RobiNZ CAD Blog

AutoCAD 2012 Block Editor Save Corruption Hot Fix

If you are running AutoCAD 2012 based apps check out this hotfix. I haven’t seen it happen yet but the potential problem it fixes is rather alarming! Description of Problem: When a drawing is saved from within the Block Editor, the entire content of the drawing is sometimes lost and replaced with the content of the block being edited. Autodesk - AutoCAD Services & Support - Autodesk 2012 Block Editor Save Corruption Hot Fix This hotfix prevents possible loss of data that may occur if the drawing is saved while the Block Editor is open in AutoCAD® 2012-based products. Read more →

AutoCAD Architecture & MEP 2011 Update 2

I thought I’d get to 2012 before installing these but found they fixed two problems I have noticed: Sometimes editing sheet properties in a project would cause a crash to desktop. Our MEP user found Export to AutoCAD could result in out of scale blocks (seemed to be older plain & MV Blocks). Both seem to be fixed and there are lots of other items addressed in these updates. Check the Readme before installing for full details. After all, that’s what read me means You can download Update 2 for AutoCAD Architecture 2011 here, AutoCAD MEP 2011 here. These Updates... Read more →

The centre of AEC Space, why doesn’t a closed Polyline have one?

I have been working with AutoCAD Architecture AEC Spaces for years. They are a polyline’like object with a boundary (which since 2004 could be edited with grips Polylines got in 2011) and hatch fill. Spaces have an Osnap’able centre which is rather useful for placing tags (the default location if you just hit enter when tagging), mirroring or centre aligning content in a space. Even irregular spaces have this “centre” based on their bounding box extents. Today I was editing a closed Polyline and tried to manipulate it with a centre OSNAP. Of course it doesn’t have one but, given... Read more →

Create an “Update AutoCAD Architecture/MEP Project Standards” reminder

Both AutoCAD Architecture & MEP have Project Standards tools to synchronise AEC content throughout the files that make up project(s). These tools arrived back in ADT 2006 and have been refined over the years. They now are found in the Project Browser (below) and Ribbon>Manage>Project Standards panel (right). There are functions to manage object versions within Master/Project files, control how changes are transferred to projects and to import settings from a template into your existing projects. However, one thing that’s missing is a way to confirm the project you are working with has the current project standards configuration applied. For... Read more →

The end of the disks, I mean discs? Now it’s download!

I must be getting old… Remember when AutoCAD came on a few floppy disks? Then a handful of CDs, or a DVD? I just finished building CAD application deployments that would require about 26,624 floppy disks. Admittedly it was AutoCAD Architecture/MEP, Revit Arch/MEP and 3DS Max (plus some 64 & 32 bit duplication) so a little more capable than the floppy disk era application. And soon, the end of discs! This arrived in the email yesterday: “Please read this important notice about how you will receive your future Autodesk® software upgrades. In 2010 Autodesk is making download the default method... Read more →

Update all AutoCAD Architecture/MEP Palettes in a click

Everyone else probably realised this long ago but sometimes the obvious isn’t always… well, obvious. AutoCAD Architecture (ACA) and MEP use Tool Palettes - like AutoCAD - but have the Content Browser to organise and share them. While the system has it’s quirks I’ve found it a brilliant way to share content, tools, and custom commands/process/tasks and it’s something I miss in Revit. Best of all it’s not CUI based and version independent so Tool Palettes/Tools/Groups created in ADT 2004 work fine in ACA 2010. Manual, or Automatic? You can have Tool Palettes update automatically when the application starts but... Read more →

AutoCAD Architecture & MEP 2010 Update released

I’m waiting for Windows 7 64 before deploying 2010 at work so haven’t tried these. Lots of fixes, I mean updates, and they incorporate the recent AutoCAD 2010 update. Currently installing the AutoCAD Architecture update on my home machine to see how it goes. Between the Walls: AutoCAD Architecture 2010 and MEP 2010 Product Update 1 Read more →

New Zealand Autodesk Solutions Day 2009 (2010 Product Launch)

I'll be at the Auckland June 4th event, see you there! Here's the blurb: The Autodesk Solutions Day 2009 is aimed at professionals' involved in the design, construction and management of government and commercial projects within the Building, Civil, Geospatial and Manufacturing market place. This all day event will showcase the latest products, services and technology. They are happening in Christchurch late May, Auckland early June. Contact your New Zealand Autodesk reseller for details and to register! Read more →

Max and the Revits arrive, it's 2010 for real

Today's delivery completed my set of "Twenty Tens". The arrival of Max (last week) and the Revit Architecture/MEP Series (today) mean it's time to think about building new deployments. As that will al... Read more →

I LOVE "THE RIBBON", do you?

I'm going to be writing about some "recently ribboned" applications in the next few weeks, some better than others. Before that I have decided to set out how I feel about a variety of "already ribbone... Read more →