AutoCad Tutorials

Creating a New heet Set in AutoCAD 2006

2005-11-09T11:45:00.000-06:00

I was about to write a tutorial on how to set up a sheet set in AutoCAD 2005 but then I came across this article by Heidi Hewett. Thanks Heidi for doing such a great job!

If there are any differences from AutoCAD 2005 please leave a comment here or drop me an email and I'll answer your questions.

"The first step in implementing sheet set functionality is to create a sheet set. You can create a sheet set using an example sheet set or by importing existing drawing layouts as sheets. Although AutoCAD includes several example sheet sets, it is unlikely that they will meet your specific needs. I suggest that you create your first sheet set by importing drawings from one of your existing projects. After you configure your first sheet set to meet your needs, you can use it as an example to create future sheet sets.

In order for you to create a new sheet set based on existing drawings, those drawings must use layouts. Don’t worry about “messing up” your drawings by creating a sheet set. A sheet set is simply an XML-based file with a DST extension, which has pointers to your drawing files. "

See the rest of the article.

Attn:AutoCAD 2006 Users

2005-11-08T14:43:00.000-06:00

For all of you who have upgraded to AutoCAD 2006, here is a link (right click the picture) to Lynn Allens AutoCAD 2006 Quick Tips pdf. Lynn is one of the premier AutoCAD evangelists, traveling the world speaking to fellow CAD users from many different countries. I have attended a presentation she gave here in Oklahoma City about AutoCAD 2006, and she was great. At the time I was enrolled at Francis Tuttle who helped bring her here. The AutoCAD 2005 Quick Tips Manual I recieved last year was very helpful and makes a great desktop companion. I would definitly recomend printing this one off. Also, you should read Lynns blog. She always takes pictures when she travels.

Customizing AutoCAD

2005-11-08T09:19:00.000-06:00

This mornings tip is an easy one to implement, but very useful. Do you ever have trouble switching from one drawing to the next? Do you wish you could do it faster? In your windows taskbar you have one taskbar object for AutoCAD no matter how many drawings you have open. Starting in AutoCAD 2005 you have the option to change that. Type TASKBAR in your AutoCAD command Line. Input 1 and hit enter. Now each drawing will have it's own taskbar object.

One note of warning, I've had trouble once or twice with a third party software not liking the multiple taskbar objects. I believe this is because the basic AutoCAD window with no drawings in it also has it's own tab in the taskbar.

Site Error...

2005-11-07T23:19:00.000-06:00

For all of you who visited my site in the last few hours (?) I apologize for the scrambled pages. A CSS/Text tag was left out during a code adjustment. Sorry for the inconvenience.

Disable Refedit: Take Two

2005-11-07T08:38:00.000-06:00

In my previous article, I discussed how to disable the refedit command by removing or renaming the actual DLL file. That method is still viable if you wish to completely end the use of that command. I have discovered another way that is less restrictive and more specifically targeted. It simply stops the Refedit command for certain drawings instead of the whole system. Find the instructions here.

All About Viewports

2005-11-04T11:12:00.000-06:00

Todays post is, surprise, all about viewports. I get more questions about these than just about anything else. They are the one feature that really helped graduate AutoCAD into a new era. Originally having multiple viewports in modelspace and then again when they introduced paperspace.

The first thing we're going to talk about is proper layer assignment. It is ALWAYS a good idea to have a dedicated viewport layer. This allows you and anyone else who sees this drawing an instant understanding of where they are and how to manipulate them.

The second thing that I recommend is to set your viewport layer not to plot. You can assign this property from the Layer Dialog box. Just scroll to the right and look for the printer icon. When you click on it you will see it now has a red slash. Some of you may say, why not just freeze the layer? Well, I used to do that too. Then one day I froze the viewport layer when I had a polygonal viewport and things didn't work out as expected. Trust me on this.

