AutoCAD: Use the autosave files to recover your work

Make sure you activate the autosave option and see where to recover the files from.
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We had an awful day at work today with lots of FATAL ERROR crashes, probably due to some circular references on the XREFs. Some of the files ended up being completely unrecoverable so we had to find the most updated backup files we could find. This made me write an e-mail to everyone explaining how to find and use the backup files that are created with the auto save option in AutoCAD.

Although for "light" crashes, these files can be accessed through the recovery wizard, this was not our case, so it was a question of searching and finding those auto-save files to replace the corrupted ones. I thought I'd share here that information in case someone doesn't know about the auto-save feature and how o locate those files.

1. Go to Tools --> Options
2. Inside Options go to the “Files” Tab (far left)
3. Inside the files tab go to: “Automatic Save File Location” and see where the autosave files are stored. (mine where stored at C:\Documents and Settings\USERNAME\Local Settings\Temp)
4. Then access that folder and try to find a file with the same file name but different extension. (The autosave files should have a either a .BAK or a .SV$ extension) (if you can’t see the folder, you need to go to Tools --> folder Options --> View --> and Make sure "show hidden files and folders" is SELECTED) .
5. Check the "date modified" of those files, if the date and time makes sense according to when you had the last file crshes, there is a good chance that those files contain the information you need, so there is no need to redraw everything.
6. Change the file extension of the file you think it might be the good one from .bak or .sv$ to .dwg (to be able to change the file extension you need to be able to see it. To do that, on any folder go to Tools --> Folder Options --> View --> and make sure that "Hide extensions for known file types" is UNCHECKED)

If your auto-save feature is disabled, you can enable it in AutoCAD by going to Tools --> Options --> "Open and Save" Tab --> and there make sure that the "Automatic save" on the lower left corner is active and preferably set to every 10 minutes or less. To easily change the time of the autosave feature, use the SAVETIME system variable (this last tip thanks to lazydrafter)

Hope this helps, it saved me 2 hours of work. Using it properly is like having good car insurance. You never know when you'll need it!

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SketchUp Plugins: Turn Lines into Tubes / Cylinders

Turn lines into cylinders with one of these two Plugins.
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There might be several reasons why you want to turn your lines into cylinders/tubes. You might just want to be able to render a bunch of lines in your model. In that case, you need to turn them into cylinders or else they will not appear on renderings. You have two plugins to do this.

LINES TO TUBES (lines2tubes.rb): by Didier. Formerly known as LINE TO CYLINDERS (lin2cyl.rb)Will turn a bunch of lines, arcs, circles, curves, etc into cylinders of a given diameter. It doesn't matter if they are connected, just select the linework, go to Tools --> "Convert circles, arcs, curves, lines to cylinders". Download it here.The advantage is that you can simply select all the linework and convert it to pipes, the disadvantage is that all the corners between different entities will not have Follow Me connections, just pure Push Pull.



TUBE ALONG PATH (TubeAlongPath.rb): by TIG. Does the same operation but only for connected paths. It has the advantage of automatically creating follow me operations when reaching corners of the path. The disadvantage is that only connected paths can be created at once. To use it select the lines that create the path, go to Plugins --> Tube Along Path. Download it here.




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SketchUp Plugins: Fill the Section Cut With a Face

Fill the section cut with a face for better display with the sectioncutface plugin
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TIG has published an updated version of his SectionCutFace.rb plugin (version 2.2). THis plugin adds a face to fill the section created with the standard SketchUp tool "Section Plane".

For those newbies who don't know "Section Plane", it is a standard tool (under the Tools menu --> Section Plane) that allows you to automatically cut a section trough your model. See it graphically.


What TIG's plugins adds is the feature to select the section plane, right click it and select Add Section-Cut Face. This (if you have a clean model) will generate the face for the section cut, like in the image below.



The Plugin has a dialog where you can play with several of the options, and that looks like this.



