ASCENT Blog

How do you see your CAD model while you create it?

By Elvis R. Sverko

We all use stuff. Sometimes we build or create stuff. Sometimes we fix stuff. Sometimes it’s small and fits in our hand. Sometimes it’s large and we have to walk around it. Regardless of its size or what we do with it, we always look at it. We look at it before we start doing anything to it. And then we look at it while we do stuff to it. We look at it from every angle that we need to, if it will help.

Take for instance a sculptor. If you’ve ever seen one in action, you’ll see that they constantly move around their model (or move the model in front of them if it’s small) while they sculpt. They’ll look at it from every angle before each modification they make. They want to make sure that their next chisel will look good from every angle. (If you’d like to electronically sculpt, try Autodesk 123D Sculpt for the iPad.)

Or an auto mechanic. When he’s got a car up on the lift and needs to take apart the engine, he follows any connected hoses and wires around, he looks for all the right screws or nuts to loosen, he’ll look how he’ll get his tools inside with enough clearance, and how the part will eventually be removed and replaced.

Or an everyday person looking for the ketchup bottle in their overstuffed refrigerator. They’ll look over the bread, move the beer can, look left around the mustard bottle, duck down to try and peek through the pickle jar, it’s like they’re bobbing and weaving around a swarm of bees. (Unless they’re like a few people I know who just open the refrigerator door, and if what they’re looking for isn’t right there in front, they stop looking and say they don’t have it.)

The point is, everyone looks at things from many different angles while doing whatever it is they’re doing. So why not take that same workflow process to your CAD models?

When I’m training students on Autodesk Inventor or AutoCAD 3D there are two things regarding viewing the model that I focus on.

1. The training manual may direct the student to orient the model to a specific view, such as Top or Front or a specific origin plane. From there, it gives specific directions to create or modify the model based on the commands learned in that course material. However, sometimes it may be better to have the student use different and several views to better understand and be able to see exactly how the model is being modified.
2. When I’m demonstrating a particular command, I’ll constantly rotate the model, viewing it from various angles, so the students will know the shape of the model before the command, and then be able to recognize how the particular command modified the model.

If you’re only viewing the model from one angle, it’s easy to miss what’s happening to the model from the other angles. Why do you think documentation drawings have Top, Front, and Side views? And with the advent of CAD, it’s easy to quickly add an Isometric view as well. And why do you think that is? Because it makes it that much easier to visualize the model.

So how can a student take that concept, and apply it to their workflow? Well, they are taught how to rotate the model through the use of the View Cube, or starting the Orbit command, or simply setting a predefined View, or some other various viewing command.

But one of my favorites, is the temporary orbit. Many students learn the standard orbit commands, but the temporary orbit keeps you right where you need to be, looking right at the model, not worrying about where to move the mouse to start it.

Simply press and hold <Shift> and the mouse scroll wheel simultaneously, and you’ve entered into the temporary orbit mode. Just move the mouse in the direction you want to rotate the model.

And what makes it an even greater tool, is that you can use it while smack dab in the middle of a command! So you can preview the effect of the command from any angle before applying it, so that you are positive it will complete the way you want and expect it. A tip anyone can use.

So how do you view your CAD model while you create it?

“Every view, and every object I studied attentively, by viewing them again and again on every side, for I was anxious to make a lasting impression of it on my imagination.” Karl Philipp Moritz

 

AutoCAD - Mac and Cheese

By Elvis R. Sverko

For those who have been waiting to learn what Autodesk has been promoting as AutoCAD Design816, it’s finally here. So much hype went into Design816, but also so much secrecy. Everyone thought it was going to be groundbreaking, earth-shattering, cutting-edge-technology news. But it turns out it’s just an AutoCAD release. It’s their official serving of AutoCAD 2012 for Mac. Well, actually it’s three servings:

AutoCAD 2012 for Mac

AutoCAD LT 2012 for Mac

AutoCAD WS for Mac

It might as well have been a serving of mac-and-cheese. Don’t get me wrong, for those people who are Mac users (or power users), it’s a huge release. It’s just that everyone thought it was going to be something more, something for everyone, not just Mac users, especially after the way they promoted it. I don’t remember the Windows roll-out of AutoCAD 2012 getting this much hype. Even with all its great new features! But I digress.

