A CET Dimension Tip

Wow, where has the time gone! So much for giving you tips every month!  I'll try harder, but for now I have another tip for the CET Designer users.


For many of you as you start using the software for installation drawings you find that you don't have the control over the dimensioning you'd like.  Sure, now we can set a preset size and change them all globally but we are still missing the true ability to link them to specific "layers" or as they are called in CET Visibility Categories. I know it is coming but until CET has it solved I have a work around.


I had a client ask me the other day if she could have dimensions for a panel plan and then other dimensions for components.  The answer is not really.  But I found a way she could do it.  I'll share it with you.

• First you rename one of the Part Tagging Tags to Panel Dimensions and the other to Component Dimensions (you don't really HAVE to do this but it gets confusing if you don't).

• Then right click on the dimension and pick Visibility and Categorization.

• In the Categorization tab check either Panel Dimensions or Component Dimensions.

• When you set up your PaperView Viewports just make sure that you don't have Normal View selected and then go to the Part Tagging and check the dimensions you want to print.

There you go.  I suspect there are more uses for this tip, let me know if you find other ways to use it.

Also, don't forget to order your renewal before August 1.  If you plan on renewing in the future do it now before the rates go up!!

Enjoy the rest of the summer!

Cate

CET Materials

I am always looking for resources for great materials to use in rendering.  Configura has a nice zip file on their web site that you can download. It's on the documentation page. But there isn't quite enough choices.

Another resource I found was on my own hard drive! AutoCAD installed a huge library of wonderful materials.  I found it in the C:\Program Files (x86)\Common Files\Autodesk Shared\Materials2011\assetlibrary_base.fbm\2\Mats directory.  Some of the files are Bump files which give AutoCAD the texture information, others are Mask files that AutoCAD uses for creating holes in the material (think of chain link fence).  You probably won't use those type of files. However, if you look through the directory you will find some nice stone and brick patterns.

Here is a screen capture of the directory:

Hope you are able to use these materials.

Cheers!
Cate

New Configura CET Tip

Hello friends,
I haven't had much to share lately but today I want to tell you about a CET trick I discovered when I was testing.

Updating multiple alternatives at the same time

Lots of people ask me if they can make changes to all their alternative at once and I have always said no.  But I found a work around using Blocks.

See, a block is the same in all your alternatives, so if you make a block of your architecture you can update it in one and all the other alternative will also update.

Here are the steps:

1. Draw your room in one of your alternatives.
2. Select the whole room and right click to pick Make Block.
3. Leave the Block dialog open and switch to another Alternative.
4. Place the Block.

When you change the Block in any alternative they all will change.

You can do this with other things that are the same in all the alternatives as well, like accessories or even the workstations.

Hope this is something you can use!

Have a great day,

Cate 

Christmas Gifts to You

Tis the season for giving.

Sure you hear about free apps for your smart phone all the time but did you know that there are free programs for your computer too?

Here are some that I use and some that come recommended but I haven’t had to use yet... but might now.

1. SketchUp  http://sketchup.google.com/download/ - I’ve talked about it before and it’s still the best deal out there.
2. Trillian  http://www.trillian.im/ - this chat program is a great way to combine all the different chat programs (AOL, MSN, Skype, Google+, Facebook) in one so you don’t have to load each program to chat with different friends.  It also has an app for your phone if you really can’t get enough chatting! Pidgin is another program like this that my husband uses.  
3. Picassa https://picasaweb.google.com/home - I use this program for organizing my photos uploading to their web site so I can see them on my smartphone without actually using space on my phone.
4. CutePDF http://www.cutepdf.com/ - installs a printer driver to print to pdf.  It doesn’t have all the functions of Adobe but it’s all I need.
5. Jing http://www.techsmith.com/jing.html?gclid=CMOxk5_8la0CFWkDQAoduDOplw - fun and easy way to capture either images or short clips from your screen.  It’s great for tech support when you want to send in the steps you did and don’t want to write each one out.  Just start the recorder and do it, you can even narrate.
6. Evernote http://www.evernote.com/ - I use this to take notes and capture web sites on my laptop, smartphone, or when I’m on someone else’s computer.  They all sync up so if a friend gives me a great recipe when I’m at her house I have it when I get home on my laptop. Now, there are people who say the DropBox is better, I’m tempted to download it and try but I don’t know if I can transfer my notes from one to the other and I’ve got a lot of notes.
7. GIMP (Graphic Image Manipulation Program) http://www.gimp.org/  - If you don’t have PhotoShop you can get this one for free.
8. CCleaner http://www.piriform.com/ccleaner - cleans up the junk on your computer great if you are running out of hard disk space.

