Mechanical Desktop R5 Power Pack README 1.) This document contains late-breaking information about the Mechanical Desktop

and AutoCAD Mechanical products. The Mechanical Desktop R5 Power Pack contains the complete Mechanical Desktop R5, AutoCAD Mechanical 2000i, and AutoCAD Mechanical 2000i Power Pack products. For more information on any of these products, select the appropriate button below.

Mechanical Desktop R5 What’s New in Mechanical Desktop R5 2.) Surface Modeling Enhancements: Benefits from the enhanced surface

modeling feature set include modeling and geometry creation tools.3.) Flexible Assembly Design Feature: In this release, edit in place capability is

extended to external subassemblies and combined parts. This enables you to work in true top down design fashion. Assembly restructure is designed to provide you with flexibility in your design processes.

4.) Production Drawing Enhancements: Benefits for users from the Drawing Manager and annotation feature set include non-rectangular viewports for more flexibility.

5.) Enhanced Modeling Features: User benefits are realized in the form of enhanced feature geometry creation and manipulation tools leading to increased modeling productivity and effective capture of design intent.

Recommended Practices6.) There are some user scenarios that require special procedures.7.) AutoSurf Files8.) Users with AutoSurf files or surfaces created with Desktop 1.x need to migrate

these files through Desktop R2 before upgrading directly to Desktop R5. Please contact your authorized Autodesk representative for assistance.

9.) Features10.) Some features created in Desktop 2.x, particularly fillets, need to be migrated

through Desktop 3.01 before being updated to Desktop R5 directly. If you do not migrate fillet features through Desktop 3.01, you may also lose drawing annotations associated to the fillet features. Also, models with loft features created in Desktop 3 may have problems updating in Desktop R5. It is recommended that you edit the loft and align the start points manually before updating in Desktop R5. Please contact your authorized Autodesk representative for assistance.

Known Issues/Limitations for Mechanical Desktop

Known Issues and Limitations for Mechanical Desktop11.) The following items are known issues with Mechanical Desktop.12.) If You Were a Beta Tester 13.) Before you install Mechanical Desktop 5, uninstall any Alpha or Beta releases of

Mechanical Desktop.

ACAD.EXE Process Termination14.) If you experience a problem with the AutoCAD process not terminating upon exit,

it is recommended that you install an updated version of the Microsoft Scripting Engine. The latest scripting engine can be downloaded from the following URL: http://www.microsoft.com/msdownload/vbscript/scripting.asp

15.) If necessary, you can use the task manager to terminate this process manually.16.)The Internet Toolbar17.) The Internet toolbar is not available in Mechanical Desktop 5. However, you can

access these through the command line

18.)Assembly Restructure with Open to Edit19.) If you try to restructure parts or subassemblies to an external subassembly that

is currently open to edit, the restructure will complete, but nothing will appear to be restructured. To work around this, close the document and save your changes and then re-try the restructure.

20.)Drag and Drop and Insert Operations21.) When you perform any insert operation (drag and drop, pasteclip, etc.), you are

not able to specify an insert point. Desktop automatically places the object at 0.0.0.

22.)Missing External References23.) If you find missing external parts when you open an assembly file, the missing

external files will appear unloaded. This allows you to delete or repath the missing Xref, if necessary.

24.)Editing Sketches on External Parts25.) If you create a sketch in an external part, when the part is saved back, the sketch

is placed on a different layer if the layer the sketch was created on does not reside in the part file. This can be resolved by creating layers with the same names. Also, sketch geometry is faded until the geometry is actually profiled (AMPROFILE).

26.)Reference Editing of an Unconsumed Toolbody27.) If you Reference edit an unconsumed toolbody in an external part, you are

required to activate it twice.28.)Reloading Part Instances with Text Sketch Features29.) If you perform a reload of text sketch-based extrusions, they will not show

immediately. These types of extrusions will show upon exiting the catalog.30.)Editing an Unconsumed Toolbody While in an External Part Edit State31.) If you are editing an unconsumed toolbody, the browser in Mechanical Desktop

becomes disabled upon editing unconsumed toolbody in an Xref toolbody. It is best to open to edit the part and perform your edits.

32.)Editing a Consumed Toolbody While in an External Part Edit State33.) If you are editing a consumed toolbody within an external part, you will not be

able to update the combine. The workaround is to “open to edit” the combined part file to perform your changes.

34.)Using AutoCAD SCALE on a Part35.) If you are using SCALE on a Mechanical Desktop part, the original part will appear

the same until REGENALL is performed.

AMMIRROR with Parts36.) When you use AMMIRROR to mirror a part. It will cause the dimensions and

constraints to flip

Compatibility with AutoCAD 2000i37.) Included in this release of the Mechanical Desktop is AutoCAD 2000i. Please keep

this in mind if you need to reinstall any version of AutoCAD. Refer to the Installation manual if you need further information on installation.

Browser Font is Not Persistent38.) The Browser font is not persistent and only gets changed for the currently open

drawings. Any drawings opened after setting the Browser font will have the default font.

Subassembly activation Through the Browser39.) The browser cannot activate subassemblies that have spaces in the name.

Standard Parts Do Not Create Unique Part Names When Drag and Dropped40.) If you drag and drop standard parts into a new drawing, it does not create a part with a unique

name.

Zoom to a Part41.) Zooming to a part in a subassembly is incorrect when the part has a transform.

Reorder in the Browser42.) Currently, you are not able to reorder a part to be last in the Browser tree.

Known AutoCAD Defects43.) • If you save a file to a reserved DOS filename, your system may crash.44.) • If you have the number lock and startup wizard turned Off, type CTRL-N to start

a new drawing, and then press a function key or numeric pad key, your system may crash.

45.) Reorder groups in the dialog box or exploding the groups, and then canceling the command will result in system crash.

46.) Dragging drawings to and from AutoCAD to an external application (Explorer, WINZIP) will result in a crash.

ACIS Modeling Guidelines47.)Dynamic Range48.) Within object space, the model world is characterized by the magnitude of the

numbers on the entities being modeled (e.g., the smallest and largest coordinates existing on the models and the smallest and largest difference between any two coordinates). All object space numbers are represented in ACIS as double precision floating point numbers that contain roughly 14 - 16 significant digits. ACIS considers four of the least significant digits to represent numeric round-off errors that occur during calculations. Thus, there are roughly 10 - 12 digits to represent the dynamic range of numbers (smallest and largest numbers) within object space. ACIS has used the more conservative estimate of ten digits as a rough guideline to set the tolerances used internally to the modeler. The tolerance used in ACIS is 0.000001, six digits to the right of the decimal point. This leaves 4 - 5 digits of significance to the left of the decimal point.

49.) Any models stressing this limit may fail creation and update depending on values used. This may occur if you design large parts in millimeters.

50.)Healing51.) Imperfections in ACIS models can arise due to various reasons. Many of these

occur during conversion/translation of legacy surface and solid data to ACIS format. It is not feasible to have a single healing algorithm that will handle all types of imperfections, but the ACIS healer has incorporated solutions for the problems that occur most frequently and includes more with every release.

52.)Constraining Profiles53.) It is strongly recommended that you constrain profiles completely as it ensures

valid modeling intent and completely specifies desired geometry. Problems may arise if geometry is in conflict or interferes with one another. This is also true for mating and assemblies. Make sure there is no interference between part instances (AMINTERFERE). This may cause undesired, downstream results (e.g., AHL does not support interfering geometry, scenes may tweak and explode in an undesired manner, etc.).

54.)Lofting and Face Loops55.) 1) Models with loft features created in Mechanical Desktop 3 may have problems

updating in Desktop R5. It is recommended that you edit a loft and align the start points manually before updating in Desktop R5.

56.) 2) The positions of all the profiles being used should not form a path that could introduce self-intersecting surfaces. The resulting model might be an invalid solid.

57.) 3) To shell a LOFT body successfully, keep the loft surfaces and faces as smooth as possible. An 80-degree start angle means the loft feature will take off at 80 degrees from the start section (slightly inward). A 120 degree end angle means the loft feature will land at 120 degrees on the end section (slightly outward). A weight factor larger than 10 or smaller than 0 is not allowed. Smaller weight factors give smoother results.

58.) 4) To reduce unwanted twist in a loft feature, it is recommended that you select either the Minimize Twist check box or the Start Points option in the Loft dialog box.

59.) The Start Points option in the Loft dialog box displays a start point on each profile in the loft. The objective is to align the start points of each profile so that, as a set, they form a reasonable start edge for the loft. You can change a start point

position by moving your cursor over the profile, where new potential start points are previewed as you pass over them.

60.) 5) If you encounter undesirable twisting in a loft feature, try picking the profiles in the opposite order.

