Here at Hydratec we support users on all versions of AutoCAD, but primarily on AutoCAD 2007 or newer. When a user sends me a drawing I don't want to have to worry about whether I should open it in V50 or in V51 (both work the same for all usual support purposes). But, I don't…

Autodesk has announce the release of Update 1.1 for AutoCAD 2011. Or rather a re-release, as they say below: "Note: This is a re-release of Update 1 for AutoCAD 2011. After Update 1 was originally released, we discovered an issue when conducting certain operations that may cause AutoCAD to shut down. Update 1 was subsequently…

Version 51.07 has two new hanger features – Create 3D Hangers and Create 3D Seismic Bracing. How to use these commands? Create 3D Hangers takes your 2D hangers (inserted the same way as forever) and converts them to 3D. This requires two things: That the piping has been elevated at least once (to generate elevation…

What is a Proxy Object? From AutoCAD Help: "A proxy object is a substitute for a custom object when the ObjectARX application that created the custom object is not available to AutoCAD or other host applications. Later, when the application is available, the proxy object is replaced by the custom object." What does Show Proxy…

i found this while hunting around the internets for a solution to an unrelated customer problem. The website this is from is really helpful and has a lot of topics I find useful. It is written by Lee Ambrosius,  the guy who wrote the AutoCAD for Dummies books. The site is: Hyperpics By default, when…

Need a list in a hurry? Don't care about assembly or weld-instructions or sorting? Then try these two: CPVC List (CPVC)- Yeah, I know you aren't using plastic, but so what? CPVC list will give you a complete listing of fittings, piping and heads in a simple text document. Just do a Replace and change…

Setting a hanger up to hang from bottom of steel is fairly straightforward. What is not straightforward, however, is what happens next. Setting it up simply consists of checking the Bottom option in the Hang From area. This turns on the Steel Depth option where you can enter that value.   Hangers using a Steel…

Our friends in New York asked us for a tool to cut piping up into a given length (usually 7') so that it can fit in a jobsite lift. The command for this is Cut Into Pieces (CIP). It is on the coupling toolbar on a fly-out with Custom Coupling: The dialog box is: The…

In earlier (2008 and older) versions of AutoCAD, when you started the MTEXT command you would get a toolbar popping up that had all the formatting options that applied. In 2009 and newer – no toolbar. Instead you would get a ribbon panel for MTEXT editing. This was something that was bugging me all along,…

There are two ways to mark sloping pipe in HydraCAD V5x. Both require the use of the Define Sloping Pipe command on the Pipe Elevation flyout of the Piping toolbar. The alias is DSP. In Case One you can just label the pipe with the slope you want to denote. Only the upper (or lower)…