Lab tracks

All computers in the LA Computer Lab are configured to restore the hard drive to its original format each time you log out (Macs) or restart (Windows). Any files stored on the hard drive will be erased when this happens, and there is no way to recover them. Please do not leave valuable files on the hard drives of the lab computers.

Also, please keep in mind that if you walk away from a computer, it is considered open for the next person, and that person is not responsible for any files left on the computer by previous users.

(REMEMBER: Do not leave your files on the desktop. All files are erased each time a machine is restarted.)

Each student is provided with their own folder on the LA Server. These folders are available throughout your stay in the department. However, the department does not provide backup for student folders, so it is a good practice for you to regularly back up your files and folders on the server.

(REMEMBER: Do not leave your files on the desktop. All files are erased each time a machine is restarted.)

Maximum Size: Boards size should not exceed 42 inches by 36 inches. Boards larger than this take too long to plot and hold up other users.

Backgrounds: Do not use a solid color or pattern as a background. This uses excessive amounts of ink, and has a negative effect on the department trying to keep the price of plotting to a minimum.

Orientation: Send boards to the plotter with the longest edge at the top. The plotter can print documents 42 inches wide, so for example, a board that is 42 inches wide and 36 inches long, can be sent as is using portrait orientation. A board that is 36 inches wide and 42 inches long, however, should be rotated 90° (so that the 42 inch edge is at the top) and sent using portrait orientation. This helps conserve paper, and helps the department keep plotting costs to a minimum.

Margins: To ensure that your entire board shows on the printed page, be sure to leave approximately a 1 inch margin around all edges of your finished design.

(REMEMBER: Do not leave your files on the desktop. All files are erased each time a machine is restarted.)

Both Autodesk's AutoCAD and Nemetschek's Vectorworks are available in the LA lab. AutoCAD, while a powerful and industry-standard tool, still relies heavily on a command-line interface and runs on only one type of computer. Vectorworks, on the other hand, is a cross platform application, which not only possesses the power and technical precision of AutoCAD, but also implements a more designer-friendly interface. In addition, Vectorworks includes an exhaustive reference database of various plant species, and has a new feature whereby a CAD representation can be rendered to look sketched, i.e., hand-drawn. If you would like to explore the difference between AutoCAD and Vectorworks, (a) go to a Mac, (b) in the upper right corner of the screen, click on the speaker icon and make sure that the volume slider is somewhere between middle (medium loud) to top (loudest), (c) right-click on the Applications Dock folder in the Dock at the bottom of the screen and click on Vectorworks 11.5 TRAINING-->Training - AutoCAD to Vectorworks-->Start Training. This training session lets you progress at your own pace.

(REMEMBER: Do not leave your files on the desktop. All files are erased each time a machine is restarted.)

Backup...not: Jump drives are an easy and quick method of moving files from one computer to another, but they are not robust enough to be used as a backup or archival drive.

Formatting: As with portable drives, most jump drives come formatted for the Windows file system. Macs can read both Mac- and Windows-formatted drives and disks, so if you will be using both Mac and Windows computers, you can leave the formatting as is. If, however, you will be using only Mac computers, you can reformat the drive to the Macintosh file system, bearing in mind that Windows computers can read only Windows-formatted drives and disks.

Disconnecting: When disconnecting these drives from a computer, it is very important that you eject them properly before unplugging them. If you unplug them without ejecting them first, you could potentially lose access to all the data on the drive. To eject, right click on the drive (look for the drive icon on the Desktop of Macs and in My Computer on PCs) and select Eject from the pop-up menu. Then you can uplug the drive from the computer.

Backup: Since student files on the LA Server are not backed up, it would be a good idea for students to have a portable drive or two to back up their files. Portable drives range in size from 40 GB to over 100 GB, connect via FireWire, USB or both, and many are also powered by this FireWire or USB connection, thus eliminating the need to be plugged into an electrical outlet for use. A model that comes with both FireWire and USB connections, in sizes 40, 60, 80 and 100 GB, is by LaCie (the 3rd model down on this page):
http://www.lacie.com/products/range.htm?id=10036

Formatting: Most portable drives come formatted for the Windows file system. Macs can read both Mac- and Windows-formatted drives and disks, so if you will be using both Mac and Windows computers, you can leave the formatting as is. If, however, you will be using only Mac computers, you can reformat the drive to the Macintosh file system, bearing in mind that Windows computers can read only Windows-formatted drives and disks.

Disconnecting: When disconnecting these drives from a computer, it is very important that you eject them properly before unplugging them. If you unplug them without ejecting them first, you could potentially lose access to all the data on the drive. To eject, right click on the drive (look for the drive icon on the Desktop of Macs and in My Computer on PCs) and select Eject from the pop-up menu. Then you can uplug the drive from the computer.