Here are some recommended ones that I’m going to try:

• 7-zip - zips up your files
• imgburn - copys files to a DVD - great if you have a lot of files to send to a client
• teamViewer - online viewer of other peoples computer, similar to GoToMeeing but free.

BEWARE: Make sure you download these programs from their actual web site or a trusted site like CNet.  There are lots of hackers out there setting up fake versions of the populars free downloads with their own bad stuff on them.

I hope you can use some of these programs to life a little easier. 

From my family to yours I wish you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

(Yes, we are geeks)

Cate

Comfortably numb

I've been thinking about the user experience lately. And I've come to the conclusion: It's amazing what you can get used to.

Case in point. CET Changed the behavior of the Schemes dialog pop up box. It used to pop up in the upper right hand corner but now it remembers where it was last and pops up there. This is so much nicer. I forgot that it bugged me and I simply got used to it.

This happens to power users all the time. We find work arounds or just get used to it. But the bug is still there.

As a trainer and a power user I’m in a unique position to watch new users get frustrated by bugs that have long since stopped bugging me. This fresh perspective is something most of us gloss over.

A couple weeks ago I was training some designers who are dealing with very badly drawn furniture symbols.  They learned to deal with them by redrawing the symbols correctly. All this extra work because the people who drew the symbols originally haven't responded to their complaints. Like most of us, after a while you stop complaining and just deal with it.

My challenge to you is, UNITE.

You need to make yourself a thorn in the side of the software companies.That's what I do. A lot of times complaining to a huge company like Microsoft or AutoCAD makes you feel like you’re the only one not clapping at the end of a rock concert. Smaller companies are different. They tend to care about complaints. CET, CAP, ProjectMatrix, and others like them fall into this category.  

A lot of my students say they don't have time to report the little things but I say if we all complain a little, maybe they will fix it.

Every thing they fix is one less thing you have to remember when using the software. And that makes your job a tiny bit easier. All these tiny bits add up.

So instead of being numb to the weird idiosyncrasies, tell someone.  

If you don't know who to tell, tell me.

I'll tell them!  

Be thankful!  Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Cate

Vegas Baby!

The CET User Conference in Las Vegas last week was excellent!  I saw a lot of old friends, met some new ones and learned some new tips as well!

Tip1
One thing I can away with is I am more inspired than ever to learn SketchUp better. Aidan Chopra from Google SketchUp spoke and he was excellent.  I really see where it can work with CET but also with CAP & ProjectMatrix. With specials being so important it's nice to have a 3D drawing tool that I can use to create customs in, export to ACAD or CET and add intelligence and then render. I bought the Pro version last week for $500 to be able to import/export ACAD symbols but that seems like it will be worth it once I get good.  And it won't take me long to get good!  Three reasons:

1. It's easy - my 9 year old son plays in it and he taught himself. I figure if he can I should be able to.
2. There are loads of videos and tutorials online to help. 
3. It's fun.  I find myself playing in it when I'm supposed to be doing something else.

I might use SketchUp for sketchy renderings too but I think my use will be mostly for specials.

Tip 2

Another great tip I got from the conference was to use Movie Maker for presentations.  Whether you are doing walk thoughs or just have renderings and text it was a FREE way to pull stuff together.  I downloaded it today and will check it out.  I am all about FREE software!  

Naturally it wasn't all about work - the food and the costume party were great. There were some very creative costumes. I'm not sure I want to see the photos! I had plenty to drink so I was at my BEST dancing! LOL

Thanks for reading,
Cate

Specials - blech

Specials seem to be the thorn in designers sides when they are doing projects.  How do you handle them?  There are lots of ways: add them to the spec, put a dummy symbol in the drawing, create the symbol in SketchUp, stretch it in AutoCAD, draw it from scratch, etc. Then you have to add intelligence to the symbol and each software has it's strengths and it's issues for doing that.

Some good news:
I've heard that CAP is coming out with some new tools for specials that will give you the ability to include specials in Visual Impressions.  VI is a great new tool but only for standard product, so adding that functionality will really help.  I haven't seen it yet - but as soon as I do I'll share it with you!

Other good news:
CET is updating the Editables extension to make it more user friendly. I like Editables, however, it has a lot of steps and buttons. CET has been getting feedback from users and incorporating them into the tool. Also, haven't seen it but I will this week at the CET User's Conference in Vegas.  I'll let you know what I find out.


By the way, let me know if there is a topic you'd like to hear about.  I'm happy to share what I know.

Have an excellent day,
Cate