Moving your Internet Explorer favorites

I am no fan of IE. I much prefer Firefox, Chrome and Opera. Version 8 of IE was OK for most stuff and I have to use for certain tasks at some customers offices.

Today, after a reboot of my machine, my favorites were "lost". After some searching, I found them in a new C:\My Documents\Favorites folder. So, after this discovery, I moved them into their new position and done.

If you are running Windows 7 or 8 and want to set up a new location for your favorites, follow this link for the simple solution:

http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/ie/forum/ie8-windows_other/cannot-add-favorites-to-ie8/2fbc92b1-941b-4e28-b42d-abac27a53f98

If you are running a computer with a SSD drive, I highly recommend moving your documents and swap to a spinning secondary drive to avoid needless wear and tear on the SSD. I will be doing this on my home machine by the end of the month when I upgrade to Windows 8.1.

If It Ain't Broke...Don't Fix It!

Today, I have to update a AutoCAD block counting program of mine. As part of the update, I am moving the C# code to Visual Studio 2010. Sadly, I occasionally print code as a reference and for some reason, it always prints in black.

A quick Google search revealed that VS 2010 does NOT print in color by default. You need to install an extension to print in color.

The question is WHY!?!

Anyway, here is the link to downloading the extension: http://www.codequake.com/post/How-to-print-in-color-with-Visual-Studio-2010-Lets-install-Color-Printing-extension.aspx



Aujourd'hui, je dois mettre à jour un petit program qui compte des blocs dans un dessin AutoCAD. avant de mettre à jour le code C#, je vais migrer le projet vers Visual Studio 2010. Malheureusement, de temps en temps j'imprime du code comme référence et pour une raison quelconque, le code s'imprime toujours en noir.

Google me dit que VS 2010 imprime toujours en noir. Pour imprimer ne couleur, il faut installer un extension.

Je me pose la question suivante: POURQUOI!?!

Voici le lien pour comment installer l'extension: http://www.codequake.com/post/How-to-print-in-color-with-Visual-Studio-2010-Lets-install-Color-Printing-extension.aspx

Windows 8 et les lecteurs réseau perdus

J'ai récemment aidé un client qui perdait ses lecteurs réseau sur un nouveau poste Windows 8 avec AutoCAD 2013. Donc, de façon aléatoire, il ne pouvait plus utiliser ses fichier SHX, LIN, etc.

Avec les ordinateurs que j'avais sous ma disposition chez moi, j'ai pu monter un réseau d'essai pour valider le problème. Voici ce que j'avais:

• Poste client: Windows 8 x64 avecAutoCAD 2013 SP1.1 x64
• Lecteur réseau 1: Windows 7 SP1 x64 (portable)
• Lecteur réseau 2: Windows 7 SP1 x64 (poste de travail)
• Lecteur réseau 3: Lubuntu Linux x86 avecSamba  (poste de travail)

Je n'avais pas de Windows Server 2008 R2 pour faire des essais mais avec les ressources disponibles (Windows et Linux), je n'ai pas reproduit le problème.

Si vous avez vu une situation semblable, n'hésitez pas de me contacter.

Lost Network Drives in Windows 8

I recently had a client with a strange issue. On a newly installed Windows 8 computer with AutoCAD 2013, he would lose various network drives where his support files were located (SHX, LIN files) after most bootups.

After setting up a sample network at home, I was not able to reproduce the problem. Here is my setup:

• Client Computer: Windows 8 x64 with AutoCAD 2013 SP1.1 x64
• Network Location 1: Windows 7 SP1 x64 (laptop)
• Network Location 2: Windows 7 SP1 x64 (desktop)
• Network Location 3: Lubuntu Linux x86 with Samba  (desktop)

I did not have a Windows Server 2008 R2 at home to use but with several computers and two different platforms (Windows and Linux), I was not able to reproduce the problem.

If anyone has seen this type of behavior, please let me know.

P.S. Good to be back.

Installing AutoCAD 2013 / Installer AutoCAD 2013

Last week, I assisted a customer to install the Revit Architecture 2013 Suite. There were some problems while creating network and standalone deployments. The errors related to files that could not be copied to the server. As a test, I installed AutoCAD 2013 on my laptop and had not problems with a standalone deployment. Finally, things started to go right and everything was installed.

With some trial and error, we discovered that an old AutoCAD problem has resurfaced. Revit Architecture 2013 does NOT like having an active antivirus program running during the installation. My laptop has Microsoft Security Essentials but my customer uses AVG and AVAST. I have seen this problem with Norton and McAffee as well in the past.

So, please be careful when installing your products.

La semaine dernière, j'ai aidé un client à installer le Revit Architecture 2013 Suite. Il y a eu problèmes pendant la création des déploiements réseau et autonome. Les errors étaient reliés à des fichiers qui ne pouvaient pas être copiés sur le serveur. Pour valider le problème, j'ai installé AutoCAD 2013 sur mon portable à partir d'un déploiement autonome sans problèmes. Finalement, nous avons réussi à tout installer correctement.

Avec un peu d'essais et erreurs, nous avons trouvés qu'un vieux problème d'AutoCAD est réapparue. Revit architecture 2013 n'aime PAS avoir un antivirus active sur le poste pendant l'installation du logiciel. Mon portable possède Microsoft Security Essentials mais mon client utilise AVG et AVAST. J'ai déja vu ce problème avec Norton et McAffee aussi dans le passé.

Donc, faites attention lors de l'installation de vos produits.

Upgrading Firefox 12 to 13

I accidentally upgraded my Firefox today. All seems OK including my RealPlayer plugin that I have mentioned multiple times on this blog. Maybe Mozilla and Real Networks are starting to get the picture.

I still hate the 6-week dev cycle. I would lean towards a 12 -week cycle with background updates.

Ubuntu 12.04 First Look

In a virtual machine, I installed Ubuntu 12.04 this morning. The installation took 5 minutes and the result looks pretty good. I will install it physically on my test computer at home to see if all the good reviews about the Unity HUD are correct. So far, I think it might be a winner.

Firefox 12

Today, my Firefox 11 was upgraded to version 12. I held my breath waiting to see if the usual problem of having my RealPlayer Addon be deactivated. Well, it did not this time. Going from FF 9 to FF 10 was good, but I had the problem going to FF 11. I think the version of the Addon makes a difference. So if you have not upgraded to FF 12, please upgrade to RealPlayer 15.0.2 beforehand.

If you have been having problems as well, mention it to Real Networks when uninstalling RealPlayer (a comments form will appear at the end of the uninstallation).

It's Ubuntu Day!

A whole month after AutoCAD Day, today we celebrate Ubuntu Day with the release of Ubuntu 12.04. I recently had to fix several Windows computers that were going haywire. Download Ubuntu or any other LIVE version Linux, burn it to CD/DVD/USB and boot your Windows system from the disc to get access to your saved files and stuff. No malware. No viruses. No need to spend a dime. Great fun for all!

