Integrated BIM tools, including Revit, AutoCAD, and Civil 3D
Professional CAD/CAM tools built on Inventor and AutoCAD
Any referenced datasets can be downloaded from "Module downloads" in the module overview.
Transcript
00:00
[MUSIC PLAYING]
00:11
Hello and welcome to this accelerator presentation
00:15
about AutoCAD's latest design productivity enhancements.
00:20
This is the safe harbor statement
00:23
and it's just a reminder that the AutoCAD software changes
00:27
regularly to continually improve the software
00:30
and make it a better experience for you.
00:33
If I happen to make any forward-looking statements
00:36
in this presentation, please do not make any buying decisions
00:40
based on it.
00:42
So before we begin, let me introduce myself.
00:45
I am Renu Muthoo and I'm a learning content developer
00:48
with ASCENT.
00:50
I have over 23 years of experience
00:52
in various AutoDesk products, such as AutoCAD
00:55
and other AutoCAD verticals.
00:57
And I'm also experienced in AutoCAD virtualization software
01:01
products that include AutoDesk
01:07
I create the courseware and training materials
01:09
for the AutoDesk products and I also
01:12
provide support for these products.
01:15
In addition, I have also co-authored a few books
01:19
on both AutoCAD and 3ds Max.
01:22
The purpose of this accelerator is
01:24
to teach you about the latest features that
01:27
have been added to AutoCAD that are designed to automate
01:31
key design processes.
01:34
Let's talk about the learning objectives.
01:37
So you will learn how to display multiple drawings
01:41
as separate floating windows.
01:43
We will look at how to measure distances, angles,
01:46
and areas of objects using the Quick Measure tool.
01:50
We will then look at how to remove and extend
01:53
certain parts of objects in a drawing.
01:56
We will look at using the various tabs of the blocks
01:60
palette to insert blocks into the current drawing.
02:03
You will learn how to remove unused or referenced elements
02:08
in a drawing.
02:09
I will also show you how to compare drawings to highlight
02:13
differences between them.
02:15
And also show you how to compare the original and the modified
02:19
externally referenced drawings.
02:22
You will learn how to create different types of revision
02:25
clouds and modify their arc length property.
02:29
You will also learn how to create named views
02:32
and insert them as viewports and also
02:35
modify the viewports in the layout using grips.
02:39
We will also look at converting geometric objects that
02:43
were originally SHX text into MText string objects.
02:50
We will talk about working with layer property overrides
02:54
off the externally referenced drawing files.
02:57
And finally, we will discuss the various AutoCAD
03:00
specialized tool sets.
03:03
The following presentation details
03:06
features which were introduced to AutoCAD across versions 2016
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to 2022.
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For clarity, each slide details in which version
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the feature or the enhancement was introduced.
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And you can see that at the bottom right
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corner of each slide.
03:24
So let's begin.
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The floating drawing tabs.
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Starting from AutoCAD 2022, you can now pull the drawing tabs
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and display them as separate floating windows.
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This enables you to display multiple drawings
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at the same time.
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While working in multiple monitors,
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you can drag one or more drawings onto another monitor,
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making it easier to work on multiple drawings side by side
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without having to switch between tabs.
03:55
Note that the separate drawing window does not
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have any of the interface elements,
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such as the ribbon tools or the status bar.
04:03
All the interface elements are accessible through
04:06
the main AutoCAD window only.
04:10
After working on multiple drawings side by side,
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you can simply drag and drop the floating drawing window back
04:16
onto the file tabs bar off the main window.
04:21
Now, let's talk about the Quick Measure tool.
04:24
It is a smart measuring tool and was introduced in AutoCAD 2020
04:29
and provides you with multiple measurements in real time.
04:33
It is available in the measure fly-out in the home tab
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utilities panel of the ribbon.
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You can also type the MEASUREGEOM command
04:43
to access it.
04:45
It's a quick and easy way of obtaining the dimensions,
04:48
distances, angles, area, and perimeter
04:51
through a single command.
04:53
In AutoCAD 2020, the Quick Measure tool
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measured only dimensions, distances,
04:60
and angles of objects in the drawing window.
05:03
As you select the tool the cursor
05:05
displays as an infinite plus mark.
05:08
When you hover the cursor over some objects,
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all the appropriate measurements close to the cursor
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are displayed.
05:15
As you can see in the figure, the dimensions of the lines,
05:20
the distances between the lines, and the right angles
05:24
across the corners are displayed.
05:27
In AutoCAD 2021, the Quick Measure tool
05:31
was enhanced to provide you with area and perimeter
05:36
of a closed area, in addition to the regular dimensions,
05:39
distances, and angles.
05:42
As you select the tool and hover the cursor over some objects,
05:45
all the appropriate dimensions, distances, and angles
05:49
close to the cursor are displayed.
05:51
To obtain the area and perimeter,
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click inside a closed area.
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When you click inside a closed area,
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it is highlighted in green with the area and perimeter
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displayed near the cursor.
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You can see that in the figure.
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Both the area and the perimeter are displayed
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in the command line as well.
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You can also hold the shift key on the keyboard
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and then click inside multiple closed areas
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to get the cumulative area.
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Press escape on the keyboard to exit
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the command once you have finished
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reviewing the measurements.
06:29
Now, let's move on to the trim and extend commands.
06:32
In AutoCAD 2021, there was a major change
06:36
in the working of the trim and extend commands.
06:39
They have now become intelligent commands.
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And once you invoke the commands and start hovering the cursor
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over objects, the software automatically
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detects potential cutting edges for the trim command
06:52
and potential boundary edges for the extend command.
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As opposed to the legacy method of first selecting
06:59
the cutting or the boundary edges.
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By default, three options have been
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provided for trimming and extending objects.
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The first option is the individual selection method,
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where the objects can be selected individually
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by picking.
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The second option is the freehand selection method
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and can be used to select multiple objects
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for trimming and extending.
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For using the freehand option, hold down the left mouse button
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and then drag the cursor over one or more objects
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for trimming and extending them in a single step.
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The third option is the two-point fence selection
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method, which can also be used to select multiple objects
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for trimming and extending.
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However, the objects to be trimmed or extended
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should be in a single line.
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For this option, you click two points
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to create a segment that passes through the objects that
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need to be trimmed or extended.
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Before AutoCAD 2021, you were required
08:04
to explicitly select the cutting or the boundary edges
08:08
first and then select the lines that needed
08:11
to be trimmed or extended.
08:14
These legacy options are still available
08:17
through the drop-down arrow menu or the command line selection.
08:23
Now, let's take a look at an end product demo
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that demonstrates the working of the trim
08:29
and the extend commands.
08:34
In the home tab, modify panel, select the extend command.
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The cursor changes into a big box.
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Hover the cursor over the object that you want to extend.
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As soon as you hover the cursor, the AutoCAD software now
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automatically detects the boundary edges and
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the preview of the extended object is displayed.
09:02
Click to accept.
09:04
Now, we want to extend these three lines.
09:11
With the enhancements to the extend command,
09:14
multiple objects can be extended in a single step using
09:19
the two-point fence option.
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Click anywhere above the top line.
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Move the cursor down, such that the fence line
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passes over the objects that you want to extend.
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The preview is displayed with the extended objects.
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Click to accept.
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Similarly, extend those two lines towards right
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and extend the two lines to the left.
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Press escape to exit the extend command.
09:58
In the home tab, modify panel, select the trim command.
10:05
The cursor changes into a big box.
10:08
Hover the cursor over the object that you want to trim.
10:14
As soon as you hover the cursor, the AutoCAD software
10:17
now automatically detects the cutting edges.
10:21
And the preview of the trim is displayed.
10:25
Click to accept.
10:27
Now, we want to trim the lines all around the object.
10:35
With the enhancements to the trim command,
10:38
this can be achieved by using the freehand selection
10:43
option of the trim command.
10:46
Click and hold.
10:48
While holding the cursor, move it over the objects
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that you want to trim.
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All the objects are trimmed by releasing the cursor.
11:10
Now, using the two-point fence option,
11:12
we can trim the inside four lines.
11:21
And we can trim the two lines here.
11:26
Let's talk about the blocks palette.
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The blocks palette was introduced in AutoCAD 2020
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and offers a convenient location from where
11:37
you can locate and insert blocks and drawings
11:40
into the current drawing.
11:42
It replaces the insert dialog box.
