Creating Practical Light Blocks

A good way to practice your CAD skills is to create blocks that can be added to your “User Defined” LD Assistant Library. When I have the time, I work on creating blocks that I can use in the future. Some of my favorite things to create are practical lighting fixtures, i.e. wall sconces, table lamps and chandeliers. The standard modeling tools in LD Assistant make it easy to design practically any practical lighting fixture of various styles, periods and designs. The processes of creating these fixtures typically provide me the opportunity to exercise my use of LD Assistant’s modeling tools, as well as integrate the fundamental tools of texture mapping and material use. I like this exercise because it brings together the basic elements of lisghting; source, reflection, refraction and absorption. The practical lighting fixtures that I create can easily be added to my “User Defined” LD library with the full range of block attributes which act just like any “Predefined LD block”.   by G.B. Stephens, Associate Professor of Design University of South Florida School of Theatre and Dance

LD Assistant Files - NOW On iPhone, iPad & Android Using AutoCAD WS

AutoCAD WS App for iPhone or iPad - view, edit, share DWG files, Red Villanueva of Hagerman & Company, Inc., YouTube

AutoCAD WS for Android Tutorial - opening, editing drawing, commands on draw toolbar, markup toolbar, Autodesk

NVIDIA Unveils Online 3D Vision Community

3DVisionLive.com is an online community where NVIDIA 3D Vision technology users can enjoy and share a broad range of 3D content on their PCs. It allows them to stream 3D movie trailers, music videos, sport clips, and video shorts, as well as post and view high-quality, high-resolution 3D photos. Click here to keep reading.

NVIDIA Announces "Project Denver" to Build Custom CPU Cores Based on ARM Architecture

NVIDIA plans to build high-performance ARM® based CPU cores, designed to support future products ranging from personal computers and servers to workstations and supercomputers. Known under the internal codename "Project Denver," this initiative features an NVIDIA® CPU running the ARM instruction set, which will be fully integrated on the same chip as the NVIDIA GPU. Click here to keep reading.

Autodesk to Acquire Blue Ridge Numerics for $39M

Autodesk announced that it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Blue Ridge Numerics, Inc., a leading provider of simulation software, for approximately $39 million in cash. The transaction is subject to customary closing conditions and is expected to close in Autodesk’s first quarter of fiscal 2012 (which ends on April 30, 2011). Click here to keep reading.

Featured LD Assistant Rendering

If a picture is worth a thousand words... then here are a few thousand! Special thanks to Kevin Denzel for allowing us to show some of his work. Rendering are copyrighted © by Kevin Denzel.

ARTICLES  & HOW TO

Plot Raster Images - printing high resolution images in AutoCAD 2011, This is a tip for printing drawings with high-resolution images or multiple aerial photographs. We have found a couple of settings (which apparently were added in the 2007 version) that affect how AutoCAD handles memory when dealing with raster images, Hayden Clarke, Cadalyst

Working on LAYOUTs - Using Modify Commands On Viewports AutoCAD VIEWPORTs are basically AutoCAD objects. VIEWPORTs define the frames through which you’ll get a view of your model. It gets highligted when you select it and a “Quick Properties” window appears. It really is an AutoCAD object. Orhan Toker, Daily AutoCAD

Masking with AutoCAD Hatch - If you read CAD Notes tutorial on dynamic blocks, we use wipeout to automatically ‘trim’ objects. Very useful for placing a door on a wall or for schematic drawings. Edwin Prakoso, CAD Notes

Overlay 2D AutoCAD DWG on Google Maps with AutoCAD WS - One of the not well known features in AutoCAD WS is to place your AutoCAD drawing on top of Google Maps. First for those not familiar with AutoCAD WS we need to bring you up to speed on this free collaboration tool used by hundreds of thousands of people since it's launch. Shaan Hurley, Between The Lines

Create a Custom Function in AutoCAD's Calculator - QuickCalc solves complex coordinate problems, use LINE command, generate custom functions, EllenFinkelstein.com

Masking with Hatch - wipeout for masking object, activating hatch, creating proper white balance. If you read CAD Notes tutorial on dynamic block, we use wipeout to automatically ‘trim’ objects. Very useful for placing door on a wall or schematic drawings.Edwin Prakoso, CAD Notes

Mac 3D Graphics Performance Comparison - engine model rotation for Rhino, NX, AutoCAD for Mac, Deelip Menezes

Change Text Orientation - using TOrient command for orienting text in AutoCAD 2011, 2 keystrokes, insertion point unchanged, Bob McCue, Cadalyst

I Shared DWG, What Will They Get? - AutoCAD WS is secure alternative to sending files via email or using FTP, no need to have account or register, Iris Shoor, AutoCAD WS Blog

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