This past Wednesday we got to see some exciting new features. 

Spec Editor Undo

Have you ever messed up and deleted the wrong parameter in a data file, or perhaps an entire row without realizing it?  In the new spec editor we now have the undo capability up to the last 100 actions! I love it.

Ribbons

Drum roll, please!  By popular demand CADWorx is including ribbons for CADWorx Plant and CADWorx P&ID. 

Equipment Stiffening Rings

This last review also showed how to add stiffening rings to CADWorx Equipment.  The rings are read from steel data files and can be flipped, or rotated to get the angle you need.

User Data in Specs

Previously we were given the ability to add user data to component table, but now we can add User data to the specification items.  Along with new note features, this latest enhancement fulfills a long time request from users.

P&ID and XML Specs

To carry on with implementing the new spec format, CADWorx P&ID has been modified to insert components from the xml specs.

TAP and OTAP

Two commands we cannot do without, TAP and OTAP have been made to work with the new components in Plant 2011.  However, don’t get too fond of them, as there are plans to make connections more automated in a next release.

Since I can’t list everything, be sure to stay tuned for more updates!

For our particular pilot project, our civil documents indicate that our plant coordinates start at 334’ 9 3/4” West and 404’ 4 5/8” South.  The benchmark elevation is at 302’ 6 1/4” above sea level.  The plant is oriented at 8.9 degrees east of north.

From this information we have to make a decision based on 2 facets our project.  The first item is the plant coordinates. Note is that AutoCAD has some floating point precision problems at large coordinates or with non-orthogonal revolutions:

Revolving Eccentric Reducers

Revolving Flanges

Revolving Solids

These problems occur pre-CADWorx 2011 and typically in AutoCAD 2007 or above.  Due to the new modeling engine in 2011, the errors mentioned about don’t exist.  If you do find any errors, please use the Contact US page to let us know about them.  If we will be referencing coordinates in our production packages (isometrics and/or orthographic drawings), we need to decide how to offset our model.

The second consideration item on our check list is to know whether the plant is oriented-to due north or not.  If our plant has any orientation change from north, we will need to use a technique to get our real coordinates and allow our model to remain with north either in the +Y or +X directions (per industry standard).

To address our plant coordinate and orientation issue, we have 2 features we need to use:

1.  Named UCS-An AutoCAD feature.

2.  ISOGENSETTINGS- A CADWorx feature.

Depending on your project, you can implement whichever of these features that you need.  By using a named UCS (say we name it ProjectUCS), we will be able to set that UCS current in AutoCAD and id points based on that UCS, no matter where our model is (we’ll create it close to 0,0,0 to avoid those pesky revolving issues).  Also, if we use ordinate dimensions while the ProjectUCS is set in the viewport, we will get our x,y coordinates placed appropriately on the orthographic drawings.  Unfortunately, the ANOTELEV command doesn’t recognize the viewport UCS so most likely we will have to have our model at the Z elevation we need for annotation.

The second feature, ISOGENSETTINGS, controls the output for the isometrics.  By using ISOGENSETTINGS, the isometrics will display coordinates based on our offset and orientation set in the dialog.  Since the settings from this dialog are stored in the drawing file, we will create a template model for the project.

To get started on a template, let’s create a new drawing using Imperial.dwt (I’m in the US after all ).

You should get prompted to select a template (choose Imperial.dwt).  It’s in the <install dir>\Support if you need to look for it.

The easiest way to create a ucs is to base it on an existing object.  To do this we will create 2 lines.  To create our first line, start the LINE command and enter –334’-9-3/4”,-404’-4-5/8”,302’-6-1/4” and hit enter.  Next instead of picking a point, we will set an angle override by typing <81.1 and hitting enter.  Drag in the positive direction and pick to create our first line.

Next, copy and rotate the line –90 degrees.  This two lines will create our x-y plane when we create our UCS.

Now we will create our named UCS.  Start the UCS command.

You should be prompted to specify the origin of the UCS.  Pick at the intersection of the two lines we just drew.  For the specify point on X-Axis prompt pick the endpoint of the line running down to the right.  To specify a point on the XY plane, pick the northernmost endpoint of the line running north.

Start the UCS command again, this time, enter NA for NAmed and choose save.  Enter ProjectUCS for the name to save the current UCS to.  Now in our ucs list you should see this:

Thankfully, setting up ISOGENSETTINGS is much easier.  Enter the same values for the x,y, and z.  For the north direction enter 81.1.

Erase our reference lines.  Let’s purge our drawing to make sure no extra items clutter our project.

Save the drawing as a template (.dwt).  Mine will be called Coordinates.dwt.  You will probably get a warning about saving a template inside of CADWorx. Since we purged our file, you can ignore it.

Now when anyone creates a model for our project, they should use this template and their drawing will have the ISOGENSETTINGS correct, and a ProjectUCS they can use to id points in the model.

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!

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

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

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

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. 

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

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.

  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

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

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

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.

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.