Thursday, February 24, 2011

Detect and remove the Acad.vlx virus from autocad

Users of AutoCAD-based products have reported a malicious acad.vlx file that causes drawing corruption.

Solution

This is not an actual AutoCAD file provided by Autodesk. When the malicious acad.vlx file is loaded in AutoCAD, it corrupts the drawing, which may result in a Missing Language Pack dialog box displaying when you save and reopen the drawing.
The acad.vlx file creates a copy of itself in the Help folder (for example, C:\Program Files\AutoCAD 20xx\Help\logo.gif). Several other files are also modified and the ACADLSPASDOC system variable is set to 1, allowing the acad.vlx file to be loaded into other opened drawings, thereby corrupting them.
The cleanup process outlined below detects and deletes any acad.vlx file before AutoCAD attempts to load it, preventing the spread of the virus.

To prevent additional file corruptions

You must be a system administrator on your Microsoft® Windows® operating system to complete this process.
  1. In your product installation folder, locate the Support folder (for example, C:\Program Files\AutoCAD 20xx\Support).
  2. In the Support folder, double-click the acad20xx.lsp file (for example, the acad20xx.lsp file). Add the code below to the file. AutoCAD will detect and delete the acad.vlx and logo.gif files.

    (defun cleanvirus( / lspfiles lspfile x)
      (setq lspfiles '("acad.vlx" "logo.gif"))
      (foreach lspfile lspfiles
        (while (setq x (findfile lspfile))
          (progn
            (vl-file-delete x)
            (princ "\nDeleted file ")
            (princ x)
          );progn
        );while
      );foreach
    )
    (cleanvirus)
  3. Open each of the following files:
    • C:\Program Files\AutoCAD 20xx\Express\acetauto.lsp
    • C:\Program Files\AutoCAD 20xx\Support\ai_utils.lsp
    • ROAMABLEROOTPREFIX\Support\acad.mnl
      Note: Replace ROAMABLEROOTPREFIX with the value returned by the ROAMABLEROOTPREFIX system variable.
  4. If present, delete the following line of code:

    (vl-file-copy(findfile(vl-list->string'(108 111 103 111 46 103 105 102)))(vl-list->string'(97 99 97 100 46 118 108 120)))
  5. Save each file.

Monday, February 21, 2011

Cannot select page layouts in autocad

Issue

When you created a new drawing based on a drawing template, there were no page layouts available for you to select.

Solution

Page layouts are stored in your drawing (or dwt file) under a model space named page setup.
To create a new page setup model space
  1. At the command prompt, enter _PAGESETUP.
  2. In the Page Setup Manager, click New.
  3. Enter a new page setup name.
  4. In the Page Setup - Model dialog box, select the parameters you want.
  5. Click OK.
You will now have a page layout available for selection.

Profile Grid View command not working correctly in autocad

Issue
When you were editing an existing profile using the Profile Grid View command to view the Profile Entities values inside the Panorama window, the Panorama window stopped displaying on the screen. The Profile Layout Tools - Layout (1) toolbar was closed without an error and in the command line you could see that the command was cancelled without further comment.
Solution

To make the Panorama window visible again

1. Right-click the selected profile. Click Edit Profile.
2. Minimize the drawing window.
3. On the Profile Layout Tools-Layout (1) toolbar, click Profile Grid View.

The Panorama window with the Profile Entities will now display in docked mode on the left or right side of the application.

Error: Cannot initialize ASI


You were unable to start Autodesk® Civil 3D® or Autodesk® Land Desktop and received the following error message:
Cannot initialize ASI
You must have a recent version of Microsoft Data Access Components (MDAC) installed on your computer to run Autodesk® Land Desktop and Autodesk® Civil 3D®.
To resolve this error, download and install the latest version of MDAC.

SAMReport-lite for Windows 7


When trying to install SAMReport-lite on Windows 7, you receive the error “You cannot install this product on the current operating system”. This download includes a version of the Java Runtime Environment that will allow installation of SAMReport-lite on Windows 7.
NOTE: SAMReport-lite is a stand-alone tool which helps to read network licensing reports generated by the Autodesk Network License Manager and can be installed on computers independent of the installation of any Autodesk products.

