CADDManager.com
Vol. 5 Issue 7 --- July,  2005
Dynamic Blocks

Learning CAD

Dynamic Blocks are the new tool inside AutoCAD 2006.  Do they make a difference to your standards?  Have you started embracing them yet?  Do you have a plan of attack to get your users up to speed? 

These and other issues we will tackle this month.

Mark W. Kiker, Editor
mark.kiker@caddmanager.com


In This Journal

Dynamic Blocks Standards - Part 1 & 2

Dynamic Block Resources

Mid-Year Check Up

June Survey Says!


On the Website

Take our latest Survey - How do you interact with AutoCAD?

On the Blog
Disabling the Dynamic Block Editor - you may not want your users messing with these things

Service Pack for ABS 2006

Does Good CAD really matter?

Does Good CAD Really Matter? - Part 2

Latest CAD News


Quick Tip - AutoCAD 2006

RESETBLOCK

Resets one or more dynamic block references to the default values of the block definition

Shortcut menu: Select a dynamic block reference in a drawing. Right-click in the drawing area. Click Reset Block.

Command line:  resetblock

Select object: Select one or more dynamic block references and press ENTER

Dynamic Block Standards - Part 1

Dynamic Blocks are a welcome and refreshing addition to AutoCAD 2006.  Just when you thought that there was not much more that could be done to AutoCAD to increase productivity and reduce management headaches, along come DBlocks.

Now these time saving tools are great for getting more bang from your block libraries, but there does need to be some contemplation on Standards as they affect the creation and use of DBlocks.

So keep reading if you want to know more...

Dynamic Block Standards - Part 2

File Naming: When you made blocks in the old versions you would create an individual block for each symbol you needed.  Now that you can combine several renditions of the same block and even have the block morph into something totally different, naming gets a little bit tougher.

Some of the old tip still apply...

Dynamic Block Resources

You can find more information on the web related to Dynamic Blocks.  Some come from websites, some from blogs and more importantly some come directly from the Help files.

Web based content on Dynamic Blocks

Time for a mid-year Check Up

In the January 2005 Journal I provided some tips on Re-Focusing your work efforts.  (2005 Refocus)  It is now mid year and I want to refresh our memories and drive some stakes in the ground.  This will serve and a reminder to get some stuff done and get moving.

By way of review here is what I proposed in January...

1.  Read the book - most people don't read the help files or any tech books.  Stay ahead by reading.

2.  Take Notes - Make Notes - jot down ideas, complaints, suggestions and then follow up.

3.  Review the Standard - check to see what needs to be updated.

4.  Get Trained - take time to get up to speed for yourself.

5.  Share the wealth - Whatever you learn - pass it on.

6.  Play More - Try out new tech tools.

Now for the mid year review and a few more tips.

June 2005 - Survey Says

In June we took a look at how you interacted with AutoCAD and how you added content to your files.

Over two thirds of you still seem to love the command line or short key-ins to interact with CAD.  With the advent of AutoCAD 2006 the command line could be removed.  How many of you have removed it?  Doesn't look like to many of you are rushing to get rid of it.

15% use toolbars which were first introduced when? AutoCAD 13.  Well they are coming on strong...  har har

As far as inserting content, such as blocks, it seems like the Insert command is still king.  Most of you have not taken full advantage of Design Center and such.  I wonder how Dynamic Blocks will impact the Insert-ability of things in your office.

So it looks like most of us are either long time users who cannot give up our keyboard entry or the keyboard is still one of the most used input devices on our systems

Take a look at the results...        June Results

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CADD Manager Journal is a publication of the Core Technology Group
Editor: Mark W. Kiker
mark.kiker@ctg-web.com © 2005 by CTG.