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<p align="center"><font size="7">AutoCAD Tips</font></p>
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<p align="center"><b><font size="4">Tips added 07/08/2004</font></b></p>
<div align="center">
<center>
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<tr>
<td width="50%" align="center"><!--mstheme--><font face="Trebuchet MS, Arial, Helvetica">
<a href="#Additions to MATCHPROP command (2004)">Additions to MATCHPROP
command</a> <!--mstheme--></font></td>
<td width="50%" align="center"><!--mstheme--><font face="Trebuchet MS, Arial, Helvetica">
<a href="#Loading LISP files automatically (2000/2002/2004)">Loading Lisp
files automatically</a> <!--mstheme--></font></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="50%" align="center"><!--mstheme--><font face="Trebuchet MS, Arial, Helvetica">
<a href="#Another Cursor Snap Angle menu (2000/2002/2004)">Another Cursor
Snap Angle menu</a> <!--mstheme--></font></td>
<td width="50%" align="center"><!--mstheme--><font face="Trebuchet MS, Arial, Helvetica">
<a href="#Move, copy, or paste as block with just two clicks (2000/2002/2004)">
Move, copy, or paste as block with just two clicks</a><!--mstheme--></font></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="50%" align="center"><!--mstheme--><font face="Trebuchet MS, Arial, Helvetica">
<a href="#Centerlines for circles (2000/2002/2004)">Centerlines for circle</a> <!--mstheme--></font></td>
<td width="50%" align="center"><!--mstheme--><font face="Trebuchet MS, Arial, Helvetica">
<a href="#Ordering attributes in blocks (2000/2002/2004)">Ordering
attributes in blocks</a><!--mstheme--></font></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="50%" align="center"><!--mstheme--><font face="Trebuchet MS, Arial, Helvetica">
<a href="#Different ways to rename objects (2000/2002/2004)">Different
ways to rename objects</a><!--mstheme--></font></td>
<td width="50%" align="center"><!--mstheme--><font face="Trebuchet MS, Arial, Helvetica">
<a href="#Putting Polar Snaps to work for you (2000/2002/2004)">Putting
Polar Snaps to work for you</a> <!--mstheme--></font></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="50%" align="center"><!--mstheme--><font face="Trebuchet MS, Arial, Helvetica">
<a href="#Display Current Text style in the status line (2000/2002/2004)">
Display Current Text style in the status line</a> <!--mstheme--></font></td>
<td width="50%" align="center"><!--mstheme--><font face="Trebuchet MS, Arial, Helvetica">
<a href="#Setting the order of attributes (2000/2002/2004)">Setting the
order of attributes</a> <!--mstheme--></font></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="50%" align="center"><!--mstheme--><font face="Trebuchet MS, Arial, Helvetica">
<a href="#Dont use Defpoints, define a no-plot layer (2000/2002/2004)">
Don't use Defpoints, define a no-plot layer</a> <!--mstheme--></font></td>
<td width="50%" align="center"><!--mstheme--><font face="Trebuchet MS, Arial, Helvetica">
<a href="#Some more quick-edit tricks (2000/2002/2004)">Some more quick
edit tricks</a> <!--mstheme--></font></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="50%" align="center"><!--mstheme--><font face="Trebuchet MS, Arial, Helvetica">
<a href="#Editing hatch objects safely (2000/2002/2004)">Editing Hatch
objects safely</a><!--mstheme--></font></td>
<td width="50%" align="center"><!--mstheme--><font face="Trebuchet MS, Arial, Helvetica">
<a href="#Text masking (2000/2002/2004)">Text masking</a> <!--mstheme--></font></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="50%" align="center"><!--mstheme--><font face="Trebuchet MS, Arial, Helvetica">
<a href="#Loading AutoLISP files automatically (2000/2002/2004)">Loading
AutoLisp files automatically</a><!--mstheme--></font></td>
<td width="50%" align="center"><!--mstheme--><font face="Trebuchet MS, Arial, Helvetica">
<a href="#Toggling the double-click edit feature (2000/2002/2004)">
Toggling the double-click edit feature</a> <!--mstheme--></font></td>
</tr>
</table><!--mstheme--><font face="Trebuchet MS, Arial, Helvetica">
</center>
</div>
<p align="center"><b><font size="4">Tips added 08/10/2004</font></b></p>
<div align="center">
<center>
<!--mstheme--></font><table border="1" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="border-collapse: collapse" width="100%" id="AutoNumber2" bordercolordark="#000000" bordercolorlight="#999999">
<tr>
<td width="50%" align="center"><!--mstheme--><font face="Trebuchet MS, Arial, Helvetica">
<a href="#Quickly add text below dimensions (2000)">Quickly add text below
dimensions</a><!--mstheme--></font></td>
<td width="50%" align="center"><!--mstheme--><font face="Trebuchet MS, Arial, Helvetica">
<a href="#Use SAVEAS to make a copy of your drawing (2000/2002/2004)">Use
SAVEAS to make a copy of your drawing</a><!--mstheme--></font></td>
</tr>
</table><!--mstheme--><font face="Trebuchet MS, Arial, Helvetica">
