AutoCAD Insider

AutoCAD 3D Conceptual Design 101

There’s no denying it… It’s a 3D world! Everywhere we look, everything we touch… We’re surrounded by 3D objects. All of these real-world 3-D objects, even some you might never consider, require conceptualization, design, and production to take them from an idea in someone’s head… 

 
…to reality!

 
So, if our world is 3 dimensional, why do so many of us design in 2 dimensions? It’s simple… Tradition! 

 
Most designers take the 3D conceptual designs from their imaginations and flatten them into 2D CAD drawings. The 2D CAD drawings are then interpreted by builders or manufacturers to produce 3D objects. This 3D to 2D to 3D design process was accepted without question because, originally, AutoCAD was simply a replacement for traditional 2D drafting.

 
Fortunately, advances in technology have enabled AutoCAD to evolve from a 2D drafting tool to a 3D conceptual design tool. You can design the way you think—in three dimensions! If you think 3D design in AutoCAD is just too hard, it’s time to give it another try. Join me for the upcoming series of blog posts as we explore new and enhanced AutoCAD functionality that enables you to apply your existing 2D AutoCAD experience to the world of 3D conceptual design. It’s time to begin the transition from tradition to innovation!

AutoCAD 3D Survey... a few more days

There are a few days left for you to respond to our AutoCAD 3D Survey. We’ll be closing the survey Thursday morning. It shouldn’t take more than 10 minutes to complete and your feedback is invaluable. We greatly appreciate the responses we’ve already received and we look forward to hearing from the rest of you in the next day or so

Thanks!!!

AutoCAD 3D Survey Reminder

It’s Friday… Let’s celebrate by filling out the AutoCAD 3D survey! It’s ready and waiting for your response. It shouldn’t take more than 10 minutes and your feedback can go a long way in helping us serve you better.  We’ve received many responses (thanks to all of you that already completed the survey) but the more we get, the more accurate our results. What better way to start the weekend? Okay, don’t answer that :-)

Thanks again for all your support!

AutoCAD 2010 Contextual Tab States 101

In a previous post, I described contextual ribbon tabs and I listed the default editing modes for which context-sensitive ribbon tabs are displayed including blocks, text, meshes, in-place references, section planes, and tables. The context-sensitive behavior is controlled by contextual tab states, which you can view and modify in the Customize User Interface (CUI) dialog box.

1. Use the CUI command to access the Customize User Interface dialog box
2. Expand the Ribbon node
3. Expand the Contextual Tab States node

A long list of contextual tab states is displayed. Most of them relate to object selection (Arc selected, Attribute selected, Block selected). Others relate to editing modes (Block Editor Mode, Reference Editing Mode). The contextual tab states that are already defined can be expanded to show which tabs will display in those modes.

 
For example, the Block Editor Contextual Tab and the Block Editor – Close Contextual Merged Tab automatically displays when you enter the Block Editor.

The DGN Underlay Contextual Tab automatically displays when you select a DGN underlay.

While the contextual tab states indicate which tabs to display under what conditions, they do not define the tabs themselves. The tabs are defined, just as they’ve always been, under the Ribbon>Tabs node in the CUI editor.

The AutoCAD Exchange… it’s YOUR community!

Membership in the AutoCAD Exchange is steadily growing. Over 1500 members so far! Membership is FREE and it offers a great way to network with other AutoCAD users in your area and around the world. New content is continually being posted from Autodesk and from other members so you’ll want to be sure to visit often. On the Showcase page, you can share your designs and view designs that have been shared by others.  While you’re there, how about entering the design contest?

AutoCAD Support Blog!

AutoCAD technical guru Tom Stoeckel (global technical lead for AutoCAD product support) has launched a new AutoCAD support blog!  "Without a Net" is intended to supplement standard support offerings by providing up-to-the-minute information on new issues and trends that they are seeing in AutoCAD product support. As a follower of this blog, you can find a safety net for support issues that are affecting you right now and they’ll toss in a few AutoCAD tips and tricks along the way. The first post was barely over a week ago and it’s off to a roaring start! Check it out!

Autodesk Imagine Tour

Discover how AutoCAD 2010 and other Autodesk 2010 software can help turn your ideas into reality. Join Lynn Allen on the Autodesk Imagine Tour where she'll offer time-saving AutoCAD 2010 Tip & Tricks. I’m looking forward to joining the tour in Vancouver where I’ll show how you can take your designs further with AutoCAD 2010!
 

AutoCAD 3D Survey

Thanks to all of you that have granted my birthday wish and responded to our AutoCAD 3D survey. Responses are coming in from all over the world! The more responses we get, the more accurate the data. If you haven’t already responded, there’s no time like the present. We value your feedback!

Special thanks to those of you that not only responded to the survey, but are helping spread the word. Brian Benton, Robin Capper, RK McSwain, Lynn Allen… You guys are awesome!

AutoCAD… What a Mesh!

Today is a great day in the 3D AutoCAD world with the launch of a new blog by my colleague Guillermo Melantoni. In his blog, What a Mesh, Guillermo will focus on AutoCAD’s many 3D capabilities. Guillermo is a brilliant modeler… and modest too! I noticed in his blog posting that he failed to mention he’s responsible for creating the beautiful building on the AutoCAD 2010 packaging. 

   
 
Guillermo’s 3D modeling skills in AutoCAD are only the beginning. He also has a thorough understanding of the interoperability between AutoCAD and other 3D applications including Revit, Inventor, and 3ds Max. If you work (or are thinking of working) in 3D, this is a blog you don't want to miss!

AutoCAD 3D Design

Thanks to all of you that have responded to the AutoCAD 3D design survey. If you haven’t yet responded, there's still time. Your feedback is important to us!