There seems to be a lot of confusion and misinformation out there regarding the operation of AutoCAD's automatic save function. First and foremost, it is not a replacement for the QSAVE command. AutoCAD's automatic save simply writes a copy of the current drawing to disk every so often, and when you shutdown AutoCAD normally, those file(s) are deleted.

Here is more or less a rundown of what occurs:

• As soon as a new drawing is modified (in other words, when DBMOD does not equal 0), a timer starts.
  
• When this timer reaches the value of the SAVETIME system variable, the automatic save function fires, an autosave file is created, and the timer is reset.
  
• The autosave file is created in the directory defined by the SAVEFILEPATH system variable. File naming syntax is described below.
  
• The timer is also reset anytime QSAVE, SAVE, or SAVEAS is executed.
  

Naming of the autosave file
The autosave file is named using this syntax:
drawing name_AutoCAD session number_MDE Window number_random number.sv$
...where

• drawing name = the original drawing name.
  
• AutoCAD session number = a number generated sequentially regarding concurrent sessions of AutoCAD.
  
• MDE Window number = a number generated sequentially regarding concurrent open drawings in each session.
  
• random number = a random number
  
• .sv$ = this is always the file extension for autosave files.
  

A typical autosave file name might be: siteplan_2_4_2810.sv$

Sometimes AutoCAD may 'crash', but the autosave files are deleted anyway. I have seen this after AutoCAD generates a fatal error and you get the dialog that says "AutoCAD can not continue, do you want to save changes?" - in this case, AutoCAD is giving you a chance to save your changes (although I recommend saying NO in this case - but I'll save that story for another day...) Anyway, in the above case, the autosave file(s) will be deleted.

Autosave files can be used by renaming them from .SV$ to .DWG

AutoCAD 2006 users get a new GUI called the "Drawing Recovery Manager" - now you don't have to search for and manually rename files anymore.

One more TIP: If you want to RETAIN all autosave files regardless of whether you crash or not. Set up a directory on your server with WRITE rights, but without DELETE rights. Use this as your SAVEFILEPATH. The autosave files will get written to this directory, but will not be deleted. Be sure to log in as a user with delete rights ever so often and clean out this directory.

Update:Always make sure ISAVEPERCENT is set to zero (0).

Moral of the story: QSAVE OFTEN

Labels: Tips

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PermaLink       Posted 7/29/2005 09:02:00 PM      Comments (11)

Some links regarding the AutoCAD 2006 EULA

AutoCAD 2006 EULA available online.

Buyers beware of the fine print

Autodesk's Reply To An Article on the AutoCAD 2006 EULA

Going Too Far? Autodesk License Terms

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PermaLink       Posted 7/27/2005 09:08:00 PM      Comments (0)

AutoCAD Release History - Graphical Map

Unofficial AutoCAD History Pages

To find the version of a .DWG file, open the file in Notepad or some other ASCII or HEX editor and read the first six bytes, then reference this table.

AC1021 = 2007
AC1018 = 2004, 2005, 2006
AC1015 = 2002, 2000i, 2000
AC1014 = 14
AC1012 = 13
AC1009 = 12, 11
AC1006 = 10
AC1004 = 9
AC1002 = 2


While we are at it, how about a Windows history lesson...
(Green = 16bit , Gray = 16/32 bit , Orange = 32bit , Purple = 64bit)

11-1985 - Windows 1.01
11-1987 - Windows 2.02
04-1988 - Windows 2.10 (286/386)
03-1989 - Windows 2.11 (286/386)
05-1990 - Windows 3.0
04-1992 - Windows 3.1
10-1992 - Windows for Workgroups 3.1
07-1993 - Windows NT 3.1
12-1993 - Windows 3.11
12-1993 - Windows for Workgroups 3.11
09-1994 - Windows NT 3.5
05-1995 - Windows NT 3.51
08-1995 - Windows 95
08-1996 - Windows NT 4.0
06-1998 - Windows 98
06-1999 - Windows 98 SE
02-2000 - Windows 2000
09-2000 - Windows ME
10-2001 - Windows XP
04-2005 - Windows XP x64

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PermaLink       Posted 7/23/2005 09:05:00 AM      Comments (0)

I have ran into this problem a few times now so thought I would write it up...

If you have AutoCAD or a vertical installed along with Raster Design, and your Shift key stops working for things like "Shift+Pick" to remove objects from selection sets, or "Shift+Pick" to make mutiple grips hot, then this might be the solution.

