Monday, March 24, 2014

True mobile CAD is possible. CADO™ is coming soon..



CADO™ is now on Kickstarter to raise funding to complete the development of the app. Be sure to visit the campaign for exclusive offers on CADO™ and lifetime licences!
CADO™ is a new CAD application for the iPad developed by Orange Juice Studios LLP. CADO™ is a fresh take on the drawing needs required on a mobile touchscreen platform. The interface system is a patent pending technology called the OMouse that provides not only an offset cursor for accurate drawing, but also trailing buttons that follow the cursor within an ergonomic distance to allow single handed drawing for the mobile platform. Now you really can draw accurately with one hand whilst holding the tablet with the other hand.
Until now the tablet has not been taken seriously for technical drawing, falling far short of its potential. This is due to perceived shortfalls such as the ability to draw accurately with your finger, sometimes referred to as the ‘fat finger problem’ and the question of its ability to handlelarge amounts of drawing data whilst remaining fluid and responsive. Current applications allow the tablet to be be used for primarily viewing technical drawings andsome provide a measure of editing and mark-up tools, such as revision clouds, text and the ability to draw primitive geometry. Thedrawing experience offered by these applications is often a slow and frustratingone with very little accuracy and hence do not deliver a true CAD experience. The touch screen has not improved matters with the interface being seen as cumbersome and simply not fit for purpose. For these reasons serious drawing on the tablet has not been possible, until now.We feel this hobbled approach to technical drawing is because the current CAD applications are based on legacy software that the incumbent companies are bringing with them to this new platform.


"Caption: The above image is a screen shot of CADO™ illustrating the OMouse being used to draw a straight line. The user is able to confirm or cancel the command by pressing either of the floating buttons that ergonomically trail the offset cursor. The horizontal and vertical guides along with the running dimensions and angles allow the user to draw quickly and intuitively"
Another issue tackled by CADO™ is the speed and drawing experience offered by the application; by employing OpenGL as the primary coding language and optimising it to suit the hardware constraints of the tablet device, CADO™ is able to provide a smooth drawing experience. Even loading a very large amount of data does not affect the performance of the app. The drawing space is also near infinite that will allow the user to draw anything from the solar system to a microchip and anything in-between.
The graphical user interface is intuitive, bespoke and tailored for single-handedoperation, which makes CADO™a drawing program sophisticated enough for professionalswhilst simple enough for the home enthusiast to produce technical drawingsand remaining mobile. Once you are finished with your designs, the drawing may be emailed to another userin either the native file format, or DXF/DWG, for maximumcompatibility with no loss of time and duplication of effort.

 


"Caption: The above image is a screen shot of CADO™  illustrating the OMouse being used to draw a straight line. The user is able to confirm or cancel the command by pressing either of the floating buttons that ergonomically trail the offset cursor. The horizontal and vertical guides along with the running dimensions and angles allow the user to draw quickly and intuitively"

Another issue tackled by CADO™ is the speed and drawing experience offered by the application; by employing OpenGL as the primary coding language and optimising it to suit the hardware constraints of the tablet device, CADO™ is able to provide a smooth drawing experience. Even loading a very large amount of data does not affect the performance of the app. The drawing space is also near infinite that will allow the user to draw anything from the solar system to a microchip and anything in-between.
The graphical user interface is intuitive, bespoke and tailored for single-handedoperation, which makes CADO™a drawing program sophisticated enough for professionalswhilst simple enough for the home enthusiast to produce technical drawingsand remaining mobile. Once you are finished with your designs, the drawing may be emailed to another userin either the native file format, or DXF/DWG, for maximumcompatibility with no loss of time and duplication of effort.




 


 

 


Friday, March 8, 2013

Convert PDF to DWG and DXF online with Cometdocs.


Again I am writing about useful tools how to convert a PDF drawing to DWG but in this post is about online.


PDF files are hard to edit and change. This is especially true when it comes to drawings converted into PDF, which are almost impossible to edit without using specialized software. AutoCAD is one such software that can be used, but it is also fairly expensive software that not everyone owns or can afford to have.
That is why we are going to present to you witha great toolfor converting PDF drawings into AutoCAD format files.
Cometdocs is a free online file converter, storage and sharing tool.  One of its supported conversion formats is PDF to AutoCAD. The tool can be used for free with and without registration. Registration offers more possibilities, like storing files of up to 1 GB online and sharing them publicly or privately with friends. Overall, it is a neat tool and that is why we are going to present you a tutorial on how to use it in converting PDFs into DWG or DXF formats.
The first thing you need to know is that the tool supports PDFs designed with AutoCAD software.  Once you are at the Cometdocs website, click on Add/Drop files to upload your file.