Un mois après le Jour d'AutoCAD, aujourd'hui nous célébrons le Jour d'Ubuntu avec le lancement de la version 12.04 d'Ubuntu. J'ai récemment reparé plusieurs postes Windows qui ne fonctionnaient plus. Téléchargez Ubuntu ou autre version LIVE de Linux, gravez le sur CD/DVD/USB et démarrez votre poste Windows sur le media pour accédez à vos fichiers. Plus de virus. Plus de logiciels malveillants. Pas de coûts. Amusant, n'est-ce pas!

VBA Modules for AutoCAD 2010+ / Module VBA pour AutoCAD 2010 et +

This week, I have to convert some AutoCAD VBA code to .NET. I needed to test something and noticed that my AutoCAD Map 3D 2010 does not have the VBA module installed. Never got around to doing before I guess... 

Anyway, here is the link to find your version of VBA for the 2010-2013 products.

Cette semaine, je dois convertir du code VBA d'AutoCAD vers du .NET. J'ai besoin de valider quelque chose et je me suis aperçu que mon Map 3D 2010 n'a pas le module VBA d'installé. J'imagine que je n'ai jamais eu besoin de le faire dans le passé...

De toute façon, voici le lien pour télécharger votre module VBA pour les produits 2010-2013.

It's AutoCAD Day!

I logged into my subscription account this morning and saw that the 2013 products have started to roll in. HOODY HOO!!!

I will wait a few weeks before installing anything but it's still cool!

Line numbers in Visual Studio project - Part 2

Well, after working with Visual Studio 2008 on a few projects, I have realized that I did not have the line numbers showing up on the left side of the editor. To make them appear, go to Tools > Options > Text Editor > All Languages and make sure that the Line Numbers option is checked.

System requirements for 2013 products

I heard from a colleague today that the 2013 version of the Revit family of products will require SERIOUS computer power. If this is the case (we should find out in April), then AutoCAD-based products might require stronger, faster, bigger computers to run as well. I noticed a huge drop in performance on my laptop between AutoCAD 2011 and 2012. My desktop systems run AutoCAD 2012 and AutoCAD Map 3D 2012 fairly well even if they are 2 and 4 years old respectively.

Are Autodesk, Microsoft and other companies' product offerings getting too big and too demanding for the ROI (Return On Investment)? I am not in a production environment but if new hardware is needed to run these various packages, then budgeting for these needs will be very important during the migration period.

With the fall 2012 arrival of Windows 8, I suspect many companies will wait until the year 2013 and migrate to Windows 8 and Autodesk 2014 products and skip the 2013 products altogether.

Line numbers in Visual Studio project

Hello again,

Well, it's a new year and it's back to work time. Today's post is a small one. I needed to know the current line number in a C# AutoCAD Plug-In project. In Visual Studio, to activate the status bar, go to Tools -> Options -> Environment -> General and check the Show Status Bar option (as shown):


Now the line and column position of the cursor is shown. Pretty handy when looking for errors and warnings!

Uninstalling FLEXnet Manager

I have been working with Flexera's FLEXnet Manager for a while now. It is the workable version of SAM-Report Lite that you can install to analyze your network license usage. Installing is quite the chore but not impossible if you have an experienced IT department. Uninstalling it is not so easy of you have a 64-bit server.

On a 64-bit server (ex. Windows Server 2008), there is no official uninstall tool so it has to be done manually if you intend on keeping the server. Here's what I did to remove it from our lab server (the production version is staying for obvious reasons...).

1- Stop all related services from the management console.
2- Backup all related folders.
3- Open a command prompt with administrative privileges (Windows Server 2008 only).
4- Navigate to the folder that contains the FLEXNET.BAT file for the Admin, Reporting or Agent module.
5- Type the following command: flexnet service uninstall
6- Repeat step 5 for each module.
7- Use an uninstaller such as RevoUninstaller to uninstall each program module (a WIN64 error will appear for Admin and Reporting. Just skip it).

There you go. Worked for me. A little bit of a pain but not impossible. Good luck!

LISP programming primer

I received a request from a client asking me to look at a LISP program he wrote that did not work correctly. I said yes and received the following code:

(COMMAND "osnap" "End,Mid,Cen,Node,Quad,Int,Ins,Perp")

LISP and all programming languages require a certain syntax when writing code for it to work. The above code did not conform to the needed syntax. Here is the corrected version:

(defun C:MYOS (/)
(setvar "OSMODE" 255)
; CODE FOR END, MID, CEN, NOD, QUAD,
; INT, INS, PERP OSNAPS
)

The first rule of LISP, everything HAS to be in parentheses. The second rule is that each set of parentheses gets evaluated individually. The third rule is that all LISP functions must be defined with a DEFUN command.

The C:MYOS defines a function that can be launched from the command line by typing MYOS and then ENTER. The (/) indicates that no arguments or local variables are being used. The SETVAR command is used to modify AutoCAD variables like OSMODE which is responsible for the active OSNAPS in your AutoCAD session. Each combination of OSNAPS will have a unique code. The AutoCAD documentation explains this variable very clearly. The text following the semicolon is a LISP comment which is ignored by AutoCAD when running the function.

An alternative to this simple little function is to script the operation is a file like MYOS.SCR. In Notepad, type the following text with NO spaces at the end of each line and press ENTER at the end of each line as well.



Scripting is handy for some operations but can be tricky at times. The underscore + dash before the OSNAP command are used to internationalize the script (any non-english AutoCAD will recognize it) and to deactivate the dialog box so that the answers are sent as plain text.

In both scenarios, write your code in Notepad and then drag and drop the file into your AutoCAD session to load it. The LISP function must be launched on the command line but the script will run automatically if no command is already active.

Hours and hours of fun are possible when you start dipping into automation. Not for the faint of heart!!!

Happy coding!

AutoCAD 2011 Updates

With my preparations for my next AutoCAD class, I realized that my copy of AutoCAD 2011 was not updated. Currently, Update 2 is the most recent patch. To install it, you must install Update 1.1 as a prerequisite. A nice change from previous versions, you do NOT need your installation media to install the patches. Go to http://support.autodesk.com to download them.


Avec mes préparations pour mon prochain cours d'AutoCAD, j'ai découvert que ma copie d'AutoCAD 2011 n'était pas à jour. Update 2 est le correctif le plus récent. Pour l'installer, il y a un prérequis que l'Update 1.1 soit installé au préalable sur votre poste. Il est bien de noter que vous n'avez PAS besoin de votre média d'installation pour appliquer les 2 correctifs. Visitez le http://support.autodesk.com pour les obtenir.

Projects update

Well, it was a busy month of May. My compost bin was fixed by the city. The clover I planted in the backyard is growing nicely. I planted my vegetables and herbs for the summer and I have been giving some AutoCAD courses to a few clients.

