JTB CAD Automation Tools 5.1 released

JTB CAD Automation Tools for AutoCAD has been updated to version 5.1 and got a couple of bugs fixed.

• Fixed bug where Add drawings button may add a drawing on row 9
• Fixed bug where processing of custom LSP files did not work as expected

If you love to use Excel spread sheets to make edits then JTB CAD Automation Tools is for you as you can do a lot of AutoCAD automation with help of Excel like creating new drawings based on templates, update title block attributes, inserts text, blocks or xrefs, run custom LSP files and much more.

AutoCAD 2016.0.10 Update

AutoCAD 2016.0.10 Update was released 04/28/2017 and is only available to download from the Autodesk Account or via Autodesk desktop app.

According to the readme this update contains all of the hotfixes released previously and applies to the following releases with the AutoCAD 2016 Service Pack 1 installed.

The following resolutions are addressed by the earlier hotfixes and this update:

2016 Hotfix 3

• Occasional crashes when panning transparently in multiple viewports.
• Performance problem opening files containing specific objects in AutoCAD 2016 may appear as if files cannot be opened.
• Use of the LISP (command) function within the (mapcar) function results in VVC Internal Error.
• Grip stretch doesn't work properly when DYNMODE equals value other than 2 or 3.
• acedCallBackOnCancel is not detected for Lispcallable Functions.
• Certain VBA Macros throw an execution error.
• DWG file fails to insert into another DWG file.
• Occasional crashes when when Copy/Paste a block by Ctrl+C, Ctrl+V.
• Occasional crashes when opening AutoCAD in Windows 10.
• AcSettingSync.exe launched when running OPTIONS command.
• Annotations in Architectural Units format are changing to Decimal format.

2016 Hotfix 4

• There is a security vulnerability with ATIL image files within a drawing.
• The primary display adapter is not shown as the default in a Citrix environment.
• Opening an Excel hyperlink resizes the AutoCAD application window to match the Excel sheet size.
• Locked objects can be edited by Matchprop command.
• Publish borders are cut off with certain sheet sizes.
• Background masks are not ignoring the Xrefoverride setting.

2016.0.10 Update

• Enterprise Single Sign On accounts are signed out when multiple users have the same credentials.
• Cloud Rendering URLs are updated to the current https location.
• Can initiate the 3dpoly command after undo without crashing.
• STEPIMPORT imports the full STEP model in specific cases.
• Sheet set publishing to PDF is faster.
• F8 Key during an active command no longer freezes AutoCAD in Windows 10
• Language switching between Korean and English works after using the move command.
• Publish no longer cuts off the borders of A size paper.
• Elliptical arcs do not display extra lines when plotting while shaded.
• Keynote fields no longer lose the association to a value for editing Xref in place.
• Edit block in place no longer crashes when Factory Utilities are loaded.
• ECW images no longer display distorted after applying the ATIL update.

For AutoCAD 2016.0.10 _VERNUM (product version) is “M.107.0.26 (UNICODE)”

How to rename Sheet Set or Sheet Custom Property names

This can’t be done in AutoCAD, GstarCAD or BricsCAD without deleting the Custom Property and adding a new one, loosing the values in the process.

One reason why you may want to rename the Custom Properties could be that you want to have them sorted in a special way and as the show up in sorted order and not in the order they are created you may want to use prefixes to force the sorting as you want it.

The good news is that with our JTB DST Tool this can be done.

After converting from DST to XML advanced edits can be made like renaming Sheet Set Custom Property names, Sheet Custom Property names, subset names, view category names and most anything else and then convert the XML back to DST. Edits of the XML can be done in Notepad or an XML editor like the free XML Notepad.

Say there is a Custom Property name like “Project Name” that you want to change to “6 Project Name”.

Open the XML file and search for propname="Project Name" and replace it with propname="5 Project Name". Just make sure that only change on all places where the element is AcSmCustomPropertyValue as seen below. The GUID values could be different.

