ExpertCAD 3D & General ToolDesigner Questions
Where do I put my custom macros so they are read in by ExpertCAD 3D?
Add any custom macros you have to the file:
C:<Personal application data>\ExpertCAD3D.cfg
<Personal application data> is a folder that is under your home directory.
Click here for more information.
I'm upgrading from an old 7.x version. Where do I put my custom short key, strokes, and macros so they are recognized by the latest release?
What you will need to do is copy these old configuration files and rename them as follows:
ExpertCAD 3D Custom Configuration File for Current User
Old Path: C:<User’s Profile Folder>\expcad3d.cfg
New Path: C:<Personal application data>\ExpertCAD3D.cfg
ExpertCAD 3D Custom Short Key Definitions
Old Path: C:<User’s Profile Folder>\expcad3dshorts.cfg
New Path: C:<Personal application data>\ ExpertCAD3D-ShortKeys.cfg
ExpertCAD 3D Custom Cursor Stroke Definitions
Old Path: C:<User’s Profile Folder>\expcad3dstrks.cfg
New Path: C:<Personal application data>\ ExpertCAD3D-Strokes.cfg
ExpertCAD 3D Custom Quick Menu (Graphic Popup Menu)
Old Path: C:<User’s Profile Folder>\expcad3dpopup.cfg
New Path: C:<Personal application data>\ ExpertCAD3D-QuickMenu.cfg
ExpertCAD 3D is taking longer than it normally does to start. Is there a fix for this?
At the start of the program, it prepares a list of Recent Files to insert into the File menu. If one or more of these files was on a network drive that is no longer mounted, that will cause a delay as the Windows operating system is slow to respond that the file no longer exists because the drive isn't mounted. If you wish, you can clear the Recent Files list by deleting the recent files in the registry: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\AMT Software\ExpertCAD 3D\RecentFiles
ExpertCAD 3D 2014 is taking a long time to start whereas 2013 started up right away. Why is that?
A new type of software license was implemented for 2014 whereby ExpertCAD 3D can acquire a license from the internet. More than likely, your computer network is configured such that your computer can not contact amt-software.com through a secure SSL connection. Eventually the attempt to connect will time-out however this could take anywhere from 2-3 minutes in some cases. There are a number of ways the connection to amt-software.com could be blocked (an anti-virus program, a firewall, a router, a proxy server, ...). In your $TEMP directory, check to see if you have a file named AMT-InetLicense.log. The content of the log file will confirm whether or not the program could contact the server.
Are there any command line options for ExpertCAD 3D?
Yes. The table below lists the command line options available:
Option | Purpose |
/QB |
Run the program in the background. No Window or user interface is shown on the screen. This is useful for batch operations where you will be sending commands to the software using the /e and/or /s command line options. |
/QI |
Same function as /QB |
/SAFE |
Start the program in safe mode. None of the usual external configuration files will be read at program start. This is useful to determine if any of your custom configuration files are interfering with the factory settings for program behavior. |
/S |
Do not show the splash screen at program start. |
/V |
For ExpertCAD 3D only, this means that the program should consume an ToolDesigner View license instead of a full license of ExpertCAD 3D. |
/NOMAIL |
Do not allow the program to interface with your e-mail program. The "Send to" for a mail recipient will be disabled. |
/F |
Full size window. Maximizes the initial window size when the program starts. |
=<size> |
Specifies the window size to use. The width and height parameters sets the width and height of the window in pixels. The pixel location in X and Y specifies the top left corner of the window. For example: =1275x950+1+1 would set the window size to be 1275 wide by 950 tall with the upper left hand corner positioned at the left top of the screen. |
/e <command> |
Execute the command specified. |
/s <macro file> |
Source in (read) the ScriptLink macro file specified. |