au-2014_6896 autocad for mac pulling the switcheroo

!

Pulling the Old Switcheroo: Why It's a Great Time to Look at AutoCAD for Mac (again) Jim LaPier – IMPACT Designs, LLC AC6896 In 2010, Autodesk, Inc., released AutoCAD for Mac software, but it was missing important features were missing that real drafters need on a daily basis. After 4 years the functionality gap has closed substantially. We will take a look at the features in the latest release of AutoCAD for Mac software, we’ll examine how we can use these features in our daily workflow, and we’ll discuss differences between the Mac and PC versions of the features that continue to exist. AutoCAD for Mac software has come a long way from the initial release, and you might be surprised how few reasons there are to not make the leap.

Learning Objectives At the end of this class, you will be able to: • Understand the differences between AutoCAD software on the Mac and PC • Identify the new features of the latest release • Identify and examine roadblocks in adopting AutoCAD for Mac software • Voice feature requests for the next release of AutoCAD for Mac software

About the Speaker Jim LaPier is the owner of IMPACT Designs, LLC, a consulting firm based in Maryland. Jim has worked with AutoCAD software for 16 years in varying disciplines, including commercial and residential architectural design, mechanical engineering, materials handling, and telecommunications. He is skilled in customization, efficiency, and speed, and he is adept in information technology. Eventually Jim became an Expert Elite member thanks to his contributions to AutoCAD for Mac. Previously Jim worked as a genius at an Apple Inc. Retail Store, becoming a certified Apple technician. Jim combines paper-and-pencil drafting knowledge with his love of advanced technology, both Mac and PC-based. Jim currently travels around the country giving workshops and classes on AutoCAD for Mac software and using Apple computers in today's design offices.

[email protected]

http://www.macncad.com

mailto:[email protected]

Pulling the Old Switcheroo: Why It's a Great Time to Look at AutoCAD for Mac (again)

The platform you like is going to be the one that helps you get your work done fastest and best, and no one can tell you which platform that is but you. It used to be Windows was the platform because it was the only one running AutoCAD. Now, we have an option, so it bears looking at both platforms, and not just how they run AutoCAD, but how well they make the rest of your workday easier and harder.

I’m not here to contribute to the Windows vs Mac debate. There are many differences between Windows and Mac OS and the same goes for AutoCAD on the PC and AutoCAD for Mac. These differences allow users to choose an operating system that will work for them in the way they work. I would say this is an Apple versus Microsoft issue, but magazines have recently dubbed the Macbook Pro the best computer to run Windows, so we’ll stick with the operating systems alone instead of any hardware comparisons. Gone are the days of Mac is for fun and Windows is for work, as neither of these hold true anymore.

You have most likely taken this class (or downloaded this handout) because you are considering (or are being forced to consider) moving to AutoCAD for Mac as your primary CAD system. Whether moving from AutoCAD on the Windows OS or switching from another Mac program like Vectorworks I think you will find this is a wonderful time to consider AutoCAD for Mac. So, a brief history so we understand how we got here:

AutoCAD has been available on the Windows platform as long as Windows has been around, so it is obviously tied closely to the OS. Release 12 was the last to run on Mac for 17 years until AutoCAD for Mac 2011 was released. This initial version was lacking in many features that users had come to rely on in the Windows version, including staples like even a plot style editor. Despite some randomness to the release schedule AutoCAD for Mac has had yearly releases since 2010 with the latest being AutoCAD for Mac 2015 in October of 2014. With each release features have been added both to bring a sense of parity with the Windows version as well as to test some new features that have or have not been translated to the Windows side itself. One thing to keep in mind is that though they share the same name, AutoCAD for Mac was re-written for Mac OS X from the ground up to take advantage of the Mac operating system and architectures. This means every command and function was re-written and during this process the commands were looked at with new eyes.

! 2


Instead of blindly copying every function that has been added to AutoCAD over 30 years, AutoCAD for Mac afforded Autodesk the opportunity to lighten the program of excess baggage and re-evaluate workflows and tools for greater efficiency. While most of the conventions still exist they have been sometimes stripped and renamed. A great example of this was the addition of Package Drawing in AutoCAD for Mac 2014. eTransmit had been a staple of AutoCAD for years but very few people used it to actually ‘transmit’ actual files. They used it to collect all related files to a drawing like fonts, references and plot styles and then either archive them or email them. To this end when AutoCAD for Mac incorporated the feature, they dropped the 90’s name and the FTP functionality and kept the spirit and use of the tool intact while considering how most users used the tool today.