61.) 6) When lofting between face loops and profiles, it is recommended that you check the "Tangent to Adjacent Face" options in the Loft dialog box. This will create smoother transitions between loops and results in less jagged bodies

62.)Modeling with Surfcuts and Surface Tolerance Refining63.) If there is a modeling failure experienced in a model containing surfcut features,

it is recommended that you increase the surface tolerance (AMREFINESF).Using Hardware Acceleration64.) The AutoCAD Graphics Subsystem is based on HEIDI, which allows you to

dynamically switch to whichever graphics API is best for your system. The most widely used graphics API for CAD systems is OpenGL, and HEIDI supports this API through the wopengl6.hdi HEIDI driver. To make use of this driver, you must have a graphics card that supports OpenGL acceleration, and then select the HEIDI OpenGL driver.

To Choose Hardware Acceleration65.) Choose Assist > Options.66.) In the Options dialog box, choose the System tab.67.) Click Properties.68.) In the 3D Graphics System Configuration dialog box, select Hardware.69.) In the Select File dialog box, highlight the wopengl6.hdi HEIDI driver, and then

choose Select.70.) Choose Apply & Close, and then choose OK.The Autodesk OpenGL HEIDI Driver71.) The Autodesk OpenGL HEIDI driver (wopengl7.hdi) attempts to use two OpenGL

extensions if they are present: The GL_WIN_SWAP_Hint extension, and the Autodesk_valid_backbuffer_hint extension. These extensions are used to repair screens when an image has been damaged, for example, by a tooltip or dialog box.

72.) The GL_Win_Swap_Hint extension allows the Open GL driver to do blitting from the back buffer for screen repair. Since OpenGL was originally designed to be a one-window system, having multiple OpenGL windows can cause a problem doing screen repair, because the OpenGL driver would only have a valid backing store for one window. To resolve this problem, Autodesk makes use of the Autodesk_valid_backbuffer_hint extension, which tells AutoCAD that the card and driver can manage the backing store for multiple windows.

73.) NOTE: Some older cards may not support this option. In these cases, AutoCAD tries to do blitting for screen repair, but you may occasionally get the wrong image.

System Variables74.) Use the AMUSEBLIT system variable when you select the Hardware Acceleration

option and the graphics card does not support the Autodesk_valid_backbuffer_hint extension but does support the GL_Win_Swap_Hint extension. The AMUSEBLIT system variable tells AutoCAD to attempt blitting to do screen repair. If the OpenGL driver supports the Autodesk_valid_backbuffer_hint extension, then the system variable is ignored, AutoCAD does blitting for screen repair, and you should get the correct image every time.

75.) Use the AMUSEDL system variable to tell the AutoCAD OpenGL HEIDI driver to use OpenGL display lists. These display lists are a way to cache off drawing instructions in an intermediate format that can be drawn very quickly. However, the use of display lists can consume large amounts of memory, and for this reason the system is turned off by default.

Known Issues with Rendered Mode1) Force a rerasterization: Although there is no command that forces a

rerasterization (redraw the image from the cached graphic representation), you can force a rerasterization in several ways:76.) - resize the window77.) - start and exit the 3Dorbit command

78.) - switch the shading mode from the current one to a different one using the SHADEMODE command

79.) - change the view orientation. Note that this method forces a regen.80.) NOTE: A regen or redraw will not force a rerasterization.

2) Images left on the screen: To clean up an image, force a rerasterization using one of the methods mentioned previously. This may be necessary if Hardware Acceleration is enabled and the OpenGL driver only supports the GL_Win_Swap_Hint extension but not the Autodesk_valid_backbuffer_hint extension.

3) There is a known problem with the 3Dclip window with multiple design environments open. If the 3Dclip window is on top of the inactive document, closing the window causes a screen repair, which can lead to a race condition inside of AutoCAD between AutoCAD’s main thread and the rendering thread. This is a timing issue, and may not be a problem. This issue is dependent on the machine setup and the size of the drawing file.

4) Some temporary graphics, like blips, can be removed by issuing a redraw command. This will not cause a rerasterization, but the screen will be refreshed from the existing backing store.

81.)AMVARS Uses Inactive Title Bar System Color for Non-Editable Text82.) In the AMVARS dialog box, non-editable text in the display window is shown in

the system color specified for "Inactive Title Bar." If you are unable to see the non-editable text (or other data in the display window), use the Control Panel to change the inactive title bar text. Change other system colors for other cells (i.e., change Window text color to change the text color for editable text).

General Information

Network Installation83.) There is not an effective mechanism to upgrade AutoCAD 2000 on a network

installation. Thus, there is not an effective mechanism to upgrade from Mechanical Desktop R5 to Mechanical Desktop R5 Power Pack on a network installation. You must uninstall your Mechanical Desktop R5 product before installing the Mechanical Desktop R5 Power Pack on a network setup.

84.) You may also run the netsetup for a client installation in non-silent mode to upgrade from Mechanical Desktop R5 to Mechanical Desktop R5 Power Pack. This will only work for a client based network install.

Working with Mechanical Desktop Commands85.)Using the AMPATTERN Command86.) When using the Align to Edge option for rectangular patterns, each edge has an

internal direction that is displayed using a red arrow when you hover over it. To get the desired direction, use either Flip direction or pick an edge that has the desired direction.

87.)Using the AMFACESPLIT Command88.) AMFACESPLIT will not allow the creation of if the split line has multiple segments.89.)Using the AMSHELL Command90.) If you modify the default weight factors and angles of a loft feature, you may

encounter a shell failure when the loft geometry is not suitable for the shell91.)Using the AMSWEEP Command92.) Models created by sweeping a 3D path may have self-intersecting surfaces

depending the AMFEATCHECK value. Use AMSANITYCHECK to see if the model is correct. This in not allowed for Helix paths.

93.) Using the AMADJUSTSF Command 1) Closed edges on a surface cannot be adjusted. Picking a closed edge to

adjust may hang the system.2) The AMADJUSTSF command does not support rational surfaces.3) Adjacent edges of the adjust edge must lie on natural boundary. If adjacent

edges are trimmed, the edges cannot be used for adjustment.4) Some of the trim loops on surfaces will not be kept intact after surface

adjustment.5) To obtain good results when a coincident option is selected and both

surfaces have non-zero blend back parameters, make sure the extended portion of the two surfaces can result in an edge. Otherwise, the operation may fail.

6) Blend back parameter cannot be dragged beyond the trim boundary.

7) With the smooth continuity option, you cannot set blend back parameter to zero percent.

94.)Using the AMANALYZE Command1) If the input surfaces check bad after doing an AMSANITYCHECK, the

curvature analysis will fail when displaying the result. In some cases, the system may hang.

95.)Using the AMINTERSF Command1) You can now intersect a surface or quilt with a solid.

96.)Using the AMSCALE Command1) Using independent scale factors on quilt surfaces with tolerant edges may

result in bad bodies.97.)Using the AMSPLINE Command

1) Automatic osnap is not supported. You have to use a keyword or Shift+Right Mouse Button to access the snap point.

2) The tangent direction of a spline cannot be selected when a point on an augmented line is picked for creating a tangential spline.

98.)Using the AMSPLINEDIT Command1) Tangency control is only available at start and end points.2) The right-click context menu is not supported.

99.)Using the AMSTICH Command1) Any part modeling command may fail or generate a bad result on a part

created by stitching surfaces.2) Parts or quilts created by stitching surfaces are initially colored in white.3) Stitching periodical surfaces intersecting with planar surfaces with optimal

options will result in tolerant edges on intersection.4) The right-click context menu for Pan/Zoom/Orbit is not available in the

Stitching dialog box.100.) Using the AMTHICKEN Command

1) Operation may fail on quilts with tolerant edges.101.) Thickening a primitive surface will result in spline geometry. To convert them

into analytical geometry, it is recommended that you simplify them using AMSTITCH.

Migration of Legacy files with AMLOFT from Mechanical Desktop 3102.) If Mechanical Desktop 3 files were just opened and saved in Mechanical

Desktop 5, you could get twisting or start point mapping misalignments which could cause failures.

Metric Settings for Drawings103.) The Mechanical Options dialog box (AMOPTIONS) will not reflect metric

default settings defined for a new drawing. The Project Type will be set to Third Angle, and the Hatch option will be set to Angle instead of ANSI31. To resolve this issue, you must set these options manually.

Valid Settings for DEMANDLOAD System Variable104.) When you load Mechanical Desktop R5, the only valid settings for the

DEMANDLOAD system variable are 1 and 3 (custom object detect and command invoke). Values 1 and 2 are invalid and can never be set from the Mechanical Desktop.

Performance Issue with XLOADCTL=2105.) When the Demand Load Xrefs option is set to “Enable with Copy”

(XLOADCTL=2), xref files are copied to the directory specified by the TEMP environment variable and then demand loaded. This allows the greatest editing flexibility and reduces memory usage because the entire xref does not need to be read into memory. However, if the Mechanical Desktop session should crash, these temp files are not cleaned up. When an xref is copied to the TEMP directory and the temp file already exists, a different name is used, but the original file is left alone. This is allowed to happen three times. After that, a new temp file is not created, and the entire file is read into memory.