</center>
</div>
<p style="margin: 1 5"> </p>
<p align="center"><b><font size="4">Tips added 08/<font color="#000000">24</font>/2004</font></b></p>
<!--mstheme--></font><table border="1" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="border-collapse: collapse" width="100%" id="AutoNumber2" bordercolordark="#000000" bordercolorlight="#999999">
<tr>
<td width="50%" align="center"><!--mstheme--><font face="Trebuchet MS, Arial, Helvetica">
<a href="#Adjusting the zoom factor for your mouse wheel (2000/2002/2004)">
Adjusting the zoom factor for your mouse wheel (2000/2002/2004)</a><!--mstheme--></font></td>
<td width="50%" align="center"><!--mstheme--><font face="Trebuchet MS, Arial, Helvetica"><span style="font-face: Courier New">
<a href="#Quickly customize your spell check dictionary (2000/2002/2004)">
Quickly customize your spell check dictionary (2000/2002/2004)</a></span><!--mstheme--></font></td>
</tr>
</table><!--mstheme--><font face="Trebuchet MS, Arial, Helvetica">
<p style="margin: 1 5" align="center"> </p>
<p style="margin: 1 5" align="center"><b><font size="4">Tips added 10/6/2004</font></b></p>
<p style="margin: 1 5" align="center"> </p>
<div align="center">
<center>
<!--mstheme--></font><table border="1" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="border-collapse: collapse" width="100%" id="AutoNumber5" bordercolordark="#000000" bordercolorlight="#999999">
<tr>
<td width="50%" align="center"><!--mstheme--><font face="Trebuchet MS, Arial, Helvetica"><span style="font-face: Courier New">
<a href="#Bypass AutoCADs Import Text option (2002/2004/2005)">Bypass
AutoCAD's Import Text option (2002/2004/2005)</a></span><!--mstheme--></font></td>
<td width="50%" align="center"><!--mstheme--><font face="Trebuchet MS, Arial, Helvetica"><span style="font-face: Courier New">
<a href="#Managing viewports (2002/2004/2005)">Managing viewports
(2002/2004/2005)</a></span><!--mstheme--></font></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="50%" align="center"><!--mstheme--><font face="Trebuchet MS, Arial, Helvetica"><span style="font-face: Courier New">
<a href="#Displaying the full path for drawing (2000i/2002/2004/2005)">
Displaying the full path for drawing (2000i/2002/2004/2005)</a></span><!--mstheme--></font></td>
<td width="50%" align="center"><!--mstheme--><font face="Trebuchet MS, Arial, Helvetica"><span style="font-face: Courier New">
<a href="#Streamlining the PEDIT command (2004/2005)">Streamlining the
PEDIT command (2004/2005)</a></span><!--mstheme--></font></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="50%" align="center"><!--mstheme--><font face="Trebuchet MS, Arial, Helvetica"><span style="font-face: Courier New">
<a href="#Hide objects without freezing layers (2000/2002/2004)">Hide
objects without freezing layers (2000/2002/2004)</a></span><!--mstheme--></font></td>
<td width="50%" align="center"><!--mstheme--><font face="Trebuchet MS, Arial, Helvetica"><span style="font-face: Courier New">
<a href="#Undocumented: Maximum zoom without regeneration (2000/2002/2004/2005)">
Undocumented: Maximum zoom without regeneration (2000/2002/2004/2005)</a></span><!--mstheme--></font></td>
</tr>
</table><!--mstheme--><font face="Trebuchet MS, Arial, Helvetica">
</center>
</div>
<p style="margin: 1 5"> </p>
<p style="margin: 1 5" align="center"><b><font size="4">Tips added 11/2/2004</font></b></p>
<p style="margin: 1 5" align="center"> </p>
<div align="center">
<center>
<!--mstheme--></font><table border="1" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="border-collapse: collapse" width="100%" id="AutoNumber6" bordercolordark="#000000" bordercolorlight="#999999">
<tr>
<td width="50%" align="center"><!--mstheme--><font face="Trebuchet MS, Arial, Helvetica"><span style="font-face: Courier New">
<a href="#Finding the length of an arc (2000/2002/2004/2005)">Finding the
length of an arc (2000/2002/2004/2005)</a></span><!--mstheme--></font></td>
<td width="50%" align="center"><!--mstheme--><font face="Trebuchet MS, Arial, Helvetica"><span style="font-face: Courier New">
<a href="#Sizing OLE text objects (2005)">Sizing OLE text objects (2005)</a></span><!--mstheme--></font></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="50%" align="center"><!--mstheme--><font face="Trebuchet MS, Arial, Helvetica"><span style="font-face: Courier New">
<a href="#Protecting your custom toolbars (2005)">Protecting your custom
toolbars (2005)</a></span><!--mstheme--></font></td>
<td width="50%" align="center"><!--mstheme--><font face="Trebuchet MS, Arial, Helvetica"><span style="font-face: Courier New">
<a href="#Who has that drawing open (2000/2002/2004/2005)">Who has that
drawing open? (2000/2002/2004/2005)</a></span><!--mstheme--></font></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="100%" align="center" colspan="2"><!--mstheme--><font face="Trebuchet MS, Arial, Helvetica">
<span style="font-face: Courier New">
