AutoCAD MEP 2012 Is Live

Go to your Autodesk Subscription site to download it now.

See the WHAT'S NEW IN AUTOCAD MEP 2012 video from Autodesk here.

AutoCAD MEP 2010 Update 2

Download it here

General Updates to AutoCAD MEP

The following defects have been fixed in AutoCAD MEP 2010 Update 2:

BDH Import
Update 2

• Radiator Import may lead to crash during when updating existing drawings.

Device
Update 1

• Device modify via grip edit doesn't move or maintain its orientation as expected.
• The Add Automatic Property for a Device was not retrieving the Load Category or Number of Poles.

Update 2

• Opening drawings from previous releases may lead to crash.
• When Rotating Devices with Update 1 installed, the Device annotation is not rotating relative to the offset specified in the block.
• Layer Key Override - Devices with an assigned System Definition that contains a Layer Key Override are appending the initial overrides in the Layer Key Override dialog.

Display
Update 1

• Haloed or hidden appearance for Plumbing Lines, Schematic lines and Wires do not display correctly.

Duct
Update 1

• Duct Flanges are displayed incorrectly after moving a duct using grips.
• Velocity in Duct Modify does not match the Velocity in the Properties Palette.
• Add Selected does not work correctly when duct height is greater than duct width.
• Takeoff for branch is not sized correctly when duct height is greater than duct width.
• Top and Bottom Elevation are incorrect in tooltip when duct height is greater than duct width.

Update 2

• Duct Takeoffs may move or become disconnected during Regen Model. Elbow may change elevation when changing parameters values.

Electrical
Update 1

• A crash may occur when closing a drawing with an EPD file that has a relative path.
• A crash may occur when converting multiple blocks to Devices.
• Wire will only connect to one connector on some scaled devices.

Update 2

• Duplicate circuits may be created when copying devices between two drawings.
• Circuit Manager appears to hang in drawings with multiple tabs.
• Wire sizes may not appear in the first time Circuit Manager is activated.
• EPD Relative Pathing may not work on mapped networked drives.
• Exiting AutoCAD MEP with Circuit Manager open may lead to crash.
• Using Block Editor in a Panel Schedule drawing may lead to Circuits losing there name in the Schedule.

Info Center
Update 2

• Balloon notifications in Info Center may be blank when Windows 7 theme is set to classic

Performance
Update 2

• Compass repeatly sets Elevation value when Project Navigator is active.
• Opening drawings with large Xreferences may cause AutoCAD MEP to stop responding.
• Closing drawings may not release memory.

Multi-View Parts
Update 1

• Some linework is missing from certain MvParts.
• Radiator insertion fails, using the window option, if the radiator width or length is located in a basic table.
• Radiator Import does not set property data properly.
• Radiator valves are not aligned to the radiator when inserted using the plus grip.

Pipe
Update 1

• The formula for percentage slope by angle is incorrect. Fixing this means that an existing tool in which a specific number for percentage is stored will produce a different slope due to the new calculation.
• Pipe layouts with Very low slope cannot be created correctly.
• The Parallel Pipe command places new pipes on the wrong layer when systems use different layers.
• Some Pipe created in previous versions of AutoCAD MEP snaps to fittings when opened.

Update 2

• Some fittings accessed thru Runtime catalog may not appear in Routing Preferences.
• Some fittings may not appear correct when accessed thru a runtime catalog.

Plumbing
Update 2

• Plumbing Line overlapping with Plumbing fitting may lead to crash.
• Changing a Fitting Style on the Properties Palette may lead to the command line style control to not work.
• Selecting a Plumbing Line on Windows 7 operating system may lead to crash.

Schedules
Update 2

• Wrong area is calculated in BOM table with OE-NORM if length smaller than 400 and size constant in DACH profile.

Schematics
Update 2

• When filleting two schematic lines with schematic symbols, the schematic line end may snap to a schematic symbol.
• When drawing a short schematic line segment from a schematic symbol the schematic line may snap to the schematic symbol.

Sections
Update 2

• Creating a 2D section using large selection set on a 32 bit operating system may lead to crash.

Tool Palette
Update 2

• Dragging a Tool from Content Browser onto a Tool Palette may lead to script error.

Miscellaneous
Update 1

• CollisionDetection does not work as expected.
• "Copy to Clipboard failed" dialog will appear when copying an object that has been copy/pasted from another drawing.
• A fatal error will occur when creating an elbow with multiple segments.

Update 2

• Reloading Xrefs may lead to crash.

General Updates to AutoCAD Architecture

The following AutoCAD Architecture defects have been fixed:

AEC Dimensions
Update 1

• Multiple overlapping windows may lead to incorrect dimensions.

API
Update 1

• AutoCAD Architecture might crash when trying to define a Display Theme style using .NET API.

Doors/Windows/Openings
Update 2

• When a custom block is applied to a door, window, or door-window assembly, the block will be visible even if it is not within the cut plane range.
• Sometimes, you cannot insert an opening in a wall in a certain cleanup group.

Drawing Management
Update 2

• AutoCAD Architecture may crash when you repath certain projects with no drawings open.
• Renaming items in the Project Navigator, and repathing the project may cause AutoCAD Architecture to crash.

Export to AutoCAD
Update 2

• Export to Autocad sometimes causes AutoCAD Architecture to crash.

External References
Update 1

• Openings in external references with negative Z value are placed at an incorrect position.

Update 2

• When you execute UNDO command after binding an external reference, AutoCAD Architecture may become unresponsive.
• AutoCAD Architecture may crash if you unload an external reference, attach it again, and then execute an UNDO.

GBXML
Update 2

• Duplicate openings are created in gbXML output when walls are slightly off from being perpendicular to each other.

General UI
Update 2

• Checkboxes are not displayed correctly on the Object Snap tab of the Drafting Settings dialog on Windows 7.

IFC
Update 1

• Slabs may have the wrong elevation when imported from an IFC file due to an incorrect thickness offset.
• Exporting a drawing to IFC may create incorrect IFC GUIDs for AEC objects.
• Importing IFC files that contain certain material settings may crash.
• Space exported to IFC have the IFC type of IFCTYPEOBJECT instead of IFCSPACETYPE.

Update 2

• When you import an IFC file, containing a space that uses a negative value for extrusion, the extrusion is in the wrong direction.
• Importing an IFC file fails if it contains a 3D vector for True North direction.

Layers
Update 1

• The "New layer from Standard" button doesn't work in localized versions.
• Layer description fields are not automatically populated in all cases.

