Be sure to save your drawing before using the PUBLISH command.

Choose  Output tab > Plot panel> Batch Plot to open the Publish dialog box. The dialog box displays the model and layout tabs of the current drawing or all open drawings. To list only the tabs of the current drawing, uncheck the Automatically Load All Open Drawings check box in the Publish dialog box. (This is controlled by the PUBLISHALLSHEETS system variable.) If you see the Status message, “Layout not initialized,” cancel and display the layout tab; then start the PUBLISH  command again.

To add other drawings and layouts that you want to include in the drawing list. do any of the following:

• Drag drawings directly from Windows Explorer.
• Click the Add Sheets button.
• Click Load Sheet List and choose a saved drawing list from the Load List of Sheets dialog box.To save a drawing list, click the Save Sheet List button. Change the list name if you want, choose a location, and click Save. Drawing lists have a .dsd (Drawing Set Description) filename extension.

The PUBLISH command uses the page setup information for each layout. This lets you easily publish many drawings without deciding how to plot each drawing separately.

Note: By default, the model tab and layout tabs for each drawing are all included in the drawing list. If you don’t want to see the model tab for drawings, right-click over the drawing list in the Publish dialog box and choose Include Model When Adding Sheets if it has a checkmark. Likewise, you can right-click the drawing list and choose Include Layouts When Adding Sheets. After you change this setting, new drawings that you add to the drawing set will not include the tab that you unchecked. Recently, a subscriber asked me how to avoid including the model tab–this is how you do it.

If you want, you can change the sheet name. The PUBLISH command automatically  generates sheet names from the drawing and layout names, but you might want to use a different name. Click the drawing’s row and then click the sheet name one time. Enter a new name.

If you’ve specified a page setup, you can assign it to any drawing — model page setups to model listings and layout page setups to layout listings. Click the drawing’s page setup and then click the down arrow that appears. From the drop-down list,  choose a page or choose Import.

The sheet order defines how the sheets in the DWF file will be listed in the viewer. To change the order, choose a sheet and use the Move Sheet Up and Move Sheet Down buttons, or drag the sheet up or down in the list.

To remove one or more sheets from the list, select them and click the Remove Sheets button.

From the Publish To drop-down list of the Publish dialog box, you can choose the type of output you want.

• Plotter Named in Page Setup:Batch plots all the layouts in the list. Each layout in the drawing set is plotted to using the plotter named in each layout’s page setup.
• DWF: Creates a DWF file that can be viewed with Autodesk Design Review or Autodesk Design Review Mobile.
• DWFx: Creates a DWFx file that can be viewed with the Microsoft XPS Viewer or Autodesk Design Review.
• PDF: Creates a PDF file.

Note: Plotting, or your last setting, is the default option. Be careful, or you may end up plotting when you want to publish.

Click the Publish Options button to open the Publish Options dialog box, where you can specify how the DWF or DWFx file will be published.

At the bottom right, you can specify how many copies you want, use a precision preset, or include a plot stamp.

Click the Publish button. If you chose an electronic form of output, you’ll be prompted for a file name and location. You may see a message asking whether you want to save the list of sheets. Choose Yes if you think you may publish these drawings again.

Tip: The +PUBLISH command lets you start with a saved DSD file instead of with the current, or all open, drawings. The Select List of Sheets dialog box opens. Choose a DSD file and click Select. You can use the –PUBLISH command with a saved DSD file to publish DWF files from a script file. You then get a prompt for the DSD file.

Do you use the PUBLISH command? How does it help your work flow? Leave a comment!

The post Create mass output with the PUBLISH command appeared first on AutoCAD Tips Blog.

Here’s a drawing with 2 viewports, one on the left and one on the right. Each one uses a different scale.

Here are the steps to label each viewport:

1. On the layout tab, start the MTEXT command. At the prompts, specify 2 opposite corners of the boundary box.
2. If necessary, set the font size and text style in the Style panel of the Text Editor tab. Remember that your text should now be real size, not scaled, as it would be in model space.  That’s because you’re placing the text in paper space. You may also need to resize the text editor box.
3. Right-click inside the text area and choose Insert Field.
4. In the Field dialog box, from the Field Category list, choose Objects. Then choose Object in the box below.
5. Under Object Type, click the Select Object button and select the viewport by clicking its border.
6. Under Property, choose Standard Scale if that’s what you used; otherwise, choose Custom Scale.
7. On the right, choose a format if you want; I left this option at (none).

