I'm just trying to sort out a spec for a CAD computer.
At the moment I have an Intel Duo, about 18 months old, running Vista 32 bit, with 2 Gb of Ram and a Quadro FX1500 graphics card. I have a 20" main monitor and a 17" second monitor,both Philips. This setup seems to go well, I have the occassional crash, but who doesn't?
For normal computer users, a certain standard of computer is fine-all you need is about $NZ850, plus say $NZ200 for a monitor and you are done.
Just to add to the fun, the NZ dollar has depreciated against the US and Euro (it is about
NZ$1=US$0.53 at the moment.
I have priced up HP workstations-they seem to have quite a large range, it really comes down to how much money you are happy to pay in these recessionary times!
What I'd really like would be an Intel Xeon Quad core with a 24" main monitor/20"second monitor, high end graphics card, 64bit 6GB ram and so on. Hmm...just dreaming really....
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Sunday, March 8, 2009
Drawing a house automatically
Drawing of a house using 3D solids in Autocad.
Users should be aware that there are "better" ways of drawing a house.These ways are Autocad Architecture, or Autodesk Revit.
Unfortunately these cost money, and you may have only a copy of plain vanilla Autocad. If you have better than Autocad 2007, you will be able to make use of the section command to produce plan views of your 3D model.
The idea is that all houses can be represented by data, and that we can describe a house by how long each wall is, how many windows in that wall, and what sort.
It is in a trial state at the moment. The program works,but the quantity and quality of the windows available are low.You can check out what is available in the zip file, the contents of which should be placed in a directory called c:\bilro\house.
If enough people try it out and want it to come up to the next level,then I will produce some windows (for a small fee of course!).
The procedure is as follows:
1. Run the program, House.exe. It was made in Visual Basic 6.0, so does not need to be installed. All this does is ask a series of questions, then creates a text file based on the answers. It puts this text file in c:\bilro\House. So if this directory does not exist, you would need to create it. You have to start at the bottom left hand corner of the house and go anti-clockwise about it.
2. Open up the file using Notepad. It should look like this:
WALL
3. Add c:\bilro\house to your autocad path (go Tools/options/files)
4. Rename the file to houseinfo.txt. Then load Ho.lsp into Autocad, type HO and then enter.
For draftspersons receiving a hand-drawn item from an architect,it could be a quick way of getting this into Autocad.
Users should be aware that there are "better" ways of drawing a house.These ways are Autocad Architecture, or Autodesk Revit.
Unfortunately these cost money, and you may have only a copy of plain vanilla Autocad. If you have better than Autocad 2007, you will be able to make use of the section command to produce plan views of your 3D model.
The idea is that all houses can be represented by data, and that we can describe a house by how long each wall is, how many windows in that wall, and what sort.
It is in a trial state at the moment. The program works,but the quantity and quality of the windows available are low.You can check out what is available in the zip file, the contents of which should be placed in a directory called c:\bilro\house.
If enough people try it out and want it to come up to the next level,then I will produce some windows (for a small fee of course!).
The procedure is as follows:
1. Run the program, House.exe. It was made in Visual Basic 6.0, so does not need to be installed. All this does is ask a series of questions, then creates a text file based on the answers. It puts this text file in c:\bilro\House. So if this directory does not exist, you would need to create it. You have to start at the bottom left hand corner of the house and go anti-clockwise about it.
2. Open up the file using Notepad. It should look like this:
WALL
0
5000
90
2455
OUTERCORNER
1
W2 600 x 1200
600
1200
500
2000
WALL
0
6000
90
2455
OUTERCORNER
1
W2 600 x 1200
600
1200
1000
2000
ENDWALLS
Now the same thing but comments just for this instruction only-
WALL-so we know it is a wall
0-this is the orientation-ie 0= horizontal, 90=vertical etc
5000 -this is the length of the wall
90 -this is the thickness
2455 -this is the height
OUTERCORNER-this is how the end of the wall is
1 -number of openings
W2 600 x 1200-name of the block in the first opening
600 -window height
1200 -window width
500 -length from the start end
2000 -head height of the window
WALL-this is the next wall
and so on.....
