AutoCAD LT 2011 User’s Guide February 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 Get Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Chapter 1 Find the Information You Need . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Find Information Using InfoCenter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Overview of InfoCenter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Search For Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Access Subscription Center . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Receive Product Updates and Announcements . . . . . . . . . . .
Chapter 3 Tools in the Application Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 The Application Menu . . . . . . . . . Search for Commands . . . . . . . Access Common Tools . . . . . . Browse Files . . . . . . . . . . . . Quick Access Toolbar . . . . . . . . . . The Ribbon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Overview of the Ribbon . . . . . . Display and Organize the Ribbon . Customize the Ribbon . . . . . . Chapter 4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Specify Application Fonts . . . . . . . . . . Specify the Behavior of Dockable Windows . Control the Display of Toolbars . . . . . . . Create Task-Based Workspaces . . . . . . . . . . . Customize Startup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Migrate and Specify Initial Setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121 . 126 . 135 . 141 . 144 . 145 Start and Save Drawings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Navigation Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Save and Restore Views . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Control the 3D Projection Style . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Define a Parallel Projection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Choose Preset 3D Views . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Define a 3D View with Coordinate Values or Angles . Change to a View of the XY Plane . . . . . . . . . . . Hide Lines or Shade 3D Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Hide Lines in 3D Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Control Views in Layout Viewports . . . . . . Scale Views in Layout Viewports . . . . Control Visibility in Layout Viewports . Scale Linetypes in Layout Viewports . . Align Views in Layout Viewports . . . . Rotate Views in Layout Viewports . . . . Reuse Layouts and Layout Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 284 . 284 . 286 . 292 . 294 . 296 .
Control How Overlapping Objects Are Displayed . . . . . . . . . 383 Control the Display of Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 385 Chapter 15 Use Precision Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 387 Use Coordinates and Coordinate Systems (UCS) . . . . . . . . Overview of Coordinate Entry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Enter 2D Coordinates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Enter 3D Coordinates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Understand the User Coordinate System (UCS) . . .
Draw Circles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Draw Polyline Arcs . . . . . . . . . . . . Draw Donuts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Draw Ellipses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Draw Splines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Draw Construction and Reference Geometry . Draw Reference Points . . . . . . . . . . Draw Construction Lines (and Rays) . . Create and Combine Areas (Regions) . . . . . Create Revision Clouds . . . . . . . . . . . . Chapter 17 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Constrain a Design with Formulas and Equations . . . Overview of Formulas and Equations . . . . . . . Control Geometry with the Parameters Manager . Organize Parameters into Groups . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 644 . 645 . 646 . 651 Define and Reference Blocks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 653 Chapter 19 Work with Blocks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 655 Overview of Blocks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Insert Blocks . . . . .
Add Action Parameters to Dynamic Blocks . . . . Overview of Actions and Parameters . . . . Add Parameters to Dynamic Blocks . . . . . Add Actions to Dynamic Blocks . . . . . . . Specify Properties for Dynamic Blocks . . . Specify Value Sets for Dynamic Blocks . . . Specify Distance and Angle Values . . . . . Specify Grips for Dynamic Blocks . . . . . . Control the Visibility of Objects in a Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Create a Blank Area to Cover Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 835 Chapter 25 Notes and Labels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 837 Overview of Notes and Labels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Create Text . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Overview of Creating Text . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Create Single-Line Text . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Create Multiline Text . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Create and Edit Columns in Multiline Text . . . . .
Understand Basic Concepts of Dimensioning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 955 Overview of Dimensioning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 955 Parts of a Dimension . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 958 Associative Dimensions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 959 Use Dimension Styles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 961 Overview of Dimension Styles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 962 Compare Dimension Styles and Variables . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Determine the Drawing Orientation of a Layout . Use the Layout Wizard to Specify Layout Settings . . . . Import PCP or PC2 Settings into a Layout . . . . . . . . Create and Use Named Page Setups . . . . . . . . . . . Chapter 29 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1078 . 1079 . 1080 . 1081 Plot Drawings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1087 Quick Start to Plotting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Overview of Plotting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Chapter 31 Reference Other Drawing Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1173 Overview of Referenced Drawings (Xrefs) . . . . . . . . . . . . . Attach and Detach Referenced Drawings . . . . . . . . . . . . . Attach Drawing References (Xrefs) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Set Paths to Referenced Drawings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Detach Referenced Drawings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Update and Bind Referenced Drawings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Nest and Overlay Referenced Drawings . . . . . . . .
Import MicroStation DGN Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . Manage Translation Mapping Setups . . . . . . . . . . . Insert WMF Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Attach Files as Underlays . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Overview of Underlays . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Attach, Scale, and Detach Underlays . . . . . . . . . . . Work with Underlays . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Manage and Publish Drawings Containing Underlays . Attach Raster Image Files . . . . . . . . . . . .
Open and Save Drawing Files from the Internet . Share Drawing Files Internationally . . . . . . . Access Buzzsaw for Project Collaboration . . . . Work with Xrefs over the Internet . . . . . . . . Package a Set of Files for Internet Transmission . Review and Markup Files with Design Review . . . . . Use the Publish to Web Wizard to Create Web Pages . Use Autodesk Seek to Add and Share Drawings . . . . Chapter 37 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
xviii
Get Information 1
2
Find the Information You Need 1 There are various ways to find information about how to use this program, and multiple resources are available. This program is a powerful application with tools that help you work with a high level of efficiency and productivity. You install this software with the Installation wizard that starts automatically when you insert the product media.
■ Access saved topics through Favorites panel ■ Access topics in Help To display the InfoCenter box in a collapsed state, click the arrow to its left. To browse search results ➤ On the panel for Search Results, Subscription Center, Communication Center, or Favorites, on the right side of the category header, do one of the following: ■ Click the Next button. ■ Click the Previous button.
When you enter keywords or a phrase in the InfoCenter box, you search the contents of multiple Help resources as well as any additional documents that have been specified in the InfoCenter Settings dialog box or through the CAD Manager Control Utility. Keyword searches produce better results. In case of a misspelled word, spelling suggestions are displayed on the panel. The results are displayed as links on the InfoCenter Search Results panel. Click a link to display the topic, article, or document.
Symbol Description will find “annotative”, “annotation”, “annoupdate”, “annoreset”, and so on. ? Replaces a single character. For example, “cop?” will find “copy”, but not “copybase”. ~ Adds grammatical form variations to a keyword when added at the beginning or end of a word. For example, “plotting~” will find “plots”, “plotted”, and so on. Also, “~plot” will find “preplot”, “replot”, and so on.
Access Subscription Center You can click the Subscription Center button to display links to information about subscription services such as product enhancements, personalized web support from Autodesk technical experts, and self-paced e-Learning. To learn more about Autodesk subscription membership, visit http://www.autodesk.com/subscriptioncenter.
Autodesk product, product information (such as the serial number, version, language, and the subscription contract ID) is sent to Autodesk for verification that your product is on subscription. Autodesk compiles statistics using the information sent to subscription resources to monitor how they are being used and how they can be improved. Autodesk maintains the information provided by or collected from you in accordance with Autodesk's published privacy policy, which is available at http://www.autodesk.
Communication Center provides the following types of announcements: ■ Autodesk Channels: Receive support information, product updates, and other announcements (including articles and tips). ■ CAD Manager Channel. Receive information (RSS feeds) published by your CAD manager. ■ RSS Feeds. Receive information from RSS feeds to which you subscribe. RSS feeds generally notify you when new content is posted. You are automatically subscribed to several default RSS feeds when you install the program.
Receive New Information Notifications Whenever new information is available, Communication Center notifies you by displaying a balloon message below the Communication Center button on the InfoCenter box. Click the link in the balloon message to open the article or announcement. If you don’t want to receive Communication Center notifications, in the InfoCenter Settings dialog box, turn off Balloon Notification.
To remove a favorite link from the InfoCenter Favorites panel 1 In the InfoCenter box, click the Favorites button to display the Favorites panel. 2 Click the star icon that is displayed next to the link that you want to remove from the Favorites panel. Specify InfoCenter Settings You can specify InfoCenter Search and Communication Center settings in the InfoCenter Settings dialog box. In the InfoCenter Settings dialog box, you can specify the following settings: ■ General.
■ Communication Center. Maximum age of the articles displayed on the Communication Center panel and the location and name of the CAD Manager Channel. ■ Autodesk Channels. Channels to display in the Communication Center panel as well as the number of articles to display for each channel. ■ Balloon Notification. Notifications for new product information, software updates, product support announcements, and Did You Know messages.
■ On the Search Locations panel, in the right pane, right-click anywhere in the pane. Click Add. 4 In the Add Search Location dialog box, specify a file location to search. 5 Click Add. 6 Click OK. To remove a search location 1 In the InfoCenter box, click the down arrow next to the Search button. 2 Click Search Settings. 3 In the InfoCenter Settings dialog box, do one of the following: ■ Select a location to remove, and then click Remove. ■ Right-click a search location. Click Remove.
9 In the InfoCenter Settings dialog box, in the left pane, click Communication Center. The CAD Manager Channel location and name are displayed. NOTE A green check mark is displayed if the channel can be located and a yellow warning sign is displayed if it cannot be located. To specify the channels to display in the Communication Center panel 1 In the InfoCenter box, click the down arrow next to the Search button. 2 Click Search Settings.
6 Enter the number of seconds to set the length of time for balloon notifications to display. 7 Enter the transparency value of the balloon or set the value using the slider. 8 Click OK. To turn on the display of Did You Know hidden messages 1 Click Tools menu ➤ Options. 2 In the Options dialog box, System tab, under General Options, click the Hidden Message Settings button.
4 In the right pane, do one of the following: ■ Click Remove. ■ Right-click an RSS feed. Click Remove. 5 In the InfoCenter - Remove RSS Feed dialog box, click Yes. 6 Click OK. Search Topics in Help You can click the Help button to display topics in Help. You can get much more benefit from the Help system when you learn how to use it efficiently. You can quickly find general descriptions, procedures, details about dialog boxes and palettes, or definitions of terms.
Autodesk Official Training Courseware Autodesk Official Training Courseware (AOTC) is technical training material developed by ----- Autodesk. You can purchase AOTC from your local reseller or distributor, or you can order it online from the Autodesk Store. e-Learning Autodesk e-Learning for Autodesk Subscription ----- customers features interactive lessons organized into product catalogs.
Join the Customer Involvement Program You are invited to help guide the direction of Autodesk design software. If you participate in the Customer Involvement Program (CIP), specific information about how you use AutoCAD LT is forwarded to Autodesk. This information includes what features you use the most, problems that you encounter, and other information helpful to the future direction of the product. See the following links for more information.
Get Information from Drawings 2 You can retrieve general information from a drawing including identifying information and the number of objects that it contains. There are types of information stored in a drawing that are not specific to objects within the drawing, but provide useful information to help you understand the behavior of the drawing, the settings of system variables, the number of objects, descriptive information, and so on.
Quick Reference Commands DWGPROPS Sets and displays the file properties of the current drawing. TIME Displays the date and time statistics of a drawing. System Variables CDATE Stores the current date and time in decimal format. DATE Stores the current date and time in Modified Julian Date format. SAVENAME Displays the file name and directory path of the most recently saved drawing. Count Objects Within a Drawing You can count objects within a drawing using the QSELECT command.
3 In the Object Type list, select the type of object you want to count. 4 In the Properties list, select a property that belongs to the type of objects you want to count. 5 In the Operator list, select = Equals. 6 In the Value list, select the property value of the type of objects you want to count. 7 Click OK. The number of objects displays at the Command prompt. Quick Reference Commands QSELECT Creates a selection set based on filtering criteria.
22
The User Interface 23
24
Tools in the Application Window 3 Use the Application menu, Quick Access toolbar, and ribbon to access many frequently used commands. The Application Menu Click the application button to search for commands, as well as access tools to create, open, and publish a file. Search for Commands Perform a real-time search for commands on the Quick Access toolbar, in the application menu, and on the ribbon. The Search field displays at the top of the application menu.
Quick Reference Commands CUI Manages the customized user interface elements in the product. OPTIONS Customizes the program settings. Access Common Tools Access common tools to start or publish a file in the application menu.
Click the application button to quickly ■ Create, open, or save a file ■ Audit, recover, and purge a file ■ Print or publish a file ■ Access the Options dialog box ■ Close AutoCAD LT NOTE You can also close AutoCAD LT by double-clicking the Application button. Quick Reference Commands CUI Manages the customized user interface elements in the product. OPTIONS Customizes the program settings. Browse Files View, sort, and access supported files that you have recently opened.
Pinned Files You can keep a file listed regardless of files that you save later using the push pin button to the right. The file is displayed at the bottom of the list until you turn off the push pin button.
To change the preview display options for recent documents 1 Click the Application menu and then, click Recent Documents. 2 Under the Search text box, click the Display Options menu. 3 Select a display option. NOTE The preview display option you choose remains in both the Recent Documents and Open Documents lists. To change the number of recent documents listed 1 Click Tools ➤ Options. 2 In the Options dialog box, click the Open and Save tab.
Quick Reference Commands CUI Manages the customized user interface elements in the product. OPTIONS Customizes the program settings. Currently Open Documents View only files that are currently open with the Open Documents list. Files display in the Open Documents list with the most recently opened file at the top. To make a file current, click the file in the list.
To change the preview display options for currently open documents 1 Click the Application menu and then, click Open Documents. 2 Under the Search text box, click the Display Options menu. 3 Select a display option. NOTE The preview display option you choose remains in both the Recent Documents and Open Documents quick menus. Quick Reference Commands CUI Manages the customized user interface elements in the product. OPTIONS Customizes the program settings.
Preview Documents View a thumbnail of files in the Recent Documents and Open Documents lists.
View Undo and Redo History The Quick Access toolbar displays options to undo and redo changes to your file. To undo or redo a less recent change, click the drop-down button to the right of the Undo and Redo buttons. Add Commands and Controls Add unlimited tools to the Quick Access toolbar. Tools that extend past the maximum length of the toolbar are displayed in a flyout button.
To add a ribbon button to the Quick Access toolbar, right-click the button on the ribbon and click Add to Quick Access toolbar. Buttons are added to the right of the default commands on the Quick Access toolbar. Move the Quick Access Toolbar Place the Quick Access toolbar either above or below the ribbon using the Customization button. See also: ■ Quick Access Toolbars ■ Toolbars on page 46 To add a command to the Quick Access toolbar 1 Right-click the Quick Access toolbar.
To remove a command from the Quick Access toolbar 1 Right-click the command you want to remove. 2 Click Remove from Quick Access Toolbar. Quick Reference Commands CUI Manages the customized user interface elements in the product. The Ribbon The ribbon is a palette that displays task-based tools and controls. Overview of the Ribbon The ribbon is displayed by default when you open a file, providing a compact palette of all of the tools necessary to create or modify your drawing.
RIBBONCLOSE Closes the ribbon window. System Variables MTEXTTOOLBAR Controls the display of the Text Formatting toolbar. RIBBONCONTEXTSELECT Controls how ribbon contextual tabs are displayed when you single- or double-click an object. RIBBONCONTEXTSELLIM Limits the number of objects that can be changed at one time with the ribbon property controls or a contextual tab. RIBBONDOCKEDHEIGHT Determines whether the horizontally docked ribbon is set to the height of the current tab or a predetermined height.
Ribbon Tabs and Panels The ribbon is composed of a series of panels, which are organized into tabs labeled by task. Ribbon panels contain many of the same tools and controls available in toolbars and dialog boxes. Some ribbon panels display a dialog box related to that panel. The dialog box launcher is denoted by an arrow icon, , in the lower-right corner of the panel. The dialog box launcher indicates that you can display a related dialog box.
Slideout Panels An arrow in the middle of a panel title, , indicates that you can slide out the panel to display additional tools and controls. Click on the title bar of an open panel to display the slideout panel. By default, a slideout panel automatically closes when you click another panel. To keep a panel expanded, click the push pin, , in the bottom-left corner of the slideout panel.
Radio Buttons Depending on the available space in the vertical or horizontal ribbon, radio buttons can collapse into a single button. A single radio button works as a toggle, allowing you to cycle through each item in the list, or as a split button, where the top half of the radio button is a toggle button and clicking on the arrow icon in the lower half displays a drop-down of all items in the list.
To display the ribbon ■ Click Tools menu ➤ Palettes ➤ Ribbon. NOTE The ribbon displays the ribbon panels associated with the workspace you used last. To display the ribbon panels associated with a specific workspace, click Tools menu ➤ Workspaces. To minimize the ribbon 1 The first button toggles the between the full ribbon state, the default ribbon state, and the minimize ribbon state. 2 The second drop-down button allows you to select the minimize ribbon state.
RIBBONCLOSE Closes the ribbon window. System Variables MTEXTTOOLBAR Controls the display of the Text Formatting toolbar. RIBBONCONTEXTSELECT Controls how ribbon contextual tabs are displayed when you single- or double-click an object. RIBBONCONTEXTSELLIM Limits the number of objects that can be changed at one time with the ribbon property controls or a contextual tab. RIBBONDOCKEDHEIGHT Determines whether the horizontally docked ribbon is set to the height of the current tab or a predetermined height.
■ You can change the order of ribbon panels. Click the panel you want to move, drag it to the desired position, and release. ■ You can convert toolbars into ribbon panels using the Customize User Interface Editor. See Ribbon in the Customization Guide. See also: ■ Ribbon To associate a tool palette group with a ribbon tab 1 Click Manage tab ➤ Customization panel ➤ User Interface.
RIBBON Opens the ribbon window. RIBBONCLOSE Closes the ribbon window. System Variables MTEXTTOOLBAR Controls the display of the Text Formatting toolbar. RIBBONCONTEXTSELECT Controls how ribbon contextual tabs are displayed when you single- or double-click an object. RIBBONCONTEXTSELLIM Limits the number of objects that can be changed at one time with the ribbon property controls or a contextual tab.
44
Other Tool Locations 4 Use common tools in the classic menu bar, toolbars, tool palettes, status bars, shortcut menus, and Design Center to find more commands, settings, and modes. Access the Classic Menu Bar Display pull-down menus from the classic menu bar using one of several methods. You can also specify alternate menus. The classic menu bar can be displayed at the top of the drawing area. The classic menu bar is displayed by default in the AutoCAD LT Classic workspace.
You can specify menus to display in the menu browser for all workspaces by customizing a CUIx file and loading it into the program. See also: ■ Create Task-Based Workspaces on page 141 ■ “Pull-down and Shortcut Menus” in the Customization Guide To display the classic menu bar ■ On the Quick Access toolbar, click the Customization drop-down menu ➤ Show Menu Bar. Quick Reference System Variables MENUBAR Toolbars Use buttons on toolbars to start commands, display flyout toolbars, and display tooltips.
Display or Hide, Dock, and Resize Toolbars You can display or hide toolbars, and you can save your selections as a workspace. You can also create your own toolbars. A toolbar displays as floating or docked. A floating toolbar displays anywhere in the drawing area, and you can drag a floating toolbar to a new location, resize it, or dock it. A docked toolbar is attached to any edge of the drawing area. A toolbar docked at the top edge of the drawing area is located below the ribbon.
Status Bars The application and drawing status bars provide useful information and buttons for turning drawing tools on and off. Application Status Bar The application status bar displays the coordinate values of your cursor, drawing tools, and tools for Quick View and annotation scaling. You can view the drawing tool buttons as icons or text. You also can easily change the settings of snap, polar, osnap, and otrack from the shortcut menus of these drawing tools.
To control the display of icons and notifications in the status bar tray 1 Click View tab ➤ Windows panel ➤ Status Bar. 2 In the Status Bar drop-down, click Tray Settings. 3 In the Tray Settings dialog box, select or clear the following display options: ■ Display Icons from Services. Displays the tray at the right end of the status bar and displays icons from services. When this option is cleared, the tray is not displayed. ■ Display Notifications from Services.
System Variables STATUSBAR Controls the display of the application and drawing status bars. Drawing Status Bar The drawing status bar displays several tools for scaling annotations. Different tools display for model space and paper space. When the drawing status bar is turned on, it displays at the bottom of the drawing area. When the drawing status bar is turned off, the tools found on the drawing status bar are moved to the application status bar.
Keytips Use the keyboard to access the Application menu, Quick Access toolbar, and ribbon. Press the Alt key to display shortcut keys for common tools in the application window. When you select a keytip, more keytips are displayed for that tool. The Command Window Enter Commands on the Command Line You can enter a command by using the keyboard. Some commands also have abbreviated names called command aliases.
To enter a command by using the keyboard, type the full command name on the command line and press Enter or Spacebar. NOTE When Dynamic Input is on and is set to display dynamic prompts, you can enter many commands in tooltips near the cursor. Some commands also have abbreviated names. For example, instead of entering line to start the LINE command, you can enter l. Abbreviated command names are called command aliases and are defined in the acadlt.pgp file.
You can specify the center point either by entering X,Y coordinate values or by using the pointing device to click a point on the screen. To choose a different option, enter the letters capitalized in one of the options in the brackets. You can enter uppercase or lowercase letters. For example, to choose the three-point option (3P), enter 3p. Execute Commands To execute commands, press Spacebar or Enter, or right-click your pointing device after entering command names or responses to prompts.
Commands that do not select objects, create new objects, or end the drawing session usually can be used transparently. Changes made in dialog boxes that you have opened transparently cannot take effect until the interrupted command has been executed. Similarly, if you reset a system variable transparently, the new value cannot take effect until you start the next command. See also: ■ “Keyboard Shortcuts” in the Customization Guide To copy a command you have recently used 1 Right-click on the command line.
For example, the GRIDMODE system variable turns the dot grid display on and off when you change the value. In this case, the GRIDMODE system variable is functionally equivalent to the GRID command. DATE is a read-only system variable that stores the current date. You can display this value, but you cannot change it. Bitcode Variables Some system variables are controlled using bitcodes. With these system variables, you add values to specify a unique combination of behaviors.
Quick Reference SETVAR Lists or changes the values of system variables. Navigate and Edit Within the Command Window You can edit text in the command window to correct or repeat commands. Use the standard keys: ■ Up, Down, Left Arrow, and Right Arrow ■ Insert, Delete ■ Page Up, Page Down ■ Home, End ■ Backspace You can repeat any command used in the current session by cycling through the commands in the command window with Up ArrowCtrl and Down Arrow and pressing Enter.
detailed information about objects you select. To move forward and backward in the command history, you can click the scroll arrows along the right edge of the window. Press SHIFT with a key to highlight text. For example, press SHIFT+HOME in the text window to highlight all text from the cursor location to the beginning of the line. To copy all the text in the text window to the Clipboard, use the COPYHIST command. To save commands to a log file, use the LOGFILEON command.
The text window is displayed in front of the drawing area. Quick Reference COPYCLIP Copies selected objects to the Clipboard. COPYHIST Copies the text in the command line history to the Clipboard. GRAPHSCR Switches from the text window to the drawing area. LOGFILEOFF Closes the text window log file opened by LOGFILEON. LOGFILEON Writes the text window contents to a file. PASTECLIP Pastes objects from the Clipboard into the current drawing. TEXTSCR Opens the text window.
Some functions are available both on the command line and in a dialog box. In many cases, you can enter a hyphen before the command to suppress the dialog box and display prompts on the command line instead. For example, entering layer on the command line displays the Layer Properties Manager. Entering -layer on the command line displays the equivalent command line options. Suppressing the dialog box is useful for compatibility with earlier versions of AutoCAD LT® and for using script files.
System Variables ATTDIA Controls whether the INSERT command uses a dialog box for attribute value entry. CMDNAMES Displays the names of the active and transparent commands. EXPERT Controls whether certain prompts are issued. FILEDIA Suppresses display of file navigation dialog boxes. Dock, Resize, and Hide the Command Window Change the position and display of the command window to suit the way you work. Dock the Command Window By default, the command window is docked.
To anchor the command window make sure it is floating, and then right-click over its title bar and select either Anchor Left or Anchor Right. Resize the Command Window You can resize the command window vertically by dragging the splitter bar, which is located on the top edge of the window when it is docked on the bottom and at the bottom edge of the window when it is docked at the top.
To dock the command window ■ Click the title bar and drag the command window until it is over the top or bottom docking region of the AutoCAD LT window. When the command window becomes the same width as the AutoCAD window, release the mouse button to dock it. The docking region is an edge of the AutoCAD application window that allows you to dock a toolbar, palette, or the command window. ■ Right-click the title bar of the Command window, and select Allow Docking.
System Variables PALETTEOPAQUE Controls whether palettes can be made transparent. Shortcut Menus Display a shortcut menu for quick access to commands that are relevant to your current activity. You can display different shortcut menus when you right-click different areas of the screen.
editing-oriented shortcut menu is displayed. You can also display a shortcut menu during PAN or ZOOM. To turn off shortcut menus in the drawing area 1 Click Tools menu ➤ Options. 2 In the Options dialog box, User Preferences tab, under Windows Standard Behavior, clear Shortcut Menus in Drawing Area. 3 To control Default, Edit, and Command shortcut menus individually, select Shortcut Menus in Drawing Area. Right-Click Customization.
2 In the Options dialog box, User Preferences tab, under Windows Standard Behavior, click Right-Click Customization. 3 In the Right-Click Customization dialog box, select Turn on Time-Sensitive Right-Click. You can specify the duration of the longer click. The default is 250 milliseconds 4 Click Apply & Close. 5 In the Options dialog box, click OK. To control the display of recent input 1 At the Command prompt, enter inputhistorymode. 2 Enter a sum of one or more of the following values: ■ 0.
CUI Manages the customized user interface elements in the product. CUTCLIP Copies selected objects to the Clipboard and removes them from the drawing. OPTIONS Customizes the program settings. PAN Moves the view planar to the screen. PASTECLIP Pastes objects from the Clipboard into the current drawing. PROPERTIES Controls properties of existing objects. TRAYSETTINGS Controls the display of icons and notifications in the status bar tray. U Reverses the most recent operation.
SHORTCUTMENU Controls whether Default, Edit, and Command mode shortcut menus are available in the drawing area. TRAYICONS Controls whether a tray is displayed on the status bar. TRAYNOTIFY Controls whether service notifications are displayed in the status bar tray. TRAYTIMEOUT Controls the length of time (in seconds) that service notifications are displayed.
NOTE When you drag an object onto a tool palette, you can switch to a different tab by hovering over the tab for a few seconds. You can then use the new tool to create objects in your drawing with the same properties as the object you dragged to the tool palette. For example, if you drag a red circle with a lineweight of .05 mm from your drawing to your tool palette, the new tool creates a red circle with a lineweight of .05 mm.
Update Block Definitions on Tool Palettes A block definition in your current drawing does not update automatically when you modify the block in the source drawing. To update a block definition in the current drawing, right-click the block tool on the tool palette and click Redefine on the shortcut menu. If the Redefine option is unavailable, then the block definition source is a drawing file rather than a block within a drawing file.
3 In the drop-down list, select Yes if you want to add a flyout, or select No if you want to remove one. 4 Click OK. NOTE If you remove the flyout from a tool but then add the flyout back, the image, name, and description (the tooltip) that displays on the tool palette for each tool on the flyout will not be accurate. To correct this, return the image, name, and description of the flyout tool to the default settings. See To change the image, name, and description of a flyout tool to the default settings.
Quick Reference CUSTOMIZE Customizes tool palettes and tool palette groups. TOOLPALETTES Opens the Tool Palettes window. TOOLPALETTESCLOSE Closes the Tool Palettes window. UNITS Controls coordinate and angle display formats and precision. System Variables INSUNITSDEFSOURCE Sets source content units value when INSUNITS is set to 0. INSUNITSDEFTARGET Sets target drawing units value when INSUNITS is set to 0. PALETTEOPAQUE Controls whether palettes can be made transparent.
NOTE Even though the tools on palettes can be clicked when the Customize User Interface (CUI) Editor is displayed, the end results might be unpredictable. It is best to not use any of the tools on a palette while the Customize User Interface (CUI) Editor is displayed. To create a command tool from a toolbar button 1 Make sure the toolbar that contains the command you want to add to the tool palette is displayed.
To create a command tool that executes a string of commands or a script (advanced) 1 Click Manage tab ➤ Customization panel ➤ Tool Palettes. 2 In the program, drag a command from a toolbar to the tool palette and, without releasing the mouse button, move the cursor to the place on the tool palette where you want the tool. 3 Release the mouse button. 4 On the tool palette, right-click the tool. Click Properties.
Change Tool Palette Settings The options and settings for tool palettes are accessible from shortcut menus that are displayed when you right-click in different areas of the Tool Palettes window. You can dock the Tool Palettes window on the right or left edge of the application window. Press the Ctrl key if you want to prevent docking as you move the Tool Palettes window. These settings include ■ Allow Docking. Toggles the ability to dock or anchor palette windows.
To change the rollover behavior of the Tool Palettes window ■ In the Tool Palettes window, at the top of the title bar, click the Auto-Hide button. NOTE Rollover behavior is available only when the Tool Palettes window is undocked. To change the transparency of the Tool Palettes window 1 In the Tool Palettes window, at the top of the title bar, click the Properties button. Click Transparency. 2 In the Transparency dialog box, adjust the level of transparency for the Tool Palettes window. Click OK.
4 Click OK. Quick Reference CUSTOMIZE Customizes tool palettes and tool palette groups. TOOLPALETTES Opens the Tool Palettes window. TOOLPALETTESCLOSE Closes the Tool Palettes window. System Variables PALETTEOPAQUE Controls whether palettes can be made transparent. TPSTATE Indicates whether the Tool Palettes window is open or closed. Control Tool Properties You can change the properties of any tool on a tool palette. Once a tool is on a tool palette, you can change its properties.
To change tool properties, right-click on a tool, and then click Properties on the shortcut menu to display the Tool Properties dialog box. The Tool Properties dialog box has the following two categories of properties: ■ Insert or Pattern properties. Control object-specific properties such as scale, rotation, and angle. ■ General properties. Override the current drawing property settings such as layer, color, and linetype.
xref, or raster image, you can update the icon by right-clicking the tool in the palette and clicking Update Tool Image. You must save the drawing before you can update the tool image. ™ Alternatively, you can delete the tool, and then replace it using DesignCenter . Specify Overrides for Tool Properties In some cases, you may want to assign specific property overrides to a tool. For example, you may want a hatch to be placed automatically on a pre-specified layer, regardless of the current layer setting.
■ Properties listed under the General category override the current drawing property settings such as layer, color, and linetype. ■ Auxiliary scale for a block or a hatch tool overrides the regular scale setting when the tool is used. (An auxiliary scale multiplies your current scale setting by the plot scale or the dimension scale.) You can resize the Tool Properties dialog box by dragging an edge, or you can expand and collapse the property categories by clicking the arrow buttons. 3 Click OK.
To change the image, name, and description of a flyout tool to the default settings 1 On a tool palette, right-click a tool. Click Properties. 2 In the Tool Properties dialog box, right-click in the image area. Click Delete Image. 3 Click in the Name box and delete the text. 4 Click in the Description box and delete the text. 5 Click OK.
Customize Tool Palettes You can add tools to a tool palette with several methods. You can create new tool palettes using the Properties button on the title bar of the Tool Palettes window. Add tools to a tool palette with the following methods: ■ Drag any of the following onto your tool palette: geometric objects such as lines, circles, and polylines; dimensions; hatches; blocks; xrefs. ■ Drag drawings, blocks, and hatches from DesignCenter to the tool palette.
■ You can associate a customizable tool palette group with each panel on the ribbon. Right-click the ribbon panel to display a list of available tool palette groups. NOTE If the source drawing file for a block, xref, or raster image tool is moved to a different folder, you must modify the tool that references it by right-clicking the tool and, in the Tool Properties dialog box, specifying the new source file folder.
Read-Only Tool Palettes If a tool palette file is set with a read-only attribute, a lock icon is displayed in a lower corner of the tool palette. This indicates that you cannot modify the tool palette beyond changing its display settings and rearranging the icons. To apply a read-only attribute to a tool palette, right-click the tool palette (ATC) file in the following location: C:\documents and settings\\application data\autodesk\AutoCAD LT 2011\r17.2\enu\support\ToolPalette\Palettes.
2 In the text box, add the text you want to display in the window. 3 If necessary, drag the text to the appropriate location in the window. To add a separator line to a tool palette 1 Right-click a blank area inside the Tool Palettes window. Click Add Separator. 2 If necessary, drag the separator to the appropriate location in the window. Quick Reference CUSTOMIZE Customizes tool palettes and tool palette groups. TOOLPALETTES Opens the Tool Palettes window.
To create or remove a tool palette group 1 Click Manage tab ➤ Customization panel ➤ Tool Palettes. 2 In the Customize dialog box, under Palette Groups, right-click on the lower, blank area. Click New Group. If there are no groups listed in the Palette Groups area, you can create a group by dragging a tool palette from the Tool Palettes area into the Palette Groups area. 3 Enter a name for the tool palette group. 4 Click Close.
3 In the Customize dialog box, under Palette Groups, right-click a tool palette group. Click Delete. 4 Repeat step 3 until all tool palette groups are deleted. 5 Click Close. To copy and paste a tool palette from one group to another 1 Click Manage tab ➤ Customization panel ➤ Tool Palettes. 2 In the Customize dialog box, under Palette Groups, select the tool palette that you want to copy. 3 Press Ctrl while you drag the selected tool palette to another group.
Save and Share Tool Palettes You can save and share a tool palette or tool palette group by exporting it or importing it as a file. You can save and share a tool palette by exporting it or importing it as a tool palette file. Tool palette files have an .xtp file extension. Similarly, you can save and share a tool palette group by exporting it or importing it as a palette group file. Tool palette files have an .xpg file extension.
To share a tool palette 1 Click Manage tab ➤ Customization panel ➤ Tool Palettes. 2 In the Customize dialog box, under Palettes, right-click a tool palette. On the shortcut menu, click Export. 3 In the Export Palette dialog box, enter a file name and click Save. 4 Click Close. To share a tool palette group 1 Click Manage tab ➤ Customization panel ➤ Tool Palettes. 2 In the Customize dialog box, under Palette Groups, right-click a tool palette group. Click Export.
DesignCenter to streamline your drawing process by copying and pasting other content, such as layer definitions, layouts, and text styles between drawings.
The Organization of the DesignCenter Window The DesignCenter window is divided into the tree view on the left side and the content area on the right side. Use the tree view to browse sources of content and to display content in the content area. Use the content area to add items to a drawing or to a tool palette. Undocked, the DesignCenter window is displayed as shown. Below the content area, you can also display a preview or a description of a selected drawing, block, hatch pattern, or xref.
To change the DesignCenter rollover behavior 1 Click View tab ➤ Palettes panel ➤ DesignCenter. 2 Right-click the DesignCenter title bar. Click Auto-hide. When the DesignCenter rollover option is turned on, the DesignCenter tree view and content area disappear when you move your cursor off the DesignCenter window, leaving only the title bar. When you move your cursor over the title bar, the DesignCenter window is restored.
Access Content with DesignCenter The tree view in the left portion of the DesignCenter window and the four DesignCenter tabs help you find and load content into the content area.
■ DC Online. Provides content from the DesignCenter Online web page including blocks, symbol libraries, manufacturer's content, and online catalogs. NOTE The DesignCenter Online (DC Online tab) is disabled by default. You can enable it from the CAD Manager Control utility on page 102. Bookmark Frequently Used Content DesignCenter provides a solution to finding content that you need to access quickly on a regular basis.
2 In the DesignCenter tree view, navigate to the folder that you want to set as home. 3 Right-click on the folder. Click Set as Home. When you click the Home button, DesignCenter will automatically load this folder. To add items to the Favorites folder in DesignCenter 1 Click View tab ➤ Palettes panel ➤ DesignCenter. 2 Right-click the item in the DesignCenter tree view or content area. Click Add to Favorites.
ADCNAVIGATE Loads a specified DesignCenter drawing file, folder, or network path. System Variables ADCSTATE Indicates whether the DesignCenter window is open or closed. Add Content with DesignCenter The right portion of the DesignCenter window operates on the content displayed. Double-clicking an item in the content area displays successive levels of detail. For example, double-clicking a drawing image displays several icons, including an icon for blocks.
From the shortcut menu displayed when you right-click a block or drawing file in the content area, click Redefine Only or Insert and Redefine to update the selected block. Open Drawings with DesignCenter With DesignCenter, you can open a drawing from the content area using the shortcut menu, pressing Ctrl while dragging a drawing, or dragging a drawing icon to any location outside the graphics area of a drawing area.
■ Right-click a drawing in the DesignCenter tree view or content area. Click Create Tool Palette of Blocks. The new tool palette contains the blocks from the drawing you selected. You can drag additional drawings, blocks, or hatches from the DesignCenter content area to the tool palette. To load the content area from the DesignCenter Search dialog box 1 Click View tab ➤ Palettes panel ➤ DesignCenter.
To load the content area of DesignCenter with hatch patterns 1 Click View tab ➤ Palettes panel ➤ DesignCenter. 2 On the DesignCenter toolbar, click Search. 3 In the Search dialog box, click the Look For box. Click Hatch Pattern Files. 4 On the Hatch Pattern Files tab, in the Search for the Name box, enter *. 5 Click Search Now. 6 Double-click one of the hatch pattern files that was found. The hatch pattern file you selected is loaded into DesignCenter.
NOTE If the source of the block that you want to update is an entire drawing file rather than a block definition within a drawing file, right-click the drawing's icon in the DesignCenter content area. Click Insert as Block. To open a block from the DesignCenter window in the Block Editor 1 Click View tab ➤ Palettes panel ➤ DesignCenter. 2 On the block icon’s shortcut menu, click Block Editor. Quick Reference ADCENTER Manages and inserts content such as blocks, xrefs, and hatch patterns.
To access DesignCenter Online, click the DC Online tab in DesignCenter. Once the DesignCenter Online window is open, you can browse, search, and download content to use in your drawing. NOTE The DesignCenter Online (DC Online tab) is disabled by default. You can enable it from the CAD Manager Control utility on page 102. In the DesignCenter Online window, two panes are displayed—a right pane and a left pane. The right pane is called the content area.
Once you select a folder in the left pane, all of its content is loaded into the content area. You can select an item in the content area to load it into the preview area. Items can be downloaded by dragging them from the preview area into your drawing or tool palette, or by saving the items to your computer. NOTE If the DC Online tab is not available in DesignCenter and you want to access DesignCenter Online, see your network or CAD administrator.
To install the CAD Manager Control utility 1 Review the Autodesk software license agreement for your country or region. You must accept this agreement to procede with the installation. Choose your country or region, click I Accept, and then click Next. NOTE If you do not agree to the terms of the license and wish to terminate the installation, click Cancel. 2 On the Review - Configure - Install page, click Install if you want to accept the default install location.
NOTE The DesignCenter Online (DC Online tab) is disabled by default. You can enable it from the CAD Manager Control utility on page 102. To view online content folders in the Category Listing view ■ In DesignCenter Online, at the top of the left pane, click the heading, and then click Category Listing. The category folders are displayed in the left pane of the window. Retrieve Content from the Web You can download content from the Web and use it in your drawings.
Control the Number of Categories and Items in a Page By using the Settings view, you can control how many categories or items are displayed on each page in the content area as a result of a search or folder navigation. Collections You can choose the type of content to navigate and search. In the Collections pane, you can specify the content types that are displayed each time you open DesignCenter Online.
To specify content collections 1 In DesignCenter Online, at the top of the left pane, click the heading, and then click Collections. 2 In the Collections view, click the check boxes of the collections that you want to use. 3 Click Update Collections. The categories that you have selected are displayed in the left pane. To download content to your computer 1 In DesignCenter Online, at the top of the left pane, click the heading, and then click Category Listing.
106
Customize the Drawing Environment 5 You can change many window and drawing environment settings in the Options dialog box. For example, you can change how often a drawing is automatically saved to a temporary file, and you can link the program to folders containing files you use frequently. You can create workspaces to set up a drawing environment that is specific to your drawing needs. Experiment with different settings until you create the drawing environment that best fits your needs.
■ Color Scheme (Options dialog box, Display tab, Colors). You specify a dark or light color scheme for the overall user interface. The settings affect the window frame background, status bar, title bar, menu browser frame, toolbars, and palettes. ■ Background Colors (Options dialog box, Display tab, Colors). You specify the background colors used in model space, layouts, and the block editor.
■ Rollover Tooltips in the Customization Guide ■ Create Tooltips and Extended Help for Commands in the Customization Guide To set options 1 Click the Application button. At the bottom of the Application menu, click Options. 2 In the Options dialog box, click a tab. 3 Set options as desired. 4 Do either or both of the following: ■ Click Apply to record the current options settings in the system registry.
2 In the View Transitions dialog box, check one or more of the following options: ■ Enable Animation for Pan and Zoom. Makes a smooth view transition during panning and zooming. ■ Enable Animation When View Rotates. Makes a smooth view transition when the view angle is changed. ■ Enable Animation During Scripts. Makes a smooth view transition while a script is running. 3 Set the transition speed by moving the slider.
Quick Reference Commands CLEANSCREENON Clears the screen of toolbars and dockable windows, excluding the command window. CLEANSCREENOFF Restores display of toolbars and dockable windows, excluding the command window. OPTIONS Customizes the program settings. VIEWRES Sets the resolution for objects in the current viewport. VTOPTIONS Displays a change in view as a smooth transition. System Variables APPLYGLOBALOPACITIES Applies transparency settings to all palettes.
EXTNAMES Sets the parameters for named object names (such as linetypes and layers) stored in definition tables. GLOBALOPACITY Controls transparency level for all palettes. GRIPCOLOR Controls the color of unselected grips. GRIPHOT Controls the color of selected grips. GRIPS Controls the display of grips on selected objects. HELPPREFIX Sets the file path for the Help system. INSUNITS Specifies a drawing-units value for automatic scaling of blocks, images, or xrefs when inserted or attached to a drawing.
LOCALROOTPREFIX Stores the full path to the root folder where local customizable files were installed. LOCKUI Locks the position and size of toolbars and dockable windows such as DesignCenter and the Properties palette. LOGFILEMODE Specifies whether the contents of the text window are written to a log file. LOGFILENAME Specifies the path and name of the text window log file for the current drawing. LOGFILEPATH Specifies the path for the text window log files for all drawings in a session.
PICKADD Controls whether subsequent selections replace the current selection set or add to it. PICKAUTO Controls automatic windowing at the Select Objects prompt. PICKBOX Sets the object selection target height, in pixels. PICKDRAG Controls the method of drawing a selection window. PICKFIRST Controls whether you select objects before (noun-verb selection) or after you issue a command. PICKSTYLE Controls the use of group selection and associative hatch selection.
SAVEFILEPATH Specifies the path to the directory for all automatic save files for the current session. SAVETIME Sets the automatic save interval, in minutes. SPLINESEGS Sets the number of line segments to be generated for each spline-fit polyline generated by the Spline option of the PEDIT command. TDUSRTIMER Stores the user-elapsed timer. TOOLTIPMERGE Combines drafting tooltips into a single tooltip. TOOLTIPS Controls the display of tooltips on the ribbon, toolbars, and other user interface elements.
Switch Between Model Space and Layouts You can control how you change between model space and one or more layouts. The classic interface provides a Model tab and one or more layout tabs. To optimize space in the drawing area, you can turn off these tabs and use the equivalent buttons on the status bar. The control to change between the two interface designs is included as an item on the Model and layout tab shortcut menu, and on the shortcut menu of the Model/Layout button on the status bar.
CALCINPUT Controls whether mathematical expressions and global constants are evaluated in text and numeric entry boxes of windows and dialog boxes. CLEANSCREENSTATE Indicates whether the clean screen state is on or off. CURSORSIZE Determines the size of the crosshairs as a percentage of the screen size. DCTCUST Displays the path and file name of the current custom spelling dictionary. DCTMAIN Displays the three letter keyword for the current main spelling dictionary.
GRIPHOT Controls the color of selected grips. GRIPS Controls the display of grips on selected objects. INSUNITS Specifies a drawing-units value for automatic scaling of blocks, images, or xrefs when inserted or attached to a drawing. INSUNITSDEFSOURCE Sets source content units value when INSUNITS is set to 0. INSUNITSDEFTARGET Sets target drawing units value when INSUNITS is set to 0. INTELLIGENTUPDATE Controls the graphics refresh rate.
LOGFILEPATH Specifies the path for the text window log files for all drawings in a session. MTEXTED Sets the application for editing multiline text objects. OLEQUALITY Sets the default plot quality for OLE objects. OLESTARTUP Controls whether the source application of an embedded OLE object loads when plotting. OSNAPCOORD Controls whether coordinates entered on the command line will override running object snaps.
PICKSTYLE Controls the use of group selection and associative hatch selection. PSTYLEPOLICY 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. QTEXTMODE Controls how text is displayed. RASTERPREVIEW Controls whether BMP preview images are saved with the drawing. ROLLOVERTIPS Controls the display of rollover tooltips in the application.
USERNAME Specifies the user name. VISRETAIN Controls the properties of xref-dependent layers. VTDURATION Sets the duration of a smooth view transition, in milliseconds. VTENABLE Controls when smooth view transitions are used. VTFPS Sets the minimum speed of a smooth view transition, in frames per second. XLOADCTL Turns xref demand-loading on and off, and controls whether it opens the referenced drawing or a copy.
5 In the Options dialog box, click OK. Quick Reference Commands OPTIONS Customizes the program settings. System Variables APERTURE Sets the display size for the object snap target box, in pixels. CALCINPUT Controls whether mathematical expressions and global constants are evaluated in text and numeric entry boxes of windows and dialog boxes. CLEANSCREENSTATE Indicates whether the clean screen state is on or off. CURSORSIZE Determines the size of the crosshairs as a percentage of the screen size.
EXTNAMES Sets the parameters for named object names (such as linetypes and layers) stored in definition tables. FILLMODE Specifies whether hatches and fills, 2D solids, and wide polylines are filled in. GRIPBLOCK Controls the display of grips in blocks. GRIPCOLOR Controls the color of unselected grips. GRIPHOT Controls the color of selected grips. GRIPS Controls the display of grips on selected objects.
LOCALROOTPREFIX Stores the full path to the root folder where local customizable files were installed. LOCKUI Locks the position and size of toolbars and dockable windows such as DesignCenter and the Properties palette. LOGFILEMODE Specifies whether the contents of the text window are written to a log file. LOGFILENAME Specifies the path and name of the text window log file for the current drawing. LOGFILEPATH Specifies the path for the text window log files for all drawings in a session.
PICKADD Controls whether subsequent selections replace the current selection set or add to it. PICKAUTO Controls automatic windowing at the Select Objects prompt. PICKBOX Sets the object selection target height, in pixels. PICKDRAG Controls the method of drawing a selection window. PICKFIRST Controls whether you select objects before (noun-verb selection) or after you issue a command. PICKSTYLE Controls the use of group selection and associative hatch selection.
