AutoCAD 2011 for Mac Command Reference September 2010
© 2010 Autodesk, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Except as otherwise permitted by Autodesk, Inc., this publication, or parts thereof, may not be reproduced in any form, by any method, for any purpose. Certain materials included in this publication are reprinted with the permission of the copyright holder. Trademarks The following are registered trademarks or trademarks of Autodesk, Inc., and/or its subsidiaries and/or affiliates in the USA and other countries: 3DEC (design/logo), 3December, 3December.
Contents Commands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Chapter 1 3D Commands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 3D . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 3DALIGN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 3DARRAY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 3DCONFIG (-3DCONFIG) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 3DDISTANCE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
3DROTATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3D Rotate Gizmo Shortcut Menu . 3DSCALE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3D Scale Gizmo Shortcut Menu . . 3DSWIVEL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3DZOOM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Chapter 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46 . 48 . 49 . 51 . 52 . 53 A Commands . . . . . . . . . . . .
Chapter 3 B Commands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115 BASE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115 BATTMAN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116 Block Attribute Manager . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116 Attribute Editor Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118 BATTORDER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123 Attribute Order Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Calculate a Point on a Line . . . . . . Rotate a Point About an Axis . . . . . Obtain an Intersection Point . . . . . Calculate a Distance . . . . . . . . . . Obtain a Radius . . . . . . . . . . . . Obtain an Angle . . . . . . . . . . . . Calculate a Normal Vector . . . . . . . Use Shortcut Functions . . . . . . . . CHAMFER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . CHAMFEREDGE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . CHANGE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . CHPROP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . CIRCLE . . . . . .
CVHIDE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . CVREBUILD . . . . . . . . . . . . Rebuild Surface Dialog Box . Rebuild Curve Dialog Box . . CVREMOVE . . . . . . . . . . . . CVSHOW . . . . . . . . . . . . . . CYLINDER . . . . . . . . . . . . . Chapter 5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
DIMOVERRIDE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 298 DIMRADIUS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 299 DIMREASSOCIATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 301 DIMREGEN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 303 DIMROTATED . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 303 DIMSPACE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 305 DIMSTYLE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Chapter 7 F Commands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 425 FIELD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Insert Field Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . FILL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . FILLET . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . FILLETEDGE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . FIND . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Find and Replace Dialog Box - FIND . FLATSHOT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Flatshot Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . FREESPOT . . . . . . . . . . . .
HELP . . . . . . HIDE . . . . . . HIDEOBJECTS . HIDEPALETTES . Chapter 10 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 501 . 502 . 503 . 504 I Commands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 505 ID . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . IMAGE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . -IMAGE . . .
LAYMCUR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 554 LAYOFF . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 555 LAYOUT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 556 LAYULK . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 558 LAYUNISO . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 559 LEADER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 560 LENGTHEN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
MESHSMOOTHLESS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 637 MESHSMOOTHMORE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 638 MESHSPIN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 639 MESHSPLIT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 641 MESHUNCREASE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 642 MINSERT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 643 MIRROR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Chapter 15 O Commands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 715 OBJECTSCALE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Annotation Object Scale List Dialog Box . Add Scales to Object Dialog Box . . . . . . -OBJECTSCALE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . OFFSET . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . OOPS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . OPEN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Standard File Selection Dialog Boxes . . . OPEN Command Prompt . . . . . . . . . OPTIONS . . . . . .
Plot Stamp Settings Dialog Box . . . Add User Defined Fields Dialog Box . -PLOTSTAMP . . . . . . . . . . . . . PLOTSTYLE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . -PLOTSTYLE . . . . . . . . . . . . . PNGOUT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . POINT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . POINTLIGHT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . POLYGON . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . POLYSOLID . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . PRESSPULL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . PREVIEW . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . PROJECTGEOMETRY .
REDRAWALL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . REGEN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . REGENALL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . REGENAUTO . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . REGION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . RENAME . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Rename Dialog Box . . . . . . . . -RENAME . . . . . . . . . . . . . . RENDER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Render Window . . . . . . . . . . Render Output File Dialog Box . . -RENDER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . RENDERENVIRONMENT . . . . . . . .
New Layer Name Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 929 SECTIONPLANETOBLOCK . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 931 Generate Section /Elevation Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 932 SELECT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 934 SELECTSIMILAR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 938 Select Similar Settings Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 939 SETVAR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
TABLE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1031 -TABLE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1032 TABLEDIT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1034 TABLEEXPORT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1034 TABSURF . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1035 TARGETPOINT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1036 TEXT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
UPDATEFIELD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . UPDATETHUMBSNOW . . . . . . . . . . . UPLOADTOWS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Upload to AutoCAD WS Dialog Box . Chapter 22 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1101 . 1101 . 1102 . 1103 V Commands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1105 VEDITFROMWS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1105 VIEW . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
XREF . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1155 -XREF . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1155 Chapter 25 Z Commands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1159 ZOOM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1159 Zoom Shortcut Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1163 Chapter 26 Command Modifiers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1165 Coordinate Filters (Command Modifier) . . .
AUPREC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1186 AUTOSNAP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1186 Chapter 29 B System Variables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1189 BACKZ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1189 BINDTYPE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1189 BLIPMODE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1190 BLOCKEDITOR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
CONSTRAINTBARMODE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1210 CONSTRAINTINFER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1211 CONSTRAINTNAMEFORMAT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1212 CONSTRAINTRELAX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1212 CONSTRAINTSOLVEMODE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1213 CONTENTSTATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1213 COPYMODE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
DIMAZIN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1240 DIMBLK . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1241 DIMBLK1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1243 DIMBLK2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1243 DIMCEN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1244 DIMCLRD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1244 DIMCLRE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
DIMTIX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1265 DIMTM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1266 DIMTMOVE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1266 DIMTOFL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1267 DIMTOH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1267 DIMTOL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1268 DIMTOLJ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
DRAGVS . . . . . . . . . . . DRAWORDERCTL . . . . . DTEXTED . . . . . . . . . . DWGCHECK . . . . . . . . DWGCODEPAGE . . . . . . DWGNAME . . . . . . . . . DWGPREFIX . . . . . . . . DWGTITLED . . . . . . . . DYNCONSTRAINTMODE . DYNDIGRIP . . . . . . . . . DYNDIVIS . . . . . . . . . . DYNMODE . . . . . . . . . DYNPICOORDS . . . . . . . DYNPIFORMAT . . . . . . . DYNPIVIS . . . . . . . . . . DYNPROMPT . . . . . . . . DYNTOOLTIPS . . . . . . . Chapter 32 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
FILEDIA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1326 FILLETRAD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1327 FILLETRAD3D . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1327 FILLMODE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1328 FONTALT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1328 FONTMAP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1329 FRAME . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
HIGHLIGHT . . . . . . . . . . HPANG . . . . . . . . . . . . . HPANNOTATIVE . . . . . . . . HPASSOC . . . . . . . . . . . . HPBACKGROUNDCOLOR . . . HPBOUND . . . . . . . . . . . HPBOUNDRETAIN . . . . . . . HPCOLOR . . . . . . . . . . . . HPDLGMODE . . . . . . . . . . HPDOUBLE . . . . . . . . . . . HPDRAWORDER . . . . . . . . HPGAPTOL . . . . . . . . . . . HPINHERIT . . . . . . . . . . . HPISLANDDETECTION . . . . . HPISLANDDETECTIONMODE . HPLAYER . . . . . . . . . . . . HPMAXLINES . . . . . . . . . . HPNAME .
ISAVEPERCENT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1379 ISOLINES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1379 Chapter 37 L System Variables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1381 LARGEOBJECTSUPPORT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1381 LASTANGLE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1381 LASTPOINT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1382 LASTPROMPT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
LUPREC . . . LWDEFAULT LWDISPLAY . LWUNITS . . Chapter 38 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1405 . 1405 . 1406 . 1406 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
OSNAPZ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1430 OSOPTIONS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1431 Chapter 41 P System Variables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1433 PALETTEICONSTATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1433 PAPERUPDATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1434 PARAMETERCOPYMODE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1434 PDMODE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
PSLTSCALE . . . PSOLHEIGHT . . PSOLWIDTH . . PSTYLEMODE . . PSTYLEPOLICY . PSVPSCALE . . . PUCSBASE . . . . Chapter 42 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
SELECTSIMILARMODE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1481 SHADEDGE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1482 SHADEDIF . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1482 SHADOWPLANELOCATION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1483 SHORTCUTMENU . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1483 SHORTCUTMENUDURATION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1484 SHOWHIST . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
SURFTAB2 . . . SURFTYPE . . . SURFU . . . . . SURFV . . . . . SYSCODEPAGE Chapter 45 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1510 . 1510 . 1511 . 1511 . 1512 T System Variables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
UCS2DDISPLAYSETTING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1535 UCS3DPARADISPLAYSETTING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1535 UCS3DPERPDISPLAYSETTING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1536 UCSAXISANG . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1537 UCSBASE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1537 UCSDETECT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1538 UCSFOLLOW . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
VSEDGECOLOR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1561 VSEDGEJITTER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1561 VSEDGELEX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1563 VSEDGEOVERHANG . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1563 VSEDGES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1564 VSEDGESMOOTH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1566 VSFACECOLORMODE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Chapter 50 Z System Variables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1595 ZOOMFACTOR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1595 ZOOMWHEEL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1595 Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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Commands You can start a command by using one of the following methods: ■ Click the command name on a menu, status bar, or shortcut menu. ■ Enter the command name or command alias at the Command prompt and press Enter or Spacebar. The acad.pgp file lists the command aliases. In this Command Reference, near the beginning of each command description is a command access section that lists the specific ways you can start that command.
2
3D Commands 1 3D Quick Reference See also: ■ Create Custom Mesh (Legacy) Creates 3D polyface mesh objects in common geometric shapes that can be hidden, shaded, or rendered. List of Prompts The following prompts are displayed. Enter an option [Box on page 3/Cone on page 6/DIsh on page 8/DOme on page 8/Mesh on page 9/Pyramid on page 10/Sphere on page 11/Torus on page 12/Wedge on page 14]: Box Creates a 3D box polyface mesh. Corner of Box Sets the first corner of the box.
Width Specifies the width of the box. Enter a distance or specify a point relative to the corner point of the box. Height of Box Specifies the height of the box. Enter a distance or specify a point relative to the corner point of the box. Rotation Angle Rotates the box about the first corner specified. If you enter 0, the box remains orthogonal to the current X and Y axes. Copy Creates a rotated copy of the box.
Reference Aligns the box with other objects in the drawing or relative to an angle you specify. The base point for the rotation is the first corner of the box. ■ Reference Angle:Defines a reference angle by specifying two points or an angle from the X axis on the XY plane. For example, you can rotate the box to align two specified points on the box with a point on another object. After defining a reference angle, specify a point for the reference angle to align with.
Specify the reference angle <0>: Specify a point, enter an angle, or press Enter You can define a reference angle by specifying two points or an angle from the X axis on the XY plane. For example, you can rotate the box to align two specified points on the box with a point on another object. After defining a reference angle, specify a point for the reference angle to align with. The box then rotates around the first corner relative to the angle of rotation specified for the reference angle.
Radius for Top Defines the top of the cone by its radius. A value of 0 produces a cone. A value greater than 0 produces a truncated cone. Specify height of cone: Specify a distance Enter number of segments for surface of cone <16>: Enter a value greater than 1 or press Enter Diameter for Top Defines the top of the cone by its diameter. A value of 0 produces a cone. A value greater than 0 produces a truncated cone.
Enter number of segments for surface of cone <16>: Enter a value greater than 1 or press Enter Diameter for Top Defines the top of the cone by its diameter. A value of 0 produces a cone. A value greater than 0 produces a truncated cone. Specify diameter for top of cone <0>: Specify a distance Specify height of cone: Specify a distance Enter number of segments for surface of cone <16>: Enter a value greater than 1 or press Enter Dish Creates the lower half of a spherical polygon mesh.
Enter number of longitudinal segments for surface of dome: Enter a value greater than 1 or press Enter Enter number of latitudinal segments for surface of dome <8>: Enter a value greater than 1 or press Enter Diameter Defines the dome by its diameter.
Pyramid Creates a pyramid or a tetrahedron. Specify first corner point for base of pyramid: Specify a point (1) Specify second corner point for base of pyramid: Specify a point (2) Specify third corner point for base of pyramid: Specify a point (3) Specify fourth corner point for base of pyramid or [Tetrahedron]: Specify a point (4) or enter t Fourth Corner Point Defines the fourth corner point of the base of a pyramid.
Top Defines the top of the pyramid as a rectangle. If the top points cross, they create a self-intersecting polygon mesh. Specify first corner point for top of pyramid: Specify a point Specify second corner point for top of pyramid: Specify a point Specify third corner point for top of pyramid: Specify a point Specify fourth corner point for top of pyramid: Specify a point Tetrahedron Creates a tetrahedral polygon mesh.
Radius Defines the sphere by its radius. Enter number of longitudinal segments for surface of sphere <16>: Enter a value greater than 1 or press Enter Enter number of latitudinal segments for surface of sphere <16>: Enter a value greater than 1 or press Enter Diameter Defines the sphere by its diameter.
Specify radius of torus or [Diameter]: Specify a distance or enter d The radius of the torus is measured from its center point to its outside edge, not to the center of the tube. Radius of Torus Radius Defines the torus by its radius. Specify radius of tube or [Diameter]: Specify a distance or enter d Diameter of Torus Defines the torus by its diameter.
Diameter of Tube Defines the tube by its diameter. Specify diameter of tube: Specify a distance Enter number of segments around tube circumference <16>: Enter a value greater than 1 or press Enter Enter number of segments around torus circumference <16>: Enter a value greater than 1 or press Enter Wedge Creates a right-angle, wedge-shaped polygon mesh with a sloped face tapering along the X axis.
Aligns objects with other objects in 2D and 3D. Access Methods Button Toolbar: Modeling tool set ➤ Copy tool group ➤ 3D Align Menu: Modify ➤ 3D Operations ➤ 3D Align Summary You can specify one, two, or three points for the source object. Then, you can specify one, two, or three points for the destination. List of Prompts The following prompts are displayed. Select objects: Select the objects to align and press Enter Specify source plane and orientation . . .
with dynamic UCS (DUCS), so you can dynamically drag the selected objects and align them with the face of a solid object. Specify base point or [Copy]: Specify a point or enter c to create a copy The base point of the source object will be moved to the base point of the destination.
3DARRAY Quick Reference See also: ■ Create an Array of Objects Creates a 3D matrix of objects in a rectangular or polar arrangement. Access Methods Button Toolbar: Modeling tool set ➤ Copy tool group ➤ 3D Array Menu: Modify ➤ 3D Operations ➤ 3D Array Summary For 3D rectangular arrays, in addition to columns and rows, you also specify the number of levels in the Z direction. For 3D polar arrays, you specify the axis of rotation with any two points in space.
The entire selection set is treated as a single element in the array. List of Prompts The following prompts are displayed. Enter type of array [Rectangular/Polar] : Enter an option or press Enter Rectangular Array Copies objects in a matrix of rows (X axis), columns (Y axis), and levels (Z axis). An array must have at least two rows or two columns or two levels. Specifying one row requires that more than one column be specified, and vice versa. Specifying one level creates a two-dimensional array.
Positive values generate the array along the positive X, Y, and Z axes. Negative values generate the array along the negative X, Y, and Z axes. Polar Array Copies objects about an axis of rotation. The specified angle determines how far the objects are arrayed about the axis of rotation. A positive number produces a counterclockwise array rotation. A negative number produces a clockwise array rotation. Entering y or pressing Enter rotates each array element.
These lines are called tessellation lines. Objects in your drawing appear smoother when you use more tessellation lines. Surface Tessellation Determines the amount of detail for surfaces in your drawing. A higher setting provides more detail but uses more tessellation lines and more memory. Curve Tessellation Determines the amount of detail for curves in your drawing. A higher setting provides more detail but uses more tessellation lines and more memory.
When you select Hardware, the default driver is set to AcadDM10.bundle which is included with the program. ■ Driver Name. You can select a driver from a list of available hardware-accelerated drivers found in the Drv directory. If you want to use ® a hardware driver from another vendor, it must be supported by the Heidi Graphics System. ■ Enhanced 3D Performance. Enables a more efficient use of the graphic card when working with 3D objects.
3DDISTANCE Quick Reference See also: ■ Use 3D Navigation Tools Starts the interactive 3D view and makes objects appear closer or farther away. Access Methods Menu: View ➤ Camera ➤ Adjust Distance Shortcut menu: Start any 3D navigation command, right-click in the drawing area, and click Other Navigation Modes ➤ Adjust Distance (4). Summary 3DDISTANCE changes the cursor to a line with one arrow pointing up and one pointing down.
Understand the 3D Edit Bar Grips The 3D Edit Bar has three grips: ■ The expander grip (triangular grip) 3DEDITBAR | 23
■ The magnitude handle (circular grip) 24 | Chapter 1 3D Commands
■ The move gizmo (square grip) List of Prompts The following prompts are displayed. Select a NURBS surface or curve Selects the 3D objects you want to edit. When you have selected the objects, press Enter. Base point Specifies the next edit point. Displacement Specifies a relative distance and direction for the placement of the CV using coordinate values that you enter at the command prompt. Undo Cancels the action without exiting the CV Edit Bar.
3D Edit Bar Shortcut Menu Quick Reference See also: ■ Use the CV Edit Bar Displays options to set the tangency and location of a control vertex and move or align the edit bar. Access Methods Shortcut menu: Right-click the Expander grip. Summary When you right-click the triangular tangency grip a shortcut menu appears.
■ Edit the tangent scale (Move Tangent Direction) ■ Move the base point to edit a different part of the surface (Relocate Base Point) ■ Realign the gizmo (the edit bar). ■ Whether to reshape the curve (Move Point Location) or the tangency (Move Tangent Direction). Different options appear depending on what option you select. List of Options The following options are displayed. Move Point Location When selected, moving the base point reshapes the NURBS surface (and not the tangency).
■ Face 3DFACE Quick Reference See also: ■ Create Custom Mesh (Legacy) Creates a three-sided or four-sided surface in 3D space. Access Methods Menu: Draw ➤ 3D Modeling ➤ Meshes ➤ 3D Face Summary List of Prompts The following prompts are displayed. Specify first point or [Invisible]: Specify a point (1) or enter i First Point Defines the start point for the 3D surface. After entering the first point, enter the remaining points in a natural clockwise or counterclockwise order to create a normal 3D face.
Specify second point or [Invisible]: Specify a point (2) or enter i Specify third point or [Invisible] : Specify a point (3), enter i, or press Enter Specify fourth point or [Invisible] : Specify a point (4), enter i, or press Enter The Third Point and Fourth Point prompts are repeated until you press Enter. Specify points 5 and 6 at these repeating prompts. When you finish entering points, press Enter.
Shortcut menu: Start any 3D navigation command, right-click in the drawing area, and click Other Navigations Modes ➤ Free Orbit (2). Summary Selecting one of more objects before starting this command limits the display to those objects only. While the command is active, right-click to display additional options from a shortcut menu. 3DFORBIT activates a 3D Free Orbit view in the current viewport.
3D Free Orbit Cursor Icons Quick Reference See also: ■ Use 3D Navigation Tools While using 3D Free Orbit, the cursor changes as it is moved to indicate how the model will be orbited when clicking and dragging. View rotation is determined by the placement and appearance of the cursor as follows: Sphere Encircled by Two Lines When you move the cursor inside the arcball, it changes to a small sphere encircled by two lines. If you click and drag in the drawing area you can move freely around the objects.
Vertical Ellipse When you move the cursor over one of the small circles on the top or bottom of the arcball, it becomes a vertical ellipse. Clicking and dragging from either of these points rotates the view around the horizontal or X axis through the middle of the arcball. 3DMESH Quick Reference See also: ■ Create Custom Mesh (Legacy) Creates a free-form polygon mesh.
Size of mesh in N direction Sets the N direction value. Enter a value between 2 and 256. M times N equals the number of vertices that you must specify. Location for vertex (0, 0) Sets the coordinate location of the vertex. Enter a 2D or 3D coordinate. The location of each vertex in the mesh is defined by m and n, the row and column indices of the vertex. Defining vertices begins with vertex (0,0). You must supply the coordinate locations for each vertex in row m before specifying vertices in row m + 1.
3DMOVE Quick Reference See also: ■ Move 3D Objects In a 3D view, displays the 3D Move gizmo to aid in moving 3D objects a specified distance in a specified direction. Access Methods Menu: Modify ➤ 3D Operations ➤ 3D Move Summary With the 3D Move gizmo, you can move selected objects and subobjects freely or constrain the movement to an axis or plane. If the default gizmo (DEFAULTGIZMO) is 3D Move, the 3D Move gizmo is displayed whenever you select an object in a view with a 3D visual style.
The 3D Move gizmo is displayed at the center of the selected 3D object or objects by default. You can use the shortcut menu to change its location. You can also align the 3D Move gizmo with the plane of a face or object by using the Align Gizmo With ➤ Face option on the shortcut menu. The direction of the move operation is then constrained relative to this workplane. When the 3D Move gizmo is displayed, the 3D Move Gizmo shortcut menu offers options for aligning, moving, or changing to another gizmo.
Stretch point When you are specifying the move using the gizmo, sets the new location of the selected objects. Drag and click to move the objects dynamically. Copy When you are specifying the move using the gizmo, creates a copy of the selected objects instead of moving them. You can make multiple copies by continuing to specify locations. Base point Specifies the base point of the 3D objects you want to move. ■ Second point. Specifies where the 3D object or objects will be dragged.
Access Methods Shortcut menu: Right-click the 3D Move gizmo List of Options The following options are displayed. Move Activates the 3D Move gizmo. Rotate Activates the 3D Rotate gizmo. Scale Activates the 3D Scale gizmo. Set Constraint Sets whether the change is constrained to a specific axis. ■ X, Y or Z. Restricts the change to the designated axis. ■ XY, YX, or ZX. Restricts the change to a plane that is defined by the selected axes. Relocate Gizmo Moves the gizmo to the point you specify.
3DORBIT Quick Reference See also: ■ Use 3D Navigation Tools Rotates the view in 3D space, but constrained to horizontal and vertical orbit only. Access Methods Button Menu: View ➤ Orbit ➤ Constrained Orbit Shortcut menu: Start any 3D navigation command, right-click in the drawing area, and click Other Navigations Modes ➤ Constrained Orbit (1). Toolbar: Status bar (expanded) ➤ 3D Orbit Summary Selecting one of more objects before starting this command limits the display to those objects only.
NOTE You cannot edit objects while the 3DORBIT command is active. While the command is active, you can access additional 3DORBIT options and modes from a shortcut menu by right-clicking in the drawing area, or choosing buttons on the 3D Navigation toolbar. See 3D Orbit Shortcut Menu on page 39. 3D Orbit Shortcut Menu Quick Reference See also: ■ Use 3D Navigation Tools When the 3DORBIT command (or any 3D navigation command or mode) is active, you can access the options on the 3D Orbit shortcut menu.
■ Pan (9). Changes the cursor to a hand cursor and moves the view in the direction that you drag. See 3DPAN. TIP You can switch to any mode by using the shortcut menu or by entering the number displayed after its name. Enable Orbit Auto Target Keeps the target point on the objects you are viewing rather than on the center of the viewport. This feature is turned on by default. Zoom Window Changes the cursor to a window icon so that you can select a specific area to zoom in on.
Preset Views Displays a list of predefined views such as Top, Bottom, and SW Isometric. Choose a view from the list to change the current view of your model. Named Views Displays a list of named views in the drawing. Choose a named view from the list to change the current view of your model. Visual Styles Provides methods for shading objects. For more information about visual styles, see Use a Visual Style to Display Your Model. The options are the same as the options in VSCURRENT on page 1126.
Sets the center of rotation in 3D Orbit view. Summary Starts 3D Orbit view and uses a center of rotation that you specify with your pointing device. If you specify a point outside the current view, 3DORBITCTR ignores the specified point and uses the default center of rotation. 3DORBITCTR overrides the AutoTarget option in the 3DORBIT command.
NOTE Because 3D object snaps can slow performance, select only the object snaps you need. -3DOSNAP Quick Reference Uses command prompts to set running object snap modes for 3D objects. List of Prompts The following prompts are displayed. Enter List of Object Snap Modes Specify one or more object snap modes by entering the first four characters of the name. If you enter more than one, separate the names with commas. ■ ZVERtex. Snaps to a vertex or a control vertex. ■ ZMIDpoint.
When a drawing is in a Perspective view, starts the interactive 3D view and enables you to drag the view horizontally and vertically. Access Methods Menu: View ➤ Pan ➤ Realtime Shortcut menu: Start any 3D navigation command, right-click in the drawing area, and click Other Navigation Modes ➤ Pan (9). Toolbar: Status bar ➤ Pan Summary Moves in the direction that you drag. You can drag the view vertically, horizontally, or diagonally. 3DPAN changes the cursor to a hand cursor.
Summary A 3D polyline is a connected sequence of straight line segments created as a single object. 3D polylines can be non-coplanar; however, they cannot include arc segments. List of Prompts The following prompts are displayed.
3DROTATE Quick Reference See also: ■ Rotate 3D Objects In a 3D view, displays the 3D Rotate gizmo to aid in revolving 3D objects around a base point. Access Methods Menu: Modify ➤ 3D Operations ➤ 3D Rotate Summary With the 3D Rotate gizmo, you can rotate selected objects and subobjects freely or constrain the rotation to an axis.
If you are working in a viewport with 2D Wireframe set as the visual style, 3DROTATE temporarily changes the visual style to 3D Wireframe for the duration of the command. The 3D Rotate gizmo is displayed at the center of the selected object or objects by default. You can adjust the axis of rotation by using the shortcut menu to change the location of the gizmo. When the 3D Rotate gizmo is displayed, the 3D Rotate Gizmo shortcut menu offers options for aligning, moving, or changing to another gizmo.
Specify angle end point Rotates the object about the specified axis. Click to end the rotation. 3D Rotate Gizmo Shortcut Menu Quick Reference See also: ■ Rotate 3D Objects Displays options to set the constraint of a 3D object, switch gizmos, and move or align the gizmo. Access Methods Shortcut menu: Right-click the 3D Rotate gizmo List of Options The following options are displayed. Move Activates the 3D Move gizmo. Rotate Activates the 3D Rotate gizmo. Scale Activates the 3D Scale gizmo.
■ Current UCS ■ Face Custom Gizmo Allows you to define the current gizmo by specifying one, two, or three points, or an object. Respect Dynamic UCS When relocating the gizmo, as you move the cursor, temporarily aligns the XY plane of the UCS with the faces or edges. 3DSCALE Quick Reference See also: ■ Scale 3D Objects In a 3D view, displays the 3D Scale gizmo to aid in resizing 3D objects.
■ Constrain the scale to a plane. Click between the parallel lines between the axes that define the plane. This option is only available for meshes, not solids or surfaces. ■ Constrain the scale to an axis. Click the axis. This option is only available for meshes, not solids or surfaces. Specify scale factor Specifies the amount of change. Drag to dynamically modify the size of the selected objects or enter a scale value. For example, enter 2 to double the size of the selection.
■ New Length. Sets the relative value used to calculate the new size. For example, if the reference length is 1 and the new length is 3, the size of the selected objects is tripled. ■ Points. Specifies the relative value used to calculate the new size based on two points that you specify. 3D Scale Gizmo Shortcut Menu Quick Reference See also: ■ Use Gizmos to Modify Objects Displays options to set the constraint of a 3D object, switch gizmos, and move or align the gizmo.
■ XY, YX, or ZX. Restricts the change to a plane that is defined by the selected axes. ■ XYZ. Applies the scaling uniformly to all axes. NOTE Unlike most other objects, mesh objects support non-uniform scale. Relocate Gizmo Moves the gizmo to the point you specify. Align Gizmo With Sets the alignment for the change. Options include: ■ World UCS ■ Current UCS ■ Face Custom Gizmo Allows you to define the current gizmo by specifying one, two, or three points, or an object.
3DZOOM Quick Reference See also: ■ Specify 3D Views Zooms in and out in a perspective view. Access Methods Menu: View ➤ Zoom Shortcut menu: Start any 3D navigation command, right-click in the drawing area, and click Other Navigation Modes ➤ Zoom (8). Toolbar: Status bar ➤ Zoom Summary Zooming in a perspective view simulates moving the camera closer to the target or farther away. Objects appear closer or farther away, but the position of the camera does not change.
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A Commands 2 ABOUT Quick Reference See also: ■ Start a Drawing Displays information about AutoCAD for Mac. Access Methods Menu: AutoCAD for Mac ➤ About AutoCAD for Mac Command entry: 'about for transparent use Summary Copyright information and product information is displayed. Product information includes the version number and service pack, serial number, license type and expiration date, and the text of the license agreement. You can save the product information as a text file.
ACISIN Quick Reference See also: ■ Import ACIS SAT Files Imports an ACIS (SAT) file and creates 3D solid, body, or region objects. Access Methods Menu: Insert ➤ ACIS File Summary The Select ACIS File box is displayed. Select the file to import in the File Name list. The SAT (ASCII) ACIS file is imported into the drawing. NOTE ACISIN imports SAT files up to ACIS version 7.0. ACISOUT Quick Reference See also: ■ Export ACIS SAT Files Exports a body object, solid, or region to an ACIS file.
ADDSELECTED Quick Reference See also: ■ Copy, Offset, or Mirror Objects Creates a new object based on the object type and general properties of a selected object. Access Methods Shortcut menu: Select a single object, right-click, and click Add Selected. Summary Differs from COPY by duplicating only the general properties on page 832 of an object.
Object type Special properties supported by ADDSELECTED Multileader Multileader Style, Overall Scale Table Table Style Hatch Pattern, Scale, Rotation Block Reference, External Reference Name Underlays (DWF, DGN, Image, and PDF) Name List of Prompts The following prompt is displayed. Select object: Use an object selection method The prompts vary by object type. ALIGN Quick Reference See also: ■ Align Objects Aligns objects with other objects in 2D and 3D.
Menu: Modify ➤ 3D Operations ➤ Align Summary Either one, two, or three pairs of source points and definition points can be specified to move, rotate, or tilt the selected objects, aligning them with points on another object. List of Prompts The following prompts are displayed.
After you enter the second set of points, you are prompted to scale the object. The distance between the first and second destination points (2, 4) is used as the reference length to which the object is scaled. Scaling is available only when you are aligning objects using two point pairs. NOTE If you use two source and destination points to perform a 3D alignment on nonperpendicular working planes, you get unpredictable results.
Because of increased accuracy in the new solid modeler, AME models may look slightly different after conversion. This difference is noticeable where the previous version of the solid modeler identified the surfaces of two different shapes as so close as to be considered in the same plane. The new solid modeler's finer tolerance may interpret these surfaces as being slightly offset. This phenomenon is most apparent with aligned features such as fillets, chamfers, and through-holes.
Access Methods Button Toolbar: Modeling tool set ➤ Analysis tool group ➤ Surface Analysis flyout ➤ Curvature Analysis Summary Allows you to visualize Gaussian, minimum, maximum, and mean U and V surface curvature. Maximum curvature and a positive Gaussian value display as green; minimum curvature and a negative Gaussian value display as blue. Positive Gaussian curvature means that the surface is shaped like a bowl. Negative Gaussian curvature means the surface is shaped like a saddle (as shown below).
ANALYSISDRAFT Quick Reference See also: ■ Use the Draft Analysis Tool Displays a color gradient onto a 3D model to evaluate whether there is adequate space between a part and its mold. Access Methods Button Toolbar: Modeling tool set ➤ Analysis tool group ➤ Surface Analysis flyout ➤ Draft Analysis Summary The color spectrum shows draft angle changes within a specified range. The maximum draft angle displays as red, and the minimum draft angle displays as blue.
If the surface is parallel to the construction plane with surface normals facing in the same direction as the current UCS, the draft angle is 90.0. When perpendicular, it is 0. If the surface is parallel to the current UCS with surface normals facing in the opposite direction than the current UCS, the draft angle is -90.0. To change the draft analysis display settings, use the Draft Angle tab on page 68 of the Analysis Options dialog box on page 65.
Access Methods Button Toolbar: Modeling tool set ➤ Analysis tool group ➤ Surface Analysis flyout ➤ Analysis Options Summary The Analysis Options dialog box on page 65is displayed. Analysis Options Dialog Box Quick Reference See also: ■ Analyze Surfaces Sets the display options for zebra, curvature, and draft analysis.
Zebra Tab (Analysis Options Dialog Box) Quick Reference See also: ■ Analyze Surfaces Changes the display settings for the ANALYSISZEBRA command. List of Options The following options are displayed. Select Objects to Analyze Prompts you to select the surface objects to analyze. When you are done selecting objects, press Enter to return to the dialog box. Stripe Display Stripe Direction Specifies the display angle.
Curvature Tab (Analysis Options Dialog Box) Quick Reference See also: ■ Analyze Surfaces Changes the display settings for the ANALYSISCURVATURE command. List of Options The following options are displayed. Select objects to analyze Prompts you to select the surface objects to analyze. When you are done selecting objects, press Enter to return to the dialog box. Color Mapping Display Style Specifies the display for color mapping (VSACURVATURETYPE on page 1556 system variable).
Draft Angle Tab (Analysis Options Dialog Box) Quick Reference See also: ■ Analyze Surfaces Changes the display settings for the ANALYSISDRAFT command. List of Options The following options are available. Select objects to analyze Prompts you to select the surface objects to analyze. When you are done selecting objects, press Enter to return to the dialog box. Color Mapping Maps green to the highest draft angle, red to the medium draft angle, and blue to the lowest draft angle.
ANALYSISZEBRA Quick Reference See also: ■ Analyze Surface Continuity with Zebra Analysis Projects stripes onto a 3D model to analyze surface continuity. Access Methods Button Toolbar: Modeling tool set ➤ Analysis tool group ➤ Surface Analysis flyout ➤ Zebra Analysis Summary The way the stripes line up where two surfaces meet, helps analyze the tangency and curvature of the intersection.
In this example, the surface continuity is G0 because the surface edges are coincident, but they are not tangent and they have different curvatures. The fact that the stripes are not aligned shows that the surfaces are not tangent. To change the zebra analysis display settings, use the Zebra Analysis tab on page 66 of the Analysis Options dialog box on page 65.
ANNOUPDATE Quick Reference See also: ■ Work with Annotative Styles Updates existing annotative objects to match the current properties of their styles. Summary When a non-annotative text object is updated to an annotative text style, the object becomes annotative and supports the current annotation scale on page 1598. If the text style has a fixed Paper Height, the object is set to that height. If the text style’s Paper Height is set to 0, the size of the text does not change.
controls the size of the object snap box. The higher the number, the larger the target box. You can also change this setting in the Application Preferences dialog box, Cursor & Selection tab. APERTURE controls the object snap target box, not the pickbox displayed at the Select Objects prompt. The object selection pickbox is controlled by the PICKBOX on page 1441 system variable.
Load/Unload Applications Dialog Box Quick Reference See also: ■ Overview of AutoLISP Automatic Loading Loads and unloads applications and defines which applications to load at startup. Summary Loads and unloads applications and specifies applications to be loaded at startup.
List of Options The following options are displayed. The options at the top of this dialog box are derived from the standard file selection dialog box. Following are descriptions of the additional options provided by the Load/Unload Applications dialog box: Load Loads or reloads the applications that are currently selected either in the files list or on the History List tab. Load is unavailable until you select a file that you can load.
Unloads the selected applications or removes them from the History List. Unload is available only when a file is selected on the Loaded Applications tab. Remove is available only when you select a file on the History List tab. LISP applications cannot be unloaded, nor can ObjectARX applications that are not registered for unloading. NOTE Remove does not unload the selected application. The Remove option is also available from a shortcut menu by right-clicking an application on the History List tab.
List of Options The following options are displayed. List of Applications Displays an alphabetical list (by file name) of the application files to load at startup. Add Displays the Add File to Startup Suite dialog box. You can use this dialog box to select files to add to the startup suite. Remove Removes selected files from the Startup Suite. ARC Quick Reference See also: ■ Draw Arcs Creates an arc.
Access Methods Button Toolbar: Drafting tool set ➤ Open Shapes tool group ➤ Arc flyout Menu: Draw ➤ Arc Summary To create an arc, you can specify combinations of center, endpoint, start point, radius, angle, chord length, and direction values. List of Prompts The following prompts are displayed. Specify start pointof arc or [Center]: Specify a point, enter c, or press ENTER to start tangent to last line, arc, or polyline Start Point Specifies the starting point of the arc.
Specify center point of arc: Specify end point of arc or [Angle/chord Length]: End Point Using the center point (2), draws an arc counterclockwise from the start point (1) to an endpoint that falls on an imaginary ray drawn from the center point through the third point (3). The arc does not necessarily pass through this third point, as shown in the illustration. Angle Draws an arc counterclockwise from the start point (1) using a center point (2) with a specified included angle.
Center Point Draws an arc counterclockwise from the start point (1) to an endpoint that falls on an imaginary ray drawn from the center point (3) through the second point specified (2). Angle Draws an arc counterclockwise from the start point (1) to an endpoint (2), with a specified included angle. If the angle is negative, a clockwise arc is drawn.
End Point Draws an arc counterclockwise from the start point (2) to an endpoint that falls on an imaginary ray drawn from the center point (1) through a specified point (3). Angle Draws an arc counterclockwise from the start point (2) using a center point (1) with a specified included angle. If the angle is negative, a clockwise arc is drawn. Specify included angle: Chord Length Draws either a minor or a major arc based on the distance of a straight line between the start point and endpoint.
AREA Quick Reference See also: ■ Obtain Area and Mass Properties Information Calculates the area and perimeter of objects or of defined areas. Summary Several commands are available to provide area information including AREA, MEASUREGEOM on page 608, and MASSPROP on page 591. Alternatively, use BOUNDARY on page 137 to create a closed polyline or region. Then use LIST on page 574 or the Properties Inspector on page 830 to find the area. List of Prompts The following prompts are displayed.
Object Calculates the area and perimeter of a selected object. You can calculate the area of circles, ellipses, splines, polylines, polygons, regions, and 3D solids. NOTE 2D solids (created with the SOLID on page 955 command) do not have an area reported. Select object: If you select an open polyline, the area is calculated as if a line were drawn from the last point entered to the first. When the perimeter is calculated that line length is ignored.
individual areas and perimeters of defined areas and objects and the total area of all defined areas and objects. You can also select to specify the points. A rubberband line from the first specified point to the cursor is displayed Specify points to define a polygon (3). The area to be added is highlighted in green. Press ENTER. AREA calculates the area and perimeter and returns the total area of all the areas defined by selecting points or objects since Add mode was turned on.
ARRAY Quick Reference See also: ■ Create an Array of Objects Creates multiple copies of objects in a pattern. Access Methods Button Toolbar: Drafting tool set ➤ Copy tool group ➤ Array Menu: Modify ➤ Array Summary You can create copies of objects in a regularly spaced rectangular, polar, or path array. You can create rectangular, polar, or path arrays by choosing the appropriate option. Each object in an array can be manipulated independently.
Array Dialog Box Quick Reference Creates multiple copies of objects in a pattern. List of Options The following options are displayed. Rectangular Array Creates an array of rows and columns of copies of the selected object.
Rows Specifies the number of rows in the array. If you specify one row, you must specify more than one column. If you specify a large number of rows and columns for the array, it might take a while to create the copies. By default, the maximum number of array elements that you can generate in one command is 100,000. The limit is set by the MAXARRAY setting in the registry. To reset the limit to 200,000, for example, enter (setenv "MaxArray" "200000") at the Command prompt.
on page 1096. The ANGBASE on page 1177 and ANGDIR on page 1178 system variables affect the angle of arrays. Pick Both Offsets Temporarily closes the Array dialog box so that you can use the pointing device to set the row and column spacing by specifying two diagonal corners of a rectangle. Pick Row Offset Temporarily closes the Array dialog box so that you can use the pointing device to specify the distance between rows.
Center Point Specifies the center point of the polar array. Enter coordinate values for X and Y, or choose Pick Center Point to use the pointing device to specify the location. Pick Center Point Temporarily closes the Array dialog box so that you can use the pointing device to specify the center point in the drawing area. Methods Specifies the method and values used to position objects in the polar array. Method Sets the method used to position objects.
Pick Angle to Fill Temporarily closes the Array dialog box so that you can define the included angle between the base points of the first and last elements in the array. ARRAY prompts you to select a point relative to another point in the drawing area. Angle Between Items Sets the included angle between the base points of the arrayed objects and the center of the array. Enter a positive value. The default direction value is 90.
Base point settings by object Object type Default base point Construction lines Midpoint Region Grip point Set to Object's Default Uses the default base point of the object to position the arrayed object. To manually set the base point, clear this option. Base Point NOTE To avoid unexpected results, set the base point manually if you are constructing a polar array and do not want to rotate the objects. Select Objects Specifies the objects used to construct the array.
-ARRAY Quick Reference See also: ■ Create an Array of Objects List of Prompts The following prompts are displayed. Select objects: Use an object selection method Enter the type of array [“Rectangular”/“Polar”] : Enter an option or press Enter Rectangular Creates an array of rows and columns of copies of the selected objects.
current snap rotation. This angle is normally 0, so the rows and columns are orthogonal with respect to the X and Y drawing axes. The Rotate option of the SNAP on page 951 command changes the angle and creates a rotated array. The SNAPANG on page 1491 system variable stores the snap rotation angle. If you specify a large number of rows and columns for the array, it might take a while to create the copies. By default, the maximum number of array elements that you can generate in one command is 100,000.
If you specify an angle to fill without providing the number of items, or if you specify the number of items and enter 0 as the angle to fill or press Enter, the following prompt is displayed: Angle between items: Specify an angle If you specified the number of items and entered 0 as the angle to fill or pressed Enter, ARRAY prompts for a positive or negative value to indicate the direction of the array: Angle between items (+=ccw, -=cw): Enter a positive integer for a counterclockwise rotation or a negativ
Groups Causes the specified group of commands to be the first group searched when resolving the names of AutoCAD commands. Commands Lists the AcEd-registered commands (AcEd-registered commands are described in the ObjectARX Developer's Guide). Classes Displays a class hierarchy of C++ classes derived from objects registered in the system. Services Lists the names of all registered services. Load Displays the ObjectARX/DBX File dialog box (a standard file selection dialog box).
ATTDEF Quick Reference See also: ■ Define Block Attributes Creates an attribute definition for storing data in a block. Access Methods Button Toolbar: Drafting tool set ➤ Block tool group ➤ Define Attributes Menu: Draw ➤ Block ➤ Define Attributes Summary The Attribute Definition dialog box is displayed. If you enter -attdef at the Command prompt, options are displayed. An attribute is an object that is created and included with a block definition.
List of Options The following options are displayed. Attribute Sets attribute data. Tag Identifies each occurrence of an attribute in the drawing. Enter the attribute tag using any combination of characters except spaces. Lowercase letters are automatically changed to uppercase. Prompt Specifies the prompt that is displayed when you insert a block containing this attribute definition. If you do not enter a prompt, the attribute tag is used as a prompt.
This button is available when you are not creating a multiline attribute. If you are creating a multiline attribute, right-click in the multiline in-place text editor and choose Field. Multiline Editor Button When Multiple Line mode is selected, displays an in-place text editor with a text formatting toolbar and ruler. Depending on the setting of the ATTIPE on page 1182 system variable, the Text Formatting toolbar displayed is either the abbreviated version, or the full version.
Multiline Text Width Specifies the maximum length of the lines of text in a multiple-line attribute before wrapping to the next line. A value of 0.000 means that there is no restriction on the length of a line of text. Not available for single-line attributes. Advanced Options Contains options to set the behavior and insertion position for the attribute. Attribute Options Sets options for attribute values associated with a block when you insert the block in a drawing.
Insertion Point Specifies the location for the attribute. Enter coordinate values or select Specify On-screen and use the pointing device to specify the placement of the attribute in relation to the objects that it will be associated with. Specify On-Screen Displays a Start Point prompt when the dialog box closes. Use the pointing device to specify the placement of the attribute in relation to the objects that it will be associated with.
Enter attribute prompt: Enter the text for the prompt line or press ENTER (this prompt is not displayed if you turned on Constant mode) Enter default attribute value: Enter the appropriate text or press ENTER (this prompt is not displayed if you turned on Constant mode) Specify location of multiline attribute: Specify a point (this prompt is displayed only if you turned on Multiple line mode) Specify opposite corner: Specify a point or enter an option (this prompt is displayed only if you turned on Multiple
NOTE For single-line attributes, you can enter up to 256 characters. If you need leading blanks in the prompt or the default value, start the string with a backslash (\). To make the first character a backslash, start the string with two backslashes. Default Attribute Value Specifies the default attribute value. The default attribute value appears when a block is inserted into your drawing. A default value is not required. If you turn on Constant mode, the Attribute Value prompt is displayed instead.
Opposite Corner (Multiple Line Mode) As you drag the pointing device to specify the opposite corner, a rectangle is displayed to show the location and width of the multiple-line text. The arrow within the rectangle indicates the direction of the text flow. ATTDISP Quick Reference See also: ■ Define Block Attributes Controls the visibility overrides for all block attributes in a drawing.
current visibility of attributes is stored in the ATTMODE on page 1183 system variable. List of Prompts The following prompts are displayed. Enter attribute visibility setting [Normal/ON/OFF] : Normal Restores the visibility settings of each attribute. Visible attributes are displayed. Invisible attributes are not displayed. On Makes all attributes visible, overriding the original visibility settings. Off Makes all attributes invisible, overriding the original visibility settings.
Edit Attributes Dialog Box Quick Reference See also: ■ Attach Data to Blocks (Block Attributes) Changes attribute information in a block. Summary To change attribute properties such as position, height, and style, use -ATTEDIT. List of Options The following options are displayed. Block Name Indicates the name of the selected block. The value of each attribute contained in the block is displayed in this dialog box. List of Attributes Displays the first eight attributes contained in the block.
Multiple-line attributes display the In-Place Text Editor on page 674 with the Text Formatting toolbar and the ruler. Depending on the setting of the ATTIPE on page 1182 system variable, the Text Formatting toolbar displayed is either the abbreviated version, or the full version. To use a field as the value, right-click and click Insert Field on the shortcut menu to display the Field dialog box. Prev Displays the previous eight attribute values.
The first attribute in the selection set is marked with an X. You can change any properties of the attribute you select. Enter an option [Value/Position/Height/Angle/Style/Layer/Color/Next] : Enter the property to change, or press Enter for the next attribute If the original attribute was defined with aligned or fit text, the prompt does not include Angle. The Height option is omitted for aligned text. For each of the options except Next, ATTEDIT prompts for a new value.
If the attribute is aligned, ATTEDIT prompts for both ends of a new text baseline. Height Changes the text height. When you specify a point, the height becomes the distance between the specified point and the start point of the text. Angle Changes the rotation angle. If you specify a point, the text is rotated along an imaginary line between the specified point and the start point of the text. Style Changes the style setting.
Layer Changes the layer. Color Changes the color. You can enter a color from the AutoCAD Color Index (a color name or number), a true color, or a color from a color book. You can enter a color name, a color number between 1 and 255, or bylayer or byblock. True Color Specifies a true color to be used for the selected object. Color Book Specifies a color from a loaded color book to be used for the selected object.
Either string can be empty (null). The ? and * characters are interpreted literally, not as wild-card characters. ATTEXT (-ATTEXT) Quick Reference See also: ■ Attach Data to Blocks (Block Attributes) Extracts attribute data, informational text associated with a block, into a file.
ATTIPEDIT Quick Reference See also: ■ Modify a Block Attribute Definition Changes the textual content of an attribute within a block. Use the abbreviated version for compatibility with previous AutoCAD for Mac releases and editing operations. Use the full version for additional text formatting options. NOTE Not all MTEXT formatting options are available for multiline attributes even with the full In-Place Editor. List of Prompts The following prompts are displayed.
WARNING ATTREDEF removes any format or property changes made with the ATTEDIT or EATTEDIT commands. It also deletes any extended data associated with the block, and might affect dynamic blocks and blocks created by third-party applications. List of Prompts The following prompts are displayed.
Use this command to update all instances of a block containing attributes that was redefined using the BLOCK or BEDIT commands. ATTSYNC does not change any values assigned to attributes in existing blocks. NOTE Use the ATTREDEF command to redefine and update blocks in one command. Entering ? displays a list of all block definitions in the drawing. Enter the name of the block you want to update. Pressing ENTER allows you to use your pointing device to select the block whose attributes you want to update.
AUTOCONSTRAIN Quick Reference See also: ■ Apply or Remove Geometric Constraints Applies geometric constraints to a selection set of objects based on orientation of the objects relative to one another. Access Methods Button Toolbar: Drafting tool set ➤ Parametric tool group ➤ Auto Menu: Parametric ➤ AutoConstrain Summary You can apply geometric constraints to a selection set of geometry within the specified tolerance set using the AutoConstrain tab in the Constraint Settings dialog box on page 203.
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B Commands 3 BASE Quick Reference See also: ■ Insert Blocks Sets the insertion base point for the current drawing. Access Methods Button Toolbar: Drafting tool set ➤ Block tool group (expanded) ➤ Set Base Point Menu: Draw ➤ Block ➤ Base Command entry: base (or 'base for transparent use) Summary The base point is expressed as coordinates in the current UCS. When you insert or externally reference the current drawing into other drawings, this base point is used as the insertion base point.
BATTMAN Quick Reference See also: ■ Modify a Block Attribute Definition Manages the attributes for a selected block definition. Access Methods Button Toolbar: Drafting tool set ➤ Block tool group (expanded) ➤ Manage Attributes Menu: Modify ➤ Object ➤ Attribute ➤ Block Attribute Manager Summary The Block Attribute Manager is displayed. If the current drawing does not contain any blocks with attributes, a message is displayed.
Summary You can edit the attribute definitions in blocks, remove attributes from blocks, and change the order in which you are prompted for attribute values when inserting a block. Attributes of the selected block are displayed in the attribute list. By default, Tag, Prompt, Default, Mode, and Annotative attribute properties are displayed in the attribute list.
If you modify attributes of a block and then select a new block before you save the attribute changes you made, you are prompted to save the changes before selecting another block. Block Lists all block definitions in the current drawing that have attributes. Select the block whose attributes you want to modify. List of Attributes Displays the properties of each attribute in the selected block. Remove Removes the selected attribute from the block definition.
Summary The Edit Attribute dialog box contains the following tabs: ■ Attribute ■ Text Options on page 119 ■ Properties on page 122 List of Options The following options are displayed. Block Name Displays the name of the block whose attributes are to be edited. Attribute Tab (Attribute Editor Dialog Box) Defines how a value is assigned to an attribute and whether or not the assigned value is visible in the drawing area, and sets the string that prompts users to enter a value.
Default Sets the default value assigned to the attribute when you insert the block. Options Mode options determine whether and how attribute text appears. Invisible Displays or hides the attribute in the drawing area. If selected, hides the attribute value in the drawing area. If cleared, displays the attribute value. Constant Identifies whether the attribute is set to its default value. You cannot change this property.
Rotation Specifies the rotation angle of the attribute text. Oblique Angle Specifies the angle that attribute text is slanted away from its vertical axis. Height Specifies the height of the attribute text. Width Factor Sets the character spacing for attribute text. Entering a value less than 1.0 condenses the text. Entering a value greater than 1.0 expands it. Multiline Text Width Specifies the maximum length of the lines of text in a multiple-line attribute before wrapping to the next line. A value of 0.
Upside Down Specifies whether or not the text is displayed upside down. Annotative Specifies that the attribute is . Click the information icon to learn more about annotative objects. Justification Specifies how attribute text is justified. Properties Tab (Attribute Editor Dialog Box) Defines the layer that the attribute is on and the color, lineweight, and linetype for the attribute's line. If the drawing uses plot styles, you can assign a plot style to the attribute using the Properties tab.
Specifies the lineweight of attribute text. Changes you make to this option are not displayed if the LWDISPLAY on page 1406 system variable is off. Plot Style Specifies the plot style of the attribute. If the current drawing uses color-dependent plot styles, the Plot Style list is not available. BATTORDER Quick Reference See also: ■ Attach Data to Blocks (Block Attributes) Specifies the order of attributes for a block.
List of Options The following options are displayed. Attribute Definitions Lists the attribute definitions in the current block. Drag an attribute definition up or down in the list to reorder it. BCLOSE Quick Reference See also: ■ Define Blocks ■ Modify Blocks Closes the Block Editor.
Access Methods Toolbar: Block Editor visor ➤ Close Summary Closes the Block Editor. If you have modified the block definition since it was last saved, you are prompted to save or discard the changes. BEDIT Quick Reference See also: ■ Define Blocks ■ Modify Blocks Opens the block definition in the Block Editor. Access Methods Button Toolbar: Drafting tool set ➤ Block tool group (expanded) ➤ Edit Menu: Tools ➤ Block Editor Shortcut menu: Select a block reference. Right-click in the drawing area.
The Block Editor is a separate environment for creating and changing block definitions for the current drawing. You can also use it to add dynamic behavior to blocks. Edit Block Definition Dialog Box Quick Reference See also: ■ Define Blocks ■ Modify Blocks Select from a list of block definitions that are saved in the drawing to edit in the Block Editor. You can also enter a name for a new block definition to create in the Block Editor.
■ If you entered a name for a new block definition, the Block Editor is displayed, and you can start adding objects to the block definition. List of Options The following options are displayed. Block to create or edit Specifies the name of the block to edit or create in the Block Editor. If you select , the current drawing is opened in the Block Editor. Name List Displays a list of block definitions that are saved in the current drawing.
Summary You use the Block Editor to define the objects and behavior for a block definition. The following commands are used for editing blocks and are available only in the Block Editor: ■ BATTORDER ■ BCLOSE ■ BSAVE ■ BSAVEAS When the BLOCKEDITLOCK system variable is set to 1, the Block Editor cannot be opened. Block Editor Visor Provides tools for adding attributes to the block open for edit, save changes to a block, and close the Block Editor.
Summary If you select a block in a drawing and enter -bedit at the Command prompt, the selected block is opened in the Block Editor on page 127. If nothing is selected, the following prompt is displayed: List of Prompts The following prompts are displayed Enter block name on page 129 or [? on page 129]: Enter a name or ? Block Name Specifies the name of a block saved in the current drawing to open in the Block Editor or specifies the name of a new block to create.
BLIPMODE Quick Reference See also: ■ Customize Object Selection Controls the display of marker blips. Access Methods Command entry: 'blipmode for transparent use Summary When Blip mode is on, a temporary mark in the shape of a plus sign (+) appears where you specify a point. BLIPMODE is off by default. To remove marker blips, use REDRAW, REGEN, ZOOM, PAN, or other commands that redraw or regenerate the drawing.
Creates a block definition from selected objects. Access Methods Button Toolbar: Drafting tool set ➤ Block tool group ➤ Create Menu: Draw ➤ Block ➤ Make Summary The Define Block dialog box is displayed. If you enter -block at the Command prompt, options are displayed. You create a block definition by selecting objects, specifying an insertion point, and giving it a name. Define Block Dialog Box Quick Reference See also: ■ Define Blocks Defines and names a block.
List of Options The following options are displayed. Name Names the block. The name can have up to 255 characters and can include letters, numbers, blank spaces, and any special character not used by the operating system or the program for other purposes. The block name and definition are saved in the current drawing. Preview If an existing block is selected under Name, displays a preview of the block. Base Point Specifies an insertion base point for the block. The default value is 0,0,0.
Pick Insertion Base Point Temporarily closes the dialog box so that you can specify an insertion base point in the current drawing. X Specifies the X coordinate value. Y Specifies the Y coordinate value. Z Specifies the Z coordinate value. Objects Specifies the objects to include in the new block and whether to retain or delete the selected objects or convert them to a block instance after you create the block. Specify On-Screen Prompts you to specify the objects when the dialog box is closed.
Behavior Specifies the behavior of the block. Annotative Specifies that the block is . Click the information icon to learn more about annotative objects. Match Block Orientation to Layout Specifies that the orientation of the block references in paper space viewports matches the orientation of the layout. This option is unavailable if the Annotative option is cleared. Scale Uniformly Specifies whether or not the block reference is prevented from being non-uniformly scaled.
If you enter -block at the Command prompt, the following prompts are displayed. List of Prompts The following prompts are displayed. Enter block name or [?]: Enter a name or ? Block Name Names the block. The name can have up to 255 characters and can include letters, numbers, blank spaces, and any special character not used by the operating system and the program for other purposes if the system variable EXTNAMES is set to 1.
Select Objects If you specify the insertion base point, you are prompted to select the objects. The program defines a block using the objects selected, the insertion base point, and the name provided, and then erases the selected objects from the drawing. You can restore the deleted objects by entering the OOPS command immediately after BLOCK. The insertion base point becomes the origin of the block's coordinate system, which is parallel to the UCS in effect at the time that you define the block.
BMPOUT Quick Reference See also: ■ Export Raster Files Saves selected objects to a file in device-independent bitmap format. Summary The Create Raster File dialog box (a standard file selection dialog box) is displayed. Enter the file name in the dialog box. A bitmap file that contains the objects you select is created. The file reflects what is displayed on the screen. Light glyphs that are displayed in the drawing appear in the new file, even if the Plot Glyph property of the lights is set to No.
Toolbar: Drafting tool set ➤ Closed Shapes tool group (expanded) ➤ Boundary Menu: Draw ➤ Boundary Summary The Boundary Creation dialog box is displayed. If you enter -boundary at the Command prompt, options are displayed. Each point that you specify identifies the surrounding objects and creates a separate region or polyline.
List of Options The following options are displayed. Pick Points Determines a boundary from existing objects that form an enclosed area around the specified point. Island Detection Controls whether boundary detects internal closed boundaries, called islands. Object Type Controls the type of the new boundary object. boundary creates the boundary as a region or a polyline object. Boundary Set Defines the set of objects boundary analyzes when defining a boundary from a specified point.
-BOUNDARY Quick Reference See also: ■ Create and Combine Areas (Regions) If you enter -boundary at the Command prompt, the following prompts are displayed. Specify internal point or [Advanced options]: Specify a point or enter a Internal Point Creates a region or polyline from existing objects that form an enclosed area. Specify a point inside the area. Advanced Options Sets the method BOUNDARY uses to create the boundary.
BOX Quick Reference See also: ■ Create a Solid Box Creates a 3D solid box. Access Methods Button Toolbar: Modeling tool set ➤ Solids - Create tool group ➤ Solid Primitives flyout ➤ Box Menu: Draw ➤ 3D Modeling ➤ Box List of Prompts The following prompts are displayed.
Center Creates the box by using a specified center point. Cube Creates a box with sides of equal length. Length Creates a box with length, width, and height values you specify. The length corresponds to the X axis, the width to the Y axis, and the height to the Z axis. Cube Creates a box with sides of equal length.
Length Creates a box with length, width, and height values you specify. If you enter values, the length corresponds to the X axis, the width to the Y axis, and the height to the Z axis. If you pick a point to specify the length, you also specify the rotation in the XY plane. 2Point Specifies that the height of the box is the distance between the two specified points. BREAK Quick Reference See also: ■ Break and Join Objects Breaks the selected object between two points.
Access Methods Button Toolbar: Drafting tool set ➤ Modify tool group (expanded) ➤ Break Toolbar: Drafting tool set ➤ Modify tool group (expanded) ➤ Break at Point Menu: Modify ➤ Break Summary You can create a gap between two specified points on an object, breaking it into two objects. If the points are off of an object, they are automatically projected on to the object. break is often used to create space for a block or text. List of Prompts The following prompts are displayed.
First Point Overrides the original first point with the new point that you specify. Specify first break point: Specify second break point: The portion of the object is erased between the two points that you specify. If the second point is not on the object, the nearest point on the object is selected; therefore, to break off one end of a line, arc, or polyline, specify the second point beyond the end to be removed.
BREP Quick Reference See also: ■ Display Original Forms of Composite Solids Removes the history from 3D solids and composite solids, and associativity from surfaces. Summary When a solid loses the history of the original parts from which it was created, the original parts can no longer be selected and modified. BREP also removes surface associativity. When a surface loses associativity it loses any mathematical expressions or information about how the surface was created.
BROWSER Quick Reference See also: ■ Get Started with Internet Access Launches the default web browser defined in your system's registry. Summary Pressing Enter displays your web browser, which automatically connects to the location you specify. Because browser does not append “http://” to web locations, you can specify an FTP or file location to your default web browser. BSAVE Quick Reference See also: ■ Create Blocks Within a Drawing Saves the current block definition.
BSAVEAS Quick Reference See also: ■ Create Blocks Within a Drawing Saves a copy of the current block definition under a new name. Access Methods Toolbar: Block Editor visor ➤ Save As Summary Displays the Save Block As dialog box on page 148. You can only use the BSAVEAS command in the Block Editor on page 127. Save Block As Dialog Box Quick Reference See also: ■ Create Blocks Within a Drawing Saves a copy of the current block definition under a new name.
List of Options The following options are displayed. Block Name Specifies a new name under which to save a copy of the current block definition. Save Block as Drawing Saves the geometry in the Block Editor as a drawing file. Selecting an existing drawing file on disk overwrites the file. By default, the block name specified is used as the drawing file name. Block List Displays a list of block definitions that are saved in the current drawing. Preview Displays a preview of the selected block definition.
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4 C Commands CAL Quick Reference See also: ■ Use the Command Prompt Calculator Evaluates mathematical and geometric expressions. Access Methods Command entry: 'cal for transparent use Summary CAL is an online geometry calculator that evaluates point (vector), real, or integer expressions. The expressions can access existing geometry using the object snap functions such as CEN, END, and INS.
Understand Syntax of Expressions Quick Reference See also: ■ Use the Command Prompt Calculator CAL evaluates expressions according to standard mathematical rules of precedence: ■ Expressions in parentheses first, starting with the innermost set ■ Operators in standard order: exponents first, multiplication and division second, and addition and subtraction last ■ Operators of equal precedence from left to right Numeric Expressions Numeric expressions are real integer numbers and functions combined wi
Vector Expressions A vector expression is a collection of points, vectors, numbers, and functions combined with the operators in the following table.
You can separate feet, inches, and fractional inches with a dash, a space, or nothing. You can use any of the following syntax cases to enter valid feet-inch formatted values: ■ 5' or 60” ■ 5'-9” or 5' 9” or 5'9” ■ 5'-1/2” or 5' 1/2” or 5'1/2” ■ 5'-9-1/2” or 5' 9-1/2” or 5'9-1/2” ■ 5'-9 1/2” or 5' 9 1/2” or 5'9 1/2” To designate inches for linear calculations, entering double quotes (“) is optional. For example, instead of entering 5'9-1/2”, you could enter 5'9-1/2.
124.6r 14g Angles entered in any format are converted to decimal degrees. Pi radians is equal to 180 degrees, and 100 grads is equal to 90 degrees. Use Points and Vectors Quick Reference See also: ■ Use the Command Prompt Calculator Both points and vectors are pairs or triples of real numbers. A point defines a location in space, but a vector defines a direction (or translation) in space. Some CAL functions, such as pld and plt, return a point. Other functions, such as nor and vec, return a vector.
Point formats Coordinate system Point format WCS (instead of UCS) Uses the * prefix [*x,y,z] You can omit the following components of a point or vector: coordinate values of zero and a comma immediately preceding the right bracket (]). The following are valid points: [1,2] is the same as [1,2,0] [,,3] is the same as [0,0,3] [ ] is the same as [0,0,0] In the following example, the point is entered in the relative spherical coordinate system with respect to the (WCS).
This example defines a point located 5 units in the X direction and 1 unit in the Y direction from the point stored in AutoLISP variable A. A+[5,1] If you enter an AutoLISP variable with a name containing a character with special meaning in CAL, such as +, -, *, or /, enclose the variable name in apostrophes ('), for example: 'number-of-holes' Assigning Values to AutoLISP Variables To assign a value to an AutoLISP variable, precede the arithmetic expression with the variable name and the equal sign (=).
The syntax is getvar(variable_name) The following example uses getvar to obtain the point that is the center of the view in the current viewport. getvar(viewctr) With this method, you can also access the user system variables, USERI1-5 and USERR1-5.
CAL supports the standard numeric functions in the following table.
Calculate a Vector from Two Points Quick Reference See also: ■ Use the Command Prompt Calculator The functions vec and vec1 calculate a vector from two points. vec(p1,p2) Provides the vector from point p1 to point p2. vec1(p1,p2) Provides the unit vector from point p1 to point p2.
Calculate the Length of a Vector Quick Reference See also: ■ Use the Command Prompt Calculator The abs function calculates the length of a vector. abs(v) Calculates the length of vector v, a nonnegative real number. In spherical coordinates (dist
Obtain the Last-Specified Point Quick Reference See also: ■ Use the Command Prompt Calculator Use the character in the expression to obtain the coordinate of the last point, as shown in the following example: Command: line Specify first point: 'cal >> Expression: cen+[0,1] >> Select entity for CEN snap: Select a circle or an arc Specify next point or [Close/Undo]: 'cal >> Expression: +3*vec1(cen,cen) The first point of the line is 1 unit in the Y direction from the center of the first selected circle.
When you use these Snap modes, enter only the three-character name. For example, when you use the Center Snap mode, enter cen. CAL Snap modes set the value of the LASTPOINT system variable.
Convert Points Between UCS and WCS Quick Reference See also: ■ Use the Command Prompt Calculator Normally, the program assumes all coordinates to be relative to the current UCS. The following functions convert points between UCS and WCS. w2u(p1) Converts point p1 expressed in the WCS to the current UCS. u2w(p1) Converts point p1 expressed in the current UCS to the WCS.
The following example provides the Z component of a point expressed in spherical coordinates: zof([2<45<45]) The following example provides a point whose X and Y coordinate values are taken from point a and the Z coordinate value from point b: xyof(a)+zof(b) Calculate a Point on a Line Quick Reference See also: ■ Use the Command Prompt Calculator The plt and pld functions return a point on a given line.
The rot function rotates a point about an axis and returns the resulting point. rot(p,origin,ang) Rotates point p through angle ang about the Z axis passing through the point origin, as shown in the following example: rot(p,AxP1,AxP2,ang) Rotates point p through an angle ang about the axis passing through points AxP1 and AxP2, as shown in the following example. The axis is oriented from the first point to the second point.
ilp(p1,p2,p3,p4,p5) Determines the intersection point between a line (p1,p2) and a plane passing through three points (p3,p4,p5). Calculate a Distance Quick Reference See also: ■ Use the Command Prompt Calculator dist(p1,p2) Determines the distance between two points, p1 and p2. This is the same as the vector expression abs(p1-p2). dpl(p,p1,p2) Determines the shortest distance between point p and the line passing through points p1 and p2.
The following example returns half the distance between the centers of two selected objects: dist(cen,cen)/2 The following example finds the distance between the point 3,2,4 and a plane you define by selecting three endpoints: dpp([3,2,4],end, end, end) Obtain a Radius Quick Reference See also: ■ Use the Command Prompt Calculator The rad function determines the radius of a selected object. rad Determines the radius of a selected object. The object can be a circle, an arc, or a 2D polyline arc segment.
>> Expression: 2/3*rad >> Select circle, arc or polyline segment for RAD function: Select the circle Obtain an Angle Quick Reference See also: ■ Use the Command Prompt Calculator The ang function determines the angle between two lines. Angles are measured counterclockwise with respect to either the X axis, in the two-dimensional case, or to a user-specified axis, in the three-dimensional case. ang(v) Determines the angle between the X axis and vector v.
You can determine the angle between the two sides of a triangle using the ang function, as shown in the following example: Command: cal >> Expression: ang(end,end,end) Select the apex of the angle, and then select the two opposite vertices.
The nor function calculates the unit normal vector (a vector perpendicular to a line or plane), not a point. The vector defines the direction of the normal, not a location in space. You can add this normal vector to a point to obtain another point. nor Determines the three-dimensional unit normal vector of a selected circle, arc, or polyline arc segment. This normal vector is the Z coordinate of the object coordinate system (OCS) of the selected object.
The following example sets the view direction perpendicular to a selected object. The program displays the object in plan view and does not distort the object by the parallel projection.
Shortcut functions Function Shortcut for Description vee1 vec1(end,end) Unit vector from two endpoints CHAMFER Quick Reference See also: ■ Create Chamfers Bevels the edges of objects. Access Methods Button Toolbar: Drafting tool set ➤ Modify tool group ➤ Chamfer Menu: Modify ➤ Chamfer Summary The distances and angles that you specify are applied in the order that you select the objects. You can chamfer lines, polylines, rays, and xlines. You can also chamfer 3D solids and surfaces.
List of Prompts The following prompts are displayed. (TRIM mode) Current chamfer Dist1 = current, Dist2 = current Select first line on page 174 or [Undo on page 175/Polyline on page 175/Distance on page 175/Angle on page 176/Trim on page 176/mEthod on page 176/Multiple on page 176]: Use an object selection method or enter an option First Line Specifies the first of two edges required to define a 2D chamfer, or the edge of a 3D solid to chamfer.
Loop Switches to Edge Loop mode. Edge Loop Selects all edges on the base surface. Undo Reverses the previous action in the command. Polyline Chamfers an entire 2D polyline. The intersecting polyline segments are chamfered at each vertex of the polyline. Chamfers become new segments of the polyline. If the polyline includes segments that are too short to accommodate the chamfer distance, those segments are not chamfered. Distance Sets the distance of the chamfer from the endpoint of the selected edge.
If you set both distances to zero, CHAMFER extends or trims the two lines so they end at the same point. Angle Sets the chamfer distances using a chamfer distance for the first line and an angle for the second line. Trim Controls whether CHAMFER trims the selected edges to the chamfer line endpoints. NOTE Trim sets the TRIMMODE system variable to 1; No Trim sets TRIMMODE to 0. If the TRIMMODE system variable is set to 1, CHAMFER trims the intersecting lines to the endpoints of the chamfer line.
CHAMFEREDGE Quick Reference See also: ■ Create Chamfers Bevels the edges of 3D solids and surfaces. Access Methods Button Toolbar: Modeling tool set ➤ Solids - Edit tool group ➤ Chamfer Edge Menu: Modify ➤ Solid Editing ➤ Chamfer Edges Summary You can select more than one edge at a time, as long as they belong to the same face. Enter a value for the chamfer distance or click and drag the chamfer grips.
List of Prompts Select an Edge Selects a single solid or surface edge to chamfer. Distance 1 Sets the distance of the first chamfer edge from the selected edge. The default value is 1. Distance 2 Sets the distance of the second chamfer edge from the selected edge. The default value is 1. Loop Chamfers all edges on a single face. Expression Controls the chamfer distance with a mathematical expression. See Control Geometry with the Parameters Manager for a list of operators and functions allowed.
Lines Moves the endpoints of the selected lines that are closest to the change point to the new point, unless Ortho mode is on. If Ortho mode is on, the selected lines are modified so that they become parallel to either the X or the Y axis; their endpoints are not moved to the specified coordinate. Circles Changes the circle radius. If you selected more than one circle, the prompt is repeated for the next circle. Text Changes text location and other properties.
Color Changes the color of the selected objects. For example, to change a color to red, enter red or 1. If you enter bylayer, the object assumes the color of the layer on which it is located. If you enter byblock, the object inherits the color of the block of which it is a component. ■ True Color. Specifies a true color to be used for the selected object. The integer values range from 0 to 255 seperated by commas. ■ Color Book.
Set the transparency to ByLayer or ByBlock, or enter a value from 0 to 90. Material Changes the material of the selected objects if a material is attached. Annotative Changes the property of the selected objects. CHPROP Quick Reference See also: ■ Display and Change the Properties of Objects Changes the properties of an object. List of Prompts The following prompts are displayed.
Ltype Changes the linetype of the selected objects. If the new linetype is not loaded, the program tries to load it from the standard linetype library file, acad.lin. If this procedure fails, use LINETYPE to load the linetype. Ltscale Changes the linetype scale factor of the selected objects. Lweight Changes the lineweight of the selected objects. Lineweight values are predefined values.
Creates a circle. Access Methods Button Toolbar: Drafting tool set ➤ Closed Shapes tool group ➤ Circle flyout Menu: Draw ➤ Circle List of Prompts The following prompts are displayed. Specify center point on page 183 for circle or [3P on page 184/2P on page 184/Ttr (tan tan radius) on page 185]: Specify a point or enter an option Center Point Draws a circle based on a center point and a diameter or a radius. Radius Defines the radius of the circle. Enter a value, or specify a point.
3P (Three Points) Draws a circle based on three points on the circumference. For example: Tan, Tan, Tan Creates a circle tangent to three objects. For example: 2P (Two Points) Draws a circle based on two endpoints of the diameter.
TTR (Tangent, Tangent, Radius) Draws a circle with a specified radius tangent to two objects. Sometimes more than one circle matches the specified criteria. The program draws the circle of the specified radius whose tangent points are closest to the selected points. For example: CLEANSCREENON Quick Reference See also: ■ Set Up the Drawing Area Clears the screen of the menu bar and all palettes.
