Extensive library of 3D DWG models

3D-Project of the RFA organization offers a free 230-megabyte library of 3D models (and textures) of computer, office and studio audio blocks in the AutoCAD DWG format (can be used also in Inventor, Architectural Desktop, 3ds max or Revit). If you need 3D models and blocks like computers, monitors, copiers, 19" racks, switchboards or studio mix panels for your scenes, try '3D-Project' on the www.techweb.rfa.org website or download the library using the link on our www.xanadu.cz/download page.

Can I run the FlexLM license server on Windows 2003 Server?

The Autodesk Network License Manager - FlexLM/FlexNet - is supported on Windows 2003 Server since the FlexLM (AdLM) version supplied with the AutoCAD 2005 product family.

How to make standard 2D drawings from AutoCAD 3D solids?

You can either plot your DWG file to the DXB format and read it back with the DXBIN command, or use the SOLVIEW and SOLDRAW commands to create projected 2D representations of your 3D models in given views (top, front, left, axonometry, perspective, etc.). To show hidden lines as dashed, set layer properties on the -HID layers.

For more detailed 2D views/representations of 3D models we recommend a full featured 3D CAD application - Autodesk Inventor or Mechanical Desktop.

Since AutoCAD 2007 you can also use the FLATSHOT command.

How to add thousands separators in AutoCAD numbers?

Use the LISP application by XANADU - srxText (www.xanadu.cz/developuk) to add digit-triplets separators to existing drawing texts/figures.

The search/replace expression for thousands separator (",") can be e.g.:

-?\([0-9]+\)\([0-9][0-9][0-9]\)
\1,\2

You may need to repeat this for millions etc. (srxText can be scripted). It will change:

1234 -> 1,234
-1234.5 -> -1,234.5

The difference between XRef Overlay and XRef Attach

The difference between overlaying and attaching an xref is in cases with multiple levels (nesting) of xrefs (A.dwg references B.dwg, which references C.dwg). If you xref-attach C.dwg in B.dwg, and then attach B.dwg in A.dwg, you can see the C.dwg contents/entities in both B.dwg and A.dwg. But if you overlay C.dwg in B.dwg, you can see the C.dwg geometry in B.dwg, but not in A.dwg.

Simply - the overlaid xref displays only one level up in the hierarchy while attached xref appears in all levels up. Overlays also allow to create circular references.

Replacing TrueType fonts in an opened .DWG file with faster SHX fonts

DWG drawings (e.g. from Inventor) can contain many texts created in text styles based on TrueType fonts (TTF). You can easily and automatically replace such fonts with faster fonts in the SHX format with the "font mapping" function in AutoCAD.

The font mapping definition is stored in the ACAD.FMP file (or in another file set in the FONTMAP variable). Open this file in your text editor (e.g. Notepad) - it is placed by default in your local Support folder and append the required mapping to it. E.g. to replace the TrueType font "Arial Black" with "Simplex.SHX" add the line:

ARIBLK.TTF;SIMPLEX.SHX

The TTF file name for a particular font can be found e.g. in the Fonts applet in Windows Control Panel.

Save the FMP file and restart AutoCAD.

Which applications can publish to 3D DWF format?

3D version of the Autodesk DWF publishing format (.DWF files) can be directly created from the following Autodesk applications: AutoCAD (2006 and higher, plus Map, MDT, Civil3D and other applications based on it - the _3DDWFPUBLISH command), Architectural Desktop (2005 and higher), Inventor (R9 and higher), Revit (R8 and higher), Autodesk VIZ (2006 and higher) and 3ds max (R8 and higher).

How to influence line spacing in AutoCAD texts?

You can set line spacing in AutoCAD MText (since R2000i); for DText it is set in the font definition (you can define it in the SHX font).

In MTexts you can set line spacing either to "At least" or "Exactly". "At least" means that the smallest line height is given by the height of the used text. "Exactly" means fixed line spacing independent on the text height.

See the Properties window (Ctrl+1) for MText objects and the TSPACETYPE and TSPACEFAC variables and the -MText command (commandline version, the Line spacing option).

Edit block attributes in multiple layouts

If you want to globally edit attributes of blocks inserted in multiple layouts (e.g. title blocks), you can use the Express Tools command - GATTE.

As prompted, select one of the block references, enter the new text and confirm the Process all of them? prompt.

INTERNAL ERROR: !dbspace.cpp@3553: eWrongDatabase on "Bring to Front" command

Your DWG drawing (the drawing database) is corrupted. Try to load your drawing into AutoCAD (the newest available version), perform AUDIT and save it back. If your drawing references any XRefs, perform the same on the XRefs first.