8. Click OK to close the dialog box.
9. Click outside the text editor box to place the label. Here’s the result:

Do you use this method to label viewport scales? Or do you do something else? Leave a comment!

The post Label the scale of individual viewports appeared first on AutoCAD Tips Blog.

Even though this drawing says it was last modified in 2010, it was created much earlier. It’s probably at least 15 years old.

The system variable that determines whether a drawing saves a thumbnail is THUMBSAVE. It replaces the earlier RASTERSAVE. The default value, 1, saves a thumbnail, but older drawings might not have one.

You’ll see the same problem in the list of recent drawings when you click the AutoCAD button as you see here on the right.

How to save a thumbnail

Here are the steps to get a thumbnail both in the Select File dialog box and in the list of recent drawings:

1. Type thumbsave on the command line. If the value is 0, change it to 1. In my drawing, the value was 1, but it’s possible that I simply hadn’t opened and saved the drawing in many years.

You can also change the setting by typing options on the Command line. In the Options dialog box,  click the Open & Save tab, and then click the Thumbnail Preview Settings button. Make sure that the top check box is checked. You can specify the current display or a default “home” display. You can also specify settings for sheets and view and control the pixel size. Setting a higher pixel size will make the image look clearer. Click  OK twice to return to your drawing.

2.  Save the drawing and close it.
3. Now, click the AutoCAD button, then click  Open and select the drawing. Now, you’ll see a preview thumbnail in the Preview box. Note that you need to be showing previews in the Select File dialog box. At the upper-right corner of the dialog box, choose Views, then Thumbnails.

That’s much more helpful!

4. But to get the preview in the Recent Drawings list, you need to close AutoCAD and re-open it. Click the AutoCAD button and you’ll see the thumbnail preview.

The post Create a thumbnail for opening a drawing appeared first on AutoCAD Tips Blog.

You can add apps for specific capabilities and you can collaborate on drawings. You can use the platform to communicate with collaborators, making it a social networking work tool. You can automatically sync drawings between your computer and Autodesk 360.

You need to create an Autodesk 360 account or you can sign in with an existing Autodesk Universal ID login. In AutoCAD 2013 and 2014, click the account box at the upper-right corner of the screen and choose Autodesk 360  to log in.

New Features

Autodesk 360 has recently added some new features:

• Autodesk 360 Mobile: With the Autodesk 360 Mobile app, you can  access your data from your iOS or Android device.
• Commenting on DWFs and DWGs: You can comment within a file you are viewing and reply to comments.
• Download folders: You can download an entire folder and its contents as a single ZIP  file.

In AutoCAD 2014, by default, the Design Feed palette appears where you can save a drawing to Autodesk 360, add comments, associate a comment with a point or area, add an image to your comment, or tag a colleague. This palette is new for AutoCAD 2014.

If you don’t see the Design Feed palette, go to the Autodesk 360 tab and click the Design Feed button.

Save and open drawings with Autodesk 360

To upload a drawing file to Autodesk 360, you can use the Save As dialog box and choose Autodesk 360 in the left-hand panel.

You can also go to the Online or Autodesk 360 tab and choose Share Document.

You can open a drawing from Autodesk 360 from the Select File dialog box in the same way. You can download a drawing to edit it offline. You can access the Autodesk 360 website on the Online/Autodesk 360 tab.  Click Autodesk 360 (in AutoCAD 2013) or Launch Website in (AutoCAD 2014). Of course, you can just go to the website directly in your browser.

In the Documents list, click the icon on the right (see the arrow pointing to it) and choose Download.

Do you use Autodesk 360?

Do you save drawings in the cloud? Do you use your own company’s service or do you use Autodesk 360? Do you have a need to access drawings in the field? Via mobile devices? Leave a comment!

The post Autodesk 360 is a new cloud-based workflow for AutoCAD drawings appeared first on AutoCAD Tips Blog.

AutoCAD 2014 is the latest release of the AutoCAD program and builds on all of the functionality that was introduced with AutoCAD 2013 and its shipped updates. This latest release introduces improvements to some of the most commonly used drawing and annotating tools, while enhancing the performance of raster images, adding new functionality to geographic locations, among much more.

Interacting with the AutoCAD Environment

You are constantly interacting with the AutoCAD environment when you are opening or saving drawing files, starting commands, or simply looking for help.

