Copyright: Copyright (c) 1996 Autodesk, Inc.
Citation: Copyright (c) 1996 Autodesk, Inc.


AutoCAD( LT for Windows 95
AutoCAD LT for Windows 95
Live Demonstration Version README

Long File Name Limitations

Universal Naming Convention Limitations

OLE 2.0 Limitations

File Management

Dimensioning Limitations

Text and Font Issues

Object Selection with ATTEXT

Date Stamp

Using MENUUNLOAD

Accessing Files on Networks

Digitizer Driver Issues

HPGL Plotting Issues

Product Information in Cyprus, Greece, Portugal, and Spain


Long File Name Limitations

Case Sensitivity

Windows NT and Windows 95 operating systems are “case-preserving” but not truly case-sensitive. Thus, if you have a drawing file named my drawing.dwg and try to save your current drawing as My Drawing.dwg, AutoCAD LT prompts you with "file already exists, overwrite?" As a result, you cannot create two file names with the same characters using different cases.

Drawings With Trailing Spaces

Microsoft Windows 95 user interface guidelines specify that applications should strip leading and trailing spaces from file names. Therefore, with AutoCAD LT you cannot save or load file names that have been named in other operating systems with leading or trailing spaces. AutoCAD LT does display a file name with leading or trailing spaces in the Select File dialog box, and the Select File dialog box is able to show a preview of this drawing. However, you cannot open the file.

When you use the command line (FILEDIA = 0) to save a drawing with a file name that has trailing spaces, AutoCAD LT automatically strips the spaces from the name. However, if you enclose the file name in quotation marks, and add spaces after the second quotation mark, AutoCAD LT displays an error message:’ “”<file name>”      “Invalid file name.’

Font File Name Length

When specifying a font to use with the DDSTYLE or STYLE command, font and shape file names cannot exceed 64 characters. This restriction includes quotation marks and the full path name (if needed) in addition to the file name itself.

Long File Names with Commas

AutoCAD LT does not handle long file names containing commas in a consistent manner. For example, with AutoCAD LT, you can use SAVEAS with a drawing name of 123,456.dwg. However, AutoCAD LT can open this drawing only with the Select File dialog box (FILEDIA = 1). Attempting to open this drawing from the command line (FILEDIA = 0) results in the following error message: "Cannot find the specified drawing file." Similarly, with DXFOUT, you can create 123,456.dxf, but when FILEDIA = 1, DXFIN produces the error message "123.DXF File not found."

Files With Punctuation

For several AutoCAD LT file types, AutoCAD LT does not handle file names with multiple dots at the command line (FILEDIA = 0). For example, if you enter psout foo.bar on the command line, AutoCAD LT should create a file named foo.bar.eps, but instead it creates a file called foo.bar, using only the first extension. To correct this problem, enter the full file when using file names with multiple extensions. This is required for all AutoCAD LT file types. For example, to create an EPS file called foo.bar.eps, enter psout foo.bar.eps on the command line. As another example, to plot the AutoCAD LT display to a file called test.xxx.plt, enter plot D N test.xxx.plt on the command line.

File Names with No Extensions

When using the WMFOUT command at the command line (FILEDIA = 0), the name of the file that is created does not contain the .wmf extension. The file is recognized by WMFIN when FILEDIA is set to 0, but not when FILEDIA is set to 1. To correct the problem, when using WMFOUT, include the .wmf file extension with the name of the WMF file.

File Names with Spaces

When using the PSOUT command at the command line (FILEDIA = 0), you must enclose long file names that contain spaces in quotation marks. Otherwise, a space is interpreted as a carriage return, and PSOUT uses only the characters that precede the space as the file name.

LONGFNAME System Variable

The LONGFNAME system variable is read only, and can be set only in the Preferences dialog box on the File System tab under File Settings. It cannot be set at the command line.


Universal Naming Convention Limitations

In Windows 95, you can use SAVEAS to save a drawing with the universal naming convention (UNC). However, when you use the SAVE command, the Save Drawing As dialog box cannot correctly interpret the UNC file name and displays an error message: “\:\<file name> Invalid file name.” To avoid this problem, do not use UNC file names.


OLE 2.0 Limitations

Optimizing OLE Functionality

For optimal OLE functionality, you must first use SAVEAS to save your drawing. For example, when you use the COPYLINK command to copy the current view of a drawing to the Clipboard, you must first use the SAVEAS command on the drawing to activate the Paste Link option of the Paste Special command in the client application. If you copy the current view without first saving the drawing, the Paste Link option is not available for selection.

