AutoCAD

Command Reference

2005
February 2004
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1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Contents

Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Using AutoCAD Documentation . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2
Using This Reference . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2
Executing Commands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2
References to Other Sections . . . . . . . . . . . . .5
Typographical Conventions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6
3D . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
3DARRAY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
3DCLIP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Adjust Clipping Planes Window . . . . . . . . . . . 18
3DCONFIG . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
3DCORBIT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
3DDISTANCE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
3DFACE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
3DMESH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
3DORBIT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
3D Orbit Cursor Icons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
3DOrbit Shortcut Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
3DORBITCTR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
3DPAN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
3DPOLY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
3DSIN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
3D Studio File Import Options Dialog Box . . . . . . . . 35
3DSOUT. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
3D Studio File Export Options Dialog Box . . . . . . . . 38

iii
 3DSWIVEL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
3DZOOM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
ABOUT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
ACISIN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
ACISOUT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
ADCCLOSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
ADCENTER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
DesignCenter Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
Search Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
ADCNAVIGATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
ALIGN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
AMECONVERT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
APERTURE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
APPLOAD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Load/Unload Applications Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . 56
Startup Suite Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
ARC. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
ARCHIVE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
Archive a Sheet Set Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . 63
Modify Archive Setup Dialog Box. . . . . . . . . . . 66
Archive - Set Password Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . 69
ARCHIVE Command Line . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
AREA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
ARRAY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
Array Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
ARRAY Command Line . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78
ARX. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81
ASSIST . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82
Info Palette Shortcut Menu. . . . . . . . . . . . . 82
ASSISTCLOSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82
ATTACHURL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83
ATTDEF. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83
Attribute Definition Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . 84
ATTDEF Command Line . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
ATTDISP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88
ATTEDIT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88
Edit Attributes Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89
ATTEDIT Command Line . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89
ATTEXT. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
Attribute Extraction Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . 94
ATTEXT Command Line . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
ATTREDEF . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
ATTSYNC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
AUDIT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
BACKGROUND . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99

iv | Contents
 Background Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
Adjust Background Bitmap Placement Dialog Box . . . . . 102
BASE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
BATTMAN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
Block Attribute Manager . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104
Edit Attribute Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
Settings Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
BHATCH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108
Boundary Hatch and Fill Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . 109
Hatch Pattern Palette Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . 119
BHATCH Command Line . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120
BLIPMODE. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124
BLOCK . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125
Block Definition Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . 125
BLOCK Command Line . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127
BLOCKICON . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129
BMPOUT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129
BOUNDARY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130
Boundary Creation Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . 130
BOUNDARY Command Line . . . . . . . . . . . . 131
BOX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131
BREAK . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134
BROWSER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135
CAL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137
Understanding Syntax of Expressions . . . . . . . . . 137
Formatting Feet and Inches . . . . . . . . . . . . 138
Formatting Angles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139
Using Points and Vectors . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139
Using AutoLISP Variables . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141
Using AutoCAD System Variables . . . . . . . . . . 141
Converting Units of Measurement . . . . . . . . . . 142
Using Standard Numeric Functions. . . . . . . . . . 142
Calculating a Vector from Two Points . . . . . . . . . 143
Calculating the Length of a Vector . . . . . . . . . . 145
Obtaining a Point by Cursor . . . . . . . . . . . . 145
Obtaining the Last-Specified Point . . . . . . . . . . 145
Using AutoCAD Snap Modes in Arithmetic Expressions . . . 146
Converting Points Between UCS and WCS . . . . . . . 147
Calculating a Point on a Line . . . . . . . . . . . 148
Rotating a Point About an Axis . . . . . . . . . . . 148
Obtaining an Intersection Point . . . . . . . . . . . 149
Calculating a Distance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149
Obtaining a Radius . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150
Obtaining an Angle. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 151
Calculating a Normal Vector . . . . . . . . . . . . 152

Contents | v
 Using Shortcut Functions . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154
CAMERA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .155
CHAMFER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .156
CHANGE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .160
CHECKSTANDARDS . . . . . . . . . . . . . .165
Check Standards Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . 165
CHPROP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .166
CIRCLE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .169
CLEANSCREENON . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .170
CLEANSCREENOFF . . . . . . . . . . . . . .171
CLOSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .171
CLOSEALL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .171
COLOR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .171
Select Color Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172
COLOR Command Line. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 176
COMPILE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .177
CONE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .177
CONVERT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .180
CONVERTCTB . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .182
CONVERTPSTYLES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .182
COPY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .184
COPYBASE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .185
COPYCLIP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .185
COPYHIST . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .186
COPYLINK . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .186
CUSTOMIZE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .187
Customize Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187
New Toolbar Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . 195
Button Editor Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . 195
CUTCLIP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .197
CYLINDER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .197
DBCCLOSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .201
DBCONNECT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .201
dbConnect Manager . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 202
Data View Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 207
Query Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 215
Column Values Dialog Box. . . . . . . . . . . . . 222
Link Select Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 223
Configure a Data Source Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . 225
Data View and Query Options Dialog Box . . . . . . . . 226
Export Links Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . 228
Export Query Set Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . 228
Export Template Set Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . 229
Find Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 229
Format Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 230

vi | Contents
 Import Query Set Dialog Box. . . . . . . . . . . . 230
Import Template Set Dialog Box. . . . . . . . . . . 231
Label Template Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . 231
Label Template Properties Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . 234
Link Conversion Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . 235
Link Manager . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 238
Link Template Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . 239
Link Template Properties Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . 240
New Label Template Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . 241
New Link Template Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . 241
New Query Dialog Box. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 242
Replace Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 242
Select a Database Object Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . 243
Select a Data Object Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . 244
Sort Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 244
Synchronize Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . 245
DBLCLKEDIT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 246
DBLIST . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 246
DDEDIT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 247
Edit Text Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 247
Edit Attribute Definition Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . 248
DDPTYPE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 248
Point Style Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 248
DDVPOINT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250
Viewpoint Presets Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . 250
DELAY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 251
DETACHURL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 251
DIM and DIM1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 252
DIMALIGNED . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 254
DIMANGULAR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 257
DIMBASELINE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 260
DIMCENTER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 262
DIMCONTINUE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 262
DIMDIAMETER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 264
DIMDISASSOCIATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 266
DIMEDIT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 267
DIMLINEAR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 269
DIMORDINATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 274
DIMOVERRIDE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 276
DIMRADIUS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 277
DIMREASSOCIATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 279
DIMREGEN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 281
DIMSTYLE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 281
Dimension Style Manager. . . . . . . . . . . . . 282
Create New Dimension Style Dialog Box . . . . . . . . 284

Contents | vii
 New, Modify, and Override Dimension Style Dialog Boxes. . . 284
Compare Dimension Styles Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . 304
DIMSTYLE Command Line. . . . . . . . . . . . . 305
DIMTEDIT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .308
DIST . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .309
DIVIDE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .310
DONUT. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .312
DRAGMODE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .312
DRAWORDER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .313
DSETTINGS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .314
Drafting Settings Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . 314
DSVIEWER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .323
Aerial View Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 324
DVIEW . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .326
DWGPROPS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .337
Drawing Properties Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . 337
DXBIN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .342
EATTEDIT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .343
Enhanced Attribute Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . 343
EATTEXT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .345
Attribute Extraction Wizard . . . . . . . . . . . . 345
EDGE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .349
EDGESURF . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .350
ELEV . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .351
ELLIPSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .352
ERASE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .356
ETRANSMIT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .357
Create Transmittal Dialog Box. . . . . . . . . . . . 357
Transmittal Setups Dialog Box. . . . . . . . . . . . 361
Modify Transmittal Setup Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . 362
Transmittal - Set Password Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . 365
ETRANSMIT Command Line . . . . . . . . . . . . 366
EXPLODE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .367
EXPORT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .368
EXTEND . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .369
EXTRUDE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .373
FIELD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .377
Field Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 377
FILL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .380
FILLET . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .380
FILTER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .385
Object Selection Filters Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . 385
FIND . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .388
Find and Replace Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . 388
Find and Replace Options Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . 390

viii | Contents
FOG . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 391
Fog/Depth Cue Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . 391
GOTOURL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 393
GRAPHSCR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 393
GRID . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 393
GROUP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 394
Object Grouping Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . 394
Order Group Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . 397
GROUP Command Line . . . . . . . . . . . . . 398
HATCH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 401
HATCHEDIT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 406
Hatch Edit Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 406
HATCHEDIT Command Line . . . . . . . . . . . 407
HELP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 409
HIDE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 410
HLSETTINGS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 411
Hidden Line Settings Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . 411
HYPERLINK . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 413
Insert Hyperlink Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . 414
Edit Hyperlink Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . 416
Select Place in Document Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . 416
HYPERLINK Command Line . . . . . . . . . . . . 417
HYPERLINKOPTIONS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 418
ID . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 419
IMAGE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 419
Image Manager . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 420
IMAGE Command Line . . . . . . . . . . . . . 423
IMAGEADJUST . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 426
Image Adjust Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . 426
IMAGEADJUST Command Line . . . . . . . . . . . 427
IMAGEATTACH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 428
Image Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 428
IMAGECLIP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 431
IMAGEFRAME . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 433
IMAGEQUALITY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 433
IMPORT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 434
INSERT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 434
Insert Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 434
INSERT Command Line . . . . . . . . . . . . . 436
INSERTOBJ. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 442
Insert Object Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . 442
INTERFERE. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 444
INTERSECT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 445
ISOPLANE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 446
JPGOUT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 447

Contents | ix
 JUSTIFYTEXT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .447
LAYER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .449
Layer Properties Manager . . . . . . . . . . . . . 449
Layer Filter Properties Dialog Box. . . . . . . . . . . 457
Layer States Manager. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 460
New Layer State to Save Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . 462
Select Linetype Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . 462
Lineweight Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 462
LAYER Command Line . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 463
LAYERP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .469
LAYERPMODE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .469
LAYOUT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .469
LAYOUTWIZARD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .471
Layout Wizard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 472
LAYTRANS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .472
Layer Translator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 472
Settings Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 474
Edit/New Layer Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . 475
LEADER. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .476
LENGTHEN. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .479
LIGHT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .482
Lights Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 483
New or Modify Point Light Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . 485
New or Modify Distant Light Dialog Box . . . . . . . . 487
New or Modify Spotlight Dialog Box. . . . . . . . . . 489
North Location Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . 491
Shadow Options Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . 491
Sun Angle Calculator Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . 492
Geographic Location Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . 494
LIMITS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .495
LINE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .496
LINETYPE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .498
Linetype Manager . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 498
Load or Reload Linetypes Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . 501
LINETYPE Command Line . . . . . . . . . . . . . 501
LIST . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .503
LOAD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .504
LOGFILEOFF . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .504
LOGFILEON . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .505
LSEDIT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .505
Landscape Edit Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . 506
LSLIB . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .506
Landscape Library Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . 506
Landscape Library Edit Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . 508
LSNEW . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .509

x | Contents
 Landscape New Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . 509
LTSCALE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 511
LWEIGHT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 511
Lineweight Settings Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . 512
LWEIGHT Command Line . . . . . . . . . . . . 514
MARKUP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 515
Markup Set Manager . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 515
MARKUPCLOSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 520
MASSPROP. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 521
MATCHCELL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 525
MATCHPROP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 525
Property Settings Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . 526
MATLIB . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 527
Materials Library Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . 528
Reconcile Imported Material Names Dialog Box. . . . . . 529
Reconcile Exported Material Names Dialog Box . . . . . . 530
MEASURE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 531
MENU . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 533
MENULOAD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 533
Menu Customization Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . 533
MENULOAD Command Line . . . . . . . . . . . 536
MENUUNLOAD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 536
MINSERT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 536
MIRROR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 544
MIRROR3D . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 545
MLEDIT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 547
Multiline Edit Tools Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . 548
MLINE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 555
MLSTYLE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 557
Multiline Styles Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . 558
Load Multiline Styles Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . 560
Element Properties Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . 560
Multiline Properties Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . 561
MODEL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 563
MOVE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 564
MREDO . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 565
MSLIDE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 565
MSPACE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 566
MTEXT. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 566
Multiline Text Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 567
Indents and Tabs Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . 572
Replace Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 572
Stack Properties Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . 573
AutoStack Properties Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . 575
MTEXT Command Line . . . . . . . . . . . . . 576

Contents | xi
 Unicode Strings, Control Codes, and Special Characters . . . 580
MULTIPLE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .582
MVIEW . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .582
MVSETUP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .586
Using MVSETUP on the Model Tab . . . . . . . . . . 587
Using MVSETUP on a Layout Tab. . . . . . . . . . . 587
NETLOAD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .595
NEW . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .595
Create New Drawing Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . 595
Quick Setup Wizard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 598
Advanced Setup Wizard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 600
NEW Command Line . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 602
NEWSHEETSET . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .602
OFFSET . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .603
OLELINKS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .604
Links Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 605
Convert Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 606
Change Icon Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . 607
OLESCALE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .608
OLE Text Size Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . 608
OOPS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .608
OPEN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .609
Standard File Selection Dialog Boxes . . . . . . . . . . 609
Add a New Buzzsaw Location Dialog Box . . . . . . . . 614
Edit Buzzsaw Location Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . 615
Find Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 616
Add/Modify FTP Locations Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . 618
Partial Open Dialog Box. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 619
OPEN Command Line . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 622
OPENDWFMARKUP . . . . . . . . . . . . . .623
OPENSHEETSET . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .623
OPTIONS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .623
Options Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 624
Alternate Font Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . 654
Color Options Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . 655
Command Line Window Font Dialog Box . . . . . . . . 657
Thumbnail Preview Settings Dialog Box . . . . . . . . 657
Plot Style Table Settings Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . 658
Right-Click Customization Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . 660
Field Update Settings Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . 662
Add Profile Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 662
Change Profile Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . 662
ORTHO . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .662
OSNAP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .663
PAGESETUP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .665

xii | Contents
 Page Setup Manager . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 665
New Page Setup Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . 667
Page Setup Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 668
Changes to a Printer Configuration File Dialog Box (Page Setup) 675
Import Page Setups Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . 676
PAN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 677
Panning in Real Time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 677
PAN Command Line . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 678
Pan Shortcut Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 678
PARTIALOAD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 679
Partial Load Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . 679
PARTIALOAD Command Line . . . . . . . . . . . 681
PARTIALOPEN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 683
PASTEASHYPERLINK . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 685
PASTEBLOCK . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 686
PASTECLIP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 686
PASTEORIG . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 687
PASTESPEC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 687
Paste Special Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . 688
PCINWIZARD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 689
PEDIT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 689
PFACE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 702
PLAN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 704
PLINE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 705
PLOT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 710
Plot Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 711
Add Page Setup Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . 720
Changes to a Printer Configuration File Dialog Box (Plot) . . 720
Plot Job Progress Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . 720
Update PC3 File with New Printer Dialog Box . . . . . . 720
PLOT Command Line . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 722
PLOTSTAMP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 726
Plot Stamp Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 727
User Defined Fields Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . 729
Advanced Options Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . 729
PLOTSTAMP Command Line. . . . . . . . . . . . 732
PLOTSTYLE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 734
Current Plot Style Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . 735
Select Plot Style Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . 736
PLOTSTYLE Command Line . . . . . . . . . . . . 737
PLOTTERMANAGER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 737
Add-a-Plotter Wizard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 737
Plotter Configuration Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . 738
Configure LPT Port Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . 751
Settings for COM Port Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . 751

Contents | xiii
 Advanced Settings for COM Port Dialog Box . . . . . . . 752
PNGOUT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .753
POINT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .753
POLYGON . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .754
PREVIEW . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .755
PROPERTIES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .757
Properties Palette . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 758
General Properties of Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . 759
Cell Border Properties Dialog Box. . . . . . . . . . . 761
PROPERTIESCLOSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . .762
PSETUPIN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .762
PSETUPIN Command Line . . . . . . . . . . . . . 762
PSPACE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .762
PUBLISH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .763
Publish Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 764
Publish Options Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . 768
Changes to a Printer Configuration File Dialog Box (Publish) . . 770
DWF Password Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . 770
Confirm DWF Password Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . 770
Publish Job Progress Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . 770
PUBLISH Command Line . . . . . . . . . . . . . 771
PUBLISHTOWEB . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .772
Publish to Web Wizard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 772
PURGE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .773
Purge Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 773
PURGE Command Line . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 775
QDIM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .777
QLEADER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .778
Leader Settings Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . 780
QNEW . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .783
QSAVE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .784
QSELECT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .784
Quick Select Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 785
QTEXT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .787
QUIT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .788
RAY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .789
RECOVER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .789
RECTANG . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .790
REDEFINE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .792
REDO . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .792
REDRAW . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .792
REDRAWALL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .793
REFCLOSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .793
REFEDIT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .795
Reference Edit Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . 795

xiv | Contents
 REFEDIT Command Line . . . . . . . . . . . . . 798
REFSET . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 799
REGEN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 800
REGENALL. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 801
REGENAUTO . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 801
REGION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 802
REINIT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 803
Re-initialization Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . 803
RENAME . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 804
Rename Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 804
RENAME Command Line . . . . . . . . . . . . . 805
RENDER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 805
Render Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 806
Render Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 808
Windows Render Options Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . 810
RENDSCR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 812
REPLAY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 812
Image Specifications Dialog Box. . . . . . . . . . . 812
RESUME . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 814
REVCLOUD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 814
REVOLVE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 816
REVSURF . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 818
RMAT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 820
Materials Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 820
New or Modify Standard Material Dialog Box . . . . . . 822
Adjust Material Bitmap Placement Dialog Box . . . . . . 825
New or Modify Granite Material Dialog Box . . . . . . . 828
New or Modify Marble Material Dialog Box . . . . . . . 829
New or Modify Wood Material Dialog Box . . . . . . . 831
Attach by AutoCAD Color Index Dialog Box . . . . . . . 833
Attach by Layer Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . 833
RMLIN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 834
Map Markup Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . 835
RMLIN Command Line . . . . . . . . . . . . . 836
ROTATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 836
ROTATE3D. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 837
RPREF . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 841
Rendering Preferences Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . 841
Render Options Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . 844
Photo Real Render Options Dialog Box . . . . . . . . 845
Photo Raytrace Render Options Dialog Box . . . . . . . 847
File Output Configuration Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . 850
RSCRIPT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 852
RULESURF . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 852
SAVE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 855

Contents | xv
 SAVEAS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .855
Save to Earlier Versions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 856
Template Description Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . 856
Saveas Options Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . 857
SAVEAS Command Line . . . . . . . . . . . . . 859
SAVEIMG . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .859
Save Image Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 859
TGA Options Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . 862
TIFF Options Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . 862
SCALE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .862
SCALETEXT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .863
SCENE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .864
Scenes Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 865
New Scene Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 865
Modify Scene Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . 866
SCRIPT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .867
SECTION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .867
SECURITYOPTIONS . . . . . . . . . . . . . .869
Security Options Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . 869
Confirm Password Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . 872
Advanced Options Dialog Box. . . . . . . . . . . . 872
SELECT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .872
SETIDROPHANDLER . . . . . . . . . . . . . .875
SETUV . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .876
Mapping Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 876
Adjust Planar Coordinates Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . 878
Adjust Cylindrical Coordinates Dialog Box. . . . . . . . 879
Adjust Spherical Coordinates Dialog Box . . . . . . . . 881
Adjust UVW Coordinates Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . 883
Adjust Object Bitmap Placement Dialog Box . . . . . . . 884
SETVAR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .886
SHADEMODE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .886
SHAPE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .888
SHEETSET . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .888
Sheet Set Manager . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 889
Subset Properties Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . 894
Select Layout as Sheet Template Dialog Box . . . . . . . 895
New Sheet Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 895
Rename & Renumber Sheet Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . 896
Rename & Renumber View Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . 897
Import Layouts as Sheets Dialog Box. . . . . . . . . . 897
Insert Sheet List Table Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . 898
Sheet Set Properties Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . 900
Sheet Set Custom Properties Dialog Box . . . . . . . . 900
Add Custom Property Dialog Box. . . . . . . . . . . 901

xvi | Contents
 Resource Drawing Locations Dialog Box . . . . . . . . 902
Sheet Properties Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . 902
New Sheet Selection Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . 903
Sheet Selection Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . 904
View Category Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . 904
List of Blocks Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . 905
Select Block Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . 906
SHEETSETHIDE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 907
SHELL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 907
SHOWMAT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 907
SIGVALIDATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 908
Validate Digital Signatures Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . 908
Digital Signature Contents Dialog Box. . . . . . . . . 909
SKETCH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 910
SLICE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 912
SNAP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 916
SOLDRAW . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 918
SOLID . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 919
SOLIDEDIT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 920
SOLPROF . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 935
SOLVIEW . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 938
SPACETRANS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 945
SPELL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 946
Check Spelling Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . 946
Change Dictionaries Dialog Box. . . . . . . . . . . 948
SPHERE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 949
SPLINE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 950
SPLINEDIT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 952
STANDARDS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 958
Configure Standards Dialog Box. . . . . . . . . . . 959
CAD Standards Settings Dialog Box. . . . . . . . . . 960
STATS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 961
Statistics Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 962
STATUS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 963
STLOUT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 965
STRETCH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 965
STYLE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 966
Text Style Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 967
STYLE Command Line . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 970
STYLESMANAGER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 971
Add-a-Plot-Style-Table Wizard . . . . . . . . . . . 972
Plot Style Table Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 972
Edit Lineweights Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . 979
SUBTRACT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 980
SYSWINDOWS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 981

Contents | xvii
 TABLE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .983
Insert Table Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 983
TABLE Command Line . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 985
TABLEDIT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .986
TABLEEXPORT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .987
TABLESTYLE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .987
Table Style Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 987
Create New Table Style Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . 988
New and Modify Table Style Dialog Boxes . . . . . . . . 988
TABLET . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .992
TABSURF . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .997
TEXT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .998
Special Unicode Characters. . . . . . . . . . . . .1004
Control Codes and Special Characters . . . . . . . . .1004
TEXT and the TEXTEVAL System Variable . . . . . . . .1005
TEXTSCR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1005
TEXTTOFRONT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1005
TIFOUT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1006
TIME . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1006
TOLERANCE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1007
Geometric Tolerance Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . .1008
Symbol Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1010
Material Condition Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . .1012
TOOLBAR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1012
TOOLBAR Command Line . . . . . . . . . . . . .1012
TOOLPALETTES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1014
View Options Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . .1016
Tool Properties Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . .1016
TOOLPALETTESCLOSE. . . . . . . . . . . . . 1017
TORUS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1017
TRACE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1019
TRANSPARENCY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1019
TRAYSETTINGS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1020
Tray Settings Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . .1020
TREESTAT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1021
TRIM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1022
U . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1025
UCS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1025
UCSICON . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1033
UCS Icon Dialog Box. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1035
UCSMAN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1037
UCS Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1037
UCS Details Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1042
UNDEFINE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1042
UNDO . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1043

xviii | Contents
UNION. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1046
UNITS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1047
Drawing Units Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . 1047
Direction Control Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . 1049
UNITS Command Line. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1050
UPDATEFIELD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1052
UPDATETHUMBSNOW . . . . . . . . . . . . 1052
VBAIDE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1053
VBALOAD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1053
AutoCAD Macro Virus Protection Dialog Box . . . . . . 1054
VBAMAN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1055
VBA Manager. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1055
VBARUN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1057
Macros Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1057
Select Project Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1059
VBA Options Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1059
VBARUN Command Line . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1060
VBASTMT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1061
VBAUNLOAD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1061
VIEW . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1061
View Dialog Box. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1062
New View Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1065
View Details Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1066
VIEW Command Line . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1067
VIEWPLOTDETAILS . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1069
Plot and Publish Details Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . 1070
Plot and Publish Status Bar Icon Shortcut Menu. . . . . . 1071
VIEWRES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1072
VLISP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1072
VPCLIP. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1073
VPLAYER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1074
VPMAX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1076
VPMIN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1076
VPOINT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1076
VPORTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1078
Viewports Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1078
VPORTS Command Line . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1082
VSLIDE. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1085
WBLOCK . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1087
Write Block Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1087
WBLOCK Command Line. . . . . . . . . . . . . 1089
WEDGE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1090
WHOHAS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1092
WIPEOUT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1092
WMFIN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1093

Contents | xix
 WMFOPTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1098
WMF In Options Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . .1098
WMFOUT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1099
XATTACH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1101
External Reference Dialog Box. . . . . . . . . . . .1101
XBIND . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1104
Xbind Dialog Box. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1105
XBIND Command Line . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1105
XCLIP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1106
XLINE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1108
XOPEN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1111
XPLODE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1111
XREF . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1113
Xref Manager . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1114
Bind Xrefs Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1116
XREF Command Line . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1118
ZOOM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1123
Zoom Shortcut Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1127

Appendix A Command Modifiers . . . . . . . . . . . 1129

Coordinate Filters (Command Modifier) . . . . . . . . 1130
Direct Distance Entry (Command Modifier) . . . . . . . 1130
FROM (Command Modifier) . . . . . . . . . . . 1131
MTP (Command Modifier). . . . . . . . . . . . 1131
TRACKING (Command Modifier) . . . . . . . . . . 1131
Object Snaps (Command Modifier) . . . . . . . . . 1132
Selection Modes (Command Modifier) . . . . . . . . 1132

Appendix B System Variables . . . . . . . . . . . . 1133

Appendix C Utilities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1207

Attach Digital Signatures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1208
Attach Digital Signatures Dialog Box. . . . . . . . . .1208
Search Folders Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . .1209
Batch Standards Checker . . . . . . . . . . . . 1209
Batch Standards Checker Window . . . . . . . . . .1210
SLIDELIB . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1214

Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1217

xx | Contents
Introduction

The Command Reference, a comprehensive guide to In this chapter

AutoCAD commands, lists all AutoCAD commands in Using AutoCAD
Documentation
alphabetical order.
Using This Reference

In addition to the command listings, the Command Typographical Conventions

Reference covers several topics in the appendixes:

command aliases, system variables, dimension

variables, utilities, standard libraries, graphical

database objects, and Unicode fonts.

The index for the Command Reference is at the end of

Volume II.

1
Using AutoCAD Documentation
In addition to this Command Reference, several other resources are available to
help you learn and use AutoCAD. The complete documentation set for
AutoCAD is online. You can access it from the Help menu.

Note For the latest documentation corrections and additions, refer to the
Readme file.

Using This Reference

The Command Reference provides detailed information on all commands,
command options, and system variables. The explanations reflect the default
AutoCAD system variable settings and the default prototype drawing. If you
change system variable settings, the prompts on your screen might differ
from what you see here. For example, the setting of the FILEDIA system vari-
able governs whether you work in a dialog box or on the command line
when you use certain commands. See appendix B, System Variables.

Executing Commands
The process of executing a command begins by starting the command, using
one of several methods. For some commands, such as REGEN, no further
action is required. For other commands, you must respond by providing
additional information or actions in order to complete the command.
As you work with commands, note that right-clicking in the drawing area
either acts as ENTER or displays a shortcut menu. You can control this behav-
ior in the Options dialog box or with the SHORTCUTMENU system variable.

Starting Commands
You can start a command by doing one of the following:

Select the command from a menu, toolbar, status bar, or shortcut menu.
Enter the command name or command alias at the Command prompt
and press ENTER or SPACEBAR .

2 | Introduction
In this Command Reference, near the beginning of each command description
is a command access section, listing the specific ways you can start that com-
mand. For example, following is the command access section for the PAN
command:

Standard toolbar:
View menu: Pan Realtime
Shortcut menu: With no objects selected, right-click in the drawing area,
and choose Pan.
Command line: pan (or 'pan for transparent use)

The availability of certain shortcut menus depends on the current setting of

the SHORTCUTMENU system variable. The instructions in the command
access sections assume that you have made the indicated menu available.
You can exit a command at any time by pressing ESC .
Using Transparent Commands
In many cases, you can start a command while using another command. The
command you start is called a transparent command. For example, to turn on
the grid while drawing a line, you can start the GRID command transparently
by preceding the command with an apostrophe. Two right angle brackets
(>>) precede prompts for transparent commands.
Command: line
Specify first point: 'grid
>>Specify grid spacing(X) or [ON/OFF/Snap/Aspect] <current>: on
Resuming LINE command
Specify first point:

In the Command Reference, the command access sections identify commands

that you can use transparently.
Suppressing Dialog Boxes
Many commands provide both command line and dialog box interfaces. In
most cases, when both a command line and dialog box interface are avail-
able, the command line version is preceded with a hyphen character. For
example, the command line version of GROUP is -GROUP.
You can also control the display of file dialog boxes through the FILEDIA
system variable. See appendix B, System Variables.

Using This Reference | 3

 Responding to Prompts
If a command does not immediately execute, AutoCAD either displays a
dialog box or displays prompts on the command line requesting more infor-
mation. Command line prompts are structured as follows:
Command: commandname
Current settings: Setting1 Setting2 Setting3
Instructional text [Option1/oPtion2/opTion3/...] <default option or value>:

The optional current value line displays the current settings for the com-
mand or for system variables related to the command. The succeeding
prompts identify the type of input required to complete the command and,
when applicable, list the available options in straight brackets and a default
option or value in angle brackets. In some cases, AutoCAD determines
default options and values based on the option or value that you last speci-
fied, or based on the settings of certain system variables.
Typically, the first word of a prompt indicates the type of action you can take.
Most command line prompts begin with the word enter, select, or specify.
These words indicate how you can respond to the prompt.

Terminology in command line prompts

If the prompt starts with... You can...

Select Select objects on the screen using your pointing

device.

Enter Enter text on the command line.

Specify Use your pointing device or enter text on the

command line to select a point location on the
screen.

Selecting Options on the Command Line

To select one of the options contained within the straight brackets, you can
enter the entire option name or only the capitalized letters, and then press
ENTER or SPACEBAR . To select the default option enclosed in angle brackets
(<>), if available, press ENTER or SPACEBAR .

4 | Introduction
You can also choose command options from a shortcut menu by right-click-
ing in the drawing area while the command is active. The options available
on the command line appear in the shortcut menu. For information about
how to enable or disable this shortcut menu, see Shortcut Menus in the
Users Guide.
Entering Data on the Command Line
Some prompts ask you to enter data, rather than (or as an alternative to)
choosing an option. To do so, enter the text on the command line and press
ENTER or SPACEBAR . However, be aware that when the command line prompt
requests an object name, SPACEBAR inserts a space on the command line
rather than acting as ENTER . This allows for the support of extended symbol
names.
Just as default command options are often provided, prompts may include
default values, enclosed in angle brackets (<>), when data is requested. For
example, the POLYGON command displays the following prompt, suggesting
4 as the number of sides for your polygon:
Command: polygon
Enter number of sides <4>:

To accept the default value, press ENTER or SPACEBAR .

Using Wild-Card Characters on the Command Line
When the prompt directions ask for a name list, such as a block name,
variable name, named view, and so on, you can use wild-card characters to
specify names. See the table in Filter and Sort the List of Layers in the Users
Guide.

Repeating Commands
If no command is active, you can repeat the previous command by pressing
ENTER or SPACEBAR or by right-clicking in the drawing area and choosing the
Repeat Command Name option from the shortcut menu.

Accessing Recently Used Commands

You can access the six most recently used commands from a shortcut menu
by right-clicking in the command window and choosing Recent Commands.

References to Other Sections

At the end of most command descriptions, youll find a section called See
Also. This section includes references to chapters in other AutoCAD guides
and other AutoCAD commands and system variables related to the current
command.

Using This Reference | 5

Typographical Conventions
To orient you to AutoCAD features as they appear on the screen, specific
terms are set in typefaces that distinguish them from the body text. Through-
out AutoCAD documentation, the following conventions are used.

Typographical conventions

Text element Example

AutoCAD commands ADCENTER, DBCONNECT, SAVE

AutoCAD system variables DIMBLK, DWGNAME, LTSCALE
AutoCAD named-objects, such as linetypes DASHDOT, STANDARD
and styles

Prompts Select object to trim or [Project/Edge/Undo]:

Instructions after prompt sequences Select objects: Use an object selection method
File names and file name extensions acad.exe, Readme file, .dwg file extension
Folder or directory names Sample folder, c:\autocad 2002\support

Text you enter At the Command prompt, enter shape.

Keys you press on the keyboard CTRL, F10, ESC, ENTER

Keys you press simultaneously on the keyboard CTRL + C

AutoLISP variable names, sample code, and The variable pi is preset to a value of pi
text in ASCII files ***POP1

AutoLISP and DIESEL function names command ads_command( )

Formal arguments specified in function The string and mode arguments

definitions

6 | Introduction
 You can start a command by using one of the following methods:

Click the command name on a menu, toolbar, status bar, or shortcut

menu.
Enter the command name or command alias at the Command prompt
and press ENTER or SPACEBAR .

The acad.pgp file lists the command aliases. To access the acad.pgp, on the
Tools menu, click Customize Edit Custom Files Program Parameters
(acad.pgp).
In this Command Reference, near the beginning of each command description
is a command access section that lists the specific ways you can start that
command.

3D
Creates three-dimensional polygon mesh objects
3D creates three-dimensional polygon mesh objects in common geometric
shapes, including boxes, cones, spheres, tori, wedges, and pyramids.
When you use 3D to construct polygon mesh objects, the resulting objects
are surfaces that can be hidden, shaded, or rendered.
Draw menu: Surfaces 3D Surfaces
Command line: 3d

Enter an option
[Box/Cone/DIsh/DOme/Mesh/Pyramid/Sphere/Torus/Wedge]:

Box
Creates a 3D box polygon mesh.
Specify corner point of box:
length Specify length of box: Specify a distance
Specify width of box or [Cube]: Specify a distance or enter c
width
Width
Specifies the width of the box. Enter a distance or specify a point relative to
the corner point of the box.
height Specify height of box: Specify a distance
Specify rotation angle of box about the Z axis or [Reference]: Specify an angle
angle or enter r

3D | 7
 Rotation Angle Rotates the box about the first corner specified. If you
enter 0, the box remains orthogonal to the current X
and Y axes.
Reference Aligns the box with other objects in the drawing or
relative to an angle you specify. The base point for the
rotation is the first corner of the box.
Specify the reference angle <0>: Specify a point, enter an
angle, or press ENTER

You can define a reference angle by specifying two

points or an angle from the X axis on the XY plane. For
example, you can rotate the box to align two specified
points on the box with a point on another object. After
defining a reference angle, specify a point for the
reference angle to align with. The box then rotates
around the first corner relative to the angle of rotation
specified for the reference angle.
If you enter 0 as a reference angle, the new angle alone
determines the rotation of the box.
Specify the new angle: Specify a point or enter an angle

To specify the new angle of rotation, specify a point

relative to the base point. The base point for the
rotation is the first corner of the box. The box rotates by
the angle between the reference angle and the new
angle. If you want to align the box with another object,
specify two points on the target object to define the
new angle of rotation for the box.
If the reference angle of rotation is 0, the box rotates the
angular distance entered relative to the first corner of
the box.

Cube
Creates a cube using the length for the width and height of the box.
Specify rotation angle of box about the Z axis or [Reference]: Specify an angle
or enter r

Rotation Angle Rotates the cube about the first corner of the box. If you
enter 0, the box remains orthogonal to the current X
and Y axes.

8 | 3D
 Reference Aligns the box with other objects in the drawing or
relative to an angle you specify. The base point for the
rotation is the first corner of the box.
Specify the reference angle <0>: Specify a point, enter an
angle, or press ENTER

You can define a reference angle by specifying two

points or an angle from the X axis on the XY plane. For
example, you can rotate the box to align two specified
points on the box with a point on another object. After
defining a reference angle, specify a point for the
reference angle to align with. The box then rotates
around the first corner relative to the angle of rotation
specified for the reference angle.
If you enter 0 as a reference angle, the new angle alone
determines the rotation of the box.
Specify the new angle: Specify a point or enter an angle

To specify the new angle of rotation, specify a point

relative to the base point. The base point for the
rotation is the first corner of the box. The box rotates
the angular distance between the reference angle and
the new angle. If you want to align the box with
another object, specify two points on the target object
to define the new angle of rotation for the box.
If the reference angle of rotation is 0, the box rotates the
angular distance entered relative to the first corner
point of the box.

Cone
Creates a cone-shaped polygon mesh.
Specify center point for base of cone: Specify a point (1)
Specify radius for base of cone or [Diameter]: Specify a distance or enter d
1
Radius for Base
Defines the base of the cone by its radius.
Specify radius for top of cone or [Diameter] <0>: Specify a distance, enter d, or
press ENTER

3D | 9
 top radius Radius for Top Defines the top of the cone by its radius. A value of 0
produces a cone. A value greater than 0 produces a
truncated cone.
height
Specify height of cone: Specify a distance
Enter number of segments for surface of cone <16>:
Enter a value greater than 1 or press ENTER
base
Diameter for Top Defines the top of the cone by its diameter. A value of 0
radius
produces a cone. A value greater than 0 produces a
top diameter = 0
truncated cone.
Specify diameter for top of cone <0>: Specify a distance
or press ENTER
Specify height of cone: Specify a distance
Enter number of segments for surface of cone <16>:
Enter a value greater than 1 or press ENTER

Diameter for Base

Defines the base of the cone by its diameter.
Specify diameter for base of cone: Specify a distance
Specify radius for top of cone or [Diameter] <0>: Specify a distance, enter d, or
press ENTER
Defines the top of the cone by its radius. A value of 0
top diameter Radius for Top
produces a cone. A value greater than 0 produces a
truncated cone.
height Specify height of cone: Specify a distance
Enter number of segments for surface of cone <16>:
Enter a value greater than 1 or press ENTER

base diameter Diameter for Top Defines the top of the cone by its diameter. A value of 0
produces a cone. A value greater than 0 produces a
truncated cone.
Specify diameter for top of cone <0>: Specify a distance
Specify height of cone: Specify a distance
Enter number of segments for surface of cone <16>:
Enter a value greater than 1 or press ENTER

10 | 3D
Dish
Creates the lower half of a spherical polygon mesh.
Specify center point of dish: Specify a point (1)
Specify radius of dish or [Diameter]: Specify a distance or enter d

Radius Defines the dish by its radius.

Enter number of longitudinal segments for surface of dish
<16>: Enter a value greater than 1 or press ENTER
Enter number of latitudinal segments for surface of dish
<8>: Enter a value greater than 1 or press ENTER

Diameter Defines the dish by its diameter.

Specify diameter of dish: Specify a distance
Enter number of longitudinal segments for surface of dish
<16>: Enter a value greater than 1 or press ENTER
Enter number of latitudinal segments for surface of dish
<8>: Enter a value greater than 1 or press ENTER

radius diameter
1

Dome
Creates the upper half of a spherical polygon mesh.
Specify center point of dome: Specify a point (1)
Specify radius of dome or [Diameter]: Specify a distance or enter d

Radius Defines the dome by its radius.

Enter number of longitudinal segments for surface of
dome: Enter a value greater than 1 or press ENTER
Enter number of latitudinal segments for surface of dome
<8>: Enter a value greater than 1 or press ENTER

3D | 11
 Diameter Defines the dome by its diameter.
Specify diameter of dome: Specify a distance
Enter number of longitudinal segments for surface of
dome <16>: Enter a value greater than 1 or press ENTER
Enter number of latitudinal segments for surface of dome
<8>: Enter a value greater than 1 or press ENTER

radius diameter

Mesh
4 3 Creates a planar mesh whose M and N sizes determine the number of lines
drawn in each direction along the mesh. The M and N directions are similar
N=8 to the X and Y axes of an XY plane.
1 Specify first corner point of mesh: Specify a point (1)
Specify second corner point of mesh: Specify a point (2)
M=6 Specify third corner point of mesh: Specify a point (3)
2
Specify fourth corner point of mesh: Specify a point (4)
Enter mesh size in the M direction: Enter a value between 2 and 256
Enter mesh size in the N direction: Enter a value between 2 and 256

Pyramid
Creates a pyramid or a tetrahedron.
Specify first corner point for base of pyramid: Specify a point (1)
Specify second corner point for base of pyramid: Specify a point (2)
Specify third corner point for base of pyramid: Specify a point (3)
Specify fourth corner point for base of pyramid or [Tetrahedron]: Specify a point
(4) or enter t

apex point 5 Fourth Corner Point

Defines the fourth corner point of the base of a pyramid.

4 Specify apex point of pyramid or [Ridge/Top]: Specify a point (5) or enter an

3
option
1 The Z value of the point specified determines the height for the pyramids
2 apex, top, or ridge line.

12 | 3D
 Apex Point Defines the top of the pyramid as a point (apex).
ridge
1 Ridge Defines the top of the pyramid as a ridge line. The two
points
endpoints must lie in the same direction as the base
2 points to prevent a self-intersecting wireframe.
Specify first ridge end point of pyramid: Specify a point
(1)
Specify second ridge end point of pyramid: Specify a
point (2)

Top Defines the top of the pyramid as a rectangle. If the top

points cross, they create a self-intersecting polygon
mesh.
Specify first corner point for top of pyramid: Specify a
point
Specify second corner point for top of pyramid: Specify a
point
Specify third corner point for top of pyramid: Specify a
point
Specify fourth corner point for top of pyramid: Specify a
point

Tetrahedron
Creates a tetrahedral polygon mesh.
Specify apex point of tetrahedron or [Top]: Specify a point or enter t

Apex Point Defines the top of the tetrahedron as a point (apex).

Top Defines the top of the tetrahedron as a triangle. If the
top points cross, they create a self-intersecting polygon
top mesh.
points 3
2 Specify first corner point for top of tetrahedron: Specify a
1
point (1)
Specify second corner point for top of tetrahedron: Spec-
ify a point (2)
Specify third corner point for top of tetrahedron: Specify
a point (3)

3D | 13
 Sphere
Creates a spherical polygon mesh.
1
Specify center point of sphere: Specify a point (1)
Specify radius of sphere or [Diameter]: Specify a distance or enter d

radius Radius Defines the sphere by its radius.

Enter number of longitudinal segments for surface of
sphere <16>: Enter a value greater than 1 or press ENTER
Enter number of latitudinal segments for surface of sphere
<16>: Enter a value greater than 1 or press ENTER

Diameter Defines the sphere by its diameter.

diameter Specify diameter of sphere: Specify a distance

Enter number of longitudinal segments for surface of
sphere <16>: Enter a value greater than 1 or press ENTER
Enter number of latitudinal segments for surface of sphere
<16>: Enter a value greater than 1 or press ENTER

Torus
Creates a toroidal polygon mesh that is parallel to the XY plane of the current
UCS.
1
Specify center point of torus: Specify a point (1)
Specify radius of torus or [Diameter]: Specify a distance or enter d

The radius of the torus is measured from its center point to its outside edge,
not to the center of the tube.

Radius
torus radius Defines the torus by its radius.

tube Specify radius of tube or [Diameter]: Specify a distance or enter d

radius
The radius of the tube of the torus is measured from the center of the tube to
the outside edge of the tube.

14 | 3D
 Radius Defines the tube by its radius.
Enter number of segments around tube circumference
<16>: Enter a value greater than 1 or press ENTER
Enter number of segments around torus circumference
<16>: Enter a value greater than 1 or press ENTER

Diameter Defines the tube by its diameter.

Specify diameter of tube: Specify a distance
Enter number of segments around tube circumference
<16>: Enter a value greater than 1 or press ENTER
Enter number of segments around torus circumference
<16>: Enter a value greater than 1 or press ENTER

Diameter
torus diameter
Defines the torus by its diameter.
tube
Specify diameter of torus: Specify a distance
diameter
Specify radius of tube or [Diameter]: Specify a distance or enter d

The radius of the tube of the torus is measured from the center of the tube to
the outside edge of the tube.
Radius Defines the tube by its radius.
Enter number of segments around tube circumference
<16>: Enter a value greater than 1 or press ENTER
Enter number of segments around torus circumference
<16>: Enter a value greater than 1 or press ENTER

Diameter Defines the tube by its diameter.

Specify diameter of tube: Specify a distance
Enter number of segments around tube circumference
<16>: Enter a value greater than 1 or press ENTER
Enter number of segments around torus circumference
<16>: Enter a value greater than 1 or press ENTER

3D | 15
 Wedge
Creates a right-angle, wedge-shaped polygon mesh with a sloped face taper-
ing along the X axis.
Specify corner point of wedge: Specify a point (1)
Specify length of wedge: Specify a distance
height Specify width of wedge: Specify a distance
Specify height of wedge: Specify a distance
1 Specify rotation angle of wedge about the Z axis: Specify an angle
length
width
The base point for the rotation is the corner point of the wedge. If you enter
0, the wedge remains orthogonal to the current UCS plane.
3DARRAY
Creates a three-dimensional array
Modify menu: 3D Operation 3D Array
Command line: 3darray

object Select objects: Use an object selection method

selected
The entire selection set is treated as a single element in the array.
Enter type of array [Rectangular/Polar] <R>: Enter an option or press ENTER

Rectangular Array Copies objects in a matrix of rows (X axis), columns (Y

axis), and levels (Z axis). An array must have at least two
rows or two columns or two levels.
levels

Enter the number of rows () <1>: Enter a positive value

or press ENTER
Enter the number of columns ( | | | ) <1>: Enter a positive
value or press ENTER
columns rows Enter the number of levels ( . . . ) <1>: Enter a positive
value or press ENTER

Specifying one row requires that more than one

column be specified, and vice versa. Specifying one
level creates a two-dimensional array.
If you specify more than one row, AutoCAD prompts:
Specify the distance between rows (): Specify a
distance

16 | 3DARRAY
 If you specify more than one column, AutoCAD
prompts:
Specify the distance between columns ( | | | ): Specify a
distance

If you specify more than one level, AutoCAD prompts:

Specify the distance between levels ( . . . ): Specify a
distance

Positive values generate the array along the positive X,

Y, and Z axes. Negative values generate the array along
the negative X, Y, and Z axes.
Polar Array Copies objects about an axis of rotation.
Enter the number of items in the array: Enter a positive
value
Specify the angle to fill (+=ccw, -=cw) <360>: Specify an
angle or press ENTER

1 The specified angle determines how far AutoCAD arrays

2 the objects about the axis of rotation. A positive
number produces a counterclockwise array rotation. A
negative number produces a clockwise array rotation.
objects rotated
Rotate arrayed objects? [Yes/No] <Y>: Enter y or n, or
press ENTER

Entering y or pressing ENTER rotates each array

element.
Specify center point of array: Specify a point (1)
objects not rotated Specify second point on axis of rotation: Specify a point
(2)

3DCLIP
Starts the interactive 3D view and opens the Adjust Clipping Planes window

3D Orbit toolbar:
Shortcut menu: Start the 3DORBIT command, right-click in the drawing area,
and choose More Adjust Clipping Planes.
Command line: 3dclip

AutoCAD displays the Adjust Clipping Planes window.

3DCLIP | 17
 Adjust Clipping Planes Window
The Adjust Clipping Planes window displays objects rotated at a 90-degree
angle from the current 3D Orbit view. You set the clipping planes in the
Adjust Clipping Planes window, and the results are displayed in the main 3D
Orbit view. Use the Adjust Clipping Planes toolbar, or right-click in the
Adjust Clipping Planes window and select an option from the shortcut
menu.

Adjust Clipping Planes Shortcut Menu

To choose any of the following options, right-click in the Adjust Clipping
Planes window.
Adjust Front Adjusts only the front clipping plane. The line near the
Clipping bottom of the window adjusts the front clipping plane.
If a check mark is displayed next to Front Clipping On,
you can see the clipping in the 3D Orbit view as you
move the line up or down.

Adjust Back Adjusts only the back clipping plane. The line near the
Clipping top of the window adjusts the back clipping plane. If a
check mark is displayed next to Back Clipping On, you
can see the clipping in the 3D Orbit view as you move
the line up or down.

Create Slice Causes the back and front clipping planes to move
together, which shows you a slice of the objects in the
3D Orbit view. Adjust the front and back clipping
planes, and then choose Create Slice. You can then
move the front and back clipping planes as one unit.

18 | 3DCLIP
Pan Displays the pan cursor, a hand cursor that you can use
to pan the clipping plane. Hold down the pick button
and drag the cursor in any direction. The pan cursor
stays active until you click another button.
Zoom Displays the zoom cursor, a magnifying-glass cursor
that you can use to enlarge or reduce the clipping
plane. To enlarge the image, hold down the pick button
and drag the cursor toward the top of Adjust Clipping
Planes window. To reduce the image, hold down the
pick button and drag the cursor toward the bottom of
the window.
Front Clipping Turns the front clipping plane on or off. A check mark
On indicates that the front clipping plane is on, and you
can see the results of moving the line that adjusts the
front clipping plane. Choose this option again to turn
the front clipping plane off and remove the check
mark.
Back Clipping On Turns the back clipping plane on or off. A check mark
indicates that the back clipping plane is on, and you
can see the results of moving the line that adjusts the
back clipping plane. Choose this option again to turn
the back clipping plane off and remove the check mark.
Reset Resets the the window and clipping plane to the extents
of the drawing.
Close the Adjust Clipping Planes window by clicking the Close button in the
upper-right corner of the window. Closing the Adjust Clipping Planes win-
dow does not turn the clipping planes off. You can rotate the view in 3DORBIT
and still see the effect of the clipping planes. As you rotate the view, different
portions of the objects are clipped as they pass in and out of the clipping
planes.
To turn clipping planes off, right-click in the drawing area and choose More
from the shortcut menu. A check mark in front of Front Clipping On or Back
Clipping On indicates that the clipping plane is on. Choose the option that
you want to turn off. Or, choose More Adjust Clipping Planes from the
shortcut menu. Right-click in the Adjust Clipping Planes window, and ensure
that the Front Clipping On and Back Clipping On options arent checked.

3DCLIP | 19
3DCONFIG
Provides a command-line interface to the 3D graphics systems configuration settings
If you enter 3dconfig at the Command prompt, the following prompt is dis-
played on the command line:
Enter option: [Adaptive degradation/Dynamic tessellation/Render options/
Geometry/acceLeration/eXit] <Adaptive degradation>: Enter the configuration
you want to change or press ENTER to change adaptive degradation settings.

You will stay in the 3DCONFIG command until you enter eXit or press ESC.

Adaptive Degradation
Specifies the display options to which the view can degrade to maintain the
speed of the view manipulation. For example, if a large drawing is currently
Gouraud shaded, you can select Wireframe to allow the drawing to degrade
to a wireframe representation of the view.
You can turn on one or more than one of the available options. If more than
one option is turned on, the display changes to the most detailed option first
and then degrades until it reaches the least detailed option.
Configure: Adaptive Degradation
Enter mode [ON/OFF] <ON>: Specify whether you want adaptive degradation
turned on or off

If Adaptive Degradation is turned on, you can specify the type. If no type is
specified, then no degradation will occur.

Current display options: Wireframe Bounding Box

Enter option [Flat shaded/Wireframe/Bounding box/Maintain speed fps/eXit]
<Flat shaded>: Specify the type of adaptive degradation you want to use
Configure: Flat shaded
Enter mode [ON/OFF] <OFF>: Specify whether you want flat-shaded display
turned on or off
Configure: Wireframe
Enter mode [ON/OFF] <OFF>: Specify whether you want wireframe display
turned on or off
Configure: Bounding box
Enter mode [ON/OFF] <OFF>: Specify whether you want bounding box display
turned on or off
Configure: Maintain speed fps
Enter speed <5>: Enter a value between 1 and 60 to adjust the frame rate

Flat Shaded Specifies that the display can change to flat shaded.

20 | 3DCONFIG
Wireframe Specifies that the display can change to wireframe. This
uses less of the system resources and allows the drawing
to move at a faster speed.
Bounding Box Specifies that the display can change to a bounding
box. A box is displayed in place of each object in your
view. This choice requires the least amount of system
resources.
Maintain Speed Specifies the display speed in frames per second. The
FPS drawing degrades to maintain the specified speed.

Dynamic Tessellation
Sets the options that determine the smoothness of the objects in a drawing.
AutoCAD draws objects using many short lines (or triangles when drawing
spheres). These lines are called tessellation lines. Objects in your drawing
appear smoother when you use more tessellation lines.
Configure: Dynamic tessellation
Enter mode [ON/OFF] <ON>: Specify whether you want dynamic tessellation
turned on or off

If Dynamic Tessellation is turned on, you can specify the number of surface
tessellations, curve tessellations, or tessellations to cache.

Configure: Dynamic tessellation

Enter option [Surface tessellation/Curve tessellation/Tessellations to cache/eXit]
<Surface tessellations>: Specify the type of dynamic tessellation you want to use
Configure: Surface tessellation
Enter tolerance <88>: Enter a value between 0 and 100
Configure: Curve tessellation
Enter tolerance <88>: Enter a value between 0 and 100
Configure: Tessellations to cache
Enter number of tessellations to cache <3>: Enter a value between 1 and 10

Surface Determines the amount of detail for surfaces in your

Tessellation drawing. The lower numbers provide less detail; the
higher numbers provide more detail but use more
tessellation lines and more memory.
Curve Determines the amount of detail for curves in your
Tessellation drawing. The lower numbers provide less detail; the
higher numbers provide more detail but use more
tessellation lines and more memory.

3DCONFIG | 21
 Number of Configures your system according to memory and
Tessellations to performance requirements. A cache is a special memory
Cache subsystem that stores frequently accessed information.
The 3D cache always stores at least one tessellation.
When the number of tessellations to cache is set to 1,
the tessellation for all viewports is the same and may
cause some objects in the drawing to be regenerated as
you zoom in and out.
Setting the number of tessellations to cache to 2 or
more is useful when you have more than one viewport
with different views. Increasing the number requires
more memory.

Render Options
Makes settings available for enhancing the display of lights, materials, tex-
tures, and transparency in 3D views. This includes objects in the 3D Orbit
view and objects shaded using the SHADEMODE command.
Configure: Render options
Enter mode [ON/OFF] <ON>: Specify whether you want to turn on render options
Configure: Render options
Enter option [Lights/Materials/Backgrounds/eXit] <Lights>: Specify whether you
want to configure lights, materials, or backgrounds
Configure: Lights
Enter mode [ON/OFF] <ON>: Specify whether you want lights turned on or off
Configure: Materials
Enter mode [ON/OFF] <ON>: Specify whether you want materials turned on or
off
Configure: Backgrounds
Enter mode [ON/OFF] <ON>: Specify whether you want backgrounds turned on
or off

If Render Options is turned on, you can specify if you want lights, materials,
and backgrounds turned on or off.
Lights In 3D views, illuminates objects and attached materials
by lights that were defined with the LIGHT command. If
this option is not selected, or if the LIGHT command has
not been used for the drawing, then the default lighting
for 3D views is used.
Materials In 3D views, displays materials for objects that have
materials that were attached using the RMAT command.
If the object has no attached material, the default global

22 | 3DCONFIG
 material is used. If this option is not selected, or if the
RMAT command has not been used in the drawing, then
no materials are displayed.
Backgrounds Specifies that backgrounds will be displayed in 3D
views while navigating and editing.
Configure: Textures
Enter mode [ON/OFF] <ON>: Specify whether you want textures turned on or off
Configure: Transparency
Enter mode [Low/Medium/High] <Low>: Select a transparency level

If Materials is turned on, you can also configure textures and transparency.
Enable Textures In 3D views, shows textures attached to objects using
the RMAT and SETUV commands. Materials must also be
turned on for textures to be visible.
Transparency Adjusts the transparency quality to improve image
quality, but at the expense of redraw time. At the low-
quality setting, a screen-door effect achieves
transparency without sacrificing speed. At the medium-
quality setting, blending improves image quality. At the
high-quality setting, blending and extra processing
produce an image free of visual artifacts, but at the cost
of drawing speed. Materials must also be turned on for
transparency to be visible.

Geometry
Determines how to display isolines in 3D and whether to display back faces
in 3D.
Configure: Geometry
Enter option [Isolines on top/Discard backfaces] <Isolines on top>: Specify an
option to configure
Configure: Isolines on top
Enter mode [ON/OFF] <ON>: Specify whether you want isolines on top
Configure: Discard backfaces
Enter mode [ON/OFF] <ON>: Specify whether you want back faces to be
discarded

Isolines on Top Displays isolines for front and back faces in all shade
modes except Hidden. Isolines for the back faces are
displayed on top of the shading for the objects in 3D.
Turning this option off hides the isolines for the back
faces.

3DCONFIG | 23
 Discard Back Discards back faces when drawing objects. You cannot
Faces see the effect of discarding back faces on some objects,
such as spheres, because you cannot see the back face
even when it is present. The effect of discarding back
faces is visible on objects such as those that dont have
a top. Discarding back faces enhances performance.

Acceleration
Specifies whether you want to use software or hardware acceleration in 3D.
Configure: Acceleration
Enter option [Hardware/Software/eXit] <Hardware>: Specify whether you want
to configure hardware or software
Configure: Hardware
Enter option [Driver name/Geometry acceleration/Antialias lines/eXit] <Driver
name>: Specify an option to configure
Available drivers: wopengl8.hdi
Enter driver name <wopengl8.hdi>: Enter a driver name
Configure: Geometry acceleration
Enter mode [ON/OFF] <ON>: Specify whether you want geometry acceleration
turned on or off
Configure: Antialias lines
Enter mode [ON/OFF] <ON>: Specify whether you want anti-alias lines turned
on or off

If you select Hardware, you can also specify whether geometry acceleration
and anti-alias lines are turned on or off.
Hardware Specifies hardware acceleration. Select to use the
hardware graphics card to perform most of the drawing
tasks in 3D. This speeds up the drawing time.
When you select Hardware, the default driver is set to
the wopengl8.hdi driver that is included with AutoCAD.
If you select the Driver Name option, you can select a
driver from a list of available hardware-accelerated
drivers found in the AutoCAD drv directory. If you want
to use a hardware driver from another vendor, it must
be supported by the Heidi Graphics System.
Software Specifies software acceleration. Select to use the
software graphics system to perform all of the drawing
tasks in 3D.

24 | 3DCONFIG
 Geometry Specifies whether to use geometry acceleration.
Acceleration Geometry acceleration must be supported by your
graphics card. See your vendor documentation for
information on your graphics card.
Using geometry acceleration makes more efficient use
of the graphics card. With this option turned on, you
are drawing in single precision. Use this option only if
you know that your drawing is within the single-
precision limit.
Anti-alias Lines Specifies using anti-aliasing lines. Lines appear
smoother and less gradient.

Exit
Exits the 3DCONFIG command.

3DCORBIT
Starts the interactive 3D view and enables you to set the objects in the 3D view into con-
tinuous motion

3D Orbit toolbar:
Shortcut menu: Start the 3DORBIT command, right-click in the drawing area,
and choose More Continuous Orbit.
Command line: 3dcorbit

3DCORBIT changes the cursor to a sphere with two continuous lines

encircling it. Click in the drawing area and drag the pointing device in any
direction to start the objects moving in the direction that youre dragging.
Release the button on the pointing device and the objects continue their
orbit in the direction that you specified. The speed of the cursor movement
determines the speed at which the objects spin.

3DCORBIT | 25
 You can change the direction of the continuous orbit by clicking and
dragging again. You can also change the display of the continuous orbit by
right-clicking in the drawing area and choosing an option from the shortcut
menu. For example, you can choose Visual Aids Grid to add a grid to the
view without exiting Continuous Orbit.

3DDISTANCE
Starts the interactive 3D view and makes objects appear closer or farther away
3DDISTANCE simulates the effect of moving the camera closer to the objects
or farther away. Unlike 3DZOOM, 3DDISTANCE does not exaggerate the per-
spective with which you view the objects or make them appear distorted.

3D Orbit toolbar:
Shortcut menu: Start the 3DORBIT command, right-click in the drawing area,
and choose More Adjust Distance.
Command line: 3ddistance

3DDISTANCE changes the cursor to a line with one arrow pointing up and one
pointing down. Clicking and dragging the cursor vertically toward the top of
the screen moves the camera closer to the objects, making them appear
larger. Clicking and dragging the cursor vertically toward the bottom of the
screen moves the camera away from the objects, making them appear
smaller.

3DFACE
Creates a three-dimensional face
3DFACE creates a three- or four-sided surface anywhere in 3D space. You can
specify different Z coordinate values for each corner point of a 3D face, but
if you do, the 3D face cannot be extruded. 3DFACE differs from SOLID, which
creates a three- or four-sided surface that is parallel to the current user coor-
dinate system (UCS) and cannot use different Z coordinate values for each
corner point. Also, 3DFACE creates a surface that is not filled in; SOLID creates
a filled-in surface.

Surfaces toolbar:
Draw menu: Surfaces 3D Face
Command line: 3dface

Specify first point or [Invisible]: Specify a point (1) or enter i

26 | 3DDISTANCE
 First Point Defines the start point for the 3D surface. After entering
the first point, enter the remaining points in a natural
clockwise or counterclockwise order to create a normal
3D face. If you locate all four points on the same plane,
AutoCAD creates a planar face that is similar to a region
object. When you shade or render the object, planar
faces are filled.
Invisible Controls which edges of a 3D face are visible, allowing
for accurate modeling of objects with holes. Entering i
or invisible before the first point of an edge makes the
edge invisible.
The invisible specification must precede any object
snap modes, XYZ filters, or coordinate input for that
edge. You can create a 3D face in which all edges are
invisible. Such a face is a phantom; it does not appear
in wireframe presentations but can hide material in line
drawings. 3D faces do appear in shaded renderings.
You can combine 3D faces to model complex 3D surfaces.

visible edges invisible edges

Specify second point or [Invisible]: Specify a point (2) or enter i

5
Specify third point or [Invisible] <exit>: Specify a point (3), enter i, or press
6 ENTER
4
Specify fourth point or [Invisible] <create three-sided face>: Specify a point (4),
enter i, or press ENTER
3
AutoCAD repeats the Third Point and Fourth Point prompts until you press
1 ENTER . Specify points 5 and 6 at these repeating prompts. When you finish
2 entering points, press ENTER .

3DFACE | 27
 3DMESH
Creates a free-form polygon mesh

Surfaces toolbar:
Draw menu: Surfaces 3D mesh
Command line: 3dmesh

Enter size of mesh in M direction: Enter a value between 2 and 256

N Enter size of mesh in N direction: Enter a value between 2 and 256

Note 3DMESH is designed primarily for programmers. Other users should use
M the 3D command.

AutoCAD defines a polygon mesh by a matrix, the size of which is deter-

mined by M and N size values. M N equals the number of vertices that you
must specify.
Specify location for vertex (0, 0): Enter a 2D or 3D coordinate
open mesh
AutoCAD defines the location of each vertex in the mesh by m and n, the row
and column indices of the vertex. Defining vertices begins with vertex (0,0).
You must supply the coordinate locations for each vertex in row m before
specifying vertices in row m + 1.
Vertices may be any distance from each other. The M and N orientation of a
mesh depends on the position of its vertices.

closed mesh 3DMESH polygon meshes are always open in both M and N directions. You
can close a mesh with PEDIT.
3DORBIT
Controls the interactive viewing of objects in 3D
3DORBIT enables you to manipulate the view of 3D objects by clicking and
dragging your pointing device.
You can view your entire drawing or select one or more objects before start-
ing the command. Viewing the entire drawing may degrade the video
display.

28 | 3DMESH
You can display ambient, point, distant, and spot lights defined with the
LIGHT command in 3D Orbit view. To display these lights, you must set
SHADEMODE to Flat Shaded, Gouraud Shaded, Flat Shaded Edges On, or
Gouraud Shaded Edges On. The Wireframe and Hidden SHADEMODE options
do not display lights. To turn on lights, from the Tools menu, choose
Options. In the Options dialog box, choose the System tab. On the System
tab under Current 3D Graphics Display, choose Properties.
View menu: 3D Orbit
Command line: 3dorbit, 3do

3DORBIT activates a 3D view in the current viewport. If the user coordinate

system (UCS) icon is on, a shaded 3D UCS icon representing the current UCS
appears in the 3D Orbit view.
The 3D Orbit view displays an arcball, which is a circle divided into four
quadrants by smaller circles. When 3DORBIT is active, the target of the view
stays stationary and the camera location, or point of view, moves around the
target. The center of the arcball, not the center of the objects youre
viewing, is the target point.

Note You cannot edit objects while the 3DORBIT command is active.

Moving your cursor over different parts of the arcball changes the cursor
icon, indicating the direction in which the view rotates.
While the command is active, you can access additional 3DORBIT options
from a shortcut menu by right-clicking in the drawing area, or choosing but-
tons on the 3D Orbit toolbar. See 3DOrbit Shortcut Menu on page 30.

3D Orbit Cursor Icons

View rotation is determined by the placement and appearance of the cursor
as follows:
Sphere Encircled When you move the cursor inside the arcball, it
by Two Lines changes to a small sphere encircled by two lines. If you
click and drag in the drawing area you can move freely
around the objects. It works as if your cursor were
grabbing a sphere surrounding the objects and dragging
it around the target point. You can drag horizontally,
vertically, and diagonally using this method.
Circular Arrow When you move the cursor outside the arcball, it
becomes a circular arrow. Clicking outside the arcball

3DORBIT | 29
 and dragging the cursor around the arcball causes the
view to move around an axis that extends through the
center of the arcball, perpendicular to the screen. This
is called a roll.
If you drag the cursor into the arcball it changes to a
sphere encircled by two lines and the view moves freely.
If you move the cursor back outside the arcball, you
revert to a roll.
Horizontal Ellipse When you move the cursor over one of the small circles
on the left or right side of the arcball, it becomes a
horizontal ellipse. Clicking and dragging from either of
these points rotates the view around the vertical or Y
axis through the middle of the arcball.
Vertical Ellipse When you move the cursor over one of the small circles
on the top or bottom of the arcball, it becomes a vertical
ellipse. Clicking and dragging from either of these
points rotates the view around the horizontal or X axis
through the middle of the arcball.

3DOrbit Shortcut Menu

When the 3DORBIT command is active, you can change the view using one
or more of the options on the 3D Orbit shortcut menu. To access the 3D Orbit
shortcut menu, right-click in the 3D Orbit view.

Pan
Moves objects in the view horizontally and vertically. See 3DPAN.

Zoom
Simulates the effect of a cameras zoom lens. See 3DZOOM.

Orbit
Returns the view to Orbit mode after use of the other menu commands, such
as Zoom, Pan, or Continuous Orbit.

More
Accesses one of the following view options:
Adjust Distance Simulates the effect of moving the camera closer to the
object or farther away. See 3DDISTANCE.

30 | 3DORBIT
Swivel Camera Changes the cursor to an arched arrow and simulates
the effect of turning the camera. See 3DSWIVEL.
Continuous Orbit Changes the cursor to a sphere with two continuous
lines encircling it and enables you to set the objects into
continuous motion. See 3DCORBIT.
Zoom Window Changes the cursor to a window icon so you can select
a specific area that you want the zoom to focus on.
When the cursor changes, click and drag the cursor to
draw a window around the area you want to select.
When you release the pick button, the drawing is
zoomed in and focused on the area you selected.
Zoom Extents Centers the view and sizes it to display all objects.
Orbit Maintains Z Keeps the Z axis in its current orientation when
dragging horizontally within the arcball circle, or when
dragging from the small circles on the left or right side
of the arcball. When using 3D Orbit, use this option to
keep the object from tumbling end-over-end. This
option is useful for changing the view of such drawings
as buildings, cars, and maps. This setting is saved with
the user profile.
Orbit Uses Keeps the target point on the objects you are viewing
AutoTarget rather than on the center of the viewport. This feature
is turned on by default.
Adjust Clipping Opens the Adjust Clipping Planes window. See 3DCLIP.
Planes
Front Clipping Turns the front clipping plane on or off. A check mark
On in front of this option indicates that the front clipping
plane is on and you can see the results of moving the
line that adjusts the front clipping plane. See 3DCLIP.
Back Clipping On Turns the back clipping plane on or off. A check mark
in front of this option indicates that the back clipping
plane is on and you can see the results of moving the
line that adjusts the back clipping plane. See 3DCLIP.

3DORBIT | 31
 Projection
Provides the projection options. A check mark displayed in front of an option
indicates that the option is selected.
Parallel Displays objects so that two parallel lines in a drawing
never converge at a single point. The shapes in your
drawing always remain the same and do not appear
distorted when they are closer.
Perspective Displays objects in perspective so that all parallel lines
converge at one point. Objects appear to recede into the
distance, and parts of the objects appear larger and
closer to you. The shapes are somewhat distorted when
the object is very close. This view correlates more
closely to what your eye sees.

Shading Modes
Provides methods for shading objects.
Wireframe Displays the objects in the 3D Orbit view using lines
and curves to represent boundaries.
Hidden Displays the objects in the 3D Orbit view as wireframes
with the lines representing the back faces hidden.
Flat Shaded Shades the objects in the 3D Orbit view between the
polygon faces. This gives the objects a faceted, less
smooth appearance.
Gouraud Shaded Shades the objects in the 3D Orbit view and smooths
the edges between polygon faces. This gives the objects
a smoother, more realistic appearance.
Flat Shaded, Combines the Flat Shaded and Wireframe options. The
Edges On objects are flat shaded with the wireframe showing.
Gouraud Shaded, Combines the Gouraud Shaded and Wireframe options.
Edges On The objects are Gouraud Shaded with the wireframe
showing.

Visual Aids
Provides aids to visualizing the objects.
Compass Draws a 3D sphere within the arcball composed of three
lines representing the X, Y, and Z axes.

32 | 3DORBIT
 Grid Displays a two-dimensional array of lines similar to
graph paper. This grid is oriented along the X and Y
axes.
Before starting 3DORBIT, you can use the GRID
command to set system variables that control the grid
display. The number of major grid lines corresponds to
the value you set using the Grid Spacing option of the
GRID command, which is stored in the GRIDUNIT
system variable. Ten horizontal lines and ten vertical
lines are drawn between the major lines.
UCS Icon Displays a shaded 3D UCS icon. Each axis is labeled X,
Y, or Z. The X axis is red, the Y axis is green, and the Z
axis is blue.

Reset View
Resets the view back to the view that was current when you first started
3DORBIT.

Preset Views
Displays a list of predefined views such as Top, Bottom, and SW Isometric.
Choose a view from the list to change the current view of your model.

3DORBITCTR
Sets the center of rotation in 3D Orbit view
3DORBITCTR starts 3D Orbit view and uses a center of rotation that you spec-
ify with your pointing device.
If you specify a point outside the current view, 3DORBITCTR ignores the spec-
ified point and uses the default center of rotation.
3DORBITCTR overrides the AutoTarget feature of the 3DORBIT command.

Command line: 3dorbitctr

3DORBITCTR | 33
 3DPAN
Starts the interactive 3D view and enables you to drag the view horizontally and vertically

3D Orbit toolbar:
Shortcut menu: Start the 3DORBIT command, right-click in the drawing area,
and choose Pan.
Command line: 3dpan

3DPAN changes the cursor to a hand cursor. When you click and drag the
cursor, the view moves in the direction that you drag. You can drag the view
vertically, horizontally, or diagonally.
You can view your entire drawing, or select one or more objects before enter-
ing 3DPAN. Viewing the entire drawing may degrade video performance.

3DPOLY
Creates a polyline of line segments in 3D space

new point Draw menu: 3D Polyline

previous Command line: 3dpoly

point
Specify start point of polyline: Specify a point (1)
Specify endpoint of line or [Undo]: Specify a point or enter an option
Specify endpoint of line or [Undo]: Specify a point or enter an option
Specify endpoint of line or [Close/Undo]: Specify a point or enter an option

Endpoint of Line Draws a straight line from the previous point to the
before Undo after Undo specified new point. The prompt is repeated until you
press ENTER to end the command.
Undo Deletes the last line created. You can continue drawing
from the previous point.
closing
segment Close Draws a closing line from the endpoint back to the first
point, and then ends the command. To be closed, a 3D
polyline must contain at least two lines.
3DSIN
Imports a 3D Studio (3DS) file
3DSIN reads 3D Studio geometry and rendering data (3DS files), including
meshes, materials, mapping, lights, and cameras. 3DSIN cannot import 3D
Studio procedural materials or smoothing groups.

34 | 3DPAN
Imported objects are assigned an AutoCAD color as close as possible to the
objects 3D Studio color.
3D Studio lights are converted to the nearest AutoCAD equivalent. Ambient
light loses its color. Omni lights become point lights. Spotlights become
AutoCAD spotlights. 3D Studio cameras become AutoCAD named views.
If the name of any 3D Studio object conflicts with a name already in the
AutoCAD drawing, the 3D Studio name is assigned a sequence number to
resolve the conflict. The name might be truncated to resolve the conflict.
Insert menu: 3D Studio
Command line: 3dsin

AutoCAD displays the 3D Studio File Import dialog box (a standard file selec-
tion dialog box). After you choose a file to import, AutoCAD displays the 3D
Studio File Import Options dialog box.

3D Studio File Import Options Dialog Box

Lists available and selected 3D objects, saves 3D objects to layers, and han-
dles objects that use multiple materials.

3DSIN | 35
 Available Objects
Displays the names of all objects in the 3D Studio file. You can select up to
70 objects.
Object Name and Displays the type and assigned name of each object.
Type
Add All Adds all of the objects in the Available Objects list to
the Selected Objects list.
Add Adds the objects currently selected in the Available
Objects list to the Selected Objects list.

Selected Objects
Displays the selected 3D Studio objects to import.
Object Name Displays the type and assigned name of each object.
and Type
Remove Removes objects selected in the Selected Objects list
and returns them to the Available Objects list.
Remove All Removes all objects from the Selected Objects list and
returns them to the Available Objects list.

Save to Layers
Controls how 3D Studio objects are assigned to layers in the AutoCAD
drawing.
By Object Creates a layer for each object in the 3D Studio file and
places the object on that layer. The name of the layer is
the same as the name of the object.
By Material Creates a layer for each material in the 3D Studio file
and places objects to which that material is attached on
that layer. The name of the layer is the same as the
name of the material.
By Object Color Creates a layer for each object color in the 3D Studio
file. AutoCAD places each 3D Studio object on the layer
corresponding to its color. The name of the layer is
COLORnn, where nn is the 3D Studio color index. If the
3D Studio file contains objects with no color, AutoCAD
places these objects on a layer called COLORNONE.
Single Layer Creates a single layer called AVLAYER and places all
objects on that layer.

36 | 3DSIN
Multiple Material Objects
3D Studio assigns materials by face, element, or object. AutoCAD assigns
materials by object only. When AutoCAD encounters a 3D Studio object
assigned multiple materials, AutoCAD must find a way to handle the
assignment.
Always Prompt
Displays the Material Assignment Alert dialog box for each object with mul-
tiple materials. The dialog box displays the name of the object. The options
you select determine how 3DSIN handles the assignment. The options are as
follows:
Split Object by Splits the object into multiple objects, one for each
Materials material. This preserves the material assignments that
were made in the 3D Studio file. It also increases the
complexity of the drawing geometry.
Assign First Assigns the first material assigned to each multiple-
Material material object to the entire object. See the 3D Studio
documentation for an explanation of how the first-
assigned material is determined.
Select a Material Assigns one of the materials that was assigned to the
object in the 3D Studio file to the entire object. Select
the material from the list below this option, or choose
NONE to revert to the AutoCAD default material.

Split by Material
Splits all objects with multiple materials into multiple objects, one for each
material. This preserves the material assignments that were made in the 3D
Studio file. It also increases the complexity of the drawing geometry.
Assign First Material
Assigns the first material assigned to each multiple-material object to the
entire object. See the 3D Studio documentation for an explanation of how
the first-assigned material is determined.
Dont Assign a Material
Assigns no material to each multiple-material object. This option loses all
material assignment information but preserves the 3D Studio geometry. The
object reverts to the AutoCAD default material.

3DSIN | 37
3DSOUT
Exports to a 3D Studio (3DS) file
You can use AutoCAD geometry and rendering data with 3D Studio by con-
verting a drawing to the 3DS file format with 3DSOUT.
3DSOUT exports only those AutoCAD objects with surface characteristics. A
line or an arc must have a nonzero thickness. A trace or a polyline must have
a nonzero width or thickness. Circles, polygon meshes, and polyface meshes
are always exported. Solids and 3D faces must have at least three unique ver-
tices. Geometry is tessellated on export, as necessary. AME (Advanced
Modeling Extension ) and AutoSurf objects must be converted to meshes
before you use 3DSOUT.
3DSOUT converts AutoCAD named views to 3D Studio cameras and Photo
Real or Photo Raytrace lights to the nearest 3D Studio equivalent. Point lights
become omni lights. Spotlights and distant lights become 3D Studio
spotlights.
If the name of any AutoCAD object conflicts with a name already in the 3D
Studio drawing, the AutoCAD name is assigned a sequence number to resolve
the conflict. The name may have to be truncated to accommodate the
sequence number.
Command line: 3dsout

Select objects: Use an object selection method

AutoCAD displays the 3D Studio Output File dialog box (a standard file selec-
tion dialog box). After you enter a name for the new file, AutoCAD displays
the 3D Studio File Export Options dialog box.

3D Studio File Export Options Dialog Box

Defines the source of 3D objects, converts blocks into 3D objects, and per-
forms smoothing and welding during the export process.

Note 3DSOUT cannot convert a selection set containing more than 65,535
vertices. If necessary, simplify the geometry using the Auto-Welding option (see
Welding on page 40).

38
Derive 3D Studio Objects From
Specifies how to group AutoCAD objects into 3D Studio objects.
Layer Creates an object from the objects on each AutoCAD
drawing layer. The name of the new object is based on the
AutoCAD layer name.
AutoCAD Creates an object from the objects that share an ACI
Color Index number. The name of the new object is based on the color.
(ACI)
AutoCAD Creates an object from all AutoCAD objects of the same
Object Type type. The name of the object is based on the AutoCAD
object type.

AutoCAD Blocks
Splits a block into its components and converts them to 3D Studio objects
according to the mode set under Derive 3D Studio Objects From.
Override (Each Overrides the current Derive setting and converts each
Block Is One block into a single 3D Studio object.
Object)

Smoothing
Assigns 3D Studio smoothing groups based on the controls set in this area.
Auto- Creates 3D Studio smoothing groups. If this option is
Smoothing cleared, AutoCAD assigns no smoothing to new 3D Studio
objects.

3DSOUT | 39
 Degrees Specifies the threshold angle for smoothing. If the angle
between two face normals is greater than this value,
AutoCAD does not smooth the face normals.

Welding
Simplifies the geometry and improves rendering time by welding congruent
or nearby vertices into a single vertex.
Auto-Welding Welds vertices. If this option is cleared, vertices remain
unchanged upon export.
Threshold Specifies a distance in WCS coordinates of the AutoCAD
drawing. If the distance between two vertices is less than
or equal to this value, AutoCAD welds the vertices into a
single vertex. The default value is 0.001. You can enter any
positive value up to eight characters in length. The
decimal point can be in any location.

3DSWIVEL
Starts the interactive 3D view and simulates the effect of turning the camera

3D Orbit toolbar:
Shortcut menu: Start the 3DORBIT command, right-click in the drawing area,
and choose More Swivel Camera.
Command line: 3dswivel

3DSWIVEL changes the cursor to an arched arrow and simulates the effect of
turning a camera on a tripod. This command changes the target of the view.
For example, if you were pointing a camera at an object and then turned the
camera to the right, the object would move to the left in your viewing area.
Or, if you pointed the camera up, the objects would move down in your
viewing area. Swivel simulates this motion by using the cursor as the
cameras viewfinder.

40 | 3DSWIVEL
3DZOOM
Starts the interactive 3D view so you can zoom in and out on the view

3D Orbit toolbar:
Shortcut menu: Start the 3DORBIT command, right-click in the drawing area,
and choose Zoom.
Command line: 3dzoom

3DZOOM simulates the effect of a cameras zoom lens. It makes objects appear
closer and farther away but does not change the position of the camera.
Zooming in magnifies the image. This also exaggerates the perspective with
which you view the objects if youre using perspective projection. It may
slightly distort the shape of some objects.
Zoom changes the cursor to a magnifying glass with plus (+) and minus ()
signs. Clicking and dragging the cursor vertically toward the top of the screen
zooms in on the image, making the objects appear larger or closer. Clicking
and dragging the cursor vertically toward the bottom of the screen zooms out
and makes the object appear smaller or farther away.

3DZOOM | 41
42
ABOUT
Displays information about AutoCAD
Help menu: About
Command line: about (or 'about for transparent use)

AutoCAD displays copyright information and product information.

Product information includes the version number and service pack, serial
number, license type and expiration date, and the text of the license agree-
ment. You can save the product information as a text file.

ACISIN
Imports an ACIS file
ACIS (a solid modeler produced by Spatial Technology, Inc.) provides a solid
modeling file format that AutoCAD can use. AutoCAD reads the model
stored in the ACIS file format and creates a body object, solid, or region in
the AutoCAD drawing.
Insert menu: ACIS File
Command line: acisin

AutoCAD displays the Select ACIS File dialog box. Select the file to import
in the File Name list. AutoCAD imports the SAT (ASCII) ACIS file into your
AutoCAD drawing.

ACISOUT
Exports AutoCAD solid objects to an ACIS file
ACIS provides a solid modeling file format that AutoCAD can use to store
solid objects. An AutoCAD solid, a body, or a region can be stored as an SAT
(ASCII) file.

Note When exchanging SAT files to earlier versions of AutoCAD, you need to
set the ACISOUTVER system variable to the ACIS version used for that release. For
example, to export SAT files to AutoCAD Release 14, set ACISOUTVER to 16.

Command line: acisout

Select objects: Use an object selection method

ABOUT | 43
 AutoCAD ignores selected objects that are not solids or regions and displays
the Create ACIS File dialog box. Enter the name of the file you want to create.
AutoCAD exports the selected objects to an ASCII file.

ADCCLOSE
Closes DesignCenter
Command line: adcclose

Closes the DesignCenter window.

ADCENTER
Manages and inserts content such as blocks, xrefs, and hatch patterns

Standard toolbar:
Tools menu: DesignCenter
Command line: adcenter

DesignCenter is displayed.

DesignCenter Window
Browses, finds, and previews content, and inserts content, which includes
blocks, hatches, and external references (xrefs).
Use the buttons in the toolbar at the top of DesignCenter for display and
access options.
When you click the Folders tab or the Open Drawings tab, the following two
panes are displayed from which you can manage drawing content:

Content area (right pane)

Tree view (left pane)

44 | ADCCLOSE
 content area

tree view

content preview

content description

Content Area (DesignCenter)

Displays the content of the container currently selected in the tree view. A
container is a network, computer, disk, folder, file, or web address (URL) con-
taining information accessible by DesignCenter. Depending on the container
selected in tree view, the content area typically displays the following:

Folders containing drawings or other files

Drawings
Named objects contained in drawings. Named objects include blocks,
xrefs, layouts, layers, dimension styles, and text styles
Images or icons representing blocks or hatch patterns
Web-based content
Custom content developed by third-party applications

From the content area, you can insert blocks or hatch patterns or attach
external references in a drawing by dragging, by double-clicking, or by right-
clicking and choosing Insert Block, Attach Xref, or Copy. You can drag or
right-click to add other content to drawings, such as layers, dimension styles,
and layouts. You can drag blocks and hatches from DesignCenter to tool
palettes.

Note You can access relevant content area and tree view options on a shortcut
menu by right-clicking in the tree view or the content area.

ADCENTER | 45
 Load
Displays the Load dialog box (a standard file selection dialog box). Use Load
to navigate to files on local and network drives or on the Web, and then to
select content to load in the content area.
Back
Returns to the most recent location in the history list.
Forward
Returns to the next later location in the history list.
Up
Displays the contents of the container one level above the current container.
Stop (DC Online tab)
Stops the current transfer.
Reload (DC Online tab)
Reloads the current page.
Search
Displays the Search dialog box (see page 48), where you can specify search
criteria to locate drawings, blocks, and nongraphical objects within
drawings.
Search also displays custom content saved on your desktop.
Favorites
Displays the contents of the Favorites folder in the content area. The Favorites
folder contains shortcuts to items you access often. You can add items to
Favorites either by right-clicking the content area or right-clicking an item in
the tree view, and then clicking Add to Favorites. To delete an item from
Favorites, use the Organize Favorites option on the shortcut menu and then
use the Refresh option on the shortcut menu.

Note AutoCAD automatically adds the DesignCenter folder to Favorites. This

folder contains drawings with discipline-specific blocks that you can insert in
drawings.

Home
Returns DesignCenter to your home folder. On installation, the home folder
is set to ...\Sample\DesignCenter. Change the home folder using the shortcut
menu in the tree view.
Tree View Toggle
Displays and hides the tree view. Hide the tree view if you need more space
in your drawing area. When the tree view is hidden, you can use the content
area to navigate to containers and to load content.

46 | ADCENTER
The Tree View Toggle button is not available while you're using the History
list in the tree view.
Preview
Displays and hides a preview of the selected item in a pane below the content
area. If there is no preview image saved with the selected item, the Preview
area is empty.
Description
Displays and hides a text description of the selected item in a pane below the
content area. If a preview image is also displayed, the description is displayed
below it. If there is no description saved with the selected item, the Descrip-
tion area is empty.
Views
Provides different display formats for the content that is loaded in the con-
tent area. You can select a view from the Views list or click the Views button
repeatedly to cycle through the display formats. The default view varies for
the type of content currently loaded in the content area.
Large Icon Displays the names of the loaded content in large icon
format.
Small Icon Displays the names of the loaded content in small icon
format.
List View Displays the names of the loaded content in a list.
Detail View Displays additional information about the loaded
content. You can sort the items by name, size, type, and
other properties, depending on the type of content that
is loaded in the content area.
Refresh (Shortcut Menu Only)
Refreshes the display in the content area to reflect any changes you have
made. Right-click the content area background and click Refresh on the
shortcut menu.

Tree View (DesignCenter)

Displays the hierarchy of files and folders on your computer and network
drives, a list of open drawings, custom content, and a history of the last loca-
tions you accessed. Select an item in the tree view to display its contents in
the content area.

ADCENTER | 47
 Note In the sample\designcenter folder are drawings containing discipline-
specific blocks that you can insert in drawings. These drawings are called symbol
library drawings.

Use the buttons in the toolbar at the top of DesignCenter to access tree view
options.
Folders Displays the hierarchy of files and folders on your
computer and network drives, including My Computer
and Network Neighborhood.
You can use ADCNAVIGATE to navigate to a specific file
name, directory location, or network path in the
DesignCenter tree view. See ADCNAVIGATE.
Open Drawings Displays all drawings currently open in the AutoCAD
session, including drawings that are minimized.
History Displays a list of the files that you opened most recently
in DesignCenter. With the history displayed, right-click
a file to display information about the file or to delete
the file from the History list.
DC Online Accesses the DesignCenter Online web page. When you
establish a web connection, two panes are viewed on
the Welcome page. The left side displays folders
containing symbol libraries, manufacturer sites, and
additional content libraries. When a symbol is selected,
it is displayed on the right side and can be downloaded
into your drawing.

Search Dialog Box

Searches for content such as drawings, hatch patterns, and blocks.

48 | ADCENTER
Look For Specifies the type of content to search for. The content
type you specify determines which tabs are displayed in
the Search dialog box and the search fields it provides.
The Date Modified and Advanced tabs are displayed
only when the Drawings option is selected in Look For.
In Specifies a search path name. To enter multiple paths,
separate them with semicolons. Use Browse to select a
path from a tree view list.
Browse Displays a tree view in the Browse for Folder dialog box,
in which you can specify the drives and folders to
search.
Search Subfolders Includes subfolders in the search path.
Search Now Starts the search based on criteria you specify.
Stop Stops the search and displays the accumulated results in
the Search Results panel.
New Search Clears the Search For the Word(s) box and places the
cursor in the box.
Search Results Displays the results of the search in resizable columns.
Panel Double-click an item to load it into DesignCenter.

ADCENTER | 49
 Search Tabs (Search Dialog Box)
Displays search fields relevant to the type of content specified in the Look For
list. The name of the tab reflects the content type. You can use wild-card
characters to extend or limit your search patterns.
Search for the Specifies the text string to look for in the field you
Word(s) specify. Use the following wild-card characters to
broaden your search:
* (Asterisk): Matches any string and can be used
anywhere in the search string.
? (Question mark): Matches any single character; for
example, ?BC matches ABC, 3BC, and so on.

This option is available on the Drawings tab and, when

available, the Custom Content tab.
In the Field(s) Specifies the property fields to search. For drawings, all
fields other than File Name are derived from the
information entered in the Drawing Properties dialog
box (DWGPROPS).
This option is available on the Drawings tab and the
Custom Content tab.
Note Custom content developed by third-party
applications may not provide fields for searches using the
Search dialog box.
Search for the Specifies the name of the drawing, block, layer, xref, or
Name other content type that you want to find.
This option is available on all tabs except Drawings and
Custom Content.

Date Modified Tab (Search Dialog Box)

Finds content that was created or modified during a certain time period.
All Files
Finds all the files that match the criteria you specify on other tabs, regardless
of creation date or date modified. This is the default setting.

50 | ADCENTER
 Find All Files Created or Modified
Finds files created or modified during a specific time period. The search
locates files that match the criteria you specify on this and other tabs.
Between Searches for files created or modified between the dates
you specify.
During the Searches for files created or modified within the
Previous number of months you specify.
Month(s)
During the Searches for files created or modified within the
Previous Day(s) number of days you specify.

Advanced Tab (Search Dialog Box)

Finds content within drawings; this tab is available only when you select
Drawings in Look For.
Containing Specifies the type of text in a drawing that you want to
search for. For example, you can search for text
contained within a block attribute, such as a
manufacturer's catalog number.
Containing Text Specifies the text you want to search for.
Size Is Specifies a minimum or maximum file size. Select At
Least or At Most, and enter a value in KB.

ADCNAVIGATE
Loads a specified DesignCenter drawing file, folder, or network path
Command line: adcnavigate

Enter pathname <current>:

The path or drawing file name you specify is loaded in the tree view of the
DesignCenter Folders tab.
At the prompt, you can enter a path in any of the following formats:

Folder path: c:\project files\electrical

Folder path and a file name: c:\project files\electrical\circuit2.dwg
UNC (universal naming convention) network path:
\\server1\campus_project

ADCNAVIGATE | 51
 DesignCenter is displayed, with the Folder tab active, and the path or draw-
ing file that you specified is loaded.
ADCNAVIGATE supports remote domains or workgroups if you have the target
domain or workgroup mapped to a drive letter.

ALIGN
Aligns objects with other objects in 2D and 3D
Use ALIGN to move, rotate, or scale objects into alignment with other objects.
Add source points to the objects you want to align, and add destination points
to the objects to which you want the source objects to align. You can add up
to three pairs of source and destination points to align an object.
Modify menu: 3D Operation Align
Command line: align

Select objects: Select the objects you want to align and press ENTER

ALIGN Using One Specify first source point: Specify a point (1)
Pair of Points Specify first destination point: Specify a point (2)
Specify second source point: Press ENTER

When you select only one source point and destination

point pair, the selected objects move in 2D or 3D from
the source point (1) to the destination point (2).

1
2

two points specified result

ALIGN Using Two Specify first source point: Specify a point (1)
Pairs of Points Specify first destination point: Specify a point (2)
Specify second source point: Specify a point (3)
Specify second destination point: Specify a point (4)
Specify third source point: Press ENTER
Scale objects based on alignment points [Yes/No] <No>:
Enter y or press ENTER

52 | ALIGN
 1
3
2

objects selected four points specified result

When you select two point pairs, you can move, rotate,
and scale the selected objects in 2D or 3D to align with
other objects.
The first set of source and destination points defines the
base point for the alignment (1, 2). The second set of
points defines the angle of rotation (3, 4).
After you enter the second set of points, AutoCAD
prompts you to scale the object. AutoCAD uses the
distance between the first and second destination
points (2, 4) as the reference length to which the object
is scaled. Scaling is available only when you are aligning
objects using two point pairs.
Note If you use two source and destination points to
perform a 3D alignment on nonperpendicular working
planes, you get unpredictable results.
ALIGN Using Specify first source point: Specify a point (1)
Three Pairs of Specify first destination point: Specify a point (2)
Points Specify second source point: Specify a point (3)
Specify second destination point: Specify a point (4)
Specify third source point: Specify a point (5)
Specify third destination point: Specify a point (6)

ALIGN | 53
 3
5 6

1
2
4

objects selected six points specified result

When you select three point pairs, you can move and
rotate the selected objects in 3D to align with other
objects.
The selected objects move from the source point (1) to
the destination point (2).
The selected object is rotated (1 and 3) so that it aligns
with the destination object (2 and 4).
The selected object is then rotated again (3 and 5) so
that it aligns with the destination object (4 and 6).

AMECONVERT
Converts AME solid models to AutoCAD solid objects
Command line: ameconvert

Select objects: Use an object selection method

The objects you select must be Advanced Modeling Extension (AME) Release
2 or 2.1 regions or solids. AutoCAD ignores all other objects.
Because of increased accuracy in the new AutoCAD solid modeler, AME
models may look slightly different after conversion. This difference is notice-
able where the previous version of the AutoCAD solid modeler identified the
surfaces of two different shapes as so close as to be considered in the same
plane. The new AutoCAD solid modelers finer tolerance may interpret these
surfaces as being slightly offset. This phenomenon is most apparent with
aligned features such as fillets, chamfers, and through-holes.
Holes might become blind holes when the new modeler, with its much finer
approximation capability, interprets what was once a through-hole as being
slightly less wide than the solid. Typically, the length of the remaining solid
material is the difference between the tolerance of the previous modeler and
that of the new modeler.

54 | AMECONVERT
 Likewise, updated fillets or chamfers can occasionally be placed slightly
below the surface, creating a hole through the solid, leaving the original
shape unaltered. Also, drawing fillets or chamfers slightly above the original
surface creates an uneven transition between the solid and the fillet or
chamfer.

APERTURE
Controls the size of the object snap target box
Command line: aperture (or 'aperture for transparent use)

Object snap target height (150 pixels) <current>: Enter a value (150) or press
ENTER

Object snap applies only to objects inside or crossing the object snap target
box. The APBOX system variable controls whether the object snap target box
target
is displayed. The number of pixels you enter using APERTURE controls the size
box
of the object snap box. The higher the number, the larger the target box. You
can also change this setting in the Options dialog box, Drafting tab.
APERTURE controls the object snap target box, not the pickbox displayed at
target
box the Select Objects prompt. The object selection pickbox is controlled by the
PICKBOX system variable.

APPLOAD
Loads and unloads applications and defines which applications to load at startup
If you need to use applications that are not automatically loaded when you
start AutoCAD, you can use APPLOAD to load applications, unload applica-
tions, store a history list of applications youve loaded, and create a start-up
list of applications to be loaded each time you start AutoCAD.
You can load applications of the following file types:

AutoLISP (.lsp)
ObjectARX (.arx)
VBA (.dvb)
ObjectDBX (.dbx)
Fast Load AutoLISP (.fas)
Visual LISP executables (.vlx)

APERTURE | 55
 Some ObjectARX applications require user interaction upon loading the
application and may not load properly with APPLOAD. Use the ARX command
to load these applications.
Tools menu: Load Application
Command line: appload

AutoCAD displays the Load/Unload Applications dialog box.

Load/Unload Applications Dialog Box

Loads and unloads applications and specifies applications to be loaded at
startup.

The options at the top of this dialog box are derived from the standard file
selection dialog box (see page 609). Following are descriptions of the addi-
tional options provided by the Load/Unload Applications dialog box:
Load Loads or reloads the applications that are currently
selected either in the files list or on the History List tab.
Load is unavailable until you select a file that you can
load. AutoCAD loads ObjectARX, VBA, and DBX
applications immediately, but LSP, VLX, and FAS

56 | APPLOAD
 applications are queued and then loaded when you
close the Load/Unload Applications dialog box.
If you select a file that is already loaded, Load reloads
the application when applicable. You cannot reload
ObjectARX applications. In this case, you must first
unload the ObjectARX application and then load it
again. The Load option is also available from a shortcut
menu by right-clicking a file on the History List tab.
Loaded Displays an alphabetical list (by file name) of currently
Applications loaded applications. LISP routines are displayed in this
list only if you loaded them in the Load/Unload
Applications dialog box. You can drag files into this list
from the files list or from any application with dragging
capabilities, such as Microsoft Windows Explorer.
If you use the AutoCAD web browser to load an
application, the web browser downloads the
application to a temporary location on your machine.
This is the location from which AutoCAD loads the
application, as displayed in this list.
You can also unload certain applications from this list.
See the Unload option for details. Files that you cannot
unload are not available for selection.
History List Displays an alphabetical list (by file name) of
applications that you previously loaded with Add To
History selected. You can drag files into this list from
the files list, or from any application with dragging
capabilities, such as Windows Explorer. If Add To
History is not selected when you drag files into this list,
the dragged files are loaded but not added to the history
list.
You can load and remove applications from this list, but
to unload applications, you must use the Loaded
Applications tab. See the Load, Unload, and Remove
options.
Add to History Adds any applications that you load to the history list.
You may prefer to clear this option when loading
applications with the AutoCAD web browser, because
these applications are unavailable once the cache for
the applications temporary location is emptied.

APPLOAD | 57
 Unload Unloads the selected applications. Unload is available
only when you select a file that you can unload on the
Loaded Applications tab. LISP applications cannot be
unloaded, nor can ObjectARX applications that are not
registered for unloading.
Remove Removes the selected applications from the history list.
Remove is available only when you select a file on the
History List tab. Note that Remove does not unload the
selected application. The Remove option is also
available from a shortcut menu by right-clicking an
application on the History List tab.
Startup Suite Contains a list of applications that are loaded each time
you start AutoCAD. You can drag application files from
the files list, or from any application with dragging
capabilities such as Windows Explorer, into the Startup
Suite area to add them to the Startup Suite. Click the
Start-up Suite icon or Contents to display the Startup
Suite dialog box. You can also add files to the Startup
Suite by right-clicking an application on the History
List tab and choosing Add to Startup Suite from the
shortcut menu.
You cannot add applications that you load with the
AutoCAD web browser to the Startup Suite.
Status Line Displays messages that indicate the status of loading
and unloading operations.

Startup Suite Dialog Box

Adds and removes application files from the Startup Suite. These are the
applications that are loaded each time you start AutoCAD.

58 | APPLOAD
 List of Displays an alphabetical list (by file name) of the
Applications application files to load at startup.
Add Displays the Add File to Startup Suite dialog box. You
can use this dialog box to select files to add to the
startup suite.
Remove Removes selected files from the Startup Suite.

ARC
Creates an arc

Draw toolbar:
Draw menu: Arc
Command line: arc

Specify start point of arc or [CEnter]: Specify a point, enter ce, or press ENTER to
start tangent to last line, arc, or polyline

Start Point
Specifies the starting point of the arc.

Note If you press ENTER without specifying a point, AutoCAD uses the end-
point of the last drawn line or arc and immediately prompts you to specify the
endpoint of the new arc. This creates an arc tangent to the last drawn line, arc,
or polyline.

Specify second point of arc or [CEnter/ENd]:

ARC | 59
 Second Point
2 Draws an arc using three specified points on the arcs circumference. The first
3 point is the start point (1). The third point is the endpoint (3). The second
1 point (2) is a point on the circumference of the arc.
Specify end point of arc: Specify a point (3)

You can specify a three-point arc either clockwise or counterclockwise.

Center
Specifies the center of the circle of which the arc is a part.
Specify center point of arc:
Specify end point of arc or [Angle/chord Length]:

End Point Using the center point (2), draws an arc

counterclockwise from the start point (1) to an
endpoint that falls on an imaginary ray drawn from the
center point through the third point (3).
The arc does not necessarily pass through this third
point, as shown in the illustration.
Angle Draws an arc counterclockwise from the start point (1)
using a center point (2) with a specified included angle.
If the angle is negative, AutoCAD draws a clockwise arc.
Specify included angle: Specify an angle

Chord Length Draws either a minor or a major arc based on the

distance of a straight line between the start point and
endpoint.
If the chord length is positive, AutoCAD draws the
minor arc counterclockwise from the start point. If the
chord length is negative, AutoCAD draws the major arc
counterclockwise.
Specify length of chord: Specify a length

60 | ARC
 included
angle

3 1 2
1 2 1
2
length of
chord

End
Specifies the endpoint of the arc.
Specify end point of arc:
Specify center point of arc or [Angle/Direction/Radius]:

Center Point Draws an arc counterclockwise from the start point (1)
to an endpoint that falls on an imaginary ray drawn
from the center point (3) through the second point
specified (2).
Angle Draws an arc counterclockwise from the start point (1)
to an endpoint (2), with a specified included angle. If
the angle is negative, AutoCAD draws a clockwise arc.
Specify included angle: Enter an angle in degrees or specify
an angle by moving the pointing device counterclockwise

Direction Begins the arc tangent to a specified direction. It creates

any arc, major or minor, clockwise or counterclockwise,
beginning with the start point (1), and ending at an
endpoint (2). AutoCAD determines the direction from
the start point.
Specify tangent direction for the start point of arc:

Radius Draws the minor arc counterclockwise from the start

point (1) to the endpoint (2). If the radius is negative,
AutoCAD draws the major arc.
Specify radius of arc:

imaginary
ray
2 2
angle 2
3 1 2
direction 1 1
center point 1
radius

ARC | 61
 Center
Specifies the center of the circle of which the arc is a part.
Specify center point of arc:
Specify start point of arc:
Specify end point of arc or [Angle/chord Length]:

End Point Draws an arc counterclockwise from the start point (2)
to an endpoint that falls on an imaginary ray drawn
from the center point (1) through a specified point (3).
Angle Draws an arc counterclockwise from the start point (2)
using a center point (1) with a specified included angle.
If the angle is negative, AutoCAD draws a clockwise arc.
Specify included angle:

Chord Length Draws either a minor or a major arc based on the

distance of a straight line between the start point and
endpoint.
If the chord length is positive, AutoCAD draws the
minor arc counterclockwise from the start point. If the
chord length is negative, AutoCAD draws the major arc
counterclockwise.
Specify length of chord:

included angle

3 2 2
1 2 1
1
length
of chord

Tangent to Last Line, Arc, or Polyline

Draws an arc tangent to the last line, arc, or polyline drawn when you press
ENTER at the first prompt.

1 Specify end point of arc: Specify a point (1)

62 | ARC
ARCHIVE
Packages the current sheet set files to be archived
Command line: archive

The Archive a Sheet Set dialog box is displayed.

If you enter -archive at the Command prompt, ARCHIVE displays prompts on
the command line.

Archive a Sheet Set Dialog Box

Packages the files associated with the current sheet set so that they can be
archived.
All files to be included in the archive package are indicated by a check mark
next to the file name. To remove a file from the archive package, select the
check box. Right-click in the file display area to display a shortcut menu,
from which you can clear all check marks or apply check marks to all files.

Note Make sure that the files to be archived are not currently open in any
application.

Sheets Tab
Lists the sheets to be included in the archive package in sheet order and
according to subset organization. A sheet set must be open in the Sheet Set
Manager. Archive can be selected from the shortcut menu displayed when
the top-level sheet set node is right-clicked, or archive can be entered on the
command line.

ARCHIVE | 63
 Files Tree Tab
Lists the files to be included in the archive package in a hierarchical tree for-
mat. By default, all files associated with the current drawing (such as related
xrefs, plot styles, and fonts) are listed. You can add files to the archive pack-
age or remove existing files. Related files that are referenced by URLs are not
included in the archive package.

64 | ARCHIVE
Files Table Tab
Displays the files to be included in the archive package in a table format. By
default, all files associated with the current drawing (such as related xrefs,
plot styles, and fonts) are listed. You can add files to the archive package or
remove existing files. Related files that are referenced by URLs are not
included in the archive package.

Add File
Opens a standard file selection dialog box, in which you can select an addi-
tional file to include in the archive package. This button is available on both
the Files Tree tab and the Files Table tab.
Enter Notes to Be Included with This Archive Package
Provides a space where you can enter notes related to the archive package.
The notes are included in the archive report. You can specify a template of
default notes to be included with all your archive packages by creating an
ASCII text file called archive.txt. This file must be saved to a location specified
by the Support File Search Path option on the Files tab in the Options dialog
box.
Modify Archive Setup
Displays the Modify Archive Setup dialog box, in which you can specify
options for the archive package.

ARCHIVE | 65
 View Report
Displays report information that is included with the archive package.
Includes any archive notes that you entered. If you have created a text file of
default notes, the notes are also included in the report.
Save As Opens a File Save dialog box, in which you can specify
a location in which to save a report file. Note that a
report file is automatically included with all archive
packages that you generate; by choosing Save As, you
can save an additional copy of a report file for reference
purposes.

Modify Archive Setup Dialog Box

Archive Package Type

Specifies the type of archive package created.
Folder Creates an archive package of uncompressed files in a
new or existing folder.

66 | ARCHIVE
Self-Extracting Creates an archive package of files as a compressed, self-
Executable extracting executable file. Double-clicking the resulting
EXE file decompresses the archive package and restores
the files.
Zip Creates an archive package of files as a compressed ZIP
file. To restore the files, you need a decompression
utility such as the shareware application PKZIP or
WinZip.
File Format
Specifies the file format to which all drawings included in the archive pack-
age will be converted. You can select an AutoCAD drawing file format from
the drop-down list.
Archive File Folder
Specifies the location in which the archive package is created. Lists the last
nine locations in which archive packages were created. To specify a new loca-
tion, click Browse and navigate to the location you want.
If this field is left blank, the archive file is created in the folder containing the
sheet set data (DST) file.
Browse
Opens a standard file selection dialog box, in which you can navigate to a
location where you create the archive package.
Archive File Name
Specifies the method for naming the archive package. Displays the default
file name for the archive package. This option is not available if the archive
package type is set to Folder.
Prompt for a File Displays a standard file selection dialog box where you
Name can enter the name of the archive package.
Increment File Uses a logical default file name. If the file name already
Name if exists, a number is added to the end. This number is
Necessary incremented each time a new archive package is saved.
Overwrite if Uses a logical default file name. If the file name already
Necessary exists, the existing file is automatically overwritten.

ARCHIVE | 67
 Archive Options
Use Organized Duplicates the folder structure for the files being
Folder Structure transmitted. The root folder is the top-level folder
within a hierarchical folder tree. The following
considerations apply:

Relative paths remain unchanged. Relative paths

outside the source root folder retain up to one level
of the folder path above them, and are placed in the
root folder.
Absolute paths within the root folder tree are
converted to relative paths. Absolute paths retain up
to one level of the folder path above them, and are
placed in the root folder.
Absolute paths outside the root folder tree are
converted to No Path and are moved to the root
folder or to a folder within the root folder tree.
A Fonts folder is created, if necessary.
A PlotCfgs folder is created, if necessary.
A SheetSets folder is created to hold all support files
for sheet sets, if necessary. The sheet set data (DST)
file, however, is placed in the root folder.

This option is not available if youre saving an archive

package to an Internet location.
Source Root Defines the source root folder for relative paths of
Folder drawing-dependent files, such as xrefs. This option
determines the source root folder for the Use Organized
Folder Structure option.
The source root folder also contains the sheet set data
(DST) file when a sheet set is archived.
Browse Opens a standard file selection dialog box, in which
you can navigate to specify a source root folder.
Place All Files in All files are installed to a single, specified target folder
One Folder when the archive package is created.
Keep Files and Preserves the folder structure of all files in the archive
Folders As Is package. This option is not available if youre saving an
archive package to an Internet location.
Include Fonts Includes any associated font files (TXT and SHX) with
the archive package.

68 | ARCHIVE
Set Default Changes the printer/plotter setting in the archive
Plotter to None package to None.
Prompt for Opens the Archive - Set Password dialog box (see page
Password 69), where you can specify a password for your archive
package.
Include Sheet Set Includes the sheet set data (DST) file, label block
Data and Files drawing files, callout block drawing files, and drawing
template (DWT) files with the archive package.

Archive - Set Password Dialog Box

Password for Compressed Archive Package

Provides a space for an optional password for the archive package. When
others attempt to open the archive package, they must provide this password
to access the files. Password protection cannot be applied to folder archive
packages.
Password Confirmation
Provides a space to confirm the password that you entered in the Password
field. If the two passwords do not match, you are prompted to reenter them.

ARCHIVE Command Line

If you enter -archive at the Command prompt, ARCHIVE displays prompts on
the command line.
Sheet Set name or [?] <current>: Enter a predefined sheet set name, enter ? to
display a list of sheet sets, or press ENTER

The sheet set name specifies a sheet set to use for the archive package. This
option is available only when a sheet set is open.

ARCHIVE | 69
 AREA
Calculates the area and perimeter of objects or of defined areas
Total area and perimeter are saved in the AREA and PERIMETER system
variables.

Inquiry toolbar:
Tools menu: Inquiry Area
Command line: area

Specify first corner point or [Object/Add/Subtract]: Specify a point (1) or enter

an option

First Corner Point

Calculates the area and perimeter you define by specifying points. All points
1 5 must lie in a plane parallel to the XY plane of the current user coordinate
3 system (UCS).
2 4
defining an area Specify next corner point or press ENTER for total: Specify a point (2)
and perimeter
Continue to specify points to define a polygon and then press ENTER to com-
plete the definition of the perimeter.
If you do not close the polygon, AutoCAD calculates the area as if a line were
area defined
drawn from the last point entered to the first. When calculating the perime-
ter, AutoCAD adds in that line length.

Object
Calculates the area and perimeter of the selected object. You can calculate the
area of circles, ellipses, splines, polylines, polygons, regions, and solids.

Note 2D solids (created with the SOLID command) do not have an area
reported.

Select objects:

70 | AREA
 If you select an open polyline, AutoCAD calculates the area as if a line were
drawn from the last point entered to the first. When calculating the perime-
ter, however, AutoCAD ignores that line.

open polyline area defined

selected

The centerline of a wide polyline is used to make area and perimeter (or
length) calculations.

Add
Turns on Add mode and keeps a running balance of the total area as you con-
tinue to define areas. The Add option calculates the individual areas and
perimeters of defined areas and objects as well as the total area of all defined
areas and objects. You can use the Subtract option to subtract specified areas
from the total area.
wide polyline
Specify first corner point or [Object/Subtract]: Specify a point (1) or enter an
option
Calculates the area and perimeter you define by
First Corner Point
selecting points. All points must lie in a plane parallel
to the XY plane of the current UCS.
2
1 Specify next corner point or press ENTER for total (ADD
3
mode): Specify a point (2)
defined area to
be added Specify points to define a polygon (3). Press ENTER.
AutoCAD calculates the area and perimeter and returns
the total area of all the areas defined by selecting points
or objects since Add mode was turned on.
If you do not close the polygon, AutoCAD calculates
the area as if a line were drawn from the last point
new area
entered to the first. When calculating the perimeter,
AutoCAD adds that line length.

AREA | 71
 Object Calculates the area and perimeter of the selected object.
(ADD mode) Select objects:

AutoCAD calculates the area and perimeter and returns

the total area of all the areas defined by selecting points
or objects since Add mode was turned on.
If you select an open polyline, AutoCAD calculates the
area as if a line were drawn from the last point entered
to the first. When calculating the perimeter, however,
AutoCAD ignores that line.
The centerline of a wide polyline is used to make area
and perimeter calculations.
selected area to
Subtract Turns on Subtract mode and keeps a running balance of
be subtracted
the total area as you subtract specified areas.

Subtract
remaining area
Similar to the Add option, but subtracts areas and perimeters.
ARRAY
Creates multiple copies of objects in a pattern
Each object in an array can be manipulated independently. If you select mul-
tiple objects from which to construct the array, AutoCAD counts the objects
as one item to be copied and arrayed.

Modify toolbar:
Modify menu: Array
Command line: array

The Array dialog box is displayed. You can create rectangular or polar arrays
by choosing the appropriate option.
If you enter -array at the Command prompt, ARRAY displays prompts on the
command line (see page 78).

72 | ARRAY
Array Dialog Box
Creates multiple copies of objects in a pattern. Use the Rectangular Array
option to create an array of rows and columns of copies of the selected object.
Use the Polar Array option to create an array by copying the selected objects
around a center point.

Rectangular Array
Creates an array of rows and columns of copies of the selected object.

distance
1 between rows

object selected
distance between columns

Rows
Specifies the number of rows in the array.

ARRAY | 73
 If you specify one row, you must specify more than one column. If you
specify a large number of rows and columns for the array, AutoCAD might
take a while to create the copies. By default, the maximum number of array
elements that you can generate in one command is 100,000. The limit is set
by the MAXARRAY setting in the registry. To reset the limit to 200,000, for
example, enter (setenv MaxArray 200000) at the Command prompt.
Columns
Specifies the number of columns in the array.
If you specify one column, you must specify more than one row. If you spec-
ify a large number of rows and columns for the array, AutoCAD might take a
while to create the copies. By default, the maximum number of array ele-
ments that you can generate in one command is 100,000. The limit is set by
the MAXARRAY setting in the registry. To reset the limit to 200,000, for exam-
ple, enter (setenv MaxArray 200000) at the Command prompt.
Offset Distance and Direction
Provides a space for you to specify the distance and direction of the arrays
offset.
Row Offset Specifies the distance (in units) between rows. To add
rows downward, specify a negative value. To specify
row spacing with the pointing device, use the Pick Both
Offsets button or the Pick Row Offset button.
Column Offset Specifies the distance (in units) between columns. To
add columns to the left, specify a negative value. To
specify column spacing with the pointing device, use
the Pick Both Offsets button or the Pick Column Offset
button.
Angle of Array Specifies the angle of rotation. This angle is normally 0,
so the rows and columns are orthogonal with respect to
the X and Y drawing axes of the current UCS. You can
change the measurement conventions for angles using
UNITS. The ANGBASE and ANGDIR system variables affect
the angle of arrays.
Pick Both Offsets Temporarily closes the Array dialog box so that you can
use the pointing device to set the row and column
spacing by specifying two diagonal corners of a
rectangle.

74 | ARRAY
Pick Row Offset Temporarily closes the Array dialog box so that you can
use the pointing device to specify the distance between
rows. AutoCAD prompts you to specify two points and
uses the distance and direction between the points to
specify the value in Row Offset.
Pick Column Temporarily closes the Array dialog box so that you can
Offset use the pointing device to specify the distance between
columns. AutoCAD prompts you to specify two points
and uses the distance and direction between the points
to specify the value in Column Offset.
Pick Angle of Temporarily closes the Array dialog box so that you can
Array specify the angle of rotation by entering a value or
using the pointing device to specify two points. You can
change the measurement conventions for angles using
UNITS. The ANGBASE and ANGDIR system variables affect
the angle of arrays.

Polar Array
Creates an array by copying the selected objects around a center point.
1

1
2 2

polar array with polar array angle to

objects rotated fill=180; objects not
rotated

Center Point
Specifies the center point of the polar array. Enter coordinate values for X and
Y, or choose Pick Center Point to use the pointing device to specify the
location.
Pick Center Point
Temporarily closes the Array dialog box so that you can use the pointing
device to specify the center point in the AutoCAD drawing area.
Method and Values
Specifies the method and values used to position objects in the polar array.

ARRAY | 75
 Method Sets the method used to position objects. This setting
controls which of the Method and Value fields are
available for specifying values. For example, if the
method is Total Number of Items & Angle to Fill, the
related fields are available for specifying values; the
Angle Between Items field is not available.
Total Number of Sets the number of objects that appear in the resultant
Items array. The default value is 4.
Angle to Fill Sets the size of the array by defining the included angle
between the base points of the first and last elements in
the array. A positive value specifies counterclockwise
rotation. A negative value specifies clockwise rotation.
The default value is 360. A value of 0 is not permitted.
Angle Between Sets the included angle between the base points of the
Items arrayed objects and the center of the array. Enter a
positive value. The default direction value is 90.
Note You can choose the Pick buttons and use the
pointing device to specify the values for Angle to Fill and
Angle Between Items.
Pick Angle to Fill Temporarily closes the Array dialog box so that you can
define the included angle between the base points of
the first and last elements in the array. AutoCAD
prompts you to select a point relative to another point
in the AutoCAD drawing area.
Pick Angle Temporarily closes the Array dialog box so that you can
Between Items define the included angle between the base points of
the arrayed objects and the center of the array.
AutoCAD prompts you to select a point relative to
another point in the AutoCAD drawing area.
Rotate Items as Copied
Rotates the items in the array, as shown in the preview area.
More/Less
Turns the display of additional options in the Array dialog box on and off.
When you choose More, additional options are displayed, and the name of
this button changes to Less.

76 | ARRAY
Object Base Point
Specifies a new reference (base) point relative to the selected objects that will
remain at a constant distance from the center point of the array as the objects
are arrayed. To construct a polar array, AutoCAD determines the distance
from the arrays center point to a reference (base) point on the last object
selected. The point used depends on the type of object, as shown in the fol-
lowing table.

Base point settings by object

Object type Default base point

Arc, circle, ellipse Center point

Polygon, rectangle First corner

Donut, line, polyline, 3D polyline, ray, Starting point

spline

Block, paragraph text, single-line text Insertion point

Construction lines Midpoint

Region Grip point

Set to Objects Uses the default base point of the object to position the
Default arrayed object. To manually set the base point, clear
this option.
Base Point Sets a new X and Y base point coordinate. Choose Pick
Base Point to temporarily close the dialog box and
specify a point. After you specify a point, the Array
dialog box is redisplayed.
Note To avoid unexpected results, set the base point
manually if you are constructing a polar array and do not
want to rotate the objects.

ARRAY | 77
 Select Objects
Specifies the objects used to construct the array. You can select objects before
or after the Array dialog box is displayed. To select objects when the Array
dialog box is displayed, choose Select Objects. The dialog box temporarily
closes. When you finish selecting objects, press ENTER . The Array dialog box
is redisplayed, and the number of objects selected is shown below the Select
Objects button.
Note If you select multiple objects, the base point of the last selected object is
used to construct the array.

Preview Area
Shows a preview image of the array based on the current settings in the dia-
log box. The preview image is dynamically updated when you move to
another field after changing a setting.

Preview
Closes the Array dialog box and displays the array in the current drawing.
Choose Modify to return to the Array dialog box to make changes.

ARRAY Command Line

If you enter -array at the Command prompt, ARRAY displays prompts on the
command line.
Select objects: Use an object selection method
Enter the type of array [Rectangular/Polar] <current>: Enter an option or press
ENTER

Rectangular
Creates an array of rows and columns of copies of the selected objects.

distance
1 between rows

object selected
distance between columns

Enter the number of rows (---) <1>: Enter a nonzero integer or press ENTER
Enter the number of columns (|||) <1>: Enter a nonzero integer or press ENTER

78 | ARRAY
If you specify one row, you must specify more than one column and vice
versa.
AutoCAD assumes the selected object, or cornerstone element, to be in the
lower-left corner, and generates the array up and to the right.
The specified distance between the rows and columns includes the corre-
sponding lengths of the object to be arrayed.
Enter the distance between rows or specify unit cell (---):

To add rows downward, specify a negative value for the distance between
rows. AutoCAD skips the next prompt if you specify two points for the oppo-
site corners of a rectangle.
Specify the distance between columns (|||):

To add columns to the left, specify a negative value for the distance between
columns. AutoCAD constructs rectangular arrays along a baseline defined by
the current snap rotation. This angle is normally 0, so the rows and columns
are orthogonal with respect to the X and Y drawing axes. The Rotate option
of the SNAP command changes the angle and creates a rotated array. The SNA-
PANG system variable stores the snap rotation angle.

If you specify a large number of rows and columns for the array, AutoCAD
might take a while to create the copies. By default, the maximum number of
array elements that you can generate in one command is 100,000. The limit
is set by the MAXARRAY setting in the registry. To reset the limit to 200,000,
for example, enter (setenv MaxArray 200000) at the Command prompt.

Polar
Creates an array defined by specifying a center point or base point about
which AutoCAD replicates the selected objects.
1

1
2 2

polar array with polar array angle to

objects rotated fill=180; objects not
rotated

Specify center point of array or [Base]: Specify a point or enter b to specify a new
base point

ARRAY | 79
 Center Point Creates an array defined by a center point.
Base Specifies a new reference (base) point relative to the
selected objects that will remain at a constant distance
from the center point of the array as the objects are
arrayed.
Specify the base point of objects: Specify a point

Enter the number of items in the array: Enter a positive integer or press ENTER

If you enter a value for the number of items, you must specify either the
angle to fill or the angle between items. If you press ENTER (and do not pro-
vide the number of items), you must specify both.
Specify the angle to fill (+=ccw, -=cw) <360>: Enter a positive integer for a
counterclockwise rotation or a negative integer for a clockwise rotation

AutoCAD sees 0 as no response. You can enter 0 for angle to fill only if you
specify the number of items.
If you specify an angle to fill without providing the number of items, or if
you specify the number of items and enter 0 as the angle to fill or press
ENTER , AutoCAD prompts for the angle between items:

Angle between items: Specify an angle

If you specified the number of items and entered 0 as the angle to fill or
pressed ENTER , AutoCAD prompts for a positive or negative value to indicate
the direction of the array:
Angle between items (+=ccw, -=cw): Enter a positive integer for a
counterclockwise rotation or a negative integer for a clockwise rotation

AutoCAD determines the distance from the arrays center point to a reference
point on the last object selected. AutoCAD uses the center point of a circle or
arc, the insertion base point of a block or shape, the start point of text, and
one endpoint of a line or trace.
Rotate arrayed objects? <Y>: Enter y or n, or press ENTER

In a polar array, AutoCAD uses the reference point of the last object in the
selection set for all objects. If you defined the selection set by using window
or crossing selection, the last object in the selection set is arbitrary. Removing
an object from the selection set and adding it back forces that object to be
the last object selected. You can also make the selection set into a block and
replicate it.

80 | ARRAY
ARX
Loads, unloads, and provides information about ObjectARX applications
ObjectARX applications can be third-party programs or internal applications
such as Render or the Multiline Text Editor.
Command line: arx

Enter an option [?/Load/Unload/Commands/Options]:

?List Applications
Lists the currently loaded ObjectARX applications.

Load
Displays the ObjectARX/DBX File dialog box (a standard file selection dialog
box). This option loads the specified ObjectARX application.

Unload
Unloads the specified ObjectARX application.
Enter ARX/DBX file name to unload:

Commands
Lists the AcEd-registered commands (AcEd-registered commands are
described in the ObjectARX Developers Guide).

Options
Presents developer-related ObjectARX application options. These options are
explained in greater detail in the ObjectARX Developers Guide.
Enter an option [Group/CLasses/Services]: Enter an option or press ENTER

Group Causes the specified group of commands to be the first

group searched when resolving the names of AutoCAD
commands.
Classes Displays a class hierarchy of C++ classes derived from
objects registered in the system.
Services Lists the names of all registered services.

ARX | 81
ASSIST
Opens Quick Help in the Info Palette, which provides context-sensitive information
Help menu: Quick Help
Command line: assist (or 'assist for transparent use)

Quick Help in the Info palette continually monitors the commands in

progress and displays information that is directly related to the active com-
mand or dialog box. You can can freeze or lock the information displayed at
any time. For example, you might want to lock a procedure displayed in the
Info Palette as you follow the steps in the procedure.
Several options are available through the Info palette shortcut menu.

Info Palette Shortcut Menu

Provides options for working in the Info palette and controlling the Quick
Help information displayed. Right-click inside the Info palette.
Home Displays information that describes how to use Quick
Help and the Info Palette.
Back Moves backward through the history of Help topics
that you have viewed.
Forward Moves forward through the history of Help topics that
you have viewed.
Print Prints the current Help topic.
Lock Freezes the Quick Help information displayed in the
Info palette.

ASSISTCLOSE
Closes Quick Help and the Info palette
Command line: assistclose (or 'assistclose for transparent use)

Closes Quick Help and the Info palette.

82 | ASSIST
ATTACHURL
Attaches hyperlinks to objects or areas in a drawing
Command line: attachurl

Enter hyperlink insert option [Area/Object] <Object>: Enter a or press ENTER

Area
Creates the URLLAYER layer, draws a polyline on that layer, and attaches a
URL to the polyline.
First corner: Click in the drawing to indicate the lower-left corner of the area
Other corner: Click to indicate the upper-right corner of the area
Enter hyperlink <current drawing>: Enter a URL

The polyline that represents the area is displayed in the color assigned to URL-
LAYER. The default color is red. When you move the cursor over the area in
the drawing, the cursor changes to a hyperlink cursor to indicate that a URL
is attached to the area.

Object
Attaches a URL to the selected object.
Select objects: Use an object selection method, and press ENTER to end selection
Enter hyperlink <current drawing>: Enter a URL

When you move the cursor over the object in the drawing, the cursor
changes to a hyperlink cursor to indicate that a URL is attached to the object.

ATTDEF
Creates an attribute definition
An attribute is informational text associated with a block. An attribute defi-
nition is a template for creating an attribute; it specifies the properties of an
attribute and the prompts displayed when the block is inserted.
When you finish defining the attribute, the attribute tag that you specified
is displayed in the drawing.

ATTACHURL | 83
 When you later include the attribute tag in a block definition using the
BLOCK command, AutoCAD erases the attribute tag from the drawing if you
have selected the Delete option in the Block Definition dialog box. When
you insert the block, AutoCAD displays the attribute value at the same loca-
tion in the block, with the same text style and alignment.
Draw menu: Block Define Attributes
Command line: attdef

The Attribute Definition dialog box is displayed.

If you enter -attdef at the Command prompt, ATTDEF displays prompts on
the command line (see page 86).

Attribute Definition Dialog Box

Defines the mode; attribute tag, prompt, and value; insertion point; and text
options for an attribute.

Mode
Sets options for attribute values associated with a block when you insert the
block in a drawing.
The default values are stored in the AFLAGS system variable. Changing the
AFLAGS setting affects the default mode for new attribute definitions and
does not affect existing attribute definitions.

84 | ATTDEF
Invisible Specifies that attribute values are not displayed or
printed when you insert the block. ATTDISP overrides
Invisible mode.
Constant Gives attributes a fixed value for block insertions.
Verify Prompts you to verify that the attribute value is correct
when you insert the block.
Preset Sets the attribute to its default value when you insert a
block containing a preset attribute.

Attribute
Sets attribute data. You can enter up to 256 characters. If you need leading
blanks in the prompt or the default value, start the string with a backslash
(\). To make the first character a backslash, start the string with two
backslashes.
Tag Identifies each occurrence of an attribute in the
drawing. Enter the attribute tag using any combination
of characters except spaces. AutoCAD changes
lowercase letters to uppercase.
Prompt Specifies the prompt that is displayed when you insert
a block containing this attribute definition. If you do
not enter a prompt, the attribute tag is used as a
prompt. If you select Constant in the Mode area, the
Prompt option is not available.
Value Specifies the default attribute value.
Insert Field Displays the Field dialog box. You can insert a field as
Button all or part of the value for an attribute.

Insertion Point
Specifies the location for the attribute. Enter coordinate values or select
Specify On-screen and use the pointing device to specify the placement of
the attribute in relation to the objects that it will be associated with.

Text Options
Sets the justification, style, height, and rotation of the attribute text.
Justification Specifies the justification of the attribute text. See TEXT
for a description of the justification options.
Text Style Specifies a predefined text style for the attribute text.
Currently loaded text styles are displayed. To load or
create a text style, see STYLE.

ATTDEF | 85
 Height Specifies the height of the attribute text. Enter a value,
or choose Height to specify a height with your pointing
device. The height is measured from the origin to the
location you specify. If you select a text style that has
fixed height (anything other than 0.0), or if you select
Align in the Justification list, the Height option is not
available.
Rotation Specifies the rotation angle of the attribute text. Enter a
value, or choose Rotation to specify a rotation angle
with your pointing device. The rotation angle is
measured from the origin to the location you specify. If
you select Align or Fit in the Justification list, the
Rotation option is not available.

Align Below Previous Attribute Definition

Places the attribute tag directly below the previously defined attribute. If you
have not previously created an attribute definition, this option is not
available.

ATTDEF Command Line

If you enter -attdef at the Command prompt, ATTDEF displays prompts on
the command line.
Current attribute modes: Invisible=current Constant=current Verify=current
Preset=current
Enter an option to change [Invisible/Constant/Verify/Preset] <done>:
Enter attribute tag name: Enter any characters except spaces or exclamation
points
Enter attribute prompt: Enter the text for the prompt line or press ENTER (this
prompt is not displayed if you turned on Constant mode)
Enter default attribute value: Enter the appropriate text or press ENTER (this
prompt is not displayed if you turned on Constant mode)
Enter attribute value: Enter the appropriate text or press ENTER (this prompt is
displayed only if you turned on Constant mode)

Attribute Modes
The current value line indicates the current settings for each attribute mode
(either Y for on or N for off). Entering i, c, v, or p toggles the modes on or off.
Press ENTER when you have finished adjusting the mode settings. The
AFLAGS system variable stores the current mode settings and can be used to
set the default modes.

86 | ATTDEF
Invisible Specifies that attribute values are displayed when you
insert the block. ATTDISP overrides Invisible mode.
Constant Gives attributes a fixed value for block insertions.
Verify Prompts for verification that the attribute value is
correct when you insert the block.
Preset Sets the attribute to its default value when you insert a
block containing a preset attribute.

Attribute Tag Name

Specifies the attribute tag, which identifies each occurrence of an attribute in
the drawing. The tag can contain any characters except spaces or exclama-
tion marks (!). AutoCAD changes lowercase letters to uppercase.

Attribute Prompt
Specifies the prompt that is displayed when you insert a block containing
this attribute definition. If you press ENTER , AutoCAD uses the attribute tag
as the prompt. If you turn on Constant mode, this prompt is not displayed.

Default Attribute Value

Specifies the default attribute value. The default attribute value appears when
a block is inserted into your drawing. A default value is not required. If you
turn on Constant mode, AutoCAD skips this prompt and displays the
Attribute Value prompt instead.
ATTDEF then displays the same prompts as the TEXT command, using the
attribute tag instead of requesting a text string.
Current text style: Standard Text height: 0.2000
Specify start point of text or [Justify / Style]: Enter an option or press ENTER

For a description of each option, see TEXT.

Attribute Value
Specifies the value for a constant attribute. This prompt is displayed only if
you turn on Constant mode.
ATTDEF then displays the same prompts as the TEXT command, using the
attribute tag instead of requesting a text string.
Current text style: Standard Text height: 0.2000
Specify start point of text or [Justify / Style]: Enter an option or press ENTER

For a description of each option, see TEXT.

ATTDEF | 87
 ATTDISP
Globally controls attribute visibility
An attribute is informational text associated with a block. ATTDISP controls
whether the attributes in your drawing are visible.
attribute
View menu: Display Attribute Display
Command line: attdisp (or 'attdisp for transparent use)

Enter attribute visibility setting [Normal/ON/OFF] <current>:

AutoCAD regenerates the drawing after you change the visibility unless
ATTDISP on
REGENAUTO, which controls automatic regeneration, is off. The current visi-
bility of attributes is stored in the ATTMODE system variable.
Normal Retains the current visibility of each attribute. Visible
attributes are displayed. Invisible attributes are not
displayed.
On Makes all attributes visible.
ATTDISP off
Off Makes all attributes invisible.
ATTEDIT
Changes attribute information
An attribute is informational text associated with a block. In the Edit
Attributes dialog box, you can edit individual, nonconstant attribute values
associated with a specific block. To change attribute properties such as posi-
tion, height, and style, use -ATTEDIT and edit attribute values and properties
individually or globally, independent of the block.
Use the following access methods to edit attribute values for a specific block:
Modify menu: Object Attribute Single
Command line: attedit

Select block reference: Select a block with attributes

The Edit Attributes dialog box is displayed.

88 | ATTDISP
Use the following access methods to edit attribute values and properties inde-
pendent of a block:
Modify menu: Object Attribute Global
Command line: -attedit

AutoCAD displays prompts on the command line (see page 86).

Edit Attributes Dialog Box

Displays the first eight attribute values contained in the block. Edit the
attribute values. If the block contains additional attributes, use Previous and
Next to navigate through the list. You cannot edit attribute values on locked
layers.
To use a field as the value, right-click and click Insert Field on the shortcut
menu to display the Field dialog box.
To change attribute properties such as position, height, and style, use
-ATTEDIT.

ATTEDIT Command Line

If you enter -attedit at the Command prompt, ATTEDIT displays prompts on
the command line.
Edit attributes one at a time? [Yes/No] <Y>: Enter y or press ENTER to edit
attributes one at a time, or enter n to edit attributes globally

ATTEDIT | 89
 Yes
Edits attributes one at a time. Attributes to be edited one at a time must be
visible and parallel to the current UCS.
Enter block name specification <*>: Press ENTER , or enter a block name or a
partial block name with wild-card characters (? or *) to narrow the selection to
specific blocks
Enter attribute tag specification <*>: Press ENTER , or enter a tag or a partial tag
with wild-card characters (? or *) to narrow the selection to specific attributes
Enter attribute value specification <*>: Press ENTER , or specify a value or a value
name with wild-card characters (? or *) to narrow the selection to specific attribute
values

Attribute values are case sensitive.

Select Attributes: Select only attributes parallel to the current UCS

AutoCAD marks the first attribute in the selection set with an X. You can
change any properties of the attribute you select.
attributes selected
Enter an option [Value/Position/Height/Angle/Style/Layer/Color/Next] <N>:
Enter the property to change, or press ENTER for the next attribute

If the original attribute was defined with aligned or fit text, the prompt does
not include Angle. The Height option is omitted for aligned text. For each of
the options except Next, AutoCAD prompts for a new value. The X remains
X on first attribute on the current attribute until you move to the next attribute.
Value
Changes or replaces an attribute value.
Enter type of value modification [Change/Replace]: Enter c or r or press ENTER

Change Modifies a few characters of the attribute value.

X on next attribute
Enter string to change: Enter string to change or press
ENTER
Enter new string: Enter replacement string or press ENTER

Either string can be null. AutoCAD interprets the ? and

* characters literally, not as wild-card characters.

90 | ATTEDIT
 Replace Substitutes a new attribute value for the entire attribute
value.
Enter new attribute value: Enter a new attribute value or
press ENTER

If you press ENTER , the attribute value is empty (null).

Position
Changes the text insertion point.
Specify new text insertion point: Specify a point or press ENTER
position changed If the attribute is aligned, AutoCAD prompts for both ends of a new text
baseline.
Height
Changes the text height.
Specify new height <current>: Enter a value, specify a point, or press ENTER

height changed When you specify a point, the height becomes the distance between the
specified point and the start point of the text.
Angle
Changes the rotation angle.
Specify new rotation angle <current>: Enter a value, specify a point, or press
ENTER

angle changed If you specify a point, the text is rotated along an imaginary line between the
specified point and the start point of the text.
Style
Changes the style setting.
Enter new text style: Enter a style name or press ENTER
style changed
Layer
Changes the layer.
Enter new layer name <current>: Enter a layer name or press ENTER
Color
Changes the color.
You can enter a color from the AutoCAD Color Index (a color name or
number), a true color, or a color from a color book.
Enter new color [Truecolor/COlorbook]<BYLAYER>: Enter a color, enter t, enter
co, or press ENTER

ATTEDIT | 91
 You can enter a color name, a color number between 1 and 255, or bylayer
or byblock.
True Color Specifies a true color to be used for the selected object.
Red, Green, Blue: Enter three integer values from 0 to 255
separated by commas to specify a true color

Color Book Specifies a color from a loaded color book to be used for
the selected object.
Enter Color Book name: Enter the name of a color book
that has been installed, such as PANTONE

If you enter a color book name, AutoCAD prompts you

to enter the color name in the color book.
Enter color name: Enter the name of a color included in
the selected color book, such as PANTONE573

Next
Moves to the next attribute in the selection set. If there are no more
attributes, ATTEDIT ends.

No
Edits more than one attribute at a time. Global editing applies to both visible
and invisible attributes.
Editing attributes globally limits you to replacing a single text string with
another text string. If you edit attributes one at a time, you can edit any or
all of the attributes.
Performing global editing of attribute values.
Edit only attributes visible on screen? [Yes/No] <Y>: Enter y or press ENTER to
edit only visible attributes, or enter n to edit all attributes

Yes Edits only visible attributes.

Enter block name specification <*>: Press ENTER , or spec-
ify a block name or a partial block name with wild-card
characters (? or *) to narrow the selection to specific blocks
Enter attribute tag specification <*>: Press ENTER , or
specify a tag or a partial tag with wild-card characters (? or
*) to narrow the selection to specific attributes
Enter attribute value specification <*>: Press ENTER , or
specify a value or a partial value with wild-card characters
(? or *) to narrow the selection to specific attribute values

92 | ATTEDIT
 Attribute values are case sensitive. To select empty
(null) attributes, which normally are not visible and
cannot be selected, enter a backslash (\).
Select Attributes: Select only attributes parallel to the cur-
rent UCS

Select the attribute you want to change.

Enter string to change: Enter string to change or press
ENTER
Enter new string: Enter replacement string or press ENTER

Either string can be empty (null). The ? and * characters

are interpreted literally, not as wild-card characters.
No Edits attributes whether they are visible or not. Changes
to attributes are not reflected immediately. AutoCAD
regenerates the drawing at the end of the command
unless REGENAUTO, which controls automatic
regeneration, is off.
Enter block name specification <*>: Enter a full block
name or a partial block name with wild-card characters (? or
*), or press ENTER to select attributes in all blocks
Enter attribute tag specification <*>: Enter a full attribute
tag name or a partial name with wild-card characters (? or
*), or press ENTER to select attributes in all attribute tags
Enter attribute value specification <*>: Enter a full
attribute value or a partial value with wild-card characters
(? or *), or press ENTER to select all attributes

Attribute values are case sensitive. To select empty

(null) attributes, which normally are not visible, enter a
backslash (\).
AutoCAD selects the attributes that match the specified
block name, attribute tag, and attribute value.
Enter string to change: Enter the attribute value you want
to change, or press ENTER to append a new value to the
existing value(s)
Enter new string: Enter the new value to replace the speci-
fied value or to append to selected values

Either string can be empty (null). The ? and * characters

are interpreted literally, not as wild-card characters.

ATTEDIT | 93
ATTEXT
Extracts attribute data
An attribute is informational text associated with a block. Use ATTEXT to
extract the data stored in the attribute into a file.
Command line: attext

The Attribute Extraction dialog box is displayed.

If you enter -attext at the Command prompt, ATTEXT displays prompts on
the command line (see page 95).

Attribute Extraction Dialog Box

Specifies the file format for the attribute information, the objects from which
you want to extract information, and the template and output file names for
the information.

File Format
Sets the format for the file into which you are extracting the attribute data.
Comma Generates a file containing one record for each block
Delimited File reference in the drawing that has at least one matching
(CDF) attribute tag in the template file. Commas separate the
fields of each record. Single quotation marks enclose
the character fields.

94 | ATTEXT
Space Delimited Generates a file containing one record for each block
File (SDF) reference in the drawing that has at least one matching
attribute tag in the template file. The fields of each
record have a fixed width; therefore, field separators or
character string delimiters are not appropriate.
DXF Format Produces a subset of the AutoCAD Drawing Interchange
Extract File (DXX) File format containing only block reference, attribute,
and end-of-sequence objects. DXF format extraction
requires no template. The file name extension .dxx
distinguishes the output file from normal DXF files.

Select Objects
Closes the dialog box so you can use the pointing device to select blocks with
attributes. When the Attribute Extraction dialog box reopens, Number Found
shows the number of objects you selected.

Template File
Specifies a template extraction file for CDF and SDF formats. Enter the file
name in the box, or choose Template File to search for existing template files
using a standard file selection dialog box. The default file extension is .txt. If
you select DXF under File Format, the Template File option is not available.
For information about creating a template file, see Attach Data to Blocks
(Block Attributes) in the Users Guide.

Output File
Specifies the file name and location for the extracted attribute data. Enter the
path and file name for the extracted attribute data, or choose Output File to
search for existing template files using a standard file selection dialog box.
AutoCAD appends the .txt file name extension for CDF or SDF files and the
.dxx file name extension for DXF files.

ATTEXT Command Line

If you enter -attext at the Command prompt, ATTEXT displays prompts on
the command line.
Enter extraction type or enable object selection [Cdf/Sdf/Dxf/Objects] <C>:
Enter an option or press ENTER

ATTEXT | 95
 CDF: Comma- Generates a file containing one record for each block
Delimited File reference in the drawing. Commas separate the fields of
each record. Single quotation marks enclose the
character fields.
In the Select Template File dialog box, enter the name
of an existing attribute extraction template file.
In the Create Extract File dialog box, enter the name for
the output file. The extract files file name extension is
.txt for CDF or SDF format.
SDF: Space- Generates a file containing one record for each block
Delimited File reference in the drawing. The fields of each record have
a fixed width; therefore, field separators or character
string delimiters are not used.
In the Select Template File dialog box, enter the name
of an existing attribute extraction template file.
In the Create Extract File dialog box, enter the name for
the output file. The extract files file name extension is
.txt for CDF or SDF format.
DXF: Drawing Produces a subset of the AutoCAD Drawing Interchange
Interchange File File format containing only block reference, attribute,
and end-of-sequence objects. DXF-format extraction
requires no template. The file name extension .dxx
distinguishes the output file from normal DXF files.
In the Create Extract File dialog box, enter the name for
the output file. The extract files file name extension is
.dxx for DXF format.
Objects Selects objects whose attributes you want to extract.
Select object: Use an object selection method
Enter attribute extraction type [Cdf/Sdf/Dxf] <C>: Enter
an option or press ENTER

96 | ATTEXT
ATTREDEF
Redefines a block and updates associated attributes
Command line: attredef

Enter the name of the block you wish to redefine:

Select objects for new block:
Select objects:
Insertion base point of new block: Specify a point

New attributes assigned to existing block references use their default values.
Old attributes in the new block definition retain their old values. AutoCAD
deletes any old attributes that are not included in the new block definition.

ATTSYNC
Updates all instances of a specified block with the current attributes defined for the block

Modify II toolbar:
Command line: attsync

Enter an option [?/Name/Select] <Select>:

You are prompted for the names of blocks you want to update with the cur-
rent attributes defined for the blocks. ATTSYNC does not change any values
assigned to attributes in existing blocks.
Entering ? displays a list of all block definitions in the drawing. Enter the
name of the block you want to update.
Pressing ENTER allows you to use your pointing device to select the block
whose attributes you want to update.
If a block you specify does not contain attributes or does not exist, an error
message is displayed, and you are prompted to specify another block.

ATTREDEF | 97
AUDIT
Evaluates the integrity of a drawing
AUDIT is a diagnostic tool for examining the current drawing and correcting
errors. For every error detected, AutoCAD provides a description of the error
and recommends corrective action.
File menu: Drawing Utilities Audit
Command line: audit

Fix any errors detected? [Yes/No] <N>: Enter y or n, or press ENTER

For easy access, AUDIT places all objects for which it reports errors in the
Previous selection set. However, editing commands affect only the objects
that belong to the current paper space or model space.
If you set the AUDITCTL system variable to 1, AUDIT creates an ASCII file
describing problems and the action taken and places this report in the same
directory as the current drawing, with the file extension .adt.
If a drawing contains errors that AUDIT cannot fix, use RECOVER to retrieve
the drawing and correct its errors.

98 | AUDIT
BACKGROUND
Sets up the background for your scene

Render toolbar:
View menu: Render Background
Command line: background

The Background dialog box is displayed.

Background Dialog Box

Defines the type, color, effects, and position of the background for your
drawing.

Solid
Selects a one-color background. Use the color controls to specify the color.

Gradient
Specifies a two- or three-color gradient background. Use the color controls
and Horizon, Height, and Rotation to define the gradient.
A three-color gradient is the default. To create a two-color gradient, set
Height to 0 so that Render uses only the Top and Bottom colors.

BACKGROUND | 99
 Image
Uses a bitmap file for the background.

Merge
Uses the current image as the background. This option is available only when
Viewport is selected as Destination in the Render dialog box. See RENDER.

Colors
Sets color for a solid or gradient background.
Top/Middle/ Sets colors. For a solid background, set the Top color;
Bottom the others are not available. For a two-color gradient,
set the Top and Bottom colors and set Height to 0. For
a three-color gradient, set the Top, Middle, and Bottom
colors. All three colors are available (by clicking the
corresponding color tiles) when you select Gradient.
None of the colors is available when you select Image.
Only Top is available when you select Solid.
Color Controls Controls whether AutoCAD uses the red, green, blue
(RGB) color system or the hue, lightness, saturation
(HLS) color system. Select RGB to adjust the individual
red, green, and blue components of the selected color.
Select HLS to adjust the individual hue, lightness, and
saturation components of the selected color.
Select Custom Displays the Select Color dialog box. To define the color
Color of the background, you can select from the 255
AutoCAD Color Index (ACI) colors, true colors, and
color book colors.
AutoCAD Uses the current AutoCAD background color. Available
Background only with a solid background. This option is on by
default.

Preview
Displays a preview of the current Background settings.

100 | BACKGROUND
Image
Specifies the image file name. You can use the following file types for back-
ground images: BMP, JPG, PCX, TGA, and TIFF.
Name Specifies the name of the image file to use. You can also
use Find File to select a file.
Find File Displays a standard file selection dialog box. Use this
dialog box to select the background image file to use.
Adjust Bitmap Displays the Adjust Background Bitmap Placement
dialog box (see page 102).

Environment
Defines an environment in which you can create additional reflection and
refraction effects on objects with reflective, raytraced materials. With the
Photo Real renderer, the result is a mirrored effect; with the Photo Raytrace
renderer, the result is a raytraced environment.
Name Specifies the image file name to create the raytraced
environment.
Use Background Specifies that the selected objects in the current
drawing reflect the background you specify. If you use
an image file, the objects reflect that image rather than
the background image. You can use the following file
types for environment images: BMP, JPG, PCX, TGA,
and TIFF.
The program maps the environment onto a sphere
surrounding the scene, and the Photo Raytrace renderer
uses it in addition to the geometry to determine
reflections and refraction.
Find File Displays a standard file selection dialog box, in which
you can select the background image file to use.

Horizon
Represents the percentage of unrotated height. Use the box or scroll bar to
set the value. Only available for gradient backgrounds.

Height
Represents a percentage of the second color in a three-color gradient. Use the
box or scroll bar to set the value. The start point of the second color is
determined by the Horizon setting. If the value is 0, the result is a two-color
gradient that uses the Top and Bottom colors.

BACKGROUND | 101
 Rotation
Sets an angle at which you can rotate a gradient background. Rotation is not
available with a solid or image background. Use the box or scroll bar to set
the value.

Adjust Background Bitmap Placement Dialog

Box
Controls options that apply to the background image. The Offset, Scale, and
Tiling controls all work the same as they do in the Adjust Material Bitmap
Placement dialog box (see page 825), except that they apply to the back-
ground image instead of a mapped material image. Offset and Scale refer to
X,Y coordinates, not U,V coordinates.

Offset and Scale

Sets the offset and scale. Offset values can range from 1 to 1 on either axis
(X or Y). Adjust a value by using the scroll bars to the right and below the
diagram (enclosed by the outer box labeled Offset), or by entering values in
X and Y Offset.
Scale values can range from 0.1 to 10 on either axis (X or Y). Adjust a value
by using the scroll bars to the left and above the diagram (enclosed by the
inner box labeled Scale), or by entering values in X and Y Scale.

Maintain Aspect Ratio

Locks the X and Y coordinates together. When Maintain Aspect Ratio is
turned on, moving one scroll bar moves the other, and a value you enter in
X or Y Scale changes the other.

Fit to Screen
Fits the image to your screen. If you select Use Image Aspect Ratio, the pro-
gram fits the larger dimension to the screen while maintaining the images
aspect ratio.

Use Image Aspect Ratio

Uses the aspect ratio of the image file. You can still change Offset and Scale,
but the Maintain Aspect Ratio option is locked to the On setting.

Tiling
Controls how the bitmap is tiled with two radio buttons.
Tile Tiles the bitmap (the default).
Crop Does not tile the bitmap.

102 | BACKGROUND
 If you select Tile and you change the offset so the bitmap rectangle appears
outside the projection rectangle, the bitmap is not centered within the draw-
ing area when you render it. (During tiling, the offset acts as a displacement,
not an absolute position.) However, if you select Crop, the bitmap is rendered
only where you place it, as indicated by the diagram (enclosed by the inner
box labeled Scale) in the Adjust Background Bitmap Placement dialog box. If
the diagram shows the bitmap outside the projection rectangle, the bitmap
does not appear in a rendering.

Center
Sets the Offset coordinates to 0 (centers the image).

BASE
Sets the insertion base point for the current drawing
Use BASE if you plan to insert the current drawing into, or externally refer-
ence the drawing from, other drawings and you need a base point other than
0,0,0. When you insert or externally reference the current drawing into other
drawings, this base point is used as the insertion base point.

Note The BASE command and the INSBASE system variable report values in the
current UCS units.

Draw menu: Block Base

Command line: base (or 'base for transparent use)

Enter base point <current>: Specify a point or press ENTER

BATTMAN
Edits attribute properties of a block definition

Modify II toolbar:
Modify menu: Object Attribute Block Attribute Manager
Command line: battman

The Block Attribute Manager is displayed.

If the current drawing does not contain any blocks with attributes, a message
is displayed.

BASE | 103
 Block Attribute Manager
Manages the attribute definitions for blocks in the current drawing. You can
edit the attribute definitions in blocks, remove attributes from blocks, and
change the order in which you are prompted for attribute values when insert-
ing a block.
Attributes of the selected block are displayed in the attribute list. By default,
Tag, Prompt, Default, and Mode attribute properties are displayed in the
attribute list. You can specify which attribute properties you want displayed
in the list by choosing Settings.
For each selected block, a description below the attribute list identifies the
number of its instances in the current drawing and in the current layout.
Select Block Allows you to use your pointing device to select a block
from the drawing area. When you choose Select Block,
the dialog box closes until you select a block from the
drawing or cancel by pressing ESC .
If you modify attributes of a block and then select a new
block before you save the attribute changes you made,
you are prompted to save the changes before selecting
another block.
Block Lists all block definitions in the current drawing that
have attributes. Select the block whose attributes you
want to modify.
Sync Updates all instances of the selected block with the
attribute properties currently defined. This does not
affect any values assigned to attributes in each block.
Move Up Moves the selected attribute tag earlier in the prompt
sequence. The Move Up button is not available when a
constant attribute is selected.
Move Down Moves the selected attribute tag later in the prompt
sequence. The Move Down button is not available
when a constant attribute is selected.
Edit Opens the Edit Attribute dialog box, where you can
modify attribute properties.

104 | BATTMAN
Remove Removes the selected attribute from the block
definition. If Apply Changes to Existing References is
selected in the Settings dialog box before you choose
Remove, the attribute is removed from all instances of
the block in the current drawing. The Remove button is
not available for blocks with only one attribute.
Settings Opens the Settings dialog box, where you can
customize how attribute information is listed in the
Block Attribute Manager.
Apply Updates the drawing with the attribute changes you
have made and leaves the Block Attribute Manager
open.

Edit Attribute Dialog Box

Allows you to edit attributes for a block definition.
Auto Preview Controls whether or not the drawing area is
Changes immediately updated to display any visible attribute
changes you make. If Auto Preview Changes is selected,
changes are immediately visible. If Auto Preview
Changes is cleared, changes are not immediately
visible.
Clearing Auto Preview Changes results in a small
improvement in performance. Auto Preview Changes is
not available if Apply Changes to Existing References is
not selected.
The Edit Attribute dialog box contains the following tabs:

Attribute
Text Options
Properties

Attribute Tab (Edit Attribute Dialog Box)

Defines how a value is assigned to an attribute and whether or not the
assigned value is visible in the drawing area, and sets the string that prompts
users to enter a value. The Attribute tab also displays the tag name that iden-
tifies the attribute.

BATTMAN | 105
 Mode
Mode options determine whether and how attribute text appears.
Invisible Displays or hides the attribute in the drawing area. If
selected, hides the attribute value in the drawing area.
If cleared, displays the attribute value.
Constant Identifies whether the attribute is set to its default
value. You cannot change this property. If a check mark
is shown in the check box, the attribute is set to its
default value and cannot be changed. If the check box
is empty, you can assign a value to the attribute.
Verify Turns value verification on and off. If selected, prompts
you to verify the values you assign to the attribute
when inserting a new instance of the block. If this
option is cleared, verification is not performed.
Preset Turns default value assignment on and off. If selected,
sets the attribute to its default value when the block is
inserted. If cleared, ignores the attributes default value
and prompts you to enter a value when inserting the
block.
Data
Data options set the attribute text that is displayed.
Tag Sets the identifier assigned to the attribute.
Prompt Sets the text for the prompt that is displayed when you
insert the block.
Default Sets the default value assigned to the attribute when
you insert the block.

Text Options Tab (Edit Attribute Dialog Box)

Sets the properties that define the way an attributes text is displayed in the
drawing. Change the color of attribute text on the Properties tab.
Text Style Specifies the text style for attribute text. Default values
for this text style are assigned to the text properties
displayed in this dialog box.
Justification Specifies how attribute text is justified.
Height Specifies the height of the attribute text.
Rotation Specifies the rotation angle of the attribute text.

106 | BATTMAN
Backwards Specifies whether or not the text is displayed
backwards.
Upside Down Specifies whether or not the text is displayed upside
down.
Width Factor Sets the character spacing for attribute text. Entering a
value less than 1.0 condenses the text. Entering a value
greater than 1.0 expands it.
Oblique Angle Specifies the angle that attribute text is slanted away
from its vertical axis.

Properties Tab (Edit Attribute Dialog Box)

Defines the layer that the attribute is on and the color, lineweight, and line-
type for the attributes line. If the drawing uses plot styles, you can assign a
plot style to the attribute using the Properties tab.
Layer Specifies the layer that the attribute is on.
Linetype Specifies the linetype of attribute text.
Color Specifies the attributes text color.
Plot Style Specifies the plot style of the attribute.
If the current drawing uses color-dependent plot styles,
the Plot Style list is not available.
Lineweight Specifies the lineweight of attribute text.
Changes you make to this option are not displayed if
the LWDISPLAY system variable is off.

Settings Dialog Box

Controls the appearance of the attribute list in the Block Attribute Manager.
Display in List Specifies the properties to be displayed in the attribute
list. Only the selected properties are displayed in the
list.
The Tag property is always selected.
Select All Selects all properties.
Clear All Clears all properties.

BATTMAN | 107
 Emphasize Turns duplicate tag emphasis on and off. If this option
Duplicate Tags is selected, duplicate attribute tags are displayed in red
type in the attribute list. If this option is cleared,
duplicate tags are not emphasized in the attribute list.
Apply Changes to Specifies whether or not to update all existing instances
Existing of the block whose attributes you are modifying. If
References selected, updates all instances of the block with the new
attribute definitions. If cleared, updates only new
instances of the block with the new attribute
definitions.
You can choose Sync in the Block Attribute Manager to
apply changes immediately to existing block instances.
This temporarily overrides the Apply Changes to
Existing References option.

BHATCH
Fills an enclosed area or selected objects with a hatch pattern or gradient fill
BHATCH first defines the boundaries of the area you want to hatch or fill,
either by computing a region or polyline boundary from a specified point
within an enclosed area, or by using selected objects as boundaries. It then
fills the boundaries with a hatch pattern, a solid color, or a gradient. BHATCH
creates an associative hatch or fill, which is updated when its boundaries are
modified, or a nonassociative hatch or fill, which is independent of its
boundaries. You can preview any hatch or fill and adjust the definition.
Due to the large number of combinations of geometry that you can hatch or
fill, editing hatched or gradient-filled geometry can produce unexpected
results. In this event, delete the object containing the hatch or fill and redo
the hatch or fill.

108 | BHATCH
Note By default, AutoCAD wont create a hatch pattern that consists of over
10,000 segments. The limit is set by the MaxHatch setting in the registry. To
reset the limit to 50,000, for example, enter (setenv MaxHatch 50000) at
the Command prompt. The limit can be reset to any value between 100 and
10,000,000.

Draw toolbar:
Draw menu: Hatch
Command line: bhatch

The Boundary Hatch and Fill dialog box is displayed.

If you enter -bhatch at the Command prompt, BHATCH displays prompts on
the command line (see page 120).

Boundary Hatch and Fill Dialog Box

Defines the boundary, pattern type, pattern properties, and attributes for
hatch and gradient fill objects.

Pick Points
Determines a boundary from existing objects visible on the screen. The
objects must form an enclosed area. How AutoCAD detects objects using this
option depends on which island detection method is selected on the
Advanced tab. For example, if the island detection method is Flood,
AutoCAD detects objects within the outermost boundary as islands and
includes them in the boundary definition. The island detection style (which
you also set on the Advanced tab) then determines how to hatch the detected
islands.
When you select Pick Points, the dialog box closes temporarily, and
AutoCAD displays a prompt.
Select internal point: Specify a point within the area to be hatched or filled
Select internal point: Specify a point, enter u or undo to undo the last selection,
or press ENTER to end point specification and return to the dialog box

BHATCH | 109
 While specifying points, you can right-click in the drawing area at any time
to display a shortcut menu. You can undo the last or all point specifications,
change the selection method, change the island detection style, or preview
the hatch or gradient fill.

internal point selected hatch boundary result

Select Objects
Specifies objects for hatching or filling. The dialog box closes temporarily,
and AutoCAD prompts you to select objects.

object selected hatch boundary result

When you use the Select Objects option, AutoCAD does not detect interior
objects automatically. You must select the objects within the selected bound-
ary to hatch or fill those objects according to the current Island Detection
Style (which you set on the Advanced tab).

object selected text selected result

Each time you choose Select Objects, AutoCAD clears the previous selection
set.

110 | BHATCH
While selecting objects, you can right-click at any time in the drawing area
to display a shortcut menu. You can undo the last selection or all selections,
change the selection method, change the island detection style, or preview
the hatch or gradient fill.

Remove Islands
Removes from the boundary definition any of the objects that AutoCAD
detects as islands when you use the Pick Points option. You cannot remove
the outer boundary.

internal point selected object removed result

View Selections
Temporarily dismisses the dialog box and displays the currently defined
boundaries with the hatch or fill settings that you last previewed. This option
is unavailable when no boundary has been defined.

Inherit Properties
Hatches or fills specified boundaries using the hatch or fill properties of one
object. After selecting the associative hatch or fill object whose properties
you want the hatch or fill to inherit, you can right-click in the drawing area
and use the shortcut menu to toggle between the Select Objects and Pick
Points options to create boundaries.
See Pick Points on page 109 and Select Objects on page 110.

Draw Order
Assigns draw order to a hatch or fill. You can place a hatch or fill behind all
other objects, in front of all other objects, behind the hach boundary, or in
front of the hatch boundary. (HPDRAWORDER system variable)

BHATCH | 111
 Composition
Controls whether the hatch or gradient fill is associative or nonassociative.
This setting is stored in the system variable HPASSOC.
Associative Creates a hatch or fill that is updated when you modify
its boundaries.
Nonassociative Creates a hatch or fill that is independent of its
boundaries.

Preview
Dismisses the dialog box and displays the currently defined boundaries with
the current hatch or fill settings. Click in the drawing or press ESC to return
to the dialog box. Right-click or press ENTER to accept the hatch or fill. This
option is not available when you have not yet specified points or selected
objects to define your boundaries.

Hatch Tab (Boundary Hatch and Fill Dialog Box)

Defines the appearance of the hatch pattern to be applied.

112 | BHATCH
Type
Sets the pattern type.
Predefined Specifies a predefined AutoCAD pattern. These patterns
are stored in the acad.pat and acadiso.pat files. You can
control the angle and scale of any predefined pattern.
For predefined ISO patterns, you can also control the
ISO pen width.
Note When you use the Solid predefined pattern, the
boundary must be closed and must not intersect itself. In
addition, if the hatch area contains more than one loop,
the loops must not intersect. These limitations do not
apply to standard hatch patterns.
User Defined Creates a pattern of lines based on the current linetype
in your drawing. You can control the angle and spacing
of the lines in your user-defined pattern.
Custom Specifies a pattern that is defined in any custom PAT file
that you have added to the AutoCAD search path. (To
use the patterns in the supplied acad.pat and acadiso.pat
files, choose Predefined.) You can control the angle and
scale of any custom pattern.
Pattern
Lists the available predefined patterns. The six most recently used predefined
patterns appear at the top of the list. AutoCAD stores the selected pattern in
the HPNAME system variable. The Pattern option is available only if you set
Type to Predefined.
The [...] button displays the Hatch Pattern Palette dialog box (see page 119),
in which you can view preview images for all predefined patterns at once to
help you make a selection.
Swatch
Displays a preview of the selected pattern. You can click the swatch to display
the Hatch Pattern Palette dialog box (see page 119). When the SOLID pattern
is selected, you can click the right arrow to display a list of colors or the Select
Color dialog box (see page 172).

BHATCH | 113
 Custom Pattern
Lists the available custom patterns. The six most recently used custom pat-
terns appear at the top of the list. AutoCAD stores the selected pattern in the
HPNAME system variable. The Custom Pattern option is available only if you
set Type to Custom.
The [...] button displays the Hatch Pattern Palette dialog box (see page 119),
in which you can view preview images for all custom patterns at once to help
you make a selection.
Angle
Specifies an angle for the hatch pattern relative to the X axis of the current
UCS. AutoCAD stores the angle in the HPANG system variable.
Scale
Expands or contracts a predefined or custom pattern. AutoCAD stores the
scale in the HPSCALE system variable. This option is available only if you set
Type to Predefined or Custom.
Relative to Paper Space
Scales the hatch pattern relative to paper space units. Using this option, you
can easily display hatch patterns at a scale that is appropriate for your layout.
This option is available only from a layout.
Spacing
Specifies the spacing of lines in a user-defined pattern. AutoCAD stores the
spacing in the HPSPACE system variable. This option is available only if you
set Type to User Defined.
ISO Pen Width
Scales an ISO predefined pattern based on the selected pen width. This
option is available only if you set Type to Predefined and set Pattern to one
of the available ISO patterns.

114 | BHATCH
Advanced Tab (Boundary Hatch and Fill Dialog Box)
Defines how AutoCAD creates and hatches or fills boundaries.

Island Detection Style

Specifies the method used to hatch or fill objects within the outermost
boundary. If no internal boundaries exist, specifying an island detection style
has no effect. Because you can define a precise set of boundaries, its often
best to use the Normal style.

BHATCH | 115
 Normal Hatches or fills inward from the outer boundary. If
AutoCAD encounters an internal intersection, it turns
off hatching or filling until it encounters another
intersection. Thus, areas separated from the outside of
the hatched or filled area by an odd number of
intersections are hatched or filled, and areas separated
by an even number of intersections are not. You can
also set the Normal style by adding ,N to the pattern
name in the HPNAME system variable.
Outer Hatches or fills inward from the outer boundary.
AutoCAD turns hatching or filling off if it encounters
an internal intersection. Because this process starts
from both ends of each hatch or fill line, AutoCAD
hatches or fills only the outermost level of the structure
and leaves the internal structure blank. You can also set
the Outer style by adding ,O to the pattern name in the
HPNAME system variable.

.
. Ignore Ignores all internal objects and hatches or fills through
them. You can also set the Ignore style by adding ,I to
the pattern name in the HPNAME system variable.

Note Hatching concave curves with the Outer and Ignore styles can cause
hatching discrepancies.

The Normal, Outer, and Ignore options are also available from a shortcut
menu by right-clicking in the drawing area while you specify points or select
objects to define your boundaries.
Object Type
Specifies whether to retain boundaries as objects, and the object type that
AutoCAD applies to those objects.
Retain Adds the temporary boundary objects to the drawing.
Boundaries
Object Type Controls the type of the new boundary object.
AutoCAD creates the boundary as a region or a
polyline. This option is available only if you select
Retain Boundaries.
For more information about regions, see Create and
Combine Areas (Regions) in the Users Guide.

116 | BHATCH
Boundary Set
Defines the set of objects AutoCAD analyzes when defining a boundary from
a specified point. The selected boundary set has no effect when you use Select
Objects to define a boundary.
By default, when you use Pick Points to define a boundary, AutoCAD
analyzes all objects visible in the current viewport. By redefining the bound-
ary set, you can disregard certain objects when defining boundaries without
having to hide or remove those objects. For large drawings, redefining the
boundary set can also produce the boundary faster because AutoCAD exam-
ines fewer objects.
Current Viewport Defines the boundary set from everything visible in the
current viewport. Selecting this option discards any
current boundary set and uses everything visible in the
current viewport.
Existing Set Defines the boundary set from the objects that you
selected with New. If you have not created a boundary
set with New, the Existing Set option is not available.
New Prompts you to select the objects that define the
boundary set. AutoCAD includes only the hatchable or
fillable objects you select when it constructs the new
boundary set. AutoCAD discards any existing boundary
set, replacing it with the new boundary set defined by
the objects you select. If you dont select any objects,
AutoCAD retains any current set.
Until you exit BHATCH or create a new boundary set,
AutoCAD ignores objects that do not exist in the
boundary set when you define your boundaries by
using Pick Points.
Island Detection Method
Specifies whether to include objects within the outermost boundary as
boundary objects. These internal objects are known as islands.
Flood Includes islands as boundary objects.
Ray Casting Runs a line from the point you specify to the nearest
object and then traces the boundary in a
counterclockwise direction, thus excluding islands as
boundary objects.
Gap Tolerance
Treats a set of objects that almost enclose an area as a closed hatch boundary.
The default value, 0, specifies that the objects enclose the area, with no gaps.

BHATCH | 117
 Enter a value, in drawing units, from 0 to 5000 to set the maximum size of
gaps that can be ignored when the objects serve as a hatch boundary. Any
gaps equal to or smaller than the value you specify are ignored, and the
boundary is treated as closed. (HPGAPTOL system variable)

Gradient Tab (Boundary Hatch and Fill Dialog Box)

Defines the appearance of the gradient fill to be applied.

One Color
Specifies a fill that uses a smooth transition between darker shades and
lighter tints of one color. When One Color is selected, AutoCAD displays a
color swatch with Browse button and a Shade and Tint slider.
Two Color
Specifies a fill that uses a smooth transition between two colors. When Two
Color is selected, AutoCAD displays a color swatch with a Browse button for
color 1 and for color 2.
Color Swatch
Specifies the color for the gradient fill. Click the Browse button [...] to display
the Select Color dialog box, where you can select an AutoCAD Index color,
true color, or color book color. The default color displayed is the current color
in the drawing.
Shade and Tint Slider
Specifies the tint (the selected color mixed with white) or shade (the selected
color mixed with black) of a color to be used for a gradient fill of one color.

118 | BHATCH
Centered
Specifies a gradient configuration that is symmetrical. If this option is not
selected, the gradient fill is shifted up and to the left, creating the illusion of
a light source to the left of the object.
Angle
Specifies the angle of the gradient fill. The specified angle is relative to the
current UCS. This option is independent of the angle specified for hatch
patterns.
Gradient Patterns
Displays nine fixed patterns for gradient fills. These patterns include linear
sweep, spherical, and parabolic.

Hatch Pattern Palette Dialog Box

Displays preview images for all predefined and custom patterns. The dialog
box organizes patterns on four tabs with images arranged alphabetically on
each tab. Click an image to select a pattern and click OK.

ANSI Displays all ANSI patterns shipped with AutoCAD.

ISO Displays all ISO patterns shipped with AutoCAD.
Other Predefined Displays all patterns other than ANSI and ISO shipped
with AutoCAD.

BHATCH | 119
 Custom Displays all patterns defined in any custom PAT file that
you have added to the search path, which is set in the
Options dialog box, Files tab.

BHATCH Command Line

If you enter -bhatch at the Command prompt, BHATCH displays prompts on
the command line.
Specify internal point or [Properties/Select/Remove islands/Advanced/DRaw
order]: Specify a point or enter an option

Internal Point
Determines a boundary from existing objects visible on the screen that form
an enclosed area. If you turn on Island Detection, objects within the outer-
most boundary are detected as islands. Hatching applied is associative and in
the current style.

Properties
Specifies new hatch pattern properties to apply.
Enter a pattern name or [?/Solid/User defined] <current>: Enter a predefined or
custom pattern name, enter s, enter u, enter ?, or press ENTER

Pattern Name Specifies a predefined pattern in the acad.pat or

Predefined or acadiso.pat file or a custom pattern in its own PAT file.
Custom Enter the pattern name followed by an optional hatch
style code. Precede the pattern name with an asterisk (*)
to fill the area with individual lines instead of a hatch
block.
Specify a scale for the pattern <current>: Specify a scale or
press ENTER
Specify an angle for the pattern <current>: Specify an
angle or press ENTER

?List Pattern Lists and describes the hatch patterns defined in the
Names acad.pat file.
Pattern(s) to list <*>: Enter a name list or press ENTER

120 | BHATCH
Solid Specifies a solid fill and redisplays the first BHATCH
command line prompt, where you can define a
boundary.
Note The boundary of a solid-fill hatch must be closed
and must not intersect itself. In addition, if the hatch area
contains more than one loop, the loops must not intersect.
These limitations do not apply to standard hatch patterns.
User Defined Specifies a user-defined pattern. Enter u, followed by an
optional hatch style code. Precede the u with an asterisk
(*) to fill the area with individual lines instead of a
hatch block.
Specify angle for crosshatch lines <current>: Specify an
angle for the pattern or press ENTER
Specify spacing between the lines <current>: Specify the
distance between pattern lines or press ENTER
Double hatch area? [Yes/No] <current>: Enter y to specify
a second set of lines to be drawn at 90 degrees to the original
lines, or press ENTER

Select
Selects objects for hatching.
Select objects: Use an object selection method

Remove Islands
Removes from the boundary set objects defined as islands by the Internal
Point option.
Select island to remove: Select an island

Advanced
Sets the method AutoCAD uses to create the hatch boundary.
Enter an option [Boundary set/Retain boundary/Island detection/Style/
Associativity]: Enter an option or press ENTER to return to the previous prompt

Boundary Set
Defines the set of objects that AutoCAD analyzes when defining a boundary
from a specified internal point.
Specify candidate set for boundary [New/Everything] <current>: Enter an option
or press ENTER

BHATCH | 121
 New Creates a boundary set from a selection set you define.
Select objects: Use an object selection method

Everything Creates a boundary set from everything visible in the

current viewport. Selecting this option discards any
current boundary set and uses everything visible in the
drawing or in the current viewport.
Retain Boundary
Specifies whether to add the temporary boundary objects to the drawing
after hatching is completed.
Retain derived boundaries? [Yes/No] <current>: Enter y or n, or press ENTER

Island Detection
Specifies whether to use objects within the outermost boundary as boundary
objects.
Do you want island detection? [Yes/No] <current>: Enter y or n, or press ENTER

Specifying no island detection prompts for the ray casting method.

Enter type of ray casting [Nearest/+X/-X/+Y/-Y/Angle] <current>: Enter an
option or press ENTER

Nearest Runs a line from the point you specify to the nearest
object and then traces the boundary in a
ray casting counterclockwise direction.
direction (+X)
+X Runs a line in the positive X direction from the point
you specify to the first object encountered and then
traces the boundary in a counterclockwise direction.
-X Runs a line in the negative X direction from the point
you specify to the first object encountered and then
traces the boundary in a counterclockwise direction.
ray casting
direction (-X)
+Y Runs a line in the positive Y direction from the point
you specify to the first object encountered and then
traces the boundary in a counterclockwise direction.
-Y Runs a line in the negative Y direction from the point
you specify to the first object encountered and then
traces the boundary in a counterclockwise direction.

ray casting
direction (+Y)

122 | BHATCH
 Angle Runs a line at the specified angle from the point you
specify to the first object encountered and then traces
the boundary in a counterclockwise direction.
Specify ray casting angle: Specify an angle
Style
Specifies the method used to hatch objects within the outermost hatch
boundary. If you have selected no internal objects, a hatching style has no
effect. Because you can define a precise set of boundaries, its often best to use
ray casting the Normal style.
direction (-Y)
Enter hatching style [Ignore/Outer/Normal] <current>: Enter an option or press
ENTER

Ignore Ignores all internal objects and hatches through them.

AutoCAD stores the Ignore style code by adding ,I to the
pattern name in the HPNAME system variable.
Outer Hatches inward from the outer boundary. AutoCAD
turns hatching off if it encounters an internal
intersection and doesnt turn it back on. Because this
process starts from both ends of each hatch line,
AutoCAD hatches only the outermost level of the
structure and leaves the internal structure blank.
AutoCAD stores the Outer style code by adding ,O to
the pattern name in the HPNAME system variable.
Normal Hatches inward from the outer boundary. If AutoCAD
encounters an internal intersection, it turns off
hatching until it encounters another intersection.
Thus, areas separated from the outside of the hatched
area by an odd number of intersections are hatched,
while areas separated by an even number of
intersections are not. AutoCAD stores the Normal style
code by adding ,N to the pattern name in the HPNAME
system variable.
Associativity
Specifies that the new hatch pattern is updated when its boundaries are
modified.
A new hatch patterns associativity is set by the HPASSOC system variable.
Changing the associativity setting here also changes the setting in the
HPASSOC system variable.

Do you want associativity? [Yes/No] <current>: Enter y or n, or press ENTER

BHATCH | 123
 Gap Tolerance
Sets the maximum size of gaps that can be ignored when objects are used as
a hatch boundary. The default value, 0, specifies that the objects enclose the
area, with no gaps.
Specify a boundary gap tolerance value <0>: Enter a value, in drawing units, from
0 to 5000

Any gaps equal to or smaller than the value you specify in the gap tolerance
are ignored, and the boundary is treated as closed.

Draw Order
Specifies the draw order of the hatch or fill.
Enter draw order [do Not assign/send to Back/bring to Front/send beHind
boundary/bring in front of bounDary] <send beHind boundary>: Enter an
option, or press ENTER to accept the default and return to the previous prompt

BLIPMODE
Controls the display of marker blips
Command line: blipmode (or 'blipmode for transparent use)

Enter mode [ON/OFF] <current>: Enter on or off, or press ENTER

When Blip mode is on, a temporary mark in the shape of a plus sign (+)
appears where you specify a point. BLIPMODE is off by default.

objects drawn with objects drawn with

BLIPMODE on BLIPMODE off

To remove marker blips, use REDRAW, REGEN, ZOOM, PAN, or other com-
mands that redraw or regenerate the drawing.

124 | BLIPMODE
BLOCK
Creates a block definition from objects you select

Draw toolbar:
Draw menu: Block Make
Command line: block

The Block Definition dialog box is displayed.

If you enter block at the Command prompt, BLOCK displays prompts on the
command line (see page 127).

Block Definition Dialog Box

Defines and names a block.

BLOCK | 125
 Name
Names the block. The name can have up to 255 characters and can include
letters, numbers, blank spaces, and any special character not used by
Microsoft Windows and AutoCAD for other purposes, if the system vari-
able EXTNAMES is set to 1.
The block name and definition are saved in the current drawing.

Note You cannot use DIRECT, LIGHT, AVE_RENDER, RM_SDB, SH_SPOT, and
OVERHEAD as valid block names.

Base Point
Specifies an insertion base point for the block. The default value is 0,0,0.
X Specifies the X coordinate value.
Y Specifies the Y coordinate value.
Z Specifies the Z coordinate value.
Pick Insertion Temporarily closes the dialog box so that you can
Base Point specify an insertion base point in the current drawing.

Objects
Specifies the objects to include in the new block and whether to retain or
delete the selected objects or convert them to a block instance after you
create the block.
Select Objects Closes the Block Definition dialog box temporarily
while you select the objects for the block. When you
finish selecting objects, press ENTER to redisplay the
Block Definition dialog box.
Quick Select Displays the Quick Select dialog box (see page 785),
which defines a selection set.
Retain Retains the selected objects as distinct objects in the
drawing after you create the block.
Convert to Block Converts the selected objects to a block instance in the
drawing after you create the block.
Delete Deletes the selected objects from the drawing after you
create the block.
Objects Selected Displays the number of selected objects.

126 | BLOCK
Preview Icon
Determines whether to save a preview icon with the block definition and
specifies the source of the icon.
Do Not Include Specifies that no icon is created.
an Icon
Create Icon from Creates a preview icon to be saved with the block
Block Geometry definition from the geometry of the objects in the
block.
Preview Image Displays an image of the preview icon youve specified.

Drag and Drop Units

Specifies the units to which the block is scaled when it is dragged into a draw-
ing using DesignCenter or i-drop.

Description
Specifies the text description associated with the block.

Hyperlink
Opens the Insert Hyperlink dialog box (see page 414), which you can use to
associate a hyperlink with the block definition.

BLOCK Command Line

If you enter -block at the Command prompt, BLOCK displays prompts on the
command line.
Enter block name or [?]: Enter a name or ?

Block Name
Names the block. The name can have up to 255 characters and can include
letters, numbers, blank spaces, and any special character not used by
Microsoft Windows and AutoCAD for other purposes if the system variable
EXTNAMES is set to 1.

If you enter the name of an existing block, AutoCAD prompts you as follows:
Block NAME already exists. Redefine it? [Yes/No] <N>: Enter y or n, or press
ENTER

BLOCK | 127
 By redefining a block, you automatically update all references to that block.
Attributes attached to existing block references remain unchanged in the
drawing. However, new insertions of the block do not prompt for attributes
unless the attribute definitions are included in the new block definition (use
ATTREDEF to redefine blocks that contain attributes).

Specify insertion base point: Specify a point (1)

1
AutoCAD uses the point specified as the base point for subsequent insertions
of the block. Typically, a base point is the center of the block or its lower-left
corner. The base point is also the point about which you can rotate the block
during insertion. A block with 0 rotation is oriented according to the UCS in
effect when it was created. Entering a 3D point inserts the block at a specific
elevation. Omitting the Z coordinate uses the current elevation.
Select objects: Use an object selection method

AutoCAD defines a block using the objects selected, the insertion base point,
and the name provided, and then erases the selected objects from the draw-
ing. You can restore the deleted objects by entering the OOPS command
immediately after BLOCK.
objects selected
as a block The insertion base point becomes the origin of the blocks coordinate system,
which is parallel to the UCS in effect at the time that you define the block.
When you insert the block into a drawing, its coordinate system is aligned
parallel to the current UCS. Thus, you can insert a block at any orientation
in space by setting the UCS first.

?List Previously Defined Blocks

Lists the block names in the text window.
Enter block(s) to list <*>: Enter a name list or press ENTER

In the list, external references (xrefs) are indicated with the notation
Xref: resolved

In addition, externally dependent blocks (blocks in an xref) are indicated

with the notation
xdep: XREFNAME

128 | BLOCK
 where xrefname is the name of an externally referenced drawing. The follow-
ing terms are used in the list:

User Blocks: Number of user-defined blocks in the list.

External References: Number of xrefs in the list.
Dependent Blocks: Number of externally dependent blocks in the list.
Unnamed Blocks: Number of unnamed (anonymous) blocks in the
drawing.

BLOCKICON
Generates preview images for blocks displayed in DesignCenter
File menu: Drawing Utilities Update Block Icons
Command line: blockicon

Enter block names <*>: Specify block names, or press ENTER to update all blocks

Use this command to generate icons for blocks created with an earlier release
of AutoCAD. You can enter a series of comma-delimited block names or wild-
card characters. For example, enter b1,?2, to specify that block B1 and all
two-character blocks ending with 2 should be updated.
After you enter the block names, AutoCAD displays a message describing the
process as it proceeds. Press ESC at any time to stop.

BMPOUT
Saves selected objects to a file in device-independent bitmap format
Command line: bmpout

The Create Raster File dialog box (a standard file selection dialog box) is dis-
played. Enter the file name in the dialog box.
Select objects or <all objects and viewports>: Press ENTER to select all objects
and viewports or use an object selection method and press ENTER

AutoCAD creates a bitmap file that contains the objects you select. The file
reflects what is displayed on the screen.

Note When the FILEDIA system variable is set to 0 (Off), prompts are displayed
on the command line.

BLOCKICON | 129
BOUNDARY
Creates a region or a polyline from an enclosed area
Draw menu: Boundary
Command line: boundary

The Boundary Creation dialog box is displayed.

If you enter -boundary at the Command prompt, BOUNDARY displays
prompts on the command line (see page 131).

Boundary Creation Dialog Box

Defines the object type, boundary set, and island detection method for defin-
ing boundaries from points you specify. The Boundary Creation dialog box
is a limited version of the Boundary Hatch and Fill dialog box. To access the
other options in this dialog box, use BHATCH.

For information about all options in this dialog box, see Boundary Hatch
and Fill Dialog Box on page 109.
Once you set the available options, choose Pick Points to specify points in
your drawing to create the boundaries.

130 | BOUNDARY
 BOUNDARY Command Line
If you enter -boundary at the Command prompt, BOUNDARY displays
prompts on the command line.
Specify internal point or [Advanced options]: Specify a point or enter a

Internal Point
Creates a boundary from existing objects that form an enclosed area. Specify
a point inside the area.

Advanced Options
Sets the method AutoCAD uses to create the boundary.
Enter an option [Boundary set/Island detection/Object type]: Enter an option or
press ENTER to return to the previous prompt

Boundary Set Defines the set of objects AutoCAD analyzes when it

creates a boundary from a specified point. For
information about defining a boundary set on the
command line, see the BHATCH command line option
Advanced on page 121.
Island Detection Specifies whether AutoCAD uses objects within the
outermost boundary as boundary objects. For
information about specifying island detection on the
command line, see the BHATCH command line option
Advanced on page 121.
Object Type Specifies the type of object AutoCAD creates as the
boundary.
Enter type of boundary object [Region/Polyline] <current>:
Enter an option or press ENTER

BOX
Creates a three-dimensional solid box
Once you create a box, you cannot stretch it or change its size. However, you
can extrude the faces of a box with SOLIDEDIT.

Solids toolbar:
Draw menu: Solids Box

BOX | 131
 Command line: box

Specify corner of box or [CEnter]<0,0,0>: Specify a point (1) or press ENTER for
corner of box, or enter c for center

Corner of Box
Defines the first corner of the box.
Specify corner or [Cube/Length]: Specify a point (2) or enter an option
1
2
Corner Specifies the other corner of the box.
Specify height: Specify a distance

Entering a positive value draws the height along the

height positive Z axis of the current UCS. Entering a negative
value draws the height along the negative Z axis.
Cube Creates a box with sides of equal length.
Specify length: Specify a distance

Entering a positive value draws the length along the

positive X, Y, and Z axes of the current UCS. Entering a
negative value draws the length along the negative X,
Y, and Z axes.
length
Length Creates a box with length, width, and height values you
specify. The length corresponds to the X axis, the width
to the Y axis, and the height to the Z axis.
Specify length: Specify a distance
height Specify width: Specify a distance
Specify height: Specify a distance

length Entering a positive value draws the length, width, or

width height along the positive X, Y, and Z axes of the current
UCS. Entering a negative value draws the length, width,
or height along the negative X, Y, and Z axes.
Center
Creates the box by using a specified center point.
1
Specify center of box <0,0,0>: Specify a point (1) or press ENTER
Specify corner or [Cube/Length]: Specify a point or enter an option

132 | BOX
 Corner Specifies a point for the corner of the box.
Specify height: Specify a distance

Entering a positive value draws the height along the

positive Z axis of the current UCS. Entering a negative
value draws the height along the negative Z axis.
Cube Creates a box with sides of equal length.
Specify length: Specify a distance

Entering a positive value draws the length along the

length positive X, Y, and Z axes of the current UCS. Entering a
negative value draws the length along the negative X,
Y, and Z axes.
Length Creates a box with length, width, and height values you
specify. The length corresponds to the X axis, the width
to the Y axis, and the height to the Z axis.
Specify length: Specify a distance
Specify width: Specify a distance
height
Specify height: Specify a distance

length Entering a positive value draws the length, width, or

width height along the positive X, Y, and Z axes of the current
UCS. Entering a negative value draws the length, width,
or height along the negative X, Y, and Z axes.

BOX | 133
 BREAK
Breaks the selected object between two points

Modify toolbar:
Modify menu: Break
Command line: break

Select object: Use an object selection method, or specify the first break point (1)
on an object

The prompts that are displayed next depend on how you select the object. If
you select the object by using your pointing device, AutoCAD both selects
the object and treats the selection point as the first break point. At the next
prompt you can continue by specifying the second point or overriding the
2
1 first point.

before break Specify second break point or [First point]: Specify the second break point (2) or
enter f

Second Break Specifies the second point for AutoCAD to use to break
after break Point the object.
First Point Overrides the original first point with the new point
that you specify.
Specify first break point:
Specify second break point:

AutoCAD erases the portion of the object between the two points that you
specify. If the second point is not on the object, AutoCAD selects the nearest
point on the object; therefore, to break off one end of a line, arc, or polyline,
specify the second point beyond the end to be removed.
To split an object in two without erasing a portion, enter the same point for
both the first and second points. You can do this by entering @ to specify the
second point.
Lines, arcs, circles, polylines, ellipses, splines, donuts, and several other
object types can be split into two objects or have one end removed.
AutoCAD converts a circle to an arc by removing a piece of the circle starting
counterclockwise from the first to the second point.

134 | BREAK
 2 1

1 2

BROWSER
Launches the default web browser defined in your systems registry

Web toolbar:
Command line: browser

Enter Web location (URL) <current>: Press ENTER or enter a new location; you
dont need to enter http:// before the location

Pressing ENTER displays your web browser, which automatically connects to

the location you specify. Because BROWSER does not append http:// to web
locations, you can specify an FTP or file location to your default web browser.

Note BROWSER requires that you have Netscape Navigator 3.0 (or later) or
Microsoft Internet Explorer installed.

BROWSER | 135
136
CAL
Evaluates mathematical and geometric expressions
Command line: cal (or 'cal for transparent use)

CAL is an online 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 insert AutoLISP
variables into the arithmetic expression and assign the value of the expres-
sion back to an AutoLISP variable. You can use these arithmetic and vector
expressions in any AutoCAD command that expects points, vectors, or
numbers.

Understanding Syntax of Expressions

CAL evaluates expressions according to standard mathematical rules of
precedence:

Expressions in parentheses first, starting with the innermost set

Operators in standard order: exponents first, multiplication and division
second, and addition and subtraction last
Operators of equal precedence from left to right

Numeric Expressions
Numeric expressions are real integer numbers and functions combined with
the operators in the following table.

Numeric operators

Operator Operation

() Groups expressions

^ Indicates exponentiation

*,/ Multiplies, divides

+, Adds, subtracts

CAL | 137
 The following are examples of numeric expressions:
3
3 + 0.6
(5.8^2) + PI

Vector Expressions
A vector expression is a collection of points, vectors, numbers, and functions
combined with the operators in the following table.

Vector operators

Operator Operation

() Groups expressions

& Determines the vector product of vectors (as a vector)

[a,b,c]&[x,y,z] = [ (b*z) (c*y) , (c*x) (a*z) , (a*y) (b*x) ]

* Determines the scalar product of vectors (as a real number)

[a,b,c]*[x,y,z] = ax + by + cz

*, / Multiplies, divides a vector by a real number

a*[x,y,z] = [a*x,a*y,a*z]

+, Adds, subtracts vectors (points)

[a,b,c] + [x,y,z] = [a+x,b+y,c+z]

The following are examples of vector expressions:

A+[1,2,3] provides the point positioned [1,2,3] units relative to point A.
The expression
[2<45<45] + [2<45<0] [1.02, 3.5, 2]
adds two points and subtracts a third point. The first two points are in spher-
ical coordinates.

Formatting Feet and Inches

Enter feet and inches using the following format:
feet'-inches" or feet'inches"
The expression converts to a real number based on inches, as shown in the
following examples:

138 | CAL
2'-5" converts to 2*12+5 = 29
5" converts to 0*12+5 = 5
2' converts to 2*12+0 = 24

Formatting Angles
The default units for angles are decimal degrees. Enter angles using the fol-
lowing format:
degdmin'sec"
You must enter 0 and d (0d) when entering an angle that is less than 1 degree
(minutes and seconds only). You can omit the minutes or seconds if they are
zero.
Enter a number followed by r to enter angles in radians. Enter a number fol-
lowed by g to enter angles in grads.
The following examples show ways of entering angles:
124.6r
14g
5d10'20"
0d10'20"
AutoCAD converts angles entered in any format to decimal degrees.
Pi radians is equal to 180 degrees, and 100 grads is equal to 90 degrees.

Using Points and Vectors

Both points and vectors are pairs or triples of real numbers. A point defines
a location in space, but a vector defines a direction (or translation) in space.
Some CAL functions, such as pld and plt, return a point. Other functions,
such as nor and vec, return a vector.

Formatting Points and Vectors

A point or vector is a set of three real expressions enclosed in brackets ([ ]):
[r1,r2,r3]
The notation p1, p2, and so forth designates points. The notation v1, v2, and
so forth designates vectors. In drawings, points are displayed as dots, and vec-
tors are displayed as lines with arrows.

CAL | 139
 CAL supports points expressed in all AutoCAD formats.

Point formats

Coordinate system Point format

Polar [dist<angle]

Cylindrical [dist<angle,z]

Spherical [dist<angle1<angle2]

Relative Uses the @ prefix [@x,y,z]

WCS (instead of UCS) Uses the * prefix [*x,y,z]

You can omit the following components of a point or vector: coordinate

values of zero and a comma immediately preceding the right bracket (]).
The following are valid points:
[1,2] is the same as [1,2,0]
[,,3] is the same as [0,0,3]
[ ] is the same as [0,0,0]
In the following example, the point is entered in the relative spherical coor-
dinate system with respect to the (WCS). The distance is 1+2=3; the angles
are 10+20=30 degrees and 45 degrees, 20 minutes.
[@*1+2<10+20<45d20"]
The following is a valid point that contains arithmetic expressions as its
components:
[2*(1.0+3.3),0.41.1,2*1.4]
The following example uses the Endpoint object snap and the vector [2,0,3]
to calculate a point that is offset from a selected endpoint:
end + [2,,3]
The calculated point is offset 2 units in the X direction and 3 units in the Z
direction relative to the selected endpoint.

140 | CAL
Using AutoLISP Variables
You can use AutoLISP variables within arithmetic expressions. The variables
must be one of the following types: real, integer, or 2D or 3D point (vector).
This example defines a point positioned 5 units in the X direction and 1 unit
in the Y direction from the point stored in AutoLISP variable A.
A+[5,1]
If you enter an AutoLISP variable with a name containing a character with
special meaning in CAL, such as +, , *, or /, enclose the variable name in
apostrophes ('), for example:
'number-of-holes'

Assigning Values to AutoLISP Variables

To assign a value to an AutoLISP variable, precede the arithmetic expression
with the variable name and the equal sign (=). Later, you can use the value of
this variable for other calculations.
This example saves the values of two expressions in AutoLISP variables P1
and R1.
Command: cal
>> Expression: P1=cen+[1,0]
>> Select entity for CEN snap: Select a circle or an arc
Command: cal
>> Expression: R1=dist(end,end)/3
>> Select entity for END snap: Select an object with an endpoint

This example uses the values of variables P1 and R1:

Command: circle
Specify center point for circle or [3P/2P/Ttr (tangent tangent radius)]: 'cal
>> Expression: P1+[0,1]
Specify radius of circle or [Diameter] <last>: 'cal
>> Expression: R1+0.5

Using AutoCAD System Variables

You can use the getvar AutoLISP function to read the value of an AutoCAD
system variable.
The syntax is
(getvar "variable_name")

CAL | 141
 The following example uses getvar to obtain the point that is the center of
the view in the current viewport.
(setq c (getvar viewctr))

Converting Units of Measurement

The cvunit AutoLISP function converts either a number or a point from one
unit of measurement to another. See the acad.unt file for a list of units that
you can convert. The syntax is
cvunit(value, from_unit, to_unit)
The following example converts the value 1 from inches to centimeters:
cvunit(1,inch,cm)

Using Standard Numeric Functions

CAL supports the standard numeric functions in the following table.

Numeric functions

Function Description

sin(angle) Sine of the angle

cos(angle) Cosine of the angle

tang(angle) Tangent of the angle

asin(real) Arcsine of the number; the number must be between 1 and 1

acos(real) Arccosine of the number; the number must be between 1 and 1

atan(real) Arctangent of the number

ln(real) Natural log of the number

log(real) Base-10 log of the number

exp(real) Natural exponent of the number

exp10(real) Base-10 exponent of the number

sqr(real) Square of the number

sqrt(real) Square root of the number; the number must be nonnegative

142 | CAL
Numeric functions (continued)

Function Description

abs(real) Absolute value of the number

round(real) Number rounded to the nearest integer

trunc(real) Integer portion of the number

r2d(angle) Angles in radians converted to degrees; for example, r2d(pi) converts

the constant pi to 180 degrees

d2r(angle) Angles in degrees converted to radians; for example, d2r(180) converts

180 degrees to radians and returns the value of the constant pi

pi The constant pi

Calculating a Vector from Two Points

The functions vec and vec1 calculate a vector from two points.
vec(p1,p2) Provides the vector from point p1 to point p2.
vec1(p1,p2) Provides the unit vector from point p1 to point p2.
The following example uses CAL to move selected objects 3 units in the direc-
tion from the center of one selected circle to the center of another selected
circle:
Command: move
Select objects
Specify base point or displacement: 'cal
>> Expression: 3*vec1(cen,cen)
Select entity for CEN snap: Specify a circle or an arc
Specify second point of displacement or <use first point as displacement>:
Specify a point or press ENTER

CAL | 143
 The following examples illustrate the meaning of vector and point
calculations.

Examples of vector and point calculations

Expression Meaning

vec(a,b) Determines vector translation from point a to point b.

vec1(a,b) Determines unit vector direction from point a to point b.

L*vec1(a,b) Determines vector of length L in the direction from point a to

point b.

a+v Determines point b, which is a translation of the point a

through vector v.

a+[5<20] Determines point b positioned 5 units away from point a under

the angle of 20 degrees. Note that [5<20] is a vector in polar
coordinates.

b b a
a a

vec(a,b) vec1(a,b) L*vec1(a,b)

b
v
a
a

a+v a+[5<20]

144 | CAL
Calculating the Length of a Vector
The abs function calculates the length of a vector.
abs(v) Calculates the length of vector v, a nonnegative real
number.
In spherical coordinates (dist<ang<ang), the dist is the
length of the vector.
The following example calculates the length of the
vector [1,2,3]:
abs([1,2,3])

Obtaining a Point by Cursor

To enter a point using the pointing device, use the cur function. AutoCAD
prompts you to specify a point and uses the coordinate values of the point in
the expression. The point coordinate values are expressed in terms of the cur-
rent UCS. The cur function sets the value of the AutoCAD variable LAST-
POINT.

The following example adds the vector [3.6,2.4,0]the result of 1.2*[3,2]

to the point you select. This expression produces a point that is offset from
the selected point.
cur+1.2*[3,2]

Obtaining the Last-Specified Point

Use the @ character in the expression to obtain the coordinate of the last
point, as shown in the following example:
Command: line
Specify first point: 'cal
>> Expression: cen+[0,1]
>> Select entity for CEN snap: Select a circle or an arc
Specify next point or [Close/Undo]: 'cal
>> Expression: @+3*vec1(cen,cen)

The first point of the line is 1 unit in the Y direction from the center of the
first selected circle. The second point of the line is 3 units away from the first
point. The direction of the line is from the center of the first selected circle
to the center of the second selected circle.

CAL | 145
 Using AutoCAD Snap Modes in Arithmetic
Expressions
You can use the AutoCAD Snap modes as parts of arithmetic expressions.
AutoCAD prompts you to select an object and returns the coordinate of the
appropriate snap point. Using arithmetic expressions with Snap modes
greatly simplifies entering coordinates relative to other objects.
When you use these Snap modes, enter only the three-character name. For
example, when you use the Center Snap mode, enter cen. CAL Snap modes
set the value of the LASTPOINT system variable.

CAL Snap modes

Abbreviation Snap mode

END ENDPOINT

INS INSERT

INT INTERSECTION

MID MIDPOINT

CEN CENTER

NEA NEAREST

NOD NODE

QUA QUADRANT

PER PERPENDICULAR

TAN TANGENT

The following example uses the Center and Endpoint Snap modes in a CAL
expression:
(cen+end)/2
CAL prompts for a circle or arc and an object. It then determines the mid-
point between the center of the circle or arc and the end of the selected
object.

146 | CAL
Using the Midpoint Snap mode, in the following example CAL prompts for
an object and returns a point 1 unit in the Y direction from the midpoint of
the selected object:
mid+[,1]
The following example uses the Endpoint Snap mode to calculate the cen-
troid of a triangle defined by three endpoints:
(end+end+end)/3

Converting Points Between UCS and WCS

Normally, AutoCAD assumes all coordinates to be relative to the current
UCS. The following functions convert points between UCS and WCS.
w2u(p1) Converts point p1 expressed in the WCS to the current
UCS.
u2w(p1) Converts point p1 expressed in the current UCS to the
WCS.
You can use w2u to find the WCS origin in terms of the current UCS:
w2u([0,0,0])

Filtering the X, Y, and Z Components of a Point or Vector

The following functions filter the X, Y, and Z components of a point or
vector.

Point-filter functions

Function Description

xyof(p1) X and Y components of a point; Z component is set to 0.0

xzof(p1) X and Z components of a point; Y component is set to 0.0

yzof(p1) Y and Z components of a point; X component is set to 0.0

xof(p1) X component of a point; Y and Z components are set to 0.0

yof(p1) Y component of a point; X and Z components are set to 0.0

zof(p1) Z component of a point; X and Y components are set to 0.0

rxof(p1) X component of a point

CAL | 147
 Point-filter functions (continued)

Function Description

ryof(p1) Y component of a point

rzof(p1) Z component of a point

The following example provides the Z component of a point expressed in

spherical coordinates:
zof([2<45<45])
The following example provides a point whose X and Y coordinate values are
taken from point a and the Z coordinate value from point b:
xyof(a)+zof(b)

Calculating a Point on a Line

The plt and pld functions return a point on a given line. You can specify the
position of the point on the line either by its distance from the first point or
parametrically by a t parameter.
pld(p1,p2,dist) Calculates a point on the line passing through points p1
and p2. The parameter dist defines the distance of the
point from the point p1.
plt(p1,p2,t) Calculates a point on the line passing through points p1
and p2. The parameter t defines the parametric position
of the point on the line.
The following are examples of the parameter t:
If t=0 the point is p1
If t=0.5 the point is the midpoint between p1 and p2
If t=1 the point is p2

Rotating a Point About an Axis

The rot function rotates a point about an axis and returns the resulting point.
rot(p,origin,ang) Rotates point p through angle ang about the Z axis
passing through the point origin, as shown in the
following example:

148 | CAL
 ang

origin
p

rot(p,AxP1,AxP2, Rotates point p through an angle ang about the axis

ang) passing through points AxP1 and AxP2, as shown in the
following example. The axis is oriented from the first
point to the second point.

AxP2

ang

p
AxP1

Obtaining an Intersection Point

The ill and ilp functions determine intersection points.
ill(p1,p2,p3,p4) Determines the intersection point between two lines
(p1,p2) and (p3,p4). AutoCAD considers all points
three-dimensional.
ilp(p1,p2,p3,p4, Determines the intersection point between a line
p5) (p1,p2) and a plane passing through three points
(p3,p4,p5).

Calculating a Distance
dist(p1,p2) Determines the distance between two points, p1 and p2.
This is the same as the vector expression abs(p1p2).
dpl(p,p1,p2) Determines the shortest distance between point p and
the line passing through points p1 and p2.

CAL | 149
 p1

p2

shortest distance

90
p

dpp(p,p1,p2,p3) Determines the distance from a point p to a plane

defined by three points (p1,p2,p3).
dist(p1,p2) Determines the distance between two points, p1 and p2.
This is the same as the vector expression abs(p1p2).

p2 90

p3
p1

The following example returns half the distance

between the centers of two selected objects:
dist(cen,cen)/2

The following example finds the distance between the

point 3,2,4 and a plane you define by selecting three
endpoints:
dpp([3,2,4],end, end, end)

Obtaining a Radius
The rad function determines the radius of a selected object.

150 | CAL
rad Determines the radius of a selected object. The object
can be a circle, an arc, or a 2D polyline arc segment.
The following example uses rad with the CIRCLE
command. The radius of the new circle is two-thirds of
the radius of the selected polyline arc segment:
Command: circle

Specify center point for circle or [3P/2P/Ttr (tangent tan-

gent radius)]: cen
of Select the circle
Specify radius of circle or [Diameter] <last>: 'cal
>> Expression: 2/3*rad
>> Select circle, arc or polyline segment for RAD
function: Select the circle

arc

new circle

center

Obtaining an Angle
The ang function determines the angle between two lines. Angles are
measured counterclockwise with respect to either the X axis, in the two-
dimensional case, or to a user-specified axis, in the three-dimensional case.
ang(v) Determines the angle between the X axis and vector v.
The vector v is considered 2D, projected on the XY
plane of the current UCS.
ang(p1,p2) Determines the angle between the X axis and the line
(p1,p2), oriented from p1 to p2. The points are
considered 2D, projected on the XY plane of the current
UCS.
ang(apex,p1,p2) Determines the angle between lines (apex,p1) and
(apex,p2). The points are considered 2D, projected on
the XY plane of the current UCS.

CAL | 151
 ang(apex,p1,p2, Determines the angle between lines (apex,p1) and
p) (apex,p2). The lines are considered 3D. The last
parameter, point p, is used to define the orientation of
the angle. The angle is measured counterclockwise with
respect to the axis going from apex to p.
The following examples show how angles are measured.

p2

v
p1

X
0,0 0,0
ang(v) ang(p1, p2)

p2 p
Y

apex p2

apex
p1

X
0,0 p1
ang(p1,p2) ang (apex,p1,p2,p)

You can determine the angle between the two sides of a triangle using the
ang function, as shown in the following example:
Command: cal
>> Expression: ang(end,end,end)

Select the apex of the angle, and then select the two opposite vertices.

Calculating a Normal Vector

The nor function calculates the unit normal vector (a vector perpendicular to
a line or plane), not a point. The vector defines the direction of the normal,
not a location in space. You can add this normal vector to a point to obtain
another point.

152 | CAL
nor Determines the three-dimensional unit normal vector
of a selected circle, arc, or polyline arc segment. This
normal vector is the Z coordinate of the object
coordinate system (OCS) of the selected object.
nor(v) Determines the two-dimensional unit normal vector to
vector v. Both vectors are considered 2D, projected on
the XY plane of the current UCS. The orientation of the
resulting normal vector points to the left of the original
vector v.
nor(p1,p2) Determines the 2D unit normal vector to line p1,p2.
The line is oriented from p1 to p2. The orientation of
the resulting normal vector points to the left from the
original line (p1,p2).
nor(p1,p2,p3) Determines the 3D unit normal vector to a plane
defined by the three points p1, p2, and p3. The
orientation of the normal vector is such that the given
points go counterclockwise with respect to the normal.
The following illustrations show how normal vectors are calculated:

nor nor(v)

p3
p2

p2
p1
p1
nor (p1,p2) nor (p1,p2,p3)

CAL | 153
 The following example sets the view direction perpendicular to a selected
object. AutoCAD displays the object in plan view and does not distort the
object by the parallel projection.
Command: vpoint
Current view direction: VIEWDIR=current
Specify a view point or [Rotate] <display compass and tripod>: 'cal
>> Expression: nor
>> Select circle, arc or polyline for NOR function:

Using Shortcut Functions

The functions in the table are shortcuts for commonly used expressions that
combine a function with the Endpoint Snap mode.

Shortcut functions

Function Shortcut for Description

dee dist(end,end) Distance between two endpoints

ille ill(end,end,end,end) Intersection of two lines defined by four

endpoints

mee (end+end)/2 Midpoint between two endpoints

nee nor(end,end) Unit vector in the XY plane and normal to two

endpoints

vee vec(end,end) Vector from two endpoints

vee1 vec1(end,end) Unit vector from two endpoints

154 | CAL
CAMERA
Sets a different camera and target location
Setting the camera and target locations gives you a different view of objects
in your drawing.

camera at A, target at B

camera location and target point camera at B, target at A

View toolbar:
Command line: camera

Current camera position is: current

Current camera target is: current
Specify new camera position <current>: Enter a value or specify a point

Sets the point from which you view the objects in your model.
Specify new camera target <current>: Enter a value or specify a point

Sets the point in your model that you are viewing.

To set the camera and target locations for a 3D Orbit view, enter the CAMERA
command before starting 3DORBIT.

CAMERA | 155
CHAMFER
Bevels the edges of objects
If both objects you want to chamfer are on the same layer, the chamfer is
created on that layer. Otherwise, the chamfer is created on the current layer.
This is also true for color, linetype, and lineweight.

Modify toolbar:
Modify menu: Chamfer
Command line: chamfer

(TRIM mode) Current chamfer Dist1 = current, Dist2 = current

Select first line or [Polyline/Distance/Angle/Trim/Method/mUltiple]:

first selected line second selected line result

Note Chamfering an associative hatch whose boundary was defined from line
segments removes hatch associativity. If you defined the boundary from a
polyline, associativity is maintained.

First Line
Specifies the first of two edges required to define a two-dimensional chamfer,
or the edge of a three-dimensional solid to chamfer.
Select second line:

If the two lines you select are polyline segments, they must be adjacent to
each other or separated by no more than one segment. If theyre separated
by one line or arc segment, AutoCAD deletes the segment and replaces it with
a chamfer line.
If you select an edge on a 3D solid, you must indicate which one of the two
surfaces adjacent to the edge is the base surface.
Base surface selection...
Enter surface selection option [Next/OK (current)] <OK>: Enter n or o, or press
ENTER

156 | CHAMFER
Entering o or pressing ENTER sets the selected surface as the base surface.
Entering n selects either of the two surfaces adjacent to the selected edge.
Specify base surface chamfer distance <current>:
Specify other surface chamfer distance <current>:

After you select the base surface and the chamfer distances, select the edges
of the base surface to chamfer. You can select edges individually or all the
edges at once.
Select an edge or [Loop]: Select an edge, enter l, or press ENTER

first edge selected first base surface second base surface

Edge
Selects an individual edge to chamfer.

select edge edge selected chamfered edge

Loop
Switches to Edge Loop mode.
Select an edge loop or [Edge]: Select an edge, enter e, or press ENTER

Edge Loop Selects all edges on the base surface.

CHAMFER | 157
 selecting edge loop edge selected chamfered
edge loop

Edge Switches to Edge mode.

Polyline
Chamfers an entire 2D polyline.
Select 2D polyline:

AutoCAD chamfers the intersecting line segments at each vertex of the

polyline. Chamfers become new segments of the polyline.
If the polyline includes segments that are too short to accommodate the
chamfer distance, those segments are not chamfered.

selected polyline result

Distance
Sets the distance of the chamfer from the endpoint of the selected edge.
Specify first chamfer distance <current>:
Specify second chamfer distance <current>:

equal distances unequal distances

If you set both distances to zero, AutoCAD extends or trims the two lines so
they end at the same point.

158 | CHAMFER
Angle
Sets the chamfer distances using a chamfer distance for the first line and an
angle for the second line.
Specify chamfer length on the first line <current>:
Specify chamfer angle from the first line <current>:

chamfer distance
first
selected

second angle
selected

Trim
Controls whether AutoCAD trims the selected edges to the chamfer line
endpoints.
Enter Trim mode option [Trim/No trim] <current>:

Note Trim sets the TRIMMODE system variable to 1; No Trim sets TRIMMODE to
0.

If the TRIMMODE system variable is set to 1, CHAMFER trims the intersecting

lines to the endpoints of the chamfer line. If the selected lines do not inter-
sect, AutoCAD extends or trims them so that they do. If TRIMMODE is set to
0, AutoCAD creates the chamfer without trimming the selected lines.

Method
Controls whether AutoCAD uses two distances or a distance and an angle to
create the chamfer.
Enter trim method [Distance/Angle] <current>:

Multiple
Bevels the edges of more than one set of objects. AutoCAD displays the main
prompt and the Select Second Object prompt repeatedly until you press
ENTER to end the command.

CHAMFER | 159
 If you enter an option other than First Object at the main prompt, the
prompts for that option are displayed and then the main prompt is displayed
again.
All the chamfers you created with the Multiple option are removed if you
click Undo.