106.) This impacts performance and memory consumption. It is recommended that you check your TEMP directory periodically for files with names like

nnnnn$0$.ac$ (where nnnnn is the name of the xref file), especially after a crash. These files can be safely removed and are not to be confused with autosave files that have an .sv$ extension. If the system does not allow you to delete a file, it means that you have an open Desktop session that is still using the file.

Document Status Notification107.) 1) Users of ObjectARX who track documents as they are opened should be

aware that the Status Notification is slightly different in SDI mode than in MDI mode. In SDI mode, after a documentCreateStarted notification is sent, a documentToBeDestroyed will be sent instead of a DocumentCreateCancelled if the user cancels out of a File Open dialog. Please be careful that you do not clean up in preparation for destroying a document, when one was not actually created.

108.) 2) SDI mode will produce unpredictable results when multi-document interactions are supposed to occur in an operation.

Mechanical Desktop R5 and Windows 2000 and 98109.) Mechanical Desktop R5 has been developed on Windows NT 4.0 with primary

testing focused on Windows NT. Secondary focus has been on testing Windows 98 and Windows 2000 to validate general stability only.

Exploding Parts in Mechanical Desktop R5110.) When you explode a part in Mechanical Desktop R5, AutoCAD saves your

data in the ACIS 4.2 format. However, tolerant edges in Desktop R5 are not compatible with this older version of ACIS, and you will receive a warning message when exploding a part with these geometric entities. After you have performed the explosion, you may experience problems editing the resulting AutoCAD 3D solid.

Using AutoCAD Commands and System VariablesFACETRES and DISPSILH111.) ACIS 6.2 provides faceted silhouette edge calculation along with the precise

silhouette edge calculation it has always provided. Because the faceted silhouette edge calculation can be much faster than the precise version, there is a change in how the FACETRES system variable works.

112.) FACETRES still controls the smoothness of shaded and hidden line removed displays as it always has; however, now it also controls the smoothness of silhouette edges when DISPSILH = 1. Also, if FACETRES = 10.0, the precise silhouette edge calculation is used. With every other value of FACETRES, the faceted silhouette edge calculation is used. FACETRES = 2.0 appears to be a good compromise between smoothness and display speed.

Avoid Editing or Saving Mechanical Desktop Files in AutoCADMechanical Desktop files may be damaged if you edit them in standalone AutoCAD (when Mechanical Desktop is not loaded). In general, you should limit the use of Mechanical Desktop files in AutoCAD to operations such as plotting and viewing.When you open a Mechanical Desktop file in standalone AutoCAD, it is possible to add new data to the file such as, geometry, annotations, and dimensions. However, do not modify any data that originated in Mechanical Desktop. If you do, Mechanical Desktop data may not solve predictably. For example, if you erase a part, move objects of any kind (dimensions, parts, components), rotate, scale, create WBLOCKS, or explode, your data may not solve accurately. In general, avoid any operation that changes geometry. In such cases, your data may be irrevocably lost or damaged when you reopen the file in Mechanical Desktop.Do not UNDEFINE Mechanical Desktop CommandsAny Mechanical Desktop commands you have undefined with the AutoCAD UNDEFINE command will not work if you use any menu item that calls that command. For example, if you undefine AMPARDIM, then select the Create Dimensions menu item, an error message notifies you that the command is unknown. To restore the use of a command and related menu selections, use AutoCAD REDEFINE.Note: Dot AMPARDIM (.ampardim) will not invoke the command when undefined.Disabled AutoCAD System VariablesMechanical Desktop disables the following AutoCAD system variables:113.) - ISAVEPERCENT

114.) - MAXOBJMEM115.) - PLINETYPE option 2116.) - FORCE_PAGING117.) - INDEXCTL options 0 and 2Choosing Variable Names

118.) Avoid variable names that are used as mnemonics, or options or keywords in commands (i.e., AMPARDIM, AMMODDIM, radius, diameter, etc.).

119.) There are two name forms that the system does not allow you to use: Cn and Dn, where “n” is a number. These names are used internally by the system only.

120.) Avoid single letter name variables. Some single letters are abbreviations for commands, such as U for UNDO. Other letters can be confused for special mathematical symbols, such as E for the constant base of a natural logarithm. Mechanical Desktop allows you to create variables of these letters, but the equations where they are used may not evaluate as expected.

121.) The letters “PI” define a special symbol in Mechanical Desktop. It is considered a constant when it is encountered by a variable equation. Mechanical Desktop substitutes this symbol with 180. Because the functions we support for design variables all interface in degrees instead of radians, 180 is more useful than using 3.1415….

122.) Non-alphabetic/numeric characters, such as +, -, =, %, etc., should be avoided in variable names. Equations using these symbols may not evaluate correctly.

Accelerator Keys Use First Angle - Third Angle Settings in AMPROJTYPEAccelerator keys 3 (three viewports) and 4 (four viewports) now use the settings in AMPROJTYPE to control projections in both Model and Drawing mode. For example, 123.) - When AMPROJTYPE is set to 0, viewports display views in first angle. 124.) - When set to 1, viewports show views in third angle. You can set AMPROJTYPE settings on the command line or from the Standards tab of the AMOPTIONS dialog box by right clicking on the standard in the browser tree.Note: Accelerator key settings 33 and 44 (from previous releases) are now obsolete and have been deleted.AutoCAD ROTATE3D Command Might Detach DimensionsUsing ROTATE3D on a profile may detach dimensions attached to that. If so, follow these steps:125.) 1. Erase the dimensions.126.) 2. Use AMPARDIM to recreate the dimensions.127.) 3. Use AMPROFILE to reprofile the sketch, making sure to select geometry and

the new dimensions.

Development Compatibility issues

API/AutoLISP128.)Specifying a 3D Point129.) When you specify a 3D point for an adsdefun'd command, please use real

numbers for the X, Y, and Z values. Otherwise, the pint may not be interpreted correctly. For example, '(10.0 0.0 2.0).

LISP and the NEW Command130.) Issuing the NEW command through LISP will cause any shortcut commands

to become undefined in SDI mode. To resolve this, you must restart Mechanical Desktop and issue LISPINIT = 0.

Calling AMSKPLN with an AutoLISP Routine131.) AMSKPLN will not prompt for an X-axis alignment direction when a UCS-

based work plane is selected. This allows a sketch plane of arbitrary alignment to be created. However, when AMSKPLN is called from LISP, it will not be possible to predict the number of arguments the function will require unless the origin of the selected work plane is known.

AutoLISP: S::STARTUPMechanical Desktop users who have defined an s::startup function in AutoLISP that prompts for a value will have problems. The LISP function prevents Mechanical Desktop from converting Designer 1.x files to Mechanical Desktop R5. For example, 132.) (setq s::startup133.) (append S::startup134.) (list 135.) '(setq xy (getstring "\nEnter xy: ")) '(princ)136.) )))137.)causes problems because of (getstring). With Mechanical Desktop 1.x, the Enter xy: prompt did not display.Entering Mechanical Desktop Commands in LISP Some Mechanical Desktop commands require you to select one or more entities. There are two ways to enter the information:138.) 1 Enter a 3D point (RT3DPOINT), not a 2D point (RTPOINT).139.) 2 Embed an ssget statement or a specific selection set. For both embedded or

specified selection set, use the "_:n" option of ssget so that subentity path information is obtained from nested objects (see AutoCAD LISP manual for more information on ssget options).

LISP/ADS Support for Mechanical Desktop R5Invoking Mechanical Desktop Commands from LISP/ADSBefore invoking a Mechanical Desktop command that has a dialog box, set the CMDDIA system variable to zero (OFF). After the command is complete, restore CMDDIA to 1 (ON). Or, invoke the command using the "-" option (i.e., amshell : the dialog, -amshell : the command line).To support LISP/ADS input, Mechanical Desktop commands are registered using ads_defun(). The following list shows the different ways a value can be provided for Mechanical Desktop command prompts when invoked through ADS. From LISP, the syntax will be different, but the types in this list are still valid.See the end of this section for examples.

Integer (ads_getint)140.) RTSHORT, 2,141.) RTSTR, "2",Value must be in decimal units.Real(ads_getreal)142.) RTREAL, 0.5,143.) RTSTR, "0.5",Value must be in decimal units.Distance (ads_getdist or ads_getreal)144.) RTREAL, 0.5,145.) RTSTR, "0.5",Value must be in decimal units.Angle (ads_getstring)146.) RTSTR, "0.5",The value must be Radians if AUNITS is set to three or Decimal Degrees if AUNITS is set to zero.Keyword (ads_getstring)147.) RTSTR, "thru"String (ads_getstring)148.) RTSTR, "Section A-A"Point & Corner (ads_getpoint)149.) RTPOINT, pt1150.) RT3DPOINT, pt2Cannot pass a relative or polar value.

Single selection: Use ads_nentselp or ssget(":n:s") to form a single selection.151.) RTLB152.) :

153.) :154.) :155.) RTLE156.)

