What’s on the CD-ROM

The AutoCAD 2005 and AutoCAD LT 2005 Bible CD-ROM contains all the drawings and files you need to do the exercises in the book,

as well as the results of those exercises. In addition, I’ve tried out as many useful shareware programs and AutoLISP routines as I could to see if they work with AutoCAD 2005 and AutoCAD LT, then selected those I felt would be most useful. Although AutoCAD LT doesn’t support AutoLISP routines, a couple of the programs work with AutoCAD LT, as well. You can also find the entire book in PDF (non-printable) format. I hope you find this CD-ROM a valuable addition to your AutoCAD arsenal.

Cross-	The drawings on the CD-ROM are also available on the publisher’s
Reference	Web site at www.wiley.com/compbooks/finkelstein/.

This appendix provides you with information on the contents of the CD that accompanies this book. For the latest and greatest information, please refer to the README file located at the root of the CD.

Here is what you’ll find:

System requirements

Using the CD with Windows

What’s on the CD

Troubleshooting

System Requirements

Make sure that your computer meets the minimum system requirements listed in this section. If your computer doesn’t match up to most of these requirements, you may have a problem using the contents of the CD.

A BP P E N D I X

In This Appendix

Using the CD-ROM

Accessing folders and files

Using the e-book version

Troubleshooting tips

1104 Part VIII Appendixes

For Windows 2000 or Windows XP:

PC with a Pentium processor running at 200 MHz or faster

At least 64MB of total RAM installed on your computer; for best performance, I recommend at least 128MB

Ethernet network interface card (NIC) or modem with a speed of at least 28,800 bps

A CD-ROM drive

For system requirements for AutoCAD 2005 and AutoCAD LT 2005, see Appendix A.

Using the CD with Microsoft Windows

To install the items from the CD to your hard drive, follow these steps:

1.Insert the CD into your computer’s CD-ROM drive.

2.The CD-ROM interface will appear. The interface provides a simple point-and-click way to explore the contents of the CD.

If the CD-ROM interface does not appear, follow these steps to access the CD:

1.Click the Start button on the left end of the taskbar and then choose Run from the menu that pops up.

2.In the dialog box that appears, type d:\setup.exe. (If your CD-ROM drive is not drive d, fill in the appropriate letter in place of d.) This brings up the CD Interface described in the preceding set of steps.

What’s on the CD

The following sections provide a summary of the software and other materials you’ll find on the CD.

Using the Drawings folder

I’ve placed all the files you need for the exercises in the Drawings folder of the CD-ROM. Almost all these files are named as in the following examples — ab15-a.dwg, ab15-b.dwg, ab15-c.dwg, and so on. In these examples, the number 15 corresponds to the chapter number, whereas the letters correspond to the first, second, and third drawings you need to open.

A few files have other names, such as sky.gif and others. In each case, I provide you with the name of the file to open. You can easily find these files with Windows Explorer, because Explorer automatically alphabetizes the files. (If they aren’t alphabetized, click the Name column of the right-hand window. If Explorer alphabetizes them in reverse order, click Name one more time.)

Appendix B What’s on the CD-ROM 1105

Changing the Windows Read-Only Attribute

You can use the exercise drawings directly from the CD-ROM, but you might get better results by copying them to your hard drive. In most cases, the exercises instruct you to do this.

To use the software from the CD-ROM, copy the files to a folder in AutoCAD’s support-file search path.

Initially, you might run into the problem of not being able to access files on the CD-ROM after you copy the files to your computer. After you copy or move a file from the CD to your hard disk or another storage medium (such as a Zip drive), you may get the following error message when you attempt to open or save a file with its associated application:

[Application] is unable to open the [file]. Please make sure the drive and file are writable.