To be able to run the plugin, you need to have the section plane active. To do so go to the Menu View --> Section Planes (it has to be checked so you see it on the screen so you can right click on it).

You can Download the Plugin here.

If you are new to SketchUp chek here to know how to Install SketchUp Plugins

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SketchUp: List of Plugins

Find here all the SketchUp Plugins that have been listed on CAD-Addict.com
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This is the up to date, list of all the SketchUp Plugins I´ve talked about in CAD-Addict.com (it will be updated in the future as soon as new Plugins are added as new posts)

1. ARTMINE: Allows you to import more than 5000 pieces of art to your sketchup model
2. BEZIER (bezier.rb): creates Bezier curves
3. CADSPAN: Makes your model 3D print ready and exports to STL format.
4. CAMERA RECORDER (clf_camera_recorder.zip): Records your camera movements and exports a set of images to be able to create a walkthrough animation.
5. CLEANUP (tt_cleanup.rb): excellent Plugin to clean geometry, unnecessary coplanar edges and other features.
6. COLOR BY SLOPE (clf_color-by_slope.rb): Colors faces according to their angle
7. COLOR BY Z (clf_color_by_z.rb): Colors Faces according to their Z value (height)
8. COMPONENT STRINGER (clf_component_stringer.rb): Places components along a path, with several options of scaling and rotation.
9. CUBIC PANO OUT (cubicpanoout.rb): exports 6 images to generate a 360 degrees quicktime panorama.
10. DELETE COPLANAR EDGES (deletecoplanaredges.rb): Removes unnecessary edges between coplanar faces.
11. DROP (drop.rb): Drops groups/components till they intersect with the model, ideal for site modeling.
12. ELLIPSE ( rp_ellipse_v12.rb): Allows you to draw ellipses
13. ENGINEERING TOOLBOX (EngineeringToolbox.rb): Allows you to place standard beams, ducts, elbows, etc.
14. EXTRAPOLATE COLORS (lf_extrapolate_colors.rb):paints a bunch of faces randomly allowing you control on the colors used.
15. EXTRUDE EDGES BY EDGES (extrudeEdgesByEdges.rb): to extrude a curved edge along a curved path.
16. EXTRUDE EDGES BY FACE (ExtrudeEdgesByFace.rb): An easie to use follow me Tool. Extrude a face along a path without the need to align that face with it.
17. EXTRUDE EDGES WITH ROTATION (ExtrudeEdgesByLathe.rb): Extrudes rotationg the edges or the face a certain angle around a given axis.
18. EXTRUDE EDGES BY RAILS (extrudeEdgesByRails.rb): Extrudes an edge following to given rails.
19. EXTRUDE LINES (extrudelintool.rb): extrudes lines using a vector.
20. FLATTERY (flattery.rb): An upgraded unfold tool, to turn your 3D model into a 2D unfolded model ready to be cut in paper and glued together.
21. FLIGHT PATH (flightpath.rb): Allows to generate the scenes of a flythrough animation by selecting a path.
22. FREE SCALE (FreeScale_Tool.rb): Aligns the Scale Box to any line on the drawing.
23. GEOMETRIC CURVE SMOOTHING (crvsmth.rb): Edit Curves
24. GREEBLE 2 (clf_greeble_2.rb): Allows you to add random, and not so random, complexity to your geometry.
25. GRIDS (grid.rb): to create parametric grids.
26. HELIX (drawhelix13.rb): Draws a helix or a spiral
27. HOVER SELECT (HoverSelect.rb): Select or deselect edges by click and drag.
28. INSTANT ROAD (InstantRoad.rbs): Creates roads quick and easy
29. INSTANT ROOF (InstantRoof.rbs): Creates pitched roofs with just a few clicks
30. JOINT PUSH PULL (JointPushPull.rb): Allows you to Push Curved Faces.
31. LATICEIZER (Laticeizer.rb): creates a window with its mullions and glass parts from a series of faces, cleaning up the intersections very neatly