CHANGE
Changes the properties of existing objects
Command line: change

Select objects:

Except for zero-thickness lines, the objects selected must be parallel to the
current user coordinate system (UCS).
If you select lines and other changeable objects in the same selection set, you
get varying results depending on the object selection sequence. The easiest
way to use CHANGE is to select only lines in a selection set or select only
objects other than lines in a selection set.
Specify change point or [Properties]: Specify a new point, or press ENTER to enter
new values

Change Point or Values

Changes the selected objects. The result depends on the type of objects you
select.
Lines Moves the endpoints of the selected lines that are
closest to the change point to the new point, unless
Ortho mode is on. If Ortho mode is on, AutoCAD
modifies the selected lines so that they become parallel
to either the X or the Y axis rather than moving their
endpoints to the specified coordinate.

2 2
1 1
Ortho off Ortho on

Circles Changes the circle radius. If you selected more than one
circle, AutoCAD moves on to the next circle and repeats
the prompt.
Specify new circle radius <no change>:

160 | CHANGE
Text Changes text position and other properties.
Specify new text insertion point <no change>:

Specifying a new location repositions the text. Pressing

ENTER leaves the text in its original position.

Enter new text style <current>:

If the text has a fixed height, AutoCAD skips the next

prompt.
Specify new height <current>:
Specify new rotation angle <current>:
Enter new text <current>:

AutoCAD highlights the next object and displays the

prompts relating to it.
Attribute Changes the text and text properties of an attribute that
Definitions is not part of a block.
Specify new text insertion point:

Specifying a new location repositions the text. Pressing

ENTER leaves the text at its original position.

Enter new text style <current>:

If the text has a fixed height, AutoCAD skips the next

prompt.
Specify new height <current>:
Specify new rotation angle <current>:
Enter new text <current>:
Enter new tag <current>:
Enter new prompt <current>:
Enter new default value <current>:

CHANGE | 161
 Blocks Changes the location or rotation of a block.
Specify new block insertion point: Specify a point (1), or
press ENTER

Specifying a new location repositions the block.

1 Pressing ENTER leaves the block in its original position.
Specify new block rotation angle <current>:

AutoCAD rotates the block about its insertion point to

the specified angle.

Properties
Modifies properties of existing objects.
Enter property to change [Color/Elev/LAyer/LType/ltScale/LWeight/Thickness/
PLotstyle]:

Note The Plotstyle option is displayed only when you are using named plot
styles.

If you select several objects with different values for the property you want
to change, AutoCAD displays varies as the current value.
You can change several properties at a time. The Enter Property to Change
prompt is redisplayed after each option is completed.

Color
Changes the color of the selected objects.
Enter new color [Truecolor/COlorbook]<current>: Enter a color name or a
number from 1 through 255, enter t, enter co, enter bylayer or byblock, or press
ENTER

162 | CHANGE
For example, to change a color to red, enter red or 1. If you enter bylayer, the
object assumes the color of the layer on which it is located. If you enter
byblock, the object inherits the color of the block of which it is a component.
True Color Specifies a true color to be used for the selected object.
Red, Green, Blue: Enter three integer values from 0 to 255
separated by commas to specify a true color

Color Book Specifies a color from a loaded color book to be used for
the selected object.
Enter Color Book name: Enter the name of a color book that
has been installed, such as PANTONE

If you enter a color book name, AutoCAD prompts you

to enter the color name in the color book.
Enter color name: Enter the name of a color included in the
selected color book, such as Pantone573

Elev
Changes the Z-axis elevation of 2D objects.
Specify new elevation <current>:

You can change the elevation of an object only if all its points have the same
Z value.

CHANGE | 163
z z
Layer
Changes the layer of the selected objects.
y
y Enter new layer name <current>:

Ltype
x x
Changes the linetype of the selected objects.
Elev = 0 Elev = 2
Enter new linetype name <current>:

If the new linetype is not loaded, AutoCAD tries to load it from the standard
linetype library file, acad.lin. If this procedure fails, use LINETYPE to load the
linetype.

Ltscale
Changes the linetype scale factor of the selected objects.
Specify new linetype scale <current>:

Lweight
Changes the lineweight of the selected objects. Lineweight values are pre-
defined values. If you enter a value that is not a predefined value, the closest
predefined lineweight is assigned to the selected objects.
Enter new lineweight <current>:

Thickness
Changes the Z-direction thickness of 2D objects.
Specify new thickness <current>:

Changing the thickness of a 3D polyline, dimension, or layout viewport

object has no effect.

Plotstyle
Changes the plot style of the selected objects. A plot style is a collection of
property settings that is saved in a plot style table.
Enter Plot Style or [?] <current>: Enter a name or enter ?

164 | CHANGE
 Plot Style Assigns the plot style to the selected objects. When you
plot the drawing, objects are plotted with the properties
defined in the designated plot style. Plot styles assigned
to objects can be overridden by other plot style
assignments.
?List Plot Styles Lists all the plot style names defined in the drawing.

CHECKSTANDARDS
Checks the current drawing for standards violations

CAD Standards toolbar:

Tools menu: CAD Standards Check
Command line: checkstandards

The Check Standards dialog box is displayed.

Check Standards Dialog Box

Analyzes the current drawing for standards violations.
Problem Provides a description of a nonstandard object in the
current drawing. To fix a problem, select a replacement
from the Replace With list, and then click Fix.
Replace With Lists possible replacements for the current standards
violation. If a recommended fix is available, it is
preceded by a check mark. If a recommended fix is not
available, no items are highlighted in the Replace With
list.
Preview of Indicates the properties of the nonstandard AutoCAD
Changes object that will be changed if the fix currently selected
in the Replace With list is applied.
Fix Fixes the nonstandard AutoCAD object using the item
currently selected in the Replace With list, and
advances to the next nonstandard object in the current
drawing. This button is unavailable if a recommended
fix does not exist or if an item is not highlighted in the
Replace With list.
Next Problem Advances to the next nonstandard AutoCAD object in
the current drawing without applying a fix.

CHECKSTANDARDS | 165
 Mark This Flags the current problem as ignored. If the Show
Problem as Ignored Problems option is turned off in the CAD
Ignored Standards Settings dialog box, problems flagged as
ignored are not displayed the next time the drawing is
checked.
Settings Displays the CAD Standards Settings dialog box, which
specifies additional settings for the Check Standards
dialog box and the Configure Standards dialog box.
Close Closes the Check Standards dialog box without
applying a fix to the standards violation currently
displayed in Problem.

CHPROP
Changes the color, layer, linetype, linetype scale factor, lineweight, thickness, and plot style
of an object
Command line: chprop

Select objects:
Enter property to change [Color/LAyer/LType/ltScale/LWeight/Thickness/
PLotstyle]:

Note The Plotstyle option is displayed only when you are using named plot
styles.

If you select several objects with different values for the property you want
to change, AutoCAD displays varies as the current value.

Color
Changes the color of the selected objects.
Enter new color [Truecolor/COlorbook]<current>: Enter a color name or a
number from 1 through 255, enter t, enter co, enter bylayer or byblock, or press
ENTER

166 | CHPROP
For example, to change a color to red, enter red or 1. If you enter bylayer, the
object assumes the color of the layer on which it is located. If you enter
byblock, the object inherits the color of the block of which it is a component.
True Color Specifies a true color to be used for the selected object.
Red, Green, Blue: Enter three integer values from 0 to 255
separated by commas to specify a true color

Color Book Specifies a color from a loaded color book to be used for
the selected object.
Enter Color Book name: Enter the name of a color book that
has been installed, such as PANTONE

If you enter a color book name, AutoCAD prompts you

to enter the color name in the color book.
Enter color name: Enter the name of a color included in the
selected color book, such as Pantone573

Layer
Changes the layer of the selected objects.
Enter new layer name <current>:

Ltype
Changes the linetype of the selected objects.
Enter new linetype name <current>:

If the new linetype is not loaded, AutoCAD tries to load it from the standard
linetype library file, acad.lin. If this procedure fails, use LINETYPE to load the
linetype.

Ltscale
Changes the linetype scale factor of the selected objects.
Specify new linetype scale <current>:

CHPROP | 167
 Lweight
Changes the lineweight of the selected objects. Lineweight values are pre-
defined values. If you enter a value that is not a predefined value, the closest
predefined lineweight is assigned to the selected objects.
Enter new lineweight <current>:

Thickness
Changes the Z-direction thickness of 2D objects.
Specify new thickness <current>:

Changing the thickness of a 3D polyline, dimension, or layout viewport

object has no effect.

Plotstyle
Changes the plot style of the selected objects. A plot style is a collection of
property settings that is saved in a plot style table. This option is displayed
only when you are using named plot styles.
Enter Plot Style or [?] <current>: Enter a name or enter ?

Plot Style Assigns the plot style to the selected objects. When you
plot the drawing, objects are plotted with the properties
defined in the designated plot style. Plot styles assigned
to objects can be overridden by other plot style
assignments.
?List Plot Styles Lists all the plot styles defined in the drawing.

168 | CHPROP
 CIRCLE
Creates a circle
You can create a circle by beginning with the center point or one of three
points on the circumference, or you can select objects to which the circle is
tangent.

Note To draw an isometric circle, use the Isocircle option of the ELLIPSE com-
mand. The Isocircle option is available for ELLIPSE only when the Style option of
Snap mode is set to Isometric (see DSETTINGS).

Draw toolbar:
Draw menu: Circle
Command line: circle

Specify center point for circle or [3P (Three Points)/2P (Two Points)/Ttr (tan tan
radius)]: Specify a point or enter an option

Center Point
1 Draws a circle based on a center point and a diameter or a radius.
Specify radius of circle or [Diameter]: Specify a point, enter a value, enter d, or
press ENTER
2
radius Radius Defines the radius of the circle. Enter a value, or specify
a point (2). The distance between this point and the
center point determines the radius of the circle.
Draws a circle using the center point and a specified
1 Diameter
distance for the diameter.
2 Specify diameter of circle <current>: Specify a point (2),
diameter enter a value, or press ENTER

CIRCLE | 169
 1 3P (Three Points)
2 Draws a circle based on three points on the circumference.
Specify first point on circle: Specify a point (1)
Specify second point on circle: Specify a point (2)
3
3P Specify third point on circle: Specify a point (3)

1
2P (Two Points)
Draws a circle based on two endpoints of the diameter.
Specify first endpoint of circles diameter: Specify a point (1)
2 Specify second endpoint of circles diameter: Specify a point (2)
2P
TTR (Tangent, Tangent, Radius)
Draws a circle with a specified radius tangent to two objects.
Specify point on object for first tangent of circle: Select a circle, arc, or line
Specify point on object for second tangent of circle: Select a circle, arc, or line
Specify radius of circle <current>:

Sometimes more than one circle matches the specified criteria. AutoCAD
tan, tan, radius draws the circle of the specified radius whose tangent points are closest to the
selected points.

CLEANSCREENON
Clears the screen of all user interface items except the menu bar and the status bar
View menu: Clean Screen
Command line: cleanscreenon

The screen displays only the menu bar, the Model and layout tabs at the bot-
tom of the drawing, and the command line. Use CLEANSCREENOFF to restore
display of toolbars, tool palette windows, the Properties palette, and
DesignCenter. Press CTRL +0 (zero) to switch between CLEANSCREENON and
CLEANSCREENOFF.

170 | CLEANSCREENON
CLEANSCREENOFF
Restores display of toolbars, tool palette windows, Properties palette, and DesignCenter
View menu: Clean Screen
Command line: cleanscreenoff

Restores the state of the display before CLEANSCREENON was used. Use
CLEANSCREENON to clear the screen of all user interface items except the
menu bar and the status bar. Press CTRL +0 (zero) to switch between
CLEANSCREENON and CLEANSCREENOFF.

CLOSE
Closes the current drawing
File menu: Close
Command line: close

AutoCAD closes the current drawing. If you modified the drawing since it
was last saved, AutoCAD prompts you to save or discard the changes.
You can close a file that has been opened in Read-only mode if you have
made no changes or if you are willing to discard changes. To save changes to
a read-only file, you must use the SAVEAS command.

CLOSEALL
Closes all currently open drawings
Window menu: Close All
Command line: closeall

Closes all open drawings. A message box is displayed for each unsaved draw-
ing, in which you can save any changes to the drawing before closing it.

COLOR
Sets the color for new objects
Format menu: Color
Command line: color (or 'color for transparent use)

The Select Color dialog box is displayed.

CLEANSCREENOFF | 171
 If you enter -color at the Command prompt, COLOR displays prompts on the
command line (see page 176).

Select Color Dialog Box

You can use the Select Color dialog box to define the color of objects by
selecting from the 255 AutoCAD Color Index (ACI) colors, true colors, and
Color Book colors.

color numbers
10249

color numbers 19
color BYBLOCK or
color numbers
BYLAYER
250255

color name current color

or number preview tile

Index Color Tab (Select Color Dialog Box)

Specifies color settings using the 255 AutoCAD Color Index (ACI) colors.
AutoCAD Color Index (ACI)
Specifies a color for new objects using the AutoCAD Color Index. This palette
contains colors 1 through 255. If you select an ACI color, the name or num-
ber of the color is displayed in the Color box as the current color.
Index Color
Indicates the ACI color value for the selected color.
Red, Green, Blue
Indicates the RGB color value for the selected color.
Bylayer
Specifies that new objects assume the color assigned to the layer on which
you create them. The colors being used in available layers are displayed next
to the BYLAYER button. When you click this button, the color assigned to the
objects layer is selected.

172 | COLOR
Byblock
Specifies that new objects use the default color (white or black, depending on
your background color) until you group the objects into a block and insert
the block. When you insert the block into a drawing, the objects in the block
inherit the current Color setting. The colors being used in available blocks are
displayed next to the BYBLOCK button. Once the new object is part of a block,
the color assigned to the block is selected.

Note The BYLAYER and BYBLOCK options do not apply to the LIGHT command.

Color
Specifies a color name, the BYLAYER and BYBLOCK colors, or an ACI number
of 1 through 255. The New color swatch shows the objects current color.
Old
Displays the previously selected color of the object.
New
Displays the currently selected color of the object.

True Color Tab (Select Color Dialog Box)

Specifies color settings using true colors (24-bit color) with either the Hue,
Saturation, and Luminance (HSL) color model or the Red, Green, and Blue
(RGB) color model. Over sixteen million colors are available when using true
color functionality.
HSL Color Model
Specifies to use the HSL color model for selecting colors. The options avail-
able on the True Color tab are dependent on whether the HSL or RGB color
model is specified.
Hue, saturation, and luminance are properties of colors. By manipulating the
values of these properties, you can specify a wide range of colors.
Hue Specifies the hue of a color. Hues represent a specific
wavelength of light within the visible spectrum. To
specify a hue, move the crosshairs (from side to side)
over the color spectrum or specify a value in the Hue
box. Adjusting this value affects the RGB value. Valid
hue values are from 0 to 360 degrees.

COLOR | 173
 Saturation Specifies the purity of a color. High saturation causes a
color to look more pure while low saturation causes a
color to look washed-out. To specify color saturation,
move the crosshairs (from top to bottom) over the color
spectrum or specify a value in the Saturation box.
Adjusting this value affects the RGB value. Valid
saturation values are from 0 to 100%.
Luminance Specifies the brightness of a color. To specify color
luminance, adjust the bar on the color slider or specify
a value in the Luminance box. Valid luminance values
are from 0 to 100%. A value of 0% represents the color
black, 100% represents white, and 50% represents the
optimal brightness for the color. Adjusting this value
also affects the RGB value.
RGB Color Model
Specifies to use the RGB color model for selecting colors. The options avail-
able on the True Color tab are dependent on whether the HSL or RGB color
model is specified.
Colors can be broken down into components of red, green, and blue. The val-
ues specified for each component represent the intensity of the red, green,
and blue components. The combination of these values can be manipulated
to create a wide range of colors.
Red Specifies the red component of a color. Adjust the slider
on the color bar or specify a value from 1 to 255 in the
Red box. If this value is adjusted, it will be reflected in
the HSL color mode values.
Green Specifies the green component of a color. Adjust the
slider on the color bar or specify a value from 1 to 255
in the Green box. If this value is adjusted, it will be
reflected in the HSL color mode values.
Blue Specifies the blue component of a color. Adjust the
slider on the color bar or specify a value from 1 to 255
in the Blue box. If this value is adjusted, it will be
reflected in the HSL color mode values.

174 | COLOR
Color
Specifies the RGB color value. This option is updated when changes are made
to HSL or RGB options. You can also edit the RGB value directly using the fol-
lowing format: 000,000,000.
True Color Stored as RGB
Indicates the value for each RGB color component.
Old
Displays the previously selected color of the object.
New
Displays the currently selected color of the object.

Color Books Tab (Select Color Dialog Box)

Specifies colors using third-party color books (such as PANTONE ) or user-
defined color books. Once a color book is selected, the Color Books tab
displays the name of the selected color book.
Color Book
Specifies the color book to be used when selecting colors. You can select a
color book from the drop-down list. This list consists of all the color books
that are found in the Color Book Locations specified in the Options dialog
box.
To load a color book, use the Color Book Locations option in the Options dia-
log box, on the Files tab. The default location for color books is \sup-
port\color. If there are no color books installed, the Color Book drop-down list
is unavailable.
When you select a color book, the colors and the assigned color names are
displayed. AutoCAD supports color books containing up to 10 colors per
page. If a color book is not paginated, AutoCAD organizes the colors into
pages containing 7 colors per page.

COLOR | 175
 To navigate through color book pages, select an area on the color slider or use
the up and down arrows to browse the color book. The corresponding colors
and color names are displayed by page as you navigate through the color
book.
RGB Equivalent
Indicates the value for each RGB color component.
Color
Indicates the currently selected color book color.
Old
Displays the previously selected color of the object.
New
Displays the currently selected color of the object.

COLOR Command Line

If you enter -color at the Command prompt, COLOR displays prompts on the
command line.
Enter default object color [Truecolor/COlorbook]<BYLAYER>: Enter a color, enter
t, enter co, or press ENTER

You can enter a color from the AutoCAD Color Index (a color name or num-
ber), a true color, or a color from a color book.
You can enter the color number (1 through 255) or the color name (the
names for the first seven colors). For example, you can specify the color red
by entering the ACI number 1 or the ACI name red.
You can also enter bylayer or byblock. If you enter byblock, AutoCAD draws
all new objects in the default color (white or black, depending on your back-
ground color) until they are grouped into a block. When you insert the block
in a drawing, the objects in the block inherit the current setting of COLOR.

Warning! If you used a mixture of color methods to draw the objects that
make up a block, inserting that block or changing its color produces complex
results.

If you enter bylayer, new objects assume the color assigned to the layer on
which you create them. See the LAYER command for information about
assigning a color to a layer.

176 | COLOR
 True Color
Specifies a true color to be used for the selected object.
Red, Green, Blue: Enter three integer values from 0 to 255 separated by commas
to specify a true color

Color Book
Specifies a color from a loaded color book to be used for the selected object.
Enter Color Book name: Enter the name of a color book that has been installed,
such as Pantone

If you enter a color book name, AutoCAD prompts you to enter the color
name in the color book.
Enter color name: Enter the name of a color included in the selected color book,
such as Pantone 573

COMPILE
Compiles shape files and PostScript font files
Before you can use AutoCAD shape files as fonts or shapes in a drawing, you
must compile or convert them into SHX files. You can then use LOAD to
insert the SHX files into a drawing. Compiling PostScript font PFB files
improves the loading speed of drawings that use them.
Command line: compile

AutoCAD displays the Select Shape or Font File dialog box (a standard file
selection dialog box). Enter the SHP or PFB file name in the dialog box.
AutoCAD compiles it into a file with this name, and automatically adds the
file name extension .shx.

CONE
Creates a three-dimensional solid cone
A cone is a solid primitive with a circular or elliptical base tapering symmet-
rically to a point perpendicular to its base.

Solids toolbar:
Draw menu: Solids Cone

COMPILE | 177
 Command line: cone

Current wire frame density: ISOLINES=current

1 Specify center point for base of cone or [Elliptical] <0,0,0>: Specify a point (1),
enter e, or press ENTER

Center Point for Base

Defines the center of the circular base of the cone.
Specify radius for base of cone or [Diameter]: Specify a distance or enter d

Radius for Base

Defines the radius of the circle.
Specify height of cone or [Apex]: Specify a distance or enter a

Height Defines the height of the cone. Entering a positive

value draws the height along the positive Z axis of the
current UCS. Entering a negative value draws the height
along the negative Z axis.
Apex Specifies the apex of the cone, which defines the height
of the cone and the orientation with respect to the Z
axis.
Specify apex point:

Diameter
Defines the diameter of the circular base of the cone.
Specify diameter for base of cone: Specify a distance
Specify height of cone or [Apex]: Specify a distance or enter a

Height Defines the height of the cone. Entering a positive

value draws the height along the positive Z axis of the
current UCS. Entering a negative value draws the height
along the negative Z axis.

178 | CONE
 Apex Specifies the apex of the cone, which defines the height
of the cone and the orientation with respect to the Z
axis.
Specify apex point: Specify a point (2)

height

radius diameter

Elliptical
Creates a cone with an elliptical base.
1
Specify axis endpoint of ellipse for base of cone or [Center]: Specify a point (1)
or enter c

Axis Endpoint
Creates the elliptical base of the cone using its axes. Specify a second point
to define the diameter of one axis and a third point to specify the radius of
the other axis.
Specify second axis endpoint of ellipse for base of cone: Specify a point (2)
Specify length of other axis for base of cone: Specify a point (3)
Specify height of cone or [Apex]: Specify a distance or enter a

Height Defines the height of the cone. Entering a positive

value draws the height along the positive Z axis of the
current UCS. Entering a negative value draws the height
along the negative Z axis.

CONE | 179
 Apex Specifies the apex, which defines the height and
orientation of the cone with respect to the axis.
Specify apex point: Specify a point (4)

4
height

3 2

Center
Creates the elliptical base of the cone using its center point and the radius of
each axis.
Specify center point of ellipse for base of cone <0,0,0>: Specify a point (1) or
press ENTER
Specify axis endpoint of ellipse for base of cone: Specify a point (2)
Specify length of other axis for base of cone: Specify a point (3)
Specify height of cone or [Apex]: Specify a distance or enter a

Height Defines the height of the cone. Entering a positive

value draws the height along the positive Z axis of the
current UCS. Entering a negative value draws the height
along the negative Z axis.
Apex Specifies the apex, which defines the height and
orientation of the cone with respect to the first axis
specified.
Specify apex point: Specify a point (4)

4
1
height

3 2

CONVERT
Optimizes 2D polylines and associative hatches created in AutoCAD Release 13 or earlier
Since Release 14, AutoCAD creates 2D polylines and associative hatches
using an optimized format that saves memory and disk space. Use CONVERT

180 | CONVERT
to update hatches or polylines created in releases earlier than AutoCAD
Release 14 or AutoCAD LT 97.
Command line: convert

Enter type of objects to convert [Hatch/Polyline/All] <All>: Enter h for hatches,

p for polylines, or a for both

Hatch Converts all hatches in the drawing.

Enter object selection preference [Select/All] <All>: Enter
s to select specific objects to convert or a to convert all objects
in the drawing

Polyline Converts all polylines in the drawing.

Enter object selection preference [Select/All] <All>: Enter
s to select specific objects to convert or a to convert all objects
in the drawing

All Converts all polylines and hatches in the drawing.

Enter object selection preference [Select/All] <All>: Enter
s to select specific objects to convert or a to convert all objects
in the drawing

AutoCAD displays one or both of the following messages:

number hatch objects converted
number 2d polyline objects converted

Hatches are not updated automatically when a drawing from a previous

release is opened in Release 14 or later. Information about the rotation of a
hatch pattern may not be updated properly if you have changed the UCS
since creating the hatch. When updating hatches with CONVERT, it is recom-
mended that you use the Select option so that you can check your results.
In most cases, you do not need to update polylines with CONVERT. By default,
the PLINETYPE system variable specifies that polylines are updated automati-
cally when you open an older drawing. Polylines may be created in the old
format by third-party applications, and they may be contained in an older
drawing that was inserted as a block and then exploded.

Note Polylines containing curve-fit or splined segments always retain the old
format, as do polylines that store extended object data on their vertices. Editing
commands make no distinction between the two formats.

CONVERT | 181
CONVERTCTB
Converts a color-dependent plot style table (CTB) to a named plot style table (STB)
Command line: convertctb

Displays the Select File dialog box (a standard file selection dialog box),
where you can select the color-dependent plot style table file you want to
convert. The Save As dialog box is then displayed. If necessary, specify a new
location or name for the converted plot style table file.
CONVERTCTB saves a copy of a color-dependent plot style table as a named
plot style table, which you can then attach to drawings that use named plot
styles. The original color-dependent plot style table is not affected by
CONVERTCTB. The default location for the new named plot style table file is
in the AutoCAD Plot Styles folder. The default name for the new named plot
style table file is the same as the color-dependent plot style table name.
CONVERTCTB creates one named plot style for each color that has unique plot
properties, one named plot style for each group of colors that are assigned the
same plot properties, and a default named plot style called NORMAL.
For example, if all the colors in a color-dependent plot style table have the
same plot properties, CONVERTCTB creates only two named plot styles in the
named plot style table: NORMAL, the default plot style, and STYLE 1, which
assumes the plot properties that were assigned to all the colors in the color-
dependent plot style table. However, suppose that all the colors in a color-
dependent plot style table have the same plot properties except for two
colors, BLUE and GREEN. If these colors each have unique plot properties,
CONVERTCTB creates four named plot styles in the named plot style table:
NORMAL, the default plot style; STYLE 1, which assumes the plot properties of
GREEN; STYLE 2, which assumes the plot properties of BLUE; and STYLE 3,
which assumes the plot properties that were assigned to all the other colors.
CONVERTCTB gives the plot styles in the new named plot style table generic
names such as STYLE 1, STYLE 2. You can modify these generic plot style
names in the the Plot Style Table Editor. Click the Edit button on the Plot
Device tab in the Page Setup dialog box. If you want to rename the plot
styles, you must do so before applying them to drawing layouts.

CONVERTPSTYLES
Converts the current drawing to either named or color-dependent plot styles
A drawing can use either named or color-dependent plot styles, but not both.

182 | CONVERTCTB
CONVERTPSTYLES converts a currently open drawing from color-dependent
plot styles to named plot styles, or from named plot styles to color-
dependent plot styles, depending on which plot style method the drawing is
currently using.
For example, a drawing using color-dependent plot styles assigns plot prop-
erties to objects and layers by color. In other words, all objects with the same
color have the same plot properties. CONVERTPSTYLES converts the drawing
to use named plot styles that can be applied to objects or layers independent
of color assignment. In other words, all objects with the same color can have
different plot properties.
When you convert a drawing, CONVERTPSTYLES sets the PSTYLEMODE system
variable to the appropriate setting (1 = named, 0 = color-dependent).
Command line: convertpstyles

Converting drawings from color-dependent plot styles to named plot

styles
Converting drawings from named plot styles to color-dependent plot
styles

Converting Drawings from Color-Dependent to

Named Plot Styles
A dialog box advises you to convert the drawing's plot style tables before con-
verting the drawing. You can convert the color-dependent plot style tables
assigned to the drawing to named plot style tables using CONVERTCTB.
AutoCAD displays the Select File dialog box (a standard file selection dialog
box), where you select the named plot style table file to attach to the con-
verted drawing.
CONVERTPSTYLES requires you to select a named plot style table that was con-
verted using CONVERTCTB or created from a PC2 or PCP file. Normally you
should select the named plot style table that was converted from the color-
dependent plot style table that was assigned to the same drawing.
CONVERTPSTYLES attaches the selected named plot style table to model space
and to all layouts. Drawing layers are each assigned a named plot style (from
the converted plot style table) that has the same plot properties that their
color-dependent plot style had. Drawing objects that had the same color-
dependent plot style as their layer are assigned the named plot style
BYLAYER. Drawing objects that had a color-dependent plot style that was
different from their layer are assigned a named plot style that has the same
properties that their color-dependent plot style had.

CONVERTPSTYLES | 183
 After a drawing is converted to named plot styles, you can change the named
plot style table assignment or assign other named plot styles tables to model
space or layouts. You can also assign individual plot styles to drawing objects.

Converting Drawings from Named to Color-

Dependent Plot Styles
A dialog box advises you that the named plot styles attached to objects and
named plot style tables attached to model space and layouts will be detached.
After a drawing is converted to color-dependent plot styles, you can assign a
color-dependent plot style table. Plot styles will be applied by color.

COPY
Duplicates objects
Modify toolbar:
Shortcut menu: Select the objects to copy, right-click in the drawing area,
and choose Copy Selection.
Command line: copy

Select objects: Select objects and press ENTER

Specify base point or displacement, or [Multiple]: Specify a point for a single
copy or enter m for multiple copies

Base Point or Makes a single copy.

Displacement
Specify second point of displacement or <use first point as
displacement>: Specify a point or press ENTER

If you specify two points, AutoCAD uses the first point

as a base point and places a single copy relative to that
object selected
base point. The two points you specify define a
displacement to determine how far the selected objects
are moved and in what direction.
1 If you press ENTER at the Specify Second Point of
Displacement prompt, the first point is interpreted as a
relative X,Y,Z displacement. For example, if you specify
2,3 for the base point and press ENTER at the next
prompt, the object moves 2 units in the X direction and
2
3 units in the Y direction from its current position. In
single copy
this case, the first point is usually entered at the
keyboard.

184 | COPY
 Note The @ symbol should not be entered as part of this
displacement coordinate.
Multiple Makes multiple copies using one COPY command.
AutoCAD prompts for an insertion base point for the
selection object.
Specify base point:
Specify second point of displacement or <use first point as
displacement>: Specify a point or press ENTER

If you specify a point, AutoCAD places a copy at that

point relative to the base point. The Specify Second
multiple copies Point of Displacement prompt is repeated for
placement of multiple copies of the object. If you press
ENTER , the command ends.

COPYBASE
Copies objects with a specified base point
Use COPYBASE to specify a base point when copying objects. The base point
enables you to position the copied objects precisely when pasting them
within the same drawing or into another drawing.
Edit menu: Copy with Base Point
Shortcut menu: End any active commands, right-click in the drawing area,
and choose Copy with Base Point.
Command line: copybase

Specify base point:

Select objects:

The selected objects are copied to the Clipboard. Use PASTECLIP to move the
copied objects from the Clipboard to a location in the same document or to
another document. When you paste an object copied with COPYBASE,
AutoCAD places it relative to the specified base point.

COPYCLIP
Copies objects to the Clipboard
Use COPYCLIP to copy objects or command line text from an AutoCAD draw-
ing to another Microsoft Windows application.

Standard toolbar:

COPYBASE | 185
 Edit menu: Copy
Shortcut menu: End any active commands, right-click in the drawing area,
and choose Copy.
Command line: copyclip

Select objects:

COPYCLIP copies all objects you select to the Clipboard. You can paste the
contents of the Clipboard into a document or drawing as an OLE object.

Note You can also use CTRL+C to run COPYCLIP. If the cursor is in the drawing
area, AutoCAD copies the selected objects to the Clipboard. If the cursor is on
the command line or in the text window, AutoCAD copies the selected text to
the Clipboard.

COPYHIST
Copies the text in the command line history to the Clipboard
The prompts and other text displayed on the command line in the current
session are the command line history. Use scroll bars or open the text win-
dow to see the whole history. You can drag the top edge of the command line
window to change its size.
Command line: copyhist

The text is copied to the Clipboard.

COPYLINK
Copies the current view to the Clipboard for linking to other OLE applications
Edit menu: Copy Link
Command line: copylink

COPYLINK copies the current view to the Clipboard. You can paste the con-
tents of the Clipboard into a document as an OLE object.

186 | COPYHIST
CUSTOMIZE
Customizes toolbars, buttons, shortcut keys, and tool palettes
Tools menu: Customize
Shortcut menu: Right-click any toolbar and choose Customize.
Command line: customize

The Customize dialog box is displayed.

Note You can use -TOOLBAR to display, close, or position a toolbar from the
command line.

Customize Dialog Box

Provides an interface for customizing toolbars, buttons, and shortcut keys.

Commands Tab (Customize Dialog Box)

Adds buttons to the default AutoCAD toolbars, removes buttons you use
infrequently, and creates toolbars.

Categories Displays a list of all the AutoCAD menus that you can
use to filter the Commands list. You can filter this list
by selecting a menu name.

CUSTOMIZE | 187
 Commands Displays a list of the commands associated with the
menu you selected under Categories. To add a
command (button) to a toolbar, drag the command
from the Commands list to a toolbar in the AutoCAD
window. To remove a command from a toolbar, drag its
button from the toolbar to the drawing area while the
Customize dialog box is displayed. To create a new
toolbar, drag a command from the Commands list to
the drawing area.
Show Image and Displays the button image and name in the Commands
Name list. When Show Image and Name is clear, only the
button images are displayed.

Toolbars Tab (Customize Dialog Box)

Displays, creates, renames, and removes toolbars. Button size and tooltip
controls are also provided.

Toolbars Displays or hides toolbars. A check mark next to its

name indicates that a toolbar is displayed. To hide a
toolbar, clear its check box.

188 | CUSTOMIZE
Menu GroXup Displays a list of AutoCAD menu groups. The toolbars
that belong to the selected menu group are displayed in
the Toolbars list. If the toolbars you want to display,
hide, or edit belong to a menu group other than
AutoCAD, select that menu group.
Menu groups are listed in the order in which they were
installed. The menu group that was installed first has
precedence regarding shortcut keys.
New Displays the New Toolbar dialog box, in which you can
create a new toolbar.
Rename Renames the toolbar selected in the Toolbars list.
Delete Removes the toolbar selected in the Toolbars list.
Large Buttons Displays buttons in a larger format at 32 by 30 pixels.
The default display size is 16 by 15 pixels.
Show Tooltips on Displays tooltips when you move the cursor over
Toolbars buttons on the toolbar.
Show Shortcut Displays shortcut keys when you move the cursor over
Keys in Tooltip buttons on the toolbar.

Properties Tab (Customize Dialog Box)

Displays or modifies the properties of any button on a toolbar. Select a button
or flyout from a toolbar to view or modify its properties. If you select a but-
ton, the Button Properties tab is displayed. If you select a flyout, the Flyout
Properties tab is displayed.
Button Properties Tab
Displays or modifies the properties of any button on a toolbar. To access this
tab, select a button on a toolbar while the Properties tab of the Customize
dialog box is displayed.

CUSTOMIZE | 189
 Name Displays the tooltip for the selected button.
Description Displays the status bar Help message for the command
associated with the selected button.
Button Image Displays an enlarged bitmap image of the selected
button.
Edit Opens the Button Editor dialog box.
Macro Associated Displays the AutoCAD menu macro that runs the
with This Button command associated with the selected button.
List of Button Displays a scrollable list of all button images from
Images which you can select an image to replace the one for the
selected toolbar button.
Apply Applies specified changes to the button you selected
from the toolbar. This button is unavailable until you
make modifications to a toolbar button.
Reset Discards any changes you made to a toolbar buttons
properties and restores its original settings.

190 | CUSTOMIZE
Flyout Properties Tab
Displays or modifies the properties of any flyout button on a toolbar. To
access this tab, select a flyout button on a toolbar while the Properties tab of
the Customize dialog box is displayed.

Toolbar Displays a list of available toolbars with the current

Associated with flyout toolbar selected. To substitute a different toolbar
This Flyout with the flyout, select a toolbar from the list and choose
Apply.
Toolbar Preview Displays the buttons of the currently selected toolbar.
Apply Substitutes a new toolbar for the selected flyout. This
button is unavailable until you select a new toolbar
from the Toolbar Name list.
Reset Discards any changes you made to a flyout button and
restores its original toolbar settings.

Keyboard Tab (Customize Dialog Box)

Assigns keyboard shortcuts to commands.

CUSTOMIZE | 191
 Categories Lists all standard menus, custom menus, and toolbars.
When you select a menu or toolbar from the list, the
associated menu or toolbar items are displayed in the
Commands list.
Commands Specifies the command you want to customize. If the
selected command has a shortcut key or access key
assigned to it, the key combination is displayed under
Current Keys.
Menu Group Specifies the current menu (MNU) file. AutoCAD has a
standard menu group called ACAD.
Menu groups are listed in the order in which they were
installed. The menu group that was installed first has
precedence regarding shortcut keys. For example, if you
assign CTRL+B to insert blocks in the first menu file and
then assign CTRL+B to insert external references in the
second menu file, CTRL+B inserts blocks.

192 | CUSTOMIZE
Current Keys Displays the key combination defined as a shortcut key
for the selected menu or toolbar item.
Press New Specifies a key combination to be used as the keyboard
Shortcut Key shortcut for the selected menu or toolbar item. To
specify a value, simultaneously press CTRL and a letter
on the keyboard. You can also simultaneously press
CTRL+SHIFT and a letter.

You cannot reassign shortcut keys that are internally

assigned to Windows; for example, F10, CTRL+F4,
CTRL+F6, or CTRL+ALT+DEL. If you use an invalid key
combination, AutoCAD does not show the
combination in the edit box. Try using another key
combination.
If the keyboard shortcut you specify is already assigned
to another AutoCAD command, the Currently
assigned to message is displayed.
Assign Assigns the new shortcut key to the selected command.
Remove Removes the shortcut key assignment from the selected
command.
Note AutoCAD automatically assigns many commands
to shortcut keys. You can reassign these shortcut keys to
perform different actions, but you cannot remove them.
Show All Shows shortcut key assignments for all menu groups.
The Shortcut Keys dialog box lists the command, menu
group, and category associated with each shortcut key.

CUSTOMIZE | 193
 Tool Palettes Tab (Customize Dialog Box)
Creates, modifies, and organizes tool palettes. Imports and exports tool
palette files.

Tool Palettes Lists all available tool palettes. Click and drag a tool
palette to move it up or down in the list. Right-click a
tool palette in the list to rename, delete, or export the
tool palette. (When you export a tool palette, its saved
to a file with an .xtp extension.) Right-click in the Tool
Palettes area to import a tool palette or to create a new,
blank one.
Palette Groups Displays in a tree view the organization of your tool
palettes. Click and drag a tool palette to move it into
another group. Right-click a tool palette group and
then click Set Current on the shortcut menu to display
that group of tool palettes. The shortcut menu also
provides options to

Create a new group

Delete an existing group
Rename an existing group
Remove a tool palette from a group

Current Palette Displays the name of the tool palette group currently
Group shown. Displays All Palettes when all available tool
palettes are shown.

194 | CUSTOMIZE
New Toolbar Dialog Box
Creates a new toolbar. To add buttons to the toolbar, use the Commands Tab
(Customize Dialog Box) (see page 187).

Toolbar Name
Specifies a name for the new toolbar.

Save Toolbar in Menu Group

Specifies a menu group for the new toolbar.

Button Editor Dialog Box

Modifies or creates buttons.

Button Image
Displays the button at its actual size.

CUSTOMIZE | 195
 Editing Tools
Provides tools for editing the button image.
Pencil Edits one pixel at a time using the current color. Click
and drag the pointing device to edit several pixels
simultaneously.
Line Creates lines using the current color. Click and drag to
set the start point and draw the line. Release to
complete the line.
Circle Creates circles using the current color. Click to set the
center and drag to set the radius. Release to complete
the circle.
Erase Sets pixels to white. Click and drag over colored pixels
to change them to white.

Color Palette
Sets the current color used by the editing tools.

More
Opens the True Color tab in the Select Color dialog box. If you select a true
color, it is displayed in the color swatch.

Editing Area
Provides a close-up view of the button image for editing.

Grid
Displays a grid in the editing area. Each grid square represents a single pixel.

Clear
Clears the editing area.

Open
Opens an existing button image for editing. Button images are stored as
bitmap (BMP) files.

Undo
Undoes the last action.

Save
Saves the customized button image.

196 | CUSTOMIZE
 Save As
Saves the customized button image using a different name or a different
location.

CUTCLIP
Copies objects to the Clipboard and removes the objects from the drawing

Standard toolbar:
Edit menu: Cut
Shortcut menu: End any active commands, right-click in the drawing area,
and choose Cut.
Command line: cutclip

Select objects:

CUTCLIP moves the selected objects to the Clipboard, removing them from
the drawing. You can paste the contents of the Clipboard into a document or
drawing as an embedded OLE object (see PASTECLIP and PASTESPEC). CUTCLIP
does not create OLE link information.

CYLINDER
Creates a three-dimensional solid cylinder
A cylinder is a solid primitive similar to an extruded circle or ellipse but with-
out a taper.

Solids toolbar:
Draw menu: Solids Cylinder
Command line: cylinder

Current wire frame density: ISOLINES=current

Specify center point for base of cylinder or [Elliptical] <0,0,0>: Specify a center
point (1), enter e, or press ENTER

Center Point
1
Defines the center of the circular base of the cylinder.
Specify radius for base of cylinder or [Diameter]: Specify a distance or enter d

CUTCLIP | 197
 Radius
Defines the radius of the circular base of the cylinder.
Specify height of cylinder or [Center of other end]: Specify a distance or enter c

Height Defines the height of the cylinder. Entering a positive

value draws the height along the positive Z axis of the
current UCS. Entering a negative value draws the
cylinder along the negative Z axis.
Center of Other Defines the center point of the other end of the
End cylinder.
Specify center of other end of cylinder: Specify a point (2)

Specifying the center of the other end also specifies the

Z orientation of the cylinder.

2
height

radius

Diameter
Defines the diameter of the circular base of the cylinder.
Specify diameter for base of cylinder:
Specify height of cylinder or [Center of other end]: Specify a distance or enter c

Height Defines the height of the cylinder. Entering a positive

value draws the height along the positive Z axis of the
current UCS. Entering a negative value draws the
cylinder along the negative axis.
Center of Other Defines the center point of the other end of the
End cylinder.
Specify center of other end of cylinder: Specify a point (2)

Specifying the center of the other end also specifies the

Z orientation of the cylinder.

198 | CYLINDER
 2
height

diameter

Elliptical
Creates a cylinder with an elliptical base.
Specify axis endpoint of ellipse for base of cylinder or [Center]: Specify a point
1 (1) or enter c

Axis Endpoint
Defines the axes of the elliptical base of the cylinder.
Specify second axis endpoint of ellipse for base of cylinder: Specify a point (2)
Specify length of other axis for base of cylinder: Specify a point (3)

The second point defines the diameter of one axis. A third point defines the
radius of the other axis.
Specify height of cylinder or [Center of other end]: Specify a distance or enter c

Height Defines the height of the cylinder. Entering a positive

value draws the height along the positive Z axis of the
current UCS. Entering a negative value draws the
cylinder along the negative axis.
Center of Other Defines the center point of the other end of the
End cylinder.
Specify center of other end of cylinder: Specify a distance
(4) or enter c

4
height

3 2

CYLINDER | 199
 Center
Defines the elliptical base of the cylinder by its center point and the radius
of each axis.
Specify center point of ellipse for base of cylinder <0,0,0>: Specify a point (1) or
press ENTER
Specify axis endpoint of ellipse for base of cylinder: Specify a point (2)
Specify length of other axis for base of cylinder: Specify a point (3)
Specify height of cylinder or [Center of other end]: Specify a distance (4) or
enter c

1
3 2

Height Defines the height of the cylinder. Entering a positive

value draws the height along the positive Z axis of the
current UCS. Entering a negative value draws the
cylinder along the negative axis.
Center of Other Defines the center point of the other end of the
End cylinder.
Specify center of other end of cylinder: Specify a point (4)

4
height

200 | CYLINDER
DBCCLOSE
Closes the dbConnect Manager
Tools menu: Choose dbConnect when the dbConnect Manager is open.
Command line: dbcclose

DBCLOSE closes the dbConnect Manager and removes the dbConnect menu
from the menu bar.

DBCONNECT
Provides an AutoCAD interface to external database tables
DBCONNECT starts the dbConnect Manager, from which you can view and
edit database tables, execute Structured Query Language (SQL) queries, and
link table records to graphical objects.
DBCONNECT replaces the ASE commands that were available in previous
releases of AutoCAD.
Tools menu: dbConnect
Command line: dbconnect

AutoCAD displays the dbConnect Manager and adds the dbConnect menu
to the menu bar.
The four primary interfaces (the dbConnect Manager, the Data View window,
the Query Editor, and the Link Select dialog box) are described first, followed
by descriptions of each additional dialog box presented in alphabetical order.
The Column Values dialog box, a sub-dialog box of the Query Editor, is
described in the Query Editor section. The section describing each dialog box
contains a list of methods that you can use to access it.

dbConnect Manager (see page 202)

Data View window (see page 207)
Query Editor (see page 215)
Link Select dialog box (see page 223)
Configure a Data Source dialog box (see page 225)
Data View and Query Options dialog box (see page 226)
Export Links dialog box (see page 228)
Export Query Set dialog box (see page 228)
Export Template Set dialog box (see page 229)
Find dialog box (see page 229)
Format dialog box (see page 230)
Import Query Set dialog box (see page 230)

DBCCLOSE | 201
 Import Template Set dialog box (see page 231)
Label Template dialog box (see page 231)
Label Template Properties dialog box (see page 234)
Link Conversion dialog box (see page 235)
Link Manager (see page 238)
Link Template dialog box (see page 239)
Link Template Properties dialog box (see page 240)
New Label Template dialog box (see page 241)
New Link Template dialog box (see page 241)
New Query dialog box (see page 242)
Replace dialog box (see page 242)
Select a Database Object dialog box (see page 243)
Select a Data Object dialog box (see page 244)
Sort dialog box (see page 244)
Synchronize dialog box (see page 245)

dbConnect Manager
Provides the primary interface for the connectivity feature. By default, the
dbConnect Manager opens as a docked window on the left side of the AutoCAD
drawing area.

drawing node
link template

label template
query
data sources
node
table

data source

When you open the dbConnect Manager, a small red X is displayed in the
lower right corner of each database and data object. The X indicates that
these objects are currently unconnected. To connect to a database or data
object, double-click it in the dbConnect Manager.

202 | DBCONNECT
 dbConnect Manager Buttons
Display and manipulate database objects.

View Table

Edit Table New Label

Template
New Link
Execute Query
Template

New Query

View Table Opens an external database table in Read-only mode.

This button is not available unless a single table, link
template, or label template is selected in the tree view.
Edit Table Opens an external database table in Edit mode. This
button is not available unless a single table, link
template, or label template is selected in the tree view.
Execute Query Executes a query. This button is not available unless a
query is selected in the tree view.
New Query Displays the New Query dialog box (see page 242). This
button is not available unless a single table, link
template, or query is selected. If a query is selected, you
can use this button to display the Query Editor (see
page 215), in which you can edit the query.
New Link Displays the New Link Template dialog box (see page
Template 241). This button is not available unless a single table or
link template is selected. If a link template is selected,
you can use this button to display the Link Template
dialog box (see page 239), in which you can edit the
link template. Not available for link templates with
links already defined in a drawing.
New Label Displays the New Label Template dialog box (see page
Template 241). This button is not available unless a single table,
link template, or label template is selected. If a label
template is selected, you can use this button to display
the Label Template dialog box (see page 231), in which
you can edit the label template.

DBCONNECT | 203
 dbConnect Manager Tree View
Contains nodes for each drawing thats currently open and a Data Sources
node that contains all available data sources configured on your system.

Drawing Nodes Shortcut Menu

Provides options available for an open drawing. Right-click the node of an
open drawing.
Export Template Opens the Export Template Set dialog box (see page
Set 229), in which you can save all link and label templates
stored in the drawing to an external file.
Import Template Opens the Import Template Set dialog box (see page
Set 231), in which you can import a set of link and label
templates that are stored in an external file.
Export Query Set Opens the Export Query Set dialog box (see page 228),
in which you can save all queries stored in the drawing
to an external file. The exported query set is saved with
the file extension .dbq.
Import Query Set Opens the Import Query Set dialog box (see page 230),
in which you can import a set of queries stored in an
external file with the file extension .dbq.
Show Labels Turns on visibility of all labels in the selected drawing.
Hide Labels Turns off visibility of all labels in the selected drawing.
Reload Labels Refreshes the field values of the labels in the selected
drawing, updating them to reflect any changes made in
the source database table.

Database Objects Shortcut Menu

Provides options available for database objects (such as link templates, label
templates, and queries) attached to the drawing nodes. Different database
objects have different subsets of menu options available to them. For exam-
ple, the shortcut menu options that are displayed when you right-click a
query differ from the options that are available when you right-click a link
template. The following shortcut menu options are available for various
database objects.
View Table Opens an external database table in Read-only mode.
Available only for link templates.
Edit Table Opens an external database table in Edit mode.
Available only for link templates.

204 | DBCONNECT
Edit Opens a dialog box in which you can edit the properties
of the selected database object. Available for link
templates, label templates, and queries. Not available
for link templates with links already defined in the
drawing.
Delete Deletes the selected database object. Available for link
templates, label templates, and queries.
Duplicate Makes a copy of the selected database object and inserts
it in the current drawing. Available for link templates,
label templates, and queries.
Rename Opens a dialog box in which you can rename the
selected database object. Available for link templates,
label templates, and queries. Not available for link
templates with links already defined in the drawing.
New Query Opens the New Query dialog box (see page 242).
Available only for link templates.
Link Select Opens the Link Select dialog box (see page 223).
Available only for link templates.
New Label Opens the New Label Template dialog box (see page
Template 241). Available only for link templates.
Show Labels Displays all labels that are associated with the selected
database object. Available for link templates and label
templates.
Hide Labels Hides all labels that are associated with the selected
database object. Available for link templates and label
templates.
Delete Links Deletes all links in the current drawing that use the
selected link template. Available only for link
templates.
Delete Labels Deletes all labels in the current drawing that use the
selected label template. Available only for label
templates.
Synchronize Verifies that all links in the current drawing based on
the selected link template contain valid values. Any
detected problems are reported in the Synchronize
dialog box (see page 245). Available only for link
templates.

DBCONNECT | 205
 Reload Refreshes the field values of all labels associated with
the selected label template in the current drawing,
updating them to reflect any changes made in the
source database table. Available only for label
templates.
Execute Executes the selected query. Available only for queries.
Delete Links Deletes all links in the current drawing that use the
selected link template. Available only for link
templates.

Data Sources Node Shortcut Menu

Provides options available for data sources. Right-click the data sources node.
Configure Data Opens the Configure a Data Source dialog box (see page
Source 225) where you can configure a new data source or edit
an existing one.

Data Objects Shortcut Menu

Provides options available for data objects. Right-click a data object (such as
a catalog or table) in the data sources node.
Connect Establishes a connection to the selected data object.
Available for data sources, catalogs, and schemas.
Disconnect Closes the connection to the selected data object.
Available for data sources, catalogs, and schemas.
Synchronize Opens the Synchronize dialog box (see page 245).
Available only for connected data sources.
Configure Opens the Configure a Data Source dialog box (see page
225) where you can configure a new data source or edit
an existing one. Available only for disconnected data
sources.
View Table Opens the selected database table in Read-only mode.
Available only for tables.
Edit Table Opens the selected database table in Edit mode.
Available only for tables.
New Link Opens the New Link Template dialog box (see page
Template 241). Available only for database tables.

206 | DBCONNECT
 New Label Opens the New Label Template dialog box (see page
Template 241). Available only for database tables.
New Query Opens the New Query dialog box (see page 242).
Available only for database tables.

Data View Window

Provides the primary interface for viewing and editing external database
tables from within AutoCAD. You can open this dialog box using the follow-
ing methods:

View Table dbConnect Manager buttons: Select a link template, a label template, or a
table from the dbConnect Manager and choose View Table or Edit Table.
dbConnect menu: View Data View External Table, Edit External Table,
View Linked Table, or Edit Linked Table. (AutoCAD displays a dialog box in
Edit Table which you can select a database table to open.)
Shortcut menu: Right-click a link template or a database table in the
dbConnect Manager and choose View Table or Edit Table.
Pointing device: Double-click a database table or a link template in the
dbConnect Manager. Double-clicking a link template that has no links cre-
ated in the drawing its associated with opens the Link Template dialog box
(see page 239). The database table is opened in either Edit mode or Read-only
mode, depending on the dbConnect Settings specified on the System tab of
the Options dialog box. See OPTIONS.

The Data View window displays records from the selected database table. The
Data View comprises a set of buttons, a grid window for viewing and editing
records, and a set of navigation controls for navigating through the record
set. After you open the Data View window, the Data View menu is added to
the menu bar. By default, the Data View is opened undocked with the Allow
Docking option turned off. To enable docking, right-click one of the Data
View buttons, and then choose Allow Docking from the shortcut menu.
The appearance of the Data View window is governed by your computers
system settings, and it can be changed in the Windows Control Panel. Text
in the cells is displayed using the system window text color. If the database
table is opened in Read-only mode, the cell background is shown using the
system 3D objects button shade color (light gray by default). If it is opened
in Edit mode, the cell background is shown using the system window color
(white by default). When a cell is selected, it is shown using the system-
selected items background and text colors.

DBCONNECT | 207
 Link and Label Settings

Data View Buttons

Create links and display linked records and graphical objects.
Link
Links the currently selected database table row or rows to one or more
graphical objects. AutoCAD creates the link and, if desired, the label from the
currently selected link and label templates in the Data View window. To
change the current link creation setting, choose the Link and Label Settings
button. Three distinct link methods are available:
Link Creates a link to one or more graphical objects without
creating a corresponding label. If the current drawing
has a selection set already established, a link is created
for each object in the selection set. If the current
drawing does not have a current selection set, you are
prompted to select objects to link to.
Create Creates a freestanding label that isnt associated with a
Freestanding graphical object. You are prompted to specify an
Label insertion point for the label.
Create Attached Creates a link to one or more graphical objects and
Label creates a corresponding label. If the current drawing has
a selection set already established, a link is created for
all objects in the selection set. If the current drawing
does not have a current selection set, you are prompted
to select objects to link to.

208 | DBCONNECT
View Linked Objects in Drawing
Selects graphical objects in the current AutoCAD drawing that are linked to
the currently selected Data View row or rows.
View Linked Records in Table
Selects records in the Data View window that are linked to the current selec-
tion set of graphical objects.
AutoView Linked Objects in Drawing
Displays linked objects automatically in the current drawing as you select
rows from the database table.
AutoView Linked Records in Table
Displays linked records automatically in the Data View window as you select
graphical objects in the current AutoCAD drawing.
Print Data View
Prints the contents of the Data View window to the current Microsoft
Windows system printer.
Data View and Query Options
Opens the Data View and Query Options dialog box (see page 226), in which
you can specify a number of settings that affect the interaction and display of
linked objects in the Data View window and the current AutoCAD drawing.
Query, Return to Query, and Return to Link Select
Opens either the New Query dialog box (see page 242), the Query Editor (see
page 215), or the Link Select dialog box (see page 223), depending on the
method used to open the Data View window. If the Data View window was
opened to view or edit a database table, this buttons tooltip is Query, and
choosing it opens the New Query dialog box. If the Data View window was
opened to return the results of a query, this buttons tooltip is Return to
Query, and choosing it returns you to the Query Editor. If the Data View win-
dow was opened to return the results of a Link Select operation, this buttons
tooltip is Return to Link Select, and choosing it returns you to the Link Select
dialog box.
Link Template List
Creates a new link template, or specifies a link template from those that are
defined for the open table. The selected link template is applied when you
create new links in the current drawing. To create a new link template, select
the New Link Template option from the Link Template list, and then choose
the Link button flyout.

DBCONNECT | 209
 Label Template List
Creates a new label template, or specifies a label template from those that are
defined for the currently selected table. The selected label template is applied
when you create new labels in the current drawing. To create a new label
template, select the New Label Template option from the Label Template list
and choose either the Create Freestanding Label or the Create Attached Label
button flyout. If there is no link template defined for the selected database
table in the current drawing, the New Link Template dialog box is displayed
(see page 241).

Data View Grid Window

Displays a subset of the records from a database table. You can select records
by clicking the following elements:

Column header: Selects all records in that column. Double-clicking a col-

umn header sorts its records in ascending order. Double-clicking a column
header a second time sorts its records in descending order.
Record header: Selects an individual record. Double-clicking a record
header selects any graphical objects that the record is linked to in the
drawing area.
Grid cell: Selects one field of a given record. Double-clicking a cell selects
it for editing.
Grid header: Selects the entire table. Double-clicking the grid header com-
mits any changes made during an editing session and closes the Data View
window.

grid headers column headers

grid cells
record headers

Column Shortcut Menu

Displays the following options when you right-click one or more selected
column headers.
Sort Opens the Sort dialog box (see page 244), in which you
can select a combination of up to five columns to use in
specifying a sort order for the Data View.
Hide Removes all selected columns from the Data View
display.
Unhide All Restores all hidden columns to the Data View display.
Available only if you have hidden one or more
columns.

210 | DBCONNECT
Freeze Freezes all selected columns so that they do not scroll
when you use the horizontal scroll bar. Available only if
the selected columns are contiguous.
Unfreeze All Unfreezes all frozen columns so that they scroll when
you use the horizontal scroll bar. Available only if you
have frozen one or more columns.
Align Aligns the current column. Standard right-aligns
numeric fields and left-aligns all others, Left left-aligns
the column cells, Center center-aligns the cells, and
Right right-aligns the cells.
Find Opens the Find dialog box (see page 229), which you
can use to search for a specific value. Find is limited to
the values stored in the currently selected column.
Replace Opens the Replace dialog box (see page 242), which you
can use to search for a specific value to overwrite with a
replacement value that you specify. Replace is limited
to the values stored in the currently selected column.
Available only for database tables that are opened in
Edit mode.

Cell Shortcut Menu

Displays the following options when you right-click the selected cell.
View Linked Indicates graphical objects in the current AutoCAD
Objects drawing that are linked to the selected database record.
Link Links the current row to a graphical object. AutoCAD
creates the link and, if desired, the label from the
currently selected link and label templates in the Data
View. You can specify whether a link, a freestanding
label, or an attached label is created by changing the
settings from the Link and Label Settings cell shortcut
menu option.
Link and Label Lists the currently selected link creation mode. You
Settings can specify whether a link, a freestanding label, or an
attached label is created when the Link shortcut menu
option is chosen.
Find Opens the Find dialog box (see page 229), which you
can use to search for a specific value. The Find shortcut
menu option limits its search to records contained in
the same column as the currently selected cell.

DBCONNECT | 211
 Replace Opens the Replace dialog box (see page 242), which you
can use to search for a specific value to overwrite with a
replacement value that you specify. Replace limits its
search to records contained in the same column as the
currently selected cell. Available only for database
tables that are opened in Edit mode.
Edit Enables you to change the value of the currently
selected cell. Available only for database tables that are
opened in Edit mode.
Cut Clears the current cell and copies its value to the
Clipboard. Available only for database tables that are
opened in Edit mode.
Copy Copies the value from the current cell to the Clipboard.
Paste Inserts the value currently stored on the Clipboard into
the selected cell. Available only for database tables that
are opened in Edit mode.
Clear Deletes the value in the current cell. Available only for
database tables that are opened in Edit mode.

Record Shortcut Menu

Displays the following options when you right-click one or more selected
record headers.
View Linked Indicates graphical objects in the current AutoCAD
Objects drawing that are linked to the selected database records.
Link Links the selected row or rows to one or more graphical
objects. AutoCAD creates the link and, if desired, the
label from the currently selected link and label
templates in the Data View window. You can specify
whether a link, a freestanding label, or an attached label
is created by choosing the Link and Label Settings
shortcut menu option.
Link and Label Lists the currently selected link creation mode. You
Settings can specify whether a link, a freestanding label, or an
attached label is created when the Link shortcut menu
option is chosen.
Copy Copies the selected records to the Clipboard.
Delete Record Deletes the selected records. Available only for database
tables that are opened in Edit mode.

212 | DBCONNECT
Add New Record Adds a new record with blank field values to the end of
the record set. Available only for database tables that
are opened in Edit mode.
Clear All Marks Clears record selection marks from the selected records
in the Data View window.

Grid Header Shortcut Menu

Displays the following options when you right-click the grid header.
Commit Saves all changes made in the Data View window to the
source database table and closes the Data View window.
Available only when a database table is open in Edit
mode and you have edited its values.
Restore Undoes any changes made to a database table during an
editing session and closes the Data View window.
Available only when a database table is open in Edit
mode and you have edited its values.
Unhide All Restores any hidden columns to the Data View window
Columns display.
Unfreeze All Unfreezes any frozen columns so that they scroll when
Columns you use the horizontal scroll bar.
Clear All Marks Clears all record selection marks from the Data View
window.
Print Preview Opens the Print Preview window in the Data View
window, in which you can preview your printed report.
Print Prints the contents of the Data View window to the
current Windows system printer.
Format Opens the Format dialog box (see page 230), in which
you can control how data is displayed in the Data View
window.

DBCONNECT | 213
 Navigation Controls
Cycle quickly through the records in the Data View window. The following
controls are available:
First Button Selects the first record.
Previous Button Selects the previous record.
Next Button Selects the next record.
Last Button Selects the last record.

First button Last button

Previous button Next button
record
number

Data View Print Preview Window

Loads into the Data View window a preview image of how the current table
appears when you print it. When the Data View window is in Preview mode,
none of the primary Data View buttons is available and the navigation but-
tons are removed from the bottom of the window. You can open this dialog
box using the following methods:
Data View menu: Print Preview
Shortcut menu: Right-click the grid header in the Data View window and
choose Print Preview.

214 | DBCONNECT
Print Opens the default system Print dialog box.
Next Page Presents a preview image of the next page of the
database table.
Prev Page Restores the preview image of the previous page of the
database table.
Two Page Toggles the display between one and two preview
pages. If you choose Two Page, the name of the button
changes to One Page and vice versa.
Zoom In Magnifies the preview page so that you can view the
details more closely.
Zoom Out Shrinks the preview page to display a larger region of
the database table.
Close Closes the Data View Print Preview window and
restores the default Data View window display.

Query Editor
Consists of a series of four tabs that you can use to build and execute queries.
If you are creating a new query, the New Query dialog box (see page 242) is
displayed first. You can open the Query Editor using the following methods:
dbConnect buttons: Select a database table or a link template in the
dbConnect Manager and choose the New Query button.
Data View buttons: Choose the Query or Return to Query button in the Data
View window.
dbConnect menu: Queries New Query on an External Table, New Query
on a Link Template, or Edit Query. (AutoCAD displays a dialog box in which
you can select a database object to query.)
Shortcut menu: Right-click a database table or link template in the
dbConnect Manager and choose New Query, or right-click a query and
choose Edit.

DBCONNECT | 215
 Quick Query Tab (Query Editor)
Develops simple queries based on a single database field, single operator, and
single value.

Field Lists the fields from the current database table, from
which you can select one to apply to the query.
Operator Displays a list of available operators that can be applied
to the query. For information about operators, see
Construct Simple Queries in the Users Guide.
Value Specifies a value for the field that you are using to
construct your query.
Look Up Values Returns a list of all values for the specified field from the
database table in the Column Values dialog box (see
page 222), from which you can select the value you
want.
Indicate Records Indicates records that match your search criterion in
in Data View the Data View window.
Indicate Objects Indicates linked objects that match your search
in Drawing criterion in the current AutoCAD drawing.

216 | DBCONNECT
Execute Issues the finished query and closes the dialog box.
Close Closes the dialog box without issuing the query.
Store Saves the query with the current drawing.
Options Opens the Data View and Query Options dialog box
(see page 226).

Range Query Tab (Query Editor)

Constructs a query that returns all records or AutoCAD objects that fall
within a given range of values.

Field Lists the fields from the current database table, from
which you can select one to apply to the query.
From Specifies the first value of the range. The query returns
all records or graphical objects that are greater than or
equal to this value.
Look Up Values Returns a list of all values for the specified field from the
(From, Through) database table in the Column Values dialog box (see
page 222), from which you can select the value you
want.

DBCONNECT | 217
 Through Specifies the second value of the range. The query
returns all records or graphical objects that are less than
or equal to this value.
Indicate Records Indicates records that match your search criterion in
in Data View the Data View window.
Indicate Objects Indicates linked objects that match your search
in Drawing criterion in the current AutoCAD drawing.
Execute Issues the finished query and closes the dialog box.
Close Closes the dialog box without issuing the query.
Store Saves the query with the current drawing.
Options Opens the Data View and Query Options dialog box
(see page 226).

Query Builder Tab (Query Editor)

Constructs queries based on multiple search criteria. You can also group cri-
teria parenthetically, select which fields to display in the returned query, and
specify a sort order for the fields.

218 | DBCONNECT
Query Builder Grid
Provides a space for you to construct queries based on multiple search
parameters.
Parenthetical Groups a series of search criteria by bracketing them
Grouping within parentheses. You can nest up to four sets of
parentheses within a single statement. To insert a
beginning parenthesis, click in the cell to the left of the
first Field cell that you want to group. To insert an end
parenthesis, click in the cell to the right of the last Value
cell that you want to group.
Field Provides a space where you can select the field or fields
to include in your query. Double-click in the Field cell
of the current row to display a list of available fields
from the current database table that you can use in
constructing your query. To add an additional
parameter, specify an operator and a value for the
current row and then select the Logical cell.
Operator Provides a space where you can select an operator to
apply to the query condition of the current row.
Double-click in the Operator cell to display a list of
operators that you can use in constructing your query.
Value Provides a space where you can specify a value for the
query condition of the current row. Click in the Value
cell and enter a value, or choose the [...] button to
retrieve a list of available values for the selected field in
the Column Values dialog box (see page 222).
Logical Provides either an And or an Or operator to the query
statement. Click in the Logical cell to add an And value.
To change the value to Or, click in the Logical cell
again.
Fields in Table
Displays a list of available fields from the current database table, from which
you can specify the fields to display in the Data View window when the
query is executed. If you dont specify any fields to display, the query displays
all fields from the database table. Double-clicking in a field in this list or
selecting a field and choosing Add (Show Fields) adds the field to the list of
those that are displayed in the Data View window by the returned query. You
can also drag fields to add them to the Show Fields and Sort By areas.

DBCONNECT | 219
 Show Fields
Specifies the fields that are displayed in the Data View window when the
query is executed. To remove a field from this list, drag it from the list to any
area on the Query Builder tab.
Add (Show Fields)
Adds a field to include in the Data View window display of the returned query.
To add a field, select it in the Fields in Table list window and then choose Add.
Sort By
Specifies a sort order for the returned query. The first field added to the Sort
By list is the primary sort. To change the sort order for a field, drag the field
to a new location in the Sort By list. By default, fields are added to the Sort
By list in an ascending sort order. To apply a descending sort, select a field and
choose the Ascending/Descending Sort button, or double-click in the field.
To remove a field, drag it from the list to any area on the Query Builder tab
or select the field and press DELETE .
Add (Sort By)
Adds a field to the Sort By list. To add a sort field, select it in the Fields in
Table list window and then choose Add. Repeat for additional fields that you
want to apply to the sort.
Ascending/Descending Sort
Reverses the sort order for the currently selected field. If an ascending sort
order is currently applied, choosing this button reverses the sort to descend-
ing order, and vice versa.
Indicate Records in Data View
Indicates records that match your search criteria in the Data View window.
Indicate Objects in Drawing
Indicates linked objects that match your search criteria in the current
AutoCAD drawing.
Execute
Issues the finished query and closes the dialog box.
Close
Closes the dialog box without issuing the query.
Store
Saves the query with the current drawing.
Options
Opens the Data View and Query Options dialog box (see page 226).

220 | DBCONNECT
SQL Query Tab (Query Editor)
Constructs any query statement that conforms with the SQL 92 protocol.
The SQL Query tab provides both a query editor text box where you can type
a free-form SQL statement and a set of tools to assist you in constructing
your query. As not all database management systems are fully compliant
with the SQL 92 standard, you should review your systems documentation
to see what SQL commands are valid for your particular database.

SQL Text Editor Provides a space for you to type a free-form SQL query
or add elements that you select using the various SQL
Query tools.
Table Lists all database tables that are available in the current
data source. You can add database tables to the SQL text
editor by double-clicking them, by selecting them and
choosing Add in the Table area, by dragging them from
the Table list to the SQL text editor, or by entering their
names directly in the SQL text editor.
Add (Table) Adds the currently selected database table to the SQL
text editor.
Fields Displays a list of the fields in the selected database table.
You can add fields to the SQL text editor by double-
clicking them, by selecting them and choosing Add in
the Fields area, or by dragging them from the Fields list
to the SQL text editor.
Add (Fields) Adds the selected field to the SQL text editor.

DBCONNECT | 221
 Operator Displays a list of operators that you can apply to your
query.
Add (Operator) Adds the selected operator to the SQL text editor.
Values Specifies a value for the selected field.
Add (Values) Adds the value specified in the Values area to the SQL
text editor.
[...] Button Returns a list of available values for the specified field
from the selected database table in the Column Values
dialog box (see page 222), from which you can select a
value to apply to the query.
Indicate Records Indicates records that match your search criteria in the
in Data View Data View window.
Indicate Objects Indicates linked objects that match your search criteria
in Drawing in the current AutoCAD drawing.
Execute Issues the finished query and closes the dialog box.
Close Closes the dialog box without issuing the query.
Store Saves the query with the current drawing.
Check Checks your SQL query for proper syntax without
actually executing it. This function helps you isolate
syntax errors before you issue your query.
Options Opens the Data View and Query Options dialog box
(see page 226).

Column Values Dialog Box

Lists values for the selected database column; you can select a value to apply
to the current operation.
Column Values Lists all values for the selected database column. Select
a value from the list and choose OK to apply it to the
current operation. If you are constructing a query using
the In operator, you can add additional values to the
query by pressing the CTRL or SHIFT key as you select
values.

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Link Select Dialog Box
Constructs iterative selection sets of AutoCAD graphical objects and database
records. The Link Select dialog box, known as ASE Select in previous releases
of AutoCAD, is an advanced implementation of the Query Editor. You begin
a Link Select operation by creating an initial query or selection set of
graphical objects (set A), which can be operated on by an additional query or
selection set (set B). The results of the returned operation become the new
running selection set (set A), and you can apply additional queries or selec-
tion sets to further refine your running query.
In order to work with the Link Select dialog box, you must have a drawing
open that has a number of links already created. You can open this dialog box
using the following methods:
dbConnect menu: Links Link Select
Shortcut menu: Right-click a link template in the dbConnect Manager and
choose Link Select.

The Link Select dialog box contains the Quick Query, Range Query, and
Query Builder tabs from the Query Editor (see page 215), and the following
additional controls.

DBCONNECT | 223
 Do
Applies a Link Select operator to the current query or selection set. The fol-
lowing operators are available:
Select Creates an initial query or selection set. This selection
set can be refined through subsequent Link Select
operations.
Union Adds the results of the new query or selection set to the
running selection set. This operation returns all records
or objects that are members of set A or set B.

Intersect Returns the intersection of the existing running

selection and the results of the new query or drawing
selection. This operation returns all records or objects
that are members of set A and set B.
Subtract A - B Subtracts the results of the new query or drawing
selection from the existing running selection.
Subtract B - A Subtracts the existing running selection from the
results of the new query or drawing selection.
Using
Lists available link templates that you can apply to the current selection set.

Use Query
Uses any of the available Query Editor tabs to construct a query that returns
a selection set to the Link Select operation.

Select in Drawing
Closes the Link Select dialog box when you choose the Select button so that
you can construct a selection set of graphical objects to return to the Link
Select operation.

Execute/Select
Executes the current Link Select query or temporarily dismisses the Link
Select dialog box so you can select graphical objects from the AutoCAD draw-
ing. If the Use Query option is selected, the Execute button is displayed. If
the Select in Drawing option is selected, the Select button is displayed. After
choosing the Execute or Select button, you can apply more queries or select
additional graphical objects to further refine your selection set.

224 | DBCONNECT
Venn Diagram
Displays a diagram of the currently selected Do operation.

Reset
Clears the Link Select dialog box and discards all previous actions so that you
can begin a new Link Select operation.

Cancel
Closes the dialog box and discards all actions.

Finish
Completes the Link Select operation and closes the dialog box. Returns either
a selection set of AutoCAD graphical objects, a subset of Data View records,
or both, depending on the parameters specified in the Link Select operation.

Status Bar
Displays the current status information based on the running Link Select
operation. The current drawing and table are displayed, as well as the num-
ber of linked objects and records that currently meet the specified Link Select
parameters.

Configure a Data Source Dialog Box

Configures an external database so it can be accessed from AutoCAD. For
detailed information about configuring a particular database system, refer to
the acad_asi.hlp file in AutoCAD Help. You can open this dialog box using the
following methods:
dbConnect menu: Data Sources Configure
Shortcut menu: Right-click the Data Sources node and choose Configure
Data Source.
Data Source Specifies a name for the OLE DB data source that you
Name are configuring.
Data Sources Lists all OLE DB data sources configured for use with
AutoCAD that are present on your system.
OK Opens the Microsoft Data Links Properties dialog box,
in which you can continue configuring your data
source.

DBCONNECT | 225
 Data View and Query Options Dialog Box
Controls a number of settings related to the display of linked records and
objects and the processing of SQL queries. You can open this dialog box using
the following methods:

Data View buttons:

Data View menu: Options. (The Data View menu is available only if you cur-
rently have a database table open in the Data View window.)

AutoPan and Zoom

Control how linked objects are displayed in the current AutoCAD drawing
when you select their corresponding records in the Data View window.
Automatically Pans the AutoCAD drawing automatically to display
Pan Drawing objects that are associated with the current selection set
of Data View records.
Automatically Zooms the AutoCAD drawing automatically so that all
Zoom Drawing objects associated with the current record set are
displayed.
Zoom Factor Specifies a zoom factor that limits the size of the extents
of the indicated object set to a defined percentage of the
drawing area. The available range is 20 to 90 percent
with a default value of 50 percent. A value of 50 percent
means that either the height of the extents is 50 percent
of the height of the window, or the width of the extents
is 50 percent of the window, whichever value is less.

226 | DBCONNECT
Record Indication Settings
Control the appearance of linked records in the Data View window when
their corresponding objects are selected in the current drawing.
Show Only Displays in the Data View window only the record set
Indicated Records that is associated with the current AutoCAD selection
set. Any records not linked to the current drawing
selection set are not displayed.
Show All Records, Displays all records in the current database table. All
Select Indicated records that are linked to the current selection set are
Records selected in the Data View window.
Mark Indicated Applies a marking color to linked Data View records to
Records clearly differentiate them from records without links.
Marking Color Specifies the marking color to apply to linked Data
View records. The default color is yellow.

Query Options
Specify options for SQL query processing.
Send as Native Issues queries to database tables in the format of the
SQL source table rather than SQL 92 format. You can use this
option to issue proprietary commands in native
database format.
Automatically Automatically stores queries when they are executed
Store with the current drawing.

Accumulate Options
Control the accumulation of selection and record sets.
Accumulate Adds additional objects to the selection set as you select
Selection Set in additional Data View records. If this option is cleared,
Drawing the current drawing indicates a new set of objects each
time you select a new set of Data View records.
Accumulate Adds additional records to the record set as you select
Record Set in additional AutoCAD graphical objects. If this option is
Data View cleared, the Data View window indicates a new set of
records each time you select a new set of graphical
objects.

DBCONNECT | 227
 Export Links Dialog Box
Exports a set of links that are associated with a selection set of AutoCAD
graphical objects. You can open this dialog box using the following method:
dbConnect menu: Links Export Links

If more than one link template exists for the set of graphical objects that you
select, the Select a Database Object dialog box (see page 243) is displayed, in
which you can select a link template whose links you want to export.

Include Fields Specifies the database table fields to export. The key
fields for the selected link template are included
automatically. AutoCAD also exports the handle of the
object that each link is associated with.
File Name Specifies a name for the exported link file.
Save as Type Specifies the file format for the exported links. You can
save the file in the native database format of the current
database table or as a comma-delimited or space-
delimited text file.
Link Template Displays the name of the link template whose links
Name youre exporting.

Export Query Set Dialog Box

Exports a set of queries that are associated with the current drawing. You can
open this dialog box using the following methods:
dbConnect menu: Queries Export Query Set

228 | DBCONNECT
Shortcut menu: In the dbConnect Manager, right-click the drawing node of
a drawing that contains one or more queries and choose Export Query Set.

File Name Specifies a name for the query set.

Save as Type Specifies the file format for the query set. Query sets are
always saved with the .dbq file extension.

Export Template Set Dialog Box

Exports a set of link templates and label templates that are associated with
the current drawing. You can open this dialog box using the following
methods:
dbConnect menu: Templates Export Template Set
Shortcut menu: In the dbConnect Manager, right-click the drawing node of
a drawing that has one or more templates defined and choose Export
Template Set.

File Name Specifies a name for the template set.

Save as Type Specifies the file format for the template set. Template
sets are always saved with the .dbt extension.

Find Dialog Box

Searches for specified text or a numeric value in the currently loaded Data
View table. The search is limited to a single table column. It is not possible to
conduct a global search that scans all columns in the table. You can open this
dialog box using the following methods:
Data View menu: Find. (The Data View menu is available only if you cur-
rently have a database table open in the Data View window.)
Shortcut menu: Right-click a record header or a single cell in the Data View
window and choose Find.

Find What Specifies the value to search for.

Match Case Searches for the exact value, including case, of what
you enter in Find What. If this option is cleared,
AutoCAD searches for the value regardless of case.
Find Next Finds the next occurrence of the value that youre
searching for.
Direction Toggles the direction that AutoCAD searches for the
specified value in the Data View window.

DBCONNECT | 229
 Format Dialog Box
Controls how database table records are displayed in the Data View window.
You can open this dialog box using the following methods:
Data View menu: Format. (The Data View menu is available only if you cur-
rently have a database table open in the Data View window.)
Shortcut menu: Right-click the grid header in the Data View window and
choose Format.

Font Specifies the font style that is applied to the current

Data View table.
Outline Specifies a style to apply to the current font. The
available options are Normal, Italic, Bold, Bold Italic, Not
Bold, and Not Italic.
Size Specifies the size in points that is applied to the current
font.
Effects Applies additional formatting to the Data View window
display. Strikeout draws a line through the center of all
column data. Underline applies an underline to all
column data.
Textcolor Specifies the color that is applied to the Data View table
records.
Preview Displays how the current Format option values look
when applied to the Data View window.

Import Query Set Dialog Box

Imports a set of queries into the current AutoCAD drawing. If the query set
contains a name that matches a query in the current drawing, AutoCAD dis-
plays an alert box where you can enter a different name for the query. You
can open this dialog box using the following methods:
dbConnect menu: Queries Import Query Set
Shortcut menu: Right-click a drawing node in the dbConnect Manager and
choose Import Query Set.

230 | DBCONNECT
Look In Specifies the directory where the query set is located.
File Name Specifies the name of the query set to import.
Files of Type Specifies the file extension of the query set that youre
importing. Query sets always have the .dbq extension.

Import Template Set Dialog Box

Imports a set of link templates and label templates into the current AutoCAD
drawing. If the template set contains a link or label template with a name
that matches a template in the current drawing, AutoCAD displays an alert
box where you can enter a different name for the template. You can open this
dialog box using the following methods:
dbConnect menu: Templates Import Template Set
Shortcut menu: Right-click a drawing node in the dbConnect Manager and
choose Import Template Set.

Look In Specifies the directory where the template set is located.

File Name Specifies the name of the template set to import.
Files of Type Specifies the file extension of the template set that
youre importing. Template sets always have the .dbt
extension.

Label Template Dialog Box

Applies formatting to labels. The Label Template dialog box is a modified
version of the Multiline Text Editor that provides two additional tabs for
applying formatting to labels. The options on the primary Multiline Text
Editor tabs can be used to apply additional formatting to the multiline text
label objects. For more information about the Multiline Text Editor, see
MTEXT.

Before the Label Template dialog box opens, AutoCAD displays the New
Label Template dialog box (see page 241), in which you can name the label
template. You can open this dialog box using the following methods:
dbConnect Manager buttons: Select a database table, link template, or label
template in the dbConnect Manager, and choose the New Label Template
button. If a label template is selected, AutoCAD opens the Label Template
dialog box without first displaying the New Label Template dialog box.

DBCONNECT | 231
 Data View buttons: Choose New Label Template from the Label Template
list, and then choose either the Create Freestanding Label or the Create
Attached Label button flyout. If there is no link template defined for the
selected database table in the current drawing, the New Link Template dialog
box (see page 241) is displayed.
dbConnect menu: Templates New Label Template. Select a link template
in the Select a Database Object dialog box (see page 243) and choose
Continue.
Shortcut menu: Right-click a link template or a database table in the
dbConnect Manager and choose New Label Template.
Pointing device: Double-click a label template in the dbConnect Manager.
This method opens the Label Template dialog box directly without first dis-
playing the New Label Template dialog box.

Label Fields Tab (Label Template Dialog Box)

Specifies which database table fields are displayed when you create labels
based on this template.

Field Displays a list of available fields from the current

database table that you can include in your label. You
may include any number of fields from the source table.
Add Adds the selected field in the Field list to the label.
Table Displays the name of the current database table.

232 | DBCONNECT
Label Offset Tab (Label Template Dialog Box)
Defines X and Y coordinate offsets for the insertion point of both your label
and, if it is an attached label, its associated leader object.

Start Specifies the start point for the leader object. The point
is defined with respect to the extents of the graphical
object that the label is attached to. The Start option has
no effect on freestanding labels, as they have no
associated leader object.
Leader Offset Specifies an X and Y offset for the multiline text object
with respect to the associated leader object. By default,
the X and Y Leader Offset options are set to 1,
indicating that the label text is offset 1 unit in the X and
Y planes from the tip of the leader object. The Leader
Offset settings apply only to attached labels.
Tip Offset Specifies the leader tip or label text offset values for
attached and freestanding labels. For attached labels,
the Tip Offset specifies the X and Y offset from the value
specified in Start for the tip of the leader object. For
freestanding labels, the Tip Offset specifies the X and Y
offset from the insertion point you specified for the
label.

DBCONNECT | 233
 Label Template Properties Dialog Box
Displays the full data source path to a label templates database table. You can
use this dialog box to update a label template with new data source
information.
Before the Label Template Properties dialog box opens, AutoCAD displays the
Select a Database Object dialog box, from which you can select a label
template.
You can open this dialog box using the following method:
dbConnect menu: Templates Label Template Properties

Template Name Displays the name of the selected label template.

Data Source Displays the name of the data source specified for the
selected label template. You can select a new data
source from this list to apply to the label template.
Catalog Displays the name of the catalog specified for the
selected label template. You can select a new catalog
from this list to apply to the label template.
Schema Displays the name of the schema specified for the
selected label template. You can select a new schema
from this list to apply to the label template.
Table Displays the name of the database table specified for the
selected label template. You can select a new database
table from this list to apply to the label template.
Fields Displays the fields specified for the selected label
template.

234 | DBCONNECT
Link Conversion Dialog Box
Converts links created in AutoCAD Release 12, Release 13, and Release 14 to
AutoCAD 2000 (and later) format. You can open this dialog box using the fol-
lowing method:
dbConnect menu: Link Conversion

Because legacy links are stored in formats that differ significantly from
AutoCAD 2000 and later, the link conversion process requires that you spec-
ify a mapping of the old AutoCAD SQL Extension (ASE) link values to the
new ones used by AutoCAD 2000 and later. For example, you must identify
the environment used by a particular link in Release 14 and specify the cor-
responding data source that you want substituted for this environment in
AutoCAD 2000 and later. Similar mappings must be established between all
old ASE link values and the new values that you want substituted for them.

DBCONNECT | 235
 Link Format
Specifies the format of the link that you are converting. Different fields are
displayed depending on whether you select R12 or R13/R14.

Old Link Format (R12)

Specifies the path to the database table used by the link that youre
converting.
DBMS Specifies the database management system used by the
link that youre converting.
Database Specifies the database used by the link that youre
converting.
Table Specifies the database table used by the link that youre
converting.

Old Link Format (R13/R14)

Specifies the path to the database table used by the link that youre
converting.
Environment Specifies the environment used by the link that youre
converting.
Catalog Specifies the catalog used by the link that youre
converting.
Schema Specifies the schema used by the link that youre
converting.
Table Specifies the database table used by the link that youre
converting.
Link Path Name Specifies the link path name used by the link that
youre converting.

236 | DBCONNECT
New Link Format
Specifies the path to the database table used by the converted link.
Data Source Lists available data sources that you can select for the
converted link.
Catalog Lists available catalogs that you can select for the
converted link.
Schema Lists available schemas that you can select for the
converted link.
Table Lists available database tables that you can select for the
converted link.
Link Template Lists available link templates that you can select for the
converted link.

OK
Writes conversion mapping information to the asi.ini file and closes the
dialog box.

Apply
Writes conversion mapping information to the asi.ini file but keeps the dia-
log box open so that you can specify conversions for additional links.

Cancel
Closes the dialog box without converting any links.

DBCONNECT | 237
 Link Manager
Edits the values of the key fields for a selected linked object. You can open
the Link Manager using the following methods:
dbConnect menu: Links Link Manager. Select a linked graphical object.
Shortcut menu: Select and then right-click a linked graphical object, and
then choose Link Link Manager.

Link Templates Lists all link templates that are associated with the
selected graphical object. Select the link template
whose link values you want to view or edit.
Key Displays the key fields of the currently selected link
template.
Value Displays all key values that are defined for the selected
link. To display a list of values for a specific field, click
a Value cell and choose [...].
Delete Deletes the currently selected link from the graphical
object its associated with.

238 | DBCONNECT
 Link Template Dialog Box
Specifies the key fields that are used by a link template.
Before the Link Template dialog box opens, AutoCAD displays the New Link
Template dialog box (see page 241), in which you can name the link tem-
plate. You can open this dialog box using the following methods:
dbConnect Manager buttons: Select a database table in the dbConnect Man-
ager and choose the New Link Template button.
Data View buttons: Choose New Link Template from the Link Template list,
and then choose the Link button flyout.
Link dbConnect menu: Templates New Link Template. Navigate to and select a
database table from the Select a Database Object dialog box (see page 243)
and choose Continue.
Shortcut menu: Right-click a database table in the dbConnect Manager and
choose New Link Template.
Pointing device: Double-click a link template in the dbConnect Manager.
This method opens the Link Template dialog box directly, without first dis-
playing the New Link Template dialog box.

DBCONNECT | 239
 Template Name Displays the name of the link template.
Table Displays the current database table. The first line lists
the name of the table, and the second line lists the full
data source path to the table in the following syntax:
environment.catalog.schema.table
Key Fields Displays all fields that are available for the current
database table, as well as the field type and, in the case
of character fields, the field length. You specify the link
templates key fields by selecting the check box to the
left of the field name.

Link Template Properties Dialog Box

Displays the full data source path to a link templates table. You can use this
dialog box to update a link template with new data source information.
Before the Link Template Properties dialog box opens, AutoCAD displays the
Select a Database Object dialog box (see page 243), from which you can select
a link template.
You can open this dialog box using the following method:
dbConnect menu: Templates Link Template Properties

Template Name Displays the name of the selected link template.

Data Source Displays the name of the data source specified for the
selected link template. You can select a new data source
from this list to apply to the link template.
Catalog Displays the name of the catalog specified for the
selected link template. You can select a new catalog
from this list to apply to the link template.
Schema Displays the name of the schema specified for the
selected link template. You can select a new schema
from this list to apply to the link template.
Table Displays the name of the database table specified for the
selected link template. You can select a new table from
this list to apply to the link template.
Keys Displays the key fields specified for the selected link
template.

240 | DBCONNECT
 New Label Template Dialog Box
Creates a new label template.You can open this dialog box using the follow-
ing methods:
dbConnect Manager buttons: Select a database table in the dbConnect Man-
ager and choose the New Label Template button.
Data View buttons: Choose New Label Template from the Label Template
list, and then choose either the Create Freestanding Label or the Create
Attached Label button flyout. If there is no link template defined for the
selected database table in the current drawing, the New Link Template dialog
box (see page 241) is displayed.
dbConnect menu: Templates New Label Template. Select a link template
from the Select a Database Object dialog box (see page 243) and choose
Continue.
Shortcut menu: Right-click a database table in the dbConnect Manager and
choose New Label Template.

After you enter a name for the label template and choose Continue, the Label
Template dialog box (see page 231) opens, in which you specify the fields to
display in your label and how to format them.
New Label Specifies a name for the label template.
Template Name
Start with Lists available label templates in the current drawing,
Template from which you can select one to use as a start point for
your new label template.

New Link Template Dialog Box

Creates a new link template. You can open this dialog box using the follow-
ing methods:
dbConnect Manager buttons: Select a database table in the dbConnect Man-
ager and choose the New Link Template button.
Data View buttons: Choose New Link Template from the Link Template list,
and then choose the Link button flyout.
Link dbConnect menu: Templates New Link Template. Navigate to and then
select a database table in the Select Data Object dialog box (see page 244) and
choose Continue.
Shortcut menu: Right-click a table in the dbConnect Manager and choose
New Link Template.

DBCONNECT | 241
 After you enter a name for the link template and choose Continue, the Link
Template dialog box (see page 239) opens, in which you specify the key fields
that the link uses.
New Link Specifies a name for the link template.
Template Name
Start with Lists all available link templates from the current
Template drawing, from which you can select one to use as a
starting point for the new link template.

New Query Dialog Box

Creates a new query and opens the Query Editor. You can open this dialog
box using the following methods:
dbConnect Manager buttons: Select a link template, database table, or exist-
ing query in the dbConnect Manager and choose the New Query button.
dbConnect menu: Queries New Query on an External Table, New Query
on a Link Template. (AutoCAD displays a dialog box in which you can select
a database object to query.)
Shortcut menu: Right-click a link template, database table, or existing query
in the dbConnect Manager and choose New Query.

After you enter a name for the query and choose Continue, the Query Editor
(see page 215) is displayed, in which you can construct a new query.
New Query Specifies a name for the query.
Name
Existing Query Lists all available queries from the current drawing.
Names

Replace Dialog Box

Searches for specified text or a numeric value in the currently loaded Data
View table. You can specify a replacement value that overwrites the value
that youre searching for. The search is limited to a single database table col-
umn. It is not possible to conduct a global search that scans all columns in
the database table. You can open this dialog box using the following
methods:
Data View menu: Replace. (This menu is available only if you have a database
table open in the Data View window.)

242 | DBCONNECT
Shortcut menu: Right-click a single cell or column header in the Data View
window and choose Replace.

Find What Specifies the value to search for.

Replace With Specifies a replacement value for the value that youre
searching for.
Match Case Searches for the exact value, including case, of what
you enter in Find What. If this option is cleared,
AutoCAD searches for the value regardless of case.
Find Next Finds the next occurrence of the value that youre
searching for.
Replace Replaces the next occurrence of the value that youre
searching for with the value specified in Replace With.
Replace All Replaces all occurrences of the value that youre
searching for with the value specified in Replace With.

Select a Database Object Dialog Box

Displays a list of the database objects, such as link templates, label templates,
or queries, that are associated with the current drawing. You can select a data-
base object from this list to apply to the current operation. You can open this
dialog box using the following methods:
dbConnect menu: Templates New Label Template, Edit Link Template, Edit
Label Template, Delete Link Template, or Delete Label Template; Queries
Execute Query, New Query on a Link Template, Edit Query, or Delete Query;
Links Delete Links; Labels Reload Labels, Show Labels, Hide Labels, or
Delete Labels; View Data View Linked Table, Edit Linked Table

Database Object Lists the available database objects that are associated
List with the current drawing, from which you must select
one to apply to the current operation.
OK/Continue Either completes the current operation or opens a
secondary dialog box in which you can continue the
current operation. If, for example, you are creating a
new label template, the New Label Template dialog box
is displayed.

DBCONNECT | 243
 Select a Data Object Dialog Box
Displays the Data Sources node of the dbConnect Manager, from which you
can navigate to and select a database table that the current operation is
applied to. You can open this dialog box using the following methods:
dbConnect menu: Data Sources Connect; Templates New Link
Template; Queries New Query on an External Table; View Data View
External Table, Edit External Table
Tree View Lists the available data sources, from which you can
Window select a database table to apply to the current operation.
OK/Continue Either completes the current operation or opens a
secondary dialog box or window, in which you can
continue the current operation. If, for example, you are
creating a new link template, the New Link Template
dialog box is displayed.

Sort Dialog Box

Specifies a sort order that is applied to the database table records displayed in
the Data View window. You can select a combination of up to five columns
to apply to the sort order. You can open this dialog box using the following
method:
Shortcut menu: Right-click a column header in the Data View window and
choose Sort.

Sort By Specifies the primary column to apply to the sort

operation. The data from this column is sorted first, and
then the data from any additional Then By columns
that are specified is sorted.
Ascending Applies an ascending sort order to the selected column.
The column data is ordered with the smallest value at
the beginning of the Data View record set and the
largest value at the end of the record set.
Descending Applies a descending sort order to the selected column.
The column data is ordered with the largest value at the
beginning of the Data View record set and the smallest
value at the end of the record set.
Then By Specifies an additional column to apply to the sort
operation.

244 | DBCONNECT
Reset Clears all columns that are specified for the current sort
order so that you can specify a new sort order.

Synchronize Dialog Box

Updates links that AutoCAD is unable to resolve. Links can become invalid
if you change the underlying structure of their source database table, or if you
move the source table to a new location. In these cases, the structure speci-
fied by the link template used to create the links is no longer valid, and link
templates and any associated links must be updated.
The Synchronize dialog box provides a list of detected errors. Certain errors
(such as a resized column in the source database table) can be fixed directly
from the Synchronize dialog box. Other errors (such as links that point to
nonexistent records) must be fixed in the source database table.
You can open this dialog box using the following methods:
dbConnect menu: Synchronize
Shortcut menu: Right-click a link template in the dbConnect Manager and
choose Synchronize.

Errors Displays a list of errors detected. You can select an error

to fix.
Description Provides a brief description of the error selected in the
Errors list.
Fix Fixes the currently selected error.
Delete Deletes the invalid link template and any associated
links from the current drawing.

DBCONNECT | 245
 Close Closes the dialog box.
Indicate Drawing Indicates all objects in the current drawing that are
Objects associated with the invalid link template.

DBLCLKEDIT
Controls double-click behavior
Command line: dblclkedit

Enter double-click editing mode [ON/OFF] <ON>:

If double-click editing is turned on, one of several dialog boxes may be dis-
played, depending on the object type that is double-clicked.
When you double-click most objects, the Properties palette is displayed.
Double-clicking some types of objects displays specialized editors that are
more powerful, convenient, or frequently used. Objects that display special-
ized editors when double-clicked include

Attribute: Displays the Edit Attribute Definition dialog box (DDEDIT).

Attribute within a block: Displays the Enhanced Attribute Editor (EATTEDIT).
Block: Displays the Reference Edit dialog box (REFEDIT).
Hatch: Displays the Hatch Edit dialog box (HATCHEDIT).
Leader text: Displays the Multiline Text Editor (DDEDIT).
Multiline: Displays the Multiline Edit Tools dialog box (MLEDIT).
Multiline text: Displays the Multiline Text Editor (DDEDIT).
Text: Displays the Edit Text dialog box (DDEDIT).
Xref: Displays the Reference Edit dialog box (REFEDIT).

Note The DBLCLKEDIT command must be on and the PICKFIRST system vari-
able must be on (set to 1, the default) for double-clicking to work.

DBLIST
Lists database information for each object in the drawing dblist

The text window displays information about each object in the current draw-
ing. AutoCAD pauses when the window fills with information. Press ENTER
to resume output, or press ESC to cancel.

246 | DBLCLKEDIT
DDEDIT
Edits text, dimension text, attribute definitions, and feature control frames
An attribute is informational text associated with a block. An attribute
definition is a template for creating an attribute. A feature control frame is a
container for the tolerance information for a single dimension.

Text toolbar:
Shortcut menu: Select a text object, right-click in the drawing area, and
choose Mtext Edit or Text Edit.
Command line: ddedit

Select an annotation object or [Undo]:

Object Selection Displays one of four dialog boxes, depending on the

type of text you select:

Text created using TEXT or DTEXT displays the Edit

Text dialog box (see page 247).
Text created using MTEXT displays the Multiline Text
Editor (see page 567).
Attribute definitions (not part of a block definition)
display the Edit Attribute Definition dialog box (see
page 248).
Feature control frames display the Geometric
Tolerance dialog box (see page 1008).

DDEDIT repeats the prompt until you press ENTER to

end the command.
Undo Returns the text or attribute definition to its previous
value. You can use this option immediately after
editing.

Edit Text Dialog Box

Modifies text created with TEXT or DTEXT. Enter the new text and choose OK
to update the object.
To add a field to the text, right-click the text where you want to insert the
field and click Insert Field on the shortcut menu to display the Field dialog
box.

DDEDIT | 247
 Edit Attribute Definition Dialog Box
Modifies an attribute definitions tag, prompt, and default value.
Tag Specifies the attribute tag, which identifies the attribute
in the drawing. The tag can contain any characters
except spaces or exclamation marks (!). Lowercase
letters are automatically changed to uppercase.
Prompt Specifies the attribute prompt that is displayed when
you insert a block containing this attribute definition.
If you need leading blanks in the prompt, start the
string with a backslash (\). If the first character must be
a backslash, start the string with two backslashes.
Default Specifies the default attribute value. If you need leading
blanks in the default value, start the string with a
backslash (\). If the first character must be a backslash,
start the string with two backslashes.
To use a field as the value, right-click and click Insert
Field on the shortcut menu to display the Field dialog
box.

DDPTYPE
Specifies the display style and size of point objects
Format menu: Point Style
Command line: ddptype (or 'ddptype for transparent use)

The Point Style dialog box is displayed.

Point Style Dialog Box

Shows the current point style and size. Change the point style by selecting
an icon.

248 | DDPTYPE
Point Display Images
Specifies the image used to display point objects. The point style is stored in
the PDMODE system variable.

Point Size
Sets the point display size. The value you enter can be relative to the screen
or in absolute units. AutoCAD stores the point display size in the PDSIZE sys-
tem variable. Subsequent point objects that you draw use the new value.
Set Size Relative Sets the point display size as a percentage of the screen
to Screen size. The point display does not change when you zoom
in or out.
Set Size in Sets the point display size as the actual units you specify
Absolute Units under Point Size. AutoCAD displays points larger or
smaller when you zoom in or out.

DDPTYPE | 249
DDVPOINT
Sets the three-dimensional viewing direction
View menu: 3D Views Viewpoint Presets
Command line: ddvpoint

The Viewpoint Presets dialog box is displayed.

Viewpoint Presets Dialog Box

Defines 3D view settings.

Set Viewing Angles

Sets the direction of the view relative to either the world coordinate system
(WCS) or a user coordinate system (UCS).

Absolute to WCS Sets the view direction relative to the WCS.

Relative to UCS Sets the view direction relative to the current UCS.

250 | DDVPOINT
 From
Specifies viewing angles.
X Axis Specifies the angle from the X axis.
XY Plane Specifies the angle from the XY plane.
You can also use the sample image to specify viewing angles. The black arm
indicates the new angle. The gray arm indicates the current angle. Specify an
angle by selecting the inner region of the circle or half-circle. Selecting the
bounded outer regions rounds off the angle to the value displayed in that
region. If you select the inner arc or an area inside it, the angle is not rounded
off, and the result may be a fractional number.

Set to Plan View

Sets the viewing angles to display the plan view (XY plane) relative to the
selected coordinate system.

DELAY
Provides a timed pause within a script
Command line: delay (or 'delay for transparent use)

Enter delay time (in milliseconds): Enter a value from 0 through 32,767
milliseconds

Specifies the duration of a pause. Entering delay 1000 in your script delays
the start of execution of the next command for about one second. The long-
est delay available is 32767, which is slightly less than 33 seconds.

DETACHURL
Removes hyperlinks in a drawing
Command line: detachurl

Select objects: Use an object selection method, and press ENTER to end selection

Hyperlinks are removed from the selected objects. If an area is selected, the
polyline is deleted. You can use PURGE to remove the URLLAYER layer.

DELAY | 251
DIM and DIM1
Accesses Dimensioning mode
DIM and DIM1 start Dimensioning mode, in which you can use the dimen-
sioning subcommands from earlier releases of AutoCAD. (DIM and DIM1 are
provided only for compatibility with previous releases.) Use DIM to remain
in Dimensioning mode after you have used a dimensioning command. Use
DIM1 to execute a dimensioning command and immediately return to the
Command prompt.
Command line: dim or dim1

Dim: Enter a Dimensioning mode command

The Dim prompt indicates that youre in Dimensioning mode. In Dimen-

sioning mode, you can use a special set of dimensioning commands instead
of the main dimensioning commands. To exit Dimensioning mode, enter e
or exit, or press ESC .

Dimensioning Mode Commands

The following commands are available at the DIM prompt.

Dimensioning mode commands

Command Description

EXIT Exits Dimensioning mode and returns to the Command prompt. You
can also press ESC to exit Dimensioning mode.

REDRAW Redraws the current viewport.

STYLE Changes the current text style.

UNDO or U Erases the most recently created dimension objects and cancels any
new dimension system variable setting. When you exit Dimensioning
mode, UNDO reverses the effects of the entire dimensioning session.

252 | DIM and DIM1

The following table shows which AutoCAD commands are equivalent to the
rest of the Dimensioning mode commands. For information about these
Dimensioning mode commands, see the equivalent AutoCAD command.

Dimensioning mode command equivalents

Dimensioning mode Equivalent

command command

ALIGNED DIMALIGNED

ANGULAR DIMANGULAR

BASELINE DIMBASELINE

CENTER DIMCENTER

CONTINUE DIMCONTINUE

DIAMETER DIMDIAMETER

HOMETEXT DIMEDIT Home

HORIZONTAL DIMLINEAR Horizontal

LEADER LEADER

NEWTEXT DIMEDIT New

OBLIQUE DIMEDIT Oblique

ORDINATE DIMORDINATE

OVERRIDE DIMOVERRIDE

RADIUS DIMRADIUS

RESTORE -DIMSTYLE Restore

ROTATED DIMLINEAR Rotated

SAVE -DIMSTYLE Save

STATUS -DIMSTYLE Status

TEDIT DIMTEDIT

TROTATE DIMEDIT Rotate

DIM and DIM1 | 253

 Dimensioning mode command equivalents (continued)

Dimensioning mode Equivalent

command command

UPDATE -DIMSTYLE Apply

VARIABLES -DIMSTYLE Variables

VERTICAL DIMLINEAR Vertical

DIMALIGNED
Creates an aligned linear dimension

Dimension toolbar:
Dimension menu: Aligned
Command line: dimaligned

Specify first extension line origin or <select object>: Specify a point for manual
extension lines, or press ENTER for automatic extension lines

After you specify either manual or automatic extension lines, the following
prompt is displayed:
Specify dimension line location or [Mtext/Text/Angle]: Specify a point or enter
an option

254 | DIMALIGNED
Extension Line Origin
Specifies the first extension line origin (1). AutoCAD prompts you to specify
the second one.
Specify second extension line origin: Specify a point (2)

2
point specification dimension line loca-
tion designated

Object Selection
Automatically determines the origin points of the first and second extension
lines after you select an object.
Select object to dimension:

For polylines and other explodable objects, only the individual line and arc
segments are dimensioned. You cannot select objects in a nonuniformly
scaled block reference.
If you select a line or an arc, its endpoints are used as the origins of the exten-
sion lines. The extension lines are offset from the endpoints by the distance
specified in Offset from Origin on the Lines and Arrows tab of the New, Mod-
ify, and Override Dimension Style dialog boxes (see DIMSTYLE). AutoCAD
stores this value in the DIMEXO system variable.

offset from origin

(stored in DIMEXO)

object selected dimension line location

designated

DIMALIGNED | 255
 If you select a circle, the endpoints of its diameter are used as the origins of
the extension line. The point used to select the circle defines the origin of the
first extension line.

Dimension Line Location

Specifies the placement of the dimension line and determines the direction
to draw the extension lines. After you specify the location, the DIMALIGNED
command ends.

Mtext
Displays the Multiline Text Editor (see page 567), which you can use to edit
the dimension text. AutoCAD represents the generated measurement with
angle brackets (< >). To add a prefix or a suffix to the generated measure-
ment, enter the prefix or suffix before or after the angle brackets. Use control
codes and Unicode character strings to enter special characters or symbols.
See Control Codes and Special Characters on page 1004.
To edit or replace the generated measurement, delete the angle brackets,
enter the new dimension text, and then choose OK. If alternate units are not
turned on in the dimension style, you can display them by entering square
brackets ([ ]). For more information about formatting dimension text, see
Change Existing Objects, in the Users Guide.
The current dimension style determines the appearance of the generated
measurements.

256 | DIMALIGNED
 Text
Customizes the dimension text at the command line. AutoCAD displays the
generated dimension measurement within angle brackets.
Enter dimension text <current>:

Enter the dimension text, or press ENTER to accept the generated measure-
ment. To include the generated measurement, use angle brackets (< >) to
represent the generated measurement. If alternate units are not turned on in
the dimension style, you can display alternate units by entering square
brackets ([ ]).
before Angle
Dimension text properties are set on the Text tab of the New, Modify, and
Override Dimension Style dialog boxes.

Angle
Changes the angle of the dimension text.
Specify angle of dimension text:

Enter an angle. For example, to rotate the text 45 degrees, enter 45.
after Angle
After you specify the angle, AutoCAD redisplays the Dimension Line
Location prompt.
DIMANGULAR
Creates an angular dimension

Dimension toolbar:
Dimension menu: Angular
Command line: dimangular

Select arc, circle, line, or <specify vertex>: Select an arc, circle, or line, or press
ENTER to create the angular dimension by specifying three points

After you define the angle to dimension, the following prompt is displayed:
Specify dimension arc line location or [Mtext/Text/Angle]:

DIMANGULAR | 257
 Arc Selection
Uses points on the selected arc as the defining points for a three-point
angular dimension. The center of the arc is the angle vertex. The arc end-
points become the origin points of the extension lines.
AutoCAD draws the dimension line as an arc between the extension lines.
AutoCAD draws the extension lines from the angle endpoints to the intersec-
angle vertex tion of the dimension line.

1
Circle Selection
2 Uses the selection point (1) as the origin of the first extension line. The center
of the circle is the angle vertex.
Specify second angle endpoint: Specify a point (2)
angle
vertex The second angle endpoint is the origin of the second extension line and
does not have to lie on the circle.

Line Selection
Defines the angle using two lines.
Select second line:

AutoCAD determines the angle by using each line as a vector for the angle
and the intersection of the lines for the angle vertex. The dimension line
spans the angle between the two lines. If the dimension line does not inter-
angle displayed sect the lines being dimensioned, AutoCAD adds extension lines as needed
depends on cur- to extend one or both lines. The arc is always less than 180 degrees.
sor position
Three-Point Specification
Creates a dimension based on three points you specify.
2 Specify angle vertex: Specify a point (1)
3
1 Specify first angle endpoint: Specify a point (2)
Specify second angle endpoint: Specify a point (3)

The angle vertex can be the same as one of the angle endpoints. If you need
extension lines, the endpoints are used as origin points.
AutoCAD draws the dimension line as an arc between the extension lines.
The extension lines are drawn from the angle endpoints to the intersection
of the dimension line.

258 | DIMANGULAR
Dimension Arc Line Location
Specifies the placement of the dimension line and determines the direction
to draw the extension lines. After you specify the location, DIMANGULAR
ends.

Mtext
Displays the Multiline Text Editor (see page 567), which you can use to edit
the dimension text. AutoCAD represents the generated measurement with
angle brackets (< >). To add a prefix or a suffix to the generated measurement,
enter the prefix or suffix before or after the angle brackets. Use control codes
and Unicode character strings to enter special characters or symbols. See
Control Codes and Special Characters on page 1004.
To edit or replace the generated measurement, delete the angle brackets,
enter the new dimension text, and then choose OK. If alternate units are not
turned on in the dimension style, you can display them by entering square
brackets ([ ]). For more information about formatting dimension text, see
Change Existing Objects, in the Users Guide.
The current dimension style determines the appearance of the generated
measurements.

Text
Customizes the dimension text at the command line. AutoCAD displays the
generated dimension measurement within angle brackets.
Enter dimension text <current>:

Enter the dimension text, or press ENTER to accept the generated measure-
ment. To include the generated measurement, use angle brackets (< >) to
represent the generated measurement. If alternate units are not turned on in
the dimension style, you can display alternate units by entering square
brackets ([ ]).
Dimension text properties are set on the Text tab of the New, Modify, and
Override Dimension Style dialog boxes.

DIMANGULAR | 259
 Angle
Changes the angle of the dimension text.
Specify angle of dimension text:

Enter an angle. For example, to rotate the text 45 degrees, enter 45.
DIMBASELINE
Creates a linear, angular, or ordinate dimension from the baseline of the previous dimen-
sion or a selected dimension
DIMBASELINE creates a series of related dimensions measured from the same
baseline. AutoCAD uses a baseline increment value to offset each new dimen-
sion line and to avoid overlaying the previous dimension line. The baseline
increment value is specified in Baseline Spacing on the Lines and Arrows tab
of the New, Modify, and Override Dimension Style dialog boxes (see page
286). AutoCAD stores this value in the DIMDLI system variable. Baseline
dimensioning is also called parallel dimensioning.

Dimension toolbar:
Dimension menu: Baseline
Command line: dimbaseline

If no dimension was created in the current session, AutoCAD prompts you to

select a linear, ordinate, or angular dimension to use as the base for the base-
line dimension.
Select base dimension: Select a linear, ordinate, or angular dimension

Otherwise, AutoCAD skips this prompt and uses the dimension object that
was last created in the current session. If the base dimension is linear or angu-
lar, the following prompt is displayed:
Specify a second extension line origin or [Undo/Select] <Select>: Specify a
point, enter an option, or press ENTER to select a base dimension

If the base dimension is ordinate, the following prompt is displayed:

Specify feature location or [Undo/Select] <Select>:

To end the command, press ENTER twice, or press ESC . The current dimen-
sion style determines the appearance of the text.

260 | DIMBASELINE
Second Extension Line Origin
By default, AutoCAD uses the first extension line of the base dimension as
the extension line origin for the baseline dimension. To override this default
behavior, explicitly select the base dimension; the extension line origin
becomes the extension line of the base dimension closest to the pick point
of the selection. When you select a second point, AutoCAD draws the base-
line dimension and redisplays the Specify a Second Extension Line Origin
prompt. To end the command, press ESC . To select another linear, ordinate,
or angular dimension to use as the basis for the baseline dimension, press
ENTER .

Select base dimension: Select a linear, ordinate, or angular dimension

Select a base dimension, or press ESC to end the command.

angular baseline dimensioning linear baseline dimensioning

Feature Location
Uses the endpoint of the base dimension as the endpoint for the baseline
dimension; you are prompted for the next feature location. When you select
a feature location, AutoCAD draws the baseline dimension and redisplays the
Specify Feature Location prompt. To end the command, press ESC . To select
another linear, ordinate, or angular dimension to use as the basis for the base-
line dimension, press ENTER .
Select base dimension: Select a linear, ordinate, or angular dimension

Select a base dimension, or press ESC to end the command.

DIMBASELINE | 261
 Undo
Undoes the last baseline dimension entered during this command session.

Select
Prompts you to select a linear, ordinate, or angular dimension to use as the
base for the baseline dimension. After you select a base dimension, AutoCAD
redisplays the Specify Second Extension Line Origin prompt or the Specify
Feature Location prompt.

DIMCENTER
Creates the center mark or the centerlines of circles and arcs

Dimension toolbar:
Dimension menu: Center Mark
center mark
Command line: dimcenter

Select arc or circle: Use an object selection method

You can choose between center marks and centerlines and specify their size
centerlines when you set up the dimension style. See DIMSTYLE. You can also change cen-
ter mark settings using the DIMCEN system variable.

DIMCONTINUE
Creates a linear, angular, or ordinate dimension from the second extension line of the pre-
vious dimension or a selected dimension
DIMCONTINUE draws a series of related dimensions, such as several shorter
dimensions that add up to the total measurement. Continued dimensioning
is also known as chain dimensioning.
When you create linear continued dimensions, the first extension line is sup-
pressed and the placement of text and arrowheads might include a leader
line. These appear as overrides for the continued dimension (the DIMSE1 sys-
tem variable is on, and the DIMTMOVE system variable is 1).

Dimension toolbar:
Dimension menu: Continue
Command line: dimcontinue

262 | DIMCENTER
 If no dimension was created in the current session, AutoCAD prompts you to
select a linear, ordinate, or angular dimension to use as the base for the con-
tinued dimension.
Select continued dimension: Select a linear, ordinate, or angular dimension

Otherwise, AutoCAD skips this prompt and uses the dimension object that
was last created in the current session. If the base dimension is linear or angu-
lar, the following prompt is displayed:
Specify a second extension line origin or [Undo/Select] <Select>: Specify a
point, enter an option, or press ENTER to select a base dimension

If the base dimension is ordinate, the following prompt is displayed:

Specify feature location or [Undo/Select] <Select>:

To end the command, press ENTER twice, or press ESC . The current dimen-
sion style determines the appearance of the text.

Second Extension Line Origin

Uses the second extension line origin of the continued dimension for the
1
first extension line origin of the next dimension. The current dimension
style determines the appearance of the text.
After you select a continued dimension, AutoCAD redisplays the Specify a
Second Extension Line Origin prompt. To end the command, press ESC . To
select another linear, ordinate, or angular dimension to use as the basis for
the continued dimension, press ENTER .
Select continued dimension: Select a linear, ordinate, or angular dimension

Select a base dimension, or press ESC to end the command.

Feature Location
Uses the endpoint of the base dimension as the endpoint for the continued
dimension; you are prompted for the next feature location. When you select
a feature location, AutoCAD draws the continued dimension and redisplays
the Specify Feature Location prompt. To end the command, press ESC . To
select another linear, ordinate, or angular dimension to use as the basis for
the continued dimension, press ENTER .
Select continued dimension: Select a linear, ordinate, or angular dimension

Select a base dimension, or press ESC to end the command.

DIMCONTINUE | 263
 Undo
Undoes the last continued dimension entered during the command session.

Select
Prompts you to select a linear, ordinate, or angular dimension to use as the
continued dimension. After you select a continued dimension, AutoCAD
redisplays the Specify a Second Extension Line Origin prompt or the Specify
Feature Location prompt. To end the command, press ESC .

DIMDIAMETER
Creates diameter dimensions for circles and arcs
DIMDIAMETER draws different types of diameter dimensions depending on
the size of the circle or arc, the options set for the dimension style (see DIM-
STYLE), and the position of the cursor. The dimension style controls center
marks and centerlines. AutoCAD does not draw a center mark or a centerline
when a dimension line is drawn inside the arc or circle. AutoCAD stores the
setting for center marks and centerlines in the DIMCEN system variable.
For horizontal dimension text, if the angle of the diameter line is greater than
15 degrees from horizontal and is outside the circle or arc, AutoCAD draws a
hook line one arrowhead long next to the dimension text, as shown in the
first two illustrations.

Different types of diameter dimensions

Dimension toolbar:
Dimension menu: Diameter
Command line: dimdiameter

Select arc or circle:

264 | DIMDIAMETER
AutoCAD measures the diameter and displays the text with a diameter sym-
bol () in front of it. The position of the cursor determines the location of
the dimension line. As you move the cursor, the dimension moves around or
inside the circle or arc.
Specify dimension line location or [Mtext/Text/Angle]: Specify a point or enter
an option

Dimension Line Location

Uses the point you specify to locate the dimension line. After you specify the
location, AutoCAD draws the dimension.

Mtext
Displays the Multiline Text Editor (see page 567), which you can use to edit
the dimension text. AutoCAD represents the generated measurement with
angle brackets (< >). To add a prefix or a suffix to the generated measurement,
enter the prefix or suffix before or after the angle brackets. Use control codes
and Unicode character strings to enter special characters or symbols. See
Control Codes and Special Characters on page 1004.
To edit or replace the generated measurement, delete the angle brackets,
enter the new dimension text, and then choose OK. If alternate units are not
turned on in the dimension style, you can display them by entering square
brackets ([ ]). For more information about formatting dimension text, see
Change Existing Objects, in the Users Guide.
The current dimension style determines the appearance of the dimension
text.

Text
Customizes the dimension text at the command line. AutoCAD displays the
generated dimension measurement within angle brackets.
Enter dimension text <current>:

DIMDIAMETER | 265
 Enter the dimension text, or press ENTER to accept the generated measure-
ment. To include the generated measurement, use angle brackets (< >) to rep-
resent the generated measurement. If alternate units are not turned on in the
dimension style, you can display alternate units by entering square brackets
([ ]).
Dimension text properties are set on the Text tab of the New, Modify, and
Override Dimension Style dialog boxes.

Angle
Changes the angle of the dimension text.
Specify angle of dimension text:

Enter an angle. For example, to rotate the text 45 degrees, enter 45.
After you specify the angle, AutoCAD redisplays the Dimension Line
Location prompt.

DIMDISASSOCIATE
Removes associativity from selected dimensions
DIMDISASSOCIATE converts selected dimensions that are associated with geo-
metric objects into non-associative dimensions.
Command line: dimdisassociate

Select dimensions to disassociate: Select one or more dimensions and then press
ENTER

DIMDISASSOCIATE filters the selection set to include only associative dimen-

sions that are not on locked layers, and that are not in a different space than
the current space (for example, if model space is active, associative dimen-
sions in paper space are excluded). DIMDISASSOCIATE then disassociates these
dimensions and reports the number of dimensions that are filtered out and
the number that are disassociated.

266 | DIMDISASSOCIATE
DIMEDIT
Edits dimensions
DIMEDIT affects dimension text and extension lines on one or more dimen-
sion objects. The Home, New, and Rotate options affect dimension text. The
Oblique option controls the angle of extension lines.

Dimension toolbar:
Command line: dimedit

Enter type of dimension editing [Home/New/Rotate/Oblique] <Home>: Enter

an option or press ENTER

Home Moves rotated dimension text back to its default

position.
Select objects: Use an object selection method to select
dimension objects

before Home after Home

The selected dimension text is returned to its default

position and rotation as specified in its dimension style.
New Changes dimension text using the Multiline Text Editor
(see page 567).

before New after New

AutoCAD represents the generated measurement with

angle brackets (< >). To add a prefix or a suffix to the
generated measurement, enter the prefix or suffix
before or after the angle brackets. Use control codes and

DIMEDIT | 267
 Unicode character strings to enter special characters or
symbols. See Control Codes and Special Characters
on page 1004.
To edit or replace the generated measurement, delete
the angle brackets, enter the new dimension text, and
then choose OK. If alternate units are not turned on in
the dimension style, you can display them by entering
square brackets ([ ]). For more information about
formatting dimension text, see Change Existing
Objects, in the Users Guide.
Rotate Rotates dimension text. This option is similar to the
Angle option of DIMTEDIT.
Enter text angle:

Entering 0 places the text in its default orientation,

which is determined by the vertical and horizontal text
settings on the Text tab of the New, Modify, and
Override Dimension Style dialog boxes. See DIMSTYLE.
rotated text The DIMTIH and DIMTOH system variables control this
orientation.
Select objects: Use an object selection method to select
dimension objects

Oblique Adjusts the oblique angle of the extension lines for

linear dimensions. AutoCAD creates linear dimensions
with extension lines perpendicular to the direction of
the dimension line. The Oblique option is useful when
extension lines conflict with other features of the
drawing.
Select objects: Use an object selection method to select
dimension objects

Enter oblique angle (press ENTER for none): Enter an

angle or press ENTER

268 | DIMEDIT
DIMLINEAR
Creates linear dimensions

Dimension toolbar:
Dimension menu: Linear
Command line: dimlinear

Specify first extension line origin or <select object>: Specify a point or press
ENTER to select an object to dimension

After you specify the extension line origin points or the object to dimension,
the following prompt is displayed:
Specify dimension line location or [Mtext/Text/Angle/Horizontal/Vertical/
Rotated]: Specify a point or enter an option

DIMLINEAR | 269
 First Extension Line Origin
Prompts for the origin point of the second extension line after you specify
the origin point of the first.
Specify second extension line origin: Specify a point (2)

2
point specification

Dimension Line Location

Uses the point you specify to locate the dimension line and determines the
direction to draw the extension lines. After you specify the location,
AutoCAD draws the dimension.

dimension line
location designated

Mtext
Displays the Multiline Text Editor (see page 567), which you can use to edit
the dimension text. AutoCAD represents the generated measurement with
angle brackets (< >). To add a prefix or a suffix to the generated measurement,
enter the prefix or suffix before or after the angle brackets. Use control codes
and Unicode character strings to enter special characters or symbols. See
Control Codes and Special Characters on page 1004.

270 | DIMLINEAR
To edit or replace the generated measurement, delete the angle brackets,
enter the new dimension text, and then choose OK. If alternate units are not
turned on in the dimension style, you can display them by entering square
brackets ([ ]). For more information about formatting dimension text, see
Change Existing Objects, in the Users Guide.
The current dimension style determines the appearance of the generated
measurements.

Text
Customizes the dimension text on the command line. AutoCAD displays the
generated dimension measurement within angle brackets.
Enter dimension text <current>:

Enter the dimension text, or press ENTER to accept the generated measure-
ment. To include the generated measurement, use angle brackets (< >) to rep-
resent the generated measurement. If alternate units are not turned on in the
dimension style, you can display alternate units by entering square brackets
([ ]).
Dimension text properties are set on the Text tab of the New, Modify, and
Override Dimension Style dialog boxes.

Angle
Changes the angle of the dimension text.
Specify angle of dimension text:

Enter an angle. For example, to rotate the text 90 degrees, enter 90.

before Angle after Angle

DIMLINEAR | 271
 Horizontal
Creates horizontal linear dimensions.
Specify dimension line location or [Mtext/Text/Angle]: Specify a point or enter
an option

Dimension Line Uses the point you specify to locate the dimension line.
Location After you specify the location, AutoCAD draws the
dimension.
Mtext, Text, These text editing and formatting options are identical
Angle in all dimension commands. See the option
descriptions provided earlier in this command.

Vertical
Creates vertical linear dimensions.
Specify dimension line location or [Mtext/Text/Angle]: Specify a point or enter
an option

Dimension Line Uses the point you specify to locate the dimension line.
Location After you specify the location, AutoCAD draws the
dimension.
Mtext, Text, These text editing and formatting options are identical
Angle in all dimension commands. See the option
descriptions provided earlier in this command.

Rotated
Creates rotated linear dimensions.
Specify angle of dimension line <current>: Specify an angle or press ENTER

272 | DIMLINEAR
Object Selection
Automatically determines the origin points of the first and second extension
lines after you select an object.
Select object to dimension:

For polylines and other explodable objects, AutoCAD dimensions only the
individual line and arc segments. You cannot select objects in a non-
uniformly scaled block reference.
If you select a line or an arc, AutoCAD uses the line or arc endpoints as the
origins of the extension lines. The extension lines are offset from the end-
points by the distance you specify in Offset from Origin in the Lines and
Arrows tab of the New, Modify, and Override Dimension Style dialog boxes.
See DIMSTYLE. AutoCAD stores this value in the DIMEXO system variable.
offset from origin
(DIMEXO system
variable)

object selected dimension line location

designated

If you select a circle, AutoCAD uses the diameter endpoints as the origins of
the extension line. When the point used to select the circle is close to the
north or south quadrant point, AutoCAD draws a horizontal dimension.
When the point used to select the circle is close to the east or west quadrant
point, AutoCAD draws a vertical dimension.

DIMLINEAR | 273
 DIMORDINATE
Creates ordinate point dimensions
Ordinate dimensions display the X or Y ordinate of a feature along with a
simple leader line. These dimensions are also known as datum dimensions.
AutoCAD uses the current user coordinate system (UCS) to determine the
measured X or Y ordinate and draws the leader line in a direction orthogonal
to the axes of the current UCS. The absolute value of the coordinate is used
according to the prevailing standards for ordinate dimensions.

Dimension toolbar:
Dimension menu: Ordinate
Command line: dimordinate

Specify feature location: Specify a point or snap to an object

Specify leader endpoint or [Xdatum/Ydatum/Mtext/Text/Angle]: Specify a point
or enter an option

Leader Endpoint Uses the difference between the feature location and
Specification the leader endpoint to determine whether it is an X or
a Y ordinate dimension. If the difference in the Y
ordinate is greater, the dimension measures the X
ordinate. Otherwise, it measures the Y ordinate.
Xdatum Measures the X ordinate and determines the
orientation of the leader line and dimension text.
Xdatum
AutoCAD displays the Leader Endpoint prompt, where
you can specify the endpoint.
Ydatum Measures the Y ordinate and determines the orientation
of the leader line and dimension text. AutoCAD
Ydatum displays the Leader Endpoint prompts, where you can
specify the endpoint.

274 | DIMORDINATE
Mtext Displays the Multiline Text Editor (see page 567), which
you can use to edit the dimension text. AutoCAD
represents the generated measurement with angle
brackets (< >). To add a prefix or a suffix to the
generated measurement, enter the prefix or suffix
before or after the angle brackets. Use control codes and
Unicode character strings to enter special characters or
symbols. See Control Codes and Special Characters
on page 1004.
To edit or replace the generated measurement, delete
the angle brackets, enter the new dimension text, and
then choose OK. If alternate units are not turned on in
the dimension style, you can display them by entering
square brackets ([ ]). For more information about
formatting dimension text, see Change Existing
Objects, in the Users Guide.
The current dimension style determines the appearance
of the generated measurements. After you choose OK,
AutoCAD redisplays the Leader Endpoint prompt.
Text Customizes the dimension text on the command line.
AutoCAD displays the generated dimension
measurement within angle brackets.
Enter dimension text <current>: Enter the dimension text,
or press ENTER to accept the generated measurement

To include the generated measurement, use angle

brackets (< >) to represent the generated measurement.
If alternate units are not turned on in the dimension
style, you can display alternate units by entering square
brackets ([ ]).
Dimension text properties are set on the Text tab of the
New, Modify, and Override Dimension Style dialog
boxes. After you press ENTER , AutoCAD redisplays the
Leader Endpoint prompt.

DIMORDINATE | 275
 Angle Changes the angle of the dimension text.
Specify angle of dimension text:

Enter an angle. For example, to rotate the text 45

degrees, enter 45.
After you specify the angle, AutoCAD redisplays the
Leader Endpoint prompt.

DIMOVERRIDE
Overrides dimensioning system variables
DIMOVERRIDE overrides dimensioning system variable settings that are asso-
ciated with a dimension object but doesn't affect the current dimension style.
You can also use the command to clear overrides from dimensions.
Dimension menu: Override
Command line: dimoverride

Enter dimension variable name to override or [Clear overrides]: Enter the name
of a dimension variable, or enter c

Dimension Overrides the value of the dimensioning system

Variable Name variable you specify.
to Override
Enter new value for dimension variable <current>: Enter a
value or press ENTER

If you enter a new value, AutoCAD redisplays the

Dimension Variable Name to Override prompt. If you
press ENTER , AutoCAD prompts you to select the
dimensions.
Select objects: Use an object selection method to select the
dimensions

AutoCAD applies the overrides to the selected

dimensions.

276 | DIMOVERRIDE
 Clear Overrides Clears any overrides on selected dimensions.
Select objects: Use an object selection method to select the
dimensions

AutoCAD clears the overrides, and the dimension

objects return to the settings defined by their
dimension style.

DIMRADIUS
Creates radial dimensions for circles and arcs
A radial dimension consists of a radius dimension line with an arrowhead at
the arc or circle end. AutoCAD draws a center mark if the DIMCEN system
variable is not set to 0.
DIMRADIUS draws different types of radial dimensions depending on the size
of the circle or arc, the options in the New, Modify, and Override Dimension
Style dialog boxes (see DIMSTYLE), and the position of the cursor. AutoCAD
stores the values of the options in the DIMUPT, DIMTOFL, DIMATFIT, DIMTIH,
DIMTOH, DIMJUST, and DIMTAD system variables.

For horizontal dimension text, if the angle of the radial dimension line is
greater than 15 degrees from horizontal, AutoCAD draws a hook line, also
called a dogleg or landing, one arrowhead long, next to the dimension text.

AutoCAD measures the radius and displays the text with the letter R in front
of it.

Dimension toolbar:
Dimension menu: Radius
Command line: dimradius

Select arc or circle:

Specify dimension line location or [Mtext/Text/Angle]: Specify a point or enter

an option

DIMRADIUS | 277
 Dimension Line Uses the point you specify to locate the dimension line.
Location After you specify the location, AutoCAD draws the
dimension.
Mtext Displays the Multiline Text Editor (see page 567), which
you can use to edit the dimension text. AutoCAD
represents the generated measurement with angle
brackets (< >). To add a prefix or a suffix to the
generated measurement, enter the prefix or suffix
before or after the angle brackets. Use control codes and
Unicode character strings to enter special characters or
symbols. See Control Codes and Special Characters
on page 1004.
To edit or replace the generated measurement, delete
the angle brackets, enter the new dimension text, and
then choose OK. If alternate units are not turned on in
the dimension style, you can display them by entering
square brackets ([ ]). For more information about
formatting dimension text, see Change Existing
Objects in the Users Guide.
The current dimension style determines the appearance
of the generated measurements. After you choose OK,
AutoCAD redisplays the Dimension Line Location
prompt.
Text Customizes the dimension text on the command line.
AutoCAD displays the generated dimension
measurement within angle brackets.
Enter dimension text <current>: Enter the dimension text,
or press ENTER to accept the generated measurement

To include the generated measurement, use angle

brackets (< >) to represent the generated
measurement. If alternate units are not turned on in
the dimension style, you can display alternate units
by entering square brackets ([ ]).
Dimension text properties are set on the Text tab of the
New, Modify, and Override Dimension Style dialog
boxes.
After you press ENTER , the Dimension Line Location
prompt is displayed.

278 | DIMRADIUS
 Angle Changes the angle of the dimension text.
Specify angle of dimension text:

Enter an angle. For example, to rotate the text 45

degrees, enter 45.
After you specify the angle, AutoCAD displays the
Dimension Line Location prompt.

DIMREASSOCIATE
Associates selected dimensions to geometric objects
With DIMREASSOCIATE, a nonassociative dimension can be associated to geo-
metric objects, or the existing associations in an associative dimension can
be changed.
Dimension menu: Reassociate Dimensions
Command line: dimreassociate

Select dimensions to reassociate: Select dimension objects

Each selected dimension is highlighted in turn, and prompts for association

points appropriate for the selected dimension are displayed. A marker is dis-
played for each association point prompt. If the definition point of the cur-
rent dimension is not associated to a geometric object, the marker appears as
an X; if the definition point is associated, the marker appears as an X inside
a box.

Note The marker disappears if you pan or zoom with a wheel mouse.

Press ESC to terminate the command without losing the changes that were
already specified. Use UNDO to restore the previous state of the changed
dimensions.
The prompts for the different types of dimensions are
Linear Specify first extension line origin or [Select object]
<next>: Specify an object snap location, enter s and select
a geometric object, or press ENTER to skip to the next prompt

Specify second extension line origin <next>: Specify an

object snap location, or press ENTER to skip to the next
dimension object, if any

DIMREASSOCIATE | 279
 Aligned Specify first extension line origin or [Select object]
<next>: Specify an object snap location, enter s and select
a geometric object, or press ENTER to skip to the next prompt

Specify second extension line origin <next>: Specify an

object snap location, or press ENTER to skip to the next
dimension object, if any

Angular (Three Specify angle vertex or [Select arc or circle] <next>: Spec-
Point) ify an object snap location, enter s and select an arc or a cir-
cle, or press ENTER to skip to the next prompt

Specify first angle endpoint <next>: Specify an object

snap location or press ENTER to skip to the next prompt

Specify second angle endpoint <next>: Specify an object

snap location or press ENTER to skip to the next dimension
object, if any

Angular (Two Select first line <next>: Select a line, or press ENTER to
Line) skip to the next prompt

Select second line <next>: Select another line, or press

ENTER to skip to the next dimension object, if any

Diameter Select arc or circle <next>: Select an arc or a circle, or press

ENTER to skip to the next dimension object, if any

Leader Specify leader association point <next>: Specify an object

snap location, or press ENTER to skip to the next dimension
object, if any

Ordinate Specify feature location <next>: Specify an object snap

location, or press ENTER to skip to the next dimension
object, if any

Radius Select arc or circle <next>: Select an arc or a circle, or press

ENTER to skip to the next dimension object, if any

Note DIMREASSOCIATE does not change the setting of DIMLFAC in a dimension.

Use DIMOVERRIDE to clear dimension linear factors in legacy drawings.

280 | DIMREASSOCIATE
DIMREGEN
Updates the locations of all associative dimensions
Command line: dimregen

The locations of all associative dimensions in the current drawing are

updated.
Associative dimensions need to be updated manually with DIMREGEN in
three cases:

After panning or zooming with a wheel mouse in a layout with model

space active, update associative dimensions created in paper space.
After opening a drawing that has been modified with a previous version
of AutoCAD, update associative dimensions if the dimensioned objects
have been modified.
After opening a drawing containing external references that are dimen-
sioned in the current drawing, update associative dimensions if the asso-
ciated external reference geometry has been modified.

DIMSTYLE
Creates and modifies dimension styles
A dimension style is a saved set of dimension settings that determines the
appearance of the dimension. By creating dimension styles, you can set all
relevant dimensioning system variables and control the layout and appear-
ance of any dimension.
Dimension styles can have multiple secondary styles with varying settings.
For example, within a dimension style, you can create a secondary style for
radius dimensions and another secondary style for angular dimensions.
AutoCAD uses the appropriate secondary style for the type of dimension you
create. If there are no differences in settings for a dimension type, the pri-
mary dimension-style settings are used.

Styles toolbar:
Format menu: Dimension Style
Dimension menu: Style
Command line: dimstyle

DIMREGEN | 281
 The Dimension Style Manager is displayed.
If you enter -dimstyle at the Command prompt, AutoCAD presents options
on the command line (see page 305).

Dimension Style Manager

Creates new styles, sets the current style, modifies styles, sets overrides on the
current style, and compares styles.

Current Dimstyle
Displays the current dimension style. AutoCAD assigns styles to all dimen-
sions. If you do not change the current style, AutoCAD assigns the default
STANDARD style to dimensions.

Styles
Displays all dimension styles in the drawing. The current style is highlighted.
The item selected in List controls the dimension styles displayed. To make a
style current, select it and choose Set Current.
Unless you select Dont List Styles in Xrefs, AutoCAD displays dimension
styles in externally referenced drawings using the syntax for externally ref-
erenced named objects. (See Overview of External References in the Users
Guide.) Although you cannot change, rename, or make current externally ref-
erenced dimension styles, you can create new styles based on them.

282 | DIMSTYLE
Right-click in the Styles list to display a shortcut menu that you can use to
set the current style, rename styles, and delete styles. You cannot delete a
style that is current or in use in the current drawing.

List
Provides options that control which dimension styles are displayed.
All Styles Displays all dimension styles.
Styles in Use Displays only the dimension styles that are referenced
by dimensions in the drawing.

Dont List Styles in Xrefs

Suppresses display of dimension styles in externally referenced drawings
under Styles.

Set Current
Sets the style selected under Styles to current.

New
Displays the Create New Dimension Style dialog box, in which you can
define new dimension styles. See New, Modify, and Override Dimension
Style Dialog Boxes on page 284.

Modify
Displays the Modify Dimension Styles dialog box, in which you can modify
dimension styles. Dialog box options are identical to those in the New
Dimension Style dialog box. See New, Modify, and Override Dimension
Style Dialog Boxes on page 284.

Override
Displays the Override Current Style dialog box, in which you can set tempo-
rary overrides to dimension styles. Dialog box options are identical to those
in the New Dimension Style dialog box. See New, Modify, and Override
Dimension Style Dialog Boxes on page 284. AutoCAD displays overrides as
unsaved changes under the dimension in the Styles list.

Compare
Displays the Compare Dimension Styles dialog box (see page 304), which
compares the properties of two dimension styles or lists all the properties of
one style.

DIMSTYLE | 283
 Create New Dimension Style Dialog Box
Names the new dimension style, sets the style on which to start the new one,
and indicates the dimension types to which you want the new style to apply.
New Style Name Names the new style.
Start With Sets a style to use as a basis for the new one. For the new
style, you change only the properties that differ from
the properties you start with.
Use For Creates a style that applies only to specific dimension
types. For example, suppose that the text color for the
STANDARD style is black, but you want the text to be
blue only for diameter dimensions. Under Start With,
select STANDARD, and under Use For, select Diameter.
New Style Name becomes unavailable because you are
defining a substyle of STANDARD. After you change the
text color to blue in the New Dimension Style dialog
box, Diameter is displayed as a substyle under
STANDARD in the Dimension Style Manager. When you
use the STANDARD style for diameter dimensions, the
text is blue. When you use STANDARD for all other
dimension types, the text is black.
Continue Displays the New Dimension Style dialog box, in which
you define the new style properties.

New, Modify, and Override Dimension Style

Dialog Boxes
Set properties for dimension styles. When you choose Continue in the Create
New Dimension Style dialog box, the New Dimension Style dialog box is dis-
played. You define the properties for the new style in this dialog box. The dia-
log box initially displays the properties of the dimension style that you
selected to start the new style in the Create New Dimension Style dialog box.
Choosing either Modify or Override in the Dimension Style Manager dis-
plays the Modify Dimension Style or the Override Dimension Style dialog
box. The content of these dialog boxes is identical to the New Dimension
Style dialog box, although you are modifying or overriding an existing
dimension style rather than creating a new one.
The sample image on each tab displays the effects of each option.

284 | DIMSTYLE
Lines and Arrows Tab (New, Modify, Override Dimension Style
Dialog Boxes)
Sets the format and properties for dimension lines, extension lines, arrow-
heads, and center marks.

Dimension Lines
Sets the dimension line properties.
Color Sets the color for the dimension line. If you click Select
Color (at the bottom of the Color list), the Select Color
dialog box is displayed (see page 172). You can also
enter the color name or number in the text box.
(DIMCLRD system variable)
You can select colors from the 255 AutoCAD Color
Index (ACI) colors, true colors, and Color Book colors.
Lineweight Sets the lineweight of the dimension line. (DIMLWD
system variable)

DIMSTYLE | 285
 Extend Beyond Specifies a distance to extend the dimension line past
Ticks the extension line when you use oblique, architectural,
tick, integral, and no marks for arrowheads. (DIMDLE
system variable)

extension

Baseline Spacing Sets the spacing between the dimension lines of a

baseline dimension. Enter a distance. This value is
stored in the DIMDLI system variable. For information
about baseline dimensions, see DIMBASELINE.
Suppress Suppresses display of dimension lines. Dim Line 1
suppresses the first dimension line; Dim Line 2
spacing suppresses the second dimension line. (DIMSD1 and
DIMSD2 system variables)

1 2 1 2

first dimension line second dimension line

suppressed suppressed

Extension Lines
Controls the appearance of the extension lines.
Color Sets the color for the extension line. If you click Select
Color (at the bottom of the Color list), the Select Color
dialog box is displayed (see page 172). You can also
enter the color name or number in the text box.
(DIMCLRE system variable.)
You can select colors from the 255 AutoCAD Color
Index (ACI) colors, true colors, and Color Book colors.
Lineweight Sets the lineweight of the extension line. (DIMLWE
system variable)
Extend Beyond Specifies a distance to extend the extension lines above
Dim Lines the dimension line. (DIMEXE system variable)
extension

286 | DIMSTYLE
Offset From Sets the distance to offset the extension lines from the
Origin points on the drawing that define the dimension.
(DIMEXO system variable)

offset

Suppress Suppresses the display of extension lines. Ext Line 1

suppresses the first extension line; Ext Line 2 suppresses
the second extension line. (DIMSE1 and DIMSE2 system
variables)

1 2 1 2
first extension line second extension line
suppressed suppressed

Arrowheads
Controls the appearance of the dimension arrowheads.
1st Sets the arrowhead for the first dimension line. When
you change the first arrowhead type, the second
arrowhead automatically changes to match it.
(DIMBLK1 system variable)
To specify a user-defined arrowhead block, select User
Arrow. The Select Custom Arrow Block dialog box is
displayed. Select the name of a user-defined arrowhead
block. (The block must be in the drawing.)
2nd Sets the arrowhead for the second dimension line.
(DIMBLK2 system variable)
To specify a user-defined arrowhead block, select User
Arrow. The Select Custom Arrow Block dialog box is
displayed. Select the name of a user-defined arrowhead
block. (The block must be in the drawing.)

DIMSTYLE | 287
 Leader Sets the arrowhead for the leader line. (DIMLDRBLK
system variable)
To specify a user-defined arrowhead block, select User
Arrow. The Select Custom Arrow Block dialog box is
displayed. Select the name of a user-defined arrowhead
block. (The block must be in the drawing.)
Arrow Size Sets the size of arrowheads. (DIMASZ system variable)
Center Marks for Circles
Controls the appearance of center marks and centerlines for diameter and
radial dimensions. The DIMCENTER, DIMDIAMETER, and DIMRADIUS com-
mands use center marks and centerlines. For DIMDIAMETER and DIMRADIUS,
AutoCAD draws the center mark only if you place the dimension line outside
the circle or arc.
Type Provides three center mark type options:

Mark: Creates a center mark. The size of the center

mark is stored as a positive value in the DIMCEN
system variable.
Line: Creates a centerline. The size of the centerline
is stored as a negative value in the DIMCEN system
variable.
None: Creates no center mark or centerline. The
value is stored as 0 in the DIMCEN system variable.

Size Sets the size of the center mark or centerline. (DIMCEN

system variable)

288 | DIMSTYLE
Text Tab (New, Modify, Override Dimension Style Dialog
Boxes)
Sets the format, placement, and alignment of dimension text.

Text Appearance
Controls the dimension text format and size.
Text Style Displays and sets the current style for dimension text.
Select a style from the list. To create and modify styles
for dimension text, choose the [...] button next to the
list. (DIMTXSTY system variable)
Text Style Button Displays the Text Style dialog box (see page 967), in
which you can define or modify text styles.
Text Color Sets the color for the dimension text. If you click Select
Color (at the bottom of the Color list), the Select Color
dialog box is displayed (see page 172). You can also
enter the color name or number in the text box.
(DIMCLRT system variable)
You can select colors from the 255 AutoCAD Color
Index (ACI) colors, true colors, and Color Book colors.

DIMSTYLE | 289
 Text Height Sets the height of the current dimension text style. If a
fixed text height is set in the Text Style (that is, the text
style height is greater than 0), that height overrides the
text height set here. If you want to use the height set on
the Text tab, make sure the text height in the Text Style
is set to 0. (DIMTXT system variable)
Fraction Height Sets the scale of fractions relative to dimension text.
Scale This option is available only when Fractional is selected
as the Unit Format on the Primary Units tab. The value
entered here is multiplied by the text height to
determine the height of dimension fractions relative to
dimension text. (DIMTFAC system variable)
Draw Frame Draws a frame around dimension text. Selecting this
Around Text option changes the value stored in the DIMGAP system
variable to a negative value.
Text Placement
Controls the placement of dimension text.
Vertical Controls the vertical placement of dimension text in
relation to the dimension line. The vertical setting is
stored in the DIMTAD system variable. Vertical position
options include the following:

Centered: Centers the dimension text between the

two parts of the dimension line.
Above: Places the dimension text above the
dimension line. The distance from the dimension
line to the baseline of the lowest line of text is the
current text gap. See Offset from Dim Line on page
292.
Outside: Places the dimension text on the side of the
dimension line farthest away from the first defining
point.
JIS: Places the dimension text to conform to a
Japanese Industrial Standards (JIS) representation.

290 | DIMSTYLE
 Centered Above Outside JIS

Horizontal Controls the horizontal placement of dimension text in

relation to the dimension line and the extension lines.
The horizontal setting is stored in the DIMJUST system
variable. Horizontal position options include the
following:

Centered: Centers the dimension text along the

dimension line between the extension lines.
At Ext Line 1: Left-justifies the text with the first
extension line along the dimension line. The
distance between the extension line and the text is
twice the arrowhead size plus the text gap value. See
Arrowheads on page 287 and Offset from Dim
Line on page 292.
At Ext Line 2: Right-justifies the text with the second
extension line along the dimension line. The
distance between the extension line and the text is
twice the arrowhead size plus the text gap value. See
Arrowheads on page 287 and Offset from Dim
Line on page 292.

1 2 1 2
centered first extension second extension
line line

Over Ext Line 1: Positions the text over or along the

first extension line.
Over Ext Line 2: Positions the text over or along the
second extension line.

DIMSTYLE | 291
 1 2 1 2
text over first extension line text over second extension line

Offset from Dim Sets the current text gap, which is the distance around
Line the dimension text when the dimension line is broken
to accommodate the dimension text.
AutoCAD also uses this value as the minimum length
required for dimension line segments.
AutoCAD positions text inside the extension lines only
if the resulting segments are at least as long as the text
gap. Text above or below the dimension line is placed
inside only if the arrowheads, dimension text, and a
margin leave enough room for the text gap. (DIMGAP
system variable)

DIMGAP = 0 DIMGAP = 0.1

Text Alignment
Controls the orientation (horizontal or aligned) of dimension text whether
it is inside or outside the extension lines. (DIMTIH and DIMTOH system
variables)
Horizontal Places text in a horizontal position.
Aligned With Aligns text with the dimension line.
Dimension Line
ISO Standard Aligns text with the dimension line when text is inside
the extension lines, but aligns it horizontally when text
is outside the extension lines.
Fit Tab (New, Modify, Override Dimension Style Dialog Boxes)
Controls the placement of dimension text, arrowheads, leader lines, and the
dimension line.

292 | DIMSTYLE
Fit Options
Controls the placement of text and arrowheads based on the space available
between the extension lines.
When space is available, AutoCAD places text and arrowheads between the
extension lines. Otherwise, text and arrowheads are placed according to the
Fit options. (DIMATFIT, DIMTIX, and DIMSOXD system variables)
Either the Text Places text and arrowheads as follows:
or the Arrows,
Whichever Fits When enough space is available for text and
Best arrowheads, places both between the extension
lines. Otherwise, AutoCAD moves either the text or
the arrowheads based on the best fit.
When enough space is available for text only, places
text between the extension lines and places
arrowheads outside the extension lines.
When enough space is available for arrowheads only,
places them between the extension lines and places
text outside the extension lines.
When space is available for neither text nor
arrowheads, places them both outside the extension
lines.

DIMSTYLE | 293
 Arrows Places text and arrowheads as follows:

When enough space is available for text and

arrowheads, places both between the extension
lines.
When space is available for arrowheads only, places
them between the extension lines and places text
outside them.
When not enough space is available for arrowheads,
places both text and arrowheads outside the
extension lines.

Text Places text and arrowheads as follows:

When space is available for text and arrowheads,

places both between the extension lines.
When space is available for text only, places the text
between the extension lines and places arrowheads
outside them.
When not enough space is available for text, places
both text and arrowheads outside the extension
lines.

Both Text and When not enough space is available for text and
Arrows arrowheads, places both outside the extension lines.
Always Keep Text Always places text between extension lines. This value
Between Ext is stored in the DIMTIX system variable.
Lines
Suppress Arrows Suppresses arrowheads if not enough space is available
If They Dont Fit inside the extension lines. (DIMSOXD system variable)
Inside Extension
Lines
Text Placement
Sets the placement of dimension text when it is moved from the default posi-
tion, that is, the position defined by the dimension style. (DIMTMOVE system
variable)
Beside the Places dimension text beside the dimension line.
Dimension Line
Over the If text is moved away from the dimension line, creates
Dimension Line, a leader connecting the text to the dimension line.
with a Leader AutoCAD omits the leader when text is too close to the
dimension line.

294 | DIMSTYLE
Over the Keeps the dimension line in the same place when text
Dimension Line, is moved. Text that is moved away from the dimension
Without a Leader line is not connected to the dimension line with a
leader.
Scale for Dimension Features
Sets the overall dimension scale value or the paper space scaling.
Use Overall Scale Sets a scale for all dimension style settings that specify
Of size, distance, or spacing, including text and arrowhead
sizes. This scale does not change dimension
measurement values. This value is stored in the
DIMSCALE system variable.

Scale Dimension Determines a scale factor based on the scaling between

to Layout (Paper the current model space viewport and paper space. This
Space) value is stored as 0 in the DIMSCALE system variable.
When you work in paper space, but not in a model
space viewport, or when TILEMODE is set to 1, AutoCAD
uses the default scale factor of 1.0 for the DIMSCALE
system variable.
Fine Tuning
Sets additional fit options.
Place Text Ignores any horizontal justification settings and places
Manually When the text at the position you specify at the Dimension
Dimensioning Line Location prompt. This value is stored in the
DIMUPT system variable.

Always Draw Dim Draws dimension lines between the measured points
Line Between Ext even when AutoCAD places the arrowheads outside the
Lines measured points. This value is stored in the DIMTOFL
system variable.

DIMSTYLE | 295
 Primary Units Tab (New, Modify, Override Dimension Style
Dialog Boxes)
Sets the format and precision of primary dimension units and sets prefixes
and suffixes for dimension text.

Linear Dimensions
Sets the format and precision for linear dimensions.
Unit Format Sets the current units format for all dimension types
except Angular. This value is stored in the DIMLUNIT
system variable.
The relative sizes of numbers in stacked fractions are
based on the DIMTFAC system variable (in the same way
that tolerance values use this system variable).
Precision Sets the number of decimal places in the dimension
text. This value is stored in the DIMDEC system variable.
Fraction Format Sets the format for fractions. This value is stored in the
DIMFRAC system variable.

Decimal Sets the separator for decimal formats. This value is

Separator stored in the DIMDSEP system variable.

296 | DIMSTYLE
Round Off Sets rounding rules for dimension measurements for all
dimension types except Angular.
If you enter a value of 0.25, all distances are rounded to
the nearest 0.25 unit. Similarly, if you enter a value of
1.0, AutoCAD rounds all dimension distances to the
nearest integer. This value is stored in the DIMRND
system variable.
The number of digits displayed after the decimal point
depends on the Precision setting.
Prefix Indicates a prefix for the dimension text. You can enter
text or use control codes to display special symbols (see
Control Codes and Special Characters on page 1004).
For example, entering the control code %%c displays
the diameter symbol. When you enter a prefix, it
overrides any default prefixes such as those used in
diameter () and radius (R) dimensioning. This value is
stored in the DIMPOST system variable.
If you specify tolerances, AutoCAD adds the prefix to
the tolerances as well as to the main dimension.
Suffix Indicates a suffix for the dimension text. You can enter
text or use control codes to display special symbols (see
Control Codes and Special Characters on page 1004).
For example, entering the text mm results in dimension
text similar to that shown in the illustration. When you
enter a suffix, it overrides any default suffixes. This
value is stored in DIMPOST.
If you specify tolerances, AutoCAD adds the suffix to
the tolerances as well as to the main dimension.
Measurement Defines measurement scale options as follows:
Scale
Scale Factor: Sets a scale factor for linear dimension
measurements. AutoCAD multiplies the dimension
measurement by the value entered here. For
example, if you enter 2, AutoCAD displays a 1-inch
dimension as 2 inches. The value does not apply to
angular dimensions and is not applied to rounding
values or to plus or minus tolerance values. This
value is stored in the DIMLFAC system variable.
Apply to Layout Dimensions Only: Applies the linear
scale value only to dimensions created in layouts.

DIMSTYLE | 297
 This sets the length scale factor to reflect the zoom
scale factor for objects in a model space viewport.
When you select this option, the length scaling
value is stored as a negative value in the DIMLFAC
system variable.

Zero Suppression Controls the suppression of leading and trailing zeros,

and of feet and inches that have a value of zero. Zero
suppression settings also affect real-to-string
conversions performed by the AutoLISP rtos and
angtos functions. AutoCAD stores this value in the
DIMZIN system variable.

Leading: Suppresses leading zeros in all decimal

dimensions. For example, 0.5000 becomes .5000.
Trailing: Suppresses trailing zeros in all decimal
dimensions. For example, 12.5000 becomes 12.5,
and 30.0000 becomes 30.
0 Feet: Suppresses the feet portion of a feet-and-
inches dimension when the distance is less than one
foot. For example, 0'-6 1/2" becomes 6 1/2".
0 Inches: Suppresses the inches portion of a feet-and-
inches dimension when the distance is an integral
number of feet. For example, 1'-0" becomes 1'.

Angular Dimensions
Sets the current angle format for angular dimensions.
Units Format Sets the angular units format. This value is stored in the
DIMAUNIT system variable.

Precision Sets the number of decimal places for angular

dimensions. This value is stored in the DIMADEC system
variable.
Zero Suppression Suppresses leading and trailing zeros. This value is
stored in DIMAZIN.

Leading: Suppresses leading zeros in angular decimal

dimensions. For example, 0.5000 becomes .5000.
Trailing: Suppresses trailing zeros in angular decimal
dimensions. For example, 12.5000 becomes 12.5,
and 30.0000 becomes 30.

298 | DIMSTYLE
Alternate Units Tab (New, Modify, Override Dimension Style
Dialog Boxes)
Specifies display of alternate units in dimension measurements and sets their
format and precision.

Display Alternate Units

Adds alternate measurement units to dimension text. AutoCAD sets the
DIMALT system variable to 1.

Alternate Units
Sets the current alternate units format for all dimension types except
Angular.
Unit Format Sets the alternate units format. This value is stored in
the DIMALTU system variable.
The relative sizes of numbers in stacked fractions are
based on DIMTFAC (in the same way that tolerance
values use this system variable).
Precision Sets the number of decimal places in the alternate units.
This value is stored in the DIMALTD system variable.

DIMSTYLE | 299
 Multiplier for Specifies a multiplier to use as the conversion factor
Alternate Units between primary and alternate units. To determine the
value of alternate units, AutoCAD multiplies all linear
distances (measured by dimensions and coordinates) by
the current linear scale value.
The length scaling value changes the generated
measurement value. The value has no effect on angular
dimensions, and AutoCAD does not apply it to the
rounding value or the plus or minus tolerance values.
This value is stored in the DIMALTF system variable.
Round Distances Sets rounding rules for alternate units for all dimension
To types except Angular.
If you enter a value of 0.25, all alternate measurements
are rounded to the nearest 0.25 unit. Similarly, if you
enter a value of 1.0, AutoCAD rounds all dimension
measurements to the nearest integer.
The number of digits displayed after the decimal point
depends on the Precision setting. The alternate
rounding value is stored in the DIMALTRND system
variable.
Prefix Indicates a prefix for the alternate dimension text. You
can enter text or use control codes to display special
symbols (see Control Codes and Special Characters
on page 1004). For example, entering the control code
%%c displays the diameter symbol. This value is stored
in the DIMAPOST system variable.
Suffix Includes the suffix in the alternate dimension text. You
can enter text or use control codes to display special
symbols (see Control Codes and Special Characters
on page 1004). For example, entering the text cm
results in dimension text similar to that shown in the
illustration. When you enter a suffix, it overrides any
default suffixes. This value is stored in the DIMAPOST
system variable.
Zero Suppression
Controls the suppression of leading and trailing zeros, and of feet and inches
that have a value of zero. This value is stored in the DIMALTZ system variable.
Leading Suppresses leading zeros in all decimal dimensions. For
example, 0.5000 becomes .5000.

300 | DIMSTYLE
Trailing Suppresses trailing zeros in all decimal dimensions. For
example, 12.5000 becomes 12.5, and 30.0000 becomes
30.
0 Feet Suppresses the feet portion of a feet-and-inches
dimension when the distance is less than 1 foot. For
example, 0'-6 1/2" becomes 6 1/2".
0 Inches Suppresses the inches portion of a feet-and-inches
dimension when the distance is an integral number of
feet. For example, 1'-0" becomes 1'.
Placement
Controls the placement of alternate units. These values are stored in the
DIMAPOST system variable.

After Primary Places alternate units after the primary units.

Value
Below Primary Places alternate units below the primary units.
Value

Tolerances Tab (New, Modify, Override Dimension Style Dialog

Boxes)
Controls the display and format of dimension text tolerances.

DIMSTYLE | 301
 Tolerance Format
Controls the tolerance format.
Method Sets the method for calculating the tolerance.

None: Does not add a tolerance. The DIMTOL system

variable is set to 0.
Symmetrical: Adds a plus/minus expression of
tolerance in which AutoCAD applies a single value
of variation to the dimension measurement. A
appears after the dimension. Enter the tolerance
value in Upper Value. The DIMTOL system variable is
set to 1. The DIMLIM system variable is set to 0.
Deviation: Adds a plus/minus tolerance expression.
AutoCAD applies different plus and minus values of
variation to the dimension measurement. A plus
sign (+) precedes the tolerance value entered in
Upper Value, and a minus sign () precedes the
tolerance value entered in Lower Value. The DIMTOL
system variable is set to 1. The DIMLIM system
variable is set to 0.
Limits: Creates a limit dimension in which AutoCAD
displays a maximum and a minimum value, one
over the other. The maximum value is the
dimension value plus the value entered in Upper
Value. The minimum value is the dimension value
minus the value entered in Lower Value. The
DIMTOL system variable is set to 0. The DIMLIM
system variable is set to 1.
Basic: Creates a basic dimension in which AutoCAD
draws a box around the full extents of the
dimension. The distance between the text and the
box is stored as a negative value in the DIMGAP
system variable.

Precision Sets the number of decimal places. This value is stored

in the DIMTDEC system variable.
Upper Value Sets the maximum or upper tolerance value. When you
select Symmetrical in Method, AutoCAD uses this value
for the tolerance. This value is stored in the DIMTP
system variable.
Lower Value Sets the minimum or lower tolerance value. This value
is stored in the DIMTM system variable.

302 | DIMSTYLE
Scaling for Height Sets the current height for the tolerance text. The ratio
of the tolerance height to the main dimension text
height is calculated and stored in the DIMTFAC system
variable.
Vertical Position Controls text justification for symmetrical and
deviation tolerances.

Top: Aligns the tolerance text with the top of the

main dimension text. When you select this option,
the DIMTOLJ system variable is set to 2.
Middle: Aligns the tolerance text with the middle of
the main dimension text. When you select this
option, the DIMTOLJ system variable is set to 1.
Bottom: Aligns the tolerance text with the bottom of
the main dimension text. When you select this
option, the DIMTOLJ system variable is set to 0.

Zero Suppression
Controls the suppression of leading and trailing zeros, and of feet and inches
that have a value of zero. Zero suppression settings also affect real-to-string
conversions performed by the AutoLISP rtos and angtos functions. This
value is stored in the DIMTZIN system variable.
Leading Suppresses leading zeros in all decimal dimensions. For
example, 0.5000 becomes .5000.
Trailing Suppresses trailing zeros in all decimal dimensions. For
example, 12.5000 becomes 12.5, and 30.0000 becomes
30.
0 Feet Suppresses the feet portion of a feet-and-inches
dimension when the distance is less than 1 foot. For
example, 0'-6 1/2" becomes 6 1/2".
0 Inches Suppresses the inches portion of a feet-and-inches
dimension when the distance is an integral number of
feet. For example, 1'-0" becomes 1'.
Alternate Unit Tolerance
Sets the precision and zero suppression rules for alternate tolerance units.
Precision Sets the number of decimal places. This value is stored
in the DIMALTTD system variable.

DIMSTYLE | 303
 Zero Suppression Controls the suppression of leading and trailing zeros,
and of feet and inches that have a value of zero. This
value is stored in the DIMALTTZ system variable.

Leading: Suppresses leading zeros in all decimal

dimensions. For example, 0.5000 becomes .5000.
Trailing: Suppresses trailing zeros in all decimal
dimensions. For example, 12.5000 becomes 12.5,
and 30.0000 becomes 30.
0 Feet: Suppresses the feet portion of a feet-and-
inches dimension when the distance is less than 1
foot. For example, 0'-6 1/2" becomes 6 1/2".
0 Inches: Suppresses the inches portion of a feet-and-
inches dimension when the distance is an integral
number of feet. For example, 1'-0" becomes 1'.

Compare Dimension Styles Dialog Box

Compares the properties of two dimension styles or displays all properties of
one style. You can print the results of the comparison to the Clipboard, and
then paste to other Microsoft Windows applications.

Print to Clipboard
button

Compare Sets the first dimension style to compare.

With Sets the second dimension style to compare. If you set
With to <none> or to the same style as Compare,
AutoCAD displays all properties for the style.

304 | DIMSTYLE
 Comparison results are displayed automatically under
the following headings:

Description of the dimension style property

System variable that controls the property
System variable values of style properties that differ
for each dimension style

Print to Clipboard Prints results of the style comparison to the Windows

button Clipboard. You can then paste the results to other
Windows applications, such as word processors and
spreadsheets.

DIMSTYLE Command Line

If you enter -dimstyle at the Command prompt, DIMSTYLE displays prompts
on the command line:
Current dimension style: <current>
Enter a dimension style option
[Save/Restore/STatus/Variables/Apply/?] <Restore>: Enter an option or press
ENTER

Save
Saves the current settings of dimensioning system variables to a dimension
style.
Enter name for new dimension style or [?]: Enter a name or enter ?

Name
Saves the current settings of dimensioning system variables to a new dimen-
sion style using the name you enter. The new dimension style becomes the
current one.
If you enter the name of an existing dimension style, AutoCAD prompts:
That name is already in use, redefine it? <N>: Enter y or press ENTER

If you enter y, AutoCAD regenerates associative dimensions that use the rede-
fined dimension style.

DIMSTYLE | 305
 To display the differences between the dimension style name you want to
save and the current style, enter a tilde (~) followed by the style name at the
Enter Name for New Dimension Style prompt. AutoCAD displays only set-
tings that differ, with the current setting in the first column, and the setting
of the compared style in the second column. After displaying the differences,
AutoCAD returns to the previous prompt.
?List Dimension Styles
Lists the named dimension styles in the current drawing.
Enter dimension style(s) to list <*>: Enter a name, a partial name with wild-card
characters, or press ENTER to list all dimension styles

After listing the named dimension styles, AutoCAD returns to the previous
prompt.

Restore
Restores dimensioning system variable settings to those of a selected dimen-
sion style.
Enter dimension style name, [?] or <select dimension>: Enter a name, enter ?, or
press ENTER to select a dimension

Name
Makes the dimension style you enter the current dimension style.
To display the differences between the dimension style name you want to
restore and the current style, enter a tilde (~) followed by the style name at
the Enter Dimension Style Name prompt. AutoCAD displays only settings
that differ, with the current setting in the first column, and the setting of the
compared style in the second column. After displaying the differences,
AutoCAD returns to the previous prompt.
?List Dimension Styles
Lists the named dimension styles in the current drawing.
Enter dimension style(s) to list <*>: Enter a name list or press ENTER

After listing the dimension styles, AutoCAD returns to the previous prompt.
Select Dimension
Makes the dimension style of the selected object the current dimension style.
Select dimension:

Status
Displays the current values of all dimension system variables. After listing the
variables, DIMSTYLE ends.

306 | DIMSTYLE
Variables
Lists the dimension system variable settings of a dimension style or selected
dimensions without modifying the current settings.
Enter a dimension style name, [?] or <select dimension>: Enter a name, enter ?,
or press ENTER to select dimensions

Name
Lists the settings of dimension system variables for the dimension style name
you enter. After listing the variables, DIMSTYLE ends.
To display the differences between a particular dimension style and the cur-
rent style, enter a tilde (~) followed by the style name at the Enter Dimension
Style Name prompt. AutoCAD displays only settings that differ, with the
current setting in the first column, and the setting of the compared style in
the second column. After displaying the differences, AutoCAD returns to the
previous prompt.
?List Dimension Styles
Lists the named dimension styles in the current drawing.
Enter dimension style(s) to list <*>: Enter a name list or press ENTER

After listing the dimension styles, AutoCAD returns to the previous prompt.
Select Dimension
Lists the dimension style and any dimension overrides for the dimension
object you select.
Select dimension:

Apply
Applies the current dimensioning system variable settings to selected dimen-
sion objects, permanently overriding any existing dimension styles applied
to these objects.
Select objects: Use an object selection method to select a dimension object

AutoCAD does not update the dimension line spacing between existing base-
line dimensions (see the DIMDLI system variable), nor do dimension text vari-
able settings update existing leader text.

?List Dimension Styles

Lists the named dimension styles in the current drawing.
Enter dimension style(s) to list <*>: Enter a name, a partial name with wild-card
characters, or press ENTER

DIMSTYLE | 307
DIMTEDIT
Moves and rotates dimension text

Dimension toolbar:
Dimension menu: Align Text
Command line: dimtedit

Select dimension: Select a dimension object

AutoCAD prompts you for the new location of the dimension text.
Specify new location for dimension text or [Left/Right/Center/Home/Angle]:
Specify a point or enter an option

dimension text with left dimension text posi- dimension text posi-
and right justification tioned by cursor tioned by angle

Location for Updates the location of the dimension text

Dimension Text dynamically as you drag it. To determine whether text
appears above, below, or in the middle of the
dimension line, use the Text tab in the New, Modify,
and Override Dimension Style dialog box.
Left Left-justifies the dimension text along the dimension
line. This option works only with linear, radial, and
diameter dimensions.

before Left after Left

Right Right-justifies the dimension text along the dimension

line. This option works only with linear, radial, and
diameter dimensions.

308 | DIMTEDIT
 before Right after Right

Center Centers the dimension text on the dimension line.

Home Moves the dimension text back to its default position.

before Home after Home

Angle Changes the angle of the dimension text.

Enter text angle:

before Angle after Angle 90

The center point of the text does not change. If the text
moves or the dimension is regenerated, AutoCAD keeps
the orientation set by the text angle. Entering an angle
of 0 degrees puts the text in its default orientation.

DIST
Measures the distance and angle between two points

Inquiry toolbar:
Tools menu: Inquiry Distance
Command line: dist (or 'dist for transparent use)

Specify first point: Specify a point

Specify second point: Specify a point
Distance = calculated distance, Angle in XY plane = angle,
Angle from XY plane = angle
Delta X = change in X, Delta Y = change in Y, Delta Z = change in Z

DIST | 309
 AutoCAD reports the true 3D distance between points. The angle in the XY
plane is relative to the current X axis. The angle from the XY plane is relative
to the current XY plane. DIST assumes the current elevation for the first or
second point if you omit the Z coordinate value.
AutoCAD displays the distance using the current units format.

delta Z
angle from
XY plane

angle in
XY plane
delta X delta Y

DIVIDE
Places evenly spaced point objects or blocks along the length or perimeter of an object
DIVIDE marks off a specified number of equal lengths on a selected object by
placing point objects or blocks along the length or perimeter of the object.
Objects that you can divide include arcs, circles, ellipses and elliptical arcs,
polylines, and splines.
Draw menu: Point Divide
Command line: divide

Select object to divide: Use an object selection method

Enter number of segments or [Block]: Enter a value from 2 through 32,767, or
enter b

310 | DIVIDE
Number of Segments
Places point objects at equal intervals along the selected objects.
The illustration shows a polyline divided into five parts. Point Display mode
(PDMODE) has been set such that the points can be seen.

select polyline divided into five parts

Block
Places blocks at equal intervals along the selected object.
Enter name of block to insert: Enter the name of a block currently defined in the
drawing
Align block with object? [Yes/No] <Y>: Enter y or n or press ENTER

Yes Specifies that the X axes of the inserted blocks be

tangent to, or collinear with, the divided object at the
dividing points.
No Aligns the blocks according to their normal orientation.
Enter number of segments: Enter a value from 2 through 32,767

The illustration shows an arc divided into five equal parts using a block con-
sisting of a vertically oriented ellipse.

block not aligned block aligned

DIVIDE | 311
 DONUT
Draws filled circles and rings
inside A donut is constructed of a closed polyline composed of wide arc segments.
diameter How AutoCAD fills the interior of a donut depends on the current setting of
the FILL command.
Draw menu: Donut
Command line: donut
outside
diameter Specify inside diameter of donut <current>: Specify a distance or press ENTER

If you specify an inside diameter of 0, the donut is a filled circle.

1 2
Specify outside diameter of donut <current>: Specify a distance or press ENTER
Specify center of donut or <exit>: Specify a point (1) or press ENTER to end the
command

AutoCAD sets the location of the donut based on the center point. After you
specify the diameters, AutoCAD prompts you for the locations at which to
draw donuts. AutoCAD draws a donut at each point specified (2).

DRAGMODE
Controls the way AutoCAD displays dragged objects
You can draw new objects dynamically and drag them into position on the
screen. You can also drag existing objects with many editing commands.
With some computer configurations, dragging can be time consuming. Use
DRAGMODE to suppress dragging.

Command line: dragmode (or 'dragmode for transparent use)

Enter new value [ON/OFF/Auto] <current>: Enter an option or press ENTER

On Permits dragging, but you must enter drag where

DRAGMODE on appropriate in a drawing or editing command to
initiate dragging.
Off Ignores all dragging requests, including those
embedded in menu items.
Auto Turns on dragging for every command that supports it.
Dragging is performed whenever it is possible. Entering
DRAGMODE off drag each time is not necessary.

312 | DONUT
DRAWORDER
Changes the draw order of images and other objects
Generally, overlapping objects such as text, wide polylines, and solid-filled
polygons are displayed in the order they are created: newly created objects in
front of existing objects. You use DRAWORDER to change the draw order, or
display and plotting order, of any object in the drawing database.
Whenever you use DRAWORDER, objects you select are assigned a draw order
(display or plotting order) that is saved with the drawing. In addition to mov-
ing objects to the front or back of the drawing sort order, you can order
objects relative to other objects (that is, above or below selected objects).

Draw Order toolbar:

Tools menu: Draw Order
Shortcut menu: Select an object, right-click, and then click Draw Order.
Command line: draworder

Select objects: Use an object selection method

Enter object ordering option [Above objects/Under objects/Front/Back]
<Back>: Enter an option or press ENTER

Above Objects Moves the selected object above the specified reference
objects.
Select reference objects: Use an object selection method

Under Objects Moves the selected objects below the specified reference
objects.
Select reference objects: Use an object selection method

Front Moves the selected objects to the top of the order of

objects in the drawing.
Back Moves the selected objects to the bottom of the order of
objects in the drawing.
When you change the draw order (display and plotting order) of multiple
objects, AutoCAD maintains the relative draw order of the selected objects.

DRAWORDER | 313
 By default, when you create new objects from existing ones (for example,
FILLET or PEDIT), the new objects are assigned the draw order of the original
object you selected first. By default, while you edit an object (for example,
MOVE or STRETCH), the object is displayed on top of all objects in the draw-
ing. When you are finished editing, AutoCAD partially regenerates your
drawing so that the object is displayed according to its correct draw order.
This can result in some edit operations taking slightly longer. You can use
DRAWORDERCTL to change the default draw order settings. TEXTTOFRONT
changes the draw order of all text and dimensions in the drawing.

DSETTINGS
Specifies settings for Snap mode, grid, and polar and object snap tracking
DSETTINGS specifies the settings for a number of drafting aids to help you
draw more quickly and precisely. Settings include Snap mode, the grid, object
snaps, and polar and object snap tracking.
Tools menu: Drafting Settings
Shortcut menu: Right-click Snap, Grid, Polar, Osnap, or Otrack on the status
bar and choose Settings.
Command line: dsettings (or 'dsettings for transparent use)

The Drafting Settings dialog box is displayed.

Drafting Settings Dialog Box

Specifies drafting settings organized for drawing aids in three categories:
Snap and Grid, Polar Tracking, and Object Snap.

Snap and Grid Tab (Drafting Settings Dialog Box)

Specifies Snap and Grid settings.

314 | DSETTINGS
Snap On
Turns Snap mode on or off. You can also turn Snap mode on or off by clicking
Snap on the status bar, by pressing F9 , or by using the SNAPMODE system
variable.
Snap
Controls an invisible grid that restricts cursor movement to specified
intervals.
Snap X Spacing Specifies the snap spacing in the X direction. The value
must be a positive real number. (SNAPUNIT system
variable)
Snap Y Spacing Specifies the snap spacing in the Y direction. The value
must be a positive real number. (SNAPUNIT system
variable)
Angle Rotates the snap grid by the angle specified. (SNAPANG
system variable)
X Base Specifies an X base coordinate point for the grid.
(SNAPBASE system variable)
Y Base Specifies a Y base coordinate point for the grid.
(SNAPBASE system variable)

DSETTINGS | 315
 Polar Spacing
Controls the PolarSnap increment distance.
Polar Distance Sets the snap increment distance when PolarSnap is
selected under Snap Type & Style. If this value is 0, the
PolarSnap distance assumes the value for Snap X
Spacing. The Polar Distance setting is used in
conjunction with polar tracking and/or object snap
tracking. If neither tracking feature is enabled, the Polar
Distance setting has no effect. (POLARDIST system
variable)
Grid On
Turns the grid dots on or off. You can also turn grid dots mode on or off by
clicking Grid on the status bar, by pressing F7 , or by using the GRIDMODE
system variable.
Grid
Controls the display of a dot grid that helps you visualize distances.

Note The limits of the dot grid are controlled by the LIMITS command.

Grid X Spacing Specifies the dot spacing in the X direction. If this value
is 0, the grid assumes the value set for Snap X Spacing.
(GRIDUNIT system variable)
Grid Y Spacing Specifies the dot spacing in the Y direction. If this value
is 0, the grid assumes the value set for Snap Y Spacing.
(GRIDUNIT system variable)
Snap Type & Style
Controls Snap mode settings.
Grid Snap Sets the snap type to Grid. (SNAPTYPE system variable)

Rectangular Snap: Sets the snap style to standard

Rectangular snap mode. When the snap type is set to
Grid snap and Snap mode is on, the cursor snaps to
a rectangular snap grid. (SNAPSTYL system variable)
Isometric Snap: Sets the snap style to Isometric snap
mode. When the snap type is set to Grid snap and
Snap mode is on, the cursor snaps to an isometric
snap grid. (SNAPSTYL system variable)

316 | DSETTINGS
PolarSnap Sets the snap type to Polar. When Snap mode is on and
you specify points with polar tracking turned on, the
cursor snaps along polar alignment angles set on the
Polar Tracking tab relative to the starting polar tracking
point. (SNAPTYPE system variable)

Polar Tracking Tab (Drafting Settings Dialog Box)

Controls the AutoTrack settings.

Polar Tracking On
Turns polar tracking on and off. You can also turn polar tracking on or off by
pressing F10 or by using the AUTOSNAP system variable.
Polar Angle Settings
Sets the angles used with polar tracking.
Increment Angle Sets the polar increment angle used to display polar
tracking alignment paths. You can enter any angle, or
select a common angle of 90, 45, 30, 22.5, 18, 15, 10,
OR 5 degrees from the list. (POLARANG system variable)

DSETTINGS | 317
 Additional Angles Makes any additional angles in the list available for
polar tracking. The Additional Angles check box is also
controlled by the POLARMODE system variable, and the
list of additional angles is also controlled by the
POLARADDANG system variable.

Note Additional angles are absolute, not incremental.

New Adds up to 10 additional polar tracking alignment
angles.
Note Before adding fractional angles, you must set the
AUPREC system variable to the appropriate decimal
precision to avoid undesired rounding. For example, if the
value of AUPREC is 0 (the default value), all fractional angles
you enter are rounded to the nearest whole number.
Delete Deletes selected additional angles.
Object Snap Tracking Settings
Sets options for object snap tracking.
Track Displays only orthogonal (horizontal/vertical) object
Orthogonally snap tracking paths for acquired object snap points
Only when object snap tracking is on. This setting is also
controlled by the POLARMODE system variable.
Track Using All Permits the cursor to track along any polar angle
Polar Angle tracking path for acquired osnap points when object
Settings snap tracking is on while specifying points. This setting
is also controlled by the POLARMODE system variable.

Note Clicking Polar and Otrack on the status bar also turns polar tracking and
object snap tracking on and off.

Polar Angle Measurement

Sets the basis by which polar tracking alignment angles are measured.
Absolute Bases polar tracking angles on the current user
coordinate system (UCS).
Relative to Last Bases polar tracking angles on the last segment drawn.
Segment

318 | DSETTINGS
Object Snap Tab (Drafting Settings Dialog Box)
Controls running object snap settings. With running object snap settings,
also called Osnap, you can specify a snap point at an exact location on an
object. When more than one option is selected, AutoCAD applies the
selected snap modes to return a point closest to the center of the aperture
box. Press TAB to cycle through the options.

Object Snap On
Turns running object snaps on and off. The object snaps selected under
Object Snap Modes are active while object snap is on. (OSMODE system
variable)
Object Snap Tracking On
Turns object snap tracking on and off. With object snap tracking, the cursor
can track along alignment paths based on other object snap points when
specifying points in a command. To use object snap tracking, you must turn
on one or more object snaps. (AUTOSNAP system variable)

DSETTINGS | 319
 Object Snap Modes
Specifies the running object snap modes. Select one or more options.
Endpoint Snaps to the closest endpoint of an arc, elliptical arc,
line, multiline, polyline segment, spline, region, or ray,
or to the closest corner of a trace, solid, or 3D face.

selection point

snap point

Midpoint Snaps to the midpoint of an arc, ellipse, elliptical arc,

line, multiline, polyline segment, region, solid, spline,
or xline.

selection point

snap point

Center Snaps to the center of an arc, circle, ellipse, or elliptical

arc.

selection point
snap point

Node Snaps to a point object, dimension definition point, or

dimension text origin.

Quadrant Snaps to a quadrant point of an arc, circle, ellipse, or

elliptical arc.

snap point

selection point

320 | DSETTINGS
Intersection Snaps to the intersection of an arc, circle, ellipse,
elliptical arc, line, multiline, polyline, ray, region,
spline, or xline.
Extended Intersection snaps to the potential
intersection of two objects that would intersect if the
objects were extended along their natural paths.
AutoCAD automatically turns on Extended Intersection
when you specify the Intersection object snap
individually. Extended Intersection is not available as a
running object snap.

Intersection and Extended Intersection do not work

with edges or corners of 3D solids.

Note You might get varying results if you have both the
Intersection and Apparent Intersection running object
snaps turned on at the same time.
Extension Causes a temporary extension line or arc to be displayed
when you pass the cursor over the endpoint of objects,
so you can specify points on the extension.
Insertion Snaps to the insertion point of an attribute, a block, a
shape, or text.
selection point

snap point

Perpendicular Snaps to a point perpendicular to an arc, circle, ellipse,

elliptical arc, line, multiline, polyline, ray, region,
solid, spline, or xline. AutoCAD automatically turns on
Deferred Perpendicular snap mode when the object
you are drawing requires that you complete more than
one perpendicular snap. You can use a line, arc, circle,
polyline, ray, xline, multiline, or 3D solid edge as an
object from which to draw a perpendicular line. You can

DSETTINGS | 321
 use Deferred Perpendicular to draw perpendicular lines
between such objects. When the aperture box passes
over a Deferred Perpendicular snap point, AutoCAD
displays an AutoSnap tooltip and marker.

selection point
snap point

Tangent Snaps to the tangent of an arc, circle, ellipse, elliptical

arc, or spline. AutoCAD automatically turns on
Deferred Tangent snap mode when the object you are
drawing requires that you complete more than one
tangent snap. For example, you can use Deferred
Tangent to draw a line that is tangent to two arcs,
polyline arcs, or circles. When the aperture box passes
over a Deferred Tangent snap point, AutoCAD displays
a marker and an AutoSnap tooltip.

selection point snap point

Note When you use the From option in conjunction with

the Tangent snap mode to draw objects other than lines
from arcs or circles, the first point drawn is tangent to the
arc or circle in relation to the last point selected in the
drawing area.
Nearest Snaps to the nearest point on an arc, circle, ellipse,
elliptical arc, line, multiline, point, polyline, ray, spline,
or xline.
Apparent Snaps to the visual intersection of two objects that are
Intersection not in the same plane.
Apparent Intersection snaps to the apparent
intersection of two objects (arc, circle, ellipse, elliptical
arc, line, multiline, polyline, ray, spline, or xline) that
do not intersect in 3D space but may appear to intersect
in the current view.
Extended Apparent Intersection snaps to the
imaginary intersection of two objects that would
appear to intersect if the objects were extended along

322 | DSETTINGS
 their natural paths. AutoCAD automatically turns on
Extended Apparent Intersection when you specify the
Apparent Intersection object snap individually.
Extended Apparent Intersection is not available as a
running object snap.
Apparent and Extended Apparent Intersection do not
work with edges or corners of 3D solids.
Note You might get varying results if you have both the
Intersection and Apparent Intersection running object
snaps turned on at the same time.
Parallel Draws a vector parallel to another object whenever
AutoCAD prompts you for the second point of a
vector. After specifying the first point of a vector, if
you move the cursor over a straight line segment of
another object, AutoCAD acquires the point. When the
path of the object you create is parallel to the line
segment, AutoCAD displays an alignment path, which
you can use to create the parallel object.
Select All Turns on all object snap modes.
Clear All Turns off all object snap modes.

Options
Displays the Drafting tab in the Options dialog box (see page 624). You can-
not access the Options dialog box from the Drafting Settings dialog box if
you are running DSETTINGS transparently.

DSVIEWER
Opens the Aerial View window
The Aerial View window is a navigation tool. It displays a view of the entire
drawing in a separate window so that you can quickly locate and move to a
specific area. With the Aerial View window open, you can zoom and pan
without choosing a menu option or entering a command.
In paper space, the Aerial View window shows only paper space objects,
including viewport borders. Real-time updating of the AutoCAD window
from the Aerial View window is not available in paper space.
View menu: Aerial View
Command line: dsviewer

DSVIEWER | 323
 The Aerial View window is displayed.

Aerial View Window

Displays the entire drawing; AutoCAD marks the current view with a wide
outline box.

Zoom In Global

Zoom Out
View box

View Menu (Aerial View Window)

Changes the magnification of the Aerial View by zooming in and out of the
drawing or by displaying the entire drawing in the Aerial View window.
When the entire drawing is displayed in the Aerial View window, the Zoom
Out menu option and button are unavailable. When the current view nearly
fills the Aerial View window, the Zoom In menu option and button are
unavailable. If both of these conditions exist at the same time, such as after
using ZOOM Extents, both options are unavailable. All of the menu options
are also available from a shortcut menu you can access by right-clicking in
the Aerial View window.
Zoom In Increases the magnification of the drawing in the Aerial
View window by zooming in by a factor of 2, centered
on the current view box.

324 | DSVIEWER
Zoom Out Decreases the magnification of the drawing in the
Aerial View window by zooming out by a factor of 2,
centered on the current view box.

Global Displays the entire drawing and the current view in the
Aerial View window.

DSVIEWER | 325
 Options Menu (Aerial View Window)
Provides toggles for automatic viewport display and dynamic updating of the
drawing. All of the menu options are also available from a shortcut menu you
can access by right-clicking in the Aerial View window.
Auto Viewport Displays the model space view of the current viewport
automatically when multiple viewports are displayed.
When Auto Viewport is off, AutoCAD does not update
the Aerial View window to match the current viewport.
Dynamic Update Updates the Aerial View window while you edit the
drawing. When Dynamic Update is off, AutoCAD does
not update the Aerial View window until you click in
the Aerial View window.
Realtime Zoom Updates the drawing area in real time when you zoom
using the Aerial View window.

DVIEW
Defines parallel projection or perspective views
To help you view a model from any point in space, DVIEW uses a camera-
target metaphor. The line of sight, or viewing direction, is the line between
the camera and the target.
DVIEW uses objects you select or a special block named DVIEWBLOCK to dis-
play a preview image. The preview image shows the changes you make in the
view. When you end the command, AutoCAD regenerates the drawing based
on the view you set.
Transparent ZOOM, DSVIEWER, PAN, and scroll bars are not available in
DVIEW. When you define a perspective view, ZOOM, PAN, transparent ZOOM
and PAN, DSVIEWER, and scroll bars are not available while that view is
current.

target

camera
plan view 3D perspective view

326 | DVIEW
Command line: dview

Select objects or <use DVIEWBLOCK>:

Enter option
[CAmera/TArget/Distance/POints/PAn/Zoom/TWist/CLip/Hide/Off/Undo]:
Specify a point with your pointing device, or enter an option

Object Selection
Specifies objects to use in the preview image as you change views. Selecting
too many objects slows image dragging and updating.

DVIEWBLOCK
If you press ENTER at the Select Objects prompt, AutoCAD uses DVIEWBLOCK
for the preview image. You can create your own DVIEWBLOCK block in a
111-unit area, with its origin at the lower-left corner. The following illus-
tration shows an example of using the default DVIEWBLOCK to set the view
(moving the graphics cursor adjusts the view).

graphics cursor

DVIEW | 327
 Point Specification
Rolls the view under the camera. The point you select with your pointing
device is a start point for the dragging operation. Your viewing direction
changes about the target point as you move the pointing device.
Enter direction and magnitude angles: Enter angles between 0 degrees and 360
degrees, or specify a point with your pointing device

Enter both angles, separated by a comma. The angles must be positive. The
direction angle indicates the front of the view, and the magnitude angle
determines how far the view rolls.

Camera
Specifies a new camera position by rotating the camera about the target
point. Two angles determine the amount of rotation.
Specify camera location, or enter angle in XY plane <from X axis>,
or [Toggle (angle current)] <current>: Specify an XYZ point, enter t, enter an
angle, or press ENTER

Camera Location Sets the cameras position based on the specified point.
Enter Angle from Sets the cameras position at an angle above or below
the XY Plane the XY plane. An angle of 90 degrees looks down from
above, and an angle of 90 looks up from below. A
camera angle of 0 degrees places the camera parallel to
the XY plane of the user coordinate system (UCS).
When you toggle the angle input mode or specify the
angle from the XY plane, AutoCAD returns to the
previous prompt.
Toggle (Angle In) Switches between two angle input modes. Entering an
angle on the command line locks the cursor movement
so you see only the positions available for that angle.
Toggle unlocks the cursor movement for the angle, and
you can use the cursor to rotate the camera.
Enter Angle in XY Sets the cameras position at an angle in the XY plane
Plane from X Axis relative to the X axis of the current UCS. This angle
measures from 180 to 180 degrees. A rotation angle of
0 degrees looks down the X axis of the UCS toward the
origin.

328 | DVIEW
 camera at A

plan view camera rotated to B

The illustration shows the camera rotating to the left

from its initial position, leaving its angle from the XY
plane unchanged.
Toggle (Angle Switches between two angle input modes. Entering an
From) angle on the command line locks the cursor movement
so you see only the positions available for that angle.
Toggle unlocks the cursor movement for the angle, and
you can use the cursor to rotate the camera.

Target
Specifies a new position for the target by rotating it around the camera. The
effect is like turning your head to see different parts of the drawing from one
vantage point. Two angles determine the amount of rotation.
Specify camera location, or enter angle in XY plane <from X axis>,
or [Toggle (angle current)] <current>: Specify an XYZ point, enter t, enter an
angle, or press ENTER

DVIEW | 329
 Enter Angle from Sets the target's position at an angle above or below the
the XY Plane XY plane. An angle of 90 degrees looks down from
above, and an angle of 90 looks up from below. A
target angle of 0 degrees means that the target is parallel
to the XY plane of the UCS.
After you toggle the angle input mode or specify the
angle from the XY plane, AutoCAD returns to the
previous prompt.
Toggle (Angle In) Switches between two angle input modes. Entering an
angle on the command line locks the cursor movement
so you see only the positions available for that angle.
Toggle unlocks the cursor movement for the angle, and
you can use the cursor to rotate the target.
Enter Angle in XY Sets the targets position at an angle in the XY plane
Plane from X Axis relative to the X axis of the current UCS. This angle
measures from 180 to 180 degrees. A rotation angle of
0 degrees means you look down the X axis of the UCS
toward the origin.

target at A

camera
plan view target at B

The illustration shows the effect of moving the target

point from left to right, leaving its angle from the XY
plane unchanged.

330 | DVIEW
Toggle (Angle Switches between two angle input modes. Entering an
From) angle on the command line locks the cursor movement
so you see only the positions available for that angle.
Toggle unlocks the cursor movement for the angle, and
you can use the cursor to rotate the target.

Distance
Moves the camera in or out along the line of sight relative to the target. This
option turns on perspective viewing, which causes objects farther from the
camera to appear smaller than those closer to the camera. A special perspec-
tive icon replaces the coordinate system icon. AutoCAD prompts for the new
camera-to-target distance.
Specify new camera-target distance <current>: Enter a distance or press ENTER

A slider bar along the top of the drawing area is labeled from 0x to 16x,
with 1x representing the current distance. Moving the slider bar to the right
increases the distance between camera and target. Moving it to the left
decreases that distance. To turn off perspective viewing, choose the Off
option from the main DVIEW prompt.
If the target and camera points are close together, or if you specify a long-
focal-length lens, you might see very little of your drawing when you specify
a new distance. If you see little or none of your drawing, try the maximum
scale value (16x) or enter a large distance. To magnify the drawing without
turning perspective viewing on, use the Zoom option of DVIEW (see page
333).

DVIEW | 331
 camera at A

plan view camera at B

The illustration shows the effect of moving the camera along the line of sight
relative to the target, where the field of view remains constant.

Points
Locates the camera and target points using X,Y,Z coordinates. You can use
XYZ point filters. You must specify these points in a nonperspective view. If
perspective viewing is on, AutoCAD turns it off while you specify new cam-
era and target locations, and then redisplays the preview image in perspec-
tive view.
Specify target point <current>: Specify a point or press ENTER

To help you define a new line of sight, AutoCAD draws a rubber-band line
from the current camera position to the crosshairs. AutoCAD prompts you
for a new camera location.
Specify camera point <current>: Specify a point, enter direction and magnitude
angles, or press ENTER

A rubber-band line connects the target point to the crosshairs to help you
place the camera relative to the target. The illustration shows the change in
view as you swap the camera and target points. Lens and distance settings are
the same in each case.

332 | DVIEW
 camera at A, target at B

camera location and target point

camera at B, target at A

For information about entering direction and magnitude angles, see Point
Specification on page 328.

Pan
Shifts the image without changing the level of magnification.
Specify displacement base point: Specify a point
Specify second point: Specify a point

Zoom
If perspective viewing is off, dynamically increases or decreases the apparent
size of objects in the current viewport.
Specify zoom scale factor <current>: Specify a scale or press ENTER

A slider bar along the top of the drawing area is labeled from 0x to 16x, with
1x representing the current scale. Moving the slider bar to the right increases
the scale. Moving it to the left decreases the scale.
If perspective viewing is on, Zoom adjusts the camera lens length, which
changes the field of view and causes more or less of the drawing to be visible
at a given camera and target distance. The default lens length is 50mm,

DVIEW | 333
 simulating what youd see with a 35mm camera and a 50mm lens. Increasing
the lens length is similar to switching to a telephoto lens. Decreasing the lens
length widens the field of view, as with a wide-angle lens.
Specify lens length <50.000mm>: Specify a value or press ENTER

A slider bar along the top of the drawing area is labeled from 0x to 16x, with
1x representing the current lens length. Moving the slider bar to the right
increases the lens length. Moving it to the left decreases the lens length.

lens length = 50mm

plan view lens length = 25mm

Twist
Twists or tilts the view around the line of sight. AutoCAD measures the twist
angle counterclockwise, with 0 degrees to the right.
Specify view twist angle <current>: Specify an angle or press ENTER

334 | DVIEW
Clip
Clips the view, obscuring portions of the drawing that are behind or in front
of the front clipping plane. The front and back clipping planes are invisible
walls that you can position perpendicular to the line of sight between the
camera and target.
Enter clipping option [Back/Front/Off] <Off>: Enter an option or press ENTER

Back
Obscures objects located behind the back clipping plane.
Specify distance from target or [ON/OFF] <current>: Specify a distance, enter an
option, or press ENTER

Distance from Positions the back clipping plane and turns on back
Target clipping. A positive distance places the clipping plane
between the target and the camera. A negative distance
places it beyond the target. You can use the slider bar to
drag the clipping plane.
On Turns on back clipping at the current clipping distance.
Off Turns off back clipping.

Front
Obscures objects located between the camera and the front clipping plane.
Specify distance from target or [set to Eye (camera)/ON/OFF] <current>: Specify
a distance, enter e, or press ENTER

Distance from Positions the front clipping plane and turns on front
Target clipping. A positive distance places the clipping plane
between the target and the camera. A negative distance
places it beyond the target. You can use the slider bar to
drag the clipping plane.
Eye Positions the front clipping plane at the camera.

DVIEW | 335
 On Turns on front clipping. This option is available only
when perspective viewing is off.
Off Turns off front clipping. This option is available only
when perspective viewing is off.

back clip

front clip

camera
position of clipping planes view resulting from
camera position

Off
Turns off front and back clipping. If perspective viewing is on, front clipping
remains on at the camera position.

Hide
Suppresses hidden lines on the selected objects to aid in visualization.
AutoCAD considers circles, solids, traces, regions, wide polyline segments,
3D faces, polygon meshes, and the extruded edges of objects with nonzero
thickness to be opaque surfaces that hide objects.This hidden line suppres-
sion is quicker than that performed by HIDE, but it can't be plotted.

Off
Turns off perspective viewing. The Distance option turns on perspective
viewing.

Undo
Reverses the effects of the last DVIEW action. You can undo multiple DVIEW
operations.

336 | DVIEW
DWGPROPS
Sets and displays the properties of the current drawing
File menu: Drawing Properties
Command line: dwgprops

The Drawing Properties dialog box is displayed.

Drawing Properties Dialog Box

Displays read-only statistics or general information about your drawing,
assigns summary properties, and assigns names and values to custom prop-
erties. These custom properties can help you identify your drawing.
Document properties are displayed in the list of field names in the Field
dialog box.

General Tab (Drawing Properties Dialog Box)

Displays read-only information about the drawing file. This data is derived
from the operating system.

DWGPROPS | 337
 File Name
Shows the file icon and the file name.
File Type, Location, Size
Shows the file type, the file location, and the size of the file.
MS-DOS Name, Created, Modified, Accessed
Shows MS-DOS name, when the file was created, and the date and time it was
last modified and last accessed.
Attributes
Shows system-level file attributes. These values can be modified in Windows
Explorer.
Read-Only Indicates that the file is read-only; it cannot be changed
or deleted accidentally.
Archive Indicates that this file should be archived. AutoCAD
uses this setting to determine which files should be
backed up.
Hidden Indicates that the file is hidden; you cannot see or use
it unless you know its name.
System Indicates that the file is a system file. An AutoCAD
drawing cannot have the System attribute set.

Summary Tab (Drawing Properties Dialog Box)

Displays properties such as author, title, and subject that are predefined. For
example, you can add keywords to all your drawing files and then use
DesignCenter to search for all drawing files with a particular keyword.

338 | DWGPROPS
Title Specifies the title you want to use when searching for
this drawing. The title can be different from the
drawing file name.
Subject Specifies the subject of the drawing. You can use the
subject name to group drawings that have the same
subject.
Author Specifies the author of the drawing. The author name
can only be entered or changed by the user. To change
the author, delete the existing name and enter a new
one.
Keywords Specifies the keywords you want to use to locate the
drawing.
Comments Provides a space to add comments to the drawing.
Hyperlink Base Specifies the base address that AutoCAD uses for all
relative links inserted within the drawing. You can
specify an Internet location, for example, http://
www.autodesk.com, or a path to a folder on a network
drive.

DWGPROPS | 339
 Statistics Tab (Drawing Properties Dialog Box)
Displays data such as the dates the drawing was created and last modified.
These file properties are automatically maintained for you and can help you
search for drawings created or modified during a specific period.

Note If AutoCAD detects that the drawing was last saved using an application
other than Autodesk software, a warning message is displayed. This value is
stored in the DWGCHECK system variable.

Created Displays the date and time the drawing was created.
This value is stored in the TDCREATE system variable.
Modified Displays the date and time the drawing was last
modified. This value is stored in the TDUPDATE system
variable.
Last Saved By Displays the name of the last person who modified the
file. The Last Saved By name is stored in the
LOGINNAME system variable.

Revision Number Displays the revision number.

340 | DWGPROPS
Total Editing Displays the total amount of editing time in the
Time drawing. This value is stored in the TDINDWG system
variable.

Custom Tab (Drawing Properties Dialog Box)

Assigns custom properties to the drawing. For example, you could create a
custom property called Project and assign the actual project name as the
value. To assign the same custom properties to a group of drawings, create the
custom properties in a drawing template file.
Custom properties are displayed in the list of field names in the Field dialog
box. AutoCAD also provides access to the properties data using programming
interfaces, such as AutoLISP.

Custom Lists names and values of custom properties for the

Properties current drawing.
Add Displays the Add Custom Property dialog box, where
you can enter a name and a value for the new custom
property. The name must be unique. The value can be
left blank.

DWGPROPS | 341
 Delete Deletes the custom property that is selected in the list.
Note If you delete a custom property that is used in a
field, the field displays #### the next time it is updated.

DXBIN
Imports specially coded binary files
Insert menu: Drawing Exchange Binary
Command line: dxbin

The Select DXB File dialog box (a standard file selection dialog box) is dis-
played. Enter the name of the file to import.

342 | DXBIN
EATTEDIT
Edits attributes in a block reference

Modify II toolbar:
Modify menu: Object Attribute Single
Command line: eattedit

Select a block:

You are prompted to select a block in the drawing area. After you select a
block with attributes, the Enhanced Attribute Editor is displayed.
If the block you select does not contain attributes, or if you select something
that is not a block, an error message is displayed, and you are prompted to
select another block.

Enhanced Attribute Editor

Lists the attributes in a selected block instance and displays the properties of
each attribute. You can change the attribute properties and values.
Select Block Allows you to use your pointing device to select a block
from the drawing area. When you choose Select Block,
the dialog box closes until you select a block from the
drawing or cancel by pressing ESC .
If you modify attributes of a block and then select a new
block before you save the attribute changes you made,
you are prompted to save the changes before selecting
another block.
Apply Updates the drawing with the attribute changes you
have made, and leaves the Enhanced Attribute Editor
open.
The Enhanced Attribute Editor contains the following tabs:

Attribute
Text Options
Properties

Attribute Tab (Enhanced Attribute Editor)

Displays the tag, prompt, and value assigned to each attribute. You can
change only the attribute value.

EATTEDIT | 343
 Value The value assigned to the selected attribute.
To use a field as the value, right-click and click Insert
Field on the shortcut menu to display the Field dialog
box.

Text Options Tab (Enhanced Attribute Editor)

Sets the properties that define the way an attributes text is displayed in the
drawing. Change the color of attribute text on the Properties tab.
Text Style Specifies the text style for the attribute text. Default
values for this text style are assigned to the text
properties displayed in this dialog box.
Justification Specifies how the attribute text is justified (left-, center-,
or right-justified).
Height Specifies the height of the attribute text.
Rotation Specifies the rotation angle of the attribute text.
Backwards Specifies whether or not the attribute text is displayed
backwards.
Upside down Specifies whether or not the attribute text is displayed
upside down.
Width Factor Sets the character spacing for the attribute text.
Entering a value less than 1.0 condenses the text.
Entering a value greater than 1.0 expands it.
Oblique Angle Specifies the angle that the attribute text is slanted
away from its vertical axis.

Properties Tab (Enhanced Attribute Editor)

Defines the layer that the attribute is on and the lineweight, linetype, and
color for the attribute text. If the drawing uses plot styles, you can assign a
plot style to the attribute using the Properties tab.
Layer Specifies the layer that the attribute is on.
Linetype Specifies the linetype of the attribute.
Color Specifies the color of the attribute.
Plot Style Specifies the plot style of the attribute.
If the current drawing uses color-dependent plot styles,
the Plot Style list is not available.

344 | EATTEDIT
 Lineweight Specifies the lineweight of the attribute.
Changes you make to this option are not displayed if
the LWDISPLAY system variable is off.

EATTEXT
Exports block attribute information to an external file

Modify II toolbar:
Tools menu: Attribute Extraction
Command line: eattext

The Attribute Extraction wizard is displayed.

Attribute Extraction Wizard

Specifies the set of blocks from which to extract block attribute information,
the types of block attribute information you want, and the block attributes
to be extracted.
The Attribute Extraction wizard includes the following pages:

Select Drawing
Settings
Use Template
Select Attributes
View Output
Save Template
Export

Select Drawing Page

Allows you to select drawing files from which to extract block attribute
information.
Select Objects Makes the Select Objects button available.
Select Objects Allows you to close the wizard temporarily while you
Button select the set of blocks in the drawing area from which
you want to extract block attribute information.
Current Drawing Specifies that block attribute information is extracted
from all blocks in the current drawing.
Select Drawings Makes the [...] button available.

EATTEXT | 345
 [...] Button Displays the Select File dialog box, where you can locate
and select drawing files from which to extract block
attribute information.
Drawing Files Displays the selected drawing files that contain the
block attributes you want to extract.
Next Displays the Settings page.

Settings Page
Allows you to specify whether to extract block attribute information from
external reference files and nested blocks.
Include Xrefs Specifies that block attribute information is extracted
from external references (xrefs).
Include Nested Specifies that block attribute information is extracted
Blocks from blocks nested in other blocks.
Next Displays the Use Template page.

Use Template Page

Allows you to use the block attribute settings from templates previously
saved in a template file with the .blk file name extension.
No Template Specifies that block attribute settings from a template
file are not used.
Use Template Makes the Use Template button available.
Use Template Displays the Select File dialog box, where you can locate
Button and select a block attribute template file to use.
Next Displays the Select Attributes page.

Select Attributes Page

Allows you to select blocks and attributes.
Blocks Displays the list of blocks in the selected drawings.
Select the box next to a block name to display that
blocks attributes in the Attributes for Block list. In the
Block Alias column, you can assign an alias to the block.
The Number column displays the number of instances
of the block that are present in the selected drawings.

346 | EATTEXT
Attributes for Displays a list of block attributes corresponding to the
Block block or blocks selected. Select the check box next to an
attribute name to extract the information for that
attribute. The Value column displays the value of the
block attribute. In the Alias column, you can assign an
alias to the block attribute.
Check All Selects all blocks or block attributes for extraction.
Uncheck All Clears the selection of all blocks or block attributes.
Next Displays the View Output page.

View Output Page

Allows you to preview the block attributes to be extracted. The list displays
the attributes currently selected for extraction.
Two different views of the information can be displayed:

Attributes for each block by block name. The Block Name column displays
the names of blocks selected for attribute extraction. The Attribute col-
umn displays the name of the attribute. The Value column displays the
value of the attribute. The Count column displays the number of
attributes in the drawing with the same name and value.
Values for each block attribute by block name. The Block Name column
displays the names of the blocks selected for attribute extraction; other
columns display names of attributes associated with each block. The rows
display the values for each attribute.

In exported files, Enhanced Attribute Extract renames blocks that have the
same name but different attributes that are found in multiple drawings or
xrefs. For each instance after the first one of duplicate-named blocks with dif-
ferent attributes, Enhanced Attribute Extract renames the block by append-
ing to the block name a tilde character (~) and the path name and file in
which the block was found. For example, suppose that a block named WND
is in both c:\drawings\offic.dwg and c:\drawings\adminoffice.dwg, but the
block has different attributes in each file. When you use Enhanced Attribute
Extract, the instance of WND in the first file is shown with the block name
WND; the instance of WND in the second file is shown with the block name
WND~c:\drawings\adminoffice.dwg.
Alternate View Switches between the two views of the information.
Copy to Copies all or selected portions of the information to the
Clipboard Clipboard.
Next Displays the Save Template page.

EATTEXT | 347
 Save Template Page
Allows you to save the attribute extraction settings you have made to a tem-
plate file with the .blk file name extension.
Save Template Displays the Save As dialog box, where you can specify
a location and name for a template file of the current
block attribute settings.
Next Displays the Export page.

Export Page
Allows you to specify the attribute extraction file name and format and
export the attribute information to the specified file.
In attribute names that will be field names in files exported to Microsoft
Access file format, Enhanced Attribute Extract substitutes an underscore
character (_) for the characters shown in the following table.

Restricted characters in Microsoft Access fields

Character Character name

. Period

! Exclamation mark

[ Left square bracket

] Right square bracket

For example, attribute tag names that appear as column headings will be field
names in Microsoft Access, and any instance of the restricted characters will
be replaced by an underscore.
File Name Specifies the file name for the extracted block attribute
information.
[...] Button Allows you to specify the file by locating it with the
standard file dialog box.

348 | EATTEXT
 File Type Specifies the format for the attribute extraction file. File
formats that are displayed in the list depend on the
applications installed on the computer. If Microsoft
Excel and Microsoft Access are installed, the XLS and
MDB file formats are available. The comma-separated
file format (CSV) and tab-separated file format (TXT)
are always available.
The delimiter used in the comma-separated file format
(.csv) is based on the locale; the list separator for the
locale separates the exported data.
Finish Extracts the block attribute information and exports it
to the file specified.

EDGE
Changes the visibility of three-dimensional face edges

Surfaces toolbar:
Draw menu: Surfaces Edge
Command line: edge

Specify edge of 3dface to toggle visibility or [Display]: Select an edge or enter d

Edge
Controls the visibility of the edges you select.
Specify edge of 3d face to toggle visibility or [Display]:

AutoCAD repeats the prompt until you press ENTER .

If the edges of one or more 3D faces are colinear, AutoCAD alters the visibility
of each colinear edge.

EDGE | 349
 Display
Selects invisible edges of 3D faces so that you can redisplay them.
Enter selection method for display of hidden edges [Select/All] <All>: Enter an
option or press ENTER

All Selects the hidden edges of all 3D faces in the drawing

and displays them.
If you want to make the edges of the 3D faces visible
once again, use the Edge option. You must select each
edge with your pointing device to display it.
AutoSnap markers and Snaptips are automatically
displayed, indicating the apparent snap locations on
each invisible edge.
This prompt continues until you press ENTER .
Select Selects hidden edges of a partially visible 3D face and
displays them.
Select objects:

If you want to make the edges of the 3D faces visible

once again, use the Edge option. You must select each
edge with your pointing device to display it. AutoSnap
markers and Snaptips are automatically displayed,
indicating the apparent snap locations on each
invisible edge.
This prompt continues until you press ENTER .

EDGESURF
Creates a three-dimensional polygon mesh
EDGESURF constructs a three-dimensional (3D) polygon mesh approximating
a Coons surface patch mesh from four adjoining edges. A Coons surface
patch mesh is a bicubic surface interpolated between four adjoining edges
(which can be general space curves). The Coons surface patch mesh not only
meets the corners of the defining edges, but also touches each edge, provid-
ing control over the boundaries of the generated surface patch.

Surfaces toolbar:
Draw menu: Surfaces Edge Surface

350 | EDGESURF
 Command line: edgesurf

3 Current wire frame density: SURFTAB1=current SURFTAB2=current

2 Select object 1 for surface edge:
Select object 2 for surface edge:
4 Select object 3 for surface edge:
1
Select object 4 for surface edge:

You must select the four adjoining edges that define the surface patch. The
edges can be lines, arcs, splines, or open 2D or 3D polylines. The edges must
touch at their endpoints to form a topologically rectangular closed path.
You can select the four edges in any order. The first edge (SURFTAB1) deter-
mines the M direction of the generated mesh, which extends from the end-
point closest to the selection point to the other end. The two edges that
M N
touch the first edge form the N edges (SURFTAB2) of the mesh.

ELEV
Sets elevation and extrusion thickness of new objects
The current elevation is the Z value that AutoCAD uses when it expects a
3D point but receives only X and Y values. AutoCAD maintains separate
current elevations in model space and paper space. Specifying an elevation
setting in one viewport makes that elevation current in all viewports regard-
less of whether viewports are set up to retain their own user coordinate
systems (UCSs). AutoCAD resets the elevation to 0.0 whenever you change
the coordinate system.
Command line: elev (or 'elev for transparent use)

Specify new default elevation <current>: Specify a distance or press ENTER

Specify new default thickness <current>: Specify a distance or press ENTER

ELEV | 351
 The thickness sets the distance to which AutoCAD extrudes a 2D object
above or below its elevation. A positive value is extruded along the positive
Z axis; a negative value is extruded along the negative Z axis.
z

y
y

x x
with elevation with thickness

ELEV controls only new objects; it does not affect existing objects.

ELLIPSE
Creates an ellipse or an elliptical arc

Draw toolbar:
Draw menu: Ellipse
Command line: ellipse

Specify axis endpoint of ellipse or [Arc/Center/Isocircle]: Specify a point or enter

an option

The Isocircle option is available only when you set the Style option of SNAP
to Isometric.

