AutoCAD 2000 in a Nutshell A Command Reference Guide By Dorothy Kent 1st Edition February 2000 1-56592-690-0, Order Number: 6900 656 pages, $29.95

Chapter 3 Excerpts:
Alphabetical Reference

ADCENTER

Standard toolbar

Starts AutoCAD DesignCenter, which is a multipurpose program that displays drawing files and raster images. The drawing files can be inserted as a block or external reference into any of the drawing files that are already open. You also can open additional drawing files for editing. Use the shortcut menu to define the method or drag the file into an empty drawing area. Named objects (blocks, dimension styles, layers, layouts, linetypes, text styles, and external references) can be inserted from one drawing into another. Dragging a raster image (bil, bmp, cal, cg4, dib, flc, fli, gif, gp4, ig4, igs, jpg, mil, pct, pcx, png, rlc, rle, rst, tga, tif ) into an open drawing is equivalent to using the imageattach or image command.

Initiate Command By

Command: adcenter, adc

Alias: Ctrl-2

Tools AutoCAD DesignCenter

Options

The AutoCAD DesignCenter is split vertically into two sections. The section on the left is known as the navigation pane or tree view, and the section on the right is known as the palette or content pane.

 

1. Desktop. Displays in the tree view all the files and folders you can access from your computer. Depending on your hardware and software setup, this may include network drives and access to the Internet. When you highlight a drawing file in the tree view, a listing of all the named objects for that drawing are listed in the content pane.
2. Open Drawing. Displays in the tree view all the files currently opened in your AutoCAD session.
3. History. Displays in the tree view a list of files that were selected from the content pane. The list length varies depending on your computer hardware. Selecting an item automatically sets the tree view to that file's location.
4. Tree View. Displays or hides the tree view.
5. Favorites. Displays in the tree view the contents of the Autodesk Favorites folder. This folder is located in the \Windows directory.
6. Load. Displays the Load Design Center Palette dialog box, which lists AutoCAD drawing files and file types available for use with the AutoCAD DesignCenter program. Selecting a file automatically displays that file's location in the tree view.
7. Find. Displays the Windows Find dialog box with which you can search for drawing files and named items contained within drawings. These named items include layers, blocks, dimension styles, layouts, linetypes, text styles, and external references. You can use wildcard characters (see "Wildcard Characters" in Chapter 2, Command Index and Global Topics) to gain more control over your search efforts.
8. Up. Displays the contents of the tree view one level above the active tree view.
9. Preview. Activates the Preview box in which you can preview drawing files and blocks within drawing files. If the Preview box is empty, a preview image was never saved with the selected item. You can quickly create preview images for blocks within drawings using the blockicon command.
10. Descriptions. Activates the Description box in which you can read a description of the selected file or named object. If the box is empty, a description was never saved with the selected item. Descriptions for drawing files are created with the dwgprops command; descriptions for blocks are created with the block command. You can copy the description information into the clipboard by right-clicking in the description box and choosing copy. You can then place that information into other files using the paste command.
11. Views. Determines if the content information is displayed with large icons, small icons, a list, or details. This option is a four way toggle. Large icons display the actual drawing as it was displayed on the screen the last time it was saved. However, the drawings must have been saved with Release 13 or later.
12. View list. Enables you to choose one of four ways to have your content displayed. This is the same as the Views icon except that instead of toggling through each of the four choices, you can select the display view from a drop-down list.

Tips & Warnings

Whether AutoCAD DesignCenter is active when starting a new session is based on its status from the previous session.

Related Variables	adcstate, insunits, insunitsdefsource, insunitsdeftarget
Associated Commands	adcclose, adcnavigate, copy, dwgprops, imageattach, import, insert, layout, xref

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ALIGN

Moves and rotates objects in 2D and 3D space. Additionally, you can scale the objects based on alignment points when using the 2D option.

Initiate Command By

Command: align

Alias: al

Modify 3D Operation Align

Options

Select objects:
Specify first source point:
Specify first destination point:
Specify second source point:
Specify second destination point:
Specify third source point or <continue>:
Specify third destination point:

first source and destination points

Objects move from the source point to the destination point.

second source and destination points

Once you've defined the first and second source and destination points, press Enter. The rotation angle is based on the second set of points and on the XY plane of the current UCS.