Today, after the latest release, there are unfortunately still some tools and functions that have not been brought over from the Windows version though the gap is narrowing. Right now there is a “comparison matrix” on the Autodesk website found here:

http://www.autodesk.com/products/autodesk-autocad/compare/compare-platforms

This matrix details features both platforms share but also highlights the differences between the two versions. Personally I think it’s obvious a marketing person created this, as there are some features which are odd to bring up. Frankly I’m surprised there isn’t a check box for “Runs on Windows” and “Can be pinned to the Windows Taskbar.” Some examples:

• File Tabs / New Tab - Well, AutoCAD for Mac doesn’t support File Tabs, so of course it doesn’t support New Tab . . . It also doesn’t support deleting a tab, or moving a tab or anything else with tabs.

• Ribbon Gallery / Ribbon Customization - Same issue. We don’t support the Ribbon. Period. It doesn’t need to be listed twice.

• Design Feed / Design Feed with local drawing storage - Are we still doing this?

• Right Click Menus, keyboard shortcuts and double-click customization - This one I don’t understand at all. This is listed as a single entry but I can do 2 of these easily:

• Rightclick - As long as I have it enabled on my Mac (adjusted in System Preferences on your system) I can use the command SHORTCUTMENU to set the right click settings in AutoCAD for Mac. See here:

! 3


http://help.autodesk.com/view/ACDMAC/2015/ENU/?guid=GUID-27079CDD-85E0-4883-A961-82C8FC5C7F46

• Keyboard Shortcuts - Editing your pgp file. Accessed though tools - customize - edit pgp file.

• Double-click customization - Ok, this one can only be done in the CUI which AutoCAD for Mac doesn’t support

• Hatch Creation Preview - This is on by default, so no we don’t have a button. It’s on by default in Windows as well, but there is an additional button in the hatch dialog just for this.

• Autobullets & numbering - Um, AutoCAD for Mac does this. We don’t get a lightning bolt icon like Windows, but we can right click to start numbering if Autonumbering doesn’t kick in like we want.

So, in a list of 125 “fields” we have 64 features that are “shared” or equal. That leaves 61 differences, with 4 that are unique to AutoCAD for Mac (Coverflow, mulit-touch navigation, High Res graphics, and OpenGL support.) So 57 differences, minus the duplicates and errors I mentioned above brings us to 52 real differences between the versions. That seems like a lot but that is where being educated and considering your workflow comes in. 9 of the differences are 3D based so if you only work in 2D they won’t concern you much (Material mapping, advanced rendering settings, point cloud tools, etc.) If you are using AutoCAD for Mac LT you can add the lack of programming languages (Visual LISP, .NET, VBA and DCL dialogs) to the features that don’t impact your workflow in addition to the 3D differences.

All things equal the differences can really be broken down into a few categories: Features that are Windows dependent and therefore shouldn’t be brought over, Features there isn’t much interest in, and finally Everything Else. This last category includes features that we as users can help prioritize so Autodesk knows what we think is most important to work on.

! 4

http://help.autodesk.com/view/ACDMAC/2015/ENU/?guid=GUID-27079CDD-85E0-4883-A961-82C8FC5C7F46


Features that should not be brought over due to Windows Dependency

Support for .NET Support for VBA Support for WMF files ARX Applications that include MFC or .NET calls Password Protected Drawings

These are essentially programming languages / environments. While some could be brought over, I don’t see it happening anytime soon, nor would I want any of these to take time away from bringing over some of the other tools on this list.

Features there isn’t much interest in

Digitizer Integration Digital signatures CAD Standards tool Markup Set Manager Multiline style creation Autodesk ReCap point cloud tool Action Recorder and Action Macros

While I’m not sure if I agree with all of them, these are features Autodesk admitted at one point (this was 3 years ago admittedly) were not high on the list. Essentially, if the programmers have a specific amount of time to code new features (and they do with yearly releases) than some things are higher priority and some are not. Obviously new features introduced to AutoCAD on Windows have a slight priority and other some features of old are not as widely used.

! 5


Everything Else

So, with those out of the way, let’s start cherry picking the features we are really missing and could potentially be in the next release if we ask. Some of these might be features that you are missing everyday, some are the only reason you have Parallels or Bootcamp installed on your Mac. Others you might never use, or never even heard of. We are going to go through this list in more detail in class, but I have some notes on some of these or on groups of these below.

