Smart Client Extension for AutoCAD

Drawing Tasks on the Navigator in Smart Client

Users who switch between Archibus Smart Client and AutoCAD may wish to follow the tasks of an application or module using the Smart Client or Web Central Navigator and then switch to CAD when necessary. The Navigator in Smart Client includes drawing tasks to remind you of an application's drawing components. For example, the Room Inventory process includes the Draw Rooms task.

pnav_sc_draw_task.png

When you choose a drawing task from Archibus Smart Client, Archibus does the following:

  • displays a grid holding the related table. For example, if you choose the Draw Rooms task, the program presents a grid holding the Rooms table.
  • presents the Drawing List in the Drawing tab of the Explorer panel. The Drawing List shows all project drawings. Choosing one of these drawings loads your selected drawing tool and opens the drawing. You work from the same project that you are signed in to from the Smart Client.
  • If the Archibus Smart Client Extension for AutoCAD is active and a drawing is already open, the Extension for AutoCAD will become the active window.

Once you run an Archibus drawing task that starts the drawing environment, you will have two separate programs active: Archibus Smart Client and the Archibus Smart Client Extension for AutoCAD .

Each program appears in its own window on the desktop, and each has its own icon in the Windows taskbar.

Once you load the drawing environment, you can use the Navigator embedded within the Archibus Smart Client Extension for AutoCAD to select subsequent drawing commands, such as drawing polylines or assigning intelligence to polylines and blocks.

To run a drawing task from Archibus Smart Client

  1. Choose a drawing task from the Navigator.
    The program loads the database table for working with this task and prompts you to open a drawing by presenting the Drawing List.
  2. From the Drawing List, double-click on a drawing to open.

    The program opens the default drawing environment (the Archibus Smart Client Extension for AutoCAD ) if not already open, makes this application the active application, and loads the drawing.

To open a drawing for use with the current drawing task

A drawing task and drawing environment may already be open and you may wish to open a drawing to use with this task.

  1. From the Archibus Smart Client Extension for AutoCAD , access the Drawing List by selecting the Drawings tab from the Explorer pane.
  2. From the Drawing List, double-click a drawing.

    The program loads the drawing.

To switch between Archibus and the drawing environment

  • From the Windows task bar, select the icon for Archibus Smart Client, or the icon for AutoCAD.

To start AutoCAD yourself

  1. From the Windows Start menu, select Archibus / Extension for AutoCAD .
  2. The Archibus Smart Client Extension for AutoCAD starts automatically. If Archibus is already running and has a project open, the Archibus Smart Client Extension for AutoCAD opens that project automatically.
  3. If there is no Archibus project open, the Extension for AutoCAD presents the same Sign In dialog that Archibus does. Select the project with which you wish to work. See Signing In to a Project.

To load a drawing directly from AutoCAD

  1. On the Ribbon, click Archibus / Drawing / Open .
  2. Navigate to a file in the project directory (typically C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Archibus\Projects\xx\*.dwg ), and select the file.

    One of the following occur:

  • If the drawing is already part of the project, it loads and you can begin work on it right away.
  • If not, the Extension for AutoCAD presents the Drawing Properties dialog asking for a drawing title and other information it needs to register the drawing in the project. This establishes the drawing as an asset drawing, that is, as a drawing that holds intelligent asset symbols registered with the Archibus project database.

To load a drawing using Windows Drag and Drop Features:

  1. Click the AutoCAD Application /Close button to close any open drawings.
  2. Open or task-switch to Windows Explorer. To task switch, click Alt Tab to select the task.
  3. Size the Windows Explorer window so that you can display both it and the Extension for AutoCAD on the desktop.
  4. In Windows Explorer, navigate to your project drawings.
  5. Drag the icon for the drawing to the CAD window. The Extension for AutoCAD displays this drawing.

Note: If the Select File dialog does not display in AutoCAD, you may have the program set to repress the display of file navigation dialog boxes. You can correct this by typing “FILEDIA” at the command line and then typing “1”, to choose to display file dialog boxes.

Note: When you open a task that requires a drawing such as "Draw Rooms," Archibus presents the Drawing List so that you can choose the drawing to edit. When you choose a new task, Archibus does not close the Archibus Smart Client Extension for AutoCAD , as it closes grid windows when a new task is selected. This is because you explicitly choose the specific drawings and drawing tool to open, whereas the current Archibus task automatically defines the content of grid windows.