Preparing for the courses has soaked up a lot of my free time. My favorite features from the last 3 versions are:

1. Parameters
2. Arrays
3. Splines and Polyline grips
   

I have not tried the 3D improvements yet since my customers are only using the 2D tools. I will try them out this summer for sure.

Project 5: Replacing my compost bin - Follow-up

Well, I did get a response from the city about the bin. They will send someone to repair it. Hopefully, it will be done soon. TBC.

Project 2: AutoCAD 2012 Review

Tonight, I am digging into what has changed in AutoCAD, notably since the 2009 version since that is the version I use on a daily basis. Two things of note:

 

The default support path is as follows on a Windows Vista or Windows 7 computer:

C:\Users\\appdata\roaming\autodesk\autocad 2012 - english\r18.2\enu\support

A nice improvement is the ability to add multiple support paths for printer files. Many users have CTB files in different locations and instead of adding shortcuts in each folder, a new search path can be added. This should also help when using ETransmit.

Project 2: AutoCAD 2012 First Look

I will be giving an AutoCAD 2012 class next week so I finally registered my copy of AutoCAD 2012 and here is a pic of the workspace. I will be blogging this week to share my thoughts on the changes.

Project 5: Replacing my compost bin

This city of Pointe-Claire (QC) instituted a green recycling program a few years ago. A green bin is picked up every week with all your garden trimmings, pizza boxes, kitchen scraps (no meat) and composted. A great way to reduce green waste from landfills. My bin cover was damaged by the collection machine and a small hole was added. Since then, animals have been chewing away at the hole making it bigger so that they can feed on the contents. Last year, I found 2 dead squirrels in the bin (1 died from heat exhaustion during a heatwave and the other drowned when the bin filled up during a heavy rain storm.

I contacted the city twice to replace the bin. My first attempt was for naught. Let's see if the second attempt bears fruit.

Lesson: if at first you don't succeed, try try again.

I will post a picture of the bin this week. 

Project 3: 41st Canadian Federal Election

Well, our 41st election came and went. Voting in the evening went very well. A small lineup that took about 30 minutes. The NDP crushed all opposition in Quebec and the Conservatives got a majority.

It will certainly be an interesting 4 years in Ottawa! Click here for the results.

Project 2: Install and test AutoCAD 2012

My second project is to install and test the new functionality of AutoCAD 2012.

I downloaded the 64-bit version and did a full install on my laptop. I now have AutoCAD 2012, Design Review 2012 and Inventor Fusion 2012 (a patch was available for download during the installation). Everything went well and went fairly fast when installed from a USB hard disk (less than 15 minutes).

I will post some screenshots tonight after I go vote tonight in the Canadian Federal Election (Project 3). The converage should be a hoot to watch this year.

Project 1: Fixing my backyard lawn

I have owned my house for 5 years and have complained about the crappy lawn in the backyard. Well, I finally did something about it. I used our family's 3HP rototiller to tear up half the lawn, added sand and compost and seeded the ground with clover yesterday afternoon.

Why add sand and compost?  Since the soil is very compact and has lots of clay in it, adding sand and compost will loosen the soil to help promote better root growth.

Why plant clover? Clover is a green fertilizer meaning that it will lock nitrogen into the soil, which is essential for root development. In August, I will till the whole yard under and possibly plant some grass at that point or a second batch of clover and seed a new lawn next year. Clover is also very good to get rid of grubs (which eat grass roots for lunch).

I will post a few pictures of the lawn as it develops. The germination time for the clover is 3-10 days depending on the amount of water the seeds get.

May is Project Month

I am starting a new initiative this month. I want to complete many little projects that have been lying around for a while. I will blog about technical issues on this blog and about fun, cool stuff on my other one. Stay tuned to either one for daily updates.

Fun blog: Fortress of Fun
Technical blog: ConsultSKC

Updating your FLEXlm installation / Mise à jour de votre FLEXlm

Hello all,

With the arrival of the latest AutoCAD comes a new version of FLEXlm. The new 11.9 version replaces the 11.7 version that came with the 2011 products. You can upgrade your server with either of these methods:

Method 1

1- Stop all FLEXlm-based services on your licensing server.
2- Uninstall the current version.
3- Install the new version from the DVD or downloaded media. (You will have to use the appropriate x86 or x64 version for your server).
4- Start your FLEXlm-based  services

Method 2

1- Install the new version from the DVD or downloaded media on a dummy computer. (You will have to use the appropriate x86 or x64 version for your dummy machine).
2- Copy the following files to a shared folder on your server:
        a) C:\Program Files\Autodesk Network License Manager\adskflex.exe
        b) C:\Program Files\Autodesk Network License Manager\lmgrd.exe
        c) C:\Program Files\Autodesk Network License Manager\lmtools.exe
        d) C:\Program Files\Autodesk Network License Manager\lmutil.exe
3- Go to your licensing server and stop all FLEXlm-based services.
4- Make a copy of your Autodesk Network Licensing Manager folder.
5- Copy the new versions of the 4 files over the existing ones.
6- Start the FLEXlm-based services.

Since I had to update 4 different servers, the second method worked best for me. If you have only 1, then method 1 will go fastest. In all cases, you can do this in the middle of the day since the actual updating takes less than 60 seconds. Your users will never notice the difference.

Good luck!

Bonjour à tous,

La procédure ci-haut explique les 2 méthodes à suivre pour mettre à jour vos gestionnaires de licences pour les produits Autodesk. La version actuelle de FLEXlm 11.7 est remplacée par la version 11.9. Si vous des questions sur la procédure en anglais, laissez un commentaire et je vais ajouter de l'info en français pour vous aider.

Bonne chance!

2012 Products Available - Produits 2012 Disponibles

As of the 23rd of March, the following products are available for download for subscription customers:

• AutoCAD 2012 Multilingual
• AutoCAD LT 2012 Multilingual
• AutoCAD Architecture 2012 English
• AutoCAD MEP 2012 English

More should be available in the next few weeks including additional languages.


Depuis le 23 mars, les produits suivants sont disponibles pour les clients avec un contrat de souscription:

• AutoCAD 2012 Multilingual
• AutoCAD LT 2012 Multilingual
  
• AutoCAD Architecture 2012 English
  
• AutoCAD MEP 2012 English

D'autres versions seront disponibles dans les semaines à venir incluant des langues supplémentaires.

Portable Applications - Part 3

Here is another portable app that I am enamored with: GreenShot. For years, I used Gadwin PrintScreen as a screen capture tool. Version 4.3 was great but the 4.4 was buggy and did not work on Vista (for me that is). I then moved on to FastStone Capture with I discussed last year in a post. Thanks to my friend Marc, I have found GreenShot and it is perfect. It is portable or installable, works better than the others combined and it's FREE!!! Check it out here.