SAVETIME Sets the automatic save interval, in minutes. SPLINESEGS Sets the number of line segments to be generated for each spline-fit polyline generated by the Spline option of the PEDIT command. TDUSRTIMER Stores the user-elapsed timer. TOOLTIPMERGE Combines drafting tooltips into a single tooltip. TOOLTIPS Controls the display of tooltips on the ribbon, toolbars, and other user interface elements. USERNAME Specifies the user name. VISRETAIN Controls the properties of xref-dependent layers.
Settings for these and other options are often changed on a shortcut menu, available by right-clicking the title bar of the palette or window. ■ Resize. Drag an edge of the window to change its size. If the window has panes, drag the bar between panes to resize the panes. ■ Allow Docking. Select this option if you want to dock or anchor a dockable window. A docked window adheres to one side of the application window, causing the drawing area to be resized. ■ Anchor.
You can hide all the palettes at once with HIDEPALETTES and turn on all hidden palettes with SHOWPALETTES. NOTE If a palette has been turned back on manually and moved, it is not affected by SHOWPALETTES. To anchor a dockable window 1 At the top of the window or palette title bar, click the Propterties button. Click Allow Docking. 2 Click the Properties button again. Click Anchor Right or Anchor Left.
To dock a window or palette 1 At the top of the window or palette title bar, click the Properties button. Click Allow Docking. 2 Click and drag the window or palette to a docking location on the right or left side of the drawing area. 3 When the outline of the window is displayed in the docking area, release the button. NOTE To place a toolbar in a docking region without docking it, hold down the Ctrl key as you drag.
HIDEPALETTES Hides all currently displayed palettes, including the command window. LOGFILEOFF Closes the text window log file opened by LOGFILEON. LOGFILEON Writes the text window contents to a file. OPTIONS Customizes the program settings. REVDATE Inserts or updates a block containing user name, current time and date, and drawing name. SHOWPALETTES Restores the display of hidden palettes. VIEWRES Sets the resolution for objects in the current viewport.
DCTMAIN Displays the three letter keyword for the current main spelling dictionary. DEFPLSTYLE Specifies the default plot style for new objects in a drawing 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. DRAGMODE Controls the way dragged objects are displayed. EXEDIR Displays the folder path of the AutoCAD LT executable file.
INSUNITSDEFTARGET Sets target drawing units value when INSUNITS is set to 0. INTELLIGENTUPDATE Controls the graphics refresh rate. ISAVEBAK Improves the speed of incremental saves, especially for large drawings. ISAVEPERCENT Determines the amount of wasted space tolerated in a drawing file. LOCALE Displays a code that indicates the current locale. LOCALROOTPREFIX Stores the full path to the root folder where local customizable files were installed.
OSNAPCOORD Controls whether coordinates entered on the command line will override running object snaps. PAPERUPDATE 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. PALETTEOPAQUE Controls whether palettes can be made transparent. PICKADD Controls whether subsequent selections replace the current selection set or add to it.
ROLLOVERTIPS Controls the display of rollover tooltips in the application. SAVEFILEPATH Stores the current automatic save file name. SAVEFILEPATH Specifies the path to the directory for all automatic save files for the current session. SAVETIME Sets the automatic save interval, in minutes. SPLINESEGS Sets the number of line segments to be generated for each spline-fit polyline generated by the Spline option of the PEDIT command. TDUSRTIMER Stores the user-elapsed timer.
XLOADCTL Turns xref demand-loading on and off, and controls whether it opens the referenced drawing or a copy. Control the Display of Toolbars Similar to dockable windows, you can control the behavior of toolbars. To display or hide toolbars, right-click any toolbar to display a list of toolbars. A check mark next to a toolbar name indicates that it is displayed. Click a toolbar name in the list to display or clear the check mark. A toolbar can be docked or floating.
Quick Reference Commands CLEANSCREENON Clears the screen of toolbars and dockable windows, excluding the command window. CLEANSCREENOFF Restores display of toolbars and dockable windows, excluding the command window. DRAGMODE Controls the way dragged objects are displayed. HIDEPALETTES Hides all currently displayed palettes, including the command window. LOGFILEOFF Closes the text window log file opened by LOGFILEON. LOGFILEON Writes the text window contents to a file.
System Variables APERTURE Sets the display size for the object snap target box, in pixels. CALCINPUT Controls whether mathematical expressions and global constants are evaluated in text and numeric entry boxes of windows and dialog boxes. CLEANSCREENSTATE Indicates whether the clean screen state is on or off. CURSORSIZE Determines the size of the crosshairs as a percentage of the screen size. DCTCUST Displays the path and file name of the current custom spelling dictionary.
GRIPCOLOR Controls the color of unselected grips. GRIPHOT Controls the color of selected grips. GRIPS Controls the display of grips on selected objects. INSUNITS Specifies a drawing-units value for automatic scaling of blocks, images, or xrefs when inserted or attached to a drawing. INSUNITSDEFSOURCE Sets source content units value when INSUNITS is set to 0. INSUNITSDEFTARGET Sets target drawing units value when INSUNITS is set to 0. INTELLIGENTUPDATE Controls the graphics refresh rate.
LOGFILENAME Specifies the path and name of the text window log file for the current drawing. LOGFILEPATH Specifies the path for the text window log files for all drawings in a session. MTEXTED Sets the application for editing multiline text objects. OLEQUALITY Sets the default plot quality for OLE objects. OLESTARTUP Controls whether the source application of an embedded OLE object loads when plotting. OSNAPCOORD Controls whether coordinates entered on the command line will override running object snaps.
PICKFIRST Controls whether you select objects before (noun-verb selection) or after you issue a command. PICKSTYLE Controls the use of group selection and associative hatch selection. PSTYLEPOLICY 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. QTEXTMODE Controls how text is displayed.
TOOLTIPS Controls the display of tooltips on the ribbon, toolbars, and other user interface elements. USERNAME Specifies the user name. VISRETAIN Controls the properties of xref-dependent layers. VTDURATION Sets the duration of a smooth view transition, in milliseconds. VTENABLE Controls when smooth view transitions are used. VTFPS Sets the minimum speed of a smooth view transition, in frames per second.
When you make changes to your drawing display (such as moving, hiding, or displaying a toolbar or a tool palette group) and you want to preserve the display settings for future use, you can save the current settings to a workspace. Switch Workspaces You can switch to another workspace whenever you need to work on a different task from the Workspace icon on the status bar. NOTE Saved workspaces are also accessible from the Quick Access toolbar.
To switch workspaces 1 On the status bar, click Workspace Switching. 2 From the list of workspaces, select the workspace you want to switch to. The workspace with a check mark is your current workspace. To change workspace settings 1 Click Tools menu ➤ Workspaces ➤ Workspace Settings. 2 In the Workspace Settings dialog box, change workspace settings as needed. 3 Click OK. To save a workspace 1 Tools ➤ Workspaces ➤ Save Current As.
WSCURRENT Returns the current workspace name at the Command prompt and sets a workspace to current. Customize Startup Command line switches can specify a separate startup routine for each project. You can use command line switches to specify several options when you start the program. For example, you can run a script, start with a specified drawing template, and display a specified view when a drawing is opened.
When using a switch option, you must follow the switch with a space and then the name of a file, path, or view within quotation marks. For example, the following entry starts the program from a folder named AutoCAD LT 2011 with the drawing template arch1.dwt, restores a named view PLAN1, and executes a script file startup.scr. "d:\AutoCAD LT 2011\acadlt.exe”/t "d:\AutoCAD LT 2011\template\arch1" /v "plan1" /b "startup" NOTE Command line switches override Options values for the current session only.
to start using the new release. Initial Setup helps you to perform some basic customization of AutoCAD LT. Migrate Custom Settings and Files One of the challenges when moving from a previous release of AutoCAD LT to the latest release is getting the new release to look and behave like the previous release. You can use Migrate Custom Settings and the Customize User Interface (CUI) Editor to transfer many of your custom settings and files to the latest release.
Start and Save Drawings 147
148
Start a Drawing 6 All drawings start from either a default drawing template file or a custom drawing template file that you create. Drawing template files store default settings, styles, and additional data. Overview of Starting a New Drawing Before you start to draw, you need to decide what system of drawing units that you will use in the drawing, and then choose a drawing template file appropriate for those drawing units.
Customize a Drawing Template File By customizing your own drawing template file, you save yourself a lot of work changing settings, and you also ensure that the settings are standardized. Choose a drawing template file Start a new drawing, choose a drawing template ----- file similar to what you need for your discipline and units of measurement. Specify units and precision ----- Specify a unit format and precision.
Quick Reference Commands NEW Creates a new drawing. OPTIONS Customizes the program settings. SAVEAS Saves a copy of the current drawing under a new file name. System Variables MEASUREMENT Controls whether the current drawing uses imperial or metric hatch pattern and linetype files. Specify Units and Unit Formats Before you start to draw, you decide on the units of measurement to be used in the drawing, and set the format, precision, and other conventions to be used in coordinates and distances.
Convert Drawing Units If you start a drawing in one system of measurement (imperial or metric) and then want to switch to the other system, use SCALE to scale the model geometry by the appropriate conversion factor to obtain correct distances and dimensions. For example, to convert a drawing created in inches to centimeters, you scale the model geometry by a factor of 2.54. To convert from centimeters to inches, the scale factor is 1/2.54 or about 0.3937.
2 At the Select Objects prompt, enter all. All objects in the drawing are selected for scaling. 3 Enter a base point of *0,0. Scaling is performed relative to the world coordinate system origin, and the location of the drawing origin will remain at the WCS origin. 4 Enter a scale factor of 0.3937 (the inverse of 2.54 centimeters per inch). All objects in the drawing are now smaller, corresponding to the equivalent distance in inches.
Set the Unit Format Conventions You can set the format and the number of decimal places to be used when you enter and display linear and angular units. Set Linear Units You can choose from several common conventions to represent the format and the precision of linear distances and coordinates displayed in the Properties palette, dynamic input, the status bar, and other locations. For example, here are three variations of dynamic input.
Quick Reference Commands UNITS Controls coordinate and angle display formats and precision. System Variables ANGBASE Sets the base angle to 0 with respect to the current UCS. ANGDIR Sets the direction of positive angles. AUNITS Sets units for angles. AUPREC Sets the display precision for angular units and coordinates. LUNITS Sets linear units. LUPREC Sets the display precision for linear units and coordinates.
Select a Drawing Template File A set of drawing template files is installed with AutoCAD LT. Many of them are provided either for imperial or for metric units, and some are optimized for 3D modeling. All drawing template files have a .dwt file extension. While these drawing templates provide a quick way to start a new drawing, it is best to create drawing templates specific to your company and the type of drawings you create.
To start a drawing by selecting a template file 1 Click the Application menu, and click New menu ➤ Drawing. 2 In the Select Template dialog box, select a template from the list. 3 Click Open. To start a new drawing with no template file, click the arrow next to the Open button. Select one of the “no template” options from the list. To create a drawing template file from an existing drawing 1 Click the Application button, and click Open ➤ Drawing.
OPTIONS Customizes the program settings. SAVEAS Saves a copy of the current drawing under a new file name. System Variables MEASUREMENT Controls whether the current drawing uses imperial or metric hatch pattern and linetype files. Add Identifying Information to Drawings You can keep track of your drawings more easily if you add keywords or other information to them. Use Windows Explorer Drawing properties can help you identify a drawing.
To display drawing properties for the active drawing 1 Click the Application button, and click Drawing ➤ Drawing Properties. 2 In the Drawing Properties dialog box, click tabs to view the different types of information. To define drawing properties 1 Click the Application button, and click Drawing ➤ Drawing Properties. 2 In the Drawing Properties dialog box, enter property information on the following tabs: ■ Summary tab.
DATE Stores the current date and time in Modified Julian Date format. TDCREATE Stores the local time and date the drawing was created. TDINDWG Stores the total editing time, which is the total elapsed time between saves of the current drawing. TDUCREATE Stores the universal time and date that the drawing was created. TDUPDATE Stores the local time and date of the last update/save. TDUUPDATE Stores the universal time and date of the last update or save.
This marker cannot be selected, but you can control whether it is displayed using the GEOMARKERVISIBILITY system variable. You can display the latitude and longitude of the cursor in the coordinate display area of the status bar. To specify the geographic location of a drawing 1 At the Command prompt, enter geographiclocation. 2 Click Enter the Location Values. 3 (Optional) Select the latitude and longitude format, or click Use Map to specify the nearest city and time zone.
5 Click to specify the north direction. A geographic marker is inserted at the specified location. To import a geographic location from Google Earth 1 Start Google Earth and select a location. 2 At the Command prompt, enter geographiclocation. 3 Click Import the current location from Google Earth. 4 Click Continue. 5 Click or specify the coordinates for the location in the World Coordinate System (WCS) X, Y, Z format. 6 Click to specify the north direction.
System Variables GEOLATLONGFORMAT Controls the format of the latitude or longitude values in the Geographic Location dialog box, and the coordinate status bar in Geographic mode. GEOMARKERVISIBILITY Controls the visibility of geographic markers.
164
Open or Save a Drawing 7 You can use several methods to find and open drawings, even damaged drawings. You can save and backup drawings automatically. Open a Drawing You open drawings to work on them just as you do with other Windows applications. In addition, you can choose from several alternative methods. To open a drawing, you can ■ Use Open on the File menu or Quick Access toolbar to display the Select File dialog box.
Work on Drawings During Loading You can work on drawings before they are fully open. This is useful when you work on large drawings and you want to begin working immediately. To take advantage of this capability, three conditions are required. ■ The drawing must have been saved in paper space. ■ The OPENPARTIAL system variable must be set to 1. ■ The INDEXCTL system variable must be set to a non-zero value.
Missing Reference Types Description the drawing or one of the support paths defined in the Options dialog box. For information about custom shape files in linetypes, see Shapes in Custom Linetypes in the Customization Guide. You can use eTransmit to avoid missing files when sharing drawings with others outside of your company. For more information about eTransmit, see Package a Set of Files for Internet Transmission on page 1356.
file is corrupt, you might be able to recover it. See Repair, Restore, or Recover Drawing Files on page 189. Change the Default Drawing Folder Each time you start AutoCAD LT, the My Documents folder is the default path in each standard file selection dialog box. Alternatively, you can configure AutoCAD LT to always default to a specified path by changing the default drawing folder using the REMEMBERFOLDERS system variable.
CLOSEALL Closes all currently open drawings. ETRANSMIT Packages a set of files for Internet transmission. OPEN Opens an existing drawing file. OPTIONS Customizes the program settings. WHOHAS Displays ownership information for opened drawing files. DWGCHECK Checks drawings for potential problems when opening them. FILEDIA Suppresses display of file navigation dialog boxes. INDEXCTL Controls whether layer and spatial indexes are created and saved in drawing files.
Preview Open Drawings and Layouts With Quick View, you can easily preview and switch between open drawings and the model space and layouts in an open drawing. These are displayed in thumbnail images called Quick View images at the bottom of the application window. The Quick View tools in the application status bar do the following: ■ Quick View Drawings Displays all currently open drawings in a row of Quick View drawing images.
STATUSBAR Controls the display of the application and drawing status bars. Switch Between Open Drawings Preview and switch between all open drawings and layouts in a drawing in two-level structure with the Quick View Drawings tool. The first level displays the Quick View images of open drawings and the second level displays the images for model space and all layouts in a drawing. When you click the Quick View Drawings button on the status bar, each open drawing displays as a thumbnail image in a row.
■ Close Closes all the Quick View images. Use the Quick View Drawings Tool You can do any of the following with the Quick View Drawings tool: ■ Click a Quick View drawing image to make that drawing current. ■ Move your cursor over the Quick View drawing image to display the Save and Close buttons on the top corners of the image to save or close the drawing. ■ Move your cursor over a Quick View drawing to display the preview images of the model space and layouts in the drawing.
This placeholder image is displayed in the following cases: ■ When the model space is not initialized ■ When the UPDATETHUMBNAIL system variable is set to 0. In this case, the image is not updated even if you use the UPDATETHUMBSNOW command. When a drawing is saved in DXF format, it does not have a stored image for a drawing. The image is not updated even if you use the UPDATETHUMBSNOW command. A static image is displayed instead. To preview and switch between open drawings 1 Click the status bar.
To preview and switch between layouts in a drawing 1 Click the status bar. A row of Quick View images is displayed at the bottom of the program. 2 Move your cursor over a drawing image to preview the model and layouts in a drawing. 3 Click a Quick View image to make the drawing or layout current. To resize a Quick View image 1 On the status bar, click . A row of Quick View images is displayed at the bottom of the program. 2 Press Ctrl + scrollwheel over a Quick View image to resize.
Switch Between Layouts in the Current Drawing Preview and switch between the model space and layouts in the current drawing with the Quick View Layouts tool. on the status bar, the When you click the Quick View Layouts button model space and layouts in the drawing are displayed in a horizontal row. You can plot or publish when you move the cursor over a Quick View image of a layout.
You can do any of the following with a Quick View layout image: ■ Click the image to display the associated layout or model in the drawing area ■ Move your cursor over the image to display the Plot and Publish buttons ■ Right-click the image to display a shortcut menu with additional options ■ Use Ctrl + scroll wheel to resize Quick View images dynamically TIP If you often work with many open drawings or many layouts in a drawing, you can use multiple monitors to display complete rows of Quick View
■ When the UPDATETHUMBNAIL system variable is set to 0. In this case, the image is not updated even if you use the UPDATETHUMBSNOW command. To update a thumbnail image NOTE Verify that updatethumbnail is not set to 0 1 At the Command prompt, enter updatethumbsnow. 2 On the status bar, click . Quick Reference PLOT Plots a drawing to a plotter, printer, or file. PUBLISH Publishes drawings to DWF, DWFx, and PDF files, or to plotters.
Transfer Information between Open Drawings You can easily transfer information between drawings that are open in a single session. When you open multiple drawings in a single session, you can ■ Reference other drawings. ■ Copy and paste between drawings. ■ Drag selected objects from one drawing to another with the right-click button on your pointing device. ■ Use Match Properties (MATCHPROP) to copy properties from objects in one drawing to objects in another drawing.
Save a Drawing You save drawing files for later use just as you do with other Microsoft Windows applications. You can also set up automatic saving and backup files and save only selected objects. When you work on a drawing, you should save it frequently. Saving protects you from losing work in the event of a power failure or other unexpected event. If you want to create a new version of a drawing without affecting the original drawing, you can save it under another name.
NOTE The SAVEFIDELITY system variable does not effect saving a drawing to the AutoCAD LT 2010 drawing or DXF file formats. Annotative objects may have multiple scale representation. When visual fidelity is on, annotative objects are decomposed and scale representations are saved (in an anonymous block) to separate layers, which are named based on their original layer and appended with a number.
If a drawing file is created in a different language version of Windows, the following will occur: ■ If support for the language is installed, the file name characters are visible in Windows Explorer. ■ If support for the language is not installed, the file name characters appear as a series of boxes in Windows Explorer and a dialog box is displayed offering to install the language pack.
In these situations, the drawing cannot be saved to an AutoCAD LT 2007 or earlier file format until the issues are resolved. You can resolve the size limits by breaking the drawing or objects up into several drawings or objects. NOTE When working with the 64-bit release of AutoCAD LT, you can work more efficiently with large objects and drawings. However, the drawing files you create might be too large to open with the 32-bit release of AutoCAD LT.
2 In the Options dialog box, Open and Save tab, under File Save, select Maintain Visual Fidelity for Annotative Objects. 3 Click OK. To maintain large object compatibility with legacy drawing file formats 1 Click the Application button, click Options. 2 In the Options dialog box, Open and Save tab, under File Save, select Maintain Drawing Size Compatibility. 3 Click OK. Quick Reference BLOCK Creates a block definition from selected objects. OPTIONS Customizes the program settings.
DWGNAME Stores the name of the current drawing. DWGPREFIX Stores the drive and folder prefix for the drawing. DWGTITLED Indicates whether the current drawing has been named. FILEDIA Suppresses display of file navigation dialog boxes. ISAVEBAK Improves the speed of incremental saves, especially for large drawings. ISAVEPERCENT Determines the amount of wasted space tolerated in a drawing file. LARGEOBJECTSUPPORT Controls large object size limit support when you open and save drawings.
Find a Drawing File You can search for a drawing using name, location, and date filters, properties such as keywords that you added to the drawing, or text strings containing a specific word or phrase. ■ Use the Search tool in Microsoft® Windows® to search for drawings using name, location, and date filters. You can also specify a word or phrase contained in the drawing file. You can search for all textual data except text in tables and fields, and xrefs within drawing files.
6 Select one or more files from the search results. Click OK. 7 In the Select File dialog box, click Open. Quick Reference OPEN Opens an existing drawing file. Specify Search Paths and File Locations You can set the search path to drawing support files such as text fonts, drawings, linetypes, and hatch patterns. You also can specify the location of temporary files, which is important when working in a network environment.
2 In the Options dialog box, Files tab, click the plus sign (+) to the left of the kind of path you want to change. 3 Select the path you want to change. 4 Click Browse, and then search drives and folders until you find the one you want. 5 Select the drive and folder that you want to use. Click OK. Quick Reference OPTIONS Customizes the program settings. MYDOCUMENTSPREFIX Stores the full path to the My Documents folder for the user currently logged on.
188
Repair, Restore, or Recover Drawing Files 8 If a drawing file is damaged or if your program terminates unexpectedly, you can recover some or all of the data by using commands to find and correct errors, or by reverting to a backup file. Repair a Damaged Drawing File If a drawing file is damaged, you can recover some or all of the data by using commands to find and correct errors. Repair and Recovery When an error occurs, diagnostic information is recorded in the aclt.
Example: Auditing Files Auditing a file generates a description of problems with a drawing file and recommendations for correcting them. As you start the audit, you specify whether you want the program to try to fix the problems it encounters.
2 Restart the program. 3 In the Drawing Recovery window, under Backup Files, double-click the drawing node to expand it. On the list, double-click one of the drawing or backup files to open it. If the program detects that the drawing has been damaged, a message is displayed asking if you want to proceed. 4 Enter y to proceed. As the program attempts to repair the drawing, a diagnostic report is displayed.
Quick Reference Commands AUDIT Evaluates the integrity of a drawing and corrects some errors. DRAWINGRECOVERY Displays a list of drawing files that can be recovered after a program or system failure. OPTIONS Customizes the program settings. RECOVER Repairs and then opens a damaged drawing file. RECOVERALL Repairs and then opens a damaged drawing file. System Variables AUDITCTL Controls whether AUDIT creates an audit report (ADT) file.
Use Backup Files In the Options dialog box, on the Open and Save tab, you can specify that backup files are created when you save drawings. If you do, each time you save a drawing, the previous version of your drawing is saved to a file with the same name and a .bak file extension. The backup file is located in the same folder as the drawing file. You can revert to your backup version by renaming the .bak file in Windows Explorer to a file with a .dwg extension.
3 Click File menu ➤ Rename 4 Enter a new name using the .dwg file extension. 5 Open the file as you would open any other drawing file. Quick Reference Commands OPTIONS Customizes the program settings. System Variables ISAVEBAK Improves the speed of incremental saves, especially for large drawings. Recover from a System Failure A hardware problem, power failure, or software problem can cause this program to terminate unexpectedly. If this happens, you can restore the drawing files that were open.
For each drawing, you can open and choose from the following files if they exist: ■ DrawingFileName_recover.dwg ■ DrawingFileName_a_b_nnnn.sv$ ■ DrawingFileName.dwg ■ DrawingFileName.bak NOTE The drawing, backup, and recover files are listed in the order of their time stamps—the time when they were last saved. Double-click a top-level drawing node listed under Backup Files to display up to four files as listed above. Right-click any node under Backup Files to display shortcut menu options.
2 In the Drawing Recovery Manager, under Backup Files, double-click a drawing node to list all available drawing and backup files. 3 Double-click a file to open it. If the drawing file is damaged, the drawing is automatically repaired, if possible. To remove a drawing from the Drawing Recovery Manager 1 If necessary, click the Application button, and click Drawing Utilities ➤ Open the Drawing Recovery Manager. 2 Do one of the following: ■ Restore the drawing and then save it.
RECOVER Repairs and then opens a damaged drawing file. System Variables DRSTATE Indicates whether the Drawing Recovery Manager window is open or closed. ISAVEBAK Improves the speed of incremental saves, especially for large drawings. RECOVERYMODE Controls whether drawing recovery information is recorded after a system failure. REPORTERROR Controls whether an error report can be sent to Autodesk if the program closes unexpectedly.
198
Control the Drawing Views 199
200
Change Views 9 You can magnify the details in your drawing for a closer view or shift the view to a different part of the drawing. If you save views by name, you can restore them later. Pan or Zoom a View You can pan to reposition the view in the drawing area or zoom to change magnification. With the Realtime option of PAN, you pan dynamically by moving your pointing device. Like panning with a camera, PAN does not change the location or magnification of objects on your drawing; it changes only the view.
Zoom to Magnify a Specified Rectangular Area You can quickly zoom on a rectangular area of your drawing by specifying two diagonal corners of the area you are interested in. The lower-left corner of the area you specify becomes the lower-left corner of the new display. The shape of the zoom area you specify does not correspond exactly to the new view, which must fit the shape of the viewport. Zoom in Real Time With the Realtime option, you zoom dynamically by moving your pointing device up or down.
See also: ■ Pointing Devices ■ Scale Views in Layout Viewports on page 284 ■ Toolbars on page 46 To pan by dragging 1 Click View tab ➤ Navigate panel ➤ Pan. 2 When the hand cursor is displayed, click and hold your pointing device as you move. NOTE If you are using a wheel mouse, hold down the wheel button and move the mouse. 3 To exit, press Enter or Esc, or right-click. To pan by specifying points 1 Click View menu ➤ Pan ➤ Point. 2 Specify a base point. This is the point you want to change.
3 Specify a second (pan to) point. This is the new location for the point you selected first. To zoom by dragging 1 Click View tab ➤ Navigate panel ➤ Zoom drop-down ➤ Realtime. 2 When the magnifying glass cursor is displayed, click and hold your pointing device and drag vertically to zoom in and out. 3 To exit, press Enter or Esc, or right-click. To zoom in to an area by specifying its boundaries 1 Click View tab ➤ Navigate panel ➤ Zoom drop-down ➤ Window.
To restore the previous view ■ Click View tab ➤ Navigate panel ➤ Zoom drop-down ➤ Previous. Zoom Previous restores only the view magnification and position, not the previous content of an edited drawing. Quick Reference Commands DSVIEWER Opens the Aerial View window. PAN Moves the view planar to the screen. UNDO Reverses the effect of commands. VIEWRES Sets the resolution for objects in the current viewport. VTOPTIONS Displays a change in view as a smooth transition.
RTDISPLAY Controls the display of raster images and OLE objects during Realtime ZOOM or PAN. VTENABLE Controls when smooth view transitions are used. VTDURATION Sets the duration of a smooth view transition, in milliseconds. VTFPS Sets the minimum speed of a smooth view transition, in frames per second. WHIPARC Controls whether the display of circles and arcs is smooth. ZOOMFACTOR Controls how much the magnification changes when the mouse wheel moves forward or backward.
To pan the drawing, move the view box. Change the View Displayed Inside the Aerial View Window You can use the Aerial View toolbar buttons to change the magnification of the image in the Aerial View window, or you can resize the image incrementally. These changes do not affect the view in the drawing itself. Use the Aerial View Window with Multiple Viewports Only the view in the current viewport is used in the Aerial View window.
The Aerial View image is updated as you make changes to your drawing and as you select different viewports. In complex drawings, you may want to turn off this dynamic updating to improve drawing speed. If you turn off this feature, the Aerial View image is updated only when you activate the Aerial View window. To zoom to a new area using the Aerial View window 1 Click View menu ➤ Aerial View. 2 In the Aerial View window, click inside the view box until you see the arrow. 3 Drag to the right to zoom out.
■ In the Aerial View window, click Options menu ➤ Dynamic Update. A check mark indicates that the Aerial View window shows changes as they occur. To turn viewport updating on and off ■ Click View menu ➤ Aerial View. ■ In the Aerial View window, click Options menu ➤ Auto Viewport. A check mark indicates that Aerial View displays the current viewport as you switch viewports. Quick Reference Commands DSVIEWER Opens the Aerial View window.
Display and Use Wheels Pressing and dragging on a wedge of a wheel is the primary mode of interaction. After a wheel is displayed, click one of the wedges and hold down the button on the pointing device to activate the navigation tool. Drag to reorient the current view. Releasing the button returns you to the wheel. To display a wheel Do one of the following: ■ Click View menu ➤ SteeringWheels. ■ Right-click over the drawing window and click SteeringWheels. ■ On the status bar, click SteeringWheels.
The 2D Navigation wheel wedges have the following options: ■ Pan. Repositions the current view by panning. ■ Zoom. Adjusts the magnification of the current view. ■ Rewind. Restores the most recent view orientation. You can move backward or forward by clicking and dragging left or right. Quick Reference Commands NAVSWHEEL Provides access to enhanced navigation tools that are quickly accessible from the cursor. Navigation Tools The navigation tools reorient the current view of a model.
Quick Reference Commands NAVSWHEEL Provides access to enhanced navigation tools that are quickly accessible from the cursor. Pan Tool The Pan tool repositions the current view of the model by panning. When the pan tool is active, the Pan cursor (a four-sided arrow) is displayed. Dragging the pointing device moves the model in the same direction. For example, dragging upward moves the model up while dragging downward moves the model down.
Quick Reference Commands NAVSWHEEL Provides access to enhanced navigation tools that are quickly accessible from the cursor. Rewind Tool The Rewind tool restores the most recent view. You can also move backward or forward through previous views. As you use the navigation tools to reorient the view of a model, the previous view is saved to the navigation history. The navigation history holds a representation of the previous views of the model along with a thumbnail.
3 While holding down the button on your pointing device, drag to the left or to the right to restore a previous view. Dragging to the left restores an older previous view. Dragging to the right restores a view that is newer than the one you are currently viewing. You must have previously used the Rewind tool to see views that are available on the right. The current position in the navigation history is indicated by the orange box that is dragged along the Rewind History panel.
■ Click and drag. If you click the Zoom tool and hold down the button on your pointing device, you can adjust the magnification of the model by dragging up and down. When changing the magnification of a model with the Zoom tool, you cannot zoom in any further than the focus point or out past the extents of the model. To zoom a view with a single click 1 Display the 2D Navigation wheel. 2 Click the Zoom wedge. 3 Click Close to exit the wheel.
Save and Restore Views When you save specific views by name, you can restore them for layout and plotting or when you need to refer to specific details. You can create and save views using the VIEWcommand. A named view created with the VIEW command consists of a specific magnification, position, and orientation. In each drawing session, you can restore the last view displayed in each viewport and up to 10 previous views. Named views are saved with a drawing and can be used any time.
To display the previous view during PAN Realtime and ZOOM Realtime ■ Click View tab ➤ Navigate panel ➤ Zoom drop-down ➤ Previous To restore a saved view 1 Do one of the following: ■ If you have more than one viewport in model space, click inside the viewport that contains the view you want to restore. ■ If you are working in a layout, select the viewport. 2 Click View tab ➤ Views panel ➤ Named Views. 3 In the View Manager, Views list, select the view that you want to restore. 4 Click Set Current.
4 Specify the new property value by entering a new value or by selecting from a list of values. Click OK. To delete a named view 1 Click View tab ➤ Views panel ➤ Named Views. 2 In the View Manager, click a view, and then click Delete. 3 Click OK. To view a list of saved viewport arrangements ■ Click View tab ➤ Viewports panel ➤ Named. The list of saved viewports is displayed in the Viewports dialog box, Named Viewports tab.
Define a Parallel Projection You can define a parallel projection. To determine the point or angle in model space, you can ■ Choose a preset 3D view from the View toolbar. ■ Enter a coordinate or angles that represent your viewing location in 3D. ■ Change to a view of the XY plane of the current UCS, a saved UCS, or the WCS. Viewing in 3D is available only in model space. If you are working in paper space, you cannot use 3D viewing commands such as VPOINT or PLAN to define paper space views.
Choose Preset 3D Views You can select predefined standard orthographic and isometric views by name or description. A quick way to set a view is to choose one of the predefined 3D views. You can select predefined standard orthographic and isometric views by name or description. These views represent commonly used options: Top, Bottom, Front, Left, Right, and Back.
the world coordinate system unless you change the WORLDVIEW system variable. The conventions for defining standard views differ between architectural (AEC) and mechanical design. In AEC design, the perpendicular view of the XY plane is the top or plan view; in mechanical design, the perpendicular view of the XY plane is the front view. You can rotate a view using DDVPOINT. The following illustration shows a view defined by two angles relative to the X axis and the XY plane of the WCS.
■ Enter 1,0,0 for a right side view. ■ Enter 1,-1,1 for an isometric view. To set standard views with VPOINT (mechanical design convention) 1 Click View menu ➤ 3D Views ➤ Viewpoint. 2 Enter a coordinate according to the viewpoint you want: ■ Enter 0,1,0 for a top view. ■ Enter 0,0,1 for a front view. ■ Enter 1,0,0 for a right side view. ■ Enter 1,1,1 for an isometric view. This view is identical to one with a right-out of 45 degrees and a top-out of 35.267 degrees.
You can restore the view and coordinate system that is the default for most drawings by setting the UCS orientation to World and then setting the 3D view to Plan View. To change the current view to the XY plane 1 Click View menu ➤ 3D Views ➤ Plan View. 2 Select one of the following options: ■ Current (for the current UCS) ■ World (for the WCS) ■ Named (for a saved UCS) NOTE PLAN changes the viewing direction; it does not change the current UCS.
VIEWDIR Stores the viewing direction in the current viewport, expressed in UCS coordinates. VIEWTWIST Stores the view rotation angle for the current viewport measured relative to the WCS. WORLDVIEW Determines whether input to the VPOINT command is relative to the WCS (default) or the current UCS. Hide Lines or Shade 3D Objects You can create a hidden-line representation or a simple shaded picture of the objects displayed in the current viewport.
Objects on layers that are turned off but not frozen can also hide other objects. You can adjust how hidden lines are displayed by changing the settings in the Hidden Line Settings dialog box. Display Views with Hidden Lines Removed For viewing, you can temporarily suppress hidden lines with HIDE. HIDE suppresses all hidden lines in a view. When the view is regenerated, all objects are displayed normally.
2 Click View tab ➤ Palettes panel ➤ Properties palette. 3 On the Properties palette, Misc area, Shade Plot list, select Hidden. To show hidden lines in the current viewport 1 Select the viewport in which you want to show hidden lines. 2 Click View tab ➤ Palettes panel ➤ Properties palette. 3 On the Properties palette, Misc area, Shade Plot list, select As Displayed. To turn hidden lines on or off for printing objects not in layout views 1 Click Output tab ➤ Plot panel ➤ Page Setup.
System Variables HALOGAP Specifies a gap to be displayed where an object is hidden by another object. HIDEPRECISION Controls the accuracy of hides and shades. HIDETEXT Specifies whether text objects created by the TEXT or MTEXT command are processed during a HIDE command. INTERSECTIONCOLOR Specifies the color of intersection polylines. INTERSECTIONDISPLAY Specifies the display of intersection polylines. OBSCUREDCOLOR Specifies the color of obscured lines.
Choose Shading Options On systems that display fewer than 256 colors, SHADE produces an image that removes hidden lines and displays the faces in their original color with no lighting effect. You have four shading options: ■ 256 Color. Creates shaded faces with no edge highlighting. You need a 256-color display to see the full effect of this option. ■ 256 Color Edge Highlight. Creates shaded faces with edges highlighted in the background color.
REGEN Regenerates the entire drawing from the current viewport. SHADE Displays a flat-shaded image of the drawing in the current viewport. SHADEMODE Controls the display of solid object shading in the current viewport. System Variables INTERSECTIONCOLOR Controls the color of polylines at the intersection of 3D surfaces when the visual style is set to 2D Wireframe. INTERSECTIONDISPLAY Controls the display of polylines at the intersection of 3D surfaces when the visual style is set to 2D Wireframe.
230
Use Viewing Tools 10 Navigate your drawing in different views with the viewing tools. Navigate with SteeringWheels SteeringWheels are tracking menus that allow you to access different 2D and 3D navigation tools from a single tool. Overview of SteeringWheels SteeringWheels are tracking menus that are divided into different sections known as wedges. Each wedge on a wheel represents a single navigation tool.
(except the 2D Navigation wheel) are available in two different styles: big and mini. The size of a wheel controls how large or small the wedges and labels appear on the wheel; the opacity level controls the visibility of the objects in the model behind the wheel. Wheel Tooltips, Tool Messages, and Tool Cursor Text Tooltips are displayed for each button on a wheel as the cursor is moved over them.
System Variables Navigation Tools The navigation tools reorient the current view of a model. The display of a model can be adjusted by increasing or decreasing the magnification at which objects are displayed, rotating the model among other ways of changing the orientation of the model using the tools on SteeringWheels and 3Dconnexion 3D mouse.
4 Release the button on your pointing device to return to the wheel. To start the Pan tool with the middle button 1 Display the 2D Navigation wheel, the Full Navigation wheel, or one of the mini wheels. 2 Press and hold down the scroll wheel or middle button. The cursor changes to the Pan cursor. 3 Drag to reposition the model. 4 Release the wheel or button on your pointing device to return to the wheel.
When a view change occurs, the previous view is recorded to the navigation history. If the view change is made with a wheel, a thumbnail is automatically generated and added to the Rewind UI. For view changes that are made not using a wheel, a thumbnail is only generated when the system variable CAPTURETHUMBNAILS is set to a value of 2. You can control when thumbnails are generated for view changes in the SteeringWheels Settings dialog box. To restore the previous view 1 Display a wheel.
■ On Demand When the Bracket Is Moved Over an Empty Frame Display thumbnails on demand for a previous view change when using the Rewind UI. ■ Automatically When a View Change Occurs - Display thumbnails for all view changes saved to the navigation history. 4 Click OK. Quick Reference Commands NAVSWHEEL Provides access to enhanced navigation tools that are quickly accessible from the cursor. System Variables Zoom Tool The Zoom tool adjusts the magnification of the current view of a model.
■ Click and drag. If you click the Zoom tool and hold down the button on your pointing device, you can adjust the magnification of the model by dragging up and down. ■ CTRL+click and drag. When using the Full Navigation wheels or the mini View Object wheel, you can control the target point used by the Zoom tool. By holding down the CTRL key, the Zoom tool uses the location of the previous pivot point defined by the Zoom, Orbit, or Center tool.
3 In the SteeringWheels Settings dialog box, under Zoom Tool, select Enable Single Click Incremental Zoom. 4 Click OK. 5 Display one of the Full Navigation Wheels or the mini View Object Wheel. 6 Click the Zoom wedge. The magnification of the model is increased and you are zoomed in closer to the model. If you hold down the Shift key while clicking the Zoom wedge, the model is zoomed out or you can hold down the Ctrl key to zoom in. 7 Click Close to exit the wheel.
Use Navigation Bar Unified and product-specific navigation tools can be accessed from the navigation bar. Available Navigation Tools The navigation bar is a user interface element where you can access both unified and product-specific navigation tools. Unified navigation tools (such as ShowMotion®, 3Dconnexion®, and SteeringWheels®) are those that can be found across many Autodesk products. Product-specific navigation tools are unique to a product.
See also: ■ Navigate with SteeringWheels on page 231 ■ Pan or Zoom a View on page 201 Quick Reference Command NAVBAR Provides access to navigation and orientation tools from a single interface. System Variable NAVBARDISPLAY Controls the display of the navigation bar in all viewports. Reposition and Reorient the Navigation Bar The navigation bar can be freely aligned along the edges of the current window.
To display or hide the navigation bar 1 Click View Tab ➤ Windows panel ➤ User Interface drop-down ➤ Navigation Bar. 2 Select or clear Navigation Bar. Quick Reference Command NAVBAR Provides access to navigation and orientation tools from a single interface. System Variables NAVBARDISPLAY Controls the display of the navigation bar in all viewports.
To customize the navigation bar 1 On the navigation bar, click Customize. 2 On the Customize menu, click the navigation tool you want to display on the navigation bar. A check mark next to a navigation tool’s name indicates it is displayed on the navigation bar. Uncheck the navigation tool to remove it from the navigation bar. Alternately, right click a tool from the navigation bar and click Remove From Navigation Bar.
When a view change occurs with the 3Dconnexion 3D mouse, the ViewCube tool is reoriented to reflect the current view. You can change the behavior of the 3Dconnexion 3D mouse from the navigation bar. You can change the behavior of the 3Dconnexion 3D mouse from the navigation bar. 3Dconnexion options on the navigation bar Option Description Example 2D Mode Navigates the view using only 2D navigation options. The view moves in the direction of the controller cap.
Use View Management Keys in 3Dconnexion 3D Mouse You can access different views (such as Top, Front, Left, Right, or Home) with buttons available on some 3Dconnexion 3D mouse models. Use the Button Configuration Editor to customize the operations of these buttons. When you click any of these buttons on the device, you can ■ Fit the view to the model extents. Rotates the view of the object around the center of the scene and zooms out to fit the scene into the viewport.
Display Multiple Views in Model Space 11 To see several views at the same time, you can split the drawing area of the Model tab into separate viewing areas called model space viewports. You can save arrangements of model space viewports for reuse at any time. Set Model Space Viewports On the Model tab, you can split the drawing area into one or more adjacent rectangular views known as model space viewports. Viewports are areas that display different views of your model.
You can also create viewports on a layout tab. You use those viewports, called layout viewports, to arrange the views of your drawing on a sheet. You can move and resize layout viewports. By using layout viewports, you have more control over the display; for example, you can freeze certain layers in one layout viewport without affecting the others. For more information about layouts and layout viewports, see Create Multiple-View Drawing Layouts (Paper Space) on page 263.
You can easily modify model space viewports by splitting and joining them. If you want to join two viewports, they must share a common edge of the same length. To subdivide a viewport on the Model tab 1 If you have more than one viewport, click inside the viewport you want to subdivide. 2 To indicate how many model space viewports should be created, do one of the following: ■ Click View menu ➤ Viewports ➤ 2 Viewports. ■ ClickView menu ➤ Viewports ➤ 3 Viewports.
To restore a single viewport on the Model tab ■ Click View tab ➤ Viewports panel ➤ New. To switch from a layout tab to the Model tab ■ Click the Model tab at the bottom of the drawing area. Quick Reference Commands MODEL Switches from a layout tab to the Model tab. VPORTS Creates multiple viewports in model space or paper space. System Variables MAXACTVP Sets the maximum number of viewports that can be active at one time in a layout.
To draw a line using two model space viewports, you start the line in the current viewport, make another viewport current by clicking within it, and then specify the endpoint of the line in the second viewport. In a large drawing, you can use this method to draw a line from a detail in one corner to a detail in a distant corner. To make a viewport current ■ Click anywhere within the viewport border. To cycle through viewports without clicking ■ Press Ctrl+ R repeatedly.
Save and Restore Model Tab Viewport Arrangements Arrangements of model viewports can be saved and restored by name. You don't have to set up viewports and views every time you need them. With VPORTS, viewport arrangements can be saved and later restored by name.
To delete a saved viewport arrangement 1 Click View tab ➤ Viewports panel ➤ Named. 2 In the Viewports dialog box, Named Viewports tab, select the name of the viewport configuration you want to delete. 3 Press DELETE. To view a list of saved viewport arrangements ■ Click View tab ➤ Viewports panel ➤ Named. The Viewports dialog box is displayed. All saved viewport arrangements in the drawing are listed on the Named Viewports tab under Named Viewports.
252
Organize Drawings and Layouts 253
254
Create Single-View Drawings (Model Space) 12 If you are going to create a two dimensional drawing that has one view, you can create the drawing and its annotation entirely in model space. This is the traditional method for creating drawings with AutoCAD LT®. With this method, you create the building, mechanical part, or geographic area that you want to represent at full scale (1:1), but you create the text, dimensions, and the title block of the drawing at a scale to match the intended plot scale.
With this method, you always draw geometric objects at full scale (1:1) and text, dimensions, and other annotation at a scale that will appear at the correct size when the drawing is plotted. For information about using annotative objects and scaling annotations automatically, see Scale Annotations on page 764. See also: ■ Create Multiple-View Drawing Layouts (Paper Space) on page 263 Quick Reference Commands MODEL Switches from a layout tab to the Model tab.
Draw, Scale, and Annotate in Model Space If you draw and plot from model space, you must determine and apply a scale factor to annotate objects before you plot. You can draw and plot entirely from model space. This method is useful primarily for two-dimensional drawings that have a single view. With this method, you use the following process: ■ Determine the unit of measurement (drawing units) for the drawing. ■ Specify the display style for the drawing unit.
Set the Scale for Annotations and Blocks Before you draw, you should set the scale for dimensions, annotations, and blocks in your drawings. Scaling these elements beforehand ensures that they are at the correct size when you plot the final drawing. You should enter the scale for the following objects: ■ Text. Set the text height as you create text or by setting a fixed text height in the text style (STYLE). ■ Dimensions.
Sample Scale Ratios The sample architectural scale ratios in the table can be used to calculate text sizes in model space. Scale Scale factor To plot text size at Set drawing text size to 1 cm = 1 m 100 3 mm 30 cm 1/8" = 1'-0" 96 1/8" 12" 3/16" = 1'-0" 64 1/8" 8" 1/4" = 1'-0" 48 1/8" 6" 3/8" = 1'-0" 32 1/8" 4" 1/2" = 1'-0" 24 1/8" 3" 3/4" = 1'-0" 16 1/8" 2" 1" = 1'-0" 12 1/8" 1.5" 1 1/2" = 1'-0" 8 1/8" 1.
3 As you change unit settings, you can see examples under Sample Output. ■ Under Length, select a unit type and level of precision. This determines the display style for linear drawing units. ■ Under Drawing Units for DesignCenter Blocks, select the unit that you want used to scale blocks, images, or other content inserted into the drawing. If you do not want inserted content to be scaled, select Unitless. ■ Under Angle, select an angle type and precision.
UNITS Controls coordinate and angle display formats and precision. System Variables CELTSCALE Sets the current object linetype scaling factor. DIMSCALE Sets the overall scale factor applied to dimensioning variables that specify sizes, distances, or offsets. HPSCALE Sets the hatch pattern scale factor. HPSPACE Sets the hatch pattern line spacing for user-defined patterns. INSUNITS Specifies a drawing-units value for automatic scaling of blocks, images, or xrefs when inserted or attached to a drawing.