11:46
The blocks palette can be accessed
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through the view tab, palettes panel,
11:51
or by clicking recent blocks or blocks from other drawings
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from the insert blocks gallery.
11:58
At the time of its introduction in AutoCAD 2020,
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the blocks palette had three tabs where
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all the blocks are organized.
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The first one is the current drawing tab.
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All the blocks in the current drawing
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are displayed in this tab.
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It's just a replica of the insert gallery.
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The second one is the recent tab.
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It provides you with all the blocks
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that are in the current drawing, all the blocks that
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were inserted recently, and the drawings that
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were inserted as blocks.
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It also provides you with the repeat placement option
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for inserting multiple blocks thus increasing
12:39
the efficiency of working with blocks.
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The third one is the other drawing tab.
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You can insert any AutoCAD drawing as a block
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or insert blocks from other drawings.
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The selected drawing pile becomes
12:53
a block in the current drawing and is then listed
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in the other drawings tab.
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The tab also displays the drawings
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that were inserted while working in other drawing sessions.
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You can use the ellipsis near the top right
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corner of the palette to navigate
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to the location of the drawing that you want to insert.
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The blocks palette also allows you
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to set all the insertion options such as insertion point
13:21
scale and rotation.
13:23
In addition to the regular insertion options,
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the repeat placement option was added
13:29
to allow you to insert multiple blocks in a single step.
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In AutoCAD 2021, the other drawing tab
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was simply renamed to the libraries tab.
13:42
Also in the AutoCAD
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that brings in a single drawing file as a block, now
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allows you to locate and bring in a folder as well.
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The folder can contain multiple drawings and their block
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definitions.
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When you open the folder from the blocks palette,
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it brings in all the drawings in that folder
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into the libraries tab, to be used as blocks
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in the current drawing.
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To save time and to increase work efficiency,
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you can store all the drawings together in a folder
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and then access them at the same time
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by opening the folder in the blocks palette.
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In the left side figure, you can see
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that I brought in the landscape folder
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where I had saved all the landscape drawings together.
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In the AutoCAD
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which is the favorites tab, was added to the blocks palette.
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You can group your most commonly used blocks in the favorites
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tab.
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In any other tab, right-click on the required block and select
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copy to favorites to save it in the favorites tab.
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The blocks palette also now allows
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you to store all the blocks that are in the recent and favorites
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tab into a cloud location with a supported cloud storage
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provider, which are Dropbox, and OneDrive.
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By storing the blocks on the cloud,
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you can now access and use them with internet enabled devices
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anytime and from anywhere.
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You are required to be signed in to your AutoDesk account
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to allow the application to access your blocks.
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Use the settings icon in the options area of the blocks
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palette to open the block sync settings dialog box.
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Here you can select the location on the cloud
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and manage your sync settings.
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Once you save the blocks on the cloud,
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the settings icon is replaced by the cloud icon,
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indicating that the recent and the favorites blocks
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are now available on the cloud and can
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be accessed on your devices anytime and from anywhere.
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Now, let's take a look at an end product demo that demonstrates
16:05
how to use the blocks palette.
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In the insert tab, block panel, expand insert.
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Select recent blocks.
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It opens the blocks palette.
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Switch to the current drawing tab.
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All the blocks that are available in the current
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drawing are displayed here.
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Select the block chair.
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It attaches itself to the cursor.
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Click to place the block.
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Right-click on chair and select copy to favorites.
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Open the newly-added favorites tab.
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The chair block is listed here for easy access.
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In the options area, select the repeat placement option.
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Click on share block.
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Select don't redefine chair.
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Click to place.
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Note that the chair block is still attached with the cursor.
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Click to place as many blocks as you want.
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Press escape to exit.
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Open the libraries tab and click on the navigation tool.
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It opens the dialog box.
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Here in the dialog box, you can choose
17:45
a drawing file to be used as a block,
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or now, you can select a folder as well.
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Select the landscape folder.
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Click open.
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All the drawing files that were inside the landscape folder
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are now displayed here and can be used as blocks
18:08
in the current drawing.
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With the enhancements to the blocks palette,
18:16
you can place the blocks that are
18:19
in the recent and the favorites tabs on the cloud.
18:23
Click on the settings icon in the options area.
18:29
It opens the block sync settings dialog box.
18:33
Using the ellipsis button, you can now
18:36
use any of the supported cloud storage
18:40
providers, such as Dropbox, and save your blocks on the cloud.
18:48
Here, you can also control your sync settings
18:52
and the storage permissions.
18:55
Note that the settings icon now changes to the cloud icon,
18:60
indicating that your recent and the favorite blocks
19:03
are now available on the cloud and can
19:06
be used as blocks on multiple devices any time
19:10
and from anywhere.
19:13
Now, let's talk about the redesign of the purge command.
19:17
In AutoCAD 2020, the purge tool was
19:20
redesigned for easy and efficient drawing clean-up.
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Two tabs are provided in the purge dialog box.
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The purgeable items tab and the find non-purgeable items tab.
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The redesign gives you more control
19:35
over selecting objects to be purged.
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You can select objects by categories
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or as individual objects, by using their respective check
19:45
boxes.
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You can also view the selected object in the preview area.
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And additionally, you can resize the preview area
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as per your requirements.
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The zero-length geometry and empty text objects
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can now be purged separately.
20:04
In AutoCAD 2020, the find non-purgeable items tab
20:09
was provided in the purge dialog box.
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It provides you with possible reasons why the selected
20:16
objects cannot be purged.
20:19
It also has a details area that provides specific information
20:23
about the selected non-purgeable object, such as their number
20:28
and their size.
20:29
You can also use the selected objects button,
20:32
which is shown in the figure, to zoom
20:35
into the specific non-purgeable objects in the drawing,
20:39
such that you can make changes to those objects.
20:44
Now, let's talk about the compare drawings.
20:47
Introduced AutoCAD
20:51
compare command enables you to quickly highlight
20:54
the differences between the two versions of the same drawing
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file or two different drawing files.
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In AutoCAD 2019, it used to compare
21:03
by creating a new drawing with objects
21:06
that are unique to the first drawing on one set of layers.
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And it used to be layer name, underscore, drawing one.
21:15
And the objects unique to the second drawing
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on another set of layers, which was kind of like, layer name,
21:22
underscore drawing two.
21:24
This enabled you to filter drawing layers to better
21:28
visualize the differences.
21:30
You could also have a revision cloud around the changes.
21:34
Additionally, a compare contextual tab displays
21:38
when the drawing compare is active.
21:41
It has options to toggle off or on the visibility
21:45
of the objects in different drawings,
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change the color of the differences,
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and display of the revision cloud,
21:52
and cycle through the differences
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individually by zooming into them.
21:58
In AutoCAD 2020, the enhancements to the drawing
22:02
compare command allow you to conduct the comparison
22:06
in the current open drawing.
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And the differences are displayed
22:09
in the current drawing itself.
22:12
It does not now create a new drawing
22:15
to display the comparisons.
22:17
The software compares documents by displaying the objects that
22:21
are unique to the open drawing in one color
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and the objects unique to the comparison drawing
22:27
in another color.
22:28
The objects that are common in both the drawings
22:32
are displayed in gray by default.
22:35
All these colors can be changed as per your preferences.
22:40
A drawing compare toolbar replaces
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the compare contextual tab.
22:45
The drawing compare toolbar has options
22:48
that can be used to control the visibility of the objects
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and zoom to the previous or next comparative differences.
22:55
It also contains an import tool that
22:58
enables you to import the changes
23:01
from the compare drawing into the current drawing.
23:04
And an export tool that creates a new drawing containing
23:08
all of the similarities and differences
23:11
in both the drawings, maintaining
23:13
the colors of the differences.
23:15
This export tool is especially handy
23:17
to keep a record of all the changes
23:20
that were incorporated into the drawing at that time.
23:24
In addition, the drawing compare toolbar contains
23:27
the settings tool, which can be expanded to display the detail
23:31
tools, such as color blocks for customizing the colors,
23:35
display of revision clouds, and the hatch and text
23:38
objects in the drawing during the compare state.
23:41
You can also modify both the drawings
23:44
while in the compare state.
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While in the compare state, the changes that you make
23:49
are compared in real-time and the differences
23:53
are dynamically highlighted as per your color scheme.
23:58
In AutoCAD 2021, the extra compare command was included.
24:02
It works in a similar fashion as to the drawing compare command.
24:07
Once you made changes to an Xref,
24:09
you can now compare the original and the modified Xref.
