with no phone or email! To make it up to you, I’ve posted a convenient link to the AutoCAD 2009 demo videos.

AutoCAD 2009 isn’t the only new product that began shipping last week. Visit the Autodesk Web site to learn about all the AutoCAD 2009-based products that are now shipping. You’ll find feature lists, specifications, frequently asked questions, and more!

AutoCAD 2009
AutoCAD LT 2009
AutoCAD Architecture
AutoCAD Electrical
AutoCAD Mechanical
AutoCAD MEP