Scale objects based on alignment points? [Yes/No] <N>:

If the response is "yes," the source objects will automatically scale to fit the destination points. The scaling is equal in the X and Y directions.

3D

Objects are rotated in the plane defined by the two destination points and the second source point translated along the vector from the first source point to the first destination point.

Associated Commands

grips, mocoro, move, rotate, rotate3d, scale

Example

 

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'APPLOAD

Manages which applications are loaded at startup and automates the loading and unloading of applications. The applications can be AutoLISP, ObjectARX, VBA, ObjectDBX, Fast Load AutoLISP, and Visual LISP. These applications are often written by third-party vendors adding additional functionality to AutoCAD.

Initiate Command By

Command: appload

Alias: ap

Tools Load Application

Options

 

1. Files of type. The following files are recognized by appload :

.arx	ObjectARX	.dbx	ObjectDBX
.dvb	VBA	.fas	Fast Load AutoLISP
.lsp	AutoLISP	.vlx	VisualLISP

2. Load. Loads one or more files selected from the file window. Once those files are loaded, they are placed in the Loaded Applications window.
3. Loaded Applications. Lists the loaded application files and their locations. Applications are loaded by using the Load button or by dragging and dropping files from programs that support dragging functionality, such as Microsoft Windows Explorer.
4. History list. Keeps track of files that are loaded. This list is retained for future AutoCAD drawing sessions and is kept current as long as the Add to History button is checked.
5. Add to History. Enables the History list to track applications that are loaded with the Load button.
6. Unload/Remove. Lets you unload applications from the current drawing session when the Loaded Applications window is active. When the History list is active, this button permanently removes references to other applications.
7. Startup Suite: Contents. Lists applications that will be loaded automatically when AutoCAD starts. You can add these files by selecting the Add button or by opening Windows Explorer and dragging files into the Startup Suite window. You also can go to the History list window and right-click on any of the files and select Add to Startup Suite. You cannot include applications loaded through AutoCAD's web browser.

Tips & Warnings

undo has no effect on this command.

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ARCTEXT

Express Text toolbar

Creates and edits text about an arc.

Initiate Command By

Command: arctext, atext

Express Text Arc Aligned Text

Options

 

1. Reverse Text. Reverses the text reading order.
2. Drag Wizard. Determines the text location when its associated arc is modified. When the wizard is enabled, manipulating the arc with grips causes the arc text to adjust accordingly.
3. Left, Right, Fit, Center. Determines where the text starts in relation to the arc.
4. Convex, Concave. Determines if the text is placed outside or inside the arc.
5. Inward, Outward. Determines if the bottom of the text is pointing toward the center of the arc (inward) or away from the center of the arc (outward).
6. Bold, Italic, Underline. Applies properties to the text string only, not individual characters. Not all fonts can display these properties.
7. Color. Assigns one color to the text string only, not individual characters.
8. Style. Applies a text style. Regardless of the text style's settings, you can change the font. This option doesn't alter the original text style definition.
9. Font. The default font is based on the current text style. You can change the font without permanently altering the style definition.
10. Font Preview. Displays a sample of the selected font. If the display is empty, select a different color and then reset back to the intended color.
11. Text. Allows you to enter the text string.
12. Properties. Assigns the text height, width, and character spacing. You can also determine how far away the text is from the arc and where it starts in relation to the arc's endpoints.

Tips & Warnings

• ddedit, spell, and find do not recognize arctext. You must use arctext or properties to edit arctext.
• arctext converts each character to single line text when a text string is exploded. The characters take on the values of their style assignment.

Related Variables	textstyle
Associated Commands	dtext, expresstools, mtext, text

Example

 

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'DIMFRAC

Defines the type of fraction displayed when dimlunit is set to architectural or fractional. This variable is set with the Linear Dimensions Fraction Format option from the dimstyle Primary Units tab.

