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[resullins]

So, I never realized that people didn't know this, so just in case, I'll post it!

 

In a 3D drawing, holding down the SHIFT key and clicking your mouse wheel in (like you're panning) will allow you to Orbit without having to invoke the 3DO command.

[bgingerich]

The LISP new line switch can be used in the CUI for making the text in buttons multiline.

 

For example typing "User Interface" into the name box of the button/command will display the name on one line.

User Interface

Typing "User\nInterface" into the box will display the text like:

User

Interface

See the attached image for further clarification.

[Chris.E_AllaboutCad.com]

Here's a tip that I think might be of value: 

 

For anyone finding themselves with dimensions that have different scales from paper space to model space you may use DIMLFAC.

 

DIMLFAC allows you to dimension in paper space that is associative in scale to the drawing in model space. Just type it in and set the value to 1, to use dimension for both model and paper space  

 

Cheers,

-Chris E., AllAboutCad.com

[Chris.E_AllaboutCad.com]

One of the tools that we often forget is the Quick Select Tool.

 

We can use Quick Select Tool to select the layers/ blocks that we want to isolate. This is extremely useful for those with specific layers, (Furniture Layer- Interior; Furniture Layer ref- Ceiling) because from there you can influence how the block behaves. An example would be using blocks for different specific sheets (Architectural- walls only, no furniture; Interior- Furniture only no lighting; Lighting Plan, Furniture setting in dotted outline; and so on.)

 

To access this tool, we can right click into the model space and pick it from the drop down list. Pick the one with the lightning and an arrow. Pick the drop-down to select an entire drawing, from the properties you may check the layers you want to change.

 

Cheers,

-Chris E., AllAboutcad.com

 

 

[Chris.E_AllaboutCad.com]

Earlier I was pondering about layout commands and somehow found myself juggling between PSPACE and MSPACE. When you happen to click on a layout window and zoomed in too much (that you thought you lost the Plot Area). You can type PSPACE to return back to your Paper  Space / Layout.

 

Cheers

[Chris.E_AllaboutCad.com]

Oops, you did it again -and again. We often push ourselves  to beat the deadline that we are very mush prone in making mistakes. Sometimes, we only realize those mistakes once we are almost finished. So much, that it might be gruesome to CTRL+Z and lose all the work we did. 

But fret no more, the OOPS might just what we need. by using the OOPS command, we can safely travel back to our past work while retaining what we recently finished. Sounds science fiction right? Maybe, you just have to try it yourselvt. Oops

[Chris.E_AllaboutCad.com]

Navigating 3D modeling is quite hard with a single window, sometimes we wish we have multiple monitors to see things in different angles. To create a split screen (similar to 3DSMax -plans, elevations, perspective in one window), where you can view 4 or more windows simultaneously, you can use the command -VPORTS or access this option in the View Tab.

 

You can check more about this functionality here: https://allaboutcad.com/draw-with-tiled-viewports/

 

-Chris

 

Source photo: from site above

[Chris.E_AllaboutCad.com]

To move around between model space and layout space is easier via CHSPACE.  By using this tool, you can literally copy and paste components from the model space to layout space without losing its attributes such as scale. Hope this tip can help someone, somewhere.

 

Cheers,

Chris

[RobDraw]

On 5/14/2020 at 11:42 AM, Chris.E_AllaboutCad.com said:

Oops, you did it again -and again. We often push ourselves  to beat the deadline that we are very mush prone in making mistakes. Sometimes, we only realize those mistakes once we are almost finished. So much, that it might be gruesome to CTRL+Z and lose all the work we did. 

But fret no more, the OOPS might just what we need. by using the OOPS command, we can safely travel back to our past work while retaining what we recently finished. Sounds science fiction right? Maybe, you just have to try it yourselvt. Oops

 

Why didn't you explain what OOPS does?

 

FYI, it replaces the last objects to be erased, that is all. Not quite as powerful as this post makes it out to be.

[Chris.E_AllaboutCad.com]

You can instantly set your CAD to automatically save your work every 10 minutes using the SAVETIME command.

[Chris.E_AllaboutCad.com]

On 5/22/2020 at 4:47 AM, RobDraw said:

 

Why didn't you explain what OOPS does?

 

FYI, it replaces the last objects to be erased, that is all. Not quite as powerful as this post makes it out to be.

Hi Rob,

 

Apologies, if it came across to you that way. Yes, it may not be that powerful,  but let's say it's a go to command before there was even an undo or redo but nonetheless it still useful.

