AutoCAD Super-Duper Click Savers

Jarod Schultz Director of Autodesk Operations, initial.aec

AC1572
Return on investment on the AutoCAD platform is all about saving picks and clicks, and this class is all
about exposing the super-secret tools in the AutoCAD platform. The biggest issue is that you dont know
what you are missing from release to release unless someone exposes these little secrets. In this class,
we will provide a one-stop-shopping document to help you remember all of them and refer back to them.
Updated from last year, this class includes new tools and uncovers AutoCAD 2013 secrets. Your
repetitive steps and tasks wont know what hit them.
Learning Objectives
At the end of this class, you will be able to:
Use some of the best tips and tricks that are out there for instant productivity
Share secrets about AutoCAD that trump repetitive steps and tasks
Use fewer pick and clicks and get work done faster on any AutoCAD platform
Smack your forehead and say, I could have used that tip last week

Target Audience: Industry professionals with beginner to intermediate experience on the
AutoCAD platform. Plus anyone who uses the AutoCAD platform and wants to increase their
productivity and leave repetitive steps and tasks in the dust.
About the Speaker
I possess more than 24 years of extensive experience in and knowledge of how to position
technical products and services to the architectural-engineering-construction (AEC) industry. I
am skilled at delivering creative solutions to address challenging issues, and this experience
enables me to provide invaluable insight and direction to sales staff, technical staff, and clients.
I have mentored and implemented AutoCAD based and building information modeling (BIM)
solutions for hundreds of clients and have become a trusted and respected advisor in the
Denver AEC community. My qualifications include working as an Autodesk Certified Instructor
and earning certifications in Revit Architecture, AutoCAD Architecture, and AutoCAD.
Speaker at Revit Technology Conference and Autodesk University. My past work has resulted
in many awards from Autodesk for sales and training excellence, including Instructor of the
Year (2004) and Top Autodesk Training Center for Americas (2007).
Email: jarod@initialaec.com
Blog:JarodSchultz.com
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1) Quick Access Toolbar
If you have dived head first into the Ribbon interface then the only real toolbar that is left on
the screen is the Quick Access toolbar. What I like to do is have it below the Ribbon, the reason I
like it this way is because I can add additional tools since I have a lot more room now. To do
this right-click on the Quick Access toolbar and you should see !how Quick Access Toolbar
below the Ribbon". To start adding some of your favorite commands #ust right-click on them to
add them, es$ecially the %ayer dro$-down tool. &on't forget to right-click the Works$aces dro$-
down and remove it since it is down at the bottom right of the screen (the little cog gear icon).

*y the way the order of the icons is the order that you $ut them on. I have not found a way to
drag and dro$ them around unless you go into the +,I command. If you ty$e in +,I, at the to$
right, you can o$en u$ the category for Quick Access Toolbars" and drag and dro$ around the
icons to $ut them in the order you want.

2) Shortcuts
!hortcuts are still the $ower user of choice when it comes to $roductivity in Auto+A&. There are
a cou$le of ways to get to the list but my favorite is using the A%IA!-&IT command since it has
a nice dialog bo. interface to it. Another way of doing it using the traditional /ote$ad -ditor in
Windows but this has always been somewhat of a $ain since you need to find where the
A+A&.010 resides.
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If you want to use the /ote$ad way then on the Ribbon go to the 2anage tab and $ick on -dit
Aliases under the +ustomi3ation $anel. This automatically o$ens the A+A&.010 file using
/ote$ad as the editor. If for some reason A%IA!-&IT or the -dit Aliases is not available then
you can ty$e at the command line (findfile 4acad.$g$4), include the $arentheses to make this
work. It will tell you where your $g$ file is located. /ow remember, if you make any changes to
the A+A&.010 file using the /ote$ad method then you will need to run the R-I/IT command or
restart Auto+A& in order to have your changes take effect.

When using any of these methods to edit the A+A&.010 make sure that you create a co$y of it
and save it to safe location. The last thing you want to do is make all of these changes again on
a new com$uter or new release of Auto+A&.
3) Autodesk 36 Super!Secret "older
Autodesk 567 is a new way of sharing and storing files in the cloud. What is unknown is that
there is an ability to do a &ro$bo. like u$date without having to login and u$load your content
through a web browser. What I'm going to show you is undocumented and is only for Auto+A&
8795 $latform. Two things must ha$$en to get this setu$ correctly, first you need to have
installed a version Auto+A& 8795, the ne.t is you need a Autodesk 567 account: https://
360.autodesk.com. ;nce that is done o$en Auto+A& 8795 and at the to$ right login into your
Autodesk 567 account.

