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Readers Weigh In on CADzette
I think you hit the mark on layout and content. The
page loads quickly and
doesn't have a lot of fanfare. I prefer your newsletter
over anything from
Autodesk or other public site. There may not be much
in each newsletter
that applies to me and my field but when it does you're
right on! There are
a lot of topics that can be covered and you do a good
job of addressing
various topics with enough usable details to keep me
interested.
(You're not boring by any means)
This is a useful newsletter!
Suzanne Baehr
Thanks for your newsletter; I find a lot of the items
useful and/or interesting.
I'm a civil engineer, but enjoy hearing about how
the "other half" lives; ie
mechanical design and architechture. I've been
pursuing AutoCAD/Softdesk
expertise for 13 years now, and it's still great.
Did you check out
cadwerx.net? He has some cool routines, such as
DocBar.
Skyler Mills
How can you hate [a command like CLEANSCREENON]
when you can freak co-workers out!
Jeremiah McKnelly
It is a great job - to have 250 members-subscribers in
2 months.
Really it is amazing. That is true, your writing is
interesting to me &
others, and I wish you a good luck in your trip to
Australia.
Hasib Nusratty
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Have you installed the latest service pack? |
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The latest service packs are now available for download
from Auodesk for Inventor 7, MDT 2004, and Inventor 7
Professional.
It's a good idea to install these service packs as soon
as they come out. Usually, performance is improved
with the service packs.
Inventor service pack installations require that you
have the CD handy. What I have done in the past is
copy the msi file onto my hard drive so it is readily
available for use with service pack installation. The
new service pack prompts for 2 or three different files,
so Autodesk is making us jump thru a few more hoops
to ensure that you aren't pirating their software.
Next, each service pack update will require different
files to install, so you will have no choice but to keep
your original CD handy. This is only a problem if you
work for a company which insists that the IT guy
stores all the CDs under lock and key and you have to
check out CDs in order to perform your updates.
Wait, isn't that most of us? No doubt, Autodesk
will tell you that the extra hoops you are forced to
jump through is for your protection, but don't believe a
word of it. You are paying with your valuable time
because of lousy software piracy. Think about that the
next time someone tells you software piracy is
a "victimless crime".
Download now... »
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Autodesk University 2003 Registration Now Open! |
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Once again this year, Autodesk is giving AUGI members
the opportunity to sign up for the AU User Conference
a full week before registration opens to the public.
Many classes fill up quickly. So register today at the
Autodesk University website ( www.autodesk.com/au )
or by calling 888-371-1722 to reserve your space.
At AU, you'll learn how to get the most from the new
features of Autodesk 2004 solutions. Plus, you'll gain
valuable new skills and industry contacts to stay a step
ahead of the competition.
When: Tuesday, December 2 - Friday, December 5
Where: MGM Grand Conference Center, Las Vegas
You've now got more reasons than ever to attend the
11th annual AU:
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· More than 300 classes specially tailored to improve
your skills
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· Hands-on labs presented by specialists in your field
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· AUGI annual meeting and Beer Bust
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· AUGI Playpen
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· AUGI Top DAUG Contest
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· Keynote briefings on the major trends affecting your
business today
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· Exhibits and demos of the latest solutions from
Autodesk and partners
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· Special offers-such as savings of 40% on HP
computers
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· Great ways to make valuable connections
with peers and industry leaders
All this and much more. We've specifically designed AU
to provide the best value for your time and training
budget.
Visit the Autodesk University website for details on
classes, instructors, travel and accommodations, and
more. Or call 888-371-1722 to reserve your space
So go ahead: make this your year to step up with
Autodesk University.
I'll be at AU this year from Monday thru Friday. As an
AUGI Board member, AU is more about meeting with the
AUGI board and recruiting people to run for the board
than taking classes.
My term on the board expires at the end of the
year and I will not be running for a second term. I
want to give someone else an opportunity to
experience the joy of being on the AUGI board. It is a
lot of fun and a great group of people.
Register Now! »
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The fix for the Windows 2000 SP 4 Bug |
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The MAX file corruption problem in 3ds max and
Autodesk VIZ is caused by Hotfix 832980 in Windows
2000 Service Pack 4. The fix causes the same problem
on Windows XP operating systems. Microsoft is
expected to release a new Hotfix by the end of July
2003. To
remove the offending fix, go to Control
Panel/Add/Remove Programs
and scroll to find the Windows Update that references
832980. Be
sure to back up critical data before uninstalling.
Free Textures
NewTek has three FREE texture collections available to
download at its
Web site. Textures are used to create materials.You must
register to download.