Wait a couple of minutes for the file to upload and then drag the file to the Convert tab. A list of available conversion formats for that file type will appear. Scroll down the list to choose your desired format, in this case DWG or DXF.


As you can, see the list is pretty comprehensive and lots of formats are offered, including MS Word and Excel, ODT, TXT and more.

Now, enter your email address and click on Convert. Wait a couple of minutes and go check your email, where a link to the newly created file should be waiting for you.

In addition, if you are a registered user at Cometdocs, all of your converted files are automatically stored in your account, enabling you to share these files with friends using Cometdocs’ sharing capabilities, or simply keep the files stored in the cloud so that you will have access to them at any given time online.




Wednesday, September 14, 2011

The principles rules of dimensioning.

I am fanatic about rules , I'll try always to be attentive during dimensioning so I publish some basic rules in dimensioning.


1. Each feature of an object is dimensioned once and only once.
2. Dimensions should be selected to suit the function of the object.
3. Dimensions should be placed in the most descriptive view of the feature being dimensioned.
4. Dimensions should specify only the size of a feature. The manufacturing method should only be specified if it is a mandatory design requirement.
5. Angles shown on drawings as right angles are assumed to be 90 degrees unless otherwise specified, and they need not be dimensioned.
6. Dimensions should be located outside the boundaries of the object whenever possible.
7. Dimension lines should be aligned and grouped where possible to promote clarity and uniform  appearance.
8. Crossed dimension lines should be avoided whenever possible. When dimension lines must cross, they should be unbroken.
9. The space between the first dimension line and the object should be at least 3/8 inch (10 mm).
The space between dimension lines should be at least 1/4 inch (6 mm).
10. There should be a visible gap between the object and the origin of an extension line.
11. Extension lines should extend 1/8 inch (3 mm) beyond the last dimension line.
12. Extension lines should be broken if they cross or are close to arrowheads.
13. Leader lines used to dimension circles or arcs should be radial.
14. Dimensions should be oriented to be read from the bottom of the drawing.
15. Diameters are dimensioned with a numerical value preceded by the diameter symbol.
16. Concentric circles should be dimensioned in a longitudinal view whenever possible.
17. Radii are dimensioned with a numerical value preceded by the radius symbol.
18. When a dimension is given to the center of an arc or radius, a small cross is shown at the center.
19. The depth of a blind hole may be specified in a note. The depth is measured from the surface of the object to the deepest point where the hole still measures a full diameter in width.
20. Counterbored, spotfaced, or countersunk holes should be specified in a note.

Wednesday, May 4, 2011

What Are Some Basic Traits of a Good CAD Drafter?


Are you new to CAD or a CAD beginner, and have ever thought to yourself, “What are some basic traits of a good CAD drafter?” If yes, then this is the article for you!

To answer this question let’s look at that www.bls.gov website, which states that “Drafters prepare technical drawings and plans, which are used by production and construction workers to build everything from microchips to skyscrapers.” As you can see, this statement is specific, yet also broad. It is specific in that it states that “Drafters prepare technical drawings and plans…”, and it is broad in that it states “…to build everything from microchips to skyscrapers.”

From the statement above it can be understood that a good CAD Drafter would need to be technically minded. He’d have to have problem solving abilities, the kind which are generally associated with math or being able to visualize things in three dimensions.

It can also be understood from the BLS statement that a good CAD Drafter would have to have familiarity with a specific industry, and be able to translate that knowledge into creating drawings that would be useful to production or construction workers.

In addition to the traits already mentioned, a good CAD Drafter would be able to think in terms of the “big picture”. He’d be able to understand that his job would just be a part in creating an product. This awareness would lead him to create more useful drawings.

Lastly, a good CAD Drafter would have to be proficient in the CAD software of his industry.

To summarize, a good CAD Drafter would be one that is technically minded, has industry specific knowledge, could think in terms of the “big picture”, and would be proficient in the CAD software of his industry. If this doesn’t describe you, don’t fret. Everyone starts somewhere, and these could be your goals for becoming a good CAD Drafter! It’s been said that “nothing comes without effort”!!

Many thanks to Brian M Curran.

LOCAL.QUALIFIED.TRUSTED
118-11 84TH AVENUE, #503
KEW GARDENS (QUEENS), NY 11415
T./F. 718.441.3968
C. 347.416.4226
WWW.DRAFTINGSERVICES.COM

Wednesday, June 17, 2009

Keyboard in AutoCAD

For AutoCAD veterans users I have listed all shortcuts of keyboard.

