This week we will discuss the Duplicate Place tool. This tool is a hugh time saver. Model up a detail/part/button/etc. one time only. Then use the Duplicate Place tool to do all the repetitive work.
Click HERE to watch the video
Created by Aaron... your Alias CAD Geek
Part Three working with PLC's talks about using the PLC address information for our wire numbers. This tool inserts wire numbers based upon the I/O address that each PLC connected wire touches. Wire numbers go in as FIXED which means that they do not change if a wire number retag is run later on.
Lets take a look:
Last week we started a Link to Inventor for detailing a 3D model file.
I wanted to build on that and give you the final piece of how edits are handed of to the 2D drawing file.
The model and the drawing will maintain the link and this will ensure that the information that is being detailed is the latest model available.
Check out this video:
Enjoy,
INCAT CAD Geek
For those of you who follow my data management tips on the CAD Geeks Blog, you will really want to attend this webcast.
Sign up Here: https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/135271115
This webcast will highlight some new options to further enable your design data sharing needs within your company. If you already have Autodesk® Vault up and running, perfect your a step ahead, but you still need to see this webcast to understand some new options you have for upgrading. For those of you whom use Productstream you also have some new workflows to consider.
I hope to see you all at the webcast.
Contributed by Ben of the INCAT CAD Geeks
At INCAT, we have multiple options for batch plotting from Vault or Productstream. Productstream includes a batch plotting capability that works with some workflows very well, but it isn't included in Vault alone. For others, the INCAT DM Batch plot application may be another solution.
The Productstream batch plotting:
- Includes Plotting of related sheets - automatically locates all detail drawings for a specified assembly. This is useful if you know you want to plot all the drawings for every detail and assembly involved in a particular design. You don't have to know part numbers or file names, and the Productstream database collects the relevant files for you. This might not be ideal if you don't want every drawing for standard components or purchased type components though.
- Uses page setups to define the plot settings - you can multi-select to change the page setup for multiple drawings.
- Not available for basic Vault
The INCAT DM Batch Plot:
- Includes plotting of drawings from imported plot lists - you can import an excel spreadsheet and the drawings will be automatically located and ready for adding to the plot list. This allows lists of required drawings to be generated from other business systems and loaded into the batch plot to be automatically processed.
- Plotting size and device based on file name or properties - The INCAT batch plot can determine plot size and device based on either a character in the file name, or a document property that specifies the plot size. This eliminates the need to have page setups defined in advance and allows for a more automated batch plot solution.
- Works with Vault
- Available from INCAT Labs
Contributed by Ben of the INCAT CAD Geeks
Introduction to the new Autodesk Inventor ilogicWe will introduce the new subscription add-on download that can supercharge your Inventor models. iLogic extends the computational capabilities within Inventor to include rules. These rules work along with the parameter update mechanism of Inventor, and allow you to include much more sophisticated design intent into your models.
Part two working with PLC's will cover how to build a new PLC and also cover how to edit the existing PLC Database from AutoCAD Electrical. This video is a little longer than most still under 9 minutes in length, but the need seems to be great from the user community to cover this information. I hope this helps and we will see you next week for Part 3 Working with PLC's. Enjoy!!!
Lets take a look:
http://www.screencast.com/t/uRgjUZYYeCreated by Dave one of the Cad Geeks
One of the features that is not used as much as it could be is the ability to link Inventor with AutoCAD Mechanical.
This allows you to detail parts and assemblies from Inventor with the tools of AutoCAD Mechanical.
Check out how easy it is to do.
Watch this video:
Enjoy,
INCAT CAD Geek
Continuing on with our series in Design Accelerators, today we'll take a look at how we can use them to determine design compliance. In this example I'll show how the accelerator can help us to determine material, shear strength, size and number of bolts required to meet a specific input value. Utilizing these great tools will allow you to spend more time designing and less time calculating! Let's take a look....
John with the INCAT CAD Geeks
One of the most important tools I always use when navigating in Vault or Productstream is the "Go To Folder" right click menu. This option will automatically navigate to a related file's folder location and highlight that file for you. Want to go directly to the folder for the assembly a particular part file in Inventor was used in? No Problem. Just right click on the Assembly file in the "Where Used" results for the part and pick the "Go To Folder" option.
