Many commands from A>V>C> plugins support a single system of settings. Common settings are made in a separate tab. Their change will affect the work of all commands. The "Common options" tab can be found in A>V>C> Options Palette (AVCOptions command). Also in AutoCAD settings (_Options command) on the A>V>C> tab.
Use in plugins (in dialog boxes, messages, and command line) the selected language instead of the AutoCAD|BricsCAD language. However, all A>V>C> command options are always displayed in the AutoCAD|BricsCAD language, regardless of this setting.
Keep selection
Keep the selection set after the end of any A>V>C> command. By default, the selection breaks.
Manage layers
Automatically assign layers for circuits, solids, and texts.
A drawing from which to take layer settings, insert materials, insert sheets, and look for blocks, leaders, and table styles. Leave it blank to use the template settings from AutoCAD (QNew template). To create a new template, select the file that has created ModelDoc (ViewBase) drawings, and there are many useful layers. Remove from this file all drawings, but do not call the _Purge as layers must be preserved. Add those layers that you do not have enough of, and give them color and line type. You cannot create MD_ layers, they should appear during the execution of commands from ModelDoc plugin. This plugin is somehow marking its layers and do not use someone else's, even if the layer name is the same. Save the file as a template DWT. It is desirable to have a single template on a network drive for the whole of your company. Write this file as a template to create new drawings (for QNew command). Or, enter it in this field. Now you have in each drawing will be a full range of customized layers. And if a certain layer is inadvertently deleted, the program will take it from a template.
If the template does not contain any desired layer, the program will create it, but the color and line type will be the same as I like.
The template is also used in the sheet selection dialog when inserting into a table. The program can take a model sheet (layout) from a template.
The template can also be used to store a library of fixture blocks for the Fixture command.
Materials from this file will always be available in the selection list for materials, coatings, and edges in the A>V>C> Properties palette.
Linear tolerance
The maximum allowable deviation for line and plane. It is used to compare the distances between points to define linearity and plane. Change with caution!
Decimal digit round
The number of significant decimal digits in the calculation, in the measurement, and in the comparison of solids. The remaining digits are ignored during equality audits. It is important for any computing in A>V>C> programs. This accuracy setting does not depend on the position of the decimal point in the number. For example, if you set 3 characters, then 1234.56 will round to 1230, and 1.00456 to one. Three signs - this is certainly too rough. The bigger, the better precise of calculation. But AutoCAD cruel lie since the seventh digit. Therefore, I recommend 5 or 6 digits. Change with caution!
When a program finds a substitution and replaces it with an object property, it needs to know how to format numbers how many characters to write. It is possible to write the format into each substitution. But if you did not specify the format in the substitution, then these settings will be used.
ATTENTION! Setting this section does not affect most A>V>C> commands because they have the same settings, separate for each style.
Format for size
This setting is used only for converting size numbers to a string. It does not apply to areas, volumes, prices, and other figures. The format can always be overridden in the substitution itself. The format is ignored when substituting AutoCAD fields.
The format specifies how many decimal places to write and whether to write insignificant zeros. Use the characters 0 and # in the format.
0 is a digit, or zero.
# is a digit or nothing.
For example, the number 1.111111 formatted as 00.00 will be displayed as 01.11. And if it is formatted like 0.####, it will be displayed as 1.1111.
And the number 1.0034 formatted as 0.## will be displayed as 1.
There are special, AutoCAD-only, formats:
CU – how the units are configured in the current drawing (via the _units dialog)
AR – Architectural
EN – Engineering
FR – Fractional
After AR, EN, and FR, you can write precision (0-8). Do not use these special formats when pasting data into Excel.
Decimal separator - Replace the decimal point with this character in all numbers and in all substitutions. When saving CSV and XML files, it is important to use the delimiter as configured in your Windows localization. And there may be a comma. But in DWG tables, a dot is always required.
Special Characters - Use special characters such as ¼, ¾, ½. And after the corners, prices, areas, and volumes, units of measurement will be affixed. It is impossible to evaluate mathematical expressions with such symbols. And not all fonts contain these characters.
Use Fields - Use AutoCAD Fields instead of substituting property values. Fields will be substituted in texts instead of values of object properties. This allows AutoCAD in many cases to update the properties automatically. Fields only work in AutoCAD.
Textures and Technologies
Lists with names of textures and technologies for substitutions. Names are separated by a semicolon. Extra spaces are not allowed. Empty names are possible. But there should be 3 types of textures and 7 names of technologies. For any errors, the lines will be replaced with the default values.
No available
If you wrote a substitution with an error, or the object does not have such a property, or the block does not have the required attribute, then the substitution system will return the value "n/a". You can reconfigure this string. You can substitute an empty string too.
Use edge number
To indicate the edge of the part, use the number in the order of going around the front surface, starting from the longest edge. Usually the option is disabled, and edge lengths are used to indicate the edges. The setting is used in the %bandings% and %slopes% substitutions.
Use edge letter
To indicate the edges (ends) of the part, instead of the length of the edge, write the letter:
L - the left side of the quadrangular part on the layout facing down.
T - the top side.
R - the right side.
B - the bottom side.
Len - for a complex part, the end length coincides with the length dimension of the part.
W - for a complex part, the end width coincides with the width dimension of the part.