262
Create Multiple-View Drawing Layouts (Paper Space) 13 Paper space is a sheet layout environment where you can specify the size of your sheet, add a title block, display multiple views of your model, and create dimensions and notes for your drawing. Quick Start for Layouts There are two distinct working environments, or “spaces,” in which you can create objects in a drawing. These are represented by the Model and layout tabs.
Each layout viewport is like a picture frame containing a “photograph” of the model in model space. Each layout viewport contains a view that displays the model at the scale and orientation that you specify. You can also specify which layers are visible in each layout viewport. After you finish arranging the layout, you turn off the layer that contains the layout viewport objects. The views are still visible, and you can plot the layout without displaying the viewport boundaries.
PSETUPIN Imports a user-defined page setup into a new drawing layout. PSPACE In a layout, switches from model space in a viewport to paper space. VPORTS Creates multiple viewports in model space or paper space. VPLAYER Sets layer visibility within viewports. MAXACTVP Sets the maximum number of viewports that can be active at one time in a layout. PSLTSCALE Controls the linetype scaling of objects displayed in paper space viewports. TILEMODE Makes the Model tab or the last layout tab current.
Process Summary When you prepare a layout, you typically step through the following process: ■ Create a model of your subject on the Model tab. ■ Click a layout tab. ■ Specify layout page settings such as plotting device, paper size, plot area, plot scale, and drawing orientation. ■ Insert a title block into the layout (unless you have started with a drawing template that already has a title block). ■ Create a new layer to be used for layout viewports.
MSPACE In a layout, switches from paper space to model space in a layout viewport. MVIEW Creates and controls layout viewports. PAGESETUP Controls the page layout, plotting device, paper size, and other settings for each new layout. PLOT Plots a drawing to a plotter, printer, or file. PSETUPIN Imports a user-defined page setup into a new drawing layout. PSPACE In a layout, switches from model space in a viewport to paper space. VPLAYER Sets layer visibility within viewports.
Work with Model Space and Paper Space There are several benefits to switching between model space and paper space to perform certain tasks. Use model space for creating and editing your model. Use paper space for composing your drawing sheet and defining views. Work on the Model Tab The Model tab accesses a limitless drawing area called model space. In model space, you draw, view, and edit your model.
Quick Reference MODEL Switches from a layout tab to the Model tab. MSPACE In a layout, switches from paper space to model space in a layout viewport. PSPACE In a layout, switches from model space in a viewport to paper space. MAXACTVP Sets the maximum number of viewports that can be active at one time in a layout. TILEMODE Makes the Model tab or the last layout tab current. Work on a Layout Tab Layout tabs access an area called paper space.
NOTE These tabs can be hidden, appearing instead as buttons on the status bar at the bottom-center of the application window. To display the tabs, right-click the Model or layout button and click Display Layout and Model Tabs on the shortcut menu. Create Additional Layout Tabs By default, a new drawing starts with two layout tabs, named Layout1 and Layout2. If you use a drawing template or open an existing drawing, the layout tabs in your drawing may be named differently.
You can edit the information entered in the wizard later. Click Output tab ➤ Plot panel ➤ Page Setup Manager. To move an object from model space to paper space (or vice versa) 1 Click Home tab ➤ Modify panel ➤ Change Space. 2 Select one or more objects to move. 3 Press Enter to end the command. To activate the previous layout 1 Right-click any layout tab or the Model tab. 2 Click Activate Previous Layout. To select all layouts ■ Right-click any layout tab. Click Select All Layouts.
PLOT Plots a drawing to a plotter, printer, or file. PSETUPIN Imports a user-defined page setup into a new drawing layout. PSPACE In a layout, switches from model space in a viewport to paper space. VPORTS Creates multiple viewports in model space or paper space. VPLAYER Sets layer visibility within viewports. CTAB Returns the name of the current (model or layout) tab in the drawing. CVPORT Displays the identification number of the current viewport.
The method you use to access model space depends on what you plan to do. Create and Modify Objects in a Layout Viewport If you plan to create or modify objects, use the button on the status bar to maximize the layout viewport. The maximized layout viewport expands to fill the drawing area. The center point and the layer visibility settings of the viewport are retained, and the surrounding objects are displayed.
To switch between model space and paper space on a layout On a layout, use one of the following methods: ■ If you are in paper space, double-click within a layout viewport. You are now in model space. The selected layout viewport becomes the current viewport, and you can pan the view and change layer properties. If you need to make significant changes to the model, it is recommended that you use VPMAX to maximize the layout viewport or switch to the Model tab.
MSPACE In a layout, switches from paper space to model space in a layout viewport. PSPACE In a layout, switches from model space in a viewport to paper space. VPMAX Expands the current layout viewport for editing. VPMIN Restores the current layout viewport. VPMAXIMIZEDSTATE Indicates whether the viewport is maximized or not. Export a Layout to Model Space You can export all visible objects from the current layout to model space.
Object Type Representation in Exported Drawing Constraints Dimensional constraints are removed. Standard or dynamic block (with or without attributes) Standard or dynamic blocks, with or without attributes, that exceed the boundaries of the layout viewport will be converted to a new, anonymous block. Attributes are converted to text objects in the block. NOTE The “Allow Exploding” setting (a setting on the block definition) is ignored if the block exceeds the boundaries of the layout viewport.
■ Some objects are converted or exploded in order to trim them. ■ Viewports in a layout can each have a different visual style; only a single visual style can be used in model space. ■ Polylines with width that is clipped by the viewport boundary may not be accurately trimmed in the exported drawing. Recommendations When exporting a layout to model space, consider the following: ■ The performance of the EXPORTLAYOUT command may be slower if a model space viewport is active.
To achieve better visual fidelity for a drawing containing AEC objects 1 In an open drawing, enter aectoacad. The AECTOACAD command creates a new DWG file with all AEC objects exploded into basic AutoCAD objects. NOTE It is also recommended to select Insert as the bind type when using the AECTOACAD command. 2 Navigate to the converted drawing. Click Open. 3 On the command line, enter exportlatyout.
Create Nonrectangular Layout Viewports You can create a new viewport with nonrectangular boundaries by converting an object drawn in paper space into a layout viewport. You can use the MVIEW command to create nonrectangular viewports. ■ With the Object option, you can select a closed object, such as a circle or closed polyline created in paper space, to convert into a layout viewport.
A nonrectangular viewport consists of two objects: the viewport itself and the clipping boundary. You can make changes to the viewport, the clipping boundary, or both. NOTE In the Properties palette, the default selection for a nonrectangular viewport is Viewport. This is because you are more likely to change the properties of the viewport than of the clipping boundary.
The list includes top, bottom, front, back, left, right, and isometric views, along with any named views that are saved in the drawing. The selected view is displayed under Preview. 7 Click OK. 8 In the drawing area, specify two points to indicate the area to contain the viewport configuration. To place a named viewport configuration into a layout 1 Click a layout tab. 2 Click View tab ➤ Viewports panel ➤ Named.
5 ■ Enter p (Polygonal) to specify a series of points to define a polygonal boundary. ■ Select a paper space object that will define the new viewport boundary. Quick Reference MVIEW Creates and controls layout viewports. PROPERTIES Controls properties of existing objects. VPCLIP Clips layout viewport objects and reshapes the viewport border. VPORTS Creates multiple viewports in model space or paper space. MAXACTVP Sets the maximum number of viewports that can be active at one time in a layout.
you can explode this block and reposition the individual attributes. By then saving the newly positioned attributes as a block named REVDATE, you can ensure that they will be updated whenever you use REVDATE. NOTE You can also use the Block Editor to modify the REVDATE block. By default, the user name used by the date and time stamp is the name specified during installation. If a different person works on the drawing, you can change the name used by REVDATE.
DATE Stores the current date and time in Modified Julian Date format. TDCREATE Stores the local time and date the drawing was created. TDINDWG Stores the total editing time, which is the total elapsed time between saves of the current drawing. TDUCREATE Stores the universal time and date that the drawing was created. TDUPDATE Stores the local time and date of the last update/save. Control Views in Layout Viewports When you create a layout, you can add layout viewports that act as windows into model space.
drawing, the ratio would be a scale factor of one paper space unit to four model space units, or 1:4. Scaling or stretching the layout viewport border does not change the scale of the view within the viewport. When creating a new drawing based on a template, the scales in the template are used in the new drawing. The scales in the registry are not imported. Lock the Scale of Layout Viewports Once you set the viewport scale, you cannot zoom within a viewport without changing the viewport scale.
NOTE To use a custom scale, enter a scale in the Custom Scale field in the Properties palette. To turn on scale locking in a layout viewport 1 In the layout, click the viewport whose scale you want to lock. 2 If necessary, open the Properties palette. 3 In the Properties palette next to Display Locked, select Yes. The current viewport's scale is locked. If you change the zoom factor in the viewport, only paper space objects are affected.
Freeze Specified Layers in a Layout Viewport A major benefit to using layout viewports is that you can selectively freeze layers in each layout viewport. You can also specify default visibility settings for new viewports and for new layers. As a result, you can view different objects in each layout viewport. You can freeze or thaw layers in current and future layout viewports without affecting other viewports. Frozen layers are invisible. They are not regenerated or plotted.
To freeze or thaw layers in the current layout viewport 1 Double-click within a layout viewport to make it current. 2 Click Home tab ➤ Layer panel ➤ Layer Properties. 3 In the Layer Properties Manager, select the layers to freeze or thaw. Hold down Ctrl to select more than one layer. Hold down Shift to select a sequence of layers. 4 Click the icon in the VP Freeze column for one of the selected layers. 5 Click OK. To view a list of layers that are frozen in the current viewport 1 Click a layout tab.
4 In the Layer Properties Manager, select the layer or layers you want to freeze or thaw. 5 In the Freeze column, click the icon to change a layer's state. The sun icon means that a layer is thawed; the snowflake icon means that a layer is frozen. 6 Click OK. To freeze or thaw layers in all new viewports 1 Click a layout tab. 2 Click Home tab ➤ Layer panel ➤ Layer Properties.
VPLAYER Sets layer visibility within viewports. Screen Objects in Layout Viewports Screening refers to applying less ink to an object when it is plotted. The object appears dimmer on the screen and on the plotted paper. Screening can be used to help differentiate objects in a drawing without changing the objects' color properties. To assign a screening value to an object, you must assign a plot style to the object, and then define the screening value in that plot style.
11 In the Properties palette, use one of the following methods: ■ If you are using named plot style tables, next to Plot Style, select the plot style you edited in the Plot Style Table Editor. If that plot style is not listed, select Other and set Active Plot Style Table to the plot style you edited in the Plot Style Table Editor. Select the edited plot style from the Plot Styles list in the Select Plot Style dialog box.
New layout viewports are turned on by default. If you turn off the layout viewports you aren't using, you can copy layout viewports without waiting for each one to regenerate. If you don't want to plot a layout viewport, you can turn the layout viewport off. To turn viewports on or off using the Properties palette 1 Make sure you are on a layout tab in paper space. 2 Click the border of the viewport to turn on or off. 3 Click Home tab ➤ Layer panel ➤ Layer Properties.
You can set thePSLTSCALE system variable to maintain the same linetype scaling for objects displayed at different zoom factors in a layout and in a layout viewport. For example, with PSLTSCALE set to 1 (default), set the current linetype to dashed, and then draw a line in a paper space layout. In the layout, create a viewport with a zoom factor of 1x, make that layout viewport current, and then draw a line using the same dashed linetype. The dashed lines should appear to be the same.
Quick Reference LINETYPE Loads, sets, and modifies linetypes. PSLTSCALE Controls the linetype scaling of objects displayed in paper space viewports. Align Views in Layout Viewports You can arrange the elements of your drawing by aligning the view in one layout viewport with the view in another viewport. For angled, horizontal, and vertical alignments, you can move each layout viewport relative to distances defined by the model-space geometry displayed.
viewports, or use one of the cursor constraint features available on the status bar. To align objects between viewports using a construction line 1 Make sure you are on a layout tab. 2 Click Home tab ➤ Draw panel ➤ Construction Line. 3 Specify a point in the first viewport. Specify a second point to determine a line for the alignment. Choose a point that can be aligned with objects in the second viewport. Use object snaps for precision. 4 Click Home tab ➤ Modify panel ➤ Move.
UCSICON Controls the visibility and placement of the UCS icon. UCSMAN Manages defined user coordinate systems. UCSICON Controls the visibility and placement of the UCS icon. Rotate Views in Layout Viewports You can rotate an entire view within a layout viewport with the VPROTATEASSOC system variable. When VPROTATEASSOC is set to 1, the view within a viewport is rotated with the viewport. When VPROTATEASSOC is set to 0, the view remains when the viewport is rotated.
To rotate a view by changing the UCS 1 Make sure you are on a layout tab. 2 Double-click within the viewport whose objects you want to rotate. 3 Make sure that the current UCS is parallel to the plane of rotation (the UCS icon should look normal). 4 Click View tab ➤ Coordinates panel ➤ World. 5 Click View tab ➤ Coordinates panel ➤ Z. 6 To rotate the view 90 degrees clockwise, enter 90. To rotate the view 90 degrees counterclockwise, enter -90. 7 Click View menu ➤ 3D Views ➤ Plan View ➤ Current UCS.
VPROTATEASSOC Controls whether the view within a viewport is rotated with the viewport when the viewport is rotated. Reuse Layouts and Layout Settings When you create a layout, you can choose to apply the information from an existing template. A layout template is a layout imported from a DWG or DWT file. When you create a layout, you can choose to apply the information from an existing template. The program has sample layout templates to use when you design a new layout environment.
used in the drawing but not in the layout are inserted with the layout. To eliminate unnecessary definition table items, use the PURGE command. Insert a Layout Using DesignCenter Using DesignCenter™, you can drag a layout with its objects from any drawing into the current drawing. When you use DesignCenter to insert a layout into a drawing, a new layout is created that includes all of the paper space objects, definition tables, and block definitions from the source layout.
To insert a layout using DesignCenter 1 Click View tab ➤ Palettes panel ➤ DesignCenter. 2 In the tree view, find the drawing that contains the layout you want to reuse. 3 Double-click the drawing name to expand the options beneath it. 4 Select the Layouts icon to display the individual layouts in the content area. 5 Use one of the following methods to insert the layout into the current drawing: ■ Drag the layout icon from the content area into the drawing.
TDUPDATE Stores the local time and date of the last update/save. TDUUPDATE Stores the universal time and date of the last update or save.
302
Create and Modify Objects 303
304
Control the Properties of Objects 14 You can organize objects in your drawing and control how they are displayed and plotted by changing their properties, which include layer, linetype, color, lineweight, transparency, and plot style. Work with Object Properties You can change the object properties in your drawing by using the Properties palette or the Quick Properties palette. Overview of Object Properties Every object you draw has properties.
See also: ■ Control the Color and Linetype Properties in Blocks on page 674 Quick Reference CHPROP Changes the properties of an object. PROPERTIES Controls properties of existing objects. PROPERTIESCLOSE Closes the Properties palette. CECOLOR Sets the color of new objects. CELTYPE Sets the linetype of new objects. CELWEIGHT Sets the lineweight of new objects. CETRANSPARENCY Sets the transparency level for new objects. CLAYER Sets the current layer.
Display and Change the Properties of Objects You can display and change the current properties for any object in your drawing. Use the Quick Properties Palette The Quick Properties palette lists the most commonly used properties for each object type or a set of objects. You can easily customize the quick properties for any object in the Customize User Interface (CUI) editor. See Quick Properties in the Customization Guide.
■ If no objects are selected, the panel displays the default properties for objects created in the future. ■ If one or more objects are selected, the controls display the current properties for the selected objects. ■ If one or more objects are selected and their properties vary, the controls for those properties will be blank. ■ If one or more objects are selected, and a property is changed on the ribbon, the selected objects will change to the specified value.
4 Under Size Settings, select or clear the Auto-Collapse option to expand or collapse the Quick Properties palette. If this option is selected, enter the height value in the text box. 5 Click OK. Quick Reference CUI Manages the customized user interface elements in the product. DSETTINGS Sets grid and snap, polar and object snap tracking, object snap modes, Dynamic Input, and Quick Properties. ID Displays the UCS coordinate values of a specified location. LIST Displays property data for selected objects.
PALETTEOPAQUE Controls whether palettes can be made transparent. PICKFIRST Controls whether you select objects before (noun-verb selection) or after you issue a command. QPLOCATION Sets the location mode of Quick Properties palette. QPMODE Sets the on or off state of Quick Properties palette. RIBBONCONTEXTSELLIM Limits the number of objects that can be changed at one time with the ribbon property controls or a contextual tab. SETBYLAYERMODE Controls which properties are selected for the SETBYLAYER command.
To copy properties from one object to other objects 1 Click Home tab ➤ Properties panel ➤ Match Properties. 2 Select the object whose properties you want to copy. 3 If you want to control which properties are transferred, enter s (Settings). In the Property Settings dialog box, clear the items that you do not want copied (all are on by default). Click OK. 4 Select the objects to which you want to apply the selected properties and press Enter.
By creating layers, you can associate similar types of objects by assigning them to the same layer. For example, you can put construction lines, text, dimensions, and title blocks on separate layers.
LAYER Manages layers and layer properties. SHOWLAYERUSAGE Displays icons in the Layer Properties Manager to indicate whether layers are in use. Use Layers to Manage Complexity You can use layers to control the visibility of objects and to assign properties to objects. Layers can be locked to prevent objects from being modified. You can reduce the visual complexity of a drawing and improve display performance by controlling how objects are displayed or plotted.
Control Transparency on Layers Set the transparency of layers and layout viewports to enhance drawings by reducing the visibility of all object on specific layers as needed. Set layer (or layout viewport) transparency in the Layer Properties Manager. After you apply transparency to a layer, all objects added to that layer are created at the same level of trasparency. The transparency property for all objects on the layer is set to ByLayer.
You can fade the objects on locked layers to make them appear more faint than other objects. This serves two purposes: ■ You can easily see what objects are on locked layers. ■ You can reduce the visual complexity of a drawing but still maintain visual reference and object snapping capabilities to those objects. The LAYLOCKFADECTL system variable controls the fading applied to locked layers. Locked layers that are faded are plotted normally.
NOTE The VP Transparency column is only available when a layout tab is active. 3 In the Layer Transparency dialog box, click the drop-down list to select a transparency level, or enter a value between 0 and 90 . 4 Click OK. TIP To set the same trasparency level for multiple selected layers, press CTRL and click to select more than one layer. Then click the Transparency or the VP Transparency column to display the Layer Transparency dialog box.
To copy properties from one layer to other layers 1 Click Home tab ➤ Layers panel ➤ Match. 2 Select the object whose layer you want to change. Press Enter. 3 Select an object on the layer where you want the object to move. The object is moved to the selected layer. To assign a color to a layer 1 Click Home tab ➤ Layers panel ➤ Layer Properties 2 In the Layer Properties Manager, select a layer. Click the color icon. 3 In the Select Color dialog box, select a color. 4 Click OK.
COPYTOLAYER Copies one or more objects to another layer. LAYCUR Changes the layer property of selected objects to the current layer. LAYDEL Deletes all objects on a layer and purges the layer. LAYER Manages layers and layer properties. LAYFRZ Freezes the layer of selected objects. LAYISO Hides or locks all layers except those of the selected objects. LAYMCH Changes the layer of a selected object to match the destination layer. LAYMCUR Sets the current layer to that of a selected object.
LAYLOCKFADECTL Controls the amount of fading for objects on locked layers. Create and Name Layers You can create and name a new layer for each conceptual grouping (such as walls or dimensions) and assign common properties to each layer. By organizing objects into layers, you can control the visibility and object properties of a large number of objects separately for each layer and make changes quickly.
You can also drag layers or copy layers by double-clicking or by clicking Insert on the shortcut menu. NOTE You need to resolve duplicate layer names before you drag layers from DesignCenter. Select a Layer to Draw On As you draw, newly created objects are placed on the current layer. The current layer may be the default layer (0) or a layer you create and name yourself.
To remove an unused layer 1 Click Home tab ➤ Layers panel ➤ Layer Properties. 2 In the Layer Properties Manager, select the layer. Click the Delete Layer button. Layers that have objects assigned to them cannot be removed until those objects are reassigned to a different layer or are deleted. Layers 0 and DEFPOINTS and the current layer cannot be removed. 3 Click OK. To purge all unused layers 1 Click Tools tab ➤ Drawing Utilities panel ➤ Purge.
LAYER Manages layers and layer properties. PURGE Removes unused items, such as block definitions and layers, from the drawing. CLAYER Sets the current layer. Change Layer Settings and Layer Properties You can change the name of a layer and any of its properties, including color and linetype, and you can reassign objects from one layer to another.
2 Click Home tab ➤ Layers panel ➤ Layer Properties 3 In the Layer Properties Manager, select the layer that you want to assign to the objects. 4 Press ESC to remove selection. To change the default linetype assigned to a layer 1 Click Home tab ➤ Layers Panel ➤ Layer Properties . 2 In the Layer Properties Manager, select the linetype for the layer you want to change.
To rename more than one layer 1 Click Tools tab ➤ Drawing Utilities panel ➤ Rename. 2 In the Rename dialog box, in the Named Objects list, select Layers. 3 In Old Name, enter the old name, using wild-card characters; for example, enter stairs$*. 4 In Rename To, enter the new name using wild-card characters; for example, enter s_*. Results for this example are as follows: the layers STAIR$LEVEL-1, STAIR$LEVEL-2, STAIR$LEVEL-3 are renamed S_LEVEL-1, S_LEVEL-2, S_LEVEL-3. 5 Click OK.
SETBYLAYER Changes the property overrides of selected objects to ByLayer. CLAYER Sets the current layer. LAYERMANAGERSTATE Indicates whether the Layer Properties Manager is open or closed. SETBYLAYERMODE Controls which properties are selected for the SETBYLAYER command. Override Layer Properties in Viewports You can display objects differently by setting property overrides for color, linetype, lineweight, transparency, and plot style and apply them to individual layout viewports.
Property override settings for color and lineweight were set on the Wiring layer for the viewport on the left. Notice the wiring is a different color and lineweight than in the right viewport.
If you do not want to display or plot property overrides, set the VPLAYEROVERRIDESMODE system variable to 0. Objects will display and plot with their global layer properties. NOTE Property overrides can still be set even when VPLAYEROVERRIDESMODE is set to 0. Property overrides that are on xref layers are not retained when the VISRETAIN system variable is set to 0.
■ Layers panel on the ribbon. A background color displays behind the layer names in the Layer drop-down list. Override properties are displayed for color, linetype, and lineweight instead of global properties. ■ Properties panel on the ribbon. A background color displays behind the color, linetype, lineweight, and plot style controls. Override properties are displayed for color, linetype, and lineweight instead of global properties. ■ Properties palette.
Remove Layer Property Overrides When you right-click a layer in the Layer Properties Manager, a shortcut menu is displayed that lists options for removing property overrides.
2 Click Home tab ➤ Layers panel ➤ Layer Properties 3 In the Layer Properties Manager, right-click the property override on the layer to remove. 4 Click Remove Viewport Overrides For ➤ Property Override (Color, Linetype, Lineweight, Plot Style) ➤ In All Viewports. To remove all overrides from a layer for the current layout viewport 1 On the layout tab, double-click inside a viewport to make it current.
To control the transparency of objects or layout viewports on a layer 1 Click Home tab ➤ Layers panel ➤ Layer Properties. 2 In the Layer Properties Manager, enter a value between 0 and 90 in the Transparency or VP Transparency columns for each layer you want to make transparent. NOTE The VP Transparency column is only available when a Layout tab is active. 3 Press Enter. To not display or plot layer viewport overrides 1 At the Command prompt, enter vplayeroverridesmode. 2 Enter 0.
Quick Reference CHPROP Changes the properties of an object. CLASSICLAYER Opens the legacy Layer Properties Manager. LAYER Manages layers and layer properties. PROPERTIES Controls properties of existing objects. PURGE Removes unused items, such as block definitions and layers, from the drawing. RENAME Changes the names assigned to items such as layers and dimension styles. CLAYER Sets the current layer.
There are two kinds of layer filters ■ Layer property filter Includes layers that have names or other properties in common. For example, you can define a filter that includes all layers that are red and whose names include the letters mech. ■ Layer group filter Includes the layers that are put into the filter when you define it, regardless of their names or properties. Selected layers can be added from the layer list by dragging them to the filter.
Define a Layer Property Filter A layer property filter is defined in the Layer Filter Properties dialog box, where you select any of the following properties you want to include in the filter definition: ■ Layer names, colors, linetypes, lineweights, and plot styles ■ Whether layers are in use ■ Whether layers are turned on or off ■ Whether layers are frozen or thawed in the active viewport or all viewports ■ Whether layers are locked or unlocked ■ Whether layers are set to be plotted You use wi
by first creating a filter definition that filters layers by name (*site*) and then using the Invert Filter option. Sort Layers Once you have created layers, you can sort them by name or other properties. In the Layer Properties Manager, click the column heading to sort layers by the property in that column. Layer names can be sorted in ascending or descending alphabetical order. Wild-Card Characters You can use wild-card characters to sort layers by name.
NOTE To filter on a layer name that contains a wild-card character, precede the character with a reverse quote (`) so that it is not interpreted as a wild-card character. See also: ■ Reconcile New Layers on page 342 To quickly filter the display of layers by name 1 Click Home tab ➤ Layers panel ➤ Layer Properties 2 In the Layer Properties Manager, click in Search for Layer below the tree view. 3 (Optional) To limit your search, select a layer filter in the tree view.
For example, the definition for a filter that displays only layers that are on and are either yellow or red has two rows. The first row of the filter definition has the On icon and red. The second row has the On icon and yellow. 5 Click OK. To filter the display of layer names by selecting layers 1 Click Home tab ➤ Layers panel ➤ Layer Properties 2 In the Layer Properties Manager, click the New Group Filter button. A new layer group filter named GROUP FILTER1 is created in the tree view.
■ For a new group filter, a filter is added to the tree view. Rename it, select the parent filter to display its layers in the list view, and drag layers from the list view to the new layer group filter. 5 Click OK. To sort the layer list in the Layer Properties Manager ■ Click Home tab ➤ Layers panel ➤ Layer Properties ■ In the Layer Properties Manager, click any column heading. To reverse the sorting order, click a second time.
Use New Layer Notification You can be notified when new layers are added to the drawing before certain tasks, such as plotting, saving, or restoring a layer state. It is important to be aware of new layers that have been added to a drawing or to an attached xref without your knowledge. You can avoid potential problems, such as plotting objects that were added to the drawing by the addition of a new layer. You can control when to evaluate a drawing for new layers.
New Layers filter is automatically selected. All new layers that have been added to the drawing or attached xrefs are displayed in the list view. The new layers are unreconciled because they have not yet been reviewed. The process of manually marking them as reconciled removes them from the Unreconciled New Layers list. (See Reconcile New Layers on page 342 for more information.
If the template file is saved with all layers as reconciled, a layer baseline is created. That means when new layers are added to the drawing that is created from the template file, any new layers that are created are unreconciled and a new layer notification will display when the drawing is first saved or plotted. Opening Multiple Drawings When opening multiple drawings at the same time, an alert displays for each drawing that contains new layers.
Quick Reference CLASSICLAYER Opens the legacy Layer Properties Manager. LAYER Manages layers and layer properties. LAYEREVALCTL Controls the overall Unreconciled New Layer filter list in Layer Properties Manager which is evaluated for new layers. LAYERNOTIFY Specifies when an alert displays when unreconciled new layers are found. LAYEREVAL Specifies whether the layer list is evaluated for new layers when added to the drawing or to attached xrefs.
Unreconciled New Layers filter is automatically created and activated in the Layer Properties Manager. Unreconciled layers become reconciled by right-clicking the layer and clicking the Reconcile Layer option. Once a layer has become reconciled, it is removed from the Unreconciled New Layers filter. After all new layers are reconciled, the Unreconciled New Layers filter is removed. NOTE You can reconcile multiple unreconciled layers at the same time.
You can save the current layer settings in a drawing as a named layer state and restore them later. Saving layer settings is convenient if you need to return to particular settings for all layers during different stages in completing a drawing or for plotting. Save Layer Settings Layer settings include layer states, such as on or locked, and layer properties, such as color or linetype. In a named layer state, you can choose which layer states and layer properties you want to restore later.
■ If a layout viewport is active when a layer state is restored, and the Visibility in Current VP restore option is selected, all layers that need to be visible in the viewport are turned on and thawed in model space. All layers that should not be visible in the viewport are set to VP Freeze in the current viewport and the model space visibility is unchanged.
state was saved, you can add them and resave the layer state. To delete layers, use the Delete button in the Edit Layer State dialog box. Layer States in Xrefs When a drawing containing layer states is inserted in the host drawing, the xref layer states are displayed in the Layer States Manager. The layer states are listed by name and can be viewed in the Edit Layer State dialog box.
2 In the Layer State drop-down list, select Manage Layer States. 3 In the Layer States Manager dialog box, select a named layer state. 4 Click More to select any specific layer properties you want to restore. 5 Click Restore. To add layers to a layer state 1 Click Home tab ➤ Layers panel ➤ Layer State. 2 In the Layer State drop-down list, select Manage Layer States. 3 In the Layer States Manager dialog box, select the named layer state that you want to add layers to. 4 Click Edit.
To include description and material properties to a layer state imported from a previous release 1 Click Home tab ➤ Layers panel ➤ Layer State. 2 In the Layer State drop-down list, select Manage Layer States. 3 In the Layer States Manager, select the layer state that was imported from a previous release. 4 Click Restore to restore the layer state. 5 Open the Layer States Manager. Click New. 6 In the New Layer State to Save dialog box, enter a new name for the layer state.
LAYEREVAL Specifies whether the layer list is evaluated for new layers when added to the drawing or to attached xrefs. Import and Export Layer States You can import layer settings from other drawings and export layer states. You can import layer states that are saved in drawing files (DWG, DWS, and DWT) and from layer state (LAS) files. When importing layer states from a drawing file, you can choose multiple layer states to import from the Select Layer States dialog box.
When the current drawing does not contain any named layer states, the LMAN layer state names are retained. If the current drawing contains layer states, LMAN layer state names display with the prefix “LMAN” followed by the original layer state name. To import saved layer settings from another drawing 1 Click Home tab ➤ Layers panel ➤ Layer State. 2 In the Layer State drop-down list, select Manage Layer States. 3 In the Layer States Manager dialog box, click Import.
6 Click Close to exit the Layer States Manager. To export a saved layer state 1 Click Home tab ➤ Layers panel ➤ Layer State. 2 In the Layer State drop-down list, select Manage Layer States. 3 In the Layer States Manager dialog box, select the named layer state (LAS) file you want to export. Click Export. 4 In the Export Layer State dialog box, specify where to export the layer state file. 5 Click Save to exit the dialog box. 6 Click Close to exit the Layer States Manager.
objects on the same layer. Color is also used as a way to indicate lineweight for color-dependent plotting. You can use a variety of color palettes when assigning color to objects, including ■ AutoCAD LT Color Index (ACI) ■ True Color , PANTONE ■ RAL™ Classic and RAL Design color books ■ DIC Color Guide ■ Colors from imported color books. ® ® ® ACI Colors ACI colors are the standard colors used in AutoCAD LT. Each color is identified by an ACI number, an integer from 1 through 255.
All objects are created using the current color, which is displayed in the Color control on the Properties toolbar. You can also set the current color with the Color control or the Select Color dialog box. If the current color is set to BYLAYER, objects are created with the color assigned to the current layer. If you do not want the current color to be the color assigned to the current layer, you can specify a different color.
3 In the Select Color dialog box, True Color tab, do one of the following: ■ Select the HSL color model in the Color Model box. Specify a color by entering a color value in the Color box or by specifying values in the Hue, Saturation, and Luminance boxes. ■ Select the RGB color model in the Color Model box. Specify a color by entering a color value in the Color box or by specifying values in the Red, Green, and Blue boxes. 4 Click OK. The Color control displays the current color.
You have three choices for changing the color of an object: ■ Reassign the object to another layer with a different color. If an object's color is set to BYLAYER, and you reassign the object to a different layer, it acquires its color from the new layer. ■ Change the color assigned to the layer that the object is on. If an object's color is set to BYLAYER, it acquires the color of its layer.
■ On the True Color tab, select the HSL color model in the Color Model option and specify a color by entering a color value in the Color box or by specifying values in the Hue, Saturation, and Luminance boxes. Click OK. ■ On the Color Books tab, select a color book from the Color Book box; select a color by navigating the color book (using the up and down arrows) and clicking on a color chip. Click OK. 4 Click OK to close each dialog box.
Quick Reference CHANGE Changes the properties of existing objects. CHPROP Changes the properties of an object. COLOR Sets the color for new objects. PROPERTIES Controls properties of existing objects. CECOLOR Sets the color of new objects. Use Color Books When assigning colors to objects, you can choose colors from color books that are loaded on your system. You can choose from a wide range of custom colors when using color books.
To install a color book 1 Click Tools menu ➤ Options. 2 In the Options dialog box, Files tab, click Color Book Locations. 3 Click Add to add a color book location. 4 Enter the new location in the blank path box. 5 Click OK. To search for color swatches within a color book 1 Click Home tab ➤ Properties panel ➤ Object Color. 2 In the Object Color drop-down list, click Select Color. 3 In the Select Color dialog box, Color Books tab, select a color book from the Color Book drop-down list.
6 Click OK. To define multiple folders for the color book path 1 Click Tools menu ➤ Options. 2 In the Options dialog box, Files tab, click Color Book Locations. 3 Click Add to add a color book location. 4 Enter the new location in the blank path box. 5 Click OK. Quick Reference CHANGE Changes the properties of existing objects. CHPROP Changes the properties of an object. COLOR Sets the color for new objects. PROPERTIES Controls properties of existing objects. CECOLOR Sets the color of new objects.
Overview of Linetypes A linetype is a repeating pattern of dashes, dots, and blank spaces displayed in a line or a curve. You assign linetypes to objects either by layer or by specifying the linetype explicitly, independent of layers. In addition to choosing a linetype, you can set its scale to control the size of the dashes and spaces, and you can create your own custom linetypes. NOTE These linetypes should not be confused with the hardware linetypes provided by some plotters.
REVERSE 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. Load Linetypes At the start of a project, you load the linetypes that are required for the project so that they are available when you need them.
You can hold down Ctrl to select several linetypes or SHIFT to select a range of linetypes. 4 Click OK. To list the linetypes loaded in the current drawing 1 Click Home tab ➤ Properties panel ➤ Linetype. 2 Click anywhere outside the box to close it. To list the linetypes in a linetype definition file 1 Click Home tab ➤ Properties panel ➤ Linetype. 2 In the Linetype drop-down list, click Other. Then, in the Linetype Manager dialog box, click Load. 3 In the Load or Reload Linetypes dialog box, click File.
To purge an unused linetype 1 Click Tools tab ➤ Drawing Utilities panel ➤ Purge. The Purge dialog box displays a tree view of object types with items that can be purged. 2 To purge unreferenced linetypes, use one of the following methods: ■ To purge all unreferenced linetypes, select Linetypes. ■ To purge specific linetypes, double-click Linetypes to expand the tree view. Then select the linetypes to be purged. If the item you want to purge is not listed, select View Items You Cannot Purge.
MEASUREMENT Controls whether the current drawing uses imperial or metric hatch pattern and linetype files. Set the Current Linetype All objects are created using the current linetype, which is displayed in the Linetype control on the Properties toolbar. You can also set the current linetype with the Linetype control. If the current linetype is set to BYLAYER, objects are created with the linetype assigned to the current layer.
4 Click OK. NOTE The Linetype control displays the current linetype. If the linetype you want to use is already loaded, you can click the Linetype control and click the linetype to make it current. To change the linetype assigned to a layer 1 Click Home tab ➤ Layers panel ➤ Layer Properties. 2 In the Layer Properties Manager, select the linetype name you want to change. 3 In the Select Linetype dialog box, select the linetype you want. Click OK. 4 Click OK again.
■ Specify a linetype for an object to override the layer's linetype. You can specify the linetype of each object explicitly. If you want to override the layer-determined linetype of an object with a different one, change an existing object's linetype from BYLAYER to a specific linetype, such as DASHED. If you want to set a specific linetype for all subsequently created objects, change the current linetype setting on the Properties toolbar from BYLAYER to a specific linetype.
4 Choose the linetype that you want to assign to the objects. Quick Reference CHANGE Changes the properties of existing objects. CHPROP Changes the properties of an object. LAYER Manages layers and layer properties. LINETYPE Loads, sets, and modifies linetypes. PROPERTIES Controls properties of existing objects. Control Linetype Scale You can use the same linetype at different scales by changing the linetype scale factor either globally or individually for each object.
The CELTSCALE value is multiplied by the LTSCALE value to get the displayed linetype scale. You can easily change linetype scales in your drawing either individually or globally. In a layout, you can adjust the scaling of linetypes in different viewports with PSLTSCALE. To change the linetype scale of selected objects 1 Select the objects whose linetype scale you want to change. 2 Click Home tab ➤ Palettes panel ➤ Properties. Alternatively, right-click one of the objects. Click Properties.
Quick Reference LINETYPE Loads, sets, and modifies linetypes. CELTSCALE Sets the current object linetype scaling factor. LTSCALE PSLTSCALE Controls the linetype scaling of objects displayed in paper space viewports. Display Linetypes on Short Segments and Polylines You can center the pattern of a linetype on each segment of a polyline, and you can control how the linetype is displayed on short segments.
To set the linetype display for all new polylines 1 At the Command prompt, enter plinegen. 2 Enter 1 to make the linetype pattern continue throughout the entire length of two-dimensional polylines, or enter 0 to center the linetype pattern on each segment. To change the linetype display of existing polylines 1 Select the polyline whose linetype display you want to change. 2 Click Home tab ➤ Palettes panel ➤ Properties. 3 In the Properties palette, click Linetype Generation and select Enabled or Disabled.
Lineweights are not displayed unless the LWT button on the status bar is selected. TrueType fonts, raster images, points, and solid fills (2D solids) cannot display lineweight. Wide polylines show lineweights only when displayed outside of the plan view. You can export drawings to other applications or cut objects to the Clipboard and retain lineweight information. In model space, lineweights are displayed in pixels and do not change when zoomed in or out.
2 Specify the start point for the first segment in the polyline. 3 Enter w (width). 4 Enter a value for the width at the start of the line segment. 5 Enter a value for the width at the end of the line segment. 6 Specify the endpoint of the first segment of the polyline. 7 Enter w to specify different widths for the next segment, or press Enter to end the command. To assign a lineweight to a layer 1 Click Home tab ➤ Layers panel ➤ Layer Properties. 2 In the Layer Properties Manager, select a layer.
LWDEFAULT Sets the value for the default lineweight. LWDISPLAY Controls whether the lineweights of objects are displayed. LWUNITS Controls whether lineweight units are displayed in inches or millimeters. Display Lineweights Lineweights can be turned on and off in a drawing, and are displayed differently in model space than in a paper space layout. ■ In model space, a 0-value lineweight is displayed as one pixel, and other lineweights use a pixel width proportional to their real-unit value.
Display Lineweights in Layouts In layouts and plot preview, lineweights are displayed in real-world units, and lineweight display changes with the zoom factor. You can control lineweight plotting and scaling in your drawing in the Plot dialog box, Plot Settings tab. To display or hide lineweights Use one of the following methods: ■ Click LWT on the status bar. ■ Select or clear Display Lineweight in the Lineweight Settings dialog box. ■ Set the LWDISPLAY system variable to 0 or 1.
Set the Current Lineweight The current lineweight is the lineweight used for any objects you draw until you make another lineweight current. All objects are created using the current lineweight, which is displayed in the Lineweight control on the Properties toolbar. You can also set the current lineweight with the Lineweight control. If the current lineweight is set to BYLAYER, objects are created with the lineweight assigned to the current layer.
PEDIT Edits polylines. PLINE Creates a 2D polyline. PLOT Plots a drawing to a plotter, printer, or file. LWDEFAULT Sets the value for the default lineweight. LWDISPLAY Controls whether the lineweights of objects are displayed. LWUNITS Controls whether lineweight units are displayed in inches or millimeters. PLINEWID Stores the default polyline width.
If you want to set a specific lineweight for all subsequently created objects, change the current lineweight setting on the Properties toolbar from BYLAYER to a specific lineweight. See also: ■ Override Layer Properties in Viewports on page 325 To change the line width of a polyline, donut, rectangle, or polygon 1 Click Home tab ➤ Modify panel ➤ Edit Polyline. 2 Select one or more polyline objects. 3 Enter w (Width) and enter a new width for all segments. 4 Press Enter to end the command.
LWUNITS Controls whether lineweight units are displayed in inches or millimeters. PLINEWID Stores the default polyline width. Control the Display Properties of Certain Objects You can control how overlapping objects and certain other objects are displayed and plotted. Control the Display of Polylines, Hatches, Gradient Fills, Lineweights, and Text You can simplify the display of certain kinds of objects in order to speed performance.
Turn Off Lineweights Any lineweight width that is represented by more than one pixel may slow down performance. If you want to improve display performance, turn lineweights off. You can turn lineweights on and off by choosing the LWT button on the status bar or by using the Lineweight Settings dialog box. Lineweights are always plotted at their real-world value whether their display is turned on or off.
To turn the display of text on or off 1 Click Tools ➤ Options. 2 In the Options dialog box, Display tab, under Display Performance, select Show Text Boundary Frame Only. The check mark indicates that text is displayed as a rectangular frame. 3 Click OK. 4 To display your changes, click View menu ➤ Regen. To turn lineweights on or off 1 Click Home tab ➤ Properties panel ➤ Lineweight. 2 In the Lineweight drop-down list, select Lineweight Settings.
FILLMODE Specifies whether hatches and fills, 2D solids, and wide polylines are filled in. LWDISPLAY Controls whether the lineweights of objects are displayed. QTEXTMODE Controls how text is displayed. TEXTFILL Controls the filling of TrueType fonts while plotting. TEXTQLTY Sets the resolution tessellation fineness of text outlines. Control the Transparency of Objects You can control the transparency level of objects and layers.
Transparency can be set to ByLayer, ByBlock, or to a specific value. no transparent objects selected objects 75% transparent IMPORTANT For perfomance reasons, plotting transparency is disabled by default. To plot transparent objects, check the Plot Transparency option in either the Plot dialog box or the Page Setup dialog box. To control the transparency level of objects 1 Select the objects whose transparency level you want to change.
Quick Reference CHPROP Changes the properties of an object. CHANGE Changes the properties of existing objects. -LAYER Manages layers and layer properties. CETRANSPARENCY Sets the transparency level for new objects. TRANSPARENCYDISPLAY Controls whether the object transparency is displayed. Control How Overlapping Objects Are Displayed You can control which overlapping objects appear to be on top.
To change the draw order of overlapping objects 1 Click Home tab ➤ Modify panel ➤ Draw Order drop-down list. 2 From the draw order drop down list, click one of the options. 3 Select the object(s) whose draw order you want to modify and press Enter. 4 Select the reference object(s) and press Enter. (This step is necessary only for the Bring Above Objects and Send Under Objects options.) Quick Reference DRAWORDER Changes the draw order of images and other objects.
SORTENTS Controls object sorting in support of draw order for several operations. Control the Display of Objects Control the display of objects by isolating or hiding a selection set. Use ISOLATEOBJECTS and HIDEOBJECTS to create a temporary drawing view with selected objects isolated or hidden. This saves you the time of having to track objects across layers. If you isolate objects, only the isolated objects appear in the view.
Quick Reference HIDEOBJECTS Hides selected objects. ISOLATEOBJECTS Displays selected objects across layers; unselected objects are hidden. UNISOLATEOBJECTS Displays previously hidden objects. OBJECTISOLATIONMODE Controls whether hidden objects remain hidden between drawing sessions.
Use Precision Tools 15 You can use a variety of precision drawing tools to help you produce accurate drawings quickly and without performing tedious calculations. Use Coordinates and Coordinate Systems (UCS) For precise coordinate input, you can use several coordinate system entry methods. You can also use a movable coordinate system, the user coordinate system (UCS), for convenient coordinate entry and to establish workplanes.
Another method of entering a relative coordinate is by moving the cursor to specify a direction and then entering a distance directly. This method is called direct distance entry. You can enter coordinates in scientific, decimal, engineering, architectural, or fractional notation. You can enter angles in grads, radians, surveyor's units, or degrees, minutes, and seconds. The UNITS command controls unit format.
To visually locate a point 1 Click Home tab ➤ Utilities panel ➤ ID Point. 2 At the Command prompt, enter the coordinate values of the point you want to locate. If the BLIPMODE system variable is on, a blip (a small cross) is displayed at the point location. To change the coordinate display on the status bar Use one of the following methods: ■ Click the coordinate display at the Specify Next Point prompt. ■ Press Ctrl+I.
Enter 2D Coordinates Absolute and relative 2D Cartesian and polar coordinates determine precise locations of objects in a drawing. Enter Cartesian Coordinates You can use absolute or relative Cartesian (rectangular) coordinates to locate points when creating objects. To use Cartesian coordinates to specify a point, enter an X value and a Y value separated by a comma (X,Y). The X value is the positive or negative distance, in units, along the horizontal axis.
Relative coordinates are based on the last point entered. Use relative coordinates when you know the location of a point in relation to the previous point. To specify relative coordinates, precede the coordinate values with an @ sign. For example, entering @3,4 specifies a point 3 units along the X axis and 4 units along the Y axis from the last point specified. The following example draws the sides of a triangle.
Quick Reference COORDS Controls the format and update frequency of coordinates on the status line. Enter Polar Coordinates You can use absolute or relative polar coordinates (distance and angle) to locate points when creating objects. To use polar coordinates to specify a point, enter a distance and an angle separated by an angle bracket (<). By default, angles increase in the counterclockwise direction and decrease in the clockwise direction.
Relative coordinates are based on the last point entered. Use relative coordinates when you know the location of a point in relation to the previous point. To specify relative coordinates, precede the coordinate values with an @ sign. For example, entering @1<45 specifies a point at a distance of 1 unit from the last point specified at an angle of 45 degrees from the X axis. The following example shows two lines drawn with relative polar coordinates.
To enter relative polar coordinates (2D) ■ At a prompt for a point, enter coordinates using the following format: @distance
Use Default Z Values When you enter coordinates in the format X,Y, the Z value is copied from the last point you entered. As a result, you can enter one location in the X,Y,Z format and then enter subsequent locations using the X,Y format with the Z value remaining constant. For example, if you enter the following coordinates for a line From point: 0,0,5 To point: 3,4 both endpoints of the line will have a Z value of 5. When you begin or open any drawing, the initial default value of Z is greater than 0.
