AutoCADderMonday, April 23, 2007
Raster images embedded in DWG, Mohawk texts
I have received a trial copy of AutoCAD Raster Design 2008 to test it on AutoCAD 2008. I have used an old version of Raster Design some years ago but I have not followed the newer versions then.
This raster processing add-on for AutoCAD allows to work with raster files in the AutoCAD environment, practically in the same way as you work with vector entities. Plus it supports all possible transformations of raster images (rubbersheeting) and many specialized raster formats with high compression and raster formats for satellite imaginery.
One of the functions which is new in the version 2008 is very interesting - it allows to embed raster images inside a DWG file. It is limited to bitonal images (black-and-white, 1-bit) but still - you can get rid of referencing external raster files and avoid instable OLE objects. Your raster file becomes a single object in the DWG database. The special command for this function is IEMBED and the object type it creates is AECIDBEMBEDDEDRASTERIMAGE which behaves like a standard IMAGE (you will need the Raster Design object enabler to see this image in plain AutoCAD). The resulting DWG file doesn't grow much - a 100kB compressed TIFF embeds to a 150kB DWG file. Such function would be very useful in also the basic AutoCAD package.
Raster Design performs also OCR (optical character recognition) - reading texts from raster images into text entities. For this, Raster Design option settings offer an impressive list of character sets - including e.g. Mohawk:
This raster processing add-on for AutoCAD allows to work with raster files in the AutoCAD environment, practically in the same way as you work with vector entities. Plus it supports all possible transformations of raster images (rubbersheeting) and many specialized raster formats with high compression and raster formats for satellite imaginery.
One of the functions which is new in the version 2008 is very interesting - it allows to embed raster images inside a DWG file. It is limited to bitonal images (black-and-white, 1-bit) but still - you can get rid of referencing external raster files and avoid instable OLE objects. Your raster file becomes a single object in the DWG database. The special command for this function is IEMBED and the object type it creates is AECIDBEMBEDDEDRASTERIMAGE which behaves like a standard IMAGE (you will need the Raster Design object enabler to see this image in plain AutoCAD). The resulting DWG file doesn't grow much - a 100kB compressed TIFF embeds to a 150kB DWG file. Such function would be very useful in also the basic AutoCAD package.
Raster Design performs also OCR (optical character recognition) - reading texts from raster images into text entities. For this, Raster Design option settings offer an impressive list of character sets - including e.g. Mohawk:
Labels: AutoCAD 2008, embedding, OCR, Raster Design, raster images
Tuesday, April 17, 2007
3DSOUT is back!
The beloved 3DSOUT command comes back to us AutoCADders. The export of .3ds files was lost in AutoCAD 2007 (with the new render - 3DSOUT was part of the old render engine). But probably many users have complained about this as 3DS was a commonly used simple format for exchanging 3D data.
Now Autodesk returns the 3DSOUT back in the form of a downloadable utility for the 32-bit and 64-bit AutoCAD 2008, AutoCAD 2007 and other application from these families.
Go and download from the Autodesk site (AutoCAD updates).
Please note that some limitations apply for exporting lights and new-type materials, and there is a special step to take when installing under Windows Vista - see Readme.
Now Autodesk returns the 3DSOUT back in the form of a downloadable utility for the 32-bit and 64-bit AutoCAD 2008, AutoCAD 2007 and other application from these families.
Go and download from the Autodesk site (AutoCAD updates).
Please note that some limitations apply for exporting lights and new-type materials, and there is a special step to take when installing under Windows Vista - see Readme.
Labels: 3DSOUT, AutoCAD 2008
Wednesday, April 04, 2007
Label for printed drawings
Back from legal stuff to some practical tips...
There is a nice dynamic block Net_ID in the tip Label printed drawings automatically with user name and computer name on CAD Forum. Indeed, I have also several times searched for the author of an anonymous printout on our network plotter. About to add this block to our company's template drawings.
There is a nice dynamic block Net_ID in the tip Label printed drawings automatically with user name and computer name on CAD Forum. Indeed, I have also several times searched for the author of an anonymous printout on our network plotter. About to add this block to our company's template drawings.
Labels: DWT, dynamic block, plotter
Autodesk - ODA lawsuit ends for now
AECnews inform about the settlement in the Autodesk's trademark infringement lawsuit against ODA. The result is as expected - ODA has infringed Autodesk's rights by faking the TrustedDWG sign in its DWG libraries. An earlier court decision has already prohibited the Open Design Alliance to distribute these libraries.
See also my older posts Autodesk sues ODA and Autodesk vs. ODA - it is about faking.
See also my older posts Autodesk sues ODA and Autodesk vs. ODA - it is about faking.
Labels: Autodesk, ODA, TrustedDWG
Tuesday, April 03, 2007
Autodesk DWF tools updated
Autodesk has recently updated all of its free DWF tools.
On the publishing side - for AutoCAD 2008 there is a new DWFx driver allowing to publish DWFx files directly from AutoCAD Plot (ePlot DWFx). XPS-style .dwfx files do not need any viewer to display on Windows Vista computers. I would expect Autodesk includes this in a shipping boxes - but probably the have missed the shipping deadline or the DWFx driver is scheduled to be updated more frequently. For non-Autodesk applications, there is a new DWF Writer 2008 (aka V3.5). All the 2D/3D versions, Solidworks/CATIA plugins etc. are now in a single installation. Unsurprisingly, DWF Writes 2008 also adds support for Windows Vista.
On the viewing/reviewing side there is now a single free application - the new Autodesk Design Review 2008. It has a lot of new functions (see the Beyond the Paper blog), the most important for me is the measuring/redlining of 3D DWF files, DGN support, DWFx support. Autodesk has also rebranded its DWFit web service - the viewerless web viewing of DWF files is now Freewheel (the original name of the development project).
On the publishing side - for AutoCAD 2008 there is a new DWFx driver allowing to publish DWFx files directly from AutoCAD Plot (ePlot DWFx). XPS-style .dwfx files do not need any viewer to display on Windows Vista computers. I would expect Autodesk includes this in a shipping boxes - but probably the have missed the shipping deadline or the DWFx driver is scheduled to be updated more frequently. For non-Autodesk applications, there is a new DWF Writer 2008 (aka V3.5). All the 2D/3D versions, Solidworks/CATIA plugins etc. are now in a single installation. Unsurprisingly, DWF Writes 2008 also adds support for Windows Vista.
On the viewing/reviewing side there is now a single free application - the new Autodesk Design Review 2008. It has a lot of new functions (see the Beyond the Paper blog), the most important for me is the measuring/redlining of 3D DWF files, DGN support, DWFx support. Autodesk has also rebranded its DWFit web service - the viewerless web viewing of DWF files is now Freewheel (the original name of the development project).
Labels: Design Review, DWF, DWFx, Freewheel