24:13
By comparing the two Xrefs, you can now
24:16
identify the modifications that were made to the drawing
24:19
file that is attached as an external reference
24:23
in the current drawing.
24:25
The comparison can be started in the external references pilot
24:29
by selecting compare, in the right-click menu,
24:32
and then selecting either recent changes or selected file.
24:37
The recent changes option compares the host drawing
24:41
with the changes you made to the Xref
24:43
in the currently open drawing.
24:45
The selected file option compares the Xref
24:48
in the host drawing with another saved version
24:52
of the extra drawing.
24:54
When a drawing that is referenced in a drawing
24:57
is changed, an alert balloon is displayed in the status bar.
25:02
Select the link in the balloon to reload the reference.
25:07
There is also an option to compare the changes
25:10
in the balloon.
25:11
This message also displays when someone else
25:14
changes a reference while you are having the host file open.
25:20
When you start the Xref compare command,
25:22
the drawing opens in a compare window, which
25:25
is indicated by the drawing being enclosed in a blue border
25:30
and the Xref compare toolbar is displayed
25:32
along the top of the drawing window.
25:35
The software compares the two Xrefs
25:38
by displaying the objects that are
25:40
unique to the Xref in the open drawing in one color
25:44
and the objects unique to the comparison Xref drawing
25:47
in another color.
25:48
The objects that are common in both the drawings
25:52
are displayed in gray by default.
25:55
The Xref compare toolbar has options
25:58
that can be used to control the visibility of the objects
26:01
and to zoom into the previous or next comparative differences.
26:07
The Xref compare toolbar also contains a settings tool,
26:11
which can be expanded to display the detail tools, such as color
26:16
blocks for customizing the colors,
26:18
display of revision clouds, and the display of hatch and text
26:22
objects in the drawing during the compare state.
26:27
Now, let's take a look at an end product
26:29
demo that demonstrates the drawing compare
26:32
and the Xref compare tools.
26:35
In the external references palette,
26:38
there are extra files loaded into the factory site drawing.
26:42
Right-click on factory floor plan to open it.
26:46
In the collaborate tool compare panel, click drawing compare.
26:52
In the dialog box, select the drawing
26:55
that you want to compare the current drawing with.
27:00
Note that the drawing is in comparison state now
27:04
and is indicated by a blue thick border
27:08
and the drawing compare toolbar.
27:10
Click and expand the settings tool.
27:15
The objects that are unique to the current drawing
27:18
are displayed in green and the objects
27:21
that are unique to the comparison drawing
27:23
are displayed in red.
27:25
The common objects in both the drawings are displayed in gray.
27:31
There is also a revision cloud that
27:34
highlights the differences.
27:37
In the revision cloud, choose polygonal.
27:42
The revision cloud now surrounds the specific objects
27:45
that are different.
27:47
Toggle off the light bulb for the no differences objects
27:53
to focus only on the differences.
27:57
In the toolbar.
27:59
Click the next arrow to zoom into the area
28:03
of one set of the differences.
28:06
Click the next arrow again to zoom into the next set
28:11
of differences.
28:12
The two restrooms are added in the comparison drawing.
28:19
Toggle the no differences back on.
28:25
In the drawing compared toolbar, select import objects.
28:31
The cursor changes into the big box.
28:34
Create a window around the two restrooms only for importing
28:41
and ignore the other differences.
28:45
Press Enter to commit the selection.
28:49
Note the color of the washrooms has
28:52
changed to gray, indicating that it is now
28:56
part of the current drawing.
29:01
Click exit compare.
29:03
See the factory floor plan.
29:07
Open factory site.
29:10
Note that an Xref modified bubble displays also
29:16
in the extra palette.
29:18
The factory floor plan now says, needs reloading.
29:23
In the bubble, the compare the changes is selected.
29:27
Click reload factory floor plan.
29:31
The xref drawing is in compare mode.
29:36
Note that the two restrooms are displayed in green,
29:40
indicating that these are the changes in the Xref compare
29:45
drawing.
29:46
Click exit compare.
29:48
The two restrooms are now part of the factory floor plan Xref
29:53
drawing, which is fully loaded into the factory site host
29:57
drawing.
30:00
Now the revision cloud enhancements.
30:03
In the AutoCAD 2016 update of the software,
30:07
revision clouds were enhanced to provide multiple shapes
30:10
for revision clouds.
30:12
The most recently used creation option is used by default.
30:18
The revcloud create mode system variable
30:21
can be used to set your own default creation method.
30:25
Creation options now available include rectangular, polygonal,
30:30
and freehand.
30:32
The capability of turning any object into the revision cloud
30:36
continues to be available.
30:38
Revision cloud editing has also been
30:40
enhanced by reducing the number of grips available.
30:44
If a revision cloud is created from an object,
30:47
the grips for the original object are displayed.
30:51
If it is created using the rectangular or polygonal
30:55
methods, grips are displayed at each vertex
30:58
and at the midpoint of each line.
31:02
As of AutoCAD 2021, when you hover your cursor
31:07
over a revision cloud object, the quick properties
31:11
now displays a revcloud object type
31:14
instead of the polyline object type,
31:17
as in the previous versions of AutoCAD.
31:20
Similarly, the revcloud object type
31:22
is displayed in the properties palette, as well.
31:26
This clearly indicates that the object is a revision cloud
31:30
and not a part of the drawing.
31:32
Revision clouds are created using
31:35
an approximate single value for the length of the arc chord.
31:39
It's also called the arc length and is
31:42
the distance between the two end points of a single arc segment.
31:47
You can now change the arc length
31:49
of the arcs in the revision cloud.
31:52
The arc length can be changed either
31:54
from the properties palette, or by using
31:57
the new revcloud properties command.
32:01
Now, let's look at the view and viewport enhancements.
32:05
In the AutoCAD 2019 update of the software,
32:09
the new view command was added for creating user-defined named
32:13
views of the current drawing.
32:16
This command is available in the view tab, named views panel.
32:20
Starting the new view command opens the new view
32:23
shot properties dialog box.
32:26
Here, you can enter the name for your name view
32:29
and then, you have two options to create the named views.
32:33
The current display option enables
32:35
you to save the current screen view,
32:37
whereas the defined window option
32:40
enables you to create a named view
32:42
of a specific area of the drawing
32:44
by creating a window around that area.
32:47
Once these views are created, they
32:50
are displayed in the view drop-down menu.
32:53
You can click on any named view to restore it
32:56
in zoom in to that area that you have saved as that view.
33:01
This is useful when you're working in complex drawings,
33:05
as it becomes easier to locate the specific areas.
33:10
Again, in the AutoCAD 2019 update of the software,
33:14
the insert view command was also added
33:17
for creating viewports of named views in the layout.
33:21
The expanded insert view command displays
33:24
a gallery of all the user-created named views.
33:28
In the gallery, select the named view
33:30
that you want to insert in the layout.
33:32
The preview of the viewport window attaches to the cursor.
33:37
Depending on the preview window, you
33:39
can now change the size of the view
33:41
before inserting, such that it fits on the layout as required.
33:46
To set the scale of the view before inserting,
33:49
right-click on the view and select the scale.
33:52
This is the advantage of using the insert view command,
33:55
as it enables you to set the scale before placing the view.
34:00
This can help you understand how the real fits on the sheet.
34:04
When using the conventional viewport
34:07
commands to create views, you set the scale
34:10
after you place the view on the sheet.
34:13
The insert view gallery also provides a new view option.
34:17
This new view option enables you to create a new view directly
34:22
from a layout.
34:24
If a named view of the desired area has not been created,
34:28
you can create the desired view on the fly.
34:32
This option does not create a named view
34:34
and therefore, the view is not saved in the insert view
34:37
gallery for future use.
34:40
Once you have created and placed viewports in the layout,
34:44
you can move, resize, and scale them using grips.
34:47
To modify a viewport, you must be in paper space.
34:51
When you select the edge of a layout viewport,
34:54
three types of grips display.
34:57
The first is an ordinary square grip
34:60
and can be used to resize the viewport without changing
35:04
the scale of the viewport.
35:06
Then, the middle square grip can be
35:08
used to move and place the viewport at a new location
35:12
in the layout.
35:13
Then you have the middle arrow grip.
35:16
And this is a list grip that lists the various scales
35:20
that you can use to set the viewport scale.
35:24
Now, let's take a look at an end product
35:27
demo that demonstrates the view and viewports features.
