The Autodesk 2020.1 Updates are now in full swing. The AutoCAD 2020.1 Update was released on the opening day of Autodesk’s 3rd fiscal quarter. We Autodesk end-users sometimes tend to forget that Autodesk is a publicly traded company. The perceptions of shareholders and stock analysts matter. Public Autodesk events happen due to the rules of that game and the vagaries of Administrative state.
I like to remind my customers when they complain about Autodesk failures to deliver exactly what they think they need in the software they employ that Autodesk may be a large gorilla in the design space, but Autodesk lives in a land hunted by financial T-Rexs. - beasts like Amazon, Microsoft, Facebook, and Google.
Autodesk already released the Naviswork 2020.1 Update. They also released the usual round of Autodesk Civil 3D 2020 Extensions and Modules too. The release of the Geotechnical and River and Flood Analysis modules is usually a pretty good clue that an Autodesk Civil 3D 2020.1 Update is coming real soon now. The Framework for Civil 3D 2020.1 Update will be ready.
AutoCAD 2020.1 Update
The AutoCAD 2020.1 Update applies to all 2020 AutoCAD based products including all the specialized AutoCAD 2020 Toolsets, Autodesk Advance Steel 2020, and Autodesk Civil 3D.
If you employ an AutoCAD-based 2020 Toolset you should check the What’s new page in the Autodesk on-line help files for AutoCAD 2020.1 Update specifics. Visit our always useful and recently updated Autodesk Online Help page to get there quick.
The latest update to core AutoCAD 2020 includes some useful enhancements and even the inclusion of Multileaders into the AutoCAD Standards Checker tool you may not expect.
2020.1 Update Enhancements
Block Palette Tool
- Drag and drop actions now apply the settings for Scale and Rotation
- The display of thumbnail images is improved
- Tooltips can now be suppressed with the TOOLTIP system variable
Text on Layer
- Sets a default layer for text and multiline text objects with the TEXTLAYER system variable
Standards for Multileaders
- Extends the Standards feature to support multileader styles
Security
- The SECUREREMOTEACCESS system variable has been expanded to control whether ObjectARX programs are restricted from uploading to internet locations or remote servers
3D Translators
- The translators used for importing several external 3D formats have been updated. These include Creo and Granite, SolidEdge, NX, Parasolid, JT, and Rhino
The Block Palette Tool is one of the best new features in 2020. I sorely miss the Block Palette Tool when I have hop back into Civil 3D 2019 or older versions of Civil 3D or AutoCAD.
Construct a Root Template for Civil 3D TREFs
This is a powerful example of the Block Palette Tool when employed to maintain and construct standards in Civil 3D. See the related Reference Templates Made Easy in Civil 3D video for how to reduce your Style and consistency maintenance problems with Civil 3D’s TREF (Reference Template) technology.
If you have a functional Civil 3D template or two, you can do this. Enjoy the productive benefits of TREFs today.
Multileader Standards
The addition of Multileaders to the set of core AutoCAD Styles that can be managed with the AutoCAD Standards Checker Tool and Standards (.dws) files is a good thing.
Maybe we should ask, “What took so long?”
Take a peek at the Create Data Extracted Tables in Civil 3D video and related posts on linked Excel tables, DXE, and Multileader Styles to easily implement Construction notes and other related tabular documentation tasks in your Plan Sets. The output Table Styles are built into the Framework for Civil 3D. What do you know?
Better Civil 3D Projects Now
Maybe you want the basic data prototypes and file resources built into your Civil 3D Project Templates as common project placeholders? This is easy to do. Watch the Civil 3D Projects and Setup videos and read the posts about how to create project placeholders and quickly develop better and more productive Civil 3D Project Templates.
The most important thing about an AutoCAD Update is what you are prepared to do with it.
The Freedom to Work in Civil 3D
Get the Framework for Civil 3D Release 8