New 3D Connexion SpaceMouse Pro

SpaceMouse Pro is the latest addition to 3Dconnexion’s line of professional 3D mice. With an advanced ergonomic design and innovative On-screen Display, it delivers superior comfort and a simpler, more productive workflow. SpaceMouse Pro increases your productivity by more than 20% (#1) , as well as improving overall design quality1. It supplies you with exactly the right tools at the right time making it an indispensable tool for anyone who works with 3D software.

SpaceMouse Pro incorporates 3Dconnexion’s patented 6-Degrees-of-Freedom (6DoF) sensor, for intuitive, precise navigation of 3D models and camera positions in 3D space. It also features a full-size, soft-coated hand rest for maximum comfort and an array of 15 large, fully programmable function keys that enable you to stay focused by reducing the need to shift your attention between the screen, mouse and keyboard.

SpaceMouse Pro’s QuickView Keys provide fingertip access to 12 views, making it easier to detect errors, explore alternatives and present your work more effectively for review, and the conveniently positioned Keyboard Modifiers (Ctrl, Shift, Alt, Esc) save time by giving you fingertip access to application-specific editing commands.

SpaceMouse Pro automatically assigns appropriate commands to its four Intelligent Function Keys, and a convenient On-screen Display provides a visual reminder of function key assignments on your computer screen. The Virtual NumPad lets you input numerical data into your application using the standard mouse, rather than the keyboard.

Autodesk Vault Updates

In the past Autodesk would release a Vault Hotfix for each issue that is discovered. This was a good strategy to get Hotfixes released to address specific issues that were affecting production. But the feedback received from Customers was that it was very difficult to roll these out individually over multiple systems.

So lately you may have noticed that many of the Hotfixes being released for Vault 2011 and 2012 are now cumulative. So a Multi Issue Hotfix, which should contain most (if not all) of the hotfixes that preced it. There will still be Hotfixes released to address hot issues, but these should be consumed with the next Multi Issue Hotfix.

There may also be a situation where a specific Hotfix is released immediately prior to a Multi Issue Hotfix, but is not consumed within it. In that case, Autodesk just could not get it published in time, but did not want to delay a big patch that could help most users. You should look at the readme of the Multi issue Hotfix to see if any issues you are experiencing are listed. If it is not listed, it should be consumed in the next Multi Issue Hotfix.

So as a rule, always install the latest Multi Issue Hotfix, and any other relevant Hotfixes between that and the preceding Multi Issue Hotfix.

Autodesk Digital Prototyping Forum

Following on from last year’s hugely successful event we are pleased to announce the date and location for this year’s Autodesk Digital Prototyping Forum.

Date: Wednesday 2nd November 2011
Location: Villa Park, Birmingham

Autodesk will be using Directors boxes that look out onto the pitches to host the break-out sessions and there will be a tour of the pitch, changing rooms and dug outs for all those that attend the Digital Prototyping Forum. Vicki Butler Henderson will be hosting the day!

With this year’s Forum just around the corner, Steve Bedder caught up with one of the attendees from last year to see what they though. Read there interview here.

Click here to see highlights from last year’s Digital Prototyping Forum.

Mouse Cursor Performance Issues

We have recently had several support queries regarding mouse cursor performance issues in 2011 AutoCAD products. So, if you are experiencing these issues too, then have a look through the items below to potentially help/fix your problem:

• Turn off Selection cycling.

• Turn off Show Tool Tips (Options > Display TAB > untick Show Tool Tips)
• Turn off Show Rollover Tool Tips (Options > Display TAB > untick Show Rollover Tool Tips)
• See the Autodesk paper below, which discusses cursor performance:

http://usa.autodesk.com/adsk/servlet/ps/dl/item?siteID=123112&id=14898223&linkID=9240617

• Lastly we are aware that changing the Windows Theme to Classic can help, as this turns off some of the Graphic Acceleration settings.

Apply Superscript or Subscript Formatting to Text

Have you ever needed to make text subscript and/or superscript on a drawing? There is an easy way using the Caret symbol (Shift + 6 on the keyboard).

• To subscript, type in the following with the Caret: ^required text
• To superscript, type in the following with the Caret: required text^

Once you have typed your text, highlight the text (including the Caret symbol), right-click and select Stack from the flyout menu.

Help to Plot Raster Images on Drawings

This is a tip for printing drawings with high-resolution images or multiple aerial photographs. There are a couple of settings that affect how AutoCAD handles memory when dealing with raster images:

• RasterPercent: Sets the maximum percentage of available virtual memory that is allowed for plotting a raster image. The default is 20% - consider increasing this to 90%.
• RasterThreshold: Specifies a raster threshold in megabytes. If the plotted raster image exceeds this threshold, the availability of system memory is checked. The plot is aborted if the image is too big for the available memory. The default is 20 MB - consider increasing this to 100 MB.

