August - September 2008             

All Autodesk® Users

Architecture and Construction

Plant and Process

Manufacturing/ Mechanical Engineering

Civil Engineering and Geospatial

ALACAD Presents AUGI International CAD Camp Birmingham

What is AUGI CAD Camp? It is a one-day learning conference similar to Autodesk University but closer, shorter and less expensive. AUGI CAD Camp Birmingham is packed with 20 knowledgeable Autodesk software courses and offers plenty of opportunities to network with fellow “campers” and browse the exhibit area. In addition, the event includes a continental breakfast, lunch, afternoon snack and fun giveaways. Your paid registration provides you with the following:

- 20 courses offered over 5 professional tracks
- Continental breakfast, refreshment breaks, lunch and evening reception
- Autodesk instructors
- Conference t-shirt and doorprizes
- Networking with fellow Autodesk users
- Only $199 for AUGI members for the full day (AUGI is free to join)! $224 for non-members.
- Special discount for ALACAD customers (call us at 888-442-3100 for the discount code)
- NavisWorks lunch and learn seminar

What: Autodesk User Group International CAD Camp

Where: Cahaba Grand Conference Center, Birmingham, AL

When: 7:30 am - 5:00 pm September 30, 2008

Click here for more information and to register online.

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Subscriber Poll

Give us your feedback on how often we publish our newsletter!

We at ALACAD have been trying to decide whether we should start to offer a new edition of our newsletter every month or continue to offer it every other month (bi-monthly). So, we decided to ask the people whose opinions matter the most: you, the subscribers. Just click here to take our quick online poll.

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Autodesk® Retirement Program

On March 13, 2009, Autodesk will retire the following products:

  • AutoCAD® 2006
  • AutoCAD® LT 2006
  • AutoCAD® Architectural Desktop 2006
  • Autodesk® Land Desktop 2006
  • AutoCAD® Raster Design 2006
  • AutoCAD® Mechanical 2006
  • AutoCAD® Electrical 2006
  • Autodesk® Inventor Series 10
  • AutoCAD® Map® 3D 2006
  • Autodesk® Viz 2006

This means Autodesk will no longer sell upgrades or crossgrades from these retiring products and support will be discontinued. However, if you upgrade to the latest version before October 17, 2008, you can get a significant discount off the normal price. Call us at 888-442-3100 for more information.

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Autodesk® Legacy Program

Still designing in AutoCAD® Release 14, AutoCAD® 2000, AutoCAD® 2000i, AutoCAD® 2002, AutoCAD® 2004, or AutoCAD® 2005 software? Keep your software current with the Autodesk Legacy Program, which gives loyal customers, like you, an easy way to keep your software up to date. Between July 19 and October 17, 2008 qualified software owners who own a valid license of select, retired Autodesk software can purchase the latest version of their software for up to 35% off the suggested retail price when purchased with subscription. Call us at 888-442-3100 for more information.

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For AutoCAD® and Autodesk® Inventor™ Users: Installation Error Fix

Problem: When trying to install Autocad the installation almost immediately fails and gives this message: The installation is forbidden by system policy. Contact your system administrator. D:\x86\support\msxml\msxml6.msi

Solution: The problem is that a newer MSXML6 is already installed and the installation cannot bypass it.

1. If you are installing regular Autocad, you can browse to the DVD and run the acad.msi

2. If you are Inventor you must do the following:

The solution is to copy your CD or DVD to a local drive and edit the SETUP.INI file. Locate MSXML section and mark it with an # (see below).

#[MSXML] #PRODUCT_NAME=MSXML 6 #EXE_PATH=support\msxml\msxml6.msi #EXE64_PATH=support\msxml\msxml6_x64 .msi #IGNORE_FAILURE=YES

Then locate all MSXML in PREREQUISITE string and delete it.

#PREREQUISITE=OS;IE;MSI;DOTNET20;DOTNETLANG;VBA;VBALANG;DIRECTX;MSXML;FL ASH;WMF;DESIGNREVIEW

becomes

PREREQUISITE=OS;IE;MSI;DOTNE T20;DOTNETLANG;VBA;VBALANG;DIRECTX;FLASH;WMF;DESIGNREVIEW

That's it! Now you should be able to install without any problems.

