AutoCAD Tips & Tutorials

Using hyperlinks

A hyperlink in an AutoCAD drawing can link any drawing object or objects to a URL (any Internet address), any file, a location in a file (such as a named view in another drawing). If you haven't been using hyperlinks, perhaps now is the time to start. If you ever send AutoCAD drawings to clients or contractors in electronic form, that means, if you send them a diskette or e-mail the drawings to them, you can also send all the supporting documents electronically as well. Examples are bills of materials, price lists, detail drawings, part specifications, etc. Then create hyperlinks in your drawing to these other documents. Used this way, your drawing can become almost like a Web page. To create a hyperlink, press Ctrl+K or choose Insert > Hyperlink.

Here are some issues to be aware of:

• You can add text that says, "Click here for parts specs" and make that text a hyperlink to the document containing the parts specs. For fun, you can underline text to make it look like a hyperlink.
  
  
• AutoCAD's hyperlinks don't work like Web hyperlinks. In a drawing, if you click the hyperlink, you just select the object. Duh! So you may need to communicate to the user how to use the hyperlink, that is, select the object, right-click and choose Hyperlink > Open.
  
  
• Use relative paths. Just type the name of the document and check the Use Relative path for Hyperlink checkbox in the Insert Hyperlink dialog box.. The supporting documents need to be in the same folder as the drawing. Make sure your users know that.

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