<AcSmCustomPropertyValue clsid="g8D22A2A4-1777-4D78-84CC-69EF741FE954" ID="g8F7DC303-A284-473B-8A92-BCE9B83B1D15" propname="Project Name" vt="13">

Here’s the result in AutoCAD after renaming a few Sheet Set Custom Properties.

Sheet Custom Properties exists in multiple places and needs to be changed everywhere.

And if you want to use our SSMPropEditor it looks like below because it currently shows the properties in the order they were created. There are plans to be able to show them in either the order they were created or in sorted order.

Autodesk License Service 5.1.5 Hotfix 1

Product crash when communicating with Licensing Server – Hotfix is available.

Product users of version 2018 Autodesk single-user subscriptions may experience an intermittent crash. The crash occurs when it has been more than 24 hours since the last successful authorization check and there is intermittent or no internet connection, or the licensing authorization server is unavailable. The licensing authorization check occurs in the background and is completely unrelated to activities the user is performing at the time of the crash.
A fatal error  message may be shown by the product. For example:
 
FATAL ERROR: Unhandled e06d7363h Exception at ee563c58h

The error will likely be followed by a dialog requesting to submit the error report.

This affects all users of 2018 product versions on subscription with single-user access, on both Windows and Mac.

If you use AutoCAD 2018 make also sure to install AutoCAD 2018.0.2 Update if you have 2018.0.1 installed or it will cause the product subscription to expire on June 1st, 2017.

AutoCAD 2017.1.2 Update

AutoCAD 2017 has got an update. Readme for AutoCAD 2017.1.2 Update here.

This AutoCAD 2017.1.2 Update contains all of the updates previously released for AutoCAD 2017. After applying this patch, AutoCAD 2017.1.2 Update, the Product Version number in the About box will be listed as N.402.0.0 AutoCAD 2017.1.2. If you use one of the vertical products, the Built On version will be listed as N.402.0.0 AutoCAD 2017.1.2.

What has been fixed?

• Occasional crashes when zooming in while HQGEOM is disabled on specific drawings.
• Occasional crashes running common commands after loading specific ARX files.
• Compiling PFB fonts can produce a non-usable .SHX file.
• After executing certain commands, the local language cannot be switched.
• Copying and pasting might lead to AutoCAD freezing.
• When changing the view of a drawing, the objects in that view might disappear.

JTB Sort Table updated for AutoCAD 2018

JTB Sort Table has been updated for AutoCAD 2018.

Sorts data in AutoCAD or BricsCAD tables, ascending or descending in selected columns.

If you are looking for a command on the Table Cell tab to sort data in your table, and can not find it, this app is for you.

Just as easy as in Excel, you select the table or cells (in AutoCAD), run the SORTTABLE command or start it from the Add-ins or Plug-ins ribbon tab in AutoCAD or the JTB Sort Table ribbon tab or toolbar in BricsCAD, then select columns to sort them.

You can sort ascending or descending. Cells with blocks and merged cells also be sorted.

Free trial available.

JTB Quick Perspective updated for AutoCAD 2018

JTB Quick Perspective has been updated for AutoCAD 2018.

JTB Quick Perspective will transforms Points, Lines, straight Polylines and "landscape" Blocks to perspective view drawing, all in 2D working space.

If you want to add some simple perspective view to your drawing without getting involved in complicated 3D modeling, you will find JTB Quick Perspective invaluable. All you need is one command and you will be taken through a simple procedure where you will control required extrusion and rotation. Newly created objects are polylines and can be used as source frame for the next command call. With JTB Quick Perspective you will create 3D-like perspective views with just a few clicks!

JTB Quick Perspective 30-day trial is available.

JTB Layout Palette updated for AutoCAD 2018

JTB Layout Palette has been updated for AutoCAD 2018 and is also working with BricsCAD.

Manage drawings with many layouts easier in a palette.

Run command LAYOUTPALETTE or click to the ribbon panel to Show or Hide the Layout Palette. You can quickly browse for layout, add, delete or edit name like working on a spreadsheet. This app is for you when there are too many layouts, or the layout names are too long to effectively work with out-of-the-box in AutoCAD or BricsCAD.

