The H-Factor

Reducing Entropy

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  • Generating Stacked Fractions (Updated)

    A customer we were training recently wanted to know how to create 3/8 and 5/8 fractions for use in hanger details. The wanted to know if we have those in our fonts. We do not. However, AutoCAD can automatically generate those, and any other fraction you can dream up, using the MTEXT command (not TEXT).

    If you start the TEXT command, and enter 3/8, that is just what you will get:

    F1

    But, if you start the MTEXT command and type in 3/8, this happens automatically:

    F3

    But what if you want a diagonal fraction, not a horizontal one? There is a way to do that, too!

    Start the MTEXT command and type in 3#8 (instead of 3/8). This will produce the following:

    F4

    You can even create them without the slash at all. Type in 3^8 and you will get:

    F9

    If you want to make the formatting permanent, AutoCAD has something for that as well.

    Highlight the stacked fraction within the MTEXT – You can double click the text to be put into edit mode. Then, select the fraction and right click or double click. Pick the Stack Properties menu item.

    F5

    This will give you access to the Stack Properties dialog box, where there are more options than you probably ever wanted to know about:

    F8

    If you pick the AutoStack button, you will be able to change the default behavior to a diagonal slash, among other things

    F7

    Pick OK when done, set other things how you like them, pick Defaults and Save Current Settings.

     F6


    FYI     – You can start the MTEXT command either typing it in or using the MTEXT button on our HydraCAD Utility toolbar

    F2

  • Getting Hangers to Use Steel Depth When Calculating Rod Length

    Hanging from bottom of steel is not as prevalent as it used to be, but it is still done often enough. A change was made recently to HydraCAD to allow quicker use of the Steel Depth blocks added to steel (or any material) structures. If these steel depth blocks are inserted, the program can now reference them more easily.

    First, you will need these blocks inserted. To do that, use the Size Steel (SS) command from the Steel toolbar:

    Ss

    Select the steel members to be sized. Again, keep in mind you can insert these on concrete or timber members as well

      Ss2

    After you draw the pipe and label building elevations, you are ready to add the hangers.

    Ss

    The one important item of note in the Hanger Setup dialog box is the checking of the Bottom option in the Hang From section (above). This must be checked to use the Steel Depth blocks.

    Next, use the Steel Hang (STH) command to insert the hangers:

    Ss3

    Check the Use Steel Depth Blocks option:

    Ss4

    When you pick the steel members to be hung to, the steel depth will be read from the block attached to that steel and subtracted from the rod length. If there is no steel depth block, no hangers will be inserted.

    Ss5

     

  • Tired of Trying to Delete ‘Thumbs.db’ Files? Here’s How to Get Rid of Them

    Thumbs.db files are caches of the thumbnails of the pictures in a folder. They make it faster to display thumbnails when viewing a folder in thumbnail mode. They are near impossible to delete, often getting in the way when you delete the contents of a folder and cannot delete the folder itself due to the continued presence of these files.

    Personally, I loath them. I don't use thumbnails to display what I have in folders, and if I did, I would not mind waiting a few extra seconds for the thumbnails to appear. I do however, often check the properties of folders to see if there are any new files in there. I often have to hunt down folder by folder to find out it is merely these wretched things I see.

    Here is how to stop them from being created, and make them deletable:

    1. Open Windows Explorer
    2. Press the ALT key to display the pull down menus (below). Pick Tools, then pick Folder Options.

      Fo

       3. Pick the View tab, then check the very first check-box, 'Always show icons, never thumbnails'. Now, pick the Apply to Folders button and OK

    Fo2

    This will allow you to delete leftover thumbs.db files. To do a mass elimination of the foul remnants, click on your root drive (C:), enter thumbs.db in the search field of Windows Explorer and erase all ones that show up with that name.

  • Comparing AutoCAD Settings Between Two Computers

    Occasionally we get contacted by a customer who states that something is wrong with his drawings, but when they are opened on another computer, they are fine. If one of the usual suspects is not to blame, we then compare the AutoCAD settings on the 'bad' computer to a 'good' computer.

    AutoCAD includes an Express Tool to help with this – System Variable Editor (SYSVDLG)

    Sysvar

    If you start the command, it will bring up the Sys Var Editor:

    Sysvar2

    This utility will allow you to see every variable setting, with an explanation of that setting. You could, in theory, have both computers side by side and then scroll through each setting, but there is an easier way.