A PDF file can be easily be created from within most applications simply by using the Print command:

--	save the final version of your finished file
--	select Print from within whatever application you are using
--	in the Print dialog box, select Output Options
--	select Save as File, then PDF
--	give this PDF file that is about to be created a new name (be sure to give this new file a new name so that your original file does not get overwritten)
--	save to the location of your choice

A PDF file will not only print faster, it is also viewable on and printable from any type of computer.

(REMEMBER: Do not leave your files on the desktop. All files are erased each time a machine is restarted.)

Photoshop files with all their layers can sometimes take a very long time to print. A jpg file with no layers will generally print much faster than a fully-layered Photoshop file. To create a jpg file, do the following:

--	save a copy of the finished file as a Photoshop file in order to preserve your layers in case you want to edit them later
--	with this same file open in Photoshop, go to Layer-->Flatten Image
--	then go to File-->Save As
--	be sure to give this new file, that has no layers now, a new name so you do not overwrite your original
--	for format, select jpg
--	for quality, select 7 or lower
--	click Save
--	copy this newly created jpg file to the desktop of the machine you are using, open it in Photoshop, and send to the printer

(REMEMBER: Do not leave your files on the desktop. All files are erased each time a machine is restarted.)

Before sending a print job, always take the final saved version of the file you will be printing and copy it to the desktop of the machine you are using. Then send the file to print **from the machine's desktop** rather than from any other location. Trying to print a file from a CD, a zip disk, a jump drive, a portable drive or from the server will cause printing to be significantly slower. Also, printing PDFs instead of fully-layered, for example, CAD files, and printing jpgs instead of fully-layered Photoshop files can speed up printing.

(REMEMBER: Do not leave your files on the desktop. All files are erased each time a machine is restarted.)

In order to clear printing on the Mac, (a) go to the Desktop, (b) double-click on the icon for the relevant printer, (c) select all print jobs listed, (d) click on the "Delete" button in the upper left corner of the printer's window, (e) wait for the previous print jobs to clear, (f) when the printer's window is empty of print jobs, click on the "Start Jobs" button, (g) close the printer's window.

For those inexperienced with using a Macintosh, here are a few basics to get you started:

	Applications: Go to the Dock at the bottom of the screen and right-click the folder with the gold letter A. Then double-click the application you would like to open.
	CD/DVD & Zip Eject/Open: Press the key in the upper right corner of the number keypad with the upward arrow symbol. You can also use the F12 key.
	Net-Print Log In: Go to the Dock at the bottom of the screen, (a) click on Kerberos icon, (b) click on Get Tickets, (c) type in netID and password, (d) close Kerberos window.
	Net-Print Log Out: Go to Dock at bottom of screen, (a) click on Kerberos icon, (b) click on your name in the Ticket box, (c) click on Destroy Tickets button above, (d) close Kerberos window. Always remember to log out of Kerberos before leaving a machine in the lab. Neither the department nor other users are responsible for accidental Net-Print charges incurred due to a failure to log out.

SketchUp is a cross-platform application and is available on Macintosh and Windows machines. In order to use SketchUp on Windows machines, you need to be logged in to your folder on the LA server. SketchUp on Macintosh machines does not require that you be logged in to your folder on the LA server.

VIZ Render error: The application has run out of memory

Autodesk Knowledgebase • Published: 2005-09-06 • ID: TS1052472

ISSUE:

When you tried to run a Radiosity solution in VIZ Render, you received the following error message: "The application has run out of memory. The program will now shut down."

SOLUTION:

This issue occurs when you try to render an image larger than the largest contiguous section of RAM available.

Depending on the space you have available on your hard drive, you can try increasing the virtual memory in Windows. Follow these steps:

On the Start menu (Windows), select Settings > Control Panel.
In Control Panel, double-click the System icon, and select the Advanced tab.
In the Performance Section, click Settings.
In the Performance Options dialog box, select the Advanced tab
In the Virtual memory section, click Change.
Change the Maximum size to something larger than the size of your file.

You can also try turning on the Bitmap Pager. Follow these steps:

On the VIZ Render Customize menu, select Preferences.
Select the Rendering Tab.
Select the Bitmap Pager box.
Click OK.

Turning the Bitmap Pager option on will slow down the rendering process, but it will most likely eliminate the Out of Memory error.

(Keep in mind that these settings will go away and have to be reentered each time the computer is restarted.)

When scanning images, the resolution should not be set greater than 150–180 dpi for printing (printers will not show more detail than this even if scanned at higher resolutions), and 72 dpi for on-screen presentations or the web.(REMEMBER: Do not leave your files on the desktop. All files are erased each time a machine is restarted.)

Step1: Select Scan Mode

--	Press the "MODE" button
--	Make sure the Directory shows: IMAGES (it must be in upper case)

Step 2: Select Format

The default for scanning is TIF format. To change to JPG, do the following:
--	Press the ^ button 4 times. Then press the "ENTER" button. Then the "EXIT" button.

