Twitter Posts Revisted

Below is a summary of topics we covered recently on Twitter. Click on the links at the end of each topic and explore the command or feature in more detail in AutoCAD/LT's HELP.

• OLESTARTUP command controls whether the source application of an embedded OLE object loads when plotting http://tinyurl.com/3bbjrc8
• Object Snaps specify a precise point at a location on an object http://dld.bz/as8py
• OBJECTISOLATIONMODE controls whether hidden objects remain hidden between drawing sessions http://tinyurl.com/3zt5ww4
• LT2012: OVERKILL removes duplicate/overlapping lines, arcs, polylines + combines partially overlapping/contiguous ones http://tinyurl.com/3ccg5oj
• LT2012: OPENONLINE opens the AutoCADWS Editor in web browser, displays an online copy of the current drawing for online editing and sharing.
• OOPS command restores erased objects http://tinyurl.com/3m7p33s
• LT2012 Tip: ONLINEDRAWINGS opens AutoCAD WS in a web browser and lists the available online files http://tinyurl.com/3tdgz57
• OLESCALE commands controls the size, scale, and other properties of a selected OLE object http://tinyurl.com/3t4jy3x
• OLELINKS command updates, changes, and cancels existing OLE links http://tinyurl.com/3tz2xx7
• OBJECTSCALE command adds or deletes supported scales for annotative objects http://tinyurl.com/3s9rzoe

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 Text Message (SMS) by texting FOLLOW LTISACAD to 40404 in the United States. To stop SMS updates, simply text UNFOLLOW LTISACAD to the same number.

Catch a listing of all our twitter postings HERE:
http://ltisacad.blogspot.com/search?q=tweets+this+week

Do you use Pinterest? We pin our favorite AutoCAD/LT news/tips/reviews/Op-Ed webpages to share with all of you at http://pinterest.com/pendeaninc/pins/ ◦

Twitter Posts Revisted

Specifying a different TEMP folder for AutoCAD/LT

AutoCAD/LT defaults to your Windows Log-in Temp folder location for many items (including your Autosave files) it needs to run every time you use the program. While this is convenient to program for the, it becomes difficult for you the end user to find these items when you need them the most.

To access your default Windows TEMP folder, you can either use Windows Explorer to go to the following folder:
C:\Users\YourNameHere\appdata\local\temp\
or Click Start menu (Windows) then Run: In the Run dialog box, enter %TEMP% and click OK.

You can however set up AutoCAD/LT to use any other folder you may have or wish to create: this can me one single folder on your local PC that you can access quickly (in the screenshot example below I use a folder called TEMP located on my computer's C primary drive).

Or you can create multiple folders, one for each of the five categories in the screenshot above, or just one additional folder for your Autosave files for example. After you create one or ore of these folders in Windows Explorer, open OPTIONS command's FILES tab, select the entry you wish to change, select the folder name, tap the BROWSE button and browse to the new folder to select it.Just follow the sequence of numbers in the screenshot below.

You now can easily find your temp files and SV$ extention Autosave files quickly. ◦

Specifying a different TEMP folder for AutoCAD/LT

AutoCAD Tips that work in LT: Part 8

Below are posts from fellow AutoCAD users with tips that are of equal use to LT users. Explore each link and start being more productive tomorrow.

• Jeff Bartels‏ AutoCAD Tip: Drawings can also be opened by dragging and dropping DWG file onto AutoCAD shortcut icon.
• Works in LT too “@JeffBartels: AutoCAD Tip: Drag and drop an image into Modelspace to create an instant reference.”
• R.K. McSwain‏ Create a new command and a new contextual tab in AutoCAD. http://bit.ly/JFnIvW
• AutoCAD LT‏ Text editor settings http://bit.ly/JD2E6s
• Vladimir Michl‏ New CAD tip: How to change AutoCAD serial number? http://bit.ly/ISUpEX
• Lynn Allen‏ Need to make an object w/ the same settings/properties as an existing one ? Select object, rt click and pick "Add Selected"
• Lynn Allen: Learn to write command scripts for AutoCAD and automate your plotting http://bit.ly/FPyFIm
• Kate Morrical‏ Annotation Visibility http://bit.ly/AhBcII
• R.K. McSwain‏ Got a multi-sheet PDF underlay in #AutoCAD? Want to change the actual page it shows? http://bit.ly/yubdGA
• VMichl: New CAD tip: How to avoid opening Acrobat Reader after publishing DWG to PDF? http://bit.ly/A3EbjP”

Catch a listing of all our twitter postings HERE http://twitter.com/#!/LTisACAD.