Voici un autre logiciel portable que j'adore: GreenShot. Depuis longtemps, j'ai utilisé Gadwin PrintScreen pour faire des captures d'écran. La version 4.3 était fantastique mais la 4.4 un peu moins (bogues et compatibilité). J'ai passé à FastStone Capture l'année dernière (discuté dans mon blogue). Merci à mon ami Marc pour m'avoir dirigé vers Greenshot et ce logiciel est parfait. Il est portable ou installable, fonctionne mieux que les autres ensembles et il est GRATUIT!!! Téléchargez-le ici.

AutoCAD API error when adding text to a drawing Part 2

Well, the answer to yesterday's question was Test2. In order to avoid the layout locking problem (which I don't know why I had it in the first place), AutoCAD must load the form in memory. The downside to this is that I can no longer set my form to appear in the center of the AutoCAD session. I have to find a more elegant way that to move the form into position manually.

On to bigger problems for now...

AutoCAD API error when adding text to a drawing

I have been working on a C# program that will ask the user for an insertion point and an angle before adding a simple DTEXT object to the drawing. I have encountered a problem that I have never seen before.

After the text was added to the drawing, in ModelSpace or PaperSpace, I could no longer change the active layout. The workaround was to do a REGEN and all returned to normal. I have spoken to Autodesk about this and it might be an issue with French versions of AutoCAD (I tested with 2008, 2009 and 2010 French).

To avoid the problem, the way I called my dialog box had to be changed. A command-line version of my program does not have the problem at all so it was probably related to the dialog box anyway. Here are the 3 different ways I can call my form:

Can you guess which one does work properly? I will post the answer tomorrow and will try it out on my English versions of AutoCAD for good measure as well.

AutoCAD performance problems on Windows 7 / Problèmes de performance avec AutoCAD sur Windows 7

A customer contacted me about a performance problem on 64-bit versions of AutoCAD running on Windows 7. The problems were related to dimensions and layers when the Properties or Layer Properties Manager was permanently docked. I spoke to Autodesk about this and here is their official recommendation:

Turn off Windows Aero themes and use the Windows 7 Basic theme instead.

It would seem that the Aero theme causes AutoCAD to refresh palette data too much for comfort.

Here is a screenshot of the theme to choose.

Un client m'a contacté concernant un problème de performance avec AutoCAD sur Windows 7 64-bit. Les problèmes étaient reliés aux dimensions et aux calques lorsque les palettes des Propriétés et le Gestionnaire des Propriétés des Calques étaient accrochées et toujours ouverts. J'ai parlé à Autodesk et voici leur recommandation officielle:

N'utilisez pas les thèmes Aero de Windows 7. Utilisez le thème Windows 7 Basic.

Il semblerait que la technologie Aero cause un rafraichissement des données dans AutoCAD beaucoup plus élevé causant des délais et des problèmes de performance.

Ci-dessus, il y a une image avec le choix du thème Basic.

Reset Network Passwords in Windows

I had a small problem today. I put the wrong password in for a network drive and could no longer log in. Use the following procedure to modify or save all cached passwords:

1. Open Command Prompt.
2. Type the command: rundll32.exe keymgr.dll, KRShowKeyMgr

Python Wrestling Part 2

I haven't blogged in a while, but my little Python program is coming along. Given that it is a part-time project, it is going slower than I would have liked.

I recently had to write some VBScript for a project and wondered if doing it in Python would have been easier, faster, more fun. I need to look into this...

Wrestling Python for a week

I have spent some of my free time wrestling with Python in the last 7 days. By Python, I mean the programming language and not the reptile...I am NOT Steve Irwin. :-)

I have been reading about Python for a few years and finally got the chance to sit down and work on a program. It is going very well. Python is a multi-platform language available from www.python.org. The .NET variant, IronPython, can be used to automate AutoCAD. There is also a Java version, Jython.

There are some code editors that work very well with Python. I have opted for Notepad++ which is a Notepad replacement for Windows and Gedit for Linux. Both text editors have color coding support for Python and I test from a command line (Terminal) window.

Once my project is moving along, I will post about it.

Minimum requirements for Revit 2011 / Paramètres minimales pour Revit 2011

I needed to install Revit Architecture 2011 on a client station this morning. They are still standardized on Internet Explorer 6 and Revit will refuse to be installed unless IE 7 or better is already on the system. We had to get a special dispensation to continue forward. I support Autodesk's decision to force a higher version since IE6 is so AWFUL!!!

Je devais installer Revit Architecture 2011 sur un poste client ce matin. Le client est normalisé sur Internet Explorer 6 et Revit refuse de s'installer si Ie7 ou miuex n'est pas présent sur le système. Il a fallu obtenir une dérogation pour faire l'installation. Je supporte la décision d'Autodesk de forcer une version plus récente puisque IE6 est absolument ATROCE!!!

Working with Remote Desktop / Travailler avec Bureau à Distance

I often work with remote computers when administering network deployments. A problem that occurs in these scenarios is that when you need to do a CTRL+ALT+DEL, it is trapped by your host computer. In these cases, use the CTRL+ALT+END combination. Works like a charm!

Je travail souvent avec des ordinateurs à distance lorsque je dois faire l'adminstration de déploiements réseaux. Un problème qui survient souvent est que lorsque les touches CTRL+ALT+SUPP sont utilisées, c'est l'ordinateur physique qui recoit le signale. Dans ces cas, utilisez la combinaison CTRL+ALT+FIN. C'est merveilleux!

Portable Applications - Part 2

Another good portable app that I have been using is FastStone Screen Capture. This is a GREAT screen capture tool that is portable. Give it a try by downloading it here.

Au autre excellent logiciel portatif que j'utilise est FastStone Screen Capture. Ceci est un EXCELLENT outil pour faire des captures d'écran. Essayez-le ici.

Portable Applications - Part 1

I recently gave myself the challenge of working with portable applications instead of installed ones to see if they are better, smaller, more capable, etc. I started with the portable version of FireFox. So far, I really like this version. It is as stable and as fast as the regular installed version. Plug-ins also work well and to back up my data, I simply copy the root folder.

Download it here.

Je me suis récemment donné le défi de travailler avec des applications portatives au lieu des versions installées pour voir s'ils étaient meilleurs, plus petits, plus performant, etc. J'ai commencé avec la version portative de FireFox. Depuis, j'ai appris à aimer cette version. Il est aussi stable et rapide que la version traditionnelle. Les plug-ins fonctionnent bien et pour faire un back up de mes données, je dois simplement copier le dossier maitre.

Téléchargez-le ici.

Installing AutoCAD 2011 / Installer AutoCAD 2011

I installed both AutoCAD 2011 and AutoCAD LT 2011 last week on my laptop. The installations were done from the downloaded packages. Other than the EXTREME slowness of the file extraction, the installations went well. AutoCAD took close to an hour to extract and install and LT was about 40 minutes. I look forward to checking out the new features.