To enter absolute coordinates (3D) ■ At a prompt for a point, enter coordinates in the tooltip using the following format: #x,y,z If dynamic input is turned off, enter coordinates on the command line using the following format: x,y,z To enter relative coordinates (3D) ■ At a prompt for a point, enter coordinates using the following format: @x,y,z Quick Reference GRID Displays a grid pattern in the current viewport. SNAP Restricts cursor movement to specified intervals.
TABMODE Controls the use of the tablet. Enter Cylindrical Coordinates 3D cylindrical coordinates describe a precise location by a distance from the UCS origin in the XY plane, an angle from the X axis in the XY plane, and a Z value. Cylindrical coordinate entry is the 3D equivalent of 2D polar coordinate entry. It specifies an additional coordinate on an axis that is perpendicular to the XY plane.
the last point entered, at an angle of 45 degrees from the positive X direction, and extending 5 units in the positive Z direction. To enter relative cylindrical coordinates ■ At a prompt for a point, enter the coordinate values using the following format: @x
units from the origin, 45 degrees from the X axis in the XY plane, and 15 degrees up from the XY plane. When you need to define a point based on a previous point, enter the relative spherical coordinate values by preceding them with the @ sign.
Understand the World and User Coordinate Systems There are two coordinate systems: a fixed system called the world coordinate system (WCS) and a movable system called the user coordinate system (UCS). By default, these two systems are coincident in a new drawing. Normally in 2D views, the WCS X axis is horizontal and the Y axis is vertical. The WCS origin is where the X and Y axes intersect (0,0). All objects in a drawing file are defined by their WCS coordinates.
Each of these methods have a corresponding option in the UCS command. Once you have defined a UCS, you can name it and then restore it when you need to use it again. To define a new UCS origin in 2D 1 Click View tab ➤ Coordinates panel ➤ Origin. 2 Specify a point for the new origin. The UCS origin (0,0) is redefined at the point you specify. To change the rotation angle of the UCS 1 Click View tab ➤ Coordinates panel ➤ Z. 2 Specify a rotation angle.
2 In the UCS dialog box, Named UCSs tab, select UNNAMED and enter a new name. (You can also select UNNAMED, and right-click. Click Rename.) 3 Click OK. You can use up to 255 characters, including letters, digits, and the special characters dollar sign ($), hyphen (-), and underscore (_). All UCS names are converted to uppercase. To restore a named UCS 1 Click View tab ➤ Coordinates panel ➤ Named UCS. 2 In the UCS dialog box, Named UCSs tab, you can view the origin and axis direction of a listed UCS.
Quick Reference UCS Manages user coordinate systems. UCSICON Controls the visibility and placement of the UCS icon. UCSMAN Manages defined user coordinate systems. PUCSBASE Stores the name of the UCS that defines the origin and orientation of orthographic UCS settings in paper space only. UCSFOLLOW Generates a plan view whenever you change from one UCS to another. UCSNAME Stores the name of the current coordinate system for the current viewport in the current space.
Control the Display of the User Coordinate System Icon To help visualize the current orientation of the user coordinate system, you can display the user coordinate system icon. Several versions of this icon are available, and you can change its size, location, and color. To indicate the location and orientation of the UCS, the UCS icon is displayed either at the UCS origin point or in the lower-left corner of the current viewport.
You can use the UCSICON command to switch between the 2D UCS icon and the 3D UCS icon. You can also use the command to change the size, color, and icon line width of the 3D UCS icon. The UCS broken pencil icon replaces the 2D UCS icon when the viewing direction is in a plane parallel to the UCS XY plane. The broken pencil icon indicates that the edge of the XY plane is almost perpendicular to your viewing direction. This icon warns you not to use your pointing device to specify coordinates.
Quick Reference UCSICON Controls the visibility and placement of the UCS icon. UCSICON Displays the UCS icon for the current viewport or layout. Use Dynamic Input Dynamic Input provides a command interface near the cursor to help you keep your focus in the drafting area. When dynamic input is on, tooltips display information near the cursor that is dynamically updated as the cursor moves. When a command is active, the tooltips provide a place for user entry.
Pointer Input When pointer input is on and a command is active, the location of the crosshairs is displayed as coordinates in a tooltip near the cursor. You can enter coordinate values in the tooltip instead of on the command line. The default for second and subsequent points is relative polar coordinates (relative Cartesian for RECTANG). There is no need to type the at sign (@). If you want to use absolute coordinates, use the pound sign (#) prefix.
■ The radius of an arc Use the dimensional input settings to display only the information you want to see. When you use grips to stretch objects or when you create new objects, dimensional input displays only acute angles, that is, all angles are displayed as 180 degrees or less. Thus, an angle of 270 degrees is displayed as 90 degrees regardless of the ANGDIR system variable setting (set in the Drawing Units dialog box).
2 Use one of the following methods to enter coordinate values or select options: ■ To enter polar coordinates, enter the distance from the first point and press Tab, and then enter an angle value and press Enter. ■ To enter Cartesian coordinates, enter an X coordinate value and a comma (,), and then enter a Y coordinate value and press Enter. ■ If a down-arrow icon follows the prompt, press the DOWN ARROW key until a dot is displayed next to the option. Press Enter.
To change the color, size, or transparency of tooltips 1 Click Tools menu ➤ Drafting Settings. 2 In the Drafting Settings dialog box, Dynamic Input tab, click Drafting Tooltip Appearance. 3 In the Tooltip Appearance dialog box, under Color, click Model Color or Layout Color to display the Select Color dialog box, where you can specify a color for tooltips in the space you selected. 4 Under Size, move the slider to the right to make tooltips larger or to the left to make them smaller.
6 Click OK to close each dialog box. To change dimensional input settings 1 Click Tools menu ➤ Drafting Settings. 2 In the Drafting Settings dialog box, Dynamic Input tab, under Dimension Input, click Settings. 3 In the Dimension Input Settings dialog box, select Polar or Cartesian format as the default. 4 Under Visibility, select one of the following options: ■ Show Only 1 Dimension Input Field at a Time.
DYNDIGRIP Controls which dynamic dimensions are displayed during grip stretch editing. DYNDIVIS Controls how many dynamic dimensions are displayed during grip stretch editing. DYNMODE Turns Dynamic Input features on and off. DYNPICOORDS Controls whether pointer input uses relative or absolute format for coordinates. DYNPIFORMAT Controls whether pointer input uses polar or Cartesian format for coordinates. DYNPIVIS Controls when pointer input is displayed.
Use Object Snaps Use object snaps to specify precise locations on objects. For example, you can use an object snap to draw a line to the center of a circle or to the midpoint of a polyline segment. You can specify an object snap whenever you are prompted for a point. By default, a marker and a tooltip are displayed when you move the cursor over ™ an object snap location on an object. This feature, called AutoSnap , provides a visual clue that indicates which object snaps are in effect.
at a given location. Press Tab to cycle through the possibilities before you specify the point. Click the OSNAP button on the status bar or press F3 to turn running object snaps on and off. NOTE If you want object snaps to ignore hatch objects, set the OSOPTIONS system variable to 1. To snap to a geometric point on an object 1 At the prompt for a point, hold down Shift and right-click in the drawing area. Select the object snap you want to use. 2 Move your cursor over the desired object snap location.
Quick Reference APERTURE Sets the display size for the object snap target box, in pixels. OPTIONS Customizes the program settings. OSNAP Sets running object snap modes. APBOX Turns the display of the AutoSnap aperture box on or off. AUTOSNAP Controls the display of the AutoSnap marker, tooltip, and magnet. OSMODE Sets running object snaps OSNAPCOORD Controls whether coordinates entered on the command line will override running object snaps. OSOPTIONS Automatically suppresses object snaps on hatch objects.
See also: ■ “Pull-down and Shortcut Menus” in the Customization Guide ■ Use Object Snaps on page 413 To display the object snap menu 1 Enter any command that prompts you to specify a point. For example, enter line. 2 At the From Point prompt, hold down Shift and right-click. The object snap menu is displayed, and you can click an object snap option. Quick Reference OSNAP Sets running object snap modes.
The AutoSnap markers, tooltips, and magnet are turned on by default. You can change AutoSnap settings on the Drafting tab in the Options dialog box. Use AutoSnap to Confirm or Change an Object Snap If you have set more than one running object snap, you can press Tab to cycle through all the object snap points available for a particular object. To change the AutoSnap settings 1 Click Tools menu ➤ Options. 2 In the Options dialog box, Drafting tab, change settings as needed: ■ Marker.
AUTOSNAP Controls the display of the AutoSnap marker, tooltip, and magnet. OSMODE Sets running object snaps Override Object Snap Settings While you work, you can turn running object snaps on and off temporarily by using an override key. Temporary override keys can also be used for other drawing aids; for example, Ortho mode and Polar mode. For example, if you have set running object snaps but you want to turn them off for one point, you can hold down F3.
Temporary override keys are also available for the other drawing aids that you set in the Drafting Settings dialog box. See also: ■ “Adjust Grid and Grid Snap” ■ “Use Orthogonal Locking (Ortho Mode)” ■ “Use Polar Tracking and PolarSnap” ■ “Use Dynamic Input” ■ Keyboard Shortcuts in the Customization Guide To temporarily override the running object snap settings ■ Hold down F3 while you work. When you release the key, the current running object snap settings are restored.
To change the keyboard response time for temporary override keys 1 In the Windows Control Panel, click Keyboard. 2 In the Keyboard Properties dialog box, on the Speed tab, drag the Repeat Rate slider to adjust the keyboard response time. Then click OK. Quick Reference CUI Manages the customized user interface elements in the product. CUSTOMIZE Customizes tool palettes and tool palette groups. OPTIONS Customizes the program settings. OSNAP Sets running object snap modes.
Snap mode restricts the movement of the crosshairs to intervals that you define. When Snap mode is on, the cursor seems to adhere, or "snap," to an invisible rectangular grid. Snap is useful for specifying precise points with the arrow keys or the pointing device. Grid mode and Snap mode are independent but are often turned on at the same time. Control the Display Style and Area of the Grid You can display the grid either as a rectangular pattern of dots or as rectangular pattern of lines.
dialog box. To turn off the display of major grid lines, set the frequency of major grid lines to 1. NOTE If the grid is displayed as lines, the grid limits are displayed also as darker lines. Do not confuse these boundaries with major grid lines. NOTE When the grid is displayed as lines and SNAPANG is set to a value other than 0, the grid will not display. SNAPANG does not affect the display of the dotted grid.
Change Grid and Snap Spacing As you work, you can turn Grid and Snap mode on and off, and you can change the grid and snap spacing. You can turn Snap mode on and off temporarily by using an override key. Snap spacing does not have to match grid spacing. For example, you might set a wide grid spacing to be used as a reference but maintain a closer snap spacing for accuracy in specifying points.
5 To use the same value for vertical grid spacing, press Enter. Otherwise, enter a new value for Grid Y Spacing. 6 Click OK. To turn on Snap mode and set snap spacing 1 Click Tools menu ➤ Drafting Settings. 2 In the Drafting Settings dialog box, Snap and Grid tab, select Snap On. 3 Under Snap Type, make sure Grid Snap and Rectangular Snap are selected. 4 In the Snap X Spacing box, enter the horizontal snap spacing value in units. 5 To specify the same vertical snap spacing, press Enter.
4 Specify a new origin point for the UCS. 5 Click OK. To change the grid display between dots and lines 1 At the Command prompt, enter SHADEMODE. 2 Do one of the following: ■ To display the grid as dots, specify the 2D Wireframe option. ■ To display the grid as lines, specify the Hidden option. To change the frequency of major grid lines 1 If necessary, at the Command prompt, enter SHADEMODE and specify the Hidden visual style. 2 Click Tools menu ➤ Drafting Settings.
GRIDDISPLAY Controls the display limits of the grid. GRIDMODE Specifies whether the grid is turned on or off. GRIDMAJOR Controls the frequency of major grid lines compared to minor grid lines. GRIDUNIT Specifies the grid spacing (X and Y) for the current viewport. LIMCHECK Controls the creation of objects outside the grid limits. LIMMAX Stores the upper-right grid limits for the current space, expressed as world coordinates.
Use Orthogonal Locking (Ortho Mode) You can restrict cursor movement to horizontal and vertical for convenience and precision when creating and modifying objects. As you create or move objects, you can use Ortho mode to restrict the cursor to the horizontal or vertical axis. As you move the cursor, the rubber-band line follows the horizontal or vertical axis, whichever is nearest the cursor. The orientation of the current user coordinate system (UCS) determines the horizontal and vertical directions.
Quick Reference ORTHO Constrains cursor movement to the horizontal or vertical direction. ORTHOMODE Constrains cursor movement to the perpendicular. TEMPOVERRIDES Turns temporary override keys on and off. Use Polar Tracking and PolarSnap Polar tracking restricts cursor movement to specified angles. PolarSnap restricts cursor movement to specified increments along a polar angle.
As you move your cursor, alignment paths and tooltips are displayed when you move the cursor near polar angles. The default angle measurement is 90 degrees. Use the alignment path and tooltip to draw your object. You can use polar tracking with Intersection and Apparent Intersection object snaps to find where a polar alignment path intersects another object. NOTE Ortho mode and polar tracking cannot be on at the same time. Turning on polar tracking turns off Ortho mode.
the first point specified to lengths of 0, 4, 8, 12, 16, and so on. As you move your cursor, a tooltip indicates the nearest PolarSnap increment. To restrict point entry to polar distances, both polar tracking and Snap mode (set to PolarSnap) must be on. You can turn off all snapping and tracking temporarily by using an override key. See also: ■ Override Object Snap Settings on page 418 To turn on and turn off polar tracking ■ Press F10, or click the polar button on the status bar.
To draw objects using polar distance 1 Turn on snap and polar tracking. Make sure Polar Snap is selected in the Drafting Settings dialog box, Snap & Grid tab. 2 Start a drawing command, such as LINE. 3 As you move your cursor, notice that the dotted polar tracking line displays a tooltip that shows distance and angle. 4 Specify a point. The length of the new line conforms to the polar distance. To set polar tracking angles 1 Click Tools menu ➤ Drafting Settings.
UNITS Controls coordinate and angle display formats and precision. ANGBASE Sets the base angle to 0 with respect to the current UCS. ANGDIR Sets the direction of positive angles. AUTOSNAP Controls the display of the AutoSnap marker, tooltip, and magnet. POLARANG Sets the polar angle increment. POLARDIST Sets the snap increment when the SNAPTYPE is set to 1 (PolarSnap). POLARMODE Controls settings for polar and object snap tracking. SNAPTYPE Sets the type of snap for the current viewport.
Specify next point or [Undo]: Specify a point The angle you specify will lock the cursor, overriding Grid Snap, Ortho mode, and PolarSnap. Coordinate entry and object snaps have precedence over an angle override. Combine or Offset Points and Coordinates To specify a new point location, you can combine coordinate values from several points or you can specify offsets from existing objects.
of: Select the horizontal line on the lower edge of the holding plate of: (need YZ): mid of: Select the vertical line on the left side of the holding plate of: Diameter/ Specify the radius of the hole Coordinate filters work only when the program prompts you for a point. If you try to use a coordinate filter at the Command prompt, you see an error message.
NOTE Instead of specifying a point in steps 2 or 3, you can enter a numeric value. To use coordinate filters to specify a point in 3D 1 At the prompt for a point, enter a coordinate filter (.x, .y, .z, .xy, .xz, or .yz). For example, enter .x to specify the X value first. 2 To extract the specified coordinate value(s), specify a point. For example, if you entered .x in step 1, the X value is extracted from this point.
and off or to turn off all snapping and tracking. See the keyboard illustration in Override Object Snap Settings on page 418. Object snap tracking works in conjunction with object snaps. You must set an object snap before you can track from an object's snap point. Object Snap Tracking Use object snap tracking to track along alignment paths that are based on object snap points. Acquired points display a small plus sign (+), and you can acquire up to seven tracking points at a time.
Tips for Using Object Snap Tracking As you use AutoTrack (polar tracking and object snap tracking), you will discover techniques that make specific design tasks easier. Here are a few you might try. ■ Use Perpendicular, End, and Mid object snaps with object snap tracking to draw to points that are perpendicular to the end and midpoints of objects. ■ Use the Tangent and End object snaps with object snap tracking to draw to points that are tangent to the endpoints of arcs.
2 In the Options dialog box, Drafting tab, under AutoTrack Settings, select or clear the following alignment path display options: ■ Display Polar Tracking Vector. Controls alignment path display for object snap tracking. When cleared, no polar tracking path is displayed. ■ Display Full Screen Tracking Vector. Controls alignment path display for object snap tracking. When cleared, an alignment path is displayed only from the object snap point to the cursor. ■ Display AutoTrack Tooltip.
Track to Offset Point Locations (Tracking) You can use tracking to specify a point by offsetting vertically and horizontally from a series of temporary points. You can use the tracking method whenever you are prompted for a point. Tracking uses the pointing device to specify a point by offsetting vertically and horizontally from a series of temporary points.
The position is determined by the direction in which you moved the cursor after specifying the first point. Quick Reference TRACKING (Command Modifier) Locates a point from a series of temporary points. Specify Distances When specifying a point, you can enter distances, offsets, and measured intervals. Enter Direct Distances You can specify a point by moving the cursor to indicate a direction and then entering the distance.
To draw a line using direct distance entry 1 Click Home tab ➤ Draw panel ➤ Line. 2 Specify the first point and then, move the pointing device until the rubber-band line extends at the same angle as the line you want to draw. 3 Enter a distance at the Command prompt. The line is drawn at the length and angle you specified. Quick Reference LINE Creates straight line segments. Direct Distance Entry (Command Modifier) Locates the next point at a specified distance in the direction of your cursor.
Quick Reference FROM (Command Modifier) Locates a point offset from a reference point within a command. Specify Intervals on Objects You can mark off equal distances along objects. Overview of Specifying Intervals on Objects Provides a high-level overview of two options for marking off equal distances along objects. Sometimes you need to create points or insert symbols (blocks) at intervals on an object.
Quick Reference BLOCK Creates a block definition from selected objects. DDPTYPE Specifies the display style and size of point objects. DIVIDE Creates evenly spaced point objects or blocks along the length or perimeter of an object. MEASURE Creates point objects or blocks at measured intervals along the length or perimeter of an object. WBLOCK Writes objects or a block to a new drawing file. PDMODE Controls how point objects are displayed. PDSIZE Sets the display size for point objects.
box, you can use DDPTYPE. Alternately, click Format menu ➤ Point Style. The PDMODE system variable also controls the appearance of point markers. For example, you can change the value to make points appear as crosses.PDSIZE controls the size of point objects. To insert points at measured intervals on an object 1 Click Home tab ➤ Draw panel ➤ Point drop-down ➤ Measure. 2 Select a line, arc, spline, circle, ellipse, or polyline. 3 Enter an interval length, or specify points to indicate a length.
MEASURE Creates point objects or blocks at measured intervals along the length or perimeter of an object. PDMODE Controls how point objects are displayed. PDSIZE Sets the display size for point objects. Divide an Object into Equal Segments You can divide a selected object into a specified number of equal lengths. You can create points or insert blocks on an object at a specific number of equal intervals.
To insert points to mark equal segments 1 Click Home tab ➤ Draw panel ➤ Point drop-down ➤ Divide. 2 Select a line, circle, ellipse, polyline, arc, or spline. 3 Enter the number of segments you want. A point is placed between each segment. To insert blocks to mark equal segments on an object 1 If necessary, create the block you want to insert. 2 Click Home tab ➤ Draw panel ➤ Point drop-down ➤ Divide. 3 Select a line, arc, circle, ellipse, polyline, or spline. 4 Enter b (Block).
PDMODE Controls how point objects are displayed. PDSIZE Sets the display size for point objects. Extract Geometric Information from Objects The inquiry and calculation commands can provide information about objects in your drawing and do useful calculations. Obtain Distances, Angles, and Point Locations You can obtain information about the relation between two specified points or multiple points; for example, the distance between points or their angle in the XY plane.
To calculate the distance and angle between two points 1 Click Home tab ➤ Utilities panel ➤ Measure drop-down ➤ Distance. 2 Specify a first and second point for the distance you want to calculate. 3 Press Enter. The distance displays at the Command prompt in the current units format. To calculate the distance and angle between multiple points 1 Click Home tab ➤ Utilities panel ➤ Measure drop-down ➤ Distance. 2 For the distance you want to calculate, specify a first and second point.
You can calculate the area and perimeter of a sequence of points. You can also obtain the area, perimeter, and mass properties of any of several types of objects. TIP A fast way to calculate an area bounded by several objects in 2D is to use the BOUNDARY command. With BOUNDARY, you can pick a point within the area to create a closed polyline or region. You can then use the Properties palette or the LIST command to find the area and perimeter of the polyline or region.
■ Ellipses, closed polylines, polygons, planar closed spline curves, and regions. Area and perimeter display. For wide polylines, this area is defined by the center of the width. ■ Open objects such as open spline curves and open polylines. Area and length display. Area is calculated as though a straight line connects the start point and endpoint. ■ AutoCAD 3D solids. Total 3D area for the object displays.
Subtract Areas from Combined Areas You can subtract more than one area from a combined area as you calculate. For example, if you have calculated the area of a floor plan, you can subtract the area of a room. Example: Subtraction of Areas from a Calculation In the following example, the closed polyline represents a metal plate with two large holes. The area of the polyline is first calculated and then the area of each hole is subtracted.
Calculate Mass Properties With the MASSPROP command, you can analyze 3D solids and 2D regions for their mass properties including volume, area, moments of inertia, center of gravity, and so on. In addition, the result of the computations can be saved to a text file. See also: ■ Create and Combine Areas (Regions) on page 512 ■ Overview of Object Properties on page 305 To calculate an area you define 1 Click Home tab ➤ Utilities panel ➤ Measure drop-down ➤ Area.
To subtract an area as you calculate 1 While a combined area displays, enter s (Subtract). 2 Do one of the following: ■ Specify points to define the area you want to subtract. Press Enter. ■ Enter o (Object) and select the objects you want to subtract. The running total of all areas updates and displays as you define new areas. 3 Press Enter to end the command. Quick Reference AREA LIST Displays property data for selected objects. MASSPROP Calculates the mass properties of regions or AutoCAD 3D solids.
Use a Calculator You can access a calculator function as you work with the program. You can use either the QuickCalc calculator interface or the Command prompt calculator. Use the QuickCalc Calculator With the QuickCalc calculator, an interface that looks and functions like a hand-held calculator, you can perform mathematical, scientific, and geometric calculations, convert units of measurement, manipulate the properties of objects, and evaluate expressions.
■ Use geometric functions from the CAL command Change QuickCalc Size and Appearance Click the More/Less button on the calculator and only the Input box and History area are displayed. You can use the expand/collapse arrows to open and close areas. You can also control the size, location, and appearance of QuickCalc. See Set Interface Options on page 107. Quick Reference QUICKCALC Opens the QuickCalc calculator.
QCCLOSE Closes the QuickCalc calculator. QCSTATE Indicates whether the QuickCalc calculator is open or closed. Access QuickCalc and Understand Its Behavior Use QuickCalc directly as you would with a desktop calculator, or use it transparently within a command or the Properties palette.
Use QuickCalc Transparently from Within a Command During a command, you can access QuickCalc transparently in the following ways: ■ Right-click to display the shortcut menu. Click QuickCalc. ■ At the Command prompt, enter quickcalc. ■ At the Command prompt, enter qc. Calculations that you transfer to the Command prompt affect the drawing.
To use the QuickCalc calculator Do one of the following: ■ Click View tab ➤ Palettes panel ➤ QuickCalc. ■ Right-click the drawing area to display a shortcut menu. Click QuickCalc. To use the QuickCalc calculator within a command Do one of the following: ■ At the Command prompt, enter 'quickcalc or 'qc. ■ Right-click to display a shortcut menu. Click QuickCalc. To use the QuickCalc calculator with the Properties palette 1 Click View tab ➤ Palettes panel ➤ Properties. 2 Open the Properties palette.
QuickCalc evaluates expressions according to the following 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 The Input box of the calculator is where you enter and retrieve expressions. With QuickCalc, there are two ways you can enter data in the Input box.
■ Angular values entered in the Input box are assumed to be degrees regardless of the settings in the Drawing Units dialog box. To specify radians, grads, and degrees, append an r, g, or d after the angle value. ■ Results of angular calculations are always expressed in degrees with full AutoCAD precision.
For computed results, enter the initial values in feet (') and inches (") to display the results in feet and inches. For example: ■ 5 * 6 = 30 ■ 5" * 6 = 2'-6" ■ 5" * 6" = 30 sq. in. ■ 5" * 0'-6" = 0.208333333 sq. ft. To change the font color of values or expressions in the QuickCalc History area 1 Right-click in the History area. Click either Value Font Color or Expression Font Color. 2 In the Color dialog box, click a Basic Color or click Define Custom Colors.
QuickCalc opens and displays the current value of the object in the Input box. 5 Perform a calculation on the displayed value and click the equal sign (=) button. The new value is displayed in the Input box. 6 Click Apply. NOTE The Apply button is only available for editable number-based properties. The calculator closes and the new value is displayed in the Properties palette. The object is modified in the drawing.
On the QuickCalc toolbar, click the Angle of Line Defined by Two Points button. QuickCalc temporarily closes and you are prompted to specify two points. 2 Enter the coordinate values for the first point and then the second point. QuickCalc opens and appends the value of the angle between the two points to the end of any value or expression already present in the Input box.
The Value to Convert box automatically displays the value from the Input box. You can also enter a different value. The results of the units conversion displays in the Converted Value box. You can paste this result to the Input box by clicking the QuickCalc icon in the Converted Value box. NOTE In the Value to Convert box, enter decimal values without units. To convert units of measurement with QuickCalc 1 In the Units Conversion area, select a unit category on the Units Type list.
2 In the Scientific area, click the d2r button. 3 On the Number Pad, click the equal (=) sign. The conversion is displayed in the Input box. Quick Reference QUICKCALC Opens the QuickCalc calculator. QCCLOSE Closes the QuickCalc calculator. Create and Use Calculator Variables The Variables area of QuickCalc stores calculator variables that you can access as needed. Calculator variables can either be constants or functions. You can use the Variables area to define, store, and retrieve calculator variables.
■ Functions. Any expression entered in the Value or Expression text entry box is stored as text. Functions are evaluated when used in the QuickCalc Input box. Create Global Constants You can use one of the following methods to create global constants: ■ Enter an expression in the Input box using the format $variable_name=value. For example, to define the golden ratio to 8 decimal places as a global constant called Phi, enter $Phi=1.61803399 in the Input box.
CAL functions with the Endpoint Snap mode. The following table describes the predefined variables that are available in the Variables area of the calculator.
2 In the Variable Definition dialog box, under Variable Type, select Constant or Function. 3 In the Variable Definition dialog box, under Variable Properties Name, enter a name for the variable. Variable names cannot contain spaces or special characters. 4 Under Variable Properties Group With, click New. 5 In the Category Definition dialog box, under Category Properties Name, enter a name for the new category. 6 Under Description, enter a description for the new category. Click OK.
To access a global constant from dialog box or window ■ In any text or numeric entry box, enter an expression using the syntax: =$variable_name followed by pressing the END key. Quick Reference QCCLOSE Closes the QuickCalc calculator. QUICKCALC Opens the QuickCalc calculator. CALCINPUT Controls whether mathematical expressions and global constants are evaluated in text and numeric entry boxes of windows and dialog boxes.
Evaluating Expressions CAL evaluates expressions according to standard mathematical rules of precedence. Mathematical operators in order of precedence Operator Operation () Groups expressions ^ Indicates numeric exponent *, / Multiplies and divides numbers +, - Adds and subtracts numbers Calculating Points You can use CAL whenever you need to calculate a point or a number within a command.
NOTE To evaluate expressions in a dialog box, make sure the system variable, CALCINPUT, is set to 1. To start the Command prompt calculator Do one of the following: ■ At the Command prompt, enter CAL. Then, enter a CAL expression. ■ At a prompt for a command in progress, enter ‘CAL to start the CAL command transparently. Then, enter a CAL expression to calculate a value for that prompt. Quick Reference CAL Evaluates mathematical and geometric expressions.
472
Draw Geometric Objects 16 You can create a range of objects, from simple lines and circles to spline curves, and ellipses. In general, you draw objects by specifying points with the pointing device or by entering coordinate values at the Command prompt. Draw Linear Objects A line, the most basic object, can be one segment or a series of connected segments. Draw Lines You can close a sequence of line segments so that the first and last segments are joined.
Use polyline objects instead of line objects if you want the segments to be connected as a single object. See also: ■ Use Coordinates and Coordinate Systems (UCS) on page 387 ■ Use Object Snaps on page 413 ■ Adjust Grid and Grid Snap on page 420 ■ Draw Polylines on page 475 ■ Offset an Object on page 582 ■ Break and Join Objects on page 606 To draw lines 1 Click Home tab ➤ Draw panel ➤ Line. 2 Specify the start point.
RAY Creates a line that starts at a point and continues to infinity. XLINE Creates a line of infinite length. Draw Polylines A polyline is a connected sequence of segments created as a single object. You can create straight line segments, arc segments, or a combination of the two.
gradually from one width to another. These options become available after you specify a starting point for the polyline. The Width and Halfwidth options set the width of the next polyline segments you draw. Widths greater than zero produce wide lines, which are filled if Fill mode is on and outlined if Fill mode is off. Intersections of adjacent wide segments are usually beveled. However, nontangent arc segments, acute angles, or segments that use a dash-dot linetype are not beveled.
To draw a polyline with straight segments 1 Click Home tab ➤ Draw panel ➤ Polyline. 2 Specify the first point of the polyline. 3 Specify the endpoint of the first polyline segment. 4 Continue specifying segment endpoints as needed. 5 Press Enter to end, or enter c to close the polyline. To start a new polyline at the endpoint of the last polyline drawn, start the PLINE command again and press Enter at the Specify Start Point prompt.
■ To create a tapering line segment, enter a different width. 6 Specify the endpoint of the polyline segment. 7 Continue specifying segment endpoints as needed. 8 Press Enter to end, or enter c to close the polyline. To create a boundary polyline 1 Click Home tab ➤ Draw panel ➤ Boundary. 2 In the Boundary Creation dialog box, in the Object Type list, select Polyline.
Quick Reference Commands 3DPOLY Creates a 3D polyline. BOUNDARY Creates a region or a polyline from an enclosed area. EXPLODE Breaks a compound object into its component objects. FILL Controls the filling of objects such as hatches, 2D solids, and wide polylines. PEDIT Edits polylines. PLINE Creates a 2D polyline. POLYGON Creates an equilateral closed polyline. RECTANG Creates a rectangular polyline. System Variables FILLMODE Specifies whether hatches and fills, 2D solids, and wide polylines are filled in.
PLINETYPE Specifies whether optimized 2D polylines are used. PLINEWID Stores the default polyline width. Draw Rectangles and Polygons You can create rectangles and regular polygons quickly. Creating polygons is a simple way to draw equilateral triangles, squares, pentagons, hexagons, and so on. If necessary, you can use EXPLODE to convert the resulting polyline object into lines. Draw Rectangles Use RECTANG to create closed polylines in a rectangular shape.
2 At the Command prompt, enter the number of sides. 3 Specify the center of the polygon (1). 4 Enter c to specify a polygon circumscribed about a circle. 5 Enter the radius length (2). To draw a polygon by specifying one edge 1 Click Home tab ➤ Draw panel ➤ Polygon. 2 At the Command prompt, enter the number of sides. 3 Enter e (Edge). 4 Specify the start point for one polygon segment. 5 Specify the endpoint of the polygon segment. To draw an inscribed polygon 1 Click Home tab ➤ Draw panel ➤ Polygon.
2 Specify the first corner of the rectangle. 3 Specify the other corner of the rectangle. Quick Reference Commands BOUNDARY Creates a region or a polyline from an enclosed area. EXPLODE Breaks a compound object into its component objects. POLYGON Creates an equilateral closed polyline. RECTANG Creates a rectangular polyline. System Variables FILLMODE Specifies whether hatches and fills, 2D solids, and wide polylines are filled in. HPBOUND Controls the object type created by HATCH and BOUNDARY.
Draw Double Lines Each double-line segment and its endcap, a line that connects the double-line endpoints, is actually a separate line object that can be individually edited. Double lines provide a good way to draw walls in floor plans. Each double-line segment and its endcap, a line that connects the double-line endpoints, is actually a separate line object that can be individually edited. You can draw double lines as straight segments or as arcs.
Snap Double Lines to Objects You can start or end a double line by snapping to an existing object. To speed up the snap process, you can specify the pixel size of the area where the program searches for object snap candidates. The double line starts or ends by snapping to the object it finds in this search area. Each of the double-line legs adjusts to form a clean junction with the object. To draw double-line segments 1 Click Draw menu ➤ Double Line. 2 Specify the start point (1).
5 To connect the start point with the endpoint, enter cL (Close). Otherwise, press Enter to complete the double line. To draw double-line arc segments 1 Click Draw menu ➤ Double Line. 2 Specify a start point. 3 At the Command prompt, enter a (Arc). 4 Specify a point if you want to use the three-point method to create the arc, or enter one of the following options at the Command prompt: ■ To draw an arc by specifying the center and either the endpoint and/or an included angle, enter ce.
2 At the Command prompt, enter w (Width). Then specify a new width. 3 Specify a point to start drawing the double line. To set the dragline for drawing double lines 1 Click Draw menu ➤ Double Line. 2 At the Command prompt, enter d (Dragline). 3 Specify the offset of the double lines from the points you specify. Enter L (Left), c (Center), or r (Right). If you want to offset the placement point a specific distance from the center line, enter a distance. 4 Specify a point to continue drawing the double line.
2 At the Command prompt, enter b (Break). 3 Enter on. 4 At the Command prompt, enter s (Snap). 5 Enter on. 6 Specify a point (1) near another double line, line, or arc. To snap to objects when drawing double lines 1 Click Draw menu ➤ Double Line. 2 At the Command prompt, enter s (Snap). 3 Specify one of these options: ■ To turn on Snap, enter on. ■ To change the size of the snap area, enter s (Size). Then enter a number between 1 and 10 to specify the number of pixels in the search area.
Draw Freehand Sketches Sketching is useful for creating irregular boundaries or for tracing with a digitizer. Draw freehand sketches with the SKETCH command. Freehand sketches comprise many line segments that are converted into a line, polyline, or spline. For Splines, you can determine how closely the spline’s curve fits to the freehand sketch. For any sketch type, set the minimum length (increment) of the line segments.
2 Press Enter again to accept the last saved type, increment, and tolerance values. Quick Reference Commands SKETCH Creates a series of freehand line segments. System Variables DIGITIZER Identifies digitizers connected to the system. MAXTOUCHES SKETCHINC Sets the record increment for the SKETCH command. SKPOLY Determines whether the SKETCH command generates lines, polylines, or splines. SKTOLERANCE Draw Curved Objects Curved objects are arcs, circles, polyline arcs, donuts, ellipses, and splines.
Draw Arcs by Specifying Three Points You can create an arc by specifying three points. In the following example, the start point of the arc snaps to the endpoint of a line. The second point of the arc snaps to the middle circle in the illustration. Draw Arcs by Specifying Start, Center, End You can create an arc using a start point, center, and a third point that determines the endpoint. The distance between the start point and the center determines the radius.
The included angle determines the endpoint of the arc. Use the Start, End, Angle method when you know both endpoints but cannot snap to a center point. Draw Arcs by Specifying Start, Center, Length You can create an arc using a start point, center, and the length of a chord. The distance between the start point and the center determines the radius. The other end of the arc is determined by specifying the length of a chord between the start point and the endpoint of the arc.
The included angle between the endpoints of the arc determines the center and the radius of the arc. Draw Arcs by Specifying Start, End, Direction You can create an arc using a start point, endpoint, and a tangent direction at the start point. The tangent direction can be specified either by locating a point on the desired tangent line, or by entering an angle. You can determine which endpoint controls the tangent by changing the order in which you specify the two endpoints.
See also: ■ Draw Polylines on page 475 ■ Break and Join Objects on page 606 To draw an arc by specifying three points 1 Click Home tab ➤ Draw panel ➤ Arc drop-down ➤ 3-Point. 2 Specify the start point. 3 Specify a point on the arc. 4 Specify the endpoint. To draw an arc using a start point, a center point, and an endpoint 1 Click Home tab ➤ Draw panel ➤ Arc drop-down ➤ Start, Center, End. 2 Specify a start point. 3 Specify the center point. 4 Specify the endpoint.
2 Click Home tab ➤ Draw panel ➤ Arc drop-down ➤ Continue. 3 Specify the second endpoint of the tangent arc. Quick Reference Commands ARC Creates an arc. LINE Creates straight line segments. OFFSET Creates concentric circles, parallel lines, and parallel curves. VIEWRES Sets the resolution for objects in the current viewport. System Variables ANGDIR Sets the direction of positive angles.
Draw a Circle Tangent to Other Objects The tangent point is a point where an object touches another object without intersecting it. To create a circle that is tangent to other objects, select the objects and then specify the radius of the circle. In the illustrations below, the bold circle is the one being drawn, and points 1 and 2 select the objects to which it is tangent.
To draw a circle by specifying a center point and radius or diameter 1 Do one of the following: ■ Click Home tab ➤ Draw panel ➤ Circle drop-down ➤ Center, Radius. ■ Click Home tab ➤ Draw panel ➤ Circle drop-down ➤ Center, Diameter. 2 Specify the center point. 3 Specify the radius or diameter. To create a circle tangent to two objects 1 Click Home tab ➤ Draw panel ➤ Circle drop-down ➤ Tan, Tan, Radius. The command starts Tangent object snap mode. 2 Select the first object to draw the circle tangent to.
System Variables CIRCLERAD Sets the default circle radius. WHIPARC Controls whether the display of circles and arcs is smooth. Draw Polyline Arcs A polyline is a connected sequence of line segments created as a single object. You can create straight line segments, arc segments, or a combination of the two. Multisegmented lines provide editing capabilities unavailable for single lines. For example, you can adjust their width and curvature.
Create Wide Polylines You can draw polylines of various widths by using the Width and Halfwidth options. You can set the width of individual segments and make them taper gradually from one width to another. These options become available after you specify a starting point for the polyline. The Width and Halfwidth options set the width of the next polyline segments you draw. Zero (0) width produces a thin line.
See also: ■ Modify Splines on page 615 ■ Modify Polylines on page 609 ■ Break and Join Objects on page 606 ■ Control Lineweights on page 370 To draw a polyline with straight segments 1 Click Home tab ➤ Draw panel ➤ Polyline. 2 Specify the first point of the polyline. 3 Specify the endpoint of the first polyline segment. 4 Continue specifying segment endpoints as needed. 5 Press Enter to end, or enter c to close the polyline.
To create a wide polyline 1 Click Home tab ➤ Draw panel ➤ Polyline. 2 Specify the start point of the line segment. 3 Enter w (Width). 4 Enter the starting width of the line segment. 5 Specify the ending width of the line segment using one of the following methods: ■ To create a line segment of equal width, press Enter. ■ To create a tapering line segment, enter a different width. 6 Specify the endpoint of the polyline segment. 7 Continue specifying segment endpoints as needed.
6 Press Enter to create the boundary polyline and end the command. The command creates a polyline in the shape of the boundary. Because this polyline overlaps the objects used to create it, it may not be visible. However, you can move, copy, or modify it just as you can any other polyline. Quick Reference Commands 3DPOLY Creates a 3D polyline. BOUNDARY Creates a region or a polyline from an enclosed area. OFFSET Creates concentric circles, parallel lines, and parallel curves. PEDIT Edits polylines.
PLINEGEN Sets how linetype patterns generate around the vertices of a 2D polyline. PLINETYPE Specifies whether optimized 2D polylines are used. PLINEWID Stores the default polyline width. Draw Donuts Donuts are filled rings or solid-filled circles that actually are closed polylines with width. To create a donut, you specify its inside and outside diameters and its center. You can continue creating multiple copies with the same diameter by specifying different center points.
Quick Reference Commands DONUT Creates a filled circle or a wide ring. FILL Controls the filling of objects such as hatches, 2D solids, and wide polylines. System Variables DONUTID Sets the default for the inside diameter of a donut. DONUTOD Sets the default for the outside diameter of a donut. FILLMODE Specifies whether hatches and fills, 2D solids, and wide polylines are filled in. Draw Ellipses The shape of an ellipse is determined by two axes that define its length and width.
The illustrations below show two different ellipses created by specifying axis and distance. The third point specifies only a distance and does not necessarily designate the axis endpoint. If you are drawing on isometric planes to simulate 3D, you can use ellipses to represent isometric circles viewed from an oblique angle. First you need to turn on Isometric Snap in the Drafting Settings dialog box.
5 Specify the center of the circle. 6 Specify the radius or diameter of the circle. To draw a true ellipse using endpoints and distance 1 Click Home tab ➤ Draw panel ➤ Ellipse drop-down ➤ Axis, End. 2 Specify the first endpoint of the first axis (1). 3 Specify the second endpoint of the first axis (2). 4 Drag the pointing device away from the midpoint, and click to specify a distance (3) for half the length of the second axis.
Quick Reference Commands ELLIPSE Creates an ellipse or an elliptical arc. System Variables ANGDIR Sets the direction of positive angles. PELLIPSE Controls the ellipse type created with ELLIPSE. Draw Splines See also: ■ Modify Splines on page 615 ■ Break and Join Objects on page 606 A spline is a smooth curve that passes through or near a given set of points. The SPLINE command creates a type of curve known as a nonuniform rational B-spline (NURBS).
Close the spline so that the start and endpoints are coincident and tangent. Fit Points vs. Control Vertices There are different drawing options available depending on whether you use fit points or control vertices. ■ Fit Points (Interpolated) - Specify the knot parameterization and tolerance settings, but not the degree setting (a degree 3 spline is always created). ■ Control Vertices - You can specify the tolerance and degree settings, but not the knot parameterization.
Quick Reference Commands PEDIT Edits polylines. PLINE Creates a 2D polyline. SPLINE Creates a smooth curve that passes through fit points or near control vertices. SPLINEDIT Edits a spline or spline-fit polyline. System Variables PLINECONVERTMODE Specifies the fit method used in converting splines to polylines. Draw Construction and Reference Geometry Construction lines and reference points are temporary objects you create to help you draw accurately.
To set point style and size 1 Click Format menu ➤ Point Style. 2 In the Point Style dialog box, select a point style. 3 In the Point Size box, specify a size, either relative to the screen or in absolute units. 4 Click OK. To create a point object 1 Click Home tab ➤ Draw panel ➤ Point drop-down ➤ Multiple Points. 2 Specify the point location. You can snap to a point using the Node object snap. Quick Reference Commands DDPTYPE Specifies the display style and size of point objects.
Draw Construction Lines (and Rays) Lines that extend to infinity in one or both directions, known as rays and construction lines, respectively, can be used as references for creating other objects. For example, you can use construction lines to find the center of a triangle, prepare multiple views of the same item, or create temporary intersections to use for object snaps. Infinite lines do not change the total area of the drawing.
rays extend in only one direction. Using rays instead of construction lines can help reduce visual clutter. Like construction lines, rays are ignored by commands that display the drawing extents. To create a construction line by specifying two points 1 Click Home tab ➤ Draw panel ➤ Construction Line. 2 Specify a point to define the root of the construction line. 3 Specify a second point through which the construction line should pass. 4 Continue to specify construction lines as needed.
Quick Reference Commands RAY Creates a line that starts at a point and continues to infinity. XLINE Creates a line of infinite length. Create and Combine Areas (Regions) Regions are two-dimensional enclosed areas that have physical properties such as centroids or centers of mass. You can combine existing regions into a single, complex region to calculate area. You can create regions from objects that form closed loops.
You can create regions using the REGION and BOUNDARY commands. You create composite regions by combining, subtracting, or finding the intersection of regions. Objects combined using UNION: Objects combined using SUBTRACT: Objects combined using INTERSECT: Invalid Boundaries When a boundary cannot be determined, it might be because the specified internal point is not within a fully enclosed area. Red circles are displayed around unconnected endpoints of the boundary to identify gaps in the boundary.
The red circles remain displayed even after you exit the REGION or BOUNDARY command. They are removed when you specify a closed boundary, or by using the REDRAW, REGEN, or REGENALL command. To define regions 1 Click Home tab ➤ Draw panel ➤ Region. 2 Select objects to create the region. These objects must each form an enclosed area, such as a circle or a closed polyline. 3 Press Enter. A message at the Command prompt indicates how many loops were detected and how many regions were created.
NOTE You can make a new boundary set to limit the objects used to determine the boundary. To combine regions by adding 1 Click Home tab ➤ Solid Editing panel ➤ Union. 2 Select one region for the union. 3 Select another region. You can select regions to unite in any order. 4 Continue selecting regions or press Enter to end the command. The command converts the selected regions to a new combined region. To combine regions by adding 1 Click Modify menu ➤ Region ➤ Union. 2 Select one region for the union.
To combine regions by finding intersections 1 Click Home tab ➤ Solid Editing panel ➤ Intersect. 2 Select one region of the intersection. 3 Select another intersecting region. You can select regions in any order to find their intersection. 4 Continue selecting regions or press Enter to end the command. The command converts the selected regions to a new region defined by the intersection of the selected regions. Quick Reference Commands BOUNDARY Creates a region or a polyline from an enclosed area.
polyline of sequential arcs to form a cloud-shaped object. You can select a style for a revision cloud: Normal or Calligraphy. If you select Calligraphy, the revision cloud looks as if it was drawn with a calligraphy pen. You can create a revision cloud from scratch, or you can convert objects, such as a circle, ellipse, polyline, or spline, to a revision cloud. When you convert an object to a revision cloud, the original object is deleted if DELOBJ is set to 1 (the default).
To close the revision cloud, return to its starting point. To create revision clouds with a calligraphy pen style 1 Click Home tab ➤ Draw panel ➤ Revision Cloud. 2 At the Command prompt, enter style. 3 At the Command prompt, enter calligraphy. 4 Press Enter to save the calligraphy setting and to continue with the command, or press ESC to end the command. To convert an object to a revision cloud 1 Click Home tab ➤ Draw panel ➤ Revision Cloud.
The maximum arc length can be no more than three times the minimum arc length. 4 Press Enter to continue with the command or ESC to end the command. To edit the individual lengths of arcs or chords in a revision cloud 1 In your drawing, select the revision cloud you want to edit. 2 Move the pick points along the path of the revision cloud to change the arc lengths and chords. Quick Reference Commands REVCLOUD Creates a revision cloud using a polyline.
