LT2011 New (and older forgotten) Commands: Part 2

Below is the second of a series of blog entries on commands (click HERE for Part 1), variables and other AutoCAD/LT abilities that are either new or just not often used, presented in a list format with a brief description of each. Each command listed in hyperlinked to LT2011's online help file for you to explore and increase your abilities wtihin the program. Note: these commands also apply to any AutoCAD 2011 variant.

• LAYISO command: Hides or locks all layers except those of the selected objects.
• LAYUNISO command: Restores all layers that were hidden or locked with the LAYISO command.
• OBJECTSCALE command: Adds or deletes supported scales for annotative objects.
• SUBTRACT command: Combines selected 2D regions by subtraction.
• UNION command: Combines selected 2D regions by addition.
• INTERSECT command: Creates a 2D region from overlapping solids, surfaces, or regions.
• REGION command: Converts an object that encloses an area into a region object. REGION deletes the original objects after converting them to regions unless the system variable DELOBJ is set to 0.
• TASKBAR command: Controls whether multiple open drawings are displayed separately or grouped on the Windows taskbar.
• WHOHAS command: Displays ownership information for opened drawing files.
• SEEK command: Opens a web browser and displays the Autodesk Seek home page.
• SHAREWITHSEEK command: Uploads blocks or drawings to the Autodesk Seek website.
• EXPORT command: Saves the objects in a drawing to a different file format (images, DGN, DWF, DWFX, and PDF).
• EXPORTSETTINGS command: Adjusts the page setup and drawing selection when exporting to a DWF, DWFx, or PDF file.
• -EXPORTTOAUTOCAD command: Creates a new DWG file with all AEC objects exploded. Also invoked if you type AECTOACAD.
• -PURGE command (note the dash for commandline): Removes unused items from the drawing, but unlike the pop-up version of the command, this one can also remove REGAPPS that hide in your DWG file.
• XPLODE command: beyond Explode, Breaks a compound object into its component objects.
• MEASUREGEOM command: Measures the distance, radius, angle, area, and volume of selected objects or sequence of points.
• COPYBASE command: Copies selected objects to the Clipboard along with a specified base point.
• PASTEBLOCK command:Pastes objects from the Clipboard into the current drawing as a block.
• FIELD command: Creates a multiline text object with a field that can be updated automatically as the field value changes.
• UPDATEFIELD command: Manually updates fields in selected objects in the drawing
• MVIEW command: Creates and controls layout viewports, includinf irregular viewports based on Plines in Layouts.
• VPCLIP command: Clips layout viewport objects and reshapes the viewport border.
• RECOVERALL command: Repairs a damaged drawing file just like RECOVER command except it does it along with all attached xrefs.
• ETRANSMIT command: Packages a set of files (and their support files, like fonts, plot style tables, and Xrefs) for Internet transmission.
• OOPS command: OOPS restores objects erased by the last ERASE, BLOCK, and WBLOCK commands.
• CAL command: geometry calculator that evaluates point (vector), real, or integer expressions. The expressions can access existing geometry using the object snap functions such as CEN, END, and INS. You can use these arithmetic and vector expressions in any command that expects points, vectors, or numbers.
• CHSPACE command: Moves objects between model space and paper space through a viewport.
• HYPERLINK command: Attaches a hyperlink to an object or modifies an existing hyperlink.
• ATTACHURL command: Attaches hyperlinks to objects or areas in a drawing.
• DETACHURL command: Removes hyperlinks in a drawing.
• VTOPTIONS command: Displays a change in view as a smooth transition (the effect/animation you see when you zoom in and out).
• REVERSE command: Reverses the vertices of selected lines, polylines, splines, and helixes, which is useful for linetypes with included text, or wide polylines with differing beginning and ending widths.
• TINSERT command: Inserts a block in a table cell.
• TABLEEXPORT command: Exports data from a table object in CSV file format.
• VIEWGO command: Restores a named view (see VIEW command in HELP).
• XOPEN command: Opens a selected drawing reference (xref) in a new window.
• XBIND command: Binds one or more definitions of named objects in an xref to the current drawing.
• QVLAYOUT command: Displays preview images of model space and layouts in a drawing.
• QVDRAWING command: Displays open drawings and layouts in a drawing in preview images.
• BATTMAN command: Manages the attributes for a selected block definition.
• ATTSYNC command: Updates block references with new and changed attributes from a specified block definition.
• VIEWPLOTDETAILS command: Displays information about completed plot and publish jobs.

