LD Assistant DMX Patch Editor

The all new DMX Patch Editor makes it easy to edit your DMX patch One simple way to use the DMX Editor is to use the Change Specific Data before opening the DMX Editor. (PIX 1) Assign a Position to a group of fixtures using Change Specific Data; do this to each group of fixtures. Using the Change Specific Data, you are able to make global changes to more than a thousand fixtures at one time. Note: Change Specific Data allows you to change Height, Position, Unit ID, Type, Channel, Dimmer, Circuit, Color, Focus, Iris, Gobo, Frame Size, Accessory, Cable ID, DMX Universe, DMX Channel, Intensity, Purpose, TwoFer, Candle Power, Wattage, price, Lamp, Weight, Field Angle, Beam Angle and a lot more. While its not necessary to add Position and Unit number before editing the patch list, it will help with keeping your work flow organized. Next use the Renumber Instrument (PIX 2) to give each fixture a unit number. Note: Renumber instrument makes it easy to consecutively renumber Units Number, Channel, Dimmer, Circuit and Cable ID. All the fixtures in the LD Assistant library have a starting DMX address of one. You may want to move the fixtures to a new starting address to make it easer to drag them to a new address. To do this open the Properties Window and move all at once to a new address (see LD Assistant 2012 Properties Window below). After changing the starting address, open the DMX Editor (PIX 3) and you will see a lot of RED XXXX. Simply move a red X to a new starting address. To see the information about the fixture you are about to move, do a right mouse click over the RED X (PIX 3). To move a fixture to a different universe (PIX 3) click on the fixture cell then use the button Move to Universe (bottom left of the dialog).   To place any schedule that is open on the drawing (Below), right mouse click into one of the cells, when the dialog opens, click on Draw schedule then click on the drawing area.

LD Assistant Tips

LD Assistant Properties Window Tip

By using the Properties window (PIX 1) you can move or change data attached to an object. This is just one way to make changes in you drawing and another way to speed up your work flow. You can display and change the current properties for any object in your drawing in the following ways: (1) Open the Quick Properties palette to view and change the settings for selected properties of the object. (2) Open the Properties palette and view and change the settings for all properties of the object. (3) View and change the settings in the Layer control on the Layers toolbar and the Color, Line type, Line weight, and Plot Style controls on the Properties toolbar. Note: • When more than one object is selected, the Properties palette displays only those properties common to all objects in the selection set. • When no objects are selected, the Properties palette displays only the general properties of the current layer, the name of the plot style table attached to the layer, the view properties, and information about the UCS.

Featured LD Assistant Rendering by Rufus Warren

Autodesk News

Autodesk celebrates 30 years in business - In April 1982 a group of 13 computer programmers pooled about $60,000 of their own money to launch a software startup out of a two-bedroom home on Saint Jude Road in Mill Valley.    Thirty years later that company, Autodesk Inc., employs some 7,000 people worldwide, boasts annual revenues of more than $2 billion and remains a major player in the architectural, engineering and entertainment design industries. Most recently, Autodesk — now based in San Rafael with a large presence in San Francisco — has moved into the consumer market, releasing the popular SketchBook drawing application for mobile devices and tablets and free 123D three-dimensional modeling software, among other offerings. Click to keep reading

Autodesk Doesn't Buy SketchUp - Why did Autodesk not outbid everyone? I would have thought they’d do whatever it took to acquire SketchUp. Autodesk has been actively chasing the maker/inventor/hobbyist market, such as it is. The AEC community may not have jumped on SketchUp to create the built world... Click to keep reading

Articles & How To

Turn Photos Into 3D Models With Autodesk 123D Catch By James Bruce - 123D Catch is just one of a range of free software from the CAD and modeling powerhouse Autodesk, and though I may take a look at the other apps at a later date, today we will be looking specifically at just 123D Catch. - The app takes a selection of photos of an object – the more the better – finds identical points and distinguishing features between them, and merges them all together to create a fairly accurate, realistically.. Click to keep reading

123D Catch Available for iPad in App Store - This new free* app lets users take images from their iPad camera and upload them to the Autodesk cloud service that transforms the images into a 3D model. - “The launch of 123D Catch for iPad allows anyone to capture, explore, experiment and experience the 3D design and personal fabrication process.” - Complementing the desktop and newly released online versions, the Autodesk 123D Catch app allows users to capture the world around them in 3D while on the go. Imagine the potential for photos of vacation memories, family or other mementos brought to life in 3D. Captures made in 123D Catch can also be used as the foundation for further 3D modeling, 3D animation, or used to create a 3D printed object. Click to keep reading

Introduces 123D Catch. A fun and free app for creating a 3D models from your photographs.

