IMAGINiT Manufacturing Solutions Blog

Autodesk Product Design Suite 2014

Its that time of year again, the birds are chirping, the bees are buzzing, and Autodesk is busy releasing new software.  If you haven't already checked it out, its probably in your Subscription Center waiting for your eager downloading to begin.  Word to the wise, its in there with Autodesk as a prefix now and not just the product name so don't be afraid to scroll down if you are looking for a particular product.

In this post we will take a look at what has changed in the Product Design Suite as far as Suite composition and what it means to you the user.

To begin with in the Standard Suite we now have Raster Design and the newly re-branded and super awesome reality capture product called Autodesk Recap.  You might need a graphics card update for your OpenGL on this one, its not DirectX like our beloved Inventor.  So what do these two products do?

Raster Design:

Make the most of raster images, maps, aerial photos, satellite imagery, and digital elevation models. With powerful raster editing and raster-to-vector conversion tools, AutoCAD® Raster Design software helps you to easily clean up, edit, enhance, and maintain scanned drawings and plans in a familiar AutoCAD® software environment.

Basically awesome for getting those old prints out of the file cabinet, digitizing them, and removing those unsightly coffee stains that might have accrued over the years.  Its not a raster to vector silver bullet though, so enjoy your testing with it.  At the very least, its great to get those old paper drawings in digital form in AutoCAD.

Autodesk Recap:

Autodesk® ReCap delivers powerful and easy to use workflow on the desktop and in the cloud to create intelligent 3D models from laser scans and captured photos. Rather than beginning with a blank sheet, Autodesk ReCap now enables any designer, architect or engineer to add, modify, validate and document their design process in context from existing environments.

This one is for you scanner folks out there that need to make some 3D models with your LEICA or FARO scanners to get the model in Inventor quickly and efficiently.  You see this used in the Manufacturing sector a little more with getting accurate as builts after a scan is taken of the installation of a piece of equipment or if you are given a scan to reference in your planning of the intial equipment.

So what's new with the Product Design Suite Premium?  Well, now you have Inventor Professional instead of just Inventor Routed Systems.  Yay! Now we get to use all of Inventor instead of begging the Ultimate users to get out of the software so you could run a quick FEA or Simulation as well as the ability to push to the cloud Optimization service.

And Ultimate?  Well we get a small update to Navisworks Manage instead of just Navisworks Simulate.  I always saw a lot of potential for just the Simulate product without having to go to Manage though.  The inclusion of the larger Navisworks grants users the ability to do clash detection with conglomerated models sets and points clouds from Recap though, so it does make sense.

Here is a feature list for quick reference...

On a personal note, I am still dismayed that Inventor Publisher is not in the Suite as well as the removal of Mudbox from everything but the Ultimate Suite.  Here's hoping next year or that the Inventor Publisher cloud technology preview shows itself sometime this year as something more than a tech preview.  Other things you will notice this year is that Inventor Fusion is not in the installer either, that because Fusion 360 has taken off quite well and is in a very rapid development cycle with a large beta test and ever growing community.  It always seemed odd to me that they would package a Technology Preview with the Suites in the first place.  Anyway, give Fusion 360 a whirl, it is using some really awesome technology that blows away the old Fusion.  You will see some T-Splines technology in there as well as some tech from the HSM Works acquisition for CAD/CAM (but its not there yet).

AutoCAD 2013 - Command Line Gets a Face Lift

The AutoCAD Command line has been our guide to learning and using the software for years.  It has gone through minor changes over the years but it still remains a backbone of the software for many users.  Some users have turned it off completely withe advent of Dynamic Input and Heads Up Display with the ability to show the command line prompting beside the cursor.

AutoCAD 2013 introduces dynamic changes to command line which may have some turning it back on and others finding new uses for the tool.  First of all some things that did not change.  It is still a palette which you can size and move around the screen.  It has lost its ability to dock on the sides of the screen but it can still dock at the bottom and top of the graphics window.  Yes and the Crtl key still prevents it from docking.

Right out of the box it is a transparent free floating tool palette at the bottom of the screen show only one line.

Before we start customizing it, I want tell you about one of the nicest new features.  In past releases you had two ways to select a sub-command, type the letter that was capitalized, right click and select the sub-command from the context menu.  If you were using Dynamic Input you had a third method of tapping the down arrow key on the keyboard and selecting the sub-command from a list on the screen.  These all still work but now the capital letter in the sub-commands are hyperlinks so all you have to do is select them with your mouse and the sub-command is executed.  How cool is that!