See all keyboards shortcuts and use them.


F1 - displays help

F2 - displays text window

F3 - switches object snaps

F4 - toggles table mode

F5 - toggles isometric planes

F6 - toggles DUCS (switches coordinate display, till A2006)

F7 - toggles grid display

F8 - toggles ortho mode

F9 - toggles snap

F10 - toggles polar tracing

F11 - toggles object tracing

F12 - toggles dynamic input (2006+)



ESC - cancel changes, cancel grips

TAB - cycles osnaps

SHIFT - (on object selection) removes objects

DEL - erases objects (hold when pointing)



Ctrl+0 - toggles clean-screen mode (2004+)

Ctrl+1 - displays Properties window

Ctrl+2 - displays DesignCenter window

Ctrl+3 - displays Tool palette (2004+)

Ctrl+4 - displays Sheet Set Manager, or Content Manager (2005+, ADT2004)

Ctrl+5 - displays Info Palette, or Project Navigator (2005-2007, ADT2004)

Ctrl+6 - displays dBConnect window

Ctrl+7 - displays Markup Manager (2005)

Ctrl+8 - displays Quick Calculator (2006+)

Ctrl+9 - shows/hides Command line (2006+)



Ctrl+A - selects all thawed objects (2002)

Ctrl+Shift+A - toggles group selection (group/single)

Ctrl+B - toggles snap

Ctrl+C - copies content to Clipboard

Ctrl+Shift+C - copies with reference point

Ctrl+D - toggles coordinates display (dynamic UCS, till 2009)

Ctrl+E - switches isoplanes

Ctrl+Shift+E - pull a region to 3D (PRESSPULL, since 2010)

Ctrl+F - toggles osnaps

Ctrl+G - toggles grid display

Ctrl+H - toggles Pickstyle (group and hatch selection)

Ctrl+Shift+H - toggles Palettes display (2009+)

Ctrl+I - toggles coordinate display (2009+)

Ctrl+J - repeats the last command (Enter)

Ctrl+K - displays the Hyperlink dialog

Ctrl+L - toggles Ortho mode

Ctrl+N - starts new drawing

Ctrl+O - opens a drawing

Ctrl+P - print a drawing

Ctrl+Shift+P - toggles Quick Properties display (2009+)

Ctrl+Q - quits AutoCAD (2004+)

Ctrl+R - switches to the next viewport

Ctrl+S - saves drawing

Ctrl+Shift+S - saves drawing as (2004+)

Ctrl+T - toggles the Tablet mode

Ctrl+U - switches polar tracing

Ctrl+V - pastes the Clipboard contents

Ctrl+Shift+V - pastes contents as block

Ctrl+W - toggles object tracing

Ctrl+X - cuts contents to the Clipboard

Ctrl+Y - redoes the undone action

Ctrl+Z - undoes the last action

Ctrl+PgDn - switches to the next layout (2004+)

Ctrl+PgUp - switches to the previous layout (2004+)





Alt+F8 - VBA macros

Alt+F11 - VBA editor



Temporary override keys (2006+):

Shift - switches ortho mode

Shift+- switches dynamic UCS mode (2007+)

Shift+)- switches object tracing mode (2007+)

Shift+. switches polar mode

Shift+A - switches osnaps

Shift+E - switches endpoint osnap

Shift+C - switches center osnap

Shift+D - disables osnaps and tracing

Shift+M - switches middle osnap

Shift+Q - switches object tracing osnap

Shift+S - enables osnap override

Shift+W - starts SteeringWheel (A2009+)

Shift+X - switches polar tracing



CTRL+mouse - cycles selection of overlapping objects (till 2006)

Shift+space - cycles selection of overlapping objects in 2D (2007+)

CTRL+space - cycles selection of overlapping sub-objects in 3D (2007+)

CTRL+ALT - extrudes the selected region into 3D - PRESSPULL (2007+)

CTRL+arrow - moves cursor

Arrow up/down - command history



CTRL+SHIFT+letter - goes to the property in the Properties window

ALT+down arrow - opens a list in the Properties window

ALT+up arrow - closes a list in the Properties window

Of course all the Windows shortcut keys remain active as well (Ctrl+Tab, Ctrl+F3, Ctrl+F6 etc.). Other shortcuts may be defined as user keys in the ACCELERATORS section of your AutoCAD menu. Since AutoCAD version 2006 you can also use CUI to define so called temporary override keys.

Thanks CADFORUM.CZ

Sunday, December 28, 2008