Access Methods Button Menu: View ➤ Clean Screen Command entry: Cmd-0 Toolbar: Status bar ➤ Clean Screen Summary The screen displays only the menu bar, the Model and layout tabs at the bottom of the drawing, the status bars, and the command line. Use CLEANSCREENOFF to restore the display of interface items that were hidden by CLEANSCREENON. CLEANSCREENOFF Quick Reference See also: ■ Set Up the Drawing Area Restores the state of the display before CLEANSCREENON was used.
Summary Restores the state of the display before CLEANSCREENON was used. Use CLEANSCREENON to clear the screen of most AutoCAD user interface elements. CLOSE Quick Reference See also: ■ Open a Drawing Closes the current drawing. Access Methods Menu: File ➤ Close Summary The current drawing is closed. If you modified the drawing since it was last saved, you are prompted to save or discard the changes.
Summary All open drawings are closed. A message box is displayed for each unsaved drawing, in which you can save any changes to the drawing before closing it. COLOR Quick Reference See also: ■ Set the Current Color Sets the color for new objects. Access Methods Menu: Format ➤ Color Command entry: 'color for transparent use Summary The Color Palette dialog box is displayed. If you enter -color at the Command prompt, options are displayed.
List of Tabs The following tabs are displayed. ■ Index Color ■ True Color ■ Color Books Index Color Tab (Color Palette Dialog Box) Quick Reference See also: ■ Set the Current Color Specifies color settings using the 255 AutoCAD Color Index (ACI) colors.
List of Options The following options are displayed. AutoCAD Color Index (ACI) Palettes Specifies a color from the AutoCAD Color Index. If you hover over a color, the number of the color and its red, green, blue value are displayed below the palette. Click a color to select it, or enter the color number or name in the Color box. The large palette displays colors 10 through 249. The second palette displays colors 1 through 9; these colors have names as well as numbers.
True Color Tab (Color Palette Dialog Box) Quick Reference See also: ■ Set the Current Color Specifies color settings using true colors. Summary Specifies color settings using true colors (24-bit color) with either the Hue, Saturation, and Luminance (HSL) color model or the Red, Green, and Blue (RGB) color model. Over sixteen million colors are available when using true color functionality. The options available on the True Color tab are dependent on whether the HSL or RGB color model is specified.
HSL Color Model Specifies the HSL color model for selecting colors. Hue, saturation, and luminance are properties of colors. By manipulating the values of these properties, you can specify a wide range of colors. Hue (H) Specifies the hue of a color. Hues represent a specific wavelength of light within the visible spectrum. To specify a hue, use the color spectrum or specify a value in the Hue box. Adjusting this value affects the RGB value. Valid hue values are from 0 to 360 degrees.
Specifies the red component of a color. Adjust the slider on the color bar or specify a value from 1 to 255 in the Red box. If this value is adjusted, it will be reflected in the HSL color mode values. Green (G) Specifies the green component of a color. Adjust the slider on the color bar or specify a value from 1 to 255 in the Green box. If this value is adjusted, it will be reflected in the HSL color mode values. Blue (B) Specifies the blue component of a color.
Summary Once a color book is selected, the Color Books tab displays the name of the selected color book. List of Options The following options are displayed. Color Book Specifies the color book to be used when selecting colors. The list consists of all the color books that are found in the Color Book Locations specified in the Application References dialog box, Application tab. Displays the pages of the selected color book and the colors and color names on each page.
Indicates the currently selected color book color. You can search for a specific color in a color book by entering the number of the color swatch and pressing Tab. This action updates the New color swatch with the requested color number. If the specified color is not found in the color book, the closest number match is displayed. Old Color Swatch Displays the previously selected color. New Color Swatch Displays the currently selected color.
If you enter bylayer, new objects assume the color assigned to the layer on which you create them. See the LAYER command for information about assigning a color to a layer. List of Prompts The following prompts are displayed. True Color Specifies a true color to be used for the selected object. Enter three integer values from 0 to 255 separated by commas to specify a true color Color Book Specifies a color from a loaded color book to be used for the selected object.
COMMANDLINEHIDE Quick Reference See also: ■ The Command Line Hides the Command Line window. Access Methods Menu: Tools ➤ Palettes ➤ Command Line Menu: Window ➤ Command Line Summary Hides the Command Line. When the Command Line is hidden, you can still enter commands with dynamic prompts turned on. COMPILE Quick Reference See also: ■ Overview of Shape Files Compiles shape files and PostScript font files into SHX files.
CONE Quick Reference See also: ■ Create a Solid Cone Creates a 3D solid cone. Access Methods Button Toolbar: Modeling tool set ➤ Solids - Create tool group ➤ Solid Primitives ➤ Cone Menu: Draw ➤ 3D Modeling ➤ Cone Summary Creates a 3D solid with a circular or elliptical base that tapers symmetrically to a point or to a circular or elliptical planar face. You can control the smoothness of 3D curved solids, such as a cone, in a shaded or hidden visual style with the FACETRES system variable.
List of Prompts The following prompts are displayed.
3P (Three Points) Defines the base circumference and base plane of the cone by specifying three points. ■ 2Point on page 199 ■ Axis Endpoint on page 199 ■ Top Radius on page 199 2P (Two Points) Defines the base diameter of the cone by specifying two points. ■ 2Point on page 199 ■ Axis Endpoint on page 199 ■ Top Radius on page 199 TTR (Tangent, Tangent, Radius) Defines the base of the cone with a specified radius tangent to two objects.
Center Creates the base of the cone by using a specified center point. ■ 2Point on page 199 ■ Axis Endpoint on page 199 ■ Top Radius on page 199 CONSTRAINTBAR Quick Reference See also: ■ Display and Verify Geometric Constraints Displays or hides the geometric constraints on an object.
The CONSTRAINTBARMODE system variable or the CONSTRAINTSETTINGS command controls the display of geometric constraints on constraint bars, when constraint bar are displayed. List of Prompts The following prompts are displayed. Select objects: Select objects with constraint bars Enter an option [Show on page 202/Hide on page 202/Reset on page 202] :Enter the appropriate value to show or hide constraint bars in the drawing.
Constraint Settings Dialog Box Quick Reference See also: ■ Overview of Constraints Allows you to control the geometric constraints, dimensional constraints, and autoconstrain settings. List of Options The following options are displayed.
Geometric Tab Controls the display of constraint types on constraint bars. Displayed Constraints Controls the display of constraint bars or constraint point markers for objects in the drawing editor. For example, you can hide the display of constraint bars for Horizontal and Vertical constraints. Select All Selects the geometric constraint types. Clear All Clears the selected geometric constraint types.
If the first condition is met, then tangent and perpendicular constraints are always applied if the check boxes are cleared. If you select the additional check boxes, then the distance tolerance is considered for intersecting objects. If the objects do not intersect but the nearest distance between them is within the distance tolerance specified, then the constraint will be applied even if the check boxed are selected.
Controls the tab that is displayed by default when the Constraint Settings dialog box is invoked. Tab Index Tab Displayed 0 Geometric tab 1 Dimensional tab 2 AutoConstrain tab CONTENT Quick Reference See also: ■ The Content Palette Opens the Content palette.
Content Palette Quick Reference See also: ■ The Content Palette Allows you to access and insert your blocks stored in libraries. List of Options The following options are displayed. Libraries List Displays the available libraries. Select a library to insert blocks from or select Manage Libraries to display the Manage Content Libraries dialog box on page 209. The following libraries are available by default: ■ Favorites - Blocks that you have selected as favorites from the Blocks list.
Click a block from the list to insert it in the current drawing. If you right-click in the Blocks list, one of two shortcut menus is displayed. TheBlocks List shortcut menu on page 208 is displayed when you right-click an empty area of the Blocks list, while the Block shortcut menu on page 208 is displayed when you right-click over a block thumbnail. Filter Blocks List Filters the blocks displayed in the Blocks list. Click the ‘X’ in the text box to clear the current filter.
Remove Removes the selected block from the current content library. Manage Libraries Displays the Manage Content Libraries dialog box. Manage Content Libraries Dialog Box Quick Reference See also: ■ The Content Palette Allows you to create and manage the blocks in a library. List of Options The following options are displayed. Libraries List Lists the available libraries. The Favorites library is available by default. Select a library to manage the blocks contained in the library in the Blocks list.
Delete Library (-) Removes the selected library from the Libraries list. Blocks List Lists the blocks contained in the selected library. Add Block (+) Displays the AutoCAD for Mac Open File Dialog (a standard navigation dialog box) in which you select a drawing (DWG) or drawing template (DWT) file to add to the selected library. NOTE Hold down the Command key to select more than one file. Delete Library (-) Removes the selected block from the library.
CONVERT Quick Reference See also: ■ Use Drawings from Different Versions and Applications Optimizes 2D polylines and associative hatches created in AutoCAD Release 13 or earlier. Sumary Hatches are not updated automatically when a drawing from a previous release is opened in Release 14 or later. Information about the rotation of a hatch pattern may not be updated properly if you have changed the UCS since creating the hatch.
CONVTOMESH Quick Reference See also: ■ Create Meshes by Conversion Converts 3D objects such as polygon meshes, surfaces, and solids to mesh objects. Access Methods Menu: Modify ➤ Surface Editing ➤ Convert to Mesh Summary Take advantage of the detailed modeling capabilities of 3D mesh by converting objects such as 3D solids and surfaces to mesh. Use this method to convert 3D faces (3DFACE) and legacy polygonal and polyface meshes (from AutoCAD 2009 and earlier).
Object type Closed polylines CONVTONURBS Quick Reference See also: ■ Create NURBS Surfaces Converts 3D solids and surfaces into NURBS surfaces. Access Methods Menu: Modify ➤ Surface Editing ➤ Convert to NURBS Summary Converts solids and procedural surfaces to NURBS surfaces. To convert meshes to NURBS surfaces, convert them to a solid or surface first with CONVTOSOLID on page 214 or CONVTOSURFACE on page 216 and then convert them to NURBS surfaces.
CONVTOSOLID Quick Reference See also: ■ Create 3D Solids from Objects Converts 3D meshes and polylines and circles with thickness to 3D solids. Access Methods Menu: Modify ➤ 3D Operations ➤ Convert to Solid Summary Take advantage of the solid modeling capabilities available for 3D solids. When you convert mesh, you can specify whether the converted objects are smoothed or faceted, and whether the faces are merged.
The following tables list the objects that can be converted to solid objects and some limitations on their conversion.
Object Description Separate objects that simulate a closed surface Cannot be a planar surface with contiguous edges or an exploded 3D solid box into six regions. However, you cannot convert those separate objects back to a solid with CONVTOSOLID. Planar surfaces with contiguous edges Cannot convert separate objects unless they enclose a volume without gaps. If the surfaces enclose a watertight area, you can convert to a solid with the SURFSCULPT on page 1023 command.
Summary As you convert objects to surfaces, you can specify whether the resulting object is smooth or faceted. When you convert a mesh, the smoothness and number of faces of the resulting surface are controlled by the SMOOTHMESHCONVERT system variable. Whereas the previous example shows a conversion to a smooth, optimized surface, the following example shows a conversion to a faceted surface in which the faces are not merged, or optimized.
With the CONVTOSURFACE command, you can convert the following objects into surfaces: Objects That Can Be Converted to 3D Surfaces Objects 2D solids 3D solids Regions Open, zero-width polylines with thickness Lines with thickness Arcs with thickness Mesh objects Planar 3D faces 218 | Chapter 4 C Commands
objects converted to surfaces You can select the objects to convert before you start the command. NOTE You can create surfaces from 3D solids with curved faces, such as a cylinder, with the EXPLODE command. The DELOBJ system variable controls whether the geometry used to create 3D objects is automatically deleted when the new object is created or whether you are prompted to delete the objects. List of Prompts The following prompts are displayed.
COPY Quick Reference See also: ■ Copy Objects Copies objects a specified distance in a specified direction. Access Methods Button Toolbar: Drafting tool set ➤ Copy tool group ➤ Copy Menu: Modify ➤ Copy Shortcut menu: Select the objects to copy, and right-click in the drawing area. Click Copy Selection. Summary With the COPYMODE on page 1214 system variable, you can control whether multiple copies are created automatically. List of Prompts The following prompts are displayed.
for the base point and press Enter at the next prompt, the objects are copied 2 units in the X direction and 3 units in the Y direction from their current location. Mode Controls whether the command repeats automatically (COPYMODE system variable). Multiple Overrides the Single mode setting. The COPY command is set to repeat automatically for the duration of the command.
COPYCLIP Quick Reference See also: ■ Cut, Copy, and Paste with the Clipboard Copies selected objects to the Clipboard. Access Methods Menu: Edit ➤ Copy Shortcut menu: End any active commands, right-click in the drawing area, and choose Clipboard ➤ Copy. Command entry: Cmd-C Summary COPYCLIP copies all objects you select to the Clipboard. You can paste the contents of the Clipboard into a document or drawing. NOTE If the cursor is in the drawing area, the selected objects are copied to the Clipboard.
Summary The text is copied to the Clipboard. CUI Quick Reference See also: ■ Understand User Interface Customization Manages the customized user interface elements in the product. Access Methods Menu: Tools ➤ Customize ➤ Interface (CUI) Summary The Customize dialog box is displayed. You use the Customize dialog box to customize the menu bar and Tool Sets palette.
■ Menus ■ Tool Sets For more information, see User Interface Customization in the Customization Guide. List of Options The following options are displayed. Reset to Default Resets the commands and user interface elements back to their initial installed default settings. Commands Tab (Customize Dialog Box) Quick Reference See also: ■ Customize Commands Creates and manages the available commands that can be added to menus and tool sets.
List of Options The following options are displayed. Commands List Displays all the standard and custom commands available. ■ Image - Thumbnail of the current image assigned to the command. ■ Command - Name of the command. Displayed on the menu bar when the command is assigned to a menu or in a tooltip when the command is assigned to a tool group on the Tool Sets palette. ■ Source - Name of the customization group that the command is stored in.
Options Displays a menu which allows you to manage existing commands in the Commands list. ■ Duplicate - Creates a copy of the command currently selected in the Commands list. Duplicating a command allows you to modify an existing command without changing the original one. ■ Delete - Removes the selected command from the Commands list. Commands that are currently assigned to a menu or Workflow cannot be deleted.
Menus Tab (Customize Dialog Box) Quick Reference See also: ■ Customize Menus Creates and manages the menus and menu items on the Mac OS menu bar. List of Options The following options are displayed. Commands List Displays a list of the standard and custom commands that can be added to menus and tool sets. You must be on the Commands tab on page 224 if you want to create or edit a command. Drag the command to the location in the menu you want it positioned and drop it.
you hover over a menu or sub-menu while dragging a command, the menu or sub-menu will expand after a short interval. Filter Commands List Filters the commands displayed in the Commands list. Click the ‘X’ in the text box to clear the current filter. Enter a text string to control which commands are displayed in the Commands list. Only the names of the commands that contain the text string are displayed in the Commands list. Menus List Lists the menus available on the Mac OS menu bar.
List of Options The following options are displayed. Commands List Displays a list of the standard and custom commands that can be added to menus and tool sets. You must be on the Commands tab on page 224 if you want to create or edit a command. Drag the command to the location in the menu you want it positioned and drop it. The location of the command is indicated by the horizontal bar. If you hover over a menu or sub-menu while dragging a command, the menu or sub-menu will expand after a short interval.
Tool Sets List Lists the tool sets available on the Tool Sets palette. Expand a tool set to see the commands, tool groups, and drop-downs (also known as flyouts) that are assigned to the tool set. Right-click over a tool set in the list and choose Specify Tool Set Image to display the Specify Tool Set Image dialog box on page 231. The image assigned appears next to the tool set name in the Tool Sets list on the Tool Sets palette.
Specify Tool Set Image Dialog Box Quick Reference See also: ■ Customize Tool Sets Assigns an external image or internal resource to a tool set. List of Options The following options are displayed. Image Displays the name of the resource or external image file that is assigned to the tool set. Click [ ] to display the Select an Image File dialog box and specify the external image to assign to the tool set. Preview Displays a thumbnail of the selected image.
Access Methods Menu: Edit ➤ Cut Shortcut menu: End any active commands, right-click in the drawing area, and choose Clipboard ➤ Cut. Command entry: Cmd-X Summary CUTCLIP copies selected objects to the Clipboard, removing them from the drawing. You can paste the contents of the Clipboard into a document (see PASTECLIP). When you want to use objects from a drawing file in another application, you can cut these objects to the Clipboard and then paste them into another application.
List of Prompts The following prompts are displayed. Select a NURBS surface or curve to add control vertices. Select a valid NURBS surface or curve and press Enter. Point Select a valid NURBS surface or curve and press Enter. Insert Knots Turns off the display of control vertices and allows you to place a point directly on a surface. This option only displays if you select a surface; it does not display for splines.
Access Methods Menu: Modify ➤ Surface Editing ➤ NURBS Surface Editing ➤ Hide CV Summary Turns off the CV display for all NURBS objects. CVREBUILD Quick Reference See also: ■ Edit NURBS Surfaces Rebuilds the shape of NURBS surfaces and curves.
If you select a surface, the Rebuild Surface dialog box on page 235 is displayed. If you select a spline, the Rebuild Curve dialog box on page 237 is displayed. Rebuild Surface Dialog Box Quick Reference See also: ■ Rebuild NURBS Surfaces and Curves Rebuilds the CV hull of a NURBS surface. Summary Reshapes a NURBS surface by rebuilding the CV hull. List of Options The following options are displayed. Control Vertices Count Specifies the number of control vertices in the U and V directions.
Specifies the number of control vertices in the U direction. (REBUILDU on page 1468 system variable) In V Direction Specifies the number of control vertices in the V direction. (REBUILDV on page 1469 system variable) Degree Specifies the number of control vertices available per span. The higher the number, the more complex the surface. In U Direction Specifies the degree of the NURBS surface in the U direction.
Rebuild Curve Dialog Box Quick Reference See also: ■ Rebuild NURBS Surfaces and Curves Rebuilds the shape of a NURBS curve. Summary Changes the number of control vertices and the degree of a NURBS curve. Rebuilding the curve changes its shape. List of Options The following options are displayed. Curve Geometry Details Control Vertices Count Specifies the number of control vertices. (REBUILD2DCV on page 1465system variable) Degree Specifies the degree of the NURBS curve.
CVREMOVE Quick Reference See also: ■ Edit NURBS Surfaces Removes control vertices from NURBS surfaces and curves. Access Methods Menu: Modify ➤ Surface Editing ➤ NURBS Surface Editing ➤ Remove CV Summary Removes control vertices in the U or V direction. This illustration shows a row of control vertices deleted in the V direction. NOTE The minimum number of control vertices that you can have on a surface or curve is two in any direction. If you try to remove more, an error displays.
Remove Knots Turns off the display of control vertices and allows you to remove a point directly from the surface. This option only displays if you select a surface; it does not display for splines. Remove Edit Point Turns off the display of control vertices and allows you to remove a point directly from the spline. This option only displays if you select a spline, it does not display for surfaces. Direction Specifies whether to remove control vertices in the U direction.
CYLINDER Quick Reference See also: ■ Create a Solid Cylinder Creates a 3D solid cylinder. Access Methods Button Toolbar: Modeling tool set ➤ Solids - Create tool group ➤ Cylinder Menu: Draw ➤ 3D Modeling ➤ Cylinder Summary In the illustration, the cylinder was created using a center point (1), a point on the radius (2), and a point for the height (3). The base of the cylinder is always on a plane parallel with the workplane.
During a drawing session, the default value for the base radius is always the previously entered base radius value. List of Prompts The following prompts are displayed.
Elliptical Specifies an elliptical base for the cylinder. Center Creates the base of the cylinder by using a specified center point. ■ 2Point on page 241 ■ Axis Endpoint on page 241 Diameter Specifies the diameter for the base of the cylinder.
D Commands 5 DBLIST Quick Reference See also: ■ Display and Change the Properties of Objects Lists database information for each object in the drawing. Summary The text window displays information about each object in the current drawing. The program pauses when the window fills with information. Press Enter to resume output, or press Esc to cancel. DCALIGNED Quick Reference See also: ■ Apply Dimensional Constraints Constrains the distance between two points on different objects.
Access Methods Button Toolbar: Drafting tool set ➤ Parametric tool group ➤ Dimensional Contraints flyout ➤ Aligned Menu: Parametric ➤ Dimensional Constraints ➤ Aligned Summary This command is equivalent to the Aligned option in DIMCONSTRAINT on page 276.
Second Constraint Point Specifies the second point of the object to be constrained. Dimension Line Location Determines where the dimension line is located on the constrained object. Object Selects an object instead of a constraint point. Dimension Line Location Dimension Line Location on page 245 Point & Line Selects a point and a line object. The aligned constraint controls the distance between a point and the closest point on a line.
Access Methods Button Toolbar: Drafting tool set ➤ Parametric tool group ➤ Dimensional Contraints flyout ➤ Angular Menu: Parametric ➤ Dimensional Constraints ➤ Angular Summary This command is equivalent to the Angular option in DIMCONSTRAINT on page 276.
List of Prompts The following prompts are displayed. Select first line on page 247 or arc on page 247 or [3Point on page 247] <3Point>: Pick a line, or an arc, or three points to be constrained Line Selects a line object. First Line Specifies the first line to be constrained. Second Line Specifies the second line to be constrained. Dimension Line Location Determines where the dimension line is located on the constrained object. Arc Selects an arc and constrains the angle.
Summary This command is equivalent to the Convert option in DIMCONSTRAINT on page 276. Objects other than associative dimensions are ignored and filtered from the selection set. List of Prompts The following prompts are displayed. Select associative dimensions to convert: Select the associative dimensions to be converted to dimensional constraints DCDIAMETER Quick Reference See also: ■ Apply Dimensional Constraints Constrains the diameter of a circle or an arc.
The following table outlines the valid contraint objects and points: Valid Objects or Points Characteristics Circle Arc ■ Constrains the diameter of the circle or arc. List of Prompts The following prompts are displayed. Select arc or circle: Select an arc or a circle to be constrained Dimension Line Location Determines where the dimension line is located on the constrained object.
Select objects: Select objects to display or hide the dimensional constraints Enter an option [Show on page 250/Hide on page 250] : Enter the appropriate value to show or hide dynamic constraints for the selection set of objects Show Displays the dynamic dimensional constraints for any selection set of objects. Hide Hides the dynamic dimensional constraints for any selection set of objects.
DCHORIZONTAL Quick Reference See also: ■ Apply Dimensional Constraints Constrains the X distance between points on an object, or between two points on different objects. Access Methods Button Toolbar: Drafting tool set ➤ Parametric tool group ➤ Dimensional Contraints flyout ➤ Horizontal Menu: Parametric ➤ Dimensional Constraints ➤ Horizontal Summary This command is equivalent to the Horizontal option in DIMCONSTRAINT on page 276.
Constraint Point Specifies a constraint point for the object. First Constraint Point Specifies the first point of the object to be constrained. Second Constraint Point Specifies the second point of the object to be constrained. Dimension Line Location Determines where the dimension line is located on the constrained object. Object Selects an object instead of a constraint point.
The following table outlines the valid contraint objects and points: Valid Objects or Points Characteristics Line Polyline segment Arc Two constraint points on objects ■ When a line or an arc is selected, the horizontal or vertical distance between the endpoints of the object is constrained. List of Prompts The following prompts are displayed.
Access Methods Button Toolbar: Drafting tool set ➤ Parametric tool group ➤ Dimensional Contraints flyout ➤ Radius Menu: Parametric ➤ Dimensional Constraints ➤ Radius Summary This command is equivalent to the Radius option in DIMCONSTRAINT on page 276. The following table outlines the valid contraint objects and points: Valid Objects or Points Characteristics Circle Arc ■ Constrains the radius of the circle or arc. List of Prompts The following prompts are displayed.
Access Methods Button Toolbar: Drafting tool set ➤ Parametric tool group ➤ Dimensional Contraints flyout ➤ Vertical Menu: Parametric ➤ Dimensional Constraints ➤ Vertical Summary This command is equivalent to the Vertical option in DIMCONSTRAINT on page 276.
DDEDIT Quick Reference See also: ■ Change Text Edits single-line text, dimension text, attribute definitions, and feature control frames. Access Methods Menu: Modify ➤ Object ➤ Text ➤ Edit Shortcut menu: Select a text object, right-click in the drawing area, and click Edit. Pointing device: Double-click a text object. List of Prompts The following prompts are displayed.
Edit Attribute Definition Dialog Box Quick Reference See also: ■ Change Text List of Options The following options are displayed. Tag Specifies the attribute tag, which identifies the attribute in the drawing. The tag can contain exclamation marks (!). The case change is not immediately displayed in the tag field. Prompt Specifies the attribute prompt that is displayed when you insert a block containing this attribute definition. Default Specifies the default attribute value.
DDPTYPE Quick Reference See also: ■ Draw Reference Points Specifies the display style and size of point objects. Access Methods Button Toolbar: Drafting tool set ➤ Open Shapes tool group (expanded) ➤ Point Style Menu: Format ➤ Point Style Command entry: 'ddptype for transparent use Summary The Point Style dialog box is displayed. Point Style Dialog Box Quick Reference See also: ■ Draw Reference Points Shows the current point style and size. Change the point style by selecting an icon.
List of Options The following options are displayed. Point Display Images Specifies the image used to display point objects. The point style is stored in the PDMODE on page 1436 system variable. Point Size Sets the point display size. The value you enter can be relative to the screen or in absolute units. The point display size is stored in the PDSIZE system variable. Subsequent point objects that you draw use the new value.
DELAY Quick Reference See also: ■ Run Slide Shows from Scripts Provides a timed pause within a script. Access Methods Command entry: 'delay for transparent use Summary Specifies the duration of a pause. Entering delay 1000 in your script delays the start of execution of the next command for about one second. The longest delay available is 32767, which is slightly less than 33 seconds.
Summary The number of constraints removed are displayed on the command line. Removes all geometric and dimensional constraints from the selected objects. DIM and DIM1 Quick Reference See also: ■ Overview of Dimensioning Accesses Dimensioning mode commands. Summary The Dim prompt indicates that you're in Dimensioning mode, in which you can use a special set of dimensioning commands on page 261. (DIM and DIM1 are provided only for compatibility with previous releases.
Dimensioning mode commands Command Description UNDO or U Erases the most recently created dimension objects and cancels any new dimension system variable setting. When you exit Dimensioning mode, UNDO reverses the effects of the entire dimensioning session. The following table shows which AutoCAD for Mac commands are equivalent to the rest of the Dimensioning mode commands. For information about these Dimensioning mode commands, see the equivalent AutoCAD for Mac command.
Dimensioning mode command equivalents Dimensioning mode command Equivalent command RADIUS DIMRADIUS RESTORE -DIMSTYLE Restore ROTATED DIMLINEAR Rotated SAVE -DIMSTYLE Save STATUS -DIMSTYLE Status TEDIT DIMTEDIT TROTATE DIMEDIT Rotate UPDATE -DIMSTYLE Apply VARIABLES -DIMSTYLE Variables VERTICAL DIMLINEAR Vertical DIMALIGNED Quick Reference See also: ■ Create Aligned Dimensions Creates an aligned linear dimension.
Toolbar: Annotation tool set ➤ Dimensions tool group ➤ Aligned Menu: Dimension ➤ Aligned Summary Creates a linear dimension that is aligned with the origin points of the extension lines. List of Prompts The following prompts are displayed.
If you select a circle, the endpoints of its diameter are used as the origins of the extension line. The point used to select the circle defines the origin of the first extension line. Dimension Line Location Specifies the placement of the dimension line and determines the direction to draw the extension lines. After you specify the location, the DIMALIGNED command ends. Mtext Displays the In-Place Text Editor, which you can use to edit the dimension text.
DIMANGULAR Quick Reference See also: ■ Create Angular Dimensions Creates an angular dimension.
Summary Measures the angle between selected objects or 3 points. Objects that can be selected include arcs, circles, and lines, among others. List of Prompts The following prompts are displayed.
Line Selection Defines the angle using two lines. The program determines the angle by using each line as a vector for the angle and the intersection of the lines for the angle vertex. The dimension line spans the angle between the two lines. If the dimension line does not intersect the lines being dimensioned, extension lines are added as needed to extend one or both lines. The arc is always less than 180 degrees. Three-Point Specification Creates a dimension based on three points you specify.
Dimension text properties are set on the Text tab of the New, Modify, and Override Dimension Style dialog boxes. Angle Changes the angle of the dimension text. Quadrant Specifies the quadrant that the dimension should be locked to. When quadrant behavior is on, the dimension line is extended past the extension line when the dimension text is positioned outside of the angular dimension. DIMARC Quick Reference See also: ■ Create Arc Length Dimensions Creates an arc length dimension.
Access Methods Button Toolbar: Annotation tool set ➤ Dimensions tool group ➤ Dimensions flyout ➤ Arc Length Menu: Dimension ➤ Arc Length List of Prompts The following prompts are displayed. Select arc or polyline arc segment: Use an object selection method Specify arc length dimension location or [Mtext/Text/Angle/Partial/Leader]: Specify a point or enter an option Arc length dimensions measure the distance along an arc or polyline arc segment.
Mtext Displays the In-Place Text Editor, which you can use to edit the dimension text. Use control codes and Unicode character strings to enter special characters or symbols. See Control Codes and Special Characters on page 1045. If alternate units are not turned on in the dimension style, you can display them by entering square brackets ([]). For more information, see “Change Existing Objects”. The current dimension style determines the appearance of the generated measurements.
Access Methods Button Toolbar: Annotation tool set ➤ Dimensions tool group ➤ Continue flyout ➤ Baseline Menu: Dimension ➤ Baseline Summary The default spacing between baseline dimensions can be set from the Dimension Style Manager, Lines tab, Baseline Spacing (DIMDLI on page 1247 system variable). If no dimension was created in the current session, you are prompted to select a linear, ordinate, or angular dimension to use as the base for the baseline dimension.
Second Extension Line Origin By default, the first extension line of the base dimension is used as the extension line origin for the baseline dimension. To override this default behavior, explicitly select the base dimension; the extension line origin becomes the extension line of the base dimension closest to the pick point of the selection. When you select a second point, the baseline dimension is drawn and the Specify a Second Extension Line Origin prompt is redisplayed. To end the command, press Esc.
Breaks or restores dimension and extension lines where they cross other objects. Access Methods Button Toolbar: Annotation tool set ➤ Dimensions tool group ➤ Break Dimension Menu: Dimension ➤ Dimension Break Summary Dimension breaks can be added to linear, angular, and ordinate dimensions, among others. List of Prompts The following prompts are displayed.
using this option is updated automatically when the dimension or an intersecting object is modified. When a new object is drawn over the top of a dimension that has any dimension breaks, no new dimension breaks are automatically applied at the intersecting points along the dimension object. To add the new dimension breaks, must be run the command again. Remove Removes all dimension breaks from the selected dimensions. Manual Places a dimension break manually.
You can choose between center marks and centerlines and specify their size when you set up the dimension style. See DIMSTYLE. You can also change center mark settings using the DIMCEN system variable. DIMCONSTRAINT Quick Reference See also: ■ Apply Dimensional Constraints Applies dimensional constraints to selected objects or points on objects, or converts associative dimensions to dimensional constraints.
Objects Valid Constraint Points Ellipse, Circle Center Polyline Endpoints, midpoints of line and arc subobjects, center of arc subobjects Block, Xref, Text, Mtext, Attribute, Table Insertion point After you specify the dimensional constraint type, you can either enter an expression value or accept the default (constraintname=value).
DIMCONTINUE Quick Reference See also: ■ Create Baseline and Continued Dimensions Creates a dimension that starts from an extension line of a previously created dimension. Access Methods Button Toolbar: Annotation tool set ➤ Dimensions tool group ➤ Continue flyout ➤ Continue Menu: Dimension ➤ Continue Summary Automatically continues creating additional dimensions from the last linear, angular, or ordinate dimension created, or from a selected extension line.
Specify a second extension line origin or [Undo/Select]
Select Prompts you to select a linear, ordinate, or angular dimension to use as the continued dimension. After you select a continued dimension, the Specify a Second Extension Line Origin prompt or the Specify Feature Location prompt is redisplayed. To end the command, press Esc. DIMDIAMETER Quick Reference See also: ■ Create Radial Dimensions Creates a diameter dimension for a circle or an arc.
Specify dimension line location on page 281 or [Mtext/Text/Angle]: Specify a point or enter an option Dimension Line Location Determines the angle of the dimension line and the location of the dimension text. If the dimension is placed off of an arc resulting in the dimension pointing outside the arc, AutoCAD for Mac automatically draws an arc extension line. Mtext Displays the In-Place Text Editor, which you can use to edit the dimension text.
dimensions in paper space are excluded). DIMDISASSOCIATE then disassociates these dimensions and reports the number of dimensions that are filtered out and the number that are disassociated. DIMEDIT Quick Reference See also: ■ Modify Dimension Text Edits dimension text and extension lines. Access Methods Button Toolbar: Annotation tool set ➤ Dimensions tool group (expanded) ➤ Oblique Menu: Dimension ➤ Oblique Summary Rotates, modifies, or restores dimension text.
The selected dimension text is returned to its default position and rotation as specified in its dimension style. New Changes dimension text using the In-Place Text Editor. The generated measurement is represented with angle brackets (< >). Use control codes and Unicode character strings to enter special characters or symbols. See Control Codes and Special Characters on page 1045. To edit or replace the generated measurement, delete the angle brackets, enter the new dimension text, and then choose OK.
DIMHORIZONTAL Quick Reference See also: ■ Create Linear Dimensions Creates a horizontal linear dimension. Summary Creates a linear dimension with a horizontal dimension line. List of Prompts The following prompts are displayed.
Mtext Displays the In-Place Text Editor, which you can use to edit the dimension text. Use control codes and Unicode character strings to enter special characters or symbols. See Control Codes and Special Characters on page 1045. If alternate units are not turned on in the dimension style, you can display them by entering square brackets ([ ]). For more information about formatting dimension text, see “Change Existing Objects”.
DIMINSPECT Quick Reference See also: ■ Inspection Dimension Adds or removes inspection information for a selected dimension. Access Methods Button Toolbar: Annotation tool set ➤ Dimensions tool group ➤ Inspect Dimension Menu: Dimension ➤ Inspection Summary Inspection dimensions specify how frequently manufactured parts should be checked to ensure that the dimension value and tolerances of the parts are within the specified range.
Inspection Dimension Dialog Box Quick Reference See also: ■ Inspection Dimension Allows you to add or remove an inspection dimension from selected dimensions. Summary Use the Shape and Inspection Label/Rate settings to the appearance of the frame of the inspection dimension and the inspection rate value. List of Options The following options are displayed. Select Dimensions Specifies the dimensions that an inspection dimension should be added to or removed from.
Shape Controls the shape of the frame that is drawn around the label, dimension value, and inspection rate of the inspection dimension. Round Creates a frame with semi-circles on the two ends; the fields within the frame are separated by vertical lines. Angular Creates a frame with lines that form a 90-degree angle on the two ends; the fields within the frame are separated by vertical lines. None Specifies that no frame is drawn around the values; the fields are not separated by vertical lines.
-DIMINSPECT Quick Reference See also: ■ Inspection Dimension List of Prompts The following prompts are displayed. Add inspection data on page 289 or [Remove on page 289] : Enter an option or press Enter Add Adds an inspection dimension to the selected dimensions. Round Creates a frame with semi-circles on the two ends; the fields within the frame are separated by vertical lines.
Access Methods Button Toolbar: Annotation tool set ➤ Dimensions tool group ➤ Dimension flyout ➤ Jogged Menu: Dimension ➤ Jogged Summary DIMJOGGED measures the radius of the selected object and displays the dimension text with a radius symbol in front of it. The origin point of the dimension line can be specified at any convenient location. NOTE Jogged radius dimensions are also called foreshortened radius dimensions.
special characters or symbols. See Control Codes and Special Characters on page 1045. If alternate units are not turned on in the dimension style, you can display them by entering square brackets ([ ]). For more information, see “Change Existing Objects”. The current dimension style determines the appearance of the generated measurements. Text Customizes the dimension text at the Command prompt. The generated dimension measurement is displayed within angle brackets.
Toolbar: Annotation tool set ➤ Dimensions tool group ➤ Jog Line Menu: Dimension ➤ Jogged Linear Summary Jog lines in a dimension indicate a break in the objects being dimensioned. The dimension value represents the actual distance, rather than the measured distance in the drawing. List of Prompts The following prompts are displayed. Select dimension to add jog on page 292 or [Remove on page 292]: Select a linear or aligned dimension Add Jog Specifies the linear or aligned dimension to which to add a jog.
Toolbar: Annotation tool set ➤ Dimensions tool group ➤ Dimension flyout ➤ Linear Dimension Menu: Dimension ➤ Linear Summary Creates a linear dimension with a horizontal, vertical, or rotated dimension line. List of Prompts The following prompts are displayed.
Mtext Displays the In-Place Text Editor, which you can use to edit the dimension text. Use control codes and Unicode character strings to enter special characters or symbols. See Control Codes and Special Characters on page 1045. If alternate units are not turned on in the dimension style, you can display them by entering square brackets ([ ]). For more information about formatting dimension text, see “Change Existing Objects”.
Horizontal Creates horizontal linear dimensions. Dimension Line Location Uses the point you specify to locate the dimension line. ■ Mtext on page 294 ■ Text on page 294 ■ Angle on page 294 Vertical Creates vertical linear dimensions. Dimension Line Location Dimension Line Location on page 293 ■ Mtext on page 294 ■ Text on page 294 ■ Angle on page 294 Rotated Creates rotated linear dimensions.
Object Selection Automatically determines the origin points of the first and second extension lines after you select an object. For polylines and other explodable objects, only the individual line and arc segments are dimensioned. You cannot select objects in a non-uniformly scaled block reference. If you select a line or an arc, the line or arc endpoints are used as the origins of the extension lines.
Access Methods Button Toolbar: Annotation tool set ➤ Dimensions tool group ➤ Dimension flyout ➤ Ordinate Menu: Dimension ➤ Ordinate Summary Ordinate dimensions measure the horizontal or vertical distance from an origin point called the datum to a feature, such as a hole in a part. These dimensions prevent escalating errors by maintaining accurate offsets of the features from the datum. List of Prompts The following prompts are displayed.
Mtext Displays the In-Place Text Editor, which you can use to edit the dimension text. Use control codes and Unicode character strings to enter special characters or symbols. See Control Codes and Special Characters on page 1045. If alternate units are not turned on in the dimension style, you can display them by entering square brackets ([ ]). For more information about formatting dimension text, see “Change Existing Objects”.
Toolbar: Annotation tool set ➤ Dimensions tool group (expanded) ➤ Override Menu: Dimension ➤ Override Summary Overrides a specified dimensioning system variable for selected dimensions, or clears the overrides of selected dimension objects, returning them to the settings defined by their dimension style. List of Prompts The following prompts are displayed.
Summary Measures the radius of a selected circle or arc and displays the dimension text with a radius symbol in front of it. You can use grips to reposition the resulting radius dimension easily. List of Prompts The following prompts are displayed. Select arc or circle: Specify dimension line location or [Mtext/Text/Angle]: Specify a point or enter an option Dimension Line Location Determines the angle of the dimension line and the location of the dimension text.
DIMREASSOCIATE Quick Reference See also: ■ Change Dimension Associativity Associates or reassociates selected dimensions to objects or points on objects. Access Methods Button Toolbar: Annotation tool set ➤ Dimensions tool group ➤ Reassociate Dimension Menu: Dimension ➤ Reassociate Dimensions Summary Each selected dimension is highlighted in turn, and prompts for association points appropriate for the selected dimension are displayed. A marker is displayed for each association point prompt.
Press Esc to terminate the command without losing the changes that were already specified. Use UNDO to restore the previous state of the changed dimensions.
DIMREGEN Quick Reference See also: ■ Associative Dimensions Updates the locations of all associative dimensions. Summary The locations of all associative dimensions in the current drawing are updated. Associative dimensions need to be updated manually with DIMREGEN in the following cases: ■ After panning or zooming with a wheel mouse in a layout with model space active; update associative dimensions created in paper space.
Summary Creates a linear dimension with a rotated dimension line. List of Prompts The following prompts are displayed.
Dimension text properties are set on the Text tab of the New, Modify, and Override Dimension Style dialog boxes. Angle Changes the angle of the dimension text. Object Selection Automatically determines the origin points of the first and second extension lines after you select an object. For polylines and other explodable objects, only the individual line and arc segments are dimensioned. You cannot select objects in a non-uniformly scaled block reference.
Menu: Dimension ➤ Dimension Space Summary The spacing between parallel dimension lines is made equal. You can also make the dimension lines of a series of linear or angular dimensions line up by using a spacing value of 0. Spacing is applied only to parallel linear dimensions or to angular dimensions that share a common vertex. List of Prompts The following prompts are displayed.
Access Methods Menu: Format ➤ Dimension Style Summary The Dimension Style Manager is displayed. A dimension style is a named collection of dimension settings that control the appearance of dimensions. You create dimension styles to specify the format of dimensions quickly, and to ensure that dimensions conform to standards. If you enter -dimstyle at the Command prompt, options are displayed.
List of Options The following options are displayed. Current Dimension Style Displays the name of the dimension style that is current. The default dimension style is STANDARD. The current style is applied to dimensions you create. Styles Lists dimension styles in the drawing. The current style is highlighted. Right-click in the list to display a shortcut menu with options to set the current style, rename styles, and delete styles.
New Displays the Create New Dimension Style dialog box on page 310, in which you can define a new dimension style. Delete Deletes the dimension style selected in the Styles list. A style that is being used in the drawing cannot be deleted. Options Manages the dimension styles in the list. Set Current Sets the style selected under Styles to current. The current style is applied to dimensions you create.
Create New Dimension Style Dialog Box Quick Reference See also: ■ Use Dimension Styles Names the new dimension style, sets the style on which to start the new one, and indicates the dimension types to which you want the new style to apply. List of Options The following options are displayed. New Style Name Specifies the new dimension style name. Start With Sets a style to use as a basis for the new one. For the new style, you change only the properties that differ from the properties you start with.
Displays the New Dimension Style dialog box, in which you define the new dimension style properties. New, Modify, and Override Dimension Style Dialog Boxes Quick Reference See also: ■ Use Dimension Styles Set properties for dimension styles. Summary When you choose Continue in the Create New Dimension Style dialog box, the New Dimension Style dialog box is displayed. You define the properties for the new style in this dialog box.
Lines Tab Quick Reference See also: ■ Use Dimension Styles Sets the format and properties for dimension lines, extension lines, arrowheads, and center marks. Summary Sets the dimension line properties. List of Options The following options are displayed.
Displays and sets the color for the dimension line. If you click Select Color (at the bottom of the Color list), the Color Palette dialog box is displayed. You can also enter a color name or number. (DIMCLRD system variable) You can select colors from the 255 AutoCAD Color Index (ACI) colors, true colors, and Color Book colors. Linetype Sets the linetype of the dimension line. (DIMLTYPE system variable) Lineweight Sets the lineweight of the dimension line.
Extension Lines Controls the appearance of the extension lines. Color Sets the color for the extension line. If you click Select Color (at the bottom of the Color list), the Select Color dialog box is displayed. You can also enter a color name or number. (DIMCLRE system variable.) You can select colors from the 255 AutoCAD Color Index (ACI) colors, true colors, and Color Book colors. Linetype Ext Line 1 Sets the linetype of the first extension line.
Specifies a distance to extend the extension lines above the dimension line. (DIMEXE system variable) Offset From Origin Sets the distance to offset the extension lines from the points on the drawing that define the dimension. (DIMEXO system variable) Fixed Length Extension Lines Enables fixed length extension lines. (DIMFXLON system variable) Length Sets the total length of the extension lines starting from the dimension line toward the dimension origin.
Symbols and Arrows Tab Quick Reference See also: ■ Use Dimension Styles Sets the format and placement for arrowheads, center marks, arc length symbols, and jogged radius dimensions. Summary Controls the appearance of the dimension arrowheads. List of Options The following options are displayed.
Sets the arrowhead for the first dimension line. When you change the first arrowhead type, the second arrowhead automatically changes to match it. (DIMBLK1 system variable) To specify a user-defined arrowhead block, select User Arrow. The Select Custom Arrow Block dialog box is displayed. Select the name of a user-defined arrowhead block. (The block must be in the drawing.) Second Sets the arrowhead for the second dimension line.
Creates no center mark or centerline. The value is stored as 0 in the DIMCEN system variable. Mark Creates a center mark. The size of the center mark is stored as a positive value in the DIMCEN system variable. Line Creates a centerline. The size of the centerline is stored as a negative value in the DIMCEN system variable. Size Displays and sets the size of the center mark or centerline. (DIMCEN system variable) Radius Jog Dimension Controls the display of jogged (zigzag) radius dimensions.
Above Dimension Text Places arc length symbols above the dimension text. (DIMARCSYM system variable) None Suppresses the display of arc length symbols. (DIMARCSYM system variable) Linear Jog Dimension Controls the display of the jog for linear dimensions. Jog lines are often added to linear dimensions when the actual measurement is not accurately represent by the dimension. Typically the actual measurement is smaller than the desired value.
Sets the format, placement, and alignment of dimension text. List of Options The following options are displayed. Text Appearance Controls the dimension text format and size. Text Style Lists the available text styles. Text Style Button Displays the Text Style Dialog Box on page 1006 where you can create or modify text styles. (DIMTXSTY system variable) Text Color Sets the color for the dimension text. If you click Select Color (at the bottom of the Color list), the Color Palette dialog box is displayed.
Fill Color Sets the color for the text background in dimensions. If you click Select Color (at the bottom of the Color list), the Color Palette dialog box is displayed. You can also enter color name or number. (DIMTFILL and DIMTFILLCLR system variables) You can select colors from the 255 AutoCAD Color Index (ACI) colors, true colors, and Color Book colors. Text Height Sets the height of the current dimension text style. Enter a value in the text box.
■ JIS: Places the dimension text to conform to a Japanese Industrial Standards (JIS) representation. ■ Below: Places the dimension text under the dimension line. The distance from the dimension line to the baseline of the lowest line of text is the current text gap. See the Offset from Dim Line option. Horizontal Controls the horizontal placement of dimension text along the dimension line, in relation to the extension lines.
View Direction Controls the dimension text viewing direction. (DIMTXTDIRECTION system variable) View Direction includes the following options: ■ Left-to-Right: Places the text to enable reading from left to right. ■ Right-to-Left: Places the text to enable reading from right to left. Offset from Dim Line Sets the current text gap, which is the distance around the dimension text when the dimension line is broken to accommodate the dimension text.
Aligned with Dimension Line Aligns text with the dimension line. ISO Standard Aligns text with the dimension line when text is inside the extension lines, but aligns it horizontally when text is outside the extension lines. Preview Displays sample dimension images that show the effects of changes you make to dimension style settings. Fit Tab Quick Reference See also: ■ Use Dimension Styles Controls the placement of dimension text, arrowheads, leader lines, and the dimension line.
List of Options The following options are displayed. Fit Options Controls the placement of text and arrowheads based on the space available between the extension lines. When space is available, text and arrowheads are placed between the extension lines. Otherwise, text and arrowheads are placed according to the Fit options.
■ When enough space is available for text only, places text between the extension lines and places arrowheads outside the extension lines. ■ When enough space is available for arrowheads only, places them between the extension lines and places text outside the extension lines. ■ When space is available for neither text nor arrowheads, places them both outside the extension lines. Arrows Moves arrowheads outside the extension lines first, then text (DIMATFIT system variable).
Always places text between extension lines. (DIMTIX system variable) Suppress Arrows If They Don't Fit Inside Extension Lines Suppresses arrowheads if not enough space is available inside the extension lines. (DIMSOXD system variable) Text Placement Sets the placement of dimension text when it is moved from the default position, that is, the position defined by the dimension style. (DIMTMOVE system variable) Beside the Dimension Line If selected, moves the dimension line whenever dimension text is moved.
Scale for Dimension Features Sets the overall dimension scale value or the paper space scaling. Annotative Specifies that the dimension is . Click the information icon to learn more about annotative objects. Scale Dimensions To Layout Determines a scale factor based on the scaling between the current model space viewport and paper space. (DIMSCALE system variable) When you work in paper space, but not in a model space viewport, or when TILEMODE is set to 1, the default scale factor of 1.
Primary Units Tab Quick Reference See also: ■ Use Dimension Styles Sets the format and precision of primary dimension units and sets prefixes and suffixes for dimension text. List of Options The following options are displayed. Linear Dimensions Sets the format and precision for linear dimensions. Unit Format Sets the current units format for all dimension types except Angular.
The relative sizes of numbers in stacked fractions are based on the DIMTFAC system variable (in the same way that tolerance values use this system variable). Precision Displays and sets the number of decimal places in the dimension text. (DIMDEC system variable) Fraction Format Sets the format for fractions. (DIMFRAC system variable) Decimal Separator Sets the separator for decimal formats.
If you specify tolerances, the suffix is added to the tolerances as well as to the main dimension. For more information, see Control Codes and Special Characters on page 1045. Scale Factor Sets a scale factor for linear dimension measurements. It is recommended that you do not change this value from the default value of 1.00. For example, if you enter 2, the dimension for a 1-inch line is displayed as two inches.
0 Inches Suppresses the inches portion of a feet-and-inches dimension when the distance is an integral number of feet. For example, 1'-0" becomes 1'. Angular Dimensions Displays and sets the current angle format for angular dimensions. Units Format Sets the angular units format. (DIMAUNIT system variable) Precision Sets the number of decimal places for angular dimensions. DIMADEC system variable) Zero Suppression Controls the suppression of leading and trailing zeros.
Specifies display of alternate units in dimension measurements and sets their format and precision. List of Options The following options are displayed. Display Alternate Units Adds alternate measurement units to dimension text. Sets the DIMALT system variable to 1. Alternate Units Displays and sets the current alternate units format for all dimension types except Angular. Unit Format Sets the unit format for alternate units.
Sets the number of decimal places for alternate units. (DIMALTD system variable) Multiplier for Alt Units Specifies the multiplier used as the conversion factor between primary and alternate units. For example, to convert inches to millimeters, enter 25.4. The value has no effect on angular dimensions, and it is not applied to the rounding value or the plus or minus tolerance values. (DIMALTF system variable) Round Distances To Sets rounding rules for alternate units for all dimension types except Angular.
Suppresses leading zeros in all decimal dimensions. For example, 0.5000 becomes .5000. Sub-units factor Sets the number of sub units to a unit. It is used to calculate the dimension distance in a sub unit when the distance is less than one unit. For example, enter 100 if the suffix is m and the sub-unit suffix is to display in cm. Sub-unit suffix Includes a suffix to the dimension value sub unit. You can enter text or use control codes to display special symbols. For example, enter cm for .
Tolerances Tab Quick Reference See also: ■ Use Dimension Styles Specifies the display and format of dimension text tolerances. List of Options The following options are displayed. Tolerance Format Controls the tolerance format. Method Sets the method for calculating the tolerance. (DIMTOL system variable) ■ None: Does not add a tolerance. The DIMTOL system variable is set to 0.
■ Symmetrical: Adds a plus/minus expression of tolerance in which a single value of variation is applied to the dimension measurement. A plus-or-minus sign appears after the dimension. Enter the tolerance value in Upper Value. The DIMTOL system variable is set to 1. The DIMLIM system variable is set to 0. ■ Deviation: Adds a plus/minus tolerance expression. Different plus and minus values of variation are applied to the dimension measurement.
Precision Sets the number of decimal places. (DIMTDEC system variable) Upper Value Sets the maximum or upper tolerance value. When you select Symmetrical in Method, this value is used for the tolerance. (DIMTP system variable) Lower Value Sets the minimum or lower tolerance value. (DIMTM system variable) Scaling for Height Sets the current height for the tolerance text. The ratio of the tolerance height to the main dimension text height is calculated and stored in the DIMTFAC system variable.
Align Controls the alignment of upper and lower tolerance values when stacked Decimal Separators Values are stacked by their decimal separators. Operational Symbols Values are stacked by their operational symbols. Suppress Controls the suppression of leading and trailing zeros and of feet and inches that have a value of zero. (DIMTZIN system variable) Zero suppression settings also affect real-to-string conversions performed by ® the AutoLISP rtos and angtos functions.
Suppress Controls the suppression of leading and trailing zeros and of feet and inches that have a value of zero. (DIMALTTZ system variable) Leading Zeros Suppresses leading zeros in all decimal dimensions. For example, 0.5000 becomes .5000. Trailing Zeros Suppresses trailing zeros in all decimal dimensions. For example, 12.5000 becomes 12.5, and 30.0000 becomes 30. 0 Feet Suppresses the feet portion of a feet-and-inches dimension when the distance is less than 1 foot. For example, 0'-6 1/2" becomes 6 1/2".
Summary You can output the results of the comparison to the Clipboard, and then paste to other applications. List of Options The following options are displayed. Compare Specifies the first dimension style for the comparison. With Specifies the second dimension style for the comparison. If you set the second style to or to the same style as the first, all the properties of the dimension style are displayed.
Displays the results of the dimension style comparison. If you compare two different styles, the properties that differ are displayed. If you set the second style to or to the same style as the first, all the properties of the dimension style are displayed. Copy to Clipboard button Copies the results of the comparison to the Clipboard. You can then paste the results to other applications, such as word processors and spreadsheets.
If you enter the name of an existing dimension style, the following prompts are displayed: That name is already in use, redefine it? : Enter y or press Enter If you enter y, associative dimensions that use the redefined dimension style are regenerated. To display the differences between the dimension style name you want to save and the current style, enter a tilde (~) followed by the style name at the Enter Name for New Dimension Style prompt.
in the first column, and the setting of the compared style in the second column. ?—List Dimension Styles Lists the named dimension styles in the current drawing. Select Dimension Lists the dimension style and any dimension overrides for the dimension object you select. Apply Applies the current dimensioning system variable settings to selected dimension objects, permanently overriding any existing dimension styles applied to these objects.
Summary The companion command that edits the dimension text and changes the extension line angle is DIMEDIT. List of Prompts The following prompts are displayed. Select dimension: Select a dimension object You are prompted for the new location of the dimension text. Specify new location for dimension text or [Left/Right/Center/Home/Angle]: Specify a point or enter an option Location for Dimension Text Updates the location of the dimension text dynamically as you drag it.
This option works only with linear, radius, and diameter dimensions. Home Moves the dimension text back to its default position. For example: Angle Changes the angle of the dimension text. The center point of the text does not change. If the text moves or the dimension is regenerated, the orientation set by the text angle is retained. Entering an angle of 0 degrees puts the text in its default orientation. The text angle is measured from the X axis of the UCS.
DIMVERTICAL Quick Reference See also: ■ Create Linear Dimensions Creates a vertical linear dimension. Summary Creates a linear dimension with a vertical dimension line. List of Prompts The following prompts are displayed.
Text Customizes the dimension text at the Command prompt. The generated dimension measurement is displayed within angle brackets. To include the generated measurement, use angle brackets (< >) to represent the generated measurement. If alternate units are not turned on in the dimension style, you can display alternate units by entering square brackets ([ ]). Dimension text properties are set on the Text tab of the New, Modify, and Override Dimension Style dialog boxes.
Summary In general, the DIST command reports 3D distances in model space and 2D distances on a layout in paper space. In model space, changes in X, Y, and Z component distances and angles are measured in 3D relative to the current UCS. In paper space, distances are normally reported in 2D paper space units. However, when using object snaps on model space objects that are displayed in a single viewport, distances are reported as 2D model space distances projected onto a plane parallel to your screen.
DISTANTLIGHT Quick Reference See also: ■ Use Distant Lights Creates a distant light. Access Methods Button Toolbar: Modeling tool set ➤ Lights tool group (expanded) ➤ Distant Light Menu: View ➤ Render ➤ Light ➤ New Distant Light List of Prompts The following prompts are displayed. Specify light direction FROM <0,0,0> or [Vector]: Specify a point or enter v Specify light direction TO <1,1,1>: Specify a point If you enter the Vector option, the following prompt is displayed: Specify vector direction <0.
NOTE When the LIGHTINGUNITS system variable is set to 1 or 2, the Attenuation option has no affect on the creation of the light. It is only maintained for scripting compatibility. Name Specifies the name of the light. You can use uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers, spaces, hyphens (-), and underscores (_) in the name. The maximum length is 256 characters. Intensity/Intensity Factor Sets the intensity or brightness of the light. The range is 0.00 to the maximum value that is supported by your system.
Enter a text string using wild card characters to display a partial listing of color names, or an asterick (*) to display all the possible choices. If you enter k, you can specify the color of the light based on a Kelvin temperature value. Shadow Makes the light cast shadows. Off Turns off display and calculation of shadows for the light. Turning shadows off increases performance. Sharp Displays shadows with sharp edges. Use this option to increase performance.
Access Methods Button Toolbar: Drafting tool set ➤ Open Shapes tool group (expanded) ➤ Point flyout ➤ Divide Menu: Draw ➤ Point ➤ Divide List of Prompts The following prompts are displayed. Select object to divide: Use an object selection method Enter number of segments on page 353 or [Block]: Enter a value from 2 through 32,767, or enter b Number of Segments Places point objects at equal intervals along the selected objects.
Yes Specifies that the X axes of the inserted blocks be tangent to, or collinear with, the divided object at the dividing points. No Aligns the blocks according to their normal orientation. The illustration shows an arc divided into five equal parts using a block consisting of a vertically oriented ellipse. DONUT Quick Reference See also: ■ Draw Donuts Creates a filled circle or a wide ring.
List of Prompts The following prompts are displayed. Specify inside diameter of donut : Specify a distance or press Enter If you specify an inside diameter of 0, the donut is a filled circle. Specify outside diameter of donut : Specify a distance or press Enter Specify center of donut or : Specify a point (1) or press Enter to end the command The location of the donut is set based on the center point.
Access Method Command entry: 'dragmode for transparent use List of Prompts The following prompts are displayed. Enter new value [ON/OFF/Auto] : Enter an option or press Enter On Permits dragging, but you must enter drag where appropriate in a drawing or editing command to initiate dragging. Off Ignores all dragging requests, including those embedded in menu items. Auto Turns on dragging for every command that supports it. Dragging is performed whenever it is possible.
Toolbar: Drafting tool set ➤ Move/Rotate/Scale tool group (expanded) ➤ Draw Order flyout Menu: Tools ➤ Draw Order Shortcut menu: Select an object, right-click, and then click Draw Order. Summary Use the DRAWORDERCTL system variable to control the default display behavior of overlapping objects. In addition, the TEXTTOFRONT command brings all text and dimensions in a drawing in front of other objects, and the HATCHTOBACK command sends all hatch objects behind other objects.
DSETTINGS Quick Reference See also: ■ Use Precision Tools Sets grid and snap, polar and object snap tracking, object snap modes, and Dynamic Input. Access Methods Menu: Tools ➤ Drafting Settings Shortcut menu: Right-click Snap Mode, Grid Display, Polar Tracking, Object Snap, Object Snap Tracking, Dynamic Input on the status bar. Click Settings. Summary The Drafting Settings dialog box is displayed.
■ Dynamic Input on page 374 List of Options The following options are displayed. Snap and Grid Tab (Drafting Settings Dialog Box) Specifies Snap and Grid settings. Snap On Turns Snap mode on or off. You can also turn Snap mode on or off by clicking Snap on the status bar, by pressing F9, or by using the SNAPMODE system variable. Snap Spacing Controls an invisible, rectangular grid of snap locations that restricts cursor movement to specified X and Y intervals.
Specifies the snap spacing in the X direction. The value must be a positive real number. (SNAPUNIT system variable) Snap Y Spacing Specifies the snap spacing in the Y direction. The value must be a positive real number. (SNAPUNIT system variable) Equal X and Y Spacing Forces the X and Y spacing to the same values for snap spacing and for grid spacing. The snap spacing intervals can be different from the grid spacing intervals. Polar Spacing Controls the PolarSnap™ increment distance.
set on the Polar Tracking tab relative to the starting polar tracking point. (SNAPTYPE system variable) Grid On Turns the grid on or off. You can also turn grid mode on or off by clicking Grid on the status bar, by pressing F7, or by using the GRIDMODE on page 1338 system variable. Grid Style Sets the grid style in 2D contexts. You can also set grid style by using the GRIDSTYLE on page 1339 system variable. 2D Model Space Sets the grid style to dotted grid for 2D model space.
Grid Behavior Controls the appearance of the grid lines that are displayed when GRIDSTYLE on page 1339 is set to 0. Adaptive Grid Limits the density of the grid when zoomed out. (GRIDDISPLAY system variable) Allow Subdivision Below Grid Spacing: Generates additional, more closely spaced grid lines when zoomed in. The frequency of these grid lines is determined by the frequency of the major grid lines.
Polar Tracking On Turns polar tracking on and off. You can also turn polar tracking on or off by pressing F10 or by using the AUTOSNAP system variable. Polar Angle Settings Sets the alignment angles for polar tracking. (POLARANG system variable) Increment Angle Sets the polar increment angle used to display polar tracking alignment paths. You can enter any angle, or select a common angle of 90, 45, 30, 22.5, 18, 15, 10, or 5 degrees from the list.
NOTE Additional angles are absolute, not incremental. List of Angles If Additional Angles is selected, lists the additional angles that are available. To add new angles, click New. To remove existing angles, click Delete. (POLARADDANG system variable) New Adds up to 10 additional polar tracking alignment angles. NOTE Before adding fractional angles, you must set the AUPREC system variable to the appropriate decimal precision to avoid undesired rounding.
Object Snap Tab (Drafting Settings Dialog Box) Controls running object snap settings. With running object snap settings, also called Osnap, you can specify a snap point at an exact location on an object. When more than one option is selected, the selected snap modes are applied to return a point closest to the center of the aperture box. Press TAB to cycle through the options. Object Snap On Turns running object snaps on and off.
Endpoint Snaps to the closest endpoint of an arc, elliptical arc, line, multiline, polyline segment, spline, region, or ray, or to the closest corner of a trace, solid, or 3D face. Midpoint Snaps to the midpoint of an arc, ellipse, elliptical arc, line, multiline, polyline segment, region, solid, spline, or xline. Center Snaps to the center of an arc, circle, ellipse, or elliptical arc. Node Snaps to a point object, dimension definition point, or dimension text origin.
Quadrant Snaps to a quadrant point of an arc, circle, ellipse, or elliptical arc. Intersection Snaps to the intersection of an arc, circle, ellipse, elliptical arc, line, multiline, polyline, ray, region, spline, or xline. Extended Intersection is not available as a running object snap. NOTE You might get varying results if you have both the Intersection and Apparent Intersection running object snaps turned on at the same time.
Deferred Perpendicular snap mode is automatically turned on when the object you are drawing requires that you complete more than one perpendicular snap. You can use a line, arc, circle, polyline, ray, xline, multiline, or 3D solid edge as an object from which to draw a perpendicular line. You can use Deferred Perpendicular to draw perpendicular lines between such objects. When the aperture box passes over a Deferred Perpendicular snap point, an AutoSnap tooltip and marker are displayed.
NOTE You might get varying results if you have both the Intersection and Apparent Intersection running object snaps turned on at the same time. Parallel Constrains a line segment, polyline segment, ray or xline to be parallel to another linear object. After you specify the first point of a linear object, specify the parallel object snap. Unlike other object snap modes, you move the cursor and hover over another linear object until the angle is acquired.
3D Object Snap On Turns 3D object snaps on and off. The 3D object snaps selected under 3D Object Snap Modes are active while object snap is on. (3DOSMODE on page 1173 system variable) 3D Object Snap Modes Lists the 3D object snaps modes. Vertex Snaps to the closest vertex of a 3D object.
Midpoint on Edge Snaps to the midpoint of a face edge.
Snaps to the center of a face. Knot Snaps to a knot on a spline.
Perpendicular Snaps to a point perpendicular to a face. Nearest to Face Snaps to a point that is nearest to a 3D object face.
Select All Turns on all 3D object snap modes. Clear All Turns off all 3D object snap modes. Dynamic Input Tab (Drafting Settings Dialog Box) Controls pointer input, dimension input, dynamic prompting, and the appearance of drafting tooltips.
Enable Pointer Input Turns on pointer input. When pointer input and dimensional input are both turned on, dimensional input supersedes pointer input when it is available. (DYNMODE system variable) Pointer Input Displays the location of the crosshairs as coordinate values in a tooltip near the cursor. When a command prompts you for a point, you can enter coordinate values in the tooltip instead of in the Command window. Preview Area Shows an example of pointer input.
Enable Dimension Input Turns on dimensional input. Dimensional input is not available for some commands that prompt for a second point. (DYNMODE system variable) Dimension Input Displays a dimension with tooltips for distance value and angle value when a command prompts you for a second point or a distance. The values in the dimension tooltips change as you move the cursor. You can enter values in the tooltip instead of on the command line. Preview Area Shows an example of dimensional input.
List of Options The following options are displayed. Format Controls coordinate format in the tooltips that are displayed when pointer input is turned on. Polar Format Displays the tooltip for the second or next point in polar coordinate format. Enter a comma (,) to change to Cartesian format. (DYNPIFORMAT system variable) Cartesian Format Displays the tooltip for the second or next point in Cartesian coordinate format. Enter an angle symbol (<) to change to polar format.
Dimension Input Settings Dialog Box Quick Reference See also: ■ Use Dynamic Input Controls the settings of dimension input tooltips. List of Options The following options are displayed. Visibility Controls which tooltips are displayed during grip stretching when dimensional input is turned on. (DYNDIVIS system variable) Show Only 1 Dimension Input Field at a Time Displays only the length change dimensional input tooltip when you are using grip editing to stretch an object.
Displays the change in the angle as you move the grip. Arc Radius Displays the radius of an arc, which is updated as you move the grip. Tooltip Appearance Dialog Box Quick Reference See also: ■ Use Dynamic Input Controls the appearance of tooltips. Summary Use the TOOLTIPMERGE system variable to combine drafting tooltips into a single tooltip. For more information about tooltips, see Set Interface Options. List of Options The following options are displayed.
Applies the settings to all tooltips, overriding the settings in the operating system. Use Settings Only for Dynamic Input Tooltips Applies the settings only to the drafting tooltips used in Dynamic Input. DVIEW Quick Reference See also: ■ Specify 3D Views Defines parallel projection or perspective views by using a camera and target. Summary NOTE Transparent ZOOM PAN are not available in DVIEW.
Object Selection Specifies objects to use in the preview image as you change views. Selecting too many objects slows image dragging and updating. DVIEWBLOCK If you press Enter at the Select Objects prompt, DVIEWBLOCK displays a preview image. You can create your own DVIEWBLOCK block in a 1 unit by 1 unit by 1 unit area, with its origin at the lower-left corner. The following illustration shows an example of using the default DVIEWBLOCK to set the view (moving the graphics cursor adjusts the view).
The angles must be positive. The direction angle indicates the front of the view, and the magnitude angle determines how far the view rolls. Camera Specifies a new camera position by rotating the camera about the target point. Two angles determine the amount of rotation. Camera Location Sets the camera's position based on the specified point. Enter Angle from the XY Plane Sets the camera's position at an angle above or below the XY plane.
Toggle (Angle From) Switches between two angle input modes. Entering an angle at the Command prompt locks the cursor movement so you see only the positions available for that angle. Toggle unlocks the cursor movement for the angle, and you can use the cursor to rotate the camera. Target Specifies a new position for the target by rotating it around the camera. The effect is like turning your head to see different parts of the drawing from one vantage point. Two angles determine the amount of rotation.
A slider bar along the top of the drawing area is labeled from 0x to 16x, with 1x representing the current distance. Moving the slider bar to the right increases the distance between camera and target. Moving it to the left decreases that distance. To turn off perspective viewing, click the Off option from the main DVIEW prompt. If the target and camera points are close together, or if you specify a long-focal-length lens, you might see very little of your drawing when you specify a new distance.
For information about entering direction and magnitude angles, see Point Specification. Pan Shifts the image without changing the level of magnification. Zoom If perspective viewing is off, dynamically increases or decreases the apparent size of objects in the current viewport. A slider bar along the top of the drawing area is labeled from 0x to 16x, with 1x representing the current scale. Moving the slider bar to the right increases the scale. Moving it to the left decreases the scale.
Twist Twists or tilts the view around the line of sight. The twist angle is measured counterclockwise, with 0 degrees to the right. Clip Clips the view, obscuring portions of the drawing that are behind or in front of the front clipping plane. The front and back clipping planes are invisible walls that you can position perpendicular to the line of sight between the camera and target. Back Obscures objects located behind the back clipping plane. ■ Distance from Target.
Front Obscures objects located between the camera and the front clipping plane. ■ Distance from Target.Positions the front clipping plane and turns on front clipping. A positive distance places the clipping plane between the target and the camera. A negative distance places it beyond the target. You can use the slider bar to drag the clipping plane. ■ Eye. Positions the front clipping plane at the camera. ■ On. Turns on front clipping. This option is available only when perspective viewing is off.
DXBIN Quick Reference See also: ■ Convert DXF and DXB Files to DWG Format Imports an AutoCAD DXB (drawing interchange binary) file. Access Methods Menu: Insert ➤ Drawing Exchange Binary Summary AutoCAD DXB files contain only 2D vectors in binary format with 16-bit integer precision. These vectors are imported as line objects, and they assume the current layer and object properties. The Select DXB File dialog box (a standard file selection dialog box) is displayed. Enter the name of the file to import.
E Commands 6 EATTEDIT Quick Reference See also: ■ Modify a Block Attribute Definition Edits attributes in a block reference. Access Methods Button Toolbar: Drafting tool set ➤ Block tool group ➤ Edit Attributes flyout ➤ Multiple Menu: Modify ➤ Object ➤ Attribute ➤ Single Summary Edits the values, text options, and properties of each attribute in a block. List of Prompts The following prompts are displayed.
Select a block: After you select a block with attributes, the Enhanced Attribute Editor is displayed. Enhanced Attribute Editor Quick Reference See also: ■ Modify a Block Attribute Definition Lists the attributes in a selected block instance and displays the properties of each attribute. Summary The Enhanced Attribute Editor contains the following tabs: ■ Attribute ■ Text Options ■ Properties List of Options The following options are displayed.
List Lists the attributes in the selected block instance and displays the tag, prompt, and value for each attribute. Value Assigns a new value to the selected attribute. Single-line attributes include a button to insert a field. When clicked, the Field dialog box is displayed. Multiple-line attributes include a button with an ellipsis. Click to open the In-Place Text Editor with the ruler.
Rotation Specifies the rotation angle of the attribute text. Oblique Angle Specifies the angle that the attribute text is slanted away from its vertical axis. Not available for multiple-line attributes. Height Specifies the height of the attribute text. Width Factor Sets the character spacing for the attribute text. Entering a value less than 1.0 condenses the text. Entering a value greater than 1.0 expands it.
Specifies the text style for the attribute text. Default values for this text style are assigned to the text properties displayed in this dialog box. Backwards Specifies whether or not the attribute text is displayed backwards. Not available for multiple-line attributes. Upside Down Specifies whether or not the attribute text is displayed upside down. Not available for multiple-line attributes. Annotative Specifies that the attribute is . Click the information icon to learn more about annotative objects.
Layer Specifies the layer that the attribute is on. Linetype Specifies the linetype of the attribute. Color Specifies the color of the attribute. Lineweight Specifies the lineweight of the attribute. Changes you make to this option are not displayed if the LWDISPLAY on page 1406 system variable is off. Plot Style Specifies the plot style of the attribute. If the current drawing uses color-dependent plot styles, the Plot Style list is not available.
If the edges of one or more 3D faces are collinear, the program alters the visibility of each collinear edge. Display Selects invisible edges of 3D faces so that you can redisplay them. All Selects the hidden edges of all 3D faces in the drawing and displays them. If you want to make the edges of the 3D faces visible once again, use the Edge option. You must select each edge with your pointing device to display it.
EDGESURF Quick Reference See also: ■ Construct Meshes from Other Objects Creates a mesh between four contiguous edges or curves. Access Methods Menu: Draw ➤ 3D Modeling ➤ Meshes ➤ Edge Mesh Summary Select four adjoining edges that define the mesh. The edges can be lines, arcs, splines, or open polylines. The edges must touch at their endpoints to form a single, closed loop. You can select the four edges in any order.
List of Prompts The following prompts are displayed. Object 1 for surface edge Specifies the first edge to be used as a boundary. Object 2 for surface edge Specifies the second edge to be used as a boundary. Object 3 for surface edge Specifies the third edge to be used as a boundary. Object 4 for surface edge Specifies the final edge to be used as a boundary.
Access Methods Command entry: 'elev for transparent use Summary ELEV controls only new objects; it does not affect existing objects. The elevation is reset to 0.0 whenever you change the coordinate system to the world coordinate system (WCS). List of Prompts The following prompts are displayed. Specify New Default Elevation The current elevation is the default Z value for new objects when you specify only X and Y values for a 3D point.
ELLIPSE Quick Reference See also: ■ Draw Ellipses Creates an ellipse or an elliptical arc. Access Methods Button Toolbar: Drafting tool set ➤ Closed Shapes tool group ➤ Ellipse flyout ➤ Center Menu: Draw ➤ Ellipse ➤ Center Summary The first two points of the ellipse determine the location and length of the first axis. The third point determines the distance between the center of the ellipse and the end point of the second axis. List of Prompts The following prompts are displayed.
