Season's Greetings

December Articles

• It's Back: AutoSketch - Autodesk's re-introduced AutoSketch includes elementary 2D drafting with basic CAD tools, saving in DWG 2004-8 formats

• How to Convert Spline to Polyline? - saving PLINE drawing as R12DXF file, using FLATTEN, WMFOUT, WMFIN commands in AutoCAD, Orhan Toker, Daily AutoCAD

• Creating Tool Palette with Multiple Blocks at Once - using ADCENTER command, Marti Broquetas, CAD Addict

• Print Multiple Layouts in AutoCAD LT 2008 - select several layouts to print, right-click to choose 'publish selected layouts,' CAD Forum Tips

• Space Points Equally Along a Path - using MEASURE command in AutoCAD LT to place points, blocks at specified intervals on object, Kate Morrical, LT Unlimited

• A Stroll Down the Xref Path - various path type like full, relative, no path, solutions XREFs, issues with layer names, insertion options in AutoCAD, Bill Fane, Cadalyst

• How to Switch Layers in the Inserted DWF File - using DWFLAYERS command in AutoCAD, CAD Forum Tips

• Dimension Tips - using DIMBREAK, DIMSPACE commands in AutoCAD to get correct dimensions, Lynn Allen, Cadalyst

• How to Draw 3D Hexagonal Bolt & Nut - using CHAMFER, PEDIT, EXTRUDE, FILLET, SUBTRACT, REVOLVE commands in AutoCAD, Burak Ozdemir, Daily AutoCAD

• MTEXT 'Background Mask' Feature - AutoCAD feature customizes background for MTEXT objects, Muharrem Kocyigit, Daily AutoCAD

• Quick Tip - 'Shift+Spacebar' To Select Stacked Objects - using AutoCAD, Brian Benton, CAD-a-blog

• Access Related Files With the Support File Search Path - working with support file search path to get menus, fonts, line types, hatch patterns, plug-ins using AutoCAD tools, Ellen Finkelstein.com

• Convert Drawings to Raster Format - video on configuring AutoCAD to convert drawings to PDF or other raster file format, Lynn Allen

• How to be More Efficient at AutoCAD - Pt 7 - using tool pallets to hold, manage objects like block, line, circle, hatch pattern, text, commands, Brian Benton, CAD-a-blog

• Understanding UCS Pt 3 - using 3-point function to specify origin, X-Y axis direction to draw on randomly inclined surfaces in AutoCAD 2009, Erhan Toker, Daily AutoCAD

• Understanding UCS Pt 4 - various options of the UCS command, practical applications, Erhan Toker, Daily AutoCAD

December News

• NVIDIA Releases Quadro FX 4800 Graphics Card for MCAD

• Free Electric Symbols Library Available for AutoCAD

• Would You Use It? The First High-Quality 3D Printer On Your Desktop - Alaris30 Desktop 3D printer creates a high-resolution, fully cured, resin model of 3D design, efficient, extremely accurate, portable, Josh Mings, SolidSmack

LD Assistant & AutoCAD - LDI2008 CAD Training News

A very special thank you goes out to Ellen Lampert-Greaux, consulting editor/conference director Live Design/LDI, for making it happen and to G.B. Stephens, Associate Professor of Design, University of South Florida for leading the training.

The Good, The Bad and The Beginners all can see clearly now!

The one-day Beginner LD Assistant 08 & AutoCAD® 2008 workshop attendees: Steve (Boz) Bodzioch, Sean Atkins, Bud Beauchamp, Gary Bleisch, Bill Bunnag, Neil Fleitell, Hilario Gonzalez, Jimi Herr, Harold Holm, Collin Joseph, Noreen Kimura, Scott Payne, Jeffrey Reeks, Mark Testa, David Zarembka

The two-day Advanced LD Assistant 08 & AutoCAD® 2008 workshop attendees: Steve Burket, Kevin Denzel, Neil Fleitell, Tony Giovannetti, Ted Hennings, Rachel C. Hinton, Harold Holm, Vaseem Koya, Justin Mack, Jean Marc Montmejat, Scott Payne, Tim Saxton, Charles Scott, Mark Vilensky

November Reviews

• Budget-Conscious Workstations - Xi MTower PCIe, ThinkStation S10, PolyStation P4500A, SYS DesignPro QN6200, SYS Performance Pi720, ProMagix W160 High Performance Workstation PC, Ron LaFon, Cadalyst

• FirePro V5700 vs Quadro FX 1700 With CATIA V5 - video compares performance of graphics hardware using CATIA high polygon models, Al Dean, Desktop Engineering

• Choosing the Right Graphics Tool for the Job - no single solution for CAD, 3D gaming graphics cards, Alex Herrera, Desktop Engineering