Command Line

One of the most unique features of the AutoCAD program is the Command Line. Unlike most Windows-based programs, you do not need to use the ribbon, toolbars, pull-down menus or other user interface elements to start a command. If you have not discovered command aliases in AutoCAD yet, you have been missing out on one of the most productive features available. If you have been using command aliases, the Command Line improvements will by far make you even more productive.

The Command Line has been enhanced with the following new features:

• AutoCorrect: As the name implies, the feature will attempt to correct the name of the command you entered if a match is not found. The days of the “Unknown Command” are nearing an end, but first you need to teach AutoCAD how to handle the misspellings of a command first. For example, if you type “CIRCEL”, the suggestion list shows “CIRCLE” as a possible match as a result of the AutoComplete feature. However, if you click “CIRCLE” from the listing you will begin to teach AutoCAD a new AutoCorrect entry. Entering a misspelled name and making the correction three times by default will have AutoCAD add a new entry to the AutoCorrectUserDB.pgp file. You can manually add AutoCorrect entries to the file as well.
•  Synonyms: As its name implies, you can use different terminology that you are familiar with but might not be the norm in AutoCAD. For example, instead of using the term “block,” you might be more accustomed to using “symbol.” Entering SYMBOL at the Command Line and pressing Enter starts the INSERT command so you can insert a block. You can add or edit the synonyms that AutoCAD recognizes by editing the acadSynonymsGlobalDB.pgp file.
• AutoComplete: AutoComplete has been around for a few releases now, but AutoCAD 2014 introduces the Mid-string Search option which will return search results at the Command Line no matter where the entered text appears in the returned search result item. This means, entering the text LINE will not only show LINE and LINETYPE like in previous releases, but it will show PLINE and ONLINEOPTIONS as well which can make it easier to find the name of a command or system variable.
• Adaptive Order: This controls the order in which results appear in the suggestion list. The initial order of the suggestion list is established based on customer data. As you use commands, the order in which entries appear in the suggestion list updates based on your specific usage patterns.
• Internet Search: The suggestion list now displays a Search the Web icon next to the entry that is currently highlighted. Clicking this icon performs a Google search for related information on the entry in your system’s default Web browser.
• Named Drawing Content Types: One of the most interesting new features of the Command Line is the ability to access named objects within the current drawing. In previous releases, if you wanted to insert a block from the current drawing or set a layer current you had to start the INSERT command or work with the Layer list respectively. Now with AutoCAD 2014, you can simply enter the name of the block to insert it or the name of a layer to set it current.The following is a list of the content types that the Command Line supports and the actions that are performed when entered:

• Block: Inserts the selected block name with the -INSERT command.
• Dimension Style: Sets the dimension style name current with the –DIMSTYLE command.
• Hatch: Sets the hatch pattern name current with the HPNAME system variable and then starts the HATCH command.
• Layer: Sets the layer name current with the CLAYER system variable.
• Text Style: Sets the text style name current with the TEXTSTYLE system variable.
• Visual Style: Sets the visual style current with the VSCURRENT system variable.

• Category groupings:  In earlier releases, the suggestion list was a complete list of all matching results and you had to look at icons to determine commands from system variables. AutoCAD 2014 introduces the use of category groupings to separate commands and system variables, but also to group results by content type.

While all of the features of the Command Line are enabled by default, you can fine tune the behavior of the Command Line to work the way you want to. Maybe the delay in which the suggested list for the Command Line is displayed in is not fast enough for you or you want to disable Mid-string Search. The options to control how input is interpreted at the Command Line are accessible by right-clicking over the Command Line window and clicking Input Settings, and then select or clear an available option.

You can also control the search functionality of the Command Line by right-clicking over the Command Line window and clicking Input Search Options. Then make the desired setting changes in the Input Search Options dialog box.

Help System

After the move to online Help with AutoCAD 2011, the Help system has continued to evolve based on customer feedback. The AutoCAD 2014 Help system offers some new features to make it easier to locate the type of information you are interested in, and adds some new content that is specific to new users and those that perform CAD administration tasks.

Content Filters: You can now filter your Help search results for command or system variable reference topics only, or look for developer related content if you are working with AutoLISP. There are four main content filters to choose from: All Content, User, Developer, and Administrator. Based on the filter selected, you are offered some additional sub-filters to further refine the search results.