520
Change Existing Objects 17 You can select objects, view and edit object properties, and perform general and object-specific editing operations. Select Objects You have a wide range of options when you need to select objects for editing operations. Select Objects Individually At the Select Objects prompt, you can select one or more objects individually. Use the Pickbox Cursor When the square pickbox cursor is in position to select an object, the object is highlighted. Click to select the object.
If selection preview is turned on, you can cycle through the objects by rolling over the object on top to highlight it, and pressing and holding Shift and then pressing Spacebar continuously. When the required object is highlighted, left-click to select it. If selection preview is turned off, hold down Shift + Spacebar and click to cycle through these objects, one after the other, until the one you want is selected. Press Esc to turn off cycling.
NOTE If selection preview is turned on, you can cycle through the objects by rolling over the object on top to highlight it, and pressing and holding Shift and then pressing Spacebar continuously. When the required object is highlighted, left-click to select it. To remove selection from objects ■ Hold down Shift. Click the objects that you want removed from the selection set. Quick Reference PROPERTIES Controls properties of existing objects. SELECT Places selected objects in the Previous selection set.
Select Multiple Objects At the Select Objects prompt, you can select many objects at the same time. Specify a Rectangular Selection Area Specify opposite corners to define a rectangular area. The background inside the area changes color and becomes transparent. The direction that you drag your cursor from the first point to the opposite corner determines which objects are selected. ■ Window selection.
Specify an Irregularly Shaped Selection Area Specify points to define an irregularly shaped area. Use window polygon selection to select objects entirely enclosed by the selection area. Use crossing polygon selection to select objects enclosed or crossed by the selection area. Specify a Selection Fence In a complex drawing, use a selection fence. A selection fence looks like a polyline and selects only the objects it passes through. The circuit board illustration shows a fence selecting several components.
To see a list of options at the Select Objects prompt ■ Enter ? at the Select Objects prompt. To select objects within an irregularly shaped area 1 At the Select Objects prompt, enter wp (Window Polygon). 2 Specify points that define an area entirely enclosing the objects you want to select. 3 Press Enter to close the polygon selection area and complete the selection. To select objects crossing an irregularly shaped area 1 At the Select Objects prompt, enter cp (Crossing Polygon).
QSELECT Creates a selection set based on filtering criteria. SELECT Places selected objects in the Previous selection set. HIGHLIGHT Controls object highlighting; does not affect objects selected with grips. PICKADD Controls whether subsequent selections replace the current selection set or add to it. PICKAUTO Controls automatic windowing at the Select Objects prompt. PICKBOX Sets the object selection target height, in pixels. PICKDRAG Controls the method of drawing a selection window.
To help you differentiate between locked and unlocked layers, you can do the following: ■ Hover over an object to see whether a lock icon is displayed ■ Dim the objects on locked layers NOTE Grips are not displayed on objects that are on locked layers. To lock or unlock a layer 1 Click Home tab ➤ Layers panel ➤ Layer Properties. 2 In the Layer Properties Manager, click the padlock for the layers that you want to lock. 3 Click OK.
LAYISO Hides or locks all layers except those of the selected objects. LAYLCK Locks the layer of a selected object. LAYULK Unlocks the layer of a selected object. LAYLOCKFADECTL Controls the amount of fading for objects on locked layers. Select Objects by Properties Use object properties or object types to include objects in a selection set, or to exclude them.
® NOTE If an application such as AutoCAD Map 3D was used to add a feature classification to an object, and the associated classification (XML) file is present, you can select objects by classification property. Specifically, you can select a classification in the Object Type box and a property in the Properties box. See also: ■ Customize Object Selection on page 533 ■ Work with Layers on page 311 To create a selection set using Quick Select 1 Click Home tab ➤ Utilities panel ➤ Quick Select.
6 Under Operator, select Greater Than. 7 Under Value, enter 1. 8 Under How to Apply, select Exclude from New Selection Set. 9 Click OK. All circles with a radius greater than 1 are removed from the selection set. To append objects to the selection set You can use Quick Select to append objects to a current selection set. In the following example, you keep the current selection set and append all objects in the drawing that contain hyperlinks whose names begin with bld1_.
The filter is applied so you can select, in this case, only lines in the drawing. If you select objects with a selection, the filter is applied to all objects in the selection area. To use a named filter 1 At the Select Object prompt, enter 'filter. (The apostrophe makes it a transparent command.) 2 In the Object Selection Filters dialog box, under Select Filter, select the filter you want to use. Click Apply. 3 Use a crossing window to specify objects for selection.
SELECT Places selected objects in the Previous selection set. SELECTSIMILAR Adds similar objects to the selection set based on selected objects. PICKADD Controls whether subsequent selections replace the current selection set or add to it. PICKAUTO Controls automatic windowing at the Select Objects prompt. PICKBOX Sets the object selection target height, in pixels. PICKDRAG Controls the method of drawing a selection window.
■ Whether selected objects are highlighted ■ How you define selection areas and how you create selection sets Select the Command First When you use an editing command, a Select Objects prompt is displayed and the crosshairs is replaced with a pickbox. You can respond to the Select Objects prompt in various ways: ■ Select objects one at a time. ■ Click an empty area. Drag the cursor to define a rectangular selection area. ■ Enter a selection option. Enter ? to display all selection options.
When you specify an area to select multiple objects, the background of the area becomes transparent. These selection previewing effects are turned on by default. You can turn them off or change the appearance of selection previewing (Options dialog box, Selection tab). When the PICKBOX system variable is set to 0, selection previewing of objects is not available. Control the Appearance of Selected Objects By default, selected objects are displayed with dashed lines.
To change the size of the pickbox cursor 1 Click Tools menu ➤ Options. 2 In the Options dialog box, Selection tab, under Pickbox Size, move the slider until the pickbox is the size you want to use. 3 Click OK. To change object selection settings 1 Click Tools menu ➤ Options. 2 In the Options dialog box, Selection tab, make changes to the Selection Preview and Selection Modes areas and the pickbox size. 3 Click OK. To turn on or turn off selection previewing 1 Click Tools menu ➤ Options.
3 In the Visual Effect Settings dialog box, select one of the following options: ■ Dash. Displays dashed lines. ■ Thicken. Displays thickened lines. ■ Both. Displays dashed and thickened lines. 4 Click OK to exit each dialog box. To exclude objects from selection previewing 1 Click Tools menu ➤ Options. 2 In the Options dialog box, Selection tab, click Visual Effect Settings. 3 In the Visual Effect Settings dialog box, click Advanced Options.
■ Window Selection Color. Select a color, or click Select Color to display the Select Color dialog box. (WINDOWAREACOLOR system variable) ■ Crossing Selection Color. Select a color, or click Select Color to display the Select Color dialog box. (CROSSINGAREACOLOR system variable) ■ Selection Area Opacity. Use the slider to set transparency for selection areas. The lower the setting, the more transparent the area. A value of 100 makes the area opaque.
PICKBOX Sets the object selection target height, in pixels. PICKDRAG Controls the method of drawing a selection window. PICKFIRST Controls whether you select objects before (noun-verb selection) or after you issue a command. PREVIEWEFFECT Specifies the visual effect used for previewing selection of objects. PREVIEWFILTER Excludes specified object types from selection previewing. SELECTIONAREA Controls the display of effects for selection areas.
a default name, or you can use the Group Manager to assign a name from the start. You can change the components of groups as you work by adding or removing objects. In some ways, groups resemble blocks, which provide another method of combining objects into a named set. For example, the groups you create are saved from session to session. However, you can edit individual objects in groups more easily than you can edit them in blocks, which must be exploded first.
■ Named groups. Create a named group in the Group Manager. Select the objects you want to group and then select Create Groups. With this method, you can assign the group a name and description as you create it. The objects in your drawing can be members of more than one group, and groups themselves can be nested in other groups. You can ungroup a nested group to restore the original group configuration.
Quick Reference GROUP Creates and manages saved sets of objects called groups. PICKSTYLE Controls the use of group selection and associative hatch selection. Select Objects in Groups There are several methods for choosing a group, including selecting the group by name or selecting one of the members of the group. By default, groups are selectable; that is, selecting any member of a group selects all the objects in that group. You then can edit the group as a unit.
To turn group selection on and off for all groups ■ On the Group toolbar, click Group Selection On/Off. The status of the PICKSTYLE system variable is displayed at the Command prompt. When PICKSTYLE is set to 1 or 3, all groups are selectable. To control selectability for a specific group 1 Click Tools menu ➤ Group Manager. 2 In the Group Manager, select a group. 3 Under Selectable, click the light bulb to switch between gray and yellow.
Quick Reference GROUP Creates and manages saved sets of objects called groups. PICKSTYLE Controls the use of group selection and associative hatch selection. Edit Groups You can modify groups in a number of ways, including changing their membership, modifying their properties, revising the names and descriptions of groups, and removing them from the drawing. Edit Objects as a Group When group selection is turned on, you can move, copy, rotate, and modify groups just as you can modify individual objects.
To add objects to a group 1 Click Tools menu ➤ Group Manager. 2 In the Group Manager, select the group name from the list of groups. 3 Select the objects to add to the group. 4 Click Add to Group. The objects are added to the selected group. To remove objects from a group 1 Click Tools menu ➤ Group Manager. 2 In the Group Manager, under Group, select the group you want to change. 3 To turn off individual selection for that group, under Selectable, click the light bulb to make it gray.
own U (undo) option so that you can correct mistakes without leaving the command. When you are creating lines and polylines, for example, enter u to undo the last segment. NOTE By default, the UNDO command is set to combine consecutive pan and zoom commands into a single operation when you undo or redo. However, pan and zoom commands that are started from the menu are not combined, and always remain separate actions. Undo Several Actions at Once Use the Mark option of UNDO to mark an action as you work.
A list of actions that you can undo, starting with the most recent action, is displayed. 2 Drag to select the actions to undo. 3 Click to undo the selected actions. To redo an action Click Edit menu ➤ Redo. ■ Only the action immediately preceding an UNDO command can be reversed with REDO. You cannot use REDO to repeat another command. To redo a specific number of actions 1 On the Standard toolbar, click the Redo list arrow.
UNDO Reverses the effect of commands. UNDOCTL Indicates the state of the Auto, Control, and Group options of the UNDO command. UNDOMARKS Stores the number of marks placed in the UNDO control stream by the Mark option. Erase Objects There are many ways to delete objects from your drawing and clean up the display. Remove Unused Definitions, Styles, and Objects You can remove unused named and unnamed objects with PURGE.
■ Enter p (Previous) to erase the last selection set. ■ Enter all to erase all objects from the drawing. ■ Enter ? to see a list of all selection methods. 3 Press Enter to end the command. To restore the last erased object ■ At the Command prompt, enter oops. The last objects that were removed by ERASE, BLOCK, or WBLOCK are restored. To cut objects to the Clipboard 1 Select the objects you want to cut. 2 Click Home tab ➤ Utilities panel ➤ Cut. You can also press Ctrl+X.
3 You are prompted to confirm each item in the list. If you do not want to confirm each purge, clear the Confirm Each Item to Be Purged option. 4 Click Purge. To confirm the purging of each item, respond to the prompt by choosing Yes or No, or Yes to All if more than one item is selected. 5 Click Close. To remove zero-length geometry and empty text objects 1 Click Tools tab ➤ Drawing Utilities panel ➤ Purge. The Purge dialog box displays. 2 Select Purge zero-length geometry and empty text objects.
UNDO Reverses the effect of commands. Use Windows Cut, Copy, and Paste When you want to use objects from a drawing file in another application, you can cut or copy these objects to the Clipboard and then paste them from the Clipboard into the other application. Cut Objects Cutting deletes selected objects from the drawing and stores them on the ® Clipboard. The objects are now available to be pasted into other Microsoft ® Windows documents.
The color of the object doesn't change when copied to the Clipboard. For example, white objects pasted onto a white background won't be visible. Use the WMFBKGND and WMFFOREGND system variables to control whether the background or foreground is transparent for metafile objects pasted into other applications. You can insert a linked or embedded object from the Clipboard into a drawing with PASTESPEC. If you convert pasted information to AutoCAD LT format, the object is inserted as a block reference.
To convert pasted information to drawing file format 1 Click Home tab ➤ Utilities panel ➤ Paste Special. 2 In the Paste Special dialog box, select Paste. 3 From the list of formats, select Picture. 4 Click OK. Quick Reference COPYBASE Copies selected objects to the Clipboard along with a specified base point. COPYCLIP Copies selected objects to the Clipboard. CUTCLIP Copies selected objects to the Clipboard and removes them from the drawing.
WMFOUT Saves objects to a Windows metafile. CLIPBOARD Indicates the status of the Clipboard. OLEHIDE Controls the display and plotting of OLE objects. WMFBKGND Controls the background display when objects are inserted in Windows metafile (WMF) format. WMFFOREGND Controls the assignment of the foreground color when objects are inserted in Windows metafile (WMF) format. Modify Objects You can modify the size, shape, and location of objects.
Methods Descriptions Double-click Double-click an object to display the Properties palette or, in some cases, a dialog box or editor that is specific to that type of object. (You can specify the doubleclick action for each object type by customizing a CUIx file and loading it into the program.) Grips Control grip behavior with the following methods: ■ Grip Modes. Click a grip and rightclick to select one of the Grip modes (Stretch, Move, Rotate, Scale, or Mirror).
DRAGMODE Controls the way dragged objects are displayed. PROPERTIES Controls properties of existing objects. SELECT Places selected objects in the Previous selection set. DBLCLKEDIT Controls the double click editing behavior in the drawing area. DRAGMODE Controls the way dragged objects are displayed. PICKADD Controls whether subsequent selections replace the current selection set or add to it. PICKFIRST Controls whether you select objects before (noun-verb selection) or after you issue a command.
NOTE Grips are not displayed on objects that are on locked layers. Stretch with Grips You can stretch an object by moving selected grips to new locations. Grips on text, block references, midpoints of lines, centers of circles, and point objects move the object rather than stretching it. This is an excellent method for moving block references and adjusting dimensions.
Rotate with Grips You can rotate selected objects around a base point by dragging and specifying a point location. Alternatively, you can enter an angle value. This is an excellent method for rotating block references. Select and Modify Multiple Grips You can use more than one grip as the base grips for the action. When you select more than one grip (also called multiple hot grip selection), the shape of the object is kept intact between the selected grips.
To turn on grips 1 At the Command prompt, enter options. 2 In the Options dialog box, Selection tab, select Enable Grips. 3 Click OK. To stretch an object using grips 1 Select the object to stretch. 2 Select a base grip on the object. The selected grip is highlighted, and Stretch, the default grip mode, is active. 3 Move the pointing device and click. The selected object is stretched as the grip moves. NOTE To copy the selected object while stretching, press and hold the Ctrl key.
4 Move the pointing device and click. The selected objects are moved along with the grip. NOTE To copy the selected object while moving, press and hold the Ctrl key. To rotate objects using grips 1 Select the objects to rotate. 2 Select a base grip on an object by clicking the grip. The selected grip is highlighted, and Stretch, the default grip mode, is active. 3 Cycle through the grip modes by pressing Enter until the grip mode Rotate appears.
2 Select a base grip on an object by clicking the grip. The selected grip is highlighted, and the default grip mode, Stretch, is active. 3 Cycle through the grip modes by pressing Enter until the grip mode Mirror appears. Alternatively, you can right-click to display shortcut menu modes and options. 4 Click to specify the second point of the mirror line. Turning on Ortho mode is often useful when mirroring objects. Quick Reference OPTIONS Customizes the program settings.
GRIPTIPS Controls the display of grip tips and Ctrl-cycling tooltips. Modify Objects with Multi-Functional Grips Modify polylines, splines, and non-associative polyline hatch objects with multi-functional grips. Control the display of these grips with the GRIPS system variable. With multi-functional grips, you can ■ Modify the position, size, and orientation of objects. Use Grip modes on page 556 to move, rotate, scale, or mirror objects. ■ Reshape Objects.
Quick Reference OPTIONS Customizes the program settings. GRIPBLOCK Controls the display of grips in blocks. GRIPCOLOR Controls the color of unselected grips. GRIPCONTOUR Controls the color of the grip contour. GRIPHOT Controls the color of selected grips. GRIPHOVER Controls the fill color of an unselected grip when the cursor pauses over it. GRIPOBJLIMIT Suppresses the display of grips when the selection set includes more than the specified number of objects.
For example, by using the Copy option, you can rotate the selected objects, leaving copies at each location you specify with the pointing device. You can also make multiple copies by holding down Ctrl as you select the first point. For example, with the Stretch grip mode, you can stretch an object, such as a line, and then copy it to any point in the drawing area. Multiple copies continue being made until you turn off grips.
Similarly, you can place multiple copies at angular intervals around a base grip with a rotation snap. The rotation snap is defined as the angle between an object and the next copy when you are using Rotate grip mode. Hold down Ctrl to use the rotation snap. To create copies in any grip mode 1 Select the objects to copy. 2 Select a base grip on an object by clicking the grip. The selected grip is highlighted, and the default grip mode, Stretch, is active.
To create an offset snap for multiple copies using grips 1 Select the objects to copy. 2 Select a base grip on an object by clicking the grip. The selected grip is highlighted, and the default grip mode, Stretch, is active. 3 Cycle through the grip modes by pressing Enter until the grip mode Move appears. Alternatively, you can right-click to display shortcut menu modes and options. 4 Enter c (Copy). 5 Move the cursor and click.
These copies are created at the same rotation snap angle as the first copy. 7 Turn off grips by pressing Enter, Spacebar, or Esc. To mirror objects and retain the originals using grips 1 Select the objects to mirror. 2 Select a base grip on an object by clicking the grip. The selected grip is highlighted, and the default grip mode, Stretch, is active. 3 Cycle through the grip modes by pressing Enter until the grip mode Mirror appears.
GRIPSIZE Sets the size of the grip box in pixels. Control Grips in Blocks You can specify whether a block displays a single grip or multiple grips. You can specify whether a selected block reference displays a single grip at its insertion point or displays multiple grips associated with the objects grouped within the block. To turn grips within blocks on or off 1 Click Tools menu ➤ Options. 2 In the Options dialog box, Selection tab, select or clear Enable Grips Within Blocks. 3 Click OK.
GRIPCONTOUR Controls the color of the grip contour. GRIPHOT Controls the color of selected grips. GRIPS Controls the display of grips on selected objects. GRIPSIZE Sets the size of the grip box in pixels. Move or Rotate Objects You can move objects to a different location, or change the orientation of objects by rotating them by an angle or to other objects. Move Objects You can move objects at a specified distance and direction from the originals.
Specify Distance with Relative Coordinates You can move an object using a relative distance by entering coordinate values for the first point and pressing Enter for the second point. The coordinate values are used as a relative displacement rather than the location of a base point. NOTE Do not include an @ sign as you normally would for relative coordinates, because relative coordinates are expected.
To move an object using two points 1 Click Home tab ➤ Modify panel ➤ Move. 2 Select the objects to move. 3 Specify a base point for the move. 4 Specify a second point. The objects you selected are moved to a new location determined by the distance and direction between the first and second points. To move an object using a displacement 1 Click Home tab ➤ Modify panel ➤ Move. 2 Select the object to move.
To move by stretching 1 Click Home tab ➤ Modify panel ➤ Stretch. 2 Select the object by using crossing selection. The crossing selection must include at least one vertex or endpoint. Specify crossing selection by clicking, moving your pointing device from right to left, and clicking again. 3 Do one of the following: ■ Specify the base point for the move, and then specify a second point. ■ Enter the displacement in the form of a Cartesian, polar, cylindrical, or spherical coordinate value.
Rotate Objects You can rotate objects in your drawing around a specified base point. To determine the angle of rotation, you can enter an angle value, drag using the cursor, or specify a reference angle to align to an absolute angle. Rotate an Object by a Specified Angle Enter a rotation angle value from 0 to 360 degrees. You can also enter values in radians, grads, or surveyor bearings.
See also: ■ Rotate Views in Layout Viewports on page 296 To rotate an object 1 Click Home tab ➤ Modify panel ➤ Rotate. 2 Select the object to rotate. 3 Specify the base point for the rotation. 4 Do one of the following: ■ Enter the angle of rotation. ■ Drag the object around its base point and specify a point location to which you want to rotate the object. ■ Enter c to create a copy of the selected objects.
6 Enter the new angle, or specify a point. The value that you enter for the new angle is an absolute angle, not a relative value. Alternatively, if you specify a point, the reference angle will be rotated to that point. Quick Reference ROTATE Rotates objects around a base point. Align Objects You can move, rotate, or tilt an object so that it aligns with another object. In the following example, two pairs of points are used to align the piping in 2D using the ALIGN command.
Quick Reference ALIGN Aligns objects with other objects in 2D and 3D. Copy, Offset, or Mirror Objects You can create duplicates of objects in your drawing that are either identical or similar to selected objects. Copy Objects You can create duplicates of objects at a specified distance and direction from the originals. Use coordinates, grid snap, object snaps, and other tools to copy objects with precision. You can also use grips to move and copy objects quickly. See Edit Objects with Grips on page 556.
Specify Distance with Relative Coordinates Copy an object using a relative distance by entering coordinate values for the first point and pressing Enter for the second point. The coordinate values are used as a relative displacement rather than the location of a base point. NOTE Do not include an @ sign as you normally would for relative coordinates, because relative coordinates are expected. To copy objects a specified distance, you can also use direct distance entry with Ortho mode and polar tracking.
3 Specify the base point. 4 Specify the second point. Press Enter. To create an object based on a selected object 1 Select the object on which to base the new object. 2 Right-click and select Add Selected. 3 Follow the prompts to create an object similar to the selected object. Quick Reference ADDSELECTED Creates a new object based on the object type and general properties of a selected object. COPY Copies objects a specified distance in a specified direction.
Create Rectangular Arrays A rectangular array is built along a baseline defined by the current snap rotation angle. This angle is zero by default, so the rows and columns of a rectangular array are orthogonal with respect to the X and Y axes. The default angle 0 direction setting can be changed in UNITS. Create Polar Arrays When you create a polar array, the array is drawn counterclockwise or clockwise, depending on whether you enter a positive or a negative value for the angle to fill.
NOTE When changing the value of MaxArray, you must enter MaxArray with the capitalization shown. To create a rectangular array 1 Click Home tab ➤ Modify panel ➤ Array. 2 In the Array dialog box, select Rectangular Array. 3 Click Select Objects. The Array dialog box closes. You are prompted for object selection. 4 Select the objects to be arrayed and press Enter. 5 In the Rows and Columns boxes, enter the number of rows and columns in the array.
3 Next to Center Point, do one of the following: ■ Enter an X value and a Y value for the center point of the polar array. ■ Click the Pick Center Point button. The Array dialog box closes and you are prompted for object selection. Use the pointing device to specify the center point of the polar array. 4 Click Select Objects. The Array dialog box closes and you are prompted for object selection. 5 Select the objects to be arrayed.
Quick Reference ARRAY Creates multiple copies of objects in a pattern. DSETTINGS Sets grid and snap, polar and object snap tracking, object snap modes, Dynamic Input, and Quick Properties. UCS Manages user coordinate systems. UNITS Controls coordinate and angle display formats and precision. GETENV Shows values of specified system registry variables. SETENV Sets values of specified registry variables. ANGBASE Sets the base angle to 0 with respect to the current UCS.
A highly effective drawing technique is to offset objects and then trim or extend their ends. You can offset ■ Lines ■ Arcs ■ Circles ■ Ellipses and elliptical arcs (resulting in an oval-shaped spline) ■ 2D polylines ■ Construction lines (xlines) and rays ■ Splines Special Cases for Offset Polylines and Splines 2D polylines and splines are trimmed automatically when the offset distance is larger than can otherwise be accommodated.
To offset an object by specifying a distance 1 Click Home tab ➤ Modify panel ➤ Offset. 2 Specify the offset distance. You can enter a value or use the pointing device. 3 Select the object to offset. 4 Specify a point on the side where you want to place the new objects. 5 Select another object to offset, or press Enter to end the command. To offset an object through a point 1 Click Home tab ➤ Modify panel ➤ Offset. 2 Enter t (Through). 3 Select the object to offset. 4 Specify the through point.
By default, when you mirror text, hatches, attributes, and attribute definitions, they are not reversed or turned upside down in the mirror image. The text has the same alignment and justification as before the object was mirrored. If you do want text to be reversed, set the MIRRTEXT system variable to 1. MIRRTEXT affects text that is created with the TEXT, ATTDEF, or MTEXT commands; attribute definitions; and variable attributes.
Quick Reference MIRROR Creates a mirrored copy of selected objects. MIRRHATCH Controls how MIRROR reflects hatch patterns. MIRRTEXT Controls how MIRROR reflects text. Change the Size and Shape of Objects There are several methods for adjusting the lengths of existing objects relative to other objects, both symmetrically and asymmetrically. Trim or Extend Objects You can shorten or lengthen objects to meet the edges of other objects.
An object can be one of the cutting edges and one of the objects being trimmed. For example, in the illustrated light fixture, the circle is a cutting edge for the construction lines and is also being trimmed. When you trim several objects, the different selection methods can help you choose the current cutting edges and objects to trim. In the following example, the cutting edges are selected using crossing selection.
You can trim objects to their nearest intersection with other objects. Instead of selecting cutting edges, you press Enter. Then, when you select the objects to trim, the nearest displayed objects act as cutting edges. In this example, the walls are trimmed so that they intersect smoothly. You can extend objects without leaving the TRIM command. Hold down Shift and select the objects to be extended. Extend Objects Extending operates the same way as trimming.
Trim and Extend Spline-Fit Polylines Trimming a spline-fit polyline removes the curve-fit information and changes the spline-fit segments into ordinary polyline segments. Extending a spline-fit polyline adds a new vertex to the control frame for the polyline. Trim or Extend in 3D You can trim or extend an object to any other object in 3D space, regardless of whether the objects are on the same plane or parallel to the cutting or boundary edges.
To trim an object 1 Click Home tab ➤ Modify panel ➤ Trim. 2 Select the objects to serve as cutting edges. To select all displayed objects as potential cutting edges, press Enter without selecting any objects. 3 Select the objects to trim. To extend objects in 3D wireframe models 1 Click Home tab ➤ Modify panel ➤ Extend . 2 Select the boundary edge for extending (1). 3 Enter e (Edge). 4 Enter e (Extend). 5 Enter p (Project). 6 Enter u (UCS). 7 Select the object to extend (2).
To trim objects in 3D wireframe models 1 Click Home tab ➤ Modify panel ➤ Trim . 2 Select the cutting edges to use for trimming (1). 3 Enter p (Project). 4 Enter n (None). 5 Select the object to trim (2 and 3). Quick Reference BREAK Breaks the selected object between two points. EXTEND Extends objects to meet the edges of other objects. JOIN Joins similar objects to form a single, unbroken object. LENGTHEN Changes the length of objects and the included angle of arcs.
PROPERTIES Controls properties of existing objects. TRIM Trims objects to meet the edges of other objects. EDGEMODE Controls how the TRIM and EXTEND commands determine cutting and boundary edges. PROJMODE Sets the current Projection mode for trimming or extending. Resize or Reshape Objects You can resize objects to make them longer or shorter in only one direction or to make them proportionally larger or smaller. You can also stretch certain objects by moving an endpoint, vertex, or control point.
Stretch Objects With STRETCH, you relocate the endpoints of objects that lie across or within a crossing selection window. ■ 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. To stretch an object, you specify a base point and then a point of displacement. To stretch with precision, use object snaps, grid snaps, and relative coordinate entry.
Scale Objects Using a Reference Distance You can also scale by reference. Scaling by reference uses an existing distance as a basis for the new size. To scale by reference, specify the current distance and then the new desired size. For example, if one side of an object is 4.8 units long and you want to expand it to 7.5 units, use 4.8 as the reference length. You can use the Reference option to scale an entire drawing. For example, use this option when the original drawing units need to be changed.
To scale an object by reference 1 Click Home tab ➤ Modify panel ➤ Scale. 2 Select the object to scale. 3 Select the base point. 4 Enter r (Reference). 5 Select the first and second reference points, or enter a value for the reference length. To change the length of an object by dragging 1 Click Home tab ➤ Modify panel ➤ Lengthen. 2 Enter dy (Dynamic Dragging mode). 3 Select the object you want to lengthen. 4 Drag the endpoint closest to the point of selection, and specify a new endpoint.
SPLINEDIT Edits a spline or spline-fit polyline. STRETCH Stretches objects crossed by a selection window or polygon. PLINECONVERTMODE Specifies the fit method used in converting splines to polylines. Fillet, Chamfer, Break, or Join Objects You can change objects to meet in rounded or flattened corners. You can also create or close gaps in objects. Create Fillets A fillet connects two objects with an arc that is tangent to the objects and has a specified radius.
FILLET can be used to round all corners on a polyline using a single command. NOTE Filleting a hatch boundary that was defined from line segments removes hatch associativity. If the hatch boundary was defined from a polyline, associativity is maintained. If both objects being filleted are on the same layer, the fillet arc is created on that layer. Otherwise, the fillet arc is created on the current layer. The layer affects object properties including color and linetype.
Control the Location of the Fillet Depending on the locations you specify, more than one possible fillet can exist between the selected objects. Compare the selection locations and resulting fillets in the illustrations. Fillet Line and Polyline Combinations To fillet lines with polylines, each line or its extension must intersect one of the polyline line segments. If the Trim option is on, the filleted objects and the fillet arc join to form a single new polyline.
If two polyline line segments converge as they approach an arc segment that separates them, FILLET removes the arc segment and replaces it with a fillet arc. If you set the fillet radius to 0, no fillet arcs are inserted. If two polyline line segments are separated by one arc segment, FILLET removes that arc and extends the lines until they intersect. Fillet Parallel Lines You can fillet parallel lines, xlines, and rays.
To fillet two line segments 1 Click Home tab ➤ Modify panel ➤ Fillet. 2 Select the first line. 3 Select the second line. To fillet without trimming 1 Click Home tab ➤ Modify panel ➤ Fillet. 2 If necessary, enter t (Trim). Enter n (No Trim). 3 Select the objects to fillet. To fillet an entire polyline 1 Click Home tab ➤ Modify panel ➤ Fillet. 2 Enter p (Polyline). 3 Select the polyline. To fillet multiple sets of objects 1 Click Home tab ➤ Modify panel ➤ Fillet. 2 Enter m (Multiple).
FILLETRAD Stores the current fillet radius for 2D objects. TRIMMODE Controls whether selected edges for chamfers and fillets are trimmed. Create Chamfers A chamfer connects two objects to meet in a flattened or beveled corner. A chamfer connects two objects with an angled line. It is usually used to represent a beveled edge on a corner. You can chamfer ■ Lines ■ Polylines ■ Rays ■ Xlines CHAMFER can be used to bevel all corners of a polyline using a single command.
0, chamfering trims or extends the two objects until they intersect but does not create a chamfer line. You can hold down Shift while selecting the objects to override the current chamfer distances with a value of 0. In the following example, you set the chamfer distance to 0.5 for the first line and 0.25 for the second line. After you specify the chamfer distance, you select the two lines as shown.
Chamfer Polylines and Polyline Segments If the two objects you select for chamfering are segments of a polyline, they must be adjacent or separated by no more than one arc segment. If they are separated by an arc segment, as shown in the illustration, chamfering deletes the arc and replaces it with a chamfer line. Chamfer an Entire Polyline When you chamfer an entire polyline, each intersection is chamfered. For best results, keep the first and second chamfer distances equal.
To set chamfer distances 1 Click Home tab ➤ Modify panel ➤ Chamfer. 2 Enter d (Distances). 3 Enter the first chamfer distance. 4 Enter the second chamfer distance. 5 Select the lines for chamfering. To chamfer two nonparallel line segments 1 Click Home tab ➤ Modify panel ➤ Chamfer. 2 Select the first line. 3 Select the second line. To chamfer by specifying chamfer length and angle 1 Click Home tab ➤ Modify panel ➤ Chamfer. 2 Enter a (Angle).
To chamfer an entire polyline 1 Click Home tab ➤ Modify panel ➤ Chamfer. 2 Enter p (Polyline). 3 Select the polyline. The polyline is chamfered using the current chamfer method and the default distances. To chamfer multiple sets of objects 1 Click Home tab ➤ Modify panel ➤ Chamfer. 2 Enter m (Multiple). The main prompt is displayed. 3 Select the first line, or enter an option and complete the prompts for that option and then select the first line. 4 Select the second line.
CHAMMODE Sets the input method for CHAMFER TRIMMODE Controls whether selected edges for chamfers and fillets are trimmed. Break and Join Objects You can break an object into two objects with or without a gap between them. You can also join objects to make a single object. Break Objects Use BREAK to create a gap in an object, resulting in two objects with a gap between them. BREAK is often used to create space for block or text.
■ Lines ■ Polylines ■ Splines The object to which you want to join similar objects is called a source object. Objects to be joined must be located in the same plane. Additional restrictions for each type of objects are described in the JOIN command. NOTE When joining two or more arcs (or elliptical arcs), the arcs are joined counterclockwise beginning from the source object.
Quick Reference BREAK Breaks the selected object between two points. JOIN Joins similar objects to form a single, unbroken object. Modify Complex Objects Additional editing operations are available for complex objects, such as blocks, dimensions, hatches, and polylines. Disassociate Compound Objects (Explode) You can convert a compound object, such as a polyline, dimension, hatch, or block reference, into individual elements.
Explode External References An external reference (xref) is a drawing file linked (or attached) to another drawing. You cannot explode xrefs and their dependent blocks. To explode an object 1 Click Home tab ➤ Modify panel ➤ Explode. 2 Select the objects to be exploded. For most objects, exploding has no visible effect. Quick Reference EXPLODE Breaks a compound object into its component objects. XPLODE Breaks a compound object into its component objects.
■ Create an approximation of a spline called a spline-fit polyline ■ Display noncontinuous linetypes with or without a dash before and after each vertex ■ Change the orientation of text in a polyline’s linetype by reversing its direction Modify Polylines with Multi-Functional Grips Polyline grips are multi-functional, providing context-sensitive options for reshaping the polyline. Polyline segments have additional multi-functional grips displayed at their midpoints.
Option Animation Convert to Line. Specify the midpoint of an arc segment to convert into a straight segment. Tangent Direction. Manipulate the tangent directions to redefine the shape of a curve-fit polyline. Modify Polylines with Coincident Grips Coincident grips are grips that are shared between multiple objects. When polyline objects sharing the same grip are selected together, multi-functional grip-editing options are not supported for the coincident grip.
■ Break and Join Objects on page 606 To modify a polyline 1 Click Home tab ➤ Modify panel ➤ Edit Polyline. 2 Select the polyline to modify. 3 If the selected object is a spline, line, or an arc, the following prompt is displayed: Object selected is not a polyline. 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.
■ Enter u (Undo) to reverse actions back to the start of PEDIT. 5 Enter x (Exit) to end a command option. Press Enter to exit the PEDIT command. To reverse lines, polylines, splines, or helixes 1 Click Home tab ➤ Modify panel ➤ Reverse. 2 Select a line, polyline, spline, or helix to reverse. 3 Press Enter to end the command. To join polylines, splines, lines, and arcs into a single polyline 1 Click Home tab ➤ Modify panel ➤ Edit Polyline. 2 Select a polyline, spline, line, or arc to edit.
The vertex on the polyline is deleted. The vertices on either side of the deleted vertex are joined by a straight polyline segment. 7 Enter x (Exit) to end editing vertices. 8 Press Enter to end the command. To taper the width of individual polyline segments 1 Click Home tab ➤ Modify panel ➤ Edit Polyline. 2 Select the polyline to edit. 3 Enter e (Edit Vertex). The first vertex is marked with an X. Move to the appropriate vertex with Next or Previous. 4 Enter w (Width).
GRIPMULTIFUNCTIONAL Specifies the access methods to multi-functional grips. GRIPSUBOBJMODE Controls whether grips are automatically made hot when subobjects are selected. PEDITACCEPT Suppresses display of the Object Selected Is Not a Polyline prompt in PEDIT. PLINECONVERTMODE Specifies the fit method used in converting splines to polylines. SPLINESEGS Sets the number of line segments to be generated for each spline-fit polyline generated by the Spline option of the PEDIT command.
To switch between the fit point grips and the CV grips, click the triangular grip. In general, editing a spline with CVs allows you to reshape a small area of the curve, while editing the spline with fit points allows you to reshape the entire curve. Depending on the degree of the curve, the spline only changes through a given set of CVs and you can add more CVs to obtain greater control for a given area of the spline (the refine option).
Quick Reference Commands JOIN Joins similar objects to form a single, unbroken object. SPLINE Creates a smooth curve that passes through fit points or near control vertices. SPLINEDIT Edits a spline or spline-fit polyline. REVERSE 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. System Variables GRIPS Controls the display of grips on selected objects.
618
Add Constraints to Geometry 18 With parametric drawing, you can add constraints to geometry to ensure that the design conforms to specified requirements. Overview of Constraints NOTE This topic has been included for AutoCAD-compatibility purposes only. In AutoCAD LT, parametric drawing technology is limited to displaying and hiding constraints, editing constrained geometry, and changing values in the Parameters Manager. Parametric drawing is a technology that is used for designing with constraints.
A blue cursor icon always displays when you move the cursor over an object that has constraints applied to it. In the design phase of a project, constraints provide a way to enforce requirements when experimenting with different designs or when making changes. Changes made to objects can adjust other objects automatically, and restrict changes to distance and angle values.
■ Underconstrained. Some constraints are applied to the geometry. ■ Fully constrained. All relevant geometric and dimensional constraints are applied to the geometry. A fully constrained set of objects also needs to include at least one Fix constraint to lock the location of the geometry.
Constraints can be used in block definitions, resulting in dynamic blocks. You can control the size and shape of dynamic blocks directly from within the drawing. For more information, see Add Constraints to Dynamic Blocks. Remove or Relax Constraints There are two ways to cancel the effects of constraints when you need to make design changes: ■ Delete the constraints individually and later apply new constraints.
PARAMETERS Controls the associative parameters used in the drawing. -PARAMETERS Controls the associative parameters used in the drawing. PARAMETERSCLOSE Closes the Parameters Manager palette. TEXTEDIT Edits a dimensional constraint, dimension, or text object. CONSTRAINTBARMODE Controls the display of geometrical constraints on constraint bars. CONSTRAINTNAMEFORMAT Controls the text format for dimensional constraints.
Thus, using geometric constraints, you have a method of including design requirements in your drawing. For example, in the illustration below, the following constraints are applied to the geometry.
Quick Reference CONSTRAINTBAR Displays or hides the geometric constraints on an object. CONSTRAINTSETTINGS Controls the display of geometric constraints on constraint bars. DELCONSTRAINT Removes all geometric and dimensional constraints from a selection set of objects. LIST Displays property data for selected objects. CONSTRAINTBARMODE Controls the display of geometrical constraints on constraint bars. CONSTRAINTNAMEFORMAT Controls the text format for dimensional constraints.
When you apply a constraint, two things occur: ■ The object that you select adjusts automatically to conform to the specified constraint ■ By default, a gray constraint icon displays near the constrained object as shown in the previous illustration, and a small blue glyph displays with your cursor when you move it over a constrained object Once applied, constraints permit only those changes to the geometry that do not violate the constraints.
Specify Constraint Points With some constraints, you specify constraint points on objects instead of selecting the objects. This behavior is similar to that of object snaps, but the locations are limited to endpoints, midpoints, center points, and insertion points. For example, a coincident constraint can restrict the location of the endpoint of one line to the endpoint of another line. The following glyph is displayed on the object as you roll over the object.
A different set of constraint bar icons are displayed when a horizontal or vertical constraint is not parallel or perpendicular with the current UCS. Use Fix Constraints A fix constraint associates a constraint point on an object, or the object itself with a fixed location with respect to the World Coordinate System. It is often advisable to specify a fix constraint at an important geometric feature.
NOTE Fix constraint is not applied with AUTOCONSTRAIN. You must apply the constraint individually. Equal constraint applied with AUTOCONSTRAIN resizes the selected arcs to the same radius only. It is not applied to the arc length. To fully constrain the size and proportions of a design, you will later need to apply dimensional constraints. Remove Geometric Constraints A geometric constraint cannot be modified, but you can delete it and apply a different one.
Constraint icons provide information about how objects are constrained. A constraint bar displays one or more icons that represent the geometric constraints applied to an object. You can drag constraint bars when you need to move them out of the way, and you can also control whether they are displayed or hidden. Verify the Geometric Constraints on Objects You can confirm the association of geometric constraints with objects in two ways.
Control the Display of Constraint Bars Geometric constraints and constraint bars can be displayed or hidden, either individually or globally.
4 Select one of following: ■ Show. Displays the geometric constraints. ■ Hide. Hides the geometric constraints. ■ Reset. Displays the geometric constraints and resets the contraint bar to the default position relative to the parameters they are associated with. To display all geometric constraints ➤ Click Parametric tab ➤ Geometric panel ➤ Show All. To hide all geometric constraints ➤ Click Parametric tab ➤ Geometric panel ➤ Hide All.
CONSTRAINTBARMODE Controls the display of geometrical constraints on constraint bars. CONSTRAINTNAMEFORMAT Controls the text format for dimensional constraints. CONSTRAINTRELAX Indicates whether constraints are enforced or relaxed when editing an object. CONSTRAINTSOLVEMODE Controls constraint behavior when applying or editing constraints.
example, if the Radius constraint had not been applied, the radius of the circle would have been modified instead of the tangent point of the line. The CONSTRAINTSOLVEMODE system variable determines the way an object behaves when constraints are applied or when grips are used to edit it. BEST PRACTICE You can limit unexpected changes by applying additional geometric or dimensional constraints. Common choices include coincident and fix constraints.
4 Press and release the Ctrl key. 5 Move the object. The object moves freely as it is no longer constrained. Constraint bars will no longer be displayed (if enabled) for the object, as the constraints are turned off. To delete a geometric constraint 1 Select a constrained object. 2 Ensure that the constraint bar is visible for the selected object. 3 Right-click the constraint bar. Click Delete. Constraint bars for the deleted constraint will no longer display for the object.
CONSTRAINTRELAX Indicates whether constraints are enforced or relaxed when editing an object. CONSTRAINTSOLVEMODE Controls constraint behavior when applying or editing constraints. Constrain Distances and Angles between Objects You can control distances or angles between 2D geometric objects or points on objects applying dimensional constraints and specifying values. You can also constrain geometry with variables and equations.
If you change the value of a dimensional constraint, all the constraints on the object are evaluated, and the objects that are affected are updated automatically. Also, constraints can be added directly to segments within a polyline as if they were separate objects. NOTE The number of decimal places displayed in dimensional constraints is controlled by the LUPREC and AUPREC system variables.
The expressions that you define can include a variety of predefined functions and constants. For more information about using variables and equations with constraints, see Constrain a Design with Formulas and Equations on page 644 See also: ■ Overview of Geometric Constraints on page 623 Quick Reference DCDISPLAY Displays or hides the dynamic constraints associated with a selection set of objects. DELCONSTRAINT Removes all geometric and dimensional constraints from a selection set of objects.
PARAMETERSCLOSE Closes the Parameters Manager palette. TEXTEDIT Edits a dimensional constraint, dimension, or text object. CONSTRAINTNAMEFORMAT Controls the text format for dimensional constraints. CONSTRAINTRELAX Indicates whether constraints are enforced or relaxed when editing an object. CONSTRAINTSOLVEMODE Controls constraint behavior when applying or editing constraints. DIMCONSTRAINTICON Displays the lock icon next to the text for dimensional constraints.
To display or hide dynamic dimensional constraints 1 Click Parametric tab ➤ Dimensional panel ➤ Show/Hide. 2 Select the constrained objects. 3 Press Enter. 4 Select one of following: ■ Show. Displays the dimensional constraints. ■ Hide. Hides the dimensional constraints. Quick Reference DCDISPLAY Displays or hides the dynamic constraints associated with a selection set of objects. DELCONSTRAINT Removes all geometric and dimensional constraints from a selection set of objects.
CONSTRAINTSOLVEMODE Controls constraint behavior when applying or editing constraints. DIMCONSTRAINTICON Displays the lock icon next to the text for dimensional constraints. Modify Objects with Dimensional Constraints Applied You can control lengths, distances, and angles of objects by changing constraint values, by manipulating dimensional constraints using grips, or by changing user variables or expressions associated with dimensional constraints.
The square grip on dimensional constraints provides a way of changing the location of the text and other elements. Dynamic dimensional constraints are more limited than annotational dimensional constraints in where the text can be located. NOTE Triangular grips are not available for dimensional constraints that reference other constraint variables in expressions. For information about temporarily relaxing constraints, see Overview of Constraints on page 619.
To edit a dimensional constraint using the Properties palette 1 Select a dimensional constraint, right-click in the drawing area, and click Properties. 2 Enter the new values for Name, Expression, and Description text boxes. To turn a dimensional constraint off 1 Click a constrained object in a drawing to select it. The grips are displayed on the object to show that it is selected. 2 Move your cursor over a grip. The grip color turns red. 3 Click the grip. 4 Press and release the Ctrl key.
DELCONSTRAINT Removes all geometric and dimensional constraints from a selection set of objects. LIST Displays property data for selected objects. PARAMETERS Controls the associative parameters used in the drawing. -PARAMETERS Controls the associative parameters used in the drawing. PARAMETERSCLOSE Closes the Parameters Manager palette. TEXTEDIT Edits a dimensional constraint, dimension, or text object. CONSTRAINTNAMEFORMAT Controls the text format for dimensional constraints.
Overview of Formulas and Equations NOTE This topic has been included for AutoCAD-compatibility purposes only. In AutoCAD LT, parametric drawing technology is limited to displaying and hiding constraints, editing constrained geometry, and changing values in the Parameters Manager. Formulas and equations can be represented either as expressions within dimensional constraint parameters or by defining user variables.
As you can see, part of the equation for determining the area of the circle is included in the Radius dimensional constraint parameter and part was defined as a user variable. Alternatively, the entire expression, sqrt (Length * Width / PI), could have been assigned to the Radius dimensional constraint parameter, defined in a user variable, or some other combination.
■ Right-click and click Delete to remove a dimensional constraint parameter or user variable. ■ Click a column heading to sort the list of parameters by name, expression, or value. Use Operators in Expressions Dimensional constraint parameters and user variables support the following operators within expressions: Operator Description + Addition - Subtraction or unary negation % Floating point modulo * Multiplication / Division ^ Exponentiation () Parenthesis, expression delimiter .
