A few initial AutoCAD 2007 issues / problems

[mattj.120434]

I am the test dummy here at our company for ACAD 2007. There are a few problems that I have come across that seem like they may be pretty common.

First:
Of course, we suffer from the now infamous AEC object error when opening one of my drawings in 2005 that I saved down to 2004 format.

Next:
In ACAD 2005, when you would copy an object, you would do your copy command, pick your object, then hold ctrl+right click and that would pull up your menu of snaps to choose from. In ACAD 2005, pressing "w" would give you the midpoint between two points, but in 2007 it's "t" that gives you that option. However, "t" has two commands in there, midpoint between two points and point filters, and "w" is not used. Is this a programming error and is there any way to change this? This is more of a preference problem, but when you're so used to flying through a drawing and hitting "w" to pick that snap, it's just irritating.

Next:
Another problem is sometimes the xattach command doesn't work. It also doesn't work in the xref manager, I can attach dwf and images, but dwg won't bring up the browser.

Next:
The Adobe toolbar that I have does not seem to compatible with 2007. Is this because plotting to pdf is now an option?

Next:
When I double-click on a block to edit it, it brings up a new block editor with a white background. Is there a way to change that background color, we use alot of lighter colors on our dwgs and they are hard to read/see. I know I can still use edit block in place, but am just curious if I can change that white bground in block editor.

That's it for now, if anyone can help me out, I appreciate it.

[rkmcswain]

When I double-click on a block to edit it, it brings up a new block editor with a white background. Is there a way to change that background color, we use alot of lighter colors on our dwgs and they are hard to read/see. I know I can still use edit block in place, but am just curious if I can change that white bground in block editor.


Look in Options.

See also: Block Editor Background Color (http://mdouglas.blogs.com/in_the_dynamic_interface/2005/07/block_editor_ba.html)

[mattj.120434]

Great! thanks for your help.

[madcadder]

Next:
In ACAD 2005, when you would copy an object, you would do your copy command, pick your object, then hold ctrl+right click and that would pull up your menu of snaps to choose from. In ACAD 2005, pressing "w" would give you the midpoint between two points, but in 2007 it's "t" that gives you that option. However, "t" has two commands in there, midpoint between two points and point filters, and "w" is not used. Is this a programming error and is there any way to change this? This is more of a preference problem, but when you're so used to flying through a drawing and hitting "w" to pick that snap, it's just irritating.

Find the Object snap menu and you can move the "&" from the "t" to the in front of the "w" to resolve.



Next:
The Adobe toolbar that I have does not seem to compatible with 2007. Is this because plotting to pdf is now an option?

I'm on Adobe 8 and it is 2007 compatible. You may need a reinstall or an upgrade to get 2007 functioning. Might want to see if they have updated your version at Adobes website with the new tools or a patch.


Next:
When I double-click on a block to edit it, it brings up a new block editor with a white background. Is there a way to change that background color, we use alot of lighter colors on our dwgs and they are hard to read/see. I know I can still use edit block in place, but am just curious if I can change that white bground in block editor.

options - display - colors
has an option for block editor

That's it for now, if anyone can help me out, I appreciate it.[/QUOTE]
Nadda problem

[mattj.120434]

In 2007, it's not an editable .mnu anymore. It's a .cui XML file. The place to move the & is in the title of the command. Thanks for your help.

[rkmcswain]

In 2007, it's not an editable .mnu anymore. It's a .cui XML file. The place to move the & is in the title of the command. Thanks for your help.

Just a note. You can continue to edit the MNU file as before, then load it using ._MENULOAD. This will convert it to the CUI format.

[madcadder]

Just a note. You can continue to edit the MNU file as before, then load it using ._MENULOAD. This will convert it to the CUI format.

So, I guess the question of the day should be, "Who's going to come out with the CUI to MNS converter?".

I can still work a MNS faster than I can a CUI. Not counting weird errors (http://forums.augi.com/showthread.php?t=52634) or 'just plain refuses to do so'...

[rkmcswain]

So, I guess the question of the day should be, "Who's going to come out with the CUI to MNS converter?".

There is already al least one out there. Check out this thread. If you decide to download the tool, be sure and grab the latest. There is more than one in that thread.
http://discussion.autodesk.com/thread.jspa?threadID=449264



I can still work a MNS faster than I can a CUI.

Same here. The trick is to never let your CUI become newer than your MNU file. Meaning don't use the ._CUI command to edit the menu.

[Chris.N]

Same here. The trick is to never let your CUI become newer than your MNU file. Meaning don't use the ._CUI command to edit the menu.this sounds like a good way to over-write the current Acad.cui file that ships w/ Acad and miss out on the latest and greatest toys if the menus were updated between releases. dunno, but that's just my observation.

I personally refuse to become an old dog that refuses to learn new tricks, and found the CUI courses at AU extremely enlightening.

[madcadder]

There is already al least one out there. Check out this thread. If you decide to download the tool, be sure and grab the latest. There is more than one in that thread.
http://discussion.autodesk.com/thread.jspa?threadID=449264

Cool. Thanks for the link. Worked well.

I'd have to agree with that thread in the fact that this should have been in the stock acad. Or at least a new Express Tool.

I don't mind working with LSP from here, but any VLX from somewhere else scares me a little in the fact that I can't see what they are doing in their code. Yea, I know they are protecting their "intellectual property" and it is adesk's website, but still. There's a lot of evil, nasty things that could be done hidden behind the guise of a VLX.

[rkmcswain]

this sounds like a good way to over-write the current Acad.cui file that ships w/ Acad and miss out on the latest and greatest toys if the menus were updated between releases. dunno, but that's just my observation.

No, I wasn't talking about "acad.cui" (or any other OOTB menu). I was just making the point that you can edit an existing MNU file, and load it using ._MENULOAD, which converts to a CUI file, then repeat. No need to be forced into using the slow, buggy CUI editor. I can update our network "company" menu file (.MNU) using a text editor, 10X faster than making the same edits in the CUI editor.



I personally refuse to become an old dog that refuses to learn new tricks, and found the CUI courses at AU extremely enlightening.

I was in R. Robert Bell's CP23-2, which confirmed my thoughts regarding main/enterprise menus in an LDT/CD/ARD environment...

As has been said many times with regard to CUI.
"Great idea, poor implementation."

Have a good one :beer:

[mattj.120434]

I found a workaround for the AEC error. For some reason if I save my dwg in 2007 format, then use DWGTrueConvert (an Autodesk product) and convert it down to 2004, the error does not pop up when using the dwg in 04, 05, or 06. Why would a seperate Autodesk product do something better than AutoCAD itself? It's a rather annoying extra step to make, but it's all I have for now.

[mattj.120434]

OK, so I fixed the aec object error with the command -aecexporttoautocad but the only problem is that you can't save over the dwg you are currently in. Is there any way to change this?

[stevec.17112]

Another problem is sometimes the xattach command doesn't work. It also doesn't work in the xref manager, I can attach dwf and images, but dwg won't bring up the browser.
That's it for now, if anyone can help me out, I appreciate it.

We have been having trouble with the xattach command also. The only work around that I know of is that if you enter the ASSIST command, it will allow the xattach to work. I'm afraid it is only temporary. The problem seems to persist. And typing ASSIST gets old. I am actually considering having the assist command invoked automatically when the xattach command is used. I really wish they would fix this. But I am glad that we're not the only ones experiencing that issue.