This is the standard list with information returned from a call to nentselp, or a call to ssget with the ":n" modifier. For specific information, see the AutoCAD documentation. If you manually construct a list, you must include at least the entity name and the pick location. For example:

157.) RTLB158.) RTENAME159.) RT3DPOINT160.) RTLE

For selection sets formed using nentselp, it might be necessary for the command to use the point and re-select the entity to determine specific information. If reselection is necessary, the entity must be visible and the current active viewport the same as when the entity was originally selected. If not, the command will either fail or result in unexpected behavior.Some commands, such as AMFILLET, have a command loop that continues to prompt for single selections. When you have finished selections, use RTNONE, RTNIL or RTSTR to enter an empty string (stop the loop). Some Mechanical Desktop commands look for selections in blocks. In these cases, use nentselp or ssget (ads_ssget) with the ":n" modifier. When specifying a point to form a selection set through LISP, use a full 3D point even if the z coordinate is zero. Do not use the string format for specifying a point (i.e. "2.4,4.5,0.0"). It may work in some cases, but is not the supported format for entering points for selection sets.

Get a selection set via ssget:161.) (setq ss (ssget "_:n"))Specify a point for a selection set:162.) "2.4,4.5,0.0" - may not work163.) '(2.4 4.5) - may not work.164.) '(2.4 4.5 0.0) - this will work and is the supported method.Selection sets: Use ads_ssget(":n" ...) to form a multiple selection set.165.) RTPICKS, ssWhen a selection set is passed to a Mechanical Desktop command, the set must contain valid entity types selected with valid selection methods. Selection sets with invalid entity types or entities selected with invalid selection methods cause the command to fail or may create unexpected results. Many Mechanical Desktop commands take advantage of additional information available only with an original selection set returned from a call to ssget/ads_ssget that uses the ":n" option. Avoid using ssadd/ads_ssadd to create a new selection set or add entities to an existing selection set that will be used in a Mechanical Desktop command. In some cases, this will not cause problems, but many Mechanical Desktop commands will produce unexpected results.To invoke a Mechanical Desktop command through LISP, do not use the (command "amshell" options...) method, instead use the (amshell options...) method. The command keyword type of invocation may work, but it is not supported.When specifying a keyword, you cannot use the accelerator (the capital letter) if it is not the first letter of the keyword: 166.) Specify a keyword:167.) (amshell "c" ...) unrecognized keyword - error168.) (amshell "reClaim" ...) valid keyword - okNOTES: When invoked through LISP, all Mechanical Desktop prompts will work with interactive prompting. To do this, provide the LISP prompt instead of the value. For example, instead of setting the sketch angle tolerance to a hard-coded value, it can be invoked through LISP so that it prompts you for the value.169.) (amskangtol 4.5) This assigns the value 4.5 to amskangtol.170.) (amskangtol (getreal)) This prompts you for the value to assign to

amskangtol.When invoked through LISP or ads, all of Mechanical Desktop prompts will work if a variable of the appropriate type is provided instead of a hard-coded value. For example, a value can be prompted for earlier in the program, assigned to a variable, the variable can be modified, if needed, and the variable can be used when invoking Mechanical Desktop command.From LISP:171.) :172.) :173.) (setq angTol (getreal))174.) :175.) : // Modify angTol if necessary.176.) :177.) (amskangtol angTol)178.) :179.) :From ads:180.) :181.) ads_real angTol;182.) status = ads_getreal("Enter value:", &angTol);183.) :184.) : // Modify angTol if necessary.185.) :186.) struct resbuf *argList, *rslt;187.) argList = ads_buildlist(RTSTR, "amskangtol",188.) RTREAL, angTol,189.) 0);190.) status = ads_invoke(argList, &rslt);

191.)

Examples of Invoking Mechanical Desktop Commands192.) Here are some examples of how to invoke a Mechanical Desktop command

through LISP or ads.193.) From LISP:194.) (amhole "drill" "thru" 0.5 "no" "twoEdges" (entsel)

(entsel) (getpoint) "1.0" "1.0")195.) or196.) (setq e1 (entsel))197.) (setq e2 (entsel))198.) (setq p1 (getpoint))199.) (amhole "drill" "thru" 0.5 "no" "twoEdges" e1

e2 p1 1.0 1.0)200.) or201.) (amhole "drill" "thru" 0.5 "no" "twoEdges" '(9.3

8.0) '(11.9 6.7) '(-1 -2) -1 -1)From an ads program:202.) struct resbuf *argList, *rslt;203.) ads_point pt1, pt2, pt3;204.) pt1[0] = 9.3; pt1[1] = 8.0; pt1[2] = 0.0;205.) pt2[0] = 11.9; pt2[1] = 6.7; pt2[2] = 0.0;206.) pt3[0] = -1.0; pt3[1] = -2.0; pt3[2] = 0.0;207.)208.) argList = ads_buildlist(RTSTR, "amhole",209.) RTSTR, "drill",210.) RTSTR, "thru",211.) RTREAL, 0.5,212.) RTSTR, "no",213.) RTSTR, "twoEdges",214.) RT3DPOINT, pt1,215.) RT3DPOINT, pt2,216.) RT3DPOINT, pt3,217.) RTREAL, -2.0,218.) RTREAL, -1.0,219.) 0);220.) status = ads_invoke(argList, &rslt);

System VariablesTo get the value of a Mechanical Desktop system variable through LISP or ads, invoke the system variable without modifying its value. From LISP, the value of Mechanical Desktop system variables can be obtained by invoking the system variable command and assigning the return value to the appropriate type. From an ads program, the value of Mechanical Desktop system variables can be obtained from the result field of ads_invoke(). Getting the Value of a System Variable:From LISP:221.) (setq vlines (amvlines ""))222.) or223.) (setq gap (amjoingap nil))From ads: 224.) struct resbuf *arglist, *rslt;225.) arglist = ads_buildlist(RTSTR, "amskangtol",226.) RTSTR, "",227.) 0);228.)229.) retVal = ads_invoke(arglist, &rslt);

Known ProblemIf the AutoCAD NEW command is used in a LISP program, all the LISP code following the new command will not be executed. This is an AutoCAD limitation.

Adjacent ProductsLogiCad 3D Inc., Magellan Space MouseFiles that provide all relevant information on the LogiCad 3D Inc., Magellan Space Mouse are available in the bonus directory on the Mechanical Desktop CD.3D Motion Control Technology Group Spaceball 230.) Files that provides all relevant information on the Spaceball are available in

the bonus directory on the Mechanical Desktop CD.StereoGraphics Crystal Eyes231.) Files that provide all relevant information StereoGraphics' Crystal Eyes are

available in the bonus directory on the Mechanical Desktop CD.Diamond Fire 4000GL Graphics Card232.) Turn off “Hardware Cursor” in the graphics driver settings. It is incompatible

with the dynamic highlighting and picking in Desktop R5.

Data Import and ExportLimitations for DXF FormatMechanical Desktop part and assembly objects do not support DXFOUT. Using DXFOUT from Mechanical Desktop will contain only native AutoCAD objects and surface objects.Prior to R14, AutoCAD supported two modes of DXFIN, full and partial. A full DXFIN requires a new and empty DWG file so that DXFIN can read all data with no conflicts with existing data, and end up with a DWG file that has the exact same content as the DXF file content. A partial DXFIN is performed when the current DWG file is not empty. Objects that conflict, named blocks, layers, etc., are not read in.Partial DXFIN mode was withdrawn in R14. Mechanical Desktop, and some other ObjectARX applications, cannot support full DXFIN. Mechanical Desktop R5 creates objects in the database upon initialization, which invalidates certain criteria required for a full DXFIN. With AutoCAD 2000, performing an INSERT using a .dxf file provides the same result formerly provided by partial DXFIN.

Tuning PerformanceSeveral practices will improve performance of Mechanical Desktop. For example,233.) - When creating drawing views, always set the system variable DISPSILH to 0

(Off). If the drawing has silhouette edges and DISPSILH is set to 1 (On), performance is reduced. When DISPSILH is Off, silhouette edges are not calculated until you position the drawing view.

234.) - Work with isolines set to the minimum value. Setting isolines to 0 gives maximum display performance.

235.) - Use a minimum number of layers in your models. Many AutoCAD operations slow down when many layers are present. For example, if there are 20 layers in each of your part files and you create an assembly that references 70 parts, the assembly file will have 1400 layers in it. The PURGE command is useful for cleaning unnecessary layers.

Part Modeling

Feature Preview with the Bend Feature236.) Feature preview of features created before a bend, reordered before a bend,

or created with a bend suppressed will show in the original location where they were created during edit.

Fillets237.) Some features created in Desktop 2.x, particularly fillets, may fail to update

in Desktop R5. These files need to be migrated through Desktop 3.01 before being updated to Desktop R5 directly.

Work Plane Dialog Boxes238.) When creating a parallel offset work plane, the right-click menu for the value

input fields does not give access to Measure, Associate to, Preset Values, Recent Values, or the Equation Assistant.

