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AutoCAD MEP 2013 is now available!!!

12 REPLIES 12
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Message 1 of 13
Joshua.Benoist
2244 Views, 12 Replies

AutoCAD MEP 2013 is now available!!!

Hey,

 

AutoCAD Architecture and MEP 2013 are now available.

 

Here is a link of new features:

http://usa.autodesk.com/autocad-mep/features/

http://usa.autodesk.com/autocad-architecture/features/

 

If you have the opportunity to try 2013, I want you to notice how fast it launches and complex models will orbit.  Thanks to the new Geometry Sharing Performance Enhancement, performance is one of my most favorite new features.  Just want to say it is wicked fast!

 

In this thread, I will post some thoughts on new Architecture and MEP features.

 

In time, will also be posting some videos to www.YouTube.com/SupportAcadMEP site for new AutoCAD MEP features.

 

Enjoy!

 

Joshua



Joshua Benoist, PE
Senior Premium Services Specialist
Global Services
Autodesk, Inc.

12 REPLIES 12
Message 2 of 13

Here's my first thought on a new Layer Keys on Display Components feature:

 

I'm hoping CAD Managers will love this as it is a huge barrier to adoption.  In prior versions, the Architecture templates had 4 built-in layers where MEP had 29!  Most came from the display components.  We mapped display components to new "generic" layer keys in lieu of 29 layers.  It was also an opportunity to simplify the layer keys to layers.  We ended up with fewer keys because similar components now use a common "generic" key.  Centerline components all utilize one key for example.  Architecture now has 0 built-in layers and MEP went down to 4.  The 4 remaining come from blocks that are not keyed. 

 

How does this help CAD Managers?  Before this feature, to utilize your company layer standards you would have to weed thru the display components and remap the layers every release to your standard.  There are a lot of components and displays.  It is a lot of work that many opted to forego.  Now you can add the new layer keys to your company standard layer key style, edit the layers once and begin using.  New version comes along and because the components are keyed, they use your company standard layers automatically! 

 

Many clients have their own layer requirements, you can create a layer key style for each client.  Switch between layer key styles without ever editing a display component layer.  Specify the drawing default layer key style "before" you draw any objects.  The keys then generate objects on your layers.  No more changing layer key styles AND combing thru the display components to edit existing layers.  The layer key style becomes a one stop shop to store layer standards and default layer properties. 😃

 

Once a key is used to generate a layer, the display components behave the same way they have in past releases.  We were very careful to not change existing behavior.  In past releases, a change to a layer key's layer did not automatically change existing objects layers in layer manager.  An innocent key change could be disasterous to existing objects.  Existing objects is the territory of Layer Manager.  Default values for newly created objects is the territory of layer key styles.  That's how it worked in the past so we were careful.  With display component keys, they store layer defaults outside the template in a style drawing, then generate the initial layer and then take a rest.  The layer key grays out once used to generate a layer and cannot be edited.  Once grayed out and you want to change the layer used, change the layer in layer manager not the key.  It can be done direct in layer manager outside the components!  Existing objects are safe, objects fall on new layers that did not pre-exist and displays initialize to the drawing default layer key style.  That default can be set by going to the UNITS dialog and switching to the "Layering" tab.  A file path to the style drawing and the default layer key style used is on that tab.

 

Cleaner templates are easier to manage, migrate and use.  It is now easier to switch between layer key styles because you do not have to edit the display layers in addition.

 

Hope you enjoy.

 

Joshua 



Joshua Benoist, PE
Senior Premium Services Specialist
Global Services
Autodesk, Inc.

Message 3 of 13

Hi ... Is the link in your original the most comprehensive list of improvments in AutoCAD MEP? 

Message 4 of 13

It is a fairly comprehensive list, yes.



Joshua Benoist, PE
Senior Premium Services Specialist
Global Services
Autodesk, Inc.

Message 5 of 13

<2013 IS A FILE FORMAT RELEASE>

 

This is out there though the information needs to be spread around more.  Please do what you can to help spread the information.  Every 4th release historically has been a file format release and 2013 is no different.  We see questions and surprises when users save their files in 2013 and then save back to an earlier version.  Then proceed to open in an older release.  The older release can no longer edit the AEC objects as intelligent objects.  Users not familiar with past file format releases may be surprised.

 

2010 was a file format release.  So 2011 and 2012 were on the same 2010 file format.  2011 and 2012 are backwards compatible with 2010.  You can save and open between any of those 3 releases because they are on the same format.  2010, 2011, 2012  However, save a 2010 file to the 2007 file format version, and we get the same backwards compatibility issue as between 2013 and 2010 formats. 

 

2013 is the 4th and start of a new file format.  Files saved in 2013, then saved back to an earlier format cannot be edited in the prior format.  They become proxy objects, and for the most part the graphics display the same.  To edit them, we can Export To AutoCAD and then edit them as Core AutoCAD objects in the earlier release. 

