AutoCAD DevBlog

Autodesk University ADN Hunter competition update

By Stephen Preston

A quick update for those of you who took part in our 'ADN Hunter' competition at AU ...

I'm waiting for the AU organizers to give me a full dump of the AU Mobile App activity feed. Once I have that, I will announce the three winners (who will each receive an iPad Mini prize) on the ADN DevBlog and in the ADN DevNews newsletter. Preliminary analysis shows that we have at least three people who tracked down every ADN team member at AU, so I'm expecting the competition to go to a tie break.

Sorry for the delay.

(PS If you've no idea what I'm talking about then maybe you should have come to AU ;-).

 

The end of an era

By Stephen Preston

If you're an ADN member, if you've  been to Autodesk University, if you use the Autodesk forums, or if you follow this blog then you will undoubtedly know Fenton Webb. That is why I'm writing a post here to announce that - after 13 years serving the AutoCAD developer community - Fenton is moving on to pastures new.

I'm very sad to lose a colleague who joined the ADN team in the same year as I did, but I'm happy for Fenton that he's found a position with another team at Autodesk where he can work on something new and challenging. Fenton has moved to our installer and licensing team - a team he's been working very closely with over the last two years as part of his work on the Autodesk Exchange store (creating the installer template we use for apps on Autodesk Exchange, as well as the internal tools we use to automate the installer creation process for those apps). Fenton will be working on some top secret projects that I'm not allowed to talk about on this blog.

On behalf of the ADN team and (if I may be so bold) AutoCAD plug-in developers everywhere, I'd like to thank Fenton for his hard work and imagination in serving the AutoCAD developer community over the last 13 years. Hopefully, once he's settled into his new position, he'll be able to continue blogging on this site again, and he will be helping us out at AU with several classes in the Developer track and at our DevLab workshop. Bon chance et au revoir Fenton.

Fenton will be very difficult to replace, but we'll try.

Welcome to AppHack 2.0

By Stephen Preston

Connecting Autodesk to the Cloud

Win up to $5000, a newly released tablet computer and a trip to Las Vegas!

APPHACK 2.0 is a virtual code-fest to produce apps/plug-ins for: AutoCAD, Revit, Inventor and BIM 360 Glue. The theme of the event is “Connecting Autodesk to the Cloud” – and this is open to creative interpretation. Perhaps you can think of a way to wire our software into your favorite social media network or make use of infinite cloud computing to carry out CPU-intensive tasks. Or maybe you have a way to help users better visualize and share their ideas using a web browser. Build a standalone app for an AutoCAD, Revit, Inventor or a BIM 360 Glue product. Or build an app that takes advantage of the integration capabilities of BIM 360 Glue with either of the 3 other products families: AutoCAD, Revit and Inventor! It’s up to you. Code a new app, finish coding one you already have in progress or submit one you already have but haven’t published yet.

Find out more about the event here:

http://adndevblog.typepad.com/autocad/announcing-apphack-20.html

 

(Note: AppHack is open to ADN members and US residents only. See the competition page for more details).

Introducing our DevTV YouTube channel

By Stephen Preston

For your delight and delectation, and as part of our ADN Open project, we've now created an Autodesk DevTV YouTube channel as a central place for you to browse and view our DevTV screencasts.

At the moment, its mostly a selection of old recordings we've posted in other places in the past. Our plan is to post all our DevTV videos there in future, and link to them from our blogs and elsewhere.

 

Click this link to visit the Autodesk DevTV YouTube Channel.

 

Please don't hesitate to send me your feedback and suggestions on the channel. We want to make it as easy as possible for you to find the information you need (and this is the first YouTube Channel I've ever created, so I'm sure I've overlooked some usability features :-).

 

Coming soon - x64 Edit-and-Continue

By Stephen Preston

Last November, I encouraged you all (yawl?) to vote on the Microsoft Uservoice site for the 'x64 edit and continue' request.

Good News! Today, I (and all my DevTech colleagues) received an email confirming that this will become available (relatively soon) in Visual Studio 2013:

Well - mostly good news - this is for VB.NET and C# only. The request for C++ is still open.

Nevertheless, all of us who voted for this should take a moment to pour a celebratory glass of Mountain Dew Code Red, smile smugly, and congratulate ourselves for our powers of persuasion and general awesomeness. (And then go and vote for the equivalent C++ request :-).

Webinar announcement

By Stephen Preston

Register and mark your calendars now for this upcoming webcast on making the most of the Autodesk Exchange Apps store ...

"How developers can ride and profit from the adoption wave of Autodesk Exchange Apps"

The Autodesk Exchange Apps stores (currently there are 15 stores) are a huge opportunity for developers to gain direct access to the growing number of Autodesk customers using Exchange Apps.  In just one year there’s been over one million visits and over 250,000 downloads. With comments like “one of my most useful tools”, “love this app, saved me hours of work” there’s no doubt that Exchange Apps has become a resource that Autodesk customers rely on to find useful apps of all types.    

