Issues with the Project Navigator

We're hearing reports of issues with the project navigator tool that could potentially affect your projects. Most of the errors we're seeing have been tracked down to improper use of constructs, elements and views. However, I did hear from an Autodesk employee that large projects that have references files included in the file structure that were not created as elements, constructs or views could potential cause errors in the project database. Since I don't have all of the details yet, I'll try to post more information as I can track it down.

Be aware that when you manually load images, dwf's and dwgs into a drawing that's part of a Project, they are not necessarily linked to the project, and will not be automatically repathed when a project is copied or moved to a different location - be aware of this if you're updating or replacing servers. It's a good idea to check the relative path options when attaching files manually, or even as a default option in the Project properties.

A common issue that's been occurring has to do with ABS and ADT 2005 and 2006 and slow performance with views and other files. Autodesk has published a tech support document that deals with these performance issues. You can find this solution at the following link:

http://usa.autodesk.com/adsk/servlet/ps/item?siteID=123112&id=5911331&linkID=2476059

The techdoc id # is TS1052972, you can also search Autodesk's support site for this information.

If anyone is having issues along these lines feel free to post here so we can discuss. We may not have all the answers but can definitely post issues with Autodesk and hopefully help to resolve some of these issues.

thanks - David B.

New Releases coming for Building Systems and Revit Systems.

Autodesk announced this week that there are new releases pending for Building Systems and for Revit Systems. These releases should be available by mid-October. Keep an eye on the Autodesk web site or most of the ABS/Revit based blogs for information on these updates.

The Revit Systems 2 version will incorporate American metric content, among other features. At this time I don't have a lot of specifics on ABS 2007.1, but we'll cover it as soon as I get more details.

Service Pack 1 Available for Architectural Desktop 2007

Autodesk has release Service Pack 1 for Architectural Desktop 2007. You can download the file from Autodesk's web site at the following link:

http://usa.autodesk.com/adsk/servlet/ps/dl/item?siteID=123112&id=8128744&linkID=2475897

If the link is truncated in this window - cut and paste both lines into your address bar for Internet explorer. You can also go to support.autodesk.com and browse to the support page for Architectural Desktop.

Be sure to download and read the Readme file prior to installing the service pack.

thanks - David B.

Service Pack 1 Available for AutoCAD 2007

This service pack repairs many issues that occur with the shipping version of AutoCAD prior to September 7, 2006 - check your CD or DVD case to see if the version includes SP1 (do not use this for verticals such as Architectural Desktop, Building Systems, etc). It repairs customer reported items as well as addresses performance issues, issue with mtext, plotting etc.

For AutoCAD 2007 go to this link:

http://usa.autodesk.com/adsk/servlet/ps/dl/item?siteID=123112&id=7974178&linkID=2475161

For Revit Series including Revit Building and Revit Structure, go to:

http://usa.autodesk.com/adsk/servlet/ps/dl/item?siteID=123112&id=7974188&linkID=2475161

There will be versions available soon for ADT and ABS - to keep up, check here or go to Autodesk's main support page at support.autodesk.com.

thanks - David B.

Ramping up for AU 2006 and miscellaneous Stuff

Autodesk University 2006 is headed back to Las Vegas this year. Autodesk is expecting one of the largest crowds ever, with a greater focus on advanced techniques and tricks this year. I'm fortunate to have the opportunity to teach, and look forward to working with some of the best instructors on the planet.

On related note, there are a few blogs you may find helpful. I've spent some time on Robin Capper's site and it's jammed with extremely helpful tips. While he may be on the other side of the planet, he's definitely on the right page. Here's a link to his blog: rcd.typepad.com

Another great link is Matt Dillon's site - I've got a link for him on the side bar. Matt is definitely one of the top dogs on the Architectural products from Autodesk - check out his recent commentary on Architectural Desktop vs. Revit (or is it Revit vs. ADT)? You can see Matt at AU this year as well - I had the honor of helping him with a lab a couple years back and had a blast. Check his site out at modocrmadt.blogspot.com

As I come across other cool sites that relate to our topics, I'll put them in the sidebar. In the meantime, keep up with these guys - they provide some extremely helpful info!

thanks - David B.

