Expert: Bob - 3/3/2010

Question
I have many years of Cad experience but I have been on AutoCad for only a couple of months. I purchased Architecture 2010 to do architectural plans for a client who is running Architecture 2008. I am saving files down to a 2007 version for them to open. When they view these files, the walls I have created appear not as walls, but as objects and without the wall hatching. They have to explode these to add the hatching. Do you know why this is happening and if it can be avoided? Thanks.

Answer
Gerry -- would have been cool if you mentioned what the 20 yrs experience was in, but it does not really matter.

Sorry, but I personally think that embarking on ACA without training is like sticking pins in your eyes. This is an improvement over the older versions, where you would have been sticking flaming pokers somewhere else, but still bad. Run, do not walk, to buy Paul Aubin's book on Mastering ACA.

The problem with guys with heavy experience elsewhere is that they don't investigate as much as new guys do, so they fall into avoidable crevasses.

Each time there is a file format change, the intelligent objects are improved, which means that older formats may not recognize all their characteristics. Someone should have told you this, if you purchased 2010 from them, and told them you were making drawings for a client who would open them in 2008.

It is late here, and I wanted to reply, rather than investigating completely and replying Thursday. (Weds is my birthday, no question answering, lol). I will have to check as to why the walls are not still walls, but it is nonsense that they have to explode them to hatch them.
If you read up, the hatching is a function of the display representation you select.

Don't wait for me, go to the Autodesk Forum, and see if someone already posted the question, otherwise post it yourself. But, I would first speak carefully to the client to find out the thing about the walls becoming
"objects" when you degrade the file -- seems very odd, and I doubt the need to explode. I wonder if you are saving to AUTOCAD 2007 format, rather than ACA 2007, in which case you are removing the intelligence from the walls. Sorry, on Thursday, I will look it all up, if you write back with a bit more info.

http://discussion.autodesk.com/forums/forum.jspa?forumID=248

BOB

PS-- it's a BIG birthday, lol.