50 AutoCAD Tips

Lynn ALLens 50 Bonus Tips: AuToCAD 2013


user inTerfACe Tips

1 AutoComplete can suggest commands and system variablesAdmit ityou still use the command line! youll be happy to know that as soon as you begin keying in characters at the command line, AutoCAD will suggest commands and system variables that start with those characters. This is especially helpful when you cant quite remember how to spell a system variable! if you have a release earlier than AutoCAD 2012, you can get a similar result by clicking the Tab key after keying in one or more characters at the command line. AutoCAD will cycle through all thepossibilities.

2 Use arrow keys to move up and down the command listup and down arrows can take you through previously executed commands. using the up arrow is certainly the fastest way to access a command you used a few steps ago.

3 Add frequently used commands to the Quick Access toolbarsince the Quick Access toolbar is always on the screen, youll want to add your most frequently used commands to it for speedy access. This can easily be done by right-clicking any tool on the ribbon or by selecting More Commands from the drop-down list. i highly recommend adding the Layerlist!


user inTerfACe Tips

4 Cant find a command in the ribbon?if youre not sure where a command is located on the ribbon, key it in to the Application Menu text box (accessible from the AutoCAD icon in the upper left corner of the drawing editor). AutoCAD will show you exactly where to find it!

5 Dock frequently used palettes on the side of your screenyou want frequently used palettes like properties and the Layer Manager to be easily accessible. i recommend docking your favorite palettes on one side of your screen. simply right-click the palette bar, make sure Allow Docking is selected, and then choose to anchor the palette to the left or right. if you also enable Auto-hide, the palettes will close automatically when you remove focus from them.

6 Save your favorite User Interface to a workspaceAfter you have the perfect user interface setup, youre going to want to save it to a workspace so you can easily recall it later. This is especially handy when you upgrade! right-click the Workspace drop-down (found on the Quick Access Toolbar) and select save Current As youll never have to put your favorite ui back together again!


LAyer Tips

7 Customize your Layer Columnsyou probably dont use all the columns in the Layer Manager, so be sure to set up the columns to work for you. Drag and drop the columns to suit your preferred order (infrequently used columns should be on the far right). right-click any column header to turn off columns you never use. its all about you, baby!

8 AutoCAD gurus use Layer Statesif you find yourself spending too much time in the Layer Manager making changes to your layers, you need to start saving Layer states. A Layer state is a snapshot of your layer settings that you can recall when needed. save Layer states in the layer palette or directly from the ribbon. switch between Layer states when needed! This is a huge time-saver in the long run.

9 Need to change your layers to a different naming convention?it can be a seriously tedious process to change the names and properties of your layers to a different standardunless you know about LAyTrAns! This handy translator makes it easy to map your layers to a different standard. simply select a drawing with the correct layer standard and map the layers one by one. you can save the mapping for future use if you plan on doing this with multiple drawings. What a time-saver!


LAyer Tips

10 View layers individually with Layer WalkWould you like to view the layers on your drawing one at a time? LAyWALK makes it easy to do just that. As you step through the layer names, AutoCAD will display the objects on each layersuch a handy tool! you can also select objects while in LAyWALK, and AutoCAD will highlight the associated layer names.

11 Return objects to ByLayer quickly and easilyA well-trained AutoCAD user knows to set objects to ByLayer and let the layers control the various properties. What do you do when you run across a drawing where someone broke the rules? seTByLAyer to the rescue! This command will even convert nested blocks to ByLayernow thats a handytool!

12 Delete stubborn layersWeve all had layers that just wouldnt purge regardless of our efforts! The powerful LAyDeL command makes quick work of deleting even the most stubborn of layers. (Note: LAyDeL wont delete 0 or the defpoints layerbut everything else is fair game!)

13 Copy objects to another layer in one stepHow many times have you made a copy of an objectand then changed it to another layer? Well, youre working too hard! use the CopyToLAyer command to make a copy of one or more objects and then change it to another layerall in one easy step. you can even create a layer on the fly if needed!


HATCHing Tips

14 Do you have a hole in your hatch boundary?Dont waste time searching for a gap in your hatching boundaryjust set HATCHgAp to a value larger than the size of the gap! (Note: in most cases, AutoCAD will show you where the gap is with two red circles [AutoCAD 2011 and higher].)

15 Push hatches behind other objectsWe typically want our hatches to display behind the other objects in our drawing. use the handy HATCHToBACK command to quickly send all hatches to the back! (Note: same concept: you can also use the TeXTTofronT command to make sure all your text is on top of the otherobjects.)

16 Set up a default layer for hatchingAre you tired of changing your current layer for hatching? if you are using AutoCAD 2011 or higher, youll love the ability to set a default layer for hatching. use the HpLAyer command or set it from the ribbon (eveneasier!).


