You are browsing the archive for tips and tricks.

Vector-workout Guide to Productivity

November 2, 2009 in CAD, Vectorworks


For a long time I have been collecting tips and tricks for Vectorworks. Many of these have made their way into my Short Sharp Training (monthly). But there has not been a single place to find all my tips and tricks before. Finally, here it is, all my productivity tips and tricks in one place.

How would you like to be efficient and productive with Vectorworks? Would you like to have a library of movies that shows you the best way to use Vectorworks? Would you like a library of movies that shows you how to solve problems with Vectorworks?

Here it is, the Vectorworks Guide to Productivity 2009. This is the ultimate productivity guide. This is a collection of all my tips and tricks. I have designed this guide for people that can use Vectorworks to a basic level, but want to be really effective. So, you might find there are really basic topics here, and really advanced topics. I have included several basic topics to ensure you are doing the basics well, and the advanced topics for users that need to know much, much more.

There is so much in this guide. I thought about listing all the movies, but the list was too long. Instead I have created a sample of the Guide to Productivity so you can download it and look at the structure of the guide and see several complete movies. Download the sample here.

For a limited time, you can pre-order this guide for a reduced price of $99US from this web site:
http://www.archoncad.co.nz/training/vector-workout.php#productivity2009
Be quick though, when the guide starts shipping the price will be $135US.

Contents (main headings)
Productivity Techniques
Constraint Palette (Snaps)
Object Info Palette
Resource Browser
Graphics
Layer and Class Standards
Property Line Tool
Drawing Site Plans
Importing and Exporting DXF Files
Site Modelling
Dealing With Walls
Dealing With Roofs
Stairs
Annotation

Vector-workout is a downloadable movie based training resource offering fast and easy access to instructive movies, ideal for sharpening vectorworks skills quickly.

Jonathan Pickup, the author, said "a client told me recently ‘I’m too lazy to read the manuals, just give me the information. Quickly!’ So, I’ve rethought how to deliver Vectorworks training resources as visual tools. Vector-workout is the result – it’s a visual teaching revolution for Vectorworks. As they say, a picture tells a thousand words, and Vector-workout kits do this brilliantly – movies are the perfect alternative to slogging through endless textbooks"

Vector-workout training manual kits use pdf files with embedded self contained movies. When you open the files with Acrobat Reader, you have bookmarks on the left-hand side for quick access to the movies. Acrobat Reader has a built-in search function, so you can type in a word or phrase and have Acrobat search for you.

Vector-workout kits are structured in a logical way, and can be used sequentially. This allows the user to start with basic principles and work though the kit in a structured way, as you would do with a textbook manual. Alternately, they can be used non-sequentially – just use Acrobat Reader to find the specific movie you want and work smarter.

Source: archoncad – Vector-workout Guide to Productivity
Go to Source: archoncad

AutoCAD Civil 3D Surveying Quick Tips and Tricks: Finding the Description Key Sets

September 12, 2009 in AutoCAD, CAD

In today’s AutoCAD Civil 3D Surveying Quick Tips and Tricks I’m going to show you how to find the Description Key Sets. Yesterday this issue came up as a few of you were busily learning to use, or just trying to use, AutoCAD Civil 3D and couldn’t find the old Description Key Sets file.
Unlike in [...]


Source: Eric D. Colburn, Professional Land Surveyor – AutoCAD Civil 3D Surveying Quick Tips and Tricks: Finding the Description Key Sets
Go to Source: Eric D. Colburn, Professional Land Surveyor

AutoCAD Civil 3D Surveying Quick Tips and Tricks: Apply Description Keys

August 21, 2009 in AutoCAD, CAD

In today’s AutoCAD Civil 3D Surveying Quick Tips and Tricks I’m going to show you how to apply Description Key codes to a point. This may be necessary in the following situations.

You created a point in your AutoCAD Civil 3D drawing and inadvertently entered an incorrect description. Now you want to correct the description to [...]


Source: Eric D. Colburn, Professional Land Surveyor – AutoCAD Civil 3D Surveying Quick Tips and Tricks: Apply Description Keys
Go to Source: Eric D. Colburn, Professional Land Surveyor

AutoCAD Civil 3D Surveying Quick Tips and Tricks: Menu Bar

August 6, 2009 in AutoCAD, CAD

AutoCAD Civil 3D Surveying Quick Tips and Tricks: Menu Bar
If you’ve upgraded from previous versions of AutoCAD Civil 3D 2010 one of the first things you’ll notice is the Ribbon interface. The Ribbon interface of process-oriented grouped commands and functions may take some getting used to at first, but once you start using it [...]


Source: Eric D. Colburn, Professional Land Surveyor – AutoCAD Civil 3D Surveying Quick Tips and Tricks: Menu Bar
Go to Source: Eric D. Colburn, Professional Land Surveyor

Get Lynn Allen's Tips and Tricks for AutoCAD 2010!

August 4, 2009 in AutoCAD, CAD

AUGI Exclusive! – AutoCAD 2010 Tips & Tricks Get a sneak preview of AutoCAD 2010 Tips and Tricks written by Autodesk Technical Evangelist, Lynn Allen.
Click on the title to go there!


Bob

Source: The AutoCAD Gazette – Get Lynn Allen’s Tips and Tricks for AutoCAD 2010!
Go to Source: The AutoCAD Gazette

AutoCAD Civil 3D Surveying Quick Tips and Tricks: Image Edit and Frames

July 29, 2009 in AutoCAD, CAD

More AutoCAD Civil 3D Surveying Help!
I get more questions about AutoCAD Civil 3D than I do on any other subject. The complexity of the program coupled with the myriad of settings required to make it a useful piece of surveying and design software results in it being very tricky to set up and use.
I’ve begun [...]


Source: Eric D. Colburn, Professional Land Surveyor – AutoCAD Civil 3D Surveying Quick Tips and Tricks: Image Edit and Frames
Go to Source: Eric D. Colburn, Professional Land Surveyor

The AutoCAD Exchange

July 22, 2009 in AutoCAD, CAD

Autodesk Ask the ExpertToday I thought I would post a plug for the AutoCAD Exchange. For those of you who haven’t discovered Mecca for AutoCAD users yet…be sure to check it out.  Fellow blogger Donnie Gladfelter is the Expert this week so be sure to send him all of your really tough questions!  :-)  Donnie starts a brand new job this week [...]

Source: All About CAD – The AutoCAD Exchange
Go to Source: All About CAD

An AutoCAD Hip Tip on OVERKILL

July 18, 2009 in AutoCAD, CAD

Xxblog2Another one of my Cadalyst Tips and Tricks Tuesday videos is out – this one is focused on one of my favorite Express Tools called OVERKILL.  If you are plagued with duplicate or overlapping objects in your drawing files then you should really check out this video!

You’ll find that you have control over many different …

Source: All About CAD – An AutoCAD Hip Tip on OVERKILL
Go to Source: All About CAD