In the Dynamic Interface

New DWF BLOG

I was very happy to read on Shaan Hurley's BLOG that there is another new Autodesk BLOG called "Beyond the Paper". This one focusing on DWF!! Yes!! This DWF Blog is hosted by one guy who I can truly say probably knows everything there is about DWF. Anytime I have a DWF question its right to the Autodesk DWF Discussion group, post my question, wait 10 minutes and Scott Sheppard (1 part of the duo of "Mr.DWF", Brian Matthews being the other) has an answer for me!! Scott also knows a lot about plotting as he worked for Oce a couple years ago.

So jump on over to Scott's new DWF BLOG, http://blogs.autodesk.com/beyond_the_paper

Welcome to Blogging Scott!!

DWF Send Finally!!

If you haven't installed DWF Viewer 6.5. Make sure you do!! They now have a nice little tool called SEND. No more having to save a DWF and go back to the job folder in explorer to find the DWF. You can now send a DWF directly from inside DWF Viewer. This was a huge wish list item on my list and happy to finally see if included in the product. Now just cant wait to see it included in DWF Composer so we can markup and send directly after marking up.

You can also now select a DWF in windows explorer, right click and hit SEND to email a DWF directly from windows explorer. After the DWF is added to your email it will automatically add in a signature that has the address where the person your sending the DWF to can automatically install the DWF viewer.

DWF FAQ Document Update & Blog list

Scott Sheppard one of the DWF Technical Evangelist has updated the DWF Faq sheet to include a Blog listing that references DWF. I was pretty happy to see my Blog as one of the listings in the FAQ sheet. If you have any DWF tips or tricks feel free to e-mail me. And I'll try and post them here for others to benefit from.

Here is the link to the DWF FAQ sheet.

View DWF from Markup Manager

A nice feature inside the Markup manager I use daily is the "View DWF Geometry". This little button can be really helpful when working on a DWG file that has tremendously changed since the DWF was marked up. This button will actually make all DWG geometry invisible and show the vector lines from the DWF right in the same location that the DWF was plotted from. There is also a couple other buttons. I use the "View DWG Geometry" to turn off the DWF lines and turn back on your DWG lines. And sometimes use the "View Red line Geometry" to toggle the markups on and off. There is sometimes where the Red lines get too confusing and need to be tamed down a bit to work and make revisions.

Now there is ONE BIG problem with this "View DWF Geometry". In order to view the DWF geometry, you HAVE to have a background color other than black. I would recommend something other than a dark color. Mainly because the DWF Vector lines will show the same color they are in the DWF. So if you have black on black you wont see anything. I would recommend a white background, but we all know this white background can be a little hard on the eyes. So give a couple other colors a try.

DWF Printing for Reprographers

Are you "DWFing IT?" If not, you should!! I use DWF files all the time for print jobs. I wasn't around for the PLT days so main reason I'm a DWF junkie. I've been using AutoCAD professionally for about 4 years now and DWF is by far, my weapon of choice. Some problems I've heard about PLT (I've never made one & hope I never have to..:)..) is you plot to PLT, and pretty much cross you fingers that the print was plotted to PLT correctly once you get your paper prints back. I think there are some PLT viewers out there, but why go through the hassle? DWF allows you to take you DWG file, plot to DWF, then simply e-mail to your reprographer for prints. Our local print house has been using the Oce publisher tools for about a year or so now, and tells me all the time how much they like it. They said every week there are new clients of theirs starting to test the waters of DWF and find printing to DWF is much faster and less hassle than PLT or PDF. By plotting to DWF kills two birds with one stone. You get a electronic plot of your entire job in one Multisheet DWF for in house viewing and you can simply send that small DWF file over the Internet for hard copy prints.

So how do you get YOUR reprographer set up with DWF printing? Well first off you need to do a little investigating. I recommend you contact your reprographer and find out what type of plotter they have. If they have an Oce, HP, or KIP you are all set. These three manufacturers apparently have been working closely with Autodesk to develop some software to help reprographers print DWF files. I've also just got some information that KIP apparently has a new software that plots the DWF files tremendously faster than other software. But all these give great results. For more information on DWF and DWF plotting refer to the DWF FAQ sheet. By DWF Technical Evangelist Scott Sheppard. Or I suggest posting a question on the Autodesk DWF Newsgroup and I'm sure someone like Scott will help you out. http://discussion.autodesk.com/forum.jspa?forumID=114

Here is some links to some of the manufacturers websites to get information on their software.

Oce Publisher Tools: http://www.oceplancenter.com/download.asp

PlotWorks: http://www.plp.com/www/products/plotworks/index.html

Link to supported Printer types: http://www.plp.com/www/products/plotworks/supported_devices.html

Kip: http://www.kip3000.com/ Go to Network printer, then DWF Printing.

HP Instant Print: http://www.hp.com/hpinfo/newsroom/press/2005/050525a.html

Here is a nice portion of the FAQ sheet on reprographer printing.

