DesignCAD News
DesignCAD News
Friday January 17, 2003
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Assigning Existing Objects to Layers
More
times than most CAD users care to admit, they find themselves staring at a
partially or fully completed drawing that has been done entirely on one
layer. Since layering provides important editing and creation control, this
is a situation you will want to avoid on complex projects. How? The
following information will walk you through the most common layer setup
tasks for a partially finished drawing. The steps for a fresh or complete
drawing are the same.
Click here to read the whole story
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Register Your Version of DesignCAD!
You can register at
www.Upperspace.com/register, by calling 800/233-3223, by mailing your
registration card or faxing it 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!
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DesignCAD Productivity Tips |
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Tip: Secrets
for Easy Trimming
In
2-D Mode, the Trim commands ignore the 3-D aspects of any existing lines,
and treat them as flat projections onto the XY plane. This means you can
trim lines that would never meet in 3-D space against each other's
Front-View projections in 2-D space. This is a powerful feature, but you
must pay careful attention to what you are doing.
If you're
working with a 3D model and want to try this, just work in one of the 2D
profile windows. For instance you can click on the title bar for the Front
view to activate this window. Maximize the window so you can see
everything real well then trim the lines. To go back to the normal working
windows, open the Windows menu and select the DesignCAD Tile command.
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Question:
I
just received my copy of DesignCAD 3D MAX PLUS. Could you guide me on how
to open previous DC-2 drawings located in MS-DOS? Is there a way to import
all files at one time or do I have to open one file at a time?
Answer:
The files from older
DesignCAD versions can be opened using the Open command. All you have to
do is make sure that you have navigated the Open dialog box to the correct
folder on the hard drive, and selected the appropriate file type in the
File of Type list box. You can open more than one file at a time.
It's our
advice not to
worry about converting all of the files to the new version right away; do
one at a time as you need them. |
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Tip
- Right Angles Please! Answer:
Orthogonal Mode lets you toggle into and out of constraints for drawing
straight lines. Just press the H key on your keyboard while drawing a
line.
There's a button for
this mode on the main toolbar. You can click it to turn the mode on and
off. |
Tip:
Get System Information
You can use DesignCAD to tell you some basic information about your
computer system. Select the About DesignCAD command from the Help menu.
Click the System Info button in the About DesignCAD dialog box. A message
box appears with information about your operating system, memory and free
space on your hard drives. |
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Tip:
Snap with a Right-Click
When
the cursor is in the drawing area, you can click the right-click mouse
button to bring up a context-sensitive menu of common commands, or to snap to
the nearest point in the drawing.
The first time you right-click
in DesignCAD you'll have an option to use the right-click for a snap or as a
shortcut menu (context-sensitive menu).
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Question:
"How can I
convert a tif or bmp graphics file to load into a DesignCAD drawing so I
can do some editing with it?
The importing routine
does not let me import those file types.
Answer: Tifs and
bitmaps are raster-based files, meaning that they have no vector or line
information, only blocks or dots of color. DesignCAD works with
vector-based files. If you want to edit a raster-based file, use the Load
Image command to open the graphic in DesignCAD. Once the image is loaded,
use the Auto Trace Bitmap command or trace the image manually using
drawing tools such as line, curve, arc, etc. Then edit the traced drawing. |
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Tip:
Draw Without the Mouse
To set
the Cursor Step Size, select the Options command from the Options menu and then
click on the Cursor tab. The Cursor Step Size makes it easy to move the cursor
certain distances in the drawing with the arrow keys.
Hold
the Shift key while using the arrow keys to move the cursor smaller distances
(known as Small Cursor Steps). Set the distance for the Small Cursor Step by
selecting the Options command from the Options menu and then clicking on the
Cursor tab.
Large Step = the distance the
cursor moves when pressing any of the arrow keys one time.
Small Step = the distance the
cursor moves when pressing Shift at the same time you press any of the arrow
keys
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Question:
"Is
there a way to repeat a command without having to select it again?"
Answer: To repeat the previous drawing command, press F3 on the
keyboard.
To lock a drawing command so that it will remain active until you press
the Esc key, double‑click on the drawing tool in the Drawing Toolbox. If
the tool is not on the top of the tool drawer, select the command to bring
it to the top and then double‑click on it.
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Tip:
Work with a Shaded Model
DesignCAD's OpenGL shading allows you to rotate shaded or hidden line
removed objects in real-time. To use OpenGL shading, be sure the Hardware
Acceleration option is selected when you shade the design using the
Shading or Hidden Line Removal commands. |
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Understanding Paper
Space Mode
- Part 2 -
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Part
2: Understanding Paper Space Mode
The Paper Space Mode
command makes it possible to print multiple views of a drawing in a
single print job, complete with a title block if desired. Options such
as perspective, shading, light source, focal point, view settings, and
zoom can be set for each separate view created in the Paper Space.
