Mike Williams | March 8, 2009

AutoCAD 3D Tip: Flatshot Command

How to use the FLATSHOT Command to convert 3D solids into 2D objects. For the best picture quality, I recommend playing the video in full screen mode.

Get the Flash Player to see this player.

var s0 = new SWFObject(”http://autocadtipoftheday.com/tipblog/wp-content/plugins/flash-video-player/mediaplayer/player.swf”,”n0″,”400″,”280″,”7″);
s0.addParam(”allowfullscreen”,”true”);
s0.addParam(”allowscriptaccess”,”always”);
s0.addParam(”wmode”,”opaque”);
s0.addVariable(”id”,”n0″);
s0.addVariable(”controlbar”,”bottom”);
s0.addVariable(”height”,”280″);
s0.addVariable(”playlist”,”none”);
s0.addVariable(”width”,”400″);
s0.addVariable(”autostart”,”false”);
s0.addVariable(”bufferlength”,”1″);
s0.addVariable(”displayclick”,”play”);
s0.addVariable(”icons”,”true”);
s0.addVariable(”linktarget”,”_blank”);
s0.addVariable(”mute”,”false”);
s0.addVariable(”quality”,”true”);
s0.addVariable(”repeat”,”none”);
s0.addVariable(”resizing”,”true”);
s0.addVariable(”shuffle”,”false”);
s0.addVariable(”stretching”,”uniform”);
s0.addVariable(”volume”,”90″);
s0.addVariable(”aboutlink”,”http://www.longtailvideo.com/players/”);
s0.addVariable(”file”,”http://autocadtipoftheday.com/tipblog/wp-content/uploads/Video/3d/flatshot.mp4″);
s0.write(”video0″);

Note: You may need the latest version of flash installed on you computer [...]

Category: tips | 13 Comments »
Tags: 3d, flatshot, tips, video tip

Mike Williams | February 24, 2009

Learn how the PICKADD variable works and why it sometimes changes mysteriously.

Category: tips | 13 Comments »
Tags: pickadd, selection, system variable, tips

Mike Williams | February 22, 2009

AutoCAD Tips and AutoCAD Training: Tool Palette Customization

In this Tip, you will learn how to create a new Tool Palette and add a new command.  Since this tip will not show up on the main Blog, you may want to bookmark its location.

Get the Flash Player to see this player.

var s1 = new SWFObject(”http://autocadtipoftheday.com/tipblog/wp-content/plugins/flash-video-player/mediaplayer/player.swf”,”n1″,”400″,”280″,”7″);
s1.addParam(”allowfullscreen”,”true”);
s1.addParam(”allowscriptaccess”,”always”);
s1.addParam(”wmode”,”opaque”);
s1.addVariable(”id”,”n1″);
s1.addVariable(”controlbar”,”bottom”);
s1.addVariable(”height”,”280″);
s1.addVariable(”playlist”,”none”);
s1.addVariable(”width”,”400″);
s1.addVariable(”autostart”,”false”);
s1.addVariable(”bufferlength”,”1″);
s1.addVariable(”displayclick”,”play”);
s1.addVariable(”icons”,”true”);
s1.addVariable(”linktarget”,”_blank”);
s1.addVariable(”mute”,”false”);
s1.addVariable(”quality”,”true”);
s1.addVariable(”repeat”,”none”);
s1.addVariable(”resizing”,”true”);
s1.addVariable(”shuffle”,”false”);
s1.addVariable(”stretching”,”uniform”);
s1.addVariable(”volume”,”90″);
s1.addVariable(”aboutlink”,”http://www.longtailvideo.com/players/”);
s1.addVariable(”file”,”http://autocadtipoftheday.com/tipblog/wp-content/uploads/Video/Customization/ToolPalletteCust.flv”);
s1.write(”video1″);

You can [...]

Category: tips | 12 Comments »
Tags: cusomization, tips, tool palette

Mike Williams | February 18, 2009

Here’s another subscriber inspired tip on performing calculations while in a command along with unit conversions using ‘cal and ‘qc (QuickCalc)

Category: Subscriber Tip, tips | 7 Comments »
Tags: CAL, QC, QuickCalc, tips

Mike Williams | February 14, 2009

I just posted the first Video Tip. It took a while trying to figure out the best file format and then to configure the proper plug-in to make it work. Video Tips are available only to subscribers through the emails you receive from AutoCAD Tip of the Day.

If you are not yet a subscriber, you can subscribe by entering you first name and email address in the form to the right of this post, or go to http://autocadtipoftheday.com and sign-up there.

Category: tips | 2 Comments »
Tags: autosave, tips, video tip

Mike Williams | February 7, 2009

Learn how to use the OOPS command and how it differs from the UNDO command

Category: tips | 4 Comments »
Tags: OOPS, tips, UNDO

Mike Williams | January 31, 2009

The OFFSET command has several options that many AutoCAD users are unaware about. This article explains the full power of the OFFSET command.

Category: tips | 20 Comments »
Tags: offset, offset multiple, offsetgaptype, tips

Mike Williams | January 26, 2009

Have you ever had a problem with your layers or files not being listed in alphabetical order?
When you come across this problem, the solution is found in the system variable MAXSORT.

Category: tips | 6 Comments »
Tags: file sort, layer sort, maxsort, tips

Mike Williams | January 13, 2009

Ahh, the feeling. We had just completed one of the biggest projects we’ve ever drafted and I was going to meet with the Architect with the final construction documents. I rolled them out with great pride. The drawings looked awesome.

While I was standing there, waiting for the accolades to pour in, he got that look on his face. You know the one that’s part confusion and part frustration. I looked down, and for the first time realized that everywhere on the sheet in place of the scale (which was an automatically updated field) was written XREF_XREF_XREF…

Category: tips | 2 Comments »
Tags: 2008, 2009, bug, plot scales, scalelistedit, scales, service pack, tips, xref, xref_xref

Mike Williams | January 12, 2009

Have you ever inserted an XREF and then spent time getting all the LAYERs turned on, off, thawed and frozen just the way you want. You then spent even more time setting each layer the color that you want. And once you had everything just perfect, you saved your drawing and exited, only to find when you return that all the time consuming work had been lost…

Category: tips | 1 Comment »
Tags: layer control, layer settings, layers, system variable, tips, VISRTAIN, xref