Without A Net

AutoCAD 2015 PURGE command enhancements

The PURGE command in AutoCAD 2015 and Verticals will now purge dgn linetypes and orphaned dgn linetype data. This functionality cleans up non-essential data from DWG files that have become bloated while copying and pasting from DWGs containing DGN linetypes. Previously a Hotfix was necessary for AutoCAD 2012 as well as for AutoCAD 2013/2014 in order to remove these objects. In both cases the Hotfix required the user to use the NETLOAD command in order to load the DgnLsPurge.dll,once this .dll (Dynamic Link Library) was loaded the user had to use a separate command, DGNPURGE, which removed all unused DGN data. Unfortunately, the NETLOAD command is not available in AutoCAD LT so those users were not able to clean up their files as easily. AutoCAD LT 2015 user are now able to PURGE dgn linetypes as well.

There is a difference as to how the PURGE command removes DGN data; the hotfix's DGNPURGE command will always remove all unused dgn linetypes and orphaned dgn linetype data, giving the user no choice if they wish to keep some of the data in the file. The PURGE command in 2015 has a new "Automatically purge orphaned data" checkbox which, when checked, will remove all orphaned DGN linetype data, but it does not automatically remove all unused DGN linetypes. Full DGN linetypes are treated just like any other linetypes, the user must select which linetypes to remove. This make it possible for users that have DGN linetypes in their drawings which are not currently in use, to have the option to keep specific DGN linetypes in the drawing for future use.

Both the PURGE and -PURGE command support purging orphaned DGN linetype data as well as removing the DGN linetype data.

AutoCAD 2015 Launch / New Hotfix

AutoCAD 2015 will be launched tomorrow, March 28th globally. Please take a moment to log onto your subscription center site and download the new version. Some things to look out for with the new version:

- All new Create and Learn tabs when you first open the program. You can now very quickly navigate between recent files used, access templates, or find Help documents and learning video's, all from one spot.

- The new Dark Theme. You will notice a new dark theme in AutoCAD 2015. This follows recent studies that a darker image greatly reduces eye strain.

- Look for many new Ribbon enhancements, such as the new Galleries that allow you to see images of blocks, dimensions, mleaders, and other objects BEFORE you insert them.

 

In addition to the new release tomorrow, there is a new hotfix for AutoCAD 2013 that has just been released. This hotfix fixes Model Documentation and IMPORT command related issues found in AutoCAD 2013 based products on 64 bit Windows® 8.1. See below for the link:

Model Documentation Hotfix

Microsoft Windows XP support for AutoCAD being discontinued

Please take a look at the following article which helps to explain the timeframe around Windows XP support being discontinued for AutoCAD:

Windows XP support for AutoCAD

AU 2013

Have you signed up yet?? If not, time is running out. See below for the myriads of benefits you can receive by attending:

http://au.autodesk.com/

For those attending, I wanted to promote the classes I am teaching, as well as one of my colleagues classes.

1) AutoCAD support clinic. This is a class where you can attend and meet several members of the Autodesk support team. This is meant as a Q&A session where you can bring real issues you are facing at your office and let us help you. Many AU classes focus on one subject only, which is great in order to learn that subject or program. This class though, let's you come to us with anything at all you want to learn about or find troubleshooting tips on. This class is being held on Wednesday at 8:00 am of the conference week. The session number for this class is AC1512.

2) There is also a Support Clinic roundtable session. This is similar to the class above, but is a much smaller class so those attending have more time to discuss their questions in depth. With a smaller class, it is easier to dedicate a longer period of time and really help you come up with solutions to your CAD questions. This class is being held Tuesday afternoon at 3:00 during the conference week. The session number for this class is AC1515-R

3) My colleague Volker is teaching a class about CUIx as well.  In Volker's own words, this class description is:  "The ability to tailor the menu system in Autodesk AutoCAD software to automate commands or to create a personal workspace has always been the product's forte. Back in the day, we could easily modify the menu system with a text editor. Things change. The AutoCAD Custom User Interface File (CUIX) is a tad more complex and can be daunting to even a seasoned AutoCAD veteran. In this class, you learn how to add commands to AutoCAD, creating new tabs and panels for your workspace. You learn to add a custom partial menu to the main customization file and how to incorporate the enterprise CUIX." The session number for this class is AC3274

It would be great to meet any readers of this site that are attending. Please seek me out, and we hope to see you there!!

Backup System and Files

Do you have a backup system? It is a really good idea, especially if you are an AutoCAD/Autodesk Product user. I work with customers quite often who have had files become corrupt. Sometimes those files can be recovered and saved; sometimes they can’t. Without a backup system, if corrupt files cannot be repaired, then those files can be lost and potentially hours and hours of work are lost. That’s where a backup system becomes essential.

