RobiNZ CAD Blog

No, they didn’t forget the Text Window scroll bar in AutoCAD 2012

I don’t often use the AutoCAD Text Window but hit F2 and mouse wheeled up & down before remembering… I blame swapping between lots of app’s and not an addled mind! GIF captured & produced with Camtasia Studio Read more →

AutoCAD Architecture Nested Views

While you can create multiple nested views in an AutoCAD Architecture View drawing the automatic labels won’t initially show the correct values. Below you can see a partial location plan with the Stockroom Plan inside it. Both tags will initially show the same values (for the larger view). Just select the tag & drag/drop onto the correct view in Project Navigator. They will update to show the appropriate values, and will maintain them when the views are dropped on a sheet. Read more →

Revit User Group Wellington - August Meeting Announcement

Wed 24 Aug 2011 @ Productspec HQ, 14 Holland Street 5.30 - 7.30pm We've lined up a great session for tomorrow evening - thanks to Greg and Kevin for their contribution. Ducts, by Kevin Thickett Kevin is going to show us the magical world of MEP Duct Families and give us some of his top tips for modelling them. Colour Schemes, by Greg Burr The 'often forgotten' Colour Schemes are a great way to show finishes and many other things. Greg will show us some of his techniques for using these. 'New' Massing Tools, by Matt Pettengell Matt will explain... Read more →

Add HP to my PC maker kill list?

I must apologise for initiating HP’s proposed exit from the consumer PC hardware business. You see there is this thing about my selection of hardware and the subsequent future of the manufacturer: From 5 [CAD] Things You Didn't Know About Me (posted 2007) 5.) If I purchase a PC from a company they cease trading in New Zealand. Strange thing is all these machines have been faultless and are still operational. I do suggest if you work for a PC company and you like your job it’s not a good idea to sell me a machine! CADS – Closed down,... Read more →

The curse of the mutant AutoCAD XCLIP, solved

It began with an old drawing that looked like this. In the middle of that birds nest is an electrical layout with lighting blocks (AutoCAD predating our use of AMEP) and circuits. The mess is the result of some blocks showing a massive, larger than building extents, outline. In the middle under that centre grip are the original lighting block graphics. The outline is actually a fully functional XCLIP frame which somehow is associated with the block insertion. Explode the block & it disappears, redefine the block and it survives but is not replicated on any new insertions! I tried... Read more →

Blogging Building Windows 8

Steven Sinofsky (President, Microsoft Windows and Windows Live Division) recently launched a blog that will follow the development of Windows 7+1: Welcome to Building Windows 8 - http://blogs.msdn.com/b/b8/ We've been hard at work designing and building Windows 8, and today we want to begin an open dialog with those of you who will be trying out the pre-release version over the coming months. We intend to post regularly throughout the development of Windows 8, and to focus on the engineering of the product. Welcome to “Building Windows 8,” or as we call it, “B8.” The blog is written by the... Read more →

AutoCAD 8.16 — AutoCAD 2012, 2012 LT and WS for Mac

Design 8.16, the day AutoCAD for Mac expanded from a product to a product portfolio. AutoCAD for Mac 2012 has been joined by AutoCAD LT 2012 for Mac and a dedicated AutoCAD WS for Mac desktop application. Although it is all about the Mac platform the arrival of Network License support has some interesting possibilities for mixed platform environments. But first what is new about AutoCAD for Mac? AutoCAD 2012 for Mac AutoCAD for Mac gets an update built specifically for OS X Lion (supports Snow Leopard) and matching many of the features seen in the recent 2012 Windows application.... Read more →

AutoCAD Design 8.16?

Something “BIG” & “AutoCAD” will be announced on the 16th of August, 10 a.m. US Pacific Time.* In the US that is 8.16 which fits rather nicely into DESIGN (or DE8.16N). Who thought of that!? However in New Zealand it doesn’t quite work as it will already be 8.17, or in our notation 17.8, and happening at 5 a.m! I’m not sure if that means we find out later, earlier or at precisely the same time? As Douglas Adams said: “Time is an illusion. Lunchtime doubly so.”. For this I’d add “5am is a mythical time that surely doesn’t actually... Read more →

Capture & report FlexNet/FLEXlm license use - JTB FlexReport LT (freeware)

Jimmy Bergmark has released a snazzy freeware report generator for capturing FlexNet/FLEXlm license use. Run the app, click once to search for license servers and again to get a nicely formatted HTML report of current servers, license and user allocation. You can save the server search results making future reports just a click away. Download from www.jtbworld.com JTB FlexReport LT FlexReport LT is a derivative of his, widely used, JTB FlexReport tool: “JTB FlexReport is a reports applications using the FlexNet / FLEXlm (flexlm license manager), IBM LUM (IBM License Use Management), SPLM (Intergraph SmartPlant License Manager), SLM/Sentinel LM/Sentinel RMS,... Read more →

Maybe, no, Dassault…

I’m happy to give you an email address to watch your: “series of screencasts to give you the information you need to decide if SolidWorks® is the right solution for you.” But the next form requires too much info when it’s just to view your advertisement: Read more →