6000 90 2455 OUTERCORNER 1 W2 600 x 1200 600 1200 1000 2000
ENDWALLS-just to let the program know its at the end!
5000
90
2455
OUTERCORNER
1
W2 600 x 1200
600
1200
500
2000
WALL
0
6000
90
2455
OUTERCORNER
1
W2 600 x 1200
600
1200
1000
2000
ENDWALLS
Now the same thing but comments just for this instruction only-
WALL-so we know it is a wall
0-this is the orientation-ie 0= horizontal, 90=vertical etc
5000 -this is the length of the wall
90 -this is the thickness
2455 -this is the height
OUTERCORNER-this is how the end of the wall is
1 -number of openings
W2 600 x 1200-name of the block in the first opening
600 -window height
1200 -window width
500 -length from the start end
2000 -head height of the window
WALL-this is the next wall
and so on.....
6000 90 2455 OUTERCORNER 1 W2 600 x 1200 600 1200 1000 2000
ENDWALLS-just to let the program know its at the end!
3. Add c:\bilro\house to your autocad path (go Tools/options/files)
4. Rename the file to houseinfo.txt. Then load Ho.lsp into Autocad, type HO and then enter.
These instructions are included in the download zip file as a text file called How to Manual.txt
Please only use the available window blocks, otherwise autocad goes looking for things that are not there. If you open Drawing16, you will see an example of what is produced.
Please only use the available window blocks, otherwise autocad goes looking for things that are not there. If you open Drawing16, you will see an example of what is produced.
Monday, February 16, 2009
Efficiency and quality
I was given a short job to do the other day. Just a flow diagram. I looked at it and said to myself that this should take 15 minutes. It took 45 minutes. I can only say in my defence there is a lot of typing in this drawing, and maybe I am a slower typist than I think.
Have a look, and if you feel keen, see if you can break the 45 minutes. I am sure some will do it in 15 minutes.
Which got me thinking: should I have used dtext instead of mtext? Is there a lisp routine around that draws boxes around text? Bet there is...
On another job, I received back from an outside firm some of my drawings, with corrections. It was a bit embarassing as they found all sorts of minor things like missing section titles and so on.
So all this comes down to:"How am I doing, quality-wise?" Answer: Could be better!
With 3D, it is all to easy to have dimensions/text in paper space that become unhinged when you are correcting the model. Maybe there could be a correction detector that operates within Autocad and points out the little disparities. At the moment, you might get on the command line a comment like "dimension disassociated".
Sunday, February 8, 2009
Drawing a proposed cycle-way
Here is my proposal for a bike cycle-way design.
On my various rides I have thought about various features a good design might have:
1. It must be as flat as possible, or going slightly down-hill if at all possible.
2. It must keep off the rain and sun, yet still offer the riders a view of some sort,as well as ventilation.
3. The route should be as direct as possible.
4. There should be enough width for 3 cyclists coming and 3 going. The reasoning behind this is that if you are cycling with a friend, you will need 2 spaces, and that leaves one space for quicker passing cyclists.
5. There should be a barrier, about 800mm high between the opposing flows of traffic.
6. If possible, it should look modern and elegant.
The upshot of all of the above, is a cycle-way that is about 6.3m wide, if weallow for 3m each side and say 100mm for walls and barrier.
One thing is that these would be made in a factory and it is probable the length would be limited to how much length the roads can take.I have guessed at 32m.
The upshot of all of the above, is a cycle-way that is about 6.3m wide, if weallow for 3m each side and say 100mm for walls and barrier.
One thing is that these would be made in a factory and it is probable the length would be limited to how much length the roads can take.I have guessed at 32m.