Distance to Other Axis Defines the second axis using the distance from the midpoint of the first axis to the endpoint of the second axis (3). Rotation Creates the ellipse by appearing to rotate a circle about the first axis. Move the crosshairs around the center of the ellipse and click. If you enter a value, the higher the value, the greater the eccentricity of the ellipse. Entering 0 defines a circular ellipse. Arc Creates an elliptical arc.
90.6 degrees are invalid because the ellipse would otherwise appear as a straight line. Multiples of these angle values result in a mirrored effect every 90 degrees. Start Angle Defines the first endpoint of the elliptical arc. The Start Angle option toggles from Parameter mode to Angle mode. The mode controls how the ellipse is calculated.
Distance to Other Axis Defines the second axis as the distance from the center of the ellipse, or midpoint of the first axis, to the point you specify. Rotation Creates the ellipse by appearing to rotate a circle about the first axis. Move the crosshairs around the center of the ellipse and click. If you enter a value, the higher the value, the greater the eccentricity of the ellipse. Entering 0 defines a circle. Isocircle Creates an isometric circle in the current isometric drawing plane.
Toolbar: Drafting tool set ➤ Explode and Erase tool group ➤ Erase Menu: Modify ➤ Erase Shortcut menu: Select the objects to erase, right-click in the drawing area, and click Erase. Summary You can erase selected objects from the drawing. This method does not move objects to the Clipboard, where they can then be pasted to another location. If you are working with 3D objects, you can also erase subobjects such as faces, meshes, and vertices.
Summary Explodes a compound object when you want to modify its components separately. Objects that can be exploded include blocks, polylines, and regions, among others. The color, linetype, and lineweight of any exploded object might change. Other results differ depending on the type of compound object you're exploding. See the following list of objects that can be exploded and the results for each. To explode objects and change their properties at the same time, use XPLODE.
Exploding a block that contains attributes deletes the attribute values and redisplays the attribute definitions. Blocks inserted with MINSERT and external references (xrefs) and their dependent blocks cannot be exploded. Body Explodes into a single-surface body (nonplanar surfaces), regions, or curves. Circle If within a nonuniformly scaled block, explodes into ellipses.
If you do not see the file format that you need in the Files of Type drop-down list, also check the PLOT command for other file types, including PDF. NOTE The Export Data dialog box records the last used file format selection and stores it for use during the current drawing session and between drawing sessions. The following output types are available: ■ ACIS (*.sat): ACIS solid object file (see ACISOUT) ■ Lithography (*.stl): Solid object stereolithography file (see STLOUT) ■ Encapsulated PS (*.
List of Prompts The following prompts are displayed. Export options [Format/Bind/bind Type/Maintain/Prefix/Suffix/?] : Enter an option or press Enter to specify a file name Enter for Filename Creates a new drawing file with the specified name. NOTE You can use the Prefix option to create a unique file name for this drawing and to prevent overwriting the existing drawing file. Format Determines the drawing file format for the resulting drawing file.
? List Settings Lists the current settings for the command. EXTEND Quick Reference See also: ■ Trim or Extend Objects Extends objects to meet the edges of other objects. Access Methods Button Toolbar: Drafting tool set ➤ Modify tool group ➤ Extend Menu: Modify ➤ Extend Summary To extend objects, first select the boundaries. Then press Enter and select the objects that you want to extend. To use all objects as boundaries, press Enter at the first Select Objects prompt.
Current settings: Projection = current, Edge = current Select boundary edges... Select objects or
UCS Specifies projection onto the XY plane of the current user coordinate system (UCS). Objects that do not intersect with the boundary objects in 3D space are extended. View Specifies projection along the current view direction. Edge Extends the object to another object's implied edge, or only to an object that actually intersects it in 3D space.
Extend Extends the boundary object along its natural path to intersect another object or its implied edge in 3D space. No Extend Specifies that the object is to extend only to a boundary object that actually intersects it in 3D space. Undo Reverses the most recent changes made by EXTEND. EXTERNALREFERENCES Quick Reference See also: ■ Attach and Detach Referenced Drawings Opens the Reference Manager palette.
NOTE The FILEDIA system variable is ignored when attaching files from the Reference Manager palette. Reference Manager Palette Quick Reference See also: ■ Attach and Detach Referenced Drawings Manage external references attached to the current drawing.
Summary The Reference Manager palette organizes, displays, and manages referenced files, such as DWG files (xrefs) and raster images. The Reference Manager palette contains a toolbar along the top. You can right-click over the files list to display a shortcut menu that allows you to attach or manage an attached external reference. Click the Show Details button on the toolbar to view details and thumbnail preview for the selected external reference.
Relink File Displays the Select File to Relink dialog box where you can update the location of the selected file reference. Show Details Displays the Details and Preview panel on page 417 which displays a thumbnail preview and details for the selected file reference.
Menu Item Description Close File Closes the drawing file. If changes were made, you are prompted to save or discard them before the drawing can be closed. No File Reference Selected When no file reference is selected, the shortcut menu presents the following functions: Menu Item Description Attach Reference Displays the Select Reference File dialog box. Reload All References Reloads all file referenced files attached to the current drawing. (Unavailable if no file references are attached.
Menu Item Description Reference Status loaded, Not Found or Unresolved. Attach Switches the selected DWG file reference to the Attach attachment type. Always available for DWG file references - status has no affect on this function. Overlay Switches the selected DWG file reference to the Overlay attachment type. Always available for DWG file references - status has no affect on this function. Unload Unloads the selected file references. Always available - status has no affect on this function.
Menu Item Description Reference Status dependent named object. The bound xref-dependent named object assumes the properties of the locally defined named object. Detach Detaches the selected file reference. Available for all file references types.
List of Options The following options are displayed. Details Each file reference shares a common set of properties. Referenced images, display additional properties specific to the file type. The common set of details displayed for each file reference is name, status, file size, file type, creation date, saved path, and found at path. Some of the properties can be edited. Reference Name Displays the file reference name. This property is editable for all file reference types.
Image Specific Properties If you select a referenced image, additional properties are displayed. None of the added image properties can be edited. Color System Displays the color system. Color Depth The amount of information that is stored in each pixel of a raster image. Higher color depth values produce smoother degrees of shading. Pixel Width The width of the raster image measured in pixels. Pixel Height The height of the raster image measured in pixels.
EXTRUDE Quick Reference See also: ■ Create a Solid or Surface by Extruding Creates a 3D solid or surface by extending the dimensions of an object. Access Methods Button Toolbar: Modeling tool set ➤ Solids - Create tool group ➤ Extrude Menu: Draw ➤ 3D Modeling ➤ Extrude Summary You can extrude either an open or closed object to create a 3D surface or solid. If you extrude a surface, you will create a regular surface or a NURBS surface depending on how the SURFACEMODELINGMODE system variable is set.
The DELOBJ system variable controls whether the object(s) and path (if selected) are automatically deleted when the solid or surface is created or whether you are prompted to delete the object(s) and path.
Object type Can be extruded? Can be extrusion path? Comments 2D Polylines X X 2D polylines with crossing segments cannot be extruded. Thickness and width are ignored. The extrusion extends from the center line. 3D Polylines X X Regions X 2D Solids X 3D Solids: edges X 3D Solids: faces X Splines: 2D and 3D X X Surfaces: edges X X Surfaces: planar and non-planar X X Traces X X List of Prompts The following prompts are displayed.
Mode Controls whether the extruded object is a solid or a surface. Surfaces are extruded as either NURBS surfaces or procedural surfaces, depending on the SURFACEMODELINGMODE system variable. Height of extrusion Extrudes objects along the positive Z axis of the object's coordinate system if you enter a positive value. If you enter a negative value, the objects are extruded along the negative Z axis. Objects do not have to be parallel to the same plane.
If the path contains segments that are not tangent, the program extrudes the object along each segment and then miters the joint along the plane bisecting the angle formed by the segments. If the path is closed, the object should lie on the miter plane. This allows the start and end sections of the solid to match up. If the object is not on the miter plane, the object is rotated until it is on the miter plane.
F Commands 7 FIELD Quick Reference See also: ■ Use Fields in Text Creates a multiline text object with a field that can be updated automatically as the field value changes. Access Methods Button Toolbar: Annotation tool set ➤ Fields tool group ➤ Insert Field Menu: Insert ➤ Field Shortcut menu: Right-click while editing text in an in-place text editor, and click Insert Field. Summary Fields can be inserted in any kind of text except tolerances.
The Insert Field dialog box is displayed. Insert Field Dialog Box Quick Reference See also: ■ Use Fields in Text Inserts a field in the drawing. Summary The options available change based on the selected field category and field name. List of Options The following options are displayed. Field Category Sets the types of fields to be listed under Field Names (for example, Date & Time, Document, and Objects). Field Names Lists the fields that are available in a category.
Field Value Displays the current value of the field, or displays an empty string (----) if the field value is invalid. The label for this item changes with the field name. For example, when Filename is selected in the Field Names list, the label is Filename and the value is the name of the current drawing file. The label is Property for object fields. Exception: when a date field is selected, the selected date format is displayed; for example, M/d/yyyy.
FILL Quick Reference See also: ■ Control the Display of Polylines, Hatches, Gradient Fills, Lineweights, and Text Controls the filling of objects such as hatches, 2D solids, and wide polylines. List of Prompts The following prompts are displayed. Enter mode [ON/OFF] : Enter on or off, or press Enter On Turns on Fill mode. For the filling of a 3D object to be visible, its extrusion direction must be parallel to the current viewing direction, and hidden lines must not be suppressed.
FILLET Quick Reference See also: ■ Create Fillets Rounds and fillets the edges of objects. Access Methods Button Toolbar: Drafting tool set ➤ Modify tool group ➤ Fillet Menu: Modify ➤ Fillet Summary In the example, an arc is created that is tangent to both of the selected lines. The lines are trimmed to the ends of the arc. To create a sharp corner instead, enter a radius of zero. You can fillet arcs, circles, ellipses, elliptical arcs, lines, polylines, rays, splines, and xlines.
First Object Selects the first of two objects required to define a 2D fillet or selects the edge of a 3D solid to round or fillet the edge. Select second object or shift-select to apply corner: Use an object selection method or hold down Shift and select an object to create a sharp corner If you select lines, arcs, or polylines, their lengths adjust to accommodate the fillet arc. You can hold down Shift while selecting the objects to override the current fillet radius with a value of 0.
If you select a 3D solid, you can select multiple edges, but you must select the edges individually. Enter fillet radius : Specify a distance or press Enter Select an edge or [Chain/Radius]: Select edge(s), enter c, or enter r Edge Selects a single edge. You can continue to select single edges until you press Enter.
Edge Switches to a single-edge selection mode. Radius Defines the radius of the rounded edge. Undo Reverses the previous action in the command. Polyline Inserts fillet arcs at each vertex of a 2D polyline where two line segments meet. Select 2D polyline: If one arc segment separates two line segments that converge as they approach the arc segment, FILLET removes the arc segment and replaces it with a fillet arc. Radius Defines the radius of the fillet arc.
FILLETEDGE Quick Reference See also: ■ Create Fillets Rounds and fillets the edges of solid objects. Access Methods Button Toolbar: Modeling tool set ➤ Solids - Edit tool group ➤ Fillet Edge Menu: Modify ➤ Solid Editing ➤ Fillet Edges Summary You can select more than one edge. Enter a value for the fillet radius or click and drag the fillet grip.
List of Prompts The following prompts are displayed. Select an Edge Specifies an edge to fillet. After pressing Enter, you can drag the fillet grip to specify a radius, or use the Radius option. Radius Specifies a radius value. Chain Specifies more than one edge. FIND Quick Reference See also: ■ Find and Replace Text Finds the text that you specify, and can optionally replace it with other text.
Find and Replace Dialog Box - FIND Quick Reference See also: ■ Find and Replace Text Specifies the text you want to find, replace, or select and controls the scope and results of the search. List of Options The following options are displayed. Find What Specifies the text string you want to find. Enter a text string, including any wild-card characters, or choose one of the six most recently used strings from the list.
Specifies whether to search the entire drawing, the current layout, or the currently-selected object. If an object is already selected, then Selected Objects is the default value. If no object is selected, then Entire Drawing is the default value. You can use the Select Objects button to temporarily close the dialog box and create or modify the selection set. Select Objects Button Closes the dialog box temporarily so that you can select objects in your drawing. Press Enter to return to the dialog box.
Use Wildcards Allows the use of wild-card characters in searches. For more information on wild-card searches, see Find and Replace Text in the User’s Guide. Search XRefs Includes text in externally referenced files in search results. Search Blocks Includes text in blocks in search results. Ignore Hidden Items Ignores hidden items in search results.
Includes hyperlink URLs in search results. FLATSHOT Quick Reference See also: ■ Create a Flattened View Creates a 2D representation of all 3D objects based on the current view. Access Methods Button Toolbar: Modeling tool set ➤ Section tool group ➤ Flatshot Summary The Flatshot dialog box is displayed. The edges of all 3D solids, surfaces, and meshes are projected line-of-sight onto a plane parallel to the viewing plane.
Flatshot Dialog Box Quick Reference See also: ■ Create a Flattened View Creates a 2D representation of all 3D objects based on the current view.
Summary The edges of all 3D solids and surfaces are projected line-of-sight onto a plane parallel to the viewing plane. The 2D representations of these edges are inserted as a block on the XY plane of the UCS. This block can be exploded for additional changes. The result can also be saved as a separate drawing file. List of Options The following options are displayed. Destination Controls where the flattened representation is created.
Closes the dialog box temporarily while you select the block you are replacing in the drawing. When you finish selecting the block, press Enter to re-display the Flatshot dialog box. Block Selected / No Block Selected Indicates whether a block has been selected. Export to a File Saves the block to an external file. Foreground Lines Contains controls for setting the color and linetype of lines that are not obscured in the flattened view.
FREESPOT Quick Reference See also: ■ Use Spotlights Creates free spotlight which is similar to a spotlight without a specified target. List of Options The following options are displayed.
Falloff Specifies the angle that defines the full cone of light, which is also known as the field angle. This value can range from 0 to 160 degrees. The default is 50 degrees or the equivalent values based on AUNITS. The falloff angle must be greater than or equal to the hotspot angle. Status Turns the light on and off. If lighting is not enabled in the drawing, this setting has no effect. Photometry Photometry is available when the LIGHTINGUNITS system variable is set to 1 or 2.
Shadow Makes the light cast shadows. Off Turns off display and calculation of shadows for the light. Turning shadows off increases performance. Sharp Displays shadows with sharp edges. Use this option to increase performance. Soft Mapped Displays realistic shadows with soft edges. Map Size Specifies the amount of memory that should be used to calculate the shadow map. Softness Specifies the softness that should be used to calculate the shadow map.
Attenuation Start Limit Specifies the point where light starts as an offset from the center of the light. The default is 0. Attenuation End Limit Specifies the point where light ends as an offset from the center of the light. No light is cast beyond this point. Setting an end limit increases performance where the effect of lighting is so minimal that the calculations are wasted processing time. Color/Filter Color Controls the color of the light. True Color Specifies a True Color.
Intensity Factor Sets the intensity or brightness of the light. The range is 0.00 to the maximum value that is supported by your system. Status Turns the light on and off. If lighting is not enabled in the drawing, this setting has no effect. Photometry Photometry is available when the LIGHTINGUNITS system variable is set to 1 or 2. Photometry is the measurement of the luminous intensities of visible light sources.
File Specifies which web file to use to define the properties of the web. Web files have the file extension .ies. X Specifies the X rotation for the web. Y Specifies the Y rotation for the web. Z Specifies the Z rotation for the web. Shadow Makes the light cast shadows. Off Turns off display and calculation of shadows for the light. Turning shadows off increases performance. Sharp Displays shadows with sharp edges. Use this option to increase performance.
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G Commands 8 GCCOINCIDENT Quick Reference See also: ■ Apply or Remove Geometric Constraints Constrains two points together or a point to a curve (or an extension of a curve). Access Methods Button Toolbar: Drafting tool set ➤ Parametric tool group ➤ Geometric Contraints flyout ➤ Coincident Menu: Parametric ➤ Geometric Constraints ➤ Coincident Summary This command is equivalent to the Coincident option in GEOMCONSTRAINT on page 464.
Following are the valid constraint objects and points: ■ Line ■ Polyline segment ■ Circle ■ Arc ■ Polyline arc ■ Ellipse ■ Spline ■ Two valid constraint points List of Prompts The following prompts are displayed. Select first point on page 450 or [Object on page 450/Autoconstrain on page 450]
GCCOLLINEAR Quick Reference See also: ■ Apply or Remove Geometric Constraints Causes two or more line segments to lie along the same line. Access Methods Button Toolbar: Drafting tool set ➤ Parametric tool group ➤ Geometric Contraints flyout ➤ Collinear Menu: Parametric ➤ Geometric Constraints ➤ Collinear Summary This command is equivalent to the Collinear option in GEOMCONSTRAINT on page 464.
First object Selects the first object to be constrained. Second object Selects the second object to be constrained. Multiple Picks successive points or objects to be made collinear with the first object. GCCONCENTRIC Quick Reference See also: ■ Apply or Remove Geometric Constraints Constrains two arcs, circles, or ellipses to the same center point.
List of Prompts The following prompts are displayed. Select first object on page 453: Select a circle, arc, or ellipse Object Selects an object to be constrained. First object Selects the first circle, arc, or ellipse to be constrained. Second object Selects the second circle, arc, or ellipse to be constrained. GCEQUAL Quick Reference See also: ■ Apply or Remove Geometric Constraints Resizes selected arcs and circles to the same radius, or selected lines to the same length.
■ Circle ■ Arc ■ Polyline arc List of Prompts The following prompts are displayed. Select first object on page 454 or [Multiple on page 454]: Select an object or enter m to select multiple objects Object Selects an object to be constrained. First object Selects the first object to be constrained. Second object Selects the second object to be made equal with the first object. Multiple Picks successive objects to be made equal with the first object.
When you apply the Fix constraint to an object, the object is locked and cannot be moved. Following are the valid constraint objects and points: ■ Line ■ Polyline segment ■ Circle ■ Arc ■ Polyline arc ■ Ellipse ■ Spline GCHORIZONTAL Quick Reference See also: ■ Apply or Remove Geometric Constraints Causes lines or pairs of points to lie parallel to the X axis of the current coordinate system.
Summary This command is equivalent to the Horizontal option in GEOMCONSTRAINT on page 464. You can select different constraint points on the same object or different objects. The following are the valid constraint objects and points: ■ Line ■ Polyline segment ■ Ellipse ■ Multiline text ■ Two valid constraint points List of Prompts The following prompts are displayed.
GCPARALLEL Quick Reference See also: ■ Apply or Remove Geometric Constraints Causes selected lines to lie parallel to each other.
Summary This command is equivalent to the Parallel option in GEOMCONSTRAINT on page 464. Following are the valid constraint objects and points: ■ Line ■ Polyline segment ■ Ellipse ■ Multiline text GCPERPENDICULAR Quick Reference See also: ■ Apply or Remove Geometric Constraints Causes selected lines to lie 90 degrees to one another.
Following are the valid constraint objects and points: ■ Line ■ Polyline segment ■ Ellipse ■ Multiline text GCSMOOTH Quick Reference See also: ■ Apply or Remove Geometric Constraints Constrains a spline to be contiguous and maintain G2 continuity with another spline, line, arc, or polyline.
■ Arc ■ Polyline arc The splines are updated to be contiguous with one another. NOTE Endpoints of the curves to which you apply the smooth constraints are made coincident. List of Prompts The following prompts are displayed. Select first spline curve on page 460: Select a spline object Curve Selects an endpoint of a curve. First Spline Curve Selects the first spline curve to be constrained. Second Curve Selects the second curve to be made continuous with the first spline curve.
Menu: Parametric ➤ Geometric Constraints ➤ Symmetric Summary This command is equivalent to the Symmetric option in GEOMCONSTRAINT on page 464. For lines, the line’s angle is made symmetric (and not the endpoints). For arcs and circles, the center and radius are made symmetric (not the endpoints of the arc).
Second Point Selects the second point to be made symmetrical. Select Symmetric Line Symmetric Line on page 461 GCTANGENT Quick Reference See also: ■ Apply or Remove Geometric Constraints Constrains two curves to maintain a point of tangency to each other or their extensions.
GCVERTICAL Quick Reference See also: ■ Apply or Remove Geometric Constraints Causes lines or pairs of points to lie parallel to the Y axis of the current coordinate system. Access Methods Button Toolbar: Drafting tool set ➤ Parametric tool group ➤ Geometric Contraints flyout ➤ Vertical Menu: Parametric ➤ Geometric Constraints ➤ Vertical Summary This command is equivalent to the Vertical option in GEOMCONSTRAINT on page 464.
List of Prompts The following prompts are displayed. Select an object or [2Points on page 464] <2Points>: Select an object or two constraint points 2Points Selects two constraint points instead of an object. GEOMCONSTRAINT Quick Reference See also: ■ Apply or Remove Geometric Constraints Applies or persists geometric relationships between objects or points on objects.
Objects Valid Constraint Points Block Insertion point, nested entities Text, multiline text Insertion point, alignment point The following commands are equivalent to each GEOMCONSTRAINT option: Horizontal (GCHORIZONTAL on page 455) Causes lines or pairs of points to lie parallel to the X axis of the current coordinate system. Vertical (GCVERTICAL on page 463) Causes lines or pairs of points to lie parallel to the Y axis of the current coordinate system.
GRADIENT Quick Reference See also: ■ Choose a Hatch Pattern or Fill Fills an enclosed area or selected objects with a gradient fill. Access Methods Button Toolbar: Drafting tool set ➤ Closed Shapes tool group ➤ Gradient Menu: Draw ➤ Gradient Summary A gradient fill creates a smooth transition between one or two colors. GRID Quick Reference See also: ■ Adjust Grid and Grid Snap Displays a grid pattern in the current viewport.
Toolbar: Status bar ➤ Grid List of Prompts The following prompts are displayed. Specify grid spacing(X) or [ON/OFF/Snap/Major/aDaptive/Limits/Follow/Aspect] : Specify a value or enter an option Grid Spacing (X) Sets the grid to the specified value. Entering x after the value sets the grid spacing to the specified value multiplied by the snap interval. On Turns on the grid using the current spacing. Off Turns off the grid.
Adaptive Controls the density of grid lines when zoomed in or out. ■ Adaptive Behavior. Limits the density of grid lines or dots when zoomed out. This setting is also controlled by theGRIDDISPLAY system variable. ■ Allow Subdivision Below Grid Spacing. If turned on, generates additional, more closely spaced grid lines or dots when zoomed in. The frequency of these grid lines is determined by the frequency of the major grid lines. Limits Displays the grid beyond the area specified by the LIMITS command.
Enter a group option [?/Order/Add/Remove/Explode/REName/Selectable/Create] : Enter an option or press Enter ?—List Groups Lists names and descriptions of groups defined in the drawing. Order Changes the numerical order of objects within a group. Reordering is useful when creating tool paths. For example, you can change the cut order for the horizontal and vertical lines of a tool path pattern. Position Number Specifies the position number of the object to reorder.
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H Commands 9 HATCH Quick Reference See also: ■ Overview of Hatch Patterns and Fills Fills an enclosed area or selected objects with a hatch pattern, solid fill, or gradient fill. Access Methods Button Toolbar: Drafting tool set ➤ Closed Shapes tool group ➤ Hatch Menu: Draw ➤ Hatch Summary The Hatch and Gradient dialog box on page 472 is displayed. If you enter -hatch at the Command prompt, options are displayed on page 486.
NOTE To prevent the creation of an enormous number of hatch lines, the maximum number of hatch lines created in a single hatch operation is limited. This limit prevents memory and performance problems. However, you can change the maximum number of hatch lines with the HPMAXLINES on page 1360 system variable. Choose from several methods to specify the boundaries of a hatch. ■ Specify a point in an area that is enclosed by objects. ■ Select objects that enclose an area.
■ Add: Select Objects on page 473 ■ Remove Boundaries on page 474 ■ Recreate Boundary on page 475 ■ View Selections on page 475 ■ Select Boundary Objects on page 475 ■ Options on page 475 ■ Inherit Properties on page 476 ■ Preview on page 476 Add: Pick Points Determines a boundary from existing objects that form an enclosed area around the specified point.
Select Objects Interior objects are not automatically detected. You must select the objects within the selected boundary to hatch or fill those objects according to the current island detection style. Each time you click Select Objects, HATCH clears the previous selection set. While selecting objects, you can right-click at any time in the drawing area to display a shortcut menu.
Add Boundaries Adds objects to the boundary definition. Recreate Boundary Creates a polyline or region around the selected hatch or fill, and optionally associates the hatch object with it. View Selections Displays the currently defined boundaries with the current hatch or fill settings. This option is available only when a boundary has been defined. Select Boundary Objects Selects the objects that form the boundaries of the selected associative hatch object.
Associative Specifies that the hatch or fill is associative. A hatch or fill that is associative is updated when you modify its boundary objects. (HPASSOC system variable) Create Separate Hatches Controls whether a single hatch object or multiple hatch objects are created when several separate closed boundaries are specified. (HPSEPARATE system variable) Draw Order Assigns a draw order to a hatch or fill.
Hatch Tab (Hatch and Gradient Dialog Box) Quick Reference See also: ■ Overview of Hatch Patterns and Fills Defines the appearance of the hatch pattern to be applied. List of Options The following options are displayed. Type and Pattern Specifies the hatch’s type, pattern, color, and background color. Type Specifies whether to create a predefined, user-defined, or custom hatch pattern.
Predefined patterns are stored in the acad.pat or acadiso.pat files supplied with the program. User-defined patterns are based on the current linetype in your drawing. A custom pattern is a pattern that is defined in any custom PAT files that you have added to the search path. Pattern Displays a selection of ANSI, ISO, and other industry-standard hatch patterns. Select SOLID to create solid fill. The Pattern option is available only when Type is set to Predefined.
Specifies an angle for the hatch pattern relative to the X axis of the current UCS. (HPANG system variable) Scale Expands or contracts a predefined or custom pattern. This option is available only when Type is set to Predefined or Custom. (HPSCALE system variable) Double For user-defined patterns, draws a second set of lines at 90 degrees to the original lines, creating a crosshatch. This option is available only when Type is set to User Defined.
Calculates a new origin based on the rectangular extents of the boundary for the hatch object. Choices include each of the four corners of the extents and its center. (HPORIGINMODE system variable) Store as Default Origin Stores the value of the new hatch origin in the HPORIGIN system variable. Gradient Tab (Hatch and Gradient Dialog Box) Quick Reference See also: ■ Overview of Hatch Patterns and Fills Defines the appearance of the gradient fill to be applied.
Color Specifies whether to fill the hatch boundary with a monochormatic or two-color blend. One Color Specifies a fill that uses a smooth transition between a color and a specified tint (the color mixed with white) or between a color and a specified shade (the color mixed with black). (GFCLRSTATE on page 1335 system variable) Two Color Specifies a fill that uses a smooth transition between two colors.
More Options (Hatch and Gradient Dialog Box) Quick Reference See also: ■ Overview of Hatch Patterns and Fills Controls the operation of islands and boundaries. List of Options The following options are displayed. Islands Specifies the method used to hatch or fill boundaries within the outermost boundary. Island Detection Controls whether internal closed boundaries, called islands, are detected. (HPISLANDDETECTIONMODE on page 1359 system variable) Normal Hatches or fills inward from the outer boundary.
Ignore Ignores all internal objects and hatches or fills through them. (HPISLANDDETECTION on page 1359 system variable) The Normal, Outer, and Ignore options are also available from a shortcut menu by right-clicking in the drawing area while you specify points or select objects to define your boundaries. Boundary Retention Specifies whether to create an object that encloses the hatch. Retain Boundaries Creates an object that encloses each hatch object.
Boundary Set Defines the set of objects analyzed when defining a boundary from a specified point. The selected boundary set has no effect when you use Select Objects to define a boundary. By default, when you use the Add: Pick Point option to define a boundary, HATCH analyzes all objects in the current viewport extents. By redefining the boundary set, you can disregard certain objects when defining boundaries without having to hide or remove those objects.
Hatch Pattern Palette Dialog Box Quick Reference See also: ■ Overview of Hatch Patterns and Fills Displays preview images for all predefined and custom patterns. Summary Organizes patterns on four tabs, with images arranged alphabetically on each tab. Click an image to select a pattern and click OK. List of Options The following options are displayed. ANSI Displays all ANSI patterns shipped with the program. ISO Displays all ISO patterns shipped with the program.
Custom Displays a list of custom PAT files that you have added to the Support File Search Path of the program. Preview Displays a preview image of the selected custom pattern. -HATCH Quick Reference See also: ■ Overview of Hatch Patterns and Fills Uses command prompts to fill an enclosed area or selected objects with a hatch pattern or solid fill. List of Prompts The following prompts are displayed.
If you turn on Island Detection, objects that enclose areas within the outermost boundary are detected as islands. How HATCH detects objects using this option depends on which island detection method is specified. NOTE Red circles are displayed at unconnected endpoints of boundary objects to identify gaps in the hatch boundary. These circles are temporary and can be removed with REDRAW on page 868 or REGEN on page 869. Properties Specifies new hatch pattern properties to apply.
Each time you click Select Objects, HATCH clears the previous selection set. While selecting objects, you can right-click at any time in the drawing area to display a shortcut menu. You can undo the last selection or all selections, change the selection method, change the island detection style, or preview the hatch or fill. Draw Boundary Uses specified points to define the boundary of a hatch or fill. The options that are available as you specify points are also available in PLINE.
Island Detection Specifies whether to use objects within the outermost boundary as boundary objects. Specifying no island detection prompts for the ray casting method. Nearest Runs a line from the point you specify to the nearest object and then traces the boundary in a counterclockwise direction. +X Runs a line in the positive X direction from the point you specify to the first object encountered and then traces the boundary in a counterclockwise direction.
-Y Runs a line in the negative Y direction from the point you specify to the first object encountered and then traces the boundary in a counterclockwise direction. Angle Runs a line at the specified angle from the point you specify to the first object encountered and then traces the boundary in a counterclockwise direction. Style Specifies the method used to hatch or fill objects within the outermost hatch boundary. If you have selected no internal objects, a hatching style has no effect.
option hatches or fills only the outermost level of the structure and leaves the internal structure blank. Normal Hatches or fills inward from the outer boundary. If HATCH encounters an internal island, it turns off hatching or filling until it encounters another island within the island. Associativity Specifies that the new hatch pattern is updated when its boundaries are modified. A new hatch pattern's associativity is set by the HPASSOC system variable.
Origin Controls the starting location of hatch pattern generation. Some hatches, such as brick patterns, are meant to be aligned with a point on the hatch boundary. By default, all hatch origins correspond to the current UCS origin. Use Current Origin Sets the value of the HPORIGINMODE on page 1362 system variable. The last 5 options listed below correspond to the values 1-5. Set New Origin Specifies the new hatch origin point directly.
HATCHEDIT Quick Reference See also: ■ Modify Hatches and Fills Modifies an existing hatch or fill. Access Methods Menu: Modify ➤ Object ➤ Hatch Shortcut menu: Select a hatch object to edit. Right-click in the drawing area and click Hatch Edit. Summary Modifies hatch-specific properties, such as pattern, scale, and angle for an existing hatch or fill. List of Options The following options are displayed. Select hatch object: Use an object selection method The Hatch Edit dialog box is displayed.
Summary The options in the Hatch Edit dialog box are the same as the options for the Hatch and Gradient dialog box on page 472. Certain options are available only when creating hatches. -HATCHEDIT Quick Reference See also: ■ Modify Hatches and Fills Uses command prompts to modify hatch-specific properties, such as pattern, scale, and angle for an existing hatch or fill. List of Prompts The following prompts are displayed.
Properties Specifies new hatch properties for the selected hatch. For an explanation of setting pattern and fill properties at the Command prompt, see -HATCH on page 486. Draw Order Assigns a draw order to a hatch or fill. You can place a hatch or fill behind all other objects, in front of all other objects, behind the hatch boundary, or in front of the hatch boundary. (HPDRAWORDER system variable) Add Boundaries Modifies the boundaries of a hatch or fill by adding boundaries.
Default to Boundary Extents Calculates a new origin based on the rectangular extents of the hatch. Choices include each of the four corners of the extents and its center. You can also store the value of the new hatch origin in the HPORIGIN on page 1361 system variable. Annotative Specifies that the hatch is . This property automates the process of scaling annotations so that they plot or display at the correct size on the paper.
■ Control How Overlapping Objects Are Displayed Creates a non-associated polyline around a selected hatch. Access Methods Shortcut menu: Select a hatch object. Right-click and choose Generate Boundary. Summary Creates a new non-associative polyline boundary around the selected hatch. List of Prompts The following prompts are displayed. Select hatch objects: Use an object selection method and press ENTER.
Select objects to be used for the new boundary: Select the new boundary or geometry and press ENTER. HATCHSETORIGIN Quick Reference See also: ■ Set Property Overrides for Hatches and Fills ■ Control How Overlapping Objects Are Displayed Controls the starting location of hatch pattern generation for a selected hatch. Access Methods Shortcut menu: Select a hatch object. Right-click and choose Set Origin. Summary Controls the hatch origin location point for solid and gradient hatches.
Sets the draw order for all hatches in the drawing to be behind all other objects. Access Methods Button Toolbar: Drafting tool set ➤ Move/Rotate/Scale tool group (expanded) ➤ Draw Order flyout ➤ Send Hatches to Back Menu: Tools ➤ Draw Order ➤ Send Hatches to Back Summary Selects all hatches in the drawing, including hatch patterns, solid fills, and gradient fills, and sets their draw order to be behind all other objects. Hatch objects on locked layers are also modified.
Summary Use a helix as a sweep path for the SWEEP on page 1028 command to create springs, threads, and circular stairways. Initially, the default base radius is set to 1. During a drawing session, the default value for the base radius is always the previously entered base radius value for any solid primitive or helix. The default value for the top radius is always the value of the base radius. The base radius and top radius cannot both be set to 0. List of Prompts The following prompts are displayed.
Axis Endpoint Specifies the endpoint location for the helix axis. The axis endpoint can be located anywhere in 3D space. The axis endpoint defines the length and orientation of the helix. Specify axis endpoint: Specify a point Turns Specifies the number of turns (revolutions) for the helix. The number of turns for a helix cannot exceed 500. Initially, the default value for the number of turns is three.
Access Methods Menu: Help ➤ AutoCAD for Mac Help Command entry: Cmd-/ or Fn-F1 (or 'help for transparent use) Summary Executing the HELP command while a command is active displays Help for that command. You can also click the Help icon that appears on the right side of the command line when a command is active. Clicking the Help button in a dialog box displays Help for that dialog box.
When using the HIDE command, if the INTERSECTIONDISPLAY system variable is on, face-to-face intersections of 3D surfaces are displayed as polylines. The 3D Hidden visual style does not honor the setting of INTERSECTIONDISPLAY. If the DISPSILH system variable is on, HIDE displays 3D solid objects with silhouette edges only. It won't show the internal edges produced by objects that have facets. If the HIDETEXT system variable is off, HIDE ignores text objects when producing the hidden view.
Summary Temporarily hides selected objects in the current view. All other objects are visible. List of Prompts The following prompt is displayed. Select objects: Use an object selection method HIDEPALETTES Quick Reference See also: ■ Specify the Behavior of Palettes Hides all currently displayed palettes, including the command window. Access Methods Command entry: Tab Summary Hides all currently displayed palettes such as the Command Line, Layers, and Properties Inspector.
I Commands 10 ID Quick Reference See also: ■ Obtain Distances, Angles, and Point Locations Displays the UCS coordinate values of a specified location. Access Methods Menu: Tools ➤ Inquiry ➤ ID Point Command entry: 'id for transparent use Summary ID lists the X, Y, and Z values of the specified point and stores the coordinate of the specified point as the last point. You can reference the last point by entering @ at the next prompt that requests a point.
If you snap to an object in 3D space, the Z coordinate value is the same as that of the selected feature of the object. IMAGE Quick Reference See also: ■ Attach Raster Images Displays the Reference Manager palette. Access Methods Menu: File ➤ Attach Menu: Insert ➤ External References Summary The Reference Manager palette is displayed. If you enter -image at the Command prompt, options are displayed. -IMAGE Quick Reference See also: ■ Attach Raster Images Attaches a raster image to the drawing.
?—List Images Lists the images by name in alphabetical order, the number of times each is attached to the drawing, and the path where the image is stored. Images are listed in alphabetical order, regardless of the setting of the MAXSORT system variable. Detach Detaches the named image from the drawing, marks it for deletion, and erases all occurrences of the image. Path Updates the path name (including file name) associated with a particular image.
Use IMAGE Reload to update its definition.
IMAGEADJUST (-IMAGEADJUST) Quick Reference See also: ■ Change Raster Image Brightness, Contrast, and Fade Controls the image display of the brightness, contrast, and fade values of images. Access Methods Menu: Modify ➤ Object ➤ Image ➤ Adjust List of Prompts The following prompts are displayed. If you select a single image, the default values for Brightness, Contrast, and Fade are the current property settings of the image.
IMAGEATTACH Quick Reference See also: ■ Attach Raster Images Inserts a reference to an image file. Access Methods Menu: Insert ➤ Raster Image Reference Summary When you attach an image file, you link that referenced file to the current drawing. Any changes to the referenced file are displayed in the current drawing when it is opened or reloaded. The Select Reference File dialog box (a standard file selection dialog box) is displayed.
Locates, inserts, names, and defines the parameters and details of attached images. List of Options The following options are displayed. Name Identifies the image you have selected to attach. Browse Opens the Select Reference File dialog (a standard file selection dialog box on page 723). Preview Displays the image that you have selected to attach.
the image has resolution information, the scale factor is applied after the true width of the image in AutoCAD units is determined. Specify On-Screen Allows you to input at the Command prompt or the pointing device. If Specify On-Screen is cleared, enter a value for the scale factor. The default scale factor is 1. Scale Factor Field Enter a value for the scale factor. The default scale factor is 1. Rotation Specifies the rotation angle of the selected image.
IMAGECLIP Quick Reference See also: ■ Clip Raster Images Crops the display of a selected image to a specified boundary. Access Methods Menu: Modify ➤ Clip ➤ Image Summary The clipping boundary determines the portion of a raster image that is hidden, either outside or inside the boundary. The visibility of the clipping boundary is controlled by the IMAGEFRAME system variable. The boundary you specify must be in a plane parallel to the image object. List of Prompts The following prompts are displayed.
Select Polyline Defines the boundary with the selected polyline. The polyline can be open but must consist of straight line segments and cannot intersect itself. Polygonal Defines a polygonal clipping boundary with three or more points that you specify for the vertices of a polygon. Rectangular Defines a rectangular boundary with the points that you specify for opposite corners. Invert Clip Inverts the mode of the clipping boundary: objects are clipped either outside the boundary or inside the boundary.
IMPORT Quick Reference See also: ■ Import Other File Formats Imports files of different formats into the current drawing. Access Methods Menu: File ➤ Import Summary You can import data files, other than DWG files, that were created with other applications into the current drawing. The import process translates data into the corresponding DWG file data. The Import File dialog box (a standard file selection dialog box) is displayed. In Files of Type, select the file format to import.
Access Methods Menu: Modify ➤ Solid Editing ➤ Imprint Edges Summary 2D geometry located on a face or the intersection of a 3D solid with a face can be combined with that face to create additional edges. These edges can provide a visual effect, and can be pressed and pulled to create indentations and extrusions. The object to be imprinted must intersect one or more faces on the selected solid in order for imprinting to be successful.
INSERT Quick Reference See also: ■ Insert Blocks Inserts a block or drawing into the current drawing. Access Methods Button Toolbar: Drafting tool set ➤ Block tool group ➤ Insert Menu: Insert ➤ Block Summary The Insert Block dialog box is displayed. If you enter -insert at the Command prompt, options are displayed. A good practice is to insert a block from a block library.
Summary The position of the inserted block depends on the orientation of the UCS. Name Specifies the name of a block to insert, or the name of a file to insert as a block. Browse Opens the Select Drawing File dialog box (a standard file selection dialog box) where you can select a block or drawing file to insert. Path Specifies the path to the block. Explode Block Explodes the block and inserts the individual parts of the block. When Explode is selected, you can specify a uniform scale factor only.
Component objects of a block drawn on layer 0 remain on that layer. Objects having color BYBLOCK are white. Objects with linetype BYBLOCK have the CONTINUOUS linetype. Description Displays the description that was saved with the block. Preview Displays a preview of the specified block to insert. A lightning bolt icon in the lower-right corner of the preview indicates that the block is dynamic. A icon indicates that the block is . Show\Hide Insertion Options Expands or collapses the Insertion Options secti
Y Sets the Y scale factor. Z Sets the Z scale factor. Uniform Scale Specifies a single scale value for X, Y, and Z coordinates. Rotation Specifies the rotation angle for the inserted block in the current UCS. Specify On-Screen Specifies the rotation of the block using the pointing device. Angle Sets a rotation angle for the inserted block. Block Unit Displays information about the block units. Unit Specifies the INSUNITS value for the inserted block.
List of Prompts The following prompts are displayed. Enter block name or [?] : Enter a name, enter ?, enter ~, or press Enter Units: Conversion: Specify insertion point or [Basepoint/Scale/X/Y/Z/Rotate]: Specify a point or enter an option Block Name Grouped objects in an inserted drawing are inserted as unnamed groups. You can list unnamed groups with the GROUP on page 468 command.
Insertion Point Specifies a location for the block or drawing. Scale Factor All X and Y dimensions of the block or drawing are multiplied by the X and Y scale factors. The block or drawing is rotated by the specified angle, using the insertion point as the center of rotation. Corner Defines the X and Y scale factors at the same time, using the insertion point and another point as the corners of a box. The X and Y dimensions of the box become the X and Y scale factors.
INTERFERE Quick Reference See also: ■ Check 3D Models for Interferences Creates a temporary 3D solid from the interferences between two sets of selected 3D solids. Access Methods Button Toolbar: Modeling tool set ➤ Analysis tool group ➤ Interference Checking Menu: Modify ➤ 3D Operations ➤ Interference Checking Summary Interferences are highlighted with a temporary 3D solid that represents the intersecting volume. You can also choose to retain the overlapping volumes.
If you define a single selection set, INTERFERE checks all the solids in the set against one another. If you define two selection sets, INTERFERE checks the solids in the first selection set against those in the second selection set. If you include the same 3D solid in both selection sets, INTERFERE considers the 3D solid part of the first selection set and ignores it in the second selection set.
First set of objects Specifies a set of objects to be checked. If you do not select a second set of objects, all objects in this selection set are checked against each other. ■ Second set of objects ■ Nested selection ■ Settings Second set of objects Specifies an additional set of objects to be compared against the first set of objects. If you select the same object twice, the object is handled as part of the first selection set. ■ Second set of objects ■ Nested selection ■ Check first set.
List of Options The following options are displayed. Interference Objects Specifies the visual style and color for interference objects. Visual Style Specifies the visual style for interference objects (INTERFEREOBJVS). Color Specifies the color for interference objects (INTERFERECOLOR). Highlight Interfering Pair Highlights the interfering pair of solids. Highlight Interference Highlights the interference objects created from the interfering pair.
List of Options The following options are displayed. Interfering Objects Displays the number of interferences found between each set during the INTERFERE command. First Set Displays the number of objects selected in the first set. Second Set Displays the number of objects selected in the second set. Interfering Pairs Found Displays the number of interferences found among the selected objects. Zoom Closes the dialog box and starts the ZOOM command. Pan Closes the dialog box and starts the PAN command.
Previous Highlights the previous interference object. Next Highlights the next interference object. -INTERFERE Quick Reference See also: ■ Check 3D Models for Interferences Summary INTERFERE highlights all interfering 3D solids and displays the number of objects selected and the number of interfering pairs. If you define a single selection set, INTERFERE checks all the solids in the set against one another.
Next Pair Cycles through the interfering pairs of 3D solids. Nested Selection Allows you to select individual solid objects that are nested in blocks and xrefs. INTERSECT Quick Reference See also: ■ Create Composite Objects Creates a 3D solid, surface, or 2D region from overlapping solids, surfaces, or regions.
solids and surfaces in the selection set. The second subset contains the first selected region and all subsequent coplanar regions. The third subset contains the next region that is not coplanar with the first region and all subsequent coplanar regions, and so on until all regions belong to a subset. ISOLATEOBJECTS Quick Reference See also: ■ Control the Display of Objects Displays selected objects across layers; unselected objects are hidden.
ISOPLANE Quick Reference See also: ■ Set Isometric Grid and Snap Specifies the current isometric plane. Access Methods Command entry: 'isoplane for transparent use Summary The isometric plane affects the cursor movement keys only when Snap mode is on and the snap style is Isometric. If the snap style is Isometric, Ortho mode uses the appropriate axis pair even if Snap mode is off. The current isometric plane also determines the orientation of isometric circles drawn by ELLIPSE.
Top Selects the top face of the cube, called the top plane, defined by the 30-degree and 150-degree axis pair. Right Selects the right-hand plane, defined by the 90-degree and 30-degree axis pair.
J Commands 11 JOIN Quick Reference See also: ■ Break and Join Objects Joins the endpoints of lines, 2D and 3D polylines, arcs, elliptical arcs, helixes, and splines to create single object. Access Methods Button Toolbar: Drafting tool set ➤ Modify tool group (expanded) ➤ Join Menu: Modify ➤ Join Summary Most objects to be joined must be located in the same plane. You can join objects in different planes if the source object is a spline or a 3D polyline.
The following rules apply when you join different types of objects using a single selection set: ■ A line object results from joining collinear lines even if there is a gap between their endpoints. ■ An arc or circle object results from joining coplanar arcs with the same center point and radius even if there is a gap between their endpoints. A circle object results if the joined arcs form a complete circle.
3D Polyline The 3D polyline and other objects must be contiguous (lying end-to-end), but they can be lying in different planes. The resulting object is a single 3D polyline. Arc The arc objects must lie on the same imaginary circle, but can have gaps between them. When joining two or more arcs, the arcs are joined counterclockwise beginning from the source object. The Close option converts the source arc into a circle.
displayed in the drawing appear in the new file, even if the Plot Glyph property of the lights is set to No. NOTE When the FILEDIA system variable is set to 0 (Off), command prompts are displayed.
L Commands 12 LAYER Quick Reference See also: ■ Use Layers to Manage Complexity Manages layers and layer properties. Access Methods Menu: Format ➤ Layer Command entry: 'layer for transparent use Summary The Layers Paletteis displayed. If you enter -layer at the Command prompt, options are displayed.
Use layers to control the visibility of objects and to assign properties such as color and linetype. Objects on a layer normally assume the properties of that layer. However, you can override any layer property of an object. For example, if an object’s color property is set to BYLAYER, the object displays the color of that layer. If the object’s color is set to Red, the object displays as red, regardless of the color assigned to that layer.
Summary You can add, delete, and rename layers, change their properties, set property overrides for layout viewports, or add layer descriptions and apply changes in realtime. When switching layouts or when activating a viewport on named (paper space) layout, the Layers palette is updated and displays the current state of the layer properties in the current space. List of Options The following options are displayed.
Click in the columns for a layer to change its properties. Status Indicates the status of the layer: layer in use, empty layer, or current layer. Object Selection Indicates if the layer is assigned to an object that is currently selected. Objects must be selected when no command is active. Visibility Indicates if the layer is on and off. When a layer is on, it is visible and available for plotting. When a layer is off, it is invisible and not plotted, even if Plot is on.
overrides the transparency setting of the layer. Drag the slider to adjust the transparency of objects on the layer. Plot Indicates if the objects on layer should be plotted or not. If you turn off plotting for a layer, the objects on that layer are still displayed. Layers that are off or frozen are not plotted, regardless of the Plot setting. Plot Style Displays the plot style associated with the layer.
layout viewport. Override settings are not visible in the viewport or plotted when the visual style in the drawing is set to Conceptual or Realistic. If you are working with color-dependent plot styles (the PSTYLEPOLICY system variable is set to 1), you cannot set a plot style override. Description Text string that describes the layer. List View Column Heading Label Shortcut Menu Display All Layer Colors Toggles the display of the White color swatch in the Color column of the Layer list.
Isolate Selected Layers Isolates the selected layers in the drawing. All layers except those selected, are turned off and locked. (See LAYISO on page 551) Select All Selects everything displayed in the list view. Clear All Removes selection from all items in the list view except the most recently selected layer or filter. Select All but Current Selects everything displayed in the list view except the current layer.
Displays linetypes available in the current drawing. List of Options The following options are displayed. Loaded Linetypes Displays the list of linetypes loaded in the current drawing. Load Displays the Load or Reload Linetypes dialog box, in which you can load selected linetypes into the drawing and add them to the list of linetypes. -LAYER Quick Reference See also: ■ Use Layers to Manage Complexity Manages layers and layer properties.
List of Prompts The following prompts are displayed. Current layer: <"current"> Enter an option [?/Make/Set/New/Rename/ON/OFF/Color/Ltype/LWeight/TRansparency on page 546/MATerial/Plot/PStyle/Freeze/Thaw/LOck/Unlock/stAte/Description/rEconcile]: NOTE The Pstyle option is available only when you are using named plot styles. ?—List Layers Displays a list of the currently defined layers, showing their names, states, color numbers, linetypes, lineweights, and whether they are externally dependent layers.
True Color Specifies a true color to be used for the selected object. Enter three integer values from 0 to 255 separated by commas to specify a true color. Color Book Specifies a color from a loaded color book to used for the selected object. Enter the name of a color book that has been installed, such as PANTONE® . The color is assigned to the layer or layers, and the layers are turned on. To assign a color but turn off the layer, precede the color with a minus sign (-).
Enter name list of layer(s) for plot style current : Enter the names of the layers to use this plot style, or press Enter to apply the style to the current layer only Freeze Freezes layers, making them invisible and excluding them from regeneration and plotting. Thaw Thaws frozen layers, making them visible and available for regeneration and plotting. Lock Locks layers, preventing editing of objects on those layers.
Reconcile Sets the unreconciled property of an unreconciled layer. ? - Name List of Layers Displays a list of all unreconciled layers. LAYERCLOSE Quick Reference See also: ■ Work with Layers Closes the Layers palette. Summary Closes the Layers palette if it is open. LAYERP Quick Reference See also: ■ Change Layer Settings and Layer Properties Undoes the last change or set of changes made to layer settings.
Summary Undoes changes you have made to layer settings such as color or linetype. If settings are restored, a message is displayed: “Restored previous layer states.” When you use Layer Previous, it undoes the most recent change using the Layers palette or -LAYER command. Every change you make to layer settings is tracked and can be undone by Layer Previous.
Freezes the layer of selected objects. Access Methods Button Toolbar: Layers palette ➤ Freeze Layer Menu: Format ➤ Layer Tools ➤ Layer Freeze Summary Objects on frozen layers are invisible. In large drawings, freezing unneeded layers speeds up operations involving display and regeneration. In a layout, you can freeze layers in individual layout viewports. List of Prompts The following prompts are displayed.
■ Entity. Freezes the layers of selected objects even if they are nested in an xref or a block. ■ None. If a block or an xref is selected, freezes the layer containing that block or xref. Undo Cancels the previous layer selection. LAYISO Quick Reference See also: ■ Use Layers to Manage Complexity Hides or locks all layers except those of the selected objects.
Select Objects on the Layer(s) to be Isolated After selecting one or more objects, all layers except the layers of the selected objects are either turned off, frozen in the current layout viewport, or locked, depending on the current setting. The layers that remain visible and unlocked are termed isolated. NOTE Locked layers are faded by default. You can specify the percent of the fading from the Lock option in this command. You can later change the value with the LAYLOCKFADECTL system variable.
Access Methods Button Toolbar: Layers palette ➤ Lock Layer Menu: Format ➤ Layer Tools ➤ Layer Lock Summary Using this command, you can prevent objects on a layer from being accidentally modified. You can also fade the objects on a locked layer using the LAYLOCKFADECTL system variable. LAYMCH Quick Reference See also: ■ Use Layers to Manage Complexity Changes the layer of a selected object to match the destination layer.
Select object on destination layer on page 554 or [Name on page 554]: Select an object or enter n to open the Change to Layer dialog box Select Object on Destination Layer Select an object on the destination layer. Name Displays the Change to Layer dialog box on page 554. If you create an object on the wrong layer, you can change its layer to the one you want using LAYMCH.
Access Methods Button Toolbar: Layers palette ➤ Make Current Menu: Format ➤ Layer Tools ➤ Make Object’s Layer Current Summary You can change the current layer by selecting an object on that layer. This is a convenient alternative to specifying the layer name in the Layer Properties Manager. LAYOFF Quick Reference See also: ■ Use Layers to Manage Complexity Turns off the layer of a selected object.
Select an object on the layer to be turned off or [Settings/Undo]: Select an object, enter s, or enter u Select an Object on the Layer to be Turned Off Selects one or more objects whose layers you want to turn off. Settings Displays the Viewports and Block Definition setting types. The setting you choose persists from session to session. Viewports Displays the Viewports setting types. Returns the following prompt: ■ Vpfreeze: In paper space, freezes the layer selected in the current viewport.
Access Methods Menu: Insert ➤ Layout ➤ New Layout Menu: Insert ➤ Layout ➤ Layout from Template Toolbar: Status bar ➤ Layout drop-down ➤ Create New Layout List of Prompts The following prompts are displayed. Enter layout option [Copy/Delete/New/Template/Rename/SAveas/Set/?] : NOTE Many of these options are available by right-clicking a layout tab name. Copy Copies a layout. If you do not provide a name, the new layout assumes the name of the copied layout with an incremental number in parentheses.
The last current layout is used as the default for the layout to save as a template. If the FILEDIA system variable is set to 1, a standard file selection dialog box is displayed in which you can specify the template file in which to save the layout. The default layout template directory is specified in the Application Preferences dialog box. Set Makes a layout current. ?—List Layouts Lists all the layouts defined in the drawing.
LAYUNISO Quick Reference See also: ■ Use Layers to Manage Complexity Restores all layers that were hidden or locked with the LAYISO command. Access Methods Button Toolbar: Layers palette ➤ Unisolate Layer Menu: Format ➤ Layer Tools ➤ Layer Unisolate Summary Reverses the effects of the previous LAYISO command. Any additional changes made to layer settings after you use the LAYISO command will be retained. LAYUNISO restores layers to the state they were in just before you entered the LAYISO command.
LEADER Quick Reference See also: ■ Create Leaders ■ Create and Modify Leaders Creates a line that connects annotation to a feature. Summary It is recommended that you use the workflow available through the MLEADER on page 652 command to create leader objects. List of Prompts The following prompts are displayed. Specify leader start point: Specify next point: A leader line segment is drawn and prompts for points and options are displayed.
Copy Copies text, a multiline text object, a feature control frame with geometric tolerances, or a block and connects the copy to the end of the leader line. The copy is associated with the leader line, meaning that if the copied object moves, the end of the leader line moves with it. The display of the hook line depends on the object copied. The value of the current text gap (see DIMSTYLE or the DIMGAP system variable) determines where the text and multiline text objects are inserted.
Format Controls the way the leader is drawn and whether it has an arrowhead. Spline Draws the leader line as a spline. The vertices of the leader line are the control points, each of equal unit weight. Straight Draws the leader line as a set of straight line segments. Arrow Draws an arrowhead at the start point of the leader line. None Draws a leader line with no arrowhead at the start point. Undo Undoes the last vertex point on the leader line. The previous prompt is displayed.
Toolbar: Drafting tool set ➤ Modify tool group ➤ Lengthen Menu: Modify ➤ Lengthen Summary You can specify changes as a percentage, an increment, or as a final length or angle. LENGTHEN is an alternative to using TRIM or EXTEND. List of Prompts The following prompts are displayed. Select an object or [DElta/Percent/Total/DYnamic]: Select one object or enter an option Object Selection Displays the length and, where applicable, the included angle of the object. LENGTHEN does not affect closed objects.
Angle Changes the included angle of the selected arc by the specified angle. Percent Sets the length of an object by a specified percentage of its total length. Total Sets the length of a selected object by specifying the total absolute length from the fixed endpoint. Total also sets the included angle of a selected arc by a specified total angle. Total Length Lengthens the object to the specified value from the endpoint that is closest to the selection point.
LIGHT Quick Reference See also: ■ Guidelines for Lighting Creates a light. List of Prompts Depending on the type of light you specify, the prompts that are displayed are identical to the prompts in the POINTLIGHT, SPOTLIGHT, WEBLIGHT, TARGETPOINT, FREESPOT, FREEWEB or DISTANTLIGHT command. LIMITS Quick Reference See also: ■ Adjust Grid and Grid Snap Sets and controls the limits of the grid display in the current Model or named layout.
On Turns on limits checking. When limits checking is on, you cannot enter points outside the grid limits. Because limits checking tests only points that you enter, portions of objects such as circles can extend outside the grid limits. Off Turns off limits checking but maintains the current values for the next time you turn on limits checking. LINE Quick Reference See also: ■ Draw Lines Creates straight line segments.
Summary With LINE, you can create a series of contiguous line segments. Each segment is a line object that can be edited separately. List of Prompts The following prompts are displayed. Specify first point: Specify a point or press Enter to continue from the last drawn line or arc Specify next point or [Close/Undo]: Continue Continues a line from the endpoint of the most recently drawn line.
Undo Erases the most recent segment of a line sequence. Entering u more than once backtracks through line segments in the order you created them. LINETYPE Quick Reference See also: ■ Work with Linetypes Loads, sets, and modifies linetypes. Access Methods Menu: Format ➤ Linetype Command entry: 'linetype for transparent use Summary The Linetype Manager is displayed. If you enter -linetype at the Command prompt, options are displayed.
Linetype Manager Quick Reference See also: ■ Work with Linetypes Loads linetypes and sets the current linetype. List of Options The following options are displayed. Linetype Filters Determines which linetypes to display in the linetype list. You can filter linetypes based on whether they are xref-dependent, or whether they are referenced by objects.
Load (+) Displays the Load or Reload Linetypes dialog box, in which you can load into the drawing selected linetypes from the acad.lin file and add them to the linetype list. Current Sets the selected linetype to be the current linetype. Setting the current linetype to BYLAYER means that an object assumes the linetype that is assigned to a particular layer. Setting the linetype to BYBLOCK means that an object assumes the CONTINUOUS linetype until it is grouped into a block.
Global Scale Factor Displays the global scale factor for all linetypes. (LTSCALE system variable) Current Object Scale Sets linetype scale for newly created objects. The resulting scale is the global scale factor multiplied by the object's scale factor. (CELTSCALE system variable) ISO Pen Width Sets the linetype scale to one of a list of standard ISO values. The resulting scale is the global scale factor multiplied by the object's scale factor.
List of Options The following options are displayed. File Name Displays the name of the current LIN file. You can enter the name of another LIN file or click the File button to select a file from the Select Linetype File dialog box. Browse Displays the Select Linetype File dialog box, in which you can select a different linetype (LIN) file. Available Linetypes Displays the linetypes available to load. To select or clear all of the linetypes on the list, right-click and choose Select All or Clear All.
Descriptive Text Enter a linetype description up to 47 characters long. The description can be a comment or a series of underscores, dots, dashes, and spaces to show a simple representation of the linetype pattern. Linetype Pattern Enter a pattern definition as a series of numbers separated by commas. Enter positive values to specify lengths of dashes, and enter negative values to specify lengths of spaces. Use a zero to represent a dot.
LIST Quick Reference See also: ■ Display and Change the Properties of Objects Displays property data for selected objects. Access Methods Menu: Tools ➤ Inquiry ➤ List Summary You can use LIST to display and then copy the properties of selected objects to a text file. The text window displays the object type, object layer, and the X,Y,Z position relative to the current user coordinate system (UCS) and whether the object is in model space or paper space.
LIVESECTION Quick Reference See also: ■ Use Live Section to Adjust the Cross Section Turns on live sectioning for a selected section object. Access Methods Shortcut menu: Select a section plane object. Right-click and choose Activate Live Sectioning. Summary When turned on, the cross sections of 3D objects interesected by the section object are displayed. Live sectioning only works with objects that were created with SECTIONPLANE. List of Prompts The following prompts are displayed.
LOAD Quick Reference See also: ■ Overview of Shape Files Makes shapes available for use by the SHAPE command. Summary The Select Shape File dialog box (a standard file selection dialog box) is displayed. Enter the shape file name, or select a file name from the list. You must load a shape (SHP) file the first time you need it; it is loaded automatically thereafter. The shape file must be available each time you edit the drawing.
Summary Creates a 3D solid or surface by specifying a series of cross sections. The cross sections define the shape of the resulting solid or surface. You must specify at least two cross sections. Loft profiles can be open or closed, planar or non-planar, and can also be edge subobjects. Use the mode option to select whether to create a surface or a solid. When creating surfaces, use SURFACEMODELINGMODE on page 1509 to control whether the surface is a NURBS surface or a procedural surface.
Objects That Can Be Objects That Can Be Objects That Can Be Used as Cross Sec- Used as a Loft Path Used as Guides tions Edge sub-objects Edge subobjects Edge subobjects Ellipse Ellipse 3D polyline Elliptical arc Elliptical arc Elliptical arc Helix 2D polyline Line Line Line Planar or non-planar face of solid Planar or non-planar surface Points (first and last cross section only) 3D polyline Region Trace To automatically delete the cross sections, guides, and paths, use DELOBJ.
■ Path ■ Cross sections only ■ Settings on page 580 Continuity This option only displays if the LOFTNORMALS on page 1397 system variable is set to 1 (smooth fit). Specifies whether the continuity is G0, G1, or G2 where the surfaces meet. Bulge Magnitude This option only displays if the LOFTNORMALS on page 1397 system variable is set to 1 (smooth fit). Specifies a bulge magnitude value for objects that have a continuity of G1 or G2.
The path curve must intersect all planes of the cross sections. Cross Sections Only Creates lofted objects without using guides or paths. Settings Displays the Loft Settings dialog box. Loft Settings Dialog Box Quick Reference See also: ■ Create a Solid or Surface by Lofting Controls the contour of a lofted surface at its cross sections. Also allows you to close the surface or solid.
List of Options The following options are displayed. Ruled Specifies that the solid or surface is ruled (straight) between the cross sections and has sharp edges at the cross sections. (LOFTNORMALS system variable) Smooth Fit Specifies that a smooth solid or surface is drawn between the cross sections and has sharp edges at the start and end cross sections. (LOFTNORMALS system variable) Start Continuity Sets the tangency and curvature of the first cross section.
Normal To Controls the surface normal of the solid or surface where it passes through the cross sections. (LOFTNORMALS system variable) Start Cross Section Specifies that the surface normal is normal to the start cross section. End Cross Section Specifies that the surface normal is normal to the end cross section. Start and End Cross Sections Specifies that the surface normal is normal to both the start and end cross sections.
Start Angle Specifies the draft angle for the start cross section. (LOFTANG1 system variable) Start Magnitude Controls the relative distance of the surface from the start cross section in the direction of the draft angle before the surface starts to bend toward the next cross section. (LOFTMAG1 system variable) End Angle Specifies the draft angle for the end cross section.
Periodic (Smooth Ends) Creates a smooth, closed surface whose seam will not kink if it is reshaped. This option is only available if the loft is ruled or smooth fit and the Close Surface or solid option is selected. LOGFILEOFF Quick Reference See also: ■ View and Edit Within the Command History Closes the command history log file opened by LOGFILEON. Summary The program stops recording the text window contents and closes the log file. Each drawing saves a log file (with the extension .
Summary The contents of the text window are recorded in the log file until you exit the program or use the LOGFILEOFF command. Each drawing saves a log file (with the extension .log) that may need periodic deletion as the number of log files continues to grow. LTSCALE Quick Reference See also: ■ Control Linetype Scale Sets the global linetype scale factor. Access Methods Command entry: 'ltscale for transparent use Summary Use LTSCALE to change the scale factor of linetypes for all objects in a drawing.
LWEIGHT Quick Reference See also: ■ Overview of Lineweights Sets the current lineweight, lineweight display options, and lineweight units. Access Methods Menu: Format ➤ Lineweight Shortcut menu: Right-click Show/Hide Lineweight on the status bar and choose Settings. Command entry: 'lweight for transparent use Summary The Lineweight Settings dialog box is displayed. If you enter -lweight at the Command prompt, options are displayed.
Summary For a table of valid lineweights, see “Overview of Lineweights” in the User's Guide. List of Options The following options are displayed. Units Specifies whether lineweights are displayed in millimeters or inches. You can also set Units for Listing by using the LWUNITS system variable. Millimeters (mm) Specifies lineweight values in millimeters. Inches (in.) Specifies lineweight values in inches. Default Controls the DEFAULT lineweight for layers. The initial DEFAULT lineweight is 0.
Lineweight values consist of standard settings including BYLAYER, BYBLOCK, and DEFAULT. The DEFAULT value is set by the LWDEFAULT system variable, which has an initial value of 0.01 inches or 0.25 mm. All new layers use the default setting. The lineweight value of 0 plots at the thinnest lineweight available on the specified plotting device and is displayed at one pixel wide in model space.
The current lineweight value is displayed; if the value is not BYLAYER, BYBLOCK or DEFAULT, the value is displayed in millimeters or inches. Default Lineweight Sets the current default lineweight. Lineweight values consist of fixed settings, including BYLAYER, BYBLOCK, and DEFAULT. Values are calculated in either inches or millimeters; millimeters are the default. If you enter a valid lineweight value, the current default lineweight is set to the new value.
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M Commands 13 MASSPROP Quick Reference See also: ■ Obtain Area and Mass Properties Information Calculates the mass properties of regions or 3D solids. Access Methods Menu: Tools ➤ Inquiry ➤ Region/Mass Properties Summary Refer to the Help system for a complete list of definitions for each of the region or mass properties computed. List of Prompts The following prompts are displayed.
The properties that MASSPROP displays depend on whether the selected objects are regions, and whether the selected regions are coplanar with the XY plane of the current user coordinate system (UCS), or 3D solids. For a list of the parameters that control the MASSPROP units, see Calculations Based on the Current UCS. Regions The following table shows the mass properties that are displayed for all regions.
Additional mass properties for coplanar regions Mass property Description or twisting beam. The formula for determining area moments of inertia is area_moments_of_inertia = area_of_interest * radius2 The area moments of inertia has units of distance to the fourth power. Products of inertia Property used to determine the forces causing the motion of an object. It is always calculated with respect to two orthogonal planes.
Mass properties for solids Mass property Description Moments of inertia The mass moments of inertia, which is used when computing the force required to rotate an object about a given axis, such as a wheel rotating about an axle. The formula for mass moments of inertia is mass_moments_of_inertia = object_mass * radiusaxis2 Mass moments of inertia unit is mass (grams or slugs) times the distance squared. Products of inertia Property used to determine the forces causing the motion of an object.
Parameters that control MASSPROP units Parameter Used to calculate LENGTH*LENGTH*LENGTH Bounding box, radii of gyration, centroid, and perimeter DENSITY*LENGTH*LENGTH Moments of inertia, products of inertia, and principal moments MATBROWSERCLOSE Quick Reference See also: ■ Browse Material Libraries Closes the Materials Browser.
MATBROWSEROPEN Quick Reference See also: ■ Browse Material Libraries Opens the Materials Browser. Access Methods Button Toolbar: Modeling tool set ➤ Materials tool group ➤ Material Browser Menu: View ➤ Render ➤ Materials Browser Summary The Materials Browser on page 596 is displayed. Materials Browser Quick Reference See also: ■ Browse Material Libraries The Materials Browser allows you to navigate and manage your materials.
Access Methods Button Toolbar: Modeling tool set ➤ Materials tool group ➤ Material Browser Menu: View ➤ Render ➤ Materials Browser Summary You can also manage your material libraries in the Materials Browser. It also allows you search and sort materials in all open libraries and in the drawing.
List of Prompts The following prompts are displayed. Search Searches for material appearances in multiple libraries. Document Materials Displays the materials saved with the open drawing. Use the drop-down list on the left to filter which materials are displayed in the list. The following filters and options are available: ■ Show All. Display all materials in the current drawing. (Default option) ■ Show Applied. Display only the materials being used in the current drawing. ■ Show Selected.
The Sort drop-down controls the order in which materials in the library are displayed. The following sort options are available: ■ By Name. Lists materials in the selected library alphabetically by name. (Default option) ■ By Type. Lists materials in the selected library according to the type of material that it was created from. ■ By Category. Lists materials in the selected library according to the category of material it was added to. (Default option) ■ By Material Color.
MATCHCELL Quick Reference See also: ■ Add Text and Blocks to Tables Applies the properties of a selected table cell to other table cells. Access Methods Button Toolbar: With a table and table cell selected, on the Table Cell visor, click Match Cell Summary All the properties of the source cell are copied to the destination cells except for the cell type: text or block. List of Prompts The following prompts are displayed.
Applies the properties of a selected object to other objects. Access Methods Menu: Modify ➤ Match Properties Command entry: painter (or 'matchprop for transparent use) Summary The types of properties that can be applied include color, layer, linetype, linetype scale, lineweight, plot style, transparency, and other specified properties. List of Prompts The following prompts are displayed.
Summary Specifies which basic properties and special properties to copy from the source object to the destination objects. List of Options The following options are displayed. Basic Properties Color Changes the color of the destination object to that of the source object. Available for all objects. Layer Changes the layer of the destination object to that of the source object. Available for all objects. Linetype Changes the linetype of the destination object to that of the source object.
Changes the linetype scale factor of the destination object to that of the source object. Available for all objects except attributes, hatches, multiline text, points, and viewports. Lineweight Changes the lineweight of the destination object to that of the source object. Available for all objects. Transparency Changes the transparency of the of the destination object to that of the source object. Available for all objects.
In addition to basic object properties, changes the text style and properties of the destination object to that of the source object. Available only for single-line and multiline text objects. Viewport In addition to basic object properties, changes the following properties of the destination paper space viewport to match those of the source viewport: on/off, display locking, standard or custom scale, shade plot, snap, grid, and UCS icon visibility and location.
Access Methods Button Toolbar: Modeling tool set ➤ Materials tool group ➤ Material Browser Menu: View ➤ Render ➤ Materials Browser Summary The Materials Browser is displayed. The Materials Browser allows you navigate and manage your materials. You can organize, sort, search, and select materials for use in your drawing. MATERIALSCLOSE Quick Reference See also: ■ Create and Modify Materials Closes the Materials Browser. Summary Closes the Materials Browser on page 596.
Creates point objects or blocks at measured intervals along the length or perimeter of an object. Access Methods Button Toolbar: Drafting tool set ➤ Open Shapes tool group (expanded) ➤ Point flyout ➤ Measure Menu: Draw ➤ Point ➤ Measure Summary The resulting points or blocks are always located on the selected object and their orientation is parallel to the XY plane of the UCS. Use DDPTYPE to set the style and size of all point objects in a drawing.
Measurement of closed polylines starts at their initial vertex (the first one drawn). Measurement of circles starts at the angle from the center set as the current snap rotation angle. If the snap rotation angle is 0, then the measurement of the circle starts to the right of center, on its circumference. The illustration shows how MEASURE marks 0.5-unit distances along a polyline, with the PDMODE on page 1436 system variable set to 35. Block Places blocks at a specified interval along the selected object.
MEASUREGEOM Quick Reference See also: ■ Obtain Area and Mass Properties Information Measures the distance, radius, angle, area, and volume of selected objects or sequence of points. Access Methods Button Toolbar: Drafting tool set ➤ Utilities tool group ➤ Measure flyout ➤ Distance Menu: Tools ➤ Inquiry ➤ Distance Summary The MEASUREGEOM command performs many of the same calculations as the following commands: ■ AREA ■ DIST ■ MASSPROP List of Prompts The following prompts are displayed.
Distance Measures the distance between specified points. The following display at the Command prompt and in the tooltip: ■ The current UCS X axis ■ Distance in X direction (Delta X) ■ Distance in Y direction (Delta Y) Multiple Points A running total of distance based on existing line segments and the current rubber-band line is calculated. The total updates as you move the cursor and displays in the tooltip. If you enter Arc, Length, or Undo Options for Selecting Polylines display.
Subtract Area Subtracts a specified area from the total area. The total area and perimeter displays at the Command prompt and in the tooltip. Volume Measures the volume of an object or a defined area. Object Measures the volume of an object or defined area. You can select a 3D solids or 2D objects. If you select a 2D object you must specify a height for that object. If you define an object by specifying points, you must specify at least three points to define a polygon.
Close Draws an arc segment from the last point specified to the starting point, creating a closed polyline. At least two points must be specified to use this option. Direction Specifies a starting direction for the arc segment. ■ Endpoint of Arc on page 788 Half width Specifies the width from the center of a wide polyline segment to one of its edges. The starting half-width becomes the default ending half-width.