Thirdly, I ALWAYS lock my viewports. This keeps me and others from inadvertently changing the scale. You do this from the properties side bar, or do as I usually do and make a button. The button making tutorial can be found here. Simply exchange the code in the tutorial for this: ^C^C-vports;lock;on;\;

This last tip is about layers. Did you know you can have different layers activated in different viewports? Simply activate the viewport by double-clicking inside it and use either the Layer dialog/dropdown menu, or the Layer Freeze Express Tool. In the layer dialog look for the Current VP column. In the drop down menu the Current VP icon is between Layer Freeze and Lock Layer.

Speaking of Express Tools, there are some very useful commands there such as Align Space and Synchronize Viewports.

Have a Great Weekend!
Â¡Tenga un gran fin de semana!
大きい週末を持ちなさい!
Haben Sie ein groÃes Wochenende!
Ayez un grand week-end!

Note From the Editor...

2005-11-04T09:00:00.000-06:00

After checking up on yesterdays website stats I discovered that I am listed on MSN Search as #3 for "AutoCAD Hacks". Now I do enjoy the popularity and search ranking, but if you came here looking for serial numbers and registry changing programs you're in the wrong place. The reason my site was listed is because I once had a link to Hack-A-Day.com. That particular site also does not condone pirating software. I removed the link to keep my links more in context, but I would recommend the site. If you really must use the software, try a free demo. Autocad demo discs are fully featured and very useful for a tryout period of 30 days. The LT version may be more in your price range. But please, don't steal other peoples hard work.

Thanks

How To: Layer States Manager

2005-11-03T13:53:00.000-06:00

At times we have several sheets that have all the same layers but different content. After everything is put into place, we want each sheet to have the same layer states activated across several sheets. If you only have one or two to mess with it's not so bad, but if you have over 200 layers and 12 different sheets it would take quite a while. Here are the steps to save you time, and money.

1. Set all the layer states in one drawing EXACTLY how you want them. In the Layer Manager, click on the Layer States Manager icon in the upper left (AutoCAD 2005), or just hit Alt+S.

2. In the new dialog box click New... . Give your layer state an identifiable name and if you would like, a description. Click ok.

3. Click the Export... button. Save this file in a good place. I generally make a Layer States folder for each project. Now close the Layer States Manager box.

4. Open a drawing you wish to adjust to the new layer settings. Open the Layer States Manager as before.

5. Use the check boxes to choose what you wish to be affected by the saved layer state. Now click Import... and choose the file we just saved.

6. Click Restore and you're finished. Close your Layer Manager and see what has changed.

7. Repeat 4-6 as needed.

I hope this helps some of you out there as I use this function fairly often myself. Someone who speaks LISP or VB may know of a better way to change multiple drawings. If so, please let me know.

LAYUNISO: Follow Up Questions.

2005-11-02T16:57:00.000-06:00

I've had a few comments about my article Custom Express Tools: Layer Isolate & Layer Unisolate
Here are the comments along with my answers.

Q1: At 9:03 PM, Kurt Stevens said...

When creating the macro for a toolbar button instead of using the space to represent <>, you can use the semi-colon which will be readily visible.

Kurt Stevens
Instructor
Hamilton Technical College

A1: At 10:01 PM, David said...

Kurt,
Thanks for your input. I was hoping there was a better way to execute the command. I'll update the post accordingly.

Unfortunantly I am incorrecton on occasion so please correct me, I really don't mind.

Q2: At 4:17 PM, Phil said...

Why not just use the layers previous button which is the last button on the layers toolbar and be done with it. It functions in the same manner as layer unisolate in my versions of autocad and ADT.

A2: At 4:56 PM, David said...

Good point Phil, however if you use Layer Isolate to work and then change any of the layer properties, such as linetype, color, lineweight,etc..., the Layer Previous command will undo those changes. LAYUNISO will simply turn on the layers that LAYISO turned off. Thank you for making me learn a bit more about this. I had to study a bit to find my leg to stand on.

Hopefully this has helped clear up any misconceptions about this command.

