AUTOCAD - HINTS & TIPS

• If you have a copy of AutoCAD LT95 use this to create your blocks and symbols. This helps keep the size of your libraries down to a minimum. A file created in R14 that is 27K, when converted to LT95 is only 9K. This reduces the size of libraries to 1/3 that of an R14 library.

• When doing Piping General Arrangements and Sections use separate layers for each line. If possible use "Line Numbers" for layer names. Set "Linetype" and "Color" to "Bylayer. This makes it much easier to modify single lines. Also when you want to modify the drawing at a later date, i.e. add a new pipe line, you can change layer colors easily to highlight the new line. It also makes it easier for others if you have to send a drawing for others to print. I have also created a lisp routine that gets the layer name from an entity and puts it into an attribute you select. Great for when you are adding Line Number racetracks to the drawing.

  Remember not everyone uses the same penweights as you do. This usually means either changing colors or creating a new "pcp" or "pc2" file. Since we deal with drawings from a large number of different sources it is easier to change layer colors. Especially when there are drawings from many sources for a common client that will be added to the clients drawing library.

• Take care with font selection. Particularly when using "Bigfonts". Refer to our article on "Mass Drawing Corruption".