Contributed by Ben of the INCAT CAD Geeks
There a many ways that you can customize Alias. This weeks post will cover a few changes to make working with your models easier.
Click HERE to watch the video.
Created by Aaron... your Alias CAD Geek!
The power that the recently acquired iLogic technology brings to the Inventor desktop is so revolutionary, Autodesk decided to make it available to every Inventor subscription customer.
Shattering the barriers to rules based designThe Inventor iLogic technology makes rules based design accessible to every Inventor user without any of the complicated barriers so prominent in competitive offerings of the past. With the iLogic technology for Inventor, rules are created graphically from native Inventor parameters and embedded directly into the Inventor data model for the ultimate in simplicity and portability.Download it from the subscription center TODAY!
My next three blog post are all going to center around working with PLC's. Today's blog being the first in the series inserting a PLC. Many of us using the product are aware of how to simply insert a PLC. There is a nice workflow avaiable to break a PLC and continue doing other types of work and then come back to it and finish inserting it as you will see in my video. This content is being driven from INCAT's last AutoCAD Electrical User Group. If you have never been please check out the next one being held on April 7th 2009. You can register at: http://www.incat.com/autodesk/Events.asp
Lets take a look at inserting a PLC
http://www.screencast.com/t/aUVf1nfZa
Created by Dave one of the Cad Geeks
Here is a post for one of the tools that you do not get by having just plain AutoCAD. The ability to import IGES data and use it.
The IGES import tools are built right into AutoCAD Mechanical though. This is a very useful and simple tool to use.
It gives you some very good control over the data as it is imported in the "options"
Check out this quick video:
Enjoy the tip,
Jim...Another INCAT CAD Geek
Because Autodesk Vault automatically comes with any of the Autodesk manufacturing products like Inventor or AutoCAD Electrical, most people primarily utilize Vault for the storage and tracking of CAD data. This mentality then causes the problem of multiple file storage locations that we are trying to avoid with a data management system in the first place. Vault can be used to store any type of file, and even comes with a Microsoft Office plugin that allows the direct check-in of files from applications like Word. Even without a plugin, any file can be managed with Vault as you can see by the following video:
Watch Video Here
Contributed by Ben of the INCAT CAD Geeks
Watch Video Here
Contributed by Ben of the INCAT CAD Geeks
In this post I will show you how to import graphics from Adobe Illustrator to Alias. This a very simple procedure and only requires you to save you Illustrator files as v8 or earlier.
Click HERE to watch the video.
Created by Aaron... your Alias CAD Geek!
Looking at the various sizes that electrical projects can be there is a very simple way to update these projects just using a spreadsheet. What's nice about the idea is the simple fact all your information can be located in a single place. This is much better than having to search for items from drawing to drawing. Lets take a simple look at the concept.
http://www.screencast.com/t/2ishjiYwNn
Created by Dave one of the Cad Geeks
Placing dimensions on drawing views has to be one of the most time consuming parts of creating working drawings. AutoCAD Mechanical has a set of automated dimensioning tools that greatly increase your producttivity when dimensioning your drawings.
Check out this video:
I will use the multi-dimension tool to place several dimension on the view in just a few picks.
Enjoy this one it will save you hours in no time.
Jim.....Another INCAT CAD Geek
One of my favorite design accelerator....the Bolted Connection. You can save a ton of time with this tool.....eliminating the need to insert a bunch of components, constrain them and determine the right sizes. This can all be done in one step as well as placing a matching corresponding hole in the other component that you are fastening to. Check it out.....
John with the INCAT CAD Geeks
New DWF publishing options are available for users of Vault and Productstream 2009, but they are currently hidden in an XML file that must be edited to make changes. The Publish Options.xml file contains many DWF options for Inventor 2D and 3D files as well as AutoCAD. This file allows us to disable measure, markup, and printing of Vaulted DWF files. It can also be used to change the facet resolution of 3D files, and background color of 2D Inventor drawings that are published as well as a host of other options.
Take a look at this Autodesk Whitepaper for a list of all the options:
http://images.autodesk.com/adsk/files/publishing_options_for_autodesk_vault_2009.pdf
Here is a video example of the difference a change in 3D model facet resolution can make:
Watch Video Here
Contributed by Ben of the INCAT CAD Geeks