Run the command IOPTIONS
Go to the User Preferences tab
Uncheck the toggle Shift+Left Click Image Select

Labels: Tips

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PermaLink       Posted 7/21/2005 08:02:00 PM      Comments (0)

Here are a few of the new sysvars for 2006 (ok, one of them is not new, but it's worth mentioning again.)

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CENTERMT - Concerns moving a corner grip on center justified MTEXT.

• If set to 0, the MTEXT will move also.
  
• If set to 1, the MTEXT will remain in place (same as r2005 and earlier behavior).
  

DTEXTED - Specify editor for TEXT entities.

• 0 = use the default in-place text editor.
  
• 1 = use legacy edit text dialog box (same as r2005 and earlier behavior).
  

MTEXTED - Specify editor for MTEXT entities. Although not a new sysvar, there is a new option.

• . = use the default in-place text editor.
  
• internal = use the default in-place text editor.
  
• notepad = use Windows Notepad (you can specify any external editor)
  
• oldeditor = use legacy mtext editor (same as r2005 and earlier Mtext editor)
  

OSNAPZ - Specify Z coordinate when using Object Snap.

• 0 = Osnap uses Z coordinate from picked point.
  
• 1 = Osnap substitutes value of sysvar ELEVATION for the Z coordinate.
  

SHOWLAYERUSAGE - When turned on, Layer Manager will show which layers are used in the current drawing.

• 0 = Off
  
• 1 = On (this may cause a decrease in Layer Manager performance)
  

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PermaLink       Posted 7/19/2005 12:15:00 PM      Comments (0)

Sometimes while using AutoCAD, you want to delete a layer, but even
after removing all entities from the layer in question, it will not
purge. Hopefully the following troubleshooting will help.

Causes
There are really only two causes. An entity is referencing the
layer you are trying to delete, or it's a corrupt drawing. Look for
entities in these places:

• Block definitions


• Empty text strings


• Viewports with frozen layers
  
  

Solutions
Depending on the version of AutoCAD and 3rd party applications
that you have:

• If you have Express Tools, use the Layer Merge command to merge entities from the mystery layer onto layer 0 (zero).


• Go to http://www.manusoft.com
  and take a look at SuperPurge. This tool will delete any referenced item using it's hard purge method. This low cost tool is well worth it's price.


• Find the entities that are referencing the layer you wish to
  delete and delete those entities, or move them to another layer.
  
  
  
  • Use BEDIT or REFEDIT to check your block definitions.
    
  • Turn on QTEXTMODE in order to see empty text strings.
    
  • If you have viewports, switch to each and make sure the layer isn't frozen.
    
  
  

If none of these work, you may have a corrupt drawing. Try using WBLOCK to create a new drawing.

Labels: Tips

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PermaLink       Posted 7/05/2005 05:17:00 PM      Comments (1)

Here is something I ran across today, using 2006.

Copy two columns of text from Excel spreadsheet to clipboard.
In Excel, the first column is formatted as 'General' and the second column is formatted as 'Number', set to 2 decimal places.
Edit | Paste Special into AutoCAD - as AutoCAD Entities
Resulting object is a TABLE.

First column in AutoCAD table is fine.
Second column of text is formatted like this:

{\fArial|b0|i0|c0;\H0.463x;5,303.21}

We don't want this text 0.463 times it's HEIGHT value (defined in the TABLE style). The font wasn't a big issue, but why not just let all of the imported text assume the properties of the current TABLE STYLE?

"Remove all property overrides" does not help (and it shouldn't)
"Remove Formatting" is grayed out in the context menu.

The only way to remove the formatting is through PROPERTIES, one at a time.

Wait, there is another way. Export the table from AutoCAD to CSV. Then open that file and repeat the copy/pastespec sequence. Better yet, export the original Excel file to CSV, then import it ONCE.

Based on that, it appears that if you remove the Excel formatting, you get nice clean TABLE objects in AutoCAD with no formatting applied to the text itself.

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PermaLink       Posted 7/01/2005 06:58:00 PM      Comments (3)

When using dates in FIELDS, you probably either want the date to remain static until you manually update it, or update automatically like other fields.

If you use the DATE field name, then the date string will remain static until you manually update it using the UDPATEFIELD command.

If you want a FIELD that includes a date that automatically updates, you can use the following DIESEL string in your field.

$(edtime, 0, MON DD"," YYYY-H:MM:SS am/pm)

Remember that the value of FIELDEVAL determines what events trigger the automatic field updates.

Labels: Fields

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PermaLink       Posted 7/01/2005 12:36:00 PM      Comments (1)