The H-Factor

These four commands really make it easy to modify drawings. Move Main and Move Line have different options, but Erase Main and Erase Line work the same as each other.

Move Main

Move Main can be used to move your main over just a little, or over a lot. It can even be used to move the main to the other side of a head. I will do that with the main below, which is zoomed in for clarity.

I pick Move Main and am given the following options:

Coupling Segment will ask you to select the main pipe, and will find the pipe between the nearest couplings. Only that segment will be used. Straight pipe run will move all main pipe in the same orientation as the pipe selected. If the main changes direction, it will be selected only up to that point. You can pick the shaded option with the mouse, type in the colored letter, or right-click or press Enter to get the Straight option, which is the one I am doing, here.

I pick the main and am then given two options, below. I can just pick a point on the screen to plop the main down, or I can right-click to choose the Direction then Distance option, which I do

I am then asked to pick a point to show which side the main is being moved to (kind of like the Offset command). I pick 'north' of the main. Distance is not (yet) important

Then, I enter the distance. I choose to type in 12' and press Enter. The main is then moved:

Move Line

I want to move this line over to the left one foot

 Move Line gives you three options, below. The first does an entire straight run of branch line, the second does one side, and the last does the same as the Move Main Coupling segment

 

If I pick Straight pipe run by clicking on it or right-clicking, I am asked to pick a line, which I do:

Then, just like the Move Main command, I pick the line and am asked to just pick a point on the screen to plop the line down, or I can right-click to choose the Direction then Distance option, which I do

I am then asked to pick a point to show which side the line is being moved to (kind of like the Offset command). I pick one side of the line. Distance is not (yet) important

I then put in a distance of 12

A question unique to Move Line is whether the heads should be moved with the line, or left where they are. The default is to not move them (No), and that is what I go with

The branch line is moved and armovers the the heads are created in the proper layer!

Note: Moving the line back 12 inches would remove the armovers

Erase Main and Erase Line

These two commands work essentially the same way as each other, with the additional option of One Direction (explained above) for the Erase Line command

Picking the main removes it, and the connecting riser nipples:

Erasing a line leaves the main and removes the riser nipple (if present) and reconnects the main

 

Sometime back, I don't know when (between AutoCAD 2010 and AutoCAD 2013), AutoCAD altered the command line so that you can select the option on commands instead of typing it in. To see what I mean, type in ARRAY at the command line to see an example. Select any drawing entity and press enter. The following comes up:

Notice that the Rectangular, PAth and POlar options are grey-lighted. This means you can simply click on them to select them, instead of typing in the blue letter code or pressing <Enter> to get the default.

Keep that in mind the next time you are asked for an option from the command line.

PS – If you like the old-style ARRAY command, read this: Missing the Old School ARRAY Command?

The Lay Out Hangers command came about because one of my coworkers suggested that it would be cool if a hanger command existed that acted like Main Couplings. Why? Well, Main Coupling will allow you to pick a welded line to visualize where the couplings will go before they are inserted, and it will offset the couplings so that they don't get too close to the heads. Substitute hangers for couplings and you see why this idea came about.

So, we have the situation below. The designer wants to put a hanger on that first piece of steel, then every 15' thereafter (third piece of steel, here). The entire branch line has been cropped for brevity.

Pick Lay Out Hangers

This displays the dialog box:

I set Hanger Distance to 15' and outlet offset to 6". If we knew what the distance to the first piece of steel was, we would use that as the entry for First Hanger at:. Instead, we can select the distance from the drawing itself. Notice, also, that adjustments can be made for sloping pipe, although that is not necessary, here.

Pick the Pick It < button next to the First Hanger at: entry field. Then, pick the main, then the first piece of steel. The NEArest osnap is great for the first pick (on the main) and PERpendicular is great as a second onsap (on the steel)

In my case this yields a distance of 2'5 7/8"

Pick OK. Pick near the end the pipe to be hung (hint: no need to pick exactly on the end, just near it). In this case, it is the short takout piece. Then, zoom out so that all of the line is on the screen, or at least as much as you want hung.