Retry the DRAWORDER command.

DWG Viewer

What viewer can be used to display/view .DWG files?

To view DWG files up to version 2002 you can use the free Autodesk viewer Volo View Express. It supports DWG, DXF and DWF files, Object Enablers (for viewing Desktop drawings and other custom entities) and can be also embedded into other applications as an ActiveX object.

For DWG versions 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007 and higher you can use newer Autodesk applications - the free Autodesk DWG TrueView (supports also object enablers), "Autodesk DWG Viewer" or "Powered by Volo View". Autodesk Design Review (former "Autodesk DWF Composer", replacing older 'Volo View') supports (besides viewing, measuring and printing) also electronic redlining of DWG and DXF files with publishing to the DWF format.

You can download the Autodesk DWG TrueView viewer and Volo View Express from www.xanadu.cz/download and find more information about Design Review and DWG TrueView.

There are also several non-Autodesk DWG viewing applications but their results are not ideal (except for those using the official RealDWG/ObjectDBX libraries from Autodesk, like e.g. Cyco AutoManager View).

To publish, distribute and view CAD files, use rather the DWF publishing format.

How to get/set AutoCAD Mechanical scale in a program or script?

To get or set the modelspace scale variable in AutoCAD Mechanical (as in the AMTITLE or AMCONFIG commands) from your user program (application, routine) or menu script, you can use the following LISP functions:

(gengetdwgsetting "scale")
(gensetdwgsetting "scale" "1:10")

or

(amggetdwgsetting "scale")
(amgsetdwgsetting "scale" "1:3")

Using multiprocessing in AutoCAD

All Autodesk's CAD products based on AutoCAD 2000i, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009 and higher are multi-threaded, display operations run on multiple processors.

The WHIPTHREAD variable controls the way how AutoCAD uses the second processor (or core) for display operations.

• 0 - use only a single processor (as A2000)
• 1 - regen done on multiple CPUs
• 2 - redraw done on multiple CPUs
• 3 - both regens and redraws done on multiple CPUs
  

Multi-CPU and multithreading systems are used by AutoCAD also for other operations, e.g. for the mental ray rendering (2007 and higher), background publishing, xref loading, or for background loading of .NET Framework.

Intel processors with the hyperthreading (HT) and dual-core technology are considered by the operating system as multiprocessor PCs.

How to convert MDT parts to AutoCAD 3D solids?

You can just use the EXPLODE command or a conversion through ACIS - the AMACISOUT command in Mechanical Desktop and ACISIN in AutoCAD.

AutoCAD reports SECTIONPLANE as an Unknown command

The SECTIONPLANE and LIVESECTION commands are disabled in AutoCAD Mechanical and Mechanical Desktop as these commands are designed to work only with plain AutoCAD 3D objects.

How to set font (style) for Amnotes, surface texture symbols?

If the texts in your notes and symbols are displayed in a too bold font, you have probably not set properly the note properties for your drawing standard in AutoCAD Mechanical.

In the Options dialog on the AM:Standard tab (the AMOPTIONS command) double-click on the standard (e.g. "DIN") on the top of the tree (on the right). In the "Standard Properties" dialog then check the option "Link to Dimension Style", click on the radio button "Apply to Leaders Only" and in the list of predefined text styles select the required style (font).

For a one-time change of the font you can also directly set the text style ACISOTS.

Model import error: Coincident face_face_ints with different body vertices

After a SAT or STEP import (ACISIN, STEPIN) of a 3D model, AutoCAD displays the message:

Failed to calculate silhouettes of a face.
Modeling Operation Error:
Coincident face_face_ints with different body vertices.

This is one of the error messages of the ACIS/Shapemanager modeller. There are probably overlapping faces, small (very thin) wedges or gaps in the imported 3D model. Try to locate the complaining body and fix it in the source application (e.g. Inventor).

You can also use the AMSTITCH function in Mechanical Desktop:

1. Explode the part to an AutoCAD 3D solid
2. Start AMSTITCH and select the solid
3. In the Surface Stitching dialog, under Stitch Type, select Custom Stitching
4. In the Operation area, select Heal gaps

Keyboard shortcuts defined in AutoCAD

The standard AutoCAD menu (MNU/MNS/CUI) defines the following hotkeys:

F1 displays help
F2 displays text window
F3 switches object snaps
F4 toggles table mode
F5 toggles isometric planes
F6 toggles DUCS (switches coordinate display, till A2006)
F7 toggles grid display
F8 toggles ortho mode
F9 toggles snap
F10 toggles polar tracing
F11 toggles object tracing
F12 toggles dynamic input (2006+)