DWF Support

This is a feature I am sorely missing. While PDF is definitely a standard, DWF displays line weights differently and is considered the default format for sharing drawings in many circles. Right now you cannot plot, view, or underlay DWF’s on a Mac using Autodesk products. However, you can manage them in browsers using Autodesk 360, and there is an app in the Mac App store called McDwiff that allows for opening and viewing DWF’s on the Mac.

File Tabs

Self explanatory, but now that this has been added to Finder in Mac OS X Mavericks, we should get his too.

AutoCorrect Command Entry

Again, nice to have

Design Feed

We got Autodesk 360 support for syncing files, so we are a step closer, but true 360 integration would be wonderful.

Tool Palettes Right Click Menus, keyboard shortcuts, double-click customization Workspaces User Profiles Migration Tools CUI Import & Export

I think the above 6 tools (from Tool Palettes to CUI import and export) are pretty closely tied together as “General Customization” and the sharing of those customizations. Ok, AutoCAD for Mac is very lacking in customization, but frankly out

! 6


of the box so is Mac OS X really. In Windows, I can choose different pointers if I really wanted, in Mac I can only adjust the size. Where Mac makes up for this is really the breadth of apps that take up the slack and allow me to change anything, from the pointer to the dock background. Personally I think it’s nice Mac doesn’t throw all this in as it keeps the OS fairly streamlined and if you want the options you can find an app and install it yourself (this is the “bloatware” argument) I personally think this attitude was brought over into AutoCAD for Mac to make it a very “Mac” program, but as an AutoCAD user one of things I’ve always touted was the ability to really customize the program to my needs. AutoCAD is really the catch-all of the design industry, so it’s customizability lent itself to it’s versatility. An architect doesn’t really care about the same tools as a electronics engineer. I really don’t think we need the disparate CUI, profile, workspace tools however, but a single CUI (AutoCAD Windows has been moving toward this, but at a snails pace IMO) AutoCAD for Mac seems to get by with one Tool Palette, so workspaces would be a bit of a waste, but editing / creating / sharing Tool Palette panels or “Tool Sets” should be easier. Right Click menu customizations should be added in the CUI menus dialog, and the entirety of the CUI should really be a tab in the preferences dialog, and therefore added to “profiles” which could easily be shared. Just my thoughts :)

VisualLISP

Wow this would be useful, right? I think most of the Express Tools are VisualLisp, so that would return their functionality alone, not to mention the numerous tools and routines floating around forums and sites that would suddenly work.

Table Style Editing Hatch Creation Preview Change Space Express Tools See VisualLisp above Model Documentation Material Editing, Mapping, creation Advanced Rendering Camera Creation Walkthroughs, Flybys, animations

These 3D features are ones I don’t use on a daily basis so they haven’t caused me much heartache, but as someone who used to do a fair amount of modeling in AutoCAD I’m sure these are very important to many users and should be fairly high on the list.

! 7


Geographic Location ShowMotion Navigation Bar New Layer Notification Quick Properties Palette Data Extraction Hyperlinks dbconnect Manager FBX import & export Additional model import Import Sketchup Files DCL Dialogs Reference Manager (standalone) Custom dictionaries

Ok, these are pretty far down on the list for me and most of the users I speak with. Frankly, in AutoCAD Windows, I turn off the Navigation Bar (and the view cube in 2D, which frankly I think should be default) and as the properties inspector is on by default, I don’t see the need for Quick Properties. New Layer notification I’m sure is important for some, but this is a feature many of my users constantly complain about and layereval is something I’ve added to my startup routine to disable those “unreconciled layers” notifications. Again, some of these might be very useful for some users and maybe even requirements for some, but they aren’t high on my list. That however is why this will be discussed in a class environment; so other users can have their say.

New Features

Autodesk has hardly been resting on their laurels however. With each new release Autodesk has added more a more features and AutoCAD for Mac 2015 is no exception. Here is a breakdown of the new features in the latest version:

Dynamic Blocks

Dynamic Blocks allow you to add parameters and actions to a block that allow you to modify the block in very specific and pre-defined ways, lending to the consistency we require but the flexibility to change the geometry to suit the drafters’ needs.

! 8


Quick Select Quick select is a filtering tool allowing you to specify criteria including parameters like layer, color and lineweight. This means in a drawing consisting of thousands of objects you can easily select specific objects instead of panning, zooming and selecting a handful of objects one by one.

Quick Select is available from the Properties Palette as shown here as well as from the Menu Bar under Edit and finally using the command QSELECT.

This brings up the quick select dialog box. The first thing to determine is if we want the selection to include the entire drawing or just a specific selection set, which we can choose by selecting the button next to ‘Where to select.’