• Dell's Precision M6300 a Big & Fast Mobile Workstation - Intel Core 2 Duo T9500 processor, 6 MB of L2 cache, 8 GB of DDR2 667-MHz RAM, WUXGA 1920 x 1200 LCD, NVIDIA Quadro FX 3600M providing high-end performance for mobile systems, David Cohn, Desktop Engineering

• FLUENT Helps Determine Scalability on Multicore Clusters - using HPC clusters, InfiniBand-based multicore cluster for CFD, Gilad Shainer, Swati Kher and Prasad Alavilli, Desktop Engineering

• Technical Creativity in a Single Package - Lenovo ThinkPad W700 with Intel Core 2 Extreme Q9300 2.53 GHz CPU, 4-8 GB RAM, NVIDIA Quadro FX 3700M, 1 GB memory, high-end display, suitable for MCAD applications, Jeffrey Rowe, Cadalyst,

November Articles

• Top 9 AutoCAD Tips - get rid of shortcut, default selection preview, ortho close, scale reference, set default template, OSNAPS, add selected, isolate or hide object, Beth Powell

• Understanding Basics of Dimension Style Settings - dimension style manager, create new dimension style, various settings for lines, symbols, text, fit, primary units, tolerances using AutoCAD, Erhan Toker

• Protect Your Drawings With Password - use 'Security Options' to assign password to drawings in AutoCAD

• Select Last Object Added to the Drawing - using PROPERTIES command, typing 'L' to select most recently-created objects, Josh Jones, Lazy Drafter

• Use Dynamic UCS to Speed Up 3D Drawing - draw, edit on temporary XY plane using various commands in AutoCAD, Ellen Finkelstein.com

• Offset an Object Through a Point - using OFFSET command to pass object through point in AutoCAD LT, Kate Morrical

• Rotate View - using UCS and PLAN commands to rotate view using AutoCAD LT, Kate Morrical

• Import DWG With Materials - import DWG files as architectural materials, view textures in viewport using AutoCAD Architecture 2009

• A Useless CAD Standard - failing to enforce standard will make it useless, not updating standard can make it functionally useless, not reading CAD standard copy can make it functionally useless

• Speed Up Your Work With Command Aliases - list of command aliases for AutoCAD, Ellen Finkelstein.com

• Constructing Plastered Walls by Defining MLINE - draw parallel lines in single step, define properties of multiline style in AutoCAD, Erhan Toker

• Adding Custom Properties to AutoCAD's Rollover Tooltip and Its Quick Properties Panel - Kean Walmsley, Through the Interface

• 3D Roof Drawing Exercise - using commands like PEDIT, REGION, EXTRUDE, UNION, ORBIT in AutoCAD

• ARC Drawing Techniques in AutoCAD - using 3 point, tangent ARC, POLYLINE to curves methods, Orhan Toker

• Changing Display Colors in AutoCAD - setting background color using various options, Brian Benton

• Convert Drawings to Raster Format - video shows configuring AutoCAD to convert drawings to PDF or other raster file format

November Autodesk News

• Autodesk Q3 Revenue Up 13% to $607M with $104M Profit

• Download a Free Copy of Design Review by Autodesk - Autodesk® Design Review software streamlines your design review process with simple tools to review, mark up, and track changes to 2D and 3D designs.

• DWG TrueView™ - Download the free DWG TrueView™ AutoCAD design viewer to view, plot, and publish DWG and DWF files--now with TrueConvert functionality to convert any AutoCAD-based file for compatibility.

• Most of Autodesk software is Free to Students. - The Autodesk Student Engineering and Design Communityprovides free* Autodesk design software and resources to help students get started in their careers and become leaders in the next generation of design. Check out student profiles, and see how students in the community are taking advantage of Autodesk’s educational resources. • Design & Drafting offers a student version of LD assistant for registered students enrolled in Universities. Review our policies on student licensed software at LD Assistant EDU

LD Assistant 08 To Include ETC Net3/ACN

Design & Drafting To Deliver POWERFUL Update For LD Assistant 08

Design & Drafting is pleased to announce the addition of ETC's Net3/ACN Network to its soon-to-be-released LD Assistant 08 Update. Users will be able to plug directly into the ETC Network and accress up to 64 DMX universes without any dongles. The update will also include new blocks from AC Lighting, Chauvet, Color Kinetics, Clay Paky, Coemar, ETC, High End Systems, Martin Professional and VARI*LITE. This will be a FREE update to all LD Assistant 08 users.

Only LD Assistant offers real time walk-through with sound, lighting and video all running at the same time as you walk through your design.

