We are always learning about specialized CAD applications & markets from our customers. ORCAD, from Cadence, is recommeded for circuit board design and layout.
ORCAD 16.0 Demo Software on Cadence.com:
Test Drive ORCAD
ORCAD Community Forum:
ORCAD Online Tech Support
Wikipedia on ORCAD:
What is ORCAD?
29.10.07
Empty AutoCAD Drawing Syndrome - AutoCAD for Principals
It is not unusual for us to receive a drawing with missing Xrefs from a customer who needs a deadline met yesterday!
Our unlucky client then has to negotiate with their contact to retrieve the missing files or even worse, look through an old project and try to figure out where all the needed drawings are.
If you open an AutoCAD drawing and see that it is empty, the file may be missing Xrefs. These are simply more drawing files linked to your drawing.
One way to determine if absent Xrefs are the culprit is to look for a text string in the drawing which indicates the path of the missing file. See screen shot example. The size of this text can vary depending on settings in the drawing. In this case, the small horizontal line (to which black arrow points) is actually a line of text which contains the path of the missing file.
The XREF command will list all the Xrefs in the drawing along with their current status in a dialog box.
We recommend that you encourage those you work with to send you AutoCAD drawings using Etransmit. This command pulls all relevant files into a convenient zip file so that Xrefs should be included if they are available.
Our unlucky client then has to negotiate with their contact to retrieve the missing files or even worse, look through an old project and try to figure out where all the needed drawings are.
If you open an AutoCAD drawing and see that it is empty, the file may be missing Xrefs. These are simply more drawing files linked to your drawing.
One way to determine if absent Xrefs are the culprit is to look for a text string in the drawing which indicates the path of the missing file. See screen shot example. The size of this text can vary depending on settings in the drawing. In this case, the small horizontal line (to which black arrow points) is actually a line of text which contains the path of the missing file.
The XREF command will list all the Xrefs in the drawing along with their current status in a dialog box.
We recommend that you encourage those you work with to send you AutoCAD drawings using Etransmit. This command pulls all relevant files into a convenient zip file so that Xrefs should be included if they are available.
13.10.07
Core FTP Lite - Reviewed by Dummies!
We like to experiment with different FTP clients.
Recently, we tested CoreFTP Lite. We decided that we don't recommend it for non-technical users or diverse remote teams. It is good for IT pros who have experience with FTP servers.
Findings here are the results of running several CAD projects with this client.
Pros:
Free to download and install.
Seems to get through everything. Helpful if you are running or monitoring FTP servers with multiple projects and/or users with different rights. You can easily see where security needs to be tightened.
Cons:
Settings are finicky. We had to keep changing SSL check box options because our selections did not always work consistently.
Our offsite teams did not get reliable results. They complained of time-outs while downloading large amounts of data over slow connections.
Not recommended if you have to download files to a Windows server.
Recently, we tested CoreFTP Lite. We decided that we don't recommend it for non-technical users or diverse remote teams. It is good for IT pros who have experience with FTP servers.
Findings here are the results of running several CAD projects with this client.
Pros:
Free to download and install.
Seems to get through everything. Helpful if you are running or monitoring FTP servers with multiple projects and/or users with different rights. You can easily see where security needs to be tightened.
Cons:
Settings are finicky. We had to keep changing SSL check box options because our selections did not always work consistently.
Our offsite teams did not get reliable results. They complained of time-outs while downloading large amounts of data over slow connections.
Not recommended if you have to download files to a Windows server.
6.9.07
MXD to DWG - Import Shape Files to AutoCAD MAP
You cannot bring an Arcmap drawing into AutoCAD. Arcmap is composed of a series of shape files.
If you have AutoCAD Civil 3D 2007, you can import shape files into CAD but not the actual MXD.
Click on the MAP menu then click on Tools then click on Import.
A dialog box prompts you to navigate to the shape file you want. Then you get another dialog box that prompts you to select from various settings before you bring your shape file into the CAD drawing.
You need some knowledge of GIS and shape files to figure this out but with trial and error you can resolve it. You will have to reconstruct the Arcmap drawing, shape file by shape file. If there are many shape files, you have to import each one individually.
Using this same procedure you can also bring in files from other applications like Microstation and Mapinfo.
If you have AutoCAD Civil 3D 2007, you can import shape files into CAD but not the actual MXD.
Click on the MAP menu then click on Tools then click on Import.
A dialog box prompts you to navigate to the shape file you want. Then you get another dialog box that prompts you to select from various settings before you bring your shape file into the CAD drawing.
You need some knowledge of GIS and shape files to figure this out but with trial and error you can resolve it. You will have to reconstruct the Arcmap drawing, shape file by shape file. If there are many shape files, you have to import each one individually.
Using this same procedure you can also bring in files from other applications like Microstation and Mapinfo.
4.9.07
CAD TechRx - The 5 Most Viewed Pages - Sept. 2007
KEYCAD MYSTERY - CAN YOU SOLVE IT? $10.00 Reward!