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For Autodesk® Subscription Owners: New Feature Releases Available

Effective July 25, Autodesk Subscription members can download the following new feature releases as part of their benefits:

AutoCAD® 2009 software

  • AutoCAD 2009 Subscription Bonus Pack

AutoCAD® Civil 3D® 2008 software

  • PISTE Import Extension for AutoCAD Civil 3D 2008 software

AutoCAD® Civil 3D® 2009 software

  • PISTE Import Extension for AutoCAD Civil 3D 2009 software
  • Data Management e-Learning
  • Site Design – Pipes e-Learning
  • Transportation – Alignments e-Learning
  • Transportation – Assemblies and Corridors e-Learning

AutoCAD LT® 2009 software

  • Transitioning from AutoCAD LT® 2008 e-Learning

AutoCAD® Map 3D 2009 software

  • Merging Parcels Skill Builder
  • Working with Raster Images Online Tutorial Help Files
  • Create, Execute, and Save Complex Drawing Queries Online Tutorial Help Files
  • Clean Up and Publish a Map Online Tutorial Help Files

AutoCAD® MEP 2009 software

  • AutoCAD MEP DACH 2009

AutoCAD® Revit® Architecture Suite 2009 software

  • Revit® Extensions for Revit® Architecture 2009 software
  • Revit® 2009 Performance Technical Note (white paper)

AutoCAD® Revit® MEP Suite 2009 software

  • Revit® Extensions for Revit MEP 2009 software
  • Revit® 2009 Performance Technical Note (white paper)

AutoCAD® Revit® Structure Suite 2009 software

  • Subscription Structural Library for Revit® Structure 2009 software
  • Revit® Extensions for Revit® Structure 2009 software (second release)
  • Revit® 2009 Performance Technical Note (white paper)

Autodesk® 3ds Max® 2008 software

  • Automotive Visualization Tips & Tricks Downloadable DVD
  • Architectural and Industrial Visualization with mental ray and 3ds Max Downloadable DVD

Autodesk® 3ds Max® 2009 software

  • Biped Features Version Readiness Training Video

Autodesk® Inventor ®2009 software

  • Transitioning from Autodesk® Inventor® 2008 Parts 1 & 2 e-Learning in Spanish, Russian, Simplified Chinese, or Japanese

Autodesk MapGuide® 2009 software

  • Autodesk MapGuide® Enterprise Server and Studio 2009 e-Learning

Autodesk® Maya® 2008 software

  • Particle Color Inheritance II Video Podcast
  • Model & Sculpt a Hand II Video Podcast

Autodesk® NavisWorks® 2009 software

  • Object Enablers Technical Note (white paper)

Autodesk® Productstream® 2009 software

  • Autodesk® Productstream® Professional Webserver 2009
  • Autodesk® Data Exchange 2009

Revit® Architecture 2009 software

  • Revit® Extensions for Revit Architecture 2009 software
  • Revit® 2009 Performance Technical Note (white paper)

Revit® Structure 2009 software

  • Subscription Structural Library for Revit Structure 2009 software
  • Revit® Extensions for Revit Structure 2009 (second release)
  • Revit® 2009: Performance Technical Note (white paper)

To download these now, go to the Autodesk Subscription Center here.

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Free Revit® Training in Mobile! Design Options – Existing and Beyond

8:00 - 10:00 am, August 12, 2008, The Bienville Club, Mobile, AL

In the CAD world, you would show your options and phases with a complex group of layers. This session will cover how you would use the tools inside Revit to assist with projects phases, and how to show design options. Revit has unique tools to assist you in these areas, while allowing you to keep your project proceeding into future phases at the same time as design decisions are being contemplated. We’ll cover the techniques and practices for this design alternative when applied to the drawing set. Please note: The dress code for this venue is business casual. Please NO ATHLETIC WEAR, SHORTS, TENNIS SHOES OR DENIM. Register here.

