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AutoCAD 2012 & AutoCAD LT 2012 Bible

The most comprehensive AutoCAD book around!

AutoCAD 2012 Bible

Keep blocks accessible so you can insert them in any drawing–Part IV: A block library

In previous posts, I explained how to insert blocks from the Tool Palettes window, the DesignCenter, and the Content Explorer. In this tip, I’ll explain how to create block library and use the INSERT command to insert blocks that are in that library.

You don’t need a special tool like the Tool Palette window, [...]

AutoCAD 2013 new features

AutoCAD 2013 was recently released and as usual, I’m providing a summary of the major new features so you can decide if you want to upgrade.

New file format

AutoCAD is updated every year, bot only every 3 years or so do they change the file format.  A new file format means that people with [...]

Happy New Year!

For those of you who celebrate holidays at this time of year, I want to wish you a happy holiday season. For everyone, a happy New Year.

 

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Close AutoCAD quickly and safely — and get home earlier!

Just in time for the holidays, when you may want to rush out the door, here is a guest blog post from Paul Munford. Your family will thank you!

We’ve all done it. You are beavering away at the office, totally engrossed in the Music on your iPod in your work, when you [...]

Get the best price on technology purchases — and anything else!

Do you buy electronics and more on Amazon, Newegg, or other sites? If so, I’d like to introduce you to a new, free service that will help you get the lowest price.

Many people don’t realize that prices fluctuate constantly, particularly on websites like Amazon, which allow third party vendors to continually undercut one [...]

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 [...]

How to create a text style for a dimension

You should have at least 1 text style for your dimensions and perhaps a text style for each dimension style.

When you create a dimension style, you can create a text style from within the New Dimension Style dialog box. On the Text tab, click the Ellipsis button as shown here.

The Text [...]

Get rid of the annoying tooltip when you hover over an object

A reader of my book, AutoCAD & AutoCAD LT Bible (the 2010 version) wrote me the following:

“Whenever the mouse crosshairs land on a line in a drawing, a small ‘window’ appears, listing

Line.

Color.      By layer

Layer.      Plan

Linetype. Continuous

This is extremely annoying and I can’t see how I can [...]

CAD portal and forum

I want to introduce you to a great resource: CADstudio and CADforum.

CADstudio is a free multi-language CAD portal (the link is to the English section) supporting CAD and GIS users, especially users of Autodesk products – both professionals and students, from all over the world.  It offers offers thousands of practical tips [...]

Tips for training with multiple releases of AutoCAD

I‘m teaching AutoCAD now at the local University where I live  (Maharishi University of Management). We’re using my book, AutoCAD 2011 & AutoCAD LT 2011 Bible. (And it’s great as a textbook!) Students have downloaded the educational version of AutoCAD from Autodesk’s Educational Community website.

If it were only so simple!

Multiple releases of [...]