Update 2

• When the Layer Properties Manager is open, opening a drawing sometimes causes AutoCAD Architecture to crash.

Multiview Blocks
Update 2

• When AutoCAD Architecture and Civil 3D are installed side by side, AutoCAD Architecture crashes on executing MVBLOCKADD command.

Performance
Update 1

• Response is very slow when using Dynamic UCS and objects are Isolated.

Update 2

• Sometimes, it takes a long time to complete an UNDO after a COPY.

Property Palette
Update 1

• Changing an entry to one that is the first characters of the previous entry will not work in some fields.

Save
Update 2

• When you save a drawing to a previous version, sometimes, you are not warned about possible data loss.

Schedules
Update 1

• Schedules are not sorted as expected when values are a combination of numeric and alphabetic characters.

Update 2

• Sometimes, schedule table data is not rounded off as specificed in the property data format.

Sections
Update 1

• Some objects imported from Inventor display as points in 2D Sections.

Update 2

• When a window or door window assembly is sectioned, some linework may be missing in the section.

Structural Members
Update 1

• Custom block based on 3D Solids using Boolean operations are always placed at the start point.

Spaces
Update 2

• AutoCAD Architecture may crash when a spaced update is triggered for a large number of spaces within an external reference.

Wall Objects
Update 1

• AutoCAD Architecture might hang when opening certain drawings that contain modified Wall Endcaps.
• Window openings may not be created due to Wall Plan Modifiers.
• Using Refedit on a block containing Wall Object may cause a crash.

Update 2

• When working on a project located on a slow network, the wall and curtain wall tools are slow to respond.
• Some walls in an external reference display solution tips when the units of the host drawing are different from that of the external reference.
• AutoCAD Architecture will crash when you delete a component of a wall which is on a locked layer.

Subscription Benefits

• With this update, if you are a subscription customer, a balloon notification periodically displays, letting you know how much time remains before your subscription expires. This notification will only display three times. You can access selected subscription benefits more quickly, without having to log on to the Subscription Center.

Online Renewal

• If you meet the online renewal program rules, you can renew your AutoCAD MEP subscription online. If you have already renewed your subscription, or are not a subscription customer, these options are not available.
• In InfoCenter, follow the directions in the alert message that displays.
• In InfoCenter, click the Subscription Center button. Under Benefits Center, click Renew Online and follow the directions that display.

eLearning

• In InfoCenter, click the Subscription Center button. Under Benefits Center, click View eLearning Catalog. You will be prompted to sign-in to the Subscription Center.

Search

• You can access some subscription-only learning and technical support without logging onto the Subscription Center. This includes some eLearning lessons.

New Advantage Packs

• When a new Advantage Pack becomes available, a balloon notification and menu option displays. To review and download the Advantage Pack, click the balloon notification or menu option. You must have permission to begin the download. Contract managers and software coordinators can control access to Advantage Packs from Subscription Center > Set Access from Product. Instructions for setting access permissions are provided to contract managers and software coordinators prior to Advantage Pack releases.

General Updates

The following AutoCAD defects have been fixed:

2D Drawing
Update 1

• If the PLINETYPE system variable is set to 0, STRETCH does not work as expected on arc segments of polylines.
• When the PLINETYPE system variable is set to 0, the closing point of a polyline with segments of different widths do not display correctly.
• If you use the JOIN command on splines, a duplicate control point is inserted.
• When you use the JOIN command on multiple polylines, AutoCAD may become unstable.

Update 2

• When drawing a closed heavy weight polyline with different width for each segment, the polyline cannot be closed properly.

3D Modeling
Update 1

• When you open a drawing that contains solids, some solids display briefly and then disappear.
• If a grip on a mesh face, edge, or vertex is highlighted and you use the ViewCube, AutoCAD may become unstable.

3D Navigation Tools
Update 1

• When you use the 3DORBIT command, you cannot orbit correctly. You can only orbit around a single pivot point and you cannot orbit around a specific object in a large group of objects.

Update 2

• AutoCAD may become unstable while dragging the cube and releasing the cursor at the top of the canvas.

Action Recorder
Update 1

• An Action Recorder macro created in AutoCAD 2009 may fail to run in AutoCAD 2010.

Annotation Scaling
Update 1

• When there are xrefs in a drawing, changing annotation scales takes a long time.
• When an annotative style multiline text (mtext) is rotated or surrounded by a hatch, the boundary box does not display correctly.

API
Update 2

• Exploding a block using "NetExplode" API modifies the "Global width" property of the polyline.

Blocks
Update 1

• When you turn off the display of an attribute with a visibility parameter in a dynamic block, the Enhanced Attribute Editor lists attribute prompts incorrectly.
• You cannot copy an object from an AutoCAD 2009 drawing and paste it as a block into an AutoCAD 2010 drawing.
• You cannot use the Properties palette to set the value of a action parameter to 0.
• When you delete a constraint parameter from a dynamic block, AutoCAD may become unstable.
• You cannot stretch some dynamic blocks as expected.

Check Spelling
Update 1

• When you run spellcheck on uppercase words, AutoCAD may become unstable.

CUI
Update 1

• When you save a workspace, if the Enterprise CUIx file is read-only, AutoCAD may become unstable.
• Toolbar flyouts close unexpectedly.

Customer Involvement Program
Update 2

• AutoCAD may fail to start up on Windows 7 workstations with Windows 2008 Server on the same subnet.

Data Extraction
Update 1

• When you use Data Extraction to extract the value of a block's multiline attribute into a table, text formatting code displays in the table.

Update 2

• Constrained attribute values may not extract properly based on drawing order.

DGN Support
Update 1

• When a DGN file is imported, some attributes are missing.

Update 2

• Restores the ability to use any extension when attaching DGN files.
• DGNIMPORT command with "Ignore all external references" option may not work.

Digital Signature
Update 1

• When you open a drawing, the Invalid signature dialog box may display even if the digital signature is valid.

Dimensions
Update 1

• You cannot create an angular dimension between two lines in different XY planes.

Update 2

• AutoCAD may become unstable when stretching multiple dimensions with dimbreaks applied.
• Cyrillic characters in dimension text may cause AutoCAD to incorrectly report that the drawing is corrupt after running RECOVER.

DWF
Update 1

• When the background color in AutoCAD is black, some DWF underlays do not display correctly.

DXF
Update 2

• When opening some DXF Files, you may receive a DXF error.

Dynamic Dimensions
Update 1

• When you use the COPYBASE command with Dynamic Input on, AutoCAD may become unstable.

ETransmit
Update 2

• AutoCAD may become unstable when using eTransmit.

