AutoCADderMonday, February 27, 2006
AutoCAD reactors are user friendly
AutoCAD reactors are an underestimated customization functionality in AutoCAD. Imagine functions for which you (as an AutoCAD user) don't need to remember their command names (or cryptic icons), which launch automatically under your hands exactly at the moment you need them. Sounds perfect?
You can write your own reactors which react on a change in your DWG drawing, on other commands launched, on drawing about to be closed, etc. Reactors can be written even in VisualLISP and VBA - so you don't have to be a C++ genius-programmer to write your own ones. Just think of the options - how many steps you have to repeat daily editing your drawings. Switching layers on and off, manipulating layouts, publishing a fresh drawing copy, forgetting to reset the xxxxx variable when doing yyyyy. All this can be automated using reactors.
You can write your own reactors which react on a change in your DWG drawing, on other commands launched, on drawing about to be closed, etc. Reactors can be written even in VisualLISP and VBA - so you don't have to be a C++ genius-programmer to write your own ones. Just think of the options - how many steps you have to repeat daily editing your drawings. Switching layers on and off, manipulating layouts, publishing a fresh drawing copy, forgetting to reset the xxxxx variable when doing yyyyy. All this can be automated using reactors.
Useful links: The AfraLISP web offers an introduction to LISP reactors. The Xanadu company has some useful free LISP reactors for download (the latest one is LayLay).
Monday, February 20, 2006
Inventor 11 information leaked out
MCAD Online - Inventor 11: Exclusive! leaks first information about new Autodesk Inventor 11 (probably a bit earlier than they were allowed to do so). I think the most popular new feature will be the handling of large (larger) assemblies - anything that makes these 3D MCAD applications faster is much appreciated...
Some interesting news seem to come also for the bigger brother - Autodesk Inventor Professional 11 (the new Solid Dynamics' simulation module, flavored versions...).
Information about the new AutoCAD 2007 (lots of 3D stuff as well - expect higher requirements for memory and graphics cards) is promised to be released in a couple of days.
