i want to buy a new laptop for using autocad and 3d max and i have a limited budget so i want to know if a laptop with 4GB ram would be enough for these softwares. if not then can anyone please recommend some other laptop with the specifications for work?
I can't provide any specs for a laptop though, sorry.. I can't stand laptops and only work on desktops. But the more ram the better is always a good rule of thumb for renderings and the better the graphics card the better your 3d work experience will be.
Hello all. New here, tried for some time to find an answer but no luck. I'm using autocad to draw all sorts of things to then be cut out or engraved on different cnc machines. The issue I'm having is none of the machine softwares (ie. techni waterjet or carbide create) show the single line text when I import a dxf file. Pronest shows the text but oddly converts it to double line(not what I want). Also if I try and convert the dxf to a svg, I get a svg file with everything except the text. I've also tried opening the dxf in inkscape but same issue. I've been using cad for a long time but am not super knowledgeable about it. I would just like the text to show up in my other softwares the same as everything else I have drawn. Attached is the current file I'm trying to get into Carbide Create so I can single line engrave the text. Any help would be awesome.
So TXTEXP kinda works. It does make it so the text shows up in my other software however when I use TXTEXP in cad in makes the text much larger and moves it waaaay off to the left. Any way to avoid that? I have 140 signs already layed out. Do i need to redo them by exploding the text before sizing and positioning them?
So thank you very much so far because It seems you are completly right. Both TXTEXP and FLATTEN do exactly what I need. I just opened a blank Architectural Imperial.dwt and did a quick test and both functions work fine. They explode the text without changing the size or location. PERFECT That is exactly what I need going forward. As to the drawing I already have??? I alway start my drawings with my own "template" that we use at work. Just has some setting and layers we use. Any clue why it might be doing wierd things when using TXTEXP and FLATTEN?? Scales the text way up and moves it quite a distance. I attached my template to look at if you can. If not no biggie and thank you thank you thank you!!
Hello, I've been researching and thinking about buying my own 3D printer. I know that I'm going to use an AutoCAD product but I don't know what printer. What printers or what printer company work best with AutoCAD softwares? I've look at some, but they either use their own software or had bad reviews. Thanks
A few little things, Im going for around a 6" by 6" by 6" printing dimensions that's less than $1,000. The quality doesn't have to be the best and for materials, I'd be using PLA filament. Also, I don't need a printer that has a multicolor feature, unless it works better with the software. Thanks again
Size wise, I would prefer something around 6" by 6" by 6" and less than $1,000. Also, I would like to use PLA filament only because I've used it before, but I don't know how much stuff I would print. I would base it off how much filament is on the spool. Thanks again
Thanks so much, I've been trying to find a 3D printer for quite sometime and decide to try the forums to see what people people recommend. Also, would other printers from the same company work as good? The one you recommended was a fair price, but if some of the other ones would be better I wouldn't mind paying $100 or $200 more for something that I'll keep for a while.
I'm doing my work with AutoCAD as well as with Fusion 360, then exporting STL and most parts are then prepared using Simplify3D (which costs about USD 150,- but it is really worth the price doing better and faster prints than other packages I tried).
Thanks for the recommendation, it helps a lot to get information from people who have some sort of experience when it comes to something so expensive as a 3D printer. I look forward to making my purchase. Thanks again
I see that there product currently supports 2017-2007 AutoCAD so it sounds like their product is up to date. Are you no longer willing to use that tool for some reason such as cost, feature-set, or something else?
I didn't look at the M-color app in detail, but it mostly looks like it uses features that are now native to AutoCAD. Using gradient fills you can achieve the same kind of graphic shown in their landscape plan video. There may be a little time savings with the dialog boxes they created, but I suspect not all that much.
Just as @pendean said, importing a pdf of the AutoCAD layout into Photoshop or Illustrator is a common way to do what you are trying to do with M-Color, and getting a much nicer result. I like to bring the AutoCAD pdf into Photoshop and keep the black AutoCAD outlines on the top layer and add all the coloring on layers below it. I also add a black 'stroke' layer style to the AutoCAD lines to give them a bold 'pop' over the coloring.
