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CADWorx Plant Professional

CADWorx 2011

CADWorx, CADWorx Update, Navisworks, Plant 1 Response »
Jun 292010

In this post we broke the news about CADWorx 2011.  To cover Clark’s question, I thought I’d post about the upcoming release.  First of all there will be a release slated for the end of the user conference in Houston.  This release is CADWorx 2011.  To clarify the CADWORX Next Generation technology is only a subset of the 2011 release.

There will be more details to follow as a great deal of how specs are being handled is be gone over at this time.  Transferring specs into the new format reliably is probably at the top of the priority list.  I know we cover different aspects of it in every review we do with the Alpha group.

When anyone references CADWorx Next Generation technology, they are referring to the new method of drawing CADWorx objects, based on a new spec file format.  As a result of the new drawing method, object enablers will be used (at the time of this writing).  In the last review, the team demonstrated that installing the object enabler for AutoCAD also make the piping objects available in Navisworks.  The next wrinkle they are working on is making sure the data is available in Navisworks as well. Rest assured, that viewing CADWorx objects in Navisworks is an extremely high priority.

Of course, the CADWorx team is working very hard to make sure the changing the piping objects will have no impact on the rest of the functionality.  Even my custom lisp routines still work.  The old xdata format is still preserved on the new objects.  For example, our CADWorx Properties palette on the new objects with no modifications.

In my opinion, one feature that is starting to look really good is the Spec editor.  The V-Mosaics team (that’s the group developing the Next Generation toolset) has been hard at work adding some great features.  In the last review, the team included pictorial samples of the dimensions when you are editing the data table (which is the data file) so that you don’t have to guess what each dimension is.

Super excited about 2011! See you all in Houston so you can get your copy!

Posted by Dave Wolfe at 10:06 am Tagged with:

Online Help

CADWorx, Equipment, P&ID, Plant, Steel No Responses »
Jun 032010

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As many of you probably know, Autodesk made Online Help available in AutoCAD 2011.  However, you may not have known that online help has been available for CADWorx for quite some time.  Here are the relevant pages:

For online Plant help:

http://www.coade.com/uploads/cadworx/plant/

For online Steel help:

http://www.coade.com/uploads/cadworx/steel/

For online Equipment help:

http://www.coade.com/uploads/cadworx/equipment/

and for online P&ID help:

http://www.coade.com/uploads/cadworx/PID/

While online help is not integrated into CADWorx as it is in AutoCAD 2011, I find sharing a link is easier than saying “Lookup the User Shape help file.”

Image: Simon Howden / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Posted by Dave Wolfe at 1:33 pm Tagged with: , ,

CADWorx Updates Page

CADWorx, CADWorx Update, Equipment, HVAC, ISOGEN, P&ID, Plant, Steel No Responses »
Jun 012010

Recently due to increased hacker awareness, the page link for the downloads for CADWorx 2010 has changed.  We want to make sure CADWorx users are aware of this change.

As always you can go to www.coade.com and visit the downloads page:

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But if you want to bookmark the links, here they are:

Download a fresh version of CADWorx:

 http://www.coade.com/uploads/cadworx/2010dl/index2010f.htm

Download an update for 2010:

http://www.coade.com/uploads/cadworx/2010dl/index2010b.htm

Posted by Dave Wolfe at 7:52 am Tagged with:

The CADWorx/Intergraph Team

CADWorx, HVAC, ISOGEN, Plant 1 Response »
May 182010

Over last few months, everyone has been wondering (myself included)—how is Intergraph purchasing CADWorx going to affect us?  On the forums, we have heard views from “It’s the end of the world!” to “the greatest thing since sliced bread.”  But alas, we can’t know the future until we get there (unless you’re from the future of course).

Part of my duties here at ECAD include testing the developing product so that you (the users) don’t have to lose design time.  I do my best to take the input I receive and present to the developers as topics come up.  Since I have been involved in beta testing for the last few years, I have gotten to know the developers and the process. Over the last month, we have been testing on the new products coming in September (approximately).  Intergraph buying CADWorx has enabled the development to communicate more with the users.

By users in this case, I’m referring to testers.  Intergraph has a programming process (AGILE)they use, along with programs that have kinds of bells and whistles for writing code.  Since CADWorx began using AGILE, development has gotten broken up into month-long chunks (called a sprint).  During a sprint, the developers take a list of features and write them so that at the end of the month, we can review the feature and give input on how it works.  This process will repeat cyclically until the new release is ready. 