Express Tools
Update 2

• AutoCAD may become unstable when editing height values for arc-aligned text in the Properties Palette.

Export Layout
Update 1

• When you use the EXPORTLAYOUT command on files in which Standard styles have been renamed, AutoCAD may become unstable.

External References
Update 1

• You may not be able to bind multiple xrefs that include nested xrefs.
• With the XATTACH command, you cannot select multiple xrefs.

Update 2

• Xrefs with true color gradients now display properly in 2D graphics modes.
• AutoCAD may display an error message about logic color -5 when attaching an xref.
• AutoCAD may become unstable when binding an xref.
• AutoCAD may become unstable when using right-click menu on an xref.

File Open
Update 1

• When you try to open a drawing file from a FTP site, AutoCAD may become unstable.

Update 2

• After applying Vista SP2 or on Windows 7 it is not possible to double click and open a folder that is using DFS Namespace.
• AutoCAD drawings saved in Vault may not display 2010 properties properly.
• Opening drawing files from older releases of AutoCAD may take a while to open.
• Unable to use asterisk "*" symbol on wildcard searches.

Find and Replace
Update 1

• If you use Find and Replace, autonumbering is deleted.

Font
Update 2

• AutoCAD may become unstable when using older version ".SHX" fonts.

General UI
Update 1

• On the status bar, the model or paperspace button may be missing, even after you have repeatedly turned it on.

Update 2

• AutoCAD may become unstable when more than one bubble is displayed and then closed.

Graphic System
Update 1

• When the background color is changed in an active paperspace viewport, the cursor disappears.
• After you plot a drawing in AutoCAD, if you lock Microsoft Windows and then unlock it, AutoCAD may become unstable.

Hatch
Update 1

• When you turn off the current layer while grip editing a hatch boundary, AutoCAD may become unstable.
• When the UCSVP system variable is set to 0, hatched objects align with the WCS rather than the UCS.
• When you grip-edit a hatch with an elliptical boundary, AutoCAD may become unstable.

Update 2

• AutoCAD may become unstable when double clicking on hatched areas in a drawing.

Image
Update 1

• When you attach some TIFF images, AutoCAD may become unstable.
• TIFF images may not display correctly.

Update 2

• Rotating an image with plines may appear to offset from the image.
• AutoCAD session may hang when plotting drawings with rotated Mr SID images attached.

InfoCenter
Update 2

• Balloon notification in InfoCenter is blank when Windows 7 display Theme is set to Classic.

Inquiry Tools
Update 1

• The AREA command fails on some polylines.

Keyboard Modifiers
Update 1

• When temporary overrides are enabled, keyboard input using the Shift key may not display on the command line.

Layers
Update 1

• Xrefs on locked layers do not display faded as expected. The LAYLOCKFADECTL system variable fails to alter them.
• When you delete a certain layer, all layers may be deleted.
• On the ribbon, the Layer drop-down does not display layers based on the current layer filter.

Update 2

• Layer groups may not remain deleted after reopening the Layer Manager.
• AutoCAD may become unstable when switching layouts if the Layer Description column is frozen.
• Objects on "layer 0" in an external reference do not display when the layer is turned on from the current drawing.

Licensing
Update 1

• When you set your system time back more than 2 days, your license is broken.
• When you use a proxy server for Internet access, the License Transfer Utility fails.

Linetype
Update2

• Some of the linetypes with text do not display correctly.

LiveUpdate
Update 1

• When you have Autodesk 2009 and AutoCAD 2010 installed side-by-side, LiveUpdate does not work in AutoCAD 2009.

Measurement Tools
Update 1

• When you use the MEASUREGEOM command, the tooltip and command line results are different. The tooltip result is incorrect.
• When you use the DIST command in model space, the results at the tooltip and the command line are different. The tooltip result is incorrect.

Migration
Update 1

• When you export certain profiles, AutoCAD may become unstable.
• When you save certain profiles migrated from AutoCAD 2009, AutoCAD 2010 may become unstable.

Multileader (mleader)
Update 1

• When you mirror mleaders that contain blocks with multiline attributes, the mirrored attributes are incorrectly justified.

OLE
Update 2

• AutoCAD can be slow when updating OLE objects in Microsoft Word 2007.
• "Paste to Original Coordinates" is disabled in right-click context menu after copying objects from another open drawing.
• AutoCAD may become unstable when pasting drawing files into Microsoft Word.

Organic Modeling
Update 2

• Gizmo may not display while in 3D Orbit.

Osnap
Update 2

• 64-bit AutoCAD may become unstable when using PRESSPULL on mesh object.

PDF
Update 1

• When you plot a drawing as a PDF file, the layer order is not alphabetized as expected.
• When a drawing that contains layers with names that include special characters is exported as a PDF, it cannot be opened.
• When you attach a large PDF file to your drawing, or try to attach it and then cancel the operation, performance is slow.

Update 2

• AutoCAD may hang when plotting large images to PDF.

Property Palette
Update 2

• AutoCAD may become unstable when using the Property Palette.

Publish
Update 1

• When Windows XP is set to Windows Classic theme, on any Asian language version of AutoCAD 2010, if you use the PUBLISH command, AutoCAD freezes.

Purge
Update 1

• On Windows Vista, in the Purge dialog box, when you attempt to use the Ctrl or Shift keys to select multiple items, the first highlighted item is de-selected.

Quick Access Toolbar
Update 2

• Opening a linked drawing from a Microsoft Office product may cause the Quick Access Toolbar to no longer display.

QUICKCALC
Update 1

• Calculations performed by the QUICKCALC command may be incorrect.

Recover
Update 1

• When you use the RECOVER command on an AutoCAD 2000 formatted drawing file, polylines and splines in the drawing are deleted.

Update 2

• Opening drawings with dense hatch appear to hang at 31%.
• Some older drawings containing 3DSOLIDS do not display.

Reference Edit
Update 1

• When you use the REFSET command, you can only add one instance of a block to the reference set. Other instances are rejected and an error message displays.

Ribbon
Update 1

• Text styles from an attached xref display in the Ribbon text style control.
• When you switch between AutoCAD Classic and other workspaces (for example, 2D Drafting & Annotation or 3D Modeling), performance becomes slow.
• Layers with a VP Freeze for a viewport indicate the VP Freeze status even when the viewport is not active.
• When you click the File menu in the zero doc state, AutoCAD freezes.
• After you unload a partial CUI file, a tab remains on the ribbon. If you click the tab, AutoCAD may become unstable.