Windows sees all files on a CD-ROM drive as read-only. This makes sense normally, because a CD-ROM is a read-only medium — that is, you can’t write data back to the disc. However, when you copy a file from a CD-ROM to your hard disk or to a Zip drive, Windows doesn’t automatically change the file attribute from read-only to writable. Installation software normally takes care of this chore for you, but when the files are to be manually copied to your disk, you have to change the file attribute yourself. Luckily, this is easy:

1.Choose Start (All) Programs Accessories Windows Explorer.

2.Highlight the filename(s).

3.Right-click the highlighted filename(s) to display a pop-up menu.

4.Select Properties to display the Properties dialog box.

5.Click the Read-Only option so that it’s no longer checked.

6.Click OK.

You should now be able to use the file(s) with the specific application without getting the annoying error message.

Using the Results folder

The Results folder offers you the results of all the exercises. You might want to check your work in the exercise. Also, sometimes you might use the result of one exercise as the basis for a second exercise (although I try not to require this very often). In this situation, if you haven’t done the previous exercise, you can get the resulting file from the Results folder and use it for the next exercise. If you have any difficulty opening a drawing from the Results folder, copy it to your hard drive and remove its read-only attribute as described in the “Changing the Windows Read-Only Attribute” sidebar.

1106 Part VIII Appendixes

Using the Bonus folder

The Bonus folder contains two bonus chapters. Bonus Chapter 1, Command and System Variable Changes, contains a list of new and changed commands and system variables. This chapter can help you quickly get up to speed with the new release.

Bonus Chapter 2, AutoCAD and AutoCAD LT Resources, explains how to find additional resources, including places to learn AutoCAD and AutoCAD LT, Web resource sites, and more.

Using the Links folder

Bonus Chapter 2 on the CD contains numerous links to AutoCAD resources. The Links folder contains these resources as live links to make it easy for you to navigate to them with a single click.

Using the Software folder

I assembled what I think is an excellent collection of useful software that works with AutoCAD 2005 and a couple that work with AutoCAD LT 2005. The Software folder is divided into subfolders by chapter. Not all chapters have software, so subfolders appear only for the chapters that have software. This makes it easy for you to find software by function. For example, you can find software for text objects by looking in the Chapter 13 subfolder because Chapter 13 covers text. Table B-1 at the end of this appendix lists the software alphabetically so that you can review it at a glance. Within each chapter’s subfolder, you’ll find subfolders for each program or AutoLISP routine.

I’m very pleased to include a 30-day trial version of AutoCAD 2005 with this book. This trial version is in the Software\AutoCAD 2005 Trial folders. Run Setup.exe to install. AutoCAD LT wouldn’t fit on the CD-ROM; you can order it at no cost (in the U.S. and Canada) at www.autodesk.com/30day.

To find out in detail what each software program or AutoLISP routine does, read the text (TXT) file if there is one. It provides details about what the software does and how to install it. Sometimes details are at the beginning of the LSP file. You can open and read it.

Most of the software on the CD-ROM is freeware — you can use it at no cost. Most of these are AutoLISP routines. However, some of it is shareware. Here’s the scoop on shareware: You try it out and if you like it, you buy it. It works on the honor system, so please be honorable and pay for the shareware you use. All shareware comes with a text file that explains how much to pay for it, what you get when you register, and where to send your payment. Often, you get additional features when you register.

The CD-ROM also has one or two demo programs. Demos are not fully functional — usually they either shut down after a short time or they don’t work to the fullest extent. Demos are not shareware — they demonstrate regular software programs that you must buy.

Using Adobe Reader

Adobe Reader is included on the CD-ROM to enable you to read this book in its electronic form. You can find it in the \Software\Adobe Reader folder. Follow these steps to install the software:

1.Start Windows Explorer and open the Software\Adobe Reader folder on the CD-ROM.

2.In the Software\Adobe Reader folder, locate the EXE file and double-click it.

Appendix B What’s on the CD-ROM 1107

3.Follow the instructions on-screen to install the software.

4.To view this book in its electronic form, start Windows Explorer and open the eBook folder from the CD-ROM.