Most of the comman line controls are displayed by touching the small wrench on the left side.  Transparency is one of these controls.  You can set the transparency for normal display and roll over with the mouse.  One thing you will notice, you cannot make the roll over value less than the normal transparency value.

The other controls include: Lines of Prompt History, AutoComplete settings, and the ability to go to the Options panel.  The small up arrow to the far right when selected brings up the command line history which most of us remember as an F2 toggle.  The function key still works as it always did but the dialog box is a part of the new command line.

The familiar Command: prompt is gone and is replaced by >_ symbol which displays the current running command icon.  If this symbol is selected a list of recent commands from which you can select and execute the command.

Last, you can drag the command line length by hoving over the right side edge and you can move the command line pallet by left click and dragging inside the far right end.

AutoCAD 2013 - Inventor & 3D Model Detailing at its Best

AutoCAD 2013 increases your ability to create Inventor detail drawings in paper space.  The Drawing View panel has been replaced with a entire tab called Layout.  Located under this tab are numerous tools and functions to make detail drawing easier.

New Sectioning and Detail tools top the list of new functions.  The Section tools are located on the Create View panel and contain tools to created most any section view required.

The Detail tools are found on the Create View tab as well.

Each tool has a Styles Manager where you can create and save section and detail definitions for later use.  The drop down box allows for easy selection of the save style you wish to use in your drawing.

A view of the Section View Style Manager is shown below.  If you have used Autocad dimension style manager before, you will feel right at home.

AutoCAD 2013 continues to support dynamically linked Inventor parts, assemblies and presentation files but now allows the creation of drawing views from AutoCAD 3D models located in model space of the same drawing.

As before, all Inventor and AutoCAD 3D models are linked to the drawings making it easy to keep the detail drawing current using the view update tools.

AutoCAD 2013 new functionality makes detailing efficient, accurate and down right fun!

 

Autodesk Cloud - Collaborate More and Output Faster

Today, Autodesk released the details for the Autodesk Cloud.  With free services for anyone as well as premium services for their subscription customers.  Let's take a look at the important general cloud utilties as well as the Manufacturing specific.

 

Autodesk® Cloud documents - Formally Project Nitrous (cloud.autodesk.com) – Use this service to store your design documents in the cloud, so you can access them anytime, anywhere and easily share them with colleagues, clients and other users. Viewing capabilities enable users to open and review 2D and 3D DWF™ files through a web browser – without the design software used to create the files. 1 GB of storage space is available for free.* Autodesk® Subscription customers receive 3 GB of storage space for each seat of software on Subscription for the duration of their Subscription contract term.

 

Autodesk® Design Review mobile app – Access your Autodesk Cloud documents on the go with this mobile app. Review 2D and 3D DWF™ files on your mobile device. Redline and annotate 2D drawings while in the field or out of the office. Available free of charge.

 
AutoCAD® WS (www.autodcadws.com) - Design and collaborate across multiple platforms—desktop, web, and mobile devices—with full DWG™ reliability and compatibility. Upload files directly from AutoCAD to your online workspace. View and edit DWG files on your mobile device or on the web – no software required. Available free of charge.

 

Autodesk® Cloud rendering - Formally Project Neon (rendering.cloud.autodesk.com) - Reduce time and costs with this powerful rendering service that enables you to produce compelling, photorealistic visualizations in the cloud—without tying up the desktop or requiring specialized rendering hardware. Available with an Autodesk Subscription to Autodesk® Design Suite Premium, Autodesk® Design Suite Ultimate, Autodesk® Building Design Suite Premium, or Autodesk® Building Design Suite Ultimate.

 

Autodesk® Inventor® optimization (coming soon) — Extend ideation and simulation beyond the desktop by testing the performance of multiple design options in the cloud. Available with an Autodesk Subscription to Autodesk® Product Design Suite Premium or Autodesk® Product Design Suite Ultimate.  This is not available at launch but will be available shortly.

 

Autodesk® Streamline®—Deliver more effective project collaboration with this leading document, design, and model management solution that enables users to securely exchange MFG project information across companies, disciplines, and locations. Available with an Autodesk Subscription to Autodesk® Vault Collaboration.