When you use this, you will see green plines and possibly red ones. The green ones indicate that the hangers will be inserted at the distance specified in the Hanger Distance entry field. The red ones indicate that the hangers would fall within the Outlet Offset distance of a head (here, 6").

 

 

RapidRefs has been around for a while, previously as its own command with its own button and everything. It is now integrated into the Reference Point command as an option.

What's it for? It excels at labeling ref points at the top and bottom of multiple riser nipples, as in those present along a main connecting many branch lines.

Look at this example:

I want reference points at the top and bottom of each riser nipple along that main. I want the tops to be labeled T1 – T8 and the bottoms to be labeled B1 – B8, starting from the right and going left.

Pick the Reference Point command. Select the Rapid reference points option and pick Insert.

Now, set the dialog box up as seen below. Notice the T and B as prefixes and the 1 and 1 as the starting IDs for the ref points. Also, this option is selected to insert ref points wherever riser nipples that connect Lines + Mains are found. Select the left arrow to indicate that you want the numbering to proceed in that direction.

Pick OK and select a window around the riser nipples you want to add them to. This will insert reference points at the top and bottom of each of the eight riser nipples on my drawing.

Notice that there are other options to allow you to fine tune the usage of this tool.

 

 

If you want to select an intersection, but don't have two lines that meet, what do you do? Many times while training customers, I have noticed hesitation when this comes up. Users will often extend lines so they meet, or try to finagle some other osnap into doing what they want. But, there is an easier way!

In the example below, I want to select the lower right corner as the first point of a Bayspace. Since the two steel structural members don't instesect, I can't pick them outright to get the intersection. But, I can still use the INTersection osnap.

Starting the Bayspace command (or any command you want), pick the INT osnap and then pick one of the pieces of steel. Notice that the tooltip actually says Extended Intersection and it is followed by an ellipsis (…), indicating that it is waiting for more input.

After you pick the first piece, notice that the command line says 'and'. It is waiting for you to select another item from which it can build an intersection.

Now, hover over the second piece, near the imagined intersection. You will see the Intersection tooltip and glyph. Select it. You've got your intersection!

 

 

 

If you have found that some of the commands you used to use no longer have a button, you can add the button back in yourself in most cases, because we did not delete the command, only the button. And, it isn't that hard.

For example, let's say that you want to add back in the Line w/size and Main w/size buttons:

1. Type in CUI to open the Customize User Interface. I highly recommend that you read up on the documentation available on this feature in AutoCAD's Help file.

2. Pick the + next to Toolbars to expand that section

3. Pick the + next to Piping to expand the Piping toolbar

4. Pick the + next to Line to expand the Line flyout (where Line w/size used to be)

5. Now, go down to the Command List and find the Line w/size command. Hint: click on any command and press the letter 'L' to speed your way to the L commands. There will be a pause as you do this and the command is first found

6. Now, click on the Line w/size command and drag it up to the Line flyout. Drop it where you want it

7. That will add that command back in. Notice, however, that the icon is a ? in a cloud. That is because new button images have not been created for this command. If you want to assign an image, pick one from the list in the Button Image section of the CUI editor, or draw your own (showing an LS?) by using the Edit button in that section

 

This week I gave bad news to two long-time, independent customers – the AutoCADs they own cannot be upgraded and, furthermore, are likely pirated.

One bought theirs from eBay, the other from a website that sells (and buys) older AutoCADs. In the industry, these are called 'non-traditional sources'.

The problem? The serial numbers are not legitimate. In fact, they use three-digit prefixes that have never been issued by Autodesk for any of their products. These products installed and appeared to be activated by Autodesk and functioned just fine. But they are dead ends. I say 'appeared', because it is my suspicion that the registration process was faked and built into the software. They cannot be upgraded because Autodesk does not recognize them as legitimate copies.

