AutoCAD 2009 Archives

AutoCAD, AutoCAD 2009, Cloud, Development, Fail, Nostalgia, Polls, Rant

The worst feature ever added to AutoCAD is…

By Steve Johnson 9 November 2011, 12:45 pm 9 November 2011 itemprop="discussionURL"14

…the Ribbon, according to your selections in the What are the worst features ever added to AutoCAD? poll. As in the best ever poll, the winner (loser?) in this race had no serious competition. I’ve listed eleven top (bottom?) features here rather than ten, partly because the popular (unpopular?) choice Memory Overuse isn’t exactly a feature. But it’s mainly because I’d hate to see Action Recorder unfairly miss out on a well-deserved mention. Ribbon (30%) CUI (20%) Help (on line / 2012) (18%) Memory Overuse (17%) AutoCAD Today (2000i/2002) (16%) White / Cream Drawing Background (16%) Unreconciled Layers (16%) Nudge (10%) Blipmode (9%) …

Announcement, AutoCAD, AutoCAD 2007, AutoCAD 2008, AutoCAD 2009, AutoCAD 2010, AutoCAD 2011, Autodesk, Bug, Development, Other Autodesk Products, Other Blogs, Other Sites, Win

Another language pack cleanup solution

By Steve Johnson 22 July 2010, 1:43 pm 22 July 2010 itemprop="discussionURL"0

My CADLock, Inc. colleague, Owen Wengerd has posted about a fix utility he has written to help clean up drawings infested with the language pack problem discussed here. I have not yet tested Owen’s utility*, but as this should run in any AutoCAD-based product from 2007 on, it could well be a better partial solution than Autodesk’s Civil 3D-only (so far) patches. Autodesk still needs to sort out its dodgy templates, of course, and should probably provide its own non-Civil 3D fixes, if only to maintain a little corporate self-respect. As Owen has a long and distinguished history of being …

AutoCAD, AutoCAD 2009, AutoCAD 2010, AutoCAD 2011, Other Autodesk Products, Other Blogs, Polls

Ribbon poll roundup

By Steve Johnson 17 May 2010, 1:36 pm 17 May 2010 itemprop="discussionURL"0

Further to my last post, Here is a brief summary of this blog’s various poll results that relate in some way to Ribbon and CIP use. The most recent polls are at the top of the list. I have placed in bold those percentages that relate directly to the proportion of AutoCAD Ribbon use among the voters on this blog. AutoCAD 2010 users’ Ribbon use: 44% (AutoCAD 2010 users’ CIP on: 36%) Ribbon love: 28% AutoCAD 2010 menu bar non-users: 23% Inventor Ribbon use: 44% (Inventor 2010 users’ Ribbon use: 59%) Revit Ribbon use: 42% (Revit 2010 users’ Ribbon use: …

AutoCAD 2009, AutoCAD 2010, Bug, Performance

AutoCAD 2009 & 2010 users – out of memory errors?

By Steve Johnson 10 March 2010, 1:06 pm 10 March 2010 itemprop="discussionURL"22

Some of the users I support have repeated out-of-memory errors while editing fairly simple drawings. I have some 2010 users who suffer from this problem while others using the same drawings on the same hardware get by without ever seeing it. When swapping users to differerent PCs, the problem seems to follow the user. Despite various experiments, I have no idea what is going on here. Is this happening to you or anybody you work with? Have you managed to work out if there is something that triggers it? Is there a user interface setting or method of drawing that …

AutoCAD, AutoCAD 2009, AutoCAD 2010, Comments, Polls, Thoughts

These messages are brought to you by AutoCAD

By Steve Johnson 31 August 2009, 11:39 am 31 August 2009 itemprop="discussionURL"7

Over the past few releases, and particularly in AutoCAD 2009 and 2010, I have noticed an increase in the number of information notices (bubbles, warnings, task dialogs, Communication Center notices, etc.) being displayed. Shaan Hurley has pointed out that 2010 Update 1 introduces a balloon notification that periodically makes you aware of how much time remains before your subscription expires. Is this a good thing? There’s a poll on the right that asks a specific question about the default state of AutoCAD 2009 and 2010, but I’d also like to see some comments on this. What do you think of …

AutoCAD, AutoCAD 2009, Customer Service, Other Blogs

AutoCAD 2009 Update 3

By Steve Johnson 14 May 2009, 1:46 pm 14 May 2009 itemprop="discussionURL"6

Update (nee Service Pack) 3 for AutoCAD 2009 is now available. See Between the Lines for full details. As always, read the readme first. Here are the links: Readme AutoCAD 2009 AutoCAD LT 2009 AutoCAD 2009 for Revit Architecture AutoCAD 2009 for Revit Structure No word yet about related updates for the vertical products. While I’m not convinced by some aspects of the recently introduced multiple-update-per-release regime, I do approve of Autodesk continuing to maintain 2009 after 2010 has been released. People have complained about this not being done in the past, and on this score at least, I have …