Step 3: Select Resolution

The default for resolution is set for 400 dpi. This is too high for such large scale drawings. Resolution should be set between 150 dpi and 180 dpi for printing (printers will not show more detail than this even if scanned at higher resolutions), and 72 dpi for on-screen presentations or the web.
--	To lower the dpi, press the "PREVIOUS" button.

Step 4: You are ready to scan!

Step 5: Retrieve Scans (sorry, Windows only)

To retreive your document you must use PC # 68 or 69 (the PC’s closest to the window against the wall).
--	Go to the Start menu and select "Lg Doc Scanner Retrieve Utility"
--	Click on the Document Retrieve tab
--	Click on the icon that looks like binoculars. It will then go out to find your documents.
--	Once the list of documents shows, click on the icon to the right of the binoculars. It will move your image over to the other column.
--	Go to the Start menu and select "Lg Doc Scanner Retrieved Images". This will take you to where your documents are being stored. It will most likely look like a set of numbers (SAMPLE: 000002.jpg). Copy to a disk and remove from computer.

(REMEMBER: Do not leave your files on the desktop. All files are erased each time a machine is restarted.)

--	Go to this address: http://www.englib.cornell.edu/erg/ethics.php#ejournals
--	Click on the Books24x7.com link.

--	Type in your own Cornell netID and password.
--	When the Books24x7 page comes up, where it says Search, type in: HTML 4 for Dummies, and click on Go.
--	In the next page that opens, click on the image of the book, and it's contents will become available.

--	Go to the Dock-->Applications Dock folder-->FTP Connect.
--	Where it says Host, type in: instruct1.cit.cornell.edu

--	Where it says User ID, type in your Cornell netID.
--	Where it says Password, type in the password provided to you by the class handouts.
--	In this same window, click on the small triangle directly above "Shortcuts".
--	Where it says Initial Directory, type in: /www/instruct1/courses/la412/spring06/your_netID (there is not a slash after your_netID)
--	Click OK.
--	You will now be connected to your individual website folder.
--	Create your web pages and upload them to your web folder. Your home page must be named, index.html or index.htm.
--	To view your website, use this address: http://instruct1.cit.cornell.edu/courses/la412/spring06/your_netID/ (here, you must put the slash after your_netID)

--	Go to the bottom of the screen in the Dock and click on the two-tone blue face, the Finder
--	Then go to the top of the screen and click on Go-->Connect to Server...
--	Where it says Server Address, type in: laserver.landscape.cornell.edu
--	Click Connect
--	Type in your user name and password (see Kris or Deb)
--	Click Connect
--	Click on Files
--	Click OK
--	The Files volume will mount on the desktop
--	Double-click on the Files volume on the desktop
--	Scroll down to your folder and double-click on it to open
--	Your folder will now be available to anyone who sits at this computer until you log out.

REMEMBER TO LOG OUT **
--	Go to the Apple menu in the upper left corner of the screen
--	Choose Log Out...
--	A confirmation dialog box will open
--	Click on the Log Out button

**	Logging out is important to reset the machine. If the student folder does not show its contents, it is a reminder that you need to log out and log back in.

--	Go to Start-->FTP Connect.
--	In the Session Properties window that opens, where it says User ID, type in your Cornell netID.
--	Where it says Password, type in the password provided to you by the class handouts.
--	In this same window, click on the Startup tab.
--	Where it says Initial Remote Site Folder, type in the location: /www/instruct1/courses/la412/spring06/your_netID (there is not a slash after your_netID)
--	Click OK.
--	You will now be connected to your individual website folder. (If, for some reason, the location on the top right side of the FTP window shows, /user1/your_netID, simply manually delete this location, and type in the one above.)
--	Create your web pages and upload them to your web folder. Your home page must be named, index.html or index.htm.
--	To view your website, use this address: http://instruct1.cit.cornell.edu/courses/la412/spring06/your_netID/ (here, you must put the slash after your_netID)

--	Right-click on My Computer
--	Choose Map Network Drive...
--	The Map Network Drive window will open
--	Where it says Folder, type in: \\laserver\files
--	DO NOT click in the box next to Reconnect at logon. This box should be empty.
--	Click on "Connect using a different user name"
--	The Connect As... window will open
--	Type in your user name and password (see Kris or Deb)
--	Click OK
--	You will be returned to the Map Network Drive Window
--	Click Finish
--	The LA Server window will open as Z:\
--	Scroll down to your folder and double-click on it to open
--	This network drive will be available in My Computer under the heading, Network Drives.
--	Your folder will now be available to anyone who sits at this computer until you log out.

REMEMBER TO LOG OUT **
--	Go to Start-->Shut down
--	The Shut Down Windows window will open
--	Select Log off...
--	Click OK

**	Logging out is important to reset some aspects of the machine. To completely reset a Windows machine, it is necessary to restart.

There is an old computer's tale that if you create a file on one platform, it will be ruined if you open it on another platform. This is not the case. A file created on one platform will open interchangeably on any platform as long as the applications on both platforms are the same and are the same version.