Next we can begin to filter our selection set. First we specify the object type, using the drop down. If we want our selection set to include objects of different types, like blocks,

circles and lines, we can leave this set as multiple.

Next, to the right of the drop down is an icon with 3 dots. This will allow us set parameters or rules to filter our selection set. We can choose values including color, layer, linetype, linetype scale, plot style, lineweight, transparency or material. Using properties we can set them equal, not equal or greater than or less than a specific value. By clicking the plus symbol we can add multiple rules to further narrow our search. Keep in mind however the process is exclusive, meaning the objects that will remain in your final selection set must conform to all of the rules simultaneously.

! 9


To rephrase, the rules are “and” statements as opposed to “or” statements. This means by specifying I want to find all red objects and all objects with a continuous linetype the only result in red objects of a continuous linteptye, not red objects or objects of a continous linetype. Once we have our parameters, we need to specify some options. Do we want to exclude the objects that meet our criteria or keep only the objects that meet our criteria? Lastly, do we want to add the objects to the previous selection set?

Quick select is a wonderful way of quickly adding or filtering out geometry that meet specific criteria and I encourage you to practice with it on your own drawings so you can call upon it when necessary.

Layer States Layer states are a simplified way of setting and restoring the look or state of all the layers in your drawing. In one setting you may want a layer to display red instead of its preset of blue or you may have a subset of layers you turn on for demo plans and another for construction plans. Saving a layer state allows you to recall the on / off state (or frozen / thawed) of every layer so you no longer have to manually turn each layer on or off to achieve a desired effect.

Now under the layer tools we find a new dropdown for layer states. This allows us to restore saved layer states as well as enter the Layer States dialog box by choosing “Manage Layer States.”

I recommend first returning to the drawing and setting the state (on / off) for all of the layers in your drawing. Now, re-enter the layer states manager and click the plus icon. Choose a name and enter a short description. You can choose what parameters you want to control with your layer state like visibility, freeze and plot. Unless you plan on using a layer state to specifically change a layer property like color or linetype, I would leave these unchecked, in case a layer is updated down the road (perhaps layer A-Demo-Glaz will now be yellow instead of green) by checking the color option this layer state will return it to green every time it is restored.

! 10


Selecting one of your layer states in the dialog box and selecting the gear at the bottom of the window will allow you to edit individual states if you want to alter specific layers or incorporate new layers into your states.

From here all that is required is to save and restore any layer state as you go by using the drop down in the layer palette. This process seems simple enough but it has the potential to redefine your drafting workflow by allowing you to “stack” objects on top of each other, like the first and second floor of a house or the demolition plans and the new construction plans. By stacking geometry you decrease the risk of error when a change is made as all of the geometry can be updated by turning all of the layers on and stretching or moving objects, but each viewport can be set to a different display state so each viewport only shows the appropriate layers for that floor or phase of construction.

Data Link Data linking refers to inserting information from a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet (XLS or XLSX) into your AutoCAD for Mac drawing. A link is maintained between the Excel file and the table in AutoCAD so when one is updated the changes are reflected in the other. So a quantity in the AutoCAD parts list can be increased and the change is reflected in the Excel sheet that the Project Manager will use for ordering.

You can start by entering DATALINK in the command line, going to the Menu bar under Insert, or by opening the Reference Palette and selecting Attach Reference.

! 11


In the dialog box that appears, after locating the file to link, you can choose an entire sheet from the workbook or even just a specific range. To allow two-way updating, make sure “Allow writing to the source file” is checked. After clicking ok, you can place the table into your drawing anywhere you like. When the Excel file is updated, you will receive a notification as shown. If you want to manually sync the information, you can use the command DATALINKUPDATE.

Once inserted, you can control and alter the appearance of the table just like any other table including sizing the rows and columns as well as altering gridlines.

Open GL Core Activation OpenGL (Open Graphics Library) is a programming interface for rendering 2D and 3D vector graphics. It is used to interact with the graphics processing unit (GPU) to achieve hardware accelerated rendering. Hardware acceleration is the use of hardware to perform functions faster than normal software can achieve by allowing for concurrent calculations as opposed to the software executing instructions one by one.

The option is found under Application Preferences (in the Menu Bar under AutoCAD or accessed by typing OPTIONS) in the General tab. Certain graphics cards may actually be hindered with this option so I encourage you to check the readme file installed with AutoCAD for Mac 2015. If you find the application becomes sluggish or the graphics erratic after activating the OpenGL profile, disable it in the Application Preferences and restart AutoCAD for Mac.

