This lab will walk students through an introduction to some advanced AutoLISP concepts and practices. Students will get a taste of reactors, VBA-style programming in AutoLISP, and advanced function and processes.

Have you experienced any of these issues with AutoCAD products: slow opening of drawings, crashing, pausing within AutoCAD, and slow plotting? Clients, subconsultants, and approving agencies often have DWG™ files that get corrupted. This can cause loss of work and missed deadlines. Drawing corruption can range from small, annoying issues to being unable to open or print files. This corruption can affect your files and spread across your projects rapidly. In this session, we’ll explore methodologies and workflows to prevent files from getting corrupted due to internal and external factors. We’ll review eight things that cause drawing slowness, and we’ll show how to repair the drawings.

Are you an experienced AutoCAD user? Do you want to get even better and faster with the software? Have you looked at other sessions about coding or customizing AutoCAD and thought they seemed too complicated? This session is for you! Learn how to do simple automation tasks to save time and increase productivity. Even though we’ll use LISP, this is not a coding class. If you can type some commands at the Command Line, we’ll use that knowledge to help you build some simple automated routines. For example, what if you could just type in 4 and you’re automatically offsetting 4”, or type in ZZ and you zoom to extents and then back out 10%? You’ll learn many, many more of these simple tools and how you can set them all up in one or two text files to take with you for the rest of your AutoCAD career.

A project’s success is often dependent on completing it on time and within budget. The construction phase of the project is usually the one that consumes the most resources, and it’s often the stage when projects can go off track. Earned value tracking—a methodical approach to keeping your projects on track to meet tight deadlines—can help overcome these challenges. Earned value tracking helps the project teams answer tough questions regarding the health of the project and schedule. In this session, CJ Best, construction technology program manager, and Spencer Hobson, senior project engineer—both from leading MEP specialty contractor McKinstry—will share their approaches to accurately tracking field productivity. You’ll see how McKinstry uses the 3D model, project data, iPads, and software systems, including Assemble Systems, to manage project costs, material delivery, installation, scheduling, and inventory on multiple projects, including an innovative cancer treatment facility.

Specialized toolsets for architecture, electrical, mechanical, plant design, and more are now included when you subscribe to AutoCAD software. How is the new, unified AutoCAD changing how you work? Now that you can access every toolset, what can you do that you couldn’t do before? Do you know that you can use AutoCAD MEP software to create cable tray, hanger, conduits, pipe fitting, and MvParts that you can use in AutoCAD Plant 3D software? Getting started with the parametric parts can intimidate a new AutoCAD MEP user, so this class will walk you through—from a beginner level until you know everything required to be an expert in content creation. By the end of the class, you will have the knowledge to create your own custom cable tray, hanger, and pipe fitting, which means that you will be able to make anything you need in AutoCAD MEP for AutoCAD Plant 3D.

You’ve been using AutoCAD software to produce your drawings for some time and you have a huge library of details. Now that you’re moving to Revit software, what happens to all these details? You don’t what to just trash them, and you don’t want to re-create them in Revit. In this class, we'll look at the next step in your transition to Revit. We'll see how you can still use details right in your Revit projects, straight from AutoCAD. We’ll look at how we can bring those existing details into Revit and have them be referenced as correct in our projects, as if they were created there. We’ll even look at how to Revit-ize your AutoCAD details to start building a true Revit detail library. So, if not being able to use your details is holding you back from switching to Revit, or you're just not sure how to do it, don’t let this stop you. You don’t have to throw them out—they’re still good.

ObjectARX technology is the premier API (application programming interface) that is supported by AutoCAD software, AutoCAD for Mac software, and the industry-specific AutoCAD software systems. If you need to access APIs that aren't exposed through AutoLISP programming language, if you want to create applications that are optimized for large data sets, or if you need to build efficient applications for Windows and Mac OS, ObjectARX technology may be the most effective API for you. This lecture will help you understand the basics of ObjectARX technology. We will discuss which development tools you need, how to interact with AutoCAD software, and how to create a very simple 'Hello World-esque' project. ObjectARX technology utilizes the C++ programming language, but this session does not require that you know C++. Prior AutoCAD software programming experience with AutoLISP programming language or Microsoft .NET is highly recommended. The second session of this series is a hands-on lab.

We can extend AutoCAD software in a number of ways, but many users are unsure of where or how to get started. In this lab you will create custom desktop icons, modify the ribbon and Quick Access toolbar, create and modify command aliases that you can use to start commands, and define tools and tool palettes to reduce repetitive drawing tasks. This lab will give you a solid foundation in some of the available customization features that AutoCAD software offers to help you become more productive when you return to your office.