5.Double-click the book’s PDF file in the eBook folder.

Using AutoLISP routines

AutoLISP routines are easy to install. (AutoCAD LT does not support AutoLISP.) Follow these steps:

1.Copy the LSP file to AutoCAD’s Support folder or to a folder that you’ve placed in AutoCAD’s support-file search path.

Note	To add a folder to AutoCAD’s support-file search path, choose Tools Options and click the
	plus sign (+) next to Support File Search Path on the Files tab. Choose Add. Type in a folder
	path or choose Browse to locate one.

2.In AutoCAD, type (load “file name”) where file name is the name of the LSP file. You don’t need the .lsp, but don’t forget the parentheses or the quotation marks. AutoCAD responds with the name of the last function defined in the routine.

3.Type the name of the function to use the AutoLISP routine.

You can also choose Tools Load Application to load an AutoLISP or ARX program.

Most of the AutoLISP routines were written before AutoCAD 2005 came out. Sometimes the installation instructions are out of date and don’t include the capability of adding the folder to the support-file search path.

If no text file explains how to use the program, brief instructions may be displayed on the command line. If not, type the name of the file, such as atc, and press Enter.

Using VBA programs

To load a VBA program, copy it to a folder in AutoCAD’s support-file search path. (AutoCAD LT does not support VBA.) Choose Tools Macro Load Project. Locate the VBA program (a DVB file), select it, and click Open. AutoCAD displays a message telling you that the VBA program contains macros and allowing you to disable them. Of course, the VBA program doesn’t work if you disable the macros. If you want, you can check the file with a virus-checker first. To enable the macros, choose Enable Macros. AutoCAD loads the VBA program.

To use a VBA program, choose Tools Macro Macros. Select the VBA program and click Run. For more information on VBA programs, see Chapter 37.

Using a setup or install file

If you see a setup or install file (such as setup.exe), use it to install the software. You might need to remove the read-only attribute first, as explained in the “Changing the Windows ReadOnly Attribute” sidebar earlier in this appendix. Copy all the files to a folder in the support-file search path. In Windows Explorer, double-click the setup or install file and the process should start automatically. The user can also install everything from within the CD-ROM interface.

1108 Part VIII Appendixes

Applications

The following applications in Table B-1 are in the \Software folder on the AutoCAD 2005 and AutoCAD LT 2005 Bible CD-ROM. The Subfolder column lets you know which subfolder to look in. These subfolders correspond to the chapters of the book. Where possible, I also give you a Web site where you can find more information.

Table B-1: The CD-ROM Software

Name	Type	Chapter	Description
3D Kitchen Plus,	Demo	24	A library of 3D kitchen cabinets.
from Doug Morris
3dspiral.lsp, from	Open Source	21	Constructs 2D and 3D spirals.
Autodesk, Inc.
AccuRender, from	Evaluation	25	Advanced rendering program. For
Robert McNeel &			more information, go to www.
Associates			mcneel.com.
Adobe Reader, from	Freeware		View electronic content in PDF
Adobe Systems, Inc.			format. For more information, go
			to www.adobe.com.
Ar1.exe, from Leonid	Freeware	16	Creates a label of the area of an
Nemirovsky			enclosed polyline. For more
			information, go to http:/
			home.pacifier.com/~nemi/.
AutoCAD 2005, from	30-day trial		Enables highly efficient creation of
Autodesk, Inc.			2D and 3D drawings, whether you
			are creating one drawing or an
			entire set of drawings. New tools
			like the table object and
			enhanced tool palettes boost
			productivity, and the new Sheet
			Set feature lets you control
			content, organization, and output
			across entire sets of related
			drawings.
Br, from Leonid	Freeware	10	Draws a break symbol. For more
Nemirovsky			information,go to http:/home.
			pacifier.com/~nemi/.
Flatten.lsp, from	GNU Software	22	Converts 3D plines to 2D; flattens
Mark Middlebrook	(Source+Binary)		everything except blocks. For
			more information, go to
			www.markcad.com.
GeomCurves, from	Freeware	16	Creates a variety of mathematically
Eugeny Kalney.			defined curves.

