If you are working in a crowded drawing and have difficulty using object snap, try TAB.

For example, you want to snap to an endpoint of a line in a crowded area but the other endpoint is in an open area. Just position your cursor on the clear endpoint until the Autosnap marker appears, then press TAB to highlight the entity. Press TAB again to move the Autosnap marker to the other endpoint. Left click to select this endpoint.

This also works in other logical situations like, QUA snap to a circle and END snap to an arc.

Labels: Tips

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PermaLink       Posted 3/31/2005 07:32:00 PM      Comments (0)

Remember you can use @ to return the last picked point. Here is an example of using this in the BREAK command. Of course this is useful in macros.


Command: BREAK Select object:
Specify second break point or [First point]: F
Specify first break point: INT of
Specify second break point: @
Command:


Labels: Tips

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PermaLink       Posted 3/29/2005 07:41:00 PM      Comments (0)

With very few exceptions, you should never manually enter a dimension value. I see this all the time when I go to edit dimension text, and the text in the editor reads something like FUTURE 20' EASEMENT, when it should read FUTURE <> EASEMENT.

Remember, the <> holds the place of the actual linear or angular measurement. If you stretch or reposition a dimension with the hard coded numbers, those numbers do not change. Leave the <> alone. If the dimension value is not what you think it should be, then take a look at what you are dimensioning again.

Update: In AutoCAD 2006, while using the default editor, you no longer see the <> characters, but you now see the actual measurement, highlighted.

Labels: Tips

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PermaLink       Posted 3/28/2005 04:45:00 PM      Comments (0)