2014 in Pictures…

2014 seems to have been a busy year!

Fly Me To The Moon…

I don’t know what it is about the moon, but I could stare at it for ages. I’d setup my telescope and before I knew it, hours had passed. I managed to smash my telescope by dropping it unfortunately and haven’t got around to getting a new one yet.

Thankfully, I have a somewhat decent camera that allows me take pictures of the moon in good detail.  It’s no replacement for the telescope, but it’ll do or now.

The pictures below were all taken using a Canon SX270 HS over the last 4 months.

Net Neutrality Explained by Porn Stars…

Porn stars Alex Chance, Mercedes Carrera, and Nadia Styles explain what Net Neutrality is and why it’s important…

DraftSight 2015…

With the release of DraftSight 2015, free users will be able to activate a trial version of DraftSight Professional by simply clicking the “Start DraftSight Professional Trial” button in the menu bar at the top of the graphics area.  This will launch a 30 day trial where users can discover all of the productivity features available in the Professional and enterprise versions of DraftSight.

What’s new in FREE DraftSight?

•Recent Documents

By clicking the F4 button on the keyboard, the last 12 drawing files opened will graphically appear in the window. The user will simply need to click the image to open a specific file. NOTE: This feature is available for ALL versions of DraftSight. Watch the video
•Improved Table Editing

Users now have more flexibility with editing and inserting Tables.

What’s new in PREMIUM (Enterprise and Professional)?

•Power Trim

Users can trim and extend entities simply by dragging the cursor over the objects to be modified. There is no need for selecting boundary lines.

•Dimension Pallet

The use of the dimension pallet will allow the users the ability to update the formatting of all dimensions in place without the need to use the Properties Palette.

•Rotate-Move-Copy

This is one of the more requested updates to DraftSight by our users. In one command, users a can now rotate, move, copy and even scale entities.

•Delete Duplicates

This command will allow users to clean up their drawing file by deleting lines that are created on top of existing lines. For lines that overlap each other, using this command will merge the two entities together.

•G-Code Generator

Using the G-code generator will allow users the ability to create the G-code for the machining of the part. G-Code is an NC (numerically controlled) programming language used for controlling automated machine tools.

•Toolbox updates

Toolbox updates in DraftSight 2015 include a reorganized and simplified options menu where users can access a central options dialog for all of their toolbox settings.  Also, new is the inclusion of Screw Connections. With Screw connection, users will be able ti insert hardware stack-ups that are typical in assembly drawings.  These stack-ups will include all of the necessary hardware such as Bolts, Washers and Nuts.

•Design Library update

With the new version of Design Library the user will be able to navigate to any file and be able to select a block, text style, lines style or dimension style for their current file.

System requirements

• No new hardware or graphics requirements.
• Note: Outdated graphic drivers might need updating
• Operating Systems
• Dropped Microsoft ® XP support
• Dropped Linux 32 bit support
• Added Linux 64 bit support

The following SPRs have also been resolved:

SPR	Brief Description
598275	P4 PRINT: Add the ability to customize paper size for built-in printers
638992	P4 The PDF exported from DraftSight is of larger size than exported from other CAD applications.
765339	Ability to disable the license is going to expire soon message on client machines.
803324	DraftSight crashes when trying to open the attached drawing
808506	Generic: Application Crash when closing BatchPrint status dialog
745876	PRINT to PDF is not working for particular sheet in this file *File Specific*
765303	No notification message pop up to return borrowed DraftSight Enterprise SNL license
795998	FILL: Block Preview is Distorted for filled entities
798062	Please make it mandatory for a user to have activated free DraftSight before being able to use the trial code.
802929	Table Preview is blurred
802950	Macro build in C++ Native do not create rectangle and polygon when Run Macro
803050	dxfout command ignores the entities that you want to be exported and instead exports the entire drawing
804674	Upgrade: No entities are displayed in GA with NVIDIA Quadro graphics cards after Upgrade (follow up from 801341)
809170	Draftsight hangs along with flickering of Reference pane when reset profile .
815014	Macro toolbar is not added once we checkbox for same in toolbar dialog
815480	Remove the expiration date from Windows SP0 release.
815793	SPELLCHECK: Command is not working
817563	DRAWINGSTANDARDS: DraftSight hangs when new Drawing standard tab in Options need to close from task manager
822762	*MacOS* Print : UI issue with Print dialog box text
822764	*MacOS* Print : Notice blinking issue when change radio button/ checkbox options on db
822770	*MacOS* Print: Specify window option is not working correctly
822779	*MacOS* DraftSight hangs if drag 'Standard' toolbar inside GA from Tool Matrix
823835	Draftsight hatch fill is not seen when export to PDF
824474	Icon with '?' shown for license and info in the Help menu (F.O.803740 )
824556	*MacOS* : Only Properties Tab is showing in Tool Matrix > Standard toolbar
824562	New 'Mouse Gesture' option is added in Tools drop down list when we add 'New Menu' in Customize Interface & restart DraftSight
824839	*MacOS* Print: Some radio tabs and text disappears when change Radio tab option in 'Print range' and switch between 'Print range' & 'Paper size'
826074	*MacOS* Command window is in Black color at start unable to read text
826856	Draftsight gives error on registering EPDM addin

God Only Knows…

I saw this on BBC tonight…

It reminded me of this…

Good stuff BBC, good stuff.

Draftsight Rumours…

Rumours abound of a new release of DraftSight early next week.  Sounds like this could be a major release.  Looking forward to getting my hands on it.

Touch The Sky…

Alex Zanardi lost two legs in a car crash in 2001. Two years later, he returned to motorsports competing in the FIA World Touring Car Championship for BMW Team Italy-Spain between 2003 and 2009. In 2012 he won 2 gold medals and 1 silver medal at the London Paralympics Hand Cycling competition.

The man doesn't know how to give up.

Teaching CAD…

In my spare time I teach CAD.  I do one on one lessons, that way I can give more attention to the student.

Normally I will teach AutoCAD as that’s what most companies have installed.  Last night though, I was helping out a college student.  She had an educational version of AutoCAD, but found the interface too cluttered, too distracting. After we chatted for a while, she told me she was dyslexic.

I must admit, I was slightly phased by this. After all, I had just handed her a bunch of notes!  Would she cope with them?  Turns out that my liberal use of graphics made life a lot easier! Anyway, I fired up DraftSight on my laptop and showed her the interface.  For those unfamiliar with it, it has, by default, a less cluttered interface.  I suggested we download and install it to see what she thought.

Well, 2 hours later, after finishing the 2 tutorials I had planned for that night, I had my answer.  She found the interface much easier to use and seemed very happy with her work, as was I.

We have more lessons planned,  hopefully they will go equally as well.

Check out the two interfaces below:

AutoCAD 2015 Interface

DraftSight Interface

DraftSight V1R5.2 Released…

I don’t know how this slipped pass me, but DraftSight V1R5.2 was released back in July. So, what’s new and what’s fixed, well:

What is new?

• Quality release, no new functionalities added.

What has been fixed?

• Incorrect results when explode hatch inside   Circle, Arc, Splines.
• Points in DraftSight do not print.
• -LAYER command (run from command line) with OFF * (All) option doesn't work in V1R5.1
• Insert block does not remember the path set   for Library path
• ToolBox> JIS > Hardware > TYPE of   JIS B 1182 : Please delete the unnecessary character of "Square Head   Bolt".
• On Ubuntu machine, the file name saved with   Russian characters shows error when opening it.
• LINUX UBUNTU: The License agreement during   installation on Ubuntu in Russian language shows as question marks.
• The Find command cannot find parentheses.
• P4 ContinueDimension: Dimension value is   wrong when the viewport scale not 1:1.

You can download DraftSight V1R5.2 from here.

