ABS appears to be slow and not very practical

[bd_blues]

I am very new to ABS However I have been drafting for over 20 years. I have used several AutoCAD 3rd party programs some well known and some in house custom (The later being the best IMO)

It seams that ABS uses only a dialog box were you choose blocks. Please tell me there are faster ways!!!!!!!! e.g.

You should be able to type in a command like radius elbow and then supply information in the command line some specs like 1st end size(if not already connected) 2nd end size right or left up or down, do you want to add straight. Or for a dropcheek top up or top down. I tried a dropcheek in ABS and could only draw a 20x14 (duct I was connected to) to 19X5 my only choices were 3X3 (ridicules) to 19X5 and no offset.

I just tried to draw a common rec. elbow using the add fitting. There and I got a dialog box were got to chose a type then you chose a size configurations from a list box. Is this it? I mean it drew the fitting with 2’’ throats were the option to make my throats different lengths. I use them as long as 36’’ if I can save connections.


I looked in the help files and see nothing that allows you to use command line to draw. I know you can start a run of straight duct witch I figured out on my own. The tutorials in the help files only show basic runs of duct. And I do not see a list of ABS commands.


We have CADpipe and find it slow because of the dialog boxes and we thought for sure that with an Autodesk product we would get versatility. As I see it now this going to be a $6000 write off I need develop ACCRATE shop drawings keeping both 1st and 2nd cost in mind not engineering drawings that only have 1st cost in mind and do not work. (not intended to be offensive I know its not your job)


If I am missing something please direct me to the proper help file or book. I have been looking for two days and it looks as if this program is going to be really slow and unable to draw accurate cost affective drawings.


Sorry for all of the errors and omissions but its late and I have been reading help files for 6 hrs


Thx

[Anonymous]

One of the biggest aids to avoiding the dialogs is to drap and drop your
most used items on to a personal tool palette.

--
R. Robert Bell


wrote in message news:5244151@discussion.autodesk.com...
I am very new to ABS However I have been drafting for over 20 years. I have
used several AutoCAD 3rd party programs some well known and some in house
custom (The later being the best IMO)

It seams that ABS uses only a dialog box were you choose blocks. Please tell
me there are faster ways!!!!!!!! e.g.

You should be able to type in a command like radius elbow and then supply
information in the command line some specs like 1st end size(if not already
connected) 2nd end size right or left up or down, do you want to add
straight. Or for a dropcheek top up or top down. I tried a dropcheek in ABS
and could only draw a 20x14 (duct I was connected to) to 19X5 my only
choices were 3X3 (ridicules) to 19X5 and no offset.

I just tried to draw a common rec. elbow using the add fitting. There and I
got a dialog box were got to chose a type then you chose a size
configurations from a list box. Is this it? I mean it drew the fitting with
2'' throats were the option to make my throats different lengths. I use them
as long as 36'' if I can save connections.


I looked in the help files and see nothing that allows you to use command
line to draw. I know you can start a run of straight duct witch I figured
out on my own. The tutorials in the help files only show basic runs of duct.
And I do not see a list of ABS commands.


We have CADpipe and find it slow because of the dialog boxes and we thought
for sure that with an Autodesk product we would get versatility. As I see
it now this going to be a $6000 write off I need develop ACCRATE shop
drawings keeping both 1st and 2nd cost in mind not engineering drawings that
only have 1st cost in mind and do not work. (not intended to be offensive I
know its not your job)


If I am missing something please direct me to the proper help file or book.
I have been looking for two days and it looks as if this program is going to
be really slow and unable to draw accurate cost affective drawings.


Sorry for all of the errors and omissions but its late and I have been
reading help files for 6 hrs


Thx

[Anonymous]

It appears you are trying to produce sheet metal shop drawings for the benefit of contractor both shop and field.

ABS straight out of the box will need user customization - You can create all duct and most fittings with parametric part builder (So far I have had no luck with drop cheek ell)