CADVANCE 2002 – New Features Review that Benefit You!

By Janise Harmon at BayCAD Services

OK, so you upgraded to the new CADVANCE Version 2002, but have you explored all the new features yet? Thought a little warm-up was in order to help all users take advantage of some of the great tools you may not have explored as yet.

First and foremost, make sure you’ve downloaded the latest Service packs from the FIT website. These Service Packs enhance the software performance with upgrades. The only thing you need to re-set is your toolbar, so fear not…install them.

The Mouse

Some of my favorite new features are located on the mouse (button 2). These are the quick editing tools you can utilize when an object is highlighted. The best part is, you can use these tools on multiple items now, not just single selections. To do this, select the multi-items you wish to edit and when you are ready to select the last item in the group, simply hold down your shift key as you press button 2 on the mouse. Very slick new feature and a real time saver!

In addition, there is a new command on the button 2 editing - Set Properties. This allows you to set the layer, color, line weight and line style of the selected object to the Status Bar at the bottom of the screen and instantly default to those settings. This saves a great deal of time querying when you simply want to match existing objects in a drawing.

The Virtual Tablet

So what the heck is it anyway?

Every CADVANCE user utilizes a library of symbols, macros (hopefully) and/or add on programs they either purchased or developed in-house. Providing a simpler method of easy access to these tools can greatly increase productivity, and that’s exactly what the Virtual Tablet does.

Virtual Tablet works just like a hardware tablet, but is utilized on your graphics screen. It provides the ability for symbol files, macros, programs or file names to be inserted into a 6 x10 grid so you can quickly view up to 60 items per page (you can add multiple pages as needed). In addition to being able to create and customize tablets with your own symbols, you can also select from over 1000 symbols included with Virtual Tablet.

You can choose which tablet(s) you want to work with and graphically select which item on the tablet to activate (this is done easily via the Utility – Application command on the Main Menu). If your item is a symbol, Virtual Tablet provides for the placement and manipulation of your symbol. If it is a macro, program, or file, Virtual Tablet will execute or open the file.

The samples provided include hundreds of useful symbols and their associated Virtual Tablet files (see the Virtual Tablet User Guide for further information).

The User Guide is located in the CADVANCE Folder under the 'Virtual Tablet sub-directory.

It’s easy and fast to create these VT screens filled with entire symbol directories, macro or drawing files, and a great way to quickly utilize them. If you haven’t checked out the Virtual Tablet, we recommend that you do!

Symbol’s Revisited

There are some new features and functions under the Symbol command on the Main Menu, and here’s a quick overview:

Place -                                                    Places symbols in the drawing while letting you scale or rotate them.

Ok, so you all know how to place a symbol, but there are some nice, new features available when you do.

If the “Inherit Layer Properties” box is checked, the symbol inherits the current layer color, line weight and line style. That is, the current layer color, weight and style are attached to that instance of the symbol.

If “Adjust Symbol Scale” is checked, CADVANCE automatically scales the symbol according to the current drawing’s “smallest unit” value. For example, a 36” door symbol created in a drawing with 1/1024 smallest unit will show up as 36” door in a drawing with 1/8000 smallest unit when it is measured. Very nice for those of you who have to utilize DXF or DWG files! Of course, if you query that symbol, the X and Y scale will read out a little strange (but true), but the symbol will be the correct size at any smallest unit.

Once these boxes are checked in a drawing, they remain active, even if you use the Virtual Tablet to place symbols.

Attributes -                                           Defines default attributes for a symbol.

This defines default attributes for a symbol. Assigning default attributes to a symbol reduces repetitive data entry. You can define as many as sixteen default attributes per symbol.  You define default attributes with a field name (for instance, the field name might be MFG or COLOR or INSTALL_DATE or PART_NO) and a field value. When you use Symbol/Place, Edit/Alter/Open Segment or Utility/Attributes/Edit, default attribute values are entered automatically. If you want to change the value on each placement, leave the default blank and you will be prompted for the input each time you place the symbol. If you later want to edit these values, simply highlight the symbol and go to the new Edit/Symbol Text Attributes command.

Remember to check the Options\Miscellaneous dialog box  “Symbol Text Attributes [  ] Yes” if you want to use this feature and save it to your CADVANCE.INI. There are some new commands in the View menu for attributes also. For specifics on this feature, I recommend that you review the help screens on attributes before you start utilizing it.

Export -                                                  Exports symbols into symbol directory.

This comes in handy when working with files you didn’t create if you need to use the symbols in another file. You can select multiple symbols and will be prompted for a name and directory location for each one (remember though, you might not know where the basepoint is…we don’t have to worry about the creation layer anymore).

Edit Symbol\Group -                            Edits member(s) of symbol or group.

This is a nice new time-saver if you make symbol groups. Let’s say you have 10 entities in a group, and now you want to manipulate one object in that group. This command allows you to do that in the one group instance or in all instances in the drawing. By then selecting the Symbol/Close Edit\Group, the 10 entities once again become a group with the change in place.

Key Map -                                              Creates a key map symbol that has a link to another drawing or places it.

A cool tool that allows you to link and/or open a related drawing by simply double-clicking on a symbol you’ve placed in a drawing. A good link would be from the main drawing directly to a detail sheet or perhaps a subsequent floor plan.

Explore and enjoy all the new tools and feel the benefits of more productive work with CADVANCE Version 2002!

Please remember that BayCAD Services offers 2-day Basic Training classes for new users and 1 day Update Classes for existing users to get up to speed quickly with new features and techniques. We also offer design and translation services if you’re ever in need of assistance. If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to contact me personally.

Janise Harmon, President,

BayCAD Services

POB 9475

San Rafael, CA 94912

Phone:(415) 453-3828

E-mail baycad@att.net.