Other aspects of my design could be criticised:
1. 6.3m wide is quite wide: could this be cut back by having the other opposing traffic in its own span?
2. There is a privacy issue for people living beneath one of these things-It is possible there could be screens over the window openings.
3. Every 32m there would have to be a very solid tower to hold it all up. This tower would have to be capable of having a truck run into it, if it is anywhere near a road...which is likely.
All we need now is a concrete designer to work out the loadings!
Re Autocad R2010:after my last post, I checked out RobiNZ cad blog (see the link in the links part) and had a look at the official web launch demo. I think the 3D free form modelling seems to have a lot of good things going for it, and the demo shows off the parametrics quite well.
Friday, February 6, 2009
Autocad R2010.
You can go to other places to find out which commands have been added and indepth analysis of all that is new with this. Here, you will only find my short take on what has been added.
Firstly, nothing dramatically new as far as I am concerned, because I am a 3D user. The only things I can think of as far as 3D is concerned, is that there has been a heavy effort on the part of the programmers to tighten up the display - ie when using 3d shading. The shading in previous versions has sometimes not looked the greatest, (it seems to vary from drawing to drawing), so this is most welcome, and is the part I look forward to most in the new release.
It seems a far more responsive program than before, but this is hard to judge as I've only tried it on an old Athlon 3500 with a cheap video card, on Windows XP. I'm curious as to how it goes on Vista.
For 2D users and new users the picture is different: A rearranged ribbon for commands, and for the first time, parametrics and constraints. Not to be left out, dynamic blocks have been revamped to make them easier to use.
Because the parametrics are only usable in 2d, I don't plan on using them. My work is so varied that dynamic blocks are not much use to me either.
Some 2D draftees will no doubt get excited by the parametrics. When I say 2d, this is not strictly true, as one enterprising person made two 3D blocks that each contained lines in them, and did a stunning animation of a rack and pinion.
There is a new file format, R2010.
Just in case you don't know what parametrics are, all it means is say you draw a rectangle and tell it that the two horizontal lines are always to be parallel (ie constrained) and the same for the two vertical ones, then if you stick one of the new special dimensions on the rectangle, then this gives you the ability to click on the constraint dimension and change it. This will cause the geometry to change. Quite a leap for Autocad, shame it is not available in 3D!
There is now the ability to bring a pdf file into your drawing. I have just tried this out and it is quite impressive for two reasons:
1. In a multipage file you are given the option of picking which one you need.
2. You can draw lines etc over the top of the pdf and it will snap to sensible parts of the pdf!
There are other items, such as measuring that have had an extreme makeover and I look forward to having these tools available. For instance there is now an area tool that highlights it's boundary so you can tell what is being measured. A small thing, to be sure, but if you add up all these small things, they start to add up to a compelling release.
Remember the fun of hatching using Autocad? There is now a new helper in your war: little red circles showing where the problem is. Again a small thing....but.
Express Tools now come ready installed on the menu bar, which by default is turned off!
If you want it back, there is a little down arrow next to the printer button.....this is the only thing you need to remember!
Firstly, nothing dramatically new as far as I am concerned, because I am a 3D user. The only things I can think of as far as 3D is concerned, is that there has been a heavy effort on the part of the programmers to tighten up the display - ie when using 3d shading. The shading in previous versions has sometimes not looked the greatest, (it seems to vary from drawing to drawing), so this is most welcome, and is the part I look forward to most in the new release.
It seems a far more responsive program than before, but this is hard to judge as I've only tried it on an old Athlon 3500 with a cheap video card, on Windows XP. I'm curious as to how it goes on Vista.
For 2D users and new users the picture is different: A rearranged ribbon for commands, and for the first time, parametrics and constraints. Not to be left out, dynamic blocks have been revamped to make them easier to use.
Because the parametrics are only usable in 2d, I don't plan on using them. My work is so varied that dynamic blocks are not much use to me either.