OLE Object Conversion from 1.0 to OLE 2.0

OLE 1.0 objects contained in existing AutoCAD LT drawings are optionally converted to OLE 2.0 objects when you open the drawing in AutoCAD LT for Windows 95. Objects must be converted to OLE 2.0 in order to be displayed in AutoCAD LT for Windows 95. Once converted, these objects cannot be displayed in prior AutoCAD LT releases. OLE objects in AutoCAD LT for Windows 95 are deleted without warning when saved in previous releases of AutoCAD LT.

Appearance of Objects in Plot Preview

When you pan and zoom in a plot preview in AutoCAD LT, OLE objects may sometimes be drawn in the wrong places. This does not affect the final output.

Linked AutoCAD LT Objects

When you open a Word or Excel document that contains a linked AutoCAD LT drawing, an AutoCAD LT session is automatically started. To prevent AutoCAD LT from running automatically, from the Edit menu in the Word or Excel application, choose Links. In the Links dialog box next to Update, select Manual.

If you have linked an AutoCAD drawing to a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet, and the Links Update option is set to Automatic, you are not able to close the linked drawing or exit AutoCAD LT as long as the spreadsheet is open.

Truncated OLE Objects

OLE text objects longer than one page are shortened to one page when pasted into AutoCAD LT. For instance, if a four-page Microsoft Word document is copied to the Clipboard, only the first page will be pasted into AutoCAD LT.

Linked Word 6.0 Objects

Word 6.0 text objects may lose their original OLE bitmap size, once edited by the source application. The edited OLE object appears as a full screen-size object with no visible text. To correct this problem, resize the OLE object until the text is visible again.


File Management

Opening Drawings from the Windows Explorer

When you open a drawing by double-clicking on a DWG icon in the Windows 95 Explorer or the Windows NT File Manager, the AutoCAD LT Start Up dialog box may first be displayed instead of the drawing. To open the drawing file, Choose Start from Scratch or Cancel. (If you choose Use a Template or Open a Drawing and select a file, that file is opened and closed before the file you originally double-clicked is opened.) To turn off the Start Up dialog box, add NoStartUpDialog=1 to the General section of the aclt.ini file.

Log File Locking with Multiple Sessions

If File Lock and Log File are each selected in the Preferences dialog box, the following message is displayed when you start a second session of AutoCAD LT: “Unable to lock <log file name>.” You can continue by pressing RETURN; however, the log file for the second session is not protected by a lock.

ACLT.INI File Permission

AutoCAD LT uses the aclt.ini file to store and update some of its settings. To ensure that AutoCAD LT always has access to this file, never set the file permission on the aclt.ini file to read-only.

For more information, see “Relocating Configuration Files for Network Use” in chapter 1 of the AutoCAD LT for Windows 95 User’s Guide.


Dimensioning Limitations

Objects in Blocks

Certain AutoCAD Release 13 objects—multiple lines, regions, and solids—cannot be selected for dimensioning operations when they are part of a block. During a dimensioning command, AutoCAD LT does not recognize the objects listed above, and continues to prompt for object selection.

DIMUNIT and DIMALTU

The new values for DIMUNIT and DIMALTU (values 6 and 7) are not accepted by the LUNITS system variable. The LUNITS value 4 is equivalent to the DIMUNIT and DIMALTU value of 6 (architectural, not stacked). The LUNITs value 5 is equivalent to the DIMUNIT and DIMALTU value of 7 (fractional, not stacked).

DIMCONTINUE in Dimension Variables

Regardless of the current dimension style, DIMCONTINUE affects linear dimensions by setting DIMSE1 to on to suppress the first extension line and by setting DIMFIT to 4 to allow the text to move independently of the dimension line.

Right-angle Arrowhead

The right-angle arrowhead block name is OPEN90 so that it is consistent with the international versions of AutoCAD LT.

Numbers in Stacked Fractions

The relative sizes of numbers in stacked fractions are now based on the DIMTFAC system variable (in the same way that tolerance values use this system variable).


Text and Font Issues

Paragraph Text Objects

MTEXT objects saved in AutoCAD LT for Windows 3.1 (Release 2) file format revert to the STANDARD text style instead of retaining their original text style. To reset each object to the correct style, from the Modify menu, choose Modify Entity.

RTF Text and the Mtext Editor

Rich text format (RTF) text is not recognized by the Mtext Editor. Formatting embedded in text from other programs is lost when imported or pasted into the Mtext Editor.

