AutoCAD 2014 Command Line Enhancements

AutoCAD 2014 includes some new command line enhancements briefly covered in our launch time review titled AutoCAD 2014 in two minutes. Let's dive in and explore some of these new tools closer.

• AutoCorrect - On the surface this is not a bad idea. If I type in LIME (instead of LINE), the LINE command will run instead of it saying "Unknown Command: LIME". Not bad, I can see the usefulness to this. However, I do not understand the need for a new PGP file (AutoCorrectUserDb.pgp) to hold user defined misspellings. If you misspell a command so often that you need to tell AutoCAD "Hey, I'm going to misspell this, so here is what I really mean" - it's time to create a shortcut key, or use a graphical UI element. Moreover, even it you did want to create an alias (say you misspell ARC a lot by typing in ARV), you can already do this using the old standard "Acad.pgp" file. You can manage this file if needed by going to the Manage Tab of the Ribbon, on the Customization panel, and then look for an entry to edit the AutoCorrect List.
• AutoComplete - Anyone with a smartphone who sends texts, understands this feature. Start typing PD for example, and commands that start with or include the string PD are suggested for you (i.e. PDFAttach, PDFClip, etc.). Fortunately, you can configure these suggestions based on frequency of usage vs. alphabetical. I'm sure most people will want the former. This feature was in AutoCAD 2013, but for 2014 they added a built in option to perform mid-string searches. In other words, typing in LIN will not only bring up suggestions for LINE and LINETYPE, but also PLINE. You can actually do this in 2013 also, but you have to include your own wildcard characters (i.e.: type in *LIN*).
• Synonym Suggestions - This is a feature that allows you to define a string such as "Length", and have it execute an actual command such as "Dist". I suppose the idea behind this is that if you use a different CAD program with different phrases for things, you can continue to use those phrases by defining a synonym suggestion. However, I'm going to pick on this one even more. Why does this require a new and different PGP file (AcadSynonymsGlobalDB.pgp)? This is a "new" feature that isn't really new at all. You have been able to do this for over 20 years using the normal "acad.pgp" file. Interestingly, there are some synonym suggestions defined in the default file like "connectpolyline" (runs the PLINE command) and "constructionline" (runs the RAY command). I have to say that if you are typing in 15+ character command names, it's time to create a shortcut in the "acad.pgp" file anyway.
• Command Help - This is a nice feature. When you do get a full command name to show up, either by typing it out or letting AutoComplete work, there will be two icons on the right side. A help symbol and a globe symbol. Click the help symbol to launch AutoCAD help on that command or click the globe symbol to launch a Google search for that command. The Google search will open in a new window in your default browser.
• Content Search - This is another nice feature that allows you to type in the name of certain content such as a block, and when a match is found the appropriate command is launched. For example, say you type in "Window2" (which is a block in your drawing). Then when you press enter the Insert command is launched and the Window2 block is ready for insertion. The same thing works for Layers, dimstyles, hatches and other named items.

These items can be configured using the dialog shown below, which itself can be launched from the wrench icon on the command line.

JETCAM Orders Controller Premium II v1.04 Released

JETCAM International today announced the release of version 1.04 of its JETCAM Orders Controller (JOC) Premium II. Originally launched at the JEC Composites show in Paris in March 2013 the latest version includes features aimed at both profiling and punching users, and makes the ideal companion to an existing JETCAM Expert CAD/CAM system.

JOC Premium II’s core functionality is as a remote ordering system, allowing production staff to queue CAD files for automatic component geometry entry and tooling, and to also build unlimited worksheets of either components or complex assemblies to be sent to JETCAM Expert for automatic nesting.

A number of key new features have been added to this new release:

• Parametrics Support: Users of JETCAM Expert’s interactive and automatic parametric programming modules now have a built in editor within JOC Premium II. In addition to being able to create and edit standard parametric programs there is an automatic parametric ‘.DO’ file generator, allowing users to use JETCAM’s parametric programming to quickly create a whole family of component files from basic parameters.
• Nest Costing: The ability to quickly obtain a costing for sheet metal components has traditionally been problematic for many companies. With JOC Premium II you can combine several of its key features to quickly import CAD files, create tooled component files using JETCAM Expert’s Single Component Automatic Processing (SCAP) facility and immediately build nests with resulting detailed part costing. Users can look at the cost of the part on each single nest or parts averaged across multiple nests, taking potential remnants, scrap, machine and operator costs into account. The information can also be exported for analysis or import into legacy data systems.
• Tool information: CNC punch users often need to identify where tools are used, either on selected components or previously generated nests. This may be because a tool is broken or out of stock, or because they want to reduce the number of tools they use. JOC Premium II not only allows you to identify which parts or nests contain one or more tools, but also shows a nest tool graph detailing the number of nests that each tool is used on. A slider and zoom controls allows the user to quickly focus on the higher or lower numbers, and data can be quickly exported to CSV for further analysis or importing into legacy data systems.

