What are /r/AutoCAD's favorite Products & Services?
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I have seen an AutoCAD add in that does something like what you want (pick text you want from a list) but can't find it right now. I think AHK is your best bet tho.

you shouldnt put to much weight on certificates. sure they look nice on the wall but being proficient in the software to the point where you can draw whatever is needed and present it in a proffessional manner. i would suggest lynda.com http://www.lynda.com/AutoCAD-training-tutorials/160-0.html or Infiniteskills http://www.infiniteskills.com/autocad/ if the job is between you with your certs or a guy with no certs who can draft circles around you, the certs mean nothing.

Here you go.

http://www.filedropper.com/michigan

I did it kind of quick but should be plenty good for engraving.

Does your machine only read dwg? I uploaded a dxf, which I believe most CNC machines read.

Sure it's a macro program: https://autohotkey.com/

Basically it runs in the background and looks for specific keypresses or shortcuts then does what you program it to. Here's their tutorial: https://autohotkey.com/docs/Tutorial.htm

Basically what you could do if you want a "repeat command before last" is that you could program "Ctrl+Shift+R" (or whatever) to excecute "Up, Up, Enter" which would go back two commands and then do it.

it would probably look something like

+^r:: Send {Up 2}{Enter} Return

I believe .shx files are fonts. The core file will be a .dwg file, the shx files were sent along because that font was used in the drawing. Autodesk has a free file viewer on their website, http://www.autodesk.com/products/dwg/viewers You want the DWG Trueview and will be able to print PDF from there.

I can't remember how or if batch plotting is possible from 2000 but you should be able to do it with Autodesk DWG Trueview. Are you trying to plt multiple files or layouts? Either way you can do it using Trueview.

DWG Trueview is a free autodesk product that will view and convert any version of dwg. I can't speak to the compatibility of all objects in 2013-14, but this could be a useful utility for you.

Then ask. It is a free and legal AutoCAD LT clone that can be used for ANY purpose. It looks and works just like an older version of LT.
https://nanocad.com/products/nanoCAD/

I just had a guy retire that worked for me (I'm 49) and he used 2020 right until the day he left. Now he did have some quirks with the way he worked but he had NO issues using current AutoCAD versions.

Glad that helped. It might be what you are looking for it might not be, if that makes any sense. What are you wanting to do with it might be the real question. That is can do those things might not mean that it is the tool FOR those things. If someone is going to do a lot of subdivision modeling I'd steer them to Blender 3D. It's one of the best out there and it's 100% free for ANY purpose.If surface modeling is a desire I'd point someone to Moi 3D - http://moi3d.com/It's not free but it is not too expensive.

I wish Illustrator has Acad's trim and extend tools without having to buy a 3rd party add on!Good luck and hit me up if you have any other questions.

Download Blender - It's free and easy to use, perfect for a starting CGI pro like yourself.

Learn to export all your CAD drawings into Blender, try to just import the shapes or polylines and use Blender's engine and features to turn them into 3D and start manipulating them. You can bring them straight in from AutoCAD if you really want.

Read up on the lighting & materials (especially materials) effects sections of the help files; these are the most important factors when creating photorealistic scenes. This all goes for 3DS Max too if you can get hold of it.

Vanilla AutoCAD can render ok, but you don't get the materials and lighting possibilities that you do in dedicated rendering software. It's worth learning if you want to create work winning images.

When I need JPEG's of a set of plans I publish from AutoCAD using the DWG to PDF printer. Then I use PDF-XChange Viewer to batch convert to JPEG.

http://www.tracker-software.com/product/pdf-xchange-viewer

Logitech G400s (and it's ancestors) is the most comfortable mouse I've ever used. I currently own 4 of them. Amazon claims there is a newer model, the 402, don't fall for it, it's not the same.

Logitech G400s 910-003589 Optical Gaming Mouse https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00BCEK2LA/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_qP8sAbPMZZC66

Using one right now at work. It's getting old and it's beat up but it's the most comfortable. Logitech G400

I get that, I gotten SketchUp files that I've spent hours rebuilding and prepping for CAD drawing from Art Directors, who are much like the PMs of my world.

Its possible to do curves and organics competently in SketchUp, I did a vaulted ceiling, a subway car and a network of tunnels/alleyways and so so earlier this year, but its not truly native...but then its all laid out in AutoCAD :(

At this point, I would lean towards Rhino on price alone and they have a 90 day trial, and much of the concepts and commands are very similar to AutoCad.