Terminations: Number of Intersections Changing239.) To ensure that legacy files with extrusions, revolutions, and sweeps that

have To-Face/Plane or From-To terminations update correctly to Mechanical Desktop R5, set the EXPERT system variable. If you set the value for EXPERT to 0 (zero), you are prompted to resolve the intersection by responding with a standard Next/Accept. If you set the value for EXPERT to 1 - 4, the following error message is displayed:

240.) "Multiple terminations now exist for FEATURENAME. Termination must be specified to update this feature. Set EXPERT = 0, and AMUPDATE > ALL to be prompted."

241.) NOTE:242.) This will only occur if there are ambiguous termination conditions where

there is more than one possible intersection.

Partial Display of Termination Loops243.) Multiple-loop profiles do not support the To-Face/Plane termination type.

Construction Geometry244.) Construction geometry is created on the AM_CL layer with color set to Red

and linetype set to Hidden. To change the color of the construction geometry, use the LAYER command to change the color of the AM_CL layer.

Using the ANGDIR System Variable with Helical Paths245.) The default rotation direction for a helical path is clockwise. If you want to

set the default to counterclockwise, set the ANGDIR system variable to 1. You can set the helix orientation within the Helix dialog box to counterclockwise; however, this will not change the default.

Copying Part Instances246.) When you copy a part instance, the text position of some original dimensions

might point back to the original instance. This happens whenever the dimension format is set to “user defined.” Use the DIMEDIT command and the HOME option to resolve the problem.

Editing a Radius Fillet247.) When you edit a radius fillet, the physical size of the “R=*” text that displays

on the screen is controlled by the size of the cursor pick box. Choose Assist > Options. In the Options dialog box, choose the Selection tab where you can change the size of the pick box.

AMLOPCHECK and AMLOFTCHECK248.) a) AMLOPCHECK controls checking for a valid solid model after an ACIS "local

operation" is performed. The two local operations used by Mechanical Desktop are shelling and face draft. Large thicknesses in shelling, or drafting many faces with large angles, can cause very large and often invalid changes in the solid model that will not be detected if AMLOPCHECK is turned off. An invalid model can cause later, otherwise valid modeling operations to fail. The checking is very compute intensive, so turning it off can greatly speed up the operations. It is recommended that you do not turn checking off unless you fully understand how to use AMLOPCHECK.

249.) The default for AMLOPCHECK is 1 = ON; 0 = OFF. This setting is maintained in the Windows Registry which controls all Mechanical Desktop sessions that you run on a given machine. If you turn AMLOPCHECK off, it will be off for all DWG files you edit on the given machine until you turn it back on.

250.) b) AMLOFTCHECK controls checking for a valid solid model after an ACIS "loft operation" is performed. Loft operations can create self-intersecting (invalid) solids that will not be detected with AMLOFTCHECK off. An invalid model can cause later, otherwise valid modeling operations to fail. The checking is very compute intensive, so turning it off can great speed up operations. It is recommended that you do not turn checking off unless you fully understand how to use AMLOFTCHECK.

251.) The default for AMLOFTCHECK is 1 = ON; 0 = OFF. This setting is maintained in the Windows Registry which controls all Mechanical Desktop sessions that you run on a given machine. If you turn AMLOFTCHECK off, it will be off for all DWG files you edit on the given machine until you turn it back on.

Using the ANGDIR System Variable with Helical Paths252.) The default rotation direction for a helical path is clockwise. If you want to

set the default to counterclockwise, set the ANGDIR system variable to 1. You can set the helix orientation within the Helix dialog box to counterclockwise; however, this will not change the default.

Mechanical Desktop-generated Layers253.) It is recommended that you do not use a Mechanical Desktop-generated

layer as the current layer or create parts on Mechanical Desktop-generated layers. Doing so will produce unexpected results, especially when using the AM_HID layer.

Lofting254.) 1) The positions of all the profiles being used should not form a path that

could introduce self-intersecting surfaces. The resulting model might be an invalid solid.

255.) 2) To shell a LOFT body successfully, keep the loft surfaces and faces as smooth as possible. An 80 degree start angle means the loft feature will take off at 80 degrees from the start section (slightly inward). A 120 degree end angle means the left feature will land at 120 degrees on the end section (slightly outward). A weight factor larger than 10 or smaller than 0.1 is not allowed.

256.) 3) To reduce unwanted twist in a loft feature, it is recommended that you select either the Minimize Twist check box or the Start Points option in the Loft dialog box.

257.) The Start Points option in the Loft dialog box displays a start point on each profile in the loft. The objective is to align the start points of each profile so that, as a set, they form a reasonable start edge for the loft. You can change a start point position by moving your cursor over the profile, where new potential start points are previewed as you pass over them.

258.) 4) If you encounter undesirable twisting in a loft feature, try picking the profiles in the opposite order.

259.) 5) When you create a loft feature from a circular profile to a work point (creating a cone), you must pick the circular profile before the work point in order for the loft to succeed.

Using Template Files260.) There are two sets of template files in Mechanical Desktop R5 installation

directories. When customizing files, use the template files in the /desktop/template directory, and not AutoCAD files.

Create a Sketch Plane Before Copying SketchesIn Mechanical Desktop R5, you can no longer automatically copy a sketch to a new part. In previous releases, you could create a new part and use AMCOPYSKETCH to copy a sketch from the old part to the new part. This was possible because a default sketch plane was created automatically when a new part was created. This sketch plane is no longer created automatically when a new part is created. Therefore, you must deliberately create a sketch plane before using AMCOPYSKETCH to copy a sketch to the new part.261.) Note: The AMCOPYFEAT command requires that the destination part have

volume. When a part has volume and is activated, it has an active sketch plane. AMCOPYSKETCH is problematic because you can copy sketches to new parts without volume. The part started with the AMNEW command does not create a default sketch plane.

Using the AMCOPYFEAT CommandYou cannot copy a feature that has a dependency to a work plane.

Editing a Variable Used in a Combined PartWhen two parts are mated with an offset using a variable, and the two parts are combined, you edit the variable so that the new offset takes effect. To update the combined part, use AMUPDATE > ALL.

Dimensioning ImprovementsLinear Diameter Dimensions for Revolved PartsYou can create a parametric diameter dimension for a revolved part. The linear dimension, identified by a diameter symbol, measures the distance from the profile edge to its symmetrical counterpart across the centerline. The first selected object is the centerline and serves as the axis of revolution.The diameter dimension may be referenced in parametric equations, but cannot be converted to a radius dimension. The dimension is shown on both the model and drawing view.262.) Note: Avoid linear diameter dimensions for profiles used in extrusions or

sweeps, or designating multiple revolution axes in a single sketch. To create linear diameter dimensions:263.) 1. From the Parts menu, choose Sketch > Profile. Select a sketch and

centerline around which the sketch revolves.264.) 2. From the Parts menu, choose Sketch > Add Dimension.265.) 3. Select the centerline, then an edge of the profile sketch. Place the

dimension. A linear dimension is created.266.) At the command prompt, select Diameter to convert to a linear diameter

dimension.

Creating Profiles of Sketches with Nearly Tangent ArcsIf a sketch contains an arc that adjoins a straight line at a nearly tangent point, AMPROFILE might report that the sketch contains self-intersecting geometry. Set AMSKMODE to Precise (0) rather than Rough (1); then use AMPROFILE to solve the sketch. When AMSKMODE is set to 0, the profile is created exactly as sketched. You will need to add constraints to force the tangency.Be sure to reset AMSKMODE to 1 after you create the profile so you can create rough sketches for future profiles.)

Work planes Placed on a Conical SurfaceWork planes created with the Parallel, Tangent options and placed on a conical surface will obey the tangent modifier but break the parallel modifier. If the conical surface degenerates to a cylindrical surface, both constraints will be obeyed.

Using Parameters to Control Ellipse DimensionsWhen using ellipses whose dimensions are controlled by parameters in profiles, you might get unexpected results if the parameters are changed. To avoid this, try to control the ellipse dimensions (major axis length, minor axis length, angle and position of center) directly with parametric dimensions.

AMIDFIN and Part Modeling EnvironmentsIt is recommended that you not run the AMIDFIN command in the Part Modeling environment. AMIDFIN is intended to create a single level assembly. Currently, AMIDFIN does not check for Part Modeling environments and may hang or crash your Mechanical Desktop session.

Assembly Modeling

Using the AutoCAD Copy While in a Reference Edit State267.) It is recommended that you not use the COPY command while in a reference

edit State. Use AMNEW > Instance.

Work features are Not Editable in a Reference Edit State268.) While editing features in a reference edit state, you are not able to edit work

features (work planes, work axis, etc.). To work around this, open to edit the file and then make your edit.

Restructure of Assemblies with Redundant Constraints269.) If you have redundant constraints in your assembly, it is recommended that

you delete the redundant constraints and update your assembly prior to editing or changing any of the components. Not doing so may result in a loss of constraints.