Hitchhiker’s Guide to AutoCAD Basics: If you are new to or have been away from the AutoCAD for a period of time, this area of Help will get you up to speed with the 42 most commonly used commands.

CAD Management: Are you the individual in your company responsible for performing installations or managing a group of users? If so, the CAD Management content might be helpful. You can find information on:

• Installing and configuring the latest release
• Identifying the changes that might impact the way you work, or your customization/custom programs
• Compatibility with drawing file formats and programs from a previous release
• Migrating custom settings and files from a previous release

Autodesk 360 Account

Starting with AutoCAD 2012, a few of the new features required you to have an Autodesk 360 account to access additional cloud-based services and for sharing drawings with others using AutoCAD WS. AutoCAD 2014 continues to offer the previously introduced cloud-based services and features in addition to some new collaboration and productivity features. The following features are new in AutoCAD 2014 that take advantage of cloud-based computing:

• Design Feed
• Command line based Internet search
• Line Map Data with Bing Maps

NOTE: As with previous releases of AutoCAD, an Autodesk 360 account is free but some of the cloud-based services might require additional fees based on your usage.

Drawing File Tabs

In previous releases, switching between open drawings in the AutoCAD environment required you to switch to the View ribbon tab and use the Switch Windows drop-down menu, or use the Ctrl+Tab keyboard shortcut. AutoCAD 2014 simplifies the switching between open drawings with the introduction of drawing file tabs.

The area designated for the drawing file tabs is located just below the ribbon and from this area you can perform the following tasks:

• Switch between open drawings
• Reorder drawing file tabs
• Access the layouts of an open drawing
• Create a new or open an existing drawing
• Close a drawing, close all open drawings, or close all drawings except for one
• Save a drawing, save a drawing as, save all open drawings
• Copy the file path of a drawing to the Windows Clipboard
• Open Windows or File Explorer to the location of a drawing

Drafting Enhancements

At the end of the day, drafting is one of the main reasons many choose to use AutoCAD. The Command Line enhancements that I previously mentioned have a direct impact on the way you access commonly used commands and even drawing content on a daily basis. AutoCAD 2014 introduces changes in the areas of layers, polylines, text, dimensions among others.

Layers

Layers are a staple feature of AutoCAD as they allow you to organize your graphic work for display and output. There are several new layer features in AutoCAD 2014:

• The Layers list on the ribbon and Layer Properties Manager now support natural sorting. This is important for layers that start with numbers. For example, layers 1, 2, 12, 25, 88, 101, 8 sorted as 1, 101, 12, 2, 25, 8, 88 in AutoCAD 2013 and earlier, but sort as 1, 2, 8, 12, 25, 88, 101 in AutoCAD 2014.
• The number of layers available in the Layers list on the ribbon has been increased.
• The functionality of the Layer Merge (LAYMRG) command has been incorporated into the contextual menu of the Layer Properties Manager. Select the layers to merge and then the layer that the selected layers should be merged with.

Drafting and Annotation Tools

The drafting and annotation tools are the cornerstone of AutoCAD, and there have been some tweaks here and there in AutoCAD 2014 to make some features work a bit smoother.

• Arcs have always been created in a single direction, until now. If you press and hold the Ctrl key, you can switch the direction in which an arc can be drawn.
• Polylines can now be filleted to themselves, resulting in a closed polyline.
• The CONVERTPSTYLES command now supports named plot styles with spaces.
• The CreateDate field for new sheets in a sheet set now uses the creation date of the sheet instead of the template file used to create the sheet.
• The default value of ATTDIA has been changed to 1. This change results in attribute values being displayed in a dialog box when inserting a block with attributes.
• Single-line text now remembers the last used justification until changed.
• The HATCH command now remembers the last used boundary selection method, Select Object or Pick Internal Point, until changed. An Undo option has also been added.
• The DIMCONTINUE and DIMBASELINE commands have been updated to apply the dimension style of the dimension you are continuing from. This new behavior is controlled by the DIMCONTINUEMODE system variable.

Managing References and Geographic Locations

Referencing other files allows you to reuse existing design information without making a copy of the data, and you can reference real world map information and locations to your drawings.

Raster Images

The display of and performance with raster images seems to have been improved when working with large image files.