AutoLISP programming language has been around for decades, yet there are many functions that often go undiscovered or forgotten by veteran AutoLISP programmers. While there are hundreds of AutoLISP programming language functions (thousands, if you count ActiveX), this class will focus on 21 functions that new developers often overlook and that veteran programmers often forget. All of the functions fit into 1 of several different themes, including function execution, object creation and manipulation, and error handling. We will also discuss loading LISP files, accessing variable values, and configuring contextual help.

Over the past 7 years, hundreds of Associated Engineering production staff members across our 23 offices have been using AutoCAD software’s Sheet Set Manager (SSM) to efficiently coordinate project drawing packages. Throughout that time frame, we have continually adapted and fine-tuned our Sheet Set Manager templates (and support files) to not only provide flexibility for utilizing internal, project, or client-specific CAD standards, but also for ensuring conformance and standardization for all AutoCAD (and AutoCAD software-based) software output. Sheet Set Manager can greatly impact productivity while reducing repetition, user frustration, project budgets, and schedules. Please join us for this class, as we will be discussing 6 “key” Sheet Set Manager strategies that have proven to successfully assist CAD managers, project CAD leaders, and production management through incorporating this powerful productivity tool throughout development, implementation, and ongoing support.

In this class you will learn about tools that extend the basic use of AutoCAD MEP software to a next level. This includes calculations for building, pipes, and ducts based on local standards, as well as lighting analysis. Additional content makes AutoCAD software usable in many more areas than before.

This lab will walk students through an introduction to some advanced AutoLISP concepts and practices. Students will get a taste of reactors, VBA-style programming in AutoLISP, and advanced function and processes.

ObjectARX technology is the premier API (application programming interface) that is supported by AutoCAD software, AutoCAD for Mac software, and the industry-specific AutoCAD software systems. If you need to access APIs that aren't exposed through AutoLISP programming language, if you want to create applications that are optimized for large data sets, or if you need to build efficient applications for Windows and Mac OS, ObjectARX technology may be the most efficient API for you. This session provides hands-on experience using Microsoft Visual Studio and Microsoft Visual C++ to create and build an ObjectARX technology project that can be loaded into AutoCAD software. Prior experience with C++ programming language is helpful, but it is not required. However, you should have experience with AutoLISP programming language or Managed .NET. This is Part 2 of a 2-part series.

If you already have the basic knowledge of the Sheet Set Manager and want to take it to the next level, then this class is for you. We will build on the basics of sheet sets and move into more-advanced topics of the software. The Sheet Set Manager (SSM) in AutoCAD software is your ultimate document management tool. In this advanced class, we will create a standard template using fields and links to populate the data throughout the entire design package. We will organize all of the sheets, add views including labels, and publish the entire set to a PDF, DWF, or plotter output when complete. At the end of this class, you will be able to take your existing company title blocks and create a template to use on all projects, increasing your productivity and efficiency on all current and future design projects

This class is filled with all the tips and tricks you'll need to create new linetypes in AutoCAD software. Yes, AutoCAD does supply us with several options for linetypes, including dashes, dots, and shapes. What about creating and designing custom lines based on your company CAD standards or specific project needs? In this class, you’ll learn how to create a compiled custom linetype library to be used for your company standard. Drawings need creativity and clarity. In this class, you’ll gain that innovative knowledge to create new linetypes that catapult your drawings to the next level. Most importantly, you’ll be able to bring value back to your employer and the knowledge to help you excel within your field.

Add intelligence to your drawings with attribute data. This class will show you the tools and techniques used to work effectively with block attributes. Learn how to define attributes, redefine existing attribute data, and then take your documentation to the next level by extracting the attribute data to an external file or a table in the drawing.

AutoCAD uses grips showed with a selected object not only to provide visual hints of the object—such as start/end/center points, or mid/tangent points or vertices—but also, more importantly, to provide shortcuts to various operations against the object, such as stretch, move, rotation, and scale. Other AutoCAD-based applications (Civil 3D software, AutoCAD Architecture software, AutoCAD MEP software, and so on) use custom grips with architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) entities extensively. Fortunately, with .NET API, we can add custom grips to an AutoCAD object for our own specialized operation against the selected object. This session will show you a few practical examples of using custom grips.

This class will present the new JavaScript API for AutoCAD software, and attendees will learn how to use this technology to create web- and cloud-based plug-ins. We will connect web capabilities to the JavaScript API technology, demonstrating how users can quickly create the AutoCAD Thin Client software plug-ins, utilizing amazing JavaScript libraries and obtaining a unique user experience with professional results.

In this class we will cover the essentials of data backup and restoration of critical design information, and we'll differentiate between normal backup strategies and archival technologies and methods. We will also discuss data retention policies and requirements. We will explore several different technologies, both local and remote, for backing up mission-critical data, and we will discuss the necessity of archival storage and we'll explore the appropriate media to meet data-retentions requirements. The class will also cover disaster recovery planning and techniques to maintain business continuation and data security in extreme circumstances, from fires, to natural disasters, to zombie apocalypses.