LT Unlimited

Grips in Tables

It's been a while since I posted about table functions, so I thought I'd dedicate this week to them.

First up are table grips. Just like dynamic blocks, tables have lots of specialized grips to help you edit them, and it's important to know the difference between their functions.

When you left-click once on a table, the entire table is highlighted. The image below shows the grips you'll see and their purpose.

Entire Table Selected

(click on the image for a larger version)

Most of the grips are straightforward, but the one tricky bit is that to resize a SINGLE column (and move the others) you have to left-click once on the grip, then press and hold CTRL before you left-click again to define the new width.

When you click again on the border of a cell, different grips appear with different behaviors.

Single Cell Selected

(click on the image for a larger version)

See this post for more on Autofill.

Finally, it's possible to select a range of cells by clicking-and-dragging to define your selection area. This is probably the ONLY time in AutoCAD LT where you actually need to hold the left button down as you move the mouse. (Okay, so the other exception might be selecting a range of text to edit. But honestly, that's it. The rest of the time, click once and let go, then click again. No need to press down forever.)

Multiple Cells Selected

(click on image for larger version)

Really, the only difference in the grip behavior between having many cells selected and one is that the change in distance is equally applied across all the selected rows or columns instead of just one.

Networking event in Detroit

The Autodesk Assistance Program is holding another event in Detroit next month -- details below.

Join us for the Autodesk Assistance Program Networking Social 

Together with our co-sponsors, Tata Technologies and Engineering.com, Autodesk invites you to come and learn about the benefits of the Autodesk Assistance Program. At this free event you will hear from Autodesk executives, and our co-sponsors, about how to get a competitive edge with Digital Prototyping, see the latest 3D design and engineering software in action, network with your peers, and meet potential employers and industry recruiters who can help you plan your next career move.

Date: Thursday, September 24th
Time: 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Location: Townsend Hotel
100 Townsend Street
Birmingham, MI 48009
(248) 642-7900
www.townsendhotel.com

Please RSVP to Angela Simoes at +1-415-547-2388 or [email protected]

Win a trip to AU 2009

If it doesn't look like a trip to Vegas is in the cards this year (ha ha), maybe it's time to get out your video camera!

Autodesk University is sponsoring a YouTube contest and giving away 3 all-inclusive passes to AU 2009. (Looks like you'd still be on your own for airfare, but everything else is covered...hotel, meals, etc.)

The basic idea is to watch a YouTube video about reasons people go to AU, and then post your own video response telling everyone why you want to come to AU.

Finalists will be determined by number of YouTube viewings, and the final round of voting will be done through the AU Facebook page.

For all the details, including eligibility (open only to residents of the US and Canada, with some geographical exceptions), click here.

I'm definitely looking forward to watching the entries -- hope to see some of you in Vegas!

Edit Multiple Polylines

An often-overlooked option in the Edit Polyline command is Multiple. The reason that it's overlooked is that it's the very first option to appear -- if you select an polyline right away, you won't see it again.

Select polyline or [Multiple]:

If you enter M before selecting anything, you can select multiple objects (polylines, lines, or arcs) to edit at once. The options you see next are just a little different from what you'd see selecting a single object:

Enter an option [Close/Open/Join/Width/Fit/Spline/Decurve/Ltypegen/Reverse/Undo]:

A single-object selection will show only Close or Open, not both, and also includes the Edit Vertex option.

All the options work the same whether you select one polyline or many, except for Join. That one's a little different for multiple polylines, and it's actually the main reason I use the Multiple option.

With the single-object PEDIT, the Join option only adds objects to the original polyline if their endpoints are the same. With multiple objects, though, you're given the object to set a fuzz distance and join type, in case the objects you'd like to join don't have matching endpoints.

Enter fuzz distance or [Jointype] <0.0000>:

The fuzz distance sets the maximum spacing for two object endpoints before they're joined together. A fuzz distance of 0 means that only coincident objects will be joined.

The join type determines how two endpoints within the specified fuzz distance are connected. You can choose between Extend (which lengthens the two segments until they connect), Add (which draws a new segment between the two endpoints), or Both (which extends when possible, and otherwise adds a segment).

Depending on your situation, you may find the precision of single-object joining to be better, or you might prefer to have the flexibility of the fuzz distance. Either way, it's nice to have options.