I have yet to find anything that has output as fine as M-Color. My problem is that my office is mostly Mac based, and M-color is only developed for the Windows version of Autocad, so I must stick with windows (Parallels is not an option, and Bootcamp takes too much booting back and forth between windows and mac, so also not an option).
I also use M-Color and recommend it wherever I can; it not only gives superb results but is the easiest and most intuitive software I have ever used...it has virtually no learning curve, unlike the suggestions above that involve knowledge of Illustrator and Photoshop. Unfortunately it no longer works with Autocad LT 2018 and above, only to LT2017, but it will work with all versions of full Autocad. If anyone has any other suggestions for third party Autocad LT add-ons that turn line drawings into sophisticated shaded artwork, then I'd love to hear them!
@johntomlinson2971 - AutoCAD LT doesn't support add-ins. You'll need to use one of the previously suggested programs. Yes, you'll have to learn how to use that other program but look at it this way: it's another tool in your professional work box.
I know this reply is a little dated. I've used M-color for years and since it works directly inside autocad, allows you to do really good color settings, line widths, hand drawn effect, bitmaps, drop shadows and more, it's probably the best program for color site planning. That being said, the makers of M-color have announced that they will no longer support the program other than to release a final version which simply removes the required code generation needed during installation (or something like that). They also mention that they are not apposed to selling the software so others can develop it. This might be a good time for autodesk to maybe consider purchasing it and integrating it into autocad and autocad LT. I'd be ecstatic if they would integrate it into LT as a more affordable and cost effective version of autocad since many users aren't needing the whole range of tools autocad has, which knocks it way out of the ballpark for low end users.
The end of support for M-Color at M-Files does not necessarily mean the end for the product. Should a suitable partner be found to continue the development of the M-Color application, we are open to transferring the rights to the source code and thus enabling the current and possible future customers to continue using the product with future versions of AutoCAD as well.
I would really encourage autodesk to pick it up since, well, it is designed to work in autocad. Autodesk might be able to fix the issue of smart contours not always showing up in mcolor or hiding wipeouts in the contour lines more easily. My only hope is they would integrate it into autocad LT since that program could use a small boost like this and make it an affordable alternative for people who don't use autocad on a daily basis.
I'm looking for an alternative because M-Color has released an end-of-life statement. Beyond that, someone much higher up at my company has asked me to. I haven't been able to find anything online except for this forum, so I added my input.
Hi, I never used autocad architecture with 3d tools. I am a revit user and wonder, Autocad Architecture is a BIM software or not. Coz it has also intelligent objects and paremeters. But im not sure about collobortaion, central file etc. What is the difference Revit & Autocad Architecture within BIM context?
Also the statement "NO" (to the question if AutoCAD Architecture is a BIM Software" is a most to hard answer without knowing details about the whole project ... I would say you can use it as part of a BIM project.
If you understand the software development terminology... think of AutoCAD ARCH as REVIT 1.0 (with all that it implies). BIM? yes. Sophisticated to be translated into building systems for the owner to use after you are done with the project? nope.
Are you thinking of switching or adding AutoCAD ARCH to your workflow? Don't do the latter, while the two software come from the same company, that's all they have in common: inter-operability leaves a lot to be desired.
AutoCAD Architecture organizes helps organize individual drawing files together into a project. Changes to geometry occur in constructs. Documentation and detailing occurs in view files. Plotting arrangement occurs in sheet files. You cannot change anything in any view since it is a one way flow, semi-automated. Users must refresh the project. To collaborate, individuals are responsible for individual files.
Revit is a single file structure (except with linked and shared projects). You can change things in most any view they show up in. To that degree Revit is more BIMish than AutoCAD Architecture but they both work well on real projects. The training curve on AutoCAD Architecture is steeper but most users already have AutoCAD experience and so only the extra features of AutoCAD Architecture need specialized training. In my opinion, detailing is easier in AutoCAD Architecture and modeling and scheduling is easier in Revit.
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