External References (Xrefs)

Xrefs allow you to reuse drawing based information across multiple drawings, and when a change needs to be made it only needs to happen in a single drawing. AutoCAD 2014 makes it easier to work with drawings that have attached xrefs.

• Linetypes from an xref are no longer displayed in the Linetypes list on the ribbon or the Properties palette.
• Layers from an xref are no longer displayed in the Properties palette, but are still displayed in the Layers list on the ribbon so you can control their display.
• The attachment type, Attach and Overlay, of an xref can be toggled in the External References palette by double-clicking the Type column. You can also now right-click xrefs in the External References palette and change their attachment type using the Xrefs Type submenu.
• The path of an xref can be changed to absolute from the External References palette’s contextual menu. You can also use the pathType option of the -XREF command.

 Geographic Locations

Understanding the location of your drawing in the real-world can be very helpful when planning a subdivision, running utilities, or even performing sun studies. In previous releases, you could import KML or KMZ data files, get a location using Google Earth, or manually enter a location value. Entering a location value was not as simple as typing in a street address though.

AutoCAD 2014 introduces a new mapping feature called Live Map Data; you must have an Autodesk 360 account to use the feature. Live Map Data uses mapping information from Bing, so you can look up a location by street address and display map information such as road and park names. Once you enter a location and a pin is dropped on the map, you can specify a GIS coordinate system and drawing units to correctly scale the map.

Collaborating with Others

AutoCAD 2014 offers a number of ways to collaborate with others, from posting drawings online to synchronizing your custom settings for use across multiple workstations. The newest collaboration feature that AutoCAD 2014 introduces is named Design Feed. Design Feed requires you to have an Autodesk 360 account.

Once you have an Autodesk 360 account and access to drawings that have been previously posted to an Autodesk 360 account, you can collaborate with others directly from the drawing environment. You can post text messages and images, and associate a location within the drawing for your posting. Your postings are accessible to those that might be using a Web browser, mobile app, or an AutoCAD 2014 install to view the drawing.

Capturing the Physical World for a Digital Environment

Digitizing a physical object and using it your drawing is nothing new, but AutoCAD 2014 brings with it improvements that affect how you might work with data from a 3D scanner as well as with point clouds. Autodesk ReCap is not part of AutoCAD, but is an installed software application that allows you to create point cloud files based on multiple indexed scan files. Once Autodesk ReCap converts scan data into a point cloud, you can then view and edit the data before bringing it into AutoCAD. Autodesk ReCap can be launched from the Windows desktop, Start screen, or Start menu based on which version of Windows you have installed.

Miscellaneous

Before you can use the latest release, you must be able to install and run the program on your workstation. While there are no new features directly related to installing and migrating your product, you should be aware of the following before you start testing and using AutoCAD 2014 in your company.

Installing the Program

AutoCAD 2014 can be installed on Windows XP, Windows 7, and Windows 8. AutoCAD 2014 is the first release that supports Windows 8. Earlier releases of the AutoCAD program do run on Windows 8, but they are not officially supported. So if you are using Windows 8, you might want to consider upgrading to AutoCAD 2014.

If you are going to use AutoCAD 2014 on a device that supports a touch screen, you will also want to make sure you enable the Display Touch Mode Ribbon Panel option on the System tab of the Options dialog box.

Drawing Compatibility

The drawing file format that AutoCAD 2014 utilizes is the same one that AutoCAD 2013 uses. So there is no need to resave your drawings if you find yourself working in a mixed environment of AutoCAD 2013 and 2014 users. If you are working with drawings that need to be opened in AutoCAD 2012 or earlier, be sure to save the drawing files in the AutoCAD 2010 or earlier format.

TIP: In the Options dialog box, Open and Save tab, File Save section, choose the default file format you want to use when saving a drawing. This can be helpful when working in an office that is using multiple releases of the AutoCAD program.

Custom and Third-Party Application Compatibility

AutoCAD 2014 is binary compatible with applications created for AutoCAD 2013. This means that ObjectARX and .NET applications built for AutoCAD 2013 should work with AutoCAD 2014, unless they are using file paths or Windows registry entries that are specific to AutoCAD 2013. If you are upgrading from AutoCAD 2012 or earlier, you will need to recompile your in-house applications or contact the appropriate vendor to obtain the latest build of your third-party utilities.