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Free Training in Birmingham! AutoCAD® Architecture Wall, Doors and Windows

8:00 am - 12:00 noon August 28, 2008 ALACAD Corporate Office, Birmingham, AL

Did you buy AutoCAD Architecture on a great promo and would like to learn how to leverage the intelligent objects? Come learn how to use some of the automated features in AutoCAD® Architecture to enhance the creation of construction documents, giving you more tools to automate tedious drafting tasks and enabling you to create your architectural documentation faster. We will focus on using the automated features for Walls, Doors, and Window in this Open Doors Event. Register here.

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Local Training in Chattanooga: Revit® Architecture Fundamentals

8:30 am - 5:00 pm September 8 - 10, 2008 The Chattanoogan, Chattanooga, TN

ALACAD will be holding a Revit Architecture Fundamentals class in Chattanooga, TN. The objective of the Revit Architecture Fundamentals course is to enable students to create full 3D architectural project models and set them up in working drawings. Most of the course is focused on Design Development tools - building the 3D model with walls, windows, doors, floors, roofs, stairs, creating reflected ceiling plans and furniture plans. The course finishes with adding views and annotation to the sheets to create a set of Construction Documents.

Topics include:
• Understanding the purpose of Building Information Management (BIM) and how it is applied in Revit
• Using the Revit Architecture workspace and interface
• Adding walls to a massing study and creating a presentation sheet
• Working with the basic drawing and editing tools in Revit
• Creating Levels and Grids as datum elements for the model
• Creating a 3D building model with walls, windows, and doors
• Adding floors and roofs to the building model
• Creating standard and custom stairs
• Detailing Reflected Ceiling Plans with ceilings and lighting fixtures
• Adding component features such as furniture and equipment
• Setting up sheets for plotting with text, dimensions, details, tags and schedules

The cost of this 3 day class is $1,350. To register, call Lisa Baker or Jennifer Swoboda at 888-442-3100.

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Free AutoCAD® P&ID® Seminar in Atlanta, GA

8:00 - 10:00 am EDT, August 26, 2008 The Buckhead Club, Atlanta, GA

Create, modify, and manage piping and instrumentation diagrams with AutoCAD P&ID software. Built on the popular AutoCAD platform, AutoCAD P&ID is easy to use and familiar to designers and engineers, so design teams can get started immediately with little or no training. Common tasks performed every day are streamlined to boost productivity, while component and line information is brought straight to drafters as they work. Join ALACAD at this FREE seminar to learn how AutoCAD P&ID, with simple reporting, editing, sharing, and tracking of design information, can help make your projects start easier, run better, and finish sooner. Please note: The dress code for this venue is business casual. Please NO ATHLETIC WEAR, SHORTS, TENNIS SHOES OR DENIM. Register here.

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For AutoCAD® P&ID Users: PID2009 - Validation

Well, the validation tool added to AutoCAD P&ID 2009 is nothing short of COOL! It checks drawings on an individual level as well as on a project level for mistakes ranging from flow arrows flowing in the wrong direction, size mismatches, spec mismatches, orphaned annotations, and unresolved off-page connectors. Not only does it look for those items but it also looks for the autocad entities that may have been added by other users. In other words, the dumb data added to your intelligent P&ID drawing..

The process of validation could take a few minutes depending on how many DWG's you have in your project. But for what it does, that time is a HUGE savings from the old manual method of validation.

The interface is well organized and allows you to select an item flagged by the validation tool, then it zooms into the item allowing you to correct or ignore the error. Now, it does not fix the items for you, but it does check every entity on the drawing. Once you find the error, you can correct it or ignore it. Regardless, you can work your way down the list of issues found by the validation tool and then mark them off the list. Use this tool! The icon is on the P&ID toolbar (Green circle with a white checkmark in the middle of it).

View all of Scott Hallmark ’s articles at:
http://hallmarkblogautocadpid.blogspot.com/

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Autodesk® Inventor™ Hands-on Test Drive - Birmingham, AL

8:00 am - 12:00 noon, August 21, 2008 ALACAD Corporate Office, Birmingham, AL

Worried about moving to 3D and losing all the time and energy you invested in becoming an AutoCAD expert? Don't be! This free hands-on workshop can help. Come join us and see how Autodesk Inventor lets you move faster and easier from concept to production. Seating is limited so register today! Every attendee will get an ALACAD t-shirt. Register here.