352 | ELLIPSE
 Axis Endpoint
Defines the first axis by its two endpoints. The angle of the first axis deter-
3
mines the angle of the ellipse. The first axis can define either the major or the
1 2 minor axis of the ellipse.
Specify other endpoint of axis: Specify a point (2)
ellipse by axis end- Specify distance to other axis or [Rotation]: Specify a distance by entering a value
point or locating a point (3), or enter r

Distance to Other Defines the second axis using the distance from the
Axis midpoint of the first axis to the endpoint of the second
axis (3).
Creates the ellipse by appearing to rotate a circle about
Rotation
the first axis.
Specify rotation around major axis: Specify a point (3), or
enter an angle value between 0 and 89.4

Move the crosshairs around the center of the ellipse and

click. If you enter a value, the higher the value, the
greater the eccentricity of the ellipse. Entering 0 defines
a circular ellipse.

ELLIPSE | 353
 3
Arc
Creates an elliptical arc. The angle of the first axis determines the angle of the
elliptical arc. The first axis can define either the major or the minor axis of
the elliptical arc.
ellipse by rotation
Specify axis endpoint of elliptical arc or [Center]: Specify a point or enter c

Axis Endpoint
Defines the start point of the first axis.
Specify other endpoint of axis:
Specify distance to other axis or [Rotation]: Specify a distance or enter r

The descriptions of the Distance to Other Axis and Rotation options match
those of the corresponding options under Center.

Center
Creates the elliptical arc using a center point you specify.
Specify center of elliptical arc:
Specify endpoint of axis:
Specify distance to other axis or [Rotation]: Specify a distance or enter r

Distance to Other Axis

Defines the second axis as the distance from the center of the elliptical arc,
or midpoint of the first axis, to the point you specify.
1 Specify start angle or [Parameter]: Specify a point (1), enter a value, or enter p

The descriptions of the Start Angle and Parameter options match those of the
corresponding options under Rotation.
Rotation
Defines the major to minor axis ratio of the ellipse by rotating a circle about
the first axis. The higher the value (from 0 through 89.4 degrees), the greater
the ratio of minor to major axis. Entering 0 defines a circle.
Specify rotation around major axis: Specify a rotation angle
Specify start angle or [Parameter]: Specify an angle or enter p

Start Angle Defines the first endpoint of the elliptical arc. The Start
Angle option toggles from Parameter mode to Angle
mode. The mode you are in determines how AutoCAD
calculates the ellipse.
Specify end angle or [Parameter/Included angle]: Specify
a point (2), enter a value, or enter an option

354 | ELLIPSE
 Parameter Requires the same input as Start Angle, but creates the
elliptical arc using the following parametric vector
equation:
p(u) = c + a* cos(u) + b* sin(u)
where c is the center of the ellipse and a and b are its
major and minor axes, respectively.
2
Specify start parameter or [Angle]: Specify a point, enter a
value, or enter a
Specify end parameter or [Angle/Included angle]: Specify
a point, enter a value, or enter an option

End Parameter: Defines the end angle of the elliptical

arc by using a parametric vector equation. The Start
Parameter option toggles from Angle mode to
Parameter mode. The mode you are in determines
how AutoCAD calculates the ellipse.
Angle: Defines the end angle of the elliptical arc. The
Angle option toggles from Parameter mode to Angle
mode. The mode you are in determines how
AutoCAD calculates the ellipse.
Included Angle: Defines an included angle beginning
at the start angle.

Center
3 Creates the ellipse by a center point you specify.
Specify center of ellipse: Specify a point (1)
1 2
Specify endpoint of axis: Specify a point (2)
Specify distance to other axis or [Rotation]: Specify a distance by entering a value
or locating a point (3), or enter r

Distance to Other Defines the second axis as the distance from the center
Axis of the ellipse, or midpoint of the first axis, to the point
you specify.

ELLIPSE | 355
 Rotation Creates the ellipse by appearing to rotate a circle about
the first axis.
Specify rotation around major axis: Specify a point, or
enter an angle value between 0 and 89.4
Specify start angle or [Parameter]: Specify an angle or
enter p

Move the crosshairs around the center of the ellipse and

click. If you enter a value, the higher the value, the
greater the eccentricity of the ellipse. Entering 0 defines
a circle.

Isocircle
Creates an isometric circle in the current isometric drawing plane.

Note The Isocircle option is available only when you set the Style option of
SNAP to Isometric.

Specify center of isocircle:

Specify radius of isocircle or [Diameter]: Specify a distance or enter d

Radius Creates a circle using a radius you specify.

Diameter Creates a circle using a diameter you specify.
Specify diameter of isocircle: Specify a distance

ERASE
Removes objects from a drawing

Modify toolbar:
Modify menu: Erase
Shortcut menu: Select the objects to erase, right-click in the drawing area,
and choose Erase.
Command line: erase

Select objects: Use an object selection method and press ENTER when you finish
selecting objects

AutoCAD removes the objects from the drawing.

356 | ERASE
 object selected object erased

ETRANSMIT
Packages a set of files for Internet transmission
File Menu: eTransmit
Command line: etransmit

The Create Transmittal dialog box is displayed.

If you enter -etransmit at the Command prompt, ETRANSMIT displays
prompts on the command line.

Create Transmittal Dialog Box

Packages a set of files for Internet transmission.
All files to be included in the transmittal package are indicated by a check
mark next to the file name. Right-click in the file display area to display a
shortcut menu with several options.
Sheets Tab
Lists the sheets to be included in the transmittal package in a hierarchy based
on sheet subsets. On this tab, you can create a transmittal package from a
sheet set, sheet subset, or sheet. A sheet set must be open in the Sheet Set
Manager, and eTransmit must be selected from the shortcut menu that is dis-
played when a sheet set, sheet subset, or sheet node is right-clicked.

ETRANSMIT | 357
 Note If a sheet in the list is unavailable, the sheet is referenced (as an xref) by
another sheet in the transmittal package, and the unavailable sheet is automat-
ically included in the transmittal package.

Files Tree Tab

Lists the files to be included in the transmittal package in a hierarchical tree
format. By default, all files associated with the current drawing (such as
related xrefs, plot styles, and fonts) are listed. You can add files to the trans-
mittal package or remove existing files. Related files that are referenced by
URLs are not included in the transmittal package.
The drawings to be transmitted are listed under the following categories:

Sheet Drawings. Lists the drawing files associated with the sheet set.
Sheet Set Files. Lists the support files associated with the sheet set.
Current Drawing. Lists the files associated with the current drawing.
User Added Files. Lists the files that have been added manually with the
Add File option.

358 | ETRANSMIT
Files Table Tab
Displays the files to be included in the transmittal package in a table format.
By default, all files associated with the current drawing (such as related xrefs,
plot styles, and fonts) are listed. You can add files to the transmittal package
or remove existing files. Related files that are referenced by URLs are not
included in the transmittal package.

ETRANSMIT | 359
 Add File
Opens a standard file selection dialog box, in which you can select an addi-
tional file to include in the transmittal package. This button is available on
both the Files Tree tab and the Files Table tab.
Enter Notes to Be Included with This Transmittal Package
Provides a space where you can enter notes related to a transmittal package.
The notes are included in the transmittal report. You can specify a template
of default notes to be included with all your transmittal packages by creating
an ASCII text file called etransmit.txt. This file must be saved to a location
specified by the Support File Search Path option on the Files tab in the
Options dialog box.
Select a Transmittal Setup
Lists previously saved transmittal setups. The default transmittal setup is
named STANDARD. Click to select a different transmittal setup. To create a
new transmittal setup or to modify an existing one in the list, click Transmit-
tal Setups. Right-click to display a shortcut menu with several options.
Transmittal Setups
Displays the Transmittal Setups dialog box, in which you can create, modify,
and delete transmittal setups.
View Report
Displays report information that is included with the transmittal package.
Includes any transmittal notes that you entered and distribution notes auto-
matically generated by AutoCAD that detail what steps must be taken for the
transmittal package to work properly. For example, if AutoCAD detects SHX
fonts in one of the transmittal drawings, you are instructed where to copy
these files so that AutoCAD can detect them on the system on which the
transmittal package is being installed. If you have created a text file of default
notes, the notes are also included in the report.
Save As Opens a File Save dialog box, in which you can specify
a location in which to save a report file. Note that a
report file is automatically included with all transmittal
packages that you generate; by choosing Save As, you
can save an additional copy of a report file for archival
purposes.

360 | ETRANSMIT
Transmittal Setups Dialog Box

Creates, modifies, and deletes transmittal setups.

New
Creates a new transmittal setup.
New Transmittal Enter the name of the new transmittal setup.
Setup Name
Based On Select an existing transmittal setup from which the new
one will be created.
Rename
Renames the currently highlighted transmittal setup.
Modify
Displays the Modify Transmittal Setup dialog box, in which you can specify
options for the transmittal package.
Delete
Removes the currently highlighted transmittal setup.

ETRANSMIT | 361
 Modify Transmittal Setup Dialog Box

Transmittal Package Type

Specifies the type of transmittal package created.
Folder Creates a transmittal package of uncompressed files in
a new or existing folder.
Self-Extracting Creates a transmittal package of files as a compressed,
Executable self-extracting executable file. Double-clicking the
resulting EXE file decompresses the transmittal package
and restores the files to the folder location that you
specify.
Zip Creates a transmittal package of files as a compressed
ZIP file. To restore the files to the folder location that
you specify, you need a decompression utility such as
the shareware application PKZIP or WinZip.

362 | ETRANSMIT
File Format
Specifies the file format to which all drawings included in a transmittal pack-
age will be converted. You can select an AutoCAD drawing file format from
the drop-down list.
Transmittal File Folder
Specifies the location in which the transmittal package is created. Lists the
last nine locations in which transmittal packages were created. To specify a
new location, click Browse and navigate to the location you want.
If this field is left blank, the transmittal file is created in the folder containing
the first specified drawing file. In a sheet set context, the transmittal file is
created in the folder containing the sheet set data (DST) file.
Browse
Opens a standard file selection dialog box, in which you can navigate to a
location where you create the transmittal package.
Transmittal File Name
Specifies the method for naming the transmittal package. Displays the
default file name for the transmittal package. This option is not available if
the transmittal package type is set to Folder.
Prompt for a File Displays a standard file selection dialog box where you
Name can enter the name of the transmittal package.
Increment File Uses a logical default file name. If the file name already
Name if exists, a number is added to the end. This number is
Necessary incremented each time a new transmittal package is
saved.
Overwrite if Uses a logical default file name. If the file name already
Necessary exists, the existing file is automatically overwritten.
Transmittal Options
Provides options for organizing the files and folders that are included in the
transmittal package.
Use Organized Duplicates the folder structure for the files being
Folder Structure transmitted. The root folder is the top-level folder
within a hierarchical folder tree. The following
considerations apply:
Relative paths remain unchanged. Relative paths
outside the source root folder retain up to one level
of the folder path above them, and are placed in the
root folder.

ETRANSMIT | 363
 Absolute paths within the root folder tree are
converted to relative paths. Absolute paths outside
the source root folder retain up to one level of the
folder path above them, and are placed in the root
folder.
Absolute paths outside the root folder tree are
converted to No Path and are moved to the root
folder or to a folder within the root folder tree.
A Fonts folder is created, if necessary.
A PlotCfgs folder is created, if necessary.
A SheetSets folder is created to hold all support files
for sheet sets, if necessary. The sheet set data (DST)
file, however, is placed in the root folder.

This option is not available if youre saving a

transmittal package to an Internet location.
Source Root Defines the source root folder for relative paths of
Folder drawing-dependent files, such as xrefs.
The source root folder also contains the sheet set data
(DST) file when a sheet set is transmitted.
Browse Opens a standard file selection dialog box, in which
you can navigate to specify a source root folder.
Place All Files in All files are installed to a single, specified target folder
One Folder when the transmittal package is installed.
Keep Files and Preserves the folder structure of all files in the
Folders As Is transmittal package, facilitating ease of installation on
another system. This option is not available if youre
saving a transmittal package to an Internet location.
Include Fonts Includes any associated font files (TTF and SHX) with
the transmittal package.
Note Because TrueType fonts are proprietary, you should
make sure that the recipient of the transmittal package also
owns the TrueType fonts. If you are not sure whether the
recipient owns the TrueType fonts, clear this option. If any
required TrueType fonts are not available to the recipient,
the font specified by the FONTALT system variable is
substituted.

364 | ETRANSMIT
Send E-mail with Launches the default system email application when
Transmittal the transmittal package is created so that you can send
an email that includes the transmittal package as an
attachment.
Set Default Changes the printer/plotter setting in the transmittal
Plotter to None package to None. Your local printer/plotter settings are
usually not relevent to the recipient.
Bind External Binds all external references to the files to which they
References were attached.
Prompt for Opens the Transmittal - SetPassword dialog box (see
Password page 365), where you can specify a password for your
transmittal package.
Include Drawing Includes the sheet set data (DST) file, callout and label
Set Data and Files block (DWG) files, and the associated drawing template
(DWT) file with the transmittal package.
Transmittal Setup Description
Enter a description for the transmittal setup. This description is displayed in
the Create Transmittal dialog box below the list of transmittal file setups. You
can select any transmittal setup in the list to display its description.

Transmittal - Set Password Dialog Box

Password for Compressed Transmittal

Provides a space for an optional password for the transmittal package. When
others attempt to open the transmittal package, they must provide this pass-
word to access the files. Password protection cannot be applied to folder
transmittal packages.

ETRANSMIT | 365
 Password Confirmation
Provides a space to confirm the password that you entered in the Password
field. If the two passwords do not match, you are prompted to reenter them.

ETRANSMIT Command Line

If you enter -etransmit at the Command prompt, ETRANSMIT displays
prompts on the command line.
Enter an option [Create transmittal package/Report only/CUrrent setup/
CHoose setup/Sheet set> <Report only>: Enter an option

Create Creates a transmittal package from the current drawing,

Transmittal including all dependent files. Uses the settings in the
Package current transmittal setup.
Report Only Creates a report (TXT) file without creating a
transmittal package. This report file is based on the
current transmittal setup.
Current Setup Displays the name of the current transmittal setup.
Choose Setup Specifies the transmittal setup to use for the transmittal
package.
Choose Transmittal Setup or [?] <current>: Enter a pre-
defined transmittal setup name, enter ? to display a list of
transmittal setups, or press ENTER

Sheet Set Specifies a sheet set and transmittal setup to use for the
transmittal package. This option is available only when
a sheet set is open.
Sheet Set name or [?] <current>: Enter a predefined sheet
set name, enter ? to display a list of sheet sets, or press
ENTER
Choose Transmittal Setup or [?] <current>: Enter a pre-
defined transmittal setup name, enter ? to display a list of
transmittal setups, or press ENTER

366 | ETRANSMIT
 EXPLODE
Breaks a compound object into its component objects
A compound object comprises more than one AutoCAD object. For example,
a block is a compound object.

Modify toolbar:
Modify menu: Explode
Command line: explode

Select objects: Use an object selection method and press ENTER when you finish

The color, linetype, and lineweight of any exploded object might change.
Other results differ depending on the type of compound object youre
exploding. See the following list of objects that can be exploded and the
results for each.

Note If youre using a script or an ObjectARX function, you can explode only
one object at a time.

2D and Discards any associated width or tangent information.

before EXPLODE Lightweight For wide polylines, AutoCAD places the resulting lines
Polyline and arcs along the center of the polyline.
3D Polyline Explodes into line segments. Any linetype assigned to
the 3D polyline is applied to each resulting line
after EXPLODE segment.
3D Solid Explodes planar surfaces into regions. Nonplanar
surfaces explode into bodies.
Arc If within a nonuniformly scaled block, explodes into
elliptical arcs.
Block Removes one grouping level at a time. If a block
contains a polyline or a nested block, exploding the
block exposes the polyline or nested block object,
which must then be exploded to expose its individual
objects.

EXPLODE | 367
 Blocks with equal X, Y, and Z scales explode into their
component objects. Blocks with unequal X, Y, and Z
scales (nonuniformly scaled blocks) might explode into
unexpected objects.
When nonuniformly scaled blocks contain objects that
cannot be exploded, they are collected into an
anonymous block (named with a *E prefix) and
referenced with the nonuniform scaling. If all the
objects in such a block cannot be exploded, the selected
block reference will not be exploded. Body, 3D Solid,
and Region entities in a nonuniformly scaled block
cannot be exploded.
Exploding a block that contains attributes deletes the
attribute values and redisplays the attribute definitions.
Blocks inserted with MINSERT and external references
(xrefs) and their dependent blocks cannot be exploded.
Body Explodes into a single-surface body (nonplanar
surfaces), regions, or curves.
Circle If within a nonuniformly scaled block, explodes into
ellipses.
Leaders Explodes into lines, splines, solids (arrow heads), block
inserts (arrow heads, annotation blocks), multiline text,
or tolerance objects, depending on the leader.
Multiline Text Explodes into text objects.
Multiline Explodes into lines and arcs.
Polyface Mesh Explodes one-vertex meshes into a point object. Two-
vertex meshes explode into a line. Three-vertex meshes
explode into 3D faces.
Region Explodes into lines, arcs, or splines.

EXPORT
Saves objects to other file formats
File menu: Export
Command line: export

The Export Data dialog box (a standard file selection dialog box) is displayed.

368 | EXPORT
 In Files of Type, select the format type to export objects to. In File Name,
enter the name of the file to create. AutoCAD exports the objects to the spec-
ified file format using the specified file name.
The following output types are available:

WMF: Microsoft Windows Metafile (see WMFOUT)

SAT: ACIS solid object file (see ACISOUT)
STL: Solid object stereolithography file (see STLOUT)
EPS: Encapsulated PostScript file
DXX: Attribute extract DXF file (see ATTEXT)
BMP: Device-independent bitmap file (see BMPOUT)
3DS: 3D Studio file (see 3DSOUT)
DWG: AutoCAD drawing file (see WBLOCK)

EXTEND
Extends an object to meet another object
Objects that you can extend include arcs, elliptical arcs, lines, open 2D and
3D polylines, and rays.

boundary selected objects to extend selected result

Modify toolbar:
Modify menu: Extend
Command line: extend

Select boundary edges...

Select objects: Select one or more objects and press ENTER , or press ENTER to
select all objects (implied selection)
Select object to extend or shift-select to trim or [Project/Edge/Undo]: Select an
object to extend, or hold down SHIFT and select an object to trim, or enter an option

EXTEND | 369
 Boundary Object Selection
Uses selected objects to define the boundary edges to which you want to
extend the object. Valid boundary objects include 2D and 3D polylines, arcs,
blocks, circles, ellipses, layout viewports, lines, rays, regions, splines, text,
and xlines.
If you select a 2D polyline as a boundary object, AutoCAD ignores its width
and extends objects to the centerline of the polyline. You can use only the
single, crossing, fence, and implied selection options to select boundaries
that include blocks.
If you extend a tapered polyline segment, AutoCAD corrects the width of the
extended end to continue its original taper to the new endpoint. If this
causes the segment to have a negative ending width, the ending width
becomes zero.

selected boundary polylines to extend result

Extending a spline-fit polyline adds a new vertex to the control frame for the
polyline.

Object to Extend
Specifies the object to extend. AutoCAD repeats the main prompt so that you
can extend multiple objects. Pressing SHIFT while selecting an object trims it
to the nearest boundary rather than extending it. Pressing ENTER ends the
command.

Project
Specifies the projection method that AutoCAD uses when extending objects.
Enter a projection option [None/Ucs/View] <current>: Enter an option or press
ENTER

370 | EXTEND
 selected objects to
boundary extend

None Specifies no projection. AutoCAD extends only objects

that intersect with the boundary edge in 3D space.

arc not intersecting

with boundary edge in
3D space

arc intersecting with

boundary edge in 3D
space

UCS Specifies projection onto the XY plane of the current

user coordinate system (UCS). AutoCAD extends
objects that do not intersect with the boundary objects
in 3D space.

projection of arcs onto

current UCS that intersect
with boundary edge

View Specifies projection along the current view direction.

EXTEND | 371
 left viewport right viewport

Edge
selected boundary Extends the object to another objects implied edge, or only to an object that
actually intersects it in 3D space.

selected object to Enter an implied edge extension mode [Extend/No extend] <current>: Enter an
extend option or press ENTER

Extend Extends the boundary object along its natural path to

intersect another object or its implied edge in 3D space.
No Extend Specifies that the object is to extend only to a boundary
object that actually intersects it in 3D space.
Undo
extended Reverses the most recent changes made by EXTEND.

not extended

372 | EXTEND
 EXTRUDE
Creates unique solid primitives by extruding existing two-dimensional objects
With EXTRUDE, you can create solids by extruding (adding thickness to)
selected objects. You can extrude an object along a path, or you can specify
a height value and a tapered angle.
Use EXTRUDE to create a solid from a common profile of an object, such as a
gear or sprocket. EXTRUDE is particularly useful for objects that contain fil-
lets, chamfers, and other details that might otherwise be difficult to repro-
duce except in a profile. If you create a profile using lines or arcs, use the Join
option of PEDIT to convert them to a single polyline object or make them into
a region before you use EXTRUDE.

Solids toolbar:
Draw menu: Solids Extrude
Command line: extrude

Current wire frame density: ISOLINES=current

Select objects:
Specify height of extrusion or [Path]: Specify a distance or enter p

Object Selection
Specifies the objects to extrude. You can extrude planar 3D faces, closed
polylines, polygons, circles, ellipses, closed splines, donuts, and regions. You
cannot extrude objects contained within a block or polylines that have cross-
select object
ing or self-intersecting segments.
A polyline must contain at least 3 but not more than 500 vertices. If a
selected polyline has width, AutoCAD ignores the width and extrudes from
the center of the polyline path. If a selected object has thickness, AutoCAD
ignores the thickness.

EXTRUDE | 373
 Height of Extrusion
Extrudes the objects along the positive Z axis of the objects coordinate sys-
height tem if you enter a positive value. If you enter a negative value, AutoCAD
extrudes the objects along the negative Z axis.
Specify angle of taper for extrusion <0>: Specify an angle between 90 and +90
degrees or press ENTER

Positive angles taper in from the base object. Negative angles taper out. The
taper default angle, 0, extrudes a 2D object perpendicular to its 2D plane. AutoCAD
angle tapers all objects and loops in the selection set to the same value. Tapered
extrusions are possible only with loops that are continuous at the vertices.
Specifying a large taper angle or a long extrusion height can cause the object
or portions of the object to taper to a point before reaching the extrusion
height.
AutoCAD always extrudes individual loops of the region to the same height.
When an arc is part of a tapered extrusion, the angle of the arc remains con-
stant, and the radius of the arc changes. On a straight extrusion, each arc
results in a single cylindrical face. Whenever possible, EXTRUDE uses the
taper angle as the angle by which it slants faces from the Z axis.

Path
path Selects the extrusion path based on a specified object. AutoCAD extrudes the
profiles of the selected object along the chosen path to create solids.
Select extrusion path: Use an object selection method

profile Lines, circles, arcs, ellipses, elliptical arcs, polylines, or splines can be paths.
The path should not lie on the same plane as the profile, nor should it have
areas of high curvature.
The extruded solid starts from the plane of the profile and ends on a plane
perpendicular to the path at the paths endpoint. One of the endpoints of the
path should be on the plane of the profile; otherwise, AutoCAD moves the
path to the center of the profiles.
If the path is a spline, it should be perpendicular to the plane of the profile
at one of the endpoints of the path. Otherwise, AutoCAD rotates the profile
to be perpendicular to the spline path. If one of the endpoints of the spline
is on the plane of the profile, AutoCAD rotates the profile about the point;
otherwise, AutoCAD moves the spline path to the center of the profile and
rotates the profiles about its center.

374 | EXTRUDE
If the path contains segments that are not tangent, AutoCAD extrudes the
object along each segment and then miters the joint along the plane bisect-
ing the angle formed by the segments. If the path is closed, the profile should
lie on the miter plane. This allows the start and end sections of the solid to
match up. If the profile is not on the miter plane, AutoCAD rotates it until it
is on the miter plane.
AutoCAD extrudes profiles with multiple loops so that all the loops appear
on the same plane at the end section of the extruded solid.

EXTRUDE | 375
376
FIELD
Creates a multiline text object with a field that can be updated automatically as the field
value changes
Insert menu: Field
Shortcut menu: Right-click while any text command is active, and click
Insert Field.
Command line: field

The Field dialog box is displayed.

Field Dialog Box

Inserts a field in the drawing.

The options available in the Field dialog box change with the field category
and field name.
Field Category Sets the types of fields to be listed under Field Names.
Field Names Lists the fields that are available in a category. Select a
field name to display the options available for that
field.

FIELD | 377
 Field Value Displays the current value of the field, or displays an
empty string (----) if the field value is invalid.
The label for this item changes with the field name. For
example, when Filename is selected in the Field Names
list, the label is Filename and the value is the name of
the current drawing file. The label is Property for object
fields. Exception: when a date field is selected, the
selected date format is displayed; for example, M/d/
yyyy.
Format List Lists options for display of the value of the field. For
example, date fields can display the name of the day or
not, and text strings can be uppercase, lowercase, first
capital, or title case. The value displayed in the Fields
dialog box reflects the format that you select.
Field Expression Displays the expression that underlies the field. The
field expression cannot be edited, but you can learn
how fields are constructed by reading this area.
Options for Sheet Set and Sheet View Fields
The following additional options are available when sheet-set-related fields
are selected:
Sheet Set Specifies the name of the sheet set.
Sheet Navigation Displays a tree view of sheets or sheet views from the
Tree Sheet Set Manager, from which you can select an item
for the field.
Property Displays the properties available as fields for the item
selected in the tree.
Associate Adds a hyperlink to the field when it is created. You can
Hyperlink use CTRL +click to jump to the sheet or view. This
option is not available for the ViewportScale field.

378 | FIELD
Options for SheetSetPlaceholder Fields
The following additional options are available when the SheetSetPlaceholder
field is selected:
Placeholder Type Displays a list of available placeholder fields.
Temporary Value Displays the value for the placeholder field in the
selected format.
For example, with SheetSet Placeholder selected in the
Field Names list, SheetTitle selected in the Placeholder
Type list, and Uppercase selected in the Format list,
Temporary Value displays SHEETTITLE. When the
drawing is placed in a sheet set, this field displays the
title of the sheet.
Options for Fields in the Objects Field Category
The following additional options are available when object fields are
selected:
Named Object When NamedObject is selected in Field Names, lists the
Type/Object types of named objects in the drawing. When Object is
Type selected, displays the type of object selected. Use the
Select Object button to temporarily close the dialog box
and select an object in the drawing.
Property/Name When NamedObject is selected in Field Names, lists the
names of all the objects in the drawing of the selected
type. When Object is selected in Field Names, lists the
properties of the selected object that are available as
fields. When a block with attributes is selected, the
attribute names are displayed in the list of properties.

FIELD | 379
 FILL
Controls the filling of objects such as hatches, two-dimensional solids, and wide polylines
Some displays and plotters take a long time to fill the interior of objects; turn
off Fill mode to improve performance.
Objects affected by FILL include hatches, two-dimensional solids, wide
polylines, multilines, and traces.
Command line: fill (or 'fill for transparent use)

Enter mode [ON/OFF] <current>: Enter on or off, or press ENTER

On Turns on Fill mode. For the filling of a 3D object to be

Fill mode on visible, its extrusion direction must be parallel to the
current viewing direction, and hidden lines must not be
suppressed.
Off Turns off Fill mode. Only the outlines of objects are
displayed and plotted. Changing Fill mode affects
existing objects after the drawing is regenerated. The
display of lineweights is not affected by the Fill mode
Fill mode off
setting.
FILLET
Rounds and fillets the edges of objects
FILLET rounds the edges of two arcs, circles, elliptical arcs, lines, polylines,
rays, splines, or xlines with an arc of a specified radius. FILLET also rounds the
edges of 3D solids.
If the TRIMMODE system variable is set to 1, FILLET trims the intersecting lines
to the endpoints of the fillet arc. If the selected lines do not intersect,
AutoCAD extends or trims them so that they do.
before FILLET
If both objects you want to fillet are on the same layer, AutoCAD creates the
fillet line on that layer. Otherwise, AutoCAD creates the fillet line on the cur-
rent layer. The same is true for the fillet color, lineweight, and linetype.

after FILLET
You can fillet line segments of a polyline that are adjacent, nonadjacent,
intersecting, or separated by one segment. If they are nonadjacent, the
polyline segments are extended to accommodate the fillet. If they are
intersecting, the polyline segments are trimmed to accommodate the fillet.
To create a fillet, the polyline segments must converge within the grid limits
when limits checking is on.

380 | FILL
The result is a single polyline that includes the fillet as an arc segment. All
the properties of this new polyline, such as its layer, color, and linetype, are
inherited from the first polyline selected.

Note Filleting an associative hatch whose boundary was defined from line seg-
ments removes hatch associativity. If the boundary was defined from a polyline,
associativity is maintained.

Modify toolbar:
Modify menu: Fillet
Command line: fillet

Current settings: Mode = current, Radius = current

Select first object or [Polyline/Radius/Trim/mUltiple]: Use an object selection
method or enter an option

First Object
Selects the first of two objects required to define a 2D fillet or the edge of a
3D solid to fillet.
Select second object:

first selected object second selected object result

If you select lines, arcs, or polylines, AutoCAD extends them until they inter-
sect or trims them at the intersection. You can fillet two lines with different
extrusion directions only if the Z values of the endpoints of both lines are
equal in the current user coordinate system (UCS).
If the selected objects are straight line segments of a 2D polyline, they can be
adjacent or separated by one other segment. If they are separated by another
polyline segment, FILLET deletes the segment that separates them and
replaces it with the fillet.

FILLET | 381
 More than one fillet can exist between arcs and circles. AutoCAD chooses the
fillet with endpoints closest to the points you select.

selection points result (with radius greater than 0)

FILLET does not trim circles; the fillet arc meets the circle smoothly.

selection points results (with radius

greater than 0)

If you select a 3D solid, you can select multiple edges, but you must select the
edges individually.
Enter fillet radius <current>: Specify a distance or press ENTER
Select an edge or [Chain/Radius]: Select edge(s), enter c, or enter r

382 | FILLET
 Edge
Selects a single edge. You can continue to select single edges until you press
ENTER .

selecting edges single edge fillets

If you select three or more edges that converge at a vertex to form the corner
of a box, AutoCAD computes a vertex blend that is part of a sphere if the
three incident fillets have the same radii.

Chain
Toggles from selection of single edges to selection of sequential tangent
edges.
Select edge chain or <Edge/Radius>: Select an edge chain, enter e, or enter r

Edge Chain Selects a tangential sequence of edges when you select

a single edge. For example, if you select an edge on the
top of a 3D solid box, AutoCAD also selects the other
tangential edges on the top.
Edge Switches to a single edge selection mode.
chain fillets
Radius Defines the radius of the fillet arc.

Radius
Defines the radius of the fillet arc.
Enter fillet radius <current>: Specify a distance or press ENTER

AutoCAD displays the previous prompt:

Select an edge or [Chain/Radius]: Select one or more edges or enter c or r

Polyline
Inserts fillet arcs at each vertex of a 2D polyline where two line segments
meet.
Select 2D polyline:

FILLET | 383
 If one arc segment separates two line segments that converge as they
approach the arc segment, AutoCAD removes the arc segment and replaces
it with a fillet arc.

before after

Radius
Defines the radius of the fillet arc.
Specify fillet radius <current>: Specify a distance or press ENTER

The value you enter becomes the current radius for subsequent VR com-
mands. Changing this value does not affect existing fillet arcs.

Trim
Controls whether AutoCAD trims the selected edges to the fillet arc
endpoints.
Enter Trim mode option [Trim/No trim] <current>: Enter an option or press
ENTER

Trim Trims the selected edges to the fillet arc endpoints.

No Trim Does not trim the selected edges.

Multiple
Rounds the edges of more than one set of objects. AutoCAD displays the
main prompt and the Select Second Object prompt repeatedly until you press
ENTER to end the command.

If you enter an option other than First Object at the main prompt, the
prompts for that option are displayed and then the main prompt is displayed
again.
All the fillets you created with the Multiple option are removed if you click
Undo.

384 | FILLET
FILTER
Creates reusable filters for object selection
FILTER creates a list of requirements that an object must meet to be included
in a selection set.
Use FILTER to

Select objects before using an editing command

Select objects during an editing command; at any Select Objects prompt,
use FILTER transparently to select objects to use with the current command
Create named filters to use later at any Select Objects prompt

FILTER finds objects by property only when you have assigned those proper-
ties to the object directly. If objects assume properties from the layer on
which they reside, FILTER does not find them. You can, however, use FILTER
to find objects with properties set by layer or by block.
Command line: filter (or 'filter for transparent use)

The Object Selection Filters dialog box is displayed.

Object Selection Filters Dialog Box

Selects, edits, and names filters for object selection.

Filter Property List

Displays a list of the filter properties that compose the current filter. The cur-
rent filter is the filter that you select in Current in the Named Filters area.

FILTER | 385
 Select Filter
Adds filter properties to the current filter.
Object Types and Lists object types that you can filter and logical
Logical Operators operators (AND, OR, XOR, and NOT) for grouping the
filter expressions.
If you use logical operators, make sure that you pair and
balance them correctly in the filter list. The number of
operands you can enclose depends on the operation.

Logical operators

Starting operator Encloses Ending operator

Begin AND One or more operands End AND

Begin OR One or more operands End OR

Begin XOR Two operands End XOR

Begin NOT One operand End NOT

For example, the following filter selects all circles

except the ones with a radius greater than or equal to
1.0:
Object=Circle
**Begin NOT
Circle Radius>= 1.00
**End NOT

X, Y, Z Define additional filter parameters depending on the

Parameters object. For example, if you select Line Start, you can
enter the X, Y, and Z coordinate values that you want to
filter.
In the filter parameters, you can use relative operators
such as < (less than) or > (greater than). For example,
the following filter selects all circles with center points
greater than or equal to 1,1,0 and radii greater than or
equal to 1:
Object=Circle
Circle CenterX >= 1.0000 Y >= 1.0000 Z >= 0.0000
Circle Radius>= 1.0000

386 | FILTER
Select Displays a dialog box listing all items of the specified
type in the drawing. Select the items to filter. For
example, if you select the object type Color, Select
displays a list of colors to choose for the filter.
Add to List Adds the current Select Filter property to the filter list.
Filter properties that you add to the unnamed filter
remain available during the current AutoCAD session
unless you manually delete them.
Substitute Replaces the filter property selected in the filter
property list with the one displayed in Select Filter.
Add Selected Adds one selected object in the drawing to the filter list.
Object

Edit Item
Moves the selected filter property into the Select Filter area for editing. To
edit a filter property, select it and choose Edit Item. Edit the filter property
and choose Substitute. The edited filter replaces the selected filter property.

Delete
Deletes a selected filter property from the current filter.

Clear List
Deletes all the listed properties from the current filter.

Named Filters
Displays, saves, and deletes filters.
Current Displays saved filters. Select a filter list to make it
current. AutoCAD loads the named filter and its list of
properties from the default file, filter.nfl.
Save As Saves a filter and its list of properties. AutoCAD saves
the filter in the filter.nfl file. Names can contain up to 18
characters.
Delete Current Deletes a filter and all its properties from the default
Filter List filter file.

Apply
Exits the dialog box and displays the Select Objects prompt, where you create
a selection set. AutoCAD uses the current filter on the objects you select.

FILTER | 387
FIND
Finds, replaces, selects, or zooms to specified text
You can find, replace, select, or zoom to text contained in any loaded object
in model space and in any layout defined in the current drawing.
If you partially opened the current drawing, FIND does not consider objects
that you did not load.
Edit menu: Find
Shortcut menu: End any active commands, right-click in the drawing area,
and choose Find.
Command line: find

The Find and Replace dialog box is displayed.

Find and Replace Dialog Box

Specifies the text you want to find, replace, or select and controls the scope
and results of the search.

Find Text String Specifies the text string you want to find. Enter a string,
or choose one of the six most recently used strings from
the list.

388 | FIND
Replace With Specifies the text string you want to use to replace the
found text. Enter a string, or choose one of the most
recently used strings from the list.
Search In Specifies whether to search the entire drawing or only
the current selection. If something is already selected,
Current Selection is the default value. If nothing is
selected, Entire Drawing is the default value. You can
use the Select Objects button to temporarily close the
dialog box and create or modify the selection set.
Select Objects Closes the dialog box temporarily so that you can select
Button objects in your drawing. Press ENTER to return to the
dialog box. When you select objects, Search In displays
Current Selection.
Options Displays the Find and Replace Options dialog box (see
page 390), in which you can define the type of objects
and words that you want to find.
Find/Find Next Finds the text that you enter in Find Text String. If you
have not entered text in Find Text String, this option is
not available. AutoCAD displays found text in the
Context area. Once you find the first instance of the
text, the Find option becomes Find Next, which you
can use to find the next instance.
Replace Replaces found text with the text that you enter in
Replace With.
Replace All Finds all instances of the text that you enter in Find
Text String and replaces it with the text in Replace
With. AutoCAD finds and replaces either text in the
entire drawing or in the current selection, as specified
in Search In. The status area confirms the replacements
and indicates the number of replacements that were
made.
Select All Finds and selects all loaded objects containing
instances of the text that you enter in Find Text String.
This option is available only when you set Search In to
Current Selection. When you choose Select All, the
dialog box closes and AutoCAD displays a message on
the command line indicating the number of objects
that it found and selected. Note that Select All does not
replace text; AutoCAD ignores any text in Replace With.

FIND | 389
 Zoom To Displays the area in the drawing that contains the
results of a find or replace search. Although AutoCAD
searches model space and all layouts defined for the
drawing, you can only zoom to text in the current
Model or layout tab. When zooming to text found in a
multiline text object, in some cases the found text
string may not be displayed in a visible area of the
drawing.
Object Type Specifies the type of object the text was found in.
Context Displays and highlights the currently found text string
in its surrounding context. If you choose Find Next,
AutoCAD refreshes the Context area and displays the
next found text string in its surrounding context.
Status Displays confirmation of find and replace searches.

Find and Replace Options Dialog Box

Defines the type of objects and words that you want to find.

Include Specifies the type of objects you want to include in the

search. By default, all options are selected.
Match Case Includes the case of the text in Find Text String as part
of the search criteria.
Find Whole Finds only whole words that match the text in Find
Words Only Text String. For example, if you select Find Whole
Words Only and search for Front Door, FIND does not
locate the text string Front Doormat.

390 | FIND
FOG
Provides visual cues for the apparent distance of objects
Fog and depth cueing are actually two extremes of the same effect: a white
color is fog, and a black color is traditional depth cueing. You can use any
color in between.

Render Toolbar:
View menu: Render Fog
Command line: fog

AutoCAD displays the Fog/Depth Cue dialog box.

Fog/Depth Cue Dialog Box

Defines the cues for distance between objects and the current viewing
direction.

Enable Fog
Turns fog on and off without affecting the other settings in the dialog box.

FOG | 391
 Fog Background
Applies fog to the background as well as to the geometry.

Color System
Controls whether AutoCAD uses the red, green, blue (RGB) color system or
the hue, lightness, saturation (HLS) color system.
Red, Green, Blue Adjusts the individual red, green, and blue components
of the selected color. Red, green, and blue are the
primary light colors shaded from black to the full
intensity of the color.
Moving one scroll box affects the mix of the three
colors. AutoCAD displays the result in the Color
Selected swatch. Moving all three scroll boxes all the
way to the left produces black; moving them all the way
to the right produces white. Moving red and green to
the right and blue to the left produces yellow.
Hue, Lightness, Adjusts the individual hue, lightness, and saturation
Saturation components of the selected color. AutoCAD displays
the result in the Color Selected swatch.
Moving the Hue scroll box changes the color. Moving
the Lightness scroll box increases the luminance or
brightness of the hue by adding white. Moving the
Saturation scroll box to the right increases the purity of
the color. The higher the saturation, the less gray in the
color.
Select Color Displays the Select Color dialog box. To define the
color, you can select from the 255 AutoCAD Color
Index (ACI) colors, true colors, and Color Book colors.

Near/Far Distance
Define where the fog starts and ends. The values are percentages of the dis-
tance from the camera to the back clipping plane.

Near/Far Fog Percentage

Define the percentage of fog at the near and far distances, ranging from zero
fog to 100 percent fog.

392 | FOG
 GOTOURL
Opens the file or web page associated with the hyperlink attached to an object
Command line: gotourl

Select an object that has an attached hyperlink. The file or web page (URL)
that is associated with the hyperlink opens.

GRAPHSCR
Switches from the text window to the drawing area
Command line: graphscr (or 'graphscr for transparent use)

GRAPHSCR closes the text window. You can also press F2 to open or close the
text window. This command is ignored on dual-screen systems.

GRID
Displays a dot grid in the current viewport
The grid is for visual reference only. It is not plotted, and it is not part of the
drawing. You can turn the grid display on and off with the Grid button on
the status bar.
Command line: grid (or 'grid for transparent use)

Specify grid spacing(X) or [ON/OFF/Snap/Aspect] <current>: Specify a value or

GRID turned on
enter an option

Grid Spacing (X) Sets the grid to the specified value. Entering x after the
value sets the grid spacing to the specified value
multiplied by the snap interval.
On Turns on the grid using the current spacing.
Off Turns off the grid.
GRID turned off
Snap Sets the grid spacing to the snap interval specified by
the SNAP command.

GOTOURL | 393
 Aspect Changes the grid spacing in the X and Y directions.
Specify the horizontal spacing(X) <current>: Enter a
value or press ENTER
Specify the vertical spacing(Y) <current>: Enter a value or
press ENTER
GRID set to Aspect
Entering x following either value defines it as a multiple
of the snap interval rather than the drawing units.
The Aspect option is not available when the current
snap style is Isometric.
GROUP
Creates and manages saved sets of objects called groups
Command line: group

The Object Grouping dialog box is displayed.

If you enter -group at the Command prompt, GROUP displays prompts on
the command line (see page 398).

Object Grouping Dialog Box

Displays, identifies, names, and changes object groups.

394 | GROUP
 Group Name
Displays the names of existing groups.

Selectable
Specifies whether a group is selectable. When a group is selectable, selecting
one object in the group selects the whole group. Objects on locked or frozen
layers are not selected. When the PICKSTYLE system variable is set to 0, no
groups are selectable.

Group Identification
Displays the name and description (if any) of the group selected in the Group
Name list.
Group Name Specifies the group name. Group names can be up to 31
characters long and can include letters, numbers, and
the special characters dollar sign ($), hyphen (-), and
underscore (_) but not spaces. AutoCAD converts the
name to uppercase characters.
Description Displays the description of the selected group, if there
is one.
Find Name Lists the groups to which an object belongs.
Pick a member of a group: Select one object

AutoCAD displays the Group Member List dialog box,

showing the groups to which the object belongs.
Highlight Shows the members of the selected group. AutoCAD
highlights the member objects in the drawing area.
Include Specifies whether unnamed groups are listed. When
Unnamed this option is cleared, only named groups are displayed.

Create Group
Specifies properties of new groups.
New Creates a new group from the selected objects. After you
select the objects, AutoCAD creates a group using the
name and description under Group Name and
Description.
AutoCAD displays the group name in the Group Name
desk, computer, and list.
telephone selected
Selectable Specifies that a new group is selectable.

GROUP | 395
 Unnamed Indicates that a new group is unnamed. AutoCAD
assigns a default name, *An, to unnamed groups. The n
represents a number that increases with each new
group.

Change Group
Modifies existing groups.
Remove Removes objects from the selected group. To use this
option, clear the Selectable option.
Remove objects: Use an object selection method

AutoCAD removes the selected objects from the group

and redisplays the Object Grouping dialog box.

telephone selected telephone removed

from group

If you remove all the groups objects, the group remains

defined. You can remove the group definition from the
drawing by using the Explode option.
Note When you remove objects from a group and then
later add them back during the same drawing session,
AutoCAD returns them to their previous position in the
numerical order of the group.
Add Adds objects to the selected group.
Select objects: Use an object selection method

AutoCAD adds the selected objects to the group and

redisplays the Object Grouping dialog box.

chair selected chair added to group

Note AutoCAD alphabetizes the order of the group

names.

396 | GROUP
Rename Renames the selected group to the name entered in
Group Name under Group Identification.
Re-Order Displays the Order Group dialog box (see page 397), in
which you can change the numerical order of objects
within the selected group. AutoCAD numbers objects in
the order in which you select them for inclusion in the
group. Reordering is useful when creating tool paths.
For example, you can change the order in which
AutoCAD cuts the horizontal and vertical lines of a tool
path pattern.
You can either change the numerical position of
individual group members or ranges of group members
or reverse the order of all members. The first object in a
group is number 0, not number 1.
Description Updates the selected groups description to the name
that you enter in Description. AutoCAD accepts up to
64 characters for a description name.
Explode Deletes the definition of the selected group. The groups
objects remain in the drawing.
Selectable Specifies whether the group is selectable.

Order Group Dialog Box

Reorders objects in groups.

Group Name Displays the names of all groups.

GROUP | 397
 Description Displays the description of the selected group.
Remove from Specifies the current position of the object to reorder.
Position (0n)
Replace at Specifies the position to which the object moves.
Position (0n)
Number of Specifies the object number or range of numbers to
Objects (1n) reorder.
Re-Order Changes the numerical order of objects as specified.
Highlight Displays the members of the selected group. AutoCAD
highlights the group members in the drawing area, one
by one, in the current group order.
Reverse Order Reverses the order of all group members.

GROUP Command Line

If you enter -group at the Command prompt, GROUP displays prompts on
the command line.
Enter a group option
[?/Order/Add/Remove/Explode/REName/Selectable/Create] <Create>: Enter
an option or press ENTER

?List Groups
Lists names and descriptions of groups defined in the drawing.
Enter group name(s) to list <*>: Enter a name list or press ENTER to list all groups

Order
Changes the numerical order of objects within a group. Reordering is useful
when creating tool paths. For example, you can change the order in which
AutoCAD cuts the horizontal and vertical lines of a tool path pattern.
Enter a group name or [?]: Enter a name list or enter ? to list all groups
Enter position number of the object to reorder (0 - n) or [Reverse order]: Enter
a position number or enter r

398 | GROUP
Position Number Specifies the position number of the object to reorder.
To reorder a range of objects, specify the first objects
position number.
Replace at position <0 - n>: Enter the position number to
which you want the object to move
Number of objects to re-order <0 - n>: Enter the number
of objects to reorder

Reverse Order Reverses the order of all members in a group.

Add
Adds objects to a group.
Enter a group name or [?]: Enter a name or enter ? to list all groups
Select objects to add to group...
Select objects:

Remove
Removes objects from a group.
Enter a group name or [?]: Enter a name or enter ? to list all groups
Select objects to remove from group...
Remove objects:

If you remove all the groups objects, the group remains defined. You can
remove the group definition from the drawing by using the Explode option.

Explode
Deletes a group definition by exploding the group into its component
objects.
Enter a group name or [?]: Enter a name or enter ? to list all groups

Rename
Assigns a new name to an existing group.
Enter a group name to rename or [?]: Enter an existing group name or enter ? to
list all groups
Enter a new name for group or [?]: Enter a new name or enter ? to list all groups

GROUP | 399
 Selectable
Specifies whether a group is selectable. When a group is selectable, selecting
one object in the group selects the whole group. Objects on locked or frozen
layers are not selected.
Enter a group name or [?]: Enter a name or enter ? to list all groups
This group is current, do you want to change it [Yes/No]? <Y>: Enter y or n, or
press ENTER

Create
Creates a group.
Enter a group name or [?]: Enter a name or enter ?

Group names can be up to 31 characters long and can include letters, num-
bers, and special characters dollar sign ($), hyphen (-), and underscore (_) but
not spaces. AutoCAD converts the name to uppercase characters.
Enter a group description: Enter up to 64 text characters or press ENTER
Select objects:

400 | GROUP
HATCH
Fills an area with a nonassociative hatch pattern
A nonassociative hatch is not updated when its boundaries are modified. A
hatch boundary consists of an object or objects that completely enclose an
area. If the boundary is made up of multiple objects, their endpoints must
coincide for the hatch to be created properly. You can also fill an area that
does not have a closed boundary, by defining a polyline hatch boundary
with the Direct Hatch option.
Unless you specify otherwise, HATCH combines the lines that make up the
hatch into a block.
Hatches are stored as single hatch objects, which can reduce the amount of
disk space a drawing occupies and can also reduce regeneration time.
The default draw order of the hatch is set by HPDRAWORDER, which stores the
draw order setting from the Boundary Hatch and Fill dialog box.

Note By default, AutoCAD wont create a hatch pattern that consists of over
10,000 segments. The limit is set by the MaxHatch setting in the registry. To
reset the limit to 50,000, for example, enter (setenv MaxHatch 50000) at
the Command prompt. The limit can be reset to any value between 100 and
10,000,000.

Command line: hatch

Enter a pattern name or [?/Solid/User defined] <current>: Enter a predefined or

custom pattern name, enter an option, or press ENTER

Use BHATCH to create hatches and fills in a dialog box and to create associa-
tive hatches.

Pattern NamePredefined or Custom

Specifies a predefined pattern in the acad.pat or acadiso.pat file or a custom
pattern in its own PAT file. Enter the name followed by an optional hatch
style code. Precede the name with an asterisk (*) to fill the area with individ-
ual lines instead of a hatch block.
Specify a scale for the pattern <current>: Specify a value or press ENTER

HATCH | 401
 If the drawing is in model space and you enter a scale factor followed by xp,
AutoCAD calculates a scale factor relative to paper space.
Specify an angle for pattern <current>: Specify an angle or press ENTER
scale=.5 scale=1 Select objects to define hatch boundary or <direct hatch>,
Select objects: Select objects or press ENTER to define a polyline boundary

Select Objects Uses the selected objects to define the outer boundary
of the hatching area and objects internal to the
angle=0 angle=30 hatching boundary. Selecting part of a block for
hatching selects the entire block. Press ENTER to end
the command and create the hatch.

Direct Hatch Uses specified points to define the boundary of the

hatching area.
Retain polyline boundary? [Yes/No] <current>: Enter y to
retain the hatch boundary or n to discard it after the area is
hatched
Specify start point: Specify a start point for the polyline
define boundary boundary
Specify next point or [Arc/Close/Length/Undo]: Specify a
point, enter an option, or press ENTER

These options are also available in the PLINE command.

When you complete the polyline boundary, press
retain boundary ENTER . HATCH prompts you to create additional
polyline boundaries.
Specify start point for new boundary or <apply hatch>:
Specify a point or press ENTER to apply a hatch to the exist-
discard boundary ing hatch boundary

If you specify a point, AutoCAD prompts you for

additional points. Press ENTER to end the command
and create the hatch.

402 | HATCH
?List Pattern Names
Lists and provides a brief description of the hatch patterns defined in the
acad.pat or acadiso.pat file.
Enter pattern(s) to list <*>: Enter a name list or press ENTER to list all patterns

Solid
Specifies a solid fill.
Select objects to define hatch boundary or <direct hatch>,
Select objects: Select objects or press ENTER to define a polyline boundary

Select Objects Uses the selected objects to define the outer boundary
of the fill area and objects internal to the fill boundary.
Selecting part of a block for solid fill selects the entire
block. Press ENTER to end the command and create the
solid fill.
Direct Hatch Uses specified points to define the boundary of the fill
area.
Retain polyline boundary? [Yes/No] <current>: Enter y to
retain the fill boundary or n to discard it after the area is
filled
Specify start point: Specify a start point for the polyline
boundary
Specify next point or [Arc/Close/Length/Undo]: Specify a
point, enter an option, or press ENTER

These options are also available in the PLINE command.

When you complete the polyline boundary, press
ENTER . HATCH prompts you to create additional
polyline boundaries.
Specify start point for new boundary or <apply hatch>:
Specify a point or press ENTER to apply a solid fill to the
existing fill boundary

HATCH | 403
 If you specify a point, AutoCAD prompts you for
additional points. Press ENTER to end the command
and create the solid fill.
Note The boundary of a solid fill hatch must be closed
and must not intersect itself. In addition, if the hatch area
contains more than one loop, the loops must not intersect.
These limitations do not apply to standard hatch patterns.

User-Defined Pattern
Specifies a pattern of lines using the current linetype. Enter u, followed
optionally by a hatch style code (see Hatch Style Codes on page 405).
Precede the u with an asterisk (*) to fill the area with individual lines instead
of a hatch block.
Specify angle for crosshatch lines <current>: Specify an angle or press ENTER
Specify spacing between the lines <current>: Specify the distance between the
lines or press ENTER
Double hatch area? [Yes/No] <current>: Enter y to specify a second set of lines to
be drawn at 90 degrees to the original lines
Select objects to define hatch boundary or <direct hatch>,
Select objects: Select objects or press ENTER to define a polyline boundary

Select Objects Uses the selected objects to define the outer boundary
of the hatching area and objects internal to the
hatching boundary. Selecting part of a block for
hatching selects the entire block. Press ENTER to end
the command and create the hatch.
Direct Hatch Uses specified points to define the boundary of the
hatching area.
Retain polyline boundary? [Yes/No] <current>: Enter y to
retain the hatch boundary or n to discard it after the area is
hatched
Specify start point: Specify a start point for the polyline
boundary
Specify next point or [Arc/Close/Length/Undo]: Specify a
point, enter an option, or press ENTER

404 | HATCH
 These options are also available in the PLINE command.
When you complete the polyline boundary, press
ENTER . HATCH prompts you to create additional
polyline boundaries.
Specify start point for new boundary or <apply hatch>:
Specify a point or press ENTER to apply a hatch to the exist-
ing hatch boundary

If you specify a point, AutoCAD prompts you for

additional points. Press ENTER to end the command
and create the hatch.

Hatch Style Codes

Hatching styles control the method that AutoCAD uses to hatch internal
boundary objects. Specify a hatch style by following the pattern name with
a comma and the hatch style code. You can list the hatch style codes by fol-
lowing the pattern name with a comma (,) and a question mark (?).
For example, to hatch only the outermost area of a structure with several
internal boundaries using the MUDST pattern, enter mudst,o at the Pattern
prompt. To opt for a user-defined pattern and use the Ignore style, enter u,i.
AutoCAD stores the style by adding the comma and code to the pattern
name in the HPNAME system variable.
n (Normal) Hatches inward from the outermost area boundary. If
AutoCAD encounters an internal boundary, it turns off
hatching until it encounters another boundary. Thus,
areas separated from the outside of the hatched area by
an odd number of boundaries are hatched, and areas
separated by an even number of boundaries are not.
o (Outer) Hatches outermost areas only. This style hatches
inward from the area boundary, but it turns off
hatching if it encounters an internal boundary and
does not turn it back on again. Because this process
starts from both ends of each hatch line, this style
hatches only the outermost area of the structure and
leaves the internal structure blank.
i (Ignore) Ignores all internal objects and hatches through them.
? (List Styles) Lists hatch styles.
Note Hatching concave curves using the Outer and
Ignore styles can cause discrepancies.

HATCH | 405
HATCHEDIT
Modifies an existing hatch or gradient fill

Modify II toolbar:
Modify menu: Object Hatch
Shortcut menu: Select a hatch object to edit, right-click in the drawing area,
and choose Hatch Edit.
Command line: hatchedit

Select associative hatch object: Use an object selection method

The Hatch Edit dialog box is displayed.

If you enter -hatchedit at the Command prompt, HATCHEDIT displays
prompts on the command line (see page 407).

Hatch Edit Dialog Box

Modifies the characteristics of an existing hatch or gradient fill. The Hatch
Edit dialog box displays the current properties of the selected hatch or fill
object. You can modify only the available properties.

406 | HATCHEDIT
Hatch Tab Modifies the hatch pattern properties. For information
about these options, see Hatch Tab (Boundary Hatch
and Fill Dialog Box) on page 112.
Advanced Tab Modifies the island detection style. The other options
on this tab are unavailable. See Island Detection Style
on page 115.
Gradient Tab Modifies the gradient fill properties. For information
about these options, see Gradient Tab (Boundary
Hatch and Fill Dialog Box) on page 118.
Inherit Properties Applies the properties of a selected hatch or fill object
to the object you are editing.
Draw Order Modifies the draw order of a hatch or fill. You can place
a hatch or fill behind all other objects, in front of all
other objects, behind the hatch boundary, or in front of
the hatch boundary.
Composition Controls whether the hatch is associative or
nonassociative.

Associative: Creates a hatch or fill that is updated

when you modify its boundaries.
Nonassociative: Creates a hatch or fill that is
independent of its boundaries.

Preview Temporarily dismisses the dialog box and displays the

selected object with the specified properties.

HATCHEDIT Command Line

If you enter -hatchedit at the Command prompt, HATCHEDIT displays
prompts on the command line.
Select associative hatch object:
Enter hatch option [Disassociate/Style/Properties/DRaw order] <Properties>:
Enter an option or press ENTER

Note You may have difficulty when trying to select a solid-fill hatch pattern
because there are no visible grips or lines to click. For best results, either click the
outer edges of the hatch pattern or use a crossing window selection.

HATCHEDIT | 407
 Disassociate
Removes the associative quality from an associative hatch.

Style
Changes the hatch style type. AutoCAD displays the following prompt:
Enter hatching style [Ignore/Outer/Normal] <current>:

Note Hatching concave curves with the Outer and Ignore styles can cause
hatching discrepancies.

Ignore Ignores all internal objects and hatches through them.

AutoCAD stores the Ignore style code by adding ,I to the
pattern name in the HPNAME system variable.
Outer Hatches outermost areas only. This style hatches
inward from the area boundary, but it turns off
hatching if it encounters an internal boundary and
does not turn it back on again. Because this process
starts from both ends of each hatch line, this style
hatches only the outermost area of the structure and
leaves the internal structure blank.
AutoCAD stores the Outer style code by adding ,O to
the pattern name in the HPNAME system variable.
Normal Hatches inward from the outer boundary. If AutoCAD
encounters an internal boundary, it turns off hatching
until it encounters another boundary. Thus, areas
separated from the outside of the hatched area by an
odd number of boundaries are hatched, and areas
separated by an even number of boundaries are not.
AutoCAD stores the Normal style code by adding ,N to
the pattern name in the HPNAME system variable.

408 | HATCHEDIT
 Properties
Specifies new hatch properties for the selected hatch. For an explanation of
setting pattern properties on the command line, see BHATCH.

Draw Order
Sets the draw order of the hatch. The following prompt is displayed:
Enter draw order [do Not change/send to Back/bring to Front/send beHind
boundary/bring in front of bounDary] <do Not change>: Enter an option

Send to Back Sends the hatch in back of all other objects

Bring to Front Brings the hatch in front of all other objects
Send Behind Sends the hatch behind the hatch boundary
Boundary
Bring in Front of Brings the hatch in front of the hatch boundary
Boundary

HELP
Displays Help
Standard toolbar:
Help menu: Help
Command line: help or ? or press F1 (or 'help for transparent use)

To display Help for a menu, open the menu, and then press F1 .
Pressing F1 or entering 'help while a command is active displays Help for that
command. Choosing the Help button in a dialog box displays Help for that
dialog box.

HELP | 409
 HIDE
Regenerates a three-dimensional model with hidden lines suppressed
When you use VPOINT, DVIEW, or VIEW to create a 3D view of your drawing,
AutoCAD produces a wireframe display in the current viewport. All lines are
present, including those hidden by other objects. HIDE eliminates the hidden
lines from the screen.

Render toolbar:
View menu: Hide
Command line: hide

HIDE considers the following to be opaque surfaces that hide objects: circles,
solids, traces, text, regions, wide polyline segments, 3D faces, polygon
meshes, and the extruded edges of objects with nonzero thickness.
If they are extruded, AutoCAD treats circles, solids, traces, and wide polyline
segments as solid objects with top and bottom faces. You cannot use HIDE on
objects whose layers have been frozen; however, you can use HIDE on objects
whose layers have been turned off.
In order to hide text created with DTEXT, MTEXT, or TEXT, the HIDETEXT sys-
tem variable must be set to 1 or the text must be assigned a thickness value.
When using the HIDE command, if the INTERSECTIONDISPLAY system variable
before HIDE
is on, face-to-face intersections of 3D surfaces are displayed as polylines.

If the DISPSILH system variable is on, HIDE displays 3D solid objects with sil-
houette edges only. It wont show the internal edges produced by objects that
have facets.
If the HIDETEXT system variable is off, HIDE ignores text objects when produc-
after HIDE ing the hidden view. Text objects are always displayed regardless of whether
they are obscured by other objects, and objects obscured by text objects are
unaffected.

410 | HIDE
HLSETTINGS
Changes the display properties of hidden lines
Command line: hlsettings

The Hidden Line Settings dialog box is displayed. The settings in this dialog
box affect the display properties of hidden lines.

Hidden Line Settings Dialog Box

Sets the display properties of hidden lines. These settings are visible only
when the HIDE command or the Hidden option of the SHADEMODE com-
mand is used.

Obscured Lines
Specifies the linetype and color of obscured lines. An obscured line is a hid-
den line that is made visible by changing its color and linetype.
Linetype Lists the available linetypes to apply to obscured lines.
Unlike regular linetypes, obscured linetypes are not
affected by zoom level.
You can also set this option by using the
OBSCUREDLTYPE system variable.

Color Lists the available colors to apply to obscured lines.

You can also change this setting by using the
OBSCUREDCOLOR system variable.

HLSETTINGS | 411
 Halo Gap Percentage
Specifies the distance to shorten a haloed line. A haloed line is shortened at
the point where it will be hidden.
The distance is specified as a percentage of 1 inch and is not affected by zoom
level.
You can also change this setting by using the HALOGAP system variable.

Include Text in HIDE Operations

Specifies whether text objects created by the TEXT, DTEXT, or MTEXT com-
mand are included during a HIDE command.
You can also set this option by using the HIDETEXT system variable.

Face Intersections
Specifies the display and color of intersection polylines. An intersection
polyline is displayed at the face-to-face intersection of 3D surfaces.

INTERSECTIONDISPLAY INTERSECTIONDISPLAY
set to off set to on

Display Specifies the display of intersection polylines.

Intersections
You can also set this option by using the
INTERSECTIONDISPLAY system variable.

Color Lists the available colors to apply to intersection

polylines.
You can also change this setting by using the
INTERSECTIONCOLOR system variable.

412 | HLSETTINGS
 Hide Precision
Controls the accuracy of hides and shades. Hides can be set to either low (sin-
gle) precision or high (double) precision. You can also change this setting by
using the HIDEPRECISION system variable.
Low (single) Sets the hide precision to low (single), which uses less
memory.
High (double) Sets the hide precision to high (double), which
produces more precise hides, but also uses more
memory and can affect performance, especially when
hiding solids.

HYPERLINK
Attaches a hyperlink to an object or modifies an existing hyperlink
Insert menu: Hyperlink
Shortcut menu: To edit a hyperlink, select an object that contains a hyper-
link, right-click in the drawing area, and choose Hyperlink Edit Hyperlink.
Command line: hyperlink

Select objects: Use an object selection method

AutoCAD displays one of the following dialog boxes depending on the object
you selected:

Insert Hyperlink dialog box (for graphical objects that do not already con-
tain hyperlinks)
Edit Hyperlink dialog box (see page 416) (for graphical objects that already
contain hyperlinks)

After you insert a hyperlink, the hyperlink icon is displayed when you move
the cursor over the attached object. To open the hyperlink, right-click the
selected object and choose Hyperlink. The PICKFIRST system variable must be
set to 1 to open files associated with hyperlinks.
If you enter -hyperlink at the Command prompt, HYPERLINK displays options
on the command line, including an option to define an area to associate with
a hyperlink (see page 417).

HYPERLINK | 413
 Insert Hyperlink Dialog Box
Attaches hyperlinks to graphical objects.

Text to Display Specifies a description for the hyperlink. This is useful

when the file name or URL is not helpful in identifying
the contents of the linked file.

Existing File or Web Page Tab (Insert Hyperlink Dialog Box)

Creates a hyperlink to an existing file or web page.

Type the File or Specifies the file or web page to associate with the
Web Page Name hyperlink. The file can be stored locally, on a network
drive, or on an Internet or intranet location.
Recent Files Displays a list of recently linked files, from which you
can select one to link to.
Browsed Pages Displays a list of recently browsed web pages, from
which you can select one to link to.
Inserted Links Displays a list of recently inserted hyperlinks, from
which you can select one to link to.
File Opens the Browse the WebSelect Hyperlink dialog
box (a standard file selection dialog box), in which you
can navigate to the file that you want to associate with
the hyperlink.

414 | HYPERLINK
Web Page Opens the AutoCAD browser, in which you can
navigate to a web page that you want to associate with
the hyperlink.
Target Opens the Select Place in Document dialog box (see
page 416), in which you can select a named location in
a drawing to link to.
Path Displays the path to the file associated with the
hyperlink. If Use Relative Path for Hyperlink is selected,
only the file name is listed. If Use Relative Path for
Hyperlink is cleared, the full path and the file name are
listed.
Use Relative Path Sets a relative path for hyperlinks. If you select this
for Hyperlink option, the full path to the linked file is not stored with
the hyperlink. AutoCAD sets the relative path to the
value specified by the HYPERLINKBASE system variable
or, if no value is specified for HYPERLINKBASE, to the
current drawing path. If this option is cleared, the full
path to the associated file is stored with the hyperlink.
Convert DWG Specifies that the DWG hyperlink will convert to a DWF
Hyperlinks to file hyperlink when you publish or plot the drawing to
DWF a DWF file.

View of This Drawing Tab (Insert Hyperlink Dialog Box)

Specifies a named view in the current drawing to link to.

HYPERLINK | 415
 Select a View of Displays an expandable tree view of the named views
This within the current drawing, from which you can select
one to link to.

E-mail Address Tab (Insert Hyperlink Dialog Box)

Specifies an email address to link to. When the hyperlink is executed, a new
email is created using the default system email program.

E-mail Address Specifies an email address.

Subject Specifies a subject for the email.
Recently Used Lists recently used email addresses, from which you can
E-mail Addresses select one to use for the hyperlink.

Edit Hyperlink Dialog Box

Edits hyperlinks. The Edit Hyperlink dialog box is a modified version of the
Insert Hyperlink dialog box, with one additional option.
Remove Link Deletes the hyperlink from the selected objects.

Select Place in Document Dialog Box

Navigates to a view or layout within a drawing. The named location that you
select is the initial view that is restored when the hyperlink is executed.

416 | HYPERLINK
Select an Existing Provides an expandable tree view of the named
Place in the locations within the linked drawing, from which you
Document can select a named location to link to.

HYPERLINK Command Line

If you enter -hyperlink at the Command prompt, HYPERLINK displays options
on the command line. The command line version of HYPERLINK inserts
hyperlinks to areas or to selected objects and also removes hyperlinks.
Enter an option [Remove/Insert] <Insert>: Enter an option or press ENTER

Remove
Removes the hyperlink from the selected objects. If a selection set does not
exist, AutoCAD prompts you to create one.
Select objects: Select graphical objects in the drawing

If the selection set contains more than one hyperlink, AutoCAD presents a
numbered list on the command line of all the hyperlinks that were found.
Enter number, hyperlink, or * for all: Enter the number or name of the hyperlink,
or enter * to remove all hyperlinks in the selection set

AutoCAD displays the number of removed hyperlinks on the command line.

Insert
Attaches a hyperlink to an object or an area.
Enter hyperlink insert option [Area/Object] <Object>: Select a method for
attaching a hyperlink

Area Defines a bounding rectangle and places it on a layer

called URLLAYER. If this layer doesnt exist in the current
drawing, AutoCAD creates it.
Note To turn off the display of hyperlink bounding
rectangles in the drawing area or in your drawing plots,
you must freeze the URLLAYER layer. See Use Layers to
Manage Complexity in the Users Guide.
First corner: Specify the start point of the rectangle
Other corner: Specify the end point of the rectangle

AutoCAD prompts you to enter the path to the file you

want associated with the hyperlink.

HYPERLINK | 417
 Enter hyperlink <current drawing>: Enter the full path to
a local file or the complete URL to an Internet file, or press
ENTER to create a hyperlink to a named view in the current
drawing

AutoCAD prompts you to enter a named location for

the hyperlink, such as a view in an AutoCAD drawing
or a bookmark in a word processing file.
Enter named location <none>: Enter the named location,
or press ENTER to create the hyperlink without one
Enter named description <none>: Enter a description, or
press ENTER to create the hyperlink without one

Object Specifies graphical objects to attach the hyperlink to.

Select objects: Select graphical objects in the drawing

AutoCAD prompts you to enter the path to the file you

want associated with the hyperlink.
Enter hyperlink <current drawing>: Enter the full path to
a local file or the complete URL to an Internet file, or press
ENTER to create a hyperlink to a named view in the current
drawing

AutoCAD prompts you to enter a named location for

the hyperlink, such as a view in an AutoCAD drawing
or a bookmark in a word processing file.
Enter named location <none>: Enter the named location,
or press ENTER to create the hyperlink without one
Enter description <none>: Enter a descriptive name for
the hyperlink, or press ENTER to create the hyperlink without
one

HYPERLINKOPTIONS
Controls the display of the hyperlink cursor, tooltips, and shortcut menu
Command line: hyperlinkoptions

Display hyperlink cursor, tooltip, and shortcut menu? [Yes/No] <Yes>:

Note Access to hyperlinks is not available if you choose No.

418 | HYPERLINKOPTIONS
ID
Displays the coordinate of a location
Tools menu: Inquiry ID Point
Command line: id (or 'id for transparent use)

Point: Use the pointing device to specify a point

The UCS coordinate of the location is displayed on the command line.

ID lists the X, Y, and Z values of the specified point and stores the coordinate
of the specified point as the last point. You can reference the last point by
entering @ at the next prompt that requests a point.
If you snap to an object in 3D space, the Z coordinate value is the same as
that of the selected feature of the object.

IMAGE
Manages images
In the Image Manager, you can attach or detach a raster or bit-mapped
bitonal, 8-bit gray, 8-bit color, or 24-bit color image file to a drawing. You can
reload and unload images, as well as specify a new path for the images. You
can view image details such as pixel width, color depth, and resolution of the
selected image. IMAGE can combine images in a variety of formats (including
BMP, TIFF, RLE, JPG, PCX, and TGA) with AutoCAD drawings. You can dis-
play more than one image in any viewport. AutoCAD does not limit the
number and size of images.

Reference toolbar:
Insert menu: Image Manager
Shortcut menu: Select an image, right-click in the drawing area, and choose
Image Image Manager.
Command line: image

The Image Manager is displayed.

If you enter -image at the Command prompt, IMAGE displays prompts on the
command line (see page 423).

ID | 419
 Image Manager
Lists all the image files attached to the current drawing. You can view the
parameters and details for selected images. You can attach new image files
and detach, locate, reload, and unload attached images.

List of Images
Displays the names of all image files attached to the drawing. You can use F3
and F4 to toggle between list view and tree view.
List View Lists the image definitions attached to the drawing.
Each image name appears only once regardless of how
many times the image is attached (inserted). You can
sort the list of images by name, status (loaded,
unloaded, or not found), type (TIFF, for example), date,
size, or the saved path and file name. By default,
AutoCAD displays the list alphabetically by image
name.

To select multiple images, hold down SHIFT or CTRL

while selecting items.
To sort the list alphabetically or numerically by a
specific column, click that columns heading.
To change the width of the column, drag the line
between the column headings to the right or left.
AutoCAD saves and restores the settings when you
reopen the dialog box.
To change an image name, select it and then click it
again, or select it and then press F2 . You cannot edit
names of images that reside in external references

420 | IMAGE
 (xrefs). Image names can include up to 255
characters and can contain letters, digits, spaces, and
any special characters not used by
Microsoft Windows or AutoCAD. The image
name can be identical to the file name, but changing
the image name does not change the file name.

Tree View Displays all the image definitions and the levels of
nesting of images within xrefs. The top level of the tree
view shows images that you attached directly to the
drawing, images nested in block references, and the
names of externally referenced drawings containing
images. The names of the images attached to the
externally referenced drawings appear nested within
the drawing at the next tree level.
To insert a copy of an already attached image, select it,
and then choose Attach.
Tree view lists the image names only (not file names)
and lists the image name just once, regardless of how
many times the image is attached (insert).
You can edit an image name by selecting it and then
clicking it again, or by selecting it and then pressing F2 .
However, you cannot select more than one image at a
time.

Attach
Displays the Select Image File dialog box. See IMAGEATTACH. When you
unload and then reload an image, AutoCAD draws that image on top. For
more information about how to control where and how AutoCAD places the
image, see DRAWORDER. Images remain loaded or unloaded from one draw-
ing session to the next.

Detach
Removes the selected image definitions from the drawing database and erases
all the associated image objects from the drawing and from the display.

Reload
Loads the most recent version of an image or reloads an image that was pre-
viously unloaded. Reloading does not control whether the image is dis-
played, but it ensures display of the most current image.

IMAGE | 421
 Unload
Unloads image data from working memory without erasing the image
objects from the drawing. It is recommended that you unload images no
longer needed for editing to improve performance. An unloaded image can-
not be displayed or plotted.
You can selectively load and unload individual images from a working list of
images associated with the drawing file.

Details
Opens the Image File Details dialog box, which displays the image name,
saved path, active path, file creation date and time, file size and type, color
system, color depth, width and height in pixels, resolution, default size in
units, and a preview image.

Image Found At
Shows the path where the selected image was found. If you select multiple
images, this field remains blank.
If the image file is not found in the path in the Saved Path column, several
other paths are automatically searched for the image file. For the list of these
paths and the order in which they are searched, see Set Paths to Externally
Referenced Drawings in the Users Guide.

Browse
Opens the Select Image File dialog box (a standard file selection dialog box).
The path you select appears under Image Found At.

422 | IMAGE
Save Path
Stores the new path information. Press ESC while editing the path to restore
the old path. If AutoCAD cannot find the referenced image in the new path,
the images status changes to Not Found. If you do not choose Save Path after
editing the path, AutoCAD uses the original image path the next time you
load the drawing.

IMAGE Command Line

If you enter -image at the Command prompt, IMAGE displays prompts on the
command line.
Enter image option [?/Detach/P ath/Reload/Unload/Attach/] <Attach>: Enter
an option or press ENTER

?List Images
Lists the images by name in alphabetical order, the number of times each is
attached to the drawing, and the path where the image is stored. AutoCAD
lists images in alphabetical order, regardless of the setting of the MAXSORT
system variable.
Images to list <*>: Enter * to list all images, or enter an image name

Detach
Detaches the named image from the drawing, marks it for deletion, and
erases all occurrences of the image.
Enter list of images to detach: Enter an image name, or enter * to detach all
images

Path
Updates the path name (including file name) associated with a particular
image. This option is useful if you change the location of an image file,
rename the file, or replace an old image file with a new file; for instance, you
can update image01.pcx and save it as image02.pcx.
Enter list of images for path modification: Enter an image name, or enter * to list
all images

IMAGE | 423
 If you enter an asterisk (*), AutoCAD lists the current path name for each
image and prompts for the new path.
Old path: Lists the current path name for each image
Enter New path: Enter the new path name for the specified image

Reload
Reloads the selected images. AutoCAD reads image data into memory, mak-
ing that information available for display and plotting.
Enter list of images to reload: Enter an image name, or enter * to reload all images

Reloading...
Reload image <image name>: <hard-coded path name>
<image name> loaded and relinked.

Unload
Removes image data from working memory so that the images are not dis-
played, thus improving performance. All information associated with the
image remains stored with the drawing. The image frame of each attached
image remains visible.
Enter list of images to unload: Enter a loaded image name, or enter * to unload
all images

Attach
Attaches a new image or a copy of an attached image to the current drawing.
AutoCAD displays the Select Image File dialog box (a standard file selection
dialog box).
AutoCAD assigns the file name without the extension as the image name.
Image names can include up to 255 characters and contain letters, digits,
spaces, and any special characters not used by Microsoft Windows or
AutoCAD. If the file name is not a valid name for a nongraphical object, the
Substitute Image Name dialog box is displayed. AutoCAD automatically gen-
erates a valid image name from the file name and appends an underscore and
number to the name, changing the number as necessary to avoid duplicate
image names.
Image file name_1 created from file file name.bmp

424 | IMAGE
If a definition with the same name and path exists in the drawing, AutoCAD
displays the following prompts and inserts the image as a copy:
Image file name has already been loaded.
Use IMAGE Reload to update its definition.
Specify insertion point <0,0>: Specify an insertion point
Base image size: Width: current width, Height: current height, current unit
Specify scale factor: Enter a value or press ENTER
Specify rotation angle <0>: Enter a value or press ENTER

If the FILEDIA system variable is set to 0, AutoCAD displays the following

prompt instead of the dialog box:
Enter image file name to attach <last>: Enter an image name

The last image name attached to the drawing during the current session is the
default. To avoid errors when entering an image name, it is recommended
that you specify both the image name and the file name as follows:
imagename=path name\long file name.bmp

or
imagename=path name\long file name.bmp

If you enter a valid image name without a file extension, AutoCAD searches
for the file in this order: first, an existing image definition in the drawing,
and second, an image file in the folders in order of the search path. AutoCAD
searches for all the image files with the specified name, regardless of exten-
sion, and uses the first name found. If no image name or image file is found,
AutoCAD displays the message Image Not Found and repeats the prompt.
To specify a long file name that does not conform to AutoCAD naming rules,
enter the name as follows:
"imagename=filename"

You can use a dialog box to search for image files but still enter the image-
name=filename convention on the command line. Enter a tilde (~) at the
Enter Image File Name to Attach prompt. If you press ESC after the dialog box
opens, AutoCAD redisplays the Enter Image Name prompt.

IMAGE | 425
IMAGEADJUST
Controls the image display of the brightness, contrast, and fade values of images

Reference toolbar:
Modify menu: Object Image Adjust
Shortcut menu: Select an image to adjust, right-click in the drawing area,
and choose Image Adjust.
Command line: imageadjust

Select image(s): Select one or more images

AutoCAD displays the Image Adjust dialog box.

If you enter -imageadjust at the Command prompt, IMAGEADJUST displays
prompts on the command line (see page 427).

Image Adjust Dialog Box

Controls how the image is displayed by adjusting the brightness, contrast
and fade settings of the selected image. Adjusting these values changes the
display of the image but does not change the image file itself.

Brightness Controls the brightness, and indirectly the contrast, of

the image. Values range from 0 through 100. The
greater the value, the brighter the image and the more
pixels that become white when you increase contrast.
Moving the slider to the left decreases the value;
moving the slider to the right increases the value.
Contrast Controls the contrast, and indirectly the fading effect,
of the image. Values range from 0 through 100. The

426 | IMAGEADJUST
 greater the value, the more each pixel is forced to its
primary or secondary color. Moving the slider to the left
decreases the value; moving the slider to the right
increases the value.
Fade Controls the fading effect of the image. Values range
from 0 through 100. The greater the value, the more the
image blends with the current background color. A
value of 100 blends the image completely into the
background. Changing the screen background color
causes the image to fade to the new color. In plotting,
the background color for fade is white. Moving the
slider to the left decreases the value; moving the slider
to the right increases the value.
Image Preview Displays a preview of the selected image. The preview
image updates dynamically to reflect changes to the
brightness, contrast, and fade settings.
Reset Resets values for brightness, contrast, and fade to
default settings (50, 50, and 0, respectively).

IMAGEADJUST Command Line

If you enter -imageadjust at the Command prompt, IMAGEADJUST displays
prompts on the command line. With the command line version of IMAGE-
ADJUST, you can select more than one image to adjust.

Select image (s): Select one or more images

Enter image option [Contrast/Fade/Brightness] <Brightness>: Enter c or f, or
press ENTER to adjust brightness

If you selected a single image, the default values for Brightness, Contrast, and
Fade are the current property settings of the image selected. If you selected
multiple images, the default values for Brightness, Contrast, and Fade are 50,
50, and 0, respectively.
Contrast Controls the contrast, and indirectly the fading effect,
of the image. Values range from 0 through 100. The
greater the value, the more each pixel is forced to its
primary or secondary color.
Enter contrast value (0-100) <50>: Enter a value

IMAGEADJUST | 427
 Fade Controls the fading effect of the image. Values range
from 0 through 100. The greater the value, the more the
image blends with the current background color. A
value of 100 blends the image completely into the
background. Changing the screen background color
causes the image to fade to the new color. In plotting,
the background color for fade is white.
Enter fade value (0-100) <0>: Enter a value

Brightness Controls the brightness, and indirectly the contrast, of

the image. Values range from 0 through 100. The
greater the value, the brighter the image and the more
pixels that become white when you increase contrast.
Enter brightness value (0-100) <50>: Enter a value

IMAGEATTACH
Attaches a new image to the current drawing
IMAGEATTACH opens the Select Image File dialog box without displaying the
Image Manager first. You can view and attach raster or bitmapped bitonal,
8-bit gray, 8-bit color, or 24-bit color image files to a drawing. Attaching an
image creates an image definition, loads the image into memory, and dis-
plays the image.

Reference toolbar:
Insert menu: Raster Image
Command line: imageattach

AutoCAD displays the Select Image File dialog box (a standard file selection
dialog box). Once you select an image file, AutoCAD displays the Image dia-
log box.

Image Dialog Box

Locates, inserts, names, and defines the parameters and details of attached
images.

428 | IMAGEATTACH
Name
Identifies the image you have selected to attach, either from the Select Image
File dialog box (an unattached image) or from the list of previously attached
images. To add another instance of an image file that is already attached,
select the image name from the list and choose OK.
Browse Opens the Select Image File dialog box (a standard file
selection dialog box). If Show Preview is selected,
AutoCAD displays a preview of the selected file.
Found In Displays the path where the image file was located.
Saved Displays the path specified when the image file was
attached to the current drawing.

Path Type
You can choose from three types of folder path information to save with an
attached image: an absolute path, a relative path, and no path. For a com-
plete description of each option, see Set Paths to Externally Referenced
Drawings in the the Users Guide.
Full Path Specifies the absolute path to the image file.
Relative Path Specifies a relative path to the image file.
No Path Specifies only the image file name. The image file
should be located in the folder with the current
drawing file.

IMAGEATTACH | 429
 Insertion Point
Specifies the insertion point for the selected image. Specify On-Screen is the
default. The default insertion point is 0,0.
Specify Directs input to the command line or the pointing
On-Screen device. If Specify On-Screen is cleared, enter the
insertion point in X, Y, and Z.
X Sets the X coordinate value.
Y Sets the Y coordinate value.
Z Sets the Z coordinate value.

Scale
Specifies the scale factor of the selected image. Specify On-Screen directs
input to the command line or the pointing device. If Specify On-Screen is
cleared, enter a value for the scale factor. The default scale factor is 1.
If INSUNITS is set to unitless or if the image does not contain resolution
information, the scale factor becomes the image width in AutoCAD units. If
INSUNITS has a value such as millimeters, centimeters, inches, or feet, and the
image has resolution information, the scale factor is applied after the true
width of the image in AutoCAD units is determined.

Rotation
Specifies the rotation angle of the selected image. If Specify On-Screen is
selected, you may wait until you exit the dialog box to rotate the object with
your pointing device or enter a rotation angle value on the command line. If
Specify On-Screen is cleared, enter the rotation angle value in the dialog box.
The default rotation angle is 0.

Details
Displays the Image Information section. You can view width and height in
pixels, the resolution, and the size in units (such as millimeters, centimeters,
meters, kilometers, inches, feet, yards, miles, unitless, and many others). The
default value for unitless images is unitless. The image size is automatically
converted to AutoCAD units and is displayed at the default width and height.
Image information consists of the following:

Image resolution in horizontal and vertical pixels per drawing unit

Width and height in pixels
Width and height in current drawing units

430 | IMAGEATTACH
IMAGECLIP
Creates new clipping boundaries for an image object
With IMAGECLIP, you can define a subregion of an image for display and
plotting.

Reference toolbar:
Modify menu: Clip Image
Shortcut menu: Select an image to clip, right-click in the drawing area, and
choose Image Clip.
Command line: imageclip

Select image to clip: Select an edge of an image

Enter image clipping option [ON/OFF/Delete/New boundary] <New>: Enter an
option or press ENTER

The boundary you specify must be in a plane parallel to the image object.

On
Turns on clipping and displays the image clipped to the previously defined
boundary.

Off
Turns off clipping and displays the entire image and frame.
If you reclip the image while clipping is turned off, AutoCAD automatically
turns clipping back on. AutoCAD prompts you to delete the old boundary
even when clipping is turned off and the clipping boundary is not visible.

Delete
Removes a predefined clipping boundary and redisplays the full original
image.

IMAGECLIP | 431
 New Boundary
Specifies a new clipping boundary. The boundary can be rectangular or
polygonal, and consists only of straight line segments. When defining a clip-
ping boundary, specify vertices within the image boundary. Self-intersecting
vertices are valid. Rectangular is the default option. If you use the pointing
device to specify a point at the Enter Clipping Type prompt, AutoCAD inter-
prets the point as the first corner of a rectangle.
Enter clipping type [Polygonal/Rectangular] <Rectangular>: Enter p or press
ENTER

Polygonal Uses specified points to define a polygonal boundary.

Specify first point: Specify a point
Specify next point or [Undo]: Specify a point or enter u
Specify next point or [Undo]: Specify a point or enter u
Specify next point or [Close/Undo]: Specify a point, or
enter c or u

You must specify at least three points to define a

polygon.
If the image already has a clipping boundary defined,
AutoCAD displays the following prompt:
Delete old boundary? [No/Yes] <Yes>: Enter n or press
ENTER

If you choose Yes, AutoCAD redraws the entire image

and the command continues; if you choose No, the
command ends.
Rectangular Specifies a rectangular boundary by its opposite
corners. AutoCAD always draws the rectangle parallel
to the edges of the image.
Specify first corner point: Specify a point
Specify opposite corner point: Specify a point

432 | IMAGECLIP
IMAGEFRAME
Controls whether image frames are displayed or hidden from view

Reference toolbar:
Modify menu: Object Image Frame
Command line: imageframe

Enter image frame setting [ON/OFF] <current>: Enter an option or press ENTER

Raster images can be displayed with or without a frame. Because you select
an image by clicking its frame, setting IMAGEFRAME to Off prevents you from
accidentally selecting an image.
On Displays image frames so you can select images.
Off Hides image frames so you cannot select images.

IMAGEQUALITY
Controls the display quality of images
The quality setting affects display performance; high-quality images take
longer to display. Changing the setting updates the display immediately
without causing a regeneration of the drawing. AutoCAD always plots images
using a high-quality display.

Reference toolbar:
Modify menu: Object Image Quality
Command line: imagequality

Enter image quality setting [High/Draft] <current>: Enter an option or press

ENTER

High Produces a high-quality display of the image. AutoCAD

displays the image more slowly than a draft-quality
image.
Draft Produces a lower-quality display of the image.
AutoCAD displays the image more quickly than a high-
quality image.

IMAGEFRAME | 433
IMPORT
Imports files in various formats

Insert toolbar:
Command line: import

The Import File dialog box (a standard file selection dialog box) is displayed.
In Files of Type, select the format type to import. In File Name, select the file
to import. AutoCAD imports the file into the AutoCAD drawing. The follow-
ing input types are available:

WMFWindows metafile (see WMFIN)

SATACIS solid object file (see ACISIN)
3DS3D Studio file (see 3DSIN)

For the WMF file type, choosing Options from the Tools menu in this dialog
box displays the WMF In Options dialog box (see page 1098). You can display
this dialog box directly by using WMFOPTS.
If FILEDIA = 0, AutoCAD displays the following prompt on the command line:
Enter import file name: Enter path and file name

INSERT
Places a drawing or named block into the current drawing

Insert toolbar:
Insert menu: Block
Command line: insert

The Insert dialog box is displayed.

If you enter -insert at the Command prompt, INSERT displays prompts on the
command line (see page 436).

Insert Dialog Box

Specifies the name and position of the block or drawing to insert.

434 | IMPORT
The last block you insert during the current editing session becomes the
default block for subsequent uses of INSERT. The position of the inserted block
depends on the orientation of the UCS.

Name
Specifies the name of a block to insert, or the name of a file to insert as a
block.
Browse Opens the Select Drawing File dialog box (a standard
file selection dialog box) where you can select a block
or drawing file to insert.
Path Specifies the path to the block.

Insertion Point
Specifies the insertion point for the block.
Specify Specifies the insertion point of the block using the
On-Screen pointing device.
X Sets the X coordinate value.
Y Sets the Y coordinate value.
Z Sets the Z coordinate value.

INSERT | 435
 Scale
Specifies the scale for the inserted block. Specifying negative values for the X,
Y, and Z scale factors inserts a mirror image of a block.
Specify Specifies the scale of the block using the pointing
On-Screen device.
X Sets the X scale factor.
Y Sets the Y scale factor.
Z Sets the Z scale factor.
Uniform Scale Specifies a single scale value for X, Y, and Z coordinates.
A value specified for X is also reflected in the Y and Z
values.

Rotation
Specifies the rotation angle for the inserted block in the current UCS.
Specify Specifies the rotation of the block using the pointing
On-Screen device.
Angle Sets a rotation angle for the inserted block.

Explode
Explodes the block and inserts the individual parts of the block. When
Explode is selected, you can specify a uniform scale factor only.
Component objects of a block drawn on layer 0 remain on that layer. Objects
having color BYBLOCK are white. Objects with linetype BYBLOCK have the
CONTINUOUS linetype.

INSERT Command Line

If you enter -insert at the Command prompt, INSERT displays prompts on the
command line.
Enter block name or [?] <last>: Enter a name, enter ?, enter ~, or press ENTER
Specify insertion point or [Scale/X/Y/Z/Rotate/PScale/PX/PY/PZ/PRotate]:
Specify a point or enter an option

Block Name
If you have inserted a block in the current drawing during the current editing
session, the name of the last block inserted appears as the current block in
the prompt.

436 | INSERT
Grouped objects in an inserted drawing are inserted as unnamed groups. You
can list unnamed groups by selecting Unnamed Groups in the Object Group-
ing dialog box (see page 394).
Entering a tilde (~) displays the Select Drawing File dialog box (a standard file
selection dialog box).
You can control block insertion behavior in response to the Enter Block
Name prompt by following the listed examples.

Inserting Exploded Blocks: Preceding the name of the block with an asterisk
(*) explodes the block and inserts the individual parts of it. The block def-
inition is not added to the drawing.
Updating a Block Path: If you enter a block name without a path name,
AutoCAD first searches the current drawing data for an existing block def-
inition by that name. If no such block definition exists in the current
drawing, AutoCAD searches the library path for a file of the same name. If
AutoCAD finds such a file, it uses the file name for the block name upon
insertion of the block definition. AutoCAD uses the same block definition
for subsequent insertions of that block. You can replace an existing block
definition with an external file by entering the following at the Enter
Block Name prompt:
block name=file name
Updating a Block Definition: If you make changes to a block file that is
inserted in your drawing and you want to change the existing block defi-
nition without creating a new block insertion, enter the following at the
Specify Insertion Point prompt (following the Enter Block Name prompt):
block name=
If you enter = after the block name, AutoCAD displays the following
prompt:
Block current already exists. Redefine it? [Yes/No] <No>: Enter y, enter n, or
press ENTER
If you choose to redefine the block, AutoCAD replaces the existing block
definition with the new block definition. AutoCAD regenerates the draw-
ing and the new definition is applied to all existing insertions of it. Press
ESC when AutoCAD prompts you for the insertion point if you do not
want AutoCAD to insert a new block into the drawing.

?List Block Names

Lists the blocks currently defined in the drawing.

INSERT | 437
 Insertion Point
Specifies a location for the block or drawing.
Enter X scale factor, specify opposite corner, or [Corner/XYZ] <1>: Enter a value,
enter an option, or press ENTER

X Scale Factor Sets X and Y scale factors.

Enter Y scale factor <use X scale factor>: Enter a value or
press ENTER to use the same scale factor
Specify rotation angle <0>:

All X and Y dimensions of the block or drawing are

multiplied by the X and Y scale factors. The block or
drawing is rotated by the specified angle, using the
insertion point as the center of rotation.
Corner Defines the X and Y scale factors at the same time, using
the insertion point and another point as the corners of
a box. The X and Y dimensions of the box become the
X and Y scale factors. The insertion point is the first
corner.
Specify opposite corner: Specify a point
Specify rotation angle <0>:

XYZ Sets X, Y, and Z scale factors.

Specify X scale factor or [Corner] <1>: Specify a nonzero
value, enter c, or press ENTER

X Scale Factor: Defines X, Y, and Z scale factors for the

block or drawing.
Specify Y scale factor or <use X scale factor>: Enter a
scale factor or press ENTER
Enter Z scale factor <use X scale factor>: Enter a scale
factor or press ENTER
Specify rotation angle <0>: Specify an angle or press
ENTER

438 | INSERT
 Corner: Defines the X and Y scales at the same time,
using the insertion point and another point as the
corners of a box, and then defines the Z scale.
Specify opposite corner: Specify a point
Enter Z scale factor <use X scale factor>: Enter a scale
factor or press ENTER
Specify rotation angle <0>: Specify an angle or press
ENTER

Scale
Sets the scale factor for the X, Y, and Z axes. The scale for the Z axis is the
absolute value of the specified scale factor.
Specify scale factor for XYZ axes: Enter a nonzero value
Specify insertion point:
Specify rotation angle <0>:

X
Sets the X scale factor.
Specify X scale factor: Enter a nonzero value
Specify insertion point:
Specify rotation angle <0>:

Y
Sets the Y scale factor.
Specify Y scale factor: Enter a nonzero value
Specify insertion point:
Specify rotation angle <0>:

Z
Sets the Z scale factor.
Specify Z scale factor: Enter a nonzero value
Specify insertion point:
Specify rotation angle <0>:

INSERT | 439
 Rotate
Sets the angle of insertion for the block.
Specify rotation angle <0>:
Specify insertion point:
Enter X scale factor, specify opposite corner, or [Corner/XYZ] <1>: Enter a value,
enter an option, or press ENTER

The descriptions of the X Scale Factor, Corner, and XYZ options under Rota-
tion match the descriptions of the corresponding options under Insertion
Point (see page 438).

PScale
Sets the scale factor for the X, Y, and Z axes to control the display of the block
as it is dragged into position.
Specify preview scale factor for XYZ axes: Enter a nonzero value
Specify insertion point:
Enter X scale factor, specify opposite corner, or [Corner/XYZ] <1>: Enter a value,
enter an option, or press ENTER

The descriptions of the X Scale Factor, Corner, and XYZ options under PScale
match the descriptions of the corresponding options under Insertion Point
(see page 438).

PX
Sets the scale factor for the X axis to control the display of the block as it is
dragged into position.
Specify preview X scale factor: Enter a nonzero value
Specify insertion point:
Enter X scale factor, specify opposite corner, or [Corner/XYZ] <1>: Enter a value,
enter an option, or press ENTER

The descriptions of the X Scale Factor, Corner, and XYZ options under PX
match the descriptions of the corresponding options under Insertion Point
(see page 438).

440 | INSERT
PY
Sets the scale factor for the Y axis to control the display of the block as it is
dragged into position.
Specify preview Y scale factor: Enter a nonzero value
Specify insertion point:
Enter X scale factor, specify opposite corner, or [Corner/XYZ] <1>: Enter a value,
enter an option, or press ENTER

The descriptions of the X Scale Factor, Corner, and XYZ options under PY
match the descriptions of the corresponding options under Insertion Point
(see page 438).

PZ
Sets the scale factor for the Z axis to control the display of the block as it is
dragged into position.
Specify preview Z scale factor: Enter a nonzero value
Specify insertion point:
Enter X scale factor, specify opposite corner, or [Corner/XYZ] <1>: Enter a value,
enter an option, or press ENTER

The descriptions of the X Scale Factor, Corner, and XYZ options under PZ
match the descriptions of the corresponding options under Insertion Point
(see page 438).

PRotate
Sets the rotation angle of the block as it is dragged into position.
Specify preview rotation angle:
Specify insertion point:
Enter X scale factor, specify opposite corner, or [Corner/XYZ] <1>: Enter a value,
enter an option, or press ENTER

The descriptions of the X Scale Factor, Corner, and XYZ options under PRo-
tate match the descriptions of the corresponding options under Insertion
Point (see page 438).

INSERT | 441
INSERTOBJ
Inserts a linked or embedded object
When you insert an object into an AutoCAD drawing from an application
that supports OLE, the object can maintain a connection with its source file.
See Link and Embed Data (OLE) in the Users Guide.
A linked object remains associated with its source file. When you edit a
linked object in AutoCAD, the source file changes. When you edit the object
in the source file, the linked object in AutoCAD changes.
An embedded object is not associated with its source file. You edit the embed-
ded data in the AutoCAD drawing using the source application; the source
file does not change.
Linked or embedded objects are displayed in AutoCAD and can be printed or
plotted using Windows system drivers.

Insert toolbar:
Insert menu: OLE Object
Command line: insertobj

The Insert Object dialog box is displayed.

Insert Object Dialog Box

Inserts a linked or embedded object. Options vary, depending on whether
you select Create New or Create from File.

Create New
Opens the application that's highlighted in the Object Type list so that you
can create a new object to insert.

442 | INSERTOBJ
Object Type Lists available applications that support linking and
embedding. To create an object to embed, double-click
an application to open it.
On the applications File menu, the Save option is
replaced with a new Update option. Choosing Update
inserts the object into the drawing or updates it.
Display as Icon Displays the source applications icon in the drawing.
Double-clicking the icon displays the embedded
information.

Create from File

Specifies a file to link or embed.

File Specifies the path and name of the file to be embedded

or linked.
Browse Displays the Browse dialog box (a standard file selection
dialog box), in which you select a file to link or embed.

INSERTOBJ | 443
 Link Creates a link to the selected file rather than embedding
it.
Display as Icon Displays the source applications icon in the AutoCAD
drawing. Double-clicking the icon displays the linked
or embedded information.

INTERFERE
Creates a composite 3D solid from the common volume of two or more solids

Solids toolbar:
Draw menu: Solids Interference
Command line: interfere

Select the first set of solids: Use an object selection method

first solid selected INTERFERE highlights 3D solids that overlap. If you define a single selection
set, AutoCAD checks all the solids in the set against one another. If you
define two selection sets, AutoCAD checks the solids in the first selection set
against those in the second selection set. If you include the same 3D solid in
both selection sets, AutoCAD considers the 3D solid part of the first selection
set and ignores it in the second selection set.
Select the second set of solids: Use an object selection method or press ENTER

Pressing ENTER begins the interference testing of pairs of 3D solids. AutoCAD

highlights all interfering 3D solids and displays the number of interfering 3D
solids and interfering pairs.
Create interference solids? [Yes/No] <N>: Enter y or n, or press ENTER
second solid selected
Entering y creates and highlights new 3D solids on the current layer that are
the intersections of the interfering pairs of 3D solids.
If there are more than two interfering 3D solids, it may not be clear which
pairs are interfering if all the interfering 3D solids are highlighted at once.
Highlight pairs of interfering solids? [Yes/No] <N>: Enter y or n, or press ENTER

If there is more than one interfering pair, AutoCAD displays the following
prompt:
interference solid
created Enter an option [Next pair/eXit] <Next>: Enter x or n, or press ENTER

Entering n or pressing ENTER cycles through the interfering pairs of 3D sol-

ids. Entering x ends the command.

444 | INTERFERE
INTERSECT
Creates composite solids or regions from the intersection of two or more solids or regions
and removes the areas outside of the intersection

Solids Editing toolbar:

Modify menu: Solids Editing Intersect
Command line: intersect

Select objects: Use an object selection method

You can select only regions and solids for use with INTERSECT.
INTERSECT calculates the overlapping area of two or more existing regions
and the common volume of two or more existing solids.

solids before INTERSECT solid after INTERSECT

The selection set can contain regions and solids that lie in any number of
arbitrary planes. AutoCAD divides the selection set into subsets and tests for
intersections within each subset. The first subset contains all the solids in the
selection set. The second subset contains the first selected region and all sub-
sequent coplanar regions. The third subset contains the next region that is
not coplanar with the first region and all subsequent coplanar regions, and
so on until all regions belong to a subset.

regions before INTERSECT region after INTERSECT

INTERSECT | 445
ISOPLANE
Specifies the current isometric plane
Command line: isoplane (or 'isoplane for transparent use)

Enter isometric plane setting [Left/Top/Right] <Top>: Enter an option or press

ENTER

The isometric plane affects the cursor movement keys only when Snap mode
is on and the snap style is Isometric. If the snap style is Isometric, Ortho
mode uses the appropriate axis pair even if Snap mode is off. The current iso-
metric plane also determines the orientation of isometric circles drawn by
ELLIPSE. You can cycle through the isometric planes by pressing CTRL + E or
F5 .

Left Selects the left-hand plane, defined by the 90-degree

and 150-degree axis pair.
Top Selects the top face of the cube, called the top plane,
defined by the 30-degree and 150-degree axis pair.
Right Selects the right-hand plane, defined by the 90-degree
and 30-degree axis pair.

446 | ISOPLANE
JPGOUT
Saves selected objects to a file in JPEG file format
Command line: jpgout

The Create Raster File dialog box (a standard file selection dialog box) is dis-
played. Enter the file name in the dialog box.
Select objects or <all objects and viewports>: Press ENTER to select all objects
and viewports or use an object selection method and press ENTER

AutoCAD creates a JPEG file that contains the objects you select. Shade Plot
options are preserved in the file when you use this command.

Note When the FILEDIA system variable is set to 0 (Off), prompts are displayed
on the command line.

JUSTIFYTEXT
Changes the justification point of selected text objects without changing their locations

Text toolbar:
Modify menu: Justify Text
Modify menu: Object Text Justify
Command line: justifytext

Select objects: Use an object selection method and press ENTER when you finish

You can choose single line text objects, multiline text objects, leader text
objects, and attribute objects.
Enter a justification option [Existing/Align/Fit/Center/Middle/Right/TL/TC/TR/
ML/MC/MR/BL/BC/BR]<Existing>: Specify a location to serve as the new
justification point

The justification point options shown above are described in the TEXT com-
mand. The justification point options for single line text are similar to those
for multiline text except that the Align, Fit, and Left text options are equiva-
lent to the bottom left (BL) multiline text attachment point.

JPGOUT | 447
448
 LAYER
Manages layers and layer properties

Layers toolbar:
Format menu: Layer
Command line: layer (or 'layer for transparent use)

The Layer Properties Manager is displayed.

annotations If you enter -layer at the Command prompt, LAYER displays prompts on the
command line (see page 463).
dimensions
Layer Properties Manager
objects
Displays a list of the layers in the drawing and their properties. You can add,
delete, and rename layers, change their properties, or add descriptions. Layer
sample layers filters control which layers are displayed in the list and can also be used to
make changes to more than one layer at a time.

New Property Displays the Layer Filter Properties dialog box (see page
Filter 457), where you can create a layer filter based on one or
more properties of the layers.

LAYER | 449
 New Group Filter Creates a layer filter that contains layers that you select
and add to the filter.
Layer States Displays the Layer States Manager (see page 460), in
Manager which you can save the current property settings for
layers in a named layer state and then restore those
settings later.
New Layer Creates a new layer. The list displays a layer named
LAYER1. The name is selected so that you can enter a
new layer name immediately. The new layer inherits
the properties of the currently selected layer in the layer
list (color, on or off state, and so on).
Delete Layer Marks selected layers for deletion. Layers are deleted
when you click Apply or OK. You can delete only
unreferenced layers. Referenced layers include layers 0
and DEFPOINTS, layers containing objects (including
objects in block definitions), the current layer, and xref-
dependent layers.
Layers in a partially opened drawing are also considered
referenced and cannot be deleted.
Note Be careful about deleting layers if you are working
on a drawing in a shared project or one based on a set of
layering standards.
Set Current Sets the selected layer as the current layer. Objects that
you create are drawn on the current layer. (CLAYER
system variable)
Current Layer Displays the name of the current layer.
Search for Layer Filters the layer list by name quickly as you enter
characters. This filter is not saved when you close the
Layer Properties Manager.
Status Line Shows the name of the current filter, the number of
layers displayed in the list view, and the number of
layers in the drawing.
Invert Filter Displays all layers that do not meet the criteria in the
selected layer property filter.

450 | LAYER
Apply to Layers Controls the display of layers in the list of layers on the
Toolbar Layers toolbar by applying the current layer filter.
Apply Applies changes that have been made to layers and
filters but does not close the dialog box.
The Layer Properties Manager has two panes:

Tree view
List view

Tree View
Displays a hierarchical list of layers and filters in the drawing. The top node,
All, displays all layers in the drawing. Filters are displayed in alphabetical
order. The All Used Layers filter is read-only.
Expand a node to see nested filters. Double-click a property filter to open the
Layer Filter Properties dialog box (see page 457) and view the definition of
the filter.
If there are xrefs attached to the drawing, an XREF node displays the names
of all the xrefs in the drawing and the layers in each xref. Layer filters defined
in xref files are not displayed.
Tree View Shortcut Menu
Provides commands for items selected in the tree view.
Visibility Changes the visibility state of all the layers in the
selected filter (or All or All Used Layers, if selected).

On: Objects on the layer are displayed, plotted, and

regenerated and hide other objects when you use
HIDE.
Off: Objects on the layer are not displayed and not
plotted but do hide other objects when you use
HIDE. The drawing is not regenerated when you turn
the layer on.
Thawed: Objects on the layer are displayed and
plotted and hide other objects when you use HIDE.
Frozen: Objects on the layer are not displayed and
not plotted but do hide other objects when you use
HIDE. The drawing is regenerated when you thaw
the layer.

LAYER | 451
 Lock Controls whether the objects on the layers in the
selected filter can be modified.

Lock: None of the objects on the layer can be

modified. You can still apply object snaps to objects
on a locked layer and perform other operations that
do not modify those objects.
Unlock: Objects on the layer can be modified.

Viewport In the current layout viewport, controls the VP Freeze

setting of the layers in the selected layer filter. This
option is not available for model space viewports.

Freeze: Sets Current VP Freeze for layers in the filter.

In the current viewport, objects on the layer are not
displayed and not plotted but do hide other objects
when you use HIDE. The drawing is regenerated
when you thaw the layer.
Thaw: Clears Current VP Freeze for layers in the
filter. In the current viewport, objects on the layer
are displayed and plotted and hide other objects
when you use HIDE. This option does not thaw
layers that are set to Off or Frozen in the drawing.

Isolate Group Turns off all layers not in the selected filter. The layers
that are visible are the layers in the filter.

All Viewports: In all viewports in a layout, sets

Current VP Freeze for all layers that are not in the
selected filter. In model space, turns off all layers
that are not in the selected filter.
Active Viewport Only: In the current layout viewport,
sets Current VP Freeze for all layers that are not in
the selected filter. In model space, turns off all layers
that are not in the selected filter.

New Properties Displays the Layer Filter Properties dialog box (see page
Filter 457), where you can create a new layer filter based on
layer names and settings; for example, on or off, color,
or linetype.

452 | LAYER
New Group Filter Creates a new layer group filter named GROUP FILTER1
and adds it to the tree view. Enter a new name. Select
the All filter or any other layer filter in the tree view to
display layers in the list view, and then drag layers from
the list view into the new layer group filter in the tree
view.
You can use standard selection methods. Hold down
CTRL to select more than one layer name. Hold down
SHIFT and select the first and last layer names in a
sequence to select all layers in the sequence.
Convert to Group Converts the selected layer property filter to a layer
Filter group filter. Changing the properties of the layers in a
layer group filter has no effect on the filter.
Rename Renames the selected filter. Enter a new name.
Delete Deletes the selected layer filter. You cannot delete the
All, All Used Layers, or Xref filters. This option deletes
the layer filter but not the layers in the filter.
Properties Displays the Layer Filter Properties dialog box, where
you can modify the definition of the selected layer
property filter. This option is available only when a
layer property filter is selected.
Select Layers Temporarily closes the Layer Filter Properties dialog box
so that you can select objects in the drawing. This
option is available only when a layer group filter is
selected.

Add: Adds the layers of the selected objects to the

layer group filter that is selected in the tree view.
Replace: Replaces the layers of the selected layer
group filter with the layers of the objects that are
selected in the drawing.

List View
Displays layers and layer filters and their properties and descriptions. If a
layer filter is selected in the tree view, the list view displays only the layers in
that layer filter.
The All filter in the tree view displays all layers and layer filters in the draw-
ing. When a layer property filter is selected and there are no layers that fit its
definition, the list view is empty. You can use standard keyboard selection
methods.

LAYER | 453
 To modify a property of a selected layer or of all layers in a selected filter, click
the icon for that property. When a mixed icon or Varies is displayed for a
layer filter, the property is not the same for all layers in the filter.
Status Indicates the type of item: layer filter, layer in use,
empty layer, or current layer.
Name Displays the name of the layer or filter. Press F2 to enter
a new name.
On Turns the selected layers on and off. When a layer is on,
it is visible and available for plotting. When a layer is
off, it is invisible and not plotted, even if Plot is on.
Freeze Freezes the selected layers in all viewports. You can
freeze layers to speed up ZOOM, PAN, and many other
operations; improve object selection performance; and
reduce regeneration time for complex drawings.
AutoCAD does not display, plot, hide, render, or
regenerate objects on frozen layers.
Freeze the layers you want to be invisible for long
periods. If you plan to switch visibility settings
frequently, use the On/Off setting to avoid regenerating
the drawing. You can freeze a layer in all viewports, in
the current layout viewport, or in new layout viewports
as they are created.
Lock Locks and unlocks the selected layers. Objects on a
locked layer cannot be modified.
Color Changes the color associated with the selected layers.
Clicking the color name displays the Select Color dialog
box (see page 172).
Linetype Changes the linetype associated with the selected
layers. Clicking the linetype name displays the Select
Linetype dialog box (see page 462).
Lineweight Changes the lineweight associated with the selected
layers. Clicking the lineweight name displays the
Lineweight dialog box (see page 462).

454 | LAYER
Plot Style Changes the plot style associated with the selected
layers. If you are working with color-dependent plot
styles (the PSTYLEPOLICY system variable is set to 1), you
cannot change the plot style associated with a layer.
Clicking the plot style displays the Select Plot Style
dialog box (see page 736).
Plot Controls whether the selected layers are plotted. If you
turn off plotting for a layer, the objects on that layer are
still displayed. Layers that are off or frozen are not
plotted, regardless of the Plot setting.
Current VP Freeze Freezes selected layers in the current layout viewport.
(available only You can freeze or thaw layers in the current viewport
from a layout tab) without affecting layer visibility in other viewports.
Current VP Freeze is an override to the Thaw setting in
the drawing. That is, you can freeze a layer in the
current viewport if its thawed in the drawing, but you
cant thaw a layer in the current viewport if its frozen
or off in the drawing. A layer is not visible when it is set
to Off or Frozen in the drawing.
New VP Freeze Freezes selected layers in new layout viewports. For
(available only example, freezing the DIMENSIONS layer in all new
from a layout tab) viewports restricts the display of dimensions on that
layer in any newly created layout viewports but does
not affect the DIMENSIONS layer in existing viewports.
If you later create a viewport that requires dimensions,
you can override the default setting by changing the
current viewport setting.
Description (Optional) Describes the layer or the layer filter.
List View Shortcut Menu
Provides options for modifying the list and modifying selected layers and
layer filters.
Maximize Changes the width of the column to maximize display
Column of the column content. This option is available on the
shortcut menu that is displayed when you right-click a
column heading.
Maximize All Changes the width of all columns to maximize display
Columns of the column content. This option is available on the
shortcut menu that is displayed when you right-click a
column heading.

LAYER | 455
 Show Filter Tree Displays the tree view. Clear this option to hide the tree
view.
Show Filters in Displays filters at the top of the list view. The filters are
Layer List listed in alphabetical order. Clear the check mark to
display only layers in the list view.
Set Current Sets the selected layer as the current layer. (CLAYER
system variable)
New Layer Creates a new layer. The list displays a layer named
LAYER1. You can edit this layer name immediately. The
new layer inherits the properties of the currently
selected layer in the layer list (color, on or off state, and
so on).
Delete Layer Deletes selected layers from the drawing file definition.
You can delete only unreferenced layers. Referenced
layers include layers 0 and DEFPOINTS, layers
containing objects (including objects in block
definitions), the current layer, and xref-dependent
layers.
Note Be careful about deleting layers if you are working
on a drawing in a shared project or one based on a set of
layering standards.
Change Adds a description or changes the text in the
Description description for the selected layer or filter. The
description for a filter is added to the filter and to all
layers in the filter.
Remove from Removes the selected layers from the group layer filter
Group Filter that is selected in the tree view.
Select All Selects everything displayed in the list view.
Clear All Removes all selection in the list view except the most
recently selected layer or filter.
Select All but Selects everything displayed in the list view except the
Current current layer.
Invert Selection Selects everything displayed in the list view except the
items that are currently selected.
Invert Layer Filter Displays all layers that do not meet the criteria in the
selected layer property filter.

456 | LAYER
Layer Filters Displays a list of layer filters, including All and All Used
Layers. Click a filter to apply it to the list view.
Save Layer States Displays the New Layer State to Save dialog box (see
page 462), in which you save the layer state and layer
property settings of all layers in a drawing.
Restore Layer Displays the Layer States Manager (see page 460), in
State which you can select a named layer state to restore
settings of all layers in the drawing. Restores only those
layer state and property settings that were selected
when the named layer state was saved.

Layer Filter Properties Dialog Box

Filters layers based on criteria you select. When a layer filter is selected in the
tree view of the Layer Properties Manager, layers that match the filter criteria
are displayed in the list view.

Filter Name
Provides a space to enter a name for the layer properties filter.

Show Example
Displays the examples of layer property filter definitions in Layer Filter
Examples (see page 458).

Filter Definition
Displays the properties of layers. You can use one or more properties to define
the filter. For example, you can define a filter that displays all layers that are
either red or blue and in use. To include more than one color, linetype, or
lineweight, duplicate the filter on the next line and select a different setting.
Status Click the In Use icon or the Not In Use icon.
Name Use wild-card characters to filter layer names. For
example, enter *mech* to include all layers with the
letters mech in the name.
All the wild-card characters are listed in the table in
Filter and Sort the List of Layers in the Users Guide.
On Click the On or the Off icon.
Freeze Click the Freeze or the Thaw icon.
Lock Click the Lock or the Unlock icon.

LAYER | 457
 Color Click the [...] button to display the Select Color dialog
box (see page 172).
Linetype Click the [...] button to display the Select Linetype
dialog box (see page 462).
Lineweight Click the [...] button to display the Lineweight dialog
box (see page 462).
Plot Style Click the [...] button to display the Select Plot Style
dialog box (see page 736).
Plot Click the Plot icon or the Do Not Plot icon.

Filter Preview
Displays the results of the filter as you define it. The filter preview shows
which layers will be displayed in the layer list in the Layer Properties
Manager when you select this filter.

Layer Filter Examples

Each example shows a layer filter definition that is set up in the Layer Filter
Properties dialog box.
Example 1
The filter named In-use Wall layers displays layers that meet all of the fol-
lowing criteria:

Are in use
Have a name that contains the letters wall
Are on

458 | LAYER
Example 2
The filter named Red Yellow White displays layers that meet all of the fol-
lowing criteria:

Are on
Are thawed
Are red or yellow or white

LAYER | 459
 Layer States Manager
Saves, restores, and manages named layer states.

460 | LAYER
Layer States Lists the named layer states that have been saved in the
drawing, the space in which they were saved, and an
optional description.
New Displays the New Layer State to Save dialog box, where
you can provide a name and a description for the new
named layer state.
Delete Removes the selected named layer state.
Import Displays a standard file selection dialog box, where you
can load a previously exported layer state (LAS) file into
the current drawing. Additional layers may be created
as a result of importing a layer state file.
Export Displays a standard file selection dialog box, where you
can save the selected named layer state to a layer state
(LAS) file.
Layer Settings to Specifies the layer state settings and layer properties
Restore that are to be restored when the selected named layer
state is restored. When you save a named layer state on
the Model tab, the Current VP Frozen/Thawed and New
VP Frozen/Thawed check boxes are not available.
Select All Selects all the settings.
Clear All Removes selection from all the settings.
Turn Off Layers When you restore a named layer state, turns off new
Not Found in layers for which settings were not saved so that the
Layer State drawing looks the same way it did when the named
layer state was saved.
Restore Restores state and property settings of all layers in a
drawing to previously saved settings. Restores only
those layer state and property settings that were
selected when the named layer state was saved.
Close Closes the Layer States Manager and saves changes.

LAYER | 461
 New Layer State to Save Dialog Box
Specifies a name and a description for the layer state defined in the Layer
States Manager.
New Layer State Specifies a name for the new layer state to be saved.
Name
Description (Optional) Provides a description of the layer state that
is displayed in the Layer States Manager.

Select Linetype Dialog Box

Displays linetypes available in the current drawing.

Loaded Linetypes Displays the list of linetypes loaded in the current

drawing.
Load Displays the Load or Reload Linetypes dialog box (see
page 501), in which you can load selected linetypes into
the drawing and add them to the list of linetypes.

Lineweight Dialog Box

Displays fixed lineweight values available in AutoCAD. You can customize
your lineweights to plot at other values by using the Plot Style Table Editor.
See Control Plotted Lineweight and Linetype in the Users Guide.

462 | LAYER
Lineweights Displays the available lineweights that can be applied
to a layer. Available lineweights consist of fixed values
that are most commonly used in drawings. Select a
lineweight to apply it.
Original Displays the previous lineweight assigned to the layer.
The default lineweight assigned when a layer is created
is DEFAULT (which plots to a default value of 0.01 inches
or 0.25 mm). The value of DEFAULT is controlled by the
LWDEFAULT system variable.

New Displays the new lineweight assigned to the layer.

LAYER Command Line

If you enter -layer at the Command prompt, LAYER displays prompts on the
command line.
Current layer: <"current">
Enter an option [?/Make/Set/New/ON/OFF/Color/Ltype/LWeight/Plot/PStyle/
Freeze/Thaw/LOck/Unlock/stAte]:

Note The Pstyle option is available only when you are using named plot styles.

LAYER | 463
 ?List Layers
Displays a list of the currently defined layers, showing their names, states,
color numbers, linetypes, lineweights, and whether they are externally
dependent layers.
Enter layer name(s) to list <*>: Enter a name list, or press ENTER to list all layers

Make
Creates a layer and makes it current. New objects are drawn on the current
layer.
Enter name for new layer (becomes the current layer) <current>: Enter a name
or press ENTER

If no layer exists for the name you enter, AutoCAD creates a new layer with
that name. The new layer is on and assumes the following properties by
default: color number 7, the CONTINUOUS linetype, and a lineweight of
DEFAULT.

If the layer exists but is turned off, AutoCAD turns it on.

Set
Specifies a new current layer but does not create the layer if it does not
already exist. If the layer exists but is turned off, AutoCAD turns it on and
makes it current. A frozen layer cannot be made current.
Enter a layer name to make current or <select object>: Enter a name or press
ENTER and select an object

New
Creates layers. You can create two or more layers by entering names separated
by commas.
Enter name list for new layer(s):

On
Makes selected layers visible and available for plotting.
Enter name list of layer(s) to turn On:

Off
Makes selected layers invisible and excludes them from plotting.
Enter name list of layer(s) to turn Off or <select objects>: Enter a name list or
press ENTER and select objects

464 | LAYER
Color
Changes the color associated with a layer.
Enter color name or number (1-255)[Truecolor/COlorbook]: Enter a color name
or a number from 1 through 255, enter t, or enter co

True Color Specifies a true color to be used for the selected object.
Red, Green, Blue: Enter three integer values from 0 to 255
separated by commas to specify a true color

Color Book Specifies a color from a loaded color book to used for
the selected object.
Enter Color Book name: Enter the name of a color book that
has been installed, such as PANTONE

If you enter a color book name, AutoCAD prompts you

to enter the color name in the color book.
Enter color name: Enter the name of a color included in the
selected color book, such as PANTONE 573

Enter name list of layer(s) for color current <current>: Enter a name or a list of
names separated by commas, or press ENTER

The color is assigned to the layer or layers, and the layers are turned on. To
assign a color but turn off the layer, precede the color with a minus sign ().

Ltype
Changes the linetype associated with a layer.
Enter a loaded linetype name or [?] <CONTINUOUS>: Enter a currently loaded
linetype name, enter ?, or press ENTER

If you enter a linetype or press ENTER , the following prompt is displayed:

Enter name list of layer(s) for linetype "current" <current>: Enter a wild-card
pattern, a name, or a list of names separated by commas, or press ENTER

If you enter ? at the Enter a Loaded Linetype Name prompt, the following
prompt is displayed:
Enter linetype name(s) to list <*>: Enter a wild-card pattern, or press ENTER to
list all names in the drawing

LAYER | 465
 Lweight
Changes the lineweight associated with a layer.
Enter lineweight (0.0mm - 2.11mm):

If you enter a valid lineweight, the current lineweight is set to the new value.
If you enter a lineweight that is not valid, the current lineweight is set to the
nearest fixed lineweight value. If you would like to plot an object with a cus-
tom width not found in the list of fixed lineweight values, you can use the
Plot Style Table Editor to customize plotted lineweights.
Enter name list of layers(s) for lineweight current <current>: Enter a name list or
press ENTER

The lineweight is assigned to the layer or layers.

Plot
Controls whether visible layers are plotted. If a layer is set to plot but is cur-
rently frozen or turned off, the layer is not plotted.
Enter a plotting preference [Plot/No plot] <Plot>: Enter an option or press
ENTER
Enter layer name(s) for this plot preference <current>: Enter a name list or press
ENTER

The plot setting is assigned to the layer or layers.

Pstyle
Sets the plot style assigned to a layer. This option is not available if you are
using color-dependent plot styles in the current drawing (the PSTYLEPOLICY
system variable is set to 1). See Use Plot Styles to Control Plotted Objects
in the Users Guide.
Enter plot style or [?] <Normal>: Enter a name, enter ? to list existing plot styles,
or press ENTER

If you select a plot style other than NORMAL, the following prompt is dis-
played:
Enter name list of layer(s) for plot style current <current>: Enter the names of the
layers to use this plot style, or press ENTER to apply the style to the current layer only

466 | LAYER
Freeze
Freezes layers, making them invisible and excluding them from regeneration
and plotting.
Enter name list of layer(s) to freeze or <select objects>: Enter a name list or press
ENTER and select objects

Thaw
Thaws frozen layers, making them visible and available for regeneration and
plotting.
Enter a name list of layer(s) to thaw:

Lock
Locks layers, preventing editing of objects on those layers.
Enter a name list of layer(s) to lock or <select objects>: Enter a name list or press
ENTER and select objects

Unlock
Unlocks selected locked layers, permitting editing of objects on those layers.
Enter a name list of layer(s) to unlock or <select objects>: Enter a name list or
press ENTER and select objects

State
Saves and restores the state and property settings of the layers in a drawing.
Enter an option [?/Save/Restore/Edit/Name/Delete/Import/EXport]:

?List Named Lists the named layer state (LAS) files in the support
Layer States path for the drawing.
Save Saves the state and properties settings of the layers in a
drawing under a specified layer state name. When
saving a layer state, you specify which layer settings are
affected when the layer state is later restored.
Enter new layer state name: Enter a name and press
ENTER
Enter states to change
[On/Frozen/Lock/Plot/Newvpfreeze/Color/lineType/line-
Weight/plotStyle]: Enter the settings that you want to save
and then press ENTER

LAYER | 467
 Restore Restores the state and property settings of all layers to
previously saved settings. Restores only those layer state
and property settings that were selected when the layer
state was saved.
Enter name of layer state to restore or [?]: Enter the layer
state name or enter ? to see a list of saved layer state names

Edit Changes the saved layer settings for a specified layer

state. When the layer state is restored, the specified
settings are used.
Enter name of layer state to edit or [?]: Enter the layer
state name or enter ? to see a list of saved layer state names
Enter states to change
[On/Frozen/Lock/Plot/Newvpfreeze/Color/lineType/line-
Weight/plotStyle]: Enter the settings that you want to
change and then press ENTER

Name Changes the name of a saved layer state.

Enter name of layer state to rename or [?]: Enter the layer
state name or enter ? to see a list of saved layer state names
Enter new layer state name:

Delete Removes a saved layer state.

Enter name of layer state to delete or [?]: Enter the layer
state name or enter ? to see a list of saved layer state names

Import Loads a previously exported layer state (LAS) file into

the current drawing. Additional layers may be created
as a result of importing a layer state file.
Enter file name to import <current>:

Export Saves a selected named layer state to a layer state (LAS)

file.
Enter name of layer state to export or [?]: Enter the layer
state name or enter ? to see a list of saved layer state names
Export state to file name:

468 | LAYER
LAYERP
Undoes the last change or set of changes made to layer settings

Layers toolbar:
Command line: layerp

Undoes changes you have made to layer settings such as color or linetype. If
settings are restored, AutoCAD displays the message Restored previous layer
states.
LAYERP (Layer Previous) does not undo the following changes:

Renamed layers: If you rename a layer and change its properties, Layer Pre-
vious restores the original properties but not the original name.
Deleted layers: If you delete or purge a layer, using Layer Previous does not
restore it.
Added layers: If you add a new layer to a drawing, using Layer Previous does
not remove it.

LAYERPMODE
Turns the tracking of changes made to layer settings on and off
Command line: layerpmode

Enter LAYERP mode <ON>: Enter on or off, or press ENTER

When Layer Previous mode is on, changes made to layers are tracked. When
Layer Previous mode is off, changes made to layers are no longer tracked.

LAYOUT
Creates and modifies drawing layout tabs
A layout is used to compose or lay out your drawing for plotting. A layout
may consist of a title block, one or more viewports, and annotations.

LAYERP | 469
 Note Many of these options are available by right-clicking a layout tab name.

Layouts toolbar:
Insert Menu: Layout
Command line: layout

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

Copy Copies a layout. If you do not provide a name, the new

layout assumes the name of the copied layout with an
incremental number in parentheses. The new tab is
inserted before the copied layout tab.
Enter name of layout to copy <current>:
Enter layout name for copy <default>:

Delete Deletes a layout. The most current layout is the default.

Enter name of layout to delete <current>:

The Model tab cannot be deleted. To remove all the

geometry from the Model tab, you must select all
geometry and use the ERASE command.
New Creates a new layout tab. Up to 255 layouts can be
created in a single drawing.
Enter name of new layout <Layout#>:

Layout names must be unique. Layout names can be up

to 255 characters long and are not case sensitive. Only
the first 31 characters are displayed on the tab.
Template Creates a new layout tab based on an existing layout in
a template (DWT), drawing (DWG), or drawing
interchange (DXF) file. If the FILEDIA system variable is
set to 1, a standard file selection dialog box is displayed
for selecting a DWT, DWG, or DXF file. After you select
a file, AutoCAD displays the Insert Layouts dialog box,
which displays the layouts saved in the selected file.
After you select a layout, the layout and all objects from
the specified template or drawing file are inserted into
the current drawing.

470 | LAYOUT
 Rename Renames a layout. The last current layout is used as the
default for the layout to rename.
Enter layout to rename <current>:
Enter new layout name <current>:

Layout names must be unique. Layout names can be up

to 255 characters long and are not case sensitive. Only
the first 31 characters are displayed on the tab.
Saveas Saves a layout as a drawing template (DWT) file without
saving any unreferenced symbol table and block
definition information. You can then use the template
to create new layouts in your drawings without having
to eliminate unnecessary information. See Reuse
Layouts and Layout Settings in the Users Guide.
Enter layout to save to template <current>:

The last current layout is used as the default for the

layout to save as a template. If the FILEDIA system
variable is set to 1, a standard file selection dialog box
is displayed in which you can specify the template file
in which to save the layout. The default layout template
directory is specified in the Options dialog box (see
page 624).
Set Makes a layout current.
Enter layout to make current <last>:

?List Layouts Lists all the layouts defined in the drawing.

LAYOUTWIZARD
Creates a new layout tab and specifies page and plot settings
Insert menu: Layout Layout Wizard
Tools menu: Wizards Create Layout
Command line: layoutwizard

The Layout wizard is displayed.

LAYOUTWIZARD | 471
 Layout Wizard
The Layout wizard contains a series of pages that step you through the pro-
cess of creating a new layout. You can choose to create a new layout from
scratch or use an existing layout template on which to base your new layout.
Depending on which plotting device is currently configured, you can select
a paper size from those available. You can select a predefined title block to
apply to your new layout. The Preview area displays a preview image of the
title block you select.
When youve finished using the wizard to specify your layout settings, you
can modify any of the settings using the PAGESETUP command from within
the new layout.

LAYTRANS
Changes a drawing's layers to layer standards you specify

CAD Standards toolbar:

Tools menu: CAD Standards Layer Translator
Command line: laytrans

The Layer Translator is displayed.

Layer Translator
In the Layer Translator, you specify the layers in the current drawing that you
want to translate, and the layers to translate them to.

Translate From
Specifies the layers to be translated in the current drawing. You can specify
layers by selecting layers in the Translate From list or by supplying a selection
filter.

472 | LAYTRANS
The color of the icon preceding the layer name indicates whether or not the
layer is referenced in the drawing. A dark icon indicates that the layer is ref-
erenced; a white icon indicates the layer is unreferenced. Unreferenced layers
can be deleted from the drawing by right-clicking in the Translate From list
and choosing Purge Layers.
Selection Filter Specifies layers to be selected in the Translate From list,
using a naming pattern that can include wild-cards. For
a list of valid wild-cards, see the table in Filter and Sort
the List of Layers in the Users Guide. The layers
identified by the selection filter are selected in addition
to any layers previously selected.
Select Selects the layers specified in Selection Filter.

Map
Maps the layers selected in Translate From to the layer selected in Translate
To.

Map Same
Maps all layers that have the same name in both lists.

Translate To
Lists the layers you can translate the current drawings layers to.
Load Loads layers in the Translate To list using a drawing,
drawing template, or standards file that you specify. If
the specified file contains saved layer mappings, those
mappings are applied to the layers in the Translate
From list and are displayed in Layer Translation
Mappings.
You can load layers from more than one file. If you load
a file that contains layers of the same name as layers
already loaded, the original layers are retained and the
duplicate layers are ignored. Similarly, if you load a file
containing mappings that duplicate mappings already
loaded, the original mappings are retained and the
duplicates are ignored.
New Defines a new layer to be shown in the Translate To list
for translation. If you select a Translate To layer before
choosing New, the selected layers properties are used as
defaults for the new layer. You cannot create a new layer
with the same name as an existing layer.

LAYTRANS | 473
 Layer Translation Mappings
Lists each layer to be translated and the properties to which the layer will be
converted. You can select layers in this list and edit their properties using
Edit.
Edit Opens the Edit Layer dialog box, where you can edit the
selected translation mapping. You can change the
layers linetype, color, and lineweight. If all drawings
involved in translation use plot styles, you can also
change the plot style for the mapping.
Remove Removes the selected translation mapping from the
Layer Translation Mappings list.
Save Saves the current layer translation mappings to a file for
later use.
Layer mappings are saved in the DWG or DWS file
format. You can replace an existing file or create a new
file. The Layer Translator creates the referenced layers in
the file and stores the layer mappings in each layer. All
linetypes used by those layers are also copied into the
file.

Settings
Opens the Settings dialog box, where you can customize the process of layer
translation.

Translate
Starts layer translation of the layers you have mapped.
If you have not saved the current layer translation mappings, you are
prompted to save the mappings before translation begins.

Settings Dialog Box

Controls the process of layer translation.
Force Object Specifies whether or not every object translated takes
Color to BYLAYER on the color assigned to its layer. If this option is
selected, every object takes on the color of its layer. If
this option is cleared, every object retains its original
color.

474 | LAYTRANS
Force Object Specifies whether or not every object translated takes
Linetype to on the linetype assigned to its layer. If this option is
BYLAYER selected, every object takes on the linetype of its layer.
If this option is cleared, every object retains its original
linetype.
Translate Objects Specifies whether or not objects nested within blocks
in Blocks are translated. If this option is selected, nested objects
in blocks are translated. If this option is cleared, nested
objects in blocks are not translated.
Write Transaction Specifies whether or not a log file detailing the results
Log of translation is created. If this option is selected, a log
file is created in the same folder as the translated
drawing. The log file is assigned the same name as the
translated drawing, with a .log file name extension. If
the Write Transaction Log option is cleared, no log file
is created.
Show Layer Specifies which layers to display in the drawing area. If
Contents When this option is selected, only the layers selected in the
Selected Layer Translator dialog box are displayed in the
drawing area. If this option is cleared, all layers in the
drawing are displayed.

Edit/New Layer Dialog Box

Sets or modifies layer properties.
Name Specifies the layer name.
Linetype Specifies the layer linetype.
Color Specifies the layer color.
Lineweight Specifies the layer lineweight.
Plot Style Specifies the layer plot style. You can modify the plot
style only if all drawings referenced by the Layer
Translator use named plot styles.

LAYTRANS | 475
LEADER
Creates a line that connects annotation to a feature
A leader line is an object that can be composed of an arrowhead attached to
splines or straight line segments. In some cases, a short horizontal line, called
a hook line, dogleg, or landing, connects text and feature control frames to
the leader line. If associative dimensioning is turned on with DIMASSOC, the
leader start point can be associated with a location on an object. If the object
is relocated, the arrowhead remains attached to the object and the leader line
stretches, but the text or feature control frame remains in place.
You can use various dimensioning system variables to format the leader line,
such as placing the text above the hook line with DIMTAD.

LEADER creates complex leader lines that can be made up of more than two
line segments. DIMDIAMETER and DIMRADIUS create simple automatic leader
lines with two line segments for circles and arcs.
Command line: leader

Specify leader start point:

Specify next point:

AutoCAD draws a leader line segment to the point specified and continues to
prompt for points and options.
Specify next point or [Annotation/Format/Undo] <Annotation>: Specify a point,
enter an option, or press ENTER

Point Specification
Draws a leader line segment to the point specified and continues to prompt
you for points and options.
Specify next point or [Annotation/Format/Undo] <Annotation>: Specify a point,
enter an option, or press ENTER

476 | LEADER
Annotation
Inserts an annotation at the end of the leader line. The annotation can be
single or multiple lines of text, a feature control frame containing geometric
tolerances, or a block.
Enter first line of annotation text or <options>: Enter text or press ENTER

If you enter text at the Annotation prompt, AutoCAD places the text at the
end of the leader line. AutoCAD prompts you for additional lines of text until
you end the command by pressing ENTER twice.
If you press ENTER at the Annotation prompt without entering text first,
AutoCAD displays the following prompt:
Enter an annotation option [Tolerance/Copy/Block/None/Mtext] <Mtext>:
Enter an option or press ENTER

Tolerance Creates a feature control frame containing geometric

tolerances using the Geometric Tolerance dialog boxes
(see TOLERANCE).
You can create datum indicators and basic dimension
notation in these dialog boxes. After you specify the
geometric tolerance, LEADER ends.
Copy Copies text, a multiline text object, a feature control
frame with geometric tolerances, or a block and
connects the copy to the end of the leader line. The
copy is associated with the leader line, meaning that if
the end of the leader line moves, the copied object
moves with it. The display of the hook line depends on
the object copied.
Select an object to copy:

AutoCAD places the object and ends LEADER. The value

of the current text gap (see DIMSTYLE or the DIMGAP
system variable) determines where AutoCAD inserts the
text and multiline text objects. AutoCAD attaches any
blocks or feature control frames with geometric
tolerances to the end of the leader line.
Block Inserts a block at the end of the leader line. AutoCAD
uses the same prompts as the INSERT command. The
block reference is inserted at an offset from the end of
the leader line and is associated to the leader line,

LEADER | 477
 meaning that if the end of the leader line moves, the
block moves with it. No hook line is displayed.
Enter block name or [?]: Enter a block name or enter ? to
list all blocks in the drawing

None Ends the command without adding any annotation to

the leader line.
Mtext Creates text using the Multiline Text Editor (see page
567) when you specify an insertion point and a second
point for the text boundary.
Enter the characters for the text. Enclose format strings
for prefixes and suffixes in angle brackets (< >). Enclose
format strings for alternate units in square brackets ([ ]).
For more information about adding a prefix or suffix,
see Control the Display of Dimension Units in the
Users Guide.
The units settings and the current text style determine
how AutoCAD displays the text. AutoCAD vertically
centers the multiline text and horizontally aligns it
according to the X axis direction of the last two vertices
of the leader line. AutoCAD offsets the multiline text
from the hook line by the distance specified under
Offset from Dim Line on the Text tab of the New,
Modify, or Override Dimension Style dialog box (see
page 284). If the offset specified is negative, AutoCAD
encloses the multiline text in a box as a basic
dimension.
After you specify the text, LEADER ends.

Format
Controls the way AutoCAD draws the leader and whether it has an
arrowhead.
Enter leader format option [Spline/STraight/Arrow/None] <Exit>: Enter an
option or press ENTER to return to the previous prompt

After each option, the Specify Next Point prompt is redisplayed.

478 | LEADER
 spline leader line straight leader line sample arrowheads no arrowhead

Spline Draws the leader line as a spline. The vertices of the

leader line are the control points, each of equal unit
weight.
Straight Draws the leader line as a set of straight line segments.
Arrow Draws an arrowhead at the start point of the leader line.
None Draws a leader line with no arrowhead at the start
point.
Exit Exits the Format options.

Undo
Undoes the last vertex point on the leader line. AutoCAD then redisplays the
previous prompt.

LENGTHEN
Changes the length of objects and the included angle of arcs
LENGTHEN does not affect closed objects. The extrusion direction of the
selected object need not be parallel to the Z axis of the current user coordi-
nate system (UCS).
Modify menu: Lengthen
Command line: lengthen

Select an object or [DElta/Percent/Total/DYnamic]: Select one object or enter an

option

Object Selection
Displays the length and, where applicable, the included angle of the object.
Current length: <current>, included angle: <current>
Select an object or [DElta/Percent/Total/DYnamic]: Select one object, enter an
option, or press ENTER to end the command

LENGTHEN | 479
 Delta
Changes the length of an object by a specified increment, measured from the
endpoint that is closest to the selection point. Delta also changes the angle
of an arc by a specified increment, measured from the endpoint that is closest
to the selection point. A positive value extends the object; a negative value
trims it.
Enter delta length or [Angle] <current>: Specify a distance, enter a, or press
ENTER

Delta Length
Changes the length of the object by the specified increment.
Select an object to change or [Undo]: Select one object or enter u

The prompt repeats until you press ENTER to end the command.

delta length

object selected

Angle
Changes the included angle of the selected arc by the specified angle.
Enter delta angle <current>: Specify an angle or press ENTER
Select an object to change or [Undo]: Select one object or enter u

The prompt repeats until you press ENTER to end the command.

delta angle

object selected

480 | LENGTHEN
Percent
Sets the length of an object by a specified percentage of its total length. Per-
cent also changes the angle of an arc by a specified percentage of the total
included angle of the arc.
Enter percentage length <current>: Enter a positive nonzero value or press
ENTER
Select an object to change or [Undo]: Select one object or enter u

The prompt repeats until you press ENTER to end the command.

Total
Sets the length of a selected object by specifying the total absolute length
from the fixed endpoint. Total also sets the included angle of a selected arc
by a specified total angle.
Specify total length or [Angle] <current>: Specify a distance, enter a positive
nonzero value, enter a, or press ENTER

total length

object selected

Total Length
Lengthens the object to the specified value from the endpoint that is closest
to the selection point.
Select an object to change or [Undo]: Select one object or enter u

The prompt repeats until you press ENTER to end the command.

Angle
Sets the included angle of the selected arc.
Specify total angle <current>: Specify an angle or press ENTER
Select an object to change or [Undo]: Select one object or enter u

The prompt repeats until you press ENTER to end the command.

LENGTHEN | 481
 total angle

object selected

Dynamic
Turns on Dynamic Dragging mode. You change the length of a selected
object by dragging one of its endpoints. The other end remains fixed.
Select an object to change or [Undo]: Select one object or enter u

The prompt repeats until you press ENTER to end the command.

LIGHT
Manages lights and lighting effects
You can use light in model space only. You can display ambient, point, dis-
tant, and spot lights in SHADEMODE and 3DORBIT. To display these lights, you
must set SHADEMODE to Flat Shaded, Gouraud Shaded, Flat Shaded Edges On,
or Gouraud Shaded Edges On. The Wireframe and Hidden SHADEMODE
options do not display lights. To turn on lights, from the Tools menu, select
Options. In the Options dialog box, select the System tab. On the System tab
under Current 3D Graphics Display, choose Properties.

Render toolbar:
View menu: Render Light
Command line: light

The Lights dialog box is displayed.

Note In the 3DCONFIG command, under Render Options, the Lights option
must be set to ON for lights to appear in your drawing.

482 | LIGHT
Lights Dialog Box
Manages lighting and controls the location, color, and intensity of lighting
effects.

Lights
Lists all lights in the current drawing.

Modify
Modifies the selected light.
AutoCAD displays the Modify Point Light dialog box (see page 485), Modify
Distant Light dialog box (see page 487), or Modify Spotlight dialog box (see
page 489), depending on the type of light you select.

Delete
Deletes the selected light from the drawing.

Select
Selects a light using the pointing device. AutoCAD temporarily closes the dia-
log box while you select a light. The Lights dialog box is redisplayed with the
name of the light selected in the Lights list.

New
Creates a new light in the current drawing. AutoCAD displays the New Point
Light dialog box (see page 485), New Distant Light dialog box (see page 487),
or New Spotlight dialog box (see page 489), depending on the type of light
you select.

LIGHT | 483
 Point Light Emits radiating light beams. You can specify no
attenuation, or attenuation that is inverse linear or
inverse square. See Overview of Lights in Rendering
in the Users Guide.
Distant Light Emits parallel light beams in one direction. Distant
lights have no attenuation. Emitted light remains at
constant intensity no matter how far it travels.
Spotlight Emits light in a cone in a specified direction. See Add,
Modify, and Delete Lights in the Users Guide.
When you create a light, AutoCAD inserts a light block in the drawing to
show the lights type and position.

point light block distant light block spotlight block

North Location
Displays the North Location dialog box (see page 491), in which you can set
the north direction.

Ambient Light
Controls background light that provides constant illumination of all the sur-
faces in your model. Keep ambient light low to avoid saturating or dulling
your image.
Intensity
Adjusts the intensity of ambient light from no ambient light (0) to full
brightness (1).
Color
Uses RGB values to control the color of ambient light. The color swatch
shows the current color.
Select Color Displays the Select Color dialog box. To define the color
of light, you can select from the 255 AutoCAD Color
Index (ACI) colors, true colors, and Color Book colors.

484 | LIGHT
New or Modify Point Light Dialog Box
Creates a new point light or modifies the selected point light.

Light Name
Specifies the name of the light. The name must be no more than eight char-
acters long.

Intensity
Sets the intensity or brightness of the light. Entering 0 turns off a light.
The maximum point light intensity depends on the attenuation setting and
the extents of the drawing. If attenuation is none, maximum intensity is 1.
If attenuation is inverse linear, maximum intensity is the value of twice the
extents distance: the distance from the minimum lower-left coordinate to
the maximum upper-right coordinate. The default value for inverse linear is
half the maximum intensity.
If attenuation is inverse square, maximum intensity is twice the square of the
extents distance.

Position
Modifies or displays the X,Y,Z coordinate location of the light and its target.

LIGHT | 485
 Modify Temporarily closes the dialog box so you can use the
pointing device to specify a location for the light.
Enter light location <current>: Specify a point or press
ENTER

Show Displays the Show Light Position dialog box, which

displays the X,Y,Z coordinate of the lights location and
target. Point lights radiate light in all directions with no
target.

Color
Uses RGB values to control the color of the point light. The color swatch
shows the current color. To define the color of light, you can select from the
255 AutoCAD Color Index (ACI) colors, true colors, and Color Book colors.
Select Color Displays the Select Color dialog box, True Color tab.
Select Indexed Displays the Select Color dialog box Index tab.

Attenuation
Controls how light diminishes over distance. The farther away an object is
from a point light, the darker the object appears.
None Sets no attenuation. Objects far from the point light are
as bright as objects close to the light.
Inverse Linear Sets attenuation to be the inverse of the linear distance
from the point light. For example, at a distance of 2
units from a point light, light is half as strong as at the
point light; at a distance of 4 units, light is one quarter
as strong. The default value for inverse linear is half the
maximum intensity.
Inverse Square Sets attenuation to be the inverse of the square of the
distance from the point light. For example, at a distance
of 2 units from a point light, light is one quarter as
strong as at the point light; at a distance of 4 units, light
is one sixteenth as strong.

Shadows
Controls shadows and shadow mapping.
Shadow On Makes the point light cast shadows. The type of shadow
depends on the current renderer type and on the
settings in the Shadow Options dialog box.

486 | LIGHT
Shadow Options Displays the Shadow Options dialog box (see page 491).

New or Modify Distant Light Dialog Box

Creates a new distant light or modifies the selected distant light.

Light Name
Specifies the name of the light. The name must be no more than eight char-
acters long.

Intensity
Sets the intensity or brightness of the light. The intensity value can range
from 0 (off) to 1 (full intensity).

Color
Uses RGB values to control the color of the distant light. The color swatch
shows the current color.
Select Color Displays the Select Color dialog box. To define the color
of light, you can select from the 255 AutoCAD Color
Index (ACI) colors, true colors, and Color Book colors.

Shadows
Controls shadows and shadow mapping.

LIGHT | 487
 Shadow On Makes the distant light cast shadows. The type of
shadow depends on the current renderer type and on
the settings in the Shadow Options dialog box.
Shadow Options Displays the Shadow Options dialog box (see page 491).

Sun Angle Calculator

Displays the Sun Angle Calculator dialog box (see page 492), in which you
can specify a time and place so the renderer can calculate the position of the
sun.

Azimuth
Specifies the position of the distant light by using site-based coordinates. The
Azimuth scroll bar ranges from 180 to 180. Values you enter are converted
to this range. For example, if you enter 315, the scroll bar correctly displays
this as equivalent to 45.
When you enter values or use the scroll bars to adjust the azimuth and alti-
tude, the diagrams change to represent them visually. You can also change
the values of azimuth and altitude by clicking positions in the diagrams
themselves.

Altitude
Specifies the position of the distant light by using site-based coordinates. The
Altitude scroll bar ranges from 0 to 90. You can enter values between 0 and
90.
When you enter values or use the scroll bars to adjust the azimuth and alti-
tude, the diagrams change to represent them visually. You can also change
the values of Azimuth or Altitude by clicking positions in the diagrams
themselves.

Light Source Vector

Displays the light source vector that results from the light position you set
using Azimuth and Altitude. You can also enter values directly in X, Y, and Z.
When you use the light source vector to specify the distant lights direction,
AutoCAD updates the Azimuth and Altitude controls to show the new
position.
Modify Temporarily closes the dialog box so you can use the
pointing device to define a light source vector by
specifying two points.

488 | LIGHT
New or Modify Spotlight Dialog Box
Creates a new spotlight or modifies the selected spotlight.

Light Name
Specifies the name of the light. The name must be no more than eight char-
acters long.

Intensity
Sets the intensity or brightness of the light. The maximum spotlight inten-
sity depends on the attenuation setting and the extents of the drawing. If
attenuation is none, maximum intensity is 1.
If attenuation is inverse linear, maximum intensity is the value of twice the
extents distance: the distance from the minimum lower-left coordinate to
the maximum upper-right coordinate. The default value for inverse linear is
half the maximum intensity.
If attenuation is inverse square, maximum intensity is twice the square of the
extents distance.

Position
Modifies or displays the X,Y,Z coordinate location of the light and its target.

LIGHT | 489
 Modify Temporarily closes the dialog box so you can use the
pointing device to specify a location for the light and its
target. A vector connects the spotlight location to its
current target.
Enter light target <current>: Specify a point or press
ENTER
Enter light location <current>: Specify a point or press
ENTER

Show Displays the Show Light Position dialog box, which

displays the X,Y,Z coordinates of the lights location
and target.

Color
Uses RGB values to control the color of the spotlight. The color swatch shows
the current color.
Select Color Displays the Select Color dialog box. To define the color
of light, you can select from the 255 AutoCAD Color
Index (ACI) colors, true colors, and Color Book colors.

Hotspot
Specifies the angle that defines the brightest cone of light, which is known
to lighting designers as the beam angle. This value can range from 0 to 160
degrees. The default is 44 degrees.

Falloff
Specifies the angle that defines the full cone of light, which is also known as
the field angle. This value can range from 0 to 160 degrees. The default is 45
degrees.

Attenuation
Controls how light diminishes over distance. The farther away an object is
from a spotlight, the darker the object appears.
None Sets no attenuation. Objects far from the spotlight are
as bright as objects close to the light.
Inverse Linear Sets attenuation to be the inverse of the linear distance
from the spotlight. For example, at a distance of 2 units
from a spotlight, light is half as strong as at the
spotlight; at a distance of 4 units, light is one quarter as
strong. The default value for inverse linear is half the
maximum intensity.

490 | LIGHT
Inverse Square Sets attenuation to be the inverse of the square of the
distance from the spotlight. For example, at a distance
of 2 units from a spotlight, light is one quarter as strong
as at the spotlight; at a distance of 4 units, light is one
sixteenth as strong.

Shadows
Controls shadows and shadow mapping.
Shadow On Makes the spotlight cast shadows. The type of shadow
depends on the current renderer type and on the
settings in the Shadow Options dialog box.
Shadow Options Displays the Shadow Options dialog box (see page 491).

North Location Dialog Box

Sets the north direction.

By default, north is the positive Y direction in the world coordinate system

(WCS). To change it, enter a new angle, or use the scroll bar. The Y axis is 0
degrees, the X axis is 90 degrees, and so on clockwise.
You can also specify north in a user coordinate system (UCS) if there are any
named in your drawing. Select from the Use UCS list. AutoCAD uses the Y
axis in that UCS as the north direction.

Shadow Options Dialog Box

Specifies the type of shadow.

LIGHT | 491
 Shadow Produces volumetric shadows (Photo Real renderer) and
Volumes/Ray raytraced shadows (Raytrace renderer) for this light.
Traced Shadows Shadow maps are not available, but the shadow map
size and softness settings are retained.
Shadow Map Size Controls the size, in pixels, of one side of the shadow
map. Select from a range of values between 64 and
4096. The larger the map size, the more accurate the
shadows, but the longer it takes to render them.
Shadow Softness Controls the softness or fuzziness of shadow-mapped
shadows. The value you enter represents the number of
pixels at the edge of the shadow that are blended into
the underlying image. The value can range from 1 to
10, but usually values from 2 to 4 give the best results.
Shadow Prompts you to modify a selection set of objects whose
Bounding bounding box is used to clip the shadow maps.
Objects

Sun Angle Calculator Dialog Box

Specifies a time and place so that the renderer can calculate the position of
the sun.

Note The Sun Angle Calculator takes its north as the current AutoCAD north
direction. By default this is the positive Y direction of the current coordinate sys-
tem. You can change the north direction in the North Location dialog box (see
page 491).

492 | LIGHT
The right side of the dialog box shows the azimuth, altitude, and solar time
resulting from the local time you select. (You cannot alter the azimuth and
altitude directly as you can in the New Distant Light or Modify Distant Light
dialog box.) You specify time on the left side of the dialog box.
Date Specifies the date. You can enter a date or use the scroll
bar. The date can range from January 1 (1/1) to
December 31 (12/31).
Clock Time Sets the local time on a 24-hour clock. You can enter a
time or use the scroll bar.
Time Zone Specifies the time zone (assuming standard hours, as
opposed to daylight savings).
Daylight Savings Specifies daylight savings for the date and time zone.
Latitude Specifies the latitude. You can enter a value or use the
scroll bar. Zero degrees indicates the equator; 90 degrees
indicates the pole in the current hemispherenorth or
south.
Longitude Specifies the longitude. You can enter a value or use the
scroll bar. Zero degrees indicates the Greenwich
meridian; 180 degrees indicates the opposite meridian
in the direction of the current hemisphereeast or
west.
Northern or Specifies the northern or southern hemisphere.
Southern
Hemisphere

LIGHT | 493
 Western or Specifies the eastern or western hemisphere.
Eastern
Hemisphere
Geographic Displays the Geographic Location dialog box (see page
Location 494), in which you can specify the suns latitude and
longitude indirectly by naming a city or pointing to a
map.

Geographic Location Dialog Box

Specifies the suns latitude and longitude indirectly by using a city or a loca-
tion on a map. The map panel shows one of several maps. Use the list above
the map to select the map you want. Click the map to change the longitude
and latitude.

City Lists the cities available on the current map. Select a

city from this list to display its latitude and longitude.
The currently selected city is displayed below the list. If
you select a map location while the Nearest Big City
option is cleared, no city name is displayed below the
list.

494 | LIGHT
 Latitude and Displays the location of the currently selected city or
Longitude your most recent map selection. You can also enter
these values directly. When you choose OK, AutoCAD
updates the Sun Angle Calculator with the new latitude
and longitude.
In this dialog box, you can specify the latitude and
longitude as less than 0, depending on which
hemisphere is current.
Current Map Specifies the current map. To change the map, select
another option from the list.
Nearest Big City Finds the city nearest the map position that you click
and makes that city current.

LIMITS
Sets and controls the limits of the grid display in the current Model or layout tab
Grid limits determine the area of the drawing that can display grid dots, the
area displayed by one of the scale options of ZOOM, and the minimum area
displayed by ZOOM All. When plotting a drawing, you can also specify the
grid limits as the area to plot.
When limits checking is turned on, the grid limits restrict the coordinates
you can enter to the specified rectangular area.
From a layout tab, when either the paper background or the printable area is
displayed, you cannot set the grid limits with LIMITS. In this case, limits are
calculated and set by the layout according to the selected paper size. You can
control the display of the paper background and printable area from the Dis-
play tab of the Options dialog box (see page 624).
Format menu: Drawing Limits
Command line: limits (or 'limits for transparent use)

LIMITS | 495
 Specify lower left corner or [ON/OFF] <current>: Specify a point, enter on or off,
upper right
or press ENTER

Lower-Left Specifies the lower-left corner for the grid limits.

Corner
Specify upper right corner <current>: Specify a point or
press ENTER

On Turns on limits checking. When limits checking is on,

lower left you cannot enter points outside the grid limits. Because
limits checking tests only points that you enter,
portions of objects such as circles can extend outside
the grid limits.
Off Turns off limits checking but maintains the current
values for the next time you turn on limits checking.

LINE
Creates straight line segments
You can specify the endpoints of lines using two-dimensional (2D) or three-
dimensional (3D) coordinates.
AutoCAD draws a line segment and continues to prompt for points. You can
draw a continuing series of line segments, but each line segment is a separate
object. Press ENTER to end the command.
For example, the following command sequence draws a single line segment.
2 Command: line
Specify first point: Specify a point (1)
Specify next point or [Undo]: Specify a point (2)
1 Specify next point or [Undo]: Press ENTER

Draw toolbar:
Draw menu: Line
Command line: line

Specify first point: Specify a point or press ENTER to continue from the last drawn
line or arc
Specify next point or [Close/Undo]:

Continue Continues a line from the endpoint of the most

recently drawn line.

496 | LINE
 before pressing ENTER after pressing ENTER

If the most recently drawn line is an arc, its endpoint

defines the starting point of the line, and the line is
drawn tangent to the arc.

before pressing ENTER after pressing ENTER

Close Ends the last line segment at the beginning of the first
line segment, which forms a closed loop of line
segments. You can use Close after you have drawn a
series of two or more segments.

before entering c after entering c

Undo Erases the most recent segment of a line sequence.

before entering u after entering u

Entering u more than once backtracks through line

segments in the order you created them.

LINE | 497
 LINETYPE
Loads, sets, and modifies linetypes
Line characteristics consist of combinations of dashes, dots, and spaces. You
continuous
can use LINETYPE to load linetype definitions from a linetype library (LIN)
file, make a linetype current, or modify linetype scales.
hidden
Format menu: Linetype
center Command line: linetype (or 'linetype for transparent use)

dash-dot The Linetype Manager is displayed.

If you enter -linetype at the Command prompt, LINETYPE displays prompts
sample complex on the command line (see page 501).
linetype

Linetype Manager
Loads linetypes and sets the current linetype.

Linetype Filters
Determines which linetypes to display in the linetype list. You can filter line-
types based on whether they are xref-dependent, or whether they are refer-
enced by objects.

498 | LINETYPE
Invert Filter Displays linetypes based on the opposites of the criteria
you select. Linetypes that fit the inverse filter criteria
are displayed in the linetype list.

Load
Displays the Load or Reload Linetypes dialog box (see page 501), in which
you can load into the drawing selected linetypes from the acad.lin file and
add them to the linetype list.

Current
Sets the selected linetype to be the current linetype. Setting the current line-
type to BYLAYER means that an object assumes the linetype that is assigned
to a particular layer. Setting the linetype to BYBLOCK means that an object
assumes the CONTINUOUS linetype until it is grouped into a block. Whenever
the block is inserted, all objects inherit the block's linetype. The CELTYPE sys-
tem variable stores the linetype name.

Delete
Deletes selected linetypes from the list. You can delete only unreferenced
linetypes. Default referenced linetypes include BYLAYER, BYBLOCK, and
CONTINUOUS.

Note Be careful about deleting linetypes if you are working on a drawing in a

shared project or one based on a set of layering standards. The deleted linetype
definition remains stored in the acad.lin or acadiso.lin file and can be reloaded.

Show Details or Hide Details

Controls whether the Details section of the Linetype Manager is displayed.

List of Linetypes
Displays the loaded linetypes according to the option specified in Linetype
Filters. To quickly select all or clear all linetypes, right-click in the linetype
list to display the shortcut menu.

LINETYPE | 499
 Linetype Displays names of loaded linetypes. To rename a
linetype, select it and then click it again and enter a
new name. BYLAYER, BYBLOCK, CONTINUOUS, and xref-
dependent linetypes cannot be renamed. The linetype
name can include up to 255 characters. Linetype names
can contain letters, digits, blank spaces, and the special
characters dollar sign ($), hyphen (), and underscore
(_). Linetype names cannot include the special
characters comma (,), colon (:), equal sign (=), question
mark (?), asterisk (*), less-than and greater-than
symbols (> <), forward and back slashes (/ \), vertical
bar (|), quote (), or back quote (`).
Appearance Displays a sample of selected linetypes.
Description Displays descriptions of the linetypes, which can be
edited in the Details area.

Details
Provides alternative access to properties and additional settings.
Name Displays the selected linetype name, which can be
edited. The linetype name can include up to 255
characters. Linetype names can contain letters, digits,
blank spaces, and the special characters dollar sign ($),
hyphen (), and underscore (_). Linetype names cannot
include the special characters comma (,), colon (:),
equal sign (=), question mark (?), asterisk (*), less-than
and greater-than symbols (> <), forward and back
slashes (/ \), vertical bar (|), quote (), or back quote (`).
Description Displays the description of the selected linetype, which
can be edited.
Use Paper Space Scales linetypes in paper space and model space
Units for Scaling identically. Useful when working with multiple
viewports. This option is also controlled by the
PSLTSCALE system variable.

Global Scale Displays the global scale factor for all linetypes.
Factor (LTSCALE system variable)
Current Object Sets linetype scale for newly created objects. The
Scale resulting scale is the global scale factor multiplied by
the objects scale factor. This option is also controlled
by the CELTSCALE system variable.

500 | LINETYPE
ISO Pen Width Sets the linetype scale to one of a list of standard ISO
values. The resulting scale is the global scale factor
multiplied by the objects scale factor.

Load or Reload Linetypes Dialog Box

Loads a linetype whose definition exists in a linetype library (LIN) file. The
acad.lin file contains the standard linetypes.

File Displays the name of the current LIN file. You can enter
the name of another LIN file or choose File to select a
different file from the Select Linetype File dialog box.
Available Displays the linetypes available to load. To select or
Linetypes clear all of the linetypes on the list, right-click and
choose Select All or Clear All.

LINETYPE Command Line

If you enter -linetype at the Command prompt, LINETYPE displays prompts
on the command line.
Enter an option [?/Create/Load/Set]:

?List Linetypes Displays the Select Linetype File dialog box (a standard
file selection dialog box). After you select an LIN file,
AutoCAD lists the linetypes available in a file.

LINETYPE | 501
 Create Creates a new linetype and stores it in an LIN file.
Enter name of linetype to create:

AutoCAD displays the Create or Append Linetype File

dialog box (a standard file selection dialog box). Specify
the file to which you want the linetype added.
Descriptive text: Enter optional descriptive text

Enter a linetype description up to 47 characters long.

The description can be a comment or a series of
underscores, dots, dashes, and spaces to show a simple
representation of the linetype pattern.
Enter linetype pattern (on next line):
A,

Enter a pattern definition as a series of numbers

separated by commas. Enter positive values to specify
lengths of dashes, and enter negative values to specify
lengths of spaces. Use a zero to represent a dot.

2.5 -.5 .5 -.5 the pattern is repeated

The A in the pattern definition prompt specifies the

pattern alignment used at the ends of individual lines,
circles, and arcs. AutoCAD supports A-type alignment
only. With A-type alignment, AutoCAD guarantees that
lines and arcs start and end with a dash. The A is
automatically included in the definition. If you use a
text editor to create a linetype, you must enter a at the
beginning of the definition.
After creating a linetype, you must load it to make it
accessible.
You cannot create complex linetypes with LINETYPE.
For more information, see Custom Linetypes in the
Customization Guide.

502 | LINETYPE
 Load Loads a linetype whose definition exists in a file. The
acad.lin file contains the standard linetypes.
Enter linetype(s) to load: Enter a name or a list of names
separated by commas

The Select Linetype File dialog box (a standard file

selection dialog box) is displayed. Enter or select the file
in which the linetype you want to load is stored.
Set Sets the current linetype for objects that will be drawn
subsequently. You can control the linetype of objects
individually or by layer.
Specifies linetype name or [?] <current>: Enter a linetype
name, ? to list all loaded linetype names, bylayer, or
byblock, or press ENTER

The linetype you enter becomes the current linetype.

AutoCAD draws all new objects with this linetype,
regardless of the current layer. If the linetype you
request is not loaded, AutoCAD searches for its
definition in the acad.lin file. If the linetype is neither
loaded nor in acad.lin, AutoCAD displays a message and
returns you to the Command prompt.
Enter ? to list all loaded linetype names. If you enter
bylayer, new objects inherit the linetype associated
with the layer on which the object is drawn. If you
enter byblock, new objects are drawn using the
CONTINUOUS linetype until they are grouped into a
block. Whenever you insert that block, the objects
inherit the linetype of the block.

LIST
Displays database information for selected objects

Inquiry toolbar:
Tools menu: Inquiry List
Command line: list

Select objects: Use an object selection method

LIST | 503
 AutoCAD lists the object type, object layer, and X,Y,Z position relative to the
current user coordinate system (UCS) and whether the object is in model
space or paper space.
LIST reports color, linetype, and lineweight information if these items are not
set to BYLAYER. The thickness of an object is displayed if it is nonzero. Z coor-
dinate information defines the elevation. If the extrusion direction of the
entry differs from the Z axis (0,0,1) of the current UCS, LIST also reports the
extrusion direction in UCS coordinates.
LIST reports additional information related to the specific object selected.

LOAD
Makes shapes available for use by the SHAPE command
You must load a shape (SHP) file the first time you need it; AutoCAD loads it
thereafter. The shape file must be available each time you edit the drawing.
Command line: load

AutoCAD displays the Select Shape File dialog box (a standard file selection
dialog box). Enter the shape file name, or select a file name from the list.

LOGFILEOFF
Closes the log file opened by LOGFILEON
Command line: logfileoff

AutoCAD stops recording the text window contents and closes the log file.
You can also control the log file with the OPTIONS command. Use the Main-
tain a Log File option on the Open and Save tab in the Options dialog box to
turn the log file off and on. Use the Files tab to change the location of the log
file.
Each drawing saves a log file (with the extension .log) that may need periodic
deletion as the number of log files continues to grow.

504 | LOAD
LOGFILEON
Writes the text window contents to a file
Command line: logfileon

AutoCAD records the text window contents in the log file until you exit
AutoCAD or use the LOGFILEOFF command.
You can also control the log file with the OPTIONS command. Use the Main-
tain a Log File option on the Open and Save tab in the Options dialog box to
turn the log file off and on. Use the Files tab to change the location of the log
file.
Each drawing saves a log file (with the extension .log) that may need periodic
deletion as the number of log files continues to grow.

LSEDIT
Edits a landscape object
A landscape object is an extended-entity object with a bitmap image mapped
onto it. You can manipulate the object directly in the drawing as well as in
the Landscape New dialog box. The geometry of the object depends on
whether you choose one or two faces for it and whether it is view aligned.
You make these choices according to your rendering requirements.
Each landscape object has grips at the base, top, and each corner. Use the base
grip to move the object, the top grips to adjust its height, and the bottom
corner grips to scale it and, if its not view aligned, rotate it. You can use all
standard AutoCAD grip editing modes for stretching, scaling, and rotating
landscape objects.
With two related commands, LSNEW and LSLIB, you can create landscape
objects and maintain landscape object libraries.

Render toolbar:
View menu: Render Landscape Edit
Command line: lsedit

Select a landscape object: Use an object selection method

When you select a landscape object, AutoCAD displays the Landscape Edit
dialog box.

LOGFILEON | 505
 Landscape Edit Dialog Box
Previews landscape objects and defines the geometry and height of the
objects.

The object type is selected in the library list; if the list is unavailable, you can-
not change the object type. For a description of the available options, see
LSNEW.

LSLIB
Maintains libraries of landscape objects

Render toolbar:
View menu: Render Landscape Library
Command line: lslib

AutoCAD displays the Landscape Library dialog box.

Landscape Library Dialog Box

Defines libraries of landscape objects.

506 | LSLIB
Library Contents Lists the objects in the current library. Select one to
modify or delete.
Modify Displays the Landscape Library Edit dialog box (see
page 508). Changes the image files associated with the
selected object (or double-click the object name). All
landscape objects require both an image file and an
opacity map file to define the see-through areas of the
image.
New Displays the New Landscape Library dialog box, which
is identical to the Landscape Library Edit dialog box
except that the boxes are blank. Enter an object name,
an image file name, and an opacity map file name for
your new object.
Delete Deletes the selected object from the library. This does
not delete the files associated with the object name, but
deletes only the object definition in the library.
Open Displays a standard file selection dialog box. Locate and
select an LLI file to open a new library file. The contents
of the file appear in the Library Contents list.
Save Saves the current library file. A standard file selection
dialog box is displayed so that you can save the library
under another name if you want. If the file already
exists, the program prompts you to replace it.

LSLIB | 507
 Landscape Library Edit Dialog Box
Changes the image files associated with the object selected in the Landscape
Library dialog box.

Default Geometry
Specifies the geometry and alignment of the object. The geometry of an
object depends on its number of faces and alignment. A single-face view-
aligned object appears in the drawing as a triangle. You cannot use grips to
rotate it. A single-face fixed object appears as a rectangle that you can rotate
with grips. This type of object also displays its name either forward or back-
ward to indicate its orientation to the camera, which is helpful for signs. A
crossing-face object always appears as two triangles intersecting at right
angles. When view-aligned, they face the camera at 45-degree angles and you
cant change their rotation. When the object is fixed, you can change its
rotation.
Single Face/ Specifies a single-face object or a crossing-face object. A
Crossing Faces single-face object is faster to render but not quite as
realistic as a crossing-face object, especially for
animation and raytraced shadows.
View Aligned Makes the object always face the camera. This is
generally a good choice for trees and other nonplanar
objects.
When the View Aligned option is cleared, the object
maintains a fixed orientation. This can be effective with
planar objects like road signs that you dont want to
view straight on.

508 | LSLIB
 Name
Shows the current name of the object. To change the name, edit the entry.

Image File
Specifies a file name. You can choose Find File to display a standard file selec-
tion dialog box in which you can locate the file you want.

Opacity Map File

Specifies a file name. You can choose Find File to display a standard file selec-
tion dialog box in which you can locate the file you want.

LSNEW
Adds realistic landscape items, such as trees and bushes, to your drawings

Render toolbar:
View menu: Render Landscape New
Command line: lsnew

AutoCAD displays the Landscape New dialog box.

Landscape New Dialog Box

Previews landscape objects, defines the geometry and height of new objects,
and inserts a landscape object into a drawing.

LSNEW | 509
 A landscape object is an extended-entity object with a bitmap image mapped
onto it. You can manipulate the object directly in the drawing as well as in
the Landscape New dialog box. The geometry of the object depends on
whether you choose one or two faces for it and whether it is view aligned.
You make these choices according to your rendering requirements.
Each landscape object has grips at the base, top, and each corner. Use the base
grip to move the object, the top grips to adjust its height, and the bottom
corner grips to scale it and, if its not view aligned, rotate it. You can use all
standard AutoCAD grip editing modes for stretching, scaling, and rotating
landscape objects.
With two related commands, LSEDIT and LSLIB, you can modify landscape
objects and maintain landscape object libraries.

Landscape Objects
Lists landscape objects available in the current landscape library. Select the
one you want to insert in the drawing.

Geometry
Specifies the geometry and alignment of the landscape object. The geometry
of an object depends on its number of faces and alignment. A single-face
view-aligned object appears in the drawing as a triangle. You cannot use grips
to rotate it. A single-face fixed object appears as a rectangle that you can
rotate with grips. This type of object also displays its name either forward or
backward to indicate its orientation to the camera, which is helpful for signs.
A crossing-face object always appears as two triangles intersecting at right
angles. When view-aligned, they face the camera at 45-degree angles and you
cant change their rotation. When the object is fixed, you can change its
rotation.
Single Face/ Specifies a single-face object or a crossing-face object. A
Crossing Faces single-face object is faster to render but not quite as
realistic as a crossing-face object, especially for
animation and raytraced shadows.
View Aligned Makes the object always face the camera. This is
generally a good choice for trees and other nonplanar
objects.
When the View Aligned option is cleared, the object
maintains a fixed orientation. This can be effective with
planar objects like road signs that you dont want to
view straight on.

510 | LSNEW
 Height
Specifies the height of the landscape object in current drawing units. The
default is 20, and the height is always in the positive Z direction of the cur-
rent user coordinate system (UCS). Use the scroll bar or enter a value.

Position
Uses the pointing device to specify a location in the drawing. The default
position is at the origin of the UCS.

LTSCALE
Sets the global linetype scale factor
Command line: ltscale (or 'ltscale for transparent use)
LTSCALE = 1
Enter new linetype scale factor <current>: Enter a positive real value or press
LTSCALE = .5 ENTER

LTSCALE = .25 Use LTSCALE to change the scale factor of linetypes for all objects in a draw-
ing. Changing the linetype scale factor causes the drawing to be regenerated.
LWEIGHT
Sets the current lineweight, lineweight display options, and lineweight units
Use lineweights to add width to your objects. Lineweights are useful for the
graphical representation of different objects and information, but they
should not be used to represent specific object widths.
Lineweight can be applied to all graphical objects except TrueType fonts, ras-
ter images (except the image border), points, and solid fills (2D solids). These
exceptions plot with a default lineweight of 0 (the thinnest possible line that
the printer or plotter can plot). The default lineweight value for objects is
BYLAYER; the default lineweight value for layers is set by the Default option
in the Lineweights Settings dialog box. You can also customize lineweights
to plot at whatever width you want by using the Plot Style Table Editor of the
PLOT command. See Control Plotted Lineweight and Linetype in the Users
Guide.

LTSCALE | 511
 Wide polylines in a plan view are displayed at their width setting rather than
their lineweight setting.

Note Objects with lineweights of more than one pixel may increase regenera-
tion time. To optimize AutoCAD performance when working in the Model tab,
set the lineweight display scale to the minimum value, or turn off Display Line-
weight altogether.

Format menu: Lineweight

Shortcut menu: Right-click the Lwt button on the status bar and choose
Settings.
Command line: lweight (or 'lweight for transparent use)

The Lineweight Settings dialog box is displayed.

If you enter -lweight at the Command prompt, LWEIGHT displays prompts on
the command line (see page 514).

Lineweight Settings Dialog Box

Sets the current lineweight, sets the lineweight units, controls the display
and display scale of lineweights in the Model tab, and sets the DEFAULT line-
weight value for layers. For a table of valid lineweights, see Overview of Lin-
eweights in the Users Guide.

512 | LWEIGHT
Lineweights
Displays the available lineweight values. Lineweight values consist of stan-
dard settings including BYLAYER, BYBLOCK, and DEFAULT. The DEFAULT value
is set by the LWDEFAULT system variable, which has an initial value of 0.01
inches or 0.25 mm. All new layers use the default setting. The lineweight
value of 0 plots at the thinnest lineweight available on the specified plotting
device and is displayed at one pixel wide in model space.

Current Lineweight
Displays the current lineweight. To set the current lineweight, select a line-
weight from the lineweight list and choose OK.

Units for Listing

Specifies whether lineweights are displayed in millimeters or inches. You can
also set Units for Listing by using the LWUNITS system variable.
Millimeters (mm) Specifies lineweight values in millimeters.
Inches (in.) Specifies lineweight values in inches.

Display Lineweight
Controls whether lineweights are displayed in the current drawing. If this
option is selected, lineweights are displayed in model space and paper space.
You can also set Display Lineweight by using the LWDISPLAY system variable.
AutoCAD regeneration time increases with lineweights that are represented
by more than one pixel. Clear Display Lineweight if AutoCAD performance
slows down when working with lineweights turned on in a drawing. This
option does not affect how objects are plotted.

Default
Controls the DEFAULT lineweight for layers. The initial DEFAULT lineweight is
0.01 inches or 0.25 mm. You can also set the DEFAULT lineweight by using
the LWDEFAULT system variable.

Adjust Display Scale

Controls the display scale of lineweights on the Model tab. On the Model tab,
lineweights are displayed in pixels. Lineweights are displayed using a pixel
width in proportion to the real-world unit value at which they plot. If you
are using a high-resolution monitor, you can adjust the lineweight display
scale to better display different lineweight widths. The Lineweight list reflects
the current display scale.

LWEIGHT | 513
 Objects with lineweights that are displayed with a width of more than one
pixel may increase AutoCAD regeneration time. If you want to optimize
AutoCAD performance when working in the Model tab, set the lineweight
display scale to the minimum value or turn off lineweight display altogether.

LWEIGHT Command Line

If you enter -lweight at the Command prompt, LWEIGHT displays prompts on
the command line.
Current lineweight: current
Enter default lineweight for new objects or [?]: Enter a valid lineweight or enter ?

The current lineweight value is displayed; if the value is not BYLAYER,

BYBLOCK or DEFAULT, the value is displayed in millimeters or inches.

Default Sets the current default lineweight. Lineweight values

Lineweight consist of fixed settings, including BYLAYER, BYBLOCK,
and DEFAULT. Values are calculated in either inches or
millimeters; millimeters are the default. If you enter a
valid lineweight, AutoCAD sets the current default
lineweight to the new value. With any other value,
AutoCAD adjusts the value entered and sets the current
default lineweight to the nearest valid value.
To plot an object with a lineweight that is not found in
the list of fixed lineweight values, you can use the Plot
Style Table Editor to customize plotted lineweights. See
Control Plotted Lineweight and Linetype, in the
Users Guide. The DEFAULT value is set by the LWDEFAULT
system variable and has an initial value of 0.01 inches
or 0.25 mm. The lineweight value of 0 plots at the
thinnest lineweight available on the specified plotting
device and is displayed at a value of one pixel in model
space.
?List Displays a list of valid lineweight values in the current
Lineweights lineweight units.

Note If you save a drawing using the AutoCAD Release 14, or earlier, format,
the drawing preview displays lineweights even though the drawing saved in the
earlier format does not display lineweights.

514 | LWEIGHT
MARKUP
Displays the details of markups and allows you to change their status

Standard toolbar:
Tools menu: Markup Set Manager
Command line: markup

Opens the Markup Set Manager.

Markup Set Manager

Displays information about loaded markup sets and their status. You can
show or hide markups and their originating drawing files in your AutoCAD
drawing area. You can change the status of individual markups and add notes
and comments to them.

Markup Set List Control

The Markup Set List control displays the name of the markup set, or, if no
markup sets are open, the Open option. The Markup Set List control provides
the following options.
Names of Open Lists all open markup sets, if any. A check is displayed
Markup Sets next to the current markup set. The current markup set
is the open markup set that is displayed in the Markup
Set Manager window.
Recent Displays a list of recently opened markup sets.
Open Displays the Open Markup DWF dialog box (a standard
file selection dialog box), in which you can select a
Design Web Format (DWF ) file that contains
markups. When you click Open, the markups in the
selected DWF file are loaded into the Markup Set
Manager.

Republish Markup DWF

Provides options for republishing the marked-up DWF file. If any sheets were
added to the DWF file in Autodesk DWF Composer, those sheets will not be
included in the republished DWF file.

MARKUP | 515
 Republish All Republishes all sheets in the marked-up DWF file.
Sheets Opens the Select DWF File dialog box (a standard file
selection dialog box), in which you can select the
previously published DWF to overwrite it , or you can
enter a new name for the DWF file. When you click
Select, the previously published DWF file is overwritten
or a new DWF file is created that contains any changes
you made to the drawing file geometry and the status
of the markups.
Republish Republishes only those sheets in the marked-up DWF
Markup Sheets file that have associated markups. Opens the Select
DWF File dialog box (a standard file selection dialog
box), in which you can select the previously published
DWF to overwrite it, or you can enter a new name for
the DWF file. When you click Select, the previously
published DWF file is overwritten or a new DWF file is
created that contains any changes you made to the
drawing file geometry and the status of the markups.
View Redline Geometry
Displays or hides redline markup geometry in the AutoCAD drawing area.
When this button is displayed as selected, redline markup geometry is dis-
played in the AutoCAD drawing area.
View DWG Geometry
Displays or hides the originating drawing file in the AutoCAD drawing area.
When this button is displayed as selected, the drawing file is displayed in the
AutoCAD drawing area.
View DWF Geometry
Displays or hides the DWF file geometry in the AutoCAD drawing area.
When this button is displayed as selected, the DWF file geometry is displayed
in the AutoCAD drawing area.

516 | MARKUP
Markups
Displays loaded markup sets. The top-level node in the tree view represents
the currently loaded markup set. A drawing sheet node is displayed for each
drawing sheet that has associated markups. Any sheets that were added to
the DWF file in Autodesk DWF Composer are listed in italics. Each markup is
displayed as an individual node under its corresponding drawing sheet. The
icon associated with each markup represents the status of the markup. You
can double-click any of the markups in the tree view to view the associated
drawing sheet in the AutoCAD drawing area. When you double-click either
a sheet that was added in Autodesk DWF Composer or a markup for that
sheet, that sheet in the DWF file will open in Autodesk DWF Viewer (or in
Autodesk DWF Composer, if you have it installed).
Markup Set Node Indicates the currently loaded markup set.
Drawing Sheet Indicates a drawing sheet that has one or more
Node associated markups. Only drawing sheets that have
corresponding markups are displayed in the tree view of
the Markups area. You can double-click a drawing sheet
node to open the originating drawing file for that
drawing sheet.
<None> Indicates an individual markup that does not yet have
an assigned status. This is the default status for new
markups.
Question Indicates an individual markup that has an assigned
status of Question. When you open and view a markup,
you can change the status to Question if you need
additional information about the markup.
For Review Indicates an individual markup that has an assigned
status of For Review. When you implement a markup,
you can change the status to For Review to indicate that
the markup creator should review the changes to the
drawing sheet and the status of the markup.
Done Indicates an individual markup that has an assigned
status of Done. When a markup has been implemented
and reviewed, you can change the status to Done.

MARKUP | 517
 Markup Shortcut Menu Options (Markup Set Node)
Right-clicking a markup set node in the Markups area displays the following
shortcut menu options.
Open Markup Opens the Open Markup DWF dialog box (a standard
DWF file selection dialog box), in which you can select a
DWF file that contains markups. When you click Open,
the markups in the selected DWF file are loaded into
the Markup Set Manager.
Close Markup Closes the selected marked-up DWF and removes it
DWF from the Markup Set Manager.
Save Markup Saves changes to the status of markups and added
History Changes comments to the marked-up DWF file.

Markup Shortcut Menu Options (Drawing Sheet Node)

Right-clicking a drawing sheet node in the Markups area displays the follow-
ing shortcut menu options.
Open Sheet Opens the originating drawing file for that drawing
sheet and makes that layout the active layout in the
AutoCAD drawing area.
Republish Opens the Select DWF File dialog box (a standard file
Markup DWF selection dialog box), in which you can select the
previously published DWF to overwrite or enter a new
name for the DWF file. When you click Select, a new
DWF file is created that contains any changes you made
to the drawing file geometry and the status of the
markups.

Markup Shortcut Menu Options (Markup Node)

Right-clicking an individual markup node in the Markups area displays the
following shortcut menu options.
Open Markup Opens the originating drawing file for the drawing
sheet associated with the selected markup and makes
that layout the active layout in the AutoCAD drawing
area. The associated markup DWF file is also opened as
a read-only reference in the AutoCAD drawing area.

518 | MARKUP
Markup Status Displays a shortcut menu that provides a list of status
options. A check mark precedes the currently assigned
status for the selected markup.

<None>: Indicates that the markup does not yet have

an assigned status. This is the default status for new
markups.
Question: After you open and view a markup, you can
change its status to Question if you need additional
information about the markup.
For Review: After you have implemented a markup,
you can change the status to For Review to indicate
that the markup creator should review the changes
to the drawing sheet and the status of the markup.
Done: After a markup has been implemented and
reviewed, you can change its status to Done.

Restore Initial If you panned or zoomed the selected markup, or

Markup View rotated the view in model space, restores the original
view of the selected markup.
Republish Opens the Select DWF File dialog box (a standard file
Markup DWF selection dialog box), in which you can select the
previously published DWF to overwrite or enter a new
name for the DWF file. When you click Select, the
previously published DWF file is overwritten or a new
DWF file is created that contains any changes you made
to the drawing file geometry and the status of the
markups.

Show All Sheets/Hide Non-Markup Sheets

Displays all sheets in the marked-up DWF file in the tree view of the Markup
Set Manager, or hides the sheets that do not have associated markups.

Markup Details
Provides information about the currently selected node (markup set, drawing
sheet, or individual markup) in the Markups area.
When an individual markup is selected in the Markups area, Markup Details
displays the status of the markup. You can change the status.
The Markup History area (in the lower portion of the Markup Details area)
provides a noneditable history log of the selected markup in reverse chrono-
logical order. In the Notes area, just below the Markup History area, you can
add notes and comments that are automatically saved with the markup.

MARKUP | 519
 Preview Changes the Markup Details area to the Markup
Preview area and displays a thumbnail image of the
selected drawing sheet or markup. You can click the
Details button to change the area back to the Markup
Details area.

Details Changes the Markup Preview area to the Markup

Details area, which provides information about the
selected node in the Markups area. You can click the
Preview button to change the area back to the Markup
Preview area.
Markup Preview
Displays a thumbnail preview of the currently selected drawing sheet or
markup.
Details Changes the Markup Preview area to the Markup
Details area, which provides information about the
selected node in the Markups area. You can click the
Preview button to change the area back to the Markup
Preview area.

Preview Changes the Markup Details area to the Markup

Preview area and displays a thumbnail image of the
selected drawing sheet or markup. You can click the
Details button to change the area back to the Markup
Details area.
MARKUPCLOSE
Closes the Markup Set Manager
Standard toolbar:
Tools menu: Markup Set Manager
Command line: markupclose

Closes the Markup Set Manager window.

520 | MARKUPCLOSE
MASSPROP
Calculates the mass properties of regions or solids
MASSPROP calculates properties of two-dimensional (2D) and three-
dimensional (3D) objects that are essential in analyzing the characteristics
of the drawn objects.

Inquiry toolbar:
Tools menu: Inquiry Region/Mass Properties
Command line: massprop

Select objects: Use an object selection method

If you select multiple regions, only those that are coplanar with the first
selected region are accepted.
MASSPROP displays the mass properties in the text window, and then asks if
you want to write the mass properties to a text file.
Write analysis to a file? <N>: Enter y or n, or press ENTER

If you enter y, MASSPROP prompts you to enter a file name.

The properties that MASSPROP displays depend on whether the selected
objects are regions, and whether the selected regions are coplanar with the
XY plane of the current user coordinate system (UCS), or solids. For a list of
the parameters that control the MASSPROP units, see Calculations Based on
the Current UCS (see page 524).

MASSPROP | 521
 Regions
The following table shows the mass properties that AutoCAD displays for all
regions.

Mass properties for all regions

Mass property Description

Area The surface area of solids or the enclosed area of regions.

Perimeter The total length of the inside and outside loops of a region. AutoCAD
does not calculate the perimeter of solids.

Bounding box The two coordinates that define the bounding box. For regions that are
coplanar with the XY plane of the current user coordinate system, the
bounding box is defined by the diagonally opposite corners of a
rectangle that encloses the region. For regions that are not coplanar
with the XY plane of the current UCS, the bounding box is defined by
the diagonally opposite corners of a 3D box that encloses the region.

Centroid A 2D or 3D coordinate that is the center of area for regions. For regions
that are coplanar with the XY plane of the current UCS, this coordinate
is a 2D point. For regions that are not coplanar with the XY plane of the
current UCS, this coordinate is a 3D point.

If the regions are coplanar with the XY plane of the current UCS, AutoCAD
displays the additional properties shown in the following table.

Additional mass properties for coplanar regions

Mass property Description

Moments of A value used when computing the distributed loads, such as fluid
inertia pressure on a plate, or when calculating the forces inside a bending or
twisting beam. The formula for determining area moments of inertia is

area_moments_of_inertia = area_of_interest * radius2

The area moments of inertia has units of distance to the fourth power.

Products of Property used to determine the forces causing the motion of an object.
inertia It is always calculated with respect to two orthogonal planes. The
formula for product of inertia for the YZ plane and XZ plane is

product_of_inertiaYZ,XZ = mass * distcentroid_to_YZ * distcentroid_to_XZ

This XY value is expressed in mass units times the length squared.

522 | MASSPROP
Additional mass properties for coplanar regions (continued)

Mass property Description

Radii of Another way of indicating the moments of inertia of a solid. The

gyration formula for the radii of gyration is

gyration_radii = (moments_of_ inertia/body_mass)1/2

Radii of gyration are expressed in distance units.

Principal Calculations that are derived from the products of inertia and that have
moments and the same unit values. The moment of inertia is highest through a
X,Y,Z directions certain axis at the centroid of an object. The moment of inertia is lowest
about centroid through the second axis that is normal to the first axis and that also
passes through the centroid. A third value included in the results is
somewhere between the high and low values.

Solids
The following table shows the mass properties that are displayed for solids.

Mass properties for solids

Mass property Description

Mass The measure of inertia of a body. Because AutoCAD uses a density of

one, mass and volume have the same value.

Volume The amount of 3D space that a solid encloses.

Bounding box The diagonally opposite corners of a 3D box that encloses the solid.

Centroid A 3D point that is the center of mass for solids. AutoCAD assumes a
solid of uniform density.

Moments of The mass moments of inertia, which is used when computing the force
inertia required to rotate an object about a given axis, such as a wheel rotating
about an axle. The formula for mass moments of inertia is

mass_moments_of_inertia = object_mass * radiusaxis2

Mass moments of inertia unit is mass (grams or slugs) times the

distance squared.

MASSPROP | 523
 Mass properties for solids (continued)

Mass property Description

Products of Property used to determine the forces causing the motion of an object.
inertia It is always calculated with respect to two orthogonal planes. The
formula for product of inertia for the YZ plane and XZ plane is

product_of_inertiaYZ,XZ = mass * distcentroid_to_YZ * distcentroid_to_XZ

This XY value is expressed in mass units times the length squared.

Radii of Another way of indicating the moments of inertia of a solid. The

gyration formula for the radii of gyration is

gyration_radii = (moments_of_inertia/body_mass)1/2

Radii of gyration are expressed in distance units.

Principal Calculations that are derived from the products of inertia and that have
moments and the same unit values. The moment of inertia is highest through a
X,Y,Z directions certain axis at the centroid of an object. The moment of inertia is lowest
about centroid through the second axis that is normal to the first axis and that also
passes through the centroid. A third value included in the results is
somewhere between the high and low values.

Calculations Based on the Current UCS

The following table shows the parameters that control the units in which
mass properties are calculated.

Parameters that control MASSPROP units

Parameter Used to calculate

DENSITY Mass of solids

LENGTH Volume of solids

LENGTH*LENGTH Area of regions and surface area of solids

LENGTH*LENGTH*LENGTH Bounding box, radii of gyration, centroid, and

perimeter

DENSITY*LENGTH*LENGTH Moments of inertia, products of inertia, and

principal moments

524 | MASSPROP
MATCHCELL
Applies the properties of a selected table cell to other table cells
Shortcut menu: With a table selected and a cell selected, right-click and then
click Match Cell on the shortcut menu.
Command line: matchcell

Select source cell: Click inside a cell in a table whose properties you want to copy
Select destination cell: Click inside table cells to copy properties from the source cell,
and right-click or press ENTER or ESC to exit

All the properties of the source cell are copied to the destination cells except
for the cell type: text or block.

MATCHPROP
Applies the properties of a selected object to other objects

Standard toolbar:
Modify menu: Match Properties
Command line: matchprop or painter (or 'matchprop for transparent use)

Select source object: Select the object whose properties you want to copy
Current active settings: Currently selected matchprop settings
Select destination object(s) or [Settings]: Enter s or select one or more objects to
copy properties to

Destination Specifies the objects to which you want to copy the

Object(s) properties of the source object. You can continue
selecting destination objects, or press ENTER to apply
the properties and end the command.
Settings Displays the Property Settings dialog box (see page
526), in which you can control which object properties
to copy to the destination objects. By default, AutoCAD
selects all object properties in the Property Settings
dialog box for copying.

MATCHCELL | 525
 Property Settings Dialog Box
Specifies properties to be copied with MATCHPROP. Select one or more
settings.
Color Changes the color of the destination object to that of
the source object. Available for all objects.
Layer Changes the layer of the destination object to that of
the source object. Available for all objects.
Linetype Changes the linetype of the destination object to that
of the source object. Available for all objects except
attributes, hatches, multiline text, points, and
viewports.
Linetype Scale Changes the linetype scale factor of the destination
object to that of the source object. Available for all
objects except attributes, hatches, multiline text,
points, and viewports.
Lineweight Changes the lineweight of the destination object to
that of the source object. Available for all objects.
Thickness Changes the thickness of the destination object to that
of the source object. Available only for arcs, attributes,
circles, lines, points, 2D polylines, regions, text, and
traces.
Plot Style Changes the plot style of the destination object to that
of the source object. If you are working in color-
dependent plot style mode (PSTYLEPOLICY is set to 1),
this option is unavailable. Available for all objects.
Dimension In addition to basic object properties, changes the
dimension style of the destination object to that of the
source object. Available only for dimension, leader, and
tolerance objects.
Polyline In addition to basic object properties, changes the
width and linetype generation properties of the
destination polyline to those of the source polyline.
The fit/smooth property and the elevation of the source
polyline are not transferred to the destination polyline.
If the source polyline has variable width, the width
property is not transferred to the destination polyline.

526 | MATCHPROP
 Text In addition to basic object properties, changes the text
style of the destination object to that of the source
object. Available only for single-line and multiline text
objects.
Viewport In addition to basic object properties, changes the
following properties of the destination paper space
viewport to match those of the source viewport: on/off,
display locking, standard or custom scale, shade plot,
snap, grid, and UCS icon visibility and location.
The settings for clipping and for UCS per viewport and
the freeze/thaw state of the layers are not transferred to
the destination object.
Hatch In addition to basic object properties, changes the
hatch pattern of the destination object to that of the
source object. Available only for hatch objects.
Table In addition to basic object properties, changes the table
style of the destination object to that of the source
object. Available only for table objects.

MATLIB
Imports and exports materials to and from a library of materials
You can import a predefined material from a materials library file (MLI). You
can use a material as is or modify it.
A new drawing contains only the GLOBAL material. The GLOBAL material is a
set of default material values.

Render toolbar:
View menu: Render Materials Library
Command line: matlib

The Materials Library dialog box is displayed.

MATLIB | 527
 Materials Library Dialog Box
Imports materials into and exports materials from the drawing.

Current Drawing
Displays the materials currently in the drawing. A material can be in the
drawing but not assigned to any object. Such a material is called unattached
or unassigned.
In the Current Drawing list, you can save or purge materials. Selecting mate-
rials in the Current Library list removes selection from all items selected in
the Current Drawing list and vice versa.
Purge Deletes all unattached materials from the Current
Drawing list.
Save As Displays the Library File dialog box (a standard file
selection dialog box), where you can specify the name
of the materials library (MLI) file in which AutoCAD
saves the Current Drawing list.

Current Library
Displays the materials in the currently selected library file. The default library
is render.mli.
Open Displays the Library File dialog box (a standard file
selection dialog box), which lists MLI files.
Save Saves the changes to the MLI file in the current folder.

528 | MATLIB
Save As Displays the Library File dialog box (a standard file
selection dialog box), where you can specify the name
of the materials library (MLI) file in which AutoCAD
saves the Current Library list.

Preview
Displays a sample of the material selected in the Current Library list or Cur-
rent Drawing list. Use the list to specify whether the sample is applied to a
sphere or a cube. You can preview only one material at a time.

Import
Adds one or more materials selected in the Current Library list to the Current
Drawing list. If you try to import a material already in the Current Drawing
list, AutoCAD displays the Reconcile Imported Material Names dialog box
(see page 529).

Export
Adds one or more materials selected in the Current Drawing list to the Cur-
rent Library list. If you try to export a material already in the Current Library
list, AutoCAD displays the Reconcile Exported Material Names dialog box
(see page 530).

Delete
Deletes materials selected in the Current Drawing list or the Current Library
list.

Reconcile Imported Material Names Dialog Box

Creates and modifies imported material names.

Options
Determines how AutoCAD treats the material you are reconciling and the
objects that are currently attached to that material.
Overwrite Replaces the material in the Current Drawing list with
Existing Material the selected material in the Current Library list.
If this option is cleared and you enter different names
for the materials under Old Material in List and New
Material from Library, AutoCAD adds the library
material to the Current Drawing list.

MATLIB | 529
 Transfer Attaches the object to the material being imported from
Attachments the library. If this option is cleared, AutoCAD keeps the
object attached to the material in the Current Drawing
list.

Material Names
Modifies the names of the old and new materials that are being imported.
Old Material in Displays the name of the material in the Current
List Drawing list. If Overwrite Existing Material is not
selected, you can edit the name of the material.
New Material Displays the name of the material in the Current
from Library Library list. You can always edit this name. If Overwrite
Existing Material is not selected, you must enter a
different name for the new material.

OK
Reconciles only the last selected material name and closes the dialog box.

OK to All
Reconciles all materials and closes the dialog box.

Reconcile Exported Material Names Dialog Box

Creates and modifies exported material names.

Options
Determines how AutoCAD treats the material you are reconciling and the
objects selected.
Overwrite Replaces the material in the Current Library list with
Existing Material the selected material in the Current Drawing list.
If this option is cleared and you enter different names
under Old Material in Library and New Material from
List, AutoCAD adds the material to the Current Library
list.

Material Names
Modifies the names of the old and new materials that are being exported.
Old Material in Displays the name of the material in the Current
Library Library list. If Overwrite Existing Material is not
selected, you can edit the name of the material.

530 | MATLIB
 New Material Displays the name of the material in the Current
from List Drawing list. You can always edit this name. If
Overwrite Existing Material is not selected, you must
enter a different name for the new material.

OK
Reconciles only the last selected material name and closes the dialog box.

OK to All
Reconciles all materials and closes the dialog box.

MEASURE
Places point objects or blocks at measured intervals on an object
Draw menu: Point Measure
Command line: measure

Select object to measure:

Specify length of segment or [Block]: Specify a distance or enter b

The points or blocks drawn by MEASURE are placed in the Previous selection
set, so you can choose them all by entering p at the next Select Objects
prompt. You can use the Node object snap to draw an object by snapping to
the point objects. You can then remove the points by entering erase
previous.
AutoCAD places the markers in the user coordinate system (UCS) of the
object being measured (except for 3D polylines in the current UCS). Markers
are always placed on the object, regardless of the elevation settings.
If you use point objects for the markers, you can make the points easier to see
by changing their appearance with the PDMODE system variable.
Length of Places point objects at the specified interval along the
Segment selected object, starting at the endpoint closest to the
point you used to select the object.
Measurement of closed polylines starts at their initial
vertex (the first one drawn).
Measurement of circles starts at the angle from the
center set as the current snap rotation angle. If the snap
rotation angle is 0, then the measurement of the circle
starts to the right of center, on its circumference.

MEASURE | 531
 segment
length

selected object

The illustration shows how MEASURE marks 0.5-unit

distances along a polyline, with the PDMODE system
variable set to 35.

segment length

select polyline measure every 0.5 units

Block Places blocks at a specified interval along the selected

object.
Enter name of block to insert: Enter the name of a block
currently defined in the drawing
Align block with object? [Yes/No] <Y>: Enter y or n or
press ENTER

If you enter y, the block is rotated about its insertion

point so that its horizontal lines are aligned with, and
drawn tangent to, the object being measured. If you
enter n, the block is always inserted with a 0 rotation
angle.
Specify length of segment:

After you specify the segment length, AutoCAD inserts

the block at the specified interval. If the block has
variable attributes, these attributes are not included.

532 | MEASURE
MENU
Loads a menu file
A menu file is a text file containing the AutoCAD command strings and
menu syntax that define the menu labels and menu macros. A menu file can
contain a section for each of these menu areas: drop-down menus, toolbars,
shortcut menus, image tile menus, screen menus, pointing device button
menus, accelerator keys, and digitizer tablet menus.
You can create a customized menu file and use MENU to load the file for use
in AutoCAD.
Command line: menu

The Select Menu File dialog box (a standard file selection dialog box) is dis-
played. Enter or select a menu file name. When you press ENTER or choose
Open, the named file is loaded into AutoCAD.

MENULOAD
Loads partial menu files
MENULOAD adds partial menu files to an existing base menu file, such as
acad.mnu. Each menu file (base and partial) has an associated menu group
name. From each menu group, you can access each drop-down menu that
resides in its associated menu file.
After you load the partial menus, you can customize the AutoCAD menu bar
by adding or deleting drop-down menus.
Tools menu: Customize Menus
Command line: menuload

The Menu Customization dialog box is displayed (see page 533).

When FILEDIA is set to 0, MENULOAD displays a prompt on the command line
(see page 536).

Menu Customization Dialog Box

Controls the view of menu groups and menu bars for the AutoCAD window.

Menu Groups Tab (Menu Customization Dialog Box)

Loads or unloads specified menus.

MENU | 533
 Menu Groups Lists the currently loaded menu files.
File Name Specifies the file to load when you choose Load. You
can either enter the file name or choose Browse to
display the Select Menu File dialog box (a standard file
selection dialog box).
Replace All Removes all existing menu groups from the Menu
Groups list when you load a new file menu.
Unload Unloads the menu group selected in the Menu Groups
list.
Load Loads the file specified under File Name.
Browse Displays the Select Menu File dialog box (a standard file
selection dialog box), in which you can select a menu
file to load.

Menu Bar Tab (Menu Customization Dialog Box)

Adds or deletes menus from the menu bar.

534 | MENULOAD
Menu Group Displays a selected menu file in the Menu Group list.
Menus Lists all the menus from the menu group specified in
the Menu Group list.
Menu Bar Lists all the menus loaded in the AutoCAD window. The
menu at the top of the list corresponds to the leftmost
menu on the menu bar in the AutoCAD window. The
menu at the bottom of the list corresponds to the
rightmost drop-down menu.
Insert Inserts the menu selected in the Menus list above the
selected menu in the Menu Bar list. If no menu is
selected in the Menu Bar list, the menu selected in the
Menus list is inserted at the top of the Menu Bar list.
Move Up Moves the menu that is selected in the Menu Bar list up
one position.
Move Down Moves the menu that is selected in the Menu Bar list
down one position.
Remove Removes the selected menu from the Menu Bar list.
Remove All Removes all menus from the menu bar in the AutoCAD
window.

MENULOAD | 535
 MENULOAD Command Line
When FILEDIA is set to 0 (off), MENULOAD displays the following prompt on
the command line.
Enter name of menu file to load: Enter a file name

MENUUNLOAD
Unloads partial menu files
Command line: menuunload

The Menu Customization dialog box (see page 533) is displayed, which has
the same options as MENULOAD. The only difference between the two com-
mands is in the command line prompts.
When FILEDIA is set to 0 (off), MENUUNLOAD displays the following prompt
on the command line.
Enter the name of the MENUGROUP to unload: Enter a name

MINSERT
Inserts multiple instances of a block in a rectangular array
Blocks inserted using MINSERT cannot be exploded.
Command line: minsert

Enter block name or [?]: Enter a name, enter ? to list the currently defined blocks
in the drawing, or enter ~ to display the Select Drawing File dialog box

Note You cannot precede the name of a block with an asterisk to explode the
blocks objects during insertion, as you can with INSERT.

Specify insertion point or [Scale/X/Y/Z/Rotate/PScale/PX/PY/PZ/PRotate]:

Specify a point or enter an option

Options at the insertion point preset the scale and rotation of a block before
you specify its position. Presetting is useful for dragging a block using a scale
factor and a rotation other than 1 or 0. If you enter one of the options,
respond to the AutoCAD prompts by specifying a distance for the scale
options or an angle for rotation.

536 | MENUUNLOAD
Insertion Point
Specifies a location for the blocks.
Enter X scale factor, specify opposite corner, or [Corner/XYZ] <1>: Enter a value,
enter an option, or press ENTER

X Scale Factor Sets X and Y scale factors.

Enter Y scale factor <use X scale factor>: Enter a value or
press ENTER to use the same scale factor
Specify rotation angle <0>:

The rotation angle sets the angle of the individual block

inserts and also sets the angle of the entire array.
Enter number of rows (---) <1>: Enter a positive value
Enter number of columns (| | |) <1>: Enter a positive value

If you specify more than one row, AutoCAD displays

the following prompt:
Enter distance between rows or specify unit cell (---):
Enter a value, or specify two points to define a box whose
width and height represent the distance between rows and
between columns

If you specify more than one column and no unit cell,

AutoCAD displays the following prompt:
Specify distance between columns ( | | | ): Enter a value
or specify a distance

Corner Sets the scale factor by using the block insertion point
and the opposite corner.
Specify opposite corner: Specify a point
Specify rotation angle <0>:

The rotation angle sets the angle of the individual block

inserts and also sets the angle of the entire array.
Enter number of rows (---) <1>: Enter a positive value
Enter number of columns (| | |) <1>: Enter a positive value

If you specify more than one row, AutoCAD displays

the following prompt:

MINSERT | 537
 Enter distance between rows or specify unit cell (---):
Enter a value, or specify two points to define a box whose
width and height represent the distance between rows and
between columns

If you specify more than one column and no unit cell,

AutoCAD displays the following prompt:
Specify distance between columns ( | | | ): Enter a value
or specify a distance

XYZ Sets X, Y, and Z scale factors.

Specify X scale factor or [Corner] <1>: Enter a value or
press ENTER to use the same scale factor

If you enter c, you specify a corner point. The specified

point and the block insertion point determine the X
and Y scale factors.
Specify Y scale factor or <use X scale factor>: Enter a
value or press ENTER to use the same scale factor
Enter Z scale factor <use X scale factor>: Enter a value or
press ENTER to use the same scale factor
Specify rotation angle <0>:

The rotation angle sets the angle of the individual block

inserts and also sets the angle of the entire array.
Enter number of rows (---) <1>: Enter a positive value
Enter number of columns (| | |) <1>: Enter a positive value

If you specify more than one row, AutoCAD displays

the following prompt:
Enter distance between rows or specify unit cell (---):
Enter a value, or specify two points to define a box whose
width and height represent the distance between rows and
between columns

If you specify more than one column and no unit cell,

AutoCAD displays the following prompt:
Specify distance between columns ( | | | ): Enter a value
or specify a distance

538 | MINSERT
Scale
Sets the scale factor for the X, Y, and Z axes. The scale for the Z axis is the
absolute value of the specified scale factor.
Specify scale factor for XYZ axes: Enter a nonzero value
Specify insertion point:
Specify rotation angle <0>:

The rotation angle sets the angle of the individual block inserts and also sets
the angle of the entire array.
Enter number of rows (---) <1>: Enter a positive value
Enter number of columns (| | |) <1>: Enter a positive value

If you specify more than one row, AutoCAD displays the following prompt:
Enter distance between rows or specify unit cell (---): Enter a value, or specify
two points to define a box whose width and height represent the distance between
rows and between columns

If you specify more than one row, AutoCAD displays the following prompt:
Specify distance between columns ( | | | ): Enter a value or specify a distance

X
Sets the X scale factor.
Specify X scale factor: Enter a nonzero value
Specify insertion point:
Specify rotation angle <0>:

The rotation angle sets the angle of the individual block inserts and also sets
the angle of the entire array.
Enter number of rows (---) <1>: Enter a positive value
Enter number of columns (| | |) <1>: Enter a positive value

If you specify more than one row, AutoCAD displays the following prompt:
Enter distance between rows or specify unit cell (---): Enter a value, or specify
two points to define a box whose width and height represent the distance between
rows and between columns

MINSERT | 539
 If you specify more than one column and no unit cell, AutoCAD displays the
following prompt:
Specify distance between columns ( | | | ): Enter a value or specify a distance

Y
Sets the Y scale factor.
Specify Y scale factor: Enter a nonzero value
Specify insertion point:
Specify rotation angle <0>:

The rotation angle sets the angle of the individual block inserts and also sets
the angle of the entire array.
Enter number of rows (---) <1>: Enter a positive value
Enter number of columns (| | |) <1>: Enter a positive value

If you specify more than one row, AutoCAD displays the following prompt:
Enter distance between rows or specify unit cell (---): Enter a value, or specify
two points to define a box whose width and height represent the distance between
rows and between columns

If you specify more than one column and no unit cell, AutoCAD displays the
following prompt:
Specify distance between columns ( | | | ): Enter a value or specify a distance

Z
Sets the Z scale factor.
Specify Z scale factor: Enter a nonzero value
Specify insertion point:
Specify rotation angle <0>:

The rotation angle sets the angle of the individual block inserts and also sets
the angle of the entire array.
Enter number of rows (---) <1>: Enter a positive value
Enter number of columns (| | |) <1>: Enter a positive value

540 | MINSERT
If you specify more than one row, AutoCAD displays the following prompt:
Enter distance between rows or specify unit cell (---): Enter a value, or specify
two points to define a box whose width and height represent the distance between
rows and between columns

If you specify more than one column and no unit cell, AutoCAD displays the
following prompt:
Specify distance between columns ( | | | ): Enter a value or specify a distance

Rotate
Sets the angle of insertion for both the individual blocks and the entire array.
Specify rotation angle <0>:
Specify insertion point:
Enter X scale factor, specify opposite corner, or [Corner/XYZ] <1>: Enter a value,
enter an option or press ENTER

X Scale Factor Sets the X scale factor.

