Expert: Bob - 1/6/2008

Question
Using Autocad 2006 on a new machine for the first time. I create a model and everything looks fine. I save the model everything looks fine. I close the model.

When I reopen the model it has key elements missing e.g. the floor of a building or the chairs, etc. There doesn't seem to be any pattern to the elements that are missing. I have tried saving the models to different places on the hard drive but when I load them both they each have different elements missing.

The machine is high-spec but does not have 3D acceleration. The basic spec of the machine is a dualcore 2.4ghz processor with 4gb's of RAM and I'm running XP Pro so the base of the machine is good. Any help would be appreciated. Is this just a 3D acceleration issue?

Answer
Hi -- sorry for the delay.
The only way 3D acceleration might possibly maybe matter would be if you opened the drawing, and somehow things that are there do not show onscreen. You dont mention the video card, which should be a good one, and one supported by Autodesk.

Assuming that the elements are actually missing, not merely failing to be on the screen -- YOU DONT SAY  ???
The problem is 90% likely to be that you are not saving your work, even though you think you are. Either you are making an error, or there is some kind of customization gone wrong. I feel you have left out something --- but I am not sure what.
BTW -- you dont need to save to different places on the drive, just save. then also save  as "Jones Project A", for example. The fact that you would try saving in different spots and think that helps is a little odd, so it makes me wonder.
If the objects  are not onscreen upon opening the drawing, but they exist --- more likely some layers are not displaying.
As I re-read the question -- you seem to suggest that the stuff is there, but now showing. Does it show if you do a plot preview or a check plot on  a small printer?

Are the floor and chairs blocks or lines or solids??? The problem sounds more like one of ADT, not plain AutoCAD, where drawing errors,can make some objects not display consistently.
OR -- you have something messing with Layer States???

Write back with more and I will try. And please use "not visible" or "not displayed" if you mean "there but not there" -- and "not there" when you mean they are no longer in the drawing.

BOB