RobiNZ CAD Blog

AutoCAD Architecture or MEP disappears when opening project?

Ever had AutoCAD Architecture/MEP just "disappear" when opening project? It’s not a fatal error, not a crash, but the main window and task bar button is gone. Floating toolbars, Palettes and other UI items may still be displayed and work normally (even the command line). The reason is a valid acad.exe process is still visible in Task Manager. It’s gone, but it’s there, but it’s gone!

From my investigation this happens in ACA/AMEP 2008/2009 (see this Discussion Group thread) and the cause seems to be corrupt Project Profile settings. If you shutdown the application and delete the problem config file normal behaviour is restored.

You can shut down with the command line, using "exit", if it’s still visible and you'll be prompted to save any unsaved work. If the command line not visible select something which is, to give the invisible application focus, then try Control+Q to exit AutoCAD. If none of that works right click and end acad.exe in Task Manager (CTRL+Shift+Esc).

Delete your personal ProjectProfiles .aws file. These are re-built after deletion but you will loose project specific customisation. Open this folder:

C:\Documents and Settings\[LOGON]\Application Data\Autodesk\[APPLICATION_NAME]\enu\Support\Profiles\ProjectProfiles

You can delete all or just delete the problem project.aws. To find that open them with Notepad. The "Name=" section shows which project has generated the .aws. Once that’s done launch ACA/AMEP with a full user interface again!

An Aussie AutoCAD Architecture Blog!

Nathan has just gone public with his Australian, Aussie, AutoCAD Architecture Blog. It’s already got a bunch of great content so go & read it now! I’ve subscribed!

Aussie ACA (ADT) - ausaca.blogspot.com
Hi Aussie's, Kiwi's and any other metric users from around the world who hopefully will feel welcome to drop in and provide some great tips. I am intending to use this site to promote specifically content relative to what I know of the Aus market place and also to discuss the current state of ACA in Australia…

AutoCAD Architecture 2009 and BIM?

It might not be parametric but AutoCAD Architecture 2009 (ACA) has included a number of updates which enable Building Model Information to be managed and exchanged. By refining existing features like Classifications, Property Sets and IFC import/export ACA enables object and performance data to be managed in the Building Model and exchanged with other applications. 

It’s a very BIM’like focus for an application Autodesk marketing relegates to being “AutoCAD for Architects”. If you’re looking at AutoCAD Architecture as a tool to speed up drafting there is little point loading it with performance data or considering IFC exchange. If you want an AutoCAD based Building Model which manages Information…

I was going to write a longer post on the new ACA 2009 features but over at BIMology Tomislav already has!

BIMology: Smarter and Greener BIM with ACA 2009
This article might be offensive to those that are fundamentally opposed to the idea of using ACA as a BIM supporting platform, but nevertheless I cannot withhold my enthusiasm for the improvements that have been made with this new and somewhat downplayed release of 2009…

Resene Paints Colour Books for AutoCAD 2009, including LT!

AutoCAD 2004 introduced colour books for managing custom colours. Since then, Resene Paints (New Zealand) have created AutoCAD Colour books for their entire paint range. There are now over three thousand colours, including the latest “The Range 2008”, which work fine with all versions of AutoCAD from 2004 - 2009 (and verticals). Via Kate’s LT Blog I discovered AutoCAD LT 2009 will also support True Colour, Colour Books and Fields.

This allows you to specify Resene colours anywhere AutoCAD allows colour selection (Layers, Objects, Hatches etc) without having to enter RGB values. The full colour name and code are displayed and can also be used for annotation.

If you insert an object field in annotation (Insert a Field > Object Field > Select the Object > Colour) if/when you alter the object colour the annotation updates automatically. No more typing in colours and codes or printing then realising you’ve not updated a colour swatch name!

The example (click thumbnail right) shows leader text and colour swatch text labels referencing hatch objects & (below) the AutoCAD 2009 Layer Palette & Colour Book Selector. 

Colour Books For AutoCAD software From Resene Paints
Resene have created Colour Books suitable for Autodesk AutoCAD 2004 to 2009 (including AutoCAD based products). These allow you to specify Resene colours anywhere AutoCAD allows colour selection (Layers, Objects, and Hatch fills etc).

AutoCAD 2009, Explode, gone?

Where’s the Dynamite?  Has Explode gone?

While many CAD Managers may prefer it was gone, Explode is still there in 2009. What’s missing is that iconic, umm, icon! For as long as I can remember, to create havoc in an AutoCAD file you just clicked on the Dynamite.

In AutoCAD 2009 it’s been replaced with an icon showing a collection of faces “flying away” from each other. It kind of represents a real world explosion but for AutoCAD it’s a little misleading. When you explode something in AutoCAD, it breaks into components but they don’t go anywhere!

I’m not sure why it was changed. Maybe, like the 3D Viewcube/Wheels, it’s shared by other products and is part of Autodesk’s drive for a more unified interface? Perhaps the “dyna’mighty redness” of the old icon was just too bright for the rather monotone 2009 colour scheme? Or maybe it just didn’t work? If you “2009’ify” the old icon it does look more like a bug on the windshield!

