Viewport Conflict

1) Scenario: You have two viewports ontop of eachother and you can't get into one or the other. Use Ctrl+R as a toggle into any viewport within current Layout tab.

Here's a list of a few must know setvars

1) Missing dialog boxes use: FILEDIA - Set to (1)

2) Getting a prompt About to Regen - Proceed?: REGENAUTO - Set to ON

3) AutoCAD point display: PDMODE - This varies based on how you wish them to be displayed. Use DDPTYPE to change the display using a dialog box. We "use AutoCAD POINT for Marker" for our AECC_POINT objects. This allows us to control their display without changing the master dwg where the points are located.

4) Attribute display: ATTDISP Enter attribute visibility setting [Normal/ON/OFF]: - Set to Normal if they're not displaying, this is default. Set to ON to view invisible attributes. (Use ON to see LDT Profile tag in the lower left corner of your grid). I haven't found a reason for OFF.

5) Middle button to Pan or Osnap: MBUTTONPAN - Set to (0) for Osnaps or (1) for Pan.

6) Change your pick box size: PICKBOX - Set to desired size. Typically around (5).

7) Change your Cursor X,Y vector length: CURSORSIZE - Set to (100) for standard length. Set to a lower # for shorter vectors.

Missing Icon Images on Toolbars (v2005)

This topic probably has been exhausted over the years but I have a tidbit to add to the mix for AutoCAD 2005. I updated a menu (.mnu) file and recompiled it. I opened my AutoCAD session and my icons were missing from my toolbars. Look familiar? ( ) I've done this a few hundred times and couldn't figure it out. I realized that the AutoCAD profile I had current didn't have any of my Support File Search Paths. The one I needed points to the location where I keep my bitmap files. I added that directory to my Search Paths and recompiled my menu and walla. It was found !

I get the task of working with the Custom User Interface (CUI) editor for our up and coming upgrade to 2007.

Civil 3D Styles

This article on Cadalyst's Website by Bill Frederick was very informative.
http://aec.cadalyst.com/aec/article/articleDetail.jsp?id=324287

It gives a good insight to the undertaking that will have to be done with every office. The first line poses a question, "Why are so many Autodesk users terrified to make the jump to Autodesk Civil 3D?" I will have to agree that Styles are a BIG deal. Every object has a style associated to it. If you want to change the appearance of an object slightly you have to create yet another style. I think if you don't have someone like a CAD or IT Manager tasked to manage these it can get out of control quickly.

One of the things that I'm a bit worried about is that Styles are stored inside the dwg. file. How do I safeguard my styles if I have to send out my dwg files? I know that I'm going to be spending a great deal of time to establish styles based on my company's standard.

I haven't had the opportunity to work with Styles as of yet but this task will be on my plate soon.