<a href="#Explicitly declare variable data types (Access 97/2000/2002/2003)">
Explicitly declare variable data types (Access 97/2000/2002/2003)</a></span><!--mstheme--></font></td>
</tr>
</table><!--mstheme--><font face="Trebuchet MS, Arial, Helvetica">
</center>
</div>
<p style="margin: 1 5"> </p>
<p style="margin: 1 5"><b><a name="Additions to MATCHPROP command (2004)">Additions to MATCHPROP
command (2004)</a></b><br>
<br>
The match properties command, MATCHPROP, has been around for quite a while, but
many users may not be aware of the two options added in AutoCAD 2004. In
addition to color, dimension, hatch, layer, linetype, linetype scale,
lineweight, text thickness, and plot style, AutoCAD 2004 adds support for
selected properties of polylines and viewports. <br>
<br>
The Polyline option lets you grab and paste the width and linetype generation
properties from the source polyline to the
target polyline. (This option does not transfer the fit property or elevation of
the source polyline.) <br>
<br>
The Viewport option lets you paste the following settings from the source
viewport to the destination viewport: on/off,
display-locking, scale, shade plot, snap, grid, and UCS icon visibility and
location. (This option does not trnasfer the
freeze/thaw state of the viewport's layer, or its clipping and UCS
configuration.)<br>
<br>
<b><a name="Another Cursor Snap Angle menu (2000/2002/2004)">Another Cursor Snap
Angle menu (2000/2002/2004)</a></b><br>
<br>
I liked the recent tip regarding setting the cursor snap angle to various common
angles, but I've taken this idea a little bit
further. I've added the menu to my cursor menu ([Shift]-right-click) and also
included some code to indicate<br>
which angle setting is active, as well as setting Orthomode on. Here's the
section I added to the end of the ***POP0 **SNAP
section of my menu file. (Remember: Backup your AutoCAD menufiles before making
any changes.)<br>
<br>
[->Snap angle]<br>
[Pick it]'ortho;on;'snapang;_end;\_end;<br>
[0]$(if,$(=,$(angtos,$(getvar,snapang),0,1),0.0),!.)^P'ortho;on;'snapang;0;<br>
[15]$(if,$(=,$(angtos,$(getvar,snapang),0,1),15.0),!.)^P'ortho;on;'snapang;15;<br>
[22.5]$(if,$(=,$(angtos,$(getvar,snapang),0,1),22.5),!.)^P'ortho;on;'snapang;22.5;<br>
[30]$(if,$(=,$(angtos,$(getvar,snapang),0,1),30.0),!.)^P'ortho;on;'snapang;30;<br>
[45}$(if,$(=,$(angtos,$(getvar,snapang),0,1),45.0),!.)^P'ortho;on;'snapang;45;<br>
[60]$(if,$(=,$(angtos,$(getvar,snapang),0,1),60.0),!.)^P'ortho;on;'snapang;60;<br>
[75]$(if,$(=,$(angtos,$(getvar,snapang),0,1),75.0),!.)^P'ortho;on;'snapang;75;<br>
<br>
<b><a name="Centerlines for circles (2000/2002/2004)">Centerlines for circles
(2000/2002/2004)</a></b><br>
<br>
Here's the routine we've been using for years to create centerlines for circles:
Briefly, it draws a pair of centerlines<br>
for a selected circle after prompting you for the length to extend the lines.
You can specify a length the lines extend<br>
beyond the circle or indicate an absolute length from the center point for the
lines.<br>
<br>
(defun C:CL (/ clay sblip scmde e cen rad d ts xx)<br>
(setq clay (getvar "CLAYER"))<br>
(setq sblip (getvar "BLIPMODE"))<br>
(setq scmde (getvar "CMDECHO"))<br>
(setvar "CMDECHO" 0)<br>
(setq e nil xx "Yes")<br>
(setq ts (tblsearch "LAYER" "CTR"))<br>
(if (null ts)<br>
(prompt "\nCreating new layer - CTR. ")<br>
(progn<br>
(if (= (cdr (assoc 70 ts)) 1)<br>
(progn<br>
(prompt "\nLayer CTR is frozen. ")<br>
(initget "Yes No")<br>
(setq xx (getkword "\nProceed (Y/N) : "))<br>
(if (= xx "Yes")<br>
(command "LAYER" "T" "CTR" "")<br>
)<br>
)<br>
)<br>
)<br>
)<br>
<br>
(if (= xx "Yes")<br>
(progn<br>
(while (null e)<br>
(setq e (entsel "\nSelct arc or circle: "))<br>
(if e<br>
(progn<br>
(setq e (car e))<br>
(if (and<br>
(/= (cdr (assoc 0 (entget e))) "ARC")<br>
(/= (cdr (assoc 0 (entget e))) "CIRCLE")<br>
)<br>
(progn (prompt "\nEntity is a ")<br>
(princ (cdr (assoc 0 (entget e))))<br>
(setq e nil)<br>
)<br>
)<br>
)<br>
)<br>
)<br>
(setq cen (cdr (assoc 10 (entget e))))<br>
(setq rad (cdr (assoc 40 (entget e))))<br>
(prompt "\nRadius is ")<br>
(princ (rtos rad))<br>
(initget 1 "Length")<br>
(setq d (getdist "\n/Length: "))<br>
(if (= d "Length")<br>
(progn<br>
(initget 1)<br>
(setq d (getdist cen "\nLength: "))<br>
)<br>
(setq d (+ rad d))<br>
)<br>
(setvar "BLIPMODE" 0)<br>
(command "LAYER" "M" "CTR" "LT" "CENTER" "CTR" "")<br>
(command "LINE" (list (car cen) (- (cadr cen) d))<br>
(list (car cen) (+ (cadr cen) d))<br>
""<br>
)<br>
(command "LINE" (list (- (car cen) d) (cadr cen))<br>
(list (+ (car cen) d) (cadr cen))<br>
""<br>
)<br>
(command "LAYER" "S" clay "")<br>
)<br>
)<br>
(setvar "BLIPMODE" sblip)<br>
(setvar "CMDECHO" scmde)<br>
(princ)<br>
)<br>
<br>
<b><a name="Different ways to rename objects (2000/2002/2004)">Different ways to
rename objects (2000/2002/2004)</a></b><br>
<br>
There are as many as three different ways to rename dimension styles, files,
layers, etc. from within AutoCAD's dialog boxes.