MESH Quick Reference See also: ■ Create 3D Mesh Primitives Creates a 3D mesh primitive object such as a box, cone, cylinder, pyramid, sphere, wedge, or torus. Access Methods Menu: Draw ➤ 3D Modeling ➤ Meshes ➤ Primitives Summary The basic mesh forms, known as mesh primitives, are the equivalent of the primitive forms for 3D solids. You can reshape mesh objects by smoothing, creasing, refining, and splitting faces. You can also drag edges, faces, and vertices to mold the overall form.
Specify the length of the sides. First corner / Corner Sets the first corner of the mesh box. ■ Other corner. Sets the opposite corner of the mesh box. ■ Cube ■ Length Center Sets the center of the mesh box. ■ Corner. Sets the opposite corner of the mesh box. ■ Cube ■ Length Cube Sets all edges of the box to be of equal length. ■ Length Length Sets the length of the mesh box along the X axis. ■ Width (not available for cubes) Width Sets the width of the mesh box along the Y axis.
Height Sets the height of the mesh box along the Z axis. 2Point (height) Sets the height based on the distance between two points: ■ First point. Sets the first point of a two-point distance. ■ Second point. Sets the second point of a two-point distance. Cone Creates a 3D mesh with a circular or elliptical base that tapers symmetrically to a point or to a planar face. Specify the diameter and height. Center point of base Sets the center point of the base of the mesh cone.
■ 2Point (height) ■ Axis endpoint ■ Top radius 2P (diameter) Defines the base diameter of the mesh cone based on two points: ■ First endpoint of diameter. Sets the first location on the circumference of the mesh cone base. ■ Second endpoint of diameter. Determines the general location and size of the mesh cone base by setting the endpoint of the diameter.
Elliptical Specifies an elliptical base for the mesh cone. ■ ■ Endpoint of first axis. Sets the start point for the first axis of the mesh cone base and then specifies the other axis endpoints: ■ Other endpoint of first axis. Sets the first axis endpoint. ■ Endpoint of second axis. Sets the second axis endpoint Center. Specifies the method for creating an elliptical mesh cone base that starts with the center point of the base: ■ Center point. Sets the center of the mesh cone base.
Axis endpoint Sets the location of the top point of the cone or the center of the top face of a cone frustum. The orientation of the axis endpoint can be anywhere in 3D space. Top radius Specifies the top radius of the cone, creating a cone frustum. ■ Height ■ 2Point (height) ■ Axis endpoint Cylinder Creates a 3D mesh cylinder. Specify the size of the base and height. Center point of base Sets the center point of the mesh cylinder base.
■ Second point. Sets a second point on the circumference of the mesh cylinder base. ■ Third point. Sets the size and planar rotation of the mesh cylinder base. ■ Height ■ 2Point (height) ■ Axis endpoint 2P (diameter) Sets the diameter of the mesh cylinder base by specifying two points: ■ First endpoint of diameter. Sets the first point on the diameter of the mesh cylinder base. ■ Second endpoint of diameter. Sets the second point on the diameter of the mesh cylinder base.
■ Axis endpoint Base Radius Sets the radius of the mesh cylinder base. ■ Height ■ 2Point (height) ■ Axis endpoint Diameter Sets the diameter for the base of the cylinder. ■ Height ■ 2Point (height) ■ Axis endpoint Height Sets the height of the mesh cylinder along an axis that is perpendicular to the plane of the base. Axis endpoint Sets the location of the top face of the cylinder. The orientation of the axis endpoint can be anywhere in 3D space.
Specify the diameter and height. Center point of base Sets the center point of the mesh pyramid base. ■ Base radius ■ Inscribed Edge Sets the length of the one edge of the mesh pyramid base, as indicated by two points that you specify: ■ First endpoint of edge. Sets the first location of the edge of the mesh pyramid. ■ Second endpoint of edge. Sets the second location of the edge of the mesh pyramid.
■ Edge ■ Sides. Resets the number of sides for the mesh pyramid. Base radius Sets the radius of the mesh pyramid base. ■ Height ■ 2Point (height) ■ Axis endpoint ■ Top radius Inscribed Specifies that the base of the mesh pyramid is inscribed, or drawn within, the base radius. ■ Base radius ■ Circumscribed Height Sets the height of the mesh pyramid along an axis that is perpendicular to the plane of the base.
Sphere Creates a 3D mesh sphere. Specify the size of the sphere (diameter or radius). Center point Sets the center point of the sphere. ■ Radius. Creates a mesh sphere based on a specified radius. ■ Diameter. Creates a mesh sphere based on a specified diameter. 3P (three points) Sets the location, size, and plane of the mesh sphere by specifying three points: ■ First point. Sets the first point on the circumference of the mesh sphere. ■ Second point.
Ttr (tangent, tangent, radius) Defines a mesh sphere with a specified radius that is tangent to two objects: ■ Point on object for first tangent. Sets a point on an object to serve as the first tangent point. ■ Point on object for second tangent. Sets a point on an object to serve as the second tangent point. ■ Radius of circle. Sets the radius of the mesh sphere. If the specified criteria can produce multiple results, the closest tangent points are used. Wedge Creates a 3D mesh wedge.
■ Length Center Sets the center point of the mesh wedge base. ■ Corner. Sets one corner of the mesh wedge base. ■ Height ■ 2Point (height) ■ Cube ■ Length Cube Sets all edges of the mesh wedge base to be of equal length. ■ Length Length Sets the length of the mesh wedge base along the X axis. ■ Width (not available for Cube) Width Sets the width of the mesh box along the Y axis. ■ Height ■ 2Point (height) Height Sets the height of the mesh wedge.
Specify two values: the size of the tube and the distance from the center of the torus to the center of the tube. Center point Sets the center point of the mesh torus. ■ Radius (torus) ■ Diameter (torus) 3P (three points) Sets the location, size, and rotation of the mesh torus by specifying three points. The path of the tube passes through the specified points: ■ First point. Sets the first point on the path of the tube. ■ Second point. Sets the second point on the path of the tube. ■ Third point.
2P (torus diameter) Sets the diameter of the mesh torus by specifying two points. The diameter is calculated from the center point of the torus to the center point of the tube. ■ First endpoint of diameter. Sets the first point used to specify the torus diameter distance. ■ Second endpoint of diameter. Sets the second point used to specify the torus diameter distance.
Tube radius Sets the radius of the profile that is swept around the mesh torus path. 2Point (tube radius) Sets the radius of the profile of the tube based on the distance between two points that you specify: ■ First point. Sets the first point of a two-point distance. ■ Second point. Sets the second point of a two-point distance. Tube diameter Sets the diameter of the profile of the mesh torus tube. Settings Modifies the smoothness and tessellation values for the new mesh object.
List of Prompts The following prompts are displayed. Select connecting mesh edges to create a new mesh face Specifies which mesh edges form the boundary for the closure. Click the edges to select them. MESHCOLLAPSE Quick Reference See also: ■ Modify Mesh Faces Merges the vertices of selected mesh faces or edges.
Summary You can cause the vertices of surrounding mesh faces to converge at the center of a selected edge or face. The shapes of surrounding faces change to accommodate the loss of one or more vertices. List of Prompts The following prompts are displayed. Select mesh face or edge to collapse Specifies a mesh edge or a face whose midpoint becomes the point of convergence for the surrounding faces. Click a single mesh edge or face.
Access Methods Menu: Modify ➤ Mesh Editing ➤ Crease Summary You can sharpen, or crease, the edges of mesh objects. Creasing deforms mesh faces and edges that are adjacent to the selected subobject. Creases added to mesh that has no smoothness are not apparent until the mesh is smoothed. You can also apply creases to mesh subobjects by changing the crease type and crease level in the Properties Inspector palette on page 830. List of Prompts The following prompts are displayed.
Always Specifies that the crease is always retained, even if the object or subobject is smoothed or refined. A crease value of -1 is the same as Always. MESHEXTRUDE Quick Reference See also: ■ Modify Mesh Faces Extends a mesh face into 3D space. Access Methods Menu: Modify ➤ Mesh Editing ➤ Extrude Face Summary When you extrude, or extend, a mesh face, you can specify several options to determine the shape of the extrusion.
List of Prompts The following prompts are displayed. Mesh face(s) to extrude Specifies the mesh faces to extrude. Click one or more faces to select them. ■ Height of extrusion ■ Direction ■ Path ■ Taper angle Setting (Available only when you start the command before selecting faces) Sets the style for extruding multiple adjacent mesh faces. ■ Join adjacent mesh faces when extruding Specifies whether adjacent mesh faces are extruded singly or as a unit.
Direction Specifies the length and direction of the extrusion. (The direction cannot be parallel to the plane of the sweep curve created by the extrusion.) ■ Start point of direction. Specifies the first point in the direction vector. ■ End point of direction. Specifies the second point in the direction vector. Path Specifies an object, such as a line or spline, that determines the path and length of the extrusion. The outline of the mesh face is swept along the path.
Specifying a large taper angle or a long extrusion height can cause the object or portions of the object to taper to a point before reaching the extrusion height. ■ Angle of taper. Sets an angle between -90 and +90 degrees. ■ Specify two points. Sets the taper angle to be the distance between two specified points. MESHMERGE Quick Reference See also: ■ Modify Mesh Faces Merges adjacent faces into a single face.
The merge operation is performed only on mesh faces that are adjacent. Other types of subobjects are removed from the selection set. Merging mesh faces that wrap a corner can have unintended results when you try to edit the mesh or convert it to other types of solid objects. For example, the mesh might no longer be watertight. For best results, restrict mesh merging to faces that are on the same plane. List of Prompts The following prompts are displayed.
List of Prompts The following prompts are displayed. Mesh object or face subobjects to refine Specifies 3D mesh objects or mesh faces to be refined. Press Ctrl+click to isolate a specific face. MESHSMOOTH Quick Reference See also: ■ Create Meshes by Conversion Converts 3D objects such as polygon meshes, surfaces, and solids to mesh objects.
Object type 3D surfaces 3D faces Polyface and polygon meshes (legacy) Regions Closed polylines MESHSMOOTHLESS Quick Reference See also: ■ Change Mesh Smoothness Levels Decreases the level of smoothness for mesh objects by one level. Access Methods Menu: Modify ➤ Mesh Editing ➤ Smooth Less Summary Decrease the smoothness of selected mesh objects by one level. You can only decrease the smoothness of objects whose level of smoothness is 1 or higher.
You can decrease the smoothness of multiple objects. If the selected objects have different levels of smoothness, their respective levels are decreased by one. If the selection set contains ineligible objects, those objects can be filtered out. MESHSMOOTHMORE Quick Reference See also: ■ Change Mesh Smoothness Levels Increases the level of smoothness for mesh objects by one level.
Facets are the underlying components of each mesh face. You can increase the smoothness level up to the value of SMOOTHMESHMAXLEV as long as the number of faces does not exceed the value in the SMOOTHMESHMAXFACE system variable. If you select multiple objects with differing levels of smoothness, their respective levels are increased by one. You can only smooth mesh objects. However, you have the option of converting some types of objects to mesh during the smoothing operation.
Summary You can rotate the edge that joins two triangular mesh faces to modify the shapes of the faces. The edge shared by the selected faces spins to intersect the apex of each face. NOTE You can use MESHSPLIT to divide a rectangular face into two triangular faces. If you plan to spin the edge between the triangular faces, use the Vertex option to ensure that the split extends precisely from one vertex to the other. List of Prompts The following prompts are displayed.
MESHSPLIT Quick Reference See also: ■ Modify Mesh Faces Splits a mesh face into two faces. Access Methods Menu: Modify ➤ Mesh Editing ➤ Split Face Summary Split a face to add more definition to an area without having to refine it. Because you specify the start and endpoint of the split, this method provides greater control over the location of the split. For more precision in the placement of the split, you can specify that the split starts or ends at a vertex.
List of Prompts The following prompts are displayed: Face to split In the drawing area, specifies which mesh face to split. ■ First split point on face edge. Sets the location on an edge of the mesh face to start the split. ■ Second split point on face edge. Sets a second location on an edge of the mesh face to define the path of the split. ■ Vertex Vertex Limits the first endpoint of the split to a mesh vertex. ■ First vertex for the split. Specifies a vertex on a mesh face.
You can also remove a selected crease in the Crease area of Properties Inspector by changing the Type value to None when a face on a mesh is selected. List of Prompts The following prompt is displayed: Select crease to remove Specifies which creased edges to smooth. You do not need to press Ctrl to select a creased subobject. MINSERT Quick Reference See also: ■ Insert Blocks Inserts multiple instances of a block in a rectangular array.
Specify insertion point or [Basepoint on page 645/Scale/X/Y/Z/Rotate]: Specify a point or enter an option Insertion Point Specifies a location for the blocks. Enter X scale factor, specify opposite corner, or [Corner/XYZ] <1>: Enter a value, enter an option, or press Enter X Scale Factor Sets X and Y scale factors. Specify Rotation Angle The rotation angle sets the angle of the individual block inserts and also sets the angle of the entire array.
Basepoint Temporarily drops the block in the drawing where it is currently positioned and allows you to specify a new base point for the block reference as it is dragged into position. This does not affect the actual base point defined for the block reference. Scale Sets the scale factor for the X, Y, and Z axes. The scale for the Z axis is the absolute value of the specified scale factor.
■ Distance Between Rows on page 644 ■ Distance Between Columns on page 644 Rotate Sets the angle of insertion for both the individual blocks and the entire array.
■ XYZ on page 644 Preview Z Sets the scale factor for the Z axis to control the display of the block as it is dragged into position. ■ X Scale Factor on page 644 ■ Corner on page 644 ■ XYZ on page 644 Preview Rotate Sets the rotation angle of the block as it is dragged into position. ■ X Scale Factor on page 644 ■ Corner on page 644 ■ XYZ on page 644 MIRROR Quick Reference See also: ■ Mirror Objects Creates a mirrored copy of selected objects.
Summary You can create objects that represent half of a drawing, select them, and mirror them across a specified line to create the other half. NOTE By default, when you mirror a text object, the direction of the text is not changed. Set the MIRRTEXT on page 1412 system variable to 1 if you do want the text to be reversed. List of Prompts The following prompts are displayed.
MIRROR3D Quick Reference See also: ■ Mirror Objects Creates a mirrored copy of selected objects across a mirroring plane. Access Methods Button Toolbar: Modeling tool set ➤ Copy tool group ➤ 3D Mirror Menu: Modify ➤ 3D Operations ➤ 3D Mirror Summary It is recommended that you use the gizmos available through the 3DMOVE, 3DROTATE, and 3DSCALE commands to manipulate 3D objects. For more information about using gizmos, see Use Gizmos to Modify Objects.
Specify first point of mirror plane (3 points) or [Object/Last/Zaxis/View/XY/YZ/ZX/3points] <3points>: Enter an option, specify a point, or press Enter Object Uses the plane of a selected planar object as the mirroring plane. Delete Source Objects If you enter y, the reflected object is placed into the drawing and the original objects are deleted. If you enter n or press Enter, the reflected object is placed into the drawing and the original objects are retained.
View Aligns the mirroring plane with the viewing plane of the current viewport through a point. XY/YZ/ZX Aligns the mirroring plane with one of the standard planes (XY, YZ, or ZX) through a specified point. 3 Points Defines the mirroring plane by three points. If you select this option by specifying a point, the First Point on Mirror Plane prompt is not displayed.
MLEADER Quick Reference See also: ■ Create and Modify Leaders Creates a multileader object. Access Methods Button Toolbar: Annotation tool set ➤ Leaders tool group ➤ Multileader Menu: Dimension ➤ Multileader Summary A multileader object typically consists of an arrowhead, a horizontal landing, a leader line or curve, and either a multiline text object or a block. Multileaders can be created arrowhead first, leader landing first, or content first.
Specify leader arrowhead location on page 653 or [leader Landing first/Content first/Options] : Leader Arrowhead First Specifies a location for the arrowhead of the multileader object. Specify Leader Landing Location Sets placement of the leader landing for the new multileader object. If you exit the command at this point, then no text is associated with the multileader object. Leader Landing First Specifies a location for the landing line of the multileader object.
Content Type Specifies the type of content that will be used for the multileader. ■ Block on page 654 ■ Mtext on page 654 ■ None on page 654 Block Specifies a block within your drawing to associate with the new multileader. ■ Enter block name. Mtext Specifies that multiline text is included with the multileader. ■ Enter the multiline text. None Specifies no content type. Maxpoints Specifies a maximum number of points for the new leader line. ■ Enter the maximum points for leader line. ■ None.
Access Methods Button Toolbar: Annotation tool set ➤ Leaders tool group ➤ Align Leaders Menu: Modify ➤ Object ➤ Multileader ➤ Align Summary After multileaders have been selected, specify the multileader to which all others are aligned. List of Prompts The following prompts are displayed. Select multileader to align to or [Options on page 655]: Options Specifies options for aligning and spacing the selected multileaders. Distribute Spaces content evenly between two selected points.
MLEADERCOLLECT Quick Reference See also: ■ Create and Modify Leaders Organizes selected multileaders that contain blocks into rows or columns, and displays the result with a single leader. Access Methods Button Toolbar: Annotation tool set ➤ Leaders tool group ➤ Collect Leaders Menu: Modify ➤ Object ➤ Multileader ➤ Collect Summary After you select multileaders, you can specify their placement. For example: List of Prompts The following prompts are displayed.
Specify Collected Multileader Location Specifies the point for placing the multileader collection in the upper-left corner of the collection. Vertical Places the multileader collection in one or more columns. Horizontal Places the multileader collection in one or more rows. Wrap Specifies a width for a wrapped multileader collection. ■ Specify wrap width. ■ Number. Specifies a maximum number of blocks per row in the multileader collection.
Adds a leader line to a selected multileader object. The new leader line is added to the left or right of the selected multileader, depending on the location of the cursor. Remove Leader Removes a leader line from a selected multileader object. For example: MLEADERSTYLE Quick Reference See also: ■ Work with Leader Styles Creates and modifies multileader styles.
Summary The Multileader Style Manager is displayed. Multileader Style Manager Quick Reference See also: ■ Work with Leader Styles Creates and modifies styles that you can use to create multileader objects Summary Sets the current multileader style and creates, modifies, and deletes multileader styles. The appearance of multileaders is controlled by multileader styles. These styles specify formatting for landing lines, leader lines, arrowheads, and content.
List of Options The following options are displayed. Current Multileader Style Displays the name of the multileader style that is applied to multileaders you create. The default multileader style is Standard. Styles Displays a list of multileader styles. The current style is highlighted. List Controls the contents of the Styles list. Click All Styles to display all multileader styles available in the drawing.
Modify Multileader Style Dialog Box Quick Reference See also: ■ Work with Leader Styles Modifies an existing multileader style. Summary Controls the general appearance of the multileader. List of Options The following options are displayed. Preview Displays a preview image of the style being modified.
List of Tabs The following tabs are displayed. ■ Leader Format Tab on page 662 ■ Leader Structure Tab on page 663 ■ Content Tab on page 664 Leader Format Tab Quick Reference See also: ■ Work with Leader Styles Controls the formatting of the leader lines and arrowheads for the multileader. General Controls the general settings of the arrowheads. Type Determines the type of leader line. You can choose a straight leader, a spline, or no leader line. Color Determines the color of the leader line.
Displays and sets the size of arrowheads. Leader Break Controls the settings used when adding a dimension break to a multileader. Break Size Displays and sets the break size used for the DIMBREAK command when the multileader is selected. Leader Structure Tab Quick Reference See also: ■ Work with Leader Styles Controls the number of leader points, landing size, and scale for the multilieader. Constraints Controls the constraints of the multileader.
Scale Controls the scaling of the multileader. Annotative Specifies that the multileader is annotative. Click the information icon to learn more about annotative objects. Scale to Layout Determines a scaling factor for the multileader based on the scaling in the model space and paper space viewports. This option is available when the multileader is not annotative. Specify Scale Specifies the scale for the multileader. This option is available when the multileader is not annotative.
Text Style Button Displays the Text Style dialog box where you can create or modify text styles. Text Angle Specifies the rotation angle of the multileader text. Text Color Specifies the color of the multileader text. Text Height Specifies the height of the multileader text. Always Left Justify Specifies that the multileader text is always left justified. Frame Text Frames the multileader text content with a text box. Mtext: Leader Connection Controls the leader connection settings of the multileader.
Attaches the leader to the top center of the text content. Click the drop-down to insert an overline between the leader attachment and the text content. Bottom Attaches the leader to the bottom of the text content. Click the drop-down to insert an underline between the leader attachment and the text content. Block: Block Options Controls the properties of block content in a multileader object. Source block Specifies the block used for multileader content.
List of Options The following options are displayed. New Style Name Names the new multileader style. Start With Specifies an existing multileader style whose settings are the default for the new multileader style. Annotative Specifies that the multileader object is . Click the information icon to learn more about annotative objects. Continue Displays the Multileader Style Manager, in which you define the new multileader style.
Next Point Draws a multiline segment to the specified point using the current multiline style and continues to prompt for points. Undo Undoes the last vertex point on the multiline. Close Closes the multiline by joining the last segments with the first segments. Justification Determines how the multiline is drawn between the points you specify.
Bottom Draws the multiline above the cursor, so that the line with the most negative offset is at the specified points. Scale Controls the overall width of the multiline. This scale does not affect linetype scale. The scale factor is based on the width established in the multiline style definition. A scale factor of 2 produces a multiline twice as wide as the style definition. A negative scale factor flips the order of the offset line—the smallest on top when the multiline is drawn from left to right.
MODEL Quick Reference See also: ■ Work with Model Space and Paper Space Switches from a named (paper space) layout to the Model layout. Access Methods Toolbar: Status bar ➤ Quick View ➤ Model Toolbar: Status bar ➤ Layout dropdown ➤ Model Summary On the Model layout, you can create drawings in model space. The Model layout automatically sets the TILEMODE on page 1522 system variable to 1, and you can create model viewports to display various views of your drawing.
Access Methods Button Toolbar: Drafting tool set ➤ Move/Rotate/Scale tool group ➤ Move Menu: Modify ➤ Move Shortcut menu: Select the objects to move. Right-click in the drawing area and click Move. Summary Use coordinates, grid snaps, object snaps, and other tools to move objects with precision. List of Prompts The following prompts are displayed.
MREDO Quick Reference See also: ■ Correct Mistakes Reverses the effects of several previous UNDO or U commands. List of Prompts The following prompts are displayed. Enter number of actions or [All/Last]: Number of Actions Reverses the specified number of actions. All Reverses all previous actions. Last Reverses only the last action. MSPACE Quick Reference See also: ■ Work with Model Space and Paper Space In a layout, switches from paper space to model space in a layout viewport.
When you are in a layout, you can enter mspace at the Command prompt to make the last viewport in the layout current, and then work in model space in that viewport within the layout. MTEDIT Quick Reference See also: ■ Change Multiline Text Edits multiline text. Access Methods Pointing device: Double-click a multiline text object. Summary Displays either the multiline text visor and the In-Place Text Editor to modify the formatting or content of the selected mtext object.
Toolbar: Annotation tool set ➤ Text tool group ➤ Multiline flyout ➤ Multiline Text Menu: Draw ➤ Text ➤ Multiline Text Summary You can create several paragraphs of text as a single multiline text (mtext) object. With the built-in editor, you can format the text appearance, columns, and boundaries. After you specify the point for the opposite corner the Text Editor visor on page 678 is displayed which contains text formatting options.
Summary You can import or paste text from other files to use in multiline text, set tabs, adjust paragraph and line spacing and alignment, and create and modify columns. The In-Place Text Editor includes ■ Text Editor visor on page 678 ■ Paragraph dialog box on page 681 ■ Column Settings dialog box on page 684 ■ Background Mask dialog box on page 685 ■ Columns menu on page 683 When a table cell is selected for editing, the In-Place Text Editor displays column letters and row numbers.
The editor automatically sets the text color to BYLAYER. When black characters are inserted and the background color is black, the editor automatically changes to white or the current color. Paragraph Alignment Sets alignment for the multiline text object. You can choose to align your text to the left, center, or right. You can justify your text, or align the first and last characters of your text with the margins of your mtext box, or center each line of text within the margins of your mtext box.
■ Allow Bullets and Lists: When this option is selected, list formatting is applied to all plain text in the multiline text object that looks like a list. Text that meets the following criteria is considered to be a list. The line begins with (1) one or more letters or numbers or a symbol, followed by (2) punctuation after a letter or number, (3) a space created by pressing Tab, and (4) some text before the line is ended by Enter or Shift+Enter.
diagonal fraction bar are bottom-right aligned; the characters beneath the diagonal bar are top-left aligned. Editor Settings Displays a list of options for the text editor. See Editor Settings for more information. Editor Settings Provides options for changing the behavior of the text editor and provides additional editing options. Options are specific to the Editor Settings menu and are not available elsewhere in the text editor. NOTE Some options may not be available depending on what you are editing.
List of Options The following options are displayed. Text Editor Visor - Row 1 Style Options Style Applies a text style to the multiline text object. The Standard text style is active by default. Text Height Sets the character height in drawing units for new text or changes the height of selected text. If the current text style has no fixed height, the text height is the value stored in theTEXTSIZE system variable. A multiline text object can contain characters of various heights.
Text Editor Visor - Row 2 Additional Formatting Options Font Specifies a font for new text or changes the font of selected text. TrueType fonts are listed by font family name. AutoCAD for Mac compiled shape (SHX) fonts are listed by the name of the file in which the fonts are stored. Custom fonts and third-party fonts are displayed in the editor with Autodesk-supplied proxy fonts. Color Specifies a color for new text or changes the color of selected text.
Paragraph Dialog Box Quick Reference See also: ■ Overview of Multiline Text Sets indentation for paragraphs and the first lines of paragraphs. Summary Specifies tab stops, indents, controls paragraph alignment, paragraph spacing, and paragraph line spacing. NOTE Not all of the new options for paragraph and paragraph line spacing are supported in AutoCAD 2007 and previous releases. See MTEXT Paragraph and Paragraph Line Spacing in Previous Releases in the User’s Guide.
List of Options The following options are displayed. Tab Specifies the tab stops and decimal styles to use for the paragraph. Tab Stops Displays tab setting options, including adding and removing tabs. Options include setting left, center, right, and decimal tabs. You can also set tabs from the Tab selection button on the In-Place Editor’s ruler. Decimal style Sets the decimal style based on current user locale. Options include setting the decimal style as period, comma, and space.
Columns Menu Quick Reference See also: ■ Overview of Multiline Text Allows you to format an mtext object into multiple columns. Summary You can specify column and gutter width, height, and number of columns. You can edit column width and height with grip-editing. To create multiple columns you always start with a single column. Depending on the column mode you choose, you have two different methods for creating and manipulating columns – static mode or dynamic mode.
Column Settings Dialog Box Quick Reference See also: ■ Overview of Multiline Text Displays options for setting up columns such as the type, number of columns, height, and width, and gutter size. List of Options The following options are displayed. Column Type Displays choices for the type of columns you want to create. Column Number Sets the number of columns. This is only active when you select Static Columns. Height Displays mtext height when Auto Height with Dynamic or Static Columns is selected.
Width Displays and specifies control column and gutter width values. The gutter value is five times the default mtext text height. Also displays the total width value of the mtext object. Background Mask Dialog Box Quick Reference See also: ■ Overview of Multiline Text Controls using an opaque background behind multiline text. List of Options The following options are displayed. Use Background Mask Puts an opaque background behind the text.
Fill Color Specifies the color for the background. Use Background Drawing Color Provides a background that is the same color as the background of the drawing. Color Specifies a color for the opaque background. You can select one of the colors in the list or click Select Color to open the Color Palette dialog box. Find and Replace Dialog Box - MTEXT Quick Reference See also: ■ Overview of Multiline Text Searches for specified text strings and replaces them with new text.
Replace With Provides a space for you to type the text you want to replace the text you typed in Find What. Find Next Finds the next instance of the text specified in Find What. Replace Finds the next instance of the text specified in Find What and replaces it with the text in Replace With. Replace All Finds all instances of the text specified in Find What and replaces it with the text in Replace With. Match Case Finds only text with uppercase and lowercase characters as specified in Find What.
Summary To open the Stack Properties dialog box, select the stacked text, right-click, and click Stack Properties on the shortcut menu. You can edit the upper and lower text separately. The Appearance options control the stack style, position, and text size of the stacked text. List of Options The following options are displayed. Text Changes the upper and lower numbers of a stacked fraction. Upper Edits the number in the upper part or first half of a stacked fraction.
Fraction (Diagonal) Stacks the selected text with the first number on top of the second number separated by a diagonal line. NOTE Releases of AutoCAD earlier than AutoCAD 2000 do not support diagonal fractions. If a multiline text object contains diagonal fractions, the fractions are converted to horizontal fractions when you save the drawing to pre-AutoCAD 2000 releases. Diagonal fractions are restored when the drawing is re-opened in AutoCAD 2000 or a later release.
AutoStack Properties Dialog Box Quick Reference See also: ■ Overview of Multiline Text Sets the defaults for automatically stacking characters. Access Methods Shortcut menu: Select stacked text in the text editor. Right-click and click Stack Properties on the shortcut menu. In the Stack Properties dialog box, click AutoStack. List of Options The following options are displayed. Enable AutoStacking Automatically stacks numeric characters entered before and after the carat, slash, or pound character.
Convert It to a Horizontal Fraction Converts the slash character to a horizontal fraction when AutoStack is on. NOTE Whether AutoStack is on or off, the pound character is always converted to a diagonal fraction, and the carat character is always converted to a tolerance format. -MTEXT Quick Reference See also: ■ Overview of Multiline Text Creates a multiline text object. List of Prompts The following prompts are displayed. Specify first corner.
height is calculated in drawing units. Changing the height updates the value stored in TEXTSIZE on page 1521. Justify Determines both text justification and text flow, for new or selected text, in relation to the text boundary. The current justification is applied to new text. The text is justified within the specified rectangle based on the justification setting and one of nine justification points on the rectangle. The justification point is based on the first point used to specify the rectangle.
Line Spacing Specifies line spacing for the multiline text object. Line spacing is the vertical distance between the bottom (or baseline) of one line of text and the bottom of the next line of text. NOTE Exact spacing is recommended when you use MTEXT to create a table. Use a smaller text height than the specified line spacing to ensure that text does not overlap. At Least Adjusts lines of text automatically based on the height of the largest character in the line.
Spacing Factor Sets the line spacing to a multiple of single-line spacing. Single spacing is 1.66 times the height of the text characters. You can enter a spacing factor as a number followed by x to indicate a multiple of single spacing. For example, specify single spacing by entering 1x, or specify double spacing by entering 2x. Rotation Specifies the rotation angle of the text boundary. ■ Specify rotation angle.
Dynamic Specifies column width, gutter width and column height. Dynamic columns are text driven. Adjusting columns affect text flow and text flow causes columns to be added or removed. No columns Sets no column mode to current mtext object. The default column setting is stored in the MTEXTCOLUMN system variable. Symbols and Special Characters Quick Reference See also: ■ Overview of Multiline Text You can enter the following special characters and symbols by entering a control code or a Unicode string.
Text symbols and Unicode strings Name Symbol Unicode String Angle \U+2220 Boundary line \U+E100 Centerline \U+2104 Delta \U+0394 Electrical phase \U+0278 Flow line \U+E101 Identity \U+2261 Initial length \U+E200 Monument line \U+E102 Not equal \U+2260 Ohm \U+2126 Omega \U+03A9 Plate/property line \U+214A 696 | Chapter 13 M Commands
Text symbols and Unicode strings Name Symbol Unicode String Subscript 2 \U+2082 Squared \U+00B2 Cubed \U+00B3 These text symbols are available in the following True Type (TTF) and SHX fonts: ■ Simplex* ■ Romans* ■ gdt* ■ amgdt* ■ Isocp ■ Isocp2 ■ Isocp3 ■ Isoct ■ Isoct2 ■ Isoct3 ■ Isocpeur (TTF only)* ■ Isocpeur italic (TTF only) ■ Isocteur (TTF only) ■ Isocteur italic (TTF only) * These fonts also include the Initial Length symbol used for arc length dimensions.
MULTIPLE Quick Reference See also: ■ Enter Commands on the Command Line Repeats the next command until canceled. Summary The command that you enter is repeated until you press Esc. Because MULTIPLE repeats only the command name, any parameters must be specified each time. MULTIPLE does not repeat commands that display dialog boxes. ® NOTE You cannot use MULTIPLE as an argument to the AutoLISP command function.
are visible only in active viewports. Viewports that are not active are blank. Use the On and Off options to control whether viewports are active. List of Prompts The following prompts are displayed. Specify corner of viewportor [ON/OFF/Fit/Shadeplot/Lock/Object/Polygonal/Restore/LAyer/2/3/4]. Corner of Viewport Specifies the first corner of a rectangular viewport. On Makes a selected viewport active. An active viewport displays objects in model space.
All Visual Styles Specifies that a viewport is plotted using the specified visual style. All Render Presets Specifies that a viewport is plotted using the specified render preset. Lock Prevents the zoom scale factor in the selected viewport from being changed when working in model space. Object Specifies a closed polyline, ellipse, spline, region, or circle to convert into a viewport. The polyline you specify must be closed and contain at least three vertices.
Layer Resets layer property overrides for the selected viewport to their global layer properties. ■ Reset Viewport Layer Property Overrides Back To Global Properties. Enter Y to remove all layer property overrides. ■ Select Viewports. 2 Divides the specified area horizontally or vertically into two viewports of equal size. ■ Enter Viewport Arrangement. First Corner Positions and sizes new viewports using the window selection method; the viewports are fit into the selected area.
■ Fit on page 701 4 Divides the specified area horizontally and vertically into four viewports of equal size. ■ First Corner on page 701 ■ Fit on page 701 MVSETUP Quick Reference See also: ■ Create and Modify Layout Viewports Sets up the specifications of a drawing. Summary When you enter mvsetup, the prompts displayed depend on whether you are on the Model layout (model space) or on a named layout (paper space).
MVSETUP on the Model Layout Quick Reference See also: ■ Create and Modify Layout Viewports The Model layout is most useful for plotting multiple views of a drawing within a single border. On the Model layout, you set the units type, drawing scale factor, and paper size at the Command prompt using MVSETUP. Using the settings you provide, a rectangular border is drawn at the grid limits.
MVSETUP on a Named Layout Quick Reference See also: ■ Create and Modify Layout Viewports On a named layout, you can insert one of several predefined title blocks into the drawing and create a set of layout viewports within the title block. You can specify a global scale as the ratio between the scale of the title block in the layout and the drawing on the Model layout. To easily specify all layout page settings and prepare your drawing for plotting, you can also use the Page Setup Manager.
Create Creates viewports. Delete Objects Deletes existing viewports. Create Viewports Displays options for creating viewports. Layout Number to Load Controls creation of viewports. Entering 0 or pressing Enter creates no viewports. Entering 1 creates a single viewport whose size is determined by the following prompts. Entering 2 creates four viewports by dividing a specified area into quadrants. You are prompted for the area to be divided and the distance between the viewports.
Undo Reverses operations performed in the current MVSETUP session. Scale Viewports Adjusts the zoom scale factor of the objects displayed in the viewports. The zoom scale factor is a ratio between the scale of the border in paper space and the scale of the drawing objects displayed in the viewports.
Add Adds title block options to the list. Selecting this option prompts you to enter the title block description to be displayed in the list and the name of a drawing to insert. A line similar to the following example is added after the last entry in the mvsetup.dfs default file: A/E (24 x 18in),arch-b.dwg,(1.12 0.99 0.00),(18.63 17.02 0.00),in The last field of the line specifies whether the title block has been created in inches or in millimeters.
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N Commands 14 NAVVCUBE Quick Reference See also: ■ Use ViewCube Indicates the current viewing direction. Dragging or clicking the ViewCube tool rotates the scene. Access Methods Menu: View ➤ Display ➤ ViewCube ➤ On Toolbar: Status bar ➤ ViewCube Summary Click the ViewCube tool to rotate and fill the window with the entire model or an object selected in the view.
Enter an option [ON/OFF/Settings] : On Displays the ViewCube tool. Off Turns off the display of the ViewCube tool. Settings Displays the ViewCube Settings dialog box on page 710, in which you can control the appearance and location of the ViewCube. ViewCube Settings Dialog Box Quick Reference See also: ■ Use ViewCube Controls the display properties of the ViewCube tool.
List of Options The following options are displayed. Display Location Identifies the corner in a viewport where the ViewCube tool is displayed. (NAVVCUBELOCATION system variable) Size Specifies the size of the ViewCube tool. (NAVVCUBESIZE system variable) Select Automatic to have the size of the ViewCube tool adjust based on the current size of the active viewport, zoom factor of the active layout, or drawing window. Inactive Opacity Controls the opacity of the ViewCube tool when inactive.
Keep Scene Upright Specifies whether the viewpoint of the model can be turned upside-down. Restore Defaults Applies the default settings for the ViewCube tool. NEW Quick Reference See also: ■ Overview of Starting a New Drawing Creates a new drawing. Access Methods Menu: File ➤ New Summary If the FILEDIA system variable is set to 0 instead of 1, a Command prompt is displayed.
List of Prompts The following prompts are displayed. Enter template file name or [. (for none)] : Enter a name, enter a period (.
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O Commands 15 OBJECTSCALE Quick Reference See also: ■ Set Annotation Scale Adds or deletes supported scales for annotative objects. Access Methods Button Menu: Modify ➤ Annotative Object Scale ➤ Add/Delete Scales Toolbar: Annotation tool set ➤ Annotation Scaing tool group ➤ Add/Delete Scales Shortcut menu: Select an annotative object. Right-click in the drawing area and click Annotative Object Scale ➤ Add/Delete Scales.
Summary An annotative object can support several annotation scales for views at different scales. You can add or delete scales from the list of scales assigned to the selected annotative objects. If you enter objectscale, you are prompted to select annotative objects. The Annotation Object Scale List dialog box on page 716 is displayed. If you enter -objectscale at the Command prompt, options are displayed on page 718.
Object Scale List Displays the list of scales supported by the selected object. List all scales for selected objects Specifies that all scales supported by the selected objects are displayed in the Object Scale List. List scales common to all selected objects only Specifies that only the supported scales that are common to all selected objects are displayed in the Object Scale List. Add (+) Displays the Add Scales to Object Dialog Box on page 717. Delete (-) Removes the selected scale from the scale list.
List of Options The following option is displayed. Scale List Displays the list of scales that can be added to the selected annotative object. Multiple scales can be selected by holding down the Shift or Command key while selecting the scales. Use the SCALELISTEDIT on page 913 command to add custom scales to this list. -OBJECTSCALE Quick Reference See also: ■ Scale Views in Layout Viewports List of Prompts The following prompts are displayed.
Select annotative objects: Use an object selection method Enter an option [Add on page 719/Delete on page 719/? on page 719] : Enter a or d or press Enter Add Adds an annotation scale to the selected objects. When created, an annotative object supports one annotation scale: the current annotation scale. However, an annotative object can be updated to support additional annotation scales for views at different scales. ■ Enter named scale to add.
Access Methods Button Toolbar: Drafting tool set ➤ Copy tool group ➤ Offset Menu: Modify ➤ Offset Summary You can offset an object at a specified distance or through a point. After you offset objects, you can trim and extend them as an efficient method to create drawings containing many parallel lines and curves. The OFFSET command repeats for convenience. To exit the command, press Enter. List of Prompts The following prompts are displayed.
Exit Exits the OFFSET command. Multiple Enters the Multiple offset mode, which repeats the offset operation using the current offset distance. Undo Reverses the previous offset. Through Creates an object passing through a specified point. NOTE For best results when you offset a polyline with corners, specify the through point near the midpoint of a line segment, not near a corner. ■ Exit on page 721 ■ Multiple on page 721 ■ Undo on page 721 Erase Erases the source object after it is offset.
OOPS Quick Reference See also: ■ Erase Objects Restores erased objects. Summary OOPS restores objects erased by the last ERASE command. You can also use OOPS after BLOCK or WBLOCK because these commands can erase the selected objects after creating a block. You cannot use OOPS to restore objects on a layer that has been removed with the PURGE command. OPEN Quick Reference See also: ■ Open a Drawing Opens an existing drawing file.
Summary The Select File dialog box (a standard file selection dialog box) is displayed. When FILEDIA is set to 0 (zero), OPEN displays a Command prompt. Standard File Selection Dialog Boxes Quick Reference See also: ■ Save a Drawing Several commands display standard file selection dialog boxes, in which you can navigate through the files and folders on a local and network drive. While each dialog box may vary slightly, the following is a list of common options.
List of Options The following options are displayed. Task Pane Provides quick access to categories that represent locations files might be stored in; devices, shared and predefined places, and media. You can reorder the items under a category by dragging them to a new position. To add a new item to Places, drag a folder from the list. Changes to Places affect all standard file selection dialog boxes. Devices Lists the local storage devices attached to your computer.
Places Lists a number of predefined, user added, or Smart folders that are dependent on your user profile. Documents Displays the contents of the Documents folder for the current user profile. Desktop Displays the contents of your desktop. Search For Lists the files that you most recently searched for. Media Lists folders related to media located on your computer, such as photos or movies. Back Returns to the previous file location. Forward Returns you to the file location before Back was clicked.
Search Allows you to search for a file or folder located on the computer using Spotlight. Search results can be saved as Smart folders under Places in the Task Pane. Files List Displays the files and folders in the current place. Use the Views buttons to control navigation behavior, and how files and folders are listed. File Format When you are opening or saving files, File Format specifies the format of the files you can select for open or in which the file is saved.
Enter name of drawing to open: Enter ~ (tilde) at the prompt to ignore FILEDIA and display the Select File dialog box, a standard file selection dialog box. OPTIONS Quick Reference See also: ■ Set Up the Drawing Area Customizes the program settings. Access Methods Menu: AutoCAD for Mac ➤ Preferences Shortcut menu: With no commands active and no objects selected, right-click in the drawing area. Click Preferences. Summary The Application Preferences dialog box is displayed.
■ Cursor & Selection on page 730 ■ Units & Guides on page 732 ■ Look & Feel on page 734 ■ Application on page 736 ■ Document Settings on page 741 General Tab (Application Preferences Dialog Box) See also: ■ Set Up the Drawing Area Controls the behavior of program features. List of Options The following options are displayed. Mouse & Trackpad Customization Controls the behavior of the mouse or trackpad. Enable Quick Secondary Click as Return Key Controls right-click behavior.
Reverse Zoom Direction Toggles the direction of transparent zoom operations when you scroll the middle mouse wheel. (ZOOMWHEEL on page 1595 system variable) Spacebar Customization Controls the behavior of the spacebar when pressed or held. Enable Spacebar Hold to Pan Toggles if you can hold down the Spacebar to enable panning. (SPACEPAN on page 1496 system variable) File Save Precautions Assists in avoiding data loss. Automatic Save Saves your drawing automatically at the intervals you specify.
Cursor & Selection Tab (Application Preferences Dialog Box) See also: ■ Set Up the Drawing Area Controls the appearance and behavior of the cursor and selection. List of Options The following options are displayed. Selection Modes Controls the selection of objects in the drawing area. Use Shift Key to Add to Selection Controls whether subsequent selections replace the current selection set or add to it. To clear a selection set quickly, draw a selection window in a blank area of the drawing.
Crosshair Color Controls the color of the crosshair, ObjectSnap aperture, and pickbox in the drawing area. Automatic is the default color. When set to Automatic, the actual color applied changes between white and black based on the background color of the drawing area. Crosshair Lines Length Determines the size of the crosshairs as a percentage of the screen size. Valid settings range from 1 to 100 percent. When set to 100, the crosshairs are full-screen and the ends of the crosshairs are never visible.
Enable Grips Tips Controls the display of grip tips and Ctrl-cycling tooltips. This option has no effect on standard objects. (GRIPTIPS system variable) Limit Grip Display To N Selected Objects Suppresses the display of grips when the selection set includes more than the specified number of objects. The valid range is 1 to 32,767. The default setting is 100. (GRIPOBJLIMIT system variable) Grip Size Sets the size of the grip box in pixels.
List of Options The following options are displayed. Insertion Scale Controls the default scale for inserting blocks and drawings into a drawing. Source Content Units Sets source content units value when INSUNITS is set to 0. If Unspecified-Unitless is selected, the object is not scaled when inserted. (INSUNITSDEFSOURCE system variable) Target Drawing Units Sets target drawing units value when INSUNITS is set to 0.
Display AutoTrack Tooltip Controls the display of the AutoSnap marker, tooltip, and magnet. (AUTOSNAP system variable) Drawing Scale Defines the default scales used by the program. Default Scales List Displays the Default Scale List dialog box. Use this dialog box to manage the default list of scales displayed in several dialog boxes associated with layout viewports and printing. You can delete all custom scales and restore the default list of scales. Fields Sets preferences related to fields.
List of Options The following options are displayed. Interface Theme Defines the color scheme for the user interface. Themes Controls which theme to apply to elements such as the status bar, palettes, and the drawing windows. You can choose from a Dark or Light theme. Tooltip Appearance Controls the appearance of drafting tooltips. Size Specifies a size for tooltips. The default size is 0. Use the slider to make tooltips larger or smaller. Transparency Controls the transparency of tooltips.
■ 3D Model Space - Display the ViewCube tool when a 3D visual style is current. ViewCube Settings Displays the ViewCube Settings dialog box on page 710. Fade Controls Controls the fading intensity value for annotative objects and xrefs. Annotative Objects Specifies the fading intensity value for objects during in-place reference editing. Objects that are not being edited are displayed at a lesser intensity.
List of Options The following options are displayed. Support File Search Path Specifies the folders in which the program should look for text fonts, customization files, plug-ins, drawings to insert, linetypes, and hatch patterns that are not in the current folder. Working Support File Search Path Displays the active directories that the program searches for support files specific to your system.
Main Customization File Specifies the default location of the main customization file (acad.cui). Custom Icon Location Specifies the location for custom icons referenced by your customization files. Command Aliases Specifies the location of the PGP file that should be loaded when AutoCAD for Mac is started. Help and Miscellaneous File Names Specifies the names and locations of various types of files. Help File Specifies the location of the local Help file.
PostScript Prolog Section Name Present for legacy reasons only. Autodesk has dropped active support of PostScript and the PSIN, PSOUT, and PSPROLOG commands. Printer Support File Path Specifies search path settings for printer support files. Print Spooler File Location Specifies the path for print spool files. Printer Configuration Search Path Specifies the path for printer configuration files. Printer Description File Search Path Specifies the path for files with a .
Temporary Drawing File Location Specifies the location to store temporary files. This program creates temporary files and then deletes them when you exit the program. If you plan to run the program from a write-protected folder (for example, if you are working on a network or opening files from a CD), specify an alternate location for your temporary files. The folder you specify must not be write-protected. A character limit of 255 for the combined file name and path length of temporary files is used.
Document Settings Tab (Application Preferences Dialog Box) See also: ■ Set Up the Drawing Area Controls the display settings for a drawing. List of Options The following options are displayed. 2D Display Resolution Controls the display of 2D objects. Polyline Curve Segments Sets the number of line segments to be generated for each spline-fit polyline generated by the Spline option of the PEDIT command.
Smoothness for 3D Printing and Rendering Adjusts the smoothness of shaded and rendered objects and objects with hidden lines removed. (FACETRES system variable) Select Alternate Font Dialog Box Quick Reference See also: ■ Specify Application Fonts Specifies the location of the font file to use if the original font cannot be located and an alternate font is not specified in the font mapping file.
List of Options The following options are displayed. Font Name Lists the font family name for all registered TrueType fonts and all SHX fonts in the Fonts folder. Font Style Specifies font character formatting, such as italic, bold, or regular. If the missing font is a Big Font, this option changes to Big Font and lists all available Asian-language Big Font files.
Add Creates a new scale in the scale list. Press Tab to move between the fields of the scale being edited. Delete Removes the selected scale from the scale list. Options Manages items in the scale list. Edit Edits the selected scale in-place in the scale list. Press Tab to move between the fields of the scale being edited. Reset Deletes all custom scales and restores the default list of scales defined in AutoCAD for Mac.
Ortho mode is used when you specify an angle or distance by means of two points using a pointing device. In Ortho mode, cursor movement is constrained to the horizontal or vertical direction relative to the UCS. Horizontal is defined as being parallel to the X axis of the UCS and vertical as being parallel to the Y axis. In a 3D view, ORTHO is additionally defined as being parallel to the Z axis of the UCS, and the tooltip displays +Z or -Z for the angle depending on the direction along the Z axis.
List of Prompts The following prompts are displayed. Current osnap modes: current Enter list of object snap modes on page 746: Enter names of object snap modes separated with commas, or enter none or off Object Snap Modes Specify one or more object snap modes by entering the first three characters of the name. If you enter more than one name, separate the names with commas.
P Commands 16 PAGESETUP Quick Reference See also: ■ Specify Page Setup Settings Controls the page layout, plotting device, paper size, and other settings for each new layout. Access Methods Menu: File ➤ Page Setup Manager Toolbar: Status bar ➤ Quick View. In the Quick View dialog box, right-click a layout and click Page Setup. Summary The Page Setup Manager is displayed. A page setup is a collection of plot device and other settings that determine the appearance and format of your final output.
Page Setup Manager Quick Reference See also: ■ Specify Page Setup Settings Specifies the page setup for the current layout. Summary You can also create named page setups, modify existing ones, or import page setups from other drawings. List of Options The following options are displayed.
Current Layout Lists the current layout to which the page setup will be applied. Page Setups Displays the current page setup, sets a different page setup as current, creates a new page setup, modifies an existing page setup, and imports page setups from other drawings. Page Setup List Lists the page setups that are available to apply to the current layout. The list includes the named page setups and layouts that are available in the drawing.
Displays the Select Page Setup From File dialog box (a standard file selection dialog box), in which you can select a drawing format (DWG), DWT, or ™ drawing interchange format (DXF) file from which to import one or more page setups. If you select DWT as the file type, the Template folder opens automatically in the Select Page Setup From File dialog box. When you click Open, the Import Page Setups dialog box is displayed. Details Displays information about the selected page setup.
List of Options The following options are displayed. New Page Setup Name Specifies the name for the new page setup. Start With Specifies a page setup to use as a starting point for the new page setup. When you click OK, the Page Setup dialog box is displayed with the settings of the selected page setup, which you can modify as necessary. Specifies that the default output device is set as the printer in the new page setup.
Summary The Page Setup dialog box is displayed in the following cases: ■ When you create a new page setup through the Page Setup Manager ■ When you modify an existing page setup through the Page Setup Manager ■ When you modify an existing page setup through the Print dialog box The page setup settings that you specify are stored with the layout and can be applied to other layouts or imported into other drawings. List of Options The following options are displayed.
Page Setup Name Displays the name of the current page setup. Printer/Plotter Specifies a configured output device to use when printing layouts. Printer Lists the available system printers from which you can select to print the current layout. Where Displays the physical location of the output device specified in the currently selected page setup. Description Displays descriptive text about the output device specified in the currently selected page setup.
Click the Window button to use the pointing device to specify the two corners of the area to be plotted, or enter coordinate values. Orientation Specifies the orientation of the drawing on the paper for plotters that support landscape or portrait orientation. Portrait Orients and plots the drawing so that the short edge of the paper represents the top of the page. Landscape Orients and plots the drawing so that the long edge of the paper represents the top of the page.
Specifies the number of units equal to the specified number of inches or millimeters. Scale Lineweights Scales lineweights in proportion to the plot scale. Lineweights normally specify the linewidth of output objects and are output with the linewidth size regardless of the scale. Advacned Displays the Page Setup - Advanced dialog box on page 757 which allows you to edit additional output options.
Summary List of Options The following options are displayed. Source Drawing Displays the source drawing that contains the listed page setups that are available to import. Page Setups Lists the page setups that are available to import and their location in the source drawing. Selected page setups are imported into the current drawing when you click OK. Name Specifies the name of the page setup available to import.
Device Name Displays the name of the plot device specified in the currently selected page setup. Printer Displays the type of output device specified in the currently selected page setup. Page Size Displays the paper size and orientation specified in the currently selected page setup. Where Displays the physical location of the output device specified in the currently selected page setup. Description Displays descriptive text about the output device specified in the currently selected page setup.
Summary The Page Setup - Advanced dialog box is displayed and allows you to modify advanced settings for a page setup. List of Options The following options are displayed. Plot Style Table (Pen Assignments) Sets the plot style table. Name Displays a list of availabe plot style tables. Print with Plot Styles Specifies whether plot styles applied to objects and layers are printed. Display Plot Styles Controls whether the properties of plot styles assigned to objects are displayed on the screen.
Plot Offset Specifies an offset of the plot area relative to the lower-left corner of the printable area or to the edge of the paper, depending on the value of the PLOTOFFSET on page 1446 system varaibale. The Plot Offset area of the Page Setup dialog box displays the specified plot offset option in parentheses. The printable area of a drawing sheet is defined by the selected output device and is represented by a dashed line in a layout.
■ Hidden: Plots objects with the Hidden visual style applied regardless of the way the objects are displayed on the screen. ■ Realistic: Plots objects with the Realistic visual style applied regardless of the way the objects are displayed on the screen. ■ Shaded: Plots objects with Shaded visual style applied regardless of the way the objects are displayed on the screen.
DPI Specifies the dots per inch for shaded and rendered views, up to the maximum resolution of the current plotting device. Plot Stamp Controls the placement of a plot stamp on each layout and/or logs it to a file. Plot stamp settings are specified in the Plot Stamp Settings dialog box on page 803, in which you can specify the information that you want applied to the plot stamp, such as drawing name, date and time, plot scale, and so on. Include Plot Stamp Turns on plot stamping for the layout.
Orients and prints the drawing upside-down. Sharing Allows you to import settings from a PC3 file. Import Device Settings From Enables importing of settings from a PC3 file. PC3 Files List Lists the avilable PC3 files that you can select from to import print settings file. The program looks in the location specified by the value in Printer Suppoprt File Path ➤ Printer Configuration Search Path under Application in the the Application Preferences dialog box on page 727.
the palette bar. Use the PALETTEICONOFF on page 763 command to return to palette state. PALETTEICONOFF Quick Reference See also: ■ Specify the Behavior of Palettes Restores the display of all palettes collapsed by PALETTEICONON. Access Methods Toolbar: On a palette, in the upper-right corner, click the Collapse as Icons/Show as Palettes button Shortcut menu: Right-click the palette bar and choose Show as Palettes PAN Quick Reference See also: ■ Pan or Zoom a View Moves the view planar to the screen.
Summary You can pan the drawing display in real time. List of Prompts The following prompts are displayed. Press Esc or Enter to exit, or right-click to display a shortcut menu. If you enter -pan at the Command prompt, PAN displays command prompts, and you can specify a displacement to pan the drawing display. Position the cursor at the start location and press the mouse button down. Drag the cursor to the new location.
When you release the pick button, panning stops. You can release the pick button, move the cursor to another location in the drawing, and then press the pick button again to pan the display from that location. To stop panning at any time, press Enter or Esc. -PAN Quick Reference See also: ■ Pan or Zoom a View Moves the view planar to the screen by specifying a distance and direction the view should be moveed in. List of Prompts The following prompts are displayed.
You cannot use PAN transparently during VPOINT or DVIEW, or while another ZOOM, PAN, or VIEW command is in progress. Pan Shortcut Menu Quick Reference See also: ■ Pan or Zoom a View Pan and Zoom shortcut menu allows for switching between navigation tools and cancelling the current navigation tool. To access the Pan shortcut menu, right-click in the drawing area while PAN is active. List of Options The following options are displayed. Exit Cancels PAN or ZOOM. Pan Switches to PAN.
Controls the associative parameters used in the drawing. List of Prompts The following prompts are displayed. Enter a parameter option [New/Edit/Rename/Delete/? — List Parameters ]: NOTE You cannot use the -PARAMETERS command in the Block Editor on page 127. New Creates a user variable. Edit Edits the expression of the specified user variable. Rename Renames the user variable. Delete Removes the user variable from the list. ? — List Parameters Lists available user variables in the drawing.
When you copy objects to the Clipboard, information is stored in all available formats. When you paste the Clipboard contents into a drawing, the format that retains the most information is used. You can also use Copy and Paste to transfer objects between drawings. NOTE If the cursor is in the drawing area, PASTECLIP behaves as described. If the cursor is at the Command prompt, text from the Clipboard is pasted at the current prompt.
Do you want it to turn into one? : Enter y or n, or press Enter If you enter y, the object is converted into a single-segment 2D polyline that you can edit. You can use this operation to join lines and arcs into a polyline. Before the selected spline is converted to a polyline, the following prompt is displayed: Specify a precision <10>: Enter a new precision value or press Enter The precision value determines how accurately the resulting polyline is to fit to the source spline.
2D Polyline Selection (PEDIT) Quick Reference If you select a 2D polyline, the following prompt is displayed: List of Prompts The following prompts are displayed. Enter an option [Close/Join/Width/Edit vertex/Fit/Spline/Decurve/Ltype gen/Reverse/Undo]: Enter an option or press Enter to end the command NOTE You can select a single arc or line segment, also called a subobject, within a polyline by pressing the Ctrl key when you click over it.
Add Joins the selected polylines by adding a straight segment between the nearest endpoints. Both Joins the selected polylines by extending or trimming if possible. Otherwise joins the selected polylines by adding a straight segment between the nearest endpoints. Width Specifies a new uniform width for the entire polyline. You can use the Width option of the Edit Vertex option to change the starting and ending widths of a segment.
If one of the specified vertices is at an end of the polyline, the result is one truncated polyline. If both specified vertices are at endpoints of the polyline, or if just one vertex is specified and it is at an endpoint, you cannot use Break. ■ Next on page 771 ■ Previous on page 771 Go Deletes any segments and vertices between the two vertices you specify and returns to Edit Vertex mode. Exit Exits Break and returns to Edit Vertex mode.
Straighten Saves the location of the marked vertex while you move the X marker to any other vertex. If you want to remove an arc segment that connects two straight segments of a polyline and then extend the straight segments until they intersect, use the FILLET command with a fillet radius of 0. Next Moves the X marker to the next vertex. Previous Moves the X marker to the previous vertex.
Exit Exits Edit Vertex mode. Fit Creates an arc-fit polyline, a smooth curve consisting of arcs joining each pair of vertices. The curve passes through all vertices of the polyline and uses any tangent direction you specify. Spline Uses the vertices of the selected polyline as the control points, or frame, of a curve approximating a B-spline. This curve, called a spline-fit polyline, passes through the first and last control points unless the original polyline was closed.
When a spline-fit curve is fit to a polyline, the spline-fit curve's frame is stored so that it can be recalled by a subsequent decurving. You can turn a spline-fit curve back into its frame polyline by using the PEDIT Decurve option. This option works on fit curves in the same manner as it does on splines. Most editing commands act the same when applied to spline-fit polylines or fit curves.
The SPLINETYPE system variable controls the type of spline curve approximated. Setting SPLINETYPE to 5 approximates a quadratic B-spline. Setting SPLINETYPE to 6 approximates a cubic B-spline. You can examine or change the fineness or coarseness of the spline ® approximation with the SPLINESEGS system variable, or you can use AutoLISP . The default value is 8. If you set the value higher, a greater number of line segments are drawn and the approximation to the ideal spline becomes more precise.
Reverse Reverses the order of vertices of the polyline. Use this option to reverse the direction of objects that use linetypes with included text. For example, depending on the direction in which a polyline was created, the text in the linetype might be displayed upside down. Undo Reverses operations as far back as the beginning of the PEDIT session.
Edit Vertex Performs various editing tasks on one vertex of the polyline and segments that follow it. Next Moves the X marker to the next vertex. The marker does not wrap around from the end to the start of the polyline, even if the polyline is closed. Previous Moves the X marker to the previous vertex. The marker does not wrap around from the start to the end of the polyline, even if the polyline is closed. Break Saves the location of the marked vertex while you move the X marker to any other vertex.
mode. If you specify only one vertex by entering go without moving the X marker, the segment following that vertex is made straight if it is an arc. Exit Exits Straighten and returns to Edit Vertex mode. To remove an arc segment that connects two straight segments of a polyline and then to extend the straight segments until they intersect, use the FILLET command with a fillet radius of 0. Exit Exits Edit Vertex mode. Spline Curve Fits a 3D B-spline curve to its control points.
3D Polygon Mesh Selection (PEDIT) Quick Reference If you select a polygon mesh, the following prompt is displayed: List of Prompts The following prompts are displayed. Enter an option [Edit vertex/Smooth surface/Desmooth/Mclose/Nclose/Undo]: Enter an option or press Enter to end the command Mclose and Nclose are replaced by Mopen and Nopen if the polygon mesh is currently closed in the M or N direction.
Up Moves the X marker to the next vertex in the M direction. The marker does not wrap around from the end to the start of the mesh, even if the mesh is closed. Down Moves the X marker to the previous vertex in the M direction. The marker does not wrap around from the start to the end of the mesh, even if the mesh is closed. Move Repositions the vertex and moves the editing mark. Regen Regenerates the polygon mesh. Exit Exits Edit Vertex mode. Smooth Surface Fits a smooth surface.
Nopen Opens the N-direction polylines if the polygon mesh is closed in the N direction. Undo Reverses operations as far back as the beginning of the PEDIT session. PFACE Quick Reference See also: ■ Create Custom Mesh (Legacy) Creates a 3D polyface mesh vertex by vertex. List of Prompts The following prompts are displayed.
To make an edge invisible, you can enter a negative vertex number for the beginning vertex of the edge. You can create polygons with any number of edges. PFACE automatically breaks them into multiple face objects with the appropriate invisible edges. Faces with one or two vertices behave like point or line objects without the special properties of Point Display modes or linetypes. You can use them to embed wireframe images within a mesh.
List of Options The following options are displayed. Current UCS Regenerates a plan view of the display so that the drawing extents fit in the current viewport of the current UCS. UCS Changes to a plan view of a previously saved UCS and regenerates the display.
World Regenerates a plan view of the display so that the drawing extents fit on the screen of the world coordinate system. PLANESURF Quick Reference See also: ■ Overview of Creating Surfaces ■ Convert Objects to Procedural Surfaces Creates a planar surface.
of the surface through the command, the surface is created parallel to the workplane. The SURFU and SURFV system variables control the number of lines displayed on the surface. List of Prompts The following prompts are displayed. Specify first corner or [Object]: Specify the first point for the planar surface Specify other corner: Specify second point (other corner) for the planar surface Object Creates a planar or trimmed surface by object selection.
Menu: Draw ➤ Polyline Summary A 2D polyline is a connected sequence of segments created as a single planar object. You can create straight line segments, arc segments, or a combination of the two. NOTE At least two points must be specified to use the Close option. The PLINEGEN system variable controls the linetype pattern display around and the smoothness of the vertices of a 2D polyline. Setting PLINEGEN to 1 generates new polylines in a continuous pattern around the vertices of the completed polyline.
Endpoint of Arc Draws an arc segment. The arc segment is tangent to the previous segment of the polyline. The previous prompt is repeated. Angle Specifies the included angle of the arc segment from the start point. Specify included angle: Entering a positive number creates counterclockwise arc segments. Entering a negative number creates clockwise arc segments. Specify endpoint of arc or [Center/Radius]: Specify a point or enter an option Endpoint of Arc Specifies the endpoint and draws the arc segment.
Endpoint of Arc Specifies the endpoint and draws the arc segment. Angle Specifies the included angle of the arc segment from the start point. Specify included angle: Length Specifies the chord length of the arc segment. If the previous segment is an arc, the new arc segment is drawn tangent to the previous arc segment. Specify length of chord: Close Draws an arc segment from the last point specified to the starting point, creating a closed polyline. At least two points must be specified to use this option.
The starting half-width becomes the default ending half-width. The ending half-width becomes the uniform half-width for all subsequent segments until you change the half-width again. The starting and ending points of wide line segments are at the center of the line. Typically, the intersections of adjacent wide polyline segments are beveled. No beveling is performed for nontangent arc segments or very acute angles or when a dot-dash linetype is used.
Undo Removes the most recent arc segment added to the polyline. Width Specifies the width of the next arc segment. Specify starting width : Enter a value or press ENTER Specify ending width : Enter a value or press ENTER The starting width becomes the default ending width. The ending width becomes the uniform width for all subsequent segments until you change the width again. The starting and ending points of wide line segments are at the center of the line.
Specify starting half-width : Enter a value or press ENTER Specify ending half-width : Enter a value or press ENTER The starting half-width becomes the default ending half-width. The ending half-width becomes the uniform half-width for all subsequent segments until you change the half-width again. The starting and ending points of wide line segments are at the center of the line. Typically, the intersections of adjacent wide polyline segments are beveled.
The starting width becomes the default ending width. The ending width becomes the uniform width for all subsequent segments until you change the width again. The starting and ending points of wide line segments are at the center of the line. Typically, the intersections of adjacent wide polyline segments are beveled. No beveling is performed for nontangent arc segments or very acute angles or when a dot-dash linetype is used.
Print Dialog Box Quick Reference See also: ■ Overview of Plotting Specifies device and media settings, and plots your drawing. Summary You can display more options by clicking the Show Advanced Settings button to the right of the Printer drop-down list. Printing is done by default for a single layout. If you want to print more than one layout at a time, use the QuickView dialog box on page 859 and select the layouts to print. After selecting the layouts, right-click and choose Print.
If the selected output device does not support the layout's selected paper size, a warning is displayed and you can select the device's default paper size or a custom paper size. Click the disclosure triangle to the right of the Printer drop-down list to expand the Print dialog box. When the dialog box is expanded, additional settings are available that allow you to control the printing of the layout. Presets Specifies the named print preset to use for printing the current layout.
Orientation Specifies the orientation of the drawing on the paper for plotters that support landscape or portrait orientation. The paper icon represents the media orientation of the selected paper. The letter icon represents the orientation of the drawing on the page. NOTE Drawing orientation is also affected by the PLOTROTMODE system variable. Print Options Specifies which advanced print settings should be used for printing. Select AutoCAD to use the page setup assigned to the layout.
Outputs any portion of the drawing that you specify. When you specify the two corners of the area to output, the Window button becomes available. Click the Window button to use the pointing device to specify the two corners of the area to be outputted, or enter coordinate values. Scale Controls the relative size of drawing units to plotted units. NOTE If the Layout option is specified in What to Print, the layout is plotted at 1:1 regardless of the setting specified in Scale.
List of Options - Multiple Layouts The following options are available when printing multiple layouts from the QuickView dialog box. Print Options Specifies which advanced print settings should be used for printing. Select AutoCAD to use the page setup assigned to the layout. See the Mac Help documentation for information on the other options. Page Setup Allows you to use the assigned page setup for each layout or to assign a page setup override from the page setups stored in the drawing.
Plots a drawing to a plotter, printer, or file in the command line. If you enter -plot at the Command prompt, the following prompts are displayed. List of Prompts The following prompts are displayed. Detailed plot configuration [Yes on page 799/No on page 799] : Enter y or n or press ENTER No Indicates that you do not want a detailed plot configuration for this plot.
The Enter Paper Units prompt is not displayed if you are plotting a raster image, such as a BMP or TIFF file, because the size of the plot is assumed to be in pixels. Enter drawing orientation [Portrait/Landscape] : Portrait Orients and plots the drawing so that the short edge of the paper represents the top of the page. Landscape Orients and plots the drawing so that the long edge of the paper represents the top of the page.
Plotted Inches = Drawing Units Calculates the plot scale based on the inches or millimeters to drawing units that you specify. You can also enter a real number as a fraction (for example, you can enter 1=2 or .5). Fit Calculates the scale to fit the area on the sheet of paper. The default scale setting is 1:1 when you are plotting a layout, unless you modified and saved the setting. The default setting is Fit when plotting a Model tab.
Visual Styles Plots a model space view with the specified visual style applied regardless of the current display in the viewport. If you specify Visual Styles, the following prompt is displayed: Enter an option [Wireframe/Hidden/Realistic/Conceptual/Shaded/shaded with Edges/shades of Gray/SKetchy/X-ray/Other] : These options are the same as the options in VSCURRENT on page 1126. Rendered Specifies that model space view plots are rendered regardless of display.
PLOTSTAMP Quick Reference See also: ■ Set Options for Plotted Objects Places a plot stamp on a specified corner of each drawing and logs it to a file. Summary The Plot Stamp Settings dialog box is displayed. If you enter -plotstamp at the Command prompt, options are displayed. Plot Stamp Settings Dialog Box Quick Reference See also: ■ Set Options for Plotted Objects Specifies the information for the plot stamp.
List of Options The following options are displayed. AutoCAD Fields Specifies the drawing information you want applied to the plot stamp. The selected fields are separated by commas and a space. Drawing Name Includes the drawing name and path in the plot stamp information.
Includes the name of the layout in the plot stamp information. Date and Time Includes the date and time in the plot stamp information. NOTE A plot stamp uses the current date and time format setting of the operating system. Plot stamp specifically uses the short date style for dates. Login Name Includes the user login name in the plot stamp information. The user login name is contained in the LOGINNAME system variable. Device Name Includes the current plotting device name in the plot stamp information.
Specifies the location of the plot stamp parameter file. Load Displays the Plotstamp Parameter File Name dialog box (a standard file selection dialog box) in which you can specify the location of the parameter file you want to use. Save As Saves the current plot stamp settings in a new parameter file. Show/Hide Advanced Settings Expands or collapses the Advanced Settings section towhich contains placement and text options for the plot stamp.
specify. If you specify Offset Relative to Paper Border, the offset value is calculated so that the plot stamp information fits within the designated paper size. If the offset value positions the plot stamp information beyond the printable area, the plot stamp text is cut off. Offset Relative to Printable Area Calculates the offset values that you specify from the corner of the printable area of the paper (not the corner of the paper).
Writes the plot stamp information to a log file. The default log file is plot.log, and it is located in the main application folder. You can specify a different file name and path. After the initial plot.log file is created, the plot stamp information in each succeeding plotted drawing is added to this file. Each drawing's plot stamp information is a single line of text. The plot stamp log file can be placed on a network drive and shared by multiple users.
Adds an editable user-defined field. Delete (-) Deletes the selected user-defined field. -PLOTSTAMP Quick Reference See also: ■ Set Options for Plotted Objects Places a plot stamp on a specified corner of each drawing and logs it to a file. If you enter -plotstamp at the Command prompt, the following prompts are displayed. The settings in the PSS file are displayed as defaults for each prompt. You can use -PLOTSTAMP as part of a plotting script to modify plot stamp information for a drawing.
User Fields Specifies the user-defined fields you want to apply to the current plot stamp. Enter User field 1 <>: Enter any user-defined field Enter User field 2 <>: Enter any user-defined field Log File Specifies writing the current plot stamp information to a log file rather than applying this information to the current plotted drawing. The default log file is plot.log, unless you specify another file path. Write plot stamp to log file? [Yes/No] : Enter log file path
the text to two lines. The placement and offset values you specify for this plot stamp must accommodate the text wrapping and the text height. Enter font name <>: Enter a font name Enter text height <0.1500>: Enter a value Place plot stamp on single line? [Yes/No] : Units Specifies the units used to measure X offset, Y offset, and height. You can define units using inches, millimeters, or pixels.
-PLOTSTYLE Quick Reference See also: ■ Use Plot Styles to Control Plotted Objects Lists all available plotstyles in the current drawing and to set a plotstyle current. List of Prompts The following prompts are displayed. Current plot style is "current" Enter an option [?/Current]: ?—List Plot Styles Lists the plot styles in the attached plot style table. Current Specifies the plot style to use for new objects.
A Portable Network Graphics file is created that contains the objects you select. The file reflects what is displayed on the screen. Light glyphs that are displayed in the drawing appear in the new file, even if the Plot Glyph property of the lights is set to No. NOTE When the FILEDIA system variable is set to 0 (Off), prompts are displayed at the Command prompt. POINT Quick Reference See also: ■ Draw Reference Points Creates a point object.
Specifying the value 32, 64, or 96 selects a shape to draw around the point, in addition to the figure drawn through it: PDSIZE controls the size of the point figures, except for PDMODE values 0 and 1. A setting of 0 generates the point at 5 percent of the drawing area height. A positive PDSIZE value specifies an absolute size for the point figures. A negative value is interpreted as a percentage of the viewport size.
POINTLIGHT Quick Reference See also: ■ Use Point Lights Creates a point light that radiates light in all directions from its location. Access Methods Button Toolbar: Modeling tool set ➤ Lights tool group ➤ Point Light Menu: View ➤ Render ➤ Light ➤ New Point Light Summary Use point lights for general lighting effects. List of Prompts The following prompts are displayed.
NOTE When the LIGHTINGUNITS system variable is set to 1 or 2, the Attenuation option has no affect on the creation of the light. It is only maintained for scripting compatibility. Name Specifies the name of the light. You can use uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers, spaces, hyphens (-), and underscores (_) in the name. The maximum length is 256 characters. Enter light name: Intensity/Intensity Factor Sets the intensity or brightness of the light. The range is 0.
Enter f to specify the perceived power in a luminous flux value. Enter Flux (Lm) <18849.5556>: If you enter i, you can specify the intensity of the light based on an illuminance value. Enter Illuminance ("Lx"|"Fc") or enter an option [Distance] <1500.0000>: The illuminance value can be specified in either lux or foot-candles. Enter d to specify a distance to use to calculate illuminance. Enter Distance <1.