35:34
In the new tab, named views panel, click new view.
35:39
In the new views shot properties dialog box, enter a name
35:45
and select define window.
35:50
Create a window around the area for the named view.
35:55
Press enter.
35:58
Click OK.
35:60
Expand the view window.
36:03
The new named view has been created.
36:05
Click it.
36:07
The software zooms into the area of the named view.
36:11
This is especially useful when you're
36:13
working in large, complex drawings
36:15
and want to locate and work on specific areas.
36:21
Switch to a layout view.
36:26
In the layout contextual tab, layout reports panel,
36:31
expand insert view.
36:32
The named views are displayed in the gallery.
36:37
Click on the named view.
36:41
A preview window attaches to the cursor.
36:45
Click to place the viewport.
36:48
Similarly, insert another view.
36:52
The scale of the preview window is not correct.
36:56
With the enhancements to the software,
36:59
using the insert view command, you
37:01
have the option of changing the viewport scale before placing
37:05
the view on the sheet.
37:07
Right-click and choose an appropriate scale.
37:12
Click to place.
37:14
Expand insert view and click new view.
37:19
This creates a new view on the fly.
37:23
Define a window around the area for the view.
37:28
Press enter.
37:31
Click to place.
37:34
Click on the viewport window.
37:37
Different viewport grips are now available that help
37:42
you to modify the viewport.
37:45
Select the corner grip, drag to resize.
37:54
This does not change the viewport scale.
37:58
Use the middle arrow grip and choose an appropriate scale.
38:04
Click on the middle square grip and move the viewport
38:09
to a new location.
38:13
SHX and text recognition enhancements.
38:18
The process of importing PDF files
38:21
has been improved to include SHX text recognition.
38:26
When a PDF file containing SHX text
38:30
is imported into the AutoCAD software.
38:32
The text is converted into separate geometric objects,
38:37
such as poly lines.
38:39
This makes editing of the text extremely difficult.
38:43
As of the AutoCAD
38:47
various tools have been provided to work with the imported
38:51
AutoCAD SHX objects and convert them to MText objects.
38:57
The first is the recognized SHX text command
39:01
and enables you to convert SHX geometry to MText string
39:07
objects based on the font and other settings provided
39:11
in the PDF text recognition settings dialog box.
39:15
Once you select the SHX text objects
39:19
the software processes the text and then provides you
39:22
with an update about how many objects were converted,
39:26
how many fonts were used, and the percentage
39:30
of non-converted objects.
39:33
The recognition settings tool opens the PDF text recognition
39:38
settings dialog box, where you can select the fonts that
39:42
are required for your text in the PDF,
39:46
set the threshold percentage to determine
39:49
how closely the converted text should match the selected
39:53
fonts in the list to be considered a matching font,
39:56
and set whether the text should be kept
39:59
on the current layer or the text should
40:01
be on the same layer as the geometry.
40:05
The combined text tool enables you
40:07
to combine multiple individual text
40:10
objects to create a single multi-line text
40:13
object as a paragraph.
40:16
Now, let's talk about the Xref layer property overrides.
40:21
So when you attach or overlay a drawing reference file,
40:25
it brings the drawing object and it's
40:27
named objects, such as layers and blocks,
40:30
into the host drawing.
40:32
Since the AutoCAD
40:35
many layer properties for the extra layers
40:38
have been enhanced.
40:40
In the layer properties managers,
40:42
icons have been added that enable
40:45
you to visually determine the various extra layers
40:48
and the information associated with them.
40:52
An icon is displayed beside the extra layers
40:55
that contain overrides.
40:57
Hovering the cursor over this icon
40:60
displays a tool tip that lists the overwrite information.
41:04
In the top right corner of the layer properties manager,
41:08
there is an icon that controls the shading background
41:11
of the layers with overrides.
41:14
In the layer properties manager an Xref overrides filter
41:18
is automatically created when some extra layers
41:22
have overrides applied to them.
41:25
Clicking Xref overrides displays only the list of extra layers
41:30
with overrides.
41:31
To reset any or all of the layer properties
41:35
to their original state, right-click on Xref
41:38
overrides and select reset Xref layer properties
41:42
to access the options.
41:44
If you change the properties of an extra layer,
41:47
the change does not affect the referenced drawing.
41:51
However, the change is retained in the host drawing by default.
41:56
The default is controlled by the VISRETAIN system variable.
42:01
You can also control it in the layer settings dialog box,
42:04
in the extra layer settings area,
42:07
by using the retained overrides to Xref layer properties
42:10
option.
42:12
In the layer settings dialog box,
42:14
you can also specify the various Xref layer properties
42:18
that you want to reload or not reload.
42:21
These Xref layer properties are stored in the VISRETAIN mode
42:26
system variable.
42:28
And finally, now, I'll talk about the AutoCAD specialized
42:33
tool sets.
42:35
A group of specialized libraries and functions
42:38
are provided with the subscribed version of the AutoCAD 2019
42:42
software.
42:44
The specified tool sets are specific to various industries
42:48
and they can improve your efficiency
42:50
and speed up your work.
42:52
These tool sets contain the basic AutoCAD features,
42:56
at their core and add industry-specific features
42:59
and functions.
43:01
So let's talk about the architecture tool sets.
43:04
It contains a specialized building design capabilities,
43:07
such as the creation of floor plans, elevation, sections,
43:11
et cetera.
43:12
The toolset is equipped with libraries
43:15
of architectural objects and styles.
43:17
There are 8,000 plus of them that
43:20
enable you to work in architectural drawings
43:23
and documentation.
43:24
Then, mechanical toolset.
43:26
It contains specialized mechanical design capabilities,
43:30
including the generation of machine components,
43:33
builds of materials, et cetera.
43:35
The toolset contains libraries of manufacturing parts
43:38
and symbols.
43:39
There are around
43:43
enable you to create mechanical designs.
43:46
Electrical toolset.
43:48
It contains electrical design capabilities
43:51
and a working environment specialized
43:53
for electrical control systems.
43:56
The toolset contains libraries of electrical symbols
43:59
and manufacturers that enable you to efficiently and quickly
44:03
create schematic and panel drawings,
44:05
along with tracking component information between drawings
44:09
and then creating reports and other electrical documentation.
44:14
MEP toolset contains MEP design features
44:17
that automate the design of various building systems,
44:21
such as ductwork, HVAC, plumbing,
44:24
and electrical systems.
44:26
The toolset contains libraries of electrical, mechanical,
44:30
and plumbing objects to help you design and document
44:33
various building systems.
44:36
Plant 3D toolset.
44:37
It contains the engineering design features
44:40
to create plan designs based on specific requirements
44:43
and workflows.
44:45
The workspace enables you to efficiently create
44:48
PNIDs, which are then incorporated into the Plant 3D
44:52
designs.
44:54
Map 3D toolset.
44:55
It contains geospatial features that enable
44:59
you to manage GIS and CAD data.
45:03
The toolset enables you to work with spatial data that
45:07
is stored in files, databases, and web services.
45:12
And Raster design toolset.
45:14
It contains tools for changing raster to vector data,
45:18
enabling you to change raster images to drawing objects.
45:22
These tools quickly clean-up and enhance images,
45:26
create vector shapes, and modify raster images.
45:30
Each toolset must be downloaded separately
45:33
and installed on your system.
45:36
You can download the toolset through your AutoDesk account
45:39
or through the AutoDesk desktop application.
45:42
Open the AutoDesk desktop application and sign-in.
45:46
To display the AutoCAD specialized toolsets that
45:49
are available with your subscription,
45:51
click my products and tools, click
45:54
on the tool set that you need, and then install it.
45:58
Thank you for joining me today for this accelerated
46:01
presentation about AutoCAD its latest design productivity
46:06
enhancements and I hope that you found the information useful.
Video transcript
00:00
[MUSIC PLAYING]
00:11
Hello and welcome to this accelerator presentation
00:15
about AutoCAD's latest design productivity enhancements.
00:20
This is the safe harbor statement
00:23
and it's just a reminder that the AutoCAD software changes
00:27
regularly to continually improve the software
00:30
and make it a better experience for you.
00:33
If I happen to make any forward-looking statements
00:36
in this presentation, please do not make any buying decisions
00:40
based on it.
00:42
So before we begin, let me introduce myself.
00:45
I am Renu Muthoo and I'm a learning content developer
00:48
with ASCENT.