October Reviews

Dell Precision M6300 (First Look Review) - Intel Core 2 Extreme X9000 processor, 6 MB of L2 cache, 8 GB of DDR2 667-MHz RAM, NVIDIA Quadro FX 3600M providing high-end performance for mobile systems, Ron LaFon, Cadalyst

Xi MTower 2P64X (Cadalyst Labs Review) - High end system for engineering applications with 4.0 GB of DDR2 800-MHz ECC RAM, NVIDIA Quadro FX 3700 PCIe2 graphics card using NVIDIA drivers, ViewSonic Optiquest Q241wb 24" LCD monitor, Ron LaFon, Cadalyst

New HP Laptop Is Actually a Workstation - HP Compaq 8710w with 17-in. panel, Quadro FX 3600M GPU, high-definition 24-bit audio chipset, several hard-drive options, more, David Cohn, Desktop Engineering

Server-Caliber Computer Doubles as a Mobile Workstation - Eurocom's D901C PHANTOM-X notebook, mobile server, with 3.0GHz processor, built-in UPS, 17-in. LCD, multitasking capability, high performance, Margaret Gurney, Desktop Engineering

October Articles

AutoCAD Tutorial: Create a GRADIENT FILL - Create presentation drawings from 2D drawing using GRADIENT, Ellen Finkelstein.com

Drawing With Precision - Pt 1 - Video displays using grid, snap functions in AutoCAD LT, Kate Morrical,You Tube, Sep 25, 2008

Maximize Viewports, Minimize Effort - Video shows editing objects within a viewport by modifying scale factor in AutoCAD, Lynn Allen, Cadalyst

Draw Objects - Pt 1 - Video demonstrates drawing of lines, polylines using AutoCAD LT 2009, Kate Morrical, You Tube, Sep 29, 2008

AutoCAD to Photoshop - Using raster based application to make AutoCAD drawings presentations, simple steps to follow, David Watson, CADTutor

AutoCAD 2008 Material Definition Toolpalette 1 - Create a texture material in AutoCAD2008

AutoCAD 2008 Material Definition Tool Palette 2 - Define relationship between drawing and materials using available material in drawing' option, Erhan Toker, Daily AutoCAD

AutoCAD 2008 Material Definition Toolpalette 3 - Selecting material using material editor section, properties settings, Erhan Toker, Daily AutoCAD

AutoCAD 2008 Material Definition Toolpalette 4 - Material texturing using 'maps' with various texture options like diffuse map, opacity texture, bump map, Erhan Toker, Daily AutoCAD

AutoCAD 2008 Material Definition Tool Palette 5 - Scaling and tiling of texture, material offset, preview, various options to control, Erhan Toker, Daily AutoCAD

AutoCAD 2008 Material Definition Toolpalette 6 - Creating texture template, settings, Erhan Toker, Daily AutoCAD

PLSN Road Test LD Assistant 08 by Stephen Ellison

PLSN Road Test LD Assistant 08 by Stephen Ellison

The program has all the tools required for a complex drafting project, but you don’t need to be a CAD wizard to produce good results. It has some built-in features to make lighting design easy, including several drop-down menus just for lighting and production applications. In these menus you will find tools to help create professional looking drawings with minimal training.

September News

• Design & Drafting adds High End Systems SHOWGUN to its library.
• Available after LDI, users will be able to download this and other fixture updates at no cost.

• LD Assistant 08 Product Review by Christian Choi.

• LD Assistant 08 supports JANDS Vista offline editor on the same computer without a dongle!

TRADESHOW & TRAINING

The LDI CONFERENCE & TRADESHOW To Host LD Assistant 08 & AutoCAD2008/2009 Training

LDInstitute™ This is the kind of training you have been waiting for! By far the industry’s best, hands-on, in-depth class with today’s cutting-edge technology can only be found at LDI's Pre-Conference Workshops.

Tuesday, 10/21/2008 Class limit 16 /one person per computer 9:30AM - 6:00PM Complete hands-on training for using CAD based programs. This workshop is designed for beginners and is taught by an experienced and patient University professor. Taught by: G.B. Stephens, Associate Professor of Design, University of South Florida and an associate instructor from Design & Drafting.

