3.13 Distributing KeySCAPE Drawings

KeySCAPE uses the latest AutoCAD-based, object-orientated design. Like Autodesk's own applications for Architecture, Mechanical and Civil design, KeySCAPE creates intelligent AutoCAD objects that are visible, but will not be editable, in vanilla AutoCAD. AutoCAD will usually show these objects using simplified proxy (image) graphics that will not be editable in AutoCAD unless you install the KeySCAPE object enablers for your version of AutoCAD. Depending on your AutoCAD settings, the proxy entities may display as bounding boxes or may not show them at all. See sections below for more information.

3.13.1 Sending KeySCAPE Drawings to AutoCAD Users

Please follow the following procedures to ensure you save a drawing correctly BEFORE sending it to AutoCAD:

  • Open the drawing to be sent to the AutoCAD user
  • At the command line enter PROXYGRAPHICS and press [Enter]. The default value of the AutoCAD system variable should be 1. If it is set to 0, enter 1 and press [Enter]. The current versions of KeySCAPE should set this automatically to 1 for you

The AutoCAD PROXYGRAPHICS system variable specifies whether images of proxy objects are saved in the drawing or not. If set to 1 the drawing saves the proxy graphic images so that they are available to display in AutoCAD. If set to 0, the proxy graphics images are NOT saved with the drawing and so, when opened in AutoCAD, KeySCAPE objects may not display or appear as bounding boxes.

  • At the command line enter ISAVEPERCENT and press [Enter]. The default value of the AutoCAD system variable should be 50, although not necessarily.

The AutoCAD ISAVEPERCENT (Incremental Save Percentage) system variable is a global setting (i.e. affects all drawings) that sets the percentage of potentially wasted space in a drawing file. If the Incremental Save Percentage is set to 0, every save is a full save. Full saves eliminates wasted space and can reduce drawing size but the performance of the SAVE and SAVEAS commands will slow significantly. Incremental saves are faster but they increase the size of your drawing as it includes wasted space. For optimum performance AutoCAD sets the default value to 50. That is, if less than half the drawing is modified between saves the change only information is appended to the drawing database. Conversely, if more than half the drawing is altered between saves, a full save is invoked.

  • At the prompt: Enter new value for ISAVEPERCENT, enter 0 and press [Enter]
  • Save the drawing. This will invoke a full save of the drawing
  • At the command line enter ISAVEPERCENT and press [Enter]
  • Enter 50 (or your previous value setting) and press [Enter]
  • Close the drawing
  • Send your drawing to your client or design partner

3.13.2 Opening KeySCAPE Drawings in AutoCAD

Please advise your clients or design partner of the following procedures BEFORE they attempt to open a KeySCAPE drawing in AutoCAD

  • When the AutoCAD user opens the drawing in AutoCAD the Proxy Information dialog should appear

  • Select the option Show proxy graphics and pick [OK] to open the drawing and display the KeySCAPE objects

What to do if the Proxy Information dialog does not appear AND the KeySCAPE graphics do not show?

In this instance, it is likely that the AutoCAD settings that control these options have been set to not display the Proxy Information dialog or, more importantly, to not show the proxy graphics. In this instance:

  • With the drawing closed, at the command line enter PROXYSHOW and press [Enter]. The current value of the AutoCAD system variable is displayed and is most likely to be set to 0, i.e. to not show proxy objects
  • At the prompt: Enter new value for PROXYSHOW, enter 1 (to show proxy objects) and press [Enter]

The AutoCAD PROXYSHOW system variable is a global setting (i.e. affects all drawings) that controls the display of proxy objects in an AutoCAD drawing where the application that created the objects is not available. The following options exist:

0

Proxy objects are not displayed

1

Graphic images are displayed for all proxy objects

2

Only the bounding box is displayed for all proxy objects
  • Open the KeySCAPE drawing in AutoCAD and all the graphics will show as image entities only, i.e. not editable as AutoCAD objects

3.13.3 Object Enablers

If a drawing is opened with proxy graphics showing you will only have access to limited editing features on the object, e.g. delete. However, should you wish to undertake more detailed editing, you can install the KeySCAPE Object Enablers for your version of AutoCAD. Once installed, this will give limited access to the objects and allow you to use most of the AutoCAD editing commands on KeySCAPE objects, e.g. copy, move, rotate, grips etc. However, it does not allow any access to the KeySCAPE user interface to edit settings, specifications or planting/hedge graphics. This information can only be edited in KeySCAPE. Any changes made in a KeySCAPE (object) enabled AutoCAD will be updated next time the drawing is opened in KeySCAPE.

3.13.4 SaveAs to earlier version of AutoCAD

Due to limitations imposed by Autodesk on objects, any KeySCAPE drawing that is created or opened and saved in a newer version of AutoCAD, will not be editable in versions of KeySCAPE running on earlier versions of AutoCAD, even though the KeySCAPE functionality may be identical, i.e. there is NO backward compatibility between AutoCAD/KeySCAPE objects This also applies to the use of KeySCAPE enabled versions of AutoCAD. There is no work around to this!

3.13.5 Exploding KeySCAPE Objects

Limitations, imposed by Autodesk on custom objects prevent the use of DXFOUT and DXFIN, unless the objects are exploded to simple drawing entities. These simplified versions of the objects have no intelligence but allow them to be edited in AutoCAD or other applications, such as SketchUp, Adobe Illustrator or CorelDRAW

  • Go to the Core ribbon, Tools panel, select Explode KeySCAPE Objects

  • At the command line, you are prompted to Select objects:
  • Select the KeySCAPE objects you wish to explode or type ALL to select all the KeySCAPE objects in the drawing
  • Press [Enter] to complete the command
  • All the former KeySCAPE objects will now be exploded to simple, unlinked AutoCAD entities

Note If you explode KeySCAPE objects all links are destroyed. As such, if you explode a specification BEFORE you explode the schedule(s) plants WILL disappear from the schedule. As such, either explode the schedule BEFORE you explode the specifications or make sure you explode both at the same time by using a window selection or type ALL to select all the KeySCAPE objects.

Alternatively, you can explode KeySCAPE objects using the AutoCAD Explode Command. However, you will need to explode the objects twice to get back to single AutoCAD entities. Please note that the following default results:

  • First use of the AutoCAD Explode Command on KeySCAPE objects – explodes each object into individual AutoCAD blocks, i.e. one new block is created for each object.
  • Second use of the AutoCAD Explode Command on KeySCAPE objects – explodes each individual AutoCAD block, derived from the objects, into single editable AutoCAD entities.

Important Exploding the KeySCAPE objects WILL destroy all object functionality and associated intelligence, e.g. automatic update of plant number calculations and schedules. Once the drawing has been closed, the links can NOT be recreated automatically. Therefore, it is strongly recommended that you make a backup of the drawing (SaveAs) BEFORE exploding the objects. After exploding the drawing, your drawing size may increase considerably.