This is an extract from the CAD Digest Blog

Difficult to Select Items in Sketches Within Inventor

Are you having difficulties selecting items within a sketch in Inventor, i.e. struggling to pick up an end point, mid point?

If this is the case, there is an option in Application Options > General TAB > Selection > Locate Tolerance, which can help with this.

This Locate Tolerance option sets the distance (in pixels) from which clicking selects an object. Enter a number from 1 to 10 or click the up or down arrow to select the distance. By default this is set to 5!

Backup to a Remote Location

Normally with Vault you create a batch routine to create a backup on the same server (Local Disk). It is however possible to backup the Vault to another drive on another machine, to do this you will need to make the following changes:

1. Go into the ADMS (Autodesk Data Management Server) console on the server > Tools > Administration > Advanced Settings > Settings > change the Impersonation Settings to your Domain Admin User and Password (or a user with permissions to the location you wish to Backup to).

2. Next go to Control Panel > Administrative Tools > Services > find SQL Server (Autodesk Vault) > right click > Properties > Log On > change This account to the same Domain Admin User and Password.

3. Finally modify your Backup BAT file to include your network location instead of the current Local Disk and Run accordingly.

LABS - Factory Layout Optimisation for AutoCAD

A Factory consists of a number of machines and other production equipment. The raw material flows through these machines where certain operations are performed to convert the raw material into the finished product. The location of these machines is very critical in determining the overall efficiency of the Factory, if they are not located in an optimal way, the Factory could be operating way below its target.

Many times decisions regarding the location of machines and other production equipment inside the Factory are done simply as best guesses, resulting in an inefficient layout. In some cases, layout studies are carried out either by hand or using spreadsheet tools, which are disconnected from the layout drawing making it extremely difficult to analyse the impact of multiple what-if layout scenarios on the layout.

Create Axis in Centre of Slot for Constraining Fasteners

Recently one of the members of the Micro Concepts Technical Team stumbled upon an interesting workflow for creating an Axis through the centre of a Slot to aid constraining a fastener in an Assembly.
If this is something of interest or something you do a lot, please follow the steps below:

• Firstly create your Part, complete with Slot, then select the Axis tool from the Work Features panel on the Model TAB of the Ribbon.

• Next, right click in the workspace somewhere and select Create Plane from the flyout menu.

Overview of the LISTBOX_DEF Catalog Database Table

This optional table can be included in the Catalog Database file. It allows you to predefine filtering of the Catalog entries on the Parts Catalog dialogue box. AutoCAD Electrical normally shows all the entries for the selected Catalog Lookup table.

Filtering values can be defined differently for each Catalog Lookup table. The first field defines the Catalog Lookup table name. The next fields follow the same format and order as the Catalog Lookup table structure. Leave the field blank if you do not want to filter the records based on the values in that field. Access automatically handles the last field, which is the record number.

1. When the Parts Catalog dialogue box displays, the program checks to see if the component already has a Catalog defined.
2. If no Catalog is defined, the program checks the _LISTBOX_DEF table for a record with a TABLENAME value that matches the table name for the component.
3. If a TABLENAME match is found, the program filters the records displayed in the Parts Catalog dialogue box using the non-blank values from the _LISTBOX_DEF record.

For example, when you first insert a relay coil symbol and open the Parts Catalog dialogue box, you want the CR Catalog table display to default to Allen-Bradley part numbers for TYPE P relays. Use a copy of Microsoft Access to open the Catalog Lookup file, and select table _LISTBOX_DEF. Insert a record with these field values: TABLENAME = CR, MANUFACTURER = AB, and TYPE = TYPE P. The text you enter must exactly match existing field values in the target table. Save and Exit. Now, when you insert a relay coil and select Catalog Lookup, the dialogue box opens with these filters predefined.

How to Rename Using Sequential Numbering in 2011

In Vault 2011, when you rename two files with the same prefix using the Sequential Numbering Scheme, the new names do not by default, retain the same prefix.

For example 100001.ipt and 100001.idw, get renamed to 100002.ipt and 100003.idw.

The following workflow shows how to get the same behaviour as in earlier releases.

