Graphics Hardware List

One of the most commonly asked questions I get is related to compatible hardware. Here's an easy way to see if your graphics card will play with AutoCAD.

http://usa.autodesk.com/adsk/servlet/hc?siteID=123112&id=6711853&linkID=9240618

AutoCAD 2010-Dimensions not showing in Layouts

Issue:
I can draw dimensions in model space but they won't show up in layouts. The layers are all correct and on but still I can't see the dims.

Answer:

Click on the 'trillium button with a light bulb'. This will turn objects from all scales on or off. You could also type the Variable name: ANNOALLVISIBLE. Then switch it on or off.

MLeader in 2010

You may notice the Mleader command changes the order of text placement. If you want to adjust this do the following:

Type MLEADER
Specify leader arrowhead location or [leader Landing first/Content first/Options] : Type L for the arrow first. Type C for the annotation first. Try both and you will see what they do.

AutoCAD & SSE2 Technology

AutoCAD & SSE2 Technology

If you look at the minimum hardware requirements for the Autodesk 2010 products, you’ll find they’re similar to the requirements for the 2009 products, with one exception - Autodesk is now requiring SSE2 technology.

In a nut-shell, SSE2 technology was introduced with the Pentium IV in 2001 and the AMD Opteron and Athlon 64 about 2 years later.

When code is, or was, written in earlier development platforms (like Microsoft Visual Studio) it was written in a particular format that older processors understand. But as processor architecture changed, somewhat of a translation had to take place in order for the same instructions to be carried out on newer processors. In effect, instructions sent to a processor of old, using a language of old, could result in numbers being improperly truncated and stored for future use when completed on newer processors. The greater the number of calculations, the greater the possibility for error - and not because of AutoCAD or Civil 3D per se, but simply because of the architecture of the processor and the platform used to develop the software.

Autodesk development platforms are catching up with processor architecture, mathematical computations in programs such as Civil 3D are becoming more complex, and Autodesk is simply hoping you have kept up with the trends.

CPUs supporting SSE2
AMD K8-based CPUs (Athlon 64, Sempron 64, Turion 64, etc)
AMD Phenom CPUs
Intel NetBurst-based CPUs (Pentium 4, Xeon, Celeron, Celeron D, etc)
Intel Pentium M and Celeron M
Intel Core-based CPUs (Core Duo, Core Solo, etc)
Intel Core 2-based CPUs (Core 2 Duo, Core 2 Quad, etc)
Intel Atom
Transmeta Efficeon
VIA C7
VIA Nano

You can type DXdiag into the run/search on the Windows Start button to see what you have.

AutoCAD Pline Widths in Revit

You want to Import or link an AutoCAD file with plines representing walls. The plines are set to the actual thickness of the wall. When this is imported into Revit the plines lose their thickness.

Changing the Revit lineweight is not the greatest solution because the lines change thickness based on scale. Also, you would have to do some calculations to get the corresponding width right.

You would be best to make the change in AutoCAD before you bring the file in. To that end I've attached a lsp routine which will convert plines to mlines with the corresponding width. You might want to add another string of code which explodes the mlines into lines because mlines don't come into Revit either.
Here's the thread where I found the lsp file written by Joe Burke...(note: this code leaves out closed segments, you will need to change the plines to 'open'.)

http://discussion.autodesk.com/forums/thread.jspa?messageID=1163735

Here's a cut and paste of the code...

;;;thanks Joe Burke
; CHANGE LINE/PLINE TO MLINE
(defun c:lml ()

;returns list associated with a DXF code
;arguments key: DXF code, alist: object data list
(defun massoc (key alist / x nlist)
(foreach x alist
(if (eq key (car x))
(setq nlist (cons (cdr x) nlist))
)
)
(reverse nlist)
) ;end

;(setq s (ssget))
(setq s (ssget '((0 . "LINE,LWPOLYLINE"))))
(setq teller 0)
(repeat (sslength s)
(setq en (ssname s teller))
(setq ent (entget en))
(if (= "LINE" (cdr (assoc 0 ent)))
(setq PtLst (list (cdr (assoc 10 ent)) (cdr (assoc 11 ent))))
) ;if
(if (= "LWPOLYLINE" (cdr (assoc 0 ent)))
(setq PtLst (massoc 10 ent))
) ;if
(command "mline" (foreach pt PtLst (command pt))) ;point list fed to
mline
;(command "erase" en "")
(entdel en)
(setq teller (1+ teller))
) ;repeat
(princ)
) ;end

Express Tools in AutoCAD LT 2009

Of the 122 separate tools in the Express Tools collection, only the 19 tools listed below are active in AutoCAD LT 2009. (the comparison matrix provided by Autodesk shows the Express Tools as being checked, or included, in AutoCAD LT 2009.)

· CHSPACE
· CLOSEALL
· COPYTOLAYER
· LAYCUR
· LAYDEL
· LAYFRZ
· LAYISO
· LAYLCK
· LAYMCH
· LAYMRG
· LAYOFF
· LAYON
· LAYTHW
· LAYULK
· LAYUNISO
· LAYVPI
· LAYWALK
· REVCLOUD
· WIPEOUT

http://usa.autodesk.com/adsk/servlet/ps/item?siteID=123112&id=11680974&linkID=9240817 Express Tools in AutoCAD LT 2009Published date: 2008-Aug-14 ID: TS1088646 Applies to:AutoCAD LT® 2009

Add on utility to expand LT...
http://www.globalcad.com/products/toolboxlt.htm
(this is unsupported by autodesk)

Slow Startup of AutoCAD 2008 files

If AutoCAD is slow to open on one file but not another it may be attributed to the annotation scale list. This can be fixed by typing scalelistedit in the command line of the offending drawing, then deleting the extra scales. This would also have to be done in any xrefs as well. The creation of extra annotation scales has since been addressed by Autodesk.