Installation Instructions

NOTE: You must have administrative privileges on your Microsoft Windows operating system to complete the installation process.
  1. On the computer, close all software applications and log on as the Administrator.
  2. Download and unzip the setup_win.zip file to a local temp directory.
  3. Double-click on jre-6u18-windows-i586.exe and follow the instructions to install the Java Runtime Environment.
  4. After the Java Runtime Environment is successfully installed, double-click on setup_win.exe and follow the installation instructions.
  5. After SAMReport-lite is successfully installed, right-click on desktop, click New and then Shortcut.
  6. When creating shortcut browse to “C:\Program Files\Macrovision\samreport\report.exe” and then append it further with the following “ -- -javaver 1.6.0_18”. The complete shortcut should look like this:
    “C:\Program Files\Macrovision\samreport\ report.exe” -- -javaver 1.6.0_18
  7. Click OK.
  8. To start SAMReport-lite, double-click on the desktop shortcut that you created.

Unhandled exception when using products based on AutoCAD 2010 or 2011

After installation, you were able to start the product, but when you tried to execute a command or select one of the UI items, the product crashed with the following error message:
Unhandled e0434f4dh exception at 7c81eb33h
This error is caused by Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5 Service Pack 1 not being installed properly.
You can download and install Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5 SP1 directly from the Microsoft website:
Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5 Service Pack 1
Once you have installed .NET Framework 3.5 SP1, the product will work as expected.

Plotting to older HP plotters on Windows Vista causes error messages during plot and when closing application in autocad


Issue

Attempting to configure an HP DesignJet 70 or DesignJet 500 series plotter, based on the system printer, fails in Windows Vista with the message, “Autodesk Hardcopy component has stopped working”, and you are unable to plot.
Additionally, closing AutoCAD after printing to one of these printers displays the error message, “AutoCAD Application has stopped working”.

Solution

The following new drivers from HP allow these plotters to plot correctly on Windows Vista:
DesignJet 70 Series
DesignJet 500 Series

Error Message while installing Civil 3D : This installation is forbidden by system policy

Issue
You try to install Civil 3D 2010 on the same machine where AutoCAD Civil 3D 2011 has already been installed and you get the error :
The installation is forbidden by system policy. Contact your system administrator. #267.
Solution
If you want to install multiple versions of Civil 3D 2010 on the same machine, you should always install from older to newer version.
Example : Install AutoCAD Civil 3D 2010 first, then install AutoCAD Civil 3D 2011. Not the other way around.
The reason behind that is because the product refers to shared files, you should make sure the shared files are always the one that comes with latest product version.

Error: Performance Tuner failed to update in AutoCAD Civil 3D 2011

When you attempted to update the driver database using the 3DCONFIG command, you received the following error message:
Performance Tuner failed to update. Please check your network connection and make sure you have write permission to the file.
Solution
When you use the "Check for Updates" feature in the 3DCONFIG command, if a newer version of the Certified Hardware List is available, it is downloaded and a local XML file is updated.

If this file is set to read-only, or if you don't have the user permissions to save changes to this file, the error can occur.
To resolve this error
1. Using Windows Explorer, navigate to the following file:

Microsoft XP

C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Autodesk\\Rxxx\\PTXML\AdskHwCertificationDatabase.xml

For example:

C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Autodesk\AutoCAD 2011\R18.1\enu\PTXML\AdskHwCertificationDatabase.xml

Microsoft Vista/Windows 7

C:\ProgramData\Autodesk\\Rxxx\\AdskHwCertificationDatabase.xml

For example:

C:\ProgramData\Autodesk\AutoCAD 2011\R18.1\enu\PTXML\AdskHwCertificationDatabase.xml


2. Right-click the file. Click Properties.
3. In the File Properties dialog box, clear the Read-only check box.
If this does not resolve the issue, log onto the machine as local Administrator and attempt to update the database again.

Error: Unhandled Access Violation Reading 0x0000 Exception at 78a2b9h when attempting to open Options in AutoCAD Civil 3D 2011


When you tried to open the Options dialog box or to switch between layouts, AutoCAD crashed with an error
Unhandled Access Violation Reading 0x0000 Exception at 78a2b9h

In addition, there may be an error "Failed to load PLCFMGR.dll"
The crash may also occur at a different memory address.

Solution

This problem can occur when the Windows dll prntvpt.dll is missing or corrupt.
The following hotfix from Microsoft includes a copy of the affected DLL, therefore after installing this hotfix you should not experience the problem anymore:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/971276

An error occurred during Installation of assembly 'FARO.LS' in AutoCAD Civil 3D 2011

You receive a Error Message like this during the Installation of AutoCAD® Civil 3D® 2011:
An error occurred during the installation of assembly 'FARO.LS, version="1.1.406.58", Type="win32", processoreArchitecture="x86", publicKeyToken="1d23f5635ba800ab"
Solution
Please deactivate Norton AntiVirus during the Installation of AutoCAD® Civil 3D® 2011.