If you use a reprographer who has:

1. Océ Repro Desk, then you have two choices. One avenue is to download the Océ Client Tools can then be sent to the reprographer. Alternatively, your reprographer may be using Repro Desk Server 1.6.3 which can be configured to accept DWF files and automatically convert them to LDF. For these reprographers, you can send them DWF files directly. Additional details regarding available options with Océ hardware can be found in the Océ white paper Océ Repro Desk workflow

2. has obtained the PlotWorks DWF to Tiff module. This module is available at no cost to reprographers who have a maintenance contract with PLP. For these reprographers, you can send them your DWF files for printing. In cases where neither of these possibilities exists, you will need to use the Autodesk DWF Viewer to print your DWF files to another format, e.g. HPGL, and send the resulting files to the reprographer. and batch process your DWF files into LDF files. The LDF filesIntegrating DWF Printing into your.PLP Plotworks, then you should check with your reprographer to see that he Can I send DWF files to a commercial reprographer for printing?

DWF Composer 2 "Snap Shot"

If you're running the new DWF Composer 2. You'll notice that there is a new button on your toolbar that looks like a camera. No its not a link to your Webcam. Its actually a Snap Shot tool. This tool once issued by the button will bring up a red rectangular window. This red rectangular snap shot tool allows you to maneuver this red rectangle over an area of your screen and take a snap shot of your screen. Once the snap shot is taken, it will export that snap shot to a page in your DWF. The snap shot can be any size you need. Once the snap shot is take it can be marked up right in DWF Composer. This red window can also be re-sized on any side, corner and moved around. The Snap shot tool also allows you to see the size of the image before you take your snap shot.

Here is the Snap Shot rectangle.

Here is the final result after your snap shot.

3D DWF Publish

A nice addition to AutoCAD 2006 is the 3DDWFPUBLISH command. This command allows you to take any 3D solids model and publish it to a 3D DWF. The only problem is you need to make sure this option is selected when you Install AutoCAD 2006. Its at the same location where you choose express tools. But if you by chance didn't check the 3DDWFPUBLISH option, don't worry. You can enable and install it from the Add & Remove programs in your control panel but you may need you're install disk. The 3DDWFPUBLISH command also allows you to select all the objects in the drawing or just specified objects. You can group the objects by Layer or their Object type when publishing. The results are not bad. One thing I wish the 3D DWF's would do on start up is issue a full "FIT TO WINDOW" so the model is centered in the viewer.  Makes it easier to navigate the model. But maybe that will be fixed in another release?

3D DWF Publish options.

AutoCAD 2006 Install options.

Example of a 3D DWF.

DWF Webcast

Just wanted to thank everyone who checked out the DWF Composer Webcast yesterday. It was a very good learning experience for myself, and hope others got some good information on DWF Composer. And glad to see many names in the Audience that I've talked to in the Newsgroups or here in my BLOG.

Thanks again!! Now back to more Dynamic Block posts.....

MKM & Associates DWF Composer Webcast

If you're on the Autodesk mailing list, you'll probably be receiving an e-mail for a new DWF Composer Webcast. Well, I'll be one of the presenters in the Webcast talking about the success MKM has had with DWF Composer. The Webcast is August 18th at 10:00am PDT.

The webcast is scheduled for an hour with a live questions and answers once the webcast is finished.

Some topics that I'll be covering are.

• Reduce review cycles with an all digital review process, and eliminate 2-3 day lag time.
• Conserve paper and cut time waiting for print sets, saving $100 or more on every run.
• View, print and transmit compact 2D and 3D files, adding comments within the context of the design.
• Update Field reports on the spot.
• And more!!

Click here to Register for the Free Webcast.

You'll also get $100 off a full conference registration at Autodesk University after you attend this exclusive webcast.

DWF Composer 2 Symbols

DWF Composer 2 now has custom Symbols. Custom symbols or stamps some call it allow you to generate a library of markup symbols to place in your drawings. The symbols can be created a couple different ways. You can simply print a DWF from AutoCAD 2006 using the Block Template then import those blocks into your DWF Composer as a Custom Markup catalog.

Another way to import these symbols is simply create a object and print it to DWF using the DWF6 eplot.pc3 setting than import that DWF into DWF Composer 2 using the Import each sheet a symbol.

Click here to Download a sample wood sizes DWF:Download sawn_lumber.dwf

First off you need to go to the stamps pulldown. Then select the Import DWF as Symbol Catalog.

Next you will browse for the file then select the Import each object on sheets as Symbol.

Then you will select the proper label you want to use for the blocks. I usually select the name.

Next you will get a message telling you how many blocks were created.

Then go back to your pulldown and you'll see the name of the catalog then be able to insert a block as a custom Symbol.

Next once you select it from the list you'll be able to place it in your drawing. The symbols have grips that you can scale up, down and move around.