00:50
I have over 23 years of experience
00:52
in various AutoDesk products, such as AutoCAD
00:55
and other AutoCAD verticals.
00:57
And I'm also experienced in AutoCAD virtualization software
01:01
products that include AutoDesk
01:07
I create the courseware and training materials
01:09
for the AutoDesk products and I also
01:12
provide support for these products.
01:15
In addition, I have also co-authored a few books
01:19
on both AutoCAD and 3ds Max.
01:22
The purpose of this accelerator is
01:24
to teach you about the latest features that
01:27
have been added to AutoCAD that are designed to automate
01:31
key design processes.
01:34
Let's talk about the learning objectives.
01:37
So you will learn how to display multiple drawings
01:41
as separate floating windows.
01:43
We will look at how to measure distances, angles,
01:46
and areas of objects using the Quick Measure tool.
01:50
We will then look at how to remove and extend
01:53
certain parts of objects in a drawing.
01:56
We will look at using the various tabs of the blocks
01:60
palette to insert blocks into the current drawing.
02:03
You will learn how to remove unused or referenced elements
02:08
in a drawing.
02:09
I will also show you how to compare drawings to highlight
02:13
differences between them.
02:15
And also show you how to compare the original and the modified
02:19
externally referenced drawings.
02:22
You will learn how to create different types of revision
02:25
clouds and modify their arc length property.
02:29
You will also learn how to create named views
02:32
and insert them as viewports and also
02:35
modify the viewports in the layout using grips.
02:39
We will also look at converting geometric objects that
02:43
were originally SHX text into MText string objects.
02:50
We will talk about working with layer property overrides
02:54
off the externally referenced drawing files.
02:57
And finally, we will discuss the various AutoCAD
03:00
specialized tool sets.
03:03
The following presentation details
03:06
features which were introduced to AutoCAD across versions 2016
03:10
to 2022.
03:12
For clarity, each slide details in which version
03:15
the feature or the enhancement was introduced.
03:19
And you can see that at the bottom right
03:21
corner of each slide.
03:24
So let's begin.
03:26
The floating drawing tabs.
03:28
Starting from AutoCAD 2022, you can now pull the drawing tabs
03:33
and display them as separate floating windows.
03:36
This enables you to display multiple drawings
03:39
at the same time.
03:41
While working in multiple monitors,
03:43
you can drag one or more drawings onto another monitor,
03:47
making it easier to work on multiple drawings side by side
03:51
without having to switch between tabs.
03:55
Note that the separate drawing window does not
03:57
have any of the interface elements,
03:60
such as the ribbon tools or the status bar.
04:03
All the interface elements are accessible through
04:06
the main AutoCAD window only.
04:10
After working on multiple drawings side by side,
04:13
you can simply drag and drop the floating drawing window back
04:16
onto the file tabs bar off the main window.
04:21
Now, let's talk about the Quick Measure tool.
04:24
It is a smart measuring tool and was introduced in AutoCAD 2020
04:29
and provides you with multiple measurements in real time.
04:33
It is available in the measure fly-out in the home tab
04:37
utilities panel of the ribbon.
04:40
You can also type the MEASUREGEOM command
04:43
to access it.
04:45
It's a quick and easy way of obtaining the dimensions,
04:48
distances, angles, area, and perimeter
04:51
through a single command.
04:53
In AutoCAD 2020, the Quick Measure tool
04:57
measured only dimensions, distances,
04:60
and angles of objects in the drawing window.
05:03
As you select the tool the cursor
05:05
displays as an infinite plus mark.
05:08
When you hover the cursor over some objects,
05:11
all the appropriate measurements close to the cursor
05:14
are displayed.
05:15
As you can see in the figure, the dimensions of the lines,
05:20
the distances between the lines, and the right angles
05:24
across the corners are displayed.
05:27
In AutoCAD 2021, the Quick Measure tool
05:31
was enhanced to provide you with area and perimeter
05:36
of a closed area, in addition to the regular dimensions,
05:39
distances, and angles.
05:42
As you select the tool and hover the cursor over some objects,
05:45
all the appropriate dimensions, distances, and angles
05:49
close to the cursor are displayed.
05:51
To obtain the area and perimeter,
05:54
click inside a closed area.
05:57
When you click inside a closed area,
05:59
it is highlighted in green with the area and perimeter
06:03
displayed near the cursor.
06:05
You can see that in the figure.
06:07
Both the area and the perimeter are displayed
06:10
in the command line as well.
06:13
You can also hold the shift key on the keyboard
06:16
and then click inside multiple closed areas
06:19
to get the cumulative area.
06:22
Press escape on the keyboard to exit
06:24
the command once you have finished
06:26
reviewing the measurements.
06:29
Now, let's move on to the trim and extend commands.
06:32
In AutoCAD 2021, there was a major change
06:36
in the working of the trim and extend commands.
06:39
They have now become intelligent commands.
06:42
And once you invoke the commands and start hovering the cursor
06:46
over objects, the software automatically
06:48
detects potential cutting edges for the trim command
06:52
and potential boundary edges for the extend command.
06:55
As opposed to the legacy method of first selecting
06:59
the cutting or the boundary edges.
07:02
By default, three options have been
07:04
provided for trimming and extending objects.
07:08
The first option is the individual selection method,
07:11
where the objects can be selected individually
07:14
by picking.
07:16
The second option is the freehand selection method
07:19
and can be used to select multiple objects
07:22
for trimming and extending.
07:24
For using the freehand option, hold down the left mouse button
07:29
and then drag the cursor over one or more objects
07:33
for trimming and extending them in a single step.
07:36
The third option is the two-point fence selection
07:40
method, which can also be used to select multiple objects
07:44
for trimming and extending.
07:46
However, the objects to be trimmed or extended
07:50
should be in a single line.
07:52
For this option, you click two points
07:55
to create a segment that passes through the objects that
07:58
need to be trimmed or extended.
08:01
Before AutoCAD 2021, you were required
08:04
to explicitly select the cutting or the boundary edges
08:08
first and then select the lines that needed
08:11
to be trimmed or extended.
08:14
These legacy options are still available
08:17
through the drop-down arrow menu or the command line selection.
08:23
Now, let's take a look at an end product demo
08:27
that demonstrates the working of the trim
08:29
and the extend commands.
08:34
In the home tab, modify panel, select the extend command.
08:41
The cursor changes into a big box.
08:45
Hover the cursor over the object that you want to extend.
08:50
As soon as you hover the cursor, the AutoCAD software now
08:54
automatically detects the boundary edges and
08:58
the preview of the extended object is displayed.
09:02
Click to accept.
09:04
Now, we want to extend these three lines.
09:11
With the enhancements to the extend command,
09:14
multiple objects can be extended in a single step using
09:19
the two-point fence option.
09:22
Click anywhere above the top line.
09:26
Move the cursor down, such that the fence line
09:30
passes over the objects that you want to extend.
09:35
The preview is displayed with the extended objects.
09:39
Click to accept.
09:42
Similarly, extend those two lines towards right
09:47
and extend the two lines to the left.
09:53
Press escape to exit the extend command.
09:58
In the home tab, modify panel, select the trim command.
10:05
The cursor changes into a big box.
10:08
Hover the cursor over the object that you want to trim.
10:14
As soon as you hover the cursor, the AutoCAD software
10:17
now automatically detects the cutting edges.
10:21
And the preview of the trim is displayed.
10:25
Click to accept.
10:27
Now, we want to trim the lines all around the object.
10:35
With the enhancements to the trim command,
10:38
this can be achieved by using the freehand selection
10:43
option of the trim command.
10:46
Click and hold.
10:48
While holding the cursor, move it over the objects
10:54
that you want to trim.
11:04
All the objects are trimmed by releasing the cursor.
11:10
Now, using the two-point fence option,
11:12
we can trim the inside four lines.
11:21
And we can trim the two lines here.
11:26
Let's talk about the blocks palette.
11:29
The blocks palette was introduced in AutoCAD 2020
11:33
and offers a convenient location from where
11:37
you can locate and insert blocks and drawings
11:40
into the current drawing.
11:42
It replaces the insert dialog box.
11:46
The blocks palette can be accessed
11:48
through the view tab, palettes panel,
11:51
or by clicking recent blocks or blocks from other drawings
11:56
from the insert blocks gallery.
11:58
At the time of its introduction in AutoCAD 2020,
12:02
the blocks palette had three tabs where
12:06
all the blocks are organized.
12:09
The first one is the current drawing tab.