Update 2

• AutoCAD may become unstable when switching to the Render tab of the Ribbon when .NET 4 is on the system.
• Legacy menu bar may display over the Ribbon when AutoCAD is not responding while opening large drawings.
• AutoCAD may become unstable when using Clipping Boundary control in the Ribbon.
• AutoCAD may become unstable when dragging a Ribbon Panel on Windows 7 64-bit operating system.

Section & Flatten
Update 1

• When you section solids through API, multiple memory leaks occur.

Update 2

• SECTIONPLANETOBLOCK may not work correctly when the sectionplane is not intersecting an object.
• After using the command SECTIONPLANE AutoCAD may become unstable.
• SECTIONPLANE may not display all cutaway geometry.

Seek
Update 1

• The SHAREWITHSEEK command may not work if the port used to communicate with Seek is blocked by a firewall.

Snaps
Update 1

• When you snap to the grid, there may be a slight offset from the grid.

Text
Update 2

• Bigfont may not be converted properly when saving a DWG to 2004 file format.

Visual Basic
Update 2

• May not be able to restore minimized AutoCAD with VBA loaded.

Visual Lisp
Update 1

• When you use the CECOLOR system variable, the value returned by using the Getvar function is incorrect.

Update 2

• LISP incorrectly converts some Japanese characters to CIF.

AutoCAD MEP 2010 Product Update 1 Now Available

General Updates to AutoCAD MEP

The following defects have been fixed in AutoCAD MEP 2010 Update 1:
Duct

• Duct Flanges are displayed incorrectly after moving a duct using grips.
• Velocity in Duct Modify does not match the Velocity in the Properties Palette.
• Add Selected does not work correctly when duct height is greater than duct width.
• Takeoff for branch is not sized correctly when duct height is greater than duct width.
• Top and Bottom Elevation are incorrect in tooltip when duct height is greater than duct width.

Electrical

• A crash may occur when closing a drawing with an EPD file that has a relative path.
• A crash may occur when converting multiple blocks to Devices.
• Wire will only connect to one connector on some scaled devices.
• Device modify via grip edit doesn't move or maintain its orientation as expected.
• The Add Automatic Property for a Device was not retrieving the Load Category or Number of Poles.

Pipe

• The formula for percentage slope by angle is incorrect. Fixing this means that an existing tool in which a specific number for percentage is stored will produce a different slope due to the new calculation.
• Pipe layouts with Very low slope cannot be created correctly.
• The Parallel Pipe command places new pipes on the wrong layer when systems use different layers.
• Some Pipe created in previous versions of AutoCAD MEP snaps to fittings when opened.

Multi-View Parts

• Some linework is missing from certain MvParts.
• Radiator insertion fails, using the window option, if the radiator width or length is located in a basic table.
• Radiator Import does not set property data properly.
• Radiator valves are not aligned to the radiator when inserted using the plus grip.

Display

• Haloed or hidden appearance for Plumbing Lines, Schematic lines and Wires do not display correctly.

Miscellaneous

• CollisionDetection does not work as expected.
• "Copy to Clipboard failed" dialog will appear when copying an object that has been copy/pasted from another drawing.
• A fatal error will occur when creating an elbow with multiple segments.

Problems in AutoCAD MEP Reported with the Customer Error Reporting Utility

As a result of detailed information from customers who used the Customer Error Reporting Utility, a number of problems were identified and fixed. Updates have been made in the following commands and features:

• Export to AutoCAD
• DuctFittingAdd
• Switch Model Space to Paper Space
• DuctSystemSizeCalc
• Opening Legacy drawings

General Updates to AutoCAD Architecture

The following defects have been fixed in AutoCAD Architecture 2010 Update 1:

AEC Dimensions

• Multiple overlapping windows may lead to incorrect dimensions.

API

• AutoCAD Architecture might crash when trying to define a Display Theme style using .NET API.

IFC

• Slabs may have the wrong elevation when imported from an IFC file due to an incorrect thickness offset.
• Exporting a drawing to IFC may create incorrect IFC GUIDs for AEC objects.
• Importing IFC files that contain certain material settings may crash.
• Space exported to IFC have the IFC type of IFCTYPEOBJECT instead of IFCSPACETYPE.

Layers

• The "New layer from Standard" button doesn't work in localized versions.
• Layer description fields are not automatically populated in all cases.

Performance

• Response is very slow when using Dynamic UCS and objects are Isolated.

Property Palette

• Changing an entry to one that is the first characters of the previous entry will not work in some fields.

Schedules

• Schedules are not sorted as expected when values are a combination of numeric and alphabetic characters.

Sections

• Some objects imported from Inventor display as points in 2D Sections.

Structural Members

• Custom block based on 3D Solids using Boolean operations are always placed at the start point.

Wall Objects

• AutoCAD Architecture might hang when opening certain drawings that contain modified Wall Endcaps.
• Window openings may not be created due to Wall Plan Modifiers.
  Using Refedit on a block containing Wall Object may cause a crash.

Xrefs

• Openings in Xrefs with negative Z value are placed at an incorrect position.

Subscription Benefits

• With this update, if you are a subscription customer, a balloon notification periodically displays, letting you know how much time remains before your subscription expires. This notification will display only three times. You can also more quickly and easily access selected subscription benefits, without having to log onto the Subscription Center.

Online Renewal

• If you meet the online renewal program rules, you can renew your AutoCAD MEP subscription online. If you have already renewed your subscription, or are not a subscription customer, these options are not available.
• In InfoCenter, follow the directions in the alert message that displays.
• In InfoCenter, click the Subscription Center button. Under Benefits Center, click Renew Online and follow the directions that display.

eLearning

• In InfoCenter, click the Subscription Center button. Under Benefits Center, click View eLearning Catalog. You will be prompted to sign-in to the Subscription Center.

Search

• You can access some subscription-only learning and technical support without logging onto the Subscription Center. This includes some eLearning lessons.

Problems Reported with the Customer Error Reporting Utility

As a result of detailed information from customers who used the Customer Error Reporting Utility, a number of problems were identified and fixed. Updates have been made in the following commands and features:

• 3D Navigation Tools
• Action Recorder
• Annotation Scaling
• Blocks
• Check Spelling
• Customize User Interface (CUI)
• Database Connectivity
• Dimensions
• DWF
• Dynamic Dimensions
• External References
• File Navigation
• File Save
• Graphic System
• Hatch
• Image
• Keyboard Modifiers
• Licensing
• Migration
• Measure
• Memory Handling
• Multiline Text (mtext)
• Object Snaps
• Parametric Constraints
• PDF
• Purge
• Plot
• Quick Access Toolbar
• Ribbon
• Sheet Set Manager
• ShowMotion
• Visual Styles
  

General Updates

The following defects have been fixed:

2D Drawing

• If the PLINETYPE system variable is set to 0, STRETCH does not work as expected on arc segments of polylines.
• When the PLINETYPE system variable is set to 0, the closing point of a polyline with segments of different widths do not display correctly.
• If you use the JOIN command on splines, a duplicate control point is inserted.
• When you use the JOIN command on multiple polylines, AutoCAD may crash.
  