Initiate Command By

Command: dimfrac

Options

0	Horizontal
1	Diagonal
2	Not stacked

Variable Settings

Initial default:	0
Subsequent default:	Last value used in the drawing
Value:	Integer

Related Variables	dimdec, dimlunit
Associated Commands	dimaligned, dimangular, dimlinear, dimstyle

Example

 

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LAYOUT

Creates new layouts and copies, renames, saves, and deletes existing layouts. A layout is a way to display your model drawing for plotting. Each layout can contain model space and paper space objects and its own plotting parameters. Layouts can be developed to depict the different disciplines that might be represented on the model drawing.

If you don't see all the layout tabs listed for a drawing, use the arrow keys to the left of the tabs to scroll through the list. The first arrow takes you to the beginning of the list, which always starts with Model. The second arrow scrolls to the right. The third arrow scrolls to the left. The last arrows takes you the end of the list.

Selecting a layout tab for the first time activates the Page Setup dialog box. If you don't want the Page Setup dialog box displayed each time you begin a new drawing layout, you can deactivate it by unchecking the "Display when creating a new layout" box on the lower-left corner of the dialog box. You also can deactivate it by unchecking the "Show Page Setup dialog for new layouts" box located in the options Display tab.

Initiate Command By

Command: layout, -layout

Alias: lo

Insert Layout New Layout

Insert Layout Layout from Template

Options

Enter layout option [Copy/Delete/New/Template/Rename/SAveas/Set/?] <set>:
Enter layout to make current <Layout1>:

Copy

Copies an existing layout into a new layout. You are asked to assign a name to the new layout. If you don't enter a name, AutoCAD automatically assigns a name containing the name of the copied layout plus an incremental number in parentheses. You cannot copy the Model layout.

Delete

Removes layouts from your drawing. The default for removing a layout is based on the active layout. If a layout is active, that layout becomes the default for removal. If the Model is active, the last layout accessed becomes the default. You cannot delete the Model, and one layout is always present.

New

Creates a new layout. If you don't enter a name, AutoCAD automatically assigns a name of Layout1, Layout2, and so forth.

Template

Inserts a new layout based on the layout of another file. You can insert layouts from template files (.dwt ), drawing files (.dwg ), or drawing interchange files (.dxf ). Since these files also may contain multiple layouts, you can select one or more layouts to insert into your drawing. You also can access the layouts defined in other files using the AutoCAD DesignCenter feature. Only the objects created on the layouts are merged with your drawing file. To create a template file from your current drawing, use the saveas option.

If filedia is set to 1, a dialog box is activated; if filedia is set to 0, you are prompted on the command line. When filedia is set to 0, or off, entering a tilde (~) on the command line temporarily activates the dialog box.

Rename

Renames a layout. You also can select the tab you want to rename and use the shortcut menu. Layout names can contain up to 255 characters, although only the first 32 characters are displayed. You cannot rename the Model tab.

SAveas

Lets you save a layout as a template file (.dwt ), drawing file (.dwg ), or drawing interchange file (.dxf ). This file can be accessed by other drawing files using the template option.

If filedia is set to 1, a dialog box is activated; if filedia is set to 0, you are prompted on the command line. When filedia is set to 0, or off, entering a tilde (~) on the command line temporarily activates the dialog box.

Set

Makes a layout current. You also can select the tab with your pointing device.

?

Lists all the layouts in your drawing.

Tips & Warnings

• Move and copy layouts by placing your pointing device on top of the layout tab and activating the shortcut menu. You cannot move or copy the Model layout.
• Use mview to create viewports, vplayer to control layers in individual viewports, pagesetup to assign plot parameters, and layoutwizard, which automatically combines some of the layout and pagesetup commands.
• When an AutoCAD 2000 drawing containing multiple layouts is saved to Release 14 format, only the last active layout is recognized. However, when that drawing is brought back into a Release 2000 format, all the other layouts are restored.

Related Variables	ctab, filedia
Associated Commands	adcenter, layoutwizard, pagesetup

Example

The paper background, margins, and shadow can be toggled on and off from options Display tab.

 

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REVCLOUD

Express Standard toolbar

Creates a revision cloud commonly used on drawings to depict a design or drafting change. The revision cloud is made up of polyline arcs.