Quickly show only the layouts you want to see with filters.

Edit layout names

Moving and Sorting layouts

Free trial version available that works for 30 days.

Sheet Set Manager Path Edit updated for AutoCAD 2018

Sheet Set Manager Path Edit has been updated for AutoCAD 2018.

With this app for AutoCAD you can find and replace a path prefix for all sheets in a Sheet Set.

In the project below all sheets has "Status: File is missing" because the files where moved to a new location and this can be fixed with this app.

JTB Sheet Set Creator 2.1 released

JTB Sheet Set Creator has been updated for AutoCAD 2018 and also now supports the Subset New Sheet Location setting.

JTB Sheet Set Creator is an app for AutoCAD that creates new Sheet Sets and Sheets based on an Excel template.

Free trial available.

JTB DST Tool updated for AutoCAD 2018

JTB DST Tool has been updated for AutoCAD 2018.

JTB DST Tool can merge, purge and convert Sheet Set DST files for AutoCAD, BricsCAD and any other CAD software using Sheet Set DST files. For example AutoCAD's Sheet Set Manager (SSM) or AutoCAD Architecture's Project Navigator (PN) Sheet Set View.

OffsetInXref updated for AutoCAD 2018

JTB World’s OffsetInXref app updated for AutoCAD 2018. This app can be used with AutoCAD to enable the OFFSET command to work with externally referenced drawings (xrefs), blocks, and lines within associated arrays, dimensions and tables.

Free trial is available.

JTB FlexReport LT updated for AutoCAD 2018

JTB World’s freeware app JTB FlexReport LT has been updated for AutoCAD 2018. JTB FlexReport LT makes it easy to show current usage of FlexNet licenses. Way easier than checking the status with lmtools.exe or lmutil.exe.

With the handy Get Feature Descriptions button you will automatically get descriptions for FlexNet features like 86830ACD_2018_0F (Autodesk AutoCAD 2018). These descriptions are then used in the report.

Screenshots from a sample HTML report. All users using a license will be listed, when the license was checked out and how many hours it has been used.

The aggregated list sums up multiple license servers and gives an overview of the features (applications/modules/packages/bundles/collections), number of licenses issued, in use and available.

Click here to see a sample HTML report.

JTB FlexReport LT is free so get it now.

JTB VPLayer Tools 1.0 released

JTB VPLayer Tools by JTB World is a new app for AutoCAD to simplify layer override settings within viewports.

If you use VPLAYER frequently setting up overrides for linetype and lineweight of layers on viewports, this app will help you do it quickly.

Free trial is available for JTB VPLayer Tools.

JTB Text Bubble Plus updated for AutoCAD 2018

JTB Text Bubble Plus and basic Text Bubble app have been updated for AutoCAD 2018.

With the app you can insert text bubbles to lines, curves, or draw leaders with it, or quickly make a schedule from text bubbles and/or other blocks. Incrementing of numbers or letters is done automatically.

Free trial available.

DimensionPatrol updated for AutoCAD 2018

DimensionPatrol is an app that highlights dimensions in a drawing for which the user has customized or edited the dimension text and helps to ensure the quality of the drawings. The app is now updated for AutoCAD 2018.

Manually overridden dimension are highlighted in red by DimensionPatrol.

Transparency set to 70%.

Free trial of DimensionPatrol is available.

JTB Current Folder updated for AutoCAD 2018

JTB Current Folder app has been updated for AutoCAD 2018.

Every time you want to open a drawing, or attach external references, insert drawing as block or want to create a block, you will have a Current Folder item on the left of your file selection dialog box (in the custom places area). This folder shortcut will dynamically change depending on the location of the current drawing you have open.

Free trial of JTB Current Folder is available.

JTB CAD Automation Tools updated for AutoCAD 2018

JTB CAD Automation Tools app has been updated for AutoCAD 2018. Batch create, update or insert into drawings. Excel is used to make edits of the data easier.

