2012

Create and Use Tools from Objects and Images
You can create a tool by dragging objects from your drawing onto a tool
palette. You can then use the new tool to create objects with the same
properties as the object you dragged onto the tool palette.
Tool palettes are tabbed areas within the Tool Palettes window. The items you
add to a tool palette are called tools. You can create a tool by dragging any of
the following, one at a time, onto your tool palette:
■ Geometric objects such as lines, circles, and polylines
■ Dimensions
■ Blocks
■ Hatches
■ Solid fills
■ Gradient fills
■ Raster images
■ External references (xrefs)
■ Tables
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. If you
drag a block or xref to a tool palette, the new tool inserts the block or xref
with the same properties into your drawing.
When you drag a geometric object or a dimension onto a tool palette, the
new tool is automatically created with an appropriate flyout. Dimension tool
flyouts, for example, provide an assortment of dimension styles. Click the
arrow on the right side of the tool icon on the tool palette to display the flyout.
When you use a tool on a flyout, the object in the drawing has the same
properties as the original tool on the tool palette.
58 | Chapter 4 Other Tool Locations