Enter Y scale factor <use X scale factor>: Enter a value or
press ENTER to use the same scale factor
Enter number of rows (---) <1>: Enter a positive value
Enter number of columns (| | |) <1>: Enter a positive value

If you specify more than one row, AutoCAD displays

the following prompt:
Enter distance between rows or specify unit cell (---):
Enter a value or specify a distance

If you specify more than one column and no unit cell,

AutoCAD displays the following prompt:
Specify distance between columns ( | | | ): Enter a value
or specify a distance

MINSERT | 541
 Corner Sets the scale factor by the specified point and the block
insertion point.
Specify opposite corner: Specify a point
Enter number of rows (---) <1>: Enter a positive value
Enter number of columns (| | |) <1>: Enter a positive value

If you specify more than one row, AutoCAD displays

the following prompt:
Enter distance between rows or specify unit cell (---):
Enter a value or specify a distance

If you specify more than one column and no unit cell,

AutoCAD displays the following prompt:
Specify distance between columns ( | | | ): Enter a value
or specify a distance

XYZ Specify X scale factor or [Corner] <1>: Specify a nonzero

value, enter c, or press ENTER

You can determine the X and Y scale factors by entering

a scale factor value or by specifying a corner point. If
you specify a corner point, the specified point and the
block insertion point determine the X and Y scale
factors for the block.
Enter Z scale factor <use X scale factor>: Enter a value or
press ENTER to use the same scale factor
Enter number of rows (---) <1>: Enter a positive value
Enter number of columns (| | |) <1>: Enter a positive value

If you specify more than one row, AutoCAD displays

the following prompt:
Enter distance between rows or specify unit cell (---):
Enter a value or specify a distance

If you specify more than one column and no unit cell,

AutoCAD displays the following prompt:
Specify distance between columns ( | | | ): Enter a value
or specify a distance

542 | MINSERT
PScale
Sets the scale factor for the X, Y, and Z axes to control the display of the block
as it is dragged into position.
Specify preview scale factor for XYZ axes: Enter a nonzero value
Specify insertion point:
Enter X scale factor, specify opposite corner, or [Corner/XYZ] <1>: Enter a value,
enter an option, or press ENTER

The descriptions of the X Scale Factor, Corner, and XYZ options match those
of the corresponding options under Rotate (see page 541).

PX
Sets the scale factor for the X axis to control the display of the block as it is
dragged into position.
Specify preview X scale factor: Enter a nonzero value
Specify insertion point:
Enter X scale factor, specify opposite corner, or [Corner/XYZ] <1>: Enter a value,
enter an option, or press ENTER

The descriptions of the X Scale Factor, Corner, and XYZ options match those
of the corresponding options under Rotate (see page 541).

PY
Sets the scale factor for the Y axis to control the display of the block as it is
dragged into position.
Specify preview Y scale factor: Enter a nonzero value
Specify insertion point:
Enter X scale factor, specify opposite corner, or [Corner/XYZ] <1>: Enter a value,
enter an option, or press ENTER

The descriptions of the X Scale Factor, Corner, and XYZ options match those
of the corresponding options under Rotate (see page 541).

MINSERT | 543
 PZ
Sets the scale factor for the Z axis to control the display of the block as it is
dragged into position.
Specify preview Z scale factor: Enter a nonzero value
Specify insertion point:
Enter X scale factor, specify opposite corner, or [Corner/XYZ] <1>: Enter a value,
enter an option, or press ENTER

The descriptions of the X Scale Factor, Corner, and XYZ options match those
of the corresponding options under Rotate (see page 541).

PRotate
Sets the rotation angle of the block as it is dragged into position.
Specify preview rotation angle:
Specify insertion point:
Enter X scale factor, specify opposite corner, or [Corner/XYZ] <1>: Enter a value,
enter an option, or press ENTER

The descriptions of the X Scale Factor, Corner, and XYZ options match those
of the corresponding options under Rotate (see page 541).

MIRROR
Creates a mirror image copy of objects

Modify toolbar:
Modify menu: Mirror
Command line: mirror

Select objects: Use an object selection method and press ENTER to finish
Specify first point of mirror line: Specify a point (1)
Specify second point of mirror line: Specify a point (2)
objects selected

2 The two specified points become the endpoints of a line about which the
selected objects are reflected. In 3D, this line orients a mirroring plane per-
pendicular to the XY plane of the user coordinate system (UCS) containing
1 the mirror line.
Delete source objects? [Yes/No] <N>: Enter y or n, or press ENTER

544 | MIRROR
 Yes Places the reflected image into the drawing and deletes
the original objects.
No Places the reflected image into the drawing and retains
original objects
the original objects.
deleted
To manage the reflection properties of text objects, use the MIRRTEXT system
variable. The default setting of MIRRTEXT is 1 (on), which causes a text object
to be mirrored just like any other object. When MIRRTEXT is off (0), text is not
mirrored.
original objects
retained

before mirroring after mirroring after mirroring

(MIRRTEXT=1) (MIRRTEXT=0)

MIRROR3D
Creates a mirror image of objects about a plane
Modify menu: 3D Operation Mirror 3D
Command line: mirror3d

Select objects: Use an object selection method and press ENTER to finish
Specify first point of mirror plane (3 points) or [Object/Last/Zaxis/View/XY/YZ/
ZX/3points] <3points>: Enter an option, specify a point, or press ENTER

Object Uses the plane of a selected planar object as the

mirroring plane.
Select a circle, arc, or 2D-polyline segment:
Delete source objects? [Yes/No] <N>: Enter y or n, or
press ENTER

If you enter y, AutoCAD places the reflected object into

the drawing and deletes the original objects. If you
enter n or press ENTER , AutoCAD places the reflected
object into the drawing and retains the original objects.

MIRROR3D | 545
 Last Mirrors the selected objects about the last defined
mirroring plane.
Delete source objects? [Yes/No] <N>: Enter y or n, or
press ENTER

If you enter y, AutoCAD places the reflected object into

the drawing and deletes the original objects. If you
select object as
mirroring plane enter n or press ENTER , AutoCAD places the reflected
object into the drawing and retains the original objects.
Z Axis Defines the mirroring plane by a point on the plane and
a point normal to the plane.
Specify point on mirror plane: Specify a point (1)
2 1 Specify point on Z-axis (normal) of mirror plane: Specify
a point (2)
Delete source objects? [Yes/No] <N>: Enter y or n, or
press ENTER

If you enter y, AutoCAD places the reflected object into

the drawing and deletes the original objects. If you
enter n or press ENTER , AutoCAD places the reflected
object into the drawing and retains the original objects.
View Aligns the mirroring plane with the viewing plane of
the current viewport through a point.
Specify point on view plane <0,0,0>: Specify a point or
press ENTER
Delete source objects? [Yes/No] <N>: Enter y or n, or
press ENTER

If you enter y, AutoCAD places the reflected object into

the drawing and deletes the original objects. If you
enter n or press ENTER , AutoCAD places the reflected
object into the drawing and retains the original objects.
XY/YZ/ZX Aligns the mirroring plane with one of the standard
planes (XY, YZ, or ZX) through a specified point.
Specify point on (XY, YZ, ZX) plane <0,0,0>: Specify a
point (1) or press ENTER

546 | MIRROR3D
 1 1 1

XY YZ ZX

Delete source objects? [Yes/No] <N>: Enter y or n, or

press ENTER

If you enter y, AutoCAD places the reflected object into

the drawing and deletes the original objects. If you
enter n or press ENTER , AutoCAD places the reflected
object into the drawing and retains the original objects.
3 Points Defines the mirroring plane by three points. If you
select this option by specifying a point, AutoCAD does
not display the First Point on Mirror Plane prompt.

1
Specify first point on mirror plane: Enter a point (1)
3 Specify second point on mirror plane: Enter a point (2)
2 Specify third point on mirror plane: Enter a point (3)
Delete source objects? [Yes/No] <N>: Enter y or n, or
press ENTER

If you enter y, AutoCAD places the reflected object into

the drawing and deletes the original objects. If you
enter n or press ENTER , AutoCAD places the reflected
object into the drawing and retains the original objects.
MLEDIT
Edits multiple parallel lines
Multiple parallel lines are called multilines. MLEDIT controls intersections
between multilines.
Modify menu: Object Multiline
Command line: mledit

The Multiline Edit Tools dialog box is displayed.

MLEDIT | 547
 Multiline Edit Tools Dialog Box
Creates and modifies multiline patterns. The dialog box displays sample
images in four columns. The first column governs multilines that cross, the
second governs multilines that form a tee, the third governs corner joints and
vertices, and the fourth governs multilines to be cut or joined.

You can click any of the image samples to display a brief description in the
lower-left corner of the dialog box.

Closed Cross
Creates a closed-cross intersection between two multilines. After you select
the sample image,the following prompt is displayed:
Select first mline: Select the foreground multiline
Select second mline: Select the intersecting multiline

The closed-cross intersection is completed and the following prompt is

displayed:
Select first mline or [Undo]: Select another multiline or enter u

First Mline Edits another multiline. The Select Second Mline

prompt is displayed.

first mline selected second mline selected result

548 | MLEDIT
Undo Undoes the closed-cross intersection. The Select First
Mline prompt is displayed.

Open Cross
Creates an open-cross intersection between two multilines. Breaks are
inserted in all elements of the first multiline and only the outside elements
of the second multiline. After you select the sample image, the following
prompt is displayed:
Select first mline: Select a multiline
Select second mline: Select the intersecting multiline

The open-cross intersection is completed, and the following prompt is

displayed:
Select first mline or [Undo]: Select another multiline or enter u

First Mline Edits another multiline. The Select Second Mline

prompt is displayed.

first mline selected second mline selected result

Undo Undoes the open-cross intersection. The Select First

Mline prompt is displayed.

Merged Cross
Creates a merged-cross intersection between two multilines. The order in
which you select the multilines is not important. After you select the sample
image, the following prompt is displayed:
Select first mline: Select a multiline
Select second mline: Select the intersecting multiline

The merged-cross intersection is completed, and the following prompt is

displayed:
Select first mline or [Undo]: Select another multiline or enter u

First Mline Edits another multiline. The Select Second Mline

prompt is displayed.

MLEDIT | 549
 first mline selected second mline selected result

Undo Undoes the merged-cross intersection. The Select First

Mline prompt is displayed.

Closed Tee
Creates a closed-tee intersection between two multilines. The first multiline
is trimmed or extended to its intersection with the second multiline. After
you select the sample image, the following prompt is displayed:
Select first mline: Select the multiline to trim
Select second mline: Select the intersecting multiline

The closed-tee intersection is completed, and the following prompt is

displayed:
Select first mline (or Undo): Select another multiline or enter u

First Mline Edits another multiline. The Select Second Mline

prompt is displayed.

first mline selected second mline selected result

Undo Undoes the closed-tee intersection. The Select First

Mline prompt is displayed.

Open Tee
Creates an open-tee intersection between two multilines. The first multiline
is trimmed or extended to its intersection with the second multiline. After
you select the sample image, the following prompt is displayed:

550 | MLEDIT
Select first mline: Select the multiline to trim or extend
Select second mline: Select the intersecting multiline

The open-tee intersection is completed, and the following prompt is

displayed:
Select first mline (or Undo): Select another multiline or enter u

First Mline Edits another multiline. The Select Second Mline

prompt is displayed.

first mline selected second mline selected result

Undo Undoes the open-tee intersection. The Select First Mline

prompt is displayed.

Merged Tee
Creates a merged-tee intersection between two multilines.The multiline is
trimmed or extended to its intersection with the other multiline. After you
select the sample image, the following prompt is displayed:
Select first mline: Select the multiline to trim or extend
Select second mline: Select the intersecting multiline

The merged-tee intersection is completed, and the following prompt is

displayed:
Select first mline (or Undo): Select another multiline or enter u

First Mline Edits another multiline. The Select Second Mline

prompt is displayed.

first mline selected second mline selected result

MLEDIT | 551
 Undo Undoes the merged-tee intersection. The Select First
Mline prompt is displayed.

Corner Joint
Creates a corner joint between multilines. The multilines are trimmed or
extended to their intersection. After you select the sample image, the follow-
ing prompt is displayed:
Select first mline: Select the multiline to trim or extend
Select second mline: Select the second half of the corner

The corner joint is completed, and the following prompt is displayed:

Select first mline (or Undo): Select another multiline or enter u

First Mline Edits another multiline. The Select Second Mline

prompt is displayed.

first mline selected second mline selected result

Undo Undoes the corner joint. The Select First Mline prompt
is displayed.

Add Vertex
Adds a vertex to a multiline. After you select the sample image, the following
prompt is displayed:
Select mline: Select a multiline

A vertex is added at the selected point, and the following prompt is

displayed:
Select mline or [Undo]: Select another multiline or enter u

Mline Edits another multiline. The Select Mline prompt is

displayed again.

552 | MLEDIT
mline selected result

Undo Removes the added vertex. The Select Mline prompt is

displayed.

Delete Vertex
Deletes a vertex from a multiline. After you select the sample image, the fol-
lowing prompt is displayed:
Select mline: Select a multiline

The vertex nearest to the selected point is deleted, and the following prompt
is displayed:
Select mline or [Undo]: Select another multiline or enter u

Mline Edits another multiline. The Select Mline prompt is

displayed again.

mline selected result

Undo Restores the deleted vertex. The Select Mline prompt is

displayed.

Cut Single
Cuts a selected element of a multiline. After you select the sample image, the
following prompt is displayed:
Select mline: Select a multiline

The selection point on the multiline is used as the first cut point, and the fol-
lowing prompt is displayed:
Select second point: Specify the second cut point on the multiline

MLEDIT | 553
 The element is cut, and the following prompt is displayed:
Select mline or [Undo]: Select another multiline or enter u

Mline Edits another multiline. The Select Mline prompt is

displayed again.

mline selected second point selected result

Undo Undoes the cut. The Select Mline prompt is displayed.

Cut All
Cuts a multiline in two. After you select the sample image, the following
prompt is displayed:
Select mline: Select a multiline

The selection point on the multiline is used as the first cut point, and the fol-
lowing prompt is displayed:
Select second point: Specify the second cut point on the multiline

All elements of the multiline are cut, and the following prompt is displayed:
Select mline or [Undo]: Select another multiline or enter u

Mline Edits another multiline. The Select Mline prompt is

displayed again.

mline selected second point selected result

Undo Undoes the cut. The Select Mline prompt is displayed.

Weld All
Rejoins multiline segments that have been cut. After you select the sample
image, the following prompt is displayed:

554 | MLEDIT
 Select mline: Select a multiline

The selection point on the multiline is used as the start of the weld, and the
following prompt is displayed:
Select second point: Specify the end of the weld on the multiline

The multiline is welded, and the following prompt is displayed:

Select mline or [Undo]: Select another multiline or enter u

Mline Edits another multiline. The Select Mline prompt is

displayed again.

mline selected second point selected result

Undo Undoes the weld.The Select Mline prompt again.

MLINE
Creates multiple parallel lines
Multiple parallel lines are called multilines.
Draw menu: Multiline
Command line: mline

Current settings: Justification = current, Scale = current, Style = current

Specify start point or [Justification/Scale/STyle]: Specify a point or enter an option

Start Point
Specifies the next vertex of the multiline.
Specify next point:
Specify next point or [Undo]: Specify a point or enter u

MLINE | 555
 If you create a multiline with two or more segments, AutoCAD displays a
prompt that includes the Close option.
Specify next point or [Close/Undo]: Specify a point or enter an option

Next Point Draws a multiline segment to the specified point using

the current multiline style and continues to prompt for
points.
Undo Undoes the last vertex point on the multiline.
AutoCAD redisplays the previous prompt.
Close Closes the multiline by joining the last segments with
the first segments.
Justification
Determines how the multiline is drawn between the points you specify.
Enter justification type [Top/Zero/Bottom] <current>: Enter an option or press
ENTER

top Top Draws the multiline below the cursor, so that the line
with the most positive offset is at the specified points.

Zero Draws the multiline with its origin centered at the

cursor, so that the MLSTYLE Element Properties offset of
zero 0.0 is at the specified points.
Bottom Draws the multiline above the cursor, so that the line
with the most negative offset is at the specified points.
Scale
bottom Controls the overall width of the multiline. This scale does not affect line-
type scale.
Enter mline scale <current>: Enter a scale or press ENTER

556 | MLINE
 The scale factor is based on the width established in the multiline style
definition. A scale factor of 2 produces a multiline twice as wide as the style
scale at 1
definition. A negative scale factor flips the order of the offset linethe small-
est on top when the multiline is drawn from left to right. A negative scale
value also alters the scale by the absolute value. A scale factor of 0 collapses
the multiline into a single line. For information about the multiline style
scale at 2 definition, see MLSTYLE.
Style
Specifies a style to use for the multiline. See Draw Multiple-Line Objects in
the Users Guide, and see MLSTYLE.
Enter mline style name or [?]: Enter a name or enter ?

Style Name Specifies the name of a style that has already been
loaded or thats defined in a multiline library (MLN) file
youve created.
?List Styles Lists the loaded multiline styles.

MLSTYLE
Defines a style for multiple parallel lines
Multilines comprise up to 16 lines called elements. The multiline style con-
trols the number of elements and the properties of each element. MLSTYLE
also controls the background color and the end caps of each multiline.
Format menu: Multiline Style
Command line: mlstyle

AutoCAD displays the Multiline Styles dialog box.

MLSTYLE | 557
 Multiline Styles Dialog Box
Defines the style and properties of multilines. The Multiline Styles dialog box
displays multiline style names, makes them current, loads them from a file,
and saves, adds, and renames them. You can also create or edit a description
of a style.

Current Displays and sets the current multiline style. Select a

name from the list to make it current. If there are
multiple styles, the name of the current style is selected.
The list of multiline styles can include externally
referenced multiline stylesthat is, multiline styles
that exist in an externally referenced drawing (xref).
AutoCAD displays externally referenced multiline style
names using the same syntax it uses for other externally
dependent nongraphical objects. See Overview of
External References in the Users Guide.
Note You cannot edit the element and multiline
properties of the STANDARD multiline style or any
multiline style that is being used in the drawing. If you try
to edit the options in either the Element Properties dialog
box (see page 560) or the Multiline Properties dialog box
(see page 561), the options are unavailable. To edit an
existing multiline style, you must do so before you draw
any multilines in that style.

558 | MLSTYLE
Name Names a new multiline style or renames one. The
element and multiline properties are unavailable until
you enter a new name and make it current by choosing
Add.
Enter a name and choose Add, and then save the
multiline style to a multiline library (MLN) file.
AutoCAD saves the definition in the MLN file you
specify. If you specify an MLN file that already exists,
the new style definition is added to the file and existing
definitions are not erased. The default file name is
acad.mln.
To rename a style, enter a name and choose Rename.
You cannot rename, modify, or delete the default
STANDARD multiline style. To make a copy of the
current style, enter a name and then choose Save.
Multiline style names adhere to the naming
conventions for named objects.
Description Adds a description to a multiline style. Enter up to 255
characters, including spaces.
Load Displays the Load Multiline Styles dialog box (see page
560), in which you can load multiline styles from a
specified MLN file.
Save Saves or copies a multiline style. Enter a name and then
choose Save.
Add Adds the multiline style in Name to the Current list.
Rename Renames a multiline style. Enter a name and then
choose Rename.
Element Displays the Element Properties dialog box (see page
Properties 560).
You cannot edit the element properties of an existing
multiline style.
Multiline Displays the Multiline Properties dialog box (see page
Properties 561).

MLSTYLE | 559
 Load Multiline Styles Dialog Box
Loads a multiline style from an MLN file. The default file name is acad.mln.
If acad.mln does not exist, or if it exists but AutoCAD cannot find it, choose
File to specify another file or file location.
File Displays a standard file selection dialog box in which
you can locate and select another library file.
List Lists the multiline styles available in the current library
file. To load another multiline style, select a style from
the list and choose OK.

Element Properties Dialog Box

Sets the properties, such as the offset, color, and linetype, of new and existing
multiline elements.

Elements Displays all the line elements in the current multiline

style. Each line element in the style is defined by its
offset from the multiline origin (0.0), color, and
linetype. The line elements are always displayed in
descending order of their offsets.
Add Adds a new line element to the multiline style. Not
available until color or linetype has been selected for a
multiline style other than STANDARD.
Delete Deletes a line element from the multiline style.
Offset Specifies the offset for line elements in the multiline
style.

560 | MLSTYLE
 0.1
0.0
0.1
0.3
0.45
a four-element multiline, each element offset from 0.0

Color Displays and sets the color for line elements in the
multiline style. When you choose Color or the color
swatch, AutoCAD displays the Select Color dialog box
(see page 172). You can use the Select Color dialog box
to define the color of objects by selecting from the 255
AutoCAD Color Index (ACI) colors, true colors, and
color book colors.
Linetype Displays and sets the linetype for line elements in the
multiline style. When you choose Linetype, AutoCAD
displays the Select Linetype Properties dialog box,
which displays loaded linetypes. Select a linetype from
this dialog box. To load a new linetype, choose Load.
AutoCAD displays the Load or Reload Linetypes dialog
box (see page 501) for loading selected linetypes into
the drawing from linetype files.

Multiline Properties Dialog Box

Sets the multiline properties, such as the display of segment joints, the start
and end caps and their angle, and the background color.

MLSTYLE | 561
 Display Joints
Controls the display of the joints at the vertices of each multiline segment.
A joint is also known as a miter.

Display Joints off Display Joints on

Caps
Controls the start and end caps of the multiline.
Line Creates a straight line across each end of the multiline.

without Line with Line

Outer Arc Creates an arc between the outermost elements of the

multiline.

without Outer Arc with Outer Arc

Inner Arcs Creates an arc between pairs of inner elements. If

theres an odd number of elements, the center line is
unconnected. For example, if there are six elements,
inner arcs connect elements 2 and 5 and elements 3 and
4. If there are seven elements, inner arcs connect

562 | MLSTYLE
 elements 2 and 6 and elements 3 and 5. Element 4 is left
unconnected.

without Inner Arc with Inner Arc

Angle Specifies the angle of the end caps.

without Angle with Angle

Fill
Controls the background fill of the multiline.
On Turns background fill on.
Color Displays and sets the color of the background fill. When
you choose Color or the color swatch, AutoCAD
displays the Select Color dialog box (see page 172).

MODEL
Switches from a layout tab to the Model tab
Command line: model

On the Model tab, you can create drawings in model space. The Model tab
automatically sets the TILEMODE system variable to 1, and you can create
model viewports to display various views of your drawing. Once youve com-
pleted your drawing, you can choose a layout tab to begin designing a layout
environment from which to plot.

MODEL | 563
 For possible performance gains when you switch between layout tabs or
between the Model tab and a layout tab, use the LAYOUTREGENCTL system
variable to control how the display list is updated.

Note The Model tab replaces the TILE button that appeared on the status bar
in earlier releases of AutoCAD.

MOVE
Displaces objects a specified distance in a specified direction

Modify toolbar:
Modify menu: Move
Shortcut menu: Select the objects to move, right-click in the drawing area,
and choose Move.
Command line: move

Select objects: Use an object selection method and press ENTER when you finish
Specify base point or displacement: Specify a base point (1)
Specify second point of displacement or <use first point as displacement>:
Specify a point (2) or press ENTER

1
2
object selected object moved

The two points you specify define a displacement vector that indicates how
far the selected objects are to be moved and in what direction. If you press
ENTER at the Specify Second Point of Displacement prompt, the first point is
interpreted as relative X,Y,Z displacement. For example, if you specify 2,3 for
the base point and press ENTER at the next prompt, the object moves 2 units
in the X direction and 3 units in the Y direction from its current position.

564 | MOVE
MREDO
Reverses the effects of several previous UNDO or U commands
Reverses the action of multiple UNDO commands. To redo more than one
action at a time, click the arrow next to the Redo button on the Standard
toolbar, and then select the last in the sequence of actions you want to redo.

Standard toolbar:
Command line: mredo

Enter number of actions or [All/Last]: Specify an option, enter a positive number,

or press ENTER

Number of Reverses the specified number of actions.

Actions
All Reverses all previous actions.
Last Reverses only the last action.

MSLIDE
Creates a slide file of the current model viewport or the current layout
Command line: mslide

The Create Slide File dialog box (a standard file selection dialog box) is dis-
played. Enter a file name or select a slide (SLD) file from the list. A slide file
is a raster image of a viewport.
In model space, MSLIDE makes a slide file of the current viewport only. In
paper space, MSLIDE makes a slide file of the paper space display, including
all viewports and their contents.
Off-screen portions of the drawing, or layers that are off or frozen, are not
included in the slide.
Use the VSLIDE command to view slides, or the SLIDELIB utility to create a
slide library.
When you view slides of images shaded with the SHADE command in a larger
window or at a higher resolution than was used for creating the slide, black
lines may appear interspersed among the lines of the shaded image. To avoid
this situation, use a full screen that is set at the highest resolution when
creating slides.

MREDO | 565
MSPACE
Switches from paper space to a model space viewport
AutoCAD operates in either model space or paper space. You use model space
(the Model tab) to do drafting and design work and to create two-dimen-
sional drawings or three-dimensional models. You use paper space (a layout
tab) to create a finished layout of a drawing for plotting.
When you are in a layout, you can enter mspace on the command line to
make the last viewport in the layout current, and then work in model space
in that viewport within the layout. You can switch to model space by double-
clicking a viewport, and you can switch to paper space by double-clicking an
area of paper space.
Command line: mspace

MTEXT
Creates multiline text
MTEXT creates paragraphs that fit within a boundary that defines the width
of the paragraph and its location in the drawing. Each multiline text (mtext)
object is a single object, regardless of the number of lines it contains. The text
boundary, although not plotted, printed, or displayed, remains part of the
objects framework.

Draw toolbar:
Draw menu: Text Multiline Text
Command line: mtext

Current text style: current Text height: current

Specify first corner:
Specify opposite corner or [Height/Justify/Line spacing/Rotation/Style/Width]:

After you specify the point for the opposite corner, the Multiline Text Editor
is displayed.
If you specify one of the other options, or if you enter -mtext at the Com-
mand prompt, MTEXT bypasses the Multiline Text Editor and displays addi-
tional prompts on the command line (see page 576).

566 | MSPACE
 Multiline Text Editor
Creates or modifies multiline text objects and imports or pastes text from
other files.

text style stack/unstack

user set tab stop text
font text height text color

ruler

default tab stops

paragraph indent marker save changes and

first line indent marker close the editor

The Multiline Text Editor includes a Text Formatting toolbar and a shortcut
menu.

Text Formatting Toolbar

Controls the text style for the multiline text object and the character format-
ting for selected text.
Style Applies a text style to the multiline text object. The
current style is saved in the TEXTSTYLE system
variable.
Character formatting for font, height, and bold or italic
attributes is overridden if you apply a new style to an
existing multiline text object. Stacking, underlining,
and color attributes are retained in characters to which
a new style is applied.
Styles that have backward or upside-down effects are
not applied. If a style defined with a vertical effect is
applied to an SHX font, the text is displayed
horizontally in the Multiline Text Editor.
Font Specifies a font for new text or changes the font of
selected text. TrueType fonts are listed by font family
name. AutoCAD compiled shape (SHX) fonts are listed
by the name of the file in which the fonts are stored.

MTEXT | 567
 Custom fonts and third-party fonts are displayed in the
editor with Autodesk-supplied proxy fonts.
A sample drawing (TrueType.dwg) showing each font is
provided in the sample directory.
Text Height Sets the character height in drawing units for new text
or changes the height of selected text. If the current text
style has no fixed height, the text height is the value
stored in the TEXTSIZE system variable. A multiline text
object can contain characters of various heights.
Bold Turns on and off bold formatting for new or selected
text. This option is available only for characters using
TrueType fonts.
Italic Turns on and off italic formatting for new or selected
text. This option is available only for characters using
TrueType fonts.
Underline Turns on and off underlining for new or selected text.
Undo Undoes actions in the Multiline Text Editor, including
changes to either text content or text formatting. You
can also use CTRL + Z .
Redo Redoes actions in the Multiline Text Editor, including
changes to either text content or text formatting. You
can also use CTRL + Y .
Stack Creates stacked text, for example, fractions, if the
selected text contains stack characters. Also, unstacks
text if stacked text is selected. When the stack
characters, carat (^), forward slash (/), and pound sign
(#), are used, the text to the left of the stack character is
stacked on top of the text to the right.
By default, text that contains a carat converts to left-
justified tolerance values. Text that contains the
forward slash converts to center-justified fractional
numbers; the slash is converted to a horizontal bar the
length of the longer text string. Text that contains the
pound sign converts to a fraction separated by a
diagonal bar the height of the two text strings. The
characters above the diagonal fraction bar are bottom-
right aligned; the characters beneath the diagonal bar
are top-left aligned.

568 | MTEXT
Text Color Specifies a color for new text or changes the color of
selected text.
You can assign text the color associated with the layer
it is on (BYLAYER) or the color of the block it is
contained in (BYBLOCK). You can also select one of the
colors in the color list or click Other to open the Select
Color dialog box (see page 172).
Close Closes the Multiline Text Editor and saves any changes
that you made. You can also click in the drawing
outside the editor to save changes and exit the editor.
To close the Multiline Text Editor without saving
changes, press ESC .

Multiline Text Editor Shortcut Menu

Provides standard editing options and options specific to multiline text
(mtext). Right-click in the Multiline Text Editor to display the shortcut
menu. The options at the top of the menu are basic editing options: Undo,
Redo, Cut, Copy, and Paste. The following options are specific to the Multi-
line Text Editor.
Insert Field Displays the Field dialog box (see page 377), where you
can select a field to insert in the text. When the dialog
box closes, the current value of the field is displayed in
the mtext object.
Edit Field When a field is selected, displays the Field dialog box
(see page 377), where you can modify the selected field.
When the dialog box closes, the current value of the
field is displayed in the mtext object.
Update Field When a field is selected, updates the selected field. The
current value is displayed immediately.
Convert Field to When a field is selected, converts the current value to
Text plain text that cannot be updated.
Indents and Tabs Displays the Indents and Tabs dialog box (see page
572), where you can set indentation for the paragraph
and also set tab stops. You can use different indentation
for the first line and the remaining lines in the
paragraph.
Set Mtext Width (Available when you right-click the ruler.) Displays the
Set Mtext Width dialog box, in which you can specify a
width for the multiline text object in drawing units.

MTEXT | 569
 Justification Sets justification and alignment for the multiline text
object. Top Left is the default setting. Spaces entered at
the end of a line are included as part of the text and
affect the justification of the line. Text is center-, left-,
or right-justified with respect to the left and right text
boundaries. Text is middle-, top-, or bottom-aligned
with respect to the top and bottom text boundaries. See
MTEXT Command Line on page 576 for an
illustration of the nine justification options.
Find and Replace Displays the Replace dialog box (see page 572).
Select All Selects all the text in the multiline text object.
Change Case Changes the case of selected text. Options are
Uppercase and Lowercase.
AutoCAPS Converts all newly typed and imported text to
uppercase. AutoCAPS does not affect existing text. To
change the case of existing text, select the text, right-
click, and click Change Case on the shortcut menu.
Remove Removes bold, italic, or underline formatting from the
Formatting selected text.
Combine Combines selected paragraphs into a single paragraph
Paragraphs and replaces each paragraph return with a space.
Stack/Unstack Stacks text if any of the stack characters are contained
in the selected text. Unstacks text if stacked text is
selected.
Properties Displays the Stack Properties dialog box (see page 573).
Symbol Inserts a symbol or a nonbreaking space at the cursor
position. Symbols can also be inserted manually.
See Unicode Strings, Control Codes, and Special
Characters on page 580.
Note The nonbreaking space is unavailable in double-
byte operating systems.
Commonly used symbols are listed on the submenu,
along with their control code or Unicode string. Click
Other to display the Character Map dialog box, which
contains the entire character set for each font available
on your system. Select a character and click Select to
place it in the Characters to Copy box. When you have

570 | MTEXT
 selected all the characters that you want to use, click
Copy to close the dialog box. In the Multiline Text
Editor, right-click and click Paste.
Note In the Multiline Text Editor, the diameter symbol is
displayed as %%c and the nonbreaking space is displayed
as a hollow rectangle. Both are displayed correctly in the
drawing.
You can use the euro symbol with SHX fonts and their
TrueType equivalent fonts shipped with AutoCAD 2000
and later releases. If your keyboard does not contain a
euro symbol, hold down the ALT key and enter 0128 on
the numeric keypad.
Import Text Displays the Select File dialog box (a standard file
selection dialog box). Select any file that is in ASCII or
RTF format. Imported text retains its original character
formatting and style properties, but you can edit and
format the imported text in the Multiline Text Editor.
After you select a text file to import, you can replace
either selected text or all text, or append the inserted
text to text selected within the text boundary. The file
size for imported text is limited to 32 KB.
The Multiline Text Editor automatically sets the text
color to BYLAYER. When black characters are inserted
and the background color is black, the Multiline Text
Editor automatically changes to white or the current
color.
Note An Excel spreadsheet imported into an AutoCAD
drawing is truncated at 72 rows unless the spreadsheet
was created in Office 2002 with service pack 2 installed.
The same limitation applies when the drawing that
contains the OLE object is opened on a system with an
earlier version of Office installed; the spreadsheet is
truncated.
Background Displays the Background Mask dialog box.
Mask
Use Background Mask: Puts an opaque background
behind the text.

MTEXT | 571
 Border Offset Factor: Specifies the margin around the
text for the opaque background. The value is based
on the text height. A factor of 1.0 exactly fits the
multiline text object. A factor of 1.5 extends the
background by 0.5 times the text height.
Use Background: Provides a background that is the
same color as the background of the drawing.
Color: Specifies a color for the opaque background.
You can select one of the colors in the list or click
Select Color to open the Select Color dialog box (see
page 172).

Help Displays the MTEXT topic in the Help system.

Character Set Displays a menu of code pages. Select a code page to
apply it to the selected text.

Indents and Tabs Dialog Box

Sets indentation for paragraphs and the first lines of paragraphs and sets tab
stops. You can also set indentation by moving the sliders on the ruler and set
tab stops by clicking on the ruler.
Indentation
Sets indentation in the paragraph where the cursor is located or in selected
paragraphs.
First Line Sets indentation for the first line of the current
paragraph or selected paragraphs.
Paragraph Sets indentation for the current paragraph or selected
paragraphs.
Tab Stop Position
Sets tab positions for the current paragraph or selected paragraphs. The list
below the text box shows the current tab stops.
Set
Copies the value in the Tab Stop Position box to the list below the box.
Clear
Removes the selected tab stop from the list.

Replace Dialog Box

Searches for specified text strings and replaces them with new text.
Find What Defines the text string to search for.

572 | MTEXT
Replace With Defines the text string to replace the text in Find What.
Find Button Starts a search for the text string in Find What. To
continue the search, click Find again.
Replace Button Replaces the highlighted text with the text in Replace
With.
Replace All Finds all instances of the text specified in Find What
and replaces it with the text in Replace With.
Match Whole Matches the text in the Find box only if it is a single
Word Only word. Text that is part of another word is ignored.
When this option is cleared, AutoCAD finds a match for
text strings, whether they are single words or parts of
other words.
Match Case Finds text only if the case of all characters in the text
string is identical to the case of the text in Find What.
When this option is cleared, AutoCAD finds a match for
specified text strings regardless of case.

Stack Properties Dialog Box

Edits the text, stack type, alignment, and size of stacked text. To open the
Stack Properties dialog box, select the stacked text, right-click, and click Prop-
erties on the shortcut menu.
You can edit the upper and lower text separately. The Appearance options
control the stack style, position, and text size of the stacked text.

Text
Changes the upper and lower numbers of a stacked fraction.
Upper Edits the number in the upper part or first half of a
stacked fraction.

MTEXT | 573
 Lower Edits the number in the lower part or second half of a
stacked fraction.

Appearance
Edits the style, position, or text size of a stacked fraction.
Style
Specifies a style format for stacked text.
Tolerance Stacks the selected text with the first number on top of
the second number. There is no line between the
numbers.
Fraction Stacks the selected text with the first number on top of
(Horizontal) the second number separated by a horizontal line.
Fraction Stacks the selected text with the first number on top of
(Diagonal) the second number separated by a diagonal line.
Note Releases of AutoCAD earlier than AutoCAD 2000 do
not support diagonal fractions. If a multiline text object
contains diagonal fractions, the fractions are converted to
horizontal fractions when you save the drawing to pre-
AutoCAD 2000 releases. Diagonal fractions are restored
when the drawing is re-opened in AutoCAD 2000 or a
later release. If a single multiline text object contains both
horizontal and diagonal fractions, all fractions are
converted to diagonal fractions when the drawing is
reopened in AutoCAD 2000 or a later release.
Position
Specifies how fractions are aligned. Center alignment is the default. All
stacked text in an object uses the same alignment.
Top Aligns the top of the fraction with the top of the text
line.
Center Centers the fraction vertically at the center of the text
line.
Bottom Aligns the bottom of the fraction with the text baseline.
Text Size
Controls the size of the stacked text as a percentage of the size of the current
text style (from 25 to 125 percent). Default text size is 70 percent.

574 | MTEXT
Defaults
Saves the new settings as defaults or restores the previous default values to
the current stacked text.

AutoStack Button
Displays the AutoStack Properties dialog box. AutoStack only stacks numeric
characters immediately before and after the carat, slash, and pound charac-
ters. To stack nonnumeric characters, or text that includes spaces, select the
text and choose the Stack button.

AutoStack Properties Dialog Box

Turns on automatic stacking, removes leading blank spaces before stacked
text, specifies whether the slash character converts to diagonal or horizontal
fractions, and suppresses display of the AutoStack Properties dialog box.

Enable Automatically stacks numeric characters entered

AutoStacking before and after the carat, slash, or pound character.
For example, if you type 1#3 followed by a nonnumeric
character or space, the text is automatically stacked as
a diagonal fraction.
Remove Leading Removes blanks between a whole number and a
Blank fraction. This option is available only when
AutoStacking is turned on.
Convert It to a Converts the slash character to a diagonal fraction
Diagonal Fraction when AutoStack is on.

MTEXT | 575
 Convert It to a Converts the slash character to a horizontal fraction
Horizontal when AutoStack is on.
Fraction
Note Whether AutoStack is on or off, the pound
character is always converted to a diagonal fraction, and
the carat character is always converted to a tolerance
format.
Dont Show This Suppresses display of the AutoStack Properties dialog
Dialog Again; box. The current property settings are used for all
Always Use These stacked text. When this option is cleared, the AutoStack
Settings Properties dialog box is automatically displayed if you
type two numbers separated by a slash, carat, or pound
sign followed by a space or nonnumeric character.

Note To display the AutoStack Properties dialog box when you have sup-
pressed automatic display, select stacked text, right-click, and click Properties on
the shortcut menu. In the Stack Properties dialog box, click AutoStack.

MTEXT Command Line

If you enter -mtext at the Command prompt, MTEXT bypasses the Multiline
Text Editor and displays additional prompts on the command line.
Current text style: current Text height: current
Specify first corner:
Specify opposite corner or [Height/Justify/Line spacing/Rotation/Style/Width]:

Opposite Corner
As you drag the pointing device to specify the opposite corner, a rectangle is
displayed to show the location and size of the multiline text object. Arrows
within the rectangle indicate the direction of the paragraph's text flow.

Height
Specifies the text height to use for multiline text characters.
Specify height <current>:

The default height, if nonzero, is the height of the current style; otherwise,
it is the height stored in the TEXTSIZE system variable. Character height is cal-
culated in drawing units. Changing the height updates the value stored in
TEXTSIZE.

576 | MTEXT
Justify
Determines both text justification and text flow, for new or selected text, in
relation to the text boundary. The current justification (Top Left, by default)
is applied to new text. The text is justified within the specified rectangle
based on the justification setting and one of nine justification points on the
rectangle. The justification point is based on the first point used to specify
the rectangle. Text is center-, left-, or right-justified with respect to the left
and right text boundaries. Spaces entered at the end of a line are included as
part of the text and affect the justification of the line. Text flow controls
whether text is aligned from the middle, the top, or the bottom of the para-
graph with respect to the top and bottom text boundaries.
Enter justification [TL/TC/TR/ML/MC/MR/BL/BC/BR] <TL>:

Justify options

Option Meaning

TL Top Left

TC Top Center

TR Top Right

ML Middle Left

MC Middle Center

MR Middle Right

BL Bottom Left

BC Bottom Center

BR Bottom Right

MTEXT | 577
 The following illustrations show each justification option.

top left: top center: top right:

left-justified, center-justified, right-justified,
spills down spills down spills down

middle left: middle center: middle right:

left-justified, center-justified, right-justified,
spills up and down spills up and down spills up and down

bottom left: bottom center: bottom right:

left-justified, center-justified, right-justified,
spills up spills up spills up

Line Spacing
Specifies line spacing for the multiline text object. Line spacing is the vertical
distance between the bottom (or baseline) of one line of text and the bottom
of the next line of text.

Note Exact spacing is recommended when you use MTEXT to create a table.
Use a smaller text height than the specified line spacing to ensure that text does
not overlap.

Enter line spacing type [At least/Exactly] <current>:

578 | MTEXT
At Least Adjusts lines of text automatically based on the height
of the largest character in the line. When At Least is
selected, lines of text with taller characters have added
space between lines.
Enter line spacing factor or distance <current>:

Spacing Factor: Sets the line spacing to a multiple of

single-line spacing.
Single spacing is 1.66 times the height of the text
characters. You enter the spacing increment as a
number followed by x to indicate a multiple of
single spacing. For example, specify single spacing
by entering 1x, or specify double spacing by entering
2x.
Distance: Sets the line spacing to an absolute value
measured in drawing units. Valid values must be
between 0.0833 (0.25x) and 1.3333 (4x).

Exactly Forces the line spacing to be the same for all lines of text
in the multiline text object. Spacing is based on the text
height of the object or text style.
Enter line spacing factor or distance <current>:

Spacing Factor: Sets the line spacing to a multiple of

single-line spacing.
Single spacing is 1.66 times the height of the text
characters. You can enter a spacing factor as a
number followed by x to indicate a multiple of
single spacing. For example, specify single spacing
by entering 1x, or specify double spacing by entering
2x.
Distance: Sets the line spacing to an absolute value
measured in drawing units. Valid values must be
between 0.0833 (0.25x) and 1.3333 (4x).

Rotation
Specifies the rotation angle of the text boundary.
Specify rotation angle <current>: Specify a point or enter a value

If you use the pointing device to specify a point, the rotation angle is deter-
mined by the angle between the X axis and the line defined by the most
recently entered point (default 0,0,0) and the specified point.

MTEXT | 579
 AutoCAD returns to the previous prompt until you specify the opposite cor-
ner of the text boundary.

Style
Specifies the text style to use for multiline text.
Enter style name or [?] <current>:

Style Name Specifies a text style name. Text styles can be defined
and saved using the STYLE command.
?List Styles Lists text style names and characteristics.
AutoCAD returns to the previous prompt until you specify the opposite cor-
ner of the text boundary.

Width
Specifies the width of the text boundary.
Specify width: Specify a point or enter a value

If you use the pointing device to specify a point, the width is calculated as
the distance between the start point and the specified point. Words within
each line of the multiline text object wrap to fit the width of the text bound-
ary. If you specify a width of 0, word wrap is turned off and the width of the
multiline text object is as wide as the longest line of text. You can end a line
of text at a specific point by typing the text and pressing ENTER . To end the
command, press ENTER at the MTEXT prompt.

Unicode Strings, Control Codes, and Special

Characters
You can enter the following control codes and Unicode strings to create spe-
cial characters.

Unicode strings and control codes

Control Codes Unicode Strings Result

%%d \U+00B0 Degree symbol ()

%%p \U+00B1 Tolerance symbol ()

%%c \U+2205 Diameter symbol ()

580 | MTEXT
Note that the circle diameter dimensioning symbol appears as %%c in the
Multiline Text Editor but converts to the special character in your drawing.
The following text symbols can also be inserted by entering the appropriate
Unicode string or from the MTEXT shortcut menu:

Text symbols and Unicode strings

Name Symbol Unicode String

Almost equal \U+2248

Angle \U+2220

Boundary line \U+E100

Centerline \U+2104

Delta \U+0394

Electrical phase \U+0278

Flow line \U+E101

Identity \U+2261

Monument line \U+E102

Not equal \U+2260

Ohm \U+2126

Omega \U+03A9

Plate/property line \U+214A

Subscript 2 \U+2082

Superscript 2 \U+00B2

These text symbols are available in the following True Type (TTF) and SHX
fonts:

Simplex
RomanS
Isocp
Isocp2
Isocp3

MTEXT | 581
 Isoct
Isoct2
Isoct3
Isocpeur (TTF only)
Isocpeur italic (TTF only)
Isocteur (TTF only)
Isocteur italic (TTF only)

MULTIPLE
Repeats the next command until canceled
Command line: multiple

Enter command name to repeat:

The command that you enter is repeated until you press ESC . Because MUL-
TIPLE repeats only the command name, any parameters must be specified
each time.
MULTIPLE does not repeat commands that display dialog boxes.

Note You cannot use MULTIPLE as an argument to the AutoLISP command

function.

MVIEW
Creates and controls layout viewports
When working in a layout tab, MVIEW controls the creation and display of
layout viewports. When working in the Model tab, you can use VPORTS to
create model viewports.
View menu: Viewports 1 Viewport, 2 Viewports, 3 Viewports, 4 Viewports
Command line: mview

Specify corner of viewport or [ON/OFF/Fit/Shadeplot/Lock/Object/Polygonal/

Restore/2/3/4] <Fit>: Enter an option or specify a point

In a layout, you can create as many viewports as you want, but only up to 64
viewports can be active at one time (see MAXACTVP). Objects in model space
are visible only in active viewports. Viewports that are not active are blank.
Use the On and Off options to control whether viewports are active.

582 | MULTIPLE
 Corner of Viewport
Specifies the first corner of a rectangular viewport.
Specify opposite corner:

On
Makes a selected viewport active. An active viewport displays objects in
model space. The MAXACTVP system variable controls the maximum number
of viewports that can be active at one time. If your drawing contains more
viewports than the number specified in MAXACTVP, you must turn one off to
make another one active.
Select objects: Select one or more viewports

Off
Makes a selected viewport inactive. Objects in model space are not displayed
in an inactive viewport.
Select objects: Select one or more viewports

Fit
Creates one viewport that fills the layout to the edges of the printable area.
When the paper background and printable area are turned off, the viewport
fills the display.
Shadeplot
Specifies how viewports in layouts are plotted.
fit
Shade plot? [As displayed/Wireframe/Hidden/Rendered] <As displayed >: Enter a
shade plot option

As Displayed Specifies that a viewport is plotted the same way it is

displayed.
Wireframe Specifies that a viewport is plotted wireframe regardless
of the current display.
Hidden Specifies that a viewport is plotted with hidden lines
removed regardless of the current display.

MVIEW | 583
 Rendered Specifies that a viewport is plotted rendered regardless
of the current display.
Select objects: Select one or more viewports

Lock
Prevents the zoom scale factor in the selected viewport from being changed
when working in model space.
Viewport View Locking [ON/OFF]: Enter on or off
Select objects: Select one or more viewports

Object
Specifies a closed polyline, ellipse, spline, region, or circle to convert into a
viewport. The polyline you specify must be closed and contain at least three
vertices. It can be self-intersecting, and it can contain an arc as well as line
segments.
Select object to clip viewport: Select an object

Polygonal
Creates an irregularly shaped viewport using specified points. The prompts
are similar to those displayed when you specify a polygonal clip boundary for
external references (xrefs), but you can specify arcs when you create a polyg-
onal viewport boundary.
Specify start point: Specify a point
Specify next point or [Arc/Close/Length/Undo]: Specify a point or enter an
option

Arc Adds arc segments to the polygonal viewport.

[Angle/CEnter/CLose/Direction/Line/Radius/Second pt/
Undo/Endpoint of arc] <Endpoint>: Enter an option or
press ENTER

For a description of the options for creating arc

segments, see Arc on page 706.
Close Closes the boundary. If you press ENTER after specifying
at least three points, AutoCAD automatically closes the
boundary.

584 | MVIEW
 Length Draws a line segment of a specified length at the same
angle as the previous segment. If the previous segment
is an arc, AutoCAD draws the new line segment tangent
to that arc segment.
Undo Removes the most recent line or arc segment added to
the polygonal viewport.

Restore
Restores viewport configurations saved with the VPORTS command.
Enter viewport configuration name or [?] <*ACTIVE>: Enter ?, enter a name, or
press ENTER
Specify first corner or [Fit] <Fit>: Specify a point or press ENTER

First Corner Positions and sizes new viewports using the window
selection method; AutoCAD fits the viewports into the
selected area.
Fit Sizes the viewports to fill the drawing area.

2
Divides the specified area horizontally or vertically into two viewports of
equal size.
Enter viewport arrangement [Horizontal/Vertical] <Vertical>: Enter h or press
ENTER
Specify first corner or [Fit] <Fit>: Specify a point or press ENTER
2/vertical
First Corner Positions and sizes new viewports using the window
selection method; AutoCAD fits the viewports into the
selected area.
Fit Sizes the viewports to fill the drawing area.

3
Divides the specified area into three viewports.
Enter viewport arrangement
[Horizontal/Vertical/Above/Below/Left/<Right>: Enter an option or press ENTER

The Horizontal and Vertical options split the specified area into thirds. The
other options split the area into three viewports: one large viewport and two

MVIEW | 585
 smaller ones. The Above, Below, Left, and Right options specify where the
larger viewport is placed.
Specify first corner or [Fit] <Fit>: Specify a point or press ENTER

First Corner Positions and sizes new viewports using the window
selection method; AutoCAD fits the viewports into the
3/right
selected area.
Fit Sizes the viewports to fill the drawing area.

4
Divides the specified area horizontally and vertically into four viewports of
equal size.
Specify first corner or [Fit] <Fit>: Specify a point or press ENTER

First Corner Positions and sizes new viewports using the window
selection method; AutoCAD fits the viewports into the
4
selected area.
Fit Sizes the viewports to fill the drawing area.

MVSETUP
Sets up the specifications of a drawing
Command line: mvsetup

When you enter mvsetup at the command line, the prompts displayed
depend on whether you are on the Model tab (model space) or on a layout
tab (paper space).
On the Model tab, you set the units type, drawing scale factor, and paper size
from the command line using MVSETUP. Using the settings you provide,
AutoCAD draws a rectangular border at the grid limits.
On a layout tab, you can insert one of several predefined title blocks into the
drawing and create a set of layout viewports within the title block. You can
specify a global scale as the ratio between the scale of the title block in the
layout and the drawing on the Model tab. The Model tab is most useful for
plotting multiple views of a drawing within a single border.
To easily specify all layout page settings and prepare your drawing for plot-
ting, you can also use the Page Setup dialog box, which is automatically dis-
played when you select a layout in a new drawing session.

586 | MVSETUP
Using MVSETUP on the Model Tab
When the TILEMODE system variable is on (the default), AutoCAD displays
the following prompt:
Enable paper space? [No/Yes] <Y>: Enter n or press ENTER

Pressing ENTER turns off TILEMODE and proceeds as described in the follow-
ing section, Using MVSETUP on a Layout Tab.
Entering n displays the following prompt:
Enter units type [Scientific/Decimal/Engineering/Architectural/Metric]: Enter an
option

AutoCAD displays a list of available units and prompts for the scale factor
and paper size.
Enter the scale factor: Enter a value
Enter the paper width: Enter a value
Enter the paper height: Enter a value

AutoCAD draws a bounding box and ends the command.

Using MVSETUP on a Layout Tab

When the TILEMODE system variable is off, or when you enter y or press
ENTER at the Enable Paper Space prompt, AutoCAD displays the following
prompt:
Enter an option [Align/Create/Scale viewports/Options/Title block/Undo]: Enter
an option or press ENTER to end the command

Align
Pans the view in a viewport so that it aligns with a base point in another
viewport. The current viewport is the viewport that the other point moves to.
Enter an option [Angled/Horizontal/Vertical alignment/Rotate view/Undo]:
Enter an option

MVSETUP | 587
 Angled Pans the view in a viewport in a specified direction.
Specify base point: Specify a point
Specify point in viewport to be panned: Specify a point in
the viewport to be panned

The next two prompts specify the distance and angle

from the base point to the second point.
Specify the distance and angle to the new alignment point
in the current viewport where you specified the base point.
Specify distance from base point: Specify a distance
Specify angle from base point: Specify an angle

Horizontal Pans the view in one viewport until it aligns

horizontally with a base point in another viewport.
This option should be used only if the two viewports
are oriented horizontally. Otherwise, the view might be
panned outside the limits of the viewport.
Specify base point: Specify a point
Specify point in viewport to be panned: Specify a point in
the viewport to be panned

Vertical Pans the view in one viewport until it aligns vertically

Alignment with a base point in another viewport. This option
should be used only if the two viewports are oriented
vertically. Otherwise, the view might be panned outside
the limits of the viewport.
Specify base point: Specify a point
Specify point in viewport to be panned: Specify a point in
the viewport to be panned

Rotate View Rotates the view in a viewport about a base point.

Specify base point in the viewport with the view to be
rotated: Specify a point
Specify angle from base point: Specify an angle

Undo Reverses operations performed in the current MVSETUP

session.

588 | MVSETUP
Create
Creates viewports.
Enter an option [Delete objects/Create viewports/Undo] <Create>: Enter an
option or press ENTER

Delete Objects
Deletes existing viewports.
Select the objects to delete...
Select objects: Select the viewports to delete and press ENTER

Create Viewports
Displays options for creating viewports.
Available layout options:

0: None
1: Single
2: Std. Engineering
3: Array of Viewports

Enter layout number to load or [Redisplay]: Enter an option number (03), or

enter r to redisplay the list of viewport layout options

Layout Number Controls creation of viewports.

to Load
Entering 0 or pressing ENTER creates no viewports.
Entering 1 creates a single viewport whose size is
determined by the following prompts.
Specify first corner of bounding area for viewport(s):
Specify a point for the first corner
Opposite corner: Specify a point for the opposite corner

Entering 2 creates four viewports by dividing a specified

area into quadrants. AutoCAD prompts you for the area
to be divided and the distance between the viewports.
Specify first corner of bounding area for viewport(s):
Specify a point for the first corner
Opposite corner: Specify a point for the opposite corner
Specify distance between viewports in X direction
<0.0>: Specify a distance or press ENTER

MVSETUP | 589
 Specify distance between viewports in Y direction <0.0>:
Specify a distance or press ENTER

The viewing angle for each quadrant is set as shown in

the table.

Standard engineering viewports

Quadrant View

Upper-left Top (XY plane of UCS)

Upper-right SE isometric view

Lower-left Front (XZ plane of UCS)

Lower-right Right side (YZ plane of UCS)

Entering 3 defines a matrix of viewports along the X

and Y axes. Specifying points at the next two prompts
defines the rectangular area of the drawing that
contains the viewport configuration. If you have
inserted a title block, the Specify First Corner prompt
also includes an option for selecting a default area.
Specify first corner of bounding area for viewport(s):
Specify a point for the first corner
Opposite corner: Specify a point for the opposite corner
Enter number of viewports in X direction <1>: Enter the
number of viewports to place along the X axis
Enter number of viewports in Y direction <1>: Enter the
number of viewports to place along the Y axis

If you enter more than one viewport in each direction,

AutoCAD displays the following prompts:
Specify distance between viewports in X direction
<0.0>: Specify a distance
Specify distance between viewports in Y direction <0.0>:
Specify a distance

AutoCAD inserts the array of viewports into the defined

area.
Redisplay Redisplays the list of viewport layout options.

590 | MVSETUP
Undo
Reverses operations performed in the current MVSETUP session.

Scale Viewports
Adjusts the zoom scale factor of the objects displayed in the viewports. The
zoom scale factor is a ratio between the scale of the border in paper space and
the scale of the drawing objects displayed in the viewports.
Select the viewports to scale...
Select objects: Select the viewports to scale

If you select only one viewport, AutoCAD skips the next prompt.
Set zoom scale factors for viewports. Interactively/<Uniform>: Enter i or press
ENTER
Enter the number of paper space units <1.0>: Enter a value or press ENTER
Enter the number of model space units <1.0>: Enter a value or press ENTER

Interactively Selects one viewport at a time and displays the

following prompts for each:
Enter the number of paper space units <1.0>: Enter a
value or press ENTER
Enter the number of model space units <1.0>: Enter a
value or press ENTER

For example, for an engineering drawing at a scale of

1:4, or quarter scale, enter 1 for paper space units and 4
for model space units.
Uniform Sets the same scale factor for all viewports.
Number of paper space units. <1.0>: Enter a value or
press ENTER
Number of model space units. <1.0>: Enter a value or
press ENTER

Options
Sets the MVSETUP preferences before you change your drawing.
Enter an option [Layer/LImits/Units/Xref] <exit>: Enter an option or press ENTER
to return to the previous prompt

MVSETUP | 591
 Layer Specifies a layer on which to insert the title block.
Enter layer name for title block or [. (for current layer)]:
Enter an existing or a new layer name, enter a period (.) for
the current layer, or press ENTER

Limits Specifies whether to reset the limits to the drawing

extents after a title block has been inserted.
Set drawing limits? [Yes/No] <N>: Enter y or press ENTER

Units Specifies whether the sizes and point locations are

translated to inch or millimeter paper units.
Enter paper space units type [Feet/Inches/MEters/Millime-
ters] <current>: Enter an option or press ENTER

Xref Specifies whether the title block is inserted or externally

referenced.
Enter title block placement method [Xref attach/Insert]
<current>: Enter x, enter i, or press ENTER

Title Block
Prepares paper space, orients the drawing by setting the origin, and creates a
drawing border and a title block.
Enter title block option [Delete objects/Origin/Undo/Insert] <Insert>: Enter an
option or press ENTER

Delete Objects
Deletes objects from paper space.
Select the objects to delete . . .
Select objects: Use an object selection method

Origin
Relocates the origin point for this sheet.
Specify new origin point for this sheet: Specify a point

Undo
Reverses operations performed in the current MVSETUP session.

592 | MVSETUP
Insert
Displays title block options.
Available title blocks:...

0: None
1: ISO A4 Size(mm)
2: ISO A3 Size(mm)
3: ISO A2 Size(mm)
4: ISO A1 Size(mm)
5: ISO A0 Size(mm)
6: ANSI-V Size(in)
7: ANSI-A Size(in)
8: ANSI-B Size(in)
9: ANSI-C Size(in)
10: ANSI-D Size(in)
11: ANSI-E Size(in)
12: Arch/Engineering (24 x 36in)
13: Generic D size Sheet (24 x 36in)

Enter number of title block to load or [Add/Delete/Redisplay]: Enter an option

number (0 through 13) or enter an option

Title Block to Inserts a border and a title block. Entering 0 or pressing

Load ENTER inserts no border. Entering 1 through 13 creates
a standard border of the appropriate size. The list
includes ANSI and DIN/ISO standard sheets.
Add Adds title block options to the list. Selecting this option
prompts you to enter the title block description to be
displayed in the list and the name of a drawing to
insert.
Enter title block description: Enter a description
Enter drawing name to insert (without extension): Enter
a file name
Define default usable area? [Yes/No] <Y>: Enter n or press
ENTER

Pressing ENTER displays the following prompts:

Specify lower-left corner: Specify a point
Specify upper-right corner: Specify a point

MVSETUP | 593
 AutoCAD adds a line similar to the following example
after the last entry in the mvsetup.dfs default file:
A/E (24 x 18in),arch-b.dwg,(1.12 0.99
0.00),(18.63 17.02 0.00),in
The last field of the line specifies whether the title block
has been created in inches or in millimeters. The units
field allows title blocks created in either unit system to
be changed by setting the unit type using the Options
option.
You can also add title blocks that have variable
attributes.
Delete Removes entries from the list.
Enter number of entry to delete from list: Enter the num-
ber of the entry to delete

Redisplay Redisplays the list of title block options.

Undo
Reverses operations performed in the current MVSETUP session.

594 | MVSETUP
NETLOAD
Loads a .NET application
Command line: netload

The Choose .NET Assembly dialog box, a standard file selection dialog box,
is displayed.

NEW
Creates a new drawing
File menu: New
Command line: new

The behavior of the NEW command is determined by the Startup setting on

the System tab of the Options dialog box.

Show the Startup Dialog Box: NEW displays the Create New Drawing dialog
box.
Do Not Show the Startup Dialog Box: NEW displays the Select Template dia-
log box (a standard file selection dialog box).

If the FILEDIA system variable is set to 0 instead of 1, a prompt on the com-

mand line is displayed (see page 602). If you set FILEDIA to 0, this prompt is
displayed regardless of the Startup setting.

Create New Drawing Dialog Box

Defines the settings for a new drawing. There are three main methods that
you can use to create a new drawing. (The first option, Open a Drawing, is
not available from the NEW command. To open an existing drawing, use
OPEN.) Choose one of the buttons at the top of the dialog box.

Start from Scratch

Starts an empty drawing using default imperial or metric settings (MEA-
SUREINIT system variable). You can change the measurement system for a
given drawing by using the MEASUREMENT system variable. To start a new
drawing based on a customized template, see Use a Template on page 596.
The Drawing1.dwg that opens when you start the program is a drawing that
is started from scratch.

NETLOAD | 595
 Imperial Starts a new drawing based on the imperial
measurement system. The default drawing boundary
(the grid limits) is 12 9 inches.
Metric Starts a new drawing based on the metric measurement
system. The default drawing boundary (the grid limits)
is 429 297 millimeters.

Use a Template
Starts a drawing based on a drawing template file. Template drawings store
all the settings for a drawing and may also include predefined layers, dimen-
sion styles, and views. Template drawings are distinguished from
other drawing files by the .dwt file extension. They are normally kept in the
template directory.
Several template drawings are included with AutoCAD. You can make addi-
tional template drawings by changing the extensions of drawing file names
to .dwt. See Use a Template File to Start a Drawing in the Users Guide.

596 | NEW
Select a Template Lists all DWT files that currently exist in the drawing
template file location, which is specified in the Options
dialog box (see page 624). Choose a file to use as a
starting point for your new drawing. A preview image of
the selected file is displayed to the right.
Browse Displays the Select Template dialog box (a standard file
selection dialog box) where you can access template
files that are not available in the Select a Template list.

Use a Wizard
Sets up a drawing using a step-by-step guide. You can choose from two
wizards: Quick Setup and Advanced Setup.

NEW | 597
 Quick Setup Displays the Quick Setup wizard (see page 598), in
which you can specify the units and area for your new
drawing. The Quick Setup wizard also changes settings,
such as text height and snap spacing, to an appropriate
scale.
Advanced Setup Displays the Advanced Setup wizard (see page 600), in
which you can specify the units, angle, angle measure,
angle direction, and area for your new drawing. The
Quick Setup wizard also changes settings, such as text
height and snap spacing, to an appropriate scale.

Quick Setup Wizard

Defines the units and area of your drawing.

The Quick Setup wizard has two pages: Units and Area. As you work in this
wizard, choose Back and Next to switch between pages; choose Finish on the
last page to close the wizard and create the new drawing with the settings you
specified.

598 | NEW
Units
Indicates the format in which you enter and in which AutoCAD displays
coordinates and measurements. Several formats are available in AutoCAD.
Two of them, Engineering and Architectural, have a specific base unit
(inches) assigned to them. You can select from other measurement styles that
can represent any convenient unit of measurement.

Note You control the precision (the number of decimal places displayed in all
measurements) by using the Advanced Setup wizard or the UNITS command.
The default precision used by Quick Setup is four (0.0000).

Decimal Displays measurements in decimal notation.

Engineering Displays measurements in feet and decimal inches.
Architectural Displays measurements in feet, inches, and fractional
inches.
Fractional Displays measurements in mixed-number (integer and
fractional) notation.
Scientific Displays measurements in scientific notation (numbers
expressed in the form of the product of a decimal
number between 0 and 10 and a power of 10).

Area
Indicates the width and length in full-scale units of what you plan to draw.
This setting limits the area of the drawing covered by grid dots when the grid
is turned on. When limits checking is turned on with the LIMITS command,
this setting also restricts the coordinates you can enter to within the rectan-
gular area. You can change the drawing area and turn limits checking on and
off with the LIMITS command.

NEW | 599
 Advanced Setup Wizard
Defines the units, angle, angle measure, angle direction, and area of your
new drawing.

The Advanced Setup wizard contains five pages: Units, Angle, Angle Measure,
Angle Direction, and Area. As you work in this wizard, choose Back and Next
to navigate between pages; choose Finish on the last page to close the wizard
and create the new drawing with the settings you specified.
You can later change units, angle, angle measure, and angle direction using
the UNITS command, and you can change area using the LIMITS command.

Units
Indicates the unit format and precision. The unit format is the format in
which you enter and in which AutoCAD displays coordinates and measure-
ments. The Units page of the Quick Setup wizard includes the same formats.
See Units on page 599 for more information.
The unit precision specifies the number of decimal places or the fractional
size for displaying linear measurements.

600 | NEW
Angle
Indicates the format in which you enter angles and in which AutoCAD dis-
plays angles.
Decimal Degrees Displays partial degrees as decimals.
Deg/Min/Sec Displays partial degrees as minutes and seconds.
Grads Displays angles as grads.
Radians Displays angles as radians.
Surveyor Displays angles in surveyors units.

Angle Measure
Indicates the direction of the 0 angle for the entry of angles. When you enter
an angle value in AutoCAD, AutoCAD measures the angle either counter-
clockwise or clockwise from the compass direction that you select on this
page. You control the counterclockwise/clockwise direction on the Angle
Direction page.
East Specifies the compass direction east as the 0 angle.
North Specifies the compass direction north as the 0 angle.
West Specifies the compass direction west as the 0 angle.
South Specifies the compass direction south as the 0 angle.
Other Specifies a direction other than east, north, west, or
south. Enter a specific compass angle to treat as the 0
angle.

Angle Direction
Indicates the direction from the 0 angle in which you enter and in which
AutoCAD displays positive angle values: counterclockwise or clockwise.

Area
Indicates the width and length in full-scale units of what you plan to draw.
This setting limits the area of the drawing covered by grid dots when the grid
is turned on. When limits checking is turned on with the LIMITS command,
this setting also restricts the coordinates you can enter to within the rectan-
gular area. You can change the drawing area and turn limits checking on and
off with the LIMITS command.

NEW | 601
 NEW Command Line
If you turned off the display of the Create New Drawing dialog box, or if FILE-
DIA is set to 0, NEW displays the following prompt:

Enter template file name or [. (for none)] <current>: Enter a name, enter a period
(.), or press ENTER

Enter a tilde (~) at the prompt to display the Select Template dialog box (a
standard file selection dialog box).

NEWSHEETSET
Creates a new sheet set
Insert menu: File New Sheet Set
Tools menu: Wizards New Sheet Set
Sheet Set Manager control: New Sheet Set
Command line: newsheetset

The Create Sheet Set wizard contains a series of pages that step you through
the process of creating a new sheet set. You can choose to create a new sheet
set from existing drawings, or use an existing sheet set as a template on
which to base your new sheet set.

602 | NEWSHEETSET
OFFSET
Creates concentric circles, parallel lines, and parallel curves
OFFSET creates a new object at a specified distance from an existing object or
through a specified point.

Modify toolbar:
Modify menu: Offset
Command line: offset

Specify offset distance or [Through] <current>: Specify a distance, enter t, or press

ENTER

polyline polyline
with offset

Offset Distance Creates an object at a specified distance from an

existing object.
Select object to offset or <exit>: Select one object or press
ENTER to end the command
Specify point on side to offset?: Specify a point (1) on the
side of the object you want to offset

1
offset distance

object
selected side selected object offset

AutoCAD repeats the two prompts so that you can

create multiple offset objects. To end the command,
press ENTER at the Select Object to Offset prompt.

OFFSET | 603
 Through Creates an object passing through a specified point.
Select object to offset or <exit>: Select one object or press
ENTER to end the command
Specify through point: Specify a point (1) through which
you want the offset object to pass

object
selected
through point object offset

AutoCAD repeats the two prompts so that you can

create multiple offset objects. To end the command,
press ENTER at the Select Object to Offset prompt.

OLELINKS
Updates, changes, and cancels existing OLE links
AutoCAD supports the Microsoft Windows feature called object linking and
embedding (OLE). When you use PASTESPEC to insert a linked object into an
AutoCAD drawing from an application that supports OLE, the object main-
tains a connection with its source file.
See Link and Embed Data (OLE) in the Users Guide.
You can set AutoCAD to update links automatically or manually when infor-
mation in the source document changes.
Edit menu: OLE Links
Command line: olelinks

The Links dialog box is displayed. If there is no existing OLE link in the draw-
ing, OLE Links is not available on the Edit menu and the Links dialog box is
not displayed. To specify a different source application for an embedded
object, right-click the embedded object and click Convert on the shortcut
menu to display the Convert dialog box (see page 606).

604 | OLELINKS
Links Dialog Box
Lists and modifies linked files and objects.

Links Lists information about linked objects. The

information listed depends on the type of link. To
change information for a linked object, select the
object.
Source Displays the path name of the source file and the type
of object.
Type Displays the format type.
Update: Updates the link automatically whenever the source
Automatic changes.
Update: Manual Prompts you to update a link when you open the
document.
Update Now Updates the selected links.
Open Source Opens the source file and highlights the portion linked
to the AutoCAD drawing.
Change Source Displays the Change Source dialog box (a standard file
dialog box), in which you can specify a different source
file. If the source is a selection within a file (instead of
the entire file), Item Name displays a string
representing the selection.
Break Link Severs the link between the object and the original file.
AutoCAD changes the object in your AutoCAD drawing
into a Windows metafile, which is not affected by
future changes to the original file.

OLELINKS | 605
 Convert Dialog Box
Specifies a different source application for an embedded object.

Current Type Displays the type of object you are converting or

activating.
Object Type Displays a list of available object types. If you select
AutoCAD Entities, text is converted to a multiline text
(mtext) object, a spreadsheet is converted to a table
object, and a bitmap file is converted to an image
object.
Convert To Converts the embedded object to the type specified
under Object Type.
Activate As Opens the embedded object as the type selected under
Object Type but returns the object to its current type
after editing.
Display as Icon Displays the source applications icon in the AutoCAD
drawing. Double-clicking the icon displays the linked
or embedded information.
Change Icon Displays the Change Icon dialog box. This option is
available only if you select Display as Icon.
Result Describes the result of the selected options.

606 | OLELINKS
Change Icon Dialog Box
Changes the icon that represents an embedded or linked object in an
AutoCAD drawing.

Icon
Specifies an icon to represent an embedded or linked object.
Current Specifies the currently selected icon.
Default Specifies the default icon for the source application.
From File Specifies an icon from a file (valid types include EXE,
DLL, and ICO).

Label
Specifies a caption for the icon. AutoCAD displays the file type unless you
specify otherwise.

Browse
Displays the Browse dialog box (a standard file selection dialog box), in
which you can select an icon from a file.

OLELINKS | 607
OLESCALE
Controls the size, scale, and other properties of a selected OLE object
Shortcut menu: With an OLE object selected, right-click and click Text Size.
Command line: olescale

The OLE Text Size dialog box is displayed.

Note You must select an OLE object before entering the OLESCALE command.

OLE Text Size Dialog Box

Maps the point size of one of the fonts in an OLE object to a text height in
the drawing. The OLE object is scaled automatically to accommodate the size
of the text.

OLE Text Font Displays a list of the fonts used in the OLE object.
OLE Point Size Displays a list of the point sizes available for the
selected font.
Text Height Sets a text height for the font at the selected point size.
Reset Restores the OLE object to its size when it was inserted
in the drawing.

OOPS
Restores erased objects
Command line: oops

OOPS restores objects erased by the last ERASE command.

608 | OLESCALE
 erased objects before OOPS after OOPS

You can also use OOPS after BLOCK or WBLOCK because these commands can
erase the selected objects after creating a block. You cannot use OOPS to
restore objects on a layer that has been removed with the PURGE command.

OPEN
Opens an existing drawing file

Standard toolbar:
File menu: Open
Command line: open

The Select File dialog box (a standard file selection dialog box) is displayed.
You can open and load a portion of a drawing, including geometry on a spe-
cific view or layer. In the Select File dialog box, click the arrow next to Open
and choose Partial Open or Partial Open Read-Only to display the Partial
Open dialog box.
When FILEDIA is set to 0 (zero), OPEN displays a prompt on the command line
(see page 622).

Note If the drawing you open contains macros, AutoCAD displays the
AutoCAD Macro Virus Protection dialog box (see page 1054).

Standard File Selection Dialog Boxes

Several AutoCAD commands display standard file selection dialog boxes, in
which you can navigate through local and network drives and through FTP
sites and Web folders to select files. While each dialog box may vary slightly,
following is a list of the possible options.

OPEN | 609
 Places
list

Places List
Provides quick access to predefined file locations. Click the Look In arrow to
view the path for each icon. You can reorder the icons in the Places list by
dragging them to a new location. To add a new icon to the Places list, drag a
folder from the files list to the Places list, or right-click an existing icon and
choose Add or Add Current Folder from the shortcut menu. This shortcut
menu also provides options for removing and modifying icons, or restoring
default icons that have been removed. You cannot remove the Autodesk
Buzzsaw icon. Changes to the Places list affect all standard file selection
dialog boxes.
History Displays shortcuts to the files most recently accessed
from the dialog box. It is recommended that you
periodically remove unwanted shortcuts from the
History list. Select History, then select the unwanted
shortcuts from the Files list and choose Delete. To sort
the shortcuts by date, choose Views Details, and then
click the Modified column in the Files list.
Personal/My Displays the contents of the Personal or My Documents
Documents folder for the current user profile. The name of this
location (Personal or My Documents) depends on
your operating system version.

610 | OPEN
Favorites Displays the contents of the Favorites folder for the
current user profile. This folder consists of shortcuts to
files or folders that you added to Favorites using the
Tools Add to Favorites option in the dialog box.
FTP Displays the FTP sites that are available for browsing in
the standard file selection dialog box. To add FTP
locations to this list, or to modify an existing FTP
location, choose Tools Add/Modify FTP Locations in
the dialog box.
Desktop Displays the contents of your desktop.
Buzzsaw Provides access to Buzzsaw projects. Buzzsaw is a secure
Internet-based collaboration and project management
service that connects project teams in different
locations for the building design and construction
industry. If you do not yet have a project hosting
account on Buzzsaw, clicking Buzzsaw displays the Add
a New Site option in the Buzzsaw Folders list where you
can set up a project. Also, the first time you access
Buzzsaw, your default web browser opens with the
project hosting page displayed. If you already have a
project hosting account, clicking Buzzsaw shows all of
your project sites in the Files list.

Look In/Save In
Displays the current folder or drive. Click the arrow to view the hierarchy of
the folder path and to navigate up the path tree or to other drives, network
connections, FTP locations, or web folders (either Web Folders or My Network
Places, depending on the version of your operating system). You can create
web folders in Windows Explorer. Consult your system administrator or
Windows Explorer Help for more information about web folders.
To control whether the last used paths in each particular standard file selec-
tion dialog box are stored across sessions, use the REMEMBERFOLDERS system
variable.

Back
Returns to the previous file location.

Up One Level
Navigates one level up in the current path tree.

OPEN | 611
 Search the Web
Displays the Browse the Web dialog box, from which you can access and
store drawing files on the Internet.

Delete
Deletes the selected file or folder.

Create New Folder

Creates a new folder in the current path using a name that you specify.

Views
Controls the appearance of the Files list and specifies whether to show a pre-
view image.
List Displays the contents of the Files list in a multicolumn
format.
Details Displays the contents of the Files list in a single-column
format with file details.
Preview Displays a bitmap of the selected file. The Preview area
is blank if you do not select a file. To save a bitmap with
a drawing file, use the Save a Thumbnail Preview Image
option on the Open and Save tab in the Options dialog
box.

Tools
Provides the following tools:
Find Displays the Find dialog box (see page 616), in which
you can search for files using name, location, and date-
modified filters.
Locate Uses the AutoCAD search path to locate the file
specified in File Name. You set the search path on the
Files tab in the Options dialog box (see page 624).
Add/Modify FTP Displays the Add/Modify FTP Locations dialog box (see
Locations page 618), in which you can specify the FTP sites to
make available for browsing. To browse these sites,
select FTP from the Places list.
Add Current Adds an icon for the selected folder to the Places list,
Folder to Places providing quick access to that folder from all standard
file selection dialog boxes. To remove the icon, right-
click the icon and choose Remove.

612 | OPEN
Add to Favorites Creates a shortcut to the current Look In location, or to
the selected file or folder. The shortcut is placed in the
Favorites folder for the current user profile, which you
can access by choosing Favorites in the Places list.
Options Provides additional options for certain standard file
selection dialog boxes.
Security Options Provides options for a digital signature and password
that are invoked when you save a file.

Files List
Displays the files and folders in the current path and of the selected file type.
Use the Views menu in the dialog box to switch between List view and
Details view.

Preview
Displays a bitmap of the selected file when you choose Views Preview in
the dialog box. The Preview area is blank if you do not select a file. To save a
bitmap with a drawing file, use the Save a Thumbnail Preview Image option
on the Open and Save tab in the Options dialog box.

File Name
Displays the name of the file you select in the Files list. If you select multiple
files, File Name displays each selected file within quotation marks. If you
enter a file name in the File Name box, AutoCAD clears any selection. You
must use quotation marks when entering multiple file names. You can use
wild-card characters to filter files displayed in the Files list.

Files of Type
Filters the list of files by file type. When you are saving files, Files of Type
specifies the format in which the file is saved.

Select Initial View

Displays the specified view when you open the drawing if the drawing con-
tains more than one named view.

Update Sheet and View Thumbnails Now

Reflects the current setting of the UPDATETHUMBNAIL system variable. This
option temporarily overrides that setting. Clear the checkbox to save the file
without updating thumbnails. Check the box to update all thumbnails. This
option does not change the current setting of UPDATETHUMBNAIL.

OPEN | 613
 Open/Save
Opens or saves the selected file, depending on the purpose of the specific file
selection dialog box. Certain file selection dialog boxes may also include the
following options, accessed by clicking the arrow next to the Open button:
Open Read-Only Opens a file in read-only mode. You cannot save
changes to the file using the original file name.
Partial Open Displays the Partial Open dialog box (see page 619). You
can open and load a portion of a drawing, including
geometry on a specific view or layer. You can only use
this option with drawings created in AutoCAD 2000 or
later.
Partial Open Opens the specified drawing portions in read-only
Read-Only mode.

Add a New Buzzsaw Location Dialog Box

Provides access to a new Autodesk Buzzsaw location that you specify. You can
open drawings or save drawings at this location. If a sheet set is open, the
Autodesk Buzzsaw location is associated with your current sheet set. The only
Buzzsaw locations displayed are those associated with the current sheet set.
Buzzsaw Location Accepts a descriptive name for the new Autodesk
Name Buzzsaw location.
Buzzsaw Site Specifies the Autodesk Buzzsaw site for the project. You
can enter the name or use the drop-down list to choose
the Buzzsaw site. The Browse button opens a standard
file selection dialog box to the Autodesk Buzzsaw site.
Buzzsaw Folder Specifies the folder within the Autodesk Buzzsaw site.
User Name Accepts your login name for the Autodesk Buzzsaw
location.
Password Accepts your password for the Autodesk Buzzsaw
location.
Save User Name Determines whether the User Name and Password
and Password information is stored for this Autodesk Buzzsaw
location.

614 | OPEN
Edit Buzzsaw Location Dialog Box
Provides edit access to an Autodesk Buzzsaw location that you specify. If a
sheet set is open, the Autodesk Buzzsaw location is associated with your cur-
rent sheet set. The only Buzzsaw locations displayed are those associated
with the current sheet set.
Buzzsaw Location Displays the descriptive name for the current Autodesk
Name Buzzsaw location.
Buzzsaw Site Displays the Autodesk Buzzsaw site for the project. You
can enter a new name or use the drop-down list to
choose the Buzzsaw site. The Browse button opens a
standard file selection dialog box to the Autodesk
Buzzsaw site.
Buzzsaw Folder Displays the current folder within the Autodesk
Buzzsaw site.
User Name Accepts a new login name for the Autodesk Buzzsaw
location.
Password Accepts a new password for the Autodesk Buzzsaw
location.
Save User Name Determines whether the User Name and Password
and Password information is stored for this Autodesk Buzzsaw
location.

OPEN | 615
 Find Dialog Box
Searches for files using name, location, and date modified filters.

Name & Location Tab

Filters the file search based on file type, file name, and location.
Named Specifies the full or partial file names to include in the
search. When entering multiple file names, enclose
each name in quotation marks. Use the following wild-
card characters to broaden your search:
* (Asterisk): Matches any string and can be used
anywhere in the search string.
? (Question mark): Matches any single character; for
example, ?BC matches ABC, 3BC, and so on.

The type of files to include in the search is determined

by Type, so you dont need to enter a file extension in
Named. For example, to find house102.dwg, enter
house* and set Type to Drawing (*.dwg).
Type Specifies the type of files to include in the search.
Available file types are limited to those supported by
the specific standard file selection dialog box.

616 | OPEN
Look In Specifies the location to search. Enter a location, choose
a location from the list, or choose Browse to navigate to
a location. When entering multiple locations, enclose
each location in quotation marks.
Browse Displays the Browse for Folder dialog box, in which you
can navigate to a location for the search.
Include Searches all subfolders within the Look In location.
Subfolders

Date Modified Tab

Filters the file search based on the files creation or modified date.
All Files Searches without a date filter.
Find All Files Restricts the search to files created or modified within a
Created or specified time.
Modified
Between: Searches for files created or modified
between two dates. Enter the dates or click the
arrows to choose dates from a calendar. To navigate
the calendar, use the left and right arrows, or click
the month and year.
During the Previous N Months: Searches for files
created or modified within a specified number of
months.
During the Previous N Days: Searches for files created
or modified within a specified number of days.

Find Now
Searches for files using the criteria specified in both tabs.

Stop
Ends the search.

New Search
Clears the search results and resets the default values for all search options.

OK
When one or more files are selected in the search results, closes the Find dia-
log box and enters the selected file names in the standard file selection dialog
box.

OPEN | 617
 Search Results
Lists all files found by the search. To change the sort order of the files, click
a column heading. To pass a file to the standard file selection dialog box,
select a file and choose OK. When used with a standard file selection dialog
box that allows multiple file selection, you can pass multiple files from the
Search Results.

Add/Modify FTP Locations Dialog Box

Defines the FTP sites that you can browse within standard file selection dia-
log boxes. To browse the sites that you add, select FTP from the Places list in
the standard file selection dialog box.

Name of FTP Site

Specifies the site name for the FTP location (for example, ftp.autodesk.com).

Log On As
Specifies whether to log on to the FTP site anonymously or with a specific
user name.

618 | OPEN
Anonymous Logs you on to the FTP site as an anonymous user. If the
FTP site does not allow anonymous logons, select User
and enter a valid user name.
User Logs you on to the FTP site using the specified user
name.

Password
Specifies the password to use to log on to the FTP site.

Add
Adds a new FTP site to the list of FTP locations available from the standard
file selection dialog box.

Modify
Modifies the selected FTP site to use the specified site name, logon name, and
password.

Remove
Removes the selected FTP site from the list of FTP locations available from the
standard file selection dialog box.

FTP Sites
Lists the FTP sites that are available from the Places list in all standard file
selection dialog boxes.

URL
Displays the URL for the selected FTP site.

Partial Open Dialog Box

Displays the drawing views and layers available for specifying what geometry
to load into the selected drawing. When working with large drawing files,
you can select the minimal amount of geometry you need to load when
opening a drawing.

OPEN | 619
 When a drawing is partially open, all AutoCAD named objects, as well as the
specified geometry, are loaded into the file. AutoCAD named objects include
blocks, dimension styles, layers, layouts, linetypes, text styles, UCSs, views,
and viewport configurations.

View Geometry to Load

Displays the selected view and available views in the drawing. Only model
space views are available for loading. You can load paper space geometry by
loading the layer that the paper space geometry is drawn on.
View Name Displays the currently selected view. Geometry that is
common to both the selected view and the layers is
loaded into the drawing.
View List Displays all the model space views available in the
selected drawing file. When a view is selected,
AutoCAD loads only the geometry in the selected view.
The default view is Extents. Geometry that is common
to both the selected view and the layers is loaded into
the drawing. You can load geometry from only one
view.
You can use the PARTIALOAD command to load
additional geometry into a partially open drawing.

620 | OPEN
Note When a drawing is partially open, named objects are still loaded into the
file along with the specified geometry from the selected view. All views are still
available in the partially open drawing, but only geometry from the view speci-
fied to load is displayed in the drawing.

Layer Geometry to Load

Displays all the layers available in the selected drawing file. The geometry on
selected layers is loaded into the drawing, including both model space and
paper space geometry. The default loads no layer geometry into the drawing,
but you can load geometry from one or more layers. If you specify to load no
layer geometry into the drawing, no geometry from the selected view is
loaded either because no layer geometry in that view or in the entire drawing
is loaded. Xref-dependent layers are displayed in the Layer Geometry to Load
list only if the selected drawing was last saved with the VISRETAIN system vari-
able set to 1. Any layers created in the xref since the xref was loaded into the
selected drawing are not displayed in the Layer Geometry to Load list.
You can use the PARTIALOAD command to load additional geometry into a
partially open drawing.

Note When a drawing is partially open, named objects are still loaded into the
file along with the specified geometry from the selected layers. All layers are still
available in the partially open drawing, but only geometry from the layers spec-
ified to load appears in the drawing.

Layer Name Displays the layer names in the selected drawing.

Load Geometry Loads geometry from the layer when the drawing is
opened.
Load All Loads geometry from all layers when the drawing is
opened. You can right-click and use the shortcut menu
to load geometry from all layers into the drawing.
Clear All Loads no geometry from any layer when the drawing is
opened. No geometry at all is loaded, including
geometry specified to load from a view. You can right-
click and use the shortcut menu to load no geometry
into the drawing.

OPEN | 621
 Index Status
Displays whether the selected drawing file contains a spatial or layer index.
INDEXCTL controls whether layer and spatial indexes are saved with the
drawing file.
Use Spatial Index Controls whether a spatial index is used when partially
opening a drawing. AutoCAD uses a spatial index to
locate what portion of the drawing is read; this
minimizes the time required to open the drawing. If a
drawing does not contain a spatial index, this option is
unavailable.
Spatial Index Displays whether the selected drawing file contains a
spatial index. A spatial index organizes objects based on
their location in space. When partially opening a
drawing, AutoCAD uses a spatial index to locate what
portion of the drawing is read; this minimizes the time
required to open the drawing.
Layer Index Displays whether the selected drawing file contains a
layer index. A layer index is a list showing the objects
that are on each layer. When partially opening a
drawing, AutoCAD uses a layer index to locate what
portion of the drawing is read; this minimizes the time
required to open the drawing.

Unload All Xrefs on Open

Unloads all external references when opening the drawing. Selecting this
option enhances the opening process. If you partially open a drawing that
contains a bound xref, only the portion of the xref that is loaded (defined by
the selected view) is bound to the partially open drawing.

Open
Opens the drawing file, loading only combined geometry from the selected
view and layers.

OPEN Command Line

When FILEDIA is set to 0 (zero), OPEN displays the following prompt on the
command line.
Enter name of drawing to open:

Enter ~ (tilde) at the prompt to ignore FILEDIA and display the Select File dia-
log box (see page 609), a standard file selection dialog box.

622 | OPEN
OPENDWFMARKUP
Opens a DWF file that contains markups
File menu: Load Markup Set
Command line: opendwfmarkup

Displays the Open Markup DWF dialog box (a standard file selection dialog
box), in which you can select a Design Web Format (DWF ) file that con-
tains markups to load into the Markup Set Manager. When you select a DWF
file and click Open, the Markup Set Manager is displayed. The markup set
from the selected DWF file is loaded into the Markup Set Manager.

OPENSHEETSET
Opens a selected sheet set
File menu: Open Sheet Set
Sheet Set Manager control: Open
Command line: opensheetset

The Open Sheet Set dialog box (a standard file selection dialog box) is
displayed.
In this dialog box, you can select a sheet set data (DST) file to load sheet set
information into the Sheet Set Manager.

OPTIONS
Customizes the AutoCAD settings
Tools menu: Options
Shortcut menu: Right-click in the command window, or (with no com-
mands active and no objects selected) right-click in the drawing area, and
choose Options.
Command line: options

The Options dialog box is displayed.

OPENDWFMARKUP | 623
 Options Dialog Box
Customizes many AutoCAD settings.

Current Profile Displays the name of the current profile above the tabs.
To set the current profile, create a new profile, or edit an
existing profile, use the Profiles tab. (CPROFILE system
variable)
Current Drawing Displays the name of the current drawing above the
tabs. A drawing file icon is displayed next to any option
saved with the drawing. An option saved with the
drawing affects only the current drawing. An option
saved in the registry affects all drawings in an AutoCAD
session. Options that are saved in the registry (and are
not displayed with a drawing file icon) are saved in the
current profile. (DWGNAME system variable)

Files Tab (Options Dialog Box)

Specifies the folders in which AutoCAD searches for support, driver, menu,
and other files. Also specifies optional, user-defined settings such as which
dictionary to use for checking spelling.

624 | OPTIONS
To specify a location for a folder or file, double-click its name in the list.
Choose Browse and use the Browse for Folder dialog box (a standard file
selection dialog box) to locate the folder or file you want to use.
Support File Search Path
Specifies the folders in which AutoCAD searches for drawing support files. In
addition to the files that are required to run AutoCAD, you can include files
for fonts, menus, drawings to insert, linetypes, and hatch patterns in the
drawing support file search path. Environment variables can also be included
in the drawing support file search path.
Working Support File Search Path
Specifies the active folders in which AutoCAD searches for drawing support
files that are specific to your system. The working drawing support file list
displays valid paths from the drawing support file search path that exist in
the current folder structure and network paths. Any valid environment vari-
ables listed in the drawing support file search path are displayed as expanded
folders in the Working Support File Search Path. Environment variables that
contain other environment variables are displayed with only the parent vari-
able as an expanded folder.
Device Driver File Search Path
Specifies where AutoCAD looks for device drivers for the video display, point-
ing devices, printers, and plotters.

OPTIONS | 625
 Project Files Search Path
Specifies a project name for the drawing. The project name corresponds to a
search path for external reference (xref) files associated with the project. You
can create any number of project names with associated folders, but each
drawing can have only one project name. (PROJECTNAME system variable)
Menu, Help, and Miscellaneous File Names
Specifies the names and locations of various types of files.
Menu File Specifies the location of the AutoCAD menu file.
Help File Specifies the location of the AutoCAD Help file.
Default Internet Specifies the default Internet location used by both the
Location BROWSER command and the Browse the Web button on
the Web toolbar.
Configuration Specifies the location of the configuration file used to
File store hardware device driver information. This value is
read-only and can be changed only by using the /c
command line switch. See Customize Startup in the
Users Guide.
Text Editor, Dictionary, and Font File Names
Specifies a number of optional settings.
Text Editor Specifies the text editor application to use for editing
Application multiline text objects. (MTEXTED system variable)
Main Dictionary Specifies the dictionary to use for checking spelling.
(DCTMAIN system variable)
Custom Specifies a custom dictionary to use (if you have one).
Dictionary File (DCTCUST system variable)
Alternate Font Specifies the location of the font file to use if AutoCAD
File cannot locate the original font and an alternate font is
not specified in the font mapping file. If you choose
Browse, AutoCAD displays the Alternate Font dialog
box (see page 654), from which you can choose an
available font. (FONTALT system variable)
Font Mapping Specifies the location of the file that defines how
File AutoCAD should convert fonts it cannot locate.
(FONTMAP system variable)
Print File, Spooler, and Prolog Section Names
Specifies settings related to plotting.

626 | OPTIONS
Plot File Name for Specifies a default name for the temporary plot files
Legacy Plotting used with plotting scripts created with AutoCAD
Scripts Release 14 or earlier. The default name is the drawing
name plus the .plt file extension. The default name used
with AutoCAD 2000 and later drawings is the drawing
name-layout name plus the .plt file name extension.
Some plotting device drivers, however, use a different
plot file extension. This option affects only the default
plot file name used for plotting scripts created with
earlier versions of AutoCAD.
Print Spool Specifies the application to use for print spooling. You
Executable can enter the executable file name as well as any
command line arguments you want to use. For
example, you can enter myspool.bat %s to spool plot
files to myspool.bat and have a unique plot file name
automatically generated. See Use AutoSpool in the
Driver and Peripheral Guide.
Printer Support File Path
Specifies search path settings for printer support files.
Print Spooler File Specifies the path for print spool files. AutoCAD writes
Location the plot to this location.
Printer Specifies the path for printer configuration files (PC3
Configuration files).
Search Path
Printer Specifies the path for files with a .pmp file extension, or
Description File printer description files.
Search Path
Plot Style Table Specifies the path for files with an .stb or .ctb extension,
Search Path or plot style table files (both named plot style tables and
color-dependent plot style tables).
Search Path for ObjectARX Applications
Specifies the path for ObjectARX application files. You can enter multiple
URL addresses under this option. (Multiple URLs should be separated by semi-
colons.) AutoCAD searches the specified URLs when an associated
ObjectARX application cannot be located. Only URL addresses can be
entered in this option.
Automatic Save File Location
Specifies the path for the file created when you select Automatic Save on the
Open and Save tab. (SAVEFILEPATH system variable)

OPTIONS | 627
 Color Book Locations
Specifies the path for color book files that can be used when specifying colors
in the Select Color dialog box. You can define multiple folders for each path
specified. This option is saved with the user profile.
Data Sources Location
Specifies the path for database source files. Changes to this setting do not
take effect until you close and restart AutoCAD.
Drawing Template File Settings
Specifies the drawing template settings.
Drawing Specifies the path and file name for the template files
Template File used by the setup wizards and New dialog box.
Location
Default Template Specifies the path and file name for the template files
File Name for used by the QNEW command.
QNEW
Default Template Specifies the template file that is used to store
File Alternative alternative page setups that can be applied to Publish
Page Setups operations from the Sheet Set Manager.
Tool Palettes File Locations
Specifies the path for tool palette support files.
Log File Location
Specifies the path for the log file created when you select Maintain a Log File
on the Open and Save tab. (LOGFILEPATH system variable)
Plot and Publish Log File Location
Specifies the path for the log file that is created if you select the Automati-
cally Save Plot and Publish Log option on the Plot and Publish tab.
Temporary Drawing File Location
Specifies the location AutoCAD uses to store temporary files. AutoCAD
creates temporary files and then deletes them when you exit the program. If
you plan to run AutoCAD from a write-protected folder (for example, if you
are working on a network or opening files from a CD), specify an alternate
location for your temporary files. The folder you specify must not be write-
protected.
The TEMPPREFIX system variable (read-only) also stores the current location
of temporary drawing files.

628 | OPTIONS
Temporary External Reference File Location
Specifies the location of external reference (xref) files. This location is used
for the copy of the xref when you select Enabled with Copy in the Demand
Load Xrefs list on the Open and Save tab. (XLOADPATH system variable)
Texture Maps Search Path
Specifies the folders AutoCAD searches for rendering texture maps.
i-drop Associated File Location
Specifies the location of data files associated with i-drop content. When the
location is not specified, the location of the current drawing file is used.
Browse
Displays the Browse for Folder or Select a File dialog box, depending on what
you selected in the List of Folders and Files.
Add
Adds a search path for the selected folder.
Remove
Removes the selected search path or file.
Move Up
Moves the selected search path above the preceding search path.
Move Down
Moves the selected search path below the following search path.
Set Current
Makes the selected project or spelling dictionary current.

Display Tab (Options Dialog Box)

Customizes the AutoCAD display.

OPTIONS | 629
 Window Elements
Controls display settings specific to the AutoCAD drawing environment.
Display Scroll Displays scroll bars at the bottom and right sides of the
Bars in Drawing drawing area.
Window
Display Screen Displays the screen menu on the right side of the
Menu drawing area. The AutoCAD screen menu font is
controlled by the Windows system font settings. If you
use the AutoCAD screen menu, you should set the
Windows system font setting to a font and font size
that fits the screen menu size restrictions.
Colors Displays the Color Options dialog box (see page 655).
Use this dialog box to specify colors of elements in the
AutoCAD window.
Fonts Displays the Command Line Window Font dialog box
(see page 657). Use this dialog box to specify the font
for the command line text.

630 | OPTIONS
Layout Elements
Controls options for existing and new layouts. A layout is a paper space envi-
ronment in which you can set up drawings for plotting.
Display Layout Displays the layout and Model tabs at the bottom of the
and Model Tabs drawing area.
Display Printable Displays printable area in a layout. The printable area is
Area represented by the area within the dashed line and is
determined by the selected output device. Objects
drawn outside of the printable area are clipped or
omitted when the drawing is plotted.
Display Paper Displays a representation of the specified paper size in
Background a layout. The paper size and plot scale determine the
size of the paper background.
Display Paper Shadow: Displays a shadow around the
paper background in a layout. This option is
unavailable if the Display Paper Background option
is cleared.

Show Page Setup Displays the Page Setup Manager (see page 665) the first
Manager for New time you choose a layout tab. Use this dialog box to set
Layouts options related to paper and plot settings.
Create Viewport Creates a single viewport automatically when you
in New Layouts create a new layout.
Crosshair Size
Controls the size of the crosshairs. The valid range is from 1 to 100 percent
of the total screen. At 100 percent, the ends of the crosshairs are never visible.
When the size is decreased to 99 percent or below, the crosshairs have a finite
size, and the ends of the crosshairs are visible when situated at the edge of
the drawing area. The default size is 5 percent. (CURSORSIZE system variable)
Display Resolution
Controls the quality of the display of objects. If you set high values to
improve display quality, the impact on performance is significant.
Arc and Circle Controls the smoothness of circles, arcs, and ellipses. A
Smoothness higher number produces smoother objects, but
AutoCAD requires more time to regenerate, pan, and
zoom the objects. You can improve performance by
setting this option to a low value such as 100 for
drawing, and increasing the value for rendering. The
valid range is 1 to 20,000. The default setting is 1000.
This setting is saved in the drawing. To change the

OPTIONS | 631
 default for new drawings, consider specifying this
setting in the template files on which you base your
new drawings.
This value is also controlled by the VIEWRES command.
Segments in a Sets the number of line segments to be generated for
Polyline Curve each polyline curve. The higher the number, the greater
the performance impact. Set this option to a low value
such as 4 to optimize performance for drawing. Values
range from 32767 to 32767. The default setting is 8.
This setting is saved in the drawing. (SPLINESEGS system
variable)
Rendered Object Controls the smoothness of shaded and rendered
Smoothness curved solids. AutoCAD multiplies the value you enter
for Rendered Object Smoothness by the value you enter
for Arc and Circle Smoothness to determine how to
display solid objects. To improve performance, set
Rendered Object Smoothness to 1 or less when
drawing. A higher number decreases display
performance and increases rendering time. The valid
range is 0.01 to 10. The default setting is 0.5. This
setting is saved in the drawing. (FACETRES system
variable)
Contour Lines per Sets the number of contour lines per surface on objects.
Surface A higher number decreases display performance and
increases rendering time. The valid range is 0 to 2047.
The default setting is 4. This setting is saved in the
drawing. (ISOLINES system variable)
Display Performance
Controls display settings that affect AutoCAD performance.
Pan and Zoom Controls the display of raster images and OLE objects
with Raster and when you use Realtime PAN and ZOOM. Clear this
OLE option to optimize performance. If dragging display is
turned on and you select Pan and Zoom with Raster and
OLE, a copy of the object moves with the cursor as you
reposition the original. Dragging display controls
whether an outline of the object is displayed while you
drag it. The DRAGMODE system variable controls
dragging display. (RTDISPLAY system variable)

632 | OPTIONS
Highlight Raster Controls the display of raster images during selection. If
Image Frame this option is selected, only the frame of the raster
Only image is highlighted when selected. Select this option
to optimize performance. (IMAGEHLT system variable)
Apply Solid Fill Displays solid fills in objects. You must regenerate the
drawing for this setting to take effect. This setting is
saved in the drawing. Clear this option to optimize
performance. (FILLMODE system variable)
Objects affected by FILL include hatches (including
solid-fill), two-dimensional solids, wide polylines,
multilines, and traces.
Show Text Displays the frames for text objects instead of
Boundary Frame displaying the text objects. After you select or clear this
Only option, you must use REGEN to update the display. This
setting is saved in the drawing. Select this option to
optimize performance. (QTEXTMODE system variable)
Show Silhouettes Controls whether silhouette curves of 3D solid objects
in Wireframe are displayed as wireframes. This option also controls
whether mesh is drawn or suppressed when a 3D solid
object is hidden. This setting is saved in the drawing.
Clear this option to optimize performance. (DISPSILH
system variable)
Reference Fading Intensity
Specifies the fading intensity value for objects during in-place reference
editing. With in-place reference editing, you can edit a block reference or
external reference from within the current drawing. While references are
being edited in place, objects that are not being edited are displayed at a
lesser intensity than objects that can be edited. The valid range is 0 through
90 percent. The default setting is 50 percent. (XFADECTL system variable)

OPTIONS | 633
 Open and Save Tab (Options Dialog Box)
Controls options that relate to opening and saving files in AutoCAD.

File Save
Controls settings related to saving a file in AutoCAD.
Save As Displays the valid file formats used when saving a file
with SAVE, SAVEAS, and QSAVE. The file format selected
for this option is the default format that all drawings
are saved as when you use SAVE, SAVEAS, and QSAVE.
Saving an AutoCAD 2004 file to any DXF format
affects performance. Set the Save As option to AutoCAD
2004 Drawing to optimize performance while saving.
Note AutoCAD 2000 is the drawing file format used by
the AutoCAD 2000, AutoCAD 2000i, and AutoCAD 2002
releases.
Thumbnail Displays the Thumbnail Preview Settings dialog box.
Preview Settings

634 | OPTIONS
Incremental Save Sets the percentage of potentially wasted space in a
Percentage drawing file. When the specified percentage is reached,
AutoCAD performs a full save instead of an incremental
save. Full saves eliminate wasted space. If you set
Incremental Save Percentage to 0, every save is a full
save.
Although incremental saves increase the size of your
drawing, do not set a very low value. Low values
degrade performance because AutoCAD performs time-
consuming full saves more often. For optimum
performance, set the value to 50. If hard disk space
becomes an issue, set the value to 25. If you set the
value to 20 or less, performance of the SAVE and SAVEAS
commands slows significantly. (ISAVEPERCENT system
variable)
File Safety Precautions
Assists in avoiding data loss and in detecting errors.
Automatic Save Saves your drawing automatically at the intervals you
specify. You can specify the location of all Autosave files
by using the SAVEFILEPATH system variable. SAVEFILE
(read-only) stores the name of the Autosave file.
Minutes Between Saves: Specifies how often the
drawing is saved when using Automatic Save.
(SAVETIME system variable)

Create Backup Specifies whether a backup copy of a drawing is created

Copy with Each when you save the drawing. The backup copy is created
Save in the same location as the drawing. (ISAVEBAK system
variable)
For information about using backup files, see Recover
a Damaged File in the Users Guide.
Full-Time CRC Specifies whether a cyclic redundancy check (CRC)
Validation should be performed each time an object is read into
the drawing. CRC is an error-checking mechanism. If
your drawings are being corrupted and you suspect a
hardware problem or AutoCAD error, turn this option
on.

OPTIONS | 635
 Maintain a Log Writes the contents of the text window to a log file. To
File specify the location and name of the log file, use the
Files tab in the Options dialog box. You can also set the
log file location by using the LOGFILEMODE system
variable. The LOGFILENAME system variable (read-only)
stores the log file name of the current drawing.
File Extension for Specifies a unique extension for the current user to
Temporary Files identify temporary files in a network environment. The
default extension is .ac$.
Security Options Provides options for a digital signature and password
that are invoked when you save a file.
Display Digital Presents digital signature information when a file with
Signature a valid digital signature is opened. (SIGWARN system
Information variable)
File Open
Controls settings that relate to recently used files and open files.
Number of Controls the number of recently used files that are
Recently Used listed in the File menu for quick access. Valid values are
Files to List 0 to 9.
Display Full Path Displays the full path of the active drawing in the
In Title drawings title bar, or in the AutoCAD title bar if the
drawing is maximized.
External References (Xrefs)
Controls the settings that relate to editing and loading external references.
Demand Load Controls demand loading of xrefs. Demand loading
Xrefs improves performance by loading only the parts of the
referenced drawing needed to regenerate the current
drawing. (XLOADCTL system variable)

Disabled: Turns off demand loading.

Enabled: Turns on demand loading and improves
AutoCAD performance. Select the Enabled setting to
enhance the loading process when working with
clipped xrefs that contain a spatial or layer index.
When this option is selected, other users cannot edit
the file while it is being referenced.
Enabled with Copy: Turns on demand loading but
uses a copy of the referenced drawing. Other users
can edit the original drawing.

636 | OPTIONS
Retain Changes Saves changes to layer properties and states for xref-
to Xref Layers dependent layers. When the drawing is reloaded, the
properties currently assigned to xref-dependent layers
are retained. This setting is saved in the drawing.
(VISRETAIN system variable)
Allow Other Users Determines whether the current drawing file can be
to Refedit Current edited in place if it is being referenced by another
Drawing drawing or multiple drawings. This setting is saved in
the drawing. (XEDIT system variable)
ObjectARX Applications
Controls settings that relate to AutoCAD Runtime Extension applications
and proxy graphics.
Demand Load Specifies if and when AutoCAD demand-loads a third-
ObjectARX Apps party application if a drawing contains custom objects
created in that application. (DEMANDLOAD system
variable)

Disable Load on Demand: Turns off demand-loading.

Custom Object Detect: Demand-loads the source
application when you open a drawing that contains
custom objects. This setting does not demand-load
the application when you invoke one of the
applications commands.
Command Invoke: Demand-loads the source
application when you invoke one of the
applications commands. This setting does not
demand-load the application when you open a
drawing that contains custom objects.
Object Detect and Command Invoke: Demand-loads
the source application when you open a drawing
that contains custom objects or when you invoke
one of the applications commands.

Proxy Images for Controls the display of custom objects in drawings.

Custom Objects (PROXYSHOW system variable)

Do Not Show Proxy Graphics: Specifies not to display

custom objects in drawings.
Show Proxy Graphics: Specifies to display custom
objects in drawings.
Show Proxy Bounding Box: Specifies to show a box in
place of custom objects in drawings.

OPTIONS | 637
 Show Proxy Specifies whether AutoCAD displays a warning when
Information you open a drawing that contains custom objects.
Dialog Box (PROXYNOTICE system variable)

Plot and Publish Tab (Options Dialog Box)

Controls options related to plotting and publishing.

Default Plot Settings For New Drawings

Controls default plotting settings for new drawings or drawings created in
AutoCAD Release 14 or earlier that have never been saved in AutoCAD 2000
or later format.
Use As Default Sets the default output device for new drawings and for
Output Device drawings created in AutoCAD Release 14 or earlier that
have never been saved in AutoCAD 2000 or later
format. The list displays any plotter configuration files
(PC3) found in the plotter configuration search path
and any system printers that are configured in the
system.
Use Last Sets the plotting settings to match those of the last
Successful Plot successful plot.
Settings

638 | OPTIONS
Add or Configure Displays the Plotter Manager (a Windows system
Plotters window) (see page 737). You can add or configure a
plotter with the Autodesk Plotter Manager.
Plot To File
Specifies the default location for plot to file operations. You can enter a loca-
tion or click the [...] button to specify a new location.
Background Processing Options
Specifies options for background plotting and publishing. You can use back-
ground plotting to start a job you are plotting or publishing and immediately
return to work on your drawing while your job is plotted or published as you
work.
Backround plot and publish details are available through the Plot and Pub-
lish status bar icon shortcut menu (see page 1071).
You can plot or publish jobs in the background even if AutoCAD is not run-
ning by entering acad/pl <DSD file name> at the Windows Command
Prompt.
Enable Specifies whether or not background plotting is turned
Background on for plotting and publishing.
Plotting When
Plotting: Specifies that plot jobs are processed in the
background. This setting is also affected by the
BACKGROUNDPLOT system variable.
Publishing: Specifies that published jobs are
processed in the background. This setting is also
affected by the BACKGROUNDPLOT system variable.

Note When -PLOT, PLOT, -PUBLISH, and PUBLISH are used in a script (SCR file),
the BACKGROUNDPLOT system variable value is ignored, and -PLOT, PLOT,
-PUBLISH, and PUBLISH are processed in the foreground.

Plot and Publish Log File

Controls options for saving a plot and publish log file as a comma-separated
value (CSV) file that can be viewed in a spreadsheet program.
This log file contains information about plot and publish jobs such as:

Job ID
Job name
Sheet set name
Category name
Date and time started and completed

OPTIONS | 639
 Sheet name
Full file path
Selected layout name
Page setup name
Named page setup path
Device name
Paper size name
Final status

Automatically Specifies that a log file that contains information about

Save Plot and all plot and publish jobs is automatically saved.
Publish Log
Save One Specifies that a single log file that contains information
Continuous Plot about all plot and publish jobs is automatically saved.
Log
Save One Log File Specifies that a separate log file is created for each plot
Per Plot and publish job.
General Plot Options
Controls options that relate to the general plotting environment, including
paper size settings, system printer alert behavior, and OLE objects in an
AutoCAD drawing.
Keep the Layout Uses the paper size specified in the Page Setup dialog
Paper Size If box as long as the selected output device can plot to this
Possible paper size. If the selected output device cannot plot to
this paper size, AutoCAD displays a warning message
and uses the paper size specified either in the plotter
configuration file (PC3) or in the default system settings
if the output device is a system printer. You can also
select this option by setting PAPERUPDATE to 0.
Use the Plot Uses the paper size specified either in the plotter
Device Paper Size configuration file (PC3) or in the default system settings
if the output device is a system printer. You can also set
this option by setting PAPERUPDATE to 1.

640 | OPTIONS
System Printer Controls whether you are alerted when the plotted
Spool Alert drawing is spooled through a system printer because of
an input or output port conflict.

Always Alert (And Log Errors): Alerts you and always

logs an error when the plotted drawing spools
through a system printer.
Alert First Time Only (And Log Errors): Alerts you once
and always logs an error when the plotted drawing
spools through a system printer.
Never Alert (And Log First Error): Never alerts you and
logs only the first error when the plotted drawing
spools through a system printer.
Never Alert (Do Not Log Errors): Never alerts you or
logs an error when the plotted drawing spools
through a system printer.

OLE Plot Quality Determines the quality of plotted OLE objects. The
options are Monochrome, Low Graphics, High
Graphics, and Automatically Select. The automatic
option assigns a plot quality setting based on the type
of OLE object. (OLEQUALITY system variable)
Use OLE Launches the application used to create the OLE object
Application when plotting a drawing with OLE objects. You can use
When Plotting this option to optimize the quality of plotted OLE
OLE Objects objects. This setting is saved in the drawing.
(OLESTARTUP system variable)
Hide System Controls whether Windows system printers are
Printer displayed in the Plot and Page Setup dialog boxes. This
option hides standard Windows system printers only. It
does not hide Windows system printers that have been
configured using the AutoCAD Add-a-Plotter wizard.
You can control the size of the list of devices in the Plot
and Page Setup dialog boxes by moving a devices PC3
file out of the Plotters folder and its subfolders.

OPTIONS | 641
 Specify Plot Offset Relative To
Specifies whether the offset of the plot area is from the lower-left corner of
the printable area or from the edge of the paper (PLOTOFFSET system
variable).
Printable Area Specifies that the plot offset is relative to the printable
area.
Edge of Paper Specifies that the plot offset is relative to the edge of the
paper.
Plot Style Table Settings
Opens the Plot Style Table Settings dialog box.
Plot Stamp Settings
Opens the Plot Stamp dialog box.

System Tab (Options Dialog Box)

Controls AutoCAD system settings.

Current 3D Graphics Display

Controls settings that relate to system properties and configuration of the 3D
graphics display system.
Current 3D Lists the available 3D graphics display systems. The
Graphics Display default is the Heidi 3D graphics display system
System (GSHEIDI10).

642 | OPTIONS
Properties Displays a 3D Graphics System Configuration dialog
box for the current 3D graphics display system. In the
3D Graphics System Configuration dialog box, you set
options that affect the way objects are displayed and
system resources are used in the 3D Orbit view. The
options you set also affect the way objects are shaded
with SHADEMODE.
Current Pointing Device
Controls options that relate to the pointing device.
Current Pointing Displays a list of the available pointing device drivers.
Device
Current System Pointing Device: Sets the system
pointing device as current.
Wintab Compatible Digitizer: Sets the Wintab-
compatible digitizer as current.

Accept Input Specifies whether AutoCAD accepts input from both a

From mouse and a digitizer or ignores mouse input when a
digitizer is set.
Layout Regen Options
Specifies how the display list is updated in the Model and layout tabs. For
each tab, the display list is updated either by regenerating the drawing when
you switch to that tab or by saving the display list to memory and regenerat-
ing only the modified objects when you switch to that tab. Changing these
settings can improve performance. (LAYOUTREGENCTL system variable)

Note The effectiveness of changing these settings depends on several factors.

See LAYOUTREGENCTL for more information.

Regen When Regenerates the drawing each time you switch tabs.
Switching
Layouts
Cache Model Tab For the Model tab and the last layout made current,
and Last Layout saves the display list to memory and suppresses
regenerations when you switch between the two tabs.
For all other layouts, regenerations still occur when you
switch to those tabs.
Cache Model Tab Regenerates the drawing the first time you switch to
and All Layouts each tab. For the remainder of the drawing session, the
display list is saved to memory and regenerations are
suppressed when you switch to those tabs.

OPTIONS | 643
 dbConnect Options
Controls options that relate to database connectivity.
Store Links Index Stores the database index in the AutoCAD drawing file.
in Drawing File Select this option to enhance performance during Link
Select operations. Clear this option to decrease drawing
file size and to enhance the opening process for
drawings with database information.
Open Tables in Specifies whether to open database tables in Read-only
Read-Only Mode mode in the AutoCAD drawing file.
General Options
Controls general options that relate to system settings.
Single-Drawing Limits AutoCAD to one open drawing at a time. If you
Compatibility clear this option, AutoCAD can open multiple drawings
Mode at once. If multiple drawings are open, this option
cannot be turned on until the additional drawings are
closed. (SDI system variable)
Show All Warning Displays all dialog boxes that include a Dont Display
Messages This Warning Again option. All dialog boxes with
warning options are displayed, regardless of previous
settings specific to each dialog box.
Beep on Error in Sounds an alarm beep when AutoCAD detects an
User Input invalid entry.
Load acad.lsp Specifies whether AutoCAD loads the acad.lsp file into
with Every every drawing. If this option is cleared, only the
Drawing acaddoc.lsp file is loaded into all drawing files. Clear this
option if you do not want to run certain LISP routines
in specific drawing files. (ACADLSPASDOC system
variable)
Allow Long Permits long names to be used for named objects in the
Symbol Names drawing definition table. Object names can be up to
255 characters and include letters, numbers, blank
spaces, and any special character not used by Windows
and AutoCAD for other purposes. Long names can be
used for layers, dimension styles, blocks, linetypes, text
styles, layouts, UCS names, views, and viewport
configurations. This option is saved in the drawing.
(EXTNAMES system variable)

644 | OPTIONS
Startup Controls whether the Startup dialog box or no dialog
box is displayed when starting AutoCAD or creating a
new drawing.
Live Enabler Options
Specifies whether AutoCAD checks for object enablers. Using object enablers,
you can display and use custom objects in AutoCAD drawings even when the
ObjectARX application that created them is unavailable.
Check Web for Controls whether AutoCAD checks the Autodesk
Live Enablers website for object enablers.
Maximum Specifies the number of times that AutoCAD checks for
Number of object enablers if unsuccessful.
Unsuccessful
Checks
For more information about object enablers, see Work with Custom and
Proxy Objects in the Users Guide.

User Preferences Tab (Options Dialog Box)

Controls options that optimize the way you work.

Windows Standard Behavior

Controls keystroke and right-click behavior.

OPTIONS | 645
 Windows Follows Windows standards in interpreting keyboard
Standard accelerators (for example, CTRL + C equals COPYCLIP). If
Accelerator Keys this option is cleared, AutoCAD interprets keyboard
accelerators by using AutoCAD standards rather than
Windows standards (for example, CTRL + C equals
Cancel, CTRL + V toggles among the viewports).
Shortcut Menus Displays a shortcut menu in the drawing area when you
in Drawing Area right-click the pointing device. If this option is cleared,
AutoCAD interprets right-click as ENTER .
Right-Click Displays the Right-Click Customization dialog box (see
Customization page 660). This dialog box provides further definition
for the Shortcut Menus in Drawing Area option.
(SHORTCUTMENU system variable)
Drag and Drop Scale
Controls the default scale for dragging objects into a drawing using
DesignCenter or i-drop.
Source Content Sets the units AutoCAD uses for an object being
Units inserted into the current drawing when no insert units
are specified with the INSUNITS system variable.
If Unspecified-Unitless is selected, the object is not
scaled when inserted. (INSUNITSDEFSOURCE system
variable)
Target Drawing Sets the units AutoCAD uses in the current drawing
Units when no insert units are specified with the INSUNITS
system variable. (INSUNITSDEFTARGET system variable)
Hyperlink
Controls settings that relate to the display properties of hyperlinks.
Display Hyperlink Displays the hyperlink cursor and tooltip whenever the
Cursor, Tooltip, pointing device pauses over an object that contains a
and Shortcut hyperlink. The shortcut menu provides additional
Menu hyperlink options when you select an object that
contains a hyperlink and then right-click in the
drawing area. If this option is cleared, hyperlinks in the
drawing are ignored.

646 | OPTIONS
Fields
Sets preferences related to fields.
Display Displays fields with a light gray background that is not
Background of plotted. When this option is cleared, fields are
Fields displayed with the same background as any text.
(FIELDDISPLAY system variable)
Field Update Displays the Field Update Settings dialog box (see page
Settings 662). (FIELDEVAL system variable)
Priority for Coordinate Data Entry
Controls how AutoCAD responds to input of coordinate data. (OSNAPCOORD
system variable)
Running Object Specifies that running object snaps override coordinate
Snap entry at all times. You can also select this option by
setting OSNAPCOORD to 0.
Keyboard Entry Specifies that coordinate entry overrides running object
snaps at all times. You can also select this option by
setting OSNAPCOORD to 1.
Keyboard Entry Specifies that coordinate entry overrides running object
Except Scripts snaps, except in scripts. You can also select this option
by setting OSNAPCOORD to 2.
Associative Dimensioning
Controls whether associative dimension objects or legacy-style, nonassocia-
tive dimension objects are created. Associative dimensions automatically
adjust their locations, orientations, and measurement values when the
geometric objects associated with them are modified. (DIMASSOC system
variable)
Hidden Line Settings
Displays the Hidden Line Settings dialog box, where you can change the
display properties of hidden lines.
Lineweight Settings
Displays the Lineweight Settings dialog box (see page 512). Use this dialog
box to set lineweight options, such as display properties and defaults, and
also to set the current lineweight.

OPTIONS | 647
 Drafting Tab (Options Dialog Box)
Specifies a number of general editing options.

AutoSnap Settings
Controls settings that relate to the visual aids, called AutoSnaps, that are
displayed when you use object snaps. AutoSnap settings are saved in the
registry. When the cursor, or aperture box, is on an object, you can press TAB
to cycle through all the snap points available for that object.
Marker Controls the display of the AutoSnap marker. The
marker is a geometric symbol that is displayed when
the crosshairs move over a snap point. (AUTOSNAP
system variable)
Magnet Turns the AutoSnap magnet on or off. The magnet is an
automatic movement of the crosshairs that locks the
crosshairs onto the nearest snap point. (AUTOSNAP
system variable)
Display AutoSnap Controls the display of the AutoSnap tooltip. The
Tooltip tooltip is a label that describes which part of the object
you are snapping to. (AUTOSNAP system variable)

648 | OPTIONS
Display AutoSnap Controls the display of the AutoSnap aperture box. The
Aperture Box aperture box is a box that appears inside the crosshairs
when you snap to an object. (APBOX system variable)
AutoSnap Marker Specifies the color of the AutoSnap marker.
Color
AutoSnap Marker Size
Sets the display size for the AutoSnap marker.
Object Snap Options
Specifies options for object snaps. (OSNAP command)
Ignore Hatch Specifies that object snaps ignore hatch patterns when
Objects object snapping is turned on.
AutoTrack Settings
Controls the settings that relate to AutoTrack behavior, which is available
when polar tracking or object snap tracking is turned on (see DSETTINGS).
Display Polar Displays a vector along specified angles when polar
Tracking Vector tracking is on. With polar tracking, you can draw lines
along angles. Polar angles are 90-degree divisors, such
as 45, 30, and 15 degrees.
You can disable Display Polar Tracking Vector by setting
TRACKPATH to 2.

Display Controls the display of tracking vectors. Tracking

Full-Screen vectors are construction lines from which you can draw
Tracking Vector objects at specific angles or in specific relationships to
other objects. If selected, AutoCAD displays alignment
vectors as infinite lines.
You can disable Display Full-Screen Tracking Vector by
setting TRACKPATH to 1.
Display Controls the display of the AutoTrack tooltip. The
AutoTrack Tooltip tooltip is a label that displays the tracking coordinates.
(AUTOSNAP system variable)
Alignment Point Acquisition
Controls the method of displaying alignment vectors in a drawing.
Automatic Displays tracking vectors automatically when the
aperture moves over an object snap.
Shift to Acquire Displays tracking vectors when you press SHIFT and
move the aperture over an object snap.

OPTIONS | 649
 Aperture Size
Sets the display size for the AutoSnap aperture. When Display AutoSnap
Aperture Box is selected (or when APBOX is set to 1), the aperture box is
displayed in the center of the crosshairs when you snap to an object. The
aperture size determines how close to a snap point you can be before the
magnet locks the aperture box to the snap point. Values range from 1 to 50
pixels. (APERTURE system variable)

Selection Tab (Options Dialog Box)

Sets options for selecting objects.

Pickbox Size
Controls the display size of the AutoCAD pickbox. The pickbox is the object
selection tool that appears in editing commands. (PICKBOX system variable)
Selection Modes
Controls settings that relate to object selection methods.

650 | OPTIONS
Noun/Verb Allows you to select an object before starting a
Selection command. The command affects the previously
selected object or objects. (PICKFIRST system variable)
You can use many editing and inquiry commands with
noun/verb selection, including

ALIGN DVIEW PROPERTIES

ARRAY ERASE ROTATE

BLOCK EXPLODE SCALE

CHANGE LIST STRETCH

CHPROP MIRROR WBLOCK

COPY MOVE

Use Shift to Add Adds an object to or removes it from the selection set
to Selection when you press SHIFT and select an object. To clear a
selection set quickly, draw a selection window in a
blank area of the drawing. (PICKADD system variable)
Press and Drag Draws a selection window by selecting a point and
dragging the pointing device to a second point. If this
option is cleared, you can draw a selection window by
selecting two separate points with the pointing device.
(PICKDRAG system variable)
Implied Initiates the drawing of a selection window when you
Windowing select a point outside an object.
Drawing the selection window from left to right selects
objects that are entirely inside the windows
boundaries. Drawing from right to left selects objects
within and crossing the windows boundaries.
(PICKAUTO system variable)
Object Grouping Selects all objects in a group when you select one object
in that group. With GROUP you can create and name a
set of objects for selection. You can also set this option
by setting the PICKSTYLE system variable to 1.

OPTIONS | 651
 Associative Hatch Determines which objects are selected when you select
an associative hatch. If this option is selected, boundary
objects are also selected when you select an associative
hatch. You can also set this option by setting the
PICKSTYLE system variable to 2.

Grip Size
Controls the display size of AutoCAD grips. (GRIPSIZE system variable)

grip sizes

Grips
Controls the settings that relate to grips. Grips are small squares displayed on
an object after it has been selected.
unselected grips
Unselected Grip Determines the color of an unselected grip. If you
Color choose Select Color from the color list, AutoCAD
selected grip displays the Select Color dialog box (see page 172).
AutoCAD displays an unselected grip as a small, filled
square. (GRIPCOLOR system variable)
Selected Grip Determines the color of a selected grip. If you choose
Color Select Color from the color list, AutoCAD displays the
Select Color dialog box (see page 172). AutoCAD
displays a selected grip as a small, filled square.
(GRIPHOT system variable)
Hover Grip Color Determines the color a grip displays when the cursor
rolls over the grip. If you choose Select Color from the
color list, AutoCAD displays the Select Color dialog box
(see page 172). (GRIPHOVER system variable)
Enable Grips Displays grips on an object when you select it. You can
edit an object with grips by selecting a grip and using
the shortcut menu. Displaying grips in a drawing
significantly affects performance. Clear this option to
optimize performance. (GRIPS system variable)
Enable Grips Controls how grips are displayed on a block after you
within Blocks select it. If this option is selected, AutoCAD displays all
grips for each object in the block. If this option is
cleared, AutoCAD displays one grip located at the
insertion point of the block. You can edit an object with
grips by selecting a grip and using the shortcut menu.
(GRIPBLOCK system variable)

652 | OPTIONS
 Enable Grips Within Blocks Enable Grips Within Blocks
off (GRIPBLOCK = 0) on (GRIPBLOCK = 1)

Enable Grip Tips Displays grip-specific tips when the cursor hovers over
a grip on a custom object that supports grip tips. This
option has no effect on standard AutoCAD objects.
(GRIPTIPS system variable)
Object Selection Suppresses the display of grips when the initial
Limit for Display selection set includes more than the specified number
of Grips of objects. The valid range is 1 to 32,767. The default
setting is 100. (GRIPOBJLIMIT system variable)

Profiles Tab (Options Dialog Box)

Controls the use of profiles. A profile is a configuration you define.

Available Profiles Displays a list of the available profiles. To set the current
profile, select a profile and choose Set Current.
Set Current Makes the selected profile the current profile.

OPTIONS | 653
 Add to List Displays the Add Profile dialog box (see page 662) to
save the selected profile under a different name.
Rename Displays the Change Profile dialog box (see page 662)
for changing the name and description of the selected
profile. Use Rename when you want to rename a profile
but keep its current settings.
Delete Deletes the selected profile (unless it is the current
profile).
Export Exports a profile as a file with an .arg extension so the
file can be shared with other users. You can import the
file on the same computer or a different computer.
Import Imports a profile (a file with an .arg extension) created
by using the Export option.
Reset Resets the values in the selected profile to the system
default settings.

Alternate Font Dialog Box

Specifies the location of the font file to use if AutoCAD cannot locate the
original font and an alternate font is not specified in the font mapping file.
You can also set the location of Alternate Font File by using the FONTALT sys-
tem variable.
If you do not specify an alternate font through the Options dialog box or the
FONTALT system variable, when you open a drawing containing fonts that
cannot be located, a dialog box is displayed in which you specify a font to
use for each missing font.

654 | OPTIONS
Font Name Lists the font family name for all registered TrueType
fonts and all AutoCAD SHX fonts in the AutoCAD
Fonts folder. When you select a name from the list,
AutoCAD reads the file for the specified font.
Font Style Specifies font character formatting, such as italic, bold,
or regular. If the missing font is a Big Font, this option
changes to Big Font and lists all available Asian-
language Big Font files.

Color Options Dialog Box

Sets the display color of AutoCAD window elements.

Model Tab
Displays the current settings for AutoCAD window elements in model space.
To change the color of a Model tab window element, click the specific ele-
ment in the Model Tab area or select it from the Window Element list, and
then select a color from the Color list. The window title bar and menu bar
colors are controlled by the Windows system settings.

Layout Tabs
Displays the current settings for AutoCAD window elements in layouts. To
change the color of a layout tab window element, click the specific element
in the Layout Tabs area or select it from the Window Element list, and then
select a color from the Color list. The window title bar and menu bar colors
are controlled by the Windows system settings.

OPTIONS | 655
 Window Element
Lists the AutoCAD window elements.
Model Tab Specifies the window color in model space.
Background
Model Tab Specifies the crosshairs color in model space.
Pointer
Layout Tabs Specifies the window color in all layouts. This option
Background depends on the Display Paper Background option on
(Paper) the Display tab in the Options dialog box. The paper
background is a representation of the specified paper
size in a layout. If Display Paper Background is selected,
the window color surrounding the paper background is
displayed as gray. If Display Paper Background is
cleared, the entire window assumes the Layout Tabs
Background (Paper) color setting.
Layout Tabs Specifies the crosshairs color in a layout.
Pointer
The default setting is the Windows standard window
text color.
AutoTracking Specifies the color for AutoTracking vectors. Tracking
Vector Color vectors are construction lines that you can use to draw
objects at specific angles or in specific relationships to
other objects. The default setting is White.
Command Line Specifies the background color of the command line
Background window.
The default color setting is the Windows standard
window color.
Command Line Specifies the text color of the command line window.
Text
The default setting is the Windows standard window
text color.

Color
Lists the available color settings to apply to the list of AutoCAD window ele-
ments. You can choose one of the colors in the color list or choose Select
Color to open the Select Color dialog box.

656 | OPTIONS
You can use the Select Color dialog box to define the color of window ele-
ments by selecting from the AutoCAD Color Index (ACI) colors, true color
colors, and Color Book colors.
If you select a new color for a window element, the new setting is displayed
in the Model Tab or Layout Tabs preview image.

Default All
Sets all window elements back to the default color settings.

Default One Element

Sets the selected window element back to the default color setting.

Command Line Window Font Dialog Box

Sets the font displayed in the command window. The screen menu font is
controlled by the Windows system font settings. (If you use the screen menu,
you should set the Windows system font setting to a font and font size that
fit the screen menu size restrictions.)

Font Lists the system fonts available for selection.

Font Style Lists the styles available to apply to the current font.
Size Lists the font sizes available for the current font.

Thumbnail Preview Settings Dialog Box

Controls whether thumbnail previews are updated when the drawing is
saved.
Save a Thumbnail Displays an image of the drawing in the Preview area of
Preview Image the Select File dialog box. (RASTERPREVIEW system
variable)

OPTIONS | 657
 Generate Sheet, Updates preview images in the Sheet Set Manager. Sheet
Sheet View, and thumbnails are displayed on the Sheet List tab, sheet
Model View view thumbnails on the View List tab, and model space
Thumbnails view thumbnails on the Resource Drawings tab.
(UPDATETHUMBNAIL system variable)
Performance- Sets the UPDATETHUMBNAIL system variable, which
Accuracy Slider specifies when thumbnails are updated and which
thumbnails are updated. When the dialog box is
opened, the slider reflects the current setting of
UPDATETHUMBNAIL.

Information Panel Displays information about the current position of the

slider.

Plot Style Table Settings Dialog Box

Specifies settings for plot style tables.

Default Plot Style Behavior for New Drawings

Controls plot style options. A plot style is a collection of property settings
defined in a plot style table and applied when the drawing is plotted. Chang-
ing the default plot style setting by using the Options dialog box does not
affect the current drawing; it affects only new drawings or drawings created
in an earlier release of AutoCAD that have never been saved in AutoCAD
2000 or later format.
The default plot style setting is Use Color Dependent Plot Styles. The Plot
Style Control on the Properties toolbar is unavailable by default. The Plot
Style Control is available when you select the Use Named Plot Styles option
and open a new drawing. (PSTYLEPOLICY system variable)
Use Color Uses color-dependent plot styles in both new drawings
Dependent Plot and drawings created in AutoCAD Release 14 or earlier.
Styles Color-dependent plot styles use the numbers from the
AutoCAD color index to create a plot style table with a
.ctb file extension. Each color is defined by a name or
number ranging from 1 to 255. You can assign each
color number to a different pen on a pen plotter to
achieve different property settings in the plotted
drawing. If this option is selected, a plot style is created
for each color setting. You can also select this option by
setting the PSTYLEPOLICY system variable to 1.

658 | OPTIONS
 This setting is saved with the drawing. Once a drawing
is saved with Use Color Dependent Plot Styles as the
default, you can convert it to Use Named Plot Styles
using the CONVERTCTB and CONVERTPSTYLES
commands.
Use Named Plot Uses named plot styles in both new drawings and
Styles drawings created in earlier versions of AutoCAD.
AutoCAD plots the drawing according to the property
settings that you specify in the plot style definition. The
plot style is defined in the plot style table attached to
the layout. Named plot style tables are files with the file
extension .stb. You can also select this option by setting
the PSTYLEPOLICY system variable to 0.
This setting is saved with the drawing. Once a drawing
is saved with Use Named Plot Styles as the default, you
can convert it to Use Color Dependent Plot Styles using
the CONVERTCTB and CONVERTPSTYLES commands.
However, once you use CONVERTPSTYLES to convert a
drawing from using a named plot style table to a color
plot style table, you cannot use CONVERTPSTYLES to
convert it back to using a named plot style table.

Current Plot Style Table Settings

Specifies the current plot style table settings that are applied to new draw-
ings.
Default Plot Style Specifies the default plot style table to attach to new
Table drawings. A plot style table is a file with a .ctb or an .stb
extension that includes and defines plot styles. If you
are using color-dependent plot styles, this option lists
all color dependent plot style tables found in the search
path as well as the value of None. If you are using
named plot styles, this option lists all named plot styles
tables.
Default Plot Style Sets the default plot style for Layer 0 for new drawings
for Layer 0 or drawings created with earlier releases of AutoCAD
that have never been saved in AutoCAD 2000 or later
format. The list displays the default style, Normal, and
any plot styles defined in the currently loaded plot style
table. (DEFLPLSTYLE system variable)

OPTIONS | 659
 Default Plot Style Sets the default plot style that is assigned when you
for Objects create new objects. The list displays BYLAYER, BYBLOCK,
and Normal styles, and any plot styles defined in the
currently loaded plot style table.
You can also set this option by using the DEFPLSTYLE
system variable. DEFPLSTYLE is drawing specific and
controls the default plot style for objects in new
drawings or in drawings created in earlier releases of
AutoCAD that have never been saved in AutoCAD 2000
or later format.
Add or Edit Plot Displays the Plot Style Manager (a Windows Explorer
Style Tables window), where you can create or edit plot style tables.

Right-Click Customization Dialog Box

Controls whether right-clicking in the drawing area displays a shortcut menu
or has the same effect as pressing ENTER . If you are accustomed to using the
right-click method for ENTER while a command is active, you might prefer to
disable Command shortcut menus from this dialog box. You can also control
shortcut menus by using the SHORTCUTMENU system variable.

660 | OPTIONS
Turn on Time-Sensitive Right-Click
Controls right-click behavior. A quick click is the same as pressing ENTER . A
longer click displays a shortcut menu. You can set the duration of the longer
click in milliseconds.

Default Mode
Determines what happens when you right-click in the drawing area when no
objects are selected and no commands are in progress.
Repeat Last Disables the Default shortcut menu. As a result, right-
Command clicking in the drawing area when no objects are
selected and no commands are in progress is the same
as pressing ENTER , which repeats the last issued
command.
Shortcut Menu Enables the Default shortcut menu.

Edit Mode
Determines what happens when you right-click in the drawing area when
one or more objects are selected and no commands are in progress.
Repeat Last Disables the Edit shortcut menu. As a result, right-
Command clicking in the drawing area when one or more objects
are selected and no commands are in progress is the
same as pressing ENTER , which repeats the last issued
command.
Shortcut Menu Enables the Edit shortcut menu.

Command Mode
Determines what happens when you right-click in the drawing area when a
command is in progress.
ENTER Disables the Command shortcut menu. As a result,
right-clicking in the drawing area when a command is
in progress is the same as pressing ENTER .
Shortcut Menu: Enables the Command shortcut menu.
Always Enabled
Shortcut Menu: Enables the Command shortcut menu only when
Enabled When options are currently available on the command line.
Command On the command line, options are enclosed in square
Options Are brackets. If no options are available, right-clicking is the
Present same as pressing ENTER .

OPTIONS | 661
 Field Update Settings Dialog Box
Open Automatically updates fields when the file is opened.
Save Automatically updates fields when the file is saved.
Plot Automatically updates fields when the file is plotted.
eTransmit Automatically updates fields when the file is sent using
ETRANSMIT.

Regen Automatically updates fields when the file is

regenerated.

Add Profile Dialog Box

Creates a new profile from an existing one. The new profile is displayed in
the Profile list box on the Profiles tab in the Options dialog box.
Profile Name Enter a name to save the profile as. The new profile is
created and added to the profile list.
Description Enter a description for the new profile. The description
is saved with the new profile.

Change Profile Dialog Box

Renames an existing profile. The new profile name is displayed in the Profile
list box on the Profiles tab in the Options dialog box.
Profile Name Enter a new name for the existing profile. The new
profile name replaces the previous profile name in the
profile list.
Description Enter a description. The description is saved under the
new profile name.

ORTHO
Constrains cursor movement
In Ortho mode, cursor movement is constrained to the horizontal or vertical
direction (relative to the UCS) and with the current grid rotation angle.
Status bar: Ortho
Command line: ortho (or 'ortho for transparent use)

Enter mode [ON/OFF] <current>: Enter on or off, or press ENTER

662 | ORTHO
 In the illustration, a line is drawn using Ortho mode. Point 1 is the first point
specified, and point 2 is the position of the cursor when the second point is
specified.

2 2

1 1

Ortho off Ortho on

AutoCAD uses Ortho mode when you specify an angle or distance by means
of two points using a pointing device. In Ortho mode, cursor movement is
constrained to the horizontal or vertical direction (relative to the UCS) and
the current grid rotation angle. AutoCAD ignores Ortho mode in perspective
views.
AutoCAD defines horizontal as being parallel to the X axis of the UCS and
vertical as being parallel to the Y axis. ORTHO adjusts to the current snap rota-
tion regardless of the UCS.

OSNAP
Sets running object snap modes
An object snap mode specifies a snap point at an exact location on an object.
OSNAP specifies running object snap modes, which remain active until you
turn them off.
For information about how to specify an object snap mode for a single point,
see Use Object Snaps in the Users Guide.
Running object snap modes can be toggled on and off with the Osnap button
on the status bar. You can use the TAB key to cycle through available object
snaps. Running object snap settings are stored with the drawing.

Object Snap toolbar:

Tools Menu: Drafting Settings
Shortcut menu: Press SHIFT while right-clicking in the drawing area and
choose Osnap Settings.
Command line: osnap (or 'osnap for transparent use)

OSNAP | 663
 The Object Snaps tab of the Drafting Settings dialog box (see page 314) is
displayed.
If you enter -osnap at the Command prompt, OSNAP presents options on the
command line.
Current osnap modes: current
Enter list of object snap modes: Enter names of object snap modes separated with
commas, or enter none or off

Object Snap Modes

Specify one or more object snap modes by entering the first three characters
of the name. If you enter more than one name, separate the names with com-
mas.

ENDpoint CENter TANgent

MIDpoint NODe NEArest

INTersection QUAdrant PARallel

EXTension INSertion

APParent Intersection PERpendicular

For a description of each of these object snap modes, see the Object Snaps tab
of the Drafting Settings dialog box (see page 314).
The -OSNAP command also presents the following additional options:
QUIck Snaps to the first snap point found. Quick must be used
in conjunction with other object snap modes.
NONe Turns off object snap modes.

Note The index for the Command Reference is at the end of Volume II.

664 | OSNAP
PAGESETUP
Controls the page layout, plotting device, paper size, and other settings for each new lay-
out
File menu: Page Setup Manager
Shortcut menu: Right-click the Model tab or a layout tab and click Page
Setup Manager.
Command line: pagesetup

The Page Setup Manager is displayed.

Page Setup Manager

Specifies the page setup for the current layout or drawing sheet. You can also
create named page setups, modify existing ones, or import page setups from
other drawings.

Current Layout or Current Sheet Set

Lists the current layout to which the page setup will be applied. If the Page
Setup Manager is opened from the Sheet Set Manager, displays the name of
the current sheet set. If the Page Setup Manager is opened from a layout, dis-
plays the name of the current layout.

PAGESETUP | 665
 Layout icon Displayed when the Page Setup Manager is opened
from a layout.
Sheet set icon Displayed when the Page Setup Manager is opened
from the Sheet Set Manager.
Page Setups
Displays the current page setup, sets a different page setup as current, creates
a new page setup, modifies an existing page setup, and imports page setups
from other drawings.
Current Page Displays the page setup that is applied to the current
Setup layout.
Displays Not applicable if the Page Setup Manager is
opened from the Sheet Set Manager, because you
cannot apply a page setup to an entire sheet set after it
has been created.
Page Setup List Lists the page setups that are available to apply to the
current layout or when you publish a sheet set.
If the Page Setup Manager is opened from a layout, the
current page setup is selected by default. The list
includes the named page setups and layouts that are
available in the drawing. Layouts that have a named
page setup applied to them are enclosed in asterisks,
with the named page setup in parentheses; for example,
*Layout 1 (System Scale-to-fit)*. You can double-click a
page setup in this list to set it as the current page setup
for the current layout.
If the Page Setup Manager is opened from the Sheet Set
Manager, only named page setups in the page setup
overrides file (a drawing template [.dwt] file) that have
Plot Area set to Layout or Extents are listed. The first
page setup in the list is selected by default. Any of these
page setups can be applied temporarily for a PUBLISH
operation.
The shortcut menu also provides options for removing
and renaming page setups.
Set Current Sets the selected page setup as the current page setup for
the current layout. You cannot set the current layout as
the current page setup.
Set Current is not available for sheet sets.

666 | PAGESETUP
New Displays the New Page Setup dialog box, in which you
can enter a name for the new page setup and specify the
page setup to use as a starting point.
Modify Displays the Page Setup dialog box, in which you can
edit the settings for the selected page setup.
Import Displays the Select Page Setup From File dialog box (a
standard file selection dialog box), in which you can
select a drawing format (DWG), drawing template
(DWT), or drawing interchange format (DXF ) file
from which to import one or more page setups. If you
select DWT as the file type, the Template folder opens
automatically in the Select Page Setup From File dialog
box. When you click OK, the Import Page Setups dialog
box is displayed.

Selected Page Setup Details

Displays information about the selected page setup.
Device Name Displays the name of the plot device specified in the
currently selected page setup.
Plotter Displays the type of plot device specified in the
currently selected page setup.
Plot Size Displays the plot size and orientation specified in the
currently selected page setup.
Where Displays the physical location of the output device
specified in the currently selected page setup.
Description Displays descriptive text about the output device
specified in the currently selected page setup.

Display When Creating a New Layout

Specifies that the Page Setup dialog box is displayed when a new layout tab
is selected or a new layout is created.
You can reset this function by turning on the Show Page Setup Dialog for
New Layouts option on the Display tab of the Options dialog box.

New Page Setup Dialog Box

Specifies a name for the new page setup, as well as the page setup to use as a
starting point.

PAGESETUP | 667
 New Page Setup Name
Specifies the name for the new page setup.

Start With
Specifies a page setup to use as a starting point for the new page setup. When
you click OK, the Page Setup dialog box is displayed with the settings of the
selected page setup, which you can modify as necessary.
If you open the New Page Setup dialog box from the Sheet Set Manager, only
the named page setups in the page setup overrides file are listed.
<None> Specifies that no page setup is used as a starting point.
The default settings that are displayed in the Page Setup
dialog box can be modified.
<Default Output Specifies that the default output device specified in the
Device> Options dialog box, Plot and Publish tab, is set as the
printer in the new page setup.
<Previous Plot> Specifies that the new page setup uses the settings
specified in the last plot job.

Page Setup Dialog Box

Specifies page layout and plotting device settings. The Page Setup dialog box
is displayed in the following cases:

When you create a new page setup through the Page Setup Manager
When you modify an existing page setup through the Page Setup Manager

The page setup settings that you specify are stored with the layout and can
be applied to other layouts or imported into other drawings.

668 | PAGESETUP
The title of the Page Setup dialog box also displays the name of the current
layout or sheet set.

Page Setup
Displays the name of the current page setup.
Name Displays the name of the current page setup.
DWG icon Indicates that the Page Setup dialog box was opened
from a layout.
SSM icon Displayed when the Page Setup dialog box is opened
from the Sheet Set Manager.
Printer/Plotter
Specifies a configured plotting device to use when plotting or publishing
layouts or sheets.
Name Lists the available PC3 files or system printers from
which you can select to plot or publish the current
layout or sheet. An icon in front of the device name
identifies it as a PC3 file or a system printer.

Indicates a PC3 file.

Indicates a system printer.

PAGESETUP | 669
 Properties Displays the Plotter Configuration Editor (PC3 editor),
in which you can view or modify the current plotter
configuration, ports, device, and media settings.
If you make changes to the PC3 file using the Plotter
Configuration Editor, the Changes to a Printer
Configuration File dialog box (see page 675) is
displayed.
Plotter Displays the plot device specified in the currently
selected page setup.
Where Displays the physical location of the output device
specified in the currently selected page setup.
Description Displays descriptive text about the output device
specified in the currently selected page setup. You can
edit this text in the Plotter Configuration Editor.
Partial Preview Shows an accurate representation of the effective plot
area relative to the paper size and printable area. The
tooltip displays the paper size and printable area.
Paper Size
Displays standard paper sizes that are available for the selected plotting
device. If no plotter is selected, the full standard paper size list is displayed
and available for selection.
If the selected plotter doesn't support the layout's selected paper size, a warn-
ing is displayed, and you can select the plotter's default paper size or a custom
paper size.
A default paper size is set for the plotting device when you create a PC3 file with
the Add-a-Plotter wizard. For information about this wizard, see Set Up Plot-
ters and Printers in the Driver and Peripheral Guide. The paper size that you
select in the Page Setup dialog box is saved with the layout and overrides the
PC3 file settings.
The actual printable area of the page, which is determined by the selected
plotting device and paper size, is indicated in the layout by a dashed line.
If you are plotting a raster image, such as a BMP or TIFF file, the size of the
plot is specified in pixels, not in inches or millimeters.

Plot Area
Specifies the area of the drawing to be plotted. Under What to Plot, you can
select an area of the drawing to be plotted.

670 | PAGESETUP
Layout/Limits When plotting a layout, plots everything within the
printable area of the specified paper size, with the
origin calculated from 0,0 in the layout.
When plotting from the Model tab, plots the entire
drawing area that is defined by the grid limits. If the
current viewport does not display a plan view, this
option has the same effect as the Extents option.
Extents Plots the portion of the current space of the drawing
that contains objects. All geometry in the current space
is plotted. AutoCAD may regenerate the drawing to
recalculate the extents before plotting.
Display Plots the view in the current viewport in the Model tab
or in the current paper space view in a layout tab.
View Plots a view that was previously saved with the VIEW
command. You can select a named view from the list. If
there are no saved views in the drawing, this option is
unavailable.
Window Plots any portion of the drawing that you specify.
When you specify the two corners of the area to plot,
the Window button becomes available.
Click the Window button to use the pointing device to
specify the two corners of the area to be plotted, or
enter coordinate values.
Command: Specify first corner: Specify a point
Specify other corner: Specify a point

Plot Offset
Specifies an offset of the plot area relative to the lower-left corner of the
printable area or the to edge of the paper, depending on the setting made in
the Specify Plot Offset Relative To option (Options dialog box, Plot and
Publish tab). The Plot Offset area of the Page Setup dialog box displays the
specified plot offset option in parentheses.
The printable area of a drawing sheet is defined by the selected output device
and is represented by a dashed line in a layout. When you change to another
output device, the printable area may change.
You can offset the geometry on the paper by entering a positive or negative
value in the X and Y offset boxes. The plotter unit values are in inches or mil-
limeters on the paper.

PAGESETUP | 671
 Center the Plot Automatically calculates the X and Y offset values to
center the plot on the paper. This option is not available
when Plot Area is set to Layout.
X Specifies the plot origin in the X direction relative to
the setting of the Plot Offset Definition option.
Y Specifies the plot origin in the Y direction relative to the
setting of the Plot Offset Definition option.

Plot Scale
Controls the relative size of drawing units to plotted units. The default scale
setting is 1:1 when plotting a layout. The default setting is Fit to Paper when
plotting from the Model tab.

Note If the Layout option is specified in Plot Area, AutoCAD plots the actual
size of the layout and ignores the setting specified in Scale.

Fit to Paper Scales the plot to fit within the selected paper size and
displays the custom scale factor in the Scale, Inch =, and
Units boxes.
Scale Defines the exact scale for the plot.
Custom: Defines a user-defined scale. You can create
a custom scale by entering the number of inches (or
millimeters) equal to the number of drawing units.

Inch(es) =/mm =/ Specifies the number of inches, millimeters, or pixels

Pixel(s) = equal to the specified number of units. The currently
selected paper size determines whether the units are
inches, millimeters, or pixels.
Units Specifies the number of units equal to the specified
number of inches, millimeters, or pixels.
Scale Lineweights Scales lineweights in proportion to the plot scale.
Lineweights normally specify the linewidth of plotted
objects and are plotted with the linewidth size
regardless of the plot scale.

Plot Style Table (Pen Assignments)

Sets the plot style table, edits the plot style table, or creates a new plot style
table.

672 | PAGESETUP
Name Displays the plot style table that is assigned to the
(Unlabeled) current Model tab or layout tab and provides a list of
the currently available plot style tables.
If you select New, the Add Plot Style Table wizard is
displayed, which you can use to create a new plot style
table. The wizard that is displayed is determined by
whether the current drawing is in color-dependent or
named mode.
Edit Displays the Plot Style Table Editor, in which you can
view or modify plot styles for the currently assigned
plot style table.
Display Plot Controls whether the properties of plot styles assigned
Styles to objects are displayed on the screen.

Shaded Viewport Options

Specifies how shaded and rendered viewports are plotted and determines
their resolution levels and dots per inch (dpi).
Shade Plot Specifies how views are plotted. To specify this setting
for a viewport on a layout tab, select the viewport and
then, on the Tools menu, click Properties.
From the Model tab, you can select from the following
options:

As Displayed: Plots objects the way they are displayed

on the screen.
Wireframe: Plots objects in wireframe regardless of
the way they are displayed on the screen.
Hidden: Plots objects with hidden lines removed
regardless of the way they are displayed on the
screen.
Rendered: Plots objects as rendered regardless of the
way they are displayed on the screen.

PAGESETUP | 673
 Quality Specifies the resolution at which shaded and rendered
viewports are plotted.
You can select from the following options:

Draft: Sets rendered and shaded model space views to

be plotted as wireframe.
Preview: Sets rendered and shaded model space views
to be plotted at one quarter of the current device
resolution, to a maximum of 150 dpi.
Normal: Sets rendered and shaded model space views
to be plotted at one half of the current device
resolution, to a maximum of 300 dpi.
Presentation: Sets rendered and shaded model space
views to be plotted at the current device resolution,
to a maximum of 600 dpi.
Maximum: Sets rendered and shaded model space
views to be plotted at the current device resolution
with no maximum.
Custom: Sets rendered and shaded model space views
to be plotted at the resolution setting that you
specify in the DPI box, up to the current device
resolution.

DPI Specifies the dots per inch for shaded and rendered
views, up to the maximum resolution of the current
plotting device. This option is available if you select
Custom in the Quality box.

Plot Options
Specifies options for lineweights, plot styles, shaded plots, and the order in
which objects are plotted.
Plot Object Specifies whether lineweights assigned to objects and
Lineweights layers are plotted.
Plot with Plot Specifies whether plot styles applied to objects and
Styles layers are plotted. When you select this option, Plot
Object Lineweights is automatically selected also.
Plot Paperspace Plots model space geometry first. Paper space geometry
Last is usually plotted before model space geometry.

674 | PAGESETUP
Hide Paperspace Specifies whether the HIDE operation applies to objects
Objects in the paper space viewport. This option is available
only from a layout tab. The effect of this setting is
reflected in the plot preview, but not in the layout.

Drawing Orientation
Specifies the orientation of the drawing on the paper for plotters that support
landscape or portrait orientation. You can change the drawing orientation to
achieve a 0-, 90-, 180-, or 270-degree plot rotation by selecting Portrait, Land-
scape, or Plot Upside-Down. The paper icon represents the media orientation
of the selected paper. The letter icon represents the orientation of the draw-
ing on the page.
Portrait Orients and plots the drawing so that the short edge of
the paper represents the top of the page.
Landscape Orients and plots the drawing so that the long edge of
the paper represents the top of the page.
Plot Upside- Orients and plots the drawing upside-down.
Down

Note The orientation of plots is also affected by the PLOTROTMODE system

variable.

Preview
Displays the drawing as it will appear when plotted on paper by executing
the PREVIEW command. To exit the print preview and return to the Page
Setup dialog box, press ESC, press ENTER, or right-click and click Exit on the
shortcut menu.

Changes to a Printer Configuration File Dialog

Box (Page Setup)
Notifies you that you have made changes to an existing plotter configuration
(PC3) file. You can cancel your changes, click OK to overwrite the PC3 file, or
specify a new file name for the modified PC3 file.
Save Changes to Specifies the path of the PC3 file that you have
the Following File changed. To preserve the original PC3 file, specify a new
file name.

PAGESETUP | 675
 Import Page Setups Dialog Box
Displays the page setups in the selected drawing that are available to import.

Source Drawing
Displays the source drawing that contains the listed page setups that are
available to import.

Page Setups
Lists the page setups that are available to import and their location in the
source drawing. Selected page setups are imported into the current drawing
when you click OK
When you import page setups into a page setup overrides file for a sheet set,
only page setups with Plot Area set to Layout or Extents are listed.
Name Specifies the name of the page setup available to
import.
Location Specifies the location (model or layout) of the page
setup in the drawing from which you are importing the
page setup.

Details
Displays information about the selected page setup.
Device Name Displays the name of the plot device specified in the
currently selected page setup.
Plotter Displays the type of plot device specified in the
currently selected page setup.
Plot Size Displays the plot size and orientation specified in the
currently selected page setup.
Where Displays the physical location of the output device
specified in the currently selected page setup.
Description Displays descriptive text about the output device
specified in the currently selected page setup.

676 | PAGESETUP
PAN
Moves the view in the current viewport

Standard toolbar:
View menu: Pan Realtime
Shortcut menu: With no objects selected, right-click in the drawing area and
choose Pan.
Command line: pan (or 'pan for transparent use)

AutoCAD displays the following prompt; you can pan the drawing display in
real time.
Press ESC or ENTER to exit, or right-click to display a shortcut menu.

If you enter -pan at the Command prompt, PAN displays alternative prompts
on the command line, and you can specify a displacement to pan the draw-
ing display.

Panning in Real Time

The cursor changes to a hand cursor. By holding down the pick button on
the pointing device, you lock the cursor to its current location relative to the
hand cursor viewport coordinate system. The drawing display is moved in the same direc-
tion as the cursor.
When you reach a logical extent (edge of the drawing space), a bar is
displayed on the hand cursor on that edge. Depending on whether the
logical extent is at the top, bottom, or side of the drawing, the bar is either
horizontal (top or bottom) or vertical (left or right side).

top right bottom left

extent extent extent extent

When you release the pick button, panning stops. You can release the pick
button, move the cursor to another location in the drawing, and then press
the pick button again to pan the display from that location.
To stop panning at any time, press ENTER or ESC .

PAN | 677
 PAN Command Line
If you enter -pan at the Command prompt, PAN presents alternative prompts
on the command line.
This version of PAN works in two ways. You can specify a single point, indi-
cating the relative displacement of the drawing with respect to the current
location, or (more commonly) you can specify two points, in which case
AutoCAD computes the displacement from the first point to the second
point.
You cannot use PAN transparently during VPOINT or DVIEW, or while another
2 ZOOM, PAN, or VIEW command is in progress.

1 Specify base point or displacement: Specify a point (1)

The point you specify indicates either the amount to move the drawing or
the location in the drawing to be moved, depending on how you respond to
before PAN
the next prompt.
Specify second point: Press ENTER or specify a point (2)

If you press ENTER , AutoCAD moves the drawing by the amount you speci-
fied in the Specify Base Point or Displacement prompt. For example, if you
specify 2,2 at the first prompt and press ENTER at the second prompt,
AutoCAD moves the drawing 2 units in the X direction and 2 units in the Y
after PAN direction. If you specify a point at the Specify Second Point prompt,
AutoCAD moves the location of the first point to the location of the second
point.

Pan Shortcut Menu

When the PAN command is active, you can exit PAN or switch to ZOOM or
3DORBIT using the options on the Pan shortcut menu.

To access the Pan shortcut menu, right-click in the drawing area while PAN is
active.
Exit Cancels PAN or ZOOM.
Pan Switches to PAN.
Zoom Switches to ZOOM in real time.
3D Orbit Switches to 3DORBIT.
Zoom Window Zooms to display an area specified by a rectangular
window.

678 | PAN
 Zoom Original Restores the original view.
Zoom Extents Zooms to display the drawing extents.

PARTIALOAD
File Menu: Partial Load
Command line: partiaload

AutoCAD displays the Partial Load dialog box. PARTIALOAD can be used only
in a partially open drawing. To partially open a drawing, use OPEN and
choose Partial Open in the Select File dialog box (a standard file selection
dialog box). Any information that is loaded into the file using PARTIALOAD
cannot be unloaded, not even with UNDO.
If you enter -partiaload at the Command prompt, PARTIALOAD displays
prompts on the command line (see page 681).

Partial Load Dialog Box

Displays the views and layers available for specifying additional geometry to
load into a partially open drawing. You can select and load geometry from a
view or a selected area and from layers. You cannot unload any information
that is currently loaded in the drawing. If the drawing contains attached xrefs
that were not loaded at the time that the drawing was partially opened, you
can reload the xrefs by using the Xref Manager. See XREF.

PARTIALOAD | 679
 View Geometry to Load
Displays the selected view and available views in the drawing. Views avail-
able for loading include only views defined in model space. You can load
paper space geometry by loading the layer on which the paper
space geometry is drawn.
View Name Displays the currently selected view. Geometry that is
common to both the selected view and the layers is
loaded into the drawing.
View List Displays all the model space views available in the
selected drawing file. When a view is selected,
AutoCAD loads only the geometry in the selected view.
The default view is Extents. You can select to load
geometry from only one view. Geometry that is
common to both the selected view and the layers is
loaded into the drawing. Any information currently
loaded into the file cannot be unloaded.
Pick Window Prompts you to use the pointing device to specify an
area using window selection. The selected area becomes
the view to load and is displayed in the View Geometry
to Load list as New View.

Layer Geometry to Load

Displays all the layers available in the selected drawing file. The geometry on
selected layers is loaded into the drawing, including both model space and
paper space geometry. No layers are selected to load by default. You can load
geometry from multiple layers. Geometry that is common to both the
selected view and the layers is loaded into the drawing. Any information that
is currently loaded into the file cannot be unloaded.
Layer Name Displays the layer names in the selected drawing.
Load Geometry Specifies whether geometry from a layer is loaded into
the drawing or not. If Load Geometry is selected, the
geometry from the layer is loaded into the drawing.
Any information that is currently loaded into the file
cannot be unloaded.
Load All Selects Load Geometry for all layers. You can also right-
click and choose Load All from the shortcut menu to
load geometry from all layers.

680 | PARTIALOAD
Clear All Specifies that no geometry be loaded into the drawing
(clears the Load Geometry option for all layers). It is
recommended that you load geometry from at least one
layer into the drawing. If you do not select any layers to
load, no geometry is loaded at all, including geometry
from the selected view. AutoCAD issues a warning if
you do not select any layers to load into the drawing.
You can also right-click and choose Clear All from the
shortcut menu to specify that no geometry is loaded
from any layer.

Index Status
Indicates whether the selected drawing file contains a spatial or layer index.
INDEXCTL controls whether layer and spatial indexes are saved with the
drawing file. A spatial index organizes objects based on their location in
space. A layer index is a list showing which objects are on which layers.

PARTIALOAD Command Line

When a drawing is partially open and you enter -partiaload at the Command
prompt, PARTIALOAD displays prompts on the command line.
Specify first corner or [View]: Specify a point or enter v

First Corner
Specifies the first corner of a user-defined view.
Specify opposite corner: Specify a point

Geometry from the defined view is loaded into the partially open drawing.
Enter layers to load or [?] <none>: Enter a layer name, enter ?, or press ENTER

Layers to Load
Loads geometry from the selected layers into the current drawing, including
both model space and paper space geometry. To load geometry from multiple
layers into the drawing, use a comma between layer names. If no layer
geometry is specified, AutoCAD loads no layer geometry into the drawing,
including geometry specified to load from a view.
Unload all Xrefs on open [Yes/No] <Yes>: Enter y or n, or press ENTER

Yes Does not load any external references into the drawing.
No Loads all external references into the drawing.

PARTIALOAD | 681
 ?List Layers
Displays a list of layer names available in the current drawing. Enter one or
more layer names. If no layer geometry is specified, AutoCAD loads no layer
geometry into the drawing, including geometry specified to load from a view.
Unload all Xrefs on open [Yes/No] <Yes>: Enter y or n, or press ENTER

Yes Does not load any external references into the drawing.
No Loads all external references into the drawing.

View
Loads the geometry from the specified view into the current drawing.
Enter view to load or [?] <*Extents*>: Enter a view name, enter ?, or press ENTER
to load the Extents view

View to Load
Loads the geometry from the specified view into the partially open drawing.
Enter layers to load or [?] <none>: Enter a layer name, enter ?, or press ENTER

Layers to Load Loads geometry from the layer or layers into the current
drawing. To load geometry from multiple layers into
the drawing, use a comma between layer names. If no
layer geometry is specified, AutoCAD loads no layer
geometry into the drawing, including geometry
specified to load from a view.
Unload all Xrefs on open [Yes/No] <Yes>: Enter y or n, or
press ENTER

If you enter yes, AutoCAD does not load any external

references into the drawing. If you enter no, AutoCAD
loads all external references into the drawing.
?List Layers Displays a list of layer names available in the current
drawing. Enter one or more layer names. If no layer
geometry is specified, AutoCAD loads no layer
geometry into the drawing, including geometry
specified to load from a view.
Unload all Xrefs on open [Yes/No] <Yes>: Enter y or n, or
press ENTER

If you enter yes, AutoCAD does not load any external

references into the drawing. If you enter no, AutoCAD
loads all external references into the drawing.

682 | PARTIALOAD
 ?List Views
Displays a list of model space views available in the selected drawing. Enter
a view name.
Enter layers to load or [?] <none>: Enter a layer name, enter ?, or press ENTER

Layers to Load Loads geometry from one or more layers into the
current drawing. To load geometry from multiple layers
into the drawing, use a comma between layer names. If
no layer geometry is specified, AutoCAD loads no layer
geometry into the drawing, including geometry
specified to load from a view.
Unload all Xrefs on open [Yes/No] <Yes>: Enter y or n, or
press ENTER

If you enter yes, AutoCAD does not load any external

references into the drawing. If you enter no, AutoCAD
loads all external references into the drawing.
?List Layers AutoCAD displays a list of layer names available in the
current drawing. Enter one or more layer names. If no
layer geometry is specified, AutoCAD loads no layer
geometry into the drawing, including geometry
specified to load from a view.
Unload all Xrefs on open [Yes/No] <Yes>: Enter y or n, or
press ENTER

If you enter yes, AutoCAD does not load any external

references into the drawing. If you enter no, AutoCAD
loads all external references into the drawing.

PARTIALOPEN
When working with a large drawing file, you can choose to work with only
a portion of the drawing by loading geometry from a specific view or layer.
When a drawing is partially open, the specified geometry as well as the
named objects are loaded into the file. AutoCAD named objects include
blocks, dimension styles, layers, layouts, linetypes, text styles, user coordi-
nate systems (UCSs), views, and viewport configurations.

PARTIALOPEN | 683
 It is recommended that you partially open a drawing by using OPEN and
choosing Partial Open in the Select File dialog box to display the Partial Open
dialog box (see page 619).
Command line: partialopen

When you are running a script and using PARTIALOPEN, FILEDIA can be set to
0 or 1. When FILEDIA is set to 0 and you enter partialopen or -partialopen at
the Command prompt, PARTIALOPEN displays prompts on the command
line.
Enter name of drawing to open: Enter a drawing name and press ENTER

Enter ~ (tilde) at the prompt to ignore FILEDIA and display the Select File dia-
log box (see page 609). In the Select File dialog box, select a file and choose
Partial Open to display the Partial Open dialog box (see page 619). If you
enter a file name at the prompt, AutoCAD displays prompts on the command
line.
Enter view to load or [?] <*Extents*>: Enter a view name, enter ?, or press ENTER
to load the Extents view

View to Load
Opens the drawing with the geometry from the selected view loaded.
Enter layers to load or [?] <none>: Enter a layer name, enter ?, or press ENTER

Layers to Load
Loads geometry from one or more layers into the current drawing. To load
geometry from multiple layers, use a comma between layer names. If no layer
geometry is specified, AutoCAD loads no layer geometry into the drawing,
including geometry specified to load from a view.
Unload all Xrefs on open [Yes/No] <N>: Enter y or n, or press ENTER

Yes Does not load any external references into the drawing.
No Loads all external references into the drawing.

?List Layers
Displays a list of layers available in the selected drawing. Enter one or more
layer names. To enter multiple layers, separate the layer names with a
comma.
Unload all Xrefs on open [Yes/No] <N>: Enter y or n, or press ENTER

684 | PARTIALOPEN
 Yes Does not load any external references into the drawing.
No Loads all external references into the drawing.

?List Views
Displays a list of model space views available in the selected drawing. Enter
a view name.
Enter layers to load or [?] <none>: Enter a layer name, enter ?, or press ENTER

Layers to Load
Loads geometry from one or more layers into the current drawing. To load
geometry from multiple layers, use a comma between layer names. If no layer
geometry is specified, AutoCAD loads no layer geometry into the drawing,
including geometry specified to load from a view.
Unload all Xrefs on open [Yes/No] <N>: Enter y or n, or press ENTER

Yes Does not load any external references into the drawing.
No Loads all external references into the drawing.

?List Layers
Displays a list of layers available in the selected drawing. Enter one or more
layer names. To enter multiple layers, separate the layer names with a
comma.
Unload all Xrefs on open [Yes/No] <N>: Enter y or n, or press ENTER

Yes Does not load any external references into the drawing.
No Loads all external references into the drawing.

PASTEASHYPERLINK
Inserts data from the Clipboard as a hyperlink
Edit menu: Paste as Hyperlink
Command line: pasteashyperlink

Select objects:

The selected objects are inserted in the drawing as hyperlinks.

PASTEASHYPERLINK | 685
PASTEBLOCK
Pastes copied objects as a block
Edit menu: Paste as Block
Shortcut menu: End any active commands, right-click in the drawing area,
and choose Paste as Block.
Command line: pasteblock

Specify insertion point: Specify a point

AutoCAD pastes the objects copied to the Clipboard into the drawing as a
block at the specified insertion point.

PASTECLIP
Inserts data from the Clipboard
You can paste AutoCAD objects, text, and files in various formats, such as
metafile, bitmap, and multimedia, into a drawing.

Standard toolbar:
Edit menu: Paste
Shortcut menu: End any active commands, right-click in the drawing area,
and choose Paste.
Command line: pasteclip

Specify insertion point:

If the Clipboard contains ASCII text, the text is inserted as a multiline text
(mtext) object using the MTEXT defaults. A spreadsheet is inserted as a table
object.
All other objects, except AutoCAD objects, are inserted as embedded or
linked (OLE) objects. You can edit these OLE objects by double-clicking them
in the drawing to open the application in which they were created.

Note You can also use CTRL + V to run PASTECLIP. If the cursor is in the draw-
ing area, PASTECLIP behaves as described. If the cursor is on the command line,
text from the Clipboard is pasted at the current prompt.

686 | PASTEBLOCK
PASTEORIG
Pastes a copied object in a new drawing using the coordinates from the original drawing
Edit menu: Paste to Original Coordinates
Shortcut menu: End any active commands, right-click in the drawing area,
and choose Paste to Original Coordinates.
Command line: pasteorig

AutoCAD pastes the object copied to the Clipboard into the drawing at the
same coordinates used in the original drawing.
PASTEORIG functions only when the Clipboard contains AutoCAD data from
a drawing other than the current drawing.

PASTESPEC
Inserts data from the Clipboard and controls the format of the data
AutoCAD supports the Microsoft Windows object linking and embedding
(OLE) feature. When an object is inserted into an AutoCAD drawing from an
application that supports OLE, the object can maintain a connection to its
source file.
PASTESPEC inserts a linked or embedded object from the Clipboard into an
AutoCAD drawing.
Edit menu: Paste Special
Command line: pastespec

The Paste Special dialog box is displayed.

PASTEORIG | 687
 Paste Special Dialog Box
Sets file formats and linking options for pasted files.

Source Displays the name of the document that contains the

information you copied. It may also show the specific
section of the document you copied.
Paste Pastes the contents of the Clipboard into the current
drawing as an embedded object.
Paste Link Pastes the contents of the Clipboard into the current
drawing. If the source application supports an OLE link,
AutoCAD creates a link to the original file.
As Displays applicable formats in which you can paste the
contents of the Clipboard into the current drawing.
If you select AutoCAD Entities, AutoCAD converts the
metafile graphics in the Clipboard to AutoCAD objects.
If the metafile graphics are not converted, the metafile
is displayed as an OLE object.
Display as Icon Inserts a picture of the application icon instead of the
data. To view or edit the data, double-click the icon.

688 | PASTESPEC
PCINWIZARD
Displays a wizard to import PCP and PC2 configuration file plot settings into the Model tab
or current layout
Tools menu: Wizards Import Plot Settings
Command line: pcinwizard

PCINWIZARD displays the Import PCP or PC2 Plot Settings wizard. Informa-
tion that can be imported from PCP or PC2 files includes plot area, rotation,
plot offset, plot optimization, plot to file, paper size, plot scale, and pen
mapping.
The wizard prompts you for the name of the PCP or PC2 configuration file
from which you want to import settings. You can view and modify the plot
settings prior to importing them. The imported settings can be applied to the
current Model tab or layout tab.

PEDIT
Edits polylines and three-dimensional polygon meshes

Modify II toolbar:
Modify menu: Object Polyline
Shortcut menu: Select a polyline to edit, right-click in the drawing area, and
choose Polyline Edit.
Command line: pedit

Select polyline or [Multiple]: Use an object selection method or enter m

Multiple
Enables selection for more than one object.
The remaining prompts depend on whether you have selected a 2D polyline,
a 3D polyline, or 3D polygon mesh.
If the selected object is a line or an arc, AutoCAD prompts:
Object selected is not a polyline.
Do you want it to turn into one? <Y>: Enter y or n, or press ENTER

If you enter y, the object is converted into a single-segment 2D polyline that

you can edit. You can use this operation to join lines and arcs into a polyline.

PCINWIZARD | 689
 When the PEDITACCEPT system variable is set to 1, this prompt is suppressed,
and the selected object is automatically converted to a polyline.

2D Polyline Selection
If you select a 2D polyline, AutoCAD prompts:
Enter an option [Close/Join/Width/Edit vertex/Fit/Spline/Decurve/Ltype gen/
Undo]: Enter an option or press ENTER to end the command

If the polyline you select is a closed polyline, Open replaces the Close option
in the prompt. You can edit a 2D polyline if its normal is parallel to and in
the same direction as the Z axis of the current UCS.

Close
Creates the closing segment of the polyline, connecting the last segment
with the first. AutoCAD considers the polyline open unless you close it using
the Close option.
before Close

Open
Removes the closing segment of the polyline. AutoCAD considers the
after Close polyline closed unless you open it using the Open option.

Join
Adds lines, arcs, or polylines to the end of an open polyline and removes the
curve fitting from a curve-fit polyline. For objects to join the polyline, their
endpoints must touch unless you use the Multiple option at the first PEDIT
prompt. In this case, you can join polylines that do not touch if the fuzz dis-
tance is set to a value large enough to include the endpoints.
Select objects: Use an object selection method

If you previously selected multiple objects using the Multiple option,

AutoCAD displays the following prompt:
Enter fuzz distance or [Jointype]<0.0000>: Enter a distance or j
Jointype
Sets the method of joining selected polylines.
Enter a vertex editing option
Enter join type [Extend/Add/Both}<Extend>: Enter e, a, or b

Extend Joins the selected polylines by extending or trimming

the segments to the nearest endpoints.

690 | PEDIT
Add Joins the selected polylines by adding a straight
segment between the nearest endpoints.
Both Joins the selected polylines by extending or trimming if
possible. Otherwise joins the selected polylines by
adding a straight segment between the nearest
endpoints.

selected open polyline other objects selected polyline and objects joined

Width
Specifies a new uniform width for the entire polyline.
Specify new width for all segments:

You can use the Width option of the Edit Vertex option (see page 694) to
change the starting and ending widths of a segment.

varying width uniform width

Edit Vertex
Marks the first vertex of the polyline by drawing an X on the screen. If you
have specified a tangent direction for this vertex, an arrow is also drawn in
that direction. AutoCAD prompts:
[Next/Previous/Break/Insert/Move/Regen/Straighten/Tangent/Width/eXit]
<current>: Enter an option or press ENTER

Pressing ENTER accepts the current default, which is either Next or Previous.

beginning vertex next vertex back to previous vertex

Next
Moves the X marker to the next vertex. The marker does not wrap around
from the end to the start of the polyline even if the polyline is closed.

PEDIT | 691
 Previous
saved marked Moves the X marker to the previous vertex. The marker does not wrap
vertex around from the start to the end of the polyline even if the polyline is closed.
Break
Saves the location of the marked vertex while you move the X marker to any
other vertex.
Enter an option [Next/Previous/Go/eXit] <current>: Enter an option or press
next marked
ENTER
vertex
If one of the specified vertices is at an end of the polyline, the result is one
truncated polyline. If both specified vertices are at endpoints of the polyline,
or if just one vertex is specified and it is at an endpoint, you cannot use Break.
Next Moves the X marker to the next vertex. The marker
does not wrap around from the end to the start of the
polyline, even if the polyline is closed.
segment deleted Previous Moves the X marker to the previous vertex. The marker
does not wrap around from the start to the end of the
polyline, even if the polyline is closed.
Go Deletes any segments and vertices between the two
vertices you specify and returns to Edit Vertex mode.

Exit Exits Break and returns to Edit Vertex mode.

Insert
Adds a new vertex to the polyline after the marked vertex.
Specify location for new vertex: Specify a point (1)

marked vertex

before Insert after Insert

Move
Moves the marked vertex.
Specify new location for marked vertex: Specify a point (1)

692 | PEDIT
 marked vertex

1
before Move after Move

Regen
Regenerates the polyline.

before Regen after Regen

Straighten
Saves the location of the marked vertex while you move the X marker to any
other vertex.
If you want to remove an arc segment that connects two straight segments
of a polyline and then extend the straight segments until they intersect, use
the FILLET command with a fillet radius of 0.
Enter an option [Next/Previous/Go/eXit] <current>: Enter an option or press
ENTER

before Straighten after Straighten

Next Moves the X marker to the next vertex.

Previous Moves the X marker to the previous vertex.
Go Deletes any segments and vertices between the two
vertices you select, replaces them with single straight
line segments, and returns to Edit Vertex mode. If you
specify only one vertex by entering go without moving
the X marker, the segment following that vertex is
straightened if it is an arc.
Exit Exits Straighten and returns to Edit Vertex mode.

PEDIT | 693
 Tangent
Attaches a tangent direction to the marked vertex for use later in curve fit-
ting. AutoCAD prompts:
Specify direction of vertex tangent: Specify a point or enter an angle

Width
Changes the starting and ending widths for the segment that immediately
follows the marked vertex.
Specify starting width for next segment <current>: Specify a point, enter a value,
or press ENTER
Specify ending width for next segment <starting width>: Specify a point, enter a
value, or press ENTER

You must regenerate the polyline to display the new width.

marked vertex segment width changed

Exit
Exits Edit Vertex mode.

Fit
Creates an arc-fit polyline, a smooth curve consisting of arcs joining each
pair of vertices. The curve passes through all vertices of the polyline and uses
any tangent direction you specify.

original Fit curve

Spline
Uses the vertices of the selected polyline as the control points, or frame, of a
curve approximating a B-spline. This curve, called a spline-fit polyline, passes
through the first and last control points unless the original polyline was
closed. The curve is pulled toward the other points but does not necessarily
pass through them. The more control points you specify in a particular part
of the frame, the more pull they exert on the curve. AutoCAD can generate
quadratic and cubic spline-fit polylines.

694 | PEDIT
 Spline-fit polylines are very different from the curves produced by the Fit
option. Fit constructs pairs of arcs that pass through every control point.
Both of these curves are different from true B-splines produced with the
SPLINE command.
before Spline
If the original polyline included arc segments, they are straightened when
the spline's frame is formed. If the frame has width, the resulting spline
tapers smoothly from the width of the first vertex to the width of the last ver-
tex. All intermediate width information is ignored. Once spline-fit, the
after Spline frame, if displayed, is shown with zero width and CONTINUOUS linetype.
Tangent specifications on control point vertices have no effect on spline-
fitting.
When a spline-fit curve is fit to a polyline, the spline-fit curve's frame is
stored so that it can be recalled by a subsequent decurving. You can turn a
spline-fit curve back into its frame polyline by using the PEDIT Decurve
option. This option works on fit curves in the same manner as it does on
splines.
Spline frames are not usually displayed on the screen. If you want to see
them, set the SPLFRAME system variable to 1. Next time the drawing is regen-
erated, AutoCAD draws both the frame and the spline curve.

SPLFRAME set to 0 SPLFRAME set to 1

Most editing commands act the same when applied to spline-fit polylines or
fit curves.

MOVE, ERASE, COPY, MIRROR, ROTATE, and SCALE operate on both the
spline curve and its frame, whether the frame is visible or not.
EXTEND changes the frame by adding a new vertex where the initial or
final line of the frame intersects the boundary geometry.
BREAK, TRIM, and EXPLODE delete the frame and generate a polyline with
only the fit spline, which is consistent with fit curves, where the curve fit-
ting is permanent.
OFFSET generates a polyline with only the fit spline, which is consistent
with its behavior with fit curves.
DIVIDE, MEASURE, the Object option of AREA, HATCH, FILLET, and
CHAMFER see only the fit spline, not the frame.
STRETCH refits the spline to the stretched frame after a spline is stretched.

PEDIT | 695
 The Join option of PEDIT decurves the spline and discards the spline informa-
tion of the original and any added polylines. Once the Join operation is
complete, you can fit a new spline to the resulting polyline.
The Edit Vertex options of PEDIT have the following effect:

The Next and Previous options move the X marker only to points on the
frame of the spline, whether visible or not.
The Break option discards the spline.
The Insert, Move, Straighten, and Width options automatically refit the
spline.
The Tangent option has no effect on splines.

Object snap uses only the spline-fit curve itself, not the frame. If you want to
snap to the frame control points, use PEDIT to recall the polyline frame first.
The SPLINETYPE system variable controls the type of spline curve approxi-
mated. Setting SPLINETYPE to 5 approximates a quadratic B-spline. Setting
SPLINETYPE to 6 approximates a cubic B-spline.

quadratic B-Spline cubic B-Spline

You can examine or change the fineness or coarseness of the spline approxi-
mation with the SPLINESEGS system variable, or you can use AutoLISP. The
default value is 8. If you set the value higher, a greater number of line seg-
ments are drawn and the approximation to the ideal spline becomes more
precise. The generated spline occupies more space in the drawing file and
takes longer to generate.
If you set SPLINESEGS to a negative value, AutoCAD generates segments using
the absolute value of the setting and then applies a fit-type curve to those
segments. Fit-type curves use arcs as the approximating segments. Using arcs
yields a smoother generated curve when few segments are specified, but the
curve can take longer to generate.

SPLINESEGS set to 1 SPLINESEGS set to 10

To change the number of segments used to fit an existing spline, change

SPLINESEGS and respline the curve. You do not have to decurve it first.

696 | PEDIT
Decurve
Removes extra vertices inserted by a fit or spline curve and straightens all seg-
ments of the polyline. Retains tangent information assigned to the polyline
vertices for use in subsequent fit curve requests. If you edit a spline-fit poly-
line with a command such as BREAK or TRIM, you cannot use the Decurve
option.

Ltype Gen
Generates the linetype in a continuous pattern through the vertices of the
polyline. When turned off, this option generates the linetype starting and
ending with a dash at each vertex. Ltype Gen does not apply to polylines
with tapered segments.
Enter polyline linetype generation option [ON/OFF] <current>: Enter on or off,
or press ENTER

Ltype Gen set to Off Ltype Gen set to On

Undo
Reverses operations as far back as the beginning of the PEDIT session.

3D Polyline Selection
If you select a 3D polyline, AutoCAD prompts:
Enter an option [Close/Edit vertex/Spline curve/Decurve/Undo]: Enter an option
or press ENTER

If the polyline you select is closed, Open replaces the Close option in the
prompt.

Close
Creates the closing segment of the polyline, connecting the last segment
with the first. AutoCAD considers the polyline open unless you close it with
Close.

Open
Removes the closing segment of the polyline. AutoCAD considers the poly-
line closed unless you open it with Open.

PEDIT | 697
 Edit Vertex
Performs various editing tasks on one vertex of the polyline and segments
that follow it.
Enter a vertex editing option
[Next/Previous/Break/Insert/Move/Regen/Straighten/eXit <current>: Enter an
option or press ENTER

Pressing ENTER accepts the current default, which is either Next or Previous.
Next
Moves the X marker to the next vertex. The marker does not wrap around
from the end to the start of the polyline, even if the polyline is closed.
Previous
Moves the X marker to the previous vertex. The marker does not wrap
around from the start to the end of the polyline, even if the polyline is closed.
Break
Saves the location of the marked vertex while you move the X marker to any
other vertex.
Enter an option [Next/Previous/Go/eXit] <current>: Enter an option or press
ENTER

Next Moves the X marker to the next vertex. The marker

does not wrap around from the end to the start of the
polyline, even if the polyline is closed.
Previous Moves the X marker to the previous vertex. The marker
does not wrap around from the end to the start of the
polyline, even if the polyline is closed.
Go Deletes any segments and vertices between the two
vertices you specify and returns to Edit Vertex mode.
Exit Exits Break and returns to Edit Vertex mode.
If one of the specified vertices is at an end of the polyline, the polyline is
truncated. If both specified vertices are at endpoints of the polyline, or if just
one vertex is specified and it is at an endpoint, you cannot use Break mode.
Insert
Adds a new vertex to the polyline after the marked vertex.
Specify location for new vertex: Specify a point

698 | PEDIT
Move
Moves the marked vertex.
Specify new location for marked vertex: Specify a point

Regen
Regenerates the polyline.
Straighten
Saves the location of the marked vertex while you move the X marker to any
other vertex.
Enter an option [Next/Previous/Go/eXit] <current>: Enter an option or press
ENTER

Next Moves the X marker to the next vertex.

Previous Moves the X marker to the previous vertex.
Go Deletes any segments and vertices between the two
vertices you select, replaces them with single straight
line segments, and returns to Edit Vertex mode. If you
specify only one vertex by entering go without moving
the X marker, the segment following that vertex is
made straight if it is an arc.
Exit Exits Straighten and returns to Edit Vertex mode.
To remove an arc segment that connects two straight segments of a polyline
and then to extend the straight segments until they intersect, use the FILLET
command with a fillet radius of 0.
Exit
Exits Edit Vertex mode.

Spline Curve
Fits a 3D B-spline curve to its control points. The SPLFRAME system variable
controls the accuracy and display of the control points for the 3D B-spline,
whose curves can be approximated only by line segments. AutoCAD ignores
negative values for spline segments.

PEDIT | 699
 original 3D polyline 3D polyline after curve-fitting

Decurve
Removes extra vertices inserted by a fit or spline curve and straightens all seg-
ments of the polyline. Retains tangent information assigned to the polyline
vertices for use in subsequent fit curve requests. If you edit a spline-fit poly-
line with a command such as BREAK or TRIM, you cannot use the Decurve
option.

Undo
Reverses operations as far back as the beginning of the PEDIT session.

3D Polygon Mesh Selection

If you select a polygon mesh, AutoCAD prompts:
Enter an option [Edit vertex/Smooth surface/Desmooth/Mclose/Nclose/Undo]:
Enter an option or press ENTER to end the command

Mclose and Nclose are replaced by Mopen and Nopen if the polygon mesh is
currently closed in the M or N direction.

Edit Vertex
Edits individual vertices of a polygon mesh that can be seen as a rectangular
M N array, where M and N are the dimensions specified in 3DMESH. The
SURFTAB1 and SURFTAB2 system variables store M and N values for RULESURF,
TABSURF, REVSURF, and EDGESURF.

Enter an option [Next/Previous/Left/Right/Up/Down/Move/REgen/eXit

<current>: Enter an option or press ENTER

Pressing ENTER accepts the current default, which is either Next or Previous.

700 | PEDIT
vertex to edit

N = right/left

M = up/down repositioned in 3D space

Next Moves the X marker to the next vertex. The marker

does not wrap around from the end to the start of the
mesh, even if the mesh is closed.
Previous Moves the X marker to the previous vertex. The marker
does not wrap around from the start to the end of the
mesh, even if the mesh is closed.
Left Moves the X marker to the previous vertex in the N
direction. The marker does not wrap around from the
start to the end of the mesh, even if the mesh is closed.
Right Moves the X marker to the next vertex in the N
direction. The marker does not wrap around from the
end to the start of the mesh, even if the mesh is closed.
Up Moves the X marker to the next vertex in the M
direction. The marker does not wrap around from the
end to the start of the mesh, even if the mesh is closed.
Down Moves the X marker to the previous vertex in the M
direction. The marker does not wrap around from the
start to the end of the mesh, even if the mesh is closed.
Move Repositions the vertex and moves the editing mark.
Specify new location for marked vertex: Specify a point

Regen Regenerates the polygon mesh.

Exit Exits Edit Vertex mode.

Smooth Surface
Fits a smooth surface. The SURFTYPE system variable controls the type of sur-
face this option fits. The types of surfaces include quadratic B-spline, cubic
B-spline, and Bezier.

PEDIT | 701
 original polygon quadratic B-spline cubic B-spline Bezier

Desmooth
Restores the original control-point polygon mesh.

Mclose
Closes the M-direction polylines if the polygon mesh is open in the M
direction.
Mopen
closed M direction Opens the M-direction polylines if the polygon mesh is closed in the M
direction.

Nclose
Closes the N-direction polylines if the polygon mesh is open in the N
direction.
Nopen
Opens the N-direction polylines if the polygon mesh is closed in the N
closed N direction
direction.

Undo
Reverses operations as far back as the beginning of the PEDIT session.

PFACE
Creates a three-dimensional polyface mesh vertex by vertex
A polyface mesh is similar to a 3D mesh. Each mesh is constructed vertex by
vertex, so you can create irregular surface shapes. You define a polyface mesh
by specifying each vertex and then associating those vertices with faces in
the mesh. You edit a polyface mesh as a unit.
PFACE is typically used by applications rather than by direct user input. To
create a single 3D face, use the 3DFACE command. To create a 3D mesh, use
3D, 3DMESH, REVSURF, RULESURF, EDGESURF, or TABSURF.

702 | PFACE
 Command line: pface

Specify location for vertex 1: Specify a point

Specify location for vertex 2 or <define faces>: Specify a point or press ENTER
Specify location for vertex n or <define faces>: Specify a point or press ENTER

Vertex Location
You specify all vertices used in the mesh. The vertex numbers displayed in
the prompts are the numbers used to reference each vertex. AutoCAD repeats
the prompt until you press ENTER . Pressing ENTER on a blank line causes
AutoCAD to prompt for the vertices to be assigned to each face.

Define Faces
Enter a vertex number or [Color/Layer]: Enter a vertex number or enter an option
1
face 1 Vertex Number You define each face by entering vertex numbers for all
6 the vertices of that face. Pressing ENTER after the
2
prompt causes AutoCAD to prompt for the vertex
5
numbers of the next face. AutoCAD draws the mesh
3 4 after you have defined the last face and pressed ENTER
face 2 after the prompt.
To make an edge invisible, you can enter a negative
vertex number for the beginning vertex of the edge.
The SPLFRAME system variable controls the display of
invisible edges in polyface meshes. Setting SPLFRAME to
a nonzero value displays any phantom faces and all
invisible edges of polyface meshes, which you can edit
in the same manner as fully visible polyface meshes.
You can create polygons with any number of edges.
PFACE automatically breaks them into multiple face
objects with the appropriate invisible edges. Faces with
one or two vertices behave like point or line objects
without the special properties of Point Display modes
or linetypes. You can use them to embed wireframe
images within a mesh. Use Endpoint object snap to
snap to a face composed of one or two vertices. All
object snap modes that apply to line objects work with
visible edges of polyface meshes. You cannot use PEDIT
to edit polyface meshes.

PFACE | 703
 Color Faces created with PFACE adopt the current layer and
color. Unlike polyline vertices, polyface mesh faces can
be created with layer and color properties different
from their parent object.
New color [Truecolor/COlorbook] <BYLAYER>: Enter a
standard color name or a color number from 1 through 255,
enter t, enter co, or press ENTER

You can enter a color from the AutoCAD Color Index (a

color name or number), a true color, or a color from a
color book.
AutoCAD returns to the previous prompt.
Layer Faces created with PFACE adopt the current layer and
color. Unlike polyline vertices, polyface mesh faces can
be created with layer and color properties different
from their parent object. Layer visibility behaves
normally on faces of a polyface mesh. However, if you
create a polyface mesh on a frozen layer, AutoCAD does
not generate any of its faces, including those on
nonfrozen layers.
Enter a layer name <0>: Enter a name or press ENTER

AutoCAD returns to the previous prompt.

PLAN
Displays the plan view of a specified user coordinate system
PLAN provides a convenient means of viewing the drawing from the plan
view. You can select a plan view of the current user coordinate system (UCS),
a previously saved UCS, or the world coordinate system. PLAN affects the
view in the current viewport only. You cannot use PLAN in paper space.
PLAN changes the viewing direction and turns off perspective and clipping;
it does not change the current UCS. Any coordinates entered or displayed
subsequent to the PLAN command remain relative to the current UCS.

704 | PLAN
 View menu: 3D Views Plan View
Command line: plan

Enter an option [Current ucs/Ucs/World] <Current>: Enter an option or press

ENTER

current display Current UCS Regenerates a plan view of the display so that the
drawing extents fit in the current viewport of the
current UCS.
UCS Changes to a plan view of a previously saved UCS and
regenerates the display.
Enter name of UCS or [?]: Enter a name or enter ? to list
all UCSs in the drawing

If you enter ? at the prompt, AutoCAD displays the

following prompt:
Enter UCS name(s) to list <*>: Enter a name or enter * to
list all UCSs in the drawing

World Regenerates a plan view of the display so that the

drawing extents fit on the screen of the world
coordinate system.

current UCS UCS World

PLINE
Creates two-dimensional polylines

Draw toolbar:
Draw menu: Polyline
Command line: pline

Specify start point: Specify a point (1)

Current line-width is <current>

PLINE | 705
 Specify next point or [Arc/Close/Halfwidth/Length/Undo/Width]: Specify a
point (2) or enter an option
1 2

The PLINEGEN system variable controls the linetype pattern display around
and the smoothness of the vertices of a 2D polyline. Setting PLINEGEN to 1
generates new polylines in a continuous pattern around the vertices of the
completed polyline. Setting PLINEGEN to 0 starts and ends the polyline with
a dash at each vertex. PLINEGEN does not apply to polylines with tapered
segments.
Next Point
PLINEGEN set to 0 Draws a line segment. AutoCAD repeats the previous prompt.

Arc
PLINEGEN set to 1 Adds arc segments to the polyline.
Specify endpoint of arc or
[Angle/CEnter/CLose/Direction/Halfwidth/Line/Radius/Second pt/Undo/
Width]: Specify a point (2) or enter an option

2
Note For the Center option of the PLINE command, enter ce; for the Center
object snap, enter cen or center.

Endpoint of Arc
Draws an arc segment. The arc segment starts at the last point tangent to the
previous segment of the polyline. AutoCAD repeats the previous prompt.

Angle
Specifies the included angle of the arc segment from the start point.
Specify included angle:

Entering a positive number creates counterclockwise arc segments. Entering

a negative number creates clockwise arc segments.
angle
Specify endpoint of arc or [Center/Radius]: Specify a point or enter an option

Endpoint of Arc Specifies the endpoint and draws the arc segment.
Center Specifies the center of the arc segment.
Specify center point of arc:

706 | PLINE
 Radius Specifies the radius of the arc segment.
Specify radius of arc: Specify a distance
Specify direction of chord for arc <current>: Specify a
point or press ENTER

Center
3 Specifies the center of the arc segment.
2
Specify center point of arc: Specify a point (2)
Specify endpoint of arc or [Angle/Length]: Specify a point (3) or enter an option

Endpoint of Arc Specifies the endpoint and draws the arc segment.
Angle Specifies the included angle of the arc segment from the
start point.
Specify included angle:

Length Specifies the chord length of the arc segment. If the

previous segment is an arc, AutoCAD draws the new arc
segment tangent to the previous arc segment.
Specify length of chord:

Close
Closes a polyline with an arc segment.
Direction
Specifies a starting direction for the arc segment.

2
3 Specify the tangent direction from the start point of arc: Specify a point (2)
Specify endpoint of arc: Specify a point (3)

Halfwidth
Specifies the width from the center of a wide polyline segment to one of its
edges.
Specify starting half-width <current>: Enter a value or press ENTER
Specify ending half-width <starting width>: Enter a value or press ENTER

The starting half-width becomes the default ending half-width. The ending
half-width becomes the uniform half-width for all subsequent segments until
you change the half-width again. The starting and ending points of wide line
segments are at the center of the line.

PLINE | 707
 Typically, the intersections of adjacent wide polyline segments are beveled.
half-width No beveling is performed for nontangent arc segments or very acute angles
or when a dot-dash linetype is used.

Line
Exits the Arc option and returns to the initial PLINE command prompts.

Radius
Specifies the radius of the arc segment.
Specify radius of arc: Specify a distance
radius Specify endpoint of arc or [Angle]: Specify a point or enter a

Endpoint of Arc Specifies the endpoint and draws the arc segment.
Angle Specifies the included angle for the arc segment.
Specify included angle:
Specify direction of chord for arc <current>: Specify
an angle or press ENTER

Second Pt
2 Specifies the second point and endpoint of a three-point arc.

3 Specify second point on arc: Specify a point (2)

Specify end point of arc: Specify a point (3)

Undo
Removes the most recent arc segment added to the polyline.

Width
Specifies the width of the next arc segment.
Specify starting width <current>: Enter a value or press ENTER
Specify ending width <starting width>: Enter a value or press ENTER
width

708 | PLINE
 The starting width becomes the default ending width. The ending width
becomes the uniform width for all subsequent segments until you change
the width again. The starting and ending points of wide line segments are at
the center of the line.
Typically, the intersections of adjacent wide polyline segments are beveled.
No beveling is performed for nontangent arc segments, very acute angles, or
when a dot-dash linetype is used.

Close
Draws a line segment from the current position to the starting point of the
polyline, creating a closed polyline.

Halfwidth
Specifies the width from the center of a wide polyline line segment to one of
its edges.
half-width Specify starting half-width <current>: Enter a value or press ENTER
Specify ending half-width <current>: Enter a value or press ENTER

The starting half-width becomes the default ending half-width. The ending
half-width becomes the uniform half-width for all subsequent segments until
you change the half-width again. The starting and ending points of wide line
segments are at the center of the line.
Typically, the intersections of adjacent wide polyline segments are beveled.
No beveling is performed for nontangent arc segments or very acute angles
or when a dot-dash linetype is used.

PLINE | 709
 Length
Draws a line segment of a specified length at the same angle as the previous
segment. If the previous segment is an arc, AutoCAD draws the new line seg-
ment tangent to that arc segment.
Specify length of line: Specify a distance

Undo
Removes the most recent line segment added to the polyline.

Width
Specifies the width of the next line segment.
width Specify starting width <current>: Enter a value or press ENTER
Specify ending width <starting width>: Enter a value or press ENTER

The starting width becomes the default ending width. The ending width
becomes the uniform width for all subsequent segments until you change
the width again. The starting and ending points of wide line segments are at
the center of the line.
Typically, the intersections of adjacent wide polyline segments are beveled.
No beveling is performed for nontangent arc segments or very acute angles
or when a dot-dash linetype is used.

PLOT
Plots a drawing to a plotter, printer, or file

Standard toolbar:
File menu: Plot
Shortcut menu: Right-click the Model tab or a layout tab and click Plot.
Command line: plot

The Plot dialog box is displayed. Click OK to begin plotting with the current
settings.
If you enter -plot at the Command prompt, PLOT displays prompts on the
command line (see page 722).

710 | PLOT
Plot Dialog Box
Specifies device and media settings, and plots your drawing. The title of the
Plot dialog box indicates the name of the current layout.

You can display more options in the Plot dialog box by clicking the More
Options button.

PLOT | 711
 Page Setup
Displays a list of any named and saved page setups in the drawing. You can
base the current page setup on a named page setup saved in the drawing, or
you can create a new named page setup based on the current settings in the
Plot dialog box by clicking Add.
Name Displays the name of the current page setup.
Add Displays the Add Page Setup dialog box, in which you
can save the current settings in the Plot dialog box to a
named page setup. You can modify this page setup
through the Page Setup Manager.

Printer/Plotter
Specifies a configured plotting device to use when plotting layouts.
If the selected plotter doesnt support the layouts selected paper size, a warn-
ing is displayed and you can select the plotter's default paper size or a custom
paper size.

712 | PLOT
Name Lists the available PC3 files or system printers from
which you can select to plot the current layout. An icon
in front of the device name identifies it as a PC3 file or
a system printer.

PC3 file icon: Indicates a PC3 file.

System printer icon: Indicates a system printer.

Properties Displays the Plotter Configuration Editor (PC3 editor),

in which you can view or modify the current plotter
configuration, ports, device, and media settings.
If you make changes to the PC3 file using the Plotter
Configuration Editor, the Changes to a Printer
Configuration File dialog box (see page 720) is
displayed.
Plotter Displays the plot device specified in the currently
selected page setup.
Where Displays the physical location of the output device
specified in the currently selected page setup.
Description Displays descriptive text about the output device
specified in the currently selected page setup. You can
edit this text in the Plotter Configuration Editor.
Plot to File Plots output to a file rather than to a plotter or printer.
The default location for plot files is specified in the
Options dialog box, Plot and Publish tab, under Default
Location for Plot-to-File Operations.
If the Plot to File option is turned on, when you click
OK in the Plot dialog box, the Plot to File dialog box (a
standard file navigation dialog box) is displayed.
Partial Preview Shows an accurate representation of the effective plot
area relative to the paper size and printable area. The
tooltip displays the paper size and printable area.
Paper Size
Displays standard paper sizes that are available for the selected plotting
device. If no plotter is selected, the full standard paper size list is displayed
and available for selection.
If the selected plotter doesn't support the layout's selected paper size, a warn-
ing is displayed, and you can select the plotter's default paper size or a custom
paper size.

PLOT | 713
 A default paper size is set for the plotting device when you create a PC3 file with
the Add-a-Plotter wizard. For information about this wizard, see Set Up Plot-
ters and Printers in the Driver and Peripheral Guide. The paper size that you
select in the Page Setup dialog box is saved with the layout and overrides the
PC3 file settings.
The actual printable area of the page, which is determined by the selected
plotting device and paper size, is indicated in the layout by a dashed line.
If you are plotting a raster image, such as a BMP or TIFF file, the size of the
plot is specified in pixels, not in inches or millimeters.

Number of Copies
Specifies the number of copies to plot. This option is not available when you
plot to file.

Plot Area
Specifies the portion of the drawing to be plotted. Under What to Plot, you
can select an area of the drawing to be plotted.
Layout/Limits When plotting a layout, plots everything within the
printable area of the specified paper size, with the
origin calculated from 0,0 in the layout.
When plotting from the Model tab, plots the entire
drawing area that is defined by the grid limits. If the
current viewport does not display a plan view, this
option has the same effect as the Extents option.
Extents Plots the portion of the current space of the drawing
that contains objects. All geometry in the current space
is plotted. AutoCAD may regenerate the drawing to
recalculate the extents before plotting.
Display Plots the view in the current viewport in the selected
Model tab or the current paper space view in the layout.
View Plots a view that was previously saved with the VIEW
command. You can select a named view from the list. If
there are no saved views in the drawing, this option is
unavailable.
When the View option is selected, a View list is
displayed that lists the named views that are saved in
the current drawing. You can select a view from this list
to plot.

714 | PLOT
Window Plots any portion of the drawing that you specify.
When you specify the two corners of the area to plot,
the Window button becomes available. Click the
Window button to use the pointing device to specify
the two corners of the area to be plotted, or enter
coordinate values.
Specify first corner: Specify a point
Specify other corner: Specify a point

Plot Offset
Specifies an offset of the plot area relative to the lower-left corner of the
printable area or to the edge of the paper, depending on the setting made in
the Specify Plot Offset Relative To option (Options dialog box, Plot and Pub-
lish tab).The Plot Offset area of the Plot dialog box displays the specified plot
offset option in parentheses.
The printable area of a drawing sheet is defined by the selected output device
and is represented by a dashed line in a layout. When you change to another
output device, the printable area may change.
You can offset the geometry on the paper by entering a positive or negative
value in the X and Y offset boxes. The plotter unit values are in inches or mil-
limeters on the paper.
Center the Plot Automatically calculates the X and Y offset values to
center the plot on the paper. This option is not available
when Plot Area is set to Layout.
X Specifies the plot origin in the X direction relative to
the setting of the Plot Offset Definition option.
Y Specifies the plot origin in the Y direction relative to the
setting of the Plot Offset Definition option.

Plot Scale
Controls the relative size of drawing units to plotted units. The default scale
setting is 1:1 when plotting a layout. The default setting is Fit to Paper when
plotting from the Model tab.
Fit to Paper Scales the plot to fit within the selected paper size and
displays the custom scale factor in the Scale, Inch =, and
Units boxes.

PLOT | 715
 Scale Defines the exact scale for the plot.
Custom: Defines a user-defined scale. You can create
a custom scale by entering the number of inches (or
millimeters) equal to the number of drawing units.

Inch(es) =/mm =/ Specifies the number of inches, millimeters, or pixels

Pixel(s) = equal to the specified number of units. The currently
selected paper size determines whether the units are
inches, millimeters, or pixels.
Units Specifies the number of units equal to the specified
number of inches, millimeters, or pixels.
Scale Lineweights Scales lineweights in proportion to the plot scale.
Lineweights normally specify the linewidth of plotted
objects and are plotted with the linewidth size
regardless of the plot scale.

Preview
Displays the drawing as it will appear when plotted on paper by executing
the PREVIEW command. To exit the print preview and return to the Plot
dialog box, press ESC, press ENTER, or right-click and then click Exit on the
shortcut menu.

Apply to Layout
Saves the current Plot dialog box settings to the current layout.

More Options
Displays the following additional options in the Plot dialog box:
Plot Style Table (Pen Assignments)
Shaded Viewport Options
Plot Options
Drawing Orientation

Plot Style Table (Pen Assignments)

Sets the plot style table, edits the plot style table, or creates a new plot style
table.
Name Displays the plot style table that is assigned to the
(Unlabeled) current Model tab or layout tab and provides a list of
the currently available plot style tables.

716 | PLOT
 If you select New, the Add Plot Style Table wizard is
displayed, which you can use to create a new plot style
table. The wizard that is displayed is determined by
whether the current drawing is in color-dependent or
named mode.
Edit Displays the Plot Style Table Editor, in which you can
view or modify plot styles for the currently assigned
plot style table.
Shaded Viewport Options
Specifies how shaded and rendered viewports are plotted and determines
their resolution level and dots per inch (dpi).
Shade Plot Specifies how views are plotted. To specify this setting
for a viewport on a layout tab, select the viewport and
then, on the Tools menu, click Properties.
From the Model tab, you can select from the following
options:

As Displayed: Plots objects the way they are displayed

on the screen.
Wireframe: Plots objects in wireframe regardless of
the way they are displayed on the screen.
Hidden: Plots objects with hidden lines removed
regardless of the way the objects are displayed on the
screen.
Rendered: Plots objects as rendered regardless of the
way they are displayed on the screen.

Quality Specifies the resolution at which shaded and rendered

viewports are plotted.
You can select from the following options:

Draft: Sets rendered and shaded model space views to

be plotted as wireframe.
Preview: Sets rendered and shaded model space views
to be plotted at one quarter of the current device
resolution, to a maximum of 150 dpi.
Normal: Sets rendered and shaded model space views
to be plotted at one half of the current device
resolution, to a maximum of 300 dpi.

PLOT | 717
 Presentation: Sets rendered and shaded model space
views to be plotted at the current device resolution,
to a maximum of 600 dpi.
Maximum: Sets rendered and shaded model space
views to be plotted at the current device resolution
with no maximum.
Custom: Sets rendered and shaded model space views
to be plotted at the resolution setting that you
specify in the DPI box, up to the current device
resolution.

DPI Specifies the dots per inch for shaded and rendered
views, up to the maximum resolution of the current
plotting device. This option is available if you select
Custom in the Quality box.

Plot Options
Specifies options for lineweights, plot styles, shaded plots, and the order in
which objects are plotted.
Plot in Specifies that the plot is processed in the background.
Background (BACKGROUNDPLOT system variable)
Plot Object Specifies whether lineweights assigned to objects and
Lineweights layers are plotted.
Plot with Plot Specifies whether plot styles applied to objects and
Styles layers are plotted. When you select this option, Plot
Object Lineweights is automatically selected also.
Plot Paperspace Plots model space geometry first. Paper space geometry
Last is usually plotted before model space geometry.
Hide Paperspace Specifies whether the HIDE operation applies to objects
Objects in the paper space viewport. This option is available
only from a layout tab. The effect of this setting is
reflected in the plot preview, but not in the layout.
Plot Stamp On Turns on plot stamping. Places a plot stamp on a
specified corner of each drawing. Plot stamps can also
be saved in a log file. Plot stamp settings are specified in
the Plot Stamp dialog box (see page 727), in which you
can specify the information that you want applied to
the plot stamp, such as drawing name, date and time,
plot scale, and so on. To open the Plot Stamp dialog
box, select the Plot Stamp On option, and then click the

718 | PLOT
 Plot Stamp Settings button that is displayed to the right
of the option.
You can also open the Plot Stamp dialog box by clicking
the Plot Stamp Settings button on the Plot and Publish
tab of the Options dialog box.
Plot Stamp Displays the Plot Stamp dialog box (see page 727) when
Settings button the Plot Stamp On option is selected in the Plot dialog
box.
Save Changes to Saves changes that you make in the Plot dialog box to
Layout the layout.

Drawing Orientation
Specifies the orientation of the drawing on the paper for plotters that support
landscape or portrait orientation. You can change the drawing orientation to
achieve a 0-, 90-, 180-, or 270-degree plot rotation by selecting Portrait, Land-
scape, or Plot Upside-Down. The paper icon represents the media orientation
of the selected paper. The letter icon represents the orientation of the draw-
ing on the page.
Portrait Orients and plots the drawing so that the short edge of
the paper represents the top of the page.
Landscape Orients and plots the drawing so that the long edge of
the paper represents the top of the page.
Plot Upside- Orients and plots the drawing upside down.
Down

Note Drawing orientation is also affected by the PLOTROTMODE system

variable.

Less Options
Hides the following options in the Plot dialog box:
Plot Style Table (Pen Assignments)
Shaded Viewport Options
Plot Options
Drawing Orientation

PLOT | 719
 Add Page Setup Dialog Box
Saves the current settings in the Plot dialog box to a named page setup. You
can modify this page setup through the Page Setup Manager.
New Page Setup Specifies a name for the new page setup. You can
Name modify the new named page setup later through the
Page Setup Manager.

Changes to a Printer Configuration File Dialog

Box (Plot)
Notifies you that you have made changes to an existing plotter configuration
(PC3) file. You can cancel your changes, choose OK to overwrite the PC3 file,
or specify a new file name for the modified PC3 file.
Apply Changes Uses the changes youve made to the PC3 file in the
for the Current current plot but does not save them in the PC3 file.
Plot Only
Save Changes to Specifies the path of the PC3 file that you have
the Following File changed. To preserve the original PC3 file, specify a new
file name.

Plot Job Progress Dialog Box

The Plot Job Progress dialog box provides information about the status and
progress of your plot job.
Cancel Sheet Cancels the plot of the sheet currently being processed.
Cancel Job Cancels the plot job.

