Author Archives: AutoCAD Tips

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.

Shrink The Info Center Search Area to Expand File Name

Posted on June 24, 2015 by AutoCAD Tips

This tip is simple yet helpful in displaying more of a file name that might be obscured by the upper right “Info Center.” All that you have to do is simply collapse the arrow next to the search field that says … Continue reading →

Posted in BASICS, Settling In | 2 Comments

Block Description to Multileader

Posted on June 4, 2015 by AutoCAD Tips

Following up on the previous post – The routine illustrated below is also made by Alan Thompson found HERE lets you select a block and place a multileader containing the Block’s description (see below for “block description”) Use the command BDESC2ML … Continue reading →

Posted in AutoLISP, AutoLISP: Blocks, Blocks, Leaders, multileaders | 11 Comments

AutoLISP: Block Name to MultiLeader

Posted on June 4, 2015 by AutoCAD Tips

The routine illustrated below is from Alan Thompson found HERE at CADTutor. This routine lets you select a block and place a multileader that contains the name of the block. The arrowhead or leader point is automatically placed at the block’s … Continue reading →

Posted in AutoLISP, AutoLISP: Blocks, Blocks, multileaders | 6 Comments

AutoCAD 2016 System Variable Monitor

Posted on May 23, 2015 by AutoCAD Tips

If you are tired of opening a drawing and being surprised why some settings are not what you’d think they should be, The new feature called the “System Variable Monitor” or SYSVARMONITOR is now your friend and has your back. … Continue reading →

Posted in Manage, New in 2016, TIPS | 3 Comments

Batch Convert DGN to DWG using Microstation

Posted on April 30, 2015 by AutoCAD Tips

This tip requires that you (or someone else) has Microstation. To be honest, the only thing that I know how to do in Microstation is open a DGN file (Microstation file) and either  do a “Save as” > .DWG or … Continue reading →

Posted in Manage, Modifying | Tagged | 1 Comment

Angular Dimensions More than 180° for ACAD 2016

Posted on April 27, 2015 by AutoCAD Tips

Since the new DIMension command (which I love) has kind of changed the way we do dimensions, here is how you apply an angular degree that is more than 180°. It has been about 5 years since I first posted … Continue reading →

Posted in Dimensions, New in 2016, TIPS | Leave a comment

MTJIGSTRING

Posted on April 26, 2015 by AutoCAD Tips

When you enter T <enter> at the command line, it starts the MTEXT command and you normally see “abc” prompt When you enter MTJIGSTRING in the command line, you are able to enter ten characters to welcome you when you … Continue reading →

Posted in Customization, New in 2016, Text | Leave a comment

Poll – Does your company use Annotative Text & Dimensions in model space.

Posted on April 22, 2015 by AutoCAD Tips

Besides Civil 3D users, I know of no engineering firm that uses annotative text or dimensions in Model Space. I tend to teach people how to use it so that they know how. But I also teach them how to … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | 2 Comments

CADWorx Piping Displays As Single Line

Posted on April 16, 2015 by AutoCAD Tips

Have you ever opened a CADWorx piping drawing only to find a bunch of center lines where your 3D piping should be? (shown below) Use the CADWorx command CONVERTSOLID to make these single lines display correctly. This tool can also … Continue reading →

Posted in CADWorx | 9 Comments

Add Objects to Block Using Edit Block In Place

Posted on April 10, 2015 by AutoCAD Tips

If you were wondering, Yes there is a LISP routine to accomplish the same thing found [here] by Lee-Mac. But here is how you can do the same thing using the “Edit Block In-Place” option of editing blocks. Sometimes it … Continue reading →

Posted in Blocks, TIPS | 2 Comments