10/11/2008




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DesignCAD News
DesignCAD News
Wednesday April 2, 2003

InwThiswIssue

 

DesignCAD Tips

     Productivity with DesignCAD!

 

Make Your Own DesignCAD Line Styles and Shapes

     Creating Custom Line Styles and Shapes

 

Convert Drawings in an Old DesignCAD Format to the Newest Format Quickly and Easily

     Batch Convert Utility

 

DesignCAD Design Winner from Feb/March/April

     And the winner is...

 

Get a Website!

    Attractive Websites - Quick & Easy for You!

 

This Month's Recipe

     Zesty Pasta Salad



Ready for an upgrade?
Upgrade to the new DesignCAD online at www.upperspace.com/upgrade

-----   Important   ------

To run DesignCAD at peak performance download the latest program update free from the Upperspace website. Click this link to download the latest update for your version of DesignCAD http://www.upperspace.com/Support/updates.asp

 

Download FREE macros here ... http://www.upperspace.com/downloads/free.asp

 

New Product Reviews
Review of DesignCAD Express by www.newwoodworker.com

 

 

 

 

 

Send feedback about this newsletter to: newsletter@upperspace.com

 

 

 

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Register Your Copy of DesignCAD!  

 

Register at www.Upperspace.com/register

Or call 800/233-3223

Or mail your registration card or us.
Or fax your registration card to 918/825-6359.

 

Here's why you should …

#1 All registered software gets free technical support. Even when new versions are released, you can still take advantage of free technical support.

#2 When you register it gives us a copy of your serial number. If you should lose your serial number sometime in the future, you can call us and we’ll read it back to you. This can be a real lifesaver when upgrading to a new computer or if you’re forced to reformat your hard drive. It can save you from having to buy another package of the software!

 

DesignCAD Productivity Tips

10 Shortcut Keys for Shaving Design Time!

Set Selection Handles ... Ctrl+H
Balance the time for yourself ... What takes longer?

Long way: Edit menu > Selection Edit > Set Handles command. Set the points for the handles. Press Enter.

Fast way: Ctrl+H. Set the points for the handles. Press Enter.

Why: Precision editing requires that the selection handles be in specific locations for the majority of the drawing objects you edit.
Gravity Move ... , (comma)
Balance the time for yourself ... What takes longer?

Long way: Point menu > Gravity Move command. Click near the point.

Long way: Click the Gravity Move button on the Snap toolbar. Click near the point.

Fast way: Press the comma key. Click near the point.

Why: Using Gravity Move has lots of uses. It is really handy if you are using the Arrow Keys to move the cursor precise distances from existing points.

Mirror ... /
Balance the time for yourself ... What takes longer?

Long way: Edit menu > Selection Edit > Mirror command. Set the required point(s) depending on the option you choose.

Long Way: Move mouse to Line button, click/hold down and select Line command button. Set the required point(s) depending on the option you choose.

Fast way: Press the / key. Set the required point(s) depending on the option you choose.

Parallel ... =
Balance the time for yourself ... What takes longer?

Long way: Draw menu > Lines > Parallel command. Click on the line to parallel. Click at the location for the new parallel line.

Long way: Move mouse to Line button, click/hold down and select the Parallel button. Click on the line to parallel. Click at the location for the new parallel line.

Fast way: Press the = key. Click on the line to parallel. Click at the location for the new parallel line.
Combine ... B
Balance the time for yourself ... What takes longer?

Long way: Select the lines to be combined. Edit menu > Selection Edit > Combine Lines command.

Faster way: Select the lines to be combined. Press the B key.

Why: Simple lines can be combined into a larger element so they can be selected with a single click for future editing tasks.
Curve ... C
Balance the time for yourself ... What takes longer?

Long way: Draw menu > Lines > Curve command. Set the points for the curve. Press Enter.

Long way: Move mouse to the Line button, click/hold down and select the Curve command button. Set the points for the curve. Press Enter.

Fast way: Press the C key. Set the points for the curve. Press Enter.

