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Learn how to create Custom Linestyles in CAD Software ARES Commander easily. Custom Linestyes can be created either directly from a drawing pattern with the command MAKELINESTYLE, or the traditional way, with a text file ending in a .lin extension, (as shown in the video). Press LOAD, in the LINE STYLE dialog, and it will open a new dialog called LOAD LINESTYLES, which shows the contents of the .lin file. You’ll notice that it has a name and a description. Wondering how they are created? Simple, click on BROWSE and it directs you to the folder containing the file. You can see that the .LIN file has a simple structure when you open it using NOTEPAD (available in Windows). Be careful, any changes you make here will affect the .LIN file. In the video above, the file is called ‘MM.LIN’. The double M is short for millimeter, as it groups the line
1 00:00:08,860 –> 00:00:14,049 In this video we will see some of the tools that help you work faster with CAD layers 2 00:00:14,049 –> 00:00:15,480 in ARES Commander. 3 00:00:15,480 –> 00:00:20,640 For example, we can hide a layer, just by selecting an entity located on that 4 00:00:20,640 –> 00:00:21,640 layer. 5 00:00:21,640 –> 00:00:24,270 Or, activate all layers at once. 6 00:00:24,270 –> 00:00:28,680 We can even lock a layer, just by selecting an entity that belongs to 7 00:00:28,680 –> 00:00:29,680 it. 8 00:00:29,680 –> 00:00:35,300 Of course, we can also unlock layers by selecting one or more entities at a time. 9 00:00:35,300 –> 00:00:39,680 All of these Layer tools help us to work faster with layers in ARES Commander Isolate Layer Command 10 00:00:39,680 –> 00:00:42,740 One of my favorites is the Isolate Layer command 11 00:00:42,740 –> 00:00:47,000 that allows isolating the layer
Amit Kumar writes about Path Pattern in ARES Commander The reasons Amit Kumar likes this feature is because users can: create a pattern or an uneven line decide the distance between the entities specify the entities count specify the distance and number for the entities set the settings for entity alignment set the orientation of the entities by tangent direction Read the full article on CADblogbyAmit Watch the video below to better understand Path Pattern in ARES Commander: Download a trial version of ARES Commander now!
Drafting often involves drawing many similar symbols. Whether windows, valves, or transistors, symbols are drawn many times over. Back in the days of manual drafting, there were two common solutions: trace the pencil around a green plastic template, or stick see-through photocopies onto the Mylar. The following article is an abstract of the eBook ‘Best CAD Practices’ by Ralph Grabowski. Graebert is happy to share with you some of the experience accumulated by Ralph as a CAD expert and as compiled in his eBook for which the reference can be found at the bottom of the page. Feel free to share feedback in the comment section below. With CAD software, there is just one solution: insert a previously drawn symbol. A single command — even just a drag’n drop action — places complex symbols without drawing a single line! The following figure shows an electrical drawing made with Turbo-CAD. The
The Construction Specifications Institute in 1994 created a drawing sheet naming system. The AIA’s system, in turn, is based on the CSIs. The following article is an abstract of the eBook ‘Best CAD Practices’ by Ralph Grabowski. Graebert is happy to share with you some of the experience accumulated by Ralph as a CAD expert and as compiled in his eBook for which the reference can be found at the bottom of the page. Feel free to share feedback in the comment section below. Called UDS for uniform drawing system, drawing file names are based on the order of a construction project. The system uses two characters, followed by three digits, such as AS102. Position Example Meaning 1 A Discipline
The following sections describe file name standards created by several industry groups: American Institute of Architects Construction Specifications Institute California Department of Transportation The following article is an abstract of the eBook ‘Best CAD Practices’ by Ralph Grabowski. Graebert is happy to share with you some of the experience accumulated by Ralph as a CAD expert and as compiled in his eBook for which the reference can be found at the bottom of the page. Feel free to share feedback in the comment section below. AIA File Naming Convention The American Institute of Architects uses a file naming system based on its CAD Layer Guidelines (Chapter 3). You will see some similarities between the file and layer names, although layer names are more extensive. The AIA naming convention recognizes two types of CAD files: Model files contain the model drawn full size, but plotted to scale Sheet files hold non-model
Looking for file naming conventions examples? This article gives some easy examples. Drawings must be given file names that allow you to identify them by project and discipline. Folders (subdirectories) are used to segregate projects. File names of drawings are related closely to the sheet numbers. If you decide to use a CAD drawing to produce a single plotted sheet, then the drawing’s file name is the same as the sheet number. If, however, a CAD drawing produces several different plotted sheets (either via toggling the visibility of layers, or via referenced drawings) — which is how CAD ought to be used — then the sheet number must differ from the drawing file name. In this chapter, we discuss several examples of drawing file name conventions. The following article is an abstract of the eBook ‘Best CAD Practices’ by Ralph Grabowski. Graebert is happy to share with you some of
Essay: Seeking Alternatives to AutoCAD At the time this book was updated, Autodesk stopped selling permanent licenses to its software. Licenses are only available as subscriptions, which means that when firms cannot pay the fee each year, the software stops working. This is a scary thought for firms, especially during times of recession, and so there is a new interest in alternatives to AutoCAD. Here is the story from a competitor. The following article is an abstract of the eBook ‘Best CAD Practices’ by Ralph Grabowski. Graebert is happy to share with you some of the experience accumulated by Ralph as a CAD expert and as compiled in his eBook for which the reference can be found at the bottom of the page. Feel free to share feedback in the comment section below. I have over the last decade seen people’s reactions changing when considering CAD alternatives. I think this
The Travails of Archiving Shane Beaman of Sealcorp Computer Products, New Zealand, began wondering about how to deal with drawings that are getting old. The problem of how to archive paper drawings formerly dominated; but now with CAD getting to be more than 30 years old, archiving old digital drawings is an issue. He wrote: Has anyone ever looked seriously at electronic drawing archiving and recovery? I want to be able to access design data created and stored electronically 15 or more years ago, or archived now for access in future years. How do I get information off old hardware stored on old design software that is possibly no longer readable by today’s software? I guess I would have to keep a copy of the old design software, but I wonder if it will still be readable, or able to be run on the new hardware. The following article is an
Autodesk User Group International does CAD managers a service with its pay survey, which answers your question, “How much should I be paid?” The 2011 survey showed that the range of salaries starts at $41,000 (0-2 years experience) to $67,000 (over 15 years experience), with pay tied to the person’s abilities and responsibilities. The mean salary was in the range of $50,000 to $60,000. (Amounts in stated in United States funds, and rounded to the nearest thousand dollars.) Those with a higher degree received a higher starting salary, but over time the salaries evened out. Nearly half of those surveyed had at least a bachelor’s degree. The pay tended to be lower in smaller cities as well as at smaller firms, and highest in Canada and Australia, as well as at larger firms. The following article is an abstract of the eBook ‘Best CAD Practices’ by Ralph Grabowski. Graebert is
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