HyperPics: Beyond the UI

AutoCAD Platform Customization: AutoLISP

Writing a book is never an easy task and nor is trying to coordinate multiple books that will eventually be released as a single book. Like any great project, you go in with one vision and often that changes over time as the project evolves.

Last year, I started working on a project at that time which was loosley named and had a vision to cover AutoCAD customization, AutoLISP, and VBA.  All of the subjects are near and dear to me of course as well.  It is such a great feeling when you can get AutoCAD to do something for you, instead of AutoCAD making you do something for it.

There are several main differences with these books that sets them apart from others that have been published before:

• Windows and Mac OS are covered.
• AutoCAD 2006 and later releases are covered, and in most cases the books cover releases all the way back to AutoCAD 2000. When there isn't something available in a specific release, it is called out in the book.
• Latest releases of the AutoCAD program; AutoCAD 2015 on Windows and AutoCAD 2014 on Mac OS.

I wanted the books to be as complete as possible for an AutoCAD veteran, but yet reader friendly for those new to the world of AutoCAD customization and programming.

Earlier this year, the first book of the series was published under the name "AutoCAD Platform Customization: User Interface and Beyond" and it can be purchased as an eBook through the following vendors:

• Amazon
• Wiley
• iBooks (for iOS)

The second book in the series is also now available, "AutoCAD Platform Customization: AutoLISP" and it can be purchased as an eBook through the following vendors:

• Amazon
• Wiley
• Barnes & Noble
• iBooks (for iOS)

If you wanted to learn how to leverage the AutoLISP programming language to create custom programs for AutoCAD-based programs (except AutoCAD LT) this book will get you started and then some.

Here is the published description of the "AutoCAD Platform Customization: AutoLISP" book:

Streamline and customize the AutoCAD platform using AutoLISP

AutoCAD Platform Customization: AutoLISP teaches you how to customize and personalize AutoCAD, Civil 3D, Plant 3D, and other programs built on Autodesk’s industry-leading AutoCAD platform. Written by the foremost authority on AutoCAD customization, this comprehensive learning resource features detailed discussions backed by real-world examples and tutorials designed to help you harness the full potential of AutoLISP. Downloadable datasets and examples are included to ensure a functional understanding of the presented concepts.

• Learn the basics of AutoLISP, and how to author and load LSP files
• Calculate and work with values
• Create and modify graphical and nongraphical objects
• Make choices and repeat expressions
• Work with the drawing environment
• Access directories and external files
• Use the Visual LISP® editor
• Work with ActiveX/COM libraries
• Create dialog boxes

Let me know what you think if you have purchased one of these books as I would like to get your feedback.

Sincerely,
  Lee

AutoCAD Platform Customization: User Interface and Beyond (eBook)

I have spent just over 16 years now extending AutoCAD from general customization of the user interface to custom applications written with ObjectARX.  Back in 1998 and 1999, I had an opportunity to develop and deliver several AutoCAD customization classes at a local technical college which I created from the ground up; still have the binders of content to show for it.

It was a great opportunity to learn how to write and deliver content, and in many ways this eventually led me to blogging and technical writing. While that content never saw the light of day again, it did create the foundation of my customization focused articles for AUGI HotNews back in 2004 and 2005, and a number of articles I put together for AUGIWorld over the years.

Over the past 3 years, I have been in talks with a publisher to write a new AutoCAD book focused on customization and even several programming interfaces. Those talks always seemed to stale out based on projected sales which is understandable and a bummer at the same time. That all changed mid-2013 when the book was given the green light and the first of several books has been published.

This is my first book of several in a series and is titled AutoCAD Platform Customization:User Interface and Beyond. Unlike many prior customization books, this book covers both Windows and Mac OS and for the most part covers AutoCAD 2006 and later.

Here is the published description of the book:

Options for AutoCAD customization are typically the domain of administrators, but savvy users can perform their own customizations to personalize AutoCAD. Until recently, most users never thought to customize the AutoCAD platform to meet their specific needs, instead leaving it to administrators. If you are an AutoCAD user who wants to ramp up personalization options in your favorite software, AutoCAD Platform Customization: User Interface and Beyond is the perfect resource for you. Author Lee Ambrosius is recognized as a leader in AutoCAD platform customization and can help you get the most out of AutoCAD.