Example of usages: Add a stamp block; insert a title block; update text or attributes in the title block; insert text, block or xref; change text or attribute values and more. Change all external references (xrefs) from absolute paths to relative paths for archive purpose. Find and replace attribute or text values.

Free trial of JTB CAD Automation Tools is available.

DwgNotes updated for AutoCAD 2018

JTB World’s DwgNotes app has been updated for AutoCAD 2018.

Add notes or comments in AutoCAD or BricsCAD DWG files and optionally be notified about the note when the drawing is opened.

One or multiple notes can be added, edited or deleted.

You can use these notes for yourself or within a team to remind others what needs to be done with the drawing.

Free trial of DwgNotes is available.

JTB Spot Elevation updated for AutoCAD 2018

JTB Spot Elevation has been updated for AutoCAD 2018.

JTB Spot Elevation is an app to insert surveying Spot Elevation blocks and manage them on an Edit Properties spreadsheet.

Free trial of JTB Spot Elevation is available.

JTB Layouts2PDF updated for AutoCAD 2018

JTB Layouts2PDF has been updated for AutoCAD 2018.

JTB Layouts2PDF help you print selected layouts with selected plot style to one pdf file. Your current Page Setup on each layout will be used.

Free trial of JTB Layouts2PDF is available.

JTB Steel 1.4 released

JTB Steel 1.4 has been released and comes with these news:

• Added support for AutoCAD 2018.
• Option to change color of hollow section's inner line

JTB Steel is an app that adds powerful command features to help you draw simple and complex steelwork frames and details efficiently.

You can select and insert Steel Sections from JTB Steel library to AutoCAD drawing just as inserting blocks. You can draw Steel Frames just as drawing lines by 2 pickpoints. All created drawing objects are either blocks or dynamic blocks. Once Steel members are inserted, you can edit these using powerful editing commands located on Tools Palette.

JTB Steel includes advanced automation techniques for modifying dynamic blocks. This means that you can easily manage your drawings and quickly finalize your details. The below example was fully created using JTB Steel (this includes any alignment, rotation etc):

Free trial of JTB Steel is available.

RVT Columns for Explorer updated for Autodesk Revit 2018.

RVT Columns for Explorer has been updated to support Autodesk Revit 2018.

Enhance Your User's Experience with RVT Columns for Windows Explorer / File Explorer.

Show the Revit version and Revit build in Explorer columns.

Free trial is available.

JTB XClipClean 2.1 released

JTB XClipClean 2.1 has been released and comes with these news:

• Minor bugs fixed that could cause the app to not work on some drawings
• Added support for AutoCAD® 2018

JTB XClipClean is an Xclip-cutter app for AutoCAD to clean up xrefs or blocks that been clipped so that the information that is outside the clip is removed.

AutoCAD allows blocks and xrefs to be clipped using the XCLIP command. Sometimes for different reasons you have to clean up the blocks or xrefs that have been clipped. JTB XClipClean can help you with that by deleting and trimming geometry that is outside the xclip boundary.

TimberTool updated for AutoCAD Architecture 2018

TimberTool 2.0 supports AutoCAD Architecture 2018.

TimberTool makes it easy to convert closed polylines into mass elements and makes the bounding box width and depth correct for scheduling purposes. The product was initially created for usage with timber but works with lumber, structural steel or concrete shapes.

Classification Definition Tools updated for AutoCAD Architecture 2018

JTB World’s Classification Definition Tools has been updated for AutoCAD Architecture 2018 and AutoCAD MEP 2018.

• AutoCAD Architecture Classification Definitions cannot be exported or imported. With the help of this app this is possible.
• Some classification structures can be very large and complicated and this tool can help to avoid the need to type everything manually.

JTB Catenary updated for AutoCAD 2018

JTB Catenary has been updated for AutoCAD 2018.

This JTB Catenary app for AutoCAD makes it easy to create or draw a catenary curve as a polyline by specifying the start and end point and the length and optionally a diameter (width) or sag. This can be useful for drawing freely hanging cable, hose, chain, transmission line, anchor line (anchor rode), cord, rope, string, suspension bridge cable, arch, hawser, wire or the like.