Appendix B What’s on the CD-ROM 1109

Name	Type	Chapter	Description
Idt.lsp, from Leonid	Freeware	13	Lets you specify spacing between
Nemirovsky			lines of dtext. For more
			information, go to http:/
			home.pacifier.com/~nemi/.
insrot.lsp, from	Freeware	18	Inserts rotated blocks while
DotSoft			maintaining attributes horizontal.
			For more information, see
			www.dotsoft.com.
It.lsp, from Leonid	Freeware	13	Lets you specify spacing between
Nemirovsky			lines of text. For more information,
			go to http:/home.pacifier.
			com/~nemi/.
Keypad.zip, from	Freeware	33	Creates a keypad toolbar. For
ManuSoft			more information, see
			www.manusoft.com.
linesum.lsp, from	Freeware	12	Provides the total length of
DotSoft			selected lines. For more
			information, see
			www.dotsoft.com.
mhatch.lsp, from	Freeware	16	Creates solid fills for a selection of
DotSoft			closed objects. For more
			information, see
			www.dotsoft.com.
Mmt, from Leonid	Freeware	13	Merges two mtext objects. For
Nemirovsky			more information, go to http:/
			home.pacifier.com/~nemi/.
Mpe-arch drawing,	Freeware	18	Mechanical and electrical
from Henry Dearborn			components for architectural
			drawings.
north.zip, from	Freeware	18	A collection of North symbols for
DotSoft			architectural drawings. For
			more information, see
			www.dotsoft.com.
Pend, from Leonid	Freeware	10	Creates a pipe break symbol in a
Nemirovsky			line. For more information, go to
			http:/home.pacifier.com/
			~nemi/.
polydis.lsp, from	Freeware	12	Reports the length of a selected
DotSoft			polyline. For more information,
			see www.dotsoft.com.

Continued

1110 Part VIII Appendixes

Table B-1 (continued)

Name	Type	Chapter	Description
quickkey, from	Freeware	29	“Super-Alias” replacement for
DotSoft			acad.pgp that supports
			command options like ZOOM
			Previous. For more information,
			see www.dotsoft.com.
Savea.lsp, from the	Freeware	1	Saves a drawing to the a: drive.
author
Stmplot, from Leonid	Freeware	17	Adds drawing information to
Nemirovsky			plots. For more information, go to
			http:/home.pacifier.com/
			~nemi/.
txt2mtxt.lsp, from	Freeware	Appendix A	Converts single-line text to MText.
DotSoft			For more information, see
			www.dotsoft.com.
txtstack.lsp, from	Freeware	13	Adjusts spacing between lines of
DotSoft			single-line text. For more
			information, see
			www.dotsoft.com.
Wb.exe, from Leonid	Freeware	13	Creates a list of blocks in a folder
Nemirovsky			and wblocks the blocks to that
			folder. For more information, go
			to http:/home.pacifier.com/
			~nemi/.
wblockm.lsp, from	Freeware	18	Creates individual drawings (write
DotSoft			blocks) of all the blocks in a
			drawing, in a folder that you
			specify. For more information, see
			www.dotsoft.com.
WinRAR, from	Trial Version	18	A compression and
Softronic Oy (Rarsoft)			decompression program For
			more information, go to
			www.rarlab.com.

Shareware programs are fully functional, trial versions of copyrighted programs. If you like particular programs, register with their authors for a nominal fee and receive licenses, enhanced versions, and technical support. Freeware programs are copyrighted games, applications, and utilities that are free for personal use. Unlike shareware, these programs do not require a fee or provide technical support. GNU software is governed by its own license, which is included inside the folder of the GNU product. See the GNU license for more details.