What is the advantage for Autodesk® Subscription customers?
Autodesk® Subscription customers receive three times the amount of storage space in Autodesk® Cloud (3 GB per seat on Subscription). More storage capacity means you can store, view and share more design documents via the cloud. This translates into more mobility and more power to improve project results, increase collaboration, and accelerate innovation.

In addition, customers with an Autodesk Subscription to select products or suites have exclusive access to Autodesk Cloud services, such as:

• Autodesk® Cloud rendering (Design Suite Premium or Ultimate)
• Autodesk® Inventor® optimization (Coming Soon) (Product Design Suite Ulitmate)
• Autodesk® Streamline® (Vault Collaboration)

Where can I find out which Autodesk® Cloud services I’m entitled to use?

1. Go to http://accounts.autodesk.com
2. Sign in using your existing Autodesk ID and password, or click the button to create a new Autodesk account.
3. After signing in, if you are a Subscription customer, you might need to enter your product serial number to verify your Subscription and see all of the cloud services you’re entitled to use. (Note: To locate your serial number, look for the Help icon on your software’s toolbar – usually located on the top-right corner. Select the pull-down arrow beside the Help icon. From the Help menu, select “About.” Your serial number should appear in the pop-up window.)
4. Once you have signed in and verified your Subscription, you will see a list of the Autodesk® Cloud services you are entitled to use.

How do I access Autodesk® Cloud services?
You can use your Autodesk ID and password to access Autodesk® Cloud services.

If you do not have an Autodesk ID and password, you can create an account by clicking the “Sign In” button (shown below) in your Autodesk product.

What are Cloud Units?
Cloud Units are used to measure how much cloud computing capacity you have used with Autodesk® Cloud services, such as rendering or Inventor® optimization, which use computers to perform computationally intense tasks. Cloud Units help you understand how much capacity you have used.

Are there limits on my use of Autodesk® Cloud services?
Yes there are limits on the use of some Autodesk® Cloud services. 

• The Autodesk® Cloud documents storage space is limited to 1 GB for free* accounts. Subscription customers receive 3 GB of storage per seat on Subscription for the duration of their Subscription contract term. 
• Services like Autodesk® Cloud rendering and Autodesk® Inventor® optimization are limited to a total of 100 Cloud Units per eligible seat on Subscription, per year.

All Autodesk Cloud services are subject to the terms and conditions accompanying them. For all Autodesk Cloud services, it is important that you monitor your use and do not exceed service limits.

Where can I see how much storage and/or how many cloud units I have used?

You can see how much storage and how many Cloud Units you have used by signing in to your account at http://accounts.autodesk.com.

Autocad Snap - No Longer a Drawing Mode to Avoid

Many Autocad users never turn on the Snap Mode because we generally do not draw on a grid.  You must admit with Object Snaps, Polar Tracking, Temporary Tracking Points and Tracking, you probably have no use for running snaps.  I know one other characteristic of Snap Mode that really bothered me was that is was on all the time.  Of course you could press the F9 key and toggle it off when it prevented you from selecting a particular entity.

Autocad 2012 has given new functionality to the Snap Mode function that will give snap snobs like me a reason to try it again.  The big change is now Snap Mode is only effective when the command is requesting a coordinate point selection from the screen.   During commands when coordinate picks are not needed or when executing commands that do not require screen coordinates, the Snap Mode is turned off automatically!  This feature makes the selection of the diagonal line a breeze even with Snap Mode on.

 

Other enhancements include the ability to diaplay the snap grid as a X,Y grid or as a dotted grid which is used in earlier releases of Autocad.  You can specify the grid display type in three Autocad environments, Model Space, Paper Space and Block Editor.

Other enhancements include the Adaptive Grid check box.  When checked the minor grid lines disappear at higher zoom levels and re-appear at lower.  This is similar to earlier versions of Autocad but when the switch is unchecked, the minor grid lines remain visible until they cannot be displayed at the current zoom level.

The Display Grid Beyond Limits switch makes it very easy to expand your grid display without having to execute the limits command and change your template default limits.

 
The last point I wish to mention is a cosmetic or visual change to the grid.  Autocad uses the color Red for the X-Axis and Green for the Y-Axis.  If you desire to apply these colors to the grd, you can find the switch in the Options dialog, under Display, Colors.  You can also apply these colors to you cursor and Autotrack vector lines.