Boom, Boom, to edit AutoCAD Architecture Multiview Block components.*

We use AutoCAD Architecture Multiview Blocks extensively so Explode is actually a handy tool for updating library parts. The nested blocks in MV Blocks can’t be edited directly. You could insert the correct block (then refedit it) but that gets tedious, especially in a standards or project file with hundreds of blocks. An quick alternative is to use explode to expose it;

• Copy the MV Block (you’re going to destroy it soon so don’t use the original)
• Set the view/display to show nested block you want to edit
• Explode shatters the MV Block leaving an anonymous (unnamed) block
• Explode again to reveal the correct component block for the current view, ready to refedit.

* Blame watching too much Basil Brush as a kid for this line.

More AutoCAD 2009 blogging

From the creator of “The Bible”:

Ellen Finkelstein, Author of AutoCAD 2008 and AutoCAD LT 2008 Bible, has “burst into blog” with a tour of the AutoCAD 2009 complete with per feature “Conclusions”. I bet the AutoCAD Team are checking how their features rate as you read this

AutoCAD 2009 New Features - www.ellenfinkelstein.com
It's that time of year again when I summarize the new features of the latest release and give you my opinion…

The Mistress reveals her Pastafarianism (phew!):

Mistress of the Dorkness: Some AutoCAD 2009 thoughts
“OH MY FLYING SPAGHETTI MONSTER!
There's a new interface!”

Steve Johnson now has more “Prequels” than George Lucas! 

AutoCAD 2009 - www.blog.cadnauseam.com
The Prequel Part 13 - ViewCube: For many 3D users of AutoCAD, the ViewCube is likely to be the most useful new thing in AutoCAD 2009. There are a couple of problems with it, at least in the Release Candidate: It does not work in 2D wireframe…

One of these is Steve Johnson at AU 2006, the other is the Author/Owner of cad nauseam

 

Time flies, it’s Autodesk 2009!

Autodesk have announced their “2009” product releases including AutoCAD, AutoCAD Architecture/MEP and Revit Architecture/MEP. While there is a lot to see in these products some of the announcements made today regarding acquisitions and subscription are just as interesting. It’s a month or so before the release products ship but via the MyFeedback program I’ve had access to a few of them for a while. There are some major changes in all the applications and lots of refinements, although some I’d classify as bug fixes. These are my highlights from the releases, I’ll follow with more detail in future posts. To maximise browser compatibility I’ve shared animations (captured with Camtasia) in .gif format which does limit colour and gradient rendition. The static captures are a better guide to the true appearance, in my case as seen on Windows XP, and details may change between now & release.

AutoCAD 2009 – It’s the User Interface… 

While there are lots of refinements the major impact is how AutoCAD looks and feels. If you’ve recently upgraded to Office 2007 things might seem a little more familiar but AutoCAD veterans are in for a shock. AutoCAD has adopted many of the principles and general layout of the Microsoft Fluent UI however, unlike Office, Autodesk’s interface allows full customisation. It’s all new from the “A” (for AutoCAD) desktop icon to the “AutoCAD” Button, Menu Browser and Ribbon. Even the old status bar text toggles have changed to swish new icons. The focus shifts from tools to tasks as, like Office, the interface attempts to present tools and controls relevant to your work-flow. If your priorities differ the AutoCAD Ribbon allows the same level of customisation as the previous toolbar UI. Unlike Microsoft Office, AutoCAD also retains the old UI so those who can’t live without the legacy Menu/Toolbar model have still that option. Of course the command line, dynamic cursor input and keyboard shortcuts are there for those who prefer the keyboard approach.

• This  capture shows the “AutoCAD Button” and Menu Browser which allows access to Menus, Recent & Open Files and Recent Actions. The options for thumbnail and image previews make finding & selecting files easier. The Quick Access toolbar (next to the A, displaying New, Open, Save etc here) can hold any command you use frequently.

• Below you see a few features of the AutoCAD Ribbon in action. It can be partially or completely hidden (it flies out when you hover over it) and the individual panels can be pinned open or torn off. New look icons and tool-tips are featured which have a crisp, if monotone, appearance more like Inventor.  The ribbon is customised using the CUI (shudder) and combines with the existing “workspace” and Tool Palettes to support a task focused approach. Sadly the appearance is a bit Henry Ford! Any colour you like as long as it is dark or light grey. I suspect it was designed for Vista as, to my eyes, clashes horribly with the default XP blue & beige. I’m running XP with the grey theme which is more acceptable. Layers can be managed from the Ribbon Panel, a traditional layer dialog or a new mode-less, always open, dialog.

• The new status icons for Snap, Grid, Ortho, Polar etc replace the old text labels.

• AutoCAD now features refined 3D View Cube (nice!) and Steering Wheel controls (yuk!) similar to those previously seen in Autodesk Design Review!