(These same methods also work for file and folder names within Windows
Explorer.) <br>
<br>
1) Highlight the name and click twice, slowly. Then, simply type in the new name
or swipe and replace a portion of the
existing name. Please note, clicking twice slowly isn't the same as a
double-click, which often initiates another operation--such
as making the selected layer name current in the Layer Properties Manager dialog
box.<br>
<br>
2) Right-click on the name and select Rename from the shortcut menu. This method
doesn't work in the aforementioned Layer
Properties Manager dialog box, but does work for most other dialog boxes.<br>
<br>
3) Highlight the name and press [F2]. This is our favoritemethod, since we must
use the keyboard to type in the new name anyway.<br>
<br>
<b><a name="Display Current Text style in the status line (2000/2002/2004)">
Display Current Text style in the status line (2000/2002/2004)</a></b><br>
<br>
With the help of the DIESEL (Direct Interpretively Evaluated String Expression
Language) macro language, you can use the
Modemacro system variable to display the current text style in the lower-left
corner of AutoCAD's status line. Because the
current value of Modemacro is stored only during the current drawing session,
you must add the following line of code to
Acad200xdoc.lsp, so that it's loaded each time you open a drawing:<br>
<br>
(setvar "modemacro" "$(getvar,textstyle)")<br>
<br>
After that, you'll always find the current text style displayed in AutoCAD's
status line. <br>
<br>
<b><a name="Dont use Defpoints, define a no-plot layer (2000/2002/2004)">Don't
use Defpoints, define a no-plot layer (2000/2002/2004)</a></b><br>
<br>
In the old days, it was common to place objects and text you wanted to "hide" on
AutoCAD's Defpoints layer, so they wouldn't
show up on finished plots. (AutoCAD uses the Defpoints layer to hide things of
its own, such as key definition points for
dimensions.) While there are dozens of reasons to want to hide objects while
plotting, using the Defpoints layer isn't the best
way to accomplish this. <br>
<br>
The Layer Properties Manager dialog box, which you can access by typing Layers
at the command line or clicking on the Layer
Properties Manager icon, lets you turn plotting on or off for any selected
layer. (The only exception: you can't turn plotting on
for the Defpoints layer.) Once the dialog box is open, select the layer(s) you
want to make invisible during plotting and click on
the column under Plot-AutoCAD draws a red diagonal bar over the plotter icon.
That's all there is to it. The nice part is you can
enable the layers for plotting at any time, by repeating the process. You can't
do that using the Defpoints layer.<br>
<br>
<b><a name="Editing hatch objects safely (2000/2002/2004)">Editing hatch objects
safely (2000/2002/2004)</a></b><br>
<br>
In one of our previous tips we mentioned that hatch objects could be edited
using the Modify Properties dialog box. However,
if you open a drawing from a consultant that contains a hatch pattern that
doesn't exist in your Hatch Pattern palette, it will
sometimes generate an error and crash the drawing. Here's a safer way to edit
hatch objects: After selecting the hatch object you
wish to edit, type HE (short for HATCHEDIT) at the command prompt. This opens
the Hatch Edit dialog box, which lets you edit
all aspects of the hatch-safely.<br>
<br>
<b><a name="Loading AutoLISP files automatically (2000/2002/2004)">Loading
AutoLISP files automatically (2000/2002/2004)</a></b><br>
<br>
Many users know that you can edit the acad2000doc.lsp file to force AutoCAD to
load custom AutoLISP routines at startup. This
method can be messy, not to mention dangerous, if you edit the wrong lines.
Here's an easy way to accomplish the same thing,
without editing any file. The best part? You can do it within AutoCAD.<br>
<br>
At the AutoCAD command prompt, type Appload. This opens the Load/Unload
Applications dialog box. At the lower-right corner of
this dialog box, click on the Contents button located in the Startup Suite area.
This opens the Startup Suite dialog box.