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/ow start Windows -.$lorer and go to this folder: +:<,sers<=,ser name><A$$&ata <%ocal
<Autodesk<Autodesk !ync<+loud<=,ser -mail Address>

If you are on Windows ? you can right-click on the @avorites and add a shortcut to get to the
folder easily. /ow if you add a new folder or add new documents locally then give it a few
minutes and it will be automatically u$loaded to your Autodesk 567 account. Remember if you
are on subscri$tion this goes from 5gig of s$ace to 8Agig of s$ace, you got to like that. Also
anyone can have an Autodesk 567 account, you don't have to own an Autodesk $roduct to
create and use an Autodesk 567 account. ,nderstand that this trick won't work for them but
they do have 5gig of storage which is better than an initial &ro$bo. account.
#) "ields
@ields are still something that is much underutili3ed in Auto+A&. I will show you two sim$ly
and easy ways to start using them in your drawings. ;ne Buick method is using them for a 0lot
!tam$, Buite few of my client's need them for their $rinted drawings to verify when the latest
hard co$y $rint was made com$ared to their digital drawing.
Ty$e in @ield at the command line and change the @ield +ategory to 0lot. In the listing you can
now choose 0lot&ate and on the right what ty$e of formatting that you would like to use. Cou
can if you want actually make u$ your own format by using the column of Dints on the far
right.

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/ow $ick ;k and $lace the @ield, you will notice that the field is showing ---- instead of a date.
The reason for this is because you haven't $lotted the drawing yet, once you $lot the drawing
the field will automatically be filled out for you. The gray background is there to tell everyone
that it is a @ield and no one needs to u$date it manually. I don't recommend changing it but if
you want to hide the gray background you can use the @I-%&&I!0%AC system variable and set it
to 7.

This ne.t one is doing a @ield that will label a $olyline and retrieve the sBuare footage of it. If
the $olyline changes then the @ield label will automatically u$date. %ike before, start the @ield
command and change the @ield +ategory to ;b#ects. /ow choose ;b#ect and on the button for
;b#ect Ty$e, select the $olyline that you want to label. ;n the right you can choose what
formatting that you need and use the Additional @ormat button to add the !B. @t. as a suffi.,
and a s$ace" before !B. @t. to move it away from the original te.t.

Cou can also use @ields in 2te.t:
%ast thing to remember is when do fields u$dateE They u$date if you ;$en, !ave, Regen,
eTransmit, or 0lot the drawing, change this under ;$tions -> ,ser 0references.
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$) %&L'ST
This command will list every entity in the drawing. ,seful when you think you have some
entities that are not showing u$. Cou can erase everything visible and then run &*%I!T to see
what else is still there.
6) (O)*+
,se this command to $ick an e.ternal reference to o$en it. Cou donFt need to know the name of
the .ref, you select on it in your drawing to o$en it.
,) TS)A-*'+.A%*/S
This is an undocumented command, essentially you $erform a selection and it will show you
any T-GT and 2T-GT that is overla$$ing or hence invading" another ob#ect. It will then ask
you if you want it to be included in a selection set. !ee /umber 9A for !elect and 0revious
o$tions.
0) +a1ed .ie2s
&o you create large layouts in you drawingsE If so, then you $robably s$end way too much time
3ooming and $anning around your drawing. /amed views are $re-saved locations of $art of
your drawing and it can also remember what layers where turned on when you were looking
at it. Ty$e in Hiew at the command line and $ick on the /ew button. ;nce you are done you can
use the to$ left corner to make it active or get back into the Hiew command.


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3) 45perlinks
*uilding u$on the idea of using Hiews in a drawing you can also add Dy$erlinks to your
drawings. If you work with large drawing sets then you $robably are dealing with a lot of
callouts, sections and elevations to hel$ document the $ro#ect. Wouldn't it be great to be able to
$ick on a section bubble and have it o$en the drawing for you and 3oom to where the section
isE If so, then welcome to using Dy$erlinks. &on't $igeon hole this commandI this will o$en any
file format, word documents, e.cel s$read sheets, $df files and so on.
*efore we get started understand the drawing that you want to link to must have a named
Hiew in it. Ty$e in Dy$erlink and hit enter, now select the ob#ects that you want to attach to the
Dy$erlink, in my case I going to select a section bubble, when done hit -nter. ,se the @ile button
to select the drawing that you want to link to. 0ick on the Target button to choose the named
Hiew that you want and ty$e in a descri$tion into the Te.t to &is$lay bo. to finish.

