Learning ADT2005

[jcronburg]

AUGI's:

I'm now scared. I've just loaded ADT2005 and have been exploring it and find that I'm apparently missing the Tools menu and the Toolbars submenu. The book and Help files are useless for learning how to work in the new environment (e.g. Help tells me to find the Templates file I need to go to the Tools menu but it does not exist on my ADT). Where can I go to learn about ADT that will tell me all I need to know to get started. Please don't say I need to get training. I need a book that will work.

Thanks,

Jim Cronburg

[eric]

Hi Jim!

The new UI takes a little getting used to, but it's not bad once you get used to it. I recommend opening the Tool Palette and Properties Palette, explore those since they replace most of the old dialogs. Right-click functionality is also greatly enhanced and is the key to modifications.

Unfortunately the ADT2005 New Features Guide assumes you are coming from 2004 not from an earlier version so there is a lot missing there. Fortunately, the Help Files are very good. I would start by reading the chapter on the Workspace under General Information.

HTH

Eric A Good AIA

[jcronburg]

Eric:

Thanks very much for your reply.

I had begun plowing through the Tutorial. Unfortunately it is quite long. Also, I had explored the Pallettes first thing and Right Click functions.

The problem lies in the fact that ADT was not showing as the Help information was showing. But because of the convoluted instructions it was not immedaitely clear if that was the way the new UI was or something was wrong.

In looking at what you suggest, Workspace under General Information [in ADT not AutoCAD as I would expect] I find that it shows things on the top menu that I did not have. So by going there, as I did elsewhere in the Help files, I was be very frustrated. As I mentioned, the Help told me to go to the Tools menu, but my ADT had no tools menu. Other things were missing that showed in the Help files. This occured for a number of issues.

I finally asked through the AutoDesk subscription service and got some things solved such as my Tools menu (my View menu is still not right). As a result I will try your approach again.

I did find the Tutorial on setting up a Project to be fairly good (although missing some key items which I could not find answers to easily (e.g. it says the dimensions are placed in the view yet I could not get them to highlight as such and could not see how that was accomplished).

So I'll keep slogging through, with no productivity for days.

Thanks again,

Jim Cronburg

[jcronburg]

Eric:

As a follow on to my last message, let me ask you this if I may:

Just starting out with ADT 2005, how did you discover how to put an ACAD dimension (i.e. not AEC Dim.) on an object?

Thanks,

Jim Cronburg

[eric]

Eric:

As a follow on to my last message, let me ask you this if I may:

Just starting out with ADT 2005, how did you discover how to put an ACAD dimension (i.e. not AEC Dim.) on an object?

Thanks,

Jim Cronburg
Some folks here try to dimension in PaperSpace; I am not convinced that is stable enough for me so I place everything related to the building geometry in Model space. I also am not satisfied with AEC dimensions, so I still use the old ACAD dims. Under Format, set your DimStyles and Text Styles if needed. Right-click on the Toolbar area to bring up ADT/Dimension toolbar and dimension away. Note that some of the new DimStyles are scale dependent so set your anticipated drawing scale prior to placing dimensions.

If you are using the Project management system (a very good thing to learn) it's recommended that you create your actual building objects in Construct files, then x-ref them into View files, where you would place documentation such as dims, notes, etc. again in Model space. These are all DWG files.

HTH

EG

[jcronburg]

Eric:

Thanks again for a great response.

However, what I was after in my last question is how did you learn to dimension, i.e. how did you know to right click on an existing toolbar?

Jim Cronburg

[elise_moss]

You can get the Tools menu back by performing a menuload. After all, you still have your AutoCAD menu - just not fully loaded. It's one of the first things I did. Type menuload at the command line. Then locate acad.mns and load it. Now, add Tools back to your menu.

Check out my website for a bunch of free tutorials on ADT2005 and tips.

Also, a lot of people really like Paul Aubin's books, so check those out as well.

Elise Moss
www.mossdesigns.com

[eric]

Eric:

Thanks again for a great response.

However, what I was after in my last question is how did you learn to dimension, i.e. how did you know to right click on an existing toolbar?

Jim CronburgHmm, I don't know, several versions ago learning right-click functions. I probably read it somewhere. The dimension toolbar is now docked to the top of my screen with the standards and several others I use frequently.

EG

[jcronburg]

Eric and Elise:

You who respond on the Forum are really priceless!

Elise: How would I know (without going to my Subscription Service Support, which is what I did) to load the other, missing menu? There was nothing in the Help File or the New Features Guide. And I'm still trying to get an answer as to why I now have two View Menus with different things on them as well as the same things. I agree about the Paul Aubin books, but to my knowledge he hasn't updated for 2005. I'll check your website also, thanks.

Eric: Yes, I've had my Dimension Toolbar docked on the left side along with my Drawing Toolbar for a long time. But I was used to the View menu/Toolbars for making changes. Not Right Clicking. Right Clicking seems the wrong approach because it's so annonymous (i.e. no title like "View" and no Tooltip showing it). Once again, it seems AutoDesk has no Human Factors Engineers to help design the UI.

Thanks for your help.

Jim Cronbrg

[eric]

Thanks Jim!

This should be improved in 2005, but there were serious issues loading the ACAD std menus in ADT2004. Now if you want vanilla ACAD, a profile is provided for that ("Unnamed Profile" in the default setup). Your two View menus are probably one from ADT and the other from ACAD.

Give right-clicking a chance. It's context sensitive, so it shows options available to you for whatever you have selected.

I read in the Autodesk ADT2005 newsgroup that Paul expects his new release out in August.

Good luck.

EG