So, why is it cool (and important) that AutoCAD 2012 is now available for the Mac? Well, for one thing, there are plenty of Mac users who want it. Who need it. Who got to have it!

And for another thing, everyone now has access to some of the new great AutoCAD 2012 features!

Even though there’s always the great Windows vs Mac debate, Autodesk offers the same program for each one. The operating systems may be different, and you may even need a different install version of AutoCAD for each, but in either case, it still is the same old familiar AutoCAD. They can even share DWG files. That’s right, save it in Windows, open it on a Mac, or vice-versa (you can even throw in a step for WS, it all works seamlessly together).

And what about training? Well, it’s still the same great AutoCAD interface, commands, features, capabilities, etc. etc. So for the most part, it’s the same training of concepts. Sure, there’s going to be a few deviations, but isn’t there always some deviation? I’ve taught a class of ten individuals using the latest version of AutoCAD on the same Windows operating system on identical hardware. All ten modified the interface to their own liking. Each one completely different from the next. However, they all learned the same new features at the same time, the same way.

It’s good to share, and it’s good to have the familiar, but it’s also good to shake things up. I might even try some mac-and-cheese again to see if I might like it now.

“No problem can be solved from the same level of consciousness that created it.”  - Albert Einstein

 

 

Wipeout

By Elvis Sverko

After running in the Warrior Dash last weekend I’ve seen my share of people wiping out in the mud. No, I didn’t wipeout, but I did have a great time with my friends and fellow warriors. And it got me thinking, that I’d like to participate in an event that has no running, but instead just some obstacles. Then last night I was watching Wipeout on TV. All it is, is obstacles, and it looks fun.

But all this talk about wipeout, got me thinking about the AutoCAD wipeout command, the one which creates areas that hide underlying objects.

It’s a simple command that’s been around for ages, but seems to have taken a backseat to the rest of AutoCAD. What I mean is that many of the commands in AutoCAD have been updated through the years, making AutoCAD very versatile or customizable, and thus in the process, almost making the wipeout command obsolete. Some quick examples that come to mind include Hatch, the use of layers, text background masking, dimension settings, etc. (It all depends on what you’re doing, and what you’re trying to accomplish, so I’m sure there are some uses of the wipeout command that cannot be substituted by anything else. But I’ll let those go for now. Maybe it’s just a workflow thing.)

Sometimes having stray wipeouts in a drawing is no big deal. In other cases, it can be a big deal. And it’s these big deals that I’m talking about.

Sure, you can turn on all wipeout frames to see the stragglers, and then delete them, but that takes time, and if you have a big drawing with lots of layers, it can be difficult and time-consuming. And if you leave wipeouts in the drawing, you may eventually send another object to the back, and in the process inadvertently be sending it behind the straggling wipeout, thus blocking out part of your drawing that you don’t want blocked, and you may not notice it until it’s too late.

I’ve also heard many people complain about the difficulty of printing with wipeouts in a drawing, either not blocking what it’s supposed to, or printing as a black “smudge” on certain printers. Obviously there are ways to get around this, but should we really have to?

And wipeouts can only be made from polylines. So you can only have a wipeout shape using straight lines, not curves. It kind of limits how you can use it. Unless you get creative of course.

Sometimes a wipeout can hide a mistake. Sometimes, the wipeout is the mistake.

Some people flat out refuse to use wipeouts. Others overuse them. And then there are those in between. If you are going to use them, I suggest you put them on their own dedicated layer.

So, with the possible issues caused by wipeouts, should we continue to use them? It’s a simple tool, but should we “hide” it from training sessions? Or should we just use it responsibly?

I don’t know. But aren’t drawings meant to show something, not hide it?