3D Modeling

• When you open a drawing that contains solids, some solids display briefly and then disappear.
• If a grip on a mesh face, edge, or vertex is highlighted and you use the ViewCube, AutoCAD crashes.
  

3D Navigation Tools

• When you use the 3DORBIT command, you cannot orbit correctly. You can only orbit around a single pivot point and you cannot orbit around a specific object in a large group of objects.

Action Recorder

• An Action Recorder macro created in AutoCAD 2009 may fail to run in AutoCAD 2010.

Annotation Scaling

• When there are xrefs in a drawing, changing annotation scales takes a long time.
• When an annotative style multiline text (mtext) is rotated or surrounded by a hatch, the boundary box does not display correctly.

Blocks

• When you turn off the display of an attribute with a visibility parameter in a dynamic block, the Enhanced Attribute Editor lists attribute prompts incorrectly.
• You cannot copy an object from an AutoCAD 2009 drawing and paste it as a block into an AutoCAD 2010 drawing.
• You cannot use the Properties palette to set the value of a action parameter to 0.
• When you delete a constraint parameter from a dynamic block, AutoCAD may crash.
• You cannot stretch some dynamic blocks as expected.

Check Spelling

• When you run spellcheck on uppercase words, AutoCAD may crash.

CUI

• When you save a workspace, if the Enterprise CUIx file is read-only, AutoCAD crashes.
• Toolbar flyouts close unexpectedly.
  

Data Extraction

• When you use Data Extraction to extract the value of a block's multiline attribute into a table, text formatting code displays in the table.
  

DGN Support

• When a DGN file is imported, some attributes are missing.
  

Digital Signature

• When you open a drawing, the Invalid signature dialog box may display even if the digital signature is valid.
  

Dimensions

• You cannot create an angular dimension between two lines in different XY planes.
  

DWF

• When the background color in AutoCAD is black, some DWF underlays do not display correctly.
  

Dynamic Dimensions

• When you use the COPYBASE command with Dynamic Input on, AutoCAD crashes.
  

Export Layout

• When you use the EXPORTLAYOUT command on files in which Standard styles have been renamed, AutoCAD crashes.
  

External References

• You may not be able to bind multiple xrefs that include nested xrefs.
  

File Open

• When you try to open a drawing file from a FTP site, AutoCAD may crash.
  

Find and Replace

• If you use Find and Replace, autonumbering is deleted.
  

General UI

• On the status bar, the model or paperspace button may be missing, even after you have repeatedly turned it on.
  

Graphic System

• When the background color is changed in an active paperspace viewport, the cursor disappears.
• After you plot a drawing in AutoCAD, if you lock Microsoft Windows and then unlock it, AutoCAD may crash.
  

Hatch

• When you turn off the current layer while grip editing a hatch boundary, AutoCAD crashes.
• When the UCSVP system variable is set to 0, hatched objects align with the WCS rather than the UCS.
• When you grip edit a hatch with an elliptical boundary, AutoCAD crashes.
  

Image

• When you attach some TIFF images, AutoCAD crashes.
• TIFF images may not display correctly.
  

Inquiry Tools

• The AREA command fails on some polylines.
  

Keyboard Modifiers

• When temporary overrides are enabled, keyboard input using the Shift key may not display on the command line.
  

Layers

• Xrefs on locked layers do not display faded as expected. The LAYLOCKFADECTL system variable fails to alter them.
• When you delete a certain layer, all layers may be deleted.
• On the ribbon, the Layer drop-down does not display layers based on the current layer filter.
  

Licensing

• When you set your system time back more than 2 days, your license is broken.
• When you use a proxy server for internet access, the License Transfer Utility fails.
  

LiveUpdate

• When you have Autodesk 2009 and AutoCAD 2010 installed side-by-side, LiveUpdate does not work in AutoCAD 2009.
  

Measurement Tools

• When you use the MEASUREGEOM command, the tooltip and command line results are different. The tooltip result is incorrect.
• When you use the DIST command in model space, the results at the tooltip and the command line are different. The tooltip result is incorrect.
  

Migration

• When you export certain profiles, AutoCAD crashes.
• When you save certain profiles migrated from AutoCAD 2009, AutoCAD 2010 crashes.
  

Multileader (mleader)

• When you mirror mleaders that contain blocks with multiline attributes, the mirrored attributes are incorrectly justified.
  

PDF

• When you plot a drawing as a PDF file, the layer order is not alphabetized as expected.
• When a drawing that contains layers with names that include special characters is exported as a PDF, it cannot be opened.
• When you attach a large PDF file to your drawing, or try to attach it and then cancel the operation, performance is slow.
  

Publish

• When Windows XP is set to Windows Classic theme, on any Asian language version of AutoCAD 2010, if you use the PUBLISH command, AutoCAD freezes.
  

Purge

• On Windows Vista, in the Purge dialog box, when you attempt to use the Ctrl or Shift keys to select multiple items, the first highlighted item is de-selected.
  

QUICKCALC

• Calculations performed by the QUICKCALC command may be incorrect.
  

Recover

• When you use the RECOVER command on a AutoCAD 2000 formatted drawing file, polylines and splines in the drawing are deleted.
  

Reference Edit

• When you use the REFSET command, you can only add one instance of a block to the reference set. Other instances are rejected and an error message displays.
  

Ribbon

• Text styles from an attached xref display in the Ribbon text style control.
• When you switch between AutoCAD Classic and other workspaces (for example, 2D Drafting & Annotation or 3D Modeling), performance becomes slow.
• Layers with a VP Freeze for a viewport indicate the VP Freeze status even when the viewport is not active.
• When you click the File menu in the zero doc state, AutoCAD freezes.
• After you unload a partial CUI file, a tab remains on the ribbon. If you click the tab, AutoCAD crashes.
  

Section & Flatten

• When you section solids through API, multiple memory leaks occur.
  

Seek

• The SHAREWITHSEEK command may not work if the port used to communicate with Seek is blocked by a firewall.
  