Specify the shape of the shadow by entering s and then the dimensions of the shape. (For example, the radius of the sphere or the length and width of a rectangle.) Enter shape [Linear, Disk, Rect, Sphere,Cylinder] : Specify the sample size by entering a. Enter Shadow Sample <16.0000>: Specify the visibility of the shape by for the shadow by entering v.
Color/Filter Color Controls the color of the light. Enter true color (R,G,B) or enter an option [Index color/Hsl/colorBook]<255,255,255>: True Color Specifies a True Color. Enter in the format R,G,B (red, green, blue). Index Specifies an ACI (AutoCAD Color Index) color. Enter color name or number (1-255): HSL Specifies an HSL (hue, saturation, luminance) color. Enter HSL color (H,S,L) <0,0,100>: Color Book Specifies a color from a color book. Enter Color Book name: Exit Exits the command.
List of Prompts The following prompts are displayed. Enter number of sides : Enter a value between 3 and 1024 or press Enter Specify center of polygon on page 820 or [Edge on page 821]: Specify a point (1) or enter e Center of Polygon Defines the center of the polygon. Enter an option [Inscribed in circle/Circumscribed about circle] : Enter i or c or press Enter Inscribed in Circle Specifies the radius of a circle on which all vertices of the polygon lie.
Specifying the radius with your pointing device determines the rotation and size of the polygon. Specifying the radius with a value draws the bottom edge of the polygon at the current snap rotation angle. Edge Defines a polygon by specifying the endpoints of the first edge. Specify first endpoint of edge: Specify a point (1) Specify second endpoint of edge: Specify a point (2) You can specify the different parameters of the polygon including the number of sides.
POLYSOLID Quick Reference See also: ■ Create a Polysolid Creates a 3D wall-like polysolid. Access Methods Button Toolbar: Modeling tool set ➤ Solids - Create tool group ➤ Solid Primitives flyout ➤ Polysolid Menu: Draw ➤ 3D Modeling ➤ Polysolid Summary You can create walls with straight and curved segments of constant height and width. With the POLYSOLID command, you can convert an existing line, 2D polyline, arc, or circle to a solid with a rectangular profile.
You can draw a solid with POLYSOLID just as you would a polyline. The PSOLWIDTH system variable sets the default width for the solid. The PSOLHEIGHT system variable sets the default height for the solid. List of Prompts The following prompts are displayed.
Width Specifies the width of the solid. The default width is set to the current PSOLWIDTH setting. Specify width : Specify a value for the width by entering a value or specifying two points, or press Enter to specify the current width value The specified width value will update the PSOLWIDTH setting. Justify Sets the width and height as the solid to be left, right, or center justified when defining the profile with the command.
Close Closes the solid by creating a line or arc segment from the last point specified to the starting point of the solid. At least three points must be specified to use this option. Undo Removes the most recent arc segment added to the solid. Arc Adds an arc segment to the solid. The default starting direction of the arc is tangent to the last drawn segment. You can specify a different starting direction with the Direction option.
Access Methods Button Toolbar: Modeling tool set ➤ Solids - Create tool group ➤ Presspull Summary Press or pull a bounded area by clicking inside the area. Then drag or enter a value to indicate the amount of extrusion. As you move the cursor, the extrusion changes dynamically.
Bounded areas that can be pressed or pulled Areas enclosed by geometry (including 2D objects and edges of faces) that is coplanar to the face of a 3D solid. List of Prompts The following prompts are displayed. Click inside bounded areas to press or pull Specifies which closed area you want to modify. Click and drag to set the distance you want to press or pull. You can also enter a value. PREVIEW Quick Reference See also: ■ Preview a Plot Displays the drawing as it will be printed.
Zoom Reduces or enlarges the preview image. Click (-) to reduce the preview image and (+) to enlarge the preview image. Move Moves the preview image planar to the screen. Text Allows you to select text objects. (Not available in AutoCAD for Mac) Select Creates a selection window in the preview image that allows you to copy part of the preview to the Clipboard. Sidebar Displays a secondary pane that contains thumbnails for multi-page previews. Search Allows you to serach for a text string in the preview.
List of Prompts The following prompts are displayed. Project to UCS Projects the geometry along the positive or negative Z axis of the current UCS. Project to View Projects the geometry based on the current view. Project to Two Points Projects the geometry along a path between two points. PROPERTIES Quick Reference See also: ■ Display and Change the Properties of Objects Controls properties of existing objects.
When no objects are selected, only the current settings of general properties are displayed. You can also view or modify properties of third-party application objects that are based on AutoCAD application programming interface (API) standards. There are several general properties common to all objects. All other object properties are specific to the type of object.
Summary When more than one object is selected, only those properties common to all selected objects are displayed. When no objects are selected, only the current settings of general properties are displayed. You can specify a new value to modify any property that can be changed. Click the value and use one of the following methods: ■ Enter a new value. ■ Click the down arrow a the right and select a value from the list.
■ Objects selected in the current drawing. Properties common to all selected objects are displayed. ■ Layer selected from the Layer list in the Layers palette. Layer properties are displayed. General Properties of Objects Quick Reference See also: ■ Display and Change the Properties of Objects Each graphical object in a drawing shares a common set of properties known as the general properties.
Linetype Scale Specifies the linetype scale factor of the object (see LTSCALE). Plot Style Lists NORMAL, BYLAYER, BYBLOCK, plus any plot styles contained in the current plot style table (see PLOTSTYLE). Lineweight Specifies the lineweight of the object. The list shows all available lineweights in the current drawing (see LWEIGHT). Hyperlink Attaches a hyperlink to a graphical object. If a description has been assigned to the hyperlink, the description is displayed.
Access Methods Pointing device: With a table cell selected and the Properties Inspector palette open, click All. Under the Cell section, click the button to the right of the Border Style field. List of Options The following options are displayed. Properties Controls the properties of the borders of the selected table cells. Lineweight Sets the lineweight to be used for borders that are displayed. If you use a heavy lineweight, you may have to change the cell margins.
Color Sets the color to be used for borders that are displayed. Double Line When checked, a double line border will be added to the selected cells. Spacing Determines the spacing of double-line borders. The default value is .1800. Preview Displays a preview of how the borders of the selected table will look. NOTE Linetypes will not display in the preview. All Borders Applies the border properties settings to all borders of the selected table cells.
Right Border Applies the border properties setting to the right border of the selected table cells. Lighting Properties Quick Reference See also: ■ Control Light Properties Sets the properties of the lights. Summary Different properties area available depending on the lighting units (standard or photometric) and lighting type (Spotlight on page 996, Pointlight on page 815, or Weblight on page 1133).
Hotspot Angle (Spotlight and Freespot only) Specifies the angle of the brightest cone of light. Falloff Angle (Spotlight and Freespot only) Specifies the outer extremity of the light, where it meets the darkness. Intensity Factor Magnifies the effect of the skylight. Filter Color Specifies the secondary color of the light. Represents the color of a physical filter over the lamp. Default color is white. When lighting is set to photometric units this represents a secondary color filter on the light.
requires an extra control to specify this distance and an additional affordance in the viewport to show the distance. Lamp Intensity Specifies the brightness of a lamp. More specifically, it represents the luminous intensity, or power in a particular direction. Intensity Factor Magnifies the effect of the skylight. Resulting Intensity Reports the final brightness of the light. This is determined by the product of the Lamp Intensity and the Intensity factor.
Attenuation In the real world, the intensity of light diminishes over distance. Objects far from the light source appear darker than objects near the source. This effect is known as attenuation. Attenuation is available under standard lighting workflow only. Under the Attenuation panel the following property settings are available: Type Controls how light diminishes over distance. The farther away an object is from a spotlight, the darker the object appears. Attenuation is also known as decay.
Softness Specifies the softness or fuzziness of the shadow-mapped shadow. (Soft shadow map type only) Samples Specifies the number of shadow rays for the light. (Soft sampled type only) Visible in Render Specifies whether the light shape is actually rendered. The default is No. (Soft sampled type only) Shape Specifies the shape of the lamp bulb. For the Spotlight distribution type selection under the General panel, options are Rectangle (default) and Disk.
Longitude Displays the longitude of the current location. You can enter a value or select a location on the map. (LONGITUDE on page 1403 system variable) The valid range is -180 to +180 as a floating point number. Latitude Sets the latitude of the current location. You can enter a value or select a location on the map. (LATITUDE on page 1383 system variable) The valid range is -90 and +90 as a floating point number. Daylight Saving Displays the current setting for daylight saving time.
Sky - Sky Horizon Height Determines the absolute position of the ground plane relative to world zero. This parameter represents a world-space length and should be formatted in the current length unit. Values are -10.0 to +10.0 [0.0] is default. Blur Determines the amount of blurring between ground plane and sky. Values are 0-10. [.1] is default. Ground Color Determines the color of the ground plane. Sky - Advanced Sky Night Color Specifies the color of the night sky.
PSETUPIN Quick Reference See also: ■ Specify Page Setup Settings Imports a user-defined page setup into a new drawing layout. Summary The Select Page Setup From File dialog box (a standard file selection dialog box) is displayed in which you can select the drawing (.dwg), template (.dwt), or drawing interchange format (.dxf) file whose page setups you want to import. If FILEDIA is set to 0 (zero) and you enter -psetupin at the Command prompt, PSETUPIN displays command prompts.
PSPACE Quick Reference See also: ■ Work on the Model Layout In a layout, switches from model space in a viewport to paper space. Summary The program switches from model space to paper space when you are working on a named (paper space) layout. On the named layout, use paper space to create a finished layout of a drawing for printing. As part of designing your layout, you create layout viewports, which are windows containing different views of the model.
PURGE Quick Reference See also: ■ Erase Objects Removes unused items, such as block definitions and layers, from the drawing. Summary Entering purge or -purge at the Command prompt displays options related to removing unused named objects and some empty geometric objects. Unused named objects can be removed from the current drawing. These include include block definitions, dimension styles, layers, linetypes, and text styles. Zero-length geometry and empty text objects can also be removed.
List of Prompts The following prompts are displayed. Type of Unused Objects to Purge Deletes unused applications from blocks, dimension styles, layers, linetypes, materials, multileader styles, plot styles, shapes, text styles, multiline styles, table styles, visual styles, regapps, zero-length geometry, empty text objects, or all. Enter Name (s) to Purge Enter an object name of * to list the objects. Verify Each Name to Be Purged? Enter y to verify each name.
Initially, the default base radius is not set to any value. During a drawing session, the default value for the base radius is always the previously entered base radius value for any solid primitive. Use the Top Radius option to create a pyramid frustum. List of Prompts The following prompts are displayed. Edge Specifies the length of one edge of the base of the pyramid; you pick two points.
Circumscribed Specifies that the pyramid is circumscribed around (drawn around) the base radius of the pyramid. 2Point Specifies that the height of the pyramid is the distance between two specified points. Specify first point: Specify a point Specify second point: Specify a point Axis Endpoint Specifies the endpoint location for the pyramid axis. This endpoint is the top of the pyramid. The axis endpoint can be located anywhere in 3D space.
Q Commands 17 QDIM Quick Reference See also: ■ Overview of Dimensioning Creates a series of dimensions quickly from selected objects. Access Methods Button Toolbar: Annotation tool set ➤ Dimensions tool group ➤ Quick Dimension Menu: Dimension ➤ Quick Dimension Summary This command is particularly useful for creating a series of baseline or continued dimensions, or for dimensioning a series of circles and arcs. List of Prompts The following prompts are displayed.
Select geometry to dimension: Select the objects you want to dimension or the dimensions you want to edit and press Enter Specify dimension line position, or [Continuous/Staggered/Baseline/Ordinate/Radius/Diameter/datumPoint/Edit/seTtings] : Enter an option or press Enter Continuous Creates a series of continued dimensions. Staggered Creates a series of staggered dimensions. Baseline Creates a series of baseline dimensions. Ordinate Creates a series of ordinate dimensions.
■ Limit the number of leader points ■ Constrain the angle of the first and second leader segments You can use the Leader Settings dialog box to customize the command so that it prompts you for the number of leader points and the annotation type suited to your drawing needs. If associative dimensioning is turned on with DIMASSOC, the leader start point can be associated with a location on an object.
Leader Settings Dialog Box Quick Reference See also: ■ Create Leaders ■ Create and Modify Leaders Creates a leader and leader annotation. Summary Customizes the QLEADER command and sets properties for leaders and leader annotations. List of Tabs The following tabs are displayed. Annotation Tab (Leader Settings Dialog Box) Annotation Type Sets the leader annotation type. The type you select changes the QLEADER leader annotation prompt.
Prompts you to create multiline text (mtext) annotation. Copy an Object Prompts you to copy a multiline text, single-line text, tolerance, or block reference object and connects the copy to the end of the leader line. The copy is associated with the leader line, meaning that if the copied object moves, the end of the leader line moves with it. The display of the hook line depends on the object copied.
Reuses the next annotation you create for all subsequent leaders. Reuse Current Reuses current annotation. This option is automatically selected when you reuse annotation after selecting Reuse Next. Leader Line & Arrow Tab (Leader Settings Dialog Box) Leader Line Sets the leader line format. Straight Creates straight-line segments between the points you specify. Spline Creates a spline object using the leader points you specify as control points. Arrowhead Defines the leader arrowhead.
specify two leader points. Set the number to one more than the number of leader segments you want to create. If you set the option to No Limit, QLEADER prompts for leader points until you press Enter. Angle Constraints Sets angle constraints for the first and second leader lines. First Segment Sets the angle of the first leader segment. Second Segment Sets the angle of the second leader segment.
Middle of Bottom Line Attaches the leader line at the middle of the bottom multiline text line. Bottom of Bottom Line Attaches the leader line at the bottom of the bottom multiline text line. Underline Bottom Line Underlines the bottom multiline text line. QNEW Quick Reference See also: ■ Use a Drawing Template File Starts a new drawing from a selected drawing template file.
Saves the current drawing using the specified default file format. Access Methods Menu: File ➤ Save Summary If the drawing is named, the program saves the drawing and does not request a new file name. Use the SAVEAS command if you need to save a drawing with a different name. If the drawing is read-only, use the SAVEAS command to save the changed file under a different name.
QUIT Quick Reference See also: ■ Start a Drawing Exits the program. Access Methods Menu: AutoCAD for Mac ➤ Quit AutoCAD for Mac Summary Quits the program if there have been no changes since the drawing was last saved. If the drawing has been modified, you are prompted to save or discard the changes before quitting. You can quit a file that has been opened in read-only mode if you have made no modifications or if you are willing to discard them.
Toolbar: Status bar ➤ Model/Layout drop-down ➤ Show Drawings & Layouts Command entry: Cmd-. Summary Displays the QuickView dialog box. Drawing previews are displayed vertically along the left, while the layout previews of the selected drawing are displayed on the right. The preview for Model is always located in the top-left of the layout previews.
List of Options The following options are displayed. Drawing List Displays a list of all open drawings. Double-clicking a thumbnail to set that drawing current. You can also right-click a thumbnail to display a shortcut menu of additional file management options. The following items are on the Drawing shortcut menu: ■ Save. - Saves the drawing using its current name and location. ■ Close . - Closes the drawing.
■ Print. - Allows you to output the layout to hardcopy or PDF. The Print dialog box on page 794 is displayed. NOTE You can select more than one layout to print from the QuickView dialog box. ■ Page Setup. - Allows you to manage the output settings for the layout. The Page Setup Manager on page 748 is displayed.
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R Commands 18 RAY Quick Reference See also: ■ Draw Construction Lines (and Rays) Creates a line that starts at a point and continues to infinity. Access Methods Button Toolbar: Drafting tool set ➤ Open Shapes tool group (expanded) ➤ Ray Menu: Draw ➤ Ray Summary The ray is extended to the edge of the display in the direction defined by the starting point and the through point. The prompt for a through point is redisplayed so you can create multiple rays. Press Enter to end the command.
Lines that extend to infinity in one direction, known as rays, can be used as references for creating other objects. List of Prompts The following prompts are displayed. Specify start point: Specify a point (1) Specify through point: Specify a point for the ray to pass through (2) RECOVER Quick Reference See also: ■ Repair a Damaged Drawing File Repairs and then opens a damaged drawing file. Summary The program extracts as much material as it can from the damaged file.
In the Select File dialog box (a standard file selection dialog box), enter the drawing file name or select the damaged drawing file. Results are displayed in the text window. When FILEDIA is set to 0 (zero), RECOVER displays the following command prompt. Enter ~ (tilde) at the prompt to ignore FILEDIA and display the Select File dialog box. RECTANG Quick Reference See also: ■ Draw Rectangles and Polygons Creates a rectangular polyline.
List of Prompts The following prompts are displayed. Current settings: Rotation = 0 Specify first corner point or [Chamfer/Elevation/Fillet/Thickness/Width]: Specify a point or enter an option First Corner Point Specifies a corner point of the rectangle. Other Corner Point Creates a rectangle using the specified points as diagonally opposite corners. Area Creates a rectangle using the area and either a length or a width.
REDEFINE Quick Reference See also: ■ Use Built-in Commands in Macros Restores AutoCAD internal commands overridden by UNDEFINE. Summary If a command has been undefined, you can still use it if you precede the command name with a period. Enter the name of an AutoCAD command turned off by the UNDEFINE command. REDO Quick Reference See also: ■ Correct Mistakes Reverses the effects of previous UNDO or U command.
REDRAW Quick Reference See also: ■ Erase Objects Refreshes the display in the current viewport. Access Methods Menu: View ➤ Redraw Command entry: 'redraw for transparent use Summary When BLIPMODE is on, marker blips left by editing commands are removed from the current viewport. REDRAWALL Quick Reference See also: ■ Erase Objects Refreshes the display in all viewports.
Summary When BLIPMODE is on, marker blips left by editing commands are removed from all viewports. REGEN Quick Reference See also: ■ Control the Display of Polylines, Hatches, Gradient Fills, Lineweights, and Text Regenerates the entire drawing from the current viewport. Access Methods Menu: View ➤ Regen Summary REGEN regenerates the entire drawing and recomputes the screen coordinates for all objects in the current viewport.
REGENALL Quick Reference See also: ■ Control the Display of Polylines, Hatches, Gradient Fills, Lineweights, and Text Regenerates the drawing and refreshes all viewports. Access Methods Menu: View ➤ Regen All Summary REGENALL regenerates the entire drawing and recomputes the screen coordinates for all objects in all viewports. It also reindexes the drawing database for optimum display and object selection performance.
Access Methods Command entry: 'regenauto for transparent use List of Prompts The following prompts are displayed. Enter mode [ON/OFF] : Enter on or off, or press Enter On Regenerates the drawing immediately if any suppressed regenerations exist in the queue and continues to regenerate automatically whenever you perform an action that requires regeneration. Off Inhibits regeneration of the drawing until you use the REGEN or REGENALL command, or set REGENAUTO to on.
Toolbar: Drafting tool set ➤ Closed Shapes tool group (expanded) ➤ Region Menu: Draw ➤ Region Summary Regions are two-dimensional areas you create from closed shapes or loops. Closed polylines, lines, and curves are valid selections. Curves include circular arcs, circles, elliptical arcs, ellipses, and splines. You can combine several regions into a single, complex region.
RENAME Quick Reference See also: ■ Resolve Name Conflicts in External References Changes the names assigned to items such as layers and dimension styles. Access Methods Menu: Format ➤ Rename Summary Named objects are categories of items such as layers, dimension styles, table styles, text styles, and so on. It is strongly recommended that you create standard naming conventions for them and save them in drawing template files. The Rename dialog box is displayed.
List of Options The following options are displayed. Named Objects Lists named objects in a drawing by category. Items Displays items of the type specified in Named Objects. -RENAME Quick Reference See also: ■ Resolve Name Conflicts in External References Changes the names assigned to named objects from the Command prompt. List of Prompts The following prompts are displayed.
Enter new object name: Enter the new name RENDER Quick Reference See also: ■ Render 3D Objects for Realism Creates a photorealistic or realistically shaded image of a 3D solid or surface model. Access Methods Button Toolbar: Modeling tool set ➤ Render tool group ➤ Render Menu: View ➤ Render ➤ Render Summary The RENDER command begins the rendering process and displays the rendered image in the Render Window on page 876. By default, all objects in the current view in the drawing are rendered.
Render Window Quick Reference See also: ■ Save a Rendered Image Displays rendered output of the current model Summary From the Render Window, you can ■ Save the image to a file. ■ Monitor the progress of the current rendering. List of Options The following options are displayed.
Image Pane Primary output target of the renderer. Progress Meter Displays the overall progress of the current rendering. Clicking the X icon next to the progress meter, or by pressing Esc to cancel the current rendering. Save Displays the Render Output File dialog box where you can save the image to disk. Render Output File Dialog Box Quick Reference See also: ■ Save a Rendered Image Saves a rendering to a raster image file.
Clicking Save after choosing this format displays the PCX Image Options dialog box. TGA (*.tga) The Targa (TGA) format supports up to 32-bit true color. This format is typically used as a true color format to render still images. Clicking Save after choosing this format displays the Targa Image Options dialog box. TIF (*.tif) TIF (Tagged Image File) format is a multiplatform bitmap format.
Summary When BMP is chosen as the output format, the BMP Image Options dialog box is displayed. List of Options The following options are displayed. Color Monochrome Creates a 2-bit black and white image. 8 Bits (256 Grayscale) Creates an 8-bit grayscale image using 256 shades of gray. 8 Bits (256 Colors) Renders a smaller, 8-bit color image from a palette of 256 colors. 24 Bits (16.7 Million Colors) Renders a larger, true color (24-bit) file.
8 Bits (256 Colors) Renders a smaller, 8-bit color image from a palette of 256 colors. Targa Image Options Dialog Box Quick Reference See also: ■ Save a Rendered Image Options used when saving a rendering to a TGA image file. Summary When TGA is chosen as the output format, the Targa Image Options dialog box is displayed. List of Options The following options are displayed. Color 8 Bits (256 Grayscale) Creates an 8-bit grayscale image using 256 shades of gray.
TIFF Image Options Dialog Box Quick Reference See also: ■ Save a Rendered Image Options used when saving a rendering to a TIFF image file. Summary When TIF is chosen as the output format, the TIFF Image Options dialog box is displayed. List of Options The following options are displayed. Color Monochrome Creates a 2-bit black and white image. 8 Bits (256 Grayscale) Creates an 8-bit grayscale image using 256 shades of gray.
JPEG Image Options Dialog Box Quick Reference See also: ■ Save a Rendered Image Options used when saving a rendering to a JPEG image file. Summary When JPG is chosen as the output format, the JPEG Image Options dialog box is displayed. List of Options The following options are displayed. Image Control Quality Sets the level of quality: the higher the quality, the larger the file size. In general, files compressed with the slider set to Best have compression ratios between 5:1 and 15:1.
List of Options The following options are displayed. Color Monochrome Creates a 2-bit black and white image. 8 Bits (256 Grayscale) Creates an 8-bit grayscale image using 256 shades of gray. 8 Bits (256 Colors) Renders a smaller, 8-bit color image from a palette of 256 colors. 16 Bits (65,536 Grayscale) Creates a grayscale 16-bit image that uses 65,536 shades of gray. 24 Bits (16.7 Million Colors) Creates a larger, true color (24-bit) file.
Specify render destination [Render Window/Viewport] : Enter an option or press Enter Draft Draft is the lowest level standard render preset. This setting is intended for very fast, test renderings where anti-aliasing is bypassed and sample filtering is very low. This render preset produces very low quality rendering, but results in the fastest rendering speed. Low The Low render preset provides better quality than the Draft preset.
High The High we preset matches the Medium preset settings with regards to anti-aliasing, but sample filtering and raytracing is improved. Due to the improved sample filtering and raytracing, rendered images take longer to process, but the image quality is much better. Presentation The Presentation render preset is used for high quality, photo-realistic rendered images and takes the longest to process. Sample filtering and raytracing is further improved.
RENDERENVIRONMENT Quick Reference See also: ■ Control the Rendering Environment Controls visual cues for the apparent distance of objects. Access Methods Button Toolbar: Modeling tool set ➤ Render tool group ➤ Render Environment Menu: View ➤ Render ➤ Render Environment Summary The Render Environment dialog box is displayed. Render Environment Dialog Box Quick Reference See also: ■ Control the Rendering Environment Defines the cues for distance between objects and the current viewing direction.
Summary Fog and depth cueing are atmospheric effects that cause objects to appear to fade as they increase in distance from the camera. Fog uses a white color while depth cueing uses black. List of Options The following options are displayed. Fog and Depth Cue Enable Fog Turns fog on and off without affecting the other settings in the dialog box. Color Specifies the color of the fog. Near Distance Specifies the distance from the camera where the fog begins.
RENDEROUTPUTSIZE Quick Reference See also: ■ Save a Rendered Image Specifies the image size to create when rendering a 3D model. Summary Displays the Output Size dialog box on page 888. If you enter -renderoutputsize at the Command prompt, options are displayed on page 889. Output Size Dialog Box Quick Reference See also: ■ Save a Rendered Image Sets the output image size when rendering a 3D model. List of Options The following options are displayed.
Output Image Size (Pixels) List of commonly used output sizes. Choose Custom to specify the output width and height for the image. Width (Pixels) Sets the width resolution of the output image, in pixels. The valid range for the width is 8 to 4096. Height (Pixels) Sets the height resolution of the output image, in pixels. The valid range for the height is 8 to 4096. Aspect Ratio Sets the aspect ratio, the ratio of width to height, of the rendered image.
The valid range for the width and height is 8 to 4096. RENDERWIN Quick Reference See also: ■ Basics of Rendering Displays the Render window without starting a rendering operation. Access Methods Button Toolbar: Modeling tool set ➤ Render tool group (expanded) ➤ Show Render Window Summary The Render Window is displayed, but a rendering of the current drawing is not initiated. If the drawing was previously rendered, you can view and save the rendered image.
Access Methods Shortcut menu: Select a dynamic block reference in a drawing. Right-click in the drawing area and click Reset Block. RESETPALETTES Quick Reference See also: ■ Specify the Behavior of Palettes Resets all palettes to their default placement settings. Summary Menu: Window ➤ Reset Palettes Summary The Reset Palettes message box is displayed. Resetting palettes closes and restarts AutoCAD for Mac. List of Options The following prompts are displayed.
Continues an interrupted script. Access Methods Command entry: 'resume for transparent use Summary You can interrupt a macro script that is running by pressing Esc or Backspace. Any error encountered while processing input from a script file causes the script to be suspended. If a script is suspended while the program is active, you can use RESUME to continue the script. REVCLOUD Quick Reference See also: ■ Create Revision Clouds Creates a revision cloud using a polyline.
Summary NOTE REVCLOUD stores the last used arc length in the system registry. This value is multiplied by DIMSCALE to provide consistency when the program is used with drawings that have different scale factors. You can create a new revision cloud by dragging your cursor, or you can convert a closed object such as an ellipse or polyline into a revision cloud. Use revision clouds to highlight parts of a drawing that are being reviewed. The resulting object is a polyline.
REVERSE Quick Reference See also: ■ Modify Polylines Reverses the vertices of selected lines, polylines, splines, and helixes, which is useful for linetypes with included text, or wide polylines with differing beginning and ending widths. Access Methods Button Toolbar: Drafting tool set ➤ Modify tool group (expanded) ➤ Reverse Summary For example, when a linetype with text is specified with relative rotation in a LIN file, the text in the linetype might be displayed upside down.
Creates a 3D solid or surface by sweeping an object around an axis. Access Methods Button Toolbar: Modeling tool set ➤ Solids - Create tool group ➤ Solid Creation flyout ➤ Revolve Menu: Draw ➤ 3D Modeling ➤ Revolve Summary Open profiles create surfaces and closed profiles can create either a solid or a surface. The MOde option controls is a solid of surface is created. When creating a surface, SURFACEMODELINGMODE on page 1509 system variable controls if a procedural or NURBS surface is created.
■ A single object (to extrude multiple lines, convert them to a single object with the JOIN on page 533 command) ■ A single region (to extrude multiple regions, convert them to a single object with the REGION command) To automatically delete the profile, use the DELOBJ system variable. If associativity on page 1507 is on, the DELOBJ system variable is ignored and the originating geometry is not deleted.
Drag your cursor to specify and preview the start angle of the object. Angle of Revolution Specifies how far the selected object revolves about the axis. A positive angle revolves the objects in a counterclockwise direction. A negative angle revolves the objects in a clockwise direction. You can also drag the cursor to specify and preview the angle of revolution. Object Specifies an existing object to be used as an axis.
Y (Axis) Sets the positive Y axis of the current UCS as the positive axis direction. Z (Axis) Sets the positive Z axis of the current UCS as the positive axis direction. Reverse Changes the direction of the revolve; similar to entering a - (minus) angle value. The revolved object on the right shows a spline revolved at the same angle as the object on the left, but using the reverse option. Expression Enter a formula or equation to specify the revolve angle.
Summary Select a line, arc, circle, or 2D or 3D polyline to sweep in a circular path around a selected axis. The MESHTYPE system variable sets which type of mesh is created. Mesh objects are created by default. Set the variable to 0 to create legacy polyface or polygon mesh. The density of the generated mesh is controlled by the SURFTAB1 and SURFTAB2 system variables. SURFTAB1 specifies the number of tabulation lines that are drawn in the direction of revolution.
The path curve is swept about the selected axis to define the mesh. The path curve defines the N direction of the mesh. Selecting a circle or a closed polyline as the path curve closes the mesh in the N direction. The vector from the first to the last vertex of the polyline determines the rotation axis. Any intermediate vertices are ignored. The axis of revolution determines the M direction of the mesh.
The point you use to select the axis of revolution affects the direction of revolution. The mesh in the following example was created by specifying a start angle of 0 degrees and an included angle of 90 degrees. ROTATE Quick Reference See also: ■ Rotate Objects Rotates objects around a base point. Access Methods Button Toolbar: Drafting tool set ➤ Move/Rotate/Scale tool group ➤ Rotate Menu: Modify ➤ Rotate Shortcut menu: Select the objects to rotat. Right-click in the drawing area and click Rotate.
List of Prompts The following prompts are displayed. Current positive angle in UCS: ANGDIR=current ANGBASE=current Select objects: Use an object selection method and press Enter when you finish Specify base point: Specify a point Specify rotation angle or [Copy/Reference]: Enter an angle, specify a point, enter c, or enter r Rotation Angle Determines how far an object rotates around the base point. The axis of rotation passes through the specified base point and is parallel to the Z axis of the current UCS.
List of Prompts The following prompts are displayed. Select objects: Use an object selection method and press Enter when you finish Specify first point on axis or define axis by [Object/Last/View/Xaxis/Yaxis/Zaxis/2points]: Specify a point, enter an option, or press Enter Object Aligns the axis of rotation with an existing object. Line Aligns the axis of rotation with the line selected. Rotation Angle Rotates the object about the selected axis the specified amount from the current orientation.
Arc Aligns the axis of rotation with the 3D axis of the arc (perpendicular to the plane of the arc and passing through the center of the arc). ■ Rotation Angle on page 903 ■ Reference on page 903 2D Polyline Segment Aligns the axis of rotation with a segment of the polyline. Treats a straight segment as a line segment. Treats an arc segment as an arc. ■ Rotation Angle on page 903 ■ Reference on page 903 Last Uses the last axis of rotation.
■ Rotation Angle on page 903 ■ Reference on page 903 RSCRIPT Quick Reference See also: ■ Create Command Scripts Repeats a script file. Summary RSCRIPT is useful for demonstrations that repeat a script; for example, a script that must run over and over during a trade show or in a showroom. If RSCRIPT is the last line in a script file, the file runs continuously until interrupted by Esc.
RULESURF Quick Reference See also: ■ Construct Meshes from Other Objects Creates a mesh that represents the surface between two lines or curves. Access Methods Menu: Draw ➤ 3D Modeling ➤ Meshes ➤ Ruled Mesh Summary Select two edges that define the mesh. The edges can be lines, arcs, splines, circles, or polylines. If one of the edges is closed, then the other edge must also be closed. You can also use a point as one edge for either an open or a closed curve.
The ruled mesh is constructed as a 2 by N polygon mesh. RULESURF places half the mesh vertices at equal intervals along one defining curve, and the other half at equal intervals along the other curve. The number of intervals is specified by the SURFTAB1 system variable. It is the same for each curve; therefore, the distance between the vertices along the two curves differs if the curves are of different lengths. The N direction of the mesh is along the boundary curves.
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S Commands 19 SAVE Quick Reference See also: ■ Save a Drawing Saves the drawing under the current file name or a specified name. Summary The Save Drawing As dialog box (a standard file selection dialog box) is displayed. Save the drawing under the current file name, or enter a different file name to save a copy of the drawing under that name. If the drawing is read-only, use the SAVEAS on page 910 command to save changes under a different file name.
SAVEAS Quick Reference See also: ■ Save a Drawing Saves a copy of the current drawing under a new file name. Access Methods Menu: File ➤ Save As Summary The Save Drawing As standard file selection dialog box is displayed. Enter a ™ file name and type. Saving a drawing to any DXF format affects performance. See Save Drawings to Previous Drawing File Formats for a description of the limitations that result from saving to an earlier version. The file is saved with the specified file name.
List of Prompts The following prompts are displayed. Enter template measurement [English/Metric] : Enter e or m to specify the measurement to assign to the template and press Enter Enter a template description: Enter a description and press Enter SAVEAS Command Prompts Quick Reference See also: ■ Save a Drawing Saves a copy of the current drawing under a new file name. List of Prompts The following prompts are displayed.
Summary The Render Output File dialog box is displayed. NOTE SAVEIMG is not available if the current rendering device does not support scan-line images. SCALE Quick Reference See also: ■ Resize or Reshape Objects Enlarges or reduces selected objects, keeping the proportions of the object the same after scaling. Access Methods Button Toolbar: Drafting tool set ➤ Move/Rotate/Scale tool group ➤ Scale Menu: Modify ➤ Scale Shortcut menu: Select the objects to scale.
List of Prompts The following prompts are displayed. Select objects: Use an object selection method and press Enter when you finish Specify base point: Specify a point The base point you specify identifies the point that remains in the same location as the selected objects change size (and thus move away from the stationary base point).
Controls the list of scales available for layout viewports, page layouts, and plotting. Access Methods Button Toolbar: Annotation tool set ➤ Annotation Scaling tool group ➤ Scale List Menu: Format ➤ Scale List Command entry: 'scalelistedit for transparent use Summary A list of predefined scales used throughout the program. This list can be easily modified to display only the scales you need. The Edit Scale List dialog box is displayed.
List of Options The following options are displayed. Scale List Displays the list of currently defined scales. Also displays temporary scales that are imported when xrefs are attached. If a scale name is duplicated, but has a different value, a number is appended to the name. Add Creates a new scale in the scale list. Press Tab to move between the fields of the scale being edited. Delete Removes the selected scale from the scale list. NOTE You cannot delete a scale that is referenced by an object.
-SCALELISTEDIT Quick Reference See also: ■ Scale Views in Layout Viewports Controls the list of scales available for layout viewports, page layouts, and plotting. List of Prompts The following prompts are displayed. Enter option [?/Add/Delete/Reset/Exit] : Enter an option or press Enter ? Displays a list of defined scales. Add Adds a new scale to the scale list.
Summary A script is a text file with an .scr file extension. Each line of the script file contains a command that can be completed at the Command prompt, including alternative versions of commands that normally display dialog boxes. The Select Script File dialog box (a standard file selection dialog box) is displayed. Enter the file name of a script to run that script. When FILEDIA is set to 0 (zero), SCRIPT displays the following command prompt.
Specify the first point on the sectioning plane using one of the following methods: ■ Object ■ Z Axis ■ View ■ XY ■ YZ ■ ZX ■ 3points Object Aligns the sectioning plane with a circle, ellipse, circular or elliptical arc, 2D spline, or 2D polyline segment. Z Axis Defines the sectioning plane by specifying a point on the sectioning plane and another point on the Z axis, or normal, of the plane. ■ Point on the section plane. Sets the first point on the plane.
XY Aligns the sectioning plane with the XY plane of the current UCS. YZ Aligns the sectioning plane with the YZ plane of the current UCS. ZX Aligns the sectioning plane with the ZX plane of the current UCS.
SECTIONPLANE Quick Reference See also: ■ Create Section Objects Creates a section object that acts as a cutting plane through 3D objects. Access Methods Button Toolbar: Modeling tool set ➤ Section tool group ➤ Section Plane Menu: Draw ➤ 3D Modeling ➤ Section Plane Summary Section plane objects create sections of 3D solids, surfaces, and meshes. Use live sectioning with section plane objects to analyze a model, and save sections as blocks for use in layouts.
List of Options The following options are displayed. Face or Any Point to Locate Section Line Specifies a face to establish the plane of the section object. Alternatively, you can select any point on the screen that is not on a face to create a section object independent of the solid or surface. The first point establishes a point around which the section object rotates. ■ Through point. Sets a second point that defines the plane of the section object.
A section object that contains all 3D objects is created with the specified orientation relative to the UCS (not the current view). This option creates a section object in the Section Plane state with live sectioning turned on. ■ Align section to.
SECTIONPLANEJOG Quick Reference See also: ■ Add Jogs to a Section Adds a jogged segment to a section object. Access Methods Shortcut menu: Select a section plane. Right-click in the drawing area and click Add Jog to Section. Summary You can insert a jog, or angle, into a section object as you create it. The jog is created on the section line. The jogged segment is created at a 90-degree angle to the section line. NOTE The SECTIONPLANEJOG command was previously called JOGSECTION.
List of Prompts The following prompts are displayed. Select section object Specifies which section line to modify. Point on the section line to add jog Specifies the location of the jog. SECTIONPLANESETTINGS Quick Reference See also: ■ Set Section Object States and Properties Sets display options for the selected section plane. Access Methods Button Toolbar: Modeling tool set ➤ Section tool group (expanded) ➤ Section Plane Settings Shortcut menu: Select a live section object.
Section Settings Dialog Box Quick Reference See also: ■ Set Section Object States and Properties Sets display options for section planes.
Summary The Section Settings dialog box contains display settings for creating 2D and 3D sections from the Generate Section / Elevation dialog box and for live sectioning. All settings are stored with the section object. List of Options The following options are displayed. Section Plane If a section plane has not been selected, specifies a selection plane to be modified. Select Section Plane Temporarily closes the Section Settings dialog box so that you can select a section object in the drawing area.
■ Linetype. Sets the linetype to be ByLayer, ByBlock, or a type that you specify. ■ Linetype Scale. Sets the scale of the linetype. ■ Plot Style. Displays the current plot style. (2D and 3D section blocks only) ■ Lineweight. Sets whether the lineweight is ByLayer, ByBlock, matches the default, or has a unique value. ■ Division Lines. Sets whether division lines are displayed. (2D section blocks only) ■ Show. Sets whether the intersection boundary is displayed.
■ Surface Transparency. Sets the percentage of transparency for the intersection fill. (Live Section only) Background Lines Controls the display of background lines. (2D and 3D section blocks only) ■ Show. Sets whether the component is displayed. (2D section blocks only) ■ Hidden Line. Sets whether hidden lines (lines that are behind other lines in the 3D view) are displayed. (2D section blocks only) ■ Color. Sets the color of the component. ■ Layer. Sets the layer of the component.
■ Face Transparency. Sets the percentage of transparency of the face created where the live section object interfaces with the 3D objects. (Live Section only) ■ Edge Transparency. Sets the percentage of transparency of the edges of the foreground lines. (Live Section only) Curve Tangency Lines Controls the inclusion of curved lines that are tangent to the section plane. (2D section blocks only) ■ Show. Sets whether the curve tangency lines are displayed. ■ Color.
Adds a custom prefix or suffix to layer names to help organize components of a section block Access Methods Pointing device: In the Section Settings dialog box, Layer list, click New Layer Name Settings. Summary By default, all section block geometry is placed on Layer 0 (zero). However, you can specify suffix or prefix labels to help organize section block components, such as intersection boundaries and fill.
Added Text Type Specifies whether or how identifying text is added to the layer name for the section block component. ■ None. No additional text is added to the layer name. The section block geometry is placed on the same layer as the original geometry. ■ Prefix. If the Layer property is specified as *ObjectByLayer* in the Section Settings dialog box, the label is added in front of the layer name. ■ Suffix.
Generate Section /Elevation Dialog Box Quick Reference See also: ■ Create Section Objects Saves 2D and 3D sections as blocks.
Summary Specify the display settings for the cross sections that you save and reuse. List of Options The following options are displayed. Section Plane Select Section Plane Closes the dialog box so that you can select a section plane to modify or save as a block. 2D/3D 2D Section/Elevation Creates and saves or inserts a block that represents a 2D cross section. 3D Section Creates and saves or inserts a cutaway 3D block.
Replace Existing Block Replaces an existing block in the drawing with the newly generated section. Select Block Closes the dialog box temporarily while you select the block to be replaced in the drawing. When you finish selecting the block, press Enter to redisplay the Generate Section/Elevation dialog box. Export to a File Saves the section to an external file. Filename and Path Specifies a file name and path where the section will be saved. Section Settings Opens the Section Settings dialog box.
Summary A small box, called the object selection target or pickbox, replaces the crosshairs on the graphics cursor. At the Select Objects prompt in a subsequent command, use the Previous option to retrieve the previous selection set. You can also press and hold the Ctrl key to select original individual forms that are part of composite solids or vertices, edges, and faces on 3D solids. You can select one of these subobjects, or create a selection set of more than one subobject.
Last Selects the most recently created visible object. The object must be in the current space, that is, model space or paper space, and its layer must not be set to frozen or off. Crossing Selects objects within and crossing an area defined by two points. A crossing selection is displayed as dashed or otherwise highlighted to differentiate it from window selection. Box Selects all objects inside or crossing a rectangle specified by two points.
WPolygon Selects objects completely inside a polygon defined by points. The polygon can be any shape but cannot cross or touch itself. The last segment of the polygon is drawn so that it is closed at all times. WPolygon is not affected by the PICKADD system variable. CPolygon Selects objects within and crossing a polygon defined by specifying points. The polygon can be any shape but cannot cross or touch itself. The last segment of the polygon is drawn so that it is closed at all times.
Remove mode is to hold down Shift while selecting single objects or use the Automatic option. Multiple Selects objects individually without highlighting them during object selection. This speeds up object selection for highly complex objects. Previous Selects the most recent selection set. The Previous selection set is cleared by operations that delete objects from the drawing. NOTE The Previous selection set is ignored if you switch spaces.
Adds similar objects to the selection set based on selected objects. Access Methods Button Toolbar: Drafting tool set ➤ Selection tool group ➤ Select Similar Shortcut menu: Select theobject that you want to use as the template object to select similar objects. Right-click in the drawing area and click Select Similar. Summary Selects similar objects of the same type based on specified matching properties, such as the color or block name. List of Prompts The following prompt is displayed.
Linetype Considers objects with matching linetypes to be similar. Linetype scale Considers objects with matching linetype scales to be similar. Lineweight Considers objects with matching lineweights to be similar. Plot style Considers objects with matching plot styles to be similar. Object style Considers objects with matching styles (such as text styles, dimension styles, and table styles) to be similar.
SHADEMODE Quick Reference See also: ■ Use a Visual Style to Display Your Model Starts the VSCURRENT command. -SHADEMODE Quick Reference See also: ■ Use a Visual Style to Display Your Model ■ Add Simple Shading to 3D Objects List of Prompts The following prompts are displayed. Enter option [2D wireframe/3D wireframe/Hidden/Flat/Gouraud/fLat+edges/gOuraud+edges] : 2D Wireframe Displays the objects using lines and curves to represent the boundaries.
Flat Shaded, Edges On Combines the Flat Shaded and Wireframe options. The objects are flat shaded with the wireframe showing through. Gouraud Shaded, Edges On Combines the Gouraud Shaded and Wireframe options. The objects are Gouraud shaded with the wireframe showing through. SHAPE Quick Reference See also: ■ Overview of Shape Files Inserts a shape from a shape file that has been loaded using LOAD. List of Prompts The following prompts are displayed.
Summary When SHELL prompts you for an OS command, you can enter most valid commands for your OS. When the command has been executed, SHELL returns you to the Command prompt. Pressing Enter at the OS Command prompt displays the system prompt with an extra close angle bracket (>). You can enter operating system commands as if you were at the normal system prompt. WARNING Do not use the SHELL command to delete lock files (file name extension .??k) or temporary files (file name extensions .ac$ or .$a).
SKETCH Quick Reference See also: ■ Draw Freehand Sketches Creates a series of freehand line segments. Summary Sketching is useful for creating irregular boundaries or for tracing with a digitizer. Specify the object type (line, polyline, or spline), increment, and tolerance before sketching. List of Prompts The following prompts are displayed. Sketch on page 944 or [Type on page 944/Increment on page 945/toLerance on page 945]: Sketch Creates a sketch. Type Specifies the object type for the sketch line.
Increment Defines the length of each freehand line segment. You must move the pointing device a distance greater than the increment value to generate a line. (SKETCHINC on page 1487 system variable) Tolerance For Splines, specifies how closely the spline’s curve fits to the freehand sketch. (SKTOLERANCE on page 1488 system variable) SLICE Quick Reference See also: ■ Create 3D Solids by Slicing Creates new 3D solids and surfaces by slicing, or dividing, existing objects.
The sliced objects retain the layer and color properties of the original solids. However, the resulting solid or surface objects do not retain a history of the original objects. Objects that Can Be Used in a Slice Operation Objects that can be sliced Objects that can be used as cutting planes 3D solids Surfaces Surfaces Circles Ellipses Circular or elliptical arcs 2D splines 3D polyline segments List of Prompts The following prompts are displayed.
■ Planar object ■ Surface ■ Z axis ■ View ■ XY ■ YZ ■ ZX ■ 3points Start point of slicing plane Sets the first of two points that define the angle of the slicing plane. The slicing plane is perpendicular to the XY plane of the current UCS. ■ Second point on plane. Sets the second of two points on the slicing plane.
■ Select a surface. Specifies a surface to be used for alignment. NOTE You cannot select meshes created with the EDGESURF, REVSURF, RULESURF, and TABSURF commands. ■ Point on desired side ■ Keep both sides Z axis Defines the cutting plane by specifying a point on the plane and another point on the Z axis (normal) of the plane. ■ Specify a point on the section plane. Sets a point on the slicing plane. ■ Specify a point on the Z-axis (normal) of the plane.
■ Specify a point on the current view plane. Sets a point on the object to start the slice. ■ Point on desired side ■ Keep both sides XY Aligns the cutting plane with the XY plane of the current user coordinate system (UCS). Specifying a point defines the location of the cutting plane. ■ Point on the XY-plane. Sets the location of the slice. ■ Point on desired side ■ Keep both sides YZ Aligns the cutting plane with the YZ plane of the current UCS.
■ Point on the YZ-plane. Sets the location of the slice. ZX Aligns the cutting plane with the ZX plane of the current UCS. Specifying a point defines the location of the cutting plane. ■ Point on the ZX-plane. Sets the location of the slice. If a single object is sliced into more than two objects, one solid or surface is created from the objects on one side of the plane and another solid or surface is created from the objects on the other side. 3points Defines the cutting plane using three points.
Point on desired side Uses a point to determine which side of the sliced solids your drawing retains. The point cannot lie on the cutting plane. Keep both sides Retains both sides of the sliced solids. Slicing a single solid into two pieces creates two solids from the pieces on either side of the plane. SLICE never creates more than two new composite solids for each selected solid. SNAP Quick Reference See also: ■ Adjust Grid and Grid Snap Restricts cursor movement to specified intervals.
Access Methods Menu: Tools ➤ Drafting Settings Toolbar: Status bar ➤ Snap Command entry: snap or ‘snap for transparent use List of Prompts The following prompts are displayed. Specify snap spacing on page 952 or [ON on page 952/OFF on page 952/Aspect on page 952/Style on page 952/Type on page 953] : Specify a distance, enter an option, or press Enter Snap Spacing Activates Snap mode with the value you specify. On Activates Snap mode using the current settings of the snap grid.
Spacing Specifies the overall spacing of the snap grid. Aspect Specifies the horizontal and vertical spacing of the snap grid separately. Isometric Sets an isometric snap grid, in which the snap locations are initially at 30-degree and 150-degree angles. Isometric snap cannot have different Aspect values. The lined grid does not follow the isometric snap grid.
Access Methods Menu: Draw ➤ 3D Modeling ➤ Setup ➤ Drawing Summary After using SOLVIEW, visible and hidden lines representing the silhouette and edges of solids in the viewport are created and then projected to a plane perpendicular to the viewing direction. List of Prompts The following prompts are displayed. Select viewports to draw ... Select objects: Select the viewports to be drawn SOLDRAW can only be used in viewports that have been created with SOLVIEW.
SOLID Quick Reference See also: ■ Modify Hatch Properties Creates solid-filled triangles and quadrilaterals. Summary 2D solids are filled only when the FILLMODE system variable is on (1) and the viewing direction is orthogonal to the 2D solid. List of Prompts The following prompts are displayed. First point Sets the first point in the 2D solid. Second point Sets the first edge of the 2D solid. Third point Sets the corner that is opposite the second point.
SOLIDEDIT Quick Reference See also: ■ Clean and Check 3D Solids Edits faces and edges of 3D solid objects. Access Methods Button Toolbar: Modeling tool set ➤ Solids - Edit tool group (expanded) Summary You can extrude, move, rotate, offset, taper, copy, delete, and assign colors and materials to faces. You can also copy and assign colors to edges. You can imprint, separate, shell, clean, and check the validity of the entire 3D solid object (body). You cannot use SOLIDEDIT with mesh objects.
Face: Extrude Extrude Extends a 3D solid face in the X, Y, or Z direction. You can change the shape of the object by moving its faces. ■ Select faces. Specifies which faces to modify. ■ Undo ■ Remove Remove Removes previously selected faces from the selection set. ■ Remove faces. Removes the selected face from the solid object. ■ Undo ■ Add ■ All Undo Cancels the selection of the faces you added most recently to the selection set and redisplays the prompt.
■ Undo ■ Remove ■ All All Selects all faces and adds them to the selection set. ■ Select faces. Selects specific faces (instead of all of them). ■ Undo ■ Remove Height of extrusion Sets the direction and distance of the extrusion. Entering a positive value extrudes the face in the direction of its normal. Entering a negative value extrudes the face in the direction opposite to its normal. ■ Angle of taper for extrusion. Specify an angle between -90 and +90 degrees.
Tapering the selected face with a positive angle tapers the face in, and a negative angle tapers the face out. The default angle, 0, extrudes the face perpendicular to its plane. All selected faces in the selection set are tapered to the same value. If you specify a large taper angle or height, you can cause the face to taper to a point before it reaches the extrusion height. Path Sets a path for the extrusion path based on a specified line or curve.
the path should be on the plane of the profile; if not, the path is moved to the center of the profile. If the path is a spline, the path should be perpendicular to the plane of the profile and at one of the endpoints of the path. If not, the profile is rotated to be perpendicular to the spline path.
Select faces Specifies the face to be moved. ■ Base point of displacement. Sets the base point for the move. If you specify a single point, usually entered as a coordinate, and then press Enter, the coordinate is used as the new location. ■ Second point of displacement. Sets a displacement vector that indicates how far the selected face is moved and in what direction. Face: Rotate Rotate Rotates one or more faces or a collection of features on a solid about a specified axis.
■ Axis by object ■ View ■ Xaxis, Yaxis, Zaxis ■ 2Point Axis point, 2Point Sets two points to define the axis of rotation. Pressing Enter at the main Rotate prompt displays the following prompts. Specifying a point at the main prompt skips the prompt for the first point: ■ First point on the rotation axis. Sets the first point on the axis of revolution. ■ Second point on the rotation axis. Sets the second point on the axis.
■ 3D polyline: Aligns with the 3D axis formed by the polyline start points and endpoints. ■ Spline: Aligns with the 3D axis formed by the spline's start points and endpoints. View Aligns the axis of rotation with the viewing direction of the current viewport that passes through the selected point. ■ Origin of rotation ■ Rotation angle ■ Reference Xaxis, Yaxis, Zaxis Aligns the axis of rotation with the axis (X, Y, or Z) that passes through the selected point.
■ Remove ■ All Select faces (offset) Specifies the faces you want to offset. NOTE The size of holes inside a solid object that is offset decreases as the volume of the solid increases. ■ Specify the offset distance. Sets a positive value to increase the size of the solid or a negative value to decrease the size of the solid. Face: Taper Taper Tapers faces on a 3D solid at a specified angle.
■ Select faces (taper) ■ Undo ■ Remove ■ All Select faces (taper) Specifies the faces to be tapered and then sets the slope of the taper. ■ Base point. Sets the first point for determining the plane. ■ Another point along the axis of tapering. Sets the orientation of the axis that determines the direction of the taper. ■ Taper angle. Specify an angle between -90 and +90 degrees to set the slope of the taper from the axis.
■ Select faces (copy) ■ Undo. Cancels the selection of the faces that you selected most recently. ■ Remove ■ All Select faces (delete) Specifies the face to be removed. The face must be in a location that can be filled by surrounding faces after it is removed. Face: Copy Copy Copies faces as a region or a body. If you specify two points, SOLIDEDIT uses the first point as a base point and places a single copy relative to the base point.
■ Remove ■ All Select faces (copy) Specifies the face to be copied. ■ Base point or displacement. Sets the first point to determine the distance and direction for the placement of the copied face (displacement). ■ Second point of displacement. Sets the second displacement point. Face: Color Color Changes the color of faces. Colored faces can be used to highlight details within a complex 3D solid model. ■ Select faces (color) ■ Undo.
Face: Undo Reverses actions as far back as the beginning of the SOLIDEDIT session. Face: Exit Exits the face-editing options and displays the Enter a Solids Editing Option prompt. Edge Edge Edits 3D solid objects by changing the color of or copying individual edges. Enter an edge editing option [Copy/coLor/Undo/eXit] : Edge: Copy Copies selected edges on a 3D solid as 2D arcs, circles, ellipses, lines, or splines.
Undo Cancels selection of the edges you added most recently to the selection set. The previous prompt is displayed. If all edges have been removed, the following prompt is displayed: Remove Removes previously selected edges from the selection set. The prompt is redisplayed. ■ Remove edges. Removes the edges you select from the current selection set. ■ Undo ■ Add Add Adds edges to the selection set.
Body Body Edits the entire solid object by imprinting other geometry on the solid, separating the solid into individual solid objects, shelling, cleaning, or checking the selected solid. Enter a body editing option [Imprint/seParate solids/Shell/cLean/Check/Undo/eXit] : Body: Imprint Imprints an object on the selected solid. The object to be imprinted must intersect one or more faces on the selected solid in order for imprinting to be successful.
NOTE Separating solids does not separate Boolean objects that form a single volume. Select a 3D solid Specifies the 3D solid object to separate. Press Ctrl+click to select the edge. Body: Shell Shelling creates a hollow, thin wall with a specified thickness. You can specify a constant wall thickness for all the faces. You can also exclude faces from the shell by selecting them. A 3D solid can have only one shell. New faces are created by offsetting existing ones outside their original positions.
Enter the shell offset distance Sets the size of the offset. Specify a positive value to create a shell to the inside perimeter of the solid. Specify a negative value to create a shell on the outside perimeter of the solid. Body: Clean Removes shared edges or vertices having the same surface or curve definition on either side of the edge or vertex. Removes all redundant edges, vertices, and unused geometry. Does not remove imprinted edges.
Exit Exit Exits the SOLIDEDIT command. SOLPROF Quick Reference See also: ■ Create a Flattened View Creates 2D profile images of 3D solids for display in a layout viewport. Access Methods Menu: Draw ➤ 3D Modeling ➤ Setup ➤ Profile Summary The selected 3D solids are projected onto a 2D plane parallel with the current layout viewport. The resulting 2D objects are generated on separate layers for hidden and visible lines and are displayed only in that viewport.
layers do not exist, the command creates them. If the layers do exist, the blocks are added to the information already on the layers. NOTE To determine the handle of a viewport, select the viewport while in paper space and use the LIST command. Choose a layout tab to move from model space to paper space. SOLPROF does not change the display of layers; if you want to view only the profile lines that you have created, turn off the layer containing the original solid (usually the current layer).
imaginary edge at which two faces meet and are tangent. For example, if you fillet the edge of a box, tangential edges are created where the cylindrical face of the fillet blends into the planar faces of the box. Tangential edges are not shown for most drafting applications. SOLVIEW Quick Reference See also: ■ Create a Flattened View Creates orthographic views, layers, and layout viewports automatically for 3D solids.
Enter an option [Ucs on page 976/Ortho on page 977/Auxiliary on page 978/Section on page 979]: Enter an option or press Enter to exit the command SOLVIEW places the viewport objects on the VPORTS layer, which it creates if it does not already exist. The view-specific information that is saved with each viewport you create is used by SOLDRAW to generate the final drawing view.
Named Uses the XY plane of a named UCS to create a profile view. Enter the name of the UCS you want to use and the scale of your view. Entering a scale is equivalent to zooming your viewport by a factor relative to paper space. The center is based on the current model space extents. World Uses the XY plane of the WCS to create a profile view. Enter the name of the UCS you want to use and the scale of your view. Entering a scale is equivalent to zooming your viewport by a factor relative to paper space.
Once you select the side of the viewport you want to use for projecting the new view, a rubber-band line perpendicular to the side of the viewport helps you locate the center of the new view. Auxiliary Creates an auxiliary view from an existing view. An auxiliary view is one that is projected onto a plane perpendicular to one of the orthographic views and inclined in the adjacent view.
Two points define the inclined plane used for the auxiliary projection. Both points must be located in the same viewport. A rubber-band line perpendicular to the inclined plane helps you select the center of the new viewport. Section Creates a drafting sectional view of solids, complete with cross-hatching. When you use SOLDRAW on a sectional view created with this option, it creates a temporary copy of the solids and uses SLICE to perform the operation at the cutting plane that you define.
In the original viewport, specify two points to define the sectioning plane. Define the viewing side by specifying a point on one side of the cutting plane. Enter the scale of the new view. Entering a scale is equivalent to zooming your viewport by a factor relative to paper space. The default value is a 1:1 scale, which is equivalent to zoom 1.0xp. At the next prompt, specify the center of the new viewport.
Access Methods Button Toolbar: Annotation tool set ➤ Text tool group ➤ Check Spelling Menu: Tools ➤ Spelling Toolbar: Text Command entry: 'spell for transparent use Summary When you enter spell at the Command prompt, the Check Spelling dialog box is displayed. Select the Start button to begin the spelling check. If Check Spelling is set to Entire Drawing, spelling is checked on the Model layout, then on named (paper space) layouts.
Summary Checks the spelling in single-line text, multiline text, multileader text, text within block attributes, text within xrefs, and text added to dimensions. In block attributes, only the attribute values are checked. The spelling in text objects within block references and nested block references is checked, but spell checking in block definitions is performed only if the associated block reference has been selected. List of Options The following options are displayed.
Select Text Objects Limits the spelling check to the selected single-line text, multiline text, dimension text, multileader text, text within block attributes, and text within xrefs. Not in Dictionary Displays the word identified as misspelled. Suggestions Displays a list of suggested replacement words from the current dictionary. You can select another replacement word from the list, or edit or enter a replacement word in the top Suggestions text area. Start Starts checking text for spelling errors.
Block Attributes Searches block attributes text for spelling errors. External References Specifies to search external references for spelling errors. Options Ignore Capitalized Words Specifies to ignore capitalized words. Ignore Words with Mix Cases Specifies to ignore words that contain uppercase and lowercase letters. Ignore Words in Uppercase Specifies to ignore words that are in all uppercase. Ignore Words with Numbers Specifies to ignore words that include numbers.
Toolbar: Modeling tool set ➤ Solids - Create tool group ➤ Solid Primitives flyout ➤ Sphere Menu: Draw ➤ 3D Modeling ➤ Sphere Summary You can create a sphere by specifying a center point and a point on the radius. You can control the smoothness of curved 3D solids, such as a sphere, in a shaded or hidden visual style with the FACETRES system variable. List of Prompts The following prompts are displayed.
2P (Two Points) Defines the circumference of the sphere by specifying two points anywhere in 3D space. The plane of the circumference is defined by the Z value of the first point. TTR (Tangent, Tangent, Radius) Defines the sphere with a specified radius tangent to two objects. The specified tangency points are projected onto the current UCS. SPLINE Quick Reference See also: ■ Draw Splines Creates a smooth B-spline curve that passes through or near a set of points that controls the shape of the curve.
For splines that are not selected, use the CVSHOW on page 239 and CVHIDE on page 233 commands to display and hide the control vertices and control frame. For splines created with control vertices, you can display the control frame by selecting the spline. List of Prompts The following prompts are displayed. Specify first point or [Method on page 987/Degree on page 991/Object on page 989]: Method Controls whether the spline is created with fit points or with control vertices.
Control Vertices Creates a B-spline by specifying control vertices. Use this method to create B-splines of degree 1 (linear), degree 2 (quadratic), degree 3 (cubic), and so on up to degree 10. Adjusting the shape of a spline by moving control vertices often provides better results than by moving fit points. This is the preferred method if you are creating geometry to use with 3D NURBS surfaces.
Object Converts 2D or 3D quadratic or cubic spline-fit polylines to equivalent splines. The original polyline is retained or discarded depending on the setting of the DELOBJ system variable. Next Point Creates additional curve segments until you press Enter. Undo Removes the last specified point. Close Closes the spline curve by defining the last point to be coincident with the first and making it tangent at that point (C1 continuity).
■ Chord - The chord-length method spaces the knots connecting each component curve to be proportional to the distances between each associated pair of fit points. An example is the green curve in the illustration. ■ Square Root - Also called centripetal parameterization, this method spaces the knots connecting each component curve to be proportional to the square root of the distance between each associated pair of fit points. This method usually produces “gentler” curves.
Tolerance A tolerance value of 0 requires that the resulting spline must pass through specified fit points. A tolerance value greater than 0, allows the spline to deviate from the fit points by the tolerance distance. The tolerance value applies to all fit points except the starting and ending fit points, which always have a tolerance of 0. Options for Splines with Control Vertices The following options are specific to the control vertices (CV) method.
The data that defines a spline is represented in one of two formats: as a control frame or as fit points. The format can change depending on how the spline was orginally created, the options selected from the grip menus, or the options used in SPLINEDIT. You can change any of following data: ■ Control frame data consists of control vertices, the polynomial degree of the spline, and the weights assigned to each control vertex.
Add Adds fit points to the spline. After selecting a fit point, specify a new fit point to be added to the spline in the direction of the next fit point, which is automatically highlighted. If you select the last fit point on an open spline, the new fit point is added to the end of the spline. If you select the first fit point on an open spline, you have the option of specifying whether the new fit point is added before or after the first point.
Next Selects the next fit point. Previous Selects the previous fit point. Select Point Select any fit point on the spline. Purge Replaces the fit data from the spline with control vertices. Tangents Changes the starting and ending tangents of a spline. Specify a point to establish a tangent direction. You can use object snaps such as Perpendicular or Parallel. If the spline is closed, the prompt becomes Specify Tangent or [System Default]. The System Default option calculates the default end tangents.
Delete Removes a selected control vertex. Elevate Order Increases the polynomial order (degree plus one) of the spline. This results in increasing the number of control vertices across the spline. The maximum value is 26. Move Relocates a selected control vertex. ■ New Location on page 993 ■ Next on page 994 ■ Previous on page 994 ■ Select Point on page 994 Weight Changes the weight of a specified control vertex.
Reverse Reverses the direction of the spline. This option is intended primarily for third-party applications. Undo Cancels the last action. Exit Returns to the Command prompt. SPOTLIGHT Quick Reference See also: ■ Use Spotlights Creates a spotlight that emits a directional cone of light.
If the LIGHTINGUNITS system variable is set to 0, the following prompt is displayed: Enter an option to change [Name on page 997/Intensity on page 997/Status on page 997/Hotspot on page 997/Falloff on page 997/shadoW on page 998/Attenuation on page 999/Color on page 999/eXit on page 999] : If the LIGHTINGUNITS system variable is set to 1 or 2, the following prompt is displayed: Enter an option to change [Name on page 997/Intensity factor on page 997/Photometry on page 997/Status on page 997/Hotspot on
power per unit of solid angle. The total luminous flux for a lamp is the perceived power emitted in all directions. Luminance is the total luminous flux incident on a surface, per unit area. Intensity Enter an intensity value in candelas, the perceived power in a luminous flux value, or illuminance value for the total luminous flux incident on a surface. ■ Candela (symbol: cd) is the SI unit of luminous intensity (perceived power emitted by a light source in a particular direction).
Specify the shape of the shadow by entering s and then the dimensions of the shape. (For example, the radius of the sphere or the length and width of a rectangle.) Specify the sample size by entering a. Specify the visibility of the shape by for the shadow by entering v. Attenuation Attenuation Type Controls how light diminishes over distance. The farther away an object is from a spotlight, the darker the object appears. Attenuation is also known as decay. ■ None. Sets no attenuation.
STATUS Quick Reference See also: ■ Obtain General Drawing Information Displays drawing statistics, modes, and extents. Access Methods Menu: Tools ➤ Inquiry ➤ Status Command entry: 'status for transparent use Summary All coordinates and distances are displayed by STATUS in the format specified by UNITS. STATUS reports the number of objects in the current drawing. This includes graphical objects such as arcs and polylines, and nongraphical objects such as layers and linetypes, and block definitions.
XY coordinate of the lower-left corner of the extents. The second line shows the XY coordinate of the upper-right corner. The notation Over to the right of the Y coordinate value indicates that the drawing extends outside the grid limits. Display Shows Lists the portion of the drawing extents visible in the current viewport. The first line shows the XY coordinate of the display's lower-left corner. The second line shows the XY coordinate of the upper-right corner.
(THICKNESS system variable) Fill, Grid, Ortho, Qtext, Snap, Tablet Shows whether these modes are on or off. Object Snap Modes Lists the running object snap modes specified by OSNAP. STLOUT Quick Reference See also: ■ Export Stereolithography STL Files Stores solids in an ASCII or binary file. Summary The FACETRES system variable determines how the solid is triangulated. A higher value creates a finer mesh that more accurately represents the model. This also results in a much larger file.
Create STL File Dialog Box Quick Reference See also: ■ Export Stereolithography STL Files Saves a drawing as an STL file. Access Methods Command entry: stlout Summary The Create STL File dialog box is a standard file selection dialog box. The STL file format is preferred by 3D printing service providers. If you have prepared your drawing for 3D printing, you save it with the STLOUT command. The FACETRES system variable determines how the solid is triangulated.
Toolbar: Drafting tool set ➤ Move/Rotate/Scale tool group ➤ Stretch Menu: Modify ➤ Stretch Summary Objects that are partially enclosed by a crossing window are stretched. Objects that are completely enclosed within the crossing window, or that are selected individually, are moved rather than stretched. Several objects such as circles, ellipses, and blocks, cannot be stretched. List of Prompts The following prompts are displayed. Select objects to stretch by crossing-window or crossing-polygon...
Displacement Specify displacement : Enter displacement values for X,Y (and optionally Z) If you enter a second point, the objects are stretched the vector distance from the base point to the second point. If you press Enter at the Specify Second Point of Displacement prompt, the first point is treated as an X,Y,Z displacement. STYLE Quick Reference See also: ■ Overview of Text Styles Creates, modifies, or specifies text styles.
Text Style Dialog Box Quick Reference See also: ■ Overview of Text Styles Creates, modifies, or specifies text styles. Summary Creates, modifies, or sets named text styles. List of Options The following options are displayed. Preview Displays sample text that changes dynamically as you change fonts and modify the effects.
Effects Modifies characteristics of the font, such as its height, width factor, and obliquing angle and whether it is displayed upside down, backwards, or vertically aligned. Annotative ( ) Specifies that the text is . Click the information icon to learn more about the annotative objects. Match Text Orientation to Layout Specifies that the orientation of the text in paper space viewports matches the orientation of the layout. This option is available when the Annotative option is selected.
Sets the character spacing. Entering a value less than 1.0 condenses the text. Entering a value greater than 1.0 expands it. Angle Sets the obliquing angle of the text. Entering a value between -85 and 85 italicizes the text. NOTE TrueType fonts using the effects described in this section might appear bold on the screen. Onscreen appearance has no effect on plotted output. Fonts are plotted as specified by applied character formatting. Styles Displays the list of styles in the drawing.
NOTE You cannot remove text styles that are in use by an annotation object or style. Style List Filter The drop-down list specifies whether all styles or only the styles in use are displayed in the styles list. Family Filter Filters the fonts listed in the Family list. -STYLE Quick Reference See also: ■ Overview of Text Styles Creates, modifies, or specifies text styles. List of Prompts The following prompts are displayed.
the file is already in use by another text style. You can define several styles that use the same font file. Match Text Orientation to Layout If you enter yes the current text style orientation in paper space viewports matches the layout. Height of Text If you enter a height of 0.0, you are prompted for the text height each time you enter text using this style. Entering a height greater than 0.0 sets the Text Height (Non annotative), entering a height greater than 0.
Toolbar: Modeling tool set ➤ Solids - Edit tool group ➤ Booleans flyout ➤ Subtract Menu: Modify ➤ Solid Editing ➤ Subtract Summary With SUBTRACT, you can create a 3D solid by subtracting one set of existing 3D solids from another, overlapping set. You can create a 2D region object by subtracting one set of existing region objects from another, overlapping set. You can select only regions for use with this command. NOTE Using SUBTRACT with 3D surfaces is not recommended.
You can only subtract regions from other regions that are on the same plane. However, you can perform simultaneous SUBTRACT actions by selecting sets of regions on different planes. The program then produces separate subtracted regions on each plane. Regions for which there are no other selected coplanar regions are rejected. You cannot use SUBTRACT with mesh objects. However, if you select a mesh object, you will be prompted to convert it to a 3D solid or surface.
SURFBLEND Quick Reference See also: ■ Blend a Surface Creates a continuous blend surface between two existing surfaces. Access Methods Button Toolbar: Modeling tool set ➤ Surfaces - Create tool group ➤ Surface Blend Menu: Draw ➤ 3D Modeling ➤ Surfaces ➤ Blend Summary When you blend two surfaces together, you specify surface continuity and bulge magnitude. Set SURFACEASSOCIATIVITY on page 1507 to 1 to create a relationship between the blend surface and the originating curves.
Bulge Magnitude Sets the roundness of the blend surface edge where it meets the originating surface. The default is 0.5. Valid values are between 0 and 1. SURFEXTEND Quick Reference See also: ■ Extend a Surface Lengthens a surface by a specified distance.
List of Prompts The following prompts are displayed. Specify Extension Distance Specifies the extension length. Expression Enter a formula or equation to specify the length of the surface extension. See Constrain a Design with Formulas and Equations. Modes ■ Extend - Extrudes the surface in a way that tries to mimic and continue the shape of the surface. ■ Stretch - Extrudes the surface without trying to mimic and continue the shape of the surface.
Menu: Draw ➤ 3D Modeling ➤ Surfaces ➤ Fillet Summary The fillet surface has a constant radius profile and is tangent to the original surfaces. The original surfaces are automatically trimmed to connect the edges of the fillet surface. List of Prompts The following prompts are displayed. First and Second Surface or Region Specifies the first and second surfaces or regions. Radius Specifies fillet radius. Use the Fillet grip or enter a value to change the radius.
SURFNETWORK Quick Reference See also: ■ Create Network Surfaces Creates a surface in the space between several curves in the U and V directions (including surface and solid edge subobjects). Access Methods Button Toolbar: Modeling tool set ➤ Surfaces - Create tool group ➤ Surface Network Menu: Draw ➤ 3D Modeling ➤ Surfaces ➤ Network Summary A network surface can be created between a network of curves or between the edges of other 3D surfaces or solids.
The surface will be dependent on the curves or edges from which it was created if the SURFACEASSOCIATIVITY on page 1507 system variable is set to 1. List of Prompts The following prompts display: Select Curves or Surface Edges in the First Direction Select a network of open curves, open surface edges, or region edges (not the surfaces or regions) for the U or V direction.
SURFOFFSET Quick Reference See also: ■ Offset a Surface Creates a parallel surface a specified distance from the original surface. Access Methods Button Toolbar: Modeling tool set ➤ Surfaces - Create tool group (expanded) ➤ Surface Offset Menu: Draw ➤ 3D Modeling ➤ Surfaces ➤ Offset Summary Reverse the direction of the offset with the Flip Direction option.
List of Prompts The following prompts display. Specify Offset Distance Specifies the distance between the offset surface and the original surface. Flip Direction Reverses the offset direction shown by the arrows. Both Sides Offsets the surface in both directions (creates two new surfaces in instead of one). Solid Creates a solid from the offset. This is similar to the THICKEN on page 1049 command. Connect Connects multiple offset surfaces, if the original surfaces are connected.
Expression Enter a formula or equation to specify the distance of the surface offset. See Constrain a Design with Formulas and Equations. SURFPATCH Quick Reference See also: ■ Patch a Surface Creates a new surface by fitting a cap over a surface edge that forms a closed loop.
Summary You can also add an additional curve over the closed loop to constrain and guide the patch surface. When you create a patch surface, you can specify surface continuity and bulge magnitude. If the SURFACEASSOCIATIVITY on page 1507 system variable is set to 1, associativity is maintained between the patch surface and the originating edges or curves. List of Prompts The following prompts are displayed.