My current system, which is a desktop despite being a traveling workerAMD Ryzen 7 2700 X

Gigabyte X470 Aorus Ultra Gaming Motherboard

G.Skill Aegis 32 GB 288 Pin DDR$ SDRAM DDR4 2400

PNY Quadro P1000 4 GB GDDR5

With both a platter and SSD drive

I am already looking at upgrading the graphics card, but not really looking at workstation class cards

My previous system was: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01578ZK9A/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1 which did run Rhino pretty well

I second getting a gaming laptop. I picked out a gaming laptop. I have a Dell G3 15 (link below) and it runs CAD for me. I am currently in school for Engineering Design Technology and am a student worker and do school work at work daily and I complete my CAD assignments with it and have no issues with performance. Dell G3 15 15.6" FHD (1920x1080)... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08C8Z8CR6?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

Why do you need to select a grip before entering a command? If I have a line drawn and I want to move it, I can select the middle grip of the line and simply move it, OR I can select it and use the move command. I don't draft with menus so I don't understand your command flow. BUT to get the error "Point or option keyword required" it seems that a command is already active and you need to finish the command before entering a new command. example; if i start to draw a line with a start point then hit "x" then "enter", it will give me "Point or option keyword required" because i have not given the line an end point or I didn't use a known option keyword. an option keyword is usually a single or double letter. example of an option keyword; command "vscurrent" the option keywords would be 2,3,H,R,C,O. anything else will give an error. this might clarify the error message, #8 towards the bottom of the page

I don't...all I got is what I can find on Google. I don't know anything about Mac's, I'm sorry.

http://osxdaily.com/2018/08/17/where-temp-folder-mac-access/

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/p/pipe-drafting-and-design-roy-a-parisher/1100045755/2675196108502?st=PLA&sid=BNB_DRS_Marketplace+Shopping+Textbooks_00000000&2sid=Google_&sourceId=PLGoP20452&k_clickid=3x20452 Here's what you need. Whole chapter on Isos, lots of helpful tips.

I use a stream deck at work. I can program all the keys to whatever command, or series of commands I want as well as having folders for groups of commands. It was a bit expensive but I think it was well worth it.

Stream deck

nooooo, that's way overkill. it becomes a major pain when you want to type anything coherent. Also 90% of the tools you use are on the other end of the keyboard which you would now have to reassign. Personally, if I didn't have a spacemouse for inventor, I would be using a second keypad for my left hand, and they can be picked up for pennies.

https://www.amazon.com/Numerical-Portable-External-Keyboard-numerico/dp/B09C31KWXL/ref=sr\_1\_3?crid=IFEDDVY9KUVB&keywords=numpad&qid=1652179679&sprefix=numpad%2Caps%2C142&sr=8-3&th=1

I use it yea. I'm not at work PC so I can't post my script but here's what i do.

I type PROPOSED and EXISTING like a fucking lot, so i have EX(enter/space/period/etc) to Hotstring to EXISTING and same for PR and PROPOSED.

I forgot how to get this next one to work in autocad directly, but I set F11 to the FRO(enter) which is the "From" osnap, and F12 to M2P(enter) which is the Mid point betweeen two points. Use them alot too and faster than doing shift+rightclick>finding it in that menu, and faster than typing them all out. Those last two only work while Autocad is the active app.

That's all off the top of my head.

https://www.amazon.com/MSI-GF75-i5-10300H-Processor-Graphics/dp/B08JD3SNR5/ref=sr_1_4?crid=B1S35R268UYC&keywords=gaming%2Blaptop%2B32gb%2Bram&qid=1648067208&sprefix=gaming%2Blaptop%2B32gb%2Bram%2Caps%2C61&sr=8-4&th=1 Here's another.

I've had goodluck searching on Amazon in the past to get a good idea of what laptops are on the market from different reputable companies (rather than searching each of their websites individually).