AutoCAD in Your Language

2005-11-01T13:43:00.000-06:00

AutoCAD Tutorials currently recieves traffic from over 30 countries. I feel, however, that many of these visitors are not being served as fully as I would like. If you would be intrested in translating articles into your native language, I can be contacted by the email address listed in my profile. Languages most requested are Japanese, French, German, Italian, and Russian. However ALL languages are welcome.

Thank you for your intrest and support.

David Hardin

How To: Disable RefEdit

2005-11-01T09:17:00.000-06:00

Have you ever had that moment of panic when you realize there is no CTRL+Z for what you just did? RefEdit can be like that if you're not careful or not aware of how powerful it is. It's fairly easy to move a large object from one drawings model space into the paper space of another and not know until it is too late. I've heard of instructors and CAD managers disabling this feature to save themselves from new users who don't know better.

So, let's turn it off.

Go into your windows folder where you installed AutoCAD and find the file named AcRefEdRes.dll. Rename it, add a character in front of it, or move it to a different folder. I wouldn't recommend deleting it in case you decide you want it later. Next time you try to invoke the command, it will not run. Now, a side effect is that your edit block command is disabled as well. This can be good or bad depending on the level of control you need.

If anyone happens to know an alternate way to do this without disabling block edit, please let me know.

Finding the Midpoint

2005-10-31T15:56:00.000-06:00

The feature I use in AutoCAD the most is Object Snap. I couldn't go five minutes without using it if I tried. It's as natural as the Esc key. But sometimes I need more, and thankfully I've found it. Midpoint of Two Points, also known as M2P. I'm a big fan of custom buttons and this command is no exception. The proccess for creating a custom button can be found in the previous article "Custom Express Tools: Layer Isolate & Layer Unisolate" . By exchanging the code from that article with this:

MTP

We will leave out the ^C^C so that it can be used transparently with other commands.

Now just make an icon for it and you're finished.

Finding the Intersection

2005-10-31T10:08:00.000-06:00

Sometime the object tracking method is a really easy and quick way to find the intersection of where two lines would, eventually , intersect. Occasionally you can use the Extend command and that also works well. What about those other times? The Fillet command, of course! Some of you know what I'm talking about, others are thinking, "I want straight lines, not curves"! Just trust me and I'll walk you through it.

Invoke the Fillet command, and select R to change your Radius. Now input '0'. That's right, zero. Now select your two lines and hit enter.

That's it. Now you have two STRAIGHT lines that intersect. Simple, yet effective.

If you have any other methods or would like to expand upon this one, please leave a comment.

Multiline Dimension Text: A Special CASE

2005-10-28T09:33:00.000-05:00

Dimension text can be an amazing thing because of two words, Associative Dimensions. But sometimes we want more out of our formatting. I generally center my dimension text and let it sit above the dimension line. What if we need two lines of text when using text override? Both lines of text would end up above the dimension line. This is not always what we want. Maybe we want some text above and some below the dimension line. This is how you do it.

Select your dimension and open the properties dialogue box. Under the section 'Text' go to the line labeled Text override. Input your text here. If you are including the measurement in your text use <> instead of hard coding it. This will allow it to remain dynamic.
Now, insert \X where you wish to start the new line. If you are typing in all caps you must turn off the caps lock and use SHIFT X to capitalize or it will not work.
One thing you may try is to use multiple lines, it will read the first \X but just insert the second as plain text. This tip may not work for certain dimension style settings. I encourage you to experiment.

The MEASURE Command: Align to Spline

2005-10-27T14:08:00.000-05:00

Sometimes we want to have more than one of the same object in a line. The ARRAY command works very well. Sometime we want a circular alignment, and again the ARRAY is our friend. What if we want our objects to follow a curve or spline? First you need a block with the base point being the point you want on the curve. Now, invoke the MEASURE command and select your alignment line. Choose the Block option and type in the name of your block... from memory. Do you want to align your block with the line? Choose Yes or No accordingly. Specify the distance between your base points and that's it. I use this function to place tic marks along road alignments for project stationing. I'm sure you will find many more uses.