Functions Supported in Expressions The following functions are available for use in expressions: Function Syntax Cosine cos(expression) Sine sin(expression) Tangent tan(expression) Arc cosine acos(expression) Arc sine asin(expression) Arc tangent atan(expression) Hyperbolic cosine cosh(expression) Hyperbolic sine sinh(expression) Hyperbolic tangent tanh(expression) Arc hyperbolic cosine acosh(expression) Arc hyperbolic sine asinh(expression) Arc hyperbolic tangent atanh(expression)
Function Syntax Absolute value abs(expression) Largest element in array max(expression1;expression2) Smallest element in array min(expression1;expression2) Degrees to radians d2r(expression) Radians to degrees r2d(expression) Logarithm, base e ln(expression) Logarithm, base 10 log(expression) Exponent, base e exp(expression) Exponent, base 10 exp10(expression) Power function pow(expression1;expression2) Random decimal, 0-1 Random In addition to these functions, the constants Pi and e
To include a function in an expression 1 Click Parametric tab ➤ Manage panel ➤ Parameters Manager. 2 Double-click the Expression column of the variable to which you want to add the function. 3 Right-click the Expression column, and click Expressions. 4 Select the function to insert it in the Expression column. To modify a user parameter 1 Click Parametric tab ➤ Manage panel ➤ Parameters Manager. 2 Double-click the columns of the variable you want to edit. 3 Change the values of the appropriate columns.
Organize Parameters into Groups Organize dimensional and user-defined parameters into groups, and control whether they are displayed in the Parameters Manager list. When many dimensional and user-defined parameters are defined in a drawing, it can be useful to use the Parameters Manager to create several parameter groups, and then assign the parameters to one or more of the groups with a simple drag and drop operation.
To add or remove parameters to or from parameter groups 1 Click Parametric tab ➤ Manage panel ➤ Parameters Manager. 2 In the Parameters Manager, you can do the following: ■ Add parameters to any user-defined parameter group. Select the parameters that you want to add to a parameter group. Drag and drop the selected parameters into a parameter group in the filter tree. A parameter can belong to multiple groups. ■ Remove parameters from a group. Select the parameters you want to remove.
Define and Reference Blocks 653
654
Work with Blocks 19 A block is one or more objects combined to create a single object. Blocks help you reuse objects in the same drawing or in other drawings. Overview of Blocks How Blocks Are Stored and Referenced Every drawing file has a block definition table that stores all block definitions, which consist of all information associated with the block. It is these block definitions that are referenced when you insert blocks in your drawing.
When you insert a block you are inserting a block reference. The information is not copied from the block definition to the drawing area. Instead, a link is established between the block reference and the block definition. Therefore, if the block definition is changed, all references are updated automatically. Use PURGE to remove unused block definitions from a drawing. Blocks and Layers A block can be composed of objects drawn on several layers with various colors, linetypes, and lineweight properties.
Insert Blocks When you insert a block, you create a block reference and specify its location, scale, and rotation. Scale Block References You can specify the scale of a block reference using different X, Y, and Z values. A block that uses different drawing units than the units specified for the drawing is automatically scaled by a factor equivalent to the ratio between the two units.
Xrefs contained in a drawing you insert may not be displayed properly unless the xref was previously inserted or attached to the destination drawing. Insert Blocks from Tool Palettes You can insert blocks from tool palettes by dragging the block tool into the drawing or by clicking the block tool and then specifying an insertion point. You can choose to be prompted for a rotation angle (starting from 0) when you click and place the block.
from block library drawings. A block library drawing contains block definitions of symbols with similar functions. These block definitions are stored together in a single drawing file for easy accessibility and management. Insert Blocks with DesignCenter Use DesignCenter to insert blocks from the current drawing or from another drawing. Drag and drop the block names for quick placement. Double-click the block names to specify the precise location, rotation, and scale of the blocks.
4 If you want the objects in the block to be inserted as individual objects instead of as a single block, select Explode. 5 Click OK. To insert a drawing file as a block by dragging 1 From Windows Explorer or any folder, drag the drawing file icon into the drawing area. When you release the button, you are prompted for an insertion point. 2 Specify the insertion point and scale and rotation values.
4 Select Specify On-Screen to use the pointing device to specify one or more of the following: ■ Insertion Point ■ Scale ■ Rotation 5 Click OK. 6 In the Properties palette, change the properties of the block (or dynamic block). Quick Reference ADCENTER Manages and inserts content such as blocks, xrefs, and hatch patterns. DIVIDE Creates evenly spaced point objects or blocks along the length or perimeter of an object. INSERT Inserts a block or drawing into the current drawing.
INSUNITSDEFTARGET Sets target drawing units value when INSUNITS is set to 0. Work with Dynamic Blocks in Drawings A dynamic block reference can be changed in a drawing while you work. Overview of Dynamic Blocks Dynamic block references contain grips or custom properties that change the way the reference is displayed in the drawing after it is inserted. For example, a dynamic block reference of a door can change size after you insert the block reference into your drawing.
Some dynamic blocks are defined so that geometry within the block can only be edited to certain sizes specified in the block definition. When you use a grip to edit the block reference, tick marks are displayed at the locations of valid values for the block reference. If you change a block property value to a value other than one specified in the definition, the parameter will adjust to the closest valid value. Quick Reference INSERT Inserts a block or drawing into the current drawing.
The following table shows the different types of custom grips that can be included in a dynamic block.
Work With Lookup Grips A block reference that contains a lookup grip allows you to specify a preset value that changes the way the block reference is displayed. The new size is displayed in the Properties palette under Custom. Control Visibility of Block References A block definition can contain a visibility state grip, which determines several graphical representations of the same block reference.
Reset a Block to Display Default Geometry When you reset a block reference, the block changes back to the default specified in the block definition. For example, you can make a block dynamic again if you non-uniformly scale or explode a dynamic block reference. Quick Reference RESETBLOCK Resets one or more dynamic block references to the default values of the block definition. GRIPDYNCOLOR Controls the color of custom grips for dynamic blocks.
Quick Reference PARAMETERS Controls the associative parameters used in the drawing. Remove Block Definitions To reduce the size of a drawing, you can remove unused block definitions. You can remove a block reference from your drawing by erasing it; however, the block definition remains in the drawing's block definition table. To remove unused block definitions and decrease the drawing size, use PURGE at any time in your drawing session.
To confirm the purging of each item, respond to the prompt by choosing Yes or No, or Yes to All if more than one item is selected. 5 Select more items to purge, or click Close. Quick Reference PURGE Removes unused items, such as block definitions and layers, from the drawing.
Create and Modify Blocks 20 A block definition is a set of objects that are grouped together as one named object with a base point and unique properties. Define Blocks You create blocks by associating objects and giving them a name. Create Blocks Within a Drawing After you define a block in a drawing, you can insert a block reference in the drawing as many times as necessary. Use this method to create blocks quickly.
The illustration shows a typical sequence for creating a block definition within a drawing. You can also use the Block Editor to create blocks that are saved within a drawing. See also: ■ Overview of the Block Editor on page 706 To define a block for the current drawing 1 Create the objects you want to use in the block definition. 2 Click Insert tab ➤ Block panel ➤ Create. 3 In the Block Definition dialog box, enter a block name in the Name box. 4 Under Objects, select Convert to Block.
5 Click Select Objects. 6 Use your pointing device to select the objects to be included in the block definition. Press Enter to complete object selection. 7 In the Block Definition dialog box under Base Point, specify the block insertion point using one of these methods. ■ Click Pick Point to specify a point using the pointing device. ■ Enter the X,Y,Z coordinate values of the point. 8 In the Description box, enter a description for the block definition.
Create a New Drawing File You have two methods for creating drawing files: ■ Create and save a complete drawing file using SAVE or SAVEAS. ■ Create and save only selected objects from your current drawing to a new drawing using EXPORT or WBLOCK. With either method, you create an ordinary drawing file that can be inserted as a block into any other drawing file.
If you want the original objects used to create the new drawing to remain in your drawing, make sure the Delete From Drawing option is not selected. If this option is selected, the original objects are erased from the drawing. If necessary, you can use OOPS to restore them. 4 Click Select Objects. 5 Use your pointing device to select the objects to be included in the new drawing. Press Enter to complete object selection.
BLOCK Creates a block definition from selected objects. EXPORT Saves the objects in a drawing to a different file format. INSERT Inserts a block or drawing into the current drawing. OOPS Restores erased objects. WBLOCK Writes objects or a block to a new drawing file.
■ Objects inherit color, linetype, and lineweight properties from the current color, linetype, and lineweight that you have set explicitly, that is, that you have set to override the color, linetype, or lineweight assigned to the current layer. If you have not explicitly set them, then these properties are inherited from the color, linetype, and lineweight assigned to the current layer.
LINETYPE Loads, sets, and modifies linetypes. PROPERTIES Controls properties of existing objects. Nest Blocks The only restriction on nested blocks is that you cannot insert blocks that reference themselves. See also: ■ Add Constraints to Dynamic Blocks Quick Reference BLOCK Creates a block definition from selected objects.
Create Block Libraries A block library is a collection of block definitions stored in a single drawing file. You can use block libraries supplied by Autodesk or other vendors or create your own. You can organize a set of related block definitions by creating the blocks in the same drawing file. Drawing files used this way are called block, or symbol, libraries. These block definitions can be inserted individually into any drawing that you are working on.
Quick Reference BLOCK Creates a block definition from selected objects. Use Tool Palettes to Organize Blocks You can use tool palettes to organize blocks that are stored in one drawing file or separate drawing files. Once you've added a block tool to a tool palette, you can insert the block reference by dragging it from the tool palette to the drawing or by clicking and placing it in the drawing.
You can add construction geometry (BCONSTRUCTION command) to the selection sets of legacy actions. The construction geometry is not affected by the visibility states. It is filtered from the selection set in the BVSTATE command when you add or remove geometry from a visibility state. NOTE When you explode a block containing construction geometry in previous versions of AutoCAD, the geometry is hidden in the drawing.
The attributes in the illustration are single-line attributes. You can also create multiple-line attributes to store data such as addresses and descriptions. Attribute information extracted from a drawing can be used in a spreadsheet or database to produce a parts list or a bill of materials. You can associate more than one attribute with a block, provided that each attribute has a different tag. Attributes also can be "invisible.
Quick Reference ATTDEF Creates an attribute definition for storing data in a block. ATTDISP Controls the visibility overrides for all block attributes in a drawing. ATTEDIT Changes attribute information in a block. ATTIPEDIT Changes the textual content of an attribute within a block. DDEDIT Edits single-line text, dimension text, attribute definitions, and feature control frames. PROPERTIES Controls properties of existing objects. AFLAGS Sets options for attributes.
Define Block Attributes The characteristics include the tag, which is a name that identifies the attribute, the prompt displayed when you insert the block, value information, text formatting, location within the block, and any optional modes (Invisible, Constant, Verify, Preset, Lock Position, and Multiple Lines). If you plan to extract the attribute information for use in a parts list, you may want to keep a list of the attribute tags you have created.
the current release, these single line attributes are automatically merged back into a multiple-line attribute. NOTE If a multiple-line attribute makes a round trip to an earlier release of AutoCAD LT, the differences between these two types of attributes might result in truncating very long lines of text and loss of formatting. However, before any characters are truncated, AutoCAD LT displays a dialog box that lets you cancel the operation.
Use Attributes Without Attaching Them to Blocks Stand-alone attributes can also be created. Once attributes have been defined, and the drawing is saved, this drawing file can be inserted into another drawing. When the drawing is inserted, you are prompted for the attribute values. To create an attribute definition 1 Click Home tab ➤ Block panel ➤ Define Attributes. 2 In the Attribute Definition dialog box, set the attribute modes and enter tag information, location, and text options.
4 Click Attribute Order. 5 In the Attribute Order dialog box, select an attribute definition. 6 Click Move Up or Move Down to change the prompt order of the attribute definitions. 7 Repeat steps 2 and 3 until the attribute definition list is in the desired order. 8 Click OK. Quick Reference ATTDEF Creates an attribute definition for storing data in a block. ATTDISP Controls the visibility overrides for all block attributes in a drawing. BATTORDER Specifies the order of attributes for a block.
Extract Block Attribute Data (Advanced) You can extract attribute information from a drawing and create a separate text file for use with database software. This feature is useful for creating parts lists with information already entered in the drawing database. Extracting attribute information does not affect the drawing.
BL:X Nwwwddd(X coordinate of block insertion point) BL:Y Nwwwddd(Y coordinate of block insertion point) BL:Z Nwwwddd(Z coordinate of block insertion point) BL:NUMBER Nwww000 (Block counter; the same for MINSERT) BL:HANDLE Cwww000 (Block handle; the same for MINSERT) BL:LAYER Cwww000 (Block insertion layer name) BL:ORIENT Nwwwddd(Block rotation angle) BL:XSCALE Nwwwddd(X scale factor) BL:YSCALE Nwwwddd(Y scale factor) BL:ZSCALE Nwwwddd(Z scale factor) BL:XEXTRUDE Nwwwddd(X component of block extrusion direct
You can create any number of template files, depending on how you'll use the data. Each line of a template file specifies one field to be written in the attribute extraction file. Follow these additional guidelines: ■ Be sure to place a space between the attribute tag and the character or numeric data. Use SPACEBAR, not TAB, to enter the space. ■ Press Enter at the end of each line, including the last line.
The SDF format also produces a file containing one record for each block reference in a drawing. The fields of each record have a fixed width and employ neither field separators nor character-string delimiters. The dBASE III Copy . . . SDF operation also produces SDI-format files. The Append From... SDF operation can read a file in dBASE IV format, which user programs written in FORTRAN can easily process.
If you specified an SDF format using the sample template, the file might be similar to the following example. (NAME) (X) (Y) (SUPPLIER) (MODEL) (PRICE) DESK 120.0 49.5 ACME INDUST. 51-793W 379.95 CHAIR 122.0 47.0 ACME INDUST. 34-902A 199.95 DESK -77.2 40.0 TOP DRAWER INC. X-52-44 249.95 The order of the fields corresponds to the order of the fields in the template files.
This could happen, for example, if you have a BL:NAME field with a width of 8 characters and a block in your drawing has a name 10 characters long. To create an attribute extraction template file 1 Start Notepad. You can use any text editor or word processor that can save a text file in ASCII format. 2 Enter template information in Notepad. See Extract Block Attribute Data (Advanced) on page 686 for format information. 3 Save the file with a .txt file extension.
Modify Blocks You can modify a block definition or a block reference already inserted in the drawing. Modify a Block Definition You can redefine block definitions in your current drawing. Redefining a block definition affects both previous and future insertions of the block in the current drawing and any associated attributes. There are two methods for redefining a block definition: ■ Modify the block definition in the current drawing.
NOTE Block descriptions are stripped off when using INSERT. Use the Clipboard to copy and paste a block description displayed in the Block Definition dialog box from one block definition to another. Modify the Description of a Block To modify the DesignCenter description of a block definition, use BLOCK. You can also add descriptions to any number of existing blocks in the Block Definition dialog box. Redefine Block Attributes You can attach attributes to a block when you define or redefine that block.
2 In the tree view, click the folder that contains the drawing file from which the block originated. 3 In the content area (on the right side), right-click the drawing file. 4 On the shortcut menu, click Insert as Block. 5 In the Insert dialog box, click OK. 6 In the Block - Redefine Block dialog box, click Redefine Block. 7 Press ESC to exit the command. To modify a block description 1 Click Modify menu ➤ Object ➤ Block Description.
You can also change the location of attributes in a block using grips. With multiple-line attributes, you can also move grips to resize the width of the text. See also: ■ Modify a Block Definition on page 692 To edit attribute data 1 Click Modify menu ➤ Objects ➤ Attribute ➤ Single. 2 Select the block to edit. 3 In the Edit Attributes dialog box, retype the attribute information as necessary and click OK. Quick Reference ATTEDIT Changes attribute information in a block.
Modify a Block Attribute Definition You can modify attributes in block definitions with the Block Attribute Manager.
Update Block References You can update attributes in all block references in the current drawing with changes you made to the block definition. For example, you may have used the Block Attribute Manager to modify attribute properties in several block definitions in your drawing but elected not to automatically update existing block references when you made the changes. Now that you are satisfied with the attribute changes you made, you can apply those changes to all blocks in the current drawing.
To specify whether changes are applied to existing block references 1 Click Home tab ➤ Block panel ➤ Manage Attributes. 2 In the Block Attribute Manager, click Settings. 3 In the Settings dialog box, do one of the following: ■ To apply changes to existing block references, select the Apply Changes to Existing References option. ■ To apply changes only to new block insertions, clear the Apply Changes to Existing References option. 4 Click OK.
To remove an attribute from a block definition and all block references 1 Click Home tab ➤ Block panel ➤ Manage Attributes. 2 In the Block Attribute Manager, select a block from the Block list, or click Select Block and select a block in the drawing area. 3 (Optional) If you do not want attributes removed from existing instances of the block, click Settings, and, in the Settings dialog box, clear Apply Changes to Existing References.
Alternate 1 Click Home tab ➤ Block panel ➤ Edit Single Attribute. 2 In the drawing area, select the block you want to edit. 3 In the Enhanced Attribute Editor, select the attribute you want to edit. You can change the attribute value or choose another tab and edit other attribute properties. 4 Make the attribute changes you want, and then do one of the following: ■ Click Apply to save your changes. The Enhanced Attribute Editor remains open.
ATTMULTI Controls whether multiline attributes can be created. Disassemble a Block Reference (Explode) If you need to modify one or more objects within a block separately, you can disassemble, or explode, the block reference into its component objects.
Quick Reference EXPLODE Breaks a compound object into its component objects. XPLODE Breaks a compound object into its component objects.
Add Behaviors to Blocks (Dynamic Blocks) 21 Instead of being a fixed part of a drawing, a dynamic block reference can be changed or manipulated as you work in a drawing. Overview of Dynamic Blocks Dynamic block definitions allow you to edit a block reference outside of the Block Editor. They contain rules, or parameters, for how to change the appearance of the block reference when it is inserted in the drawing. A dynamic block reference inserts one block that can be edited in several different ways.
Add Actions and Parameters to Block Definitions In a block definition, actions and parameters provide rules for the behavior or a block once it is inserted into the drawing. Depending on the specified block geometry, or parameter, you can associate an action to that parameter. The parameter is represented as a grip in the drawing. When you edit the grip, the associated action determines what will change in the block reference.
Add actions. If you are working with action parameters on page 719, if necessary, add actions to define what ----will happen to the geometry when it is manipulated. Define custom properties. Add properties that determine how the block is ----- displayed in the drawing area. Custom properties affect grips, labels, and preset values for block geometry. Test the block. On the ribbon, in the Block Editor contextual tab, ----- Open/Save panel, click Test Block to test the block before you save it.
Overview of the Block Editor In the Block Editor, you can ■ Define a block ■ Add an action parameter ■ Define attributes ■ Manage visibility states ■ Test and save the block definition UCS in the Block Editor Within the Block Editor, the origin of the UCS icon defines the base point for the block. You can change the base point for the block by moving the geometry relative to the origin of the UCS icon, or by adding a base point parameter. The UCS command is disabled in the Block Editor.
■ Select if the drawing is the block definition you want to open. 3 Click OK. To create a new block definition in the Block Editor 1 Click Home tab ➤ Block panel ➤ Create. 2 In the Edit Block Definition dialog box, enter a name for the new block definition. Click OK. 3 Click Block Editor tab ➤ Open/Save panel ➤ Save Block. NOTE This saves the block definition even if you have not added any objects in the Block Editor drawing area. 4 Click Close Block Editor.
To view properties of a block definition in the Block Editor 1 Click Insert tab ➤ Block panel ➤ Edit. 2 In the Edit Block Definition dialog box, do one of the following: ■ Select a block definition from the list. ■ Select if the drawing is the block definition you want to open. 3 Click OK. 4 Click View tab ➤ Palettes panel ➤ Properties. 5 In the Properties Palette window, under Block, view the properties of the block definition. Quick Reference BCLOSE Closes the Block Editor.
Similar to tool palettes, you can also use these palettes to add parameters and actions to your dynamic block definition. Change Properties of Tools In the Tool Properties dialog box, you can change the following properties of custom tools: ■ Tool description ■ Parameter type ■ Associated action(s) ■ Key point on the parameter to which the action is tied (if applicable) ■ Tool palette image NOTE You cannot drag parameters and actions from the Block Editor onto a regular tool palette.
To make a copy of a parameter set 1 Click Insert tab ➤ Block panel ➤ Block Editor. 2 In the Edit Block Definition dialog box, Under Block To Create or Edit, select a name from the list and then, click OK. 3 Click Block Editor tab ➤ Manage panel ➤ Authoring Palettes. 4 In the Block Authoring Palettes window, Parameters Sets tab, right-click a parameter set. Click Copy. 5 Right-click anywhere on the palette to which you want to add the parameter set (except on a parameter set). Click Paste.
Quick Reference BAUTHORPALETTE Opens the Block Authoring Palettes window in the Block Editor. BAUTHORPALETTECLOSE Closes the Block Authoring Palettes window in the Block Editor. BEDIT Opens the block definition in the Block Editor. TOOLPALETTES Opens the Tool Palettes window. BLOCKEDITOR Indicates whether or not the Block Editor is open. Test Blocks Within the Block Editor Test your block definition before you save or exit the Block Editor.
Modify Dynamic Block Definitions Correct Errors in Action Parameters A yellow alert icon is displayed when ■ A parameter is not associated with an action ■ An action is not associated with a parameter or selection set To correct these errors, hover over the yellow alert icon until the tooltip displays a description of the problem. Then double-click the constraint and follow the prompts.
To save the current block definition as a new drawing file 1 Click Insert tab ➤ Block panel ➤ Block Editor. 2 Click Block Editor tab ➤ Open/Save panel ➤ Save Block As. 3 In the Save Block As dialog box, enter a name for the new block definition. 4 Select the Save Block Definition to Drawing File check box. Click OK. 5 In the Browse For Drawing File dialog box, click Save. Quick Reference BACTION Adds an action to a dynamic block definition. BACTIONTOOL Adds an action to a dynamic block definition.
BLOOKUPTABLE Displays or creates a lookup table for a dynamic block definition. BSAVE Saves the current block definition. BSAVEAS Saves a copy of the current block definition under a new name. BVSTATE Creates, sets, or deletes a visibility state in a dynamic block. Add Action Parameters to Dynamic Blocks You can add actions and parameters to dynamic blocks to determine how a block should behave when it is inserted into a drawing.
Hover the cursor over an action icon to display ■ The associated parameter ■ The associated selection set ■ Additional objects that belong to the action NOTE In order to use the BASSOCIATE command, you must first set BACTIONBARMODE to 0. Custom Tools You can create custom block authoring tools, which you access from the block authoring palettes. In order to preserve the default tools on the block authoring palettes, you should create a new palette for custom block authoring tools.
Dependencies When you select a parameter, grip, or action in the Block Editor, its associated objects are highlighted. This is called dependency highlighting. You can turn dependency highlighting on or off. The following example shows how dependency highlighting creates a halo effect for the associated parameter (labeled Distance) and action (labeled Stretch) when you select the custom grip in the Block Editor.
3 At the Command prompt, enter bactioncolor. 4 Enter one of the following values: ■ BYLAYER ■ BYBLOCK ■ An integer from 1 to 255. 5 Press Enter. 6 At the Command prompt, enter regen to regenerate the drawing. Quick Reference BACTIONBAR Displays or hides action bars for a selection set of parameter objects. BEDIT Opens the block definition in the Block Editor. BESETTINGS Displays the Block Editor Settings dialog box. BLOCK Creates a block definition from selected objects.
BGRIPOBJCOLOR Sets the color of grips in the Block Editor. BGRIPOBJSIZE Sets the display size of custom grips in the Block Editor relative to the screen display. BPARAMETERCOLOR Sets the color of parameters in the Block Editor. BPARAMETERFONT Sets the font used for parameters and actions in the Block Editor. BPARAMETERSIZE Sets the size of parameter text and features in the Block Editor relative to the screen display.
See also: ■ Specify Value Sets for Dynamic Blocks on page 738 ■ Specify Properties for Dynamic Blocks on page 733 ■ Extract Block Attribute Data (Advanced) on page 686 Quick Reference BEDIT Opens the block definition in the Block Editor. BPARAMETER Adds a parameter with grips to a dynamic block definition. BSAVE Saves the current block definition.
When you move the grip in the example above, only the geometry in the selection set is stretched. Quick Reference BEDIT Opens the block definition in the Block Editor. BACTION Adds an action to a dynamic block definition. BACTIONSET Specifies the selection set of objects associated with an action in a dynamic block definition. BASSOCIATE Associates an action with a parameter in a dynamic block definition. BLOOKUPTABLE Displays or creates a lookup table for a dynamic block definition.
Apply a Move Action to a Linear Parameter A move action associated with a linear parameter moves all objects in a selection set only in the direction of the linear parameter. The parameter key point is the location of the grip in the block reference. Apply a Move Action to a Polar Parameter A move action associated with a polar parameter moves all objects in a selection set in any direction.
Apply a Scale Action to a Linear Parameter A scale action applied to a linear parameter scales the selected objects in the direction of the parameter. Apply a Scale Action to a Polar Parameter A scale action applied to a polar parameter scales the selected objects by the specified distance and angle. While the resulting geometry behaves in the same way as a scale action applied to a linear parameter, the way the grips are manipulated is different in the Properties palette.
Stretch Actions Move and stretch objects a specified distance in a specified direction relative to the base point specified by the action. Apply a Stretch Action to a Point Parameter A stretch action applied to a point parameter moves and stretches selected objects a specified distance in any direction. Apply a Stretch Action to a Linear or Polar Parameter A stretch action applied to a linear parameter moves and stretches selected objects a specified distance in the direction of the parameter.
Polar Stretch Actions Rotate, move, and stretch objects a specified angle and distance. Apply a Polar Stretch Action to a Polar Parameter A polar stretch action can only be applied to a polar parameter. Like the stretch action, selected objects stretch when this action is applied. However, a polar stretch action also allows you to stretch the objects at any angle. Quick Reference BEDIT Opens the block definition in the Block Editor. BACTION Adds an action to a dynamic block definition.
Quick Reference BEDIT Opens the block definition in the Block Editor. BACTION Adds an action to a dynamic block definition. BACTIONSET Specifies the selection set of objects associated with an action in a dynamic block definition. BASSOCIATE Associates an action with a parameter in a dynamic block definition. BLOOKUPTABLE Displays or creates a lookup table for a dynamic block definition. PROPERTIES Controls properties of existing objects.
BASSOCIATE Associates an action with a parameter in a dynamic block definition. BLOOKUPTABLE Displays or creates a lookup table for a dynamic block definition. PROPERTIES Controls properties of existing objects. Array Actions Copy and array objects in a rectangular pattern. Apply an Array Action to a Linear Parameter An array action applied to a linear parameter copies and arrays selected objects in a rectangular pattern along the parameter only.
BASSOCIATE Associates an action with a parameter in a dynamic block definition. BLOOKUPTABLE Displays or creates a lookup table for a dynamic block definition. PROPERTIES Controls properties of existing objects. Lookup Actions Lookup tables associate parameter values for the dynamic block reference with other specified data (for example, a model or part number). You can extract data from block references just as you would extract block attribute data.
To add values to the cells in each column, click a cell and enter a value. If you defined a value set for an input property (parameter) in the table, a drop-down list of available values will display. Make sure to follow the guidelines in Specify Values for Lookup Tables on page 728. Custom Values In a lookup table that does not use value sets, parameter values that do not match a row of input property values from the lookup table are assigned the lookup property value that corresponds to .
■ To specify a range, use brackets [ ] to specify that the range includes the values separated by a comma, or use parentheses ( ) to specify that the range does not include the values separated by a comma. ■ For a continuous range, use a pair of values separated by a comma, enclosed in brackets or parentheses. For example: [3,10] specifies any value between 3 and 10, including 3 and 10 (3,10) specifies any value between 3 and 10, not including 3 and 10.
8 If you are finished using the Block Editor, click Close Block Editor. To edit a lookup table while the action bars are displayed in the Block Editor 1 Hover the cursor over the lookup action icon. 2 Right-click and select Display Lookup Table. To display and add properties to a lookup table 1 In the Block Editor, double-click a lookup action in a dynamic block definition. 2 In the Property Lookup Table dialog box, click Add Properties.
NOTE You can only select Allow Reverse Lookup if you have entered data in the column. 4 Click OK. Quick Reference BACTION Adds an action to a dynamic block definition. BEDIT Opens the block definition in the Block Editor. BLOOKUPTABLE Displays or creates a lookup table for a dynamic block definition. BPARAMETER Adds a parameter with grips to a dynamic block definition. Use Chained Actions Point, linear, polar, XY, and rotation parameters have a property called Chain Actions.
If the Chain Actions property for the point parameter is set to Yes, a change in the linear parameter will trigger the move action associated with the point parameter, just as if you edited the point parameter in the block reference through a grip or custom property. If the Chain Actions property is set to No, the point parameter's associated move action is not triggered by the changes to the linear parameter. Thus, the circle doesn't move.
2 In the Block Editor, click Tools menu ➤ Properties. The Properties palette is displayed. 3 In the Block Editor, select a point, linear, polar, XY, or rotation parameter. 4 In the Properties palette, under Misc, click Chain Actions. 5 On the drop-down list, select Yes or No. 6 Click Block Editor tab ➤ Open/Save panel ➤ Save Block. 7 (Optional) If you are finished using the Block Editor, click Close Block Editor. Quick Reference BEDIT Opens the block definition in the Block Editor.
Assign Labels to Parameters When you select the dynamic block reference in a drawing, parameter labels are assigned to custom properties in the Properties palette. You can specify whether or not these custom properties are displayed for the block reference when it is selected in a drawing. These properties can also be extracted using the Attribute Extraction wizard. It is good practice to specify unique parameter labels within the block.
Property name ■ Angle Description ■ Distance Description ■ Flip Description ■ Description Associated parameter Defines a description that will further explain the purpose of the parameter. The text string will display in the tooltip when the mouse pointer hovers over the position name.
Property name Description Associated parameter ■ XY ■ Rotate ■ Flip ■ Visibility ■ Lookup See also: ■ Define User Parameters in Dynamic Blocks ■ Specify Value Sets for Dynamic Blocks on page 738 ■ Use Chained Actions on page 731 ■ Specify Grips for Dynamic Blocks on page 741 To specify the display of custom properties in a dynamic block reference 1 Ensure that the Properties palette is displayed. If not, click Tools menu ➤ Palettes ➤ Properties.
To specify that dynamic block reference can be exploded 1 Open a block definition in the Block Editor 2 In the Block Editor, make sure nothing is selected. 3 In the Properties palette, under Block, click Allow Exploding. 4 On the drop-down list, select Yes or No. 5 Click Block Editor tab ➤ Open/Save panel ➤ Save Block. 6 (Optional) If you are finished using the Block Editor, click Close Block Editor.
Specify Value Sets for Dynamic Blocks A value set is a range or list of values specified for a parameter. These values can be displayed for the block reference as a drop-down list next to the parameter label under Custom in the Properties palette. When you define a value set for a parameter, the parameter is limited to these values when the block reference is manipulated in a drawing.
5 On the drop-down list, select List. 6 In the Properties palette, under Value Set, click one of the following: ■ Ang Value List ■ Dist Value List ■ Hor Value List ■ Ver Value List 7 Click the [...] button. 8 In the Add Distance Value/Angle dialog box, enter one value or two or more values separated by commas, or to delete a value, select it from the list. 9 Click Add or Delete. 10 Click OK. 11 Click Block Editor tab ➤ Open/Save panel ➤ Save Block.
7 Click Dist Minimum, Ang Minimum, Hor Minimum, or Ver Minimum, and then enter a minimum value for the parameter. 8 Click Dist Maximum, Ang Maximum, Hor Maximum, or Ver Maximum, and then enter a maximum value for the parameter. 9 Click Block Editor tab ➤ Open/Save panel ➤ Save Block. 10 (Optional) If you are finished using the Block Editor, click Close Block Editor. To specify minimum and maximum values for a linear, polar, XY, or rotation parameter 1 Ensure that the Properties palette is displayed.
PROPERTIES Controls properties of existing objects. Specify Distance and Angle Values Action overrides are properties of actions that have no effect on the block reference until it is manipulated in a drawing. Use distance multiplier overrides with the following actions: ■ Move on page 720 ■ Stretch on page 723 ■ Polar Stretch on page 724 You can specify these action override properties by following the Command prompts when you add an action to a dynamic block definition.
Parameter Type Grip Type Actions You Can Associate with a Parameter XY Standard Move, Scale, Stretch, Array Rotation Rotation Rotate Flip Flip Flip Alignment Alignment None (The action is implied and contained within the parameter.) Visibility Lookup None (The action is implied and controlled by visibility states.
displayed is a lookup grip. When you click this grip on the block reference, a drop-down list is displayed. When you select an item from the list, the display of the block reference may change. Grips are automatically added at key points on the parameter. You can reposition a grip anywhere in the block space relative to its associated key point on the parameter. When you reposition a grip, it is still tied to the key point with which it is associated.
Specify Tooltips on Grips Each of the dynamic block parameters has one or more description fields with the exception of the basepoint and alignment parameters.
3 On the Properties palette, under Misc, click Number of Grips, and then select the number of grips you want to display for the parameter. 4 Click Block Editor tab ➤ Open/Save panel ➤ Save Block. 5 (Optional) If you are finished using the Block Editor, click Close Block Editor. To reposition a grip in a dynamic block definition 1 Click Insert tab ➤ Block panel ➤ Block Editor. 2 In the Block Editor, select a custom grip (not the standard grip associated with the key point of the parameter).
6 (Optional) If you are finished using the Block Editor, click Close Block Editor. To turn insertion cycling on or off for a custom grip in a dynamic block reference 1 Click Insert tab ➤ Block panel ➤ Block Editor. 2 In the Block Editor, at the Command prompt, enter bcycleorder. 3 In the Insertion Cycling Order dialog box, select a grip from the list, and click Cycling to turn cycling on or off for the grip. (A check mark in the Cycling column indicates that cycling is turned on for the grip.) 4 Click OK.
Quick Reference BEDIT Opens the block definition in the Block Editor. BCYCLEORDER Changes the cycling order of grips for a dynamic block reference. BGRIPSET Creates, deletes, or resets grips associated with a parameter. BPARAMETER Adds a parameter with grips to a dynamic block definition. GRIPTIPS Controls the display of grip tips and Ctrl-cycling tooltips. Control the Visibility of Objects in a Block Using visibility states, you can create a block with different graphical representations.
After you combine the geometry in the Block Editor, you add a visibility parameter. You can then create and name a different visibility state for each weld symbol (for example, WLD1, WLD2, WLD3, and WLD4). In the following example, the WLD1 visibility state is displayed in the Block Editor. The geometry that displays in a dimmed state is invisible for the WLD1 visibility state. The Block Editor contextual tab displays the name of the current visibility state.
To make a visibility state current 1 Click Insert tab ➤ Block panel ➤ Block Editor. 2 Click Block Editor tab ➤ Visibility panel ➤ Visibility States. 3 Select the visibility state that you want to set as the current state. To rename or delete a visibility state 1 Click Insert tab ➤ Block panel ➤ Block Editor. 2 Click Block Editor tab ➤ Visibility panel ➤ Visibility States. 3 In the Visibility States dialog box, select a visibility state from the list.
To make objects visible or invisible in all visibility states 1 Click Insert tab ➤ Block panel ➤ Block Editor. 2 In the Block Editor drawing area, select the objects that you want to make visible in all visibility states. 3 Right-click in the drawing area and click one of the following: ■ Object Visibility ➤ Show For All States ■ Object Visibility ➤ Hide For All States To show or hide invisible geometry for visibility states 1 Click Insert tab ➤ Block panel ➤ Block Editor.
2 Click Block Editor tab ➤ Visibility panel ➤ Visibility States. 3 In the Visibility States dialog box, select a visibility state in the list. 4 Click Move Up until the selected visibility state is at the top of the list. 5 Click OK. Quick Reference BEDIT Opens the block definition in the Block Editor. BPARAMETER Adds a parameter with grips to a dynamic block definition. BVHIDE Makes objects invisible in the current visibility state or all visibility states in a dynamic block definition.
752
Work with 3D Models 753
754
Create 3D Models 22 You can display 3D objects from products such as AutoCAD in AutoCAD LT. Creation of 3D objects is limited to objects with 3D thickness or objects that can be displayed using the wireframe visual style. Create Wireframe Models A wireframe model is an edge or skeletal representation of a real-world 3D object using lines and curves. Wireframe models consist only of points, lines, and curves that describe the edges of the object.
Methods for Creating Wireframe Models You can create wireframe models by positioning any 2D planar object anywhere in 3D space, using the following methods: ■ Enter 3D coordinates that define the X, Y, and Z location of the object. ■ Set the default workplane (the XY plane of the UCS) on which to draw the object. ■ Move or copy the object to its proper 3D location after you create it. Wireframe modeling is a skill that requires practice and experience.
2 Use an object snap to specify a point on an object that is not on the XY plane of the UCS. This location defines the first point of the line. 3 Enter .xy and then enter @ at the Of prompt. This operation extracts the X and Y coordinate values from the first point. 4 Enter 0 to specify the Z value. The X and Y values extracted from the first point are combined with a new Z value (0) to finish the definition of the second point. 5 Press Enter to end the command.
The orientation of the UCS when the object was created determines the Z direction. Objects with a non-zero thickness can be shaded and can hide other objects behind them.
2 At the Command prompt, enter the value for the thickness distance. When new objects are created, they have the specified 3D thickness. To change the 3D thickness of existing objects 1 Select the objects whose 3D thickness you want to change. 2 Right-click one of the objects. Click Properties. 3 In the Properties palette, select Thickness and enter a new value. The selected objects change to display the specified 3D thickness.
760
Annotate Drawings 761
762
Work with Annotations 23 When you annotate your drawings, you can use certain tools and properties to make working with annotations easier. Overview of Annotations Annotations are notes or other types of explanatory symbols or objects that are commonly used to add information to your drawing.
■ Blocks ■ Attributes Quick Reference Commands ATTDEF Creates an attribute definition for storing data in a block. BLOCK Creates a block definition from selected objects. DIMSTYLE Creates and modifies dimension styles. MLEADERSTYLE Creates and modifies multileader styles. MTEXT Creates a multiline text object. OBJECTSCALE Adds or deletes supported scales for annotative objects. STYLE Creates, modifies, or specifies text styles. TEXT Creates a single-line text object.
Overview of Scaling Annotations Objects that are commonly used to annotate drawings have a property called Annotative. This property allows you to automate the process of scaling annotations so that they plot or display at the correct size on the paper. Instead of creating multiple annotations at different sizes and on separate layers, you can turn on the annotative property by object or by style, and set the annotation scale for layout or model viewports.
Workflow for Annotating Drawings The following steps represent a typical workflow for annotating a drawing so that your annotations will scale automatically. 1 Create annotative styles on page 774. 2 In model space, set the annotation scale to the scale at which the annotations will be plotted or displayed on page 767. 3 Create annotative objects using annotative styles on page 774. If one or more annotative objects needs to be displayed at an additional scale, follow these steps.
System Variables ANNOAUTOSCALE Updates annotative objects to support the annotation scale when the annotation scale is changed. CANNOSCALE Sets the name of the current annotation scale for the current space. CANNOSCALEVALUE Returns the value of the current annotation scale. MSLTSCALE Scales linetypes displayed on the model tab by the annotation scale. Set Annotation Scale is a setting that is saved with model space, layout viewports, and model views.
Use the CANNOSCALE system variable to set a default annotation scale setting. You can reset the list of annotative scales in a drawing to the default list of either metric or imperial scales defined in the registry with the Default Scale dialog box.
CANNOSCALE Sets the name of the current annotation scale for the current space. CANNOSCALEVALUE Returns the value of the current annotation scale. MSLTSCALE Scales linetypes displayed on the model tab by the annotation scale. Create Annotative Objects Objects that are commonly used to annotate drawings have a property called Annotative.
Many of the dialog boxes used to create these objects contain an Annotative check box where you can make the object annotative. You can also change existing objects to be annotative by changing the annotative property in the Properties palette. When you hover the cursor over an annotative object that supports one annotation scale, the cursor displays a more than one annotation scale, it displays a 770 | Chapter 23 Work with Annotations icon. When the object supports icon.
Text, dimension, and multileader styles can also be annotative. Annotative styles create annotative objects. Visual Fidelity for Annotative Objects When working with objects, this option allows you to maintain visual fidelity for these objects when they are viewed in AutoCAD LT 2007 and earlier releases. Visual fidelity is controlled by the SAVEFIDELITY system variable. If you work primarily in model space, it is recommended that you turn off visual fidelity (set SAVEFIDELITY to 0).
When this option is not selected, a single model space representation is displayed on the Model tab. More annotation objects may be displayed on the Model tab depending on the ANNOALLVISIBLE setting. Also, more objects may be displayed in paper space viewports at different sizes than in AutoCAD LT 2008 and later releases. For a procedure to set this option for annotative objects, see To save drawings with visual fidelity for annotative objects.
Annotative text, dimension, and multileader styles create objects. The dialog boxes used to define these objects contain an Annotative check box where you can make the styles annotative. Annotative styles display a special palette. icon before their names in dialog boxes and the Properties You should specify the Paper Height value for any annotative text styles you create. The Paper Height setting specifies the height of the text in paper space.
See also: ■ Work with Text Styles on page 901 ■ Create Annotative Text on page 775 ■ Use Dimension Styles on page 961 ■ Create Annotative Dimensions and Tolerances on page 779 ■ Work with Leader Styles on page 886 ■ Create Annotative Leaders and Multileaders on page 784 To create an annotative style ■ Follow the steps in one of the following procedures ■ To create a new annotative text style ■ To change an existing nonannotative text style to annotative ■ To create a new annotative dimensi
Quick Reference Commands ANNOUPDATE Updates existing annotative objects to match the current properties of their styles. DIMSTYLE Creates and modifies dimension styles. MLEADERSTYLE Creates and modifies multileader styles. STYLE Creates, modifies, or specifies text styles. Create Annotative Text Use text for notes and labels in your drawing. You create annotative text by using an annotative text style, which sets the height of the text on the paper.
To create a new annotative text style 1 Click Annotate tab ➤ Text panel ➤ Text Style. 2 In the Text Style dialog box, click New. 3 In the New Text Style dialog box, enter a new style name. 4 Click OK. 5 In the Text Style dialog box, under Size, select Annotative. 6 In the Paper Text Height box, enter the height of the text as it will display on paper. 7 Click Apply. 8 (Optional) Click Set Current to set this style as the current text style. 9 Click Close.
To create annotative single-line text 1 Click Annotate tab ➤ Text panel ➤ Text Style. 2 In the Text Style dialog box, Styles list, select an annotative text style. NOTE A annotative. icon next to a text style name indicates that the style is 3 Click Set Current to set this style as the current text style. 4 Click Close. 5 Click Annotate tab ➤ Text panel ➤ Single Line Text. 6 Specify the insertion point for the first character. 7 Specify a text rotation angle. 8 Enter the text.
To change existing multiline text to annotative or nonannotative 1 Double-click a multiline text object. The In-Place Text Editor is displayed. button on the toolbar to change existing 2 Click the Annotative multiline text to annotative or nonannotative. When the Annotative button is depressed, the text is annotative. When the button is not depressed, the text is nonannotative. 3 Click OK to save the changes.
7 Click Close. 8 In the drawing, select all the text objects (text and mtext) that you want to update. 9 At the command prompt, enter annoupdate. To change the height of annotative text as it will display on the paper 1 In the drawing, select a text object. 2 Click View tab ➤ Palettes panel ➤ Properties. 3 In the Properties palette, under Paper Text Height, enter a new value. Quick Reference Commands MTEXT Creates a multiline text object. STYLE Creates, modifies, or specifies text styles.
If you associate a dimension to an annotative object, the associativity of the dimension is lost. You can also change an existing nonannotative dimension to annotative by changing the dimension’s Annotative property to Yes. NOTE When the current dimension style is annotative, the value of DIMSCALE is automatically set to zero, and does not affect the dimension scale. You can also create annotative tolerances.
6 In the New Dimension Style dialog box, select the appropriate tab and make changes to define the dimension style. 7 Click OK. 8 (Optional) Click Set Current to set this style as the current dimension style. 9 Click Close. To change an existing dimension style to annotative 1 Click Annotate tab ➤ Dimensions panel ➤ Dimension Style. 2 In the Dimension Style Manager dialog box, Styles list, select a style. NOTE A icon next to a dimension style name indicates that the style is already annotative.
one first. For information on creating an annotative dimension style see, To create a new annotative dimension style. 3 Click Set Current. 4 Click Close. 5 Click Annotate tab ➤ Dimensions panel ➤ Dimension drop-down list ➤ select a dimension type, or at the Command prompt, enter a dimension command. If the Select Annotation Scale dialog box is displayed, select the default scale you want to use for the new dimension object and click OK. 6 Place the dimension in the drawing area.
NOTE A icon next to a dimension style name indicates that the style is already annotative. 3 Click Modify. 4 In the Modify Dimension Style dialog box, Fit tab, under Scale for Dimension Features, select Annotative. 5 Click OK. 6 (Optional) Click Set Current to set this style as the current dimension style. 7 Click Close. 8 In the drawing, select all the dimensions that you want to update. 9 At the command prompt, enter annoupdate.
System Variables DIMANNO Creates a single-line text object. Create Annotative Leaders and Multileaders Leaders and multileader on page 1401 are used to add call outs to your drawings. You can create leaders through an annotative dimension style and multileaders through an annotative multileader style. When you create a leader, you create two separate objects: the leader and the text, block, or tolerance associated with the leader. When you create a multileader, you create a single object.
5 In the Modify Multileader Style dialog box, select the appropriate tab and make changes to define the multileader style. 6 Click OK. 7 (Optional) Click Set Current to set this style as the multileader style. 8 Click Close. To change an existing multileader style to annotative 1 Click Annotate tab ➤ Multileaders panel ➤ Multileader Style. 2 In the Multileader Style Manager dialog box, Styles list, select a style.
3 Click Set Current. 4 Click Close. 5 Click Annotate tab ➤ Multileaders panel ➤ Multileader. 6 Choose a point for the leader head. 7 Choose the last point for the leader. 8 Specify the text width. 9 Enter text. 10 On the Text Formatting toolbar, click OK. To change an existing leader or multileader to annotative or nonannotative 1 Select a leader or multileader in a drawing. 2 Click View tab ➤ Palettes panel ➤ Properties. 3 In the Properties palette, under Misc, click Annotative.
block definitions create annotative block references. Annotative block references and attributes initially support the current annotation scale at the time they are inserted. You should insert annotative block references with a unit factor of 1. You cannot change the Annotative property of individual block references. To set an annotative block’s paper size, you should define the block in paper space or on the Model tab with the set to 1:1.