12:12
All the blocks in the current drawing
12:14
are displayed in this tab.
12:15
It's just a replica of the insert gallery.
12:19
The second one is the recent tab.
12:21
It provides you with all the blocks
12:24
that are in the current drawing, all the blocks that
12:27
were inserted recently, and the drawings that
12:30
were inserted as blocks.
12:32
It also provides you with the repeat placement option
12:35
for inserting multiple blocks thus increasing
12:39
the efficiency of working with blocks.
12:41
The third one is the other drawing tab.
12:44
You can insert any AutoCAD drawing as a block
12:48
or insert blocks from other drawings.
12:51
The selected drawing pile becomes
12:53
a block in the current drawing and is then listed
12:57
in the other drawings tab.
12:59
The tab also displays the drawings
13:01
that were inserted while working in other drawing sessions.
13:06
You can use the ellipsis near the top right
13:08
corner of the palette to navigate
13:11
to the location of the drawing that you want to insert.
13:15
The blocks palette also allows you
13:17
to set all the insertion options such as insertion point
13:21
scale and rotation.
13:23
In addition to the regular insertion options,
13:26
the repeat placement option was added
13:29
to allow you to insert multiple blocks in a single step.
13:34
In AutoCAD 2021, the other drawing tab
13:38
was simply renamed to the libraries tab.
13:42
Also in the AutoCAD
13:46
that brings in a single drawing file as a block, now
13:50
allows you to locate and bring in a folder as well.
13:54
The folder can contain multiple drawings and their block
13:58
definitions.
13:59
When you open the folder from the blocks palette,
14:02
it brings in all the drawings in that folder
14:05
into the libraries tab, to be used as blocks
14:08
in the current drawing.
14:10
To save time and to increase work efficiency,
14:14
you can store all the drawings together in a folder
14:18
and then access them at the same time
14:20
by opening the folder in the blocks palette.
14:23
In the left side figure, you can see
14:26
that I brought in the landscape folder
14:29
where I had saved all the landscape drawings together.
14:34
In the AutoCAD
14:38
which is the favorites tab, was added to the blocks palette.
14:42
You can group your most commonly used blocks in the favorites
14:46
tab.
14:47
In any other tab, right-click on the required block and select
14:52
copy to favorites to save it in the favorites tab.
14:56
The blocks palette also now allows
14:58
you to store all the blocks that are in the recent and favorites
15:02
tab into a cloud location with a supported cloud storage
15:07
provider, which are Dropbox, and OneDrive.
15:13
By storing the blocks on the cloud,
15:15
you can now access and use them with internet enabled devices
15:19
anytime and from anywhere.
15:21
You are required to be signed in to your AutoDesk account
15:24
to allow the application to access your blocks.
15:28
Use the settings icon in the options area of the blocks
15:32
palette to open the block sync settings dialog box.
15:36
Here you can select the location on the cloud
15:39
and manage your sync settings.
15:42
Once you save the blocks on the cloud,
15:44
the settings icon is replaced by the cloud icon,
15:48
indicating that the recent and the favorites blocks
15:51
are now available on the cloud and can
15:54
be accessed on your devices anytime and from anywhere.
16:00
Now, let's take a look at an end product demo that demonstrates
16:05
how to use the blocks palette.
16:08
In the insert tab, block panel, expand insert.
16:15
Select recent blocks.
16:17
It opens the blocks palette.
16:20
Switch to the current drawing tab.
16:23
All the blocks that are available in the current
16:26
drawing are displayed here.
16:28
Select the block chair.
16:32
It attaches itself to the cursor.
16:35
Click to place the block.
16:39
Right-click on chair and select copy to favorites.
16:45
Open the newly-added favorites tab.
16:49
The chair block is listed here for easy access.
16:54
In the options area, select the repeat placement option.
17:02
Click on share block.
17:07
Select don't redefine chair.
17:14
Click to place.
17:17
Note that the chair block is still attached with the cursor.
17:23
Click to place as many blocks as you want.
17:30
Press escape to exit.
17:33
Open the libraries tab and click on the navigation tool.
17:39
It opens the dialog box.
17:42
Here in the dialog box, you can choose
17:45
a drawing file to be used as a block,
17:48
or now, you can select a folder as well.
17:53
Select the landscape folder.
17:57
Click open.
17:59
All the drawing files that were inside the landscape folder
18:04
are now displayed here and can be used as blocks
18:08
in the current drawing.
18:13
With the enhancements to the blocks palette,
18:16
you can place the blocks that are
18:19
in the recent and the favorites tabs on the cloud.
18:23
Click on the settings icon in the options area.
18:29
It opens the block sync settings dialog box.
18:33
Using the ellipsis button, you can now
18:36
use any of the supported cloud storage
18:40
providers, such as Dropbox, and save your blocks on the cloud.
18:48
Here, you can also control your sync settings
18:52
and the storage permissions.
18:55
Note that the settings icon now changes to the cloud icon,
18:60
indicating that your recent and the favorite blocks
19:03
are now available on the cloud and can
19:06
be used as blocks on multiple devices any time
19:10
and from anywhere.
19:13
Now, let's talk about the redesign of the purge command.
19:17
In AutoCAD 2020, the purge tool was
19:20
redesigned for easy and efficient drawing clean-up.
19:23
Two tabs are provided in the purge dialog box.
19:27
The purgeable items tab and the find non-purgeable items tab.
19:32
The redesign gives you more control
19:35
over selecting objects to be purged.
19:38
You can select objects by categories
19:41
or as individual objects, by using their respective check
19:45
boxes.
19:46
You can also view the selected object in the preview area.
19:51
And additionally, you can resize the preview area
19:54
as per your requirements.
19:57
The zero-length geometry and empty text objects
20:01
can now be purged separately.
20:04
In AutoCAD 2020, the find non-purgeable items tab
20:09
was provided in the purge dialog box.
20:12
It provides you with possible reasons why the selected
20:16
objects cannot be purged.
20:19
It also has a details area that provides specific information
20:23
about the selected non-purgeable object, such as their number
20:28
and their size.
20:29
You can also use the selected objects button,
20:32
which is shown in the figure, to zoom
20:35
into the specific non-purgeable objects in the drawing,
20:39
such that you can make changes to those objects.
20:44
Now, let's talk about the compare drawings.
20:47
Introduced AutoCAD
20:51
compare command enables you to quickly highlight
20:54
the differences between the two versions of the same drawing
20:57
file or two different drawing files.
20:60
In AutoCAD 2019, it used to compare
21:03
by creating a new drawing with objects
21:06
that are unique to the first drawing on one set of layers.
21:10
And it used to be layer name, underscore, drawing one.
21:15
And the objects unique to the second drawing
21:17
on another set of layers, which was kind of like, layer name,
21:22
underscore drawing two.
21:24
This enabled you to filter drawing layers to better
21:28
visualize the differences.
21:30
You could also have a revision cloud around the changes.
21:34
Additionally, a compare contextual tab displays
21:38
when the drawing compare is active.
21:41
It has options to toggle off or on the visibility
21:45
of the objects in different drawings,
21:47
change the color of the differences,
21:50
and display of the revision cloud,
21:52
and cycle through the differences
21:54
individually by zooming into them.
21:58
In AutoCAD 2020, the enhancements to the drawing
22:02
compare command allow you to conduct the comparison
22:06
in the current open drawing.
22:08
And the differences are displayed
22:09
in the current drawing itself.
22:12
It does not now create a new drawing
22:15
to display the comparisons.
22:17
The software compares documents by displaying the objects that
22:21
are unique to the open drawing in one color
22:24
and the objects unique to the comparison drawing
22:27
in another color.
22:28
The objects that are common in both the drawings
22:32
are displayed in gray by default.
22:35
All these colors can be changed as per your preferences.
22:40
A drawing compare toolbar replaces
22:43
the compare contextual tab.
22:45
The drawing compare toolbar has options
22:48
that can be used to control the visibility of the objects
22:51
and zoom to the previous or next comparative differences.
22:55
It also contains an import tool that
22:58
enables you to import the changes
23:01
from the compare drawing into the current drawing.
23:04
And an export tool that creates a new drawing containing
23:08
all of the similarities and differences
23:11
in both the drawings, maintaining
23:13
the colors of the differences.
23:15
This export tool is especially handy
23:17
to keep a record of all the changes
23:20
that were incorporated into the drawing at that time.
