Without A Net

AutoCAD and AutoCAD LT 2013 SP1 Temporarily Unavailable

Due a newly discovered fatal error introduced by SP1 for AutoCAD 2013 and AutoCAD LT 2013 the service pack has temporarily been removed from autodesk.com.

The AutoCAD team is actively working on resolving this and a new service pack will be reposted at the same URL as soon as it is available.

Windows 8 Support for AutoCAD

We're starting to receive more and more CERs (Customer Error Reports) related to crashes caused by trying to run AutoCAD on Windows® 8.

At this time, Windows® 8 and the Windows® 8 Consumer Preview are not supported operating systems for any AutoCAD versions. The AutoCAD team is actively investigating compatibility with these new platforms but, as of today, they are not currently supported.

Windows 8 Support for AutoCAD and AutoCAD-based vertical products

For more information on supported operating systems refer to the solution, Operating system compatibility for AutoCAD and AutoCAD LT.

Decompressing after AU 2011

Last week was Autodesk University 2011 and it was a great event. This was my 14th AU to attend and 13th AU where I was a speaker (16th if you count that year we did four AU events around the country). There is such great energy at AU and at times during the week it feels like that energy is the only thing keeping you from collapsing in complete exhaustion… which I am doing now.

This year I taught a class on managing Autodesk licenses called, "License and Registration, Please". It covered topics like cascade licensing, Online License Transfer, previous version and how to control your licensing with an options file. Thanks to everyone who attended (and don't forget to fill out your surveys).

My co-blogger, Silvia Menon, taught an excellent class titled, "First Aid for AutoCAD®: Troubleshooting Common Issues". Silvia ran through detailed troubleshooting steps and how to work with Product Support if you have an issue you can't resolve yourself. This was Silvia's first time to attend AU and her first AU as a speaker and she did an outstanding job. If you didn't catch her class, be sure and check it out when it comes online at the AU Web site.

One of the things I always look forward to at AU is getting to hang with AU friends: people that I only see once a year at Autodesk University. After 14 years of attending AU, I've developed so many good friendships with fellow speakers even though I only see them once a year. It was great to see you all again and I look forward to seeing you next year (dave, next year I'm going to sushi, no matter what).

Were you in attendance this year, either live or at one of the virtual AU sessions? Let me know how it was for you?

Without a Net at AU 2011

As most of you probably are already well aware, Autodesk University will, once more, take place in Las Vegas this year. Have a look at this to get an idea:

As always, there are lots of great classes for everyone - and the range of AutoCAD classes this year is amazing.

If you find it hard to make a choice - here are some classes not to miss, delivered by your very own Without a Net bloggers :)

 

Tom Stoeckel:
CM1844 - License and Registration please

 

Silvia Menon:
AC6320 - First Aid for AutoCAD - Troubleshooting Common Issues

 

Kathy O'Connell: 

LF4448-U - Licensing Compliance: What Do We Need from Autodesk

 

We look forward to meeting you there!

 

P.S.: If you register by October 12 you can save up to US$ 500!

New Authors to Without a Net blog

You may have noticed that the frequency of posts to Without a Net has dropped off a bit lately. Allow me to explain the situation and tell you about changes to correct that issue.

When I started Without a Net, 2-1/2 years ago, I was the Global Technical Lead for AutoCAD Product Support. In that role, I was immersed in support-related issues all the time and that provided me lots of topics to blog about.

At the beginning of 2011, I changed jobs at Autodesk and accepted a position as Product Support Content Manager. In that role, I'm responsible for managing the support content (product support centers, technical solutions, etc.) that you find under Autodesk Services & Support. Over the last few months, I have gradually transitioned out of my former AutoCAD support duties and into my new role as Content Manager. Unfortunately, the Without a Net blog began to languish in the process.

I flirted with the idea of retiring the blog but I just couldn't let it go. I have used AutoCAD for way too long and I expect I'll still have a few things to say along the way. Also, I have received very positive feedback from readers of the blog who tell me how much they appreciate Without a Net.

What the blog needed was fresh blood, new perspectives, and writing from people who, unlike me, are still working with AutoCAD support issues every day. Let me introduce them:

Silvia Menon

Silvia is the Technical Lead for AutoCAD for the Autodesk Product Support team in the EMEA region. Before moving to the UK, she used to work as a 3D visualizer for Architects in Berlin in Germany. Silvia joined Autodesk Product Support in 2005. She contributed a guest post to Without a Net last month and I look forward to many more.

