Here is a small AutoLISP program I did a while ago. It's freeware so just grab it, use it, change it or contact me if you want something else to be done.
It makes use of the FIELD functionality in AutoCAD but makes this specific operation easy and quick.
Run the command AT and select a polyline and then where to place the text.
The result is in SQ. FT. but the AutoLISP code can easily be changed for other formats.
When the polyline is changed the area is updated
On Lean Forum Bygg there is a game that learns the Toyota inspired lean production method. The idea is to teach how lean production works. The Sim Lean game (Leanspelet) is found here but unfortunately it's only in Swedish so you might have a bit hard time to understand everything but since I'm Swedish that was not my problem. The problem was to make sure the material was in place at the right time to keep down the costs.
As best after a couple of tries I managed to build the house in 24 weeks (it took less than 10 minutes to play the game) but the expenses was still quite high so I ended up at place 359 and a production cost of 58309kkr.
On the topic of Sim. The classic SimCity is available online for free here. I haven't had time to try it. It's that kind of game that takes a lot of time to play.
On the command line you might see the command aecprojectbrowserstartup and then you get a crash. It says something like: AutoCAD Error Aborting - FATAL ERROR: Unhandled Access Violation Reading 0x0000 Exception at cf77528h. The address cf77528h can be different each time.
Knowledge Base document: AutoCAD® Architecture crashes during startup
There is no need to uninstall SP1 as suggested in the KB unless you find other reasons that SP1 is trouble for you.
Use REGEDIT.EXE (be careful though)
Locate the following key:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Autodesk\MC3
Set MC3OptIn to 0
This is the same as opting-out from Customer Involvement Program (CIP)
Either you can continue to not opt-in for CIP or you can select to not Show Project Browser at Startup.
Update: This is now fixed in a new update Project Browser Startup Hotfix Readme - English Only
On topic, I have also heard of companies that blocked blogs hosted on Google's blogspot.com and blogs in general.
Should I move the blog and host it myself on jtbworld.com? What is your experience hosting your own blog?
UPDATE: After this post was done the blog is now hosted on jtbworld.com and can currently be visited from China.
What do you know. On my Ultimate Autodesk link list I found http://www.autodesk.com/digitalprototyping
Among the Tools for Digital Prototyping (Autodesk AliasStudio, Maya, Showcase, Inventor, 3ds Max, Electrical, Mechanical and Productstream) I expected to find NavisWorks but I guess it's only a matter of time before it show up there. NavisWorks is still not listed among Autodesk products.
"Digital Prototyping gives manufacturers the ability to virtually explore a complete product before it is built—so they can create, validate, optimize, and manage designs from the conceptual design phase through the manufacturing process. By using a digital prototype, manufacturers can visualize and simulate real-world performance of the design with less reliance on costly physical prototypes.
The Autodesk Digital Prototyping Solution enables manufacturing workgroups to create a single digital model that can be used in every stage of production, bridging the gaps that usually exist between conceptual design, engineering, and manufacturing teams. It provides the technology to help manufacturers build fewer physical prototypes, reducing design and production costs."
Via PR, Marketing and the Business of CAD Autodesk Gets the Press Thinking
There is a new disclaimer at http://www.navisworks.com/support/formats that is not unexpected after Autodesk acquired NavisWorks.
"PLEASE NOTE THAT SOME THIRD PARTY VENDORS MAY ELECT TO NOT PROVIDE FILE FORMAT SUPPORT FOR NAVISWORKS PRODUCTS AS OUTLINED BELOW FOLLOWING THE SALE OF NAVISWORKS TO AUTODESK." ...
What is quite reasonable to expect is that Autodesk will have more of their products supported with their native formats. Revit really need native support for example.
Via BIM Manager.
If you are about to start using or just have started to use Access 2007 these links (UPDATE: links removed as they are no longer working) can be useful.
As a bonus here are some links about the other Office products:
I found out about the interactive guides that helps to find things in the new 2007 ribbon on the Access Team Blog.