Snaps

• When you snap to the grid, there may be a slight offset from the grid.
  

Visual Lisp

• When you use the CECOLOR system variable, the value returned by using the Getvar function is incorrect.
  

UCS

• In AutoCAD 2010 German, you cannot use ribbon controls to modify coordinates.
  

Xrefs

• With the XATTACH command, you cannot select multiple xrefs.

Autodesk's AutoCAD MEP 2010 Product Launch Press Release

Autodesk hosted three virtual press conferences to launch the 2010 portfolio of design software. Detailed information on the 2010 products as well as links to archives of the webcasts are provided below.

Autodesk's AutoCAD MEP 2010 Product Launch Press Release

What’s New

Enhanced Usability

• New customizable ribbon toolbar is task-oriented with redesigned, intuitive icons.
• Improved workspaces are tailored for tasks such as HVAC and piping systems in
  ready-made formats, which are also highly customizable.
• New application menu helps enable easier access to a list of commands such as
  Open, Save, Export and Publish; also use the application menu to access recent
  documents.
• Gravity based designs for Sanitary Drain, Waste, Vent and Storm/Sewer drainage
  systems can now be drawn more easily with the new sloped piping functionality.
• Pipe routing preferences have been expanded to include parts with male and female
  connections.

More Efficiently Create and Edit Drawings and Drawing Data

• Leverage multiple part catalog support and use individual catalogs for different
  material types, allowing for easier part selection.
• Support and migrate existing customized catalogs with tools to redefine the catalog
  based content in existing drawings; upgrade and add new parameters automatically.
• Import manufactured building components from Autodesk® Inventor® without
  undesirable loss of data.
• Content builder enhancements allow users to create custom parametric parts with
  male, female or a combination of both connectors based on real-world piping
  requirements.
• Enhanced integration with Autodesk® Seek web service lets designers search a vast
  library of 2D and 3D building products and publish customized designs to the service.

More Coordinated Construction Documents

• New part content has been added to help produce construction documents faster.
• Values in the Panel Schedule are automatically updated when regenerating a drawing.
• Improved graphical display of MEP parts provides more accurate representation in
  construction documentation.
• A new DWG to PDF driver offers merge control for plot colors, the ability to include
  layer information and a preview of the plotted PDF.

AutoCAD MEP 2010 Screen Images and Captions

• AutoCAD MEP 2010 Familiar Environment
  Leverage the familiar AutoCAD environment and access all of the commands that you are familiar with from right within AutoCAD MEP.

• AutoCAD MEP 2010 Task-Based
  Whether you are a small or a multidisciplinary firm save your unique individual user interface configurations that are tailored around your specific building systems design task.

• AutoCAD MEP 2010 Multidiscipline Coordination
  Coordinate mechanical, electrical, and plumbing design the interference detection tools within AutoCAD

AutoCAD MEP® 2009 Update 2 Now Released

autocad_mep_suite_2009_update2_win_32bit.exe

autocad_mep_suite_2009_update2_win_64bit.exe


The following defects have been fixed in AutoCAD MEP 2009 Update 2

Duct

• Duct Sizing should more accurately produce the correct size in metric units.

Electrical

• The Load property on Devices will now schedule the loads of each phase instead of only phase 1.
• Object Snaps on scaled Devices will now behave more consistently.
• Devices which contain annotation will produce an image in the Property Palette which matches the image in the Select a Style dialog

Pipe

• Using grips to modify a Pipe layout during a Reference Edit session no longer causes disconnections in the pipe layout.
• AutoLayout should not produce overlapping pipe segments when connection two existing pipes to each other.

Tool Palettes

• Multi-view Part tools will respect Part Size Name when executed.

Miscellaneous

• Invalid Enum Map String message is no longer encountered when using the MvPartModify command on a multi-view part which does not exist in the active catalog.

The following defects were fixed with AutoCAD MEP 2009 Update 1 and are also fixed in AutoCAD MEP 2009 Update 2:

Catalog editor

• Unable to Write Check Permissions error occurs when copy and paste parts into the same catalog.

Duct

• Duct sizing does not always provide the expected size when using Metric units

Electrical

• Power Totals tool does not always state the correct load.

Pipe

• Pipe segments will be offset from each other when using justification which is not Center/Center.
• Insulation will not be applied to pipe fittings when using the match properties.
• In some instances pipe object are not visible until a regenerate is performed.

MvPart

• Invalid Enum Map String error when using MvPartModify on a multi-view part created via MvPartConvert command.

System

• AutoCAD warning message when saving an External Reference.

General Updates to AutoCAD Architecture

The following defects have been fixed in AutoCAD Architecture 2009 Update 2

Annotation scaling

• Multi-view blocks inserted from user created tools did not scale properly when used in subsequent drawings or sessions.

Drawing management

• Projects created from project templates did not inherit the correct sheet storage location property.
• Projects created from project templates did not inherit sheet subset storage location information.
• The application would occasionally crash when creating project details.

GBXML

• Surfaces belonging to different walls would export with the same CadObjectId.

IFC

• Spaces, railings, footings, and column objects might be exported with an incorrect object type identifier in some localized releases.
• Half spaces would be imported as large modifiers.
• Slab fascias and soffits would not properly export in some localized releases.
• Level and elevation info would be created in reverse order when an IFC file was imported into a project.
• Material sets applied to walls of type "Shared" would not export correctly.

Schedules

• The schedule quantity column evaluated property values without first applying the property data format.

Wall objects and opening endcaps

• Certain endcap configurations might cause walls to disappear in 3d isometric views.
• Some walls might not draw completely at a locked z elevation.
• Using "Add selected" for anchored doors, openings, and windows could cause an application crash in some circumstances.
• Walls might fail to clean up properly across xrefs if the host drawing used different drawing units than the xref.

Miscellaneous

• Tooltips would appear for AutoCAD entities even when ROLLOVERTIPS was set to zero.
• Saving a drawing to the 2004 file format would take an exccessive amount of time.
• Export to AutoCAD might cause an application crash in some circumstances.

The following defects were fixed with AutoCAD Architecture 2009 Update 2:

AModeler

• The application might crash when cutting or refreshing sections or elevations containing certain structural members.

Drawing Management

• For localized versions of AutoCAD Architecture, callouts and labels would occasionally fail to resolve when dropping views.
• The application might crash when viewing the external references of a project drawing that was resaved as a different project drawing type.
• It was not possible to drag a project entity from one file to another when hardware acceleration was enabled, if the host drawing did not use the 2d wireframe visual style.
• The application might crash when plotting immediately after cancelling a previous plot job.

