| Queries and Solution |
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| Direct all your Queries relating to AutoCAD (10 thru 2004), AutoLISP, Visual LISP, VBA, DCL, Solid Edge, SE VBA, 3D Studio Max, HTML, etc. to CadGuruCool QA.  cadgurucool@yahoo.com For your Day 2 Day AutoCAD and related problems Call the CadGuruCool Helpline at 98713 71169 Only between 07:00 to 09:30 and 21:30 to 22:30 Indian Standard Time  No registration required |
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Whenever I issue the plot command in AutoCAD, the Plot Dialog Box does not appear. Instead I see prompts at the command: prompt. How do I get back the Plot Dialog Box? - Nitin Bhavsar, Susanvad Architects, Aurangabad. |
| Type "cmddia" at the command: prompt (without the double quotes) and press Enter. Next change the value of this system variable to 1. Reissue the plot command. You should see the plot Dialog Box back into action. Many AutoLISP routines initially set "cmddia" to 0 allow the routine to work correctly. If an routine is interrupted prior to its resetting CMDDIA, the later is left at 0. Similarly, two more system variables, "filedia" and "attdia" supress the file (Open, Save or Save As...) and the attributes dialogs respectively when set to 0. Should you encounter similar dialog diappearing in future, try setting these variables back to 1. |
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How do I create Toolbars to run my AutoLISP routines by clicking on the toolbar buttons ? - Rajeshari Mhase (Architect), Aurangabad. |
| 1) Type "toolbar" at the command: prompt (without the double quotes) and press Enter. 2) In the Toolbars dialog box that appears, Click on New. Enter a toolbar name (this will appear in the toolbar's titlebar). Click OK. You should see the toolbar appearing on the screen. 3) Click on the "Customize..." button. The "Customize Toolbars" Dialog appears. 4) Select Custom from the categories list. Drag and drop the blank tool (the one without a small triangle at the bottom) onto your newly created toolbar as many times as needed. 5) Click on Close in the "Customize Toolbars" Dialog Box. Next, Right Click on any of the blank tools on the nascent toolbar. 6) The Button Properties Dialog appears. Enter a name for the button (This will appear as tool tip when the mouse pointer is held over the button). Optionally you may enter some help that will appear in the status bar. 7) Click on the Edit button to bring up the "Button Editor" dialog. Draw the image that is to appear on the concerned button. 8)Click Save and then Close after you are done. In the Macro field at the bottom, enter the name of the autolisp function you wish to execute in front of the ^C^C, for eg ^C^C(c:door); The ; at the end is equivalent to pressing Enter at the keyboard. Click on Apply and then on Close in the main dialog box. Similarly, repeat the procedure for the other buttons on the toolbar. You may now start using the toolbar. Note: You need to load the function "c:door" prior to using the toolbar button. |
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I use AutoCAD 14 and want to open a standard template (prototype) AutoCAD file for new drawings whenever I right-click on the windows 98 desktop. Is this possible ? - Sandeep Wakharkar, Engineer, Design and Development, Garware Polyster, Waluj, Aurangabad. |
| The context menus that appear when you right click on a file in Windows Explorer can be customized similarly to AutoCAD's menus. You can even add items to these menus that can issue commands in AutoCAD via Dynamic Data Exchange (DDE). To add a new AutoCad drawing to your right-click context menu involves editing the windows registry. Before editing the registry, create your template(prototype) drawing file and save it in the same folder as your ACAD.EXE file. Follow these simple steps : 1) Click "Run" on the Start menu. 2) Type "regedit.exe" and press Enter. 3) Click Edit > Find in the registry editor to search for DWG. You may find other associations first, such as AutoCAD Backup files. Ignore them. Use find until you get to the DWG key, which appears as a small folder in the left side of your registry editor. 4) Highlight the DWG key and choose new , then key from the Edit menu. 5) Enter ShellNew for the new key. A subfolder named ShellNew appears. 6) Highlight this folder. Again from, the Edit menu, choose New , then String Value. 7) For the string value, enter Command . 8) Click on the command value, and choose Edit from the Edit menu. In the value data box, enter the drive, path, and filename of your AutoCAD executable (acad.exe) with a space between it and the name of the template(prototype) file you saved into the same directory- for example: c:\Program Files\AutoCad R14\acad.exe mytemplate.dwg. 9) Quotation marks automatically appear at each end of the value data. Now exit the registry editor. When you right-vlick on the Windows 98 desktop or anywhere in the explorer and choose New, AutoCAD R14 Drawing is one of th echoices on the context menu. Select it to start AutoCAD with the specified prototype file. |