XREF Dimensions on Layers270.) If you add dimensions to an xref and then save them back out to the xref

file, the dimensions may be placed on the current layer in the xref. For example, if you create sketch geometry on a layer that does not exist in the external database, the sketch geometry will be pushed to the current layer.

Setting Visibility for Scenes271.) When you create a scene, you must manually set visibility for assembly

parts. When a scene is created, the visibility options set for an assembly are ignored, and all the parts are visible in the scene.

Reload of Current Parts/Subassemblies Will Be Reloaded One Level Deep Only272.) You can reload current parts/subassemblies that are one level deep only.

This means that parts or subassemblies that have nested parts or subassemblies have to be reloaded at each level. Parts that are unloaded will not exhibit this behavior when reloaded.

Updating Assemblies Using the AMXASSEMBLE System Variable273.) When you update an assembly with AMUPDATE > ASSEMBLY, all constraints

for both local and external parts and assemblies are updated. This behavior is controlled by the AMXASSEMBLE system variable, which by default is set to 1. Because constraints in external files are being updated, locks are placed on those files.

Avoid WBLOCK on a Toolbody in an Edited State274.) Avoid using WBLOCK on a combined part when the toolbody is rolled back.

The toolbody is in an edited state and will not block correctly. Use AMCOPYOUT or use the Browser catalog to externalize the part.

Using AMCATALOG While Editing an External Part Definition275.) When you activate an external part, the ability to localize, externalize,

unload or reload toolbodies (consumed or unconsumed) in external parts during refedit is blocked.

Instancing an Unloaded Part or Subassembly276.) When you are creating an instance of an unloaded external part or

subassembly, it is automatically reloaded for data integrity.

Balloons and BOMs1) Currently, ballooning individual parts in an external subassembly by picking a

part edge in a drawing view does not work.2) Parts list information for 3D standard parts is not shown properly in Part Refs and

BOMS.3) When you create a balloon(s), a cyan-colored pick object is displayed. Move the

cursor over the pick object to display a tool tip describing the part it is associated with, and the part or assembly that belongs to the pick is highlighted as well.

4) For the AMBALLOON command, you can select an edge of an assembly or a part for placing balloons.

5) Drawings from previous releases of Mechanical Desktop that contain balloons and BOMs are now required to have a standard defined with them. When you open a pre-Mechanical Desktop R4 drawing with balloons and BOMs, a Standards dialog box will display directing you to choose a standard setting for your balloons and BOMs. The default settings are ANSI and Millimeter.The same Standards dialog box will be displayed for pre-Mechanical Desktop R5 drawings that were created with specified standards; however, the default will be the actual standard setting of that file.

It is important to review your choices carefully before saving the file. Once you have saved the drawing with the chosen standards, you cannot undo it.

277.) There is an option on the Standards dialog box that will allow you to turn the display of the dialog box off once you have made the permanent file conversion. However, it is recommended that you not turn this display off until you understand the process for setting standards. External references, including assemblies, subassemblies, and parts, must be saved in the Mechanical Desktop R5 format to get the proper BOM table. Otherwise, those external references will not be visible in the BOM table.

6) If the BOM of a pre-Mechanical Desktop R5 file does not display in paper space when it is opened, re-create a new one using the AMPARTLIST command.

7) Precision setting in the Standard Properties dialog box will take effect only on a parts list created after the change is made.

8) The item numbers of parts in a Mechanical Desktop R5 BOM table might not be identical to the item numbers in the original files. You can modify the item numbers in the BOM table by selecting the entire ITEM column and clicking the SET VALUE icon on the toolbar. Then, change the starting value accordingly.

9) Parts or subassemblies created by COPYCLIP (Ctrl+C) and PASTECLIP (Ctrl+V) may not be appropriately displayed in a BOM table. It is recommended that you create duplicate parts through AMCATALOG.

10) AMBOM command does not have command line options.11) The AMPARTREF command does not work with multi-part files created in

Mechanical Desktop 1.x.12) To ensure the integrity of BOM data in pre-Mechanical Desktop R5 releases, it is

recommended that you do an update in the Scene environment before opening a file in Mechanical Desktop R5. Otherwise, a BOM table in Paper space may not be visible when the drawing file is opened.

13) The picking points of balloons are controlled by symbol standard text height. If you prefer a larger or smaller pick point size, you can adjust the text height or the scale in any Standard Properties dialog box within the Symbol Standards dialog box (AMOPTIONS).

14) If the BOM table or balloons have not migrated properly to Desktop R5, delete the BOM database in the Browser by right-clicking the BOM icon under the Assembly icon, and then create a new one.

15) In some pre-Mechanical Desktop R5 drawings, the UCS in the drawing view may not be parallel to the World UCS. When this happens, new balloons and parts lists may look like lines. To correct this, use the UCS command to rotate the UCS to the World UCS, making the balloons and parts lists perpendicular to the view direction.

AUPREC System Variable278.) The angular value display precision for 3D constraints and facedrafts is

controlled by the AUPREC system variable, which defaults to 0. This command works exactly like the LUPREC system variable that controls the linear value display precision. For example, if you expect an angle of 6.092, you will see:

279.) AUPREC = 0 -> 6280.) AUPREC = 1 -> 6.1281.) AUPREC = 2 -> 6.09282.) AUPREC = 3 -> 6.092283.) AUPREC = 4 -> 6.0920

Operating System File Renaming284.) In an assembly environment, it is dangerous to substitute externally

referenced files. It is recommended that you use Feature Suppression to maintain different versions of a part. You can damage your assembly if you keep different versions of files in your operating system and rename them to the referenced drawing name.

Using the Catalog to Manage External References285.) When using the All tab, notice that there is a symbol at the bottom of the

Local files list, that designates specific file conditions. The entry is: 286.) Duplicate name: ~ (tilde)287.) To externally reference, or to externalize Mechanical Desktop files, use

AMCATALOG. AutoCAD ADCENTER, INSERT, WBLOCK, and XREF commands will produce unpredictable results.

Drawing Locked When Using AutoCAD's XREF Command288.) If you use the XREF command to attach, detach, unload, or reload drawing

files, you may encounter a dialog box asking you to use the Browser or the Catalog to purge the lock on the file. However, you cannot purge this lock through either means. To resolve this issue, attach the file through the Catalog using the AMCATALOG command. The lock will appear and can then be purged.

Surface Modeling

3D Paths289.) • A 3D path created by a part edge or spline edge must be tangentially

continuous within a tolerance of 10E-10. 290.) • When using the AM3DPATH command to create a 3D spline path, checking

the Close option right after inserting three or more path points may cause Desktop to hang.

Surfaces in Previous Releases of Mechanical Desktop291.) Opening a file containing surfaces created in previous releases of Mechanical

Desktop R5 may require more memory than it did in previous releases.292.) To make a quilted surface invisible, you must use object selection with the

AMVISIBLE command.

Self-Intersecting LoopsSome files from earlier releases might contain surfaces with self-intersecting loops. Such surfaces are invalid in Mechanical Desktop R5.When files with surfaces were opened in Mechanical Desktop 1.x, self intersecting surfaces were not loaded and an error message was displayed. However, self-intersecting surfaces are now loaded into the file as bad surfaces. These surfaces are placed in a group for quick identification. For example, if a file opened in Mechanical Desktop R5 included five surfaces with self-intersecting loops, the following message is displayed:293.) 5 Surfaces with self intersecting loops put into group.294.) BadSurfaces001.

Reducing File SizeWhen you zoom in on a surface, graphics are redrawn so that the surface display appears more realistic. As you pan across the drawing, you will notice that all surfaces are chorded. If you save the file when you have zoomed in, file size is larger than when zoomed out. Therefore, if you need to keep file sizes smaller, zoom out before you save the file.Note: You can reduce file size by setting the RASTERPREVIEW variable to 0 (zero). However, objects will not be visible if you open the file in AutoCAD without Mechanical Desktop loaded.

Surface Stitching1. It is recommended that you use the default dialog box settings as long as your

models are reasonably tight. If your models have large gaps, the recommended settings are:

295.) Custom Stitch296.) Stitching Operation:

297.) Stitch ON298.) Heal ON299.) Simplify ON300.) Under “Heal” Setting:

301.) Analytic Solver ON302.) Isospline Solver ON303.) Sharp Edge Solver ON304.) Generic Spline Solver OFF305.) Trim Unhealed ON2. One of the parameters available with the new surface stitching feature describes

the maximum gap that should be stitched or healed. Please be aware that during the evaluation of a model, in preparation to stitch surfaces together, the maximum gap will be overridden if it is too large, taking into consideration the model size, size of surface edges in the model, and other characteristics of the geometry that is to be stitched. The end result will be surfaces that are not stitched together, even though they are within the specified maximum gap tolerance.

306.)3. The stitching function cannot always stitch a surface to itself. Parts that have surfaces that wrap completely around the part may fail to stitch into a complete solid. If you find one of these that you are having trouble with, perform a Surface/Surface Edit/Refine, or redefine the surface to two or more surfaces.

