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.