Update PC3 File with New Printer Dialog Box

Displays the device driver name that is stored in the PC3 file. A device can be
a plotter or printer. With this dialog box, you can select a valid plotter or
printer and update the existing PC3 file; you can also save a modified copy
as a new PC3 file.
The dialog box is displayed in the PLOT or PAGESETUP command in a layout
configured for a PC3 file that contains an invalid or missing plotter or printer
name.

720 | PLOT
Device Needed Displays the device specified in the PC3 file that is
configured for the current layout.
Printer Name Lists the available plotters, printers, and PC3 files.
Select a plotter, printer, or PC3 file to be substituted for
the missing printer specified in your PC3 file. Select
None if you dont want to make any substitution.
If you select None, the other settings for the current
layout remain unchanged. If you select a plotter or
printer that uses a different driver than the one
specified in the original PC3 file, the following
configuration information may change when the PC3
file is saved:

Plot quality
Color depth
Resolution
Media source
Media destination
Media finishing options (such as folding or binding)
Any custom settings of the previous device or driver

If the plotter or printer you select cant support the

paper size specified in the layout, the default paper size
is used. A warning is displayed that allows you to cancel
this operation and return to the Plot or Page Setup
dialog box with the None device selected.
Device For each selection you make under Printer Name, the
corresponding device driver name is displayed in this
column, as follows:

For a selected plotter or printer, this column displays

the device driver name stored in the plotter or
printers PC3 file.
For a selected PC3 file, this column displays the
device driver name stored in the PC3 file.
For a selection of None, this column displays no
device name. No device will be substituted for the
missing printer specified in the PC3 file.

Status Area Displays information about the selected plotter, printer,

or PC3 file.

PLOT | 721
 Update and Save Displays the name of the PC3 file that you are
PC3 File modifying for the current layout. If you click OK
without changing the name of the PC3 file, the existing
PC3 file is updated with the new printer name. If you
change the name of the PC3 file and click OK, a copy of
the PC3 file is saved with the new printer information.

PLOT Command Line

If you enter -plot at the Command prompt, the following prompt is dis-
played on the command line:
Detailed plot configuration [Yes/No] <No>: Enter y or n or press ENTER

No
Indicates that you do not want a detailed plot configuration for this plot.
Enter a layout name or [?] <current>:
Enter a page setup name < >:
Enter an output device name or [?] <current>:
Write the plot to a file [Yes/No] <current>:
Enter file name: <dwgname-layoutname.plt>:
Save changes to layout [Yes/No] <No>:
Proceed with Plot [Yes/No] <Y>:

For information about these prompts, see the description for Yes.

Yes
Specifies detailed page settings for the Model tab or layout tab you are
plotting.
Enter a layout name or [?] <current>: Specify the name of the layout tab you want
to plot
Enter an output device name or [?] <current>: Specify the name of the output
device to which you want to plot the Model tab or layout tab you selected

If you enter a new device name without an extension, AutoCAD assumes that
the device is a PC3 file (Autodesk HDI plotter configuration file). If no PC3
file is found, AutoCAD searches for a Windows system printer with that
device name.
Enter paper size or [?] <current>: Specify the paper size to use for the plot or enter
? to view the actual list of paper sizes defined for the plotter driver

722 | PLOT
You must specify a paper size exactly as it is defined by the plotter driver.

Enter paper units [Inches/Millimeters] <current>:

The Enter Paper Units prompt is not displayed if you are plotting a raster
image, such as a BMP or TIFF file, because the size of the plot is assumed to
be in pixels.
Enter drawing orientation [Portrait/Landscape] <current>:

Portrait Orients and plots the drawing so that the short edge of
the paper represents the top of the page.
Landscape Orients and plots the drawing so that the long edge of
the paper represents the top of the page.
Plot upside down [Yes/No] <No>:

Orients and plots the drawing upside down.

Enter plot area [Display/Extents/Limits/Layout/View/Window] <current>:

Display Plots the view in the current viewport on the Model tab
or the current view in the layout, depending on which
tab you select to plot.
Extents Plots all of the objects in the current viewport, except
objects on frozen layers. From a layout tab, plots all the
geometry in paper space. AutoCAD may regenerate the
drawing to recalculate the extents before plotting.
If you plot the drawings extents with a perspective
view active and the camera position is within the
drawing extents, this option has the same effect as the
Display option.
Limits Plots the drawing area defined by the grid limits.
Available only when the Model tab is selected.
Layout Plots everything within the printable area of the
specified paper size, with the origin calculated from 0,0
in the layout. Available only when a layout tab is
selected.
View Plots a view saved previously with the VIEW command.
You can select a named view from the list provided. If
there are no saved views in the drawing, this option is
unavailable.

PLOT | 723
 Window Plots any portion of the drawing you specify. This
option prompts you to specify the corners of the
window.
Enter lower left corner of window: Specify a point
Enter upper right corner of window: Specify a point

Enter plot scale (Plotted Inches = Drawing Units) or [Fit] <current>: Specify the
scale of the plot

Plotted Inches = Calculates the plot scale based on the inches or

Drawing Units millimeters to drawing units that you specify. You can
also enter a real number as a fraction (for example, you
can enter 1=2 or .5).
Fit Calculates the scale to fit the area on the sheet of paper.
The default scale setting is 1:1 when you are plotting a layout, unless you
modified and saved the setting. The default setting is Fit when plotting a
Model tab.
Enter plot offset (x, y) or [Center] <current>: Specify the plot offset in either the
X or Y direction, or enter c to center the plot on the paper

Plot with plot styles [Yes/No] <current>: Specify whether to plot using the plot
styles applied to objects and defined in the plot style table

If you specify Yes to plot with plot styles, AutoCAD displays the following
prompt:
Enter plot style table name or [?] (enter . for none) <current>: Enter a plot style
table name, ? to view plot style tables, or . (period) for none

All style definitions with different property characteristics are stored in the
current plot style table and can be attached to the geometry. This setting
replaces pen mapping in earlier versions of AutoCAD.
Plot with lineweights [Yes/No] <current>:
Scale lineweights with plot scale [Yes/No] <current>:

724 | PLOT
Note The Scale Lineweights with Plot Scale prompt is displayed only when you
plot from a layout tab. Settings for the shaded plotting type are available only
when you plot from the Model tab. To control shaded plotting settings of view-
ports in a layout tab, use the Shadeplot option of the -vports command
when you create a viewport.

Enter shade plot setting [As displayed/Wireframe/Hidden/Rendered] <As

displayed >: Enter a shade plot option

Specifies how model space views are plotted.

As Displayed Specifies that a model space view is plotted the same
way it is displayed.
Wireframe Specifies that a model space view is plotted in
wireframe regardless of display.
Hidden Specifies that a model space view is plotted with hidden
lines removed regardless of display.
Rendered Specifies that model space view plots are rendered
regardless of display.
Write the plot to a file [Yes/No] <current>: Enter y if you want to write the plotted
drawing to a file, or press ENTER to plot to an output device

If you specify Yes, AutoCAD displays the following prompt:

Enter file name: <dwgname-layoutname.plt>: Enter a file name
Save changes to page setup? Or set shade plot quality? [Yes/No/Quality] <No>:

If you enter y, the current settings in the Page Setup dialog box are saved. If
you enter q, you are prompted for the shaded plotting quality and are given
the option of providing a custom dpi. Then you are prompted to save the
page setup with the added quality settings.
Enter shade plot quality [Draft/Preview/Normal/pResentation/Maximum/
Custom] <Normal>: Enter c if you want to specify a dpi, or to use a preset dpi,
specify a different quality option
Enter custom dpi <150>:
Save changes to page setup [Yes/No]? <No>:
Plot paper space first [Yes/No] <current>:

PLOT | 725
 Paper space geometry is usually plotted before model space geometry. If you
enter n, the model space geometry is plotted first, and paper space geometry
is plotted last. This option is available only if you are plotting from a layout
tab.

Hide paperspace objects? [Yes/No] <No >:

Specifies whether the Hide operation applies to objects in the paper space
viewport. This option is available only from a layout tab.

Proceed with plot [Yes/No] <Y>:

PLOTSTAMP
Places a plot stamp on a specified corner of each drawing and logs it to a file
Adds the specified plot stamp informationincluding drawing name, layout
name, date and time, and so onto a drawing that is plotted to any device.
Once you turn plot stamping on in the Plot dialog box, it remains active with
whatever settings have been most recently entered until you specifically turn
it off. AutoCAD creates a plot stamp at the time the drawing is being plotted;
the plot stamp is not saved with the drawing. Before you plot the drawing,
you can preview the position of the plot stamp in the Plot Stamp dialog box
(not in the AutoCAD drawing area or in the plot preview). The plot stamp
you create is justified on one of the four drawing corners and can be printed
on up to two lines. You can record the plot stamp information to a log file
instead of plotting it, or in addition to plotting it.

Note Plot stamp will always be drawn with pen number 7, or the highest num-
bered available pen if the plotter doesnt hold seven pens. You must install a suit-
able pen in that position. If you are using a non-pen (raster) device, color 7 is
always used for plot stamping.

Command line: plotstamp

The Plot Stamp dialog box is displayed.

If you enter -plotstamp at the Command prompt, PLOTSTAMP displays
prompts on the command line (see page 732).

726 | PLOTSTAMP
Plot Stamp Dialog Box
Specifies the information for the plot stamp.

Plot Stamp Fields

Specifies the drawing information you want applied to the plot stamp. The
selected fields are separated by commas and a space.
Drawing Name Includes the drawing name and path in the plot stamp
information.
Layout Name Includes the name of the layout in the plot stamp
information.
Date and Time Includes the date and time in the plot stamp
information.
Note The date and time format is determined by the
Regional Settings dialog box in the Windows Control
Panel. Plot stamping uses the short date style for dates.
Login Name Includes the Windows login name in the plot stamp
information.
The Windows login name is contained in the
LOGINNAME system variable.

Device Name Includes the current plotting device name in the plot
stamp information.

PLOTSTAMP | 727
 Paper Size Includes the paper size for the currently configured
plotting device in the plot stamp information.
Plot Scale Includes the plot scale in the plot stamp information.

Preview
Provides a visual display of the plot stamp location based on the location and
rotation values you have specified in the Advanced Options dialog box. You
cannot preview the plot stamp any other way. This is not a preview of the
plot stamp contents.

User Defined Fields

Provides text that can optionally be plotted, logged, or both plotted and
logged at plot time. The selected value in each user-defined list will be plot-
ted. For example, you might populate one list with media types or prices and
the other with job names. If the user-defined value is set to <none>, then no
user-defined information is plotted.
Add/Edit Displays the User Defined Fields dialog box (see page
729), where you can add, edit, or delete user-defined
fields.

Plot Stamp Parameter File

Stores plot stamp information in a file with a .pss extension. Multiple users
can access the same file and stamp their plots based on company standard
settings.
AutoCAD provides two PSS files, Mm.pss and Inches.pss, which are located in
the Support folder. The initial default plot stamp parameter file name is deter-
mined by the regional settings of the operating system when AutoCAD is
installed.
Load Displays the Plotstamp Parameter File Name dialog box
(a standard file selection dialog box) in which you can
specify the location of the parameter file you want to
use.
Save As Saves the current plot stamp settings in a new
parameter file.

Advanced
Displays the Advanced Options dialog box (see page 729), in which you can
set the location, text properties, and units of the plot stamp. You can also
create a log file, and set its location.

728 | PLOTSTAMP
User Defined Fields Dialog Box
User-defined fields are created and edited using the User Defined Fields dia-
log box, which is displayed when you choose the Add/Edit button in the Plot
Stamp dialog box.
Add Adds an editable user-defined field to the bottom of the
list.
Edit Allows editing of the selected user-defined field.
Delete Deletes the selected user-defined field.

Advanced Options Dialog Box

Determines the location, text properties, and units of the plot stamp. You can
also create a log file and set its location. The dialog box is displayed when you
choose the Advanced button in the Plot Stamp dialog box.

Location and Offset

Determines the plot stamp location, the orientation of the plot stamp, and
the offset you want to apply relative to either the printable area or the paper
border.
Location Indicates the area where you want to place the plot
stamp. Selections include Top Left, Bottom Left
(default), Bottom Right, and Top Right. The location is
relative to the image orientation of the drawing on the
page.

PLOTSTAMP | 729
 Orientation Indicates the rotation of the plot stamp in relation to
the specified page. The options are Horizontal and
Vertical for each of the locations (for example, Top Left
Horizontal and Top Left Vertical).
Stamp Upside Rotates the plot stamp upside down.
Down
X Offset Determines the X offset value that is calculated from
either the corner of the paper or the corner of the
printable area, depending on which setting you specify.
If you specify Offset Relative to Paper Border, the offset
value is calculated so that the plot stamp information
fits within the designated paper size. If the offset value
positions the plot stamp information beyond the
printable area, the plot stamp text is cut off.
Y Offset Determines the Y offset value that is calculated from
either the corner of the paper or the corner of the
printable area, depending on which setting you specify.
If you specify Offset Relative to Paper Border, the offset
value is calculated so that the plot stamp information
fits within the designated paper size. If the offset value
positions the plot stamp information beyond the
printable area, the plot stamp text is cut off.
Offset Relative to Calculates the offset values that you specify from the
Printable Area corner of the printable area of the paper (not the corner
of the paper).
Offset Relative to Calculates the offset values that you specify from the
Paper Border corner of the paper (not the corner of the printable area
of the paper).

Text Properties
Determines the font, height, and number of lines you want to apply to the
plot stamp text.
Font Specifies the TrueType font you want to apply to the
text used for the plot stamp information.
Height Specifies the text height you want to apply to the plot
stamp information.

730 | PLOTSTAMP
Single Line Plot If selected, places the plot stamp information in a single
Stamp line of text. The plot stamp information can consist of
up to two lines of text, but the placement and offset
values you specify must accommodate text wrapping
and text height. If the plot stamp contains text that is
longer than the printable area, the plot stamp text will
be cut off. If this option is cleared, plot stamp text is
wrapped after the third field.

Plot Stamp Units

Specifies the units used to measure X offset, Y offset, and height. You can
define units using inches, millimeters, or pixels.
Two sets of values for the plot stamp size and location are saved in the PSS
file: one for the dimensionless file formats and the other for dimensional file
formats. If the units you select in the dialog box are dimensional, then the
dimensional values are displayed and modified. To access the dimensionless
values, you need to select pixels as the unit of measurement. Regardless of
the units selected in the dialog box, the correct set of values is applied at plot
time. In other words, changing the unit of measurement does not cause the
values to be recalculated.

Log File Location

Writes the plot stamp information to a log file instead of, or in addition to,
stamping the current plot. If plot stamping is turned off, the log file can still
be created.
Create a Log File Writes the plot stamp information to a log file. The
default log file is plot.log, and it is located in the
AutoCAD folder. You can specify a different file name
and path. After the initial plot.log file is created, the plot
stamp information in each succeeding plotted drawing
is added to this file. Each drawings plot stamp
information is a single line of text. The plot stamp log
file can be placed on a network drive and shared by
multiple users. Plot stamp information from each user
is appended to the plot.log file.
Log File Name Specifies the file name for the log file you are creating.
Enter a new file name if you do not want to use the
default file name, plot.log.

PLOTSTAMP | 731
 Browse Lists the currently saved plot stamp log files. You can
choose to overwrite an existing plot stamp log file with
the currently specified plot stamp information, and
then to save this file.

PLOTSTAMP Command Line

If you enter -plotstamp at the Command prompt, prompts are displayed on
the command line. The settings in the PSS file are displayed as defaults for
each prompt.
You can use -PLOTSTAMP as part of a plotting script to modify plot stamp
information for a drawing.
Enter an option [On/OFF/Fields/User fields/Log file/LOCation/Text properties/
UNits]:

On Turns on the plot stamp for the current drawing.

OFF Turns off the plot stamp for the current drawing.
Fields Specifies the plot stamp field information you want to
apply to the current plot stamp.
Stamp drawing name? [Yes/No] <Yes>:
Stamp layout name? [Yes/No] <Yes>:
Stamp date and time? [Yes/No] <Yes>:
Stamp login name? [Yes/No] <Yes>:
Stamp plot device name? [Yes/No] <Yes>:
Stamp paper size? [Yes/No] <Yes>:
Stamp plot scale? [Yes/No] <Yes>:

User Fields Specifies the user-defined fields you want to apply to

the current plot stamp.
Enter User field 1 <>: Enter any user-defined field
Enter User field 2 <>: Enter any user-defined field

Log File Specifies writing the current plot stamp information to

a log file rather than applying this information to the
current plotted drawing. The default log file is plot.log,
unless you specify another file path.
Write plot stamp to log file? [Yes/No] <Yes>:
Enter log file path <plot.log>:

732 | PLOTSTAMP
Location Determines the location of the plot stamp on the page
based on offset, orientation, and relationship to either
the printable area or the border of the paper.
Location selections include and are relative to the
printable area or the border of the paper, depending on
what you specify at the prompt.
Enter stamp location [TL/TR/BL/BR] <BL>:

TL: Top Left

TR: Top Right
BL: Bottom Left
BR: Bottom Right

Text orientation indicates the rotation angle of the plot

stamp in relation to the page.
Enter text orientation [Horizontal/Vertical] <Horizontal>:

Horizontal: Plot stamp will be horizontal relative to

the page.
Vertical: Plot stamp will be vertical relative to the
page.

Stamp upside-down [Yes/No] <No>:

Specify plot stamp offset <0.1000,0.1000>:

Specifying an offset relative to the paper border

calculates the offset values that you specify from the
corner of the paper. Specifying an offset relative to the
printable area calculates the offset values that you
specify from the corner of the printable area.
Specify offset relative to [paper Border/printable Area]
<printable Area>:

PLOTSTAMP | 733
 Text Properties Determines the font name and text height for the
current plot stamp text. You can also specify to place
the text on one line or to wrap the text to two lines. The
placement and offset values you specify for this plot
stamp must accommodate the text wrapping and the
text height.
Enter font name <>: Enter a font name
Enter text height <0.1500>: Enter a value
Place plot stamp on single line? [Yes/No] <No >:

Units Specifies the units used to measure X offset, Y offset,

and height. You can define units using inches,
millimeters, or pixels.
Enter measurement units [Inches/Millimeters/Pixels]
<Inches>:

PLOTSTYLE
Sets the current plot style for new objects or assigns a plot style to selected objects
Command line: plotstyle

To use the PLOTSTYLE command, the drawing must be configured to use

named plot styles.

If a drawing is in Color-Dependent mode and is an AutoCAD 2004 draw-

ing or is a pre-AutoCAD 2000 drawing saved in AutoCAD 2000 or later,
you can convert it to use named plot styles using the CONVERTPSTYLES
command.
To configure a new drawing, or a pre-AutoCAD 2000 drawing that was
never saved in AutoCAD 2000 or later releases, to use named plot styles,
set PSTYLEPOLICY to 0 before creating the new drawing or opening the pre-
AutoCAD 2000 drawing.

If no selection set exists, AutoCAD displays the Current Plot Style dialog box.
If a selection set exists, AutoCAD displays the Select Plot Style dialog box (see
page 736).
If you enter -plotstyle at the Command prompt, PLOTSTYLE displays a
prompt on the command line (see page 737).

734 | PLOTSTYLE
Current Plot Style Dialog Box
Specifies the plot style for new objects.

Current Plot Style Displays the current plot style.

Plot Style List Displays the available plot styles that can be assigned to
an object, including the default plot style, NORMAL. A
plot style is a collection of overrides for color, dithering,
gray scale, pen assignments, screening, linetype,
lineweight, end styles, join styles, and fill styles.
Active Plot Style Sets the plot style table attached to the current layout.
Table A plot style table is a collection of plot style definitions.
Editor Displays the Plot Style Table Editor.
Attached To Displays the tab (Model tab or layout tab) that the plot
style table is attached to.

PLOTSTYLE | 735
 Select Plot Style Dialog Box
Specifies the plot style to be assigned.

Plot Styles Displays the available plot styles, including the default
plot style, NORMAL. A plot style is a collection of
property settings used in plotting.
Original Displays the originally assigned plot style.
New Displays the new plot style to be assigned.
Active Plot Style Sets the plot style table attached to the current drawing.
Table A plot style table defines plot styles.
Editor Displays the Plot Style Table Editor.
Attached To Displays the tab (Model tab or layout tab) that the plot
style table is attached to.

736 | PLOTSTYLE
 PLOTSTYLE Command Line
If you enter -plotstyle at the Command prompt, PLOTSTYLE displays a
prompt on the command line.
Command line: -plotstyle

Current plot style is "current"

Enter an option [?/Current]:

?List Plot Styles Lists the plot styles in the attached plot style table.
Current Specifies the plot style to use for new objects.

PLOTTERMANAGER
Displays the Plotter Manager, where you can add or edit a plotter configuration
File menu: Plotter Manager
Command line: plottermanager

AutoCAD displays the Plotter Manager, where you can perform the following
tasks:

Double-click the Add-a-Plotter wizard to add and configure plotters and

printers.
Double-click a plotter configuration (PC3 file) to start the Plotter Config-
uration Editor.

Add-a-Plotter Wizard
Adds new plotters and printers. The wizard produces a PC3 file that you can
edit in the Plotter Configuration Editor. Your configurations are stored in the
AutoCAD 2005\plotters folder.

PLOTTERMANAGER | 737
 Plotter Configuration Editor
Modifies a PC3 files plotter port connections and output settings, including
media, graphics, physical pen configuration, custom properties, initializa-
tion strings, calibration, and user-defined paper sizes. You can drag these
configuration options from one PC3 file to another.
You can start the Plotter Configuration Editor with any of the following
methods:
Double-click a PC3 file in Windows Explorer or right-click the PC3 file and
click Open. (By default, PC3 files are stored in the Plotters folder. To find
the location of your plotter files, on the Tools menu, click Options. In the
Options dialog box, Files tab, click the plus sign to the left of Printer Sup-
port File Path. Click the plus sign to the left of the Printer Configuration
Search Path file. Under Printer Configuration Search Path, click the path
name to view the location of your plotter files.)
Choose Edit Plotter Configuration from within the Add-a-Plotter wizard.
Choose Properties in the Page Setup dialog box.
Choose Properties in the Plot dialog box.

Depending on your configured plotting device, additional options may be

available on the Device and Document Settings tab. For example, when you
configure a nonsystem plotter, you can modify the pen characteristics.

738 | PLOTTERMANAGER
General Tab (Plotter Configuration Editor)
Contains basic information about the plotter configuration (PC3) file. You
can add or modify the information in the Description area. The remainder of
the tab is read-only.

Plotter Displays the file name you assigned in the Add-a-Plotter

Configuration wizard.
File Name
Description Displays information you want to include about the
plotter.

PLOTTERMANAGER | 739
 Driver Displays the following information:
Information
Plotter driver type (system or nonsystem), name,
model, and location
HDI driver file version number (AutoCAD
specialized driver files)
UNC name of the network server (if the plotter is
connected to a network server)
I/O port (if the plotter is connected locally)
Name of the system printer (if the configured plotter
is the system printer)
PMP (Plot Model Parameters) file name and location
(if a PMP file is attached to the PC3 file)

Ports Tab
Changes communication settings between the configured plotter and your
computer or network system. You can specify whether you want to plot
through a port, plot to a file, or use AutoSpool. See Use AutoSpool in the
Driver and Peripheral Guide.
If you plot through a parallel port, you can specify the timeout value. If you
plot through a serial port, you can change the baud rate, protocol, flow con-
trol, and input and output timeout values.

740 | PLOTTERMANAGER
Plot to the Sends the drawing to the plotter through the specified
Following Port port.
Plot to File Sends the drawing to the file specified in the Plot dialog
box.
AutoSpool Uses the AutoSpool utility to plot the drawing.
AutoSpool is specified on the Files tab in the Options
dialog box.
Port List Displays a list and description of available ports, both
local and network. If the port is a network port, the
name of the network printer is also displayed.
Show All Ports Shows all available ports on the computer regardless of
the ports available on the plotter.
Browse Network Displays the network choices so you can connect to
another instance of a nonsystem plotter.
Configure Port Displays either the Configure LPT Port dialog box or the
Settings for COM Port dialog box.

PLOTTERMANAGER | 741
 Device and Document Settings Tab
Controls many of the settings in the PC3 file. Click the icon for any of the
nodes to view and change the specific settings. When you change a setting,
your changes appear in angle brackets (< >) next to the setting name. A check
mark is also displayed over the icon of the node with a changed value.

Note Only the settings available for the configured device are displayed in the
tree view. In addition, you might not be able to edit some settings if the device
handles the setting through Custom Properties or doesnt support the capability.

Media Node
Specifies a paper source, size, type, and destination. Available settings depend
on the supported features of your configured plotter. For Windows system
printers, you must configure the media settings using the Custom Properties
node. See Custom Properties Node.

742 | PLOTTERMANAGER
Source and Size Specifies the paper source and size.
Source: Specifies the paper source; for example, sheet-
fed or roll-fed. If you specify a tray, you can select
the type of tray.
Width: Specifies the width of the paper roll for a roll-
fed source.
Automatic: Enables the printer to specify the
appropriate paper source.
Size: Displays a list of available paper sources and
both standard and custom paper sizes.
Printable Bounds: Displays the print boundaries.

Media Type Displays a list of the media types supported by the

plotter configuration.
Duplex Printing Determines double-sided printing and binding margin.
Binding margin options are available only for plotters
that support duplex printing.
None: Indicates no double-sided printing.
Short Side: Places the binding margin on the short
side of the paper.
Long Side: Places the binding margin on the long side
of the paper.
Media Displays a list of available media destinations for the
Destination configured plotter, such as collating, cutting, and
stapling. These options are available only for plotters
that support this function.
Physical Pen Configuration Node (for Pen Plotters Only)
Controls the specific pens in the pen plotter. The lower pane of the Device
and Document Settings tab displays a table used to describe the color, width,
and speed of each pen in the plotter.

Note AutoCAD cannot detect the physical pen information automatically; you
must provide this information for your pen plotter under Physical Pen
Characteristics.

PLOTTERMANAGER | 743
 Pen Specifies settings for pen plotters.
Configuration
Prompt for Pen Swapping: Use more than one pen
while plotting on a single-pen plotter. Under
Physical Pen Characteristics, you can specify settings
for as many pens as you want. AutoCAD prompts
you when you need to change pens.
Area Fill Correction: Enables AutoCAD to compensate
for pen widths when plotting filled areas and wide
polylines. AutoCAD shrinks each polygon by half of
the width of the pen used to draw it. This option
prevents the plotter from oversizing the filled area
when using a wide pen and ensures precision. Use
this option if the plot must be accurate to half the
pen width, such as in printed circuit artwork.
Pen Optimization Level: Reduces plot time and
increases the efficiency of the pens by optimizing
the pen motion. For example, you can prevent pens
from retracing duplicate lines. If your drawing uses
many colors or widths, you can reduce the time
needed to change pens by selecting Adds Pen
Sorting. AutoCAD will plot every object that uses a
particular pen before switching to another pen. Each
method in the list includes the optimization
methods preceding it in the list (except for No
Optimization).
Physical Pen To plot your drawing correctly on a pen plotter, you
Characteristics need to provide information about the pens in your
plotter. For each pen in your plotter, specify a color and
width. To optimize pen performance, you can specify a
speed.
Note This information is required; AutoCAD cannot
detect the physical pen information automatically.
Color: Specifies the colors of the pens in your plotter.
AutoCAD selects the pen color that closely matches
the objects color. You can assign colors to your pens
that correspond to each objects color. Use the Color
list to select one of the following settings: No Pen,
Red, Yellow, Green, Cyan, Blue, Magenta, Black, or
Other. If you choose Other, the Select Color dialog
box is displayed, providing access to the full color
palette. Use No Pen to indicate that there is no pen
in a particular position.

744 | PLOTTERMANAGER
 Speed: Adjusts pen speed on a pen-by-pen basis. This
feature is useful, for example, for slowing down pens
that are skipping. Each pen manufacturer
recommends a pen speed for each type of media. For
best results, use those values. You can specify a pen
speed in millimeters or inches per second.
Width: Specifies the width of your pens so AutoCAD
can determine if multiple pen strokes are needed to
draw wide lines. You can specify the pen width in
inches or millimeters. Be sure to select the pen width
to match the actual width of the pen. The list
provides a set of common pen widths.

Specifying pen characteristics here doesnt replace the

pen tables you might have imported from PCP, PC2, or
CFG files from AutoCAD Release 14, AutoCAD LT 98,
or earlier releases. For more information about
importing these settings, see Change Plot Style
Settings, in the Users Guide.
Graphics Node
Specifies settings for printing vector graphics, raster graphics, and TrueType
text. Depending on the capabilities of the plotter, you can modify color
depth, resolution, and dithering. You can select either color or monochrome
output for vector drawings. When printing raster images on a plotter with
limited memory, you can improve performance by making some changes to
the quality of the printed output. If you use a nonsystem plotter that sup-
ports varying amounts of installed RAM, you can provide that information
to improve performance.
Installed Memory Provides AutoCAD with the amount of total memory
(RAM) installed on a nonsystem plotter. This option is
only available for nonWindows system printers that
accept optional memory. If your plotter has extra
memory, specify the total amount of memory.

Total Installed Memory: Specifies the total installed

memory in megabytes. The plotter driver uses the
memory information to determine whether banding
or image quality degradation is required to prevent
the system from running out of memory.

PLOTTERMANAGER | 745
 Vector Graphics Provides options for specifying the color depth,
resolution, and dithering of vector output. Some of the
Vector Graphics options are closely interrelated;
changing an option can affect other available options.

Color Depth: Displays a list for choosing color depth

for the configured plotter. The color depth options
change as you change the resolution and dithering
values. More color depth uses more memory and
takes longer to plot. You can specify either color or
monochrome output.
Resolution: Adjusts the DPI (dots per inch) resolution
of the configured plotter. Changing the DPI
resolution changes the options available in the
Dithering list. A higher resolution setting uses more
memory and takes longer to plot than a lower
resolution setting.
Dithering: Specifies a dithering choice for non-pen-
based plotters. Some dithering choices cause slower
plotting.

Raster Graphics Specifies trade-offs between plotting speed and output

(Non-Pen Plotters quality when plotting raster objects. If you reduce the
Only) image quality, you increase output speed. If your system
resources are limited, reducing image quality can
reduce the chance of running out of memory while
plotting. These options are available only for raster
devices, not pen plotters.

Raster and Shaded/Rendered Viewports: Specifies a

position on the slider that balances output quality
with memory and plotting speed when plotting
raster images and shaded/rendered viewports.
Position the slider at None to disable raster image
printing. Degrading the image quality lets you plot
in less time. Position the slider at Best for the best
output at the expense of memory and plotting
speed.

746 | PLOTTERMANAGER
 OLE: Specifies a position on the slider that balances
output quality with memory use and plotting speed
when plotting OLE objects. Position the slider at
None to disable OLE object printing. Degrading the
image quality lets you plot in less time. Position the
slider at Best for the best output at the expense of
memory and plotting speed.
Trade-off: Specifies where to compromise quality if
you cant output at the highest quality. Move the
slider to diminish resolution and color.

TrueType Text On Windows system printers, specifies whether to plot

TrueType text as a graphic image or as text. Plotting as
a graphic guarantees that the text is printed as
displayed, at the expense of slowing down the plotter
and using more memory. Plotting as TrueType text
prints faster and uses less memory; the plotter may use
a different font for printing.

TrueType as Text: Plots TrueType text as text.

TrueType as Graphics: Plots TrueType text as graphics.

Merge Control On raster plotters, controls the appearance of lines that

cross. Merge control is not effective if your plotter is
configured to plot everything as black or if you are
using PostScript language.
Lines Overwrite: Uses the last plotted line to obscure
the lines under it. Only the topmost line is visible at
the intersection.
Lines Merge: Merges the colors of crossing lines.

Note Merge control may appear as an option for system

printers that do not actually support the feature. Please
check your printers documentation to determine if merge
control is supported.
Custom Properties Node
Modifies the device-specific properties for the plotter configuration. The set-
tings for each plotter vary. If the plotter manufacturer has not included a
Custom Properties dialog box for the device driver, the Custom Properties
option is disabled. For some drivers, such as ePlot, this is the only tree view
option that is displayed. For Windows system printers, most of the device-
specific settings are made in this dialog box. For more information about the

PLOTTERMANAGER | 747
 custom properties settings for your device, choose Help in the Custom
Properties dialog box.
Initialization Strings Node (for Non-System Plotters Only)
Sets pre-initialization, post-initialization, and termination plotter strings. If
you are plotting to an unsupported plotter in emulation mode, you can spec-
ify ASCII text initialization strings that prepare the plotter for printing, set
device-specific options, and restore the plotter to its original state. Initializa-
tion strings should be used by advanced users only.

Pre-Initialization Forces a plotter to emulate another plotter by sending a

pre-initialization string to the plotter before it is
initialized.
The text string is sent literally, except for a back slash
(\). A back slash followed by a number, for example,
\27, is interpreted and sent as a single character whose
value is 27. The number 27 is the escape character. For
example, \27%-12345X@PJL ENTER LANGUAGE =
PostScript\10 sends an HP PJL command to a dual-
language laser printer before its initialized and switches
the printer into postscript mode. The \27 sends an
escape character and the \10 sends a line feed character.
The remainder of the text string is sent literally.
Post-Initialization Sets a device-specific option that is not supported
elsewhere in AutoCAD. Specify a post-initialization
string that is sent to the plotter after it is initialized.
Termination Restores the printer to its original state after plotting.
Specify a termination string that is sent to the plotter
after plotting is complete.

User-Defined Paper Sizes & Calibration Node

Attaches a PMP file to the PC3 file, calibrates the plotter, and adds, deletes,
revises, or filters custom paper sizes. You can also modify standard paper
sizes. This node accesses the Plotter Calibration and Custom Paper Size
wizards. If the plotter you are using has been calibrated, a Plotter Model
Parameter (PMP) file contains that calibration information. If the PMP file is
not already attached to the PC3 file you are editing, you must create that
association so you can use the PMP file. If the plotter was calibrated from
within the Add-a-Plotter wizard while creating the current PC3 file, the PMP
file is already attached. Use the PMP File Name option under User-defined
Paper Sizes & Calibration to attach a PMP file to, or detach the PMP file from,
the PC3 file you are editing.

748 | PLOTTERMANAGER
Custom Paper Creates a customized paper size or changes the
Sizes (Nonsystem printable area of a standard or nonstandard paper size.
Printers Only) With the Custom Paper Size wizard you can create a
new paper size, or select from a list of available paper
sizes (from a PMP file) if the plotter is not a Windows
system printer. If the plotter is a Windows system
printer, use Custom Properties. You can add, delete, and
edit your paper size.
Each plotter has a maximum printable area determined
by where it grips the paper and how far the pen shuttle
can reach. If you are creating a paper size that is larger
than the paper sizes offered in the Plotter
Configuration Editor, verify that the plotter is capable
of plotting the new dimensions.

Add: Starts the Custom Paper Size wizard. When you

add a paper size, you can either create a new paper
size from scratch or create a new one based on the
listing of available paper sizes for the selected
configured plotter. The new paper size is a user-
defined size, not a standard size.
Delete: Deletes the selected custom paper size from
the list.
Edit: Starts the Custom Paper Size wizard, where you
can modify the selected paper size. You can change
any of the custom paper size settings.

Note For Windows system printers, you can change the

paper size settings and create custom paper sizes only in
the Custom Properties dialog box.
Modify Standard Adjusts the printable area for standard paper sizes to
Paper Sizes match the printers capabilities. (You cant create
custom paper sizes for Windows system printers using
the Plotter Configuration Editor.)

List of Standard Paper Sizes: Displays the available set

of standard paper sizes.
Modify: Starts the Custom Paper Size wizard. You can
modify Printable Area and File Name. The new paper
size is a user-defined size, not a standard size.

PLOTTERMANAGER | 749
 Filter Paper Sizes Filters the list of paper sizes displayed for the plotting
device selected in the Plot and Page Setup dialog boxes.
The list of paper sizes is displayed on the Plot Settings
tab in the Plot dialog box and on the Layout Settings
tab in the Page Setup dialog box. Select the paper sizes
you want to display for this device.
Check All: Hides all the paper sizes for the device.
Uncheck All: Displays all the paper sizes for the
device.
Plotter Starts the Plotter Calibration wizard. If you need to
Calibration correct scaling discrepancies, you can adjust the plotter
calibration using the Plotter Calibration wizard. See
Calibrate Plotters and Work with Custom Paper Sizes
in the Driver and Peripheral Guide.
Note You should perform a plotter calibration only if your
drawings must be exactly to scale and your plotter or
printer produces inaccurate plots. Plotter Calibration
causes AutoCAD to rescale all plots sent to your plotter. If
your plotter provides a calibration utility, it is
recommended that you use it instead of the AutoCAD
utility.
PMP File Attaches a PMP file to or detaches a PMP file from the
PC3 file you are editing. Use the Detach button to break
the association between the PMP file and the PC3 file.

Attach: Attaches a PMP file to the PC3 file. You can

reuse calibration and custom paper size data stored
in the PMP file.
Save PMP: Saves a PMP file to a new file in the
AutoCAD 2005\drv folder.
Detach: Detaches the PMP file associated with the
PC3 file you are editing.
Import
Imports file information from earlier versions of AutoCAD. If you have a PCP
or PC2 file from an earlier version of AutoCAD, you can import some of the
information in those files into a PC3 file. PC3 files store plotter name, port
information, pen optimization level, paper size, and resolution.
Save As
Saves a PC3 File to a new file name.

750 | PLOTTERMANAGER
Defaults
Restores the settings on the Device and Document Settings tab back to the
default settings.

Configure LPT Port Dialog Box

Specifies the time that AutoCAD waits for the plotter buffer to empty before
sending more data. You specify how much time you want to elapse before
AutoCAD prompts you to cancel the plot. If your drawings are complex or
your pen speed is very slow, set the timeout value higher than the default (30
seconds). If you begin to receive numerous timeout prompts, your timeout
setting is probably too low.

Timeout
Timeout specifies an amount of time to wait before retrying.
Transmission Specifies the timeout value in milliseconds.
Retry

Settings for COM Port Dialog Box

Specifies the baud rate, protocol, flow control, and hardware handshaking
for serial ports on plotters that support these settings.

Note The settings on your plotter must match the settings in AutoCAD or you
cannot plot.

Baud Rate Specifies the baud rate. Use the fastest available baud
rate.
Protocol Displays the protocol settings available for your plotter.
Use the protocol recommended by your device
manufacturer. For more information see the
documentation for your device.
Flow Control Sets the flow control for your plotter. The default flow
control setting is XON/XOFF (software handshaking)
for compatibility with previous versions of AutoCAD. If
you select Hardware handshaking, you can specify
additional settings in the Advanced Settings for COM
Port dialog box that correspond to different pins on the
RS232 connector.

PLOTTERMANAGER | 751
 Advanced Settings for COM Port Dialog Box
Specifies additional hardware handshaking settings for serial ports.

CTS
Enables Clear To Send handshaking. This monitors pin 5 of a 25-pin serial
port or pin 8 of a 9-pin serial port. CTS is an input bit, monitored for an out-
put from the plotter or printer.

DSR
Enables Data Set Ready handshaking. This monitors pin 6 of a 25-pin serial
port, or pin 6 of a 9-pin serial port. DSR is an input bit, monitored for an out-
put from the printer or plotter.

RLSD
Enables Received Line Signal Detector handshaking. This is sometimes called
DCD or Data Carrier Detect. It is an input pin that can be monitored for an
output from the plotter. It is on pin 8 of a 25-pin serial port and on pin 1 of
a 9-pin serial port.

RTS
Controls the Request To Send output bit. This sends a signal to the printer or
plotter on pin 4 of a 25-pin serial port or on pin 7 of a 9-pin serial port.
Disabled Disables the RTS line when the device is opened.
Enabled Enables the RTS line when the device is opened.
Handshake Enables RTS handshaking. The driver raises the RTS line
when the input buffer is less than one-half full and
lowers the RTS line when the buffer is more than three-
quarters full.
Toggle Specifies that the RTS line is high if bytes are available
for transmission. After all buffered bytes have been
sent, the RTS line is low.

752 | PLOTTERMANAGER
 DTR
Controls the Data Terminal Ready output pin. This sends a signal to the
printer or plotter on pin 20 of a 25-pin serial port or on pin 4 of a 9-pin serial
port.
Disabled Disables the DTR line when the device is opened.
Enabled Enables the DTR line when the device is opened.
Handshake Enables DTR handshaking.

PNGOUT
Saves selected objects to a file in a Portable Network Graphics format
Command line: pngout

The Create Raster File dialog box (a standard file selection dialog box) is dis-
played. Enter the file name in the dialog box.
Select objects or <all objects and viewports>: Press ENTER to select all objects
and viewports or use an object selection method and press ENTER

AutoCAD creates a Portable Network Graphics file that contains the objects
you select. The file reflects what is displayed on the screen.

Note When the FILEDIA system variable is set to 0 (Off), prompts are displayed
on the command line.

POINT
Creates a point object
Draw toolbar:
Draw menu: Point
Command line: point

Specify a point:

Points can act as nodes to which you can snap objects. You can specify a full
three-dimensional location for a point. The current elevation is assumed if
you omit the Z coordinate value.

PNGOUT | 753
 The PDMODE and PDSIZE system variables control the appearance of point
objects. PDMODE values 0, 2, 3, and 4 specify a figure to draw through the
point. A value of 1 specifies that nothing is displayed.

0 1 2 3 4

Specifying the value 32, 64, or 96 selects a shape to draw around the point,
in addition to the figure drawn through it:

32 33 34 35 36

64 65 66 67 68

96 97 98 99 100

PDSIZE controls the size of the point figures, except for PDMODE values 0 and
1. A setting of 0 generates the point at 5 percent of the drawing area height.
A positive PDSIZE value specifies an absolute size for the point figures. A neg-
ative value is interpreted as a percentage of the viewport size. The size of all
points is recalculated when the drawing is regenerated.
After you change PDMODE and PDSIZE, the appearance of existing points
changes the next time AutoCAD regenerates the drawing.

POLYGON
Creates an equilateral closed polyline
A polygon is a polyline object. AutoCAD draws polylines with zero width and
no tangent information. You can use the PEDIT command to change these
values.
Draw toolbar:
Draw menu: Polygon
Command line: polygon
polygons
Enter number of sides <current>: Enter a value between 3 and 1024 or press
ENTER
Specify center of polygon or [Edge]: Specify a point (1) or enter e

754 | POLYGON
 Center of Polygon
Defines the center of the polygon.
Enter an option [Inscribed in circle/Circumscribed about circle] <current>: Enter
i or c or press ENTER

Inscribed in Circle Specifies the radius of a circle on which all vertices of

the polygon lie.
1
Specify radius of circle: Specify a point (2) or enter a value
2
Specifying the radius with your pointing device
determines the rotation and size of the polygon.
radius
Specifying the radius with a value draws the bottom
edge of the polygon at the current snap rotation angle.
Circumscribed Specifies the distance from the center of the polygon to
1 about Circle the midpoints of the edges of the polygon.
Specify radius of circle: Specify a distance
2
Specifying the radius with your pointing device
radius determines the rotation and size of the polygon.
Specifying the radius with a value draws the bottom
edge of the polygon at the current snap rotation angle.

Edge
1 Defines a polygon by specifying the endpoints of the first edge.
edge Specify first endpoint of edge: Specify a point (1)
2
Specify second endpoint of edge: Specify a point (2)

PREVIEW
Shows how the drawing will look when it is plotted
PREVIEW displays a full-page preview of the current drawing. The preview is
based on the current plot configuration, as defined by the settings in the Page
Setup or Plot dialog box.

Standard toolbar:
File menu: Plot Preview
Command line: preview

PREVIEW | 755
 Press ESC or ENTER to exit, or right-click in the preview area to access the Pre-
view shortcut menu, which offers additional preview options.
AutoCAD displays the preview, and the cursor changes to a magnifying glass
with plus (+) and minus () signs. Dragging the cursor toward the top of the
screen while holding down the pick button enlarges the preview image.
Dragging toward the bottom of the screen reduces the preview image.
The Preview window toolbar provides the following buttons:
Plot Plots the drawing as it is displayed in the full-sheet
preview, and then exits Plot Preview.
Pan Displays the pan cursor, a hand cursor that you can use
to pan the preview image. Hold down the pick button
and drag the cursor in any direction. The pan cursor
stays active until you click another button.
Zoom Displays the zoom cursor, a magnifying-glass cursor
that you can use to enlarge or reduce the preview
image. To enlarge the image, hold down the pick
button and drag the cursor toward the top of the screen.
To reduce the image, hold down the pick button and
drag the cursor toward the bottom of the screen.
Zoom Window Zooms to display a specified window. Zoom Window
works with both the zoom cursor and the pan cursor.
Zoom Original Restores the initial full-sheet preview. Zoom Original
works with both the zoom cursor and the pan cursor.
Close Preview Closes the Preview window.
Window
Preview Shortcut Menu
Controls Plot Preview options. To access this menu, right-click in the preview
area.
Exit Exits the preview.
Plot Plots the drawing as it is displayed in the full-sheet
preview, and then exits Plot Preview.
Pan Displays the pan cursor, a hand cursor that you can use
to pan the preview image. Hold down the pick button
and drag the cursor in any direction. The pan cursor
stays active until you click another option on the
shortcut menu.

756 | PREVIEW
 Zoom Displays the zoom cursor, a magnifying-glass cursor
that you can use to enlarge or reduce the preview
image. To enlarge the image, hold down the pick
zoom cursor
button and drag the cursor toward the top of the screen.
To reduce the image, hold down the pick button and
drag the cursor toward the bottom of the screen.
pan cursor Zoom Window Zooms to display a specified window. Zoom Window
works with both the zoom cursor and the pan cursor.
Zoom Original Restores the initial full-sheet preview. Zoom Original
works with both the zoom cursor and the pan cursor.

PROPERTIES
Controls properties of existing objects

Standard toolbar:
Tools menu: Properties
Shortcut menu: Select the objects whose properties you want to view or
modify, right-click in the drawing area, and choose Properties. Alternatively,
you can double-click most objects to display the Properties palette.
Command line: properties

The Properties palette is displayed. The Properties palette lists properties of

the selected object or set of objects.
You can also view or modify properties of third-party application objects that
are based on AutoCAD Application Programming Interface (API) standards.
For more information about using the Properties palette, see Display and
Change the Properties of Objects in the Users Guide.
There are eight general properties common to all objects. (See General Prop-
erties of Objects on page 759.) All other object properties are specific to the
type of AutoCAD object, and are described in the following sections.

PROPERTIES | 757
 Properties Palette
list of selected objects

Quick Select button

Select Objects button

toggle value of PICKADD
Sysvar button

list of object displays a Pick Point button

properties

description of
selected property

Displays the properties of the selected object or set of objects. You can specify
a new value to modify any property that can be changed.

When more than one object is selected, the Properties palette displays
only those properties common to all objects in the selection set.
When no objects are selected, the Properties palette displays only the gen-
eral properties of the current layer and layout, the name of the plot style
table attached to the layer, the view properties, and information about the
UCS.

Object Type Displays the type of object that is selected.

Toggle Value of Turns the PICKADD system variable on (1) and off (0).
PICKADD Sysvar When PICKADD is on, each object selected, either
individually or by windowing, is added to the current
selection set. When PICKADD is off, selected objects
replace the current selection set.

758 | PROPERTIES
Select Objects Selects desired objects using any selection method. The
properties common to the selected objects are displayed
in the Properties palette. You can then modify the
properties of the selected objects in the Properties
palette, or you can make other changes to the selected
objects by entering an editing command.
Quick Select Displays the Quick Select dialog box (see page 785). Use
Quick Select to create selection sets based on filtering
criteria.
The following shortcut menu options are available when you right-click the
title bar.
Move Displays a four-headed arrow cursor that you can use to
move the palette. The palette does not dock.
Size Displays a four-headed arrow cursor that you can use to
drag an edge or a corner to make the palette smaller or
larger.
Close Closes the Properties palette.
Allow Docking Controls whether the Properties palette docks when
you drag it over a docking area at the side of the
drawing.
Auto-hide Controls display of the Properties palette. When this
option is checked, only the palette title bar is displayed
when the cursor moves outside the palette. When this
option is not checked, the full palette is displayed when
the cursor moves.
Description Controls display of the description area at the bottom
of the Properties palette. When this option is checked,
descriptions are displayed. When this option is not
checked, the description area is not displayed.

General Properties of Objects

The following general properties are common to most AutoCAD objects and
custom objects (third-party application objects based on AutoCAD API
standards).

PROPERTIES | 759
 Color Specifies the color for objects. Selecting Select Color in
the color list displays the Select Color dialog box (see
COLOR).

You can use the Select Color dialog box to define the
color of objects by selecting from the 255 AutoCAD
Color Index (ACI) colors, true colors, and color book
colors.
Layer Specifies the current layer of the object. The list shows
all layers in current drawing (see LAYER).
Linetype Specifies the current linetype of the object. The list
shows all linetypes in the current drawing (see
LINETYPE).

Linetype Scale Specifies the linetype scale factor of the object (see
linetype samples LTSCALE).

Plot Style Lists NORMAL, BYLAYER, BYBLOCK, plus any plot styles
contained in the current plot style table (see
PLOTSTYLE).

Lineweight Specifies the lineweight of the object. The list shows all
available lineweights in the current drawing (see
LWEIGHT).

Hyperlink Attaches a hyperlink to a graphical object. If a

description has been assigned to the hyperlink, the
description is displayed. If no description has been
assigned, the URL is displayed (see HYPERLINK).
Thickness Sets the current 3D thickness. This property does not
apply to all objects (see CHPROP).

thickness samples
Commands CHPROP changes an existing objects color, layer, line-
type, and thickness. COLOR sets the color of new
objects. LAYER controls layer settings. LINETYPE loads,
sets, and creates linetypes. ELEV sets elevation and
extrusion thickness of new objects. STYLE creates text
styles and changes existing text style settings.

760 | PROPERTIES
System Variables CECOLOR sets the color of new objects. CELTSCALE sets
the linetype scale factor for new objects. CELTYPE sets
the linetype for new objects. CLAYER sets the current
layer. ELEVATION stores the current 3D elevation.
PALETTE-TRANSPARENCY controls the transparency of
palettes. THICKNESS sets the current 3D thickness.

Cell Border Properties Dialog Box

Sets the properties of the borders of table cells.
Border Properties
Controls the properties of the borders of the selected table cells.
Lineweight Sets the lineweight to be used for borders that are
displayed. If you use a heavy lineweight, you may have
to change the cell margins.
Color Sets the color to be used for borders that are displayed.
You can choose Select Color to display the Select Color
dialog box (see page 172).
Apply To
Specifies which borders of the selected table cell have the Border Properties
settings applied.
All Applies the border properties settings to all borders of
the selected table cells.
Outside Applies the border properties settings to the outside
borders of the selected table cells.
Inside Applies the border properties settings to the inside
borders of the selected table cells.
No Applies the border properties settings to none of the
borders of the selected table cells.
Preview
Displays the results of the current settings. Click a gridline in the preview to
apply properties to it.

PROPERTIES | 761
PROPERTIESCLOSE
Closes the Properties palette
Command line: propertiesclose

AutoCAD closes the Properties palette.

PSETUPIN
Imports a user-defined page setup into a new drawing layout
Provides the ability to import a saved, named page setup from one drawing
into another. The settings that are saved in the named page setup can be
applied to layouts in the new drawing.
Command line: psetupin

AutoCAD displays the Select Page Setup From File dialog box (a standard file
selection dialog box), in which you can select the drawing (.dwg), template
(.dwt), or drawing interchange format (.dxf) file whose page setups you want
to import.
If FILEDIA is set to 0 (zero) and you enter -psetupin at the Command prompt,
PSETUPIN displays prompts on the command line (see page 762).

When you select the drawing file that you want to use, the Import Page Set-
ups dialog box is displayed.

PSETUPIN Command Line

If you enter -psetupin at the Command prompt, PSETUPIN displays prompts
on the command line.
Enter file name:
Enter user defined page setup to import or [?]:

PSPACE
Switches from a model space viewport to paper space
Command line: pspace

AutoCAD switches from model space to paper space when you are working
on a layout tab.

762 | PROPERTIESCLOSE
 paper space model space

On the layout tab, use paper space to create a finished layout of a drawing for
printing. As part of designing your layout, you create layout viewports,
which are windows containing different views of the model. By switching
from paper space to model space (see MSPACE), you can edit the model and
views within the current layout viewport.
You can make a viewport current by double-clicking inside it. You can switch
to paper space by double-clicking an area of the paper space layout that is not
within a viewport.
You can also switch between model space and paper space by choosing
Model or Paper on the status bar.

PUBLISH
Publishes drawings to DWF files or plotters

Standard toolbar:
File menu: Publish
Command line: publish

The Publish dialog box is displayed. Click Publish to begin publishing the
current drawing sheets to either a DWF file or a plotting device.
To display information about the published sheets, click the Plotting Details
Report Available icon in the tray on the right side of the status bar. Clicking
this icon opens the Plot and Publish Details dialog box, which provides infor-
mation about your completed plot and publish jobs. This information is also
saved to the Plot and Publish log file. The shortcut menu for this icon also
provides an option to view the most recently published DWF file.
If you enter -publish at the Command prompt, PUBLISH displays prompts on
the command line.
If you enter +publish on the command line, you can select an existing Draw-
ing Set Descriptions (DSD) file from the Select List of Sheets dialog box (a
standard file selection dialog box). The Publish dialog box opens and displays
the drawing set saved in the DSD file under Sheets to Publish.

PUBLISH | 763
 Publish Dialog Box
Specifies drawing sheets that you can assemble, reorder, rename, copy, and
save for publishing as a multisheet drawing set. You can publish the drawing
set to a DWF file or send it to the plotter named in the page setup for hard-
copy output or as a plot file. You can save this list of drawing sheets as a DSD
(Drawing Set Descriptions) file. Saved drawing sets can replace or be
appended to the current list for republishing.

Sheets to Publish
Contains the list of drawing sheets to be included for publishing.
Sheet Name Combines the drawing name and the layout name with
a dash (-). Includes the Model tab only if the Include
Model When Adding Sheets option is selected. You can
copy sheets by clicking Copy Selected Sheets on the
shortcut menu. You can change the name shown in
Sheet Name by clicking Rename Sheet on the shortcut
menu. Drawing sheet names must be unique within a
single DWF file. The shortcut menu also provides an
option for removing all the sheets from the list.

764 | PUBLISH
Page Setup Displays the named page setup for the sheet. You can
change the page setup by clicking the page setup name
and selecting another page setup from the list. Only
Model tab page setups can be applied to Model tab
sheets, and only paper space page setups can be applied
to paper space layouts. Select Import to import page
setups from another DWG file through the Import Page
Setups for Publishing dialog box (a standard file
selection dialog box).
Status Displays the status of the sheet when it is loaded to the
list of sheets.

Preview
Displays the drawing as it will appear when plotted on paper by executing
the PREVIEW command. To exit the print preview and return to the Plot
dialog box, press ESC, press ENTER, or right-click and then click Exit on the
shortcut menu.

Add Sheets
Displays the Select Drawings dialog box (a standard file selection dialog box),
in which you can select drawings to add to the list of drawing sheets. The lay-
out names from those files are extracted, and one sheet is added to the list of
drawing sheets for each layout and model.
The initial drawing sheet names are constructed from the base drawing name
and the layout name or the word Model separated by a dash (-).

Remove Sheets
Deletes the selected drawing sheets from the list of sheets.

Move Sheet Up
Moves the selected drawing sheets up one position in the list.

Move Sheet Down

Moves the selected drawing sheets down one position in the list.

Load Sheet List

Displays the Load Sheet List dialog box (a standard file selection dialog box),
in which you can select a DSD file or a BP3 (Batch Plot) file to load. Displays
the Replace or Append dialog box if a list of drawing sheets is present in the
Publish Drawing Sheets dialog box. You can either replace the existing list of
drawing sheets with the new sheets or append the new sheets to the current
list.

PUBLISH | 765
 Save Sheet List
Displays the Save List As dialog box (a standard file selection dialog box), in
which you can save the current list of drawings as a DSD file. DSD files are
used to describe lists of drawing files and selected lists of layouts within those
drawing files.

Plot Stamp Settings

Displays the Plot Stamp dialog box (see page 727), in which you can specify
the information, such as drawing name and plot scale, that you want applied
to the plot stamp.

Include Plot Stamp

Places a plot stamp on a specified corner of each drawing and logs it to a file.
The plot stamp data is specified in the Plot Stamp dialog box.

Send the Sheets to the Plotter in Reverse Order

When turned on, specifies that the sheets listed in the Sheets to Publish list
are sent to the plotter in reverse order when you select Plotter Named in Page
Setup and then Publish. The last sheet in the list plots first, and the first sheet
in the list plots last.

Number of Copies
Specifies the number of copies to publish. If the Publish to DWF option is
selected, the Number of Copies setting defaults to 1 and cannot be changed.
If a sheets page setup specifies to plot to file, then the number set in this
option is ignored and a single plot file is created.

Publish To
Defines how to publish the list of sheets. You can publish to either a multi-
sheet DWF file (an electronic drawing set) or to the plotter specified in the
page setup (a paper drawing set or a set of plot files).
Plotter Named in Indicates that the output devices given for each
Page Setups drawing sheet in the page setups will be used.
DWF file Indicates that the list of sheets will be published as a
DWF file.

766 | PUBLISH
Include When Adding Sheets
Specifies whether the model and layouts contained in a drawing are added to
the sheet list when you add sheets. At least one option must be selected.
Model Tab Specifies whether the model is included when drawing
sheets are added.
Layout Tabs Specifies whether all layouts are included when
drawing sheets are added.

Publish Options
Opens the Publish Options dialog box, in which you can specify options for
publishing.

Show Details
Displays the Selected Sheet Information and Selected Page Setup Information
areas.
Selected Sheet Displays the following information about the selected
Information sheet: source drawing, drawing location, and layout
name.
Selected Page Displays the following information about the selected
Setup page setup: plot device, plot size, plot scale, and details.
Information

Hide Details
Hides the Selected Sheet Information and Selected Page Setup Information
areas.

Publish
Begins the publishing operation. Creates one or more single-sheet DWF files
or a single multisheet DWF file, or plots to a device or file, depending on the
option selected in the Publish To area and the options selected in the Publish
Options dialog box.
To display information about the published drawing set, including any errors
or warnings, click the Plotting Details Report Available icon in the status tray
on the right side of the status bar. Clicking this icon displays the Plot and
Publish Details dialog box, which provides information about your com-
pleted plot and publish jobs. This information is also saved to the Plot and
Publish log file. The shortcut menu for this icon also provides an option to
view the most recently published DWF file.

PUBLISH | 767
 Publish Options Dialog Box
Specifies options for publishing.

Current User or Current Sheet Set

Displays the name of the current user or the current sheet set. When the
name of the current user is shown, changes made in the dialog box are saved
in the current users profile. When the name of the current sheet set is
shown, changes made in the dialog box are saved with the sheet set.

Default Output Directory (DWF and Plot-to-File)

Specifies where DWF and plot files are saved when you publish drawing
sheets.
Publish Locally Saves your output to the specified local or network
location.
Name Field Specifies the name and location for DWF and plot files.
(unlabeled)
[...] Allows you to specify a different default location for
DWFs and plot files.
Publish Directly Specifies that your output is directly sent to the
to Buzzsaw specified Autodesk Buzzsaw location.
Name Field Lists locations on Buzzsaw and Buzzsaw locations in the
(unlabeled) sheet set that youve added through the Add a New
Buzzsaw Location dialog box. The only Buzzsaw
locations displayed are those associated with the
current sheet set.
You can add a new Buzzsaw location by clicking the [...]
button, and then, in the Add a New Buzzsaw Location
dialog box, enter the location information and click
OK.
[...] Opens the Add a New Buzzsaw Location dialog box.

DWF Type
Specifies whether single sheet DWFs or a single multisheet DWF is created.
Single-Sheet Specifies that a single DWF file is generated for each
DWF sheet listed in the Publish dialog box.
Multi-Sheet DWF Specifies that a single multisheet DWF file is generated
that contains all the sheets listed in the Publish dialog
box.

768 | PUBLISH
Multi-Sheet DWF Creation
Specifies options for creating multisheet DWFs.
Specify Name Specifies that the name and location in the name field
are applied to the multisheet DWF file.
Name Field Specifies the name and location to apply to the
(unlabeled) multisheet DWF file. You can click the [...] button to
specify a different location and file name.
Prompt for Name Indicates that you will be prompted for a name and
location for published multisheet DWF files.

DWF Security
Specifies options for protecting DWF files with passwords.
Password Protect Specifies that published DWF files have a password
Published DWF applied to them. A recipient of a DWF file that has a
password applied to it must have the password to open
the DWF file.
Specify Password Specifies that the password in the password field is
applied to the DWF file.
Password Field Specifies the password to apply to the DWF file. DWF
(unlabeled) passwords are case sensitive. The password or phrase
can be made up of letters, numbers, punctuation, or
non-ASCII characters.
Note If you lose or forget the password, it cannot be
recovered. Keep a list of passwords and their
corresponding DWF file names in a safe place.
Prompt for Specifies that the DWF Password dialog box is displayed
Password when you click Publish.

DWF Data
Lists and allows you to specify the data that can optionally be included in the
DWF file.

Save DSD Settings to Dialog

Saves changes to the settings in the Publish Options dialog box to the dialog
box and to the DSD file. If this box is cleared, any changes to the settings in
the Publish Options dialog box are saved to the DSD file only.

PUBLISH | 769
 Changes to a Printer Configuration File Dialog
Box (Publish)
Notifies you that you have made changes to an existing plotter configuration
(PC3) file. You can cancel your changes, click OK to apply the changes for the
current publish operation only, or save the changes to the DWF PC3 file.
Apply Changes Uses the changes youve made to the PC3 file in the
for the Current current publish operation but does not save them to the
Publish PC3 file.
Operation Only
Save Changes to Specifies that the changes you made in the Plotter
the DWF PC3 File Configuration Editor are saved to the DWF PC3 file.

DWF Password Dialog Box

Specifies the password to apply to the DWF file. DWF passwords are case
sensitive. The password or phrase can be made up of letters, numbers, punc-
tuation, or non-ASCII characters.

Warning! If you lose or forget the password, it cannot be recovered. Keep a

list of passwords and their corresponding DWF file names in a safe place.

When you enter a password and click OK, the Confirm DWF Password dialog
box is displayed.

Confirm DWF Password Dialog Box

Provides a space to confirm the password that you entered in the DWF Pass-
word dialog box. If the two passwords do not match, you must click Publish
again to re-enter the correct password.

Publish Job Progress Dialog Box

Displays information about the status and progress of your publish job if
background publishing is turned off in the Options dialog box, Plot and
Publish tab.
Cancel Sheet Cancels publishing of the sheet currently being
processed.
Cancel Job Cancels the publish job.

770 | PUBLISH
PUBLISH Command Line
Command line: -publish

If you enter -publish at the Command prompt, -PUBLISH displays prompts on

the command line.
The -publish command provides a scriptable interface for publishing drawing
sheets. It also provides a simplified method for regenerating DWF files or
plotted output from existing DSD files.
With the FILEDIA system variable set to 1, enter -publish at the Command
prompt. The Select List of Sheets dialog box is displayed. Select the DSD file
that you want to republish.
With the FILEDIA system variable set to 0 (or if you are running a script or
other automation), enter -publish at the Command prompt. The following
prompt is displayed:
Enter name of sheet list <path file name.dsd>: Press ENTER for the current drawing
or enter the sheet list name.

Note The bracketed text <DSD file name> contains the name of the DSD file
used when this command was last run. The bracketed text area is blank if no
previous name exists. If you enter a tilde (~) for the file name, the standard file
selection dialog box is displayed regardless of the FILEDEA setting.

The file name is validated and the list of sheets is loaded.

When -PLOT, PLOT, -PUBLISH, and PUBLISH are used in a script (SCR file), the
BACKGROUNDPLOT system variable value is ignored, and -PLOT, PLOT,
-PUBLISH, and PUBLISH are processed in the foreground.
Once the publish job starts, each drawing sheet name is listed along with an
appropriate message. Drawing sheets not found or not initialized are indi-
cated with an error message.
When the publish job is complete, the details can be viewed in the Plot and
Publish Details dialog box.
A log file is written during the publish operation. The log file contains the
drawing sheet name, layout name, full drawing name, path name, and status.
The log file name is derived from the name of the sheet list file with CSV
replacing the DSD file extension.

PUBLISH | 771
 Note Any existing log file is overwritten by a new log file without any warning
message being displayed.

PUBLISHTOWEB
Creates HTML pages that include images of selected drawings
File menu: Publish to Web
Command line: publishtoweb

The Publish to Web wizard is displayed.

Publish to Web Wizard

Creates a formatted HTML page. You can choose from a number of different
formatting options that control the layout of your completed HTML page.
After creating an HTML page, you can use the wizard to publish the page to
an Internet or intranet location.
You can also use the wizard to modify existing HTML pages that were created
using the PUBLISHTOWEB command.
You can customize the template you use for your web page. For information
about customizing templates, see Customize a Publish to Web Template in
the Customization Guide.

772 | PUBLISHTOWEB
PURGE
Removes unused named items, such as block definitions and layers, from the drawing
File menu: Drawing Utilities Purge
Command line: purge

The Purge dialog box is displayed.

If you enter -purge at the Command prompt, PURGE displays prompts on the
command line (see page 775).

Purge Dialog Box

Displays items that can be purged.

PURGE | 773
 View Items You Can Purge
Switches the tree view to display a summary of named objects in the current
drawing that you can purge.
Items Not Used in Lists the named objects that are not used in the current
Drawing drawing and that can be purged. You can list the items
for any object type by clicking the plus sign or by
double-clicking the object type. You purge items by
selecting the item to purge.
Purge Nested Items removes items only when you select

All Items or Blocks in the tree view

The Purge All button

Confirm Each Displays the Confirm Purge dialog box when you purge
Item to Be an item.
Purged
Purge Nested Removes all unused named objects from the drawing
Items even if they are contained within or referenced by other
unused named objects. The Confirm Purge dialog box
is displayed, and you can cancel or confirm the items to
be purged.

View Items You Cannot Purge

Switches the tree view to display a summary of named objects in the current
drawing that you cant purge.
Items Currently Lists named objects that cannot be removed from the
Used in Drawing drawing. Most of these objects are currently used in the
drawing or are default items that cannot be removed.
When you select individual named objects,
information about why you cant purge the item is
displayed below the tree view.

774 | PURGE
PURGE Command Line
If you enter -purge at the Command prompt, -PURGE displays prompts on
the command line.
Enter type of unused objects to purge [Blocks/Dimstyles/LAyers/LTypes/
Plotstyles/SHapes/textSTyles/Mlinestyles/Tablestyles/Regapps/All]: Enter an
object type, enter r to purge unused applications, or enter a to purge all named object
types but not applications
Enter name(s) to purge <*>: Enter one or more names, or press ENTER to purge
all items
Verify each name to be purged? [Yes / No]: Enter y to verify each object that is
to be purged, or enter n to purge the objects without any verification

-PURGE removes only one level of reference. Repeat -PURGE until there are no
unreferenced named objects. You can use PURGE or -PURGE at any time dur-
ing a drawing session.

PURGE | 775
776
QDIM
Quickly creates a dimension

Dimension toolbar:
Dimension menu: Quick Dimension
Command line: qdim

Use QDIM to quickly create or edit a series of dimensions. The command is

particularly useful for creating a series of baseline or continued dimensions,
or for dimensioning a series of circles and arcs.
Select geometry to dimension: Select the objects you want to dimension or the
dimensions you want to edit and press ENTER
Specify dimension line position, or [Continuous/Staggered/Baseline/Ordinate/
Radius/Diameter/datumPoint/Edit/seTtings] <current>: Enter an option or press
ENTER

Continuous Creates a series of continued dimensions.

Staggered Creates a series of staggered dimensions.
Baseline Creates a series of baseline dimensions.
Ordinate Creates a series of ordinate dimensions.
Radius Creates a series of radius dimensions.
Diameter Creates a series of diameter dimensions.
Datum Point Sets a new datum point for baseline and ordinate
dimensions.
Select new datum point: Specify a point

AutoCAD returns to the previous prompt.

Edit Edits a series of dimensions. AutoCAD prompts you to
add or remove points from existing dimensions.
Indicate dimension point to remove, or [Add/eXit]
<eXit>: Specify a point, enter a, or press ENTER to return
to the previous prompt

QDIM | 777
 Settings Sets the default object snap for specifying extension
line origins. The following prompt is displayed:
Associative dimension priority [Endpoint/Intersection]

AutoCAD returns to the previous prompt.

QLEADER
Creates a leader and leader annotation

Dimension toolbar:
Dimension menu: Leader
Command line: qleader

Use QLEADER to quickly create leaders and leader annotation. You can use the
Leader Settings dialog box (see page 780) to customize the command so that
it prompts you for the number of leader points and the annotation type
suited to your drawing needs. You can use QLEADER to

Specify leader annotation and annotation format

Set the location where leaders attach to multiline text annotation
Limit the number of leader points
Constrain the angle of the first and second leader segments

If associative dimensioning is turned on with DIMASSOC, the leader start

point can be associated with a location on an object. If the object is relocated,
the arrowhead remains attached to the object and the leader line stretches,
but the text or feature control frame remains in place.
Specify first leader point, or [Settings] <Settings>: Specify the first leader point,
or press ENTER to specify leader settings

First Leader Point

Specify next point: Specify the next leader point
Specify next point: Specify the next leader point, or press ENTER to specify the
leader annotation

The Number of Points setting on the Leader Line & Arrow tab of the Leader
Settings dialog box determines the number of leader points AutoCAD
prompts you to specify.

778 | QLEADER
The prompt that is displayed next depends on settings selected on the Anno-
tation tab in the Leader Settings dialog box.
If Mtext and Prompt for Width are selected on the Annotation tab, AutoCAD
displays the following prompts:
Specify the width <current>: Specify the multiline text width by creating a text
boundary or entering a value

If you set the text width value to 0.00, the width of the multiline text is
unlimited.
Enter first line of annotation text: Enter the first line of text

Press ENTER once to enter another line of text, or press ENTER again to com-
plete the command.
If Copy an Object is selected on the Annotation tab, AutoCAD displays the
following prompt:
Select an object to copy: Select a text object, block reference, or tolerance object
(feature control frame)

AutoCAD attaches the object to the leader.

If Tolerance is selected on the Annotation tab, AutoCAD displays the Geo-
metric Tolerance dialog box (see page 1008). Use the dialog box to create the
tolerance feature control frame. When you choose OK, AutoCAD attaches
the feature control frame to the leader.
If Block Reference is selected on the Annotation tab, AutoCAD displays the
following prompts:
Enter block name or [?]: Enter the name, or enter ? to display a list of blocks
defined in the drawing
Specify insertion point or [Scale/X/Y/X/Rotate/PScale/PX/PY/PZ/PRotate]:
Specify the block insertion point or enter an option

For a description of the insertion options, see -INSERT.

If None is selected on the Annotation tab, no annotation prompts are
displayed.

QLEADER | 779
 Settings
Displays the Leader Settings dialog box.

Leader Settings Dialog Box

Customizes the QLEADER command and sets leader and annotation format.

Annotation Tab (Leader Settings Dialog Box)

Sets the leader annotation type, specifies multiline text options, and indi-
cates whether you want to reuse the annotation.

Annotation Type
Sets the leader annotation type. The type you select changes the QLEADER
leader annotation prompt.
MText Prompts you to create multiline text (mtext)
annotation.
Copy an Object Prompts you to copy a multiline text, single-line text,
tolerance, or block reference object.
Tolerance Displays the Tolerance dialog box, which you can use to
create a feature control frame to attach to the leader.
Block Reference Prompts you to insert a block reference.
None Creates a leader with no annotation.
MText Options
Sets multiline text options. The options are available only when the multi-
line text annotation type is selected.

780 | QLEADER
Prompt for Width Prompts you to specify the width of the multiline text
annotation.
Always Left Justify Left-justifies the multiline text annotation, regardless
of leader location.
Frame Text Places a frame around multiline text annotation.
Annotation Reuse
Sets options for reusing leader annotation.
None Does not reuse leader annotation.
Reuse Next Reuses the next annotation you create for all
subsequent leaders.
Reuse Current Reuses current annotation. AutoCAD automatically
selects this option when you reuse annotation after
selecting Reuse Next.

Leader Line & Arrow Tab (Leader Settings Dialog Box)

Sets the leader line and arrowhead format.

Leader Line
Sets the leader line format.
Straight Creates straight-line segments between the points you
specify.
Spline Creates a spline object using the leader points you
specify as control points.

QLEADER | 781
 Arrowhead
Defines the leader arrowhead. Select an arrowhead from the Arrowhead list.
The arrowheads are the same ones that are available for dimension lines. See
DIMSTYLE. If you choose User Arrow, a list of blocks in the drawing is dis-
played. Select one of the blocks to use it as a leader arrowhead.
Number of Points
Sets the number of leader points that QLEADER prompts you to specify before
prompting for the leader annotation. For example, if you set the points to 3,
QLEADER automatically prompts you to specify the annotation after you
specify two leader points. Set the number to one more than the number of
leader segments you want to create. If you set the option to No Limit,
QLEADER prompts for leader points until you press ENTER .

Angle Constraints
Sets angle constraints for the first and second leader lines.
First Segment Sets the angle of the first leader segment.
Second Segment Sets the angle of the second leader segment.

Attachment Tab (Leader Settings Dialog Box)

Sets the attachment location for leader lines and multiline text annotation.
This tab is available only when Mtext is selected on the Annotation tab.

Top of Top Line Attaches the leader line at the top of the top multiline
text line.

782 | QLEADER
 Middle of Top Attaches the leader line at the middle of the top
Line multiline text line.
Middle of Attaches the leader line at the middle of the multiline
Multiline Text text.
Middle of Bottom Attaches the leader line at the middle of the bottom
Line multiline text line.
Bottom of Attaches the leader line at the bottom of the bottom
Bottom Line multiline text line.
Underline Underlines the bottom multiline text line.
Bottom Line

QNEW
Starts a new drawing with the option of using a default drawing template file

Standard toolbar:
Command line: qnew

QNEW starts a new drawing from the current default drawing template file
and folder path specified in the Options dialog box on the Files tab. You can
set the default drawing template file to any drawing template file or to None.
When a default drawing template file is set to None or is not specified, QNEW
displays the Select Template File dialog box (a standard file selection dialog
box).
The behavior of the QNEW command is determined by the Startup setting on
the System tab of the Options dialog box.

Show the Startup Dialog Box: Displays the Create New Drawing dialog box.
Do Not Show the Startup Dialog Box: Displays the Select Template dialog box
(a standard file selection dialog box) or starts the new drawing using the
default drawing template file.

If the system variable, FILEDIA, is set to 0 instead of 1, a prompt on the com-

mand line is displayed (see page 602). If you set FILEDIA to 0, this prompt is
displayed regardless of the Startup setting.

QNEW | 783
QSAVE
Saves the current drawing using the file format specified in the Options dialog box

Standard toolbar:
File menu: Save
Command line: qsave

The QSAVE command is equivalent to clicking Save on the File menu.

If the drawing is named, AutoCAD saves the drawing using the file format
specified on the Open and Save tab of the Options dialog box and does not
request a file name. If the drawing is unnamed, AutoCAD displays the Save
Drawing As dialog box (see SAVEAS) and saves the drawing with the file name
and format you specify.
If the drawing is read-only, use the SAVEAS command to save the changed file
under a different name.

QSELECT
Creates a selection set based on filtering criteria
QSELECT creates a selection set that either includes or excludes all objects
matching the filtering criteria you specify. QSELECT can apply to the entire
drawing or to an existing selection set. The selection set created by QSELECT
replaces or is appended to the current selection set. If you have partially
opened the current drawing, QSELECT does not consider objects that you
have not loaded. For more advanced filtering operations, see FILTER.

Note QSELECT supports custom objects (created by another application) and

their properties. If a custom object uses properties other than AutoCAD proper-
ties, the custom object's source application must be running in order for the
properties to be available to QSELECT.

In addition to the following access methods, you can also access QSELECT by
choosing the Quick Select button in the Properties palette (see page 758).
Tools menu: Quick Select
Shortcut menu: End any active commands, right-click in the drawing area,
and choose Quick Select.
Command line: qselect

784 | QSAVE
The Quick Select dialog box is displayed.

Quick Select Dialog Box

Specifies the filtering criteria and how you want AutoCAD to create the selec-
tion set from that criteria.

Apply To Applies the filtering criteria to the entire drawing or to

the current selection set (if one exists). To select a group
of objects to which you want to apply the filtering
criteria, use the Select Objects button. When you have
finished selecting objects, press ENTER to redisplay the
dialog box. AutoCAD sets Apply To to Current
Selection.
If Append to Current Selection Set is selected, AutoCAD
applies the filtering criteria to the entire drawing.

QSELECT | 785
 Select Objects Temporarily closes the Quick Select dialog box so that
you can select the objects to which you want to apply
the filter criteria. Press ENTER to return to the Quick
Select dialog box. AutoCAD changes the Apply To box
to show Current Selection. The Select Objects button is
available only when you select Include In New
Selection Set and clear Append to Current Selection Set.
Object Type Specifies the type of objects to include in the filtering
criteria. If the filtering criteria are being applied to the
entire drawing, the Object Type list includes all object
types, including custom. Otherwise, the list includes
only the object types of the selected objects.
If an application such as Autodesk Map was used to add
a feature classification to an object, you can select a
classification.
Properties Specifies the object property for the filter. This list
includes all searchable properties for the selected object
type. The property you select determines the options
available in Operator and Value.
If an application such as Autodesk Map was used to add
a feature classification to an object, you can select a
classification property.
Operator Controls the range of the filter. Depending on the
selected property, options may include Equals, Not
Equal To, Greater Than, Less Than, and *Wildcard
Match. Greater Than and Less Than are not available
for some properties. *Wildcard Match is available only
for text fields that can be edited. For information about
the available wild-card characters, see the table in
Filter and Sort the List of Layers in the Users Guide.
Value Specifies the property value for the filter. If known
values for the selected property are available, Value
becomes a list in which you can choose a value.
Otherwise, enter a value.

786 | QSELECT
 How to Apply Specifies whether you want the new selection set to
include or exclude objects that match the specified
filtering criteria. Choose Include in New Selection Set to
create a new selection set composed only of objects that
match the filtering criteria. Choose Exclude from New
Selection Set to create a new selection set composed
only of objects that do not match the filtering criteria.
Append to Specifies whether the selection set created by QSELECT
Current Selection replaces or is appended to the current selection set.
Set

Note QSELECT supports custom objects (objects created by another applica-

tion) and their properties. If a custom object uses properties other than AutoCAD
properties, the custom objects source application must be running in order for
the properties to be available to QSELECT.

QTEXT
Controls the display and plotting of text and attribute objects
When QTEXT (Quick Text) is on, AutoCAD displays each text and attribute
object as a bounding box around the text object. Turning QTEXT mode on
reduces the time it takes AutoCAD to redraw and regenerate drawings that
contain many text objects.
Command line: qtext (or 'qtext for transparent use)

Enter mode [ON/OFF] <current>: Enter on or off, or press ENTER

QTEXT off QTEXT on

QTEXT | 787
QUIT
Exits AutoCAD
File menu: Exit
Command line: quit

Quits AutoCAD if there have been no changes since the drawing was last
saved. If the drawing has been modified, AutoCAD prompts you to save or
discard the changes before quitting.
You can quit a file that has been opened in read-only mode if you have made
no modifications or if you are willing to discard them. To save modifications
to a read-only drawing, use the SAVEAS command to save the drawing under
another name.

788 | QUIT
 RAY
Creates a semi-infinite line
RAY creates semi-infinite lines commonly used as construction lines. A ray
has a finite starting point and extends to infinity.
Draw menu: Ray
Command line: ray

ray Specify start point: Specify a point (1)

Specify through point: Specify a point for the ray to pass through (2)

2 AutoCAD draws a ray and continues to prompt for through points so you
can create multiple rays. The ray is extended to the edge of the display in the
1
direction defined by the starting point and the through point. Press ENTER
to end the command.

RECOVER
Repairs a damaged drawing
If AutoCAD determines that a drawing youre opening is damaged based on
the drawings header information, OPEN automatically repairs it.
File menu: Drawing Utilities Recover
Command line: recover

In the Select File dialog box (a standard file selection dialog box), enter the
drawing file name or select the damaged drawing file. AutoCAD begins recov-
ery and displays the results in the text window.
When FILEDIA is set to 0 (zero), RECOVER displays the following prompt on
the command line.
Enter name of drawing file to recover:

RAY | 789
 Enter ~ (tilde) at the prompt to ignore FILEDIA and display the Recover Draw-
ing dialog box.

Note The RECOVER command performs recoveries or audit operations on DWG

files only. Performing a recover on a DXF file will only open the file.

RECTANG
Draws a rectangular polyline
Draw toolbar:
Draw menu: Rectangle
Command line: rectang or rectangle

Specify first corner point or [Chamfer/Elevation/Fillet/Thickness/Width]: Enter

an option or specify a point

First Corner
2 Specifies a corner point of the rectangle.
Specify other corner point or [Dimensions]: Specify a point (2) or enter d
1
Other Corner Creates a rectangle using the specified points as
diagonally opposite corners. The sides of the rectangle
are parallel to the X and Y axis of the current UCS.
Dimensions Creates a rectangle using length and width values. A
second specified point locates the rectangle in one of
four locations relative to the first corner point.
Specify length for rectangles <0.0000> Enter the length
of the rectangle
Specify width for rectangles <0.0000> Enter the width of
the rectangle
Specify other corner point or [Dimensions] Specify a
point; move the cursor to display one of four possible loca-
tions for the rectangle and click the one that you want

790 | RECTANG
Chamfer
Sets the chamfer distances for the rectangle.
Specify first chamfer distance for rectangles <current>: Specify a distance or
press ENTER
Specify second chamfer distance for rectangles <current>: Specify a distance or
press ENTER

The values become the current chamfer distances for subsequent RECTANG
commands.

Elevation
Specifies the elevation of the rectangle.
Specify the elevation for rectangles <current>: Specify a distance or press ENTER

The value becomes the current elevation for subsequent RECTANG

commands.

Fillet
Specifies the fillet radius of the rectangle.
Specify fillet radius for rectangles <current>: Specify a distance or press ENTER

The value becomes the current fillet radius for subsequent RECTANG
commands.

Thickness
Specifies the thickness of the rectangle.
Specify thickness for rectangles <current>: Specify a distance or press ENTER

The value becomes the current thickness for subsequent RECTANG

commands.

RECTANG | 791
 Width
Specifies the polyline width of the rectangle to be drawn.
Specify line width for rectangles <current>: Specify a distance or press ENTER

The value becomes the current polyline width for subsequent RECTANG
commands.

REDEFINE
Restores AutoCAD internal commands overridden by UNDEFINE
Command line: redefine

Enter command name: Enter the name of an AutoCAD command turned off by
the UNDEFINE command

If a command has been undefined, you can still use it if you precede the com-
mand name with a period.

REDO
Reverses the effects of previous UNDO or U commands

Standard toolbar:
Edit menu: Redo
Shortcut menu: With no commands active and no objects selected, right-
click in the drawing area and choose Redo.
Command line: redo

REDO reverses the effects of a single UNDO or U command. REDO must

immediately follow the U or UNDO command.

REDRAW
Refreshes the display in the current viewport
Command line: redraw (or 'redraw for transparent use)

When BLIPMODE is on, marker blips left by editing commands are removed
from the current viewport.

792 | REDEFINE
 before REDRAW after REDRAW

REDRAWALL
Refreshes the display in all viewports
View menu: Redraw
Command line: redrawall (or 'redrawall for transparent use)

When BLIPMODE is on, marker blips left by editing commands are removed
from all viewports.

before REDRAWALL after REDRAWALL

REFCLOSE
Saves back or discards changes made during in-place editing of a reference (an xref or a
block)
REFCLOSE prompts you to save back or discard changes made to objects in an
external reference or block reference from within the current drawing. When
you save back changes, changes made to the objects in the reference are
saved without actually opening the reference drawing or re-creating the
block. You can also save and discard edits by using the options on the Modify
menu or the Refedit toolbar. The Refedit toolbar is activated after a reference
is selected for editing; the toolbar is dismissed after changes to the reference
are saved or discarded.

REDRAWALL | 793
 Modify menu: In-place Xref and Block Edit Save Reference Edits, or
In-place Xref and Block Edit Discard Reference Edits
Shortcut menu: With no objects selected during in-place reference editing,
right-click in the drawing area and choose Close Refedit Session.
Command line: refclose

Enter option [Save/Discard reference changes] <Save>:

Save Saves back to the xref source drawing or to the block

definition in the current drawing all changes made to
objects in the working set. If you remove an object from
the working set and save changes, the object is deleted
from the reference and added to the current drawing.
The Save Back Changes to Reference button on the
Refedit toolbar automatically saves reference editing
changes.
Discards the working set; the source drawing or block
Discard
definition is returned to its original state. Any changes
Reference
you make to objects in the current drawing (not in the
Changes
xref or block) are not discarded. If you delete any object
that is not in the working set, the object is not restored
even if you choose to discard changes. The Discard
Changes to Reference button on the Refedit toolbar
automatically discards reference editing changes
without using REFCLOSE.

If you save or discard changes with REFCLOSE, you can still use the UNDO
command to return to the reference editing session. If you have made
unwanted changes to an xref and already saved back the changes, use UNDO
to undo the unwanted changes; then use REFCLOSE to save back changes and
restore the xref to its original state.

Note When you edit and save xrefs in place in a drawing, the preview image
for the original reference drawing is no longer available unless you open and
save the drawing again.

794 | REFCLOSE
REFEDIT
Selects a reference for editing
REFEDIT prompts you to select an external reference or block reference to edit
from within the current drawing. You can make minor changes to xrefs and
blocks without having to open the reference drawing or explode and redefine
the block.

Refedit toolbar:
Modify menu: In-place Xref and Block Edit Edit Reference
Command line: refedit

Select reference: Select an xref or a block in the current drawing

AutoCAD displays the Reference Edit dialog box.

If you enter -refedit at the Command prompt, REFEDIT displays prompts on
the command line (see page 798).

Reference Edit Dialog Box

Specifies the reference to edit. To select a reference to edit, select an object in
the reference. If you select an object that is part of one or more nested refer-
ences, the nested references are displayed in the dialog box.

Identify Reference Tab (Reference Edit Dialog Box)

Provides visual aids for identifying the reference to edit and controls how the
reference is selected.

REFEDIT | 795
 Reference Name Displays the reference selected for in-place editing and
any references nested within the selected reference.
Nested references are displayed only if the selected
object is part of a nested reference. If multiple
references are displayed, choose a specific xref or block
to modify. Only one reference can be edited in place at
a time. References that are inserted into a drawing using
MINSERT cannot be selected for in-place reference
editing.
Preview Displays a preview image of the currently selected
reference.
The preview image displays the reference as it was last
saved in the drawing. The reference preview image is
not updated when changes are saved back to the
reference.
Path Displays the file location of the selected reference. If the
selected reference is a block, no path is displayed.
Automatically Controls whether nested objects are included
Select All Nested automatically in the reference editing session.
Objects
If this option is checked, all the objects in the selected
reference will be automatically included in the
reference editing session.

796 | REFEDIT
Prompt to Select Controls whether nested objects must be selected
Nested Objects individually in the reference editing session.
If this option is checked, after you close the Reference
Edit dialog box and enter the reference edit state,
AutoCAD prompts you to select the specific objects in
the reference that you want to edit.
Select nested objects: Select objects within the reference that
you want to edit

Settings Tab (Reference Edit Dialog Box)

Provides options for editing references.
Create Unique Controls whether layers and other named objects
Layer, Style, and extracted from the reference are uniquely altered.
Block Names
If selected, named objects in xrefs are altered (names are
prefixed with $#$), similar to the way they are altered
when you bind xrefs. If cleared, the names of layers and
other named objects remain the same as in the
reference drawing. Named objects that are not altered
to make them unique assume the properties of those in
the current host drawing that share the same name.
Display Attribute Controls whether all variable attribute definitions in
Definitions for block references are extracted and displayed during
Editing reference editing.
If Display Attribute Definitions for Editing is selected,
the attributes (except constant attributes) are made
invisible, and the attribute definitions are available for
editing along with the selected reference geometry.
When changes are saved back to the block reference,
the attributes of the original reference remain
unchanged. The new or altered attribute definitions
affect only subsequent insertions of the block; the
attributes in existing block instances are not affected.
Xrefs and block references without definitions are not
affected by this option.

REFEDIT | 797
 Lock Objects Not Locks all objects not in the working set. This prevents
in Working Set you from accidentally selecting and editing objects in
the host drawing while in a reference editing state.
The behavior of locked objects is similar to objects on a
locked layer. If you try to edit locked objects, they are
filtered from the selection set.

REFEDIT Command Line

If you enter -refedit at the Command prompt, REFEDIT displays prompts on
the command line.
Select reference: Select an xref or block in the current drawing
Select nesting level [OK/Next] <Next>: Enter an option or press ENTER

OK Accepts the currently highlighted reference for in-place

reference editing. References that are inserted into a
drawing using MINSERT cannot be selected for in-place
reference editing.
Enter object selection method [All/Nested]<All>: Enter a,
enter n, or press ENTER .
If you enter a, all the objects in the selected reference
will be automatically included in the reference editing
session. If you enter n, after you close the Reference Edit
dialog box and enter the reference edit state, AutoCAD
prompts you to select the specific objects in the
reference that you want to edit.
Select nested objects: Select objects within the reference
that you want to edit
Display attribute definitions [Yes/No] <No>: Enter y, enter
n, or press ENTER when editing a block reference
Use REFCLOSE or the Refedit toolbar to end reference edit-
ing session.

If you are editing a block reference with attributes, you

can enter y to display the attribute definitions and
make them available for editing. The attributes are
made invisible, and the attribute definitions are
available for editing along with the selected reference
geometry. When changes are saved back to the block
reference, the attributes of the original reference remain

798 | REFEDIT
 unchanged. The new or altered attribute definitions
affect only subsequent insertions of the block; the
attributes in existing block instances are not affected.
Next Advances through the reference and nested references
available for selection. The currently selected reference
is highlighted.
AutoCAD forms a working set with the objects you have selected for editing.
The working set includes objects that can be saved back to update the xref or
block definition. When you save back changes, changes made to the objects
in the reference file are saved without actually opening the reference drawing
or recreating the block. The working set is visually distinct from the rest of
the current drawing: all objects in the current drawing, except objects in the
working set, appear faded. The XFADECTL system variable controls the fading
of objects while you edit a reference in place.
You can select objects in xrefs for editing even if they are on a locked layer in
the reference file. When a reference object is part of the working set, you can
unlock the objects layer and make changes to the object. Only the changes
made to the object are saved back to the reference file; the xref layer remains
locked in the reference file.

Note Objects outside of the working set are not faded unless SHADEMODE is set
to a value of 2D Wireframe during in-place reference editing.

REFSET
Adds or removes objects from a working set during in-place editing of a reference (an xref
or a block)
REFSET prompts you to add or remove objects to and from a working set while
editing an xref or a block definition in place. The working set is a set of
objects extracted from a reference that can be modified and then saved back
to update the xref or block definition from within the current drawing.
Saving back changes saves changes made to the objects without actually
opening the reference drawing or re-creating the block. You can also add and
remove objects by using the options on the Modify menu or the Refedit tool-
bar. The Refedit toolbar is activated after a reference is selected for editing;
the toolbar is dismissed after changes to the reference are saved or discarded.
Modify menu: In-place Xref and Block Edit Add to Working Set, or In-place
Xref and Block Edit Remove from Working Set

REFSET | 799
 Command line: refset

Transfer objects between the Refedit working set and host drawing...
Enter an option [Add/Remove] <Add>: Enter an option or press ENTER

Objects that are part of the working set are visually distinct from other
objects in the current drawing. All objects in the current drawing, except
objects in the working set, appear faded.
Add Adds objects to the working set.
Select objects: Select the objects you want to add

An object that is part of the working set is added to the

reference when changes are saved back, and the object
is removed from the current drawing. The Add to
Workset button on the Refedit toolbar prompts you to
add objects to the working set without using REFCLOSE.

Remove Removes objects from the working set.

Select objects: Select the objects you want to remove

An object that is removed from the working set is

removed from the reference when changes are saved
back; the object is also removed from the current
drawing. The Remove from Workset button on the
Refedit toolbar prompts you to remove objects from the
working set without using REFCLOSE.

REGEN
Regenerates the entire drawing from the current viewport
View menu: Regen
Command line: regen

REGEN regenerates the entire drawing and recomputes the screen coordinates
for all objects in the current viewport. It also reindexes the drawing database
for optimum display and object selection performance.

800 | REGEN
 before REGEN after REGEN

REGENALL
Regenerates the drawing and refreshes all viewports
View menu: Regen All
Command line: regenall

REGENALL regenerates the entire drawing and recomputes the screen coordi-
nates for all objects in all viewports. It also reindexes the drawing database
for optimum display and object selection performance.

before REGENALL after REGENALL

REGENAUTO
Controls automatic regeneration of a drawing
AutoCAD drawings regenerate automatically when REGENAUTO, a toggle, is
set to On. If you are working on a large drawing, you may want to set
REGENAUTO to off to save time. The current setting is stored by the
REGENMODE system variable.

Regardless of the REGENAUTO setting, you cannot execute transparent com-

mands that require regeneration.

REGENALL | 801
 Command line: regenauto (or 'regenauto for transparent use)

Enter mode [ON/OFF] <current>: Enter on or off, or press ENTER

On Regenerates the drawing immediately if any suppressed

regenerations exist in the queue and continues to
regenerate automatically whenever you perform an
action that requires regeneration.
Off Inhibits regeneration of the drawing until you use the
REGEN or REGENALL command, or set REGENAUTO to
on.
If you perform an action that requires a regeneration
and that action is irrevocable (such as thawing layers),
AutoCAD displays Regen queued on the command line.
If you perform an action that requires a regeneration
and that action is revocable, AutoCAD displays the
following message:
About to regenproceed?

If you choose OK, AutoCAD regenerates the drawing. If

you choose Cancel, AutoCAD cancels the last action
that you performed and does not regenerate the
drawing.

REGION
Converts an object that encloses an area into a region object

Draw toolbar:
Draw menu: Region
Command line: region

Select objects: Use an object selection method and press ENTER when you finish

Regions are two-dimensional areas you create from closed shapes or loops.
Closed polylines, lines, and curves are valid selections. Curves include circu-
lar arcs, circles, elliptical arcs, ellipses, and splines.
AutoCAD converts closed 2D and exploded planar 3D polylines in the selec-
tion set to separate regions and then converts polylines, lines, and curves to
form closed planar loops (outer boundaries and holes of a region). If more
than two curves share an endpoint, the resulting region might be arbitrary.

802 | REGION
 The boundary of the region consists of end-connected curves where each
point shares only two edges. AutoCAD rejects all intersections and self-inter-
secting curves.
If a selected polyline has been smoothed by either the Spline or Fit options
of PEDIT, the resulting region contains the line or arc geometry of the
smoothed polyline. The polyline is not converted to a spline object.
AutoCAD deletes the original objects after converting them to regions unless
the system variable DELOBJ is set to 0. If the original objects were hatched,
hatch associativity is lost. To restore associativity, rehatch the region.

REINIT
Reinitializes the digitizer, digitizer input/output port, and program parameters file
For AutoCAD to run properly, the input/output ports, digitizer, display, and
AutoCAD program parameters file (acad.pgp) must be initialized. If you
change the settings, you must use REINIT to reinitialize before resuming the
AutoCAD session.
The program parameters file is an ASCII text file that stores command defi-
nitions and shortcuts. AutoCAD reloads acad.pgp each time a new or existing
drawing is opened. REINIT reloads acad.pgp during an editing session.
Command line: reinit

The Re-initialization dialog box is displayed.

Re-initialization Dialog Box

Defines the I/O port and the device file for reinitialization.

I/O Port Reinitializes the I/O port for the digitizer.

Initialization
Device File Reinitializes the digitizer and the acad.pgp file.
Initialization

REINIT | 803
RENAME
Changes the names of objects
Blocks, layers, linetypes, and other special objects are stored by name and are
called named objects. Use RENAME to change the names of these objects. You
can also use RENAME to view a list of all blocks and definition table entries in
the current drawing.
You can use the wild-card characters * and ? to rename groups of objects. You
can't rename some standard objects, such as layer 0 and the CONTINUOUS
linetype.
Format menu: Rename
Command line: rename

The Rename dialog box is displayed.

If you enter -rename at the Command prompt, RENAME displays prompts on
the command line (see page 805).

Rename Dialog Box

Renames named objects.

804 | RENAME
 Named Objects Lists named objects in a drawing by category: blocks,
dimension styles, layers, linetypes, plot styles, table
styles, text styles, UCSs, views, and model space
viewport configurations. Select the objects you want to
rename.
Items Displays named objects of the type specified in Named
Objects. Select the name you want to change.
Old Name Specifies the named object to be renamed. Enter a name
or select a name from the Items list.
Rename To Specifies the new name you want to assign to the
object. Enter a name and choose Rename To to apply
the name change.

RENAME Command Line

If you enter -rename at the Command prompt, RENAME displays prompts on
the command line.
Enter object type to rename [Block/Dimstyle/LAyer/LType/Plotstyle/textStyle/
Tablestyle/Ucs/VIew/VPort]: Enter a named object type to rename an object
Enter old object name: Enter the old name
Enter new object name: Enter the new name

RENDER
Creates a photorealistic or realistically shaded image of a three-dimensional wireframe or
solid model
RENDER produces an image using information from a scene, the current selec-
tion set, or the current view.
A scene is a combination of a named view and one or more lights. If a scene
is specified, RENDER uses the scenes view and light information. If no scene
or selection set is specified, RENDER uses the current view and all the lights in
the drawing. If there are no lights, RENDER assumes a default over-the-shoul-
der distant light source with an intensity of 1.
If the PICKFIRST system variable is on, and the Query for Selection option is
selected, RENDER uses only the current selection set.

Render toolbar:
View menu: Render Render
Command line: render

RENDER | 805
 AutoCAD displays the Render dialog box, and then opens and minimizes the
Render window (see page 808).

Render Dialog Box

Defines the scene, procedure, options, destination, sampling, and other set-
tings for rendering.

Rendering Type
Lists Render, Photo Real, Photo Raytrace.

Scene to Render
Lists scenes, including the current view, that you can select for rendering.

Rendering Procedure
Controls how RENDER behaves by default.
Query for Displays a prompt to select objects to render.
Selections
Crop Window Creates a render area at render time. When you choose
Render, AutoCAD prompts you to select an area on the
screen before rendering proceeds. This option is
available only when Viewport is selected under
Destination.

806 | RENDER
Skip Render Renders the current view without displaying the Render
Dialog dialog box for subsequent renderings. You can use the
Render Preferences dialog box to display the Render
dialog box. See RPREF.

Light Icon Scale

Controls the size of the light blocks in the drawing. The value is the current
scale factor (in drawing units) of rendering blocks in the drawing. Enter a real
number to rescale the blocks.
The scale factor affects the following blocks: OVERHEAD, DIRECT, and
SH_SPOT.

Smoothing Angle
Sets the angle at which AutoCAD interprets an edge. The default is 45
degrees. Angles greater than 45 degrees are considered edges. Angles less than
45 degrees are smoothed. To define an edge as less than 45 degrees, reduce
the smoothing angle.

Rendering Options
Controls rendering display.
Smooth Shade Smooths out the rough-edged appearance of a
multifaceted surface. AutoCAD calculates the surface
normal and blends the colors across two or more
adjacent faces.
Apply Materials Applies the surface materials you define and attach to an
object or AutoCAD Color Index (ACI) in the drawing. If
Apply Materials is not selected, all objects in the drawing
assume the color, ambient, diffuse, reflection, roughness,
transparency, refraction, and bump map attribute values
defined for the GLOBAL material. For more information,
see RMAT.
Shadows Generates shadows. This option applies only to Photo
Real and Photo Raytrace rendering.
Render Cache Specifies that rendering information be written to a
cache file on the hard disk. A display list of renderable
objects is cached in a temporary file during the first
rendering. The cached file is used for subsequent
renderings, significantly improving rendering time.
More Options Displays a dialog box that varies depending on whether
you have selected Render, Photo Real, or Photo Raytrace.

RENDER | 807
 Destination
Controls the setting for image output that the display driver uses for the
rendering.
Viewport Renders to a viewport.
Render Window Renders to the Render window.
File Renders to a file. For information about how to use
RFILEOPT to create a script to render to a file, see the
render function in Externally Defined Commands in
the AutoLISP Reference.
More Options When File is selected, displays the File Output
Configuration dialog box (see page 850).

Sub Sampling
Reduces rendering time and image quality without dropping effects such as
shadows by rendering a fraction of all pixels. From the list, select one of the
ratios, from 1:1 (best quality) to 8:1 (fastest).

Background
Displays the Background dialog box (see BACKGROUND).

Fog/Depth Cue
Displays the Fog/Depth Cue dialog box (see FOG).

Render Window
Renders objects. Rendered images can be saved, printed, and copied. Using
the Windows Render Options, you can modify the bitmap information and
color screen resolution.

808 | RENDER
File Menu
Opens, saves, and prints rendered images.
Open Opens a saved rendered bitmap (BMP) file.
Displays the Open File dialog box (a standard file
selection dialog box). Select Preview if you want a
preview image of the file to be displayed every time you
select a file. Clearing the Preview option speeds file
loading.
Save Saves an image to a bitmap file. For more information,
see Save and Redisplay a Rendered Image in the Users
Guide.
You cannot use the SAVEIMG command when rendering
to the Render window. This command applies only
when you are rendering to a viewport.
Print Prints to the device currently configured in the Control
Panel. Choosing Print displays the Print dialog box, in
which you can adjust the location and the size of the
image on the page and select the number of pages to
print. You can also tile the image to print across several
pages. See Print Rendered Images in the Users Guide.

RENDER | 809
 Options Displays the Windows Render Options dialog box (see
page 810), in which you can select the bitmap size,
color depth, and resolution for bitmap images.

Edit Menu
Copies rendered images.
Copy Copies an image from the active Render window to the
Clipboard. See Copy Rendered Images to the
Clipboard in the Users Guide.

Window Menu
Provides the standard application Window menu with Tile, Cascade, and
Arrange. The Reuse Window option is specific to the AutoCAD rendering
feature.
Reuse Window Reuses the current image window instead of creating a
new image window for each new rendering.

Windows Render Options Dialog Box

Controls resolution information, such as the color depth (8-bit or 24-bit
color screen resolution), screen size (in pixels), and whether the render image
fits in the display window.

Other than Fit In Window, these options do not affect the image currently
displayed. They take effect the next time you render.

810 | RENDER
Size in Pixels
Specifies the size of the image in pixels. There are three preset sizes from
which you can choose. You can also enter values to set the horizontal and
vertical resolution of the image in pixels.
640 x 480 Sets the number of pixels to that of a standard VGA
screen.
1024 x 768 Sets the number of pixels to that of a high-resolution
screen.
Viewport Size Sets image size to the size of the viewport in pixels.
User Sets a user-defined size up to a maximum of 4096 x
4096 pixels.
Horizontal Specifies the horizontal resolution (in pixels). Available
only when User is selected.
Vertical Specifies the vertical resolution (in pixels). Available
only when User is selected.

Color Depth
Renders to 8-bit or 24-bit image format.
8-bit Sets the 8-bits-per-pixel color option, 256 colors total.
24-bit Sets the 24-bits-per-pixel color option, 16 million colors
(that is, 8 bits for each of the three primary RGB
colorsred, green, and bluethat make up each pixel).
If your system is capable of displaying only 8-bit color, you can still save an
image with 24-bit color information. If you then display the image on a sys-
tem capable of displaying 24-bit color, you get the full 24-bit color image.

Fit in Window
Scales the bitmap image to fit the size of the display window while maintain-
ing the aspect ratio of the model. When this option is selected, the Size in
Pixels bitmap options are available.
Fit In Window resizes already-rendered images in all open Render display
windows. When you clear Fit In Window, images return to the size set by the
Size in Pixels bitmap options.

RENDER | 811
RENDSCR
Redisplays the last rendering created with the RENDER command
Command line: rendscr

Use the RENDSCR command on systems with a nonwindowing single moni-

tor display that is configured for full-screen rendering.
The image fills the whole screen. To return to the drawing area or text win-
dow, press F2 .

REPLAY
Displays a BMP, TGA, or TIFF image
Tools menu: Display Image View
Command line: replay

AutoCAD displays the Replay dialog box (a standard file selection dialog
box). Enter a file name. Valid file names must have one of the following
extensions:

.bmp: Indicates a device-independent bitmap file.

.tga: Indicates a compressed 32-bit RGBA image format used by the SAVE-
IMG command.
.tif: Indicates a compressed 32-bit RGBA tagged image file format for spe-
cial effects such as transparency creation. Texture maps typically come
from TIFF files.

Choosing Open in the Replay dialog box opens the Image Specifications dia-
log box.

Image Specifications Dialog Box

Defines the offset and size of the image and screen.

812 | RENDSCR
Image Displays a preview image. Select the area to be
displayed. The size of the image is noted in pixels.
Image Offset Defines the X and Y coordinate of the images lower-left
corner position. Use positive values not exceeding the
screen size.
Image Size Defines the size of the image area in pixels.
Screen Displays the size of the screen or viewport and a
preview image. Adjust the offset location of the
selected, sized image in relation to your screen.
Screen Offset Defines the X and Y coordinate of the images lower-left
corner position in the display.
Screen Size Defines the maximum size, in pixels, of the image that
can be displayed on the screen.
Reset Cancels, changes, or restores size and offset to the
original values.

REPLAY | 813
RESUME
Continues an interrupted script
Command line: resume (or 'resume for transparent use)

You can interrupt a macro script that is running by pressing ESC or

BACKSPACE . Any error encountered while processing input from a script file
causes the script to be suspended. If a script is suspended while AutoCAD is
active, you can use RESUME to continue the script.

REVCLOUD
Creates a polyline of sequential arcs to form a cloud shape

Draw toolbar:
Draw menu: Revision Cloud
Command line: revcloud

Minimum arc length: 0.5000 Maximum arc length: 0.5000

Specify start point or [Arc length/Object/Style] <Object>: Drag to draw the
revision cloud, enter an option, or press ENTER
Guide crosshairs along cloud path...

When the start and end lines meet, the following message is displayed on the
command line.
Revision cloud finished

The resulting object is a polyline.

814 | RESUME
Note REVCLOUD stores the last used arc length in the system registry. This value
is multiplied by DIMSCALE to provide consistency when the program is used with
drawings that have different scale factors.

Arc Length
Specifies the length of the arcs in a revision cloud.
Specify minimum length of arc <0.5000>: Specify a minimum arc length
Specify maximum length of arc <0.5000>: Specify a maximum arc length
Guide crosshairs along cloud path...
Revision cloud finished

The maximum arc length cannot be set to more than three times the mini-
mum arc length.

Object
Specifies an object to be converted to a revision cloud.
Select object: Select the closed object to convert to a revision cloud
Reverse direction [Yes/No]: Enter y to reverse the direction of the arcs in the
revision cloud, or press ENTER to leave the arcs as is
Revision cloud finished

Style
Specifies the style of the revision cloud.
Select arc style [Normal/Calligraphy] <default/last>: Select the style for the
revision cloud

REVCLOUD | 815
REVOLVE
Creates solids by revolving two-dimensional objects about an axis
You can revolve closed polylines, polygons, circles, ellipses, closed splines,
donuts, and regions. You cannot revolve objects contained within a block.
Polylines that have crossing or self-intersecting segments cannot be revolved.
You can revolve only one object at a time.
The right-hand rule determines the positive direction of rotation. See Use
World and User Coordinate Systems in 3D in the Users Guide.

Solids toolbar:
Draw menu: Solids Revolve
Command line: revolve

Current wire frame density: ISOLINES=current

Select objects: Use an object selection method

REVOLVE ignores the width of a polyline and revolves from the center of the
path of the polyline.
Specify start point for axis of revolution or define axis by [Object/X (axis)/
Y (axis)]: Specify a point or enter an option

Start Point of Axis Specifies the first and second points of the axis of
revolution. The positive axis direction is from the first
to the second point.
Specify endpoint of axis: Specify a point (2)
Specify angle of revolution <360>: Specify an angle or
press ENTER

AutoCAD revolves individual loops of the region to the

specified angle.

1
2

selected axis points full circle specified angle

816 | REVOLVE
Object Selects an existing line or single segment of a polyline
that defines the axis about which to revolve the object.
The positive axis direction is from the closest to the
farthest endpoint of this line.
Select an object: Use an object selection method
Specify angle of revolution <360>: Specify an angle or
press ENTER

selected axis full circle specified angle

X Uses the positive X axis of the current UCS as the

positive axis direction.
Specify angle of revolution <360>: Specify an angle or
press ENTER

X axis full circle specified angle

Y Uses the positive Y axis of the current UCS as the

positive axis direction.
Specify angle of revolution <360>: Specify an angle or
press ENTER

Y axis full circle specified angle

REVOLVE | 817
 REVSURF
Creates a revolved surface about a selected axis
REVSURF constructs a polygon mesh approximating a surface of revolution by
rotating a path curve or profile (lines, circles, arcs, ellipses, elliptical arcs,
polylines, or splines, closed polylines, polygons, closed splines, or donuts)
about a specified axis.

Surfaces toolbar:
Draw menu: Surfaces Revolved Surface
Command line: revsurf

Current wire frame density: SURFTAB1=current : SURFTAB2=current

Select object to revolve: Select a line, arc, circle, or 2D or 3D polyline
Select object that defines axis of revolution: Select a line or open 2D or 3D
polyline

axis of revolution The path curve is swept about the selected axis to define the surface. The path
curve defines the N direction of the surface mesh. Selecting a circle or a closed
polyline as the path curve closes the mesh in the N direction.
The vector from a polylines first vertex to its last vertex determines the rota-
tion axis. Any intermediate vertices are ignored. The axis of revolution deter-
path curve
mines the M direction of the mesh.
Specify start angle <0>: Enter a value or press ENTER
Specify included angle (+=ccw, -=cw) <360>: Enter a value or press ENTER

Start Angle If set to a nonzero value, begins the surface of

revolution at an offset from the generating path curve.
Included Angle Specifies how far about the axis of revolution the
surface extends.
Specifying a start angle begins the surface of revolution at an offset from the
generating path curve. The included angle is the distance through which the
path curve is swept.
Entering an included angle that is less than a full circle prevents the circle
from closing.

818 | REVSURF
 selection point

selection point

direction of direction of
generation generation

The point you use to select the axis of revolution affects the direction of rev-
olution. Each of the surfaces in the examples below was created by specifying
a start angle of 0 degrees and an included angle of 90 degrees.
The density of the generated mesh is controlled by the SURFTAB1 and
SURFTAB2 system variables. SURFTAB1 specifies the number of tabulation lines
that are drawn in the direction of revolution. If the path curve is a line, arc,
circle, or spline-fit polyline, SURFTAB2 specifies the number of tabulation
lines that are drawn to divide it into equal-sized intervals. If the path curve
circle path curve
is a polyline that has not been spline fit, tabulation lines are drawn at the
divided into equally
sized intervals ends of straight segments, and each arc segment is divided into the number
of intervals specified by SURFTAB2.

tabulation lines
drawn at intervals of
arc segment

polyline path
tabulation lines drawn at the
curve
ends of straight segments

REVSURF | 819
RMAT
Manages rendering materials
Render toolbar:
View menu: Render Materials
Command line: rmat

AutoCAD displays the Materials dialog box.

Materials Dialog Box

Manages the materials used for rendering.

Materials Lists the available materials. Use MATLIB to add other

materials. The default for objects with no other material
attached is GLOBAL.
Preview Displays the selected material as either a sphere or a
cube.
Materials Library Displays the Materials Library dialog box, in which you
select a material. See MATLIB.
Select Closes the dialog box temporarily so that you can select
an object with the pointing device and display the
attached material. After you select the object, the
Materials dialog box is redisplayed with the method of
attachment specified at the bottom of the dialog box.

820 | RMAT
Modify Displays one of four dialog boxes, depending on which
material type is selected in the list under the New
button: Standard, Marble, Granite, or Wood (see page
821). Use the dialog box to edit an existing material.
Duplicate Duplicates a material and displays one of four dialog
boxes, depending on which material type is selected in
the list under the New button: Standard, Marble,
Granite, or Wood (see page 821). Use the dialog box to
name the new material and define attributes.
New Displays one of four dialog boxes, depending on which
material type is selected in the list under the New
button:

New or Modify Standard Material dialog box (see

page 822)
New or Modify Granite Material dialog box (see page
828)
New or Modify Marble Material dialog box (see page
829)
New or Modify Wood Material dialog box (see page
831)

Use the dialog box to create a new material. The

Attribute options in each dialog box are specific to the
material type. All other options are the same in each
dialog box and are described in New or Modify
Standard Material Dialog Box on page 822.
Attach Closes the dialog box temporarily so that you can select
an object and attach the current material to it. This
option is not available when GLOBAL is the selected
material.
Detach Closes the dialog box temporarily so that you can select
an object and detach the material from it.
By ACI Displays the Attach by AutoCAD Color Index dialog
box (see page 833), in which you can select an ACI to
attach a material to.
By Layer Displays the Attach by Layer dialog box (see page 833),
in which you can select a layer to attach a material to.

RMAT | 821
 New or Modify Standard Material Dialog Box
Creates a new material or modifies an existing material.

Material Name
Names or renames the material. The material name you enter must be unique
to the drawing.

Attributes
Specifies the material attribute to change. The Value and Color settings affect
the selected attribute. If a setting does not apply to an attribute, it is not avail-
able while that attribute is selected.
Color/Pattern Adjusts the main (diffuse) color of the material. You can
adjust the color using Value and the controls in the
Color area.
Ambient Adjusts the materials ambient (shadow) color. You can
adjust the color using Value and the controls in the
Color area. The color swatch displays the color.
Reflection Adjusts the materials reflective (highlight or specular)
color. You can adjust the color using Value and the
controls in the Color area. The color swatch displays
the color.

822 | RMAT
Roughness Adjusts the roughness or shininess of the material.
Adjusting Roughness changes the size of the materials
reflective highlight. The lower the level of roughness,
the smaller the highlight.
Transparency Adjusts the transparency of the object. You can use
Value to specify how transparent the object is. To use an
opacity map with this material, enter a file name in
Bitmap Blend.
Note With the Photo Real and Photo Raytrace renderers,
transparency tends to fall off as you near the edges of
closed objects or when the surface normal is perpendicular
to the line of sight. The effect is that you see less
background through the edges of a hollow object than
through its center. You can turn off this effect by setting
transparency to 1.0. This is especially important when you
apply opacity or texture maps in decal mode when the
intention is to completely remove any suggestion of a
surface where transparency falls to 0.
Refraction Adjusts refraction of the object. Applies to Photo
Raytrace rendering only. You can use Value to adjust
how refractive the material is. Refraction also affects the
transparency of a material.
Bump Map Makes the Bitmap Blend area available to specify the file
name of a bump map.

Value
Changes the selected attribute. You can enter a value or use the scroll bar.

Color
Adjusts the materials three color attributesmain, ambient, and reflective.
The current color is shown in a color swatch at the bottom of the Color area,
as well as in the swatch next to the button that shows which color youre
adjusting.
By ACI Matches the objects material color with the objects
AutoCAD Color Index color. This option is available for
the color attribute only. It is available for the ambient
and reflection attributes only if they are not locked.
Lock Locks the attributes color to the main color. This
setting is available for the ambient and reflection
attributes only.

RMAT | 823
 Mirror Creates mirrored reflections when you render the
material with the Photo Real renderer or raytraced
reflections when you render with the Photo Raytrace
renderer. This setting is available only for the reflection
attribute. If there is an image file specified for the
reflection map, the resulting reflection is a blend of the
background and the reflection map.
Red, Green, Blue Adjust the colors RGB components directly. You can
enter values or use the scroll bars.
Hue, Lightness, Adjusts the colors HLS (Hue, Lightness, Saturation)
Saturation components directly. You can enter values or use the
scroll bars. Adjusting Hue changes the shade of the
color. Increasing Lightness increases the luminance or
brightness of the color by adding white. Increasing
Saturation increases the purity of the color. The higher
the saturation, the less gray in the color.
Color System Specifies the color system to use. You can specify RGB
(Red, Green, Blue) or HLS (Hue, Lightness, Saturation).
Color Swatch Displays the Windows Color dialog box, in which you
can adjust a color by HLS or RGB components.

Bitmap Blend
Affects the degree to which a bitmap is used in rendering. A material can
have four different bitmaps specified for it: one each for the Color/Pattern,
Reflectivity, Transparency, and Bump Map rendering attributes.
For pattern and texture maps, the bitmap is blended with the materials main
(diffuse) and ambient colors. Blend affects the amount of reflection or trans-
parency for those attributes and the degree of bumpiness for bump maps.
The Bitmap Blend value can range from 0 to 1.0. The default value is 0.0
when no bitmap is specified, 1.0 when a bitmap is specified.
If the bitmap is not tiled, fixed-scale materials lock all bitmap placement set-
tings together for Pattern, Transparency, and Bump Map. The bitmap place-
ment setting for Pattern takes precedence if it is available. If no pattern map
is present, the settings for Transparency are used. If neither Pattern nor Trans-
parency is present, the settings for Bump Map are used.

Note The blend of an opacity map takes precedence over the value chosen for
Transparency.

824 | RMAT
File Name
Specifies a bitmap.

Preview
Displays the selected material as either a sphere or a cube.

Adjust Bitmap
Displays the Adjust Material Bitmap Placement dialog box (see page 825), in
which you can specify the bitmaps offset and scaling, or placement values.

Find File
Displays the Bitmap File dialog box (a standard file selection dialog box), in
which you can select a bitmap file.

Note When a material includes one or more bitmaps, you should set the map-
ping coordinates for objects to which the material is attached. See SETUV. The
Photo Real and Photo Raytrace renderers provide default mapping, but this
doesnt always give the results you want.

Adjust Material Bitmap Placement Dialog Box

Adjusts how the material bitmap is placed on the objects.

RMAT | 825
 In the upper-left corner of the dialog box is a diagram that changes as you
change the bitmap placement values. The diagram shows a projection rect-
angle in red. The projection rectangle represents the extents of an object. The
diagram also shows the bitmap as another rectangle: its top and left edges are
drawn in white, and its right and bottom edges are drawn in magenta. When
you first see this dialog box, the two squares are the same size. As this implies,
the default mapping scale is 1:1.

Note The bitmap adjustmentscaling and offset, and tiling switchcan differ
for each individual bitmap specified for a material. Also, the bitmap adjustments
that are specified for a material interact with the bitmap adjustment specified in
mapping.

Offset
Changes the origin of the bitmap relative to the origin of the UV projection
coordinates. Offset values can range from 1 to 1 in either dimension (U or
V). Adjust the offset by using the two scroll bars to the right and below the
diagram (enclosed by the outer box, labeled Offset) or by entering a value in
Offset U and Offset V. The bitmap rectangle moves to reflect the new offset.
If Tile is selected and you change the offset so that the bitmap rectangle
appears outside the projection rectangle, the bitmap is still applied to the
object when you render it. (During tiling, the offset acts as a displacement,
not an absolute position.) However, if Crop is selected, the bitmap is ren-
dered only where you place it, as indicated by the diagram; so if the diagram
shows the bitmap outside the projection rectangle, the bitmap does not
appear in a rendering.

Scale
Specifies the number of times the bitmap fits onto the object in the U or V
direction. Adjust the bitmap scaling by using the two scroll bars to the left
and above the diagram (enclosed by the inner box, labeled Scale), or by enter-
ing a value in Scale U or Scale V. The dimensions of the bitmap rectangle
change to reflect the new scaling.

Maintain Aspect Ratio

Locks the U and V scaling dimensions together. Moving one scroll bar moves
the other, and a value you enter in Scale U or Scale V changes the other.

Object Size
Adjusts the size of the preview cube. You can use this option to preview the
number of times the pattern tiles across the render objects. The larger the
cube, the more material tiles are displayed.

826 | RMAT
Tiling
Controls how the bitmap is tiled.
Tile Tiles the bitmap.
Crop Does not tile the bitmap. Outside the bitmap area, the
object or objects are rendered with the material colors.
The upper-left corner pixel of a bitmap defines the bitmap key color. This
color behaves as if it were transparent when you render in cropped mode: all
pixels that have the same color as the upper-left pixel are rendered with the
underlying color of the object material.
If you want to render a cropped pattern that is completely opaque, edit the
bitmap so that the upper-left corner pixel has a color used nowhere else in
the bitmap. Or, if the odd corner-pixel color shows in rendering, surround
the bitmap with a border one pixel wide, using the unique color.
With cropping turned on, a pixel in a bitmap renders either as transparent or
in its original color. To get a soft matte or feathered effect at the edge of a
decal, you first need to create a soft edge in the decal bitmap itself (against
the key color) and then set the material main (diffuse) and ambient colors to
match the bitmap key color.

Map Style
Specifies a scale.
Fixed Scale Specifies a fixed scale for rendering materials built from
images containing multiple, repeated patterns, such as
bricks, stonework, tile, and wallpaper. The Scale U and
Scale V values control the scale at which the material is
tiled onto drawing objects during rendering.
Fixed Scale applies only to tiled bitmaps.
Fit to Object Specifies a fit to the object for rendering landscapes or
objects whose material is based on a single image, such
as a billboard or a wall painting. Bitmap placement
offset and scale values must be adjusted manually.

Use Auto Axis

Maps materials on XY-, YZ-, and XZ-oriented surfaces. If this option is not
selected, only XY-oriented surfaces are mapped for fixed scale mapping.

RMAT | 827
 Auto axis does not use polygon normals when calculating material orienta-
tions. Instead, polygons facing in positive XYZ directions are considered
front faces, and polygons facing in negative XYZ directions are considered
back faces. Therefore, some materials might appear backward on some faces,
particularly materials that have an obvious front and back, such as those con-
taining text. To prevent this inverse mapping, duplicate the material without
using auto axis, assign this new material explicitly to the polygon, and then
apply an entity mapper correcting the projection. You must explode complex
surfaces before mapping a specific polygon.

New or Modify Granite Material Dialog Box

Creates or modifies a material that simulates granite. The dialog box provides
attribute options that are specific to the GRANITE material type. All other
options in this dialog box are the same ones found in the New or Modify
Standard Material dialog box (see page 822).

Granite Attributes
Specifies the material attribute to change. The Value and Color settings affect
the selected attribute. If a setting does not apply to an attribute, it is not avail-
able while that attribute is selected.

828 | RMAT
First, Second, Adjusts the four colors that can be present. The options
Third, Fourth in the Color area are the same as for standard materials,
Color except that Lock is not present. By ACI is available only
when Reflection is selected. To use fewer than four colors,
set a color value equal to one of the other colors, or set
its value to zero. Value specifies the relative amount of
each color in the granite pattern.
Reflection Adjusts the materials reflective (highlight or specular)
color. You can adjust the color using Value and the
options in the Color area. The color swatch displays the
color.
Roughness Adjusts the roughness or shininess of the material.
Adjusting Roughness changes the size of the materials
reflective highlight. The lower the level of roughness, the
smaller the highlight.
Sharpness Defines the sharpness of the stone. Set Sharpness by
specifying a value. A sharpness of 0 is completely blurred;
that is, the four colors are averaged. With a sharpness of
1.0, the four colors are discrete.
Scale Defines the scale of the material relative to objects you
attach it to. Set Scale by specifying a value. Smaller Scale
values result in a finer texture and less graininess.
Bump Map Makes the Bitmap Blend area available to specify the file
name of a bump map.

New or Modify Marble Material Dialog Box

Creates or modifies a material that simulates marble. The dialog box provides
attribute options that are specific to the MARBLE material type. All other
options in this dialog box are the same ones found in the New or Modify
Standard Material dialog box (see page 822).

RMAT | 829
 Marble Attributes
Specifies the material attribute to change. The Value and Color settings affect
the selected attribute. If a setting does not apply to an attribute, it is not avail-
able while that attribute is selected.
Stone Color, Vein Adjusts the marble matrix and vein colors. The options
Color in the Color area are the same as for standard materials,
except that Value doesnt scale the color attributes, and
Lock is not present. By ACI is available only when
Reflection is selected.
Reflection Adjusts the materials reflective (highlight or specular)
color. You can adjust the color using Value and the
options in the Color area. The color swatch displays the
color.
Roughness Adjusts the roughness or shininess of the material.
Adjusting Roughness changes the size of the materials
reflective highlight. The lower the level of roughness,
the smaller the highlight.
Turbulence Defines the degree of the veins turbulence. Set
Turbulence by specifying a value. High values result in
more of the vein color, with more swirling. High values
take longer to render; values in the range 110 are
recommended.

830 | RMAT
Sharpness Defines the sharpness of the veins, that is, the blending
of color at the edges of the veins. Set Sharpness by
specifying a value.
Scale Defines the scale of the material relative to objects you
attach it to. Set Scale by specifying a value. Larger Scale
values result in more veins.
Bump Map Makes the Bitmap Blend area available to specify the file
name of a bump map.

New or Modify Wood Material Dialog Box

Creates or modifies material that simulates grained wood. The dialog box
provides attribute options that are specific to the WOOD material type. All
other options in this dialog box are the same ones found in the New or Mod-
ify Standard Material dialog box (see page 822).

Wood Attributes
Specifies the material attribute to change. The Value and Color settings affect
the selected attribute. If a setting does not apply to an attribute, it is not avail-
able while that attribute is selected.
Light Color, Adjusts the two colors of the wood grain. The options
Dark Color in the Color area are the same as for standard materials,
except that Value doesnt scale the color attributes, and
Lock is not present. By ACI is available only when
Reflection is selected.

RMAT | 831
 Reflection Adjusts the materials reflective (highlight or specular)
color. You can adjust the color using Value and the
options in the Color area. The color swatch displays the
color.
Roughness Adjusts the roughness or shininess of the material.
Adjusting Roughness changes the size of the materials
reflective highlight. The lower the level of roughness,
the smaller the highlight.
Light/Dark Controls the proportion of light to dark rings in the
wood. Set Light/Dark by specifying a value. A ratio of 0
is almost completely dark; a ratio of 1.0 is almost
completely light.
Ring Density Specifies the number of rings in the wood relative to
objects you attach the material to. Set Ring Density by
specifying a value. Larger values result in a finer texture
and less graininess.
Ring Width Controls how much the width of the rings varies. Set
Ring Width by specifying a value. A ring width of 0
gives completely uniform rings; a width of 1.0 gives the
greatest variation.
Ring Shape Controls how irregular the shape of the rings is. Set
Ring Shape by specifying a value. A ring shape of 0 gives
completely circular rings; a shape of 1.0 gives the most
irregular rings.
Scale Defines the scale of the wood grain relative to objects
you attach it to. Set Scale by specifying a value. Larger
Scale values result in finer grain.
Bump Map Makes the Bitmap Blend area available to specify the file
name of a bump map.

832 | RMAT
Attach by AutoCAD Color Index Dialog Box
Associates materials with ACI values.

Select a Material Specifies the material to be attached or detached.

Select ACI Selects an ACI color by choosing Attach or Detach.
Preview Displays the selected material as either a sphere or a
cube.
Attach Attaches the currently selected material to the selected
ACI. Any material previously attached to this ACI is
detached.
Detach Detaches the material attached to the selected ACI.

Attach by Layer Dialog Box

Associates materials with layers. All new objects on the layer have the speci-
fied material attached.

RMAT | 833
 Select a Material Specifies the material AutoCAD attaches to the selected
layer.
Select Layer Specifies the layer to which AutoCAD attaches the
selected material.
Preview Displays the selected material as either a sphere or a
cube.
Attach Attaches the currently selected material to the selected
layer. Any material previously attached to this layer is
detached.
Detach Detaches the material attached to the selected layer.

RMLIN
Inserts markups from an RML file into a drawing
Command line: rmlin

The Insert Markup dialog box (a standard file selection dialog box) is
displayed.
If you enter -rmlin at the Command prompt, RMLIN displays prompts on the
command line (see page 836).
You insert redline markup language (RML) in drawings to see comments, cor-
rections, and other changes made by design team members. These markups
range from notes and hyperlinks to simple boxes and circles. They are created
and saved in RML files using a markup tool such as Volo View. Inserted
markups are added to a new layer, the _MARKUP_ layer, which is created auto-

834 | RMLIN
matically. You can insert markups from multiple RML files into a single draw-
ing. After the first insertion, new markups are added to the existing
_MARKUP_ layer.

After you choose an RML file in the Insert Markup dialog box, the Map
Markup dialog box is displayed. With the Map Markup dialog box, you can
match markup layouts in the RML file to model space or to specific layouts
in your drawing.

Map Markup Dialog Box

Matches the markup layouts in the markup (RML) file with available layouts
in your drawing.

Markup to Drawing Mappings

Lists mappings of markup layouts to drawing layouts.

Remove
Removes a mapping of a markup layout to a drawing layout in the Markup
to Drawing Mappings list.

Remove All
Removes all the mappings of markup layouts to drawing layouts in the
Markup to Drawing Mappings list.

Markup Layouts
Lists unmapped markup layouts from the RML file that you can map to draw-
ing layouts. To map one or more markup layouts to a drawing layout, select
the markup layouts, select a drawing layout, and then click Map. If there are
no layouts in the RML file, as in the case of markups made to a DWF file, the
layout name DEFAULT is substituted.

Drawing Layouts
Lists the layouts in the current drawing, including model space, to which you
can map markup layouts.

Map
Maps the layout or layouts selected in the Markup Layouts list to the layout
selected in the Drawing Layouts list. After you click Map, the mapping is dis-
played in the Markup to Drawing Mappings list.

RMLIN | 835
 RMLIN Command Line
If you enter -rmlin at the Command prompt, the following prompt is dis-
played on the command line:
Enter name of RML file: Enter the file name and press ENTER
Enter an option [Single/Multiple/SamesAme] <Single>: Enter an option and press
ENTER

Single
Provides prompts for a single mapping of a markup layout to a drawing lay-
out. You are prompted to enter the markup layout you want to map, and
then you are prompted to enter a drawing layout as the destination for the
markup from the markup layout. You can use the ? option to list the markup
layouts in the RML file.

Multiple
Provides prompts for multiple mappings of markup layouts to drawing lay-
outs. You are prompted to enter the markup layout you want to map, and
then you are prompted to enter a drawing layout as the destination for the
markups from the markup layout. You can use the ? option to list the markup
layouts in the RML file.

Same
Maps layouts in the markup file to identically named layouts in the drawing
file.

ROTATE
Moves objects about a base point

Modify toolbar:
Modify menu: Rotate
Shortcut menu: Select the objects to rotate, right-click in the drawing area,
and choose Rotate.
Command line: rotate

Current positive angle in UCS: ANGDIR=current ANGBASE=current

Select objects: Use an object selection method and press ENTER when you finish
Specify base point: Specify a point (1)
Specify rotation angle or [Reference]: Specify an angle, specify a point, or enter r

836 | ROTATE
 1

selected objects rotation angle rotated object

Rotation Angle Determines how far an object rotates around the base
point.
The axis of rotation passes through the specified base
point and is parallel to the Z axis of the current UCS.
Reference Specifies the absolute current rotation angle and
desired new rotation angle. The Reference option is
used to align an object with the X and Y axes of the UCS
or with geometric features in a drawing.
Specify the reference angle <0>: Specify an angle by
entering a value or by specifying two points
Specify the new angle: Specify the new absolute angle

When you rotate a viewport object, the borders of the viewport remain par-
allel to the edges of the drawing area.

ROTATE3D
Moves objects about a three-dimensional axis
Modify menu: 3D Operation Rotate 3D
Command line: rotate3d

Select objects: Use an object selection method and press ENTER when you finish
Specify first point on axis or define axis by [Object/Last/View/Xaxis/Yaxis/Zaxis/
2points]: Specify a point, enter an option, or press ENTER

Object
Aligns the axis of rotation with an existing object.
Select a line, circle, arc or 2D-polyline segment:

Line
Aligns the axis of rotation with the line selected.

ROTATE3D | 837
 Rotation Angle Rotates the object about the selected axis the specified
amount from the current orientation.
Reference Specifies the reference angle and the new angle.
Specify the reference angle <0>: Specify the starting angle
Specify the new angle: Specify the ending angle

The difference between the starting angle and the

ending angle is the computed rotation angle.

Circle
Aligns the axis of rotation with the 3D axis of the circle (perpendicular to the
plane of the circle and passing through the center of the circle).
Rotation Angle Rotates the object about the selected axis the specified
amount from the current orientation.
Reference Specifies the reference angle and the new angle.
Specify the reference angle <0>: Specify the starting angle
object selected
Specify the new angle: Specify the ending angle

The difference between the starting angle and the

ending angle is the computed rotation angle.

Arc
Aligns the axis of rotation with the 3D axis of the arc (perpendicular to the
plane of the arc and passing through the center of the arc).
Rotation Angle Rotates the object about the selected axis the specified
amount from the current orientation.
Reference Specifies the reference angle and the new angle.
Specify the reference angle <0>: Specify the starting angle
Specify the new angle: Specify the ending angle
The difference between the starting angle and the
ending angle is the computed rotation angle.

2D Polyline Segment
Aligns the axis of rotation with a segment of the polyline. Treats a straight
segment as a line segment. Treats an arc segment as an arc.
Specify rotation angle or [Reference]: Specify an angle or enter r

Rotation Angle Rotates the object about the selected axis the specified
amount from the current orientation.

838 | ROTATE3D
Reference Specifies the reference angle and the new angle.
Specify the reference angle <0>: Specify the starting angle
Specify the new angle: Specify the ending angle

The difference between the starting angle and the

ending angle is the computed rotation angle.

Last
Uses the last axis of rotation.
Specify rotation angle or [Reference]: Specify an angle or enter r

Rotation Angle Rotates the object about the selected axis the specified
amount from the current orientation.
Reference Specifies the reference angle and the new angle.
Specify the reference angle <0>: Specify the starting angle
Specify the new angle: Specify the ending angle

The difference between the starting angle and the

ending angle is the computed rotation angle.

View
Aligns the axis of rotation with the viewing direction of the current viewport
that passes through the selected point.
Specify a point on the view direction axis <0,0,0>:
Specify rotation angle or [Reference]: Specify an angle or enter r

Rotation Angle Rotates the object about the selected axis the specified
amount from the current orientation.
Reference Specifies the reference angle and the new angle.
Specify the reference angle <0>: Specify the starting angle
Specify the new angle: Specify the ending angle

The difference between the starting angle and the

ending angle is the computed rotation angle.

ROTATE3D | 839
 X Axis, Y Axis, Z Axis
Aligns the axis of rotation with one of the axes (X, Y, or Z) that pass through
the selected point.
Specify a point on the (X, Y, or Z) axis <0,0,0>: Specify a point (1)
Specify rotation angle or [Reference]: Specify an angle or enter r

Rotation Angle Rotates the object about the selected axis the specified
amount from the current orientation.
Reference Specifies the reference angle and the new angle.
Specify the reference angle <0>: Specify the starting angle
Specify the new angle: Specify the ending angle

The difference between the starting angle and the

ending angle is the computed rotation angle.

1 1 1

X axis Y axis Z axis

2 Points
2 Uses two points to define the axis of rotation. Pressing ENTER at the main
ROTATE3D prompt displays the following prompts. Specifying a point at the
main prompt skips the prompt for the first point.
Specify first point on axis: Specify a point (1)
Specify second point on axis: Specify a point (2)
Specify rotation angle or [Reference]: Specify an angle or enter r
1

Rotation Angle Rotates the object about the selected axis the specified
amount from the current orientation.

840 | ROTATE3D
 Reference Specifies the reference angle and the new angle.
Specify the reference angle <0>: Specify the starting angle
Specify the new angle: Specify the ending angle

The difference between the starting angle and the

ending angle is the computed rotation angle.

RPREF
Sets rendering preferences
Render toolbar:
View menu: Render Preferences
Command line: rpref

AutoCAD displays the Rendering Preferences dialog box.

Rendering Preferences Dialog Box

Defines preferred settings for rendering.

Rendering Type
Lists AutoCAD Render, Photo Real, Photo Raytrace.

RPREF | 841
 Scene to Render
Lists scenes, including the current view, that you can select for rendering.

Rendering Procedure
Controls how RENDER behaves by default.
Query for Displays a prompt to select objects to render.
Selections
Crop Window Creates a render area at render time. When you choose
the Render button with Crop Window selected,
AutoCAD prompts you to specify an area in the
drawing. When youve done so, the rendering proceeds.
Skip Render Renders the current view without displaying the Render
Dialog dialog box.

Light Icon Scale

Controls the size of the light blocks in the drawing. The value is the current
scale factor (in drawing units) of rendering blocks in the drawing. Enter a real
number to rescale the blocks.
The scale factor affects the following blocks: OVERHEAD, DIRECT, and
SH_SPOT.

Smoothing Angle
Sets the angle at which AutoCAD interprets an edge. The default is 45
degrees. Angles greater than 45 degrees are considered edges.

smoothing
angle

Angles less than 45 degrees are smoothed. To define an edge as less than 45
degrees, reduce the smoothing angle.

842 | RPREF
Rendering Options
Controls rendering display.
Smooth Shade Smooths out the rough-edged appearance of a
multifaceted surface. AutoCAD calculates the surface
normal and blends the colors across two or more
adjacent faces.

Smooth Shading off Smooth Shading on

Apply Materials Applies the surface materials that you define and attach
to an object or ACI in the drawing. If Apply Materials is
not selected, all objects in the drawing assume the
color, ambient, diffuse, reflection, roughness,
transparency, refraction, and bump map attribute
values defined for the GLOBAL material. For more
information, see RMAT.
Shadows Generates shadows. Applies only to Photo Real and
Photo Raytrace rendering.
Render Cache Specifies that rendering information be written to a
cache file. As long as the drawing geometry or view is
unchanged, the cached file is used for subsequent
renderings, eliminating the need for AutoCAD to
retessellate. This saves time, especially when rendering
solids.
More Options Depending on the Rendering Type you select, displays
either the Render Options dialog box (see page 844),
Photo Real Render Options dialog box (see page 845),
or Photo Raytrace Render Options dialog box (see page
847), which provides additional rendering options.

RPREF | 843
 Destination
Controls the setting for image output that the display driver uses for the
rendering.
Viewport Renders to a viewport.
Render Window Renders to the Render window (see page 808).
File Renders to a file.
More Options When File is selected, displays the File Output
Configuration dialog box (see page 850).

Sub Sampling
Reduces rendering time and image quality without dropping effects such as
shadows by rendering a fraction of all pixels. From the list, select one of the
ratios: from 1:1 (best quality) to 8:1 (fastest).

Background
Displays the Background dialog box (see BACKGROUND).

Fog/Depth Cue
Displays the Fog/Depth Cue dialog box (see FOG).

Render Options Dialog Box

Controls rendering options. This dialog box is displayed when Render is
selected as the Rendering Type and you choose More Options under Render-
ing Options in the Rendering Preferences dialog box.

Render Quality
Controls the type of shading used when you select Smooth Shade in the Ren-
dering Preferences dialog box.

844 | RPREF
Gouraud Calculates light intensity at each vertex and
interpolates intermediate intensities.
Phong Uses more sophisticated interpolation than Gouraud to
generate shading with more realistic highlights. Phong
calculates light intensity at each pixel.

Face Controls
Controls how RENDER treats the faces of 3D solid objects.
Discard Back Prevents AutoCAD from reading the back faces of a 3D
Faces solid object when performing calculations for a
rendering (for hidden faces only). This setting does not
eliminate back faces; it only makes them invisible and
speeds up the rendering process.
Back Face Normal Controls which faces AutoCAD considers back faces in
Is Negative a drawing. In a right-hand coordinate system like
AutoCAD, when you draw a 3D face and enter the
vertices in a counterclockwise direction, a positive
normal vector points outward toward the viewer and
identifies the face as a front face. The back face is
identified by a negative normal vector that points away
from the viewer.
Clearing this option reverses which faces AutoCAD
considers back faces. If Discard Back Faces is selected,
AutoCAD recognizes the faces with negative normal
vectors as back faces and discards them.

Photo Real Render Options Dialog Box

Controls rendering options. This dialog box is available when Photo Real is
selected as the Rendering Type and you choose More Options under Render-
ing Options in the Rendering Preferences dialog box.

RPREF | 845
 Anti-Aliasing
Controls the level of anti-aliasing used in rendering.
Minimal Renders with analytical horizontal anti-aliasing only.
Low Renders with analytical horizontal anti-aliasing and
four multiple shading samples per pixel. The more
samples per pixel, the more time it takes to render the
image.
Medium Renders with analytical horizontal anti-aliasing and
nine multiple shading samples per pixel. The more
samples per pixel, the more time it takes to render the
image.
High Renders with analytical horizontal anti-aliasing and 16
multiple shading samples per pixel. The more samples
per pixel, the more time it takes to render the image.

Face Controls
Controls how RENDER treats the faces of 3D solid objects.
Discard Back Prevents AutoCAD from reading the back faces of a 3D
Faces solid object when performing calculations for a
rendering (for hidden faces only). This setting does not
eliminate back faces; it only makes them invisible and
speeds up the rendering process.

846 | RPREF
Back Face Normal Controls which faces AutoCAD considers back faces in
Is Negative a drawing. In a right-hand coordinate system like
AutoCAD, when you draw a 3D face and enter the
vertices in a counterclockwise direction, a positive
normal vector points outward toward the viewer and
identifies the face as a front face. The back face is
identified by a negative normal vector that points away
from the viewer.
Clearing this option reverses which faces AutoCAD
considers back faces. If Discard Back Faces is selected,
AutoCAD recognizes the faces with negative normal
vectors as back faces and discards them.

Depth Map Shadow Controls

Adjusts the shadow map bias, which moves a shadow relative to the shadow-
casting object to prevent self-shadowing or detached shadows.
Minimum Bias Sets the lowest value in the range. The default is 2.0.
The valid range of values depends on the scene to
render, but it should usually be between 2.0 and 20.0.
Maximum Bias Sets the highest value in the range. The default is 4.0.
This value should be no more than 10.0 greater than
the minimum bias value.

Texture Map Sampling

Sets the method of sampling a texture map when its projected onto an object
smaller than itself.
Point Sample Selects the nearest pixel within the bitmap.
Linear Sample Averages the four pixels nearest to the sample point
within the bitmap.
Mip Map Sample Averages bitmap pixels using the mip methoda
pyramidal average based on square sample areas.

Photo Raytrace Render Options Dialog Box

Controls rendering options. This dialog box is available when Photo Raytrace
is selected as the Rendering Type and you choose More Options under Ren-
dering Options in the Rendering Preferences dialog box.

RPREF | 847
 Anti-Aliasing
Controls the level of anti-aliasing used in rendering.
Minimal Renders with analytical horizontal anti-aliasing only.
Low Renders with analytical horizontal anti-aliasing and
four multiple shading samples per pixel. The more
samples per pixel, the more time it takes to render the
image.
Medium Renders with analytical horizontal anti-aliasing and
nine multiple shading samples per pixel. The more
samples per pixel, the more time it takes to render the
image.
High Renders with analytical horizontal anti-aliasing and 16
multiple shading samples per pixel. The more samples
per pixel, the more time it takes to render the image.

Adaptive Sampling
Accelerates the anti-aliasing process within the bounds of the sample matrix
size. Given a contrast threshold that you supply, AutoCAD judges whether it
can process fewer samples than specified for the matrix and still get adequate
results.
Enable Turns on adaptive sampling.

848 | RPREF
Contrast Sets the sensitivity of adaptive sampling. With a low
Threshold threshold, small differences between the initial sample
values force more samples to be taken. At a higher
threshold, the sample value differences must be greater
to force more sampling. This increases rendering speed
at the expense of image quality. You can specify a value
between 0.0 and 1.0.

Ray Tree Depth

Controls the ray tree.
Maximum Depth Defines the depth of the tree used by the Photo
Raytrace renderer to track reflected and refracted
(transmitted) rays. The default value is 3. Greater values
give more accuracy but increase rendering timeit is
recommended that you not use a maximum depth
greater than 10.
Cutoff Threshold Defines a threshold for how much a further ray trace
must contribute to the final pixel value to continue. For
example, a value of 0.03 means that the next bounce
must contribute at least 3 percent to the final pixel or
the ray tree will be pruned at this point. Values between
0.0 and 1.0 are valid. With this feature, you can refine
the trade-off between speed and image quality.

Face Controls
Controls how RENDER treats the faces of 3D solid objects.
Discard Back Prevents AutoCAD from reading the back faces of a 3D
Faces solid object when performing calculations for a
rendering (for hidden faces only). This setting does not
eliminate back faces; it only makes them invisible and
speeds up the rendering process.
Back Face Normal Controls which faces AutoCAD considers back faces in
Is Negative a drawing. In a right-hand coordinate system like
AutoCAD, when you draw a 3D face and enter the
vertices in a counterclockwise direction, a positive
normal vector points outward toward the viewer and
identifies the face as a front face. The back face is
identified by a negative normal vector that points away
from the viewer.

RPREF | 849
 Clearing this option reverses which faces AutoCAD
considers back faces. If Discard Back Faces is selected,
AutoCAD recognizes the faces with negative normal
vectors as back faces and discards them.

Depth Map Shadow Controls

Adjusts the shadow map bias, which moves a shadow relative to the shadow-
casting object to prevent self-shadowing or detached shadows.
Minimum Bias Sets the lowest value in the range. The default is 2.0.
The valid range of values depends on the scene to
render, but it should usually be between 2.0 and 20.0.
Maximum Bias Sets the highest value in the range. The default is 4.0.
This value should be no more than 10.0 greater than
the minimum bias value.

Texture Map Sampling

Sets the method of sampling a texture map when its projected onto an object
smaller than itself.
Point Sample Selects the nearest pixel within the bitmap.
Linear Sample Averages the four pixels nearest to the sample point
within the bitmap.
Mip Map Sample Averages bitmap pixels using the mip methoda
pyramidal average based on square sample areas.

File Output Configuration Dialog Box

Controls the saved file type and color screen resolution information. The File
Output Configuration dialog box is displayed when you choose More
Options under Destination in the Rendering Preferences dialog boxs (see
page 841).

850 | RPREF
File Type
Specifies the output file type and rendering resolution. AutoCAD supports
BMP, TGA, PCX, SUN, FITS, PostScript, TIFF, FAX G III, and IFF file formats.
Screen resolution is a function of the number of pixels displayed. The resolu-
tion is inversely related to the displayed pixel size; that is, the greater the
screen resolution, the smaller the pixels, given the same screen size. You can
select a resolution from the list or enter values in X and Y.
Aspect Ratio Sets the aspect (width to height) ratio in the output file.
This option is available only when User Defined
resolution is selected.

Colors
Sets colors in the output file.

TGA Options
Controls the file compression, scan line direction, and interlacing.
Compressed Turns on compression for the file types that support it.
Bottom Up Sets the scan line start point to bottom left instead of
top left.
Interlace Controls line interlacing. None turns off line
interlacing; 2 to 1 and 4 to 1 turn on line interlacing.

RPREF | 851
 PostScript Options
Controls options for PostScript files.
Landscape, Specifies the orientation of the file.
Portrait
Auto Automatically scales the image.
Image Size Uses the explicit image size.
Custom Sets the image size in pixels.

RSCRIPT
Repeats a script file
RSCRIPT is useful for demonstrations that repeat a script; for example, a script
that must run over and over during a trade show or in a showroom.
If RSCRIPT is the last line in a script file, the file runs continuously until inter-
rupted by ESC .

Note Consider turning off UNDO and any log files if you anticipate running the
script over a long period; otherwise, these log files continue to grow and take up
increasing amounts of disk space.

RULESURF
Creates a ruled surface between two curves
RULESURF constructs a polygon mesh representing the ruled surface between
two curves.

Surfaces toolbar:
Draw menu: Surfaces Ruled Surface
Command line: rulesurf

Current wire frame density: SURFTAB1=current

Select first defining curve:
Select second defining curve:

852 | RSCRIPT
 The objects you select define the edges of the ruled surface. The objects can
be points, lines, splines, circles, arcs, or polylines. If one of the boundaries is
closed, then the other boundary must also be closed. You can use a point as
the other boundary for either an open or a closed curve, but only one of the
boundary curves can be a point. The 0,0 vertex is the endpoint of each curve
nearest the point you used to select that curve.
For closed curves, the selection does not matter. If the curve is a circle, the
ruled surface begins at the 0-degree quadrant point, as determined by the cur-
rent X axis plus the current value of the SNAPANG system variable. For closed
polylines, the ruled surface starts at the last vertex and proceeds backward
along the segments of the polyline. Creating a ruled surface between a circle
and a closed polyline can be confusing. Substituting a closed semicircular
polyline for the circle might be preferable.
The ruled surface is constructed as a 2 N polygon mesh. RULESURF places
half the mesh vertices at equal intervals along one defining curve, and the
other half at equal intervals along the other curve. The number of intervals
is specified by the SURFTAB1 system variable. It is the same for each curve;
therefore, the distance between the vertices along the two curves differs if the
curves are of different lengths.
The N direction of the mesh is along the boundary curves. If both boundaries
examples of
ruled surfaces are closed, or if one is closed and the other is a point, the resulting polygon
mesh is closed in the N direction and N equals SURFTAB1. If both boundaries
are open, N equals SURFTAB1 + 1, because division of a curve into n parts
requires n + 1 tabulations.
Selecting objects at the same ends creates a polygon mesh.

Selecting objects at opposite ends creates a self-intersecting polygon mesh.

RULESURF | 853
854
SAVE
Saves the drawing under the current file name or a specified name
Command line: save

The Save Drawing As dialog box (a standard file selection dialog box) is dis-
played. Save the drawing under the current file name, or enter a different file
name to save a copy of the drawing under that name.
See Standard File Selection Dialog Boxes on page 609 for a description of
the options in this dialog box.
SAVE is available only from the command line. The Save option on the File
menu or on the Standard toolbar is QSAVE. If the drawing is named, QSAVE
saves the drawing without displaying the Save Drawing As dialog box. If the
drawing is unnamed, AutoCAD displays the Save Drawing As dialog box.
Enter a file name to both name and save the drawing.

SAVEAS
Saves a copy of the current drawing under a new file name
File menu: Save As
Command line: saveas

The Save Drawing As standard file selection dialog box is displayed (see page
609). Enter a file name and type. Saving a drawing to any DXF format affects
performance. Set the Save As option to AutoCAD 2004 Drawing to optimize
performance while saving.

Note AutoCAD 2000 is the drawing file format used by the AutoCAD 2000,
AutoCAD 2000i, and AutoCAD 2002 releases.

See Save to Earlier Versions on page 856 for a description of the limitations
that result from saving to an earlier version.
In the Save Drawing As dialog box, Tools Options displays the Saveas
Options dialog box (see page 857), which controls various DWG and DXF
settings.

SAVE | 855
 The file is saved with the specified file name. If the drawing is already named,
the drawing is saved with the new file name. If you save the file as a drawing
template, the Template Description dialog box (see page 856) is displayed,
where you can provide a description for the template and set the units of
measurement.
When FILEDIA is set to 0 (zero), SAVEAS displays prompts on the command
line (see page 859).

Save to Earlier Versions

Saving a drawing in Release 2000/LT 2000 format is subject to the following
limitations:

File size can increase.

Encryption and digital signatures are not preserved.

Saving a drawing in Release 12/LT 2 DXF format is subject to the following

limitations:

Lightweight polylines and hatch patterns are converted to Release 12

polylines and hatch patterns.
All solids, bodies, regions, ellipses, leaders, multilines, rays, tolerances,
and xlines are converted to lines, arcs, and circles as appropriate.
Groups, complex linetypes, OLE objects, and preview images are not
displayed.
Many objects are lost if you save a drawing as Release 12 and open it later
in AutoCAD 2000 or later.
Multiple layouts and layout names are lost. Only the Model tab and the
current layout tab are saved.
Spaces in the names of layers and other objects are converted to under-
scores and their maximum length is 32 characters.
The status of external references as unloaded is lost.

Template Description Dialog Box

Sets drawing template options.
Description Specifies a description for the drawing template. This
description is displayed when you choose the template
in the Startup dialog box or in the Create New Drawing
dialog box (see page 595).
Measurement Specifies whether the drawing template uses English or
metric units.

856 | SAVEAS
Saveas Options Dialog Box
Sets options for DWG files and for drawing interchange file output.

DWG Options Tab (Saveas Options Dialog Box)

Controls the drawing index and display of custom objects and specifies the
default file format for saving drawings.

Save Proxy Images of Custom Objects

If you save to an earlier drawing file type, or the drawing contains custom
objects from another application, you can select Save Proxy Images of Cus-
tom Objects. AutoCAD saves images of the custom objects in the drawing
file. If you do not choose this option, AutoCAD saves a frame for each custom
object in the drawing file.
The Save Proxy Images option sets the PROXYGRAPHICS system variable.
Index Type
Determines whether AutoCAD creates layer or spatial indexes when you save
a drawing. AutoCAD uses the indexes to improve performance during
demand loading. Using indexes may slightly increase the time required to
save a drawing. If a partially open drawing does not already contain spatial
and layer indexes, this option is not available.
None Creates neither layer nor spatial indexes when you save
a drawing.
Layer Loads only layers that are on and thawed.
Spatial Loads only the portion of the drawing within a clipped
boundary.
Layer & Spatial Optimizes performance by specifying that AutoCAD
loads only layers that are on, thawed, and within a
clipped boundary area.

SAVEAS | 857
 Save All Drawings As
Specifies the default file format that drawings are saved to. If you change the
specified value, all subsequent uses of SAVE and QSAVE save the drawing to
the new file format. You can also set this option on the Open and Save tab in
the Options dialog box (see OPTIONS). Set the Save As option to AutoCAD
2004 Drawing to optimize performance while saving.

DXF Options Tab (Saveas Options Dialog Box)

Sets drawing interchange file output options.

Format Specifies whether AutoCAD creates an ASCII or binary

DXF file. ASCII-format DXF files can be read with a text
editor and are compatible with a wider range of
applications. Binary-format DXF files contain all of the
information of an ASCII DXF file but in a more compact
form. You can read and write to binary-format files
faster than to ASCII-format files.
For more information about DXF files, see the DXF
Reference in the Help system.
Select Objects Controls whether the DXF file consists of selected
objects or the entire drawing. When you select this
option, the output file includes only selected objects
and the block reference portions of any included
blocks. The output file does not include the block
definition tables.
Save Thumbnail Specifies whether an image of the drawing is displayed
Preview Image in the Preview area of the Select File dialog box. Save
Thumbnail Preview Image is also controlled by the
RASTERPREVIEW system variable.

858 | SAVEAS
 Decimal Places of Saves the file using the specified number of bits of
Accuracy precision.
The default precision is adequate in most cases;
however, you might need to increase this value for
certain drawings and for certain applications. If you
encounter problems loading a DXF file you create, try
increasing the precision. The only disadvantage of
higher precision is increased file size. Lower precision is
useful for specialized purposes but is not recommended
in general.

SAVEAS Command Line

When FILEDIA is set to 0 (zero), SAVEAS displays the following prompts on the
command line.
Current file format: current
Enter file format [2000(LT2000)/2004/Standards/DXF/Template] <2004>:
Enter an option or press ENTER
Save drawing as <current>: Enter a name or press ENTER

SAVEIMG
Saves a rendered image to a file
SAVEIMG is not available if the current rendering device does not support
scan-line images.
Tools menu: Display Image Save
Command line: saveimg

AutoCAD displays the Save Image dialog box.

Save Image Dialog Box

Defines the format and position of a rendered image.

SAVEIMG | 859
 Format
Specifies the file format of the rendered image.
BMP Saves in device-independent bitmap format. Image files
are saved as either 8 or 32 bits per pixel (bpp) depending
on the operating system (OS) video color depth setting.
TGA Saves in compressed or uncompressed 32-bit RGBA
TrueVision v2.0 format. TGA is also known as Targa
format. Image files are saved as either 8 or 32 bits per
pixel (bpp) depending on the operating system (OS)
video color depth setting.
TIFF Saves in compressed and uncompressed 32-bit RGBA
tagged image file format. Image files are saved as either
8 or 32 bits per pixel (bpp) depending on the operating
system (OS) video color depth setting.
Options Displays the TGA Options dialog box (see page 862) if
TGA format is selected. Displays the TIFF Options
dialog box (see page 862) if TIFF format is selected.

Portion
Specifies the portion of the image to be rendered.
Specify lower-left and upper-right points to define the image selection area.
If you use the pointing device, the selection is reflected in X and Y under Off-
set and Size.

860 | SAVEIMG
 default XY size

XY size measured (in pixels)

from the offset position

nonzero offset position image selection area

full display area

0,0 default offset position

Offset and Size

Specifies a partial image in pixels.
Only positive values are allowed. The lower-left corner of the image is 0 pix-
els in X and Y. The upper-right corner of the image is the maximum number
of pixels in X and Y, which depends upon the resolution of the display area.
If you specify size before offset, you can get results that you dont expect. The
most predictable way to define size and offset is to specify offset first.
Offset Defines the lower-left XY position of the image
selection area. The default is 0,0.
When you specify a nonzero offset, the number of
pixels in Size can change to reflect the remaining
number of pixels to the upper-right corner of the
display area.
Size Defines the upper-right XY position of the image
selection area. The default is the upper-right corner of
the display area.

default XY size

XY size measured (in pixels)

from the offset position

nonzero offset position image selection area

0,0 default offset position full display area

Reset
Resets the Offset and Size values to the full screen defaults. When configured
for rendering to a viewport, resets the Offset and Size values to the size that
corresponds to the option selected under Portion.

SAVEIMG | 861
 TGA Options Dialog Box
Specifies one of the following TGA image compression options.
None Uses no image compression.
RLE Uses run-length-encoded image compression.

TIFF Options Dialog Box

Specifies one of the following TIFF image compression options.
None Uses no image compression.
PACK Uses Macintosh packbits, run-length-encoded image
compression.

SCALE
Enlarges or reduces selected objects proportionally in the X, Y, and Z directions

Modify toolbar:
Modify menu: Scale
Shortcut menu: Select the objects to scale, right-click in the drawing area,
and choose Scale.
Command line: scale

Select objects: Use an object selection method and press ENTER when you finish
Specify base point: Specify a point (1)

The base point you specify identifies the point that remains in the same
location as the selected objects change size (and thus move away from the
stationary base point). Drag the cursor to make the image larger or smaller.

1
object selected

Specify scale factor or [Reference]: Specify a scale or enter r

Scale Factor Multiplies the dimensions of the selected objects by the

specified scale. A scale factor greater than 1 enlarges the
objects. A scale factor between 0 and 1 shrinks the
objects.

862 | SCALE
 scale factor = .5 scale factor = 2

Reference Scales the selected objects based on a reference length

and a specified new length.
Specify reference length <1>: Specify a distance or press
ENTER
Specify new length: Specify a distance

If the new length is longer than the reference length,

the objects are enlarged.

2
1 3

reference length new length result

SCALETEXT
Enlarges or reduces selected text objects without changing their locations

Text toolbar:
Modify menu: Object Text Scale
Command line: scaletext

Select objects: Use an object selection method, and press ENTER when you finish
Enter a base point option for scaling [Existing/Align/Fit/Center/Middle/Right/TL/
TC/TR/ML/MC/MR/BL/BC/BR]<Existing>: Specify a location to serve as a base
point for scaling

With the base point prompt, you choose one of several locations to serve as
base points for scaling, which is used individually for each selected text
object. The base point for scaling is established on one of several insertion
point locations for text options, but even though the options are the same as
when you choose an insertion point, the justification of the text objects is
not affected.

SCALETEXT | 863
 The base point options shown above are decribed in the TEXT command. The
base point options for single line text are similar to those for multiline text
except that the Align, Fit, and Left text options are equivalent to the bottom
left (BL) multiline text attachment point.
Specify text height or [Match Object/Scale Factor]<0.5000>: Specify a text
height or enter an option

Match Object
Scales the text objects that you originally selected to match the size of a
selected text object.
Select a text object with the desired height: Select a text object to match

Scale Factor
Scales the selected text objects based on a reference length and a specified
new length.
Specify scale factor or [Reference]: Specify a scale factor or enter r

Scale Factor Scales the selected text objects using the numeric scale
factor that you enter.
Reference Scales the selected text objects relative to a reference
length and a new length.
Specify reference length <1>: Enter a length to serve as a
reference distance
Specify new length: Enter another length in comparison to
the reference length

The selected text is scaled by a ratio of the values that

you entered for the new length and the reference
length. If the new length is less than the reference
length, the selected text objects are reduced in size.

SCENE
Manages scenes in model space
A scene represents a particular view of all or any portion of the drawing, with
or without lights. A drawing can have an unlimited number of scenes.

Render toolbar:

864 | SCENE
View menu: Render Scene
Command line: scene

AutoCAD displays the Scenes dialog box.

Scenes Dialog Box

Controls the scenes in model space.

Scenes Lists all the scenes in the current drawing.

NONE is the default and includes the current view in the
active viewport and all lights in the drawing. If there are
no lights in the drawing and NONE is selected,
AutoCAD assumes a default over-the-shoulder distant
light source with an intensity of 1 and an ambient light
intensity of 0.
New Displays the New Scene dialog box.
Modify Displays the Modify Scene dialog box (see page 866).
Delete Deletes the selected scene from the drawing.

New Scene Dialog Box

Adds a new scene to the current drawing.

Scene Name Specifies the name of the new scene.

Views Lists model space views in the drawing. The current
view is highlighted. Selecting another view makes it the
new view of the scene. You can have only one view in a
scene.

SCENE | 865
 Lights Lists lights in the drawing. You can select one or more
lights.
Selecting a light that is not already selected adds that
light to the scene (use the CTRL key to select multiple
lights). Selecting a light that is already selected removes
that light from the scene. If you remove all lights from
a scene, AutoCAD assumes a default over-the-
shoulder distant light. Removing a light from a scene
does not delete it from the drawing.

Modify Scene Dialog Box

Changes the scene name and view and adds or deletes lights in the scene.

Scene Name Changes the name of the scene.

Views Lists model space views in the drawing. The view in the
current scene is highlighted. Selecting another view
makes it the new view of the scene. You can have only
one view in a scene.
Lights Lists lights in the drawing. You can select one or more
lights.
Selecting a light that is not already selected adds that
light to the scene (use the CTRL key to select multiple
lights). Selecting a light that is already selected removes
that light from the scene. If you remove all lights from
a scene, AutoCAD assumes a default over-the-
shoulder distant light. Removing a light from a scene
does not delete it from the drawing.

866 | SCENE
SCRIPT
Executes a sequence of commands from a script file
Tools menu: Run Script
Command line: script (or 'script for transparent use)

AutoCAD displays the Select Script File dialog box (a standard file selection
dialog box). Enter the file name of a script to run that script.
When FILEDIA is set to 0 (zero), SCRIPT displays the following prompt on the
command line.
Enter script file name <current>:

SECTION
Uses the intersection of a plane and solids to create a region
AutoCAD creates regions on the current layer and inserts them at the loca-
tion of the cross section. Selecting several solids creates separate regions for
each solid.

Solids toolbar:
Draw menu: Solids Section
Command line: section

Select objects: Use an object selection method and press ENTER when you finish
Specify first point on Section plane by [Object/Zaxis/View/XY/YZ/ZX]
<3points>: Specify a point or enter an option

First Point, Uses three points to define the sectioning plane. After
3 Points you specify the first point, AutoCAD displays the
following prompts:
Specify second point on plane: Specify a point (2)
Specify third point on plane: Specify a point (3)

3
2
1

SCRIPT | 867
 Object Aligns the sectioning plane with a circle, ellipse,
circular or elliptical arc, 2D spline, or 2D polyline
segment.
Select a circle, ellipse, arc, 2D-spline, or 2D-polyline:

select
object

Z Axis Defines the sectioning plane by specifying a point on

the sectioning plane and another point on the planes
Z axis, or normal.
Specify a point on the section plane: Specify a point (1)
Specify a point on the Z-axis (normal) of the plane:
Specify a point (2)

1
normal 1
2 2
cutting
plane

side view

View Aligns the sectioning plane with the current viewports

viewing plane. Specifying a point defines the location
of the sectioning plane.
Specify a point on the current view plane <0,0,0>:
Specify a point (1) or press ENTER

XY Aligns the sectioning plane with the XY plane of the

current UCS. Specifying a point defines the location of
the sectioning plane.
Specify a point on the XY-plane <0,0,0>: Specify a point
(1) or press ENTER

868 | SECTION
 1

YZ Aligns the sectioning plane with the YZ plane of the

current UCS. Specifying a point defines the location of
the sectioning plane.
Specify a point on the YZ-plane <0,0,0>: Specify a point
(1) or press ENTER

ZX Aligns the sectioning plane with the ZX plane of the

current UCS. Specifying a point defines the location of
the sectioning plane.
Specify a point on the ZX-plane <0,0,0>: Specify a point
(1) or press ENTER

SECURITYOPTIONS
Controls security settings using the Security Options dialog box
Command line: securityoptions

The Security Options dialog box is displayed. You can add security settings
that are applied when you save the drawing.

Security Options Dialog Box

Specifies security settings to be used when your drawing is saved.

SECURITYOPTIONS | 869
 Password Tab (Security Options Dialog Box)
Adds a password to a drawing when the drawing is saved.

Password or Adds, changes, or removes a password the next time the

Phrase to Open drawing is saved. If you add or change the password,
This Drawing the Confirm Password dialog box is displayed. If you
lose the password, it is not recoverable. Before you add
a password, you should create a backup that is not
protected with a password.
Encrypt Drawing Encrypts drawing properties, so a password is required
Properties to view them. Drawing properties are details that help
you identify the drawing, including title, author,
subject, keywords that identify the model, or other
important information.
Current Specifies the default encryption level supplied by your
Encryption Type operating system, unless you choose an advanced level
by clicking the Advanced Options button.
Advanced Opens the Advanced Options dialog box, where you
Options can choose an encryption provider and key length.
Digital Signature Tab (Security Options Dialog Box)
Adds a digital signature to a drawing when the drawing is saved.

870 | SECURITYOPTIONS
Attach Digital Attaches a digital signature to a drawing when the
Signatures After drawing is saved.
Saving Drawing
Select a Digital ID Displays a list of digital IDs that you can use to sign
(Certificate) files. Includes information about the organization or
individual to whom the digital ID was issued, the digital
ID vendor who issued the digital ID, and when the
digital ID expires.
Signature Provides a list of time services you can use to add a time
Information stamp to your digital signature, the status of the time
server connection, and a Comments area (to include
information relevant to the digital signature or to the
files you are signing).
Get Time Stamp Provides a list of time servers you can use to time stamp
From your digital signature.
Time Service Displays the connection status (Successfully Contacted
Status Time Server or Could Not Contact Time Server) of the
time service.
Comment Provides a place for comments about the digital
signature or the files you are signing.

SECURITYOPTIONS | 871
 Confirm Password Dialog Box
Confirms the password entered in the Security Options dialog box that is
added or changed the next time the drawing is saved.

Warning! If you lose the password, it is not recoverable. Before you add a
password, you should create a backup that is not protected with a password.

Advanced Options Dialog Box

Selects an encryption provider and key length for drawings that you protect
with a password.
Choose an Sets a level of encryption for a drawing. You can choose
Encryption from encryption providers supplied by your operating
Provider system.
Choose a Key Sets a key length. The higher the key length, the higher
Length the level of protection for your drawing.

SELECT
Places selected objects in the Previous selection set
Command line: select

object selection Select objects: Use an object selection method

target
A small box, called the object selection target, replaces the crosshairs on the
graphics cursor.
AutoCAD requires that objects be selected in order to be processed. The Select
Objects prompt occurs after many commands, including the SELECT com-
mand itself.
You can select objects individually with the pointing device, by drawing a
selection window around them, by entering coordinates, or by using one of
the selection methods listed below. These methods can be used to select
objects regardless of the command that initiated the Select Objects prompt.
To view all options, enter ? on the command line.

872 | SELECT
 Expects a point or
Window/Last/Crossing/BOX/ALL/Fence/WPolygon/CPolygon/Group/Add/
Remove/Multiple/Previous/Undo/AUto/SIngle
Select objects: Specify a point or enter an option

2 Window Selects all objects completely inside a rectangle defined

by two points. Specifying the corners from left to right
creates a window selection. (Specifying the corners
from right to left creates a crossing selection.)
1 Specify first corner: Specify a point (1)
window selection Specify opposite corner: Specify a point (2)

Last Selects the most recently created visible object.

Crossing Selects objects within and crossing an area defined by
1 two points. A crossing selection is displayed as dashed
or otherwise highlighted to differentiate it from
window selection. Specifying the corners from right to
left creates a crossing selection. (Specifying the corners
from left to right creates a window selection.)
2
First corner: Specify a point (1)
crossing selection
Other corner: Specify a point (2)

Box Selects all objects inside or crossing a rectangle specified

by two points. If the rectangles points are specified
from right to left, Box is equivalent to Crossing.
Otherwise, Box is equivalent to Window.
Specify first corner: Specify a point
Specify opposite corner: Specify a point
select all
All Selects all objects on thawed layers.
Fence Selects all objects crossing a selection fence. The Fence
method is similar to CPolygon except that AutoCAD
does not close the fence, and a fence can cross itself.
Fence is not affected by the PICKADD system variable.
First fence point: Specify a point
Specify endpoint of line or [Undo]: Specify a point or enter
u to undo the last point
fence selection

SELECT | 873
 WPolygon Selects objects completely inside a polygon defined by
points. The polygon can be any shape but cannot cross
or touch itself. AutoCAD draws the last segment of the
polygon so that it is closed at all times. WPolygon is not
affected by the PICKADD system variable.
First polygon point: Specify a point
Specify endpoint of line or [Undo]: Specify a point or enter
WPolygon selection
u to undo the last point

CPolygon Selects objects within and crossing a polygon defined

by specifying points. The polygon can be any shape but
cannot cross or touch itself. AutoCAD draws the last
segment of the polygon so that it is closed at all times.
CPolygon is not affected by the PICKADD system
variable.
First polygon point: Specify a point
CPolygon selection Specify endpoint of line or [Undo]: Specify a point or enter
u to undo the last point

Group Selects all objects within a specified group.

Enter group name: Enter a name list

selected object Add Switches to the Add method: selected objects can be
to add added to the selection set by using any of the object
selection methods. Auto and Add are the default
methods.
Remove Switches to the Remove method: objects can be
removed from the current selection set using any object
selection method. An alternative to Remove mode is to
hold down SHIFT while selecting single objects or use
the Automatic option.
Multiple Specifies multiple points without highlighting the
objects, thus speeding up the selection process for
complex objects. The Multiple method also selects two
intersecting objects if the intersection point is specified
twice.

874 | SELECT
 Previous Selects the most recent selection set. The Previous
selection set is cleared by operations that delete objects
from the drawing.
AutoCAD keeps track of whether each selection set was
specified in model space or paper space. The Previous
selection set is ignored if you switch spaces.
Undo Cancels the selection of the object most recently added
to the selection set.
Auto Switches to automatic selection: pointing to an object
selects the object. Pointing to a blank area inside or
outside an object forms the first corner of a box defined
by the Box method. Auto and Add are the default
methods.
Single Switches to the Single method: selects the first object or
set of objects designated rather than continuing to
prompt for further selections.

SETIDROPHANDLER
Specifies the default type of i-drop content for the current Autodesk application
Command line: setidrophandler

The SETIDROPHANDLER command displays the Set Default i-drop Content

Type dialog box, where you set the default type of i-drop content for the
Autodesk application you are currently working in. This setting determines
the type of content that is inserted into your drawing when you drag a rep-
resentative i-drop content image from the Web into your drawing.

Set Default i-drop Content Type Dialog Box

With the Set Default i-drop Content Type dialog box, you can specify the
default type of i-drop content from a list of available content types for
installed Autodesk products that provide this i-drop functionality. The
default content type determines the type of content that is inserted in your
drawing.
For example, if you select Block, when you drag a representative i-drop con-
tent image from a web page, the inserted content is an AutoCAD block.

SETIDROPHANDLER | 875
SETUV
Maps materials onto objects
Render toolbar:
View menu: Render Mapping
Command line: setuv

Select objects: Select the objects to which you want to assign mapping coordinates

AutoCAD displays the Mapping dialog box.

Mapping Dialog Box

Defines how materials are mapped onto objects.

The mapping coordinates that you assign in the Mapping dialog box apply
to the entire selection set and remain with it. When you move the geometry,
the mapping coordinates and other mapping attributes (such as bitmap
scaling) move with it.

Note An object with assigned mapping coordinates attempts to maintain the

orientation of the material that is attached to it when you modify the object
using MOVE, MIRROR, ROTATE, SCALE, or other editing commands. Therefore, it is
recommended that you assign mapping coordinates even if the default coordi-
nates do not alter the bitmap placement. Use mapping coordinates even when
the Fit to Object option is selected in the Adjust Material Bitmap Placement
dialog box in RMAT (see page 825).

876 | SETUV
To delete mapping coordinates assigned to an object, use the AutoLISP ver-
sion of the Render mapping option, as shown in the following example:
Command: (c:setuv "D" (ssget))
Select objects: Select the objects whose mapping you want to delete

Projection Specifies the type of projection: planar, cylindrical,

spherical, or solid. If the Fixed Scale option is selected
in the Adjust Material Bitmap Placement dialog box
(see page 825), you can only use planar projection. If
you select any other projection type, the material
reverts to the default Fit to Object bitmap placement
setting. Enter new values for the bitmap placement
offset and scale values in the Adjust Object Bitmap
Placement dialog box (see page 884).
Adjust Displays one of several dialog boxes used to adjust
Coordinates projection coordinates relative to the object. Which
dialog box is displayed depends on the projection
selected: planar, cylindrical, spherical, or solid. See
Adjust Planar Coordinates Dialog Box on page 878,
Adjust Cylindrical Coordinates Dialog Box on page
879, Adjust Spherical Coordinates Dialog Box on
page 881, and Adjust UVW Coordinates Dialog Box
on page 883.
Note If the Tile option is selected in the Adjust Object
Bitmap Placement dialog box (see page 884), the extents
of the projection geometry have no effect on projection.
This is true even though the Adjust Planar, Cylindrical, and
Spherical Coordinates dialog boxes represent the
projection systems by geometrybased either on the
extents of the current selection set or on points you specify
in the drawing area. They do not limit where the bitmap is
rendered, unless you select Crop in the Adjust Object
Bitmap Placement dialog box (see page 884).
Acquire From Temporarily closes the Mapping dialog box so that you
can select a single object in the AutoCAD drawing area.
The object already has mapping coordinates assigned to
itthese become the current mapping settings. After
you make the selection, AutoCAD displays the Mapping
dialog box again. You can choose OK immediately to
accept the acquired mapping coordinates as is or use
Adjust Coordinates to modify them further.

SETUV | 877
 Copy To Temporarily closes the Mapping dialog box so that you
can select any number of objects. When you finish
making the selection, AutoCAD displays the Mapping
dialog box. When you choose OK, the current mapping
coordinate settings are applied to the objects you
selected.
Preview Displays a bitmap image of the selected material and its
mapping coordinate. The Preview area displays a gray
image if a material is not attached.

Adjust Planar Coordinates Dialog Box

Specifies the plane used for projecting the bitmap onto the object.

Parallel Plane Specifies one of the three perpendicular reference

planes of the world coordinate system (WCS) or a plane
you specify by choosing Pick Points. If you select Picked
Plane and then choose OK without choosing Pick
Points, the XY plane of the WCS is used by default.
You must set the appropriate WCS plane when using
fixed-scale materials on objects using object mapping
coordinates to ensure that the bitmap placement scale,
offset, and rotation work in the correct plane regardless
of the UCS.

878 | SETUV
 Note If you choose Pick Points, and the points you select
correspond to one of the WCS planes, AutoCAD saves this
as the WCS plane. The next time you display the Adjust
Planar Coordinates dialog box, the option indicates the
WCS XY, XZ, or YZ plane (or axis) is selected instead of
Picked Plane (Picked Axis).
Center Position Shows a parallel projection of the objects mesh onto
the current parallel plane. It also shows the current
projection square in blue (the top of the projection
square is indicated by a small blue tick mark, and the
squares left edge is shown in green). You can move the
projection square by moving the scroll bars.
By default, the projection square is the smallest square
that can be drawn around the parallel projection of the
objects bounding box (its extents).
Preview Displays a bitmap image of the selected material and its
mapping coordinate. The Preview area displays a gray
image if a material is not attached.
Adjust Bitmap Displays the Adjust Object Bitmap Placement dialog
box (see page 884), in which you can adjust the
bitmaps offset and scaling.
Pick Points Temporarily closes the Adjust Planar Coordinates
dialog box so that you can specify a projection plane by
specifying points in the AutoCAD drawing area.
AutoCAD prompts you to specify three points: the
lower-left, lower-right, and upper-left corners of the
plane. After you specify these points, the Adjust Planar
Coordinates dialog box is redisplayed.
Offsets and Changes the X and Y offsets of the map. You can change
Rotations the rotation by using the scroll bar or entering a new
value.

Adjust Cylindrical Coordinates Dialog Box

Defines the axis of the cylindrical coordinate system and the wrap line for
the bitmap projection.

SETUV | 879
 Parallel Axis Specifies one of the three perpendicular axes of the
WCS or an axis you specify by choosing Pick Points. If
you select Picked Axis and then choose OK without
choosing Pick Points, the Z axis of the WCS is used by
default.
Note If you use Pick Points, and the points you select
correspond to one of the WCS axes, the next time you
display the Adjust Cylindrical Coordinates dialog box, the
option indicates the WCS Z, Y, or X axis (or plane) instead
of Picked Axis (Picked Plane).
Central Axis Shows a parallel projection of the selected objects
Position meshes on a plane perpendicular to the current axis. It
also shows the projection axis with a blue circle (the
center of the circle is the projection axis). A green radius
shows the wrap line. You can move the axis by using
the scroll bars.
By default, the axis is placed at the center of the
selection sets extents in both directions, with the base
of the cylinder at the minimum vertical extent and its
top at the maximum vertical extent. The wrap line is
placed toward minimum Zor minimum Y when the
Z axis is parallel to the cylindrical coordinate system
axis. (When you select the points for the cylinder, its
dimensions arent based on the extents.)

880 | SETUV
Preview Displays a bitmap image of the selected material and its
mapping coordinate. The Preview area displays a gray
image if a material is not attached.
Adjust Bitmap Displays the Adjust Object Bitmap Placement dialog
box (see page 884) for adjusting the bitmaps offset and
scaling.
Pick Points Temporarily closes the Adjust Cylindrical Coordinates
dialog box so that you can specify a projection cylinder
by specifying points in the AutoCAD drawing area.
AutoCAD prompts you to specify three points: the
center bottom of the mapping cylinder, the center top
of the cylinder, and the direction toward the seam
(wrap line). After you specify these points, the Adjust
Cylindrical Coordinates dialog box is redisplayed.
Offsets and Changes the X and Y offsets of the map. Changing the
Rotations rotation adjusts the position of the wrap line; you can
use the scroll bar or enter a value.

Adjust Spherical Coordinates Dialog Box

Defines the polar axis of the spherical coordinate system and the wrap line
for the bitmap projection.

SETUV | 881
 Parallel Axis Specifies one of the three perpendicular axes of the WCS
or an axis you specify by choosing Pick Points. If you
select Picked Axis and then choose OK without choosing
Pick Points, the Z axis of the WCS is used by default.
Note If you use Pick Points, but the points you select
correspond to one of the WCS axes, AutoCAD saves this as
the WCS axis. The next time you display the Adjust Spherical
Coordinates dialog box, the option indicates the WCS Z, Y,
or X axis (or plane) instead of Picked Axis (Picked Plane).
Polar Axis Shows a parallel projection of the objects mesh onto a
Position plane perpendicular to the current axis. It also shows the
projection axis with a blue circle (the center of the circle
is the projection axis). A green radius shows the wrap
line. You can move the axis by using the scroll bars.
By default, the axis is placed at the center of the extents
in all three directions, and the wrap line is placed toward
minimum Zor minimum Y when the Z axis is parallel
to the spherical coordinate system axis. (When you
specify the points for the sphere, its dimensions arent
based on the extents.)
Preview Displays a bitmap image of the selected material and its
mapping coordinate. The Preview area displays a gray
image if a material is not attached.
Adjust Bitmap Displays the Adjust Object Bitmap Placement dialog box
(see page 884) for adjusting the bitmaps offset and
scaling.
Pick Points Temporarily closes the Adjust Spherical Coordinates
dialog box so that you can specify a projection sphere by
specifying points in the AutoCAD drawing area.
AutoCAD prompts you to select three points: the center
of the mapping sphere, the radius of the sphere in the
direction of the spheres north pole, and the direction
toward the seam (wrap line). After you specify these
points, the Adjust Spherical Coordinates dialog box is
redisplayed.
Offsets and Changes the X and Y offsets of the map. You can change
Rotations the rotation by entering a new value or by using the
scroll bar.

882 | SETUV
Adjust UVW Coordinates Dialog Box
Adjusts the three coordinate values to shift a solid, 3D material: marble,
granite, or wood.

Unlike the other Adjust Coordinates dialog boxes, this dialog box doesnt
show a map position. Choose Preview to see the effect of shifting a 3D
material.
U, V, W Scales Sets the 3D projection coordinates.
Pick Points Temporarily closes the dialog box so that you can specify
the 3D projection by specifying points in the AutoCAD
drawing area. AutoCAD prompts you to specify four
points: the origin and the three axes (U, V, and W). After
you specify these points, the Adjust UVW Coordinates
dialog box is redisplayed.
Maintain Aspect Maintains the aspect ratio of the solid material by
Ratio locking the three axis values together. When you change
one axis, the other two change accordingly.
When this option is cleared, you can skew the solid
material by entering disparate values for the axes. The
effect is most noticeable on materials with veins or grain,
such as marble or wood.
Preview Displays a bitmap image of the selected material and its
mapping coordinate. The Preview area displays a gray
image if a material is not attached.

SETUV | 883
 Adjust Object Bitmap Placement Dialog Box
Adjusts the placement of materials on the objects.
In the upper-left part of the dialog box is a diagram that changes as you
change the bitmap placement values. The diagram shows a projection rect-
angle in red. By default, the projection rectangle represents the extents of an
object or selection set of objects; however, if youve specified points to define
the mapping geometry, the projection rectangle is based on your points and
not on the selected objects extents. The diagram also shows the bitmap as
another rectangle: its top and left edges are drawn in white, and its right and
bottom edges are drawn in magenta. When this dialog box is first displayed,
the two squares are the same size. As this implies, the default mapping scale
is 1:1.
The bitmap adjustments you make in this dialog box are combined with the
bitmap adjustments for the material itself. The offset is added, and the scale
is multiplied. For example, if you set the U scale to 2 for the material and to
3 in this dialog box, the rendering is scaled 6:1 in the U dimension.

Offset and Scale

Changes the origin of the bitmap relative to the origin of the UV projection
coordinates. Offset values can range from 1 to 1 in either dimension (U or
V). Adjust the offset by using the two scroll bars to the right and below the
diagram (enclosed by the outer box, labeled Offset) or by entering a value in
Offset U and Offset V. The bitmap rectangle moves to reflect the new offset.
If Tile is selected and you change the offset so that the bitmap rectangle
appears outside the projection rectangle, the bitmap is still applied to the

884 | SETUV
object when you render it. (During tiling, the offset acts as a displacement,
not an absolute position.) However, if Crop is selected, the bitmap is ren-
dered only where you place it, as indicated by the diagram; so if the diagram
shows the bitmap outside the projection rectangle, the bitmap does not
appear in a rendering.
The bitmap scale is the number of times the bitmap fits onto the object in
the U or V direction. Adjust the bitmap scaling by using the two scroll bars
to the left and above the diagram (enclosed by the inner box, labeled Scale)
or by entering a value in the Scale U and Scale V boxes. The dimensions of
the bitmap rectangle change to reflect the new scaling.

Maintain Aspect Ratio

Maintain Aspect Ratio locks the U and V scaling dimensions together. When
Maintain Aspect Ratio is turned on, moving one scroll bar moves the other,
and a value you enter in the Scale U or Scale V box changes the other.

Tiling
With the following options, you can control how the bitmap is tiled:
Default The default tiling is the tiling set for the material as a
wholeeither Tile or Crop.
Tile When this option is selected (the default), the bitmap is
tiled.
Crop Does not tile the bitmap. Outside the bitmap area, the
object or objects are rendered with the material colors.
The upper-left corner pixel of a bitmap defines the
bitmap key color. This color behaves as if it were
transparent when you render in cropped mode: all
pixels that have the same color as the upper-left pixel
are rendered with the underlying color of the object
material.
If you want to render a cropped pattern that is
completely opaque, edit the bitmap so that the upper-
left corner pixel has a color used nowhere else in the
bitmapor, if the odd corner-pixel color shows in
rendering, surround the bitmap with a border one pixel
wide, using the unique color.

SETUV | 885
 With cropping turned on, a pixel in a bitmap renders
either as transparent or in its original color. To get a soft
matte, or feathered, effect at the edge of a decal, you
first need to create a soft edge in the decal bitmap itself
(against the key color), and then set the material main
(diffuse) and ambient colors to match the bitmap key
color.

SETVAR
Lists or changes the values of system variables
Tools menu: Inquiry Set Variable
Command line: setvar (or 'setvar for transparent use)

Enter variable name or [?] <current>: Enter a variable name, enter ?, or press
ENTER

Variable Name Specifies the name of the system variable you want to
set.
Enter new value for variable_name <current>: Enter a new
value or press ENTER

You can also change the value of system variables at the

Command prompt by entering the name of the variable
and its new value.
?List Variables Lists all system variables in the drawing and their
current settings.
Enter variable(s) to list <*>: Enter a wild-card pattern or
press ENTER

SHADEMODE
Controls the display of solid object shading in the current viewport
SHADEMODE provides shading and wireframe options for the objects in the
current viewport. You can edit shaded objects without regenerating the
drawing.

886 | SETVAR
You can display ambient, point, distant, and spot lights defined with the
LIGHT command in SHADEMODE. To display these lights, you must set SHADE-
MODE to Flat Shaded, Gouraud Shaded, Flat Shaded Edges On, or Gouraud
Shaded Edges On. The 2D Wireframe, 3D Wireframe, and Hidden SHADE-
MODE options do not display lights. To turn on lights, use the enable Lights
option in the 3D Graphics System Configuration dialog box (see page 848).
View menu: Shade
Command line: shademode

Enter option [2D wireframe/3D wireframe/Hidden/Flat/Gouraud/fLat+edges/

gOuraud+edges] <current>: Enter an option

2D Wireframe Displays the objects using lines and curves to represent

the boundaries. Raster and OLE objects, linetypes, and
lineweights are visible. Even if the value for the
COMPASS system variable is set to 1, it does not appear
in the 2D Wireframe view.
3D Wireframe Displays the objects using lines and curves to represent
the boundaries. Displays a shaded 3D UCS icon. You
can set the COMPASS system variable to 1 to view the
compass. Material colors that you have applied to the
objects are shown.
Hidden Displays the objects using 3D wireframe representation
and hides lines representing back faces.
Flat Shaded Shades the objects between the polygon faces. The
objects appear flatter and less smooth than Gouraud-
shaded objects. Materials that you have applied to the
objects show when the objects are flat shaded.
Gouraud Shaded Shades the objects and smooths the edges between
polygon faces. This gives the objects a smooth, realistic
appearance. Materials that you have applied to the
objects show when the objects are Gouraud shaded.
Flat Shaded, Combines the Flat Shaded and Wireframe options. The
Edges On objects are flat shaded with the wireframe showing
through.
Gouraud Shaded, Combines the Gouraud Shaded and Wireframe options.
Edges On The objects are Gouraud shaded with the wireframe
showing through.

SHADEMODE | 887
SHAPE
Inserts a shape
Before inserting a shape, you must load the file containing the shape you
want using the LOAD command.
Command line: shape

Enter shape name or [?]: Enter a name, or enter ?

Shape Name Loads the shape.

Specify insertion point:
Specify height <current>: Specify a height or press ENTER
Specify rotation angle <0>: Specify an angle or press
ENTER

If a shape belongs to an external reference (xref)

attached to the current drawing, AutoCAD identifies
the shape file as externally dependent. Externally
dependent shapes cannot be used in the current
drawing unless they are reloaded.
?List Shapes Lists shapes and the files in which the shapes are
defined. If you enter a question mark (?), AutoCAD
prompts:
Enter shape name(s) to list <*>: Enter a name list or press
ENTER

If you enter a name, AutoCAD lists the name of the file

in which the shape definition exists and ends SHAPE. If
you enter an asterisk (*), AutoCAD lists shape names
and ends SHAPE.

SHEETSET
Opens the Sheet Set Manager

Standard toolbar:
Tools Menu: Sheet Set Manager
Command line: sheetset

Displays the Sheet Set Manager.

888 | SHAPE
Sheet Set Manager
The Sheet Set Manager organizes, displays, and manages sheet sets, a named
collection of drawing sheets. Each sheet in a sheet set is a layout in a drawing
(DWG) file.
The top of the Sheet Set Manager window contains a list box, called the Sheet
List control, and several buttons. The buttons vary, depending on the selected
tab.
Sheet List Control
The Sheet List control displays the the name of the current sheet set, or, if no
sheet sets are open, the Open option. The Sheet List control provides the fol-
lowing options for all tabs:
Names of Open Lists all open sheet sets, if any. A check is displayed next
Sheet Sets to the current sheet set. The current sheet set is the
open sheet set that is displayed in the Sheet Set
Manager window.
Recent Displays a list of recently opened sheet sets.
New Sheet Set Starts the Create Sheet Set wizard.
Open Displays the Open Sheet Set standard file selection
dialog box.

Sheet List Tab

The Sheet List tab displays an ordered list of sheets. You can organize these
sheets under headings, called subsets, that you create.
This tab has the following buttons:
Publish to DWF
Publishes selected sheets or a sheet set to a specified DWF file. Automatically
uses settings specified in the PUBLISH command.
Publish
Displays a list of Publish options. The description for each option is listed in
alphabetical order under Shortcut Menu Options below.
Sheet Selections
Displays a menu where you can save, manage, and restore sheet selections by
name. This makes it easy to specify a group of sheets for a publish, transmit,
or archive operation. The description for each option is listed in alphabetical
order under Shortcut Menu Options below.
Details (at bottom of window)
Displays basic information about the currently selected sheet or subset.

SHEETSET | 889
 Preview (bottom of window)
Displays a thumbnail preview of the currently selected sheet.
Shortcut Menu Options
The following options are displayed on shortcut menus for the Sheet List tab.
For easier access, they are listed in alphabetical order. The options displayed
in each shortcut menu depend on context: in the tree view, if you right-click
the name of the sheet set, a different shortcut menu will display than if you
right-click the name of a subset or the name of a sheet.
Archive Displays the Archive a Sheet Set dialog box.
Close Sheet Set Closes the current sheet set, removing the sheet set
information displayed in the Sheet Set Manager
window.
New Sheet Displays the New Sheet dialog box.
Rename & Displays the Rename & Renumber Sheet dialog box.
Renumber
eTransmit Displays the Create Transmittal dialog box.
Import Layout as Displays the Import Layouts as Sheets dialog box.
Sheet
Include Plot Turns the plot stamp on or off for the selected sheet set,
Stamp subset, or sheet.
Plot Stamp Displays the Plot Stamp dialog box, in which you can
Settings specify the information, such as draing name and plot
scale, that you want applied to the plot stamp.
Insert Sheet List Displays the Insert Sheet List Table dialog box. Insert
Table Sheet List Table is available only on the sheet set shortcut
menu.
Manage Page Displays the Page Setup Manager dialog box.
Setups
New Subset Displays the Subset Properties dialog box, where you
can create a new sheet subset for organizing the sheets
in a sheet set.
Open Opens the drawing file of the selected sheet and
displays the layout.
Properties (Sheet When the sheet set node is selected, displays the Sheet
Set) Set Properties dialog box.

890 | SHEETSET
Properties When a subset node is selected, displays the Subset
(Subset) Properties dialog box. See New Subset.
Properties (Sheet) When a sheet node is selected, displays the Sheet
Properties dialog box.
Publish Displays the Publish dialog box.
Publish Using Automatically publishes the selected sheets using the
Page Setup selected page setup override rather than the page setup
Override specified in each drawing. The page setup overrides are
stored in a drawing template (DWT) file designated to
be the source of the page setup override information.
If this item is not available, it means that there are no
page setups specified, or that the DWT file is invalid or
missing. Use the Manage Page Setups item on the same
menu to determine the problem.
Plot Stamp Displays the Plot Stamp dialog box.
Settings
Publish to DWF Publishes the selected sheets or the sheet set to a
specified DWF file. Automatically uses settings specified
in the PUBLISH command.
Publish to Plotter Automatically publishes the selected sheets to the
default plotter or printer.
Resave All Sheets Updates the sheet set information saved with each
drawing in the current sheet set. Each drawing file in
the current sheet set is opened and resaved. Any
changes that were made are updated in the sheet set
data (DST) file.
All drawing files in the sheet set will be saved to the current
AutoCAD DWG file format. Drawing files saved in formats
earlier than the current AutoCAD DWG file format are
updated to the current format regardless of the SAVEAS
setting.
This operation is a background task and does not
display in AutoCAD.
Note In a network environment, make sure that all
drawing files in the current sheet set that are opened by
other users are closed before performing this operation.

SHEETSET | 891
 Remove Subset Removes the currently selected subset from the
organization of the sheet set.
Remove Sheet Removes the currently selected sheet from the sheet set.
Save Sheet Displays the New Sheet Selection dialog box.
Selection
Sheet Set Publish Displays the Sheet Set Publish Options dialog box. This
Options is the same as the Publish Options dialog, but is specific
to the current sheet set.
Transmittal Displays the Transmittal Setups dialog box.
Setups

View List Tab

The View List tab displays an ordered list of views used in the current sheet
set. You can organize these views under headings, called categories, that you
create.

Note Only sheet views created in AutoCAD 2005 or later are listed on the View
List tab.

This tab has the following buttons:

New View Category Button
Displays the View Category dialog box.
Shortcut Menu Options
The following options are displayed on shortcut menus for the View List tab.
For easier access, they are listed in alphabetical order. The options displayed
in each shortcut menu depend on context: if you right-click the sheet set, a
different shortcut menu will display than if you right-click a view category,
or a view.
New View Displays the View Category dialog box, in which you
Category can create a new view category to organize the views in
a sheet set.
Display Displays the selected view in the sheet in which it was
created. Opens the drawing file containing the sheet, if
the drawing file is not already open.
Place Callout Specifies and places a callout block onto a sheet.
Block
Place View Label Specifies and places a view label block onto a sheet.

892 | SHEETSET
Properties (Sheet Displays the Sheet Set Properties dialog box.
Set)
Properties (View Displays the View Category dialog box.
Category)
Rename Renames the selected sheet view category.
Rename & Displays the Rename and Renumber View dialog box
Renumber where you can renumber and retitle the selected sheet
view.

Resource Drawings Tab

The Resource Drawings tab displays a list of folders, drawing files, and model
space views available for the current sheet set. You can add and remove folder
locations to control which drawing files are associated with the current sheet
set.

Note After creating a named model space view, you must save the drawing to
add the view to the Resource Drawings tab.

This tab has the following buttons:

Refresh Button
Updates the list of drawing files listed in the tree view. The Refresh button
updates all information stored in the sheet set data (DST) file, checks all fold-
ers in every resource location for new or removed drawing files, and checks
all drawing files that are expanded for new or removed model space views.
Alternatively, when the focus is on the Resource Drawings tab, you can press
F5 to perform a refresh.
Add New Location Button
Displays the Browse for Folder standard file selection dialog box, in which
you can add a folder location to the sheet set.
Shortcut Menu Options
The following options are displayed on shortcut menus for the Resource
Drawings tab. For easier access, they are listed in alphabetical order. The
options displayed in each shortcut menu depend on context: if you right-
click a folder, a different shortcut menu will display than if you right-click a
drawing within a folder.
Add New Displays the Browse for Folder standard file selection
Location dialog box where you can add a folder location to the
sheet set.
eTransmit Displays the Create Transmittal dialog box.

SHEETSET | 893
 Open File Opens the selected drawing (DWG) file.
Place on Sheet Initiates a series of automated steps that creates and
places a view of the selected model onto the current
layout of the current drawing. These steps are

You are prompted to place the view on the layout.

Right-click to change the scale of the view before
placement
The selected model is attached as an xref in the
current drawing
A layout viewport is created on the current layout
A sheet view is created that corresponds with the
newly created layout viewport

Remove Location Removes the currently selected folder location from the
sheet set.
See Model Space Expands a list of named model space views.
Views

Subset Properties Dialog Box

Creates a new sheet subset in a sheet set. You can organize sheets by dragging
them to different subsets.

Subset Name Specifies the name of this subset.

Store New Sheet Specifies the folder location for all new drawing (DWG)
DWG Files In files containing sheets that are associated with this
subset. The Browse button displays the Browse for
Folder standard file selection dialog box.

894 | SHEETSET
Default New Specifies the drawing template (DWT) file and layout
Sheet Creation name that is used to create new drawing files for this
Template subset. The syntax for this property is
layoutname [folderpath\]filename.dwt
The Browse button displays the Select Layout as Sheet
Template dialog box.
Prompt for When checked, prompts you to specify a drawing
Template template file rather than use the default drawing
template file for creating new sheets.

Select Layout as Sheet Template Dialog Box

Specifies the folder path, drawing template (DWT) file, and layout name to
be used for creating new sheets.

Drawing Specifies the drawing template file path and name to be

Template File used for creating new sheets. The Browse button
Name displays the Select Drawing standard file selection
dialog box.
Select a Layout to Lists and specifies the name of the layout in the
Create New drawing template file to be used for new sheets.
Sheets

New Sheet Dialog Box

Creates a new sheet in the current sheet set by creating a new drawing (DWG)
file that includes a layout tab with the same name as the drawing.

SHEETSET | 895
 Number Specifies the sheet number.
Sheet Title Specifies the sheet title, which corresponds to an
identically named layout tab in the new drawing.
File Name Specifies the name of the new drawing file containing
the sheet. By default, the name of the drawing file is the
sheet number combined with the sheet title. You can
also change the drawing file name in this box.
Folder Path Displays the default folder for the new drawing file.
The default folder for a subset is specified in the Subset
Properties dialog box; and the default folder for a sheet
set is specified in the Sheet Set Properties dialog box.
Sheet Template Displays the default sheet template file used for creating
the new drawing file.
The default template file used for creating new
drawings in a subset is specified in the Subset Properties
dialog box; the default template file for creating new
drawings in a sheet set is specified in the Sheet Set
Properties dialog box.

Rename & Renumber Sheet Dialog Box

Specifies a sheet number, sheet title, and other properties for a sheet in a
sheet set.

896 | SHEETSET
Number Specifies the sheet number of the selected sheet.
Sheet Title Specifies the sheet title of the selected sheet.
File Name Displays the name of the drawing file associated with
the selected sheet.
Folder Path Displays the folder path for the drawing file.
Next Loads the next sheet into this dialog box. This provides
a convenient method for renumbering or retitling a
series of sheets.

Rename & Renumber View Dialog Box

Specifies a sheet number and view title for a view in a sheet set.

Number Specifies the sheet number of the selected view.

View Title Specifies the view title of the selected view.
Next Loads the next view into this dialog box. This provides
a convenient method for renumbering or retitling a
series of views.

Import Layouts as Sheets Dialog Box

Provides a method for quickly importing layouts into a sheet set, and speci-
fying which layout tab is to be used as the sheet.

SHEETSET | 897
 Note A layout can belong to only one sheet set. If a layout already belongs to
a sheet set, you must create a copy of the drawing containing the layout to
import it.

Select a Drawing Specifies the name of the drawing file. The Browse
File Containing button displays the Select Drawing standard file selection
Layouts dialog box.
Select Layouts to Lists all available layouts in the specified drawing file.
Import as Sheets
Prefix Sheet Titles When checked, automatically adds the drawing file
with File Name name to the beginning of the sheet title.

Insert Sheet List Table Dialog Box

Creates a table listing the sheets in the sheet set. This table can be added to
any sheet in the current sheet set, but it is typically added to the title sheet.

Note Insert Sheet List Table on the sheet set shortcut menu is not available if
the Model tab is active, or if the current layout is not a sheet in the current sheet
set.

898 | SHEETSET
Table Style Name Specifies the table style to be used for the table. The
Browse button displays the Table Style dialog box.
Table Style Displays a sample of the currently selected table style.
Sample Area
Show Subheader When checked, displays the names of the subsets,
dividing the sheet list table into sections.
Title Text Specifies the name of the title of the sheet list table.
Column Settings Displays a list of the column definitions in the sheet list
Area table. Each line in the list represents a column. The top-
to-bottom order of the list represents how the columns
will be displayed in the table (left to right).
Add Adds a sheet number column to the sheet list table.
Remove Removes the selected column from the sheet list table.
If you remove the sheet title column, you cannot add it
back and you must restart the command if you need to
restore the sheet title column.
Move Up Moves the selected column up in the column list and to
the left in the sheet list table.
Move Down Moves the selected column down in the column list
and to the right in the sheet list table.

SHEETSET | 899
 Sheet Set Properties Dialog Box
Displays information that is specific to the selected sheet set. This includes
information such as the path and file name of the sheet set data (DST) file,
the paths of the folders that contain the drawing files associated with the
sheet set, and any custom properties associated with the sheet set.

Edit Custom Displays the Sheet Set Custom Properties dialog box.
Properties

Sheet Set Custom Properties Dialog Box

Adds or removes custom properties associated with a sheet set.

900 | SHEETSET
Add Displays the Add Custom Property dialog box.
Delete Removes the selected custom property from the sheet
set.

Add Custom Property Dialog Box

Creates a custom property to be associated with the current sheet set or with
each sheet. Custom properties can be used to store information such as a con-
tract number, the name of the designer, and the release date.

Name Specifies the name of a new custom property.

Default Value Specifies a value for the custom property.
Owner Specifies whether the custom property belongs to the
sheet set or to a sheet.

SHEETSET | 901
 Resource Drawing Locations Dialog Box
Displays a list of folders that are available for the current sheet set. You can
add and remove folder locations to control which drawing files are available
for the current sheet set.

Add Displays the Browse for Folder standard file selection

dialog box, in which you can add a folder location to
the list.
Delete Removes the selected folder from the list.

Sheet Properties Dialog Box

Displays Displays information that is specific to the selected sheet, such as
the sheet title, sheet number, and whether it will be included in publishing
operations. Also displays custom properties, if any. You can enter a new value
to modify any available sheet property.

902 | SHEETSET
Sheet and Sheet Displays the properties of the selected sheet. Also
Custom displays custom properties, if any. You can enter a new
Properties value to modify any sheet property. The Expected
Location is the path and file name of the drawing where
the sheet was saved. The Found Location is the path
and file name of the drawing where the sheet was
found. If the paths are different, you can modify the
path and file name in Expected Location. This
operation reassociates the sheet with the sheet set.

New Sheet Selection Dialog Box

Saves a named selection of sheets for future operations. After you select sev-
eral sheets and then save the selection, you can restore the sheet selection by
name. This makes it easy to specify a set of sheets for a publish, transmit, or
archive operation.

SHEETSET | 903
 Enter the Sheet Specifies a name for the sheet selection.
Selection Name

Sheet Selection Dialog Box

Renames or deletes saved sheet selections.
Sheet Selections Specifies the sheet selection that you want to rename or
delete.
Rename Renames the selected sheet selection.
Delete Deletes the selected sheet selection. Only the sheet
selection is deleted. The sheets themselves are
unaffected.

View Category Dialog Box

Creates a new view category in a sheet set. You can organize views by drag-
ging them under different view categories.

904 | SHEETSET
Category Name Specifies the name of a new view category.
Select the Callout Provides a method for listing the callout blocks
Blocks to be Used appropriate to the current view category.
in this Category
Add Blocks Displays the List of Blocks dialog box.

List of Blocks Dialog Box

Lists, adds, or deletes callout blocks for use in the current sheet set.

SHEETSET | 905
 List of Blocks Displays the list of blocks available for use with the
current sheet set.
Add Displays the Select Block dialog box.
Delete Removes the selected block from the list of callout
blocks.

Select Block Dialog Box

Adds a new label block or callout blocks for use in the current sheet set.

Enter the Specifies the path and name of a drawing (DWG) file or
Drawing File the name and path of a drawing template (DWT) file to
Name be used as the source of a block definition.
Select the Uses the entire specified drawing file or drawing
Drawing File as a template file as the block definition.
Block
Choose Blocks in Uses a selected block definition from the specified
the Drawing File drawing file or drawing template file. When selecting
callout blocks, you can use SHIFT or CTRL to select
more than one block.

906 | SHEETSET
SHEETSETHIDE
Closes the Sheet Set Manager
Tools menu: Sheet Set Manager
Command line: sheetsethide

Closes the Sheet Set Manager window.

SHELL
Accesses operating system commands
Command line: shell

OS command: Enter an operating system command or press ENTER

With SHELL, you can execute operating system commands while remaining
in AutoCAD. When SHELL prompts you for an OS command, you can enter
most valid commands for your OS. When the command has been executed,
SHELL returns you to the AutoCAD prompt.

Pressing ENTER at the OS Command prompt displays the system prompt

with an extra close angle bracket (>). You can enter operating system com-
mands as if you were at the normal system prompt. Enter exit to return to
AutoCAD.

Warning! Do not use the SHELL command to delete lock files (file name
extension .??k) or temporary files (file name extensions .ac$ or .$a). Do not use
SHELL to run chkdsk, reset the serial I/O ports, or run external programs that
require disk swapping while editing a drawing stored on a floppy disk. Load
Terminate-and-Stay-Resident programs into memory before starting AutoCAD.

SHOWMAT
Lists the material type and attachment method for a selected object
Command line: showmat

Select object: Use an object selection method to select a single object

SHEETSETHIDE | 907
 Depending on the method used to attach a material to an object, SHOWMAT
reports with one of the following:
Material material name is explicitly attached to the object.
Material material name is attached by ACI to ACI color number.
Material material name is attached by layer to layer layer name.
Material *GLOBAL* is attached by default or by block.

Explicit attachment takes precedence over all other methods, and attach-
ment by ACI takes precedence over attachment by layer.

SIGVALIDATE
Displays information about the digital signature attached to a file
Command line: sigvalidate

The Validate Digital Signatures dialog box is displayed. Review the informa-
tion displayed in the dialog box, and click Close to view the signed file.

Validate Digital Signatures Dialog Box

Displays information about a digital signature. You can determine if a digital
signature is valid and if the signed file has been modified since it was signed.

Name
Displays the location and name of the file whose digital signature is being
viewed.
Digital Signature Status
Displays the status of the digital signature.

908 | SIGVALIDATE
File Status
Displays the status of the signed file.
View Base Signature
Displays the Digital Signature Contents dialog box. This option is available
only if the digital signature is valid and the file has not been modified since
it was signed.
Xref Drawings
Contains detailed information about any xrefs in the signed file.
View Xref Drawings
Displays the xref drawings contained in a files base drawing.
View Xref List
Contains a list of the xref drawings in a signed file. Displays the name, folder,
and status of the xref. This list is available only if the current file contains
xrefs and View Xref Drawings is selected.
View Xref Signature
Displays the Digital Signatures Contents dialog box for the selected xref. This
button is enabled only if the xref has a valid digital signature attached.