Music Round Up…

This weekend, I’m off to the Electric Picnic.  3 days of living in a field listening to some great artists play.

I saw that MTV gave Lorde the Best Rock Video award at the MTV VMAs earlier this week.  That got me thinking and the conclusion I came to is that MTV know nothing about music anymore.  It’s all about the $ or € or £.

So, what is good in the world of music these days?  Well, these are some of my current favourites:

James – Curse Curse

 

Sinead O’Connor – Take Me To Church

 

King Kong Company – iPop

 

The Pretty Reckless – Heaven Knows

 

The Minutes–Cherry Bomb

 

John Spillane – The Ferry Arms

 

Sting – The Last Ship

I could go on and on and on, but I won’t. You’d never leave the this page otherwise!

Ruberbandits - Fellas

The Rubberbandits, one of Irelands greatest comedic musical acts are back with a great new track. FELLAS is quite a catchy little ditty, but incredibly NSFW. I can't stress that enough, don't turn this up and play it loud if you are in work and want to keep your job!

James - Getting Away With It (All Messed Up)

No particular reason for posting this track... apart from it's been stuck in my head for the last month.

20 years ago today…

Seems like only yesterday…

DraftSight V1R5.1 Released…

The latest incarnation of DraftSight has been released.  You can download it from here.

V1R5.1 is a Quality Release fixing already known issues such as:

Here are some of the resolved issues:

• 770343 Design Library options are grayed out if cancel INSERT dialog
• 768069 Change link to buy DraftSight in the HELP menu to point to www.DraftSight.com/BuyProfessional
• 765377 Drawing opens up empty (no entities shown)
• 765177 *LINUX* Fedora20 :Draftsight unable to run after installation
• 764670 *DraftSight tests* All the tests are failing with Image size change. *Affecting the test runs of DraftSight tests*
• 762802 RUSSIAN: junk characters in driver incompatibility warning.
• 762799 Toolbars Checked from Specify toolbars are unchecked when reset profile
• 762542 Menus added get disappear on reset profile from menubar
• 761940 Draftsight Crash when close Draftsight after selecting print tab from toolbar
• 761939 Cloud command is missing in Mousegesture list
• 761786 Need to increment DraftSight File versionings in V1R5.1 and V1R6Beta1 
• 760151 Wrong hardware size in description field of Hardware dialog.
• 757197 EDITNOTE:Bulleted or Numbered moves leftward if select all and move  mouse cursor by pressing left click.
• 755598 Japanese: ToolBox> JIS > Hardware > The Japanese translation of some bolt names is not carried out.
• 754522 DraftSight MAC: Installation does not create sample files in My Drawing folder
• 753886 DraftSight crash when load partlist and DockcontrolMFC dll and select tab drawcicle from HellocircleMFC pane
• 753486 Design library gives crash when try to drag other sample while cmd for insertion of one sample is running
• 753046 Japanese: When Custom Standards is created from JIS, translation of Description Format of a part of BOLTS is different.
• 750569 Layer command gets error in Model tab after sorting the Active ViewPort of sheet tab.
• 750267 Can't open a DXF file
• 723931 PROCESS VERIFICATION: make sure the final build is signed (Done after red=0)
• 631693 P4 DraftSight does not take the fraction input while drawing entities.

CADO by Orange Juice Studios

CADO is an interesting app in development I stumbled across a while ago.  There are some great CAD apps out there on both iOS and Android, but I’ve yet to see one that allows you draw with ease.  I’m not the only one that noticed this, the people behind CADO felt the same!

The app is being developed for iOS at the moment, but if it is successful, they hope to develop for Android also. Check out their Kickstarter page and support the project if you feel the same way!

Shanghai Tower...

I tried to be an architect once upon a time but I quickly found out that it was not for me. Actually, that might be wrong, it might have been the particular university course was just not the right one for me.  Anyway, I still retain a love for architecture, and I would love to visit the Shanghai Tower.

Unlike the two guys in the video below, I'll happily wait until it's completed.