The H-Factor

From a customer:

"I am trying to create a Trimble point layout for my beam clamps only.  Is there anyway to isolate the #01 Hangers from the #05 Hangers?"

While there isn't a direct way, there is an indirect one. There is a way to grab a selection set based on an attribute value. This involves one of my favorite commands: FIND

1. Type in FIND. Press Enter

    2. Check the List results check box. This opens up the bottom half of the above dialog
    3. Type #05 in the Find what: edit field. Hangers are easy because of the formatting of the text, there isn’t any other text that looks like #05
    4. Pick the Find button. This gives you a count of the values that match your search string

    5. Pick OK
    6. Pick the Create Selection Set (All) button at right. You can also select individual items from the list and pick the Create Selection Set (Highlighted) if you need to fine-tune which blocks get selected

    7. This gives you a selection set of all the items that have the string #05 in them, zoomed in

    8. You could then move these objects outside the boundary, by a specified amount and moving them back again when you need to

Please also see this post on how to change Hanger numbers for already inserted hangers: Changing Hanger Numbers

To be able to use HydraCAD with a background drawing, you need to do these simple steps:

Step 1 – Start a new drawing using one of the HydraCAD templates. Answer the scale question if asked. This is non-negotiable!

Step 2 – Insert the background drawing into the new HydraCAD drawing, exploded. Meaning, checking the Explode option

If you need help with the new AutoCAD 2020 Insert command, read this post: Using the AutoCAD 2020 Insert Command

That's really all you have to do to start working!

Next Steps

To convert existing sprinkler heads into HydraCAD heads, read this post: Working With Background drawings #1 – Changing Sprinkler Head Symbols

To convert existing piping into HydraCAD piping, read this post: Working With Background Drawings #2 – Changing Piping

If you are not happy with the colors or line-types of the existing steel, walls, ceilings, structures, etc – then feel free to change them. But, this does not need to be done to use HydraCAD effectively

If the background drawing has existing piping, you may be able to use that piping for HydraCAD.

The 'may' all hinges on how the original author drew the piping. Is it from center of head to center of head (or fitting)? Is it from edge of head to edge or head (or fitting). Is it simply drawn through all heads and couplings on a line or main, without stopping at each head? Are they really polylines?

If they are polylines, Explode them first. This will break them into segments.

If they drew the other ways, you can convert them like this:

Step 1: Isolate the layer of the piping by typing PC to pick the current layer, and pick one of the pipes. You can also use AutoCAD's Layer Isolate tool.

Step 2: Type in AF to turn all the layers off except for that current layer.

Step 3a: Select all of the pipe you want in the Main layer and pick SPRKDAT1 from the layer drop-down list
Step 3b: Select all of the pipe you want in the Line layer and pick SPRKDAT2 from the layer drop-down list
Step 3a: Select all of the pipe you want in the Underground layer and pick SPRKDAT3 from the layer drop-down list
Step 3a: Select all of the pipe you want in the Armover layer and pick SPRKDAT4 from the layer drop-down list

If they are only drawn edge to edge, you will have to turn on all the layer and use Grips or Extend to make the pipes reach the center / insert point of our heads and couplings.

If they are drawn through all the entities, you will have to break them up into segments. You can use AutoLine and AutoMain to do this relatively painlessly.

Say you have a background drawing that has sprinkler heads already laid out, but they aren't HydraCAD sprinkler heads. What to do?

Zeroth – Do what you should always do with a background drawing. That is, start a New drawing using one of the HydraCAD templates, and then insert your drawing into it, exploded.

First – you can stop laughing, because some of these backgrounds have a good quality sprinkler layout, unlike years past.

Second – it helps to know if the sprinkler heads are blocks or circles. Or something else.

If 'something else', then their isn't much we can help with other than telling you to latch onto an Osnap that is useful with the existing heads and use the Insert Multiple Sprinklers command to copy a new head to that osnap on all the existing heads, one by one.

But, if it they are blocks or circles, then we can help.

Step 1: Define the new heads you will need using the usual method – Select Sprinkler

Step 2: Insert one of each new head type to a place on the drawing that will be easy to locate when the time comes.

Step 3: Use the Change Block command! It is found in HydraTools->Modify->Blocks->Change Blocks (or type CHB) 

When that comes up,take a look at the dialog box. You can change blocks or circles using this tool:

For Blocks

Pick Select Existing and pick one of the existing heads. Then, pick Select New and grab one of the new heads you inserted.

There are two overhauled commands in AutoCAD 2020 that are used pretty often; and that have changed considerably. One is the PURGE command, which I covered in an earlier post. The other is INSERT, which I will cover here.

Insert has changed considerably, in that it is considerably more complicated. Typing it in yields an Insert palette:

The Current Drawing tab shows all the blocks currently defined in the drawing, whether or not they have been actually inserted. From this tab, you can pick or drag and drop the blocks into the drawing.