Wednesday & Thursday, October 22 & 23 Class limit 16 /one person per computer 9:30AM - 6:00PM This extensive two-day workshop enables more efficient usage of CAD based programs. You will be thoroughly trained in how to create all types of plots and designs using 2D and 3D drafting concepts. Attend this training and you will be able to complete full-color photo realistic renderings of an event or scene before it happens. Taught by: G.B. Stephens, Associate Professor of Design, University of South Florida and developer Rufus Warren of Design and Drafting. LDI Show Dates LDI2008 is Backstage Las Vegas: October 20-22 LDInstitute: October 20-24 Live Design Projection Master Classes: October 21-23 Conference Sessions: October 23-26 Exhibit Hall: October 24-26 Mix Live: October 24-26

Stop by and see us at LDI 2008 booth 2852 - October 24-26

August Jobs

CAD Instructors - Memphis City Schools (MCS) has an urgent opening for CAD teachers, ideal for graduate, 5 yrs experience in CAD, salary $38-57K, medical, retirement benefits, apply by Aug 15, 2008, Memphis TN

CAD Specialist - ANSYS Inc., has opening for CAD Specialist to consult with customers, assist sales and marketing team to promote new software license expansions, support accounts, ideal for Masters in Mechanical Engineering with 2 yrs experience, knowledge of CAD modeling, geometry creation and grid/mesh building for CAE, additional requirements include, familiarity with ANSYS products, specially ICEM CFD, Design Modeler and Workbench, also simulation tools and applications, experience with business development in CAE, Lebanon, N

AutoCAD Tech - Saladworks LLC has opening in CAD/Commercial Kitchen Design, ideal for candidate having 5 yrs experience in kitchen design and completing utility connection drawings, Knowledge of AutoCAD Electrical, Map 3D, salary $50-75K, Conshohocken, PA

CAD Professional - Anderson Howard a Irvine, CA based company seeks CAD professional, Ideal for 3yrs experience in AutoCAD Revit, Electrical 2008 ability to read blueprints and coordinate design is must

August Reviews

• NVIDIA Quadro Graphics Cards Perform for Less - FX series of graphics accelerators deliver better performance, more memory, benchmarking boards, David Cohn, Desktop Engineering

• Adobe Acrobat 9 Pro Extended - ability to combine multiple file formats in a single PDF portfolio, integrated Adobe Presenter, document compare capability but comparative poor graphic display of 3D models

• Autodesk 3ds Max Design 2009 - customizable ViewCube and Steering Wheel for modeling, new and faster mental ray renderer included, new set of real-world materials, more, Mark Clarkson, Desktop Engineering

• HP DesignJet T Series - DesignJet T610 and DesignJet T1100 target individual as well as workgroup printing at 24" and 44" with increased performance, Greg Corke, MCAD Online

August Articles

• Selecting Overlapping Objects - holding down Shift+Spacebar for toggling through possible objects, Lynn Allen's Blog

• Automatic Scaling of Blocks, Images or XREFs - setting values for INSUNITS, INSUNITSDEFSOURCE, and INSUNITSDEFTARGET system variables in AutoCAD, Josh Jones, Lazy Drafter

• Editing 3D Models Using Grips - cutting cylinder out of box using grips in AutoCAD, Orhan Toker, Daily AutoCAD

• Introduction to Object Snap Tracking - drawing circle at intersection of two lines in AutoCAD, Donnie Gladfelter, The CAD Geek

• Supercomputing When It's Needed - on-demand supercomputing services combined with desktop lets users handle complex CAE data, Ronnie Hoogerwerf of Interactive Supercomputing Inc., Machine Design

• Shapeways: 3D Printing For Consumers - easy 3D printing online for around $90, Ralph Grabowski, WorldCAD Access

• The Part-Time CAD Manager - tips to set priorities and manage job burnout while serving as part-time CAD managers, Robert Green, Cadalyst

• Creating Custom Bitmap Materials - creating bitmap tile, creating and attaching material by layer in AutoCAD, David Watson, CADTutor

• AutoCAD tips include shuffle suffixes, new dimension style, dimensioning major angle, using STRETCH, Hot Tips and Cool Tricks

August Announcements

Join us at booth 2852 to....

LDI CONFERENCE & TRADESHOW - Las Vegas Backstage Las Vegas: October 20-22 LDInstitute: October 20-24 Projection Master Classes: October 21-23 Conference Sessions: October 23-26 Exhibit Hall: October 24-26 Mix Live: October 24-26

Autodesk Q2 Revenue Up 18% to $620M with $90M Profit

NVIDIA Offers Free OpenGL 3.0 Beta Drivers for 3D Graphics

4 out of 5 CAD Users Choose Performance

Click here to visit LD Assistant's website and see why more Universities and professional designers are migrating to LD Assistant 08.

1) Real-time video playback on any block

2) No dongle needed with JANDS VISTA PC

3) Real-time walkthrough w/sound, lights & video

4) Create your own moving light profiles

5) Content library with all data attached

6) Predefined, User Defined & Online Content

7) Fully textured library

8) Standalone or Plug-in

9) Lens effects

10) Gravitation & Collision

11) Walkthrough camera speed

12) Real-time walkthrough with Audio Playback

13) IES support

14) Auto-Project Report Generation in HTML

15) Auto-Legend Insertion

16) VIZ and 3D Studio Link

17) Real-time simulator for most popular CAD

18) Real looking objects using images

For more First visit LDAssistant.com

July Jobs

Scene Design Assistant: The Denver Center for Performing Arts Previous professional theatre design and production experience required and a Masters Degree in Dheatre Design (or related degree) preferred. AutoCAD®, Photoshop® and model building skills and experience required.