Why should this matter to you?  We recently finished up 2 sprint cycles, one for the CADWorx team, and one for the NG team.  Word of warning, what you read next may seem like hyperbole, but the statements are the truth.  On the NG side, we have seen awesome improvements in routing pipe, placing valves with the flanges coming in automatically, placing valves on the fly by dimensions off of other components, changing size/spec by selection, moving components down a line by grips, and more. 

This last month the CADWorx team is working on some big new features too!  Remember all that time spent tracking down breaks, overlaps, and duplicates for ISOGEN?  No more!  A ContinuityView palette is headed our way and looks incredible. 

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Rumor has it that the ribbons are now moving into the product, and HVAC gets data files.

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So in my mind, CADWorx 2011 is shaping up to be the best release ever!

*No statement concerning the release date or features to be included is a guarantee, or should be taken as such.  It’s all still up in the air.

Posted by Dave Wolfe at 9:54 am Tagged with: ,

BOM Gather Spreadsheet Released

BOM, BOM Gather Spreadsheet, CADWorx, P&ID, Plant, Products No Responses »
May 102010

Today the BOM Gather Spreadsheet hits the store!

  http://www.ecadinc.com/PDOteam/index.php/store/products/bom-gather-spreadsheet/

To answer your first question, here is what the spreadsheet can do for you.

    1. Automate the process of formatting your spreadsheet.
    2. Import a query from a database to the pre-formatted spreadsheet.
    3. Compare two published spreadsheets and list the differences.

    By the way, you may be interested to find out that this is ALL in Excel 2007.  No new program to learn, but you can still tweak the settings you need!

    At ECAD we decided to go with a blended approach to allow access to database information.  Since every company wants their reports, their way, we can customize your project database to include those.  Then, by listing the query (report) that you want, you can bring the information directly into a spreadsheet that you have already formatted. 

    While custom queries sound expensive, we have had a customer spend only ~$1200 for the queries + the spreadsheet.  That’s for the entire company to be able to use the spreadsheet!

    Take a look at the store, go through the readme, and check out the video.  We’d love to help you get the BOM Gather spreadsheet worked into your design process.

    YouTube Channel

    BOM Gather in the Store

     

    Posted by Dave Wolfe at 10:59 am Tagged with: , , , ,

    Customizing the SpecView Palette in CADWorx Plant & Plant Professional

    CADWorx, Plant No Responses »
    May 052010

    For many users, the SpecView palette is something you either love or hate.  Many have opened it up, only to turn it right back off because it looked cluttered.  I gave it a fair shot, liked it “okay” but felt that if it was laid out a little bit better, it could go a little bit farther.  To that end, I set out to see what all CAN be done to get it like I needed it for it to be useful.  Rather than type it all out here, I’ve created a PDF that you can download that will walk you through the explanation and the steps to tweak and customize the spec view.

    A few of the things that I managed to do:

    • Customize the order of components
    • Customize what is in what catagory

    The first being easy to do using the “custom” view setting, the second, is a little tricker, and requires some manipulation of the files behind the scene.

    We’ve used this “customized” version of the SpecView palette in several training classes with a good response, so now it’s your turn to tell us what you think!

    Download the PDF here, and tell us what you think!

    KP

    Posted by Kyle Pope at 12:35 pm

    Update for CADWorx 2010

    CADWorx, Equipment, ISOGEN, P&ID, Plant 4 Responses »
    Mar 312010

    I wanted to take a minute to show how to make sure you are up to date on the latest CADWorx software.

    Enter CADWORXABOUT at the command line, and you will get this dialog.  Then click the Check for Updates button.

    image

    Update: Per the comments, at times you may not be able to get the latest build by clicking the update button.  Here’s a link to send an email requesting the latest build for CADWorx.
    Email CADWorx for latest update

    We’ll do our best to keep you informed of the changes that we know about.

    To that end here’s our list of the 3-30 update:

    1. Compatibility with AutoCAD 2011.

    2. Fix spec editing crash for Windows 7, 64-bit.

    3. Fix Eccentric reducer crash. Ricky Medley nailed down the problem here:

    “Basically, any setup in which a viewport is looking “down the barrel” of the eccentric reducer when placed in another viewport will cause the missing integer error.
    Start a drawing, and set a split viewport in model space with one in top view, and the other set to right or left view. Place a eccentric reducer into the top view. Save the drawing, and re-open the drawing. The missing integer error will occur, and the drawing appears corrupted.
    The ucs does not have to be set to the same view as right or left.
    Placement in the right or left viewport will not generate the error.
    The above scenario can be changed; Again copying the reducer into a drawing that “looks down the barrel” of the eccentric reducer does not produce an error.
    This error only occurs when running CADWorx 2010 (Sept. release) on AutoCAD 2010.
    I installed CADWorx 2010 (July release) on AutoCAD 2010, and the error did not occur.
    Interestingly enough, the error did not occur when installing CADWorx 2010 (Sept. release) on AutoCAD 2009.
    If the eccentric reducer is copied into the drawing in any viewport there is no corruption.”