How to Define Arc Length

2005-10-26T14:47:00.000-05:00

When drawing an arc,sometimes you may want to define it's length. This can be difficult at best with out a little knowhow. Here's what you do. Draw an arc with the values you need for radius, center, end, etc... Now there is a command called LENGTHEN that you need to invoke either though the command line or through it's button. Now it will give you a few choices. Choose Total. Input your desired length and then click on the arc. It is VERY important to know that the end you click closest to will be the one to change. The other end will remain anchored. This technique works for more than just arcs,it also works with lines, splines,and polylines. The other choices in the command are also very handy. They are Delta, Percent, and Dynamic. Delta will add or subtract your amount to what you select. Percent will increase or decrease it's length by the percentage you specify. Dynamic is very similar to the stretch function. I have never used the dynamic function while working. I hope this was helpful.

A Quick Thank-You

2005-10-26T14:12:00.000-05:00

I just wanted to quickly thank all of you who visit this site, especially those of you in Japan who have really increased my traffic. For any of you who have a general question or an idea for a tutorial please let me know.

Thanks, David

Custom Button: Viewport UCS Rotation

2005-10-24T13:04:00.000-05:00

Have you ever tried to rotate the UCS in a viewport? It takes at least three commands, and if you if you don't rotate it correctly the first time, it takes more than 6. This obviously wastes time. Let's make a new button to do this. Right click any toolbar and choose customize. On the left, choose user defined, then on the right, drag an instance of User Defined Button to your toolbar. Click the blank button you just created. Change the name and description to something you will recognize.

Now let's work on the code for the button.
^C^C clears any command you may be in when you activate a button and we will use it in our button today. One important thing to know is that semicolon means enter. We will invoke the UCS command by adding _ucs to our code. So far this is what you should have:

^C^C_ucs

We want AutoCAD to start computing our command so we add a semicolon after it. If you were to input _ucs into the command line you would get a few options. The answer we want to give is _z. Now I personally use the z axis because in my line of work, up is up and down is down and that's because of gravity. Others may need another default axis to work from. Now our code is:

^C^C_ucs;_z

We need to add another semicolon after \z to invoke the selection. Now it will want to ask us how far we should rotate. We may not always want the same amount so will tell it to ask for an angle by using the \ command. The backslash will pause our code and wait for user input. After the user has input the rotation we have to give it a few more parameters to update our view. These are part of those "at least three" command I spoke of earlier. Now your code should look like this:

^C^C_ucs;_z;\_plan;Current;

Very important!! Be sure to add a semicolon after "Current" in order to compute the final result. All you need now is an icon to finish off your new button. There is a suitable one included that has a rotation arrow with a z and ucs at the bottom. Apply, and close. Now, two things I have learned about this button.

1. You must activate the viewport before clicking the button.
2. To use the button again you must deactivate and then reactivate the viewport.

If anyone knows how to fix this, please let me know. I use this button almost daily and it is one of my favorites, right up there with Layer Un-isolate.

Change your Default Drawing

2005-10-24T10:18:00.000-05:00

Most of the time when you start AutoCAD or open a new drawing, t is not exactly what you wanted. Wouldn't it be nice if it opened a drawing that already had the layers, styles, and page setups you wanted already imbedded in the drawing? There is an easy way to make this happen. First you must make this 'ideal' drawing, making sure you cover all the bases like text, table, and dimension styles. Now save it as a DWT file, AKA a Template file, somwhere on your computer or in a network folder if you plan on sharing your knowledge. Now go to Tools-Options and click on the Files Tab. Under the Template Settings look for your Default Template File Name for QNEW. Browse this path to the file you just created. I have also changed the other paths under Template Settings to look for this file. Click OK and that's it. Type QNEW in the command line and your file will open as a dwg. Thanks for visiting today, and we'll see you again tomorrow.