J'ai installé AutoCAD 2011 et AutoCAD LT 2011 la semaine dernière sur mon portable. Les installations ont été faient à partir des versions téléchargées. Autre que la lenteur EXTREME de l'extraction des fichiers, les installations ont bien été. AutoCAD à pris près d'une heure pour extraire et installer et LT à pris 40 minutes. J'ai hâte d'essayer les nouveautés.

Autodesk 2011 Software Available for Download / Logiciels disponibles pour téléchargement

I have been checking my subscription account this week and saw my 2011 products available for download. AutoCAD 2011, AutoCAD LT 2011, AutoCAD Mechanical 2011, AutoCAD MEP 2011 and AutoCAD Architecture 2011 were present this morning. More products to be added soon for sure. I was not emailed any serial number info this year so I had to go to Coverage Report in the Subscription Center to find them (you have to be an account manager or software coordinator to have permission to view this).


J'ai vérifié à plusieurs reprises mon compte de souscription et j'ai vu mes produits 2011ce matin incluant: AutoCAD 2011, AutoCAD LT 2011, AutoCAD Mechanical 2011, AutoCAD MEP 2011 et AutoCAD Architecture 2011. D'autres produits seront disponibles sous peu. Je n'ai pas reçu de courriel avec des numéros de séries cette année, donc il fallait regarder le Coverage Report sur le site de Souscription pour trouver les codes (vous devez être le gestionnaire du compte our le coordonateur des logiciels pour avoir accès à ce document).

Locating Your Autodesk Licenses / Trouver vos licences Autodesk

I spoke to a client yesterday who had lost his AutoCAD 2006 license during a transfer operation. To reset your AutoCAD in these cases, go to the following folders if you are using Windows XP (first image) or Vista / 7 (second image). Once you find the folder, erase the .DAT file that corresponds to your Autodesk product. Upon the next product launch, you can reauthorize your product.

 

J'ai parlé à un client hier qui a perdu sa licence d'AutoCAD 2006 lors d'un transfert de licence. Pour faire un reset votre AutoCAD dans ce cas, aller dans le dossier suivant pour Windows XP (première image) ou pour Vista / 7 (deuxième image). Lorsque vous avez trouvé le dossier, il faut effacer le fichier .DAT associé à votre produit Autodesk. Lors du prochain démarrage, vous pouvez réautoriser votre produit.

Goodbye Windows Vista...

For the last few months, the Windows Vista Business on my laptop has been dying a slow death. I have been getting file system errors at boot and only a CHKDSK seems to repair them. As first, I thought it was some random files but it has moved on to folders as well on both partitions. What will I do to remedy this?

I have decided to replace Windows Vista not with Windows 7 but with Linux! I am SICK & TIRED of: the hard disk clicking away for no reason, the endless patches, long boots or shutdowns and incompatible software and drivers. I have been testing Ubuntu 9.10 x64 and OpenSUSE 11.2 x64 as my candidates for the main OS. Since I have to run AutoCAD, I will create virtual Windows XP and Windows 7 computers and run AutoCAD on them. I don't do production work with AutoCAD since I am more of a developer now. So I will trade performance for robustness. I will also be going from a 32bit to a 64bit OS allowing me to use my full 4GB of RAM.

So far, I am leaning towards Ubuntu instead of OpenSUSE. In a virtual test, I have been able to do most of my day-to-day stuff without a hitch. Stay tuned for more developments.

FLEXlm problems on Windows Server 2008

I reported back in October (click here to read the post) than a client of mine had some problems with blocked ports on Windows Server 2008 that prevented FLEXlm from handing out licenses to users. It happened again with another client last week. I suspect that the default settings in Windows Server 2008 are to blame. Please go to my previous post to get the list of ports to open up.


J'ai écris au mois d'octobre (cliquez ici pour lire le post) qu'un de mes clients avaient des problèmes avec de sports bloqués sur Windows Server 2008 qui causait un problème à FLEXlm pour la distribution de licences. Le problème est arrivé encore une fois chez un autre client. Je soupçonne que les paramètres par défaut de Windows Server 2008 sont la cause. Veuillez voir mon post précédent pour la liste de sports à ouvrir.

Deplyment issues with Revit Suites / Problèmes de déploiement avec les suites de Revit

During the holidays, my colleague was at a client's office where they have both the Revit Architectural Suite and the Revit Visualization Suite. They were having problems where the 3ds max users were not able to obtain a license. This problem is a management issue and not a technical issue.

The Revit that is installed from the Revit Arch Suite cannot obtain a license from the Revit Viz Suite and vice-versa. The product codes are different. The only software package that allows this is AutoCAD. Multiple deployments are necessary to avoid any of these problems if multiple suites are in use. Here are 3 tips for anyone considering a suite:

1. If a user will only use 1 product from the suite, purchase a dedicated license. 
2. If a user will use several products included in a suite, get the suite.
3. Plan your software deployments before making your purchase.

Pendant les fêtes, mon collègue était chez un client qui possède le Revit Architecture Suite et le Revit Visualization Suite. Le client avait des problèmes où les utilisateurs de 3ds max ne pouvaient pas obtenir de licences. Ce problème était relié à la gestion des licences et non à un problème technique.

Le Revit provenant du Revit Arch Suite ne peut pas obtenir une licence du Revit Viz Suite et vice-versa. Les codes de produits sont différents. Le seul produit d'Autodesk qui permet ceci est AutoCAD. Il faut créer plusieurs déploiements de logiciel pour éviter d'avoir des problèmes de licences lorsque plusieurs suites sont en utilisation. Voici 3 conseils pour n'importe qui considérant obtenir une suite de Revit:

1. Si vous avez des utilisateurs qui vont travailler avec un seul produit, achetez des licences dédiées pour ces utilisateurs.
2. Si vous avez des utilisateurs qui peuvent utiliser plusieurs produits dans une suite, achetez un suite.
3. Faites une planification de déploiement avant de faire votre achat.
   

Cadalyst Magazine

I have been a fan of Cadalyst Magazine for many years and enjoyed the practicality of the digital edition when it was released in 2004. I noticed yesterday that it has not been published since early 2009 and that the magazine will revert to a Print-On-Demand service. I think this is ridiculous from an environmental and financial point of view. I will stick to reading columns on their website and receiving newsletters by email...


Je suis un fan de la revue Cadalyst depuis bien longtemps et j'ai grandement apprécié la version numérique depuis son arrivée en 2004. Je me suis aperçu hier que cette version n'a pas été publiée depuis le début de 2009 et le revue va devenir un service d'impression sur demande. Je crois que c'est ridicule d'un point de vue environnementale et économique. Je vais continuer de lire les articles sur le site web et de recevoir les newsletters dans ma boite de courriel...

