Subassembly Composer Technology Preview for AutoCAD Civil 3D 2011 Now Available @ The //LABS_

Hello Everybody... Take at look at this that it is alive in Autodesk // LABS_
Senior Principal Developer, Tom Fukushima, is sharing the latest technology preview.
AutoCAD Civil 3D provides a powerful model-based representation of corridors. An issue with building these corridors is getting exactly the right subassembly. Your inventory of subassemblies may have issues such as a missing code; a dimension is slightly different from the local regulations; or there just may not be a suitable subassembly to start with. Bummer.
As such you do not look forward to writing a subassembly using VB.NET because it takes time to write it, test it, and sometimes there's that little error in the .atc file that causes the most problems.
Autodesk Subassembly Composer Technology Preview for AutoCAD Civil 3D 2011 can be used to get you the subassembly that meets your needs.
Download Autodesk Subassembly Composer Technology Preview for AutoCAD Civil 3D 2011 via Autodesk Labs
The Labs has some youtube videos that show you how powerful this tool could be....

Go take a look at it, play with it and find out for yourself how powerful this tool really is... The Autodesk Developers Team always looking for ways to make our lives so much easier...
ENJOY and Happy Holidays to all!!!

This pic say it all... Enjoy!!!

... TO ALL

Creating and Modifying Commands in Civil 3D!

Hello.... In my last post I mentioned some old command that the only way to use them is through the command line, but we can do some customization and modifications to the Alias or create some shortcuts or some other cool stuffs in the CUI.

Hope this video could give you some ideas to help you get there...

Some old stuffs, but GOOD to know!!!

... Once in a while I get this questions about performance and control, some people don't like the dynamic layer interface for example, because it take a lot of resources on their machines or they don't like how the new Xrefs Manager works... No matter which one is your case, you always can go back to the old interface, just REMEMBER "You most call the command using the command line", because the icon will always call the new one....
To call the old Layer Manager
CLASSICLAYER
To call the old Xref Manager
CLASSICXREF (**)
** Just keep in mind that when you use the old Xref Manager you only can work with DWG files, I prefer the new one because it does give you the option to work with all the file types... ;)
Now if you want to customize your ribbon, toolbar and/or alias, we can do that also, but I will leave it for another post...
Take Care

Working with AECC Features from Civil 3D to Map 3D or regular AutoCAD

Hi there... This time I want to talk about something that a lot of people does not seems to have clear...
When working with Autodesk Products we have two different line of softwares.... Regular AutoCAD or AutoCAD LT and the Verticals (AutoCAD Architecture, AutoCAD MEP, AutoCAD Civil 3D and AutoCAD MAP 3D), for some user they are the same just have different names, but the reality is that they are not the same, they are different, even though that all of them have AutoCAD as engine when you use the verticals you are working with something that is called AECC Features, this smart entities have some intelligent and properties assign to it, and only can be manipulate it for the software that it generate them....
As part of our day by day work, we share our drawings with different people, companies, consultants, etc... and not everybody is using the same software or are on the same realize that we are working with...
How many time have you received a drawing that went you try to open it say, "you have some proxy object in the drawing" ???.... well every time that you see this massage, it means that the drawing was created or manipulated on one of the verticals, to be able to manipulate this entities they need to lose their intelligent and we cannot do it just using the explode command, they need to be export out ...
So how do I make it work???... It is a really simple and fast procedure, that must be done from the vertical software in any of its forms (AutoCAD Architecture, AutoCAD MEP, AutoCAD Civil 3D and AutoCAD MAP 3D)...
FILE -> Export -> Export to AutoCAD
And from there you choose the format that you will like to export this drawing to...
What this command does, is it break the intelligent of the AECC features, so you can manipulate them on regular AutoCAD or AutoCAD LT...

This is a GOOD reason why you should be on Subscription!!!