• Establish and manage CAD standards for the drawings you create
• Control the startup process and settings that define the drawing environment
• Modify the user interface to display the commands you use most frequently and create new commands
• Create macros to speed up frequently repeated tasks
• Define custom shapes, linetypes, and hatch patters to control the linework in a drawing
• Use real-world tips and tutorials to reinforce the author's topical discussions

The book is currently available for purchase from the Google Play store and viewed using the Google Play Books app on Android and iOS. If there is another format you are interested in, please let me know and I can pass the information along to the publisher. There is no printed version at this time, we want to hear from you if you are interested in a printed copy.

If you are looking for a general AutoCAD book, check out the AutoCAD and AutoCAD LT Bible which I have been technical editor and a contributing author since the AutoCAD 2006 edition.

Many thanks to John Wiley & Sons, Inc for the opportunity to get what I know out there in printed form.

If you have any comments, please let me know.

Sincerely,
  Lee

Taking the AutoCAD for Mac PDFs on the Go with iBooks

Did you know you can access the AutoCAD for Mac documentation from your mobile device using your Web browser?  A matter of fact, the documentation for most of Autodesk's recent products can be accessed using a Web browser.  The online help documentation can be found at: http://docs.autodesk.com/.

Wow, that was simple enough... okay, so this article has a bit more to it than that.  With an iPhone, iPod or an iPad you can take the PDFs of the online docs on the go with you and view them in iBooks.  To do this, you cannot simply just browse to the PDF and save a local copy of it; you need to use iTunes and sync the file to your Apple device.  The following steps explain how to do this on Windows or Mac:

1. You must have iBooks installed on your Apple device. (Click here for info on iBooks.)
2. Download the AutoCAD for Mac PDFs from AutoCAD for Mac PDF Documentation.
3. Launch iTunes on your Mac or PC.
   • In Windows, click Start menu > [All] Programs > iTunes > iTunes.
   • In Mac OS X, from the Dock, click iTunes.
4. In iTunes, click File menu > Add File to Library or Add to Library.
    
5. Browse to and select the PDF file. Click Open or Choose.
    
6. Select Books from your Library.
    
7. Right-click on Windows or Ctrl-Click on Mac OS over the PDF you just added and click Get Info.
    
8. In the Get Info dialog box, Options tab, select Book from Media Kind if it is not already selected.
    
9. Optionally, on the Info tab, you can change the name of the book and add additional information such as product release or anything else that you feel is important to help identify the book.
    
10. Connect your Apple device.
11. Select your device from Devices.
12. Click the Books tab.
     
13. Click Sync Books so it is selected.
14. Click All Books to sync all books or click Selected Books to control which ones you sync to your device. If you click Selected Books, select you book you want to sync from those listed.
15. Click Sync.
16. After syncing is complete, on your Apple device, launch the iBooks app.
17. Click the new AutoCAD for Mac book.
    • 
    • 
    • 

    

 Sincerely,
  Lee

 

New AutoCAD Books on the Way to a Shelf (or a Web Site) Near You

I have recently finished up the revision to the AutoCAD book that I had originally co-authored back in 2006 which was based on AutoCAD 2007 and AutoCAD LT 2007 at that time.  The revision to the book is entitled AutoCAD 2009 and AutoCAD LT 2009 All-in-One Desk Reference for Dummies book and should be out on store shelves or will be available for purchase from your favorite online purchasing site such as Amazon.com or BN.com in the next week.  The new book weighs in at 792 pages of AutoCAD goodness, up a bit from the previous edition when it comes to print.

However, one of the things that was done with this edition instead of trying to stuff all the new content in between the covers and tossing out existing content to make room for the new content, a portion of the book has been moved to downloadable content.  The content that was mainly moved to downloadable content is in the area of customization and programming AutoCAD.  To learn more about the AutoCAD 2009 and AutoCAD LT 2009 All-in-One Desk Reference for Dummies book, click the URL below.

http://www.wiley.com/WileyCDA/WileyTitle/productCd-0470243783.html

In addition to the book that I have recently finished authoring, I have also had the privilege once again to read through the latest edition of the AutoCAD for Dummies series, AutoCAD 2009 for Dummies which is authored by David Byrnes'.  The AutoCAD 2009 for Dummies book is a much more compact version of the AutoCAD 2009 and AutoCAD LT 2009 All-in-One Desk Reference for Dummies book.