Design Engineer: Bridgville, Pennsylvania Energetic and energy-efficient lighting manufacturer of worldwide specialty fixtures for the broadcast and videoconference markets seeks degreed design engineer with AutoCAD and 3-D modeling experience.

Theatre Consultant: Full Time, Mountain View, California Ability to prepare documents using MS Word®, Excel®, Powerpoint®. Excellent AutoCad drafting skills required (2004).

CAD Operator: New York based commercial real estate corporation, Brookfield Properties has opening for AutoCAD operator, must be able to handle AutoCAD, Adobe and Microsoft Office®, experience in architectural drafting a plus, solid drafting skills required, New York, NY

Draftsman/Detailer: Strategic design and architecturally-based experiential marketing firm has opening for draftsperson/detailer for broadcast sets and design projects, proficient in AutoCAD and architectural graphics, New York, NY

July Reviews

• Power! Speed! Action! Mighty Mobile Workstations are Packed and Ready for Adventure! By Ron LaFon

• CAD Unplugged (Cadalyst Labs Review) Get the job done anywhere with mobile workstations. by Ron LaFon

• Z Corp's ZScanner 800 Offers Speedy Precision uses three high-speed CCD cameras, laser projection unit to triangulate its position, working, watch object on screen, greater accuracy; Al Dean, Desktop Engineering

• NVIDIA Quadro Graphics Cards Perform for Less FX series of graphics accelerators deliver better performance, more memory, benchmarking boards; David Cohn, Desktop Engineering

July Articles

• CAD Manager’s Toolbox: Keeping the CAD Server Clean By Robert Green

• Creating Training Videos, Part 3 Make sure you have the basics covered when beginning an in-house training program, by Robert Green

• What Graphics Card and Driver for AutoCAD has been Tested? Certified, supported, non-supported graphics hardware for 3D display features, by Shaan Hurley

• Who is Responsible for Your Training? Short release cycle of software, difficult-to-hire skilled designers, options, responsibilities of employees and employer, by Brian Benton

• Thought Leadership; Why Your Firm Should Embrace It? Concept of being thought leaders, advantages, top talent, industry connectedness, vendor deals, presence in industry, happy employees, more, Mark Kiker, CADDManager Blog, July 2, 2008

Design & Drafting July NEWS

The LDI CONFERENCE & TRADESHOW To Host LD Assistant 08 & AutoCAD2008/2009 Training LDInstitute™ This is the kind of training you have been waiting for! By far the industry’s best, hands-on, in-depth class with today’s cutting-edge technology can only be found at LDI's Pre-Conference Workshops.

Tuesday, 10/21/2008 Class limit 16 /one person per computer 9:30AM - 6:00PM Complete hands-on training for using CAD based programs. This workshop is designed for beginners and is taught by an experienced and patient University professor. Taught by: G.B. Stephens, Associate Professor of Design, University of South Florida and an associate instructor from Design & Drafting.

Wednesday & Thursday, October 22 & 23 Class limit 16 /one person per computer 9:30AM - 6:00PM This extensive two-day workshop enables more efficient usage of CAD based programs. You will be thoroughly trained in how to create all types of plots and designs using 2D and 3D drafting concepts. Attend this training and you will be able to complete full-color photo realistic renderings of an event or scene before it happens. Taught by: G.B. Stephens, Associate Professor of Design, University of South Florida and developer Rufus Warren of Design and Drafting. LDI Show Dates LDI2008 is Backstage Las Vegas: October 20-22 LDInstitute: October 20-24 Live Design Projection Master Classes: October 21-23 Conference Sessions: October 23-26 Exhibit Hall: October 24-26 Mix Live: October 24-26

Stop by and see us at LDI 2008 booth 2852 - October 24-26 -

Connecting LD Assistant to JANDS VISTA PC software offline editor

Pre-Cue your show with ease and walk through your design in REAL-TIME using LD Assistant and JANDS PC Software. The VISTA console was released in 2004, and has changed the way lighting is done. VISTA brings a whole new world of ease to lighting. At Design & Drafting we downloaded the VISTA PC software and within five minutes were connected to LD Assistant using Art-Net. With the help of Geoffrey Platt (www.plattlighting.com), 30 minutes later we were creating cues and walking through our designs in REAL-TIME. Finally, someone has built a console that is easy to use! Visit JANDS website to learn more about their incredible VISTA console and VISTA PC software. Download the Windows XP / Vista Application 1.12 Build 4923 (Posted 12 June 2008 - 33.5Mb)

LD Assistant 08 Reviewed by LIVEDESIGN

Jun 1, 2008 12:00 PM, By Christian Choi

This feature-rich, jam-packed lighting, visualization, and drafting application has eluded my attention until now. It comes in two flavors: LD Assistant AC 08, with everything you need without having to purchase AutoCAD® 08; and LD Assistant PL 08, a plug-in for those who already own AutoCAD 08.