AutoCAD Architecture 2009 – Refinement, Refinement…

As usual AutoCAD Architecture inherits many of the AutoCAD features, but interestingly not all. It makes less use of the Ribbon and won’t use the mode-less Layer dialog seen in AutoCAD. It features improvements to Walls (Cleanup and end-caps), Spaces and Project Navigator to aid work-flow. Perhaps my favourite feature is a tiny one. When you have over a hundred live projects the ability to close the current one from Project Navigator, without opening and finding it in Project Browser, is awesome!

• AutoCAD Architecture in Design Workspace Menu/Toolbar and Visualisation Workspace Ribbon mode.

Revit Architecture 2009 – Exceptional Rendering…

Yes, Revit could always render, thanks to Accurender, but invariably it looked “OK, except…”. For 2009 the factory have incorporated the high quality Mental Ray render engine as seen in Max, AutoCAD and other products. This change alone would justify Revit 2009 for me but there are many other improvements. Sadly apart from an “R” desktop icon (get it?) Revit has not benefited from major UI changes other than the View Cube and Steering Wheel 3D viewing controls seen in other Autodesk products. The new render UI is delightfully simple and credit to the team. Inter-operation between Revit and Max has also been improved.

Other announcements:

• Autodesk announce acquisitions of analysis technologies from Green Building Studio and Carmel Software
• Autodesk Impression free for AEC application subscription customers!? See this post for more detail
• 3ds Max Design and 3ds Max 2009 Entertainment announced. Autodesk also announced Viz development is ending and it’s “encouraging customers to shift to 3ds Max Design”. As a Viz user, subscriber, I’ll be interested to see what form this “encouragement” takes as the press release only has US pricing!

That’s all for now, it’s time for bed!

Tags: Autodesk, 2009

AutoCAD Architecture 700,000,000 millimetres from home

Take a look at the image right/below (click the thumbnails if you want a closer view). This is an old file (from the 90’s) and displaying it in 3D with a conceptual shader revealed geometry falling apart. Posts that should be square had degraded to triangles, shelves were sloping and outlines were displaced from the shaded geometry.

At first I was perplexed but then found the problem. We draw in metric with one millimetre = one AutoCAD unit. The site, rather than building, plan was being used as an underlay and it used a datum which placed the store just over 700km from 0,0,0!

When you’re measuring in millimetres adding 700km results in some huge numbers and I suspect the system was just running out of numbers. Moving everything closer to home (0,0,0) sorted out the graphics.

Visualizing Thermal Transfer in AutoCAD Architecture

Tomislav Zigo has a great post showing how ACA + Steady-state heat transfer analysis software can be combined to help communicate design intent.

BIMology: Visualizing Thermal Transfer Data in AutoCAD Architecture
This example focuses on a presentation technique that architects could use to clearly communicate their decision in the choice of building envelope composition.

Curved text in AutoCAD?

I got an email from a reader with the question;

“Do you know if there is a way to wrap text around a curve in AutoCad MEP?”

I haven’t looked at how you’d achieve it in a AutoCAD MEP label but for plain text this just requires the Express Tools installed. You create the curve then add the text with the Express>Arc-aligned Text command*.

Once created you use the same command to modify the layout, content and position from this dialog:

* If you don’t see the Express Menu verify if the express tools are loaded. At the command prompt, enter EXPRESSTOOLS to enable the tools. If not:

• You can install the AutoCAD Express Tools as part of the AutoCAD installation, or you can add them later using Add or Remove Programs on the Control Panel. Depending on your environment this may require admin rights or may need to done by your IT/CAD Manager.
• Express Tools are available in their original form, in English only, and are not supported. No updates have been made to the tools. Double-byte characters are not supported.

Moving Projects in AutoCAD Architecture

As part of a move to new CAD hardware I did some project file housekeeping. This required shifting 5GB of project files (store projects) and re-pathing them.

Probably about 2,000 dwg files, lord knows how many paths. After the move I loaded each project, re-pathed, then checked things to see if the new paths worked OK. The whole process took maybe 90 minutes, most of that waiting for files to copy (backups in case it all went wrong!) or move.

I didn't need those backups, it all worked perfectly. Thanks AutoCAD Architecture Team!

Beating the AutoCAD Architecture/MEP Fixed Width Schedule Quantity Column?

While creating an AutoCAD Architecture Schedule I added a Quantity Column (1). As intended it combines like items to show a total number rather than each item but the result was too w i d e at the default 80 units (metric). Normally you select the column (2), modify and override the cell format (3) by editing the Cell Size fixed Width (4). However as you can see the width setting is grayed out. I couldn’t find any way to change this. I then though maybe it’s controlled by the header width setting. Sure enough the header override isn’t grayed out and can be set to any value. Problem is, that doesn’t override the fixed cell width…

After a futile attempt to “un-grey out” the cell width it was time to avoid the problem. You can hide the big wide Quantity column (Modify > Hide) and show the same values in a formula column. This is a normal column and responds to the width override setting.

Add a formula column (1, 2) then add the Quantity using the “Insert Quantity” button (3). The resulting field [QUANTITY] (4) displays the same value as the real quantity column. You can the override the cell format (5) and set any width you desire (6)which was 20 for me.