Creating Tapered Columns in Architectural Desktop

To create a column that tapers from top to bottom, you’ll need to create a custom shaped structural member. Follow these steps to create the member:

Create the starting and ending profiles. This can be accomplished by drawing a closed polyline shape and creating a profile definition, or by using the Structural Member Catalog to bring in an existing shape. To import a shape from the catalog, go to the Format menu, choose Structural Members, and then choose the Catalog.

Right click on the shape you want and choose generate member style – when the dialogue appears, choose OK to add the shape to the current drawing. Add a larger and smaller size to your current file.

Go to the Format menu and choose Style Manager. In your current drawing, go to Architectural Objects and choose Structural Members, Right click on the Standard style, and choose Copy. Right click and select Paste to create a duplicate style, and then right click on the style and rename the duplicate to Tapered Column.

Select the Tapered Column style – the right pane of the style manager will show the options. Choose the Design rules tab.

At the bottom right, choose Show Details. From here you can change the shape of the column at both the start and end of the column.

Once the style is created, you can use the Add Structural Column tool to add a column, and then use the properties dialogue to select the tapered column style. You can also drag the Tapered Column style from the Style Manager to a tool palette for regular use (note: make sure you place the style either in a template or master drawing if it’s going to be regularly placed by a palette tool).

While the Style Manager behaves a little differently in ADT 2005 (you have to double click the style to edit it), the feature works the same way for 2005, 2006 and 2007 versions.

Make those columns 3D! - David B.

Changing the Position of a Duct Takeoff Fitting in ABS 2006

When placing ductwork and using the autolayout features (i.e. choose a plus sign on a duct segment to place a branch), takeoffs are automatically centered in the sides of the duct segment. However, if you want to place a takeoff that is offset from the center of the segment, you need to manually place the takeoff fitting first, then continue duct from the fitting.

To place an offset takeoff:

1. Draw the main duct segment first.

2. Use the Add Duct Fitting tool (from the Duct tool palette), and choose the type of takeoff you wish to use.

3. The command prompt will ask you to select an insert point or ductwork – choose the duct at or near the location you want the take off placed.

4. Before choosing the rotation of the fitting, go back to the Add Duct fitting dialogue and choose the Off Center tab.

5. Check Enable off-center placing, change the side to the side of the duct (top/bottom/left/right) where the take off will be placed, then choose the offset distance. Note that for a takeoff on the right or left side of a duct, a positive distance will place the takeoff up towards the top of the duct, while a negative number will place the takeoff towards the bottom of the duct, if the Center justification is set. The distance is measured to the centerline of the take – make sure you don’t try to place the takeoff beyond the size of the duct segment you’re attaching to.

This will place a takeoff at a location other than the centerline of duct. To adjust after placement, right click on the fitting and choose Duct Fitting Modify from the pop-up menu (note – the off center tab is not available for fittings placed during autolayout).

Try this out and let us know how it works!

Thanks - David B.

The Basics on Creating MEP Drawings

Autodesk has two products for the MEP engineering market. Building Systems is the AutoCAD-based solution that has been around for a few years, and is built on the Architectural Desktop platform. Revit Systems is the true BIM solution that is built on Revit Building and is in its first release, and includes ductwork, piping and electrical tools (sorry, no plumbing specific stuff just yet).

Both products are very similar in how they produce MEP drawings. An architectural background is either referenced in (for ABS) or linked to (in Revit Systems), and the engineering items are drawn over top of the background. The keys to success with both packages are very similar:

- In both cases, you need a template that defines standards for items such as text, styles, families, etc. The Building Systems template setup is a bit more involved in terms of setup, but Autodesk has provided some good starter templates to use. We typically start from the AEC Model (Imperial - CTB).dwt as it has good variety of system definitions and display settings to start from, then add to it more commonly used systems. Revit Systems includes a variety of templates that include basic system families for items such as diffusers, duct, pipe and more, that are geared towards specific uses such as residential versus commercial. In either case, spend time setting these up so they user is not having to create too many of these items on their own. Both programs include data information that can be associated with the objects and used for analysis or generation of schedules.