Some 2D draftees will no doubt get excited by the parametrics. When I say 2d, this is not strictly true, as one enterprising person made two 3D blocks that each contained lines in them, and did a stunning animation of a rack and pinion.
There is a new file format, R2010.
Just in case you don't know what parametrics are, all it means is say you draw a rectangle and tell it that the two horizontal lines are always to be parallel (ie constrained) and the same for the two vertical ones, then if you stick one of the new special dimensions on the rectangle, then this gives you the ability to click on the constraint dimension and change it. This will cause the geometry to change. Quite a leap for Autocad, shame it is not available in 3D!
There is now the ability to bring a pdf file into your drawing. I have just tried this out and it is quite impressive for two reasons:
1. In a multipage file you are given the option of picking which one you need.
2. You can draw lines etc over the top of the pdf and it will snap to sensible parts of the pdf!
There are other items, such as measuring that have had an extreme makeover and I look forward to having these tools available. For instance there is now an area tool that highlights it's boundary so you can tell what is being measured. A small thing, to be sure, but if you add up all these small things, they start to add up to a compelling release.
Remember the fun of hatching using Autocad? There is now a new helper in your war: little red circles showing where the problem is. Again a small thing....but.
Express Tools now come ready installed on the menu bar, which by default is turned off!
If you want it back, there is a little down arrow next to the printer button.....this is the only thing you need to remember!
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
Lisp: Everyone draws pipes don't they?
Of course they don't. I know that. Here is now made available, not exactly on a plate, a FREE, fun way to draw pipes. Not quite the end of drafting drudgery, but the start of the end!
Unfortunately, when I tried to put them on my blog all the lines ended up all over the place.
So I have made the decision to make the files available on a "request only" basis. That means you e-m-a-i-l me, asking for them, and I send them to you. (For free). I am trying to avoid the spammers here by saying think about blecouteur at xtra dot co dot nz.
In the process of testing: another snafu-the dialog box won't fit on the screen. This is because at work I have a big screen.....So I have now 2 dialog boxes to send you- one a chopped down one and one that is the full nine bananas. The small one does dairy pipes only-Grr...I will have to see about more columns...which can be done, it just makes life more complicated. It probably needs doing anyway. Try the full one called pipeset.dcl. if it does not work try the smaller one.
Every time I use this routine I am pleased at the appearance of pipes, as if by magic. There is a certain amount of ego stuff here, but I am at least honest enough to say that out there somewhere someone has done the same thing. (Probably a while ago.)
I had thought briefly of selling the combined routine, but they are very short routines, and any
capable lisp writer, if they had seen them being used, would be able to re-write them easily.
The idea is you run one routine initally to set the diameter of the pipe you want to be drawing.
The name of this routine is pipeset.lsp
Then you draw lines representing the pipe routes. Fiddle around with these to get them right.
Next, use pir.lsp to do the pipe radii. Unfortunately you have to do this elbow by elbow. One day I may make a routine to do this all in one hit.
Now comes the big moment: Set the routine pip.lsp onto that bunch of lines/arcs. That's right just select the damn lot all at once! Whoopee!....or it should be.
One of the routines uses a dialog box. This is contained in a separate file called a .dcl file.
The trick with this one is that the routine that accompanies it (pipeset.lsp), needs to know where you stuck it on your hard drive. You should be able to see the bit early on in the routine saying where the dialog file is kept.
Some people just get lazy and stick them all in the support directory, but this can be a pain if you upgrade.
Monday, December 22, 2008
Lisp, Using an incremental approach, and Variables
The Development Approach
1. Start simple.
2. Test it.
Once you have one bit working, move on to the next bit.
Don't try to write the whole program all at once, all in one hit. You will make mistakes, and
these are quite tricky to find with Lisp.
Make your first lisp routine 3 or 4 lines if you can. Leave the handrail generator for when you have 3 weeks off.
