CAD Tip Of The Day :Multifunctional Grips in AutoCAD

Dimensioning with Grips
Using AutoCAD 2012 you can now define baseline, continuous dimension, stretch and flip arrow. Without typing the command in command line but instead using the grips of the dimension and you can choose with variable options. More on that even the text dimension you can manipulate how will look like to your settings. However only dimension break is not on the list. Thanks to the power of Multifunctional Grips.


Multifunctional grips
You can do several more things with grips. Since AutoCAD 2011, Autodesk has introduced multifunctional grips. This was later enhanced in AutoCAD 2012. With multifunctional grips, you can choose what modification you would like to perform. You need only select an object, and then move your cursor above a grip. Grips not only allow you to use fewer tools, they also provide quicker and easier methods.
Previously, it was not easy to add a vertex to a complex polyline. Multifunctional grips now allow you to click a grip and quickly add vertex on that location.

Take a quick look below the image and you can try this at home

the cross-hair is hovering to the grips of text dimension

the cross-hair is hovering to the grips at the extension line of dimension

Are you looking for a super-speedy way to add or modify dimensions? Multifunctional grips to the rescue! In this video tip from Cadalyst and Lynn Allen, you'll learn how multifunctional grips relate to dimensions, and get on the road to instant productivity.
Check this video.

What is AUGI?

What is AUGI?

AUGI is the Autodesk User Group International, officially recognized by Autodesk as representing the Autodesk user community. AUGI has two prime directives. The first is to assist its members by presenting programs and information that will enhance their use of Autodesk products. The second is to deliver the voice of the user community to Autodesk, thus assisting Autodesk in product development and giving users a say in the process.

1990: Mystery Meet/Meat

The North American Autodesk User Group (NAAUG) was the original brainchild of John Forbes, then a senior Autodesk representative. Before John became an Autodesk employee, he had been a user of Autodesk software and an Autodesk dealer; he knew that AutoCAD software users could benefit greatly from sharing their knowledge and experience of the software with one another. So, in 1989 he began planning the first national meeting of AutoCAD users in San Jose, California, near Autodesk's headquarters in Sausalito.

2010: Celebrating Twenty Years

AUGI was started back in 1990 and completed the 20th year of assisting users who want to connect to other users.  We have expanded from a small group of scattered participants to almost 200,000 international members.  Over those twenty years we moved from NAAUG to AUGI and embraced new technologies to invigorate the sharing of knowledge between members. 

AUGI celebrated its twentieth year with a slew of benefit opportunities.  Members have always been our focus and that continued as demonstrated through new rollouts and initiatives.

Membership Statistics

AUGI members come from all walks of professional life, all industries, and numerous countries. Our membership is deep and diverse—from CEOs to drafters; from trainers to students. Here's what the AUGI membership looked like as of Dec 01, 2012.

Total Membership

Current Membership is over 300,000

Membership Percentage by Working Title

23% Manager

17% Architect

17% Engineer

16% Designer

9% User/Drafter

6% Student

5% Educator/Faculty/Trainer

3% Consultant

3% 3D Graphics/Developer

2% Owner/President

International Representation

AUGI members are representing over 195 countries.

Highlighting the top 12:

United States 49.2%

Canada 5.3%

United Kingdom 4.4%

Brazil 4.0%

India 3.6%

Australia 3.4%

France 1.9%

Mexico 1.3%

Germany 1.1%

Russian Federation 1.1%

Japan 1.1%

China 1.0%

Industry Representation

AUGI members represent all of the industries touched by Autodesk products.

51.8% Architecture/Engineering/Construction/Facilities Management

17.2% Engineering/Aerospace/Automotive/Machinery/Industrial/Chemical

11.1% Civil Engineering/Surveying/Mapping/GIS/Geology/Forestry

6.0% Education/Training Institutions

5.9% Process/Utilities/Pipelines/Powerlines

4.7% Manufacturing

2.1% Computer: Service/Software/Sales/Consulting

1.2% Federal/Local/State Government or Military

What does AUGI do?

AUGI provides an environment for users to help users. We offer programs and services that allow the Autodesk user community access to one another and to Autodesk. Our goal is to implement programs that are lacking in the Autodesk community rather than compete with programs already available to users. Our motto is Users Helping Users. We work very hard to promote our membership as a community working together to strengthen each other and the community in general.

What is AUGI’s relationship with Autodesk?

AUGI is an independent organization, closely associated with Autodesk, but not part of it. Autodesk participates as an AUGI sponsor.

How does AUGI do it?

The short answer is with the dedication of volunteers and continued sponsorship investments from corporate supporters.

Join the Most Active Independent Autodesk User Group on the Planet

Tips Before Recovering a Drawing

Autodesk Product Support strongly recommends that you perform the following steps before recovering a corrupted drawing:

• Make a copy or copies of your drawing on reliable storage media. For example, if you suspect that your hard disk contains bad sectors, copy your files to another network drive, USB flash drive, and external hard drives. It is best to perform recovery operations on a copy of the file, since there are several different methods of recovery and each method alters the file in a different way. 
For each recovery method, it is best to use a copy of the original file since recovery processes may alter a damaged drawing yet still not recover it enough that AutoCAD can open it. 
If you retain a copy of the original damaged file, you can then use another recovery process on the original file.

• Identify and make backup copies of BAK files associated with the damaged drawing. If you open and save a damaged file without fully recovering it, you may overwrite a good BAK file with a corrupted BAK file.

• Note that there is a mechanism in AutoCAD that prevents a good BAK file from being over-written by a corrupted BAK file. When AutoCAD saves a drawing, it also checks the file for corruption. If the file is corrupted, AutoCAD does not overwrite the existing BAK file. Instead, it creates backup files that have the file extension(s). bk1, .bk2, .bk3, etc. Be aware that this process is not always successful; therefore, it is a good idea to make archive copies of good BAK files if you suspect that you have corrupted file.

• Try to identify the source of the corruption. For example, if you suspect that drawings are becoming corrupted by copying files onto a hard disk with bad sectors,you should identify and correct the problem with the hard disk before you begin to recover your files. By doing some investigation, you may find that there is more than one source that is causing the corruption or that your original assumption about what is causing the problem is incorrect.

• Record any error messages generated by AutoCAD or the operating system. Note when the messages occur in order to find a connection between the messages and when the drawing becomes corrupted. Continue to record any errors or messages that are generated during the recovery process.

Next to read:

• THE TRIPLE R IN AUTOCAD: REPAIR, RESTORE AND RECOVER
• Cad Tip Of The Day