- It's a 3-step process with both packages. Place equipment first, then the connecting geometry such as duct, pipe and wire, then annotate last. This makes the drafting process very fast, and helps the programs easily maintain connection information (which is used for sizing and analysis in both packages). Building Systems uses the standard AutoCAD method of breaking buildings down into levels and divisions that are separate files, but items such as ductwork can connect across reference files, maintaining the connection information. Building Systems includes two types of documentation objects - labels (which are placed with the object, and resize themselves with the scale setting at the bottom of the drawing window - even in reference files) and block based tags, which can read through a reference file, allowing them to be placed in view drawings rather than in coordination drawings. In Revit Systems, all objects are placed in one file, and the display of this information through views (which can be predefined in the template file).

- Both packages have tools that allow users to work in 3D views as well as section and elevation views of the objects. The Revit Systems views are easier to manipulate by simply selecting an elevation view; ABS uses an Isolate Object feature called Edit in Section or Edit in Elevation to change the user's work plane to a section or elevation orientation, then exiting out of the view when completed. Both programs incorporate the use of grips to manipulate the location of objects in the drawing, making it easy for users to not only move items in an X-Y plane but in the Z axis as well.

So which do you use? It really depends on a couple of factors:

- If you're accustomed to an AutoCAD workflow and want to continue to have that platform simply for ease of customization, stick with Building Systems. There is some limited customization for items such as macros, etc., but the AutoCAD-based ABS has had the open interface to work with for many years, where as customizing the user interface in Revit Systems requires someone with a programming background.

- For the same reason, the lack of customization for the interface is what makes Revit Systems such a strong product. All users will have the same look and feel, as well as approach to creating objects for engineering design. Revit Systems is the engineer's and designer's tool, focusing much more on the design of the systems rather than the drafting. The R1 release is much farther along than the R1 release of ABS (including a panel schedule that actually looks and acts like a panel schedule should!), but the guys at Autodesk learned from the first go-round in ABS. The content isn't as extensive as ABS, but it's coming.

- Consider the consultants - if they want files in AutoCAD (especially if the designer is using Architectural Desktop), use ABS. If they're working in Revit, then definitely use Revit Systems. Autodesk did get another thing right - for Revit Systems, you also get Building Systems as a part of the bundle, giving the designer the flexibility to choose at a minimal cost. Since the daily workflows are very similar, it can be easy to train users to get up to speed with either product - as long as they're not allowed to "run home to mama AutoCAD" and start drawing lines, arcs and circles.

There are trial versions available for both versions, so contact your account manager or Autodesk if you want to give either product a try - the days of 2D drafting for the engineering world are definitely numbered!

Happy CADDING - David B.

Creating Custom Endcaps for ADT

Overview

In Architectural Desktop, you can customize how a wall displays endcaps at either openings or wall ends. Out of the box, the wall styles have endcap styles created and assigned to end conditions as well as for openings for doors, windows and assemblies. To see what endcap styles are assigned to a wall, you use the Style Manager to browse to the wall style, then go to the Endcaps / Opening Endcaps tab to see what t default styles are used. Standard can also be substituted for these predefined styles if you don’t wish to go to this level of detail in a 1/8” scale view of a drawing.

Endcaps/Opening Endcaps Tab:
- Assign endcaps to wall start/endpoints
- Can assign different endcaps for openings, windows, doors, assemblies
- Can edit or add endcap style
- Can view endcaps in previewer













Occasionally the endcap style doesn’t reflect what’s actually happen, so you might want to create a custom endcap style. The following exercise walks the user through creating a custom endcap style for the CMU-8 Rigid-1.5 Air-2 Brick-4 that ships with the program.