 

 

Autocad 2012 gives me a new respect for Snap Mode, I hope you will have a new appreciation for the tool as well.
 

AutoCAD 2012 Product Announcement - New Features

Autodesk released information on the AutoCAD 2012 and AutoCAD LT 2012 product release today and while a lot of my readers are heavy on Inventor, there is one thing that almost any designer can agree on.  No matter how much 3D you have, there is always AutoCAD for something.  I am pleased to see the acceptance of 3D into the AutoCAD powerhouse in this release especially.  Over the last couple releases, we have seen Inferred Constraints and Parametric Dimensions.  This year we see some functionality from AutoCAD Mechanical get brought down to the AutoCAD base level and then given a shot of steroids.  That my friends is...

3D Model Documentation (not in LT)

To develop 2D model documentation from 3D CAD data, designers and drafters typically import the data into AutoCAD, one of the world’s most widely used CAD software solutions. Many companies use Autodesk products throughout their entire workflow and rely on Autodesk Inventor 3D mechanical design software. In such cases, data flows more smoothly from Inventor to AutoCAD. Other companies, however, use non-Autodesk software to develop 3D models, which may present data translation issues.

Usually, a manufacturer imports non-native data into AutoCAD in one of two ways—exporting the data to either an open-source DWG file format or to a neutral file format such as IGES, STEP, or ACIS. Exporting data as open-source DWG files, however, may lead to problems; dimensions and lines may shift, formatting may be lost, and objects may lose associated intelligence. Exporting to a neutral file format, on the other hand, is a two-step translation process that can degrade data quality significantly. In both cases, the manufacturer must clean up the 2D documentation before sending it to the shop floor.

But now, thanks to new integrated translators, AutoCAD 2012 and AutoCAD Mechanical 2012 have overcome historic translation challenges to support the file formats of all major modeling applications. Manufacturers and designers can now import Catia, GT, NX, Parasolid, Pro/ENGINEER, Rhino, and SolidWorks surfaces, solids, and 2D and 3D wire geometry directly into AutoCAD. The data is translated into native AutoCAD geometry and inserted into model space. Parts and assemblies in the original models are preserved, helping to maintain data integrity.

For manufacturers and designers using Autodesk Inventor, the import process is even smoother. There’s no translation at all—the native files are used to create drawings directly in AutoCAD. The AutoCAD file maintains its associative relationship with the Inventor file—and whenever the Inventor file is updated, the AutoCAD documentation updates automatically. Importing 3D CAD data into AutoCAD is now easier than ever. A user accesses the Import tool from the Import panel of the Insert ribbon tab, then selects a desired file format from the dropdown list of file types. Because the translation process happens in the background, users are free to do other tasks.

When the import process is complete, a bubble notification displays the translated file name. Once a file is imported, the user can modify its data using standard AutoCAD editing tools—and document the 3D model using new model documentation tools discussed below. The ability to bring 3D model data from virtually any source directly into AutoCAD can help manufacturers speed the model documentation process, reduce the potential for error, and reduce barriers when partnering with companies using any type of CAD software.

Network Content

Quickly find design content based on file objects or text attributes. The Autodesk Content Explorer functionality creates an index of your data based on where you instruct it to look, helping you quickly access files. You can explore, or browse into, DWG files in order to access and insert blocks, layers, linetypes, styles, and more. Unlike the Design Center tool, Content Explorer is built on a Google®-like index, so you can quickly search for design objects across folders containing thousands of files; the results appear instantaneously. In addition, Content Explorer provides a single interface for browsing and searching other content sources, such as Autodesk Seek web service.

The Content Explorer searches for content in specified locations that are included in an index. Their activity is continually monitored by the Content Service, which is installed with AutoCAD, and the index is automatically updated to reflect changes. By default, the search index includes the AutoCAD Sample and Downloaded Content folders as well as the Autodesk Seek site. You can easily add your own local and network content to the index.

Add your own local folders to the Content Explorer index using the Add Watched Folder option at the bottom of the Content Explorer window or by dragging folders from Windows Explorer to Content Explorer. The folders are not moved or copied; they’re simply added to the search index.

In addition to searching content on your local computer, Content Explorer can also search one or more network computers. However, it requires the Content Service to run on the network computers and build an index on that machine. This provides a single index that all clients can access and search. Therefore, in order to support searching on network drives, software needs to be installed separately on the network computer. This software, called Autodesk Content Service, is available from your AutoCAD 2012 installer under Tools and Utilities. Make sure this program is checked; then install it on one or more network computers.