Version 1.04 includes a number of other minor new features and enhancements to existing functions, which are also backed up by comprehensive video tutorials, allowing staff to get up and running without further training or costs. Custom processors can be easily written to reshape data coming in via the CAD or Order import to ensure seamless data transfer from other systems.

Martin Bailey, general manager for JETCAM International commented; “We were excited to be able to release this feature-rich update so soon after the initial launch. Each feature stands on its own strength but together they deliver benefits greater than the sum of their parts. JOC Premium II is great for companies that have a lot of data – be it CAD files, component files, assemblies, tools or nests. Information can be immediately filtered and grouped to help users make sense of it, and we've included importing and exporting of all relevant data.”

Visit www.jetcam.com for detail.

SolidWorks Tips You May Have Never Seen Before!

Move Sketches… EASILY

These features are presented in no particular order, but I do consider this one of the most hidden yet easy to use tools when you are unsatisfied with the location of your sketches relative to the origin or anything else.

Moving Sketches while in Edit Sketch mode is not always the easiest task, ESPECIALLY when they are Under Defined Sketches or those that are Copy/Pasted from DraftSight or other 2D applications.

Where most users run into trouble is that they feel, and I don’t disagree, that you should just be able to window select all the sketch entities and then just grab a point and drag the whole group. While this sounds logical, it has simply never been the case.

Then you could try the Move Entities command, but it doesn’t always snap to the final location as you might expect.

The following technique is completely effective and very easy to do, you just have to know the sequencing of the clicks.

First, Window select the sketch entities you wish to move.

Second, hold the CTRL key on your keyboard then Pick and Drag the selected entities from one of the points in the sketch.

CAREFUL NOW… The trick here is that a CTRL + Pick and Drag in Windows is a Copy… and that is ‘initially true’ here too. Note the Cursor with the little (+) next to it. If you let go of the Left Mouse Button FIRST, you will COPY the Sketch.

Instead, while in the middle of the ‘Copy Sketch’ operation, release the CTRL KEY while still holding your Cursor. The little (+) goes away and the entire operation turns into a MOVE command.

Simply snap and release your cursor when your selected point is in the proper location, or snapped to the origin.

In summary, of the thousands of functions in the millions of lines of SolidWorks code, these are some of the more useful yet somewhat hidden functions I use frequently. I hope that you found something you didn’t know about that helps you improve your quality of designs, but most importantly saves you time and effort during your creative process.

Copy Surfaces

Copying a surface from one part to another is a very useful tool when you want to build In Context relationships between parts, especially when you get an unruly imported file with thousands of surfaces… .but you only need to ‘touch’ just a few.

I also use it for operations where I may want to simulate a Coating or Tape application on a part. Just Copy the Surface and Thicken it as a new Body.

What you may be asking yourself is: “That sounds great, Darin, but there is NO ‘Copy Surface’ Command”… .and you’d be absolutely CORRECT!

Many users try to use the KNIT SURFACE command, but this doesn’t work unless the faces you select are adjacent to each other and can form a single, ‘knitted’ surface.

However, there is a simple trick to this one, and it lies in the OFFSET SURFACE COMMAND.

Pick a face or faces, adjacent or disjointed, and select OFFSET SURFACES from the Surfaces Tab.

It will show the selection, and the title in the Property Manager will state “Offset Surface” until you set the distance to ZERO. Then the title changes to COPY SURFACE. That’s it!

You can use this in context of an assembly, and while editing a part you can select faces of other parts and Copy the Surfaces. This will create Associative Surfaces in the part you are editing.

This tool really has dozens of use cases.

Visit here to see more SolidWorks Tips.

CADLearning Releases Enhanced eBook for Autodesk Revit Architecture 2014

Learn the new features in the latest release of Autodesk Revit Architecture. Watch our tutorials and view our full eBook guide with embedded videos.