The first installment
of this multi‑part series covered opening a drawing in Paper Space Mode.
Then explained how to create a Paper Space template with a single layout
containing one large view frame and a small title block. (If you didn't
read last month's installment, please go back to "Part1: Understanding
Paper Space Mode (Title Blocks)" located online at
http://www.upperspace.com/newsletter/dec02/#paperspace. |
Now we can expand on
your understanding of Paper Space. Think of Paper Space as an easy way
to add a title block to a finished drawing and prepare multiple
views for a single print job. In this installment, we'll look at
creating multiple view frames and the scaling and shading options for
view frames.
As you learned last
month, the first order of business when using Paper Space Mode is to
open or create the drawing you want to print. For those of you following
along at home, open the same sample drawing you used the last time (the
one used here is the KB20 Engine.dcd included with DesignCAD 3D MAX
Plus). Double-check that everything looks the way you want it. Again,
the easiest way to use Paper Space is as a final stop before printing.
Click here to read all
of part 2
Click here to read
part 1 from last week.
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Own Website! It's Easy!
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Win a
Copy of the
DesignCAD Express Office Collection
in the Feb./Mar./April Design Contest:
What do you have to do to
win this exceptional collection of 2D Drafting & Design software?
Send us a copy of one of
your best DesignCAD drawings. It can be 2D or 3D created using any version of
DesignCAD or a DesignCAD program such as ModelCAD. Include a short testimonial of how DesignCAD has helped
you in your designs. A picture of the finished work isn't required for this
contest but feel free to include one if you have it. - We love seeing them!
Email
press@upperspace.com with your design.
Learn more about DesignCAD Express
Office by clicking
here.
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There were so many fabulous designs submitted it was
a difficult choice to make and the contest was close.
Congratulations to Graeme Mears
who won the
December/January Contest for a copy of
DesignCAD 3D Max Plus ...
Mr. Mears has been working with ModelCAD since
May 2001.
He says ... "I had no experience with any CAD program before this. I found
ModelCad 3000 very easy to learn and by now, 18 months later, am very fast with
it. I use it for drafting anything that needs a drawing.
I am a competitor, and winner several times at the prestigious RC 'TOP GUN'
competition held annually in Florida. I bought ModelCad 3000 to design a new
model for this competition. I build my scale aircraft exactly like a full size
is built, tubing and metal with some composite parts. There are some 9 sheets
of plans, most of them are about 3 feet by 8 feet.
The Model is not quite finished. It is currently being fabric covered and
painted. It is to be hoped that it will be ready for the Top Gun competition in
April. Everything is being constructed in my workshop from scratch."
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Rules:
The design must have been
created in DesignCAD, any version, 2D or 3D. It could even have been created in
ModelCAD or other program in the DesignCAD family of products. You must submit it in
the DesignCAD
file format. You can only submit your own designs. You can submit as many as you
want (please zip them up before sending if you're sending more than one). Please
add your name to the design. If you want the DesignCAD file to remain
confidential and not a part of the DesignCAD sample drawings you must specify
this. You can submit images of the rendered design and a picture of the
constructed design along with the DesignCAD file if you'd like them to be
posted (winners often have a real picture). Upperspace has the right to use these as marketing materials on our
website, in print material or other promotional material. Should Upperspace
Corporation run another design contest after this one, the winner of this
contest cannot win the subsequent design contest but may enter and win following
contests. An individual cannot win two contests back to back or win multiple
contests using the same design.
Criteria for winning is subjective. If you submit a design for
this contest and don't win this contest you can submit the same design file to
subsequent contests but please ask us to resubmit it. When submitting your design please include: your full
name, shipping address, e-mail address and the version or versions of DesignCAD
you used to create your design.
Winner of the February/March/April contest will receive a copy of
DesignCAD Express Version 12 Office Collection by Upperspace Corp. Product may not be returned for
refund of any kind. Product will be shipped at no charge to winner within the
continental United States via UPS ground shipping. Shipping charges will apply
outside of the continental United States (you can always opt to download the
software and avoid shipping costs). Product will be shipped in a
reasonable period of time (usually within 2-3 working days) after winner is
announced.
Email your designs to
press@upperspace.com
Last day to submit your design is April 10th,
2003. Winner will be decided and announced in the April newsletter 2003.
No recipes yet this
month. Tune in to the February newsletter for recipes from the lunch we're
having this next week at Upperspace - and its winning
recipes!
HAPPY NEW YEAR!
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