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As a team member working on a mansion project, I am assigned the task of Walkthrough. I use 3D Studio Max 2.5 for this. I wish to add an effect to my animation as conceived below: As I walk through the main hall, I want a television to display a real TV commercial on its screen in place of a still image. The TV box is in place and is seen all the time I move around in the hall? I have seen such type of dual/multiple animation sometimes back. How do I do it for myself now? - Gulnar Joshi, Independant architect, Aurangabad. |
| At the very otuset, remember that you can use animations (AVI files) as material you apply to different objects in your model. In your case, first you will require a "real TV commmercial" in the form of an AVI file. For this, you may want to have a TV tuner card plugged into your system. Next, an advanced screen capturing utility (like SnagIt from Techsmith Inc. http://www.techsmith.com/to capture the TV ad while its available on your computer monitor). Capture the screen when the ad is playing and save it as an AVI file. Finally, simply use your TV animation AVI file as the material for the visible face of the TV screen. Now animate your mansion model. You should see the desired effect. |
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I use three button Logitech mouse with AutoCAD 14 both at my workplace and on my home PC. When I click the middle button on the mouse, the Osnap popup menu appears. However this does not happen on my home PC. I have checked both mice and they belong to the same species. How do I have the Osnap popup menu on my home computer too ? - Raghuveer Parnaik, Senior Draftsman, Design and Development, Garware Polyster, Waluj. |
| You need to update your mouse driver. Follow these simple steps : 1) Click Settings > Control Panel on the Start menu. 2) Click on the System icon. 3) Select the Device Manager tab. 4) Expand the mouse node and select your current mouse. 5) Click Properties and select the Drivers Tab. 6) Click Update Driver. The Update Driver Wizard Dialog appears. Click "Next >". 7)Select the second radio button that reads "Display all Drivers" and Click "Next >". 8) Select "Show all Hardware" at the bottom. 9) In the left hand side list_box, Select Logitech. 10) On the RHS list_box, select "Logitech Serial Mouse". 11) Click "Next >" . 12) Click on "Yes" in the next alert box. 13) CLick on "Next >" in the Windows Driver File Search dialog box. 14) Insert your Windows installation CD ROM when prompted. 15) Finally click on "Finish" . Now close all dialog boxes back upto the control panel. Fire up AutoCAD 14 and start clicking the middle button on your mouse. |
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I have seen color pictures of AutoCAD and other dialogs in computer magazines. I wish to print the AutoCAD Splash Screen and some dialog boxes from my custom DCL routines on my Color Printer after a little retouching in Photoshop. How do I store these pictures as bmp/jpeg files in the first place ? - Salmaan Taxali, MD, Synthesis Decorators, CIDCO N5. |
| Though you may find tons of freeware or shareware screen capturing utilities on the net (download.com, etc), none is absolutely necessary in your case. You may need only two boards : a) Your plain old keyboard, and b) The Windows Clipboard. Beware : though that capturing the AutoCAD splash screen may involve Copyright infringement. So do it at your own risk. Follow these simple steps : 1) Fire Up AutoCAD when you think you are fully "Alert". 2) As soon as the splash screen appears press two keys simultaneously - the "alt" key and the "Print Screen" key. The "Print Screen" key is located in the top row above the "Del" key. 3) Kick Paint brush to the screen and Select Paste from the Edit menu. 4) You can now save your file in bmp format if you are still lingering there in Windoze 95 or as a JPEG/GIF file if you use Win 98/2000. |
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Should AutoCAD be closed when not in use ? - A Large number of AutoCAD nerds. |
| It does not matter. The idea is to be able to get out of the office early without your colleagues or your boss knowing you're history. Before you go, make sure that your PC is powered on. Leave some important looking drawings open in the new Multiple Document Environment cascaded - this will give the illusion that you're still around. While you're atit, disable your great looking screen saver other guys won't appreciate it any way. |