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LT2011 New (and older forgotten) Commands: Part 2

Tweets to date

If you have not had a chance to follow us on Twitter, below is a summary of topics we covered so far. We hope to continue to provide this weekly summary for those not able to track our tweets.

We post daily on the topic of AutoCAD/LT and features/abilities of interest to users. You can find us at http://twitter.com/LTisACAD  Get Twitter updates via SMS by texting FOLLOW LTISACAD to 40404 in the United States.

• Use SETBYLAYER command to fix block entities colors to BYLAYER. Button or menu macro follows: ^C^C_SETBYLAYERMODE;125;_SETBYLAYER;ALL;;Y;Y;
• Rotate and Scale commands both have a COPY option: your original will remain intact should you need it without exiting and restarting.
• Another method of adding office standards like layers to existing files, without using template files: http://j.mp/ecUUxw
• UNITS settings in files from different sources may be difficult to decipher, but this forum tip is one option to explore http://j.mp/hsGNe5
• Find free tutorials, demos, trial videos, end user posted content and more at the Autodesk YouTube channel http://j.mp/f39coV
• AutoCAD/LT Service Packs, Updates, Utilities, Data & Downloads links can be found here: http://j.mp/fjtHfZ
• Renaming the BAK file is the quickest way to recover a corrupt DWG file. Review the forum discussion here http://j.mp/hg3Hkg
• Are you having HP 11x17 printing issues in Windows7? This Autodesk Forum discussion offers some insights and tips/fixes http://j.mp/fxnkpP
• Need free help installing or reinstalling that older AutoCAD/LT version? Post or browse this Autodesk Forum http://j.mp/dQW4qv
• AutoCAD, Windows and Mac, uses many of the OS keyboard shortcuts available in both. Below is a complete list for both OS http://j.mp/fxB7Fy
• Windows 7 can present some interesting issues occasionally, this case in point was a display error in the Layer Palette: http://j.mp/frcCZa
• Windows 7 Slowing your AutoCAD/LT down? Try these tips: http://forums.autodesk.com/t5/AutoCAD-LT/Windows-7-and-AutoCAD-LT/m-p/2762628
• If you are an AutoCAD WS user, you can now share DWG files with anyone. And they don't need AutoCAD or AWS to open it. http://j.mp/hBS3R6

Look for Part Two of LT2011's New and Not-so-new commands shortly. ◦

Tweets to date

LT2011 New (and older forgotten) Commands: Part 1

Below is the first of a series of blog entries on commands, variables and other AutoCAD/LT abilities that are either new or just not often used, presented in a list format with a brief description of each. Hope this will prompt you start HELP in LT (or AutoCAD), explore and increase your abilities wtihin the program.

• ALIGN command: Moves, Aligns, and scales objects with other objects or points.
• LAYERP command: Undoes the last change or set of changes made to layer settings.
• LAYERPMODE command: Turns on and off the tracking of changes made to layer settings.
• LAYCUR command: Changes the layer property of selected objects to the current layer.
• LAYMCH command: Changes the layer of a selected object to match the destination layer.
• LAYDEL command: Deletes all objects on a layer and purges the layer.
• LAYMRG command: unlike LAYDEL, this Merges selected layers into a target layer, removing the previous layers from the drawing.
• LAYWALK command: Displays objects on selected layers and hides objects on all other layers.
• LAYERSTATE command: Saves, restores, and manages named layer states.
• QDIM command: Creates a series of dimensions quickly from selected objects.
• SKETCH command: Creates a series of freehand line segments.
• GRADIENT command: Fills an enclosed area or selected objects with a gradient fill.
• ISOLATEOBJECTS command: Displays selected objects across layers; unselected objects are hidden.
• UNISOLATEOBJECTS command: Displays previously hidden objects.
• HIDEOBJECTS command: Hides selected objects.
• ADDSELECTED command: Creates a new object based on the object type and general properties of a selected object.
• SELECTSIMILAR command: Adds similar objects to the selection set based on selected objects.
• TRANSPARENCYDISPLAY variable: Controls whether the object transparency is displayed.
• DIMSPACE command: Adjusts the spacing between linear dimensions or angular dimensions.
• DIMBREAK command: Breaks or restores dimension and extension lines where they cross other objects.
• DIMREGEN command: Updates the locations of all associative dimensions.
• TEXTTOFRONT command: Brings text and dimensions in front of all other objects in the drawing.
• HATCHTOBACK command: Sets the draw order for all hatches in the drawing to be behind all other objects.
• HATCHGENERATEBOUNDARY command: Creates a non-associated polyline around a selected hatch.
• HATCHSETBOUNDARY command: Redefines a selected hatch or fill to conform to a different closed boundary.
• HATCHSETORIGIN command: Controls the starting location of hatch pattern generation for a selected hatch.
• SETBYLAYER command: Changes the property overrides of selected objects to ByLayer.
• COPYTOLAYER command: Copies one or more objects to another layer.
• CLASSICLAYER command: Opens the legacy Layer Properties Manager.
• CLASSICXREF command: Opens the legacy XREF Manager.
• ADJUST command: Adjusts the fade, contrast and monochrome settings of the selected image or underlay (DWF, DWFx, PDF, or DGN).
• ATTACH command: Inserts an external reference, image, or underlay (DWF, DWFx, PDF, or DGN files) in the current drawing. You can attach Multiple DWG files at once with this tool.
• CLIP command: Crops a selected external reference, image, viewport, or underlay (DWF, DWFx, PDF, or DGN) to a specified boundary.
• JUSTIFYTEXT command: Changes the justification point of selected text objects without changing their locations.
• SCALETEXT command: Enlarges or reduces selected text objects without changing their locations.
• QNEW command: Starts a new drawing from a selected drawing template file.
• LOCKUI command: Locks the position and size of toolbars and dockable windows such as the ribbon, DesignCenter, and the Properties palette.
• QSELECT command: Creates a selection set based on filtering criteria.
• FILTER command: Creates a list of requirements that an object must meet to be included in a selection set.