The AutoCAD 2009 for Dummies book focuses on many of the key fundamentals of AutoCAD, whereas the AutoCAD 2009 and AutoCAD LT 2009 All-in-One Desk Reference for Dummies book covers the fundamentals of AutoCAD and leads into much more advanced topics like customization and programming of AutoCAD.  To learn more about the AutoCAD 2009 for Dummies book, click the URL below.

http://www.wiley.com/WileyCDA/WileyTitle/productCd-0470229772.html

There are other AutoCAD books on their way and I will cover some of them later when it gets closer to their publish dates.

Sincerely,
  Lee

20% Discount Offer through Wiley.com

Are you looking for a new AutoCAD, Viz, 3ds Max, or Maya book for that perfect holiday gift?  If you are, Wiley.com is currently running a special pretty much until the end of the year that gets you 20% off the following books through Wiley.com. Some of the books at listed below that Wiley offers, and during check out just enter the discount code 77061 (discount does not apply to journals or encyclopedias). You might need to reference Autodesk University as the convention when filling out the order.

AutoCAD & AutoCAD LT All-in-One Desk Reference for Dummies (0471-752606)
AutoCAD 2007 for Dummies (0471-786497)
AutoCAD 2006 for Dummies (0764-589253)
AutoCAD 2007 and AutoCAD LT 2007 Bible (0471-788864)
AutoCAD 2006 and AutoCAD LT 2006 Bible (0764-596756)
Just Enough AutoCAD 2007 (0470-008784)
AutoCAD: Professional Tips and Techniques (0470-084545)
The Architect's Guide to the U.S. National CAD Standard (0471-703788)

Sincerely,
  Lee

AutoCAD & AutoCAD LT All-in-One Desk Reference For Dummies Book is Released

The AutoCAD & AutoCAD LT All-in-One Desk Reference For Dummies book has just been released and can be picked up at your favorite local bookstore or on the Internet from a site like BarnesandNobles.com or Amazon.com.  Like other books in the Dummies series, this book gives you the information that you need in order to quickly get up speed on new features if you are an existing user, or if you are a new user to AutoCAD or AutoCAD LT you will find the step-by-step approach helpful in learning the program much quicker.  The book covers AutoCAD 2007 and AutoCAD LT 2007, and weighs in at over 800 pages.  The book is broken down into 10 sub books that cover specific topics which allow you to find the information that you are looking for in a short period of time.

Click on the following links to read excerpts from the book:
Read Excerpt 1 (PDF)
Read Excerpt 2 (PDF)
Read Excerpt 3 (PDF)

Below is a listing of the 10 sub books and the chapters that can be found in each one:

Book I: AutoCAD Basics.
  Chapter 1: Drawing on (and in) AutoCAD.
  Chapter 2: Navigating the AutoCAD Interface.
  Chapter 3: All about Files.
  Chapter 4: Basic Tools.
  Chapter 5: Setting Up Drawings.
  Chapter 6: Precision Tools.

Book II: 2D Drafting.
  Chapter 1: Drawing Objects.
  Chapter 2: Modifying Objects.
  Chapter 3: Managing Views.

Book III: Annotating Drawings.
  Chapter 1: Text: When Pictures Just Won’t Do.
  Chapter 2: Dimensioning.
  Chapter 3: Hatching Your Drawings.

Book IV: LT Differences.
  Chapter 1: The LT Difference.
  Chapter 2: Extending AutoCAD LT.
  Chapter 3: Mixed Environments.

Book V: 3D Modeling.
  Chapter 1: Introducing the Third Dimension.
  Chapter 2: Using the 3D Environment.
  Chapter 3: Viewing in 3D.
  Chapter 4: Moving from 2D to 3D.
  Chapter 5: Working with Solids.
  Chapter 6: Working with Surfaces.
  Chapter 7: Rendering: Lights, Cameras, AutoCAD!

Book VI: Advanced Drafting.
  Chapter 1: Playing with Blocks.
  Chapter 2: Dynamic Blocks.
  Chapter 3: External References.
  Chapter 4: Organizing Your Drawings.
  Chapter 5: AutoCAD Utilities.

Book VII: Publishing Drawings.
  Chapter 1: Page Setup.
  Chapter 2: Sheet Sets without Regret.
  Chapter 3: Print, Plot, Publish.

Book VIII: Collaboration.
  Chapter 1: CAD Management: The Necessary Evil.
  Chapter 2: CAD Standards.
  Chapter 3: Working with Drawing Files.
  Chapter 4: Sharing Electronic Files.

Book IX: Customizing AutoCAD.
  Chapter 1: The Basics of Customizing AutoCAD.
  Chapter 2: Customizing the Interface.
  Chapter 3: Customizing the Tools.
  Chapter 4: Delving Deeper into Customization.

