Shortcuts

Here is a quick way to compare two PowerCADD files to see what is different between the two files:

Take the original file and change all the layers to gray in the Layers palette (by clicking once on the bullet to the left of the layer name, which causes the bullet to change to gray, along with the contents of the layer).

Paste the changed file onto a non-grayed scratch layer which islocated at the bottom of the list of layers. This puts the gray layers above the non-grayed layers and any changes are pretty easy to spot.

Patrick Marr

Table Tip

I have found that if you group a table and then choose edit the cells with the Text Tool, the text in the cell is now "Paragraph" text, i.e. you have full control over tabs and indentation. This was not possible before the table was grouped.

If the table is ungrouped, the "Paragraph" feature goes away again.

I don't know if ES intended this, but it's nice to know if you need that kind of control in a table, in PowerCADD.

David Honan

Copy/Paste from Excel often yeilds an annoying text-bounding box headache, because each text box is minimized to the text field contents, so any subsequent editing requires that you manually re-size the text box. What to do? Unlimited ingenuity prevails:

I change the text size up one point in Excel before using Copy Picture, then change it back down to original size in PCADD. This fixes the vexing problem of missing or shortened text.

Michael Charek

XL Schedule - the full monty:

Here is the tutorial, using Excel to create schedules:

1. Set up your schedule in Excel, using cell borders to create the lines. Cell sizing is in points, with one point = 1/72 inch - if you care about the exact dimension of things. Leave enough space to increase the point size of your text one point before copying to PowerCADD. It looks good to have the text centered vertically in cells; alignment of left, right, or center will depend on personal taste. An extra narrow column can be inserted to give extra space to the left of a left-aligned column.

2. Fill in the schedule.

3. Select all, increase point size of text by one point.

4. Hold shift key down, then Edit: Copy Picture. Select the "when printed" option.

5. Paste the result into PowerCADD. Edit: Paste Special: By Mouse will let you put it roughly where you want in one step.

6. Decrease point size of text by one point. (This fixes the vexing problem of missing or shortened text -- like we said.)

7. Set line weight of border lines, turn fill of text to none.

8. Group the schedule, move to your desired location.

Michael Charek

Fussbudget tip #141:

Remember that old computer printout paper...with the chit on the sides?

they alternated the colors for a reason...

it made reading long lines of text easier, to follow where you are...

so consider putting a little color behind alternating rows in your schedules...

...your eyes will thank you...