I did most of my evaluation on a MacBook Pro 2.4GHz Intel core 2 Duo with 4GB RAM, with a NVIDIA® GeForce® 8600M GT with 256MB VRAM. While the software is designed for Windows, I used VMware's Fusion and Windows XP Pro to see how it would fare on a Mac. I did comparisons with a PC running XP Pro, a true open GL card (NVIDIA Quadro® FX 3000g 256MB VRAM), dual Xeon 2.8GHz, 2GB RAM. My Mac was faster in all areas except visualization and recorded simulations that rely heavily on the GPU to run fast. The optimal suggested bang-for-buck configuration is WinXP running with an NVIDIA Quadro FX 1500. Click here to keep reading

May Reviews

• Workstation Performance: Tomorrow's Possibilities - Ever since digitization became commercially viable in the 1970s, one thing has remained constant: Hardware performance never seems to match our growing need to maximize productivity by working faster with less effort. This is true whether your first CAD system was MEDUSA on a Prime 2250 or Inventor 2008 on a Dell PC.

• 3D Without Glasses - The first time I used a 3D monitor was at the end of the nineties. The problem was that to see the 3D image clearly I had to sit directly in front of the screen and even then it gave me an absolutely massive headache. With Philips' new WOWvx 3D display you don't have to sit directly in front of the screen and it doesn't give you a massive headache.

May Articles

• Advanced solid modeling: LOFT - With AutoCAD 2008, 3 dimensional drawing capabilities have increased dramatically. From now on, it is possible to draw helix and spiral. Moreover, it is also possible to use these entities as PATH, so that you can drag different profiles along them and create new 3 dimensional entities. By this way, main disadvantage of AutoCAD against Microstation™ has been overcome, thus now it is possible to draw screws or similar 3 dimensional entities. Besides, LOFTING has been added to the program as of the 2007 version, which was possible in 3D Studio for years but not possible in AutoCAD. In this article, I will try to explain LOFT command to you by giving two examples.

• 3D Modeling 5: POLYSOLID POLYSOLID is probably one of the most useful tools for creating 3D solid entities. It is available since AutoCAD 2007. By using this command, you can draw solid entities that are in forms of polylines that have constant width and height very fast, just like using the POLYLINE command. The most useful way of using POLYSOLID command is drawing a 3D wall.

• Creating Standards, Part 1 - What is a Standard?
A standard is really just a way to use software to get a desired result.

• Setting Text Height in Dimensions - Where to set the text height for a dimension style. This has long been a source of confusion for AutoCAD users.

• Introduction to AutoCAD 3D - You actually draw in 3D in AutoCAD without being aware of it.

• 3DROTATE - Those who make drawing in 3D by AutoCAD may want to rotate objects also out of Z axis.

3D Models

There are millions of 3D models available in AutoCAD and LD Assistant DWG format. We have picked a few of the best websites for you to choose your models.

• 3D Lighting Design Models by Design & Drafting - Lighting Fixtures, Truss, Tents, Furniture and Sound Cabinets.

• 3D Models - 3D CAD Browser is the online 3D CAD model exchange system. On their web site you can download high-quality 3D models and upload yours for exchange.

• 3D CAFE 3D Models - 3D Cafe is the World's Largest Provider of Free 3D Models.

• 3D Content Central - 3D ContentCentral® is a free service for locating, configuring, downloading, and requesting 3D parts and assemblies.

• Mr. Furniture - Large collection of 3D furniture and furnishing 3D models including free 3D models for download.

• ARCAT - Over 14,000 building product CAD drawings that can be freely downloaded in DWG and DXF formats that can be used in AutoCAD.

• MAX4OBJECTS - Free 2D and 3D architecture Detail Models and objects.

• CADOPOLIS -Huge collection of AutoCAD Details for CAD construction details, both residential and commercial.

On the Mississippi River for a week of well deserved R&R

This year our programmers and office staff will be on the Mississippi River for a week of well deserved R&R.

* Please note that the Design & Drafting offices will be closed from June 1 through June 8th*.