HATCHing Tips

17 Need to duplicate an existing hatch?Do you need to add some additional hatches to a drawing using the same properties of an existing hatch? The fastest means of doing that is by right-clicking the hatch pattern and then choosing Add selected from the right-click menu. AutoCAD is now ready to create another hatch pattern with the exact same settings and properties! super speedy!

18 Make your own hatch patterns on the flyDefining your own hatch patterns can be a very cumbersome process. The express Tool superHATCH lets you use images, blocks, xrefs, and wipeouts as hatch patterns! simply draw your hatch patternsave it to a block and use superHATCH to hatch with it! now isnt that easier?


HAnDy sysTeM VAriABLes

19 Tired of Object selected is not a polyline, do you want to turn it into one?Admit ityoure tired of that extra prompt in the peDiT command! set peDiTACCepT to 1 and youll never have to face that question again.fabulous!

20 Stop that ghosting of Annotative ObjectsseLeCTionAnnoDispLAy controls the ghosting that appears on annotative objects. set it to zero to only see one scale at a time for selectedobjects.

21 Tray Notification bugging you?set TrAynoTify to 0 and banish the bubble!


HAnDy sysTeM VAriABLes

22 So you want your linetypes to continue across vertices?By default, linetypes treat each segment in a polyline individually. if youve ever wanted a linetype to treat the entire polyline as one continuous segment, set pLinegen to 1.

23 Show all your open drawings on the Taskbaryou want to be able to jump from one open drawing to another as quickly as possible. set the system variable TAsKBAr to 1 and all of your open drawings will appear on the Taskbar.

24 Personalize the sample text stringThe default sample text string for MTeXT is Abc (boring!). personalize it with the system variable MTjigsTring. of course i have mine set toAutoCAD!


TiMe-sAVers

25 Clean up your drawing!rid your drawing of duplicate or overlapping objects and extra vertices in polylines. oVerKiLL will clean up your drawing for you in one fell swoop, resulting in a smaller file size and possibly speedier response time. After all, a clean drawing is a fast drawing!

26 Join multiple objects together with easeThe updated join command will join as many contiguous objects at one time as you like! Want to rid an entire drawing of stray objects? Key in ALL at the first join prompt followed by an extra enter (it really works!).

27 Grip tipsWant a super speedy way to clear your grips? Hold down the right mouse button (your fingers never have to leave your mouse!). Did you know that by holding down the shift key you can grab more than one hot grip?

28 Fast corners in filletno need to set your fillet radius to zero anymore to square off a corner. After selecting the first segment of the intended corner, hold down the shift key and select the second segment. Voila! AutoCAD will automatically square it off.


TiMe-sAVers

29 Super speedy TrimsWant to get in and out of the Trim command as quickly as possible? At the first prompt (select Cutting edge) just hit an extra enter! everything in the drawing will become a cutting edge (even though nothing highlights), and you can trim away! (Note: This also works on extend.)

30 Combine Trim and Extend (kill two birds with one stone!)Did you know that you can switch to extending while in the Trim command (or vice versa)? just hold down the shift key and AutoCAD will extend rather than Trim. if you are in the extend command and you hold down the shift key, AutoCAD will start to trim! Try it!

31 Try the new Array option in the COPY command!Have you ever been in the Copy command and decided you needed multiple copies the same distance apart? if so, youre going to love the new Array option that has been added into the Copy command. After selecting the objects to copy and a basepoint, you can use the new Array option to indicate how many copies you want and the distance/direction you want them to go!

32 Use the Shift key to temporarily turn on Orthosure you can toggle orTHo on and offbut what if you just want to toggle it for one step? Try holding down the shift key to toggle orthomuch less effort! (you dont want to burn Too many calories using AutoCAD.)


BLoCKs AnD Xref Tips

33 Block counting that is MUCH faster than using your fingers!use the nifty express Tool BCounT to do a speedy, easy-to-read count of any or all of your blocks. it doesnt get any easier than that!

34 Explode a block but keep the attribute valuesit can be very frustrating when you explode a block with attributes, only to find the attributes resort back to their original tag. Wouldnt it be nice if they could magically keep their values after exploding? Wish granteduse the BursT command!

35 Make blocks with multiple insertion points1. right-click a selected block and go into the Block editor.2. select point from the block authoring palette and choose where you

want an additional insertion point to go. select anywhere to place the label location.

3. repeat for additional insertion points if needed.4. save the changes and close the block editor (ignore the yellow

exclamation points!).5. When inserting your awesome new block, use the Control key to cycle

through added insertion points.


BLoCKs AnD Xref Tips

36 Reverse search of xrefsWe can easily list the xrefs in a drawingbut have you ever wanted to find out how many drawings a specific file is attached to via xref? (Did you follow?) i call it a reverse search. using the Design Center search capabilities, you can open the Look for drop-down list to select Xref. follow this up by entering the exact drawing name in the text box. AutoCAD will crawl through the indicated directories looking for all the drawing files with this particular xref attached. Magic!

