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June 24, 2005 CADzette- Volume III Issue 6
CAD News Large and Small
Thanks to all who emailed to express concern about my little horse, Laertes. He has spent the past week in the ICU and is still fighting for his life. He may be in surgery on Friday depending on an exploratory scope that was done on Thursday.

Laertes was found four years ago on the side of a road in Salinas, CA. He was half-starved and had been badly beaten. I adopted him and spent a year rehabilitating him and training him. He has done therapy work with autistic children and turned into a wonderful trail horse. He is very calm, affectionate and sweet. At barely 14.3 HH, children find him less scary than a full size horse. Everyone at the vet clinic has fallen in love with his gentle nature and think of him more as a large shaggy dog than a horse. The vet is optimistic that he will make it...he has been through so much in his ten years and still has a long life ahead, I hope.

DWF to DWG
 
Searching for a block to use in a drawing on the internet, I found a dwf I could use. But how to convert a dwf to a dwg? Now, I thought the latest version of DWF Composer did this, but I was wrong. (I think the next version of DWF Composer, yet to be released, will allow you to save as dwg.) So, off I go to search for DWF to DWG converters.

I found two software packages (there are more out there) that had trial downloads. IntelCAD's DWFIn (www.intelcad.com) and AutoDWG's DWF Importer (www.autodwg.com). Both packages require AutoCAD to be closed during the installation process. Both require that you use 'arx' to load the program if the automatic install doesn't work.

I was not able to get IntelCAD's program to work. I was able to get the AutoDwg DWF Importer installed and working. However, the trial version does not allow you to copy or save. It handled the conversion from DWF to DWG just fine. However, it places the entities in PaperSpace on the first Layout sheet. For some reason, none of my other AutoCAD commands would work until I unloaded the arx file first.

Trials that do not have full functionality (unable to save, print, use certain features, etc.) are a pet peeve of mine. How do companies expect you to TRY their software if you can't actually TRY it? This is one thing Autodesk, CADopia IntelliCAD, and SolidWorks do right...you can download or email a request for a CD and get a full working version of the software. The only difference is that it will time- bomb out.

Now, I know that I could have contacted the companies involved and said "hey, give me a fully functional version, so I can really check it out and write about it." But, since most of my readers don't have that ability, I thought I would share your pain and write about that for a change.

Another Place to Load Lisp Files
 
In the Customization dialog (access using Tools- >Customize), I found a new place to load lisp routines.

So why would l use this location versus Smart Suite? Well, some of my lisp files are located on a network server and it appears when they are loaded in this location, they load automatically. Not so, with SmartSuite. Someone at Autodesk will probably clue me in all the various differences between using this method versus Appload/SmartSuite. The Help, of course, is completely mum on the pros and cons of loading lisp files in this location.

Upgrade Your Microsoft Operating System for $12
 
If you purchased an x64 computer in anticipation of the new x64 operating system available from Microsoft, Microsoft is offering a very special deal. (expires July 31, 2005 - so act now!) You can upgrade your XP Pro or Windows Server 2003 OS for the x64 versions for only $12

If you do not have an x64 machine and are not running XP Pro or Server 2003, you are out of luck. You will just have to upgrade your hardware and pay the full price. Keep in mind that there will be lag before printer drivers and CAD software apps catch up with the x64 technology, so you may be better off waiting.

When I had dinner with Buzz Kross a while back, I asked him if the next release of Inventor (R11) would be compatible with the x64 technology and he said that R11 would not be x64 compatible, but R12 would be.

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