Hi there... Being a Customer on Autodesk Subscription it has multiple benefits like...
1. Cost-Effectiveness: Saves you money, it is a cost-effective way to keep up-to-date, great value over time.
2. Predictable Budgeting: Improve cash forecasting, and the possibility to include subscription fees in project estimates and billing.
3. Technology Upgrades: Always have fast access to the latest versions made available during the term of your contract; major releases and/or extensions between major releases.
4. Web Support direct from Autodesk, provides fast, complete answers to technical questions.
5. e-Learning Self-paced, interactive lessons, featuring hands-on exercises, with an option to use a simulation instead of the software application and built-in assessments to identify skills gaps.
6. Technical Knowledgebase, a comprehensive online resource. Advanced search filters and personalized search capabilities give you fast access to the most relevant solutions.
7. Flexible Licensing Terms: Members are entitled to use previous versions of the software concurrently with the upgrades. Flexibility to use the license in the office or at home.
8. Autodesk Subscription Center Password-protected portal that gives members quick access to many features and to the administration of the contract.
9. Simplified License Management Tools: Via Subscription Center, members can view coverage and renewal reports, provide users access to included services, update contact information and learn about exclusive members –only offers.
10. Exclusive Community Access: to a wealth of resources and exclusive, subscriber-only privileges to keep you connected to Autodesk executives, technical experts, and developers. Early access to new technology, invitation to webcasts, preferred subscriber status at Autodesk events.
So here is a pic of what you can have access to... take a look at this videos...
Production Enhancements
Autodesk® FDO Provider for ArcGIS®

Civil 3D 2011 SP1!!!!

Hi everybody... SP1 for Civil 3D 2011 32 and 64Bit are available now, please as usual refer first to the README file for more information and installation...
Civil 3D 2011 Update 1

Project Butterfly... The Future of the Autodesk Technology!!!

Hi there... on their continues effort to make our life easier Autodesk Project Butterfly is LIVE on the Autodesk // LABS_, is Autodesk Technology Preview that enables AutoCAD users to edit and collaborate on AutoCAD drawings through a Web browser. With Project Butterfly, AutoCAD users can share and work on DWG files with colleagues and clients from any computer with an Internet connection.

Cool stuffs for us... so go, sing in and check it out!!!

GOOGLE EARTH EXTENSION for AutoCAD and AutoCAD-based products... from the Autodesk//LABS_

Hi everybody, at this time I would like to talk about something really good that is going on... Autodesk//LABS_, has some really cool utilities that can make the different on what you can do with the AutoCAD-base products...
How many time have you seeing people working with Civil 3D and Google Earth, they can push and pull information from it, like images and mesh, publish their project just to see how it will interact or look on the actual environment on the right place in the space....
Well now you can do it too... Because GOOGLE EARTH EXTENSION for AutoCAD and AutoCAD-based products is out for you to try it out...
What is Autodesk Labs?
Autodesk Labs is home to innovative new technologies and collaborative development. Its mission is to involve the customer, in the progress of design technology solutions. They are not a beta program, or a usability team, because the technology that they work with is too new to be a product. The user feedback that you provide to Labs is really on product ideas, while they’re still in an early conceptual stage.
They explore and develop technology that is commercially relevant to customers in design – no matter what industry you work on.
The best way to learn about Autodesk Labs is to start experimenting yourself. Check out the different technologies available on Autodesk Labs, participate in the discussion groups and blogs, and be sure to register to receive email updates when new technologies are posted. Try out their free technology previews, test them and tell them what you think. Your comments, experience and insight help drive the future of Autodesk innovation.
So go, get register and start making the different...

AutoCAD Civil 3D 2010 Update 3.1!!!

Hi, everybody.... In a continuing effort to provide high quality products, Autodesk has released AutoCAD® Civil 3D® 2010 Update 3.1, which fixes or addresses a variety of issues discovered by customers and by Autodesk's internal testing team.
Before applying this update, make sure that any customizations made to the user profile (such as, customizations made to the support file search paths, print file customizations, printer support file paths, redirections, custom template settings, and so on) are exported to a secure location, then imported and reapplied after the update has been successfully installed.

Note: This update applies to all language versions.

Important things to take in consideration!!!
You cannot run an automatic uninstall to remove this update. To restore your version of AutoCAD Civil 3D 2010 to its pre-update state, uninstall AutoCAD Civil 3D 2010 and reinstall it.
If you intend to apply the AutoCAD Civil 2010 Subscription Advantage Pack to your installation of AutoCAD Civil 3D, you must do so before applying AutoCAD Civil 3D Update 3. Attempts to apply the Subscription Advantage Pack after application of AutoCAD Civil 3D Update 3 will fail.