Click the Add button, which opens the Add File to Startup Suite dialog box. From
here, simply highlight each custom application
you want to automatically load, and click the Add button. When you're done,
close each of the dialog boxes. That's all there is
to it. Each selected file will now load automatically at startup.</p>
<p style="margin: 1 5"><br>
<b><a name="Loading LISP files automatically (2000/2002/2004)">Loading LISP
files automatically (2000/2002/2004)</a></b><br>
<br>
Here's another way to automatically load your lisp files. This method saves
system resources and only loads the LISP files when
they're actually needed rather than having them all loaded at startup. Simply
create a custom button with the following macro:</p>
<p style="margin: 1 5"><br>
^C^C(load "xxx") xx<br>
<br>
The ^C^C cancels the current command. The "xxx" is the file name
and path, if appropriate, for the routine to load. Finally, the
xx is the command name for the routine-what you would type at the
command prompt to run the routine.<br>
<br>
Here's an example of a button.<br>
^C^C(load "c:/dalmatian/dfi2004/cb") cb<br>
<br>
<b>
<a name="Move, copy, or paste as block with just two clicks (2000/2002/2004)">
Move, copy, or paste as block with just two clicks (2000/2002/2004)</a></b><br>
<br>
By now, everyone is well aware of AutoCAD's right-click shortcut menus in
general. But we're sure few, if any, users know about
all of the available shortcut menus. Here's a useful one that mimics one of our
favorites from MS Word.<br>
<br>
Start by selecting any number of objects and then right-click. While continuing
to right-click, drag the mouse to a new location
and the selected objects will follow. When you release the mouse button, a
shortcut menu appears offering the following options:<br>
Move Here, Copy Here, Paste As Block, and Cancel. Simply choose the appropriate
option and you're done. What could be faster?</p>
<p style="margin: 1 5"><br>
Please note that the Paste As Block option creates a new block with a name
randomly generated using letters and numbers. If
required, you can quickly give the block a new name using the RENAME command.<br>
<br>
<b><a name="Ordering attributes in blocks (2000/2002/2004)">Ordering attributes
in blocks (2000/2002/2004)</a></b><br>
<br>
You probably recall the recent tip for defining the order of attributes while
creating a block. However, you may not always
want to define the order when you first create the block. You may like to
fine-tune the order as you go. Here's a way to edit block attributes after the
fact:<br>
<br>
Type Battman at the command prompt, or select Modify | Object |Attribute | Block Attribute Manager from the menu bar, to open
the Block Attribute Manager dialog box. This dialog box lets you
quickly adjust the order of attributes using the Move Up or Move
Down buttons. You can also edit all aspects of an attribute, as
well as remove individual attributes, using the Edit, Settings,
and Remove options.<br>
<br>
<b><a name="Putting Polar Snaps to work for you (2000/2002/2004)">Putting Polar
Snaps to work for you (2000/2002/2004)</a></b><br>
<br>
Here's a simple way to control your cursor snap angle settings without making
changes to AutoCAD's menu file. Right-click on the
Polar button located on the status line at the bottom of the drawing area, and
select Settings from the shortcut menu. This
opens the Drafting Settings dialog box with the Polar Tracking page current.
This page includes a variety of common increment
angles (90, 45, 30, 22.5, 18, 15, 10, and 5 degrees) to choose from under Polar
Angle Settings. You can also add up to ten
custom angles by clicking New. <br>
<br>
The Object Snap Tracking Settings controls whether tracking includes all defined
polar angles or is limited to orthogonal
angles only. The Polar Angle Measurement options set angle measurements to
absolute values or relative to the last segment
drawn. Once you have polar tracking configured properly, clicking Polar on the
status bar toggles it on and off.<br>
<br>
<b><a name="Setting the order of attributes (2000/2002/2004)">Setting the order
of attributes (2000/2002/2004)</a></b><br>
<br>
When creating a block with attributes, such as the title block for a drawing,
the order in which you select the attributes when
defining the block sets the display order for the attribute prompts when
inserting the block. In other words, when creating
the block choose all entities except the attributes first, and then choose each
attribute in the same order that you want them
displayed. This is useful for blocks that everyone in the office uses over and
over during the day. We haven't seen this in the
AutoCAD manual, so it may not be widely known.<br>
<br>
<b><a name="Some more quick-edit tricks (2000/2002/2004)">Some more quick-edit
tricks (2000/2002/2004)</a></b><br>
<br>
Here's the quickest way yet to move, copy, or paste as a block, selected
entities: Simply select the group of objects and then
right-click and drag them to a new location. When you release the right button,
a shortcut menu offers the following four
choices: Move Here, Copy Here, Paste As Block, or Cancel. Select the appropriate
option and you're done. Note: If you
select the Paste as Block option, AutoCAD names the newly created block using
its default naming system, which typically
starts with AC$ and ends with a hexadecimal number, i.e. AC$6FCB3FE6. Use the
Rename command to give it a more
appropriate name.<br>
<br>
<b><a name="Text masking (2000/2002/2004)">Text masking (2000/2002/2004)</a></b><br>
<br>
We wanted to share some useful tips for the TextMask command, which you can run
by selecting Express | Text | TextMask from the menu bar, or typing TextMask at
the command prompt. This command hides objects located below selected text.
