<<Coins Translate, for example, is a free app that enables designers to quickly and easily translate text in a drawing into a variety of languages, using the Google Translate web service. >>
That could be good; though not coming to your favorite LT install anytime soon I suspect.
Regards, Charles Shade
CSHADEDESIGN | AUTOCAD LT | LT-KB | DYNAMIC BLOCKS
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Kean mentioned it too in Through the Interface blog.
My question is how it does the organizing and loading.
I do like the idea of a tool listing that is guaranteed to install and run (though not bug free maybe).
internal protected virtual unsafe Human() : mostlyHarmless
I'm just here for the Shelties
It is my understanding that Autodesk reviews in detail each submission and only approves apps that are trouble-free for the end user: but as with all software, bugs are only exposed with mass use, not limited testing, so we will see how they react to bug reports for apps.
that is good, but I am more interested in how those apps get loaded.
I tend to demand load things, and that means some menu command or key-in I defined will start them up, not when acad starts.
I also want control of where a programs menu is loaded from, as I continually find third party apps mishandling the menu issue.
Many install to program files, then only have an .mnu file. So the prog loads the .mnu, and windows 7 does not let them compile a .cui since rights are restricted to prog files folders.
Things like that mean we need control of where things get installed and how they load.
internal protected virtual unsafe Human() : mostlyHarmless
I'm just here for the Shelties
Are you running R2012? I unfortunately already installed the freeware from Autodesk Labs in R2012 so I'm not really needing much else on offer. I will try the translator app (free) and see what it does for installation and let you know, but it may not represent how "all of them" do it.
yes, 2012 is not my production version, but I have it.
I just went to the app store and got the spiro tool.
It downloads an msi, which installs with no meaningful questions on location or options.
It installed to:
C:\Users\james\AppData\Roaming\Autodesk\ApplicationPlugins\ADNPlugin-Spiro.bundle\
which is at least better than program files these days.
It loaded the spiro menu automatically on startup, and the spi command worked as expected.
So the install was pretty smooth, although took 2 minutes for some reason to place only 1 mb of files.
The real tools are the .dlls placed in:
C:\Users\james\AppData\Roaming\Autodesk\ApplicationPlugins\ADNPlugin-Spiro.bundle\Contents\Windows
The spiro dll is 21kb and FSharp.Core.dll is almost 1 mb.
It is interesting that Kean W recommends placing .net dlls in the acad install folder, yet this system does not.
I have never run into problems by not putting in install folder of acad, so will not until I see some.
Now I need to see if i can move those dll's to another folder, then uninstall the add in to see if there is some licensing held in another spot. If not, they are just housekeeping for you and that is great for those that do not shuffle around add ons all day.
internal protected virtual unsafe Human() : mostlyHarmless
I'm just here for the Shelties
slick, there is no outside authorization, so you can put those dll's wherever you want.
For example, I could place on a network folder for all users, assuming there are no EULA issues preventing this.
I would guess any pay app authorizations would be the same as if the prog was downloaded from a regular online store.
I belive Kean explains all this in his blog, I am just trying things for real to see if any glitches happen.
internal protected virtual unsafe Human() : mostlyHarmless
I'm just here for the Shelties
I didn't see this in Civil 3D 2012. Is it available? Lynn Allens blog showed a icon to click. That is what I'm not seeing....
I believe it is only available to plain AutoCAD 2012 users in Exchange, not verticals or vertical running 'as AutoCAD' profiles: weird, I'm not sure why the restriction.
Yea after seeing a few more blog posts and other resources that seems to be the conclusion I came to as well. It looks like the lack of vertical support is to see how it will work on a smaller scale before rolling out to all apps. That's too bad for me because we have dropped vanilla autocad for seats of civil 3d 2012. Gotta love it, spend more to get less. LOL
but who cares about a direct link from the acad editor anyway, just use the web link.
You might say C3D does not support this whole app store thing, but it is actually the opposite.
The catalyst that made the whole thing possible was the creation of the "loader" that allows you to install and have the tools available on all acad types.
Autodesk helped the developers automate the task of creating reg entries for the autoload when the command is typed, also the ribbon integration I think.
So they did do this one "right", though the link button might be missing.
Gotta give Kean Walmsly and his team credit for this one.
internal protected virtual unsafe Human() : mostlyHarmless
I'm just here for the Shelties
OK....what might the web link be? I can get to the Autodesk Exchange web site (http://exchange.autodesk.com/autocad/) but there isn't anywhere on it that gets you to the App Site.
http://exchange.autodesk.com/autocad/enu/store
The direct link has been terminated: try it, if you find it and you are NOT a plain AutoCAD user logged-in to Autodesk, feel free to share more info or a link that works. TIA
As for integration with the ribbon: that's not quite true. While some do plant themselves there, the majority of the freeware do not so you are stuck writing down shortcuts and abbreviations and adding them manually. The installation may work flawlessly, but there is no end-user service/ribbon/menu automated addition: who does that with add-ons? Isn't the whole point of add-ons is for them to be found and used in an application, free or not, they must all adhere to the one and same rule, EASE OF USE FOR THE END USER.
oh, whuuuh?
sure enough, the link is no good anymore. Thx for correcting me.
So much for my attempt at giving credit to Autodesk.
I'll check in and see whats going on, this does not make sense.
internal protected virtual unsafe Human() : mostlyHarmless
I'm just here for the Shelties