Design & Drafting NEWS

• LIVE over the internet demos - Our unique technology allows for YOU to view a live-action demo or tutorial on YOUR monitor in your office environment. Get answers to YOUR questions quickly and completely! Click here to sign up for a live demo.

• Download a Free Copy of Design Review by Autodesk - Autodesk® Design Review software streamlines your design review process with simple tools to review, mark up, and track changes to 2D and 3D designs.

• DWG TrueView™ - Download the free DWG TrueView™ AutoCAD design viewer to view, plot, and publish DWG and DWF files--now with TrueConvert functionality to convert any AutoCAD-based file for compatibility.

• Most of Autodesk software is Free to Students. - The Autodesk Student Engineering and Design Communityprovides free* Autodesk design software and resources to help students get started in their careers and become leaders in the next generation of design. Check out student profiles, and see how students in the community are taking advantage of Autodesk’s educational resources. • Design & Drafting offers a student version of LD assistant for registered students enrolled in Universities. Review our policies on student licensed software at LD Assistant EDU

April Reviews

• HP Compaq 8710w (First Look Review) - mobile workstation with Intel Core 2 microprocessor, connectivity options, good battery life, gives good performance, highly praised by Ron LaFon, Cadalyst

• Dell Precision M4300 - Weighing just 6.3 lbs, this mobile workstation is fully certified for those who use design software on the road or in the field. by Ron LaFon, Cadalyst

• Workstation reviews - Written by Greg Corke

• Thin Is In - flat-panel LCD monitors reviews: ThinkVision L220x, NEC MultiSync LCD2690WUXi, ViewSonic VP2250wb plus DisplayMate Multimedia Edition on USB drive, Ron LaFon, Cadalyst,

Computers & Video Cards

Sometime back we started building computers using the BAREBONES Shuttle. Below you can find all the components to put together a GREAT computer. We buy our components from NEWEGG.COM. and have found that they give good service and provide products and components as stated.

Design & Drafting makes no guarantees but we have had huge success with NEWEGG.COM and Shuttle computers.

Video Cards

Understand video cards and how they can make you experince with LD Assistant or AutoCAD© better.
With LD Assistant or AutoCAD© you can leverage the capabilities of NVIDIA® Quadro® professional-class GPUs to incorporate high-quality 3D models into your work flow. Easily boost your performance with Quadro professional graphics solutions and create and interact with more accurate product designs without sacrificing visual quality.

NVIDIA is taking aim at 3-D CAD users looking for a performance boost.
The Quadro FX 3700 comes stocked with 112 parallel processors, 512 Mbyte of onboard graphics memory and a 256-bit memory interface. The benefits of this high-tech hardware mix are higher throughput for interactive visualization while also boosting the graphics board’s ability to handle the large-size models and complex shaders that are so closely associated with today’s CAD.

ATI and Nvidia are back with brand new families of professional graphics cards.
Back in April Nvidia introduced its eighth generation (G80) graphics architecture with the unveiling of the Quadro FX 4600 and FX 5600. These ultra-high end cards heralded the arrival of the industry’s first unified graphics architecture, which uses general purpose processing units which are dynamically allocated to geometry or shader tasks as required.

If you can put the components together you will save a lot of money.
Be sure to read the product reviews by people who have purchased before making a decision.

Desktop

Great Computer for $1,621.00 Click here to view Shuttle models at newegg.com

COMPUTER: Shuttle SX38P2-Pro Intel Socket T(LGA775) Intel X38 4 x 240Pin $429.00
VIDEO CARD: PNY VCQFX1500-PCIE-PB-V Quadro FX1500 256MB 256-bit GDDR3 $489.00
RAM: CORSAIR XMS2 DHX 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) $144.00
HARD DRIVE: EXCELSTOR Jupiter Series ESJ8160 160GB 7200 RPM 8MB $44.00
CPU: Intel Core 2 Quad Q9450 Yorkfield 2.66GHz 12MB L2 Cache $349.99
DVD: PHILIPS Black 20X DVD+R 8X DVD+RW 8X DVD+R DL $25.99
OS: Microsoft Windows XP Professional With SP2C $140.00
Click here to view the

KILLER Computer for fast rendering $2,257.00
COMPUTER: Shuttle SX38P2-Pro Intel Socket T(LGA775) Intel X38 4 x 240Pin $429.00
VIDEO CARD: PNY VCQFX1500-PCIE-PB-V Quadro FX1500 256MB 256-bit GDDR3 $489.00
RAM: CORSAIR XMS2 DHX 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) $144.00
HARD DRIVE: EXCELSTOR Jupiter Series ESJ8160 160GB 7200 RPM 8MB $44.00
CPU: Intel Core 2 Extreme QX6700 Kentsfield 2.66GHz 2 x 4MB L2 Cache LGA 775 $985.00
DVD: PHILIPS Black 20X DVD+R 8X DVD+RW 8X DVD+R DL $25.99
OS: Microsoft Windows XP Professional With SP2C $140.0