Do you use @pinterest? We pin our favorite AutoCAD/LT news/tips/reviews/Op-Ed webpages to share with all of you at http://pinterest.com/pendeaninc/pins/ ◦

AutoCAD Tips that work in LT: Part 8

Twitter Posts Revisted

Below is a summary of topics we covered recently on Twitter. Click on the links at the end of each topic and explore the command or feature in more detail in AutoCAD/LT's HELP.

• NCOPY command copies objects that are contained in an xref, block, or DGN underlay http://tinyurl.com/3w7w7jn
• MTP locates the midpoint between two points, type it while in a command: http://dld.bz/as8jT
• MTEXTTOOLBAR Controls the display of the Text Formatting toolbar http://tinyurl.com/3rnwxqc
• MTEXTFIXED Sets the display size and orientation of multiline text in a specified text editor http://tinyurl.com/3gm8xuc
• User's Guide: Create and Edit Columns in Multiline Text http://tinyurl.com/3ljr5e2
• MTEXTCOLUMN command sets the default column setting for an mtext object http://tinyurl.com/3zkvgmd
• User's Guide: Overview of Importing OLE Objects into Drawings http://dld.bz/as8jb
• MSOLESCALE command controls the size of an OLE object with text that is pasted into model space http://tinyurl.com/3qlee2b
• MSLTSCALE command Scales linetypes displayed on the model tab by the scale representation http://tinyurl.com/4ypn8q4
• MLEADERSCALE command sets the overall scale factor applied to multileader objects http://tinyurl.com/4yd743r

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 Text Message (SMS) by texting FOLLOW LTISACAD to 40404 in the United States. To stop SMS updates, simply text UNFOLLOW LTISACAD to the same number.

Catch a listing of all our twitter postings HERE:
http://ltisacad.blogspot.com/search?q=tweets+this+week

Do you use Pinterest? We pin our favorite AutoCAD/LT news/tips/reviews/Op-Ed webpages to share with all of you at http://pinterest.com/pendeaninc/pins/ ◦

Twitter Posts Revisted

Calling External Applications from AutoCAD/LT

While AutoCAD/LT is running, you can invoke (start) other programs or utilities such Windows system commands, utilities, and applications: the coding is simple and coded in the same file that AutoCAD/LT uses to read those command shortcuts we all use instead of typing full command names, the ACADLT.PGP file (for AutoCAD users, it's the ACAD.PGP file).

You define external commands by specifying a command name to be used from the AutoCAD command prompt and an executable command string that is passed to the operating system. By default, defined in the acadlt.pgp file are three commands that work to call up a couple of the most common Windows based Applications. These commands are listed as follows.

EXPLORER - Launches a session of Windows Explorer
NOTEPAD - Launches a session of NotePad with file provided if one is given
PBRUSH - Launches a session Windows Paint (or Paintbrush).

The coding structure inside the PGP for these external commands are as follows:

,[],,[*],

Examples of external commands for Windows built into LT by default:
EXPLORER,  START EXPLORER, 1,,
NOTEPAD,   START NOTEPAD,  1,,

PBRUSH,    START PBRUSH,   1,,

What does all ths coding mean?

• The first part represents the command name that you type in AutoCAD to execute the line of code.Feel free to abbreviate any of these to your preference, we show them with full names for clarity of this article.
• The second part calls a defined command from earlier in the Acad.pgp file.  This command is used to launch an executable that is registered on the current system (basically, how Windows calls the command).
• The third part is used to allocate memory.  This field is used maintains compatibility with previous versions of AutoCAD.  Typically the number zero is present.
• The fourth part is used to display a prompt at the AutoCAD Command Line.  This field is optional to use and the response to this prompt is appended to the string supplied in the executable field. If the first character of the prompt field is an asterisk (*), the response can contain spaces and the user must press ENTER to terminate it.
• The fifth part is an optional bit-coded parameter.  These codes can be added together in order to reach the desired results.