Fillet ... F
Balance the time for yourself ... What takes longer?

Long way: Edit menu > Trim/Extend > Fillet command. Click the corner of the two lines or plane that you want to round off.

Long way: Move mouse to the Trim One Line button, click/hold down and select the Fillet command button. Click the corner of the two lines or plane that you want to round off.

Fast way: Press the F key. Click the corner of the two lines or plane that you want to round off.
Chamfer ... Ctrl+F
Balance the time for yourself ... What takes longer?

Long way: Edit menu > Trim/Extend > Chamfer command. Click the corner of the two lines or plane that you want to cut off.

Long way: Move mouse to the Trim One Line button, click/hold down and select the Chamfer command button. Click the corner of the two lines or plane that you want to cut off.

Fast way: Press the F key. Click the corner of the two lines or plane that you want to cut off.
Pan ... Hold Ctrl+Alt and move the mouse
Balance the time for yourself ... What takes longer?

Long way: View menu > Pan command. Press/hold the mouse button and move the mouse to reposition the drawing. Release the mouse button.

Long way: Move mouse to the Pan button, Press/hold the mouse button and move the mouse to reposition the drawing. Release the mouse button.

Fast way: Hold Ctrl+Alt. Move the mouse to reposition the drawing. Release Ctrl+Alt.
Info Box ... Ctrl+I
Balance the time for yourself ... What takes longer?

Long way: View menu > Info Box command. 

Fast way: Press Ctrl+I.

Fast way: Click the Info Box button in the Toolbar.

Why: The Info Box displays and allows you to edit many of the options for existing drawing entities. Using the Info Box is usually the fastest way to edit many of the properties of drawing entities.

 

Convert Drawings in Older DesignCAD Formats
 to the Newest Format Quickly and Easily

Batch Convert Utility

 

Many users are concerned when they upgrade software about  the forward compatibility of their documents with the latest version of the software.

 

This utility for DesignCAD 3D MAX Plus eliminates the need to open and save your existing DesignCAD files (DesignCAD 3000/DesignCAD Express and older) one by one in order to convert them to the new format. All of the DesignCAD drawings in a specific location can be saved as DesignCAD 3D MAX Plus drawings with a single execution of the utility.

 

Using the utility is a simple process, and if you have lots of existing drawings that you want to save as DesignCAD 3D MAX Plus drawings, it will save you hours of monotonous, eye-crossing work.

 

As an added level of security, the utility does not delete the old files once they have been converted.

 

To install the utility:

 

1. Download the zip file using the provided link.

 

2. Extract the files in the zip file to your DesignCAD 3D MAX Plus folder. (The default location is C:\Program Files\DesignCAD 3D MAX Plus.)

 

You may not even need one of the files that is included in the zip file, but VBRun60.exe has been included for your convenience. If you run into a "MSVBVM60.dll could not be found" error when you try to use the utility, run VBRun60.exe and then try the utility again.

 

To use the utility:

 

1. Open DesignCAD 3D MAX Plus to a new, blank drawing.

 

2. Select the run executable command from the tools menu. Select batch.exe which should now be located in your DesignCAD 3D MAX Plus folder. Click the open button. The DesignCAD File Update Wizard window appears.

 

 

Click here to download the utility.

 

 

 

 

3. Using the DesignCAD File Update Wizard, browse to the location of the DesignCAD drawings you want to convert. Click the next button.

 

4. Now browse to the directory where you want the new files to be located. Click the convert button.

 

Your old files are saved as DesignCAD 3D MAX Plus drawings. When the conversion utility has finished, you can start using the new drawings located in the output directory you specified.

 

 

A note about converted symbol files...

If you have files which externally reference symbols with an old extension, and you update your symbols to the new extension, you MUST open your drawings and manually change the symbol reference if you want the file to open your newly updated symbols.

 

Congratulations to Michel Georges

Winner of a copy of DesignCAD Express Office in the Feb/March/April DesignCAD Design Contest!

click the small thumbnail images above to see larger views

 

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