8/19/09 – Autodesk released Update 1 for AutoCAD 2010. This can be downloaded from Autodesk Update 1 for AutoCAD 2010 – It fixes about 200 things, according to the list of changes found on that webpage. There do not seem to be any compatibility issues with HydraCAD at this time. Is has fixed some odd…

According to Autodesk, starting next March you are going to be charged significantly more to upgrade your one, two or three year-old versions to the newest version. In the past, Autodesk charged a step by step price depending on how old the AutoCAD was. Not anymore. Now, upgrading the three most recent versions will cost…

Unbeknownst to many, HydraCAD has a command (shortcut CAP) that will change many properties of attributes within a block. I have used it mostly for changing the text style used or the color (usually set be the background author) of attributes, but it does more than that. This command is also available on the HydraTools->Modify->Attributes…

I posted about this before, but not concerning a wholesale replacement of your blocks with tool palettes. If you have a large library of your own details and blocks, you can convert entire folders at a time to tool palettes by using the Design Center: 1. Press CTRL+3 to open the tool palette (if not…

From a customer: Art, I have a couple questions about V50. If I make a 3D detail will I be able insert it into navisworks similar to the solidpipes? Can I integrate 3D details with all of my piping? Second, my understanding of BIM is that upon completion the building management/owner would be able to…

In V50 we have created tool palettes to not only allow you to drag and drop details and blocks onto your drawing, but to also make it easy for you to add your own blocks. In the past it was difficult to do this because we used slide files and menus – both were not…

The updated Purge All Unused Layers and Blocks (PURG) in Rev 2 of V50.01 goes further, fixes more and is easier to use than our older command. The new command purges the drawing, runs an AUDIT and then purges it again. Try it.

A wooden roof with dormers – many of us see the all the time, but how to label it so that HydraCAD can elevate it properly – that is another thing. The drawing below shows how to handle this. If you download and install the HydraCAD V50.1 Rev2 update from our website, this drawing will…

Lets say you have a ton of branch lines with retrofitted armovers that go off in all directions. There is no easy way to size these, right? Try this: Size all your branch lines by selecting the Lines option in the Size Pipe toolbar. Also select Use Directional Filter and select either Horizontal or Vertical,…

In 2009 and newer you might have grumbled once or twice about the fact that the good old SNAP/ORTHO/OSNAP/etc. buttons at the bottom of the screen have been replaced by icons that require that you hover over them to figure out what the heck they mean. This is not an improvement in my opinion. If…