(Actually, it covers the objects using the current background color.) This is
handy for those "busy" areas of a drawing where text might otherwise be lost. In
the beginning, however, This command is sometimes avoided because the mask
object was static--if you moved or modified the text object, the mask stayed the
same.<br>
<br>
Here are a few options that will help make this command more useful:<br>
<br>
The mask is a separate entity and can be modified by turning the frames on or
off. At the command prompt type Wipeout, then
Frames, and finally On, to turn the frames on. (Type Off to turn the frames off
again.) Now you can see the mask rectangle and
modify it as required to match any changes to the text object.</p>
<p style="margin: 1 5">Note: The mask object is affected by display order. So don't be alarmed if
your text disappears under the mask. Just select Tools
| Display Order | Bring To Front to move the text object back to the front.<br>
<br>
Also, you can tie the mask to the text by creating a single block with both
objects. We use this option for dimensions or
labels that are used many times in the drawing. Finally, don't forget to turn
the frames off before plotting by typing Wipeout,
then Frames, and then Off at the command prompt.<br>
<br>
We've saved the best for last: Have you ever wanted to give text the look of
being highlighted with a highlighter? Type TextMask, then Masktype, then Solid,
and finally select a color. (Be sure that the color you select agrees with your
plot pen Assignments.) Now, the text is highlighted in color by the mask.<br>
<br>
<b><a name="Toggling the double-click edit feature (2000/2002/2004)">Toggling
the double-click edit feature (2000/2002/2004)</a></b><br>
<br>
AutoCAD 2000i introduced a nifty new feature referred to as double-click
editing. Although most users found this a boon
to their productivity, some were less than thrilled. (Some users simply don't
like change.) As usual, Autodesk has given us the
freedom of choice to configure AutoCAD as we sit fit. <br>
<br>
If you want to turn off the double-click edit feature of AutoCAD, type
dblclkedit at the command line. AutoCAD responds
with the prompt, Enter double-click editing mode [ON/OFF] <ON>:Type OFF to turn
off the mode or, if it's currently off, type ON to turn it back on.<br>
</p>
<p style="margin: 1 5"><b><a name="Quickly add text below dimensions (2000)">
Quickly add text below dimensions (2000)</a></b><br>
<br>
Here's an improvement to a previous tip (submitted by Glenn Swaney) about adding
text to existing dimensions. The original tip instructed you to click the Edit
Text icon (located on the Text toolbar) and select the dimension to which you
want to add text. Then, in the text editor, type text either before or after the
<>. Text entered before the <> is placed before the dimension and text entered
after the <> goes after the dimension. <br>
<br>
Our improvement is simple: Add \X after the <> in the text editor and the added
text is placed below the dimension line. As an example, if you want to add a
comment, such as Overall Building Length, to a dimension, add \X after the <>
followed by the comment. In our example, the dimension text would look like
this: </p>
<p style="margin: 1 5"><>\XOverall Building Length.<br>
<br>
Rather than getting the dimension and the text above the dimension line, you'll
get the dimension above the line, in its regular home position, and the added
text directly below the line. This is much more professional-looking, and your
dimension stays at its regular station and doesn't confuse the reader!<br>
<br>
Note: The X must be uppercase; it won't work as a lowercase x. Also, no spaces
or returns are required between the <> and the \X or your note. Text after the X
can be upper- and lowercase. Also, be careful to use the backward slash (\); a
forward slash (/) does nothing special.<br>
</p>
<p style="margin: 1 5"><b>
<a name="Use SAVEAS to make a copy of your drawing (2000/2002/2004)">Use SAVEAS
to make a copy of your drawing (2000/2002/2004)</a></b><br>
<br>
Using the SAVE command to save a backup copy of your drawing is an improvement
over AutoCAD's QSAVE command, which is the command that actually runs when you
select File | Save from the main menu. (Tip from August 20, 2003 newsletter.)
But why not just use the SAVEAS command? It's an even safer way to make a copy
of your drawing without affecting the current drawing file. It also leaves you
in the new drawing file, so you can change its name and folder. We edit
AutoCAD's PGP file to include the AS command, which executes SAVESAS directly.</p>
<p style="margin: 1 5"> </p>
<p style="margin: 1 5"><b>
<a name="Adjusting the zoom factor for your mouse wheel (2000/2002/2004)">
Adjusting the zoom factor for your mouse wheel (2000/2002/2004)</a></b><br>
<br>
We don't know how we got by before the mouse wheel gave us instant zooms and
pans in AutoCAD. (Actually, we remember using third-party software from
companies like Vibrant Graphics and Panacea Software to help us zoom and pan in
real-time--but that was more than a decade ago!) <br>
<br>
As nice as the mouse wheel is, sometimes you might have trouble getting the best
view of your drawings because the zoom percentage is too large or too small.
There's a quick fix for this: To adjust the zoom percentage, type Zoomfactor at
the command prompt and adjust the value of this system variable. You can enter
any value from 3 through 100; the default is 10. The value represents the
percentage change in zoom level for each notch of the wheel rotation. If you
find that different types of drawings (for instance, site plans versus details)
work best with different values for Zoomfactor, you might want to create several
custom icon buttons that quickly change the value for you.<br>
</p>
<p style="margin: 1 5"><b>
<a name="Quickly customize your spell check dictionary (2000/2002/2004)">Quickly
customize your spell check dictionary (2000/2002/2004)</a></b><br>
<br>
AutoCAD includes an automatic spell check feature that works with a standard
dictionary file. However, AutoCAD users are a diverse group that work in many
different types of professions and disciplines, each with a unique vocabulary
and nomenclature. The standard dictionary couldn't possibly include all of these
words. As usual, AutoCAD has a solution--an option to add an unknown word to a
custom dictionary. Although this option works fine, it can be rather
time-consuming if you have many words to add. <br>
<br>
A quicker method to add words is to paste them directly into the custom
dictionary. You can find the current custom dictionary (AutoCAD includes a
sample one) by selecting Tools | Options | from the main menu. This opens the
Options dialog box. Click on the Files tab to make it current and then click on
the + sign next to Text Editor, Dictionary, and Font File Names. Finally, click
on the + sign next to Custom Dictionary. You'll see the path and file name
(extension *.CUS) for the current custom dictionary. (If you want to change the
custom dictionary, just select the filename and click on the Browse button to
choose another file.) <br>
<br>
Once you've found the custom dictionary, which is an ASCII text file, it's an
easy matter to open it and paste in the new words you want to add--one word per
line. As an added bonus, you can share the revised file with others in your firm
by simply copying it to the appropriate folder on each workstation.</p>
<p style="margin: 1 5"> </p>
<p style="margin: 1 5"><span style="font-face: Courier New"><b>
<a name="Hide objects without freezing layers (2000/2002/2004)">Hide objects
without freezing layers (2000/2002/2004)</a></b><br>
<br>
Here's an interesting method for hiding objects without freezing their layers.
