You can pre-configure the program. To do this, open the A>V>C> Options Palette (AvcOptions) on the Tab-Slot Joint tab.

Create a model of your product from 3d solids. Parts must be in contact with each other with flat surfaces, without gaps and overlaps. It is convenient to model boxes (_box), and then peel the walls of the required thickness from them with the Multi-Slice (MSL) command.

You can select details before calling the TabSlot command. You must select at least two solids or an assembly block with solids inside. Machining parts is a complex and lengthy process. To prevent Autodesk® AutoCAD® from freezing, the program refuses to work with more than 20 solids in one call. If you do not need to make a connection at all joints of the assembly, then you can try to filter out unnecessary parts using the filter settings. In more complex cases, you will have to select the parts to be joined in pairs and run the TabSlot command for each pair separately. If blocks are selected, the program will add all the solids from them to the processing list. As well as solids from nested blocks. But scaled blocks will be ignored.

Call the TabSlot command. If nothing has been selected yet, then the program asks for a selection of parts. On the command line, you will see the options:

• SwitchStyle - quickly switch between program styles.

• Tune - open the settings dialog.

Next, the program will begin to sort through all the details and look for joints between them. A measurement procedure will be called for each part. Some details may be ignored if filters are configured. Joints that are too small will be ignored (see the Minimum area setting). The program will write on the command line how many matching joints were found.

Next, the program will begin to process joint by joint. At each seam, the longest linear edge will be found and divided into even steps along with it. By default, the first section (step) is skipped. There will remain a stubborn platform, and in the second step, the program will make a tab slot. And so on through one step to the end of the joint. You can switch the program so that it makes tenon on the first step and stubborn platform on the second. But if the joint is divided into an even number of steps, then the ends of the joint will, in any case, be different - at one end there is a tab slot, and at the other, there is a stubborn platform. Therefore, the program has the option of dividing the seam always into an odd number of steps.

Of the two joined parts, the one that is joined at the end (surface of a smaller area) will be selected and a rectangular tenon will be attached to it. Slots will be cut into the second part (joining a large surface). If the parts are joined by the same surfaces (end-to-end joint), then you can not control in any way which way the tenon will be directed from the original joint.

The depth of the slots can be set in the settings or can be calculated individually for each joint. Set the Depth to 0 to have the software take the thickness of the part as the depth of the slots. In most cases, this will result in thorough milling of the part. An exception is a case when it was not on the main plane of the part, but on the end (for example, an end-to-end joint). Then you will again get a blind slot to a depth equal to the thickness of the part.

You can also set a negative slot depth. The program will then calculate the depth of the slot as PartThickness - |Depth|. Then you will get the same thickness of the part wall remaining behind the slot, regardless of the thickness of the part.

After work, the program will display the number of joints made on the command line.

Watch the command line - there may be messages about the reasons for filtering objects and error messages.

The installer that ran when you downloaded this app/plug-in from the Autodesk App Store will start installing the app/plug-in. OR, simply double-click the downloaded installer to install the app/plugin. You may need to restart the Autodesk product to activate the app/plug-in. To uninstall this plug-in, exit the Autodesk product if you are currently running it, simply rerun the installer, and select the "Uninstall" button. OR, click Control Panel > Programs > Programs and Features (Windows 7/8.1/10/11) and uninstall as you would any other application from your system.

• The program works only with solid models. Doesn't work in 2D, and doesn't work with meshes.

• The parts to be joined must be created from flat sheets. The program does not work on bent skins (But the DadoDoint program does)

• Parts must fit together without gaps or overlaps. The seam region must be rectangular. At a non-rectangular joint, the program will also work, but the result will not please you.

• The program is similar to the DadoDoint (DDJ) program, but cannot replace it, cannot do only 1 pin and slot.

• The tab and slot are always extruded strictly perpendicular to the joint plane, even if the parts are joined at an angle other than 90 degrees.

• The program can only make rectangular tenons and slots. The program is not intended for modeling 'Zigzag' or 'Dovetail' connections or the like.

• Too small a joint division leads to a large number of tenons, and the solid becomes too complex. AutoCAD will be slow and glitchy, and A>V>C> programs are configured to ignore solids with more than 200 faces. Avoid overly complex details.

• Like all other modeling commands, the TabSlot command erases all data about the coloring and materials of solid surfaces. Assign cover and edge banding materials only after modeling is complete.

• The program does not search for contacts at the junction of two blocks. If you have all the parts packed in separate blocks, then you must first execute the Unpack command.

• The program does not control that the slots can break a part that is too small into pieces.