    It turns out, that AutoCAD generates the error, but the CADWorx guys were able to come up with a workaround in their development.

    4. P&ID project creation crash for Windows 7, 64-bit.  This particular issue came up with a client.

    5. Steel generic attached double-click broken.  Though working in the 3-3 release, the 3-25 release had a bug which is now fixed in the 3-30 release.  Stellar help by CADWorx as I notified them of this problem on 3-30 and the fix was posted the same day!

    6.  COADE logo changed to Intergraph.

    Again, we will try to stay on top of the fixes and post about the updates here!  If you’d like to contribute, Contact Us to tell us what bug COADE fixed for you that was included in the release.

    Posted by Dave Wolfe at 11:40 am Tagged with: , , ,

    CADWorx Properties Palette by ECAD

    CADWorx, Equipment, ISOGEN, P&ID, Plant, Products, Properties Palette, Steel No Responses »
    Dec 162009

    We have exciting news for everyone.  Today we are releasing the CADWorx Properties palette by ECAD!  Here’s is the other half of the good news…it’s FREE!  Once again, to download all you have to do is register with our site and then access the downloads page.

    We have a video that walks through installation and usage, and the installer includes a readme with details about the product.

    We developed this tool to give access to CADWorx information to people without CADWorx, as we know that a lot of design is interfaced with other AutoCAD products, like AutoCAD MEP or Civil 3D.  

    Obviously, we are not going to make any guarantees with this code. But since it’s free, you’re welcome to give feedback and we will post fixes ASAP.  Contact us using the Contact Us page.  Enjoy!

     

     

    Here are some screen shots.

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    Posted by Dave Wolfe at 11:41 am Tagged with: , , , ,

    CADWorx 2010!

    CADWorx, Plant No Responses »
    Nov 122009

    With the latest release of 2010, we wanted to highlight some of the great new features with CADWorx 2010.  To this end, we made a short 10 min video to get everyone up to speed on 2010 and what it can do for you!

    Posted by Dave Wolfe at 2:58 pm

    Adding CADWorx Ribbon by ECAD

    CADWorx, P&ID, Plant, Products, Ribbon No Responses »
    Nov 102009

    Hello all. For my first post, I want to show how to add the CADWorx ribbons that Kyle has been handing out.  Click here to get the pdf with screenshots or watch the video version.  Enjoy!
     

    Load the Ribbon
    After receiving the ribbon via email or download, save them to a location that you will be able to access momentarily.  Start CADWorx Plant and in a blank drawing start the CUI editor (CUI at the command line).  Scroll down to the Partial Customization file node, right-click it and select Load Partial Customization file. 

     

    Browse to the location you’ve saved the ribbon, select it and click Open.  In the Customizations in Main File drop down, select All Customization Files.  Depending on the settings 1 of 2 things will happen.  In most cases, the ribbon tabs are now added to every workspace, so you can click OK to close the dialog.  However, you still should know how to add tabs to a workspace.

    Create a Plant Workspace
                    Select the “3D Modeling” workspace at the top left and right-click to copy and paste the workspace.  Rename the new workspace to Plant Ribbon, select it and click the Customize Workspace button. 

    Let’s assume that in this case we need to add the ribbon tabs to the workspace.  Once you are in workspace customization mode, items can be added to the workspace from the files in the left panel.  Scroll down to PIPE_ALT_RIB under partial customization file and expand the ribbon node.  Expand the tab node.  The tab node displays all of the tabs available from the customization file.  Check all of the tabs to add them to the workspace, or check the Tabs box.  In the workspace contents panel, the contents of the workspace we are currently customizing are displayed. Expand the Ribbon Tabs node.  At the end of the tabs list are the Plant tabs.  Drag and drop them to the front to have them display as the far left tabs.  Click the Done button.  On the left, select the Plant Ribbon workspace, right-click and set it current. Click OK to apply the changes and exit the dialog.  After the CUI file saves, and updates the screen, your display will show the Plant Ribbon workspace with the CADWorx Ribbon included.

    Having trouble viewing the video?  See it here.
    David Wolfe

    Posted by Dave Wolfe at 2:52 pm Tagged with: , , ,
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