To Create a Custom Endcap Style

The image below shows a wall endcap condition that is not correct. The quickest method to correct this is to draw polylines over the top of the condition, then use the pick and right click menus to edit the endcap.










Incorrect endcap with insulation extending past brick return

1. Examine the wall style and note the index number and width of each component you wish to edit the endcap for.













2. Draw an open pline for each component (including air spaces). Draw the plines in the order they appear in the wall style example above. Use the example wall to trace how the endcap should appear in the drawing


4 open segment plines, drawn counter clockwise (since the left side of the wall is the example – for a right side, draw clockwise) – each component must have a pline segment, even if the segment is just two points.






3. Right click on the example of the wall and choose Endcaps > Calculate Automatically

4. Use a selection window to choose all of the plines.













5. Erase the layout geometry to remove the plines

6. You can now choose to either modify the current endcap style assigned to a wall style as default condition, or you can create a new style. You can also choose whether this endcap style applies to wall ends and/or wall openings.












The “endcap” result

Note: Once an endcap is created, you can also use the right click menu options Endcaps > Edit in Place to make adjustments to this style.

You can draw more than just rectangular ends - play around with the shapes and make all kinds of opening conditions!

thanks - David B.

The New 2007's are Here....

Well, I've finally had a chance to spend some time with our new line of software, and thought I'd publish a few opinion points - here's a few bullets:

AutoCAD 2007:

- New modeling tools are great - having grips on solids makes like easier.
- New Dashboard is nice, but seems to slow down the system - used it all throughout my demos and acclimated to it fairly quickly - love the new loft and sweep tools
- Performance tuner - this would be nice if it actually worked properly. I'm running a high end video on my notebook (nVidia GeForce 6600 with 256mb of RAM) but the tuner didn't recognize it as an OpenGL card, and tuned the graphics down to the lowest level. After experimenting with openGL on and off, I'm really getting some mixed results, especially with shadows on and off, material appearances, etc....think the tuner needs a little tuning itself, with a better list of card info incorporated. Stick with the old displays for a while (service pack?)
- New Xref manager is much nicer than old dialogue, love the changes that show up below the dialogue immediately
- DWF references - finally!!! and if you're plotting or publishing to an image file just so someone can't manipulate your files, STOP - print to a DWF instead - it works, it's small, and users can snap to the geometry.

ADT 2007

- Space tools - being able to generate all spaces at once without picking inside of boundaries - very nice!
- Anchor tools - i.e. anchor a space to a wall, so they both update - that's nice, haven't tried it too much but would love to hear how others would use this tool.
- List definitions will cut down on the guess work involved in filling out schedules - even more standards control....
- Schedule header overrides - finally we can have headers that are both vertical and horizontal!
- Images in schedules - making legends a pleasant place to go!
- Had some weird errors - when choosing object commands, the command would cancel itself - anyone else had this problem? very erratic, but scary.

ABS 2007

- Pipe Connectors! Pat the ABS boys on the head - key to helping create an accurate bill of materials - getting a true length on a pipe is cool, and having two different ends on a pipe is critical. Catalog organization is 100% better. It would be nice if the pipe would automatically extend to the face of a fitting if the pipe end fitting is deleted, but grip editing will work just fine for now.
- Had a couple of inconsistent behaviors when connecting duct - the snap shows up but the duct doesn't stay connected (stretch the duct and the connected parts are not going with it). Happens with a 2006 ABS file is used in ABS 2007, but worked 2 out of 3 times.


All products - make sure you are using at least these parts in your systems:

- Pentium 4 2.8ghz or higher
- RAM - 1gb minimum get as much as you can in the system - keep RAM chips matched!
- Video - 128mb OpenGL or higher, the nVidia chipset works best, stay away from gaming cards.
- hard drive - the faster the better, set virtual memory to 10% of hard disk space as a minimum - defragment the drive if you haven't done it
- Windows XP - use it!
- Keep an eye on your anti-virus - real time scans will affect performance. Make sure it's off when you install the software
- Make sure you've applied all service packs to the previous versions before installing the new versions - go to support.autodesk.com and check for your software version.