4D Technologies, Autodesk Authorized Publisher and maker of the industry-leading CADLearning products for Autodesk software, released today a new CADLearning eBook Series title for Autodesk Revit Architecture 2014. The Autodesk Revit Architecture 2014 New Features and Enhancements – Revealed! e-book is over 190 pages containing 28 lessons which include embedded videos, text, images and interactive galleries, software simulations and chapter reviews. This enhanced e-book has been designed to be the basis of both self-paced and instructor-led training and is now available to Revit users who want to learn the new and enhanced functionality of the recently released Autodesk Revit Architecture 2014 application.

This enhanced eBook was developed by Jason Boehning and David Cohn. After helping an engineering firm adopt Revit in 2009, Jason began teaching other building professionals how to use Revit and how to take advantage of Revit for building analysis. He served as the 2011 President of the Houston Chapter of the US International Building Performance Simulation Association. He has also spoken at Autodesk University and is an Autodesk Revit Architecture certified professional. Jason has a degree in mechanical engineering and a minor in mathematics.

David is a licensed architect and practiced for 10 years before leaving his firm to focus on CAD consulting, training, writing, and development. He has been using AutoCAD for more than 25 years and has also taught the program both professionally and to students at the college level during much of that time. He is both a Revit Architecture and AutoCAD certified professional and has written numerous books and magazine articles about both programs.

The e-book can be viewed online or downloaded to your desktop. Visit http://www.cadlearning.com/revit-2014-new-features to learn more.

Autodesk Releases Revit Extension 2014

A few packages of Revit Extension 2014 have been released on the Autodesk Exchange App Store. These tools are Subscriber Benefit Apps.

Civil Structures for Autodesk Revit 2014

Using these Bridge Modeling Revit Extensions, you can generate bridges based on user-defined criteria.

Users can define basic parameters of the geometry of a bridge including: a road profile, a deck, abutments, piers and railings.

The road profile may also be imported from a LandXML format file.

The bridge is generated based on user-defined families that are provided with these Revit Extensions.

Frame Generator for Autodesk Revit 2014

The Frame generator extension is used for quick defining of simple 3D models of one-bay or multi-bay halls.

It includes the load definition, carrying out calculations, designing steel bars and generating documentation for the calculated structure.

SDNF Import/Export for Autodesk Revit 2014

The SDNF - Import/Export extension gives the ability to export and import a steel structure Revit model to SDNF file format and generate a structure model in Revit Structure.

Composite Design for Autodesk Revit 2014

This application helps perform basic structural analysis and design calculations of composite steel beams in a Revit Structure model.

Using this application, you can more quickly design / check the behavior of composite beams or you can design an entire composite floor system on a floor by floor basis within a single Revit Structure model.

The feature works for general composite steel beam design, but will also function for non-composite design.

All design is based on AISC 360-05.

Full bidirectional integration with the Revit Structure model is achieved using this application.

Excel Based Model Generation for Revit 2014

Using the Excel® Based Model Generation extension, you can generate Revit model based on the data defined in a Microsoft Excel sheet.

The environment of the Microsoft Excel sheet enables automating the process of structure definition.

The extension offers 2 methods of defining / modifying a structure model:

• Entering parameters directly in the Microsoft Excel sheet
• Manual definition in the dialogs used for defining parameters of individual structure objects.

Timber Framing for Autodesk Revit 2014

Using the Timber Framing tool you can generate timber structure for walls and roofs in Autodesk Revit software application.

Timber Framing tool is composed of three extensions: Wall Framing, Rafter Framing and Roof Trusses.

Wall Framing
This extension allows framing selected walls.

The extension imports walls, recognizes openings and presents them in a 2D/3D viewer. Walls can be individually framed with available framing parameters, such as: Connections, Studs, Plates, Blocking, Cripple studs, Headers, Sills.

Rafter Framing
This extension enables the definition and generation of various types of “A” frame roof models.

Roof Trusses
This extension enables the definition of truss system for roof models.

You can define parameters for the following roof structural elements: Wall Plates, Ridge Trusses and Roof Ends.

Grids Generator for Autodesk Revit 2014

The extension enables the definition and generation of axes grids and levels in Revit projects.

This extension allows generate columns, beams, walls, and footings at grid intersections.

