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AutoCAD 2015 and AutoCAD LT 2015 Bible

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Draw a circle centered in a rectangle

It’s common to need to place a circle in the middle of a rectangle, especially in mechanical drawings. It’s easy to do using object snap tracking.

Object snap tracking tracks the coordinates on object snaps and for this task, you need to track the midpoint of the rectangle’s sides. Here are the steps:

Make sure […]

AutoCAD Tutorial: Create a rectangle with an adjustable corner

Have you noticed how grip-editing a viewport is different from grip-editing a rectangle?

When you grip-edit the upper-right corner of a viewport to stretch it, the viewport keeps its rectangular shape. You can freely choose your new corner location, so you’re not just scaling. You can change the proportion between the width and height, all […]

Another way to align a rectangle with a line on the fly–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 an earlier post, Ellen showed how to align a rectangle with a line on the fly. You can easily create the same effect using AutoLISP. This AutoLISP routine is simple, and […]

Align a rectangle with a line on the fly

You can align a rectangle with a line or other existing object on the fly, avoiding the need for a separate rotation. Watch the video or read the steps.

Here are the steps:

Start the RECTANG command. At the Specify first corner point or [Chamfer/Elevation/Fillet/Thickness/Width]: prompt, specify the first point. Choose the Rotation option. […]

Create a rectangle with an adjustable corner, Part 2: Using a dynamic block

In a previous post, “Create a rectangle with a flexible corner,” I showed how to create a rectangle whose upper-right corner is stretchable, creating a flexible rectangle that doesn’t lose its shape. In this post, I show how to do the same with a dynamic block.

Thanks to Joel, whose comment to the earlier post […]

Tutorial: Create an architectural dimension style

Are you getting the look you need for your dimensions? Are you constantly making little adjustments? If dimensions aren’t your friend, you need to get more comfortable with dimension styles.

In this tutorial, you create an architectural dimension style. Why? Because the default style is a mechanical look and by changing it to architectural, you’ll […]

Find coordinates

Some coordinates are easy to find. For example, to find the endpoint of a line, you just use the Endpoint object snap.

But others are more elusive.

For example, recently someone asked me, “I would like to ask if there is a simple way to select a center of a rectangle.”

My answer was: If […]

Do objects with thickness have tops and bottoms?

You can create 3D objects by adding a thickness to them. These objects function like 3D surfaces. For example, you can create a cylinder from a circle or a box from a rectangle.

To add thickness, select the object and open the Properties palette. Choose the Thickness property and change the number in the […]