Digital Signature Contents Dialog Box

Displays information about a digital signature. You can determine if a digital
signature is valid and if the signed file has been modified since it was signed.
Name
Displays the location and name of the file whose digital signature is being
viewed.
Digital Signature Status
Displays the status of the digital signature.
File Status
Displays the status of the signed file.
Signed By
Displays the name of the organization or individual who attached a digital
signature to the current file.
Other Fields
Contains detailed information about the digital signature. You can choose to
display the following information in the Values box.

SIGVALIDATE | 909
 Subject Displays information about the organization or
individual who owns the digital ID and attached the
digital signature.
Issuer Displays the name of the certificate authority that
originally issued the digital ID.
Valid From Displays the day, month, year, and exact time from
which the digital ID can be first used and is considered
valid.
Valid To Displays the day, month, year, and exact time to which
the digital ID ceases to be valid.
Serial Number Displays the serial number assigned to the digital ID.
Values
Displays information about a digital signature based on the item you select
in the Other Fields list.
Comment
Displays any comments about the digital signature that is attached to the
current file.
Signature Date and Time
Displays the date and time that the digital signature was attached to the
current file. The date and time are based on the time service used when the
signature was attached.
Time Service Used
Displays the time service used to add the time stamp to the current file.
Skip Xref Warnings
Determines if the Digital Signature Contents dialog box is displayed for
signed xrefs. This check box is displayed only in the Digital Signature Con-
tents dialog box when a signed drawing is opened.

SKETCH
Creates a series of freehand line segments
Drawing with the SKETCH command controls a screen-based pen with a
pointing device. SKETCH is useful for entering map outlines, signatures, or
other freehand drawings. Sketched lines are not added to the drawing until
they are recorded. The standard digitizer tablet button menu is not available
while SKETCH is in progress. The following information is based on the
assumption that Tablet mode is on.

910 | SKETCH
 Command line: sketch

Record increment <current>: Specify a distance or press ENTER

The record increment value defines the length of the line segments. The
larger record pointing device must be moved a distance greater than the increment value
increment to generate a line.
AutoCAD captures sketching as a series of independent lines. Setting the
SKPOLY system variable to a nonzero value produces a polyline for each con-
tiguous sequence of sketched lines rather than multiple line objects.
Sketch. Pen eXit Quit Record Erase Connect. Enter an option or press a
smaller record
pointer button
increment
Pen (Pick Button) Raises and lowers the sketching pen. The pen must be
raised before you can select menu items with the
pointing device.
ExitENTER Records and reports the number of temporary lines
(button 3) sketched and ends the command.
Quit (button 4) Discards all temporary lines sketched since the start of
SKETCH or the last use of the Record option, and ends
the command.
Record (button 2) Records temporary lines as permanent and does not
change the pens position. Reports the number of lines
using the following prompt:
nnn lines recorded.

Erase (button 5) Erases any portion of a temporary line and raises the
pen if it is down.
Select end of delete.

Connect Lowers the pen to continue a sketch sequence from the

(button 6) endpoint of the last sketched line or last Erase.
Connect: Move to endpoint of line.

. (Period) Lowers the pen, draws a straight line from the endpoint
(button 1) of the last sketched line to the pens current location,
and returns the pen to the up position.

SKETCH | 911
SLICE
Slices a set of solids with a plane

Solids toolbar:
Draw menu: Solids Slice
Command line: slice

Select objects: Use an object selection method and press ENTER when you finish

AutoCAD ignores regions in the current selection set.

Specify first point on slicing plane by [Object/Zaxis/View/XY/YZ/ZX/3points]
<3points>: Specify a point, enter an option, or press ENTER

Object
Aligns the cutting plane with a circle, ellipse, circular or elliptical arc, 2D
spline, or 2D polyline segment.
Select a circle, ellipse, arc, 2D-spline, or 2D-polyline:

object cutting plane sliced object

You can retain both halves of the sliced solids or just the half you specify. The
sliced solids retain the layer and color properties of the original solids.
Specify a point on the desired side of the plane or [keep Both sides]: Specify a
point (1) or enter b

The descriptions of the Point on the Desired Side of the Plane and Keep Both
Sides options match the descriptions of the corresponding options under 3
Points (see page 915).

912 | SLICE
 Z Axis
Defines the cutting plane by specifying a point on the plane and another
point on the Z axis (normal) of the plane.
Specify a point on the section plane: Specify a point (1)
Specify a point on the Z-axis (normal) of the plane: Specify a point (2)

normal 1 1
2
cutting 2
plane

side view Z axis cutting plane sliced object

You can retain both halves of the sliced solids or just the half you specify. The
sliced solids retain the layer and color properties of the original solids.
Specify a point on the desired side of the plane or [keep Both sides]: Specify a
point (1) or enter b

The descriptions of the Point on the Desired Side of the Plane and Keep Both
Sides options match the descriptions of the corresponding options under 3
Points (see page 915).

View
Aligns the cutting plane with the current viewports viewing plane. Specify-
ing a point defines the location of the cutting plane.
Specify a point on the current view plane <0,0,0>: Specify a point (1) or press
ENTER

view cutting plane sliced object

You can retain both halves of the sliced solids or just the half you specify. The
sliced solids retain the layer and color properties of the original solids.
Specify a point on the desired side of the plane or [keep Both sides]: Specify a
point (1) or enter b

SLICE | 913
 The descriptions of the Point on the Desired Side of the Plane and Keep Both
Sides options match the descriptions of the corresponding options under 3
Points (see page 915).

XY
Aligns the cutting plane with the XY plane of the current user coordinate sys-
tem (UCS). Specifying a point defines the location of the cutting plane.
Specify a point on the XY-plane <0,0,0>: Specify a point (1) or press ENTER

XY cutting plane sliced object

You can retain both halves of the sliced solids or just the half you specify. The
sliced solids retain the layer and color properties of the original solids.
Specify a point on the desired side of the plane or [keep Both sides]: Specify a
point (1) or enter b

The descriptions of the Point on the Desired Side of the Plane and Keep Both
Sides options match the descriptions of the corresponding options under 3
Points (see page 915).

YZ
Aligns the cutting plane with the YZ plane of the current UCS. Specifying a
point defines the location of the cutting plane.
Specify a point on the YZ-plane <0,0,0>: Specify a point (1) or press ENTER

1
YZ cutting plane sliced object

914 | SLICE
 You can retain both halves of the sliced solids or just the half you specify. The
sliced solids retain the layer and color properties of the original solids.
Specify a point on the desired side of the plane or [keep Both sides]: Specify a
point (1) or enter b

The descriptions of the Point on the Desired Side of the Plane and Keep Both
Sides options match the descriptions of the corresponding options under 3
Points (see page 915).

ZX
Aligns the cutting plane with the ZX plane of the current UCS. Specifying a
point defines the location of the cutting plane.
Specify a point on the ZX-plane <0,0,0>: Specify a point (1) or press ENTER
Specify a point on the desired side of the plane or [keep Both sides]: Specify a
point or enter b

If AutoCAD slices a single solid into more than two objects, one solid is
created from the objects on one side of the plane and another solid is created
from the objects on the other side.

ZX cutting plane sliced object

You can retain both halves of the sliced solids or just the half you specify. The
sliced solids retain the layer and color properties of the original solids.

1 Specify a point on the desired side of the plane or [keep Both sides]: Specify a
point (1) or enter b

The descriptions of the Point on the Desired Side of the Plane and Keep Both
Sides options match the descriptions of the corresponding options under 3
Points (see page 915).

3 Points
Defines the cutting plane using three points.
Specify second point on plane: Specify a point (2)
Specify third point on plane: Specify a point (3)

SLICE | 915
 3
2
1

3-point cutting plane sliced object

You can retain both halves of the sliced solids or just the half you specify. The
sliced solids retain the layer and color properties of the original solids.

1 Specify a point on the desired side of the plane or [keep Both sides]: Specify a
point (1) or enter b

Point on the Uses a point to determine which side of the sliced solids
Desired Side of your drawing retains. The point cannot lie on the
the Plane cutting plane.
Keep Both Sides Retains both sides of the sliced solids. Slicing a single
solid into two pieces creates two solids from the pieces
on either side of the plane. SLICE never creates more
than two new composite solids for each selected solid.

SNAP
Restricts cursor movement to specified intervals
The points you enter with a pointing device can be locked into regular inter-
vals on an invisible rectangular snap grid. You can rotate the snap grid, set
differing X and Y spacing, or choose an isometric format for the snap grid.
You can toggle Snap mode on and off with the Snap button on the status bar.
A change in the snap grid affects the cursor location when you specify a point
location using the pointing device.
The snap grid is invisible. Use SNAP with GRID to display a separate visible
grid of dots. Set the spacing of the two grids to equal or related values.
AutoCAD ignores Snap mode in perspective views.
Command line: snap (or 'snap for transparent use)

Specify snap spacing or [ON/OFF/Aspect/Rotate/Style/Type] <current>: Specify

a distance, enter an option, or press ENTER

Snap Spacing
Activates Snap mode with the value you specify.

916 | SNAP
On
Activates Snap mode using the current resolution, rotation, and style of the
snap grid.

Off
Turns off Snap mode but retains the current settings.

Aspect
Specifies different spacing in the X and Y directions. This option is not avail-
able if the current snap style is Isometric.
Specify horizontal spacing <current>: Specify a distance, or press ENTER
Specify vertical spacing <current>: Specify a distance, or press ENTER

Rotate
Sets the origin and rotation of the snap grid. The rotation angle is measured
relative to the current UCS. You can specify a rotation angle between 90 and
90 degrees. A positive angle rotates the grid counterclockwise about its base
point. A negative angle rotates the grid clockwise.
Specify base point <current>: Specify a point or press ENTER
Specify rotation angle <current>: Specify an angle or press ENTER

Style
Specifies the format of the snap grid, which is Standard or Isometric.
Enter snap grid type [Standard/Isometric] <current>: Enter s, enter i, or press
ENTER

Standard
Displays a rectangular grid that is parallel to the XY plane of the current UCS.
X and Y spacing may differ.
Specify snap spacing or [Aspect] <current>: Specify a distance, enter a, or press
ENTER

Spacing Specifies the overall spacing of the snap grid.

SNAP | 917
 Aspect Specifies the horizontal and vertical spacing of the snap
grid separately.
Specify horizontal spacing <current>: Specify a distance
or press ENTER
Specify vertical spacing <current>: Specify a distance or
press ENTER

Isometric
Sets an isometric grid, in which the grid points are initially at 30-degree and
150-degree angles. Isometric snap can be rotated but cannot have different
Aspect values.
Specify vertical spacing <current>: Specify a distance or press ENTER

left isoplane top isoplane right isoplane

ISOPLANE determines whether the crosshairs lie in the top isometric plane
(30- and 150-degree angles), the left isoplane (90- and 150-degree angles), or
the right isoplane (30- and 90-degree angles).

Type
Specifies the snap type.
Polar Sets the snap to polar tracking angles that are set in the
POLARANG system variable.

Grid Sets the snap to grid.

SOLDRAW
Generates profiles and sections in viewports created with SOLVIEW
SOLDRAW can only be used in viewports that have been created with
SOLVIEW.

Visible and hidden lines representing the silhouette and edges of solids in the
viewport are created and then projected to a plane perpendicular to the view-
ing direction. Silhouettes and edges are generated for all solids and portions

918 | SOLDRAW
 of solids behind the cutting plane. For sectional views, cross-hatching is
created using the current values of the HPNAME, HPSCALE, and HPANG system
variables.
Any existing profiles and sections in the selected viewport are deleted, and
new ones are generated. All layers, except those required to display the pro-
file or section, are frozen in each viewport.

Solids toolbar:
Draw menu: Solids Setup Drawing
Command line: soldraw

Select viewports to draw ...

Select objects: Select the viewports to be drawn

AutoCAD Release 12 drawings that contain views created with SOLVIEW can
be redrawn with SOLDRAW only after you use AMECONVERT to update the sol-
ids in the views.

Warning! Do not place permanent drawing information on the view name-

VIS, view name-HID, and view name-HAT layers. The information stored on these
layers is deleted and updated when SOLDRAW is run.

To undo a viewport drawn by SOLDRAW, you must use the Back option of
UNDO.

Note SOLDRAW is defined by the acsolids.arx application and is intended to be

used only interactively. For information about using this command from an
application, see Externally Defined Commands in the AutoLISP Reference.

SOLID
Creates solid-filled triangles and quadrilaterals

Surfaces toolbar:
Draw menu: Surfaces 2D Solid
Command line: solid

Specify first point: Specify a point (1)

Specify second point: Specify a point (2)

SOLID | 919
 1 The first two points define one edge of the polygon.
2 Specify third point: Specify a point (3) diagonally opposite the second
3 Specify fourth point or <exit>: Specify a point (4) or press ENTER

4 Pressing ENTER at the Fourth Point prompt creates a filled triangle. Specifying
a point (5) creates a quadrilateral area.

6 7 The last two points form the first edge of the next filled area. AutoCAD
repeats the Third Point and Fourth Point prompts. Specifying successive
2 4 5 third and fourth points creates further connected triangles and four-sided
polygons in a single solid object. Pressing ENTER ends SOLID.
1 3 2D solids are filled only when the FILLMODE system variable is on and the
viewing direction is orthogonal to the 2D solid.
SOLIDEDIT
Edits faces and edges of 3D solid objects
With SOLIDEDIT, you can edit solid objects by extruding, moving, rotating,
offsetting, tapering, copying, coloring, separating, shelling, cleaning, check-
ing, or deleting faces and edges.
You select solid objects by using one of the following selection methods: bound-
ary sets (selecting an internal point on a face of a solid selects the face), crossing
polygons, crossing windows, fences, and individual selection of faces or edges.
See Select Objects in the Users Guide.
Modify menu: Solids Editing
Command line: solidedit

Solids editing automatic checking: SOLIDCHECK=current

Enter a solids editing option
[Face/Edge/Body/Undo/ExiteXit] <eXit>: Enter an option or press ENTER

Face
Edits 3D solid faces by extruding, moving, rotating, offsetting, tapering,
deleting, copying, or changing the color of the selected faces.
Enter a face editing option [Extrude/Move/Rotate/Offset/Taper/Delete/Copy/
coLor/Undo/eXit] <eXit>: Enter an option or press ENTER

920 | SOLIDEDIT
Extrude
Extrudes selected planar faces of a 3D solid object to a specified height or
along a path. You can select multiple faces at one time.
Select faces or [Undo/Remove]: Select one or more faces or enter an option
Select faces or [Undo/Remove/ALL]: Select one or more faces or enter an option

Undo
Cancels the selection of the faces you added most recently to the selection
set. AutoCAD then displays the previous prompt. If all faces have been
removed, AutoCAD prompts as follows:
Face selection has been completely undone

Remove
Removes previously selected faces from the selection set. AutoCAD then dis-
plays the following prompt.
Remove faces or [Undo/Add/ALL]: Select one or more faces (1), enter an option,
or press ENTER

Undo Cancels the selection of the faces you removed most

recently from the selection set. AutoCAD then displays
the previous prompt. If no faces are currently selected,
AutoCAD prompts as follows:
Face selection has been completely undone

face selected face removed from selection set

Add Adds faces to the selection set.

Select faces or [Undo/Remove/ALL]: Select one or more
faces (1) or select an option

SOLIDEDIT | 921
 1

selection set face added to selection set

Undo: Cancels selection of the faces you added most

recently to the selection set. AutoCAD then displays
the previous prompt.
Remove: Removes previously selected faces.
AutoCAD then displays the previous prompt.
All: Selects all faces and adds them to the selection
set. AutoCAD then displays the previous prompt.

All Selects all faces and adds them to the selection set.
All
Selects all faces and adds them to the selection set.
After you select faces or choose an option, AutoCAD prompts as follows:
Select faces or [Undo/Remove/ALL]: Select one or more faces (1), enter an option,
or press ENTER

selection set all faces added to selection set

Specify height of extrusion or [Path]: Specify a distance or enter p

922 | SOLIDEDIT
face selected face extruded

Height of Sets the direction and height of the extrusion. Entering

Extrusion a positive value extrudes the face in the direction of its
normal. Entering a negative value extrudes the face in
the direction opposite to its normal.
Specify angle of taper for extrusion <0>: Specify an angle
between 90 and +90 degrees or press ENTER

face selected positive angle negative angle

extruded face extruded face

Tapering the selected face with a positive angle tapers

the face in, and a negative angle tapers the face out. The
default angle, 0, extrudes the face perpendicular to its
plane. All selected faces in the selection set are tapered
to the same value. If you specify a large taper angle or
height, you can cause the face to taper to a point before
it reaches the extrusion height.

SOLIDEDIT | 923
 Path Sets a path for the extrusion path based on a specified
line or curve. All the profiles of the selected face are
extruded along the chosen path to create the extrusion.
Select extrusion path: Use an object selection method

face selected path selected face extruded

Lines, circles, arcs, ellipses, elliptical arcs, polylines, or

splines can be paths. The path should not lie on the
same plane as the face, nor should it have areas of high
curvature.
The extruded face starts from the plane of the profile
and ends on a plane perpendicular to the path at the
paths endpoint. One of the endpoints of the path
should be on the plane of the profile; if not, AutoCAD
moves the path to the center of the profile.
If the path is a spline, the path should be perpendicular
to the plane of the profile and at one of the endpoints
of the path. If not, AutoCAD rotates the profile to be
perpendicular to the spline path. If one of the
endpoints of the spline is on the plane of the face,
AutoCAD rotates the face about the point; otherwise,
AutoCAD moves the spline path to the center of the
profile and rotates the profiles about its center.
If the path contains segments that are not tangent,
AutoCAD extrudes the object along each segment and
then miters the joint along the plane, bisecting the
angle formed by the segments. If the path is closed, the
profile lies on the miter plane. This allows the start and
end sections of the solid to match up. If the profile is
not on the miter plane, AutoCAD rotates the path until
it is on the miter plane.

924 | SOLIDEDIT
Move
Moves the selected face on a 3D solid object to a specified height or distance.
You can select multiple faces at one time.
Select faces or [Undo/Remove]: Select one or more faces or enter an option

The descriptions of the Undo, Remove, Add, and All options match the
descriptions of the corresponding options under Extrude (see page 921).
After you select faces or enter an option, AutoCAD prompts as follows:
Select faces or [Undo/Remove/ALL]: Select one or more faces (1), enter an option,
or press ENTER
Specify a base point or displacement: Specify a base point (2)
Specify a second point of displacement: Specify a point (3) or press ENTER

1 2
3

face selected base point and second face moved

point selected

The two points you specify define a displacement vector that indicates how
far AutoCAD moves the selected face and in what direction. AutoCAD uses
the first point as a base point and places a single copy relative to the base
point. If you specify a single point, usually entered as a coordinate, and then
press ENTER , AutoCAD uses the coordinate as the new location.

Rotate
Rotates one or more faces or a collection of features on a solid about a speci-
fied axis.
Select faces or [Undo/Remove]: Select one or more faces or enter an option

The descriptions of the Undo, Remove, Add, and All options match the
descriptions of the corresponding options under Extrude (see page 921).
After you select faces or enter an option, AutoCAD prompts as follows:
Select faces or [Undo/Remove/ALL]: Select one or more faces, enter an option, or
press ENTER
Specify an axis point or [Axis by object/View/Xaxis/Yaxis/Zaxis] <2points>:
Enter an option, specify a point, or press ENTER

SOLIDEDIT | 925
 Axis Point, 2 Points
Use two points to define the axis of rotation. Pressing ENTER at the main
Rotate prompt displays the following prompts. Specifying a point at the
main prompt skips the prompt for the first point.
Specify the first point on the rotation axis: Specify a point (1)
Specify the second point on the rotation axis: Specify a point (2)
Specify a rotation angle or [Reference]: Specify an angle or enter r

face selected rotation point selected face rotated about Z axis 35

Rotation Angle Rotates the object about the selected axis the specified
amount from the current orientation.
Reference Specifies the reference angle and the new angle.
Specify the reference (starting) angle <0>: Specify the
starting angle
Specify the ending angle: Specify the ending angle

The difference between the starting angle and the

ending angle is the computed rotation angle.
Axis by Object
Aligns the axis of rotation with an existing object. You can select the follow-
ing objects:

Line: Aligns the axis with the selected line.

Circle: Aligns with the 3D axis of the circle (perpendicular to the plane of
the circle and passing through the center of the circle).
Arc: Aligns with the 3D axis of the arc (perpendicular to the plane of the
arc and passing through the center of the arc).
Ellipse: Aligns with the 3D axis of the ellipse (perpendicular to the plane
of the ellipse and passing through the center of the ellipse).
2D polyline: Aligns with the 3D axis formed by the polylines start points
and endpoints.
3D polyline: Aligns with the 3D axis formed by the polylines start points
and endpoints.
LW polyline: Aligns with the 3D axis formed by the polylines start points
and endpoints.

926 | SOLIDEDIT
 Spline: Aligns with the 3D axis formed by the splines start points and
endpoints.

Select a curve to be used for the axis: Use an object selection method
Specify a rotation angle or [Reference]: Specify an angle or enter r

Rotation Angle Rotates the object about the selected axis the specified
amount from the current orientation.
Reference Specifies the reference angle and the new angle.
Specify the reference (starting) angle <0>: Specify the
starting angle
Specify the ending angle: Specify the ending angle

The difference between the starting angle and the

ending angle is the computed rotation angle.
View
Aligns the axis of rotation with the viewing direction of the current viewport
that passes through the selected point.
Specify the origin of the rotation <0, 0, 0>: Specify a point
Specify a rotation angle or [Reference]: Specify an angle or enter r

Rotation Angle Rotates the object about the selected axis the specified
amount from the current orientation.
Reference Specifies the reference angle and the new angle.
Specify the reference (starting) angle <0>: Specify the
starting angle
Specify the ending angle: Specify the ending angle

The difference between the starting angle and the

ending angle is the computed rotation angle.
X Axis, Y Axis, Z Axis
Align the axis of rotation with the axis (X, Y, or Z) that passes through the
selected point.
Specify the origin of the rotation <0, 0, 0>: Specify a point
Specify a rotation angle or [Reference]: Specify an angle or enter r

Rotation Angle Rotates the object about the selected axis the specified
amount from the current orientation.

SOLIDEDIT | 927
 Reference Specifies the reference angle and the new angle.
Specify the reference (starting) angle <0>: Specify the
starting angle
Specify the ending angle: Specify the ending angle

The difference between the starting angle and the

ending angle is the computed rotation angle.

Offset
Offsets faces equally by a specified distance or through a specified point. A
positive value increases the size or volume of the solid, a negative value
decreases the size or volume of the solid.
Select faces or [Undo/Remove]: Select one or more faces or enter an option (1)

The descriptions of the Undo, Remove, Add, and All options match the
descriptions of the corresponding options under Extrude (see page 921).
After you select faces or enter an option, AutoCAD prompts as follows:
Select faces or [Undo/Remove/ALL]: Select one or more faces, enter an option, or
press ENTER
Specify the offset distance: Specify a distance

face selected face offset = 1 face offset = 1

Specify a positive value to increase the size of the solid or a negative value to
decrease the size of the solid.

Note Holes inside a solid object offset smaller as the volume of the solid gets
larger.

Taper
Tapers faces with an angle. The rotation of the taper angle is determined by
the selection sequence of the base point and second point along the selected
vector.
Select faces or [Undo/Remove]: Select one or more faces or enter an option

928 | SOLIDEDIT
The descriptions of the Undo, Remove, Add, and All options match the
descriptions of the corresponding options under Extrude (see page 921).
After you select faces or enter an option, AutoCAD prompts as follows:
Select faces or [Undo/Remove/ALL]: Select one or more faces (1), enter an option,
or press ENTER
Specify the base point: Specify a base point (2)
Specify another point along the axis of tapering: Specify a point (3)
Specify the taper angle: Specify an angle between 90 and +90 degrees

1
3

face selected base point and second face tapered 10

point selected

Tapering the selected face with a positive angle tapers the face in, and a neg-
ative angle tapers the face out. The default angle, 0, extrudes the face perpen-
dicular to its plane. All selected faces in the selection set are tapered to the
same value.

Delete
Deletes or removes faces, including fillets and chamfers.
Select faces or [Undo/Remove]: Select one or more faces

The descriptions of the Undo, Remove, Add, and All options match the
descriptions of the corresponding options under Extrude (see page 921).
After you select faces or enter an option, AutoCAD prompts as follows:
Select faces or [Undo/Remove/ALL]: Select one or more faces (1), enter an option,
or press ENTER
Solid validation started.
Solid validation completed.

SOLIDEDIT | 929
 1

face selected face deleted

Copy
Copies faces as a region or a body. If you specify two points, AutoCAD uses
the first point as a base point and places a single copy relative to the base
point. If you specify a single point (usually entered as a coordinate) and then
press ENTER , AutoCAD uses the coordinate as the new location.
Select faces or [Undo/Remove]: Select one or more faces

The descriptions of the Undo, Remove, Add, and All options match the
descriptions of the corresponding options under Extrude (see page 921).
After you select faces or enter an option, AutoCAD prompts as follows:
Select faces or [Undo/Remove/ALL]: Select one or more faces (1), enter an option,
or press ENTER
Specify a base point or displacement: Specify a base point (2)
Specify a second point of displacement: Specify a point (3)

face selected base point and second face copied

point selected

Color
Changes the color of faces.
Select faces or [Undo/Remove]: Select one or more faces

930 | SOLIDEDIT
The descriptions of the Undo, Remove, Add, and All options match the
descriptions of the corresponding options under Extrude (see page 921).
After you select faces or enter an option, AutoCAD prompts as follows:
Select faces or [Undo/Remove/ALL]: Select one or more faces, enter an option, or
press ENTER

AutoCAD displays the Select Color dialog box (see page 172).

Undo
Reverses actions as far back as the beginning of the SOLIDEDIT session.

Exit
Exits the face-editing options and displays the Enter a Solids Editing Option
prompt.

Edge
Edits 3D solid objects by changing the color of or copying individual edges.
Enter an edge editing option [Copy/coLor/Undo/eXit] <eXit>: Enter an option
or press ENTER

Copy
Copies 3D edges. All 3D solid edges are copied as a line, arc, circle, ellipse, or
spline.
Select edges or [Undo/Remove]: Select one or more edges or enter an option

After you select edges or enter an option, AutoCAD prompts as follows:

Select edges or [Undo/Remove]: Select one or more edges (1) or press ENTER
Specify a base point of displacement: Specify a base point (2)
Specify a second point of displacement: Specify a point (3)

2
1
3

edge selected base point and second edge copied

point selected

SOLIDEDIT | 931
 Undo
Cancels selection of the edges you added most recently to the selection set.
AutoCAD then displays the previous prompt. If all edges have been removed,
AutoCAD prompts as follows:
Edge selection has been completely undone

Remove
Removes previously selected edges from the selection set. AutoCAD then dis-
plays the previous prompt.
Remove edges or [Undo/Add]: Select one or more edges, enter an option, or press
ENTER

Undo Cancels selection of the edges you added most recently

to the selection set. AutoCAD then displays the
previous prompt. If no edges are currently selected,
AutoCAD prompts as follows:
Edge selection has been completely undone

Add Adds edges to the selection set.

Select edges or [Undo/Remove]: Select one or more edges
or enter an option

Undo: Cancels selection of the edges you added most

recently to the selection set. AutoCAD then displays
the previous prompt.
Remove: Removes previously selected edges.
AutoCAD then displays the previous prompt.

Color
Changes the color of edges.
Select edges or [Undo/Remove]: Select one or more edges or enter an option

The descriptions of the Undo, Remove, Add, and All options match the
descriptions of the corresponding options under Copy (see page 931). After
you select edges or enter an option, AutoCAD displays the Select Color dialog
box (see page 172).

Undo
Reverses actions as far back as the beginning of the SOLIDEDIT session.

932 | SOLIDEDIT
Exit
Exits the face-editing options and displays the Enter a Solids Editing Option
prompt.

Body
Edits the entire solid object by imprinting other geometry on the solid, sep-
arating the solid into individual solid objects, shelling, cleaning, or checking
the selected solid.
Enter a body editing option [Imprint/seParate solids/Shell/cLean/Check/Undo/
eXit] <eXit>: Enter an option or press ENTER

Imprint
Imprints an object on the selected solid. The object to be imprinted must
intersect one or more faces on the selected solid in order for imprinting to be
successful. Imprinting is limited to the following objects: arcs, circles, lines,
2D and 3D polylines, ellipses, splines, regions, bodies, and 3D solids.
Select a 3D solid: Select an object (1)
Select an object to imprint: Select an object (2)
Delete the source object <N>: Enter y or press ENTER
Select an object to imprint: Select an object or press ENTER

solid selected object selected object imprinted

on solid

Separate Solids
Separates 3D solid objects with disjointed volumes into independent 3D
solid objects.
Select a 3D solid: Select an object

Note Separating solids does not separate Boolean objects that form a single
volume.

SOLIDEDIT | 933
 Shell
Shelling creates a hollow, thin wall with a specified thickness. You can specify
a constant wall thickness for all the faces. You can also exclude faces from the
shell by selecting them. A 3D solid can have only one shell. AutoCAD creates
new faces by offsetting existing ones outside their original positions.
Select a 3D solid: Select an object
Remove faces or [Undo/Add]: Select one or more faces or enter an option

The descriptions of the Undo, Remove, Add, and All options match the
descriptions of the corresponding options under Extrude (see page 921).
After you select faces or enter an option, AutoCAD prompts as follows:
Remove faces or [Undo/Add/ALL]: Select a face (1), enter an option, or press
ENTER
Enter the shell offset distance: Specify a distance

face selected shell offset=0.5 shell offset=0.5

Specifying a positive value creates a shell to the inside perimeter of the solid;
specifying a negative value creates a shell to the outside perimeter of the
solid.

Clean
Removes shared edges or vertices having the same surface or curve definition
on either side of the edge or vertex. Removes all redundant edges and verti-
ces, imprinted as well as unused geometry.
Select a 3D solid: Select an object (1)

934 | SOLIDEDIT
 1

solid selected solid cleaned

Check
Validates the 3D solid object as a valid ShapeManager solid, independent of
the SOLIDCHECK setting.
Select a 3D solid: Select an object
This object is a valid ShapeManager solid.

Undo
Undoes the editing action.

Exit
Exits the face-editing options and displays the Enter a Solids Editing Option
prompt.

Undo
Undoes the editing action.

Exit
Exits the SOLIDEDIT command.

SOLPROF
Creates profile images of three-dimensional solids
A profile image displays only the edges and silhouettes of curved surfaces of
the solid for the current view.

SOLPROF | 935
 SOLPROF can only be used while you are working in a layout tab. If your draw-
ing does not contain layout viewports, use VPORTS in the layout tab to create
one.

Solids toolbar:
Draw menu: Solids Setup Profile
Command line: solprof

Select objects: Use an object selection method

Display hidden profile lines on separate layer? [Yes/No] <Y>: Enter y or n, or
press ENTER

Yes Generates only two blocks: one for the visible lines and
one for the hidden lines of the entire selection set.
When you generate hidden lines, solids can partially or
completely hide other solids. The visible profile block is
drawn in the BYLAYER linetype, and the hidden profile
block is drawn in the HIDDEN linetype (if loaded). The
visible and hidden profile blocks are placed on uniquely
named layers using the following naming conventions:
PV-viewport handle for the visible profile layer
PH-viewport handle for the hidden profile layer
For example, if you create a profile in a viewport whose
handle is 4B, the blocks containing the visible lines are
inserted on layer PV-4B, and the block containing the
hidden lines (if requested) is inserted on layer PH-4B. If
these layers do not exist, the command creates them. If
the layers do exist, the blocks are added to the
information already on the layers.
Note To determine the handle of a viewport, select the
viewport while in paper space and use the LIST command.
Choose a layout tab to move from model space to paper
space.
V does not change the display of layers; if you want to
view only the profile lines youve created, turn off the
layer containing the original solid (usually the current
layer).

936 | SOLPROF
No Treats all profile lines as visible lines and creates a block
for the profile lines of each selected solid. All profile
lines for each solid in the selection set are generated,
even if a solid is partially or completely obscured by
another solid. The visible profile blocks are drawn in
the same linetype as the original solid and placed on a
uniquely named layer using the naming convention
described under the Yes option (see page 936).

profile with hidden lines profile with hidden lines

removed displayed

Note Solids that overlap each other (share some common volume) produce
dangling edges if you request hidden-line removal. This happens because the
edges must be broken at the point where they enter another solid to separate
them into visible and hidden portions. You can eliminate dangling edges by
combining the overlapping solids (using UNION) before generating a profile.

The next prompt determines whether 2D or 3D objects are used to represent

the visible and hidden lines of the profile.
Project profile lines onto a plane? [Yes/No] <Y>: Enter y or n, or press ENTER

Yes Creates the profile lines with 2D objects. AutoCAD

projects the 3D profile onto a plane normal to the
viewing direction and passing through the origin of the
UCS. AutoCAD cleans up the 2D profile by eliminating
lines that are parallel to the viewing direction and by
converting arcs and circles that are viewed on edge into
lines.
No Creates the profile lines with 3D objects.

SOLPROF | 937
 The next prompt determines whether tangential edges are displayed. A tan-
gential edge is the transition line between two tangent faces. Its the imagi-
nary edge at which two faces meet and are tangent. For example, if you fillet
the edge of a box, tangential edges are created where the cylindrical face of
the fillet blends into the planar faces of the box. Tangential edges are not
shown for most drafting applications.
Delete tangential edges? [Yes/No] <Y>: Enter y or n, or press ENTER

profile with tangential profile with tangential

edges deleted edges retained

SOLVIEW
Creates layout viewports using orthographic projection to lay out multi- and sectional view
drawings of 3D solids and body objects
SOLVIEW calculates the projection as it guides you through the process of
creating orthographic, auxiliary, and sectional views. View-specific informa-
tion is saved with each viewport you create. This information is used by
SOLDRAW, which does the final generation of the drawing view. SOLVIEW uses
the AutoCAD paper space and viewport-specific layer visibility to set up
drawing views.

938 | SOLVIEW
SOLVIEW creates layers that SOLDRAW uses to place the visible lines and hid-
den lines for each view. Additionally, SOLVIEW creates layers where you can
place dimensions that are visible in individual viewports. SOLVIEW places the
visible lines, hidden lines, dimensions, and section hatching for each view
on a separate layer using the following naming conventions (view name is the
name given to the view when you created it).

Layers created by SOLVIEW

Layer name Object type

View name-VIS Visible lines

View name-HID Hidden lines

View name-DIM Dimensions

View name-HAT Hatch patterns (for sections)

Warning! The information stored on these layers is deleted and updated

when you run SOLDRAW. Do not place permanent drawing information on these
layers.

SOLVIEW places the viewport objects on the VPORTS layer. SOLVIEW creates
this layer if it does not already exist.
SOLVIEW must be run in a layout tab. If the Model tab is current, the last
active layout tab is made current.

Solids toolbar:
Draw menu: Solids Setup View
Command line: solview

Enter an option [Ucs/Ortho/Auxiliary/Section]: Enter an option or press ENTER

to exit the command

UCS
Creates a profile view relative to a user coordinate system. If no viewports
exist in your drawing, the UCS option is a good way to create an initial view-
port from which other views can be created. All other SOLVIEW options
require an existing viewport.

SOLVIEW | 939
 You have the option of using the current UCS or a previously saved one as
the profile plane. The viewport projection is created parallel to the XY plane
of the UCS with the X axis facing right and the Y axis upward.
Enter an option [Named/World/?/Current] <current>: Enter an option or press
ENTER

clip first corner

view center

clip second corner

Named Uses the XY plane of a named UCS to create a profile

view.
Enter name of UCS to restore: Enter the name of an exist-
ing UCS
Enter view scale <1.0>: Enter a number or press ENTER

Enter the name of the UCS you want to use and the
scale of your view. Entering a scale is equivalent to
zooming your viewport by a factor relative to paper
space. The default value is 1:1.
Specify view center: Specify a point and press ENTER
when done

The center is based on the current model space extents.

You can try several points until you are satisfied with
the views location.
At the next prompt, specify the opposite corners of the
viewport.
Specify the first corner of viewport: Specify a point
Specify the other corner of viewport: Specify a point
Enter view name: Enter a name for the view

AutoCAD returns to the initial prompt.

940 | SOLVIEW
World Uses the XY plane of the WCS to create a profile view.
Enter view scale <1.0>: Enter a number or press ENTER

Enter the name of the UCS you want to use and the
scale of your view. Entering a scale is equivalent to
zooming your viewport by a factor relative to paper
space. The default value is 1:1.
Specify view center: Specify a point and press ENTER
when done

The center is based on the current model space extents.

You can try several points until you are satisfied with
the views location.
At the next prompt, specify the opposite corners of the
viewport.
Specify the first corner of viewport:
Specify the other corner of viewport:
Enter view name: Enter a name for the view

AutoCAD returns to the initial prompt.

?List Named Lists the names of existing user coordinate systems. The
UCSs list is filtered using the wild-card combinations you
enter (wild-card characters accepted by the UCS
command are valid).
Enter UCS names to list <*>: Enter a name or press ENTER
to list all UCSs

After the list is displayed, press any key to return to the

first prompt.
Current Uses the XY plane of the current UCS to create a profile
view.
Enter view scale <1.0>: Enter a number or press ENTER

SOLVIEW | 941
 Enter the name of the UCS you want to use and the
scale of your view. Entering a scale is equivalent to
zooming your viewport by a factor relative to paper
space. The default value is 1:1.
Specify view center: Specify a point and press ENTER
when done

The center is based on the current model space extents.

You can try several points until you are satisfied with
the views location.
At the next prompt, specify the opposite corners of the
viewport.
Specify the first corner of viewport:
Specify the other corner of viewport:
Enter view name: Enter a name for the view

AutoCAD returns to the initial prompt.

Ortho
Creates a folded orthographic view from an existing view.
clip first corner

side to fold

view center clip second corner

Once you select the side of the viewport you want to use for projecting the
new view, a rubber-band line perpendicular to the side of the viewport helps
you locate the center of the new view. You can try several points until you
are satisfied with the views location.
Specify side of viewport to project: Select the edge of a viewport
Specify view center: Specify a point and press ENTER

942 | SOLVIEW
At the next prompt, specify the opposite corners of the viewport.
Specify first corner of viewport:
Specify opposite corner of viewport:
Enter view name: Enter a name for the view

Auxiliary
Creates an auxiliary view from an existing view. An auxiliary view is one that
is projected onto a plane perpendicular to one of the orthographic views and
inclined in the adjacent view.

clip first corner

view center

side to view from

inclined planes 1st point

clip second corner

inclined planes 2nd point

Two points define the inclined plane used for the auxiliary projection. Both
points must be located in the same viewport.
Specify first point of inclined plane:
Specify second point of inclined plane:

The next point determines the side from which you view the plane.
Specify side to view from: Specify a point

SOLVIEW | 943
 A rubber-band line perpendicular to the inclined plane helps you select the
center of the new viewport. You can try several points until you are satisfied
with the views location.
Specify view center: Specify a point and press ENTER

At the next prompt, specify the opposite corners of the viewport.

Specify first corner of viewport:
Specify opposite corner of viewport:
Enter view name: Enter a name for the view

Section
Creates a drafting sectional view of solids, complete with cross-hatching.
When you use SOLDRAW on a sectional view created with this option, it
creates a temporary copy of the solids and uses SLICE to perform the opera-
tion at the cutting plane that you define. SOLDRAW then generates a profile
of the visible half of the solids and discards the original copy. Finally
SOLDRAW sections the solids. Solids not crossing the cutting plane are
generated as full profiles. Because drafting standards recommend not draw-
ing hidden lines in sectional views, SOLVIEW freezes the View Name-HID layer.

clip first corner

side of cutting plane
to view from
cutting plane
1st point

view center clip

cutting plane 2nd point second
corner

In the original viewport, specify two points to define the sectioning plane.
Specify first point of cutting plane:
Specify second point of cutting plane:

944 | SOLVIEW
 Define the viewing side by specifying a point on one side of the cutting
plane.
Specify side to view from: Specify a point

Enter the scale of the new view. Entering a scale is equivalent to zooming
your viewport by a factor relative to paper space. The default value is a 1:1
scale, which is equivalent to zoom 1.0xp.
Enter view scale <current>: Enter a positive number

At the next prompt, specify the center of the new viewport. If you accepted
the default scale (by pressing ENTER ), a rubber-band line perpendicular to the
sectioning plane helps you locate the center of the new view. Otherwise, you
can place the view anywhere. You can try several points until you are satisfied
with the views location.
Specify view center: Specify a point and press ENTER

At the next prompt, specify the opposite corners of the viewport.

Specify first corner of viewport:
Specify opposite corner of viewport:
Enter view name: Enter a name for the view

Note SOLVIEW is defined by the solids.arx application and is intended to be

used only interactively.

SPACETRANS
Converts length values between model space and paper space

Text toolbar:
Command line: spacetrans

In model space, the prompt is displayed as follows:

Specify paper space distance <1.000>: Enter a length in paper space to convert
to the equivalent length in model space

In a paper space layout, the prompt is displayed as follows:

Select a viewport: Pick a layout viewport object
Specify model space distance <1.000>: Enter a length in model space to convert
to the equivalent length in paper space

SPACETRANS | 945
 SPACETRANS converts lengths, typically text heights, from either model space
or paper space to its equivalent length in the other space. It is intended to be
invoked transparently at a prompt for text height or other length value.
When used at the Command prompt, SPACETRANS displays the computed
length equivalent in the Command window.

SPELL
Checks spelling in a drawing
The SPELL command corrects the spelling of text objects created with the
LEADER, TEXT, MTEXT (multiline or paragraph text), and ATTDEF commands.

Tools menu: Spelling

Command line: spell (or 'spell for transparent use)

Select objects: Use an object selection method and press ENTER when you finish

If you enter all at the Select Objects prompt, the spelling in all text objects in
the Model tab and all layout tabs is checked.
The Check Spelling dialog box is displayed if AutoCAD finds an unknown
word in the selected text.

Check Spelling Dialog Box

Corrects the spelling in text objects created with TEXT, MTEXT, LEADER, and
ATTDEF. The Check Spelling dialog box is displayed only if AutoCAD finds a
misspelled or unknown word in the specified text.
Spell checking in attributes is limited to attribute values only. The spelling in
text objects within block references and nested block references is checked,
but spell checking in block definitions is performed only if the associated
block reference has been selected.

946 | SPELL
Current Displays the name of the current dictionary.
Dictionary
Current Word Displays the name of the word being checked.
Suggestions Displays a list of suggested replacement words from the
current dictionary. Select a replacement or enter a
replacement word in the box.
Ignore Skips the current word.
Ignore All Skips all remaining words that match the current word.
Change Replaces the current word with the word in the
Suggestions box.
Change All Replaces the current word in all selected text objects.
Add Adds the current word to the current custom
dictionary. The maximum word length is 63 characters.
Lookup Lists words similar to the word selected in Suggestions.
Change Displays the Change Dictionaries dialog box.
Dictionaries
Context Displays the phrase in which AutoCAD located the
current word.

SPELL | 947
 Change Dictionaries Dialog Box
Changes to another dictionary. During the spelling check, AutoCAD matches
the words in the drawing to the words in the current main dictionary. Any
spelling exceptions that you identify with the Add option are stored in the
custom dictionary you are using at the time of the spelling check.
If you want to check spelling in another language, you can change to a dif-
ferent main dictionary. You can also create any number of custom dictionar-
ies and switch to them as needed.

Main Dictionary
Displays a list of language-specific dictionaries from which you can choose a
different main dictionary. This dictionary is used in conjunction with the
custom dictionary.

Custom Dictionary
Displays the name of the current custom dictionary. To create a new custom
dictionary, enter a name and choose OK.
Browse Displays the Select Custom Dictionary dialog box (a
standard file selection dialog box), in which you can
select a custom dictionary file to use. The selected
dictionary file is used by AutoCAD until another file is
selected.

948 | SPELL
 Custom Dictionary Words
Displays a list of the words that currently exist in the specified custom dic-
tionary. You can add words to or delete words from this list.
Add Adds the word that you enter in the box to the current
custom dictionary. The maximum length is 63
characters.
Delete Deletes the word you enter in the box or select from the
custom dictionary.

SPHERE
Creates a three-dimensional solid sphere
The sphere is positioned so that its central axis is parallel to the Z axis of the
current user coordinate system (UCS). Latitudinal lines are parallel to the XY
plane.

Solids toolbar:
Draw menu: Solids Sphere
Command line: sphere

Current wire frame density: ISOLINES=current

Specify center of sphere <0,0,0>: Specify a point or press ENTER
Specify radius of sphere or [Diameter]: Specify a distance or enter d

Radius Defines the radius of the sphere.

Diameter Defines the diameter of the sphere.
Specify diameter: Specify a distance

center

radius diameter

SPHERE | 949
 SPLINE
Creates a nonuniform rational B-spline (NURBS) curve
SPLINE fits a smooth curve to a sequence of points within a specified toler-
ance. AutoCAD uses NURBS (nonuniform rational B-splines) mathematics,
which stores and defines a class of curve and surface data.

Draw toolbar:
Draw menu: Spline
Command line: spline

Specify first point or [Object]: Specify a point or enter o

First Point
Creates a spline using points you specify.
Specify next point: Specify a point
2 6
Enter points until you have defined the spline curve. After you enter two
4
points, AutoCAD displays the following prompt:
Specify next point or [Close/Fit Tolerance] <Start tangent>: Specify a point, enter
3
1 5 7 an option, or press ENTER

Next Point Continuing to enter points adds additional spline curve

segments until you press ENTER . Enter undo to remove
the last point specified. Once you press ENTER ,
AutoCAD prompts you to specify the start tangent for
the spline curve. See Start Tangent on page 951.
Close Closes the spline curve by defining the last point as
coincident with the first and making it tangent to the
joint.
Specify tangent: Specify a point or press ENTER

Specify a point to define the tangent vector or use the

tangent Tangent and Perpendicular object snap modes to make
closed spline the spline tangent or perpendicular to existing objects.
Fit Tolerance Changes the tolerance for fitting of the current spline
curve. The spline curve is redefined so that it fits
through the existing points according to the new
tolerance. You can repeatedly change the fit tolerance,

950 | SPLINE
 but doing so changes the fit tolerance for all the control
points regardless of the control point that is selected.
Specify fit tolerance <current>: Enter a value or press
ENTER

zero tolerance If you set the tolerance to 0, the spline curve passes
through the fit points. Entering a tolerance greater than
0 allows the spline curve to pass through the fit points
within the specified tolerance.
AutoCAD returns to the previous prompt.
positive tolerance Start Tangent Defines the tangency for the first and last points of the
spline curve.
Specify start tangent: Specify a point or press ENTER

The Specify Start Tangent prompt specifies the

tangency of the spline curve at the first point.
Specify end tangent: Specify a point or press ENTER
first tangent point
The Specify End Tangent prompt specifies the tangency
of the spline curve at the last point.
If you specify tangency at both endpoints of the spline,
you can enter a point or use the Tangent and
Perpendicular object snap modes to make the spline
tangent or perpendicular to existing objects. If you
press ENTER , AutoCAD calculates default tangents.
last tangent point

Object
Converts 2D or 3D quadratic or cubic spline-fit polylines to equivalent
splines and (depending on the setting of the DELOBJ system variable) deletes
the polylines.
Select objects to convert to splines...
Select objects: Select 2D or 3D spline-fit polylines and press ENTER when you
finish

SPLINE | 951
SPLINEDIT
Edits a spline or spline-fit polyline

Modify II toolbar:
Modify menu: Object Spline
Shortcut menu: Select a spline to edit, right-click in the drawing area, and
choose Spline Edit.
Command line: splinedit

Select spline:
Enter an option [Fit data/Close/Move vertex/Refine/rEverse/Undo]:

When you select a spline object or spline-fit polyline, grips appear at the con-
trol points.
If the selected spline is closed, the Close option changes to Open. If the
selected spline has no fit data, the Fit Data option is not available. Fit data
consists of all fit points, the fit tolerance, and tangents associated with
splines created with the SPLINE command.
A spline can lose its fit data if you

Use the Purge option while editing fit data

Refine the spline by elevating the order, adding a control point, or chang-
ing the weight of a control point
Change the fit tolerance
Move a control point
Trim, break, stretch, or lengthen the spline

Note SPLINEDIT automatically converts splined polylines to spline objects. A

splined polyline is converted even if you select it and immediately exit
SPLINEDIT.

Fit Data
Edits fit data using the following options:
Enter a fit data option
[Add/Close/Delete/Move/Purge/Tangents/toLerance/eXit] <eXit>: Enter an
option or press ENTER

952 | SPLINEDIT
 Note If the selected spline is closed, AutoCAD replaces the Close option with
the Open option.

Add
Adds fit points to a spline.
Specify control point <exit>: Specify a control point or press ENTER
Specify new point <exit>: Specify a point or press ENTER
Specify new point <exit>: Specify a point or press ENTER

When you select a point, AutoCAD highlights it and the next point and
interprets the new point to go between the highlighted points. Use the Undo
option to remove the last point added. Selecting the last point on an open
spline highlights only that point, and AutoCAD adds the new point after the
last. If you select the first point on an open spline, you have the option of
placing the new point before or after the first point.
Specify new point or [After/Before] <exit>: Specify a point, enter an option, or
press ENTER
Specify new point <exit>: Specify a point or press ENTER

AutoCAD adds the point and refits the spline through the new set of points.

new point

selected
point

result

Close/Open
If the selected spline is closed, AutoCAD replaces the Close option with the
Open option.
Close Closes an open spline and makes it tangent continuous
(smooth) at its endpoints. If the splines start point and
endpoint are the same, this option makes the spline
tangent continuous at both points.

SPLINEDIT | 953
 tangent
continuity

open spline closed spline

Open Opens a closed spline. If the splines start point and

endpoint were the same before you used the Close
option to make it tangent continuous at both points,
the Open option returns the spline to its original state.
The start point and endpoint remain the same but lose
their tangent continuity (smoothness).
If the spline was open (its start point and endpoint were
not the same) before you used the Close option to make
it tangent continuous where the start point and
endpoint meet, this option returns the spline to its
original open state and removes tangent continuity.

no tangent
continuity

closed spline open spline

Delete
Removes fit points from a spline and refits the spline through the remaining
points.
Specify control point <exit>: Specify a control point or press ENTER

Move
Moves fit points to a new location.
Specify new location or [Next/Previous/Select Point/eXit] <N>: Specify a point,
enter an option, or press ENTER

New Location Moves the selected point to the new location you
specify. AutoCAD repeats the previous prompt.

954 | SPLINEDIT
 new point

result

Next Moves selection to the next point.

Previous Moves selection to the previous point.
Select Point Selects a point from the set of fit points.
Specify fit point <exit>: Specify a fit point or press ENTER

Exit Returns to the Enter a Fit Data Option prompt.

Purge
Removes a splines fit data from the drawing database. After purging the
splines fit data, AutoCAD redisplays the main SPLINEDIT prompt without the
Fit Data option.

Tangents
Edits the start and end tangents of a spline.
Specify start tangent or [System default]: Specify a point, enter an option, or press
ENTER
Specify end tangent or [System default]: Specify a point, enter an option, or press
ENTER

If the spline is closed, the prompt becomes Specify Tangent or [System

Default].
The System Default option calculates the default tangents at the ends.
You can specify a point or use the Tangent or Perpendicular object snap mode
to make the spline tangential or perpendicular to existing objects.

zero tolerance Tolerance

Refits the spline to the existing points with new tolerance values.
Enter fit tolerance <current>: Enter a value or press ENTER

Exit
Returns to the main SPLINEDIT prompt.
positive tolerance

SPLINEDIT | 955
 Close/Open
If the selected spline is closed, the Close option changes to Open.
Close Closes an open spline and makes it tangent continuous
(smooth) at its endpoints. If the splines start point and
endpoint are the same, this option makes the spline
tangent continuous at both points.
Open Opens a closed spline. If the splines start point and
endpoint were the same before you used the Close
option to make it tangent continuous at both points,
the Open option returns the spline to its original state.
The start point and endpoint remain the same but lose
their tangent continuity (smoothness).
If the spline was open (its start point and endpoint were
not the same) before you used the Close option to make
it tangent continuous where the start point and
endpoint meet, this option returns the spline to its
original open state and removes tangent continuity.

Move Vertex
Relocates a splines control vertices and purges the fit points.
Specify new location or [Next/Previous/Select Point/eXit] <N>: Specify a point,
enter an option, or press ENTER

New Location Moves the selected point to the new location you
specify.
After you specify a new location for the selected point,
AutoCAD recalculates and displays the spline with a
new set of control points.
Next Moves selection to the next point. The point marker
does not wrap around from the end to the start of the
spline, even if the spline is closed.
Previous Moves selection to the previous point. The point
marker does not wrap around from the start to the end
of the spline, even if the spline is closed.

956 | SPLINEDIT
Select Point Selects a point from the set of control points.
Specify fit point <exit>: Specify a point or press ENTER

Exit Returns to the main SPLINEDIT prompt.

Refine
Fine-tunes a spline definition.
Enter a refine option [Add control point/Elevate order/Weight/eXit] <eXit>:
Enter an option or press ENTER

Add Control Point

Increases the number of control points that control a portion of a spline.
Specify a point on the spline <exit>: Specify a point or press ENTER

AutoCAD adds a new control point close to the point you select, between the
two control points affecting that portion of the spline.

selected
new point
point

Elevate Order
Increases the number of control points on the spline.
Enter new order <current>: Enter an integer or press ENTER

Entering a value greater than the current value increases the number of con-
trol points uniformly across the spline for more localized control. The maxi-
mum value for order is 26.

Weight
Changes the weight at various spline control points. A larger weight value
pulls the spline closer to the control point.
Enter new weight (current = current) or [Next/Previous/Select point/eXit] <N>:
Enter a value, enter an option, or press ENTER

SPLINEDIT | 957
 New Weight Recalculates the spline based on the new weight value
at the selected control point. The larger the integer
value, the more the spline is pulled toward the control
point.
Next Moves selection to the next point. The point marker
does not wrap around from the end to the start of the
spline, even if the spline is closed.
Previous Moves selection to the previous point. The point
marker does not wrap around from the start to the end
of the spline, even if the spline is closed.
Select Point Selects a point from the set of control points.
Specify fit point <exit>: Specify a point or press ENTER

Exit Returns to the main Refine prompt.

Exit
Returns to the main SPLINEDIT prompt.

Reverse
Reverses the splines direction. This option is intended primarily for third-
party applications.

Undo
Cancels the last editing action.

STANDARDS
Manages the association of standards files with AutoCAD drawings.

CAD Standards toolbar:

Tools menu: CAD Standards Configure
Command line: standards

The Configure Standards dialog box is displayed.

958 | STANDARDS
Configure Standards Dialog Box
Associates the current drawing with a standards file and lists plug-ins used to
check standards.
Check Standards Opens the Check Standards dialog box.
Settings Displays the CAD Standards Settings dialog box, which
specifies additional settings for the Configure Standards
and Check Standards dialog boxes.
The Configure Standards dialog box contains the following tabs:
Standards
Plug-ins

Standards Tab
Displays information about the standards files that are associated with the
current drawing.
Standards Files Associated with the Current Drawing
Lists all standards (DWS) files that are associated with the current drawing.
To add a standards file, click Add Standards File. To remove a standards file,
click Remove Standards File. If conflicts arise between multiple standards in
this list (for example, if two standards specify layers of the same name but
with different properties), the standards file that is shown first in the list
takes precedence. To change the position of a standards file in the list, select
it and click Move Up or Move Down.
You can use the shortcut menu to add, remove, or reorder files.
Add Standards Associates a standards (DWS) file with the current
File drawing.
Remove Removes a standards file from the list. (Removing a
Standards File standards file does not delete it but simply dissociates it
from the current drawing.)
Move Up Moves a standards file up one position in the list.
Move Down Moves a standards file down one position in the list.
Description Provides summary information about the standards file
currently selected in the list.

STANDARDS | 959
 Plug-ins Tab
Lists and describes the standards plug-ins that are installed on the current
system. A standards plug-in is installed for each of the named objects for
which standards can be defined (layers, dimension styles, linetypes, and text
styles). In the future, it is expected that third-party applications will be able
to install additional plug-ins.
Plug-ins Used Lists the standards plug-ins on the current system. You
When Checking can specify which plug-ins to use when auditing a
Standards drawing by selecting plug-ins from this list.
Description Provides summary information about the standards
plug-in currently selected in the list.

CAD Standards Settings Dialog Box

CAD Standards toolbar:

Tools menu: CAD Standards Configure
Command line: standards or checkstandards

Specifies additional settings for the Configure Standards dialog box and the
Check Standards dialog box.
Notification Sets an option for notification about standards
Settings violations.
Disable Turns off notifications for standards violations and for
Standards missing standards files.
Notifications
Display Alert Turns on notification for standards violations in the
upon Standards current drawing. An alert is displayed when you
Violation commit a standards violation. The alert informs you of
how many nonstandard objects you created or edited
while making changes to the drawing. Once the alert is
displayed, you can choose to fix or not fix the standards
violation. For drawings that use scripts and LISP
routines, the alert is not displayed until the script or
routine has been completed. (STANDARDSVIOLATION
system variable)
Display Standards Displays an icon in the status bar when you open a file
Status Bar Icon associated with a standards file and when you create or
modify non-standard objects. (STANDARDSVIOLATION
system variable)

960 | STANDARDS
 Check Standards Sets options for fixing violations and ignoring flagged
Settings problems.
Automatically Fix Switches between automatically fixing or not fixing
Non-standard nonstandard AutoCAD objects if a recommended fix is
Properties available. Recommended fixes are available only when
a nonstandard object has a name that matches a
standard object, but different properties. In this case,
the properties of the standard object are applied to the
nonstandard object. The Checking Complete alert
summarizes the number of automatically fixed
violations that occur after an audit.
This option is set for each system and applies to all
drawings checked on a system.
Show Ignored Switches between displaying or not displaying
Problems problems that have been flagged as ignored. If this
option is checked, standards violations that have been
flagged as ignored are displayed when an audit is
performed on the current drawing.
Preferred Provides a list of standards files that control the default
Standards File to selection in the Replace With list in the Check
Use for Standards dialog box.
Replacements
Regardless of this setting, if a recommended
replacement is found (this is the replacement preceded
by a check mark), it is always the default selection. If no
recommended replacement is found when a standards
file (DWS) is selected in the CAD Standards Settings
dialog box, the default selection in the Replace With list
is the first replacement item from the selected standards
file. If this setting is set to None, and no recommended
replacement is found, no items will be selected in the
Replace With list.

STATS
Displays rendering statistics
Render toolbar:
View menu: Render Statistics
Command line: stats

AutoCAD displays the Statistics dialog box.

STATS | 961
 Statistics Dialog Box
Provides rendering information, such as rendering type, scene name, and
rendering time. The values cannot be altered, but they can be saved to a file.
Statistics not listed are displayed according to their current settings in the
Render dialog box.

Rendering Type Lists the last rendering type used.

Scene Name Lists the name of the current scene or NONE.
Total Time Displays time for initialization, rendering, traversal,
display, and cleanup.
Initialization Time Displays time for initializing rendering buffers,
callbacks, lights, and materials.
Traversal and Displays time for geometry and rendering.
Render Time
Display Time Displays time for displaying the rendering.
Cleanup Time Displays time for cleaning up rendering buffers.
Rendering Time Displays the time used to generate the last rendering.
Total Faces Displays the number of faces processed during the last
rendering.
Total Triangles Displays the number of triangles processed during the
last rendering.
Save Statistics to Saves the information in the Statistics dialog box to an
File ASCII file. Enter a file name. If the file already exists,
AutoCAD appends the information to that file.

962 | STATS
STATUS
Displays drawing statistics, modes, and extents
Tools menu: Inquiry Status
Command line: status (or 'status for transparent use)

All coordinates and distances are displayed by STATUS in the format specified
by UNITS.
STATUS reports the number of objects in the current drawing. This includes
graphical objects such as arcs and polylines, and nongraphical objects such
as layers and linetypes, and block definitions. When used at the DIM prompt,
STATUS reports the values and descriptions of all dimensioning system
variables.
In addition, STATUS displays the following information.
Model or Displays the grid limits defined by LIMITS. The first line
Paper Space shows the XY coordinate of the limits lower-left corner,
Limits Are stored in the LIMMIN system variable. The second line
shows the XY coordinate of the limits upper-right corner,
stored in the LIMMAX system variable. The notation Off to
the right of the Y coordinate value indicates that limits
checking is set to 0.
Model or Displays the drawing extents, which includes all objects
Paper Space in the database and can exceed the grid limits. The first
Uses line shows the XY coordinate of the lower-left corner of
the extents. The second line shows the XY coordinate of
the upper-right corner. The notation Over to the right of
the Y coordinate value indicates that the drawing extends
outside the grid limits.
Display Shows Lists the portion of the drawing extents visible in the
current viewport. The first line shows the XY coordinate
of the displays lower-left corner. The second line shows
the XY coordinate of the upper-right corner.
Insertion Base Displays the insertion point of the drawing, stored in the
Is INSBASE system variable and expressed as an X,Y,Z
coordinate.
Snap Displays the snap spacing in the X and Y directions,
Resolution Is stored in the SNAPUNIT system variable.
Grid Spacing Is Displays the grid spacing in the X and Y directions,
stored in the GRIDUNIT system variable.

STATUS | 963
 Current Space Shows whether model space or paper space is active.
Current Layer Lists the current layer of the drawing, stored by the
CLAYER system variable.

Current Color Lists the current color, stored by the CECOLOR system
variable.
Current Lists the current linetype, stored by the CELTYPE system
Linetype variable.
Current Lists the current lineweight, stored by the CELWEIGHT
Lineweight system variable.
Current Plot Lists the current plot style, stored by the CPLOTSTYLE
Style system variable.
Current Lists the current elevation of the drawing, stored in the
Elevation ELEVATION system variable.

Thickness Lists the current thickness, stored in the THICKNESS

system variable.
Fill, Grid, Shows whether these modes are on or off.
Ortho, Qtext,
Snap, Tablet
Object Snap Lists the running object snap modes specified by OSNAP.
Modes
Free Dwg Disk Lists the amount of disk space available on the drive
Space specified for AutoCAD temporary files.
Free Physical Lists the amount of installed memory free on your system.
Memory
Free Swap File Lists the amount of free space in your swap file.
Space

964 | STATUS
STLOUT
Stores a solid in an ASCII or binary file
Command line: stlout

Select a single solid for STL output...

Select objects: Use an object selection method and press ENTER when you finish
Create a binary STL file? [Yes/No] <Yes>: Enter y or n, or press ENTER

Enter y or press ENTER to create a binary file. Enter n to create an ASCII file.
AutoCAD displays the Create STL File dialog box (a standard file selection
dialog box).
AutoCAD creates the file and adds the .stl file name extension. The STL file
format is compatible with stereolithography apparatus (SLA). The solid data
is transferred to the SLA as a faceted representation of the model. The facets
consist of a set of triangles (with outward pointing normals) that approxi-
mate the faces of the model. From the faceted data, the SLA workstation pro-
duces a set of contours that defines a series of layers representing the part to
be built.
The FACETRES system variable determines how AutoCAD triangulates the
solid. Setting FACETRES to a higher value creates a finer mesh that more accu-
rately represents the model and also creates a much larger file. The model
must lie in the positive XYZ octant of the WCS.

STRETCH
Moves or stretches objects
Modify toolbar:
Modify menu: Stretch
Command line: stretch

Select objects to stretch by crossing-window or crossing-polygon...

1 Select objects: Use the cpolygon or crossing object selection method (1 and 2) and
press ENTER when you finish

2 AutoCAD stretches arcs, elliptical arcs, lines, polyline segments, 2D solids,

rays, traces, and splines that cross the selection window. STRETCH moves the
endpoints that lie inside the window, leaving those outside the window
unchanged. STRETCH also moves vertices of traces and 2D solids that lie
inside the window and leaves those outside unchanged. Polylines are

STLOUT | 965
 handled segment by segment, as if they were primitive lines or arcs. STRETCH
does not modify 3D solids, polyline width, tangent, or curve-fitting
information.

AutoCAD moves any objects entirely within the window or polygon, as if

4 you were using MOVE.
Specify base point or displacement: Specify a point (3) or press ENTER
Specify second point of displacement: Specify a point (4) or press ENTER
3
If you enter a second point, the objects are stretched the vector distance from
the base point to the second point. If you press ENTER at the Second Point of
Displacement prompt, STRETCH treats the first point as the X,Y displacement
value.

STYLE
Creates, modifies, or sets named text styles
AutoCAD provides one standard text style. If you want to create a new style
or modify an existing style, use STYLE. STYLE also sets the current style used
when you create text with TEXT and MTEXT.
If you change the orientation or font file of an existing text style, all text
objects with that style use the new values when the drawing is regenerated.
If REGENAUTO is on, the change causes an automatic regeneration.
You can use RENAME to change the name of an existing text style. If any exist-
ing text object uses the old style name, the text object takes the new name
automatically.

Text toolbar:
Format menu: Text Style
Command line: style (or 'style for transparent use)

The Text Style dialog box is displayed.

966 | STYLE
If you enter -style at the Command prompt, STYLE displays prompts on the
command line (see page 970).

Text Style Dialog Box

Creates, modifies, or sets named text styles.

Style Name
Displays text style names, adds new styles, and renames and deletes existing
styles. The list contains defined style names and displays the current style by
default. To change the current style, select another style from the list, or
choose New to create a new style.
Style names can be up to 255 characters long. They can contain letters, num-
bers, and the special characters dollar sign ($), underscore (_), and hyphen (-).
New Displays the New Text Style dialog box and automatically
supplies the name stylen (where n is the number of the
supplied style) for the current settings. You can accept the
default or enter a name and choose OK to apply the
current style settings to the new style name.
Rename Displays the Rename Text Style dialog box. The text style
listed is renamed when you enter a new name and choose
OK.
You can also use RENAME to change the name of an
existing text style. If any existing text object uses the old
style name, the text object takes the new name
automatically.

STYLE | 967
 Delete Deletes a text style. Select a name from the list to make it
current, and then choose Delete.

Font
Changes the styles font.
Font Name Lists the font family name for all registered TrueType fonts
and all AutoCAD compiled shape (SHX) fonts in the
AutoCAD Fonts folder. When you select a name from the
list, AutoCAD reads the file for the specified font. The
files character definitions are loaded automatically unless
the file is already in use by another text style. You can
define several styles that use the same font.
Font Style Specifies font character formatting, such as italic, bold, or
regular. When Use Big Font is selected, this option
changes to Big Font Name and is used to select a Big Font
file name.
Height Sets the text height based on the value you enter. If you
enter 0.0, AutoCAD prompts for the text height each
time you enter text using this style. Entering a height
greater than 0.0 sets the text height for this style.
TrueType fonts can be displayed at a smaller height than
SHX fonts with the same height setting.
Note The text height you specify may not be accurately
represented by uppercase letters in TrueType fonts supplied
with AutoCAD. See Work with Text Styles in the Users
Guide.
Use Big Font Specifies an Asian-language Big Font file. Use Big Font is
available only if you specify an SHX file under Font Name.
Only SHX files are valid file types for creating Big Fonts.

Effects
Modifies characteristics of the font, such as its height, width factor, and
obliquing angle and whether it is displayed upside down, backwards, or ver-
tically aligned.
Upside Down Displays the characters upside down.
Backwards Displays the characters backwards.

968 | STYLE
Vertical Displays the characters aligned vertically. Vertical is
available only if the selected font supports dual
orientation. Vertical orientation is not available for
TrueType fonts.
See Assign Text Fonts and Set Text Height in the Users
Guide.
Width Factor Sets the character spacing. Entering a value less than 1.0
condenses the text. Entering a value greater than 1.0
expands it.
Oblique Angle Sets the obliquing angle of the text. Entering a value
between 85 and 85 italicizes the text.

Note TrueType fonts using the effects described in this section might appear
bold on the screen. Onscreen appearance has no effect on plotted output. Fonts
are plotted as specified by applied character formatting.

Preview
Displays sample text that changes dynamically as you change fonts and
modify the effects. To change the sample text, enter characters in the box
below the character preview image.
Preview Button Updates the sample text in the character preview image
according to any changes youve made in the dialog box.
Note The preview image does not reflect the text height.

Apply
Applies style changes made in the dialog box to the text of the current style
in the drawing.

Close
Applies changes to the current style. Cancel changes to Close whenever a
change is made to any of the options under Style Name. Changing, renam-
ing, or deleting the current style and creating a new style are actions that take
place immediately and cannot be canceled.

Cancel
Cancel changes to Close whenever a change is made to any of the options
under Style Name.

STYLE | 969
 STYLE Command Line
If you enter -style at the Command prompt, STYLE displays prompts on the
command line.
Enter name of text style or [?] <current>: Enter a style name, enter ?, or press
ENTER

Text Style Specifies the text style name. Names can have up to 255
Name characters and can include letters, numbers, spaces, and
any special character not used by Microsoft Windows or
AutoCAD for other purposes. To define a style that uses
Big Fonts, you can use long file names that do not contain
commas. Commas are used to separate SHX files and Big
Font files for defining a Big Font file. Pressing ENTER
displays the following prompt (full font names are
displayed only if the current font is a TrueType font):
Existing style. Full font name = current:
Specify full font name or font file name <TTF or SHX>:

Enter a TrueType font family name or an SHX font file

name. If you do not enter a file name extension, AutoCAD
searches for an SHX file. If the file is not located, Windows
substitutes the first located registered TrueType font.
All long file names except those containing commas are
accepted at the prompt. The comma is reserved for the Big
Font naming convention: an SHX file followed by a
comma (,), followed by the Big Font file name. A space is
interpreted as part of the font name, not as a carriage
return.
Entering a tilde (~) displays the Select Font File dialog box.
In the Select Font File dialog box, valid types include SHX
and TTF. AutoCAD reads the specified font file. The files
character definitions are loaded automatically unless the
file is already in use by another text style. You can define
several styles that use the same font file.
Specify height of text <current>: Specify a distance or press
ENTER

If you enter a height of 0.0, AutoCAD prompts you for the

text height each time you enter text using this style.

970 | STYLE
 Entering a height greater than 0.0 sets the text height for
this style.
Specify width factor <current>: Specify a distance or press
ENTER

Entering a value less than 1.0 condenses the text. Entering

a value greater than 1.0 expands it.
Specify obliquing angle <current>: Specify an angle or press
ENTER

Entering a value between 85 and 85 obliques the text.

Display text backwards? [Yes/No] <N>: Enter y or n, or press
ENTER
Display text upside-down? [Yes/No] <N>: Enter y or n, or
press ENTER
Vertical? <N>: Enter y or n, or press ENTER

Vertical is available only if the selected font supports dual

orientation.
?List Text Lists the text styles available in the drawing.
Styles
Enter text style(s) to list <*>: Enter the name of a style or
press ENTER

At the Enter Text Style(s) to List prompt, entering the

name of a style displays the name, font file, height, width
factor, obliquing angle, and generation of the style and
exits the command. Entering an asterisk (*) or pressing
ENTER displays the height, width factor, obliquing angle,
and generation (whether text is drawn backwards, upside-
down, vertically, or normally) of each style, and then exits
the command.

STYLESMANAGER
Displays the Plot Style Manager
File menu: Plot Style Manager
Command line: stylesmanager

The Plot Style Manager is displayed.

STYLESMANAGER | 971
 In the Plot Style Manager, you can double-click the Add-a-Plot-Style-Table
wizard to add plot style tables. Double-click a plot style table (STB or CTB file)
to start the Plot Style Table Editor.

Add-a-Plot-Style-Table Wizard
Adds new plot style tables. Plot style tables contain and define plot styles,
which can be assigned to objects. When complete, the wizard produces an
STB or CTB file depending on the type of table you are creating. You can edit
these files in the Plot Style Table Editor. To use your new plot style table, the
selected options on the Plotting tab of the Options dialog box must be appro-
priate for the type of plot style table (named or color-dependent) you created.
You can create a plot style table from scratch, use an existing plot style table
as a starting point, use settings from your AutoCAD Release 14 CFG file, or
use settings from a PCP or PC2 file.
You can create either a named plot style table or a color-dependent plot style
table. With a named plot style table, you can add and define plot styles as
you like; the file name has the extension .stb. A color-dependent plot style
table creates 255 plot styles based on color; the file name has the extension
.ctb. You can specify whether you want to use a plot style table for new draw-
ings or for pre-AutoCAD 2000 drawings when they are saved in a later
format.

Plot Style Table Editor

Modifies the plot styles in a plot style table. If the plot style table is attached
to a layout or the Model tab, and you change a plot style, any objects that
use that plot style are affected. If the plot style table is color-dependent, the
file extension is CTB. If the plot style table is named, the file extension is STB.
For information about plot style tables, see Use Plot Styles to Control Plot-
ted Objects in the Users Guide.
Open the Plot Style Table Editor with any of the following methods:

Double-click a CTB or STB file in the Plot Style Manager.

Right-click a CTB or STB file in the Plot Style Manager, and then choose
Open from the shortcut menu.
Choose Plot Style Table Editor from the Finish screen in the Add Plot Style
Table wizard.
In the Page Setup dialog box, select the Plot Device tab. Under Plot Style
Table (Pen Assignments), choose Edit to edit the currently attached plot
style table.
In the Current Plot Style and Select Plot Style dialog boxes, choose Editor.

972
 In the Options dialog box, choose Add or Edit Style Sheets.

General Tab (Plot Style Table Editor)

Lists the plot style table file name, description, version number, location
(path name), and table type. You can modify the description, and you can
apply scaling to non-ISO linetypes and fill patterns.

Plot Style Table Displays the name of the plot style table file you are
Name editing.
Description Provides a description area for a plot style table.
File Displays information about the plot style table you are
Information editing: number of plot styles, path, and version number
of the Plot Style Table Editor.
Apply Global Scales all the non-ISO linetypes and fill patterns in the
Scale Factor to plot styles of objects controlled by this plot style table.
Non-ISO
Linetypes and
Fill Patterns

STYLESMANAGER | 973
 Scale Factor Specifies the amount to scale non-ISO linetypes and fill
patterns.
Delete R14 Named plot style tables that you create using acadr14.cfg,
Color Mapping PCP, or PC2 files contain plot styles that are created from
Table your AutoCAD Release 14 pen mappings. Color-
dependent plot style tables also have color mapping
tables. AutoCAD uses color mapping tables to map plot
styles to colors and thus to objects of each color when
opening pre-AutoCAD 2000 drawings. While the color
mapping table exists, you cannot add, delete, or rename
plot styles in that plot style table.
If you delete a color mapping table, AutoCAD cannot
automatically assign plot styles to objects when pre-
AutoCAD 2000 drawings are opened for the first time.
If you delete the mapping table, the plot style table
becomes an ordinary plot style table and is no longer
useful for applying plot styles to old drawings. It
continues to be useful for new drawings.

Table View and Form View Tabs (Plot Style Table Editor)
Lists all of the plot styles in the plot style table and their settings. Plot styles
are style overrides for your drawings that occur during plotting. You can
modify plot style color, screening, linetype, lineweight, and other settings.
Plot styles are displayed in columns from left to right. You can use either the
Table View tab or the Form View tab to adjust plot style settings. In general,
the Table View tab is convenient if you have a small number of plot styles. If
you have a large number of plot styles, the Form view is more convenient
because the plot style names are listed at the left and the properties of the
selected style are displayed to the right. You dont have to scroll horizontally
to view the style and its properties. The first plot style in a named plot style
table is NORMAL and represents an objects default properties (no plot style
applied). You cannot modify or delete the NORMAL style.

974 | STYLESMANAGER
Name Displays the names of plot styles in named plot style
tables. Plot styles in named plot style tables can be
changed. Plot style names in color-dependent plot style
tables are tied to object color and cannot be changed.
AutoCAD accepts up to 255 characters for style names.
You cannot have duplicate names within the same plot
style table.
Description Provides a description for each plot style.
Color Specifies the plotted color for an object. The default
setting for plot style color is Use Object Color. If you
assign a plot style color, the color overrides the objects
color at plot time.

STYLESMANAGER | 975
 You can choose Select Color to display the Select Color
dialog box (see page 172) and select one of the 255
AutoCAD Color Index (ACI) colors, a true color, or a color
from a color book. The color you specify is displayed in
the plot style color list as Custom Color. If the plot device
does not support the color you specify, it plots the nearest
available color or, in the case of monochrome devices,
black.
Enable Enables dithering. A plotter uses dithering to approximate
Dithering colors with dot patterns, giving the impression of plotting
more colors than available in the AutoCAD Color Index
(ACI). If the plotter does not support dithering, the
dithering setting is ignored.
Dithering is usually turned off in order to avoid false line
typing that results from dithering of thin vectors. Turning
off dithering also makes dim colors more visible. When
you turn off dithering, AutoCAD maps colors to the
nearest color, resulting in a smaller range of colors when
plotting. Dithering is available whether you use the
objects color or assign a plot style color.
Convert to Converts the objects colors to grayscale if the plotter
Grayscale supports grayscale. If you clear Convert to Grayscale,
AutoCAD uses the RGB values for object colors. Dithering
is available whether you use the objects color or assign a
plot style color.
Use Assigned Specifies a pen to use when plotting objects that use this
Pen Number plot style. Available pens range from 1 to 32. If plot style
(Pen Plotters color is set to Use Object Color, or you are editing a plot
Only) style in a color-dependent plot style table, you cannot
change the assigned pen number; the value is set to
Automatic.
If you specify 0, the field updates to read Automatic.
AutoCAD determines the pen of the closest color to the
object you are plotting using the information you
provided under Physical Pen Characteristics in the Plotter
Configuration Editor.

976 | STYLESMANAGER
Virtual Pen Specifies a virtual pen number between 1 and 255. Many
Number non-pen plotters can simulate pen plotters using virtual
pens. For many devices, you can program the pens width,
fill pattern, end style, join style, and color/screening from
the front panel on the plotter.
Enter 0 or Automatic to specify that AutoCAD should
make the virtual pen assignment from the AutoCAD
Color Index.
The virtual pen setting in a plot style is used only by non-
pen plotters and only if they are configured for virtual
pens. If this is the case, all the other style settings are
ignored and only the virtual pen is used. If a non-pen
plotter is not configured for virtual pens, then the virtual
and physical pen information in the plot style is ignored
and all the other settings are used.
You can configure your non-pen plotter for virtual pens
under Vector Graphics on the Device and Document
Settings tab in the PC3 Editor. Under Color Depth, select
255 Virtual Pens.
Screening Specifies a color intensity setting that determines the
amount of ink AutoCAD places on the paper while
plotting. The valid range is 0 through 100. Selecting 0
reduces the color to white. Selecting 100 displays the color
at its full intensity. In order for screening to work, the
Enable Dithering option must be selected.
Linetype Displays a list with a sample and a description of each
linetype. The default setting for plot style linetype is Use
Object Linetype. If you assign a plot style linetype, the
linetype overrides the objects linetype at plot time.
Adaptive Adjusts the scale of the linetype to complete the linetype
Adjustment pattern. If you dont select Adaptive Adjustment, the line
might end in the middle of a pattern. Turn off Adaptive
Adjustment if linetype scale is important. Turn on
Adaptive Adjustment if complete linetype patterns are
more important than correct linetype scaling.

STYLESMANAGER | 977
 Lineweight Displays a sample of the lineweight as well as its numeric
value. You can specify the numeric value of each
lineweight in millimeters. The default setting for plot style
lineweight is Use Object Lineweight. If you assign a plot
style lineweight, the lineweight overrides the objects
lineweight at plot time.
Line End Style Provides the following line end styles: Butt, Square,
Round, and Diamond. The default setting for Line End
Style is Use Object End Style. If you assign a line end style,
the line end style overrides the objects line end style at
plot time.
Line Join Style Provides the following line join styles: Miter, Bevel,
Round, and Diamond. The default setting for Line Join
Style is Use Object Join Style. If you assign a line join style,
the line join style overrides the objects line join style at
plot time.
Fill Style Provides the following fill styles: Solid, Checkerboard,
Crosshatch, Diamonds, Horizontal Bars, Slant Left, Slant
Right, Square Dots, and Vertical Bar. The default setting
for Fill Style is Use Object Fill Style. If you assign a fill
style, the fill style overrides the objects fill style at plot
time.
Add Style
Adds a new plot style to a named plot style table. The plot style is based on
Normal, which uses an objects properties and doesnt apply any overrides by
default. You must specify the overrides you want to apply after you create the
new plot style. You cannot add a new plot style to a color-dependent plot
style table; a color-dependent plot style table has 255 plot styles mapped to
color. You also cannot add a plot style to a named plot style table that has a
translation table.
Delete Style
Deletes the selected style from the plot style table. Objects assigned this plot
style retain the plot style assignment but plot as Normal because the plot
style is no longer defined in the plot style table. You cannot delete a plot style
from a named plot style table that has a translation table, or from a color-
dependent plot style table.
Edit Lineweights
Displays the Edit Lineweights dialog box. There are 28 lineweights available
to apply to plot styles in plot style tables. If the lineweight you need doesnt
exist in the list of lineweights stored in the plot style table, you can edit an

978 | STYLESMANAGER
existing lineweight. You cant add or delete lineweights from the list in the
plot style table.
Save As
Displays the Save As dialog box and saves the plot style table to a new name.

Edit Lineweights Dialog Box

Modifies the values of existing lineweights.

Lineweights Lists the lineweights in the plot style table. There are a
total of 28 lineweights including Use Object Lineweight.
You can modify existing lineweights, but you cant add or
delete them. If you change a lineweight value, other plot
styles that use the lineweight also change.
When you edit a lineweight value, it is rounded and
displayed with a precision of four places past the decimal
point. Lineweight values must be zero or a positive
number. If you create a lineweight with a zero width, the
line is plotted as thin as the plotter can create it. The
maximum possible lineweight value is 100 millimeters
(approximately four inches).
Units for Specifies the units in which to display the list of
Listing lineweights. You can display the list of lineweights in
inches or millimeters.
Edit Makes the selected lineweight available for editing.
Lineweight
Sort Sorts the list of lineweights by value. If you change
Lineweights lineweight values, choose Sort Lineweights to resort the
list.

STYLESMANAGER | 979
SUBTRACT
Combines selected regions or solids by subtraction

Solids Editing toolbar:

Modify menu: Solids Editing Subtract
Command line: subtract

Select solids and regions to subtract from...

Select objects: Use an object selection method and press ENTER when you finish

Select solids and regions to subtract...

Select objects: Use an object selection method and press ENTER when you finish

AutoCAD subtracts objects in the second selection set from objects in the
first selection set. A single new solid or region is created.

solid to be subtracted solid to subtract solid after SUBTRACT

from

region to be subtracted region to subtract region after SUBTRACT

from

980 | SUBTRACT
 You can only subtract regions from other regions that are on the same plane.
However, you can perform simultaneous SUBTRACT actions by selecting sets
of regions on different planes. AutoCAD then produces separate subtracted
regions on each plane. AutoCAD rejects regions for which there are no other
selected coplanar regions.

SYSWINDOWS
Arranges windows and icons
SYSWINDOWS is equivalent to the standard Window menu options in
Windows applications. It is intended for use with external applications that
share the AutoCAD window.
Command line: syswindows

Enter an option [Cascade/tile Horizontal/tile Vertical/Arrange icons]: Enter an

option

Cascade Overlaps windows, leaving title bars visible.

Tile Horizontal Arranges windows in horizontal, nonoverlapping tiles.
Tile Vertical Arranges windows in vertical, nonoverlapping tiles.
Arrange Icons Arranges the window icons.

SYSWINDOWS | 981
982
TABLE
Creates an empty table object in a drawing

Draw toolbar:
Draw menu: Table
Command line: table

The Insert Table dialog box is displayed.

If you enter -table at the Command prompt, TABLE displays prompts on the
command line (see page 1012).

Insert Table Dialog Box

Inserts an empty table in the drawing.

Table Style Settings

Set the apearance of the table.
Table Style Name Specifies the table style. The default style is STANDARD.
Text Height Displays the text height specified in the current table
style for data rows (read-only).
Preview
Displays an example of the current table style.

TABLE | 983
 Insertion Behavior
Specifies the location of the table.
Specify Insertion Specifies the location of the upper-left corner of the
Point table. You can use the pointing device or enter
coordinate values on the command line. If the table
style sets the direction of the table to read from the
bottom up, the insertion point is the lower-left corner
of the table.
Specify Window Specifies a size and a location for the table. You can use
the pointing device or enter coordinate values on the
command line. When this option is selected, the
number of columns and rows and the column width
and row height depend on the size of the window and
the column and row settings.
Column & Row Settings
Set the number and size of columns and rows.
Columns Specifies the number of columns. When the Specify
Window option is selected and you specify a column
width, the Auto option is selected, and the number of
columns is controlled by the width of the table.
Column Width Specifies the width of the columns. When the Specify
Window option is selected and you specify the number
of columns, the Auto option is selected, and the
column width is controlled by the width of the table.
The minimum column width is one character.
Data Rows Specifies the number of rows. When the Specify
Window option is selected and you specify a row
height, the Auto option is selected, and the number of
rows is controlled by the height of the table. A table
style with a title row and a header row has a minimum
of three rows. The minimum row height is one line.
Row Height Specifies the height of the rows in lines. The height of a
line is based on the text height and the cell margin,
which are both set in the table style. When the Specify
Window option is selected and you specify the number
of rows, the Auto option is selected, and the row height
is controlled by the height of the table.

984 | TABLE
TABLE Command Line
If you enter -table at the Command prompt, TABLE displays prompts on the
command line.
Current table style: Standard Cell width: 2.5000 Cell height: 1 line(s)
Enter number of columns or [Auto] <5>:

Number of Columns
Specifies the number of columns.
Enter number of rows or [Auto] <1>:

Number of Rows
Specifies the number of rows.
Specify insertion point or [Style/Width/Height]:

Insertion Point Specifies the location of the upper-left corner of the

table. You can use the pointing device or enter
coordinate values on the command line. If the table
style sets the direction of the table to read from the
bottom up, the insertion point is the lower-left corner
of the table.
Width Specifies a width for the table columns.
Enter cell width <2.50000>:
Specify insertion point or [Style/Width/Height]:

Height Specifies a height for the table rows.

Enter minimum cell height <1 line>:
Specify insertion point or [Style/Width/Height]:

Style Specifies a table style for the table.

Enter table style name <current>
Specify insertion point or [Style/Width/Height]:

Auto
Specifies a size and a location for the table. You can use the pointing device
or enter coordinate values on the command line. When this option is
selected, you can set the number of columns or the column width, but not
both. The number of rows and the row height depend on the size of the win-
dow you specify.
Specify first corner or [Height]:

TABLE | 985
 First Corner Specifies the location of the upper-left corner of the
table. If the table style sets the direction of the table to
read from the bottom up, the insertion point is the
lower-left corner of the table.
Specify second corner:

Height Specifies a height for the table rows.

Enter minimum cell height <1 line>:
Specify first corner or [Height]:

Auto
Specifies a size and a location for the table. You can use the pointing device
or enter coordinate values on the command line. When this option is
selected, you can set the number of columns or the column width, but not
both. The number of rows and the row height depend on the size of the win-
dow you specify.
Enter number of rows or [Auto] <1>:

Number of Rows Specifies the number of rows.

Specify first corner or [Width]:
Specify second corner:

Auto Specifies a size and a location for the table

Specify first corner or [Width]:
Specify second corner:

TABLEDIT
Edits text in a table cell
Pointing device: Double-click inside a table cell.

Shortcut menu: With a table selected and one or more cells selected, right-
click and click Edit Cell Text on the shortcut menu.
Command line: tabledit

Pick a table cell: Click inside a table cell, and enter text or use the toolbar or the
shortcut menu to make changes

986 | TABLEDIT
TABLEEXPORT
Exports data from a table object in CSV file format
Shortcut menu: With a table selected, right-click and click Export on the
shortcut menu.
Command line: tableexport

A standard file selection dialog box is displayed (see page 609). Table data is
exported in the comma-separated (CSV) file format. All formatting of the
table and its text is lost.

TABLESTYLE
Defines a new table style

Styles toolbar:
Format menu: Table Style
Command line: tablestyle

The Table Style dialog box is displayed.

Table Style Dialog Box
Sets the current table style and creates, modifies, and deletes table styles.
Current Table Style
Displays the name of the table style that is applied to tables you create. The
default table style is STANDARD.
Styles
Displays a list of table styles. The current style is highlighted.
List
Controls the contents of the Styles list.
All Styles Displays all table styles.
Styles in Use Displays only the table styles that are referenced by
tables in the current drawing.
Preview Of
Displays a preview image of the style that is selected in the Styles list.
Set Current
Sets the table style selected in the Styles list as the current style. All new tables
are created using this table style.

TABLEEXPORT | 987
 New
Displays the Create New Table Style dialog box, in which you can define new
table styles.
Modify
Displays the Modify Table Style dialog box, in which you can modify table
styles.
Delete
Deletes the table style selected in the Styles list. A style that is being used in
the drawing cannot be deleted.

Create New Table Style Dialog Box

Specifies a name for the new table style and specifies the existing table style
on which the new table style will be based.
New Style Name Names the new table style.
Start With Specifies an existing table style whose settings are the
default for the new table style.
Continue Displays the New Table Style dialog box, in which you
define the new table style.

New and Modify Table Style Dialog Boxes

Defines a new table style or modifies an existing table style. The New Table
Style dialog box is displayed when you click New in the Table Style dialog box
and specify a name in the Create a New Table Style dialog box. The Modify
Table Style dialog box is displayed when you click Modify in the Table Style
dialog box. The options in each dialog box are the same.

988 | TABLESTYLE
There are three tabs in each dialog box: Data, Column Heads, and Title.
Options on each tab set the appearance of the data cells, the column heads,
or the table title.
Cell Properties
Set the appearance of the data cells, the column heads, and the table title,
depending on which tab is active: Data tab, Column Heads tab, or Title tab.
Include Header (Column Heads tab only) Determines whether the table
Row has a row for column heads. When this option is
cleared, the table does not include a column heads row;
therefore, the cell properties settings for the column
heads row are unavailable.
Include Title Row (Title tab only) Determines whether the table has a row
for the table title. When this option is cleared, the table
does not include a title row; therefore, the cell
properties settings for the title row are unavailable.
Text Style Lists all the text styles in the drawing. The [...] button
displays the Text Style dialog box (see page 967), where
you can create a new text style.

TABLESTYLE | 989
 Text Height Sets the text height. The default text height for data and
column head cells is 0.1800. The default text height for
the table title is 0.25.
Text Color Specifies the color of the text.
You can choose Select Color to display the Select Color
dialog box (see page 172).
Fill Color Specifies the background color of the cell. The default is
None.
You can choose Select Color to display the Select Color
dialog box (see page 172).
Alignment Sets justification and alignment for the text in the table
cell. Text is middle-, top-, or bottom-aligned with
respect to the top and bottom borders of the cell. Text
is center-, left-, or right-justified with respect to the left
and right borders of the cell. See Justify Multiline Text
in the Users Guide for an illustration of the nine
options.
Border Properties
Controls the appearance of the borders of the cells. The border properties are
lineweight and color of the gridlines.
All Borders Applies the border properties settings to all borders of
all data cells, all borders of the column head cells, or all
borders of the title cell, depending on which tab is
active.
Outside Border Applies the border properties settings to the outside
border of all data cells, column head cells, or the title
cell, depending on which tab is active.
Inside Border Applies the border properties settings to the inside
border of all data cells or column head cells, depending
on which tab is active. This option does not apply to
the title cell.
No Border Hides borders for data cells, column head cells, or the
title cell, depending on which tab is active.
Bottom Border Applies the border properties settings to the bottom
borders of all data cells, column head cells, or the title
cell, depending on which tab is active.

990 | TABLESTYLE
Grid Lineweight Sets the lineweight to be applied to the borders you
specify by clicking a border button. If you use a heavy
lineweight, you may have to increase the cell margins.
Grid Color Sets the color to be applied to the borders you specify
by clicking a border button.
You can choose Select Color to display the Select Color
dialog box (see page 172).
Preview
Displays an example of the effect of the current table style settings.
General
Changes the direction of the table.
Table Direction Sets the direction of a table.

Down: Creates a table that reads from top to bottom.

The title row and the column heads row are at the
top of the table. When you click Insert Rows and
click Below, the new row is inserted below the
current row.
Up: Creates a table that reads from bottom to top.
The title row and the column heads row are at the
bottom of the table. When you click Insert Rows and
click Below, the new row is inserted above the
current row.

Cell Margins
Controls the spacing between the border of the cell and the cell content. The
cell margin settings apply to all cells in the table. The default setting is 0.06
(imperial) and 1.5 (metric).
Horizontal Sets the distance between the text or block in the cell
and the left and right cell borders.
Vertical Sets the distance between the text or block in the cell
and the top and bottom cell borders.

TABLESTYLE | 991
TABLET
Calibrates, configures, and turns on and off an attached digitizing tablet
TABLET controls tablet calibration, turns Tablet mode on and off, and desig-
nates which menu areas are used for screen pointing.
Tools menu: Tablet
Command line: tablet

Enter an option [ON/OFF/CAL/CFG]:

On
Turns on Tablet mode. Setting the TABMODE system variable to 1 also turns
on Tablet mode. Pressing CTRL + T on some systems turns Tablet mode on and
off.

Off
Turns off Tablet mode. Setting the TABMODE system variable to 0 also turns
off Tablet mode. Pressing CTRL + T on some systems turns Tablet mode on
and off.

Cal
Calibrates the digitizer with a paper drawing or photograph, creating the tab-
let transformation, which is the mapping of points from the tablet to the
coordinate drawing system. Calibration is digitizing points on the drawing
and mapping them to their real coordinates.
Calibration can be performed in model space or paper space. The Cal option
turns on Tablet mode in the space in which the tablet is calibrated. When the
space is changed, the Cal option turns off Tablet mode.
The paper should be flat (with no bumps or wrinkles) and securely fastened
to the digitizing tablet. The paper can be oriented at any angle.
Digitize point #1: Digitize a point on the paper drawing
Enter coordinates for point #1: Specify an X,Y coordinate at the digitized point
Digitize point #2: Digitize a point on the paper drawing
Enter coordinates for point #2: Specify an X,Y coordinate at the digitized point
Digitize point #3 (or ENTER to end): Digitize a point on the tablet or press ENTER
Enter coordinates for point #3: Specify an X,Y coordinate in the drawing

992 | TABLET
The points you enter cannot be duplicates. The points need not be the origin
on either axis, and you can enter as many points as you like. The more points
you enter, the more accurate the drawing will be.
If you enter only two points, the program automatically computes an orthog-
onal transformation. If it is successful, the command ends.
If you enter three or more points, the program computes the transformation
in each of the three transformation types (Orthogonal, Affine, and Projec-
tive) to determine which best fits the calibration points. If you enter more
than four points, computing the best-fitting projective transformation can
take a long time. You can cancel the process by pressing ESC .
When the computations are complete, the program displays a table with the
number of calibration points and a column for each transformation type. For
a description of the information contained in the table, see Transformation
Table on page 994.
If there have been no failures of projection transformation, the program
prompts you to choose a transformation type.
Enter transformation type [Orthogonal/Affine/Projective/Repeat table] <Repeat>:
Enter an option or press ENTER

Only transformation types for which the outcome was Success, Exact, or
Canceled are included in this prompt. A projective transformation can be
specified even if it was canceled. The program uses the result computed at the
time you canceled.
Orthogonal Specifies translation, uniform scaling, and rotation
with two calibration points.
Use Orthogonal for dimensionally accurate paper
drawings and paper drawings in which the portion to
be digitized is long and narrow, with most points
confined to single lines.
Note You must specify the lower-left point location
before specifying the upper-right point location.
Affine Specifies arbitrary linear transformation in two
dimensions consisting of translation, independent X-
and Y-scaling, rotation, and skewing with three
calibration points.

TABLET | 993
 Use Affine when horizontal dimensions in a paper
drawing are stretched with respect to vertical
dimensions, and lines that are supposed to be parallel
actually are parallel.
The RMS (root mean square) error reported after
calibration measures how close the program has come
to making a perfect fit. Affine should be used if the RMS
is small.
Projective Specifies a transformation equivalent to a perspective
projection of one plane in space onto another plane
with four calibration points. A projective
transformation provides a limited form of what
cartographers call rubber sheeting, in which different
portions of the tablet surface are stretched by varying
amounts. Straight lines map into straight lines. Parallel
lines do not necessarily stay parallel.
Projective transformation corrects parallel lines that
appear to converge.
Repeat Table Redisplays the computed table, which rates the
transformation types.

Transformation Table
Reports the number of calibration points and provides information about
each transformation type.
Outcome of Fit
Reports the outcome of fit for each of the transformation types. If the out-
come of fit is not Success or Exact for any of the transformation types, the
program reports failure of the entire calibration process and ends the com-
mand. The remaining entries in each column are blank unless Outcome of
Fit is Success.
Exact Indicates the correct number of points for a valid
transformation.
Success Indicates more than enough points. The program
succeeded in fitting a transformation to the data.
Impossible Indicates not enough points.

994 | TABLET
 Failure Indicates enough points, but the program was unable to
fit a transformation to the points, usually because some
points were colinear or coincident.
Canceled Indicates that the fit process was canceled. This
outcome occurs only with the projective
transformation.
RMS Error
Reports the RMS (root mean square) error, which measures how close the pro-
gram has come to finding a perfect fit. The goal is the smallest RMS error.
Standard Deviation
Reports the standard deviation of the residuals. If it is near zero, the residual
at each calibration point is about the same.
Largest Residual/At Point
Reports the point at which the mapping is least accurate. The residual is the
distance between where the point was mapped during transformation and
where it would be mapped if the fit were perfect. The distance is given in the
current linear units.
Second-Largest Residual/At Point
Reports the point at which the mapping is second-least accurate. The residual
is the distance between where the point was mapped during transformation
and where it would be mapped if the fit were perfect. The distance is given
in the current linear units.

Cfg
Designates or realigns the tablet menu areas or designates a small portion of
a large tablet as a screen pointing area.
Enter number of tablet menus desired (04) <current>: Enter a value or
press ENTER

If tablet menus are in use and the same number of menus is selected, the fol-
lowing prompts are displayed:
Do you want to realign tablet menus? [Yes/No] <N>: Enter y or n or press ENTER
1
Digitize upper-left corner of menu area n: Digitize a point (1)
2 3 Digitize lower-left corner of menu area n: Digitize a point (2)
Digitize lower-right corner of menu area n: Digitize a point (3)

In the prompt, n is the menu number (14).

TABLET | 995
 The printed menu form must be affixed to the tablet surface, and the
requested points must be digitized. The set of three points must form a
90-degree angle. Tablet menu areas can be skewed at any angle.
Enter the number of columns for menu area n: Enter a positive value
Enter the number of rows for menu area n: Enter a positive value

After all interaction concerning tablet menus is complete, the following

prompt is displayed:
Do you want to respecify the screen pointing area? [Yes/No] <N>: Enter y or n
or press ENTER

If you enter y, the following prompts are displayed:

Digitize lower-left corner of the pointing area: Digitize a point
Digitize upper-right corner of the pointing area: Digitize a point

A small portion of the tablets surface is designated as the fixed screen point-
ing area. The following prompt is displayed:
Do you want to specify the Floating Screen Pointing area? [Yes/No] <N>: Enter
y or n or press ENTER

If you responded y to the previous prompt, respond to the following prompt:

Do you want the Floating Screen Area to be the same size as the Fixed Screen
Pointing Area? [Yes/No] <Y>: Enter y or n or press ENTER

If you responded n to the previous prompt, respond to the following

prompts:
Digitize lower-left corner of the Floating Screen pointing area: Digitize a point
Digitize upper-right corner of the Floating Screen pointing area: Digitize a point

Respond to the following prompt:

The F12 Key will toggle the Floating Screen Area ON and OFF. Would you also
like to specify a button to toggle the Floating Screen Area? [Yes/No] <N>: Enter
y or n or press ENTER

If you responded y to the previous prompt, respond to the following prompt:

Press any non-pick button on the digitizer puck that you wish to designate as the
toggle for the Floating Screen Area

996 | TABLET
 TABSURF
Creates a tabulated surface from a path curve and a direction vector
TABSURF constructs a polygon mesh representing a general tabulated surface
direction defined by a path curve and a direction vector.
vector
selection Surfaces toolbar:
point path curve
Draw menu: Surfaces Tabulated Surface
Command line: tabsurf

Select object for path curve:

The path curve defines the surface of the polygon mesh. It can be a line, arc,
extrusion circle, ellipse, or 2D or 3D polyline. AutoCAD draws the surface starting at
upward the point on the path curve closest to the selection point.
Select object for direction vector: Select a line or open polyline
direction
vector AutoCAD considers only the first and last points on a polyline, ignoring
selection intermediate vertices. The direction vector indicates the direction and length
point
of the shape to be extruded. The end selected on the polyline or line deter-
path curve
mines the direction of the extrusion. The original path curve is drawn with
wide lines to help you visualize how the direction vector dictates the con-
struction of a tabulated surface.
TABSURF constructs a 2 n polygon mesh, where n is determined by the
SURFTAB1 system variable. The M direction of the mesh is always 2 and lies
along the direction vector. The N direction lies along the path curve. If the
path curve is a line, arc, circle, ellipse, or spline-fit polyline, AutoCAD draws
extrusion tabulation lines that divide the path curve into intervals of equal size set by
downward SURFTAB1. If the path curve is a polyline that has not been spline fit, AutoCAD
draws tabulation lines at the ends of straight segments, and each arc segment
is divided into intervals set by SURFTAB1.

polyline spline fit polyline not spline fit

TABSURF | 997
TEXT
Creates a single-line text object
You can use TEXT to enter several lines of text that you can rotate, justify, and
resize. As you type at the Enter Text prompt, the text you are typing is dis-
played on the screen. Each line of text is a separate object. To end a line and
begin another, press ENTER after entering characters at the Enter Text
prompt. To end TEXT, press ENTER without entering any characters at the
Enter Text prompt.
By applying a style to the text, you can use a variety of character patterns or
fonts that you can stretch, compress, make oblique, mirror, or align in a ver-
tical column.
Draw menu: Text Single Line Text
Command line: text

Current text style: current Current text height: current

Specify start point of text or [Justify/Style]: Specify a point or enter an option

If TEXT was the last command entered, pressing ENTER at the Specify Start
Point of Text prompt skips the prompts for height and rotation angle and
immediately displays the Enter Text prompt. The text is placed directly
beneath the previous line of text. The point specified at the prompt is also
stored as the insertion point of the text.
You can enter special characters and format text by entering Unicode strings
and control codes.
To add a field to single-line text, right-click the text in the drawing area and
click Insert Field.
Use -TEXT to honor the TEXTEVAL system variable (see page 1005).

998 | TEXT
 Start Point
Specifies a start point for the text object.
Specify height <current>: Specify a point (1), enter a value, or press ENTER
height
The Specify Height prompt is displayed only if the current text style does not
have a fixed height.

rotation Specify rotation angle of text <current>: Specify an angle or press ENTER
1
angle Enter text: Enter text and press ENTER to exit the command

Justify
Controls justification of the text.
Enter an option [Align/Fit/Center/Middle/Right/TL/TC/TR/ML/MC/MR/BL/BC/
BR]:

You can also enter any of these options at the Specify Start Point of Text
prompt.
Align Specifies both text height and text orientation by
1 2
designating the endpoints of the baseline.
Specify first endpoint of text baseline: Specify a point (1)
Specify second endpoint of text baseline: Specify a point
(2)
Enter text: Enter text and press ENTER to exit the
command

The size of the characters adjusts in proportion to their

height. The longer the text string, the shorter the
characters.
Specifies that text fits within an area and at an
Fit
orientation defined with two points and a height.
Available for horizontally oriented text only.
Specify first endpoint of text baseline: Specify a point (1)
Specify second endpoint of text baseline: Specify a
point (2)
Specify height <current>:
Enter text: Enter text and press ENTER to exit the
command

TEXT | 999
1 2
The height is the distance in drawing units that the
uppercase letters extend from the baseline. Designated
text height is the distance between the start point and
a point you specify. The longer the text string, the
narrower the characters. The height of the characters
remains constant.
Center Aligns text from the horizontal center of the baseline,
which you specify with a point.
1
Specify center point of text: Specify a point (1)
Specify height <current>:
Specify rotation angle of text <current>:
Enter text: Enter text and press ENTER to exit the
command

The rotation angle specifies the orientation of the text

baseline with respect to the center point. You can
designate the angle by specifying a point. The text
baseline runs from the start point toward the specified
point. If you specify a point to the left of the center
point, the text is drawn upside down.
Middle Aligns text at the horizontal center of the baseline and
1 the vertical center of the height you specify. Middle-
aligned text does not rest on the baseline.
Specify middle point of text: Specify a point (1)
Specify height <current>:
Specify rotation angle of text <current>:
Enter text: Enter text and press ENTER to exit the
command

The Middle option differs from the MC option in that

it uses the midpoint of all text, including descenders.
The MC option uses the midpoint of the height of
uppercase letters.

1000 | TEXT
 Right Right-justifies the text at the baseline, which you
1
specify with a point.
Specify right endpoint of text baseline: Specify a point (1)
Specify height <current>:
Specify rotation angle of text <current>:
Enter text: Enter text and press ENTER to exit the
command

1 TL (Top Left) Left-justifies text at a point specified for the top of the
text. Available for horizontally oriented text only.
Specify top-left point of text: Specify a point (1)
Specify height <current>:
Specify rotation angle of text <current>:
Enter text: Enter text and press ENTER to exit the
command

1 TC (Top Center) Centers text at a point specified for the top of the text.
Available for horizontally oriented text only.
Specify top-center point of text: Specify a point (1)
Specify height <current>:
Specify rotation angle of text <current>:
Enter text: Enter text and press ENTER to exit the
command

1 TR (Top Right) Right-justifies text at a point specified for the top of the
text. Available for horizontally oriented text only.
Specify top-right point of text: Specify a point (1)
Specify height <current>:
Specify rotation angle of text <current>:
Enter text: Enter text and press ENTER to exit the
command

TEXT | 1001
1 ML (Middle Left) Left-justifies text at a point specified for the middle of
the text. Available for horizontally oriented text only.
Specify middle-left point of text: Specify a point (1)
Specify height <current>:
Specify rotation angle of text <current>:
Enter text: Enter text and press ENTER to exit the
command

1 MC (Middle Centers the text both horizontally and vertically at the

Center) middle of the text. Available for horizontally oriented
text only.
Specify middle-center point of text: Specify a point (1)
Specify height of text <current>:
Specify rotation angle of text <current>:
Enter text: Enter text and press ENTER to exit the
command

The MC option differs from the Middle option in that

it uses the midpoint of the height of uppercase letters.
The Middle option uses the midpoint of all text,
including descenders.

1 MR (Middle Right-justifies text at a point specified for the middle of

Right) the text. Available for horizontally oriented text only.
Specify middle-right point of text: Specify a point (1)
Specify height <current>:
Specify rotation angle of text <current>:
Enter text: Enter text and press ENTER to exit the
command

1002 | TEXT
 BL (Bottom Left) Left-justifies text at a point specified for the baseline.
Available for horizontally oriented text only.
1
Specify bottom-left point of text: Specify a point (1)
Specify height <current>:
Specify rotation angle of text <current>:
Enter text: Enter text and press ENTER to exit the
command

BC (Bottom Centers text at a point specified for the baseline.

Center) Available for horizontally oriented text only.
1
Specify bottom-center point of text: Specify a point (1)
Specify height <current>:
Specify rotation angle of text <current>:
Enter text: Enter text and press ENTER to exit the
command
Right-justifies text at a point specified for the baseline.
BR (Bottom
Available for horizontally oriented text only.
1
Right)
Specify bottom-right point of text: Specify a point (1)
Specify height <current>:
Specify rotation angle of text <current>:
Enter text: Enter text and press ENTER to exit the
command

Style
Specifies the text style, which determines the appearance of the text charac-
ters. Text you create uses the current text style.
Enter style name or [?] <current>: Enter a text style name or enter ? to list all text
styles
various styles Entering ? lists the current text styles, associated font files, height, and other
parameters.

TEXT | 1003
 Special Unicode Characters
When entering text, you can create special characters, including the degree
symbol, plus/minus tolerance symbol, and the diameter symbol, by entering
the following Unicode character strings:
\U+00B0 Degrees symbol ()
\U+00B1 Tolerance symbol ()
\U+2205 Diameter symbol ()
See Unicode Font Descriptions in the Customization Guide.

Control Codes and Special Characters

In addition to using Unicode characters for entering special characters, you
can also overscore text, underscore text, or insert a special character by
including control information in the text string. Use a pair of percent signs
to introduce each control sequence.
You can use this control code with standard AutoCAD text fonts and Adobe
PostScript fonts:
%%nnn Draws character number nnn.
You can use these control codes with standard AutoCAD text fonts only:
%%o Toggles overscoring on and off.
Toggles underscoring on and off.
%%u
%%d Draws degrees symbol ().
%%p Draws plus/minus tolerance symbol ().
%%c Draws circle diameter dimensioning symbol ().
%%% Draws a single percent sign (%).
Overscoring and underscoring can be in effect at the same time. Both turn
off automatically at the end of the text string.
You can use the %%nnn control sequence to display special characters using
the PostScript fonts.
A sample drawing (truetype.dwg) showing the character map for each font is
provided in the sample folder.

1004 | TEXT
 The Euro Symbol
You can use the euro symbol with .shx fonts and their TrueType equivalent
fonts shipped with AutoCAD 2000 and later releases. If your keyboard does
not contain a euro symbol, hold down the ALT key and enter 0128 on the
numeric keypad.

TEXT and the TEXTEVAL System Variable

Entering -text at the Command prompt displays the same prompts as the
TEXT command. Unlike the TEXT command, -TEXT honors the setting of the
TEXTEVAL system variable. When the TEXTEVAL system variable is set to 2,
AutoCAD evaluates AutoLISP expressions when the -TEXT command ends.
AutoLISP expressions that are entered using this method must begin with an
exclamation point or left parenthesis.
The TEXT command honors the TEXTEVAL system variable setting only if used
in a script or AutoLISP expression and all the TEXT command prompts are
included within the script or AutoLISP expression.

TEXTSCR
Opens the text window
View menu: Display Text Window
Command line: textscr (or 'textscr for transparent use)

TEXTSCR displays the command line in a separate window. You can press F2
to toggle between the drawing area and the text window. This command is
ignored on dual-screen systems.

TEXTTOFRONT
Brings text and dimensions in front of all other objects in the drawing
Tools menu: Draw Order Bring Text and Dimensions to Front
Command line: texttofront

Bring to front: [Text/Dimensions/Both]<Both>: Enter an option or press ENTER

TEXTSCR | 1005
 Text Brings all text in front of all other objects in the
drawing.
Dimensions Brings all dimensions in front of all other objects in the
drawing.
Both Brings all text and dimensions in front of all other
objects in the drawing.

TIFOUT
Saves selected objects to a file in TIFF file format
Command line: tifout

The Create Raster File dialog box (a standard file selection dialog box) is dis-
played. Enter the file name in the dialog box.
Select objects or <all objects and viewports>: Press ENTER to select all objects
and viewports or use an object selection method and press ENTER

A TIFF file is created that contains the objects you select. The file reflects what
is displayed on the screen.

Note When the FILEDIA system variable is set to 0 (Off), prompts are displayed
on the command line.

TIME
Displays the date and time statistics of a drawing
Tools menu: Inquiry Time
Command line: time (or 'time for transparent use)

TIME displays the following information:

Current time: Wednesday, December 31, 2003 at 9:54:51:406 AM

Times for this drawing:
Created: Friday, December 12, 2003 at 1:21:36:203 AM
Last Updated: Wednesday, December 31, 2003 at 9:49:19:208 AM
Total Editing Time: 0 days 06:44:10.520
Elapsed Timer (on): 0 days 00:07:05.312
Next Automatic Save In: 0 days 01:59:15.570
Enter option [Display/On/OFF/Reset]: Enter an option or press ENTER

1006 | TIFOUT
 Current Time Displays current date and time to the nearest
millisecond, using a 24-hour clock.
Created Displays date and time the current drawing was created.
Last Updated Displays the date and time of the latest update of the
current drawing. This date and time is initially the
drawing creation time. AutoCAD revises it with each
use of END or SAVE and applies the default file name.
Total Editing Displays time spent editing the current drawing. This
Time timer is updated by AutoCAD and cannot be reset or
stopped. Plotting time is not included in the total
editing time. If you quit the editing session without
saving the drawing, the time you spent in the editing
session is not added to the accumulated editing time.
Elapsed Timer Runs as another timer while AutoCAD is running. You
can turn it on and off or reset it whenever you like.
Next Automatic Indicates time remaining until the next automatic save.
Save In You can set the time interval using OPTIONS or the
SAVETIME system variable.

Display Repeats the display with updated times.

On Starts the user elapsed timer if it was off.
Off Stops the user elapsed timer.
Reset Resets the user elapsed timer to 0 days 00:00:00.000.

TOLERANCE
Creates geometric tolerances
Geometric tolerances define the maximum allowable variations of form or
profile, orientation, location, and runout from the exact geometry in a draw-
ing. They specify the required accuracy for proper function and fit of the
objects you draw in AutoCAD.

TOLERANCE | 1007
 AutoCAD adds geometric tolerances to a drawing in feature control frames.
These are frames divided into compartments that contain the geometric
characteristic symbols followed by one or more tolerance values. Where
applicable, the tolerance is preceded by the diameter symbol and followed by
datums and symbols for their material conditions.

Dimension toolbar:
Dimension menu: Tolerance
Command line: tolerance

The Geometric Tolerance dialog box is displayed.

Geometric Tolerance Dialog Box

Specifies the symbols and values for a feature control frame.

After you select geometric characteristic symbols, the Geometric Tolerance

dialog box closes and AutoCAD displays this prompt:
Enter tolerance location: Specify a location

AutoCAD places the feature control frame at the specified location.

Sym
Displays the geometric characteristic symbol, which you select from the
Symbol dialog box (see page 1010). The dialog box is displayed when you
select one of the Sym boxes.

Tolerance 1
Creates the first tolerance value in the feature control frame. The tolerance
value indicates the amount by which the geometric characteristic can deviate
from a perfect form. You can insert a diameter symbol before the tolerance
value and a material condition symbol after it.

1008 | TOLERANCE
First Box Inserts a diameter symbol () in front of the tolerance
value. Click the box to insert the diameter symbol.
Second Box Creates the tolerance value. Enter a value in the box.
Third Box Displays the Material Condition dialog box (see page
1012), in which you select a modifying symbol. These
symbols act as modifiers to the geometric characteristic
and the tolerance value of features that can vary in size.
Select the symbol you want to use. AutoCAD closes the
Material Condition dialog box and inserts the symbol
into the MC box for the first tolerance value in the
Geometric Tolerance dialog box.

Tolerance 2
Creates the second tolerance value in the feature control frame. Specify the
second tolerance value in the same way as the first.

Datum 1
Creates the primary datum reference in the feature control frame. The datum
reference can consist of a value and a modifying symbol. A datum is a theo-
retically exact geometric reference used to establish the tolerance zone for a
feature.

First Box Creates the datum reference value. Enter a value in the
box.
Second Box Displays the Material Condition dialog box (see page
1012), in which you select a modifying symbol. These
symbols act as modifiers to the datum reference.
Select the symbol you want to use. AutoCAD closes the
Material Condition dialog box and inserts the symbol
into the MC box for the primary datum reference in the
Geometric Tolerance dialog box.

TOLERANCE | 1009
 Datum 2
Creates the secondary datum reference in the feature control frame in the
same way as the primary datum reference.
Datum 3
Creates the tertiary datum reference in the feature control frame in the same
way as the primary datum reference.

Height
Creates a projected tolerance zone value in the feature control frame. A pro-
jected tolerance zone controls the variation in height of the extended por-
tion of a fixed perpendicular part and refines the tolerance to that specified
by positional tolerances. Enter a value in the box.

Projected Tolerance Zone

Inserts a projected tolerance zone symbol, , after the projected tolerance
zone value.

Datum Identifier
Creates a datum-identifying symbol consisting of a reference letter. A datum
is a theoretically exact geometric reference from which you can establish the
location and tolerance zones of other features. A point, line, plane, cylinder,
or other geometry can serve as a datum. Enter the letter in the box.

Symbol Dialog Box

Displays the geometric characteristic symbols for location, orientation, form,
profile, and runout.
tolerance value

material condition symbol

geometric characteristic
symbol datum reference letter

diameter symbol

1010 | TOLERANCE
Select the symbol you want to use. AutoCAD closes the dialog box and inserts
the symbol into the Sym text box in the Geometric Tolerance dialog box. The
following table describes the symbols.

Geometric characteristic symbols

Symbol Characteristic Type

Position Location

Concentricity or coaxiality Location

Symmetry Location

Parallelism Orientation

Perpendicularity Orientation

Angularity Orientation

Cylindricity Form

Flatness Form

Circularity or roundness Form

Straightness Form

Profile of a surface Profile

Profile of a line Profile

Circular runout Runout

Total runout Runout

TOLERANCE | 1011
 Material Condition Dialog Box
Specifies a modifying symbol. These symbols act as modifiers to the geomet-
ric characteristic and the tolerance value of features that can vary in size.

regardless of
feature size
at least material
condition

at maximum
material condition

Select the symbol you want to use. AutoCAD closes the Material Condition
dialog box and inserts the symbol into the MC box for the first or second tol-
erance value in the Geometric Tolerance dialog box (see page 1008).

TOOLBAR
Displays, hides, and customizes toolbars
View menu: Toolbars
Shortcut menu: Right-click any toolbar and choose Customize.
Command line: toolbar

AutoCAD displays the Customize dialog box (see CUSTOMIZE).

If you enter -toolbar at the Command prompt, TOOLBAR displays prompts on
the command line (see page 1012).

TOOLBAR Command Line

If you enter -toolbar at the Command prompt, TOOLBAR displays prompts on
the command line.
Enter toolbar name or [ALL]: Enter a name or enter all

Toolbar Name
Specifies a toolbar to display, close, or position.

1012 | TOOLBAR
Enter a valid toolbar name. If the default menu is loaded, the following
names are available:

3d_orbit layouts render text

cad_standards modify shade ucs
dimension modify_ii solids ucs_ii
draw object_snap solids_editing view
inquiry properties standard_toolbar viewports
insert refedit styles web
layers reference surfaces zoom

Enter an option [Show/Hide/Left/Right/Top/Bottom/Float] <Show>: Enter an

option or press ENTER

Show Displays the specified toolbar.

Hide Closes the specified toolbar.
Left Docks the specified toolbar at the left side of the screen.
Enter new position (horizontal, vertical) <0,0>: Specify a
position or press ENTER

The Enter New Position prompt sets the position of the

toolbar in columns and rows relative to a toolbar dock.
The first value is horizontal. The second value is
vertical.
Right Docks the specified toolbar at the right side of the
screen.
Enter new position (horizontal, vertical) <0,0>: Specify a
position or press ENTER

The Enter New Position prompt sets the position of the

toolbar in columns and rows relative to a toolbar dock.
The first value is horizontal. The second value is
vertical.
Top Docks the specified toolbar at the top of the screen.
Enter new position (horizontal, vertical) <0,0>: Specify a
position or press ENTER

TOOLBAR | 1013
 The Enter New Position prompt sets the position of the
toolbar in columns and rows relative to a toolbar dock.
The first value is horizontal. The second value is
vertical.
Bottom Docks the specified toolbar at the bottom of the screen.
Enter new position (horizontal, vertical) <0,0>: Specify a
position or press ENTER

The Enter New Position prompt sets the position of the

toolbar in columns and rows relative to a toolbar dock.
The first value is horizontal. The second value is
vertical.
Float Changes the toolbar from docked to floating.
Enter new position (screen coordinates) <0,0>: Specify a
position or press ENTER
Enter number of rows for toolbar <1>: Enter a value

The Enter New Position prompt specifies the location of

the floating toolbar in screen coordinate values. The
Enter Number of Rows for Toolbar prompt specifies the
number of rows in the floating toolbar.

All
Displays or closes all toolbars.
Enter an option [Show/Hide]: Enter s or h

Show Displays all toolbars.

Hide Closes all toolbars.

TOOLPALETTES
Opens the Tool Palettes window

Standard toolbar:
Tools menu: Tool Palettes Window
Command line: toolpalettes

1014 | TOOLPALETTES
The Tool Palettes window opens. You can click the Properties button or right-
click the title bar, the current tool palette, the tab on a tool palette, or a tool
to display a shortcut menu. The options displayed on each shortcut menu are
appropriate to the cursor location. All the options on these shortcut menus
are listed alphabetically and described below.
Allow Docking Controls whether the tool palette docks when you drag
it over a docking area at the side of the drawing. Clear
this option to undock a docked tool palette.
Auto-hide Controls display of the tool palette. When this option
is selected, only the tool palette title bar is displayed
when the cursor moves outside the tool palette. When
this option is cleared, the full tool palette is displayed
when the cursor moves.
Close Closes the tool palette window.
Copy Copies the selected tool to the Clipboard.
Customize Displays the Tool Palettes tab in the Customize dialog
box.
Cut Removes the selected tool from the tool palette and
places it on the Clipboard.
Delete Tool Removes the selected tool from the tool palette.
Delete Tool Removes the current tool palette.
Palette
Move Changes the cursor to a four-direction arrow.
Move Up Moves the selected tool palette up one position.
Move Down Moves the selected tool palette down one position.
New Tool Palette Creates a new tool palette. Enter a name or press ENTER
to use the default name.
Paste Pastes a tool from the Clipboard to the current tab.
Properties Displays the Tool Properties dialog box, where you can
change the properties of the selected tool.
Rename Renames the selected tool.
Rename Tool Renames the current tool palette.
Palette

TOOLPALETTES | 1015
 Size Changes the cursor to a four-direction arrow. Drag the
right edge or the bottom edge of the tool palette to
change its size.
Transparency Displays the Transparency dialog box.
View Options Displays the View Options dialog box, where you can
control how tools are displayed.

View Options Dialog Box

Controls the display of tools in the current tool palette or in all tool palettes.
Image Size
Controls the display size of the selected tool palette icon.
View Style
Controls the text displayed with a tool palette icon.
Icon Only Displays the tool icon only.
Icon with Text Displays the tool icon with the tool name below.
List View Displays the tool icon with the tool name to the right.
Apply To
Controls whether the view options are applied to the current tool palette or
to all tool palettes in the Tool Palettes window.

Tool Properties Dialog Box

Controls the properties associated with the selected tool.
Name
Displays the name of the selected block or hatch pattern tool.
Description
Displays a description of the selected block or hatch pattern tool.
Insert (for block tools)
Displays the properties specific to block tools.
Name Specifies the name of the block.
Source File Specifies the file name for the block definition.
Scale Specifies the XYZ scale factor of the block
Rotation Specifies the rotation angle of the block.

1016 | TOOLPALETTES
 Explode Determines whether or not the block is exploded when
inserted. If the block is exploded, the individual parts of
the block are inserted instead of the block.
Type Specifies the pattern type of the hatch.
Pattern Name Specifies the pattern name of hatch.
Angle Specifies the pattern angle of hatch.
Scale Specifies the pattern scale of hatch.
Spacing Specifies the pattern spacing of hatch.
ISO Pen Width Specifies the ISO pen width of an ISO hatch pattern.
Double Determines whether the hatch pattern is double.
General
Color Specifies the color override for the selected tool.
Layer Specifies the layer override for the selected tool.
Linetype Specifies the linetype override for the selected tool.
Plot Style Specifies the plot style override for the selected tool.
Lineweight Specifies the lineweight override for the selected tool.

TOOLPALETTESCLOSE
Closes the Tool Palettes window
Tools menu: Tool Palettes Window
Command line: toolpalettesclose

Closes the Tool Palettes window.

TORUS
Creates a donut-shaped solid
A torus is defined by two radius values, one for the tube and the other for the
distance from the center of the torus to the center of the tube.
You can also create self-intersecting tori. A self-intersecting torus has no cen-
ter hole: the radius of the tube is greater than the radius of the torus. If both
radii are positive and the radius of the tube is greater than the radius of the
torus, the result looks like a sphere with a depression at each pole. If the

TOOLPALETTESCLOSE | 1017
 radius of the torus is negative and the radius of the tube has a greater positive
magnitude than the radius of the torus, the result looks like a sphere with
pointed poles.

Solids toolbar:
Draw menu: Solids Torus
Command line: torus

Current wire frame density: ISOLINES=current

Specify center of torus <0,0,0>: Specify a point (1) or press ENTER
1
Specify radius of torus or [Diameter]: Specify a distance or enter d

Radius
Defines the radius of the torus: the distance from the center of the torus to
the center of the tube. A negative radius creates a solid shaped like an
tube
radius American football.
Specify radius of tube or [Diameter]: Specify a distance or enter d

Radius Defines the radius of the tube.

torus
Diameter Defines the diameter of the tube.
radius Specify diameter: Specify a nonzero distance

Diameter
tube Defines the diameter of the torus.
diameter
Specify diameter: Specify a distance
Specify radius of tube or [Diameter]: Specify a distance or enter d

Radius Defines the radius of the tube.

torus Diameter Defines the diameter of the tube.

diameter
Specify diameter: Specify a nonzero distance

1018
TRACE
Creates solid lines
Command line: trace

Specify trace width <current>: Specify a distance or press ENTER

Specify start point: Specify a point (1)
Specify next point: Specify a point (2)
Specify next point: Specify a point (3) or press ENTER to end the command

2
3

specify endpoint endpoint TRACE completed

The endpoints of a trace are on the center line and are always cut square.
TRACE automatically calculates the correct bevels for connection to adjacent
segments. AutoCAD delays drawing each segment until you either specify
the next segment or press ENTER . Because of the way bevels are handled,
TRACE has no undo option.

Traces are solid filled when Fill mode is on. When Fill mode is off, only the
outline of a trace is displayed.

TRANSPARENCY
Controls whether background pixels in an image are transparent or opaque
Several image file formats allow images with transparent pixels. Setting
image transparency to On allows AutoCAD to recognize the transparent pix-
els so that graphics on the screen show through those pixels. Transparency is
available for both bitonal and nonbitonal (Alpha RGB or gray-scale) images.
By default, images are attached with transparency turned off. Transparency
is controlled on a per-object basis.
TRANSPARENCY supports the PICKFIRST system variable, and you can select
multiple images. Objects that are not images are filtered from the selection
set.

Note The PALETTEOPAQUE system variable controls whether windows can be

made transparent.

TRACE | 1019
 Reference toolbar:
Modify menu: Object Image Transparency
Shortcut menu: Select an image, right-click in the drawing area, and choose
Image Transparency.
Command line: transparency

Select image(s):
Enter transparency mode [ON/OFF] <current>: Enter an option or press ENTER

On Turns transparency on so that objects beneath the image

are visible.
Off Turns transparency off so that objects beneath the image
are not visible.

TRAYSETTINGS
Controls the display of icons and notifications in the status bar tray
Shortcut menu: Right-click the status bar and click Tray Settings.
Command line: traysettings

The Tray Settings dialog box is displayed.

Tray Settings Dialog Box

Controls the display of icons and notifications in the tray at the right end of
the status bar.

Display Icons from Services

Displays the tray at the right end of the status bar and displays icons from
services. When this option is cleared, the tray is not displayed.

Display Notifications from Services

Displays notifications from services. When the Display Icons from Services
option is cleared, this option is unavailable.
Display Time Sets the time in seconds that a notification is displayed.
Display Until Displays a notification until you click the Close button.
Closed

1020 | TRAYSETTINGS
TREESTAT
Displays information about the drawings current spatial index
AutoCAD indexes objects in a region by recording their positions in space.
The result is called a spatial index. The spatial index is tree structured and has
branching nodes to which objects are attached. The index has two major
branches. The paper space branch is called a quad-tree and treats objects as
two-dimensional. The model space branch is called an oct-tree and treats
objects as either two- or three-dimensional. The model space branch can also
be changed to a quad-tree when you are working on two-dimensional draw-
ings.
Command line: treestat (or 'treestat for transparent use)

AutoCAD displays information about each branch. The most important

information is in the first two lines of the reportnumber of nodes, number
of objects, maximum depth of the branch, and average number of objects per
node.
If REDRAW and object selection are very slow, you can improve their perfor-
mance. For example, if AutoCAD has 50 megabytes of memory available and
the current drawing has 50,000 objects with only 1,000 nodes in the index
tree, increase the TREEDEPTH value to improve performance.
Each node consumes about 80 bytes of memory. The fewer objects per node
of the oct-tree, the better the performance.

TREESTAT | 1021
 TRIM
Trims objects at a cutting edge defined by other objects

Modify toolbar:
Modify menu: Trim
Command line: trim

Current settings: Projection = current Edge = current

Select cutting edges...
Select objects: Select one or more objects and press ENTER , or press ENTER to
select all objects (implied selection)

Objects that can be trimmed include arcs, circles, elliptical arcs, lines, open
2D and 3D polylines, rays, splines, hatches, and xlines.
Select the objects that define the cutting edges at which you want to trim an
object, or press ENTER to select all objects as potential cutting edges. Valid
cutting edge objects include 2D and 3D polylines, arcs, circles, ellipses, lines,
layout viewports, rays, regions, splines, text, and xlines. TRIM projects the
selected cutting edges and the objects to be trimmed onto the XY plane of the current
cutting edge user coordinate system (UCS).
Select object to trim or [Project/Edge/Undo]: Select an object to trim, press SHIFT
and select an object to extend, or enter an option

When AutoCAD prompts you to select boundary edges, you can press ENTER
and select the object to be trimmed. AutoCAD trims the object against the
nearest candidate. You can use only the single, crossing, fence, and implied
selection options to select boundaries that include blocks.

Object to Trim
Specifies the object to trim. AutoCAD repeats the prompt for the object to
trim so that you can trim multiple objects. Pressing SHIFT while selecting an
object extends it to the nearest boundary rather than trimming it. Pressing
ENTER ends the command.

If the selection point is between the end of the object and a cutting edge,
TRIM removes the portion of the object that extends beyond the cutting edge.
If the selection point is between two cutting edges, the portion between is
objects to trim deleted and the portions outside are preserved, turning one object into two.

1022 | TRIM
 AutoCAD trims 2D wide polylines at their center lines. If the polyline is
tapered, the width at the cutting edge is the same after trimming. The ends
of a wide polyline are always square. Cutting a wide polyline at an angle
causes portions of the end to extend beyond the cutting edge. Trimming a
spline-fit polyline removes the curve-fit information and changes the spline-
fit segments into ordinary polyline segments.

Project
Specifies the projection AutoCAD uses when trimming objects.
Enter a projection option [None/Ucs/View] <current>: Enter an option or press
ENTER

None Specifies no projection. AutoCAD trims only objects that

intersect with the cutting edge in 3D space.

object not intersecting

with cutting edge in
3D space

object intersecting with

cutting edge in 3D
space

UCS Specifies projection onto the XY plane of the current UCS.

AutoCAD trims objects that do not intersect with the
cutting edge in 3D space.

projection of objects onto

current UCS intersecting
with cutting edge

View Specifies projection along the current view direction.

AutoCAD trims objects that intersect the boundary in the
current view.

TRIM | 1023
 left viewport right viewport

object to trim Edge

Determines whether an object is trimmed at another objects implied edge or
only to an object that intersects it in 3D space.
selected cutting Enter an implied edge extension mode [Extend/No extend] <current>: Enter an
edge option or press ENTER

Extend Extends the cutting edge along its natural path to

intersect an object in 3D space.
No Extend Specifies that the object is trimmed only at a cutting edge
Extend
that intersects it in 3D space.

Note When trimming hatches, do not set Edge to Extend. If you do, gaps in
the trim boundaries will not be bridged when trimming hatches, even when the
gap tolerance is set to a correct value.

Undo
Reverses the most recent change made by TRIM.

No extend

1024 | TRIM
U
Reverses the most recent operation

Standard toolbar:
Shortcut menu: With no commands active and no objects selected, right-
click in the drawing area and click Undo.
Command line: u

You can enter u as many times as you wish, backing up one step at a time,
until the drawing is as it was when you began the current editing session.
When an operation cannot be undone, the command name is displayed but
no action is performed. Operations external to the current drawing, such as
plotting or writing to a file, cannot be undone.
If you changed modes or used transparent commands during a command,
their effects are undone, along with the effects of the main command.
You can also press CTRL + Z to undo.
The U command is equivalent to entering undo 1.

UCS
Manages user coordinate systems
The user coordinate system (UCS) is a movable coordinate system for coordi-
nate entry, planes of operation, and viewing. Most editing commands
depend on the location and orientation of the UCS; objects are drawn on the
XY plane of the current UCS.
The UCS command sets the orientation of the user coordinate system in
three-dimensional space. It defines the orientation for two-dimensional
objects and the extrusion direction for the THICKNESS system variable. It also
provides the axis of rotation for ROTATE and the default projection plane for
specifying points.
When you use the pointing device to locate a point, its normally placed on
the XY plane. If the UCS is rotated so that the Z axis lies in a plane parallel
to the viewing planethat is, if the XY plane is edge-on to the viewerit
may be difficult to visualize where the point will be located. In this case, the
point will be located on a plane parallel to your viewing plane that also con-
tains the UCS origin point. For example, if the viewing direction is along the
X axis, coordinates specified with a pointing device will be located on the YZ
plane, which contains the UCS origin point.

U | 1025
 Changing from one UCS to another does not change the drawing view unless
the UCSFOLLOW system variable is on.

UCS toolbar:
Tools menu: New UCS
Command line: ucs

Enter an option [New/Move/orthoGraphic/Prev/Restore/Save/Del/Apply/?/

World] <World>:

New
Defines a new coordinate system by one of six methods.
Specify origin of new UCS or [ZAxis/3point/OBject/Face/View/X/Y/Z] <0,0,0>:

UCS at new Origin

origin
Defines a new UCS by shifting the origin of the current UCS, leaving the
direction of its X, Y, and Z axes unchanged.
Specify new origin point <0,0,0>: Specify a point

Specify a new origin point relative to the origin of the current UCS. If you do
before after
not specify a Z coordinate value for the origin, this option uses the current
elevation.

Z Axis
Defines a UCS with a particular positive Z axis.
Specify new origin point <0,0,0>: Specify a point
Specify point on positive portion of Z-axis <current>: Specify a point

Specify a new origin and a point that lies on the new positive Z axis. The Z
axis option tilts the XY plane.

1026 | UCS
 3 Point
Specifies the new UCS origin and the direction of its positive X and Y axes.
The Z axis follows by applying the right-hand rule. (For information about
the right-hand rule, see Use World and User Coordinate Systems in 3D in
the Users Guide.) You can use this option to specify any possible coordinate
system.
Specify new origin point <0,0,0>: Specify a point (1)
Specify point on positive portion of X-axis <current>: Specify a point (2)
Specify point on positive-Y portion of the UCS XY plane <current>: Specify a
point (3)

2
1

The first point specifies the origin of the new UCS. The second point defines
the positive X axis. The third point defines the positive Y axis. The third
point can be anywhere on the positive Y portion of the new UCS XY plane.

Object
Defines a new coordinate system based on a selected 3D object. The new UCS
has the same extrusion direction (positive Z axis) as that of the selected
object.
Select object to align UCS: Select an object
select object
The following objects cannot be used with this option: 3D solids, 3D poly-
lines, 3D meshes, viewports, mlines, regions, splines, ellipses, rays, xlines,
leaders, and multiline text.
For objects other than 3D faces, the XY plane of the new UCS is parallel to
new UCS established
the XY plane in effect when the object was drawn. However, the X and Y axes
can be rotated differently.

UCS | 1027
 The new UCS is defined as shown in the following table.

Define a UCS by selecting an object

Object Method of determining UCS

Arc The center of the arc becomes the new UCS origin. The X axis passes
through the arc endpoint that is closest to the selection point.

Circle The center of the circle becomes the new UCS origin. The X axis
passes through the selection point.

Dimension The midpoint of the dimension text becomes the new UCS origin.
The direction of the new X axis is parallel to the X axis of the UCS in
effect when the dimension was drawn.

Line The endpoint nearest the selection point becomes the new UCS
origin. AutoCAD chooses the new X axis so that the line lies in the XZ
plane of the new UCS. The lines second endpoint has a Y coordinate
of zero in the new system.

Point The point becomes the new UCS origin.

2D polyline The start point of the polyline is the new UCS origin. The X axis
extends along the line segment from the start point to the next
vertex.

Solid The first point of the solid determines the new UCS origin. The new
X axis lies along the line between the first two points.

Trace The from point of the trace becomes the UCS origin, with the X
axis lying along its centerline.

3D face The new UCS origin is taken from the first point, the X axis from the
first two points, and the Y positive side from the first and fourth
points. The Z axis follows by application of the right-hand rule.

Shape, text, The insertion point of the object becomes the new UCS origin, and
block reference, the new X axis is defined by the rotation of the object about its
attribute definition extrusion direction. The object you select to establish a new UCS has
a rotation angle of zero in the new UCS.

1028 | UCS
 Face
Aligns the UCS to the selected face of a solid object. To select a face, click
within the boundary of the face or on the edge of the face. The face is high-
lighted and the UCS X axis is aligned with the closest edge of the first face
found.
Select face of solid object:
Enter an option [Next/Xflip/Yflip] <accept>:

Next Locates the UCS on either the adjacent face or the back
face of the selected edge.
Xflip Rotates the UCS 180 degrees around the X axis.
Yflip Rotates the UCS 180 degrees around the Y axis.
Accept If you press ENTER , accepts the location. The prompt
repeats until you accept a location.

View
Establishes a new coordinate system with the XY plane perpendicular to your
viewing direction (parallel to your screen). The UCS origin remains
unchanged.

X, Y, Z
before after
Rotates the current UCS about a specified axis.
Specify rotation angle about n axis <0>: Specify an angle

In the prompt, n is X, Y, or Z. Enter a positive or negative angle to rotate the

UCS. AutoCAD uses the right-hand rule to determine the positive direction
of rotation around the axis. (For information about the right-hand rule, see
Use World and User Coordinate Systems in 3D in the Users Guide.)
You can define any UCS by specifying an origin and one or more rotations
around the X, Y, or Z axis.

world coordinate rotation about rotation about rotation about Z

system X axis = 90 Y axis = 90 axis = 90

UCS | 1029
 Move
Redefines a UCS by shifting the origin or changing the Z-depth of the current
UCS, leaving the orientation of its XY plane unchanged. Changing the
Z-depth moves the UCS along its Z axis in a positive or negative direction rel-
ative to the current origin.
Specify new origin point or [Zdepth] <0,0,0>: Specify a point or enter z

New Origin Changes the origin of the UCS.

Zdepth Specifies the distance along the Z axis to move the UCS
origin.
Specify Zdepth <0>: Enter a distance or press ENTER

If you have multiple viewports active, and you change viewports to specify a
new origin or Z-depth, the change is applied to the UCS of the viewport that
was current when the command was started and that viewport becomes cur-
rent once the command has finished.

Note The UCS Move option does not add a UCS to the Previous list.

Orthographic
Specifies one of the six orthographic UCSs provided with AutoCAD. These
UCS settings are typically used when viewing and editing 3D models.
Enter an option [Top/Bottom/Front/BAck/Left/Right] <current>: Enter an option
or press ENTER

1030 | UCS
 left
back

front

right top
origin

bottom

By default the orthographic UCS settings orient the current UCS relative to
the world coordinate system (WCS) origin and orientation. The UCSBASE sys-
tem variable controls the UCS upon which the orthographic settings are
based. The origin or Z-depth of the orthographic UCS settings can be
changed using the Move option of the UCS command (see page 1030).

Prev
Restores the previous UCS. AutoCAD retains the last 10 coordinate systems
created in paper space and the last 10 coordinate systems created in model
space. Repeating the Prev option steps back through one set or the other,
depending on which space is current.
If you have saved different UCS settings in individual viewports and you
switch between viewports, AutoCAD does not retain the different UCSs in
the Previous list. However, if you change a UCS setting within a viewport,
AutoCAD does retain the last UCS setting in the Previous list. For example,
changing the UCS from World to UCS1 would retain World at the top of the
Previous list. If you then switch viewports with Front as the current UCS, and
then change the UCS to Right, the Front UCS is retained at the top of the
Previous list. If you then choose the UCS Previous option twice in this view-
port, the UCS setting changes to Front, and then back to World. See the
UCSVP system variable.

UCS | 1031
 Restore
Restores a saved UCS so that it becomes the current UCS. Restoring a saved
UCS does not reestablish the viewing direction in effect when the UCS was
saved.
Enter name of UCS to restore or [?]: Enter a name or enter ?

Name Specifies a named UCS.

?List UCSs Lists the names of currently defined UCSs. AutoCAD
prompts:
Enter UCS name(s) to list <*>: Enter a name list or press
ENTER to list all UCSs

Save
Saves the current UCS to a specified name. The name can have up to 255
characters and can include letters, numbers, blank spaces, and any special
character not used by Microsoft Windows and AutoCAD for other
purposes.
Enter name to save current UCS or [?]: Enter a name or enter ?

Name Saves the current UCS with the specified name.

?List UCSs Lists the names of currently defined UCSs. AutoCAD
prompts:
UCS name(s) to list <*>: Enter a name list or press ENTER
to list all UCSs

Del
Removes the specified UCS from the list of saved user coordinate systems.
Enter UCS name(s) to delete <none>: Enter a name list or press ENTER

AutoCAD deletes the named UCS you enter. If you delete a named UCS that
is current, AutoCAD renames the current UCS UNNAMED.

1032 | UCS
 Apply
Applies the current UCS setting to a specified viewport or all active viewports
when other viewports have a different UCS saved in the viewport. The UCSVP
system variable determines whether a UCS is saved with a viewport.
Pick viewport to apply current UCS or [All] <current>: Specify a viewport by
clicking inside it, enter a, or press ENTER

Viewport Applies the current UCS to the specified viewport and

ends the UCS command.
All Applies the current UCS to all active viewports.

?List UCSs
Lists names of user coordinate systems and provides the origin and X, Y, and
Z axes for each saved UCS relative to the current UCS. If the current UCS is
unnamed, it is listed as WORLD or UNNAMED, depending on whether its the
same as the WCS.
UCS name(s) to list <*>: Enter a name list

World
before after Sets the current user coordinate system to the world coordinate system. The
WCS is the basis for all user coordinate systems and cannot be redefined.

UCSICON
Controls the visibility and placement of the UCS icon
The UCS icon represents the orientation of the user coordinate system (UCS)
axes and the location of the current UCS origin relative to your viewing direc-
tion. A UCS can be stored with a viewport if the UCSVP system variable is set
to 1 for that viewport. If the UCSVP system variable is set to 0 for a viewport,
the current UCS is active in that viewport regardless of the viewport in which
the UCS is changed.
View menu: Display UCS Icon
Command line: ucsicon

AutoCAD displays different UCS icons in paper space and model space. In
both cases, a plus sign (+) appears at the base of the icon when it is positioned
at the origin of the current UCS. With the 2D UCS icon, the letter W appears

UCSICON | 1033
 in the Y portion of the icon if the current UCS is the same as the world
coordinate system. With the 3D UCS icon, a square is displayed in the XY
plane at the origin when the UCS is the same as the world coordinate system.
With the 2D UCS icon, a box is formed at the base of the icon if you are view-
ing the UCS from above (positive Z axis). The box is missing if you are view-
ing the UCS from below. With the 3D UCS icon, the Z axis is solid when
viewed from above the XY plane and dashed when viewed from below the
XY plane.
If the UCS is rotated so that the Z axis lies in a plane parallel to the viewing
planethat is, if the XY plane is edge-on to the viewerthe 2D UCS icon is
replaced by a broken pencil icon. The 3D UCS icon does not use a broken
pencil icon.

model space 2D model space

UCS icon 3D UCS icon

paper space 2D paper space 3D

UCS icon UCS icon

Enter an option [ON/OFF/All/Noorigin/ORigin/Properties] <current>: Enter an

option or press ENTER

(0,0,0) (0,0,0)

All No origin Origin

On Displays the UCS icon.

Off Turns off display of the UCS icon.

1034 | UCSICON
All Applies changes to the icon in all active viewports.
Otherwise, UCSICON affects only the current viewport.
Enter an option [ON/OFF/Noorigin/ORigin] <current>:
Enter an option to apply to all active viewports or press
ENTER

No Origin Displays the icon at the lower-left corner of the

viewport regardless of the location of the UCS origin.
Origin Displays the icon at the origin (0,0,0) of the current
coordinate system. If the origin is off the screen, or if
the icon cannot be positioned at the origin without
being clipped at the viewport edges, the icon is
displayed at the lower-left corner of the viewport.
Properties Displays the UCS Icon dialog box, in which you can
control the style, visibility, and location of the UCS
icon.

UCS Icon Dialog Box

Controls the display properties of the UCS icon.

UCSICON | 1035
 UCS Icon Style
Specifies display of either the 2D or the 3D UCS icon and its appearance.
2D Displays a 2D icon without a representation of the Z
axis.
3D Displays a 3D icon.
Cone Displays 3D cone arrowheads for the X and Y axes if the
3D UCS icon is selected. If Cone is cleared, 2D
arrowheads are displayed instead.
Line Width Controls the line width of the UCS icon if the 3D UCS
icon is selected. Available selections are 1, 2, or 3 pixels.

Preview
Displays a preview of the UCS icon in model space.

UCS Icon Size

Controls the size of the UCS icon as a percentage of viewport size. The default
value is 12, and the valid range is from 5 to 95. Note that the size of the UCS
icon is proportional to the size of the viewport in which it is displayed.

UCS Icon Color

Controls the colors of the UCS icon in model space viewports and in layout
tabs.
Model Space Icon Controls the color of the UCS icon in model space
Color viewports. Click Select Color to open the Select Color
dialog box.
You can use the Select Color dialog box to define the
color of window elements by selecting from the 255
AutoCAD Color Index (ACI) colors, true colors, and
Color Book colors.
Layout Tab Icon Controls the UCS icon color in layout tabs. Click Select
Color Color to open the Select Color dialog box.
You can use the Select Color dialog box to define the
color of window elements by selecting from the 255
AutoCAD Color Index (ACI) colors, true colors, and
Color Book colors.

1036 | UCSICON
UCSMAN
Manages defined user coordinate systems

UCS toolbar:
Tools menu: Named UCS
Command line: ucsman

The UCS dialog box is displayed.

UCS Dialog Box

Displays and modifies defined and unnamed user coordinate systems,
restores named and orthographic UCSs, and specifies UCS icon and UCS set-
tings for viewports.

Named UCSs Tab (UCS Dialog Box)

Lists user coordinate systems and sets the current UCS.

Current UCS
Displays the name of the current UCS. If the UCS has not been saved and
named, it is listed as UNNAMED.

UCSMAN | 1037
 UCS Names List
Lists the coordinate systems defined in the current drawing. If there are mul-
tiple viewports and multiple unnamed UCS settings, the list includes only
the unnamed UCS of the current viewport. Unnamed UCS definitions that
are locked to other viewports (when the UCSVP system variable is set to 1 in
that viewport) are not listed in the current viewport. A pointer indicates the
current UCS.
UNNAMED is always the first entry if the current UCS is unnamed. World is
always listed and cannot be renamed or deleted. If you define other coordi-
nate systems for the active viewport during the current editing session, a Pre-
vious entry is next. You can step back through these coordinate systems by
selecting Previous and Set Current repeatedly.
To add a UCS name to this list, use the Save option of the UCS command. To
rename or delete a customized UCS, right-click the UCS name in the list and
use the shortcut menu.
Set Current
Restores the selected coordinate system. You can also restore a selected coor-
dinate system by double-clicking its name in the list, or by right-clicking the
name and choosing Set Current. The Current UCS text is updated.
Details
Displays the UCS Details dialog box (see page 1042), which displays UCS
coordinate data. You can also view the details about a selected coordinate sys-
tem by right-clicking the name and choosing Details.
Rename (Shortcut Menu Only)
Renames a customized UCS. You cannot rename the World UCS. You can also
rename a UCS by double-clicking its name in the list.
Delete (Shortcut Menu Only)
Deletes a customized UCS. You cannot delete the World UCS.

Orthographic UCSs Tab (UCS Dialog Box)

Changes the UCS to one of the orthographic UCS settings.

1038 | UCSMAN
Current UCS
Displays the name of the current UCS. If the UCS has not been saved and
named, it is listed as UNNAMED.
Orthographic UCS Names
Lists the six orthographic coordinate systems defined in the current drawing.
The orthographic coordinate systems are defined relative to the UCS speci-
fied in the Relative To list. The Depth column lists the distance between the
orthographic coordinate system and the parallel plane passing through the
origin of the UCS base setting (stored in the UCSBASE system variable).
Name Specifies the name of the orthographic coordinate
system.
Depth Specifies the distance between the XY plane of the
orthographic UCS and a parallel plane that passes
through the origin of the coordinate system specified
by the UCSBASE system variable. The parallel plane of
the UCSBASE coordinate system can be an XY, YZ, or XZ
plane.
Note You can specify the depth or a new origin for the
selected orthographic UCS. See Depth (Shortcut Menu or
Double-Click) on page 1040.
Set Current
Restores the selected coordinate system. You can also restore a selected coor-
dinate system by double-clicking its name in the list, or by right-clicking the
name and choosing Set Current.

UCSMAN | 1039
 Details
Displays the UCS Details dialog box (see page 1042), which displays UCS
coordinate data. You can also view the details about a selected coordinate sys-
tem by right-clicking the name and choosing Details.
Relative To
Specifies the base coordinate system for defining the orthographic UCSs. By
default, WCS is the base coordinate system. The list displays all the named
UCSs in the current drawing.
Whenever you change the Relative To setting, the origin of the selected
orthographic UCS is restored to its default position.
If you save an orthographic coordinate system in a drawing as part of a view-
port configuration, or if you select a setting in Relative To other than World,
the orthographic coordinate system name changes to UNNAMED to distin-
guish it from the predefined orthographic coordinate system.
Reset (Shortcut Menu Only)
Restores the origin of the selected orthographic coordinate system. The ori-
gin can be changed from its default 0,0,0 position using the Move option of
the UCS command. To reset the origin of the selected orthographic coordi-
nate system, right-click the name in the list and choose Reset Origin from the
shortcut menu. The origin is restored to its default location (0,0,0) relative to
the specified base coordinate system.
Depth (Shortcut Menu or Double-Click)
Specifies the distance between the XY plane of the orthographic UCS and a
parallel plane that passes through the origin of the coordinate system. In the
Orthographic UCS Depth dialog box, enter a value or choose the Select New
Origin button to use the pointing device to specify a new depth or a new
origin.

Settings Tab (UCS Dialog Box)

Displays and modifies UCS icon settings and UCS settings saved with a
viewport.

1040 | UCSMAN
UCS Icon Settings
Specifies the UCS icon display settings for the current viewport.
On Displays the UCS icon in the current viewport.
Display at UCS Displays the UCS icon at the origin of the current
Origin Point coordinate system in the current viewport. If this
option is cleared, or if the origin of the coordinate
system is not visible in the viewport, the UCS icon is
displayed at the lower-left corner of the viewport.
Apply to All Applies the UCS icon settings to all active viewports in
Active Viewports the current drawing.
UCS Settings
Specifies UCS behavior when the UCS setting is updated.
Save UCS with Saves the coordinate system setting with the viewport.
Viewport This option sets the UCSVP system variable. If this
option is cleared, the viewport reflects the UCS of the
viewport that is current.
Update View to Restores Plan view when the coordinate system in the
Plan When UCS Is viewport is changed. (UCSFOLLOW system variable)
Changed

UCSMAN | 1041
 UCS Details Dialog Box
Displays information about the origin and axes of the selected UCS.
By default, the origin and the values for the X, Y, and Z axes are calculated
relative to the world coordinate system.
Name Displays the name of the current named UCS. By
default, this is set to World.
Origin Displays the UCS origin relative to the UCS selected in
Relative To.
X Axis Displays the values for the X axis relative to the UCS
selected in Relative To.
Y Axis Displays the values for the Y axis relative to the UCS
selected in Relative To.
Z Axis Displays the values for the Z axis relative to the UCS
selected in Relative To.
Relative To Sets a base coordinate system for calculating the values
for Origin, X Axis, Y Axis, and Z Axis. This option resets
the UCSBASE system variable.

UNDEFINE
Allows an application-defined command to override an internal AutoCAD command
Command line: undefine

Enter command name:

Entering an AutoCAD command name suppresses that command. The sup-

pressed command name can then be redefined to perform some other func-
tion.
You can undefine only built-in AutoCAD commands. You cannot undefine
commands defined by AutoLISP. This includes ObjectARX application
commands registered via acedDefun(). You also cannot undefine external
commands and aliases defined in the acad.pgp file.
If an AutoLISP or ObjectARX application has redefined a command with the
same name as a built-in AutoCAD command, the application-defined com-
mand is active.
You can restore an undefined command with REDEFINE.

1042 | UNDEFINE
 You can always access a built-in AutoCAD command by preceding the com-
mand name with a period (.).
For ObjectARX application commands registered via acedRegCmd, you can
access them by preceding the command name with a period (.), followed by
the commands group name, followed by another period (.). For example, the
MTEXT command can be accessed with .acad_mtext.mtext.

To determine command names and groups of an ObjectARX application, use

the ARX command, and choose the Commands option to see a listing of all
currently loaded ObjectARX commands and their group names.

UNDO
Reverses the effect of commands
Reverses your last action. To reverse more than one action at a time, click the
arrow next to the Undo button on the Standard toolbar and select the last in
the sequence of actions you want to undo.
You can use the options of UNDO on the command line to undo more than
one action at a time. Begin and End define a number of actions as a group,
and Mark and Back work together to undo all actions back to a predeter-
mined point.
When you use Back or Number to undo multiple actions, AutoCAD regener-
ates or redraws the drawing, if necessary. This occurs at the end of the UNDO
command; therefore, entering undo 5 causes one regeneration, and u u u u u
could cause as many as five.
UNDO has no effect on some commands and system variables, including
those that open, close, or save a window or a drawing, display information,
change the graphics display, regenerate the drawing, or export the drawing
in a different format.

Standard toolbar:
Command line: undo

Enter the number of operations to undo or [Auto/Control/BEgin/End/Mark/

Back]: Enter a positive number, enter an option, or press ENTER to undo a single
operation

UNDO displays the command or system variable name on the command line
to indicate that you have stepped past the point where the command was
used.

UNDO | 1043
 Number
Undoes the specified number of preceding operations. The effect is the same
as entering u multiple times.

Auto
Groups the actions of a single command, making them reversible by a single
U command. When the Auto option is on, starting a command groups all
actions until you exit that command. You can undo the group of actions as
if it were one action.
UNDO Auto is not available if the Control option has turned off or limited
the UNDO feature.
Enter UNDO Auto mode [ON/OFF] <current>: Enter on or off, or press ENTER

Control
Limits or turns off UNDO.
Enter an UNDO control option [All/None/One] <All>: Enter an option or press
ENTER

All Turns on the full UNDO command.

None Turns off the U and UNDO commands and discards any
UNDO command information saved earlier in the
editing session. The Undo button on the Standard
toolbar is unavailable.
The Auto, Begin, and Mark options are not available
when None or One is in effect. If you attempt to use
UNDO while it is turned off, the following prompt is
displayed:
Enter an UNDO control option [All/None/One] <All>:

One Limits UNDO to a single operation.

1044 | UNDO
 The Auto, Begin, and Mark options are not available
when None or One is in effect. The main prompt for the
UNDO command changes to show that only a Control
option or a single step of the UNDO command is
available when the One option is in effect.
Control/<1>:

If you enter c, AutoCAD returns to the previous prompt:

Enter an UNDO control option [All/None/One] <All>:

Begin, End
Groups a sequence of actions into a set. After you enter the Begin option, all
subsequent actions become part of this set until you use the End option.
Entering undo begin while a group is already active ends the current set and
begins a new one. UNDO and U treat grouped actions as a single action.
If you enter undo begin without undo end, using the Number option undoes
the specified number of commands but does not back up past the begin
point. If you want to go back to before the begin point, you must use the End
option, even if the set is empty. The same applies to the U command. A mark
placed by the Mark option disappears inside an UNDO group.

Mark, Back
Mark places a mark in the undo information. Back undoes all the work done
back to this mark. If you undo one operation at a time, AutoCAD informs you
when you reach the mark.
You can place as many marks as necessary. Back moves back one mark at a
time, removing the mark. If no mark is found, Back displays the following
prompt:
This will undo everything. OK? <Y>: Enter y or n or press ENTER

Entering y undoes all commands entered since you last started AutoCAD.
Entering n causes AutoCAD to ignore the Back option.
When you use the Number option to undo multiple actions, UNDO stops if
it encounters a mark.

UNDO | 1045
UNION
Combines selected regions or solids by addition
A composite region is the result of combining the total area of two or more
existing regions. A composite solid is the result of combining the total vol-
ume of two or more existing solids. You can join regions or solids that do not
share a common area or volume.

Solids Editing toolbar:

Modify menu: Solids Editing Union
Command line: union

Select objects: Use an object selection method and press ENTER when you finish
selecting objects

solids before UNION solids after UNION

solids before UNION
The selection set can contain regions and solids that lie in any number of
arbitrary planes. AutoCAD divides the selection sets into subsets that are
joined separately. Solids are grouped in the first subset. The first selected
region and all subsequent coplanar regions are grouped in the second set.
The next region that is not coplanar with the first region and all subsequent
coplanar regions are grouped in the third set, and so on until all regions
belong to a subset.

regions before UNION regions after UNION

The resulting composite solid includes the volume enclosed by all of the
selected solids. Each of the resulting composite regions encloses the area of
all regions in a subset.

1046 | UNION
UNITS
Controls coordinate and angle display formats and precision
Format menu: Units
Command line: units (or 'units for transparent use)

The Drawing Units dialog box is displayed.

If you enter -units at the Command prompt, UNITS displays prompts on the
command line (see page 1050).

Drawing Units Dialog Box

Defines the unit and angle formats.

Length
Specifies the current unit of measurement and the precision for the current
units.
Type Sets the current format for units of measure. The values
include Architectural, Decimal, Engineering,
Fractional, and Scientific. The Engineering and
Architectural formats produce feet-and-inches displays
and assume that each drawing unit represents one inch.
The other formats can represent any real-world unit.
Precision Sets the number of decimal places or fractional size
displayed for linear measurements.

UNITS | 1047
 Angle
Specifies the current angle format and the precision for the current angle
display.
Type Sets the current angle format.
Precision Sets the precision for the current angle display.
AutoCAD uses the following conventions for the
various angle measures: decimal degrees appear as
decimal numbers, grads appear with a lowercase g
suffix, and radians appear with a lowercase r suffix. The
degrees/minutes/seconds format uses d for degrees, ' for
minutes, and " for seconds; for example:
123d45'56.7"
Surveyors units show angles as bearings, using N or S
for north or south, degrees/minutes/seconds for how
far east or west the angle is from direct north or south,
and E or W for east or west; for example:
N 45d0'0" E
The angle is always less than 90 degrees and is displayed
in the degrees/minutes/seconds format. If the angle is
precisely north, south, east, or west, only the single
letter representing the compass point is displayed.
Clockwise Calculates positive angles in the clockwise direction.
The default direction for positive angles is
counterclockwise.
When AutoCAD prompts for an angle, you can point in
the desired direction or enter an angle regardless of the
setting specified for Clockwise.

Drag and Drop Scale

Controls the unit of measurement for blocks that are dragged into the cur-
rent drawing using a tool palette, DesignCenter, or i-drop. A block or a
drawing that is created with units that are different from the units specified
with this option is scaled when inserted. The insertion scale is the ratio of the
units used in the source block or drawing and the units used in the target
drawing. Select Unitless to insert the block without scaling it to match the
specified units.

1048 | UNITS
Note In the Options dialog box, User Preferences tab, the Source Content
Units and Target Drawing Units settings are used when, either in the source
block or the target drawing, the Drag-and-Drop Scale is set to Unitless.

Sample Output
Displays an example of the current settings for units and angles.

Direction
Displays the Direction Control dialog box.

Direction Control Dialog Box

Defines the angle for 0 degrees and specifies the direction in which angles are
measured. When AutoCAD prompts for an angle, you can locate a point in
the desired direction or enter an angle.

Base Angle
Sets the direction of the zero angle. The following options affect the entry of
angles, the display format, and the entry of polar, cylindrical, and spherical
coordinates.

UNITS | 1049
 East Specifies the compass direction east (the default).
North Specifies the compass direction north.
West Specifies the compass direction west.
South Specifies the compass direction south.
Other Specifies a direction different from the points of the
compass.
Angle Specifies a value for the zero angle when Other is
selected. You can specify the angle by entering a value.
Pick an Angle Defines the zero angle in the graphics area based on the
Button angle of an imaginary line that connects any two points
you specify with the pointing device. Available only
when Other is selected.

UNITS Command Line

If you enter -units at the Command prompt, UNITS displays prompts on the
command line.
The text window displays the following prompt:
Report formats: (Examples)
1. Scientific 1.55E+01
2. Decimal 15.50
3. Engineering 1'-3.50"
4. Architectural 1'-3 1/2"
5. Fractional 15 1/2

Enter choice, 1 to 5 <current>: Enter a value (15) or press ENTER

The following prompt for decimal precision is displayed if you specify the sci-
entific, decimal, or engineering format:
Enter number of digits to right of decimal point (0 to 8) <current>: Enter a value
(08) or press ENTER

1050 | UNITS
The following prompt for the denominator of the smallest fraction is dis-
played if you specify the architectural or fractional format.
Enter denominator of smallest fraction to display
(1, 2, 4, 8, 16, 32, 64, 128, or 256) <current>: Enter a value (1, 2, 4, 8, 16, 32,
64, 128, or 256) or press ENTER

AutoCAD prompts for angle formats and precision:

Systems of angle measure: (Examples)
1. Decimal degrees 45.0000
2. Degrees/minutes/seconds 45d0'0"
3. Grads 50.0000g
4. Radians 0.7854r
5. Surveyor's units N 45d0'0" E

Enter choice, 1 to 5 <current>: Enter a value (15) or press ENTER

Enter number of fractional places for display of angles (0 to 8) <current>: Enter

a value (08) or press ENTER

AutoCAD prompts for the direction for angle 0:

Direction for angle 0:
East 3 oclock = 0
North 12 oclock = 90
West 9 oclock = 180
South 6 oclock = 270

Enter direction for angle 0 <current>: Enter a value or press ENTER

The default direction for 0 degrees is to the east quadrant, or 3 oclock. The
default direction for positive angular measurement is counterclockwise.
Measure angles clockwise? [Yes/No] <current>: Enter y or n or press ENTER

UNITS | 1051
UPDATEFIELD
Manually updates fields in selected objects in the drawing
Tools menu: Update Fields
Shortcut menu: With any text command active and a field selected, right-
click and click Update Field.
Command line: updatefield

Select objects: Use an object selection method or enter all to select all fields in the
drawing

Fields in selected objects are updated.

UPDATETHUMBSNOW
Manually updates thumbnail previews for sheets, sheet views, and model space views in
the Sheet Set Manager
Command line: updatethumbsnow

Thumbnail previews in the Sheet Set Manager are updated. Sheet thumbnails
are displayed on the Sheet List tab, sheet view thumbnails on the View List
tab, and model space view thumbnails on the Resource Drawings tab.

1052 | UPDATEFIELD
VBAIDE
Displays the Visual Basic Editor
Tools menu: Macro Visual Basic Editor
Command line: vbaide

AutoCAD displays the Visual Basic Editor.

Use the Visual Basic Editor to edit code, forms, and references for any loaded
global Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) project or any embedded VBA
project in an open drawing. You can also debug and run projects from the
Visual Basic Editor.

VBALOAD
Loads a global VBA project into the current AutoCAD session
Tools menu: Macro Load Project
Command line: vbaload

AutoCAD displays the Open VBA Project dialog box (a standard file selection
dialog box).
There is no limit to the number of Visual Basic for Applications (VBA)
projects you can load. Any project referenced by the selected project will also
be loaded, if available.
You cannot use this dialog box to load embedded VBA projects. Embedded
projects are loaded when you open the drawing containing the project, and
they are unloaded when you close the drawing.
If you select Open Visual Basic Editor, AutoCAD opens the Visual Basic Editor
after the selected project is loaded. For information about the Visual Basic
Editor, see the ActiveX and VBA Developers Guide.
If FILEDIA is set to 0 (zero), or if you enter -vbaload at the Command prompt,
VBALOAD displays prompts on the command line.

Open VBA project <>: Enter the path and file name of the project to open

If the selected project contains macros, AutoCAD displays the AutoCAD

Macro Virus Protection dialog box.

VBAIDE | 1053
 AutoCAD Macro Virus Protection Dialog Box
Disables macro viruses. A macro virus is a type of computer virus that is
stored in the macros of a VBA project. If you open a drawing or project file
that contains macros, a macro virus can become active and be transmitted to
your computer. From that point on, every drawing or project file you save
can become infected with the macro virus. When other users open the
infected drawing or project file, the macro virus can also be transmitted to
their computers.
The AutoCAD Macro Virus Protection dialog box that is displayed when you
open a drawing or project file that contains macros gives you the opportu-
nity to disable the macros. A macro virus can be harmful only if it is allowed
to run. If you disable the macros, you can open the drawing or project file
safely.
The AutoCAD Macro Virus Protection dialog box provides the following
options:
Always Ask Before When cleared, prevents the AutoCAD Macro Virus
Opening Projects Protection dialog box from being displayed again. You
with Macros can later enable macro virus protection using the VBA
Options dialog box, available from the VBARUN
command (see page 1059).
Disable Macros Loads the drawing or project file with the macros
disabled. Use Disable Macros if you do not expect the
drawing or project file to contain useful macros, or if
you arent certain about the reliability of their source.
Once you disable the macros, you cant run any macros.
However, you can still view, edit, and save the macros.
You can close the drawing or project file later and open
it again with the macros enabled.
Enable Macros Loads the drawing or project file with the macros
enabled. Use Enable Macros if the drawing or project
file is from a reliable source, or if you expect the
drawing or project file to contain useful macros.
Do Not Load If you are loading a project file, the process is canceled
and the project file is not loaded. If you are opening an
AutoCAD drawing with an embedded project, the
drawing is opened with the macros disabled.

1054 | VBALOAD
VBAMAN
Loads, unloads, saves, creates, embeds, and extracts VBA projects
Tools menu: Macro VBA Manager
Command line: vbaman

AutoCAD displays the VBA Manager.

VBA Manager
Loads, unloads, saves, creates, embeds, and extracts Visual Basic for Applica-
tions (VBA) projects.

Drawing
Specifies the active drawing. The list contains all of the drawings that are
open in the current AutoCAD session.
Embedded Specifies the name of the embedded project for the
Project drawing. If the drawing does not contain an embedded
project, (none) is displayed.

VBAMAN | 1055
 Extract Moves the embedded project out of the drawing and
into a global project file. If you have never saved the
project, AutoCAD prompts you to save it.
If you choose Yes, the File Save dialog box is displayed,
in which you can specify a file name and location for
the project.
If you choose No, the project is extracted and assigned
a temporary project name.
If you choose Cancel, the extraction is canceled and
you are returned to the VBA Manager.

Projects
Lists the name and location of all the projects currently available in the
AutoCAD session.
Embed Embeds the selected project in the specified drawing. A
drawing can contain only one embedded project. You
cannot embed a project in a drawing that already
contains an embedded project.
New Creates a new project with the default name Global n,
where n is a session-based number incremented with
each new project.
Save As Saves a global project. This option is available only
when an unsaved global project is selected.
Load Displays the Open VBA Project dialog box (see
VBALOAD), in which you can load an existing project
into the current AutoCAD session.
Unload Unloads the selected global project.
Macros Displays the Macros dialog box (see page 1057), in
which you can run, edit, or delete a VBA macro.
Visual Basic Editor Displays the Visual Basic Editor in which you can edit
code, forms, and references for any loaded global VBA
project or any embedded VBA project in an open
drawing. You can also debug and run projects from the
Visual Basic Editor.

1056 | VBAMAN
VBARUN
Runs a VBA macro
A macro is a public (executable) subroutine. Each Visual Basic for Applica-
tions (VBA) project usually contains at least one macro.
Tools menu: Macro Macros
Command line: vbarun

AutoCAD displays the Macros dialog box.

If you enter -vbarun at the Command prompt, VBARUN displays a prompt on
the command line (see page 1060).

Macros Dialog Box

Runs, edits, or deletes a VBA macro. You can also create new macros, set the
VBA options, and display the VBA Manager.

Macro Name Specifies the name of the macro you want to run, edit,
delete, or create. Select a name from the list of available
macros, or enter a name.
Macro List Lists all macros found in the drawing or project selected
in Macros In. You can double-click a macro name in this
list to run the macro.

VBARUN | 1057
 Macros In Specifies the project or drawing whose macros are
available from the macro list. You can choose to list the
macros in
All drawings and projects
All drawings
All projects
Any individual drawing currently open in AutoCAD
Any individual project currently loaded in AutoCAD

If your project or drawing is not listed, choose VBA

Manager to display the VBA Manager (see page 1055),
in which you can load the desired project.
Description Describes the selected macro. You can add or modify
the description by directly entering your changes.
AutoCAD saves the new description when you move to
a different part of the dialog box.
Run Runs the selected macro.
Step Into Displays the Visual Basic Editor and begins execution of
the macro. Execution is paused at the first executable
line of code.
Edit Displays the Visual Basic Editor and the selected macro.
Create Creates a macro with the name specified in Macro
Name, and then displays the Visual Basic Editor and the
empty procedure for the new macro.
If no project file or drawing is specified for the new
macro, AutoCAD displays the Select Project dialog box.
If a macro with the specified name already exists, a
prompt asks if you want to replace the existing macro.
If you choose Yes, the code in the existing macro is
deleted and a new, empty macro is created with the
specified name.
If you choose No, you are returned to the Macros dialog
box, in which you can enter a new name for the macro.
Delete Deletes the selected macro.
VBA Manager Displays the VBA Manager (see page 1055).
Options Displays the VBA Options dialog box (see page 1059).

1058 | VBARUN
Select Project Dialog Box
Prompts you to select a project or drawing in which to create the new macro.
Select a project or drawing from the list and choose OK. The macro is created
in the selected project or drawing, and the Visual Basic Editor is opened.

VBA Options Dialog Box

Sets VBA-specific options for the AutoCAD session.

Enable Auto Automatically creates an embedded VBA project for all

Embedding drawings when you open the drawing.
Allow Break on Allows VBA to enter Break mode when an error is
Errors encountered. Break mode is a temporary suspension of
program execution in the development environment.
In Break mode, you can examine, debug, reset, step
through, or continue program execution.

VBARUN | 1059
 When you select Allow Break on Errors, unhandled
errors found during the execution of a VBA macro
suspend the execution of the macro and display the
Visual Basic Editor at the point of the error in the
macro.
When you clear Allow Break on Errors, untrapped errors
found during the execution of a VBA macro display a
message alerting you to the error and then end
execution of the macro.
Enable Macro Enables the virus protection mechanism for VBA
Virus Protection macros. The virus protection mechanism displays a
built-in warning message whenever you open a
drawing that might contain macro viruses.

VBARUN Command Line

If you enter -vbarun at the Command prompt, VBARUN displays prompts on
the command line.
Macro name: Enter the name of the macro to run

For embedded or loaded global projects, enter the name of the macro to run.
If the macro name is not unique among all the currently loaded projects, you
must also include the name of the project and module in which the macro is
found. For example, to run a macro named Test in a project named Project1,
and a module named Module1, enter the following information at the Macro
name prompt:
Project1.Module1.Test
To run a macro in a global project that is not currently loaded, enter the
name of the DVB file that contains the macro, as well as the project and mod-
ule names. For example, if the Test macro described previously is contained
in a file called Acad_Projects.dvb, and that file is not loaded, you can execute
the Test macro by entering the following at the Macro name prompt:
Acad_Projects.dvb!Project1.Module1.Test
AutoCAD automatically loads the Acad_Projects.dvb file and executes the Test
macro. The Acad_Projects.dvb file remains loaded once the macro has been
completed.

1060 | VBARUN
VBASTMT
Executes a VBA statement on the AutoCAD command line
Command line: vbastmt

Expression: Enter the VBA statement to execute

A Visual Basic statement is a complete instruction that can contain keywords,

operators, variables, constants, and expressions. A statement generally occu-
pies a single line, although you can use a colon (:) to include more than one
statement on a line.
VBA statements are executed in the context of the current drawing.

VBAUNLOAD
Unloads a global VBA project
Command line: vbaunload

Unload VBA Project: Enter the name of the project to unload

If you do not enter a project name, the active global project is unloaded.

VIEW
Saves and restores named views
A view is a portion of a drawing that is displayed in a viewport. You can save
and restore views by name for convenient access. Views are saved separately
in model space and paper space.

Note The VIEW command cannot be used transparently.

View menu: Named Views

Command line: view

The View dialog box is displayed.

If you enter -view at the Command prompt, VIEW displays prompts on the
command line (see page 1067).

VBASTMT | 1061
 View Dialog Box
Saves and restores named views and orthographic views.

Named Views Tab (View Dialog Box)

Creates, sets, renames, modifies, and deletes named views.

Current View Displays the name of the current view. When the View
dialog box is first displayed, it lists the current view as
CURRENT.

View Names Lists the named views in the current drawing and the
information that is stored with each named view. A
pointer indicates the current named view.
The following information is stored with a named view:

Category: The category in which the named view is

listed on the View List tab in the Sheet Set Manager.
Location: The Model tab, or the name of the layout
tab on which the named view was saved.
VP: Whether the named view is associated with a
viewport on a sheet in a sheet set.
Layers: Whether layer visibility settings are saved
with the named view.
UCS: The name of the user coordinate system (UCS)
that is saved with the named view.
Perspective: Whether the named view is a perspective
view.

1062 | VIEW
Set Current Restores the selected named view. You can also restore
a named view by double-clicking its name in the list or
by right-clicking its name and clicking Set Current on
the shortcut menu.
New Displays the New View dialog box (see page 1065).
Update Layers Updates the layer information saved with the selected
named view to match the layer visibility in the current
model space or layout viewport.
Edit Boundaries Displays the selected named view centered and zoomed
out and with the rest of the drawing area in a lighter
color to show the boundaries of the named view. You
can specify opposite corners of a new boundary
repeatedly until you press ENTER to accept the results.
Details Displays the View Details dialog box (see page 1066).
Delete Deletes the selected named view.
Rename Renames the selected named view. You can also press
(Shortcut Menu F2 .
Only)
Delete Layer Deletes the layer visibility information that was saved
Information with the selected named view.
(Shortcut Menu
Only)
Detach from Removes the association between the selected named
Viewport view and its viewport in the Sheet Set Manager.
(Shortcut Menu
Only)

Orthographic and Isometric Views Tab (View Dialog Box)

Restores orthographic or isometric views.

VIEW | 1063
 Current View Displays the name of the current view. The default
value is CURRENT.
View Names Lists the orthographic and isometric views. A pointer
indicates the current orthographic or isometric view.
The views are relative to the UCS listed in the Relative
To list.
Set Current Restores the selected orthographic view. You can also
restore a selected view by double-clicking its name in
the list or by right-clicking the name and choosing Set
Current. When an orthographic view is restored,
AutoCAD automatically zooms to the extents of the
view.
Relative To Specifies the base coordinate system for defining the
orthographic view. By default, the world coordinate
system (WCS) is the base coordinate system. Relative To
sets the value of the UCSBASE system variable.
The UCSBASE system variable controls the orientation of
orthographic UCSs relative to the WCS or to named
UCSs. Changing this setting also changes the
orientation of the predefined orthographic UCSs.
AutoCAD displays a warning message when you change
the value of the UCSBASE system variable.
Restore Restores the associated UCS when you make an
Orthographic orthographic view current. This option sets the
UCS with View UCSORTHO system variable.

1064 | VIEW
New View Dialog Box
Creates a view.

View Name
Specifies the view name. View names can have up to 255 characters and can
include letters, numbers, blank spaces, and any special character not used by
Microsoft Windows and AutoCAD for other purposes.

View Category
Specifies a category for the named view; for example, Elevations or Sections.
Select a view category from the list, enter a new category, or leave this option
empty.
If the category of a named view is changed in the Sheet Set Manager, the
change is displayed in the View dialog box the next time the drawing file is
opened.

Current Display
Uses the current display as the new view.

Define Window
Uses a window as the new view, defined in the drawing area by specifying
two opposite corners.

Define View Window Button

Temporarily closes the dialog boxes so that you can use the pointing device
to define the opposite corners of the new view window.

VIEW | 1065
 Settings
Provides options for saving settings with the named view.
Save Current Saves the current layer visibility settings with the new
Layer Settings named view.
with View
Save UCS with Saves a UCS with the new named view. (UCSVIEW
View system variable)
UCS Name Specifies the UCS saved with the new named view. This
option is available only when Save UCS with View is
selected.

View Details Dialog Box

Displays information about the selected view.

Name Displays the name of the current named view. The

default value is CURRENT.
Area Displays the width and height of the view and the view
twist, or the angle that the view is tilted around the line
of sight.
Target Displays view target location as a coordinate.
Direction Displays view direction as a normal vector coordinate.
Clipping Displays the front and back clipping distance and
whether each clipping plane is turned on or off.

1066 | VIEW
Perspective Displays lens length and whether perspective is turned
on or off.
Relative To Sets the base coordinate system that defines the
orientation of the named view.

VIEW Command Line

If you enter -view at the Command prompt, VIEW displays prompts on the
command line.
Enter an option [?/Categorize/lAyer state/Orthographic/Delete/Restore/Save/
Ucs/Window]:

?List Views Lists the named views in the drawing.

Enter view names(s) to list <*>: Enter a wild-card pattern
or press ENTER

The list includes the name of each specified view and

the space in which it was defined. M designates model
space, and P designates paper space.
Categorize Specifies a category, such as Elevations or Sections, for
the named view. Named views are displayed by
category on the View List tab in the Sheet Set Manager.
Enter view name to Categorize or [?]: Enter a view name
or enter ? to list all views in the drawing
Enter category name or * for none, or [?] <current>: Enter
a view category, enter * to specify no category, or enter ? to
list all view categories in the drawing

Layer State Saves the current layer visibility settings with the new
named view.
Orthographic Restores the predefined orthographic view you specify
to the current viewport.
Enter an option [Top/Bottom/Front/BAck/Left/Right]
<Top>: Enter an option or press ENTER

VIEW | 1067
 Y Z Y
top view isometric view

X X
Z Z

front view right side view

X Y

The view orientation of the specified orthographic view

is based on the UCSBASE system variable, which is set to
the world coordinate system by default. When one of
the orthographic views is restored, AutoCAD zooms to
the extents in the current viewport.
Delete Deletes one or more named views.
Enter view name(s) to delete: Enter a name or a list of
names separated by commas

Restore Restores the view you specify to the current viewport. If

a UCS setting was saved with the view, it is also restored.
Enter view name to restore: Enter a name

AutoCAD also restores the center point and

magnification of the saved view. If you restore a model
space view while working in paper space, AutoCAD
prompts you to select a viewport in which to restore
that view.
Restoring model space view.
Select Viewport for view: Select a viewport

Select the viewport by choosing its border. The

viewport you select must be on and active. AutoCAD
switches to model space and restores the view in the
selected viewport.
If you restore a paper space view while working in
model space in a layout tab, AutoCAD switches to paper
space and restores the view. You cant restore a paper
space view if you are working in the Model tab.

1068 | VIEW
 Save Saves the display in the current viewport using the
name you supply.
Enter view name to save: Enter a name

The current value of the UCSVIEW system variable is

displayed when you save a view. To change the setting
and turn this option on or off, use the UCS option of
VIEW.

UCS Determines whether the current UCS and elevation

settings are saved when a view is saved.
Save current UCS with named views? [Yes/No]
<current>: Enter an option or press ENTER

The UCS option of VIEW sets the UCSVIEW system

variable. Turning this option on saves the current UCS
for each named view that you save.
Window Saves a portion of the current display as a view.
Enter view name to save: Enter a name
Specify first corner:
Specify opposite corner:

Restoring such a view may display objects outside the

window you specified because the shape of the window
may differ from that of the viewport in which you are
restoring the view. However, plotting the view plots
only the objects inside the window, not the entire
viewport display.

VIEWPLOTDETAILS
Displays information about completed plot and publish jobs
File menu: View Plot and Publish Details
Command line: viewplotdetails

The Plot and Publish Details dialog box is displayed.

VIEWPLOTDETAILS | 1069
 Plot and Publish Details Dialog Box
Displays information about plotting and publishing jobs that have been
completed in the current session. You can view information about all com-
pleted plot and publish jobs or about just the errors that have occurred. You
can also copy the information displayed in the dialog box to the Clipboard.
Plot and publish details are also available through the Plot and Publish status
bar icon shortcut menu (see page 1071).

View
Specifies what is displayed. You can also right-click in the details area and
click View Errors Only or View All to change this setting.
All Displays information about all completed plot and
publish jobs and sheets within those jobs.
Errors Lists errors that have occurred as jobs were plotted or
published.

Copy to Clipboard
Copies all highlighted text in the Plot and Publish Details dialog box to the
Clipboard. This text can then be pasted into a text file or other location.

1070 | VIEWPLOTDETAILS
Details Area
Lists details of completed plot and publish jobs. For each job and sheet, the
details area provides the following information:

Job and sheet names

Path for job plotted to file (if applicable)
Job completion status, along with whether errors or warnings occurred
Date and time started and completed
Total sheets in the job and total sheets plotted
Number of errors and warnings that occurred
Detailed information about errors or warning that occurred

Plot and Publish Status Bar Icon Shortcut Menu

When background plotting is enabled, provides options for cancelling the
sheet that is currently being plotted, cancelling the entire plot or publish job,
viewing the Plot and Publish Details dialog box, and viewing the most
recently created Design Web Format (DWF) file. Right-click any of the plot
and publish icons in the tray on the right side of the status bar. These icons
are described in the following table.

This animated icon indicates that a plot or publish job is currently being
processed in the background

A plotting details report is available. No errors and warnings occurred.

A plotting details report is available. Errors and warnings occurred.

Cancel Sheet Cancels the sheet that is currently being plotted.

Cancel Entire Job Cancels the entire plot or publish job.
View Plot and Displays Plot and Publish Details dialog box.
Publish Details
View Opens the most recently created DWF file.
<filename>.dwf
Enable Balloon Turns on balloon notification of the status of jobs you
Notification have plotted and published.

VIEWPLOTDETAILS | 1071
 VIEWRES
Sets the resolution for objects in the current viewport
Command line: viewres

Do you want fast zooms [Yes/No] <Y>: Press ENTER (Fast Zoom is no longer a
functioning option of this command and remains for script compatibility only.)
Enter circle zoom percent (120000) <current>: Enter an integer from 1 to
20,000 or press ENTER

AutoCAD regenerates the model.

VIEWRES controls the appearance of circles, arcs, ellipses, and splines using
short vectors. The greater the number of vectors, the smoother the appear-
ance of the circle or arc. For example, if you create a very small circle and
then zoom in, it might appear to be a polygon. Using VIEWRES to increase the
zoom percentage and regenerate the drawing updates and smooths the
VIEWRES at 15 circles appearance. Decreasing the zoom percentage has the opposite effect.

Note Increasing the zoom percentage in VIEWRES may increase the time it takes
to regenerate the drawing.

VIEWRES at 500
When a paper space layout is made current for the first time and a default
viewport is created in the layout, the viewing resolution for this initial view-
port is the same as the viewing resolution for the Model tab viewport.
The VIEWRES setting is saved in the drawing. To change the default for new
drawings, consider specifying the VIEWRES setting in the template files on
which you base your new drawings.

VLISP
Displays the Visual LISP interactive development environment (IDE)
Tools menu: AutoLISP Visual LISP Editor
Command line: vlisp

AutoCAD displays the Visual LISP IDE. Use Visual LISP to develop, test, and
debug AutoLISP programs.

Note VLIDE is used by AutoCAD to transfer control to Visual LISP. It performs

the same function as the VLISP command.

1072 | VIEWRES
VPCLIP
Clips viewport objects
Clips the specified viewport objects. Reshapes the viewport border to con-
form to a user-drawn boundary.
Shortcut menu: Select the viewport to clip, right-click in the drawing area,
and choose Viewport Clip.
Command line: vpclip

Select viewport to clip:

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

Clipping Object Specifies an object to act as a clipping boundary.

Objects that are valid as clipping boundaries include
closed polylines, circles, ellipses, closed splines, and
regions.
Polygonal Draws a clipping boundary. You can draw line segments
or arc segments by specifying points. The following
prompt is displayed:
Specify start point:
Specify next point or [Arc/Close/Length/Undo]:

The descriptions of the Next Point, Arc, Close, Length,

and Undo options match the descriptions of the
corresponding options in the PLINE command (see page
705).
Delete Deletes the clipping boundary of a selected viewport.
This option is available only if the selected viewport has
already been clipped. If you clip a viewport that has
been previously clipped, the original clipping boundary
is deleted, and the new clipping boundary is applied.

VPCLIP | 1073
VPLAYER
Sets layer visibility within viewports
VPLAYER makes a layer visible in one or more viewports and invisible in all
other viewports.
The VPLAYER command can be used only while you are working in a layout
tab.
Command line: vplayer

Enter an option [?/Freeze/Thaw/Reset/Newfrz/Vpvisdflt]:

?List Frozen Layers

Displays the names of frozen layers in a selected viewport.
Select a viewport:

The command line window displays the names of any layers that are frozen
in the selected viewport.

Freeze
Freezes a layer or set of layers in one or more viewports. AutoCAD does not
display, regenerate, or plot objects on frozen layers.
Enter layer name(s) to freeze: Enter one or more layer names
Enter an option [All/Select/Current] <Current>: Enter an option or press ENTER

All Applies the changes in all viewports.

Select Temporarily switches to paper space, allowing you to
select the viewports where you can apply the layer
settings.
Select objects: Select one or more viewports and press
ENTER

Current Applies the changes in the current viewport only.

1074 | VPLAYER
Thaw
Thaws layers in specific viewports.
Enter layer name(s) to thaw: Enter one or more layer names
Enter an option [All/Select/Current] <Current>: Enter an option or press ENTER

All Applies the changes in all viewports.

Select Applies the changes in selected viewports.
Select objects: Select one or more viewports and press
ENTER

Current Applies the changes in the current viewport only.

Reset
Sets the visibility of layers in specified viewports to their current default
setting.
Enter layer name(s) to reset: Enter one or more layer names
Enter an option [All/Select/Current] <Current>: Enter an option or press ENTER

All Applies the changes in all viewports.

Select Applies the changes in selected viewports.
Select objects: Select one or more viewports and press
ENTER

Current Applies the changes in the current viewport only.

Newfrz (New Freeze)

Creates new layers that are frozen in all viewports.
Enter name(s) of new layers frozen in all viewports: Enter one or more layer
names

VPLAYER | 1075
 Vpvisdflt (Viewport Visibility Default)
Thaws or freezes the specified layers in subsequently created viewports.
Enter layer name(s) to change viewport visibility: Enter one or more layer names
Enter a viewport visibility option [Frozen/Thawed] <current>: Enter f or t, or
press ENTER

VPMAX
Expands the current layout viewport for editing
Status bar:
Shortcut menu: Right-click in a viewport and click Maximize Viewport.
Command line: vpmax

Select a viewport to maximize:

The viewport is expanded to fill the screen and switched to model space for
editing.

VPMIN
Restores the current layout viewport
Status bar:
Shortcut menu: Right-click in a maximized viewport and click Restore
Viewport.
Command line: vpmin

The viewport is restored. The center point and magnification are returned to
the settings that were in effect before the viewport was maximized.

VPOINT
Sets the viewing direction for a three-dimensional visualization of the drawing
VPOINT puts the viewer in a position to look at the drawing as if looking back
at the origin (0,0,0) from a specified point in space. VPOINT cannot be used
in paper space.
View menu: 3D Views Viewpoint

1076 | VPMAX
Command line: vpoint

Current view direction: VIEWDIR=current

Specify a view point or [Rotate] <display compass and tripod>: Specify a point,
enter r, or press ENTER to display a compass and axis tripod

View Point Using the X,Y,Z coordinate you enter, creates a vector
that defines a direction from which the drawing can be
viewed. The view defined is as if the viewer is looking
from the point back at the origin (0,0,0).

viewing
Z Y
direction

(0,0,0) Y
X

X
as seen by viewer

Rotate Specifies a new viewing direction using two angles.

Enter angle in XY plane from X axis <current>: Specify an
angle

The first angle is specified with respect to the X axis, in

the XY plane.
Enter angle from XY plane <current>: Specify an angle

The second angle is specified up or down from the XY

plane.

viewing direction

angle from XY plane

(0,0,0)
angle from X axis

Compass and Displays a compass and axis tripod, which you use to
Axis Tripod define a viewing direction in the viewport.

VPOINT | 1077
compass The compass is a two-dimensional representation of a
Z globe. The center point is the north pole (0,0,n), the
Y inner ring is the equator (n,n,0), and the entire outer
ring is the south pole (0,0,n).

X
You can move the small crosshairs on the compass to
any portion of the globe with your pointing device. As
axis tripod you move the crosshairs, the axis tripod rotates to
conform to the viewing direction indicated on the
compass. To select a viewing direction, move your
pointing device to a location on the globe and click.

VPORTS
Creates multiple viewports
The number and layout of active viewports and their associated settings are
called viewport configurations.
VPORTS determines the viewport configuration for model space and paper
space (layout) environments. In model space (the Model tab), you can create
multiple model viewport configurations. In paper space (a layout tab), you
can create multiple layout viewport configurations.

Layouts toolbar:
View menu: Viewports
Command line: vports

The Viewports dialog box is displayed.

If you enter -vports at the Command prompt, VPORTS displays prompts on
the command line (see page 1082).

Viewports Dialog Box

Creates new viewport configurations, or names and saves a model space
viewport configuration. The options available in this dialog box depend on
whether you are configuring model space viewports (on the Model tab) or
layout viewports (on a layout tab).

New Viewports TabModel Space (Viewports Dialog Box)

Displays a list of standard viewport configurations and configures model
space viewports.

1078 | VPORTS
New Name Specifies a name for the new model space viewport
configuration you are creating. If you do not enter a
name, the viewport configuration you create is applied
but not saved. If a viewport configuration is not saved,
it cannot be used in a layout.
Standard Lists and sets the standard viewport configurations,
Viewports including CURRENT, which is the current configuration.
Preview Displays a preview of the viewport configuration you
select and the default views assigned to each individual
viewport in the configuration.
Apply To Applies the model space viewport configuration to the
entire display or to the current viewport.

Display: Applies the viewport configuration to the

entire Model tab display. Display is the default
setting.
Current Viewport: Applies the viewport configuration
to the current viewport only.

VPORTS | 1079
 Setup Specifies either a 2D or a 3D setup. When you select 2D,
the new viewport configuration is initially created with
the current view in all of the viewports. When you
select 3D, a set of standard orthogonal 3D views is
applied to the viewports in the configuration.
Change View To Replaces the view in the selected viewport with the
view you select from the list. You can choose a named
view, or if you have selected 3D setup, you can select
from the list of standard views. Use the Preview area to
see the choices.

Named Viewports TabModel Space (Viewports Dialog Box)

Displays any saved viewport configurations in the drawing. When you select
a viewport configuration, the layout of the saved configuration is displayed
in Preview.

Current Name Displays the name of the current viewport

configuration.

New Viewports TabLayouts (Viewports Dialog Box)

Displays a list of standard viewport configurations and configures layout
viewports.

1080 | VPORTS
Standard Displays a list of standard viewport configurations and
Viewports configures layout viewports.
Viewport Spacing Specifies the spacing you want to apply between the
layout viewports you are configuring.
Setup Specifies either a 2D or a 3D setup. When you select 2D,
the new viewport configuration is initially created with
the current view in all of the viewports. When you
select 3D, a set of standard orthogonal 3D views is
applied to the viewports in the configuration.
Preview Displays a preview of the viewport configuration you
select and the default views assigned to each individual
viewport in the configuration.
Change View To Replaces the view in the selected viewport with the
view you select from the list. You can choose a named
view, or if you have selected 3D setup, you can select
from the list of standard views. Use the Preview area to
see the choices.

VPORTS | 1081
 Named Viewports TabLayouts (Viewports Dialog Box)
Displays any saved and named model space viewport configurations for you
to use in the current layout. You cannot save and name a layout viewport
configuration.

VPORTS Command Line

The prompts available on the command line depend on whether you are
configuring model viewports (on the Model tab) or layout viewports (on a
layout tab).

VPORTS Command LineModel Space Viewports

If you enter vports at the Command prompt from the Model tab, VPORTS
displays prompts on the command line.
Enter an option [Save/Restore/Delete/Join/SIngle/?/2/3/4]<3>: Enter an option

The number and layout of active viewports and their associated settings are
called viewport configurations.
Save Saves the current viewport configuration using a
specified name.
Enter name for new viewport configuration or [?]: Enter a
name or enter ? to list saved viewport configurations

Restore Restores a previously saved viewport configuration.

Enter name of viewport configuration to restore or [?]:
Enter a name or enter ? to list saved viewport configurations

Delete Deletes a named viewport configuration.

Enter name(s) of viewport configurations to delete
<none>: Enter a name or enter ? to list saved viewport con-
figurations

Join Combines two adjacent viewports into one larger

viewport. The resulting viewport inherits the view of the
dominant viewport.
Select dominant viewport <current>: Press ENTER or select
a viewport
Select viewport to join: Select a viewport

1082 | VPORTS
 dominant viewport

viewport to join viewports after Join

Single Returns the drawing to a single viewport view, using the

view from the current viewport.
current viewport

viewport after Single

?List Viewport Displays the identification numbers and screen positions

Configurations of the active viewports.
Enter name(s) of viewport configuration(s) to list <*>:
Enter a name or press ENTER

The lower-left and upper-right corners of the viewport

define its location. For these corners, AutoCAD uses
values between 0.0,0.0 (for the lower-left corner of the
drawing area) and 1.0,1.0 (for the upper-right corner).
The current viewport is listed first.
2 Divides the current viewport in half.
Enter a configuration option [Horizontal/Vertical]
<Vertical>: Enter h or press ENTER

VPORTS | 1083
 3 Divides the current viewport into three viewports.
Enter a configuration option [Horizontal/Vertical/Above/
Below/Left/Right] <Right>: Enter an option or press ENTER

The Horizontal and Vertical options split the area into

thirds. The Above, Below, Left, and Right options specify
where the larger viewport is placed.
4 Divides the current viewport into four viewports of equal
size.

VPORTS Command LineLayout Viewports

If you enter vports at the Command prompt from a layout tab, VPORTS dis-
plays prompts on the command line.
Specify corner of viewport or ON/OFF/Fit/Shadeplot/Lock/Object/Polygonal/
Restore/2/3/4 <Fit>: Specify a point or enter an option

The number and layout of active viewports and their associated settings are
called viewport configurations.
On Turns on a viewport, making it active and making its
objects visible.
Off Turns off a viewport. When a viewport is off, its objects
are not displayed, and you cannot make that viewport
current.
Fit Creates one viewport that fills the available display area.
The actual size of the viewport depends on the
dimensions of the paper space view.
Shadeplot Specifies how viewports in layouts are plotted.
Shade plot? [As displayed/Wireframe/Hidden/Rendered]
<As displayed >: Enter a shade plot option

As Displayed: Plots the same way it is displayed

Wireframe: Plots wireframe regardless of display
Hidden: Plots with hidden lines removed regardless of
display
Rendered: Plots rendered regardless of display

Lock Locks the current viewport. This is similar to layer

locking.

1084 | VPORTS
 Object Specifies a closed polyline, ellipse, spline, region, or circle
to convert into a viewport. The polyline you specify must
be closed and contain at least three vertices. It can be self-
intersecting, and it can contain arcs as well as line
segments.
Polygonal Creates an irregularly shaped viewport defined by
specifying points. For a description of this option, see the
Polygonal option under XCLIP (see page 1108).
Enter an arc boundary option
[Angle/CEnter/CLose/Direction/Line/Radius/Second pt/
Undo/Endpoint of arc] <Endpoint>: Enter an option

Restore Restores a previously saved viewport configuration.

Enter viewport configuration name or [?]: Enter a name or
enter ? to list saved viewport configurations

2/Vertical 2 Divides the current viewport in half.

Enter viewport arrangement [Horizontal/
Vertical]<Vertical>: Enter h or press ENTER

3 Divides the current viewport into three viewports.

Enter viewport arrangement [Horizontal/Vertical/Above/
Below/Left/Right] <Right>: Enter an option or press ENTER
3/Right
Horizontal and Vertical split the area into thirds. The
other options create one large viewport in half the
available area and two smaller ones in the other half.
Above, Below, Left, and Right specify where the larger
viewport is placed.
4 Divides the current viewport into four viewports of equal
4 size.
VSLIDE
Displays an image slide file in the current viewport
Command line: vslide

The Select Slide File dialog box, a standard file selection dialog box, is dis-
played. Enter a slide file name (.sld extension) to display. When you
press ENTER or choose Open, the slide file is opened in AutoCAD.

VSLIDE | 1085
 To display a slide in a slide library (.slb extension), set FILEDIA to 0, enter
vslide, and then specify the slide library file name followed by the slide file
name enclosed in parentheses: slidelibrary(slide).
When you view slides of images shaded with the -SHADE command in a larger
window or a higher resolution than was used for creating the slide, black
lines may appear interspersed among the lines of the shaded image. To avoid
this situation, use a full screen that is set at the highest resolution when
creating the slides.

1086 | VSLIDE
WBLOCK
Writes objects or a block to a new drawing file
Command line: wblock

The Write Block dialog box is displayed.

Entering wblock at the Command prompt displays a standard file selection
dialog box in which to specify a name for the new drawing file, followed by
prompts on the command line (see page 1089). If FILEDIA is set to 0, the stan-
dard file selection dialog box is suppressed.

Write Block Dialog Box

Saves objects or converts a block to a file.

The Write Block dialog box displays different default settings depending on
whether nothing is selected, a single block is selected, or objects other than
blocks are selected.

Source
Specifies blocks and objects, saves them as a file, and specifies insertion
points.

WBLOCK | 1087
 Block
Specifies an existing block to save as a file. Select a name from the list.
Entire Drawing
Selects current drawing as a block.
Objects
Specifies objects to be saved as a file.
Base Point
Specifies a base point for the block. The default value is 0,0,0.
X Specifies the X coordinate value for the base point.
Y Specifies the Y coordinate value for the base point.
Z Specifies the Z coordinate value for the base point.
Pick Insertion Temporarily closes the dialog box so that you can
Base Point specify an insertion base point in the current drawing.
Objects
Sets the effect of block creation on objects used to create a block.
Retain Retains the selected objects in the current drawing after
saving them as a file.
Convert to Block Converts the selected object or objects to a block in the
current drawing after saving them as a file. The block is
assigned the name in File Name.
Delete from Deletes the selected objects from the current drawing
Drawing after saving them as a file.
Select Objects Temporarily closes the dialog box so that you can select
Button one or more objects to save to the file.
Quick Select Opens the Quick Select dialog box, which you can use
Button to filter your selection set.
Objects Selected Indicates the number of objects selected.

Destination
Specifies the new name and location of the file and the units of measurement
to be used when the block is inserted.
File Name and Specifies a file name and path where the block or
Path objects will be saved.
[...] Displays a standard file selection dialog box.

1088 | WBLOCK
 Insert Units Specifies the unit value to be used for automatic scaling
when the new file is dragged from DesignCenter and
inserted as a block in a drawing that uses different units.
Select Unitless if you do not want to automatically scale
the drawing when you insert it. See INSUNITS.

WBLOCK Command Line

If FILEDIA is set to 1, entering -wblock at the Command prompt displays a
standard file selection dialog box in which to specify a name for the new
drawing file. If FILEDIA is set to 0, entering -wblock at the Command prompt
displays a prompt on the command line.
Enter name of output file:

Once you specify a filenameeither through the dialog box or through the
command linethe following prompt is displayed.
Enter name of existing block or
[= (block=output file)/* (whole drawing)] <define new drawing>: Enter the
name of an existing block, enter =, enter *, or press ENTER

Entering the name of an existing block writes that block to a file. You cannot
enter the name of an external reference (xref) or one of its dependent blocks.
Entering an equal sign (=) specifies that the existing block and the output file
have the same name. If no block of that name exists in the drawing, the
prompt is displayed again.
Entering an asterisk (*) writes the entire drawing to the new output file,
except for unreferenced symbols. Model space objects are written to model
space, and paper space objects are written to paper space.
If you press ENTER , AutoCAD prompts you for an insertion base point for
the block file and then prompts you to select the objects to write to the block
file.

1 Specify insertion base point: Specify a point (1)

Select objects: Use an object selection method and press ENTER when you finish
selecting objects

After AutoCAD creates the file, the selected objects are deleted from the draw-
ing. You can use OOPS to restore the objects.
In the new drawing, the world coordinate system (WCS) is set parallel to the
user coordinate system (UCS).
objects selected
for a block

WBLOCK | 1089
 WEDGE
Creates a 3D solid with a sloped face tapering along the X axis

Solids toolbar:
Draw menu: Solids Wedge
Command line: wedge
1
Specify first corner of wedge or [CEnter] <0,0,0>: Specify a point (1), enter ce,
or press ENTER

Corner of Wedge
Defines the first corner of the wedge.
Specify corner or [Cube/Length]: Specify a point (2) or enter an option

Corner Specifies the other corner of the wedge. If both corner

points have the same Z value, you must specify the
height height of the wedge. Otherwise, AutoCAD uses the
difference in Z values for the height.
2
Specify height:

Entering a positive value draws the height along the

positive Z axis of the current user coordinate system
(UCS). Entering a negative value draws the height along
the negative axis.
Cube Creates a wedge with sides of equal length.
Specify length:

Entering a positive value draws the length along the

positive X axis of the current UCS. Entering a negative
value draws the length along the negative axis.

1090 | WEDGE
 Length Creates a wedge with specified length, width, and
height values. The length corresponds to the X axis, the
height width to the Y axis, and the height to the Z axis.
Specify length:
length Specify width:
Specify height:
width
Entering a positive value draws the length, width, and
height along the positive X, Y, and Z axes of the current
UCS. Entering a negative value draws them along the
negative axes.

Center
1
Creates the wedge by a specified center point.
Specify center of wedge <0,0,0>: Specify a point (1) or press ENTER
Specify opposite corner or [Cube/Length]: Specify a point (2) or enter an option

Corner Specifies the corner of the wedge.

Specify height:
height
2 Entering a positive value draws the height along the
positive Z axis of the current UCS. Entering a negative
value draws the height along the negative axis.
Cube Creates a wedge with sides of equal length.
Specify length:

Entering a positive value draws the length along the

positive X axis of the current UCS. Entering a negative
value draws the length along the negative axis.
Length Creates a wedge with specified length, width, and
height values. The length corresponds to the X axis, the
height
width to the Y axis, and the height to the Z axis.
Specify length:
length Specify width:
width Specify height:

Entering a positive value draws the length, width, and

height along the positive X, Y, and Z axes of the current
UCS. Entering a negative value draws them along the
negative axes.

WEDGE | 1091
WHOHAS
Displays ownership information for opened drawing files
Command line: whohas

You can use WHOHAS to track which users have certain drawing files open.
WHOHAS displays the Select Drawing to Query dialog box (a standard file
selection dialog box). After you select a file, AutoCAD displays the ownership
information on the command line. The information includes the current
users computer name, login ID, and full name (if available) and the date and
time the drawing file was opened.

Note AutoCAD displays similar information automatically when you try to

open a drawing file that another user has open.

The information displayed by WHOHAS is stored in a temporary DWL (draw-

ing lock) file. A DWL file is automatically created when a file is opened and
then deleted when the file is closed.

WIPEOUT
Covers existing objects with a blank area
Creates a polygonal area that masks underlying objects with the current
background color. This area is bounded by the wipeout frame. You can turn
on the wipeout frame for editing and turn it off for plotting.
Draw menu: Wipeout
Command line: wipeout

Specify first point or [Frames/Polyline]<Polyline>: Specify a point or an option

First Point Determines the polygonal boundary of the wipeout

object from a series of points.
Next point: Specify the next point or press ENTER to exit

Frames Determines whether the edges of all wipeout objects are

displayed or hidden.
ON/OFF:<varies> Enter on or off

Enter on to display all wipeout frames. Enter off to

suppress the display of all wipeout frames.

1092 | WHOHAS
 Polyline Determines the polygonal boundary of the wipeout
objects from a selected polyline.
Select a closed polyline: Use an object selection method to
select a closed polyline

Erase polyline? [Yes/No]<N>: Enter y or n

Enter y to erase the polyline that was used to create the

wipeout object. Enter n to retain the polyline.

WMFIN
Imports a Windows metafile
Unlike bitmaps or raster files, metafiles contain vector information, which
can be scaled and printed without loss of resolution.
Insert menu: Windows Metafile
Command line: wmfin

The Import WMF dialog box (a standard file selection dialog box) is dis-
played. Enter a file name. AutoCAD adds the .wmf file extension.
In the Import WMF dialog box, if you choose Tools Options, AutoCAD dis-
plays the WMF In Options dialog box (see page 1098). You can also open this
dialog box directly by using WMFOPTS. After opening the selected WMF file,
AutoCAD displays the following prompt:
Specify insertion point or [Scale/X/Y/Z/Rotate/PScale/PX/PY/PZ/PRotate]:
Specify a point or enter an option

Insertion Point
Places a copy of the metafile with its base point at the specified insertion
point.
Enter X scale factor, specify opposite corner, or [Corner/XYZ] <1>: Enter a value,
enter an option, or press ENTER

WMFIN | 1093
 X Scale Factor Sets the X and Y scale factors.
Enter Y scale factor <use X scale factor>: Enter a value or
press ENTER to use the same scale factor
Specify rotation angle <0>:

AutoCAD multiplies all X and Y dimensions of the

metafile by the X and Y scale factors supplied. The
metafile is rotated by the angle specified, using the
insertion point as the center of rotation.
Corner Defines the X and Y scales at the same time, using the
insertion point and another point as the corners of a
box. The X and Y dimensions of the box become the X
and Y scale factors. The insertion point is the first
corner.
Specify opposite corner: Specify a point
Specify rotation angle <0>:

The rotation angle sets the angle of the WMF file.

XYZ Scales the metafile in all three dimensions.
Specify X scale factor or [Corner] <1>: Specify a nonzero
value, enter c, or press ENTER

If you enter c, you specify a corner point. The specified

point and the insertion point determine the X and Y
scale factors for the WMF file.
Specify Y scale factor or <use X scale factor>: Enter a
value or press ENTER to use the same scale factor
Enter Z scale factor <use X scale factor>: Enter a value or
press ENTER to use the same scale factor
Specify rotation angle <0>:

The rotation angle sets the angle of the WMF file.

Scale
Sets the scale factor for the X, Y, and Z axes. The scale for the Z axis is the
absolute value of the specified scale factor.

1094 | WMFIN
Specify scale factor for XYZ axes: Enter a nonzero value
Specify insertion point:
Specify rotation angle <0>:

The rotation angle sets the angle of the WMF file.

X
Sets the X scale factor.
Specify X scale factor: Enter a nonzero value
Specify insertion point:
Specify rotation angle <0>:

The rotation angle sets the angle of the WMF file.

Y
Sets the Y scale factor.
Specify Y scale factor: Enter a nonzero value
Specify insertion point:
Specify rotation angle <0>:

The rotation angle sets the angle of the WMF file.