Initiate Command By

Command: revcloud

Express Draw Revision Cloud

Options

Arc length = 0.5000, Arc style = Normal
Specify cloud starting point or [eXit/Options] <eXit>:

Specify cloud starting point

Allows you to pick a start point and move the cursor counterclockwise to create the cloudlike effect. Moving the cursor clockwise creates a cloud inside out. Complete the command by moving the cursor back to the starting point or by pressing Escape or Enter.

Options

Lets you change the cloud's appearance and the size of the arcs. Any changes made to the revcloud settings are retained the next time you begin a new AutoCAD design session.

The Revcloud Options Dialog Box

 

1. Arc Style. Normal clouds are created with the polyline width set to 0. Calligraphy clouds begin each polyline arc segment with a 0 width and end each segment with a width greater than zero.
2. Arc Chord Length. Determine the arc chord length for each polyline segment. You can enter a new number or use the Pick option. The Pick option lets you pick two points on the AutoCAD display screen, graphically defining the new arc chord length. This value is then multiplied by dimscale.

Related Variables	dimscale
Associated Commands	expresstools, pedit, pline

Example

 

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SOLDRAW

Solids toolbar

Hatches section views and places the hatches on layers created with solview. The section views are converted to 2D objects. The hatch pattern (hpname ), angle (hpang), and scale (hpscale ) are based on the current settings. Do not place any information on the layers created with solview since soldraw deletes and adds objects to those layers. Use the back option of the undo command if you want to reverse the effects of the soldraw command.

Initiate Command By

Command: soldraw

Draw Solids Setup Drawing

Related Variables	hpang, hpname, hpscale, tilemode
Associated Commands	bhatch, slice, solprof, solview

Example

 

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SOLID

Surfaces toolbar

Draws solid filled polygons. These areas can be triangular or quadrilateral. If fill or the system variable fillmode is on, the areas are filled. You can save time during regenerations and redraws by turning fill off. To see the results of turning fill on or off requires a drawing regeneration. If grips are enabled, the solid's grip definition points are the vertices. Picking any of the grip points of the solid lets you change the size and location. You must be in plan view to see the solid filled in.

Initiate Command By

Command: solid

Alias: so

Draw Surfaces 2D Solid

Related Variables	fillmode
Associated Commands	fill, grips

Example

 

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SOLIDEDIT

Solids Editing toolbar

Lets you edit faces, edges, and bodies of 3D solids. The edit options vary depending on which part of the solid you pick to edit. The Solids Editing toolbar (shown above) can be activated by right-clicking on an existing toolbar and selecting Solids Editing.

Initiate Command By

Command: solidedit

Modify Solids Editing

Options

Solids editing automatic checking: SOLIDCHECK=1
Enter a solids editing option [Face/Edge/Body/Undo/eXit] <eXit>:

Face

Lets you extrude, move, rotate, offset, taper, delete, copy, or change the color of 3D faces. Most of these options let you add and remove faces from the selection set. You also can cancel the selected faces you added most recently with the undo option.

Extrude

Extrudes one or more planar faces of a 3D solid object to a specified height or along a path. You can extrude the face longer or shorter by entering a positive or negative value. You also can taper the extruded portion by changing the angle to a value other than 0. Setting the angle to a positive value causes the face to taper in; a negative value causes the face to taper out. The path can be a line, circle, arc, ellipse, elliptical arc, polyline, or spline. The path should lie in a different plane from the face, and it should not contain a high curvature area. See the following example showing 3D solid faces extruded.

Move

Stretches one or more planar faces of a 3D solid object longer or shorter. Choosing the all option is the same as using the move command. Use this when different 3D solids are fused together with commands such as union and subtract and you want to move one or more of the fused objects.

Rotate

Rotates one or more faces on a solid about a specified axis. The axis of rotation can be defined in a number of ways: with two points, an existing object, or the viewing direction of the current viewport that passes through the selected point, or by aligning the axis of rotation with the axis that passes through the selected point.

Offset

Lets you offset planar faces parallel to itself by specifying a distance or a point through which the object will pass. A positive value increases the size; a negative value decreases the size.

Taper

Tapers faces with an angle. A positive angle tapers the face in; a negative angle tapers the face out. Valid angles are between -90 and 90 degrees.