Network licensing errors during software startup in AutoCAD Civil 3D 2011


If these solutions do not resolve the installation error, the additional tests listed below will help determine the cause of the problem.
  • Network licensing errors often indicate a problem with the license manager. See the following solution for details on configuring and troubleshooting the Autodesk Network License Manager: Problems configuring the Autodesk Network License Manager (FlexLM).
  • Many times errors occur when license servers are changed, added or removed. Make sure that your product is looking to the correct license manager. Change how your AutoCAD-based software locates the license manager by setting an environment variable on the client workstations. For more information, refer to the following solution: Specifying license servers using the ADSKFLEX_LICENSE_FILE environment variable.
  • Make sure that client machines can ping the license manager and the license manager can ping the clients by hostname. If this does not work, it indicates a networking problem that will need to be addressed before network licensing will work. Contact your network administrator or IT professional for additional assistance.
  • If the Autodesk product does not display an error code, or you want a more descriptive response, follow the instructions in the following solution to increase the amount of information returned when a network licensing error occurs: Increasing verbosity of FLEXlm® errors. This information is particularly useful when troubleshooting Revit licensing issues.
  • For a complete description of all error codes, refer to the Macrovision FLEXlm® documentation (in HTML format), which is included with the installation of the Autodesk Network License Manager. By default, the FLEXlm documentation is located in the C:\Program Files\Autodesk Network License Manager\Docs\FlexUser directory.
If you have worked through the standard troubleshooting steps and were not able to resolve the issue, follow this link for additional technical assistance.

Error on startup or AutoCAD is not installed properly. Please reinstall immediately in AutoCAD Civil 3D 2011

Issue
When you launched the application, it immediately closes. The following error message may or may not be displayed:
This version of AutoCAD was not installed properly and some features may not run correctly. You should reinstall AutoCAD immediately to make sure all features are working properly. Do you wish to continue anyway?
Solution
We've discovered one source for this issue that stems from a bad registry entry in the HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.png key.

There have been cases where the value in the Content Type key contains a leading space.

In some cases, simply removing that leading space in the value resolves the issue. We don't know how that value is getting set with a leading space - it is not being done by Autodesk - nor do we know if removing that space affects any other applications, however users who removed the leading space did not report any other issues.
1. Run REGEDIT
2. Navigate to HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.png
3. Modify the Content Type value to remove a leading space (if one exists)
If this did not apply to your system or it did not resolve the issue, these errors may indicate a corruption of the Microsoft® .NET Framework. This operating system component is required for several AutoCAD features, including the Properties Palette, Layer Manager, Ribbon, Menu Browser, Tooltips and other features.
To correct this issue:
1. On the Start menu (Windows), click Settings > Control Panel.
2. In Control Panel, double-click Add or Remove Programs (Windows 2000/XP) or Programs and Features (Windows Vista).
3. Uninstall all versions of .NET Framework, beginning with the newest version first.
4. Reinstall only the version of .NET Framework required for your software version. Refer to the list below for AutoCAD requirements. For vertical products, consult the product installation literature for the required .NET Framework version.
• AutoCAD 2008/AutoCAD LT 2008 requires .NET Framework 2.0
• AutoCAD 2009/AutoCAD LT 2009 requires .NET Framework 3.0
• AutoCAD 2010/AutoCAD LT 2010 requires .NET Framework 3.5 Service Pack 1
• AutoCAD 2011/AutoCAD LT 2011 requires .NET Framework 3.5 Service Pack 1

General display and crash issues after applying Update 1 in AutoCAD Civil 3D 2011


These issues are generally related to an unsupported graphics card driver, or an unsupported graphics card. 
Even if you were not experiencing issues prior to installing Update 1, it is recommended that you confirm that you are using a supported graphics card and driver.  Use the link below to look for your graphics card in the Graphics Hardware List and ensure that you are up to date with the lastest driver.
Certified Hardware
If it appears that you are running a supported graphics card and driver, or after updating your driver you still experience one of more of these issue, you may need to perform the following workaround for a resolution.
  1. Inside of your application, type 3DCONFIG at the command line.
  2. In the dialog box that appears, select the Manual Tune button.
  3. At the top of the Manual Performance Tuning dialog box, toggle the 'Enable hardware acceleration' option.
  4. Select OK and OK to return to the drawing workspace.
  5. Repeat steps 1-4 again to toggle the 'Enable hardware acceleration' option back to its original setting.
Note that it not necessary to disable the hardware acceleration.  However, toggling this setting should resolve the issues.