Go ahead and post any issues you're having here as comments here - we may not be able to answer questions in the forum, but I'd like to hear how others are doing.

I'll follow up with more on Revit later, go to run for now.

thanks - David B.

Assemblies Versus Curtain Walls – When to Use

Assemblies Versus Curtain Walls – When to Use

There are two ways to approach storefront conditions on a building – by using window assemblies or by using curtain walls. Before choosing, you need to understand the differences between the two objects:

- Window Assemblies are typically placed in a wall, similar to a door or window. The assembly is simply a frame for doors, windows, spandrel panels, etc. that need to placed as one object, rather than a series of individual objects placed side by side in a wall.
- Curtain Walls are independent objects. For example, if the storefront is self-bearing, and the frames/mullions are the structural elements, then a curtain wall object should be used. Similar to assemblies, the curtain wall is simply a frame for doors, windows, spandrel panels, units, etc.

Therefore, how the component behaves structurally really dictates which object you’re going to use. If you’re placing a frame in the plan that is supported by a wall or other means of framing, then you’d use an assembly. If the frame is self-supporting, then you’d use a curtain wall. Here are some examples of what each will look like in plan.



Example 1 – Use an Assembly!

In the example above, the plan is showing a cleaned, filleted corner. Since a curtain wall treats itself as one continuous object, the cleaned corner can’t be made, as it would have to include a line indicating the mitered frame. Example 1 is the correct way to draft when the storefront is NOT a load bearing item. On the other hand, the below example would typically be built in two pieces, and would ship to the site as such – so the image would really have to look something like this:


Example 2 – Use a Curtain Wall!

So, if you’re looking for your plan to look like example 1, you need to use an assembly as part of a wall. If the storefront is load bearing, then it needs to look like example 2 and be created with a curtain wall object. To get the curtain wall to show a mitered corner correctly you’ll need to edit the profile for the frame. The following is a series of steps to use to get a frame to show the mitered corner or a boxed corner correctly.

Draw the segments of a curtain wall. The style example is a manually spaced grid, with horizontal and vertical mullions. Move the individual segments using end point snaps if you want to clean the curtain walls up along an inside or outside edge.














After lining up the curtain wall, right click on one object and choose Frame/Mullion – from the flyout, choose Add Profile. The program will prompt you to pick an edge; in this case I chose my vertical wall, the top edge of the frame. A dialogue will appear:
















Leave Profile Definition set as start from scratch – if this change is only going to apply at this location, then check As Frame Profile Override under apply profile. I also give this profile a unique name, like Front Façade Left Edge.















The edit-in-place features will now appear. Use the grips to stretch and edit the edges of the frame to the shape you need. In this case, we’re simply making this one corner larger and using a butted frame for our horizontal curtain wall.














And here’s the example with a mitered corner:














This gives us a technically correct corner condition that reflects how the frame will ship, and addresses how a storefront that is a bearing object can be created in Architectural Desktop. Hopefully this will help the users decide when to use each object – enjoy!

Got Desktop? Use It!

It still amazes me how many users buy software, then never get around to actually using what they've purchased. Since I'm from the South (North Carolina to be specific), I liken this to buying that brand new Ford F250 pickup truck with all the bells and whistles, then hooking it up to horse to pull it around because "I don't have time to learn how to drive". That's a sad and unfortunate excuse. At some point, you had to make time to learn how to use CAD in the first place - was it really a waste of time, or would you be better off still drafting on the board?

Of course not - the proof is in how much CAD is used today. While there may be some specific features in a program that we either don't need or think are too difficult to learn to use, there are always improvements to most software programs that are worthwhile tools - and it's you, the user, that are driving companies like Autodesk and Microsoft to improve their products.

