Attention: AutoCAD R14 Users

Lynn Allen sent along this ddview.lsp routine to enable CADD users to pick a saved view by double-clicking on the name in the View Dialogue Box.

This "Cool Tool" will be welcomed by users that do not wish to go through the routine of:

Free download here

To use:

Road signs... AutoCAD r13 in use

CADvisory Staff

News Flash!

The VAUS executive has decided that it is necessary to quell the growing rumors that the society is making a hostile takeover bid on Microsoft. The rumor appears to have started during the coffee and donut break at the groups October meeting.

President’s Column

Paul Backus

Welcome to another year of interesting Cadd articles and tips & tricks. It was an easy task to assume the President’s role due to the support received from all the experienced members. (i.e. read that, Bill Fane’s command of cut and paste worked miracles when the need arose to fill the vacancy left by Norman Taylor) Check out your executive list for a sample of the talent available. Small wonder VAUS is referred to as, The Oldest and Most Dangerous AutoCAD User Group. And a special thanks goes out to all the past executive for launching us into the next century with the expectation of more to come.

This year continues to be exciting for VAUS members as we are pleased to announce the introduction of many new door prizes. Thanks to Frank Zander, we will be offering several thousand dollars worth of AutoDesk software to regular members over the coming year. As a taste of things to come, last month’s meeting included a give-away of AutoCAD R2000. The software is a non-upgradeable full working version of R2000.

The other day I was giving some thought to how our world has changed with the arrival of computers. Its true they are capable of doing many wonderful tasks and storing huge amounts of information. Its is also true that hard drives fail and virus infection can destroy valuable files. So most of us back-up essential data as a protection. That way we don’t have to recreate lost information. But then I realized that I had not been backing up all the information in my computer that is valuable to the way I conduct my business. Website addresses, email addresses and email messages, with their attachments, had been added over the years. Furthermore, all of this information had been sorted and labeled just the way I liked it. Hours of work have been invested and it is easily saved. The email messages were the only item that had volume, but another computer on a network, a zip drive, or careful pruning would solve that problem. So I got to work finding and storing the different files and before long all was well again in the land of hard drive. I recommend you have a look at your Internet program to do the same. The following is a list of some of the files you may want to pay attention to.

Netscape Email addresses: (C:\Program Files\)NETSCAPE\Address.htm Email messages and attachments – (C:\Program Files\)NETSCAPE\MAIL\*.* Website favorites: (C:\Program Files\)NETSCAPE\Bookmark.htm

Internet Explorer Email addresses:  
C:\Windows\Application Data\Microsoft\Address Book\*.* Email messages and attachments: 
C:\Windows\Application Data\Microsoft\Outlook Express\Mail\*.* Website favorites: - C:\Windows\Favorites\*.*

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Receive your copy of Cadvisory through the Internet

Please note that we are moving to an electronic format. This will be our last mail out of the CADvisory in hard copy. I will be sending out one last printing after all) Using the modern technology of the Internet will allow us to; send you more information take advantage of later press deadlines for more up-to-date news give access to the electronic copy of the CADvisory so you can edit or forward the information reduce expenses and maybe save a tree or two along the way.

We need your email address for the data base so... send me a short email. Simply say, Subscribe CADvisory, in the contents of the email and we will add you to the mailing list. paul_backus@hotmail.com

Visit the VAUS webpage http://www.vaus.bc.ca/ When was the last time you paid a visit to our webpage? Frank Zander has been quite busy making improvements so check it out at least once a month. Also, drop the webmaster a line (Frank or Bob) if you have any thoughts about VAUS, AutoCAD, meetings, etc.

MINUTES OF THE ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING 
Carolyn Lemarchand  Secretary’s Report Held at B.C.I.T. - October 5, 1999

News & Announcements

 Solid Edge software reads and writes ACAD files (2D/3D CADD package by Unigraphics Solutions)  The 'Virtual Newsletter' was put to the floor so please submit your e-mail addresses. We are going to email future copies of the CADvisory in order to cut costs, and allow more time for last minute additions to content.  Check our web site for job postings, there are a couple of firms looking for qualified CAD personnel. One is Aerotech and the other is an Architectural Manufacturer in Kamloops that designs and manufactures windows.  Have you seen the price of RAM lately??? A few months ago it was around $128 for 128mg, now for 128mg it is a whopping $400. This is due to (the earthquake that struck Taiwan recently and) market driven speculation!! Yikes!  Visio has offered to support their product at least till the end of the Millennium. (Let’s see now, I count two more months before users begin to worry…)  We gave away an AutoDesk V.I.P. package and a non-upgrade version of AutoCAD R2000 this evening.  Thank you to those who have registered on line

Treasurer’s Report

All yearly expenses and revenues balanced and have been filed in Victoria under the Society Act. This information is available for members by sending me an email request (paul_backus@hotmail.com). The Treasurer’s Report was accepted as read.

Elections of Executive for 1999/2000

Web Masters: Bob Boel Steve Leesing Web Editor: Monica Tsokas 

Refreshment Coordinator: Keith Evans Dave Witso 

Program director: George Epp 

Education Liason: Joanne Deno 

AUGI Representatives: Bill Fane John Sprung 

Treasurer/Membership: Gordon Wilson 

Secretary: Carolyn Lemarchand 

Vice President: Bob Rea 

President: Paul Backus

Break Time and the "Find someone who..." Treasure Hunt:

Well this got the crowd mingling. It also gave us a chance to find out what each others involvement is with CADD. A nice personal touch, Frank! and the winners were...

Steve Leesing ACAD 2000 2 Nicolae Contantinescu Autodesk VIP 3 
Monica Tsokas Autodesk VIP 4 
Keith Evans Autodesk VIP

Congratulations to our 4 winners!

Demonstration: Tips and Tricks for ACAD 2000 by Frank Zander

Want to bring text from a Word document into AutoCAD? Open the text editor in AutoCAD and switch over to the Word document. Highlight and Copy. Switch back to AutoCAD and Paste the contents into the text editor box. Its that easy.

See you at the next meeting Wednesday, November 3, 1999.

Software: AutoCAD, Mechanical Desktop, Architectural Desktop, Land Development Desktop, 3D studio Viz, Genius software, AutoCAD Map, Actrix.

Hardware: Plotters, Printers, Monitors, Digitizers, and Computer Systems

Training: Wide range of training courses offered in Classroom style or Individual