My recommendation is to run a nightly, weekly, and monthly backup. You then have multiple spots that you can look to to recover files. When I worked as a CAD Manager in the industry, we saved each daily backup for 7 days, each weekly backup for a month, and the monthly backups were saved permanently. In this way, we always had a spot to go back to and recover a file if needed. Sometimes you may end up with a file a few weeks old and recent work is lost, but it is still better than losing the file altogether.

You can also use the AutoCAD backup files to try and get damaged files back. A BAK file is created with each Save that is done. This BAK is saved in the same folder as the DWG. In order to use that file, you would rename the BAK extension to DWG and then it can be opened normally. Additionally, the Autosave will create a SV$ that can be renamed and used in the event of a crash. The link below does a great job of explaining how Autosave and Backup files work:

Backup Files

With a great backup system in place, your chances of losing a file altogether become very slim. A Google search for backup systems yields numerous results and you can then choose the one that best fits your needs.  Let me know of any questions.

New Technical Solutions / AU Teaser

There are 3 fairly new TS's that will come in handy for some common annoying issues.

The first is for an error we see from time to time: "The configured Heidi driver cannot be loaded".  See the link below for the cause and solution.

Heidi driver message

There's also an issue where sometimes trying to save will result in a message that says "One or more objects in this drawing cannot be saved to the specified format". This is usually caused by a network card setting. The link below has the solution:

Cannot save to Specified format

The last one is a message that will appear when starting the program. Although you can usually bypass the "Unable to load profile file" message, the program will be sluggish afterwards. There is now a TS with a fix for this:

Unable to Load Profile File

Have you started thinking about Autodesk University yet? This year's event is at The Venetian in Las Vegas from December 3-5. Make sure not to miss out on this premier networking and learning event! Registration opens on September 12th. Now is the time to get those requests for approval in to your managers. See the website below to learn more about the countless benefits of attending!

AU Website

Enabling RSS-feeds in AutoCAD 2014 or 2013

Today, we have a guest post from Technical Support Specialist Martin Langolf in Ireland.

You want to know how to configure and enable RSS Feeds within AutoCAD 2014.

First, you need to install the “CAD Manager Control Utility” that ships with AutoCAD.

See the following PDF for more details: http://images.autodesk.com/adsk/files/cad_manager_control_utility0.pdf

Next, the Communication Center needs to be enabled in AutoCAD.

To do this, you will need to modify the registry on your system.

WARNING: Microsoft have issued the following warning with respect to the Registry Editor.

"Using Registry Editor incorrectly can cause serious, system-wide problems that may require you to re-install Windows to correct them. Microsoft cannot guarantee that any problems resulting from the use of Registry Editor can be solved. Use this tool at your own risk."

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/256986

Close AutoCAD.

Open the Windows Registry and navigate to the following key (example is for AutoCAD 2014):

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Autodesk\AutoCAD\R19.1\ACAD-D001:419\CadManagerControl\Infocenter\InfoCenterStyle

Set the value to 1.

NOTE: The registry key varies for each AutoCAD version. You may need to find and modify the equivalent registry for your AutoCAD version.

Once this has been done, run AutoCAD and verify if the Communication Center is visible on the upper-right-corner (next to the search bar):

 

Now, run the CAD Manager Utility that was installed initially, and setup your RSS Feeds for the desired version of AutoCAD.

1. Select the product version you want to modify. – e.g. AutoCAD 2014.
2. Select “Enable CAD Manager Channel”
3. Specify the Feed Location and Display Name.

NOTE: You can choose to modify the system settings or to create a .REG key to distribute these settings to other machines.

New Technical Solutions

Two new technical solutions have been released that I wanted to share.

The first is for an issue many customers have experienced where clicking in a viewport will cause the view to zoom to extents. The UCSFOLLOW command will prevent this.

View is automatically zoomed to extents

The second is with regards to hiding annotative objects that do not support the current annotative scale.

How to hide annotative text that should not be displayed

Service Pack 2 for several verticals, and a crash Hotfix

Service Pack 2 for ACA 2013, Electrical 2013, MEP 2013, and Mechanical 2013 have all been released. The links are below:

AutoCAD Architecture 2013 Service Pack 2
AutoCAD Electrical 2013 Service Pack 2
AutoCAD Mechanical 2013 Service Pack 2
AutoCAD MEP 2013 Service Pack 2

If you missed Service Pack 2 for Core AutoCAD when it was released, I will repost that link below:

AutoCAD 2013 Service Pack 2

I also wanted to share a new hotfix that has been released. Several customers have reported that a crash will sometimes happen during license authorization. There is a solution at the link below:

Windows crash during license authorization of Autodesk 2014 product

AutoCAD 2014 Assistance

Several new articles have been posted that may be of assistance to you if you will be moving to the 2014 products. Please see below for links:

In what order does cascading licensing check available licenses?

What products have been tested and are confirmed to work with Windows 7?

System Requirements for AutoCAD

Operating System compatibility for AutoCAD and AutoCAD LT

I hope these links are helpful to you as you look to upgrade to the latest version.