After I post this i suspect someone will tell me how it’s easy to “un-grey” that field and edit the quantity column width, if not…

AutoCAD 2008 SP1 Hotfixes

If you’ve installed AutoCAD 2008 Sp1 (or any vertical based on it) there are a couple of hotfixes you should investigate:

• Hotfix - Linetype display – This hotfix repairs a problem in which linetypes unexpectedly display as continuous in AutoCAD® products after the installation of a Service Pack.
• Hotfix - Raster Error – This hotfix repairs the following fatal error in AutoCAD® products when opening a drawing or inserting an image file after the installation of a Service Pack.

Autodesk Patch Wednesday?

Microsoft have their “Patch Tuesday” but seems this Wednesday it was Autodesk’s turn.

Guess who was about to build a new master CAD deployment but got distracted and ran out of time. Then he arrived at work the next day to find nearly every CAD product had been patched overnight! Procrastination is sometimes a good thing.

Keep up to date with Autodesk Product Support, Updates & Service Packs via RSS Feed at:

http://rss-support.autodesk.com/subscription

Tick the products you want to watch and add the feed created to your reader. Revit MEP isn’t listed but the AutoCAD MEP selection seems to get it as well.

 

The power of a model, lets you forget!

Last week, while talking about standards, I asked the retail design team a question:

“What’s the colour, hatch scale and pattern of the space used for a Toy dept in one of our store plans.”

They use them daily but struggled to remember because nobody ever thinks about it. The truth is I had no idea either as it was something set up years ago. Originally it was a lisp that added a predefined AutoCAD hatch, now it’s an AEC Space (added from a tool palette) which also reports area, volume, perimeter and other custom information.

That’s a simple example but shows the power of embedding information in objects and automating process. This story from Cadalyst shares how modelling and automation helps one firm build better houses, quicker;

Small Changes Add Up to Big Savings - Cadalyst AEC
“For more than a year, Lindemann Bentzon Bojack Engineering (LBBE) has been advocating the potential advantages of whole-house design.”

"Applying the idea of whole-house design, enabled by 3D models, means our teams work simultaneously on a project so that it's completed in 30 days vs. 90 days -- a 66% time savings,"

“To organize those 700,000 drawings that the company produces yearly in Autodesk Architectural Desktop (ADT) as well as track revision information, Avatech's team designed a custom application to get ADT's Project Navigator and Sheet Set Manager”

Jimmy Bergmark interviewed by NOVEDGE blog

In the latest post on NOVEDGE Franco Folini interviews Jimmy Bergmark of JTB World.

Like many I first “met” Jimmy via the Autodesk Discussion Groups, his website and blog. He’s a keen contributor and has a wealth of knowledge in CAD related programming and customisation. In 2005 it was a real pleasure to meet him in person which given I’m in New Zealand and he’s in Sweden was no simple task. We met in Orlando, about halfway, as both attended Autodesk University 2005.

NOVEDGE blog: An Interview with Jimmy Bergmark, AutoCAD Guru
Jimmy Bergmark is the owner and principal of JTB World, a Swedish consulting company specializing in AutoCAD programming and customization. Jimmy is well known in the AutoCAD community because of his constant presence and highly qualified advice in several discussion forums and also because of his popular technical blog…

Tags: JTB+World, NOVEDGE

HOK Blog!

HOK have a couple of new(ish) blogs looking at buildingSMART (Building Information Model) and Green design. It’s great to see companies sharing their experience & knowledge!

HOK CAD Solutions - Welcome to this HOK CAD Support blog
“This is the idea: let’s use this blog as a communication track to gather knowledge and share; we hope that you will be willing to author posts and share opinions to make this work. Postings will be by HOK and invited guests, viewing is by anybody inside and outside HOK….”

http://hokcadsolutions.blogspot.com/

HOK GREEN BIM - Welcome to my new Green Blog - Miles Walker
I plan to capture my path into green design in architecture…

http://greenbim.blogspot.com/

Also check out Miles' other website on BIM:

4BIM – A web site exclusively for Building Information Modelling

http://www.4bim.com/

Via autodesk-revit.blogspot.com

Tags: HOK, buildingSMART, BIM

AutoCAD Architecture/MEP slow to start, or error opening a project?

The Problem;

You have a problem opening a ACA/AMEP project or slow application start-up (I’m talking 10+ minute slow) on a given machine. This is specific to a user/machine and others using the same project are OK.

A possible cause;

The problem may be a bad personal Project Profile.aws file. By default Tool Palette Group information is written to the profile.aws files in the current user profile. This action only occurs when you open a project in the Project browser.

If the .aws is corrupted it can cause an error when the project is accessed by that user. If the project was active when ACA/AMEP is closed down the next startup will also be very slow or fail.

A Fix;

Deleting the users personal ProjectProfile .aws file for the problem project will restore access on that machine. With ACA/AMEP closed browse to this folder in explorer;

%userprofile%\Application Data\Autodesk\[ACA/ADT version]\enu\Support\Profiles\ProjectProfiles

You’ll see a non-project profile “ADTNonProjectProfile… .aws” and project specific profiles with names like “204DA426_95AA_49B6_A42E_4AB29C169962.aws”.

