Monday, February 9, 2009

AutoCAD 2010 Parametric Reciprocator in 3D

One of the most welcome and big news in AutoCAD 2010 is the parametric functionality. In AutoCAD 2010 it is mainly to be used in 2D but to some extent it can at least drive 3D geometry as can be seen in this sample I created by only adding a few constraints.

Below is an animated GIF file showing how the reciprocator works when dragging the magenta handle around.

A reciprocator is also called ellipsograph because it the handle is describing an ellipse. Notice how the linear motion of the two green guides convert the motion to a circular or ellipse motion or the other way around the ellipse rotary motion is converted to a reciprocating motion in two axis.

You will find that you cannot add constraints to vertical objects like Walls in AutoCAD Architecture 2010. Hopefully it will be possible in a future version or you need to use Revit 2010.

4 comments:

  1. Okay, so now send that drawing to your contractor or customer using any DWG viewing application, or any CAD package using able to read DWG and what do you think will be the result? Proxy Hell. How come nobody mentions that? Don't you all feel a responsibility to your readers to warn them about this snafu in this great release everyone is so gaga over. One more step in the long road of locking the customer into purchasing the overpriced AutoCAD. Used to be it was just the vertical applications such ADT or Civil 3D but now any drawing you make is subject to displaying a proxy by the unsuspecting user. Look forward to paying $4000.00 each time you need just to view your drawing.

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  2. Autocad's cleverness is going to overtake the verticals without seious development. I'm hoping the new modelling tools can be turned to site development uses but the ACA team seems always behind the field (not that I think it's their fault).
    Great image BTW. That's fancy for Autocad.

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  3. It's good you mention the proxy problem. This is a problem I have mentioned about before and I will keep mentioning about that as well as a lot of other things. Proxy problems and other compatibility problems have always existed. Just look at the Budweiser DWG for example and try it in different applications being able to read DWG files: http://www.xanadu.cz/budweiser

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  4. You don't need to spend $4000 just to view our DWG's. We can send you a DWF or PDF, or you can view the DWG's in True View, no Proxy Hell...

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