This (https://www.amazon.com/Lenovo-Legion-Computer-i7-9750H-Graphics/dp/B09MJLC89S/ref=sr_1_3?crid=B1S35R268UYC&keywords=gaming%2Blaptop%2B32gb%2Bram&qid=1648067208&sprefix=gaming%2Blaptop%2B32gb%2Bram%2Caps%2C61&sr=8-3&th=1) is something along the lines of what you want. I found others that were cheaper but had been repaired or didn't have reviews. You may find others as well.

i use a samsung smart monitor. bluetooth, smart tv remote, speakers, wifi

also used as stand alone terminal w keyboard mouse, icl. word and browser

i have 2x24", 27" and 32"

SAMSUNG M5 Series 32-Inch FHD 1080p Smart Monitor & Streaming TV (Tuner-Free), Netflix, HBO, Prime Video, & More, Apple Airplay, Bluetooth, Height Adjustable Stand, Built-in Speakers (LS32AM502HNXZA) https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B09FRCT7SM/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apan_glt_i_R1C177HS6PN0ND8PGTCC?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

Thanks for replies. All of the lines are Z=0 and in the same layer. I noticed while using the Properties window that all of them have the same start X,Y points as the end X,Y points as the adjacent line (which struck me as odd) I tried stretching the grips and fillets and those aren't working either. If anyone could kindly take a look at the file and see why those 6 lines won't Join, it would be much appreciated.

Edit: I just found one small line that I had originally missed, and I colored it Red. The slightly updated file is here They still won't Join though.

Awesome! I really think that effectively splitting commands between your mouse hand and your keyboard hand is the key to quick, accurate work.

Once you get the basics down, I'd recommend adding AutoHotkey to your arsenal. It's a bit intimidating, but has great forums to help. With it, you can map Chords too - for instance, SideButton1+LButton = LAYMCUR so you can select something to make it your current layer. If your SideButton1 is a normal key, like Shift, pressing it won't start a command (another reason to map the mouse keys to modifier keys). So now, you can make chords with it and Lbutton, Rbutton, and Mbutton. Those are 3 additional things that your mouse can handle. With additional side buttons comes an additonal 3 commands that you can perform with your mouse hand.

I've mapped a bunch of dumb ones - and because of habit, that is still why they are mapped this way.... Why oh why did I map Arc to one of my mouse binds? I use Polyline way more, but that is mapped to the HOME key, so I have to reach all the way over there and I use that command way more often....

Oh well.

link to similar software

I would say freecad, sketchup, and blender are wonderful options. Not 100% sure on how free sketchup is in the long run, but blender and freecad are open source!

That seems much more complicated than what I have been assigned to do. Here is a pdf of the entire scheme. the blue marks numbered A1 to E8 are the control pegs relative to each group (i.e. group A-E; I was in group E, therefore E1-E8 and set out point SOE). Centreline pegs (CL*) and road alignment points M, I & N.

I've only been tasked with drawing the centreline, entry and exit tangent and north-south, east-west 50m grid with the co-ords of the grids on the perimeter of the drawing. I can draw a straight line and other simple things, but I want to draw the centreline as a curve.

Obviously if I can get this simple road to show the vertical profile on the contours might improve my mark, but its not required for the final hand in.

I can add an alignment now, but i cannot specify each co-ordinate to create a smooth curve at the correct location.

Sorry for omitting details!

You could try live tracing in Illustrator if you have that. Or you can try the free open source Inkscape. https://inkscape.org/doc/tutorials/tracing/tutorial-tracing.html

Your mileage may vary here. It may just be simpler to do this by hand.

But if this mostly gets you what you need it may be easier to start there and then clean it up.

Install in on different Virtual box machines. One per each version of AutoCAD. Goto https://www.virtualbox.org/ and start from there. You can even run the softare in the appropiate OS version. And yes, as stated by other users, be cautious with your license, whether you are in a VM box. Use dropbox or other cloud services to connect the boxes to your native computer and be able to share the files.

Autodesk doesn't have a lot of 'secret junk' aside from autosave files in your local Temp folder (OPtions > Files > Automatic Save File Location )

If you'd like a more general deep clean, check out WinDirStat https://windirstat.net/download.html as a way to see what random junk you have in piles on your drives.

You're probably thinking of DWG Viewer? Either way, that page has both. I know, it's difficult to keep track of which is which when Autodesk wants to push everyone to using 360 instead.

agreed for intricate character design, his is pretty basic IMO. check out the .stl i created last night. when exporting to .stl it gives the model the triangular surfaces. it was solid modeled with a extruded region intersected with an arch then unioned to a sphere with the eyes and mouth subtracted. ACAD cant import the .stl but there is a free trail viewer from ABViewer

Possibly
"POV-Ray - The Persistence of Vision Raytracer"
http://www.povray.org/
{I have not used it}
&
"YafaRay "free rays for the masses" in Blender , etc"
http://www.yafaray.org/
{I have not used it}

NanoCAD has several versions. Plus, Pro, Mechanica, Construction, & 3DScan are all paid versions. But plain NanoCAD is free. It's at the bottom of the "Products" page.