AutoCAD 2010 Saving Error

Issue
When you tried to save a drawing using SAVE or QSAVE, you received a fatal error message.
Solution
Vertical applications built on AutoCAD, such as Civil 3D, create special object entities known as proxy objects. To see these proxy objects when you open a drawing in other Autodesk products, the PROXYGRAPHICS system variable must be set to 1 when the drawing is saved. This creates an image (graphic) of that object that can be viewed in other applications. However, if a drawing contains large amounts of proxy objects, saving all of these images can overwhelm system memory and cause this fatal error.
To address this issue, follow the steps below to avoid creating these images:
1. On the command line, enter PROXYGRAPHICS.
2. Change the value to 0.
Note: If this drawing is opened in applications other than Civil 3D, the Civil 3D objects will not be displayed.

AutoCAD Tutorial DVD

href="file:///C:%5CUsers%5Chome%5CAppData%5CLocal%5CTemp%5Cmsohtmlclip1%5C01%5Cclip_colorschememapping.xml" rel="colorSchemeMapping">
AutoCAD 2009 Training video utilizes an easy to follow training format that is both engaging and informative. Created to assist the beginners to intermediate users, the author uses a unique training method that bring a high degree of visual clarity to even the most complex applications. Being over 6.5 hours long this AutoCAD 2009 Training on CD / DVD is extremely comprehensive and easy to follow. Video Tutorial taught by Experts - Low Cost - Easy to Learn.
An effective Tutorial Video that teaches using practical based examples and easy to follow instructions. A self-paced learning interface that simplifies learning and breaks even the most complex topics down into easy to follow step-by-step instructions making it ideal for users of all levels. A proven video training product that's created by professionals and used by companies, schools, government and individuals the World over. A verifiable Certificate Proving your Skills.
Visit http://www.hyperteach.com/products/autocad-2009-video-cd.htm for more info.

CAD Outsourcing Services improve your productivity

When you outsource your CAD services, it can cause your staff to feel as if they have been shortchanged. However, if managed carefully, this process of Outsourcing your CAD services need not be such an ordeal or a painful process for your employees. In fact, if managed carefully, CAD outsourcing can actually improve your team’s productivity.
Outsourcing your CAD services will cause a lot of changes in the morale of your employees and staff. However, this change need not be a negative one. You can ensure that this transition in your company ends up being a positive and helpful one for both your company and for your employees.
To do that you will have to employ effective change management techniques that will ensure that this process is as smooth as possible. And as a result of these effective change management methods, you will find that this process of outsourcing these CAD services actually helps improve the productivity of your entire team.
As you outsource your CAD services, you will be faced with existing staff who are now poised to do something else. You can help identify what they can do to enhance the outsourcing process. Here are some ideas which you can use to ensure that CAD outsourcing actually helps you increase your team’s productivity.
These are but a few methods with which you can make sure that your staff members can be re-positioned within your organization to still remain productive and contribute to your organization.
For the detailed information on all above, please visit the following link :
http://www.indovance.com/cad-outsourcing-helps-improve-team-productivity

pdf to dwg converter

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PDF to DWG Converter Stand-Alone let you convert PDF to DWG and PDF to DXF with few easy steps. There is no need to redraw a drawing according to a PDF any more, PDF to DWG converter will help you solving this. Accepts single page and multipage PDF input, you can even specify the pages to convert. Preview PDF before conversion. Supports AutoCAD version 2.5 to 2009. Support all vector entities in PDF including line, polyline, polygon, text, arc, circle, hatches, dimension. Extract embedded raster images as Xref in converted drawing from PDF files. Choose to convert raster to vector. If you open a PDF, zoom in to most details level and still see smooth lines you are seeing a vector PDF. If the zoom in reveals jaggy lines, then it is a raster PDF, which can also be converted as editable lines in the converted CAD drawing. Keep scale, lineweight, solid entities. High quality, high performance, and no training needed. The "Pro" version supports batch conversion.

·  Price: Free to try (15-day trial); $220.00 to buy
·  Operating system: Windows 95/98/Me/2000/XP/2003/Vista/Server 2008/7/NT

Monday, February 14, 2011

Error when invoking command: Unknown command

When you enter a command, an error message similar to the following message is displayed:
Command: _ai_molc Unknown command "AI_MOLC". Press F1 for help.

