Category : Network Files
Archive   : BULET.ZIP
Filename : ACAD10.TXT

TECHNICAL BULLETIN
08.13.90 ACAD10 JCR (update 10.23.90)
CAD SOFTWARE: AutoCAD 10, Autodesk

Comment
AutoCAD is listed as compatible with LANtastic NOS 2.57 and 3.0X. It has not been tested in house. The
following information has been compiled from various resources on using AutoCAD 10 with LANtastic.

Guidelines for using AutoCAD with LANtastic
1. Use AutoCAD 10 rev. C-7 and up, if possible.
If a user has AutoCAD Rev C-2 (which causes corrupted files even without LANtastic), Autodesk will provide
a free upgrade if the user takes his original disks to the Dealer he purchased AutoCAD from.

2. Set FCBS=40,40 and FILES=40 on machines running AutoCAD. Higher values may actually degrade
performance.

3. Specialty video boards on stations running AutoCAD 10 may cause problems. Users report the greatest
results with Calcomp and Nth Engine video boards, and have reported problems when running the Photon
Board with the Photon driver.

If problems arise with the video boards, check to see which video driver is being used. If the driver running
has been supplied by the video card manufacturer, change to the video driver supplied with AutoCAD (after
putting the video adapter in the default mode for EGA or VGA). If the problems disappear, this will prove
that the manufacturer supplied driver is probably the cause. In particular, the Photon board has a memory
resident driver, also called Photon, that hooks into disk through INT 13. The AutoCAD supplied video driver
for CGA mode with this board works.

4. AutoCAD files can be corrupted when used on a network since AutoCAD closes the file once it is placed
into RAM (like Lotus 2.01 & below) leaving DOS and SHARE unaware another user has the file.

5. Using an AutoCAD server which is serving the plotter and or printers on the network as a workstation is
not recommended. AutoCAD is such a memory intensive program (and disk intensive if a RAM disk isn't
used for AutoCAD programs & overlays) that it is NOT practical to use the server that is servicing
printing/plotting as a workstation.

6. Use RAM disks and Video drivers in Expanded memory only. Using extended memory will cause various
problems.

7. DOS 4.01 is OK, but it is NOT recommend that HIMEM.SYS be loaded.

8. Almost all cad programs have memory resident utilities to speed up video display. Two well known drivers
are Video Velocity and Lightning Zoom. These utilities MUST be loaded BEFORE the network. They do
disk access like caches and must be loaded before the network to work correctly.

9. If users report that the plotter plots for awhile and then stops, they should increase the CPS to the plotter
(to the max of 32767 is OK). This problem seems to be unique to HP Plotters.

10. Customers should use the plotter manufacturer's cable to assure correct DTR or DSR handshaking (also
known as CTS and RTS). They also must be sure the plotter has been notified of this type of handshaking by
changing menu choices or dip switches on the plotter. AutoCAD should be told to use Direct handshaking.
Don't be fooled by the user saying a plotter doesn't do DTR handshaking. AutoCAD has no choice to DTR
and the user may be reading the autoCAD choice instead of the plotter choices.

11. AutoCAD 386 works great, and in pure protected mode. The only problem with LANtastic seems to be
caused by Video created drivers that can't use protected mode and have to keep switching to virtual mode.
Have the customer call the video vendor for the latest drivers.



FINAL NOTE:
This document has been designed to provide a guideline for configuring AutoCAD with LANtastic. Additional
configuration may be necessary to accommodate your specific network setup.

If a unique problem arises which we are unable to resolve either through phone contact with our technical
support or through this bulletin, a problem report can be filed through our tech support staff.

Any questions or suggestions on this bulletin may be mailed to our offices:

Artisoft, Inc.
575 East River Road
Tucson, AZ 85704
ATTN: Compatibility Department / AutoCAD Support

Vendor Info:
Autodesk, Inc.
2320 Marinship Way
Sausalito, CA 94965
(415) 331-0356