Administration Tools

 

Save Block

 

The Save Block function is a powerful tool that allows the End User to save blocks to the Land F/X block folders while within AutoCAD. When saving blocks, the End User can control its scale and rotation input, automatically create a slide of the object, and allow it to immediately be available for input via the various Land F/X functions.

 

Save Hatch

 

 

 

Hatch patterns are saved as a *.pat file. You can add any hatch pattern to the Land F/X database using the Save Hatch function. Adding a hatch pattern to the Land F/X database will allow it to immediately be available and appear in either the Land F/X Site, Detail, or Ground Cover hatch pattern libraries.

 

Step 1:

Move or copy the hatch pattern file to any folder that is in your AutoCAD search path, except LandFX/Patterns. The AutoCAD search paths are located at the AutoCAD pulldown menus Tools/Options/Files/Support File Search Path.

 

Step 2:

From a new drawing, from layer 0, use the AutoCAD draw polyline function to draw a rectangular box of, for example, 2”x4”.

 

Step 3:

From the AutoCAD Hatch function, go to the Hatch tab, type of hatch “Custom”, and from the Custom Hatch: box select the hatch pattern you desire to add, and place a hatch of this type in the polyline box you drew.

 

Typical custom hatch pattern to be added.

 

Step 4:

You will now select the Save Hatch function and save the hatch pattern. As this will create a slide image of the screen you are viewing to represent this hatch, zoom in or out appropriately so the screen image will make a good representational slide of the hatch pattern . When you select Save Hatch, the command line will ask:

 

Select hatch:

 

With the pick box, click on one of the lines of the hatch. A dialog box will appear with the three category options within Land F/X where the hatch could be saved: Detail, Site, and GroundCover.

 

Save Hatch as dialog box, with the three options for locations to save the hatch as.

 

Detail hatch is used when creating details. Site hatch is used for site plan related hatching. GroundCover hatch patterns are used in Planting and Concept Plans.

 

For this example we will select Site as the hatch category, as this is a masonry paving pattern.

 

Step 5:

When you select a category option for the hatch pattern, a hatch pattern naming dialog box will appear. Enter a name for the hatch pattern into the dialog box, as in this example Ashlar.

 

Hatch pattern name dialog box. In this example, the name “Ashlar” will represent the hatch pattern.

 

When you name the pattern, a dialog box allowing you to control several aspects of the hatch pattern.

 

The hatch pattern control dialog box.

 

Description: This may be used to more clearly define what the hatch pattern should be called. This name will appear in the left hand name box of the hatch pattern selection dialog box.

Scale: This controls the scale the hatch will be entered at.

Rotation: This controls the rotation, by degrees, of the hatch pattern when it is entered.

 

Adjust any of the above you wish, and when you select OK the hatch pattern will be entered into the system. Now when you go to the Site hatch selection dialog box, the hatch pattern will be available.

 

The Site hatch selection dialog box with the new hatch automatically entered and available for input (the new hatch pattern is at the lower right corner).

 

Make Slide Library

 

The standard dialog box used to display blocks in Land F/X displays a slide of each drawing. For a considerable speed improvement, the slides are combined into a Slide Library. When making changes to any blocks, the slide library will need to be regenerated. This is as easy as selecting the Make Slide Library tool, and choose the folder of drawings to recreate the slide library for.

 

 

Upon selecting the Make Slide Library function, a folder browse dialog box will appear for you to select which folder you want the slides regenerated.

 

Browse for Folder dialog box for the Make Slide Library function.

 

Upon selecting a folder, Land F/X will generate slides of all AutoCAD drawing in that folder and will automatically regenerate the slide library.

 

Technical Support

 

 

 

Selecting Technical Support will open the Land F/X Technical Support Request web page. If you have a Land F/X project active, it will first ask if you wish to copy the drawing, any XREF’s, and the Land F/X project data to a folder on your Windows Desktop, to facilitate sending these files to the technical support team. The technical support web page includes a request form where you can enter the problem, any notes about the problem, and easily allow you to include any pertinent files, such as a screen shot, or the DWG and project data.