307.) If stitching creates geometry that extends outside of the original surface, or if you get an error indicating a failure in simplifying geometry, undo the stitch and try again using a Custom Stitch with the Simplify option unselected.

308.) Prior to stitching, check that all of the surface normals are consistent. This can be done by shading the model with the option in System/Properties to "Discard back faces" turned On. If the normals are not consistent, use the Surface/Edit Surface/Flip Normals to correct them prior to attempting the stitch.

309.)If surface stitching fails (particularly if in Make Tolerant) when using the Optimal Stitch setting, undo the AMSTITCH command to make sure that no tolerant geometry has been left assigned before proceeding. After the undo, try a Custom Stitch with the Heal box selected. This will change your geometry, but it often succeeds when the geometry is not accurate enough for Optimal Stitching. If this fails to make a solid, run it a third time, using the results of the second run, but this time uncheck Optimal Tolerances for both Stitch and Heal. This will allow the Healing algorithm to override local tolerances. If you still get a failure, perform a Surface/Surface Edit/Refine on the surfaces.

310.) Once you successfully Stitch or Heal your geometry, if you find that the resulting part has problems with other commands, try running AMSANITYCHECK. If it doesn't check out clean, go back and run a Custom Stitch with Heal to see if you can resolve the issues.

311.) If you are bringing in an IGES file to Stitch or Heal into a part, it is recommended that you select the input surfaces to "bodies" option.

4. You may encounter poor performance when stitching surfaces created in Mechanical Desktop 2.0 or previous releases. To help resolve this issue, refine the surfaces to tighter tolerances, and then save them in the Desktop R5 format.

5. Combining parts with tolerant edges usually results in failure. Use AMSTITCH with Healing turned On to remove tolerant edges.

6. The Pan and Zoom context menus are not available when using the AMSTITCH command.

7. The color of the surface model is changed to white after being stitched.8. Healing usually takes more time to complete than stitching only.9. When Optimal stitching fails to create a part, try Custom stitching with

Simplification turned Off.10. If two surfaces are too close to each other and the distance between them is

smaller than the stitch tolerance, a thin part may be created.11. In some circumstances, a part created by surface stitching may have a bigger

bounding box than before the stitch.12. If unwanted isolines are displayed on a part or a quilt after being stitched, Undo

the operation and try stitching with Healing.13. The AMSHOWUNSTITCHED command can be used to detect unstitched gaps. All

unstitched gaps will be displayed in red.14. The AMSIMPLIFYASSM command can be used to simplify the geometry of parts

created from surface stitching.15. The color of a feature created on a model after the command AMSIMLIFYASSM is

applied may be different from the part color.

Drawing Views

Visibility of Wireframe Objects in a Viewport312.) If wireframe objects (non-solid bodies) are part of a selection set for a

drawing view, they will not appear in the newly created view automatically. This is because the layer on which these wireframe objects reside is turned Off by default in Mechanical Desktop R5. In order to see the wireframe objects in the viewport, the objects' layer must be turned On in that viewport. This can be done by activating the viewport using the MSPACE command and turning the objects' layer On using the LAYER command. In addition, you can view the wireframe objects by using the new Advanced Layer Control functionality in AMEDITVIEW.

Updating a Layout After Modifying Dimensions313.) After you modify a dimension in paper space using the AMMODDIM or

AMPOWEREDIT command, you can update the layout by explicitly picking the update icon at the bottom of the Browser, or by entering AMUPDATE at the command line. You will receive an error message if you try to right-click and use the pulldown menu invocations.

Migrating Genius Desktop 3 Symbols314.) Currently, you cannot migrate Genius Desktop 3 symbols that reside in

paper space. The Genius Desktop 3 symbols remain attached to their object, but they are not converted to custom symbol objects. To maintain associativity between the object and the symbol, the AMMIGRATESYM command migrates

symbols in model space only. Power edit each symbol explicitly in paper space, and the full migration will take place.

Reference Dimensions on Broken Views315.) If you add reference dimensions to paper space entities (i.e., centerlines) on

a broken view, you will receive inaccurate results. Use reference dimensions to view edge geometry on a broken view to get the correct results.

Moving Drawing ViewsDo not use the AutoCAD MOVE command to move drawing views. The MOVE command moves the viewport but not the drawing view. The new viewport location is not recognized. To move drawing views, use the AMMOVEVIEW command.

Creating Hole Notes with Variable Precision OverridesHole note templates are provided with Mechanical Desktop. You can use the Edit option of AMTEMPLATE to specify different precision variables for the template. Use the following string:

%%AMDIA.x (where x is a numeral 0-9)For example, %%AMDIA.3 results in a displayed diameter with three decimal places, %%AMDIA.2 results in two decimal places, and so on.Do not place a space after the parameter name. If you specify %%AMDIA. 3 (where a space precedes the decimal point and numeral) the diameter is displayed as 0.500 .3If you do not override the precision setting, the default is the setting from the selected dimension style.

AMPOWERDIM and Running OSNAPSWhen running osnaps are ON (OSMODE = 1), the tangent osnap will work when creating a power dimension. However, when running osnaps are OFF (OSMODE = 0), the tangent osnap will NOT work properly. If you need to use the tangent osnap in the context of AMPOWERDIM, but you don't want running osnaps on, then you must enter the following at the command line: "_amtan". Entering "_amtan" instead of "_tan" will properly enable the tangent osnap when creating a power dimension

Mechanical Drafting

Using Mechanical Symbols316.) - Attaching a new Datum Target will not correctly attach the symbol to the old

symbol.317.) - You must cancel twice to fully exit all symbol commands.318.) - The names for the ANSI symbol revisions are not correct. They should be:

ASME Y14.5M - 1994 and ASME Y14.5 - 1992 (1988).319.) - Mechanical symbols are 2D planar objects. For best results, place all symbols

in drawing mode in the world coordinate system.320.) - In some cases, symbol associativity may not update as expected. For

example, symbols placed on a torus do not update. To work around this, place the symbol on a completed model in Drawing mode.

321.) - The symbol characteristics are defined by the symbol standards manager. To vary from the established standards, you can edit the preferences, or create a new standard

322.) - Symbol color is defined by the symbol standards (AMOPTIONS). AutoCAD commands, such as DDCHPROP, do not change the visible symbol color, but will be reflected if you list the symbol data. Most values in AMOPTIONS are global and, when updated, will be applied to all symbols using the standard. Symbol scale is the exception to this rule, which allows differing scales in paper or model space.

323.) - Deferred object snap modes (perpendicular and tangent) do not work with custom objects such as symbols.

324.) - Templates are provided to synchronize standard settings between symbol and dimensioning standards. The two standards are controlled separately, and both need to be updated when changing standard settings.

325.) - To edit symbols, use the AMEDIT command or use the Properties button on the Standard toolbar.

326.) - The hatch pattern in the circle or rectangle datum target is not saved when saving into AutoCAD R12 format. To correct this, explode the symbol before saving as R12.

327.) - When changing symbol standards from mm to inches or vice versa, click the default button after changing the units value so that all associated values update.

328.) - Symbols explode into the current layer. If you want symbols to retain their layer value when exploding, you must set the desired layer to current.

329.) - Text style and font information does not translate fully in the SAVEASR12 operation. Some symbols will need updating after conversion to R12. Copy the required font files to the R12 fonts directory, and update the text styles.

Using 2D Mechanical Dimensions330.) - When edited, angular pardims and refdims may not behave correctly. If you

manually change 45 degrees to 315 degrees, the next update will revert back to 45 degrees.

331.) - Breaks are not entirely persistent when using grip edits.332.) - If you use AMDIMINSERT on a pardim, the pardim will not be hidden after

inserting new dimensions333.) - AMDIMINSERT works on parametric dimensions and on drawing views. When

applied to a parametric dimension, AMDIMINSERT hides the parametric dimension and creates two reference dimensions with geometry association.

334.) - AMDIMINSERT and AMDIMJOIN may be used only in the drawing view in which the dimensions are associated.

335.) - AMDIMFORMAT controls some dimensioning variables. It is intended to edit a single variable. To update multiple dimensions using the formatter, format one dimension and use the property painter (MATCHPROP) to update selected dimensions.

336.) - The breaks created by AMDIMBREAK are lost after you edit or update the dimension. To retain the breaks, use AMDIMBREAK after edits and updates are complete.

- AMDIMBREAK only breaks one dimension or extension line at a time. In the case where several dimension lines overlap, it may be necessary to suppress all dimensions but one before breaking the line.

