|
Greetings!
Lock on Autodesk 2005 Products Soft Not Hard
Several readers emailed to correct me on my article
regarding Autodesk new releases. They will require a
SOFTWARE lock, not a dongle. This means that the
software will be automatically authorized when you dial
into Autodesk's authorization center (located in India,
no doubt).
You will no longer type in an authorization code. The
authorization will be tied into your motherboard's ID or
some other system registry key that basically locks the
software installation to that specific computer.
This means that if you reformat your hard drive,
upgrade your motherboard or change your operating
system, you will have to transfer your license as
though you had changed machines.
Autodesk has published an FAQ on exactly how it will
work. I guarantee that your IT guy will want to send a
hit man out on Autodesk, but for the single user it may
not be sooo bad. And at least it's not a bloody dongle.
Find out more....
|
|
Readers weigh In on the Software Lock |
 |
|
As Ralph Grabowski predicted, most users don't seem
that peeved about Autodesk tying your software
application to a single machine. (Think about how your
operating system works or your Windows Office Suite)
We have become habituated to being treated like
criminals.
From one reader-
Although it is true that AutoCAD 2005 will require the
lock, I think it should be pointed that it is a software
lock, not the infamous hardware dongle. I admit that it
is just as annoying to customers who actually pay for
their software. However, just like having to keep your
home locked to prevent theft, it is the price to pay for
having thieves around :-(
Gosh, living in a rural area of Northern California I rarely
lock my doors. Of course, I have two "killer" border
collies who patrol my property and bark their heads off
at any threatening lizards. Also, you can only find my
house if I provide directions...telling non-locals that I'm
down the road from the old Pony Express depot (long
since demolished) doesn't seem to yield good results.
You can just cut across the mountain on horseback
from there also doesn't really tell folks much. Last
week on horseback, I saw the tell-tale paw prints of a
mountain lion in the mud. So, I wouldn't advise you
taking that route alone.
From a reader in France -
No, AutoCAD 2005 will not use a hardware lock, but a
software lock, that is an authorization code, the same
we have been using for years in other parts of the
world for Autodesk products. That still means Autodesk
is considering North Americans as criminals, and this is
new... because they did not before the Iraq war...;)
So the French believe Autodesk's change in policy
has something to do with the war in Iraq. I find
this...very French. And somehow, a bit comforting.
|
|
|
Check out AutoCAD 2005! |
|
|
Even if you don't plan on upgrading to 2005, you still
should go and check it out. For one thing, chances are
competitors and vendors will be upgrading and you'll
want to know exactly what you'll be missing.
Autodesk is taking their show on the road. Lynn Allen
will be presenting and you certainly don't want to miss
her inimitable style and pizzazz.
Register for a Road Show Near You »
|
|
|
Should you upgrade to 2005? |
|
|
Ralph Grabowski, of upFrontezine, is selling a booklet to
help you decide.
Consider buying upFront.eZine's special report, "What's
Inside? AutoCAD 2005." In this PDF-format e-book, we
explain:
- Autodesk's Future Roadmap
- New, Undocumented, and "Hidden" Commands and
System Variables
- Details of Updated Commands
- Miscellaneous Changes and Additions
- Full Command and System Variable Listing
Price: US$15.95 for email download; add $20 for FedEx
delivery on CD.
Order your copy today... »
|
|
|
Autodesk sales jump 51% in Fourth Quarter |
|
|
Autodesk, whose software was used to design Time
Warner's New York headquarters, said fourth-quarter
profit rose ninefold as sales jumped 51 percent, beating
the company's and analysts' estimates.
Net income for the quarter ended Jan. 31 was $57.6
million, or 48 cents a share, up from $6.41 million, or 6
cents a share, a year earlier. Sales rose to $295 million
from $195.5 million, the San Rafael company said in a
statement. Autodesk raised its sales and profit
forecasts for the current period.
This is good news for all of us. If companies are
upgrading their software and buying new hardware,
they also are going to need to hire people (that's you
and me, folks!) to use it.
It also means that if you are not up to date on the
latest releases - 2004 and 2005- you are going to be
less employable. Contact your local reseller to find out
about classes. Check out your local user group and
start getting informed now!
|
|
|
Will Netflix Last? |
|
|
Netflix, the biggest mail-order service for renting digital
video discs, said its first-quarter loss will be larger
because marketing expenses are rising.
The company now expects a net loss of as much as
$8.1 million, it said in a statement. Los Gatos-based
Netflix had previously forecast a first-quarter loss of no
more than $3.7 million. The company also said it
expects to add more subscribers this quarter than it
previously said.
Netflix is spending more on advertising as Wal-Mart
Stores, the world's largest retailer, and Blockbuster, the
biggest video-store chain, are starting competing
services that charge monthly subscriptions for DVD
rentals.
I am a big fan of Netflix. I live in a rural area, so using
them makes sense to me. I especially like that they
carry films you often can't find at your neighborhood
Blockbuster. I'm a big fan of Independent and foreign
films. The way Netflix works is great. You create a list
of movies you want to watch. They mail you the top
three on your list. You watch them at your leisure.
When you are done, you mail them back in a postage
paid envelope. No late fees, no trips to the video
store, everything done from your computer and
mailbox. And it costs less than going to the theatre.
I usually get replacement DVDs for the ones I mail
back within 1-2 days. If Netflix folds, it will be going
the way of Metricom...another service which I really
liked.
Check it out... »
|
|
|
Free 3D Publisher and Viewer |
|
|
ModelPress Publisher reads native 3D CAD model files
(Inventor/SolidWorks/Pro/E) then compresses the model
assembly, creating a secure, non-editable file that is
viewable by the free ModelPress Viewer and our 3D/2D
full-featured desktop viewer, MYRIAD.
Publish models individually or batch directly to HTML
pages with thumbnail or list navigation. HTML pages
have the fully interactive or basic (zoom, pan, and
rotate only)
Download your free publisher and viewer »
|
|
|
Los Angeles Users Sought |
|
|
Autodesk is looking for a group of experienced AutoCAD
2002 users to participate in a productivity study that
will focus on moving from your current software to a
new version of AutoCAD. The study is being funded by
Autodesk but will be performed by a team from the UC
Berkeley School of Architecture. The location of the
study will be determined by interest however we are
targeting the Los Angeles area.
The study will require approximately 30 hours of time
from each participant. This will include a day of training
in the use of the new version of AutoCAD. The basic
study group will be a team of three people, working
through a standard set of industry tasks during the
course of a day. In addition to the training, each
participant will receive a Not For Resale (NFR) copy of
an Autodesk product*, and the chance to interact
directly with the study team and the AutoCAD Product
Management group. The results of the study will be
published by the UCB team, and will be incorporated
into an Autodesk white paper.
To participate in this study, please contact Traci Van
Patten:
traci.van.patten@autodesk.com
|
|
|
Adding a Bitmap to a Rendering |
|
|
I am rendering a view of a building using accurender 3.
I want to add a logo to the front of the building.
The logo I have is in bitmap form.
All I have achieved is to assign this bitmap as a
material, which it tiles over the area where I want the
logo.
Basically all I want to know is how to add this bitmap to
a rendered image?
The easiest way I've found to add a logo to an
AutoCAD model is to create a 3DFACE where you need
the logo & attach the bitmap as a texture to this
3DFACE. If the logo is an irregular shape, you can use a
REGION instead.
You might also want to read up on transparency maps
in the Help files. You can produce some quite
impressive results with this feature.
|
| Quick Links... |
|
|