23:24
In addition, the drawing compare toolbar contains
23:27
the settings tool, which can be expanded to display the detail
23:31
tools, such as color blocks for customizing the colors,
23:35
display of revision clouds, and the hatch and text
23:38
objects in the drawing during the compare state.
23:41
You can also modify both the drawings
23:44
while in the compare state.
23:46
While in the compare state, the changes that you make
23:49
are compared in real-time and the differences
23:53
are dynamically highlighted as per your color scheme.
23:58
In AutoCAD 2021, the extra compare command was included.
24:02
It works in a similar fashion as to the drawing compare command.
24:07
Once you made changes to an Xref,
24:09
you can now compare the original and the modified Xref.
24:13
By comparing the two Xrefs, you can now
24:16
identify the modifications that were made to the drawing
24:19
file that is attached as an external reference
24:23
in the current drawing.
24:25
The comparison can be started in the external references pilot
24:29
by selecting compare, in the right-click menu,
24:32
and then selecting either recent changes or selected file.
24:37
The recent changes option compares the host drawing
24:41
with the changes you made to the Xref
24:43
in the currently open drawing.
24:45
The selected file option compares the Xref
24:48
in the host drawing with another saved version
24:52
of the extra drawing.
24:54
When a drawing that is referenced in a drawing
24:57
is changed, an alert balloon is displayed in the status bar.
25:02
Select the link in the balloon to reload the reference.
25:07
There is also an option to compare the changes
25:10
in the balloon.
25:11
This message also displays when someone else
25:14
changes a reference while you are having the host file open.
25:20
When you start the Xref compare command,
25:22
the drawing opens in a compare window, which
25:25
is indicated by the drawing being enclosed in a blue border
25:30
and the Xref compare toolbar is displayed
25:32
along the top of the drawing window.
25:35
The software compares the two Xrefs
25:38
by displaying the objects that are
25:40
unique to the Xref in the open drawing in one color
25:44
and the objects unique to the comparison Xref drawing
25:47
in another color.
25:48
The objects that are common in both the drawings
25:52
are displayed in gray by default.
25:55
The Xref compare toolbar has options
25:58
that can be used to control the visibility of the objects
26:01
and to zoom into the previous or next comparative differences.
26:07
The Xref compare toolbar also contains a settings tool,
26:11
which can be expanded to display the detail tools, such as color
26:16
blocks for customizing the colors,
26:18
display of revision clouds, and the display of hatch and text
26:22
objects in the drawing during the compare state.
26:27
Now, let's take a look at an end product
26:29
demo that demonstrates the drawing compare
26:32
and the Xref compare tools.
26:35
In the external references palette,
26:38
there are extra files loaded into the factory site drawing.
26:42
Right-click on factory floor plan to open it.
26:46
In the collaborate tool compare panel, click drawing compare.
26:52
In the dialog box, select the drawing
26:55
that you want to compare the current drawing with.
27:00
Note that the drawing is in comparison state now
27:04
and is indicated by a blue thick border
27:08
and the drawing compare toolbar.
27:10
Click and expand the settings tool.
27:15
The objects that are unique to the current drawing
27:18
are displayed in green and the objects
27:21
that are unique to the comparison drawing
27:23
are displayed in red.
27:25
The common objects in both the drawings are displayed in gray.
27:31
There is also a revision cloud that
27:34
highlights the differences.
27:37
In the revision cloud, choose polygonal.
27:42
The revision cloud now surrounds the specific objects
27:45
that are different.
27:47
Toggle off the light bulb for the no differences objects
27:53
to focus only on the differences.
27:57
In the toolbar.
27:59
Click the next arrow to zoom into the area
28:03
of one set of the differences.
28:06
Click the next arrow again to zoom into the next set
28:11
of differences.
28:12
The two restrooms are added in the comparison drawing.
28:19
Toggle the no differences back on.
28:25
In the drawing compared toolbar, select import objects.
28:31
The cursor changes into the big box.
28:34
Create a window around the two restrooms only for importing
28:41
and ignore the other differences.
28:45
Press Enter to commit the selection.
28:49
Note the color of the washrooms has
28:52
changed to gray, indicating that it is now
28:56
part of the current drawing.
29:01
Click exit compare.
29:03
See the factory floor plan.
29:07
Open factory site.
29:10
Note that an Xref modified bubble displays also
29:16
in the extra palette.
29:18
The factory floor plan now says, needs reloading.
29:23
In the bubble, the compare the changes is selected.
29:27
Click reload factory floor plan.
29:31
The xref drawing is in compare mode.
29:36
Note that the two restrooms are displayed in green,
29:40
indicating that these are the changes in the Xref compare
29:45
drawing.
29:46
Click exit compare.
29:48
The two restrooms are now part of the factory floor plan Xref
29:53
drawing, which is fully loaded into the factory site host
29:57
drawing.
30:00
Now the revision cloud enhancements.
30:03
In the AutoCAD 2016 update of the software,
30:07
revision clouds were enhanced to provide multiple shapes
30:10
for revision clouds.
30:12
The most recently used creation option is used by default.
30:18
The revcloud create mode system variable
30:21
can be used to set your own default creation method.
30:25
Creation options now available include rectangular, polygonal,
30:30
and freehand.
30:32
The capability of turning any object into the revision cloud
30:36
continues to be available.
30:38
Revision cloud editing has also been
30:40
enhanced by reducing the number of grips available.
30:44
If a revision cloud is created from an object,
30:47
the grips for the original object are displayed.
30:51
If it is created using the rectangular or polygonal
30:55
methods, grips are displayed at each vertex
30:58
and at the midpoint of each line.
31:02
As of AutoCAD 2021, when you hover your cursor
31:07
over a revision cloud object, the quick properties
31:11
now displays a revcloud object type
31:14
instead of the polyline object type,
31:17
as in the previous versions of AutoCAD.
31:20
Similarly, the revcloud object type
31:22
is displayed in the properties palette, as well.
31:26
This clearly indicates that the object is a revision cloud
31:30
and not a part of the drawing.
31:32
Revision clouds are created using
31:35
an approximate single value for the length of the arc chord.
31:39
It's also called the arc length and is
31:42
the distance between the two end points of a single arc segment.
31:47
You can now change the arc length
31:49
of the arcs in the revision cloud.
31:52
The arc length can be changed either
31:54
from the properties palette, or by using
31:57
the new revcloud properties command.
32:01
Now, let's look at the view and viewport enhancements.
32:05
In the AutoCAD 2019 update of the software,
32:09
the new view command was added for creating user-defined named
32:13
views of the current drawing.
32:16
This command is available in the view tab, named views panel.
32:20
Starting the new view command opens the new view
32:23
shot properties dialog box.
32:26
Here, you can enter the name for your name view
32:29
and then, you have two options to create the named views.
32:33
The current display option enables
32:35
you to save the current screen view,
32:37
whereas the defined window option
32:40
enables you to create a named view
32:42
of a specific area of the drawing
32:44
by creating a window around that area.
32:47
Once these views are created, they
32:50
are displayed in the view drop-down menu.
32:53
You can click on any named view to restore it
32:56
in zoom in to that area that you have saved as that view.
33:01
This is useful when you're working in complex drawings,
33:05
as it becomes easier to locate the specific areas.
33:10
Again, in the AutoCAD 2019 update of the software,
33:14
the insert view command was also added
33:17
for creating viewports of named views in the layout.
33:21
The expanded insert view command displays
33:24
a gallery of all the user-created named views.
33:28
In the gallery, select the named view
33:30
that you want to insert in the layout.
33:32
The preview of the viewport window attaches to the cursor.
33:37
Depending on the preview window, you
33:39
can now change the size of the view
33:41
before inserting, such that it fits on the layout as required.
33:46
To set the scale of the view before inserting,
33:49
right-click on the view and select the scale.
33:52
This is the advantage of using the insert view command,
33:55
as it enables you to set the scale before placing the view.
34:00
This can help you understand how the real fits on the sheet.
34:04
When using the conventional viewport
34:07
commands to create views, you set the scale
34:10
after you place the view on the sheet.
34:13
The insert view gallery also provides a new view option.
34:17
This new view option enables you to create a new view directly
34:22
from a layout.
34:24
If a named view of the desired area has not been created,
34:28
you can create the desired view on the fly.
34:32
This option does not create a named view
34:34
and therefore, the view is not saved in the insert view
34:37
gallery for future use.
34:40
Once you have created and placed viewports in the layout,
34:44
you can move, resize, and scale them using grips.