Here are examples of external commands from Windows we modified and added to LT. In these first to examples, we added additional prompts at the command line to prompt the user:

EXPLORER,  START EXPLORER, 1,*Directory to Start in: ,

NOTEPAD,   START NOTEPAD,  1,*File to edit: ,

 

Other examples of external programs to call from inside LT at the command line, or a menu/screen button:

EXCEL,    START EXCEL,   1,,

WORD,    START WINWORD,   1,,

POWERPOINT,    START POWERPNT,   1,,

WORDPAD,    START WRITE,   1,,

OUTLOOK,    START OUTLOOK,   1,,

 

What external programs would you find useful to call from inside LT?

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Calling External Applications from AutoCAD/LT

Random Links of interest: got time?

• Angela Simoes‏ AutoCAD WS, Pixlr Editor and Pixlr Express, now work with Google Drive to bring you file sharing freedom http://autode.sk/JvDmJj
• Autodesk Labs Scott‏ YouTube: John Cleese on Creativity http://dlvr.it/1SWdkb
• Without A Net: Windows 8 Support for AutoCAD http://bit.ly/HBcatc
• How many tech company execs really get into their own products? Check this out #awesome “@carlbass - http://autode.sk/FPvHmz”
• AutoCAD LT‏ Dynamic Help in AutoCAD LT for Mac http://bit.ly/AnNCiP
• Windows 8 is the new Vista -- and that's a good thing? http://ow.ly/1FQwxF
• 10 Simple Rules for [Auto]CAD « Cheltenham Computer Solutions http://ow.ly/1FPflo
• AutoCAD WS‏ I've just written about 5 ways that #AutoCADWS helps improve productivity: http://aucad.ws/wNUqf5 Do you have any that I missed?

 

◦

Random Links of interest: got time?

AutoCAD Tips that work in LT: Part 7

Below are posts from fellow AutoCAD users with tips that are of equal use to LT users. Explore each link and start being more productive tomorrow (no April Fools tips here).

• VMichl tip: The login name of the last "editor" of a DWG drawing is displayed in DWGPROPS command (Last saved in the Statistics tab).
• Lynn Allen‏ Don't like the way #AutoCAD grips your centered MTEXT? Try setting CENTERMT to 1. (the Center grip will stay in place)
• Jeff Bartels: Assign table cells an RGB 255,255,255 (white) fill color to always hide everything behind the table.
• bcbenton‏ Can’t Detach an AutoCAD Reference File http://ow.ly/1hlZtQ
• Vladimir Michl‏ New CAD tip: How to set the Select objects mode for the Hatch command? http://bit.ly/yGCm5l
• Edwin Prakoso‏ Do you need to copy and trim objects within a boundary? See this AutoCAD tip how to do it quickly! http://cad-notes.com/2012/02/how-to-trim-and-copy-objects-within-a-boundary/
• R.K. McSwain‏ Copy between #AutoCAD drawings without using Cut & Paste http://bit.ly/zOYU6C
• Works in LT “@cadpanacea: #AutoCAD tip -- double click the wheel to Zoom Extents”
• Vladimir Michl‏ New CAD tip: How to lock layers without changing their color? http://bit.ly/wAOa0n
• An LT Table tip to explore “@VMichl: New CAD tip: How to wrap a long parts list to multiple columns? http://bit.ly/Az5369”
• bcbenton‏ AutoCAD – Color Change – WHY? http://ow.ly/1h4I2t
• LT2012 tip “@JeffBartels: Paste text from other apps into MTEXT? Right-click & choose "Paste Special" to remove formatting on insertion.”

Catch a listing of all our twitter postings HERE http://twitter.com/#!/LTisACAD.

Do you use @pinterest? We pin our favorite AutoCAD/LT news/tips/reviews/Op-Ed webpages to share with all of you at http://pinterest.com/pendeaninc/pins/ ◦

AutoCAD Tips that work in LT: Part 7