ESC cancel changes, cancel grips
TAB cycles osnaps
SHIFT (on object selection) removes objects
DEL erases objects (hold when pointing)

Ctrl+0 toggles clean-screen mode (2004+)
Ctrl+1 displays Properties window
Ctrl+2 displays DesignCenter window
Ctrl+3 displays Tool palette (2004+)
Ctrl+4 displays Sheet Set Manager, or Content Manager (2005+, ADT2004)
Ctrl+5 displays Info Palette, or Project Navigator (2005-2007, ADT2004)
Ctrl+6 displays dBConnect window
Ctrl+7 displays Markup Manager (2005)
Ctrl+8 displays Quick Calculator (2006+)
Ctrl+9 shows/hides Command line (2006+)

Ctrl+A selects all thawed objects (2002)
Ctrl+Shift+A toggles group selection (group/single)
Ctrl+B toggles snap
Ctrl+C copies content to Clipboard
Ctrl+Shift+C copies with reference point
Ctrl+D toggles coordinates display (dynamic UCS, till 2009)
Ctrl+E switches isoplanes
Ctrl+Shift+E pull a region to 3D (PRESSPULL, since 2010)
Ctrl+F toggles osnaps
Ctrl+G toggles grid display
Ctrl+H toggles Pickstyle (group and hatch selection)
Ctrl+Shift+H toggles Palettes display (2009+)
Ctrl+I toggles coordinate display (2009+)
Ctrl+J repeats the last command (Enter)
Ctrl+K displays the Hyperlink dialog
Ctrl+L toggles Ortho mode
Ctrl+N starts new drawing
Ctrl+O opens a drawing
Ctrl+P print a drawing
Ctrl+Shift+P toggles Quick Properties display (2009+)
Ctrl+Q quits AutoCAD (2004+)
Ctrl+R switches to the next viewport
Ctrl+S saves drawing
Ctrl+Shift+S saves drawing as (2004+)
Ctrl+T toggles the Tablet mode
Ctrl+U switches polar tracing
Ctrl+V pastes the Clipboard contents
Ctrl+Shift+V pastes contents as block
Ctrl+W toggles object tracing
Ctrl+X cuts contents to the Clipboard
Ctrl+Y redoes the undone action
Ctrl+Z undoes the last action
Ctrl+PgDn switches to the next layout (2004+)
Ctrl+PgUp switches to the previous layout (2004+)


Alt+F8 VBA macros
Alt+F11 VBA editor

temporary override keys (2006+):
Shift switches ortho mode
Shift+- switches dynamic UCS mode (2007+)
Shift+) switches object tracing mode (2007+)
Shift+. switches polar mode
Shift+A switches osnaps
Shift+E switches endpoint osnap
Shift+C switches center osnap
Shift+D disables osnaps and tracing
Shift+M switches middle osnap
Shift+Q switches object tracing osnap
Shift+S enables osnap override
Shift+W starts SteeringWheel (A2009+)
Shift+X switches polar tracing

CTRL+mouse cycles selection of overlapping objects (till 2006)
Shift+space cycles selection of overlapping objects in 2D (2007+)
CTRL+space cycles selection of overlapping sub-objects in 3D (2007+)
CTRL+ALT extrudes the selected region into 3D - PRESSPULL (2007-2009)
CTRL+arrow moves cursor
Arrow up/down - command history

CTRL+SHIFT+letter goes to the property in the Properties window
ALT+down arrow opens a list in the Properties window
ALT+up arrow closes a list in the Properties window

Of course all the Windows shortcut keys remain active as well (Ctrl+Tab, Ctrl+F3, Ctrl+F6 etc.). Other shortcuts may be defined as user keys in the ACCELERATORS section of your AutoCAD menu. Since AutoCAD version 2006 you can also use CUI to define so called temporary override keys.

Hatch angles in parts in an assembly section view

When I create a section view of my 3D model, all parts of the assembly have the same hatch angle - how to change it?

In Mechanical Desktop you can use the AMPATTERNDEF command to set hatch pattern properties.

How to save a Mechanical Desktop 3D model to the STL format?

To save (export) an AutoCAD 3D model for 3D printers, to the stereolithography file format STL you can use the STLOUT command. For models created using the mechanical (AMxxxx) commands in Mechanical Desktop you should use the "AM" version of this command - AMSTLOUT.

This enhanced version of STLOUT - AMSTLOUT - supports mechanical solids and assemblies, has more control over the quality of the exported model (facetres, aspect ratio, angular tolerance, surface tolerance, vertex spacing) and the model doesn't need to be in the positive X-Y-Z octant.