123D Catch for the iPad, which allows anyone to automatically turn panoramic style photos into 3D models. - The app allows users to take up to 40 photos of a specific object, which are then uploaded to Autodesk Cloud for processing. From there, the 3D model can be rotated on the tablet, shared, or even printed by a 3D printer like MakerBot. - Along with 1234D Catch, Autodesk has also quietly released 123D Make Intro, which lets users turn 3D models into 2D build plans with animated assembly instructions. 1234D Make Intro isn’t very full-featured, but is still an interesting app for fans of this space. For more on the entire 123D series, check out TNW’s first look from Autodesk’s preview event back in March.

AutoCAD WS is on (Kindle) Fire! - The Kindle Fire is now joining the huge family of Android and iOS devices running AutoCAD WS and allowing you to take your designs with you anywhere you go. Use your Kindle Fire to view your drawings, edit them and share them with your colleagues. Click to keep reading

AutoCAD Rotate and the Magic Options - rotating rectangle to match edge at odd angle using ROTATE command, Jarod Schultz - Some of us have been using AutoCAD for quite a long time but still miss some of the updates and new options to the existing commands. In this Click Saver I want to discuss some options for the rotate command on the AutoCAD platform. When using the rotate command AutoCAD assumes that you always want to rotate something starting at 0 degrees. Click to keep reading

How to Become the CAD “Go-To” Guy - If you have ever been referred to as the CAD “go-to” guy (or gal) in your office, chances are that after helping someone troubleshoot a nagging problem, the person has said to you, “Do you know EVERYTHING about AutoCAD?” So, how do you answer “Yes” to that question without losing the respect of your fellow CAD users or coming off as a pompous fool? - The trick is to be truthful by saying something like, “I’ve been using CAD for a while, and I picked up some tricks here and there.” But that still doesn’t really answer the question, does it? Where exactly is “here and there?” Click to keep reading

1 if for RED, 0 if Bylayer, Brian Benton, CAD-a-Blog - Blocks are one of the selling points to using CAD over the drafting board. In reality, blocks are not really unique to CAD, from a certain point of view. Board drafters used templates and guides as a sort of block to create basic shapes and redundant linework. Blocks are sets of linework, text, or any CAD object that are saved and stored to be reused later on. They can take on many different forms, shapes and functions. They make drawing in CAD quicker. We use computers, and CAD, to make redundant tasks easier. Why do something several times when you can do it once? That’s what a block does. Click to keep reading

AutoCAD 3D Tips - working with UCS, using SWEEP command, drawing views, Kendred Cooper, Hagerman & Company, YouTube

Know What Your Plot Will Look Like When You Use Plot Styles - Paul Munford, AutoCAD Tips Blog - Did you know that you can set AutoCAD up to show you exactly how your plot will look, even before you Preview it? (You can click the Preview button in the Plot dialog box to preview your plot.) - It’s easy – when you know how. This technique applies when you use a color-dependent (CTB file) or named (STB file) plot style. Plot styles help you create and save plotting variations and are a great productivity tool. If you aren’t using plot styles, I highly recommend that you check them out. Here are two tutorials to get you started... Click to keep reading

Hardware for the CAD Professional

Connectivity Options and the CAD Workstation: PCI, FireWire and eSATA - PCI Yes, the old standard PCI add-in card is still around, and from a user’s perspective is completely different than PCI Express. A PCI slot can’t support a PCI Express card, and vice versa. However, workstations will still include a PCI slot or two for low-demand legacy cards. Unless you have some special legacy PCI requirements, you’re unlikely to be disappointed by whatever your OEM provides. Click to keep reading

Thank You! Design & Drafting appreciates your interest in our products. Please forward this newsletter to your friends and associates, however, NO part of this newsletter may be used without permission. © Copyright 2013 by Chicago Stage Equipment Company Inc. D.B.A. Design & Drafting. Autodesk, AutoCAD, AutoCAD LT, DWF, DWG, DXF, ObjectARX are registered trademarks or trademarks of Autodesk, Inc., and/or its subsidiaries and/or affiliates in the USA and/or other countries. All other brand names, product names, or trademarks belong to their respective holders.© 2012 Autodesk, Inc. All rights reserved. Rufus Warren Editor