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Free Autodesk® Inventor™ Training in Birmingham! iFeatures, iParts, & iAssemblies – The i’s have it!

8:00 am - 12:00 noon, September 18, 2008 ALACAD Corporate Office, Birmingham, AL

Learn how to create and add iFeatures to any part to save you time and how to create iParts so you don’t have to create and maintain multiple variations of similar parts. Also learn how to place the iPart table on the 2D drawing, how to create iAssemblies from single parts and from iParts and how they can save you time and effort when you are needing similar assemblies. Register here.

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For Autodesk® Inventor™ Users: The Whole Picture

Want to see the whole picture of what Autodesk can do for you?

Go to this Youtube video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6TKm_WB1FpA&feature=email

There's the Industrial Design (Alias) to Inventor to pretty pictures (Showcase) to Autocad Electrical.

Take a look. This is not your AUTOCAD anymore.

View all of Jon Selzer’s articles at:
http://missioninventor.blogspot.com/

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Free AutoCAD® Civil 3D® Training in Mobile - Hydrology

8:00 - 10:00 am September 16, 2008 The Bienville Club, Mobile, AL

Join ALACAD at the Bienville Club for the second meeting of our newly-formed AutoCAD Civil 3D Users' Group in Mobile. At this meeting you will hear Autodesk's Steve Stamatoplos, Civil Engineering Technical Specialist, discuss Stormwater Analysis with AutoCAD Civil 3D 2009. Topics to be covered include:

Gathering Background Data
• Precipitation Data
• Soils Data

Developing Site Design
• Planimetric Layout
• Grading

Analysis
• Watershed Analysis on Surface – Areas
• Catchment Areas
• Flow Path Determination (water drops)

Calculations

Breakfast will be provided. Please note: The dress code for this venue is business casual. Please NO ATHLETIC WEAR, SHORTS, TENNIS SHOES OR DENIM. Register here.

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For AutoCAD® Map 3D Users: What are Object Classes?

Have you wonder what the Object Class item was in the Map Explorer Tab on the Map Task Pane? Why is there a “Undefined Classes” listed when it's expanded? Maybe you heard of this thing called Object Class but wonder why you should use it, after all you use object data and keep all your feature data/information there. So WHY use it? When object classes first came out in Map 6 I took a look at it and said “I don’t need it, I use lisp and vba to create all my new features.” Yes if I need to add a new utility pole on my map I had a command called pole that inserted a pole where I wanted but also created and attached OD to it including default values for the “Date” field and the X-Y location from my coordinate system. If I wanted a new transformer on the map I used my custom command named “TRAN” to do the same thing for the transformer block adding the attributes as it inserted it. Just about all of the mapping I did was with using custom commands putting the proper block on the correct layer scaled to the correct scale and etc. keeping the standards for the maps up to date.

But what if you are not a programmer, do not know lisp or any of the other programming? That’s where the Object Classes come into play.(With some added benefits). Object classes makes it easy to create the features and follow your standards on layer, color, scale and most of any other standard you have and create the data you want to attach to the features. You can also classify existing features with a few clicks. Classified objects are also a lot easier when it comes time to export those features out or when you decide to port everything over to a geospatial data base.

So what’s the added benefit I wrote about above? Have you ever tried to do a search for a value in an object data table? Say you have OD attached to some water meters in you map and one field is for the meter number. How do you locate that one meter with the number of 1234? Well you can attach and query that map then mark the meter with a circle and save back or remember the X-Y coordinate then try zooming to them in the map after you detach it. In other words it was a bit of a PITA to do. With object classes you can use the quick search function in AutoCAD.

Have I convinced you to use them and want to know how? Well there are three toolkits that consist of the files needed on the Autodesk subscription site you can download and try. One for Electric, one for Water and one for Wastewater. Each comes with a readme file telling you how to load them and where to place the files. If you need some help or want to create you own let me know, just leave a comment and I’ll write up some “How-do” on creating them and using them.

