CADalyst articles from May 2004

CADalyst archives from May 2004

Virtual parts and online catalogs: engineering services online continue to improve.(MCAD Modeling Methods)
May 1, 2004... CALL ME OLD-FASHIONED (or just call me old), but when I was an overworked and underpaid automotive designer, I was proud of my collection of part catalogs. When company representatives came to see me, they didn't leave without parting with a...

2004 AEC caddies image awards: congratulations to this year's AEC Caddies Image Award winners. As usual, competition was fierce and judges had a tough time choosing the winners.
May 1, 2004... We received more than 100 entries this year, and the design work continues to improve. Judge Richard Buday says it well: "I'm very impressed with the overall technical quality and artistic diversity of images. Many professional illustrators...

AutoCAD 2005: focus on files: sheet set manager organizes your drawings.(cadalyst labs review)
May 1, 2004... AUTODESK'S INTRODUCTION party for AutoCAD 2005 was a little different from most such events. Instead of the usual show-and-tell of new features, Autodesk developers showed us a stack of papers. They reminded us that most design projects require...

FireGL X2-256t: midrange graphics card.(first look reviews)
May 1, 2004... THE FIREGL GRAPHICS CARD line has long been a standard fixture in workstation-level computer systems. The new FireGL X2-256t features increased engine and memory speeds and comes equipped with 256MB of onboard graphics memory and dual DVI-I...

Scan2CAD v7.2: Raster-to-vector conversion.(first look reviews)(Product/Service Evaluation)
May 1, 2004... THOUGH MOST MODERN CAD programs display raster (usually scanned) images, you'll need to trace over or convert the raster image if you want to change it. Scan2CAD, now in its seventh major release, provides one of the most cost-effective tools...

How to configure sheet sets 1: AutoCAD 2005's new sheet set capabilities help enforce your CAD standards.(CAD Manager)
May 1, 2004... NOW THAT AUTOCAD 2005 has been out for a little while, I bet most CAD managers have either seen or read about the new release. See our Cadalyst Labs review on p. 26 for more details. By far the biggest change in AutoCAD 2005 is the Sheet Set...

Ten-step process to make sheets work for you.(CAD Manager)
May 1, 2004... At first glance, the new Sheet Set Manager may seem overwhelming. You don't have to learn and implement all of its functionality at once. Start using it immediately to access, manage, and share current drawing projects, and as you get...

Perfect paper space, part 2: how to conquer viewports.(Circles And Lines)
May 1, 2004... LAST MONTH WE DIPPED our toes into paper space. This month let's wade deeper into this tricky subject. AutoCAD 2005 relies heavily on paper space layouts to maximize the Sheet Set Manager capabilities, so you'll want to be an expert in this...

Floundering in formats: also remember that the best format doesn't necessarily become the most popular one.(Editor's Window)(Editorial)
May 1, 2004... IT'S HARD ENOUGH KEEPING the various CAD file formats straight, but now there's a whole new crop of TLAs (three-letter acronyms) that designate what we call publishing formats for CAD drawings. In short, these formats are portable--you can send...

Transition from 2D to 3D: lessons learned at PTC and manufacturer Ingersoll-Rand.(Tech Trends)
May 1, 2004... In just more than 14 years with PTC, Tom Quaglia has attained the high technical post of principal technical specialist for the company. During his tenure he has visited a large number of PTC customers all across North America, observing the...

PDF DWF CSF: which 2D CAD publishing option is best for you? PDF? DWF? CSF? Which of these three document publishing formats is right for you and your firm? As you might expect, there are no easy answers. Much depends on your needs, the speed of the generating applications, and how easy it is to access the files once you've created them.(cadalyst labs review)
May 1, 2004... Adobe PDF Adobe's PDF (portable document format) format is the proverbial 500lb gorilla here, being in widespread use in a variety of disciplines in addition to CAD. It's certainly the most widely used of these three formats and is also...

Adobe Acrobat V6.01.
May 1, 2004... ADOBE ACROBAT V6.01 Adobe www.adobe.com Price: $449 Professional; $299 Standard With the introduction of Acrobat 6 last year, Adobe expanded its portable document application into a family of products that integrate with...

Bluebeam Pushbutton PDF V2.26.
May 1, 2004... BLUEBEAM PUSHBUTTON PDF V2.26 Bluebeam www.bluebeam.com Price: $249 Bluebeam Pushbutton PDF is a nimble application that produces PDF files via its Bluebeam PDF printer driver that works with all CAD and Windows applications,...

AcroPlot Pro.
May 1, 2004... ACROPLOT PRO CADzation www.cadzation.com Price: $249 The two previous applications produce the PDF file format, but CADzation's AcroPlot Pro is adept at both PDF and DWF file creation. AcroPlot Pro is a stand-alone...

Autodesk DWF Writer and Composer.(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... The Autodesk DWF Writer 2 is now available as a free download from the company Web site (www.autodesk.com/ dwfwriter). DWF Writer 2 is a certified Microsoft Windows system printer driver that lets you publish files in DWF format by choosing it...

Net-It Now Net-It CAD plug-in.(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... NET-IT NOW NET-IT CAD PLUG-IN Informative Graphics Corp. www.infograph.com Price: $99 plug-in, Net-It Now free Informative Graphics Corp. offers its own CSF (2D) and 3DF (3D) portable file formats that are supported...

AEC--intelligent modeling: 3D models store wealth of data.(AEC From The Ground Up)
May 1, 2004... JUST AS PERVASIVE COMPUTER use was inevitable, eventually almost all AEC companies will use intelligent 3D software models. Whether it's BIM (building information modeling), single building modeling, parametric modeling, or any other type of...

Archvision[TM].(Cadalyst's Premier Caddie Sponsors)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... ArchVision[TM] is the leader in image-based content creation, management and delivery solutions. Products include a growing library of RPC[TM] content ranging from people, trees, shrubs and fountains to image-based automobiles and office...

CAD today.com.(Cadalyst's Premier Caddie Sponsors)(CADtoday.com)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... CADtoday.com is a provider of A/E/C CAD content, including thousands of 3Dsymbols--high quality, yet low cost, readymade and custom-order 3D models in file formats for all major architectural CAD programs--as well as thousands of 2D A/E/C...

HP Invent.(Cadalyst's Premier Caddie Sponsors)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... HP Designjet large-format printers deliver fast, professional results for engineers and architects. Only HP combines superior line quality for schematics and plans with brilliant color imaging for renderings, maps, and presentations. ...

2004 Cadalyst: partner programs.(Cadalyst's Premier Caddie Sponsors)
May 1, 2004... Boost booth traffic and generate valuable sales leads with print and online marketing packages that reach the industry's core buyers in the most recognized and trusted publication in the market. * AIA * Bentley User Conference *...

Dimension[TM].(Cadalyst's Premier Caddie Sponsors)
May 1, 2004... The Dimension 3D Printer offers a fast, low-cost alternative for building functional 3D models. Dimension models are built layer-by-layer using ABS plastic and enable you to test form, fit and function. Once you see and feel designs come to...

Tips from our readers: make shadow polyline boxes, group objects, and more.(Hot Tip Harry)
May 1, 2004... LIKE CHOCOLATE AND PEANUT BUTTER, Harry quoted. Sure enough, Jim Sturgess combined two old tips into a dandy new one. Tip #1947 (Shadow Polyline Box) contains the function (C:STBOX). Load the LSP file into AutoCAD, type STBOX, and select a text...