Let's address the "I don't have time" issue first. Using plain AutoCAD and drafting with lines, arcs and circles worked great when comparing your work to what you did on the board. You could make changes to lines and adjust penweights, relocate items quickly, etc. in dramatically less time than it took to using the electric eraser to wipeout what you've drawn and re-draft. You're also not wearing out a sheet of paper (although you are wiping out a lot more trees now!) when using CAD. At some point most people had to sit down and learn CAD, as opposed to board drawing. You also had to learn how to use a computer, and Windows, and how to set up a printer, and how to back your files, etc. So the learning curve of going to CAD from the board was dramatically larger than what we're talking about now, which is simply fine tuning methods. You made time to learn before, and the end users were demanding CAD files - that's ultimately why most users switched (you know - the guys who write the checks).

Now the idea is take the repetitive tasks such as setting layers, offsetting lines to make walls, creating and maintaining blocks for symbol libraries to use for doors, windows etc., and instead of spending all that time creating and maintain those items, programs like Architectural Desktop take care of that for us. The time savings is in the little tasks - how many times does an AutoCAD user set a layer current each day (which is roughly equal to how many times a woodchuck chucks wood - you get the picture). Other time savings from using a program such as ADT that has display controls and the Project Navigator wind up drawing the building once and creating views from that base plan - thus eliminating the need to make multiple changes to the same objects.

How long does it take to learn ADT? Most of users that go through training get pretty proficient within 6-12 months with the whole package, usually with 2-4 days of training and follow up support. They start with learning drafting basics such as adding walls doors and windows, then move on to other features such as scheduling, sections, elevations. ADT is not a program that requires you to use every feature when you use it - same as AutoCAD. The overwhelming number of companies we work with that fail do not invest in training - either by buying book or by investing the time, or by working with their reseller or consultant to get training on what they really need. They don't see a return because buying the tool is like buying the car - at some point you have to learn how to drive - who taught you? The other failures occur when time is invested in training, but the users don't follow through immediately by putting what they've learned to use - try remembering every conversation you had last week - can you remember everything you did or said?

There's been a ton of studies of how much more productive BIM and object based programs are than line-based drafting, so I won't go into too much detail here (email me if you want some links), but most clients get a minimum of 15% increased productivity within the first year. Do the math - if I usually spend 60 hours on a project at $60 per hour, that's $3600 - if I do the same project in 45 hours, I'm at $2700 - the difference alone on one project usually saves you enough money to get some basic training. Add that up over a year with a dozen products - and you've paid for the software (a FULL SEAT price) and a year's worth of training.

The biggest benefit to me was that I found that I was leaving work at the end of the business day - instead of pulling all nighters. My home time is a heck of lot more valuable to me than a dollar figure - since you can't buy that time back. How many days are you going to be able to buy back this year from your kids, your wife, your boat, all the great reality shows on TV....???

I'll address some of the other issues and other products later - think about and tell me what you think.

And go home - it's quittin' time, and the fish are biting....!

David B.

Here's a couple of quick tips for Architectural Desktop from Mike Zeeveld in our Charlotte office:

Architectural Desktop Users…
Here are some helpful hints for producing images in Architectural Desktop to show your client or take further and/or apply color for a better presentation look.

Napkin

Do you need to make your drawing(s) look like it was hand drawn? Create freehand sketches from objects in a drawing. There are 3 options which include Tight, Loose and Messy.

Command:_AecNapkin




Hidden Line Projection

Create a 2D block type image from a 3D view. Rotate your view to the position you want. Exectute the Hidden Line Projection command. Specify an insertion point, answer yes to show in plan. You're done!

Command: _AecCreateHLR



You can also use these tools in Building Systems - just type in the commands and you're off to the races!

Specs for the System

We've recently been receiving a rash of requests for what our recommended system specifications are for running AutoCAD, Architectural Desktop, Revit and Building Systems.

The good news is that prices for most systems are down in comparison to 5 years ago. The bad news is you need to plan on replacing most production machines in a 24-36 month cycle. As users start to add more content to their CAD files (i.e. property set definitions for FM in ADT/ABS, estimating info in Revit, ADT and ABS, etc.) the files sizes will continue to grow as the deliverable changes.