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LT2011 New (and older forgotten) Commands: Part 1

AutoCAD and Windows 7 Tips

Some users with Windows 7 are having issues with slow performance of AutoCAD/LT: since the issues are not universal to all or most it has been hard to fix the one true fix. We have assembled a list of things to try that seem to help many: if you need help we recommend to start at the top of the list and do every one in order until the symptoms stop.

In Windows 7 before you start AutoCAD/LT:

• Use Windows 7 Classic/Basic Theme (not AERO or Custom Theme). You miss some of the Aero whizz-bang features, like layout preview and other niceties, but overall performance seems better for some users.
• Win7's Aero Glass option sometimes turned on by your PC/laptop's manufacturer, turn it off for all your power options.
  Note: you can turn Aero visual effects off for individual programs by right-clicking the shortcut, go to properties, then Compatibility Tab... check Disable Visual Themes.
• Change the default Screen color depth (Windows' Display Settings) from 32-bit to 16-bit: typically found at Windows> Control Panel> Appearance and Personalization> Display> Screen Resolution settings> Advanced Settings>List All Modes.
• -Start Windows 7 in Diagnostic Mode. If it works here the cause of the problems may be the display or pointer drivers, another driver, a background process (such as an antivirus application).

In AutoCAD/LT:

• Turn the ribbon off by picking a classic workspace as one extreme effort.
• Turn off SAVEFIDELITY if you do not know for sure you must and absolutely have it (most users never need it on).
• Turn off the modeless layer palette: use the old Layer dialog box (set LAYERDLGMODE to 0). This is not an LT option, for LT users you will need to turn off the LAYER palette when not in use.
• Turn off any and all palette transparency.
• Turn off SelectionCycling, SC button at bottom of screen
• Turn off Hardware Acceleration within AutoCAD (not LT), icon on the lower right near workspace and toolbar lock.
• Set HPDLGMODE variable to 1 and/ or HPQUICKPREVIEW to off.
• Change ROLLOVERTIPS variable to 0 (off)
• Set QPMODE variable to 0 (off)
• Set SHOWLAYERUSAGE variable to 0 (off).
• Are you using two monitors? Use monitor 1 as your graphics monitor as a test.
• Update/dowgrade your video card drivers HERE (if any, otherwise try your PC vendor or video card vendor's websites).
• Autodesk recommended uninstall and reinstall Procedures as a last resort.

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AutoCAD and Windows 7 Tips

Adding Blog or Twitter Feeds in AutoCAD/LT's InfoCenter

Jeff Bartels provides a good tip on how to add and follow blogs and tweets inside AutoCAD and LT's InfoCenter blog HERE. Look at the bottom of that webpage to find some of the many blogs and tweets around from and for AutoCAD Users and Experts, sign up and add your favorite ones.

You can follow us within your browser, or inside AutoCAD and LT using the following details:
This weekly blog: http://ltisacad.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default
Daily Twitter postings: http://twitter.com/statuses/user_timeline/230815754.rss

 Link back to this post with http://bit.ly/PDfeeds ◦

Adding Blog or Twitter Feeds in AutoCAD/LT's InfoCenter