Have You Tried . . . September Edition

[dieters]

Have You Tried . . . September Edition

Hi all,

This month, we’re featuring an article on how to Create Tools on Tool Palettes.

In this article, you'll see how you can easily use tool palettes to create "tools by example," which lets you clone objects in your drawing such as dimensions, hatches, and frequently used tools with specified properties such as a layer assignment. Check it out! 

Other articles in the Have You Tried . . . series cover topics such as dynamic blocks, page setups, accelerated dimensioning, and so on. See what you think of them. We’re always open to your feedback and suggestions.

- Dieter

[Anonymous]

@dieters

I love these "Have You Tried" articles you have been posting. Can I request that you do them twice a month? lol.

There is always something new to learn.

For example I didn't know you could put dimensions & hatches on the tool palette like that.

I'm sure there are many other things I would benefit from having on my palettes as well.

I thought my palette setup was already efficient I can't wait to make them even better now.

I will have to go through them with some trial and error and adjust them with this new knowledge. 

[dieters]

Josh,

Super! I've passed your kudos along to my colleague, Lee Ambrosius, who wrote this one.

For October, I've got one in the works that presents some cool tricks with the Boundary command (one of my favorites). But we also want to hear from you on what you'd like to see . . . any requests?

Dieter

[ChicagoLooper]

Yes, tool palettes are underrated, unpopular and in some cases, entirely unknown. I use a tool palette with multiple tabs. On my Anno tab, I have four MTEXT commands, or icons. Each icon uses a different 'text style' so I don't have to fumble my way through mtext options or change the text style after typing the text. For example, one icon for regular, another for italic, another for bold and the last one for bold italic. All four icons are also set to place the mtext on the appropriate text layer regardless of the current layer that's in effect when the MTEXT icon is executed--no more text on the wrong layer. I could go on but I'll leave it at multiple mtext icons. 

[dieters]

ChicagoLooper,

Exactly the idea!

Compared to people who do all this manually, using the tool palette in the way you described makes you a lot more efficient and results in fewer errors. The point of these articles is that people don't have to become experts in tool palettes, dynamic blocks, tables, or any other feature to boost the productivity of AutoCAD at no additional cost. Using the "lite" version of these features is almost like getting "free money."

The challenge that I'd like to solve is getting the word out. Everyone's so busy on their projects that they have very little time to spare, plus there's so much empty advertising noise that clutters email, websites, and every other communication channel. I know that I'm slammed with the same problem.

So, check back in mid-October for the next Have You Tried article on tricks for using the Boundary command, and please let me know if there's a feature area you'd like to see published.

Best wishes,

Dieter

[Anonymous]

@dieters

You are absolutely right about having no time to spare. I find myself adjusting my palettes to perfection as I go.

The irony is that after you have some palettes set up to your liking they can improve your drafting time by a very noticeable amount.

Something as simple as @ChicagoLooper said, having the layer pre-selected for the item, alone saves me time and headaches.

I'd like to  add as a note to anyone reading this that you can also export a palette which comes in handy for me when switching from my office to my home office. 

[dieters]

Thanks for sharing your observations, Josh. Sage advice!

Shaving off a few seconds here and there really does add up at the end of the week. Plus, having a smooth, uninterrupted workflow results in super fast and efficient throughput, letting you concentrate on applying your expertise to the project without having to think a lot about your the software tools you're using. 

Dieter

[carl.coghill]

Hi,

Custom tools and toolpallets are an excellent feature of AutoCAD - everyone should take the time to set up their own.

About a year ago, I started using custom tools and toolpallets. They have sped up my workflow considerably and helped to standardise my drawings. Win, win!

Is there a "back catalogue" of 'Have You Tried' articles?

[dieters]

Hi Carl,

Yes, indeed!

You can access the list of all 14 Have You Tried articles from AutoCAD Help. In the left pane, scroll down the Table of Contents and expand the Have You Tried... node.

Dieter

[Anonymous]

@dieters

I think the quick select feature of AutoCad would make a good topic for "Have You Tried"

Since I've figured it out I use it daily. I'm sure many other users would benefit if they knew how to use it.

[dieters]

Great idea, Josh! I've put it on my list.

Thanks,

Dieter