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Greetings!
If you have tried to email me, only to have the email
bounce - my apologies. Turns out the email server
from my website has been targeted as a spammer, so
the email does not go through.
I have set up an alternate email router while my
webhost provider tries to work this out. You can use
the same email - elise_moss@mossdesigns.com and it
should go through.
The controversy over spam jeopardizes newsletters
like this one. Randall Rath has already stopped his free
newsletter rather than be accused of being a spammer.
You only get this newsletter if you subscribed AND
confirmed. If you want to opt out, use the link at the
bottom of the page.
CADzette is currently delivered to over 350 users
world-wide and is adding an average of 50 new
subscribers a week. I can only assume the new
subscribers are finding out about us by word of mouth
as I haven't been doing much advertising. At the
current rate of growth, I expect over 500 subscribers
by the end of the year.
Time to Vote!
There are four empty seats on the Board of Directors
for Autodesk User Group International and ten worthy
candidates.
In the past, the sitting AUGI BOD has designated a
slate of favored candidates. This year, when the BOD
met to review the list of candidates, they disqualified
two of the nominees and decided that the remainder
were of such high quality - they all deserved to win.
In the running, R. Robert Bell, who is well known in
AUGI's customization forums; Richard Binning, who has
been an Autodesk University instructor; Chris Lindner,
last year's AUGI Top DAUG. Chris was appointed to the
BOD after one of the directors stepped down due to
personal reasons. He has only served one year and
would like the opportunity to serve a full term of two
years.
Yoshi Honda, who has been AUGI's President and was
senior VP last year, is running again. Yoshi is a popular
speaker at AU and has appeared on the cover of
AUGIWorld.
Jill King is not as well-known as some of the
candidates, but she has been working quietly behind
the scenes of AUGI for some years now. She
volunteered time in the AUGI booth this year.
Kris Keller, who has been AUGI's AutoCAD Product
Manager, and been active in the AUGI forums has
provided free technical support to Autodesk users
around the world. He was the guy inside the dog suit
at AU. As Marv Muston said, "Anyone who would dress
up as a dog for AUGI deserves your vote."
Mike Perry, from the UK, is one of two candidates who
resides outside the US. He moderates several AUGI
forums.
Luc Richard, from Quebec, moderates the French
forum.
Tom Sutton, who is president of the New Jersey
AutoCAD User group, works tirelessly to put on an east
coast regional user group meeting each year. He is a
major Autodesk booster.
You can only vote for four candidates. Like the board,
you may find a hard time deciding.
Find out more....
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Top DAUGs at AU |
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For the second year in a row, AUGI held a TOP DAUG
contest to challenge AutoCAD users and see who really
knows their stuff.
SFAUG's President, Mikhail "Misha" Belilovskiy, came in
as one of the top ten finalists. Misha graciously bowed
out as he works for Autodesk.
This moved former MAUG President, Priscilla Mills, into
the top ten circle. So, two out of the ten Top DAUGs
came from the Bay Area and are active in their local
user group.
It could be said that belonging and being active in a
local user group definitely boosts one's skill level. If
there is no local user group near you (you can find out
on AUGI's website), try joining one of AUGI's forums to
get the free technical support and training to go up the
next level.
Check out AUGI.... »
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Hidden Software in Inventor |
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If you are an instructor or a user trying to get high
resolution renderings out of Inventor, Inventor R8
actually comes with a FREE - that's right, FREE - plugin
that allows you to bring your models from Inventor into
Viz without degrading the model.
Autodesk Inventor provides a Plug-In for importing
Inventor files into 3DStudio Max and VIZ versions 4, 5
and 6. This Plug-In is comprised of 5
files: "InventorImport.dli", "InventorUtility.dlu",
and "InventorImportRes.dll" for use within Max 4 and 5
and InventorImport_Max6.dli, InventorUtility_Max6.dlu
for use within the Max6. InventorImportRes.dll is
shared.
Set Up instructions for Max versions 4, 5, 6 and
Viz version 4
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Copy the script file LoadInventorImporter.ms
into the scripts startup directory where you installed
Max or Viz. The default location will be similar to the
following: C:\Program Files\Autodesk VIZ 4
\scripts\startup
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This script file contains the following default path for
Autodesk Inventor: C:\\Program
Files\\Autodesk\\Inventor 7\\Bin
If you installed Inventor in a different location then you
must open the script file in a text editor and modify the
path to match your installation. Note: use double back
slashes.
