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AutoCAD 2015 and AutoCAD LT 2015 Bible

The most comprehensive AutoCAD book around!

Get notification when layers are added to your drawing—or not

A reader recently asked me the following question about AutoCAD 2008:

“When I’m working with xrefs, this comes up a lot: ‘Unreconciled new layer, new layers were found that may need to be reconciled.’ What is this and how do I correct this?”

AutoCAD 2008 introduced layer notification, which is a feature that lets you […]

Avoid drawing temporary construction lines

When you need to draw a rectangle or line that doesn’t start on a geometric point (endpoint, midpoint, etc.) of another object, you might draw a temporary line, called a construction line, from an existing object to the desired start point of the new line.

Then you would draw the rectangle or line. Then erase […]

Using hyperlinks

A hyperlink in an AutoCAD drawing can link any drawing object or objects to a URL, any file, or a location in a file (such as a named view in another drawing). If you haven’t been using hyperlinks, consider doing so, as they offer lots of possibilities. Examples of files you can link to are […]

Use AutoCAD to create graphics in PowerPoint, Flash, and more—the wonderful WMF image format

A vector image is an image whose underlying definition is vectors, that is lines, directions, and distances. Programs use equations to define vector images. Many programs create vector images, including Microsoft PowerPoint, Adobe Flash, and, of course, AutoCAD.

Vectors have a great advantage—they never get grainy when you enlarge them; they’re always crisp and clear. […]

Make dimensions look orderly by aligning them

As you add dimensions, they can get messy looking if you don’t align them.

The DIMSPACE command has a little-known technique that automatically aligns the dimensions for you. Follow these prompts:

Select base dimension: Select the dimension that you want to align the other dimensions to.

Select dimensions to space: Select the dimensions that you […]

Match properties

An object can have a lot of properties and sometimes you want one object to have the same properties as another object. Here are 3 tools that you can use to get the job done quickly.

Match Properties

The MATCHPROP command has been around a long time and lets you easily copy properties from one […]

Spacebar Shortcuts

In a previous tip, I discussed shortcuts that use the Shift key. Here I discuss a few shortcuts that use the Spacebar.

As an equivalent to the Return/Enter key

With one exception, you can use the Spacebar instead of the Enter key. It’s often more convenient, because it’s bigger and because if your right hand […]

Create a custom keyboard shortcut

Would you like to create a keyboard shortcut to your favorite command-option combination? For example, I would like a version of the COPY command that doesn’t repeat, that is, that ends after one copy operation. Here are the steps:

Enter cui to open the Customize User Interface dialog box. In the Command List pane, […]

Change the color of the screen and other elements

Recently, a subscriber asked me, “How do I change my screen from white to black?” Many of you know the answer, but I realized that I don’t have this on my website anywhere, so I thought I should add it.

Start the OPTIONS command. An easy way is to right-click anywhere in the drawing area […]

AutoCAD Tutorial: Create a dynamic block of a door

Dynamic blocks are an amazing feature, but they can be complicated. This tutorial will teach you many techniques that you can use in your own blocks. The door will do the following:

Stretch to 3 sizes Flip left/right Flip in/out

This tutorial is updated for AutoCAD 2010 and 2011. Follow these steps:

In a new […]