32. LINES TO TUBES (lines2tubes.rb): turn a bunch of lines, arcs, circles, curves, etc into cylinders.
33. LOFT (clf_simple_loft.rb): Creates a simple loft between two or more profiles.
34. MAKE FACES (makefaces.rb): Generates all possible faces from selected geometry.
35. XD MAKE FUR (fur_en_v1_2.rb): A Plugin to generate Fur / Grass with a lot of control.
36. MIRROR (mirror.rb): Mirror objects selecting a mirror plane.
37. MODELFUNCTION (Modelfunction.exe): Sort of explicit history (primitive grasshopper) for SketchUp, very promising
38. OFFSET ON SURFACE (OffsetOnSurface.rb): Allows you to offset curved faces.
39. ONION DOME (oniondome.rb): to create onion shaped domes.
40. ONTIME 5D (ontime5d.rbs): easily simulate the construction process (virtual scheduling or 4D modelling) for free.
41. PAGE EXPORT IMPORT (PageExIm.rb): Allows you to export pages to be imported to another model.(not free)
42. PLUGIN LOADER (as_pluginloader.rb): Loads plugins without restarting SketchUp.
43. ROTATED RECTANGLE (rectangle.rb): creates rotated rectangles.
44. ROUND CORNERS (RoundCorner_Tool.rb): Turns sharp corners into round ones.
45. SCALE ROTATE MULTIPLE (clf_scale_rotate_multiple.rb): Randomly Scale and rotate objects, ideal for Vegetation / Site Design.
46. SECTION CUT FACE (SectionCutFace.rb): Fills the section cut with a face.
47. SELECTION HIDE/SHOW (SelectionHideShow.rb): Adds contextual menu options to show hide selections in many different ways.
48. SHAPE BENDER (clf_shape_bender.rb): to Bend an object to follow the profile of a curve.
49. SHAPES (shapes.rb): to create and editing a number of parametric shapes.
50. SIMPLIFY CONTOURS (SimplifyContours.rb): it simplifies the geometry, making it easier to work with.
51. SLICER (slicer.rb): Creates slices from your model.
52. SMART PUSH PULL (a4_smartpushpull.rb): Pushes faces considering the contiguous oblique faces.
53. SOAP SKIN BUBBLE (SoapSkinBubbleTools.rb): Creates tensile like structures.
54. SPHERE (rp_sphere_v11.rb): Models spheres
55. STRAY LINES (stray_lines.rb): Deletes lines that do not generate faces.
56. SUPERELLIPSE (rp_superellipse_v12.rb): A superellipse is a shape that is in between an ellipse and a rectangle.
57. SUPERELLIPSOID (rp_superellipsoid_v10.rb): Creates a shape between a round shaped ellipsoid and a square shaped rectangular box.
58. XD SYNCRO PROJECT CONSTRUCTOR (price $800): allows you to simulate the construction process (virtual scheduling or 4D modelling). It's more a stand alone program rather than a plugin.
59. TORUS (rp_torus_v10.rb): Creates Torus and Twisted Torus.
60. TUBE ALONG PATH (TubeAlongPath.rb): turns connected line paths into cylinders.
61. UNFOLD TOOL (jf_unfoldtool.rb): Unfolds a model to a flat set of faces.
62. VERTEX TOOLS (price $20): Performs all sort of operations with vertex. Equivalent to 3D Max Soft Selection feature.
63. VOLUME CALCULATOR (VolumeCalculator21.rb): to calculate volumes of objects.
64. VRAY: Creates realistic renders from SketchUp (not free).
65. WEB EXPORTER (Sketchup6webexporterwen.exe): allows you to export a model to be published on web.
66. WELD (Weld.rb): Welds lines into polylines.
67. WINDOWIZER (windowizer.rb): Creates Windows with multiple options.
68. WINDOW MAKER (windows.rb): creates parametric double-hung and slider windows.
69. XD VIRTUAL BUILDER (price $59): allows you to simulate the construction process (virtual scheduling or 4D modelling)
70. 1001BIT TOOLS (1001bit_tools.rbs): a full set of tools for Architecture to build your buildings way faster(not free).
71. 3D to PDF (price $95): Converts your sketchup model into a 3D Pdf to easily share your models

If you are new to Ruby Scripts, check this post on How to Install SketchUp Plugins.