For all 2004 and up versions of AutoCAD, we recommend you focus on these items:

RAM - get as much RAM as you can afford to buy for your new system - if you have an older system, replace or add RAM to whatever the maximum capacity is. A minimum for AutoCAD should be 512mb, for ADT/ABS and Revit you should have at least 1gb. Your operating system will also impact how much RAM you need - Windows 2000 users don't need as much as XP, and how many other applications you leave open all the time (such as Outlook) will also take up RAM.

We ask this question of our students when talking about performance - how many applications are active at one time when Windows is running. We get a wide range, from one to a million, but the correct answer is one - only one application can be the focus program at a time, and it gets the lion's share of RAM when it's running. However, leaving a lot of applications open can impact how much RAM you have available to work with when AutoCAD or Revit is running. The secret here is to close (not minimize) applications that you're not using. IF you don't know what's running, press ctrl-alt-delete and go to the Task Manager. The processes tab will tell you how much memory an application is actually using - and with Windows there's usually a lot. If you need help understanding what all of the programs do, check with your local hardware or IT expert - they can help you figure out if you need to change how the applications are affecting your system.

Operating Systems - It's Windows 2000 or XP Pro, folks. Anything else you're running isn't really geared towards maximizing Autodesk product performance. Just because your version is able to load in Windows 98 doesn't mean that it's going to work (yes we've had people try this). And if you're still running Windows 95/98/NT or trying to use ME or the Home versions, stop! You'll spend more time fiddling with these things than what it really costs you to upgrade or replace your hardware. And anything before Windows 2000 is no longer supported by Microsoft or Autodesk, so don't waste your time (yes - you do have a value for your time that translates into cash!).

Will your AutoCAD or Revit run on the new 64 bit versions of Windows? Probably without any problem, but without a 64 bit processor on your system, you're not really taking advantage of the new XP. AMD makes good 64 bit processors (Intel has a lot of new stuff in the works), but AutoCAD isn't written to take advantage of 64 bit processors...at least not yet!

Video Adapters - any good 64mb RAM video or above is good for most versions of AutoCAD. The more 3D and rendering you do, the more RAM and better quality you need. I personally prefer most nVidia chipset cards with at least 128mb of RAM over on-board video systems that get their RAM from the system RAM - my new notebook has the 256mb nVidia adapter on top, and the graphics for ADT/ABS and Revit work great. Don't skimp on the video by using the on-board video - it will work but is adequate for 2D CAD only. ATI adapters that support OpenGL are also acceptable - the X700 series is a decent new version for most 2D/3D CAD.

Processors - Pentium 4 2ghz minimum - and don't keep using that old P3 to save a buck. Desktop workstations can now be purchased with dual core Intel processors that are blazing quick. Newer AMD chips are a little quicker than Intel, but that pendulum keeps swinging back and forth as the two companies continue to try to top one another. We stick with Intel due to the reliability factor, but don't have a bad opinion of AMD either.

For notebooks, the Centrino processors work fine and really extend battery life - my new system is a Centrino M 2.0ghz with 2gb of RAM, and the 256mb nVidia, 17" widescreen, wireless networking and Windows XP - and it weighs less than my old P4 2.8 ghz 15" notebook, with more than double the battery life.

To sum it up, you're not helping yourself by trying to keep that old P2/486 running - prices are very reasonable on new equipment. Most monitors will last 4 years and longer, so you can keep those parts if they're still working great, but keep the guts up to date - you'll be glad you did!

David B.

Setting Up a Project with the Project Navigator

Notes for the CAD Manager

Setting up a Project for the Project Navigator

Setting up a project is really a fairly simple process – and it can be a very helpful tool when a company spends the time to setup a few sample projects to work from. Our suggestion is to take a few minutes to copy some of the sample project folders that are included with Architectural Desktop and Building Systems (2005 or 2006 versions), then create their own “project seed” files (also referred to as a cartoon set). These project seeds can be used to include default folders, drawing, sheets, etc. that typically appear in all projects. Here are some short step by step methods to create your own seed files, or to even create a project from the seed files.