AutoCAD Mouse Magic

2005-10-21T14:55:00.000-05:00

Ok, maybe not 'magic', but definitely some helpful techniques that will help you work faster. Our first tip is a real easy one that often goes unnoticed. If you have a wheel mouse, and most people do, if you push in on the wheel rather than roll it behaves as a third button. Clicking this while in AutoCAD will zoom extents in your drawing. Told you it was easy.

Our second tip is not for the faint of heart, ie.. if you don't like change, this may not be for you. Open AutoCAD and go to Tools - Options. Under the User Preferences Tab in the upper left is a button marked Right-click Customization. A box will open and present you with a few options. Check the box at the top to enable time-sensitive right click. This will give your right mouse button dual roles dependent upon your input. Fast click is Enter, regular click for normal right click options. I set my duration to 250 milliseconds but you can do as you wish. Also, you can choose your functionality in Edit Mode to either Repeat Last Command, or Shortcut Menu. I set mine to Shortcut Menu because Enter will automatically repeat the last command. This takes a few minutes to adjust to but you will soon see how it will increase your drawing speed.

Custom Express Tools: Layer Isolate & Layer Unisolate

2005-10-13T10:53:00.000-05:00

If you have Express Tools, and I hope you do, you may be using the Layer Isolate command also known as LAYISO for you command line users out there. Once you've isolated your layers and finished your work, turning all the correct layers back on can be a chore. Wouldn't it be nice if you could UN-isolate your layers? Well, it turns out you can with an undocumented command known as (surprise) LAYUNISO. For those using the command line that is all you need to get going, for the rest of us, we need a new toolbar button.

Right click any toolbar and choose Customize. In the Customize dialogue box, choose the Command tab. In the left column choose User defined and then click drag User Defined Button from the right column and drop it in the toolbar of your choice. I put it right next to Layer Isolate.

Now, you will see a blank button. Click on it to view it properties. This is also how you can edit any existing button or view it to see how it's command is called from the command line. Name and Description fields I think you can figure out on your own. In the Macro field you should see "^C^C" , this command exits any previous commands. Change the text to read "^C^CLAYUNISO ". Notice the semicolon after the text, it's very important because a semicolon equates to enter.

Now the fun part, drawing the icon. I borrowed the basic shapes from the LAYISO button by choosing it from the menu on the right of the Customize dialog box. Click on Edit and the Button Editor box pops up. I just took out the yellow, keeping the basic shapes form the original. Most importantly on this step, click SAVE AS and give it a new name, such as layuniso.bmp. Click on Close and you should see your new graphic in the preview pane. Click on close and you're finished. This basic format works for all types of custom buttons. Tomorrow we will be going over a multiple command button with user options. Stay tuned.

EDIT: I guess you could also do it the way Lynn Allen describes here on her blog.

EDIT: Here is the link to the follow up article

How To: Easy Plot Settings

2005-10-12T09:27:00.000-05:00

Have you ever had an entire project finished and ready to go when, your printer goes down and and you have to plot to another printer, maybe the old one in the back, or Kinko's or somewhere else WITH DIFFERENT PAGE OFFSETS!? This can be a huge delay and set a project back a day. Or it can be the moment when you get to show off your AutoCAD prowess. Here's what you need to know.

For starters, you really should be using the Sheet Set Manager (SSM) if at all possible. It is incredibly useful. Anyway, this works even if you don't use the SSM, bu is not as multi-featured.

Step 1: Go to Tools, then Options. Within that dialogue box click on the "Plot and Publish" tab. On the lower right you will see the area labeled "Specify plot offset relative to". Select "Edge of paper" then click on Apply and close the dialogue box.

"What does this do?", you may ask. This set your page offset from a consistent location, the edge of the paper, rather than a variable spot dependent each printer

"Why can't I just save my usual page setups and have one for each printer I will use?". Good question. What if someone else in the office needs to print your drawing and they have a different printer driver that allows different printable areas? This solves that problem. Another problem I used to have was that different sheets within the project have different printed borders but must retain certain offsets from some edges of the paper. Using this technique I can export the same page setup to every sheet and they all are lined up perfectly.
I hope you find this technique useful and if you have any questions, please post.