Below the catenary has been created with a distance of 1000 between start and end and a sag of 100 has been specified, creating a true catenary curve with the length of 1026.

DigSigStamp updated for AutoCAD 2018

JTB World’s DigSigStamp has been updated for AutoCAD 2018. This app allows you to specify a block that will change its display when plotted to indicate whether the drawing had a valid digital signature at the time of plotting. The app helps you identify visually when drawings have valid digital signatures.

The following are just examples of how the blocks can look like. The design of them is completely up to you. Digitally Signed example. This drawing has a valid digital certificate.

Invalid. This drawing does not have a valid digital certificate.

Unverified example. Digital signature verification application is not enabled.

Windows 10 Game Mode for CAD software

I’ve not done any comparable test but it might be worth to give it a try to see if the new Game Mode that comes with Windows 10 Version 1703 (Windows 10 Creators Update) can help you hardware intensive software like CAD. It could be AutoCAD, Revit, Inventor, Navisworks, BricsCAD, CATIA, Siemens NX, Solid Edge, PTC Creo, SolidWorks, etc.

This Windows tool is not limited to games and works for most any software. Running a software in Game Mode tells Windows that you’d like to focus on the software in terms of system resources. Unwanted and non-priority background processes will be stopped automatically or run with lower priority.

First you need to turn Game Mode on in the Windows Settings area, then enable it for each software as well. To do this, open the Windows Game Bar (Windows key + G) with the software running, and check the "Use Game Mode for this game" box. In the Game Mode Bar click on Settings to disable it for the software by unchecking “Remember this as a Game”.

You can also take screenshots and record videos with this tool.

See also Windows 10 Game Mode missing and solution

Windows 10 Game Mode missing and solution

If you can’t find Gaming in Settings and activate (press Windows key + G) the new Game Mode even though upgrading to Windows 10 Version 1703 (Windows 10 Creators Update) it might be that you need to install Media Feature Pack for N edition of Windows 10 Version 1703 from the Microsoft Download Center.

License Borrowed Dialog Closer supports AutoCAD 2018

JTB World’s License Borrowed Dialog Closer freeware has been updated to work with AutoCAD 2018. This free app is great if you use a borrowed network license and want to prevent the "License Borrowed" message from showing up every single time you start AutoCAD.

JTB Batch Change 1.5 adds support for AutoCAD 2018

JTB Batch Change 1.5 comes with support for AutoCAD 2018.

With this app you can do a lot of different automation tasks for AutoCAD in batch mode on multiple drawings at once.

With Batch Rename Objects you can rename layers in hundreds of drawing by substituting text "Concrete" with "CONC", or add a prefix of "AC " to each layer's name

• Find and replace text on multiple drawings.
• Import and update all blocks from a standard drawing to hundreds of other drawings.
• Replace all inserted blocks "DOOR-BD3" in layer "Archs" with block "DOOR-AC1", and move them to layer "ARCH-FURN"
• Change all texts whose styles are not prefixed with "ELEC" to "ELEC Standard" style, then change all block's attributes whose tag is "DATE" to current date.
• Convert all your inserted blocks from dynamic to static, or to anonymous blocks.
• Flatten all your drawing objects by setting all Z coordinates to 0.
• Unload or Detach xrefs or change their name, file name or path.
• Batch change drawing properties
• Perform Batch Audit and Purge
• And much more.

TransTips updated for AutoCAD 2018

JTB World’s TransTips for AutoCAD now supports AutoCAD 2018.

This app can be used to translate the contents of tooltips in various Autodesk products automatically into one of 43+ languages via Microsoft's Bing online translation service. The translated text is stored in a local cache of XML files, which can also be edited and used by the app.

JTB Align Plus updated for AutoCAD 2018

JTB Align Plus is an app for AutoCAD that now supports AutoCAD 2018. This app helps to align text and blocks to lines and curves. Check out all productivity features this app has at JTB Align Plus, a trial is available so you can give it a try.