Constrain Geometry Uses additional guide curves to shape the patch surface. Guide curves can be curves or points. SURFSCULPT Quick Reference See also: ■ Convert a Group of Surfaces to a 3D Solid Trims and combines surfaces that bound a watertight area to create a solid.
NOTE The area enclosed by the surfaces must be watertight and the surfaces must have a continuity of G0 or the SURFSCULPT command cannot complete. The SURFSCULPT command also works with solid and mesh objects. If you are working with meshes, the operation uses the SMOOTHMESHCONVERT on page 1489 setting. SURFTRIM Quick Reference See also: ■ Trim and Untrim Surfaces Trims portions of a surface where it meets another surface or type of geometry.
Toolbar: Modeling tool set ➤ Surfaces - Edit tool group ➤ Surface Trim Menu: Modify ➤ Surface Editing ➤ Trim Summary Trims portions of a surface where it meets or bisects a curve, region, or another surface. If the SURFACEASSOCIATIVITY on page 1507 system variable is set to 1, the trimmed surface updates whenever the trimming edges are modified. List of Prompts The following prompts are displayed. Select Surfaces or Regions to Trim Select one or more surfaces or regions to trim.
Projection Direction The cutting geometry is projected onto the surface. Controls the projection angle as follows: Automatic ■ When trimming a surface or region in plan, parallel view (for example, the default Top, Front, and Right view), the cutting geometry is projected onto the surface in the view direction.
Access Methods Button Toolbar: Modeling tool set ➤ Surfaces - Edit tool group (expanded) ➤ Surface Untrim Menu: Modify ➤ Surface Editing ➤ Untrim Summary If the trimmed edge is dependent on another surface edge that has also been trimmed, you may not be able to fully restore the trimmed area. NOTE SURFUNTRIM does not restore areas removed by the SURFAUTOTRIM system variable and PROJECTGEOMETRY. List of Prompts The following prompts are displayed.
SWEEP Quick Reference See also: ■ Create a Solid or Surface by Sweeping Creates a 3D solid or surface by sweeping a 2D or 3D object or subobject along a path. Access Methods Button Toolbar: Modeling tool set ➤ Solids - Create tool group ➤ Solid Creation flyout ➤ Sweep Menu: Draw ➤ 3D Modeling ➤ Sweep Summary Creates a solid or surface by sweeping an open or closed, planar or non-planar curve (profile) along an open or closed path.
Objects that Can Be Swept Objects that Can Be Used as a Sweep Path 2D polylines 2D and 3D polylines 2D solids Solid, surface and mesh edge subobjects 3D solid face subobjects Helices Arcs Arcs Circles Circles Ellipses Ellipses Elliptical arcs Elliptical arcs Lines Lines Regions Solid, surface and mesh edge subobjects Trace NOTE Select face and edge subobjects by pressing Ctrl while you select them.
Alignment Specifies whether the profile is aligned to be normal to the tangent direction of the sweep path. NOTE If the profile is not perpendicular (normal) to the tangent of the start point of the path, then the profile automatically aligns. Enter No at the alignment prompt to prevent this. Base Point Specifies a base point for the objects to be swept. Scale Specifies a scale factor for a sweep operation.
T Commands 20 TABLE Quick Reference See also: ■ Create and Modify Tables Creates an empty table object. Access Methods Button Toolbar: Annotation tool set ➤ Tables tool group ➤ Table Menu: Draw ➤ Table Summary A table is a compound object that contains data in rows and columns. It can be created from an empty table or a table style. When you create a table, the number of columns and rows created is determined by the two points picked to define the size of the table.
List of Prompts The following prompts are displayed. Specify first corner: Specify a point for the first corner of the table Specify second corner: Specify the opposite corner of the table -TABLE Quick Reference See also: ■ Create and Modify Tables Creates an empty table object. List of Prompts The following prompts are displayed. Current table style: "Standard" Cell width: 2.
First Corner Specifies the location of the upper-left corner of the table. If the table style sets the direction of the table to read from the bottom up, the insertion point is the lower-left corner of the table. Height Specifies a height for the table rows. Auto Specifies a size and a location for the table. Number of Rows Specifies the number of rows. From Style Specifies a table style for creating the table. You can use the pointing device or enter coordinate values at the Command prompt.
Blocks Retains blocks found in the specified table style’s starting table. Cell Style Overrides Retains cell style overrides found in the specified table style’s starting table. TABLEDIT Quick Reference See also: ■ Add Text and Blocks to Tables Edits text in a table cell. Access Methods Pointing device: Double-click inside a table cell.
TABSURF Quick Reference See also: ■ Construct Meshes from Other Objects Creates a mesh from a line or curve that is swept along a straight path. Access Methods Menu: Draw ➤ 3D Modeling ➤ Meshes ➤ Tabulated Mesh Summary Select a line, arc, circle, ellipse, or polyline to sweep in a straight path. Then select a line or polyline to determine the first and last points of a vector that indicates the direction and length of the polygon mesh. The MESHTYPE system variable sets which type of mesh is created.
Object for path curve Specifies which object is swept along the path. The path curve defines the approximated surface of the polygon mesh. It can be a line, arc, circle, ellipse, or 2D or 3D polyline. The mesh is drawn starting at the point on the path curve closest to the selection point. Object for direction vector. Specifies a line or open polyline that defines the direction of the sweep. Only the first and last points on a polyline are considered, and intermediate vertices are ignored.
List of Prompts The following prompts are displayed.
Intensity Enter an intensity value in candelas, the perceived power in a luminous flux value, or illuminance value for the total luminous flux incident on a surface. ■ Candela (symbol: cd) is the SI unit of luminous intensity (perceived power emitted by a light source in a particular direction). Cd/Sr ■ Lux (symbol: lx) is the SI unit of illuminance. Lm/m^2 ■ Foot-candle (symbol: fc) is the American unit of illuminance. Lm/ft^2 Enter f to specify the perceived power in a luminous flux value.
Shape Specify the shape of the shadow by entering s and then the dimensions of the shape. (For example, the radius of the sphere or the length and width of a rectangle.) Attenuation Attenuation Type Controls how light diminishes over distance. The farther away an object is from a point light, the darker the object appears. Attenuation is also known as decay. ■ None. Sets no attenuation. Objects far from the point light are as bright as objects close to the light. ■ Inverse Linear.
TEXT Quick Reference See also: ■ Create Single-Line Text Creates a single-line text object. Access Methods Button Toolbar: Annotation tool set ➤ Text tool group ➤ Multiline Text flyout ➤ Single Line Menu: Draw ➤ Text ➤ Single Line Text Summary You can use single-line text to create one or more lines of text, where each text line is an independent object that you can move, format, or otherwise modify. Right-click in the text box to select options on the shortcut menu.
You can enter special characters and format text by entering Unicode strings and control codes. Use -TEXT to honor the TEXTEVAL system variable. List of Prompts The following prompts are displayed. Current text style: Current text height: Annotative: Specify start point on page 1041 of text or [Justify on page 1041/Style on page 1044]: Specify a point or enter an option Start Point Specifies a start point for the text object.
The height is the distance in drawing units that the uppercase letters extend from the baseline. Designated text height is the distance between the start point and a point you specify. The longer the text string, the narrower the characters. The height of the characters remains constant. Center Aligns text from the horizontal center of the baseline, which you specify with a point. The rotation angle specifies the orientation of the text baseline with respect to the center point.
TR (Top Right) Right-justifies text at a point specified for the top of the text. Available for horizontally oriented text only. ML (Middle Left) Left-justifies text at a point specified for the middle of the text. Available for horizontally oriented text only. MC (Middle Center) Centers the text both horizontally and vertically at the middle of the text. Available for horizontally oriented text only.
Style Specifies the text style, which determines the appearance of the text characters. Text you create uses the current text style. Entering ? lists the current text styles, associated font files, height, and other parameters. Text Shortcut Menu Quick Reference See also: ■ Create Single-Line Text Displays options available for creating and modifying single-line text. List of Options The following options are displayed. Opaque Background When checked, makes the background of the editor opaque.
Special Unicode Characters Quick Reference See also: ■ Create Single-Line Text When entering text, you can create special characters, including the degree symbol, plus/minus tolerance symbol, and the diameter symbol, by entering the following Unicode character strings. List of Options The following options are displayed. \U+00B0 Degrees symbol (°) \U+00B1 Tolerance symbol ( ) \U+2205 Diameter symbol ( ) See “Unicode Font Descriptions” in the Customization Guide.
List of Options The following options are displayed. %%nnn Draws character number nnn. You can use these control codes with standard AutoCAD for Mac text fonts only: %%o Toggles overscoring on and off. %%u Toggles underscoring on and off. %%d Draws degrees symbol (°). %%p Draws plus/minus tolerance symbol ( ). %%c Draws circle diameter dimensioning symbol (ý). %%% Draws a single percent sign (%). This is valid for the TEXT command only. Overscoring and underscoring can be in effect at the same time.
TEXT and the TEXTEVAL System Variable Quick Reference See also: ■ Create Single-Line Text Summary Entering -text at the Command prompt displays the same prompts as the TEXT command. Unlike the TEXT command, -TEXT honors the setting of the TEXTEVAL system variable. When the TEXTEVAL system variable is set to 2, ® AutoLISP expressions are evaluated when the -TEXT command ends. AutoLISP expressions that are entered using this method must begin with an exclamation point or left parenthesis.
Select an annotation object: Select a text, mtext, dimensional, or dimensional constraint object to edit TEXTTOFRONT Quick Reference See also: ■ Control How Overlapping Objects Are Displayed Brings text and dimensions in front of all other objects in the drawing.
THICKEN Quick Reference See also: ■ Create 3D Solids from Objects Converts a surface into a 3D solid with a specified thickness. Access Methods Button Toolbar: Modeling tool set ➤ Solids - Edit (expanded) ➤ Thicken Menu: Modify ➤ 3D Operations ➤ Thicken Summary A useful technique for modeling a complex 3D curved solid is to first create a surface and then convert it to a 3D solid by thickening it. Initially, the default thickness value is zero.
TIFOUT Quick Reference See also: ■ Export Raster Files Saves selected objects to a file in TIFF file format. Summary The Create Raster File dialog box (a standard file selection dialog box) is displayed. Enter the file name in the dialog box. List of Prompts The following prompts are displayed. Select objects or : Press Enter to select all objects and viewports or use an object selection method and press Enter A TIFF file is created that contains the objects you select.
Summary List of Prompts The following prompts are displayed. Current time: Wednesday, December 31, 2003 9:54:51:406 AM Times for this drawing: Created: Friday, December 12, 2003 1:21:36:203 AM Last Updated: Wednesday, December 31, 2003 9:49:19:208 AM Total Editing Time: 0 days 06:44:10.520 Elapsed Timer (on): 0 days 00:07:05.312 Next Automatic Save In: 0 days 01:59:15.
TINSERT Quick Reference See also: ■ Add Text and Blocks to Tables Inserts a block in a table cell. Access Methods Toolbar: With a table and table cell selected, click Insert Block on the Table Cell visor. Summary The Insert a Block in a Table Cell dialog box is displayed. Insert a Block in a Table Cell Dialog Box Quick Reference See also: ■ Add Text and Blocks to Tables Specifies options for inserting a block in a table cell.
List of Options The following options are displayed. Name Specifies the block reference to insert. Browse Displays the Select Drawing File dialog box. Select the drawing file to insert as a block reference. Path Displays the location of the drawing file selected in the Select Drawing File dialog box. Scale Specifies the scale for the block reference. Enter a value or select AutoFit to scale the block to fit in the selected cell.
TOLERANCE Quick Reference See also: ■ Overview of Geometric Tolerances Creates geometric tolerances contained in a feature control frame. Access Methods Button Toolbar: Annotation tool set ➤ Dimensions tool group (expanded) ➤ Tolerance Menu: Dimension ➤ Tolerance Summary The Geometric Tolerance dialog box is displayed. Geometric tolerances show acceptable deviations of form, profile, orientation, location, and runout.
Geometric Tolerance Dialog Box Quick Reference See also: ■ Overview of Geometric Tolerances Specifies the symbols and values for a feature control frame. Summary After you select geometric characteristic symbols, the Geometric Tolerance dialog box closes and the following prompt is displayed: Enter tolerance location: Specify a location The feature control frame is placed at the specified location. List of Prompts The following prompts are displayed.
from a perfect form. You can insert a diameter symbol before the tolerance value and a material condition symbol after it. First Box Inserts a diameter symbol in front of the tolerance value. Click the box to insert the diameter symbol. Second Box Creates the tolerance value. Enter a value in the box. Third Box Displays the Material Condition dialog box, in which you select a modifying symbol.
The symbol is inserted into the MC box for the primary datum reference in the Geometric Tolerance dialog box. Datum 2 Creates the secondary datum reference in the feature control frame in the same way as the primary datum reference. Datum 3 Creates the tertiary datum reference in the feature control frame in the same way as the primary datum reference. Height Creates a projected tolerance zone value in the feature control frame.
Symbol Dialog Box Quick Reference See also: ■ Overview of Geometric Tolerances Displays the geometric characteristic symbols for location, orientation, form, profile, and runout. Summary The symbol is inserted into the Sym text box in the Geometric Tolerance dialog box. The following table describes the symbols.
Geometric characteristic symbols Symbol Characteristic Type Perpendicularity Orientation Angularity Orientation Cylindricility Form Flatness Form Circularity or roundness Form Straightness Form Profile of a surface Profile Profile of a line Profile Circular runout Runout Total runout Runout Symbol Dialog Box | 1059
Material Condition Dialog Box Quick Reference See also: ■ Overview of Geometric Tolerances Specifies a modifying symbol. These symbols act as modifiers to the geometric characteristic and the tolerance value of features that can vary in size. Summary The symbol is inserted into the MC box for the first or second tolerance value in the Geometric Tolerance dialog box. TOOLSETS Quick Reference See also: ■ The Tool Sets Palette Opens the Tool Sets palette.
TOOLSETSCLOSE Quick Reference See also: ■ The Tool Sets Palette Closes the Tool Sets palette. TORUS Quick Reference See also: ■ Create a Solid Torus Creates a donut-shaped 3D solid. Access Methods Button Toolbar: Modeling tool set ➤ Solids - Create tool group ➤ Solid Primitives flyout ➤ Torus Menu: Draw ➤ 3D Modeling ➤ Torus Summary You can create a torus by specifying the center, then the radius or diameter of the torus, and then the radius or diameter of the tube that surrounds the torus.
List of Prompts The following prompts are displayed. Specify center point or [3P on page 1062/2P on page 1062/TTR on page 1062]: Specify a point (1) or enter an option When you specify the center point, the torus is positioned so that its central axis is parallel to the Z axis of the current user coordinate system (UCS). The torus is parallel to and bisected by the XY plane of the current workplane.
Diameter Defines the diameter of the torus. ■ Radius on page 1062 ■ Diameter on page 1062 TRACE Quick Reference See also: ■ Draw Linear Objects Creates solid lines. Summary The endpoints of a trace are on the center line and are always cut square. TRACE automatically calculates the correct bevels for connection to adjacent segments. Each segment is drawn after you either specify the next segment or press Enter. Because of the way bevels are handled, TRACE has no undo option.
TRANSPARENCY Quick Reference See also: Modify Color and Transparency for Bitonal Raster Images ■ Controls whether background pixels in an image are transparent or opaque. Access Methods Menu: Modify ➤ Object ➤ Image ➤ Transparency List of Prompts The following prompts are displayed. Select image(s): Enter transparency mode [ON/OFF] : Enter an option or press Enter On Turns transparency on so that objects beneath the image are visible.
branches. The paper space branch is called a quad-tree and treats objects as two-dimensional. The model space branch is called an oct-tree and treats objects as either two- or three-dimensional. The model space branch can also be changed to a quad-tree when you are working on two-dimensional drawings. TREESTAT displays information about each branch.
Summary To trim objects, select the boundaries. Then press Enter and select the objects that you want to trim. To use all objects as boundaries, press Enter at the first Select Objects prompt. List of Prompts The following prompts are displayed. Current settings: Projection = current, Edge = current Select cutting edges...
Specify an object selection method to select the objects to trim. If more than one trim result is possible, the location of the first selection point determines the result. Object to Trim Specifies the object to trim. Shift-Select to Extend Extends the selected objects rather than trimming them. This option provides an easy method to switch between trimming and extending. Fence Selects all objects that cross the selection fence.
UCS Specifies projection onto the XY plane of the current UCS. The command trims objects that do not intersect with the cutting edge in 3D space. View Specifies projection along the current view direction. The command trims objects that intersect the boundary in the current view. Edge Determines whether an object is trimmed at another object's extrapolated edge or only to an object that intersects it in 3D space. Extend Extends the cutting edge along its natural path to intersect an object in 3D space.
NOTE When trimming hatches, do not set Edge to Extend. If you do, gaps in the trim boundaries will not be bridged when trimming hatches, even when the gap tolerance is set to a correct value. Erase Deletes selected objects. This option provides a convenient method to erase unneeded objects without leaving the TRIM command. Undo Reverses the most recent change made by TRIM.
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U Commands 21 U Quick Reference See also: ■ Correct Mistakes Reverses the most recent operation. Access Methods Menu: Edit ➤ Undo Shortcut menu: With no command active and no objects selected, right-click in the drawing area and click Undo. Command entry: Cmd-Z Summary You can enter u as many times as you wish, backing up one step at a time, until the drawing is as it was when you began the current editing session.
UCS Quick Reference See also: ■ Use Coordinates and Coordinate Systems (UCS) Manages user coordinate systems. Access Methods Button Toolbar: Drafting tool set ➤ Coordinates tool group ➤ World UCS Menu: Tools ➤ New UCS ➤ Origin Shortcut menu: Right-click the UCS icon to access UCS commands from the UCS shortcut menu. Summary Yhe UCS is a movable coordinate system that you can relocate or rotate to support your work. List of Prompts The following prompts are displayed.
The three points specify an origin point, a point on the positive X axis, and a point on the positive XY plane. NOTE If you enter the coordinates for a point and you do not specify a Z coordinate value, the current Z value is used. Face Dynamically aligns the UCS to a face on a 3D solid. Select a face by clicking within the boundary or on an edge of the face. The UCS X axis is aligned with the closest edge of the original face selected.
Restore Restores a saved UCS so that it becomes the current UCS. Name Specifies a named UCS. ?—List UCS definitions Lists the names of currently defined UCSs. Save Saves the current UCS to a specified name. Name Saves the current UCS with the specified name. Delete Removes the specified UCS from the list of saved UCS definitions. If you delete a named UCS that is current, the current UCS is renamed UNNAMED.
The new UCS is defined as shown in the following table Define a UCS by selecting an object Object Method of determining UCS Arc The center of the arc becomes the new UCS origin. The X axis passes through the arc endpoint that is closest to the selection point. Circle The center of the circle becomes the new UCS origin. The X axis passes through the selection point. Dimension The midpoint of the dimension text becomes the new UCS origin.
Define a UCS by selecting an object Object Method of determining UCS its extrusion direction. The object you select to establish a new UCS has a rotation angle of zero in the new UCS. Text, block reference, attribute definition The insertion point of the object becomes the new UCS origin, and the new X axis is defined by the rotation of the object about its extrusion direction. The object you select to establish a new UCS has a rotation angle of zero in the new UCS. Previous Restores the previous UCS.
X, Y, Z Rotates the current UCS about a specified axis. Point your right thumb in the positive direction of the X axis and curl your fingers. Your fingers indicate the positive rotation direction about the axis. Point your right thumb in the positive direction of the Y axis and curl your fingers. Your fingers indicate the positive rotation direction about the axis. Point your right thumb in the positive direction of the Z axis and curl your fingers.
Z Axis Aligns the user coordinate system to a specified positive Z axis. The UCS origin is moved to the first point specified and its positive Z axis passes through the second point specified. Object Aligns the Z axis in the direction tangent to the endpoint nearest to where the object was selected. The positive Z axis points away from the object. Apply Applies the current UCS setting to a specified viewport or all active viewports when other viewports have a different UCS saved in the viewport.
UCSICON Quick Reference See also: ■ Control the Display of the User Coordinate System Icon Controls the visibility and placement of the UCS icon. Access Methods Button Toolbar: Drafting tool set ➤ Coordinates tool group (expanded) ➤ UCS Icon Properties Menu: View ➤ Display ➤ UCS Icon ➤ Properties Summary The UCS icon displays the orientation of the user coordinate system (UCS) axes and the location of the UCS origin.
With the 3D UCS icon, the Z axis is solid when viewed from above the XY plane and dashed when viewed from below the XY plane. If the UCS is rotated so that the Z axis lies in a plane parallel to the viewing plane—that is, if the XY plane is edge-on to the viewer—the 2D UCS icon is replaced by a broken pencil icon. The 3D UCS icon does not use a broken pencil icon. List of Prompts The following prompts are displayed.
No Origin Displays the icon at the lower-left corner of the viewport regardless of the location of the UCS origin. Origin Displays the icon at the origin (0,0,0) of the current coordinate system. If the origin is off the screen, or if the icon cannot be positioned at the origin without being clipped at the viewport edges, the icon is displayed at the lower-left corner of the viewport. Properties Displays the UCS Icon dialog box, in which you can control the style, visibility, and location of the UCS icon.
UCS Icon Style Specifies display of either the 2D or the 3D UCS icon and its appearance. 2D Displays a 2D icon without a representation of the Z axis. 3D Displays a 3D icon. Line Width Controls the line width of the UCS icon if the 3D UCS icon is selected. Preview Displays a preview of the UCS icon in model space. Size Controls the size of the UCS icon as a percentage of viewport size. The default value is 50, and the valid range is from 5 to 95.
Manages defined user coordinate systems. Access Methods Button Toolbar: Drafting tool set ➤ Coordinates tool group (expanded) ➤ Named UCS Menu: Tools ➤ Named UCS Summary The UCS dialog box is displayed. UCS Dialog Box Quick Reference See also: ■ Use Coordinates and Coordinate Systems (UCS) Controls the UCS and UCS icon settings for viewports. Summary Lists, renames, and restores previously defined user coordinate systems, and controls UCS and UCS icon settings for viewports.
Current UCS Displays the name of the current UCS. If the UCS has not been saved and named, it is listed as UNNAMED. UCS Names List Lists the coordinate systems defined in the current drawing. If there are multiple viewports and multiple unnamed UCS settings, the list includes only the unnamed UCS of the current viewport. Unnamed UCS definitions that are locked to other viewports (UCSVP system variable = 1) are not listed in the current viewport. A pointer indicates the current UCS.
Details Displays the UCS Details dialog box, which displays UCS coordinate data. Orthographic Tab (UCS Dialog Box) Changes the UCS to one of the orthographic UCS settings. Current UCS Displays the name of the current UCS. If the UCS has not been saved and named, it is listed as UNNAMED. Orthographic UCS Names Lists the six orthographic coordinate systems defined in the current drawing. The orthographic coordinate systems are defined relative to the UCS specified in the Relative To list. ■ Name.
Specifies the base coordinate system for defining the orthographic UCSs. By default, WCS is the base coordinate system. Whenever you change the Relative To setting, the origin of the selected orthographic UCS is restored to its default position.
UCS Icon Settings Specifies the UCS icon display settings for the current viewport. On Displays the UCS icon in the current viewport. Display at UCS Origin Point Displays the UCS icon at the origin of the current coordinate system in the current viewport. If this option is cleared, or if the origin of the coordinate system is not visible in the viewport, the UCS icon is displayed at the lower-left corner of the viewport.
Orthographic UCS Depth Dialog Box Quick Reference See also: ■ Use Coordinates and Coordinate Systems (UCS) Specifies the depth for an orthographic UCS. Access Methods Shortcut menu: On the Orthographic tab, click Options ➤ Depth. List of Options The following options are displayed. Depth Specifies the distance between the XY plane of the orthographic UCS and a parallel plane that passes through the origin of the coordinate system.
Access Methods Shortcut menu: On the Named or Orthographic tab, click Options ➤ Details. Summary By default, the origin and the values for the X, Y, and Z axes are calculated relative to the world coordinate system. List of Options The following options are displayed. Name Displays the name of the current named UCS. Origin Displays the UCS origin relative to the UCS selected in Relative To. X Axis Displays the values for the X axis relative to the UCS selected in Relative To.
List of Prompts The following prompts are displayed. Enter command name: Enter a command name to suppress that command. The suppressed command name can then be redefined to perform some other function. You can undefine only built-in AutoCAD commands. You cannot undefine ® commands defined by AutoLISP . This includes ObjectARX™ application commands registered by acedDefun(). You also cannot undefine external commands and aliases defined in the acad.pgp file.
Summary UNDO displays the command or system variable name at the Command prompt to indicate that you have stepped past the point where the command was used. NOTE UNDO has no effect on some commands and system variables, including those that open, close, or save a window or a drawing, display information, change the graphics display, regenerate the drawing, or export the drawing in a different format. List of Prompts The following prompts are displayed.
a Control option or a single step of the UNDO command is available when the One option is in effect. Combine Controls whether multiple, consecutive zoom and pan commands are combined as a single operation for undo and redo operations. NOTE Pan and zoom commands that are started from the menu are not combined, and always remain separate actions. Layer Controls whether the layer dialog operations are combined as a single undo operation. Begin, End Groups a sequence of actions into a set.
Undocumented Command or System Variable Quick Reference This command or system variable is not documented in the Help system for one of several reasons, including ■ It is obsolete, but included in the product to maintain legacy script compatibility ■ It was included for testing purposes and has limited or no functionality Use Search to find additional information about the feature in which you are interested, and the documented commands and system variables associated with it.
Summary You can combine two or more 3D solids, surfaces, or 2D regions into a single, composite 3D solid, surface, or region. You must select the same type of objects to combine. Using the Union Command with Surfaces Although you can use the UNION command with surfaces, it will cause the surface to lose associativity.
You cannot use UNION with mesh objects. However, if you select a mesh object, you will be prompted to convert it to a 3D solid or surface. List of Prompts The following prompt is displayed. Select objects Select the 3D solids, surfaces, or regions to be combined. UNISOLATEOBJECTS Quick Reference See also: ■ Control the Display of Objects Displays previously hidden objects.
UNITS Quick Reference See also: ■ Determine the Units of Measurement Controls coordinate and angle display formats and precision. Access Methods Menu: Format ➤ Units Command entry: 'units for transparent use Summary The format, precision, and other conventions to be used in displaying coordinates, distances, and angles are set and saved in drawing template files. These settings can also be changed in the current drawing file. The Drawing Units dialog box is displayed.
List of Options The following options are displayed. Length Specifies the current unit of measurement and the precision for the current units. Type Sets the current format for units of measure. The values include Architectural, Decimal, Engineering, Fractional, and Scientific. The Engineering and Architectural formats produce feet-and-inches displays and assume that each drawing unit represents one inch. The other formats can represent any real-world unit.
Angle Specifies the current angle format and the precision for the current angle display. Type Sets the current angle format. Precision Sets the precision for the current angle display. The following conventions are used for the various angle measures: decimal degrees appear as decimal numbers, grads appear with a lowercase g suffix, and radians appear with a lowercase r suffix. The degrees/minutes/seconds format uses d for degrees, ' for minutes, and " for seconds; for example: 123d45'56.
Insertion Scale Controls the unit of measurement for blocks and drawings that are inserted into the current drawing. A block or a drawing that is created with units that are different from the units specified with this option is scaled when inserted. The insertion scale is the ratio of the units used in the source block or drawing and the units used in the target drawing. Select Unitless to insert the block without scaling it to match the specified units.
List of Prompts The following prompts are displayed. Report formats: (Examples) 1. Scientific 1.55E+01 2. Decimal 15.50 3. Engineering 1'-3.50" 4. Architectural 1'-3 1/2" 5.
Measure angles clockwise? [Yes/No] : Enter y or n or press Enter UPDATEFIELD Quick Reference See also: ■ Update Fields Manually updates fields in selected objects in the drawing. Access Methods Button Toolbar: Annotation tool set ➤ Fields tool group ➤ Update Menu: Tools ➤ Update Fields Shortcut menu: With any text command active and a field selected, right-click and click Update Field. Summary You can update a field manually when you want to see the latest value.
Summary The UPDATETHUMBNAIL system variable controls how the thumbnail previews are updated. The UPDATETHUMBSNOW command updates the following: ■ Sheets, sheet views, and model space views thumbnails in the Sheet Set Manager ■ Quick View images NOTE The thumbnail previews displayed in the Sheet Set Manager is not available in AutoCAD LT and AutoCAD for Mac. This command is made available for use in mixed environments. UPLOADTOWS Quick Reference Uploads a drawing file to AutoCAD WS.
Upload to AutoCAD WS Dialog Box Quick Reference Allows you to log in to AutoCAD WS and upload the current drawing file. List of Options The following options are displayed. Sign in to Access AutoCAD WS Allows you to log in using an existing account or create a new account for AutoCAD WS. Create an Account Displays the text/ Email Enter the e-mail address for your account to login. Password Enter the password for your account to login.
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V Commands 22 VEDITFROMWS Quick Reference Launches AutoCAD WS in your default Web browser, from there you can view and edit previously uploaded drawings. Access Methods Menu: File ➤ View/Edit Online Summary Launches AutoCAD WS in your default Web browser. Once logged in, you can view and edit the drawing files that you have uploaded to AutoCAD WS or have been shared with you. Drawings that you upload can be shared with other AutoCAD WS users.
VIEW Quick Reference See also: ■ Save and Restore Views Saves and restores named model space views, layout views, and preset views. Summary The options are displayed at the Command prompt, options are displayed. If you enter -view at the Command prompt, the options are displayed at the Command prompt as well. NOTE The VIEW command cannot be used transparently. -VIEW Quick Reference See also: ■ Save and Restore Views List of Prompts The following prompts are displayed.
The view orientation of the specified orthographic view is based on the UCSBASE system variable, which is set to the world coordinate system by default. When one of the orthographic views is restored, the program zooms to the extents in the current viewport. Restore Restores the view you specify to the current viewport. If a UCS setting was saved with the view, it is also restored. The center point and magnification of the saved view are also restored.
Visual Style Sets or updates a visual style for a view. Window Saves a portion of the current display as a view. Restoring such a view may display objects outside the window you specified because the shape of the window may differ from that of the viewport in which you are restoring the view. However, plotting the view plots only the objects inside the window, not the entire viewport display. VIEWPLOTDETAILS Quick Reference See also: ■ Overview of Plotting Displays information about completed print jobs.
List of Options The following options are displayed. View Specifies what is displayed. You can also right-click in the details area and click View Errors Only or View All to change this setting. All Displays information about all completed print jobs and sheets within those jobs. Errors Lists errors that have occurred as jobs were printed. Copy to Clipboard Copies all highlighted text to the Clipboard. Details Area Lists details of completed print jobs.
VIEWRES Quick Reference See also: ■ Change Views Sets the resolution for objects in the current viewport. Summary The model is regenerated. VIEWRES controls the appearance of circles, arcs, splines, and arced polylines using short vectors. The greater the number of vectors, the smoother the appearance of the circle or arc. For example, if you create a very small circle and then zoom in, it might appear to be a polygon.
VISUALSTYLES (-VISUALSTYLES) Quick Reference See also: ■ Use a Visual Style to Display Your Model Creates and modifies visual styles from the command line. List of Prompts The following prompts are displayed. Enter an option [set Current on page 1111/Saveas on page 1111/Rename on page 1111/Delete on page 1111/? on page 1111]: Set Current These options are the same as the options in VSCURRENT. Save As Name Saves the visual style with the name you specify.
Clips layout viewport objects and reshapes the viewport border. Access Methods Menu: Modify ➤ Clip ➤ Viewport Shortcut menu: Select the viewport to clip. Right-click in the drawing area and choose Viewport Clip. Summary You can either select an existing object to designate as the new boundary, or specify the points of a new boundary. The new boundary does not clip the old boundary, it redefines it. List of Prompts The following prompts are displayed.
List of Prompts The following prompts are displayed. Enter an option [? on page 1113/Color on page 1113/Ltype/LWeight/PStyle on page 1114/TRansparency on page 1114/Freeze on page 1114/Thaw on page 1114/Reset on page 1114/Newfrz on page 1115/Vpvisdflt on page 1115]: In the Model layout, the VPLAYER command has two options. Enter an option [Newfrz/Vpvisdflt]: ?—List Frozen Layers Displays the names of frozen layers in a selected viewport. Color Changes the color associated with a layer.
Pstyle Sets the plot style assigned to a layer. This option is not available if you are using color-dependent plot styles in the current drawing (the PSTYLEPOLICY on page 1459 system variable is set to 1). See Use Plot Styles to Control Plotted Objects in the User’s Guide. ■ All on page 1113 ■ Select on page 1113 ■ Current on page 1113 Transparency Changes the transparency level associated with a layer.
Newfrz (New Freeze) Creates new layers that are frozen in all viewports. Vpvisdflt (Viewport Visibility Default) Thaws or freezes the specified layers in subsequently created viewports. VPMAX Quick Reference See also: ■ Access Model Space from a Layout Viewport Expands the current layout viewport for editing.
Restores the current layout viewport. Access Methods Toolbar: Status bar ➤ Minimize Viewport Pointing device: Viewport label menus ➤ General Viewport label menu (+) ➤ Restore Layout Shortcut menu: Select a named layout viewport to mazimize. Right-click and click Minimize Viewport. Pointing device: Double-click outside of the maximized viewport. Summary The center point and magnification are returned to the settings that were in effect before the viewport was maximized.
Rotate Specifies a new viewing direction using two angles. ■ Enter angle in XY plane from X axis. The first angle is specified with respect to the X axis, in the XY plane. ■ Enter angle from XY plane. The second angle is specified up or down from the XY plane. Compass and Axis Tripod Displays a compass and axis tripod, which you use to define a viewing direction in the viewport. The compass is a two-dimensional representation of a globe.
VPORTS Quick Reference See also: ■ Set Model Space Viewports Creates multiple viewports in model space or paper space. Access Methods Menu: View ➤ Viewports ➤ New Viewports, Named Viewports Summary The Viewports dialog box is displayed. If you enter -vports at the Command prompt, options are displayed. Viewports Dialog Box Quick Reference See also: ■ Set Model Space Viewports Creates new viewport configurations, or names and saves a model space viewport configuration.
New Viewports Tab—Model Space (Viewports Dialog Box) New Name Specifies a name for the new model space viewport configuration. If you do not enter a name, the viewport configuration is applied but not saved. If a viewport configuration is not saved, it cannot be used in a layout. Standard Viewports Lists and sets the standard viewport configurations, including CURRENT, which is the current configuration.
Setup Specifies either a 2D or a 3D setup. When you select 2D, the new viewport configuration is initially created with the current view in all of the viewports. When you select 3D, a set of standard orthogonal 3D views is applied to the viewports in the configuration. Change View To Replaces the view in the selected viewport with the view you select from the list. You can choose a named view, or if you have selected 3D setup, you can select from the list of standard views.
Preview Displays a preview of the viewport configuration you select and the default views assigned to each individual viewport in the configuration. Viewport Spacing Specifies the spacing you want to apply between the layout viewports you are configuring. Setup Specifies either a 2D or a 3D setup. When you select 2D, the new viewport configuration is initially created with the current view in all of the viewports.
-VPORTS - Model Space Viewports Quick Reference See also: ■ Set Model Space Viewports Creates multiple viewports in model space. Summary The number and layout of active viewports and their associated settings are called viewport configurations. List of Prompts The following prompts are displayed. Enter an option [Save/Restore/Delete/Join/Single/?/2/3/4] <3>: Enter an option Save Saves the current viewport configuration using a specified name. Restore Restores a previously saved viewport configuration.
?—List Viewport Configurations Displays the identification numbers and screen positions of the active viewports. The lower-left and upper-right corners of the viewport define its location. For these corners, values between 0.0,0.0 (for the lower-left corner of the drawing area) and 1.0,1.0 (for the upper-right corner) are used. The current viewport is listed first. 2 Divides the current viewport in half. 3 Divides the current viewport into three viewports.
Specify corner of viewport or [ON/OFF/Fit/Shadeplot/Lock/Object/Polygonal/Restore/LAyer/2/3/4] : Specify a point or enter an option On Turns on a viewport, making it active and making its objects visible. Off Turns off a viewport. When a viewport is off, its objects are not displayed, and you cannot make that viewport current. Fit Creates one viewport that fills the available display area. The actual size of the viewport depends on the dimensions of the paper space view.
3 Divides the current viewport into three viewports. Horizontal and Vertical split the area into thirds. The other options create one large viewport in half the available area and two smaller ones in the other half. Above, Below, Left, and Right specify where the larger viewport is placed. 4 Divides the current viewport into four viewports of equal size.
VSCURRENT Quick Reference See also: ■ Use a Visual Style to Display Your Model Sets the visual style in the current viewport. List of Prompts The following prompts are displayed.
Shades of Gray Produces a gray color effect by using the monocolor face color mode. Sketchy Produces a hand-sketched effect by using the overhang and jitter. X-ray Changes the opacity of faces to make the whole scene partially transparent.
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W Commands 23 WBLOCK Quick Reference See also: ■ Create Drawing Files for Use as Blocks Writes objects or a block to a new drawing file. Access Methods Button Toolbar: Drafting tool set ➤ Block tool group (expanded) ➤ Write Block Summary The “Write Block dialog box” is displayed. Entering -wblock at the Command prompt displays a standard file selection dialog box in which to specify a name for the new drawing file, followed by command prompts.
Write Block Dialog Box Quick Reference See also: ■ Create Drawing Files for Use as Blocks Saves objects or converts a block to a file. Summary The Write Block dialog box displays different default settings depending on whether nothing is selected, a single block is selected, or objects other than blocks are selected.
List of Options The following options are displayed. Save Location Specifies the new name and location of the file and the units of measurement to be used when the block is inserted. File Name and Path Specifies a file name and path where the block or objects will be saved. Browse Displays a standard file selection dialog box. Preview Displays a preview of the objects selected to be written to a drawing file. Creation Specifies blocks and objects, saves them as a file, and specifies insertion points.
Specifies the Z coordinate value for the base point. Source Objects Sets the effect of block creation on objects used to create a block. Select Objects Button Temporarily closes the dialog box so that you can select one or more objects to save to the file. Convert to Block Converts the selected object or objects to a block in the current drawing after saving them as a file. Retain objects Retains the selected objects in the current drawing after saving them as a file.
Writes objects or a block to a new drawing file. Summary If FILEDIA is set to 1, entering -wblock at the Command prompt displays a standard file selection dialog box in which to specify a name for the new drawing file. If FILEDIA is set to 0, entering -wblock at the Command prompt displays a prompt. The new drawing is saved in the file format that is specified in Save As on the Open and Save tab in the Options dialog box. After the file is created, the selected objects are deleted from the drawing.
Access Methods Button Toolbar: Modeling tool set ➤ Lights tool group (expanded) ➤ Weblight List of Prompts The following prompts are displayed.
Intensity Enter an intensity value in candelas, the perceived power in a luminous flux value, or illuminance value for the total luminous flux incident on a surface. ■ Candela (symbol: cd) is the SI unit of luminous intensity (perceived power emitted by a light source in a particular direction). Cd/Sr ■ Lux (symbol: lx) is the SI unit of illuminance. Lm/m^2 ■ Foot-candle (symbol: fc) is the American unit of illuminance. Lm/ft^2 Enter f to specify the perceived power in a luminous flux value.
Map Size Specifies the amount of memory to use to calculate the shadow map. Softness Specifies the softness to use to calculate the shadow map. Soft Sampled Displays realistic shadows with softer shadows (penumbra) based on extended light sources. Specify the shape of the shadow by entering s and then the dimensions of the shape. (For example, the radius of the sphere or the length and width of a rectangle.) Specify the sample size by entering a.
Toolbar: Modeling tool set ➤ Solids - Create tool group ➤ Solid Primitive flyout ➤ Weblight Menu: Draw ➤ 3D Modeling ➤ Wedge Summary The direction of the taper is always in the positive X-axis direction of the UCS. List of Prompts The following prompts are displayed.
Length Creates a wedge with length, width, and height values you specify. The length corresponds to the X axis, the width to the Y axis, and the height to the Z axis. If you pick a point to specify the length, you also specify the rotation in the XY plane. Cube Creates a wedge with sides of equal length. Length Creates a wedge with length, width, and height values you specify. The length corresponds to the X axis, the width to the Y axis, and the height to the Z axis.
WHOHAS Quick Reference See also: ■ Open a Drawing Displays ownership information for opened drawing files. Summary You can use WHOHAS to track which users have certain drawing files open. After you select a file, the ownership information is displayed at the Command prompt. The information includes the current user's computer name, login ID, and full name (if available) and the date and time the drawing file was opened.
Access Methods Button Toolbar: Drafting tool set ➤ Closed Shapes tool group (expanded) ➤ Wipeout Menu: Draw ➤ Wipeout Summary Creates a polygonal area that masks underlying objects with the current background color. The wipeout area is bounded by a frame that you can turn on for editing and turn off for plotting. List of Prompts The following prompts are displayed. Specify first point on page 1140 or [Frames on page 1140/Polyline on page 1140] .
X Commands 24 XATTACH Quick Reference See also: ■ Attach Drawing References (Xrefs) Inserts DWG files as an external reference (xref). Access Methods Menu: Insert ➤ DWG Reference Summary When you attach a drawing file as an xref, you link that referenced drawing to the current drawing. Any changes to the referenced drawing are displayed in the current drawing when it is opened or reloaded. The Select Reference File dialog box (a standard file selection dialog box) is displayed.
Attach External Reference Dialog Box Quick Reference See also: ■ Attach Drawing References (Xrefs) Attaches drawings as an external reference (xref). Summary If you attach a drawing that contains an attached xref, the attached xref appears in the current drawing. You can select multiple DWG files to attach. Like blocks, attached xrefs can be nested. If another person is currently editing the xref, the attached drawing is based on the most recently saved version.
Browse Displays the Select Reference File dialog box (a standard file selection dialog box), in which you can select a new external reference for the current drawing. Preview Displays the DWG you have selected to attach. Reference Type Specifies whether the external reference is an attachment or an overlay. Unlike an xref that is an attachment, an overlay is ignored when the drawing to which it is attached is then attached as an xref to another drawing.
Path Type Select the full (absolute) path, the relative path to the external reference file, or No Path, the name of the external reference (the file must be located in the same folder as the current drawing file). Rotation Specify on-screen If Specify On-Screen is selected, you may wait until you exit the dialog box to rotate the object with your pointing device or at the Command prompt. Angle If Specify On-Screen is cleared, enter the rotation angle value in the dialog box.
Binds one or more definitions of named objects in an xref to the current drawing. Access Methods Menu: Modify ➤ Object ➤ External Reference ➤ Bind Summary The Xbind dialog box is displayed. If you enter -xbind at the Command prompt, options are displayed. NOTE The Bind option of XREF binds the xref file. Use XBIND for individual dependent definitions.
List of Options The following options are displayed. Xrefs Lists the xrefs currently attached to the drawing. Selecting an xref (double-clicking) displays the named object definitions in the attached xref. Definitions to Bind Lists the xref-dependent named object definitions to bind to the host drawing. Add Moves the named object definitions selected in the Xrefs list into the Definitions to Bind list.
-XBIND Quick Reference See also: ■ Archive Drawings That Contain Referenced Drawings (Bind) Binds one or more definitions of named objects in an xref to the current drawing. List of Prompts The following prompts are displayed. Enter symbol type to bind [Block/Dimstyle/LAyer/LType/Style]: Enter an option Depending on the option, you are prompted for a xref-dependent named object (symbol) such as a block, dimension style, layer, linetype, or text style.
XCLIP Quick Reference See also: ■ Clip External References and Blocks Crops the display of a selected external reference or block reference to a specified boundary. Access Methods Menu: Modify ➤ Clip ➤ Xref Shortcut menu: Select an xref. Right-click in the drawing area and click Clip Xref. Summary The clipping boundary determines the portion of an xref or block instance that is hidden, either outside or inside the boundary.
Remove Removes both the front and back clipping planes. Delete Removes a clipping boundary for the selected xref or block. To temporarily turn off a clipping boundary, use the Off option. Delete erases the clipping boundary and the clipdepth. The ERASE command cannot be used to delete clipping boundaries. Generate Polyline Automatically draws a polyline coincident with the clipping boundary. The polyline assumes the current layer, linetype, lineweight, and color settings.
Creates wireframe geometry from the edges of a 3D solid, surface, mesh, region, or subobject.
XLINE Quick Reference See also: ■ Draw Construction Lines (and Rays) Creates a line of infinite length. Access Methods Button Toolbar: Drafting tool set ➤ Open Shapes tool group (expanded) ➤ Construction Line Menu: Draw ➤ Construction Line Summary Lines that extend to infinity, such as xlines, can be used to create construction and reference lines, and for trimming boundaries. List of Prompts The following prompts are displayed.
Hor Creates a horizontal xline passing through a specified point. The xline is created parallel to the X axis. Ver Creates a vertical xline passing through a specified point. The xline is created parallel to the Y axis. Ang Creates an xline at a specified angle. Angle of Xline Specifies the angle at which to place the line. Reference Specifies the angle from a selected reference line. The angle is measured counterclockwise from the reference line.
The xline lies in the plane determined by the three points. Offset Creates an xline parallel to another object. Offset Distance Specifies the distance the xline is offset from the selected object. Through Creates an xline offset from a line and passing through a specified point. XOPEN Quick Reference See also: ■ Edit a Referenced Drawing in a Separate Window Opens a selected drawing reference (xref) in a new window. Summary Opens a selected drawing reference in a separate window for editing.
Summary Reports how many objects were selected and, of those, how many objects cannot be exploded. List of Prompts The following prompts are displayed. Enter an option [Individually on page 1154/Globally on page 1155]. Individually Applies changes to the selected objects one at a time. The following prompt is displayed for each object. All Sets the color, linetype, lineweight, and layer of the component objects after you explode them.
Inherit from Parent Block Sets the color, linetype, lineweight, and layer of the component objects to that of the exploded object if the component objects' color, linetype, and lineweight are BYBLOCK and the objects are drawn on layer 0. Explode Breaks a compound object into its component objects exactly as the EXPLODE command does. Globally Applies changes to all the selected objects. XREF Quick Reference See also: ■ Attach and Detach Referenced Drawings Starts the EXTERNALREFERENCES command.
Enter an Option ?—List Xrefs Lists the DWG reference name, path, and type and the number of DWG references currently attached to your drawing. Bind Converts a specified DWG reference into a block, making it a permanent part of the drawing. The xref-dependent named objects, such as layer names, of the former xref are added to your drawing. In each xref-dependent named object, the vertical bar (|) is replaced with three new characters: a number (usually 0) between two dollar signs ($).
another person is currently editing the xref file, the most recently saved version is attached. Specify Insertion Point Specify a point or enter an option Scale Sets the scale factor. All X and Y dimensions of the xref are multiplied by the X and Y scale factors. The xref is rotated by the specified angle, using the insertion point as the center of rotation. X, Y, and Z Sets X, Y, and Z scale factors. ■ X Scale Factor. Defines X, Y, and Z scale factors for the xref. ■ Corner.
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Z Commands 25 ZOOM Quick Reference See also: ■ Pan or Zoom a View Increases or decreases the magnification of the view in the current viewport. Access Methods Menu: View ➤ Zoom ➤ Realtime Toolbar: Status bar ➤ Zoom Shortcut menu: With no objects selected, right-click in the drawing area and choose Zoom to zoom in real time. Summary You can change the magnification of a view by zooming in and out, which is similar to zooming in and out with a camera.
NOTE You cannot use ZOOM transparently during VPOINT or DVIEW or while ZOOM, PAN, or VIEW is in progress. List of Prompts The following prompts are displayed. Specify corner of window, enter a scale factor (nX or nXP), or [All on page 1160/Center/Dynamic/Extents on page 1161/Previous/Scale/Window/Object]
drawing. Positioning and sizing the view box pans or zooms to fill the viewport with the view inside the view box. Not available in perspective projection. ■ To change the size of the view box, click, resize it, and click again to accept the new size of the view box. ■ To pan with the view box, drag it to the location you want and press Enter. Extents Zooms to display the maximum extents of all objects.
Scale Zooms to change the magnification of a view using a scale factor. ■ Enter a value followed by x to specify the scale relative to the current view. ■ Enter a value followed by xp to specify the scale relative to paper space units. For example, entering .5x causes each object to be displayed at half its current size on the screen. Entering .5xp displays model space at half the scale of paper space units. You can create a layout with each viewport displaying objects at a different scale.
Object Zooms to display one or more selected objects as large as possible and in the center of the view. You can select objects before or after you start the ZOOM command. Real Time Zooms interactively to change the magnification of the view. The cursor changes to a magnifying glass with plus (+) and minus (-) signs. See Zoom Shortcut Menu on page 1163 for a description of the options that are available while zooming in real time.
List of Options The following options are displayed. Exit Cancels ZOOM or PAN. Pan Switches to PAN. Zoom Switches to ZOOM in real time. 3D Orbit Switches to 3DORBIT. Zoom Window Zooms to display an area specified by a rectangular window. Zoom Object Zooms to display one or more selected objects as large as possible and in the center of the drawing area. Zoom Original Restores the original view. Zoom Extents Zooms to display the drawing extents.
Command Modifiers 26 You can use command modifiers to help you locate points or select objects while a command is in progress. Use the Coordinate Filter, Direct Distance Entry, From, MTP, and Tracking command modifiers at any prompt that requires point specification. Use the Selection Mode command modifiers at any prompt that requires object selection.
Direct Distance Entry (Command Modifier) Quick Reference See also: ■ Enter Direct Distances Locates the next point at a specified distance in the direction of your cursor Command entry: At a prompt to locate a point, enter a numeric value With direct distance entry, you can quickly specify a point relative to the last point you entered. At any prompt for a point location, you move the cursor first to specify the direction, and then enter a numeric distance.
At a prompt for locating a point, enter from, and then enter a temporary reference or base point from which you can specify an offset to locate the next point. Enter the offset location from this base point as a relative coordinate, or use direct distance entry. NOTE You cannot use this method during dragging in commands such as MOVE and COPY. Specifying an absolute coordinate, either by keyboard entry or with a pointing device, cancels the FROM command.
At any prompt to locate a point, enter tracking, track, or tk. First tracking point: Specify a location or distance Next point (Press ENTER to end tracking): Specify a second location or distance Tracking specifies a series of temporary points, each offset from the previous one. Thus, you specify a new point location from a series of directions and distances. To determine the location of each temporary point, you can use direct distance entry.
You can specify an object snap with any of the following methods: ■ Enter a object snap by typing its name. To see a list of valid object snaps, refer to the OSNAP on page 745 command or the Drafting Settings Dialog Box on page 358. ■ Click an object snap from the Object Snap toolbar. ■ Click an object snap from the Object Snap shortcut menu. You can diisplay this shortcut menu by pressing SHIFT while you right-click.
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System Variables AutoCAD for Mac® stores the values for its operating environment and some of its commands in system variables. You can examine any system variable and change any writable system variable directly at the command prompt by entering the system variable name or by using the SETVAR command or the AutoLISP® getvar and setvar functions.
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27 3D System Variables 3DOSMODE Quick Reference See also: ■ Use Object Snaps Type: Integer Saved in: Registry Initial value: 11 Controls the settings for the 3D object snaps. Controls which 3D object snaps are enabled.
32 Snaps to a perpendicular face (planar faces only) ZPER 64 Snaps to an object nearest to a face ZNEA 126 Turns on all 3D object snaps To specify more than one object snap, enter the sum or their values. For example, entering 6 specifies the vertex (2) and midpoint (4) object snaps. Entering 126 turns on all 3D object snaps.
A System Variables 28 ACADLSPASDOC Quick Reference See also: ■ AutoLISP and Visual LISPAutoLISP Type: Integer Saved in: Registry Initial value: 0 Controls whether the acad.lsp file is loaded into every drawing or just the first drawing opened in a session. 0 Loads acad.lsp into just the first drawing opened in a session 1 Loads acad.
(Read-only) Type: String Saved in: Not-saved Initial value: Varies Stores the directory path, if any, specified by the ACAD environment variable, with path separators appended if necessary. ACADVER Quick Reference See also: ■ Customize the Drawing Environment (Read-only) Type: String Saved in: Not-saved Initial value: Varies Stores the AutoCAD version number. This variable differs from the DXF file $ACADVER header variable, which contains the drawing database level number.
AFLAGS Quick Reference See also: ■ Define Block Attributes Type: Integer Saved in: Not-saved Initial value: 16 Sets options for attributes. The value is the sum of the following: 0 No attribute mode selected 1 Invisible 2 Constant 4 Verify 8 Preset 16 Lock position in block 32 Multiple lines ANGBASE Quick Reference See also: ■ Create Angular Dimensions Type: Real Saved in: Drawing Initial value: 0.
Sets the base angle to 0 with respect to the current UCS. ANGDIR Quick Reference See also: ■ Create Angular Dimensions Type: Integer Saved in: Drawing Initial value: 0 Sets the direction of positive angles. Angle values are measured from angle 0 relative to the orientation of the current UCS.
1 All annotative objects are displayed The ANNOALLVISIBLE setting is saved individually for model space and each layout. NOTE When ANNOALLVISIBLE is set to 1, annotative objects that support more than one scale will only display one . ANNOAUTOSCALE Quick Reference See also: ■ Set Annotation Scale Type: Integer Saved in: Registry Initial value: -4 Updates annotative objects to support the annotation scale when the annotation scale is changed.
4 Adds the newly set annotation scale to all annotative objects that support the current scale. ANNOTATIVEDWG Quick Reference See also: ■ Create Annotative Blocks and Attributes Type: Integer Saved in: Drawing Initial value: 0 Specifies whether or not the drawing will behave as an annotative block when inserted into another drawing. 0 Nonannotative 1 Annotative NOTE The ANNOTATIVEDWG system variable becomes read-only if the drawing contains annotative objects.
The aperture box is displayed in the center of the crosshairs when you snap to an object. 0 Off 1 On APERTURE Quick Reference See also: ■ Use Object Snaps Type: Integer Saved in: Registry Initial value: 10 Sets the display size for the object snap target box, in pixels. This system variable has the same name as a command. Use the SETVAR command to access this system variable. Enter a value (1-50). The higher the number, the larger the target box.
(Read-only) Type: Real Saved in: Not-saved Initial value: 0.0000 Stores the last area computed by the AREA command. This system variable has the same name as a command. Use the SETVAR command to access this system variable. ATTDIA Quick Reference See also: ■ Insert Blocks Type: Integer Saved in: Registry Initial value: 0 Controls whether the INSERT command uses a dialog box for attribute value entry.
Controls the display of the in-place editor used to create multiline attributes. 0 Displays a limited in-place editor that includes only a few formatting options 1 Displays the full in-place editor with all formatting options Use the limited in-place editor when creating multiline attributes for best compatibility with releases prior to AutoCAD 2008. ATTMODE Quick Reference See also: ■ Define Block Attributes Type: Integer Saved in: Drawing Initial value: 1 Controls display of attributes.
Type: Integer Saved in: Registry Initial value: 1 Controls whether multiline attributes can be created. 0 Turns off all access methods for creating multiline attributes. They can still be viewed and edited. 1 Turns on all access methods for creating multiline attributes. ATTREQ Quick Reference See also: ■ Insert Blocks Type: Integer Saved in: Registry Initial value: 1 Controls whether INSERT uses default attribute settings during insertion of blocks.
Type: Integer Saved in: Registry Initial value: 0 Controls whether AUDIT creates an audit report (ADT) file. 0 Prevents writing of ADT files 1 Writes ADT files AUNITS Quick Reference See also: ■ Set the Unit Format Conventions Type: Integer Saved in: Drawing Initial value: 0 Sets units for angles.
AUPREC Quick Reference See also: ■ Set the Unit Format Conventions Type: Integer Saved in: Drawing Initial value: 0 Sets the display precision for angular units and coordinates. However, the internal precision of angular values and and coordinates is always maintained, regardless of the display precision. AUPREC does not affect the display precision of dimension text (see DIMSTYLE on page 306). Valid values are integers from 0 to 8.
2 Turns on the AutoSnap tooltips 4 Turns on the AutoSnap magnet 8 Turns on polar tracking 16 Turns on object snap tracking 32 Turns on tooltips for polar tracking, object snap tracking, and Ortho mode AUTOSNAP | 1187
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B System Variables 29 BACKZ Quick Reference See also: ■ Create a 3D Dynamic View (DVIEW) (Read-only) Type: Real Saved in: Drawing Initial value: 0.0000 Stores the back clipping plane offset from the target plane for the current viewport, in drawing units. Meaningful only if clipping is specified in CAMERA, DVIEW, or 3DCLIP. If there are several cameras, the value is the last back clipping plane that you set current.
Type: Integer Saved in: Not-saved Initial value: 0 Controls how xref names are handled when binding xrefs or editing xrefs in place. 0 Traditional binding behavior ("xref1|one" becomes "xref$0$one") 1 Insert-like behavior ("xref1|one" becomes "one") BLIPMODE Quick Reference See also: ■ Erase Objects Type: Integer Saved in: Registry Initial value: 0 Controls whether marker blips are visible. This system variable has the same name as the BLIPMODE command.
(Read-only) Type: Integer Saved in: Not-saved Initial value: 0 Indicates whether or not the Block Editor is open. 0 Indicates that the Block Editor is not open 1 Indicates that the Block Editor is open BTMARKDISPLAY Quick Reference See also: ■ Define Blocks Type: Integer Saved in: Registry Initial value: 1 Controls whether or not value set markers are displayed for dynamic block references.
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C System Variables 30 CAMERADISPLAY Quick Reference See also: ■ Specify 3D Views Type: Integer Saved in: Drawing Initial value: 0 Turns the display of camera objects on or off. The value changes to 1 (to display cameras) when you use the CAMERA command.
CANNOSCALE Quick Reference See also: ■ Set Annotation Scale Type: String Saved in: Drawing Initial value: 1:1 Sets the name of the current annotation scale for the current space. You can only enter a named scale that exists in the drawing’s named scale list. CANNOSCALEVALUE Quick Reference See also: ■ Set Annotation Scale (Read-only) Type: Real Saved in: Drawing Initial value: 1.0000 Returns the value of the current annotation scale.
Type: Integer Saved in: Registry Initial value: 0 Controls whether annotational or dynamic constraints are applied to objects. 0 Dynamic 1 Annotational When this system variable is set to 0, dynamic constraints are created, by default, when you use the DIMCONSTRAINT command. CDATE Quick Reference See also: ■ Obtain General Drawing Information (Read-only) Type: Real Saved in: Not-saved Initial value: Varies Stores the current date and time in decimal format.
Type: String Saved in: Drawing Initial value: BYLAYER Sets the color of new objects.
CELTYPE Quick Reference See also: ■ Set the Current Linetype Type: String Saved in: Drawing Initial value: BYLAYER Sets the linetype of new objects. CELWEIGHT Quick Reference See also: ■ Set the Current Lineweight Type: Integer Saved in: Drawing Initial value: -1 Sets the lineweight of new objects. -1 Sets the lineweight to "BYLAYER." -2 Sets the lineweight to "BYBLOCK." -3 Sets the lineweight to "DEFAULT." "DEFAULT" is controlled by the LWDEFAULT system variable.
CENTERMT Quick Reference See also: ■ Change Multiline Text Type: Integer Saved in: Registry Initial value: 0 Controls how grips stretch multiline text that is centered horizontally. CENTERMT does not apply to stretching multiline text by using the ruler in the In-Place Text Editor.
ByBlock Transparency value determined by block 0 Fully opaque (not transparent) 1-90 Transparency value defined as a percentage To change the transparency of existing objects, use the Properties Inspector or Layers palette. NOTE Transparency is limited to 90 percent to avoid confusion with layers that are turned off or frozen. The transparency level for new hatch objects is controlled by the HPTRANSPARENCY system variable.
Sets the second chamfer distance when CHAMMODE is set to 0. CHAMFERC Quick Reference See also: ■ Create Chamfers Type: Real Saved in: Drawing Initial value: 0.0000 Sets the chamfer length when CHAMMODE is set to 1. CHAMFERD Quick Reference See also: ■ Create Chamfers Type: Real Saved in: Drawing Initial value: 0.0000 Sets the chamfer angle when CHAMMODE is set to 1.
Saved in: Not-saved Initial value: 0 Sets the input method for CHAMFER 0 Requires two chamfer distances 1 Requires a chamfer length and an angle CIRCLERAD Quick Reference See also: ■ Draw Circles Type: Real Saved in: Not-saved Initial value: 0.0000 Sets the default circle radius. A zero indicates no default. CLASSICKEYS Quick Reference See also: ■ Set Interface Options Type: Switch Saved in: Registry Initial value: 0 Sets the behavior of the AutoCAD for Mac shortcut keys.
CLAYER Quick Reference See also: ■ Change Layer Settings and Layer Properties Type: String Saved in: Drawing Initial value: 0 Sets the current layer. CLEANSCREENSTATE Quick Reference See also: ■ Parts of the User Interface (Read-only) Type: Integer Saved in: Not-saved Initial value: 0 Indicates whether the clean screen state is on or off.
CLISTATE Quick Reference See also: ■ The Command Line (Read-only) Type: Integer Saved in: Not-saved Initial value: 1 Indicates whether the Command Line is open or closed. 0 Closed 1 Open CMATERIAL Quick Reference See also: ■ Create and Manage Materials Type: String Saved in: Drawing Initial value: BYLAYER Sets the material of new objects. Valid values are BYLAYER, BYBLOCK, and the name of a material in the drawing.
CMDACTIVE Quick Reference See also: ■ Enter Commands on the Command Line (Read-only) Type: Integer Saved in: Not-saved Initial value: Varies Indicates whether an ordinary command, transparent command, script, or dialog box is active.
CMDDIA Quick Reference See also: ■ Create and Modify Leaders Type: Integer Saved in: Registry Initial value: 1 Controls the display of the In-Place Text Editor for the LEADER and QLEADER commands. 0 Off 1 On CMDECHO Quick Reference See also: ■ AutoLISP and Visual LISPAutoLISP Type: Integer Saved in: Not-saved Initial value: 1 Controls whether prompts and input are echoed during the AutoLISP command function.
CMDINPUTHISTORYMAX Quick Reference See also: ■ Enter Commands on the Command Line Type: Integer Saved in: Registry Initial value: 20 Sets the maximum number of previous input values that are stored for a prompt in a command. Display of the history of user input is controlled by the INPUTHISTORYMODE system variable.
CMLEADERSTYLE Quick Reference See also: ■ Work with Leader Styles Type: String Saved in: Drawing Initial value: Standard Sets the name of the current multileader style. CMLJUST Quick Reference See also: ■ Modify Multilines Type: Integer Saved in: Drawing Initial value: 0 Specifies multiline justification.
CMLSCALE Quick Reference See also: ■ Modify Multilines Type: Real Saved in: Drawing Initial value: 1.0000 (imperial) or 20.0000 (metric) Controls the overall width of a multiline. A scale factor of 2.0 produces a multiline twice as wide as the style definition. A zero scale factor collapses the multiline into a single line. A negative scale factor flips the order of the offset lines (that is, the smallest or most negative is placed on top when the multiline is drawn from left to right).
Type: Integer Saved in: Registry Initial value: 0 Stores the current color scheme used by the program. 0 Dark 1 Light COMPASS Quick Reference See also: ■ Use 3D Navigation Tools Type: Integer Saved in: Not-saved Initial value: 0 Controls whether the 3D compass is on or off in the current viewport.
Controls the display of constraint bars after you apply constraints and when you select geometrically constrained drawings. 0 Does not display constraint bars for selected objects after applying geometric constraints NOTE Constraint bars will always be displayed when CONSTRAINTBAR = Showall, even if you set the value of the CONSTRAINTBARDISPLAY system variable to 0.
16 Tangent 32 Smooth 64 Coincident 128 Concentric 256 Colinear 512 Symmetric 1024 Equal 2048 Fix For example, set CONSTRAINTBARMODE to 12 (8+4) to display parallel and perpendicular constraints on the constraint bars. Set CONSTRAINTBARMODE to 4095 to display constraint bars for all constraint types.
CONSTRAINTNAMEFORMAT Quick Reference See also: ■ Apply Dimensional Constraints Type: Integer Saved in: Registry Initial value: 2 Controls the text format for dimensional constraints. 0 Name (for example, Width) 1 Value (for example, 4.0000) 2 Expression (for example, width = 4.0000) NOTE The CONSTRAINTNAMEFORMAT system variable is also applicable to the block constraint parameters in the Block Editor.
Use this system variable when you run scripts and want to relax any constraints. CONSTRAINTSOLVEMODE Quick Reference See also: ■ Modify Objects with Geometric Constraints Applied Type: Bitcode Saved in: Registry Initial value: 1 Controls constraint behavior when applying or editing constraints.
Indicates whether the Content palette is open or closed. 0 Closed 1 Open COPYMODE Quick Reference See also: ■ Copy Objects Type: Integer Saved in: Registry Initial value: 0 Controls whether the COPY command repeats automatically. 0 Sets the COPY command to repeat automatically 1 Sets the COPY command to create a single copy CPLOTSTYLE Quick Reference See also: ■ Overview of Plot Styles Type: String Saved in: Drawing Initial value: ByColor Controls the current plot style for new objects.
BYCOLOR. If the current drawing you are working in is in named plot styles mode (PSTYLEPOLICY is set to 0), CPLOTSTYLE can be set to the following values (BYLAYER is the default): "BYLAYER" "BYBLOCK" "NORMAL" "USER DEFINED" CPROFILE Quick Reference See also: ■ Set Interface Options (Read-only) Type: String Saved in: Registry Initial value: <> Displays the name of the current profile.
CSHADOW Quick Reference See also: ■ Display Backgrounds and Shadows Type: Integer Saved in: Drawing Initial value: 0 Sets the shadow display property for a 3D object. To be visible, shadows must be turned on in the visual style that is applied to the viewport.
CTABLESTYLE Quick Reference See also: ■ Work with Table Styles Type: String Saved in: Drawing Initial value: Standard Sets the name of the current table style. CULLINGOBJ Quick Reference See also: ■ Cycle Through and Filter Subobjects Type: Integer Saved in: Registry Initial value: 1 Controls whether 3D subobjects that are hidden from view can be highlighted or selected. 0 1 No subobject culling ■ Rolling over 3D objects highlights all 3D subobjects, including hidden subobjects.
CULLINGOBJSELECTION Quick Reference See also: ■ Cycle Through and Filter Subobjects Type: Integer Saved in: Registry Initial value: 0 Controls whether 3D objects that are hidden from view can be highlighted or selected. 0 1 No object culling ■ Rolling over 3D objects highlights all 3D objects, including hidden objects. ■ Selecting 3D objects by dragging selects all 3D objects, including hidden objects.
Valid settings range from 1 to 100 percent. When set to 100, the crosshairs are full-screen and the ends of the crosshairs are never visible. When less than 100, the ends of the crosshairs may be visible when the cursor is moved to one edge of the screen. CVPORT Quick Reference See also: ■ Select and Use the Current Viewport Type: Integer Saved in: Drawing Initial value: 2 Displays the identification number of the current viewport.
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D System Variables 31 DATE Quick Reference See also: ■ Obtain General Drawing Information (Read-only) Type: Real Saved in: Not-saved Initial value: Varies Stores the current date and time in Modified Julian Date format. This value is represented as a Modified Julian Date (MJD), which is the Julian day number and decimal fraction of a day in the format: .
Because your computer clock provides the date and time, the DATE system variable returns a true Julian date only if the system clock is set to UTC/Zulu (Greenwich Mean Time). TDCREATE and TDUPDATE have the same format as DATE, but their values represent the creation time and last update time of the current drawing.
Indicates the drawing modification status. The setting is stored as a bitcode using the sum of the following values: 1 Object database modified 4 Database variable modified 8 Window modified 16 View modified 32 Field modified The DBMOD value is reset to 0 when you save the drawing. DEFAULTGIZMO Quick Reference See also: ■ Use the Gizmos Type: Integer Saved in: Not-saved Initial value: 0 Sets the 3D Move, 3D Rotate, or 3D Scale gizmo as the default during subobject selection.
3 No gizmo is displayed by default when an object is selected in a 3D visual style. Set this variable to display the gizmo you use most often by default. With the 3D Move gizmo, you can restrict the movement of selected objects along an X, Y, or Z axis, or within a specified plane. To specify the movement limitations, hover the cursor over the gizmo until the axis or plane is highlighted. With the 3D Rotate gizmo, you can restrict the rotation of selected objects about an X, Y, or Z axis.
With the 3D Scale gizmo, you can resize selected objects uniformly, resize them along an X, Y, or Z axis, or resize them along a specified plane. To specify the scale limitations, hover the cursor over the gizmo. Highlight the solid area between the axes for uniform resizing. Highlight the double lines between the axes to specify resizing along a plane. Highlight an axis to specify resizing along an axis.
No gizmo is displayed by default when an object is selected in a 3D visual style. DEFAULTLIGHTING Quick Reference See also: ■ Overview of Lighting Type: Integer Saved in: Drawing Initial value: 1 Turns on and off default lighting in place of other lighting. Default lighting is provided by a set of distant lights that follow the view direction. When default lighting is on, the sun and other lights do not cast light, even if they are turned on. The setting of this system variable is viewport-specific.
1 Default lighting only is turned on DEFAULTLIGHTINGTYPE Quick Reference See also: ■ Overview of Lighting Type: Integer Saved in: Drawing Initial value: 1 Specifies the type of default lighting, old or new. The default lighting provided in AutoCAD 2006 and earlier releases used one distant light. The new default lighting uses two distant lights to illuminate more of the model and also adjusts ambient light. The setting of this system variable is viewport-specific.
When the drawing is opened and PSTYLEPOLICY is set to 1 (color-dependent plot style mode), DEFLPLSTYLE is read-only and has a value of “BYCOLOR.” If PSTYLEPOLICY is set to 0 (named plot style mode) when the drawing is opened, DEFLPLSTYLE is writable and has a default value of “NORMAL.
If the SURFACEASSOCIATIVITY on page 1507 system variable is set to 1, the DELOBJ setting is ignored. 0 All defining geometry is retained. 1 Deletes profile curves, including those used with the EXTRUDE, SWEEP, REVOLVE, and LOFT commands. Removes all defining geometry for CONVTOSOLID on page 214, CONVTOSURFACE on page 216, CONVTONURBS on page 213, and CONVTOMESH on page 212 commands. Cross sections used with the LOFT command are also deleted.
DEMANDLOAD Quick Reference See also: ■ Overview of Demand Loading Type: Integer Saved in: Registry Initial value: 3 Specifies if and when to demand-load certain applications. If you set this system variable to 0, third-party applications and some AutoCAD commands cannot function. 0 Turns off demand-loading. 1 Demand-loads the source application when you open a drawing that contains custom objects. This setting does not demand-load the application when you invoke one of the application's commands.
(Read-only) Type: Integer Saved in: Not-saved Initial value: 0 Stores the exit method of the most recently used dialog box. 0 Cancel 1 OK NOTE The DIASTAT system variable does not apply to standard file selection dialog boxes, such as the Select File and the Save Drawing As dialog boxes. DIMADEC Quick Reference See also: ■ Create Angular Dimensions Type: Integer Saved in: Drawing Initial value: 0 Controls the number of precision places displayed in angular dimensions.
DIMALT Quick Reference See also: ■ Control the Display of Dimension Units Type: Switch Saved in: Drawing Initial value: Off Controls the display of alternate units in dimensions. See also DIMALTD, DIMALTF, DIMALTTD, DIMALTTZ, DIMALTZ, and DIMAPOST.
DIMALTF Quick Reference See also: ■ Control the Display of Dimension Units Type: Real Saved in: Drawing Initial value: 25.4000 (imperial) or 0.0394 (metric) Controls the multiplier for alternate units. If DIMALT is turned on, DIMALTF multiplies linear dimensions by a factor to produce a value in an alternate system of measurement. The initial value represents the number of millimeters in an inch.
Type: Integer Saved in: Drawing Initial value: 2 (imperial) or 3 (metric) Sets the number of decimal places for the tolerance values in the alternate units of a dimension. DIMALTTZ Quick Reference See also: ■ Control the Display of Dimension Units Type: Integer Saved in: Drawing Initial value: 0 Controls suppression of zeros in tolerance values.
DIMALTU Quick Reference See also: ■ Control the Display of Dimension Units Type: Integer Saved in: Drawing Initial value: 2 Sets the units format for alternate units of all dimension substyles except Angular.
Saved in: Drawing Initial value: 0 Controls the suppression of zeros for alternate unit dimension values. DIMALTZ values 0-3 affect feet-and-inch dimensions only. 0 Suppresses zero feet and precisely zero inches 1 Includes zero feet and precisely zero inches 2 Includes zero feet and suppresses zero inches 3 Includes zero inches and suppresses zero feet 4 Suppresses leading zeros in decimal dimensions (for example, 0.5000 becomes .
