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AutoCAD 2015 and AutoCAD LT 2015 Bible

The most comprehensive AutoCAD book around!

Switching among open AutoCAD drawings

You may have several drawings open at one time and want to switch between/among them. AutoCAD gives you several methods to do so. I can think of four.

Use the Windows taskbar

The Windows taskbar can show a separate button for each drawing. The system variable for this is, appropriately enough, TASKBAR. When set to […]

Squeeze or stretch single-line text to fit in a space with TEXTFIT

The TEXTFIT command lets you easily squeeze or stretch existing single-line text (TEXT or DTEXT) so you can fit it into a defined space, such as a title block.

TEXTFIT doesn’t work with multi-line text (MTEXT).

When you start the command, you select the single-line text and TEXTFIT puts a drag-line under the text. Just […]

Select objects: prompt secrets

When you start an editing command, you see the Select objects: prompt. But AutoCAD doesn’t explicitly tell you how to select those objects. In fact, this prompt has hidden options that you should know.

Here’s a list of some of the most useful.

Last

One that I use often is Last. It selects the most […]

Keep track of what you’ve done with COPYHIST

Thanks to Tommy Holden for this tip.

AutoCAD allows you to copy the command line history window to the clipboard by using the COPYHIST command. The command line history is the window just above the command line. This way you can keep track of previous commands already executed in case you want to:

Repeat what […]

Avoid reselecting objects in editing commands that go wrong

Have you ever had an editing operation go wrong? You know, you select the objects and move them, but AutoCAD snaps to the wrong location and now they’re all in the wrong place.

Or have you selected some objects, and moved them, only to find that you moved more objects than you want to — […]

Change the font of a text style using AutoLISP

This is a guest post by Sanjay Kulkarni, an AutoCAD programmer. You can read more about him at the end of this post.

In the current era of globalization, many times you may have to work on drawings received from others. Sometimes, you may not be able to control the quality of the drawings you […]

Keep your own styles, layers & blocks at the top of the list

You’re always creating styles — text, dimension, etc. — layers, and blocks. But when you open the Layer Properties Manager or any other list with these items, they are alphabetized. Especially if you’re sharing drawings with others who add their own styles, layers, and blocks, what can you do to make it easier to find […]

Draw fast, accurate revision clouds

Revision clouds show areas of a drawing that have been recently revised. When the REVCLOUD command was introduced to AutoCAD, I thought that they were for quick and dirty indications of revised areas of a drawing. Then I saw that people liked them to be neat!

If you like neat over messy, here’s the technique. […]

Manage embedded shapes (islands) when hatching in AutoCAD

It’s common to have closed figures inside other closed figures in AutoCAD drawings. When you hatch these shapes, you can specify whether or not the inner figures are also hatched. This becomes most important when you have 3 closed figures, one inside the other. In fact, you have 3 options for islands.

To set the […]

Understanding how dimensions are associated with objects

This is a guest post by Sanjay Kulkarni, an AutoCAD programmer.

Learning AutoLISP (or any other programming language) doesn’t compel you to become a programmer. You can still use it to better understand the internal working of AutoCAD and enhance your interactive working skill. This can also give you an edge over others.

Recently […]