    Pick the Save All button and enter a file name of something like badcomp.svf. This will export all the settings. You can then do the same on the good computer and name it goodcomp.svf. These files can be opened in Notepad and compared side by side. We use a free utility called FCompare to find differences in any two files.

    Please note that the vast majority of differences between any two computers are irrelevant. These include things such as last command used and coordinates for insertion. Ignore these. Instead, focus on differences pertaining to the issue you are trying to diagnose, and change those settings one by one until you figure it out.

     

     

  • Generating a Hanger and Seismic Point List for Use with Trimble Total Station

    Some customers now have a Trimble Total Station for use in locating components in the field. HydraCAD has a tool to generate a hanger point file to be loaded into the Total Station, and that file can include seismic brace locations as well.

    The command is located within the Create 3D Hangers command, found on the Hangers toolbar:

    Picking this displays a dialog box with two options for Generate Points for Trimble Station, depending on the version of HydraCAD. The V52 button will generate the file when pushed, while the V53 check box will create the file upon picking the Create 3D Hangers button. There is also a Help button which will display the 'Generating a Hanger Point List for Use with Trimble Stations.pdf' file.

    The help file explains how to load the resulting .csv file into a Trimble Total Station. Please refer to that for exact details.

    Example Drawing

    HydraCAD includes an example drawing showing some special considerations that must be made when generating the file. These include two ways of embedding the Origin Point for the Trimble and a way to denote seismic braces so their insertion points are also recorded. This drawing can be found in the HydraTools pulldown menu->Tools->Training Drawings… The drawing name is 'Generating a Hanger Point List for Use with Trimble Stations.dwg'.

    It shows those two methods for Origin…

    …and the one for Seismic Braces:

    Please refer to it for more details.

     

  • Sidewalls are getting flipped when raised to 3D

    If you've run into the problem where after returning your drawing from 3D to 2D you notice some sidewalls are being flipped, we can explain.

    This is a result of how AutoCAD handles mirrored blocks.  In the the image below, the two sidewalls on the left side have been inserted using HydraCAD's sprinkler insertion tools.  Their insertion angle is 180⁰, which is correct.

    The two on the right side have been mirrored and although they are displayed graphically correct, the Insertion Angle property still shows 180⁰ where it SHOULD be 0⁰.

    Img1

    When raised to 3D and returned to 2D, you'll notice the sprinkler head will be displayed in the Rotation Angle property (180⁰) and it appears HydraCAD flipped the sidewalls.

    Img2

    The two solutions are to either erase and re-insert the sprinkler heads at the proper angle or to use the CHB command to rotate multiple sidewalls to their proper direction (at the same time).  The command can also be found under the menu HydraTools|Modify|Blocks|Change/Scale/Rotate Blocks.

    Img3

    To fix the reversed pipe dimensions, use HydraTools|Modify|Attributes|Swap Pipe Attributes.

    Img4

    Good luck.

  • Setting a Central Location for HydraLIST Data Files

    Many larger sprinkler companies and fabricators modify their HydraLIST data – part numbers, prices, assemblies, pipe types, etc. It can get really tiresome to copy the HydraLIST data files to each users' machine whenever data is changed. Enter the Master Data Location. To set this location to a common folder is really simple. Here are the steps:

    1. Copy the contents of the master computers \HES\Hydlist\Ver50\Data\Setup folder to a common location, such as a network drive. Copy all the files the first time. After future updates, the master only need copy files whose dates are newer than the common folder file dates.

    2. In HydraLIST, pick the Utilities pull down menu, then pick Alter Master Data Location (below)

    3. This will bring up a folder selection tool. Pick the common folder you created.

    When a remote HydraLIST client opens the program, it will check the specified path above to see if any of the remote files are newer. If they are, they will be automatically copied to the client workstation. Check the box for Force Load of Data Always if you want the system to overwrite the files regardless of the date.

     

     

     

  • Working with the HydraCAD Default Layers

    HydraCAD's templates have layers built into them, as you are already aware. These templates specify properties of the layers such as color, linetypes, plot status, and line-weights, among other things.

    Many users are content with using the layer properties we have set as defaults, but what if they want to change them? What if they change their templates, but the HydraCAD settings keep coming back after Super Purge or Rebuild HydraCAD Layers are used?

    I want to start this conversation by explaining that there are two things that control the layer settings in a HydraCAD drawing – the template used and the Layer Script (LAYER.SCR) file.