• Open the files in the Rename Wizard
• Proceed to the Enter Names step in the wizard
• Click  the Numbering Scheme button
• Select None from the Numbering Scheme pull down option
• Untick Prefix
• Tick Increment
• Select Apply
• Click Close and Finish

This is an extract from the Cracking the Vault, Manufacturing Community Blog

Use Wildcard to Stop Electrical pre filtering Manufacturers

The new Catalog Lookup in AutoCAD Electrical 2011 allows you to filter and search by any field, Manufacturer, Type, Style etc. However there is a large performance overhead with this, so the Catalog Lookup is pre-filtered on opening to prevent all the records having to be loaded (the pushbutton component table has just under 100000 records for example). If you are editing the component and it already has Catalog information applied then it will filter using this information. It will filter on the Manufacturer and the fourth and fifth fields in the table (which are different for each component type).

Import Wire Types

If you require extra Wire Types from an existing drawing in the drawing you are currently working on, then there might be an easier way of creating these.

• Select Create/Edit Wire Types on the Schematic TAB, this will show the Wire Types that you currently have available in the open drawing. Click the Import button.

How to Disable Reflections and Gradients in Shaded Views

You would like to have an option to disable reflections in the shaded views that you create.

In order to do this, you will need to add a DWORD registry key named Suppress Specular Color" with value greater than zero under the following registry key.

Use Excel to extract a BOM from your Inventor Assembly

Below is an example of an Excel macro, which allows you to choose an Inventor Assembly and pull some BOM information in at the active cell position. This example just pulls in the part number, description and quantity but you can modify it to pull through the property information you require.

Click here to download a Text file containing the VBA code that you will need for the Excel macro.

Updated Threads XLS for Inventor 2011

We were recently asked on support for BA and Whitworth Threads in Inventor, so we have updated a Thread.xls file to include these and work with Inventor 2011.
To use this file you will need to replace the existing Thread.xls file in your Design Data folder, default locations as below:

• Windows 7 = C:\Users\Public\Documents\Autodesk\Inventor 2011\Design Data
• Windows XP = C:\Program Files\Autodesk\Inventor 2011\Design Data

If the new Threads do not appear immediately, you may need to restart Inventor for it to reread the threads spreadsheet.

LABS - Inventor Fusion Technology Preview 4 Released

Autodesk Inventor Fusion Technology Preview 4 has been released!
The Autodesk Inventor Fusion Technology Preview showcases intuitive direct manipulation capabilities for unrivalled ease of use, provides direct modelling for rapid design changes without limitations, and unites direct and parametric work flows within a single digital model created in Autodesk Inventor. This updated Technology Preview of Inventor Fusion offers some exciting new capabilities:

• Surfacing support: Users can now work seamlessly between solids and surfaces, expanding their confidence and capabilities to tackle design changes. By enhancing the existing translators to read surface data and adding new Parasolid, Rhino, IGES and AliasDesign .wire file import capabilities user have access to an even larger number of design formats.
• Simplification wizard: Simulation users now have one button simplification of designs. This makes simplifying common geometry fast and easy and ensures that mesh and solves times are as fast as possible.
• Ease of use improvements: New marking menus, sketch ease of use and modelling ease of use, make this release of Inventor Fusion the easiest to use yet.

The Inventor Fusion Technology Preview is fully interoperable with AutoCAD and Autodesk Inventor software, enabling customers to choose the modelling approach that is right for the task at hand.

You can try the Inventor Fusion Technology Preview 4 for yourself at:
http://labs.autodesk.com/technologies/fusion/

Group Rather than Block

Do you ever need to move or edit objects together but still have the need to edit those same objects individually? AutoCAD can do that with Groups.

Groups are different from Blocks. With Blocks, you can manipulate the block as a whole, and that is it. If you need to edit a part of the Block, you have go into the Block Editor and make your changes. This will change every instance of the Block in your file.

With Groups, you can edit the object but it will not change other instances of that Group. Also, note that you cannot share Groups from file to file.

To make a Group, type group at the command line. Then simply fill out the Group Name field and enter a Description. If you do not enter a Description you can always fill this in later. Then hit the New button, select the items you want to Group and hit Enter.

So, what can you do with a Group? You can Grip edit the items individually, or move/copy/scale the Group as a whole. Double clicking the Text in a group will not invoke the Text Editor. You have to start the Text Editor command then select your Text to change it.

Create Tool Palettes From Block Libraries

If you already have a drawing that you consider to be a standard, you may want to use the Blocks from that drawing on future versions. The easiest way to manage the Blocks is using a Tool Palette, where you can quickly access these standard Blocks from any drawing. You may think that this will be a time consuming task, dragging each Block in the drawing to the new Tool Palette, but you would be wrong.

You can simply use the Design Center and create a Tool Palette within a few clicks!

• Open the Design Center, you will find this on the View TAB of the Ribbon.