Running AutoCAD MEP as AutoCAD...any problems?

[kwallis]

Does anyone know if running AutoCAD MEP as AutoCAD is really the same as running AutoCAD. Or, are there any known pitfalls to doing this?

Any info is appreciated.

Kevin

[stelthorst]

Does anyone know if running AutoCAD MEP as AutoCAD is really the same as running AutoCAD. Or, are there any known pitfalls to doing this?

Any info is appreciated.

Kevin

Hi Kevin,

I've only run AMEP as AutoCAD a few times but have not had any problems with it when I did.

[thomas.stright]

We do it all the time with no problems.

[kwallis]

Thanks for the responses.

[Brian Myers]

AutoCAD MEP actually is AutoCAD with extra menus and level of functionality (content, etc) built in. As a result, simply running it with the AutoCAD menus will work perfectly...or at least the same way normal AutoCAD would run.

[cadtag]

AutoCAD MEP actually is AutoCAD with extra...

If MEP is like LDT or C3D, that's not 100% correct. LDT is built on Map3D, which is built on Acad. But, the Map build in LDT is not _exactly_ the Map build shipped as Map3D. The same goes for C3D.

Map3D 2006 had a command, MAPSKINMAP, that did not exist in either C3d or LDT. That command implemented a 'skinning' feature, to change the appearance of the Map3D GUI to a more silvery look. Keying in the command in Map3D 2006 would toggle between your standard Windows look, and the silvery theme. That did not happen in either LDT or C3d, and does not happen in Map3d 2008. Good thing too, the skinning feature was not exactly stable....

Today, C3D 2008 has a reported bug with multiline attributes. Although they work as expected in vanilla Acad 2008, the multiline fails in C3D 2008, and treats the multiline attribute as a single line attribute, trashing the justification in the process.

Generally speaking, you are correct that the verticals can work like the vanilla product, but be aware that there are exceptions, because the cores are not exactly the same under the covers.

[Brian Myers]

If MEP is like LDT or C3D, that's not 100% correct.

It's mostly correct in MEP. The one thing to think about is that this is still an AutoCAD Architecture type environment and if your "standard" templates contain any of those entities then that data could carry over into your projects. This isn't a problem on the surface, but could provide some headaches should it be saved to 2006 or earlier.