You can set the orientation of annotative blocks to match the orientation of the paper. For more information about setting the orientation of annotative objects, see Set Orientation for Annotations on page 796. You can use the ANNOTATIVEDWG system variable to specify whether or not the entire drawing will behave as an annotative block when inserted into another drawing. The ANNOTATIVEDWG system variable becomes read-only if the drawing contains annotative objects.
3 Under Behavior, select Annotative. 4 Click OK. The existing block references in the drawing are now annotative. To create an annotative attribute definition 1 Click Blocks & References tab ➤ Attributes panel ➤ Define Attributes. 2 In the Attribute Definition dialog box, set the Attribute Modes and enter Tag information, Insertion Point and Text Settings. 3 Under Text Settings, select Annotative. 4 Click OK. 5 Specify the start point. 6 Press ENTER.
An hatch is defined at a paper size. You can create individual annotative hatch objects as well as annotative hatch patterns. The hatch pattern definitions stored in the aclt.pat file contain information that indicates whether the pattern is annotative or non-annotative. When the selected hatch pattern is annotative, the Annotative checkbox in the Hatch dialog box should be selected. You can use the HPANNOTATIVE system variable to specify whether or notnew hatches are annotative.
5 Under Options, select Annotative. 6 Click OK. To change an existing hatch object to annotative 1 In model space, at the command prompt, enter cannoscale. 2 Enter the scale set for the viewport in which the hatch is displayed. 3 In the drawing, select the hatch. 4 In the Properties palette, under Pattern, click Annotative. 5 On the drop-down list, select Yes.
In general, you should turn off annotation visibility, except when inspecting a drawing created by another person or when adding scales to existing annotative objects. Annotation visibility is also controlled by the ANNOALLVISIBLE system variable. In order for an annotative object to be visible, the layer the object is on must be turned on. If an object supports more than one annotation scale, the object will display at the current scale.
SELECTIONANNODISPLAY Controls whether alternate scale representations are temporarily displayed in a dimmed state when an annotative object is selected. Add and Modify Scale Representations When you create an object in your drawing, it supports one : the annotation scale that was current when you created the object. You can update annotative objects to support additional annotation scales. When you update an annotative object to support additional scales, you add additional to the object.
To add the current annotation scale to an annotative object 1 Click Annotate tab ➤ Annotation Scaling panel ➤ Add/Delete Scales. 2 In a drawing, select one or more annotative objects. 3 Press ENTER. To delete the current annotation scale from an annotative object 1 Click Annotate tab ➤ Annotation Scaling panel ➤ Add/Delete Scales. 2 In a drawing, select one or more annotative objects. 3 Press ENTER.
6 Click OK. 7 In the Annotative Object Scale dialog box, click OK. To delete an annotation scale from an annotative object 1 Click Annotate tab ➤ Annotation Scaling panel ➤ Add/Delete Scales. 2 In the drawing area, select one or more annotative objects. 3 Press ENTER. 4 In the Annotative Object Scale dialog box, select one or more scales to delete from the objects. (Press and hold the SHIFT key to select more than one scale.). NOTE You cannot delete the 1:1 scale. 5 Click OK.
Set Orientation for Annotations blocks and text can be set so that their orientation matches the orientation of the layout. The orientation of annotative hatches always matches the orientation of the layout. Even if the view in the layout viewport is twisted or if the viewpoint is non-planar, the orientation of these objects in layout viewports will match the orientation of the layout. Annotative attributes in blocks match the paper orientation of the block.
2 In the Text Style dialog box, Styles list, select an annotative text style. NOTE A annotative. icon next to a text style name indicates that the style is 3 Under Size, select Match Text Orientation to Layout. 4 Click Apply. 5 Click Close. To match the layout’s orientation for an annotative block definition 1 Click Blocks & References tab ➤ Block panel ➤ Create. 2 In the Block Definition dialog box, under Name, select a block. 3 Under Behavior, select Annotative.
798
Hatches, Fills, and Wipeouts ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ 24 Overview of Hatch Patterns and Fills on page 799 Specify Hatch and Fill Areas on page 807 Control the Appearance of Hatches on page 812 Modify Hatches and Fills on page 829 Create a Blank Area to Cover Objects on page 835 Overview of Hatch Patterns and Fills Hatches and fills do not have to be bounded. In the following illustration, the concrete hatches are bounded, while the earth hatches are unbounded.
By default, bounded hatches are associative, which means that the hatch object is associated with the hatch boundary objects, and changes to the boundary objects are automatically applied to the hatch. To maintain associativity, the boundary objects must continue to completely enclose the hatch. The alignment and orientation of a hatch pattern is determined by the current location and orientation of the user coordinate system, in addition to controls in the user interface.
NOTE This procedure describes how to use DesignCenter to drag hatch patterns into your drawing. You can also drag hatch patterns from a tool palette. 2 On the DesignCenter toolbar, click Search. 3 In the Search dialog box, do the following: ■ From the Look For drop-down list, select Hatch Pattern Files. ■ From the In drop-down list, select the drive where the program is installed. ■ Confirm that Search Subfolders is selected.
To hatch or fill areas (ribbon turned on) 1 Click Home tab ➤ Draw panel ➤ Hatch. 2 On the Properties panel, select one of the options from the Hatch Type drop-down list. 3 On the Pattern panel, click a hatch pattern or fill. 4 Specify a point inside each area to be hatched. 5 On the ribbon, make any adjustments as needed. On the Properties panel, you can change the hatch type and colors or modify the transparency level, angle, or scale for the hatch.
6 (Optional) From the Draw Order drop-down list, choose one of the options. You can change the draw order of the hatch so that the hatch is displayed either behind or in front of the hatch boundary, or behind or in front of all other objects. 7 Click OK to apply the hatch. To hatch selected objects (ribbon turned on) 1 Click Home tab ➤ Draw panel ➤ Hatch. 2 On the Boundaries panel, click Select. 3 Select the objects that you want to hatch.
HATCH Fills an enclosed area or selected objects with a hatch pattern, solid fill, or gradient fill. HATCHEDIT Modifies an existing hatch or fill. HATCHTOBACK Sets the draw order for all hatches in the drawing to be behind all other objects. MATCHPROP Applies the properties of a selected object to other objects. PROPERTIES Controls properties of existing objects. UCS Manages user coordinate systems. System Variables GFANG Specifies the angle of a gradient fill.
GFSHIFT Specifies whether the pattern in a gradient fill is centered or is shifted up and to the left. HPANG Sets the angle for new hatch patterns. HPANNOTATIVE Controls whether a new hatch pattern is annotative. HPASSOC Controls whether hatches and fills are associative. HPBACKGROUNDCOLOR Controls the background color for hatch patterns. HPBOUND Controls the object type created by HATCH and BOUNDARY. HPBOUNDRETAIN Controls whether boundary objects are created for new hatches and fills.
HPISLANDDETECTION Controls how islands within the hatch boundary are treated. HPISLANDDETECTIONMODE Controls whether internal closed boundaries, called islands, are detected. HPLAYER Specifies a default layer for new hatches and fills. HPMAXLINES Sets the maximum number of hatch lines that are generated in a hatch operation. HPNAME Sets the default hatch pattern name. HPOBJWARNING Sets the number of hatch boundary objects that can be selected before displaying a warning message.
HPTRANSPARENCY Sets the default transparency for new hatches and fills. MIRRHATCH Controls how MIRROR reflects hatch patterns. PICKSTYLE Controls the use of group selection and associative hatch selection. Specify Hatch and Fill Areas Define boundaries for hatches and fills from existing objects or from specified boundary points. Use one of several methods to specify the 2D geometric boundaries of a hatch or fill. ■ Specify a point in an area that is enclosed by objects.
Hatch associativity is turned on by default and is controlled by the HPASSOC system variable. You can also control hatch associativity using the following tools in the user interface: ■ Hatch and Gradient dialog box ■ Hatch Edit dialog box ■ Hatch panel on the ribbon ■ Properties palette Nonassociative hatches are not updated when their original boundary is changed. Hatch Enclosed Areas Within Boundaries Enclosed areas within hatch boundaries are called islands.
NOTE Text objects are treated as islands. If island detection is turned on, the result always leaves a rectangular space around the text. Include Objects in a Boundary Set When hatching a small area in a large, complex drawing, you can save time by selecting a smaller set of objects in the drawing to be used in determining the hatch boundary.
To hatch an area whose boundary is not quite closed, do one of the following: ■ Locate the gaps and modify the boundary objects so they form a closed boundary. ■ Set the HPGAPTOL system variable to a value large enough to bridge the gaps. HPGAPTOL applies only to gaps between geometric objects that would meet if extended. NOTE By default, a preview of the hatch displays as you move the cursor over bounded areas.
Selecting the objects with a crossing window is often the best method. 5 In the Hatch and Gradient dialog box, click Add: Pick Points. 6 Specify a point inside each area that you want to hatch. 7 Click OK to apply the hatch. Quick Reference Commands HATCH Fills an enclosed area or selected objects with a hatch pattern, solid fill, or gradient fill. HATCHEDIT Modifies an existing hatch or fill. System Variables HPANG Sets the angle for new hatch patterns.
HPQUICKPREVIEW Controls whether to display a preview when specifying internal points for a hatch. HPSEPARATE Controls whether a single hatch object or separate hatch objects are created when operating on several closed boundaries. Control the Appearance of Hatches Specify a hatch pattern or fill, and control its alignment and scale. Choose a Hatch Pattern or Fill Choose from three types of hatch patterns, and two types of fills. ■ Predefined hatch patterns.
Assign a Background Color to Hatch Patterns Predefined, user defined, and custom hatch patterns, can be assigned a background fill color. The background fill color shares the same level of transparency as the pattern itself. See also: ■ Modify Hatch Properties on page 829 ■ “Overview of Hatch Pattern Definitions” in the Customization Guide To create a hatch with a predefined hatch pattern (ribbon turned on) 1 Click Home tab ➤ Draw panel ➤ Hatch.
7 Click OK to apply the hatch. To fill an area with a solid color (ribbon turned on) 1 Click Home tab ➤ Draw panel ➤ Hatch. 2 On the Properties panel, click Solid from the Hatch Type drop-down list, or click Solid on the Pattern panel. 3 (Optional) On the Properties panel, click a color override from the Hatch Color drop-down list. Specify any other options as needed. 4 Specify a point inside each area that you want to fill.
HATCH Fills an enclosed area or selected objects with a hatch pattern, solid fill, or gradient fill. HATCHEDIT Modifies an existing hatch or fill. HATCHTOBACK Sets the draw order for all hatches in the drawing to be behind all other objects. MATCHPROP Applies the properties of a selected object to other objects. PROPERTIES Controls properties of existing objects. UCS Manages user coordinate systems. System Variables GFANG Specifies the angle of a gradient fill.
GFSHIFT Specifies whether the pattern in a gradient fill is centered or is shifted up and to the left. HPANG Sets the angle for new hatch patterns. HPANNOTATIVE Controls whether a new hatch pattern is annotative. HPASSOC Controls whether hatches and fills are associative. HPBACKGROUNDCOLOR Controls the background color for hatch patterns. HPBOUND Controls the object type created by HATCH and BOUNDARY. HPBOUNDRETAIN Controls whether boundary objects are created for new hatches and fills.
HPLAYER Specifies a default layer for new hatches and fills. HPMAXLINES Sets the maximum number of hatch lines that are generated in a hatch operation. HPNAME Sets the default hatch pattern name. HPOBJWARNING Sets the number of hatch boundary objects that can be selected before displaying a warning message. HPINHERIT Controls whether to inherit the hatch origin when using the Inherit Properties option in HATCH and HATCHEDIT.
MIRRHATCH Controls how MIRROR reflects hatch patterns. Control the Hatch Origin Point Each hatch pattern is aligned with an origin point. Changing the origin point shifts the pattern. By default, hatch patterns are aligned with the origin point of the user coordinate system. However, sometimes you need to move the origin point of the hatch object. For example, if you create a brick pattern, you can start with a complete brick in the lower-left corner of the hatched area by specifying a new origin point.
7 Press Enter, or click Close on the ribbon to apply the hatch and exit the command. Alternatively, you can control the origin and rotation of a hatch pattern by changing the origin and rotation of the user coordinate system (UCS) before you create the hatch. To specify the alignment of a hatch pattern (ribbon turned off) 1 Start the Hatch command from a menu or toolbar. 2 In the Hatch and Gradient dialog box, Hatch tab, under Type and Pattern, click Predefined from the Type drop-down list.
PROPERTIES Controls properties of existing objects. UCS Manages user coordinate systems. System Variables HPINHERIT Controls whether to inherit the hatch origin when using the Inherit Properties option in HATCH and HATCHEDIT. HPORIGIN Sets the hatch origin point for new hatch patterns relative to the current user coordinate system. HPORIGINMODE Controls how the default hatch origin point is determined. HPQUICKPREVIEW Controls whether to display a preview when specifying internal points for a hatch.
■ If you work with layout viewports in different scales, you can apply scale factors automatically by making them annotative. This method is more efficient than creating duplicate hatch pattern objects with different scale factors. For more information about using annotative scaling, see Create Annotative Hatches on page 789. NOTE To prevent accidental creation of an enormous number of hatch lines, the maximum number of hatch lines created in a single hatch operation is limited.
4 Under Angle and Scale, enter a new scale value or click the drop-down arrow to display a list of scales. 5 Under Boundaries, click Add: Pick Points. 6 Specify a point inside each area that you want to hatch and press Enter. 7 Click OK to apply the hatch. Quick Reference Commands HATCH Fills an enclosed area or selected objects with a hatch pattern, solid fill, or gradient fill. HATCHEDIT Modifies an existing hatch or fill. MATCHPROP Applies the properties of a selected object to other objects.
HPINHERIT Controls whether to inherit the hatch origin when using the Inherit Properties option in HATCH and HATCHEDIT. HPSCALE Sets the hatch pattern scale factor. HPSPACE Sets the hatch pattern line spacing for user-defined patterns. Set Property Overrides for Hatches and Fills Control the default color, layer, and transparency of hatch objects separately from other objects. Hatch objects have an additional capability that is not available with other types of objects.
All new hatch objects will use this transparency value instead of the current transparency value used by all other objects. To set a transparency override for new hatches (ribbon turned off) 1 Start the Hatch command from a menu or toolbar. 2 In the Hatch and Gradient dialog box, under Options, select Specify Value from the Transparency drop-down list. 3 Enter transparency value or drag the slider. 4 Under Boundaries, click Add: Pick Points.
System Variables HPANNOTATIVE Controls whether a new hatch pattern is annotative. HPASSOC Controls whether hatches and fills are associative. HPBACKGROUNDCOLOR Controls the background color for hatch patterns. HPCOLOR Sets a default color for new hatches. HPDRAWORDER Controls the draw order of hatches and fills. HPINHERIT Controls whether to inherit the hatch origin when using the Inherit Properties option in HATCH and HATCHEDIT. HPLAYER Specifies a default layer for new hatches and fills.
To create hatches that have no boundary objects, do one of the following: ■ Erase the boundary objects of an existing hatch. ■ Trim an existing hatch to objects that cross the edges of the hatch. After trimming, erase the objects. ■ Define hatch boundary points with the Draw option of the -HATCH command. To hide a hatch's boundary objects, assign the boundary objects to a different layer than the hatch object, and then turn off or freeze the layer of the boundary objects.
8 Press Enter twice to create the hatch. Quick Reference Commands -HATCH conref to -Hatch blurb PROPERTIES Controls properties of existing objects. System Variables HPANG Sets the angle for new hatch patterns. HPBOUNDRETAIN Controls whether boundary objects are created for new hatches and fills. HPCOLOR Sets a default color for new hatches. HPDLGMODE Controls the display of the Hatch and Gradient dialog box and the Hatch Edit dialog box. HPDOUBLE Specifies hatch pattern doubling for user-defined patterns.
HPINHERIT Controls whether to inherit the hatch origin when using the Inherit Properties option in HATCH and HATCHEDIT. HPORIGIN Sets the hatch origin point for new hatch patterns relative to the current user coordinate system. HPORIGINMODE Controls how the default hatch origin point is determined. HPSCALE Sets the hatch pattern scale factor. HPSPACE Sets the hatch pattern line spacing for user-defined patterns. HPTRANSPARENCY Sets the default transparency for new hatches and fills.
System Variables HPDRAWORDER Controls the draw order of hatches and fills. Modify Hatches and Fills Modify hatch properties and boundaries, or re-create the boundaries hatch objects. Modify Hatch Properties Modify the properties of hatch objects directly or copy them from another hatch object. The following tools are available for modifying hatch properties: ■ Hatch panel controls. Display on the ribbon by selecting a hatch object. ■ Hatch Edit dialog box. Access the dialog box with HATCHEDIT.
Quick Reference Commands HATCHEDIT Modifies an existing hatch or fill. HATCHTOBACK Sets the draw order for all hatches in the drawing to be behind all other objects. MATCHPROP Applies the properties of a selected object to other objects. PROPERTIES Controls properties of existing objects. System Variables HPDLGMODE Controls the display of the Hatch and Gradient dialog box and the Hatch Edit dialog box.
2 Change the desired hatch settings from the Hatch Editor tab on the ribbon, the Modify menu, Modify toolbar, or enter hatchedit at the Command prompt. 3 In the user interface, a panel in the Hatch Editor tab, or the Hatch Edit dialog box, change the hatch settings or properties as needed. Quick Reference Commands HATCHEDIT Modifies an existing hatch or fill. MATCHPROP Applies the properties of a selected object to other objects. PROPERTIES Controls properties of existing objects.
When you select an associative hatch object, it displays a circular grip, called the control grip, at the center of the hatch extents. Hover over the control grip to display a shortcut menu with several hatch options, or right-click to display additional options. You can also change the hatch object by editing the grips of the associated boundary objects.
When you hover over a grip on a nonassociative hatch object, a grip menu displays several edit options based on the type of grip. For example, a linear segment grip has an option to convert the segment to an arc, or to add a vertex. NOTE For drastic changes, you can use TRIM to reduce the area covered by a hatch object, or EXPLODE to disassemble a hatch into its component objects. Quick Reference Commands EXPLODE Breaks a compound object into its component objects.
To re-create the boundary object of a hatch or fill (ribbon turned on) 1 Select the hatch object. 2 On the ribbon, Boundaries panel, click Recreate Boundary. 3 At the prompt, specify the type of object to create as the new boundary, and whether to associate the boundary with the hatch. 4 Press Enter, or click Close on the ribbon to apply the hatch and exit the command.
System Variables HPDLGMODE Controls the display of the Hatch and Gradient dialog box and the Hatch Edit dialog box. HPBOUND Controls the object type created by HATCH and BOUNDARY. HPBOUNDRETAIN Controls whether boundary objects are created for new hatches and fills. HPSEPARATE Controls whether a single hatch object or separate hatch objects are created when operating on several closed boundaries.
NOTE Because a wipeout object is similar to a raster image, it has the same requirements for plotting. You need a raster-capable plotter with either an ADI 4.3 raster-capable driver or the system printer driver. See also: ■ Control How Overlapping Objects Are Displayed on page 383 To cover existing objects with a blank area 1 Click Annotate tab ➤ Markup panel ➤ Wipeout. 2 Specify points in a sequence that defines the perimeter of the area to be masked. 3 Press Enter to end the command.
Notes and Labels 25 You can create and modify several types of text, including text with leaders. You can control most text style settings by defining text styles. Overview of Notes and Labels You can create text in various ways. For short, simple entries, use single-line text. For longer entries with internal formatting, use multiline text (mtext).
5 Enter the text. At the end of each line, press ENTER. Enter more text as needed. NOTE Text that would otherwise be difficult to read (if it is very small, very large, or is rotated) is displayed at a legible size and is oriented horizontally so that you can easily read and edit it. If you specify another point during this command, the cursor moves to that point, and you can continue typing. Every time you press ENTER or specify a point, a new text object is created.
■ To select a paragraph, triple-click the paragraph. 8 On the ribbon, make format changes as follows: ■ To change the font of the selected text, select a font from the list. ■ To change the height of the selected text, enter a new value in the Height box. NOTE The MText height value is reset to 0 if its default height is not modified during creation.
SPELL Checks spelling in a drawing. STYLE Creates, modifies, or specifies text styles. TEXT Creates a single-line text object. System Variables DIMASZ Controls the size of dimension line and leader line arrowheads. DIMLDRBLK Specifies the arrow type for leaders. Create Text You can create text using several methods, depending on your needs. Overview of Creating Text The text you add to your drawings conveys a variety of information.
There are more editing options for multiline text than there are for single-line text. For example, you can apply underlining, fonts, color, and text height changes to individual characters, words, or phrases within a paragraph. Annotative Text Use text for notes and labels in your drawing. You create annotative text by using an annotative text style, which sets the height of the text on the paper.
To create multiline text 1 Click Home tab ➤ Annotation panel ➤ Multiline Text. 2 Specify opposite corners of a bounding box to define the width of the multiline text object. If the ribbon is active, the MTEXT ribbon contextual tab displays. If the ribbon is not active, the In-Place Text Editor is displayed. 3 To indent the first line of each paragraph, drag the first-line indent slider on the ruler. To indent the other lines of each paragraph, drag the paragraph slider.
■ To format text in a TrueType font with boldface or italics, or to create underlined or overlined text for any font, click the corresponding button on the ribbon. SHX fonts do not support boldface or italics. ■ To apply color to selected text, choose a color from the Color list. Click Other to display the Select Color dialog box. 9 To save your changes and exit the editor, use one of the following methods: ■ On the MTEXT ribbon contextual tab, in the Close panel, click Close Text Editor.
TEXTSIZE Sets the default height for new text objects drawn with the current text style. TEXTSTYLE Sets the name of the current text style. Create Single-Line Text 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 relocate, reformat, or otherwise modify. Use single-line text (TEXT) to create one or more lines of text, ending each line when you press ENTER.
See also: ■ Use Fields in Text on page 892 To create single-line text 1 Click Home tab ➤ Annotation panel ➤ Single Line Text. 2 Specify the insertion point for the first character. If you press ENTER, the program locates the new text immediately below the last text object you created, if any.
3 Specify the height of the text. This prompt is displayed only if text height is set to 0 in the current text style. A rubber-band line is attached from the text insertion point to the cursor. Click to set the height of the text to the length of the rubber-band line. 4 Specify a text rotation angle. You can enter an angle value or use your pointing device. 5 Enter the text. At the end of each line, press ENTER. Enter more text as needed.
Quick Reference Commands QTEXT Controls the display and plotting of text and attribute objects. STYLE Creates, modifies, or specifies text styles. TEXT Creates a single-line text object. System Variables FONTALT Specifies the alternate font to be used when the specified font file cannot be located. FONTMAP Specifies the font mapping file to be used. MIRRTEXT Controls how MIRROR reflects text. QTEXTMODE Controls how text is displayed.
TEXTSTYLE Sets the name of the current text style. Create Multiline Text A multiline text (mtext) object includes one or more paragraphs of text that can be manipulated as a single object. Overview of Multiline Text You can create a multiline text (mtext) object by entering or importing text.
Within the multiline text object, you can override the current text style by applying formatting such as underlining, boldface, and different fonts to individual characters. You can also create stacked text, such as fractions or geometric tolerances and insert special characters, including Unicode characters, for TrueType fonts. NOTE Not all SHX and TrueType text fonts support Unicode characters.
NOTE Text that would otherwise be difficult to read (if it is very small, very large, or is rotated) is displayed at a legible size and is oriented horizontally so that you can easily read and edit it. 7 To override the current text style, select text as follows: ■ To select one or more letters, click and drag the pointing device over the characters. ■ To select a word, double-click the word. ■ To select a paragraph, triple-click the paragraph.
3 Click one of the options on the menu, or click Other to display the Character Map dialog box. To access the Character Map dialog box, you must have charmap.exe ® ® installed. See Microsoft Windows Help for information about adding programs to your system. 4 In the Character Map dialog box, select a font. 5 Select a character, and use one of the following methods: ■ To insert a single character, drag the selected character into the editor.
6 Click OK to return to the editor. 7 To save your changes and exit the editor, use one of the following methods: ■ On the MTEXT ribbon contextual tab, in the Close panel, click Close Text Editor. ■ Click in the drawing outside the editor. ■ Press CTRL+ENTER. The opaque background is applied when you exit the editor. To change the Windows font smoothing setting to improve visibility of text in the Multiline Text editor 1 On the Windows desktop, right-click. Click Properties.
System Variables MTEXTCOLUMN Sets the default column setting for an mtext object. MTEXTED Sets the application for editing multiline text objects. MTEXTFIXED Sets the display size and orientation of multiline text in a specified text editor. MTEXTTOOLBAR Controls the display of the Text Formatting toolbar. MTJIGSTRING Sets the content of the sample text displayed at the cursor location when the MTEXT command is started. QTEXTMODE Controls how text is displayed.
There are nine justification settings for multiline text. If a single word is longer than the width of the paragraph, the word will extend beyond the paragraph boundary. To justify multiline text 1 Click View tab ➤ Palettes panel ➤ Properties. 2 Select the multiline text object. 3 On the Properties palette, select one of the Justification options. 4 Click outside the Properties palette.
Quick Reference Commands PROPERTIES Controls properties of existing objects. Format Characters Within Multiline Text You can override the text style and apply different formatting to individual words and characters within multiline text. The format changes affect only the text you select; the current text style is not changed. You can specify a different font and text height and apply boldface, italics, underlining, overlining, and color.
3 On either the ribbon contextual tab or toolbar, make format changes as follows: ■ To change the font of the selected text, select a font from the list. ■ To change the height of the selected text, enter a new value in the Height box. ■ To format text in a TrueType font with boldface or italics, or to create underlined or overlined text for any font, click the corresponding button on the ribbon. SHX fonts do not support boldface or italics.
PROPERTIES Controls properties of existing objects. STYLE Creates, modifies, or specifies text styles. System Variables TEXTFILL Controls the filling of TrueType fonts while plotting. TEXTSTYLE Sets the name of the current text style. Create Lists in Multiline Text You can create bulleted lists, lettered or numbered lists, or simple outlines in multiline text. Lines of multiline text can be formatted as a list.
To create a list, use one of the following methods: ■ Apply list formatting to new or selected text. ■ Use Auto-list (on by default) and type the elements of a list. ■ With Auto-list off, type the elements of a list and close and reopen the editor to convert the text to a list. Apply List Formatting When you apply list formatting, you can specify bullets, uppercase or lowercase letters, or numbers. Default settings are used for the type of list you choose. Letters or numbers are followed by a period.
Character Description ] Close square bracket } Close curly bracket Paste a List from Another Document If you copy a nested bulleted list (a list within a list) from Microsoft Word and paste the list into multiline text, the bullets that are displayed as empty circles cannot be formatted like other bullets in multiline text. This is because Word uses the letter o instead of a bullet for nested bulleted lists.
7 To end the list, press ENTER to move to a new line. Click the button that you clicked to start the list. 8 To save your changes and exit the editor, use one of the following methods: ■ On the MTEXT ribbon contextual tab, in the Close panel, click Close Text Editor. ■ Click in the drawing outside the editor. ■ Press CTRL+ENTER. To remove list formatting from multiline text 1 If the ribbon is active, double-click a multiline text object to open the MTEXT ribbon contextual tab.
3 To expand the Text Formatting toolbar, click Options button ➤ Show Options. 4 Click Bullets and Lists. Verify that Allow Auto-list and Allow Bullets and Lists are checked. 5 Enter a letter or a number and a period (or other punctuation). The following characters can be used as punctuation after letters and numbers: period (.), colon (:), close parenthesis ()), close angle bracket (>), close square bracket (]), and close curly bracket (}). 6 Press TAB. 7 Enter the text of the list item.
NOTE The following characters cannot be used as bullets: period (.), colon (:), close parenthesis ()), close angle bracket (>), close square bracket (]), and close curly bracket (}). 6 Alternatively, click Options ➤ Symbol ➤ Other. The Character Map dialog box appears. 7 Double-click a symbol to copy it to the clipboard. 8 Close the Character Map dialog box. 9 Paste the symbol to the drawing, and press the up-arrow and End key to return the cursor to the same line. 10 Press TAB.
4 To save your changes and exit the editor, use one of the following methods: ■ On the MTEXT ribbon contextual tab, in the Close panel, click Close Text Editor. ■ Click in the drawing outside the editor. ■ Press CTRL+ENTER. To separate an existing list 1 If the ribbon is active, double-click a multiline text object to open the MTEXT ribbon contextual tab. If the ribbon is not active, the In-Place Text Editor is displayed.
2 Right-click in the editor. Click Bullets and Lists. Remove the check mark next to Allow Bullets and Lists. The plain text lists retain their bullets, numbers, or letters. If you add an item to the list, the number or letter sequence does not change. Quick Reference Commands DDEDIT Edits single-line text, dimension text, attribute definitions, and feature control frames. MTEXT Creates a multiline text object. PROPERTIES Controls properties of existing objects.
The long tick marks on the ruler show the default tab stops. If you click the ruler to set your own tabs, the ruler displays a small, L-shaped marker at each custom tab stop. You can delete a custom tab stop by dragging the marker off the ruler. To create paragraphs with hanging indentation 1 If the ribbon is active, double-click a multiline text object to open the MTEXT ribbon contextual tab. If the ribbon is not active, the In-Place Text Editor is displayed. 2 Select the paragraphs you want to indent.
■ Press CTRL+ENTER. Quick Reference Commands DDEDIT Edits single-line text, dimension text, attribute definitions, and feature control frames. MTEXT Creates a multiline text object. PROPERTIES Controls properties of existing objects. System Variables TEXTFILL Controls the filling of TrueType fonts while plotting. TEXTQLTY Sets the resolution tessellation fineness of text outlines.
NOTE Using Exactly can cause text in lines located above or below lines with large font characters to overlap the larger characters. To change the line spacing of multiline text 1 Click View tab ➤ Palettes panel ➤ Properties. 2 Select the multiline text object you want to edit. 3 In the Properties palette, for Line Space Style, select one of the following: ■ At Least. Adjusts lines of text automatically based on the height of the largest character in the line.
System Variables TSPACEFAC Controls the multiline text line-spacing distance measured as a factor of text height. TSPACETYPE Controls the type of line spacing used in multiline text. Create Stacked Characters Within Multiline Text Characters representing fractions and tolerances can be formatted to conform to several standards. Stacked text refers to the fraction and tolerance formats applied to characters within multiline text object and multileaders.
To stack characters manually within the In-Place Text Editor, select the text to be formatted, including the special stacking character, and click the Stack button on the Text Formatting toolbar. Stack Numeric and Tolerance Characters Automatically You can specify that numeric characters entered before and after a slash, pound sign, or carat will stack automatically.
or creates a vertical fraction. If you do not want to use AutoStack, click Cancel to exit the dialog box. 6 Select the text that you want to stack, and click the Stack button on the toolbar. 7 To save your changes and exit the editor, use one of the following methods: ■ Click OK on the toolbar. ■ Click in the drawing outside the editor. ■ Press CTRL+ENTER. To change stack properties 1 Double-click the multiline text object you want to edit.
■ Click in the drawing outside the editor. ■ Press CTRL+ENTER. Quick Reference Commands MTEXT Creates a multiline text object. System Variables TSTACKALIGN Controls the vertical alignment of stacked text. TSTACKSIZE Controls the percentage of stacked text fraction height relative to selected text's current height. Create and Edit Columns in Multiline Text You can create and edit multiple columns using the In-Place Text Editor column options and column grips.
Adding text to a column with an arbitrary height will not increase the column height even if text is already filling the column. Text will flow into another column. You can also insert a column break to force text to start flowing into the next column. Anytime a column break is inserted, it is assumed that the current height of the column is fixed. To delete the break, highlight it and delete or or use the Backspace key right after the break.
To adjust columns using grips 1 Select an area outside the mtext object. The In-Place Text Editor toolbar will disappear. 2 Click once in the text area and grips will appear. Grips control the location of the mtext object, the gutter width, and vertical and horizontal movement of colmns. The following illustration demonstrates how grips are used with Dynamic Columns - Manual Height. The following illustration demonstrates how grips are used with Static Columns.
NOTE In general, grips only update the mtext object after the mouse button is released. Quick Reference Commands MTEXT Creates a multiline text object. System Variables MTEXTCOLUMN Sets the default column setting for an mtext object. Import Text from External Files You can insert TXT or RTF text files into your drawing by either importing the text or dragging a file icon from Windows Explorer.
You can insert TXT or RTF text files created in word processors into your drawing by either importing the text or dragging a file icon from Windows Explorer. Importing TXT or RTF files from other sources gives you the most flexibility. For example, you can create a text file of standard notes that you include in drawings. The imported text becomes a multiline text object, which you can edit and reformat. Text imported from a TXT file inherits the current text style.
■ Click in the drawing outside the editor. ■ Press Ctrl+Enter. To insert a text file using the drag-and-drop method 1 Open Windows Explorer, but make sure it does not fill the screen. 2 Display the folder that contains the TXT or RTF file you want. 3 Drag the TXT or RTF file icon onto the drawing. TXT files are inserted as multiline text objects using the current text style. RTF files are inserted as OLE objects. Quick Reference Commands MTEXT Creates a multiline text object.
When associative dimensioning is turned on and object snaps are used to locate the leader arrowhead, the leader is associated with the object to which the arrowhead is attached. If the object is relocated, the arrowhead is relocated, and the landing stretches accordingly. NOTE The leader object should not be confused with the leader line that is automatically generated as part of a dimension line. To create a leader with straight lines 1 Click Home tab ➤ Annotation panel ➤ Multileader.
Quick Reference Commands LEADER Creates a line that connects annotation to a feature. MLEADER Creates a multileader object. QLEADER Creates a leader and leader annotation. System Variables DIMASSOC Controls the associativity of dimension objects and whether dimensions are exploded. DIMGAP Sets the distance around the dimension text when the dimension line breaks to accommodate dimension text. DIMLDRBLK Specifies the arrow type for leaders.
A multileader object, or MLEADER, comprises a leader and a note. It can be created arrowhead first, tail first, or content first. If a multileader style has been used, then the multileader can be created from that style Multileader objects can contain multiple leader lines, each of which can have one or more segments, so that one note can point to multiple objects in your drawing. You can modify the properties of leader segment in the Properties palette.
Arrange Leaders Multileaders can be arranged to add order and consistency to your drawing. Multileader objects with blocks as content can be collected and attached to one landing line. Using the MLEADERCOLLECT command, multileaders can be collected horizontally, vertically, or within a specified area depending on your drawing needs. Multileader objects can be sorted evenly along a specified line. Using the MLEADERALIGN command, selected multileaders can be aligned and evenly spaced as specified.
To create a leader with straight lines 1 Click Home tab ➤ Annotation panel ➤ Multileader. 2 At the Command prompt, enter o to select options. 3 Enter l to specify leaders. 4 Enter t to specify the leader type. 5 Enter s to specify straight leaders. 6 In the drawing, click a start point for the leader head. 7 Click an end point for the leader. 8 Enter your MTEXT content. 9 On the Text Formatting toolbar, click OK.
9 Do one of the following: ■ Create a multileader object ■ Apply the new multileader style to an existing multileader object To create a spline leader with text or a block 1 Click Home tab ➤ Annotation panel ➤ Multileader. 2 At the Command prompt, enter o to select options. 3 Enter l to specify leaders. 4 Enter t to specify the leader type. 5 Enter p to specify a spline leader. 6 In the drawing, click a start point for the leader head. 7 Click the end point for the leader. 8 Enter your MTEXT content.
2 Click Annotate tab ➤ Multileaders panel ➤ Add Leader. 3 Specify the endpoint for the new leader. To remove leaders from an annotation 1 Select the multileader. 2 On the Multileader toolbar, click Remove Leader. 3 Select the leader or leaders you want to remove. Press ENTER. To align and space leaders 1 Click Annotate tab ➤ Multileaders panel ➤ Align. 2 Select the multileaders to be aligned. Press ENTER. 3 Specify a starting point in the drawing to begin the alignment.
To create a landing line with multiple segments 1 Click Home tab ➤ Annotation panel ➤ Multileader Style. 2 In the Multileader Style Manager, click New to create a new multileader style. 3 In the Create New Multileader Style dialog box, specify a name for the new multileader style. 4 In the Modify Multileader Style dialog box, select the Leader Structure tab. 5 In the Constraints group box, select the Maximum Leader Points check box.
MLEADERCOLLECT Organizes selected multileaders that contain blocks into rows or columns, and displays the result with a single leader. MLEADEREDIT Adds leader lines to, or removes leader lines from, a multileader object. MLEADERSTYLE Creates and modifies multileader styles. PROPERTIES Controls properties of existing objects. System Variables DIMASSOC Controls the associativity of dimension objects and whether dimensions are exploded. DIMASZ Controls the size of dimension line and leader line arrowheads.
MLEADERSCALE Sets the overall scale factor applied to multileader objects. Work with Leader Styles The appearance of a leader is controlled by its multileader style. You can use the default multileader style, STANDARD, or create your own multileader styles. The multileader style can specify formatting for landing lines, leader lines, arrowheads, and content. For example, the STANDARD multileader style uses a straight leader line with a closed filled arrowhead and multiline text content.
■ First and Second Segment Angles. Specifies the angle of the first and second points in the landing. ■ Landing - Keep Horizontal. Attaches a horizontal landing to the multileader content. ■ Set Landing Distance. Determines the fixed distance for the multileader landing line. 7 On the Content tab, specify either text or block content for the multileader. If the multileader object will contain text content, then select or clear the following options: ■ Default Text.
To apply a leader style to an existing leader 1 Select the multileader to which you want to apply a new style. 2 On the ribbon, click the Annotate tab, Multileaders panel. Select the desired multileader style from the drop-down list. 3 To create a new style, click the Multileader Style icon. Quick Reference Commands MLEADERSTYLE Creates and modifies multileader styles. System Variables CMLEADERSTYLE Sets the name of the current multileader style.
Middle of top line Bottom of top line Underline top line Middle of text Middle of bottom line Bottom of bottom line Underline bottom line Underline all text Add Content to a Leader | 889
Leaders Containing Blocks Multileaders can contain blocks as content by applying a multileader style that references a block in your drawing. NOTE Annotative Blocks cannot be used as either content or arrowheads in multileader objects. Blocks can be connected to a multileader by attaching the landing to a selected insertion point on the block. You can also connect a multileader to a center point on the selected block. You can create annotative multileaders with blocks as content.
QTEXT Controls the display and plotting of text and attribute objects. SPELL Checks spelling in a drawing. STYLE Creates, modifies, or specifies text styles. TEXT Creates a single-line text object. System Variables DIMGAP Sets the distance around the dimension text when the dimension line breaks to accommodate dimension text. FONTALT Specifies the alternate font to be used when the specified font file cannot be located. FONTMAP Specifies the font mapping file to be used.
Use Fields in Text A field is updatable text that is set up to display data that may change during the life cycle of the drawing. When the field is updated, the latest value of the field is displayed. Insert Fields A field is text that contains instructions to display data that you expect to change during the life cycle of the drawing. When a field is updated, the latest data is displayed. For example, the value of the FileName field is the name of the file.
To insert a field in text 1 Double-click the text to display the appropriate text editing dialog box. 2 Place the cursor where you want the field text to appear and right-click. Click Insert Field. For keyboard access, press CTRL+F. 3 In the Field dialog box, in Field Category, select All or select a category. The fields in the selected category are displayed in the Field Names list. 4 In the Field Names list, select a field.
To use a field to display a property of an object 1 Double-click a text object to display the appropriate text editing dialog box. 2 Place the cursor where you want the field text to appear and right-click. Click Insert Field. 3 In the Field dialog box, in Field Category, select All. 4 In the Field Names list, select Object. 5 In Object Type, click the Select Object button, and select an object in the drawing.
7 Select an option for suppressing zeros: ■ Leading: Suppresses leading zeros in all decimal field values. For example, 0.5000 becomes .5000. ■ Trailing: Suppresses trailing zeros in all decimal field values. For example, 12.5000 becomes 12.5, and 30.0000 becomes 30. ■ 0 Feet: Suppresses the feet portion of a feet-and-inches field value when the distance is less than one foot. For example, 0'-6 1/2" becomes 6 1/2".
INSERT Inserts a block or drawing into the current drawing. LIST Displays property data for selected objects. MTEXT Creates a multiline text object. SPELL Checks spelling in a drawing. TABLE Creates an empty table object. TABLEEXPORT Exports data from a table object in CSV file format. TABLESTYLE Creates, modifies, or specifies table styles. UPDATEFIELD System Variables CTABLESTYLE Sets the name of the current table style. FIELDDISPLAY Controls whether fields are displayed with a gray background.
Settings on the User Preferences Tab (Options Dialog Box) control whether fields are updated automatically or on demand (FIELDEVAL system variable). The Date field cannot be updated automatically regardless of the setting of FIELDEVAL. Contextual Fields in Blocks and Xrefs Some fields are contextual; that is, their value is different depending on which space or layout they reside in.
it was opened. If no changes are made to a field, it is updated normally when it is reopened in a release that supports fields. Fields are not available in the previous releases of AutoCAD LT. When a drawing with fields is opened in the previous releases of AutoCAD LT, the fields are evaluated based on the setting of the FIELDEVAL system variable in the drawing, but the FIELDEVAL system variable is not accessible. To update a field manually 1 Double-click text. 2 Select the field to update and right-click.
Quick Reference Commands FIELD UPDATEFIELD System Variables FIELDDISPLAY Controls whether fields are displayed with a gray background. FIELDEVAL Controls how fields are updated. Use Hyperlinks in Fields The Hyperlink field assigns a hyperlink to any piece of text. The hyperlink works the same way as a hyperlink attached to an object. When the cursor pauses over the text, a hyperlink cursor is displayed, along with a tooltip that describes the hyperlink. Hold down the CTRL key and click to follow the link.
■ Under Browse For, click File, Web Page, or Target. Navigate to the location to which you want to link. Click Open or OK. 7 (Optional) In Text to Display, select the default text that is displayed, and enter the link text that you want to appear in the mtext object. 8 Click OK to close each dialog box. 9 To save your changes and exit the editor, use one of the following methods: ■ Click OK on the toolbar. ■ Click in the drawing outside the editor. ■ Press CTRL+ENTER.
TABLEEXPORT Exports data from a table object in CSV file format. TABLESTYLE Creates, modifies, or specifies table styles. UPDATEFIELD System Variables CTABLESTYLE Sets the name of the current table style. FIELDDISPLAY Controls whether fields are displayed with a gray background. FIELDEVAL Controls how fields are updated. Work with Text Styles When you enter text into your drawing, the current text style determines the text font, size, angle, orientation, and other text characteristics.
Text style names can be up to 255 characters long. They can contain letters, numbers, and the special characters dollar sign ($), underscore (_), and hyphen (-). If you don't enter a text style name, the text styles are automatically named Stylen, where n is a number that starts at 1. You can modify an existing text style in the Text Style dialog box by changing the settings. You can also update existing text of that text style to reflect the changes.
Annotative Text Styles Use text for notes and labels in your drawing. You create annotative text by using an annotative text style, which sets the height of the text on the paper. For more information about creating and working with an annotative text, see Create Annotative Text on page 775. See also: ■ Scale Annotations on page 764 To set the current text style ■ On the ribbon, click the Annotate tab ➤ Text panel. in the Text Style drop-down list, select a text style.
Assign Text Fonts You can assign a text font as part of the text style definition. Several factors depend on the type of text you are working with. Overview of Assigning Text Fonts Fonts define the shapes of the text characters that make up each character set. You can use TrueType fonts in addition to compiled SHX fonts. A single font can be used by more than one text style.
System Variables FONTALT Specifies the alternate font to be used when the specified font file cannot be located. FONTMAP Specifies the font mapping file to be used. Use TrueType Fonts Several factors affect the display of TrueType fonts in a drawing. TrueType fonts always appear filled in your drawing; however, when you plot, the TEXTFILL system variable controls whether the fonts are filled. By default TEXTFILL is set to 1 to plot the filled-in fonts.
Quick Reference Commands QTEXT Controls the display and plotting of text and attribute objects. STYLE Creates, modifies, or specifies text styles. System Variables QTEXTMODE Controls how text is displayed. TEXTFILL Controls the filling of TrueType fonts while plotting. TEXTQLTY Sets the resolution tessellation fineness of text outlines. Use Text Fonts for International Work Several factors affect your choosing, entering, and displaying international text in a drawing.
Asian Big Font SHX Files Asian alphabets contain thousands of non-ASCII characters. To support such text, the program provides a special type of shape definition known as a Big Font file. You can set a style to use both regular and Big Font files. Asian Language Big Fonts Included in the Product Font File Name Description @extfont2.shx Japanese vertical font (a few characters are rotated to work correctly in vertical text) bigfont.shx Japanese font, subset of characters chineset.
Specifying fonts and Big Fonts at the Command prompt Enter this ... To specify this ... ,[big font name] Only a Big Font (normal font unchanged) [font name] Only a normal font (Big Font, if any, removed) ENTER (null response) No change NOTE Long file names that contain commas as font file names are not accepted. The comma is interpreted as a separator for an SHX font-Big Font pair.
Quick Reference Commands STYLE Creates, modifies, or specifies text styles. Substitute Fonts A font used in a drawing but that is not currently available on your system is automatically substituted with another font. The program accommodates a font that is not currently on your system by substituting another font. Specify an Alternate Font If your drawing specifies a font that is not currently on your system, the font designated as your alternate font is automatically substituted. By default, the simplex.
Each line in the font mapping file contains the name of a font file (with no file extension or path) followed by a semicolon (;) and the name of the substitute font file. The substitute file name includes a file extension such as .ttf. A font mapping file is an ordinary ASCII text file with a .fmp extension. The default font mapping file is acad.fmp for AutoCAD, and acadlt.fmp for AutoCAD LT. You can change the font assignments in a font mapping file using any ASCII text editor.
2 On the Files tab, in the list, double-click Text Editor, Dictionary, and Font File Names. 3 Double-click Font Mapping File. The acadlt.fmp file is specified by default. 4 To change the font mapping file, double-click the arrow line to open the Select a File dialog box. Select a file and click Open. Click OK. 5 At the Command prompt, enter regen to convert existing text using the new font mappings. To specify a default alternate font 1 At the Command prompt, enter fontalt.
The exception is TrueType fonts: the value usually represents the size of the uppercase letters. If you specify a fixed height as part of a text style, the Height prompt is bypassed when you create single-line text. When the height is set to 0 in the text style, you are prompted for the height each time you create single-line text. Set the value to 0 if you want to specify the height as you create text.