Book X: Programming AutoCAD.
  Chapter 1: The AutoCAD Programming Interfaces.
  Chapter 2: Using Custom Programs.
  Chapter 3: Introducing AutoLISP.
  Chapter 4: Visual Basic for AutoCAD.

This book was an absolute joy to write for my first published work through a publisher, and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did writing it.  Now what are you waiting for, go grab a cup of Starbucks (or a favorite drink of your's) and get a copy of the AutoCAD & AutoCAD LT All-in-One Desk Reference For Dummies Book.  After you pick up a copy of the book, it would be great to hear from you.

Sincerely,
  Lee

New AutoCAD 2007 for Dummies Books

I just got my copy of the AutoCAD 2007 for Dummies book that covers AutoCAD 2007 and AutoCAD LT 2007, so which indicates that the book is coming to a store near you (or website if you like shopping online).  The AutoCAD 2007 for Dummies book is about 400 pages of easy reading on AutoCAD, which itself is not by the far stretch of the imagination a lightweight topic.  I was the technical editor once again on this project and enjoyed reading it from cover to cover.  There are not many technical books that I read from cover to cover, but this is one of them and I do think it is worth picking up a copy of the book.

Well of course you could always wait for the AutoCAD and AutoCAD LT All-in-One Desk Reference for Dummies to come out in the next few months.  The All-in-One book covers both AutoCAD 2007 and AutoCAD LT 2007, and is about 800 pages of pure AutoCAD bliss in the Dummies format.  The latest edition of the AutoCAD Bible by Ellen Finkelstein is also coming out soon as well.  All of these books are published by Wiley Publishing, Inc.

Update (8/16/06): Both the AutoCAD and AutoCAD LT All-in-One Desk Reference for Dummies and the AutoCAD 2007 and AutoCAD LT 2007 Bible are both now available for purchase.

Sincerely,
  Lee

Autodesk Offers AU Discount to All

Autodesk is offering a discount of 20% off all of is Autodesk courseware purchased through the eStore from now until December 15, 2005.  This was an offer that was introduced at this years AU and has been extended to include everyone.  There are many great titles that are being offered through Autodesk courseware and I can personally say that many of them are not just something that you will toss in the corner of your workstation and forget about.

Check them out on the Autodesk website.

Use the Promo Code "AU2005" when ordering.

The courses cover a wide variety of products that Autodesk offers including...
AutoCAD 2006
AutoCAD LT 2006
Autodesk Inventor 10
Autodesk Vault R4
Autodesk Revit Building 8
Autodesk Revit Structure 2
and others...

Sincerely,
  Lee

New Tool Palettes eBook

I have just finished a new eBook titled "Streamlining Design through: Tool Palettes for AutoCAD".  It is available for purchase at the eBook Center on the HyperPics website.  The book sells for $10 USD and in addition to the PDF copy of the eBook you will have access to a private forum for posting questions and comments directly related to the book.

So what is in the eBook you might be wondering?  Below is an overview of the contents of the book.

Table of Contents:
Introduction
What is a Tool Palette?
Working with the Tool Palettes Window Interface
Working with Individual Tool Palettes
Working with Tool Palette Groups (AutoCAD 2005 or later)
Working with Tools on a Tool Palette
Taking a Look at the Different Tools Individually
Sharing Tool Palettes Across a Network
Walk-Through: From Tool Palettes thru Tool Palette Groups
Miscellaneous Tidbits of Information about Tool Palettes

Page Count:
97 pages of content (104 total pages)

Sincerely,
  Lee

AutoCAD 2006 and AutoCAD LT 2006 Bible Available

Wiley Publishing and author Ellen Finkelstein have released the latest copy of the AutoCAD Bible for AutoCAD 2006 and AutoCAD LT 2006. This is a very easy to follow book weighing in at around 1200+ pages packed full of tips and great examples. I had the honor of participating in this project as the Technical Editor for the both AutoCAD and AutoCAD LT content, and after reading it from cover to cover; there is no wondering why this is one of the top selling AutoCAD books on the market. There are not too many books out there that cover the material as well as Ellen explains it. To learn more about the author Ellen Finkelstein, who is a very nice individual, visit her web site at http://www.ellenfinkelstein.com. You can also purchase the book online at Amazon.com or at a chain store like Barnes and Nobles. I would recommend this book to anyone that uses AutoCAD 2006 or AutoCAD LT 2006.