Solution

Commands such as Make Object's Layer Current and Deselect from the Right-click ShortCut Menu (among others) are defined in the acad.mnl file and do not function unless this MNL file is loaded in memory.
This problem occurs because the AutoCAD® software is unable to load the function definitions in the acad.mnl file. Several AutoCAD core functions are defined in acad.mnl; if you modify menus or load menus other than the default without regard to this fact, the acad.mnl file may not load. In that case, the functionality is never defined.
Use either of the following methods to resolve this problem:

AutoCAD Keyboard Shortcuts

Here is a list of the shortcuts that can be used in AutoCAD
ALT+F8        VBA Run
ALT+F11      VBA Editor
CTRL+1        Properties Palette
CTRL+2        DesignCenter Palette
CTRL+3        Tool Palette
CTRL+4        Sheet Set Manager Palette
CTRL+5        Info Palette
CTRL+6        DBConnect Manager
CTRL+7        Markup Set Manager Palette
CTRL+A        Selects objects in drawing
CTRL+B        Toggles Snap
CTRL+C        Copies objects to Clipboard
CTRL+SHFT+C    Copies objects to Clipboard with Base Point
CTRL+D        Toggles coordinate display
CTRL+E        Cycles through isometric planes
CTRL+F        Toggles running object snaps
CTRL+G        Toggles Grid
CTRL+H        Toggles PICKSTYLE on/off
CTRL+J        Executes last command
CTRL+K        Hyperlink
CTRL+L        Toggles Ortho mode
CTRL+M        (No action)
CTRL+N        Creates a new drawing
CTRL+O        Opens existing drawing
CTRL+P        Prints current drawing
CTRL+Q        Exit
CTRL+R        Cycles layout viewports
CTRL+S        Saves current drawing
CTRL+SHFT+S    Saveas
CTRL+T        Toggles Tablet mode
CTRL+V        Pastes data from Clipboard
CTRL+SHFT+V    Pastes data from Clipboard as Block
CTRL+X        Cuts objects to Clipboard
CTRL+Y        Repeats last action
CTRL+Z        Reverses last action
CTRL+[        Cancels current command
CTRL+\        Cancels current command


Thursday, February 10, 2011

autocad error memory allocation error

When you try to print to a locally connected printer, the following error message is displayed:
Memory Allocation Error.
You might still be able to print from other applications.
This error can occur if more than one printer shares the same port name (for example, LPT1) through a cable splitter or a switchbox. Check with your hardware vendors for a way to assign independent port names for each printer.

 Memory allocation problems occur between the program and the Windows OS.  Those kinds of problems are hard to fix. The first thing I would do is to restart AutoCAD and try again.  If that doesn't work, I would try rebooting the computer.  If that still doesn't work, you will probably need to reinstall AutoCAD. I know that's not very good news, but there isn't much else that us end-users can do in this situation.
 

Tuesday, February 1, 2011

Autocad Block Attributes

To create an autocad attribute, you first create an attribute definition, which stores the characteristics of the attribute.
The characteristics include the tag, which is a name that identifies the attribute, the prompt displayed when you insert the block, value information, text formatting, location within the block, and any optional modes (Invisible, Constant, Verify, Preset, Lock Position, and Multiple Lines).
If you plan to extract the attribute information for use in a parts list, you may want to keep a list of the attribute tags you have created. You will need this tag information later when you create the attribute template file.

Attribute modes control the behavior of attributes in blocks. For example, you can control
  • Whether an attribute is visible or invisible in the drawing
  • Whether an attribute has a constant value, such as a part number
  • Whether the attribute can be moved relative to the rest of the block
  • Whether the attribute is a single-line attribute or a multiple-line attribute
If an attribute has a constant value, you will not be prompted for its value when you insert the block. If an attribute has a variable value, such as the asset number of a computer, you will be prompted when you insert the block.

autocad block definition

If you need to modify one or more objects within a block separately, you can disassemble, or explode, the block reference into its component objects. After making the changes, you can

* Create a new autocad block definition
* Redefine the existing block definition
* Leave the component objects uncombined for other uses

You can automatically explode block references as you insert them by selecting the Explode option in the Insert dialog box.
To explode a block reference

1. Click Home tabModify panelExplode. At the Command prompt, enter explode.
2. Select the block to explode. Press Enter.

The block reference is disassembled into its component objects; however, the block definition still exists in the drawing for insertion later.

To control properties while you explode an object

1. Enter xplode.
2. Select the objects to be exploded.
3. If you selected more than one object, enter i to control properties for individual objects, or enter g to control properties for all the selected objects.
4. Enter an option for a property you want to change.

The property is applied to the compound object and the prompt is redisplayed.
5. Enter another option, or enter e to explode the selected objects.

The selected objects are exploded and the properties you specified are applied to the component objects.