DIMAPOST Quick Reference See also: ■ Control the Display of Dimension Units Type: String Saved in: Drawing Initial value: "" Specifies a text prefix or suffix (or both) to the alternate dimension measurement for all types of dimensions except angular. For instance, if the current units are Architectural, DIMALT is on, DIMALTF is 25.4 (the number of millimeters per inch), DIMALTD is 2, and DIMAPOST is set to "mm", a distance of 10 units would be displayed as 10"[254.00mm].
DIMASSOC Quick Reference See also: ■ Associative Dimensions Type: Integer Saved in: Drawing Initial value: 2 Controls the associativity of dimension objects and whether dimensions are exploded. 0 Creates exploded dimensions. There is no association between the various elements of the dimension. The lines, arcs, arrowheads, and text of a dimension are drawn as separate objects. 1 Creates non-associative dimension objects. The elements of the dimension are formed into a single object.
DIMASZ Quick Reference See also: ■ Customize Arrowheads Type: Real Saved in: Drawing Initial value: 0.1800 (imperial) or 2.5000 (metric) Controls the size of dimension line and leader line arrowheads. Also controls the size of hook lines. Multiples of the arrowhead size determine whether dimension lines and text should fit between the extension lines. DIMASZ is also used to scale arrowhead blocks if set by DIMBLK. DIMASZ has no effect when DIMTSZ is other than zero.
A leader is added to moved dimension text when DIMTMOVE is set to 1. DIMAUNIT Quick Reference See also: ■ Create Angular Dimensions Type: Integer Saved in: Drawing Initial value: 0 Sets the units format for angular dimensions. 0 Decimal degrees 1 Degrees/minutes/seconds 2 Gradians 3 Radians DIMAZIN Quick Reference See also: ■ Suppress Zeros in Dimensions Type: Integer Saved in: Drawing Initial value: 0 Suppresses zeros for angular dimensions.
1 Suppresses leading zeros in decimal dimensions (for example, 0.5000 becomes .5000) 2 Suppresses trailing zeros in decimal dimensions (for example, 12.5000 becomes 12.5) 3 Suppresses leading and trailing zeros (for example, 0.5000 becomes .5) DIMBLK Quick Reference See also: ■ Customize Arrowheads Type: String Saved in: Drawing Initial value: "" Sets the arrowhead block displayed at the ends of dimension lines. To return to the default, closed-filled arrowhead display, enter a single period (.).
"_ORIGIN" origin indicator "_ORIGIN2" origin indicator 2 "_OPEN" open "_OPEN90" right angle "_OPEN30" open 30 "_CLOSED" closed "_SMALL" dot small blank "_NONE" none "_OBLIQUE" oblique "_BOXFILLED" box filled "_BOXBLANK" box "_CLOSEDBLANK" closed blank "_DATUMFILLED" datum triangle filled "_DATUMBLANK" datum triangle "_INTEGRAL" integral "_ARCHTICK" architectural tick 1242 | Chapter 31 D System Variables
DIMBLK1 Quick Reference See also: ■ Customize Arrowheads Type: String Saved in: Drawing Initial value: "" Sets the arrowhead for the first end of the dimension line when DIMSAH is on. To return to the default, closed-filled arrowhead display, enter a single period (.). For a list of arrowheads, see DIMBLK. NOTE Annotative blocks cannot be used as custom arrowheads for dimensions or leaders.
DIMCEN Quick Reference See also: ■ Create Radial Dimensions Type: Real Saved in: Drawing Initial value: 0.0900 (imperial) or 2.5000 (metric) Controls drawing of circle or arc center marks and centerlines by the DIMCENTER, DIMDIAMETER, and DIMRADIUS commands. For DIMDIAMETER and DIMRADIUS, the center mark is drawn only if you place the dimension line outside the circle or arc.
Saved in: Drawing Initial value: 0 Assigns colors to dimension lines, arrowheads, and dimension leader lines. Also controls the color of leader lines created with the LEADER command. Color numbers are displayed in the Select Color dialog box. For BYBLOCK, enter 0. For BYLAYER, enter 256. DIMCLRE Quick Reference See also: ■ Override a Dimension Style Type: Integer Saved in: Drawing Initial value: 0 Assigns colors to extension lines, center marks, and centerlines.
DIMCONSTRAINTICON Quick Reference See also: ■ Apply Dimensional Constraints Type: Bitcode Saved in: Registry Initial value: 3 Displays the lock icon next to the text for dimensional constraints.
The precision is based on the units or angle format you have selected. Specified value is applied to angular dimensions when DIMADEC on page 1231 is set to -1. DIMDLE Quick Reference See also: ■ Control Dimension Lines Type: Real Saved in: Drawing Initial value: 0.0000 Sets the distance the dimension line extends beyond the extension line when oblique strokes are drawn instead of arrowheads. DIMDLI Quick Reference See also: ■ Control Dimension Lines Type: Real Saved in: Drawing Initial value: 0.
DIMDSEP Quick Reference See also: ■ Control the Display of Dimension Units Type: Single-character Saved in: Drawing Initial value: . (imperial) or , (metric) Specifies a single-character decimal separator to use when creating dimensions whose unit format is decimal. When prompted, enter a single character at the Command prompt. If dimension units is set to Decimal, the DIMDSEP character is used instead of the default decimal point.
DIMEXO Quick Reference See also: ■ Control Extension Lines Type: Real Saved in: Drawing Initial value: 0.0625 (imperial) or 0.6250 (metric) Specifies how far extension lines are offset from origin points. With fixed-length extension lines, this value determines the minimum offset. DIMFRAC Quick Reference See also: ■ Control the Display of Fractions Type: Integer Saved in: Drawing Initial value: 0 Sets the fraction format when DIMLUNIT is set to 4 (Architectural) or 5 (Fractional).
DIMFXL Quick Reference See also: ■ Control Extension Lines Type: Real Saved in: Drawing Initial value: 1.0000 Sets the total length of the extension lines starting from the dimension line toward the dimension origin. DIMFXLON Quick Reference See also: ■ Control Extension Lines Type: Switch Saved in: Drawing Initial value: Off Controls whether extension lines are set to a fixed length. When DIMFXLON is on, extension lines are set to the length specified by DIMFXL.
Type: Real Saved in: Drawing Initial value: 0.0900 (imperial) or 0.6250 (metric) Sets the distance around the dimension text when the dimension line breaks to accommodate dimension text. Also sets the gap between annotation and a hook line created with the LEADER command. If you enter a negative value, DIMGAP places a box around the dimension text. DIMGAP is also used as the minimum length for pieces of the dimension line.
DIMJUST Quick Reference See also: ■ Control the Location of Dimension Text Type: Integer Saved in: Drawing Initial value: 0 Controls the horizontal positioning of dimension text.
To return to the default, closed-filled arrowhead display, enter a single period (.). For a list of arrowhead entries, see DIMBLK on page 1241. NOTE Annotative blocks cannot be used as custom arrowheads for dimensions or leaders. DIMLFAC Quick Reference See also: ■ Set the Scale for Dimensions Type: Real Saved in: Drawing Initial value: 1.0000 Sets a scale factor for linear dimension measurements.
Saved in: Drawing Initial value: Off Generates dimension limits as the default text. Setting DIMLIM to On turns DIMTOL off. Off Dimension limits are not generated as default text On Dimension limits are generated as default text DIMLTEX1 Quick Reference See also: ■ Control Extension Lines Type: String Saved in: Drawing Initial value: "" Sets the linetype of the first extension line. The value is BYLAYER, BYBLOCK, or the name of a linetype.
DIMLTYPE Quick Reference See also: ■ Control Dimension Lines Type: String Saved in: Drawing Initial value: "" Sets the linetype of the dimension line. The value is BYLAYER, BYBLOCK, or the name of a linetype. DIMLUNIT Quick Reference See also: ■ Control the Display of Dimension Units Type: Integer Saved in: Drawing Initial value: 2 Sets units for all dimension types except Angular.
DIMLWD Quick Reference See also: ■ Control Dimension Lines Type: Enum Saved in: Drawing Initial value: -2 Assigns lineweight to dimension lines. -3 Default (the LWDEFAULT value) -2 BYBLOCK -1 BYLAYER The integer represents 1/100th of a mm. DIMLWE Quick Reference See also: ■ Control Extension Lines Type: Enum Saved in: Drawing Initial value: -2 Assigns lineweight to extension lines.
The integer represents 1/100th of a mm. DIMPOST Quick Reference See also: ■ Control the Display of Dimension Units Type: String Saved in: Drawing Initial value: None Specifies a text prefix or suffix (or both) to the dimension measurement. For example, to establish a suffix for millimeters, set DIMPOST to mm; a distance of 19.2 units would be displayed as 19.2 mm. If tolerances are turned on, the suffix is applied to the tolerances as well as to the main dimension.
Note that the number of digits edited after the decimal point depends on the precision set by DIMDEC. DIMRND does not apply to angular dimensions. DIMSAH Quick Reference See also: ■ Customize Arrowheads Type: Switch Saved in: Drawing Initial value: Off Controls the display of dimension line arrowhead blocks.
Use MLEADERSCALE to scale multileader objects created with the MLEADER command. 0.0 A reasonable default value is computed based on the scaling between the current model space viewport and paper space. If you are in paper space or model space and not using the paper space feature, the scale factor is 1.0. >0 A scale factor is computed that leads text sizes, arrowhead sizes, and other scaled distances to plot at their face values. DIMSCALE does not affect measured lengths, coordinates, or angles.
DIMSD2 Quick Reference See also: ■ Control Dimension Lines Type: Switch Saved in: Drawing Initial value: Off Controls suppression of the second dimension line and arrowhead. When turned on, suppresses the display of the dimension line and arrowhead between the second extension line and the text.
DIMSE2 Quick Reference See also: ■ Control Extension Lines Type: Switch Saved in: Drawing Initial value: Off Suppresses display of the second extension line. Off Extension line is not suppressed On Extension line is suppressed DIMSOXD Quick Reference See also: ■ Control Dimension Lines Type: Switch Saved in: Drawing Initial value: Off Suppresses arrowheads if not enough space is available inside the extension lines.
DIMSTYLE Quick Reference See also: ■ Apply a New Dimension Style to Existing Dimensions (Read-only) Type: String Saved in: Drawing Initial value: Standard (imperial) or ISO-25 (metric) Stores the name of the current dimension style. This system variable has the same name as a command. Use the SETVAR command to access this system variable. The DIMSTYLE system variable is read-only; to change the current dimension style, use the DIMSTYLE command.
2 Places the dimension text on the side of the dimension line farthest away from the defining points. 3 Places the dimension text to conform to Japanese Industrial Standards (JIS). 4 Places the dimension text below the dimension line. DIMTDEC Quick Reference See also: ■ Display Lateral Tolerances Type: Integer Saved in: Drawing Initial value: 4 (imperial) or 2 (metric) Sets the number of decimal places to display in tolerance values for the primary units in a dimension.
For example, if DIMTFAC is set to 1.0, the text height of fractions and tolerances is the same height as the dimension text. If DIMTFAC is set to 0.7500, the text height of fractions and tolerances is three-quarters the size of dimension text. DIMTFILL Quick Reference See also: ■ Control the Appearance of Dimension Text Type: Integer Saved in: Drawing Initial value: 0 Controls the background of dimension text.
DIMTIH Quick Reference See also: ■ Control the Location of Dimension Text Type: Switch Saved in: Drawing Initial value: On (imperial) or Off (metric) Controls the position of dimension text inside the extension lines for all dimension types except Ordinate. Off Aligns text with the dimension line On Draws text horizontally DIMTIX Quick Reference See also: ■ Fit Dimension Text Within Extension Lines Type: Switch Saved in: Drawing Initial value: Off Draws text between extension lines.
DIMTM Quick Reference See also: ■ Display Lateral Tolerances Type: Real Saved in: Drawing Initial value: 0.0000 Sets the minimum (or lower) tolerance limit for dimension text when DIMTOL or DIMLIM is on. DIMTM accepts signed values. If DIMTOL is on and DIMTP and DIMTM are set to the same value, a tolerance value is drawn. If DIMTM and DIMTP values differ, the upper tolerance is drawn above the lower, and a plus sign is added to the DIMTP value if it is positive.
2 Allows text to be moved freely without a leader DIMTOFL Quick Reference See also: ■ Fit Dimension Text Within Extension Lines Type: Switch Saved in: Drawing Initial value: Off (imperial) or On (metric) Controls whether a dimension line is drawn between the extension lines even when the text is placed outside. For radius and diameter dimensions (when DIMTIX is off), draws a dimension line inside the circle or arc and places the text, arrowheads, and leader outside.
Controls the position of dimension text outside the extension lines. Off Aligns text with the dimension line On Draws text horizontally DIMTOL Quick Reference See also: ■ Display Lateral Tolerances Type: Switch Saved in: Drawing Initial value: Off Appends tolerances to dimension text. Setting DIMTOL to on turns DIMLIM off.
1 Middle 2 Top DIMTP Quick Reference See also: ■ Set the Scale for Dimensions Type: Real Saved in: Drawing Initial value: 0.0000 Sets the maximum (or upper) tolerance limit for dimension text when DIMTOL or DIMLIM is on. DIMTP accepts signed values. If DIMTOL is on and DIMTP and DIMTM are set to the same value, a tolerance value is drawn. If DIMTM and DIMTP values differ, the upper tolerance is drawn above the lower and a plus sign is added to the DIMTP value if it is positive.
>0 Draws oblique strokes instead of arrowheads. The size of the oblique strokes is determined by this value multiplied by the DIMSCALE value. DIMTVP Quick Reference See also: ■ Control the Location of Dimension Text Type: Real Saved in: Drawing Initial value: 0.0000 Controls the vertical position of dimension text above or below the dimension line. The DIMTVP value is used when DIMTAD is off. The magnitude of the vertical offset of text is the product of the text height and DIMTVP. Setting DIMTVP to 1.
DIMTXT Quick Reference See also: ■ Control the Appearance of Dimension Text Type: Real Saved in: Drawing Initial value: 0.1800 (imperial) or 2.5000 (metric) Specifies the height of dimension text, unless the current text style has a fixed height. DIMTXTDIRECTION Quick Reference See also: ■ Control the Appearance of Dimension Text Type: Integer Saved in: Drawing Initial value: 0 Specifies the reading direction of the dimension text.
DIMTZIN Quick Reference See also: ■ Display Lateral Tolerances Type: Integer Saved in: Drawing Initial value: 0 (imperial) or 8 (metric) Controls the suppression of zeros in tolerance values. Values 0-3 affect feet-and-inch dimensions only. 0 Suppresses zero feet and precisely zero inches 1 Includes zero feet and precisely zero inches 2 Includes zero feet and suppresses zero inches 3 Includes zero inches and suppresses zero feet 4 Suppresses leading zeros in decimal dimensions (for example, 0.
Type: Switch Saved in: Drawing Initial value: Off Controls options for user-positioned text. Off Cursor controls only the dimension line location On Cursor controls both the text position and the dimension line location DIMZIN Quick Reference See also: ■ Suppress Zeros in Dimensions Type: Integer Saved in: Drawing Initial value: 0 (imperial) or 8 (metric) Controls the suppression of zeros in the primary unit value.
DIMZIN also affects real-to-string conversions performed by the AutoLISP rtos and angtos functions. DISPLAYVIEWCUBEIN2D Quick Reference See also: ■ Use ViewCube Type: Integer Saved in: Registry Initial value: 1 Controls the display of the ViewCube tool when the 2D Wireframe visual style is applied to a viewport. 0 Off. Do not display the ViewCube tool when the 2D Wireframe visual style is applied 1 On.
Controls the display of the ViewCube tool when a 3D visual style is applied to a viewport. 0 Off. Do not display the ViewCube tool when a 3D visual style is applied 1 On. Display the ViewCube tool when a 3D visual style is applied DISPSILH Quick Reference See also: ■ Control the Display of Edges Type: Integer Saved in: Drawing Initial value: 0 Controls display of silhouette edges of 3D solid objects in a 2D Wireframe or 3D Wireframe visual style. 0 Off. Do not display silhouette edges 1 On.
(Read-only) Type: Real Saved in: Not-saved Initial value: 0.0000 Stores the distance computed by the DIST command. DIVMESHBOXHEIGHT Quick Reference See also: ■ Create a Mesh Box Type: Integer Saved in: User-settings Initial value: 3 Sets the number of subdivisions for the height of a mesh box along the Z axis. This setting affects new mesh boxes that are created with the MESH command.
DIVMESHBOXLENGTH Quick Reference See also: ■ Create a Mesh Box Type: Integer Saved in: User-settings Initial value: 3 Sets the number of subdivisions for the length of a mesh box along the X axis. This setting affects new mesh boxes that are created with the MESH command. DIVMESHBOXWIDTH Quick Reference See also: ■ Create a Mesh Box Type: Integer Saved in: User-settings Initial value: 3 Sets the number of subdivisions for the width of a mesh box along the Y axis.
This setting affects new mesh boxes that are created with the MESH command. DIVMESHCONEAXIS Quick Reference See also: ■ Create a Mesh Cone Type: Integer Saved in: User-settings Initial value: 8 Sets the number of subdivisions around the perimeter of the mesh cone base.
This setting affects new mesh cones that are created with the MESH command. DIVMESHCONEBASE Quick Reference See also: ■ Create a Mesh Cone Type: Integer Saved in: User-settings Initial value: 3 Sets the number of subdivisions between the perimeter and the center point of the mesh cone base.
This setting affects new mesh cones that are created with the MESH command. DIVMESHCONEHEIGHT Quick Reference See also: ■ Create a Mesh Cone Type: Integer Saved in: User-settings Initial value: 3 Sets the number of subdivisions between the base and the point or top of the mesh cone.
This setting affects new mesh cones that are created with the MESH command. DIVMESHCYLAXIS Quick Reference See also: ■ Create a Mesh Cylinder Type: Integer Saved in: User-settings Initial value: 8 Sets the number of subdivisions around the perimeter of the mesh cylinder base.
This setting affects new mesh cylinders that are created with the MESH command. DIVMESHCYLBASE Quick Reference See also: ■ Create a Mesh Cylinder Type: Integer Saved in: User-settings Initial value: 3 Sets the number of radial subdivisions from the center of the mesh cylinder base to its perimeter.
This setting affects new mesh cylinders that are created with the MESH command. DIVMESHCYLHEIGHT Quick Reference See also: ■ Create a Mesh Cylinder Type: Integer Saved in: User-settings Initial value: 3 Sets the number of subdivisions between the base and the top of the mesh cylinder.
This setting affects new mesh cylinders that are created with the MESH command. DIVMESHPYRBASE Quick Reference See also: ■ Create a Mesh Pyramid Type: Integer Saved in: User-settings Initial value: 3 Sets the number of radial subdivisions between the center of the mesh pyramid base and its perimeter.
This setting affects new mesh pyramids that are created with the MESH command. DIVMESHPYRHEIGHT Quick Reference See also: ■ Create a Mesh Pyramid Type: Integer Saved in: User-settings Initial value: 3 Sets the number of subdivisions between the base and the top of the mesh pyramid.
This setting affects new mesh pyramids that are created with the MESH command. DIVMESHPYRLENGTH Quick Reference See also: ■ Create a Mesh Pyramid Type: Integer Saved in: User-settings Initial value: 3 Sets the number of subdivisions along each dimension of a mesh pyramid base.
This setting affects new mesh pyramids that are created with the MESH command. DIVMESHSPHEREAXIS Quick Reference See also: ■ Create a Mesh Sphere Type: Integer Saved in: User-settings Initial value: 12 Sets the number of radial subdivisions around the axis endpoint of the mesh sphere.
This setting affects new mesh spheres that are created with the MESH command. DIVMESHSPHEREHEIGHT Quick Reference See also: ■ Create a Mesh Sphere Type: Integer Saved in: User-settings Initial value: 6 Sets the number of subdivisions between the two axis endpoints of the mesh sphere.
This setting affects new mesh spheres that are created with the MESH command. DIVMESHTORUSPATH Quick Reference See also: ■ Create a Mesh Torus Type: Integer Saved in: User-settings Initial value: 8 Sets the number of subdivisions in the path that is swept by the profile of a mesh torus. This setting affects new mesh tori that are created with the MESH command.
DIVMESHTORUSSECTION Quick Reference See also: ■ Create a Mesh Torus Type: Integer Saved in: User-settings Initial value: 8 Sets the number of subdivisions in the profile that sweeps the path of a mesh torus. This setting affects new mesh tori that are created with the MESH command.
Sets the number of subdivisions between the midpoint of the perimeter of triangular dimension of the mesh wedge. This setting affects new mesh wedges that are created with the MESH command. DIVMESHWEDGEHEIGHT Quick Reference See also: ■ Create a Mesh Wedge Type: Integer Saved in: User-settings Initial value: 3 Sets the number of subdivisions for the height of the mesh wedge along the Z axis.
This setting affects new mesh wedges that are created with the MESH command. DIVMESHWEDGELENGTH Quick Reference See also: ■ Create a Mesh Wedge Type: Integer Saved in: User-settings Initial value: 4 Sets the number of subdivisions for the length of a mesh wedge along the X axis.
This setting affects new mesh wedges that are created with the MESH command. DIVMESHWEDGESLOPE Quick Reference See also: ■ Create a Mesh Wedge Type: Integer Saved in: User-settings Initial value: 3 Sets the number of subdivisions in the slope that extends from the apex of the wedge to the edge of the base.
This setting affects new mesh wedges that are created with the MESH command. DIVMESHWEDGEWIDTH Quick Reference See also: ■ Create a Mesh Wedge Type: Integer Saved in: User-settings Initial value: 3 Sets the number of subdivisions for the width of the mesh wedge along the Y axis.
This setting affects new mesh wedges that are created with the MESH command. DONUTID Quick Reference See also: ■ Draw Donuts Type: Real Saved in: Not-saved Initial value: 0.5000 Sets the default for the inside diameter of a donut.
Saved in: Not-saved Initial value: 1.0000 Sets the default for the outside diameter of a donut. The value must be nonzero. If DONUTID is larger than DONUTOD, the two values are swapped by the next command. DRAGMODE Quick Reference See also: ■ Set Up the Drawing Area Type: Integer Saved in: Registry Initial value: 2 Controls the display of objects being dragged. This system variable has the same name as a command. Use the SETVAR command to access this system variable.
DRAGP1 Quick Reference See also: ■ Set Up the Drawing Area Type: Integer Saved in: Registry Initial value: 10 Sets the regen-drag input sampling rate. DRAGP2 Quick Reference See also: ■ Set Up the Drawing Area Type: Integer Saved in: Registry Initial value: 25 Sets the fast-drag input sampling rate.
Sets the visual style that is displayed while creating 3D solid and mesh primitives and extruded solids, surfaces, and meshes. You can enter a period (.) to specify the current visual style. DRAGVS can only be set to a visual style that is saved in the drawing. DRAGVS has no effect when the current viewport's visual style is set to 2D Wireframe. The visual style specified for DRAGVS cannot be removed with the PURGE command.
2 Turns on draw order inheritance: new objects created from another object using the commands listed above are assigned the draw order of the original object. 3 Provides full draw order display. Turns on the correct draw order of objects, and turns on draw order inheritance. NOTE Full draw order display may slow some editing operations.
Checks drawings for potential problems when opening them. 0 If a drawing that you try to open has a potential problem, you are warned before the drawing is opened. 1 If a drawing that you try to open has a potential problem, or if it was saved by an application other than one released by Autodesk or based on RealDWG, you are warned before the drawing is opened. 2 If a drawing that you try to open has a potential problem, you are notified at the Command prompt.
DWGNAME Quick Reference See also: ■ Save a Drawing (Read-only) Type: String Saved in: Not-saved Initial value: Drawing1.dwg Stores the name of the current drawing. If a new drawing has not been saved yet, DWGNAME defaults to Drawing1.dwg. Additional new drawings are named Drawing2.dwg, Drawing3.dwg, and so on. The location of the saved drawing file is stored in DWGPREFIX on page 1301.
DWGTITLED Quick Reference See also: ■ Save a Drawing (Read-only) Type: Integer Saved in: Not-saved Initial value: 0 Indicates whether the current drawing has been named. 0 Drawing has not been named 1 Drawing has been named DYNCONSTRAINTMODE Quick Reference See also: ■ Control the Display of Dimensional Constraints Type: Integer Saved in: Registry Initial value: 1 Displays hidden dimensional constraints when constrained objects are selected.
NOTE This system variable takes effect when dynamic constraints are hidden (see DCDISPLAY on page 249). DYNDIGRIP Quick Reference See also: ■ Use Dynamic Input Type: Bitcode Saved in: Registry Initial value: 31 Controls which dynamic dimensions are displayed during grip stretch editing. The DYNDIVIS system variable must be set to 2, which displays all dynamic dimensions.
DYNDIVIS Quick Reference See also: ■ Use Dynamic Input Type: Integer Saved in: Registry Initial value: 1 Controls how many dynamic dimensions are displayed during grip stretch editing. DYNDIGRIP controls which dynamic dimensions are displayed during grip stretch editing.
When DYNMODE is set to a negative value, the Dynamic Input features are not turned on, but the setting is stored. Press the Dynamic Input button in the status bar to set DYNMODE to the corresponding positive value. 0 All Dynamic Input features, including dynamic prompts, off 1 Pointer input on 2 Dimensional input on 3 Both pointer input and dimensional input on If dynamic prompts are on (DYNPROMPT is set to 1), they are displayed when DYNMODE is set to 1, 2, or 3.
The DYNMODE system variable turns Dynamic Input features on and off. DYNPIFORMAT Quick Reference See also: ■ Use Dynamic Input Type: Switch Saved in: Registry Initial value: 0 Controls whether pointer input uses polar or Cartesian format for coordinates. This setting applies only to a second or next point. 0 Polar 1 Cartesian The DYNMODE system variable turns Dynamic Input features on and off.
2 Always The DYNMODE system variable turns Dynamic Input features on and off. DYNPROMPT Quick Reference See also: ■ Use Dynamic Input Type: Integer Saved in: Registry Initial value: 1 Controls display of prompts in Dynamic Input tooltips. 0 Off 1 On The DYNMODE system variable turns Dynamic Input features on and off. When DYNMODE is set to 0 (off), prompts are not displayed regardless of the DYNPROMPT setting.
Controls which tooltips are affected by tooltip appearance settings.
E System Variables 32 EDGEMODE Quick Reference See also: ■ Trim or Extend Objects Type: Integer Saved in: Registry Initial value: 0 Controls how the TRIM and EXTEND commands determine cutting and boundary edges. 0 Uses the selected edge without any extensions 1 Extends or trims the selected object to an imaginary extension of the cutting or boundary edge Lines, arcs, elliptical arcs, rays, and polylines are objects eligible for natural extension.
ELEVATION Quick Reference See also: ■ Use Coordinates and Coordinate Systems (UCS) ■ Enter 3D Coordinates Type: Real Saved in: Drawing Initial value: 0.0000 Stores the current elevation of new objects relative to the current UCS.
ERRNO Quick Reference See also: ■ Overview of AutoLISP (Read-only) Type: Integer Saved in: Not-saved Initial value: 0 Displays the number of the appropriate error code when an AutoLISP function call causes an error that AutoCAD detects. AutoLISP applications can inspect the current value of ERRNO with (getvar "errno"). The ERRNO system variable is not always cleared to zero.
1 Open EXPERT Quick Reference See also: ■ Switch Between Dialog Boxes and the Command Line Type: Integer Saved in: Not-saved Initial value: 0 Controls whether certain prompts are issued. 0 Issues all prompts normally. 1 Suppresses “About to regen, proceed?” and “Really want to turn the current layer off?” (-LAYER) 2 Suppresses the preceding prompts and “Block already defined. Redefine it?” (-BLOCK) and “A drawing with this name already exists. Overwrite it?” (SAVE or WBLOCK).
When a prompt is suppressed by EXPERT, the operation in question is performed as though you entered y at the prompt. Setting EXPERT can affect scripts, menu macros, AutoLISP, and the command functions. EXPLMODE Quick Reference See also: ■ Disassemble a Block Reference (Explode) Type: Integer Saved in: Not-saved Initial value: 1 Controls whether the EXPLODE command supports nonuniformly scaled (NUS) blocks.
EXTMIN Quick Reference See also: ■ Pan or Zoom a View (Read-only) Type: 3D-point Saved in: Drawing Initial value: Varies Stores the lower-left point of the drawing extents. Expands outward as new objects are drawn; shrinks only with ZOOM All or ZOOM Extents. Reported in world coordinates for the current space.
any special characters not used by the operating system and AutoCAD for Mac for other purposes.
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F System Variables 33 FACETERDEVNORMAL Quick Reference See also: ■ Create Meshes by Conversion Type: Real Saved in: User-settings Initial value: 40 Sets the maximum angle between the surface normal and contiguous mesh faces. This setting affects mesh that is converted from another object using the MESHSMOOTH command. (For a complete list of objects that can be converted to mesh, see Objects That Can Be Converted to Mesh.
FACETERDEVSURFACE Quick Reference See also: ■ Create Meshes by Conversion Type: Real Saved in: User-settings Initial value: 0.001 Sets how closely the converted mesh object adheres to the original shape of the solid or surface. This setting affects mesh that is converted from another object using the MESHSMOOTH command. (For a complete list of objects that can be converted to mesh, see Objects That Can Be Converted to Mesh.) You can enter any non-negative number, including 0 (zero).
This setting affects mesh that is converted from another object using the MESHSMOOTH command. (For a complete list of objects that can be converted to mesh, see Objects That Can Be Converted to Mesh.) Permissible values range from 0 to 100, and set the height/width ratio of the face. Use this variable to prevent long, thin faces that can result from cylindrical object conversions. Smaller values result in more, better-formed faces, but can affect performance. Set this value to 0 to turn it off.
FACETERMAXGRID Quick Reference See also: ■ Create Meshes by Conversion Type: Integer Saved in: User-settings Initial value: 4096 Sets the maximum number of U and V grid lines for solids and surfaces converted to mesh. This setting affects mesh that is converted from another object using the MESHSMOOTH command. (For a complete list of objects that can be converted to mesh, see Objects That Can Be Converted to Mesh.) Permissible values range from 0 to 4096.
2 Faces are mostly triangular This setting affects mesh that is converted from another object using the MESHSMOOTH command. (For a complete list of objects that can be converted to mesh, see Objects That Can Be Converted to Mesh.) FACETERMINUGRID Quick Reference See also: ■ Create Meshes by Conversion Type: Integer Saved in: User-settings Initial value: 0 Sets the minimum number of U grid lines for solids and surfaces that are converted to mesh.
Type: Integer Saved in: User-settings Initial value: 0 Sets the minimum number of V grid lines for solids and surfaces that are converted to mesh. This setting affects mesh that is converted from a 3D solid or surface object using the MESHSMOOTH command. (For a complete list of objects that can be converted to mesh, see Objects That Can Be Converted to Mesh.) Permissible values range from 0 to 1023. Setting 0 (zero) turns off the setting.
FACETERSMOOTHLEV Quick Reference See also: ■ Create Meshes by Conversion Type: Integer Saved in: User-settings Initial value: 1 Sets the default level of smoothness for objects that are converted to mesh.
FACETRATIO Quick Reference See also: ■ Create 3D Solid Primitives Type: Integer Saved in: Not-saved Initial value: 0 Controls the aspect ratio of faceting for cylindrical and conic solids. 0 Creates an N by 1 mesh for cylindrical and conic solids 1 Creates an N by M mesh for cylindrical and conic solids A setting of 1 increases the density of the mesh to improve the quality of rendered and shaded models. The faceting is visible only in the 2D Wireframe visual style.
FIELDDISPLAY Quick Reference See also: ■ Update Fields Type: Integer Saved in: Registry Initial value: 1 Controls whether fields are displayed with a gray background. The background is not plotted. 0 Fields are displayed with no background 1 Fields are displayed with a gray background FIELDEVAL Quick Reference See also: ■ Update Fields Type: Integer Saved in: Drawing Initial value: 31 Controls how fields are updated.
4 Updated on plot 8 Updated on use of ETRANSMIT 16 Updated on regeneration NOTE The Date field is updated by UPDATEFIELD, but it is not updated automatically based on the setting of the FIELDEVAL system variable. FILEDIA Quick Reference See also: ■ Switch Between Dialog Boxes and the Command Line Type: Integer Saved in: Registry Initial value: 1 Suppresses display of file navigation dialog boxes. 0 Does not display dialog boxes.
FILLETRAD Quick Reference See also: ■ Create Fillets Type: Real Saved in: Drawing Initial value: 0.0000 Stores the current fillet radius for 2D objects. If you use the FILLET on page 429 command to change the radius of a 2D fillet, the value of this system variable changes to match. FILLETRAD3D Quick Reference See also: ■ Fillet a Surface ■ Modify Edges on 3D Objects Type: Real Saved in: Drawing Initial value: 1.0000 Stores the current fillet radius for 3D objects.
FILLMODE Quick Reference See also: ■ Control the Display of Polylines, Hatches, Gradient Fills, Lineweights, and Text Type: Integer Saved in: Drawing Initial value: 1 Specifies whether hatches and fills, 2D solids, and wide polylines are filled in. 0 Objects are not filled 1 Objects are filled FONTALT Quick Reference See also: ■ Substitute Fonts Type: String Saved in: Registry Initial value: simplex.shx Specifies the alternate font to be used when the specified font file cannot be located.
FONTMAP Quick Reference See also: ■ Substitute Fonts Type: String Saved in: Registry Initial value: acad.fmp Specifies the font mapping file to be used. A font mapping file contains one font mapping per line; the original font used in the drawing and the font to be substituted for it are separated by a semicolon (;). For example, to substitute the Times TrueType font for the Roman font, the line in the mapping file would read as follows: romanc.shx;times.
The FRAME setting overrides the individual XCLIPFRAME and IMAGEFRAME settings. 0 The frame is not visible and it is not plotted. The frame temporarily reappears during selection preview or object selection. 1 Displays and plots the frame. 2 Displays but does not plot the frame. 3 The individual setting varies for all underlays in the current drawing (external references and raster images have different frame settings). NOTE This value is used internally by AutoCAD for Mac.
FULLOPEN Quick Reference See also: ■ Open a Drawing (Read-only) Type: Integer Saved in: Not-saved Initial value: 1 Indicates whether the current drawing is partially open. 0 Indicates a partially open drawing 1 Indicates a fully open drawing FULLPLOTPATH Quick Reference See also: ■ Print or Plot Drawings Type: Integer Saved in: Registry Initial value: 1 Controls whether the full path of the drawing file is sent to the plot spooler.
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G System Variables 34 GFANG Quick Reference See also: ■ Choose a Hatch Pattern or Fill Type: Integer Saved in: Not-saved Initial value: 0 Specifies the angle of a gradient fill. Valid values are 0 to 360 (degrees).
Specifies the color for a one-color gradient fill or the first color for a two-color gradient fill.
GFCLRLUM Quick Reference See also: ■ Choose a Hatch Pattern or Fill Type: Real Saved in: Not-saved Initial value: 1.0000 Controls the tint or shade level in a one-color gradient fill. A tint gradient transitions toward white and a shade gradient transitions toward black. Valid values range from 0.0 (darkest) to 1.0 (lightest).
GFNAME Quick Reference See also: ■ Choose a Hatch Pattern or Fill Type: Integer Saved in: Not-saved Initial value: 1 Specifies the pattern of a gradient fill.
Type: Integer Saved in: Not-saved Initial value: 0 Specifies whether the pattern in a gradient fill is centered or is shifted up and to the left. 0 Centered 1 Shifted up and to the left GRIDDISPLAY Quick Reference See also: ■ Adjust Grid and Grid Snap Type: Bitcode Saved in: Drawing Initial value: 2 Controls the display behavior and display limits of the grid.
NOTE Setting 4 is ignored unless setting 2 is specified. GRIDMAJOR Quick Reference See also: ■ Adjust Grid and Grid Snap Type: Integer Saved in: Drawing Initial value: 5 Controls the frequency of major grid lines compared to minor grid lines. Valid values range from 1 to 100. Grid lines are displayed in any visual style. GRIDMODE Quick Reference See also: ■ Adjust Grid and Grid Snap Type: Integer Saved in: Drawing Initial value: 1 Specifies whether the grid is turned on or off.
GRIDSTYLE Quick Reference See also: ■ Adjust Grid and Grid Snap Type: Integer Saved in: Registry Initial value: 0 Controls the style of grid displayed for 2D model space, Block Editor, 3D parallel projection, 3D perspective projection, and Sheet and Layout tabs. The setting is stored as an integer using the sum of the following values: 0 Displays lined grid for 2D model space, Block Editor, 3D parallel projection, 3D perspective projection, and Sheet and Layout.
GRIPBLOCK Quick Reference See also: ■ Control Grips in Blocks ■ Selection Tab (Options Dialog Box) Type: Integer Saved in: Registry Initial value: 0 Controls the display of grips in blocks. 0 Assigns a grip only to the insertion point of the block 1 Assigns grips to objects within the block GRIPCOLOR Quick Reference See also: ■ Use Grip Modes Type: Integer Saved in: Registry Initial value: 150 Controls the color of unselected grips. The valid range is 1 to 255.
GRIPCONTOUR Quick Reference See also: ■ Use Grip Modes Type: Integer Saved in: Registry Initial value: 251 Controls the color of the grip contour. The valid range is 1 to 255. GRIPHOT Quick Reference See also: ■ Use Grip Modes Type: Integer Saved in: Registry Initial value: 12 Controls the color of selected grips. The valid range is 1 to 255.
Saved in: Registry Initial value: 11 Controls the fill color of an unselected grip when the cursor pauses over it. The valid range is 1 to 255. GRIPMULTIFUNCTIONAL Quick Reference See also: ■ Choose a Method to Modify Objects ■ Modify Polylines ■ Edit Objects with Grips Type: Bitcode Saved in: Registry Initial value: 3 Specifies the access methods to multi-functional grips.
GRIPOBJLIMIT Quick Reference See also: ■ Use Grip Modes Type: Integer Saved in: Registry Initial value: 100 Suppresses the display of grips when the selection set includes more than the specified number of objects. The valid range is 0 to 32,767. For example, when set to 1, grips are suppressed when more than one object is selected. When set to 0, grips are always displayed.
GRIPSIZE Quick Reference See also: ■ Use Grip Modes Type: Integer Saved in: Registry Initial value: 5 Sets the size of the grip box in pixels. The valid range is 1 to 255. GRIPSUBOBJMODE Quick Reference See also: ■ Use Grips to Edit 3D Solids and Surfaces ■ Choose a Method to Modify Objects Type: Bitcode Saved in: Registry Initial value: 1 Controls whether grips are automatically made hot when subobjects are selected. 0 Does not turn the grips hot when subobjects are selected.
3 Turns the grips hot when subobjects of ■ 3D objects (faces, edges, or vertices) are selected ■ 2D polyline objects (line or arc segments) are selected Setting this system variable to 1 is especially helpful for quickly modifying groups of faces, edges, and vertices on mesh objects.
GTAUTO Quick Reference See also: ■ Use the Gizmos Type: Integer Saved in: Registry Initial value: 1 Controls whether 3D gizmos are automatically displayed when you select objects before you start a command in a viewport with a 3D visual style. 0 Gizmos are not displayed automatically when you select objects before starting a command. 1 Gizmos are displayed automatically after you create a selection set. This system variable affects the display of the 3D Move, 3D Rotate, and 3D Scale gizmos.
Controls whether the 3D Move, 3D Rotate, or 3D Scale operation starts automatically when you start the MOVE, ROTATE, or SCALE command in a viewport with a 3D visual style. 0 Does not automatically start the 3DMOVE, 3DROTATE, or 3DSCALEcommands when the MOVE, ROTATE, or SCALE commands are started in a 3D view. 1 Automatically starts the 3DMOVE, 3DROTATE, or 3DSCALE commands when the MOVE, ROTATE, or SCALE commands are started in a 3D view.
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H System Variables 35 HALOGAP Quick Reference See also: ■ Use a Visual Style to Display Your Model Type: Integer Saved in: Drawing Initial value: 0 Specifies a gap to be displayed where an object is hidden by another object. The value is specified as a percent of one unit and is independent of the zoom level. HALOGAP is available only in 2D views. In 3D views, the VSHALOGAP system variable is used.
(Read-only) Type: Integer Saved in: Drawing Initial value: On Reports whether object handles can be accessed by applications. Because handles can no longer be turned off, has no effect except to preserve the integrity of scripts. HELPPREFIX Quick Reference See also: ■ Set Up the Drawing Area ■ Application Tab (Application Preferences Dialog Box) on page 736 Type: String Saved in: Registry Initial value: Varies Sets the file path for the Help system.
but this setting also uses more memory and can affect performance, especially when hiding solids. 0 Single precision; uses less memory 1 Double precision; uses more memory HIDETEXT Quick Reference See also: ■ Shade a Model and Use Edge Effects Type: Switch Saved in: Drawing Initial value: On Specifies whether text objects created by the TEXT or MTEXT command are processed during a HIDE command.
Controls object highlighting; does not affect objects selected with grips. 0 Turns off object selection highlighting 1 Turns on object selection highlighting HPANG Quick Reference See also: ■ Overview of Hatch Patterns and Fills Type: Real Saved in: Not-saved Initial value: 0.0000 Sets the angle for new hatch patterns. HPANNOTATIVE Quick Reference See also: ■ Overview of Scaling Annotations Type: Integer Saved in: Drawing Initial value: 0 Controls whether a new hatch pattern is annotative.
HPASSOC Quick Reference See also: ■ Specify Hatch and Fill Areas Type: Integer Saved in: Registry Initial value: 1 Controls whether hatches and fills are associative.
■ True Colors: RGB or HSL values from 000 to 255 in the form "RGB:130,200,240" ■ Color Books: Text from standard PANTONE color books, the DIC color guide, or RAL color sets, for example "DIC COLOR GUIDE(R)$DIC 43" HPBOUND Quick Reference See also: ■ Specify Hatch and Fill Areas Type: Integer Saved in: Not-saved Initial value: 1 Controls the object type created by HATCH and BOUNDARY.
Controls whether boundary objects are created for new hatches and fills. 0 Does not create boundary objects 1 Creates boundary objects according to the HPBOUND system variable HPCOLOR Quick Reference See also: ■ Set Property Overrides for Hatches and Fills Type: String Saved in: Drawing Initial value: use current Sets a default color for new hatches. Valid values include the following: ■ “.
HPDLGMODE Quick Reference See also: ■ Overview of Hatch Patterns and Fills Type: Integer Saved in: User-settings Initial value: 2 Controls the display of the Hatch and Gradient dialog box and the Hatch Edit dialog box.
1 Turns on hatch pattern doubling HPDRAWORDER Quick Reference See also: ■ Set Property Overrides for Hatches and Fills Type: Integer Saved in: Not-saved Initial value: 3 Controls the draw order of hatches and fills. Controls whether hatch and fill objects are displayed in front or behind all other objects, or in front or behind their associated boundaries. 0 None. The hatch or fill is not assigned a draw order. 1 Send to back. The hatch or fill is sent to the back of all other objects.
HPGAPTOL Quick Reference See also: ■ Specify Hatch and Fill Areas Type: Real Saved in: Registry Initial value: 0.0000 Treats a set of objects that almost enclose an area as a closed hatch boundary. The default value, 0, specifies that the objects enclose the area, with no gaps. Enter a value, in drawing units, from 0 to 5000 to set the maximum size of gaps that can be ignored when the objects serve as a hatch boundary.
HPISLANDDETECTION Quick Reference See also: ■ Specify Hatch and Fill Areas Type: Integer Saved in: Drawing Initial value: 1 Controls how islands within the hatch boundary are treated. 0 Normal. Hatches islands within islands. 1 Outer. Hatches only areas outside of islands. 2 Ignore. Hatches everything within the boundaries. An island is an enclosed area within the area to be hatched.
HPLAYER Quick Reference See also: ■ Set Property Overrides for Hatches and Fills Type: String Saved in: Drawing Initial value: use current Specifies a default layer for new hatches and fills. Values other than the “.” (use current) value override the current layer (CELAYER). HPMAXLINES Quick Reference See also: ■ Control the Scale of Hatch Patterns Type: Real Saved in: Registry Initial value: 1000000 Sets the maximum number of hatch lines that are generated in a hatch operation.
Type: String Saved in: Not-saved Initial value: ANSI31 (imperial) or ANGLE (metric) Sets the default hatch pattern name. Valid names can contain up to 34 characters without spaces. The value "" indicates that there is no default. Enter a period (.) to reset HPNAME to the default value.
HPORIGINMODE Quick Reference See also: ■ Control the Hatch Origin Point Type: Integer Saved in: Registry Initial value: 0 Controls how the default hatch origin point is determined.
Saved in: User-settings Initial value: 1 Controls whether to display a preview when specifying internal points for a hatch. 0 or OFF No preview 1 or ON Quick preview HPQUICKPREVTIMEOUT Quick Reference See also: ■ Specify Hatch and Fill Areas Type: Integer Saved in: Registry Initial value: 2 Sets the maximum duration that the hatch preview should be displayed before the preview is canceled. Duration is measured in seconds. The valid range is 1 to 300.
HPSEPARATE Quick Reference See also: ■ Specify Hatch and Fill Areas Type: Integer Saved in: Registry Initial value: 0 Controls whether a single hatch object or separate hatch objects are created when operating on several closed boundaries. 0 A single hatch object is created 1 Separate hatch objects are created HPSPACE Quick Reference See also: ■ Control the Scale of Hatch Patterns Type: Real Saved in: Not-saved Initial value: 1.0000 Sets the hatch pattern line spacing for user-defined patterns.
HPTRANSPARENCY Quick Reference See also: ■ Set Property Overrides for Hatches and Fills Type: String Saved in: Drawing Initial value: use current Sets the default transparency for new hatches and fills. Valid values include “use current” (or “.”), ByLayer, ByBlock, and integer values from 0 to 90. The higher the value, the more transparent the hatch. Values other than “use current” or “.” override the current transparency (CETRANSPARENCY on page 1198).
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I System Variables 36 IMAGEFRAME Quick Reference See also: ■ Show and Hide Raster Image Boundaries Type: Integer Saved in: Drawing Initial value: 1 Controls whether image frames are displayed and plotted. The FRAME system variable overrides the IMAGEFRAME setting. Use the IMAGEFRAME system variable after the FRAME system variable to reset the image frame settings. 0 The image frame is not diplayed or plotted. The frame temporarily reappears during selection preview or object selection.
IMAGEHLT Quick Reference See also: ■ Improve the Display Speed of Raster Images Type: Integer Saved in: Registry Initial value: 0 Controls whether the entire raster image or only the raster image frame is highlighted. 0 Highlights only the raster image frame 1 Highlights the entire raster image IMPLIEDFACE Quick Reference See also: ■ Press or Pull Bounded Areas Type: Integer Saved in: Registry Initial value: 1 Controls the detection of implied faces. 0 Implied faces cannot be detected.
This variable affects the ability to use implied faces when you press Ctrl-Shift-E and drag the area inside the boundary to create an extrusion dynamically. This variable must be set to 1 if you want to select and modify implied faces. INETLOCATION Quick Reference See also: ■ Get Started with Internet Access Type: String Saved in: Registry Initial value: http://www.autodesk.com Stores the Internet location used by the BROWSER command and the Browse the Web dialog box.
and Down Arrow keys at the Command prompt, or at an input prompt. 2 History of recent input for the current command is displayed in the shortcut menu under Recent Input. 4 History of recent input for all commands in the current session is displayed in the shortcut menu under Recent Input. 8 Markers for recent input of point locations are displayed. Use the arrow keys at the Command prompt for specifying a point location.
Initial value: "" Sets a default block name for the INSERT command. The name must conform to symbol naming conventions. Returns "" if no default is set. Enter a period (.) to set no default. INSUNITS Quick Reference See also: ■ Insert Blocks Type: Integer Saved in: Drawing Initial value: 1 (imperial) or 4 (metric) Specifies a drawing-units value for automatic scaling of blocks, images, or xrefs when inserted or attached to a drawing.
10 Yards 11 Angstroms 12 Nanometers 13 Microns 14 Decimeters 15 Dekameters 16 Hectometers 17 Gigameters 18 Astronomical Units 19 Light Years 20 Parsecs INSUNITSDEFSOURCE Quick Reference See also: ■ Insert Blocks Type: Integer Saved in: Registry Initial value: 1 Sets source content units value when INSUNITS is set to 0. Valid range is 0 to 20.
2 Feet 3 Miles 4 Millimeters 5 Centimeters 6 Meters 7 Kilometers 8 Microinches 9 Mils 10 Yards 11 Angstroms 12 Nanometers 13 Microns 14 Decimeters 15 Dekameters 16 Hectometers 17 Gigameters 18 Astronomical Units 19 Light Years 20 Parsecs INSUNITSDEFSOURCE | 1373
INSUNITSDEFTARGET Quick Reference See also: ■ Insert Blocks Type: Integer Saved in: Registry Initial value: 1 Sets target drawing units value when INSUNITS is set to 0. Valid range is 0 to 20.
14 Decimeters 15 Dekameters 16 Hectometers 17 Gigameters 18 Astronomical Units 19 Light Years 20 Parsecs INTELLIGENTUPDATE Quick Reference See also: ■ Set Interface Options Type: Integer Saved in: Registry Initial value: 20 Controls the graphics refresh rate. The default value is 20 frames per second. If you encounter problems related to graphics generation or timing, turn off the variable by setting it to 0. INTELLIGENTUPDATE works by suppressing the graphics update until the timer expires.
INTERFERECOLOR Quick Reference See also: ■ Check 3D Models for Interferences Type: String Saved in: Drawing Initial value: 1 Sets the color for interference objects. Valid values include BYLAYER, BYBLOCK, a color name, and integers from 0 to 255. Valid values for True Colors are a string of integers each from 0 to 255 separated by commas and preceded by RGB.
INTERFEREVPVS Quick Reference See also: ■ Check 3D Models for Interferences Type: String Saved in: Drawing Initial value: 3D Wireframe Specifies the visual style for the viewport during interference checking. INTERFEREVPVS can only be set to a visual style that is saved in the drawing. The visual style specified for INTERFEREVPVS cannot be removed with the PURGE command.
INTERSECTIONDISPLAY Quick Reference See also: ■ Control the Display of Edges Type: Switch Saved in: Drawing Initial value: Off Controls the display of polylines at the intersection of 3D surfaces when the visual style is set to 2D Wireframe.
WARNING In some cases (such as a power failure in the middle of a save), it's possible that drawing data can be lost. ISAVEPERCENT Quick Reference See also: ■ Set Up the Drawing Area Type: Integer Saved in: Registry Initial value: 50 Determines the amount of wasted space tolerated in a drawing file. The value of ISAVEPERCENT is an integer between 0 and 100. The default value of 50 means that the estimate of wasted space within the file does not exceed 50 percent of the total file size.
NOTE When you create a new drawing that is based on a template, the initial value may differ.
L System Variables 37 LARGEOBJECTSUPPORT Quick Reference See also: ■ Save a Drawing Type: Integer Saved in: Registry Initial value: 0 Controls large object size limit support when you open and save drawings.
(Read-only) Type: Real Saved in: Not-saved Initial value: 0.0000 Stores the end angle of the last arc entered relative to the XY plane of the current UCS for the current space. LASTPOINT Quick Reference See also: ■ Overview of Coordinate Entry Type: 3D-point Saved in: Not-saved Initial value: 0.0000,0.0000,0.0000 Stores the last point specified, expressed as UCS coordinates for the current space. You can reference the last point specified by entering the @ symbol at a point prompt.
LATITUDE Quick Reference See also: ■ Specify Units and Unit Formats Type: Real Saved in: Drawing Initial value: 37.7950 Specifies the latitude of the drawing model in decimal format. The default is the latitude of San Francisco, California. The valid range is -90 to +90. Positive values represent north latitudes. This value is affected by the settings of the LUPREC system variable. This value is not affected by the settings of the AUNITS and AUPREC system variables.
1 Detects when new xref layers have been added in the drawing 2 Detects when new layers have been added in the drawing and xrefs NOTE LAYEREVALCTL overrides the LAYEREVAL and LAYERNOTIFY setvars when LAYEREVALCTL = 0. It acts like a global off (but not a global on). There is no effect even if LAYEREVALCTL is turned on if LAYERNOTIFY = 0 or LAYEREVAL = 0. LAYEREVALCTL must be set to 1 for LAYERNOTIFY and LAYEREVAL to function correctly.
NOTE LAYEREVALCTL overrides the LAYEREVAL and LAYERNOTIFY setvars when LAYEREVALCTL = 0. It acts like a global off (but not a global on). There is no effect even if LAYEREVALCTL is turned on if LAYERNOTIFY = 0 or LAYEREVAL = 0. LAYEREVALCTL must be set to 1 for LAYERNOTIFY and LAYEREVAL to function correctly.
Specifies when an alert displays when unreconciled new layers are found. 0 Off 1 Plot 2 Open 4 Load/Reload/Attach for xrefs 8 Restore layer state 16 Save 32 Insert NOTE LAYEREVALCTL overrides the LAYEREVAL and LAYERNOTIFY setvars when LAYEREVALCTL = 0. It acts like a global off (but not a global on). There is no effect even if LAYEREVALCTL is turned on if LAYERNOTIFY = 0 or LAYEREVAL = 0. LAYEREVALCTL must be set to 1 for LAYERNOTIFY and LAYEREVAL to function correctly.
The range for controlling the fading for objects on locked layers is from -90 to 90. 0 Locked layers are not faded >0 When the value is positive, controls the percent of fading up to 90 percent <0 When the value is negative, locked layers are not faded, but the value is saved for switching to that value by changing the sign NOTE The fading value is limited to 90 percent to avoid confusion with layers that are turned off or frozen.
1 A single viewport is added to each new layout created LAYOUTREGENCTL Quick Reference See also: ■ Set Up the Drawing Area Type: Integer Saved in: Registry Initial value: 2 Specifies how the display list is updated in the Model tab and layout tabs. For each tab, the display list is updated either by regenerating the drawing when you switch to that tab or by saving the display list to memory and regenerating only the modified objects when you switch to that tab.
If LAYOUTREGENCTL is set to 1 or 2 and performance seems slow in general or when you switch between tabs for which the display list is saved, consider changing to a setting of 0 or 1 to find the optimal balance for your work environment. Regardless of the LAYOUTREGENCTL setting, if you redefine a block or undo a tab switch, the drawing is regenerated the first time you switch to any tab that contains saved viewports.
LENSLENGTH Quick Reference See also: ■ Create a Camera Type: Real Saved in: Drawing Initial value: 50.0000 Stores the length of the lens (in millimeters) used in perspective viewing. LIGHTGLYPHDISPLAY Quick Reference See also: ■ Control the Display of Lights Type: Integer Saved in: Drawing Initial value: 1 Turns on and off the display of light glyphs. When this system variable is set to Off, the glyphs that represent lights in the drawing are not displayed.
LIGHTINGUNITS Quick Reference See also: ■ Standard and Photometric Lighting Workflow Type: Integer Saved in: Drawing Initial value: 2 Controls whether generic or photometric lights are used, and specifies the lighting units for the drawing. When this system variable is set to 1 or 2, photometric lighting is enabled; otherwise standard (generic) lighting is used. 0 No lighting units are used and standard (generic) lighting is enabled.
By default, this system variable is turned on in AutoCAD for Mac drawings. When this system variable is off, lights in blocks do not affect 3D objects in the current viewport when rendering. Previous versions of AutoCAD for Mac did not support rendering lights in blocks.
Stores the upper-right grid limits for the current space, expressed as world coordinates. LIMMAX is read-only when paper space is active and the paper background or printable area is displayed. LIMMIN Quick Reference See also: ■ Adjust Grid and Grid Snap Type: 2D-point Saved in: Drawing Initial value: 0.0000,0.0000 Stores the lower-left grid limits for the current space, expressed as a world coordinate.
LINEARCONTRAST Quick Reference See also: ■ Standard and Photometric Lighting Workflow Type: Integer Saved in: Drawing Initial value: 0 Controls the contrast level of the viewport when using default lighting or generic lights. Controls the contrast level of the viewport when standard lighting is enabled (LIGHTINGUNITS system variable is set to 0). Valid settings are integers from -10 to 10. The contrast level in photometric lighting can be controlled by LOGEXPCONTRAST.
LOCALROOTPREFIX Quick Reference See also: ■ Overview of File Organization (Read-only) Type: String Saved in: Registry Initial value: Varies Stores the full path to the root folder where local customizable files were installed. The Template and Textures folders are in this location, and you can add any customizable files that you do not want to roam on the network. See ROAMABLEROOTPREFIX on page 1473 for the location of the roamable files.
LOFTANG2 Quick Reference See also: ■ Create a Solid or Surface by Lofting. Type: Real Saved in: Drawing Initial value: 90 Sets the draft angle through the last cross section in a loft operation. The 0 direction is measured outward from the curve on the plane of the curve. The positive direction is measured toward the previous cross section. Valid values include 0 to less than 360. LOFTMAG1 Quick Reference See also: ■ Create a Solid or Surface by Lofting. Type: Real Saved in: Drawing Initial value: 0.
LOFTMAG2 Quick Reference See also: ■ Create a Solid or Surface by Lofting. Type: Real Saved in: Drawing Initial value: 0.0000 Sets the magnitude of the draft angle through the last cross section in a loft operation. Controls how soon the surface starts bending back toward the next cross section. LOFTNORMALS Quick Reference See also: ■ Create a Solid or Surface by Lofting. Type: Integer Saved in: Drawing Initial value: 1 Controls the normals of a lofted object where it passes through cross sections.
4 Start and End cross sections 5 All cross sections 6 Use draft angle and magnitude LOFTPARAM Quick Reference See also: ■ Create a Solid or Surface by Lofting Type: Bitcode Saved in: Drawing Initial value: 7 Controls the shape of lofted solids and surfaces.
LOGEXPBRIGHTNESS Quick Reference See also: ■ Standard and Photometric Lighting Workflow Type: Real Saved in: Drawing Initial value: 65.0 Controls the brightness level of the viewport when using photometric lighting. Controls the brightness level of the viweport when photometric lighting is enabled (LIGHTINGUNITS on page 1391 system variable is set to 1 or 2). Valid range is from 0.0 to 200.0. The brightness level in standard lighting can be controlled by the LINEARBRIGHTNESS on page 1393 systems variable.
LOGEXPDAYLIGHT Quick Reference See also: ■ Standard and Photometric Lighting Workflow Type: Integer Saved in: Drawing Initial value: 2 Controls if the exterior daylight flag is enabled when using photometric lighting. When this system variable is off, exterior daylight is turned off when photometric lighting is enabled (LIGHTINGUNITS on page 1391 system variable is set to 1 or 2). When on, the exposure control algorithm in the rendering acts as if there is an extremely bright light source in the scene.
Controls the mid tones level of the viewport when using photometric lighting. Controls the mid tones level of the viewport when photometric lighting is enabled (LIGHTINGUNITS on page 1391 system variable is set to 1 or 2). Valid range from 0.01 to 20.0. LOGEXPPHYSICALSCALE Quick Reference See also: ■ Standard and Photometric Lighting Workflow Type: Real Saved in: Drawing Initial value: 1500.0000 Controls the relative brightness of self-illuminated materials in a photometric environment.
1 Log file is maintained LOGFILENAME Quick Reference See also: ■ Set Interface Options (Read-only) Type: String Saved in: Drawing Initial value: Varies Specifies the path and name of the command history log file for the current drawing. The initial value varies depending on the name of the current drawing and the installation folder.
LOGINNAME Quick Reference See also: ■ Open a Drawing (Read-only) Type: String Saved in: Not-saved Initial value: Varies Displays the current user’s login name and is saved with the file properties statistics of DWG and related files. LONGITUDE Quick Reference See also: ■ Specify Units and Unit Formats Type: Real Saved in: Drawing Initial value: -122.3940 Specifies the longitude of the drawing model in decimal format. The default is the longitude of San Francisco, California.
LTSCALE Quick Reference See also: ■ Control Linetype Scale Type: Real Saved in: Drawing Initial value: 1.0000 Sets the global linetype scale factor. The linetype scale factor cannot equal zero. This system variable has the same name as a command. Use the SETVAR command to access this system variable. LUNITS Quick Reference See also: ■ Set the Unit Format Conventions Type: Integer Saved in: Drawing Initial value: 2 Sets linear units.
LUPREC Quick Reference See also: ■ Set the Unit Format Conventions Type: Integer Saved in: Drawing Initial value: 4 Sets the display precision for linear units and coordinates. However, the internal precision of distance, area, and volume values, and linear coordinates is always maintained, regardless of the display precision. LUPREC does not affect the display precision of dimension text (see DIMSTYLE on page 306). Valid values are integers from 0 to 8.
LWDISPLAY Quick Reference See also: ■ Display Lineweights Type: Integer Saved in: Drawing Initial value: OFF Controls whether the lineweights of objects are displayed. This setting is controlled separately for model space and for all paper space layouts. OFF Lineweights are not displayed ON Lineweights are displayed LWUNITS Quick Reference See also: ■ Display Lineweights Type: Integer Saved in: Registry Initial value: 1 Controls whether lineweight units are displayed in inches or millimeters.
38 M System Variables MATBROWSERSTATE Quick Reference See also: ■ Browse Material Libraries Type: Switch Saved in: User-settings Initial value: 0 Controls the state of the Materials Browser. 0 Materials Browser is closed. 1 Materials Browser is open.
Saved in: Drawing Initial value: 64 Sets the maximum number of viewports that can be active at one time in a layout. MAXACTVP has no effect on the number of viewports that are plotted. MAXSORT Quick Reference See also: ■ Work with Blocks Type: Integer Saved in: Registry Initial value: 1000 Sets the maximum number of symbol names or block names sorted by listing commands. If the total number of items exceeds this value, no items are sorted. The value of MAXSORT is an integer between 0 and 32767.
1 Supports panning when you hold and drag the button or wheel MEASUREINIT Quick Reference See also: ■ Overview of Starting a New Drawing Type: Integer Saved in: Registry Initial value: Varies by country/region Controls whether a drawing you start from scratch uses imperial or metric default settings. Specifically, MEASUREINIT controls which hatch pattern and linetype files are used. The Drawing1.dwg that opens when you start the program is a drawing that is started from scratch.
Initial value: 0 (imperial) or 1 (metric) Controls whether the current drawing uses imperial or metric hatch pattern and linetype files.
MENUNAME Quick Reference See also: ■ User Interface Customization (Read-only) Type: String Saved in: Registry Initial value: customization_file_name Stores the customization file name, including the path for the file name. MESHTYPE Quick Reference See also: ■ Construct Meshes from Other Objects Type: Bitcode Saved in: Drawing Initial value: 1 Controls the type of mesh that is created by REVSURF, TABSURF, RULESURF and EDGESURF.
MIRRHATCH Quick Reference See also: ■ Mirror Objects Type: Integer Saved in: Drawing Initial value: 0 Controls how MIRROR reflects hatch patterns. 0 Retains hatch pattern direction 1 Mirrors the hatch pattern direction MIRRTEXT Quick Reference See also: ■ Mirror Objects Type: Integer Saved in: Drawing Initial value: 0 Controls how MIRROR reflects text.
MLEADERSCALE Quick Reference See also: ■ Create and Modify Leaders Type: Real Saved in: Drawing Initial value: 1.0000 Sets the overall scale factor applied to multileader objects. Use DIMSCALE to scale leader objects created with the LEADER command. 0.0 A reasonable default value is computed based on the scaling between the current model space viewport and paper space. If you are in paper space or model space and not using the paper space feature, the scale factor is 1.0.
Saved in: Drawing Initial value: 1 Scales linetypes displayed on the model tab by the 0 Linetypes displayed on the Model tab are not scaled by the annotation scale 1 Linetypes displayed on the Model tab are scaled by the annotation scale NOTE MSLTSCALE is set to 0 when you open drawings created in AutoCAD 2007 and earlier.
MTEXTFIXED Quick Reference See also: ■ Overview of Multiline Text Type: Integer Saved in: Registry Initial value: 2 Sets the display size and orientation of multiline text in a specified text editor. 0 or 1 Displays the In-Place Text Editor and the text within it at the size, position, and rotation of the multiline text object in the drawing. 2 Displays the In-Place Text Editor and the text within it at the size, position, and rotation of the multiline text object in the drawing.
The text string is displayed in the current text size and font. You can enter any string of up to ten letters or numbers or enter a period (.) to display no sample text. MYDOCUMENTSPREFIX Quick Reference See also: ■ Specify Search Paths and File Locations (Read-only) Type: String Saved in: Registry Initial value: Varies Stores the full path to the Documents folder for the user currently logged on.
N System Variables 39 NAVVCUBEDISPLAY Quick Reference See also: ■ Use ViewCube Type: Integer Saved in: Drawing Initial value: 3 Controls the display of the ViewCube tool in the current visual style and the current viewport.
NAVVCUBELOCATION Quick Reference See also: ■ Use ViewCube Type: Integer Saved in: Registry Initial value: 0 Identifies the corner in a viewport where the ViewCube tool is displayed. 0 Upper-right 1 Upper-left 2 Lower-left 3 Lower-right NAVVCUBEOPACITY Quick Reference See also: ■ Use ViewCube Type: Integer Saved in: Registry Initial value: 50 Controls the opacity of the ViewCube tool when inactive. Valid values are from 0 to 100 percent.
NAVVCUBEORIENT Quick Reference See also: ■ Use ViewCube Type: Integer Saved in: Registry Initial value: 1 Controls whether the ViewCube tool reflects the current UCS or WCS. 0 ViewCube is oriented to reflect WCS 1 ViewCube is oriented to reflect the current UCS NAVVCUBESIZE Quick Reference See also: ■ Use ViewCube Type: Integer Saved in: Registry Initial value: 4 Specifies the size of the ViewCube tool.
4 Automatic; the size of the ViewCube tool is scaled up or down based on the size of the active viewport, zoom factor of the active layout, or drawing window NOMUTT Quick Reference See also: ■ Set Interface Options Type: Short Saved in: Not-saved Initial value: 0 Suppresses the message display (muttering) when it wouldn't normally be suppressed. Displaying messages is the normal mode, but message display is suppressed during scripts, AutoLISP routines, and so on.
This value is affected by the settings of the AUNITS and AUPREC system variables. NOTE The angle is interpreted in the context of the world coordinate system (WCS). This value is completely separate from surveyor angular units, which are always set relative to the current UCS.
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O System Variables 40 OBJECTISOLATIONMODE Quick Reference See also: ■ Control the Display of Objects Type: Integer Saved in: User-settings Initial value: 0 Controls whether hidden objects remain hidden between drawing sessions. OJBECTISOLATIONMODE controls whether objects that are hidden using the ISOLATEOBJECTS on page 530 or HIDEOBJECTS on page 503 command remain hidden after saving and reopening the drawing.
OBSCUREDCOLOR Quick Reference See also: ■ Control the Display of Edges Type: Integer Saved in: Drawing Initial value: 257 Specifies the color of obscured lines. Value 0 designates ByBlock, value 256 designates ByLayer, and value 257 designates ByEntity. Values 1-255 designate an AutoCAD Color Index (ACI). An obscured line is a hidden line made visible by changing its color and linetype. OBSCUREDCOLOR is available only in 2D views. In 3D views, the VSOBSCUREDCOLOR system variable is used.
Obscured linetypes are independent of zoom level, unlike regular linetypes.
OFFSETDIST Quick Reference See also: ■ Offset an Object Type: Real Saved in: Not-saved Initial value: -1.0000 Sets the default offset distance. <0 Offsets an object through a specified point 0 Sets the default offset distance OFFSETGAPTYPE Quick Reference See also: ■ Offset an Object Type: Integer Saved in: Registry Initial value: 0 Controls how potential gaps between segments are treated when polylines are offset.
OPMSTATE Quick Reference See also: ■ Display and Change the Properties of Objects (Read-only) Type: Integer Saved in: Not-saved Initial value: 0 Indicates whether the Properties Inspector palette is open or closed. 0 Closed 1 Open ORTHOMODE Quick Reference See also: ■ Use Orthogonal Locking (Ortho Mode) Type: Integer Saved in: Drawing Initial value: 0 Constrains cursor movement to the perpendicular.
OSMODE Quick Reference See also: ■ Use Object Snaps Type: Integer Saved in: Registry Initial value: 4133 Sets running object snaps The setting is stored as a bitcode using the sum of the following values: 0 NONe 1 ENDpoint 2 MIDpoint 4 CENter 8 NODe 16 QUAdrant 32 INTersection 64 INSertion 128 PERpendicular 256 TANgent 512 NEArest 1024 Clears all object snaps 2048 APParent Intersection 4096 EXTension 1428 | Chapter 40 O System Variables
8192 PARallel To specify more than one object snap, enter the sum of their values. For example, entering 3 specifies the Endpoint (bitcode 1) and Midpoint (bitcode 2) object snaps. Entering 16383 specifies all object snaps. When object snaps are switched off using the Osnap button on the status bar, a bitcode of 16384 (0x4000) is returned, in addition to the normal value of OSMODE.
OSNAPNODELEGACY Quick Reference See also: ■ Change Multiline Text Type: Integer Saved in: Registry Initial value: 0 Controls whether the Node object snap can be used to snap to multiline text objects. The number and location of nodes on a multiline text object snap depends on the vertical and horizontal justification of the multiline text object.
OSOPTIONS Quick Reference See also: ■ Use Object Snaps Type: Bitcode Saved in: Registry Initial value: 3 Automatically suppresses object snaps on hatch objects and geometry with negative Z values when using a dynamic UCS. Automatically suppresses object snaps on hatch objects.
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P System Variables 41 PALETTEICONSTATE Quick Reference See also: ■ Specify the Behavior of Palettes (Read-only) Type: Integer Saved in: Registry Initial value: 0 Indicates whether palettes are in icon state.
PAPERUPDATE Quick Reference See also: ■ Set Paper Size Type: Integer Saved in: Registry Initial value: 0 Controls the display of a warning dialog box when attempting to print a layout with a paper size different from the paper size specified by the default for the plotter configuration file.
constraints and constraint parameters into an environment where referenced user parameters are no longer accessible or are in conflict. The PARAMETERCOPYMODE system variable provides several options for handling these situations. 0 Do not copy any dimensional constraints or constraint parameters. Constraints are removed from copied objects. 1 Copy dimensional constraints and constraint parameters. Always replace expressions with numerical constants.
PDMODE Quick Reference See also: ■ Divide an Object into Equal Segments Type: Integer Saved in: Drawing Initial value: 0 Controls how point objects are displayed. For information about values to enter, see the POINT on page 813 command. PDSIZE Quick Reference See also: ■ Divide an Object into Equal Segments Type: Real Saved in: Drawing Initial value: 0.0000 Sets the display size for point objects.
PEDITACCEPT Quick Reference See also: ■ Modify Polylines Type: Integer Saved in: Registry Initial value: 0 Suppresses display of the Object Selected Is Not a Polyline prompt in PEDIT. The prompt is followed by “Do you want it to turn into one?” Entering y converts the selected object to a polyline. When the prompt is suppressed, the selected object is automatically converted to a polyline.
PERIMETER Quick Reference See also: ■ Obtain Area and Mass Properties Information (Read-only) Type: Real Saved in: Not-saved Initial value: 0.0000 Stores the last perimeter value computed by the AREA or LIST command. Also stores perimeter values computed by DBLIST PERSPECTIVE Quick Reference See also: ■ Define a Perspective Projection (DVIEW) Type: Integer Saved in: Drawing Initial value: Varies Specifies whether the current viewport displays a perspective view.
PERSPECTIVECLIP Quick Reference See also: ■ Define a Perspective Projection (DVIEW) Type: Real Saved in: Registry Initial value: 5.0000 Determines the location of eyepoint clipping. The value determines where the eye point clipping occurs as a percentage. Values can range between 0.01 and 10.0. If you select a small value, the z-values of objects will be compressed at the target view and beyond. If you select a value such as 0.5%, the clipping will appear very close to the eyepoint of the view.
PICKADD Quick Reference See also: ■ Select Multiple Objects Type: Integer Saved in: User-settings Initial value: 2 Controls whether subsequent selections replace the current selection set or add to it. 0 Turns off PICKADD. The objects and subobjects most recently selected become the selection set. Previously selected objects and subobjects are removed from the selection set. Add more objects or subobjects to the selection set by pressing SHIFT while selecting. 1 Turns on PICKADD.
Type: Integer Saved in: Registry Initial value: 1 Controls automatic windowing at the Select Objects prompt. 0 Turns off PICKAUTO. 1 Draws a selection window (for either a window or a crossing selection) automatically at the Select Objects prompt PICKBOX Quick Reference See also: ■ Select Objects Individually Type: Integer Saved in: Registry Initial value: 3 Sets the object selection target height, in pixels. NOTE When PICKBOX is set to 0, selection previewing of objects is not available.
Controls the method of drawing a selection window. 0 Draws the selection window using two points. Click the pointing device at one corner, and then click to select another corner. 1 Draws the selection window using dragging. Click one corner and drag the pointing device; release the button at the other corner.