This extension provides the ability to:

• Specify the home position of the generated grid
• When generating radial grids, define an internal radius between the center of the circle and the first grid in which lines may not be drawn
• Exclude some specific characters from the grid numbering

The following grid types are available in the Extension: Cartesian and Cylindrical.

CIS/2 Import/Export for Autodesk Revit 2014

The CIS/2 Import/Export extension gives the ability to transfer a steel Revit model to CIS/2 file format, compliant with the ISO-10303-21 standard.

Files with a structure description in a CIS/2 format have the *.stp extension.

A CIS/2 data file may contain 3 levels of information, depending on the type of application:

• Structural analysis - analytical model
• Structure element design - drawing model
• Structure detailing - detailing model

Compare Models for Autodesk Revit 2014

When the application starts, it recognizes the number of opened projects created in Revit.

If more than two projects are opened, a dialog displays where you can select two projects to be compared.

Comparing models that were created as a result of copying elements (for example, through the Clipboard) may not lead to good quality results.

Original element identifiers (ID) may be changed in the application, which makes element identification and correct comparison of models impossible.

After selection of two Revit models, the main dialog of the application, used for comparing models, displays.

The detailed comparison can be reviewed by the user and can also be presented in the form of a report.

Visit here for detail information.

EON 8 Interactive 3D Authoring Tools New Released

EON Reality, the world’s leading interactive 3D software provider, today announced the release of the next generation immersive and interactive 3D authoring tools, EON 8. The new software includes expanded CAD and 3D data import support, improved interactivity and support for additional VR devices.

EON 8 improves the rendering performance by up to 30 times faster on a given graphic card and can handle extremely large file sizes, up to 16 terabytes.

EON software has expanded its scalability to more than 20 publishing formats ie the same content can be used on different interactive 3D displays, from a tablet to an immersive Icube solution. EON 8 can now also be displayed on mobile platforms. Users can create stunning, highly interactive content with millions of polygons using EON Studio that can be published on Android or iOS mobile device.

“EON 8 reflects our commitment to provide the business, education and edutainment markets with the tools they need to improve communication, interactivity and knowledge transfer – from simulation based learning and safety training, to the creation of interactive 3D materials that provide highly realistic immersive experiences anytime, anywhere,” said Mats W Johansson, CEO, EON Reality, Inc.

The EON 8 software suite includes EON Studio, EON Professional, EON Icatcher, EON Icube and EON Raptor

New visual effects in EON 8.0 together with the new animation system allows for photo realistic rendering of experience under the sea level together with dolphins and other animals as well as real time rendered sea grass.

EON 8 enables infinite multi interactive solutions for large audiences. For the first time ever multiple users can interact in a 3D immersive holographic environment with multiple virtual effects at the same time using simple hand gestures.

Major features with EON 8 include:

• Highest Visual Quality – new shadow effects, fur shading and caustic effects – ie physically correct lights and shadows
• Effective Handling of Large Datasets, 64 bit support - native ability to handle extremely large files that are up to 16 terabytes (or 16384 gigabytes), subject to RAM availability
• Improved Rendering Performance - the multi-threaded rendering pipeline is now highly optimized to scale with multi-core CPUs and with a new heavily modified render engine it is now possible to render up to 30 times faster than before. The new engine can also dynamically combine small objects into bigger batches, to increase rendering performance on the fly
• Faster loading time - the model loading time has been highly optimized using huge real-world data sets, to make it possible to load bigger data much quicker than before
• Innovative Interaction - New methods for multi-person interaction are included in EON 8. This enables the creation of new innovative multi-user experiences without the need for wearable devices or additional touch screen interfaces
• New import formats – EON 8 now supports importing latest version of native SolidWorks and DWF-3D formats
• Enhanced level of detailing – with support for seamless fading between levels
• EON Raptor update – added support for 3ds max 2013 and 3ds max Design 2013 and improved the Revit->EON workflow using user-customizable material script conversion

For more technical information on how EON 8 enhances EON Reality’s products, visit EON 8 technical sheet

Visit www.eonreality.com for further information.

COMSOL Ships Multiphysics 4.3b

COMSOL Inc., the leader in multiphysics simulation software, today announced the release of major new additions to the COMSOL simulation platform. The latest version of COMSOL Multiphysics, version 4.3b, introduces five new application-specific modules and expanded modeling and analysis tools.

New Application-Specific Modules

With the introduction of the five new modules, users in key application areas from major industries now have access to the new modeling and simulation tools offered by COMSOL.

