Category Archives: Modifying

Free ways to convert PDFs to DWG

Posted on June 19, 2012 by AutoCAD Tips

Here are two ways to convert PDF documents into .DWG (drawing) files. These are in fact free and they do a great job for the price. They both work the same in that the free versions will not process layer … Continue reading →

Posted in Manage, Modifying, PDF | 14 Comments

Intro to Chamfer

Posted on June 2, 2012 by AutoCAD Tips

Here is an overview of the CHAMFER command. This command will create a beveled edge between two selected lines. It can be defined by specifying a distance away from the intersection of the selected lines. It can also be defined … Continue reading →

Posted in BASICS, Modifying | 3 Comments

Remove Dimbreaks From Objects

Posted on May 23, 2012 by AutoCAD Tips

If you have applied Dimbreaks to either a dimension or a multileader and need to remove them please don’t erase the objects and recreate them. You can use the same DIMBREAK command that created the dimbreak to remove the same … Continue reading →

Posted in Dimensions, Leaders, Modifying, Text, TIPS | 2 Comments

Viewport Clip

Posted on May 8, 2012 by AutoCAD Tips

Say that you have a default rectangle viewport already set – you have the scale set and dimensions and the multileaders points to objects in your viewport. But then you want to trim some of the objects out of the … Continue reading →

Posted in Layout, Modifying, Paper Space, Viewports | 9 Comments

AutoCAD 2013 Property Preview

Posted on May 7, 2012 by AutoCAD Tips

AutoCAD 2013 has introduced a great new feature that allows you to select objects and then preview their property changes prior to assigning those properties to the objects. This a familiar feature that you may have used in other applications … Continue reading →

Posted in AutoCAD 2013, Customization, Modifying, New In 2013, Settling In, TIPS | 1 Comment

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

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