Back to Work

Hello everyone,

After a long Xmas holiday, today is back to work day. I am sorry for not posting anything for the last 2 months, but with my father passing away and my wife contracting H1N1, it's been a tough 2 months.

I encountered a licensing problem with a client's Revit Suites recently and will post this week about it.

All the best to everyone in 2010!

===================================================

Bonjour tout le monde,

Après les vacances de Noel, aujourd'hui est le retour au boulot. Je dois m'excuser pour mon absence de 2 mois, mais avec le décès de mon père et mon épouse qui a eue le H1N1, les 2 derniers mois ont été difficiles.

J'ai rencontré un problème avec les licences de Revit Suite d'un client récemment et je vais afficher de quoi sur cela cette semaine.

Santé et prospérité pour tous en 2010!

USB version 3

I just finished reading this interesting article about the new USB 3 standard including a performance benchmark. I am impressed by what USB 3 will provide us when storing and transferring files. You can check out the article by clicking here.

Recently, I have been working with AutoCAD files with HUGE raster images attached and have hit performance problems. I wonder if this might be a solution to go with moving to 64-bit?


Je viens de finir la lecture d'un article intéressant sur le nouveau standard USB 3. L'article inclut aussi un benchmark et je suis très impressionné par ce que USB 3 va nous donner pour le storage et les transferts de fichiers. Vous pouvez lire l'article en cliquant ici.

Récemment, j'ai travaillé avec des fichiers AutoCAD contenant des images raster MASSIFS et il y a des problèmes de performance. Je me demande si cette solution et passer au 64-bit aidera?

Printer Support Paths / Chemins de recherche pour traçage

I received a call from a client this morning about a station in his office that did not have access to custom paper sizes when plotting. After asking a few questions about their set up, I felt that the PMP file path was not centralized as were the CTB and PC3 files that are used by all users. I recommended to my client to check the paths and to centralize the PMP files as well. Here is a screenshot of where to change the plot related paths ( TOOLS > OPTIONS > FILES ).

J'ai reçu un appel d'un client avec un problème de traçage sur un poste. Ce poste n'avait pas accès aux formats de papier personnalisés lors du traçage. Après avoir posé quelques questions sur leur paramètres, je croyais comprendre que les fichiers PMP n'étaient pas centralisés sur un serveur comme les CTB et PC3. J'ai reccommandé de vérifier les chemins d'accès et de centraliser les PMP aussi. Voici une capture d'écran démontrant où aller pour faire le changement ( OUTILS > OPTIONS > FICHIERS ).

OS Benchmarks

I found this analysis on TuxRadar, a website run by Linux Format magazine. It brings up some interesting performance issues between Ubuntu, Vista and Windows 7. I have mixed feelings about my 2.5 years with Vista. AutoCAD 2008, 2009 and 2010 have run well but overall performance of the OS has been spotty at best at times. I will try running 2010 on Windows 7. From the WINE website, several versions of AutoCAD can be installed on Linux. Something I will try soon...:-)


J'ai trouvé cet analyse sur le site TuxRadar, un site opéré par la revue Linux Format. Plusieurs comparaisons de performances entre Ubuntu, Vista et Windows 7 sont discutés. J'ai suis un peu ambivalent envers Vista depuis 2.5 ans. AutoCAD 2008, 2009 et 2010 fonctionnent bien mais le système d'exploitation souffre de problèmes de performance par bout. Je vais essayer AutoCAD 2010 sur Windows 7. D'après le site de WINE, plusieurs versions d'AutoCAD peuvent être installés sur Linux. Quelque chose que je vais essayer bientot... :-)

Ports used by FLEXlm / Ports utilisés par FLEXlm

I helped a customer today to fix a network license issue that was related to a firewall problem. If you have a firewall on your license server, you MUST open the following ports: 2080, 27000-27009. If this is not done, you will not be able to obtain a network license.

Here is a link to the Autodesk technical solution describing this: Click Here!


J'ai aidé un client aujourd'hui à corriger un problème relié au pare-feu pour les licences réseau. Si vous avez un pare-feu sur votre serveur de licences, vous DEVEZ ouvrir les ports suivants: 2080, 27000-27009. Si ceci n'est pas fait, une licence réseau ne pourra être obtenu.

Voici un lien vers la solution technique d'Autodesk décrivant ceci: Cliquez Ici!

15 minutes wasted / 15 minutes de gaspillé

I was using Outlook 2007 a few minutes ago to answer a customer question about Dynamic Blocks in AutoCAD 2010. Well, Outlook crashed on me 3 times and took 15 minutes to send this bloody error report! What a complete waste of time...

I will be trying out Crunchbang Linux tomorrow on my old system. I wonder if Evolution really is a better solution for email?


J'utilisais Outlook 2007 il y a quelques minutes pour répondre à une question concernant les blocs dynamiques posé par un client. Outlook a capoté 3 fois et ça a pris 15 minutes pour envoyer le maudit rapport d'erreur! Un gaspillage inutile de temps...

Je vais essayer Crunchbang Linux demain sur mon vieux poste. Je me demande si Evolution est réellement une meilleur solution pour le courriel?

Improving AutoCAD Performance Part 2 - Améliorer la performance d'AutoCAD Partie 2

I was visiting a client yesterday and used the /3GB switch described on Autodesk's support site since the computer in question had 4GB or RAM on a 32-bit WinXP. The first tests reported a 20% speed gain when opening a drawing with xrefs on a server. Windows also seemed a little more responsive. I will trying it out on a test system of my own tomorrow. More to come...


J'ai visité un client hier et j'ai ajouté la balise /3GB décrite sur le site de support d'Autodesk puisque le poste avait 4Go de RAM et Windows XP 32-bit. Les premiers essais donnaient une amélioration de 20% en vitesse lorsqu'un dessin sur un serveur avec des xrefs était ouvert. Windows semblait aussi un peu plus rapide. Je vais faire des essais sur un poste d'essai à moi demain. A suivre...

Improving AutoCAD Performance / Améliorer la performance d'AutoCAD

A colleague of mine asked the question if using the WHIPTHREAD environment variable could help on multicore systems. According to the documentation, WHIPTHREAD has 4 possible values:

0 - Single thread performance for regen and redraw operations (default behavior for AutoCAD 2000 and earlier versions
1 - Multithreaded performance for regen operations
2 - Multithreaded perfromance for redraw operations
3 - Multithreaded perfromance for regen and redraw operations

I work with lots of GIS drawing now and sometimes these drawings contains millions of objects for using multiple processor cores can help. The default value is 1 by the way!

Un de mes collègues a posé la question si l'utilisation de la variable d'environnement WHIPTHREAD aiderait la performance sur des postes and plusieurs processeurs ou noyaux. D'après la documentation, WHIPTHREAD peut avoir 4 valeurs:

0 - Un seul processeur sera utilisé pour les regen et les redraw (valeur par défault pour AutoCAD 2000 et versions précédentes)
1 - Plusieurs processeurs seront utilisés pour les regen
2 - Plusieurs processeurs seront utilisés pour les redraw
3 - Plusieurs processeurs seront utilisés pour les regen et les redraw

Je travail avec beaucoup de dessins de géomatique contenant parfois des millions d'objets donc utiliser plusieurs noyaux peut aider beaucoup. La valeur par défaut est 1 en passant!