Start with Windows Explorer. Browse to the C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Autodesk\ADT 2005\enu\Template\Architectural Desktop Project Templates folder – copy the sample project that most closely matches your construction type to the project directory. For seed files, copy them to a shared location on your server, and then edit the copy as a master for other projects. Name the seed files based on what type of project you’ll want this to work for.

1. Open ADT 2005/2006 with a blank or open drawing.
2. Go to the File pull-down – Project Browser command.
3. Browse to the project folder (or seed folder if you’re creating masters).
   Prior to double clicking on the project file, right click and rename to the current project name.
4. Double Click on Project to set it current.
5. Accept the new location and re-path the entire project when prompted.
   Right-click on the project and choose project properties – edit as required:
   
   
   

Make sure you re-path all template files to use your base template. You can also create your own bulletin board or project logo to appear with the project when it’s set current – use Word to create these files, and start by editing the ones listed above. For more detailed tracking, you can also edit project details at this point for project management information.

Close the Project Browser. The Project Navigator will open as a palette.

1. Switch to the Project Tab – set the levels and divisions of the project.
2. Switch to the Constructs tab – set up folders as needed for bases under constructs, and under elements for repeating items (note: project seeds can have these folders predefined).
3. Switch to Views tab – set up folders as needed for plans, sections, elevations, details, schedules, etc. Views can be dragged into paper space in the sheet files, cutting a viewport at a specific scale during the process (note: project seeds can have these folders predefined).
4. Switch to Sheets tab – right click on the master sheet file at the top of the dialogue and choose properties.
5. Edit the sheet set properties as required:

From here you want to go ahead point the page setup overrides to your default sheet template. You can also set what layout tab (determining the sheet size) is the default for the project by choosing one from the sheet template. Add custom properties as needed to match project title block. For more information on how to use the custom properties, read up on the fields command or contact one of our application consultants.

Add categories as needed to separate sheet types or disciplines. Predefine categories as is appropriate for the type of job.

Once the project is setup, when using the Project Navigator in 2005-based products, make sure you have the patch for the project navigator installed – in some cases the Navigator will be slow or can possibly corrupt the sheet file, when multiple users attempt to edit a project. The patch can be downloaded from this URL:

http://usa.autodesk.com/adsk/servlet/ps/item?siteID=123112&id=5280739&linkID=2476059

Note: You must have SP 1 for Architectural Desktop 2005 or SP 2 for Building Systems 2005 installed prior to applying this patch. This fix does not apply to 2006-based products.

Now you can begin to add constructs, elements, views, sheets, etc….and that’s another tutorial.

Welcome to the CADRE BSD Blog!

Welcome to our new blog - dedicated to the Autodesk AEC industry and focusing on the Architectural Desktop, Building Systems and Revit product lines from Autodesk.

I'm David Butts, the senior application consultant for CADRE Systems, Inc. We're one of the oldest Autodesk resellers in the US, and provide training, customization and consulting services in addition to architectural and engineering industry. I've been an AutoCAD user since 1987, and came to CADRE in 1995. I've used all different kinds of CAD applications, and am certified by Autodesk up to the following releases:
- AutoCAD 2006
- Architectural Desktop 2006
- Revit Building 8.1
- Building Systems 2006
- AutoCAD Electrical 2006
- Autodesk VIZ 2006

And I've worked on these old dogs too:
- Microstation
- DataCAD
- DesignCAD

I'm currently working with Autodesk providing beta review on several future products, as well as writing the reseller product support exams for Building Systems.

Thanks to Donnie Holmes and Paul Benbow for giving me the opportunity, having the faith and providing the support we needed to help build our division to be one of largest resellers of Autodesk BSD products in the Southeast U.S.

The plan is to post thoughts and ideas about working with these products, as well as get feedback from the users on anything we can do to help the users of AutoCAD. We'll also post links to other helpful sites, as well as technical briefs from other CADRE application consultants and engineers.

Stay tuned - let's have some fun!