Here is a macro combined with a couple of scripts that I wrote this week. What it does is import data from another drawing (containing street names in this case) with a Map 3D query based on a rectangular area.

The Macro:

^C^Cscript;P:/GIS/XREF-CITY-MAP.scr;(alert "Pick two diagonal points to define the import area.");(setq firstp (getpoint "Pick first point: "));\(setq secondp (getpoint "Pick second point: "));\script;P:/GIS/IMPORT-STREETNAMES.scr;

I’ll break it down for you. Read more »

Here is a site that helps you learn AutoLISP in plain English. You will be guided slowly to create your own AutoLISP program! Check it out…

Recently we adopted new layer names similar to the NCS layers already built in to Civil 3D templates. We had to make a few modifications of course, one of those being XREF layer names. We decided it was best to have XREF layers start with “X-” and end with a standard four-letter abbreviation. This enabled us to more easily sort XREF layers. To really make this successful, we also had to make it a standard practice to rename external reference names. Let me show you why. Read more »

One of my most popular posts has been Create a Northing & Easting Block With Fields and a commenter requested that I post how to create the dynamic block version of the Northing-Easting block. Read more »

Edwin Prakoso from CAD-Notes.com posted a nice blog entry titled The Best, the Rest, the Rare: 100 AutoCAD Tips You Should Know. This is a must-read for every CAD operator. I read a few things that I had forgotten about that I am going to start using again. Thanks for compiling these tips Edwin!

I’m guessing if you’re like me you have a love/hate relationship with Automatic Save. I love it when it saves my bacon by saving a copy of a drawing before it gets corrupted but I hate it when it interrupts me while I’m looking at a large drawing. I am going to show you a couple of tricks for controlling Automatic Save so it works with you, not against you.
Read more »

Here is how to change the way a fraction is stacked in MTEXT, Multileaders, and Dimensions: Read more »

I received this question from Erik about creating a Northing & Easting block with fields. Here is his question:

I find your post extremely helpful but I do have a question. I need my northing and easting to read a custom ucs (not world). Example, I’m giving a contractor a benchmark to work from which in world ucs is: N: 12213.19 E:-33516.2 but for ease we are setting that coordinate as N:0.00 and E:0.00 by making a custom layout ucs.
When I test the block it will only read out and display the world ucs even when I’ve set it to my custom ucs. Any thoughts? I want to place this block and have it read my custom ucs coordinate system instead of the world…

Great question Erik! Read more »

My friend and coworker @deanhuber emailed me with this tip today: Read more »

The UCS is a powerful tool in AutoCAD that allows you to control the drawing plane. It is very important to learn how to use this tool. It can be used for good and evil (for example, in a civil drawing, it is important to keep the UCS in the World Coordinate System otherwise the drawing may not line up with XREFs correctly). Every AutoCAD drafter should learn to use and manipulate the UCS correctly.

Here I will show you a couple of secret options for manipulating the UCS. Read more »

I’m not sure how this happened but one day my coworker was trying to select multiple objects after starting a command but AutoCAD forced him to select one object at a time unless he explicitly told it to do a crossing window by typing C at the select prompt. This was very frustrating!

After asking around, someone in our office figured out that “Implied Windowing” was turned off.

If you ever run unto this, here is how you fix it:

Type PICKAUTO into the commandline and change it to 1.