We would like more information on this popular posting.
$10.00 Reward for quality answers to our questions below.
Email submittals to:support@clearlogicgroup.com
We would like more information on this popular posting.
$10.00 Reward for quality answers to our questions below.
Email submittals to:support@clearlogicgroup.com
If you are using Keycad, do you recommend it?
Is KCW a Keycad file extension as stated here?
techrx.blogspot.com/2007/04/keycad-mystery.html
AUTOCAD - ARXERROR-EDUPLICATEKEY
techrx.blogspot.com/2006/11/quick-fix-arxerror-eduplicatekey.html
AUTOCAD - CAN'T ZOOM VIEWPORT
techrx.blogspot.com/2007/05/autocad-cant-zoom-viewport-dont-panic.html
VECTORWORKS 12 EXPORT OPTIONS
techrx.blogspot.com/2006/09/vectorworks-12-export-options-export.html
CARBONITE - BACK-UP YOUR HARD DRIVE
techrx.blogspot.com/2007/05/carbonite-dont-stress-back-up-your-hard.html
27.8.07
How to open an AutoCAD DWG file in Arcview 9.2
Option 1:
Using ArcCatalog, highlight the file just like you would a shape file and drag it into the mxd. Or you can click on the file in ArcCatalog and it will break it into it's constituent entities; point line and polygon. You can only bring in entities from model space.
Option 2- See Screen Shot:
Here's another method to import CAD entities into GIS:
In ArcToolBox click on Conversion Tools, Go to Geodatabase. Then click on Import from CAD. This gives you a dialog box that converts CAD entities into a ESRI GeoDataBase (GDB). Then bring the .GDB file into GIS.
13.8.07
CAD Software Watch - AutoCAD 2008 Kudos
Recommended - AutoCAD 2008 - A breakthrough in compatability!
http://manufacturing.cadalyst.com/manufacturing/article/articleDetail.jsp?id=417300&sk=&date=&pageID=2
Cadalyst April 2007
Addendum- Sept. 27, 2007
Annotation scaling leads the list of new features cheered by AutoCAD users
http://www.deskeng.com/ME2/Audiences/dirmod.asp?sid=&nm=&type=Publishing&mod=Publications%3A%3AArticle&mid=8F3A7027421841978F18BE895F87F791&tier=4&id=0D7F0C724E9E42F3AB569AAA2CA399A8&AudID=2FC31F0C0A2
Desktop Engineering Sept. 2007
http://manufacturing.cadalyst.com/manufacturing/article/articleDetail.jsp?id=417300&sk=&date=&pageID=2
Cadalyst April 2007
Addendum- Sept. 27, 2007
Annotation scaling leads the list of new features cheered by AutoCAD users
http://www.deskeng.com/ME2/Audiences/dirmod.asp?sid=&nm=&type=Publishing&mod=Publications%3A%3AArticle&mid=8F3A7027421841978F18BE895F87F791&tier=4&id=0D7F0C724E9E42F3AB569AAA2CA399A8&AudID=2FC31F0C0A2
Desktop Engineering Sept. 2007
25.7.07
Internet Explorer 7 Mysteries - How to Bring Back the Menu Bar
We really missed the Menu Bar, which vanished in IE7. If you can't live without it, here is how to bring the old menu back.
Hitting the ALT key - Brings back the Menu Bar but it does not stay visible after you exit the browser.
To Set The IE7 Menu Bar so it Loads all the Time:
Right Click the top bar of your browser, Select Menu Bar from the pop up menu that appears by your cursor. You can turn the Menu Bar off and on by toggling this option!
Hitting the ALT key - Brings back the Menu Bar but it does not stay visible after you exit the browser.
To Set The IE7 Menu Bar so it Loads all the Time:
Right Click the top bar of your browser, Select Menu Bar from the pop up menu that appears by your cursor. You can turn the Menu Bar off and on by toggling this option!
10.7.07
CAD Software Watch - Planit's Cabinet Vision
We are always on the lookout for interesting CAD applications. Cabinet Vision from Planit was recommended to us by a customer who is a Kitchen Designer.
http://www.planitsolutions.com/us/cabinetvision/intro.default.aspx
Check out Woodweb.com http://www.woodweb.com/ if you want to learn more about the pros and cons of this software.
We like the Woodweb CAD Forum which posts helpful discussions and tips on CAD issues.
http://www.woodweb.com/cgi-bin/forums/cad.pl
http://www.planitsolutions.com/us/cabinetvision/intro.default.aspx
Check out Woodweb.com http://www.woodweb.com/ if you want to learn more about the pros and cons of this software.
We like the Woodweb CAD Forum which posts helpful discussions and tips on CAD issues.
http://www.woodweb.com/cgi-bin/forums/cad.pl
4.7.07
Advanced Wiring Installation Training for Electrical Engineers?
Joke of the Month - For Electrical Professionals Only!
Submitted by Hasib Nusratty - Electrical Designer
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