Make a copy, so you can restore if needed, & delete the .aws file. You can delete them all or open each.aws file with Notepad to see which project it relates to. The “Name=” value will match the project name. Then just delete the problem project’s .aws.

If I've had any problems with start-up on a given project & specific machine it's helped.

AutoCAD Architecture Customer Council feedback

The AutoCAD® Architecture Product Team run a Customer Council to gather feedback on AutoCAD Architecture. To date this has been in the form of user surveys on preferences and requirements for future versions. They take a little time but unlike many user surveys which just disappear into the interweb the ACACC shares the results. You get learn interesting facts like how many times… 

Well, I can’t share the results outside the council so get involved & sign up for the AutoCAD® Architecture Customer Council - www.adtcc.com . You’ll learn more about the application you use and help improve future versions!

Tags: AutoCAD+Architecture+Customer+Council

On the Ning Nang Nong, Where AutoCAD Architecture goes Bong!

It’s been one of those days, actually two days. Finish a deployment for AutoCAD Architecture, test it and find it works perfectly until you shut down. Then, after a short delay, “Bong”!*

Running filemon I found that an acad.err file was being written/updated after shutdown with an error message:

FATAL ERROR: Unhandled Access Violation Reading 0xc144614 Exception at 622d51cch [current day] at [shutdown time] drawing:

The only event in System Monitor was the licence service stopping and there was no Windows or Autodesk CER. Even worse, it only happened when my customised profile was current. The default profiles were “bong-less”. This turned out to be a vital clue, but thats easy to say with hindsight. Adding confusion, I hadn’t seen this with previous ADT 2006 & 2007 builds using the same profile settings.

Since the custom profile includes a myriad of options the only way was to start from scratch. I copied the default profile, bong-less, then added an item/path/preference, then closed down waiting for the “bong” or hoping for an “absence of bong”. Eventually I found the cause was Civil 3D object pollution in the template I was using. How Civil 3D got in there I don’t know but without it’s object enabler installed, and the proxy object dialog off, the only indication of any problem was a “bong” & acad.err log.

The solution was to create a clean template: no more Civil 3D stuff, no more bong. Since there is likely already Civil 3D polluted content out there, and we do see the occasional Civil 3D file, I also added the Civil 3D Object Enabler to the build. The default profiles were fine because they use different templates. So why didn’t ADT 2006/7 bong & error with same template and no enabler installed? I don’t know…

* I’m a Spike Milligan fan. “Bong” was actually “Windows XP Critical Stop.wav” but using that wouldn’t allow me to misquote Spike’s wonderful “Silly verse for kids” which I loved as a kid, and still do…

Top poetry is complete nonsense - (includes “On The Ning Nang Nong” text) - BBC News

See the top 3 favourite poems in Britain including Spike performing Ning Nang Nong – low quality RealPlayer .ram file – BBC News

XML Schema Monkeys?

It’s strange what you find on a CAD Discussion Group. It started with a question about the AutoCAD Architecture Tool & Catalog system, a serious answer mentioned “XML Schema”, then a comment about it being “developed by monkeys” led to this amusing site:

 

Credit to “the Other Frank”. Thanks for making my day!

AutoCAD Publish to Google Earth "updated for 2008"

One of my most popular older posts is the result of people searching for “AutoCAD, Google Earth & kmz”. About a thousand people a month find this post about the Autodesk Labs AutoCAD Google Earth Extension. The good news from Shaan is that it’s just been updated for 2008!

Between the Lines: Publish to Google Earth for AutoCAD 2008
New Version for AutoCAD 2008 posted!

Google Earth Extension Technology Preview
This AutoCAD 2008 add-on is useful in publishing and viewing your DWG-based data and 3D models within Google Earth™.
Applicable Products: AutoCAD 2008, AutoCAD Architecture 2008, AutoCAD Civil 3D 2008, AutoCAD Map 3D 2008

Tags: Google+Earth

No 64 bit for AutoCAD Architecture 2008?

Thinking about that new 64 bit OS/Machine for AutoCAD Architecture? Before you go shopping check out this comment from Jason (copied from this post, also posted to an ACA Discussion Group thread):

“My firm has been using ADT 2007 (and the previous releases) on Windows XP x64 in a production environment for nearly 2 years. The only caveat was to make sure that the 64 bit version of the .net 2.0 package was installed and that the "support file search path" pointed to 'C:\Program Files (x86)\Autodesk Architectural Desktop 2007...' due to the way that XP x64 segregates the 32-bit native programs from the 64-bit native ones. Autodesk has never supported the install of ADT on 64-bit OS's. But they allowed the programs to install.

In ACA2008, they have programmed the .msi installer to abort on the detection of a 64-bit OS. Chris Yanchar's response is that they are not supporting ACA2008, hence the installation limitation. My contention is that Autodesk should include this functionality in the current release (ACA2008) as they did in previous releases.”

