IRRICAD Link Navigating the New Platform What you need to know to get the most out of the new platform and how to customise IRRICAD Link. Not to be used without express permission from Lincoln Agritech Ltd. 2 ••• Table of Contents Navigating the New Platform Copyright Lincoln Agritech Ltd 1.1 TABLE OF CONTENTS 1.1 Table of Contents 3 1.2 Nomenclature 5 1.3 Helpful Background Information 6 1.3.1 Profiles and Workspaces 6 1.3.2 Templates 6 1.3.3 Setting Configurations 6 1.3.3.1 All Settings 6 1.3.3.2 Display Settings 7 1.3.3.3 Setting Required Paths 8 1.3.3.4 Log Files 10 1.3.4 Selection Options 10 1.3.4.1 Selecting Multiple Items 10 1.3.4.2 Quick Select 10 1.3.5 Repeating commands 12 1.3.6 Keyboard and Mouse Quick Tools 12 1.3.6.1 Mouse Wheel Uses 12 1.3.6.2 F Key Uses 12 1.3.6.3 Shift Key uses 13 1.3.6.4 Ctrl Key Uses 13 1.3.7 Helpful Commands and Useful Information 13 1.3.7.1 Snaps 13 1.3.7.2 Distance Ruler 14 1.3.7.3 Purge and Audit 14 1.3.7.4 Recover 14 1.3.7.5 Ortho and Polar 14 1.3.7.6 Replacement for Show Area Tool 14 1.3.7.7 More Useful Commands and Info 14 1.3.8 Status Bar Tools 15 1.4 Main Differences to Understand 16 1.4.1 Layers and IRRICAD Layers 16 1.4.1.1 Viewports and Layers 16 1.4.2 Text and Text Styles 16 1.4.2.1 Stacking Text 16 1.4.3 Item Properties / Editing Items 17 1.4.4 Symbols / Blocks 17 1.4.4.1 CAD Blocks (Symbols) 18 1.4.4.2 Management Symbol 18 1.4.5 Printing 18 1.4.5.1 Loading Additional Plot Layouts 18 1.4.5.2 Plotting 18 1.4.6 Sharing Designs 19 1.5 Annotation Scales 20 1.5.1 Default Scale List 20 1.5.2 Displaying Hatches, Gradients, Line Types, Text, Leaders and Dimensions in Layouts 21 1.5.2.1 Creating Presentation Components 22 1.5.2.2 Printing Presentation Components 23 1.5.2.3 Troubleshooting Display Issues 24 1.5.3 Line Type Displays 24 1.6 Customisations 25 1.6.1 Toolbars and Menus 25 1.6.1.1 Customising a Menu in BricsCAD 25 1.6.1.2 Creating a New Toolbar in BricsCAD 29 1.6.1.3 Customising a Menu in AutoCAD 31 1.6.1.4 Creating a New Toolbar in AutoCAD 33 1.6.2 Plot Layouts 35 1.6.2.1 Viewports 35 3 ••• Table of Contents Navigating the New Platform Copyright Lincoln Agritech Ltd 1.6.2.2 Legends 35 1.6.2.3 Title Blocks and Logos 36 1.6.2.4 Scaling and Printing 38 1.7 Troubleshooting 39 1.7.1 Can’t Load Irricadmain CUI File 39 1.7.2 No Ribbons or Toolbars Loaded 40 1.7.3 Having Issues with the ARX / BRX not Loading 41 4 ••• Table of Contents Navigating the New Platform Copyright Lincoln Agritech Ltd 1.2 NOMENCLATURE Here is a short list of terms and phrases used through this manual. CAD –BricsCAD and/or AutoCAD. The CAD program that IRRICAD Link has been installed / plugged in to. Both – refers to both BricsCAD and AutoCAD, generally relating to a command that can be used in both programs. Standalone – referring to IRRICAD Pro, Version 9 up to Version 15. Pro has been relabelled as “Standalone” to differentiate from IRRICAD Link. 5 ••• Nomenclature Navigating the New Platform Copyright Lincoln Agritech Ltd 1.3 HELPFUL BACKGROUND INFORMATION 1.3.1 PROFILES AND WORKSPACES Profiles contains tools and settings for the environment. A Workspace is the visual environment or decoration for the loaded profile, for example, a workspace determines which toolbars may be hidden or on. You can change your profile via Tools|User Profile Manager. You can change your workspace via Tools|Customize or the CUI command. Our recommendation is that you start with the IRRICAD profile and copy it then customise as required. Your IRRICAD Link desktop icon contains the switch to automatically load the IRRICAD profile, which loads the IRRICAD Link application, sets various drawing defaults, and loads customized menus and toolbars. Running IRRICAD Link will make the IRRICAD profile the default one for your CAD progam unless you set the required profile switch on your AutoCAD or BricsCAD icon. See Irricad Options|Release Notes – Migrating from IRRICAD Pro Standalone to IRRICAD Link –> Other Helpful Details -> Desktop Short-cuts and Profiles. 