 “Hide nothing, for time, which sees all and hears all, exposes all.”  - Sophocles

 

 

Out of the Box

By Martha Hollowell

Following up on Elvis’ post “Preparation with Hotfixes” I started thinking about what you can and can’t do with software out of the box. You can do tons of incredible things. Today’s CAD/BIM software is amazing. From the Revit side you can draw walls and put doors in them, add HVAC systems down to the smallest detail and coordinate structural columns with architectural ones – all out of the box. But…

When it comes to which walls, which windows, which HVAC equipment, which structural columns that is where out of the box breaks down. While Revit comes with tons of choices they probably aren’t the ones you want to use (of course). So, you need to acquire the right ones. Some manufacturers have their elements posted on Autodesk Seek. That is a good place to go first. When you get manufacturer information you get all of their expertise and time wrapped into a nice package, downloadable and ready to use.

You can also create your own types and families (Revit speak for blocks). That is of course more time consuming but it does get you what you want.  Plus, it is a lot of fun to figure out. If you start with a family that has already been created and modify it; then you save time as well.

I’m a big fan of creating templates to solve the issues when outside families can’t be used. In Revit Architecture, for example, a window is a separate family while a wall is a system family that needs to be created in the project/template.

So, while our fundamentals courseware focuses on using “out of the box” software so everyone is on the same page it is always good to get beyond the fundamentals and start thinking out of the box.

Preparation with Hotfixes

By Elvis Sverko

As a trainer, there’s always the need to be prepared for the course at hand.

As a trainer of CAD software, part of the act of being prepared is having the software ready. That means making sure it’s installed. It means making sure it’s the correct version. It means making sure it’s set to the default state (see the post Out-of-the-Box). It means making sure the course files/dataset are in place. But even after all that, it still doesn’t mean it’s ready.

Case in point:  AutoCAD Electrical 2012

Out of the box, AutoCAD Electrical works fine, just as it should. However, due to a change in the base AutoCAD, some major workflows are affected. I’m talking about the SNAP mode. AutoCAD 2012 no longer snaps to the snap spacing while in Snap mode, unless it’s looking for a specific point input. This change in functionality does not bode well in AutoCAD Electrical because it’s imperative to be using Snaps while creating schematics, and there are certain commands in AutoCAD Electrical that you need to use the Snap mode, but because these commands aren’t specifically looking for a point, they are operating as if Snap mode is toggled off, even though you have it toggled on.

Anyway, Autodesk corrected this workflow anomaly with a Hotfix that would need to be downloaded and installed. Then AutoCAD Electrical 2012 works the way it did in 2011 in regards to the Snap mode. And this type of Hotfix is just the type of thing you need to have loaded in order for your software to be completely ready for your next training class.

So for your next training class that you deliver, make sure you have all the latest Hotfixes, Service Packs, etc. installed. You can then say you’re completely prepared.

“Before anything else, preparation is the key to success.” – Alexander Graham Bell

 

Out-of-the-Box

By Elvis Sverko

Almost all software is customizable. From email to accounting to games to CAD and everything in-between. And I’m not talking about its functionality, but its look and feel and layout. In essence, its appearance. Or Graphical User Interface (GUI). Sometimes, it becomes so customizable and people take advantage of it, that it can appear to be a completely different program altogether from the way it looked out-of-the-box. In effect, it really is gooey (sorry, couldn’t help myself).

Take for instance, AutoCAD.

 
AutoCAD, default, out-of-the-box.

 
AutoCAD, customized.

This degree of customization can prove challenging to trainers of the software. Don’t get me wrong, I think it’s great that the software’s interface is completely customizable, so that each individual can streamline it for their particular workflow and comfort ability, but when training someone new to the software (and for that matter a group of individuals at the same time), having a similar look to the interface, makes is much easier. And much easier not just for the trainer, but the trainee as well.

So, what is the best interface setup to use when training someone? Some people would say it’s the particular customized setup that the trainee will be using for their particular workflow, which I think is correct.

But then again, I think it’s incorrect. That setup doesn’t work for a group of people all training at the same time but who will each have different workflows. It also doesn’t work for someone completely new to the software, and who doesn’t have someone else on-hand to help them get it setup to a particular custom likeness.

The best answer is Out-of-the-Box.

When the software first gets installed, it’s always setup the same way, the default, out-of-the-box way (except of course when there are options you can select during installation, but even then, there usually is a standard installation option.) And most manuals, courseware, etc. use the default out-of-the-box look as well.