Z
Sets the Z scale factor.
Specify Z scale factor: Enter a nonzero value
Specify insertion point:
Specify rotation angle <0>:

The rotation angle sets the angle of the WMF file.

Rotate
Sets the angle of insertion for the WMF file.
Specify rotation angle <0>:
Specify insertion point:
Enter X scale factor, specify opposite corner, or [Corner/XYZ] <1>: Enter a value,
specify a point, enter an option, or press ENTER

WMFIN | 1095
 X Scale Factor Sets the X and Y scale factors.
Enter Y scale factor <use X scale factor>: Enter a value or
press ENTER to use the same scale factor

Corner Defines the X and Y scales at the same time, using the
insertion point and another point as the corners of a
box. The X and Y dimensions of the box become the X
and Y scale factors. The insertion point is the first
corner.
Specify opposite corner: Specify a point
XYZ Scales the metafile in all three dimensions.
Specify X scale factor or [Corner] <1>: Specify a nonzero
value, enter c, or press ENTER

If you enter c, you specify a corner point. The specified

point and the insertion point determine the X and Y
scale factors for the block.
Specify Y scale factor or <use X scale factor>: Enter a
value or press ENTER to use the same scale factor
Enter Z scale factor <use X scale factor>: Enter a value or
press ENTER to use the same scale factor

PScale
Sets the temporary scale factor for the X, Y, and Z axes to control the display
of the WMF file as it is dragged into position.
Specify preview scale factor for XYZ axes: Enter a nonzero value
Specify insertion point:
Enter X scale factor, specify opposite corner, or [Corner/XYZ] <1>: Enter a value,
specify a point, enter an option, or press ENTER

The descriptions of the X Scale Factor, Corner, and XYZ options match the
descriptions of the corresponding options under Rotate (see page 1095).

1096 | WMFIN
PX
Sets the temporary scale factor for the X axis to control the display of the
WMF file as it is dragged into position.
Specify preview X scale factor: Enter a nonzero value
Specify insertion point:
Enter X scale factor, specify opposite corner, or [Corner/XYZ] <1>: Enter a value,
specify a point, enter an option, or press ENTER

The descriptions of the X Scale Factor, Corner, and XYZ options match the
descriptions of the corresponding options under Rotate (see page 1095).

PY
Sets the temporary scale factor for the Y axis to control the display of the
WMF file as it is dragged into position.
Specify preview Y scale factor: Enter a nonzero value
Specify insertion point:
Enter X scale factor, specify opposite corner, or [Corner/XYZ] <1>: Enter a value,
specify a point, enter an option, or press ENTER

The descriptions of the X Scale Factor, Corner, and XYZ options match the
descriptions of the corresponding options under Rotate (see page 1095).

PZ
Sets the temporary scale factor for the Z axis to control the display of the
WMF file as it is dragged into position.
Specify preview Z scale factor: Enter a nonzero value
Specify insertion point:
Enter X scale factor, specify opposite corner, or [Corner/XYZ] <1>: Enter a value,
specify a point, enter an option, or press ENTER

The descriptions of the X Scale Factor, Corner, and XYZ options match the
descriptions of the corresponding options under Rotate (see page 1095).

WMFIN | 1097
 PRotate
Sets the temporary rotation angle of the WMF file as it is dragged into
position.
Specify preview rotation angle:
Specify insertion point:
Enter X scale factor, specify opposite corner, or [Corner/XYZ] <1>: Enter a value,
specify a point, enter an option, or press ENTER

The descriptions of the X Scale Factor, Corner, and XYZ options match the
descriptions of the corresponding options under Rotate (see page 1095).

WMFOPTS
Sets options for WMFIN
Controls the way objects such as rectangles, polygons, and circles are
imported from Windows metafiles.
Command line: wmfopts

The WMF In Options dialog box is displayed.

WMF In Options Dialog Box

Controls whether metafiles maintain relative line widths and whether they
are imported as wireframes or solid objects.

Wire Frame (No Imports objects as wireframes. If you clear this option,
Fills) objects are imported as filled objects.
Wide Lines Maintains the relative line width of lines and borders. If
you clear this option, lines are imported with zero
width.

1098 | WMFOPTS
WMFOUT
Saves objects to a Windows metafile
Command line: wmfout

The Create WMF standard file selection dialog box is displayed. Enter a file
name. AutoCAD adds a .wmf file extension.
Select objects: Use an object selection method and press ENTER when you finish
selecting objects

The selected objects are saved to a file in Windows metafile format.

Note If one or more raster objects are attached to the drawing and if the image
application (ism.arx) is loaded, the maximum resolution of the resulting WMF file
is 2K by 2K. The image application is loaded the first time you run IMAGE, IMAGE-
ADJUST, IMAGEATTACH, IMAGECLIP, IMAGEFRAME, or IMAGEQUALITY.

WMFOUT | 1099
1100
XATTACH
Attaches an external reference to the current drawing

Reference toolbar:
Insert menu: External Reference
Command line: xattach

The Select Reference File dialog box (a standard file selection dialog box) is
displayed. The External Reference dialog box is displayed after a file is
selected.

External Reference Dialog Box

Attaches a drawing as an external reference (xref). If you attach a drawing
that itself contains an attached xref, the attached xref appears in the current
drawing. Like blocks, attached xrefs can be nested. If another person is cur-
rently editing the xref, the drawing attached is based on the most recently
saved version.

XATTACH | 1101
 Name
Displays the xref name in the list after an xref is attached. When an attached
xref is selected in the list, its path is displayed in Path.

Browse
Choose Browse to display the Select a Reference dialog box (a standard file
selection dialog box), in which you can select new xrefs for the current
drawing.

Found In
Displays the path where the xref was found.
If no path was saved for the xref or if the xref is no longer located at the
specified path, AutoCAD searches for the xref in the following order:

Current folder of the host drawing

Project search paths defined on the Files tab in the Options dialog box and
in the PROJECTNAME system variable
Support search paths defined on the Files tab in the Options dialog box
Start-in folder specified in the Microsoft Windows application shortcut

Saved Path
Displays the saved path, if any, that is used to locate the xref. This path can
be an absolute (fully specified) path, a relative (partially specified) path, or no
path.

Reference Type
Specifies whether the xref is an attachment or an overlay.
See Attach External References and Nest and Overlay External References
in the Users Guide.

Path Type
Specifies whether the saved path to the xref is the full path, a relative path,
or no path. You must save the current drawing before you can set the path
type to Relative Path. For a nested xref, a relative path always references the
location of its immediate host and not necessarily the currently open
drawing.
The Relative Path option is not available if the referenced drawing is located
on a different local disk drive or on a network server.

1102 | XATTACH
Insertion Point
Specifies the insertion point of the selected xref.
Specify Displays prompts on the command line and makes the
On-Screen X, Y, and Z options unavailable. The descriptions of the
options displayed on the command line match the
descriptions of the corresponding options under
Insertion Point in INSERT (see page 434).
X Specifies the X coordinate value for the point at which
an xref instance is inserted into the current drawing.
The insertion point in the current drawing is aligned
with the insertion point defined in the BASE command
in the referenced file.
Y Specifies the Y coordinate value for the point at which
an xref instance is inserted into the current drawing.
The insertion point in the current drawing is aligned
with the insertion point defined in the BASE system
variable in the referenced file.
Z Specifies the Z coordinate value for the point at which
an xref instance is inserted into the current drawing.
The insertion point in the current drawing is aligned
with the insertion point defined in the BASE system
variable in the referenced file.

Scale
Specifies the scale factors for the selected xref.
Specify Displays prompts on the command line and makes the
On-Screen X, Y, and Z Scale Factor options unavailable. The
descriptions of the options displayed on the command
line match the descriptions of the corresponding
options under Insertion Point in INSERT (see page 434).
X Scale Factor Specifies the X scale factor for the xref instance.
Y Scale Factor Specifies the Y scale factor for the xref instance.
Z Scale Factor Specifies the Z scale factor for the xref instance.
Uniform Scale Ensures that the the Y and Z scale factors are equal to
the X scale factor.

XATTACH | 1103
 Rotation
Specifies the rotation angle for the xref instance.
Specify Displays prompts on the command line and makes the
On-Screen Angle option unavailable. AutoCAD prompts for a
rotation angle, as described in INSERT.
Angle Specifies the rotation angle at which an xref instance is
inserted into the current drawing.

XBIND
Binds one or more definitions of named objects in an xref to the current drawing
An external reference (xref) is a drawing that you attach to or overlay on your
current drawing. In xrefs, dependent definitions are named objects such as
blocks, dimension styles, layers, linetypes, and text styles.
XBIND adds the selected dependent definitions to the current drawing and
saves them with the drawing at the end of the session. You can manipulate
them as you would any other named object. AutoCAD replaces the vertical
bar symbol (|) from each dependent definition name with three new charac-
ters: a number (usually 0) between two dollar signs ($).
If you specify a layer whose associated linetype is not CONTINUOUS,
AutoCAD also binds the referenced linetype. If you apply XBIND to a block,
all named objects that are referenced by the objects in the block are also
bound. If the block contains a reference to an xref, AutoCAD binds that xref
and all of its dependent definitions.

Note Use the Bind option of XREF binds the xref file. Use XBIND for individual
dependent definitions.

Reference toolbar:
Modify menu: Object External Reference Bind
Command line: xbind

The Xbind dialog box is displayed.

If you enter -xbind at the Command prompt, XBIND displays prompts on the
command line (see page 1105).

1104 | XBIND
Xbind Dialog Box
Adds xref-dependent named objects (such as blocks, dimension styles, layers,
linetypes, and text styles) to your drawing.

Xrefs Lists the xrefs currently attached to the drawing.

Selecting an xref (double-clicking) displays the named
object definitions in the attached xref.
Definitions to Lists the xref-dependent named object definitions to
Bind bind to the host drawing.
Add Moves the named object definitions selected in the
Xrefs list into the Definitions to Bind list.
Remove Moves the xref-dependent named object definition
selected in the Definitions to Bind list back to its xref-
dependent definition table.

XBIND Command Line

If you enter -xbind at the Command prompt, XBIND displays prompts on the
command line.
Enter symbol type to bind [Block/Dimstyle/LAyer/LType/Style]: Enter an option

Depending on the option, AutoCAD prompts for a xref-dependent named

object (symbol) such as a block, dimension style, layer, linetype, or text style.
Enter dependent Symbol name(s): Enter a name list or * to bind all xref-
dependent named objects (symbols) from that definition table

The name you specify must be the full name, including the vertical bar
character ( | ).

XBIND | 1105
 The xref-dependent named objects you specify are added to your drawing.
You can manipulate them as you would any other named object. AutoCAD
replaces the vertical bar character ( | ) from each xref-dependent named
object with three new characters: a number (usually 0) between two dollar
signs ($).
If you specify a layer whose associated linetype is not CONTINUOUS,
AutoCAD also binds the referenced linetype. If you apply XBIND to a block,
any block, dimension style, layer, linetype, or text style thats referenced by
objects in the block is also bound. If the block contains a reference to an xref,
AutoCAD binds that xref and all its dependent named objects.

XCLIP
Defines an xref or block clipping boundary and sets the front or back clipping planes
XCLIP is used on external references and blocks to set both a clipping
boundary and a front or back clipping plane. A clipping boundary consists
of planar straight line segments. Clipping boundaries can also be generated
from polylines. If the polyline has arcs, the clipping boundary is created as if
it had been decurved before it was used as a clipping boundary. If the
polyline is a curve-fit polyline, the clipping boundary is created as a straight-
edged representation of the curve-fit polyline. When a clipping boundary is
defined by a splined polyline, the spline is recognized, and it is not converted
back to a straight-edged representation. XCLIP can be applied to single or
multiple external references or blocks, and it can generate or delete a clipping
boundary, generate a polyline from the clipping boundary, or suppress the
appearance of the clip on an external reference. When XCLIP is turned off for
an xref or a block, the clipping boundary is ignored and the entire xref or
block is displayed.

Reference toolbar:
Shortcut menu: Select an xref, right-click in the drawing area, and choose
Xref Clip.
Command line: xclip

Select objects: Use an object selection method and press ENTER when you finish
selecting objects
Enter clipping option [ON/OFF/Clipdepth/Delete/generate Polyline/
New boundary] <New>: Select an option or press ENTER

1106 | XCLIP
On
Displays the clipped portion of the xref or block in the host drawing.

Off
Displays all of the geometry of the xref or block in the host drawing, ignoring
the clipping boundary.

Clipdepth
Sets the front and back clipping planes on an xref or block. Objects outside
the volume defined by the boundary and the specified depth are not
displayed.
Specify front clip point or [Distance/Remove]:

Front Clip Point Creates a clipping plane passing through and

perpendicular to the clipping boundary.
Specify back clip point or [Distance/Remove]:

Distance Creates a clipping plane the specified distance from and

parallel to the clipping boundary.
Specify distance from boundary:

AutoCAD returns to the previous prompt.

Remove Removes both the front and back clipping planes.

Delete
Removes a clipping boundary for the selected xref or block. To temporarily
turn off a clipping boundary, use the Off option. Delete erases the clipping
boundary and the clipdepth. The ERASE command cannot be used to delete
clipping boundaries.

Generate Polyline
Automatically draws a polyline coincident with the clipping boundary. The
polyline assumes the current layer, linetype, lineweight, and color settings.
Use this option when you want to modify the current clipping boundary
using PEDIT and then redefine the clipping boundary with the new polyline.
To see the entire xref while redefining the boundary, use the Off option.

XCLIP | 1107
 New Boundary
Defines a rectangular or polygonal clipping boundary or generates a polygo-
nal clipping boundary from a polyline. If a boundary already exists,
AutoCAD prompts:
Delete old boundary? [Yes/No] <Yes>:

AutoCAD continues the command only if all previous boundaries are

deleted.
Specify clipping boundary(s):
[Select polyline/Polygonal/Rectangular] <Rectangular>: Specify a clipping
boundary option or press ENTER

Select Polyline Defines the boundary using the selected polyline. The
polyline can be open but must consist of straight line
segments and cannot intersect itself. The boundary
created using this method is parallel to the user
coordinate system (UCS) plane on which the polyline
lies.
Polygonal Defines a polygonal boundary by using the points you
specify for the vertices of a polygon. The clipping
boundary is applied in the current UCS regardless of the
current view.
Rectangular Defines a rectangular boundary by using the points you
specify for opposite corners. The clipping boundary is
applied in the current UCS and is independent of the
current view.

XLINE
Creates an infinite line
XLINE creates infinite lines, which are commonly used as construction lines.

Draw toolbar:
Draw menu: Construction Line
Command line: xline

Specify a point or [Hor/Ver/Ang/Bisect/Offset]: Specify a point or enter an option

1108 | XLINE
 Point
Specifies the location of the infinite line using two points through which it
passes.
1
Specify through point: Specify the point (2) through which you want the xline to
2
pass, or press ENTER to end the command

AutoCAD creates the xline through the specified point.

Hor
Creates a horizontal xline passing through a specified point.
Specify through point: Specify the point (1) through which you want the xline to
pass, or press ENTER to end the command

1 AutoCAD creates the xline parallel to the X axis.

Ver
Creates a vertical xline passing through a specified point.
Specify through point: Specify the point (1) through which you want the xline to
pass, or press ENTER to end the command
1
AutoCAD creates the xline parallel to the Y axis.

Ang
Creates an xline at a specified angle.
Enter angle of xline (0) or [Reference]: Specify an angle or enter r

Angle of Xline Specifies the angle at which to place the line.

Specify through point: Specify the point through which
1 angle you want the xline to pass

AutoCAD creates an xline through the specified point,

using the specified angle.

XLINE | 1109
 Reference Specifies the angle from a selected reference line. The
angle is measured counterclockwise from the reference
line.
Select a line object: Select a line, polyline, ray, or xline
Enter angle of xline <0>:
Specify through point: Specify the point through which
you want the xline to pass, or press ENTER to end the com-
mand

AutoCAD creates an xline through the specified point,

using the specified angle.

Bisect
Creates an xline that passes through the selected angle vertex and bisects the
angle between the first and second line.
3 Specify angle vertex point: Specify a point (1)
1 Specify angle start point: Specify a point (2)
Specify angle end point: Specify a point (3) or press ENTER to end the command
2
The xline lies in the plane determined by the three points.

Offset
Creates an xline parallel to another object.
Specify offset distance or [Through] <current>: Specify an offset distance, enter
t, or press ENTER

Offset Distance Specifies the distance the xline is offset from the
selected object.
Select a line object: Select a line, polyline, ray, or xline, or
press ENTER to end the command
Specify side to offset? Specify a point and press ENTER to
exit the command

Through Creates an xline offset from a line and passing through

a specified point.
Select a line object: Select a line, polyline, ray, or xline, or
press ENTER to end the command
Specify through point: Specify the point through which
you want the xline to pass and press ENTER to exit the com-
mand

1110 | XLINE
 XOPEN
Opens a selected external reference (xref) in a new window
XOPEN opens the selected xref for editing in a new window. The new window
is displayed after the Xref Manager is closed.
Command line: xopen

Select Xref: Select an object in the external reference

After an object is selected, the xref to which it belongs opens in a separate

window. If the xref contains nested xrefs, the deepest-level xref of the
selected object is opened.

XPLODE
Breaks a compound object into its component objects
A compound object comprises more than one AutoCAD object. For example,
a block is a compound object. You can explode multiple compound objects
at the same time and change the color, layer, lineweight, and linetype of each
object individually or change the entire selection set globally. You can specify
block before a color, layer, lineweight, and linetype, or these properties can be inherited
XPLODE from the object being exploded.
You can explode blocks with scale factors of equal absolute value. Equal abso-
lute value means the scale factors are equal if you remove any minus
signs (). For example, you can explode blocks with X, Y, and Z scale factors
of 1, 1, and 1, including mirrored blocks.
component ob
after XPLODE Command line: xplode

Select objects to XPlode.

Select objects: Use an object selection method and press ENTER when you finish
selecting objects

AutoCAD reports how many objects were selected and, of those, how many
objects cannot be exploded. If you select more than one valid object,
AutoCAD displays the following prompt.
Enter an option [Individually/Globally] <Globally>: Enter i, enter g, or press
ENTER

XOPEN | 1111
 Individually
Applies changes to the selected objects one at a time. AutoCAD displays the
following prompt for each object.
Enter an option [All/Color/LAyer/LType/Inherit from parent block/Explode]
<Explode>: Enter an option or press ENTER

All Sets the color, linetype, lineweight, and layer of the

component objects after you explode them. AutoCAD
displays the prompts associated with the Color,
Linetype, Lineweight, and Layer options.
Color Sets the color of the objects after you explode them.
[Red/Yellow/Green/Cyan/Blue/Magenta/White/BYLayer/
BYBlock/Truecolor/COlorbook] <BYLAYER>: Enter an
option, enter a color number, or press ENTER

Entering bylayer causes the component objects to

inherit the color of the exploded objects layer. Entering
byblock causes the component objects to inherit the
color of the exploded object.
Enter t for a true color to be used for the selected object.
Red, Green, Blue: Enter three integer values from 0 to 255
separated by commas to specify a true color

Enter c for a color from a loaded color book to be used

for the selected object.
Enter Color Book name: Enter the name of a color book that
has been installed such as PANTONE

If you enter a color book name, AutoCAD prompts you

to enter the color name in the color book.
Enter color name: Enter the name of a color included in the
selected color book such as PANTONE 573

Layer Sets the layer of the component objects after you

explode them. The default option is to inherit the
current layer rather than the layer of the exploded
object.
Enter new layer name for exploded objects <current>:
Enter an existing layer name or press ENTER

1112 | XPLODE
 LType Sets the linetype of the component objects after you
explode them.
Enter new linetype name for exploded objects <BYLAYER>:
Enter a linetype name, or press ENTER

You can enter the name of any linetype that is loaded

in the drawing. Entering bylayer causes the component
objects to inherit the linetype of the exploded objects
layer. Entering byblock causes the component objects
to inherit the linetype of the exploded object.
Inherit from Sets the color, linetype, lineweight, and layer of the
Parent Block component objects to that of the exploded object if the
component objects color, linetype, and lineweight are
BYBLOCK and the objects are drawn on layer 0.

Explode Breaks a compound object into its component objects

exactly as the EXPLODE command does.

Globally
Applies changes to all the selected objects.
Enter an option [All/Color/LAyer/LType/Inherit from parent block/Explode]
<Explode>: Enter an option or press ENTER

The descriptions of the All, Color, Layer, LType, Inherit from Parent Block,
and Explode options match the descriptions of the corresponding options
under Individually (see page 1112).

XREF
Controls external references to drawing files
An external reference (xref) is a drawing that you attach to or overlay on your
current drawing. When you open or plot a drawing containing xrefs,
AutoCAD automatically reloads the latest version of each xref.
Attaching or overlaying an xref is similar to inserting an entire drawing as a
block. The contents of the specified drawing, and any attached xrefs within
it, are copied into a new block definition. Instances of the xref in the drawing
are block references. If the xref has overlaid, not attached, xrefs within it,
they are not displayed when the xref is attached to or overlaid on another
drawing.

XREF | 1113
 Because the xref is linked to but not inserted in the drawing, attaching an
xref does not significantly increase the drawing file size.

Reference toolbar:
Insert menu: Xref Manager
Shortcut menu: Select an xref, right-click in the drawing area, and choose
Xref Manager.
Command line: xref

The Xref Manager is displayed.

If you enter -xref at the Command prompt, XREF displays prompts on the
command line (see page 1118).

Xref Manager
Attaches, overlays, lists, binds, detaches, reloads, unloads, renames, and
modifies paths to external references (xrefs) in the current (or host) drawing.

List of External References

Displays the xrefs in the drawing in a tree view or a list view. You can use the
F3 and F4 keys to switch between list view and tree view. Selecting any field
selects the xref.

1114 | XREF
List View
Displays a flat listing of the attached xrefs and their associated data. You can
sort the list of references by name, status, type, file date, file size, or the saved
path and file name.
Reference Name Lists the names of the xrefs as stored in the definition
table for the drawing.
Status Shows whether the xref is loaded, unloaded,
unreferenced, not found, unresolved, orphaned, or
marked for unloading or reloading.

Loaded: Currently attached to the drawing.

Unloaded: Marked to be unloaded from the drawing
once the Xref Manager is closed.
Unreferenced: Attached to the drawing but erased.
Not Found: No longer exists in the valid search paths.
Unresolved: Cannot be read by AutoCAD.
Orphaned: Attached to another xref that is
unreferenced, unresolved, or not found.

Size Shows the file size of the corresponding reference

drawing. The size is not displayed if the xref is
unloaded, not found, or unresolved.
Type Indicates whether the xref is an attachment or an
overlay.
Date Displays the last date the associated drawing was
modified. This date is not displayed if the xref is
unloaded, not found, or unresolved.
Saved Path Shows the saved path of the associated xref (this is not
necessarily where the xref is found).
Tree View
Displays a hierarchical representation of the xrefs, displaying the relation-
ships between xref definitions. Tree view shows the level of nesting relation-
ship of the attached xrefs, whether they are attached or overlaid, and
whether they are loaded, unloaded, marked for reload or unload, or not
found, unresolved, or unreferenced.
Attach
Displays the External Reference dialog box if an external reference is selected
or displays the Select Reference File dialog box if no external reference is
selected. See XATTACH.

XREF | 1115
 Detach
Detaches one or more xrefs from your drawing, erasing all instances of a spec-
ified xref and marking the xref definition for deletion from the definition
table. Only the xrefs attached or overlaid directly to the current drawing can
be detached; nested xrefs cannot be detached. AutoCAD cannot detach an
xref referenced by another xref or block.

Reload
Marks one or more xrefs for reloading. This option rereads and displays the
most recently saved version of the drawing.

Unload
Unloads one or more xrefs. Unloaded xrefs can be easily reloaded. Unlike
detaching, unloading does not remove the xref permanently. It merely
suppresses the display and regeneration of the xref definition to improve
performance.

Bind
Displays the Bind Xrefs dialog box (see page 1116). The Bind option makes
the selected xref and its dependent named objects (such as blocks, text styles,
dimension styles, layers, and linetypes) a part of the current drawing.

Open
Opens the selected xref for editing in a new window. The new window is dis-
played after the Xref Manager is closed.

Xref Found At
Displays the full path of the currently selected xref. This is where the xref is
actually found and is not necessarily the same as the saved path.
Browse Displays the Select New Path dialog box (a standard file
selection dialog box), in which you can select a
different path or file name.
Save Path Saves the path, as it appears in Xref Found At, to the
currently selected xref.

Bind Xrefs Dialog Box

Converts xref definitions to standard local block definitions. If you bind an
xref into the current drawing, the xref and all its dependent named objects
become a part of the current drawing. Use XBIND to add individual xref-
dependent named objects, such as blocks, text styles, dimension styles, lay-

1116 | XREF
ers, and linetypes, to the local definition table. The two methods of binding
xrefs to the current drawing are Bind and Insert. Bind alters the definition
table names of an xref when it is inserted. Insert does not alter the definition
table names of an xref when it is inserted. To bind a nested xref, you must
also select the parent xref.

Bind Binds the selected xref definition to the current

drawing. Xref-dependent named objects are changed
from blockname|definitionname to
blockname$n$definitionname syntax. In this manner,
unique named objects are created for all xref-dependent
definition tables bound to the current drawing.
For example, if you have an xref named FLOOR1
containing a layer named WALL, after binding the xref,
the xref-dependent layer FLOOR1|WALL becomes a
locally defined layer named FLOOR1$0$WALL. The
number in $n$ is automatically incremented if a local
named object with the same name already exists. In this
example, if FLOOR1$0$WALL already existed in the
drawing, the xref-dependent layer FLOOR1|WALL would
be renamed FLOOR1$1$WALL.
Insert Binds the xref to the current drawing in a way similar
to detaching and inserting the reference drawing.
Rather than being renamed using
blockname$n$definitionname syntax, xref-dependent
named objects are stripped of the xref name. As with
inserting drawings, no name-incrementing occurs if a
local named object shares the same name as a bound
xref-dependent named object. The bound xref-
dependent named object assumes the properties of the
locally defined named object.
For example, if you have an xref named FLOOR1
containing a layer named WALL, after binding with the
Insert option, the xref-dependent layer FLOOR1|WALL
becomes the locally defined layer WALL.

XREF | 1117
 XREF Command Line
If you enter -xref at the Command prompt, XREF displays prompts on the
command line.
Enter an option [?/Bind/Detach/Path/Unload/Reload/Overlay/Attach] <Attach>:
Enter an option or press ENTER

?List Xrefs Lists the xref name, path, and type and the number of
xrefs currently attached to your drawing. AutoCAD
displays the following prompt:
Enter xref name(s) to list <*>: Enter a name list or press
ENTER to list all xrefs in the drawing

Bind Converts a specified xref into a block, making it a

permanent part of the drawing.
Enter xref name(s) to bind: Enter a name or a list of names
separated by commas

The xref-dependent named objects, such as layer

names, of the former xref are added to your drawing. In
each xref-dependent named object, AutoCAD replaces
the vertical bar (|) with three new characters: a number
(usually 0) between two dollar signs ($). The number is
incremented if the same name already exists in the
current drawing.

Detach Detaches one or more xrefs from your drawing, erasing

all instances of a specified xref and marking the xref
definition for deletion from the definition table. Only
the xrefs attached or overlaid directly to the current
drawing can be detached; nested xrefs cannot be
detached.
Enter xref name(s) to detach:

AutoCAD does not detach an xref referenced by

another xref or block.

1118 | XREF
Path Displays and edits the path name associated with a
particular xref. This option is useful if you change the
location of or rename the drawing file associated with
the xref.
Edit xref name(s) to edit path:

AutoCAD lists the xref and its old path and prompts for
the new path:
xref name: name
Old path: path
Enter new path: Enter new path and drawing name

If you enter an invalid path, or AutoCAD cannot find

the drawing at the location you enter, you are
prompted for the new path name.
Unload Unloads the selected xrefs.
Enter xref name(s) to unload:

A marker is left in place of the xref so that it can be

reloaded later.
Reload Reloads one or more xrefs. This option reloads and
displays the most recently saved version of that
drawing.
Enter xref name(s) to reload:

If AutoCAD encounters an error while reloading, it ends

XREF and undoes the entire reloading sequence.

Overlay Displays the Enter Name of File to Overlay dialog box (a

standard file selection dialog box). Select the file you
want to attach to a drawing as an external reference
(xref) overlay. If you reference a drawing that contains
an overlaid xref, the overlaid xref does not appear in the
current drawing.
Unlike blocks and attached xrefs, overlaid xrefs cannot
be nested. If another person is currently editing the xref
file, AutoCAD overlays the most recently saved version.

XREF | 1119
 If the xref you specify is not already overlaid, AutoCAD
creates a new xref, using the name of the referenced file.
AutoCAD then prompts you for an insertion point,
scale, and rotation angle, as described for the INSERT
command.
If FILEDIA is set to 0, AutoCAD presents the following
prompt:
Enter name of file to overlay:

For example, to attach a file named !.dwg to the current

drawing, enter the following (where myxref substitutes
a drawing file name):
Enter name of file to attach: Enter myxref=!

Attach Displays the External Reference dialog box, if an xref is

selected, or the Select Reference File dialog box, if no
xref is selected. See XATTACH.
If you reference a drawing that contains an attached
xref, the attached xref appears in the current drawing.
Like blocks, attached xrefs can be nested. If another
person is currently editing the xref file, AutoCAD
attaches the most recently saved version.
If the xref you specify is not already attached or
overlaid, AutoCAD creates a new xref, using the name
of the referenced file. AutoCAD then prompts you for
an insertion point, scale, and rotation angle, as
described for the INSERT command.
When reading objects from the xref into the new block,
AutoCAD copies only those objects created in model
space and ignores objects created in paper space. Thus,
viewports and other objects in paper space do not
become a part of the block definition.

1120 | XREF
In a master drawing, the 0 and DEFPOINTS layers and
the CONTINUOUS linetype override entries with the
same name that exist in the attaching or overlaying
xref. Any objects on these layers remain unaffected. If
the DEFPOINTS layer exists in the attaching or
overlaying xref but not in the master drawing, the
DEFPOINTS layer becomes a permanent part of the
master drawing.
If FILEDIA is set to 0, AutoCAD displays the following
prompt:
Enter name of file to attach:

You can enter a tilde (~) to display a dialog box.

XREF | 1121
1122
ZOOM
Increases or decreases the apparent size of objects in the current viewport
You cannot use ZOOM transparently during VPOINT or DVIEW or while ZOOM,
PAN, or VIEW is in progress.

Standard toolbar:
View menu: Zoom
Shortcut menu: With no objects selected, right-click in the drawing area and
choose Zoom to zoom in real time.
Command line: zoom (or 'zoom for transparent use)

Specify corner of window, enter a scale factor (nX or nXP), or

[All/Center/Dynamic/Extents/Previous/Scale/Window/Object] <real time>:

All Zooms to display the entire drawing in the current

viewport. In a plan view, AutoCAD zooms to the grid
limits or current extents, whichever is greater. In a 3D
view, ZOOM All is equivalent to ZOOM Extents. The
display shows all objects even if the drawing extends
outside the grid limits.

before ZOOM All after ZOOM All

In the illustration, LIMITS is greater than the extents of

the drawing.
Because it always regenerates the drawing, you cannot
use ZOOM All transparently.
Center Zooms to display a window defined by a center point
and a magnification value or height. A smaller value for
the height increases the magnification. A larger value
decreases the magnification.
Specify center point: Specify a point (1)
Enter magnification or height <current>: Enter a value or
press ENTER

ZOOM | 1123
 1

before ZOOM Center after ZOOM Center,

magnification increased

Dynamic Zooms to display the generated portion of the drawing

with a view box. The view box represents your
viewport, which you can shrink or enlarge and move
around the drawing. Positioning and sizing the view
box pans or zooms to fill the viewport with the image
inside the view box.

view box new view

The panning view box is displayed first. Drag it to the

location you want and click. The zooming view box is
then displayed. Resize it and press ENTER to zoom, or
click to return to the panning view box.
Press ENTER to fill the current viewport with the area
currently enclosed by the view box.
Extents Zooms to display the drawing extents and results in the
largest possible display of all the objects.

before ZOOM Extents after ZOOM Extents

1124 | ZOOM
Previous Zooms to display the previous view. You can restore up
to 10 previous views.

original view current view after ZOOM Previous

Note If you change the shading with the SHADEMODE

command, the view is changed. If you enter ZOOM
Previous after changing the shading, it restores the
previous view, which is shaded differently, but not zoomed
differently.
Scale Zooms the display at a specified scale factor.
Enter a scale factor (nX or nXP): Specify a value

Enter a value followed by x to specify the scale relative

to the current view. For example, entering .5x causes
each object to be displayed at half its current size on the
screen.

ZOOM .5x

Enter a value followed by xp to specify the scale relative

to paper space units. For example, entering .5xp
displays model space at half the scale of paper space
units. You can create a layout with each viewport
displaying objects at a different scale.
Enter a value to specify the scale relative to the limits of
the drawing. (This option is rarely used.) For example,
entering 2 displays objects at twice the size they would
appear if you were zoomed to the limits of the drawing.

ZOOM | 1125
 ZOOM 2

Window Zooms to display an area specified by two opposite

corners of a rectangular window.
Specify first corner: Specify a point (1)
Specify opposite corner: Specify a point (2)

before ZOOM Window after ZOOM Window

Object Zooms to display one or more selected objects as large

as possible and in the center of the drawing area. You
can select objects before or after you start the ZOOM
command.
Real Time Using the pointing device, zooms interactively to a
logical extent.
ZOOM Realtime cursor
Press ESC or ENTER to exit, or right-click to display the
shortcut menu

The cursor changes to a magnifying glass with plus (+)

and minus () signs. See Zoom Shortcut Menu on
page 1127 for a description of the options that are
available while zooming in real time.
The current drawing area is used to determine the
zooming factor. ZOOM uses half of the window height
to move to a zoom factor of 100%. Holding down the
pick button at the midpoint of the window and moving
vertically to the top of the window zooms in to 100%.

1126 | ZOOM
 Conversely, holding the pick button down at the
midpoint of the window and moving vertically to the
bottom of the window zooms out by 100%.
Note If you place the cursor at the bottom of the window,
hold down the pick button, and move vertically to the top
of the window, the zoom-in factor is 200%.
When you have reached the zoom-in limit, the plus
sign in the cursor disappears, indicating that you can
no longer zoom in. When you have reached the zoom-
out limit, the minus sign in the cursor disappears,
indicating that you can no longer zoom out.
When you release the pick button, zooming stops. You
can release the pick button, move the cursor to another
location in the drawing, and then press the pick button
again and continue to zoom the display from that
location.
To exit zooming at the new position, press ENTER or
ESC .

Zoom Shortcut Menu

When the ZOOM command is active, you can exit ZOOM or switch to PAN or
3DORBIT using the options on the Zoom shortcut menu. To access the Zoom
shortcut menu, right-click in the drawing area while ZOOM is active.
Exit Cancels ZOOM or PAN.
Pan Switches to PAN.
Zoom Switches to ZOOM in real time.
3D Orbit Switches to 3DORBIT.
Zoom Window Zooms to display an area specified by a rectangular
window.
Zoom Object Zooms to display one or more selected objects as large
as possible and in the center of the drawing area.
Zoom Original Restores the original view.
Zoom Extents Zooms to display the drawing extents.

ZOOM | 1127
1128
Command Modifiers
A
You can use command modifiers to help you locate In this appendix
points or select objects while a command is in progress. Coordinate Filters (Command
Modifier)
Use the Coordinate Filter, Direct Distance Entry, From,
Direct Distance Entry
MTP, and Tracking command modifiers at any prompt (Command Modifier)
FROM (Command Modifier)
that requires point specification. Use the Selection
MTP (Command Modifier)
Mode command modifiers at any prompt that requires
TRACKING (Command
object selection. Modifier)
Object Snaps (Command
Modifier)
Selection Modes (Command
Modifier)

1129
Coordinate Filters (Command Modifier)
Combines X, Y, and Z values from different points to specify a single point
Command line: Enter .x, .y, .xy, .xz, or .yz

At any AutoCAD prompt for locating a point, you can enter point filters to
specify a single coordinate by extracting the X, Y, and Z values of several
points. In the following example, the start point for the line has a coordinate
constructed from the X value of the midpoint of the first object you select,
with the Y and Z values of the midpoint of the second object you select.
Command: line
Specify first point: .x
of mid
of Select an object
of (need YZ) mid
of Select another object
To point: Specify a point

Direct Distance Entry (Command Modifier)

Locates the next point at a specified distance in the direction of your cursor
Command line: At a prompt to locate a point, enter a numeric value

With direct distance entry, you can quickly specify a point relative to the last
point you entered. At any AutoCAD prompt for a point location, you move
the cursor first to specify the direction, and then enter a numeric distance.
In the following example, the second point for the line will be located 5 units
toward the direction of the cursor. The direct distance that you enter is mea-
sured along the path from the last point to the current location of the cursor.
This feature is usually used with Ortho or Snap mode turned on.
Command: line
Specify first point: Specify a point
Specify next point: Move the cursor in the desired direction and enter 5

1130 | Appendix A Command Modifiers

FROM (Command Modifier)
Locates a point offset from a reference point within a command

Object Snap toolbar:

Command line: At a prompt to locate a point, enter from

Base Point: Specify a point to use as a base point

of <offset>: Enter a relative offset

At an AutoCAD prompt for locating a point, enter from, and then enter a
temporary reference or base point from which you can specify an offset to
locate the next point. Enter the offset location from this base point as a rela-
tive coordinate, or use direct distance entry.

Note You cannot use this method during dragging in commands such as
MOVE and COPY. Specifying an absolute coordinate, either by keyboard entry or
with a pointing device, cancels the FROM command.

MTP (Command Modifier)

Locates the midpoint between two points
Command line: At a prompt to locate a point, enter mtp

The midpoint between two points (MTP) command modifier can be used
with running object snaps or object snap overrides. (OSNAP command)
At any Command prompt to locate a point, enter mtp or m2p.
First point of mid: Specify a point
Second point of mid: Specify a second point

TRACKING (Command Modifier)

Locates a point from a series of temporary points
Command line: At a prompt to locate a point, enter tracking

Tracking turns on Ortho mode and can be used with Snap mode.
At any AutoCAD prompt to locate a point, enter tracking, track, or tk.
First tracking point: Specify a location or distance
Next point (Press ENTER to end tracking): Specify a second location or distance

FROM (Command Modifier) | 1131

 Tracking specifies a series of temporary points, each offset from the previous
one. Thus, you specify a new point location from a series of directions and
distances. To determine the location of each temporary point, you can use
direct distance entry. First move the cursor to specify the direction, and then
enter a numeric distance.
Alternatively, tracking can establish a new point by combining the X and Y
values of two specified points. You can specify these two points in any order,
depending on the cursor direction after the first point. Direct distance entry
specifies a distance in the direction of the current location of your cursor.
Coordinate filters combine X, Y, and Z values from different points into a sin-
gle point. Relative coordinate entry locates a point relative to the last point
entered.
You can also access tracking by holding down SHIFT and right-clicking to dis-
play the object snap shortcut menu.

Object Snaps (Command Modifier)

Specifies a snap point at an exact location on an object
Command line: At a prompt to locate a point, enter one of the valid object snap
modes described in the -OSNAP command, or choose an object snap from the Object
Snap toolbar

When you specify an object snap, the cursor changes to an object snap target
box. When you select an object, AutoCAD snaps to the eligible snap point
closest to the center of the target box or aperture.
If you choose an individual object snap on the toolbar, or enter its name on
the command line, the snap stays in effect only for the next point you spec-
ify. Using the OSNAP command, you can set running object snaps, that is, one
or more object snaps that remain in effect as you work. Choose None to turn
off both single and running object snaps.

Selection Modes (Command Modifier)

Controls how you create selection sets
Command line: At a prompt to select objects, enter one of the valid selection modes
described in the SELECT command

The selection mode you enter remains active only for the current Select
Objects prompt.

1132 | Appendix A Command Modifiers

System Variables
B
AutoCAD stores the values for its operating environ- In this appendix
ment and some of its commands in system variables. Descriptions of the AutoCAD
system variables, including data
You can examine any system variable and change any types, initial values, and
whether the values are stored
writable system variable directly on the command line in the drawing or the system
registry
by entering the system variable name or by using the

SETVAR command or the AutoLISP getvar and setvar

functions. Many system variables are also accessible

through dialog box options.

1133
System Variables

Variable Characteristic Description

ACADLSPASDOC Type: Integer Controls whether AutoCAD loads the acad.lsp file into
Saved in: Registry every drawing or just the first drawing opened in an
Initial value: 0 AutoCAD session.

0 Loads acad.lsp into just the first drawing opened in an

AutoCAD session
1 Loads acad.lsp into every drawing opened

ACADPREFIX (Read-only) Stores the directory path, if any, specified by the ACAD
Type: String environment variable, with path separators appended if
Not saved necessary.

ACADVER (Read-only) Stores the AutoCAD version number. This variable differs
Type: String from the DXF file $ACADVER header variable, which con-
Not saved tains the drawing database level number.

ACISOUTVER Type: Integer Controls the ACIS version of SAT files created using the
Not saved ACISOUT command. ACISOUT only supports a value of
Initial value: 70 15 through 18, 20, 21, 30, 31, 40, 50, 60, and 70.

ADCSTATE (Read-only) Determines whether DesignCenteris active or not. For

Type: Integer developers who need to determine status through
Not saved AutoLISP.
Initial value: varies
0 DesignCenter is not active
1 DesignCenter is active

AFLAGS Type: Integer Sets attribute flags for ATTDEF bitcode. The value is the
Not saved sum of the following:
Initial value: 0
0 No attribute mode selected
1 Invisible
2 Constant
4 Verify
8 Preset

ANGBASE Type: Real Sets the base angle to 0 with respect to the current UCS.
Saved in: Drawing
Initial value: 0.0000

ANGDIR Type: Integer Sets the direction of positive angles. Angle values are mea-
Saved in: Drawing sured from angle 0 relative to the orientation of the cur-
Initial value: 0 rent UCS.

0 Counterclockwise
1 Clockwise

1134 | Appendix B System Variables

APBOX Type: Integer Turns the AutoSnap aperture box on or off. The aper-
Saved in: Registry ture box is displayed in the center of the crosshairs when
Initial value: 0 you snap to an object.

0 Aperture box is not displayed

1 Aperture box is displayed

APERTURE Type: Integer Sets the display size for the aperture, in pixels. Enter a
Saved in: Registry value (150). The number of pixels you enter using APER-
Initial value: 10 TURE controls the size of the object snap box. The higher
the number, the larger the target box. You can also
change this setting in the Options dialog box, Drafting
tab.

APERTURE controls the object snap target box, not the

pickbox displayed at the Select Objects prompt. The
object selection pickbox is controlled by the PICKBOX
system variable.

AREA (Read-only) AREA is both a command and a system variable. The

Type: Real AREA system variable stores the last area computed by
Not saved the AREA command. Because entering area at the
Command prompt invokes the AREA command, you
must use the SETVAR command to access the AREA
system variable.

ASSISTSTATE (Read-only) Determines whether the Info palette that displays Quick
Type: Integer Help is active or not.
Not saved
Initial value: Varies 0 The Info palette is not active
1 The Info palette is active

ATTDIA Type: Integer Controls whether the INSERT command uses a dialog box
Saved in: Registry for attribute value entry. See INSERT Command Line on
Initial value: 0 page 436.

0 Issues prompts on the command line

1 Uses a dialog box

ATTMODE Type: Integer Controls display of attributes.

Saved in: Drawing
Initial value: 1 0 Off: Makes all attributes invisible
1 Normal: Retains current visibility of each attribute; visi-
ble attributes are displayed; invisible attributes are not
2 On: Makes all attributes visible

ATTREQ Type: Integer Determines whether the INSERT command uses default
Saved in: Registry attribute settings during insertion of blocks.
Initial value: 1
0 Assumes the defaults for the values of all attributes
1 Turns on prompts or dialog box for attribute values, as
specified by ATTDIA

| 1135
AUDITCTL Type: Integer Controls whether the AUDIT command creates an audit
Saved in: Registry report (ADT) file.
Initial value: 0
0 Prevents writing of ADT files
1 Writes ADT files

AUNITS Type: Integer Sets units for angles.

Saved in: Drawing
Initial value: 0 0 Decimal degrees
1 Degrees/minutes/seconds
2 Gradians
3 Radians
4 Surveyors units

AUPREC Type: Integer Sets the number of decimal places for all read-only angular
Saved in: Drawing units displayed on the status line, and for all editable angu-
Initial value: 0 lar units whose precision is less than or equal to the current
AUPREC value. For editable angular units whose precision
is greater than the current AUPREC value, the true preci-
sion is displayed. AUPREC does not affect the display preci-
sion of dimension text (see DIMSTYLE).

AUTOSNAP Type: Integer Controls AutoSnap marker, tooltip, and magnet. Also turns
Saved in: Registry on polar and object snap tracking, and controls the display
Initial value: 63 of polar and object snap tracking tooltips. The system vari-
able value is the sum of the following bit values:

0 Turns off the AutoSnap marker, tooltips, and magnet. Also

turns off polar tracking, object snap tracking, and tooltips
for polar and object snap tracking
1 Turns on the AutoSnap marker
2 Turns on the AutoSnap tooltips
4 Turns on the AutoSnap magnet
8 Turns on polar tracking
16 Turns on object snap tracking
32 Turns on tooltips for polar tracking and object snap track-
ing

BACKGROUNDPLOT Type: Integer Controls whether background plotting is turned on or off

Saved in: Registry for plotting and publishing. By default, background
Initial value: 2 plotting is turned off for plotting and on for publishing.

Value PLOT PUBLISH

0 Foreground Foreground
1 Background Foreground
2 Foreground Background
3 Background Background

NOTE When -PLOT, PLOT, -PUBLISH, and PUBLISH are

used in a script (SCR file), the BACKGROUNDPLOT
system variable value is ignored, and -PLOT, PLOT,
-PUBLISH, and PUBLISH are processed in the foreground.

1136 | Chapter B System Variables

BACKZ Type: Real Stores the back clipping plane offset from the target
Saved in: Drawing plane for the current viewport, in drawing units. Mean-
ingful only if the back clipping bit in VIEWMODE is on.
The distance of the back clipping plane from the camera
point can be found by subtracting BACKZ from the cam-
era-to-target distance.

BINDTYPE Type: Integer Controls how xref names are handled when binding xrefs
Not Saved or editing xrefs in place.
Initial value: 0
0 Traditional binding behavior ("xref1|one" becomes
"xref$0$one")
1 Insert-like behavior ("xref1|one" becomes "one")

BLIPMODE Type: Integer Controls whether marker blips are visible. BLIPMODE is
Saved in: Registry both a command and a system variable. Use the SETVAR
Initial value: 0 command to access this variable.

0 Turns off marker blips

1 Turns on marker blips

CDATE (Read-only) Sets calendar date and time.

Type: Real
Not saved

CECOLOR Type: String Sets the color of new objects. Valid values include
Saved in: Drawing BYLAYER, BYBLOCK, and an integer from 1 to 255.
Initial value: "BYLAYER" Valid values for True Colors are a string of integers each
from 1 to 255 separated by commas and preceded by
RGB. The True Color setting is entered as follows:
RGB:000,000,000.

CELTSCALE Type: Real Sets the current object linetype scaling factor. Sets the
Saved in: Drawing linetype scaling for new objects relative to the LTSCALE
Initial value: 1.0000 command setting. A line created with CELTSCALE = 2 in
a drawing with LTSCALE set to 0.5 would appear the
same as a line created with CELTSCALE = 1 in a drawing
with LTSCALE = 1.

CELTYPE Type: String Sets the linetype of new objects.

Saved in: Drawing
Initial value: "BYLAYER"

| 1137
CELWEIGHT Type: Integer Sets the lineweight of new objects.
Saved In: Drawing
Initial value: -1 -1 Sets the lineweight to "BYLAYER."
-2 Sets the lineweight to "BYBLOCK."
-3 Sets the lineweight to "DEFAULT." "DEFAULT" is con-
trolled by the LWDEFAULT system variable.

Other valid values entered in hundredths of millimeters

include 0, 5, 9, 13, 15, 18, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, 50, 53, 60,
70, 80, 90, 100, 106, 120, 140, 158, 200, and 211.

All values must be entered in hundredths of millimeters.

(Multiply a value by 2540 to convert values from inches to
hundredths of millimeters.)

CHAMFERA Type: Real Sets the first chamfer distance.

Saved in: Drawing
Initial value: 0.0000

CHAMFERB Type: Real Sets the second chamfer distance.

Saved in: Drawing
Initial value: 0.0000

CHAMFERC Type: Real Sets the chamfer length.

Saved in: Drawing
Initial value: 0.0000

CHAMFERD Type: Real Sets the chamfer angle.

Saved in: Drawing
Initial value: 0.0000

CHAMMODE Type: Integer Sets the input method by which AutoCAD creates
Not saved chamfers.
Initial value: 0
0 Requires two chamfer distances
1 Requires one chamfer distance and an angle

CIRCLERAD Type: Real Sets the default circle radius. A zero indicates no default.
Not saved
Initial value: 0.0000

CLAYER Type: String Sets the current layer.

Saved in: Drawing
Initial value: "0"

1138 | Chapter B System Variables

CMDACTIVE (Read-only) Stores the bitcode that indicates whether an ordinary
Type: Integer command, transparent command, script, or dialog box
Not saved is active. The value is the sum of the following:

1 Ordinary command is active

2 Ordinary command and a transparent command are active
4 Script is active
8 Dialog box is active
16 DDE is active
32 AutoLISP is active (only visible to an ObjectARX-defined
command)
64 ObjectARX command is active

CMDECHO Type: Integer Controls whether AutoCAD echoes prompts and input
Not saved during the AutoLISP command function.
Initial value: 1
0 Turns off echoing
1 Turns on echoing

CMDNAMES (Read-only) Displays the names of the active and transparent com-
Type: String mands. For example, LINE'ZOOM indicates that the
Not saved ZOOM command is being used transparently during the
LINE command.

This variable is designed for use with programming

interfaces such as AutoLISP, DIESEL, and
ActiveX Automation.

The following is a simple example that demonstrates

how to use DIESEL to display the current command at
the status line.

Command: modemacro
New value for MODEMACRO, or . for none <"">:
$(getvar, cmdnames)

For additional information on AutoCAD programming

interfaces, see Introduction to Programming Interfaces
in the Customization Guide.

CMLJUST Type: Integer Specifies multiline justification.

Saved in: Drawing
Initial value: 0 0 Top
1 Middle
2 Bottom

CMLSCALE Type: Real Controls the overall width of a multiline. A scale factor of
Saved in: Drawing 2.0 produces a multiline twice as wide as the style defini-
Initial value: tion. A zero scale factor collapses the multiline into a single
1.0000 (imperial) or line. A negative scale factor flips the order of the offset lines
20.0000 (metric) (that is, the smallest or most negative is placed on top
when the multiline is drawn from left to right).

| 1139
CMLSTYLE Type: String Sets the multiline style that AutoCAD uses to draw the
Saved in: Drawing multiline.
Initial value: "STANDARD"

COMPASS Type: Integer Controls whether the 3D compass is on or off in the

Not saved current viewport.
Initial value: 0
0 Turns off the 3D compass
1 Turns on the 3D compass

COORDS Type: Integer Controls when coordinates are updated on the status
Saved in: Registry line.
Initial value: 1
0 Coordinate display is updated as you specify points with
the pointing device
1 Display of absolute coordinates is updated continuously
2 Display of absolute coordinates is updated continuously,
and distance and angle from last point are displayed when
a distance or angle is requested

CPLOTSTYLE Type: String Controls the current plot style for new objects. If the
Saved in: Drawing current drawing you are working in is in color-dependent
mode (PSTYLEPOLICY is set to 1), CPLOTSTYLE is read-
only and has a value of BYCOLOR. If the current
drawing you are working in is in named plot styles mode
(PSTYLEPOLICY is set to 0), CPLOTSTYLE can be set to the
following values (BYLAYER is the default)

"BYLAYER"
"BYBLOCK"
"NORMAL"
"USER DEFINED"

To convert the current drawing to use named or color-

dependent plot styles, use CONVERTPSTYLES.

CPROFILE (Read-only) Displays the name of the current profile. For more infor-
Type: String mation on profiles, see the OPTIONS command.
Saved in: Registry
Initial value: <<Unnamed
Profile>>

CTAB Type: String Returns the name of the current (model or layout) tab in
Saved in: Drawing the drawing. Provides a means for the user to determine
which tab is active.

CTABLESTYLE Type: String Sets the name of the current table style.
Saved in: Drawing
Initial value: "STANDARD"

1140 | Chapter B System Variables

CURSORSIZE Type: Integer Determines the size of the crosshairs as a percentage of
Saved in: Registry the screen size. Valid settings range from 1 to 100
Initial value: 5 percent. When set to 100, the crosshairs are full-screen
and the ends of the crosshairs are never visible. When
less than 100, the ends of the crosshairs may be visible
when the cursor is moved to one edge of the screen.

CVPORT Type: Integer Sets the identification number of the current viewport.
Saved in: Drawing You can change this value, which changes the current
Initial value: 2 viewport, if the following conditions are met:

The identification number you specify is that of an

active viewport.
A command in progress has not locked cursor
movement to that viewport.
Tablet mode is off.

DATE (Read-only) Stores the current date and time. This value is
Type: Real represented as a Modified Julian Date (MJD), which is the
Not saved Julian day number and decimal fraction of a day in the
format :

<Julian day number>.<Decimal fraction of a day>

The Modified Julian Date, conventionally called UT1, is a

worldwide scientific standard that assigns day numbers
beginning at an essentially arbitrary date and time of
12:00 a.m. on 1 January 4713 B.C. (B.C.E.). With this
system, 4 July 1997 at 2:29:58 p.m. corresponds to
2450634.60387736, and 1 January 1998 at 12:00 noon
corresponds to 2450815.50000000.

You can compute differences in date and time by

subtracting the numbers returned by DATE. To extract
the seconds since midnight from the value returned by
DATE, use AutoLISP expressions:

(setq s (getvar "DATE"))

(setq seconds (* 86400.0 (- s (fix s))))

Because your computer clock provides the date and time,

the DATE system variable returns a true Julian date only if
the system clock is set to UTC/Zulu (Greenwich Mean
Time). TDCREATE and TDUPDATE have the same format
as DATE, but their values represent the creation time and
last update time of the current drawing.

DBCSTATE (Read-only) Stores the state of the dbConnect Manager, active or not
Type: Integer active.
Saved in: Drawing
Initial value: 0 0 The dbConnect Manager is not displayed.
1 The dbConnect Manager is displayed.

| 1141
DBMOD (Read-only) Indicates the drawing modification status using bitcode.
Type: Integer The value is the sum of the following:
Not saved
1 Object database modified
4 Database variable modified
8 Window modified
16 View modified
32 Field modified

The DBMOD value is reset to 0 when you save the

drawing.

DCTCUST Type: String Displays the path and file name of the current custom
Saved in: Registry spelling dictionary.
Initial value: ""

DCTMAIN Type: String Displays the file name of the current main spelling dictio-
Saved in: Registry nary. The full path is not shown because this file is ex-
Initial value: varies by pected to reside in the support directory.
country/region
You can specify a default main spelling dictionary using
the SETVAR command. When prompted for a new value
for DCTMAIN, you can enter one of the keywords below.
Depending on the language version of AutoCAD, not all
dictionaries may be available.

Keyword Language name

enu American English
ena Australian English
ens British English (ise)
enz British English (ize)
ca Catalan
cs Czech
da Danish
nl Dutch (primary)
nls Dutch (secondary)
fi Finnish
fr French (unaccented capitals)
fra French (accented capitals)
de German (Scharfes s)
ded German (Dopple s)
it Italian
no Norwegian (Bokmal)
non Norwegian (Nynorsk)
pt Portuguese (Iberian)
ptb Portuguese (Brazilian)
ru Russian (infrequent io)
rui Russian (frequent io)
es Spanish (unaccented capitals)
esa Spanish (accented capitals)
sv Swedish

1142 | Chapter B System Variables

DEFLPLSTYLE Type: String Specifies the default plot style for layer 0. If the current
Saved in: Registry drawing you are working in is in color-dependent mode
(PSTYLEPOLICY is set to 1), DEFLPLSTYLE is read-only and
has a value of BYCOLOR. If the current drawing you are
working in is in named plot styles mode (PSTYLEPOLICY is
set to 0), DEFLPLSTYLE is writable and has a default value
of NORMAL.

To convert the current drawing to use named or color-

dependent plot styles, use CONVERTPSTYLES.

DEFPLSTYLE Type: String Specifies the default plot style for new objects. If the
Saved in: Registry current drawing you are working in is in color-dependent
mode (PSTYLEPOLICY is set to 1), DEFPLSTYLE is read-
only and has a value of BYCOLOR. If the current
drawing you are working in is in named plot styles mode
(PSTYLEPOLICY is set to 0), DEFPLSTYLE is writable and
has a default value of BYLAYER.

To convert the current drawing to use named or color-

dependent plot styles, use CONVERTPSTYLES.

DELOBJ Type: Integer Controls whether objects used to create other objects are
Saved in: Registry retained or deleted from the drawing database.
Initial value: 1
0 Objects are retained
1 Objects are deleted

DEMANDLOAD Type: Integer Specifies if and when AutoCAD demand-loads certain

Saved in: Registry applications. If you set this system variable to 0, third-
Initial Value: 3 party applications and some AutoCAD commands cannot
function.

0 Turns off demand-loading.

1 Demand-loads the source application when you open a
drawing that contains custom objects. This setting does
not demand-load the application when you invoke one of
the applications commands.
2 Demand-loads the source application when you invoke
one of the applications commands. This setting does not
demand-load the application when you open a drawing
that contains custom objects.
3 Demand-loads the source application when you open a
drawing that contains custom objects or when you invoke
one of the applications commands.

DIASTAT (Read-only) Stores the exit method of the most recently used dialog
Type: Integer box.
Not saved
0 Cancel
1 OK

| 1143
DIMADEC Type: Integer Controls the number of precision places displayed in an-
Saved in: Drawing gular dimensions.
Initial value: 0
-1 Angular dimension is drawn using the number of decimal
places corresponding to the DIMDEC setting.
0-8 Angular dimension is drawn using the number of decimal
places corresponding to the DIMADEC setting.

DIMALT Type: Switch Controls the display of alternate units in dimensions.

Saved in: Drawing See also DIMALTD, DIMALTF, DIMALTTD, DIMALTTZ,
Initial value: Off DIMALTZ, and DIMAPOST.

Off Disables alternate units

On Enables alternate units

DIMALTD Type: Integer Controls the number of decimal places in alternate units.
Saved in: Drawing If DIMALT is turned on, DIMALTD sets the number of
Initial value: 2 digits displayed to the right of the decimal point in the
alternate measurement.

DIMALTF Type: Real Controls the multiplier for alternate units. If DIMALT is
Saved in: Drawing turned on, DIMALTF multiplies linear dimensions by a
Initial value: 25.4000 factor to produce a value in an alternate system of mea-
surement. The initial value represents the number of
millimeters in an inch.

DIMALTRND Type: Real Rounds off the alternate dimension units.

Saved in: Drawing
Initial value: 0.00

DIMALTTD Type: Integer Sets the number of decimal places for the tolerance
Saved in: Drawing values in the alternate units of a dimension.
Initial value: 2

DIMALTTZ Type: Integer Toggles suppression of zeros in tolerance values.

Saved in: Drawing
Initial value: 0 0 Suppresses zero feet and precisely zero inches
1 Includes zero feet and precisely zero inches
2 Includes zero feet and suppresses zero inches
3 Includes zero inches and suppresses zero feet

To suppress leading or trailing zeros, add the following

values to one of the preceding values:

4 Suppresses leading zeros

8 Suppresses trailing zeros

1144 | Chapter B System Variables

DIMALTU Type: Integer Sets the units format for alternate units of all dimension
Saved in: Drawing style family members except Angular.
Initial value: 2
1 Scientific
2 Decimal
3 Engineering
4 Architectural (stacked)
5 Fractional (stacked)
6 Architectural
7 Fractional
8 Windows Desktop (decimal format using Control Panel
settings for decimal separator and number grouping sym-
bols)

DIMALTZ Type: Integer Controls the suppression of zeros for alternate unit di-
Saved in: Drawing mension values. DIMALTZ values 03 affect feet-and-inch
Initial value: 0 dimensions only.

0 Suppresses zero feet and precisely zero inches

1 Includes zero feet and precisely zero inches
2 Includes zero feet and suppresses zero inches
3 Includes zero inches and suppresses zero feet
4 Suppresses leading zeros in decimal dimensions (for
example, 0.5000 becomes .5000)
8 Suppresses trailing zeros in decimal dimensions (for
example, 12.5000 becomes 12.5)
12 Suppresses both leading and trailing zeros (for ex-ample,
0.5000 becomes .5)

DIMAPOST Type: String Specifies a text prefix or suffix (or both) to the alternate
Saved in: Drawing dimension measurement for all types of dimensions
Initial value: "" except angular.

For instance, if the current units are Architectural, DIMALT

is on, DIMALTF is 25.4 (the number of millimeters per
inch), DIMALTD is 2, and DIMAPOST is set to "mm," a dis-
tance of 10 units would be displayed as 10"[254.00mm].

To turn off an established prefix or suffix (or both), set it

to a single period (.).

DIMASO Type: Switch Controls the associativity of dimension objects.

Saved in: Drawing Obsolete. See DIMASSOC.
Initial value: On

| 1145
DIMASSOC Type: Integer Controls the associativity of dimension objects.
Saved in: Drawing
Initial value: 2 0 Creates exploded dimensions. There is no association
between the various elements of the dimension. The lines,
arcs, arrowheads, and text of a dimension are drawn as
separate objects.
1 Creates non-associative dimension objects. The elements
of the dimension are formed into a single object. If the def-
inition point on the object moves, the dimension value is
updated.
2 Creates associative dimension objects. The elements of the
dimension are formed into a single object, and one or more
definition points of the dimension are coupled with associ-
ation points on geometric objects. If the association point
on the geometric object moves, the dimension location,
orientation, and value is updated.

DIMASSOC is not stored in a dimension style.

Drawings saved in a format previous to AutoCAD 2002

retain the setting of the DIMASSOC system variable.
When the drawing is reopened in AutoCAD 2002 or later,
the dimension associativity setting is restored. If a legacy
drawing is opened in AutoCAD 2002, the DIMASSOC
system variable takes on the value of the legacy drawings
DIMASO system variable.

DIMASZ Type: Real Controls the size of dimension line and leader line arrow-
Saved in: Drawing heads. Also controls the size of hook lines.
Initial value: 0.1800
Multiples of the arrowhead size determine whether di-
mension lines and text should fit between the extension
lines. DIMASZ is also used to scale arrowhead blocks if
set by DIMBLK. DIMASZ has no effect when DIMTSZ is
other than zero.

DIMATFIT Type: Integer Determines how dimension text and arrows are arranged
Saved in: Drawing when space is not sufficient to place both within the ex-
Initial value: 3 tension lines.

0 Places both text and arrows outside extension lines

1 Moves arrows first, then text
2 Moves text first, then arrows
3 Moves either text or arrows, whichever fits best

A leader is added to moved dimension text when

DIMTMOVE is set to 1.

1146 | Chapter B System Variables

DIMAUNIT Type: Integer Sets the units format for angular dimensions.
Saved in: Drawing
Initial value: 0 0 Decimal degrees
1 Degrees/minutes/seconds
2 Gradians
3 Radians

DIMAUNIT sets this value when entered on the com-

mand line or when set from the Primary Units area in the
Annotation dialog box.

DIMAZIN Type: Integer Suppresses zeros for angular dimensions.

Saved in: Drawing
Initial value: 0 0 Displays all leading and trailing zeros
1 Suppresses leading zeros in decimal dimensions (for
example, 0.5000 becomes .5000)
2 Suppresses trailing zeros in decimal dimensions (for
example, 12.5000 becomes 12.5)
3 Suppresses leading and trailing zeros (for example, 0.5000
becomes .5)

DIMBLK Type: String Sets the arrowhead block displayed at the ends of dimen-
Saved in: Drawing sion lines or leader lines. To return to the default, closed-
Initial value: "" filled arrowhead display, enter a single period (.). Arrow-
head block entries and the names used to select them in
the New, Modify and Override Dimension Style dialog
boxes are shown below. You can also enter the names of
user-defined arrowhead blocks.

"" closed filled

"_DOT" dot
"_DOTSMALL" dot small
"_DOTBLANK" dot blank
"_ORIGIN" origin indicator
"_ORIGIN2" origin indicator 2
"_OPEN" open
"_OPEN90" right angle
"_OPEN30" open 30
"_CLOSED" closed
"_SMALL" dot small blank
"_NONE" none
"_OBLIQUE" oblique
"_BOXFILLED" box filled
"_BOXBLANK" box
"_CLOSEDBLANK" closed blank
"_DATUMFILLED" datum triangle filled
"_DATUMBLANK" datum triangle
"_INTEGRAL" integral
"_ARCHTICK" architectural tick

| 1147
DIMBLK1 Type: String Sets the arrowhead for the first end of the dimension line
Saved in: Drawing when DIMSAH is on. To return to the default, closed-filled
Initial value: "" arrowhead display, enter a single period (.). For a list of
arrowheads, see DIMBLK.

DIMBLK2 Type: String Sets the arrowhead for the second end of the dimension
Saved in: Drawing line when DIMSAH is on. To return to the default, closed-
Initial value: "" filled arrowhead display, enter a single period (.). For a list
of arrowhead entries, see DIMBLK.

DIMCEN Type: Real Controls drawing of circle or arc center marks and
Saved in: Drawing centerlines by the DIMCENTER, DIMDIAMETER, and
Initial value: 0.0900 DIMRADIUS commands. For DIMDIAMETER and
DIMRADIUS, the center mark is drawn only if you place
the dimension line outside the circle or arc.

0 No center marks or lines are drawn

<0 Centerlines are drawn
>0 Center marks are drawn

The absolute value specifies the size of the center mark or

centerline.
The size of the centerline is the length of the centerline
segment that extends outside the circle or arc. It is also
the size of the gap between the center mark and the start
of the centerline.
The size of the center mark is the distance from the
center of the circle or arc to the end of the center mark.

DIMCLRD Type: Integer Assigns colors to dimension lines, arrowheads, and di-
Saved in: Drawing mension leader lines. Also controls the color of leader
Initial value: 0 lines created with the LEADER command. The color can
be any valid color number. Integer equivalents for the BY-
BLOCK and BYLAYER properties are 0 and 256, respec-
tively.

DIMCLRE Type: Integer Assigns colors to dimension extension lines. The color can
Saved in: Drawing be any valid color number. See DIMCLRD.
Initial value: 0

DIMCLRT Type: Integer Assigns colors to dimension text. The color can be any
Saved in: Drawing valid color number. See DIMCLRD.
Initial value: 0

DIMDEC Type: Integer Sets the number of decimal places displayed for the pri-
Saved in: Drawing mary units of a dimension. The precision is based on the
Initial value: 4 units or angle format you have selected.

DIMDLE Type: Real Sets the distance the dimension line extends beyond the
Saved in: Drawing extension line when oblique strokes are drawn instead of
Initial value: 0.0000 arrowheads.

1148 | Chapter B System Variables

DIMDLI Type: Real Controls the spacing of the dimension lines in baseline
Saved in: Drawing dimensions. Each dimension line is offset from the previ-
Initial value: 0.3800 ous one by this amount, if necessary, to avoid drawing
over it. Changes made with DIMDLI are not applied to
existing dimensions.

DIMDSEP Type: Single character Specifies a single-character decimal separator to use when
Saved in: Drawing creating dimensions whose unit format is decimal.
Initial value: Decimal
point When prompted, enter a single character at the com-
mand line. If dimension units is set to Decimal, the
DIMDSEP character is used instead of the default decimal
point. If DIMDSEP is set to NULL (default value, reset by
entering a period), AutoCAD uses the decimal point as
the dimension separator.

DIMEXE Type: Real Specifies how far to extend the extension line beyond the
Saved in: Drawing dimension line.
Initial value: 0.1800

DIMEXO Type: Real Specifies how far extension lines are offset from origin
Saved in: Drawing points. If you point directly at the corners of an object to
Initial value: 0.0625 be dimensioned, the extension lines do not touch the
object.

DIMFIT Type: Integer Obsolete. Has no effect except to preserve the integrity
Saved in: Drawing of scripts. DIMFIT is replaced by DIMATFIT and DIMT-
Initial value: 3 MOVE.

DIMFRAC Type: Integer Sets the fraction format when DIMLUNIT is set to 4
Saved in: Drawing (Architectural) or 5 (Fractional).
Initial value: 0
0 Horizontal
1 Diagonal
2 Not stacked (for example, 1/2)

DIMGAP Type: Real Sets the distance around the dimension text when the
Saved in: Drawing dimension line breaks to accommodate dimension text.
Initial value: 0.0900 Also sets the gap between annotation and a hook line
created with the LEADER command. If you enter a nega-
tive value, DIMGAP places a box around the dimension
text.

AutoCAD also uses DIMGAP as the minimum length for

pieces of the dimension line. When calculating the
default position for the dimension text, AutoCAD
positions the text inside the extension lines only if doing
so breaks the dimension lines into two segments at least
as long as DIMGAP. Text placed above or below the
dimension line is moved inside only if there is room for
the arrowheads, dimension text, and a margin between
them at least as large as DIMGAP: 2 * (DIMASZ +
DIMGAP).

| 1149
DIMJUST Type: Integer Controls the horizontal positioning of dimension text.
Saved in: Drawing
Initial value: 0 0 Positions the text above the dimension line and center-jus-
tifies it between the extension lines
1 Positions the text next to the first extension line
2 Positions the text next to the second extension line
3 Positions the text above and aligned with the first exten-
sion line
4 Positions the text above and aligned with the second
extension line

DIMLDRBLK Type: String Specifies the arrow type for leaders. To return to the
Saved in: Drawing default, closed-filled arrowhead display, enter a single
Initial value: "" period (.). For a list of arrowhead entries, see DIMBLK.

DIMLFAC Type: Real Sets a scale factor for linear dimension measurements. All
Saved in: Drawing linear dimension distances, including radii, diameters,
Initial value: 1.0000 and coordinates, are multiplied by DIMLFAC before being
converted to dimension text.

DIMLFAC has no effect on angular dimensions, and is not

applied to the values held in DIMRND, DIMTM, or
DIMTP.

If you create associative dimensions in paper space,

AutoCAD multiplies the model space distance measured
by the absolute value of DIMLFAC. In model space,
negative values for DIMLFAC are ignored, and the value
1.0 is used instead. For nonassociative dimensions,
DIMLFAC must be set manually to accommodate viewport
scaling.

DIMLIM Type: Switch Generates dimension limits as the default text. Setting
Saved in: Drawing DIMLIM to On turns DIMTOL off.
Initial value: Off
Off Dimension limits are not generated as default text
On Dimension limits are generated as default text

DIMLUNIT Type: Integer Sets units for all dimension types except Angular.
Saved in: Drawing
Initial value: 2 1 Scientific
2 Decimal
3 Engineering
4 Architectural (always displayed stacked)
5 Fractional (always displayed stacked)
6 Microsoft Windows Desktop (decimal format using Con-
trol Panel settings for decimal separator and number
grouping symbols)

1150 | Chapter B System Variables

DIMLWD Type: Enum Assigns lineweight to dimension lines. Values are standard
Saved in: Drawing lineweights.
Initial value: -2
-3 BYLAYER
-2 BYBLOCK
integer representing 100th of mm

DIMLWE Type: Enum Assigns lineweight to extension lines. Values are standard
Saved in: Drawing lineweights.
Initial value: -2
-3 BYLAYER
-2 BYBLOCK
integer representing 100th of mm

DIMPOST Type: String Specifies a text prefix or suffix (or both) to the dimension
Saved in: Drawing measurement. For example, to establish a suffix for milli-
Initial value: "" meters, set DIMPOST to mm; a distance of 19.2 units
would be displayed as 19.2 mm.

If tolerances are turned on, the suffix is applied to the

tolerances as well as to the main dimension.

Use <> to indicate placement of the text in relation to the

dimension value. For example, enter <>mm to display a
5.0 millimeter radial dimension as "5.0mm." If you
entered mm <>, the dimension would be displayed as
"mm 5.0." Use the <> mechanism for angular
dimensions.

DIMRND Type: Real Rounds all dimensioning distances to the specified value.
Saved in: Drawing For instance, if DIMRND is set to 0.25, all distances round
Initial value: 0.0000 to the nearest 0.25 unit. If you set DIMRND to 1.0, all dis-
tances round to the nearest integer. Note that the number
of digits edited after the decimal point depends on the
precision set by DIMDEC. DIMRND does not apply to
angular dimensions.

DIMSAH Type: Switch Controls the display of dimension line arrowhead blocks.
Saved in: Drawing
Initial value: Off Off Use arrowhead blocks set by DIMBLK
On Use arrowhead blocks set by DIMBLK1 and DIMBLK2

| 1151
DIMSCALE Type: Real Sets the overall scale factor applied to dimensioning
Saved in: Drawing variables that specify sizes, distances, or offsets. Also
Initial value: 1.0000 affects the scale of leader objects created with the
LEADER command.

0.0 AutoCAD computes a reasonable default value based on

the scaling between the current model space viewport and
paper space. If you are in paper space or model space and
not using the paper space feature, the scale factor is 1.0.
>0 AutoCAD computes a scale factor that leads text sizes,
arrowhead sizes, and other scaled distances to plot at their
face values.

DIMSCALE does not affect measured lengths,

coordinates, or angles.

DIMSD1 Type: Switch Controls suppression of the first dimension line.

Saved in: Drawing
Initial value: Off When turned on, suppresses the display of the dimension
line and arrowhead between the first extension line and
the text.

DIMSD2 Type: Switch Controls suppression of the second dimension line.

Saved in: Drawing
Initial value: Off When turned on, suppresses the display of the dimension
line and arrowhead between the second extension line
and the text.

DIMSE1 Type: Switch Suppresses display of the first extension line.

Saved in: Drawing
Initial value: Off Off Extension line is not suppressed
On Extension line is suppressed

DIMSE2 Type: Switch Suppresses display of the second extension line.

Saved in: Drawing
Initial value: Off Off Extension line is not suppressed
On Extension line is suppressed

DIMSHO Type: Switch Obsolete. Has no effect except to preserve the integrity of
Saved in: Drawing scripts.
Initial value: On

DIMSOXD Type: Switch Suppresses drawing of dimension lines outside the exten-
Saved in: Drawing sion lines.
Initial value: Off
Off Dimension lines are not suppressed
On Dimension lines are suppressed

If the dimension lines would be outside the extension

lines and DIMTIX is on, setting DIMSOXD to On sup-
presses the dimension line. If DIMTIX is off, DIMSOXD
has no effect.

1152 | Chapter B System Variables

DIMSTYLE (Read-only) DIMSTYLE is both a command and a system variable.
Type: String The DIMSTYLE system variable shows the current
Saved in: Drawing dimension style. To display the DIMSTYLE system
variable, use the SETVAR command. The DIMSTYLE
system variable is read-only; you cannot change its
value on the command line. To change the current
dimension style, use the DIMSTYLE command.

DIMTAD Type: Integer Controls the vertical position of text in relation to the
Saved in: Drawing dimension line.
Initial value: 0
0 Centers the dimension text between the extension lines.
1 Places the dimension text above the dimension line
except when the dimension line is not horizontal and text
inside the extension lines is forced horizontal (DIMTIH =
1). The distance from the dimension line to the baseline
of the lowest line of text is the current DIMGAP value.
2 Places the dimension text on the side of the dimension line
farthest away from the defining points.
3 Places the dimension text to conform to Japanese Indus-
trial Standards (JIS).

DIMTDEC Type: Integer Sets the number of decimal places to display in tolerance
Saved in: Drawing values for the primary units in a dimension.
Initial value: 4

DIMTFAC Type: Real Specifies a scale factor for the text height of fractions and
Saved in: Drawing tolerance values relative to the dimension text height, as
Initial value: 1.0000 set by DIMTXT. For example, if DIMTFAC is set to 1.0, the
text height of fractions and tolerances is the same height
as the dimension text. If DIMTFAC is set to 0.100, the text
height of fractions and tolerances is three-quarters the
size of dimension text.

DIMTIH Type: Switch Controls the position of dimension text inside the exten-
Saved in: Drawing sion lines for all dimension types except Ordinate.
Initial value: On
Off Aligns text with the dimension line
On Draws text horizontally

DIMTIX Type: Switch Draws text between extension lines.

Saved in: Drawing
Initial value: Off Off Varies with the type of dimension. For linear and angular
dimensions, text is placed inside the extension lines if
there is sufficient room. For radius and diameter dimen-
sions that dont fit inside the circle or arc, DIMTIX has no
effect and always forces the text outside the circle or arc.
On Draws dimension text between the extension lines even if
it would ordinarily be placed outside those lines.

| 1153
DIMTM Type: Real Sets the minimum (or lower) tolerance limit for dimen-
Saved in: Drawing sion text when DIMTOL or DIMLIM is on. AutoCAD
Initial value: 0.0000 accepts signed values for DIMTM. If DIMTOL is on and
DIMTP and DIMTM are set to the same value, AutoCAD
draws a tolerance value.

If DIMTM and DIMTP values differ, the upper tolerance is

drawn above the lower, and a plus sign is added to the
DIMTP value if it is positive.

For DIMTM, AutoCAD uses the negative of the value you

enter (adding a minus sign if you specify a positive num-
ber and a plus sign if you specify a negative number).

DIMTMOVE Type: Integer Sets dimension text movement rules.

Saved in: Drawing
Initial value: 0 0 Moves the dimension line with dimension text
1 Adds a leader when dimension text is moved
2 Allows text to be moved freely without a leader

DIMTOFL Type: Switch Controls whether a dimension line is drawn between the
Saved in: Drawing extension lines even when the text is placed outside. For
Initial value: Off radius and diameter dimensions (when DIMTIX is off),
draws a dimension line inside the circle or arc and places
the text, arrowheads, and leader outside.

Off Does not draw dimension lines between the measured

points when arrowheads are placed outside the measured
points
On Draws dimension lines between the measured points even
when arrowheads are placed outside the measured points

DIMTOH Type: Switch Controls the position of dimension text outside the exten-
Saved in: Drawing sion lines.
Initial value: On
Off Aligns text with the dimension line
On Draws text horizontally

DIMTOL Type: Switch Appends tolerances to dimension text. Setting DIMTOL

Saved in: Drawing to on turns DIMLIM off.
Initial value: Off

DIMTOLJ Type: Integer Sets the vertical justification for tolerance values relative
Saved in: Drawing to the nominal dimension text.
Initial value: 1
0 Bottom
1 Middle
2 Top

1154 | Chapter B System Variables

DIMTP Type: Real Sets the maximum (or upper) tolerance limit for dimen-
Saved in: Drawing sion text when DIMTOL or DIMLIM is on. DIMTP accepts
Initial value: 0.0000 signed values. If DIMTOL is on and DIMTP and DIMTM
are set to the same value, AutoCAD draws a tolerance
value.

If DIMTM and DIMTP values differ, the upper tolerance is

drawn above the lower and a plus sign is added to the
DIMTP value if it is positive.

DIMTSZ Type: Real Specifies the size of oblique strokes drawn instead of ar-
Saved in: Drawing rowheads for linear, radius, and diameter dimensioning.
Initial value: 0.0000
0 Draws arrowheads.
>0 Draws oblique strokes instead of arrowheads. The size of
the oblique strokes is determined by this value multiplied
by the DIMSCALE value.

DIMTVP Type: Real Controls the vertical position of dimension text above or
Saved in: Drawing below the dimension line. AutoCAD uses the DIMTVP
Initial value: 0.0000 value when DIMTAD is off. The magnitude of the vertical
offset of text is the product of the text height and
DIMTVP. Setting DIMTVP to 1.0 is equivalent to setting
DIMTAD to on. AutoCAD splits the dimension line to
accommodate the text only if the absolute value of
DIMTVP is less than 0.7.

DIMTXSTY Type: String Specifies the text style of the dimension.

Saved in: Drawing
Initial value: "STANDARD"

DIMTXT Type: Real Specifies the height of dimension text, unless the current
Saved in: Drawing text style has a fixed height.
Initial value: 0.1800

DIMTZIN Type: Integer Controls the suppression of zeros in tolerance values.

Saved in: Drawing DIMTZIN stores this value when you enter it on the com-
Initial value: 0 mand line or set it under Primary Units in the Annotation
dialog box. DIMTZIN values 03 affect feet-and-inch
dimensions only.

0 Suppresses zero feet and precisely zero inches

1 Includes zero feet and precisely zero inches
2 Includes zero feet and suppresses zero inches
3 Includes zero inches and suppresses zero feet
4 Suppresses leading zeros in decimal dimensions (for
example, 0.5000 becomes .5000)
8 Suppresses trailing zeros in decimal dimensions (for
example, 12.5000 becomes 12.5)
12 Suppresses both leading and trailing zeros (for example,
0.5000 becomes .5)

| 1155
DIMUNIT Type: Integer Obsolete. Has no effect except to preserve the integrity of
Saved in: Drawing scripts. DIMUNIT is replaced by DIMLUNIT and DIMFRAC.
Initial value: 2

DIMUPT Type: Switch Controls options for user-positioned text.

Saved in: Drawing
Initial value: Off Off Cursor controls only the dimension line location
On Cursor controls both the text position and the dimension
line location

DIMZIN Type: Integer Controls the suppression of zeros in the primary unit value.
Saved in: Drawing DIMZIN stores this value when you enter it on the com-
Initial value: 0 mand line or set it under Primary Units in the Annotation
dialog box. DIMZIN values 03 affect feet-and-inch dimen-
sions only.

0 Suppresses zero feet and precisely zero inches

1 Includes zero feet and precisely zero inches
2 Includes zero feet and suppresses zero inches
3 Includes zero inches and suppresses zero feet
4 Suppresses leading zeros in decimal dimensions (for
example, 0.5000 becomes .5000)
8 Suppresses trailing zeros in decimal dimensions (for
example, 12.5000 becomes 12.5)
12 Suppresses both leading and trailing zeros (for example,
0.5000 becomes .5)

DIMZIN also affects real-to-string conversions performed

by the AutoLISP rtos and angtos functions.

DISPSILH Type: Integer Controls display of silhouette curves of solid objects in

Saved in: Drawing Wireframe mode. Also controls whether mesh is drawn or
Initial value: 0 suppressed when a solid object is hidden.

0 Off
1 On

DISTANCE (Read-only) Stores the distance computed by the DIST command.

Type: Real
Not saved

DONUTID Type: Real Sets the default for the inside diameter of a donut.
Not saved
Initial value: 0.5000

DONUTOD Type: Real Sets the default for the outside diameter of a donut. The
Not saved value must be nonzero. If DONUTID is larger than
Initial value: 1.0000 DONUTOD, the two values are swapped by the next
command.

1156 | Chapter B System Variables

DRAGMODE Type: Integer Controls the display of objects being dragged. When
Saved in: Registry Drag mode is on, AutoCAD shows the image of an object
Initial value: 2 as you drag it to another position. With some computer
configurations, dragging can be time-consuming. Use
DRAGMODE to suppress dragging.

0 Does not display an outline of the object as you drag it

1 Displays the outline of the object as you drag it only if you
enter drag on the command line after selecting the object
to drag
2 Auto; always displays an outline of the object as you drag
it

DRAGP1 Type: Integer Sets the regen-drag input sampling rate.

Saved in: Registry
Initial value: 10

DRAGP2 Type: Integer Sets the fast-drag input sampling rate.

Saved in: Registry
Initial value: 25

DRAWORDERCTL Type: Integer Controls draw order functionality. Use this setting to
Saved in: Drawing limit draw order if some editing operations take
Initial value: 3 slightly longer.

0 Turns off the default display of objects with draw order:

after objects are edited, regardless of their draw order, the
objects are displayed on top until a drawing regeneration
(REGEN) is done, or until the drawing is reopened. Also,
turns off draw order inheritance: new objects created from
objects with draw order are not assigned the draw order of
the object that was originally selected first.
1 Turns on the default display of objects with draw order:
after objects are edited, the objects are automatically dis-
played according to the correct draw order.
2 Turns on draw order inheritance: new objects created from
objects with draw order are assigned the draw order of the
object that was originally selected first.
3 Provides full draw order functionality. Turns on the cor-
rect display of objects with draw order, and turns on draw
order inheritance.

Note With full draw order functionality, some editing

operations may take slightly longer.

| 1157
DWGCHECK Type: Integer Checks drawings for potential problems when opening
Saved in: Registry them.
Initial Value: 0
0 If a drawing that you try to open has a potential problem,
you are warned before the drawing is opened.
1 If a drawing that you try to open has a potential problem,
or if it was saved by an application other than AutoCAD
or AutoCAD LT, you are warned before the drawing is
opened.
2 If a drawing that you try to open has a potential problem,
you are notified on the command line.
3 If a drawing that you try to open has a potential problem,
you are notified on the command line. If the drawing has a
potential problem and the drawing was saved by an appli-
cation other than AutoCAD or AutoCAD LT, you are
warned before the drawing is opened.

DWGCODEPAGE (Read-only) Stores the same value as SYSCODEPAGE (for compatibility

Type: String reasons).
Saved in: Drawing

DWGNAME (Read-only) Stores the drawing name as entered by the user. If the
Type: String drawing has not been named yet, DWGNAME defaults to
Not saved Drawing.dwg. If the user specified a drive/directory
prefix, the prefix is stored in DWGPREFIX.

DWGPREFIX (Read-only) Stores the drive/directory prefix for the drawing.

Type: String
Not saved

DWGTITLED (Read-only) Indicates whether the current drawing has been named.
Type: Integer
Not saved 0 Drawing has not been named
1 Drawing has been named

EDGEMODE Type: Integer Controls how the TRIM and EXTEND commands deter-
Saved in: Registry mine cutting and boundary edges.
Initial value: 0
0 Uses the selected edge without an extension
1 Extends or trims the selected object to an imaginary exten-
sion of the cutting or boundary edge

Lines, arcs, elliptical arcs, rays, and polylines are objects el-
igible for natural extension. The natural extension of a line
or ray is an unbounded line (xline), an arc is a circle, and
an elliptical arc is an ellipse. A polyline is broken down into
its line and arc components, which are extended to their
natural boundaries.

ELEVATION Type: Real Stores the current elevation relative to the current UCS
Saved in: Drawing for the current viewport in the current space.
(viewport specific)
Initial value: 0.0000

1158 | Chapter B System Variables

ERRNO (Read-only) Displays the number of the appropriate error code when
Type: Integer an AutoLISP function call causes an error that AutoCAD
Not saved detects. AutoLISP applications can inspect the current
Initial value: 0 value of ERRNO with (getvar "errno").

The ERRNO system variable is not always cleared to zero.

Unless it is inspected immediately after an AutoLISP
function has reported an error, the error that its value
indicates may be misleading. This variable is always
cleared when starting or opening a drawing.

See the AutoLISP Developers Guide for more information.

EXPERT Type: Integer Controls whether certain prompts are issued.

Not saved
Initial value: 0 0 Issues all prompts normally.
1 Suppresses About to regen, proceed? and Really want
to turn the current layer off?
2 Suppresses the preceding prompts and Block already de-
fined. Redefine it? (BLOCK) and A drawing with this
name already exists. Overwrite it? (SAVE or WBLOCK).
3 Suppresses the preceding prompts and those issued by the
LINETYPE command if you try to load a linetype thats
already loaded or create a new linetype in a file that
already defines that linetype.
4 Suppresses the preceding prompts and those issued by
UCS Save and VPORTS Save if the name you supply
already exists.
5 Suppresses the prompt, That name is already in Use,
redefine it? issued by the -DIMSTYLE Save option when
you supply the name of an existing dimension style.

When a prompt is suppressed by EXPERT, the operation

in question is performed as though you entered y at the
prompt. Setting EXPERT can affect scripts, menu macros,
AutoLISP, and the command functions.

EXPLMODE Type: Integer Controls whether the EXPLODE command supports

Not saved nonuniformly scaled (NUS) blocks.
Initial value: 1
0 Does not explode NUS blocks
1 Explodes NUS blocks

EXTMAX (Read-only) Stores the upper-right point of the drawing extents.

Type: 3D Point Expands outward as new objects are drawn; shrinks only
Saved in: Drawing with ZOOM All or ZOOM Extents. Reported in world
coordinates for the current space.

EXTMIN (Read-only) Stores the lower-left point of the drawing extents. Ex-
Type: 3D Point pands outward as new objects are drawn; shrinks only
Saved in: Drawing with ZOOM All or ZOOM Extents. Reported in world
coordinates for the current space.

| 1159
EXTNAMES Type: Integer Sets the parameters for named object names (such as
Saved in: Drawing linetypes and layers) stored in definition tables.
Initial value: 1
0 Uses Release 14 parameters, which limit names to 31
characters in length. Names can include the letters A to Z,
the numerals 0 to 9, and the special characters, dollar sign
($), underscore (_), and hyphen (-).
1 Uses AutoCAD 2000 (and later releases) parameters.
Names can be up to 255 characters in length, and can
include the letters A to Z, the numerals 0 to 9, spaces, and
any special characters not used by Microsoft
Windows and AutoCAD for other purposes.

FACETRATIO Type: Integer Controls the aspect ratio of faceting for cylindrical and
Not saved conic ShapeManager solids. A setting of 1 increases the
Initial Value: 0 density of the mesh to improve the quality of rendered
and shaded models.

0 Creates an N by 1 mesh for cylindrical and conic

ShapeManager solids
1 Creates an N by M mesh for cylindrical and conic Shape-
Manager solids

FACETRES Type: Real Adjusts the smoothness of shaded and rendered objects
Saved in: Drawing and objects with hidden lines removed. Valid values are
Initial value: 0.5 from 0.01 to 10.0.

FIELDDISPLAY Type: Integer Controls whether fields are displayed with a gray
Saved in: Registry background. The background is not plotted.
Initial value: 1
0 Fields are displayed with no background
1 Fields are displayed with a gray background

FIELDEVAL Type: Integer Controls how fields are updated. The value is set by a
Saved in: Drawing bitcode that is a sum of any of the following:
Initial value: 31
0 Not updated
1 Updated on open
2 Updated on save
4 Updated on plot
8 Updated on use of ETRANSMIT
16 Updated on regeneration

1160 | Chapter B System Variables

FILEDIA Type: Integer Suppresses display of file navigation dialog boxes and the
Saved in: Registry Create New Drawing dialog boxes.
Initial value: 1
0 Does not display dialog boxes. You can still request a file
dialog box to appear by entering a tilde (~) in response to
the commands prompt. The same is true for AutoLISP
and ADS functions.
1 Displays dialog boxes. However, if a script or AutoLISP/
ObjectARX program is active, AutoCAD displays an
ordinary prompt.

FILLETRAD Type: Real Stores the current fillet radius.

Saved in: Drawing
Initial value: 0.0000

FILLMODE Type: Integer Specifies whether hatches (including solid fills and
Saved in: Drawing gradient fills), two-dimensional solids, and wide polylines
Initial value: 1 are filled in.

0 Objects are not filled

1 Objects are filled

FONTALT Type: String Specifies the alternate font to be used when the specified
Saved in: Registry font file cannot be located. If an alternate font is not
Initial value: specified, AutoCAD displays the Alternate Font dialog box
"simplex.shx" (see page 654). The dialog box is displayed in the
following cases:

1. A Release 13 drawing is opened; FONTALT is not set or

not found; and a TrueType , SHX, or PostScript font is
not found for a defined text style.
2. A Release 14 drawing is opened, FONTALT is not set or
not found, and an SHX or PostScript font is not found for
a defined text style. For missing TrueType fonts in Release
14 drawings, AutoCAD automatically substitutes the clos-
est TrueType font available.
3. The Browse button is chosen in the Options dialog box
(see page 624) when you specify an alternate font.

AutoCAD validates the alternate font specified for

FONTALT. If the font name or font file name is not found,
the message Font not found is displayed. Enter either a
TrueType font name (for example, Times New Roman
Bold) or a TrueType file name (for example timebd.ttf).
When a TrueType file name is entered for FONTALT,
AutoCAD returns the font name in place of the file name
if the font is registered with the operating system.

For more information about font substitution, see

Substitute Fonts in the Users Guide.

| 1161
FONTMAP Type: String Specifies the font mapping file to be used. A font map-
Saved in: Registry ping file contains one font mapping per line; the original
Initial value: "acad.fmp" font used in the drawing and the font to be substituted
for it are separated by a semicolon (;). For example, to
substitute the Times TrueType font for the Roman font,
the line in the mapping file would read as follows:

romanc.shx;times.ttf

If FONTMAP does not point to a font mapping file, if the

FMP file is not found, or if the font file name specified in
the FMP file is not found, AutoCAD uses the font defined
in the style. If the font in the style is not found, AutoCAD
substitutes the font according to substitution rules.

For more information about font substitution, see

Substitute Fonts in the Users Guide.

FRONTZ Type: Real Stores the front clipping plane offset from the target
Saved in: Drawing plane for the current viewport, in drawing units. Mean-
ingful only if the front clipping bit in VIEWMODE is on
and the front-clip-not-at-eye bit is also on. The distance
of the front clipping plane from the camera point is
found by subtracting FRONTZ from the camera-to-target
distance.

FULLOPEN (Read-only) Indicates whether the current drawing is partially open.

Type: Integer
Not saved 0 Indicates a partially open drawing
1 Indicates a fully open drawing

GRIDMODE Type: Integer Specifies whether the grid is turned on or off.

Saved in: Drawing
Initial value: 0 0 Turns the grid off
1 Turns the grid on

GRIDUNIT Type: 2D point Specifies the grid spacing (X and Y) for the current
Saved in: Drawing viewport.
Initial value:
0.5000,0.5000

GRIPBLOCK Type: Integer Controls the assignment of grips in blocks.

Saved in: Registry
Initial value: 0 0 Assigns a grip only to the insertion point of the block
1 Assigns grips to objects within the block

GRIPCOLOR Type: Integer Controls the color of nonselected grips. The valid range is
Saved in: Registry 1 to 255.
Initial value: 160

GRIPHOT Type: Integer Controls the color of selected grips. The valid range is 1
Saved in: Registry to 255.
Initial value: 1

1162 | Chapter B System Variables

GRIPHOVER Type: Integer Controls the fill color of an unselected grip when the
Saved in: Registry cursor pauses over it. The valid range is 1 to 255.
Initial value: 3

GRIPOBJLIMIT Type: Integer Suppresses the display of grips when the initial selection
Saved in: Registry set includes more than the specified number of objects.
Initial value: 100 The valid range is 1 to 32,767. When set to 1, grips are
suppressed when more than one object is selected.

GRIPS Type: Integer Controls the use of selection set grips for the Stretch,
Saved in: Registry Move, Rotate, Scale, and Mirror Grip modes.
Initial value: 1
0 Turns off grips
1 Turns on grips

To adjust the size of the grips and the effective selection

area used by the cursor when you snap to a grip, use
GRIPSIZE.

GRIPSIZE Type: Integer Sets the size of the grip box in pixels. The valid range is
Saved in: Registry 1 to 255.
Initial value: 5

GRIPTIPS Type: Integer Controls the display of grip tips when the cursor hovers
Saved in: Registry over grips on custom objects that support grip tips.
Initial value: 1
0 Turns off the display of grip tips
1 Turns on the display of grip tips

HALOGAP Type: Integer Specifies a gap to be displayed where an object is hidden

Saved in: Drawing by another object.
Initial value: 0
The value is specified as a percent of one unit and is
independent of the zoom level. A haloed line is shortened
at the point where it is hidden when HIDE or the Hidden
option of SHADEMODE are used.

The HALOGAP setting can also be set in the Hidden Line

Settings dialog box (see page 411), Halo Gap Percentage
area.

HANDLES (Read-only) Reports whether object handles can be accessed by

Type: Integer applications. Because handles can no longer be turned
Saved in: Drawing off, has no effect except to preserve the integrity of
Initial value: On scripts.

| 1163
HIDEPRECISION Type: Integer Controls the accuracy of hides and shades. Hides can be
Not saved calculated in double precision or single precision. Setting
Initial Value: 0 HIDEPRECISION to 1 produces more accurate hides by
using double precision, but this setting also uses more
memory and can affect performance, especially when
hiding solids.

0 Single precision; uses less memory

1 Double precision; uses more memory

The HIDEPRECISION setting can also be set in the Hidden

Line Settings dialog box (see page 411), Hide Precision
area.

HIDETEXT Type: Integer Specifies whether text objects created by the TEXT,
Saved in: Drawing DTEXT, or MTEXT commands are processed during a
Initial Value: 1 HIDE command.

0 Text is not hidden and does not hide other objects.

1 Text is hidden but does hide other objects.

When dealing with text objects, legacy behavior is

achieved by setting HIDETEXT to 0.

The HIDETEXT setting can also be set in the Hidden Line

Settings dialog box (see page 411).

HIGHLIGHT Type: Integer Controls object highlighting; does not affect objects
Not saved selected with grips.
Initial value: 1
0 Turns off object selection highlighting
1 Turns on object selection highlighting

HPANG Type: Real Specifies the hatch pattern angle.

Not saved
Initial value: 0

HPASSOC Type: Integer Controls whether hatch patterns and gradient fills are
Saved in: Registry associative.
Initial value: 1
0 Hatch patterns and gradient fills are not associated with
their boundaries
1 Hatch patterns and gradient fills are associated with their
boundaries and are updated when the boundaries change

HPBOUND Type: Integer Controls the object type created by the BHATCH and
Not saved BOUNDARY commands.
Initial value: 1
0 Creates a region
1 Creates a polyline

1164 | Chapter B System Variables

HPDOUBLE Type: Integer Specifies hatch pattern doubling for user-defined
Not saved patterns. Doubling specifies a second set of lines drawn at
Initial value: 0 90 degrees to the original lines.

0 Turns off hatch pattern doubling

1 Turns on hatch pattern doubling

HPDRAWORDER Type: Integer Controls the draw order of hatches and fills. Stores the
Not saved Draw Order setting from the Boundary Hatch and Fill
Initial value: 3 Dialog Box.

0 None. The hatch or fill is not assigned a draw order

1 Send to back. The hatch or fill is sent to the back of all
other objects.
2 Bring to front. The hatch or fill is brought to the front of
all other objects.
3 Send behind boundary. The hatch or fill is sent behind the
hatch boundary.
4 Bring in front of boundary. The hatch or fill is brought in
front of the hatch boundary.

HPGAPTOL Type: Real Treats a set of objects that almost enclose an area as a
Saved in: Registry closed hatch boundary. The default value, 0, specifies
Initial value: 0 that the objects enclose the area, with no gaps. Enter a
value, in drawing units, from 1 to 5000 to set the
maximum size of gaps that can be ignored when the
objects serve as a hatch boundary.

HPNAME Type: String Sets a default hatch pattern name of up to 34 characters

Not saved without spaces. Returns "" if there is no default. Enter a
Initial value: "ANSI31" period (.) to reset HPNAME to the default value.

HPSCALE Type: Real Specifies the hatch pattern scale factor, which must be
Not saved nonzero.
Initial value: 1.0000

HPSPACE Type: Real Specifies the hatch pattern line spacing for user-defined
Not saved simple patterns, which must be nonzero.
Initial value: 1.0000

HYPERLINKBASE Type: String Specifies the path used for all relative hyperlinks in the
Saved in: Drawing drawing. If no value is specified, the drawing path is used
Initial value: "" for all relative hyperlinks.

IMAGEHLT Type: Integer Controls whether the entire raster image or only the
Saved in: Registry raster image frame is highlighted.
Initial value: 0
0 Highlights only the raster image frame
1 Highlights the entire raster image

| 1165
INDEXCTL Type: Integer Controls whether layer and spatial indexes are created
Saved in: Drawing and saved in drawing files.
Initial value: 0
0 No indexes are created
1 Layer index is created
2 Spatial index is created
3 Layer and spatial indexes are created

INETLOCATION Type: String Stores the Internet location used by the BROWSER
Saved in: Registry command and the Browse the Web dialog box.
Initial value: "http://
www.autodesk.com"

INSBASE Type: 3D point Stores the insertion base point set by BASE, which gets
Saved in: Drawing expressed as a UCS coordinate for the current space.
Initial value:
0.0000,0.0000,0.0000

INSNAME Type: String Sets a default block name for the INSERT command. The
Not saved name must conform to symbol naming conventions.
Initial value: "" Returns "" if no default is set. Enter a period (.) to set no
default.

INSUNITS Type: Integer Specifies a drawing-units value for automatic scaling of

Saved in: Drawing blocks or images dragged from DesignCenter and
Initial value: 1 inserted into a drawing.

0 Unspecified (No units)

1 Inches
2 Feet
3 Miles
4 Millimeters
5 Centimeters
6 Meters
7 Kilometers
8 Microinches
9 Mils
10 Yards
11 Angstroms
12 Nanometers
13 Microns
14 Decimeters
15 Decameters
16 Hectometers
17 Gigameters
18 Astronomical Units
19 Light Years
20 Parsecs

1166 | Chapter B System Variables

INSUNITSDEFSOURCE Type: Integer Sets source content units value. Valid range is 0 to 20.
Saved in: Registry
Initial value: 1 0 Unspecified (No units)
1 Inches
2 Feet
3 Miles
4 Millimeters
5 Centimeters
6 Meters
7 Kilometers
8 Microinches
9 Mils
10 Yards
11 Angstroms
12 Nanometers
13 Microns
14 Decimeters
15 Decameters
16 Hectometers
17 Gigameters
18 Astronomical Units
19 Light Years
20 Parsecs

INSUNITSDEFTARGET Type: Integer Sets target drawing units value. Valid range is 0 to 20.
Saved in: Registry
Initial value: 1 0 Unspecified (No units)
1 Inches
2 Feet
3 Miles
4 Millimeters
5 Centimeters
6 Meters
7 Kilometers
8 Microinches
9 Mils
10 Yards
11 Angstroms
12 Nanometers
13 Microns
14 Decimeters
15 Decameters
16 Hectometers
17 Gigameters
18 Astronomical Units
19 Light Years
20 Parsecs

| 1167
INTERSECTIONCOLOR Type: Integer Specifies the color of intersection polylines. Value 0
Saved in: Drawing designates entity color BYBLOCK, value 256 designates
Initial value: 257 entity color BYLAYER, and value 257 designates entity
color BYENTITY. Values 1-255 designate an AutoCAD
color index (ACI).

An intersection polyline is what displays as the face-to-

face intersection of 3D surfaces when the HIDE
command is used or the SHADEMODE command is set
to Hidden.

The INTERSECTIONCOLOR setting is visible only if the

INTERSECTIONDISPLAY is turned on by setting it to a
value of 1.

The INTERSECTIONCOLOR setting can also be specified

in the Hidden Line Settings dialog box (see page 411),
Face Intersections area, Color control.

INTERSECTIONDISPLAY Type: Switch Specifies the display of intersection polylines.

Saved in: Drawing
Initial value: Off Off Turns off the display of intersection polylines
On Turns on the display of intersection polylines

An intersection polyline displays at the face-to-face

intersection of 3D surfaces when the HIDE command is
used or the SHADEMODE command is set to Hidden.

The INTERSECTIONDISPLAY setting can also be set in

the Hidden Line Settings dialog box (see page 411),
Face Intersections area, Display Intersections check box.

1168 | Chapter B System Variables

ISAVEBAK Type: Integer Improves the speed of incremental saves, especially for
Saved in: Registry large drawings. ISAVEBAK controls the creation of a
Initial value: 1 backup file (BAK). In the operating system, copying the
file data to create a BAK file for large drawings takes a
major portion of the incremental save time.

0 No BAK file is created (even for a full save)

1 A BAK file is created

WARNING In some cases (such as a power failure in the

middle of a save), its possible that drawing data can be
lost.

ISAVEPERCENT Type: Integer Determines the amount of wasted space tolerated in a

Saved in: Registry drawing file. The value of ISAVEPERCENT is an integer
Initial value: 50 between 0 and 100. The default value of 50 means that
the estimate of wasted space within the file does not ex-
ceed 50 percent of the total file size. Wasted space is
eliminated by periodic full saves. When the estimate ex-
ceeds 50 percent, the next save will be a full save. This
resets the wasted space estimate to 0. If ISAVEPERCENT
is set to 0, every save is a full save.

ISOLINES Type: Integer Specifies the number of contour lines per surface on
Saved in: Drawing objects. Valid integer values are from 0 to 2047.
Initial value: 4

LASTANGLE (Read-only) Stores the end angle of the last arc entered relative to the
Type: Real XY plane of the current UCS for the current space.
Not saved

LASTPOINT Type: 3D point Stores the last point entered, expressed as a UCS coordi-
Not saved nate for the current space; referenced by the at symbol
Initial value: (@) during keyboard entry.
0.0000,0.0000,0.0000

LASTPROMPT (Read-only) Stores the last string echoed to the command line. This
Type: String string is identical to the last line seen at the command
Not saved line and includes any user input.
Initial value: ""

| 1169
LAYOUTREGENCTL Type: Integer Specifies how the display list is updated in the Model tab
Saved in: Registry and layout tabs. For each tab, the display list is updated
Initial value: 2 either by regenerating the drawing when you switch to
that tab or by saving the display list to memory and
regenerating only the modified objects when you switch
to that tab. Changing the LAYOUTREGENCTL setting can
improve performance.

0 The drawing is regenerated each time you switch tabs.

1 For the Model tab and the last layout made current, the
display list is saved to memory and regenerations are sup-
pressed when you switch between the two tabs. For all
other layouts, regenerations still occur when you switch to
those tabs.
2 The drawing is regenerated the first time you switch to
each tab. For the remainder of the drawing session, the
display list is saved to memory and regenerations are sup-
pressed when you switch to those tabs.

The performance gain achieved by changing the

LAYOUTREGENCTL setting is dependent on several
factors, including the drawing size and type, the objects
contained in the drawing, the amount of available
memory, and the effect of other open drawings or
applications. When LAYOUTREGENCTL is set to 1 or 2,
the amount of additional memory used is the size of the
Model tabs display list multiplied by the number of
viewports in each layout for which the display list is
saved.

If LAYOUTREGENCTL is set to 1 or 2 and performance

seems slow in general or when you switch between tabs
for which the display list is saved, consider changing to a
setting of 0 or 1 to find the optimal balance for your work
environment. For additional information about
performance settings, see System tab (in the Options
dialog box).

NOTE Regardless of the LAYOUTREGENCTL setting, if

you redefine a block or undo a tab switch, the drawing is
regenerated the first time you switch to any tab that
contains saved viewports.

LENSLENGTH (Read-only) Stores the length of the lens (in millimeters) used in
Type: Real perspective viewing for the current viewport.
Saved in: Drawing
Initial value: 50.0000

LIMCHECK Type: Integer Controls the creation of objects outside the grid limits.
Saved in: Drawing
Initial value: 0 0 Objects can be created outside the limits
1 Objects cannot be created outside the limits

1170 | Chapter B System Variables

LIMMAX Type: 2D point Stores the upper-right grid limits for the current space,
Saved in: Drawing expressed as a world coordinate. LIMMAX is read-only
Initial value: when paper space is active and the paper background
12.0000,9.0000 or printable area is displayed.

LIMMIN Type: 2D point Stores the lower-left grid limits for the current space,
Saved in: Drawing expressed as a world coordinate. LIMMIN is read-only
Initial value: when paper space is active and the paper background or
0.0000,0.0000 printable area is displayed.

LISPINIT Type: Integer When single-document interface is enabled, specifies

Saved in: Registry whether AutoLISP-defined functions and variables are
Initial value: 1 preserved when you open a new drawing or whether
they are valid in the current drawing session only.

0 AutoLISP functions and variables are preserved from

drawing to drawing
1 AutoLISP functions and variables are valid in the current
drawing only

When SDI is set to 0, AutoLISP always behaves as if

LISPINIT were set to 1. For information about the
behavior of AutoLISP-defined functions and variables in
a multiple-document interface, see Designing for a
Multiple Document Environment in the AutoLISP
Developers Guide.

LOCALE (Read-only) Displays a code that indicates the current locale. This
Type: String code appears as a three-letter abbreviation returned by
Not saved the Windows GetLocaleInfo function using the
Initial value: "enu" LOCALE_SABBREVLANGNAME constant.

LOCALROOTPREFIX (Read-only) Stores the full path to the root folder where local
Type: String customizable files were installed. These files are stored in
Saved in: Registry the product folder under the Local Settings folder; for
Initial value: "pathname" example, "C:\Documents and Settings\username\Local
Settings\Application
Data\productname\version\language".

The Template and Textures folders are in this location, and

you can add any customizable files that you do not want
to roam on the network. See ROAMABLEROOTPREFIX for
the location of the roamable files.

LOGFILEMODE Type: Integer Specifies whether the contents of the text window are
Saved in: Registry written to a log file.
Initial value: 0
0 Log file is not maintained
1 Log file is maintained

LOGFILENAME (Read-only) Specifies the path and name of the log file for the current
Type: String drawing. The initial value varies depending on the name
Saved in: Drawing of the current drawing and where you installed AutoCAD.

| 1171
LOGFILEPATH Type: String Specifies the path for the log files for all drawings in a
Saved in: Registry session. You can also specify the path by using the
OPTIONS command. The initial value varies depending
on where you installed AutoCAD.

LOGINNAME (Read-only) Displays the users name as configured or as input when

Type: String AutoCAD is loaded. The maximum length for a login
Not saved name is 30 characters.

LTSCALE Type: Real Sets the global linetype scale factor. The linetype scale
Saved in: Drawing factor cannot equal zero.
Initial value: 1.0000

LUNITS Type: Integer Sets linear units.

Saved in: Drawing
Initial value: 2 1 Scientific
2 Decimal
3 Engineering
4 Architectural
5 Fractional

LUPREC Type: Integer Sets the number of decimal places displayed for all read-
Saved in: Drawing only linear units, and for all editable linear units whose
Initial value: 4 precision is less than or equal to the current LUPREC val-
ue. For editable linear units whose precision is greater
than the current LUPREC value, the true precision is dis-
played. LUPREC does not affect the display precision of
dimension text (see DIMSTYLE).

LWDEFAULT Type: Enum Sets the value for the default lineweight. The default
Saved in: Registry lineweight can be set to any valid lineweight value in
Initial value: 25 hundredths of millimeters, including: 0, 5, 9, 13, 15, 18,
20, 25, 30, 35, 40, 50, 53, 60, 70, 80, 90, 100, 106, 120,
140, 158, 200, and 211.

All values must be entered in hundredths of millimeters.

(Multiply a value by 2540 to convert values from inches
to hundredths of millimeters.)

LWDISPLAY Type: Integer Controls whether the lineweight is displayed. The setting
Saved in: Drawing is saved with each tab in the drawing.
Initial value: 0
0 Lineweight is not displayed
1 Lineweight is displayed

LWUNITS Type: Integer Controls whether lineweight units are displayed in inches
Saved In: Registry or millimeters.
Initial value: 1
0 Inches
1 Millimeters

MAXACTVP Type: Integer Sets the maximum number of viewports that can be
Saved in: Drawing active at one time in a layout. MAXACTVP has no effect
Initial value: 64 on the number of viewports that are plotted.

1172 | Chapter B System Variables

MAXSORT Type: Integer Sets the maximum number of symbol names or block
Saved in: Registry names sorted by listing commands. If the total number of
Initial value: 1000 items exceeds this value, no items are sorted.

MBUTTONPAN Type: Integer Controls the behavior of the third button or wheel on the
Saved in: Registry pointing device.
Initial Value: 1
0 Supports the action defined in the menu (.mnu) file
1 Supports panning when you hold and drag the button or
wheel

MEASUREINIT Type: Integer Sets the initial drawing units as imperial or metric when
Saved in: Registry you start a drawing from scratch. Specifically, MEA-
Initial value: varies by SUREINIT controls which hatch pattern and linetype files
country/region an existing drawing uses when its opened. The
Drawing1.dwg that opens when you start the program is
a drawing that is started from scratch.

When you start a drawing from a template, the default

template is the template that was last used to start a new
drawing. MEASUREINIT does not control which template
is used.

0 Imperial; uses the hatch pattern file and linetype file desig-
nated by the ANSIHatch and ANSILinetype registry set-
tings
1 Metric; uses the hatch pattern file and linetype file desig-
nated by the ISOHatch and ISOLinetype registry settings

MEASUREMENT Type: Integer Sets drawing units as imperial or metric for the current
Saved in: Drawing drawing only. Specifically, MEASUREMENT controls which
Initial value: 0 hatch pattern and linetype files an existing drawing uses
when it is opened.

0 Imperial; uses the hatch pattern file and linetype file desig-
nated by the ANSIHatch and ANSILinetype registry set-
tings
1 Metric; uses the hatch pattern file and linetype file desig-
nated by the ISOHatch and ISOLinetype registry settings

The drawing units for new drawings that do not use a

template are controlled by MEASUREINIT (MEASUREINIT
uses the same values as MEASUREMENT). The
MEASUREMENT setting of a drawing always overrides the
MEASUREINIT setting.

MENUCTL Type: Integer Controls the page switching of the screen menu.
Saved in: Registry
Initial value: 1 0 Screen menu does not switch pages in response to key-
board command entry
1 Screen menu does switch pages in response to keyboard
command entry

| 1173
MENUECHO Type: Integer Sets menu echo and prompt control bits. The value is the
Not saved sum of the following:
Initial value: 0
1 Suppresses echo of menu items (^P in a menu item toggles
echoing)
2 Suppresses display of system prompts during menu
4 Disables ^P toggle of menu echoing
8 Displays input/output strings; debugging aid for DIESEL
macros

MENUNAME (Read-only) Stores the menu file name, including the path for the file
Type: String name.
Saved in: Registry

MIRRTEXT Type: Integer Controls how the MIRROR command reflects text.
Saved in: Drawing
Initial value: 0 0 Retains text direction
1 Mirrors the text

MODEMACRO Type: String Displays a text string on the status line, such as the name
Not saved of the current drawing, time/date stamp, or special
Initial value: "" modes.

Use MODEMACRO to display a string of text, or use spe-

cial text strings written in the DIESEL macro language to
have AutoCADevaluate the macro from time to time and
base the status line on user-selected conditions. For de-
tails, see DIESEL in the Customization Guide.

MSOLESCALE Type: Real Controls the size of an OLE object with text that is
Saved in: Drawing pasted into model space. MSOLESCALE controls only
Initial value: 1.0 the initial size. If the scale factor value is changed,
existing OLE objects in the drawing are not affected.

Positive number scales by value

Zero (0) scales by DIMSCALE value

MTEXTED Type: String Sets the name of the application to use for editing
Saved in: Registry multiline text objects. You can specify a different text
Initial value: "Internal" editor for the MTEXT and DDEDIT commands. If you set
MTEXTED to internal or to null, AutoCAD displays the
internal Multiline Text Editor. You set MTEXTED to null
by entering a period (.). If you specify a path and the
name of the executable file for another text editor or
word processor, AutoCAD displays that path and file
name instead.

If the multiline text object is fewer than 80 characters,

you can specify :lisped to use the LISP editor.

Text editors other than the internal one show the

formatting codes in paragraph text.

1174 | Chapter B System Variables

MTEXTFIXED Type: Integer Controls the appearance of the Multiline Text Editor.
Saved in: Registry
Initial value: 0 0 Displays both the Multiline Text Editor and the text
within it at the size and position of the multiline text
object in the drawing. Text too large or too small to be
edited is displayed at a minimum or maximum size.
1 Displays the Multiline Text Editor at a fixed position and
size based on last use, and displays text in the editor at a
fixed height.

MTJIGSTRING Type: String Sets the content of the sample text displayed at the
Saved in: Registry cursor location when the MTEXT command is started.
Initial value: "abc" The text string is displayed in the current text size and
font. You can enter any string of up to ten letters or
numbers or enter . (period) to display no sample text.

MYDOCUMENTSPREFIX(Read-only) Stores the full path to the My Documents folder for the
Type: String user currently logged on. These files are stored in the
Saved in: Registry product folder under the Local Settings folder; for
Initial value: "pathname" example, "C:\Documents and Settings\username\My
Documents".

NOMUTT Type: Short Suppresses the message display (muttering) when it

Not Saved wouldnt normally be suppressed. Displaying messages
Initial Value: 0 is the normal mode of AutoCAD, but message display is
suppressed during scripts, AutoLISP routines, and so on.

0 Resumes normal muttering behavior

1 Suppresses muttering indefinitely

OBSCUREDCOLOR Type: Integer Specifies the color of obscured lines. Value 0 designates
Saved in: Drawing byBlock, value 256 designates byLayer, and value 257
Initial value: 257 designates byEntity. Values 1-255 designate an AutoCAD
color index (ACI).

An obscured line is a hidden line made visible by

changing its color and linetype and is visible only when
the HIDE or SHADEMODE commands are used.

The OBSCUREDCOLOR setting is visible only if the

OBSCUREDLTYPE is turned on by setting it to a value
other than 0.

The OBSCUREDCOLOR setting can also be set in the

Hidden Line Settings dialog box (see page 411),
Obscured Lines area, Color pull-down menu.

| 1175
OBSCUREDLTYPE Type: Integer Specifies the linetype of obscured lines. Obscured
Saved in: Drawing linetypes are independent of zoom level, unlike regular
Initial value: 0 AutoCAD linetypes. Value 0 will turn off display of
obscured lines and is the default. The linetype values are
defined as follows:

0 Off
1 Solid
2 Dashed
3 Dotted
4 Short Dash
5 Medium Dash
6 Long Dash
7 Double Short Dash
8 Double Medium Dash
9 Double Long Dash
10 Medium Long Dash
11 Sparse Dot

0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11

An obscured line is a hidden line made visible by

changing its color and linetype and is visible only when
the HIDE or SHADEMODE commands are used.

The OBSCUREDLTYPE setting can also be set in the

Hidden Line Settings dialog box (see page 411),
Obscured Lines area, Linetype pull-down menu.

OFFSETDIST Type: Real Sets the default offset distance.

Not saved
Initial value: 1.0000 <0 Offsets an object through a specified point
>0 Sets the default offset distance

1176 | Chapter B System Variables

OFFSETGAPTYPE Type: Integer Controls how potential gaps between segments are
Saved in: Registry treated when polylines are offset.
Initial value: 0
0 Fills the gaps by extending the polyline segments
1 Fills the gaps with filleted arc segments (the radius of each
arc segment is equal to the offset distance)
2 Fills the gaps with chamfered line segments (the perpen-
dicular distance to each chamfer is equal to the offset
distance)

fillet
radius

offset with gaps OFFSETGAPTYPE=0

offset distance from

distance vertex to chamfer

OFFSETGAPTYPE=1 OFFSETGAPTYPE=2

OLEFRAME Type: Integer Controls whether a frame is displayed and plotted on all
Saved in: Drawing OLE objects in the drawing. The frame on an OLE object
Initial value: 2 must be displayed in order for grips to be visible.

0 Frame is not displayed and not plotted

1 Frame is displayed and is plotted
2 Frame is displayed but is not plotted

OLEHIDE Type: Integer Controls the display and plotting of OLE objects.
Saved in: Registry
Initial value: 0 0 All OLE objects are visible and plot
1 OLE objects are visible and plot in paper space only
2 OLE objects are visible and plot in model space only
3 No OLE objects are visible or plot

| 1177
OLEQUALITY Type: Integer Sets the default plot quality for OLE objects. When
Saved in: Registry OLEQUALITY is set to 3, the quality level is assigned
Initial value: 3 automatically based on the type of object. For example,
spreadsheets and tables are set to 0, color text and pie
charts are set to 1, and photographs are set to 2.

0 Monochrome
1 Low graphics
2 High graphics
3 Automatically Select

OLESTARTUP Type: Integer Controls whether the source application of an embedded

Saved in: Drawing OLE object loads when plotting. Loading the OLE source
Initial value: 0 application may improve the plot quality.

0 Does not load the OLE source application

1 Loads the OLE source application when plotting

ORTHOMODE Type: Integer Constrains cursor movement to the perpendicular. When

Saved in: Drawing ORTHOMODE is turned on, the cursor can move only
Initial value: 0 horizontally or vertically relative to the UCS and the cur-
rent grid rotation angle.

0 Turns off Ortho mode

1 Turns on Ortho mode

1178 | Chapter B System Variables

OSMODE Type: Integer Sets running Object Snap modes using the following
Saved in: Registry bitcodes:
Initial value: 4133
0 NONe
1 ENDpoint
2 MIDpoint
4 CENter
8 NODe
16 QUAdrant
32 INTersection
64 INSertion
128 PERpendicular
256 TANgent
512 NEArest
1024 QUIck
2048 APParent Intersection
4096 EXTension
8192 PARallel

To specify more than one object snap, enter the sum of

their values. For example, entering 3 specifies the
Endpoint (bitcode 1) and Midpoint (bitcode 2) object
snaps. Entering 16383 specifies all object snaps.

When object snaps are switched off using the Osnap but-
ton on the status bar, a bitcode of 16384 (0x4000) is
returned, in addition to the normal value of OSMODE.
With this additional value, developers can write applica-
tions for AutoCAD, and distinguish this mode from
Object Snap modes that have been turned off from
within the Drafting Settings dialog box. Setting this bit
toggles running object snaps off. Setting OSMODE to a
value with this bit off toggles running object snaps on.

OSNAPCOORD Type: Integer Controls whether coordinates entered on the command

Saved in: Registry line override running object snaps.
Initial value: 2
0 Running object snap settings override keyboard coordi-
nate entry
1 Keyboard entry overrides object snap settings
2 Keyboard entry overrides object snap settings except in
scripts

| 1179
PALETTEOPAQUE Type: Integer Controls whether windows can be made transparent.
Saved in: Registry When transparency is unavailable or turned off, all
Initial Value: 0 palettes are opaque. Transparency is unavailable when
palettes or windows are docked, when transparency is
not supported by the current operating system, and
when hardware accelerators are in use.

When transparency is available and turned on, you can

use the Transparency option on the shortcut menu to set
a different degree of transparency in individual palettes.

0 Transparency turned on by user

1 Transparency turned off by user
2 Transparency unavailable though turned on by user
3 Transparency unavailable and turned off by user

PAPERUPDATE Type: Integer Controls the display of a warning dialog when attempt-
Saved in: Registry ing to print a layout with a paper size different from the
Initial Value: 0 paper size specified by the default for the plotter configu-
ration file.

0 Displays a warning dialog box if the paper size specified

in the layout is not supported by the plotter
1 Sets paper size to the configured paper size of the plotter
configuration file

PDMODE Type: Integer Controls how point objects are displayed. For information
Saved in: Drawing about values to enter, see the POINT command.
Initial value: 0

PDSIZE Type: Real Sets the display size for point objects.
Saved in: Drawing
Initial value: 0.0000 0 Creates a point at 5 percent of the drawing area height
>0 Specifies an absolute size
<0 Specifies a percentage of the viewport size

PEDITACCEPT Type: Integer Suppresses display of the Object Selected Is Not a

Saved in: Registry Polyline prompt in PEDIT. The prompt is followed by Do
Initial value: 0 you want it to turn into one? Entering y converts the
selected object to a polyline. When the prompt is
suppressed, the selected object is automatically
converted to a polyline.

0 The prompt is displayed

1 The prompt is suppressed

PELLIPSE Type: Integer Controls the ellipse type created with ELLIPSE.
Saved in: Drawing
Initial value: 0 0 Creates a true ellipse object.
1 Creates a polyline representation of an ellipse.

1180 | Chapter B System Variables

PERIMETER (Read-only) Stores the last perimeter value computed by the AREA,
Type: Real DBLIST, or LIST commands.
Not saved NOTE The LIST command does not update the
computed perimeter for circles.

PFACEVMAX (Read-only) Sets the maximum number of vertices per face.

Type: Integer
Not saved

PICKADD Type: Integer Controls whether subsequent selections replace the

Saved in: Registry current selection set or add to it.
Initial value: 1
0 Turns off PICKADD. The objects most recently selected
become the selection set. Previously selected objects are
removed from the selection set. Add more objects to the
selection set by pressing SHIFT while selecting.
1 Turns on PICKADD. Each object selected, either individ-
ually or by windowing, is added to the current selection
set. To remove objects from the set, press SHIFT while
selecting.

PICKAUTO Type: Integer Controls automatic windowing at the Select Objects

Saved in: Registry prompt.
Initial value: 1
0 Turns off PICKAUTO
1 Draws a selection window (for either a window or a cross-
ing selection) automatically at the Select Objects prompt

PICKBOX Type: Integer Sets the object selection target height, in pixels.
Saved in: Registry
Initial value: 3

PICKDRAG Type: Integer Controls the method of drawing a selection window.

Saved in: Registry
Initial value: 0 0 Draws the selection window using two points. Click the
pointing device at one corner, and then click to select
another corner.
1 Draws the selection window using dragging. Click one
corner and drag the pointing device; release the button at
the other corner.

PICKFIRST Type: Integer Controls whether you select objects before (noun-verb
Saved in: Registry selection) or after you issue a command.
Initial value: 1
0 Turns off PICKFIRST; you select objects after you issue a
command
1 Turns on PICKFIRST; you select objects before you issue
a command

| 1181
PICKSTYLE Type: Integer Controls the use of group selection and associative hatch
Saved in: Registry selection.
Initial value: 1
0 No group selection or associative hatch selection
1 Group selection
2 Associative hatch selection
3 Group selection and associative hatch selection

PLATFORM (Read-only) Indicates which AutoCAD platform is in use.

Type: String
Not saved

PLINEGEN Type: Integer Sets how linetype patterns generate around the vertices
Saved in: Drawing of a 2D polyline. Does not apply to polylines with tapered
Initial value: 0 segments.

0 Generates polylines to start and end with a dash at each

vertex
1 Generates the linetype in a continuous pattern around the
vertices of the polyline

PLINETYPE Type: Integer Specifies whether optimized 2D polylines are used.

Saved in: Registry PLINETYPE controls both the creation of new polylines
Initial value: 2 with the PLINE command and the conversion of existing
polylines in drawings from previous releases.

0 Polylines in older drawings are not converted when

opened; PLINE creates old-format polylines
1 Polylines in older drawings are not converted when
opened; PLINE creates optimized polylines
2 Polylines in R14 or older drawings are converted when
opened; PLINE creates optimized polylines

For more information on the two formats, see the

CONVERT command.

PLINETYPE also controls the polyline type created with the

following commands: BOUNDARY (when object type is
set to Polyline), DONUT, PEDIT (when selecting a line or
arc), POLYGON, and SKETCH (when SKPOLY is set to 1).

PLINEWID Type: Real Stores the default polyline width.

Saved in: Drawing
Initial value: 0.0000

PLOTOFFSET Type: Integer Controls whether the plot offset is relative to the
Saved in: Registry printable area or to the edge of the paper.
Initial value: 0
0 Sets the plot offset relative to the printable area.
1 Sets the plot offset relative to the edge of the paper.

1182 | Chapter B System Variables

PLOTROTMODE Type: Integer Controls the orientation of plots.
Saved in: Registry
Initial value: 2 0 Rotates the effective plotting area so the corner with the
Rotation icon aligns with the paper at the lower left for 0,
top left for 90, top right for 180, and lower right for 270. X
and Y origin offsets are calculated relative to the lower-left
corner.
1 Aligns the lower-left corner of the effective plotting area
with the lower-left corner of the paper.
2 Works the same as 0 value except that the X and Y origin
offsets are calculated relative to the rotated origin position.

PLQUIET Type: Integer Controls the display of optional plot-related dialog boxes
Saved in: Registry and nonfatal errors for scripts.
Initial Value: 0
0 Displays plot dialog boxes and nonfatal errors
1 Logs nonfatal errors and doesnt display plot-related dia-
log boxes

POLARADDANG Type: String Contains user-defined polar angles. You can add up to 10
Saved in: Registry angles. Each angle can be up to 25 characters, separated
Initial value: null with semicolons (;). The AUNITS system variable sets the
format for display of angles.

Unlike POLARANG, POLARADDANG angles do not result

in multiples of their values.

NOTE When using fractions of an angle, set the AUPREC

system variable (angular precision) to a higher value.
Otherwise, the POLARADDANG value will be rounded off.

POLARANG Type: Real Sets the polar angle increment. Values are 90, 45, 30,
Saved in: Registry 22.5, 18, 15,10, and 5.
Initial value: 90

POLARDIST Type: Real Sets the snap increment when the SNAPTYPE system
Saved in: Registry variable is set to 1 (PolarSnap).
Initial value: 0.0000

| 1183
POLARMODE Type: Integer Controls settings for polar and object snap tracking. The
Saved in: Registry value is the sum of four bitcodes:
Initial value: 0
Polar angle measurements
0 Measure polar angles based on current UCS (absolute)
1 Measure polar angles from selected objects (relative)

Object snap tracking

0 Track orthogonally only
2 Use polar tracking settings in object snap tracking

Use additional polar tracking angles

0 No
4 Yes

Acquire object snap tracking points

0 Acquire automatically
8 Press SHIFT to acquire

POLYSIDES Type: Integer Sets the default number of sides for the POLYGON
Not saved command. The range is 3 to 1024.
Initial value: 4

POPUPS (Read-only) Displays the status of the currently configured display

Type: Integer driver.
Not saved
0 Does not support dialog boxes, the menu bar, and icon
menus
1 Supports these features

PRODUCT (Read-only) Returns the product name.

Type: String
Not saved
Initial value: "AutoCAD"

PROGRAM (Read-only) Returns the program name.

Type: String
Not saved
Initial value: "acad"

1184 | Chapter B System Variables

PROJECTNAME Type: String Assigns a project name to the current drawing. Used
Saved in: Drawing when an xref or image is not found in its original path.
Initial value: "" The project name points to a section in the registry that
can contain one or more search paths for each project
name defined. Project names and their search directories
are created from the Files tab of the Options dialog box.

Project names make it easier for users to manage xrefs

and images when drawings are exchanged between
customers, or if users have different drive mappings to
the same location on a server.

If the xref or image is not found at the original path, the

project paths associated with the project name are
searched. If the xref or image is not found there, the
AutoCAD search path is searched.

PROJMODE Type: Integer Sets the current Projection mode for trimming or
Saved in: Registry extending.
Initial value: 1
0 True 3D mode (no projection)
1 Project to the XY plane of the current UCS
2 Project to the current view plane

PROXYGRAPHICS Type: Integer Specifies whether images of proxy objects are saved in
Saved in: Drawing the drawing.
Initial value: 1
0 Does not save image with the drawing; a bounding box is
displayed instead
1 Saves image with the drawing

PROXYNOTICE Type: Integer Displays a notice when a proxy is created. A proxy is

Saved in: Registry created when you open a drawing containing custom
Initial value: 1 objects created by an application that is not present. A
proxy is also created when you issue a command that
unloads a custom objects parent application.

0 No proxy warning is displayed

1 Proxy warning is displayed

PROXYSHOW Type: Integer Controls the display of proxy objects in a drawing.

Saved in: Registry
Initial value: 1 0 Proxy objects are not displayed
1 Graphic images are displayed for all proxy objects
2 Only the bounding box is displayed for all proxy objects

| 1185
PROXYWEBSEARCH Type: Integer Specifies how the program checks for object enablers.
Saved in: Registry Object enablers allow you to display and use custom
Initial value: 1 objects in drawings even when the ObjectARX
application that created them is unavailable.
PROXYWEBSEARCH is also controlled with the Live
Enabler options on the System tab of the Options dialog
box.

0 Prevents checking for object enablers.

1 Checks for object enablers only if a live Internet connec-
tion is present.

For more information about object enablers, see Work

with Custom and Proxy Objects, in the Users Guide.

PSLTSCALE Type: Integer Controls paper space linetype scaling.

Saved in: Drawing
Initial value: 1 0 No special linetype scaling. Linetype dash lengths are
based on the drawing units of the space (model or paper)
in which the objects were created. Scaled by the global
LTSCALE factor.
1 Viewport scaling governs linetype scaling. If TILEMODE
is set to 0, dash lengths are based on paper space drawing
units, even for objects in model space. In this mode,
viewports can have varying magnifications, yet display
linetypes identically. For a specific linetype, the dash
lengths of a line in a viewport are the same as the dash
lengths of a line in paper space. You can still control the
dash lengths with LTSCALE.

When you change PSLTSCALE or use a command such

as ZOOM with PSLTSCALE set to 1, objects in viewports
are not automatically regenerated with the new linetype
scale. Use the REGEN or REGENALL commands to up-
date the linetype scales in each viewport.

PSTYLEMODE (Read-only) Indicates whether the current drawing is in a Color-

Type: Integer Dependent or Named Plot Style mode.
Saved in: Drawing
Initial value: 1 0 Uses named plot style tables in the current drawing
1 Uses color-dependent plot style tables in the current draw-
ing

PSTYLEPOLICY Type: Integer Controls whether an objects color property is associated

Saved in: Registry with its plot style. The new value you assign affects only
Initial value: 1 newly created drawings and pre-AutoCAD 2000
drawings.

0 No association is made between color and plot style. The

plot style for new objects is set to the default defined in
DEFPLSTYLE. The plot style for new layers is set to the
default defined in DEFLPLSTYLE.
1 An objects plot style is associated with its color.

1186 | Chapter B System Variables

PSVPSCALE Type: Real Sets the view scale factor for all newly created viewports.
Saved in: Drawing The view scale factor is defined by comparing the ratio of
Initial Value: 0 units in paper space to the units in newly created model
space viewports. The view scale factor you set is used
with the VPORTS command. A value of 0 means the scale
factor is Scaled to Fit. A scale must be a positive real
value.

PUCSBASE Type: String Stores the name of the UCS that defines the origin and
Saved in: Drawing orientation of orthographic UCS settings in paper space
Initial value: "" only.

QTEXTMODE Type: Integer Controls how text is displayed.

Saved in: Drawing
Initial value: 0 0 Turns off Quick Text mode; displays characters
1 Turns on Quick Text mode; displays a box in place of text

RASTERDPI Type: Integer Controls paper size and plot scaling when changing from
Saved in: Registry dimensional to dimensionless output devices, or vice
Initial value: 300 versa. Converts milimeters or inches to pixels, or vice
versa. Accepts an integer between 100 and 32,767 as a
valid value.

RASTERPREVIEW Type: Integer Controls whether BMP preview images are saved with the
Saved in: Registry drawing.
Initial value: 1
0 No preview image is created
1 Preview image created

REFEDITNAME (Read-only) Displays the name of the reference being edited.

Type: String
Not Saved
Initial value: ""

REGENMODE Type: Integer Controls automatic regeneration of the drawing.

Saved in: Drawing
Initial value: 1 0 Turns off the REGENAUTO command
1 Turns on the REGENAUTO command

RE-INIT Type: Integer Reinitializes the digitizer, digitizer port, and acad.pgp file
Not saved by using the following bitcodes:
Initial value: 0
1 Digitizer input/output port reinitialization
4 Digitizer reinitialization
16 PGP file reinitialization (reload)

To specify more than one reinitialization, enter the sum

of the bitcode values. For example, enter 5 to specify
both digitizer port (1) and digitizer reinitialization (4).

| 1187
REMEMBERFOLDERS Type: Integer Controls the default path for the Look In or Save In
Saved in: Registry option in standard file selection dialog boxes.
Initial value: 1
0 Restores the behavior of AutoCAD 2000 and previous
releases. When you start AutoCAD by double-clicking an
AutoCAD icon, if a Start In path is specified for the icon,
that path is used as the default for all standard file selec-
tion dialog boxes.
1 Specifies that the default path in each standard file selec-
tion dialog box is the last path used in that dialog box.
The Start In folder specified for the AutoCAD icon is not
used.

REPORTERROR Type: Integer Controls whether an error report can be sent to

Saved in: Registry Autodesk if AutoCAD closes unexpectedly.
Initial value: 1
Error reports help Autodesk diagnose problems with the
software.

0 The Error Report message is not displayed, and no report

can be sent to Autodesk.
1 The Error Report message is displayed, and an error
report can be sent to Autodesk.

ROAMABLEROOTPREFIX(Read-only) Stores the full path to the root folder where roamable
Type: String customizable files were installed. If you are working on a
Saved in: Registry network that supports roaming, when you customize
Initial value: "pathname" files that are in your roaming profile they are available to
you regardless of which machine you are currently using.

These files are stored in the product folder under the

Application Data folder; for example, "C:\Documents and
Settings\username\Application
Data\productname\version\language".

RTDISPLAY Type: Integer Controls the display of raster images and OLE objects
Saved in: Registry during Realtime ZOOM or PAN.
Initial value: 1
0 Displays raster image and OLE content
1 Displays outline only

RTDISPLAY is saved in the current profile.

SAVEFILE (Read-only) Stores the current automatic save file name.

Type: String
Saved in: Registry
Initial value: ""

SAVEFILEPATH Type: String Specifies the path to the directory for all automatic save
Saved in: Registry files for the current session. You can also change the path
Initial value: "C:\TEMP\" on the Files tab in the Options dialog box (see page 624).

1188 | Chapter B System Variables

SAVENAME (Read-only) Stores the file name and directory path of the current
Type: String drawing after you save it.
Not saved
Initial value: ""

SAVETIME Type: Integer Sets the automatic save interval, in minutes.

Saved in: Registry
Initial value: 10 0 Turns off automatic saving
>0 Saves the drawing at intervals specified by the nonzero
integer automatically

The SAVETIME timer starts as soon as you make a change

to a drawing. It is reset and restarted by a manual QSAVE,
SAVE, or SAVEAS. The current drawing is saved to the
path specified by the SAVEFILEPATH system variable. The
file name is stored in the SAVEFILE system variable.

SCREENBOXES (Read-only) Stores the number of boxes in the screen menu area of
Type: Integer the drawing area. If the screen menu is turned off,
Not saved SCREENBOXES is zero. On platforms that permit the
drawing area to be resized or the screen menu to be
reconfigured during an editing session, the value of this
variable might change during the editing session.

SCREENMODE (Read-only) Stores a bitcode indicating the state of the display. It is

Type: Integer the sum of the following bit values:
Not saved
0 Text screen is displayed
1 Drawing area is displayed
2 Dual-screen display is configured

SCREENSIZE (Read-only) Stores current viewport size in pixels (X and Y).

Type: 2D point
Not saved

| 1189
SDI Type: Integer Controls whether the program runs in single- or multiple-
Saved in: Registry document interface. Helps third-party developers update
Initial value: 0 applications to work smoothly with the AutoCAD
multiple-drawing mode.

0 Turns on multiple-drawing interface.

1 Turns off multiple-drawing interface.
2 (Read-only) Multiple-drawing interface is disabled
because an application has been loaded that does not sup-
port multiple drawings. SDI setting 2 is not saved.
3 (Read-only) Multiple-drawing interface is disabled
because the user has set SDI to 1 and AutoCAD has
loaded an application that does not support multiple draw-
ings. (SDI was set to 1 before the application was loaded.)
SDI setting 3 is not saved.

If SDI is set to 3, AutoCAD switches it back to 1 when the

application that doesnt support multiple drawings is
unloaded.

SHADEDGE Type: Integer Controls the shading of edges in rendering.

Saved in: Drawing
Initial value: 3 0 Faces shaded, edges not highlighted
1 Faces shaded, edges drawn in background color
2 Faces not filled, edges in object color
3 Faces in object color, edges in background color

SHADEDIF Type: Integer Sets the ratio of diffuse reflective light to ambient light in
Saved in: Drawing percentage of diffuse reflective light, when SHADEDGE is
Initial value: 70 set to 0 or 1.

SHORTCUTMENU Type: Integer Controls whether Default, Edit, and Command mode
Saved in: Registry shortcut menus are available in the drawing area.
Initial value: 11 SHORTCUTMENU uses the following bitcodes:

0 Disables all Default, Edit, and Command mode shortcut

menus, restoring R14 legacy behavior.
1 Enables Default mode shortcut menus.
2 Enables Edit mode shortcut menus.
4 Enables Command mode shortcut menus. In this case, the
Command mode shortcut menu is available whenever a
command is active.
8 Enables Command mode shortcut menus only when com-
mand options are currently available from the command
line.
16 Enables display of a shortcut menu when the right button
on the pointing device is held down longer.

To enable more than one type of shortcut menu at once,

enter the sum of their values. For example, entering 3
enables both Default (1) and Edit (2) mode shortcut
menus.

1190 | Chapter B System Variables

SHPNAME Type: String Sets a default shape name that must conform to symbol-
Not saved naming conventions. If no default is set, it returns "".
Initial value: "" Enter a period (.) to set no default.

SIGWARN Type: Integer Controls whether a warning is presented when a file with
Saved in: Registry an attached digital signature is opened. If the system
Initial value: 1 variable is on and you open a file with a valid signature,
the digital signature status is displayed. If the variable is
off and you open a file, the digital signature status is
displayed only if a signature is invalid. You can set the
variable using the Display Digital Signature Information
option on the Open and Save tab of the Options dialog
box.

0 Warning is not presented if a file has a valid signature.

1 Warning is presented.

SKETCHINC Type: Real Sets the record increment for the SKETCH command.
Saved in: Drawing
Initial value: 0.1000

SKPOLY Type: Integer Determines whether the SKETCH command generates

Saved in: Drawing lines or polylines.
Initial value: 0
0 Generates lines
1 Generates polylines

SNAPANG Type: Real Sets the snap and grid rotation angle for the current
Saved in: Drawing viewport. The angle you specify is relative to the current
Initial value: 0 UCS.

Changes to this variable are not reflected in the grid until

the display is refreshed. AutoCAD does not redraw auto-
matically when system variable settings are changed.

SNAPBASE Type: 2D point Sets the snap and grid origin point for the current view-
Saved in: Drawing port relative to the current UCS.
Initial value:
0.0000,0.0000 Changes to this variable are not reflected in the grid until
the display is refreshed. AutoCAD does not redraw auto-
matically when system variable settings are changed.

SNAPISOPAIR Type: Integer Controls the isometric plane for the current viewport.
Saved in: Drawing
Initial value: 0 0 Left
1 Top
2 Right

SNAPMODE Type: Integer Turns the Snap mode on and off.

Saved in: Drawing
Initial value: 0 0 Snap off
1 Snap on for the current viewport

| 1191
SNAPSTYL Type: Integer Sets the snap style for the current viewport.
Saved in: Drawing
Initial value: 0 0 Standard (rectangular snap)
1 Isometric snap

SNAPTYPE Type: Integer Sets the type of snap for the current viewport.
Saved in: Registry
Initial Value: 0 0 Grid, or standard snap.
1 PolarSnap. Snaps along polar angle increments. Use
PolarSnap with polar and object snap tracking.

SNAPUNIT Type: 2D point Sets the snap spacing for the current viewport. If SNAPSTYL
Saved in: Drawing is set to 1, AutoCAD adjusts the X value of SNAPUNIT auto-
Initial value: matically to accommodate the isometric snap.
0.5000,0.5000
Changes to this system variable are not reflected in the
grid until the display is refreshed. AutoCAD does not re-
draw automatically when system variable settings are
changed.

SOLIDCHECK Type: Integer Turns the solid validation on and off for the current
Saved in: Not Saved AutoCAD session.
Initial value: 1
0 Turns off solid validation
1 Turns on solid validation

SPLFRAME Type: Integer Controls the display of splines and spline-fit polylines.
Saved in: Drawing
Initial value: 0 0 Does not display the control polygon for splines and
spline-fit polylines. Displays the fit surface of a polygon
mesh, not the defining mesh. Does not display the invisi-
ble edges of 3D faces or polyface meshes.
1 Displays the control polygon for splines and spline-fit
polylines.

SPLINESEGS Type: Integer Sets the number of line segments to be generated for
Saved in: Drawing each spline-fit polyline generated by the Spline option of
Initial value: 8 the PEDIT command.

Valid settings range from 32768 to 32767. If you set

SPLINESEGS to a negative value, AutoCAD generates seg-
ments using the absolute value of the setting, and then
applies a fit-type curve to those segments. Fit-type curves
use arcs as the approximating segments. Using arcs yields
a smoother generated curve when few segments are
specified, but the curve can take longer to generate.

SPLINETYPE Type: Integer Sets the type of curve generated by the Spline option of
Saved in: Drawing the PEDIT command.
Initial value: 6
5 Quadratic B-spline
6 Cubic B-spline

1192 | Chapter B System Variables

SSFOUND (Read-only) Displays the sheet set path and file name if a search for a
Type: String sheet set is successful.
Saved in: Not saved
Initial value: ""

SSLOCATE Type: Integer Controls whether AutoCAD attempts to locate and open
Saved in: User Settings the sheet set associated with a drawing when the
Initial value: 1 drawing is opened.

0 Do not open a drawings sheet set with the drawing

1 Open a drawings sheet set with the drawing

SSMAUTOOPEN Type: Integer Controls whether AutoCAD displays the Sheet Set
Saved in: User Settings Manager when a drawing associated with a sheet is
Initial value: 1 opened.

0 Do not open the Sheet Set Manager automatically

1 Open the Sheet Set Manager automatically

SSMSTATE (Read-only) Determines whether the Sheet Set Manager window is

Type: Integer active or not.
Not saved
Initial value: Varies 0 The Sheet Set Manager is not active
1 The Sheet Set Manager is active

STANDARDS-
VIOLATION Type: Integer Specifies whether a user is notified of standards violations
Saved in: Registry that exist in the current drawing when a nonstandard
Initial value: 2 object is created or modified.
NOTE Changes to the value of this system variable take
effect only when Display Icons from Services is checked in
the Tray Settings dialog box. To display the Tray Settings
dialog box, click the down arrow at the right end of the
tray on the status bar, and then click Tray Settings on the
shortcut menu.

0 Notification is turned off

1 An alert is displayed when a standards violation occurs in
the drawing
2 An icon is displayed in the status bar tray when you open a
file associated with a standards file and when you create or
modify nonstandard objects

| 1193
STARTUP Type: Integer Controls whether the Create New Drawing dialog box is
Saved in: Registry displayed when starting a new drawing with the NEW
Initial Value: 0 and QNEW commands. Also controls whether the Startup
dialog box is displayed when the application is started.

If the FILEDIA system variable is set to 0, no dialog boxes

are displayed.

0 Displays the Select Template dialog box, or uses a default

drawing template file set in the Options dialog box, on the
Files tab.
1 Displays the Startup and the Create New Drawing dialog
boxes.

SURFTAB1 Type: Integer Sets the number of tabulations to be generated for the
Saved in: Drawing RULESURF and TABSURF commands. Also sets the mesh
Initial value: 6 density in the M direction for the REVSURF and
EDGESURF commands.

SURFTAB2 Type: Integer Sets the mesh density in the N direction for the REVSURF
Saved in: Drawing and EDGESURF commands.
Initial value: 6

SURFTYPE Type: Integer Controls the type of surface-fitting to be performed by

Saved in: Drawing the Smooth option of the PEDIT command.
Initial value: 6
5 Quadratic B-spline surface
6 Cubic B-spline surface
8 Bezier surface

SURFU Type: Integer Sets the surface density for PEDIT Smooth in the M
Saved in: Drawing direction.
Initial value: 6

SURFV Type: Integer Sets the surface density for PEDIT Smooth in the N
Saved in: Drawing direction.
Initial value: 6

SYSCODEPAGE (Read-only) Indicates the system code page, which is determined by

Type: String the operating system. To change the code page, see Help
Not saved in your operating system.

TABMODE Type: Integer Controls the use of the tablet. For more information on
Not saved using and configuring a tablet, see the TABLET
Initial value: 0 command.

0 Turns off Tablet mode

1 Turns on Tablet mode

TARGET (Read-only) Stores the location (as a UCS coordinate) of the target
Type: 3D point point for the current viewport.
Saved in: Drawing

1194 | Chapter B System Variables

TBCUSTOMIZE Type: Switch Controls whether toolbars can be customized.
Saved in: Registry
Initial value: 1 0 Disables CUSTOMIZE and TOOLBAR and customiza-
tion from the toolbar shortcut menu
1 Enables toolbar customization

TDCREATE (Read-only) Stores the local time and date the drawing was created.
Type: Real
Saved in: Drawing

TDINDWG (Read-only) Stores the total editing time, which is the total elapsed
Type: Real time between saves of the current drawing. The format is:
Saved in: Drawing
<number of days>.<decimal fraction of a day>

To compute the number of seconds, multiply the decimal

fraction in TDINDWG by 86400 seconds.

TDUCREATE (Read-only) Stores the universal time and date that the drawing was
Type: Real created.
Saved in: Drawing

TDUPDATE (Read-only) Stores the local time and date of the last update/save.
Type: Real
Saved in: Drawing

TDUSRTIMER (Read-only) Stores the user-elapsed timer.

Type: Real
Saved in: Drawing

TDUUPDATE (Read-only) Stores the universal time and date of the last update/save.
Type: Real
Saved in: Drawing

TEMPPREFIX (Read-only) Contains the directory name (if any) configured for
Type: String placement of temporary files, with a path separator
Not saved appended.

TEXTEVAL Type: Integer Controls the method of evaluation of text strings entered
Not saved with the TEXT or -TEXT commands.
Initial value: 0
0 All responses to prompts for text strings and attribute val-
ues are taken literally
1 All text starting from an opening parenthesis [(] or an
exclamation mark [!] is evaluated as an AutoLISP expres-
sion, as for nontextual input

The TEXT command takes all input literally regardless of

the setting of TEXTEVAL unless it is executed completely
with a script or AutoLISP expression. The -TEXT
command honors the setting of TEXTEVAL.

| 1195
TEXTFILL Type: Integer Controls the filling of TrueType fonts while plotting and
Saved in: Registry rendering.
Initial value: 1
0 Displays text as outlines
1 Displays text as filled images

TEXTQLTY Type: Integer Sets the resolution tessellation fineness of text outlines for
Not saved TrueType fonts while plotting and rendering. 0 represents
Initial value: 50 no effort to refine the smoothness of the text; 100
represents a maximum effort to smooth text characters.
Lower values decrease resolution and increase plotting
speed. Higher values increase resolution and decrease
plotting speed.

TEXTSIZE Type: Real Sets the default height for new text objects drawn with
Saved in: Drawing the current text style (has no effect if the style has a fixed
Initial value: 0.2000 height).

TEXTSTYLE Type: String Sets the name of the current text style.
Saved in: Drawing
Initial value: "STANDARD"

THICKNESS Type: Real Sets the current 3D thickness.

Saved in: Drawing
Initial value: 0.0000

TILEMODE Type: Integer Makes the Model tab or the last layout tab current.
Saved in: Drawing
Initial value: 1 0 Makes the last active layout tab (paper space) active
1 Makes the Model tab active

TOOLTIPS Type: Integer Controls the display of tooltips.

Saved in: Registry
Initial value: 1 0 Turns off the display of tooltips
1 Turns on the display of tooltips

TPSTATE (Read-only) Determines whether the Tool Palettes window is active or

Type: Integer not.
Not saved
Initial value: varies 0 The Tool Palettes window is not active
1 The Tool Palettes window is active

TRACEWID Type: Real Sets the default trace width.

Saved in: Drawing
Initial value: 0.0500

1196 | Chapter B System Variables

TRACKPATH Type: Integer Controls the display of polar and object snap tracking
Saved in: Registry alignment paths.
Initial value: 0
0 Displays full-screen object snap tracking path
1 Displays object snap tracking path only between the align-
ment point and the From point to the cursor location
2 Does not display polar tracking path
3 Does not display polar or object snap tracking paths

TRAYICONS Type: Integer Controls whether a tray is displayed on the status bar.
Saved in: Registry
Initial value: 1 0 Does not display a tray
1 Displays a tray

TRAYNOTIFY Type: Integer Controls whether service notifications are displayed in the
Saved in: Registry status bar tray.
Initial value: 1
0 Does not display notifications
1 Displays notifications

TRAYTIMEOUT Type: Integer Controls the length of time (in seconds) that service
Saved in: Registry notifications are displayed. Valid values are 0 to 10.
Initial value: 5

TREEDEPTH Type: Integer Specifies the maximum depth, that is, the number of
Saved in: Drawing times the tree-structured spatial index can divide into
Initial value: 3020 branches.

0 Suppresses the spatial index entirely, eliminating the per-

formance improvements it provides in working with large
drawings. This setting assures that objects are always pro-
cessed in database order.
>0 Turns on spatial indexing. An integer of up to five digits is
valid. The first three digits refer to model space, and the
remaining two digits refer to paper space.
<0 Treats model space objects as 2D (Z coordinates are ig-
nored), as is always the case with paper space objects.
Such a setting is appropriate for 2D drawings and makes
more efficient use of memory without loss of perfor-
mance.

NOTE You cannot use TREEDEPTH transparently.

| 1197
TREEMAX Type: Integer Limits memory consumption during drawing regenera-
Saved in: Registry tion by limiting the number of nodes in the spatial index
Initial value: 10000000 (oct-tree).

By imposing a fixed limit with TREEMAX, you can load

drawings created on systems with more memory than
your system and with a larger TREEDEPTH than your sys-
tem can handle. These drawings, if left unchecked, have
an oct-tree large enough to eventually consume more
memory than is available to your computer. TREEMAX
also provides a safeguard against experimentation with
inappropriately high TREEDEPTH values.

The initial default for TREEMAX is 10000000 (10 million),

a value high enough to effectively disable TREEMAX as a
control for TREEDEPTH. The value to which you should
set TREEMAX depends on your systems available RAM.
You get about 15,000 oct-tree nodes per megabyte of
RAM.

If you want an oct-tree to use up to, but no more than, 2

megabytes of RAM, set TREEMAX to 30000 (2 x 15,000).
If AutoCAD runs out of memory allocating oct-tree nodes,
restart AutoCAD, set TREEMAX to a smaller number, and
try loading the drawing again.

AutoCAD might occasionally run into the limit you set

with TREEMAX. Follow the resulting prompt instructions.
Your ability to increase TREEMAX depends on your com-
puters available memory.

TRIMMODE Type: Integer Controls whether selected edges for chamfers and fillets
Saved in: Registry are trimmed.
Initial value: 1
0 Leaves selected edges intact
1 Trims selected edges to the endpoints of chamfer lines and
fillet arcs

TSPACEFAC Type: Real Controls the multiline text line-spacing distance mea-
Not saved sured as a factor of text height. Valid values are 0.25 to
Initial value: 1.0 4.0.

TSPACETYPE Type: Integer Controls the type of line spacing used in multiline text.
Saved in: Registry At Least adjusts line spacing based on the tallest
Initial value: 1 characters in a line. Exactly uses the specified line
spacing, regardless of individual character sizes.

1 At Least
2 Exactly

1198 | Chapter B System Variables

TSTACKALIGN Type: Integer Controls the vertical alignment of stacked text.
Saved in: Drawing
Initial value: 1 0 Bottom aligned
1 Center aligned
2 Top aligned

TSTACKSIZE Type: Integer Controls the percentage of stacked text fraction height
Saved in: Drawing relative to selected texts current height. Valid values are
Initial value: 70 from 25 to 125.

UCSAXISANG Type: Integer Stores the default angle when rotating the UCS around
Saved in: Registry one of its axes using the X, Y, or Z options of the UCS
Initial value: 90 command. Its value must be entered as an angle in
degrees (valid values are: 5, 10, 15, 18, 22.5, 30, 45, 90,
180).

UCSBASE Type: String Stores the name of the UCS that defines the origin and
Saved in: Drawing orientation of orthographic UCS settings. Valid values
Initial value: "WORLD" include any named UCS.

UCSFOLLOW Type: Integer Generates a plan view whenever you change from one
Saved in: Drawing UCS to another. Set UCSFOLLOW separately for each
(viewport specific) viewport. If UCSFOLLOW is on for a particular viewport,
Initial value: 0 AutoCAD generates a plan view in that viewport when-
ever you change coordinate systems. Once the new UCS
has been established, you can use DVIEW, PLAN, VIEW, or
VPOINT to change the view of the drawing. It will change
to a plan view again the next time you change coordinate
systems.

0 UCS does not affect the view

1 Any UCS change causes a change to the plan view of the
new UCS in the current viewport

The setting of UCSFOLLOW is maintained separately for

paper space and model space and can be accessed in
either, but the setting is ignored while in paper space (it is
always treated as if set to 0). Although you can define a
non-world UCS in paper space, the view remains in plan
view to the world coordinate system.

| 1199
UCSICON Type: Integer Displays the UCS icon for the current viewport using
Saved in: Drawing bitcode. UCSICON is both a command and a system
(viewport specific) variable. It is the sum of the following:
Initial value: 3
0 No icon displayed
1 On; icon is displayed
2 Origin; if icon is displayed, the icon floats to the UCS ori-
gin if possible
3 On and displayed at origin

The UCSICON command controls the visibility and place-

ment of the UCS icon. Because entering ucsicon at the
Command prompt invokes the UCSICON command, you
must use the SETVAR command to access the UCSICON
system variable.

UCSNAME (Read-only) Stores the name of the current coordinate system for the
Type: String current viewport in the current space. Returns a null
Saved in: Drawing string if the current UCS is unnamed.
(viewport specific)

UCSORG (Read-only) Stores the origin point of the current coordinate system
Type: 3D point for the current viewport in the current space. This value is
Saved in: Drawing always stored as a world coordinate.
(viewport specific)

UCSORTHO Type: Integer Determines whether the related orthographic UCS set-
Saved in: Registry ting is restored automatically when an orthographic view
Initial value: 1 is restored.

0 Specifies that the UCS setting remains unchanged when

an orthographic view is restored
1 Specifies that the related orthographic UCS setting is
restored automatically when an orthographic view is
restored

UCSVIEW Type: Integer Determines whether the current UCS is saved with a
Saved in: Registry named view.
Initial value: 1
0 Does not save current UCS with a named view
1 Saves current UCS whenever a named view is created

UCSVP Type: Integer Determines whether the UCS in viewports remains fixed
Saved in: Drawing or changes to reflect the UCS of the current viewport.
(viewport specific)
Initial value: 1 0 Unlocked; UCS reflects the UCS of the current viewport
1 Locked; UCS stored in viewport, and is independent of the
UCS of the current viewport

UCSXDIR (Read-only) Stores the X direction of the current UCS for the current
Type: 3D point viewport in the current space.
Saved in: Drawing
(viewport specific)

1200 | Chapter B System Variables

UCSYDIR (Read-only) Stores the Y direction of the current UCS for the current
Type: 3D point viewport in the current space.
Saved in: Drawing
(viewport specific)

UNDOCTL (Read-only) Stores a bitcode indicating the state of the Auto and
Type: Integer Control options of the UNDO command. Its the sum of
Not saved the following values:

0 UNDO is turned off

1 UNDO is turned on
2 Only one command can be undone
4 Auto is turned on
8 A group is currently active

UNDOMARKS (Read-only) Stores the number of marks placed in the UNDO control
Type: Integer stream by the Mark option. The Mark and Back options
Not saved are not available if a group is currently active.

UNITMODE Type: Integer Controls the display format for units.

Saved in: Drawing
Initial value: 0 0 Displays fractional, feet-and-inches, and surveyors angles
as previously set
1 Displays fractional, feet-and-inches, and surveyors angles
in input format

UPDATETHUMBNAIL Type: Bitcode Controls updating of the thumbnail previews in the Sheet
Saved in: Drawing Set Manager. The setting is stored as a bitcode using the
Initial value: 15 sum of the following values.

0 Does not update thumbnail previews for sheet views,

model space views, or sheets
1 Updates sheet view thumbnail previews
2 Updates model view thumbnail previews
4 Updates sheet thumbnail previews
8 Updates thumbnail previews when sheets or views are
created, modified, or restored
16 Updates thumbnail previews when the drawing is saved

NOTE

USERI1-5 Type: Integer USERI1, USERI2, USERI3, USERI4, and USERI5 are used for
Saved in: Drawing storage and retrieval of integer values.
Initial value: 0

USERR1-5 Type: Real USERR1, USERR2, USERR3, USERR4, and USERR5 are used
Saved in: Drawing for storage and retrieval of real numbers.
Initial value: 0.0000

USERS1-5 Type: String USERS1, USERS2, USERS3, USERS4, and USERS5 are used
Not saved for storage and retrieval of text string data.
Initial Value: ""

| 1201
VIEWCTR (Read-only) Stores the center of view in the current viewport.
Type: 3D point Expressed as a UCS coordinate.
Saved in: Drawing

VIEWDIR (Read-only) Stores the viewing direction in the current viewport. Ex-
Type: 3D vector pressed in UCS coordinates. This describes the camera
Saved in: Drawing point as a 3D offset from the target point.

VIEWMODE (Read-only) Stores the View mode for the current viewport using
Type: Integer bitcode. The value is the sum of the following:
Saved in: Drawing
0 Turned off.
1 Perspective view active.
2 Front clipping on.
4 Back clipping on.
8 UCS Follow mode on.
16 Front clip not at eye. If on, the front clip distance
(FRONTZ) determines the front clipping plane. If off,
FRONTZ is ignored, and the front clipping plane is set to
pass through the camera point (vectors behind the camera
are not displayed). This flag is ignored if the front-clipping
bit (2) is off.

VIEWSIZE (Read-only) Stores the height of the current viewport in drawing

Type: Real units.
Saved in: Drawing

VIEWTWIST (Read-only) Stores the view twist angle for the current viewport.
Type: Real
Saved in: Drawing

VISRETAIN Type: Integer Controls the visibility, color, linetype, lineweight, and plot
Saved in: Drawing styles (if PSTYLEPOLICY is set to 0) of xref-dependent
Initial value: 1 layers.

0 The layer table, as stored in the reference drawing (xref)

takes precedence. Changes made to xref-dependent layers
in the current drawing are valid in the current session only
and are not saved with the drawing. When the current
drawing is reopened, the layer table is reloaded from the
reference drawing and the current drawing reflects those
settings. The layer settings affected are On, Off, Freeze,
Thaw, Color, Ltype, LWeight, and PStyle (if PSTYLE-
POLICY is set to 0).
1 Xref-dependent layer changes made in the current draw-
ing take precedence. Layer settings are saved with the
current drawings layer table and persist from session to
session.

1202 | Chapter B System Variables

VPMAXIMIZEDSTATE (Read-only) Stores a value that indicates whether the viewport is
Type: Integer maximized. You cannot plot or publish when the
Not saved viewport is maximized.
Intial value: 0
0 Not maximized
1 Maximized

VSMAX (Read-only) Stores the upper-right corner of the current viewports

Type: 3D point virtual screen. Expressed as a UCS coordinate.
Saved in: Drawing

VSMIN (Read-only) Stores the lower-left corner of the current viewports

Type: 3D point virtual screen. Expressed as a UCS coordinate.
Saved in: Drawing

WHIPARC Type: Integer Controls whether the display of circles and arcs is
Saved in: Registry smooth.
Initial value: 0
0 Circles and arcs are not smooth, but rather are displayed as
a series of vectors
1 Circles and arcs are smooth, displayed as true circles and
arcs

WHIPTHREAD Type: Integer Controls whether to use an additional processor (known

Saved in: Registry as multithreaded processing) to improve the speed of
Initial value: 1 operations such as ZOOM and PAN that redraw or
regenerate the drawing. WHIPTHREAD has no effect on
single processor machines.

0 No multithreaded processing; restricts regeneration and

redraw processing to a single processor. This setting
restores the legacy behavior of AutoCAD 2000 and previ-
ous releases.
1 Regeneration multithreaded processing only; regeneration
processing is distributed across two processors on a multi-
processor machine.
2 Redraw multithreaded processing only; redraw processing
is distributed across two processors on a multiprocessor
machine.
3 Regeneration and redraw multithreaded processing; regen-
eration and redraw processing is distributed across two
processors on a multiprocessor machine.

NOTE When multithreaded processing is used for

redraw operations (value 2 or 3), the order of objects
specified with the DRAWORDER command is not
guaranteed to be preserved for display but is preserved
for plotting.

| 1203
WMFBKGND Type: Integer Controls whether the background display of AutoCAD
Not saved objects is transparent in other applications when these
Initial value: Off objects are

Output to a Windows metafile using the WMFOUT

command
Copied to the Clipboard in AutoCAD and pasted as a
Windows metafile
Dragged and dropped from AutoCAD as a Windows
metafile

The AutoCAD defined values are:

Off The background color is transparent. The foreground color

will depend on the setting of WMFFOREGND.
On The background color is the same as the AutoCAD current
background color, whether in model space or in a layout.
The foreground color remains unchanged.

WMFFOREGND Type: Integer Controls the assignment of the foreground color of

Not saved AutoCAD objects in other applications when these
Initial value: Off objects are:

Output to a Windows metafile using the WMFOUT

command
Copied to the Clipboard in AutoCAD and pasted as a
Windows metafile
Dragged and dropped from AutoCAD as a Windows
metafile

WMFFOREGND applies only when WMFBKGND is set to

Off.

The AutoCAD defined values are:

Off The foreground and background colors are swapped if

necessary to ensure that the foreground color is darker
than the background color
On The foreground and background colors are swapped if
necessary to ensure that the foreground color is lighter
than the background color

WORLDUCS (Read-only) Indicates whether the UCS is the same as the WCS.
Type: Integer
Not saved 0 UCS differs from the WCS
1 UCS matches the WCS

WORLDVIEW Type: Integer Determines whether input to the 3DORBIT, DVIEW, and
Saved in: Drawing VPOINT commands is relative to the WCS (default) or the
Initial value: 1 current UCS.

0 UCS remains unchanged

1 UCS changes to the WCS for the duration of the com-
mand; the command input is relative to the current UCS

1204 | Chapter B System Variables

WRITESTAT (Read-only) Indicates whether a drawing file is read-only or can be
Type: Integer written to. For developers who need to determine write
Not saved status through AutoLISP.
Initial value: 1
0 Cant write to the drawing
1 Can write to the drawing

XCLIPFRAME Type: Integer Controls the visibility of xref clipping boundaries.

Saved in: Drawing
Initial value: 0 0 Clipping boundary is not visible
1 Clipping boundary is visible

XEDIT Type: Integer Controls whether the current drawing can be edited in-
Saved in: Drawing place when being referenced by another drawing.
Initial value: 1
0 Cant use in-place reference editing
1 Can use in-place reference editing

XFADECTL Type: Integer Controls the fading intensity percentage for references
Saved in: Registry being edited in-place. Valid values are from 0 to 90
Initial value: 50

XLOADCTL Type: Integer Turns xref demand-loading on and off, and controls
Saved in: Registry whether referenced drawing files are opened or copies of
Initial value: 2 referenced drawing files are opened.

0 Turns off demand-loading; the entire drawing is loaded.

1 Turns on demand-loading. Referenced drawings are kept
open and locked.
2 Turns on demand-loading. Copies of referenced drawings
are opened and locked; referenced drawings are not
locked.

When XLOADCTL is set to 2, a copy of each referenced

drawing file is stored in the folder specified by the
XLOADPATH system variable or the temporary files folder
(set in the Options dialog box). Additionally, xrefs load
faster when you work across a network: the performance
enhancement is most pronounced when you open
drawings with many xrefs.

XLOADPATH Type: String Creates a path for storing temporary copies of demand-
Saved in: Registry loaded xref files. For more information, see XLOADCTL.
Initial value: ""

XREFCTL Type: Integer Controls whether external reference log (XLG) files are
Saved in: Registry created.
Initial value: 0
0 Does not write log files
1 Writes log files

| 1205
XREFNOTIFY Type: Integer Controls the notification for updated or missing xrefs.
Saved in: Registry
Initial value: 2 0 Disables xref notification
1 Enables xref notification. Notifies you that xrefs are
attached to the current drawing by displaying the xref icon
in the lower-right corner of the application window (the
notification area of the status bar tray). When you open a
drawing, alerts you to missing xrefs by displaying the xref
icon with a yellow alert symbol (!).
2 Enables xref notification and balloon messages. Displays
the xref icon as in 1 above. Also displays balloon mes-
sages in the same area when xrefs are modified. The num-
ber of minutes between checking for modified xrefs is
controlled by the system registry variable XNOTIFY-
TIME.

XREFTYPE Type: Integer Controls the default reference type when attaching or
Saved in: Registry overlaying an external reference.
Initial value: 0
0 Attachment is the default
1 Overlay is the default

ZOOMFACTOR Type: Integer Accepts an integer between 3 and 100 as valid values.
Saved in: Registry The higher the number, the more incremental the
Initial value: 60 change applied by each forward/backward movement of
a mouse-wheel.

1206
Utilities
C
This section describes the AutoCAD utilities. You run In this appendix
these utilities separately from AutoCAD. Attach Digital Signatures
Batch Standards Checker
SLIDELIB

1207
Attach Digital Signatures
Attaches a digital signature to files
Start menu (Windows): Programs Autodesk AutoCAD 2005 Attach
Digital Signatures
Command line: (DOS) AcSignApply.exe

The Attach Digital Signatures dialog box is displayed.

Attach Digital Signatures Dialog Box

Selects the files for attachment of digital signatures.
Files to Be Signed
Lists the names of the files to be signed, the folder in which each file resides,
and the current status of the file.
Add Files
Opens the Select File dialog box, where you select the files for digital
signature.
Search Folders
Opens the Search Folders dialog box, where you can search for files in the
folder you specify.
Remove
Removes selected files from the Files to Be Signed list.
Clear List
Removes all files from the Files to Be Signed list.
Number of Files to Sign
Displays the number of files that the Attach Digital Signatures program will
attempt to sign.
Select a Digital ID (Certificate)
Displays a list of digital IDs that you can use to sign files. Includes informa-
tion about the organization or individual to whom the digital ID was issued,
the digital ID vendor who issued the digital ID, and when the digital ID
expires.
Signature Information
Provides a list of time services you can use to add a time stamp to your digital
signature, the status of the time server connection, and a Comments area (to
include information relevant to the digital signature or to the files you are
signing).

1208 | Appendix C Utilities

 Get Time Stamp From
Provides a list of time servers you can use to time stamp your digital signature
and includes the connection status of the time server.
Time Service Status
Displays the connection status (Successfully Contacted Time Server or Could
Not Contact Time Server) of the time service.
Comment
Provides a place to include information relevant to the digital signature or to
the files you are signing.
Sign Files
Attaches a digital signature to every file listed in this dialog box.

Search Folders Dialog Box

Searches for folders that contain files you want to digitally sign.
Start in Folder
Enters the name of the folder where you want to begin the search for files you
want to sign.
Include Subfolders
Searches subfolders of the folder in the Start in Folder box.
Browse
Opens the Browse for Folder dialog box, where you can choose a folder to
search.
Search for Files Named
Searches for the file type you specify.
You can specify DWG, DWS, and DWT files, as well as EXE and ZIP files gen-
erated by eTransmit.

Batch Standards Checker

Audits a set of drawings for standards violations
Start menu (Windows): Programs Autodesk AutoCAD Batch Stan-
dards Checker
The Batch Standards Checker Window is displayed.

Attach Digital Signatures | 1209

 Batch Standards Checker Window
The Batch Standards Checker audits a series of drawings for standards viola-
tions and creates an XML-based summary report detailing all violations. To
use the Batch Standards Checker, you must first create a standards check file
that specifies the drawings to audit and the standards files used for the audit.
The Batch Standards Checker contains the following tabs:

Drawings
Standards
Plug-ins
Notes
Progress

The Batch Standards Checker toolbar contains additional options.

Drawings Tab (Batch Standards Checker)

Allows you to create a list of drawings to audit for standards violations.
Drawings to Lists the drawings to audit for standards violations. To
Check add a drawing, click Add Drawing. To remove a
drawing, click Remove Drawing. An exclamation mark
precedes any drawings that the Batch Standards
Checker cant locate. Drawings are audited in the order
in which they are listed. To reorder drawings in the list,
click Move Up or Move Down.
Add Standards Opens a standard file selection dialog box, where you
File can locate and select a drawing to audit.
Remove Drawing Removes a drawing from the list displayed in Drawings
to Check.
Move Up Moves the currently selected drawing up one position
in the list displayed in Drawings to Check.
Move Down Moves a standards file down one position in the list
displayed in Standards Used for Checking All Drawings.
Description Provides summary information about the drawing file
currently selected in Drawings to Check.
Check External Determines if external references (xrefs) are added to
References of the Drawings to Check list. If checked, external
Listed Drawings references are added to the list as soon as you start a
batch standards audit.

1210 | Appendix C Utilities

Standards Tab (Batch Standards Checker)
Allows you to specify what standards files are used to verify named objects
during the batch standards audit.
Check Each Specifies auditing each drawing using the standards
Drawing Using Its files that are associated with it. If this option is selected,
Associated the remaining options on the tab are not available.
Standards Files
Check All Specifies ignoring the standards files that are associated
Drawings Using with individual drawings and using the ones you select
the Following in Standards Used for Checking All Drawings instead.
Standards Files
Standards Used Lists the standards files used to audit the drawings. To
for Checking All add a standards file, click Add Standards File. To remove
Drawings a standards file, click Remove Standards File. If conflicts
arise between multiple standards in this list (for
example, if two standards files specify layers of the same
name but with different properties), the standards file
that is shown first in the list takes precedence. To
change the position of a standards file in the list, select
it and click Move Up or Move Down.
Add Standards Adds a standards file to the list displayed in Standards
File Used for Checking All Drawings.
Remove Removes a standards file from the list displayed in
Standards File Standards Used for Checking All Drawings.
Move Up Moves a standards file up one position in the list
displayed in Standards Used for Checking All Drawings.
Move Down Moves a standards file down one position in the list
displayed in Standards Used for Checking All Drawings.
Description Provides summary information about the standards file
currently selected in the list.

Plug-ins Tab (Batch Standards Checker)

Lists the standards plug-ins that are installed on the current system. A stan-
dards plug-in is installed for each of the named objects for which standards
can be defined (layers, dimension styles, linetypes, and text styles). In the
future, it is expected that third-party applications will be able to install addi-
tional plug-ins.

Attach Digital Signatures | 1211

 Plug-ins Used Displays a list of all the standards plug-ins on the
When Checking current system. You specify at least one plug-in to use
Standards when auditing a drawing by selecting from the list. The
selected plug-ins are used when checking standards for
the entire series of drawings.
Description Provides summary information about the plug-in
currently selected in the list.

Notes Tab (Batch Standards Checker)

Allows you to add notes to the XML report.
Enter Notes to Allows you to enter additional notes for inclusion in
Include in Report the report.

Progress Tab (Batch Standards Checker)

Provides summary information about the status of the current batch stan-
dards audit.

1212 | Appendix C Utilities

Batch Standards Checker Toolbar

New Creates a new standards

check file with a .chx file
name extension. Standards
check files specify what
drawings and standards files
are used by the batch audit.

Open Opens a standard file

selection dialog box, where
you can select a standards
check file.

Save Saves the current standards

check file.

Save As Opens a standard file save

dialog box, where you can
specify a name and location
to save a standards check file.

Start Check Begins a batch audit using the

currently loaded standards
check file. This button is
available only when you have
added drawings, associated a
standards file, and selected at
least one plug-in to use when
checking for standards
violations.

Stop Check Stops a previously started

batch audit operation. This
button is available only if a
batch audit is currently in
progress.

View Report Displays an HTML report

summarizing the results of
the batch audit. This button is
available when a batch audit
report is available for viewing.
The contents of the report are
included with the standards
check file.

Attach Digital Signatures | 1213

 Export Report Exports an HTML report that
can be distributed to other
users. This button is available
only when a batch audit has
been completed and a report
is available to export. This
button also allows you to
optimize existing XML reports
that were created with a
previous version of the CAD
Standards feature, in order to
improve report printing
quality.

SLIDELIB
Compiles slide files listed in an ASCII file into a slide library file
You can construct slide library files (SLB) from slide files (SLD) by using the
SLIDELIB utility program supplied in the support folder. The following operat-
ing system command line syntax constructs a slide library:
slidelib library [ < slidelist ]
where
library specifies the slide library file (extension .slb) into which the slide files
(extension .sld) are added. slidelist specifies a list of slide files. If you want to
specify a file extension, it must be .sld.
SLIDELIB reads a list of slide file names. This list is normally supplied by redi-
recting a list of files (one per line in another file created using a text editor or
a user-supplied utility program) to standard input.
The operating system commands shown below will create a slidelist file that
can be used with SLIDELIB. All the slide files you want to compile into a slide
library should be placed in a single directory. At a DOS prompt (version 5.0
or newer), enter the following:
dir *.sld /b > mylist

1214 | Appendix C Utilities

This creates the mylist file, which you can pass to SLIDELIB. You can also
create the mylist file with a text editor by listing the slide file names (and
paths, if necessary), such as lobby, d:\slides\office, and \aec\slides\stairs. The
slide file name, but not the drive and directory information, is saved in the
library file. Because only the file name is included, a library can contain slides
with the same name from different directories, but AutoCAD can access only
one of the slides.
To generate the slide library mlib from mylist, enter the following:
slidelib mlib < mylist
This entry creates the file mlib.slb, which contains the names and definitions
of the slides listed in mylist.

Warning! Do not delete your original slides. SLIDELIB has no provision for
updating a slide library once it is created. If you want to add or delete a slide,
update the slidelist file and re-create the library with SLIDELIB. All the original
slides must be present in order to do this.