If you develop apps and want to reach more customers quickly, easily and inexpensively but haven’t yet put your toe in the water with Exchange Apps, the Autodesk Developer Network (ADN) team is ready to help you.  You’re invited to attend a webinar on June 13^th hosted by Jim Quanci and Stephen Preston to learn how you can catch the wave and accelerating growth of Exchange Apps.

You’ll learn the tricks of the trade when publishing on Exchange Apps, get ideas on how to be successful and learn about the ability to publish localized apps. Here’s what you need to know:

Webinar details:

Date: Thursday, June 13^th, 2013
Time: 8 a.m. PDT (4 p.m. BST; 5 p.m. CET; 11 a.m. EDT)
Duration: Approximately one hour

Open to anyone interested in publishing apps on Autodesk Exchange Apps (i.e. ADN membership is not required :-).

Registration: Reserve your place by June 11 by sending an email to [email protected] with Exchange Apps webinar as the subject. Please make sure you include your full name, company name and email address.

And visit www.autodesk.com/developapps now if you want a head start in learning how to publish apps.

 

Update June 24th 2013:

Here is the download link for the webinar recording. Its a WMV format - fast forward to 1 min 44 seconds for the start.

AU Call for Proposals closes soon

By Stephen Preston

A quick reminder that the AU Call for Proposals closes on May 19th, so you don't have much time if you want to be considered as a presenter this year.

We're keen to continue our theme from the last two years of scheduling a significant number of classes about general programming concepts and technologies in addition to classes about specific Autodesk APIs.

(Note that the 'Customization and Programming' track has been renamed to 'Developer' this year).

 

API webcast archive

By Stephen Preston

As part of our ADN Open work to move our API content to more accessible (search-engine-findable) locations, I'm posting our webcast archive to DevBlog. Some of these recordings are  old now, but still contain useful information. And, being recordings of live webcasts, they are not as polished as our DevTV recordings.

Note that some recordings are in Chinese and some in English.

Webcast	Language	Date
AutoCAD .Net - Session 2	English	13-Sep-12
AutoCAD .Net - Session 1	English	6-Sep-12
AutoCAD API	Chinese	25-Apr-12
DevTV: AutoCAD .Net API - Chinese - Part 1	Chinese	6-Apr-12
DevTV: AutoCAD .Net API - Chinese - Part 2	Chinese	6-Apr-12
AutoCAD .NET - Session 8	English	27-Oct-11
AutoCAD .NET - Session 7	English	20-Oct-11
AutoCAD .NET - Session 6	English	13-Oct-11
AutoCAD .NET - Session 5	English	6-Oct-11
AutoCAD .NET - Session 4	English	29-Sep-11
AutoCAD .NET - Session 3	English	22-Sep-11
AutoCAD .NET - Session 2	English	15-Sep-11
AutoCAD 2012 .NET API	Chinese	7-Jun-11
AutoCAD API	Chinese	14-Sep-10
AutoCAD API	English	13-Apr-10
AutoCAD: VBA to .NET Migration	English	20-Oct-09
AutoCAD - 0 to 3D in 60 Minutes	English	13-Oct-09
AutoCAD .NET: Developing a User Interface	English	20-Aug-09
AutoCAD: Using Windows Presentation Foundation in your Applications - Part 2	English	14-Jul-09
AutoCAD: Using Windows Presentation Foundation in your Applications - Part 1	English	2-Jun-09
AutoCAD .Net	Chinese	22-May-09
AutoCAD 2010 API for CUIX	English	2-Apr-09
Developer Days Online: AutoCAD	English	10-Feb-09
AutoCAD: .NET for LISP Programmers	English	16-Oct-08
AutoCAD .NET: Developing a User Interface	English	16-Sep-08
AutoCAD: Creating a UI using WPF	English	26-Aug-08
AutoCAD: Using Jigs in .NET	English	29-Jul-08
AutoCAD : Brep .NET	English	24-Jun-08
AutoCAD: Ribbons, Task Dialogs and Tooltips	English	29-May-08
AutoCAD: TransientGraphics API	English	15-May-08
AutoCAD P&ID API	English	14-May-08
AutoCAD: CUI Deployment Best Practices	English	25-Mar-08
AutoCAD: API Overview	English	21-Feb-08
AutoCAD: .NET for LISP Programmers	English	18-Oct-07
AutoCAD: 10 easy ways to crash your AutoCAD addin	English	4-Oct-07
AutoCAD: Creating an Installer	English	16-Aug-07
AutoCAD: Custom Objects Masterclass	English	12-Jul-07
AutoCAD: Storing custom data in a drawing	English	14-Jun-07

April 1st +1

By Stephen Preston

Yesterday was our first April Fool's Day since we started our DevBlogs, so we had some fun picking up the gauntlet laid down over the years by Kean Walmsley by writing a few of our own April Fool's blog posts. In case you missed some, here is the full list:

• http://adndevblog.typepad.com/infrastructure/2013/04/how-green-and-sustainable-is-my-civil-3d-infrastructure-project.html
• http://adndevblog.typepad.com/autocad/2013/04/autodesk-orbital-movement-epoch-notification-system.html
• http://adndevblog.typepad.com/aec/2013/04/d-for-developers-.html
• http://adndevblog.typepad.com/manufacturing/2013/04/inventor-for-ipad-is-now-available.html
• http://adndevblog.typepad.com/autocad/2013/04/autocad-2014s-incredible-easter-egg-surprise.html
• http://adndevblog.typepad.com/autocad/2013/04/introducing-the-autodesk-layout.html
• http://around-the-corner.typepad.com/adn/2013/03/kinect-leapmotion-mocap-all-legacy-tools-.html
• http://thebuildingcoder.typepad.com/blog/2013/04/cloud-based-restaurant-seating-arrangement-and-cleaning.html

And, of course, there was also Kean's own post - http://through-the-interface.typepad.com/through_the_interface/2013/04/taking-reality-capture-to-the-next-level-3d-scentsing.html.

For completeness here are links to Kean's April Fool's posts from previous years:

• http://through-the-interface.typepad.com/through_the_interface/2008/04/unpublished-aut.html
• http://through-the-interface.typepad.com/through_the_interface/2009/04/through-the-interface-moving-from-typepad-to-twitter.html
• http://through-the-interface.typepad.com/through_the_interface/2010/04/childs-play-a-new-tool-for-generating-3d-models-from-childrens-drawings.html
• http://through-the-interface.typepad.com/through_the_interface/2011/03/autocad-for-dos-2012.html
• http://through-the-interface.typepad.com/through_the_interface/2012/03/360-convergence.html

We hope you enjoyed the articles, and that those of you from countries that don't have an April Fool's tradition didn't think we'd gone completely mad.

If you didn't like them, then I'll leave you with this advice from an old friend of mine:

If we shadows have offended,
Think but this, and all is mended,
That you have but slumber'd here
While these visions did appear.
And this weak and idle theme,
No more yielding but a dream,
Gentles, do not reprehend:
if you pardon, we will mend:
And, as I am an honest Puck,
If we have unearned luck
Now to 'scape the serpent's tongue,
We will make amends ere long;
Else the Puck a liar call;
So, good night unto you all.
Give me your hands, if we be friends,
And Robin shall restore amends.

(Puck from A Midsummer Night's Dream, closing speech - William Shakespeare).

 

 

Introducing the Autodesk Layout

By Stephen Preston

Autodesk announced today a call for Beta testers for the newest addition to our product line – the Autodesk Layout - an Android-based tablet designed specifically for drafting.

Tablet devices targeted at specific markets are nothing new – as witnessed by the success of the Amazon Kindle Fire HD and the Barnes & Noble Nook HD in the ‘eReader’ domain. With the Layout, Autodesk plan to do the same for drafting.

Readers of Kean Walmsley’s blog will be familiar with the AutoCAD “Big Split” project. This was a very significant architectural refactoring of AutoCAD to isolate the AutoCAD ‘application logic’ (AcCore) from the user interface, which has led to the creation of a number new ‘AcCore-based’ products, such as AutoCAD for Mac, AutoCAD WS, and (of course) the AcCoreConsole ‘scripting engine’ that ships as part of the AutoCAD 2013 console.

Autodesk Layout uses AcCore to implement an Android native version of AutoCAD. This in turn sits on top of an enhanced Android operating system, and includes the following enhanced features:

• All the functionality of AutoCAD on a tablet device.
• The ability to work with DWG files stored locally (LS mode) or with files stored on the Autodesk 360 server (WS mode).
• Full ObjectARX, .NET and LISP emulation, allowing Layout to load almost any app designed for AutoCAD.
• Seamless integration with the Autodesk Exchange Apps store.

But that’s just the software. The device itself boasts a groundbreaking flexible (foldable) OLED dsplay incorporating ultra-high precision touch sensitivity. The OLED screen unfolds from the tablet body and can be laid flat on a traditional drafting board to create a comfortable and intuitive drafting environment in the office.

Image: Using the Layout flexible OLED display.

For ease of input, the Layout offers a range of 'touch' input devices:

Image: Layout input device options.

In the field, the ‘hard’ screen can be used for lower precision markup.

The Autodesk Layout will initially ship in 3 variants, the model numbers reflecting the size of the foldable OLED screen (conforming to ISO 216 standards for easy drafting):

• Layout A4 – 210mm x 297 mm OLED screen.
• Layout A3 – 297mm x 420mm OLED screen.
• Layout A2 – 420mm x 594mm OLED screen.

Future A1 and A0 versions are planned.

Asked about this announcement at a press conference this morning, Autodesk representative Cal Brass stated “Autodesk have a long and proud history of offering best in class solutions for the design community. However, I make a point of never commenting on technology articles on April 1^st”.

Please sign up here if you’re interested in becoming a Beta tester.