PostScript Text With Complex Linetypes

Do not use PostScript text objects when creating complex linetypes. Unexpected results, such as program termination, may occur.


Object Selection with ATTEXT

To ensure that a CDF, SDF, or DXF file created with the ATTEXT command contains data, choose the Objects option first, and then select the objects. After you have selected the objects, at the next command line prompt, choose one of the data file formats. If you choose a file format before selecting the AutoCAD objects, an empty attribute extraction file is created.


Date Stamp

The Date Stamp option in the Advanced Setup dialog box applies only to predefined title block drawings. To insert a date stamp into another drawing, from the Tools menu, choose Date and Time Stamp.


Using MENUUNLOAD

When using MENUUNLOAD on the command line (FILEDIA = 0), be sure to use only UPPERCASE letters to specify the menu name.


Accessing Files on Networks

File Security

AutoCAD LT menu files are not locked. If you are running AutoCAD LT in a networked environment, it is recommended that you use the File System tab in the Preferences dialog box to specify a local directory for the location of these menu files.

For more information, see “Relocating Configuration Files for Network Use” in chapter 1 of the AutoCAD LT for Windows 95 User’s Guide.

Opening and Saving Files using NFS

If you attempt to open a file that has read-only permission from a Novell server, you may receive an inaccurate error message. Windows 95 displays the following error message: “This file name is not valid.” Windows NT displays the error message as “You do not have permission to open this file.”

NFS Drawings Set to Read-Only By Default

Depending on your network permissions, a drawing opened from an NFS server may be set to read only by default. You can change this setting by clearing the Read Only check box in the Select File dialog box.

Specifying Files on NFS Servers

When accessing a drawing file on an NFS server from the Windows 95 Network Neighborhood, be sure to enter the full path name when you insert, open, import, save, or externally reference a file that is located on a that server. If you do not enter the full path name, and use only the server name, Windows 95 may to lock up.


Digitizer Driver Issues

Wintab.dll Files

Different manufacturers of Wintab digitizers supply different versions of wintab.dll, the driver that communicates with AutoCAD LT. Make sure that wintab.dll is the one specified by the manufacturer of your digitizer. Wintab.dll is usually located in the \win95 or \win95\system directory (or in the \winnt351 or \winnt351\system for Windows NT 3.51). Normally, you cannot mix wintab.dll with the drivers from another manufacturer.

Tablet Screen Area Selection

In some Wintab implementations, you may need to select points on the digitizer screen twice in order for AutoCAD LT to recognize them. This problem occurs in the Wintab drivers supplied by the tablet manufacturer.

Digitizer Configuration

When you are configuring the digitizer template, make sure that you are running only one AutoCAD LT session. This avoids the risk of overwriting acltnt.cfg file settings made in one session with changes made in another session.


HPGL Plotting Issues

Raster images

Raster images, including OLE objects, do not print when AutoCAD LT is configured for an HP-GL printer driver. To print raster images, in the Print/Plot Configuration dialog box, choose the system printer.

HP-GL Cabling

Proper cables and connectors help ensure that you can produce hard copy without problems. Connect the plotter and computer as shown in the following diagram. The cable shown requires only three wires and works with any HP plotter. Attach the cable to the jack labeled “Computer” on the plotter rather than to the jack labeled “Terminal.”


Product Information in Cyprus, Greece, Portugal, and Spain

In Cyprus, Greece, Portugal, and Spain, you can obtain more information about AutoCAD LT for Windows 95 at the following locations.

CYPRUS

Autodesk distributor:

PALINEX

27A, Kanaris Street

P.O. Box 3283

CYP-Nikosia

Tel. (357-2) 368138

Fax. (357-2) 369475

GREECE

Autodesk distributor:

POULIADIS & ASSOCIATES CORP.

3, Aristotelus Street

GR-17671 Athens

Tel. (01) 9242072

Fax. (01) 9241066

PORTUGAL

Autodesk Software LDA.

Apartado 152

2670 Loures

Autodesk distributor:

MICROGRAF

Est. Ext. Circunvalaçäo, 13236

4450 Matosinhos

Tel. (351-2) 9379177

Fax. (351-2) 9379176

SPAIN

Autodesk S.A.

c/ Constitucion 1, plta. 1ª

08960 Sant Just Desvern

Barcelona

Tel. (93) 473.33.36

Fax. (93) 473.33.52