Attach Digital Signatures | 1215

1216
Index

.chx extension for standards check files, 1213 3D objects (continued)

.NET application geometry, 23
loading, 595 removing hidden lines in. See removing
< > (angle brackets), 742 hidden lines in 3D objects
$#$ prefixes on names, 797 rendering options, 22
255 AutoCAD colors. See AutoCAD Color Index silhouettes, 633
(ACI) 3D Orbit view, 643
< > (angle brackets) 3DCONFIG command
generated measurement indicators, 267, about, 20
270 acceleration, 24
prefixes and suffixes in annotations, 478 adaptive degradation, 20
' (apostrophe), transparent command character, dynamic tessellation, 21
3 geometry, 23
* (asterisk) render options, 22
to write an entire drawing to an output file, (degree sign), creating, 580, 1004
1089 (diameter symbol), entering, 580, 1004, 1008
as a wild-card character, 50, 804 Euro symbol , 1005
finding files, 616 $ (dollar sign)
@ (at sign) external reference names, 1117, 1118
to reference the last point, 419 in dependent symbols, 1104, 1106
\ (backslash) 3DORBITCTR command, 33
in attribute definitions, 93 .dxx extension for DXF template extraction files,
to select null attribute values, 92 95, 96
^ (caret) = (equal sign)
stacked text indicator, 568, 575 specifying same name for a block and output
crtc notation, 581 file, 1089
3D Graphics System Configuration dialog box, (Euro symbol), 632
643 ! (exclamation point)
about, 660 for drawings not located in batch standards
dynamic tessellation, 660 audits, 1210
object smoothness, 660 / (forward slash), stacked text indicator, 568, 575
3D objects % (percent sign)
adaptive degradation, 20 entering, 1004
command line options, 20 . (period), to access a built-in AutoCAD
display options, 642 command, 1043
dynamic tessellation, 21

1217
+ (plus sign) 3D solid faces (continued)
UCS icon symbol, 1033 extruding, 921
# (pound sign) moving, 925
displaying in fields, 378 of polyface meshes, defining, 703
stacked text indicator, 568, 575 offsetting, 928
? (question mark) render options for, 845, 846, 849
as wild card for searching, 50 rotating, 925
finding files, 616 tapering, 928
[ ] (square brackets) undoing actions to, 921, 931, 935
generated measurement indicators, 271 3D solids
~ (tilde) See also solids
to display a standard file selection dialog 3D Studio File Export Options dialog box, 38
box, 536, 684, 790, 970, 602, 3D Studio File Import Options dialog box, 35
622 3D Studio files
(tolerance symbol), entering, 580, 1004, 580 exporting to, 38
_ (underscore character), in field names, 348 importing, 35
| (vertical bar) 3D UCS icon, 1034, 1036
in dependent symbols, 1104, 1105, 1118 3D viewing direction, setting, 250
2D UCS icon, 1034, 1036 3D viewport configuration setup, 1080, 1081
broken pencil icon replacement, 1034 3DARRAY command, 16
2D viewport configuration setup, 1080, 1081 3DCLIP command
2P circle specification, 170 about, 17
3 Point method for defining a UCS, 1027 3DCONFIG command
3D arrays, 16 using Lights option to display lights in
3D boxes, 7 drawing, 482
3D command, 7 3DCORBIT command, 25, 31
3D faces 3DDISTANCE command, 26, 30
changing edge visibility of, 349 3DFACE command, 26
creating, 26 3DMESH command, 28
3D mirror images, 545 3DORBIT command
3D Orbit shortcut menu, 31 about, 28
3D Orbit view cursor icons, 29
center of rotation, 33 presetting the view, 33
3D polygon mesh objects projection options, 32
creating, 350 resetting the view, 33
editing, 700 shading modes, 32
3D polylines starting 3DCLIP with, 17
adding vertices to, 698 starting 3DCORBIT with, 25
aligning the axis of rotation with, 926 starting 3DDISTANCE with, 26
closed, 697 starting 3DPAN with, 34
converting to splines, 951 starting 3DSWIVEL with, 40
creating, 34 starting 3DZOOM with, 41
decurving, 700 target point of, 28
editing vertices of, 698 view options, 30
opening, 697 visual aids, 32
trimming, 1022 3DORBIT shortcut menu, 30
3D projection coordinates for mapping, 883 3DPAN command, 30, 34
3D rectangular arrays, 16 3DPOLY command, 34
3D solid edges 3DSIN command
changing color of, 932 about, 35
copying, 931 3DSOUT command
removing from a selection set, 932 about, 38
undoing changes to, 932, 935 3DSWIVEL command, 31, 40
3D solid faces, 929 3DZOOM command, 30, 41
changing color of, 930 3P circle specification, 170
creating, 26 (degree sign), creating, 1004
3D solid faces, 929

1218 | Index
A Add Page Setup dialog box
about, 720
ABOUT command, 43 displaying, 712
above, moving objects to top, 313 Add Plot Style Table wizard, 673, 717
abs function (CAL command), 145 Add Profile dialog box
absolute paths about, 662
for archive packages, 68 displaying, 654
in transmittal packages, 364 Add/Modify FTP Locations dialog box
AC$ (temporary) files, 636 about, 618
acad.dwt file, 1194 displaying, 612
acad.lsp file, 644, 1134 Add-a-Plot-Style-Table wizard, 972
acad.mln (multiline library) file, 559, 560 Add-a-Plotter wizard, 737
acad.mnu (template menu) file, 533 adding
acad.pat (hatch pattern library) file, 113, 120, drawing sheets from other drawings, 765
401 page setups, 712
acad.pgp (program parameters) file, 803, 1042 standards files to current drawings, 959
acad_asi.hlp file, 225 Adjust Background Bitmap Placement dialog
acaddoc.lsp file, 644 box, 102
acadiso.pat (metric hatch pattern definition) file, Adjust Clipping Planes window, 18
113, 120, 401 shortcut menu, 18
ACADLSPASDOC system variable, 644, 1134 Adjust Cylindrical Coordinates dialog box, 879
ACADPREFIX system variable, 1134 Adjust Material Bitmap Placement dialog box,
ACADVER system variable, 1134 825
acceleration Adjust Object Bitmap Placement dialog box, 884
in 3D view, 24 Adjust Planar Coordinates dialog box, 878
accumulation options, 227 Adjust Spherical Coordinates dialog box, 881
AcEd-registered commands, 81 Adjust UVW Coordinates dialog box, 883
ACI. See AutoCAD Color Index (ACI) ADT (audit) files, 98
ACIS files (SAT format) Advanced Options dialog box, 729, 872
exporting to, 43 Advanced Settings for COM dialog box, 752
importing, 43 Advanced Setup wizard, starting drawings, 600
ACISIN command, 43 Advanced tab
ACISOUT command, 43 Boundary Hatch and Fill dialog box, 115
ACISOUTVER system variable, 1134 Hatch Edit dialog box, 407
aclt.pat (hatch pattern library file), 113, 120, 401 Search dialog box (DesignCenter), 51
acltiso.pat (pattern) file, 113, 120, 401 Aerial View window
adaptive adjustment linetype setting, 977 about, 324
adaptive degradation Auto Viewport and Dynamic Update options
bounding box, 21 (Options menu), 326
display options, 20 zoom and view options, 324
flat shaded, 20 Affine transformation type, 993
FPS speed, 21 AFLAGS system variable, 84, 86, 1134
wireframe, 21 alerts
adaptive sampling beep on error, 644
render options, 848 standards violations, 960
ADCCLOSE command, 44 ALIGN command, 52
ADCENTER command aligned dimensions
DesignCenter, 44 linear, 254, 279
Search dialog box, 48 aligning
ADCNAVIGATE command, 51 attribute tags, 86
ADCSTATE system variable, 1134 axis of rotation, 837, 926
Add Custom Property dialog box, 341 cutting planes, 912, 913
about, 901 dimension text, 292, 308
displaying, 901 landscape objects, 508, 510
Add mode (AREA command), 71 mirroring planes, 546
Add object selection method, 874 objects
in 2D or 3D, 43

Index | 1219
aligning (continued) angles (continued)
sectioning planes, 868 for dimension text
text, 447, 999 DIMALIGNED command and, 257
fractions in text, 574 DIMANGULAR command and, 260
multiline text, 577 DIMDIAMETER command and, 266
in table cells, 990 DIMEDIT command and, 268
viewport base points, 587 DIMLINEAR command and, 271
alignment vector display options, 649 DIMORDINATE command and, 276
All object selection method, 873 DIMRADIUS command and, 279
almost equal symbol, 581 DIMTEDIT command and, 309
Alternate Font dialog box, 626, 654 for elliptical arcs, 354
alternate font file, specifying location of, 626 for extrusion, 374
alternate units (for dimensions) format and precision settings, 1047
settings, 299, 303 formatting for CAL command, 139
Alternate Units tab (New Dimension Style dialog for gradient fills, 119
box), 299 for hatch patterns, 114, 401, 404
altitude for leader segments, 782
displayed in the Sun Angle Calculator, 493 for multiline end caps, 563
for distant light, 488 obtaining, 151
ambient color (of materials) between points, measuring, 309
adjusting, 822 for polar arrays, 80
ambient light positive, calculating, 1048, 1051
adjusting, 484 of revolution, 816
turning on, 482, 887 setting format and direction with the
AME (Advanced Modeling Extension) Advanced Setup wizard, 601
converting to AutoCAD solids, 54 setting viewing angles, 250
AMECONVERT command, 54 of spotlights, 490
ang function (CAL command), 151 of taper, for extrusion, 923
ANGBASE system variable, 1134 angtos AutoLISP function, 298, 303
ANGDIR system variable, 1134 angular dimensions
angle brackets arc selection, 258
open and close (< >), 267 associativity, 279
generated measurement indicators, circle selection, 258
270 creating
plotter setting changes, 742 with DIMBASELINE, 260
prefixes and suffixes in annotations, with DIMCONTINUE, 262
478 format and precision settings, 298
angle direction line selection, 258
settings (in Advanced Setup wizard), 601 three-point specification, 258
angle measure settings, Advanced Setup wizard, zero suppression, 298
601 Annotation tab (Leader Settings dialog box), 781
angle symbol, 581 annotations
angled alignment for viewports, 588 for leader lines, in XML standards reports,
angles 477, 778
for arc segments, 706 anonymous logons, 619
for arcs, 60, 61, 62 ANSI (American National Standards Institute),
changing with LENGTHEN, 479 119
base angle direction controls, 1049 anti-aliasing
for camera positioning, 328, 330 lines, in 3D view, 25
for construction lines, 1109 render options
current, precision for, 1048 and anti-aliasing lines, 25
for Photo Raytrace rendering type, 848
for Photo Real rendering type, 846

1220 | Index
APBOX system variable, 649, 650, 1135 arcs (continued)
APERATURE system variable, 650 cloud shapes, 814
aperture box (AutoSnap), 649 creating, 59
APERTURE command, 55 creating regions from, 802
aperture display size option, 650 for defining angular dimensions, 258
APERTURE system variable, 1135 diameter dimensions for, 264
apex point display resolution option, 631
cones, 178 dividing, 310
elliptical cones, 180 extending, 369
pyramids, 12 filleting, 380
tetrahedrons, 13 joining to polylines, 690
apostrophe ('), transparent command character, radial dimensions for, 277
3 tangents for arcs, 62
Apparent Intersection object snap, 664 trimming, 1022
applications VIEWRES and, 1072
adding to the history list, 57 See also elliptical arcs
adding to the Startup Suite, 59 AREA command, 70
loading/unloading, 55 AREA system variable, 70, 1135
APPLOAD command areas
about, 55 calculating
applications/file types supported by, 55 selecting objects, 70, 72
Load/Unload Applications dialog box, 56 selecting points, 70, 71
Startup Suite dialog box, 58 using Add mode, 71
ARC command, 59 using Subtract mode, 72
arc-fit polylines, 694 defining
arc segments, adding to 2D polylines, 706 with the Advanced Setup wizard, 601
arcball (3D Orbit view), 29 with the Quick Setup wizard, 599
architectural units, 1047, 1050 ARG (profile text) files, 654
specifying, 599 ARRAY command, 72
Archive - Set Password dialog box, 69 Array dialog box
Archive a Sheet Set dialog box about, 73
about, 63 displaying, 72
displaying, 890 arrays (multiple copies)
File Tree tab, 64 creating, 72
Files Table tab, 65 offsetting copies, 74
Sheets tab, 63 polar, 75, 79
ARCHIVE command, 63 rectangular, 73, 78
Archive - Set Password dialog box, 69 rotated, 79
Archive a Sheet Set dialog box, 63 arrowheads
command line prompts, 69 dimension, properties of, 287
Modify Archive Setup dialog box, 66 including with leader lines, 288, 478, 782
archive files, 338 placement of, 292
archive packages ARX command, 81
adding notes, 65 ARX files, loading, 55
creating, 63 ASCII text files. See text files
naming, 67 ASE commands. See DBCONNECT command
passwords, 69 ASE links, converting to format of AutoCAD 2000
reflecting folder structures, 68 or later, 235
reports included with, 66 ASE Select dialog box. See Link Select dialog box
sheet sets, 890 Asian-language fonts. See Big Font file
types of packages, 66 Aspect grid setting, 394, 917
archive.txt file, 65 aspect ratio
arcs for backgrounds, 102
adding segments to 2D polylines, 706 for material bitmaps, 826, 885
aligning the axis of rotation with, 838, 926 for rendering output files, 851
center marks/centerlines, 262, 264 for solid material mapping, 883

Index | 1221
ASSIST command ATTEDIT command
about, 82 about, 88
Info palette shortcut menu, 82 command line prompts, 89
ASSISTSTATE system variable, 1135 Edit Attributes dialog box, 89
associative dimensions editing attribute values
disassociating, 266 independent of a block, 88, 89
options, 647 for a specific block, 88
reassociating, 279 attenuation of light
system variables, 1145, 1146 point light, 485
updating specifying, 490
dimension locations, 281 spotlight, 489
manually, 281 ATTEXT command
associative gradient fills, BHATCH and, 112 about, 94
associative hatches Attribute Extraction dialog box, 94
associativity, 112 command line prompts, 95
BHATCH and, 108, 112, 120, 123 ATTMODE system variable, 88, 1135
disassociating, 408 ATTREDEF command, 97
effects of chamfering, 156 ATTREQ system variable, 1135
filleting, 381 Attribute Definition dialog box, 84
selecting, 652 Attribute Extraction dialog box, 94
specifying, 407 Attribute Extraction wizard, 345
updating, 180 attribute prompts
asterisk (*) for constant attributes, 87
finding files, 616 displaying, 343
as wild card for searching, 50 editing, 248
to write an entire drawing to an output file, Attribute tab
1089 Edit Attribute dialog box, 105
at sign (@) Enhanced Attribute Editor, 344
reference to the last point, 419 attribute tags
Attach by AutoCAD Color Index dialog box, 833 aligning, 86
Attach by Layer dialog box, 833 changing, 161
Attach Digital Signatures dialog box, 1208 displaying, 83, 343
Attach Digital Signatures utility duplicate tags, 107
about, 1208 editing, 248
Attach Digital Signatures dialog box, 1208 specifying, 85, 87, 106
Search Folders dialog box, 1209 attribute values
attaching for constant attributes, 87
digital signatures, 1208 display modes, 84, 85, 106
hyperlinks, to objects, 413 editing, 88, 105, 343
images, to drawings, 421, 424, 428 preset defaults, 106
leader lines, 782 specifying the default, 248
materials, 530, 833, 834, 907 verification, 106
overlays vs. attaching method, 1113 attributes (of blocks), 103, 343, 345
xrefs, 1115, 1120 assigned to redefined blocks, 97
with External Reference dialog box, Attribute Extraction wizard, 345
1101 Block Attribute Manager, 104, 107
with XATTACH, 1101 changing text and text properties of, 106,
attachment methods for materials, 907 161, 447
Attachment tab (Leader Settings dialog box), 782 constant attributes, 106
ATTACHURL command, 83 defaults, 106
ATTDEF command defining, 84, 105
about, 83 displaying/hiding, 88, 106
Attribute Definition dialog box, 84 editing, 88, 103, 247, 343
command line prompts, 86 Enhanced Attribute Editor, 343
ATTDIA system variable, 1135 extracting information from, 94, 345
ATTDISP command, 85, 88 formatting text display, 344
spell checking, 946

1222 | Index
attributes (of blocks) (continued) AutoLISP (LSP) applications (continued)
updating, 97 entering AutoLISP expressions, 1005
verification, 106 loading, 55
attributes (of files), displaying information LSP routines and standards violations, 960
about, 338 using AutoLISP variables with CAL, 141
attributes (of materials) automatic regeneration of drawings, 801
adjusting automatic saves
for granite material, 828 options, 635
for marble material, 829 search path for, 627
for materials, 822 automatic stacking of multiline text, 575
for wood material, 831 automatic table columns and rows, 986
ATTSYNC command, 97 Autosave files, 635
AUDIT command, 98 AutoSnap
AUDITCTL system variable, 98, 1136 options, 648
auditing drawings AUTOSNAP system variable, 317, 319, 648, 649,
for standards violations, 961, 1209 1136
AUNITS system variable, 1136 AutoSpool
AUPREC system variable, 318, 1136 option, 741
author of drawings AutoStack Properties dialog box, 575
displaying/specifying, 339, 340 AutoTarget feature, overriding, 33
Auto Axis AutoTrack
for material bitmap mapping, 827 settings, 649
Auto object selection method, 875 tracking vector colors, 656
Auto Viewport (Options menu in Aerial View auxiliary views, creating, 943
window), 326 axis of cylindrical coordinate system, 879
AutoCAD axis (UCS icon symbols), 1035
environment axis endpoint
customizing, 624 for ellipses, 353
file formats used by, 855 for elliptical arcs, 354
rendering type, 841, 844 for elliptical cylinders, 199
serial number and license information, 43 axis of revolution/rotation
version and service pack installed, 43 aligning with a viewport, 927
AutoCAD Color Index (ACI) aligning with an object, 926
applying aligning with X, Y, or Z axis, 927
to layers, 465 defining with points, 926
to window elements, 657 rotating a point about, 148
attaching materials by, 821 specifying
distant light colors, 487 with REVOLVE, 816
selecting colors from, 172, 285, 286, 289 with REVSURF, 818
specifying colors by ACI number, 173 with ROTATE3D, 837
spotlight colors, 490 axis tripod (in 3D model space)
AutoCAD DesignCenter. See DesignCenter defining a viewing direction with, 1077
AutoCAD drawings. See drawings azimuth
AutoCAD Macro Virus Protection dialog box, displayed in the Sun Angle Calculator, 493
609, 1054 for distant light, 488
AutoCAD Runtime Extension. See ObjectARX
applications, 7
AutoCAPS (for multiline text), 570 B
Autodesk DesignCenter. See DesignCenter BACGROUNDPLOT system variable
Autodesk Favorites folder (DesignCenter), 46 ignored in script files, 771
Autodesk Map, 786 back faces (of 3D objects)
Autodesk Plotter Manager. See Plotter Manager 3D graphics view, 23
AutoLISP (LSP) applications back faces (of 3D solids)
AutoCAD system variables for, 1134 rendering, 845, 846, 849
creating splines and, 696 Back option in undoing, 1043
custom drawing properties and, 341 back, moving objects to, 313, 409
developing applications, 1072

Index | 1223
background colors baseline dimensions
background fills, for multilines, 563 creating, 260
background transparency for WMFOUT, a series of, 777
Clipboard, and drag and drop dimension line spacing, 286
objects, 1204 baselines of text, 578
BACKGROUND command, 99 batch audit reports
Background dialog box, 99 adding notes to, 1212
Background Mask dialog box, 571 creating, 1210
background masks behind text, 571 exporting, 1214
background plotting, 1136 batch plot files
options, 639 loading, 765
status, 1071 batch plot lists
BACKGROUNDPLOT system variable, 639, 1136 loading, 765
backgrounds (for scenes) Batch Standards Checker, 1209, 1210
adjustment controls, 102 Drawings tab, 1210
applying fog to, 392 exclamation marks in lists, 1210
aspect ratio, 102 Notes tab, 1212
environment definition, 101 Plug-ins tab, 1211
previewing, 100 Progress tab, 1212
specifying, 99 standards files, 1210
types of, 99 Standards tab, 1211
backslash (\) toolbar, 1213
in attribute definitions, 93 BATTMAN command, 103
to select null attribute values, 92 Block Attribute Manager, 104, 107
backup copy option, 635 Edit Attribute dialog box, 105
backup files Settings dialog box, 107
options, 635 baud rate
saving adjusting, 751
automatically, 635 beam angles (spotlights), 490
backwards character display, 567, 968, 971 beep on error option, 644
BACKZ system variable, 1137 beveling objects. See chamfering
base angle direction controls, 1049 BHATCH command
BASE command, 103, 1103 about, 108
base points Boundary Hatch and Fill dialog box, 109
for locating offset points, 1131 command line prompts, 120
base points (as reference points) Hatch Pattern Palette dialog box, 119
for copying See also HATCH command
3D faces, 930 Big Font file, 968, 970
edges, 931 Big Fonts
objects, 185 substituting, 655
for moving selected faces, 925 binary files
for panning, 678 DXF, 858
for scaling text objects, 863 importing, 342
for specifying objects, polar arrays, 77 storing solids in, 965
for stretching objects, 966 Bind Xrefs dialog box, 1116
for taper angle of faces, 928 binding
base points (for grid), 917 dependent named objects to drawings,
base points (for insertion point) 1105, 1117
for inserting blocks, 1088, 1089 xref-dependent symbols to a drawing, 1104
setting, 103 xrefs to drawings, 1116, 1118
base points (for object rotation), 836 binding options (press) in PC3 files, 721
BINDTYPE system variable, 1137

1224 | Index
bisecting blocks (continued)
construction lines, 1110 grips in, 652
bitmap blend, 823, 824 inserting
granite material and, 829 into the current drawing, 434
marble material and, 831 with leader lines, 477, 779
wood material and, 832 multiple instances of, 536
bitmaps (BMP images) prompts, 106
format, saving objects in, 129 unit of measure for, 1048
material, 825 listing by name, 104, 437
placement values of materials, adjusting, naming, 126, 127, 797
884 nested, 346
See also BMP (bitmap) files object selection, 126, 128
blank drawings pasting into drawings, 686
starting, 595, 783 placing
blank spaces before fractions, 575 at equal intervals, 311
BLIPMODE command, 124 at measured intervals, 531
BLIPMODE system variable, 1137 preview icons for, 127, 129
BLK files, 346 previously defined, 128
Block Attribute Manager, 104, 107 purging from the drawing database, 775
BLOCK command redefining, 97, 437
about, 125 renaming, 805
Block Definition dialog box, 125 saving or discarding changes to, 793, 798
command line prompts, 127 saving to a file, 1087
Block Definition dialog box, 125 specifying the insertion point, 126, 128
block definitions synchronizing instances, 104
associating hyperlinks with, 127 in translated layers, 475
callout blocks, 906 updating
converting xref definitions to, 1116, 1118 attributes, 97
descriptions, 127 definitions of, 437
editing attributes, 105 vs. xrefs, 1113
listing, 104 blue components of colors, 174
BLOCKICON command, 129 BMAKE command. See BLOCK command
blocks BMP (bitmap) files
Attribute Extraction wizard, 345 displaying images, 812
binding referenced objects, 1104 options for rendering output, 851
Block Attribute Manager, 104, 107 plotting, 714
changing position of, 162 saving
colors objects to, 129
text, 569 rendered images to, 860
defining, 125 BMPOUT command, 129
defining clipping boundaries and clipping bold typeface, formatting multiline text in, 568
planes, 1106 borders (of tables and cells), 990
as DesignCenter content, 44, 48 bottom, moving objects to, 409
editing bottom-up render option, 851
attribute definitions, 797, 798 boundaries
attribute properties, 103, 343 creating, 130
attribute values, 88, 97, 343 clipping boundaries, 431
in-place, adding/removing objects, frame-only display option, 633
799 nonprinting, multiline text and, 566, 576
selecting for, 104, 343, 795 of regions, 803
exploding, 1111 setting drawing limits for, 495
generating for hidden/visible profile lines, See also gradient boundaries
936 See also hatch boundaries

Index | 1225
BOUNDARY command Button Properties tab (Customize dialog box),
about, 130 189
Boundary Creation dialog box, 130 buttons. See pick button (mouse)
command line prompts, 131 Buzzsaw icon
Boundary Creation dialog box, 130 in Places list, 610
boundary edges project hosting sites, 611
for extending objects, 370 Buzzsaw locations
Boundary Hatch and Fill dialog box listing, 768
about, 109 BYBLOCK property
Advanced tab, 115 color values, 163, 167, 171, 173, 176, 569,
Gradient tab, 118 1112
Hatch tab, 112 linetype values, 499, 503, 1113
boundary line symbol, 581 lineweight values, 513
boundary sets BYLAYER property
for hatch boundaries, 117 color values, 163, 167, 171, 172, 176, 569,
defining, 121, 130, 131 1112
bounding box in layer translations, 474
adaptive degradation, 21 linetype values, 499, 503, 936, 1113
BOX command, 131 lineweight values, 513
Box object selection method, 873
boxes
2D UCS icon symbol, 1034 C
rectangular polylines, 790 cache
BP3 files. See batch plot lists 3D, 22
BREAK command, 134 regeneration and, 643
Break mode, Visual Basic Editor and, 1059 cache file, writing rendering information to, 807
break points, specifying, 134 CAD Standards Settings dialog box, 960
breaking CAL command
2D polylines, 692 about, 137
3D polylines, 698 angles
double lines, 323 formatting, 139
brightest spots of spotlights, 490 obtaining, 151
brightness (of image display) AutoCAD system variables used with, 141
adjusting, 426, 428 AutoLISP variables used with, 141
bringing objects to front converting points between UCS and WCS,
draw order of hatches or fills, 409, 1165 147
draw order of objects, 313 converting units of measurement, 142
broken pencil icon, 1034 feet and inches, formatting, 138
Browse for Folder dialog box, displaying, 629 filtering components of points or vectors,
Browse the Web dialog box 147
displaying, 612 intersection point, obtaining, 149
browser (Web), launching, 135 last-specified point, obtaining, 145
BROWSER command, 135 normal vectors, calculating, 152
browsing numeric expression operators, 137
for folders or files, 625, 629 numeric functions supported by, 142
the Internet, 612 point by cursor, obtaining, 145
B-spline curves point calculations, 143
fitting to control points, 696, 699 points used with, 139
bump maps, 824 rotating a point about an axis, 148
granite material and, 829 rules of precedence for evaluating
marble material and, 831 expressions, 137
specifying, 823 snap modes used with, 146
wood material and, 832 vector expression operators, 138
Button Editor vectors used with, 140
about, 195 calculating
displaying, 190 areas, 70
dimension text tolerances, 302

1226 | Index
calculating (continued) center points
distances, 149 arc segments, 707
length of vectors, 145 arcs, 60
mass properties of regions or solids, 521 base of cones, 178
mathematical and geometric expressions, base of elliptical cones, 180
137 boxes, 132
normal vectors, 152 center definition of polygons, 755
perimeters, 70 circles, 169
points on lines, 148 ellipses, 355
positive angles, 1048, 1051 elliptical arcs, 355
sun position, 492 elliptical cylinders, 200
using shortcut functions, 154 gradient fills, 119
vectors from two points, 143 polar arrays, 80
See also CAL command for specifying objects, polar arrays, 75
calculator. See CAL command wedges, 1091
calibrating zooming to, 1123
digitizing tablets, 992 centering
calibration points, 992, 994 background images, 103
callouts plots on paper, 672, 715
adding to sheet sets, 906 text, 577, 1000, 1001
listing callout blocks, 905 centerline symbol, 581
on sheets, 892, 905 centerlines
camera (in 3D views) creating, 262
changing the target location, 155 diameter dimensions and, 264
positioning, 155 dimension properties of, 288
rotating about the target point, 328 certificate authorities, 910
swiveling, 40 certificates. See digital IDs
camera point, specifying, 332 chain fillets, 383
canceling CHAMFER command, 156
plotting, 1071 hatch associativity and, 156
caps chamfer distances
of multilines, 562 for rectangular polylines, 791
caret (^), stacked text indicator, 568, 575 setting, 158
cascading windows, 981 CHAMFERA system variable, 1138
case of text, 570 CHAMFERB system variable, 1138
categories (fields), types of fields, 377 CHAMFERC system variable, 1138
categories (views), 1062, 1065, 1067 CHAMFERD system variable, 1138
creating, 892, 904 chamfering
organizing, 892 angle setting for, 159
renaming, 893 distance setting for, 158
CDATE system variable, 1137 entire 2D polylines, 158
CDF (comma-delimited format) files layers and, 156
for storing extracted attribute data, 94, 96 polyline segments, 156
CECOLOR system variable, 964, 1137 specifying
Cell shortcut menu (Data View window in base surface for, 156
dbConnect), 211 edges for, 156
cells (table), 989 and trimming, 159
cell borders, 990 CHAMMODE system variable, 1138
cell margins, 991 CHANGE command
CELTSCALE system variable, 500, 1137 about, 160
CELTYPE system variable, 499, 964, 1137 selecting objects, 160
CELWEIGHT system variable, 964, 1138 specifying change point for selected
center marks objects, 160
creating, 262 specifying properties to change, 162
diameter dimensions and, 264 Change Dictionaries dialog box, 948
dimension properties of, 288 Change Icon dialog box, 607
Center object snap, 320, 664 change point, 160

Index | 1227
Change Profile dialog box Clear to Send handshaking, 752
about, 662 Clipboard (Windows)
displaying, 654 controlling the background for metafiles,
Changes to a Printer Configuration File dialog 1204
box, 770 copying command line history to, 186
about, 675, 720 copying objects to, 185
displaying, 713 copying the current view to, 186
character display effects, 968 cutting objects to, 197
changing, 971 inserting data from, 686
Character Map dialog box, displaying, 570 clipping
character maps for fonts, 567 creating, 431
characters defining, 1073, 1106
restricted in database fields, 348 options for, DVIEW command, 335
Check Spelling dialog box, 946 turning on or off, 335, 431
Check Standards dialog box, 165 viewport objects, 1073
checking clipping boundaries (for viewports), 1073
solids, 935 defining with VPCLIP, 1073
spelling, 946 deleting, 1073
CHECKSTANDARDS command clipping planes
about, 165 defining
Check Standards dialog box, 165 with 3DCLIP, 17
chkdsk, SHELL command and, 907 with XCLIP, 1106
chord length, for arcs, 60, 62 setting (adjusting), 17
CHPROP command, 166 turning on/off, 19
CHX (standards check) files, 1213 clockwise direction of angles, 601
CIRCLE command, 169 CLOSE command, 171
Circle tool, 196 CLOSEALL command, 171
CIRCLERAD system variable, 1138 closed-cross intersection between multilines,
circles 548
aligning closed polygon meshes, 28
axis of rotation with, 838, 926 closed polylines
cutting plane with, 912 creating regions from, 802
center marks/centerlines, 262, 264 revolving, 816
changing the radius of, 160 closed splines
converting into viewports, 1085 extruding, 373
creating, 169, 312 revolving, 816
creating regions from, 802 closed-tee intersection between multilines, 550
for defining angular dimensions, 258 closing
diameter dimensions for, 264 2D polylines, 690, 707, 709
display resolution option, 631 3D polyline mesh objects, 702
dividing, 310 3D polylines, 697
extruding, 373 Adjust Clipping Planes window, 19
filled circles, 312 dbConnect Manager, 201
filleting, 380 DesignCenter, 44
isometric circles, 169, 356 drawings, 171
measuring, 531 all, 171
radial dimensions for, 277 log file, 504
revolving, 816 Properties palette, 762
trimming, 1022 splines, 950, 953, 956
using VIEWRES for, 1072 clouds. See revision clouds (markups)
circular arcs, aligning the cutting plane with, CMDACTIVE system variable, 1139
912 CMDECHO system variable, 1139
cities, displaying latitude and longitude for, 494 CMDNAMES system variable, 1139
CLAYER system variable, 450, 456, 964, 1138 CMLJUST system variable, 1139
CLEANSCREENOFF command, 171 CMLSCALE system variable, 1139
CLEANSCREENON command, 170 CMLSTYLE system variable, 1140
cleanup (of 3D solids), 934

1228 | Index
color book colors, 285, 286, 289 colors (continued)
applying to layers, 465 copying
applying to objects, 167, 1112 with MATCHPROP, 526
search path for files, 628 current color
selecting, 175, 177 displaying, 964
specifying properties for objects, 163 custom colors (true colors), 285, 286, 289,
window elements, 657 975, 1137
Color Books tab (Select Color dialog box), 175 applying to layers, 465
COLOR command applying to objects, 167
about, 171 exploded objects, 1112
command line prompts, 176 selecting, 173, 177
Select Color dialog box, 172 specifying properties for objects, 163
color controls for backgrounds, 100 window elements, 657
color-dependent plot styles, 182, 972, 974 default settings, 657
names, 975 depth of
color depth for plotting, 746
PC3 file settings, 721 for rendered images, 811
plot settings, 746 for dimension lines, 285
rendering settings, 811 for dimension text, 289
color mapping tables, 974 display options for the AutoCAD window,
Color Options dialog box, 655 630
color palettes for edges, 932
for toolbar buttons, 196 for exploded objects, 1112
color systems for extension lines, 286
for fog, 392 for fog, 392
for materials, 824 for gradient fills, 118
selecting, 173, 174 for granite material, 829
See also hue, lightness, saturation (HLS) color for grips, 652, 1163
system HLS color system
See also red, green, blue (RGB) color system See hue, lightness, saturation (HLS)
color-dependent plot styles, 658 color system
colors for intersection polylines, 412, 1168
for 3D faces, 704, 930 for layers, 454, 458, 465, 474, 475
ACI. See AutoCAD Color Index (ACI) light colors, 487
for ambient light, 484 mapping tables, 974
assigning for marble material, 830
foreground color of AutoCAD objects, for materials
1204 adjusting, 822, 823
for attribute text, 91, 107, 344 for multiline style elements, 561
AutoSnap markers, 649 for multiline text, 569
background masks behind text, 572 for new objects, 171, 1137
changing for obscured lines, 411
toolbar button colors, 196 plotting pens, 744
color book colors, 285, 286, 289 for point light, 486
applying to layers, 465 as property of objects, 760
applying to objects, 167 for rendering output files, 851
exploded objects, 1112 RGB colors. See red, green, blue (RGB) color
search path for files, 628 system
selecting, 175, 177 for selected objects, 162, 166
specifying properties for objects, 163 for solid or gradient background, 100
window elements, 657 specifying
color systems by ACI number, 173
HSL color model, 173 mixing methods, 176
RGB model, 174 for plot styles, 975
color-dependent plot styles, 658 for spotlight, 490
converting to grayscale, 976 in tables, 990

Index | 1229
colors (continued) comments
true color values, 285, 286, 289, 1137 adding to drawing information, 339
applying to layers, 465 on digital signatures, 871, 910
applying to objects, 167 in XML standards reports, 1212
exploded objects, 1112 Compare Dimension Styles dialog box, 304
selecting, 173, 177 compass and axis tripod, 1077
specifying properties for objects, 163 COMPASS system variable, 887, 1140
window elements, 657 compiled shape (SHX) fonts
UCS icon, 1036 text symbols available in, 581
for window elements, 655, 656 component objects
for wood material, 831 exploding compound objects into
Column shortcut menu (Data View window in with XPLODE, 1111
dbConnect), 210 composite 3D solids
Column Values dialog box, 222 creating
columns (in inserted tables), 984, 985, 989 with INTERFERE, 444
columns (in lists of layers), 455 with INTERSECT, 445
columns (in sheet list tables), 899 with UNION, 1046
columns (of arrays), specifying, 74 composite regions, creating, 1046
COM ports. See serial ports compound objects, exploding into components
combining with XPLODE, 1111
paragraphs, 570 compression
comma-delimited format (CDF) files file compression render option, 851
for storing extracted attribute data, 94, 96 TGA image compression options, 862
command line TIFF image compression options, 862
displaying zipped archive packages, 67
in a separate window, 1005 zipped transmittal files, 362
entering data on, 5 concentric circles, 603
history text, copying to the Clipboard, 186 cones
responding to prompts on, 4 creating, 9
using wild-card characters on, 5 elliptical, 179
Command Line Window Font dialog box configuration files (for plotters). See PC3 (plotter
about, 657 configuration) files
displaying, 630 Configure a Data Source dialog box, 225
command line window. See command window Configure LPT Port dialog box, 751
command modifiers, 1129 Configure Standards dialog box
Command shortcut menu about, 959
enabling/disabling, 661 Plug-ins tab, 960
command window Standards tab, 959
display options, 656 configuring
commands digitizer menu and pointing areas, 995
accessing recently used commands, 5 external databases
adding toolbar buttons for, 188 for AutoCAD access, 225
assigning shortcut keys to, 191 hardware configuration file, 626
command modifiers, 1129 OLE DB data sources, 225
executing, 2 plotters, 712, 720
repeating, 5, 582 user profiles, 653
reversing Confirm DWF Password dialog box, 770
with MREDO, 565 Confirm Password dialog box
with UNDO, 1043 about, 872
reversing the most recent confirming passwords, 872
with U, 1025 conserving memory and disk space, with
Commands tab (Customize dialog box), 187 CONVERT, 180
comma-separated files (CSV), 987 constant attributes, 87, 106
comma-separated format (CSV) files, for storing constraining cursor movement, 662
extracted attribute data, 349 construction lines (xlines)
creating, 1108
filleting, 380

1230 | Index
construction lines (xlines) (continued) copying
trimming, 1022 3D faces, 930
containers, displayed in DesignCenter content command line history to the Clipboard,
area, 45 186
content (for drawings) (DesignCenter) current view to the Clipboard, 186
content area, 45 edges of 3D solids, 931
searching for, 48 layouts, 470
view options for, 47 mapping coordinates to selected objects,
See also ADCENTER command 878
content area (DesignCenter), 45 object properties, 525
Content tab, (Search dialog box, DesignCenter), objects, 184
50 to the Clipboard, 185, 197
continued dimensions, 262, 777 as mirror images, 544, 545
CONTINUOUS linetype, 499, 503 with a specified base point, 185
continuous log files, 640 plot and publish job information, 1070
continuous orbit (in 3D Orbit view) rendered images, 810
setting 3D objects in, 25 size of text objects, 864
contour lines on surfaces, 632 COPYLINK command, 186
contrast (of image display), 426, 427 corner joint between multilines, 552
control codes, 570, 580, 1004 corner points
control points for boxes, 132
adding to splines, 957 for calculating area and perimeter, 70, 71
CONVERT command, 180 for viewports, 583
Convert dialog box, 606 for inserting multiple instances of blocks,
CONVERTCTB command, 182, 659 537, 542
converting for meshes, 12
AME solid models to AutoCAD solids, 54 for partially open drawings, 681
fields to text, 569 for pyramids, 12
filters to group filters, 453 for rectangular polylines, 790
length values between model and paper for tetrahedrons, 13
space, 859, 945 for wedges, 16, 1090
links created in earlier releases of AutoCAD, for zooming a window, 1126
235 counterclockwise direction of angles, 601
OLE object types, 606 CPLOTSTYLE system variable, 964, 1140
plot style tables, 182 CPolygons (crossing polygon selections), 874
plot styles, 659 CPROFILE system variable, 624, 1140
polylines and hatches created in earlier CRC validation option, 635
releases of AutoCAD, 180 Create New Dimension Style dialog box, 284
shape files into SHX files, 177 Create New Drawing dialog box, 595, 1194
CONVERTPSTYLES command, 182, 659 Create New Table Style dialog box, about, 988
Coons surface patch meshes Create Raster File dialog box, 129, 447, 753,
EDGESURF command and, 350 1006
coordinate data entry priority options, 647 Create Sheet Set wizard
coordinate filter command modifier, 1130 about, 602
coordinates starting, 889
combining to locate objects, 1130 Create Transmittal dialog box
of a location, displaying, 419 about, 357
for xref instance insertion, 1103 displaying, 890, 893
COORDS system variable, 1140 Files Table tab, 359
coplanar regions, mass properties displayed for, Files Tree tab, 358
521, 522 Sheets tab, 357
COPY command, 184 crop window for rendering, 842
COPYBASE command, 185 cropping
COPYCLIP command, 185 material bitmaps, 826, 827, 885
COPYHIST command, 186 crosshairs
color of, 656
sizing, 631

Index | 1231
crosshatching. See hatching custom hatch patterns
crossing-face objects, 508 listing, 114
crossing object selection method, 873 selecting, 113, 120
CSV files, 349, 987 specifying, 401
publish log files, 771 custom objects
CTAB system variable, 1140 displaying/using in drawings, 1185
CTABLESTYLE system variable, 1140 saving proxy images of, 857
CTB (plot style table) files Custom Paper Size wizard, 749
Add Plot Style Table wizard, 972 custom plot resolution, 674, 718, 725
color mapping tables, 974 custom properties
converting to STBs, 182 of sheet sets, 901
default plot style tables, 659 Custom tab (Drawing Properties dialog box), 341
names, 975 CUSTOMIZE command
options for new drawings, 658 about, 187
search path settings for, 627 Button Editor dialog box, 195
CTRL+C keys, copying objects to the Clipboard, Customize dialog box, 187
186 New Toolbar dialog box, 195
CTRL+V keys, pasting objects from the Transparency dialog box, 197
Clipboard, 686 Customize dialog box
CTS handshaking, 752 about, 187
cubes, 8, 132 Button Properties tab, 189
cubic spline curves, 696, 950 Commands tab, 187
cubic spline-fit polylines, 694 Flyout Properties tab, 191
cur function (CAL command), 145 Keyboard tab, 191
current dictionary for spelling checker, 947 Properties tab, 189
current layers, 450, 456 Tool Palettes tab, 194
current named views, 1062 Toolbars tab, 188
Current Plot Style dialog box, 735 customizing
cursor settings. See options
with 3DCORBIT command, 25 CUTCLIP command, 197
with 3DDISTANCE command, 26 cutting
with 3DORBIT command, 29 elements from multilines, 553
with 3DPAN command, 34 multilines, 553, 554
with 3DZOOM command, 41 objects to the Clipboard, 197
color of, 656 cutting planes
constraining movement, 662 aligning, 912, 913
hyperlink cursor, displaying/hiding, 418, defining, 913, 915
646 CVPORT system variable, 1141
with PREVIEW command, 756 cvunit function (CAL command), 142
with direct distance entry, 1130 Cyclic Redundancy Checking (CRC) validation
with ZOOM (Real Time) command, 1126 option, 635
cursor menus. See shortcut menus CYLINDER command, 197
CURSORSIZE system variable, 631, 1141 cylinders (solid), 197
curve fitting, removing from polylines, 690 cylindrical coordinates (in image mapping), 879
curve tessellation, 21
curves. See arcs
custom colors (true colors) D
applying to objects, 167 damaged files
exploded objects, 1112 repairing, 789
selecting, 173, 177 data cells
specifying for plot styles, 975 cell borders, 990
specifying properties for objects, 163 cell margins, 991
window elements, 657 table cells, 989
custom dictionaries (spelling checker), 626, 948 Data Objects shortcut menu (dbConnect
custom drawing properties, 341 Manager), 206
Data Set Ready handshaking, 752

1232 | Index
data sources datum (for geometric tolerances), 1009
selecting a table from, 244 identifier symbols, 1010
Data Sources Node shortcut menu (dbConnect datum (for ordinate dimensions)
Manager), 206 setting, 777
Data Terminal Ready output, 753 See also ordinate dimensions
Data View and Query Options dialog box, 226 DBCCLOSE command, 201
linked object display options, 226 DBCONNECT command
Data View buttons, 208 about, 201
Data View Print Preview window, 214 Column Values dialog box, 222
Data View window (in dbConnect) Configure a Data Source dialog box, 225
about, 207 Data View and Query Options dialog box,
accumulation options, 227 226
Cell shortcut menu, 211 Data View window, 207
Column shortcut menu, 210 dbConnect Manager, 202
displaying, 207 Export Links dialog box, 228
Grid Header shortcut menu, 213 Export Query Set dialog box, 228
grid window, 210 Find dialog box, 229
linked record display options, 227 Format dialog box, 230
navigating, 214 Import Query Set dialog box, 230
Print Preview window, 214 Import Template Set dialog box, 231
query options, 227 Label Template dialog box, 231
record display formats, 230 Label Template Properties dialog box, 234
Record shortcut menu, 212 Link Conversion dialog box, 235
searching/replacing text or values, 229, 242 Link Manager, 238
sort order Link Select dialog box, 223
options, 244 Link Template dialog box, 239
toolbar button descriptions, 208 Link Template Properties dialog box, 240
database connectivity feature New Label Template dialog box, 241
options, 644 New Link Template dialog box, 241
database file format, 348 New Query dialog box, 242
database objects associated with a drawing Query Editor, 215
displaying information in the text window, Replace dialog box, 242
246 Select a Database Object dialog box, 243
selecting, 243 Select Data Object dialog box, 244
Database Objects shortcut menu (dbConnect Sort dialog box, 244
Manager), 204 Synchronize dialog box, 245
database records dbConnect Manager
display format, 230 about, 202
database source files, search path for, 628 buttons, 203
database tables closing, 201
viewing/editing. See Data View window (in Data Objects shortcut menu, 206
dbConnect) Data Sources Node shortcut menu, 206
Date Modified tab Database Objects shortcut menu, 204
Find dialog box, 617 Drawing Nodes shortcut menu, 204
Search dialog box (DesignCenter), 50 toolbar button descriptions, 203
DATE system variable, 1141 tree view, 204
date/time DBCSTATE system variable, 1141
drawing statistics, displaying, 1006 DBLCLKEDIT command, 246
finding files by date or time modified, 617 DBLIST command, 246
plot or publish jobs, 1071 DBMOD system variable, 1142
searching for content by, 51 DBQ (query set) files, 204, 229
specifying in the Sun Angle Calculator, 493 DBT (template set) files, 229
time servers, 871, 1209 DBX files, loading, 55
valid periods for digital IDs, 910 DCTCUST system variable, 626, 1142
datum (for baseline dimensions) DCTMAIN system variable, 626, 1142
setting, 777 DDATTDEF command. See ATTDEF command
DDATTE command. See ATTEDIT command

Index | 1233
DDATTEXT command. See ATTEXT command deleting (continued)
DDCHPROP command. See PROPERTIES files
command from archive packages, 63
DDCOLOR command. See COLOR command from transmittal packages, 357
DDEDIT command SHELL and, 907
about, 247 files/folders, 612
Edit Attribute Definition dialog box, 248 fit points from splines, 954
Edit Text dialog box, 247 FTP sites from list, 619
DDGRIPS command. See OPTIONS command groups, 397
DDIM command. See DIMSTYLE command hyperlinks, 416, 417
DDINSERT command. See INSERT command invalid links/link templates, 245
DDMODIFY command. See PROPERTIES landscape objects from libraries, 507
command layer states, 461, 468
DDPTYPE command, 248 layer translation mappings, 474
DDRENAME command. See RENAME command layers, 450, 453, 456
DDRMODES command. See DSETTINGS layouts, 470
command lights, 483
DDSELECT command. See OPTIONS command linetypes, 499
DDUCS command. See UCSMAN command mapping coordinates, 877
DDUCSP command. See UCSMAN command materials, 528, 529
DDUNITS command. See UNITS command measurement markers, 531
DDVIEW command. See VIEW command multiline style elements, 560
DDVPOINT command, 250 named views, 1063, 1068
decimal degrees nonstandard objects, 165
angle measure conventions, 1048 objects, 799
entering angles in, 139, 601 from groups, 396, 399
decimal places of accuracy, for DXF file output, profiles, 654
859 and sections in viewports, 919
decimal separator for linear dimensions, 296 scenes
decimal units, 599, 1047, 1050 from model space, 865
decurving polylines, 697 shortcut key assignments, 193
defaults shortcuts from History list, 610
attribute properties, 104 standards files, 959, 1211
attribute values, 85, 87, 106, 161, 248 table styles, 988
encryption types, 870 tangential edges, 938
file format for saved drawings, 858 text styles, 968
Internet location search path, 626 tiled viewport configurations, 1082
lineweight values, 513 title block objects, 592, 594
new object elevation values, 351 toolbar buttons, 187
new object extrusion thickness values, 351 toolbars, 189
output devices, 668 transmittal setups, 361
paper size, 670, 714 UCSs, 1032
for plot style behavior, 659 VBA macros, 1058
for plotting, 638 vertices from multilines, 553
Deferred Perpendicular object snap mode, 321 viewports, 589
DEFLPLSTYLE system variable, 659, 1143 words from a custom dictionary, 949
DEFPLSTYLE system variable, 1143 See also erasing; removing
degree sign (), creating, 580, 1004 DELOBJ system variable, 951, 1143
DELAY command, 251 Delta option (LENGTHEN command), 480
deleting Delta symbol, 581
block attributes, 105 demand loading (of xrefs)
callout blocks from lists, 905 options, 636, 1205
clipping boundaries, 1073, 1107 demand loading options, for ObjectARX
color mapping tables, 974 applications, 637
drawing sheets from drawing sets, 765 DEMANDLOAD system variable, 637, 1143
external references, 1118 density of revolved surfaces, 819
faces of 3D solids, 929 depth cueing, 391

1234 | Index
depth map shadow render options, 847, 850 diameter (continued)
depth of orthographic UCSs, 1039 for spheres, 14, 949
descriptions for torus/tori, 14, 15, 1018
in DesignCenter, 47 diameter dimensions
in Properties palette, 759 associativity, 279
DesignCenter creating
about, 44 for circles and arcs, 264
closing window, 44 series of, 777
content area diameter symbol (), entering, 580, 1004,
options, 45 1005, 1008
descriptions of items, displaying/hiding, 47 DIASTAT system variable, 1143
DesignCenter Online web page, 48 dictionaries for spelling checker
home folder, 46 changing, 948
loading file name, folder location custom, 948
or network path, 51 displaying current, 947
navigating to specific locations, 51 language-specific, 948
Search dialog box, 48 making current, 629
source/target options, 646 options for, 626
system variables, 1134 specifying, 626
tree view, displaying/hiding, 46 digital IDs, 1208
See also DesignCenter window digital signatures, 871
DesignCenter folder, 46 displaying a list of, 871
DesignCenter Online web page, accessing from ownership information, 910
DesignCenter, 48 Digital Signature Contents dialog box, 909
desktop contents, accessing, 611 Digital Signature tab (Security Options dialog
Desktop icon (Places list in standard file selection box), 870
dialog boxes), 611 digital signatures
desmoothing 3D polyline mesh objects, 702 Attach Digital Signatures utility, 1208
destination options for rendering, 808, 850 attaching to drawings, 870
destination points for aligning objects, 43 certificates, 1208
detaching comments on, 871, 910, 1209
materials, 821, 833, 834 displaying contents of, 636, 908, 909
raster images, 421 list of files to be signed, 1208
xrefs, 1116, 1118 notifications for files, 1191
DETACHURL command, 251 options, 636
Device and Document Settings tab (Plotter settings, 1208
Configuration Editor), 742 status of signed files, 908, 909, 1208
device drivers time stamps, 1209
displaying names of, 720 validating, 909
search path for, 625 xrefs in signed files, 909
diagnostic tools, AUDIT command, 98 digitizing tablets
diagonal fractions calibrating, 992
multiline text and, 574, 575 configuring
dialog boxes menu and screen pointing areas, 995
See also names of specific dialog boxes options, 643
standard file selection options, 609 reinitializing, 803
suppressing, 3 Wintab-compatible, 643
warning message option, 644 DIM and DIM1 commands, 252
diameter DIMADEC system variable, 298, 393, 1144
for circles, 169 DIMALIGNED command, 254
for cones, 9, 10, 178 DIMALT system variable, 299, 1144
for cylinders, 198 DIMALTD system variable, 299, 1144
for dishes, 11 DIMALTF system variable, 300, 1144
for domes, 12 DIMALTRND system variable, 300, 1144
entering, 1004 DIMALTTD system variable, 303, 1144
entering symbol for, 580, 1008 DIMALTTZ system variable, 304, 1144
for isometric circles, 356 DIMALTU system variable, 299, 1145

Index | 1235
DIMALTZ system variable, 300, 1145 dimension styles (continued)
DIMANGULAR command, 257 naming, 284, 305
DIMAPOST system variable, 300, 1145 overall scale options, 295
DIMASO system variable, 1145 prefixes/suffixes for text, 297
DIMASSOC system variable, 647, 1146 primary units settings, 296
DIMASZ system variable, 288, 1146 renaming, 805
DIMATFIT system variable, 277, 293, 1146 secondary styles, 281
DIMAUNIT system variable, 298, 1147 standards files for, 960, 1211
DIMAZIN system variable, 298, 1147 system variable settings of, 305, 307
DIMBASELINE command, 260 text
DIMBLK system variable, 1147 movement options, 294
DIMBLK1 system variable, 287, 1148 placement options, 293
DIMBLK2 system variable, 287, 1148 properties, 289
DIMCEN system variable, 262, 264, 277, 288, dimension system variables
1148 clearing overrides, 277
DIMCENTER command, 262 overriding, 276
DIMCLRD system variable, 285, 1148 saving to a style, 307
DIMCLRE system variable, 286, 1148 dimension text
DIMCLRT system variable, 289, 1148 for aligned linear dimensions, 257
DIMCONTINUE command, 262 aligning, 292, 308
DIMDEC system variable, 296, 1148 alternate units tolerance settings, 303
DIMDIAMETER command, 264 for angular dimensions, 259
DIMDISASSOCIATE command, 266 for diameter dimensions, 264
DIMDLE system variable, 286, 1148 editing, with DIMEDIT, 267
DIMDLI system variable, 286, 1149 formatting, 289
DIMDSEP system variable, 296, 1149 frames around, 290
DIMEDIT command, 267 generated measurements, 267, 270
dimension lines for linear dimensions, 270
extending past extension lines, 286 movement options, 294
location of moving, 308
for aligned linear dimensions, 256 for ordinate dimensions, 275
for angular dimensions, 259 overall scale value, 295
for diameter dimensions, 265 placing, 290, 293
for linear dimensions, 270 prefixes and suffixes, 297
for radial dimensions, 278 for radial dimensions, 278
properties of, 285 tolerance settings, 301
specifying arrowheads for, 287 dimension units
text movement and, 294 converting primary to alternate, 300
Dimension Style Manager, 282 dimensional values
dimension styles for plot stamps, 731
about, 281 Dimensioning mode
alternate units settings, 299 accessing, 252
applying, 307 command equivalents, 253
arrowhead command list, 252
placement options, 293 exiting, 252
properties, 287 dimensionless values for plot stamps, 731
center marks for circles, 288 dimensions
command line prompts for, 305 aligned linear, 254
comparing properties, 304 angular. See angular dimensions
conversion factor between primary and associative, 1145, 1146
alternate units, 300 disassociating and reassociating, 266,
copying with MATCHPROP, 526 279
creating, 284 nonassociative. See nonassociative
dimension line properties, 285 dimensions
displaying, 282, 305 options, 647
extension line properties, 285 baseline, 260
making current, 282, 305 bringing in front of all objects, 1005

1236 | Index
dimensions (continued) DIMTMOVE system variable, 294, 1154
changing draw order of, 314 DIMTOFL system variable, 277, 295, 1154
clearing, dimension linear factors, 280 DIMTOH system variable, 268, 277, 292, 1154
creating DIMTOL system variable, 302, 1154
with QDIM, 777 DIMTOLJ system variable, 303, 1154
diameter, 264 DIMTP system variable, 302, 1155
editing, 267, 777 DIMTSZ system variable, 1155
linear. See linear dimensions DIMTVP system variable, 1155
ordinate. See ordinate dimensions, creating DIMTXSTY system variable, 289, 1155
updating dimension locations, 281 DIMTXT system variable, 290, 1155
DIMEXE system variable, 1149 DIMTZIN system variable, 303, 1155
DIMEXO system variable, 255, 287, 1149 DIMUNIT system variable, 1156
DIMFIT system variable, 1149 DIMUPT system variable, 277, 295, 1156
DIMFRAC system variable, 296, 1149 DIMZIN system variable, 298, 1156
DIMGAP system variable, 290, 302, 1149 direct distance entry
DIMJUST system variable, 277, 291, 1150 command modifier, 1130
DIMLDRBLK system variable, 288, 1150 direction
DIMLFAC system variable, 297, 1150 for 2D polyline arc segments, 707
DIMLIM system variable, 302, 1150 Direction Control dialog box, 1049
DIMLINEAR command, 269 direction vectors, defining tabulated surfaces
DIMLUNIT system variable, 296, 1150 with, 997
DIMLWD system variable, 285, 1151 direction, of tables, 991
DIMLWE system variable, 286, 1151 directories
DIMORDINATE command, 274 See also folders
DIMOVERRIDE command, 276 directory search path options. See paths
DIMPOST system variable, 297, 1151 disassociating
DIMRADIUS command, 277 dimensions, 266
DIMREASSOCIATE command, 279 hatches, 408
DIMREGEN command, 281 discarding
DIMRND system variable, 297, 1151 back faces, 24
DIMSAH system variable, 1151 changes to blocks or xrefs, 794, 798
DIMSCALE system variable, 295, 815, 1152 dishes
DIMSD1 system variable, 286, 1152 creating, 11
DIMSD2 system variable, 286, 1152 disk space
DIMSE1 system variable, 287, 1152 conserving, with CONVERT, 180
DIMSE2 system variable, 287, 1152 displaying free space, 964
DIMSHO system variable, 308, 1152 displacement
DIMSOXD system variable, 293, 294, 1152 coordinates, for copied objects, 184
DIMSTYLE command panning by, 678
about, 281 vector, for moving selected faces, 925
command line prompts, 305 displacing objects, using MOVE, 564
Compare Dimension Styles dialog box, 304 display (image)
Create New Dimension Style dialog box, 3D graphics configuration options, 20, 660
284 display (of images)
Dimension Style Manager, 282 the last rendering created, 812
Modify Dimension Style dialog box, 284 BMP images, 812
New Dimension Style dialog box, 284 image frames, 433
Override Dimension Style dialog box, 284 slide files, 1085
DIMSTYLE system variable, 1153 TGA images, 812
DIMTAD system variable, 277, 290, 1153 TIFF images, 812
DIMTDEC system variable, 302, 1153 display (screen). See screen display
DIMTEDIT command, 308 Display tab (Options dialog box), 629
DIMTFAC system variable, 290, 296, 299, 303, displaying
1153 attributes, 88, 343, 344
DIMTIH system variable, 268, 277, 292, 1153 batch audit reports, 1213
DIMTIX system variable, 293, 294, 1153 BMP images, 812
DIMTM system variable, 302, 1154 date/time statistics of a drawing, 1006

Index | 1237
displaying (continued) distant lights, 484, 487
dimension styles, 282, 305 turning on, 482, 887
draw order and object display, 313, 1157 dithering
drawing properties, 337 in plotted graphics, 746, 976
DWF geometry, 516 DIVIDE command, 310
DWG geometry, 516 dividing
edges, 349 objects, 310
extracted attribute information, 347 viewports, 1085
fields, 647 docking
groups, 395 Data View window (in dbConnect), 207
hidden database table columns, 210, 213 toolbars, 1013
hidden profile lines, 936 documents
hyperlink cursor, 418, 646 See drawings; files
hyperlink shortcut menus, 418, 646 doglegs (hook lines), 264, 277, 476
image frames, 433 dollar signs ($)
labels, 204, 205 $#$ prefixes on names, 797
the last rendering created, 812 symbol, in dependent symbols, 1104,
lights for rendering, 482 1106, 1117, 1118
a list of layers, 451, 453 domes, 11
marker blips, 124 DONUT command, 312
markups, 517 DONUTID system variable, 1156
multiline joints, 562 DONUTOD system variable, 1156
nonstandard objects, 961 donuts
page setup information while creating drawing, 312, 1017
layouts, 667 extruding, 373
paper size and units, 670, 713 revolving, 816
plan view of a UCS, 704 DOS names of files, 338
plot and publish job information, 1070 dots per inch (dpi), 674, 718, 725
Plot Style Manager, 971 double-clicking objects, 246
plot styles in drawings, 673 double-sided printing, 743
redline geometry, in drawing area, 516 double-click editing, 246
rendering statistics, 961 dpi (dots per inch), 674, 718, 725
shortcut menus, 418, 646 draft plot resolution, 674, 717, 725
slide files, 1085 Drafting Settings dialog box, 314
tangential edges of profiles, 938 Object Snap tab, 319, 664
text onscreen, 998 Polar Tracking tab, 317
TGA images, 812 Snap and Grid tab, 314
TIFF images, 812 Drafting tab (Options dialog box), 648
toolbars, 1012, 1013 drag mode, suppressing, 312
tooltips, 418 dragged objects, display controls for, 312
translated layers in drawing area, 475 dragging
tree view (DesignCenter), 46 controlling background transparency of
UCS icon, 1034 AutoCAD objects, 1204
view details, 1066 selection windows, 651
Visual Basic Editor, 1053 DRAGMODE command, 312
DISPSILH system variable, 410, 633, 1156 DRAGMODE system variable, 632, 1157
DIST command, 309 DRAGP1 system variable, 1157
dist function (CAL command), 149, 154 DRAGP2 system variable, 1157
DISTANCE system variable, 1156 draw order
distances DRAWORDERCTL system variable, 1157
adjusting for 3D objects, 26 hatches and fills, 111, 123, 407, 409, 1165
calculating, 149 default, 401
between camera and target, specifying, 331 inheritance, 314
chamfer distances, 158 drawing
between objects, fog and depth cueing, 391 3D arrays, 16
between points, measuring, 309 3D boxes, 7
in text line spacing, 579 3D faces, 26

1238 | Index
drawing (continued) Drawing Nodes shortcut menu (dbConnect
3D free-form polygon meshes, 28 Manager), 204
3D polygon mesh objects, 7 Drawing Properties dialog box, 337
3D polylines, 34 Custom tab, 341
arcs, 59 General tab, 337
circles, 169, 312 searching fields, 50
clipping boundaries, 1073 Statistics tab, 340
cones, 9 Summary tab, 338
construction lines, 1108 Drawing Set Descriptions (DSD) files. See DSD
cubes, 8, 132 (Drawing Set Descriptions) files
cylinders, 197 drawing sets
dishes, 11 publishing, 764
domes, 11 drawing sets. See also sheet sets
donuts, 312 drawing sheets (in drawing sets)
ellipses, 352 adding to files, 765
elliptical arcs, 354 details and information, 519, 767
filled circles, 312 including model and layouts in sheet lists,
freehand sketches, 910 767
line segments, 496 listing, 764
polygons, 754 loading lists of, 765
pyramids, 12 markups, 517
rays, 789 names, 764, 1071
rectangular arrays, 79 opening from markups, 518
rectangular polylines, 790 opening from Sheet Set Manager, 894
rings, 312 page setups for, 765
splines, 950 publishing, 771
tetrahedrons, 13 publishing options, 768
torus/tori, 14, 1017 saving to current user profile or to sheet
traces, 1019 set, 768
wedges, 16 removing from sets, 765
drawing (DWG) files reordering list, 765
adding sheets from, 765 saving lists, 766
creating new sheets, 895 single- and multi-sheet files, 768, 769
digital signatures, 909 status, 765
displaying geometry, 516 See also sheets (in sheet sets), 7
i-drop content, 875 drawing specifications
importing page setups from, 762 setting up using a layout tab, 587
locations of, 894 setting up using the Model tab, 587
names of, 896 drawing statistics, displaying, 963
opening from Sheet Set Manager, 894 drawing template options, 856
regenerating from DSD files, 771 drawing templates/template files
drawing area (in AutoCAD window) alternative page setups, 628
layout viewports in, 1080, 1084 default for new sheets, 895
switching to the text window from, 393 for new sheets, 895
tiled viewports in, 1078, 1082 importing page setups from, 762
drawing database, reindexing, 800, 801 named page setups and, 666
Drawing Exchange Binary (DXB) files, search path for, 628
importing, 342 Drawing Units dialog box, 1047
drawing extents drawings
displaying, 963 attaching as xrefs, 1101
logical, 1126 checking
plotting to, 671, 714, 723 for standards violations, 165, 1209
zooming to, 1124, 1126 for problems, 1158
drawing interchange format (DXF) files. See DXF closing, 171
(drawing interchange format) files closing all, 171
drawing modes, displaying status of, 964 creating, 595, 783, 1194
digital signatures, 870, 908, 1191, 1208

Index | 1239
drawings (continued) drawings (continued)
displaying saving
in the Aerial View window, 323 performance issues, 855
information about, 337, 338, 340 with QSAVE, 784
ownership of opened files, 1092 with SAVE, 855
encryption, 870, 872 with SAVEAS, 855
examining with AUDIT, 98 versions of, 859
exporting security, 869
attribute information from, 345 in sheet sets, 897
file format, 634 spatial indexes, 1021
finding, 48, 612, 616 standards files and, 958, 959
importing thumbnail images, 634
page setups from, 762 title display, 636
inserting Drawings tab (Batch Standards Checker), 1210
blocks into, 434 DRAWORDER command, 313
linked or embedded objects into, 442 DRAWORDERCTL system variable, 314, 1157
loading geometry into drivers
with PARTIALOAD, 679 displaying names of, 720
with PARTIALOPEN, 683 memory information and, 745
with OPEN, using the Partial Open plotter driver information, 740
option, 614 search path for, 625
loading layers from, 473 drives, accessing, 611
markups for redlining, 834, 835, 836 DSD (Drawing Set Descriptions) files
naming, 855 command line options, 771
opening loading lists of drawing sheets from, 765
default path for, 1188 publishing, 763
from markups, 518 regenerating drawings from, 771
from sheet sets, 894 saving, 766
partially, 614, 619 DSETTINGS command
from sheet sets, 890 about, 314
using OPEN, 609 Drafting Settings dialog box, 314
orientation, 675, 719 DSR handshaking, 752
partially open DST (sheet set data) files
loading geometry into, 614, 619 in archive packages, 67, 69
passwords, 870, 872 listing properties of sheets, 900
plotting, 710 opening, 623
previewing, 613 in transmittal packages, 365
problems with notifications, 1209 updating, 891, 893
properties of, 337, 341 DSVIEWER command, 323
reducing Aerial View window, 323
redraw/regenerate times for, 787 DTEXT command
referenced by other drawings, 637 See also TEXT command
regenerating, 800, 801 DTR output, 753
suppressing when switching to layout duplex printing, 743
tabs/Model tab, 564, 643, duplicate attribute tags, 107
1170 duplicate names in extracted block attribute
repairing, 789 files, 347
saving duplicating materials, 821
AutoCAD options with, 624 DVB files, loading, 55
default path for, 1188 DVIEW command, 326
to DXF format, 634 DVIEWBLOCK, displaying a preview image
as earlier file formats, 856 with, 327
as HTML pages, 772 DWF (Design Web Format) files
command line options, 771
data in, 769
displaying geometry, 516
DWF PC3 files, 770

1240 | Index
DWF (Design Web Format) files (continued) Dynamic option
locations of, 768 of LENGTHEN, 482
naming, 769 of ZOOM, 1124
opening, with markup, 623 dynamic tessellation, 21, 660
page setup, 765 dynamic updating of the Aerial View window,
passwords, 769, 770 326
publishing, 763, 766, 889
publishing selected sheets or sheet set to,
891 E
security options, 769 earlier versions of AutoCAD
single- and multi-sheet files, 768, 769 file formats, 855
types of, 768 saving files as, 856, 859
DWF Password dialog box, 770 EATTEDIT command, 343
DWG (drawing) files, 470, 474 EATTEXT command, 345
adding sheets from, 765 EDGE command, 349
creating new sheets, 895 edge extension modes, 372
displaying geometry of originating drawing EDGEMODE system variable, 1158
file, 516 edges
importing page setups from, 762 displaying/hiding, 349, 1092
locations of, 894 effects of PFACE on, 703
names of, 896 filleting, 380
opening from Sheet Set Manager, 894 of polygons, 755
regenerating from DSD files, 771 trimming objects at, 1024
DWG icon, 669 See also 3D solid edges
DWG option of SAVEAS, 857 EDGESURF command, 350
DWG Options tab (Saveas Options dialog box), Edit Attribute Definition dialog box, 248
857 double-clicking attribute objects and, 246
DWGCHECK system variable, 340, 1158 Edit Attribute dialog box, 105
DWGCODEPAGE system variable, 1158 Edit Attributes dialog box, 89
DWGNAME system variable, 624, 1158 Edit Hyperlink dialog box, 416
DWGPREFIX system variable, 1158 Edit Layer dialog box, 475
DWGPROPS command, 337 Edit Lineweights dialog box, 979
Drawing Properties dialog box, 337 Edit shortcut menu
DWGTITLED system variable, 1158 enabling/disabling, 661
DWL (drawing lock) file, 1092 Edit Text dialog box, 246, 247
DWS (standards) files editing
listing, 959 2D polylines, 690
recommended replacements for violations, 3D polygon mesh objects, 700
961 3D solid edges, 931
DWT (template) files, 470, 596 3D solid faces, 920
DXB (drawing interchange binary) files attribute definitions, 247
importing, 342 attributes
DXBIN command, 342 independent of a block, 88, 89
DXF (drawing interchange format) files, 470 properties, 103
binary format, 858 for a specific block, 88, 343
decimal places of accuracy for output, 859 current drawing while referenced by
DXF options of SAVEAS, 858 another, 637
.dxx extension for template extraction files, dimensions, 267, 777
95, 96 a series of, 777
importing page setups from, 762 external database tables. See Data View
performance and, 855 window (in dbConnect)
precision in, 859 external references, 636, 795, 799
saving AutoCAD files as, 634, 859 fields in mtext objects, 569
DXF Options tab (Saveas Options dialog box), fills, 406
858 filters, 387
DXFIN command. See OPEN command generated dimensions, 267, 271
DXFOUT command. See SAVEAS command gradient fills, 108, 407

Index | 1241
editing (continued) elliptical arcs
hatched geometry, 108 aligning the cutting plane with, 912
hatches, 406 creating, 354
HTML pages, 772 regions from, 802
hyperlinks, 416 dividing, 310
landscape objects, 505 extending, 369
layer filleting, 380
properties, 454, 475 trimming, 1022
states, 468, 469 elliptical cones, 179
linked object key fields, 238 elliptical cylinders, 199
multilines, 547 E-mail Address tab (Insert Hyperlink dialog
named views, 1063 box), 416
objects email addresses, linking to, 416
on locked layers, 799 email, transmittal package notifications, 365
locking objects not in working sets, embedded objects
798 inserting into drawings, 442
plot style tables, 974 pasting from the Clipboard, 686
plot styles, 660, 673, 717 embedding
references, in-place, 793, 795, 1205 VBA projects, 1056, 1059
shaded objects, 886 emulation mode plotting, 748
solids, 933 enabling
splines, 952 grips, 652
table styles, 988 macros, 1054
toolbar button images, 190, 195 Encapsulated PostScript files. See PostScript (EPS)
VBA macros, 1058 files
editing text encryption
created with TEXT or DTEXT, 247 providers, 870, 872
editing time, displaying for a drawing, 1007 security options, 870
elapsed timer, turning on/off or resetting, 1007 end caps (for multilines), 562
electrical phase symbol, 581 styles, 978
Element Properties dialog box, 560 End option in undoing, 1043
elements of multilines, controlling, 557 end tangent for spline curves, 951, 955
ELEV command, 351 Endpoint object snap, 320, 664
elevation (default Z value) endpoints
displaying, 964 arc segments, 706
of new objects, setting, 351 edges, 755
of rectangular polylines, 791 lines
ELEVATION system variable, 964, 1158 changing, 160
elevation, of 2D objects, changing, 163 for ordinate dimension leader lines,
ELLIPSE command, 352 274
isometric circles, 169 specifying, 496
ellipses styles, 978
aligning engineering units, 599, 1047, 1050
axis of rotation with, 926 English units. See imperial units
cutting plane with, 912 Enhanced Attribute Editor, 343
converting into viewports, 1085 enlarging selected objects, 862, 863
creating, 352 environment definition for backgrounds, 101
regions from, 802 EPS (Encapsulated PostScript) files
display resolution option for, 631 See also PostScript files
dividing, 310 equal sign (=)
extruding, 373 to specify the same name for a block and
isometric circles, 169 output file, 1089
revolving, 816 ERASE command, 356
using VIEWRES for, 1072 See also OOPS command
Erase tool, 196
erased objects, restoring, 608

1242 | Index
erasing exploding
objects from drawings, 356 blocks, 436, 437, 1111
restoring erased objects, 608 compound objects
selected filters, 387 using XPLODE, 1111
temporary sketched lines, 911 groups, 397, 399
See also deleting; removing EXPORT command, 368
ERRNO system variable, 1159 Export Data dialog box, 368
error detection/correction, using AUDIT, 98 export file formats
error messages JPEG format, 447
displaying for publishing jobs, 767 TIFF format, 1006
plotting reports, 1071 Export Links dialog box, 228
print spoolers and, 641 Export page (Attribute Extraction wizard), 348
errors Export Query Set dialog box, 228
CRC error-checking, 635 Export Template Set dialog box, 228
plot and publish job information, 1070 exporting
eTransmit block attribute information to files, 345
sheet set options, 890, 892, 893 drawings
ETRANSMIT command, 357 as 3D Studio files, 38
command line prompts, 366 as ACIS files, 43
Create Transmittal dialog box, 357 in PNG files, 753
Modify Transmittal dialog box, 362 layer states, 461, 468
Transmittal - Set Password dialog box, 365 link template sets, 228
Transmittal Setups dialog box, 361 links (database), 228
updating fields before sending, 662 materials, 527
etransmit.txt file, 360 profiles, 654
Euro symbol , 571 query sets, 228
evaluating expressions. See CAL command table text, 987
exact line spacing, 579 tool palettes, 194
examples expressions (in geometry calculator), evaluating.
layer filters, 458 See CAL command
sheet list table styles, 899 expressions, fields, 378
Excel spreadsheets EXTEND command, 369
importing text from, 571 Extended Apparent Intersection object snap
exclamation point (!), 1210 mode, 322
EXE (executable) files Extended Intersection object snap mode, 321
archive packages, 67 extending objects
transmittal files, 362 implied edge extension modes, 372
executable files projection options for, 370
archive packages, 67 rather than trimming, 1022
transmittal files, 362 selecting boundary edges, 369
executing trimming objects rather than, 370
commands, 2 undoing changes, 372
queries, 203 extension lines
VBA statements, 1061 for aligned linear dimensions, 255
Existing File or Web Page tab (Insert Hyperlink for angular dimensions, 259
dialog box), 414 for baseline dimensions, 261
exiting for continued (chain) dimensions, 263
AutoCAD, 788 extending above dimension lines, 286
Dimensioning mode, 252 origins of
EXPERT system variable, 1159 for linear dimensions, 270, 273
expiration of digital IDs, 871 properties of, 285
EXPLMODE system variable, 1159 text placement options and, 293
EXPLODE command Extension object snap, 664
See also XPLODE command Extension object snap mode, 321
Extents option (ZOOM command), 1124

Index | 1243
extents. See drawing extents external references (xrefs) (continued)
external applications saving back changes to, 793, 798
using SYSWINDOWS with, 981 scale factor, 1103
external databases selecting for editing, 795
configuring temporary file location option, 629
for AutoCAD access, 225 transmittal packages and, 365
constructing/executing queries of, 203, 215 tree view of layers and, 451
creating link selection sets, 223 unloading, 681, 1116, 1119
label templates for, 203, 231 updating
linked object display options, 226 notifications, 1206
linking to, 203, 208 xref-dependent layers, 1202
record display formats, 230 EXTMAX system variable, 1159
searching for text/values in, 229 EXTMIN system variable, 1159
selecting for the current operation, 244 EXTNAMES system variable, 126, 1160
updating links to, 245 extracting
using the dbConnect Manager, 202 attribute information, 94, 345
viewing and editing, 207 VBA projects, 1056
External Reference dialog box, 1101 EXTRUDE command, 373
external references (xrefs) extruded
adding/removing objects during in-place objects, HIDE command and, 410
editing of, 799 extruding
attaching, 1101, 1115 3D faces, 921
automatically, 894 objects
with External Reference dialog box, to create solids, 373
1101 extrusion
with XATTACH, 1101 height of, 923
in batch standards audits, 1210 paths for, 374, 924
binding thickness of, setting for new objects, 351
definitions to drawings, 1105, 1116,
1118
dependent symbols to drawings, 1104 F
vs. blocks, 1113 F5 key, 893
defining clipping boundaries and clipping Face method for defining a UCS, 1029
planes, 1106 faces (of 3D solids)
as DesignCenter content, 44 See also 3D solid faces
detaching, 1116, 1118 FACETRATIO system variable, 1160
digital signatures and, 909, 910 FACETRES system variable, 632, 965, 1160
displaying fade setting of image display, 427, 428, 1205
information about, 1114, 1118 fade/fading, intensity value, 633
path for, 1102, 1115, 1116, 1119 falloff angle (of spotlights), 490
editing FAS files
options, 636 loading, 55
exporting attribute information for, 346 Fast Load AutoLISP (FAS) applications, loading,
insertion point, 1103 55
listing, 1105 favorite documents
loading, 1113 accessing, 611
loading partially open drawings and, 622, adding, 613
679, 681, 684 Favorites folder (DesignCenter)
nested, 796, 798, 1101, 1113, 1116 displaying the contents, 46
notification of updated or missing xrefs, Favorites icon (Places list in standard file selection
1206 dialog boxes), 611
opening in new windows, 1110 FAX G III files, options for rendering, 851
project files and, 626 feature control frames, 1008
reloading, 1116, 1119 feature locations for base dimensions
removing from lists, 1105 baseline dimensions, 261
retaining changes to layers, 637 continued dimensions, 263
rotation angle, 1104

1244 | Index
feet and inches, formatting for CAL command, file types
138 of drawings, displaying, 338
fence object selection method, 873 supported for
field angles (spotlights), 490 background images, 101
FIELD command rendered file output, 851
Field dialog box, 377 FILEDIA system variable, 425, 470
Field dialog box, 341 about, 1161
about, 377 BMPOUT and, 129
Field Update Settings dialog box IMPORT and, 434
about, 662 JPGOUT and, 447
displaying, 647 MENULOAD and, 533, 536
FIELDDISPLAY system variable, 647, 1160 MENUUNLOAD and, 536
FIELDEVAL system variable, 647, 1160 NEW and, 595, 602
fields (in text) OPEN and, 609, 622
categories, 377 PARTIALOPEN and, 684
converting to text, 569 PNGOUT and, 753
displaying, 647 PSETUPIN and, 762
editing in objects, 569 PUBLISH and, 771
expressions, 378 RECOVER and, 789
hyperlinks to, 378 SAVEAS and, 856, 859
name fields in files, 769 SCRIPT and, 867
names of, 377 TIFOUT and, 1006
option settings, 647, 662 VBALOAD and, 1053
sheet sets and sheet views, 378 VSLIDE and, 1086
shortcut menu inserting, 569 WBLOCK and, 1089
text format options, 378 XREF and, 1121
updating in multiline text objects, 569 files
See also database record fields accessing, 609
file compression, render option, 851 browsing for, 625
file conversion. See converting deleting, 612
file formats SHELL and, 907
in archive packages, 67 digital signatures, 908, 909, 1208
for attribute information files, 94, 348 displaying ownership of opened drawing
DSD files, 766 files, 1092
DWF files, 771 encryption, 872
DXF files, 858 exporting block attribute information to,
for exporting, 369 345
for rendered images, 860 favorite documents, 611, 613
for saving drawings, 634, 855, 856, 858, Files list, 612
859 filtering by types, names, or locations, 613,
in transmittal packages, 363 616
See also names of specific formats finding, 616
File menu, recently used files list, 636 format for, 634
file names hyperlinks to, 414
for background image files, 100 i-drop content, 875, 876
displaying information about, 338 importing, 434
DWF files, 769 names, DWF files, 769
for extracted attribute output files, 95, 96 opening, 614
of new sheets, 896 password protection, 870, 872
for plotter configuration files, 739 plotting to, 713, 741
for temporary plot files, 627 project files, 626
See also naming conventions recently used, 610, 636
File Output Configuration dialog box, 850 safety precautions options, 635
file selection dialog boxes. See standard file saving
selection dialog boxes options for, 634
File Tree tab (Archive a Sheet Set dialog box), 64 with QSAVE, 784
with SAVE, 855

Index | 1245
files (continued) filters (continued)
saving removing layers from, 456
with SAVEAS, 855 selecting layers for, 453
in standard dialog boxes, 614 for selection sets, 784
sheet set files, 63 Find and Replace dialog box, 388
standards files for auditing, 1211 Find and Replace Options dialog box, 390
working support file list, 625 FIND command, 388
See also image files Find dialog box
Files list (standard file selection dialog boxes) about, 616
about, 613 Date Modified tab, 617
view options, 612 displaying, 612
Files tab (Options dialog box), 624 Name & Location tab, 616
Files Table tab Find dialog box (DBCONNECT), 229
Archive a Sheet Set dialog box, 65 finding
Create Transmittal dialog box, 359 drawing files, 616
Files Tree tab (Create Transmittal dialog box), layers, 450
358 text, 570
files, displaying, information about, 337 first line indents, 572
FILL command, 380 fit curves
Fill mode, turning on or off, 380 for 2D polylines, 695
filled circles, 312 effects of editing commands on, 695
fillet arcs, 383 vs. spline curves, 695
FILLET command, 380 fit data
fillet radius, 791 purging from the drawing database, 955
Fillet Trim mode, 384 spline editing options, 952
filleting objects fit points (for spline curves)
polyline segments, 380 adding to splines, 953
FILLETRAD system variable, 1161 deleting from splines, 954
FILLMODE system variable, 633, 920, 1161 moving, 954
fills Fit tab (New Dimension Style dialog box), 292
boundaries, 407 fit tolerance
display option of solid fills, 633 for spline curves, 950, 955
draw order, 111, 123, 407, 409, 1165 FITS files, options for rendering, 851
filled circles, 312 fitting
for hatches, 403 backgrounds to screen, 102
of multilines, 563 layouts into viewports, 583
patterns in plot styles, 973, 974 layouts on paper, 715
table backgrounds, 990 plots on paper, 672, 724
See also gradient fills text within an area, 999
FILTER command, 385 fixed screen-pointing area (on digitizing
Object Selection Filters dialog box, 385 tablets), 996
filter.nfl (default filters) file, 387 fixing standards violations, 165, 961
filtering flagging nonstandard objects, 166, 961, 1209
files by type, name, or location, 613, 616 Flat Shaded shading option, 20, 887
filters flat shaded, adaptive degradation, 20
applying, 387 Flat Shaded, Edges On shading option, 887
creating/editing, 385 floating screen-pointing area (on digitizing
for layer translation, 473 tablets), 996
group filters for layers, 453 floating toolbars, 1014
inverting layer filters, 450, 456 flood island detection, 117
layer filter examples, 457, 458 floppy disks, SHELL command and, 907
layer properties and, 457 flow control (in plotting)
lists of layer filters, 456 setting, 751
naming layer filters, 457 flow line symbol, 581
point filters, 1130 Flyout Properties tab (Customize dialog box),
previewing layer results, 458 191
properties and parameters of, 385

1246 | Index
flyouts (in toolbar buttons) fractions
displaying, 191 blank spaces before, 575
fog format for linear dimensions, 296
choosing a color system for, 392 height of, 290
defining distance and percentages of, 392 in stacked text, 568, 573, 574, 575
turning on or off, 391 styles for, 574
FOG command, 391 frames per second display speed, 21
Fog/Depth Cue dialog box, 391 free-form polygon meshes, 28
folder search path options, 624 freehand drawings, sketching, 910
folders freezing
accessing, 611 layers, 451, 454, 467
adding to Places list, 612 filtering by status, 457
archive packages in, 66 in viewports, 452, 455, 1074, 1075
browsing for, 625 FROM command modifier, 1131
creating, 612 front, moving objects to
default path in standard file selection dialog draw order of hatches or fills, 409, 1165
boxes, 1188 draw order of objects, 313
deleting, 612 FRONTZ system variable, 1162
reflecting structure in archive packages, 68 FTP Locations icon (Places list in standard file
reflecting structure in transmittal packages, selection dialog boxes), 611
362, 363 FTP sites
web folders, 611 accessing, 611
See also paths adding, 612, 618
folding options (press) in PC3 files, 721 logging on, 618
font mapping files full paths for external references, 1102
location of, 626 FULLOPEN system variable, 1162
font substitutions, 626, 654 full-screen tracking vector display options, 649
FONTALT system variable, 364, 626, 654, 1161 fuzz distance
FONTMAP system variable, 626, 1162 between endpoints, 690
fonts
alternate
specifying location of, 626, 654 G
in archive packages, 68 gap tolerance, 117, 124
changing, 970 general properties of objects, 759
character maps for, 567 General tab
command window fonts, 630, 657 Plotter Configuration Editor, 739
listing font family names, 655 General tab, Drawing Properties dialog box, 337
for OLE objects, 608 generated measurements, 267, 271
specifications for, in Data View window Geographic Location dialog box, 494
(dbConnect), 230 geometric
specifying, 567, 968 expressions, evaluating. See CAL command
for text symbols, 581 tolerances
in transmittal packages, 364 creating, 1007
Windows system font, 630 geometric characteristic symbols
forgotten passwords, 870, 872 table listing of, 1010
Form View style settings tab (Plot Style Table Geometric Tolerance dialog box, 477, 1008
Editor), 974 geometry
Format dialog box, 230 acceleration in 3D view, 23, 25
format of database record display, 230 of landscape objects, specifying, 508, 506,
formatting 510
attribute text, 106, 344 loading into partially open drawings
labels, 231 with PARTIALOAD, 679
forward slash (/) with PARTIALOPEN, 683
stacked text indicator, 568, 575 selecting
FPS speed, adaptive degradation, 21 for partially open drawings, 609
fractional units, 599, 1047, 1050 getvar AutoLISP function, 141

Index | 1247
global GRIDMODE system variable, 316, 1162
editing of attributes, 92 GRIDUNIT system variable, 316, 963, 1162
linetype scale, 500 GRIPBLOCK system variable, 652, 1162
material in materials libraries, 527 GRIPCOLOR system variable, 652, 1162
VBA projects, unloading, 1056 GRIPHOT system variable, 652, 1162
GOTOURL command, 393 GRIPHOVER system variable, 652, 1163
Gouraud render quality option, 845 GRIPOBJLIMIT system variable, 653, 1163
Gouraud Shaded shading option, 887 grips
Gouraud Shaded, Edges On shading option, 887 in blocks, 652
gradient background for scenes, 99 determining color of, 652, 1163
gradient boundaries display size of, 652
associativity controls, 112 enabling, 652
defining, using BHATCH, 115 grip tips, 653, 1163
previewing, 112 options, 652
viewing, 111 selected color, 652
gradient fills turning on/off, 1163
angles, 119 GRIPS system variable, 652, 1163
associative, 1164 GRIPSIZE system variable, 652, 1163
centers, 119 GRIPTIPS system variable, 653, 1163
defining, 118 GROUP command
editing, 407 about, 394
editing geometry, 108 command line prompts, 398
patterns, 119 Object Grouping dialog box, 394
selecting objects for, 110 Order Group dialog box, 397
Gradient tab group filters
Boundary Hatch and Fill dialog box, 118 creating, 453
Hatch Edit dialog box, 407 layer properties, 450
grads removing layers from, 456
angle measure conventions, 1048 Group object selection method, 874
entering angles in, 139, 601 groups (of objects)
granite material attributes, 828 adding objects to, 396, 399
graphical objects creating, 395, 400
attaching hyperlinks to, 413 deleting (exploding), 397, 399
pasting from the Clipboard, 686 descriptions of, 395, 397, 400
See also objects displaying, 395, 398
graphical objects. See objects inserting, 437
GRAPHSCR command, 393 naming, 395, 400
gray shades, 976 removing objects from, 396, 399
green components of colors, 174 renaming, 397, 399
grid (drawing area) reordering objects in, 397, 398
grid snap type, 316, 918 ungrouping, 399
grid spacing, 393, 963 groups (of objects), creating, 651
setting drawing limits for, 495 GSHEIDI10 (Heidi3D graphics display system),
turning on/off, 393 642
grid (toolbar button editor), 196
GRID command, 393
grid dots H
setting spacing of, 316 halfwidth specifications for 2D polyline
turning on or off, 316 segments, 707, 709
Grid Header shortcut menu (Data View window haloed lines, shortening, 412, 1163
in dbConnect), 213 HALOGAP system variable, 412, 1163
grid limits HANDLES system variable, 1163
displaying, 963 handshaking (in plotting)
plotting, 671, 714, 723 setting, 751, 752
setting, 495 hardware
grid snap type, 316, 918 acceleration, 24
grid spacing, 393, 963 handshaking, 752

1248 | Index
hardware, configuration files, 626 HATCHEDIT command
hatch boundaries about, 406
associativity controls, 112, 123 command line prompts, 407
chamfering and, 156 Hatch Edit dialog box, 406
defining hatches
using BHATCH, 115, 120 associative. See associative hatches
using HATCH, 401 converting those created in earlier releases,
draw order and, 407 180
island detection methods, 117, 122 as DesignCenter content, 44, 48
island detection style, 115, 123 draw order, 111, 123, 401, 407, 409, 1165
object set treated as closed hatch boundary, editing objects, 406
117, 124 filleting, 381
previewing, 112 filling, 380, 1161
redefining boundary sets, 117, 120 selecting objects for, 110, 121
removing islands from, 111, 121 trimming
retaining as objects, 116, 122, 402, 404 and gaps in trim boundaries, 1024
specifying, 402, 403, 404 heads of columns, 989
viewing, 111 Heidi 3D Graphics System, 642, 660
HATCH command height
about, 401 for attribute text, 91, 161
hatch style codes, 405 for cones, 178
pattern specifications, 401 for cylinders, 198
solid fill specifications, 403 of dimension text, 290
user-defined patterns, 404 for dimension tolerance text, 303
See also BHATCH command for elliptical cones, 179
Hatch Edit dialog box for elliptical cylinders, 199
about, 406 of extrusion, 374, 923
double-clicking hatch objects and, 246 for geometric tolerance zones, 1010
Hatch Pattern Palette dialog box, 119 for landscape objects
hatch patterns specifying, 506, 511
angles, changing, 114 for multiline text, 568, 576
associative, 1164 for shapes, 888
copying with MATCHPROP, 527 of table rows, 983, 985, 989
custom, 113, 114, 120, 401 for text, 161, 968, 970, 999
displaying preview images of, 112 for wedges, 1090
ISO patterns, 114, 119 for zoom magnification, 1123
listing names of, 120, 403 height (second color) setting for backgrounds,
nonassociative, 401 101
object snaps and, 649 Help
predefined, 113, 119, 120, 401 accessing, 409
previewing, 407 HELP command, 409
properties of, 120, 409 Help file
scaling, 114 search path for, 626
solid, fill style options, 121 Help menu, accessing user or developer
specifying, 113, 120 documentation from, 2
user-defined, 113, 121, 404 Help, Info palette, 82
hatch style codes, 405, 408 hemisphere, specifying in the Sun Angle
Hatch tab Calculator, 493
Boundary Hatch and Fill dialog box, 112 hidden files, 338
Hatch Edit dialog box, 407 hidden layers, 451, 464
Hatch tab (Boundary Hatch and Fill dialog box), Hidden Line Settings dialog box, 411, 647
112 hidden lines (in 3D objects)
hatched colors, 411
geometry haloed lines, 412
editing, 108 linetypes, 411
options, 647
plotting options, 725

Index | 1249
hidden lines (in 3D objects) (continued) horizontal
of profiles, display options, 936 construction lines, 1109
removing hidden lines in 3D objects fractions
for plotting, 1084 multiline text and, 574, 575
removing, for plotting, 583 grid spacing, 917
shade plot settings, 673, 717 justification of dimension text, 291
SOLVIEW placement of, 939 linear dimensions, 272
suppressing, 336, 410, 411 resolution of rendered images, 811
HIDDEN linetype, 936 tiling of windows, 981
Hidden shading option, 887 hotspot angle (of spotlights), 490
hidden text, 412 HPANG system variable, 114, 918, 1164
HIDE command, about, 410 HPASSOC system variable, 112, 123, 1164
HIDEPRECISION system variable, 413, 1164 HPBOUND system variable, 1164
hides, precision of, 413, 1164 HPDOUBLE system variable, 1165
HIDETEXT system variable, 410, 1164 HPDRAWORDER system variable, 111, 401,
hiding 1165
attribute text, 106 HPGAPTOL system variable, 117, 1165
attributes, 88 HPNAME system variable, 113, 116, 123, 405,
database table columns, 210 408, 918, 1165
edges, 349 HPSCALE system variable, 114, 918, 1165
hyperlink cursor, 418, 646 HPSPACE system variable, 114, 1165
hyperlink shortcut menus, 418, 646 HSL (Hue, Saturation, and Luminance color
image frames, 433 model)
intersection polylines, 412 See hue, lightness, saturation (HLS) color
labels, 204, 205 system
linetype details, 499 HTML pages
multiline joints, 562 creating/editing, 772
paper space objects for plotting, 675, 718, hue
726 specifying, 173
Properties palette, 759 hue, lightness, saturation (HLS) color system,
shortcut menus, 418, 646 100
system printers, 641 adjusting for material color, 824
toolbars, 1012, 1014 specifying, 173
tooltips, 418 using for fog, 392
tree view (DesignCenter), 46 hyperlink
UCS icon, 1034 cursor display options, 646
See also hidden lines (in 3D objects) field hyperlinks, 378
hiding, objects, 1163 options for, 646
HIGHLIGHT system variable, 1164 shortcut menu display options, 646
history HYPERLINK command
list about, 413
adding applications to, 57 command line prompts, 417
removing applications from, 58 Edit Hyperlink dialog box, 416
History icon (Places list in standard file selection Insert Hyperlink dialog box, 414
dialog boxes), 610 Select Place in Document dialog box, 416
history, listing recently-used files, 610 hyperlink, base address to use for a drawing, 339
HLS color system HYPERLINKBASE system variable, 415, 1165
See also hue, lightness, saturation (HLS) color HYPERLINKOPTIONS command, 418
system hyperlinks
HLSETTINGS command associating with block definitions, 127
about, 411 attaching to graphical objects, 413
Hidden Line Settings dialog box, 411 cursor display options, 418
home folder (for DesignCenter), 46 defining a bounding rectangle for, 417
hook lines, 264, 277, 476 editing, 416
horizon (unrotated height), setting for inserting objects in drawing as, 685
backgrounds, 101 as property of objects, 760
removing, 416, 417

1250 | Index
hyperlinks (continued) image files (continued)
shortcut menu display options, 418 renaming, 421, 424
tooltip display options, 418 transparency, 1019
updating the path name, 423
viewing details of, 422, 430
I See also display (of images)
icons image frames
arranging in windows, 981 displaying, 433
for blocks, 129 Image Manager, 420
in status bar tray, 1020 image slide files, displaying, 1085
for OLE objects, 606, 607 Image Specifications dialog box, 812
in standard file selection dialog boxes, 610 IMAGEADJUST command
standards violation icon, 960 about, 426
UCS, 1034, 1040 command line prompts, 427
ID command, 419 Image Adjust dialog box, 426
Identity Reference tab (Reference Edit dialog IMAGECLIP command, 431
box), 795 IMAGEFRAME command, 433
identity symbol, 581 IMAGEHLT system variable, 633, 1165
i-drop IMAGEQUALITY command, 433
list of available content, 875 imperial units
location of associated data files, 876 current drawing settings, 1173
log file, 876 starting drawings based on, 596, 1173
SETIDROPHANDLER command and, 875 implied
setting default i-drop content type, 875 edge extension modes, for extending
viewing name of file, 876 objects, 372
viewing URL for source of, 876 implied, windowing option, for object
i-drop content selection, 651
options, 646 IMPORT command, 434
search path for, 629 Import File dialog box, 434
i-drop Options dialog box, 876 Import Layouts as Sheets dialog box
IDs, digital, See digital IDs about, 897
IFF files, options for rendering, 851 displaying, 890
ignoring nonstandard objects, 166, 961 Import Page Setups dialog box
ill/ilp functions (CAL command), 149, 154 about, 676
image (bitmap file) background for scenes, 100 displaying, 667, 762
Image Adjust dialog box, 426 Import PCP or PC2 Plot Settings wizard, 689
image application, WMFOUT and, 1099 Import Query Set dialog box, 230
IMAGE command Import Template Set dialog box, 231
about, 419 Import WMF dialog box, 1093
command line prompts, 423 importing
Image Manager, 420 3D Studio files, 35
Image dialog box, 428 ACIS files, 43
image display. See display (image) DXB files, 342
Image File Details dialog box, 422 Excel spreadsheets, 571
image files files of various formats, 434
attaching new images, 428 layer
attaching/detaching, 421, 423, 424 states, 461, 468
defining offset and size of, 812 layouts as sheets, 890, 897
display quality controls for, 433 link templates
displaying, 812 sets, 231
Image Manager, 420 materials, 527
image slide files, displaying, 1085 page setups, 667, 676, 765
in landscape libraries, 509 PCP/PC2 configuration file plot settings,
listing names of, 419, 423 689
naming conventions, 424 plotter configuration settings, 750
paths for, 422 profiles, 654
reloading/unloading, 421, 424 text files, 571

Index | 1251
importing (continued) Insert Sheet List Table dialog box
tool palettes, 194 about, 898
user-defined page setups into layouts, 762 Insert Table dialog box, 983
WMF files, 1093 inserting
imprinting objects on 3D solids, 933 content, from DesignCenter, 45
inches data from the Clipboard, 686
and feet, formatting for CAL command, 138 drawings, 434
specifying number of, to plotted units, 672 external references, 1117
Inches.pss file, 728 linked or embedded objects, 442
included angles, for surfaces of revolution, 818 shapes, 888
incremental save percentage options, 635 inserting blocks, 434
incrementing inserting, tables, 983
archive package file names, 67 Insertion object snap, 321, 664
transmittal file names, 363 insertion point
Indents and Tabs dialog box, 569, 572 for attributes, 85, 90, 161
indents in text, 569, 572 for blocks, 162, 435, 438
index for current drawing, 103
status for partially open drawings, 681 displaying, 963
type created when saving drawings, 857 for images, 430
Index Color tab (Select Color dialog box), 172 for multiple instances of blocks, 537
index, colors, 172 for shapes, 888
INDEXCTL system variable, 681, 1166 for text, 161
INETLOCATION system variable, 1166 for WMF files, 1093
infinite lines for xrefs, 1103
See also construction lines; rays INSERTOBJ command, 442
Info palette INSNAME system variable, 1166
displaying, 82 INSUNITS system variable, 430, 646, 1166
navigating, 82 INSUNITSDEFSOURCE system variable, 646,
opening, 82 1167
shortcut menu, 82 INSUNITSDEFTARGET system variable, 646,
inheritance 1167
draw order and, 314, 1157 intensity
gradient fills, 407 of ambient light, 484
hatches, 407 of point light, 485
object properties intensity, of spotlight, 489
exploded objects, 1113 INTERFERE command, 444
initialization strings interference solids, 444
plot configurations, 748 Interlace render option, 851
initialized layouts, 897 Internet (Web)
inner arc start/end caps on multilines, 562 browsing, 612
in-place reference editing folders on the Web, 611
adding/removing objects during, 799 i-drop content, 875
saving back changes, 793 Live Enablers, 645
selecting references for, 795 publishing drawings as HTML pages, 772
system variables, 1205 transmission. See transmittal packagers
in-place reference editing, fading intensity, 633 Internet Explorer, 135
INSBASE system variable, 103, 963, 1166 interrupted scripts, resuming running of, 814
INSERT command INTERSECT command, 445
about, 434 Intersection object snap, 321, 664
command line prompts, 436 intersection point, obtaining, 149
Insert dialog box, 434 intersection polylines
Insert Hyperlink dialog box, 127, 414 color, 412, 1168
Insert Markup dialog box, 834 display, 1168
Insert Object dialog box, 442 hiding, 412
Insert Sheet List dialog box INTERSECTIONCOLOR system variable, 1168
displaying, 890 INTERSECTIONDISPLAY system variable, 410,
412, 1168

1252 | Index
intersections (of lines) J
raster plotter output, 747
invalid links/link templates, updating, 245 job names, 1071
inverse linear attenuation of light job status, 1071
of point light, 485, 486 joining
specifying, 490 cut multiline segments, 554
of spotlight, 489 lines, 978
inverse square attenuation of light polylines, 690, 696
of point light, 485, 486 joints
specifying, 491 of multilines, 562
of spotlight, 489 styles, 978
inverting JPEG files, 447
filters, 450, 456 JPGOUT command, 447
layer selection, 456 justification
invisible dimension text, 308
attributes, 88, 93 multiline text, 577
edges of a 3D face, 27 multilines, 556
lines. See hidden lines text, 447, 999
ISAVEBAK system variable, 635, 1169 justification, multiline text, 570
ISAVEPERCENT system variable, 635, 1169 justification, table cell text, 990
islands (within boundaries) JUSTIFYTEXT command, 447
detection methods, 130, 131
islands (within hatches and fills)
detection methods, 109, 117, 122
K
detection style, 115, 123 key
removing, 111, 121 fields
ism.arx (image application), WMFOUT and, for link templates, 239
1099 for linked objects, 238
ISO (International Standards Organization) Keyboard tab (Customize dialog box), 191
patterns, 114, 119 keyboard, running object snaps entry, 647
pen widths, 501 keys (encryption), 870, 872
Isocp font, 581 keywords for locating drawings, 339
Isocp2 font, 581
Isocpeur font, 582
Isocpeur italic font, 582 L
Isoct font, 582 Label Template dialog box
Isoct2 font, 582 about, 231
Isocteur font, 582 displaying, 203
Isocteur italic font, 582 Label Fields tab, 232
isolating layers, 452 Label Offset tab, 233
isolines Label Template Properties dialog box, 234
display in 3D view, 23 label templates
ISOLINES system variable, 632, 1169 creating, 203, 241
isometric exporting
circles, 169, 356 sets of, 228
planes, 446 formatting, 231
Isometric snap grid, 918 importing
Isometric snap mode, 316 sets of, 231
isometric, views, restoring, 1063 labels (view label blocks), 892
ISOPLANE command, 446 landings. See hook lines
italic typeface, formatting multiline text in, 568 Landscape Edit dialog box, 506
Landscape Library dialog box, 506
Landscape Library Edit dialog box, 508
Landscape New dialog box, 509

Index | 1253
landscape objects layer states
aligning, 508, 510 deleting, 468
defining libraries, 506 exporting, 461, 468
deleting from libraries, 507 importing, 461, 468
editing, 505 managing, 460, 467
inserting into drawings, 509 naming, 468
listing, 507, 510 restoring, 461, 468
previewing, 506, 509 saving, 462, 467
landscape orientation, 675, 719, 723 Layer States Manager
language-specific dictionaries, 948 about, 460
large toolbar buttons, 189 displaying, 450
LAS files, 461, 468 Layer Translator, 472
Last object selection method, 873 layering hatches and fills, 1165
LASTANGLE system variable, 1169 LAYERP command, 469
LASTPOINT system variable, 145, 146, 1169 LAYERPMODE command, 469
LASTPROMPT system variable, 1169 layers
latitude for 3D faces created with PFACE, 704
displaying for a selected city, 494 attaching materials by, 821
specifying in the Sun Angle Calculator, 493 for attribute text, 91, 107, 344
layer colors, assigning, 569 changing
LAYER command properties of, 451, 453
about, 449 copying
command line prompts, 463 objects to, with MATCHPROP, 526
Layer Filter Properties dialog box, 457 created by SOLVIEW, 939
Layer Properties Manager, 449 creating, 450, 456, 464, 473
Layer States Manager, 450, 460 current, 456
Lineweight dialog box, 462 deleting, 450, 453, 456
New Layer State to Save dialog box, 462 description, 456
Save Layer States dialog box, 462 displaying
Select Linetype dialog box, 462 current layer, 964
Layer Filter Properties dialog box displaying name of current layer, 450
about, 457 displaying, all or none, 453
displaying, 452, 453 displaying, in xrefs, 797
layer filters, 450 for exploded objects, 1112
creating, 449 filtering, 449, 450
examples of, 458 examples of filters, 458
group filters, 453 group filters, 453
properties and, 457 properties and, 457
layer index, for partially open drawings, 622 finding, 450
layer indexes freezing, 451, 452, 454, 455, 457, 467,
for partially open drawings, 681 1074, 1075
for saved drawings, 857 geometry to load for partially open
layer linetypes, 454, 458, 465 drawings, 621
layer linetypes, binding referenced linetypes, isolating, 452
1104 layer states, 461
layer lineweights, 454, 458, 466 listing, 453, 464, 472, 474, 680, 682, 684
layer plot styles, 455, 458, 466, 659 loading geometry from, into partially open
layer properties drawings
editing, 475 with PARTIALOAD, 680, 681
restoring, 461, 469 with PARTIALOPEN, 683, 685
saving, 467 locking/unlocking, 452, 454, 457, 467,
Layer Properties Manager 799
about, 449 making current, 450, 464
List view, 453 MARKUP layer, 834
previewing filtered layers, 458 named views and, 1062
Tree view, 451 naming, 450, 453, 454, 464
plotting, 455, 458, 466

1254 | Index
layers (continued) layouts (continued)
profile blocks and, 936 making current, 471
purging markup layouts, 835, 836
from the drawing database, 473, 775 with named page setups applied, 666
referenced and unreferenced, 473 opening page setups from, 669
renaming, 805 options, setting, 631
for selected objects, 167 page setups for, 765
changing, 164 paper size, 640
as property of objects, 760 placing, views automatically, 894
standards files for, 960, 1211 plot offset and, 642
status, 454, 460 plotting
thawing, 451, 454, 467, 1075 limits, 671, 723
tracking changes to, 469 printable area, 631
translating to other standards, 472 printer support for, 712
tree view of, 451 saving, 471
turning on/off, 452, 454, 457 SOLPROF and, 936
undoing changes to settings, 469 for viewport creation, 582, 589
updating in named views, 1063 LAYOUTWIZARD command, 471
visibility, 451, 464, 1063, 1066, 1067, LAYTRANS command, 472
1075 Edit/New Layer dialog box, 475
xref-dependent layers, 1202 Layer Translator, 472
Layers toolbar, 451 Settings dialog box, 474
layers, xref-dependent layers, 637 leader annotations
LAYOUT command, 469 multiline text options for, 780
layout elements, customizing, 631 reusing, 781
Layout icon, 666 specifying, 778
layout tabs types of, 780
displaying on drawing area, 631 LEADER command, 476
plotting and, 711, 723, 735, 736 leader dimensions, associativity, 279
suppressing regeneration when switching Leader Line & Arrow tab (Leader Settings dialog
to, 564, 643, 1170 box), 781
Layout tabs (Color Options dialog box), 655 leader lines
layout viewports about, 476
creating with SOLVIEW, 938 arrowhead formats, 288, 782
creating with VPORTS, 1080, 1084 attaching, 782
LAYOUTREGENCTL system variable, 564, 643, formatting, 478
1170 inserting annotations for, 477
layouts for ordinate dimensions, 274
changing window element color in, 655, specifying, 476, 781
656 undoing the last vertex on, 479
copying, 470 Leader Settings dialog box
creating, 470 Annotation tab, 781
with the Layout wizard, 471 Attachment tab, 782
creating, viewports with, 631 Leader Line & Arrow tab, 781
current layouts, 665 leader text
customizing, 631 justifying, 447
deleting, 470 leaders
displaying page setup information while attaching, 782
creating, 667 creating with QLEADER, 778
for new sheets, 895 See also leader annotations
importing See also leader lines
as sheets, 897 leading, See line spacing
user-defined page setups into, 762 left-justifying text, 577, 1001, 1003
including with drawing sheets, 767 legacy drawings, clearing dimension linear
initialized, 897 factors, 280
listing, 471 LENGTHEN command, 479

Index | 1255
lengths (of objects) line segments
2D polyline segments, 707, 710 drawing, 496
changing sketching freehand, 910
by Dynamic Dragging, 482 See also lines
by specified increments, 480 line spacing, for multiline text, 578
converting between model and paper line start/end caps
space, 859, 945 on multilines, 562
setting styles, 978
by a percentage, 481 Line tool, 196
by specifying total length, 481 linear dimensions
wedges, 1091 aligned, 254
LENSLENGTH system variable, 1170 alternate units settings, 299
libraries associativity, 279
of landscape objects, creating and editing, creating, 269
506 with DIMBASELINE, 260
of materials, importing/exporting to, 527 with DIMCONTINUE, 262
standard. See standard libraries format and precision settings, 296
license information, AutoCAD, 43 prefixes/suffixes for text, 297
light blocks, scale factor for rendering, 807, 842 rounding rules for, 297
LIGHT command scale options, 297
about, 482 zero suppression, 298
Geographic Location dialog box, 494 lines
Lights dialog box, 483 aligning the axis of rotation with, 837, 926
New or Modify Distant Light dialog box, changing endpoints of, 160
487 construction, 1108
New or Modify Point Light dialog box, 485 creating regions from, 802
New or Modify Spotlight dialog box, 489 crossing, raster plotter output, 747
North Location dialog box, 491 for defining angular dimensions, 258
Shadow Options dialog box, 491 extending, 369
Sun Angle Calculator dialog box, 492 filleting, 380
light source vector, for distant light, 488 infinite, 1108
lights (for rendering), 482, 887 join styles, 978
ambient light, 484 joining to polylines, 690
colors of, 487 specifying endpoints of, 496, 978
creating, 483 traces, 1019
deleting, 483 trimming, 1022
displaying in drawing, 482 Lines and Arrows tab (New Dimension Style
listing, 483 dialog box), 285
modifying, 483 lines, spacing in hatch patterns, 114
for scenes, 866 LINETYPE command, 167
selecting, 483 about, 498
turning on, 482, 887 command line prompts, 501
See also distant light Linetype Manager, 498
lights (for rendering), colors of, 490 Load or Reload Linetypes dialog box, 501
Lights dialog box, 483 LINETYPE command, loading linetypes, 164
LIMCHECK system variable, 1170 Linetype Manager, 498
limits linetype scale, as property of objects, 760
checking linetypes
turning on or off, 599, 601 for attribute text, 107, 344
checking, turning on or off, 495 binding referenced linetypes, 1104
LIMITS command, 495 copying with MATCHPROP, 526
LIMMAX system variable, 963, 1171 creating at the command line, 501
LIMMIN system variable, 963, 1171 deleting, 499
LIN (linetype library) files, 498, 501, 502 displaying, 499, 501, 964
LINE command, 496 for exploded objects, 1113
filtering, 498
generating for 2D polylines, 697

1256 | Index
linetypes (continued) link templates
hiding/displaying details of, 499 creating, 203, 241
loading, 164, 499, 501, 503 exporting, 228
making current, 499, 503 importing, 231
of multiline style elements, 561 specifying key fields for, 239
naming conventions for, 500 updating, 245
of obscured lines, 411 linked objects (database links)
in plot styles, 977 display options, Data View and Query
as property of objects, 760 Options dialog box, 226
purging from the drawing database, 775 editing key field values, 238
renaming, 805 in external database tables, 208
scale factor, 164, 167, 500, 511, 526, 973, linked objects (OLE links)
974 inserting into drawings, 442
for selected objects, 164, 167 pasting from the Clipboard, 686
standards files for, 960 links (in databases)
for translated layers, 475 converting from AutoCAD releases 12 and
linetypes, displaying, 462 14, 235
linetypes, standards files for, 1211 creating, 208
Lineweight dialog box, 462 deleting, 205, 238
Lineweight Settings dialog box, 512 exporting, 228
Lineweight Settings dialog box, displaying, 647 template
lineweights exporting, 204
adjusting display scale for, 513 importing, 231
for attribute text, 107, 345 updating, 245
copying with MATCHPROP, 526 Links dialog box, 605
of dimension lines, 285 LISP routines. See AutoLISP (LSP) applications
displaying LISPINIT system variable, 1171
available values for, 513, 514 LIST command, 503
the current setting, 964 List of Blocks dialog box
in model space, 513 about, 905
for exploded objects, 1113 list view
of extension lines, 286 in the Image Manager, 420
listing, 462, 979 in the Layer Properties Manager, 451, 453
modifying, 979 in the Xref Manager, 1115
options, 647 List View shortcut menu, 455
plot options, 674, 718, 978 listing
as property of objects, 760 available PC3 files or printers, 669
saved in format of earlier releases, 514 callout blocks, 905
scaling, 725 drawing sheets, 764, 765
for selected layers, 475 DWS (standards) files, 959
for selected objects, 164, 168 files to be archived, 65
setting, 511, 514 files to be transmitted, 359
sorting, 979 font family names, 655
specifying for plot scales, 672, 716 fonts in OLE objects, 608
specifying units for, 513, 979 hatch patterns, 114, 120, 403
table lines, 991 layers, 451
Link Conversion dialog box, 235 model space views, 894
Link Manager, 238 object fields, 379
Link Select page setups, 676
creating selection sets, 223 page setups available, 666
executing, 224 PC3 files or system printers, 713
link templates and, 223, 224 plotters, 721
queries and, 224 recently-used files, 610
status bar information, 225 resource drawings for sheet sets, 893
Link Select dialog box, 223 sheet sets, 889
Link Template dialog box, 203, 239 sheets in sheet sets, 898
Link Template Properties dialog box, 240 standards files, 959

Index | 1257
listing (continued) LOGFILEMODE system variable, 636, 1171
table styles, 987 LOGFILENAME system variable, 636, 1171
user profiles, 653 LOGFILEOFF command, 504
xrefs, 1105 LOGFILEON command, 505
Live Enabler LOGFILEPATH system variable, 628, 1172
options, 645 logging on, to FTP sites, 618
LOAD command, 504 logical
Load dialog box, 46 extents, zooming to, 1126
Load Multiline Styles dialog box, 560 operators, 386
Load or Reload Linetypes dialog box, 501 LOGINNAME system variable, 340, 1172
Load Sheet List dialog box, 765 long symbol names, 644
Load/Unload Applications dialog box, 56 longitude
loading displaying for a selected city, 494
applications, with APPLOAD, 55 specifying in the Sun Angle Calculator, 493
color books, 175 lost passwords, 870, 872
DesignCenter content, 46 lowercase text, 570
drawing sheets, 765 LPT ports, 751
geometry LSEDIT command, 505
into partially open drawings, with LSLIB command, 506
OPEN (using the Partial Open LSNEW command, 509
option), 614, 620 LSP (AutoLISP) files, loading, 55
geometry, into partially open drawings LTSCALE command, 511
with PARTIALOAD, 679 LTSCALE system variable, 500, 1172
with PARTIALOPEN, 683 luminance of colors, 174
layers from other files, 473 LUNITS system variable, 1172
linetypes, 499, 501, 503 LUPREC system variable, 1172
menu files, 533 LW polylines, aligning the axis of rotation with,
multilines, 560 926
ObjectARX applications, 81 LWDEFAULT system variable, 463, 513, 514,
partial menu files, 533 1172
selected views and geometry, 609 LWDISPLAY system variable, 513, 1172
shape files, 504, 888 LWEIGHT command
title blocks, 593 about, 511
VBA projects, 1053, 1056 command line prompts, 514
xrefs, 681, 1113 Lineweight Settings dialog box, 512
LOCALE system variable, 1171 LWUNITS system variable, 513, 1172
LOCALROOTPREFIX system variable, 1171
locating
files, 612, 616 M
publishing job output, 768 m2p command modifier, 1131
locked layers, 799 macros
locking AutoCAD Macro Virus Protection dialog
attribute color to the main color, 821 box, 609, 1054
layers, 452, 454, 457, 467, 799 disabling, 1054
objects not in working sets, 798 displaying toolbar button macros, 190
viewports, 1084 enabling, 1054
locking, viewports, 584 stepping through, 1058
log files VBA, 1057
closing, 504 Macros dialog box, 1057
continuously repeating scripts and, 852 magnet (AutoSnap lock), 648
for i-drop content, 876 magnification value for zooming, 1123
layer translation, 475 See also zoom scale factor
plot and publish log files, 628, 639 main dictionary for spelling checker, 626, 948
plot stamps, 731, 732 maintain aspect ratio settings. See aspect ratio
search path for, 628, 636 managing drawing content. See ADCENTER
turning on/off, 636 command; DesignCenter
writing text window contents to, 505 Map Markup dialog box, 835

1258 | Index
map style, for material bitmaps, 827 MARKUPCLOSE command, 520
map, for Sun Angle Calculator, displaying, 494 markups (markup objects)
mapped materials creating, 517
assigning coordinates, 876 details and information, 519
cylindrical coordinates, 879 displaying, 517
placement of, 884 history of, 519
planar coordinates, 878 markup sets, 515
previewing, 878, 879, 881, 882, 883 opening drawing files from, 518
projection types for, 877 opening DWF files with markups, 623
solid coordinates, 883 restoring initial views, 519
spherical coordinates, 881 reviewing, 517
mapping status, 519
layers for translation, 473 status of Question, 517
markup layouts to drawing layouts, 835, markups (markup objects), mapping layouts to
836 drawing layouts, 835
mapping coordinates mass properties
acquiring from a selected object, 877 calculating for 2D and 3D objects, 521
adjusting, 877, 878 for coplanar regions, 521, 522
assigning, 876 for noncoplanar regions, 521
copying to selected objects, 878 parameters that control calculation units,
deleting, 877 524
Mapping dialog box, 876 for solids, 523
marble material attributes, 829 writing to a text file, 521
Mark option in undoing, 1043 MASSPROP command, 521
marker blips matching text object sizes, 864
displaying/removing, 124 MATCHPROP command, 525
removing material attachment methods, 907
with REDRAW, 792 material bitmaps
with REDRAWALL, 793 auto axis option, 827
markers, AutoSnap, 648 map style for, 827
marking offset and scale settings, 826
vertices previewing, 825, 826
of 2D polylines, 691 soft matte (feathered) effects on, 827
of 3D polyline mesh objects, 700 tiling, 827
of 3D polylines, 698 Material Condition dialog box, 1012
MARKUP command, 515 material condition symbols, 1009, 1012
Markup Set Manager, 515 materials (for rendering)
Markup shortcut menu 3D configuration options, 22
Drawing Sheet Node, 518 adjusting mapping coordinates, 878
Markup Node, 518 applying, 807
Markup Set Node, 518 attaching, 821, 833
MARKUP layer, 834 by ACI values, 833
Markup Set Manager by layer, 833
about, 515 attributes, 822
opening DWF markups in, 623 color adjustments, 822, 823
tree view, 517 creating, 821, 822
markup sets detaching, 821, 833
defined, 515 displaying, 22
details and information, 519 duplicating, 821
displaying, 517 granite, creating/modifying, 828
loading or unloading, 518 libraries, 528
redline geometry, 516 mapping onto objects, 876
republishing, 515 marble, creating/modifying, 829
Markup shortcut menu (Drawing Sheet Node), modifying, 821, 822
518 named, reconciling after
Markup shortcut menu (Markup Node), 518 importing/exporting, 529
Markup shortcut menu (Markup Set Node), 518 naming/renaming, 822

Index | 1259
materials (for rendering) (continued) menus
previewing, 820, 825 menu groups, 189, 192
selecting, 820 shortcut keys for items on, 191
types and attachment methods, 907 MENUUNLOAD command, 536
wood, creating/modifying, 831 merged-cross intersection between multilines,
Materials dialog box, 820 549
materials libraries merged-tee intersection between multilines, 551
importing/exporting to, 527 merging
Materials Library dialog box, 528 background for scenes, 100
mathematical expressions, evaluating. See CAL meshes (faceted surfaces)
command creating, 12
MATLIB command metafiles. See WMF files
about, 527 metric units
Materials Library dialog box, 528 current drawing settings, 1173
Reconcile Exported Material Names dialog starting drawings based on, 596, 1173
box, 530 Microsoft Access file format, 348, 349
Reconcile Imported Material Names dialog Microsoft Excel file format, 349
box, 529 Microsoft Excel, importing text from, 571
MAXACTVP system variable, 583, 1172 midpoint, 1131
MaxArray system registry variable, 74, 79 Midpoint object snap, 320, 664
MaxHatch system registry variable, 109, 401 millimeters
maximizing columns in layer listings, 455 specifying number of, to plotted units, 672
maximum plot resolution, 674, 718, 725 MINSERT command
MAXSORT system variable, 1173 about, 536
MBUTTONPAN system variable, 1173 REFEDIT and, 796, 798
MDB (Microsoft Access) files, 349 setting
MEASURE command, 531 preview rotation angles, 544
measured intervals, placing points or blocks at, preview scale factor for X, Y, Z axes,
531 543
MEASUREINIT system variable, 595, 1173 rotation angles, 541
measurement scale. See scale scale factors for X, Y, Z axes, 539
MEASUREMENT system variable, 1173 specifying block insertion point, 536
media sources and destinations in PC3 files, 721 minutes/seconds, entering angles in, 601
media types for plotting, 743 MIRROR command, 544
memory (RAM) MIRROR3D command, 545
amount available, displaying, 964 mirroring
conserving, with CONVERT, 180 creating, 544
plotting and, 745 about a plane (3D), 545
MENU command, 533 material reflection attribute and, 824
Menu Customization dialog box, 533 MIRRTEXT system variable, 545, 1174
menu files miters (joints of multilines), 562, 978
loading, 533 MLEDIT command, 547
partial, loading, 533 MLI (materials library) files, 527
search path for, 626 MLINE command, 555
menu groups/menu bars Mline object type
customizing display of, 533 See also multilines
listing, 189 MLN (multiline library) files, 559, 560
shortcut keys and, 192 MLSTYLE command
MENUCTL system variable, 1173 about, 557
MENUECHO system variable, 1174 Element Properties dialog box, 560
MENULOAD command Load Multiline Styles dialog box, 560
about, 533 Multiline Properties dialog box, 561
command line prompts, 536 Multiline Styles dialog box, 558
Menu Customization dialog box, 533 MM.pss file, 728
MENUNAME system variable, 1174 MNU (template menu) files, 192, 533
Mode attribute properties, 104
MODEL command, 563

1260 | Index
Model layout modifying
displaying tab for, 631 lights, 483
including in drawing sets, 766 materials, 821, 822
model space plot style tables, 974
adding scenes to, 865 symbols, for geometric tolerances, 1009,
attaching views as xrefs, 894 1012
changing window element color in, 655 See also editing
converting length values from paper space, monochrome plotters, 975
859, 945 monument line symbol, 581
creating mouse, pointing device options, 643
slide files in, 565 MOVE command, 564
tiled viewport configurations in, 1078 moving
deleting scenes from, 865 dimension text, 308
geometry, loading into partially open faces of 3D solids, 925
drawings, 680, 681 fit points on splines, 954
modifying scenes in, 865, 866 marked vertices
plotting before paper space, 674, 718, 726 of 2D polylines, 692
plotting views, 725 of 3D polyline mesh objects, 701
in spatial index, 1021 of 3D polylines, 699
switching from paper space to, 566 objects
model space view thumbnail images about a 3D axis, 837
updating, 1052 about a base point, 836
model space views with STRETCH, 965
preview images, 658 spline control vertices, 956
model space, hatch scale and, 402 UCSs, 1030
Model tab moving, columns in sheet list tables, 899
plotting and, 710, 723, 735, 736 moving, objects, above or below objects, 313
suppressing regeneration when switching moving, Properties palette, 759
to, 643, 1170 MREDO command, 565
switching MS-DOS names of files, 338
to, from a layout tab, 563 MSLIDE command, 565
Model tab (Color Options dialog box), 655 MSOLESCALE system variable, 1174
MODEMACRO system variable, 1174 MSPACE command, 566
Modify Archive Setup dialog box MTEXT command
about, 66 about, 566
displaying, 65 AutoStack Properties dialog box, 575
Modify Dimension Style dialog box, 284 command line prompts, 576
Alternate Units tab, 299 control codes and special characters, 580
Fit tab, 292 hiding text, 410, 412
Primary Units tab, 296 Indents and Tabs dialog box, 572
Text tab, 289 Multiline Text Editor, 567
Tolerances tab, 301 Replace dialog box, 572
Modify Distant Light dialog box, 487 Stack Properties dialog box, 573
Modify Granite Material dialog box, 828 Unicode character strings and, 580
Modify Marble Material dialog box, 829 mtext.
Modify Point Light dialog box, 485 See MTEXT command; multiline text
Modify Scene dialog box, 866 MTEXTED system variable, 626, 1174
Modify Spotlight dialog box, 489 MTEXTFIXED system variable, 1175
Modify Standard Material dialog box, 822 MTJIGSTRING system variable, 1175
Modify Table Style dialog box, 988 MTP command modifier, 1131
Modify Transmittal dialog box, 362 Multiline Edit Tools dialog box, 548
Modify Wood Material dialog box, 831 double-clicking mline objects and, 246
Multiline Properties dialog box, 561

Index | 1261
Multiline Styles dialog box, 558 Multiline Text Editor (continued)
multiline text editing dimension text
about, 566 with DIMLINEAR, 270
AutoCAPS and, 570 with DIMORDINATE, 275
automatic stacking feature, 575 with DIMRADIUS, 278
background masks, 571 Multiline Text Editor, shortcut menu options,
bold, 568 569
case of, 570 multiline text objects
character height specification, 568 AutoCAPS and, 570
color assignment, 569 case of, 570
combining paragraphs, 570 combining paragraphs, 570
drawing display, 576 justification, 570
editing, stacked text, 573 removing formatting, 570
fields in, 569 selecting, 570
finding, 570 setting width in drawing units, 569
finding/replacing, 572 stacking, 570
by matching case, 573 multilines
by matching whole word, 573 background fills, 563
formatting, 567 creating, 555
fractions in, 574, 575 editing, 547, 558
height, setting, 576 elements of, 557, 558, 560
importing, 571 filling, 380
including with leader lines, 478 joints, 562
indents and tabs, 569, 572 justification type, 555
inserting symbols in, 570, 580 loading, 560
italic, 568 making current, 558
justification, 570 naming/renaming, 559
justification and alignment for, 447, 577 patterns illustrated, 548
leader annotations and, 780, 782 purging from the drawing database, 775
line spacing, specification, 578 scale, 556
opposite corner of, 576 setting properties for, 560
redoing actions, 568 start and end caps of, 562
removing formatting, 570 style for, 557
replacing, 570 multiple
resizing, 864 instances of a block
rotation angle for, 579 inserting into rectangular arrays, 536
selecting, 570 synchronizing instances, 104
setting width in drawing units, 569 mappings of markup layouts, 836
shortcut menu options, 569 MULTIPLE command, 582
stacking, 568, 570 Multiple object selection method, 874
style property, 567 multiple parallel lines. See multilines
styles multiple undo actions, 565
default, 576 multiple, drawings, opening, 644
specifying, 580 multi-sheet drawing files, 769
underlining, 568 multithreaded processing, 1203
undoing actions, 568 MVIEW command, 582
width of, 576, 580 Multiline Text Editor shortcut menu, 569
Multiline Text Editor MVSETUP command
about, 567 about, 586
double-clicking setting preferences for, 591
leader text and, 246 using
multiline text and, 246 on a layout tab, 587
editing dimension text on the Model tab, 587
with DIMALIGNED, 256 My Documents folder, 610
with DIMANGULAR, 259 My Documents icon (Places list in standard file
with DIMDIAMETER, 265 selection dialog boxes), 610
with DIMEDIT, 267 My Network Places folder, 611

1262 | Index
MYDOCUMENTSPREFIX system variable, 1175 naming (continued)
myspool.bat file, 627 materials, 822
multilines, 559
page setups, 668
N plot style tables, 973
Name & Location tab (Find dialog box), 616 plot styles, 975
named profiles, 662
drawing sheets, 764 queries, 242
materials, reconciling after sheet set custom properties, 901
importing/exporting, 529 sheets in sheet sets, 896
objects spotlights, 489
changing names of, 804 subsets of sheet sets, 894
external references, 797, 1117 table styles, 988
in partially open drawings, 620 text styles, 970
purging, 773 tiled viewport configurations, 1080, 1082
viewing purgeable/nonpurgeable, 773 transmittal files, 363
page setups, 676, 712, 720 transmittal setups, 361
plot styles, 972, 975 user coordinate systems, 1032
converting CTBs to, 182 VBA projects, 1056
for use in existing drawings, 734 views, 1065
for use in new drawings or See also renaming
pre-AutoCAD 2000 naming conventions
drawings, 734 for attribute tags, 85, 87
plot styles, settings, 659 for blocks, 126
printers/plotters, 713 for attribute field names, 348
selection sets. See groups for linetypes, 500
sheet sets, 889 when exporting to 3D Studio files, 38
views when importing 3D Studio files, 35
categories, 1067 See also file names
creating, 1065 naming, drawings, 855
displaying, 1061, 1067 navigating
editing boundaries, 1063 the Data View window (in dbConnect), 214
information stored with, 1062 navigating, to specific DesignCenter locations,
plotting, 671, 714, 723 51
renaming, 1063 Nearest object snap, 664
updating layers in, 1063 Nearest object snap mode, 322
views, displaying, 613 nested
named objects blocks, 346
listing types of, in drawing, 379 xrefs
Named UCSs tab (UCS dialog box), 1037 attaching, 1101
Named Viewports tab (Viewports dialog box) binding, 1116
floating, 1082 in-place reference editing and, 796,
tiled, 1080 798
Named Views tab (View dialog box), 1062 NETLOAD command, 595
naming Netscape Navigator, 135
archive packages, 67 NEW command
blocks, 126, 127, 347 about, 595
dimension styles, 284, 305 Advanced Setup wizard, 600
drawings, 855 command line prompts, 602
DWF files, 769 Create New Drawing dialog box, 595
filters, 457 Quick Setup wizard, 598
groups, 395, 400 Select Template dialog box, 595
imported/exported materials, 348, 529 STARTUP system variable and, 1194
label templates, 241 New Dimension Style dialog box
layer states, 468 Alternate Units tab, 299
layers, 450, 453, 454, 457, 464, 475 Fit tab, 292
link templates, 242 Lines and Arrows tab, 285

Index | 1263
New Dimension Style dialog box (continued) nonstandard objects in drawings, 1193, 1209,
Primary Units tab, 296 1210
Text tab, 289 automatically fixing violations, 961
Tolerances tab, 301 deleting and replacing, 165
New Distant Light dialog box, 487 flagging as ignored, 166
New Granite Material dialog box, 828 nonuniform rational B-splines (NURBS)
New Label Template dialog box, 203, 241 mathematics, 950
New Landscape Library dialog box, 507 nor function (CAL command), 152, 154
New Layer dialog box, 475 normal plot resolution, 674, 717, 725
New Layer State to Save dialog box normal vectors, calculating, 152
about, 462 North Location dialog box, 491
displaying, 457, 461 north location, setting, 491, 492
New Link Template dialog box, 203, 241 not equal symbol, 581
New Marble Material dialog box, 829 Notes tab (Batch Standards Checker), 1212
New Page Setup dialog box notifications in status bar tray
about, 667 settings, 1020
displaying, 667 xrefs, 1206
New Point Light dialog box, 485 notifications in status bar tray, standards
New Query dialog box, 203, 242 violations, 960
New Scene dialog box, 865 noun/verb selection, 651
New Sheet dialog box number of actions to undo, 1043
about, 895 number of columns in sheet list tables, 899
displaying, 890 number of copies to plot, 714
New Sheet Selection dialog box number of tessellations to cache, 22
about, 903 numbers of sheets, 896
displaying, 892 numeric
New Spotlight dialog box, 489 expression operators, 137
New Standard Material dialog box, 822 functions, supported by the CAL
New Table Style dialog box, 988 command, 142
New Toolbar dialog box, 195
New View dialog box
about, 1065 O
displaying, 1063 object classifications, 786
New Viewports tab (Viewports dialog box) object colors, setting (making current), 1137
floating, 1080 Object DBX applications, loading, 55
tiled, 1078 Object Enablers
New Wood Material dialog box, 831 checking for, 1186
NEWSHEETSET command options, 645
Create Sheet Set Wizard, 602 object fields, 379
Node object snap, 664 Object Grouping dialog box, 394
Node object snap mode, 320 object linking and embedding. See OLE
NOMUTT system variable, 1175 Object method for defining a UCS, 1027
nonassociative object properties
dimensions changing
converting associative dimensions with CHANGE command, 162
into, 266 with Properties palette, 757
converting into associative object selection
dimensions, 279 sets, creating with QSELECT, 784
gradient fills, 112 Object Selection Filters dialog box, 385
hatches object selection, options for, 650
creating with BHATCH, 108, 112 object smoothness
creating with HATCH, 401 curve tessellation, 21
editing with HATCHEDIT, 407 dynamic tessellation, 21, 660
nonbreaking spaces, inserting, 571 surface tessellation, 21
noncoplanar regions, mass properties displayed
for, 521

1264 | Index
object snap objects (continued)
modes graphical
displaying status of, 964 inserted as hyperlinks, 685
setting, 320, 663 lengthening, 479
spline frame control points and, 696 listing information for, 503
turning on/off, 318, 323 locking objects not in working sets, 798
modes, customizing AutoSnap settings, 648 nonstandard objects, 1193, 1210
running object data entry option, 647 automatically fixing violations, 961
target box, sizing, 55 deleting and replacing, 165
tracking flagging as ignored, 166
turning on/off, 319 offsetting, 603
tracking, settings, 649 overlapping, controlling display of, 1005
object snap modes pasting
command modifier, 1132 from the Clipboard, 686
using in arithmetic expressions, 146 placing in the Previous selection set, 872
Object Snap tab (Drafting Settings dialog box), in polar arrays, 75
319, 664 properties of, 166
object snaps removing
command modifier, 1132 from the drawing database, 775
ignoring hatch patterns, 649 resolution for, 1072
object types saving to a file, 1088, 1089
specifying for boundaries, 130, 131 scaling, 862
ObjectARX applications, 81 selecting
live enablers, 645 for attribute data extraction, 95, 96
loading, 55 with Quick Select, 784
options for, 637 for UCS definition, 1027
search path for, 627 with command modifiers, 1132
objects shading, 886
adding to groups, 396, 399 snap points on, 1132
adding to working sets during in-place splitting in two, 134
editing, 799 stretching, 965
calculating in translated layers, 475
area and perimeter of, 70 trimming
mass properties of, 521 extending rather than, 1022
classification, selecting by, 786 rather than extending, 370
as clipping boundaries, 1073 type selected, display of, 379
color assignment in other applications, using coordinates from, 1130
1204 obliquing angle (text), 268, 969, 971
converting obscured lines, 411
to blocks, 1088 OBSCUREDCOLOR system variable, 411, 1175
to viewports, 1085 OBSCUREDLTYPE system variable, 411, 1176
converting, to viewports, 584 oct-trees in spatial index, 1021
creating OFFSET command, 603
multiple copies of, 72 offset, gaps between polyline segments, 1177
displacing using MOVE, 564 OFFSETDIST system variable, 1176
double-clicking to display Properties palette OFFSETGAPTYPE system variable, 1177
or a special editor, 246 offsetting
exporting attribute information for, 345 faces of 3D solids, 928
extending background controls for, 102
rather than trimming, 1022 construction lines, 1110
trimming rather than, 370 dimension text, 292
extruding, 373 distance for, 603
fields, 379 extension lines, 287
graphical locating points, 1131
3D display options, 20, 660 material bitmaps, 826, 884
attaching hyperlinks to, 413 multiline style elements, 560
pasting from the Clipboard, 686 plotting areas, 642, 671, 715

Index | 1265
offsetting (continued) opening
projection cylinders, 881 2D polylines, 690
projection planes, 879 3D polyline mesh objects, 702
projection spheres, 882 3D polylines, 697
rendered images, in viewports, 861 Adjust Clipping Planes window, 17
offsetting, rectangular arrays, 74 drawings
ohm symbol, 581 default path for, 1188
OLE DB (Microsoft) from markups, 518
configuring data sources with, 225 from Sheet Set Manager, 894
OLE objects from markups, 518
about, 604 with OPEN, 609
changing portions, 614, 619
the icon for, 606 from sheet sets, 890
the source application for, 606 from standard file selection dialog
changing, text size for, 608 boxes, 614
inserting into drawings, 442 rendered images, 809
listing/modifying, 605 splines, 954, 956
pasting, 686 text window, 1005
plot options for, 641, 747 Visual Basic Editor, 1053
OLE Text Size dialog box, 608 opening, drawings, checking for problems, 1158
OLEFRAME system variable, 1177 operating system commands, accessing from
OLEHIDE system variable, 1177 AutoCAD, 907
OLELINKS command operators
about, 604 for link selections, 224
Change Icon dialog box, 607 for queries, 216, 219, 222
Convert dialog box, 606 for reusable filters, 386
Links dialog box, 605 for selection set filters, 786
OLEQUALITY system variable, 641, 1178 optimizing
OLESCALE command polylines and hatches, created in
about, 608 pre-AutoCAD 2000 releases, 180
OLE Text Size dialog box, 608 options
OLESTARTUP system variable, 641, 1178 3D graphics display, 642
Omega symbol, 581 accelerator keys, 646
online Help. See Help alignment vector display, 649
OOPS command, 608 aperture display size, 650
opacity maps, 509 associative dimensioning, 647
opaque images, 1019 AutoSnap, 648
opaque surfaces, 336, 410 AutoTrack, 649
Open and Save tab (Options dialog box), 634 beep on error, 644
OPEN command coordinate data entry priority, 647
about, 609 crosshairs size, 631
Add/Modify FTP Locations dialog box, 618 database connectivity, 644
AutoCAD Macro Virus Protection dialog DesignCenter source/target options, 646
box, 609 dialog box warning messages, 644
command line prompts, 622 dictionary, 626
Find dialog box, 616, 617 digital signatures, 636
Partial Open dialog box, 609, 619 display resolution and performance, 631
Select File dialog box, 609 external reference (xref), 636
standard file selection dialog boxes, 609 fields, 647
open-cross intersection between multilines, 549 file safety precautions, 635
open polygon meshes, 28 file save, 634
open polylines, calculating area and perimeter folder search paths, 624
of, 71, 72 font file, 626
Open Sheet Set dialog box, 623 grips, 652
open-tee intersection between multilines, 550 hidden lines, 647
Open VBA project dialog box, 1053 hyperlink display, 646
i-drop content, 646

1266 | Index
options (continued) ordinate dimensions
layout elements, 631 creating
lineweight, 647 with DIMBASELINE, 260
Live Enablers, 645 with DIMCONTINUE, 262
loading of acad.lsp file, 644 with DIMORDINATE, 274
long symbol name, 644 a series of, 777
menu group/menu bar display, 533 ordinate dimensions, creating, associativity, 279
MVSETUP, 591 orientation
object selection methods, 650 of drawings, 675, 719, 723
ObjectARX applications, 637 of orthographic user coordinate systems,
performance improvement, 632 1040, 1064, 1068
pickbox size, 650 origin
plot style, 658 for orthographic user coordinate systems
plotting, 627, 638 resetting, 1040
pointing device, 643 for a user coordinate system, 1026, 1042
profiles, 653 for viewports, 592
proxy graphics, 637 ORTHO command, 662
publishing, 638 Ortho mode
reference fading intensity, 633 for cursor positioning, 662
rendering. See rendering preferences Orthogonal transformation type, 993
right-clicking, 661 orthographic
shortcut menu display, 646 UCSs
single and multiple drawing options, 644 changing to, 1038
templates, 628 orientation relative to a base coordinate
temporary file locations, 628 system, 1040
text editor, 626 resetting the origin of, 1040
window elements, 630 specifying, 1030
OPTIONS command specifying depth of, 1039
about, 623 views
Add Profile dialog box, 662 creating, 942
Alternate Font dialog box, 654 restoring, 1063, 1067
Change Profile dialog box, 662 Orthographic and Isometric Views tab (View
Color Options dialog box, 655 dialog box), 1063
Command Line Window Font dialog box, Orthographic UCSs tab (UCS dialog box), 1038
657 ORTHOMODE system variable, 1178
Field Update Settings dialog box, 662 OSMODE system variable, 319, 1179
Options dialog box, 624 OSNAP command, 663
Plot Style Table Settings dialog box, 658 Osnap. See object snap modes
Right-Click Customization dialog box, 660 OSNAPCOORD system variable, 647, 1179
Thumbnail Preview Settings dialog box, outer arc start/end caps on multilines, 562
657 output devices. See plotters
Options dialog box overlapping
about, 624 solids
Display tab, 629 INTERFERE and, 444
Drafting tab, 648 INTERSECT and, 445
Files tab, 624 overlapping, objects, draw order, 313
Open and Save tab, 634 overlaying xrefs, 1113, 1119
Plot and Publish tab, 638 Override Dimension Style dialog box, 284
Profiles tab, 653 Alternate Units tab, 299
Selection tab, 650 Fit tab, 292
System tab, 642 Primary Units tab, 296
User Preferences tab, 645 Text tab, 289
Options dialog box (for i-drop). See i-drop Tolerances tab, 301
Options dialog box See also New Dimension Style dialog box
Order Group dialog box, 397 overriding dimension system variables, 276
overscoring text, control code for, 1004

Index | 1267
P Pan shortcut menu, 678
panning
packaging sheet files. See archive packages raster images, 632
Page Setup dialog box a view, 34
about, 668 DVIEW specifications, 333
display options, 631 to linked objects, 226
displaying, 667 Pantone colors
filtering paper size lists, 750 applying to exploded objects, 1112
limiting the devices listed, 641 selecting, 175
page setup list specifying properties for objects, 163
layouts with asterisks, 666 paper background display option, 631, 656
Page Setup Manager paper sizes
about, 665 availability, 670, 713, 721
Page Setup dialog box, 668 custom, 749
page setup override files, 676 filtering, in dialog box lists, 750
page setup overrides fitting plots to paper, 672, 715, 724
automatically published with selected sheets modifying
in sheet sets, 891 standard sizes, 749
page setups plotting options, 640, 742
basing on existing setups, 668 units for plotting, 670, 713, 723
creating, 666, 667 width/height, specifying with MVSETUP,
current layouts or sheet sets, 665 587
current page setups, 669 paper source, 742
defaults, 668 paper space
details, 676 applying layouts, 765
displaying, for plotting, 712 converting length values from model
drawing orientation, 675 space, 859, 945
editing, 667 creating layout viewport configurations in,
importing, 667, 676 1080, 1084
named, 666, 676, 712, 720, 765 creating slide files in, 565
output devices in, 669, 676, 766 geometry, loading into partially open
page setup override files, 676 drawings, 680, 681
paper sizes, 670 hatch scale and, 402
plot area, 670 hiding objects for plotting, 675, 718, 726
plot offset, 671 loading geometry into partially open
plot options, 674 drawings, 680, 681
plot scale, 672 MVSETUP and, 592
plot settings in, 676, 765 plotting after model space, 674, 718, 726
plot style tables, 672 scaling hatch patterns to, 114
previewing, 675 in spatial index, 1021
saving, 720 switching
search path for templates, 628 to model space from, 566
shaded viewport options, 673 zoom scale factor and, 1125
sheet sets and, 666, 890 PAPERUPDATE system variable, 640
specifying details, 667 parallel
user-defined, importing into a layout, 762 curves, 603
PAGESETUP command dimensions. See baseline dimensions
Changes to a Printer Configuration File lines, 603
dialog box, 675 lines. See also multilines
Import Page Setups dialog box, 676 parallel dimensions, See baseline dimensions
New Page Setup dialog box, 667 Parallel object snap, 664
Page Setup dialog box, 668 Parallel object snap mode, 323
Page Setup Manager, 665 parallel ports
palettes configuring, 751
color palettes for toolbar button colors, 196 plotter settings, 740
Properties palette, 758 parallel projections (of 3D views)
tool palettes, 194 perspective views, 326

1268 | Index
partial degrees, entering angles in, 601 paths (continued)
partial files default, 1188
opening, 614, 619 for default Internet location, 626
partial images, specifying for rendering, 860 for device drivers, 625
Partial Load dialog box, 679 for drawing files in sheet sets, 897
loading geometry from layers, 680 for extrusion, 374, 924
loading geometry from views, 680 for sheets, 896
partial menu files for hardware configuration file, 626
loading, 533 for Help file, 626
unloading, 536 for i-drop content associated data files, 876
Partial Open dialog box for image files, 422, 423, 425
about, 619 for locating files, 612
displaying, 609, 614 for log file, 628
partial preview images of plot area, 670, 713 for menu file, 626
partially open drawings moving up or down, 629
loading geometry into for ObjectARX applications, 627
with PARTIALOAD, 679 for print support files, 627
with PARTIALOPEN, 683 for project files, 626
with PARTIALOAD, 679 removing, 629
with PARTIALOPEN, 683 for rendering texture maps, 629
partially open drawings, loading geometry into, search path options, 624
with OPEN, 619 for selected references, 796
PARTIALOAD command, 679 setting the default, 1188
Partial Load dialog box, 679 for support files, 625
PARTIALOPEN command, 683 for template files, 628
Password tab (Security Options dialog box), 870 for temporary files, 628
passwords for tool palette files, 628
adding to drawings, 870 for xrefs, 1102, 1116, 1119
for archive packages, 69 paths, for plotted jobs, 1071
confirming, 770, 872 patterns
for DWF files, 769, 770 hatches. See hatch patterns
encryption options, 872 patterns, gradient fills, 119
FTP sites, 619 pauses within scripts, 251
lost or forgotten, 872 PC2 (legacy plotter configuration) files
options, 636 converting plot style tables from, 183
for transmittal packages, 365 importing, 689
Paste Special dialog box, 688 settings from, 750
PASTEASHYPERLINK command, 685 PC3 (plotter configuration) files, 670, 737
PASTEBLOCK command, 686 attaching/detaching PMP files to/from,
PASTECLIP command, 185, 686 748, 750
PASTEORIG command, 687 changes to, 675, 720, 770
PASTESPEC command, 687 default output devices, 638
pasting default paper sizes, 714
a copied block into a drawing, 686 device settings, 742
data from the Clipboard, 686 displaying device driver names for, 720
pasting, text, from other application, 566 listing, 669, 713
PAT files (pattern files), 120 moving, 641
path curves, defining tabulated surfaces with, one-time plot changes, 720
997 Plotter Configuration Editor and, 738
paths, 628 search paths for, 627
adding, 629 searching for, 722
for alternate font files, 626 updating, 720, 722
for Automatic Save files, 627 pc3 editor. See Plotter Configuration Editor
for backup files, 635 PCINWIZARD command, 689
for blocks, 437, 1088 PCP (legacy plotter configuration) files
for color book files, 628 converting plot style tables from, 183
for database source files, 628 import wizard for, 689

Index | 1269
PCP (legacy plotter configuration) files Photo Raytrace rendering type, 841, 847
(continued) Photo Real Render Options dialog box, 845
importing Photo Real rendering type, 492, 841, 845
settings from, 750 pick button (mouse)
PCX files, options for rendering output, 851 zooming with, 1127
PDMODE system variable, 249, 311, 531, 754, Pick Points option, 109
1180 PICKADD system variable, 651, 758, 873, 1181
PDSIZE system variable, 249, 754, 1180 PICKAUTO system variable, 651, 1181
PEDIT command pickbox cursor, resizing, 650
about, 689 PICKBOX system variable, 650, 1181
editing 2D polylines, 690 PICKDRAG system variable, 651, 1181
editing 3D polygon meshes, 700 PICKFIRST system variable, 651, 805, 1019,
editing 3D polylines, 697 1181
PEDITACCEPT, 1180 PICKSTYLE system variable, 651, 1182
PEDITACCEPT system variable, 689 pixels
PELLIPSE system variable, 1180 specifying number of, to plotted units, 672
pen configuration, 743, 744, 976 placeholder fields
pen mapping, 724, 974 listing, 379
pen settings, options, 672 values displayed, 379
pen swapping, 744 placement of mapped materials, 884
pen width, setting, 114 Places list (standard file selection dialog boxes),
Pencil tool, 196 610
Percent option of LENGTHEN, 481 PLAN command, 704
percent sign (%), 571 plan views
percent sign (%), entering, 1004 setting viewing angles to, 251
performance improvement planar coordinates, for mapped materials, 878
3D acceleration, 24 plate/property line symbol, 581
back face discarding and, 24 PLATFORM system variable, 1182
display settings, 632 PLINE command, 705
improving plot speed, 744, 745 PLINEGEN system variable, 706, 1182
legacy behavior of single processor in PLINETYPE system variable, 181, 1182
pre-AutoCAD 2000i releases, 1203 PLINEWID system variable, 1182
lineweights and, 512 Plot and Publish Details dialog box, 763, 1070
for redrawing/regenerating operations, plot and publish log files
1203 information in, 639, 763
SAVEAS command and, 855 search path for, 628
suppressing regeneration when switching to Plot and Publish Status Bar Icon shortcut menu,
layout tabs/Model tab, 564, 643, 1071
1170 Plot and Publish tab (Options dialog box), 638
PERIMETER system variable, 70, 1181 plot area, partial previews of, 713
perimeters, calculating, 70 PLOT command
period (.), to access a built-in AutoCAD about, 710
command, 1043 Add Page Setup dialog box, 720
Perpendicular object snap, 321, 664 Changes to a Printer Configuration File
personal documents, accessing, 610 dialog box, 720
Personal folder, 610 command line prompts, 722
Personal icon (Places list in standard file selection Plot and Publish Status Bar Icon shortcut
dialog boxes), 610 menu, 1071
perspective view. See parallel Plot dialog box, 711
projection/perspective views Plot Job Progress dialog box, 720
perspective views (of 3D views), named views Update PC3 File with New Printer dialog
and, 1062 box, 720
PFACE command, 702 plot devices. See plotters
PFACEVMAX system variable, 1181 Plot dialog box
PFB files, 177 about, 711
Phong render quality option, 845 filtering paper size lists, 750
Photo Raytrace Render Options dialog box, 847 limiting the devices listed, 641

1270 | Index
plot files, creating, 713 Plot Style Manager, 971
Plot Job Progress dialog box, 720 Plot Style Table Editor and, 972
Plot Preview shortcut menu, 756 Plot Style Manager, displaying, 660
plot scale Plot Style Table Editor, 972
size of drawing units to plotted units, 672 displaying, 673, 717
plot scale, lineweights, 716 General tab, 973
plot settings Table View and Form View tabs, 974
centering, 672 Plot Style Table Settings dialog box
changes to when changing plotters, 721 about, 658
configuration, 738 displaying, 642
drawing orientation, 719 plot style tables
fitting to paper, 672, 715 active tables, 735
graphics settings, 745 adding plot styles to, 978
hiding paperspace objects, 675, 718, 726 converting, 182
importing, 750 default plot style tables, 659
lineweight option, 674, 718 deleting plot styles in, 978
naming specification options, 627 displaying tables, 672, 716
offset specifications, 642, 671, 715 listing plot styles in, 974
OLE object options, 641 naming tables, 973
options for, 627, 638, 718 older color mapping tables, 974
in page setups, 667, 676 Plot Style Table Editor, 972, 973, 974
page setups, 712 saving tables, 979
plot area specifications, 670, 714 search path settings for files, 627
plot stamps, 718 settings, 672, 716
plot style option, 674, 716, 718 style definitions, 724
plotting paper space last, 674, 718 plot styles
previewing, 675, 716 adding
quality, 641 styles to tables, 978
resolution, 717 tables, 972
retaining, 638 adding, tables, 660
scale specifications, 672, 715 for attributes, 107, 344
screening, 977 colors
shaded and rendered viewports, 673, 717, specifying, 975
725 converting
style table specifications, 673, 717 between CTBs and STBs, 182
upside-down, 675 copying names with MATCHPROP, 526
viewports, 583, 1084 deleting
Plot Stamp dialog box, 642, 718, 727 styles from tables, 978
displaying, 726, 891 displaying, 735, 736, 964, 974
plot stamps displaying in drawings, 673
date/time format for, 727 editing, 660
inserting, 766 linetypes in, 977
location, 729, 733 lineweights in, 978
log file, 726, 729, 731, 732 named, 972, 975
options, 718 named. See named plot styles
pen number for, 726 for new objects, 735, 737
previewing, 726, 728 options for, 658
on sheet sets, 890 plot settings, 674
specifying information for, 727 plotting with, 724, 735
text properties, 729, 730, 734 as property of objects, 760
turning on, 726 renaming, 804
units, 729, 731, 734 for selected layers, 475
user-defined fields, 728 for selected objects, 164, 168
plot style setting, 718
name, copying with MATCHPROP, 526 See also plot style tables
tables. See plot style tables plot.log file, 731
PLOTCFG folders, 68, 364

Index | 1271
PLOTOFFSET system variable, 1182 plotting
PLOTROTMODE system variable, 1183 background plotting, 639, 1136
plots canceling, 1071
See also plotting centering on paper, 715
PLOTSTAMP command, 726 default settings, 638
command line prompts, 732 displaying, progress information, 720
Plot Stamp dialog box, 727 dithering, 976
Plotstamp Parameter File Name dialog box, 728 duplex printing, 743
PLOTSTYLE command, 734 DWF files, 766
command line prompts, 737 emulation mode, 748
Current Plot Style dialog box, 735 to files, 639, 713, 741
Select Plot Style dialog box, 736 fitting on paper, 724
Plotter Calibration wizard, 748, 750 grid limits, 714
Plotter Configuration Editor, 738 information about completed jobs, 1070
Device and Document Settings tab, 742 layers, 455, 458, 466
displaying, 670, 713 layouts
General tab, 739 viewports and, 1084
Ports tab, 740 layouts, viewports and, 583
plotter configurations, 738 media types for, 743
buffers, 751 number of copies, 714, 766
changes to, 675, 720 offset settings, 715
custom properties, 747 order of objects in plotting, 313
dithering, 976 paper size and, 713
importing settings, 750 plot area, 714
initialization strings, 748 plot scale, 715
pen settings, 743, 744, 976 previewing plot stamps for, 728
timeouts, 751 printer/plotter configuration, 712
Plotter Manager, adding or configuring plotters, QTEXT mode and, 787
639 sheets in sheet set to default
PLOTTERMANAGER command, 737 plotter/printer, 891
Add-a-Plotter wizard, 737 specifying
Advanced Settings for COM dialog box, 752 plot stamp information for, 727
Configure LPT Port dialog box, 751 updating fields, 662
Plotter Configuration Editor, 738 upside down, 719, 723
Settings for COM Port dialog box, 751 viewports, 583, 1084
plotters plot-to-file files
adding, 639 locations of, 768
for archive packages, 69 options, 639
calibrating, 750 PLOTTROTMODE system variable, 675, 719
configuring, 712, 751 PLQUIET system variable, 1183
changes to configuration, 770 PLT (plot) files, 627
PC3 files, 675 plug-ins (standards), listing, 959
with Plotter Manager, 639 Plug-ins tab (Batch Standards Checker), 1211
in page setups, 669 Plug-ins tab (Configure Standards dialog box),
maximum printable areas, 749 960
monochrome, 975 plug-ins, standards, 960
named in page setups, 713, 766 plus sign (+)
names of, 721 UCS icon symbol, 1033
in page setups, 667, 676 PMP (plot model parameter) files
paper size, 640 attaching/detaching to/from PC3 files, 748,
properties of, 670 750
transmittal packages and, 365 PMP (plot model parameter) files, path for, 627
updating PC3 files for, 720 PNG (Portable Network Graphics) format, 753
PNGOUT command, 753
POINT command, 753
point display mode and size, 248
point filters. See coordinate filters

1272 | Index
point lights points (continued)
about, 484 rotating
creating or modifying, 485 about an axis, 148, 926
turning on, 482, 887 for sectioning planes, 867
point objects. See points (point objects) for solid-filled polygons, 920
point size, for OLE objects, 608 specifying, 754
Point Style dialog box, 248 for splines, 950
pointing devices temporary points, 1131
See also mouse for text objects, 999
pointing devices, options, 643 for UCSs, 1027
points points (geometric)
for 3D projection, 883 for boundaries, 402, 403, 404
aligning the axis of rotation with, 840 for hatch areas, 109, 120
for angular dimensions, 258 points (point objects)
for arcs, 59 creating, 753
for block definitions, 126, 128 placing at equal intervals, 310
for boundaries, 131 specifying display mode and size of, 248
for breaking objects, 134 points, for polygonal viewports, 584
calculation examples, 143 polar arrays, 16, 79
for calibrating a digitizer, 992 creating, 75
for camera position and target, 155, 332 rotating objects in, 76
for circles, 169 polar axis of spherical coordinate system, 881
for clipping boundaries, 432 polar tracking
combining coordinates to specify, 1130 angle settings, 317, 318
for construction lines, 1109 AutoTrack, 649
converting between UCS and WCS, 147 object snap settings, 318
coordinate filter command modifier, 1130 turning on/off, 317
for creating viewports, 1085 vector display options, 649
for cutting planes, 913, 944 Polar Tracking tab (Drafting Settings dialog
for drawing clipping boundaries, 1073 box), 317
filtering components of, 147 POLARADDANG system variable, 318, 1183
formatting for use with CAL, 139 POLARANG system variable, 317, 1183
for inclined planes for auxiliary projection, POLARDIST system variable, 316, 1183
943 POLARMODE system variable, 1184
for leaders, 476, 778, 782 PolarSnap type, 918
for lines, 496 polyface meshes, 702
locating POLYGON command, 754
midpoint between two points, 1131 polygon mesh objects
by relative offset, 1131 constructing with TABSURF, 997
by series of temporary points, 1131 creating, 7, 28, 350
by specified distance relative to last desmoothing, 702
point entered, 1130 editing vertices of, 700
for making copies, 184 fitting a smooth surface, 701
measuring distance and angle between, 309 See also 3D polygon mesh objects
midpoint, 1131 polygonal viewports, 584
for mirroring planes, 546, 547 polygons
for multilines, 555 calculating areas/perimeters, 70, 71
obtaining a point by cursor, 145 creating, 754
obtaining an intersection point, 149 extruding, 373
obtaining the last-specified point, 145 revolving, 816
for offset objects, 603 solid-filled, creating, 919
for ordinate dimension leader lines, 274 polyline curves, display resolution option, 632
placing at measured intervals, 531 polyline properties
for projection cylinders, 881 copying with MATCHPROP, 526
for projection planes, 879 polyline segments
for projection spheres, 882 aligning
axis of rotation with, 838

Index | 1273
polyline segments (continued) ports
aligning configuring, 751, 752
cutting plane with, 912 port settings, 740, 751
chamfering reinitializing, 803
between, 156 Ports tab (Plotter Configuration Editor), 740
converting to splines, 951 position of the sun, calculating, 492
filleting, 380 positioning
polyline segments, offset gaps between, 1177 landscape objects, 511
polylines named views, 1062
adding point light, 485
arc segments to, 706 spotlight, 489
vertices to, 692 of tables, 984, 985
aligning the axis of rotation with, 926 positioning, attribute text, 91
arc-fit polylines, 694 positive angles
calculating areas/perimeters, 70, 72 clockwise calculation of, 1048, 1051
chamfering, 156, 158 positive axis direction, of revolution, 816
closed, 690, 707, 709 post-initialization strings, 748
converting PostScript (EPS) files
into viewports, 1085 options for rendering, 851
those created in earlier releases of PostScript output options, 852
AutoCAD, 180 pound sign (#)
creating stacked text indicator, 568, 575
fit curves for, 694 pound sign (#), displaying in fields, 378
regions from, 802 pre-initialization strings, 748
splines for, 694 precedence, of standards files, 959
with PLINE, 705 precision
decurving, 695, 697 for alternate tolerance units, 303
dividing, 310 for alternate units, 299
editing, 690 for angular dimensions, 298
vertices of, 691, 696 for current angle, 1048
extending, 369 for current units, 1047
extruding, 373 for dimension text tolerance, 302
filleting, 380 drawing units, 599, 600
generating with XCLIP, 1107 in DXF files, 859
intersection, 1168 for linear dimensions, 296
joining, 690, 696 precision, for hides and shades, 413
linetypes predefined hatch patterns
generating, 697 displaying, 119
measuring, 531 specifying, 113, 120, 401
opening, 690 preferences
properties of See options; rendering preferences
copying with MATCHPROP, 526 PREFERENCES command. See OPTIONS
rectangular, drawing, 790 command
revolving, 816 prefixes (for dimension text)
specifying width of, 691, 694 alternate, 300
spline-fit polylines, 694 primary, 297
trimming, 1022 presentation plot resolution, 674, 718, 725
wipeout frames and, 1093 preset attribute defaults, 106
See also 3D polylines preset table columns and rows, 986
polylines, cloud shapes, 814 press and drag selection, 651
polylines, overlapping, draw order, 313 Preview area (standard file selection dialog
POLYSIDES system variable, 1184 boxes), 613
POPUPS system variable, 1184 preview cube, for material bitmaps, adjusting,
Portable Network Graphics (PNG) format, 753 826
portrait orientation, 675, 719, 723 preview images
DesignCenter items, 47
external references, 794

1274 | Index
preview images (of drawings) print spoolers, 627, 641
displaying, 612, 613 print support files, search path settings for, 627
saving drawings with, 634 print/plot settings. See plot settings
thumbnails, 657 printable area
preview images (of drawings), displaying, 597 changes when switching output devices,
preview images (of sheets, sheet views, and model 671
space views) displaying in layouts, 631, 670, 671, 714,
thumbnails, 657 715
updating, 1052 plot offset and, 642
preview rotation angles viewports and, 583
for inserting multiple instances of blocks, printers
544 configuration, 712
for inserting WMF files, 1098 names, 713
preview scale factors for X, Y, Z axes properties of, 670
for inserting multiple instances of blocks, printing
543 dimension style properties, 305
for inserting WMF files, 1096 rendered images, 809
previewing See also plotting
background settings, 100 problems with drawings, 1209
block attribute changes, 105 problems with nonstandard objects, 165, 1209
colors in gradient fills, 118 PRODUCT system variable, 1184
extracted block attributes, 347 profile blocks and lines, 936
gradient boundaries, 112 profiles (solids)
hatch boundaries, 112 choosing 2D or 3D projection, 937
hatch patterns, 113, 407 creating, 935
images, 427, 813 generating in viewports, 918
landscape objects, 506, 509 hidden line display options, 936
layer filters, 458 tangential edge display options, 938
layout viewport configurations, 1081 profiles (user)
markups, 520 creating, 624, 662
materials, 529, 820 options for, 653
with mapping coordinates, 878, 879, renaming, 662
881, 882, 883 Profiles tab (Options dialog box), 653
partial preview images of plot area, 670, program parameters file
713 reinitializing, 803
plot resolution, 725 PROGRAM system variable, 1184
plot settings, 716 Progress tab (Batch Standards Checker), 1212
plots, 675 project files
publishing jobs, 765 accessing, 611
replaced nonstandard objects, 165 making current, 629
selected files, 612, 613 search path for, 626
selected references, 796 project hosting sites, 611
sheet images, 890 projected tolerance
sheet list tables, 899 zones, 1010
table styles, 987, 991 projection cylinder for mapping, 879
tables in drawings, 983 projection options
tables, in the Data View window for extending objects, 370
(dbConnect), 214 for mapped materials, 877
text style changes, 969 for trimming objects, 1023
tiled viewport configurations, 1079 projection plane, 878
the UCS icon, 1036 projection sphere, 881
previewing, templates, 597 Projective transformation type, 994
Previous object selection method, 875 PROJECTNAME system variable, 626, 1185
primary units (for dimensions), 296 ProjectPoint. See Buzzsaw
Primary Units tab (New Dimension Style dialog PROJMODE system variable, 1185
box), 296 Prompt attribute properties, 104
Print Preview window (Data View), 214

Index | 1275
prompts PROXYSHOW system variable, 637, 1185
for attributes, 85, 87, 104 PROXYWEBSEARCH system variable, 1186
for block insertion, 106 PSETUPIN command
command modifiers, 1129 about, 762
responding to, 4 command line prompts, 762
prompts, for attributes, 161 PSLTSCALE system variable, 500, 1186
properties PSPACE command, 762
of attributes, 89, 90, 344 PSS (plot stamp parameter) files
custom drawing properties, 341 inches.pss file, 728
of dimensions, 304 mm.pss file, 728
drawing properties, 337 values saved for dimensional file formats,
of drawings, 337 731
filtering by, 457 values saved for dimensionless file formats,
of filters, 385 731
general, 759 PSTYLEMODE system variable, 1186
of gradient fills, 111 PSTYLEPOLICY system variable, 466, 658, 1186
of hatches, 111, 120, 409 PSVPSCALE system variable, 1187
of layers, 451, 453, 457, 464 public key encryption, 870, 872
listing those available as fields, for selected PUBLISH command
object, 379 about, 763
of multilines, 560 Changes to a Printer Configuration File
of objects, 166, 525 dialog box, 770
of sheet sets, 902 command line prompts, 771
of sheets, 891, 902 Confirm DWF Password dialog box, 770
of printers/plotters, 670, 713 DWF Password dialog box, 770
of sheet sets, 890, 893, 900, 901 Publish dialog box, 763, 764
of subsets, 891 Publish Job Progress dialog box, 770
of table cells, 989 Publish Options dialog box, 768
of third-party application objects, 757 Publish dialog box
See also Properties window about, 764
PROPERTIES command displaying, 891
about, 757 Publish Job Progress dialog box, 770
Properties palette, 758 Publish Options dialog box, 768
Properties dialog box. See Drawing Properties saving changes to current user profile or to
dialog box sheet set, 768
Properties palette, 246 Publish to Web wizard
about, 758 about, 772
auto-hide option, 759 starting, 772
closing, 762 publishing
creating selection sets with filters, 759 background plotting, 1136
displaying object types, 758 default output directory, 768
moving and resizing, 759 directly to Buzzsaw, 768
object descriptions in, 759 DWF files
selecting objects, 759 republishing markup DWFs, 518
Properties tab publishing drawings, 763, 766
Edit Attribute dialog box, 107 adding drawings to list, 765
Enhanced Attribute Editor, 344 background options, 639
Properties tab (Customize dialog box), 189 current drawing selections, 665
PROPERTIESCLOSE command, 762 displaying details about drawings, 767
property fields, searching, 50 drawing names, 764, 765
Property Settings dialog box, 526 importing page setups, 676
protocol job progress, 770
setting for ports, 751 loading lists of drawings, 765
proxy fonts, 567 managing in Publish dialog box, 764
proxy graphics options, 637, 1185 Model layout, 766
PROXYGRAPHICS system variable, 857, 1185 number of copies, 766
PROXYNOTICE system variable, 638, 1185 options for, 638

1276 | Index
publishing drawings (continued) queries (in databases) (continued)
page setups, 666, 676, 765, 766 parenthetical grouping, 218
removing drawings from lists, 765 within a range of values, 217
renaming drawings, 764 saving, 217, 218, 220, 222
reordering list, 765 simple, 216
saving lists, 766 sort order for, 220
sheet sets. See sheet sets specifying fields for, 220
transmitting, 357 SQL queries, 221
publishing drawings (as DWF files) on the Web, using the query builder grid, 219
information about completed jobs, Query Builder tab, 218
1070 Query Editor
PUBLISHTOWEB command about, 215
about, 772 displaying, 203
Publish to Web wizard, 772 Query Builder tab, 218, 221
PUCSBASE system variable, 1187 Quick Query tab, 216
PURGE command, 773 Range Query tab, 217
command line options, 775 SQL Query tab, 221
Purge dialog box, 773 query sets
Purge dialog box, 773 exporting, 228
purging importing, 230
layers, 473 question mark (?)
named objects, 773 wild-card character, 50, 616
objects from the drawing database, 775 question mark (?), wild-card character, 804
See also deleting Question status (for markups), 517
See also removing Quick object snap, 664
pyramids, 12 Quick Query tab (Query Editor), 216
Quick Select dialog box, 759, 785
Quick Setup wizard, starting drawings, 598
Q Quick Text mode, turning on/off, 787
QDIM command, 777 QUIT command, 788
QLEADER command quitting AutoCAD, 788
about, 778
Leader Settings dialog box
Annotation tab, 781 R
Attachment tab, 782 radians
Leader Line & Arrow tab, 781 angle measure conventions, 1048
point specification, 778 entering angles in, 139
QNEW command, 628, 783 radians, entering angles in, 601
QSAVE command, 784 radius
QSELECT command, 784 for arc segments, 707, 708
QTEXT command, 787 for circles, 169, 170
QTEXTMODE system variable, 633, 1187 for cones, 9, 10, 178
quad-trees in spatial index, 1021 for cylinders, 198
Quadrant object snap, 664 for dishes, 11
Quadrant object snap mode, 320 for domes, 11
quadratic spline curves, 696, 950 for fillet arcs, 383, 384
quadratic spline-fit polylines, 694 for fillets, 383
queries (in databases) for isometric circles, 356
based on multiple search criteria, 218 for spheres, 14, 949
creating, 203, 242 for torus/tori, 14, 15, 1018
executing, 203 radius dimensions
exporting for circles and arcs, 277
sets of, 228 creating
importing a series of, 777
sets of, 230 radius dimensions, associativity, 279
Link Select operations and, 223 radius, for circles, 160
naming, 242 RAM. See memory (RAM)

Index | 1277
Range Query tab (Query Editor), 217 rectangular arrays, creating, 73
raster images, 746 rectangular polylines, 790
panning and zooming, 632 Rectangular snap mode, 316
plot options, 714 red components of colors, 174
raster objects, WMFOUT and, 1099 red, green, blue (RGB) color system, 100
raster plotters adjusting for material color, 824
crossing lines output, 747 selecting, 174
RASTERDPI system variable, 1187 using for fog, 392
RASTERPREVIEW system variable, 657, 858, REDEFINE command, 792
1187 redefining
ray casting, 117, 122 blocks, 97
RAY command, 789 boundary sets, 117, 121, 130, 131
rays redisplaying the last rendering, 812
creating, 789 redline geometry, 516
extending, 369 redline markup language (RML) files, 834, 835,
filleting, 380 836
trimming, 1022 REDO command, 792
raytrace rendering type, 841, 847 redoing
raytraced shadows, 492, 843 Multiline Text Editor actions, 568
RE-INIT system variable, 1187 redoing actions, 565
Re-initialization dialog box, 803 REDRAW command, 792
read-only information slow redraw times, 1021
about objects, modes, and extents, 963 REDRAWALL command, 793
about rendering, 962 reducing selected objects, 862
Readme file, 2 REFCLOSE command, 793
read-only files, 338 REFEDIT command
read-only files, opening, 614 about, 795
read-only information command line prompts, 798
about drawing files, 337, 340 MINSERT and, 796, 798
read-only mode, database tables, 644 Reference Edit dialog box, 795
real time Refedit toolbar, 793, 799
panning in, 677 refediting drawings, 637
zooming in, 326, 1126 REFEDITNAME system variable, 1187
reassociating dimensions, 279 reference angles
Received Line Signal Detector handshaking, 752 for 3D faces, 925
recently used files ROTATE and, 837
accessing, 610 ROTATE3D and, 837
recently used files, setting the number of, 636 Reference Edit dialog box
recommended fixes for flagged objects, 961 about, 795
Reconcile Exported Material Names dialog box, double-clicking block objects and, 246
530 Identity Reference tab, 795
Reconcile Imported Material Names dialog box, Settings tab, 797
529 referenced layers, 473
record increment values, SKETCH command references
and, 911 in-place editing, 799
record indication settings (Data View window in nested, 796, 798, 1101
dbConnect), 227 saving back or discarding changes to, 793,
Record shortcut menu (Data View window in 798
dbConnect), 212 selecting for editing, 795
recording sketched lines, 910, 911 selecting nested objects, 796
RECOVER command, 789 reflection color (of materials)
RECTANG command, 790 adjusting, 822
rectangular arrays granite, 829
creating, 79 marble, 830
inserting multiple instances of blocks into, wood, 832
536 refraction, adjusting, 823

1278 | Index
refreshing the display reloading
in all viewports, 793, 801 image files, 421, 424
in the current viewport, 792, 800 xrefs, 1116
REFSET command REMEMBERFOLDERS system variable, 611, 1188
about, 799 Remove object selection method, 874
REFEDIT and, 800 removing
REGEN command, 800 applications
REGENALL command, 801 from history list, 58
REGENAUTO command from Startup Suite, 59
text style changes and, 966 back faces, 24
turning on or off, 801 block attributes, 105
regenerating clipping boundaries, 431
2D polylines, 693 columns from sheet list tables, 899
3D polyline mesh objects, 701 curve fitting from polylines, 690
3D polylines, 699 custom drawing properties, 342
associative dimensions, 281 dimension overrides, 277
drawings dimension points, 777
in all viewports, 801 drawing sheets from drawing sets, 765
automatically, 801 edges from a selection set, 932
in the current viewport, 800 external references, 1118
from DSD files, 771 faces from a selection set, 920, 921
lineweights and, 512 FTP sites from list, 619
in plan view, 705 group definitions, 397
suppressing when switching to layout hidden lines
tabs/Model tab, 564, 643, from profiles, 936
1170 hyperlinks, 416, 417
updating fields, 662 islands from hatch boundaries, 111, 121
drawings, after undoing actions, 1043 layer translation mappings, 474
REGENMODE system variable, 801, 1187 layers from group filters, 456
REGION command, 802 mappings of markup layouts, 835
regions marker blips, 124
converting into viewports, 1085 menu groups, 534, 535
creating objects
with INTERSECT, 445 from the drawing database, 775
with REGION, 802 from drawings, 356
with SECTION, 867 from groups, 396, 399
with UNION, 1046 nonstandard objects, 165
extruding, 373 from a selection set, 874
properties of, 522 from working sets, 799
revolving, 816 search paths, 629
subtracting sheet set properties, 901
area or volume from, 980 spline fit data from the database, 955
registry variables. See system variables standards files, 959, 1211
reindexing the drawing database, 800, 801 subsets or sheets from sheet sets, 892
REINIT command, 803 text formatting, 570
reinitializing viewport associations, 1063
digitizer, port, and program parameters file, xrefs from the Definitions to Bind list, 1105
803 See also deleting; erasing
rejoining multiline segments, 554 removing hidden lines in 3D objects
relative offset point locations, 1131 suppressing lines, 336, 410, 411
relative paths Rename & Renumber dialog box
archive packages, 68 displaying, 890, 893
transmittal packages, 363 Rename & Renumber Sheet dialog box
relative paths in external references, 1102 about, 896
relative paths in hyperlinks, 415 Rename & Renumber View dialog box
Reload Linetypes dialog box, 501 about, 897

Index | 1279
RENAME command rendering preferences
about, 804 default procedure, 842
command line prompts, 805 destination, 808
Rename dialog box, 804 file output configuration, 850
renaming light block size, 842
extracted blocks with duplicate names, 347 Photo Raytrace, 492, 847
groups, 397, 399 Photo Real, 492, 845
image files, 421, 424 PostScript output, 852
layer states, 468 for Render, 844
layers, 453 shadow generation, 843
layouts, 471 smoothing angle, 842
linetypes, 500 sub sampling, 808
multilines, 559 surface material, 843
named objects, 804 writing information to a cache file, 807
plot styles, 805 Rendering Preferences dialog box, 841
profiles, 654, 662 rendering, plotting and, 584
sheet set view categories, 893 RENDSCR command, 812
sheet sets, 890 renumbering
sheets, 764, 890, 896 sheets or sheet sets, 896
text styles, 805, 967 views, in sheet sets, 897
toolbars, 189 renumbering sheets or sheet sets, 890
viewport configurations, 805 reordering
views, 805, 1063 columns in sheet list tables, 899
views, in sheet sets, 897 repairing damaged files, 789
See also naming repeating
RENDER command commands, 582
about, 805 scripts, 852
Render dialog box, 806 repeating commands, right-clicking, 661
Render window, 808 repeating scripts, 852
Windows Render Options dialog box, 810 Replace dialog box, 572
Render dialog box, 806 Replace dialog box (DBCONNECT), 242
Render Options dialog box, 844 replacing
Render rendering type, 844 attribute values, 91
Render window, 808 nonstandard objects, 165, 961
render.mli library file, 528 text, 388
rendered images in DBCONNECT, 242
3D configuration options, 22 replacing, text, 570
color depth for rendered images, 811 REPORTERROR system variable, 1188
copying, 810 reports
display resolution option, 632 batch audit, 1213
opening, 809 included in archive packages, 66
printing, 809 included in transmittal packages, 360
redisplaying, 812 plotting details, 1071
saving, 809, 859 publishing errors or warnings, 767
scaling to fit the display window, 811 transmittal packages, 366
shade plot settings, 673, 717, 725 reports, Batch Standards reports, 1210
specifying size in pixels, 811 republishing DWF markup, 518
rendering Request To Send output, 752
destination options for, 808 resaving, sheet sets, 891
display options for, 807 resetting
displaying statistics for, 961 the users elapsed timer, 1007
partial image specifications, 860 resetting, profiles, 654
plotting and, 1084 residuals (on transformation table), 995
procedures for, 806 resizing
sub sampling settings, 808 See also scale
resizing, columns in layer listings, 455
resizing, the Properties palette, 759

1280 | Index
resolution Right-Click Customization dialog box
changing PC3 files and, 721 about, 660
display options, 631 displaying, 646
in plotting, 746 right-click menus. See shortcut menus
partial image renderings, 861 right-clicking
setting for objects in the current viewport, command mode, 661
1072 default behavior, 661
shaded and rendered viewport plotting Edit shortcut menu options, 661
options, 674, 717, 725 time-sensitive, 661
Resource Drawing Locations dialog box right-justifying text, 577
about, 902 rings
Resource Drawings tab (Sheet Set Manager), 893 drawing, 312
restoring in wood material, 832
commands suppressed by UNDEFINE, 792, RLSD handshaking, 752
1042 RMAT command
dimensioning system variable settings, 306 about, 820
erased objects, 608 Adjust Material Bitmap Placement dialog
isometric views, 1063 box, 825
layer states/properties, 457, 461, 468, 469 Attach by AutoCAD Color Index dialog
markup views, 519 box, 833
named views, 1061, 1063, 1068 Attach by Layer dialog box, 833
orthographic views (in 3D space), 1063, Materials dialog box, 820
1067 New or Modify Granite Material dialog
previous UCS, 1031 box, 828
previous zoom views, 1125 New or Modify Marble Material dialog box,
a saved UCS, 1032 829
viewport configurations, 585, 1082, 1085 New or Modify Standard Material dialog
restricted characters in database fields, 348 box, 822
RESUME command, 814 New or Modify Wood Material dialog box,
resuming running of an interrupted script, 814 831
REVCLOUD command, 814 RML (redline markup language) files, 834
reversing command line prompts for, 836
effects of commands with UNDO, 1043 defined, 834
spline direction, 958 mapping markups, 835
reversing, effects of commands with UNDO, RMLIN command
1043 about, 834
reversing, effects of UNDO, 792 command line prompts, 836
reviewing markups, 517 Map Markup dialog box, 835
revision clouds (markups), 814 RMS (root mean square) error, 994, 995
revision numbers, 340 ROAMABLEROOTPREFIX system variable, 1188
REVOLVE command, 816 RomanS font, 581
revolving. See rotating root folders
revolving. See rotating/revolving archive packages, 68
REVSURF command, 818 in transmittal packages, 363
RFILEOPT command. See RENDER command rot function (CAL command), 148
RGB color system ROTATE command, 836
color book equivalents, 176 ROTATE3D command, 837
distant light colors, 487 rotated arrays, 79
for selected colors, 172 rotated dimensions
specifying, 174 linear, 272
RGB color system, spotlight colors, 490 rotating
RGB color system. 2D objects about an axis, 816
See also red, green, blue (RGB) color system 3D faces, 925
ridge, for pyramids, 13 about a 3D axis, 837
right-justifying text, 1001, 1002 about a base point, 836
around a major axis
ellipses, 353

Index | 1281
rotating (continued) RPREF command (continued)
around a major axis Photo Real Render Options dialog box, 845
elliptical arcs, 354 Render Options dialog box, 844
a camera about the target point, 328 Rendering Preferences dialog box, 841
dimension text, 267, 268, 308 RSCRIPT command, 852
objects RTDISPLAY system variable, 632, 1188
in 3D Orbit view, 33 RTF files, importing, 571
in polar arrays, 76 rtos AutoLISP function, 298, 303
path curves or profiles about a selected RTS output, 752
axis, 818 rubber-band line, 332, 944, 945
a point about an axis, 148 rubber sheeting, projective transformation and,
target point about a camera, 329 994
a UCS about an axis, 1029 run-length-encoded compression, 862
viewing direction, 1077 running
views in viewports, 588 object snap modes. See object snap modes
rotation angle a script, 867
for 3D faces, 925 VBA macros, 1057
for attribute text, 91, 161 running object snaps, data entry option, 647
for backgrounds, 102
for blocks, changing, 162
for boxes, 8 S
for cubes, 8 safety precaution options, 635
for defining a UCS, 1029 sampledesigncenter folder, 48
for images, 430 SAT (ASCII) ACIS files
for inserted blocks, 436, 440, 441 exporting to, 43
for inserting importing, 43
multiple instances of blocks, 541 saturation, of colors
WMF files, 1093, 1098 specifying, 174
for projection cylinders, 881 SAVE command, 855
for projection planes, 879 Save Image dialog box, 859
for projection spheres, 882 Save List As dialog box, 766
ROTATE and, 837 Save Template page (Attribute Extraction
ROTATE3D and, 837 wizard), 348
for rotated rectangular arrays, 79 SAVEAS command
for shapes, 888 about, 855
for the snap grid, 917 command line prompts, 859
for text, 161, 1000 Saveas Options dialog box, 857
for xrefs, 1104 Template Description dialog box, 856
rotation angle, for multiline text, 579 Saveas Options dialog box
roughness (of materials) displaying, 855
adjusting, 823 DWG Options tab, 857
granite, 829 DXF Options tab, 858
marble, 830 SAVEFILE system variable, 635, 1188
wood, 832 SAVEFILEPATH system variable, 627, 635, 1188
rounding edges of objects, 380 SAVEIMG command
rounding rules Save Image dialog box, 859
for alternate dimension units, 300 TGA Options dialog box, 862
for fractional angles, 318 TIFF Options dialog box, 862
for linear dimensions, 297 SAVENAME system variable, 1189
for primary dimension units, 297 SAVETIME system variable, 635, 1189
rows (of arrays), specifying, 73 saving
rows in tables, 983, 984, 985, 989 attribute templates, 348
RPREF command AutoCAD profiles, 624
about, 841 blocks (block definitions), to a file, 1087
File Output Configuration dialog box, 850 changes back to xrefs or blocks, 793
Photo Raytrace Render Options dialog box, drawings
847 default file format for, 858

1282 | Index
saving (continued) scale (continued)
drawings for lineweight display, 513
default path for, 1188 for marble material, 831
to earlier versions of AutoCAD, 859 for material bitmaps, 826, 884
to other file formats, 368 for multilines, 556
performance issues, 855 in plot style table definitions, 973, 974
to previous release formats, 856 for plotting, 672, 715, 724
using QSAVE, 784 for sectional views of solids, 945
using SAVE, 855 for text objects, 863
using SAVEAS, 855 for wood material, 832
files See also scale factors
backup copies, 635 SCALE command, 862
customizing settings for, 634 scale factors
incremental saves, 635 DesignCenter or i-drop content, 646
in standard file selection dialog boxes, dimension style settings, 295
614 dimension text fraction height, 290
using Automatic Save, 635 for inserting
landscape library files, 507 multiple instances of blocks, 536
layer states/properties, 462, 467 WMF files, 1093
layer translation mappings, 474 of light blocks
layout changes to plot settings, 719 for rendering, 807, 842
layouts, 471 setting, 862
lists of drawing sheets, 766 text objects, 864
materials library files, 528 viewports, 584, 591
memory and disk space, with CONVERT, xrefs, 1103
180 for zooming, 584, 1125
objects SCALETEXT command, 863
to bitmap files, 129 scaling
to JPEG files, 447 objects, 862
to TIFF files, 1006 text, 863
to PNG files, 753 SCENE command
to WMF files, 1099 about, 864
page setups, 720 Modify Scene dialog box, 866
PC3 files, 675, 720 New Scene dialog box, 865
plot and publish log files, 640 Scenes dialog box, 865
plot stamps in log files, 718 scenes
plot style tables, 979 about, 805, 864
preview images, 612 adding to model space, 865
proxy images of custom objects, 857 deleting, 865
queries, 217, 218, 220, 222 modifying, 865, 866
rendered images, 809, 859 rendering, 842
rendering statistics to a file, 962 setting background for, 99
resaving and updating sheet sets, 891 Scenes dialog box, 865
sheet selections, 892, 903 scientific units, 599, 1047, 1050
UCSs, 1032 screen display
updating fields, 662 brightness, contrast, and fade controls, 426
VBA projects, 1056 customization options, 629
views, 1069 high or draft quality control, 433
scale redrawing, 792, 793
background controls, 102 rendering options for, 807
for dimension style settings, 295, 297 resolution and performance options, 631
for text objects, 863 screen menu
for granite material, 829 displaying, 630
for hatch patterns, 114, 401 font options, 657
for images, 430 screen offset and size for image display, 812
for inserted blocks, 436, 439 screen pointing area, configuring, 995
for linetypes, 500, 511 screen-based sketching pen, 910

Index | 1283
SCREENBOXES system variable, 1189 Select Attributes page (Attribute Extraction
screening wizard), 346
color density, 977 Select Block dialog box, 906
SCREENMODE system variable, 1189 Select Color dialog box
SCREENSIZE system variable, 1189 about, 172
SCRIPT command, 867 Color Books tab, 175
scripts displaying, 490, 975
background plotting and, 639, 771 Index Color tab, 172
continuously repeating, 852 True Color tab, 173
resuming after interruption, 814 window elements, 656
running, 867 SELECT command, 872
specifying pauses in, 251 command modifiers, 1132
standards violations and, 960 Select Data Object dialog box, 244
scroll bar display options, 630 Select Drawing page (Attribute Extraction
SDF (space-delimited format) files wizard), 345
for storing extracted attribute data, 95, 96 Select DWF File dialog box
SDI system variable, 644, 1190 opening, 518
search and replace feature, 388 Select DWF Markup dialog box, 623
in DBCONNECT, 242 Select File dialog box, 609
Search dialog box (DesignCenter) Select Layout as Sheet Template dialog box, 895
Advanced tab, 51 Select Linetype dialog box, 462
basic use of, 48 Select Page Setup From File dialog box, 667
Content tabs, 50 Select Place in Document dialog box, 416
Date Modified tab, 50 Select Plot Style dialog box, 736
Search Folders dialog box, 1209 Select Project dialog box, 1059
search paths (for support files) Select Template dialog box, 595, 602, 1194
See also paths selecting
searching layers, 453, 456, 461
for drawing content, 48 sheets for sheet sets, 889, 903
for files, 612 selecting objects
for layers, 450 for gradient fills, 110
for standards violations, 165, 1209 for hatching, 110, 121
for text in content, 50, 51 nested objects, 796
for text/values in external databases, 229 using Properties palette, 759
secondary dimension styles, 281 selection modes command modifiers, 1132
SECTION command, 867 selection sets
sectional views, 944 adding
sectioning faces to, 921
planes, 867 objects to, 872
sections (viewports), generating, 918 associative dimensions, 266
security of files command modifiers, 1132
digital signatures, 870 creating
encrypting drawings, 870, 872 with QSELECT, 784
password protection, 769, 870, 872 with UNION, 1046
Security Options dialog box creating with Properties palette, 759
about, 869 named. See groups
Digital Signature tab, 870 removing
Password tab, 870 faces from, 921
SECURITYOPTIONS command Selection tab (Options dialog box), 650
about, 869 self-extracting executable files
Advanced Options dialog box, 872 archive packages, 67
Confirm Password dialog box, 872 transmittal files, 362
Security Options dialog box, 869 semi-infinite lines (rays), 789
Select a Database Object dialog box, 243 sending objects to back
Select a File dialog box, 629 draw order of hatches or fills, 409, 1165
Select a Template File dialog box, 597 draw order of objects, 313
separating composite 3D solids, 933

1284 | Index
serial numbers shadows
AutoCAD, 43 controlling softness of, 492
digital IDs, 910 for distant light, 487
serial ports generating, 807
configuring, 751, 752 paper background shadow, 631
plotter settings, 740 for point light, 486
SHELL command and, 907 rendering preference, 843
series of dimensions, creating with QDIM, 777 specifying type and options, 491
servers for spotlight, 491
time servers, 871 SHAPE command, 888
service pack, of AutoCAD, displayed, 43 loading files for use by, 504
Set Default i-drop Content Type dialog box, 875 shape files
Set Mtext Width dialog box, 569 inserting, 888
SETIDROPHANDLER command listing, 888
about, 875 loading, 504, 888
i-drop Options dialog box, 876 shapes
Set Default i-drop Content Type dialog box, purging from the drawing database, 775
875 sharpness
Settings dialog box of granite material, 829
BATTMAN command, 107 of marble material, 831
LAYTRANS command, 474 sheet list (Create Transmittal dialog box), 357
Settings for COM Port dialog box, 751 Sheet List control, 889
Settings page (Attribute Extraction wizard), 346 sheet list tables, 898
Settings tab (Reference Edit dialog box), 797 Sheet Properties dialog box
Settings tab (UCS dialog box), 1040 about, 902
settings, customizing. See options displaying, 891
SETUV command Sheet Selection dialog box
Adjust Cylindrical Coordinates dialog box, about, 904
879 sheet selections
Adjust Object Bitmap Placement dialog deleting/renaming, 904
box, 884 Sheet Set Custom Properties dialog box
Adjust Planar Coordinates dialog box, 878 about, 900
Adjust Spherical Coordinates dialog box, displaying, 900
881 sheet set data (DST) files
Adjust UVW Coordinates dialog box, 883 in archive packages, 67, 69
Mapping dialog box, 876 listing properties of sheets, 900
SETVAR command, 886 opening, 623
SHADE command. See SHADEMODE command in transmittal packages, 365
shade plot options, 583, 673, 717, 725, 1084 updating, 891, 893
shaded images Sheet set icon, 666
VSLIDE command and, 1086 Sheet Set Manager
shaded viewports, 673, 717, 725 about, 889
SHADEDGE system variable, 1190 loading DST files, 623
SHADEDIF system variable, 1190 opening page setups from, 669
SHADEMODE command, 482, 886 Resource Drawings tab, 893
3dOrbit view and, 643 Sheet Set tab, 889
REFEDIT and, 799 sheet sets, defined, 889
shadeplot options, 583, 673, 717, 725, 1084 thumbnail previews in, 658
shades, precision of, 1164 updating drawing files in tree view, 893
shading View List tab, 892
in gradient fills, 118 Sheet Set Manager window
objects, 886 active/not active, 1193
shadow bounding objects, 492 Sheet Set Properties dialog box
shadow maps about, 900
controlling size of, 492 displaying, 890, 893
Shadow Options dialog box, 491 Sheet Set Publish Options dialog box, 892
Sheet Set tab (Sheet Set Manager), 889

Index | 1285
sheet sets sheets (in sheet sets) (continued)
adding callout blocks, 906 locations of, 894
archiving, 890 names of, 896
callouts for, 905 paths, 896
categories of views, 892 properties, 891, 900, 902
closing, 890 publishing to DWF files, 891
creating new sheets, 890, 895 removing, 892
creating with wizard, 602 renaming, 896
custom properties, 900, 901 renumbering, 896
defined, 889 saving selections, 903
drawing file names in, 897 sheet numbers, 896
fields, 378 Sheet Set Manager, 888
folders available, 902 sheet views, 894
importing layouts as sheets, 890, 897 title sheets, 898
importing page setups, 676 titles of sheets, 896
listing resource folders and drawings, 893 view label blocks, 892
names of, 889 Sheets tab
notes about, 65 Archive a Sheet Set dialog box, 63
opening drawing files from, 890 Create Transmittal dialog box, 357
page setups, 890 SHEETSET command
path/file name displayed in search, 1193 about, 888
plot stamps, 890 Add Custom Property dialog box, 901
plotting, 891 Import Layouts as Sheets dialog box, 897
previewing sheet images, 890 Insert Sheet List Table dialog box, 898
properties, 890, 893, 900, 902 List of Blocks dialog box, 905
publishing, 889, 891, 892 New Sheet dialog box, 895
publishing to DWF files, 891 New Sheet Selection dialog box, 903
removing sheets or subsets, 892 Rename & Renumber Sheet dialog box, 896
renaming categories, 893 Rename & Renumber View dialog box, 897
renaming sheets and sets, 890, 896 Resource Drawing Locations dialog box,
renumbering, 890 902
selecting sheets for sets, 903 Select Block dialog box, 906
sheet list tables, 890, 898 Select Layout as Sheet Template dialog box,
sheet numbers, 896 895
sheet titles, 896 Sheet Properties dialog box, 902
subsets. See subsets of sheet sets Sheet Selection dialog box, 904
transmitting, 366, 892, 893 Sheet Set Custom Properties dialog box, 900
updating and resaving, 891 Sheet Set Manager, 889
view categories, 904 Sheet Set Properties dialog box, 900
sheet thumbnail images Subset Properties dialog box, 894
updating, 1052 View Category dialog box, 904
sheet view thumbnail images SheetSetPlaceholder fields, 379
updating, 1052 SheetSets folders, 68, 364
sheet views SHELL command, 907
fields, 378 shelling
preview images, 658 solids, 934
sheets SHIFT key
preview images, 658 extending rather than trimming objects,
sheets (in sheet sets) 1022
automatically published using page setup options, 651
override, 891 trimming rather than extending objects,
callouts on, 892, 905 370
creating, 890, 895 shortcut functions, 154
default template for, 895 shortcut keys
displaying views, 892 assigning to menu items/toolbar buttons,
importing layouts as, 897 191
listing callout blocks for, 905 displaying on toolbar buttons, 189

1286 | Index
shortcut keys (continued) signed files (continued)
options, 646 notifications for, 1191
Shortcut Keys dialog box, 193 number of, 1208
shortcut menus settings, 1208
3DORBIT, 30 status, 909
Adjust Clipping Planes, 18 time services for timestamping, 1209
Cell (Data View window in dbConnect), SIGVALIDATE command
211 about, 908
Column (Data View window in Digital Signature Contents dialog box, 909
dbConnect), 210 Validate Digital Signatures dialog box, 908
Command, 661 SIGWARN system variable, 636, 1191
Data Objects (dbConnect Manager), 206 silhouettes, displaying as wireframes, 633
Data Sources Node (dbConnect Manager), Simplex font, 581
206 single-face objects, 508
Database Objects (dbConnect Manager), single mappings of markup layouts, 836
204 Single object selection method, 875
display options, 646, 660 Single-drawing Compatibility Mode, 644
Drawing Nodes (dbConnect Manager), 204 sizing
Edit, 661 fractions in text, 574
Grid Header (Data View window in object snap target box, 55
dbConnect), 213 UCS icon, 1036
hyperlink, 418, 646 SKETCH command, 910
Pan, 678 SKETCHINC system variable, 1191
Plot and Publish Status Bar Icon shortcut SKPOLY system variable, 911, 1191
menu, 1071 SLA (Stereolithography Apparatus), compatible
Plot Preview, 756 file format, 965
Record (Data View window in dbConnect), SLB (slide library) files, 1086, 1214
212 SLD (slide) files, 565, 1085, 1214
Resource Drawings, 893 SLICE command
Sheet List tab, 890 about, 912
time-sensitivity of, 661 aligning cutting planes, 912, 913
turning off defining cutting planes, 913, 915
in the drawing area, 660 slicing 3D solids
View List, 892 with a plane, 912
Zoom, 1127 slide files
SHORTCUTMENU system variable, 3, 646, 660, creating, 565
1190 displaying, 1085
SHOWMAT command, 907 slide libraries
SHP (shape definition) files, 504 creating
SHPNAME system variable, 1191 from slide files (SLIDELIB utility), 1214
SHX (font) files, 968, 970 displaying a slide in, 1086
in archive packages, 68 SLIDELIB (slide library creation) utility, 1214
compiling other font files to, 177 slidelist file, 1214
(Euro symbol), 571 smoothing angle, 807, 842
specifying fonts, 567 smoothness options
in transmittal drawings, 360 dynamic tessellation, 21
in transmittal packages, 364 settings, 632
SHX fonts tessellation lines, 660
listing font family names, 655 snap (snap grid)
signed files spacing and grid settings, 315
Attach Digital Signatures utility, 1208 style and type settings, 316
attaching digital signatures to drawings, turning on/off, 315, 917
870 Snap and Grid tab (Drafting Settings dialog
comments for, 1209 box), 314
current status, 1208 SNAP command, 916
list of time services for timestamped rotated arrays and, 79
files, 870 snap grid, 916

Index | 1287
snap interval, grid spacing and, 393 solids (continued)
snap point, specifying with object snap modes, spheres, 949
663, 1132 storing in ASCII or binary files, 965
snap spacing, 917, 963 subtracting area or volume from, 980
snap types, 918 undoing editing actions, 935
SNAPANG system variable, 79, 315, 1191 wedges, 1090
SNAPBASE system variable, 315, 1191 See also 3D solid edges; 3D solid faces
SNAPISOPAIR system variable, 1191 solids.arx application
SNAPMODE system variable, 315, 1191 SOLDRAW and, 919
SNAPSTYL system variable, 316, 1192 SOLVIEW and, 945
SNAPTYPE system variable, 316, 317, 1192 SOLPROF command, 935
SNAPUNIT system variable, 315, 963, 1192 SOLVIEW command
software acceleration, 24 about, 938
solar time, displayed in the Sun Angle layers created by, 939
Calculator, 480 See also SOLDRAW command
SOLDRAW command, 918 Sort dialog box, 244
See also SOLVIEW command sort order options
solid background for scenes, 99 for block attributes, 104
SOLID command, 919 for lineweights, 979
solid coordinates for mapping, 883 for queries, 220
solid fills for records displayed in Data View window
display option for, 633 (dbConnect), 244
for hatches, 121, 403, 407 source applications, 606
overlapping objects, draw order, 313 source content units settings, 646
solid primitives, creating by extruding objects, source drawings for page setups, 676
373 source file for OLE objects, 605
solid profiles source points for aligning objects, 43
choosing 2D or 3D projection, 937 source root folders
creating, 935 in archive packages, 68
generating in viewports, 918 for transmittal files, 364
hidden line display options, 936 space-delimited format (SDF) files
tangential edge display options, 938 for storing extracted attribute data, 95, 96
SOLIDCHECK system variable, 1192 spaces
SOLIDEDIT command before fractions, 575
3D solid edges, 931 in hatch patterns, 114
3D solid faces, 920 nonbreaking, 571
about, 920 in table cells, 991
entire solids, 933 SPACETRANS command, 859, 945
solids spacing factor in text line spacing, 579
boxes, 131 spatial indexes
checking, 935 displaying information about, 1021
cleaning, 934 for partially open drawings, 622, 681
composite, creating with UNION, 1046 for saved drawings, 857
creating special characters, 1004
with INTERFERE, 444 in filters, 457
profile images of, 935 inserting, 570, 580
with REVOLVE, 816 speed. See performance optimization
with SOLID, 919 SPELL command, 946
with UNION, 1046 Change Dictionaries dialog box, 948
cylinders, 197 Check Spelling dialog box, 946
filling, 380 spelling checker, 626, 946
mass properties displayed for, 523 Spelling dialog box, 946
profile images, creating, 935 SPHERE command, 949
separating, 933 spheres, 14, 949
slicing with a plane, 912 SPLFRAME system variable, 695, 699, 703, 1192
SPLINE command, 950

1288 | Index
spline curves square
2D, fitting to control points, 694 3D UCS icon symbol, 1033
3D, fitting to control points, 699 rectangular polylines, 790
vs. fit curves, 695 square brackets ([ ])
spline-fit polylines, 694, 695 generated measurement indicators, 271
spline frames, 695 SRC (script) files, 639, 771
SPLINEDIT command SSFOUND system variable, 1193
about, 952 SSLOCATE system variable, 1193
splines (NURBS curves) SSM icon, 669
for 2D polylines, 694 SSMAUTOOPEN system variable, 1193
for 3D polylines, 699 SSMSTATE system variable, 1193
adding Stack Properties dialog box, 573
control points to, 957 stacked text (multiline text)
fit points to, 953 automatic stacking feature, 575
aligning creating, 570
axis of rotation with, 927 editing, 573
cutting plane with, 912 fractions in, 568, 573
changing weight at control points, 957 positioning/sizing, 574
closing, 950, 953, 956 turning on or off, 568
converting stacking hatches or fills on top, 409, 1165
2D or 3D polylines to, 951 staggered dimensions, creating a series of, 777
into viewports, 1085 standard color palette, 172
creating regions from, 802 standard deviation (on transformation table),
deleting fit points from, 954 995
dividing, 310 standard file selection dialog boxes
editing default path, 1188
fit data, 952 legacy behavior for default path, 1188
effects of editing commands on, 695 opening, 609
filleting, 380 standard numeric functions, supported by the
fit tolerance for, 950, 955 CAL command, 142
frames, 695 Standard snap grid, 917
increasing the order of, 957 standards
moving Batch Standards Checker, 1210
control vertices, 956 checking drawings for violations, 165, 1209
fit points, 954 for named objects, plug-ins, 960
opening, 954, 956 plug-ins, 1211
precision approximation of, 696 translating layers to different standards,
purging fit data from the database, 955 472
reversing the direction of, 958 standards check files
specifying points for, 950 .chx file extension, 1213
spline-fit polylines, 694, 695 STANDARDS command
tangent continuity, 954 about, 958
tangents for, 951, 955 CAD Standards Settings dialog box, 960
trimming, 1022 Configure Standards dialog box, 959
undoing last editing action to, 953, 958 standards files
using VIEWRES for, 1072 associating with drawings, 958, 959
SPLINESEGS system variable, 632, 696, 1192 deleting from current drawing, 959
SPLINETYPE system variable, 696, 1192 listing ones associated with current
splitting objects in two, 134 drawing, 959
spoolers, 627, 641, 741 loading layers from, 473
spotlights precedence, 959
about, 484 specifying for audits, 1211
colors, 490 using with Batch Standards Checker, 1210
turning on, 482, 887 standards plug-ins, 960
spreadsheets, 571 Standards tab
SQL 92 protocol compatibility, 221 Batch Standards Checker, 1211
SQL Query tab (Query Editor), 221 Configure Standards dialog box, 959

Index | 1289
STANDARDSVIOLATION system variable, 960, STYLE command
1193 about, 966
start angles (for surfaces of revolution), 818 command line prompts, 970
start caps Text Style dialog box, 967
of multilines, 562 style settings tabs (Plot Style Table Editor), 974
styles, 978 styles
start tangent for spline curves, 951, 955 for attribute text, 91, 161
starting for multilines, 557
drawings for sheet list tables, 899
from scratch, 595 for tables, 987
with setup wizards, 595 for multiline text, 567, 580
system variables, 1194 names in xrefs, 797
with templates, 783 for stacked text, 574
startup dialog box, controlling display of, 1194 standards files for, 1211
Startup Suite dialog box, 58 for text, changing, 161
STARTUP system variable, 1194 STYLESMANAGER command, 971
startup wizards. See wizards Edit Lineweights dialog box, 979
statistics subheaders in sheet list tables, 899
for drawings subject of drawings, displaying/specifying, 339
author/title/subject, 339 subsampling rendering settings, 808
date/time created and modified, 1007, subscript 2 symbol, 581
340 Subset Properties dialog box
disk file information, 337 about, 894
for objects, modes, displaying, 890, 891
and extents, 963 subsets of sheet sets
for rendering, 961 adding, 890
Statistics dialog box, 962 creating, 894
Statistics tab (Drawing Properties dialog box), defined, 889
340 displaying in sheet list, 899
STATS command, 961 naming, 894
status properties, 891
layers, 454, 457 removing, 892
markups, 517, 519 substitute fonts, 654
PC3 files, 721 SUBTRACT command, 980
plot or publish jobs, 720, 1071 Subtract mode of AREA command, 72
plotters, 721 subtraction method for creating composite
sheets, 765 regions, 980
status bar tray suffixes
icon and notification settings, 1020 for alternate dimension text, 300
notifications, 960 for primary dimension text, 297
STATUS command, 963 Summary tab (Drawing Properties dialog box),
STB (plot style table) files 338
Add-a-Plot-Style-Table wizard, 972 Sun Angle Calculator dialog box, 492
converting CTBs to, 182 SUN files, options for rendering, 851
default plot style tables, 659 sun, calculating the position of, 488, 492
options for new drawings, 659 superscript 2 symbol, 581
search path settings for, 627 support files
stereolithography apparatus file compatibility, working support file list, 625
965 suppressing
STL files, 965 arrowheads, 294
STLOUT command, 965 AutoCAD commands, 1042
straightening marked vertices dimension line display, 286
of 2D polylines, 693 dragging, 312
of 3D polylines, 699 extension line display, 287
STRETCH command, 965 hidden lines, 336, 410, 411
stretching hidden profile lines, 936
objects, 965

1290 | Index
suppressing (continued) T
zeros
for alternate dimension units, 300 tab stops, 572
for alternate tolerance units, 304 table
for angular dimensions, 298 copying format with MATCHPROP, 527
for dimension tolerances, 303 TABLE command
for linear dimensions, 298 about, 983
surface of revolution meshes, creating, 818 command line prompts, 985
surface patches, EDGESURF command and, 350 Insert Table dialog box, 983
surface tessellation, 21 Table Style dialog box, 987
SURFTAB1 system variable, 351, 700, 819, 997, Table View style settings tab (Plot Style Table
1194 Editor), 974
SURFTAB2 system variable, 351, 700, 819, 1194 TABLEDIT command, 986
SURFTYPE system variable, 701, 1194 TABLEEXPORT command, 987
SURFU system variable, 1194 tables
SURFV system variable, 1194 borders on cells, 990
surveyor units columns and rows, 984, 985, 989
angle measure conventions, 1048 direction of, 991
entering angles in, 601 editing text, 986
swap file, available space in, 964 exporting text, 987
swatches of hatch patterns, 113 inserting, 983, 985
switching viewports margins in cells, 991
from model space to paper space, 762 read-only database tables, 644
from paper space to model space, 566 sheet list tables, 899
switching views of layer listings, 456 styles, 983
swiveling the camera, 40 table styles, 987, 988
Symbol dialog box, 1010 TABLESTYLE command
symbol names, enabling display in xrefs, 797 about, 987
symbols Create New Table Style dialog box, 988
inserting in multiline text, 570, 580 Modify Table Style dialog box, 988
symbol names, enabling display in xrefs, New Table Style dialog box, 988
797 Table Style dialog box, 987
text, 581 tablet
TTF/SHX fonts available in, 581 menu areas
UCS icon symbols, 1034 configuring, 995
xref-dependent, binding to drawings, 1104 screen pointing area, configuring, 995
Synchronize dialog box, 245 TABLET command
synchronizing about, 992
block instances, 104 calibrating the digitizer, 992
syntax of expressions evaluated by CAL configuring menu and screen pointing
command, 137 areas, 995
SYSCODEPAGE system variable, 1194 Tablet mode
system files, 338 SKETCH and, 910
system printers. See Windows system printers turning on/off, 992
System tab (Options dialog box), 642 TABMODE system variable, 992, 1194
system variables tabs in text, 569, 572
changing values of, 886 tab-separated file format, for attribute extraction
clearing overrides, 277 files, 349
displaying values and descriptions of, 963 TABSURF command, 997
listing, 886 tabulated surface meshes, 997
listing of, 1133 tabulation lines on revolved surfaces, 819
overriding, 276 Tag attribute properties, 104
table listing of, 1206 tangent continuity, 954
using with CAL, 141 Tangent object snap, 664
system-level file attributes, displaying Tangent object snap mode, 322
information about, 338 tangential edges of profiles, 938
SYSWINDOWS command, 981

Index | 1291
tangents text (continued)
for arcs, 62 CHANGE command options, 161
for spline curves, 951, 955 changing draw order of, 314
taper angle checking spelling, 946
for extrusion, 374 in command line window, display options,
for faces, 928 656
Targa. See TGA file format controlling with QTEXT, 787
target drawing units settings, 646 converting fields to, 569
target point copying format with MATCHPROP, 527
rotating about a camera, 329 editing, 247
specifying, 332 finding and replacing, 388, 570
TARGET system variable, 1194 in DBCONNECT, 242
TBCUSTOMIZE system variable, 1195 formatting attribute text, 106, 344
TDCREATE system variable, 340, 1195 hiding, 412
TDINDWG system variable, 341, 1195 importing, 571
TDUCREATE system variable, 1195 including with leader lines, 477
TDUPDATE system variable, 340, 1195 indents and tabs, 569
TDUSRTIMER system variable, 1195 justification options, 999
TDUUPDATE system variable, 1195 mirroring, 545
Template Description dialog box, 856 in OLE objects, 608
template directory, 596 overlapping, draw order, 313
template files resizing text objects, 863
for attribute data extraction, 95, 346, 348 searching for in content, 50, 51
templates selecting
alternative page setups, 628 with FIND, 389
for attribute data extraction, 96 specifying the start point of, 998
for attribute definitions, 247 in table cells, 986
default for new sheets, 895 in table rows, 983, 989
for new sheets, 895 upper- and lowercase, 570
importing page setups from, 762 using special characters and control codes,
for labels. See label templates 1004
for layouts, creating, 470 zooming with FIND, 390
for links. See link templates See also dimension text; fonts; multiline text
loading layers from, 473 text boundaries, nonprinting, MTEXT command
named page setups and, 666 and, 576
search path for, 628 TEXT command, 998
templates (template files) (DWT files) command line options, 1005
starting drawings with, 596, 783 hiding text, 410, 412
templates, for HTML pages, 772 text editors (multiline text), options, 626
temporary files text files
file extension for, 636 CSV format, 349
search path for, 628 DXF format, 858
temporary points, 1131 storing solids in, 965
TEMPPREFIX system variable, 628, 1195 template extraction files, 349
termination strings, 748 writing mass property calculations to, 521
tessellation text files, importing, 571
dynamic, 21, 660 Text Formatting toolbar, 567
tessellation lines text objects
defined, 21 scale factors and, 864
settings, 660 scaling, 863
tetrahedrons, 13 based on specified length, 864
text to match text objects size, 864
alignment (justification), 447, 999 text objects, boundary options, 633
of attributes Text Options tab
editing, 85, 90, 105, 161, 344 Edit Attribute dialog box, 106
baselines, 578 Enhanced Attribute Editor, 344
bringing in front of all objects, 1005 Text Style dialog box, 967

1292 | Index
text styles TIFF file format
applying changes to, 969 displaying images, 812
changing character display effects, 968, 971 image compression options, 862
changing fonts, 968, 970 options for rendering, 851
creating, 967, 970 saving images, 860
deleting, 968 TIFF file format, plotting, 714
names, 967, 971 TIFF images, saving, 1006
previewing changes, 969 TIFF Options dialog box, 862
renaming, 805, 967 TIFOUT command, 1006
specifying, 967, 970, 1003 tilde (~), opening Select Template dialog box,
text styles, standards files for, 960, 1211 602
text symbols, 581 tilde (~), to display a standard file selection dialog
TTF/SHX fonts available in, 581 box, 622
Text tab (New Dimension Style dialog box), 289 TILE button (status bar). See Model tab
text window tiled viewports
displaying creating with VPORTS, 1078, 1082
database information in, 246 TILEMODE system variable, 295, 563, 587, 1196
opening, 1005 tiling controls
switching for backgrounds, 102
to the drawing area from, 393 for material bitmaps, 826, 827, 885
writing contents to the log file, 505 tiling windows, 981
TEXTEVAL system variable, 1005, 1195 TIME command, 1006
TEXTFILL system variable, 1196 time servers, 871, 910, 1209
TEXTQLTY system variable, 1196 time services for digital signatures
TEXTSCR command, 1005 connection status of, 871, 1209
TEXTSIZE system variable, 568, 576, 1196 displaying list of, 871, 1209
TEXTSTYLE system variable, 567, 1196 displaying service used, 910
TEXTTOFRONT Command, 1005 time stamps on digital signatures, 871, 1209
TEXTTOFRONT command, 314, 1005 time/date
texture maps drawing statistics, displaying, 1006
sampling render options, 847, 850 searching for content by, 51
texture maps, search path for, 629 specifying in the Sun Angle Calculator, 493
textures time servers, 871, 1209
enabling, 23 timestamps for digital signatures, 871
TGA file format, 860 time/date, plot or publish jobs, 1071
images timeouts during plotting, 751
compression options, 862 time-sensitive right-clicking, 661
displaying, 812 timestamps on digital signatures, 1209
options for rendering output, 851 tints in gradient fills, 118
TGA Options dialog box, 862 title bars, drawing path name display, 636
thawing layers, 451, 452, 454, 455, 467, 1075 title blocks
thickness options for viewports, 592
of 2D objects, 164, 168 title sheets, 898
copying with MATCHPROP, 526 titles of drawings, displaying/specifying, 339
displaying, 964 titles of sheet list tables, 899
of new objects, setting, 351 titles of sheets, 896
as property of objects, 760 titles of tables, 989
of rectangular polylines, 791 tk command modifier, 1131
THICKNESS system variable, 964, 1196 TOLERANCE command
third-party application object properties, 757 about, 1007
third-party color books, 175 Geometric Tolerance dialog box, 1008
third-party content, 45 Material Condition dialog box, 1012
through point for offset objects, 604 Symbol dialog box, 1010
thumbnail preview image options, 634, 657, tolerance symbol ()
890 entering, 580, 1004
Thumbnail Preview Settings dialog box, 657 tolerance symbol (), entering, 580

Index | 1293
tolerances top
for dimension text, 301 sending objects to
entering symbol for, 580, 1004 draw order of hatches or fills, 409
for leader line annotations, 477, 779 draw order of objects, 314
for spline curves, 950, 955 TORUS command, 1017
for stacked text, 574 torus/tori (solid), 14, 1017
values, 1008 TPSTATE system variable, 1196
Tolerances tab (New Dimension Style dialog TRACE command, 1019
box), 301 traces
tool palettes filling, 380
creating and editing, 194 TRACEWID system variable, 1196
Tool Palettes tab (Customize dialog box), 194 track command modifier, 1131, 1132
Tool Palettes window, 194 tracking
tool palettes, search paths for files, 628 AutoTrack, 649
toolbar buttons layer changes, 469
adding/deleting, 187 vector colors, 656
assigning shortcut keys to, 191 vectors display, 649
displaying large buttons, 189 TRACKING command modifier, 1131
displaying macros associated with, 190 TRACKPATH system variable, 649, 1197
displaying shortcut keys on, 189 transformation table, 994
displaying tooltips on, 189 transformation types for calibrating a digitizer,
in file selection dialog boxes, 611 993
flyouts, 191 translating layers to other standards, 472
images Transmittal - Set Password dialog box, 365
changing (replacing), 190 transmittal packages
displaying large images, 190 adding sheets, 357
editing, 190, 195 categories of transmittal files, 358
properties, 189 creating, 357, 366
TOOLBAR command, command line prompts, folder structures, 363
1012 listing files in tree format, 358
toolbars modifying, 362
Batch Standards Checker toolbar, 1213 naming, 363
creating, 188, 195 notes included in, 360
customizing password protection, 365
disabling/enabling, 1195 report information, 360
deleting, 189 setups for, 360, 361, 365, 366
displaying/hiding, 188, 1012, 1014 sheet sets in, 366, 892
docking, 1013 types of, 362
floating, 1014 unavailable (grayed-out) sheets in list, 358
Refedit toolbar, 793, 799 Transmittal Setups dialog box
renaming, 189 about, 361
Toolbars tab (Customize dialog box), 188 displaying, 360, 892
toolbars, Text Formatting, 567 transparency
TOOLPALETTES command, 1014 adjusting, 23, 823
TOOLPALETTESCLOSE command, 1017 transparent images, 1019
tooltips windows, 197
AutoTrack display options, 649 TRANSPARENCY command, 1019
displaying, 189 Transparency dialog box, 197
hyperlink, 418, 646 transparent commands, 3
TOOLTIPS system variable, 1196 undoing effects of, 1025
Tray Settings dialog box, 1020
TRAYICONS system variable, 1197

1294 | Index
TRAYNOTIFY system variable, 1197 TSTACKIZE system variable, 1199
TRAYSETTINGS command TTR (tangent, tangent, radius) circle
about, 1020 specification, 170
Tray Settings dialog box, 1020 turbulence, of marble material, 830
TRAYTIMEOUT system variable, 1197 turning the camera, 40
tree view twist angle specification, DVIEW command, 334
dbConnect Manager, 204 .txt extension for template extraction files, 95,
for designating hyperlinks, 415, 417 96, 349
Image Manager, 421 TXT files
Markup Set Manager, 517 in archive packages, 68
Plotter Configuration Editor, 742 in transmittal packages, 364
Sheet Set Manager, 378 transmittal report files, 366
Xref Manager, 1115 typographical conventions used in this manual,
tree view (DesignCenter) 6
about, 47
displaying, 46
hiding, 46 U
tree view (Layer Properties Manager), 451, 456 U command, 1025
Tree View Shortcut menu, 451 See also REDO command; UNDO command
TREEDEPTH system variable, 1021, 1197 undoing external operations, 1025
TREEMAX system variable, 1198 u2w function (CAL command), 147
TREESTAT command, 1021 UCS command, 1025
TRIM command, 1022 UCS coordinate values of a location, 419
Trim mode UCS Details dialog box, 1042
for chamfering, 159 UCS dialog box
for filleting, 384 Named UCSs tab, 1037
trimming Orthographic UCSs tab, 1038
hatches Settings tab, 1040
and gaps in trim boundaries, 1024 UCS icon
objects changing
extending objects rather than, 1022 settings, 1040
rather than extending objects, 370 coloring, 1036
TRIMMODE system variable, 159, 380, 1198 displaying/hiding, 1034
True Color colors, 285, 286, 289, 1137 placement of, 1035
True Color dialog box previewing, 1036
displaying, 975 sizing, 1036
True Color tab (Select Color dialog box), 173 styles, 1034, 1036
True Colors symbols, 1034
specifying for plot styles, 975 UCS Icon dialog box, 1035
true colors UCS settings
applying to objects, 167 specifying for the current viewport, 1041
exploded objects, 1112 UCS. See user coordinate systems (UCSs)
selecting, 173, 177 UCSAXISANG system variable, 1199
specifying properties for objects, 163 UCSBASE system variable, 1031, 1039, 1042,
storing as RGB, 175 1064, 1068, 1199
using in toolbar buttons, 196 UCSFOLLOW system variable, 1026, 1041, 1199
true colors, window elements, 657 UCSICON command, 1033
TrueType fonts, 968, 969, 970 UCS Icon dialog box, 1035
(Euro symbol), 571 UCSICON system variable, 1200
listing font family names, 655 UCSMAN command
plotting, 747 UCS Details dialog box, 1042
SHX proxy fonts, 567 UCS dialog box, 1037
transmittal packages, 364 UCSNAME system variable, 1200
truetype.dwg file, 567 UCSORG system variable, 1200
TSPACEFAC system variable, 1198 UCSORTHO system variable, 1064, 1200
TSPACETYPE system variable, 1198
TSTACKALIGN system variable, 1199

Index | 1295
UCSs (user coordinate systems) undoing (continued)
named views and, 1062 PLINE command actions, 708, 710
orthographic and isometric views, 1064 SOLDRAW command actions, 919
restoring SOLIDEDIT command actions, 921, 931,
with a view, 1064, 1068 932, 935
saving a specified number of preceding
with a view, 1066, 1069 operations, 1044
UCSVIEW system variable, 1069, 1200 SPLINE command-specified points, 950
UCSVP system variable, 1033, 1041, 1200 SPLINEDIT command actions, 953, 958
UCSXDIR system variable, 1200 TRIM command actions, 1024
UCSYDIR system variable, 1201 See also restoring; U command; UNDO
unassigned materials, 528 command
unattached materials, 528 undoing, REFCLOSE command changes, 794
UNDEFINE command, 1042 UNDOMARKS system variable, 1201
REDEFINE and, 792 ungrouping groups, 399
undefining an AutoCAD command, 1042 Unicode characters
underlining multiline text, 568 creating, 1004
_ (underscore character) Unicode characters, creating, 580
in field names, 348 Unicode characters, strings, 570
underscoring text, control code for, 1004 UNION command, 1046
UNDO command, 1043 UNITMODE system variable, 1201
Auto option, 1044 UNITS command
commands and system variables unaffected command line prompts, 1050
by, 1043 Direction Control dialog box, 1049
continuously repeating scripts and, 852 Drawing Units dialog box, 1047
grouping sequences of operations units format
(Begin/End options), 1045 for dimension types, 298, 299
limiting or turning off (Control option), for linear dimensions, 296
1044 units of measurement
marking undo information (Mark/Back converting, 142
options), 1045 plot scale, 716
reversing several commands, 565 setting
for a specified number of preceding with the Advanced Setup wizard, 600
operations, 1044 current format and precision, 1047,
See also REDO command; U command 1050
UNDO command, REDO and, 792 with the Quick Setup wizard, 599
UNDOCTL system variable, 1201 with system variables, 1173
undoing setting, for plots, 672
command operations (using UNDO), 1043 See also imperial units
DDEDIT command changes, 247 unloading
DVIEW command actions, 336 applications
EXTEND command changes, 372 with APPLOAD, 56, 58
external operations, with U command, image files, 422, 424
1025 markup sets, 518
last baseline dimension, 262 ObjectARX applications, 81
last continued (chain) dimension, 264 partial menu files, 536
layer changes, 469 VBA projects, 1056, 1061
LEADER command vertex points, 479 xrefs, 681, 1116, 1119
LINE command segments, 497 unloading, VBA projects, 1061
a menu selection as a single command, unlocking layers, 452, 454, 457, 467
1044 unreferenced layers, 473
most recent command(using U), 1025 unstacking text, 570
Multiline Text Editor actions, 568 Update PC3 File with New Printer dialog box,
MVSETUP command operations, 592, 594 720
number of operations to undo, 1043 UPDATETHUMBNAIL system variable, 658,
object selection action, 875 1201
PEDIT command actions, 697, 700, 702 UPDATETHUMBSNOW command, 1052

1296 | Index
updating user profiles
block attributes, 97 creating, 662
fields, 569, 662 options for, 653
links/link templates, 245 renaming, 662
PC3 files, 720, 722 user-defined hatch patterns, 113, 121, 404
sheet set drawings, 891 user-defined scales, 672, 716
thumbnail images, 657 USERI1-5 system variables, 1201
thumbnail previews, 657 USERR1-5 system variables, 1201
uppercase text, 570 USERS1-5 system variables, 1201
upside-down character display, 567, 968, 971 utilities
upside-down plotting, 675, 719, 723 Attach Digital Signatures, 1208
URLs Batch Standards Checker, 1209
attaching to area or object in drawings, 83 SLIDELIB (slide library creation), 1214
detaching from area or object in drawings, UVW coordinates for mapping, adjusting, 883
251
URLs (Uniform Resource Locators), for i-drop
content, 876 V
Use Template page (Attribute Extraction Validate Digital Signatures dialog box, 908
wizard), 346 validating digital signatures, 908, 909
user coordinate systems (UCSs) values
about, 1025 displayed in fields, 378
applying to viewports, 1033 field formatting options, 378
changing to orthographic, 1038 updating in mtext fields, 569
defining, 1027 variables. See system variables
Face method, 1029 VBA applications (DVB files), loading, 55
Object method, 1027 VBA macros
by specifying origin points, 1026 creating/editing, 1058
View method, 1029 deleting, 1058
X, Y, Z method, 1029 displaying a list of, 1057
Z Axis method, 1026 running, 1057, 1060
deleting, 1032 virus protection for, 1054, 1060
displaying VBA Manager, 1055
names of, 941, 1033, 1037 VBA Options dialog box, 1059
plan view of, 704 VBA projects
isometric views, 1064 embedding, 1056, 1059
making current, 1038, 1039 extracting, 1056
moving, 1030 loading, 1053, 1056
named views and, 1062 saving, 1056
origin and axis information, 1042 setting options for, 1059
orthographic, 1030, 1064 unloading, 1056, 1061
renaming, 805 VBA projects, unloading, 1061
restoring, 1031, 1032 VBA statements, executing, 1061
with a view, 1064, 1068 VBA. See Visual Basic Editor
saving, 1032 VBAIDE command, 1053
with a view, 1066, 1069 VBALOAD command, 1053
setting to WCS, 147, 1033 VBAMAN command, 1055
specifying settings for the current VBARUN command
viewport, 1041 command line prompts, 1060
User Defined Fields dialog box, 729 Macros dialog box, 1057
User-defined Paper Sizes and Calibration node Select Project dialog box, 1059
(Plotter Configuration Editor Device VBA Options dialog box, 1059
and Document Settings tab), 748 VBASTMT command, 1061
user elapsed timer, turning on/off or resetting, VBAUNLOAD command, 1061
1007 vec and vec1 functions (CAL command), 143,
User Preferences tab (Options dialog box), 645 154

Index | 1297
vector expression operators, 138 view geometry to load for partially open
vector graphics, plot options, 746 drawings, 620
vectors View List tab (Sheet Set Manager), 892
calculating normal vectors, 152 View method for defining a UCS, 1029
calculating with CAL, 143 View of This Drawing tab (Insert Hyperlink dialog
filtering components of, 147 box), 415
formatting for use with CAL, 139 View Output page (Attribute Extraction wizard),
versions of AutoCAD 347
file formats, 855, 856 view point, setting for 3D visualization, 1076
installed, 43 VIEWCTR system variable, 1202
saving files as, 859 VIEWDIR system variable, 1202
vertex tangent direction, of 2D polylines, 694 viewing
vertical bar (|) (pipe character) drawings
in dependent symbols, 1104, 1105, 1118 in the Aerial View window, 323
vertical construction lines, 1109 in plan view, 704
vertical grid spacing, 917 external database tables. See Data View
vertical justification window (in dbConnect)
of dimension text, 290, 303 extracted attribute information, 347
of dimension tolerance text, 303 geometry to load into partially open
vertical linear dimensions, 272 drawings, 620
vertical resolution of rendered images, 811 gradient boundaries, 111
vertical tiling of windows, 981 hatch boundaries, 111
vertical-alignment character display, 971 objects, in 3D. See 3DORBIT command
vertices partially open drawings, 619
of 2D polylines, 691, 696 viewing direction (in 3D model space)
of 3D polyface meshes, 703 defining, 250
of 3D polyline mesh objects, 700 fog and depth cueing and, 391
of 3D polylines, 698 setting, 1076
adding VIEWMODE system variable, 1202
to 2D polylines, 692 VIEWPLOTDETAILS command
to 3D polylines, 698 about, 1069
to multilines, 552 Plot and Publish Details dialog box, 1070
deleting from multilines, 553 Viewpoint Presets dialog box, 250
view box (Aerial View window) viewport configurations
zooming and, 1124 converting into individual viewport
view categories objects, 585, 586
creating, 892, 904 floating
renaming, 893 changing, 1081
View Category dialog box creating, 1080, 1084
about, 904 displaying, 1080, 1082
displaying, 892 dividing, 1085
VIEW command fitting, 1084
about, 1061 previewing, 1081
command line prompts, 1067 restoring, 1085
New View dialog box, 1065 turning on or off, 1084
View Details dialog box, 1066 renaming, 805
View dialog box, 1062 tiled
View Details dialog box applying, 1079
about, 1066 changing, 1080, 1083
displaying, 1063 creating, 1078, 1082
View dialog box deleting, 1082
about, 1062 displaying, 1080, 1083
Named Views tab, 1062 joining, 1082
Orthographic and Isometric Views tab, previewing, 1079, 1080
1063 restoring, 1082
view direction, aligning the axis of rotation viewport handles, profile blocks and, 936
with, 839 viewport objects, clipping, 1073

1298 | Index
viewport properties views (continued)
copying with MATCHPROP, 527 defining windows as, 1065, 1069
viewports deleting, 1063, 1068
aligning the axis of rotation with, 927 displaying
assigning UCSs to, 1033 information about, 1066
clipping viewport objects, 1073 names of, 685, 1062, 1067
converting objects to, 584 isometric, restoring, 1063
creating, 582, 589, 631, 894, 939 loading geometry from into partially open
slide files of, 565 drawings
dividing the area into equal parts, 585, 586 with OPEN, 614, 620
fitting layouts into, 583 loading geometry from, into partially open
floating drawings
converting objects into, 1085 with PARTIALOAD, 680, 682
locking, 1084 with PARTIALOPEN, 683
freezing/thawing layers in, 452, 455, 1074, model space, 894
1075 named
handles, profile blocks and, 936 association with viewports, 1063
irregularly shaped (polygonal), 584 displaying, 1061
layout options for, 589 editing boundaries, 1063
named views, 1062, 1063 making current, 1062, 1063
number of available, 583 plotting, 671, 714, 723
plotting settings, 583, 1084 updating layers, 1063
properties of naming, 1065
copying with MATCHPROP, 527 orthographic
refreshing the display of, 792, 793, 800, creating, 942
801 orthographic, restoring, 1063
restoring configurations, 585 panning, 34
setting layer visibility in, 1074 parallel projection/perspective, 326
setting MVSETUP preferences, 591 placing automatically on layouts, 894
shaded and rendered viewport options, plotting, 714
673, 717, 725 renaming, 805, 1063
shadeplot settings, 583, 1084 renaming, in sheet sets, 897
switching renumbering, in sheet sets, 897
from model space to paper space, 762 restoring
from paper space to model space, 566 previous, 1063, 1068
title block options for, 592 saving, 1069
turning on or off, 583 for scenes, 865, 866
using SOLDRAW in, 918 sectional, 944
zoom options, 1123 sheets
zoom scale factor settings for, 591 displaying, 892
See also views view label blocks, 892
Viewports dialog box See also viewports
Named Viewports tab (floating), 1082 VIEWSIZE system variable, 1202
Named Viewports tab (tiled), 1080 VIEWTWIST system variable, 1202
New Viewports tab (floating), 1080 violations in drawings
New Viewports tab (tiled), 1078 checking for, 165
VIEWRES command, 1072 flagging as ignored, 166
VIEWRES command, smoothness and, 632 notifying users of, as they occur, 960
views violations in drawings, checking for, 1209
auxiliary, 943 virtual pens, 977
categories, 892, 904, 1065, 1067 virus protection for VBA macros, 609, 1054,
copying to the Clipboard, 186 1060
creating, 1065 visibility
of layers, 464, 1063, 1066, 1067
of markups, 519

Index | 1299
visible attributes, 88 web browser, launching, 135
visible attributes, editing, 92 Web Folders directory, 611
visible lines Web folders, creating, 611
of profiles, 936 web pages
SOLVIEW placement of, 939 linking to, 414
VISRETAIN system variable, 637, 1202 Web Publish wizard. See Publish to Web wizard
Visual Basic Editor WEDGE command, 1090
displaying, 1053 wedges (solid), 16, 1090
entering Break mode, 1059 weight, changing at spline control points, 957
opening, 1053 welding multiline segments, 554
Visual LISP executables (VLX), loading, 55 WHIPARC system variable, 1203
VLIDE. See VLISP command WHIPTHREAD system variable, 1203
VLISP command, 1072 WHOHAS command, 1092
VLX (Visual LISP executable) files, loading, 55 wide polylines
volumetric shadows, 492 calculating areas/perimeters, 71, 72
VPCLIP command, 1073 filling, 380
VPLAYER command, 1074 lineweights, 512
VPMAXIMIZEDSTATE system variable, 1203 width
VPOINT command, 1076 of 2D polyline segments, 707, 708, 710
VPORTS command of multiline text paragraphs, 576, 580
about, 1078 of pens, 745
command line prompts, 1082 of polylines, 691, 694
Viewports dialog box, 1078 of rectangular polylines, 792
VSLIDE command, 1085 of wedges, 1091
VSMAX system variable, 1203 width factor for character spacing, 969, 971
VSMIN system variable, 1203 wild-card characters
for finding files, 616
for searching text, 50
W using
W (in 2D UCS icon), 1033 on the command line, 5
w2u function (CAL command), 147 to rename groups of objects, 804
warning messages wild-card characters, filtering layers with, 457
displaying for publishing jobs, 767 Window object selection method, 873
options, 644 windows
paper size problems, 670, 713 arranging, 981
plotting reports, 1071 defining as a view, 1065, 1069
print spoolers, 641 options for, 630, 655
standards violations, 960 plotting portions of drawings specified by,
warning messages, problems with drawings, 671, 715, 724
1158 for tables, 984
WBLOCK command transparency of, 197
command line prompts, 1089 zoom specifications in, 1126
Write Block dialog box, 1087 Windows (operating system)
WCS (world coordinate system) standard behavior options, customizing,
converting points to UCS, 147 645
creating a profile viewport from, 941 system font, AutoCAD screen menu and,
setting the current UCS to, 1033 630
specifying for mapped materials, 878 Windows Render Options dialog box, 810
Web Windows system printers
DesignCenter content as Web-based, 45 creating/editing paper sizes, 749
i-drop content, 875 hiding display of, in the Plot/Page Setup
Live Enablers, 645 dialog boxes, 641
paths for Web locations, 626 listing, 669, 713
publishing HTML pages, 772 Wintab-compatible digitizers, 643
WIPEOUT command, 1092

1300 | Index
wipeout frames, 1092 X
wireframes
3D graphics adaptive degradation, 21 X axis
displaying silhouettes as, 633 aligning the axis of rotation with, 840, 927
plotting and, 583, 1084 displaying UCS values, 1042
shade plot settings, 673, 717, 725 scale factors, for inserting multiple instances
wizards of blocks, 539, 543
Add Plot Style Table wizard, 972 UCS icon symbols, 1036
Add-a-Plotter wizard, 737 X scale factor
Advanced Setup wizard, 600 for inserted blocks, 439, 440
Attribute Extraction wizard, 345 for WMF files, 1095
Custom Paper Size wizard, 749 X, Y, Z method for defining a UCS, 1029
Import PCP or PC2 Plot Settings wizard, 689 XATTACH command
Plotter Calibration wizard, 748, 750 about, 1101
Publish to Web wizard, 772 External Reference dialog box, 1101
Quick Setup wizard, 598 XBIND command
for starting new drawings, 597 about, 1104
WMF files, 1093, 1099 command line prompts, 1105
importing, 1093 Xbind dialog box, 1105
saving objects to, 1099 Xbind dialog box, 1105
setting import options for, 1098 XCLIP command
WMF In Options dialog box, 434, 1098 about, 1106
WMFBKGND system variable, 1204 defining clipping boundaries, 1108
WMFFOREGND system variable, 1204 deleting clipping boundaries, 1107
WMFIN command, 1093 generating polylines, 1107
WMFOPTS command, 1098 setting clipping planes, 1107
WMFOUT command, 1099 turning on or off, 1107
wood material attributes, 831 XCLIPFRAME system variable, 1205
wopeng18.hdi driver, 660 XEDIT system variable, 637, 1205
wopengl8.hdi driver, 24 XFADECTL system variable, 633, 799, 1205
working sets (of reference objects) XLINE command, 1108
about, 799 xlines. See construction lines
adding objects to, 799 XLOADCTL system variable, 636, 1205
locking objects not in sets, 798 XLOADPATH system variable, 629, 1205
removing objects from, 799 XLS (Microsoft Excel) files, 349
working support file list, 625 XML reports, 1210, 1212
world coordinate system (WCS) XOPEN Command, 1111
converting points to UCS, 147 XPLODE command
creating a profile viewport from, 941 about, 1111
plan views of, 705 applying changes globally, 1113
setting the current UCS to, 1033 applying changes to objects individually,
specifying for mapped materials, 878 1112
WORLDUCS system variable, 1204 See also EXPLODE command
WORLDVIEW system variable, 1204 XREF command
WPolygon object selection method, 874 about, 1113
wrap line for bitmap projection Bind Xrefs dialog box, 1116
cylindrical coordinate system, 879 command line prompts, 1118
spherical coordinate system, 882 Xref Manager, 1114
Write Block dialog box, 1087 xref copies (for demand loading)
WRITESTAT system variable, 1205 creating, 1205
writing objects or blocks to a drawing file, 1087 Xref Manager, 1114
xref paths
in batch standards audits, 1210
notifications for updated or missing xrefs,
1206
xref-dependent layers, 1202

Index | 1301
xref paths, displaying, 1102 Z axis (continued)
XREFCTL system variable, 1205 defining
XREFNOTIFY system variable, 1206 cutting planes with, 913
xrefs (external references) UCS with, 1026
attaching, 1120 displaying UCS values, 1042
attaching automatically, 894 scale factors, for inserting multiple instances
editing options, 636 of blocks, 539, 544
overlaying, 1119 Z Axis method for defining a UCS, 1026
project files and, 626 Z scale factor
retaining changes to layers, 637 for inserted blocks, 439, 441
temporary file location options, 629 for WMF files, 1095
transmittal packages and, 365 zero suppression
tree view of layers and, 451 for alternate dimension units, 300
xrefs. See external references (xrefs) for alternate tolerance units, 304
XREFTYPE system variable, 1206 for angular dimensions, 298
XTNAMES system variable, 644 for dimension tolerance text, 303
XY plane (construction plane) Zip files
aligning cutting planes with, 914 archive packages, 67
of a UCS, creating viewports and, 939 transmittal files, 362
ZOOM command, 1123
zoom scale factor
Y Data View AutoPan feature and, 226
Y axis DVIEW and, 333
aligning the axis of rotation with, 840, 927 for viewports, 591
displaying UCS values, 1042 zoom scale factor, for viewports, 584
scale factors, for inserting multiple instances Zoom shortcut menu, 1127
of blocks, 539, 543 ZOOMFACTOR system variable, 1206
UCS icon symbols, 1036 zooming
Y scale factor with Aerial View, 324
for inserted blocks, 439, 441 centering a portion of the drawing, 1123
for WMF files, 1095 Data View AutoPan feature and, 226
YZ plane, aligning cutting planes with, 914 to display
generated portion of the drawing with a
view box, 1124
Z drawing extents, 1124
previous view, 1125
Z axis
entire drawing, 1123
3D UCS icon symbol, 1034
to a logical extent, 1126
aligning the axis of rotation with, 840, 927
to a specific area of a window, 1126
at a specified scale factor, 1125
text, with FIND, 390
on a view, 41
ZX plane, aligning cutting planes with, 915

1302 | Index