I’m not running 64 bit, or even Vista, yet so hadn’t encountered this limitation. Strangely the ACA System requirements published on the website only state XP/Vista and there is no mention of 32/64 bit at all, even in the linked FAQ PDF.

Autodesk - AutoCAD Architecture - Features & Specifications
Recommended System Requirements

• Intel® Pentium® 4 or AMD Athlon™ processor, 3 GHz or greater
• Microsoft® Windows® XP (SP2 or later) or Vista™ operating system
• 3 GB RAM
• 3.1 GB free disk space
• 1280x1024 monitor and display adapter capable of 32-bit color
  128 MB or greater, OpenGL®-capable workstation-class graphics card
• MS Mouse—compliant pointing device
• Microsoft Internet Explorer 6.0 (SP1 or later)
• The preceding requirements are recommended for effective use of AutoCAD Architecture.

I assume it also applies to AutoCAD MEP? If AutoCAD Architecture/MEP will not install on a 64 bit OS it should be clearly stated.

AutoCAD Architecture 2008 arrives in Nu Zild!

Nice surprise tonight when I got home from work tonight: 

• A large box which I opened to find…
• A smaller box which I opened to find…
• This DVD case.

AutoCAD Architecture 2008 has arrived in New Zealand! *

* Well, mine has anyway!

 Also, after a quick download, has Autodesk Design Review 2008:

Beyond the Paper: Autodesk Design Review 2008 Now Available
After hours of tireless effort working on the Nile project, Autodesk Design Review 2008 has been released. It is available for download from the Autodesk web site…

UPDATE 03–04–2007: Yay, another big box, with a little box, with a DVD containing Viz 2008 arrived today!

AutoCAD Architecture 2008 - Viewport Locked?

To find out if a viewport was locked used to require a right click or visit to the properties palette. In AutoCAD Architecture you can see, and toggle, locking from the status bar right by the viewport scale, annotation and cut plane settings. It’s often the little things that make a difference!

AutoCAD Architecture 2008 - Welcome...

They say first impressions count. If you are upgrading from AutoCAD I think it’s important to realise that the technology and capabilities of AutoCAD Architecture (ACA) are different. In fact it’s the only reservation I have with the new naming and why I never liked the “Making AutoCAD better for Architects” tag-line used for Architectural Desktop. My view of how AutoCAD/ACA compare is:

• AutoCAD Architecture isn’t AutoCAD, it isn’t even “better AutoCAD”.
• It’s object based Building Modelling on an AutoCAD platform.
• It does everything AutoCAD does, adds things AutoCAD just can’t do.
• It’s much more than AutoCAD made better.

So how can you communicate that to a new user? When you first launch ACA you are presented with a “Welcome” screen which offers several resources to explore your new software.

Most prominent are the “Essential Tasks Movies”. These short task focused movies introduce ACA features and work-flow (see screen-shot right) including Projects, Space Tools, Display Themes, Schedules, Detailing and more.

The “New Features Workshop” will be familiar to AutoCAD users. It has feature based demos and also allows a filtered view of what’s new. If you are upgrading from older versions of ACA pick your current version to see only what’s changed in the subsequent releases. 

An AutoCAD to AutoCAD Architecture Task Comparison shows how ACA differs from “vanilla AutoCAD”.

Hitting “Next” advances to the “Workspaces” screen (Left) where you can select a task based workspace (User interface configuration) before the program starts up. These workspaces can be customised, like AutoCAD, but give the new user task appropriate tools with no set-up hassle.

There is a “Don’t show this again” option but have a good look around before you dismiss the welcome feature with a tick. If you don’t see it at startup you can access it via the Help menu.

AutoCAD Architecture 2008 - Easy access to Display Control

AutoCAD Architecture 2008 (ACA) brings display settings closer to the user allowing direct access to them from a new tab on the Properties Palette. The animation below shows some of the capabilities that this allows.

You can edit Drawing Defaults, Style, Object settings and even selected object components and material display properties. Previously these were accessed via the Display/Style managers or the Style/Object Display dialogs. This was a little remote from the modelling environment and the objects they were controlling. You could see changes in an object viewer but often had to apply the changes & exit the dialog to see the impact on the full drawing. As you select the object, or component, the settings relevant to that object/component in the current display condition are exposed. You also see the changes immediately when applied in the greatly improving feedback.

While it makes editing easier you do still need to understand the possible impact of these changes. By default there are warnings, as you apply overrides or global changes, and allowing these properties to be edited directly in the drawing editor does make the relationship between the various settings easier to understand.

While it’s good style and object settings can be easily edited I do have reservations about users editing the drawing defaults. I’ve often found this is done in error believing you are editing a style appearance when it’s actually just a style using the default settings. Copy that object style to another file, with different defaults, and the results are unpredictable.

I’ve been revisiting some old files which date back to our first use of ADT and were not responding to Project Synchronisation. This was thanks to another common mistake – applying object overrides instead of changes to the style.  The styles were updating but object overrides means they didn’t display correctly. There are valid reasons to use object overrides but you loose the benefits of style based display if you do.