Type: Integer Saved in: Registry Initial value: 1 Controls the use of group selection and associative hatch selection. 0 No group selection or associative hatch selection 1 Group selection 2 Associative hatch selection 3 Group selection and associative hatch selection PLATFORM Quick Reference See also: ■ Set Interface Options (Read-only) Type: String Saved in: Not-saved Initial value: Varies Indicates which platform is in use.
Specifies the fit method used in converting splines to polylines. 0 Polylines are created with linear segments 1 Polylines are created with arc segments PLINEGEN Quick Reference See also: ■ Display Linetypes on Short Segments and Polylines Type: Integer Saved in: Drawing Initial value: 0 Sets how linetype patterns generate around the vertices of a 2D polyline. Does not apply to polylines with tapered segments.
Specifies whether optimized 2D polylines are used. PLINETYPE controls both the creation of new polylines with the PLINE command and the conversion of existing polylines in drawings from previous releases.
PLOTOFFSET Quick Reference See also: ■ Adjust the Plot Offset of a Layout Type: Integer Saved in: Registry Initial value: 0 Controls whether the plot offset is relative to the printable area or to the edge of the paper. 0 Sets the plot offset relative to the printable area. 1 Sets the plot offset relative to the edge of the paper PLOTROTMODE Quick Reference See also: ■ Select a Printer or Plotter Type: Integer Saved in: Registry Initial value: 2 Controls the orientation of plots.
2 Works the same as 0 value except that the X and Y origin offsets are calculated relative to the rotated origin position. PLOTTRANSPARENCYOVERRIDE Quick Reference See also: ■ Work with Object Properties Type: Integer Saved in: User-settings Initial value: 1 Controls whether object transparency is plotted.
Type: Integer Saved in: Registry Initial value: 0 Controls the display of optional plot-related dialog boxes and nonfatal errors for scripts. 0 Displays plot dialog boxes and nonfatal errors 1 Logs nonfatal errors and doesn't display plot-related dialog boxes POLARADDANG Quick Reference See also: ■ Use Polar Tracking and PolarSnap Type: String Saved in: Registry Initial value: "" Stores additional angles for polar tracking and polar snap. You can add up to 10 angles.
POLARANG Quick Reference See also: ■ Use Polar Tracking and PolarSnap Type: Real Saved in: Registry Initial value: 90 Sets the polar angle increment. Values are 90, 45, 30, 22.5, 18, 15,10, and 5. POLARDIST Quick Reference See also: ■ Use Polar Tracking and PolarSnap Type: Real Saved in: Registry Initial value: 0.0000 Sets the snap increment when the SNAPTYPE is set to 1 (PolarSnap).
Initial value: 0 Controls settings for polar and object snap tracking.
Type: Integer Saved in: Not-saved Initial value: 4 Sets the default number of sides for the POLYGON command. The range is 3 to 1024. POPUPS Quick Reference See also: ■ Set Interface Options (Read-only) Type: Integer Saved in: Not-saved Initial value: 1 Displays the status of the currently configured display driver.
1 Thickened lines 2 Dashed and thickened lines PREVIEWFACEEFFECT Quick Reference See also: ■ Customize Object Selection Type: Integer Saved in: Registry Initial value: 1 Specifies the visual effect used for previewing selection of face subobjects. 0 No highlight effect for face 1 Highlight face with texture fill PREVIEWFILTER Quick Reference See also: ■ Customize Object Selection Type: Bitcode Saved in: Registry Initial value: 7 Excludes specified object types from selection previewing.
1 Excludes objects on locked layers 2 Excludes objects in xrefs 4 Excludes tables 8 Excludes multiline text objects 16 Excludes hatch objects 32 Excludes objects in groups PRODUCT Quick Reference See also: ■ Set Interface Options (Read-only) Type: String Saved in: Not-saved Initial value: "AutoCAD" Returns the product name.
Returns the program name. PROJMODE Quick Reference See also: ■ Trim or Extend Objects Type: Integer Saved in: Registry Initial value: 1 Sets the current Projection mode for trimming or extending. 0 True 3D mode (no projection) 1 Project to the XY plane of the current UCS 2 Project to the current view plane PROXYGRAPHICS Quick Reference See also: ■ Work with Custom and Proxy Objects Type: Integer Saved in: Drawing Initial value: 1 Specifies whether images of proxy objects are saved in the drawing.
PROXYNOTICE Quick Reference See also: ■ Work with Custom and Proxy Objects Type: Integer Saved in: Registry Initial value: 1 Displays a notice when a proxy is created. A proxy is created when you open a drawing containing custom objects created by an application that is not present. A proxy is also created when you issue a command that unloads a custom object's parent application.
Only the bounding box is displayed for all proxy objects 2 PROXYWEBSEARCH Quick Reference See also: ■ Work with Custom and Proxy Objects Type: Integer Saved in: Registry Initial value: 0 Specifies how the program checks for object enablers. Object enablers allow you to display and use custom objects in drawings even when the ObjectARX application that created them is unavailable.
Controls the linetype scaling of objects displayed in paper space viewports. 0 No special linetype scaling. Linetype dash lengths are based on the drawing units of the space (model or paper) in which the objects were created. Scaled by the global LTSCALE factor. 1 Viewport scaling governs linetype scaling. If TILEMODE is set to 0, dash lengths are based on paper space drawing units, even for objects in model space.
PSOLWIDTH Quick Reference See also: ■ Create a Polysolid Type: Real Saved in: Drawing Initial value: 0.2500 (imperial) or 5.0000 (metric) Controls the default width for a swept solid object created with the POLYSOLID command. The value reflects the last entered height value when using the POLYSOLID on page 822 command. You cannot enter 0 as the value.
PSTYLEPOLICY Quick Reference See also: ■ Overview of Plot Styles Type: Integer Saved in: Registry Initial value: 1 Controls the plot style mode, Color-Dependent or Named, that is used when opening a drawing that was created in a release prior to AutoCAD 2000 or when creating a new drawing from scratch without using a drawing template. 0 Drawing is set to use named plot styles. The plot style for new objects is set to the default defined in DEFPLSTYLE.
PUCSBASE Quick Reference See also: ■ Control the User Coordinate System (UCS) in 2D Type: String Saved in: Drawing Initial value: "" Stores the name of the UCS that defines the origin and orientation of orthographic UCS settings in paper space only.
Q System Variables 42 QTEXTMODE Quick Reference See also: ■ Control the Display of Polylines, Hatches, Gradient Fills, Lineweights, and Text Type: Integer Saved in: Drawing Initial value: 0 Controls how text is displayed.
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R System Variables 43 RASTERDPI Quick Reference See also: ■ Plot Files to Other Formats Type: Integer Saved in: Registry Initial value: 300 Controls paper size and plot scaling when changing from dimensional to dimensionless output devices, or vice versa. Converts millimeters or inches to pixels, or vice versa. Accepts an integer between 100 and 32,767 as a valid value.
Initial value: 20 Sets the maximum percentage of available virtual memory that is allowed for plotting a raster image. RASTERPREVIEW Quick Reference See also: ■ Save a Drawing Type: Integer Saved in: Registry Initial value: 1 Controls whether BMP preview images are saved with the drawing.
REBUILD2DCV Quick Reference See also: ■ CVREBUILD on page 234 ■ Rebuild NURBS Surfaces and Curves Type: Integer Saved in: Registry Initial value: 6 Sets the number of control vertices when rebuilding a spline. Valid values are from 2 to 32767. REBUILD2DDEGREE Quick Reference See also: ■ CVREBUILD on page 234 ■ Rebuild NURBS Surfaces and Curves Type: Integer Saved in: Registry Initial value: 3 Sets the global degree when rebuilding a spline. Valid values are 1 to 11.
A curve with a degree of 1 is a straight line and a curve with a degree of 2 has one bend. A Bezier curve has a degree of 3. Higher degrees create more complex curves, but require computations. REBUILD2DOPTION Quick Reference See also: ■ CVREBUILD on page 234 ■ Rebuild NURBS Surfaces and Curves Type: Switch Saved in: Registry Initial value: 1 Controls whether to delete the original curve when rebuilding a spline.
REBUILDDEGREEU Quick Reference See also: ■ CVREBUILD on page 234 ■ Rebuild NURBS Surfaces and Curves Type: Integer Saved in: Registry Initial value: 3 Sets the degree in the U direction when rebuilding a NURBS surface. Valid values are 2to 11. REBUILDDEGREEV Quick Reference See also: ■ CVREBUILD on page 234 ■ Rebuild NURBS Surfaces and Curves Type: Integer Saved in: Registry Initial value: 3 Sets the degree in the V direction when rebuilding a NURBS surface. Valid values are 2 to 11.
REBUILDOPTIONS Quick Reference See also: ■ CVREBUILD on page 234 ■ Rebuild NURBS Surfaces and Curves Type: Integer Saved in: Registry Initial value: 1 Controls deletion and trimming options when rebuilding a NURBS surface. Value When you use CVREBUILD: 0 The original surface is not deleted and trimmed areas are not applied to the rebuilt object. 1 The original surface is deleted and trimmed areas are not applied to the rebuilt object.
Saved in: Registry Initial value: 6 Sets the number of grid lines in the U direction when rebuilding a NURBS surface. Enter a value from 2 to 32767 to increase or decrease the number of U direction grid lines used to rebuild the ASM solid or surface. REBUILDV Quick Reference See also: ■ CVREBUILD on page 234 ■ Rebuild NURBS Surfaces and Curves Type: Integer Saved in: Registry Initial value: 6 Sets the number of grid lines in the V direction when rebuilding a NURBS surface.
Controls the display of recovery notifications before or after opening a damaged drawing file. 0 Displays a task dialog to recover damaged files while opening a drawing that needs recovery. The task dialog interrupts any running scripts. 1 Automatically recovers the damaged files, opens the drawing, and displays a task dialog with the information of the recovered files. If a script is running, the task dialog is suppressed.
REMEMBERFOLDERS Quick Reference See also: ■ Open a Drawing Type: Integer Saved in: Registry Initial value: 1 Controls the default path displayed in standard file selection dialog boxes. 0 Restores the behavior of AutoCAD 2000 and previous releases. When you start the program by double-clicking a shortcut icon, if a Start In path is specified in the icon properties, that path is used as the default for all standard file selection dialog boxes.
Provides a way of overriding the DEFAULTLIGHTING system variable for rendering while retaining the setting for working in a viewport. 0 The current lights in the viewport are used in the rendered scene, either default lights or user lights, as specified by the DEFAULTLIGHTING system variable. 1 Overrides the setting for the DEFAULTLIGHTING system variable. Only user lights are rendered.
ROAMABLEROOTPREFIX Quick Reference See also: ■ Overview of File Organization (Read-only) Type: String Saved in: Registry Initial value: Varies Stores the full path to the root folder where roamable customizable files were installed. If you are working on a network that supports roaming, when you customize files that are in your roaming profile they are available to you regardless of which machine you are currently using.
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S System Variables 44 SAVEFIDELITY Quick Reference See also: ■ Save a Drawing ■ Save with Visual Fidelity for Annotative Objects Type: Bitcode Saved in: Registry Initial value: 1 Controls whether the drawing is saved with visual fidelity. The setting is stored as a bitcode using the sum of the following values: 0 Saved without visual fidelity. 1 Annotation objects assigned annotative scales are saved to separate layers for each scale used.
SAVEFILE Quick Reference See also: ■ Set Up the Drawing Area (Read-only) Type: String Saved in: Registry Initial value: Varies Stores the current automatic save file name. SAVEFILEPATH Quick Reference See also: ■ Set Up the Drawing Area Type: String Saved in: Registry Initial value: Varies Specifies the path to the directory for all automatic save files for the current session.
Saved in: Not-saved Initial value: "" Displays the file name and directory path of the most recently saved drawing. SAVETIME Quick Reference See also: ■ Set Up the Drawing Area Type: Integer Saved in: Registry Initial value: 10 Sets the automatic save interval, in minutes. 0 Turns off automatic saving. >0 Saves the drawing at intervals specified by the nonzero integer automatically The value of SAVETIME is an integer between 0 and 600.
Saved in: Not-saved Initial value: Varies Stores current viewport size in pixels (X and Y). SELECTIONANNODISPLAY Quick Reference See also: ■ Display Annotative Objects Type: Integer Saved in: Registry Initial value: 1 Controls whether alternate scale representations are temporarily displayed in a dimmed state when an annotative object is selected. 0 Off 1 On The dimming intensity is controlled by the XFADECTL system variable.
Selection areas are created by the Window, Crossing, WPolygon, and CPolygon options of SELECT on page 934. 0 Off 1 On SELECTIONAREAOPACITY Quick Reference See also: ■ Customize Object Selection Type: Integer Saved in: Registry Initial value: 25 Controls the transparency of the selection area during window and crossing selection. The valid range is 0 to 100. The lower the setting, the more transparent the area. A value of 100 makes the area opaque.
Turns selection cycling on and off. 0 Off 1 On (the list dialog does not display) 2 On (the list dialog displays the selected objects that you can cycle through) SELECTIONPREVIEW Quick Reference See also: ■ Customize Object Selection Type: Bitcode Saved in: Registry Initial value: 3 Controls the display of selection previewing. Objects are highlighted when the pickbox cursor rolls over them. This selection previewing indicates that the object would be selected if you clicked.
SELECTSIMILARMODE Quick Reference See also: ■ Select Objects by Properties Type: Bitcode Saved in: User-settings Initial value: 130 Controls which properties must match for an object of the same type to be selected with SELECTSIMILAR. The default value is 130. Objects of the same type are considered similar if they are on the same layer, and, for referenced objects, have the same name.
SHADEDGE Quick Reference See also: ■ Use a Visual Style to Display Your Model Type: Integer Saved in: Drawing Initial value: 3 Controls the shading of edges in rendering.
SHADOWPLANELOCATION Quick Reference See also: ■ Display Backgrounds and Shadows Type: Real Saved in: Drawing Initial value: 0.0000 Controls the location of an invisible ground plane used to display shadows. The value is a location on the current Z axis. The ground plane is invisible, but it casts and receives shadows. Objects that are located below the ground plane are shadowed by it.
1 Enables Default mode shortcut menus. 2 Enables Edit mode shortcut menus. 4 Enables Command mode shortcut menus whenever a command is active. 8 Enables Command mode shortcut menus only when command options are currently available at the Command prompt.
Type: Integer Saved in: Drawing Initial value: 1 Controls the Show History property for solids in a drawing. 0 Sets the Show History property to No (read-only) for all solids. Overrides the individual Show History property settings for solids. You cannot view the original objects that were used to create the solid. 1 Does not override the individual Show History property settings for solids. 2 Displays the history of all solids by overriding the individual Show History property settings for solids.
SHOWPALETTESTATE Quick Reference See also: ■ Control the Drawing Area Interface (Read-only) Type: Integer Saved in: Registry Initial value: 1 Indicates whether palettes were hidden by the HIDEPALETTES command or restored by the SHOWPALETTES command.
SKETCHINC Quick Reference See also: ■ Draw Freehand Sketches Type: Real Saved in: Drawing Initial value: 0.1000 (imperial) or 1.0000 (metric) Sets the record increment for the SKETCH command. SKPOLY Quick Reference See also: ■ Draw Freehand Sketches Type: Integer Saved in: Drawing Initial value: 0 Determines whether the SKETCH command generates lines, polylines, or splines.
SKTOLERANCE Quick Reference See also: ■ Draw Freehand Sketches Type: Real Saved in: Drawing Initial value: 0.5 Determines how closely the spline fits to the freehand sketch. Valid values are between 0 and 1. SKYSTATUS Quick Reference See also: ■ Sun and Sky Simulation Type: Integer Saved in: Drawing Initial value: 0 Determines if the sky illumination is computed at render time. This has no impact on the viewport illumination or the background.
SMOOTHMESHCONVERT Quick Reference See also: ■ Create 3D Solids from Objects Type: Bitcode Saved in: User-settings Initial value: 0 Sets whether mesh objects that you convert to 3D solids or surfaces are smoothed or faceted, and whether their faces are merged. 0 Creates a smooth model. Coplanar faces are optimized, or merged. 1 Creates a smooth model. Original mesh faces are retained in the converted object. 2 Creates a model with flattened faces. Coplanar faces are optimized, or merged.
Sets the maximum level of smoothness at which the underlying mesh facet grid is displayed on 3D mesh objects. 0 Never displays the underlying mesh facet grid 1 Displays the facet grid for smoothing levels 0 and 1 2 Displays the facet grid for smoothing levels 2 and lower 3 Displays the facet grid for levels 3 and lower Use this variable to help visualize smooth surfaces. By setting limits, you can simplify the display of the underlying facet grid when you work with extremely dense mesh objects.
SMOOTHMESHMAXLEV Quick Reference See also: ■ Change Mesh Smoothness Levels Type: Integer Saved in: User-settings Initial value: 4 Sets the maximum smoothness level for mesh objects. Permissible values are from 1 to 255. The recommended range is 1-5. Use this limit to prevent creating extremely dense meshes that might affect program performance. SNAPANG Quick Reference See also: ■ Adjust Grid and Grid Snap Type: Real Saved in: Drawing Initial value: 0.
SNAPBASE Quick Reference See also: ■ Adjust Grid and Grid Snap Type: 2D-point Saved in: Drawing Initial value: 0.0000,0.0000 Sets the snap and grid origin point for the current viewport relative to the current UCS. SNAPISOPAIR Quick Reference See also: ■ Set Isometric Grid and Snap Type: Integer Saved in: Drawing Initial value: 0 Controls the isometric plane for the current viewport.
SNAPMODE Quick Reference See also: ■ Adjust Grid and Grid Snap Type: Integer Saved in: Drawing Initial value: 0 Turns the Snap mode on and off. 0 Snap off 1 Snap on for the current viewport SNAPSTYL Quick Reference See also: ■ Adjust Grid and Grid Snap Type: Integer Saved in: Drawing Initial value: 0 Sets the snap style for the current viewport.
SNAPTYPE Quick Reference See also: ■ Adjust Grid and Grid Snap Type: Integer Saved in: Registry Initial value: 0 Sets the type of snap for the current viewport. 0 Grid, or standard snap. 1 PolarSnap. Snaps along polar angle increments. Use PolarSnap with polar and object snap tracking. SNAPUNIT Quick Reference See also: ■ Adjust Grid and Grid Snap Type: 2D-point Saved in: Drawing Initial value: 0.5000,0.5000 (imperial) or 10.0000,10.0000 (metric) Sets the snap spacing for the current viewport.
SOLIDCHECK Quick Reference See also: ■ Clean and Check 3D Solids Type: Integer Saved in: Not-saved Initial value: 1 Turns 3D solid validation on and off for the current session. 0 Off 1 On SOLIDHIST Quick Reference See also: ■ Display Original Forms of Composite Solids Type: Integer Saved in: Drawing Initial value: 1 Controls the default history property setting for solid objects. When set to 1, composite solids retain a “history” of the original objects contained in the composite.
SORTENTS Quick Reference See also: ■ Control How Overlapping Objects Are Displayed Type: Integer Saved in: Drawing Initial value: 127 Controls object sorting in support of draw order for several operations.
Saved in: Registry Initial value: 1 Controls whether pressing and holding the Spacebar starts the PAN command transparently. 0 PAN command does not start transparently when the Spacebar is held. 1 PAN command starts transparently after the Spacebar is held for the duration specified in the SPACEPANTIMEOUT system variable.
Saved in: Not-saved Initial value: 3 Stores the last-used degree setting for splines and sets the default degree setting for the SPLINE command when specifying control vertices. Enter a value from 1 to 5. NOTE SPLDEGREE defaults to 3 when AutoCAD for Mac starts. SPLFRAME Quick Reference See also: ■ Overview of Creating Meshes ■ Create 3D Models Type: Integer Saved in: Drawing Initial value: 0 Controls the display of helixes and smoothed mesh objects.
SPLINESEGS Quick Reference See also: ■ Modify Polylines Type: Integer Saved in: Drawing Initial value: 8 Sets the number of line segments to be generated for each spline-fit polyline generated by the Spline option of the PEDIT command. Enter a non-zero integer between -32768 to 32767. If you set SPLINESEGS to a negative value, segments are generated using the absolute value of the setting and then a fit-type curve is applied to those segments. Fit-type curves use arcs as the approximating segments.
SPLKNOTS Quick Reference See also: ■ Modify Splines Type: Integer Saved in: Not-saved Initial value: 0 Stores the default knot option for the SPLINE command when specifying fit points. 0 Chord distance 1 Square root of chord distance 2 Uniform distance NOTE SPLKNOTS always defaults to 0 when AutoCAD for Mac starts.
NOTE SPLMETHOD always defaults to 0 when AutoCAD for Mac starts. SPLPERIODIC Quick Reference See also: ■ Draw Splines Controls whether splines and NURBS surfaces are generated with periodic properties when they are closed, or whether they exhibit legacy behavior. 0 Legacy behavior 1 Closed splines and closed NURBS surfaces are periodic, maintaining the smoothest (C2) continuity at the location where they are closed.
If the FILEDIA system variable is set to 0, file dialog boxes are not displayed. 0 Displays the Select Template dialog box, or uses a default drawing template file set in the Application Preferences dialog box, on the Application tab. 1 Displays the Startup and the Create New Drawing dialog boxes STATUSBAR Quick Reference See also: ■ The Status Bar Type: Integer Saved in: Registry Initial value: 1 Controls the display of the status bar.
Initial value: 0 Filters whether faces, edges, vertices or solid history subobjects are highlighted when you roll over them. In busy 3D environments with many objects, it can be helpful to filter certain subobjects out of the selection highlighting. 0 When subobject filtering is off, press Ctrl+click to select a face, edge, vertex or a history subobject. (Shift-F1) 1 Only vertices are available for selection (Shift-F2) 2 Only edges are available for selection.
When filtering is set for edges, you cannot select faces, vertices, or history subobjects. When filtering is set for faces, you cannot select edges, vertices, or history subobjects.
When filtering is set for history subobjects, you can only select the wireframe representations of portions of objects removed during a union, subtract, or intersect operation.
Subobject Selection Filter Cursors When a subobject selection filter is set, the following images are displayed next to the cursor: Vertex filtering is on Edge filtering is on Face filtering is on History subobject filtering is on Subobject not eligible for selection SUNSTATUS Quick Reference See also: ■ Sun and Sky Simulation Type: Integer Saved in: Drawing Initial value: 0 Turns on and off the lighting effects of the sun in the current viewport.
1 On SURFACEASSOCIATIVITY Quick Reference See also: ■ Create Associative Surfaces Type: Integer Saved in: Drawing Initial value: 1 Controls whether surfaces maintain a relationship with the objects from which they were created. When associativity is on, surfaces automatically adjust to modifications made to other, related surfaces.
Controls the preview behavior of surfaces and any associated surfaces when a selected surface is dragged. Disabling the preview can increase performance. 0 Displays no preview. The display refreshes after dragging is complete. 1 Previews only the movement of the first associated surface. All other associated surfaces do not move until after dragging is complete. 2 Previews the movement of all associated surfaces.
SURFACEMODELINGMODE Quick Reference See also: ■ Create Solids and Surfaces from Lines and Curves ■ Create Surfaces Type: Switch Saved in: Not-saved Initial value: 0 Controls whether surfaces are created as procedural surfaces or NURBS surfaces. 0 Creates a procedural surface when creating surfaces. 1 Creates a NURBS surface when creating surfaces.
SURFTAB2 Quick Reference See also: ■ Construct Meshes from Other Objects Type: Integer Saved in: Drawing Initial value: 6 Sets the mesh density in the N direction for the REVSURF and EDGESURF commands. SURFTYPE Quick Reference See also: ■ Modify Polylines Type: Integer Saved in: Drawing Initial value: 6 Controls the type of surface-fitting to be performed by the Smooth option of the PEDIT command.
SURFU Quick Reference See also: ■ Modify Polylines Type: Integer Saved in: Drawing Initial value: 6 Sets the surface density for PEDIT Smooth in the M direction and the U isolines density on surface objects. Valid values are 0 through 200. Meshes are always created with a minimum surface density of 2.
SYSCODEPAGE Quick Reference See also: ■ Use Text Fonts for International Work (Read-only) Type: String Saved in: Not-saved Initial value: Varies Indicates the system code page, which is determined by the operating system. To change the code page, see Help for your operating system.
T System Variables 45 TABLEINDICATOR Quick Reference See also: ■ Create and Modify Tables Type: Integer Saved in: Registry Initial value: 1 Controls the display of row numbers and column letters when the In-Place Text Editor is open for editing a table cell.
(Read-only) Type: 3D-point Saved in: Drawing Initial value: 0.0000,0.0000,0.0000 Stores the location (as a UCS coordinate) of the target point for the current viewport. TBEXTENDAFTERSECONDS Quick Reference Type: Integer Saved in: Registry Initial value: 2 Sets the time delay (in seconds) used for extended tooltips. TBSHOWSHORTCUTS Quick Reference Type: Integer Saved in: Registry Initial value: 1 Specifies if shortcut keys are displayed in tooltips.
(Read-only) Type: Real Saved in: Drawing Initial value: Varies Stores the local time and date the drawing was created. TDINDWG Quick Reference See also: ■ Add Identifying Information to Drawings (Read-only) Type: Real Saved in: Drawing Initial value: Varies Stores the total editing time, which is the total elapsed time between saves of the current drawing. The format is: .
TDUPDATE Quick Reference See also: ■ Add Identifying Information to Drawings (Read-only) Type: Real Saved in: Drawing Initial value: Varies Stores the local time and date of the last update/save. TDUSRTIMER Quick Reference See also: ■ Add Identifying Information to Drawings (Read-only) Type: Real Saved in: Drawing Initial value: Varies Stores the user-elapsed timer.
Saved in: Drawing Initial value: Varies Stores the universal time and date of the last update or save. TEMPOVERRIDES Quick Reference See also: ■ Override Object Snap Settings Type: Integer Saved in: Registry Initial value: 1 Turns temporary override keys on and off. A temporary override key is a key that you can hold down to temporarily turn on or turn off one of the drawing aids that are set in the Drafting Settings dialog box; for example, Ortho mode, object snaps, or Polar mode.
You can modify the location from the Application Preferences dialog box, Application tab, Files section, under Temporary Drawing File Location. TEXTED Quick Reference See also: ■ Change Single-Line Text Type: Integer Saved in: Registry Initial value: 2 Specifies the user interface displayed for editing single-line text. 0 Displays the In-Place Text Editor when creating or editing single-line text. 1 Displays the Edit Text dialog box when editing single-line text.
Controls how text strings entered with TEXT (using AutoLISP) or with -TEXT are evaluated. 0 All responses to prompts for text strings and attribute values are taken literally. 1 All text starting from an opening parenthesis [(] or an exclamation mark [!] is evaluated as an AutoLISP expression, as for nontextual input. The TEXT command takes all input literally regardless of the setting of TEXTEVAL unless it is executed completely with a script or AutoLISP expression.
Type: Integer Saved in: Drawing Initial value: 0 Provides Unicode options for log files. 0 ANSI format 1 UTF-8 (Unicode) 2 UTF-16LE (Unicode) 3 UTF-16BE (Unicode) TEXTQLTY Quick Reference See also: ■ Use TrueType Fonts Sets the resolution tessellation fineness of text outlines. Type: Integer Saved in: Not-saved Initial value: 50 Sets the resolution tessellation fineness of text outlines for TrueType fonts while plotting and rendering.
TEXTSIZE Quick Reference See also: ■ Set Text Height Type: Real Saved in: Drawing Initial value: 0.2000 (imperial) or 2.5000 (metric) Sets the default height for new text objects drawn with the current text style. TEXTSIZE has no effect if the current text style has a fixed height. TEXTSTYLE Quick Reference See also: ■ Overview of Text Styles Type: String Saved in: Drawing Initial value: Standard Sets the name of the current text style.
Initial value: 0.0000 Sets the current 3D thickness. TILEMODE Quick Reference See also: ■ Set Model Space Viewports Type: Integer Saved in: Drawing Initial value: 1 Makes the Model tab or the last layout tab current. 0 Makes the last active layout tab (paper space) active 1 Makes the Model tab active TIMEZONE Quick Reference See also: ■ Overview of Geographic Location Type: Enum Saved in: Drawing Initial value: -8000 Sets the time zone for the sun in the drawing.
-11000 Midway Island, Samoa -10000 Hawaii -9000 Alaska -8000 Pacific Time (US & Canada), Tijuana -7000 Arizona -7000 Chihuahua, La Paz, Mazatlan -7000 Mountain Time (US & Canada) -7001 Arizona -7002 Mazatlan -6000 Central America -6001 Central Time (US & Canada) -6002 Guadalajara, Mexico City, Monterrey -6003 Saskatchewan -5000 Eastern Time (US & Canada) -5001 Indiana (East) -5002 Bogota, Lima, Quito -4000 Atlantic Time (Canada) -4001 Caracas, La Paz -4002 Santiago -330
-3002 Greenland -2000 Mid-Atlantic -1000 Azores -1001 Cape Verde Is.
+3300 Tehran +4000 Abu Dhabi, Muscat +4001 Baku, Tbilisi, Yerevan +4300 Kabul +5000 Ekaterinburg +5001 Islamabad, Karachi, Tashkent +5300 Chennai, Kolkata, Mumbai, New Delhi +5450 Kathmandu +6000 Almaty, Novosibirsk +6001 Astana, Dhaka +6002 Sri Jayawardenepura +6300 Rangoon +7000 Bangkok, Hanoi, Jakarta +7001 Krasnoyarsk +8000 Beijing, Chongqing, Hong Kong, Urumqi +8001 Kuala Lumpur, Singapore +8002 Taipei +8003 Irkutsk, Ulaan Bataar +8004 Perth +9000 Osaka, Sapporo,
+9300 Adelaide +9301 Darwin +10000 Canberra, Melbourne, Sydney +10001 Guam, Port Moresby +10002 Brisbane +10003 Hobart +10004 Vladivostok +11000 Magadan, Solomon Is., New Caledonia +12000 Auckland, Wellington +12001 Fiji, Kamchatka, Marshall Is. +13000 Nuku’alofa TOOLSETSSTATE Quick Reference See also: ■ The Tool Sets Palette (Read-only) Type: Integer Saved in: Not-saved Initial value: 1 Indicates whether the Tool Sets palette is open or closed.
TOOLTIPMERGE Quick Reference See also: ■ Set Interface Options Type: Switch Saved in: Registry Initial value: 0 Combines drafting tooltips into a single tooltip. 0 Off 1 On TOOLTIPSIZE Quick Reference See also: ■ Other Tool Locations Type: Integer Saved in: Registry Initial value: 0 Sets the display size for tooltips. Valid range is -3 to 6. The greater the value, the larger tooltips will appear.
TOOLTIPTRANSPARENCY Quick Reference See also: ■ Other Tool Locations Type: Integer Saved in: Registry Initial value: 0 Sets the transparency for tooltips. Valid range is 0 to 100. When a value of 0 is used, the tooltip is fully opaque. The greater the value entered, the more transparent the tooltip will appear. TRACEWID Quick Reference See also: ■ Draw Lines Type: Real Saved in: Drawing Initial value: 0.0500 (imperial) or 1.0000 (metric) Sets the default trace width.
Saved in: Registry Initial value: 0 Controls the display of polar and object snap tracking alignment paths.
TREEDEPTH Quick Reference See also: ■ Work with Layer and Spatial Indexes Type: Integer Saved in: Drawing Initial value: 3020 Specifies the maximum depth, that is, the number of times the tree-structured spatial index can divide into branches. 0 Suppresses the spatial index entirely, eliminating the performance improvements it provides in working with large drawings. This setting assures that objects are always processed in database order. >0 Turns on spatial indexing.
Saved in: Registry Initial value: 10000000 Limits memory consumption during drawing regeneration by limiting the number of nodes in the spatial index (oct-tree). By imposing a fixed limit with TREEMAX, you can load drawings created on systems with more memory than your system and with a larger TREEDEPTH than your system can handle. These drawings, if left unchecked, have an oct-tree large enough to eventually consume more memory than is available to your computer.
TSPACEFAC Quick Reference See also: ■ Specify the Line Spacing Within Multiline Text Type: Real Saved in: Not-saved Initial value: 1.0000 Controls the multiline text line-spacing distance measured as a factor of text height. Valid values are 0.25 to 4.0. TSPACETYPE Quick Reference See also: ■ Specify the Line Spacing Within Multiline Text Type: Integer Saved in: Registry Initial value: 1 Controls the type of line spacing used in multiline text.
TSTACKALIGN Quick Reference See also: ■ Create Stacked Characters Within Multiline Text Type: Integer Saved in: Drawing Initial value: 1 Controls the vertical alignment of stacked text. 0 Bottom aligned 1 Center aligned 2 Top aligned TSTACKSIZE Quick Reference See also: ■ Create Stacked Characters Within Multiline Text Type: Integer Saved in: Drawing Initial value: 70 Controls the percentage of stacked text fraction height relative to selected text's current height.
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U System Variables 46 UCS2DDISPLAYSETTING Quick Reference See also: ■ The UCS Icon ■ Use Coordinates and Coordinate Systems (UCS) Type: Integer Saved in: Registry Initial value: 1 Displays the UCS icon when the 2D Wireframe visual style is current.
■ Use Coordinates and Coordinate Systems (UCS) Type: Integer Saved in: Registry Initial value: 1 Displays the UCS icon when perspective view is off and a 3D visual style is current. 0 Off 1 On UCS3DPERPDISPLAYSETTING Quick Reference See also: ■ The UCS Icon ■ Use Coordinates and Coordinate Systems (UCS) Type: Integer Saved in: Registry Initial value: 1 Displays the UCS icon when perspective view is on and a 3D visual style is current.
UCSAXISANG Quick Reference See also: ■ Use Coordinates and Coordinate Systems (UCS) Type: Integer Saved in: Registry Initial value: 90 Stores the default angle when rotating the UCS around one of its axes using the X, Y, or Z option of the UCS command. Its value must be entered as an angle in degrees (valid values are: 5, 10, 15, 18, 22.5, 30, 45, 90, 180).
UCSDETECT Quick Reference See also: ■ Use the Dynamic UCS with Solid Models Type: Integer Saved in: Registry Initial value: 1 Controls whether dynamic UCS acquisition is active or not. 0 Not active 1 Active UCSFOLLOW Quick Reference See also: ■ Understand the User Coordinate System (UCS) Type: Integer Saved in: Drawing Initial value: 0 Generates a plan view whenever you change from one UCS to another. The UCSFOLLOW setting is saved separately for each viewport.
1 Any UCS change causes a change to the plan view of the new UCS in the current viewport The setting of UCSFOLLOW is maintained separately for paper space and model space and can be accessed in either, but the setting is ignored while in paper space (it is always treated as if set to 0). Although you can define a non-world UCS in paper space, the view remains in plan view to the world coordinate system.
UCSNAME Quick Reference See also: ■ Control the Display of the User Coordinate System Icon (Read-only) Type: String Saved in:Drawing Stores the name of the current coordinate system for the current viewport in the current space. Returns a null string if the current UCS is unnamed. UCSORG Quick Reference See also: ■ Understand the User Coordinate System (UCS) ■ Assign User Coordinate System Orientations to Viewports (Read-only) Type: 3D-point Saved in: Drawing Initial value: 0.0000,0.
UCSORTHO Quick Reference See also: ■ Understand the User Coordinate System (UCS) Type: Integer Saved in: Registry Initial value: 1 Determines whether the related orthographic UCS setting is restored automatically when an orthographic view is restored.
UCSVP Quick Reference See also: ■ Assign User Coordinate System Orientations to Viewports Type: Integer Saved in: Drawing Initial value: 1 Determines whether the UCS in viewports remains fixed or changes to reflect the UCS of the current viewport. The setting of this system variable is viewport specific.
UCSYDIR Quick Reference See also: ■ Understand the User Coordinate System (UCS) (Read-only) Type: 3D-point Saved in: Drawing Initial value: 0.0000,1.0000,0.0000 Stores the Y direction of the current UCS for the current viewport in the current space. The setting of this system variable is viewport specific. UNDOCTL Quick Reference See also: ■ Correct Mistakes (Read-only) Type: Integer Saved in: Not-saved Initial value: 53 Indicates the state of the Auto, Control, and Group options of the UNDO command.
4 Auto is turned on 8 A group is currently active 16 Zoom and pan operations are grouped as a single action 32 Layer property operations are grouped as a single action UNDOMARKS Quick Reference See also: ■ Correct Mistakes (Read-only) Type: Integer Saved in: Not-saved Initial value: 0 Stores the number of marks placed in the UNDO control stream by the Mark option. The Mark and Back options are not available if a group is currently active.
By default, the format for displaying measured values differs slightly from the format used for entering them. (You cannot include spaces when entering measured values.
USERI1-5 Quick Reference See also: ■ DIESEL Expressions in Macros Type: Integer Saved in: Drawing Initial value: 0 Provides storage and retrieval of integer values. There are five system variables: USERI1, USERI2, USERI3, USERI4, and USERI5. USERR1-5 Quick Reference See also: ■ DIESEL Expressions in Macros Type: Real Saved in: Drawing Initial value: 0.0000 Provides storage and retrieval of real numbers. There are five system variables: USERR1, USERR2, USERR3, USERR4, and USERR5.
Type: String Saved in: Not-saved Initial value: "" Provides storage and retrieval of text string data. There are five system variables: USERS1, USERS2, USERS3, USERS4, and USERS5.
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V System Variables 47 VIEWCTR Quick Reference See also: ■ Pan or Zoom a View (Read-only) Type: 3D-point Saved in: Drawing Initial value: Varies Stores the center of view in the current viewport. Expressed as a UCS coordinate.
Initial value: 0.0000,0.0000,1.0000 Stores the viewing direction in the current viewport, expressed in UCS coordinates. This describes the camera point as a 3D offset from the target point. VIEWMODE Quick Reference See also: ■ Save and Restore Views (Read-only) Type: Integer Saved in: Drawing Initial value: 0 Stores the View mode for the current viewport. The setting is stored as a bitcode using the sum of the following values: 0 Turned off. 1 Perspective view active.
VIEWSIZE Quick Reference See also: ■ Save and Restore Views (Read-only) Type: Real Saved in: Drawing Initial value: Varies Stores the height of the view displayed in the current viewport, measured in drawing units. VIEWTWIST Quick Reference See also: ■ Rotate Views in Layout Viewports (Read-only) Type: Real Saved in: Drawing Initial value: 0.0000 Stores the view rotation angle for the current viewport measured relative to the WCS.
Type: Integer Saved in: Drawing Initial value: 1 Controls the properties of xref-dependent layers. Controls visibility, color, linetype, lineweight, and plot styles. 0 The layer table, as stored in the reference drawing (xref), takes precedence. Changes made to xref-dependent layers in the current drawing are valid in the current session only and are not saved with the drawing.
VPCOORDDISPLAY Quick Reference See also: ■ Parts of the User Interface Type: Integer Saved in: Registry Initial value: 1 Controls whether the current coordinates value of the crosshair cursor are displayed in the lower-right corner of the active viewport.
VPLAYEROVERRIDESMODE Quick Reference See also: ■ Override Layer Properties in Viewports Type: Integer Saved in: Registry Initial value: 1 Controls whether layer property overrides for layout viewports are displayed and plotted.
VPROTATEASSOC Quick Reference See also: ■ Rotate Views in Layout Viewports Type: Integer Saved in: Registry Initial value: 1 Controls whether the view within a viewport is rotated with the viewport when the viewport is rotated. 0 When a viewport is rotated, the view inside is not rotated. 1 When a viewport is rotated, the view inside is rotated to match the rotation of the viewport. NOTE After rotating a viewport, VPROTATEASSOC is set to 0 for a new viewport created in the same layout.
VSACURVATURELOW Quick Reference See also: ■ ANALYSISOPTIONS on page 64 ■ ANALYSISOPTIONS - Curvature Tab on page 67 Type: Real Saved in: Drawing Initial value: -1 Sets the value at which a surface displays as blue during curvature analysis (ANALYSISCURVATURE on page 61). The default value for this system variable is -1.
3 Minimum curvature (evaluates the minimum curvature of the U and V surface curvature values) VSADRAFTANGLEHIGH Quick Reference See also: ■ ANALYSISOPTIONS on page 64 ■ ANALYSISOPTIONS - Draft Analysis Tab on page 68 Type: Real Saved in: Drawing Initial value: 3 Sets the value at which a model displays as green during draft analysis (ANALYSISDRAFT on page 63). Draft angle is the angle in degrees between the surface normal and the UCS plane. High value is set by this system variable.
Type: Real Saved in: Drawing Initial value: -3 Sets the value at which a model displays as blue during draft analysis (ANALYSISDRAFT on page 63). Draft angle is the angle in degrees between the surface normal and the UCS plane. Low value set by this system variable. -90 Surface is parallel to the UCS with surface normal facing the opposite direction as the construction plane. 0 Surface is perpendicular to the construction plane.
VSAZEBRACOLOR2 Quick Reference See also: ■ ANALYSISOPTIONS on page 64 ■ ANALYSISOPTIONS - Zebra Analysis Tab on page 66 Type: String Saved in: Drawing Initial value: RGB: 0, 0, 0 Sets the second (contrasting) color of the zebra stripes displayed during zebra analysis (ANALYSISZEBRA). Values 1-255 designate an AutoCAD Color Index (ACI) color. Values for RGB True Color are represented as a comma-separated string of integers 000 to 255. The default value is RGB:0,0,0.
90 Vertical NOTE Enter a value between 0 and 90 degrees to set Zebra stripes at an angle. VSAZEBRASIZE Quick Reference See also: ■ ANALYSISOPTIONS on page 64 ■ ANALYSISOPTIONS - Zebra Analysis Tab on page 66 Type: Integer Saved in: Drawing Initial value: 45 Controls the width of the zebra stripes displayed during zebra analysis (ANALYSISZEBRA). Valid values are from 1 to 100.
1 Cylinder VSEDGECOLOR Quick Reference See also: ■ Control the Display of Edges Type: String Saved in: Drawing Initial value: BYENTITY Sets the color of edges in the visual style in the current viewport. Value 0 designates ByBlock, value 256 designates ByLayer, and value 257 designates ByEntity. Values 1-255 designate an AutoCAD Color Index (ACI) color. True Colors and Color Book colors are also available.
Saved in: Drawing Initial value: -2 Makes edges on 3D objects appear wavy, as though they were sketched with a pencil. The amount of jitter can be set to low, medium, or high. Negative numbers store the value but turn off the effect. Plot styles are not available for objects with the Jitter edge modifier applied. 1 Low 2 Medium 3 High NOTE Plot styles are not available for objects with the Jitter edge modifier applied.
VSEDGELEX Quick Reference See also: ■ Control the Display of Edges Type: Integer Saved in: Drawing Initial value: -6 Makes edges on 3D objects extend beyond their intersection for a hand-drawn effect. The range is 1 to 100 pixels. Turn off the line extensions effect by preceding the setting with a minus sign (-). NOTE Existing visual styles are not changed when you enter a new value for this system variable. Any new value entered for this system variable temporarily creates an unsaved new visual style.
NOTE Existing visual styles are not changed when you enter a new value for this system variable. Any new value entered for this system variable temporarily creates an unsaved new visual style. VSEDGES Quick Reference See also: ■ Control the Display of Edges Type: Integer Saved in: Drawing Initial value: 1 Controls the types of edges that are displayed in the viewport.
isolines displayed facet edges displayed 0 No edges are displayed 1 Isolines are displayed VSEDGES | 1565
2 Facet edges are displayed NOTE Existing visual styles are not changed when you enter a new value for this system variable. Any new value entered for this system variable temporarily creates an unsaved new visual style. VSEDGESMOOTH Quick Reference See also: ■ Control the Display of Edges Type: Integer Saved in: Drawing Initial value: 1 Specifies the angle at which crease edges are displayed. The range is 0 to 180.
Controls how the color of faces is calculated. 0 Normal: Does not apply a face color modifier 1 Monochrome: Displays all faces in the color that is specified in the VSMONOCOLOR system variable. 2 Tint: Uses the color that is specified in the VSMONOCOLOR system variable to shade all faces by changing the hue and saturation values of the color.
VSFACEOPACITY Quick Reference See also: ■ Shade and Color Faces Type: Integer Saved in: Drawing Initial value: -60 Turns on and off a preset level of transparency for 3D objects. The level of transparency for 3D solids and surfaces can be set between 100 percent opaque and 0 percent opaque. Negative numbers store the value but turn off the effect. NOTE Existing visual styles are not changed when you enter a new value for this system variable.
VSFACESTYLE Quick Reference See also: ■ Shade and Color Faces Type: Integer Saved in: Drawing Initial value: 0 Controls how faces are displayed in the current viewport.
NOTE Existing visual styles are not changed when you enter a new value for this system variable. Any new value entered for this system variable temporarily creates an unsaved new visual style. VSHIDEPRECISION Quick Reference See also: ■ Shade and Color Faces Type: Integer Saved in: Not-saved Initial value: 0 Controls the accuracy of hides and shades in the visual style applied to the current viewport.
Specifies the color of intersection polylines in the visual style applied to the current viewport. The initial value is 7, which is a special value that inverts the color (black or white) based on the background color. Value 0 designates ByBlock, value 256 designates ByLayer, and value 257 designates ByEntity. Values 1-255 designate an AutoCAD Color Index (ACI) color. True Colors and Color Book colors are also available.
VSINTERSECTIONLTYPE Quick Reference See also: ■ Control the Display of Edges Type: Integer Saved in: Drawing Initial value: 1 Sets the linetype for intersection lines in the visual style applied to the current viewport. The range is 1 to 11.
VSISOONTOP Quick Reference See also: ■ Control the Display of Edges Type: Integer Saved in: Drawing Initial value: 0 Displays isolines on top of shaded objects in the visual style applied to the current viewport. 0 Off 1 On NOTE Existing visual styles are not changed when you enter a new value for this system variable. Any new value entered for this system variable temporarily creates an unsaved new visual style.
1 Smooth. The colors are computed as a gradient between the vertices of the faces. 2 Smoothest. If the Per-Pixel Lighting setting is turned on in the Manual Performance Tuning dialog box, then the colors are computed for individual pixels. If not, the Smooth setting is used instead. NOTE Existing visual styles are not changed when you enter a new value for this system variable. Any new value entered for this system variable temporarily creates an unsaved new visual style.
NOTE Existing visual styles are not changed when you enter a new value for this system variable. Any new value entered for this system variable temporarily creates an unsaved new visual style. VSMAX Quick Reference See also: ■ Save and Restore Model Layout Viewport Arrangements (Read-only) Type: 3D-point Saved in: Drawing Initial value: Varies Stores the upper-right corner of the current viewport's virtual screen. Expressed as a UCS coordinate.
VSMONOCOLOR Quick Reference See also: ■ Shade and Color Faces Type: String Saved in: Drawing Initial value: 255,255,255 Sets the color for monochrome and tint display of faces in the visual style applied to the current viewport. The initial value is white. NOTE Existing visual styles are not changed when you enter a new value for this system variable. Any new value entered for this system variable temporarily creates an unsaved new visual style.
NOTE Existing visual styles are not changed when you enter a new value for this system variable. Any new value entered for this system variable temporarily creates an unsaved new visual style. VSOBSCUREDEDGES Quick Reference See also: ■ Control the Display of Edges Type: Integer Saved in: Drawing Initial value: 1 Controls whether obscured (hidden) edges are displayed. 0 Off 1 On NOTE Existing visual styles are not changed when you enter a new value for this system variable.
The range is 1 to 11. 1 Solid 2 Dashed 3 Dotted 4 Short Dash 5 Medium Dash 6 Long Dash 7 Double Short Dash 8 Double Medium Dash 9 Double Long Dash 10 Medium Long Dash 11 Sparse Dot The initial value of VSOBSCUREDLTYPE varies on the current visual style.
Visual Style (VSCURRENT) Initial Value Conceptual 1 Hidden 2 Shaded 1 Shaded with Edges 2 Shades of Gray 1 Sketchy 1 Wireframe 1 X-ray 1 Realistic 1 NOTE Existing visual styles are not changed when you enter a new value for this system variable. Any new value entered for this system variable temporarily creates an unsaved new visual style.
You can also specify a true color or a color book color. Valid values for true colors are a string of integers each from 1 to 255 separated by commas and preceded by RGB. The True Color setting is entered as follows: RGB:000,000,000 NOTE Existing visual styles are not changed when you enter a new value for this system variable. Any new value entered for this system variable temporarily creates an unsaved new visual style.
Type: Integer Saved in: Drawing Initial value: 1 Specifies the linetype of occluded (hidden) lines in the visual style applied to the current viewport. The range is 1 to 11.
The initial value of VSOCCLUDEDLTYPE varies on the current visual style. Visual Style (VSCURRENT) Initial Value 2D Wireframe 1 Conceptual 1 Hidden 2 Shaded 1 Shaded with Edges 2 Shades of Gray 1 Sketchy 1 Wireframe 1 X-ray 1 Realistic 1 NOTE Existing visual styles are not changed when you enter a new value for this system variable. Any new value entered for this system variable temporarily creates an unsaved new visual style.
Controls whether a visual style displays shadows. 0 No shadows are displayed 1 Ground shadows only are displayed 2 Full shadows are displayed NOTE Existing visual styles are not changed when you enter a new value for this system variable. Any new value entered for this system variable temporarily creates an unsaved new visual style.
The initial value of VSSILHEDGES depends on the current visual style.
NOTE Existing visual styles are not changed when you enter a new value for this system variable. Any new value entered for this system variable temporarily creates an unsaved new visual style. VSSILHWIDTH Quick Reference See also: ■ Control the Display of Edges Type: Integer Saved in: Drawing Initial value: 5 Specifies the width in pixels of silhouette edges in the current viewport. The range is 1 to 25. NOTE Existing visual styles are not changed when you enter a new value for this system variable.
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W System Variables 48 WINDOWAREACOLOR Quick Reference See also: ■ Customize Object Selection Type: Integer Saved in: Registry Initial value: 150 Controls the color of the transparent selection area during window selection. The valid range is 1 to 255. SELECTIONAREA on page 1478 must be on.
Indicates whether the UCS is the same as the WCS. 0 UCS differs from the WCS 1 UCS matches the WCS WORLDVIEW Quick Reference See also: ■ Define a 3D View with Coordinate Values or Angles Type: Integer Saved in: Drawing Initial value: 1 Determines whether input to the DVIEW and VPOINT commands is relative to the WCS (default) or the current UCS.
For developers who need to determine write status through AutoLISP.
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X System Variables 49 XCLIPFRAME Quick Reference See also: ■ Update Referenced Drawing Attachments Type: Integer Saved in: Drawing Initial value: 2 Determines whether xref clipping boundaries are visible or plotted in the current drawing. The FRAME system variable overrides the XCLIPFRAME setting.Use the XCLIPFRAME system variable after the FRAME system variable to reset the clipped xref frame settings 0 The frame is not visible and it is not plotted.
XDWGFADECTL Quick Reference See also: ■ Attach Drawing References (Xrefs) Type: Integer Saved in: Registry Initial value: 70 Controls the dimming for all DWG xref objects. The valid XDWGFADECTL system variable value is between -90 and 90. When XDWGFADECTL is set to a negative value, the Xref Fading feature is not turned on, but the setting is stored. 0 DWG xref objects are not faded. >0 When the value is positive, controls the percent of fading up to 90 percent.
Turns xref demand-loading on and off, and controls whether it opens the referenced drawing or a copy. 0 Turns off demand-loading; the entire drawing is loaded. 1 Turns on demand-loading. Referenced drawings are kept open and locked. 2 Turns on demand-loading.
XREFCTL Quick Reference See also: ■ Track External Reference Operations (Log File) Type: Integer Saved in: Registry Initial value: 0 Controls whether external reference log (XLG) files are created. 0 Does not write log files 1 Writes log files XREFTYPE Quick Reference See also: ■ Nest and Overlay Referenced Drawings Type: Integer Saved in: Registry Initial value: 0 Controls the default reference type when attaching or overlaying an external reference.
Z System Variables 50 ZOOMFACTOR Quick Reference See also: ■ Pan or Zoom a View Type: Integer Saved in: Registry Initial value: 60 Controls how much the magnification changes when the mouse wheel moves forward or backward. Accepts an integer between 3 and 100 as a valid value. The higher the number, the more the change.
Initial value: 0 Toggles the direction of transparent zoom operations when you scroll the middle mouse wheel. 0 Moves wheel forward zooms in; moving wheel backwards zooms out. 1 Move wheel forward zooms out; moving wheel backwards zooms in.
Glossary 51 Commands associated with definitions are shown in parentheses at the end of the definition. A CUIx file that is typically controlled by a CAD manager. It is often accessed by many users and is stored in a shared network location. The file is read-only to users to prevent the data in the file from being changed. A CAD manager creates an enterprise CUxI file by modifying a main CUIx file and then saving the file to the support location defined in the Options dialog box, Files tab.
adjacent cell selection A selection of table cells that share at least one boundary with another cell in the same selection. alias A shortcut for a command. For example, CP is an alias for COPY, and Z is an alias for ZOOM. You define aliases in the acad.pgp file. aliasing The effect of discrete picture elements, or pixels, aligned as a straight or curved edge on a fixed grid appearing to be jagged or stepped. See also anti-aliasing.
See also parameter constraint, and dynamic constraint annotations Text, dimensions, tolerances, symbols, notes, and other types of explanatory symbols or objects that are used to add information to your model. annotative A property that belongs to objects that are commonly used to annotate drawings. This property allows you to automate the process of scaling annotations.
attenuation The diminishing of light intensity over distance. attribute definition An object that is included in a block definition to store alphanumeric data. Attribute values can be predefined or specified when the block is inserted. Attribute data can be extracted from a drawing and inserted into external files. (ATTDEF) attribute extraction file A text file to which extracted attribute data is written. The contents and format are determined by the attribute extraction template file.
Bezier curve A polynomial curve defined by a set of control points, representing an equation of an order one less than the number of points being considered. A Bezier curve is a special case of a B-spline curve. See also B-spline curve. bitmap The digital representation of an image having bits referenced to pixels. In color graphics, a different value represents each red, green, and blue component of a pixel.
camera target Defines the point you are viewing by specifying the coordinate at the center of the view. candela The SI unit of luminous intensity (perceived power emitted by a light source in a particular direction) (Symbol: cd). Cd/Sr category See view category. cell The smallest available table selection. cell boundary The four gridlines surrounding a table cell. An adjacent cell selection can be surrounded with a cell boundary. cell style A style that contains specific formatting for table cells.
Rules that govern the position, slope, tangency, dimensions, and relationships among objects in a geometry. construction plane See workplane. continued dimension A type of linear dimension that uses the second extension line origin of a selected dimension as its first extension line origin, breaking one long dimension into shorter segments that add up to the total measurement. Also called chain dimension.
cursor See pointer and crosshairs. cursor menu See shortcut menu. curve-fit A smooth curve consisting of arcs joining each pair of vertices. The curve passes through all vertices of the polyline and uses any tangent direction you specify. custom grips In a dynamic block reference, used to manipulate the geometry and custom properties. custom object A type of object that is created by an ObjectARX application and that typically has more specialized capabilities than standard objects.
diffuse color An object's predominant color. dimension line arc An arc (usually with arrows at each end) spanning the angle formed by the extension lines of an angle being measured. The dimension text near this arc sometimes divides it into two arcs. See also angular dimension. dimension style A named group of dimension settings that determines the appearance of the dimension and simplifies the setting of dimension system variables. (DIMSTYLE) dimension text The measurement value of dimensioned objects.
driven constraint A non-parametric dimension enclosed in parentheses that shows the current value of geometry. The value is updated when the geometry changes size, but it does not control geometry. driving dimension A parametric dimension that determines the size of geometry and resizes the object when its value changes. driving property A lookup property is considered invertible when a manual change in the lookup value for a block reference causes other properties values change.
explode To disassemble a complex object, such as a block, dimension, solid, or polyline, into simpler objects. In the case of a block, the block definition is unchanged. The block reference is replaced by the components of the block. See also block, block definition, and block reference. (EXPLODE) exploded dimension Independent objects that have the appearance of a dimension but are not associated with the dimensioned object or each other. Controlled by the DIMASSOC system variable.
font A character set, made up of letters, numbers, punctuation marks, and symbols of a distinctive proportion and design. footcandle The American unit of illuminance (symbol: fc). Lm/ft^2. footcandle The American unit of illuminance (symbol: fc). Lm/ft^2 freeze A setting that suppresses the display of objects on selected layers. Objects on frozen layers are not displayed, regenerated, or plotted. Freezing layers shortens regenerating time. See also thaw.
grid limits The user-defined rectangular boundary of the drawing area covered by dots when the grid is turned on. Also called drawing limits. (LIMITS) grip modes The editing capabilities activated when grips are displayed on an object: stretching, moving, rotating, scaling, and mirroring. grip tool An icon that you use in a 3D view to easily constrain the movement or rotation of a selection set of objects to an axis or a plane.
horizontal landing An optional line segment connecting the tail of a leader line with the leader content. Illuminance In photometry, illuminance is the total luminous flux incident on a surface per unit area. indirect bump scale Scales the effect of the base material’s bump mapping in areas lit by indirect light.
lens length Defines the magnification properties of a camera's lens. The greater the lens length, the narrower the field of view. level of smoothness The property assigned to a mesh object to control how much the edges of the object are smoothed. Level 0 (zero) represents the least rounded shape for a specified mesh object. Higher levels result in increased smoothness. light glyph The graphic representation of a point light or a spotlight. limits See drawing limits. line font See linetype.
mesh A tessellated, or subdivided object type that is defined by faces, edges, and vertices. Mesh can be smoothed to achieve a more rounded appearance and creased to introduce ridges. Before , only the less modifiable polygon and polyface mesh was available. mirror To create a new version of an existing object by reflecting it symmetrically with respect to a prescribed line or plane. (MIRROR) mode A software setting or operating state. model A two- or three-dimensional representation of an object.
object One or more graphical elements, such as text, dimensions, lines, circles, or polylines, treated as a single element for creation, manipulation, and modification. Formerly called entity. Object Snap mode Methods for selecting commonly needed points on an object while you create or edit a drawing. See also running object snap and object snap override. object snap override Turning off or changing a running Object Snap mode for input of a single point. See also Object Snap mode and running object snap.
PC3 file Partial plotter configuration file. PC3 files contain plot settings information such as the device driver and model, the output port to which the device is connected, and various device-specific settings, but do not include any custom plotter calibration or custom paper size information. See also PMP file, STB file, and CTB file. perspective view Objects in 3D seen by an observer positioned at the viewpoint looking at the view center.
plot style table A set of plot styles. Plot styles are defined in plot style tables and apply to objects only when the plot style table is attached to a layout or viewport. PMP file Plot Model Parameter. File containing custom plotter calibration and custom paper size information associated with plotter configuration file. point 1. A location in three-dimensional space specified by X, Y, and Z coordinate values. 2. An object consisting of a single coordinate location.
procedural surface A 3D surface object that has history and analytic information, but no control vertices. Procedural surfaces are the only type of surface that can be associative. See also generic surface and NURBS surface. profile curve An object that is swept, extruded, or revolved and defines the shape of the resulting solid or surface. (SWEEP, EXTRUDE, REVOLVE) prompt A message on the command line or in a tooltip that asks for information or requests action such as specifying a point.
region Two-dimensional enclosed areas that have physical properties such as centroids or centers of mass. You can create regions from objects that form closed loops. They area commonly created in order to apply hatching and shading. (REGION) relative coordinates Coordinates specified in relation to previous coordinates. relax constraints Ability to temporarily ignore constraints while editing geometry.
shadow maps A shadow map is a bitmap that the renderer generates during a pre-rendering pass of the scene. Shadow maps don't show the color cast by transparent or translucent objects. On the other hand, shadow maps can have soft-edged shadows, which ray-traced shadows cannot. Shadow mapped shadows provide softer edges and can require less calculation time than ray-traced shadows, but are less accurate. On the Advanced Render Settings palette, shadow mapped shadows are active when Shadow Map is turned on.
solid primitive A basic solid form. Solid primitives include: box, wedge, cone, cylinder, sphere, torus, and pyramid. spatial index A list that organizes objects based on their location in space. A spatial index is used to locate what portion of the drawing is read when you partially open a drawing. Saving a spatial index with a drawing also enhances performance when working with external references. The INDEXCTL system variable controls whether layer and spatial indexes are saved with a drawing.
the materials needed for the construction of the building being designed. In the manufacturing industry, they are often referred to as “BOM” (bills of materials). (TABLE) table break The point at the bottom of a table row where the table will be split into a supplementary table fragment. table style A style that contains a specific table format and structure. A table style contains at least 3 cell styles. temporary files Data files created during an program session.
transmittance scale Increases or decreases the amount of energy a transparent material transmits out to the scene. transparency A quantity defining how much light is let through an object. transparent command A command started while another is in progress. Precede transparent commands with an apostrophe. two sided material The positive and negative normal of the material will be considered during the rendering process. UCS See user coordinate system (UCS).
vector A mathematical object with precise direction and length but without specific location. vertex A location where edges or polyline segments meet. view A graphical representation of a model from a specific location (viewpoint) in space. See also viewpoint and viewport. (3DORBIT, VPOINT, DVIEW, VIEW) view category A named collection of views in a sheet set that is often organized by function. See also subset.
working drawing A drawing for manufacturing or building purposes. working set A group of objects selected for in-place reference editing. workplane Another name for the XY plane of the user coordinate system. See also elevation and user coordinate system (UCS). world coordinate system (WCS) A coordinate system used as the basis for defining all objects and other coordinate systems. See also user coordinate system (UCS).
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Index 3D command 3 3D Edit Bar shortcut menu 27 3D Free Orbit curson icons 31 3D Move Gizmo shortcut menu 37 3D Object Snap tab (Drafting Settings dialog box) 369 3D Rotate Gizmo shortcut menu 48 3D Scale Gizmo shortcut menu 51 3DALIGN command 15 3DARRAY command 17 3DDISTANCE command 22 3DEDITBAR command 22 3DFACE command 3DFORBIT command 30 3DMESH command 32 3DMOVE command 34 3DORBIT command 38 3DORBIT shortcut menu 39 3DORBITCTR command 42 3DOSMODE system variable 1174 3DOSNAP command 42 3DPAN command 44
Attach External Reference dialog box 1142 Attachment tab (Leader Settings dialog box) 855 ATTDEF command 95 ATTDIA system variable 1182 ATTDISP command 102 ATTEDIT command 103 ATTIPE system variable 1183 ATTIPEDIT command 110 ATTMODE system variable 1183 ATTMULTI system variable 1184 ATTREDEF command 110 ATTREQ system variable 1184 Attribute Definition dialog box 96 Attribute Order dialog box 123 Attribute tab (Attribute Editor dialog box) 119 Attribute tab (Enhanced Attribute Editor) 390 ATTSYNC command 11
CHAMFERB system variable 1200 CHAMFERC system variable 1200 CHAMFERD system variable 1200 CHAMFEREDGE command 177 CHAMMODE system variable 1201 CHANGE command 178 Change to Layer dialog box 554 Check Spelling dialog box 982 CHPROP command 181 CIRCLE command 183 CIRCLERAD system variable 1201 CLASSICKEYS system variable 1202 CLAYER system variable 1202 CLEANSCREENOFF command 187 CLEANSCREENON command 186 CLEANSCREENSTATE system variable 1203 CLISTATE system variable 1203 CLOSE command 187 CLOSEALL command 18
CULLINGOBJ system variable 1218 CULLINGOBJSELECTION system variable 1218 Cursor & Selection tab (Application Preferences dialog box) 730 CURSORSIZE system variable 1219 Curvature tab (Analysis Options dialog box) 67 CUTCLIP command 232 CVADD command 232 CVHIDE command 234 CVPORT system variable 1219 CVREBUILD command about 234 Rebuild Curve dialog box 237 Rebuild Surface dialog box 235 CVREMOVE command 238 CVSHOW command 239 CYLINDER command 240 D DATE system variable 1222 DBLCLKEDIT system variable 1222 D
DIMDSEP system variable 1248 DIMEDIT command 282 Dimension Input Settings dialog box 378 Dimension Style Manager about 308 Dimensional tab (Constraint Settings dialog box) 204 DIMEXE system variable 1249 DIMEXO system variable 1249 DIMFRAC system variable 1250 DIMFXL system variable 1250 DIMFXLON system variable 1250 DIMGAP system variable 1251 DIMHORIZONTAL command 284 DIMINSPECT command 286 DIMJOGANG system variable 1252 DIMJOGGED command 290 DIMJOGLINE command 292 DIMJUST system variable 1252 DIMLDRBLK s
DISTANTLIGHT command 350 DIVIDE command 353 DIVMESHBOXHEIGHT system variable 1277 DIVMESHBOXLENGTH system variable 1277 DIVMESHBOXWIDTH system variable 1278 DIVMESHCONEAXIS system variable 1279 DIVMESHCONEBASE system variable 1280 DIVMESHCONEHEIGHT system variable 1281 DIVMESHCYLAXIS system variable 1282 DIVMESHCYLBASE system variable 1283 DIVMESHCYLHEIGHT system variable 1284 DIVMESHPYRBASE system variable 1285 DIVMESHPYRHEIGHT system variable 1286 DIVMESHPYRLENGTH system variable 1287 DIVMESHSPHEREAXIS sy
Edit Attribute dialog box 119 Edit Attributes dialog box 104 Edit Block Definition dialog box 126 Edit Scale List dialog box 915 ELEV command 398 ELEVATION system variable 1310 ELLIPSE command 399 Enhanced Attribute Editor 390 ERASE command 403 ERHIGHLIGHT system variable 1311 ERRNO system variable 1311 ERSTATE system variable 1312 EXPERT system variable 1313 EXPLMODE system variable 1313 EXPLODE command 404 EXPORT command 405 EXPORTTOAUTOCAD command 406 EXTEND command 408 EXTERNALREFERENCES command 412 EXT
General tab (Application Preferences dialog box) 728 Generate Section / Elevation dialog box 933 GEOMCONSTRAINT command 464 Geometric tab (Constraint Settings dialog box) 204 Geometric Tolerance dialog box 1055 GFANG system variable 1333 GFCLR1 system variable 1334 GFCLR2 system variable 1335 GFCLRLUM system variable 1335 GFCLRSTATE system variable 1336 GFNAME system variable 1336 GFSHIFT system variable 1337 GRADIENT command 466 Gradient tab (Hatch and Gradient dialog box) 480 GRID command 467 GRIDDISPLAY
HPQUICKPREVIEW system variable 1363 HPQUICKPREVTIMEOUT system variable 1363 HPSCALE system variable 1364 HPSEPARATE system variable 1364 HPSPACE system variable 1365 HPTRANSPARENCY system variable 1365 I ID command 505 IMAGE command 506 IMAGEATTACH command about 510 Attach Image dialog box 511 IMAGECLIP command 513 IMAGEFRAME system variable 1368 IMAGEHLT system variable 1368 IMAGEQUALITY command 514 IMPLIEDFACE system variable 1368 IMPORT command 515 Import Page Setups dialog box 756 IMPRINT command 516 I
LAYERNOTIFY system variable 1386 LAYERP command 549 LAYERPMODE command 549 Layers Palette about 539 LAYFRZ command 550 LAYISO command 551 LAYLCK command 553 LAYLOCKFADECTL system variable 1387 LAYMCUR command 555 LAYOFF command 555 LAYOUT command 557 LAYOUTCREATEVIEWPORT system variable 1388 LAYOUTREGENCTL system variable 1389 LAYULK command 558 LAYUNISO command 559 LEADER command 560 Leader Format tab (Modify Multileader Style dialog box) 662 Leader Line & Arrow tab (Leader Settings dialog box) 854 Leader
LUNITS system variable 1405 LUPREC system variable 1405 LWDEFAULT system variable 1406 LWDISPLAY system variable 1406 LWEIGHT command 586 LWUNITS system variable 1406 M Magnitude Handle 582 Manage Content Libraries dialog box 209 MASSPROP command 591 MATBROWSERCLOSE command 595 MATBROWSEROPEN command 596 MATBROWSERSTATE system variable 1407 MATCHCELL command 600 MATCHPROP command 601 Material Condition dialog box 1060 Materials Browser about 597 MATERIALS command about 605 MATERIALSCLOSE command 605 MAXACT
Multileader Style Manager 659 MULTIPLE command 698 MVIEW command 698 MVSETUP command 702 MYDOCUMENTSPREFIX system variable 1416 N Named UCSs tab (UCS dialog box) 1083 Named Viewports tab (Viewports dialog box) 1120 NAVVCUBE command 709 NAVVCUBEDISPLAY system variable 1418 NAVVCUBELOCATION system variable 1418 NAVVCUBEOPACITY system variable 1419 NAVVCUBEORIENT system variable 1419 NAVVCUBESIZE system variable 1420 NEW command about 712 New Dimension Style dialog box 311 New Layer Name dialog box 930 New Pa
PALETTEICONON command 763 PALETTEICONSTATE system variable 1434 PAN command 764 Pan shortcut menu 766 PAPERUPDATE system variable 1434 Paragraph dialog box 681 PARAMETERCOPYMODE system variable 1436 PASTECLIP command 767 PCX Image Options dialog box 879 PDMODE system variable 1436 PDSIZE system variable 1437 PEDIT command 768 PEDITACCEPT system variable 1437 PELLIPSE system variable 1438 PERIMETER system variable 1438 PERSPECTIVE system variable 1439 PERSPECTIVECLIP system variable 1439 PFACE command 782 PF
Properties tab (Attribute Editor dialog box) 122 Properties tab (Enhanced Attribute Editor) 393 PROPERTIESCLOSE command 843 Property Settings dialog box 602 PROXYGRAPHICS system variable 1455 PROXYNOTICE system variable 1455 PROXYSHOW system variable 1456 PROXYWEBSEARCH system variable 1456 PSETUPIN command 843 PSLTSCALE system variable 1457 PSOLHEIGHTsystem variable 1458 PSOLWIDTH system variable 1458 PSPACE command 844 PSTYLEMODE system variable 1459 PSTYLEPOLICY system variable 1459 PSVPSCALE system vari
RENDERUSERLIGHTS system variable 1472 RENDERWIN command 890 REPORTERROR system variable 1473 RESETBLOCK command 891 RESETPALETTES command 891 RESUME command 892 REVCLOUD command 893 REVERSE command 894 REVOLVE command 895 REVSURF command 899 ROAMABLEROOTPREFIX system variable 1473 ROTATE command 901 ROTATE3D command 902 RSCRIPT command 905 RTDISPLAY system variable 1473 RULESURF command 906 S Save Block As dialog box 149 SAVE command 909 SAVEAS command about 910 drawing template options 910 SAVEFIDELITY sy
SKETCHINC system variable 1487 SKPOLY system variable 1488 SKYSTATUS system variable 1489 SLICE command 945 SMOOTHMESHCONVERT system variable 1489 SMOOTHMESHGRID system variable 1490 SMOOTHMESHMAXFACE system variable 1491 SMOOTHMESHMAXLEV system variable 1491 Snap and Grid tab (Drafting Settings dialog box) 359 SNAP command 952 SNAPANG system variable 1492 SNAPBASE system variable 1492 SNAPISOPAIR system variable 1493 SNAPMODE system variable 1493 SNAPSTYL system variable 1494 SNAPTYPE system variable 1494
TABSURF command 1035 Targa Image Options dialog box 880 TARGET system variable 1514 TARGETPOINT command 1037 TBEXTENDAFTERSECONDS system variable 1514 TBSHOWSHORTCUTS system variable 1514 TDCREATE system variable 1515 TDINDWG system variable 1515 TDUCREATE system variable 1516 TDUPDATE system variable 1516 TDUSRTIMER system variable 1516 TDUUPDATE system variable 1517 TEMPOVERRIDES system variable 1517 TEMPPREFIX system variable 1518 TEXT command 1040 Text Options tab (Attribute Editor dialog box) 120 Text
UCS3DPERPDISPLAYSETTING system variable 1537 UCSAXISANG system variable 1537 UCSBASE system variable 1538 UCSDETECT system variable 1538 UCSFOLLOW system variable 1539 UCSICON command 1079 UCSICON system variable 1540 UCSMAN command about 1083 Orthographic UCS Depth dialog box 1088 UCS Details dialog box 1089 UCS dialog box 1083 UCSNAME system variable 1540 UCSORG system variable 1541 UCSORTHO system variable 1541 UCSVIEW system variable 1542 UCSVP system variable 1542 UCSXDIR system variable 1543 UCSYDIR s
VSAZEBRADIRECTION system variable 1560 VSAZEBRASIZE system variable 1560 VSAZEBRATYPE system variable 1561 VSCURRENT command 1126 VSEDGECOLOR system variable 1561 VSEDGEJITTER system variable 1563 VSEDGELEX system variable 1563 VSEDGEOVERHANG system variable 1564 VSEDGES system variable 1566 VSEDGESMOOTH system variable 1566 VSFACECOLORMODE system variable 1567 VSFACEHIGHLIGHT system variable 1568 VSFACEOPACITY system variable 1569 VSFACESTYLE system variable 1569 VSHALOGAP system variable 1570 VSHIDEPRECIS
Zoom shortcut menu 1163 ZOOMFACTOR system variable 1644 | Index ZOOMWHEEL system variable 1595 1596