AutoCAD, AutoCAD 2000, AutoCAD 2007, AutoCAD 2008, AutoCAD 2009, AutoCAD 2010, Bug, Interoperability, Tip

AutoCAD’s magic vanishing attachments

By Steve Johnson 30 April 2009, 10:36 pm 30 April 2009 itemprop="discussionURL"1

There are now quite a few file types that you can attach to an AutoCAD drawing as a reference, in the same way that you can attach other drawings as xrefs. We’ve been able to attach other drawings since Release 11 (1990) and images since Release 14 (1997), but every release since 2007 has introduced a new kind of attachment. In AutoCAD 2010, you can now also attach PDFs, MicroStation DGNs (v7 and v8), DWF and DWFx files. But should you? Maybe not. It depends who is going to use those drawings after you. If you know for certain that …

AutoCAD, AutoCAD 2009, AutoCAD 2010, Customisation, Polls, Tip

AutoCAD 2010 – Will you miss the Menu Browser?

By Steve Johnson 20 February 2009, 2:48 pm 20 February 2009 itemprop="discussionURL"6

I’ve closed the poll that asked AutoCAD 2009 users about their MENUBAR setting. It’s very clear that pull-down menus are still very much in use in the Ribboned world of post-2008 AutoCAD. In AutoCAD 2009, an attempt was made to provide access to pull-down menus without sacrificing that strip of screen real estate. That attempt was called the Menu Browser, it was one of the thing you could find under the Big Red A, and it really didn’t work very well. In AutoCAD 2010, the Menu Browser has gone away. The A hasn’t gone away, just the ability to access …

AutoCAD, AutoCAD 2009, Comments, Polls

AutoCAD 2009 – Do you use the menu bar?

By Steve Johnson 3 December 2008, 10:30 am 3 December 2008 itemprop="discussionURL"22

You may have noticed that I’ve added a poll to find out if the AutoCAD 2009 users among you are using the menu bar (i.e. MENUBAR = 1). I’m also interested in hearing your comments about your usage and the reasons behind it. If your menu bar turned on, why? Do you use it all the time or do you just need it for those less-frequently-used commands that you don’t have handy at your fingertips, on toolbars, palettes or the Ribbon? Do you need it because your own custom routines are on menus, or third-party commands? Does the vertical AutoCAD variant …

AutoCAD, AutoCAD 2009, Interoperability

AutoCAD 2009 Subscription Pack 2 – PDF Enhancements

By Steve Johnson 14 November 2008, 10:01 am 14 November 2008 itemprop="discussionURL"0

Subscription customers of plain AutoCAD 2009 can log on to the Subscription Center and download Subscription Pack 2. This pack improves PDF output (long overdue and very welcome) and adds the ability to attach PDF files. That’s welcome too, but is of largely academic interest right now because of a total lack of interoperability. Unless you only ever provide your drawing files to people who also have plain AutoCAD 2009 with Subscription Pack 2, they won’t see the PDF underlay. However, round tripping is supported, so when you get the drawing back the PDF underlay will reappear. Here is a …

AutoCAD, AutoCAD 2009, Microsoft, Other Blogs

AutoCAD 2009 – An outsider’s look at the Ribbon

By Steve Johnson 30 October 2008, 2:41 pm 30 October 2008 itemprop="discussionURL"0

Kirill Grouchnikov is a developer who has a blog called Pushing Pixels. This wouldn’t normally be of particular interest to AutoCAD users, but he recently wrote a piece describing the AutoCAD 2009 Ribbon. It is always interesting to things described from a different perspective, in this case the Ribbon from a non-user’s point of view. He pays particular attention to the ways in which the AutoCAD Ribbon differs from Microsoft’s standards. As a non-user, he has skipped lightly over several aspects of AutoCAD Ribbon use, including some drawbacks of the current implementation, but it is still a worthwhile read, as …

AutoCAD, AutoCAD 2009

AutoCAD 2009 Update 2

By Steve Johnson 26 September 2008, 4:14 pm 26 September 2008 itemprop="discussionURL"2

Update 2, the latest of Autodesk’s rapid-fire Updates (formerly Service Packs) for AutoCAD 2009 is now out for AutoCAD, AutoCAD LT and the AutoCAD that comes with the Revit Suites (Architecture and Structure). As always, read the Readme first and exercise the usual paranoia.