View all of Murph’s articles at:
http://map3d.wordpress.com/

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For AutoCAD® Civil 3D® Users: Label Styles - Anchors and Attachments

In the past few weeks I have had several people asking about label styles and how to place the text in the correct place with relation to an object. For starters I would look at some of the label styles that ship with AutoCAD Civil 3D templates. These can be a great place to start looking for styles that may be modified to meet your company's standards.

But, what if you can't find a style to modify to look like the particular label that you want? Well, that's when we get to be a little creative. Let's take a look at creating a Point Label Style. For Visual effect create a point using the create points command from the Points menu. Accept all of the defaults when creating the point. Then click on the point, right-click and select edit points. This brings up the Point Editor Panorama Vista. Scroll over to the right until you see the columns labeled Point Style and Point Label Style. When you first select the point and scroll to the columns listed above the fields will probably be blank, unless you have specified a particular point style or point label style.

Click in the field for Point Style. This will bring up the Select Point Style Dialog box. Choose Basic from the pull-down menu and then select Edit Current Style from the button to the right of the pull-down menu. Change the marker style to "X" by clicking on the "X" button under Use Custom Marker. Then click OK twice to get back to the Points Editor.

Next Click in the field for Point Label Style. This will bring up the Select Label Style Dialog Box. In this dialog box click the down arrow to the right of the button and Select Create New.

This will bring up the Label Style Composer Dialog box. On the Information tab give your new style a name. Click on the General Tab. Here you can set the text style, visibility and layer for you new point label style. (Hint: In 2009 the Standard Text Style maps to the Simplex font.) Next click on the Layout Tab. This is where all of the fun begins! The very first thing that you will see is a pull down menu called Component Name. To the right there are four buttons. These buttons are: Create Component, Copy Component, Delete Component and Component Draw Order. Click on the Create Component pull-down. You have options for creating text, line and block components. Choose Text to create a text component. Since we are dealing with Point Label Styles there will be three components present in the Component Name pull-down.

In the field for Name under the General Node give your text component a name. For instance let's create a component for the Northing of the point. So we name the new component "Northing." We will leave the visibility set to true so that we can see the new component. The next field assigns the anchor component. Now, If we are creating a brand new label and we have no other text components in the style, we will have to anchor the new text component to the feature. If we have other text components we may choose to anchor to the feature or one of the other text components. When we have decided what to anchor our new text component to, we have to choose the anchor point.

The screen capture above shows the nine possible anchor points associated with our point object. The anchor points are: Top Left, Top Center, Top Right, Middle Left, Middle Center, Middle Right, Bottom Left, Bottom Center and Bottom Right. The same nine anchor points are available if we choose to anchor our new text to an existing text component also. Just remember that each of the text components that we create also have attachment points that correspond to the nine positions shown above. So, what does that mean for us? That gives us a multitude of options for creating our labels.

Some other options for our labels are that we can use the x- and y-spacing to offset the attachment point from the anchor point if we need more space between the label and the object. (Think station labels.) We can also add rotation angles into the label style. The thing to watch out for here is that if we rotate the text component that is attached to the feature, we do not rotate the text components attached to that particular text component. This is an overview of creating a point label. Be adventurous and explore the options for other types of labels.

View all of Whit McCormack’s articles at:
http://gettingtothedirt.blogspot.com/.

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Free Training in Birmingham! CAD to GIS

8:00 am - 12:00 noon, September 9, 2008 ALACAD Corporate Office, Birmingham, AL

AutoCAD® Map 3D is robust engineering software that combines the power of a full CAD system with GIS capabilities. Organizations can start saving time and money by using AutoCAD Map 3D to eliminate time consuming data conversion, error-prone data redundancy, and the loss of valuable engineering precision. Just as importantly, by embracing engineering GIS, organizations can reduce reliance on traditional GIS software. AutoCAD Map 3D is also the heart of the Autodesk approach to engineering GIS. In this class, you will learn how AutoCAD Map 3D can help your organization transform the way it uses and manages geospatial information. Specifically, you will learn how to use AutoCAD Map 3D to access, organize, manage, analyze, publish, and distribute geospatial information to improve your business processes. Register here.

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