Fixing this is easy, just remove the override, but finding them could a challenge without the “Show Display Overrides” command (CAD Manager>AEC Project Standards menu or _AecShowDisplayOverrides). This has an option to highlight objects with style or object overrides making it easy to track them down. Select previous, then remove all the object overrides in a click!

UPDATE 02–03–2007: I was asked about AutoCAD objects but they are are excluded. ACA display system control of them is high on my personal wishlist!

Tags: AutoCAD+Architecture+2008

AutoCAD Architecture 2008 - The veil is lifted

Finally the NDA is lifted so I can write about AutoCAD Architecture 2008 (code-named Kiasma), the application formerly known as Architectural Desktop, and not just the AutoCAD 2008 features it inherits. My problem is it’s Saturday and I’m nowhere near my beta machine so for now have a look at these posts by Jimmy Bergmark & David Koch:

AutoCAD Architecture 2008 Features - www.jtbworld.com

No More LTSCALE/PSLTSCALE Problems! - architects-desktop

and this Autodesk Discussion Group thread started by Paul Aubin:

Ready to talk - AutoCAD Architecture 2008 - Autodesk Discussion Group

Now, it’s back to having a weekend

Category Management for new 2008 names

Using product names on your blog means re-branding presents some challenges. Do you change to the new name or keep the one most people know. Luckily it doesn’t impact my Blog title or URL but I’ve revised some blog categories (indexes) to reflect recent name changes:

• Architectural Desktop changes to AutoCAD Architecture
• Revit changes to Revit Architecture
• Building Systems changes to AutoCAD MEP
• Auckland AutoCAD User Group now Auckland Autodesk User Group
• I’ve added Revit Structure and Revit MEP but will need to re-index some posts into these categories.

It won’t alter post permalinks and TypePad retains the old category URL. It might say AutoCAD Architecture but TypePad will always know it as ../architectural_desktop/index.html. Seems like some names will never die  

These changes shouldn't break anything but if you have any problems let me know.

Themes to the rescue - Architectural Desktop Display Theme

One reason to prefer object based Architectural Desktop over line, arc, circle, hatch CAD;

• Devise a new display grouping scheme for area spaces…
• In the library;
• Add a style based property to spaces defining the new display groups.
• Create a Display Theme to look at that group property definition and re-colour existing objects.
• Take seven years of legacy files created with areas defined as styled AEC Space objects:
• Add the Display Theme
• Synchronise to update the existing space objects with the library.

Seven years of legacy plans display the new scheme with no redrawing, no new or duplicated objects, no layers. Priceless!

Even better: If it changes… edit the library, re-synchronise and it’s updated!

If in doubt ask! - Newbie question prompts great ADT Project Navigator discussion!

If you’re stuck with something before trying to re-invent the wheel ask people who have probably been there already. Resources like discussion groups, user groups like AUGI  or relevant Blogs (via comment/email) are a good place to start. Try their search functions first as you’ll probably find others have asked the same question but if that’s no help don’t be afraid to ASK! Many posts on this blog are the result of questions that arrive in my in-box or comments.

You may provoke a brilliant discussion like the response to this question about ADT Project Navigator on the ADT Discussion Group. Reid & Joshua reply with wonderful background info, process and tips on this important ADT tool.

Autodesk - ADT Discussion Group - newbie constructs question
Posted by: littleme  Date: Jan/10/07 - 02:11 (NZDT)
Hi, Im sorry but i feel like a total idiot. Just switched from ArchiCad to ADT. Getting a feel for the possibilities and am very much liking it. However, cannot get my head around some basics, like CONSTRUCTS…

It may not even get that far as you can sometimes help yourself. I suspect I’m not alone in having solved something while composing the question or within seconds of posting. There is something about the writing process that re-wires your thought process and the solution becomes apparent as you write!

How will a stadium impact the waterfront? - Architectural Desktop + Google Earth shows

UPDATE 23–11–2006: As per the comments, the images & .kmz model now show the Union building at 47m OAH.

I never thought I’d be modelling a stadium but this shows what a bit of time, Architectural Desktop and Google Earth can achieve.

There has been a fair amount of controversy about a proposal to build “Stadium New Zealand”. This new sports stadium will be located in Auckland and built for the 2011 Rugby World Cup but the $300 – $1,500 million cost, depends who you believe, will endure long after that game is over. This could be considered a local issue but they are considering both “hotel bed” and “airport” taxes so tourists may contribute to this folly.

What I consider to be the most important question, "Do we actually need a 60,000 seat stadium?", seems to be beyond the debate as we simply get the choice of extending an existing stadium, Eden Park, or building on a proposed new Auckland City Waterfront site. The consultation process for this project has been crazy and shown both National & Local Body politics at it’s worst. Tonight on TV news the Mayor of Auckland mentioned taking advice, hearing voices, from the spirit of a long dead and revered former Mayor which shows how weird it, and he, has become.

