What are discussion groups?
Where can I learn about discussion group etiquette?
I found a message that seems to break the ground rules. Who do I contact?
Do I have to be registered to use the discussion groups?
How do I log in?
What do I do if I forget my password?
How do I create a new topic or post a reply?
How do I include formatted code snippets in my message?
How do I set my preferences?
How do I search the discussion groups?
What are watches?
How do I do a spell check?
Why isn't my attachment allowed?
What is the RSS button for? What are RSS feeds?

What are discussion groups?
Discussion groups allow you to quickly and easily ask questions and share information about using Autodesk software. Organized by product and subject in an easy-to-follow format, discussion groups are designed to help you find information quickly, share knowledge with your peers, and participate in conversations.

Where can I learn about discussion group etiquette?
To make the best use of the Autodesk Discussion Groups, please follow these etiquette guidelines:

• Check the main index of discussion groups at http://discussion.autodesk.com to make sure that you are posting the message to the appropriate group.
• Avoid "cross-posting" to multiple discussion groups. Note: off-topic messages may be moved to the appropriate group.
• Use a descriptive header or subject for your messages. For example, rather than "Help," choose something like "Walls not displaying properly."
• Help others help you: include all necessary information when asking questions, such as your software release (e.g., AutoCAD 2005), service packs installed, operating system, and hardware information.
• If you experience problems, include exact steps to re-create the problem, including what you expected to happen.
• When replying to a post, avoid excessive "quoteback" or including the previous message in your reply. Delete any parts of the quoted text that your message does not address.
• Do not use stationery (background image) when posting messages. This can make the question or answer thread unreadable.
• Do not post messages that are WRITTEN IN ALL CAPS.
• Do not "cast votes" or conduct polls. Participants are encouraged to express opinions that contribute to the overall discussion of a topic.

I found a message that seems to break the ground rules. Who do I contact?
If you feel a message violates the Autodesk discussion group ground rules, contact the forum administrator. Include as much detail as possible, such as the user name, discussion group name, topic title, and URL.

Do I have to be registered to use the discussion groups?
Registration/login is required to post or reply to messages and to take advantage of additional features such as watches and tracking new messages since your last visit. Registration/login is not required for browsing discussion group content. To register, just click "Log in" and "New users register here" and fill in the appropriate information. Note: registration/login is not required if you are using a newsreader.

How do I login?
To log in to the discussion groups, click the Log in link. Then enter your member name and password. If you want to log in automatically when you visit, select the Remember Me checkbox. (Note: You must have cookies enabled for this feature. Autodesk will encrypt your login information and store it in a cookie.) If you need to create a new login click "New users register here" link on the login page and complete the registration form.

What do I do if I forgot my password?
To reset your password, simply click the "Log in" link and then click the Forgot Password? link. Type your login or display name and click Submit. You will shortly receive an email with instructions on how to reset your password.

How do I create a new topic or post a reply?
To start a new topic:

1. Select a product or general discussion on the main index of discussion groups.
2. Click the Web Browser link to enter the specific forum you want to post in.
3. Choose the appropriate discussion group and click Post New Topic.
4. Type your topic header in the subject line and type a message in the message box.

Before you post, you can check your spelling by clicking Check Spelling. To preview your message, click Preview, or click Post Topic to post your message without previewing it.

To post a reply to a topic, select Reply next to the message you would like to discuss.

Note: you cannot post a new topic from a search results page.

How do I include formatted code snippets in my message?
To include sample code with its existing formatting, you can do one of the following:

• Attach a txt, lsp, or other file. We recommend that you zip your code files before attaching them.
• Include the code in the body of your message surrounded by [code] and [/code]. Note: Be sure to use square brackets as shown, not the angle brackets used for html tags.

How do I set my preferences?
To create or update your preferences, click Your Preferences. You can set your login information, view preferences, and watch settings from here. To edit these settings, fill in your updated information, then click Update Preferences.

How do I search the discussion groups?
Type your keywords into the search box, select which group(s) you want to search, and click Search.

Search results are returned based on relevance to your keyword query. You can also sort your search results by date.

What are watches?
A watch enables you to keep track of specific topics that you are interested in.

To add a topic to your watch list, click the Watch This Topic link on the topic page. Click Stop Watching Topic to end the email notifications.

To see the current list of topics you are watching, click Watched Topics. On this screen you can choose to receive email notifications when new posts are made. Select the Email checkbox next to the topic for which you want to be notified, then click Update Watches. Note: watch email settings for your posts and replies are included in Your Preferences.

To delete a watch, select the Delete check box for the watch you want to delete and then click Update Watches.

How do I do a spell check?
To check the spelling in your message, just click Check Spelling on the Post New Topic or Post Reply page.

If our spell check dictionary doesn't recognize a word in your message, it will appear in a box. To correct it yourself, simply type over what is displayed. If the dictionary has any suggestions, they will appear in the suggestion box.

To choose one of the suggestions, simply select the suggestion you'd like to use and click Change.

When you have finished checking your spelling, click Post Message to save your changes and post the edited message. To continue editing your message, click Go Back/Edit to return to the Post New Topic or Post Reply area.

Why isn't my attachment allowed?
File size and type restrictions may prevent you from including the attachment with your post. We encourage you to zip or make your attachments as small as possible, and enforce a 1 MB limit.

What is the RSS button for? What are RSS feeds?
Information on RSS feeds and RSS functionality for the discussion groups is available at www.autodesk.com/discussion-rss.