There are other online resources to find Ruby scripts online. Some of the best online libraries where you can find and download SU Plugins are, as far as I know:

• The RUBY Depot
• Smustard
• Sketchucation

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SketchUp Plugins: Delete Coplanar Edges

Easily delete all those unnecessary coplanar edges with this Plugin. It will reduce de size of your model drastically.
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I've been doing a lot of SketchUp modeling at work, that's the reason why you see here more posts about SU Plugins than usual. Anyways, I needed to clean part of my model that had a lot of unnecessary edges separating coplanar faces. And I though, there must be a Plugin for that. I wasn't wrong.

The deletecoplanaredges.rb Plugin, easily erase those unnecessary edges, turning a bunch of coplanar faces into a single one. See this quick example.

We want to remove all those lines that play no role anymore other than increasing the file size. Once you have the plugin installed, simply select all the geometry you want to clean up, right click on it and on the context menu select "Delete Coplanar Edges.

The result will be like the image below, a single face made of all the previous coplanar faces.

You can download the Plugin here.




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AutoCAD: Make object's layer current with an Alias

Switching between current layers is one of the most common operations in AutoCAD, make it an alias instead of clicking on the icon to work faster.
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Those who have been reading me for some time will already know that I am a keyboard freak when it comes to enter commands. I strongly believe it multiplies the speed you work on with AutoCAD as oppose to clicking on icons. This becomes even more important with those things we do hundreds of times a day.

Making an object's layer current is one of these operations we repeat and repeat every day many times. By default, you have to select the object, then click on the icon on the right of the Layer Properties Toolbar.


This operation can be sped up by setting up an ALIAS for it. If you pay attention to the command line, every time you click on the previous button, the command that it actually triggers will appear there. This command is either LAYMCUR or AI_MOLC depending on the AutoCAD version you have. All you have to do is to edit your acad.pgp to create an Alias for either of these commands. I have my acad.pgp set up with LK to point to AI_MOLC. It is a time saver.

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SketchUp Plugins: Round Corners

Need to turn Sharp corners into round ones? There is a Plugin for that too. A new great Job by Fredo6.
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The rounding of corners is usually needed when we create our models. Fredo6 has made this awesome Plugin, now on its 2.0 version that just rocks! See the video below.


To download the Plugin go to the original Post by Fredo6. Remember that this operation will increase very quickly the number of faces in your model, so use it wisely.

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AutoCAD: Using Annotative Scale for Texts

Annotative Scale Texts are an awesome way to speed the annotation process when a drawing needs to be shown in different Scales.
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Since AutoCAD 2008, there is a property for several entities called Annotative Scale. What this property allows us is to show the objects differently according to the Active Annotation Scale. This is specially useful for Text notes.

Imagine a floor plan of a project shown at 1:200 scale with a lot of descriptive notes. The notes you have will be the right size to be printed at 1:200. But you might want to use the same drawing to show an enlarged plan of certain portion of the project. The problem is that if you just blow it up, the notes will be twice the size that shows "properly" when printed. Annotation Scale will help you solve this.

If you select the text and go to the properties Tab, there is a property called "Annotative". By default this is set to NO. Change it to YES to turn the Text into an Annotative one. There is a system variable, ANNOAUTOSCALE, that controls if new annotation Scales are added automatically or not, it has a lot of values, from -4 to 4, so see here what each value does.

In general, it is not recommended to have the ANNOAUTOSCALE set to automatically add annotation scales to all the objects, since that would increase the file size quite a lot. Alternatively, set the annotation Scale of the drawing by selecting it on the lower right side of the screen.


Then, you can simply select those objects you want to add new annotative scales too, right click --> Add Current Scale.



