Cadalyst - October 2007 - (Page 40)

cadmanager will run inside your CAD application. VBA is widely supported not only by CAD tools but also by Microsoft Office applications such as Word and Excel, so anything you learn in VBA will pay dividends outside the CAD department as well. VB and .NET. These two systems are Microsoft’s older (Visual Basic [VB]) and newer (.NET) development environments for custom programming. They are the most powerful environments in which to work — and the most challenging to learn. Learning tip. Any CAD manager can use VBA, but serious programmers should start learning .NET. Strong knowledge in these technologies will serve you in CAD environments and in more general IT/office environments as well. You may want to take a class to get started with these technologies. Training Classes No matter your skill level or years of experience, an occasional training class will jolt you out of old ruts and let you see your programming skills from a new viewpoint. For beginners, training classes provide a jumpstart into what can be a confusing new world. The availability of training classes varies greatly according to your location, but you can always start by working with your CAD reseller to see what they offer. Community and technical colleges frequently offer programming classes (be they CAD-focused or not) that can help as well. New TurboCAD® Pro 14 includes all the powerful and innovative technology you need to create stunning designs – for less. • Hundreds of 2D /3D Drafting and Modeling Tools • New Google™ SketchUp Support • Import/Export support of 30+ CAD and graphics formats including, DWG, DXF, STEP, IGES, DGN, 3DS and export to PDF • D-Cubed Geometric and Dimensional Constraints • ACIS® 3D Solid Modeling • LightWorks® Photorealistic Rendering Taking Control CAD managers who customize and program their own CAD tools have a decided leg up on those who don’t, and I hope that tone has come through in this month’s column. And you don’t have to be the world’s best programmer to make a big difference in how you approach your CAD environment. As you start understanding more about the process, your thinking will change from “I wish my CAD tools would work better” to “I’m going to make my CAD tools work better.” What a profound difference. So, pick your point of entry based on your current knowledge and use some of the resources I’ve outlined to get started. You’ll be glad you did. c Robert Green performs CAD programming and consulting throughout the United States and Canada. Reach him via his Web site at www.cad-manager.com. To order by phone call 1-800-833-8082 or visit www.turbocad.com For a 15-day free trial, go to www.turbocadtrial.com/CA For Windows® XP and Vista TurboCAD Technology Partners VI SIT US O N LI N © 2007 IMSI. All rights reserved. TurboCAD and the IMSI Design logos are trademarks of IMSI/ Design, LLC. All other trademarks are property of their respective owners. All rights reserved. 40 October 2007 | cadalyst | www.cadalyst.com E http://www.turbocad.com http://www.turbocad.com http://www.turbocadtrial.com/CA http://www.cad-manager.com http://www.cadalyst.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Cadalyst - October 2007

Contents Editor's Window Cad Central Tech Trends: First-Hand Architecture in Second Life Rev It Up — Graphics Cards Pack Power for Today’s Hottest Designs TurboCAD Pro 14 — 3D Modeling Software SimEnterprise R2 — Design Simulation Software CADopia 6.2 SP3 Professional Edition — 2D and 3D Modeling Software Cad Manager: Programming Resources for CAD Managers MCAD Modeling: Customer Service Horror Stories PLM Strategies: Manufacturing Across Time Zones AEC in Focus: Digital-Asset Management in AEC/O Cad Cartoon Issue Indexes Cadfidential

Cadalyst - October 2007

For optimal viewing of this digital publication, please enable JavaScript and then refresh the page. If you would like to try to load the digital publication without using Flash Player detection, please click here.