37 Fade external referencesyou can fade your xrefs from the reference panel on the insert tab, reference panel on the ribbon. you can also use the XDWgfADeCTL system variable to set it to a value between 0 and 90. The higher the value, the more your xrefs will be faded. (Note: Click the icon on the left of the slider bar to turn fading on or off entirely.)


DiMensioning Tips

38 Knock out multiple dimensions at one time!The fantastic express Tool QDiM enables you to dimension multiple objects at one time. just window the objects you want to dimension and show AutoCAD where you want the dimensions to godone! you simply must give it a tryit could save you loads of time!

39 Remove a step from Linear DimensioningThis rarely known tip can save you lots of time. When asked to select the endpoints for your linear or aligned dimensioning, hit enter. Then youll be prompted to select an objectand AutoCAD will find the object endpoints for you!

40 Use multi-function grips for speedy dimensioningAutoCAD 2012 introduced some powerful multi-function grips that put frequently used commands right on the objects themselves. Hover over a dimension grip and youll find a slew of commands right at your fingertips! This cuts down on the need to search for commands in the ribbon (and thats a good thing!).

41 Correct overridden dimension valuesTheres no easy way to tell if a drawing has dimensions with overridden values. DiMreAssoC to the rescue! DiMreAssoC will highlight any dimension text that has been overridden and return it to its real value. now thats power!


DiMensioning Tips

42 Trying to figure out how to dimension an angle more than 180 degrees?no problem! Add an extra enter at the first prompt in Angular dimensioning to specify a Vertex and youll be good to go!

43 Dont explode crossing dimensions to edit themLet DiMBreAK deal with those crossing dimensions. your dimensions will stay intact, and the break will self-adjust should you need to move yourdimensions.

44 How do you get evenly spaced dimensions?Do you just visually space your dimensions until they look right? Let DiMspACe do the work for you. DiMspACe will make sure your linear and angular dimensions line up and are evenly spaceda real time-saver!


oBjeCT seLeCTion AnD CreATion

45 I need to add another object just like that one!no need to research all the properties of an existing object to create another similar object. right-click any selected object and choose Add selected from the shortcut menu. This will launch you into the same command that was used to create the original objectalong with all the same properties! (Note: This is very useful when working on other peoplesdrawings.)

46 Speedy means of selecting similar objectsDo you find yourself combing a drawing to find all of the same type of objects? or perhaps all the same type of objects on the same layer? Whatever the parameters are, youre going to want to use select similar to find them! right-click any highlighted object and choose select similar from the shortcut menu. AutoCAD will do the work for you and add them to the selection set. use the settings option in the seLeCTsiMiLAr command to control the properties searched for.

47 Isolate objects for easy editingWere used to working with layers to control the visibility of objectsbut now we can individually select objects to display or hide! simply right-click the selected objects you want to hide, and choose isolate =>Hide objects from the shortcut menu. if you prefer to hide everything except for the selected objects, you would choose isolate =>isolate Additional objects instead. Bring everything back by selecting end object isolation from the right-click menu. (Note: you can also right-click the light bulb icon in the lower right corner of the status bar.)


oBjeCT seLeCTion AnD CreATion

48 Selection Cycling for crowded drawingsBe sure to turn on selection Cycling (found on the status Bar) in crowded drawings to ensure you always select the right object. AutoCAD will display a window of all the objects that fall under the object selection pickbox for you to choose from.

49 Tough time getting inside of a nested viewport?sometimes it can be tricky getting to objects found in a nested viewport (a viewport within a viewport). use Ctrl+r to cycle through all of your viewports until you get to the nested one!

50 Use Quick Select (QSELECT) to find specific types of objectsAre you looking for all the blocks with a specific name or the circles of a specific size? use Quick select to tell AutoCAD exactly what youre after and let Quick select do all the work! you can find Quick select in the properties palette or on the utilities panel of the Home tab on the ribbon, as well as in the right-click menu.

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ABOUT LYNN ALLENLynn Allen, Cadalyst columnist and worldwide Autodesk Technical evangelist, speaks to more than 30,000 users each year. for the past 18years, she has written a column in Cadalyst magazine called Circles and Lines, and is the voice behind Cadalysts Tips and Tricks Tuesdays. Lynn started using AutoCAD software with release 1.4 over 20years ago, and got her start by teaching at the corporate and collegiate level for 12 years. A sought-after public speaker with a unique comedic style, Lynn has served as the Autodesk university emcee for 10 years and is always one of the highest-rated speakers. Her latest book is titled AutoCAD Professional Tips and Techniques.

resourCes

Autodesk, AutoCAD, and ATC are registered trademarks or trademarks of Autodesk, inc., and/or its subsidiaries and/or affiliates in the usA and/or other countries. All other brand names, product names, or trademarks belong to their respective holders. Autodesk reserves the right to alter product and services offerings, and specifications and pricing at any time without notice, and is not responsible for typographical or graphical errors that may appear in this document.

2012 Autodesk, inc. All rights reserved.

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50 AutoCAD Tips