One more thing you can do is set different orientation for each annotative scale. This is very useful, because you might have an overall plan aligned to the World UCS (or North on top, or whatever) and then enlarged plans aligned according to the portion of the building/project you are focusing on. If you rotate the Text using the ROTATE command, it will rotate all its Annotative instances. If alternatively, you select the text, and on the properties tab you enter a new rotation, the new orientation will apply only to the current Annotative Scale. See the following image.


The 1:200 text is aligned in one direction, while the 1:100 text (the smaller one) is aligned according to the enlarged plan orientation. I am still trying to figure out how can I in AutoCAD Architecture, do the same for Space Tags. Will definetily post it whenever I find the way.

Annotative Scale applies to other AutoCAD objects such as Blocks, I will deal with that in a different post soon. Stay tuned

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AutoCAD Architecture: AEC Modify Tools

This awesome Tools make editing 2D objects really quick. It is like having Boolean Tools for 2D.
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AutoCAD Architecture has some great tools that help working way faster than with plain AutoCAD. Some of them are logically specific to Architecture, but others like the AEC Modify Tools I think should be standard to any AutoCAD version. They are actually like having Boolean operators for 2D Objects. See this quick video to understand what they do.


Sorry for some of the Tools Selection beeing cut on the video...I am still working on getting this video recording figured out. The order of the tools used is the one on this image. I skipped the ones on the bottom, after the spacer, since I don't find them very useful.



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SketchUp Plugins: Engineering Toolbox

Do you need beams, pipes, HVAC ducts, elbows, etc? The Engineering ToolBox Allows you to insert them to SketchUp with the right dimenisons.
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EngineeringToolBox.rb is a SktchUp Plugin to easily insert standard engineering elements to a SketchUp model. You can find more information on the plugin's website, but basically what you need to know is that this plugin will allow you to insert Pipes, elbows, lumber elements, flanges, metal beams and columns icluding standard IPE (not IPN unfortunately, which would be the most time consuming to model actually), HEB, etc, stairs, channels, hollow sections, and more. To me, specially useful are the standard Beam sections, no more referring to the standard dimensions manual to model these elements.


The Plugin works as a web dialog. Once installed, simply go to Plugins --> Engineering ToolBox. From there a web dialog will open (you need to have an internet connection) and you will access the plugin's website where you will be able to choose the elements you want to add to your model.
Download it here and give it a try, it is a trully time saver.

via SketchUp Ireland

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SketchUp Plugins: Google's Ruby Scripts

Google has a set of Plugins (ruby Scripts) on the SU website
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Google has a set of Plugins for SketchUp that can be downloaded directly from their website here.
The list includes:

• Bezier: to create Bezier curves
• Rotated Rectangle: for creating rotated rectangles.
• Shapes: to create and editing a number of parametric shapes.
• Window Maker: for creating parametric double-hung and slider windows. (different than the Windowizer Plugin)
• Grids: to create parametric grids.
  Onion Dome: to create onion domes.
• Simplify Contours: it simplifies the geometry, making it easier to work with.

Most of them are for very basic operations, but once you have them you'll miss them if you don't have them anymore, so keep the link for when you transfer to a new workstation.

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Rhino Plugins: VisualArq - Architectural Tools for Rhino

Need some ACA like tools when using Rhino? This might be the Plugin you are looking for.
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Rhino is a great modeling software, but you will agree with me that when it comes to simple tasks like creating Walls, windows, Stairs, etc. it is not as efficient as AutoCAD Architecture or SketchUp (specially if you have the 1001bit tools Plugin).
Well that might change if you add to your set of Plugins the VisualArq set of Architectural Tools. This set of tools aims to improve the work speed for Architects, Interior Designers, Etc by adding a set of Parametric Architectural Objects and Documentation Tools.
I haven't had the chance to check it since I only have access to Rhino at work, but from the Gallery on the VisualArq website, the Plugin looks promising.
You will need Rhino's Service Release 5 to be able to use this plugin.

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