All the best,

[Chris.E_AllaboutCad.com]

VIEWBASE command in Autocad allows you to generate orthographic views from your 3D model. To use it, you have to be in your paper space or layout view.

 

[Chris.E_AllaboutCad.com]

It is frustrating to work on a file that you can't figure out the problem is. OVERKILL is a command that you may use to remove duplicates or problems in your drawing. To use it, select the drawing or CTRL +A, enter command OVERKILL and select OK. You may also try and use AUDIT or PURGE to aid this command. 

[Chris.E_AllaboutCad.com]

Sending this tip to who might need it.To convert a 3d view or object to a 2d drawing, you may use the FLATSHOT command. This command works similar to how a screenshot works nowadays, although in this case FLATSHOT usually takes the edges of the drawing and uses that to create a flat version of the model even if it is in isometric view.

[tombu]

Using Ctrl+A to select all when an active command prompts "Select Objects" kicks you out of the command by default.

In the CUI Keyboard Shortcuts → Shortcut Keys → active pick the "Select All" (with the green check) change the macro

^C^C_ai_selall

 to 

$M=$(if,$(getvar,cmdactive),_all,^P_ai_selall ^P) 

Now it works both in or out of a command.

 

The default Shortcut Key macro for toggling groups is:

'_setvar;pickstyle;$M=$(if,$(eq,$(getvar,pickstyle),0),1,$(if,$(eq,$(getvar,pickstyle),1),0,$(if,$(eq,$(getvar,pickstyle),2),3,2)))

 Changing it to 

^A

still toggles groups but also indicates the status at the command line with either <Group on> or <Group off>. Was the default 25 years ago, not sure why they changed it.

 

I also add a CTRL+T shortcut key to toggle TILEMODE which will toggle between the current layout and the Model tab. Handy if you have a lot of layouts as it remembers which layout to go back to. The shortcut Key macro is: 

^C^C^P(ai_onoff "tilemode") Regen ^P 

Name it Tilemode, use "Toggle between Model tab and previous layout." as the Description, and use CTRL+T for the Access Key which is easy to remember for Tilemode and isn't already being used. From version 2017 on there's a right click option on tabs to "Activate Model Tab" or "Activate Previous Layout" and the Model tab is always visible but using Ctrl+T is still much quicker.

 

 

Whenever commands prompt to "Select objects: " you can enter "?" to see all the selection options like "F" for Fence, "L" for Last, or "P" for Previous.  Of course you don't need to enter "?" to use them.

Edited July 13, 2020 by tombu
Added another tip.

[Electronico]

View/Section annotation tip

 

For your consideration a tip for various annotations one might need in a drawing (views, sections, details etc.). Usually those are made either with lines/polylines and text/mtext or as blocks with attributes. Both solutions do work for most cases. Though the former is just a bunch of separate objects that has to be edited separately and might require manual adjustments (for each individual instance) to look properly, the later has its own limitations in what can be done in the text formatting department (i.e. attributes do not support bold or italic text) and if any lines are used to underline/separate text horizontally, those can only be adjusted with a dynamic block.

 

The proposed approach involves a table object. Tables, in some respects, behave like a dynamic block with attributes, but are way easier to create and edit. Plus tables offer much more options in terms of text formatting (not to mention the capability to perform calculations). Thus we could have a block-like object that is easy to modify and edit according to specific needs.

 

HOW-TO

1. Create a table object with a single column and two rows (adjust cell margins and text alignment according to your taste)
2. Select the table and then select both rows
3. Then click the border editor button (1)
4. Click No Border button (to remove all the border lines) (2)
5. To simulate the underlined text effect, click the middle horizontal line button (3)
6. Optionally you might want to adjust the underlined text line thickness (4) or other properties. This should be done before clicking the horizontal line button (3)
7. Click OK

 

Now you should get something like this (left - in the model space, right - in the layout print preview).

 

To take things even further, one could also add a block to the table (as it is possible to insert a block in to the table cell). In the image bellow a column was added (to the left of the text), rows in that column were merged (to form a single full height column) and a block was inserted. Note that vertical borders of the cell with the block were set to 0 in order to align the block with the horizontal line separating both text objects.

 

There could probably be other ways to use this approach. Enjoy!

[BIGAL]

Like this, asks for start point and direction.