I oppose the proposed waterfront location as it just seems wrong to put a massive inward focused building in such a prime harbourside location. Some people quote similar stadium locations working in Wellington & Melbourne but, although near the city & water, neither compares. This site impacts all future development in the waterfront and when that land, currently in port use, is made available for public use I’m sure a better activity can be found.

The waterfront proposal has been presented with flashy videos and artist impressions. Given the impact of a bulky/high structure the visuals seem a little bit, to be kind, “creative”.

I’m not alone in thinking this and Architect/Blogger Peter Cresswell (NotPC Blog) provides some evidence. In his post “Stadium drawings deceptive” he shows that Union House (white building with diagonal bracing – indicated by red arrow in the image) is 44m 47m high while the stadium, quoted as being 37m high, seems much shorter in the illustration. Another blogger, Whaleoil, has also commented on this comparing other measures including container crane booms and port lights, both supposed to be about about 30m, to estimate the shortfall.

Curious I decided to investigate. Using Peter’s Union House measure as a datum and the published plan, sections & height of the stadium I created a mass model in Architectural Desktop. I also traced some surrounding building plans (from an image) and used heights estimated from photos to mass them. There are many estimations in the surrounding buildings but Union House (red) is 44m 47m high & the Stadium section is scaled to 37m above ground level and as accurate as working from images allows.

I then used the Autodesk Labs AutoCAD Google Earth plug-in to create a Google Earth model. The result looks somewhat different to the artist impressions released. Have a look comparing that the red mass to the Union Building in the illustration & decide for yourself;

Is the artistic impressions use of height/perspective is rather approximate.... or creative... or maybe, deliberate?

Download Google Earth – http://earth.google.com – and the model and have a look.

File Attachment: WaterfrontStadiumAuckland47.kmz (274 KB)

Related sites & links at: http://www.waterfrontstadium.co.nz/

Have your say: http://www.aucklandcity.govt.nz/stadium/default.asp

Tags: Stadium+New+Zealand, Auckland, Waterfront, Eden+Park

Why you should submit those error reports...

Why you should submit Autodesk CER Reports:

Sent: Friday, 20 October 2006
Subject: Solution to the crash in AutoCAD 2007-based products while closing, saving or plotting certain types of drawings

 

Dear Autodesk Customer,

 

It has come to our attention that you submitted customer error reports while crashing AutoCAD 2007-based products when closing, saving or plotting certain types of drawings.

 

I would like to inform you that Autodesk has just posted a hotfix resolving this issue.  Please access it on http://usa.autodesk.com/getdoc/id=DL8185238.  See readme for details and installation instructions.

 

We are sorry for any inconveniences this problem may have caused you.

 

AutoCAD Test Development

If you don’t;

• They won’t know what to fix.
• They won’t be able to tell you when it’s fixed.

Tags: Customer+Error+Report

What's in a name?

The other day I was reading this thinking what does BIM really mean? For that matter what does CAD, or is it CAAD or CADD which I always thought looked like CAD with a typo, mean?

If you accept CAD is Computer-aided Design does that include BIM? I know BIM means “Building Information Model” but that’s Computer, and it Aids, umm Design… (more than CAD does) so is CAD BIM or is BIM CAD? I’d say BIM is more than CAD and CAD isn’t BIM.

That presents some other problems. Tonight I recorded a presentation about our CAD System, or is it a BIM System? Well it’s more than CAD but currently less than BIM. CADIM or CABIM perhaps?

The Store Project information does live in a server location called BIM as that’s where we are heading. Another truly compelling reason, lazy Robin avoiding scrolling in every browse/open dialog, was I couldn't use CAD & it’s closer to the top of every folder list than the alternatives: Retail or Store Design…

Perhaps it’s time to consider my Job Title? It was Retail Design, now CAD Manager/Retail Design, so maybe BIM Manager, or Retail BIM Manager? I must admit Retail BIM’plimenter has a certain appeal but nobody will know what that means. I’m not sure myself, perhaps that’s an advantage!

Then there is the blog: RobiNZ BIM Blog sounds odd, RobiNZ BIM’log?

Or just leave it…

What's in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet.
William Shakespeare

PS: The image is from a children’s book: “The Story of BIM – Written for 3 year  old  Charlotte”, Kathleen Mellor, publishd. Melb. Georgian House  nd.194-? I couldn’t find any other information but would be interested to know more!

Tags: CAD, BIM, CAAD, CADD

Service update and something extra

Time for a post about CAD on this CAD blog . Lots happening but first some important service notes. If you haven’t already seen them check out these recent releases:

From BTP I learn there are service packs now out for AutoCAD 2007, Architectural Desktop 2007 & Autodesk Building Systems 2007. The verticals include the AutoCAD pack so only get the one you need.

From BTW: ADT Subscribers check out the new Spaces and Drawing Compare Module. More on this when I’ve had a chance to play, I mean learn, about it!

Ed Goldberg's ADT 2007: A Comprehensive Tutorial

Last November I met Ed Goldberg while rushing between sessions at Autodesk University 2005. A few months later he sent the 2006 version of his book on Architectural Desktop. It&