Digging into some new AutoCAD functionality… Text Custom Linetypes!!!!

Hi everybody, is been a while since my last post, well at this time I have something really cool to talk about. Sometimes we have the need to create a new custom linetype to denote different lines in our drawing, like water lines, gas lines, fences, etc… For those of you that have some text custom linetype, here is something that you will love.
When we talk about text custom linetype we have a lot of thing that we need to think off, like Text Styles, Scale, Rotation, X offset, and Y offset. Probably the rotation is being the most painful one, because is not the same to draw a line for left to right, that for right to left…. So we end up with things like this…

Here is how this line looks like until ACAD 2010
*DDS_CAD,DDS line ---- DDS---- DDS ---- DDS ---- DDS ---- DDS ---- DDS --
A,.5,-.2,["DDS",STANDARD,S=.1,R=0.0,X=-0.1,Y=-.05],-.2

But now in 2011 Autodesk did something really nice for us… they change the rotation parameter, and give us the ability to manipulate this factor in a different way, introducing U and A, beside the original R, but what this mean to us… well…
R=value
R= specifies relative or tangential rotation with respect to the line.
U=value
U= specifies upright or easy-to-read text.
A=value
A= specifies absolute rotation of the text with respect to the origin; that is, all text has the same rotation regardless of its position relative to the line.
So in any AutoCAD-Base software, this is how will look my custom text linetype now…

Here is how this line looks like in ACAD 2011
*DDS_CAD,DDS line ---- DDS---- DDS ---- DDS ---- DDS ---- DDS ---- DDS --
A,.5,-.2,["DDS",STANDARD,S=.1,U=0.0,X=-0.1,Y=-.05],-.2

Where is this file???... here is the location on Vista and Win 7

C:\Users\Your User Name\AppData\Roaming\Autodesk\C3D 2011\enu\Support\acad.lin

Hope that this will be helpful for you… now have fun creating your text custom linetypes...

What is New in AutoCAD Civil 3D 2011!!!

Hello everybody!!!... Even though that Autodesk official realize day for Civil 3D 2011 is April 20th, we are able to see all the good things that this realize has to offer, here are two videos that are been took from one of the Autodesk Channel in YouTube... courtesy of CivilFromTheGroundUp...





Hope that you will be as exited as we all are... I am Looking forward to see what else Autodesk can do for us!!!

AutoCAD 2008 and 2009 Based Software and Window 7

Hello everybody is been a while since my last post, but I am back…
Since Microsoft lunch Window 7, we have received a lot of calls asking if they can install AutoCAD 2008 or 2009 based products on their new computers…. Well first of all, it is important to understand that Window 7 is a brand new OS, went you got your AutoCAD Based software 2008 or 2009, Window 7 wasn’t available yet, so it is a “NOT SUPPORTED OS” for this applications by Autodesk.
They only Autodesk Supported Products for Window 7 are the 2010 releases…
Windows 7 Support for Autodesk Products
Known Limitations with Windows 7 for AutoCAD and AutoCAD-based Products
What exactly these mean to us as users… that I CAN or CAN NOT install the software on my new computer?????????
I have being doing some test here at the office; so far we are being really successful installing and running AutoCAD 2009 based software without any mayor complications; Can you run into some weird stuffs?... Probably, I haven’t run yet into weird stuffs. I use regular AutoCAD 2009 and AutoCAD Civil 3D 2009, I have done projects, worked on costumer files and be able to share those with them without any problems…
The same situation with 2008 AutoCAD based software; I only had run into this one, which is NOT an AutoCAD issue… it is a Microsoft error….

"There Is No Disk in the Drive. Please Insert a Disk into Drive \Device\harddisk#\Dr#"

Remember we are on our own, this is an unexplored territory and Autodesk does not support this OS for 2008 or 2009 software’s… we could run into issues, but on the same page, you can count with the AutoCAD online community, and I am sure that somebody like me will help you, so you will never be along….

Have a great day to all!!!