Robert Stephen Consulting, LLC provides free 30-minute Client Training session every Friday at 10:00AM PST. RSC prides itself in providing learning opportunities for our clients. We feel that if our clients know the system better, we will able to work better with them to discover and implement the solutions that they need.
Last week Matt Ritzman discussed AutoCAD, specifically Smart Client. Below is an overview of the training.
If you'd like to know more about this particular training, email us at training@rsc2lc.com
SMART CLIENT EXTENSIONS FOR AUTOCAD
BACKGROUND
Smart Client Extension for AutoCAD tends to install fairly easily. Most of the time issues arise when there's a copy of Overlay installed on the same computer. Also, 20.x versions of Smart Client had difficulty switching away from Smart Client, and required editing the registry to allow AutoCAD to run with a regular profile.
COMPATIBILITY
Smart Client Extension for AutoCAD
The Smart Client version determines the compatible versions of AutoCAD allowed.
- The version of Smart Client DOES NOT have to match the version of Web Central.
- As an example, you can have Web Central 21.2 installed but run Smart Client 22.1, if you are on subscription.
- If you are on subscription, you can install any version of Smart Client you like; it doesn’t require a database backend upgrade.
- Generally, Smart Client is compatible previous versions of AutoCAD:
- Smart Client 22.1 (which just came out 1 month ago) is compatible with AutoCAD 2016 (which came out last April).
Here’s the matrix for the some of the most recent versions:
Smart Client
|
21.1
|
21.2
|
21.3
|
22.1
|
ACAD 2009
|
yes
|
no
|
no
|
no
|
ACAD 2010
|
yes
|
yes
|
yes
|
no
|
ACAD 2011
|
yes
|
yes
|
yes
|
no
|
ACAD 2012
|
yes
|
yes
|
yes
|
no
|
ACAD 2013
|
yes
|
yes
|
yes
|
yes
|
ACAD 2014
|
yes
|
yes
|
yes
|
yes
|
ACAD 2015
|
no
|
no
|
yes
|
yes
|
ACAD 2016
|
no
|
no
|
no
|
yes
|
TROUBLESHOOTING
- Smart Client needs to have an installation AutoCAD set in Preferences
- Check that the profile is "Smart Client Extension for AutoCAD"
- Support file search paths should have only Smart Client path information (paths should look like this: C:/Program Files (x86)/ARCHIBUS/2X.X NOT C:/Program Files (x86)/AFM2X.X).
- Smart Client Path should be first in Support file search path
- Use APPLOAD to be certain that only the routines you intend are being loaded.
- Use CUILOAD to check which menus are loaded.
- Use CUI to check which menus are visible
- Sometimes the ribbon won't load. To get it to show up type: RIBBON
- If the ARCHIBUS Ribbon panel does not show up type afm_disable into the command line and press enter. Then type afm_enable into the command line and press enter. The ARCHIBUS panel should now display in the ribbon.
- Sometimes the drop down menu won't show up. Most of the time you can just set the workspace to AutoCAD Classic and that will solve the problem.
- Need to have RSC_SC_Main.lsp in the Startup Suite
- Need Plotter configuration to be consistent across all computers using the system.
REGISTRY EDITS
Versions 20.X of Smart Client didn't release control of AutoCAD. An adjustment to the registry was required. To simplify registry edits, a batch file (*.bat) can be created.
AutoCAD without Smart Client Extensions
REGEDIT4
; @ECHO OFF
; CLS
; REGEDIT.EXE /S "%~f0"
; Start "" "C:\Program Files\AutoDesk\AutoCAD 2012 - English\acad.exe" -p std
; EXIT
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Autodesk\AutoCAD\R18.2\ACAD-A001:409\Applications\AfmOverlay]
"LOADCTRLS"=dword:0}}}}
; @ECHO OFF
; CLS
; REGEDIT.EXE /S "%~f0"
; Start "" "C:\Program Files\AutoDesk\AutoCAD 2012 - English\acad.exe" -p std
; EXIT
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Autodesk\AutoCAD\R18.2\ACAD-A001:409\Applications\AfmOverlay]
"LOADCTRLS"=dword:0}}}}
AutoCAD with Smart Client Extensions
REGEDIT4
; @ECHO OFF
; CLS
; REGEDIT.EXE /S "%~f0"
; Start "" "C:\Program Files\AutoDesk\AutoCAD 2012 - English\acad.exe" -p "Smart Client Extension for AutoCAD"
; EXIT
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Autodesk\AutoCAD\R18.2\ACAD-A001:409\Applications\AfmOverlay]
"LOADCTRLS"=dword:2
; @ECHO OFF
; CLS
; REGEDIT.EXE /S "%~f0"
; Start "" "C:\Program Files\AutoDesk\AutoCAD 2012 - English\acad.exe" -p "Smart Client Extension for AutoCAD"
; EXIT
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Autodesk\AutoCAD\R18.2\ACAD-A001:409\Applications\AfmOverlay]
"LOADCTRLS"=dword:2
This is the code for AutoCAD 2012. You will have to change
the pathing for other versions of AutoCAD. Acad.exe will be in a different
directory location, and you'll need to change the \R18.2\ACAD-A001:409\ portion
of the registry key.
AutoCAD with Overlay
REGEDIT4
; @ECHO OFF
; CLS
; REGEDIT.EXE /S "%~f0"
; Start "" "C:\Program Files\Autodesk\AutoCAD 2012 - English\acad.exe" -p Overlay
; EXIT
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Autodesk\AutoCAD\R18.2\ACAD-A001:409\Applications\AfmOverlay]
"LOADCTRLS"=dword:0
; @ECHO OFF
; CLS
; REGEDIT.EXE /S "%~f0"
; Start "" "C:\Program Files\Autodesk\AutoCAD 2012 - English\acad.exe" -p Overlay
; EXIT
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Autodesk\AutoCAD\R18.2\ACAD-A001:409\Applications\AfmOverlay]
"LOADCTRLS"=dword:0
We’d love to have you join us for this week's training on MicroView/SpaceView: SV Moves this Friday, February 26, 2016.
Please register by clicking on this link and follow the instructions:
Registering is required to receive a confirmation email and a link to the training.
Our weekly client trainings are held Fridays from 10:00 AM to 10:30 AM PST. This is an opportunity to learn more about an area of ARCHIBUS that you may not be familiar with.
We look forward to seeing you there!
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