Kathy O'Connell

Kathy took over my previous job when I became a Content Manager. Kathy is the Global Technical Lead for AutoCAD for the Autodesk Product Support teams. She joined Autodesk in 2007 as a Product Manager for AutoCAD and moved to the Product Support team in 2011.

Shawn Niles

Shawn is the Team Lead for AutoCAD for the Autodesk support team in the America’s region. Before joining Autodesk, Shawn worked as a CAD manager for the largest architectural firm in Boston, Ma. Shawn joined the Autodesk support team in 2008.

I'm not going anywhere in the foreseeable future–I'll still be around and posting now and then–but I welcome our new authors and look forward to what they have to share with you.

New Autodesk Cloud Support Center

Accompanying todays introduction of Autodesk Cloud we have also introduced a new support center for Autodesk Cloud:

Autodesk Cloud Services & Support

This support center will provide customers access to general information, system requirements, help, training videos, and troubleshooting for various services provided by Autodesk Cloud. Included on the Autodesk Cloud support center is a link to the Autodesk Cloud Get Satisfaction community forum where you can ask questions and provide feedback related to Autodesk Cloud.

AutoCAD 2011 for Mac Update 3 Beta

I was on vacation and blissfully offline last week so I missed the announcement that AutoCAD 2011 for Mac Update 3 is now available in Beta (this may be old news by now but I promised I'd mention it here when it was released).

This Update introduces Lion support and resolves many of the issues currently experienced with AutoCAD 2011 for Mac running on Mac OS X Lion (10.7). Beta 1 of this update does still have some known issues so be sure and refer to the Beta readme before installing.

The project can be accessed in the AutoCAD Futures project.

All feedback should be provided in the "AutoCAD for Mac 2011 - Update 3" discussion forum.

Job Opportunity in Autodesk Product Support

Autodesk Product Support is currently looking to hire a new support specialist for the Americas team. If this is something you think would be interesting and a good fit for your skills, check out the details that follow:

Product Support Specialist-11000001C9

Job Description

Product Support Specialists (PSS) provide timely technical support for Autodesk products to our customers and partners through a variety of channels, web, phone & forums.

Using analytical and communication skills, this role ensures technical problems are understood, documented, and resolved, creating an outstanding customer experience and enhancing the team's knowledge. This role reports to a Support Manager and requires the use of judgment and independent decision making when managing caseload to achieve, individual, team and organizational goals.

The PSS works as part of a team and closely with Industry Leads to harness intelligence on customer experiences with our products. This data is used by Product Development and Product Management to drive those improvements that matter most to our customers.

Requirements

• 3-5 years experience using AutoCAD Experience using AutoCAD Plant 3D and/or AutoCAD P&ID
• Functional knowledge of Operating Systems (Windows, OS X, and/or Linux) and Network configurations
• Proven Customer service experience
• Demonstrated exceptional team player skills
• Strong written and verbal English communication skills
• Understanding of NPS (Net Promoter Score) methodology
• ITL certification is an asset
• Ability to read, write and speak fluent Brazilian Portuguese would be considered a definite advantage in this role

Apply online to this position.

Up and Ready - Installation & Licensing Blog

 

I'm pleased to introduce you to a new blog from Autodesk Product Support, Up and Ready.

The Up and Ready blog is dedicated to installation and licensing issues and is written by Autodesk Product Support specialists from around the world who specialize in installation, setup and configuration of Autodesk products.

I recommend you subscribe to this blog and check back regularly. These are sharp guys and I'm confident they will have a lot of valuable information to share.

Why So Quiet?

I apologize for how quiet it's been at Without a Net lately. I've been wrapped up in preparations for upcoming product releases and that has been taking all of my time. My blogging has been further impaired by the fact that I dislocated my left shoulder. This has turned the simple act of typing into a new kind of hell.

The upside, if there could be one, is that it has forced me to get comfortable using my Dragon Dictate software. This has allowed me to type using voice recognition instead of the keyboard. I can't say it's faster (yet) but it's a lot less painful.

I'll get back on here with new posts as soon as I'm able. Who knows…maybe I'll learn to love dictating all of my posts?

-Tom