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The following 5 files should be found in your %
program
files%\Autodesk\Inventor 7\Bin directory:
- InventorImport.dli
- InventorUtility.dlu
- InventorImportRes.dll
- InventorImport_Max6.dli
- InventorUtility_Max6.dlu
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Start Max/Viz.
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The following steps may be necessary if you have
installed a previous version of the Inventor import Plug-
In.
Ignore the many warnings about invalid and duplicate
Plug-Ins when Max/Viz starts up.
Go to the Customize menu on the main menu
bar.
Select Configure Paths... to display the
Configure Paths dialog box.
Select the Plug-Ins tab on the dialog.
Select the path for the Inventor Import Plug-In.
Click Delete to remove the plug-in path.
Restart VIZ/MAX for your changes to take effect.-
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You can then import Inventor part, assembly or
presentation files by using File>Import or
simply by dragging and dropping them into your window.
Thanks to Michael Woodcox, an Autodesk/Discreet
employee, who told me about this at AU.
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AUTODESK INVENTOR BUG: SCREWY SPREADSHEETS |
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When you add new rows to an embedded Excel
spreadsheet in an
Inventor (IDW) file, the new rows don't appear when
you switch back
to Inventor. Autodesk says this is caused by a
limitation in the
Excel Object Linking Extension. The workaround is to
edit the
spreadsheet and copy the cells you've edited to the
Clipboard. Close
Excel and in Inventor, select Object from the Insert
menu. Select
Microsoft Excel Worksheet and click OK. Excel will open.
Paste the
cells into the new spreadsheet, save it, and close
Excel. Switch
back to Inventor, place the cells in your file, check the
file
against the original, then delete the original cells.
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Service Pack now Available for LDD |
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Autodesk released Service Pack 2 for Land Desktop
2004. It fixes
problems with drawings that have Architectural Desktop
3.x drawings
attached as xrefs and with the Create by Slope and
Build Selection
Sets commands. Point performance is also improved
when using high
point numbers or when large gaps exist between point
numbers.
Download LDT2004_SP2_SL.exe or LDT2004_SP2_UL.exe »
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Get Certified in Inventor |
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Autodesk introduced the Autodesk Inventor Certified
Expert Program
and will conduct a four-hour hands-on and written
examination for
Inventor 7 at Autodesk University on December 3.
Registration fee,
including study materials, is US$495, although at
Autodesk
University you'll pay US$195. Certification must be
renewed with
each new release through a shorter renewal exam
(US$95) that focuses
on new features and functionality.
For more information and a list of testing centers »
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What's Ahead for ADT and Viz |
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If you use VizRender in ADT, you'll like this news. The
next release of ADT - due sometime in 2004 - will allow
you to bring your VizRender diles into Viz without losing
any of your hard work. You will be able to go back and
forth between Viz and VizRender with no problems.
This means you can change your model in ADT, use
VizRender to render it, save it. Then open it in Viz or
Max and add the special effects you love so much. If
you need to change the model, you can take it back
into ADT, fix it, and go back to Viz without losing any
of your hard work.
Talk to your reseller and let them know if this feature
interests you, so you can be in line for the latest
release as soon as it comes out.
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Student Contest for Digital Artists |
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Alias Systems announced its Expose Yourself contest
for digital
artists who use Alias SketchBook Pro for Tablet PCs and
Wacom
tablets. Comic artist Dale Keown, best known for The
Incredible Hulk
comic book, and Gray Holland, founder of the industrial
design firm
Alchemy Labs, will judge submissions based on
originality as well as
the artist's use of colors, layers, brushes, and
backgrounds.You can
submit entries from November 17, 2003, until February
13, 2004.
Find out More... »
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Tips and Tricks |
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ADT 2004 Express Tools
Several readers have brought to my attention that the
Express Tools in ADT 2004 are hidden...
The Express Tools are on the second CD in your two CD
set.
You can insert the second CD.
Browse under Support/Express.
Select the setup.exe file.
Create Multiple Palettes Easily
You can drag tool palettes from Window Explorer into
the Drawing window and have multiple palettes -
they 'tab' themselves, so you only see one outline.
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