Essential AutoCAD Express Tools you should know

Essential AutoCAD Express Tools you should know · Super Hatch · Breakline · Explode Attributes to Text · Synchronize Viewports · Command Alias Editor. SkiptocontentEssentialAutoCADExpressToolsyoushouldknowLastUpdated:January30th,2022ByMelindaHeavrinAutoCADExpressToolsisacollectionofproductivitytoolsthatextendthepowerofAutoCAD. Thesetoolsareprovidedasacourtesytoyoubutareunsupported.Autodeskdoesnotassumeanyresponsibilityfortheirsuccessfuloperation.YoucaninstalltheExpressToolsduringtheinitialproductinstallationoryoucanaddthemlaterusingAddorRemoveProgramsintheControlPanel.YoucanaccessmostoftheAutodeskExpressToolsfromtheExpressToolstabontheribbon.YoucanalsoaccessExpressToolsusingcorrespondingcommands. Personally,IlikeusingExpressToolssoIthoughtI’dwriteaboutsomeofmyfavorites.SuperHatchSUPERHATCHissimilartothehatchcommandbutitallowsyoutouseanimage,block,Xref,orWIPEOUTasahatchpattern. TheSUPERHATCHdialogboxprovidesseveraloptions:Image–OpenstheAttachImagedialogboxforspecifyingtheimageforthesuperhatchpattern.Block–Opensadialogboxforspecifyingtheblockforthesuperhatchpattern.XrefAttach–OpenstheXrefFileNamedialogboxforspecifyinganXreffileforthesuperhatchpattern.Wipeout–Usesawipeoutobjectforthesuperhatchpattern.SelectExisting–Selectsanexistingimage,block,Xreforwipeoutobjectforthesuperhatchpattern.CurveErrorTolerance–Specifiestheerrortoleranceforthevectorapproximationofcurvedsuperhatchboundaries.YoucanusetheBlockoptiontocreatehatchpatternson-the-fly,youcancreateblockswithdifferentlayers,colorsandlinetypestocreatehatchpatternsthatreacttolayerstatesandplotwithavarietyoflineweights.Youcanusehatchimagesonsurfacestogetarenderedeffect. Use3Dblocksashatchpatternstoplacerepeatingitemssuchasbricks,rooftiles,orfencefillsin3Ddrawings.SUPERHATCHmakeshatchingtocurvedboundariespossiblebytraversingarcsegmentswithaseriesofshortstraightsegments. SUPERHATCHletsyoucontroltheprecisionwithwhichittraversesarcsegmentsbyallowingyoutospecifythemaximumdistancebetweenthemidpointofanygivensegmentandthearc.Enteringalargeerrorvalueresultsinfewersegmentsandfasterperformancebutarcsappearlesssmooth. Conversely,enteringaverysmallvalueresultsinsmoothhatchingalongarcsbutplacesmoreofaprocessingburdenduringregenerationofadrawing.Superhatchobjectsaregluedtogetherusingunnamedgroups. Therefore,theyarenotassociative. Ifyouwanttomodifyasingleobjectthatispartofasuperhatch,youcanusetheGROUPcommandtoturnofftheselectionofthegroupasfollows:Startthegroupcommand, (Command:GROUP).MakesurethattheIncludeUnnamedcheckboxisselected.Selectthegroup. Notethat“superhatch”appearsinthedescriptionfieldforgroupscreatedbySUPERHATCH.ClickSelectable.ChooseOK. Theindividualobjectscannowbemodifiedseparately.BreaklineBREAKLINEwillcreateapolylineandwillinsertthebreaklinesymbol. Youcanspecifytwopointsandthelocationofthebreaklinesymbolbetweenthem. Youcancontroltherelativesizeandappearanceofthebreaklinesymbolandtheextensionofthepolylinebeyondtheselectedstartandendpoints. Youhavethefollowingoptions:Block–Determinestheblocktobeusedasthebreaklinesymbol.Thedefaultblockisdefinedbybrkline.dwg.Size–Determinesthesizeofthebreaklinesymbol.Extension–Determinesthelengthofthelineextensionbeyondselectedpoints.YoucancreateyourownblockforthebreaklinesymbolbycreatingadrawingintheAutoCADExpressfolder. MakesurethatthedrawingcontainstwopointobjectsthathavebeencreatedontheDefpointslayer. Thosepointobjectsdeterminetheplacementofthesymbolandhowthelinewillbebroken. Herearethesteps:Startanewdrawingthendrawthebreaklinesymbol.MaketheDefpointslayercurrent,Ifitdoesnotexist,createitandmakeitthecurrentlayer.UsethePOINTcommandtocreateapointobjectateachlocationwherethelinewillconnectwiththebreaklinesymbol,useonlytwopoints.SavethedrawingfileintheExpressfolderoftheAutoCADinstallationfolder.WhenyoustarttheBREAKLINEcommand,usetheBlockoptiontospecifythedrawingfileforthenewbreaklineblock.ExplodeAttributestoTextBURSTwillexplodeblocksandconvertattributevaluestotextobjects. Thecomponentobjectsareplacedonthelayeroftheblockanddonotreverttotheiroriginallayers.Thevaluesofanyattributeobjectsarepreservedbyconvertingthemtotextobjects. Theexplodedattributesassumetheoriginalattributedefinition’slayerandstyle.SynchronizeViewportsVPSYNCwillsynchronizeoneormoreviewportswithamasterviewport. Allsynchronizedviewportswilltakeonthezoomfactorofthemasterviewport. Togiveyourdrawingacleanerappearance,youcanplacealltheviewportsonaseparatelayerandthenturnthatlayeroffafterrunningVPSYNCsothattheedgesoftheviewportarenotdisplayed.CommandAliasEditorALIASEDITwillallowyoutocreate,delete,andmodifycommandaliases. AliasescanbecreatedforAutoCADorDOSexecutablecommands. Therearetwotabbedsections: CommandAliasesandShellCommands. Optionscommontobothsectionsinclude:Add–DisplaysadialogboxthatallowsyoutoaddanewAutoCADaliasandcommandorDOSalias,command,andprompt.Remove–RemovesAutoCADorDOScommandaliasfromtheacad.pgpfile.Edit–DisplaysadialogboxwhereyoucaneditthecurrentlyselectedAutoCADaliasandcommandorDOSalias,command,andprompt.ConfirmChanges–Turnsthedisplayoftheconfirmationdialogboxonoroff.OK–SaveschangesandexitsAliasEditorClose–ExitstheAliasEditorwithoutsavingchanges.AnychangesmadebeforetheApplybuttonwasclickedaresaved.Apply–Saveschangesinprogress,andthenallowsyoutocontinueediting.SystemVariableEditorSYSVDLGwillallowyoutoview,saveandeditsystemvariablesettings. ItisimportanttonotethatnochangesaresavedtothedrawinguntilyouchooseOK. AllofthependingchangescanbediscardedwiththeCancelbutton. Newsystemvariablevaluesarevalidatedastheyarechanged. Thedialogboxincludesthefollowingoptions:ListBox–Displaysalistofsystemvariables.Theeditfieldabovethelistboxallowsforfilteringthelistboxdisplaybasedonuserinput. Ifnothingisenteredintheeditfield,thelistwilldisplayallofthesystemvariables. Ifmorethanonesystemvariableishighlighted,alloftheeditanddisplayoptionsareunavailable.NewValue–Displaysthecurrentvalueofthesystemvariablehighlightedinthelistboxandallowsyoutoeditthatvalue.NochangesarecommitteduntilthedialogboxisclosedwiththeOKbutton. Theeditfieldwillbeunavailableiftheselectedvariableisaread-onlytype.CurrentValue–DisplaysthevalueofthesystemvariablethatishighlightedinthelistboxasofwhenSYSVDLGwasstarted.InitialValue–Displaystheinitialvalueofthesystemvariablehighlightedinthelistbox.Thisisthevaluethatthesystemvariablehasinanewdrawing.SavedIn–Displayswherethevalueofthehighlightedsystemvariableissaved.Type–Displaysthetypeofthehighlightedsystemvariable.Savex–SavesthecurrentsystemvariablesettingstoanSVForSCRfile.SVFfilescanbereadintoSYSVDLG.  SCRfilesareAutoCADscripts,whichcanberunfromtheAutoCADcommandline. ThebuttonwilldisplaySaveAll,SaveFilteredorSaveSelected,whichdependsontheconditionofthesystemvariablelist. Ifonlyonesystemvariableisselectedandthelistisnotfiltered,thenallofthesystemvariableswillbesaved. Ifmorethanonesystemvariableisselected,thenonlythehighlighteditemswillbesaved. Ifthelisthasbeenfiltered,aswithawild-card,thelistissavedasdisplayed.Read–RestoressavedsettingsfromanSVFfile.CalendarDateJULIANcontainstheDATEtoolandseveralAutoCADJuliandateandcalendardateconversionroutines. JULIANisnotmeanttobeenteredintheCommandwindow. EnterDATEtodisplaythecurrentdateandtimeinthisformat:DayYYYY/M/DHH:MM:SS.msec. DATEuses(JTOD)toconverttocalendarformatandeditsthedateandtimefromthere. UsethesyntaxindicatedforthefollowingAutoLISPfunctions:CTOJConvertscalendardateandtimetoJuliandateFunctionsyntax:(ctoj)Input:CalendardateasargumentlistReturns:Juliandate/fraction,asintheDATEsystemvariableDTOJConvertsAutoCADcalendardate/timetoJuliandateFunctionsyntax:(dtoj)Input:RealnumberYYYYMMDD<.hhmmssmsec>,likeCDATEsetvar.Returns:Juliandate/fraction,asinDATEsystemvariableJTOCConvertsJuliandatetocalendardatelistFunctionsyntax:(jtoc)Input:Realnumber.,likeDATEsetvarReturns:Calendardate/timelist:()JTODConvertsJuliandatetoAutoCADcalendardate/timeFunctionsyntax:(jtod)Input:Realnumber.,likeDATEsetvarReturns:Calendardate/time,asinCDATEsystemvariableJTOWDeterminesdayoftheweekforagivenJuliandayFunctionsyntax:(jtow)Input:Realnumber.,likeDATEsystemvariableReturns:Integerdayoftheweek,0=Sunday,1=Monday,6=SaturdayToaccesstheread-onlyDATEsystemvariableinstead,use(getvar“DATE”).LayoutMergeLAYOUTMERGEcombinesspecifiedlayoutsintoasinglelayout. ACommandlineversion,-LAYOUTMERGEisalsoavailable. Thepromptsappearasfollows:Specifylayout(s)tomergeor[?]:layout1,layout2Enterlayoutnamesand/orwildcardsseparatedbycommasSpecifydestinationlayoutor[?]:SpecifyanexistinglayoutnameorenteranewnametocreateanewlayoutDeleteunusedlayouts?:EachmergedlayoutwillhaveacorrespondingsavedviewinthedestinationlayoutandwillbelabeledwitharectangleandtextidentifierontheDEFPOINTSlayer. ObjectHandleIDsarechangedforallmergedobjects.OffsetEXOFFSEToffsetsselectedobjects. ThisenhancedversionoftheOFFSETcommandoffersseveraladvantagesoverthestandardcommand,includinglayercontrol,undoandamultipleoption. Thefollowingoptionsareavailable:Distance–OffsetstheselectedobjectaspecifieddistanceThrough–OffsetstheselectedobjectthroughaspecifiedpointLayer–Specifiesthelayerfornewobjects,eitherthecurrentlayerorthelayerofthesourceobjectGaptype(automaticallyapplied)–UsesthecurrentsettingoftheOFFSETGAPTYPEvariabletocreateextended,filleted,orchamferedcornerstofillpotentialgapsinoffsetpolylines.Multiple–Createsmultipleoffsets.PressingShiftwhilespecifyingasidetooffsetactsasamultipleoptionandselectsthenewobject. PressingCtrlwhilespecifyingasidetooffseterasestheoriginalobject.References: Help.autodesk.com AutodeskknowledgenetworkThisisaguestpost,youcanshareyourarticlesaswell.10CommentsJohnDecember11,2018at9:49pm-ReplyJustanoteonwipeouts.Becarefulusingthese.Adobedoesn’tlikethese.Itprintsthemassolids.I’veusedanMTEXTparagraphwithnothingbutspacesorcarriagereturnsinstead.Aslo,ifitisforatext“window”,useMTEXTwiththebackground.cadintentionsFebruary1,2017at11:21pm-ReplyGreatpostandlotsofinfo,definitelycouldn’tgobacktonothavingtheexpresstools!JaiprakashPandeyFebruary2,2017at1:05am-ReplyThanksBrandon,youtoohaveagreatblog!keepupthegoodwork.WallaceMPhillipsJanuary4,2017at11:50pm-ReplyTheoneIusealotisCONVERTTEXTTOMTEXTAlsoDETACHLEADERSFROMANNOTATIONJaiprakashPandeyJanuary5,2017at2:00am-ReplyThanksforyourinputsPhillips.mheavrin01January11,2017at8:31pm-ReplyThosearegoodonesaswell!CarrieJanuary4,2017at7:01pm-ReplyExpressToolsisNOTavailableforLT,correct?JaiprakashPandeyJanuary4,2017at7:10pm-ReplyYesCarrieExpresstoolsarenotavailableforAutoCADLT.SusanB.ElliottJanuary5,2017at8:35am-ReplyMysonusesautocadltforMacandhehasexpresstools.AlmostmakesmewanttomovetoMac:).Everythingelseislaidoutreallyodlythough,soIguessI’llsticktoWindows.IdotrulymisstheconverttexttomtextinExpressTools.JaiprakashPandeyJanuary6,2017at3:27am-ReplyIguessexpresstoolsalonecan’tconvinceyoutoswitchtomacforAutoCAD,maybeaUIsimilartowindowswilldothetrick!LeaveACommentCancelreplyCommentSavemyname,email,andwebsiteinthisbrowserforthenexttimeIcomment.ΔGetyourfreecopyof72PracticedrawingsPDFeBookDownloadNowEmailconfirmationrequiredPageloadlinkGetyourfreecopyof72PracticedrawingsPDFeBookDownloadNowEmailconfirmationrequiredGotoTop