Looking for help? Try going Tools/Autolisp/Visual Lisp Editor. Once the Editor is up you can hit help. Someone at Autodesk is a smart one, because he put all the lisp commands under an aphabetical listing in the help section. Which is good if you know the name of the command.
Basics of Variables
What is a variable? Just a name, that you have made up, and you assign a value to.
This value might change over usage.
For instance, consider:
(setq the_length 22)
The minute Autocad sees this it says "Aha! that variable the_length, it has an integer value of 22!" You may not know what an integer is. It is definitely nothing complicated, all it means
is it is a whole number. So for instance 22.23 would not be an integer.
Just a trap for young players here....do not use variables like angle or length. These are already
reserved for Autocad's own use and causes trouble if you do (Yes...I am guilty!)
How about:
(setq the_layer_name "Fred")
Here, the variable is being set to a string (whats a string?-just a bunch of characters)
You could change this in the course of the program by going:
(setq the_layer_name "Sam")
Naming of Variables
I'm afraid I have been a bad boy as far as consistency is concerned here: I seem to choose
whatever takes my fancy at the time. Sometimes I like running all the letters together, for
instance thelayername. Other times I go the_layer_name or TheLayerName.
Just remember lisp does not care about upper or lower case so just choose the system that
suits you best. But remember: One day you might have to read your own program back,
and having variables like "e" or "b" or "updown" won't make a lot of sense.
Get a peer review
At one stage I had written a 3d stair generator, which I was intensely proud of.
Until I gave it to a friend, who kindly pointed out that it did not compute the stairs he
thought it should be able to. He was right. I was wrong. But I went away and corrected
it and now it goes nicely. I hope to post this over the Xmas period, along with some other
ones.
There are good books out there, I bought one (Woops in 1992!) called Maximising Autolisp
by Rusty Gesner and Joseph Smith, and I have had good use out of it.
1. Start simple.
2. Test it.
Once you have one bit working, move on to the next bit.
Don't try to write the whole program all at once, all in one hit. You will make mistakes, and
these are quite tricky to find with Lisp.
Make your first lisp routine 3 or 4 lines if you can. Leave the handrail generator for when you have 3 weeks off.
Looking for help? Try going Tools/Autolisp/Visual Lisp Editor. Once the Editor is up you can hit help. Someone at Autodesk is a smart one, because he put all the lisp commands under an aphabetical listing in the help section. Which is good if you know the name of the command.
Basics of Variables
What is a variable? Just a name, that you have made up, and you assign a value to.
This value might change over usage.
For instance, consider:
(setq the_length 22)
The minute Autocad sees this it says "Aha! that variable the_length, it has an integer value of 22!" You may not know what an integer is. It is definitely nothing complicated, all it means
is it is a whole number. So for instance 22.23 would not be an integer.
Just a trap for young players here....do not use variables like angle or length. These are already
reserved for Autocad's own use and causes trouble if you do (Yes...I am guilty!)
How about:
(setq the_layer_name "Fred")
Here, the variable is being set to a string (whats a string?-just a bunch of characters)
You could change this in the course of the program by going:
(setq the_layer_name "Sam")
Naming of Variables
I'm afraid I have been a bad boy as far as consistency is concerned here: I seem to choose
whatever takes my fancy at the time. Sometimes I like running all the letters together, for
instance thelayername. Other times I go the_layer_name or TheLayerName.
Just remember lisp does not care about upper or lower case so just choose the system that
suits you best. But remember: One day you might have to read your own program back,
and having variables like "e" or "b" or "updown" won't make a lot of sense.
Get a peer review
At one stage I had written a 3d stair generator, which I was intensely proud of.
Until I gave it to a friend, who kindly pointed out that it did not compute the stairs he
thought it should be able to. He was right. I was wrong. But I went away and corrected
it and now it goes nicely. I hope to post this over the Xmas period, along with some other
ones.
There are good books out there, I bought one (Woops in 1992!) called Maximising Autolisp
by Rusty Gesner and Joseph Smith, and I have had good use out of it.
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