1.3.2 TEMPLATES AutoCAD and BricsCAD use file templates in order to start with some pre-determined settings. In IRRICAD Link the default file template (.dwt) is called Irricad-Default – we have one for metric users and one for US units users. The default file template only contains two pre-loaded layout templates. Additional default templates can be found in the Irricad-Layouts .dwt file – one for metric users and one for US units users. File and Layout templates can be modified. We suggest that if you are going to customise save a copy and customise that one. However, if you do need to go back to the default files and you’ve overwritten them there is a set in the Irricad Link\Config folder, commonly located in C:\Program Files\Irricad\Irricad Link \Config. After editing any layouts you can bring them into your preferred or customised file template. The latest patch (V16.11) will include an updated set of templates in the Config folder, which include the layout field names/keywords. However ,there is a method that you can follow to add these keywords into your own templates – see Section 1.6.2.3. 1.3.3 SETTING CONFIGURATIONS Here are a few tips that sound easy but can make life with the new platform so much easier if you know about them. If you are having trouble finding a setting that you used in IRRICAD see Irricad Options|Release Notes – Migrating from IRRICAD Pro Standalone to IRRICAD Link –> Finding Commands in IRRICAD Link for a list of common commands. For a complete list see Irricad Options|Help Topics – Technical Reference -> Complete Command Differences Between Pro V15 and Link V15.5/V16. BricsCAD Only: Note that when on an option in the Settings / CONFIG dialog if it says “Drawing” on the bottom left then the setting/change will only be in that drawing. This is a good case for making a drawing template. 1.3.3.1 ALL SETTINGS Most settings can be found in Settings|Settings (BricsCAD only) or via the CONFIG command (both). In BricsCAD if you can’t find what you are looking for there is a ‘search’ field to assist you. 6 ••• Helpful Background Information Navigating the New Platform Copyright Lincoln Agritech Ltd 1.3.3.2 DISPLAY SETTINGS Your display is customisable and you can set your preferences in the CONFIG. LWT – line weight toggle. This is also on status bar to actually see different line widths. Because the line weights / line thickness are done in a different way than in IRRICAD Standalone they will not transfer if you are importing a converted DEZ design. Line Type display – The line type will only display if the annotation scale is set so that the line type is visible at the required zoom. BricsCAD:- Changing the background colour is found in CONFIG – Program Options – Display – Background Color. You can also access this via the BKG command, however you will need to know the colour number to be able to set this appropriately via the command line. Cursor / Crosshairs size – This can be set via CONFIG – Program Options – Display – Crosshairs size. Points display type– the PDMODE and PDSIZE commands. Also located in CONFIG - Drawing - Drafting - Entity Creation – Points (or search for PDMODE). You can have a point or a cross, with or without a circle and/or square. A negative cross size stays the same relative size during zooming, a positive size is the actual mm/m size and will increase or decrease in size whilst zooming. This is a drawing setting not a registry setting and could be something that you might want to set on your file template. Program Options - Display – Prompt menu - floating options for tools. This is a registry setting. Quick tips of possible options for the current tool. AutoCAD:- Changing the background colour is found in CONFIG – Display tab – Colours (button) – “2D Model Space”. 7 ••• Helpful Background Information Navigating the New Platform Copyright Lincoln Agritech Ltd Cursor / Crosshairs size – This can be set via CONFIG – Display tab – “Crosshairs size”. Points display type – the PDMODE and PDSIZE commands. You can have a point or a cross, with or without a circle and/or square. A negative cross size stays the same relative size during zooming, a positive size is the actual mm/m size and will increase or decrease in size whilst zooming. This is a drawing setting not a registry setting and could be something that you might want to set on your file template. 1.3.3.3 SETTING REQUIRED PATHS AUTO SAVE FILES The autosave settings should be set so that each backup is a full save, happens more frequently, and saves to a location that you can access easily. The defaults are for 50% partial saves, every 60 minutes, and saving into your computer’s temp folder.