Author Archives: AutoCAD Tips

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About AutoCAD Tips

This blog serves as a knowledge base for myself (and anyone else) so that I can reference tips & tricks that I have learned and also refer others to it as well. I hope that this blog helps you learn at least one tip to make your drafting/design experience better.

AutoLISP: Change Hatches to Solid Hatches

Posted on April 24, 2012 by AutoCAD Tips

Today’s featured routine will help you if you need to change some or all hatches to the solid hatch pattern. Here’s how: HATCH2SOLID <enter> Create a selection set by either individual selection or window/crossing selection. Or As shown in the … Continue reading →

Posted in AutoLISP, AutoLISP: Modify, Hatch, Modifying | Leave a comment

AutoLISP: Easily Make Isometric Text

Posted on April 23, 2012 by AutoCAD Tips

If you need to create isometric text  and you are tired of using so many different styles, today’s tip will be your new best friend. Note that this routine only works with DTEXT (single line text). Here’s how: ISOTEXT <enter> … Continue reading →

Posted in AutoLISP, AutoLISP: Creating, AutoLISP: Modify, AutoLISP: Text, Isometrics | 4 Comments

Load Express Tools for 2013

Posted on April 16, 2012 by AutoCAD Tips

This post works the same for AutoCAD and AutoCAD Architecture. Upon installing AutoCAD you may not have installed the Express Tools… Here is how to load them: Click Start Click “Control Panel” Click on “Programs and Features” Note: if you … Continue reading →

Posted in AutoCAD 2013, Customization, Express Tools, Manage, New In 2013, TIPS | 75 Comments

Create Rotated or Aligned MTEXT

Posted on April 12, 2012 by AutoCAD Tips

If you’ve gone to school for CAD or ever dealt with a good manager then you’ve undoubtedly heard them remind the CAD users to “Look at your options in the command line…” Today’s tip is a good example of this. If you … Continue reading →

Posted in BASICS, Text, TIPS | 3 Comments

Express Tools: CLIPIT

Posted on April 12, 2012 by AutoCAD Tips

I recently showed how to create an XCLIP for XREFs (found here) but today’s tip gives you some more options. The Express Tool CLIPIT will clip reference objects – not just XREFed drawings. It will work on the following objects: … Continue reading →

Posted in Blocks, Manage, Modifying, TIPS, Wipeouts, XREFs | 3 Comments

Turn Shape Objects into Blocks

Posted on April 12, 2012 by AutoCAD Tips

If you have a drawing that contains shape objects and then you try to send that drawing to someone else, those shape objects will be missing from their drawing. Today’s tip features an Express Tool called SHP2BLK which simply lets … Continue reading →

Posted in Blocks, Express Tools, Manage, Modifying | 1 Comment

XCLIPFRAME

Posted on April 11, 2012 by AutoCAD Tips

Here are the options (system variables) for how your XCLIP frame is shown and/or printed. The variable is XCLIPFRAME <enter> and the default setting is <2>

Posted in BASICS, Customization, Manage, Modifying, XREFs | 3 Comments

Invert XCLIP

Posted on April 11, 2012 by AutoCAD Tips

Once you have an XCLIP created, you can can invert the XCLIP so that the area that is inside of the defined XCLIP border will be hidden and the area outside will be shown. Here’s how: Select the XCLIP boundary … Continue reading →

Posted in Manage, Modifying, XREFs | 1 Comment

Create an XCLIP

Posted on April 11, 2012 by AutoCAD Tips

For those who use XREFs, there may be times when you do not need the entire XREF to be brought into your drawing especially if the XREF is rather large. With the command XCLIP you can create a boundary around … Continue reading →

Posted in Manage, Modifying, XREFs | 19 Comments

Recently Open Files in Application Menu

Posted on April 9, 2012 by AutoCAD Tips

In the Application Menu (AKA “Big Red A”) there is a list of recently open drawings that lets you easily open these drawings.  By default, this drawing list is populated by the last 9 drawings that you have opened. But … Continue reading →

Posted in BASICS, Customization, TIPS | 1 Comment