VBA programs that you use might need to be rebuilt to work correctly though as AutoCAD 2014 utilizes VBA 7.1, which is a true 64-bit development environment. Not all COM libraries and form controls are available for 64-bit. You can find additional information on the changes to the AutoCAD APIs here.

Secure Loading

AutoCAD 2014 supports the ability to restrict the loading of applications only from trusted locations and domains. This helps to reduce the potential of being exposed to unapproved or potentially harmful applications. Applications affected by secure loading are scripts, AutoLISP, VBA, ObjectARX, .NET, and JavaScript files.

The behavior of how applications are loaded or where they are loaded from is controlled by the SECURELOAD system variable. The locations that AutoCAD should load applications from can be set with the Trusted Locations node on the Files tab of the Options dialog box. You can also use the TRUSTEDPATHS system variable to set trusted locations and use the TRUSTEDDOMAINS system variable to set the trusted domains the AutoCAD program uses to load applications from.

To use your existing applications in AutoCAD 2014, add the paths to your applications to the Support File Search Path and Trusted Locations nodes on the Files tab of the Options dialog box.

Exchange Apps

A number of Exchange Apps are installed with AutoCAD 2014 by default. These apps appear on the Featured Apps and Plug-ins tabs on the ribbon. You can update the apps available on the Featured Apps tab using the Exchange App Manager on the Plug-ins tab of the ribbon. The Exchange App Manager allows you to download updates for other apps you have purchased and installed.

JavaScript API

AutoCAD 2014 introduces several new features that take advantage of a new JavaScript API. The JavaScript API is used in the Work section of the Welcome Screen, Design Feed, and Live Map Data for geographic locations. You can find the reference for the JavaScript API here.

Have you tried AutoCAD 2014 or do you plan to upgrade? What do you think? Leave a comment!

The post Meet AutoCAD 2014 appeared first on AutoCAD Tips Blog.

• Layers
• Text styles
• Dimension styles
• Linetypes

Create a standards file

A standards file is like a regular drawing but it has a filename extension of .dws. To create a standards file, you just create a drawing that has the standards you want — — layers, text styles, dimension styles, and linetypes. You can use an existing drawing for your standards file, but be sure to purge all layers, linetypes, dimension styles, and text styles that you don’t want.

When your drawing is the way you want it, here’s what you do:

1. Choose Application Button, Save As.
2. From the Files of Type drop-down, choose AutoCAD Drawing Standards (.dws).
3. In the File Name text box, type a name for the standards file.
4. In the Save In drop-down list, choose a location for the file that is in the Support File Search Path.
5. Click Save to save the drawing standards file.

Test standards

To use your standards file, you associate it with your current drawing — or a template.  If you have a template that you use regularly and you associate the template with a standards file, every drawing that you start based on the template is associated with that standards file. Cool!

Then you test your drawing. You can test drawings against a standards file one by one (interactively) or as a group (batch auditing). In this post, I cover testing an individual drawing.

To associate a standards file with an open drawing, follow these steps:

1. Choose Manage tab, CAD Standards panel, Configure. This is the STANDARDS command. The Configure Standards dialog box opens.
2. Click the + button, navigate to your standards file, and click Open. (By the way, you can associate more than one standards file with a drawing.)
3. Click the Plug-ins tab and uncheck any standards you don’t want to check. All four standards types are checked by default. (The choices you make persist for future standards checks.)
4. Click OK to close the Configure Standards dialog box and return to your drawing.

You can immediately check a drawing against the standards file by clicking the Check Standards button in the Configure Standards dialog box, but if you aren’t there,  choose Manage tab, CAD Standards panel, Check to start the CHECKSTANDARDS command and open the Check Standards dialog box

The Check Standards dialog box lists items in the drawing that don’t match the standards file, one by one. Here’s how to use this dialog box:

1. Look at the first problem in the Problem section of the dialog box.
2. In the Replace With section, choose a replacement for the nonstandard item. All eligible replacements according to the standards file are listed here.
3.  Look at the Preview of Changes section to see how the replacement will affect your drawing.
4. To make the replacement and standardize your drawing, click the Fix button. To ignore the problem and go on to the next one, click the Next button.
5. AutoCAD displays the next problem, so continue to Fix or Ignore each problem.
6. When you’re done, the Check Complete message box provides a short report. Click Close to close the message.
7. Click Close to return to your drawing.

When you fix problems — for example, you change the name of Layer1 to Object — AutoCAD purges unused objects from the drawing. In this example, AutoCAD would purge Layer1.