IFC

• Fillet radii would not be imported reliably for certain parameteric profiles.
• Parametric profiles without voids would not be imported reliably.
• Spaces with clipping and holes would not import reliably.
• Wall styles would not be reliably converted and mapped on import.
• Curtain walls might not be import properly on localized versions of AutoCAD Architecture.

GBXML

• gbXMLspan would export a value 1000 times too large for AirChangesPerHour in metric drawings.

OMF

• The application would occasionally crash on shutdown.

Wall Objects

• The face of a wall might not draw correctly in isometric view for certain endcap configurations.

Display System

• Autodesk Civil 3D users could end up with a style referencing a non-existent hatch.

Miscellaneous

• Memory would not be released to Windows when closing a drawing.
  

General Updates to AutoCAD

The following defects have also been fixed:

3D Navigation Tools

• When you use the ViewCube in some drawings, AutoCAD freezes.
  .NET API
• If you create a wipeout object through .NET API, a fatal error may occur.

Annotation Scaling

• The scale of annotative text changes when you use LISP entmod() to change the properties of the annotative text.

Attributes

• When a drawing contains xrefs, the -ATTEDIT command fails.

Autodesk Buzzsaw

• In the File Navigation dialog box, when you use the Add a Buzzsaw location shortcut option, AutoCAD crashes.

Blocks

• When you copy and paste a dynamic block, associative hatches do not work.
• After you redefine a block definition, associative hatches in dynamic blocks display incorrectly.
• When you open a drawing, a polyline in a block may have a very large width.
• After you open a drawing, some dynamic blocks lose their dynamic properties.

Data Extraction

• Data Extraction cannot finish operations in some cases.
• The Data Extraction Combine Record Mode > Sum values option does not work correctly.

DGN Support

• When you import some DGN files, AutoCAD crashes.

DIM

• If alternate units is on and you edit dimension text, the alternate units text is duplicated.

Export a Layout to Model Space

• If .NET 3.5 Service Pack 1 is installed and you use the EXPORTLAYOUT command on some layouts, AutoCAD may stop responding.

External Reference ESW

• The FIND command performs slowly when you search for text.

Groups

• Rollover highlighting does not go away.

Hatch

• When you bind a drawing with an xref that contains annotative hatches, AutoCAD crashes.

Hide/Shade

• When you use the HIDE command with a drawing that contains text, some objects may not be hidden.

Image

• When you attach a corrupted raster image to a drawing, AutoCAD crashes.

Layer

• When you zoom to a locked viewport, the Layer palette updates

Layouts

• When you attempt to switch layouts in drawings, an Out of Memory crash may occur.

Materials

• When you import a 3DS file with texture, AutoCAD may crash.

Menu Browser

• Some menu macros do not work.

Multileader (mleader)

• Mleader custom arrowheads are not brought over to the drawing from the Tool palette.

Multiline Text (mtext)

• When you edit mtext in a viewport, it may be duplicated in other viewports.

Open/Save

• Osnaps on polylines and mesh objects do not work correctly.

Plot

• When you plot upside-down, an OLE object does not plot correctly.
• A drawing that contains hatches and gradients may plot slowly.
• When plot area is set to View, AutoCAD LT may crash.

Publish

• When you attempt to publish multiple sheets with PUBLISHCOLLATE=1, only the first sheet of the set is plotted.

Quick Properties

• When you edit multiple mtext objects through the Quick Properties palette, AutoCAD crashes.

RECOVER

• When you render some drawings, AutoCAD runs out of memory.

Ribbon

• If the ribbon is displayed and you select portions of a mtext object that contains multiple formats, the mtext object becomes distorted.

Selection

• When you select objects in groups, AutoCAD may crash.

Tables

• When you edit text with space before or after the text within a table cell, AutoCAD crashes.

Text

• When you move text to a new position within a drawing, it disappears.

Tool Palette

• When you attempt to edit the properties of multiple Tool Palette tools, an Out of Memory crash may occur.

Known Issues with This Update

• After installing this update you may receive a "Error Code: 3010" message incorrectly claiming that the update failed. You can verify this by viewing installed updates through the Windows control panel.
• After you apply this update, you may experience the following ribbon customization-related problems:

An Incorrect or Missing Ribbon Tab

• Known Issue: When you display a ribbon tab from a partial or Enterprise CUI file, on the ribbon, the ribbon tab displays incorrectly or is missing.
• Workaround: To correctly display a ribbon tab, recreate the workspace used to display the ribbon tab from scratch. Do not duplicate or attempt to update the workspace. Once you create a new workspace, set the workspace current. The ribbon tab should display correctly.
• For a partial CUI file, before you add a ribbon tab to a workspace, use the Customize User Interface (CUI) Editor to change the customization group name of the file. The customization group name is represented by the uppermost node of the tree in the Customization In pane.

A Blank Image for a Command

• Known Issue: On a ribbon panel, the image associated with a command defined in the Command List pane displays as a blank icon.
• Workaround: To recreate a ribbon command item on a ribbon panel, delete it. Then, from the Command List pane, add the command to the ribbon panel.

New Autodesk Quantity Takeoff 2009

Link to Autodesk Quantity Takeoff 2009 Brochure

Autodesk Quantity Takeoff (AQTO) software enables cost estimators to gather design data, high-quality images, and precise information from intelligent design applications such as AutoCAD MEP, Revit MEP, and AutoCAD Civil 3D, as well as from “nonintelligent” CAD data and image formats.

Use Autodesk AQTO to leverage property data to automatically or manually measure, count, and price various building objects.Estimators can leverage precise property data to automatically or manually measure, count, and price walls, doors, windows, and other building objects. Results can then be printed, exported to Microsoft Excel, or published to Autodesk DWF, all of which means that Autodesk Quantity Takeoff software supports workflow, from design to cost estimation.

With the integration of 2D and 3D design data, Quantity Takeoff brings drawings and data together seamlessly. The software addresses key requirements for cost estimators by giving users more flexibility than stand-alone design documents, databases, or spreadsheets. The software's open architecture is flexible enough to meet the needs of the multitude of disciplines involved in estimating construction costs.

AQTO sotware is based on Autodesk Design Review software, which provides a complete and all-digital way to view, print, measure, mark up, and revise 2D and 3D designs without the original design creation software. Creating precise and timely cost estimates of 2D and 3D digital design content has never been so easy.