Mechanical Desktop R5 Power Pack Documentation

TutorialsOutstanding Issues with the Tutorials337.) Page 493, Step 1: To externally reference a toolbody definition. Access

methods should read:338.) Toolbutton 2D Wireframe339.) Page 516, Step 1: To center the weight reduction holes. Access methods

should read:340.) Toolbutton 2D Wireframe

341.) Page 522, Step 1: To copy a sketch to create a new sketch. Access methods should read:

342.) Toolbutton 2D Wireframe343.) Page 527, Step 1: To add a mounting hole. Access methods should read:344.) Toolbutton 2D Wireframe345.) For best results, perform tutorials in chapters 1 through 16 in conjunction

with Mechanical Desktop 5, and chapters 17 through 19 in conjunction with Mechanical Desktop 5 Power Pack.

Getting Started manualOutstanding Issues with the Getting Started manual346.) In the Mechanical Desktop Getting Started manual, pg. 4, "What's New in this

Release" table: The new feature item "List Boxes with Multi-select" should read: "List Box Support for Commands" The index entries should read:

347.) commands, list box support 348.) dialog boxes, command list boxes

Mechanical Desktop R5 Power PackImportant Issues

To See Additional Information about Mechanical Desktop R5349.) The Mechanical Desktop R5 Power Pack contains the complete Mechanical

Desktop R5 product. For more information on Mechanical Desktop R5, click the "Back" button three times, and then select the Mechanical Desktop R5 button.

Enhancements to ISO-standards350.) Hidden Lines351.) To achieve a standard related behavior concerning hidden lines, choose

Layer/Object Settings in the Mechanical Options dialog box (General tab). In the Layer/Object Settings dialog box, select the Objects tab. Then set the color for "Hidden Lines" to magenta, before creating a part or drawing. Save the changes to a template file.

Balloon and BOMs352.) There are two possibilities of how to work with a structured BOM: Structured

Representation of the BOM data and Expanded Representation of the BOM data.353.) If you use the Structured Representation, the BOM structure is kept. The

subassemblies represent structured BOM items. If you expand a subassembly item, the subassembly BOM table is displayed. If the BOM table for the subassembly does not exist, it is created by default.

354.) If you use the Expanded Representation, the BOM structure is not kept. If you expand a subassembly, all the items included in this subassembly are added to the BOM table (they are merged with the existing BOM items, or become new BOM items).

355.) To change the BOM representation, select the BOM Representation toolbutton in the BOM dialog box to display the BOM Representation dialog box.

356.) If you change the BOM representation, all expanded subassemblies are contracted.

357.) Ballooned Filter is not layout-associative. If you use Ballooned Filter on a parts list, all layouts are treated similarly. As a workaround, use a custom filter.

FEA Calculation358.) When doing an FEA calculation, make sure you always click the Run

Calculation button after you change the type of material.359.) The 3D FEA Calculation creates a swap file in the Temp folder of the hard

disk. The size of this file may require a free space of more than 1GB. To make this free space available for the swap file, create a new partition or use an existing partition with more than 1GB of free space, and change your temp variable in the system properties to that partition.

GD&T/SYMBOLOGY360.) A migration tool is included in Mechanical Desktop R5, which allows you to

migrate old Genius Desktop 3 drawings..

Standard Parts 3D361.) It is not possible to edit shafts in an xref state. A workaround for this is to

locally open the file containing the shaft and edit the shaft there. It is also possible to create and edit the shaft in an external assembly.

362.) The AMPOWEREDIT command does not support 3D Circlips, O-rings, and keys.

363.) If your assembly drawing contains a subassembly that contains a standard part and you want to edit that standard part, open the subassembly externally and edit the standard part there with the AMPOWEREDIT command. Applying AMPOWEREDIT to the standard part in the assembly drawing does not work.

364.) If you change the way 3D parts are represented in the drawing, the AMPOWEREDIT command will no longer work on the changed standard part.

Dimensions365.) In AutoCAD Mechanical, if you edit a sketch that is contained in an external

drawing (xref) and then save changes to this xref, the dimensions in that xref are put on layer 0 (white color). You can move these dimensions to any desired layer manually.

366.) Currently, in AutoCAD Mechanical, the AMPOWERDIM command does not work on SPLINEs or ELLIPSEs. Use the AMPARDIM command, instead. The dimensions you obtain with this command are not parametric, however. To edit the dimension, use the AMMODDIM command.

AutoCAD Mechanical 2000i Power PackKnown Issues

To See Additional Information about AutoCAD Mechanical 2000i367.) The AutoCAD Mechanical 2000i Power Pack contains the complete AutoCAD

Mechanical 2000iproduct. For more information on AutoCAD Mechanical 2000i, click the "Back" button three times, and then select the AutoCAD Mechanical 2000i button.

AutoCAD Mechanical 2000iKnown Issues for AutoCAD Mechanical 2000i

The "f" Shortcut Key368.) The AutoCAD shortcut key “f” for fillets does not work in the AutoCAD

Mechanical 2000i Power Pack.

Network Configuration (additional description for the Installation manual)369.) Description of options in the Installation Folder dialog box, under Advanced:370.) • Standard Part Location: Location where standard parts are saved.371.) • Administrator Path: Path where the administrator file acadm.cfg is located.

This file is read in if it is newer than the local configuration file, and if you have selected the Administrator AutoRead option.

372.) • Administrator AutoRead: Select this option if you want the acadm.cfg file to be read in automatically (see above).

Migration373.) Parts created with Genius 14 can be added to the standard parts database of

AutoCAD Mechanical 2000i. When you add Genius 14 user-created parts whose original names were previously changed in Genius 14, those parts are added and displayed in the AutoCAD Mechanical 2000i database with their original names. All newly assigned names are lost.

374.) Drawings created with Genius 12 or earlier do not contain intelligent objects. BOM data in these files will be migrated. Original balloons and parts lists geometry will remain unchanged in the drawing. To modify these balloons and parts lists, you need to recreate them from scratch.

375.) Symbols from Genius 13 or Genius 14 are migrated using Genius Intelligent Objects data. If you change only the representation of the symbol - the block reference - the result after migration may change. In such cases, you can do any of the following: upgrade migrated symbols manually, do not save the drawing, or go back to the Genius product and correct the symbol data there using POWEREDIT.

376.) Genius Leaders are not migrated.

Genius Vario 14 database377.) To use Genius Vario 14 databases, enter AMVARIODB on the command line.

You cannot start the command from the menu.

Issues with Balloon and BOMs378.) • If you copy or paste parts lists or balloons to another drawing session, they

will be exploded. 379.) • Wblock: If you create a wblock out of a drawing that includes balloons and

parts lists, all balloons and parts lists are deleted from the wblock. Because the balloons and parts lists are connected with the BOM database, if this database is not created, all parts lists and balloons are deleted. It is recommended that you use the AMBOM command to create the BOM database in the wblock file. Then place the parts lists and balloons in the drawing again.

380.) • Applying the DXFOUT command to a drawing that contains part refs or symbols does not affect these part refs or symbols.

381.) • If you use a structured parts list type and add a part ref to a drawing while in refedit mode, you have to update the parts list manually. To update the BOM:

1) Open the xref drawing. 2) Start the AMBOM command. 3) In the dialog box, choose Add Parts, and then choose OK. 4) Save the drawing. 5) Open the main drawing and, in the BOM dialog box, click the "minus" symbol to

update the structured BOM. 6) Choose OK to update the parts list in the drawing.382.) • You can export a BOM database to Excel and make changes to this

database. However, if you import this database as an Excel file back to the drawing, the BOM information is overwritten without a warning message.

383.) In the BOM database, the number of columns assigned to a part depends on the standard you selected (e.g., DIN, ISO). When you insert a standard part into the drawing, additional columns are appended to the BOM table. These columns are also available in the parts list table.

384.) • The front and section views of a steel shape are not recognized as views of the same steel shape, compared to side and top views. So, it is not possible to

merge; for example, the front view of steel shape L EN 10056-1 - 20x20x3 with length=50 with the side view of the same steel shape.

Active Assistant385.) The Active Assistant is not available in AutoCAD Mechanical 2000i.

DXF-Support386.) The save-as "AutoCAD 2000.DXF (*.dxf)" file format does not support parts

lists, balloons, and symbols.

File Input/Output387.) Files saved in the "AutoCAD Mechanical 2000i Drawing (*.dwg)" file format

cannot be used with their full functionality in AutoCAD Mechanical 2000i.

Symbols388.) Surface Texture Symbols: Majority List doesn't distinguish between different

layouts.389.) If you delete a block that contains surface texture symbols from the Majority

List, the Majority List does not update automatically. To update the list, close and then open the drawing again.

Tablet (Digitizer)390.) Tablets are not supported in AutoCAD Mechanical 2000i.

Tutorial391.) The latest version of the printed Tutorials and Getting Started manual is

available in PDF format on your CD-ROM.392.) Autodesk Mechanical Products Installation Guide, pg. 16:393.) Two options have been deleted from the Mechanical Desktop 5 Setup dialog

box: The Upgrade option and the Install in a separate directory option. Step 10 of the Single-User Installation defines the procedure for upgrading AutoCAD Mechanical 2000 and Mechanical Desktop 4. You cannot upgrade either product, but you can install either product in a separate directory.