Specifying standards settings

You can specify how the CAD standards feature works. Choose Manage tab,  CAD Standards panel, Configure and click the Settings button to open the CAD Standards Settings dialog box.

In the Notification Settings section, choose one of the following:

• Disable standards notifications. You won’t get any real-time notification of standards problems, but you can still check standards by using the Check Standards dialog box at any time.
• Display alert upon standards violation. You’ll see a message if your drawing is associated with a standards file and you make a change that is not in accord with the standards file.
• Display standards status bar icon. You’ll see a small icon with an exclamation point on the AutoCAD status bar if there is a nonstandard object in the drawing. A balloon appears, notifying  you that a standards violation has occurred. Click the  link or icon to open the Check Standards dialog box where you can fix the problems.

In the Check Standards Settings section, you can check Automatically Fix Non-standard Properties to automatically fix non-compliant drawings. Automatic fixing applies only when a drawing object has a name that matches a standard but has different properties. For example, if a standards named object that should be blue and the current drawing has a line on the object layer that is black, AutoCAD will change the line to blue.

Check Show Ignored Problems to display any problems that were not fixed in the standards check report.

From the Preferred Standards File to Use for Replacements drop-down list, choose a standards file to use by default in the Replace With section of the Check Standards dialog box. This standards file is used only if you choose to automatically fix nonstandard properties and the associated standards file does not provide a suitable replacement.

Do you use the Standards feature in AutoCAD? Please share any tips by leaving a comment!

The post Use a Standards file to bring an AutoCAD drawing into line appeared first on AutoCAD Tips Blog.

Yes, you can! I’m going to assume that you have 1 viewport on a layout tab with a title block that will display the scale of that viewport.

Here are the steps:

1. Set the scale for the viewport. I explain how in this tip, “Create a scale for plotting.”
2. Start the MTEXT command. (On the ribbon, choose Home tab, Annotation panel, Multiline Text.)
3. At the Specify first corner: and Specify opposite corner: prompts, click to place the text in your title block — or anywhere you want. The Text Editor tab appears on the ribbon and you see the text editor in your drawing.
4. Inside the text editor, right-click and choose Insert Field to open the Field dialog box.
5. From the Field Category drop-down list, choose Objects.
6. Under Field Names, choose Object.
7. To the right of the Object Type box, click the Select Object button.
8. Back in your drawing, select the layout for which  you set the scale. You can only select one object. The dialog box returns and the Object Type box reads Viewport.
9. In the Property box, choose Standard Scale if you chose a standard scale in the Properties palette when setting the scale. If you specified a custom scale, choose Custom Scale. You’ll see a preview of the text in the Preview box at the upper-right corner of the dialog box. For a scale, you usually don’t need to specify a format, since there isn’t any text, just numbers. You can see how the dialog box looks on the right
10. Click OK to close the Field dialog box.
11. Click outside of the Text Editor to place the text of the layout’s scale. Your Mtext now shows the scale of the viewport as you see at the right.

What’s so cool about this method is that the field updates when you change the scale of the viewport. If you save the drawing, plot, do a regen, or open the drawing, the field will update automatically. You can update the field manually with these steps:

1. Double-click the text to activate the Text Editor.
2. Select the text.
3. Right-click and choose Update Field.

The post How to automatically display the plotting scale on your AutoCAD drawing appeared first on AutoCAD Tips Blog.

Old system variables

Some of the issues could be related to old system variables. For example, in this drawing, DIMASSOC is set to 1, which creates non-associative dimensions. That means that when the dimensions objects are edited, the dimensions don’t update automatically. AutoCAD has offered associative dimensions since Release 2002, but if the drawing was created before then, you’ll see non-associative dimensions.

You should fix this by changing the value of DIMASSOC to 2 and then using DIMREASSOCIATE to associate the dimensions to their objects. I explain this process in my post, “Dimensions and associativity.”

Objects not set to ByLayer

You may find objects that are not set to ByLayer and want to fix them. The easiest way to do that for the entire drawing is to use the SETBYLAYER command. At the Select objects: prompt, type All and press Enter. Then follow the prompts for ByBlock and blocks.

Warning: This may change your drawing a lot if you have many objects that aren’t set to ByLayer. For example, in this drawing, fire extinguishers were on the Safety Equipment layer, which had a black color. But they had all been set to have a red color. You might want to simply change the color of that layer. Or you might find that you need to change the layer of many objects.