But, even if they were legit, they still might not be able to be upgraded.

Why? Because if someone sells you their copy of AutoCAD et al, they are breaking the End User License Agreement (EULA) they agreed to when then bought AutoCAD. This article has a great break down of the issue: No, you don’t own it: Court upholds EULAs. From the article:

"Autodesk, the software's developer, forced all users to accept an agreement before using AutoCAD. This agreement made clear that AutoCAD was merely licensed, never sold, and that one's license was non-transferable. Further, a licensee could not rent, lease, or sell the software to anyone else… Finally, if you upgraded to a new version, the old version had to be destroyed"

The only time you are likely able to use and upgrade a legitimate secondhand Autodesk product is if the package has never been opened. Or, practically speaking, at least never registered. This is because Autodesk will not allow the ownership to be transferred. They will allow company name changes, but that is about it, and it isn't easy to get approved.

So, if you buy a copy of Autodesk secondhand, you are going to have a real hard time trying to upgrade it. Especially if it is not a legitimate copy.

Caveat Emptor

Added in V52.4/V53.01, this new feature allows users to specify a central location (drive path) to look for sprinkler head symbols, so that all users have access to the same symbols.

This is done by editing the HCAD_ENV.INI file found in the 50.3/Version53 folder and adding the full path to the head library next to a configuration variable called HEAD_LOC. This variable may or may not be in your file already. If not, add it so it appears in the location as seen in the example, below. Note: The path must be followed by a back slash -again, see the example.

Example: The user wants to store heads in a central location called G:\MyCompanyHeads. This requires that the following line be added to the HCAD_ENV.INI file: HEAD_LOC=G:\CompanyHeads\

Then, the corresponding folder name must be created on the server in its entirety and populated with sprinkler heads, including the flexible sprinkler connections. Our suggestion is to copy the standard HydraCAD head folder and subfolders (C:\HES\HydraCAD\Ver50\Programs\HEADS) to the server or central location and then replace or add heads as necessary. A sample of the INI file is seen below, for reference.

The Autodesk Subscription Center is where many of us are dragged kicking and screaming to get our updates, but it has a great deal of useful information. You can get previous versions, download installations and patches, and check you serial numbers and product key. You can also assign rights to users in your organization. This must be done before than can have access to the software. For help assigning software to users, view this link Assigning Autodesk User Rights

Go to the Autodesk Subscription Site

Create an account if you have not done so already. Otherwise, log in using the username and password associated with your companie's subscription. This is the 'Subscription Coordinator' on file with Autodesk. If you do not know who this is, contact us and we can tell you.

From the screen that appears when you log in, select Access your Subscription Benefits to get Software Updates, Serial Numbers, Product Keys and Contract Information. You can also separately Request Technical Support from Autodesk.

To Download an Installation / Update

Step A1: Selecting Access your Subscription Benefits brings you to the main feature screen, below

Step A2: Pick Get Your Upgrade to get any current or previous version that you are entitled to. Pick the version/product desired.

I picked the 2015 button in the AutoCAD section, as seen below:

Step A3: Notice that you are now given an option to download the product. If you want to know the serial number(s) of the software, pick the Serial Numbers tab (image below), otherwise download the install / update

To Find Your Serial Numbers and Product Keys

Step B1: Pick Contract Administration from the left menu

 

Step B2: Pick Coverage Report.

This will open up a new browser window listing your serial numbers and relevant information.

Step B3: Pick on the twelve digit contract number to display all serial numbers and product keys under that contract. You will notice that each serial number is also clickable. Clicking on each serial number will bring you back one or more versions, also with serial numbers and product keys. these may also, in turn, be clickable.

To Request an Earlier Version of AutoCAD

This link shows you how this is done. You currently may request up to three earlier versions back.

How to request a license to use previous versions of Autodesk software on Subscription