Nemetschek acquires ArchiCAD , The Rest of the Story is?

Nemetschek took over Graphisoft in January 2007.

We have clients who use ArchiCAD and Vectorworks but have not heard much about the ramifications of the acquisition.

Rumors, by insiders a few years ago that Graphisoft had lost it's pioneering vision for ArchiCAD may have foreshadowed the change.

Two interesting blog commentaries on the Nemetschek's move:

Nemetschek becomes majority shareholders of Graphisoft

http://www.stress-free.co.nz/nemetschek_become_majority_shareholders_of_graphisoft

Susan Smith On Nemetschek's Acquisition of Graphisoft

http://worldcadaccess.typepad.com/blog/2007/02/susan_smith_on_.html

Mac OS & AutoCAD Watch - McDwiff!

Mac users can now view AutoCAD DWF files.


McDwiff is a Mac OS X application that opens, views, converts, and prints DWF files.

http://www.macdwf.com/

KeyCAD Mystery

We were contacted last week by a customer who sent us CAD files created in a software called KeyCAD with a .kcw extension.

We can not find much information on KeyCAD and KeyCAD Pro. Although it is still marketed on Amazon.com with good reviews from users who needed a cheap CAD package for home use, Softkey, the company who manufactured it, is out of business.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SoftKey

Moral of the story is, when purchasing a CAD package, find out how or if , it's drawing files can be read by other CAD software packages. Keep in mind that you may eventually want to issue your drawings in another CAD software. If you don't know how to export your drawing to a more readable format, you may be stuck with files that have to be redrawn from scratch.

Ready to Plot in AutoCAD but Text Size Looks Wrong? Check with "Change Space".

This tip is for anyone who has to check AutoCAD drawings before plotting.

Problem is that this floor plan has been scaled up in model space from 1/8” to ¼” scale. Is the text going to plot correctly? It is difficult for a non-expert to tell by looking at it on the screen.

To resolve, using the DTEXT command, try typing some text in paperspace at the size you know text should plot at if measured on paper. We like to use 1/8” text height for our standard. As you can see, by comparing the new PaperSpace text with existing, the text in model space is too big. What is the correct height?

Using the Change Space command, send the text to model space. Your text lists in model space at 4-13/16". For the purposes of our example, this is the size you want your model space text to be for a correct plot (your situation may vary).

If you are a pre -2007 AutoCAD user - Change Space can be found under Express Menu, Layout Tools.

Change Space Instructions for 2007 Users from CadTutor.net.

"Formerly found in Express Tools, the Change Space feature is now… "
http://www.cadtutor.net/corner/2006/august.php

"Yes, Virginia, There is a RhinoMarine!"

We had not heard of this software until a customer contacted us last week with a request for RhinoMarine Drafting Support.


Turns out that it is not a rare rhinoceros but a Plug-In, from Proteus Engineering, for Rhinoceros which provides “a full suite of specialty marine design and analysis tools.”

For more information:

www.rhino3d.com/marine.htm


Informative Rhino Marine Instructional Videos show examples of RhinoMarine in action.

www.rhinomarine3d.com/videos.htm

Reporting from MySpace - AutoCAD Users Group

Check out this site for interesting feedback on AutoCAD.

Forum Topics change fast.


Today they are currently voting for best AutoCAD Release. AutoCAD 2004 & SketchUp are in the lead.

AutoCAD Users and Needs
http://groups.myspace.com/httpprofilesmyspacecomusers7772125

Canstruction - Cool Design & Build Competition

Architects and engineers compete to see whose team can build the most spectacular structure using little more than cans of food at Canstruction, the 13th annual NYC Design and Build competition in New York.

http://www.canstruction.com/indexi.html

Submitted by Hasib Nusratty

What software will make PDF’s in AutoCAD R14?

A client asked us this question last week. As, proponents of interoperability, we keep reiterating, many AutoCAD users are still on R14.

We recommended PDF4Free because it is a neat little app which installs quickly and only lets you know it is around by the promotional watermark on the PDF’s it creates.

http://www.pdfpdf.com/pdf4free.html

A friend of ours, currently running R2007 swears by CutePDF (professional), despite the fact that AutoCAD 2007 now has the capability to create PDF files. We decided to give the free version a try.

Our McAfee red flagged their site, CutePDF.com,as potential trouble, so we downloaded it from
http://www.download.com/3000-6675-10206470.html.

Smooth sailing, until; upon running the app for the first time, we were prompted to download a mandatory PS2PDF converter. The link took us back to the red flagged CutePDF.com. We decided to proceed anyway and did not encounter any noticable problems.

We found that the free version of CutePDF provides more options than PDF4Free sans any watermark. The only advertising we can find (to date) is unobtrusive promotional copy urging us to upgrade to the complete version of the application in the Saveas Dialog box. PDF's can be created for full size plot sheets even if you do not have a plotter.

Both applications will work with AutoCAD R14.

If you are an Engineer...You Won't Get This...

Do You Have .... The Knack?

http://www.clearlogicgroup.com/TechRX/TheKnack.mpg

Get Temperamental AutoCAD Drawings to Behave!

An effective way to clean garbage out of a misbehaving AutoCAD drawing is to WBLOCK it to itself.

Command line instructions:

Command: -wblock
Select the drawing you are currently working on from the “Create Drawing File” dialog box.

Caution: Be certain you are selecting the same drawing that you are in. When bleary eyed we have on occasion overwritten the wrong drawing.

AutoCAD will confirm that the drawing exists and ask if you want to replace it. Pick “Yes”.

Type * to select the (whole drawing) option. Hit Enter.

Quit. Do not Save, when prompted to Save.

If you open your drawing and it is still acting up, perform the entire procedure again.
Sometimes you have to do this more than once to get the desired results.

Warning: Even, if you have your File Save Option set to "SaveAs AutoCAD 2000", this command will WBLOCK your drawing out to the current release you are working in.
Open the drawing and save it again to Save Down. If you are sending drawing files out, the Etransmit command will Save Down automatically for you.