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Missing Or Hidden Dialog Boxes in AutoCAD

Ever have dialogs disappear in AutoCAD and not be able to access them without what seems to be CTRL-ALT-DEL and exiting the software? This blog post helped me out greatly to solving the issue when using multiple monitors and the dialogs disappearing: http://autodesk.typepad.com/beyondthebox/2013/10/missing-or-hidden-dialog-boxes-in-autocad.html

Additionally, I've had some app dialogs disappear and the command remains running but inaccessible due to accidentally clicking off of the dialog. How do you gain access back? Here's an example and how.

Here I've used an app from the app store and the dialogs appear - (App is Set Multiple Object Styles for Civil 3D)

 In the image below, I've accidentally clicked off of the dialog and the focus goes back to AutoCAD Civil 3D. The dialog has disappeared but the command is still running - see command line. No obvious way to access the dialog.

 

However, we can get around this issue by cycling through our running applications using ALT + TAB. Then use the arrow keys to move over the AutoCAD Civil 3D icon, at which point you will see text noting the dialog that is currently running. Upon selecting the AutoCAD Civil 3D icon the running dialogs will appear again allowing for selection and completion of the command.

 

Civil 3D Slope Across Pipes App

Have you been looking for a better workflow in assigning slopes to pipes, especially when they are not needed to be analyzed in Storm Sewers or Storm and Sanitary Analysis? There's a new app for that on the app store now!!

Check out Slope Across Pipes here.

This app allows for quickly setting the slope of a number of pipes within a common pipe network and applying pipe drop across each structure. The app allows for selecting pipes/structures in plan view or pipes/structures in profile view and offers two modes - by slope and by inverts. When selecting parts in profile view, the app also provides the ability to extract the selected point elevation from the profile to apply to the pipe network. For both modes, the app does not care if the upstream or downstream end is selected, nor does it care if the start and end points of the pipes are in the same configuration throughout. When applying pipe drops in structures, the app checks to see if the structure is not a null structure before applying.

App running via Plan View

 App running via Profile Slope Mode Upstream to Downstream

 App running via Slope Mode Downstream to Upstream

 

 App running via Profile Inverts Mode Downstream to Upstream

 App running via Profile Inverts Mode Upstream to Downstream

New Licensing Feature

In the coming month or two, we will be updating all of our apps on the store with a new licensing module, as well as additional app updates. By default when purchasing an app from the store, you will receive one license for the app. To purchase additional licenses for the same app under the same purchased email address, you will need to contact us. Upon purchasing, an email link to your license activation will be sent to the purchaser's email address. This link is a unique link to your license(s) of that individual app and should not be shared with anyone as your licenses can be activated from it.

We know this new feature will effect our existing customers who have installed apps multiple times for one price, however, this is something we must do to continue offering apps at a cheaper price. Apps currently installed will not be effected, but as soon as they are upgraded, they will require additional license purchases.

Please do not hesitate to contact us should you have any issues in upgrading. Thanks!

via Blog http://www.redtransitconsultants.com/blog/new-licensing-feature

One Year Old

Today is our 1 year birthday!! It's been a great year of developing #AutoCAD #Civil3D apps for the exchange store. We've also had a few custom programming requests for custom apps or workflow tools. Send over a email if there's something you're in need of!!

via Blog http://www.redtransitconsultants.com/blog/one-year-old

Drawing Design Notes

A common practice of mine, has once again saved my position with my firm, and I thought I'd share with you all something I think everyone should be doing when working on complex designs in AutoCAD or AutoCAD Civil 3D.

I've found that design notes are extremely important to have when working on drawings. Often times I'll do a grading plan and complete the full design and not come back to it for almost 6 months - and it's usually do to someone not understanding why the surface may have been developed the way it was. This happened to me once again today where others were getting frustrated as to why something wasn't how they thought it should be - so I said, let me check my drawing notes. I open the design and read through my notes and pointed out a key feature that the engineer had told me to do in the design that they had forgotten about - they thanked me for my detailed notes.

Basically in any complex drawing, in model space off in what I like to call lala land, away from the site or where drawing views would be pointed I place some MTEXT that describes exactly how my design was done. I typically try to be as thourough as possible explaining Civil 3D procedures or AutoCAD procedures as to how something was achieved. It is a real life saver when you come back to that drawing 6 months to a year from when it was done.

If you don't keep design notes in your drawings, I highly recommend doing so.




BLOG POST NOTES (To Save My Blogging Abilities in the Future :) ):

• This post was written to explain how critcal design notes placed in drawings have saved my career once again.
• I used Google's blogging page to create my blog post and tried to emphasize my point as well as I could.
• I began by opening with how the practice has saved my career, but did not reveal it until the second paragraph - hopefully enticing readers to read on.
• From there I explained the practice and the situation that occured on that day.
• Next I explained exactly how I achieve that practice.
• Finally I ended with a recommendation

Batch Uninstalling Autodesk Software

With the installation of new Autodesk Products comes the uninstallation of old Autodesk Products. This process can be time consuming and a bit annoying - especially with the large suite packages.

Thanks to a great post by ProSOFT here, we have a great time saving solution for uninstalling Autodesk software.

I broke down the steps into a list for ease of reading, but it's all there in the blog. They even included an option for uninstalling on multiple machines at once. I added an option below to uninstall a product by year as well as I tend to load new versions side by side with the previous to ensure bugs are worked out.

•   Go to Start, All Programs, Accessories.

•  Locate Command Prompt; right click and choose Run as Administrator

•  At the prompt type ‘wmic’

•  After wmic:root\cli> type the following based on your desires: 

•  Be sure to note where the single quotes and double quotes are located! Typing this out wrong will result in an invalid query

Uninstall ALL Autodesk Software

product where "vendor like 'autodesk%'" call uninstall /nointeractive

Uninstall Autodesk Software by Year

        ***Replace the year 2013 as desired***

product where "vendor like 'autodesk%' and name like ‘%2013%’" call uninstall /nointeractive

• Hit enter.

•  A return value of 0 means it successfully uninstalled. If you get a return value of 1603, check to make sure you ran the command as administrator in step 2.

The screenshots below shows the first attempt and missing a double quote resulted in an invalid query. The second attempt began the process.

Hope this helps save you some time - and another big thanks to ProSOFT for posting.