http://usa.autodesk.com/autocad-electrical/
Getting Started Videos
At start up this dialog will now display until the "Show at startup" box is cleared. The videos are actually done quite well and show what Electrical is really capable of. Hopefully this will cut down on the number of users who simply use Electrical as AutoCAD with a fancy symbol library. Its so much more than that.
Marking Menu
The marking menu has been in some Autodesk software for several releases now. This year it's made it to Electrical as well. What is it? Over certain object you can right click and drag then let go. A mark is made in the direction the mouse is moved and when the right mouse button is released the command in that direction is started. The marking menu also works as a normal right click menu.
In the images below I am using the new marking menu both with and without gestures.
Will they be more effective? Once I learned the command locations I felt it was much faster. Here is a case study on marking menus from 1994 by the University of Toronto <<User Learning and Performance with Marking Menus>>
If you don't have time to learn a new right click menu right now, turn this feature off until you do. The AEMM system variable controls the marking menu display. 0 = Marking Menu OFF, 1 = Marking Menu with Icons Only, 2 = Marking Menu with Text Only, 3 = Marking Menu with Icons and Text (Default)
Project Manager Updates
Finally the allowed drag and drop inside the Project Manager! But they didn't stop there, they also included the use of project subfolders. These folders can be selected anytime a project wide utility (Plot Project) is used.
There are a number of other enhancements as well but these three were at the top of the list. I'll post a few more posts about 2013 including one explaining what's going on behind the scenes for project subfolders.
More new features here...
http://myacade.blogspot.com/2012/04/more-autocad-electrical-2013-new.html
Hey Stan,
ReplyDeleteAutodesk has a blog now dedicated to AutoCAD Electrical - http://autodesk.typepad.com/systemsdesign/
Would appreciate it if you could send people our way.
Thanks
- Ananda Arasu, PMM, Autodesk
I will. There are so few good AutoCAD Electrical pages out there right now.
ReplyDeleteStan
Great Blog Stan!
ReplyDeleteWhere did the express menu go in AutoCAD electrical 2013?
I cant seem to find it anywhere.....
Thanks
The Express Menu is a check box that must be checked during install. Run through the setup again from the Add/Remove Programs. Let me know if you can’t find it and I’ll post some pictures of the install dialog.
DeleteAwesome thanks Stan!
DeleteCould you please post those pics?
ReplyDeleteI ran the install but couldn't find the check box.
Does this help?
Deletehttp://myacade.blogspot.com/2012/04/adding-express-tab-to-ribbon.html
Yes it did, thanks!
ReplyDeleteThe drag and drop feature is so helpful not only in the marking menu but in the project manager as well. Thanks for this article!
ReplyDeleteStan,
ReplyDeleteI have a question about AutoCAD Electrical 2013 catalog database. Can you have the same part entry listed in different tables within the catalog database? For instance if I have an accessory part number that can be used for both a push button and a selector switch, what would happen if I listed that accessory part number in both the PB table and the SS table?
What happens when I try to run the BOM report?
I want to try this in a secondary catalog database I am building, but have some concerns that I will "break"and won't be able to get back to before the experiement.
Stan,
ReplyDeleteRegarding my previous post yesterday about the ACE 2013 catalog dbase...I did some testing on a copy and worked out several concerns I had. However, I would appreciate any tips you might have relating to making my own secondary catalog dbase.
Thank you in advance.
Wow a comment from August that I completely missed! I have to figure out how to make this site alert me when comments are posted.
DeleteWhen using the Multiple Catalog method of adding accessories there would be no need to have them listed in both tables. However for the Assembly code method you would need them in both tables. I can’t think of any major negatives to having a single catalog entry listed several times.
For the modified catalog tips and tricks, maybe start a forum page over here… http://portal.imaginit.com/Community/DiscussionForum/tabid/83/forumid/7/scope/threads/Default.aspx
That will let all of the other IMAGINiT AE’s see the discussion and take part.