Now updated for AutoCAD 2000!
Now updated for AutoCAD 2000!
1. Introduction to AutoCAD Customization
If you're a messy sketcher like me, then you appreciate how computer software makes your work neater. For too many drafters, that's all AutoCAD amounts to: a neater drafting machine.
The real power behind AutoCAD, however, is in its ability to be customized to the way you work. Customize is jargon for letting AutoCAD do some of the drafting for you. That can range from drawing a linetype specific to your discipline, to drawing a 3D staircase to fit between two floors and more.
The benefit? You get your work done is less time, or, if you are a free-lancer, you get more work done in the same time.
The drawback to customization is that it takes two bits of time. First, you need to take the time to learn how to customize AutoCAD -- that's what this series of tutorials is all about. Then, you need some more time to create the customization.
Time isn't something most professionals have a lot of. I sometimes find myself doing a repetitive editing function under the false belief that it would take longer to write (and debug) a macro that would automate the task. So, I have a rule-of-thumb: I write a macro when the same action is repeated more than three times. There lies the responsibility of Autodesk to make automation easier for the end-user. Still, the time you invest in automation makes you a more productive AutoCAD user, even in the short run.
By my count, there are more than two dozen ways to customize AutoCAD (some of these may vary, depending on the version of AutoCAD you are working with):
Plus a host of miscellaneous support and data files that can be edited: MSG message (no longer available as of AutoCAD R14), DCC dialog color configuration (no longer available as of AutoCAD R14), DFS MvSetup defaults, MNL menu utilities, MLN multiline style, UNT unit conversion, and more.
Some of theses are designed for end-users, like toolbar macros, menus, and AutoLISP routines, all of which we look at in this series of tutorials. Others are meant for professional programmers, like ASI and ObjectARx, which we will ignore. In between, there are dozens of other customization possibilities, like hatch patterns and DIESEL programming, that some enthusiastic users enjoy tinkering with. We look at these in later tutorials.
That said, you need to make two decisions along the way. As you work with AutoCAD, make a mental or written record of your work. In particular, chronicle repetitive drafting tasks since these are the prime candidates for customization. As one Autodesk founder emphasized, "You should never have to draw the same line twice."
The second decision is which of AutoCAD's 25 customization possibilities to apply to the repetitive tasks. Some solutions are obvious, such as writing a PAT file for a custom hatch pattern. Others are less obvious: to draw that 3D staircase, do you use a script file (perhaps), a DIESEL macro (no), an AutoLISP routine (yes), an ObjectARX application (nope, at least not in this context), or a menu macro (maybe)? For this reason, it's good to be familiar with most of AutoCAD's customization possibilities -- even if you never use some of them. That way you craft the solution with the best tools. You also know when to give the job over to a professional programmer and have some intelligent oversight over their work.
A third solution is to find out about the thousands of third-party solutions available from the Autodesk Web site, other locations on the Internet, and CD-ROM discs. The bulk of these are AutoLISP routines written by amateur programmers to solve their own problems with AutoCAD. By knowing AutoLISP, you can modify the routine to your needs, which is a lot easier than writing it from scratch.
To get you started on the road to greater productivity, here are a dozen time-saving tips:
Placing Arcs. AutoCAD provides you with eleven different ways to draw an arc. Sometimes, placing an arc becomes an exercise in frustration, particularly when an angle is involved. An easy alternative is to draw a circle, then use the Trim or Break commands to convert the circle to an arc.
Placing Text. When you need to place bits of text all around the drawing, use the DText command. This versatile command sets text in the drawing wherever you place the cursor. Caution: When you are finished placing text, do not press Ctrl+C since you will loose all entered text. Instead, press Enter twice to terminate the DText command.
Replacing Text. When you need to add similar text in a number of drawings, it is easier to place the same block of text in each drawing. Then use the DdEdit command to change wording of the text. Editing text is easier than placing new text, since all parameters have already been set, such as text style, heights, justification and so on.
Faster Screen Redisplay. Even though today's Pentium computers are 500 times faster than the PC/XTs that AutoCAD first ran on, we still wait for drawings to regenerate. The display speed of AutoCAD slows down dramatically when it has to deal with many short vectors, such as those found in text and hatch patterns. To speed up the screen display speed, place hatch patterns on a separate layer, then freeze that layer (with the Layer command). Remember to thaw the layer when it comes time to plot. For text, use the QText command followed by the Regen command, to convert text into a rectangular bounding box. If that's not a solution for you (because you need legible text at all times), then use the RomandS text font (also called Simplex). This is the one font that combines speed with legibility.
Update for AutoCAD 2000: a bug in early versions of AutoCAD 2000 caused the plot size to swell (and plot time to increase) when TrueType fonts were used in the drawing. To fix this problem, either substitute SHX fonts, or update AutoCAD 2000 with the available bug patch.
Which Font? (R12 and R13 only). While AutoCAD Release 12, 13, and LT let you use PostScript fonts in drawings, these display very slowly compared to AutoCAD's own SHX fonts. In addition, the Plot command often has difficulty finding the PostScript font definitions and you end up with Courier font being substituted. For those two reasons, I recommend using SHX equivalents to PostScript fonts, which are available from third-party developers or can be converted to SHX with FontASM. If you are using Release 13, then employ TrueType fonts, which are faster than PostScript (though slower than SHX) and aren't "lost" during plotting.
Plot Optimization. In AutoCAD Release 14 and earlier, the Plot command's dialog box lets you select from seven levels of plot optimization. While any is faster than level 0 (no optimization), don't assume that a higher number always results in a faster plot. In particular, levels 5 and 6 (eliminating overlapping vectors) really slow down a pen plotter. For monochrome plotters, the plot slows down when you go beyond level 1 (endpoint swap).
Prototype or Template Drawings (R13 and later). To help you get started faster on new drawings, AutoCAD includes prototype drawings with system variables preset for the related standard. In subdirectory \acad13\common\support or acad\support look for:
In Release 14, prototype drawings were renamed "templates." In AutoCAD 2000, the number of prototype drawings has been greatly increased; you can find them in folder \AutoCAD 2000\Template.
Fast Custom Drawing Sheets (R11 thru R14). The MvSetup command helps you in creating a customized drawing board, title block, and multiple view setup. As of Release 14, you can use the Setup Wizard to set up a drawing; the MvSetup command, however, remains the more powerful tool.
Collapsing Multilines (R13 and later). To speed up the display of a drawing containing multilines, set the CMlScale system variable to 0. That collapses the multiline to a single line, which displays faster. Before plotting, set CMlStyle back to 1.
Changing Layers. Quicker than the Layer and DdLModes commands, simply click on the down arrow next to the layer name on the toolbar. That action displays a list box of layer names in the drawing. Click on the name of the layer you want to switch to. For keyboard-ists, use the CLAYER command, which bypasses all of the the Layer's commands options.
Quick Trim. To precisely trim back a pair of intersecting lines, use the Fillet command with radius set to zero.
Aerial View (R13 for DOS). Undocumented in Release 13 for DOS is the AV command, which displays an Aerial View window, just like in the Windows version. The Aerial View window lets you zoom and pan at near-instant speed.
Do you have any comments on this tutorial series? Tell me about it.