2008

Table Of Contents
Key Terms
DefinitionTerm
A layer made up of working layers and standard parts layers. Base layers are re-
peated in every layer group.
base layer
A group of associated or related items in a drawing. A major advantage of
working with layer groups is that you can deactivate a specific layer group and
layer group
a complete component. The drawing and its overview are enhanced with a re-
duction in regeneration time.
A layer where the standard parts are put. All standard parts layers have the suffix
AM_*N.
part layers
A file with predefined settings to use for new drawings. However, any drawing
can be used as a template.
template
The layer where you are currently working.working layer
Working with Templates
In AutoCAD Mechanical, you can use templates (*.dwt files) to create drawings.
Predefined templates, which contain settings for various drawings, such as
am_iso.dwt or am_ansi.dwt, are supplied with AutoCAD Mechanical. You can
create your own templates, or use any drawing as a template. When you use
a drawing as a template, the settings in that drawing are used in the new
drawing.
Although you can save any drawing as a template, prepare templates to include
settings and drawing elements that are consistent with your company or
project standards, such as the following items:
unit type and precision
drawing limits
snap, grid, and ortho settings
layer organization
56 | Chapter 4 Working with Templates