Note: The SX38P2-Pro model fan is a bit LOUD so you may wnat to look at the SP35P2
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Laptops

Great Laptop

Dell Precision M90: Starting price $2,137.00
Dell Precision M90: Fully loaded around $3,300.00
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Killer Laptop

Dell Precision M6300: Starting price $2,200
Dell Precision M6300: Fully loaded depending on the options between $3,800.00 and $5,000.00

April Articles

• Benchmarking CAD skills for recruitment - A more targeted approach to benchmarking CAD skills for recruitment can give HR managers support in assessing the technical competence of candidates at interview stage, says Rory Vance, Managing Director, CADsmart.

• Autodesk stands behind education, offering a variety of programs and products for future engineers.

• Apple is buying Autodesk©. Yeah right!

• Weekend CAD Warrior - using AutoCAD© to update looks of old outdoor chair, Kevin McWhirter.

• Quick Tip - Start up - Any user can customize the software to work almost however the want it to.

• Complex Linetypes - Fun with Complex Linetypes was the working title for this lesson by Jim Rogers.

• The Oops command - Where Oops has the advantage is that it can unerase something that you erased 100 commands ago, without undoing the intervening 99 commands.

• Quick Xref Tip - Here is a quick tip to use when working with xref's.

• Autodesk Design Review 2009 - new features - Do you use DWF files? I love them. I feel they are far better to use than PDF files for many reasons. CAD-a-Blog

• IDEAL Introduces Contex HD Scanners - With the introduction of Contex's new HD line of scanners, IDEAL's scan-to-print and scan-to-file solutions take a step forward in performance

Recently returned from the USITT convention in Houston, Texas

We hope that you are enjoying Springtime. We have been very busy with the new release of LD Assistant 08, and recently returned from the USITT convention in Houston, Texas. It was good seeing our many friends and thanks for taking the time to stop by our booth.

Design & Drafting News

• New LIVE over the internet tech support for LD Assistant 08 users - Click here to sign up for a live demo. Design and Drafting goes beyond telephone support for your CAD questions. Via the Internet, our specialists log-in to your PC and demonstrate the answers to your questions. You see what we see. We demo what we know, so that you get answers to your questions fast and accurately! We use special Internet software and speak with you via phone so that you have solutions and can get back to your project.

• Design & Drafting add Xref to LD Assistant 08 - With xref you can perform several operations on referenced drawing (xref) files. When you attach a drawing as anxref, you link that referenced drawing to the current drawing; any changes to the referenced drawing are displayed in the current drawing when it is opened or reloaded. Click here to read more about xref

• More Amazing Renderings - Send YOUR spectacular rendering to sales at design-drafting dot com and we will feature it in an upcoming issue of our newsletter or on our website. Check out the new renderings by GB Stephens Associate Professor of Design and Manager of the School of Theatre and Dance CADArts Center University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida. I think you will be impressed by the quality of these renderings. Click here to view new renderings

• Stock20.com - Earn Free Music Just For Bragging Have you used Stock20 music for any high profile clients, or exciting projects? If so, tell us about them. If we use the information for promotional purposes we'll give you a free song credit, and (maybe) cast a life-size bronze statue of you in our studio. Send Tara an e-mail with the juicy details. Click here to visit Stock20.com

• Please note that Design & Drafting office will be closed from June 1 to June 9th

March Reviews

• Running on All Eight Cores - HP xw8600 workstation fitted with dual 64-bit quad-core Intel Xeon processors, high-end NVIDIA Quadro FX4600 graphics card, David Heller, MCADCafe.com

• NVIDIA's Quadro FX 3700 Ups CAD Performance - mid-range professional graphics card supports application configuration engine and PCI-Express Gen 2, more, Beth Stackpole, Design News

• Nvidia Quadro FX 4600 and FX 5600 - It’s only been a year since Nvidia introduced its last round of Quadro FX graphics cards - the Quadro FX 350, FX 550, FX 560, FX 1500, FX 3500, and FX 5500 – but the Santa Clara graphics giant is already rolling out two new boards which mark the arrival of its eighth generation Quadro (G80) graphics technology.

• NVIDIA Ships Quadro FX 3600M Pro GPU for Notebooks - NVIDIA Quadro FX 3600M professional GPU for notebook and laptop workstations

• Scan 3XS CAD-8500 - high-end workstation fitted with Intel Core 2 Duo E8500 and Nvidia's Quadro FX 3700 graphics card, reasonably priced, more, Greg Corke, MCAD Online