If you want help with developing a database or application in Access feel free to contact me. I have many years of experience creating database applications, both small and large. For example one that integrated information flow between CAD, ERP, EDM and more.
According to this post EMC has acquired Berkeley Data Systems.
It was not a big surprise. Mozy is really the best online backup solution I have used. Hopefully this change will prove to make a great service even better.
Here is a tip on usage in the post Personal backup of your drawings and documents using Mozy.
Want to try network license reporting functionality of JTB FlexReport that supports FLEXlm and FLEXnet?
Either contact us for a time limited fully functional version for free or you can use these downloads below and try the reports with a sample database.
Download of JTB FlexReport Detailed Reports that does not require Access to be installed. It uses the Access 2007 Runtime that you will be asked to download and install if needed. The Microsoft Office Access 2007 Runtime allow users who do not have the full version of Access 2007 (or earlier versions) installed on their computers to run JTB FlexReport Detailed Reports. JTB FlexReport Detailed Reports supports older versions but some functionality and reports work better or only in Access 2007.
Download for the Access 2007 Runtime. (56.4 MB)
It seems like the queries for the reports below does not work in all older versions of Access. It works in the 2007 version though.
Download JTB FlexReport Graphic Reports.
Download the sample database with several months data that can be viewed using the reports above.
Documentation is found here. But if you only want to use the three downloads it's suggested that you start installing JTB FlexReport Detailed Reports. It will as default install in the User AppData folder in the subfolder JTB FlexReport. A JTB FlexReport Detailed Reports.mdb shortcut is also created in the All Programs folder on the Windows start menu.
In Windows Vista
%USERPROFILE%\AppData\Local\JTB FlexReport
In Windows XP
%USERPROFILE%\Local Settings\Application Data\JTB FlexReport
Place the two other files in the same folder and correct the path when you start the reports.
According to a Swedish Autodesk press release it is time for AutoCAD P&ID 2008 on the European market after its initial release on the US market.
I use it together with Visual Studio 2005 but also with other file formats like AutoLISP (Visual LISP) files. There is no limitation on what type of files that can be hosted.
It was very straight forward and intuitive to start using SourceAnywhere Hosted. So far so good.
If you too want to try it they have a Free Hosting Plan for up to to 3 users and 15M storage space.
Disclaimer. I was offered for free a plan of Dynamsoft SourceAnywhere Hosted that receives the same service as the paid account.
Sometime it can be useful to close Windows Explorer. For example when working with shell extensions or even if you make an installation and is asked to close explorer.exe.
Probably you open Task Manager, look for Explorer.exe and ends the process.
In Windows Vista the safest way to close Explorer.exe is to open the Start menu, hold down Shift and Ctrl, right click on an empty surface in the menu. That should give you a context menu with the option Exit Explorer.
To start Explorer again use Task Manager (you might need to use Ctrl+Alt+Del) and File>Run and enter explorer and it will start again.
If you have Windows XP it's still possible. It's a bit more tricky. Open the Start menu, select Turn Off Computer, press Ctrl+Alt+Shift and click on the cancel button in the shut down dialog box.
UPDATE: It works the same way in Windows 7.
Seemage the company with its products for the creation of 3D interactive product documentation is now acquired by DS according to their blog. The 3DMojo blog is full of sample videos/podcasts showing the usage of the product. Like the one below on Path Planning how Seemage can solve an abstract problem like how to remove parts in a maintenance situation.
The new name is 3DVIA Seemage.
In a recent post I used the latest version of Steve Dunn's Code Formatter Plug-in using the latest WLW version and it worked good. Now the code also look good in Google Reader. Due to some unknown reasons Google Reader could not render the code correctly.
And the code you have will show up just great and several languages are supported.
' Test of Code Formatting Private Sub Test() Dim s As String = "This works good" End Sub
Steve Dunn's Blog: New version of the Code Formatter Plug-in for Windows Live Writer.