AutoCAD 2009, Microsoft, Thoughts

Ease of use and the Ribbon

By Steve Johnson 12 September 2008, 10:34 am 12 September 2008 itemprop="discussionURL"5

I have Office 2007 on my newest computer at home, which I bought primarily to familiarise myself with the Ribbon interface and allow me to discuss it from a position other than ignorance. I use Word and Excel 2007 on that computer, and find the ease of use about the same as earlier releases. Some things are easier to find and use, some things are harder. My 9 year old daughter recently asked if she could use PowerPoint at home, as she had started to use it at her new school for making little presentations and wanted to make her …

Advertising, AutoCAD, AutoCAD 2009, Autodesk, Microsoft, Other Blogs, Thoughts

Matt Stein’s Blog and Microsoft’s Mojave Marketing

By Steve Johnson 1 September 2008, 3:34 pm 1 September 2008 itemprop="discussionURL"1

Thanks to Shaan Hurley for revealing to the wider world the existence of Ribbon Man Matt Stein’s blog. I’m not sure it’s appropriate for a blogging n00b like myself to welcome somebody with a blog four years older than his own, but I’m going to do it anyway. Welcome, Matt (no pun intended). Some of Matt’s blog posts (particularly the early ones) make for, er, interesting reading, so don’t click if you’re easily offended. Please bear in mind that this is a personal blog, not an Autodesk one. Matt and I generally get on fine, but we have had some …

AutoCAD, AutoCAD 2009, Bug

Has AutoCAD 2009 eaten your registry lately?

By Steve Johnson 1 September 2008, 11:54 am 1 September 2008 itemprop="discussionURL"0

I’ve had a one-off report from a user of AutoCAD 2009 (actually, it was MDT as part of the Inventor suite pretending to be AutoCAD 2009, which isn’t exactly the same thing) and I’d like to know if anyone else has seen the same thing. His AutoCAD self-destructed and a little investigation showed that the section of the Registry that contains all the settings for that particular release had vanished without trace. This happened again later, but this time he had a backup of the Registry section handy and was able to avoid a second reinstall. No Registry cleaners were …

AutoCAD, AutoCAD 2009, Other Products, Tip

Look out for Update 1 for AutoCAD 2009-based verticals

By Steve Johnson 13 August 2008, 1:38 pm 13 August 2008 itemprop="discussionURL"4

If you have Communications Center disabled (this is quite common, it seems) or you’re not currently using your 2009-based vertical product, you may be unaware that Autodesk has released versions of Update 1 (formerly known as SP1) for the architectural and civil variants of AutoCAD 2009. Expect the other verticals to follow soon. A visit to the Autodesk site and search for “Update 1” currently returns 18 results. As usual, read the Readme first and exercise caution (or even paranoia) before installing.

AutoCAD, AutoCAD 2009, Polls

What you like best about AutoCAD 2009

By Steve Johnson 25 July 2008, 1:48 pm 25 July 2008 itemprop="discussionURL"0

I’ve closed the poll asking you to choose the top three things you like about AutoCAD 2009. For some reason it wasn’t getting many votes. Only 37 people participated, rather less than many other polls here, and I’ve now put it out of its misery. The small sample size makes the results of dubious value, but here are AutoCAD 2009’s “best things”, as voted by at least five of you. Spell checking in text editor (30%, 11 Votes) ViewCube (22%, 8 Votes) Action Recorder (19%, 7 Votes) Modeless layer interface (19%, 7 Votes) Improvements available only in vertical products (16%, …

AutoCAD, AutoCAD 2009

When is a Service Pack not a Service Pack?

By Steve Johnson 21 July 2008, 4:40 pm 21 July 2008 itemprop="discussionURL"0

When it’s an Update. This year, Service Packs are called Updates, and the first one for AutoCAD is out now. The 32-bit version is here and the 64-bit version is here. The Update includes LT, but there is no news yet about Updates for any of the vertical AutoCAD variants. As usual, read the Readme first. Also, as this Update has had a considerably shorter gestation period than the traditional six-month wait for the first AutoCAD Service Pack, you may be wise to exercise more paranoia than normal. Save and export your AutoCAD profiles, save your workspaces, make backups of …

AutoCAD, AutoCAD 2009, Polls

You don’t think much of AutoCAD 2009’s buttons

By Steve Johnson 11 July 2008, 3:10 pm 11 July 2008 itemprop="discussionURL"0

I’ve closed the poll about the button images. It’s a general thumbs-down from you on that particular change, albeit not a spectacularly vehement one. I agree with most of you. The images themselves don’t offend me greatly, but their role in making things harder to find means that Autodesk erected another unnecessary barrier to Ribbon acceptance. The images themselves have crisper edges, but are sadly devoid of colour, making them harder to tell apart. One exception is with the object snap buttons, which I consider an improvement over their predecessors. More important than that is the fact that there were …

AutoCAD, AutoCAD 2009, Polls

AutoCAD 2009 – What’s good about it?

By Steve Johnson 11 July 2008, 2:53 pm 11 July 2008 itemprop="discussionURL"0

I’ve added a poll that asks you to choose the best things about AutoCAD 2009. I’ve come up with a list of 25 features that are new, improved or otherwise changed in AutoCAD 2009. You can choose up to 3 items from the list.