 

My advice is always to finish older projects in older release on the older file format.   Start new projects on the new release and format.

 

HTH,

Joshua



Joshua Benoist, PE
Senior Premium Services Specialist
Global Services
Autodesk, Inc.

Message 6 of 13
ewehrmann
in reply to: Joshua.Benoist

Are there any issues installing MEP 2013 on a machine running MEP 2012 and running both versions?

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Message 7 of 13
Joshua.Benoist
in reply to: ewehrmann

2012 and 2013 will sit fine side by side.  Just avoid using Migration Wizard which pops up, the first time 2013 is launched.  Click the "Cancel" button.  It is a file format release and we have seen some issues when older files are migrated with that wizard.  Steer clear and you will be fine.  Our developers are aware that migration wizard has been causing issues and we are working to address it.

Joshua

 

 


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Joshua Benoist, PE
Senior Premium Services Specialist
Global Services
Autodesk, Inc.

Message 8 of 13

Sigh......

 

Typical, Mostly improvements to M, a little P, no E.

 

<whining>

 

Why are there very rarely improvements to the electical functionality?  Is it just not a priority?

Top 3 IMHO:

  1. Edit panel schedules on the fly.  When circuiting a drawing, if you would like to connect to a panel in a different drawing but the breaker needs to be added / edited, you need to save/close the current drawing, open the panel drawing,  edit/save/close the panel drawing, then go back to the original drawing.  That takes a long time.  Let me say it again (loudly); THIS IS HUGE. THE WORKFLOW OF THIS IS MISERY. The whole point of a package like this is to design electrical systems, yet one needs to figure out what breakers one needs BEFORE circuiting loads.  That is backwards.  You need to be able to somehow add a circuit on the fly, kind of like right clicking on a panel and getting the "connect to...." prompt.  That engine can add a breaker on the fly, why not extend it to devices, etc???
  2. Account for transformer losses. Just what it says, no way to account for the VA loss through a transformer.
  3. Connect a load to a higher voltage panel via a transformer.  Can't do it.

Don't get me wrong, I think it's a great product, I just can't fathom why massive coding hours are spent on pimpy transparency controls and the like when core mission critical functionality needs attention.

 

</whining>

 

Thanks for listening.

Message 9 of 13
dsmith
in reply to: Joshua.Benoist

I would not get too excited if you are using AutoCAD MEP 2013; it is plagued with problems.  I have not seen a version with this many bugs in a very long time, very discouraging.

 

-Dan

 

Message 10 of 13

It's not like release 13 was... but Ditto here...

... AutoCAD MEP 2014 should soon be out.

AND I hope AutoCAD MEP 2013 has SP2 soon!

Message 11 of 13

Hello,
I work with Autocad MEP 2013 for 1 year and I am very pleased with the software.
There are certainly some bug but nothing insurmountable and worrying.

Attached, you will see an example of my work.

I am very exciting to see the new version and the new tools.
Best regards.

A French Autodesk Cad Manager

Cordialement

Allan
Message 12 of 13
dsmith
in reply to: kwizats_hadérack

Allan, glad to hear you are happy with the program, I wish I could say the same.  I could not list all of the bugs we have run into with this version, there are so many.  At first I thought something had gone wrong with the installation, however when others here started running into the same problems I came to the conclusion that it is most likely the software.  

 

An example of one of the bugs that you can test is if you draw ducts or pipes in model space, both as existing ducts/pipes and new, then switch over to paperspace so you are viewing the ducts/pipes through a viewport.  Right click on the paperspace layout tab, select "page set up manager", select "modify" which should open the plot page set-up dialogue box.  turn on the check box for "display plot styles" select ok at the bottom, then select close at the previous "page set up manager" dialogue box, so you are back at the paperspace layout.  You should now be seeing everything in llack and white, this should make paperspace match what the plot will look like, however, ducts and pipes do not show new and existing correctly.  To prove this, if you then draw new and existing system ducts/pipes through paperspace viewport and you will see that these show correctly to the plot settings.  So basically to sum it up; the ducts and pipes drawn in model space will not update their appearance to the plot style table settings correctly in paperspace and even if you try to regen it will still not show correctly.  

 

I have run into many bugs like this, i.e. pan getting stuck on and won't turn off, crosshairs disapearing randomly on the screen when no commands are active, etc...

 

Our company has moved back to MEP 2011, untill Autodesk comes out with a patch to solve the issues.

 

Thanks,

Dan

Message 13 of 13
dengfeng.gu
in reply to: dsmith

Dear user,

 

Thank you very much for your feedbacks. We're trying our best to improve our product all the time.

For the issue of the example, here i would like to give you work around solution to avoid it:

please set the sysvar: SetEnableProgressiveUpdate to No, then the objects in paperspace will show correctly while you turn on "display plot style" on page setup manager dialog.

 

Thanks

Tony

AutoCAD MEP Test Developer

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