Command Preview Checking this option will display a preview of what will happen as you make changes during a command, like showing which segments will be removed during the Trim command. This preview applies specifically to the following commands: trim, extend, lengthen, break, match prop, fillet, chamfer and offset. This allows you to see exactly what your result will be before you commit.

! 12


Lasso Selection The Lasso tool allows you to create a selection window that is not rectangular but any shape you can draw. It is accessed any time you are asked to select objects in AutoCAD (or when no command is active, like the normal selection tools) by clicking and dragging your cursor (as opposed to clicking and releasing to begin a selection rectangle.) You can drag your cursor around as if you were drawing with a pencil to create your selection set.

While in Lasso selection mode, click on the space bar to toggle between selection window, crossing window or fence. Selection window is shown as a blue highlighted area with a solid line and will only select objects that are completely enclosed within the white boundary line. A crossing window is depicted as a green shaded area with a dashed boundary line that will select all objects enclosed in the selection boundary as well as any object that crosses any of the boundaries (meaning if any part of the geometry touches the boundary line, it will be included.) A fence line is shown as a dashed line with no fill and will only select geometry that crosses the boundary line but will not select objects enclosed within the boundary.

Viewport Improvements AutoCAD for Mac has added a toggle button so when in paperspace and you click inside a viewport to access modelspace, you can now toggle the new paper / model button to switch back to paperpsace without zooming out or typing the paperspace command.

Also, after creating multiple viewports in model space, the active viewport is now identified by a bright blue boundary. Any viewport can be resized by dragging the horizontal or vertical viewport boundaries. A new + icon allows you to create new viewports by clicking the icon and dragging. Also you can hold the Ctrl key while dragging to split the modelspace viewport.

! 13


Copy Nested Objects (NCOPY) NCOPY is a wonderful tool that allows you to copy objects from an XREF and blocks without binding or exploding them. NCOPY is available from the command line or from the Modify menu. Simply enter the command and select the objects from the block or external reference you want to copy.

Dimension Improvements AutoCAD for Mac 2015 has gained some intelligence in regards to applying dimensions to our drawings as well. Now existing dimension extension lines are ignored when snapping to geometry to prevent them from being accidentally snapped to. Also, when creating continuous or baseline dimensions, AutoCAD will inherit the layer and dimension style of the base dimension. This means I can enter my dimensions, switch to another layer to add some centerlines, then return to add continuous or baseline dimensions without changing my layer back. This is controlled with the system variable DIMCONTINUEMODE.

Cursor Enhancements The cursor in AutoCAD for Mac is now more contextually descriptive, showing small icons during commands like move, distance, list, and scale. New badges are also shown during selection windows to show if you are creating a crossing window or a selection window. These are controlled with the system variable CURSORBADGE.

MTEXT Enhancements The new MTEXT Editor background is now transparent so you can see geometry even below the window and the window can now be resized using the corner resize handle in the lower right corner in addition to hovering over the bottom or right edges of the text editor.

! 14


TEXTALIGN The new TEXTALIGN command allows you to distribute and align single line and multiline text. After starting the command and selecting the text you can choose either a text object to align the text to or selecting points to define a line to align and distribute the text to. You can choose to distribute the text objects evenly, set a specific spacing value or maintain the current horizontal or vertical spacing.

Polyline Enhancements You can now use fillet to close polyline arc segments. Enter the FILLET command and select two or more polyline arc objects. The appropriate fillets are created among the selected polyline arcs. Also, you can hold Ctrl to reverse the direction of the polyline arcs as you create them.

Reset AutoCAD Under the AutoCAD menu there is now an option to reset AutoCAD to its defaults. Selecting this will restore the default settings of AutoCAD for Mac to the out of the box factory defaults, including preferences and system variables. This is an especially useful tool if you experience an issue with frequent crashes or errors. It is also helpful if AutoCAD for Mac begins producing unexpected results like dialog boxes not appearing or commands not giving the desired result.

So these differences are ones that may effect your decision to move to AutoCAD for Mac. If there is a feature that you require in your workflow that is not supported right now, your decision is a bit harder. Fortunately as part of this class we will be able to voice our opinions on some of these features and tell Autodesk directly where these tools rank for us and what they should be working on.

! 15

au-2014_6896 autocad for mac pulling the switcheroo

Documents

autocad software

mac os

days of mac

adopting autocad

latest release of autocad

windows vs mac debate

speaker jim lapier

jim lapier impact designs