System Variables TEXTSIZE Sets the default height for new text objects drawn with the current text style. TEXTSTYLE Sets the name of the current text style. Set Text Obliquing Angle The obliquing angle determines the forward or backward slant of the text. The angle represents the offset from 90 degrees. Entering a value between -85 and 85 makes the text oblique. A positive obliquing angle slants text to the right. A negative obliquing angle slants text to the left.
5 Click Close. Quick Reference Commands STYLE Creates, modifies, or specifies text styles. Set Horizontal or Vertical Text Orientation Text can be vertical or horizontal. Text can have a vertical orientation only if the associated font supports dual orientation. Lines of text are oriented to be vertical or horizontal. Text can have a vertical orientation only if the associated font supports dual orientation. You can create more than one line of vertical text.
■ TrueType fonts. You still select fonts starting with the @ sign, but now the text is automatically rotated 270 degrees. (In AutoCAD 2005 and earlier versions, you had to manually rotate this text.) Vertical cursor movement is now supported for vertical text. To set vertical orientation in a text style 1 Click Home tab ➤ Annotation panel ➤ Text Style. 2 In the Text Style dialog box, select a text style from the Style Name list. 3 Under Effects, select Vertical.
Quick Reference Commands DDEDIT Edits single-line text, dimension text, attribute definitions, and feature control frames. FIND Finds the text that you specify, and can optionally replace it with other text. PROPERTIES Controls properties of existing objects. System Variables MIRRTEXT Controls how MIRROR reflects text. TEXTFILL Controls the filling of TrueType fonts while plotting. TEXTQLTY Sets the resolution tessellation fineness of text outlines.
The effect of a command depends on which grip you choose. To edit single-line text 1 Click Modify menu ➤ Object ➤ Text ➤ Edit. 2 Select a single-line text object. 3 In the in-place editor, enter the new text. 4 Press ENTER. 5 Select another text object to edit, or press ENTER to end the command. To modify properties of single-line text objects 1 Select a single-line text object. 2 Right-click the selected object. Click Properties.
TEXT Creates a single-line text object. System Variables TEXTED TEXTFILL Controls the filling of TrueType fonts while plotting. TEXTQLTY Sets the resolution tessellation fineness of text outlines. Change Multiline Text You can change the location and content of multiline text objects with the Properties palette, the In-Place Text Editor, and grips.
Commands such as DIMLINEAR or LEADER create multiline text automatically without requiring that a bounding box be specified; these objects have only a single grip at the justification point. When you need to align or move multiline text objects, you can use the Node and Insertion object snaps for precision. If the OSNAPNODELEGACY system variable is set to 0, the Node object snap ignores multiline text.
Quick Reference Commands DDEDIT Edits single-line text, dimension text, attribute definitions, and feature control frames. FIND Finds the text that you specify, and can optionally replace it with other text. MTEDIT Edits multiline text. PROPERTIES Controls properties of existing objects. STYLE Creates, modifies, or specifies text styles. System Variables CENTERMT Controls how grips stretch multiline text that is centered horizontally. MIRRTEXT Controls how MIRROR reflects text.
Find and Replace Text You can easily find and replace text with the FIND command To search for and replace text, use FIND. Replacement is based on text content only; character formatting and text properties are not changed. When searching for text in a 3D environment, the viewport will temporarily change to a 2D viewport so that text isn’t blocked by 3D objects in your drawing. With FIND, you can use wild-card characters in your search.
To find specified text in a drawing 1 Click Annotate tab ➤ Text panel ➤ Find Text. 2 In Find What, enter the text you want to find. 3 In Find Where, specify the parts of the drawing to search, or click the Select Objects button to select one or more text objects. 4 Click the Expand Find Options button to specify search options and text types for the specified text. 5 Click Find.
8 Use one of the following methods to replace text: ■ To replace only the found instance of the text string, click Replace. ■ To replace all instances of the text in Find Text String, click Replace All. ■ If search results have been listed in a table using the List Results option, then you can select certain results in the list by pressing Click + CTRL. Alternately, you can select a range of results in the list by pressing Shift + Click. 9 Click Close.
>>Specify paper space distance <1.000>: 3/8 Resuming TEXT command Specify height <0.375>: 1.173 When the command is complete, a text object is created in model space with a height of 1.173, which appears as 3/8 when viewed from a layout. NOTE The SPACETRANS command is not available from the Model tab or in a perspective view. For more information about entering commands transparently, see Enter Commands on the Command Line on page 51.
SCALETEXT Enlarges or reduces selected text objects without changing their locations. SPACETRANS Calculates equivalent model space and paper space lengths in a layout. Check Spelling You can check the spelling of all text as it is entered in your drawing. You can also specify the specific language dictionary that is used and customize and manage multiple custom spelling dictionaries.
Misspelled words are underlined with a red dotted line Any word not found in the current dictionary is underlined as misspelled. Spelling suggestions are displayed when you right-click the underlined word. Switch Dictionaries The Check Spelling feature contains several main dictionaries, which are available in different languages. You can also create any number of custom dictionaries and switch between them as needed.
To check spelling 1 Click Annotate tab ➤ Text panel ➤ Check Spelling. 2 Click an option of where you want to check. Click Start. If no misspelled words are found, a message is displayed. If a misspelling is found, the Check Spelling dialog box identifies the misspelled word. The word is highlighted and zoomed to in the drawing area. 3 Do one of the following: ■ To correct a word, select an alternate word from the Suggestions list or type a word in the Suggestions box. Click Change or Change All.
To switch dictionaries while checking spelling 1 Click Annotate tab ➤ Text panel ➤ Check Spelling. 2 In the Check Spelling dialog box, click Dictionaries. 3 Do one of the following: ■ To change the main dictionary, select a dictionary from the Current Main Dictionary list. ■ To change the custom dictionary, select a dictionary under Current Custom Dictionary. 4 Click Close. To add a custom dictionary or word list 1 Click Annotate tab ➤ Text panel ➤ Check Spelling.
System Variables DCTCUST Displays the path and file name of the current custom spelling dictionary. DCTMAIN Displays the three letter keyword for the current main spelling dictionary. Use an Alternate Text Editor The default text editor is either the MTEXT ribbon contextual tab (if the ribbon is active) or the In-Place Text Editor (if the ribbon is not active), but you can elect to use any alternate editor that saves files in ASCII format.
System Variables MTEXTED Sets the application for editing multiline text objects. Format Multiline Text in an Alternate Text Editor If you use an alternate text editor, you apply formatting by entering format codes. You can underline text, add a line over text, and create stacked text. You can also change color, font, and text height. You can change the spaces between text characters or increase the width of the characters themselves. To apply formatting, use the format codes shown in the following table.
Format codes for paragraphs Format code Purpose Enter this … \Hvalue; Changes to the text height specified in drawing units Autodesk \H2;AutoCAD \Hvaluex; Changes the text height to a multiple of the current text height Autodesk \H3x;AutoCAD \S...^...; Stacks the subsequent text at the /, #, or ^ symbol 1.000\S+0.010^-0.000; \Tvalue; Adjusts the space between characters. Valid values range from a minimum of .75 to 4 times the original spacing between characters. \T2;Autodesk \Qangle; Changes
You can also use control codes to add special characters, such as tolerance or dimensioning symbols. See MTEXT. Example: Formatting Text in an Alternate Text Editor This example describes how the text in the following illustration was created. Each line below was entered in an alternate text editor: {{\H1.5x; Big text} \A2; over text\A1;/\A0; under text}\P {\A0;Baseline: 1 \S1/2;}\P {\A1;Center: 1 \S1/2;}\P {\A2;Topline: 1 \S1/2;}\P {Tolerances: \A1;1.000\H.75x;\S+0.010^-0.000;}\P {Architectural: 9-{\H.
To create multiline text in an alternate text editor 1 To specify a text editor, at the Command prompt, enter mtexted. Then enter the path of the editor you want to use. 2 Click Home tab ➤ Annotation panel ➤ Multiline Text. 3 Specify the first corner of the multiline text boundary rectangle. 4 Specify the opposite corner of the multiline text boundary rectangle. 5 In the text editor, enter the text. Enter \P to end a paragraph and start a new paragraph on the next line. (Be sure to capitalize the P.
934
Tables 26 A table is a rectangular array of cells that contain annotation, primarily text but also blocks. Tables appear in many different forms on many of the sheets that make up drawing sets. In the AEC industry, tables are often referred to as “schedules” and contain information about 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).
When you change the height or width of the table, only the row on page 1406 or column on page 1392 adjacent to the grip you have selected will change. The table will maintain its height or width. To change the size of the table proportionally to the size of the row or column you are editing, press Ctrl while using a column grip. Break Tables into Multiple Parts A table with a large amount of data can be broken into primary and secondary table fragments.
To select more than one cell, click and drag over several cells. You can also hold down Shift and click inside another cell to select those two cells and all the cells between them. When you click inside a table cell when the ribbon is active, the Table ribbon contextual tab is displayed. If the ribbon is not active, the Table toolbar is displayed.
a table, right-click, and click Table Indicator Color on the shortcut menu. The text color, size, and style and the line color are controlled by the settings for column heads in the current table style. See also: ■ Add Text and Blocks to Tables on page 945 To create a tool from a table in the current drawing 1 In the current drawing, select the table.
TABLE Creates an empty table object. TABLEDIT Edits text in a table cell. TABLEEXPORT Exports data from a table object in CSV file format. TABLESTYLE Creates, modifies, or specifies table styles. UPDATEFIELD CTABLESTYLE Sets the name of the current table style. FIELDDISPLAY Controls whether fields are displayed with a gray background. FIELDEVAL Controls how fields are updated. TABLETOOLBAR Controls the display of the Table toolbar.
■ As calculated data from formulas calculated in Excel (with data formats attached). A table that contains data links displays indicators around linked cells. If you hover your mouse cursor over the data link, information about the data link is displayed. If a linked spreadsheet has been changed, such as adding a row or column, the table in your drawing can be updated accordingly using the DATALINKUPDATEcommand.
By default, a data link is locked from editing to prevent undesired changes to the linked spreadsheet. You can lock cells from data changes, format changes, or both. To unlock a data link, click Locking on either the Table ribbon contextual tab or the Table toolbar. To link to a table in an external spreadsheet 1 In your table, select the table cells to link. 2 On either the Table ribbon contextual tab or Table toolbar, click Link Cell.
To open an external spreadsheet from a data link 1 Select any cell in the linked table or range of linked cells. 2 Right-click and click Data Links ➤ Open Data Link File. Quick Reference DATALINK Displays the Data Link dialog box. DATALINKUPDATE Updates data to or from an established external data link. DATALINKNOTIFY Controls the notification for updated or missing data links. Work with Table Styles The appearance of the table is controlled by its table style.
The appearance of text in the cells of the table is controlled by the text style that is specified in the current cell style. You can use any text style in the drawing or create a new one. You can also use DesignCenter to copy table styles from other drawings. You can define the data and formatting for any cell style within a table style. You can also overwrite the data and formatting for specific cells.
2 Right-click and select Table Style. 3 On the Table Style flyout, select a table style from the list. The new table style is applied to the table. NOTE If the previous table style had a title row and the new one does not, the title text is placed in the first cell of the table, and the other cells in the first row are left blank. 4 Press Esc twice to remove selection. Quick Reference FIND Finds the text that you specify, and can optionally replace it with other text.
UPDATEFIELD CTABLESTYLE Sets the name of the current table style. FIELDDISPLAY Controls whether fields are displayed with a gray background. FIELDEVAL Controls how fields are updated. Add Text and Blocks to Tables Table cell data can include text and multiple blocks. When a table is created, the first cell is highlighted, the Text Formatting toolbar is displayed, and you can begin entering text. The row height of the cell increases to accommodate the number of lines of text.
Inside the cell, the arrow keys move the cursor. Use the Table toolbar and the shortcut menu to format text, import text, or make other changes to the text in the cell. See also: ■ Create Multiline Text on page 848 To define or modify data formats 1 In a table, click the table cells where you want to redefine data and formatting. 2 On the Table toolbar, click Data Format. 3 Choose a data type, format, and other options for the selected table cells. 4 Enter data in the selected table cells.
2 Use one of the following methods: ■ To change one or more properties, in the Properties palette, click the value you want to change and enter or select a new value. ■ To restore the default properties, right-click. Click Remove Property Overrides. To copy the properties of a cell to other cells 1 Click inside the table cell whose properties you want to copy. 2 (Optional) To view the current properties of the selected table cell, press Ctrl+1 to open the Properties palette.
To insert a block in a table cell 1 Select and right-click a cell. Click Insert ➤ Block. 2 In the Insert dialog box, select a block from the list of blocks in the drawing, or click Browse to find a block in another drawing. 3 Specify the following properties for the block: ■ Cell Alignment. Specifies alignment for the block in the table cell. The block is middle-, top-, or bottom-aligned with respect to the top and bottom borders of the cell.
TABLE Creates an empty table object. TABLEDIT Edits text in a table cell. TABLEEXPORT Exports data from a table object in CSV file format. TABLESTYLE Creates, modifies, or specifies table styles. UPDATEFIELD CTABLESTYLE Sets the name of the current table style. FIELDDISPLAY Controls whether fields are displayed with a gray background. FIELDEVAL Controls how fields are updated. Use Formulas in Table Cells Table cells can contain formulas that do calculations using the values in other table cells.
Use the Cell option on the shortcut menu to select a cell in another table in the same drawing. When you have selected the cell, the In-Place Text Editor opens so you can enter the rest of the formula. You can also insert a formula using the Table toolbar. Copy a Formula When you copy a formula to another cell in the table, the range changes to reflect the new location. For example, if the formula in A10 sums A1 through A9, when you copy it to B10, the range of cells changes so that it sums B1 through B9.
5 To save your changes and exit the editor, click in the drawing outside the editor. To manually enter a formula in a table cell 1 Double-click inside a table cell. The In-place Text Editor opens. 2 Enter a formula (a function or an arithmetic expression), as in the following examples: ■ =sum(a1:a25,b1). Sums the values in the first 25 rows of column A and the first row in column B. ■ =average(a100:d100). Calculates the average of the values in the first 4 columns in row 100. ■ =count(a1:m500).
To automatically fill cells with incremented data 1 Double-click inside a table cell. 2 Enter a numeric value; for example, 1 or 01/01/2000. 3 Press the down arrow and enter the next desired numeric value. 4 On the Text Formatting toolbar, click OK. To change the format of the cell data, right-click the cell. Select Data Format. 5 Select the cell or cells from which you want to increment data from. 6 Click the grip in the lower right corner of the cell or cells.
FIELDEVAL Controls how fields are updated. TABLEINDICATOR Controls the display of row numbers and column letters when the In-Place Text Editor is open for editing a table cell.
954
Dimensions and Tolerances 27 You can add measurements to your drawing with several dimensioning commands. Use dimension styles to format dimensions quickly and maintain industry or project dimensioning standards. Understand Basic Concepts of Dimensioning You can create several types of dimensions, and you can control their appearance by setting up dimension styles or by editing individual dimensions. Overview of Dimensioning Dimensioning is the process of adding measurement annotation to a drawing.
NOTE To simplify drawing organization and dimension scaling, it is recommended that you create dimensions on layouts rather than in model space. To create a dimension 1 Create a layer designated for dimensions and make it the current layer. 2 Near the bottom-left corner of the application window, click a layout tab. 3 Click Dimension menu. Click a dimension option. 4 Follow the Command prompts. Quick Reference Commands DIMANGULAR Creates an angular dimension. DIMARC Creates an arc length dimension.
DIMEDIT Edits dimension text and extension lines. DIMBREAK Adds or removes inspection information for a selected dimension. DIMJOGGED Creates jogged dimensions for circles and arcs. DIMBREAK Adds or removes a jog line on a linear or aligned dimension. DIMLINEAR Creates a linear dimension. DIMORDINATE Creates ordinate dimensions. DIMRADIUS Creates a radius dimension for a circle or an arc. DIMREASSOCIATE Associates or reassociates selected dimensions to objects or points on objects.
Parts of a Dimension Here is a list of the parts of a dimension along with their descriptions. Dimensions have several distinct elements: dimension text, dimension lines, arrowheads, and extension lines. Dimension text is a text string that usually indicates the measurement value. The text can also include prefixes, suffixes, and tolerances. A dimension line indicates the direction and extent of a dimension. For angular dimensions, the dimension line is an arc.
Quick Reference Commands DIMSTYLE Creates and modifies dimension styles. Associative Dimensions Dimensions can be associative, nonassociative, or exploded. Associative dimensions adjust to changes in the geometric objects that they measure. Dimension associativity defines the relationship between geometric objects and the dimensions that give their distance and angles. There are three types of associativity between geometric objects and dimensions. ■ Associative dimensions.
Special Situations and Limitations You may need to use DIMREGEN to update associative dimensions after panning or zooming with a wheel mouse, after opening a drawing that was modified with an earlier release, or after opening a drawing with external references that have been modified.
■ Click OK to record the current Options settings in the system registry and close the Options dialog box. All subsequently created dimensions in the drawing use the new setting. Unlike most other option settings, dimension associativity is saved in the drawing file rather than in the system registry. Quick Reference Commands DIMDISASSOCIATE Removes associativity from selected dimensions. DIMREASSOCIATE Associates or reassociates selected dimensions to objects or points on objects.
Overview of Dimension Styles A dimension style is a named collection of dimension settings that controls the appearance of dimensions, such as arrowhead style, text location, and lateral tolerances. You create dimension styles to specify the format of dimensions quickly, and to ensure that dimensions conform to industry or project standards.
Quick Reference Commands DIMSTYLE Creates and modifies dimension styles. Compare Dimension Styles and Variables You can view all the settings in a dimension style. Dimension styles used in externally referenced drawings are differentiated from those defined in your current drawing. You can list the dimension styles in the current drawing. You can also list all dimensioning system variables and their current status or only the variables affected by a dimension style.
3 Click Compare. The dimensioning system variables, their current settings, and a brief description are listed. Overrides are included. To list settings for an existing dimension style 1 Click Home tab ➤ Annotation panel ➤ Dimension Style. 2 In the Dimension Style Manager, enter a dimension style name, or select a dimension whose dimension style you want to examine. 3 Click Compare. Affected variables, their settings, and a brief description of each are listed. Overrides are not included.
Control Dimension Geometry You can control the appearance of dimension lines, extension lines, arrowheads, and center marks. Control Dimension Lines You can control dimension line properties including color, lineweight, and spacing. You can control several aspects of a dimension line.
To modify the display of dimension lines 1 Click Home tab ➤ Annotation panel ➤ Dimension Style. 2 In the Dimension Style Manager, select the style you want to change. Click Modify. 3 In the Modify Dimension Style dialog box, Lines tab, change the settings under Dimension Lines as needed. 4 Click OK. 5 Click Close to exit the Dimension Style Manager. Quick Reference Commands DIMSTYLE Creates and modifies dimension styles.
DIMSD1 Controls suppression of the first dimension line and arrowhead. DIMSD2 Controls suppression of the second dimension line and arrowhead. DIMSOXD Suppresses arrowheads if not enough space is available inside the extension lines. DIMTOFL Controls whether a dimension line is drawn between the extension lines even when the text is placed outside. Control Extension Lines You can control extension line properties including color, lineweight, overshoot, and offset length.
■ Specify a fixed length for extension lines, as measured from the dimension line toward the extension line origin ■ Specify a noncontinuous linetype, typically used for centerlines ■ Modify the angle of the extension lines of a selected dimension to make them oblique Fixed-Length Extension Lines With the Dimension Style Manager, on the Lines tab, you can specify a dimension style that sets the total length of extension lines starting from the dimension line toward the dimension origin point.
The extension-line offset distance from the origin will never be less than the value specified by the DIMEXO system variable. See also: ■ Create Dimensions with Oblique Extension Lines on page 1009 To modify the display of extension lines 1 Click Home tab ➤ Annotation panel ➤ Dimension Style. 2 In the Dimension Style Manager, select the style you want to change. Click Modify. 3 In the Modify Dimension Style dialog box, Lines tab, under Extension Lines, change the settings as needed. 4 Click OK.
DIMDLE Sets the distance the dimension line extends beyond the extension line when oblique strokes are drawn instead of arrowheads. DIMEXE Specifies how far to extend the extension line beyond the dimension line. DIMEXO Specifies how far extension lines are offset from origin points. DIMFXL Sets the total length of the extension lines starting from the dimension line toward the dimension origin. DIMFXLON Controls whether extension lines are set to a fixed length.
■ Control the size of arrowheads ■ Flip the direction of an arrowhead using the dimension shortcut menu NOTE Flipped arrowheads maintain their appearance in versions later than AutoCAD 2002. However, if you edit a drawing with flipped arrowheads in a release earlier than AutoCAD LT 2006, the arrowhead directions will revert to their original orientations. See also: ■ Customize Arrowheads on page 972 To choose an arrowhead 1 Click Home tab ➤ Annotation panel ➤ Dimension Style.
Quick Reference Commands DIMSTYLE Creates and modifies dimension styles. System Variables DIMCLRD Assigns colors to dimension lines, arrowheads, and dimension leader lines. DIMDLE Sets the distance the dimension line extends beyond the extension line when oblique strokes are drawn instead of arrowheads. DIMSD1 Controls suppression of the first dimension line and arrowhead. DIMSD2 Controls suppression of the second dimension line and arrowhead.
NOTE The insertion point a block is defined with affects its placement as a custom arrowhead on a dimension or leader. For information on changing the insertion point of a block, see Create Drawing Files for Use as Blocks on page 671. If you use paper-space scaling, the scale factor is computed before applying it to the arrowhead size value. To use your own arrowhead symbol 1 Click Home tab ➤ Annotation panel ➤ Dimension Style. 2 In the Dimension Style Manager, select the style you want to change.
System Variables DIMASZ Controls the size of dimension line and leader line arrowheads. DIMBLK Sets the arrowhead block displayed at the ends of dimension lines. DIMBLK1 Sets the arrowhead for the first end of the dimension line when DIMSAH is on. DIMBLK2 Sets the arrowhead for the second end of the dimension line when DIMSAH is on. DIMCLRD Assigns colors to dimension lines, arrowheads, and dimension leader lines.
Many factors, such as the size of extension line spacing and arrowhead size, influence how dimension text and arrowheads fit within the extension lines. In general, the best fit, given the available space, is applied. If possible, both text and arrowheads are accommodated between the extension lines, no matter what fit option you choose. When creating new dimensions, you can choose to place text by entering a coordinate or using the pointing device; this is known as user-defined text placement.
Fit Diameter Dimension Text You can draw several different diameter dimensions depending on text placement, horizontal settings on the Text tab, and whether you select the Draw Dim Line Between Ext Lines option on the Fit tab. To place text within extension lines 1 Click Home tab ➤ Annotation panel ➤ Dimension Style. 2 In the Dimension Style Manager, select the style you want to change. Click Modify. 3 In the Modify Dimension Style dialog box, Fit tab, under Fit Options, select an option. 4 Click OK.
If there is enough room, text is fit between extension lines. To force an internal line and choose a fit option 1 Click Home tab ➤ Annotation panel ➤ Dimension Style. 2 In the Dimension Style Manager, select the style you want to change. Click Modify. 3 In the Modify Dimension Style dialog box, Fit tab, Under Fine Tuning, select Always Draw Dim Line Between Ext Lines. 4 Under Fit Options, select an option. 5 Click OK. 6 Click Close to exit the Dimension Style Manager.
DIMTIH Controls the position of dimension text inside the extension lines for all dimension types except Ordinate. DIMTIX Draws text between extension lines. DIMTOFL Controls whether a dimension line is drawn between the extension lines even when the text is placed outside. DIMTOH Controls the position of dimension text outside the extension lines. DIMTVP Controls the vertical position of dimension text above or below the dimension line. DIMUPT Controls options for user-positioned text.
Many of the settings are interdependent. Example images in the Dimension Style Manager are updated dynamically to illustrate how text appears as you change the settings. Align Dimension Text Whether text is inside or outside the extension lines, you can choose whether it is aligned with the dimension line or remains horizontal. The following examples show two combinations of these options. The default alignment is horizontal dimension text, even for vertical dimensions.
First and second extension lines are defined by the order in which you specified the extension line origins when you created the dimension. For angular dimensions, the second extension line is counterclockwise from the first. In the following illustrations, 1 is the first extension line origin and 2 the second. If you place text manually, you can place the dimension text anywhere along the dimension line, inside or outside the extension lines, as you create the dimension.
Other settings, such as Text Alignment, affect the vertical alignment of text. For example, if Horizontal Alignment is selected, text inside the extension lines and centered within the dimension line is horizontal, as shown in the leftmost illustration above. The text is horizontal even if the dimension line is not itself horizontal. To align text with the dimension line 1 Click Home tab ➤ Annotation panel ➤ Dimension Style. 2 In the Dimension Style Manager, select the style you want to change.
3 In the Modify Dimension Style dialog box, Fit tab, under Fine Tuning, select Place Text Manually When Dimensioning. 4 Click OK. 5 Click Close to exit the Dimension Style Manager. As you create dimensions, you can move the text along the dimension line. Use the pointing device or enter coordinates to specify the dimension line and text locations. To place text above the dimension line 1 Click Home tab ➤ Annotation panel ➤ Dimension Style.
DIMTXTDIRECTION Specifies the reading direction of the dimension text. DIMTIH Controls the position of dimension text inside the extension lines for all dimension types except Ordinate. DIMTOH Controls the position of dimension text outside the extension lines. DIMTVP Controls the vertical position of dimension text above or below the dimension line. DIMUPT Controls options for user-positioned text.
Supply User Text to Dimensions In addition to the prefixes and suffixes specified for primary and alternate units, you can supply your own text as you create a dimension. Because the prefix, suffix, and user-supplied text form a single text string, you can represent tolerance stacks and apply changes to font, text size, and other characteristics using the text editor. To add user text above and below the dimension line, use the separator symbol \X.
4 If the current text style does not have a fixed height, enter the height of dimension text in the Text Height box. 5 Under Tolerances, enter a height for tolerance values in the Scaling for Height box. 6 In the Offset from Dim Line box, enter a value for the gap around base dimension text. 7 Select a color from the Text Color box. 8 Click OK 9 Click Close to exit the Dimension Style Manager. Quick Reference Commands DIMSTYLE Creates and modifies dimension styles.
DIMTXT Specifies the height of dimension text, unless the current text style has a fixed height. DIMTXTDIRECTION Specifies the reading direction of the dimension text. Control Dimension Values The numeric values displayed in dimensions can appear in several formats. You can also control how numeric distances are represented. Control the Display of Dimension Units The numeric values of dimensions can be displayed as a single measurement or in two measurement systems.
Control the Display of Alternate Units You can create dimensions in two systems of measurement simultaneously. A common use of this feature is to add feet and inches dimensions to drawings created using metric units. The alternate units appear in square brackets ([ ]) in the dimension text. Alternate units cannot be applied to angular dimensions. If alternate-units dimensioning is on when you edit a linear dimension, the measurement is multiplied by an alternate scale value that you specify.
To add and format alternate units 1 Click Home tab ➤ Annotation panel ➤ Dimension Style. 2 In the Dimension Style Manager, select the style you want to change. Click Modify. 3 In the Modify Dimension Style dialog box, Alternate Units tab, select Display Alternate Units. 4 Under Alternate Units ■ Select a unit format from the list. ■ Select a precision value for the alternate units.
DIMALTTD Sets the number of decimal places for the tolerance values in the alternate units of a dimension. DIMALTU Sets the units format for alternate units of all dimension substyles except Angular. DIMALTZ Controls the suppression of zeros for alternate unit dimension values. DIMAPOST Specifies a text prefix or suffix (or both) to the alternate dimension measurement for all types of dimensions except angular. DIMAUNIT Sets the units format for angular dimensions.
You can round off all dimension values except those for angular dimensions. For example, if you specify a round-off value of 0.25, all distances are rounded to the nearest 0.25 unit. The number of digits displayed after the decimal point depends on the precision set for primary and alternate units and lateral tolerance values. To round off dimension values 1 Click Home tab ➤ Annotation panel ➤ Dimension Style. 2 In the Dimension Style Manager, select the style you want to change. Click Modify.
Suppress Zeros in Dimensions You can suppress leading and trailing zeros in the numeric portion of dimension text. You can also specify the sub unit for the dimension distance. If you suppress leading zeros in decimal dimensions, 0.500 becomes .500. If you suppress trailing zeros, 0.500 becomes 0.5. You can suppress both leading and trailing zeros so that 0.5000 becomes .5 and 0.0000 becomes 0. For dimension distances less than one unit, you can set the dimension distance to display in sub units.
3 In the Modify Dimension Style dialog box, Primary Units tab or Alternate Units tab, under Zero Suppression, select from the following: ■ Sub-units factor: Suppresses leading zeros in decimal values. ■ Trailing. Suppresses trailing zeros in decimal values. ■ 0 Feet. Suppresses display of 0 feet in feet and inches values. ■ 0 Inches. Suppresses display of 0 inches in feet and inches values. 4 Click OK. 5 Click Close to exit the Dimension Style Manager.
System Variables DIMALTTZ Controls suppression of zeros in tolerance values. DIMALTZ Controls the suppression of zeros for alternate unit dimension values. DIMAZIN Suppresses zeros for angular dimensions. DIMTZIN Controls the suppression of zeros in tolerance values. DIMZIN Controls the suppression of zeros in the primary unit value. Display Lateral Tolerances Lateral tolerances are values indicating the amount a measured distance can vary.
If the tolerances are applied as limits, the program uses the plus and minus values you supply to calculate a maximum and minimum value. These values replace the dimension value. If you specify limits, the upper limit goes above the lower. Format Lateral Tolerances You can control the vertical placement of tolerance values relative to the main dimension text. Tolerances can align with the top, middle, or bottom of the dimension text.
lower tolerance values can be aligned using either the operational symbols or decimal separators. You can also control zero suppression as you can with the primary and alternate units. Suppressing zeros in lateral tolerances has the same effect as suppressing them in the primary and alternate units. If you suppress leading zeros, 0.5 becomes .5, and if you suppress trailing zeros, 0.5000 becomes 0.5.
To align and suppress zeros in tolerance values 1 Click Home tab ➤ Annotation panel ➤ Dimension Style. 2 In the Dimension Style Manager, select the style you want to change. Click Modify. 3 In the Modify Dimension Style dialog box, Tolerances tab, under Tolerance Format, select the alignment from the Vertical Position list. 4 To suppress zeros in primary or alternate units, under Zero Suppression, select Leading to suppress leading zeros. Select Trailing to suppress trailing zeros. 5 Click OK.
DIMTDEC Sets the number of decimal places to display in tolerance values for the primary units in a dimension. DIMTFAC Specifies a scale factor for the text height of fractions and tolerance values relative to the dimension text height, as set by DIMTXT. DIMTM Sets the minimum (or lower) tolerance limit for dimension text when DIMTOL or DIMLIM is on. DIMTOL Appends tolerances to dimension text. DIMTP Sets the maximum (or upper) tolerance limit for dimension text when DIMTOL or DIMLIM is on.
To specify the fraction format 1 Click Home tab ➤ Annotation panel ➤ Dimension Style. 2 In the Dimension Style Manager, select the style you want to change. Click Modify. 3 In the Modify Dimension Style dialog box, Primary Units tab, under Linear dimensions, select one of the following from Fraction format: ■ Horizontal ■ Diagonal ■ Not Stacked 4 Click OK. 5 Click Close to exit the Dimension Style Manager. Quick Reference Commands DIMSTYLE Creates and modifies dimension styles.
arrowhead size, and offsets, such as the extension line origin offset. You should set these sizes and offsets to values that represent their actual plotted size. Dimension scale does not apply the overall scale factor to tolerances or measured lengths, coordinates, or angles. NOTE You can use annotative scaling to control the overall scale of dimensions displayed in layout viewports.
See also: ■ Draw, Scale, and Annotate in Model Space on page 257 ■ Scale Views in Layout Viewports on page 284 ■ Scale Annotations on page 764 To set the overall dimension scale 1 Click Home tab ➤ Annotation panel ➤ Dimension Style. 2 In the Dimension Style Manager, select the style you want to change. Click Modify. 3 In Modify Dimension Style dialog box, Fit tab, under Scale for Dimension Features, enter a value for the overall scale. 4 Click OK. 5 Click Close to exit the Dimension Style Manager.
The DIMLFAC system variable can be changed if you need to convert the linear dimension values between the imperial and metric measurement systems. Quick Reference Commands DIMREGEN Updates the locations of all associative dimensions. DIMSTYLE Creates and modifies dimension styles. System Variables DIMASSOC Controls the associativity of dimension objects and whether dimensions are exploded. DIMLFAC Sets a scale factor for linear dimension measurements.
Overview of Creating Linear Dimensions Linear dimensions can be horizontal, vertical, or aligned. With aligned dimensions, the dimension line is parallel to the line (imaginary or real) between the extension line origins. Baseline (or parallel) and continued (or chain) dimensions are series of consecutive dimensions that are based on a linear dimension. In all four illustrations, the extension line origins are designated explicitly at 1 and 2, respectively. The dimension line location is specified at 3.
DIMCONTINUE Creates a dimension that starts from an extension line of a previously created dimension. DIMEDIT Edits dimension text and extension lines. DIMLINEAR Creates a linear dimension. DIMSTYLE Creates and modifies dimension styles. System Variables DIMDLI Controls the spacing of the dimension lines in baseline dimensions. Create Horizontal and Vertical Dimensions You can create dimensions using only the horizontal or vertical components of the locations or objects that you specify.
To create a horizontal or vertical dimension 1 Click Home tab ➤ Annotation panel ➤ Linear. 2 Press Enter to select the object to dimension, or specify the first and second extension line origins. 3 Before specifying the dimension line location, you can override the dimension direction and edit the text, the text angle, or the dimension line angle: ■ To rotate the extension lines, enter r (Rotated). Then enter the dimension line angle. ■ To edit the text, enter m (multiline text).
object is selected (1), and the location of the aligned dimension is specified (2). The extension lines are drawn automatically. To create an aligned dimension 1 Click Home tab ➤ Annotation panel ➤ Aligned. 2 Press Enter to select the object to dimension, or specify the first and second extension line origins. 3 Before specifying the dimension line location, you can edit the text or change the text angle.
DIMSTYLE Creates and modifies dimension styles. System Variables DIMEXO Specifies how far extension lines are offset from origin points. Create Baseline and Continued Dimensions Baseline dimensions are multiple dimensions measured from the same baseline. Continued dimensions are multiple dimensions placed end to end. You must create a linear, aligned, or angular dimension before you create baseline or continued dimensions.
The program automatically places the second dimension line at the distance specified by the Baseline Spacing option in the Dimension Style Manager, Lines tab. 3 Use an object snap to specify the next extension line origin. 4 Continue to select extension line origins as required. 5 Press Enter twice to end the command. To create a continued linear dimension 1 Click Annotate tab ➤ Dimensions panel ➤ Continue.
Create Rotated Dimensions In rotated dimensions, the dimension line is placed at an angle to the extension line origins. The illustration shows an example of a rotated dimension. In the example, the angle specified for dimension rotation is equal to the angle of the slot. To create a rotated dimension 1 Click Home tab ➤ Annotation panel ➤ Linear. 2 Press Enter to select the object to dimension or specify the first and second extension line origins. 3 To rotate the dimension line, enter r (Rotated).
Create Dimensions with Oblique Extension Lines You can create dimensions with extension lines that are not perpendicular to their dimension lines. Extension lines are created perpendicular to the dimension line. However, if the extension lines conflict with other objects in a drawing, you can change their angle after the dimension has been drawn. New dimensions are not affected when you make an existing dimension oblique. To make extension lines oblique 1 Click Annotate tab ➤ Dimensions panel ➤ Oblique..
Create Radial Dimensions Radial dimensions measure the radii and diameters of arcs and circles with optional centerlines or a center mark. There are two types of radial dimensions: ■ DIMRADIUS measures the radius of an arc or circle, and displays the dimension text with the letter R in front of it. ■ DIMDIAMETER measures the diameter of an arc or circle, and displays the dimension text with the diameter symbol in front of it.
The DIMSE1 system variable controls whether or not a radial or diametric dimension will be drawn with an extension line when it is positioned off the end of an arc. When the display of the arc extension line is not suppressed, a gap between the arc and arc extension line is made. The size of the gap drawn is controlled with the DIMEXO system variable.
The size of the centerline is the length of the centerline segment that extends outside the circle or arc. It is also the size of the gap between the center mark and the start of the centerline. The size of the center mark is the distance from the center of the circle or arc to the end of the center mark.
Once a jogged radius dimension is created, you can modify the jog and the center location override by ■ Using grips to move the features ■ Changing the locations of the features with the Properties palette ■ Using STRETCH NOTE Jogged radius dimensions can be viewed but not edited in versions previous to AutoCAD 2006. Also, if you make dramatic changes to the associated geometry, you may get unpredictable results for the jogged radius dimension.
removes the dimension value. Adding text before or after the brackets appends text before or after the dimension value. ■ To edit the dimension text angle, enter a (Angle). 4 Specify the leader line location. To create a jogged radius dimension 1 Click Dimension menu ➤ Jogged. 2 Select an arc, circle, or polyline arc segment. 3 Specify a point for the dimension origin (the center location override). 4 Specify a point for the dimension line angle and the dimension text location.
3 In the Modify Dimension Style dialog box, Symbols and Arrows tab, under Center Marks, click Line. 4 In the Size box, enter the length of the centerline overshoot. Click OK. 5 Click Close to exit the Dimension Style Manager. 6 Click Annotate tab ➤ Dimensions panel ➤ Center Mark. 7 Select an arc or a circle. To change the display arc extension line for radial or diametric dimensions 1 Select the radial or diametric dimension for which you want to suppress the arc extension line.
DIMSTYLE Stores the name of the current dimension style. System Variables DIMATFIT Determines how dimension text and arrows are arranged when space is not sufficient to place both within the extension lines. DIMCEN Controls drawing of circle or arc center marks and centerlines by the DIMCENTER, DIMDIAMETER, and DIMRADIUS commands. DIMEXO Specifies how far extension lines are offset from origin points.
DIMTOH Controls the position of dimension text outside the extension lines. DIMUPT Controls options for user-positioned text. Create Angular Dimensions Angular dimensions measure the angle between two lines or three points. To measure the angle between two radii of a circle, you select the circle and specify the angle endpoints. With other objects, you select the objects and then specify the dimension location. You can also dimension an angle by specifying the angle vertex and endpoints.
The location that you specify for the dimension line arc determines the quadrant of the dimensioned angle. Dimension to a Quadrant Angular dimensions can measure a specific quadrant that is formed when dimensioning the angle between of the endpoints of a line or arc, center point of a circle, or two vertices. As an angular dimension is being created, there are four possible angles that can be measured. By specifying a quadrant it allows you to ensure that the correct angle is dimensioned.
3 Enter options as needed: ■ To edit the dimension text content, enter t (Text) or m (multiline text). Editing within or overwriting the brackets (<>) changes or removes the calculated dimension value. Adding text before or after the brackets appends text before or after the dimension value. ■ To edit the dimension text angle, enter a (Angle). ■ To confine the dimension to a quadrant, enter q (Quadrant) and specify the quadrant to measure. 4 Specify the dimension line arc location.
Create Ordinate Dimensions Ordinate dimensions measure the perpendicular 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. Ordinate dimensions consist of an X or Y value with a leader line. X-datum ordinate dimensions measure the distance of a feature from the datum along the X axis. Y-datum ordinate dimensions measure the distance along the Y axis.
Locate the Leader After you specify the feature location, you are prompted for the leader endpoint. By default, the leader endpoint that you specify automatically determines whether an X- or a Y-datum ordinate dimension is created. For example, you can create an X-datum ordinate dimension by specifying a location for the leader endpoint that is closer to vertical than horizontal. After creating an ordinate dimension, you can easily relocate the dimension leader and text using grip editing.
Quick Reference Commands DIMORDINATE Creates ordinate dimensions. UCS Manages user coordinate systems. Create Arc Length Dimensions Arc length dimensions measure the distance along an arc or polyline arc segment. Typical uses of arc length dimensions include measuring the travel distance around a cam or indicating the length of a cable. To differentiate them from linear or angular dimensions, arc length dimensions display an arc symbol by default.
NOTE Orthogonal extension lines are displayed only when the included angle of the arc is less than 90 degrees. To create an arc length dimension 1 Click Home tab ➤ Annotation panel ➤ Arc Length. 2 Select an arc or polyline arc segment. 3 Specify the dimension line location. Quick Reference Commands DIMARC Creates an arc length dimension. DIMSTYLE Creates and modifies dimension styles. PROPERTIES Controls properties of existing objects.
Overview of Modifying Demensions After you place a dimension, there are times when you need to modify the information that the dimension represents. You can add a jog line to a linear dimension to indicate that the dimension value does not represent the actual dimensioned value or add an inspection dimension to represent how often a dimension value of a manufactured part should be checked. At times you might want to modify a dimension to simply improve readability.
2 Select a linear dimension. 3 Specify a point on the dimension line to place the jog. To add a jog to a linear dimension based on the midpoint of the selected dimension line 1 Click Home tab ➤ Annotation panel ➤ Jog Line. 2 Select a linear dimension. 3 Press Enter to position the jog at the midpoint of the selected dimension line. To reposition a jog using grips 1 With no command active, select the linear dimension that has the jog you want to reposition. 2 Select the grip in the middle of the jog.
2 Right-click over the drawing window. Click Properties. 3 On the Properties palette, expand Lines & Arrows. 4 Select Jog Height Factor, and enter a new height for the jog. 5 Click outside the Properties palette. Press Esc. Quick Reference Commands DIMALIGNED Creates an aligned linear dimension. DIMBASELINE Creates a linear, angular, or ordinate dimension from the baseline of the previous or selected dimension.
You can add an inspection dimension to any type of dimension object; it is composed of a frame and text values. The frame for an inspection dimension is made up of two parallel lines and the end is round or square. The text values are separated by vertical lines. An inspection dimension can contain up to three different fields of information: inspection label, dimension value, and inspection rate. Inspection Dimension Fields Inspection Label Text used to identify individual inspection dimensions.
3 Select the dimension you want to make an inspection dimension. Press Enter to return to the dialog box. 4 Under the Shape section, specify the frame type. 5 Under the Label/Inspection rate section, specify the desired options. ■ Select the Label check box, and enter the desired label in the text box. ■ Select the Inspection Rate check box, and enter the desired rate in the text box. 6 Click OK.
5 Click OK. To modify an inspection dimension using the Properties palette 1 With no command active, select the inspection dimension you want to modify. 2 Right-click over the drawing window. Click Properties. 3 On the Properties palette, double-click the Misc caption of the pane to expand it. 4 Specify the new values for the Inspection shape, label, and rate. 5 Click outside the Properties palette. Press Esc.
You can add dimension breaks to the following dimension and leader objects: ■ Linear dimensions (aligned and rotated) ■ Angular dimensions (2- and 3-point) ■ Radial dimensions (radius, diameter, and jogged) ■ Arc length dimensions ■ Ordinate dimensions ■ Multileaders (straight only) The following dimension and leader objects do not support dimension breaks: ■ Multileaders (spline only) ■ “Legacy” leaders (straight or spline) The following table explains the conditions where dimension breaks
You can move dimension breaks from dimensions or multileaders. When removing dimension breaks from a dimension or multileader, all dimension breaks are removed. If there are some dimension breaks that you don’t want to remove, you need to add them again.
Dimension breaks that are added by selecting individual intersecting objects are updated any time the dimension or multileader, or intersecting objects are modified. Dimension Break Created by Picking Two Points You can place a dimension break by picking two points on the dimension, extension, or leader line to determine the size and placement of the break.
4 Specify the first point on the dimension, extension, or leader line for the dimension break. 5 Specify the second point along the dimension, extension, or leader line for the dimension break. To create dimension breaks for multiple dimensions or multileaders at one time 1 Click Annotate tab ➤ Dimensions panel ➤ Break. 2 Enter m (Multiple) and press Enter. 3 Select the dimensions or multileaders to which to add the dimension breaks. 4 Enter a (Auto) and press Enter.
Quick Reference Commands DIMBREAK Breaks or restores dimension and extension lines where they cross other objects. DIMSTYLE Creates and modifies dimension styles. Adjust Dimension Spacing You can automatically adjust existing parallel linear and angular dimensions in a drawing so they are equally spaced or aligned at the dimension line with each other. Parallel linear and angular dimensions can be created in a number of different ways in a drawing.
To equally space parallel linear and angular dimensions automatically 1 Click Annotate tab ➤ Dimensions panel ➤ Adjust Space. 2 Select the dimension that you want to use as the base dimension when equally spacing dimensions. 3 Select the next dimension to equally space. 4 Continue to select dimensions and then press Enter. 5 Enter a (Auto) and press Enter. To equally space parallel linear and angular dimensions based on a distance 1 Click Annotate tab ➤ Dimensions panel ➤ Adjust Space.
3 Select the next dimension to align. 4 Continue to select dimensions and then press Enter. 5 Enter 0 and press Enter. Quick Reference Commands DIMALIGNED Creates an aligned linear dimension. DIMANGULAR Creates an angular dimension. DIMBASELINE Creates a linear, angular, or ordinate dimension from the baseline of the previous or selected dimension. DIMCONTINUE Creates a dimension that starts from an extension line of a previously created dimension. DIMLINEAR Creates a linear dimension.
Apply a New Dimension Style to Existing Dimensions You can modify existing dimensions by applying a different dimension style. If you make changes to a dimension style, you can choose whether to update the dimensions associated with that dimension style. When you create a dimension, the current dimension style is associated with that dimension. The dimension retains this dimension style unless you apply a new dimension style to it or set up dimension style overrides.
Quick Reference Commands DIMOVERRIDE Controls overrides of system variables used in selected dimensions. DIMSTYLE Creates and modifies dimension styles. PROPERTIES Controls properties of existing objects. System Variables DIMCLRD Assigns colors to dimension lines, arrowheads, and dimension leader lines. Override a Dimension Style With dimension style overrides, you can temporarily change a dimensioning system variable without changing the current dimension style.
Some dimension characteristics are common to a drawing or to a style of dimensioning and are therefore suited to be permanent dimension style settings. Others generally apply on an individual basis and can be applied more effectively as overrides. For example, a drawing usually uses a single type of arrowhead, so it makes sense to define the arrowhead type as part of the dimension style.
To apply dimension style overrides 1 Click Home tab ➤ Annotation panel ➤ Dimension Style. 2 In the Dimension Style Manager, click Override. 3 In the Override Current Style dialog box, enter the style overrides. Click OK. The program displays