1ive it a try, if you move your mouse over the ob#ects you will see an earth" like icon that will
$o$ u$ to show you that there is a Dy$erlink attached to the ob#ects. To activate the Dy$erlink
either hold down the +TR% key and $ick on the ob#ects or select the ob#ects and right-click and
choose Dy$erlink.
1) )ick an Option
/ew in Auto+A& 8795 is the ability to $ick on the command line to activate the o$tions for
commands. To a $ower user this might not be the way you want to run Auto+A& but you need
to be aware of this new feature.

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11) S5ste1 .ariables
!o how many different !ystem Hariables are there in Auto+A& 8795E Dow about JK6E At least
that is what one Autodesk &evelo$er has on their website: http://www.hyperpics.com/system
_variables. !o after 57 years Auto+A& has a few to say the least, ever get into a drawing where
some of these system variables are not set correctlyE Dere is how you can fi. it, go to a drawing
where you feel everything is setu$ correctly, now ty$e in !C!H&%1 and $ick on !aveall. /ow get
into your other drawing and ty$e in !C!H&%1 and use the Read button to bring in the !H@ file
that you created earlier. If there is an error (sysvdlgL"file name".err) use Windows -.$lorer
and double click on it to see which variables couldn't be changed.

12) O66set
Through ;$tion: 0ick two $oints on the screen to define the distance, can be very handy when
you do not know what the correct distance needs to be.

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13) Tool )alette
Tools 0alettes can be one of the largest $roductivity tools that one can use, since almost any
tool can be $laced on it. It can also be the glue" to hold one's +A& !tandards together for
yourself or the office.
-reate ne2 Tab on Tool )alette
Ty$e in Tool$alettes" at the command line and Right-+lick on one of the e.isting Tabs" on the
Tool 0alette. +hoose /ew 0alette" and give it a name of your choice.

-ontent %ra2ing
;$en an e.isting drawing that has some of your favorite contentI such as, ob#ects on correct
layers, hatch $atterns, blocks, etc. /ow, do a !ave As" and save it to a secure folder, giving it a
new name.
Adding -ontent to Tool )alette Tab
!tarting with a block, select it and $ick an edge of it (not a gri$) and drag and dro$ it onto the
Tool 0alette. /ow, do the same thing with a line and a hatch $attern. -ach tool has 0ro$erties"
to them. Right-click on a *lock" on the Tool 0alette and notice the !ource @ile" $ath. If you
right-click on a %ine" on the Tool 0alette, notice how you can control the %ayer" and the
different !ha$es".

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-reating a Script 6or a Tool )alette &utton
.ie2ports on a La5er
The ob#ective here is to have a command that always $uts a view$ort on the correct layer
automatically for you. The first ste$ is get into one of your e.isting drawings and make sure
that your e.isting view$ort is setu$ with the correct layer, color, no $lot setting and so on. /ow
drag and dro$ your view$ort from 0a$er !$ace to the tool $alette, if you $ick on it in its current
state it will start the H$orts command instead of creating a view$ort, not what we are looking
for.
Right-click on the new tool and $ick on 0ro$erties, give it a new name and change the
descri$tion. /otice that the +olor and %ayer is setu$ correctly, it doesn't show you all of the
settings but everything is remembered. The ne.t thing is working on the command !tring to
re$lace the H$orts command with the 2view command.

!o let's break it downI M+M+L2viewI
I" is used to do -nter" at the keyboard in the scri$t.
=M+M+, cancels the command> =2view to start creating the view$ort that we need> ="I" is
doing the -nter to in$ut the 2view command at the command line>
Locking All .ie2ports
%et's do another one but this time we are going to go a little further with the +ommand !tring.
;n the Tool 0alette right-click and $ick +o$y, and right-click again and 0aste, this will make a
co$y of the tool that it #ust made. Right-click on the new tool and $ick on 0ro$erties, we need to
give it a new name and change the descri$tion like we did before.
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!o let's break it downI M+M+L2viewI%I;/IA%%II
I" is used to do -nter" at the keyboard in the scri$t.
=M+M+, cancels the command> =2view to start the 2view command> ="%" to start the o$tion
for %ock> =";/" to get the view$orts %ocked> ="A%%" to grab all of the view$orts in the current
layout tab>
*7port
If you right-click on the Titlebar" of the Tool 0alette, you can select +ustomi3e" to -.$ort" or
Im$ort" your Tool 0alette tabs for safe kee$ing or to share. It's im$ortant to note with blocks
that are coming from the content drawings, this $ath has to be the same on everyone's
com$uter. Cou can also use the ;$tions" command and the @iles" tab to have everyone
$ointed to" the same location on the server for the Tool 0alette content.