The setting is used in the %bandings% and %slopes% substitutions. A rectangular part will have 4 ends: L, T, R, B in the A>V>C> Properties Palette. If the part has 3, 5, or more ends, all the rest will be indicated by their length. But if the length of the end coincides with the length of the part, then the "Len" will be displayed. If the width of the end coincides with the width of the part, then the "W" will be displayed. In any case, the ends are listed in order of going around the front plane clockwise when laying out the part with the front down.
You can replace these part edge symbols. Make your list of six titles in the following order: left, top, right, bottom, lengthwise, and widthwise. Use a comma as a separator and do not include spaces.
List of values
If parts with different properties fall on one record, then all values will be listed in the list through the / symbol. If the option is "reset," the word *VARIES* will be substituted.
Colored face priority
If you assign a color different from the color of the solid itself to one flat face of a solid, then this face will be considered a FRONT side despite its size. This will prevent the solid from turning over on the layout (in the LAY command). Be sure to color-mark all identical parts. In any case, regardless of this setting, with equal areas, the painted side always takes precedence.
Marking color index
The color index is used to mark the front side. As a marking color, you can assign any indexed color except "ByBlock" (any index from 1 to 255). Write 0 (ByBlock) so that ANY color is used to mark the front. In this case, even RGB colors will be considered marking. Do not use marking color for layers and solids themselves. You can peek at color indices in the standard color selection dialog. For example, 2 is yellow, and 30 is orange. 30 is the default marking color. I do not recommend using red (index 1) for marking, as I use it as a standard color for the Holes layer, and after subtracting the holes in the details, the red surfaces remain.
Top-side priority
If the solid has 2 sides of the same size and same color, the upward side will be selected as the facade side. Use this option so that the details of floors and podiums do not turn on the layout (in the LAY command).
Right-angle priority
When calculating the size of the solid, the program must turn it at a right angle. If this is disabled, the benefit will have the longest line or arc. It allows you to configure commands LAY, SAW and Smart Leader. Note that dimensions for Sawing Table are the same as in LAY.
Right-angle priority. An example LAY with the simple algorithm (without right angles) and the layout of the same figures with priority squareness.
Saw only rectangles
When program analyzes solids and chooses technology, triangles and trapezoids will be used for milling, and only parts with a rectangular front face will be used for sawing.
Reduce size by bandings
Subtract the edge-banding thicknesses from the length and width of the part. Attention, be vigilant. The program uses the most simplified algorithm. Only edges directed exactly along the X and Y axes are taken into account, while the rest (all kinds of arcs and diagonals) are not taken into account at all. The program only changes the numbers. Contours on LAY and in DXF will always remain unchanged. The angle of inclination of the end face is not taken into account - the total thickness of the edge material is subtracted.
Work with multi-solids
Working with solids consisting of several separate bodies can lead to erroneous dimensions, strange laying out and incorrect milling contours. It is recommended to disable this option and split multi-solids into individual solids. If you still enable this option, then the program will work with multi-solids according to the usual algorithms, not taking into account that the solid consists of several parts. If this option is disabled (and it is disabled by default), then all AVC commands will issue a warning on the command line and will ignore multi-solids. And the SolSize command will split a multi-solid into parts.
Solids marked as Sweep are measured by a separate program. It can also be called with the SweepSize command. There are several ways to measure the length of a curved part:
Middle line - The average value between the lengths of both sides of the part is used.
Longer side - The longer one is selected from the two sides of the bent part.
Longer segments - For parts with many bends in different directions, the longer side is selected on each part segment and the sum of the segment lengths is calculated.
A set of options for calculating the substitution %cost%. If you adjust the prices of materials, covers, and edge bandings (using the A>V>C> Properties Panel), the program will be able to calculate the cost of materials for each part. If you also need to consider the cost of work, then lay it in the cost of materials. When calculating the price of a part, the program can provide a stock of material for processing. The size of the stock depends on the type of material.
For sheet materials, the front area is taken, and the percentage of the area is added.
For linear materials (like rods), the stock is taken in the current drawing units (millimeters or inches).
For coatings, the surface area is multiplied by a given percentage of the margin.
For edge bandings: adds a margin for trim for each edge. Set in mm or inches.
For all other materials (type not specified), the volume of the part is taken and multiplied by the percentage of stock.
Obviously, such a calculation does not claim to be highly accurate. The area of the front surface may differ many times from the area of the workpiece. But the sum of the prices of a large number of parts with the correct fit of stocks can well characterize the cost of the product as a whole. The most important task for you is to choose the right units of accounting for the cost of materials in accordance with the type of material and units of the drawing.
Button to fix errors loading menus, toolbars, and ribbons (only for AutoCAD): If you have installed another plugin and the buttons / menus do not appear, try clicking "Reload CUIX". The program will unload from AutoCAD all "partial customization" CUIX-files related to A>V>C> plugins and reload them. This usually helps to restore ribbon bars, toolbars, and menus. This feature is only available in AutoCAD.
In BricsCAD, the CUI file of the current plugin is loaded every time the program is loaded, and usually no problems arise. But if it does occur, you will have to restart CUI with the _CuiLoad command.
Delete the saved dimensions and positions of the A>V>C> command settings dialogs. This procedure saves you when dialog windows accidentally end up off the screen. The procedure can be called with the command AvcResetDialogs.