Delete

Removes faces, chamfers, and fillets.

Copy

Copies faces as a region or a body.

coLor

Changes the color of faces.

Edge

Lets you copy and change the color of edges.

Body

Lets you imprint, separate, shell, clean, and check 3D solid objects.

Imprints

Fuses an object (arc, circle, line, polyline, ellipse, spline, region, 3D solid) to a 3D solid. The object must intersect one or more faces of the 3D solid. Delete imprints with the clean option.

Shell

Creates parallel lines for one or more faces. See the following example showing this option performed on a 3D rectangle. A positive value places the shell to the inside perimeter of the solid; a negative value places the shell to the outside perimeter.

cLean

Deletes overlapping edges and vertices including imprinted and unused geometry. Once you select the 3D solid to clean, it automatically removes overlapping edges and vertices and imprinted and unused geometry.

Check

Confirms the 3D solid object is an ACIS solid.

Undo

Undoes the last edit.

eXit

Exits the command.

Associated Commands	chamfer, fillet, section, slice
Related Variables	solidcheck

Example

Command: Solidedit
Solids editing automatic checking:  SOLIDCHECK=1
Enter a solids editing option [Face/Edge/Body/Undo/eXit] <eXit>: F
Enter a face editing option
[Extrude/Move/Rotate/Offset/Taper/Delete/Copy/coLor/Undo/eXit] <eXit>: E
Select faces or [Undo/Remove]: Pick point 1
2 faces found.
Select faces or [Undo/Remove/ALL]: Press Enter
Specify height of extrusion or [Path]: .5
Specify angle of taper for extrusion <0>: 0
Solid validation started.
Solid validation completed.
Enter a face editing option
[Extrude/Move/Rotate/Offset/Taper/Delete/Copy/coLor/Undo/eXit] <eXit>: X

 

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SOLPROF

Solids toolbar

Creates profile images of 3D solids. These images display the edges and silhouettes of curved surfaces for the current view. The profiles are stored as blocks and can be exploded. You can have the object lines reside on one layer and the hidden lines on another. Layer names are generated automatically by AutoCAD. They are all assigned names that are based on their viewport border's handle. This handle is prefaced by PV- (paper space visible) for object lines and PH- (paper space hidden lines) for hidden lines. This command can be used only when a layout tab (tilemode = 0) is active, and there is at least one viewport. Once a profile is created, it is not linked to the original solid. You can explode profiles and move them to other layers.

Initiate Command By

Command: solprof

Draw Solids Setup Profile

Options

Select objects:
Display hidden profile lines on separate layer? [Yes/No] <Y>:
Project profile lines onto a plane? [Yes/No] <Y>:
Delete tangential edges? [Yes/No] <Y>:
One solid selected.

Display hidden profile lines on separate layer? [Yes/No] <Y>:

Determines if you want hidden lines to reside on their own layer or be placed on the same layer as the object lines. The linetype for object lines is ByLayer. If the Hidden linetype is loaded the hidden lines are assigned to that linetype.

Project profile lines onto a plane? [Yes/No] <Y>:

Determines whether the profile is created with 2D or 3D objects.

Delete tangential edges? [Yes/No] <Y>:

Determines whether tangential edges are created. A tangential edge is where lines are drawn between two tangent faces. See the following example.

Related Variables	tilemode
Associated Commands	layout, mview, soldraw, solview, viewports, vports

Example

 

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VPCLIP

Viewports toolbar

Changes the shape of layout space viewports. Viewports are created with mview, viewports, and vports.

Initiate Command By

Command: vpclip

Modify Clip Viewport

Options

Select clipping object or [Polygonal/Delete] <Polygonal>:

Select clipping object

Lets you assign a circle, closed spline, closed polyline, ellipse, or region to replace an existing viewport. The object must reside in paper space.

Polygonal

Creates a new boundary from an existing viewport. This boundary, made up of polylines, can be irregular shaped.

Delete

Removes the polygonal object and replaces it with the viewport object.

Tips & Warnings

Create clipping boundaries for raster images with imageclip, for external references and blocks with xclip or clipit, and for all objects with wipeout.

Associated Commands

mview, viewports, vports

Example

 

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