Another challenge comes up however. When someone else previously used the installed software and made their own adjustments to the interface, whether it’s a classroom environment or on a production unit, it can become difficult to follow along, and features, windows, etc. are in different locations, or even not at all available through the same sequence of clicks. So we need a way to get the interface back to the default, out-of-the-box look. And luckily most software has such a way of doing it.

With Autodesk AutoCAD software, you can setup and save specific Workspaces, or Profiles, all depending on what exact settings you do want to save, if it isn’t default and out-of-the-box. You can always Export the default then Import it back if it gets changed, or simply reset it. But to take it even further to the ultimate default, on the Start Menu, expand Autodesk and the appropriate AutoCAD listing, and there is program you can click called “Reset Settings to Default”. It’s easy and quick, at just one button.

So if customization gets Out-of-Hand, return it to Out-of-the-Box!

“We will make our products work out of the box.” – Steve Ballmer

 

With CAD Going Mobile, What's Next?

By Elvis Sverko

People have been using CAD for years, decades even. And for the most part, it’s been on desktop computers and laptops all this time. And most people were trained that way. And it’s still the mainstay.

But today, most people who need to use CAD, or just need CAD models, aren’t tied to their desk, or like to carry laptops around anymore either. And with today’s proliferation of smartphones and tablets, these people need something better.

A few CAD software packages have recently started to make their way to these devices, including the newly launched Autodesk Inventor Publisher free mobile app which helps you create and view 3D interactive product documentation. There’s also the AutoCAD WS mobile app by Autodesk that let’s you view, edit, and share DWG drawings. And like Inventor Publisher, Dassault has 3DVIA Mobile which allows you to view and publish 3D models in various formats. But while the Autodesk products are available as both an iPhone/iPad and Android App, the Dassault product is currently only available as an iPhone/iPad App.

So what does all this mean? Other than a fantastic step forward in technology and the way people create and share model information, it also means that we’ll need to find the best way to train everyone on these apps and devices.

I recently purchased the new HTC Thunderbolt smartphone and started playing with some of these apps, and I got to say, they are awesome! It took me some time at first to get comfortable with the Android operating system, and then another few tries playing with the CAD softwares, (as I really only played with them for a few minutes a day for a few days). But all in all it was pretty simple. But when others tried to explain to me at first how to navigate through everything, they made it sound very complicated. And now that I understand it, I wonder why they didn’t just explain it to me in the simplest of terms. I don’t think they really understood it.

So as simple as it was for me to learn all this, these packages don’t do as much yet as their PC counterparts. But when they do, people will need to be trained properly on it. We might have some time, but we’ll need to be ready when the old desktop computers and laptops go way of the dinosaurs.

If you have any thoughts on training people for mobile apps, especially CAD, please forward them to me. It would be interesting to hear everyone’s thoughts. Thanks.

 

ASEE - 118th Annual Conference and Exposition

By Paul Burden

I am just back from beautiful Vancouver, British Columbia where we attended the American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE) Annual Conference and Exposition. ASCENT was one of over 100 exhibitors in the Exposition Hall this year. Thank you to everyone that stopped by to speak with us – there were some familiar faces and a lot of new faces for us at this year’s event.

Here are a few observations I gathered while speaking with attendees of the conference this week:

• There is a wide variety of CAD software being used by schools and institutions providing engineering education. Among the software being used by people we spoke to are AutoCAD, Inventor, Pro/ENGINEER, CATIA, SolidWorks, NX, Revit Architecture, Civil 3D, MicroStation, and the list goes on.
• The educators we spoke with are passionate about ensuring that the curriculum they use when teaching courses involving CAD software provides students with usable skills and modeling strategies.
• Courseware that is modular is preferred so that topics can be reorganized to fit the scope of a class.
• Some educators develop their own tutorials for CAD software, but find it very time consuming to keep up to date.
• Interest in using digital versions of textbooks, such as eBooks, is growing.

In a number of sessions and events, I also saw incredible cooperation between corporations and schools to ensure that those enrolled in engineering programs are developing the knowledge and skills needed to succeed in industry. To continue this theme, educators should feel welcome to provide feedback to us and other publishers of textbooks and training courseware so that these offerings can address the unique requirements of academic institutions.  So at events like this conference and anytime in between, tell us how we’re doing and what you need. Within the realm of CAD software, we want to ensure that the engineers of tomorrow can graduate with skills that will enable them to use these tools immediately.