> I also want AutoCAD and Revit at home

Maybe BricsCAD? https://www.bricsys.com/estore/

To summarise:

Classic = AutoCAD LT

Pro = AutoCAD

Platinum = no direct comparison

Mechanical = AutoDesk Inventor

BIM = Revit

Ultimate = Kinda AutoDesk Arch, Eng & Construction Collection

The GUI is largely the same as AutoCAD. The system resources for BricsCAD are waaaaaaay less than any AutoDesk product, it's written far better than AutoDesk. BricsCAD is happy to run on a 1GHz processor with 1GB RAM and <2GB HDD space. No requirement for GPU.

You cannot buy second hand Autodesk products legally since 2008: see Vernor v. Autodesk

Another option is to buy an Autocad clone instead. Bricscad's features and performance is about on par with autocad, and you can still buy it. Other "clones" exist as well, you can find a cheaper suitable alternative if your client doesn't need all of the features of Autocad.

Just wanting to learn it? Autodesk gives all their software away for free for educational purposes. Just sign up, don't even need an .edu addresses.

But if you want something like AutoCAD for free for commercial use check out draftsight.

If you are looking for a basic 2D drawing program, you can also try draftsight.

It is free and it pretty much the same as AutoCAD LT https://www.3ds.com/products-services/draftsight-cad-software/free-download/

I've actually done exactly this and a bunch of other things like this before.

I scanned my signature in and opened it in Inkscape. With the scan open, go the the toolbar on top and go Path>Trace Bitmap. Then just monkey around with the options, mode, and other settings until you get a really nice trace of the signature. You can save the file as a dxf, open it in AutoCAD, make whatever changes you want, and make a block out of it.

I've done that for signatures, logos, scans, and all kinds of other stupid things.

I occasionally have to recreate random parts from equipment to get cut on a 2-axis magic cutting machine. Paint the object a solid color, place it on the scanner, Trace Bitmap, and boom, I've got some random part recreated in CAD as a dxf I can send out to get made.

Funny I was just working on a problem like this this morning. While I haven't figured it out completely, I know that Inkscape can be used to create .svg files and .dxf files from images. I just haven't exactly worked out how.

Try a desktop streaming software instead of remote desktop?

It will use more bandwidth, but as it's basically just video capturing the desktop, it may avoid some of AutoCAD's typical issues with RDP.

e.g., https://parsec.app/teams

Note, I have not tried any of these, so this isn't really a recommendation, but you might try a trial to see if it avoids the issue. This one I linked is only because it was in the Linus Tech Tips video being used for video editing remotely.

Also, 60/60 for team RDP sounds like shit, you should really upgrade the office to gigabit or something...

that's really something i'm not familiar with. i know you can do it in Inventor but i'm not sure how to do it in autoCAD and i'm not even sure that you can without getting into the programming. what i was thinking was a parametric block with other parametric blocks nested so that when you change the overall width the rest of the components adjust their size.

here is a basic example. http://www.filedropper.com/parametriccabinet go to the parametric tab and click on the parameters manager. in there you can change the values

It seems like your two options here are PyAutoCad and IronPython.

I'm not too familiar with either, as I am just starting up the process of potentially working with python in CAD. The most trouble I am having is starting the initial link and set up between the two.

Hopefully this helps! Let me know if you are able to get anywhere.

would this laptop be a good choice? https://www.amazon.com/GIGABYTE-G5-MD-Anti-Glare-MD-51US123SH/dp/B093Z23FBK/ref=sr\_1\_18?dchild=1&keywords=gigabyte&qid=1631728909&s=electronics&sr=1-18

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08B6CZ29Q?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2_dt_b_product_details is what I buy everyone in my office. It just works vs. the newer OEM docks which generally suck. OEM docks were awesome when they had the dedicated plug, the USB-C/Thunderbolt ones suck.

I use the Corsair Scimitar. I LOVE it. Took about 2 weeks to build muscle memory for all the buttons and now I can draft light lightning.

https://smile.amazon.com/CORSAIR-Scimitar-Pro-RGB-Programmable/dp/B01MU3DZYN/ref=mp_s_a_1_4

I have a Logitech MX Ergo, really like trackballs.