20 Years of Programming and 15 Years of AutoCAD

I apologize for not posting more this summer. It's been a hectic time with vacations and health problems. So, for now let's look towards a good fall 2009.

This month, I am celebrating 20 years of computer programming and 15 years of AutoCAD use.

I have worked with the following programming languages:

• GW Basic
• TurboPascal 6.0
• Fortran 77
• AutoLISP
• Visual Basic 6 / VBA / VBScript / VB.NET
• Java
• C#
• Python

I don't use the first 3 anymore, but the rest still comes in handy. I want to convert the VBA / VB6 code that I have to .NET since Autodesk and Microsoft are stepping away from those languages in favor or newer stuff.

As for AutoCAD, I started with AutoCAD 9 on an amber-colored monochrome screen and have used all versions since except for AutoCAD 11. I never saw it in use so it must of been a quick to be replaced version.

Here's are 2 questions for all visitors:

• Which version of AutoCAD did you start with?
• Which programming languages do you use or have used?

Je m'excuse pour ne pas avoir écrit plus cet été. Les derniers mois ont été fous ave cles vacances et des problèmes de santé. Regardons en avant vers un bon automne 2009.

Ce mois-ci, je célèbre mes 20 ans d'expérience en programmation et mes 15 d'utilisation d'AutoCAD. J'ai travaillé avec les languages ci-dessus mais je n'utilise plus les 3 premiers. J'aimerais convertir tout mon code en VB6 / VBQ vers du .NET puisque Autodesk et Microsoft diminues de plus en plus le support pour ces options.

Pour AutoCAD, j'ai commencé avec la version 9 sur un écran ambre monochrome. J'ai utilisé tous les version depuis sauf pour la version 11 que je n'ai jamais eu la chance de voir.

Voici 2 questions pour les visiteurs:

• Quelle est votre première version d'AutoCAD?
• Quelles languages de programmation avez-vous utilisés?

Blog Post #100 - Macro Problems

Well, we have reached the big 100! My thanks to all the readers of this blog. For #100, I wish to share a macro problem I have encountered in AutoCAD 2009.

From AutoCAD 2005 to 2008, I would create a palette macro to program a fixed Fillet radius value when selected. Here is it:
In AutoCAD 2009, that macro no longer works. I had to changed it for this:
To program the FILLETRAD value with the macro, I had to use the FILLETRAD variable before launching the FILLET command. Very strange indeed. Has anyone else had a problem such as this with macros? Let me know!


Nous sommes rendu au 100e article du blog. Merci à tous les lecteurs! Pour le 100e, j'aimerais partager un problème que j'ai découvert avec les macros dans AutoCAD 2009.

L'image 1 représente une macro que j'utilisais dans les versions 2005 à 2008 d'AutoCAD pour faire un raccord avec un rayon prédéterminé. Cette macro de fonctionne pas dans AutoCAD 2009. Il a fallu que je le change pour celle dans l'image 2. Il fallait programmer le rayon de raccord avec la variable FILLETRAD au préalable de la commande FILLET.

Est-ce que quelqu'un a eu ce problème aussi? Laissez-moi savoir!

Autodesk Subscription Fulfillments / Envois de souscription d'Autodesk

I spoke to Autodesk about this issue twice in the last few months and got 2 different answers. With the new system of electronic distribution for the 2010 products, Autodesk will:

1. Ship you a DVD only if you do not download a program within 45 days of First Customer Ship.
2. If you do download a program, you can order a DVD copy from the Subscription site.

Since I downloaded AutoCAD 2010, I do NOT qualify for an automatic DVD shipment. Two of our clients that have not even used the Subscription site received the DVD version of the AutoCAD Revit Arch 2010 Suite.


Je me suis informé auprès d'Autodesk à 2 reprises au cours des derniers mois et j'ai eu 2 réponses différentes. Avec le nouveau système de distribution électronique des produits 2010, Autodesk va:

1. Vous envoyez un DVD de votre produit à l'intérieur des 45 jours après le lancement du produit si vous ne le téléchargez PAS.
2. Si vous téléchargez le logiciel, vous pouvez commander une copie DVD sur le site de souscription.

Puisque j'ai téléchargé AutoCAD 2010, je n'ai pas recu de DVD. Deux de nos clients qui n'ont jamais utilisés le site de souscription ont reçu des copies DVD du AutoCAD Revit Architecture 2010 Suite.

AutoCAD 2010 Installation - Part 2

I did a network installation of AutoCAD 2010 and 3ds max Design 2010 last week and noted a few important points that I wanted to mention in Part 2:

• If you wish to use network licenses, make sure your server has enough storage space for all product deployments. Each deployment can go from 1GB to 5GB of space.
• Make sure your server has a 1Gb network connection and if possible your entire network as well. A lot of data will be transferred so speed is important for installing multiple stations simultaneously.
• Do NOT use a mission-critical server for network licenses. A low-priority one like a file server or print server is best.
• A DVD-ROM on the server is always a nice touch!
  

La semaine dernière, j'ai fait une installation réseau d'AutoCAD 2010 et 3ds max Design 2010 et j'ai noté quelques points importants que je voulais mentionner dans la 2e partie:

• Si vous voulez utiliser des licences réseaux, soyez certain que votre serveur possède assez de place pour héberger les déploiements. Chaque déploiement peut aller de 1Go à 5 Go.
• Assurez-vous que la connexion réseau du serveur est à 1Gb et si possible, votre réseau aussi. Beaucoup de data sera transféré pendant les installations surtout si plusieurs postes sont installés en même temps.
• N'utilisez PAS un serveur critique pour vos licences réseau. Un serveur de basse priorité comme un serveur de fichiers ou un serveur d'impression est préférable.
• Un lecteur DVD sur le serveur est toujours apprécié!

AutoCAD Revit Architecture Suite 2010 Installation

I went to see a client yesterday and installed a network version of the AutoCAD Revit Architecture 2010 Suite. The process was very similar to the 2009 version. For AutoCAD 2010, the process was virtually identical and took the same time (approx.). Revit Arch 2010 has a similar process but took much longer to complete. I was also shocked that both deployments now take up 6.5GB of space for the 64-bit versions. A BIG size increase!


Je suis allé chez un client hier pour installer la version réseau d'AutoCAD Revit Architecture 2010 Suite. Le processus est presque identique à celui pour 2009. Pour autoCAD 2010, c'était presque pareil et le temps aussi. Revit Arch 2010 est aussi semblable à 2009 mais prend beaucoup plus de temps. J'étais très surpris de voir que les 2 déploiements 64-bit prenaient 6.5 Go d'espace. Une GROSSE augmentation de taille!