Finally, we had a lot of fun passing out our Brain Age Testers. Hopefully, it reported an age you were happy with.  

By Paul Burden

3D in a 2D World - Part 1

By Elvis Sverko

We live in a 3D world. We design objects, machines, and buildings to interact with in three dimensions. We’ve even gotten to the point where we design these objects in 3D. And 3D solid modeling has gotten so precise and easy to use, that you wouldn’t want to do it any other way.

But in order to manufacture and construct these objects and buildings, we need to make 2D drawings of them first, and then use these flat pieces of paper during the assembly process. Autodesk Inventor has been doing this process very well in the manufacturing industry for some time. And Autodesk Revit is just as equal in the building industry.

But for a huge portion of the CAD users out there, AutoCAD is the highly utilized product. Therefore, many of you out there already know how to use viewports in layout tabs to create different angled views of your 3D model from the Model Space. And when you want more than just a view of the 3D model at a specific angle, you know how to create actual 2D views of the 3D model using the Solid View and Solid Drawing commands. In some cases, maybe you even use the Solid Profile command. Or maybe you take advantage of the Flatshot command. Or any combination of these. They all have their unique reasons to be used. Where some update when the 3D model is modified (ie Viewports), others do not (ie blocks created from Flatshot).

And that’s where the new Drawing View commands come in. AutoCAD 2012 has added the power to automatically generate intelligent documents based on AutoCAD, Inventor, or other imported 3D models. Like viewports, they update automatically when the model is modified. But they can also maintain a wireframe with hidden edges style.

The new Drawing View commands are found on the Annotate tab of the ribbon.

 

You first need to create a Base View. It’s then from this view that you create Projected views (ie side, top, orthographic).

After creating your 3D models for our 3D world, it’s just a quick command to create your 2D drawings to get you there. Who would have thought that we still need 2D drawings?

 

“What can this piece of paper do; imagine?” – Alamgir Hashmi

 

Limits

By Elvis Sverko

I am a runner. At least I am now. I just recently completed my first marathon.

Don’t get me wrong, I’ve run before. I’ve run around the yard with my kids. I’ve run while participating in other sports. I’ve run a few miles around my neighborhood. I’ve even competed in 5k and 10k running events. But I wanted to push my running limits farther. As I like to say, “you can’t push it too far, until you know how far you can push it.” And that is why I ran the marathon. I now know that I can go beyond my limits.

While training for the marathon, (for eighteen weeks), I stayed within my limits, running between six and sixteen miles at a time. It wasn’t until I was properly prepared, that I was then able to attempt the full 26.2 miles of the marathon.

The same can be said when “training” in the use of the AutoCAD software. It’s so big and powerful, it may seem too daunting for anyone getting started in it.

When I’m instructing an AutoCAD Fundamentals class, I’ve seen many students struggle early on. Model Space seems too large for them. They get a bit lost while zooming and panning. Then when they start drawing something, it’s way off the screen. Having the Grid Display toggled on and going infinite, doesn’t help.

One solution is to set the Limits of the AutoCAD drawing, using the limits command. Limits will help keep a student grounded. By seeing the grid only within the set limits, they’ll know to just create their drawing within it. Limits will prevent them from selecting points (or typing in point coordinates) outside those limits. (Limits are useful for everyone too, as you can choose to Print (or Plot) your drawing based on the Limits that are set.)

In order to succeed in training someone in this fashion, you will need to set it up for them first. You’ll need to set the lower left and upper right corners for the limits. You’ll also need to make sure that Limits is toggled on. Regarding the Grid Display, it will also need to be toggled on. Also, in the Drafting Settings, Snap and Grid tab, Grid behavior area, you’ll need to uncheck the Display grid beyond Limits.

Once a student has trained properly and feels comfortable, you’ll be able to set them free, so they may go beyond their limits.

I now think that running one marathon in my lifetime is my limit. That’s why I’m running in another 5k tomorrow, as I continue to “train” for my second marathon in September.

"The limits of the possible can only be defined by going beyond them into the impossible." - Arthur C. Clarke