Win 5,000 Euro Dollars for the Best Water Closet
Design
C A L L - F O R - E N T R I E S
designboom and ' WC water concept' salone dell'arredo
bagno international on-line design competition
(participation is open to applicants from every country
in the world,
to both professionals and students, free registration
required.)
the subject of the competition is
'inside the bathroom'
three themes for a new water concept:
participants are requested to develop one of these
three concepts:
a - whirlpool or multifunction-shower
b - faucets
c - complete bathroom furnishing series ( toilet, bidet,
sink...)
---
winning entries and a selection of the works sent in will
be
on show during the next ' WC water concept' salone
dell'arredo bagno
/ bath furnishing salon - fiera milano international
in milan, italy, march 2 - 6, 2004.
For
more details
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Autodesk seeks Beta Testers |
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One of the biggest complaints I have heard from users
about the 2004 releases is the inability to easily save
down to earlier releases.
Autodesk is currently seeking beta testers for a new
batch conversion software. For AutoCAD 2004 and
AutoCAD LT 2004, Autodesk Batch Drawing Converter
converts any AutoCAD drawing file to AutoCAD 14,
AutoCAD 2000, AutoCA 2000i, AutoCAD 2002, and
AutoCAD 2004 file formats. Batch Drawing Converter
allows conversion of pen widths to lineweights and the
addition of page setups.
Use the link below to sign up as a beta tester.
When you are asked for the code name of the program
please enter "BDC" without the quotes. If this code is
not entered correctly your application may not be
found. All accepted participants will be sent an email
with instructions to download the beta once it has
been released.
Apply to be a Beta Tester »
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Try out some CAD CAM software |
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The goal of BobCAD Cam Software is to help machinists
get their parts out the door quickly and accurately
without extensive training or high costs. With BobCAD
CAM training is easy. No other software comes close
with the power, ease of use, features, and price of
BobCAD CAM. Never again have software that costs
thousands of dollars sitting around because no one can
figure how to use it.
BobCADCAM Software has full 3D Cad/Cam plus CNC /
DNC control software that sends gcode through rs232
Software all built-in with no other modules to buy.
BobCAD Software also supports dfx and iges so you can
also import drawings made on other CAD systems such
as Autocad, Pro-Engineer, Solidworks, Unigraphics Solid
Edge, Corel Draw, Cadkey, etc. This also saves you
time when the customer gives you a generated
drawing.
BobCAD Software is available for a 30 day Free
Download trial if you want to try it out before you buy
it but it doesn't include the 400 page training manual. It
does include a quality tutorial and access to an online
training manual.
Download your free 30 day trial »
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Help Issues with 2004 Release |
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Have your help files been a little kafluey since you
upgraded to 2004?
I am told this is because I need to install Service Pack
1 for Internet Explorer 6. Unfortunately, I haven't been
able to install directly from Microsoft's website due to
my slow connection, so I had to order the CD (free,
you only have to pay for shipping.) and wait.
There will be no further standalone versions of
Microsoft Internet Explorer. Future enhancements to
the browser will only be delivered in the form of
operating system upgrades. The news was confirmed
by Internet Explorer Program Manager Brian Countryman
in a May 7th online chat discussing the changes made
to Internet Explorer for Windows Server 2003. He
said: "As part of the OS, IE will continue to evolve, but
there will be no future standalone installations. IE6 SP1
is the final standalone installation... Legacy OSes have
reached their zenith with the addition of IE 6 SP1.
Further improvements to IE will require enhancements
to the underlying OS." The next consumer version of
Windows, codenamed Longhorn, is due in 2005.
In English, this means that users will no longer be able
to upgrade Internet Explorer as a free download.
Instead, they will be required to upgrade their Windows
operating system in order to get the latest browser
software.
If you don't continue to update your browser, you
will experience problems like the error shown in the
image; you won't be able to access certain websites
properly - especially as more and more sites use Flash
and multi-media imagery; and you won't be able to fully
interface with many applications.
This means that users who routinely skip OS
upgrades to save money, upgrading every second or
third release, will be forced onto the upgrade wagon.
I wouldn't mind this sooo much except it seems like
every other release tends to have weak features and
more bugs, not to mention the driver lag I experience
everytime Windows comes out with a new OS.
To download Internet Explorer 6 Service Pack 1 »
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JPGOUT - NEW SYSTEM VARIABLE IN 2004 |
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Saves selected objects to a file in JPEG file format
Command line: jpgout
The Create Raster File dialog box (a standard file
selection dialog box) is displayed. Enter the file name in
the dialog box.
Select objects or : Press
ENTER to select all objects and viewports or use an
object selection method and press ENTER
AutoCAD creates a JPEG file that contains the objects
you select. Shade Plot options are preserved in the file
when you use this command.
This similar to the BMPOUT or the SAVEIMG commands.
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