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1#) T)+A.'8AT*
If you get into creating buttons on the Ribbon or the Quick Access toolbar you can use this tool
to hel$ o$en a s$ecific tool $alette based on its name. Remember to re$lace Narod" with
whatever Tool 0alette name you have created in the below ste$s.
To give this a try ty$e in +,I at the command line to o$en the dialog bo.. In the command list
ty$e in $alette" and drag and dro$ the button for Tool 0alettes" u$ to the Quick Access
Toolbar location. /ow on the right-hand $ane change the names and mission critical is
changing the 2acro to M+M+LT0/AHI1AT-INarodI". /ow you have a cool button on the Quick
Access toolbar that not only o$ens the Tool 0alette but o$ens a s$ecific tab on the Tool 0alette.

1$) SS(9 Select9 and )revious Tools
SS(
!!G command serves $rimarily to filter a selection set based on ob#ect $ro$erties. !ome $eo$le
still $refer it over the @ilter or Qselect command since there is no dialog bo.. Cou must ty$e this
command or maybe add it to your Tool 0alette. Remember this command creates a 4$revious4
selection set when you $ick on something (sub#ect coming u$ ne.t). Cou can also use one of the
many o$tions in the command to filter down further to select only what you want.
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Command: SSX
Select obect/!"one#: !elect a line or ob#ect of choice
Current $ilter: %%0 . &'(")&* %+ . &0&* %3, . -.0* %6- . .* %-.0 0.0 0.0 ..0**
)nter /ilter option 01lock name/Color/)ntity/$la2/'3yer/'4ype/5ick/Style/4hickness/6ector7: 0ress
-/T-R

,sing one the @ilters can hel$ o$en u$ the selection set further so you can select additional
ob#ects. To select ob#ects that match the filter, start the !elect command and enter 0" for
0revious, see below.
Select and )revious
,sing the above command you can now ty$e in !elect at the command line, 0" for 0revious,
and then use 0ro$erties to modify those ob#ects. Cou could also use 0revious after you have
moved something and then immediately needed to Rotate" the same ob#ects. !o ne.t time, ty$e
in 0" for $revious to re-select ob#ects and maybe you can kill a few $icks and clicks.
16) %5na1ic &locks
!o, you say you have never built a &ynamic *lock"E Cou say that you've heard they are too
com$le. or too hard to learnE -veryone can u$date their regular blocks to take advantage of:
Alignment, Rotate and, @li$. !elect your block and right-click and select *lock -ditor".

Align1ent
If you need a block to always align automatically to an edge, ty$e in *Author0alette" to make
sure the tools are available. ;n the 0arameters" tab choose the Alignment" tool. /ow, $ick
two $oints along the edge that you would always like to be aligned to something and ty$e in
*+lose" at the command line. Remember to save your changes.

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/otate
&o you want to be able to rotate a block without having to start the rotate commandE Ty$e in
*Author0alette" to make sure the tools are available. ;n the 0arameters" tab choose the
Rotation" tool. !elect a *ase 0oint" for your rotation $oint. !elect a $oint to define the
location for the 1ri$" and hit -nter" to take the default starting angle. /ow, choose Rotate"
from the Action" tab on the Author 0aletteI then, select on the 0arameter" that you #ust built.
/e.t, do a large select window and select everything and hit -nter". @inish u$ by ty$ing in
*+lose" at the command line and saving your changes.

"lip
If you want to be able to mirror a block without having to start the mirror command, ty$e in
*Author0alette" to make sure the tools are available. /e.t, on the 0arameters" tab, choose
the @li$" tool. /ow, $ick two $oints along the edge that you would want to be designated as the
fli$" edge and select a location $oint for the label. /e.t, choose @li$" from the Action" tab on
the Author 0alette and select on the 0arameter" that you #ust built. /ow, do a large select
window to select everything and hit -nter". @inish u$ by ty$ing in *+lose" at the command
line and save your changes.

1,) Q:uit
One o6 the other hidden *7press tools called QQ;'T< This tool 2ill atte1pt to save and close
all 5our dra2ings9 and then close Auto-A% do2n co1pletel5<