Expandable Dialog Boxes

A few releases ago, some of the dialog boxes in AutoCAD LT were redesigned to make them more efficient in terms of space usage & option presentation. Options and settings that weren't commonly used were moved to a less prominent portion of the dialog. Instead of using tabs or additional dialog boxes to house them, they were put behind a small arrow in one corner of the box, where they can be easily viewed or hidden.

Admittedly, not everybody found the arrows right away, but I think by now most of you know where they are. The three I can think of that use this are Hatch, Plot, and Find -- did I miss any?

Hatch

Plot

Find

Object selected is not a polyline...Yeah, I know!

If you've ever tried to use the Edit Polyline (PEDIT) command on a line or arc, you're probably familiar with the following warning:

Object selected is not a polyline.
Do you want to turn it into one? <Y>

For me, 99% of the time, my answer is yes. If I'm selecting a non-polyline, it's because I needed to turn it into one so I could edit it in a way not supported by the original object type.

If you're the same way, you probably get tired of pressing Enter every time to turn your objects into polylines. Fortunately, there's a system variable that eliminates this question once and for all.

Just set PEDITACCEPT to 1, and that prompt will disappear forever...or at least until you set it back to 0.

If you're the type who only ever needs to use PEDIT on actual polylines, though, keeping PEDITACCEPT at 0 may make sense for you. That way, if you accidentally select a line or arc, you can just enter N to get back to the Select polyline prompt.

Update 1 for AutoCAD LT 2010 Now Available

Update 1 (aka Service Pack 1) has been posted for AutoCAD and AutoCAD LT 2010 32- and 64-bit.

 

Shaan Hurley has posted a list of some of the updates and fixes over at Between the Lines.
 

Download the LT version of the update here.

 

And the AutoCAD version here.

 

And the ReadMe for both here.

Lock Attribute Position in Blocks

First off, thank you to everyone who attended yesterday's webcast on Block Attributes. We had well over 200 attendees -- an excellent turnout! If you missed it, we'll be posting it to the AutoCAD LT Training page soon.

One of the things I talked about yesterday is what it means to lock an attribute's position in a block. The image below shows a block with 3 attributes. Two are locked, one is unlocked. Can you tell which is which?
The "View Title" and "Sheet Number" (a.k.a. 1) are locked, but the "Scale" is not.

When and attribute's position is locked, the only way to relocate the attribute is to use a dynamic parameter/action combo.

When it's unlocked, the attribute's grips are displayed when you select the block, and you can use them to reposition the attribute. You can't include unlocked attribute in a dynamic action's selection set.

Personally, I prefer to lock my attributes. It's cleaner, visually, and enables me to really control the behavior and location of the attribute.

You can set an attribute to be locked or unlocked when you create it, or you can change it later from the Properties Palette.

Last chance to sign up for Block Attribute webcast

Master the Power of Block Attributes in AutoCAD LT 2010 begins in just a few hours, but there's still time to register.

At 10:00 Pacific/1:00 Eastern we'll be exploring the ins and outs of block attributes, from creation to extraction.

Hope to see you there!

Autodesk University 2009 Registration Now Open!

Okay, so I'm a little behind with this one (I already had a bunch of posts stacked up for last week), but it's still news worth sharing.

Register now for AU 2009!

That's right, you can now sign up to attend AU 2009 -- if you're a member of AU Online (it's free). General registration opens Wednesday, and the early-bird rates run through October 9.

There are over 640 classes and labs to choose from over the 3 days of the conference, and there's PLENTY of material to fill an LT user's schedule -- classes in dynamic blocks, the CUI, customization, CAD Management, training, and more.

In the customization category, you'll find my Introduction to Macro Writing class, as well as two labs I'll be assisting in: The AutoCAD Toolbelt with Michael Beall, and Custom Object Snaps and Other Geometry Calculator Tricks with Darren Young.

To browse the entire course catalog, click here.

And one last thing -- don't get sticker shock. AU looks expensive at first glance, I know, but when you consider that it's 3 very full days of classes, plus all your meals and 4 nights' hotel expenses, the costs are very much in line with other industry seminars and training. You won't find more AutoCAD information in one place at one time anywhere else.

Hope to see you in Vegas!