• Multibody Dynamics Module - Provides users with the ability to analyze the assembly of rigid and flexible bodies. Transitional and rotational displacements, as well as locking, can be simulated for a variety of joint types, including prismatic, hinge, cylindrical, screw, planar, ball, slot, and reduced slot joints.
• Wave Optics Module - Allows users to analyze electromagnetic wave propagation in optically large structures, such as optical fibers and sensors, bidirectional couplers, plasmonic devices, metamaterials, laser beam propagation, and non-linear optical components.
• Molecular Flow Module - Offers the capability to simulate rarefied gas flow in complex CAD geometries of vacuum systems. This includes such applications as mass spectrometers, semiconductor processing, satellite technology, particle accelerators, shale gas exploration, and flow in nanoporous materials.
• Semiconductor Module - Enables the detailed analysis of semiconductor device operations at the fundamental physics level allowing for the modeling of PN junctions, bipolar transistors, MOSFETs, MESFETs, thyristors, and Schottky diodes.
• Electrochemistry Module - Tailored user interfaces are now available for electroanalysis, electrolysis, and electrodialysis. Typical applications include: glucose sensors, gas sensors, chlor-alkali electrolysis, desalination of seawater, waste water treatment, and control of electrochemical reactions in biomedical implants.

“With the introduction of these five new modules, COMSOL Multiphysics is able to offer a simulation package that is unique in the industry,” says Bjorn Sjodin, VP of product management at COMSOL. “There is no other software out there that offers the same accuracy across such a wide array of disciplines.”

New COMSOL Multiphysics Capabilities

The new features delivered with the COMSOL product suite include enhancements to CAD importing and geometry handling, meshing, physics, solvers, results, and productivity tools that offer increased usability and performance throughout the product development process. COMSOL Multiphysics 4.3b brings tremendous enhancements to features in existing modules, thus augmenting simulation speed and the capabilities of the entire product suite. COMSOL continues to impact design processes by positively influencing the accuracy and immediacy of analysis results. “It is the mission of COMSOL to provide engineers and scientists with the right tools needed to design reliable and safe products,” says Ed Fontes, chief technology officer at COMSOL.

• Geometry and Mesh - A new feature allows users to make quick what-if studies by taking a 2D geometry from the cross-section of a 3D geometry. A new curvilinear coordinate system tool makes it easier to define anisotropic materials in curved geometric shapes. Additionally, increased automated swept meshing capabilities allow for faster modeling.
• Interfacing and Productivity - The new One Window Interface with LiveLink for Inventor allows users to work with COMSOL Multiphysics from within the Inventor environment. New updates in LiveLink for Excel allow the import of multiple models and export of material data from Excel to COMSOL.
• Electrical - A new magnetics solver facilitates faster stationary and time-dependent magnetics simulations. A new electrical contact feature is added to the AC/DC Module; the electric current flowing between two surfaces now varies according to surface properties and contact pressure. The periodic structures for electromagnetic waves feature is now available in the RF Module.
• Mechanical - Bolt pre-tension and beam cross-section analysis can now be simulated in the Structural Mechanics Module. Cumulative damage for fatigue analysis with random amplitude loads is now available in the Fatigue Module. The Heat Transfer Module has been enhanced with multi-wavelength surface-to-surface heat radiation, heat transfer with phase change, and thermal contact features.
• Fluid - The new frozen rotor feature in the CFD Module efficiently solves for the pseudo-steady flow field in rotating machinery for laminar and turbulent flow. A new thin screen feature for thin permeable barriers allows the simulation of wire gauzes, grills, and perforated plates. Additionally, the SST turbulence model and a new CFD solver are now available.
• Chemical - The new thin impermeable barrier for mass transport feature allows users to represent thin walls as interior boundaries with a no-mass-flux condition on both sides.

In keeping with the modeling simplicity and effectiveness that users have come to expect from COMSOL, the new modules and features implemented in the simulation platform follow the same intuitive modeling process. “It’s extraordinary that users can experience the same workflow process no matter which simulation task or application they are working with,” says Bjorn Sjodin, “this unique approach allows users to adapt the COMSOL environment to address their specific needs and implement any solver or feature to their simulation to achieve the most useful results.” Since the modeling environment remains the same, both the new and existing modules can be combined and coupled to create simulations specifically designed by the user to address their unique simulation needs.

visit www.comsol.com/4.3b for more detail.