34:47
To modify a viewport, you must be in paper space.
34:51
When you select the edge of a layout viewport,
34:54
three types of grips display.
34:57
The first is an ordinary square grip
34:60
and can be used to resize the viewport without changing
35:04
the scale of the viewport.
35:06
Then, the middle square grip can be
35:08
used to move and place the viewport at a new location
35:12
in the layout.
35:13
Then you have the middle arrow grip.
35:16
And this is a list grip that lists the various scales
35:20
that you can use to set the viewport scale.
35:24
Now, let's take a look at an end product
35:27
demo that demonstrates the view and viewports features.
35:34
In the new tab, named views panel, click new view.
35:39
In the new views shot properties dialog box, enter a name
35:45
and select define window.
35:50
Create a window around the area for the named view.
35:55
Press enter.
35:58
Click OK.
35:60
Expand the view window.
36:03
The new named view has been created.
36:05
Click it.
36:07
The software zooms into the area of the named view.
36:11
This is especially useful when you're
36:13
working in large, complex drawings
36:15
and want to locate and work on specific areas.
36:21
Switch to a layout view.
36:26
In the layout contextual tab, layout reports panel,
36:31
expand insert view.
36:32
The named views are displayed in the gallery.
36:37
Click on the named view.
36:41
A preview window attaches to the cursor.
36:45
Click to place the viewport.
36:48
Similarly, insert another view.
36:52
The scale of the preview window is not correct.
36:56
With the enhancements to the software,
36:59
using the insert view command, you
37:01
have the option of changing the viewport scale before placing
37:05
the view on the sheet.
37:07
Right-click and choose an appropriate scale.
37:12
Click to place.
37:14
Expand insert view and click new view.
37:19
This creates a new view on the fly.
37:23
Define a window around the area for the view.
37:28
Press enter.
37:31
Click to place.
37:34
Click on the viewport window.
37:37
Different viewport grips are now available that help
37:42
you to modify the viewport.
37:45
Select the corner grip, drag to resize.
37:54
This does not change the viewport scale.
37:58
Use the middle arrow grip and choose an appropriate scale.
38:04
Click on the middle square grip and move the viewport
38:09
to a new location.
38:13
SHX and text recognition enhancements.
38:18
The process of importing PDF files
38:21
has been improved to include SHX text recognition.
38:26
When a PDF file containing SHX text
38:30
is imported into the AutoCAD software.
38:32
The text is converted into separate geometric objects,
38:37
such as poly lines.
38:39
This makes editing of the text extremely difficult.
38:43
As of the AutoCAD
38:47
various tools have been provided to work with the imported
38:51
AutoCAD SHX objects and convert them to MText objects.
38:57
The first is the recognized SHX text command
39:01
and enables you to convert SHX geometry to MText string
39:07
objects based on the font and other settings provided
39:11
in the PDF text recognition settings dialog box.
39:15
Once you select the SHX text objects
39:19
the software processes the text and then provides you
39:22
with an update about how many objects were converted,
39:26
how many fonts were used, and the percentage
39:30
of non-converted objects.
39:33
The recognition settings tool opens the PDF text recognition
39:38
settings dialog box, where you can select the fonts that
39:42
are required for your text in the PDF,
39:46
set the threshold percentage to determine
39:49
how closely the converted text should match the selected
39:53
fonts in the list to be considered a matching font,
39:56
and set whether the text should be kept
39:59
on the current layer or the text should
40:01
be on the same layer as the geometry.
40:05
The combined text tool enables you
40:07
to combine multiple individual text
40:10
objects to create a single multi-line text
40:13
object as a paragraph.
40:16
Now, let's talk about the Xref layer property overrides.
40:21
So when you attach or overlay a drawing reference file,
40:25
it brings the drawing object and it's
40:27
named objects, such as layers and blocks,
40:30
into the host drawing.
40:32
Since the AutoCAD
40:35
many layer properties for the extra layers
40:38
have been enhanced.
40:40
In the layer properties managers,
40:42
icons have been added that enable
40:45
you to visually determine the various extra layers
40:48
and the information associated with them.
40:52
An icon is displayed beside the extra layers
40:55
that contain overrides.
40:57
Hovering the cursor over this icon
40:60
displays a tool tip that lists the overwrite information.
41:04
In the top right corner of the layer properties manager,
41:08
there is an icon that controls the shading background
41:11
of the layers with overrides.
41:14
In the layer properties manager an Xref overrides filter
41:18
is automatically created when some extra layers
41:22
have overrides applied to them.
41:25
Clicking Xref overrides displays only the list of extra layers
41:30
with overrides.
41:31
To reset any or all of the layer properties
41:35
to their original state, right-click on Xref
41:38
overrides and select reset Xref layer properties
41:42
to access the options.
41:44
If you change the properties of an extra layer,
41:47
the change does not affect the referenced drawing.
41:51
However, the change is retained in the host drawing by default.
41:56
The default is controlled by the VISRETAIN system variable.
42:01
You can also control it in the layer settings dialog box,
42:04
in the extra layer settings area,
42:07
by using the retained overrides to Xref layer properties
42:10
option.
42:12
In the layer settings dialog box,
42:14
you can also specify the various Xref layer properties
42:18
that you want to reload or not reload.
42:21
These Xref layer properties are stored in the VISRETAIN mode
42:26
system variable.
42:28
And finally, now, I'll talk about the AutoCAD specialized
42:33
tool sets.
42:35
A group of specialized libraries and functions
42:38
are provided with the subscribed version of the AutoCAD 2019
42:42
software.
42:44
The specified tool sets are specific to various industries
42:48
and they can improve your efficiency
42:50
and speed up your work.
42:52
These tool sets contain the basic AutoCAD features,
42:56
at their core and add industry-specific features
42:59
and functions.
43:01
So let's talk about the architecture tool sets.
43:04
It contains a specialized building design capabilities,
43:07
such as the creation of floor plans, elevation, sections,
43:11
et cetera.
43:12
The toolset is equipped with libraries
43:15
of architectural objects and styles.
43:17
There are 8,000 plus of them that
43:20
enable you to work in architectural drawings
43:23
and documentation.
43:24
Then, mechanical toolset.
43:26
It contains specialized mechanical design capabilities,
43:30
including the generation of machine components,
43:33
builds of materials, et cetera.
43:35
The toolset contains libraries of manufacturing parts
43:38
and symbols.
43:39
There are around
43:43
enable you to create mechanical designs.
43:46
Electrical toolset.
43:48
It contains electrical design capabilities
43:51
and a working environment specialized
43:53
for electrical control systems.
43:56
The toolset contains libraries of electrical symbols
43:59
and manufacturers that enable you to efficiently and quickly
44:03
create schematic and panel drawings,
44:05
along with tracking component information between drawings
44:09
and then creating reports and other electrical documentation.
44:14
MEP toolset contains MEP design features
44:17
that automate the design of various building systems,
44:21
such as ductwork, HVAC, plumbing,
44:24
and electrical systems.
44:26
The toolset contains libraries of electrical, mechanical,
44:30
and plumbing objects to help you design and document
44:33
various building systems.
44:36
Plant 3D toolset.
44:37
It contains the engineering design features
44:40
to create plan designs based on specific requirements
44:43
and workflows.
44:45
The workspace enables you to efficiently create
44:48
PNIDs, which are then incorporated into the Plant 3D
44:52
designs.
44:54
Map 3D toolset.
44:55
It contains geospatial features that enable
44:59
you to manage GIS and CAD data.
45:03
The toolset enables you to work with spatial data that
45:07
is stored in files, databases, and web services.
45:12
And Raster design toolset.
45:14
It contains tools for changing raster to vector data,
45:18
enabling you to change raster images to drawing objects.
45:22
These tools quickly clean-up and enhance images,
45:26
create vector shapes, and modify raster images.
45:30
Each toolset must be downloaded separately
45:33
and installed on your system.
45:36
You can download the toolset through your AutoDesk account
45:39
or through the AutoDesk desktop application.
45:42
Open the AutoDesk desktop application and sign-in.
45:46
To display the AutoCAD specialized toolsets that
45:49
are available with your subscription,
45:51
click my products and tools, click
45:54
on the tool set that you need, and then install it.
45:58
Thank you for joining me today for this accelerated
46:01
presentation about AutoCAD its latest design productivity
46:06
enhancements and I hope that you found the information useful.
How to buy
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