Design Review 2010 - Potential Problems / Problèmes potentiels

I have been contacted by 2 clients since Thursday about problems with Design Review 2010: random crashes, inability to save annotations, performance problems. I have not seen any of this but it might lead to some problem with the software.

If you have experienced any problems with Design Review 2010, please contact me and I will try to compile a list of bugs and potential fixes to be posted.


Depuis jeudi dernier, j'ai été contacté par 2 clients avec des problèmes spécifiques à Design Review 2010: crash au hasard, annotations non-sauvegardées, problèmes de performance. Je n'ai pas vu ces problèmes mais c'est possiblement un indicateur d'un bug avec le logiciel.

Si vous avez vu ces problèmes avec Design Review 2010, veuillez me contacter et je essayer de compiler une liste de bugs et des remèdes potentiels qui sera affichée sur mon blogue.

AutoCAD 2010 Installation - Part 1

I installed AutoCAD 2010 last night and was pleased with the experience. Seems a little faster to boot up. The installation process has been changed a lot.

I used the downloaded version since I have not received my DVD yet. It took about 5 minutes to decompress the files and then the installation started. As was the case with AutoCAD 2009, please install the .NET Framework beforehand (version 3.5 SP1), because the AutoCAD installer takes an eternity to install this component. You will save time in the long run.

Next time, new install options.


J'ai installé AutoCAD 2010 hier soir et j'ai aimé l'expérience. Ca me parait un peu plus rapide au démarrage. Le processus d'installation a changé beaucoup.

J'ai utilisé la version téléchargée puisque je n'ai pas encore reçu mon DVD. Le temps d'extraction était de 5 minutes et ensuie, l'installation s'est démarrée. Comme avec AutoCAD 2009, veuillez installer le Framework .NET de Microsoft au préalable (version 3.5 SP1) parce que l'engin d'installation prend une éternité à installer cette composante. Vous allez sauver du temps.

La prochaine fois, les nouvelles options d'installation.

Licensing changes to Raster Design 2010 / Changements aux licences de Raster Design 2010

I just saw this post on Paving the Way, a nice blog dedicated to land development and transportation. According to this technical solution on the Autodesk site, it seems that users of Raster Design 2010 must use the same licensing system as the AutoCAD-based product that is used: network or standalone. This will probably increase the total cost of ownership (TCO) for some clients.


Je viens de voir cet article sur le blog Paving the Way, un blog dédié au transport et dévelopment de terrain. D'après ce document technique sur le site d'Autodesk, il semble que les utilisateurs de Raster Design 2010 doivent utiliser le même système de licences que le produit AutoCAD: réseau ou autonome. Ceci va probablement augmenter les couts de procuration pour certains clients.

Lynn Allen AutoCAD 2010 Tips and Tricks

Lynn Allen has just released her latest AutoCAD Tips and Tricks booklet for download from the AUGI website. I can't wait to read it!

If you are an AUGI member, follow this link to download it.


Lynn Allen vient de lancer la nouvelle version de son livret AutoCAD Tips and Tricks (trucs et astuces) à partir du site d'AUGI. J'ai hâte de le lire!

Si vous êtes un membre d'AUGI, suivez le lien suivant pour l'obtenir.

Office 2003 Support Ended April 14th, 2009

I was reading on a few blogs that official support for Office 2003 ended on April 14th, 2009. If it wasn't for the fact that to use the Spreadsheet Linking feature in AutoCAD 2008+, it REQUIRES Microsoft Office only (OpenOffice is NOT supported), this wouldn't be a big deal.

Here is a good article about migrating away from Office...if you can... ;-)



Je lisais sur des blogs que le support pour Office 2003 terminais le 14 avril 2009. Si ce n'était pas pour le fait que pour lier des chiffriers avec AutoCAD 2008+, qui REQUIERE Microsoft Office seulement (OpenOffice n'est PAS supporté), ceci serait moins grave.

Voici un excellent article sur l'élimination d'Office...si vous pouvez... ;-)

AutoCAD vs Express Tools vs Bonus Tools

Yesterday, I got a call from a client who has migrated from AutoCAD 2005 to 2009 recently. I set up the network deployment and converted their custom menu file to a custom CUI file. I also told the owner that the R14 Bonus Tools that they were still using were outdated and that the Express Tools should be used. Well, an employee did not get the memo and installed the Bonus Tools thus messing up with AutoCAD 2009. I told them to uninstall the Bonus Tools and it seems to have worked.

Rule #2 of Migration: ALWAYS check to see if an integrated tool does the same or a better job that a custom command before migrating to a new release.


Hiere, j'ai recu un appel d'un client qui vient de passer d''AutoCAD 2005 à 2009. J'ai configuré la version réseau et j'ai converti leur ancien menu personnalisé pour un CUI personnalisé. J'ai aussi mentionné au propriétaire u'il ne fallait pas installer les Bonus Tools d'AutoCAD 14 parce que les Express Tools de 2009 en offrait plus. Un employé n'a pas recu le memo et a installé les Bonus Tools qui ont causé plusieurs problèmes avec 2009. J'ai recommandé de déinstaller les outils et ca semble fonctionner maintenant.

Règle #2 de la Migration: TOUJOURS valider si un outil intégré offre les mêmes ou plus d'options qu'un outil personnalisé avant de migrer à une nouvelle version.

UNDO command died / La commande UNDO est mort

I migrated a client from AutoCAD 2005 to AutoCAD 2009 last week. They have a bunch of old LSP files that are used to simplify their workflow. Unfortunately, the LSP files which date back to 1991 through 1997 are changing variables that AutoCAD 2009 does not like. For example, the LINE and MATCH PROPERTIES commands no longer worked. The variable DEMANDLOAD was set to 0 instead of 3. Another example, the UNDO command stopped working. This was fixed by typing UNDO and choosing the ALL option to reactivate it. Somehow, the OFF option had been set.

Rule #1 of migration: Don't assume that all existing macros will still work. Test everything beforehand!


J'ai migré un client d'AutoCAD 2005 à AutoCAD 2009 la semaine dernière. Ils utilisent des vieux LSP pour aider leurs processus d'affaires. Malheureusement, les fichiers LSP datent de 1991 à 1997 et changent des variables qu'AutoCAD 2009 n'aime pas. Par exemple, les commandes LINE et MATCH PROPERTIES ne fonctionnaient plus. La variable DEMANDLOAD était à 0 au lieu de 3. Aussi, la commande UNDO de fonctionnait plus. Il a fallu changer l'option du UNDO de OFF à ALL. Je ne sais pas comment le OFF s'est activé.

Règle #1 de la migration: N'assumez pas que tout vos macros vont fonctionner. Faites des essais au préalable!