It involves creating a block composed of the<br>
objects you wish to hide, using a base point of 0,0,0. <br>
<br>
Start by choosing Draw | Block | Make from AutoCAD's main menu or by typing
Bmake at the command prompt. This opens the Block Definition dialog box. Verify
that the Base point values are all set to 0, and that the Delete option under
Objects is enabled. Type in an easy to remember name that will identify the
objects you're hiding into the Name text box. Finally, click the Select Objects
button and select the objects you wish to hide. When you're done selecting
objects, right-click to return to the Block Definition dialog box and click on
OK. The objects you selected disappear. To bring them back, insert the block
using an insertion point of (0,0,0), a scale of 1.0, and a rotation angle of 0.
Be sure to turn the Explode option on.</span></p>
<p style="margin: 1 5"> </p>
<p style="margin: 1 5"><span style="font-face: Courier New"><b>
<a name="Bypass AutoCADs Import Text option (2002/2004/2005)">Bypass AutoCAD's
Import Text option (2002/2004/2005)</a></b><br>
<br>
Everyone knows the standard method for importing plain text from a file into an
AutoCAD drawing: Use the Import Text option of the MTEXT command. But here's an
even easier way to get the job done:</span></p>
<p style="margin: 1 5"> </p>
<p style="margin: 1 5"><span style="font-face: Courier New">Just click on the
file, and drag and drop it into AutoCAD-that's all there is to it. If you need
to adjust the size, formatting, and position of the text, double-click on it to
open the standard Mtext editor. <br>
</span></p>
<p style="margin: 1 5"><span style="font-face: Courier New"><b>
<a name="Displaying the full path for drawing (2000i/2002/2004/2005)">Displaying
the full path for drawing (2000i/2002/2004/2005)</a></b><br>
<br>
With everyone working on networks these days, it's hard to remember exactly
where the current drawing that you're editing is located. It might be on your
hard drive, the local server, or an offsite server. In any event, since AutoCAD
2000i the full path for the current drawing is usually displayed in the program
title bar, located in the upper-left corner of the AutoCAD window. <br>
<br>
If you don't see the full path displayed don't worry, it just means someone or
some third-party application messed with your default settings. Here's how to
get the path back:<br>
<br>
Choose Tools | Options from the main menu. This opens the Options dialog box.
Click on the Open And Save tab to make it current. In the File Open section,
select the Display Full Path In Title check box and click OK to close the dialog
box. That's all there is to it; the full path for the current drawing is now
displayed in the title bar.</span><span style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; font-face: Courier New"><br>
</span></p>
<p style="margin: 1 5"><span style="font-face: Courier New"><b>
<a name="Managing viewports (2002/2004/2005)">Managing viewports
(2002/2004/2005)</a></b><br>
<br>
How did we ever get by without right-click shortcut menus in AutoCAD? Here's
another example of why this functionality is probably the single most important
advancement in AutoCAD since plot previews were added. <br>
<br>
The next time you need to adjust one of your viewports just select it and
right-click to open a handy shortcut menu. In AutoCAD 2002 and 2004, there are
four viewport-specific options shown. They are: <br>
<br>
Viewport Clip.<br>
Display Viewport Object; with Yes and No sub-options.<br>
Display Locked; with Yes and No sub-options.<br>
Shade Plot; with As Displayed, Wireframe, Hidden, and Rendered sub-options.<br>
<br>
AutoCAD 2005 adds a fifth option: Maximize Viewport. This is a new command,
which as its name implies, expands the selected viewport to full screen. </span>
</p>
<p style="margin: 1 5"> </p>
<p style="margin: 1 5"><span style="font-face: Courier New"><b>
<a name="Streamlining the PEDIT command (2004/2005)">Streamlining the PEDIT
command (2004/2005)</a></b><br>
<br>
If you spend a lot of time converting lines and arcs to polylines, and you're
using AutoCAD 2004 or 2005, you'll be happy to know that you can streamline the
operation of the PEDIT (polyline edit) command. Typically, each time you use the
PEDIT command and select non-polyline objects, such as lines and arcs, you
receive the prompt: Object selected is not a polyline. Do you want to turn it
into one? To eliminate this annoying prompt, simply set the PEDITACCEPT system
variable to 1 (on). Now, the PEDIT command will automatically convert lines and
arcs to polylines.<br>
<br>
</span></p>
<p style="margin: 1 5"><span style="font-face: Courier New">
<a name="Undocumented: Maximum zoom without regeneration (2000/2002/2004/2005)">
<b>Undocumented: Maximum zoom without regeneration</b> <b>(2000/2002/2004/2005)</b></a><br>
<br>
If you're working on a really large or complex drawing in which you want to
avoid unnecessary drawing regenerations, you've probably set REGENAUTO to 0
(off). In which case, if you issue a Zoom command that requires AutoCAD to zoom
beyond its virtual window, you'll get an AutoCAD Alert box warning: About to<br>
regen-Proceed? The Alert box offers exactly two options: </span></p>
<p style="margin: 1 5"> </p>
<p style="margin: 1 5"><span style="font-face: Courier New">OK and Cancel. <br>
<br>
Thanks to an undocumented command, you actually have a third option. At the
command prompt, type Zoom, then Vmax (or simply V). This zooms to AutoCAD's
maximum virtual window without causing a regeneration. This final view may not
always work for the task at hand, but at least you'll know just how far you can
go without forcing a regeneration.</span></p>
<p style="margin: 1 5"> </p>
<p style="margin: 1 5"><span style="font-face: Courier New"><b>
<a name="Finding the length of an arc (2000/2002/2004/2005)">Finding the length
of an arc (2000/2002/2004/2005)</a></b><br>
<br>