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The Recent tab shows you the most recently inserted blocks, giving you a smaller list to choose from. however, this requires that you set up a cloud storage system to synch with. View the Help on this tab if you want to proceed

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To insert a block from another drawing, however, select the Libraries tab. The first time you use this command, the Libraries tab will be blank with a note to the effect of Open Block Libraries. 

Picking that, you will be asked to select a drawing to access, or, you can pick the Library Book symbol, below, for this same purpose:

Picking a drawing will display all of the blocks defined within that drawing. You can drag or drop these blocks into your drawing.

If you want to insert the entire drawing, such as in the case of a background to work off of, select the very first block in the upper left. This is the entire drawing. I suggest checking the Explode and Insertion Point boxes when inserting. I do not recommend the drag and drop feature for this, as the entire drawing has to get loaded in before you can 'drop' it where you want it

Finally, now that you have been forced to read all of this, if you want to use the good old Insert command from days of yore, simply type in CLASSICINSERT to do so!

The above error is common these days. And, it isn't you that is to blame (or us, for that matter). Who do we blame? Why, the Big A of course…

Autodesk is in the process of switching from serial number driven activation to user account (email) driven activation. The problem is that they still have their feet in two places (one in the boat and one on the shore), and they can't quite get either into the boat or out of it. This is causing many longtime AutoCAD users to run into the above problem. Users who are buying their first Autodesk product generally don't have the same problem, but may still run into a variation of it. Furthermore, some bad habits the long time users began years ago are finally coming home to roost.

Before I explain the background and the long solution, I am going to start with the simple fix. If that doesn't work, then try the 

First Solution:

A. Cancel the activation

B. When you get back to the AutoCAD activation screen, pick Run (if necessary, reopen AutoCAD) to get into the software

C. Once in AutoCAD, locate your user account in the upper right. Pick Manage License

D. Pick Activate. Pick Single User. Your activation should now be completed and you will be allowed into AutoCAD. To test, close AutoCAD and re-enter it

Second Solution

Here is some background and how to 'fix' it:

Background – many companies with more than one user of Autodesk actually have only one person registered to use the software, and all others log in as that user to access Autodesk. This is what is causing the failure when an additional license is added. This situation must be corrected before proceeding. While this generally worked when AutoCAD used perpetual licenses,, it does not work with the current subscription scheme. Note: it also could send up a flag to Autodesk, resulting in an audit!

Some unbreakable rules:

• Each user must have their own Autodesk Account set up
• The contract administrator account (this is the email address on the license certificate) must be used to create these individual users
• Each user must be given rights to use the software
• AutoCAD (or whatever Autodesk product) must be activated on each registered users' machine

Here are the steps to address the problem:

1. Log into Autodesk Account using the email and password of the contract administrator. If this person should not be the admin, or no longer works there, or has changed their email address, contact us and we can change the administrator to whom you designate

2. Create a user account for each user that needs access by picking Manage Products and Downloads

3. Pick User Management from the left

4. Add a User from the options found. There are two variations of this screen. One has a list of users already there and one has small panels, one for each user. One has an entry field where you type in the email address of the user followed by a comma, firstname, lastname (johndoe@wherever.com,John,Doe). Multiple users can be created by this method. The other method is below. It has a line for each entry. Do not check the I'd like to assign products to the user(s) now option for this example

5. Locate the user just created. Pick Edit Access or Assign Products. Note that this user in the beginning does not have any products assigned to them

6. Check the products to Assign to this user. If no seats are available, you may have to click on one of the other users and release a seat. The other users may be company officers or purchasers or the contract administrator that do not require Autodesk software anyway

After you check the products, pick Save. The new user now has access. But their software is not yet registered

7. Close any Autodesk products you might have open

8. Locate the Autodesk Desktop App. You may have a shortcut on your desktop ad/or it might be in the Start menu. It also might already be active in the active programs panel accessed in the lower right of your screen

9. Once the app is open, pick the account name at upper right. This is probably not your user account, but the person who installed it earlier or your contract administrator. Pick Sign Out

10. Pick the same location on the dialog and pick Sign In. Enter your user credentials

This gives your access to those products to which you have been assigned. The problem is that your software doesn't yet know it. This is where things get a little crazy.

11. Open AutoCAD. You will get a splash screen asking you to use the software for 30 days (or whatever is left of your trial, unregistered version) or Activate. Pick Activate

The activation will most likely fail. You will then be asked to enter a serial number. When you do, you will be told Invalid Serial Number entered. Even though your were given this serial number by Autodesk itself. Yep. This is why we had to create this blog post…

Two previous blog posts discussed Giving Users Rights and Navigating Autodesk Account. Read these for further information.

Want to keep riser nipples from showing both center and cut length when plotting? Tried to freeze or turn off layers?

AutoCAD has a newish feature that will help you do just this. Its call VP Freeze for Viewport Freeze.

Open the Layer palette. Find the HPipesCGen layer. Click the Square Sun icon in the New VP Freeze column. This will freeze this layer in viewports!

This modification has been added to HydraCAD V56.04 and V55.05. A change made to HydraCAD templates and layer script so that the HPipesCGen layer is set to default this way.