    The Template

    The template is already understood by most as the drawing which initially sets the layer properties when a new drawing is created. Most users use the Layer Manager to set and change the properties they want, and to add new layers as needed.

    The Layer Script

    What is this? A script file is a type of AutoCAD file that runs a series of AutoCAD commands, such as those used by the -LAYER command. If you type in -Layer at the AutoCAD prompt (as opposed to Layer, which brings up the Layer Manager), you will see the options available when defining layers. These options can be automatically filled by a script file, which is that the LAYER.SCR file does. This file is run whenever you use the Super Purge (PUR) command or the Rebuild HydraCAD Layers (RBL) command from the HydraTools->Tools menu, seen below:

    Note: The script is run by the Super Purge command because the AutoCAD Purge command (which is part of Super Purge) purges out all unused HydraCAD layers, and we need them there.

    The commands I will now explain are all found on the HydraTools->Options menu item, seen below:

    Editing the Layer Script

    We rather you didn't. Really. There is a problem inherent in editing this type of file and things can get messed up in a hurry. There is a better way, which I will get to in a moment. But first, to get this out of the way…

    The Layer Script, as mentioned earlier, is a series of commands which are echoed to the command line just as you would type them in, only far faster. Picking HydraTools->Options->Edit HydraCAD Layer Script… will open Notepad with the LAYER.SCR file loaded.

    Look at all that gobbledygook! Each phrase is a command, and each blank space is an <Enter>. And that is where things can go wrong. If the wrong letter is used, or an extra blank added, none of the layers may get created, or created using the wrong properties. If you are game, you can try to edit this file but there is a better way.

    Automatically Generating the Layer Script

    The Layer Script file can be automatically be created from your own template or any drawing you choose. Simply open up the drawing and pick Create Layer Script from this Drawing. The layer script will be auto built using the colors, linetypes, plot or no plot status, line-width and names of new layers that you have created in that template or drawing! That's it, all done.

    What if Something goes Wrong?

    We thought of that. Since the Layer Script is so sensitive to changes, we included a command to put it back to the way it was installed, and that is the Restore Original HydraCAD Layers command. You can now try your changes again, with that safety net underneath you.

  • Windows 10

    Good news! HydraCAD Versions 52 and 53, along with HydraLIST and and HydraCALC work great with Windows 10 Preview Edition 64-bit. I did not test the 32-bit version of Win 10, however I don't expect there should be any difficulties with that version, with the exception that V53 already does not support 32-bit platforms, by design. If users run into any unforeseen difficulties with Win 10, they are encouraged, as always, to bring them to our attention.

    With Windows 10, Microsoft seems to have put in some real effort to make it compatible with existing software, and that is always a good thing (and greatly appreciated).

    I have not switched over, and won't even consider doing so until the release version is out at the end of July (having been burned with the dead-end that was the Win 8 Preview version), but I think I might actually be up for upgrading to Win 10 from the Win 7 I am using now.

    This is not a full review on my part, but a few things I liked instantly with Win 10:

    1. The return of the Start Menu (and an improved one at that). It seems to seamlessly blend both the Win 8 Metro interface with the classic Start Menu of days of old. Notice the All apps button at the bottom left (circled in Red). That is the former All Programs that was so missed in Win 8/8.1

    Another nice new feature (especially for power users) is the new menu that comes up when you right-click on the Start Button. You can do almost anything you want from this screen, and I, for one, really like it:

    I even have to say that I like the new, crisp look of File Explorer

    You may have heard the Internet Explorer is dead with this release, and that is true. That does not mean that no browser is installed with Win 10, however. The new browser is code named Project Spartan, which is a not-too-subtle hint on the simple design philosophy behind it. The official release name for Spartan is Microsoft Edge, by the way.

  • Choosing Which Pipe Types Appear in HydraCALC

    When you right-click on the Pipe Type field in the pipe input screen, you usually see a dialog box that looks similar to the box below.

    But, what if you don't use some of those pipe types, or would rather display other ones?

    Pick the Options pulldown menu, then pick Edit Pipe Display Limits

    Here, you will be given a tool to remove or add pipe types to your right-click menu:

    If you want to remove a pipe type, select the pipe type on the left and pick the > arrow. This will remove it from the display list.

    To add a pipe type, find it on the right and pick the < arrow to make it appear on the left. Pick OK when done. That's it!