Although there are multiple options for the ARC command, none of them let you
specify the actual length of the arc segment itself. (The closest option
available lets you specify the length of the chord.) What can you do for those
instances when you really must specify an exact length for the arc segment? Use
the LENGTHEN command.<br>
<br>
After creating an arc with the proper radius and starting point and any
convenient length, type Lengthen at the command prompt or choose Modify |
Lengthen from the main menu. AutoCAD responds with the following prompt:<br>
<br>
Select an object or [DElta/Percent/Total/DYnamic]:<br>
<br>
At this point, you can start by choosing the arc to modify or you can indicate
the new length. Whichever way you begin, the<br>
result is the same. If you select the arc first, AutoCAD gives you its current
length and included angle. <br>
<br>
The four options for changing the arc's length are self-explanatory, but we'll
cover them quickly.</span></p>
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<p style="margin: 1 5"><span style="font-face: Courier New">Delta: you indicate
a fixed distance (or angle) to add or subtract from the current length (or
included angle);</span></p>
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<!--msthemelist--><tr><td valign="baseline" width="42"><img src="../_themes/copy-of-blends/blebul1a.gif" width="15" height="15" hspace="13" alt="bullet"></td><td valign="top" width="100%"><!--mstheme--><font face="Trebuchet MS, Arial, Helvetica">
<p style="margin: 1 5"><span style="font-face: Courier New">Percent: you
indicate a percentage of the current length;</span></p>
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<p style="margin: 1 5"><span style="font-face: Courier New">Total: you indicate
the new total length;</span></p>
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<p style="margin: 1 5"><span style="font-face: Courier New">Dynamic: you
indicate the final length by moving the cursor.</span></p>
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<p style="margin: 1 5"><span style="font-face: Courier New"><br>
<b><a name="Protecting your custom toolbars (2005)">Protecting your custom
toolbars (2005)</a></b><br>
<br>
AutoCAD 2005 introduced a new system variable, TBCUSTOMIZE, which should prove
useful for many CAD managers. Turning<br>
TBCUSTOMIZE off disables AutoCAD's TOOLBAR and CUSTOMIZE commands. Without these
commands, your users can't modify menus, toolbars, and keyboard shortcuts from
within AutoCAD. This layer of protection isn't ironclad: modifications are still
possible by directly editing AutoCAD's files.<br>
<br>
To turn TBCUSTOMIZE off, type Tbcustomize at the command line and enter a value
of 0 (zero) at the prompt. You can turn<br>
TBCUSTOMIZE on by changing its value to 1.<br>
</span><span style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; font-face: Courier New"><br>
</span><span style="font-face: Courier New"><b>
<a name="Sizing OLE text objects (2005)">Sizing OLE text objects (2005)</a></b><br>
<br>
AutoCAD 2005 added a new system variable: MSOLESCALE. This variable controls the
initial size of text-based OLE objects<br>
inserted into model space of the current drawing. It acts as a scale factor for
the OLE object.<br>
<br>
There are two things to note: Changing the value of MSOLESCALE does *not* affect
the size of OLE objects already in the drawing. If MSOLESCALE's current value is
0 (zero), than AutoCAD uses the value of DIMSCALE as the scale factor for OLE
objects.</span><span style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; font-face: Courier New"><br>
</span></p>
<p style="margin: 1 5"><span style="font-face: Courier New"><b>
<a name="Who has that drawing open (2000/2002/2004/2005)">Who has that drawing
open? (2000/2002/2004/2005)</a></b><br>
<br>
Here's a tip for those of you sharing drawings in a networked environment:
AutoCAD provides two methods for finding out who, if anyone, is currently
working on a drawing. Typing WHOHAS at the command prompt opens the Select
Drawing to Query dialog box, which is similar to the standard Select File dialog
box. After choosing a drawing file, click on Open to display an AutoCAD
Alert box, which gives you the following information:<br>
<br>
Drawing's path and name<br>
User's login ID<br>
User's computer name<br>
User's full name (if available)<br>
Day, date, and time drawing was opened<br>
<br>
If the selected drawing isn't in use by anyone, the alert box simply displays
the drawing's path and name and lists the user as Unknown.<br>
<br>
As for the second method, anytime you attempt to open a drawing that is already
in use, AutoCAD displays an Alert box showing:<br>
<br>
Drawing's path and name<br>
User's login ID<br>
User's computer name<br>
<br>
AutoCAD also gives you an option to open the drawing in read-only mode.<br>
</span></p>
<p style="margin: 1 5"><span style="font-face: Courier New"><b>
<a name="Explicitly declare variable data types (Access 97/2000/2002/2003)">
Explicitly declare variable data types (Access 97/2000/2002/2003)</a></b><br>
<br>
When declaring variables, be sure to always explicitly specify the variable's
data type. For instance, if you're declaring a<br>
variable to hold a text string, declare it as<br>
<br>
Dim strMyText As String<br>
<br>
instead of just<br>
<br>
Dim strMyText<br>
<br>
If you don't specify the data type, the variable is declared as a Variant type.
Not only does a Variant require more memory, but they're also slower to process
and your code could produce errors or inappropriate results if any statements
depend on data that's stored as a specific data type. Of course, there are times
when a Variant is desirable. However, you should explicitly declare them as such
for clarity (ex.: Dim varValue As Variant).</span><span style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; font-face: Courier New"><br>
</span></p>
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