I have thought about pairing it with something like this: https://www.amazon.com/Razer-Tartarus-Gaming-Keypad-Analog-Optical/dp/B07YQKS4B5/ref=pd_sbs_147_3/132-8176914-7848414?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B07YQKS4B5&pd_rd_r=df54a2f5-b097-44e0-8acd-83ba6ef6c804&pd_rd_w=ato5i&pd_rd_wg=BjhHi&pf_rd_p=b65ee94e-1282-43fc-a8b1-8bf931f6dfab&pf_rd_r=DS9SVGE8Q5RBRGW20WND&refRID=DS9SVGE8Q5RBRGW20WND&th=1

So I can have macros too

Here is what we use in our office I personally have no complaints, but it is a chair from amazon.

This is more of an experience issue than a cad issue mate. But it’s great that you are considering this.

Get yourself some books on “engineering drawings” Or have a look on YouTube for some tips.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Manual-Engineering-Drawing-International-Standards/dp/0750651202

Line weights, dimensions, notation, projections, these make all of the difference.

Rather than having two parallel legs, reverse tweezers' legs cross in the middle. These are like the ones I've had in the past.

Youtube as much as you can but free tutorials will only go so far (and usually be using much older AutoCAD software).

You should maybe buy a good Architectural Design using AutoCAD book.

I don't have a formal education in Autodesk, but someone who teaches classes gave me a condensed version of what he teaches with This book. it was good to have him around to ask questions, but the book was very easy to read and I bet I could have gotten a decent fundamental understanding by just reading the book.

Here, this is actually more power then the laptop I am now using. My company bought me my current laptop so I didn't get a say in its.

https://www.amazon.com/HP-15-ay011nr-Full-HD-Generation-Windows/dp/B01CGGOZOM/ref=sr_1_1?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1465613463&sr=1-1&keywords=laptop

I have run AutoCAD 2004 Architectural Desktop in a laptop with less power than that and only had a problem when I had a sheet with 15 or more viewports on it. I currently run this laptop and have yet to make it crash

I use this feature every day. I've been using AutoCAD since release 2 on floppies, and learned to draft by hand, too. I have a deep appreciation for the multitude of tools AutoCAD offers - even if I never use them, I appreciate that they are there before someone needs them, and I might eventually use them too.

AutoCAD is like those massive Swiss Army knives. It all comes down to the task at hand, and knowing what tool is going to help you get it done that much faster and more efficiently.

This particular tool helps to eliminate the need to draw construction lines by inferring coordinates based on when you have already drawn and the direction you move your mouse.

I haven't kept up as well as I used to lately on computer hardware, so this may have changed; but it used to be that graphics cards that were good for gaming weren't so hot for CAD and vice-versa. I always recommend checking with Autodesk on graphics cards. But the rest... yeah, it'd be nice, and I'm sure users would notice the difference, but many of us make do okay with a lot less. Also, while that link has a non-listed / recommended graphics card, you can find one on Amazon that is certified that would still bring your total to a much smaller amount. Note: the reason your link's graphics card isn't listed by Autodesk is probably because they lag a bit behind, so it may still be fine. Just don't expect any support from them.

Just FYI, trackballs are a learning curve. You've been using a mouse one way your whole life, it's a big change. So, your immediate productivity will drop, but you might not achieve better productivity even with time.

If it's a skill you want to learn, go for it.

Personally, I use a wireless gaming mouse because I can map my most used commands to the macro keys.

My go-to mouse for EVERYTHING including CAD is the current Logitech G400 Optical Gaming Mouse. I've used this mouse since it used to be the MX518. I've found it to be the most ergonomically comfortable. So much so that I currently own 3 of them and have convinced 3 other people to buy them as well.

It's a wired mouse but I actually prefer that because wireless mice weigh more (due to batteries) and make my hand movements slower.

It has on-the-fly adjustable DPI and just works great.

If by "portable" you are hoping for an android version, then I recently downloaded the mobile version of AutoDesk AutoCAD 360. I have used it when on the go to do simple things such as annotate, measure, and draft. Is it perfect? No. But it runs pretty flawlessly on my Galaxy Note 5..

What are /r/AutoCAD's favorite Products & Services? From 3.5 billion Reddit comments

The most popular Products mentioned in /r/AutoCAD:

The most popular Services mentioned in /r/AutoCAD:

nanoCAD

AutoHotkey

BricsCAD

Autodesk DWG TrueView

Inkscape

GrabCAD

FreeCAD

FileDropper.com

DraftSight

infiniteskills

Convertio

doPDF

Blender

Paraview

IronPython

The most popular Android Apps mentioned in /r/AutoCAD:

AutoCAD - DWG Viewer & Editor

The most popular reviews in /r/AutoCAD:

What are /r/AutoCAD's favorite Products & Services?
From 3.5 billion Reddit comments