 

 

Edited December 30, 2023 by BIGAL

[enthralled]

Some tips:

 

Commands
 - MULTIPLE - Repeats any command until canceled
 - {CTRL+H} (PICKSTYLE) - Toggles Group selection ON (1) or OFF (2)
 - ATTOUT, ATTIN - Export/Import attribute values of selected blocks with handles
 - ATTMODE - Attributes visibility: 0 - all off, 1: as set in block (default), 2: all on
 - {CTRL+R} - Toggles between (active) viewports in a layout
 - CONVERTPSTYLES - Convert Plot Styles between STB and CTB
 - LAYERSETTINGS - save/restore state of layers (on-freeze-lock-nvp)
 - TORIENT (Express) - Rotates text, mtext, attribute definitions, and blocks with attributes for readability
 - EXPLAN (Express) - Use instead of "PLAN" after setting USC, to avoid zooming to the drawing extents
 - DIMEDIT, home - Reset Text Position of Multiple Dimension Objects
 - {UP} Key - Recent Commands
 - ADEFILLPOLYG (Civil 3D) - fill closed polylines
 - LINEWORKSHRINKWRAP (Civil 3D) - create boundary for multiple objects
 - MAPTRIM (Civil 3D) - trim objects at boundary

 

Draw Angled line
 - 1- pick 1st point
 - 2- @ {distance} < {angle} EG @2<45
 - 2- @ {h-distance,v-distance} (% slope) EG @2,1

 

Search Wildcards 
 - # - Matches any numeric digit
 - * - Matches any string and can be used anywhere in the search string
 - . - Matches any nonalphanumeric character
 - ? - Matches any single character; for example, ?BC matches ABC, 3BC, and so on
 - @ - Matches any alphabetic character
 - [ ] - Matches any one of the characters enclosed; for example, [AB]C matches AC and BC
 - [-] - Specifies a range for a single character; for example, [A-G]C matches AC, BC, and so on to GC, but not HC
 - [~] - Matches any character not enclosed; for example, [~AB]C matches XC but not AC
 - ` - Reads the next character literally; for example, `~AB matches ~AB
 - ~ - Matches anything but the pattern; for example; ~*AB*matches all strings that don't contain AB
 - \U+000A - MText Carriage Return aka "\P", for use in Find/Replace 
 

[Annet23]

On 2/28/2024 at 1:26 PM, enthralled said:

Some tips:

 

Commands
 - MULTIPLE - Repeats any command until canceled
 - {CTRL+H} (PICKSTYLE) - Toggles Group selection ON (1) or OFF (2)
 - ATTOUT, ATTIN - Export/Import attribute values of selected blocks with handles
 - ATTMODE - Attributes visibility: 0 - all off, 1: as set in block (default), 2: all on
 - {CTRL+R} - Toggles between (active) viewports in a layout
 - CONVERTPSTYLES - Convert Plot Styles between STB and CTB
 - LAYERSETTINGS - save/restore state of layers (on-freeze-lock-nvp)
 - TORIENT (Express) - Rotates text, mtext, attribute definitions, and blocks with attributes for readability
 - EXPLAN (Express) - Use instead of "PLAN" after setting USC, to avoid zooming to the drawing extents
 - DIMEDIT, home - Reset Text Position of Multiple Dimension Objects
 - {UP} Key - Recent Commands
 - ADEFILLPOLYG (Civil 3D) - fill closed polylines
 - LINEWORKSHRINKWRAP (Civil 3D) - create boundary for multiple objects
 - MAPTRIM (Civil 3D) - trim objects at boundary

 

Draw Angled line
 - 1- pick 1st point
 - 2- @ {distance} < {angle} EG @2<45
 - 2- @ {h-distance,v-distance} (% slope) EG @2,1

 

Search Wildcards 
 - # - Matches any numeric digit
 - * - Matches any string and can be used anywhere in the search string
 - . - Matches any nonalphanumeric character
 - ? - Matches any single character; for example, ?BC matches ABC, 3BC, and so on
 - @ - Matches any alphabetic character
 - [ ] - Matches any one of the characters enclosed; for example, [AB]C matches AC and BC
 - [-] - Specifies a range for a single character; for example, [A-G]C matches AC, BC, and so on to GC, but not HC
 - [~] - Matches any character not enclosed; for example, [~AB]C matches XC but not AC
 - ` - Reads the next character literally; for example, `~AB matches ~AB
 - ~ - Matches anything but the pattern; for example; ~*AB*matches all strings that don't contain AB
 - \U+000A - MText Carriage Return aka "\P", for use in Find/Replace 
 

Thanks!