AQTO software has a full set of intuitive manual takeoff tools, enabling you to perform polyline, area, and count takeoffs. Quantity Takeoff also provides more advanced manual takeoff tools for such tasks as backing out specific areas of a measurement, enabling you to account for changes in materials or voids in areas such as atrium space or mechanical chase. AQTO software leverages the data within intelligent objects created in Revit MEP, AutoCAD MEP, and AutoCAD Civil 3D design applications. This enables cost estimators to quickly and easily search for and count similar items across a project using the Search Takeoff feature.

Cost estimators working in 3D with Quantity Takeoff software can perform intuitive, interactive walkthroughs for examination and estimation of all object details. By utilizing 3D DWF files imported from applications build on the Revit platform, they can perform an entire model takeoff of all 3D design objects with a single click. Object visibility and transparency are adjustable according to building section or component type.

New Autodesk Subcontractor 2009

Stop wasting time searching through folders, three-ring binders, and spreadsheet logs. Autodesk Subcontractor project documentation software helps specialty and trade contractors increase productivity and improve processes and accountability. Manage documents and generate reports from one central location to save time and identify crucial issues, and reduce risk. Spend your time managing your projects—not your paperwork.

Link to Product Brochure

Autodesk Subcontractor is a project management documentation solution that increases productivity and improves processes and accountability. With Subcontractor, clients can track Requests for Information (RFIs), submittals, change orders, emails, correspondence, pay applications, and more.

Autodesk Subcontractor is designed for all specialty and trade contractors, who use are solution to optimize, standardize and automate their business processes. Clients include all of the following specialty contractors: electrical, mechanical, plumbing, painting, drywall, concrete and many others.

If you enter a job into Autodesk Subcontractor, other users in your company will be able to see it. As long as you are accessing a centralized database, that is, from a server on a local network, you can access information from other jobs, as well as run reports across projects.

You can restrict what projects and modules a user sees. Each user is assigned to specific projects, ensuring security on the project level. Module access is assigned on a user-by-user basis.

You can email and fax documents directly from Autodesk Subcontractor. If you use Microsoft Outlook, Outlook Express, Lotus, or Groupwise you can email documents directly from Autodesk Subcontractor. You can also fax these documents using the Subcontractor internal internet faxing service.

Autodesk Subcontractor is a document management application that helps subcontractors better manage their projects. At this time, it is not specifically designed to track project costs beyond payment applications, change orders, and purchase orders.

Microsoft® .NET is a database solution used for the back-end database of Autodesk Subcontractor. .NET provides speed, connectivity over a VPN (virtual private network) connection, no need for mapped drive paths, it also will allow for Webpage interface if setup with Autodesk support. You can connect to Autodesk Subcontractor through VPN or a terminal server connection.

The Divisional Database option gives you the opportunity to separate project and company information among multiple company divisions. It allows for different logos, company addresses, and maintenance table setup.

AutoCAD MEP 2009 ‐ Update a Panel Load Schedule Table Style

New in AutoCAD MEP 2009, you can create your own custom panel load schedule table style to match the layout of your company’s standard panel load schedule. First, create the custom table, and then create the panel load schedule table style from the table. When creating the custom table, insert placeholder field codes where the panel and circuit data would display. When the custom panel load schedule table style is used to generate a panel load schedule, the field codes are replaced with the panel and circuit values from the Circuit Manager.

The following field codes are available specifically for use in panel load schedule tables:
(Click on image to enlarge)





Toby Smith from Autodesk created a document that outlines the steps to alter the Distribution Board schedule (altering other styles would be similar). He hopes to get a white paper published that explains the concepts and steps in more detail. I hope this document steers you in the right direction.

It is currently not possible to have a user entry column in the Panel Load Schedule that won't get replaced during a schedule update. Autodesk is hoping to add a "Comments" column in Circuit Manager but they wern't able to implement it for the 2009 release. It's something they will consider for a future enhancement.

AutoCAD MEP 2009 ‐ Update a Panel Schedule Table Style

Save a copy of the existing panel load schedule table style drawing and/or copy the desired table to a new drawing. In this example, we have saved the existing style drawing to a new file called MyPanelSchedules.dwg and deleted the ones we didn’t want.

For this example, we will alter the Distribution Board schedule and change the Wire Size column to display Circuit Rating instead.

1. Update the text in the column header to read "CIRCUIT RATING" [col I‐J‐K‐L, row 5]


2. In the next row below, delete the "?CircWires" field then right‐click in the cell and select Insert Field…
   
(Click on image to enlarge)


3. In the Field category, select AEC Circuit and select Circuit Rating for the Field name. Click OK to insert the Field Code and then click OK if necessary to close the Text Formatting dialog box.
   Now that the table has been updated to appear how we want, the Table Style needs to be updated to reflect the changes.
   


4. You can re‐use the existing table style or create a new one (recommended). To create a new table style, select Format > Table Style…or type TABLESTYLE at the command line. In the dialog box, click the New button



5. Give the table style a meaningful name – in this example we used MyDistBoard then click Continue.



6. In the next dialog box, click on the button to "Select table to start from":



7. Select the proper table and the dialog box should be updated (the "Remove" button is highlighted and the preview window updates to show the table). The other settings should be left as they are.
   



8. Click OK to close the dialog then click Close to exit the Table Style dialog. Save and close your drawing ‐ your new panel schedule is now ready to use.


9. Test out the new schedule by inserting a panel into a drawing (you can also test out by using a drawing or EPD that already has a panel in it too). In this example, we have inserted panel "MDP". Click on Electrical > Panels > Panel Schedule…or type PANELSCHEDULEADD at the command line.



10. In the dialog box, set the style location to the proper file (MyPanelSchedules.dwg in this example) and select the correct table style (MyDistBoard is the new one we just created).




11. Click OK to insert the schedule. Verify that the schedule reflects the changes that were made to the Circuit Rating column.

AutoCAD MEP 2009 Using Multiple Catalogs

In 2009, you can now specify multiple part catalogs for a category. For example, you can specify the MvPart catalog provided with the software and a custom MvPart catalog for the MvPart category. However, if 2 parts in different catalogs have the same ID or the same name, only the part in the catalog that is higher in the list will be displayed during part selection.



I was messing around with this more tonight, and I found out that in order to facilitate two catalogs in the new version of AutoCAD MEP, you need to add all of your custom parts to a new custom catalog; do not add custom parts to the catalogs provided with the software and delete the out of the box content. My custom catalog started from the default catalog, and I deleted the default content and the second catalog didn't appear in the tool palette. I created a new Catalog, and dragged my custom content into the new catalog, and mapped that new custom catalog to the options catalog path, and now in the tool palette, under add Mechanical Equipment, I can see both catalogs.