AutoCAD WS

This is the same functionality included in the 2011 Subscription Pack and is now available to all users.  This will give you publish to the web app options for your drawings for enhanced collaboration and usability.

Inventor Fusion 2012

In 2012, all versions and flavors of AutoCAD (except LT) will ship with Inventor Fusion and the option to launch the Direct Modeler from AutoCAD (see image above).  Fusion has now graduated from the Autodesk Labs site and is now a full fledged product.  A lot of features have been added to it since TP3 and TP4.  If you really want Inventor with your LT though, you should really consider the AutoCAD Inventor LT Suite which comes with Inventor LT and AutoCAD LT for a really low price compared to buying them separately.

Those are the big enhancements for me, the rest you can see here as well as a comparison matrix for AutoCAD and AutoCAD LT...

Download Autocad_vs_autocadlt_comparison_matrix_en

Download Autocad_2012_preview_guide_en

Be sure to also check out the new suites available as well. These suites include additional programs for a very small up charge, but really help take your designs to new levels.

Autodesk Design Suite

I should also mention our 2012 update book from ASCENT which is one of two certified publishers is also now available and already in our ProductivityNOW portal for our subscribers of that program.

I will be posting updates to this blog throughout the week as well as additional videos as they become available.  Feel free to post in the comments area if you want to see something specific from the What's New Preview.  I do have the ready to ship build on my machine. :)

New Autodesk General Design 2012 Product Suites

 

Autodesk relayed their new Product Suites today on their special media webcast.  Here is the breakdown of the Autodesk  Design Suite which is geared toward the general design users.  Inventor Fusion 2012 is also included in all the suites.

Standard:  For any AutoCAD user  who needs to turn designs into compelling imagery and presentations to help accelerate the approval process and path to new business

• Autodesk AutoCAD
• Autodesk Sketchbook Designer
• Autodesk Mudbox
• Autodesk Showcase

Premium:  For architects and designers who need best-in-class workflows for turning designs into high-quality imagery, animations, and presentations to help accelerate the approval process and path to new business.

• Autodesk AutoCAD
• Autodesk 3ds Max Design
• Autodesk Sketchbook Designer
• Autodesk Mudbox
• Autodesk Showcase

Ultimate:  For advanced designers responsible for the entire design process who want to express their creative inspiration and preserve their design intent from concept modeling to final visualization.

• Autodesk AutoCAD
• Autodesk Alias Design
• Autodesk 3ds Max Design
• Autodesk Sketchbook Designer
• Autodesk Mudbox
• Autodesk Showcase

AutoCAD Shortcut List

I find myself teaching AutoCAD this week and wondered to myself why I haven't put this up on the blog sooner.  It's not rocket science or some elaborate tip or earth shattering workflow.  Just a nice handout for your cubicle wall for AutoCAD hotkeys.  Feel free to modify the Excel spread sheet as you see necessary.

Download COMMAND ALIASES

Remember, you can modify the aliases with the acad.pgp file as well.

AutoCAD P&ID - Project Reference

Over the last couple months I have taught some P&ID classes and wanted to share some basic information my Manufacturing readers that may be doing P&ID in their work.  This is the first of a couple White Papers that I plan on releasing in the near future.  This is just a simple one the Project Manager that P&ID uses and it one of the best project managers I have used in some time.  While it is similar to the AutoCAD Electrical project manager, it has its own drawbacks and advantages, but this is the jist of how it is laid out and some common things you will see in the interface including Work History and what the little glyphs on the icons relate to.

Download AutoCAD P&ID - Project Reference

AutoCAD... Back in Mac

Autodesk announced that AutoCAD will be returning to the Macintosh operating system starting with AutoCAD 2011.  Not only will it be available on OS X, Autodesk has also slated Project Butterfly to graduate from Autodesk Labs to become AutoCAD WS for use with the iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch mobile devices.  source: Autodesk

Autodesk has slowly been providing support back to the Mac for some time now.  Some programs becoming native like Autodesk Smoke, and others showing support in bootcamp or parallel modes with a Windows license.  Not only will Autodesk fully support the product on the OS environment, it will also provide full 100% DWG compatibility between Windows and OS X.