I have a tip that goes into the SETBYLAYER options more in detail–”Maintain standards by returning objects to ByLayer settings.”

Text and dimensions on multiple layers and styles

Remember the ROMANS,  ROMAND, and SIMPLEX text styles? Older drawings still use them. Over the years, text styles may have changed, but older text probably wasn’t updated. The same is true of dimension styles. Text and dimensions may be on various layers, as well.  For example, most of the text in this drawing is on the TEXT layer, but there’s a section of text that’s on a layer called TRIVIA.

Finding all of the exceptions can be tricky. One way is to create a Standards file and test the drawing against it. That will be the topic of a future tip, but for now, I’ll discuss some less automated techniques.

You can use the QSELECT command to find objects that meet certain criteria. I have a post on the topic, “Use Quick Select to select objects in your AutoCAD drawing.”  (It includes a video tutorial, so check it out!)

For example, you can find text that is set to a specific color. Then, you can isolate that text, meaning that you hide everything else. This process helps you find the objects that you need to fix.

Here is a section of the drawing.

Let’s say that most of the Mtext is on ROMANS. I might want to find text that uses another text style.  I would type qselect on the command line and complete the dialog box like this:

After clicking OK, Mtext objects that don’t use the ROMANS text style would be selected.

Then, I would use the Isolate feature.  To do so, right-click and choose Isolate, Isolate Objects, as you see here.

Here’s the result in the drawing—a couple of words that don’t use the ROMANS text style. When I select them and look in the Properties palette, I see that one uses the Standard style and the other uses the ROMAND style. Since they’re selected and isolated, it’s easy for me to use the Properties palette to change their style to ROMANS.

There are lots of other possible drawing problems–title blocks on the Model tab instead of on a Layout tab, hatches using the wrong scale–the list could go on and on.

Have you had to bring  old drawings into shape? What techniques did you use? Please leave a comment so others can benefit from your experience!

The post Fix old, messy AutoCAD drawings appeared first on AutoCAD Tips Blog.

1. Click a layout tab. Usually, you’ll see 1 default layout. You can delete or resize it. You can create new layouts on the Layout tab, in the Layout Viewports panel.
2. Select a viewport. To do this, you must be in paperspace. If you can’t select the viewport, double-click outside it. The viewport border is heavy when you are in model space on a layout and returns to its normal width when you are in paperspace.
3. Open the Properties palette on the View tab, in the Palettes group, or use the keyboard shortcut, which is Ctrl+1.
4. Under the Misc heading, click the Standard Scale item; then click the down arrow to expand the list of scales. If you aren’t sure which scale you want, pass your cursor over some of the scales to see the result in the viewport. Choose the scale that fits your objects the way you want. Most people are required to use standard scales, but you can use the Custom item and make up your own if you want.
5. Once you have set the scale, you should lock the viewport. you can do this in the Properties palette, changing the Display Locked item’s value to Yes. A quick way is to click the Lock/Unlock button on the status bar, next to the VP Scale pop-up list.

How do you create a scale for your viewports? Leave a comment!

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• Color
• Linetype
• Lineweight
• Transparancy
• Plotstyle

Also, for 3D drawings, you can apply a material to a layer with the MATERIALATTACH layer.

But it is all too easy to make an exception for an object and change it so that a property is not according to its layer. For example, you can select an object,  and choose any color for it by going to the Home tab, Properties panel, Object Color drop-down list.

When you decide that this is a mistake (made by someone else, of course), you can easily return objects to the properties assigned by their layer with the SETBYLAYER command.

Here are the prompts:

Command: SETBYLAYER
Current active settings: Color Linetype Lineweight Transparency Material
Select objects or [Settings]: 1 found
Select objects or [Settings]:
Change ByBlock to ByLayer? [Yes/No] <Yes>: Y
Include blocks? [Yes/No] <Yes>:
1 object modified.

I must admit that this command has more prompts than I would like. You might want to create a custom command that automates the block-related prompts for you.

If you choose the Settings option, you get this dialog box.

Note: The Plot Style option is available only if you are using named plot styles.

In this dialog box, you can specify which of the properties you want to include when you set an object’s properties to its layer properties.

Do you use this command? Do you have a way of streamlining it? Leave a comment to share with others!

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